enjoying the chase. “I’ve seen you at yoga.”
Simone snapped her fingers and nodded. “Right. Right. That’s where I’ve seen you. You look different in regular clothes. Sexy. But different.” Simone leaned her head back on the cushion, elongating her neck and awakening The Ruler.
No woman had managed to conjure up a tingling sensation since Jada. Hopefully Simone was on her way to and not from yoga. “Are you going to class today?”
Simone’s succulent lip movements made his saliva glands overreact as she mouthed a simple, “Yes.”
Fortunately, The GAP store across the street opened early. He refused to miss out on sealing a date with Simone. Wellington held his breath to control his breathing pattern and slow down his heartbeat. Exhaling, he asked, “How old did you say you were?” He was thirty-nine, almost forty, and she appeared at least fifteen years his junior.
She scooted to the edge of the cushion and said, “I didn’t.” Simone moved until her face was so close Wellington inhaled the organic aroma of beans. “Thanks for the coffee. Hopefully, I’ll see you in class. Peace and blessings, my beautiful black brother.” If he responded, his mouth would touch her honey-covered, luscious lips. So he remained silent. Simone stood, zipped up her jacket, and sashayed out the door.
Wellington remained seated on the love seat, allowing Simone enough time to walk across the street, down the block, and up the stairs to class. On his way out, he waved goodbye to the guys.
“You’re leaving already? You just got here,” Rich said.
“Yeah, man.” If he stayed, Rich would engage him in conversation about Simone and Socrates. Sometimes four hours whisked by talking about any and everything at the Jahva House. Meeting Simone was the best thing that had happened to Wellington since the birth of his son and his breakup with Jada. “Gotta go to class, man.” Wellington laughed and jaywalked across Lakeshore to the GAP.
Chapter 6
W hat did the lonely do at Christmas?
The past four years Jada, Wellington, and Darius had spent Christmas together. One of the six annual times they pretended to be a family, celebrating each of their birthdays, and Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day. But this year was depressing. Once Wellington started dating Simone, Jada stopped making love to him, and that wasn’t because he’d quit trying. Jada couldn’t fathom being the other woman.
Simone’s influence altered their holiday activities one hundred and eighty degrees. None of the stockings Jada had decorated would hang by Wellington’s chimney, including his. Although she didn’t want him, she’d never envisioned him with anyone else. She had imagined that if she remained single, he would, too.
Mama phoned and insisted she and Darius spend the holidays with Robert and her in Oakland. Another time Jada wished she’d followed her first instinct. Paying for a luggage cart at the Oakland International Airport and selecting a rental car from the premier isle were disheartening because until now, every year Wellington had picked them up and carried their bags. If it wasn’t for Darius, Jada would have stayed in Los Angeles.
“Mommy, where’s Daddy?” Darius dragged his red, blue, and green child-sized suitcase with the wheels facing up.
“He made other plans this year, sweetie.” Thanks to Simone. She looked around. Too many happy people were on the plane, at the airport, and at the rental car pickup.
Darius tugged on her knee-length crimson sweater. “Let’s call him!”
“We can call him later, honey.” Jada said as they found their rental car and left the airport. “Mommy has some last-minute shopping to do, and the stores close at six o’clock today. So I’m going to drop you off at Grandma’s.” Jada wasn’t anxious to tackle the task of wrestling with last-minute shoppers who would grab everything she stared at for more than fifteen seconds. Most of the time they didn’t really want the item;
Simone snapped her fingers and nodded. “Right. Right. That’s where I’ve seen you. You look different in regular clothes. Sexy. But different.” Simone leaned her head back on the cushion, elongating her neck and awakening The Ruler.
No woman had managed to conjure up a tingling sensation since Jada. Hopefully Simone was on her way to and not from yoga. “Are you going to class today?”
Simone’s succulent lip movements made his saliva glands overreact as she mouthed a simple, “Yes.”
Fortunately, The GAP store across the street opened early. He refused to miss out on sealing a date with Simone. Wellington held his breath to control his breathing pattern and slow down his heartbeat. Exhaling, he asked, “How old did you say you were?” He was thirty-nine, almost forty, and she appeared at least fifteen years his junior.
She scooted to the edge of the cushion and said, “I didn’t.” Simone moved until her face was so close Wellington inhaled the organic aroma of beans. “Thanks for the coffee. Hopefully, I’ll see you in class. Peace and blessings, my beautiful black brother.” If he responded, his mouth would touch her honey-covered, luscious lips. So he remained silent. Simone stood, zipped up her jacket, and sashayed out the door.
Wellington remained seated on the love seat, allowing Simone enough time to walk across the street, down the block, and up the stairs to class. On his way out, he waved goodbye to the guys.
“You’re leaving already? You just got here,” Rich said.
“Yeah, man.” If he stayed, Rich would engage him in conversation about Simone and Socrates. Sometimes four hours whisked by talking about any and everything at the Jahva House. Meeting Simone was the best thing that had happened to Wellington since the birth of his son and his breakup with Jada. “Gotta go to class, man.” Wellington laughed and jaywalked across Lakeshore to the GAP.
Chapter 6
W hat did the lonely do at Christmas?
The past four years Jada, Wellington, and Darius had spent Christmas together. One of the six annual times they pretended to be a family, celebrating each of their birthdays, and Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day. But this year was depressing. Once Wellington started dating Simone, Jada stopped making love to him, and that wasn’t because he’d quit trying. Jada couldn’t fathom being the other woman.
Simone’s influence altered their holiday activities one hundred and eighty degrees. None of the stockings Jada had decorated would hang by Wellington’s chimney, including his. Although she didn’t want him, she’d never envisioned him with anyone else. She had imagined that if she remained single, he would, too.
Mama phoned and insisted she and Darius spend the holidays with Robert and her in Oakland. Another time Jada wished she’d followed her first instinct. Paying for a luggage cart at the Oakland International Airport and selecting a rental car from the premier isle were disheartening because until now, every year Wellington had picked them up and carried their bags. If it wasn’t for Darius, Jada would have stayed in Los Angeles.
“Mommy, where’s Daddy?” Darius dragged his red, blue, and green child-sized suitcase with the wheels facing up.
“He made other plans this year, sweetie.” Thanks to Simone. She looked around. Too many happy people were on the plane, at the airport, and at the rental car pickup.
Darius tugged on her knee-length crimson sweater. “Let’s call him!”
“We can call him later, honey.” Jada said as they found their rental car and left the airport. “Mommy has some last-minute shopping to do, and the stores close at six o’clock today. So I’m going to drop you off at Grandma’s.” Jada wasn’t anxious to tackle the task of wrestling with last-minute shoppers who would grab everything she stared at for more than fifteen seconds. Most of the time they didn’t really want the item;
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