“Kyla, how do you like the chocolate cake.”
She smiled and patted the sides of her mouth. “It’s very good.”
“Stop it Jordan. Kyla, he’s just messing with you. I do the same thing to him.” She reached over and took a forkful of Jordan’s dessert.
Jordan took a sip of coffee and continued. “So, Sean, when are you going to put a ring on this beautiful woman’s finger?”
Kyla started choking. “Excuse me.” She reached for her water.
“Are you okay, baby?” Sean patted her back.
“Yes.” She took another sip of water, trying to clear her throat.
“Kyla, please forgive my husband.”
“I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn Sweetheart, but it’s clear they’re in love with each other. I just wanted to know if I was getting a sister- in-law soon.”
“Jordan.” Zoë cut him the serious wife look. And he knew he was in trouble.
“Excuse me.” Kyla stood up and both men rose to their feet.
“Good going, Jordan.” Zoë jumped up and followed Kyla. She walked into the restroom and Kyla was leaning over a sink taking deep breaths. She wet some paper towels and handed them to Kyla.
“Thanks.” She placed the wet paper towels on the back of her neck. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. Actually, Jordan should be here not me. I’m sorry.” Kyla stood up. “For all my husband’s uncouthness, he’s very observant.”
“Is it that obvious?” Kyla asked.
“Yes,” she said smiling.
“All of this is new for me. I wasn’t expecting…I’m sure Sean told you about my past.”
“He mentioned you two had a lot in common and Trina filled in the blanks.” She took her lipstick out and reapplied. “Why don’t you tell me your side.”
“When I started hanging out with Sean, it wasn’t…I just wanted to get him into bed.”
“He did say you were frank.” Zoë smiled.
“But something happened. The more time we spent together, the more I realized how different he was. I felt comfortable around him. We started talking, flirting and meeting for coffee,” she snickered. “I tried every trick in the book and he wouldn’t budge. He went so far as to tell me he knew what I was trying to do and he even recited my plan to me. That was right around the time he gave me Winnie.”
“The dog, right?”
“Yeah. He said I needed someone to love me, because I wasn’t doing a good job of loving myself.”
“Sounds like Sean.”
“I don’t know what it is, but it seems like he can see right through me.” She removed the damp towels. “He knows pretty much everything about me and before you ask, yes, I know about his drinking problem and Francesca.”
“So you know about the slip up?”
“Yes, and he knows all about my ex and his wife, and all the details I was comfortable sharing.”
Zoë leaned against the counter. “Wow, you guys are a few steps ahead of the game. Then why did you get a little flustered at Jordan’s comment?”
“The one time we talked about marriage, was a while back and…he wants a lot. He wants the whole package, the kids, the family dinners, the pizza parties, the showpiece, the picket fence or in this case the duplex in Tribeca. I’m still trying to figure out my walk with God. Sean’s set, he knows who he is, where he stands with God, and what the next phase of his life is going to be.”
“That’s not true. Sean looks like he has it all figured out, because he has to. The only way to show you that you are on the right track and that you can count on him, is to lead by example. He’s come a long way, but he still has a long way to go. Heck, do you think Jordan was that polished when I got him?” She shook her head, folded her arms in front of her and laughed, “Girl, it has taken me almost eleven years to get him where he is.”