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ChapterThree
Peter
I snap out of my trip down memory lane, and I notice Lennox’s presentation is over, and she is taking questions. I am itching for her to notice me, and I am trying to be patient. Once she is done taking questions the MC tells everyone they have a buffet set for the attendees in the adjoining ballroom, and people start to head that way.
I couldn’t tell you who else was in that ballroom because Lennox has all my attention. She is stunning, instead of the thick mane of hair I remember from high school she has locs now and she has them twisted up in an intricate design. Her coffee-colored skin is as clear and beautiful as I remember. She has filled out even more since high school and that’s saying a lot considering she was a knockout at fifteen.
She is bottom-heavy as Savvy would say and she is wearing the hell out of that suit. She’s obviously in her element, I can tell she is trying to get to the food too, but she keeps getting stopped. She still has not noticed me and that gives my mind time to wander. Is she married? I cannot see her left hand from here, and I do not see anyone trying to make their way to her. But perhaps her husband couldn’t make it.
Finally, after a few minutes, she is almost all the way to me but once again someone stops her. She is in the middle of talking to the man who stopped her when she scans the ballroom, locks eyes with me, and freezes.
Lennox
Holy shit! That is Peter Bennett! He is older but it is definitely him. And age did not hurt him one bit, as a matter of fact, all it did was help. I move away from the man simultaneously hitting on me and telling me how much he enjoyed my presentation but cannot tell me anything I said. I walk up just a few scant inches away from Peter and stop. I just stand there looking at my Benny. Without realizing I was moving I was in his arms.
“Benny, is it really you?” I ask him with tears burning the back of my throat.
“It’s me, Lenny,” he answers.
“What are you doing here?”
“Well, it’s my hotel, Lenny.”
It takes herculean strength to move out of his arms, but I do, but I take his hand because I need to hold onto some part of him. I move back a few inches but not too far either.
“Will you come with me?” Peter asks me.
“Yes,” I say instantly. He grips my hand tighter, and we walk out of the ballroom and walk a short distance down the hallway. We end up at what I can tell is his office. He asks me to have a seat as he goes back out to say something to someone before walking back in and closing the door.
“We might as well eat and talk I know you must be hungry,” he says as he begins to set the food up on the coffee table. While he is setting up the table I think back to high school.
42 years ago
Morning classes go by fast and before we know it, we are sitting at our lunch table that has gotten more diverse since Lennox eats with us. Emma starts talking about the senior ball, and that I need to go get my tux so I can match her dress. She is making plans and Brad is talking about who he is going to ask to the ball.
“Dude ball is in like two months, why haven’t you asked anyone yet?” I say to him.
“Because I know Nox would turn me down,” he says looking at Lenny with a huge smile on his face.
Lennox almost spits the juice she was drinking out and we all burst out laughing, knowing Brad is just trying to get a reaction from Lennox.
“We all know Lennox doesn’t like white boys anyways,” Emma says.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Lennox asks, all traces of humor gone.
“Come on, Lennox, there have been plenty of white boys trying to get your attention and you have ignored them all like you think you’re too good for them,” Emma says, and I turn to look at her because I have never seen this side of her before. But before either Lennox or myself can open our mouth to respond we hear another voice calling Lennox’s name.
Lennox
Emma better step off, she has been getting more and more smart-mouthed with me. Little snide snarky comments but she always does it when Peter and Brad are not around, today was the first time she did it in their presence. She is gonna get her ass whooped if she keeps that up. But the voice calling my name stopped me from cussing her ass out.
When I look up it’s into the one white guy in this school that could make me break my own rule of no boys. Richie, the captain, and quarterback of our football team. As much as I avoid the boys here, he avoids the girls, Richie isn’t from here either he moved here at the end of last year and hit instant popularity once he became the captain and quarterback.
“Hi Lennox, can I talk to you alone for a second?” he says. Everyone in the lunchroom is watching, at least that’s what it feels like. I take a quick glance at Peter to see if he is going to tell him to back off, but he doesn’t.
“Um sure, '' I say and push back from the table. We walk over to the corner of the lunchroom to an empty table. Once we sit, he asks me to go to the Senior Ball with him. Why did I make that stupid promise to my mother last night when we were having dinner? How did it come back to bite me so fast? My mouth was all fixed to say no when I remembered how excited and disappointed my mother was when we talked about this.
Before I knew it, yes was coming out of my mouth. I was beyond shocked that he asked me to the ball, as far as I know, he has never gone out with any of the girls here and they have practically thrown their panties at him.
