Chapter 12-Kenya
“He has to be kidding,” I mumbled to myself. A Park. He wanted me to meet him at a park. When he sent me the address, I didn’t immediately check it. I was out running errands, and it slipped my mind until my calendar app reminded me of our date.
I’d been on some interesting dates, but this … This was one for the books. I was nowhere near being an outdoors person, so for me to be here was a bit much.
Yet he had me at a park where all of nature was waiting to attack me.
I needed insect repellent and sunscreen and, regrettably, I had neither.
A piece of me wanted to drive off, but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to see what he had planned for us.
I was prepared to call him to see where he was, but he was right there.
Literally.
A knock on my window caused me to almost jump out of my skin. Startled, I grabbed my chest and focused on the interruption.
Outside my car, Devon stood, wearing a smile as if my frazzled nature was something to laugh at.
Once I unlocked the door, he didn’t hesitate to open it. With an extended hand, he helped me out of the car.
“I was always told that if you scare easily, then you’re not living right. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s what I’ve heard.”
I stood at full height, allowing him to close my car door behind me. He smiled at me, taking me in. There was something in the way he looked at me. It was an unfamiliar hunger that made me feel empowered.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that, but I can assure you that I live good.”
“Just because you’re living good, doesn’t mean you’re living right, baby girl.” My eyes squinted in response to his words because I wasn’t sure how to take them. “You look good, though.”
“Thank you. You do too.” He smiled, showing the gold grill that had been invading my dreams since the day we met.
I wasn’t sure how or why Devon could get away with things that I normally found repulsive, but he did it with little to no effort.
My attraction to him almost bothered me because I couldn’t do anything to resist the pull.
I didn’t like things that were out of my scope of control, which was enough to have me apprehensive about moving forward with Devon, yet as he grabbed my hand and pulled me away from my car, there was a small piece of me that wanted to pull away.
Regardless of the small nagging feeling telling me to resist, I didn’t. I continued to let him lead and guide us down the paved walkway.
Even with me not being thrilled to be out of my element, I had to be honest and say that I was looking forward to spending time with Devon.
We walked down a paved walkway, surrounded by overgrown trees that appeared larger than life.
I took in the mysterious sounds of nature. It was beautiful until it wasn’t. The moment a squirrel scattered across my feet, I leaped up.
“Ahh!” Knees to chest, I was off the ground and, to my surprise, Devon caught me without missing a beat.
His body was hard and unfamiliar yet warm and welcoming at the same time. My first reaction wasn’t to run away from him, and that was unnerving.
Eyeing the critter who’d made my voice go higher than I thought possible, I was horrified.
I clung to Devon like my life depended on it. The squirrel stopped briefly, turned around, and looked at us like he was sizing us up. When it ran back, I finally turned to Devon.
The look on his face caused me more shame than the fact that I was in his arms, legs wrapped around him in juvenile fashion.
Embarrassment plagued me, allowing me to feel like all the blood was rushing to my cheeks while taking in the smirk on his face.
“If you wanted me to pick you up or hold you, all you had to do was ask.”
“No, that’s not at all what I was trying to do.”
“Really. I can’t tell.”
He stared me down with a look in his intoxicating eyes that made time stand still for me.
An unfamiliar feeling came over me, and I realized that my breathing hadn’t regulated. In fact, it felt like the air was stuck in my chest, confused about how to move.
“The squirrel … He—It scared me.”
“We can act like that’s the case.”
That smirk on his face ... The infamous smirk … It was enough for me to clear my throat and push away from his solid body.
“Can you put me down?”
“Only if you say please and ask me nicely.”
Again, there I was, forgetting how to breathe.
“Please put me down.”
He didn’t rush to honor my request. Instead, he continued to gaze at me. There were dozens of people around us. Older couples walking, ladies getting their steps in, children laughing, and teenagers enjoying juvenile bliss. Yet somehow it seemed like we were the only two there.
“I guess that was nice enough.” He lowered me down to the ground, but not before leaning in and inhaling my scent. “Damn. You smell better than what I have in this basket.”
Devon held up the wicker basket in his hand and then proceeded to pull me in the direction we were going before the squirrel tried to sabotage my image and threaten my life.
It could’ve been twenty degrees below zero outside, and Devon still would’ve had me hot and bothered. As we continued down the path, I did my best to get my thoughts together, reminding myself who I was as a woman.
I was far too accomplished to melt off of energy alone.
Logic was the one thing that I’d always been able to depend on, but with Devon around, I didn’t feel the need to rely on it.
We walked for at least another seven minutes with nothing being said between the two of us. The silence was oddly comfortable.
“Wow. This is magnificent.” We strolled under a bridge and, once we came to the other side, a beautiful lake came into view.
I could tell it was manmade because of how pristine and crystal clear the water was and because of the various fountains going symmetrically down the center, but that didn’t take away from its beauty.
“I take it that you’ve never been here before.” He glanced at me over his shoulder but didn’t stop our pursuit.
No more than a minute later, we stopped at a bench.
He let go of my hand, and I immediately missed his touch. I chose not to react to the absence as I watched him intently.
Devon didn’t rush to sit down, instead, he opened the basket and, to my surprise, pulled out a blanket.
With confidence off the Richter scale, he opened the blanket and covered the wooden bench. Kneeling down, he made sure the wood was fully covered.
“I had a feeling you were the type who wasn’t exactly one with nature.”
“Then why ask me here on a date if you knew this wasn’t my scene of choice?” With each second that passed, I heard a unique bird chirping and saw a different insect attempting to threaten my life and peace of mind.
“’Cause I want to keep pushing you out of your comfort zone.
I want to see all facets of you so that I can know what I’m getting into,” he confessed.
“From the moment I saw you pull up into the entrance of the park, I could tell this wasn’t your cup of tea, but I noticed how you were willing to give it a chance and for that I’m grateful. ”
“Are you saying that you are trying to test me?”
He laughed and then stood to his full height, towering over me with little to no effort.
“Is that the only thing you heard?”
“No. It isn’t the only thing that I heard, but it’s what stood out to me the most.”
“That means that we need to change the way you listen, baby girl.” He leaned into me, invading my space without my permission, penetrating my boundaries and comfort zone. “That’s for you to sit on.”
I nodded before inhaling a sharp breath.
Stunning me, he placed a kiss on my cheek and then stepped around me as if nothing had happened. Truthfully, the simplicity of his gesture added to the butterflies that I was trying to ignore.
He claimed his seat on the opposite side of the table and then began to unpack the basket.
I expected him to retrieve sandwiches or maybe even a couple of prepackaged salads.
Yet again, Devon presented himself to be unpredictable and pulled out baked chicken thighs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and creamed corn.
As he opened each container, steam escaped, carrying with it the aromatic smell of the carefully wrapped items.
With each dish out of the basket, he retrieved carefully wrapped utensils and then two bottles of chilled red wine.
Then, as if it were an afterthought, he pulled out a container filled with cornbread. My assumption was that it had to be lathered with honey because of the shine and the sweet aroma that swept across my nose when the lid was removed.
This was not at all what I was expecting.
“Are you gonna sit down and let me fix your plate?” For what had to be the hundredth time, I found myself surprised by not only his actions, but his words as well.
“You would fix my plate?” I questioned while taking a seat.
“Yeah. I would—Hell, I am. Are you saying that you wouldn’t fix mine?” He stopped adding mashed potatoes to my plate and looked up at me.
With an arched brow, he waited for an answer.
Even if I was against the stereotypical gender role of a woman fixing a man’s plate, with his handsome face in front of me, indeed fixing my plate, how could I say no?
Slowly, I nodded my head. “I would.”
“What else would you do for me?” His arched brow shifted, and his eyes had an air of curiosity to them. He bit down on his bottom lip, adding to the suggestive nature of it all.
“Devon—”
“I’m just messing with you, baby girl.”
I breathed a sigh of relief because, honestly, I had no idea how I was going to respond, and thankfully he saved me from having to figure it out.
When he finished fixing my plate, he handed it to me and then continued the same routine to make his own.
I appreciated how he took the time to smother the gravy that the baked chicken was baked in, on top of the mashed potatoes and green beans.
There were bell peppers, onions and mushrooms mixed in, and I embraced the thick gravy mixture. I could both see and smell that everything was seasoned. It smelled good, but it looked even better.
I waited for him to finish making his plate, and no sooner than he did, he reached for my hand and started to bless our food.
Without being asked, I bowed my head and closed my eyes.
“God, it’s your favorite.” The start of his prayer forced my eyes open.
I didn’t want him to be serious, but judging by the look on his face, he was indeed very serious.
“I want to thank you for this food we’re about to grub down on and thank you for the beautiful woman sitting across from me.
Thank you for allowing our paths to cross.
You stay lookin’ out for me. I’m grateful, and you know I appreciate you. Amen.”
I sat across from him, and all I could do was blink and think to myself … what in the entire hell have I gotten myself into.