Fall Black In Love 1: When Henry Met Millie (12 page)

Then the fight was over…

  “Is he dead?” someone asked.

  “I don’t know,” another responded.

  “Whoever this Honey is, she can’t be worth a beating like that,” Jimmy added.

Henry stood looking over Bill, who was laid out on the ground then turned to the crowd of workers.

  “We should start calling you ‘Champ’,” one guy said to Henry as he began to wipe his hands on his shirt.

Henry looked up. “There’s only one champ.”

  “Til they stripped him of his title,” someone commented. “Just because he wouldn’t fight in the white man’s war.”

  The group all shook their heads in sympathy. “A man stands for his principles,” Henry told them as he glanced back at Bill who was now coming to. “Muhammad Ali will always be champ even if he never fights again. No one can take that from him.”

  Bill tried to stand but needed assistance from two of the workers. “Bill, you lost fair and square. Honor your word and don’t make Henry Kill you,” the workers told him.

  Bill looked angrily at Henry. His eye, cheek and lip were swollen with smeared blood.

  Someone volunteered to help him. “I’ll take Bill home, since he probably doesn’t want to ride with Henry.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Henry agreed, finishing cleaning his hands on his once white T-Shirt.

He looked up as the pair led Bill to one of the waiting cars. “Bill?”

They all stopped as Bill looked back. “Don’t ever come near her again.”

Bill turned back and was helped into one of the cars to take him home.

Jimmy looked at Henry. “So you know boxing?”

Henry looked over at him. “I know a lot of things.”

They both watched the car take off containing Bill and Jimmy turned to Henry.

  “Do you think this is over?” he asked.

  “For Bill’s sake…I hope so.” Henry began to walk to his car.

  “Because next time he won’t get up…”

Chapter 12

  Millie sat in the room on the edge of her bed with butterflies in her stomach. Today Henry was picking her up for their first official date. She had visited him twice during his twenty-one-day work schedule and although she’d wanted to see him more, she’d exercised restraint. Instead, she’d studied the nursing journals that he’d ordered for her and kept a lookout for Bill.

  Henry had told her that Bill wouldn’t be bothering her again and thus far, he’d been correct. She wondered if Henry had confronted Bill and warned him away, however Millie didn’t ask for details and Henry didn’t provide any.

  Standing to her feet, she placed a hand on her midriff taking a deep breath. Turning to the mirror, she studied herself slowly. Her new outfit fit her toned body to perfection. The red skirt came just below her knees and hugged her firm backside. She topped it with a black blouse that showed just a hint of honey cleavage.

  Millie’s mother had used the stove curlers on her hair and now it was a soft curly cap on her head. She smiled as she remembered how Henry liked to touch her hairline. She loved the way he gently stroked and touched her…all over.

  Spraying herself with the perfume bottle, she turned her neck from side to side. Picking up her shoes, she slipped on the tiny heels that showed her newly polished toenails through a small peep-toe. Facing the mirror again, she turned and looked at her backside. Flexing on her toes, she gave it a tight squeeze watching her reflection.

  Laughing softy, she remembered Henry sliding his hand along that area. Millie also recalled other things Henry had done to and around that said area. She felt the heat begin to spread causing warmth in her core. Blushing and turning away from the mirror, she continued her preparations.

******

  Henry stood on the porch of Millie’s home holding a bouquet of flowers and waited for the door to be answered. He could hear Millie’s niece inside and her mother as she walked to greet him.

Smiling she pushed the screen door open. “Well you must be Henry Patterson.”

  Henry smiled as he stepped inside the home. “Yes, ma’am and you must be Mrs. Gaines.” He handed her the flowers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Gina Gaines studied the handsome and sturdy young man with the sultry dark brown eyes. She could definitely see how this young fella with his warm smile and southern accent had charmed her youngest daughter.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you to Henry. I’ve heard so much about you.” She looked him over again in his white dress shirt tucked into dark trousers. “You’ve certainly made an impression on Honey.”

  Henry held her gaze. “Your daughter has certainly made an impression on me ma’am. Millie is a very special girl.”

  Gina smiled. “I’m glad you recognize that.” She moved over to the sofa and patted the seat next to her. “Come sit with me Henry.” Gina placed the flowers on the table in front of her as Henry took the offered seat.

  “I’ve never seen a young man woo a girl with nursing journals,” Gina commented.

  Henry clasped his hands between his legs and looked at Gina. “Millie’s school is very important to her, so it’s very important to me.”

Gina raised a brow at the sincerity in the young man’s words. “Where your people from son?”

  “Mississippi,” he answered. “Near Meridian.”

  “You came here all by yourself?” Gina questioned.

Henry nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I came to make a new life.”

  “Honey says that you work and have your own apartment,” Gina told him. “That’s pretty impressive for such a young man.”

  As he was about to respond, his breath was taken away as Millie entered the room. Henry looked at the vision before him. Slowly, he stood to his feet taking in the soft curls atop her head then down to those light brown eyes and then those plush lips now lightly covered with red lip paint.

  Traveling lower, his gaze took in her honey cleavage then down to her red toes peeking out of her dress shoes. He’d never seen Millie dressed this way and he still couldn’t find his voice to greet her. To him, Millie was the prettiest girl in a baseball uniform or pedal pushers, but this beauty standing before him now was beyond anything he’d ever imagined.

The vision smiled at him. “Hi Henry,” the raspy voice greeted him.

Henry managed to clear his throat. “Hello Millie, you look amazing.” His eyes still clung to her.

She grinned. “Thank you Henry.”

  Gina looked between the couple as Maggie entered the room with Amber. “Well, well…look at little Honey,” Maggie studied at her sister. “You actually clean up pretty good, glad something has made you want to be a woman.”

  “Maggie, watch your mouth!” Gina admonished.

Maggie frowned. “Sorry, I was giving her a compliment.”

Gina matched her frown. “Go in the kitchen and feed that baby,” she ordered.

All three watched as Maggie reluctantly followed her mother’s orders.

  Henry walked over to Millie and stood looking down at her. “May I take you out pretty woman?” he asked softly.

Millie glanced over at her mother who gave her a nod of acceptance, then back at him. “Yes sir, Henry Patterson.”

  Millie watched as Henry held out his hand to her then she gently placed hers inside feeling the warmth that she always did whenever he touched her.

The pair turned to Gina and she nodded at them. “You two have a good time.”

  “I won’t keep her out late,” Henry promised.

Gina looked at her watch. “Since it’s only noon, I would hope not.”

  The couple smiled as Henry escorted her out of the house and to his car.  He opened the door and she spotted a single red rose on her seat. Picking it up, she settled inside and waited until Henry joined her inside.

Sticking the key into the ignition, he turned to her. “You ready?”

  Millie brought the rose to her nose and nodded happily as Henry smiled and started the car. Millie turned and looked out the window at the bright sun as Henry navigated the streets of Detroit. She didn’t know where they were going and honestly, she didn’t care.

  “I’m waiting to kiss you,” a slow drawl told her and she felt that familiar warmth below.

She smiled and turned to him. “For how long?”

Henry slid her a glance. “With the way you look right now, a long time and we won’t have a date.”

  “You like the way I look?” she asked sexily.

  He gave a small grin. “Well you got your hair all curly, your lips look sweet and juicy, you smell like flowers and that outfit shows off your little body real nice. So what do you think?”

  “I think that you look real handsome in your good clothes,” she told him.

Henry laughed softly showing white teeth. “I didn’t think you’d want to see me in my uniform.”

  Millie smelled her rose again. “You look real handsome in that too.” She watched as Henry pulled into a restaurant parking lot.

Cutting the engine, he turned to her. “Stay right here, I’m just picking up our lunch.”

  She agreed and he walked inside while she waited. When he returned, Henry placed the food on the back seat before he looked Millie over again then winked at her. They continued their drive and Millie got excited as they neared the bridge to beautiful Belle Isle Park.

  Henry drove as Millie lifted her head to look out at the shimmering Detroit River as they crossed over to their destination. He located a parking spot then hopped out quickly to help Millie from the car. Henry grabbed the food, then opened the trunk and pulled out a basket along with a large fluffy blanket.

Millie watched closely. “We’re having a picnic on the river?” she asked looking at the items.

Henry held everything in one hand and took hers with his free hand. “This is where we’ll start.”

  The pair walked together to a quiet, secluded, grassy spot that looked across the river to Canada. Henry spread the blanket on the ground then placed the basket and food to the side before taking a seat and holding out a hand to Millie.

  “Come sit with me?” he invited and Millie kicked off her shoes then took his hand letting him guide her to sit on his lap.

  Breathing in the scent on her neck, Henry kissed the soft spot. “My girl is so pretty,” he whispered against her skin.

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, Millie looked into his face. Unable to contain himself any longer, Henry leaned in and kissed her. Millie pressed closer as Henry began to explore her mouth. He reached up and cradled the soft curls of her hair in his hand as he held her firmly in place to receive his ardent kisses.

  “I missed you Millie,” he said against her moist lips.

Catching her breath, she responded, “I missed you too Henry.”

  Henry resumed pleasuring her mouth, making up for the time they’d been apart. When the kisses ended, he turned Millie toward the view sitting her comfortably between his long legs. Millie looked out at the water as Henry wrapped her in his embrace, kissing the back of her neck.

  “Have you been to Windsor?” Millie asked him as she stared at the city in the distance.

Henry lifted his head and looked at what held Millie’s attention. “No, would you like to go there?”

Millie turned her head to him. “Another date?” she suggested.

  “As many dates as you want Millie,” he promised.

  She smiled and turned back to the view. After a short time, Henry suggested that they eat the food he’d brought and Millie agreed. Taking out plates and glasses, Henry set up the items for an old-fashioned picnic.

  Millie was surprised at his precision in getting everything in order. Before she knew it, she had a plate full of food and a cold can of Faygo. She smiled across from him. “You’re always feeding me,” she teased.

  “You like to eat,” he commented with a shrug. “And so do I.”

She dug into the food while watching him. “Thank you Henry.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Millie.”

  They began to eat in comfortable silence with the water as the background. Millie secretly admired Henry with his nice haircut and dress shirt. She could see his muscles move beneath the fabric as he raised his fork to his mouth. Millie watched his strong, clean shaven jaw as he chewed slowly. When her gaze caught his, she knew she’d been caught staring.

  Millie looked into her plate. “I’m so glad that Ford Motor Company would let me have your time today.”

  “I was happy not to see the inside of there today,” he told her.

She nodded. “That’s a really good job. A lot of folks try really hard to get hired there.”

  “I know.” Henry agreed. “That’s why I take my job seriously.”

Millie continued to eat slowly. “Have you ever seen any of the Fords?” she asked.

  Henry smirked. “They don’t really come on the assembly line. They have nice offices that we don’t get to visit.”

  “Is it true that Mr. Ford didn’t really invent the car?” Millie asked.

  “Yes ma’am. Charles Rich Patterson, no relation to me, invented the first automobile. He was a former slave and owned the first and only black-owned car company. His car was better than Ford’s Model T but because Ford was a white man, and was able to get the funding…he now has enough money that will last through generations of his family,” Henry said bitterly.

Hearing his anger, Millie paused and sat her plate aside. “Why is it so hard for us Henry?”

He took a deep breath and sat his own plate down as well. “I wish I knew the answer to that Millie.”

  “Do you think one day it’ll be easier?”

  Henry took her hand. “I don’t know what we’ll see in this life Millie, but I plan on having everything I want.”

She touched his chin. “What is it that you want?”

  He pulled her closer. “Right about now, Millie Gaines is on the top of the list.” Henry gently laid her down on the blanket.

  Millie stared up at him. “What do you want to do with me?” she asked breathlessly as he leaned over her.

  Henry began to gently stroke her hairline. “Well, I’d like to take you out...talk with you…feed you and kiss you,” he paused to let her take that in.

She held her breath as he slid a slow hand down her body. “And whatever else you want me to do.”

  Millie closed her eyes before Henry started tasting her lips again. Behind her lids, she envisioned Henry removing her clothing then kissing her all over. She wanted to feel his strength…she wanted to feel his love. Still lost in her fantasy she moaned and when he lifted away from her, she kept her eyes closed.

  “I love you…” she whispered out loud then winced and squeezed her eyes shut tighter. When the words hit her ears, she’d known that she hadn’t just said them in her recurring fantasy.

Henry leaned to whisper in her ear. “Is that for me?”

  Millie opened her eyes slowly as Henry stared down at her. Gathering her courage, she nodded. Millie always faced things head on and never ran from situations. Telling Henry that she loved him was the absolute truth but even though she said it every night when she dreamed of him, she hadn’t meant to say it right now.