Chapter Five
Shaun and I had dinner at TGI Friday’s restaurant in Southfield. When our meals arrived, I grabbed Shaun’s hand and said my customary blessing of the food out loud. Shaun seemed a little uncomfortable by my actions, but he didn’t say anything about it. He gave me an awkward smile, then began to dig in to his dinner.
While eating, we talked a lot about his family. I discovered the names and ages of his two sisters: Francine, seventeen, and Tameeka, fifteen. The older sister had a four-month-old son. Even though she had a kid, Shaun made sure Francine continued her education. She was due to graduate with her class in June. He also told me about his Uncle Robert, a.k.a. Bobby. Shaun’s middle name was Robert after his uncle, and they were very close. He was the father he never had.
Shaun said he started working for his uncle after he left Wayne State. He was extremely grateful to Uncle Bobby for giving him an opportunity to earn some money and provide for his family during his mother’s illness. Shaun was accepted at Wayne State on a full academic scholarship. He said he always enjoyed school and most people were then, and are still, amazed at how intelligent he is. It was also during his first semester that he found out Rhonda was pregnant and moved her into his house.
I guess you could color me guilty of shortchanging Shaun’s intelligence because of his looks. I remembered how surprise I was that he spoke so maturely when we first met. When I think of an honor roll student, my mind conjures up a picture of Steve Urkel from the television show, Family Matters, not the rapper, LL Cool J. Shaun looked more like a male supermodel than a bookworm.
After dinner, as we walked through the parking lot, Shaun asked me if I wanted to drive his car. I was so excited I almost screamed. I loved the thought of getting behind the wheel of his beautiful machine. I settled myself in comfortably, adjusting the seat, steering wheel, and the mirrors. Shaun’s next statement almost deflated my mood as quickly as the invitation to drive his car inflated it.
“Why don’t we go by my house? I want you to meet my son and the rest of my family if they’re around,” he said.
Shaun’s suggestion totally surprised me. My hands gripped the steering wheel in a death grasp. “Shaun, I’m not sure I’m ready to meet your son just yet. This is only our first date. Just thinking about it makes me nervous. And what if Rhonda is at your house? I am sure that she and I are not ready to get acquainted.” I wanted my first date with Shaun to be perfect. I think being involved in a confrontation with his baby’s mama would surely put a damper on an otherwise good time.
Shaun pulled one of my hands from the steering wheel and kissed the back of it, then looked directly into my eyes. “Listen, Lindsay. I want you to know how much I’m enjoying our time together. I can’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed and natural being with anyone. I know it’s kind of soon to introduce you to my family. But because of the way you make me feel, I already know I want you to be a very special part of my life. I want to share you with the other people in my life that are special to me. Lindsay, I want you to be my woman.”
Oh my goodness. Did he just say what I think he said? My eyes grew big as saucers, and my mouth suddenly became very dry. I was so shocked I couldn’t have spoken one word if my life depended on it. I couldn’t even breathe without thinking about it first. Earlier in the week when he said something about me being his future woman, I had no idea he meant today; this near in the future.
Shaun realized that I was stunned and he took full advantage of my open mouth by planting a very wet kiss on my lips. He gently placed his lips on mine and his tongue inside my mouth. I was not a very experienced kisser, so I was a little slow in responding, but after a few seconds of his slow coaxing, I was putty in his hands. By the time the kiss ended, Shaun could have offered to take me straight to the moon, and I would not have had the will to object.
Shaun informed me that he lived near the Southfield Freeway and Joy Road on Piedmont Street. I pulled from the parking lot and headed to his house. I had never driven any vehicle other than my mama’s Ford Taurus, so I was a little nervous behind the wheel of this beautiful car. I drove about ten miles below the speed limit. When Shaun noticed my paranoia he put on a jazz CD.
“This will help mellow you out while you’re driving. Just pretend you’re driving your mother’s car. There really isn’t much difference. I want you to get used to being behind the wheel of my ride. My plan is for us to spend a lot of time together, and I may not always feel like driving.” He smiled. I smiled right back. And at that point, I could have driven his car to California and back without needing a break.
I had never heard the music playing on the CD player, but I found myself enjoying it. “Shaun, whose CD is playing?”
“Kenny G. He’s a jazz saxophonist. I love his stuff. Whenever things get too heavy for me, I just hop in my ride, pop in Kenny, and all is right with the world again.”
I made a mental note to go through my mother’s music collection when I got home to see if she owned any Kenny G. Jazz is about the only music other than Gospel that she really listens to these days.
We jumped on the John C. Lodge Freeway heading south to the Southfield Freeway, exiting on Joy Road. Shaun’s house was about eight miles from the restaurant, so by the time I pulled into his driveway, I felt pretty relaxed. For the duration of the drive, Shaun kept complimenting me on how pretty I looked and how everyone in his family was going to love me.
Shaun got out of the car and came around to the driver’s side door to let me out. A few days ago, he instructed me that I was never to open a door for myself while I was in his presence. He felt it was a man’s job to open doors for his lady.
We held hands as we walked up the steps to the front porch. He kissed me lightly on the cheek, then used his key to unlock the front door. Once we entered the house, we were standing directly in his living room, unlike our house where we have a vestibule. The living room was furnished with startling loud lemon yellow colored leather furniture. I had never seen furniture that color before. The walls were painted dull blue so the contrast was shocking. The color scheme of this living room was somewhat unsettling, and the relaxation I achieved on the ride over was gone. I was now twice as nervous as I was before.
Shaun’s mother was sitting on the sofa watching a very large screened television. His son sat comfortably in her lap. I could have picked this little boy out of a room full of one-year-olds. Sha’Ron was the spitting image of his father.
Shaun began making the introductions. “Hey, Ma. I want you to meet Lindsay. She would prefer you to call her Nay-Nay. She doesn’t like her first name, so calling her by it is a privilege reserved only for me. I want you to get used to seeing this lovely face because I plan to spend a great deal of time with this young lady. Lindsay, this is my mother, Patricia Taylor.”
Shaun’s mother was pretty. She was very light-skinned and she owned the same green eyes and jet black hair as Shaun. She wore her hair in a ponytail that reached to the middle of her back. Unlike Shaun, his mother appeared to be short and had a tiny build. Patricia also looked rather young. If I could remember correctly, I think Shaun told me she was only fifteen when he was born, but she barely looked twenty five. She also looked to be bi-racial, but Shaun had never mentioned it.
Ms. Taylor raised her eyes and gave me a very casual once over, making me feel as though meeting Shaun’s girlfriends was an everyday experience for her. My nervousness tripled.
“Hi, Nay-Nay. It’s nice to meet you,” she said without ever changing her facial expression. No smile, no frown, nothing. Patricia looked me straight in my face, shook my hand, and returned to her television program.
I had so many butterflies in my stomach my voice cracked when I began speaking, so I had to clear my throat. “Hello, Ms. Taylor. It’s nice to meet you too,” I lied as politely as I could.
Patricia’s vibe was saying I don’t appreciate you trying to take Rhonda’s place. I silently prayed it was just paranoia on my part, but my gut told me this woman was not going to like me. Shaun had one more introduction to make.
“And this here is my little man, Sha’Ron.” He picked his son up from his mother’s lap and tickled him under the chin. The baby giggled, and then held a steady smile as he looked at his dad. I put my finger inside the baby’s hand and he began to squeeze it.
“Hello, Sha’Ron. You are so cute. You look just like your daddy.” For that I was rewarded with a big four-toothed grin.
“Hey, little man, don’t be grinning at my woman like that. You’re going to make your daddy jealous.” Patricia coughed as he called me his woman, and I turned to look at her. She cocked one eyebrow then rolled her eyes at the comment.
While looking at Patricia, I noticed that she only had one breast. Like I said, she was a petite sized woman, but the remaining breast was at least a C cup, making the missing lump even easier to detect. I tried very hard to concentrate on something else so I wouldn’t get caught staring. Sha’Ron provided me with the perfect diversion when he pulled my hair, then extended his arms, reaching for me to take him from Shaun. I graciously pulled the baby into my arms, ecstatic at his timing.
“Ma, are Francine and Tameeka home? I want them to meet Lindsay,” Shaun asked.
“Francine and the baby are in the back bedroom, but I haven’t seen that fast-tailed Tameeka since early this morning. You’re going to have to talk to her, Shaun, ’cause I don’t want no more babies brought in this house. That heifer think she grown,” his mother said.
At that moment, Patricia looked at me and frowned as if I somehow left a bad taste in her mouth. I quickly looked away and continued to play with the baby, pretending not to notice. However, I was now sure I was not just paranoid. Shaun’s mother didn’t like me.
“We’ll talk about it later, Ma,” Shaun replied, then yelled for his other sister. “Francine, can you come out here a minute?” His sister appeared a few seconds later carrying a little bundle wrapped in a bath towel. “Francine, I want you to meet my new girlfriend, Lindsay. Please call her Nay-Nay. Lindsay, this is my sister, Francine and her son, Daiquan.”
Shaun’s sister looked like a younger version of his mom. She was petite in height—about two inches shorter than me—and had the same long, jet black ponytail as her mom. But Francine’s eyes were brown instead of green.
“Hi, Nay-Nay,” his sister answered quickly. She then started talking to Shaun before I had a chance to reply. “Shaun, can I talk to you in my room for a minute?” Without another word, Francine made haste to turn and exit toward her bedroom. She was visibly annoyed.
“Lindsay, please excuse me while I talk to my sister. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.” Shaun followed his sister.
I walked over, sat on the chair and put the baby in my lap. Shaun asked me to make myself comfortable and I sat there wondering how that was going to be possible when his mother was sitting there hating me like I stole her favorite piece of jewelry. Patricia kept looking at me like she wanted me to disappear, or even worse; like she thought I was going to purposely do something to harm her grandson.
While I played with the baby I heard approaching voices on the front porch. My senses went on automatic alert, and my heart jumped right into my throat. I just knew it was Rhonda coming to visit her son. And here I sat holding him as if I gave birth to the child.
Before anyone had the opportunity to enter, Patricia got up from the couch, snatched the baby out of my arms, and yanked the door open. I guess she knew it was Rhonda too, and she didn’t want any part of her coming in and catching me holding her baby.
“Tameeka, where has your fast tail been all day?” Patricia yelled through the screen. “Get your stupid self in this house and off my front porch talking to that nappy headed boy.”
When Tameeka stomped into the house, I found she didn’t look like anyone in Shaun’s family I had met so far. She was tall like Shaun, but that is where the similarities ended. She was a shade or two darker than I. She wore her hair swept up into some wild looking ponytail in a variety of about five different colors. Unlike her mother and sister, Tameeka’s hair was chemically straightened, not naturally straight like theirs and not as long. While she wasn’t as pretty as they were, she wasn’t unattractive.
As she came in and slammed the door behind her, Tameeka started yelling back at Patricia. “Dang, Ma! Why do you always gotta make a scene and embarrass me in front of my friends? You don’t do that mess to Francine when Daiquan’s daddy comes around here.” Tameeka pointed her finger in Patricia’s face and Sha’Ron began wailing, probably responding to the tension between mother and daughter.
“Wench, I know you best lower your voice and quit wagging that bony finger in my face before I knock your black tail back through that door!” Patricia sat the howling baby on the floor, then got in Tameeka’s face like she was going to hit her. Before anything could go down, Shaun was making his way to the living room.
“What is going on? Why are y’all screaming like lunatics out here?” Shaun said as he ran down the short hallway. He then stepped between his mother and sister. “Y’all act like you don’t hear my son hollering or that we have company right here in the living room.” He leaned over to pick up his crying child.
“Forget that, Shaun!” his mother yelled as she tried to get around him. “Under no circumstances does this wench get away with screaming and pointing her finger in my face like I’m some child. I’ll kick her black behind all over this house. I don’t give a hoot who’s here. That goes for you, your girlfriend, or Jesus Christ. Ain’t no child of mine gon’ ever disrespect me inside of my own house. This heifer here ain’t but fifteen years old. She won’t run around here acting like she grown.” Then she directed her rampage at Tameeka. “And you better not bring your dumb butt up in here pregnant. I ain’t putting up with this no more, do you understand me?”
Tameeka didn’t even bother responding to her mother. She stormed from the living room and headed to what I guessed was the basement, mumbling inaudibly under her breath. During the whole scene, I sat there not knowing whether I should get up and leave or what. But I was positively clear about one thing: how relieved I was that it was Tameeka at the front door and not Shaun’s baby’s mama. In my mind, the blow-up between his mother and his sister was mild compared to what might have unfolded if his ex had shown up.
Shaun sat the baby on the couch and looked at me for the first time since returning to the living room; his embarrassment evident. He ran his hand across his beautiful face, then bent down in front of my chair, grabbing my hands in his. “Lindsay, I’m so sorry you had to witness that ugly scene. Please accept my apology on behalf of them both. Here, sweetie.” Shaun reached into his front pants pocket. “Take my keys and wait for me in the car. Turn on the CD player, and I promise I’ll be out in less than five minutes.”
I got up from my seat and headed toward the front door. I turned long enough to say good-bye to Shaun’s mother. “Goodnight, Ms. Taylor. It was nice meeting you.”
“Goodnight, Nay-Nay,” was all she said. She then rolled her eyes, went to pick up Sha’Ron and left the room.
I left the house and sat in the car for no more than three or four minutes before Shaun came out and got behind the wheel. He took a few moments to collect himself before pulling out of the driveway, backing the car out slowly and driving me home. He was obviously still upset, so I tried to break the uncomfortable silence between us.
“Shaun, don’t worry about what happened back there. Mothers and daughters have disagreements all the time. I’m sure they will work things out.”
Shaun reached over and kissed the back of my hand, then gave me one of his prize winning smiles. “I’m not worried about my mother or my sister. They’ll be fine, just like you said. I just hate you had to witness them acting so silly. Some first impression, huh?”
Since he mentioned first impressions, I decided then would be a good time to talk to him about his mother’s attitude toward me. Shaun had this crazy idea earlier that his whole family would like me instantly, but when I thought about it, none of them seemed too friendly toward me. I felt like they really resented me being his new girlfriend.
“Shaun, it was definitely not what I expected. The whole time I was there I got the feeling your mom couldn’t stand me. I’m not sure, but I think it’s because she didn’t want me taking Rhonda’s place. Francine didn’t seem too pleased to meet me either. Tameeka didn’t really get a chance to give her opinion one way or the other.”
“Don’t worry about Francine, Lindsay. I know for a fact her attitude had nothing to do with you. She was upset with Daiquan’s dad. She took me in the back room to explain that she needed money for the baby because his deadbeat daddy wasn’t responding to any of her phone calls or pages. My mother was probably just stressed and in a bad mood because of the stunts my little sister has been pulling lately. Don’t sweat it, baby. It was the timing, that’s all. Nothing personal,” he said, trying to reassure me.
I was not totally convinced. The explanation about his sister was believable, but his mom definitely made me feel like it was me she had a problem with in addition to her daughter. As a matter of fact, I believe she yelled at Tameeka the way she did because she was so disturbed by me. I didn’t discuss it any further with Shaun because I didn’t want to upset him any more than he already was. We rode the rest of the way to my house not talking, just listening to Kenny G.
When we arrived, Shaun came around and opened my door as usual and walked me to my front door. I looked at my Timex and saw that I was five minutes earlier than my curfew.
“Well, Ms. Lindsay, I hope you still want to be my lady after all you witnessed at my house today. If not, please at least consider going out with me again so I can make it up to you.” Shaun’s face wore a cute little puppy dog expression. I knew he was kidding, but I played along.
“Well, I’ll have to do some serious thinking on the subject, Mr. Taylor. I’ll call you as soon as I get home from school tomorrow to let you know my decision.” I then broke into the silliest grin.
“What do you mean you will call me when you get home? I don’t think that will be necessary. I will be waiting right outside the school just as I have since we met. That will be an everyday thing, Lindsay. My woman doesn’t have to walk anywhere anymore, so get used to seeing me everyday after school.”
Alrighty. He made it one hundred percent official. We are a bona fide couple. I didn’t have to bother putting on my game front any longer. I could just be open with my wonderful new man. Shaun made his commitment to me, and now it was time for me to let him know how wonderful I felt about it.
“I love it when you call me your woman and I look forward to seeing you everyday.” Then I did something I have never done before. I initiated our goodnight kiss. I usually wait for the guy to make the first move, and it usually takes place after knowing him a lot longer. But with Shaun, I felt bolder and more grown up. So I just went for it. The kiss lasted a little while, and I was more aroused than I had ever been in my entire life. I didn’t even realize that my body had the ability to react in such a way.
When we finally parted I used my index finger and thumb to seductively clean my lip gloss from Shaun’s chin before unlocking my front door and stepping inside. I turned around, said good-bye to him and told him I would see him tomorrow after school.
I closed the door with him still standing on my front porch, leaned against it and let my body revel in the tingly sensations. When I finally went to my bedroom, I knew as sure as my name was Lindsay Renee Westbrook that I was totally in love with Shaun Robert Taylor.