“Listen, ring and everything. As soon as I got wind that she had gone to Space Camp as a child, it was over, and she loved it. And, of course, so did the man she said yes to marrying.”
Kenya settled back in the padded seat.
“So he gifted me with home-game, box-seat passes whenever I wanted to come, if there was availability.”
Solomon faced the field, the yells and whistles and sounds of the crowd diminishing against the cadence of her voice.
“And here we are.”
“Here we are,” Kenya whispered. Her expression turned shy, almost fragile. “I usually just pass these gifts along to my family or other friends, especially when it’s for more than one person.”
“Really?”
Kenya uncrossed her legs and crossed them again, favoring the ankle that had brought them together.
“Until now.” She grinned.
Until nowechoed in his mind.
At the roar of the crowd, she shot up. “Yes!” she cried, pumping her fist at United Atlanta’s score.
He stood next to her, squelching the desire to wrap her in his arms. He settled for a shoulder drape. “You’re not going for Messi and Miami?”
If she was surprised by his sudden closeness, she didn’t show it, only shrugged.
“Atlanta is basically our neighbor. I’m going for the home team.” She grinned, delight overflowing from her.
Solomon didn’t think he could make her more happy than this moment, but he would try.
“By the way...”
“Yes?”
The music picked up and so did his volume. “I’ve got you a definite meet-up with Bluestone at the wedding.”
“Yesss?” She turned to him with a large grin, her eyes wide.
“And he will be next to our table. You will get your meet and greet.”
“Yesss!” Kenya hopped into his arms, lifting her recovering foot up like a dancer.
An hour later they exited the arena, leaving before the game officially ended to have enough time to get to their flight.
Solomon would never forget this experience. To think, the alternative would have been him snoring in his one-bedroom apartment and playing video games to take his mind off of everything else.Ah-ah, as his father often intoned, perish the thought. What a blessing this night was.
What a blessing she is.
He snuck a glimpse at Kenya. Her limp was a little more pronounced with the waning of the evening.
Still, she insisted on walking a little longer around the concourse to stretch her legs even though a car waited for them outside in the adjacent Soccer Ball Plaza. Her hair hung in loose waves to her shoulders, one side tucked behind her ear, which revealed four piercings. Huh, he’d never noticed that before. There were piercings galore these days, but they added a raw edge to her that he liked.
She glanced toward him, caught him staring. And instead of looking away, she grinned back and instinctively moved closer. Like a magnet, her desire to be nearer stoked his longing to pull her against him. In the same moment he lifted his arm, she was jostled at the side by a group of teenagers in Messi jerseys on their way to a concession stand.
Still, the Lord provideth. He settled his arm across her shoulders gingerly until he found it comfortable and she settled against him as they walked.
He was free to at least do this away from Huntsville, away from the peering eyes of his colleagues. Apart from the plans of his family.
Kenya reached up to hold the hand he draped across her arm. “Are you glad you came?” Her question broke the comfortable silence.
