Chapter 24 #2
Pleased, she gave Ezekiel a smile. “You can call me Miss Brandy. Do you cook?”
“Yes, definitely,” Ezekiel said as he sat up and wiped at his mouth. “My folks made sure I was very independent on all fronts.”
That was something I respected about Ezekiel. He had a good foundation that made him out to be an incredible man. Really, I was spoiled entirely by him, the way he would cook for me or love on me. I had never had it so good.
“Good,” my mother seemed to accept with a firm nod of her head. She looked over at Oisin. “What about you?”
He grinned as he pointed his fork at Ezekiel. “You’re killin’ me, bro.”
Alannah, Ezekiel, and I laughed while my parents were left out, not getting it.
“My mom is really nurturing,” Oisin confessed as he cut into a piece of catfish. “I can cook, but my mom’s very big on inviting you over for dinner, and for so long I wasn’t turning her down.”
Alannah placed her hand on top of Oisin’s. “His mom can cook, though. I would avoid making my own food, too, if Momma Murphy was offering.”
My father looked on as Oisin gave Alannah an appreciative smile. “How did you two meet? You go to Harvard, too?”
Oisin took a deep breath, adjusting in his seat a little. “No, actually, I’m not in school. We met at a café.”
“He was behind me in line and he paid for my lunch because I forgot my money,” Alannah explained. “And then when I was sitting down to eat, he asked to sit with me.” She turned and looked into Oisin’s eyes, getting lost. “The rest is kind of history.”
My father wasn’t a romantic, so he wasn’t moved by their meet-cute. “You’re not in school, so what do you do?”
“Construction,” Oisin said. “I’ve always been good with my hands that way.”
“Do you think you’ll ever go to school?” my mother chimed in.
Oisin took a moment to think, rubbing at his chin as he stared into the air. “I’m not sure. I did a couple of years before taking a hiatus, and I know it’s always there for me should I want to go back. Right now, I’m just not sure.”
“And that’s okay,” I said in his defense.
Oisin mouthed a thank you my way and I nodded. I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to cape for him, but he made Alannah happy and the rest didn’t matter. He had a job and was taking care of himself not leeching off my sister or causing her stress.
“How do your folks feel about Ali?” my father wanted to know.
At once Oisin’s shoulders drooped and Alannah squeezed his arm for support.
“They love me,” Alannah spoke up.
“Too much.” Oisin groaned.
My father shook his head. “No such thing as too much love.”
“They’re always trying to set me up with his brother Raury. He owns the construction company Oisin works at,” Alannah went on further.
“That sounds mean,” I said.
“Sometimes people think successful people should be with other successful people instead of loving for love,” Oisin said.
I loved the way he’d put it, because it was true.
“I’m going to be honest.” My father sat up, pausing in his eating as he bore into Oisin. “It’s the long run I care about. How are you going to feel as a man with a woman who’s going to be a successful doctor?”
My mouth fell open and Ezekiel’s hand came down on my thigh. At once, my heart rate went from speeding up to winding down with just the touch of him.
Oisin didn’t break a sweat. “You mean because I’ll be blue-collar doing construction while she’s going to be a top-notch surgeon?” He glanced lovingly at Ali before facing my father. “I’d feel proud, David.”
“What if she wants to drop out?” my mother joined in on the questions.
Oisin entwined his hand with Alannah’s and shook his head.
“I’d never tell her what to do, or encourage that, but I’d support her in whatever choice she feels is right for her.
But Lana’s not going to drop out, she’s got this caring spirit about her.
She’s too gifted and destined to just give up.
She’s determined and smart, she’s going to go far, and I’m proud of her for that. ”
Oisin answered their interrogation with ease, looking each of my parents in their eye with no qualms. Alannah had found someone good in Oisin, because he wasn’t intimidated by a woman who had a successful career over him, nor would he ever attempt to bring her down.
“Oisin,” my father said as he picked up his glass of water. “You’re all right with me.”
“Whew!” Alannah let out loudly as she relaxed back in her seat.
My parents laughed and Oisin was quick to join in. “I actually love that you’re asking all these hard questions. I love knowing that Lana’s got this type of support behind her and protection. She deserves it.”
That was one thing I could say about my father, he wasn’t just accepting of the guys I brought home, he was hard on them, wanting them to meet his standards and be right for me.
I was able to enjoy a whole piece of catfish before my parents switched gears and jumped on Ezekiel.
“What about you, Ezekiel? Any school? What do you do?” my mother wanted to know. The way she appraised him, I could tell she found him handsome, but like my father, she wasn’t too swayed with looks.
Ezekiel was right, on paper he was amazing, and for that, he had nothing to hide. “Oh yeah, my father owns several nightclubs, and he wasn’t just gonna let me jump in. He stressed my going to school, so I went and got a degree in business from Columbus State.”
“Business major, huh? So if Nastasia needs any tips she can come to you,” my father mused.
I rolled my eyes.
“She doesn’t need my help,” Ezekiel said firmly. “I am always here if she ever does, though. She’s been doing this fine without me, so I’m sure she’s perfectly capable of continuing on her own with Paisley.”
My heart had never felt so whole and warm.
Suddenly, I felt full, like I didn’t need to eat any more. All I could do was admire the man beside me for sticking up for me with no hesitation.
“Those two are some bad women running that shop as a duo,” my father commented to my surprise.
Ezekiel was quick to agree. “Yes, sir. That’s what I love about Nas, she’s a hard worker, but super humble and chill.”
The more Ezekiel talked, the more my father and mother looked on at him with approval. The same could be said for Oisin.
“You play any sports?” Oisin asked Ezekiel a while later, his eyes doing a quick scan of Zeke.
Ezekiel shrugged. “I mean, sometimes me and my boy Cesar will spar or shoot hoops, but it’s never been my thing. You?”
“Everybody in my family is into basketball. I did a little rugby growing up, too,” Oisin responded. “I’m the youngest of five boys.”
“Rugby? That’s that extreme stuff, right?” Ezekiel winced at the thought of the sport.
“You get used to it. My brothers never went easy on me, but sooner or later you either get rolled over or you learn to fight back,” Oisin insisted.
Ezekiel didn’t look convinced.
“You tryna play rugby with Oisin, Ezekiel?” my father joked.
Ezekiel swung his attention from Oisin to my father. “So he can take his pent-up resentment out on me? Hell nah!”
The whole room swelled over with laughter and all the hard conversations were behind us.
Dinner with my family had been anxiety inducing, but the whole thing went over so smoothly, I enjoyed myself and didn’t think of rushing off at any point.
Oisin was likeable and it was sweet seeing Alannah fawn over him and him adore her.
Ezekiel’s presence helped me through the meal more than anything.
Seeing my father and mother in action tag teaming Ezekiel and Oisin, a part of me began to see and appreciate their intentions more.
When it was time to go and my father pulled me to the side, I didn’t look for an escape route, I simply took a deep breath and stepped with him into his private den.