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I hope they all feel that way after we have dinner. When the thought left me, I was shocked. I don’t know where it came from. I wasn’t worried about the evening anymore, outside of Tameka, and good feelings took up residence in my mind. I could only hope Tameka would keep herself at bay.
I opened my mouth to ask if Tameka was still planning on coming, when there was a knock at the door. I swallowed back the words, knowing that had to be her. Mom reached for the door and opened it up and, sure enough, Tameka and her two kids were standing on the front porch.
She looked like a little girl, afraid to come inside. I glanced at Channing and he seemed calm, all things considered. Mom and Dad hugged her and while they gushed over the grandkids, Tameka turned to us.
“Hey, sis,” she said.
I nodded. “Tameka…how’s it going?” I asked.
“Same ol’ same ol’,” she responded. Instead of asking me the same, she turned to Channing. “You must be the new boyfriend,” she said.
My mouth opened slightly. I wanted to crawl in a hole. Leave it to Tameka to come right out and speak her mind. I opened my mouth to criticize her choice of words, but Channing had already spoke. “The name’s Channing, ma’am,” he said. He reached out his hand to her and she looked at it. She then snubbed him.
“Well, Channing. You are a brave man to come here tonight. So, let’s see if you’re as great as she says you are.” She put up her nose and moved past us.
Dickens, I could have throttled Tameka for being so rude. I turned around and followed her with my eyes, then turned back to him.
I’m sorry, I mouthed.
He shrugged. “Don’t be.”
Mom and Dad acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. I was sure that was because they had the kids to tend to. Channing and I left the comfort of the foyer to go into the dining room, where Tameka had already situated herself. I looked at her and she seemed aloof to the fact that anything was wrong. This was going to be a long night.
***
To no one’s surprise, especially my own, Tameka didn’t let up on Channing the entire night. She fired questions at him that would leave most men running for the hills. “So, Channing…what are your intentions with my big sis?” Tameka asked as we were sitting around the dinner table.
I dropped my jaw and glared at her. That was not alright with me. I wanted to scold her, jump across the table and kick her ass.
Channing didn’t seem bothered in the least. “What are my intentions?” he asked. “Well, for starters…I enjoy your sister’s company more than any woman I’ve ever been around. She has this way about her that just makes me feel comfortable talking to her.” He smiled, then turned to me. “Right now, we’re just taking things slow and really getting to know one another.”
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I grinned. In my eyes, it was the perfect answer. I didn’t care what Tameka thought. I turned to her, and she rolled her eyes, seemingly looking like she didn’t believe him.
“How’d you guys meet?” My mom asked, turning our attention to her.
I looked at him and he gave me the floor, so I told the story. “Well, we initially met when my cellphone died, and I went to a gas station to buy one. There he was, looking way to intimidating for me,” I said with a laugh.
He chuckled. “I intimidated you?” he asked. He turned to my parents. “Fact of the matter is, I was way too scared to talk to her, so I nearly missed out on my chance.”
I nodded. “That’s true. It wasn’t until nearly three weeks later, when we officially met and got each other’s name,” I added.
“Wow…three weeks?” Mom asked.
Channing and myself nodded and looked at each other. The spark in his eyes was shared in mine, displaying our electrifying chemistry. “What drew you to Kemara?” Tameka asked, interrupting our eye contact.
Channing turned to her. “That’s easy. Two things…her eyes and her smile,” Channing said.
I grinned. Another score in favor for Channing.
Tameka laughed. “Really? Because most men would say the ass. It was her eyes and her smile for you though? Ha! Sounds like a rehearsed, generic answer that a man gives just to be on the safe side.”
“Tameka, settle yourself down,” Dad scolded.
She turned to Dad and shrugged. “Just being honest,” then turned back to Channing. “So, do you still stick with that answer?” she asked.
Channing nodded. “I stick with that answer, because it’s the truth. Maybe I’m not most men,” he added.
