“My bad. What’d you say?”
“You keep zoning out. Are you okay?”
“I’m great, but if I’m zoning out, blame your parents for making such a fine ass daughter.”
Every time I complimented her, she looked down and blushed, although her beautifully melanated skin tone remained the same.
“Do you dish out compliments like this all the time?”
“I’ve never been in the company of a woman whose beauty led me to do so. What were you asking me?”
“Is this your first time dining here?”
My brother recommended we go toSea of Flames, an upscale seafood restaurant in Downtown Black Elm.
“It is. You?”
“My mother, sister, and I came here a few months after they opened. The waitlist is usually weeks out, so we haven’t been back since. You must’ve gotten lucky.”
“I don’t believe in luck when something is meant to be.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re really laying it on thick. Have you decided what you want to eat?”
Your pussy is at the top of the list, I thought but kept it to myself.
“Yeah.”
The server arrived a few minutes later and took our drink and food orders. We ordered too much for two people, but I didn’t mind having leftovers for a day or two.
“There’s something I’ve been wondering,” she said as soon as the server walked away.
“What’s that?”
“Why aren’t you married?”
I chuckled. “My mother wonders the same thing.”
“We need answers.”
“I’ve always desired marriage, and it’s definitely the end goal, but after a few failed relationships in my mid-to-late twenties, I decided to wait a while before starting something serious.”
“What happened in those relationships?”
“My career.”
“Was it too much for them to handle?”
“In most ways, yes. I had tunnel vision back then. Nothing came before my job, and the women I dated didn’t like that. On top of it being dangerous, they decided to cut their losses.”
“You weren’t willing to compromise?”
“In some aspects, I couldn’t. I was a rookie, trying to move up the ranks, and didn’t know shit about balancing career goals with a relationship.”
“That’s all understandable. I guess I can take you out of the weirdo category.”
“Damn. What did I do to get put in that category in the first place?”
“Can I be candid?”
