Chapter 14-Kenya #2
Sydney helped me put the finishing touches on my look by flat ironing my bone straight, cascading hair, giving me a sleek middle part, and a natural glammed look.
She left as soon as we finished, because she had a date night of her own to get ready for.
I thanked her again for making sure I was prepared for my date and saw her out.
For some odd reason, I was nervous about my date with Devon, so I decided to have a glass of wine while I waited on him to pick me up. I finished getting dressed fairly early, and I had about thirty minutes to spare.
We had been communicating with each other for a little over a month.
We talked daily, but it was only our third date. The fact that I was a ball of nerves made me even more sure that I truly did like him. I’d even gone as far as giving him my address so he could pick me up tonight.
That alone was enough for him to call the Guinness World Records.
On top of that, I couldn’t remember the last time I gave a man a consistent month of my time, communication, and energy.
Knowing that wine tended to solve most of my problems, I poured a glass of red wine I had chilled in my refrigerator, sat at the bar, and finished the last drop just as my doorbell rang.
“Wow,” he said when I opened my front door.
He was standing at my doorstep with a bouquet of pink roses, staring at me with his mouth agape.
“I hope your wow is a good thing.”
“Hell yeah. I mean, absolutely. Your outfit looks fly. I was almost expecting you to answer the door in a suit and heels, I’m glad you dressed comfortably.”
“I am too,” I nervously giggled, because if Sydney wouldn’t have talked me out of my clothing selection, then I would have. “Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful. Please, come in, and I’ll put these in water and grab my purse.”
I opened the door wider so he could come in. He walked in but remained near the door with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.
“You don’t have to stand there. You are more than welcomed to follow me into the kitchen.”
He smiled, showing me his gold grill. This time, instead of cringing, I smiled in return. I was sure I even blushed a little, but as a dark chocolate woman, he probably couldn’t tell.
“You have a beautiful home, Kenya. Your place looks nothing like I thought it would, no disrespect.”
“Really?” I said as I reached into the cabinet to grab a vase.
“What were you expecting?” Glancing across the room, I took in his attire.
He was dressed simply, in a pair of distressed black jeans, and a black and white Dolce & Gabbana shirt.
He wore a pair of black and white shoes with the infamous Nike swoosh embroidered on them.
“I thought I would walk in, and the entire house would be white, with fur, glass sculptures, and mirrors everywhere.” He spoke honestly, which caused me to laugh. Devon’s eyes scanned the room briefly before they turned back to me.
The intensity staring at me sent a chill down my spine.
“I’m sorry my style disappoints you. What you described sounds more like my office than anything.”
My house was decorated in gray, black, and gold.
Those colors were in every nook, cranny, and room in my house.
The interior designer I hired went with a chic, eclectic style, and every day I walked into my house, it felt like home .
My mother hated it and said she wouldn’t come back until my house was in order , but it was exactly what I wanted and paid for.
“No, it just confirms there is more to you than meets the eye,” he said with a wink.
I finished placing the flowers in the vase, sat them on my living room table, grabbed my small purse, and walked back to where Devon was standing.
“I’m ready if you are,” I said with a smile.
He grabbed my hand, kissed the back of it, and led me out of my house.
I loved that I didn’t have to show him how I expected to be treated, it was like he just knew. He was so kind and attentive, and that made me want him more.
For me, it was the little things, like making sure I was comfortable before he closed my door, which caused my heart to skip a beat.
Like Sydney said, I really just needed to get out of my head and allow whatever to happen as it was supposed to happen.
Good luck with that.
“I saw this game online and thought it would be cool to play. Grab my phone, I pulled it up before I got to your house,” he said as he expertly transitioned his attention from me to the road. He handed me his phone while wearing a mischievous grin.
“Simply Complicated Questions,” I read as I held his unlocked phone.
“That’s it. Just read the question, answer it, and then I’ll answer it.”
“It seems easy enough.” I observed before reading the first question. “What is your biggest fear? Being kidnapped,” I answered seriously.
“Wait, what?”
“My biggest fear is being kidnapped. It happens every day to regular women just like me. Politicians and police sweep under the rug half of the stories that happen, but that doesn’t make the women who are stolen any less real, and it doesn’t make their families any less broken.”
“Kenya, you are wild! I was expecting you to say spiders or snakes, something normal,” he said in between laughs.
“Being kidnapped is a normal and very rational fear. Now, let’s hear your answer.”
“I’m scared of heights,” he said, and instantly his laughter ceased.
“Heights?” My brow arched. I shifted in my seat so that I could have a less obstructed view of him.
“It’s a sensitive subject for me,” he responded with a small smile.
“I can only imagine. Since it seems so traumatic for you, I’ll move on to the next question. What is your biggest pet peeve? When I hear someone swallow or breathe too loud.”
“Yo, baby girl. What is wrong with you? I knew you were too good to be true, and here you are proving me right,” he said as he held his side because of the intense laughter he was engaged in.
“I’m done with this game,” I joked as he pulled up to a gas station.
“Aww, don’t be like that. Nobody likes a poor sport.”
“That is what I’m choosing to be right now,” I responded and watched him exit the car.