Kier walked over towards me and leaned in for a kiss. I shook my head quickly, embarrassed to kiss him in front of his mother. It wasn’t just the kiss. It was me being in my head thinking of what his mother may have thought of me from the robe incident.
“Sibley made it actually.”
“Word?”
“So, this is Sibley? I’m Al.” He greeted me, stretching his hand out.
“Pleasure to meet you, sir.” I returned the gesture while Kier stuffed the French toast into his mouth.
“Now why would you put all that in your mouth, boy!” Ms. Theresa smacked him on the head. “She did good, didn’t she? Now stop forcing yourself to eat pancakes.”
Kier nearly choked as his mama exposed him.
“Mmhmm.” I crossed my arms and shook my head. “She told me you been faking it!”
“I’m sorry, baby,” he leaned in, attempting another kiss. I shook my head again, a small smile pulling at my lips despite myself.
“Sibley, kiss the man, I don’t care!” She laughed.
I laughed with her, but somewhere in the middle still felt a tad bit uncomfortable.
“Kier, Al and I are going to get unpacked. Sibley, can we have dinner later? I’d like to spend a little time with you before you get busy. Kier tells me your sister and best friend are arriving tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am, they are. I look forward to dinner tonight.” I lied, knowing that dinner wasn’t just dinner. She wanted to make sure I wasn’t somebody trying to come up on her son. I understood it, but still I was nervous.
Later that evening,Ms. Theresa and I went to One White Street. The car slowed in front of a narrow townhouse that didn’t look like much from the outside. If I wasn’t paying attention, I would’ve missed it completely. Inside was a different story. Dark, worn wooden floors ran through the room. The walls were clean, simple, broken up by shelves and small photos. The glassware caught the light every now and then, and the quiet clink of silverware carried softly enough to remind you people were there.
The waiter led us past the front of the room, toward the back where things were a little more tucked away. He stopped at a small table set against the wall. We were seated, and the waiter poured us water and handed us menus. She glanced at the menu briefly before closing it. “I know what I want. Have you been here before?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“I’ll order for you. We’ll keep it light with small bites.”
Nervously, I took a sip of my water as we sat through the awkward silence. The waiter came back, and Ms. Theresa ordered for both of us. Like mother like son I thought.
“You don’t come to New York often, do you?” She asked.
“No, ma’am. This is my first time, actually. I never really had the desire.”
“You carry yourself like you’ve been here before.”
I smiled lightly. “I’ve been in enough rooms; I like to think I have some sense.” I attempted to joke but immediately regretted it. Maybe she thought I was being sarcastic. “I mean—that came out wrong. I’m a Gemini and—I mean, not like I’m blaming my personality on a zodiac sign but-”
“You’re fine, Sibley.” Ms. Theresa folded her hands on the table, and her eyes landed on me. “So, Sibley, how do you see yourself fitting into Kier’s life long term?”
My mind went blank. I knew she would ask questions, but I didn’t expect them to be direct and to come before I had a sip of wine.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought that far. I mean, it’s not that I don’t expect a future with him. But so far, we’ve been taking things as they come.”
She nodded as the drinks arrived and I immediately took a sip. She took a sip of hers as well, then set the glass down. “That’s fair. Do you plan to stay in Chicago?” She asked. “Or are you open to relocating?”
“I’m open, especially since I love to travel. I look forward to exploring new places and creating a new lifestyle.” I said. “It would just depend on the situation.”
“Mm.” A small nod. “And what does stability look like for you right now, or what would the situation need to be?”
“Consistency and commitment,” I answered. “I value being able to journey through life the way I want without feeling restricted, or unsettled.”
“Have you and Kier talked about what you both want?” She asked.
