Trouble with Luv' by Pamela Yaye Page B

hands skimmed his hands and sent a ripple of desire through her body. Recovering quickly from the jolt, she turned to face him. Ebony pointed at the dishes in the sink. “You’re supposed to be washing, not watching me.”
    Xavier gave her a grin. “Looks like someone’s head is in the clouds. He must be very special.” Xavier didn’t wait for her to deny or confirm. The cheeky expression on her face was answer enough. “So, you have a boyfriend?”
    Ebony smiled like she had a secret she was unwilling to share.
    Shaking his head in disbelief, he shoved a plate into her hands. Disapproval was in his eyes and in the tone of his voice when he said, “If you have a boyfriend, then why were you all over me at the banquet?”
    Ebony rinsed off the dish and dropped it on the dish rack. The other plates shook. “Let’s set the record straight. I was not all over you last Saturday. I merely introduced myself and asked if you’d be interested in having dinner, that’s it.” She was quick to add, “And if you must know, I’m single. The last thing a woman like me wants is some man up under her twenty-four-seven. I’m happily dating and that suits me just fine.”
    Xavier didn’t look convinced. “Really?”
    She nodded. “My girlfriends think I’m clinically depressed because I’m not sprinting to the altar, but I’m perfectly sane.” Ebony found herself laughing when Xavier made a funny face at her. “It’s true! I’m just not one of those women in a rush to settle down. I’ll be the big three-0 in July but I just don’t feel the need to get married. Not one bit,” she stressed.
    â€œYour birthday’s in July?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œThe twenty-ninth.”
    Xavier stared at her. “You’re kidding!”
    â€œDo you want me to show you two pieces of ID?”
    He shook his head.
    â€œI was born at 1:22 a.m. on July 29 at the Arthur Hayes Medical Center.” Ebony’s forehead crinkled. Xavier was staring at her like she’d just confessed she was thirteen rather than thirty. “What’s with the wide eyes and slack jaw? Why is it so hard for you to believe I was born on July 29?”
    â€œBecause I was born on July 29!”
    Her stomach flopped. “Really?”
    Xavier nodded. “I came into the world three years before you, though.” After a minute, a smile flickered across his face. “Crazy, huh?”
    â€œAnd you said we had nothing in common,” she teased. “I guess it’s true what they say after all, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Then, with her most innocent smile and in a honey-sweet voice, she said, “I’m not as bad as you think, Xavier.”
    Coughing to hide his embarrassment, he busied himself with washing the last remaining dishes. His mind returned to last Saturday. He hadn’t exactly been warm when she came over and introduced herself. In fact, he had been downright rude. He had nothing against her personally, just women like her. She was right of course. You can’t judge a book by its cover. But you can tell what it’s about by the packaging, a small voice said in response. Xavier knew little about Ebony, but he knew her type. She was outrageous and unpredictable—everything he didn’t want in a woman. That was reason enough to stay away. Far away.
    Xavier looked around the kitchen. It was spotless. The floors had been mopped. Dishes were neatly stacked. Leftover food had been wrapped and stored in the freezer.
    He swiped his keys off the counter and turned to Ebony. When she smiled at him, he realized he wasn’t ready for their time together to end. The night was still young and he had nothing to do at home except laundry.
    â€œDo you want to go somewhere for coffee?” He pointed to the clock on the microwave. “It’s still