“Was it a long time ago?” Mia pressed on.
“No.” Hazel rolled her eyes.
“So recently you were not on a date but felt his chest, but did not get to see it,” Mia pieced together.
“Yes,” Hazel agreed.
“Have you kissed him? Him, you know, the preacher.” Mia was having a good time with the interrogation.
“Yes.”
“Tongue or no tongue?”
“Definitely tongue.” Hazel smiled at the memory.
“Is he good?” Mia asked.
“Oh yeah, he is good,” Hazel replied, still smiling.
“Wait, I meant is he a good kisser, but you make it sound like more. How many bases did you get to, Hazel May?” Mia demanded, eyes wide.
“It was a home run.” Hazel laughed out loud at Mia’s expression of complete shock.
“What? He’s not supposed to be scoring runs! He’s a pastor!” Mia flopped on her back next to Hazel.
“He’s not a priest; he’s a single guy. It really wasn’t planned, and I don’t think he wanted to do it. It just happened pretty fast, and he went with the flow.” Hazel had analyzed why he went through with it for the last few days. After all, it was all she could think about.
“Are you planning on dating him?” Mia asked the ceiling.
“No, he can’t date me,” Hazel said.
“Can’t or won’t?” Mia asked, looking over at her.
“I don’t think he wants to, and he can’t anyway.”
“Why can’t he?” You’re over twenty, a single lady, and you attend his church. Might be a perfect match,” Mia pointed out.
“I’m a bastard with a bastard son. He’s a minister.” At least she assumed her mother never married her father. Hazel had actually never seen the woman. Her grandparents had taken the three babies home from the hospital, and her mother had gone back to the world of drugs she enjoyed more than her family, never coming back or getting in contact.
“Nobody cares about that anymore, Hazel,” Mia argued.
“Yes, they do. I’m treated differently than other moms. You don’t see it because it isn’t happening to you. I’ve not been asked to join the ladies club at church, but I bet you have,” Hazel pointed out.
“Maybe I have, but I have not joined,” Mia defended herself, not that Hazel could see Mia leading any church group.
“Beyond that, he won’t date me anyway,” Hazel said.
“Oh, I think he would. I saw his face tonight.” Mia sat up.
“He would probably date me for a little bit, but then it would end. We don’t have a lot in common.” Hazel had come to that conclusion during church that morning.
“Do I have to start listing all the things you have in common again?” Mia said.
“Any relationship will end between us because I don’t believe in his God. He won’t be able to accept that.” It was the reason nothing would ever work between them, no matter how good he was in bed.
“But you go to church every week,” Mia argued, sitting up again.
“For my grandma. She wants me there. But the God who took my family away doesn’t get my attention.” She turned away from her friend and curled into a ball.