The rain had long stopped its torrent; the world outside was peaceful and quiet. Eric reached across the bed and switched on the bedside lamp then turned his attention to the beauty sleeping in his arms. He gently traced a finger against her cheeks and then over her full set of lips. How beautiful she looked. At that moment he felt like he was one of the few luckiest men alive. He searched around his side of the bed till he found his wristwatch and glanced at the time. It was at that moment Shanice stirred in his arm, her eyes fluttering to wakefulness.

  “What time is it?” she asked dreamily.

  “Why, you got some other place you ought to be at?”

  Shanice snorted. “Not right now do I.”

  “Well, if you must know, it’s a little past two.”

  “Wow. I’m going to sleep like a dog when morning comes.” She laid her head upon his chest, her hand caressing his arm. “That was wonderful for me, you know.”

  “It was wonderful for me too.”

  A moment of silence passed between then Shanice muttered: “Eric, what am I doing here?”

  “You’re here with me in my apartment, and I’ve just made love to a very beautiful woman.”

  “I know, but I mean really, what am I doing here? Aren’t we moving a little fast?”

  “What makes you think that?” he asked.

  She raised her head to look at him. “I mean, we’ve only just met. You know so little about me as I do of you.”

  “What much could I possibly want to know about you besides the fact that you’re beautiful and I’m so lucky to have met you?”

  She smiled. “That’s so sweet, but I don’t know much about you. I don’t know if this is going to turn out to be something or end up being so stupid one-night stand.”

  Eric paused to think for a moment, then said: “Pick a romance movie.”

  “What?”

  “I mean your favourite romance movie, or just about any romance movie that pops into your head. The one movie that gets you gushing with tears anytime you watch it. Which is it?”

  Shanice pondered the question for a moment, and then answered: “Waiting to Exhale. Have you seen it?”

  “No.”

  “Too bad, you’d love it. How about you?”

  “Love Story.”

  “I’ve always wanted to see that movie but never found the time. So why did you ask me that?”

  “Sometimes even the unlikeliest of things is strong enough to make two become one. Call it Fate, if you like, or call it Destiny, I don’t really know. I don’t know what lead me to that table when I sat across from you. I doubt if it was in my mind that you’d be there either. We’re just two lost stars finding ourselves across the sky I guess.”

  Shanice laughed amusingly. “Where did you get that line, from Romeo and Juliet?”

  He shared her laughter. “Actually I made it up.”

  “Look, Eric, I like you. I mean it, I really do. You’ve been a terrific company to me. But I just broke up from a relationship ... and I don’t know if I ought to be rushing into another. Besides, I don’t know if your white friends might be happy seeing a girl like me around you.”

  “I don’t have many friends. Right now you’re the second best friend I have, and I don’t care what anyone things. I want to be with you. I want to laugh with you. Is that too much a thing to ask?”

  Her brown eyes searched his blue. She found nothing in them that spoke otherwise.

  “No, it’s not much to ask.”

  She inched forward and kissed him.

  * * * *

  When Shanice woke up it was long past morning. Sunlight streamed through the room windows and from outside came the familiar sound of city traffic. She turned her head to Eric’s side of the bed and felt sad seeing that his side was empty. Though he’d left a note for her resting on the top of his pillow. She picked it up and smiled as she read what he’d left her:

  Sorry I had to get up early for work

  Would have loved to watch you come awake

  —Eric.

  She got up from bed and went into the bathroom to shower.

  Half an hour later she was halfway up the stairs to her apartment’s door when her phone started ringing. It was her friend Michelle.

  “Hello,” she said as she unlocked her door and stepped inside.

  “Girlfriend, where on earth have you been?” her friend’s voice rushed like a bullet train into her eardrum. “I’ve been calling up your number the entire yesterday but it kept taking me into your voicemail. I came by your pad but you weren’t around. Neither your neighbours said they’d seen you. What’s up?”

  “It’s alright Michelle, stop worrying. I was with a friend.”

  “Someone I know?”

  “No actually it’s someone you don’t know. Look, I’ll meet you at the park at the usual time today and then I’ll tell you about it, okay?”

  “Alright, you know where to find me. See you.”

  “Yeah, see you too.”

  She never felt so happy ending their conversation.

  Chapter Three

  Plainview Park was less than three blocks from Shanice’s apartment building. She knew already that Michelle will be there with her three-year old girl Monique at the kiddies’ playground section by twelve, but opted to get there a little past the hour. She strolled past a group of youths playing hoops in a makeshift basketball court along the park. It was this same place where she’d first hooked up with Chris. She did a quick scan of their faces and was glad to see he wasn’t amongst them. A few of them threw glances her way but she ignored their stare and kept on her way.

  Michelle was seated at a park bench watching her little girl have fun on a swing when Shanice approached her from behind.

  “Hey girl,” Michelle said, getting up to embrace her. “I thought you almost weren’t going to show.”

  “I’m sorry. I stayed up all night and only got back to my place this morning,” Shanice said as she shared the bench with her. “Monique’s getting bigger.”

  “Yeah. If she keeps on like this, she’s going to be lifting me off the ground.” Michelle’s eyes sparkled with unabashed love as they watched her daughter rolling back and forth on the swing. Monique was her pride and joy, and she’d give her right arm just to keep her away from harm.

  “Heard from Lincoln since?” Shanice enquired mildly.

  Upon the mention of the name, a dark shade seemed to fall over Michelle’s face. Shanice noticed it too and would have taken back the question except her friend waved her not to.

  “No, I ain’t heard from that asshole,” Michelle answered. “Bastard is either dead or in jail. Just like the rest of them ingrates he used to roll with around here.”

  Shanice offered her a comforting arm. “Don’t worry, he’ll turn up.”

  “Will he?” Michelle turned to look at her, the dark look turning grim with anger. “Tell me Sha, what kind of man would wake up one morning and leave a note saying ‘I’ll be back soon’ and then disappears off into the night without a single bother to call to ask how his little girl is faring. Tell me what kind of man does such a thing?”

  “A stupid one.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Her eyes returned to her daughter, and gradually the dark cloud melted off her brow with a sigh. “Monique keeps asking me when her daddy’s going to come home, and I keep lying to her. God knows I hate myself for doing it, but what other choice do I have. I’ve barely got enough time on my hands to do anything else than look after her. One minute he’s in bed with me, and then come morning, all I’m left with is a stupid note.”

  Shanice felt sad indulging in her friend’s love life ... especially when it concerned Lincoln.

  “I don’t know, Sha. Sometimes I just wish things were different, you know.”

  “Yeah, but how different.”

  “Well, for starters, I wish I’d never hooked up with that sonofabitch.” She looked at her friend with a smile. “Just as you probably wished you never ended up with Chris.”

  Shanice laughed. “You’ve got that right.”

  “So, you going to tell me where you were and who you were with yesterday, or do I have to beg?”

  Shanice then let her in on Eric. Michelle listened to her at the same time kept watch over her daughter and waited till she was done before she said anything.

  “You crashed at his place?” she eventually asked.

  “Yes, didn’t I just mention that?”

  “You did, I just wanted to hear it one more time.” She fell silent for a moment, then inched closer to her friend conspiratorially. “Did you hit it?”

  “Come on, girl. Why did you have to go there?”

  “I just had to know. You said he’s white, didn’t you? Just how white are we talking about?”

  “What do you mean ‘just how white’? How white do you want me to say he is?”

  Michelle shrugged. “I dunno. A lot of white boys out there these days that look more black than Shaquille O’ Neil. Brad Pitt looks black.”

  Shanice burst into laughter. “What? Since when did Brad Pitt even look anything close to black?”

  “I don’t care—he’s fucking cute. Hell, if I ran into him, I’d snatch his dick out his pants faster than that white tramp he’s got for a wife can squeeze a tit.”

  Shanice almost felt like bursting a gut right there and then. “Mich ... please don’t try to kill me this early.”

  “Alright, my bad. So tell me, how white is he?”

  “He’s white as white can be ... but he’s really nice. You’d like him if you meet him.”

  “Hopefully I will. So what’s bugging you about him?”

  Shanice looked up sharply. “What do you mean?”

  “Come on girl, I know when something’s bugging you and when something ain’t. You’re not thinking about getting back with Chris, are you?”

  “Hell no. That’s a done chapter of my life—the last time I ever decide to play around with assholes. It’s just ... I don’t know ... I’m kind of unsettled about Eric.”

  “What you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. Black girl and white boy—that’s not usually something you hear every day. If it’s the other way around, well ... that would feel a bit alright.”

  “You mean if he was oil and you were sugar?”

  “Something like that, yes.”

  “Maybe it would have been. But since it ain’t like that then I guess you’ve got to settle with what you have, sister.”

  “I’m just afraid ... thinking maybe it’s all for nothing.”

  “One step at a time, girlfriend. Take it from me—one step at a time.”

  * * * *

  Shanice waited tables at a Deli over on Charlton Street. The work was menial and the money and tips were modest enough till whenever she figured something better came along. She said goodbye to her friend and her daughter when it was a half hour towards noon and took off the Deli. She arrived with ten minutes to spare and went round the back to change into her work clothes before returning to attend to the costumers.

  Almost an hour later, just when the place was getting filled with rush hour commuters, she was returning with someone’s order when she saw a face seated at a table that immediately brought a dark cloud to her features. He too had seen her and offered her a smile as she approached him. He wasn’t alone. His typical three-man crew hoods were with him, all of whom also had their eyes upon her.

  She was about walking past him to deliver the meal she had when he caught her arm, holding her back; she looked at him as one would look at a something they wish would up and vanish before their sight.

  “What’re you doing here, Chris?”

  He gave her a lopsided grin, something she once used to melt for but not anymore. “Just thought I’d stop by to see how my baby-girl’s doing. You’re looking so fly every day, girl.”

  “I ain’t your girl, Chris. And I would appreciate it if you stop coming here looking for me.”

  “What? Ain’t nothing wrong with me stopping by to see my lady, is there?”

  “You and I have got nothing more to talk about anymore.”

  Chris made a sad face. “Awww ... come on, girl. What do I have to do to make you forgive me for what I done said to you then?”

  “Nothing, okay. Nothing except stay the fuck away from me. Now let me go of my arm.”

  She pulled her grip from his arm and went on to deliver the meal to whom it was meant for. She didn’t bother looking at him as she went on with her work while he and his goons kept their eyes glued to her. Her boss, observed what had occurred from behind the counter and signalled her over.

  “You know those group of boys, Shanice?”

  She nodded and said she did.

  “They come to give you any trouble? You know you can tell me if that’s what they’re after.”

  “No sir, no trouble at all.”

  She went on with her work. She was barely aware of when Chris and his gang got up from their table and left.

  Her phone rang a while later and she asked one of the other girls to stay in for her while she rushed out back to answer the call. She recognised the number that was calling her—once again a smile that had formerly left her face when she saw Chris returned to her lips.

  “Hi there, white boy,” she said into her phone.

  “My Goodness, don’t tell me that’s what you’ve reduced me to,” Eric’s voice spoke into her ear. “Surely you can think of something nicer than that.”

  “Sorry, I can’t think of any for now.”

  “And you think I’m going to just lie low while you start calling me names. You’re in for a belt flogging when next I see you, young lady.”

  “Oh really? And whatever gave you the idea I’d want to spend another hour with you?”

  “Simple: you’re too in love with me not to want to see me again.”

  Shanice laughed. “Keep dreaming, white boy. Just keep dreaming.”

  “Alright then, at least allow me the benefit of taking you out for dinner tonight.”

  “What type of dinner—lunch fries and a pizza takeaway?”

  From the other end, Eric burst into laughter. “I wish. No, I’m talking about a real dinner date. Something I should have taken you out to rather than to see a movie.”

  “You know you’re taking up much of my thoughts.”

  “Really? And I thought it was just me.”

  A dimple glowed on her cheek. “No, I too have been thinking much about you. I keep thinking about last night.”

  “Same here. I can’t seem to get the smell of you off my thoughts. I ought to turn you into a bathing soap and have you clean me up every day.”

  “Get outta town!” she laughed.

  “Now I’m being serious you’re the one who doesn’t want to believe me.”

  “I’ll believe you when next I see you.”

  “Your place at seven tonight. I’ll be there and we’ll have dinner. You game?”

  “You bring your ass over at seven, white boy, and then we’ll see.”

  * * * *

  Chris was waiting for her outside her apartment building when she returned home around past five. This time he was alone, and he had a scowl on his face as she watched her step out of her taxi. Shanice was still basking in her upcoming date with Eric and really wasn’t in the mood for unleashing any tantrum, especially one that comes with a nasty headache like Chris. She came to a halt before him, sighed.

  “What do you want with me, Chris?”

  “The fuck you mean what do you want? What do you think I could possibly want from you, Shanice? What do you got to treat me so mean, disrespecting me even in front of my boys?”

  “Well if it hurts you so much, the least you can do is take a chill pill and remember what you called me the other day over on the phone.”

  “Look babe, I done told you how sorry I was about that, and really I am—”

  “No, you’re sorry, Chris. But I’m not. My mother never raised no hoe or cheating bitch in her house, and I’m not going to sit and take your stupid antics any more than I should. I’m moving on, Chris. I suggest you do the same.”

  She tried to walk past him but he held her. “Look, look, hold up, Shanice. Where’s all this anger coming from? I ought to know me by now. Fine, I do act kind of stupid sometimes, especially when it’s about you, but babe, that’s just part of the love I’ve got for you. I act crazy sometimes, but that’s ‘cause I’ve got deep feelings for you, and I don’t want to see anything bad come to you, you know what I mean. Why can’t we just look past what’s happened and move on with what we have?”

  “That’s just it, Chris,” she said. “I can’t, not anymore.”

  Chris turned angry at this. “Oh so now what—you’re going to up and dump me just like that? Is that what you’re trying to tell me here, Shanice – that I time with you is done, and you’re going to be all by yourself now? Or have you got some other guy on the side?”

  She looked at him. She didn’t want to dare herself in saying what she would only regret afterwards.

  “I want you to look me in the eye Shanice, and tell me right here right now. You really got somebody else on the side?”

  “Goodbye, Chris,” she said to him with a flat voice and then walked past him up the stairs into her apartment building.

  Chapter Four

  There came a knock at her door. Shanice was just done applying a final pencil to her eyebrow and paused to check the result of her features in the mirror before heading out of her room to go and answer the door. She held her breath as her fingers worked on the lock and only released it when she opened her door and found Eric standing there and not Chris, whom she’d been afraid was planning to make her another visit.

  Eric appeared casual in a jacket and open shirt with his hands folded behind his back and a smile on his face.

  “Hi there beautiful,” he said to her.

  “Well, hi there white boy,” she returned his smile. “You’re right on time.”

  “I’m glad about that. Are we good to go?”

  “Oh yeah, just about.”

 

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