Dance Into Destiny (23 page)

“Yep.”

“Okay, we'll see.”

He helped her up into the truck. He kissed her hand again before closing her door. When he got in, he smiled as she said, “If you're this much of a gentleman on the third date, I may have to strongly consider that fourth, fifth, and sixth date.”

Shara lay back in her seat listening to the music.

“What was that for?” Quinton looked at her with that twinkle in his eye.

“What?”

“That loud, long sigh you just gave.”

“Did I?”

“Yep.”

“I guess that's how I'm feeling. Good food, great music, comfortable car. Hmmmm.” Shara sighed again.

“Is that all?”

“I guess the company's not too bad, either.”

“Not too bad, huh?”

“Yeah.” She smiled.

“Tired? Ready to call it a night?”

“Honestly, no.”

“What you wanna do?”

“I don't know.”

“Where do you like to go?”

“Honestly, nowhere. I'm a pretty boring individual.”

Quinton rubbed his chin. “So you're telling me that I'm going to have to get pretty creative for this second and third date.”

“Yep.”

Quinton nodded. “Okay, I'll have to do a little research, then.”

They drove in silence for a while, neither one of them wanting to end their evening.

“We could get some coffee,” Shara said.

“Sounds good. Where?”

Shara directed him to Joe's Coffee shop in East Atlanta Village. It was one of the places Keeva had taken her on one of their many recent outings. Shara liked it because it lacked the austere bourgie flavor of most of the places Keeva took her. It was eclectic with retro furniture and abstract art on the walls.

Quinton ordered a latte and Shara a mocha. Quinton also ordered a large piece of red velvet cake he said was calling his name. “Share it with me?”

“Sure. It does look good.”

Shara followed Quinton over to a comfortable looking couch with a coffee table in front of it and sat down next to him. Her eyes widened as he opened six packets of sugar and dumped them into his latte. “Have a little coffee with your sugar?”

“What can I say?” He gave her his best Kool-Aid smile. “I like sweet things.”

“Is that so?”

“Yep.”

“You're such a flirt.”

“So I've been told.”

They chatted and flirted while sipping coffee and nibbling at the red velvet cake. Shara felt like she was high and wondered if it was from the caffeine and sugar or Quinton.

One of the employees started mopping the floor. Shara looked at her watch.

“Oh my, it's almost midnight. We must have lost track of the time. I guess we better go before they kick us out.”

Quinton frowned. “I hate going back to Mother Hobbs house this late at night. I know I'm not a kid, but it seems disrespectful. Did she get upset when you would come in late at night?”

“I never came in late,” Shara said.

“So most of your dates ended at a decent hour? I'm flattered.”

Shara lowered her eyes. “I didn't go out with anyone while I was living with her. Quite honestly, I haven't gone out with anyone in a real long time.”

“Then I'm really flattered. Would I be pushing it to ask why not?”

“Hadn't met anyone worthwhile I guess.”

“Now I'm beyond flattered. You better stop before I get the bighead.”

Shara smiled. “Since we're asking personal questions, what about you?”

Quinton finished off the cake. “My last relationship ended not too long after my basketball career did. What a coincidence.”

“Coincidence?”

“My girlfriend, well fiancée actually—was a trip. We hooked up in my senior year at Arizona when it was real obvious I was going pro. She was always there as long as I was making the money and on top of my game. I guess I should have known something was up when she couldn't make it to my little brother's funeral.”

Shara's eyes widened.

“I know. Not cool at all. That's when her true colors started showing. She was all of a sudden busy all the time. She never listened when I needed to talk. When I hurt my knee, she hardly even came to the hospital. She broke up with me not too long after I announced I was quitting. Found out later she was seeing one of my teammates. They're either engaged or married now.”

“Wow. That's deep. You haven't been out with anyone since her?”

“I've had a date here and there. Like you said, though, I didn't find anyone worthwhile. I guess I couldn't find anyone I could vibe with on all levels—mental, emotional, and spiritual. You know?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

One of the employees cleared his throat. Quinton stood. “I guess that's our cue. I better get you home.”

The ride back to Mother Hobbs' house was too short. The light was on in the living room when they pulled up.

“Uh oh, I think she's waiting up for me,” Quinton said.

Shara shook her head. “No, she always stays up late on the weekends watching a movie or reading. She'll be going to bed in about half an hour.”

They lingered in the truck for a little while longer, talking and listening to music. When Quinton noticed the light go off in the living room he said, “I better get inside. I don't want to disturb her. You'll have to let me pick you up next time. I don't like you out driving this late.”

“I'll be fine. I'm not too far away.”

He walked her over to her car where they lingered for a second, facing each other. Quinton held both of her hands and stared at her face.

“Why do you always look at me that way?” Shara asked.

“Because you're beautiful.”

Shara could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Quinton didn't bother to stop staring at her. He let go of one of hands and stroked her cheek softly.

“Thanks,” he said.

“For what?”

“For finally going out with me and for such a good time.”

“Thanks for waiting . . . and for a great time.”

He bent and kissed her. His lips seemed even softer and sweeter than they had been that morning and they lingered much longer. He stepped back, biting his bottom lip. He held the door as she got in her car and didn't go inside the house until she was almost all the way down the street.

When Shara got home, there were four messages from Keeva. On the last one, Keeva screeched that she couldn't believe how late it was and Shara still wasn't home. “All right, Shara. I can't hang anymore. Call me tomorrow. Love you, girl.”

Shara went straight to bed and fell into the sweetest sleep she'd ever had.

“O
kay, tell me everything.” Keeva showed up at Shara's apartment unannounced late the next afternoon. They sat on Shara's worn couch so she could share the details of her date. Shara felt like a high school girl as she relived the evening for Keeva.

“Shara, you look so happy! I can't believe this. Girl, he is so sweet. You're so lucky.”

“We had a good time and all. I don't know about being lucky.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I don't know where things go from here. I don't know what happens next and I don't want to be all goo-goo eyed about it.”

“Too late for that.” Keeva smiled. “Take it slow, go with the flow. In a couple of days, he'll probably call and you guys might even go out again next weekend.”

Shara couldn't imagine waiting a couple of days for him to call. She sighed and steered her thoughts to something else. “So what's this about you putting Mark out at night now?”

Keeva sat up. “I told him that I wanted to be celibate until I got married.”

“You did? Oh my goodness! And he accepted that?”

“For now. I think he thinks it's a phase I'm going through and will eventually get over.”

“I'm proud of you, girl. I know that that was hard to do. Especially since you guys have been together for so long.”

“Honestly, it wasn't hard at all. I don't know if it's me, or being depressed, or what. The sex thing doesn't do it for me anymore.” Keeva paused for a second. “It's just become a physical act. No romance or love, just, you know.”

Shara looked at her blankly. “Actually, I don't know.”

“Oh, wow.” Keeva's eyes widened. “I never thought of that. I guess you don't . . . Wow.” She thought for a second. “That means you're a . . . you've never—”

“No, I've never and I don't plan to until I get married.”

“Wow. A real-life virgin at twenty-six.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I think it's cool. I wish I had waited 'til I got married. Sex is totally overrated. I mean, I guess it's special if you're with someone you're in love with, but—”

“You're not in love with Mark?”

Keeva put her hand over her mouth. “Did I just say that? Oh my God. I can't believe that came out of my mouth. Of course I'm in love with Mark.” She paused. “Aren't I?”

Keeva got up and walked over to Shara's dining table. “I was, when we first got together. I think. I mean . . . I don't know, Shara. This is all your fault. You got my head all messed up. I thought I was in love 'til you said all that stuff about what love really was. I kept telling myself you had watched too many movies and had no idea what love was. I had to keep saying that so I wouldn't have to accept the fact that maybe I'm not in love. I have a long-standing habit.

“When I think about you and Quinton and how you guys seem to be so perfect for each other; how you guys have so much in common and believe in and stand for the same things; how he believes in your dreams and you believe in his dreams and your dreams are so intertwined; I see how he looks at you and how you look at him and how sweet and kind and gentle and attentive he is . . . I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if that's how relationships are when you start out and then after you get used to each other, all the magic fades. I mean, do you think it can really be beautiful like that forever?”

Keeva bit her lip. “And then I try to remember whether our relationship started out magical and beautiful like that. I mean, the sex was great back then, but . . . I don't know. I wonder if I could ever have something like what you and Quinton are building.”

Keeva pulled her hair. “I guess maybe I need some time to step away from the relationship and really find out what I want, you know?”

Shara nodded hesitantly. She had been thinking Keeva needed to drop Mark since she met her, but she wasn't about to say that.

Keeva's cell phone rang. She looked at the number. “Speak of the devil.” She clicked open the phone. “Yes sweetie? . . . I remember honey. I needed to pick up a book at Shara's. You want me to meet you back at my place? . . . Well, I guess you could pick me up here, but my car . . . Well, it is actually much closer here—around the corner really . . . Okay, honey.” She gave him the directions to Shara's apartment.

She frowned. “He is acting so strange. He insisted on taking me out to dinner tonight. He's afraid I won't make it back to the apartment in time for us to make our reservation so he's insisting on picking me up here. Is that okay?”

“Sure, as long as he doesn't come in here cussing at me.”

“He won't. He's not like that. I don't know why this is so urgent. Maybe because he's flying out tomorrow for a whole week. I guess he wants to spend some time with me before he leaves.”

“Was it my imagination, or was he ridiculously rude to me on the phone last night? Is that just how he is or should I take it personally?”

Keeva sighed. “I think Mark blames you for all the changes in me lately. He attributes my starting to speak my mind and teaching dance classes and wanting to be celibate all to you.”

“Oh, isn't that wonderful? So in his mind, I'm the cause of your relationship problems?”

“Yeah, he has no clue things were bad before. He was happy and it doesn't matter to him that I wasn't.”

Shara clenched her teeth.

Keeva asked, “Why do you always do that?”

“What?”

“Whenever I talk about Mark, you get this look on your face like you're going to explode if you don't say something, but then you never say anything.”

Shara let out a long breath. “Relationships are sticky. I'm your friend, so on the one hand, I want to say things, but then on the other hand, I feel like it's none of my business. So I keep my mouth shut.”

“If you weren't trying so hard to keep your mouth shut, what would you say?”

“Unh uh. I ain't saying nothing. I don't want to be one of those girls that ain't got no man talking 'bout, ‘girl, you need to kick him to the curb.' ”

They both laughed.

“I think friends should be supportive and listen and not give advice when they're not in the situation,” Shara said.

“In other words, you think Mark is horrible for me and I should have let him go a long time ago.”

“I didn't say that.”

“But that's what you think.”

“Keeva, what do you think? That's the real question.”

“You're right. I have to figure this out for myself. I guess I've spent so much time going with the flow I never examined whether I was happy with him.” She frowned at Shara. “Why does being around you cause me to challenge everything going on in my life?”

“Oh, so you're blaming me, too?” Shara asked. “Isn't it better to ask these questions now than to end up being miserable later?”

“I know. It's just hard, that's all.”

There was a knock at the door. Shara hopped up to answer it. Mark was as handsome as Keeva was beautiful. He had that same classy style as he sauntered in with beige linen pants and a matching linen shirt on. He was caramel brown with short black curly hair. The thin frame glasses he wore gave an intelligent look to his handsomeness.

He glanced at Shara. “I'm here for Keeva.” He brushed by her into her apartment. Shara looked at his back about to go off, but Keeva looked anxiously at her, so she backed down.

“Come on, Princess, we're going to be late for our reservation.” He surveyed Shara's apartment with apparent disdain.

Keeva tried to introduce Shara, but he was back outside as quickly as he had come in. She paused at the door. “Sorry, I'll call you later.”

Shara watched Keeva rush out the door to where Mark was standing in the hall waiting impatiently for her.

Not too long after Keeva left, Shara looked around her apartment for something to do. She had cleaned up earlier that morning and had studied a bit before Keeva got there. She thumbed through a notebook, sighing with every turn of the page. She finally shut the notebook. “Oh, forget it.”

She picked up the phone and dialed Mother Hobbs' number.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Mother Hobbs, can I speak to Quinton?”

“I'm fine, Shara. Thanks for asking. Good to hear from you.”

“I'm sorry. I just—”

“You don't have to apologize, baby.” Mother Hobbs chuckled. “I understand. Here he is.”

Shara froze. Why had she called Quinton?

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” She was more frozen after hearing his voice.

“Shara?”

She made herself say something. “I . . . I just wanted to say hi.”

“I'm glad you called.” Quinton laughed. “Boy, you're breaking all the girl rules. You called me the very next day after a first date. Doesn't the rulebook say you're not supposed to call me at all? You're supposed to be all nonchalant and wait until I call you.”

She relaxed a little. “I told you I never read the girl rulebook. Sounds like you know more about it than me.”

“Yeah, I've played and been played in enough relationships to know a little something about the girl rules.”

“Is there a boy rulebook too?”

“Yeah, but it's nowhere near as sophisticated as the girl rulebook. It has simple stuff like don't sleep with her best friend and if she comes over while the game is on, say ‘yes honey' or ‘uh-huh' for at least every fifty words she says.”

Shara laughed, relaxing more. “Do either of the rulebooks say anything about how long after the first date you have to wait to have the second date?”

Quinton was silent for a second. “Why do you ask, Shara Anderson?”

She could hear him grinning. “No reason. Just figured if I've committed myself to a second and third date, I should know a little bit about the rules.”

“That's the only reason you asked?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, that's too bad.”

“Why?”

“Because, if you were asking because you were interested in going ahead and getting the second date out of the way so we can get to the all-important third date, then I would have asked you for directions to pick you up so we could catch a movie. But, since you were asking for informational purposes only, I guess I won't be asking you,” Quinton teased.

“See, I don't know about that. I'm thinking there must be something in the girl rulebook about waiting at least a week before going out on the second date.”

“I tell you what. How about we throw both books out the window and follow our hearts?”

“I don't know about that, either. My heart could get me in a lot of trouble. In fact, I think the reason for the rulebooks is to protect us against what our hearts might lead us into if we have no rules,” Shara said.

“And just what might your heart lead you into?”

“Hmmmmm. Why don't you ask me that question on the sixth date?”

“So is that a guaranteed commitment to the sixth date?”

“Sounded like it to me.”

“Gee, what'd I do right?”

“Are you coming to pick me up or what?”

“Only if we make a deal,” he said.

“What's that?”

“Let's spare ourselves the agony and both wear jeans and T-shirts.”

Shara laughed. “That's a deal. I just got all my clothes back in the closet.”

“Shara, you're not supposed to tell me that. I might have to get you a copy of the girl rulebook.”

She gave him directions to her house. “See you when you get here.”

Shara couldn't believe she asked Quinton out on a date. She pulled on her favorite pair of jeans and a T-shirt and waited for him to arrive.