Chapter 21
School had been back in for two weeks and she still hadn’t heard from her secret love. She finally realized that she shouldn’t have let her ex back into her life again. Carmen had been keeping her romance with Tameka a secret, because she knew that Cooley and Denise would disapprove of it.
Carmen knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t resist. After all, she loved Tameka. She’d decided she could at least take the time to have lunch with her. Tameka had been trying to get back with her ever since she saw her at the first party of the year.
Every day Carmen ran into Tameka. It was like Tameka purposely stood in front of the old oak tree just to wait for her. For weeks Carmen protested, refusing to hear what Tameka had to say.
After class one day, there she was again, but this time Tameka was holding a dozen orchids. She reached her hand out to hand them to Carmen. “Orchids, your favorite,” Tameka said.
Carmen hesitated, but took them. “Yeah, you know I love them.” She looked down at the flowers, unaware that her wall was being broken down.
“Look, I know you have every reason to hate me, but I really just want the chance. I fucked up, Carmen, and I know it. Can’t you at least give me one chance to make it right?”
“One chance? I gave you chance after chance every time I took you back after catching you with some tramp. So don’t come talking to me about chance.”
“Okay. Damn, Carmen, I know I was wrong for it, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I was young and dumb. I didn’t realize how special you were.”
“Young and dumb. Tameka, it was last year. And what makes you know that I’m special now, the fact that I am a size nine?”
“No, baby, it’s not like that.”
Carmen glared at Tameka to warn her not to call her baby again.
“Carmen, look, I don’t care about the size, it was simply that I wasn’t ready for you then, but I am now. I don’t want to trick off no more. I just want my Carmen back.”
Carmen looked into Tameka’s eyes. Something told her that she was telling the truth. She decided to have lunch with her.
Ever since then she had been secretly seeing Tameka. They mainly would meet off campus, at hotels and restaurants. She had forgotten how good Tameka was in bed; the girl could make her cum multiple times just with her tongue alone. She let Tameka sex her all the time. They were doing things they never did before, mainly because there were some positions she couldn’t get in when she was overweight. Tameka gave her the best oral sex. Now that Carmen finally could ride her, she loved it. When she was big she couldn’t ride her because of it being so uncomfortable, but now she rode her like she was trying to win a rodeo.
Carmen was happy. She had her Tameka back. Tameka decided that on campus they shouldn’t let on about their relationship. Carmen agreed simply because of Cooley and Denise. They would be so upset if they found out she was messing with her again.
Now she was regretting her decision to take Tameka back into her life. The holiday passed and she heard nothing from Tameka.
Carmen took a sip of her drink when she saw Lena walking up to her.
“Hey, chick. How are you doing?” Lena asked. She saw that Carmen was having a hard time. Lena was the only person that Carmen told about Tameka. She had to confide in someone, and Lena had become one of her best friends.
“I’m doing okay. Still haven’t heard anything, but it’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Carmen had mastered hiding her true feelings. She didn’t want to come off as being sad, so that Lena would want to tell Cooley and Denise. “I am concentrating on the Intake meeting.”
“Oh, yeah, I guess I should start on my packet, huh.” Lena had no desire to be a Chi Theta, but decided to go ahead and do it for her mother and Carmen.
“Lena, you are tripping. I finished my packet before school let out. Hell, I rewrote my essay too many times.” Carmen could tell by the look on Lena’s face that she really did not care. “I need you to get on your shit. I can’t do this without you.”
“Okay, okay. I will finish it tonight. Brandon has a scrimmage anyway, so I can get it done.”
“Speak of the devil.” Carmen pointed at Brandon, who was walking into the University Center.
The girls in the U.C. quickly started to perk up, fixing their hair and checking their makeup when they noticed the basketball players walking into the cafeteria.
“Oh shit!” Lena started fumbling to take off the charm bracelet Denise had given her and put on the bracelet from Brandon. She got the charm bracelet in her bag just before Brandon walked up.
“Hey, baby,” she said as he kissed her on her forehead. “What are you doing slumming in the cafeteria?”
“Well, we got a break and the fellas wanted to come check out the new semester girls, and I knew you were meeting Carmen here, so I came too. Hey, Carmen,” Brandon said as he pulled up a seat next to Lena.
Carmen spoke, trying not to laugh at the switch job Lena pulled a few minutes before.
Brandon sat and talked with them for a few minutes before one of his basketball teammates told him it was time to get back to practice. He kissed Lena and headed out of the U.C.
Carmen gave Lena a stern look. Lena rolled her eyes.
“Girl, are you crazy? That was a close call. What if he had caught you?”
Lena had told Carmen all about the blowup with Brandon. She told Brandon that she wouldn’t wear the bracelet, but every time Carmen saw her she had it on.
“Look, I don’t understand why I shouldn’t be able to wear it, okay. I love this bracelet,” she said as she put the charm bracelet back on.
“Maybe because your boyfriend is going to be pissed if he sees it on you, instead of his bracelet. You are playing with fire, girl.”
“Whatever.”
Carmen noticed that something caught Lena’s eye.
“Girl, don’t look now, but there is a very attractive stud looking at you.”
“What?” Carmen slightly turned her head to see a very attractive stud sitting at a table. She was staring at Lena and Carmen. “Oh, wow. Who is she, and why is she staring over here?”
“I don’t know, but she’s headed this way.”
The stud greeted them. She was very tall and slender. She had very long wavy hair that she wore in a ponytail that came down her back. Carmen instantly noticed her eyes, light brown with no sign of them being contacts. She had a fourleaf clover tattooed on her neck.
“Hello, um, I hate to bother you all, but I noticed that rainbow on your bag. Am I wrong for thinking that you’re family?”
“No, you’re not wrong. I am. My name is Carmen.”
The stud shook Carmen’s hand. She had very soft hands.
“My name is Nicole, but most people call me Nic.”
“Hello, Nic. This is my friend Lena.” Carmen introduced Nic to Lena.
“Well, Miss Carmen. I am from L.A. and I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful you are. I wanted to know if you are attached. I hope that’s not being too forward.”
Carmen couldn’t help but smile. Lena giggled a little.
“No, it’s not too forward. It’s very refreshing, actually, and no, I am not attached to anyone at the moment.”
“Now, that’s refreshing. So, I have to get to class, but I would love to get your number. Maybe I can take you out and you can show me around your town.”
“That could be a very good possibility.” Carmen wrote down her number and handed it to Nic. They said their good-byes as Nic left the cafeteria.
“You go, bitch. If she was a man, I would totally talk to her. What do you think she is? Puerto Rican?” Lena asked.
“Yeah, she was damn fine, wasn’t she? If that’s how they make them in L.A., I am moving tomorrow.” They both laughed as they headed out of the room.
“I don’t know, maybe, she was a little too fine. There’s gotta be something wrong with her,” Carmen said as they headed out into the square.
“Why do you say that?”
“Why is she trying to talk to me?” Carmen added as she looked at a Chi Theta poster.
“Damn, Carmen, you need to quit that shit. Why something got to be wrong with her ’cause she likes you? You deserve a good girl and stop acting like you don’t. You deserve a whole lot better than that damn Tameka, that’s for sure.” Lena rolled her eyes. She didn’t like Tameka at all, and she understood why Cooley and Denise didn’t like her either.
“I hear you, girl, but I still can’t believe that fine-ass girl just tried to talk to me.”
They both laughed.
“Well, I guess I better head off to do that damn packet,” Lena said as she parted ways with Carmen.
“Okay, girl, and do it right. See you later.”
Carmen headed to the library. She passed the tree where Tameka usually stood when she was trying to get her back. She suddenly felt a little sad. She hoped she would see Tameka, but didn’t. She knew it was time to let her go, but she just wasn’t ready yet.