8:22 p.m.
The Shale was becoming one of Kevin and Hunter’s favorite places to enjoy some of the best-flavored coffee on the island. But even more of a place for them to relax and appreciate the oceanic views surrounding the harbor. The breeze was to die for, which would have rocked them to sleep had they not been so engrossed in each other’s presence. Every now and then, Hunter would mentally pinch herself because she couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt talking with Kevin, sharing parts of herself that she’d never shared with anyone else. It literally felt as if she’d known him all her life and even though she could barely look at his handsome face without blushing like a red tomato, she felt incredibly fortunate to have met him.
“So…” Kevin paused to sip his latte and then pinned Hunter with a questioning gaze. “What is your stance on long distance relationships?”
It was a serious question, one that Hunter was not prepared to answer. So instead of tackling the question right away, she used reverse psychology to turn the spotlight back on Kevin. “You’ve been back to Devin’s Cay for three whole days and you’re just now raising that question?” She almost smiled, but she suppressed it. “I am ashamed of you, Mr. Beckford – for having not thought of it sooner.”
Kevin grinned, realizing he’d caught her off guard. “So you have been thinking about it too. It’s a tough subject,” he said. “But we have to talk about it at some point – that’s if we decide to take this connection between us to the next level. I leave for Tampa tomorrow and this time I won’t be able to return for at least a month. My partners and I are looking to expand the sales area of our company and will be interviewing a stream of transitional consultants...”
“Wait a minute…Sasha told me that you managed an accounting firm; she didn’t tell me that you were one of the partners.”
“Well, she had the right concept. I am one of the managing partners.” Kevin cocked his head to the side. “You seem surprised by that.”
“I am…in a good way, though. I love to see men making huge strides in the business arena, especially black men.”
“Really?”
“Of course…I am a cosmopolitan at heart.”
Kevin grinned. “Really? How come it took you so long to date one of us?”
“It doesn’t matter the color of a man’s skin, I am bashful about dating in general. Besides, these past five years I’ve been so busy growing my jewelry business that I simply hadn’t the time to let down my hair, if you know what I mean.”
“I can relate to what you’re saying,” Kevin said. “My partners and I are always looking for ways to enhance some area of our company. This year we’re focusing heavily on maximizing our revenues. That’s why I said that I may not be able to come back to Devin’s Cay for at least another month. We have tons of interviews and sales pitches to sit through.”
Hunter considered Kevin’s words for a moment. A month was not that long, but it was long enough to know that she would miss him terribly. She managed to keep her gaze fixed on Kevin, and even with the breeze dissecting strands of her blonde hair and drifting them over her face, she ignored it, mostly because she was too entranced with the moment to even be bothered by it.
“This is new for me,” she admitted. “And this connection between us – if I can borrow your words, has happened rather suddenly…I will say this much: I am extremely comfortable with you, more so than I’ve ever been with any other man in my life. And have I ever told you how impressed I am with your loyalty to your brother? I love that about you and all the other wonderful traits I got to see when you were fighting to get Drake out of police custody. Altogether, you’re a pretty cool person to be around.”
Kevin released the breath he’d been holding. “Now why do I get the feeling that you’re setting me up for a gentle letdown?”
“Well, it doesn’t have to be. But I have heard terrible stories about long distance relationships, and personally, I am not an advocate of them. However…”
Hunter paused as a big-boned sistah walked by their booth, scrunching up her nose at Hunter as if she smelled an intolerable stench. This sistah’s gaze then flew to Kevin, which was flooded with envy. “You black men,” she mumbled in a derisive tone, “don’t know how to ‘ppreciate your own dern race…you love mixin’ with white trash, don’t you? Self-hating bastard.”
Kevin jumped to his feet, ready to put this big black woman in her place, but Hunter reached over the table and squeezed his hand. “I am not bothered by her ill-informed remarks,” she said. “Please, don’t let them get to you either.”
Kevin slowly returned to his sitting position, the look of discomfort now etched in his visage. “I can’t believe she said that,” he spat. “What the hell is her problem?”
“Obviously, she is misinformed,” Hunter tried.
“I don’t care how misinformed she is. She has no right infringing on our privacy…I ought to report her to the owners.”
“Kevin,” Hunter called in a firm tone. “Please, try to calm down. Why are you so upset?”
Kevin grew quiet, because he himself didn’t understand why he was so upset. But he couldn’t stop thinking about the words of that fat woman. She’d called him a self-hating bastard. What was she trying to say? That he hated his skin color because he was having coffee with a white woman? The nerve of that woman – to even assume that he and Hunter were in a relationship. For all she knew, Hunter could be a client of his. What a ridiculous fool. Of all the stereotypes that were out there about interracial relationships, none got under Kevin’s skin like this one.
Hunter cocked her head to the side, assessing the drastic change in Kevin’s mood. “Are you okay?”
Kevin avoided eye-contact with the blonde beauty. “No, I am not okay. I wanted to put that woman in her place.”
“Why?”
“Why not? People like her shouldn’t be allow to come amongst the public. You heard what she called me? A self-hating bastard. She doesn’t even know me.”
“She called me white trash, but that went into one ear and flew out the other.”
“Well, Ms. Hunter Rose, you may be impervious to stupidity, but frankly, I am not.”
Hunter didn’t like Kevin’s tone, nor his remark. “Can I ask you a question?” When he didn’t respond, she asked anyway. “I need to know if people’s opinions about us will be a problem for you. Because I don’t intend to invest myself into something that looks as if it’s over before it even begins.”
Kevin leveled his gaze with Hunter and was instantly reminded of the reason why he was so attracted to her. Indeed, her looks were on point, and she had a smile that could stop traffic, but what outshone all of that was the genuineness of her heart. Hunter was simply a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of girl. This should have settled Kevin, but deep down he was far from being settled. Maybe the main reason why he never ventured dating outside of his race until now was because he knew he couldn’t deal with the dirty looks and obnoxious comments, like those of that cumbersome heifer.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Hunter prodded.
“I’m sorry…” He flashed a smile, but he could tell by Hunter’s expression she knew it was half-hearted. “I don’t usually lose my cool like that.”
“I don’t mind you getting upset, it’s what I see in your face that has me concerned.”
“You can read expressions?”
“I certainly can read yours and right now it’s telling me that you are uncertain about us. I also see fear and…disgust.”
“I’m not disgusted with you; I’m disgusted with what that woman said.”
Hunter sat back into her chair and sighed. “If this is how it’s going to be when we go out, I am already discouraged, because it ruins the mood. People are entitled to their opinion and some will make their snide remarks and look at us as if we are from another planet, but are we going to allow those things to dictate to us who we should choose to spend our time with? Life is too short for that nonsense.”
Those words purged the tension in the air, causing Kevin to stare at Hunter with a newfound respect. “Why is this so easy for you?” he inquired.
“I didn’t say it was easy. I simply see the situation through a different lens and it helps me to remember what my father has always told me: love has no color.”
Kevin smiled, but this time it was genuine. “Wow…our first real argument ends with something for me to chew on. Usually arguments with the women I’ve dated in the past, ended with one of us either storming off in a rage, or cussing each other out…but you are…different…very different.”
Hunter wasn’t interested in hearing about Kevin’s past relationships with other women. She wanted to know where she presently stood with him. “You are leaving to go back to Tampa in the morning. Where does that leave us?”
“That goes right back to my original question,” Kevin said. “How do you feel about long distance relationships? You were in the middle of telling me, before we were rudely interrupted.”
“Oh…yes…as I was saying,” Hunter chuckled. “I’m not a fan of long distance relationships, but you are the first who will cause me to reconsider. Great guy and all with a great smile…how could I pass that up?”
Kevin laughed. “Well then, it is settled. I am officially your man.”
“Whatever happened to the friendship level?” Hunter said between her laughs.
“Oh that…” Kevin scratched his head. “I assumed after that good-bye kiss the other night, we’d long since passed that stage…besides, I want to scoop you up before anyone else does.”
Hunter leaned forward, a peaceful expression covering her face. “Oh my God…my head is spinning because things are moving so fast between us. But I’m loving what I feel…”
That envious big-boned sistah walked by again, eyeing Kevin and Hunter with the same dirty looks. However, Hunter wasn’t at all prepared for what Kevin did next. He leaned over the table and pulled her into a hot kiss that made Hunter’s toes curl in her shoes. The big-boned sistah fired off a slew of expletives before stomping her big behind out of the coffeehouse.
Kevin and Hunter broke the kiss and enjoyed a good laugh.