“Does there have to be an occasion when you’re in love?” he asked.
“You’re right. I just assumed going on such a trip would require some kind of reasoning behind it. Who has taken over your body and made you spontaneous? Is that even you in there, right now?” I teased.
“Ha! Married life changed me. Now, I’m ready to put my passport to good use. We decided to take this trip as sort of an anniversary celebration. We thought maybe a change of scenery would help us get pregnant.” He wiggled his eyebrows, and it was then I saw the genius in his masterplan. I would do the same thing if I were in his shoes.
“That sounds like a plan, and hopefully, it’ll work out for you two,” I said sincerely.
“I hope so too. We’ve been trying to get pregnant for a year now. We’ve both been working nonstop, so this is going to give us time to relax and enjoy our baby-making time.”
Channing’s smile spread across his face, and I couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. My cousin was about to go on a getaway while I couldn’t get away from my unreturned feelings for Tameka.
“Lord knows, I could use a vacation as a way to destress,” I replied with a little envy sprinkled in my tone. For the first time in my life, I knew what I wanted but couldn’t have it.
Chapter 7
Tameka
Two days.
That’s how long it took before I couldn’t take it anymore. The thoughts of that night running wildly in my head left me needing to talk to someone. After watching the kids get on the school bus, I dialed Kemara’s number. It was already time for her to be on her way to work. I should be dressed and out the door too, but I had to call her for some much-needed sisterly advice.
“Hey Kemara, what time can we meet today? I need to talk to you about something important,” I said when she answered.
“I have a busy morning, followed by a meeting at lunch, and what I know will be a hectic afternoon after the software setup. The only time I can spare will be after work, and I know you’ll have the kids then. Sorry, sis, that’s really the best I can do.” Kemara sounded as if the day had weighed on her already. “How about you bring the kids over for dinner, and we talk then?” she added.
Channing would be there and could potentially eavesdrop, but I agreed to it and ended the call to finish getting ready for work. The day couldn’t have gone by any slower if it was going backward. By the time two-thirty rolled around, I was anxious to clock out.
The perk of being a part-time worker was being able to grab my purse and dash out of the department store as soon as my shift was over. I made it out the door before anyone asked for help. I got home with thirty minutes to burn before Eva and Kevin got off the school bus.
Once they arrived home, I shared the news of going to Channing and Kemara’s, and they were hyped. “Go get washed up then,” I said.
After they raced up the stairs, intrusive thoughts of Friday night entered my mind. Being pinned underneath Jeb as he made love to me had felt amazing, and I couldn’t get the feeling to stop taking over me when I least expected it to.
“I’m ready, Mama!” Eva ran downstairs, yelling, and Kevin wasn’t far behind her.
I grabbed my car keys, and we were out the door. I didn’t know what I was going to achieve by telling Kemara about Jeb, but I needed someone to help me sort out my thoughts.
***
We received a cheery greeting from Channing when we arrived.
“Hey!” he said and kissed me on the cheek.
“Hey Channing!” we responded in synch.
“How are you guys doing?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said, and the kids started talking a mile a minute.
I left them to catch up with Channing, who tried to keep up with their stories. They’d had a good visit with their father this past weekend and wanted to tell Channing all about it.
Kevin and Eva loved Channing from the beginning. After getting to know him, I also conceded he was a good man, which was really all that mattered to me for my sister’s happiness. Any other difference we had, I easily put aside.
“Hey,” Kemara said as I entered the kitchen. “How are you?”
“I’m good.”
I heard Channing tell the kids to come into the kitchen. “Your auntie has the table set, so let’s go in the kitchen,” he said.