Chapter Fifteen

LaMeka

“I can’t believe I have to sit beside you the entire game,” Gavin said, shaking his head as we sat down in Philips Arena to watch the Hawks play the Lakers.

He was fresh to death in his Polo jean shorts, all black Nikes, and his T-shirt and throwback Al Horford jersey. He was just pissed that I had on my mid-thigh jean shorts with my purple-and-gold Lakers Legends jersey, complete with my LA Lakers baseball cap.

I was actually impressed when Gavin popped up with tickets. That game had been sold out for about a week. Gavin said he had some good friends he was able to get some tickets from at the last minute, which proved that he would go the extra mile to please me. I really did want to go to the game, and I felt like it would be the perfect outing for a first date. The only thing was that I was a die-hard Lakers fan, and he was a die-hard Hawks fan. I probably should have told him that first, but I honestly didn’t know he was a true Hawks fan. He said he thought I was too, since I asked to go to the game, but that was because I wanted to see my Lakers play, since I may never get to California to see them. It was pretty hilarious to me. He’d been fussing about it since he picked me up.

“Oh, be quiet, Gavin. You just mad because my Lakers are the truth, and by end of the second quarter, they gonna be spankin’ that ass!” I laughed.

“Whatever, man. If it wasn’t for—”

I started pretending to rub my ear. “I’m sorry. Were you saying something? I couldn’t understand you. It sounded a lot like wonk-wa-wonk-wonk,” I giggled, interrupting him.

“I got a question. How can you be from Georgia and be going against your home team? That’s so disloyal. I’m appalled,” he joked.

“I am loyal to my home team. The Falcons don’t play until football season starts again.”

He laughed at me then we settled down. After a few minutes, the music came over the arena, signifying they were announcing the starting lineups. It’s just something about hearing that music that comes over the arena. It makes you feel like you can go out there and knock down a couple of 3-pointers yourself. I nearly lost it when I saw my favorite Lakers players strut across the floor. Gavin thought it was hilarious to see me screaming my head off while everyone around us just looked at me foolishly. I didn’t give a good damn. It was my first time going to a Lakers game, and I was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Gavin and I talked crap to each other the entire first half, and just like I predicted, the Lakers were in the lead at the halftime buzzer. During halftime, we managed to grab some drinks and a couple of T-shirts. Of course, I wanted all Lakers stuff, so Gavin snagged me two T-shirts—one with the Lakers logo, and another one with a picture of the entire team. For good measure, I also agreed to get a Hawks T-shirt. He also got Tony Jr. a Lakers basketball and LaMichael a T-shirt. By the time we got back to our seats, the third quarter was under way, and Gavin was out of more than a hundred bucks between shirts, the ball, and the drinks, but we were having a ball, made better by the Lakers beating the Hawks, 103 to 89!

“I don’t want to hear a word about your Lakers,” Gavin fumed as we got in his car.

“Why are you even acting shocked? You already knew what time it was. Boy, please.”

“Okay. You got that one.” He laughed. “Well, did you have a good time?” he asked, looking over at me.

“Yes, I did. I want to thank you for a great time,” I answered, beaming from ear to ear.

“You don’t have to thank me. It was my pleasure, Meka. I really enjoyed myself with you too. Do we have to end it now, though?”

His request left me intrigued. “No, my mom is cool with keeping the kids for me. What do you have in mind?”

“I want to go grab a bite to eat and get to know each other a little better.”

Impressed, I slowly nodded. “We can do that.”

I felt amazingly comfortable with Gavin. It wasn’t like I hadn’t been approached while I was with or even after Tony, but I wasn’t interested in the men that asked. I felt that I had to take some time getting LaMeka together first. Coming out of such a hellacious relationship with Tony was not an easy feat to overcome. I felt men would be a distraction from my goals in life, and I also needed time to find out what I really needed in a man so that I could ask God to bless me with that.

I had two boys to look out for, so not only did I need a stand-up gent for myself, but I needed someone who was going to step in and be a father to my boys. It was too many damn pedophiles and shiftless niggas out there just to date any and everybody. Nowadays, you had to do a damn background check, medical history check, credit check, interview, and reference check before you could agree to go on a date. It was sad but true, and if I had to do all of that to ensure my safety and the safety of my boys, then that was what I’d do. Tony had proved that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known a person; you can still end up not knowing them at all.

So far, I’d been doing rather well for myself. Just like I said, I made the money for me. I ended up not paying Pooch. It had nothing to do with me dipping and dodging him, and everything to do with him getting locked up. Before I could cash the check good, the feds had brought him and the entire organization down. I wasn’t crazy. I knew that Dreads had something to do with that, but I kept my mouth closed. All I knew was that Trinity ran off with his ass, and that’s all I needed to know.

Hell, even that was way too much information. The less I knew, the better for me. That bitch, Sonja, or rather Chocolate Flava, had cornered me in the grocery store once, questioning me about Trinity, talking ’bout she was just asking. Yeah, right. Everybody who knew Pooch knew that bitch was riding for him. Hell, it was a known fact that she had wanted to get at Pooch ever since she started stripping at Moet like three years ago. Now, she wanted me to believe she was just “asking” like I didn’t know she was going back and feeding Pooch any piece of information she could find.

But anyway, the point was I ended up not having to pay for the truck, which was a blessing. My mom and Misha moved in with me, and my mom took care of the monthly expenses so that Misha and I could concentrate on our studies. So, I just continued to deposit Tony Jr.’s monthly disability checks in my interest-bearing checking account and savings account. The only bill I paid was out-of-pocket expenses for health insurance so that Misha and Tony Jr. could get the best care. At any rate, I only had a month left in the transitional house, and I had found a nice four-bedroom, three and a half–bathroom home in a nice middle-class neighborhood. This was the dream of a lifetime; my dream deferred. I was praying it was going to become my reality. I had accrued so much money due to the lump sum disability payment and the investments made from that money that I could pay cash for it, so I made an offer on it and hoped that the owners took it.

It was the perfect place for us. The absolute first thing I noticed about the home was the back yard. I’d never had a back yard growing up in the hood. It was one of those things I always wanted growing up: you know, a swing set, a treehouse, and maybe even a pool in my back yard. With this yard, I could do all three if I wanted to for my boys. There were so many other pluses to this home, like a bonus room and my master bedroom was to die for. I was going to use the bonus room as a playroom for the boys, and my master bedroom had a little sitting area and my own stand-up shower and Jacuzzi tub. Lastly, there was no more gawd damn Laundromats for me. I not only would have my own washer and dryer, but my own room for it, too. Hell, I was just in love with everything about this home.

Some people might not see that as being special, but what may seem small to others means the world to someone else, especially someone who has never had it. Like me. So, right now, life was good. Real good. Perhaps Gavin could be the icing to top it all off.

“Enjoying your food?” Gavin asked.

“I’m stuffed. It was great.”

“Yeah, me too,” he said, patting his stomach. “I’m just glad I’m off tomorrow. I just wanna chill out, watch some sports, and listen to some old school. Put on a little Al, a little Teddy. Shit, all the drawls fall,” he joked.

“You’re so crazy, Gavin. I can’t with you. I swear you’re a black man trapped in a white man’s body,” I howled, throwing my hand over my face at his antics.

“Well, I guess what’s on the inside of me matters more, since they say the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.” He winked at me, and instantly, there was a fire between my thighs.

My blush could not be contained. “Boy, what is your obsession with black women?”

He looked at me as if I were foolish. “Are you kidding me? I admire your strength. I see black women hold down the kids, the house, and the job as if it ain’t shit. Even the ones that are married hold it down and still make their man feel like a man. Don’t get me wrong, it’s some strong women in every culture. It’s just that I grew up around a lot of black kids coming from single mothers, and ever since I was little, I’ve always admired that. I guess more so because my mom was in the same boat with me. Not to mention, black women are the finest things on this Earth. Every shade of you. That sway in those hips and those round backsides . . . man, please. I don’t mean no disrespect, but I feel sorry for any man who hasn’t had the pleasure of getting with a black woman, especially from the back, if you know what I mean,” he explained in awe.

“You started out so beautifully and ended up on ass. Yep, there is definitely a black man trapped inside of there,” I joked.

“Well, I’ve got news for you, Miss LaMeka—that’s any man. Hell, black, white, or Cablanasian, we all like to get ass,” he kidded. “You can’t point out one man who don’t like it. Even gay men like ass. That’s what they do. Hell, they’re probably getting more ass than any straight man.”

My stomach was cramping up from laughing at him. Gavin was a certified fool. “Something is wrong with you.” Tears rolled out of my eyes at this foolery.

“It feels good to see you enjoying yourself, though. I’m glad I could make that happen.”

There it was again, the blush. “Yes, you really have.”

He gently rubbed the top of my hand. “Meka, I really like you, and I know you’re trying to do your school thing, but I just wanna get to know you,” he said sweetly, staring me in the eyes and licking his lips.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

He gave a crooked smile. “Hell yeah. Man, you already know what you do to me. I ain’t got to tell you that, and I ain’t gon’ front about it either. I’ve told you more of my business than I tell my homeboys. What you see is what you get with me, Meka. I’m a white boy who has one brother. I came from a single parent home. My mother died and left me some grip. I loved science and took an interest in nursing. My best friends are black men. I love R&B, hip-hop, and gospel. I’ve never been married and don’t have any kids. There ain’t much left to tell you.”

“Well, you gotta love kids to be with me. I’m a package deal.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want kids. I just don’t have none of my own. Of course, if you give me a chance, I realize your boys are a part of that deal, which is what I signed up for. Knowing you have two sons doesn’t bother me, LaMeka. My mother was a single parent with two sons. How could I judge you? I would never judge you about that. In fact, I admire you the same way I admired my mom. You put it in every day for you and your boys, and I would love the opportunity to be a part of their lives as well as yours,” he said seriously. “I want to be a part of your entire life, LaMeka, not just your ass.”

My heart melted right then. It had been so long since a man showed me this kind of intimate attention. I had been so bogged down with Tony and his nonsense that I forgot how good it felt to be cherished and appreciated. Even so, I was still going to force myself to take things slow with Gavin. There was a lot I had to tell him about my life, namely Tony. However, for the most part, I was definitely throwing caution to the wind and giving Gavin Randall a chance because he indeed was pretty fly for a white guy. Who would’ve thought this shit would happen? But when I looked at Gavin, I didn’t see white or black or, as he would say it, Cablanasian. I saw a man who was willing to be down for me, and that was all I wanted.

“That is the sweetest thing.”

Gavin lifted my chin up, and our lips met for our first kiss. On the real, I’d never been with a man of another race before, but Gavin could kiss. I mean a helluva lot better than Tony, too. Shit, he lifted up first, but I could’ve kissed him forever.

“I better get you home because it’s some shit running through my mind right now, for real,” Gavin said sexily as he rubbed his hands together.

I glanced at my watch. “We . . . we have time. You want me to come and chill with you?” I asked, not wanting to leave him or those lips.

“Hooked already, huh?” He chuckled.

“See, there you go.”

Pulling me close, he hugged me. “It’s cool. It’s whatever you want to do. I just want you to be ready for it. There’s no pressure here.”

“I’m ready,” I declared, staring him in the eyes. “I’m ready for you.”

The smile that spread across his face was priceless. Without another word, he paid our tab, and we walked out, holding hands and cheesing at each other. I was so gonna give him some when we got to his house. Shit, there was no need to keep fighting it. I wanted Gavin, and it had been a long time since I’d had enjoyable sex, so I was more than ready to take my time and enjoy the experience. In fact, it was well overdue.

When we got in the car, we kissed again passionately. He was sending me on a high that I’d never experienced before. He was gonna have to double strap up because the way I felt, I knew we’d be going half on a baby if he didn’t.

“I love the feel of you in my arms.”

“Wait until you feel all of me.” Just then, my cell phone rang. “Hello,” I sang into my phone.

“Meka, it’s Mrs. Light. Tony’s awake!” she said excitedly.

“Huh?” I asked, trying to regroup.

“Come to the hospital quickly. Please. Tony is awake.”

“Oh my God,” I exclaimed happily. “I’m on my way.”

“What’s wrong?” Gavin asked, concerned.

“Nothing. Everything is perfect. Take me to the hospital,” I said excitedly.

“Huh? What?”

“Tony’s awake.”

“The patient?” he asked, confused.

It was confession time. “Yes, the patient.”

“I get that you know him and all, but this is a little extreme. Don’t you think?” he asked. “I mean, we had some plans.”

“I know, but this is important,” I said, facing him. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I found the courage to the release my secret before I could change my mind. “Gavin, there’s something you have to know now. Tony, the patient, he is my sons’ father.”

Instantly, all the color drained from his face.