He grabbed a magazine and flung it at my head. I had to dodge to avoid impact.
“Don’t ask me about what I do with my woman? Our intimacy is our business,” Channing said, looking like a mad man guarding a precious treasure.
When he talked about Kemara, his face lit up with passion. When I asked about his intimacy with her, he turned into a pit bull. That was the type of woman I dreamed of, the kind to show up and light my world. Someone so amazing I dared tell another man about her for fear he might try to take her.
I was tired of the type of lukewarm relationships I had been in. I had sought out trophies, not a companion. Vainness no longer fulfilled me. I was on the market for an amazing woman. I wanted to share the same type of adoration Channing captured when he tied the knot with Kemara. I wanted to find the one girl out there that was made for me.
***
Channing and I had been talking for about an hour about life, marriage, work, and my new project of fixing up a ’67 Mustang when the front door screeched opened, and Kemara’s voice rang out, “Honey, I’m home!” She rounded the corner and immediately offered me a warm smile. “Oh, hey, Jeb. I didn’t know you were here.”
All I could see was Tameka. Her eyes interlocked with mine for the briefest moment before she peeled them away and focused her attention on her nails.
Channing stood and pulled his wife into his arms. Within seconds, he’d wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into a deep kiss. It was like watching a romantic movie, except this time I did so willfully. I glanced at Tameka, and her expression told stories of how she wished someone would hold her and kiss her like that. I could give her that and more if she’d stop running away from me.
“Welcome home, baby,” Channing said, gripping Kemara’s backside into his palms. He greeted her as if she’d been away on a long trip.
“Thanks, baby. That was a nice welcome,” Kemara replied in a low tone. Channing whispered something into her ear, and she giggled like a teenager. Kemara turned in his embrace and faced me. “Jeb, do you remember my sister, Tameka?”
I wanted to say, ‘how could I forget her?’ Instead, I stood to my feet, walked over to stand in front of Tameka, and extended my hand to shake hers. Electric shockwaves coursed through me as our hands touched, and I was reminded of the time I held her in my arms as we danced.
“Of course, I remember Tameka.” She still owes me a dance. “It’s good to see you again,” I said in a gravelly tone.
Her intense brown eyes spoke volumes as she pulled her hand away as quickly as she had extended it.
Who hurt you, Tameka? Tell me his name, so I can go ruin the bastard.
“You have something to show me, right?” she asked Kemara.
“Come on, sis. I’ll show you the fabric,” Kemara said.
Tameka followed Kemara out of the room with her hips swaying raptly. She wasn’t wearing a form-fitting gown like she had at the wedding, but the rhythm of her hips I would never forget. When the two women were out of sight, I turned to Channing, and he was smirking like a Cheshire cat.
I did my best to mask my feelings and asked, “What?”
“You want a towel to wipe off that drool?”
“Man, I’m not drooling.”
Channing chuckled. “I thought I was going to have to haul your ass out of the room they just went into. Your eyes followed her like a growling dog.” Then, Channing barked, eliciting a chuckle out of me.
“I’ll admit that she’s really easy on the eyes. I mean really easy,” I stated and licked my lips. I could already taste her on them. “But how’d you do it?”
“Do what?” Channing asked with a raised brow.
“I mean, coming from where we come from, how do you handle a relationship with a black woman?” I asked in a low tone.
Channing’s hazel eyes held the same faith they had on his wedding day. “That’s easy to answer. Nothing else matters but the love we have for each other. When you find the one, you will do anything to be with that person. Kemara is the one for me, and I knew it when I saw her at that gas station. The moment I looked into her eyes, I knew everything my father taught me was a lie. There was no way a woman so beautiful and kind could be my enemy. When she smiled, my world came undone. I made up my mind right then to leave the brotherhood and everything they stand for.”
“It was a strong connection, huh?” I asked, knowing that was the way I felt about Tameka. “What about your parents? How did you deal with their disappointment.” I wanted to know because my father held the same prejudiced beliefs. If I were ever to find love in another race, I would have to face off with him.
“Everyone knows how my father felt. He nearly killed my wife to get rid of her, so my parents probably aren’t the best example of how to deal with interracial relationships. My mother has come around, but our folks are extreme, as you know,” he said.
“I wonder if Dad is capable of doing something as horrific as Uncle Chad did,” I thought aloud.
“I’ve learned not to underestimate people, even if you love them. I knew how my father and brother felt about black people, but I didn’t know they would go so far as to hurt the woman I loved. In the end, my mother was someone we could count on, but all-in-all the situation with my dad and brother was horrible. I never want to face that again. Yet, at the same time, I would do it all again for Kemara. I love her, man.” Channing paused reflectively. “Wait, do these questions have anything to do with the way you just undressed Tameka with your eyes?”
“No, I just wanted to know in case I ever date another race.”