Читать книгу In His Arms - Yasmin Sullivan - Страница 13

Chapter 5

Michelle stuck her hand inside the vase she had finished painting and handed it to Regina to go in the kiln.

“The flowers are done on this one.”

“They’re beautiful. Are you sure you don’t want to be an artist?”

“I’m sure I do want to be an artist, and I want to apply it to advertising.”

“I stand corrected. You’ll do wonderfully.”

“Thank you for the support. I need it.”

“No, you don’t. You’re doing great.”

Michelle painted in her spare time and sometimes did ceramics with her cousin Nigel’s wife, Regina. It even brought in a bit of change for her now and then. But she did it because she loved it and because it was great to practice on something real, something that would be used.

She had this Saturday off from the coffeehouse, so she spent the morning doing homework and the rest of the day at Regina’s, where Andre got to paint a piece of his own. He would be staying the night with Nigel and Regina because Michelle had a date—a real Saturday date—with Rashad. She had only been about five minutes late the Wednesday before last, when she had stayed after class to have dinner, but she didn’t want to risk being late after class anymore, and a Saturday gave them real time to spend together. Still, she hesitated.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay with Andre tonight? You have little Sharon, as well, and she’s only twelve months.”

“Yes, Michelle. We’ve had him overnight before. He’ll be fine with us. Go out for a change.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s been over two years since your divorce, and you haven’t seen anyone. Don’t go from a wildflower to a weed. It’s okay to have a life.” Regina got close to her, ignoring her hesitation. “Is he cute?”

Michelle couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. Regina gasped.

“He is! Tell me.”

“Well, actually, he’s a bit like Nigel. Not in looks, but in character. He’s always doing something nice, and he’s sweet and he’s talkative.”

And he has no idea what a wild girl I used to be or how horrible my marriage was. Michelle thought those things, but she didn’t say them. It would have been admitting her flaws, and she didn’t want to say them out loud, not even to her supportive cousin-in-law. Oh, and he’s only dated casually. But we have that cleared up, I think.

“And he’s as handsome as all get-out. It should be illegal to look as good as he does.”

“Uh-huh. Sing it, sister. That never hurt,” Regina said and chuckled.

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You go on and have a good time. It’s been a while, so take it slowly, but it’s time to get out there again. Don’t wait until college is over and then until your career is off the ground and then until Andre is grown and then until whatever it is. It will never be finished until you’re finished. Nigel and I can watch Andre more, especially now that Sharon is here. And you watch Sharon for us more than enough. Let us do a little for you, too.”

“You both do...so much for me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You just did, and you always do. Now go on. Get made up and hit the town.”

“It’s just dinner and a movie.”

But Michelle smiled nevertheless. She was excited to go out with Rashad—for real.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. He says I haven’t seen D.C. in the two years I’ve been here, and he wants me to see some of it. But we’re starting with the basics.”

Michelle had washed her hands and was gathering up her purse.

“I’m going to pop upstairs and see Andre before I go.”

“Sure,” Regina said, shooing her toward the door. “But don’t take long.”

“I won’t.”

After checking on Andre, Michelle hopped in her car and went home to get ready for the evening. She didn’t have anything fancy, but it was only a movie, so something nice would do.

She was ready when Rashad buzzed her doorbell at six.

“Come in. The downstairs door is open, and I’m upstairs on the right.”

In moments he appeared at her open door.

“Is that safe—for the downstairs door to be unlocked?”

“I don’t know, but it always has been.”

“You should mention that to whoever manages the building.”

“Actually, I have. No change.”

“We’ll have to see about that.”

Rashad had on a brightly colored shirt for a change, and he wore it with black slacks. He also had a heavy lamb’s wool cardigan over one arm and a bag in the other hand.

“Is it cold out?”

“Not yet, but it will be tonight and at the movie. I should have left this in the car, but I took it off on the way up.”

Michelle grabbed her sweater and purse, but Rashad was still looking around. “Where’s Andre? I thought I would meet him. I brought him these.”

He handed Michelle a bag of toys.

“He’s at my cousin’s. You didn’t buy these, did you? Toys are expensive, and he has toys. You can’t buy his approval, you know.”

“I know, but I thought I’d try.” Rashad chuckled. “Actually, most of these are my nephew’s. He’s too old for them now, so I thought I would pass them along. These are new.”

Rashad pointed to games and learning programs that went with a computerized tablet.

“Trying to get him hooked on the computer early, I see. We do have one.”

“I know. Or I figured—you being a student. But these are his very own, and all the new programs are for his age-group.”

“Rashad, you didn’t have to. This is too much.”

“No, like I said, my nephew outgrew most of this. Here, this is for you.”

He pulled a DVD from the bottom of the bag.

“I didn’t know about flowers or chocolate.”

Michelle took a serious step back. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know about chocolate,” she said, her eyes sparkling with humor.

“Well, I guess I know now. But what kind? See. Too many options.”

“Anything with nuts—peanuts, almonds, pecans.”

Rashad laughed at the passion in her voice. Then she stepped back to him and took the DVD he was holding out. It was The Color Purple.

“Aw. I love this movie. And I don’t have it.”

“I’m glad. I thought you might like it. You think in color. Look at your place.”

Michelle followed Rashad’s gaze to her living room. The furniture was worn but colorful, and her walls were full of art, what she could afford, which was her own and her son’s. It did make for a rather gaudy presentation. She laughed at the thought.

“What?” Rashad asked.

“It’s actually quite gaudy. I hadn’t noticed before.”

“It’s not gaudy. It’s bright. And it fills in for what you don’t have or can’t afford right now.”

“That it does. Thank you, Rashad, for the movie and the toys for Andre. You didn’t have to, really.”

Michelle didn’t know how to truly express her thanks. It was all more than she could have imagined and just like Rashad, as she was coming to see.

“I wanted to. Don’t give it another thought. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes. Where are we off to?”

“Have you been to Gallery Place, Chinatown, in northwest D.C.?”

“I’ve driven through it a couple of times.”

“Good. I thought we could go to Clyde’s for an early dinner—they have just about everything. And the movie theater there has fourteen cinemas, so there should be something that we like. Does that sound okay?”

“It sounds great. Oh, can we find parking down there, or should we take the train in?”

“Parking is a block over. If your shoes are comfortable, we’ll be fine.”

“They are,” Michelle said. “Let’s go.” Then she paused. “Wait. Who’s driving?”

“I figure I am—only because I know where we’re going.”

“Okay. As long as you’re not still poking fun.”

Rashad pursed his lips in the cutest little pout. “Would I do that?”

Michelle flicked her finger against his arm. “Yes,” she said. “You would.” But she was still taken by his childlike pucker and smiled.

Clyde’s was packed, and when she got to see the atmosphere, she understood why. It was lively, but it was quiet enough to talk, and they did have just about everything.

Michelle rolled her shoulders and stretched her head to either side after they sat down.

“I’m so glad I didn’t have to work today. I got so much done.”

“Tired?”

“No, I just needed a stretch.”

“How do you manage on what you make at the coffeehouse, even as a manager? Is that too personal to ask? You don’t have to answer.”

“No, that’s fine. I would wonder if I wasn’t me. I get some child support and alimony from my ex-husband, and between that and work, I can pay for things around the house. For school I take out student loans, and my cousin Nigel helps a little with that. He’s...wonderful, and he’s like you—giving. I can only imagine what I’ll need to pay him back.”

Rashad took her hand, and Michelle felt a tingle move up her spine.

“He wants you to pay him back?”

“No, but I will. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t. He tells me that we’re family, and that if anything, I should ‘pay it forward,’ like the movie, where you help someone else. But I will pay him back.”

“I can tell you will. What are your plans for your career?”

“I don’t know in detail. Right now I’m just working on finishing my degree and making myself as marketable as possible. That’s why I want a good portfolio for school. I’m hoping that I can get a good entry-level job and keep moving upward.”

“Do you save for Andre’s education?”

“Actually, I do, out of child support. I couldn’t before, but I do now. It means sticking to a tight budget, but I’m used to that.”

Michelle saw the question in Rashad’s eyes, but she didn’t want to say more about the past and was glad that he let it go.

“Are there plans for your career?” she asked.

Rashad started caressing her fingers, and Michelle felt herself shudder. It was so sensual, like it had been on their other dinner date. Michelle couldn’t keep from caressing back. She couldn’t stop the heat from rising in the pit of her stomach.

“I make a decent living now, but I think I’ll want more when I have a family, and I want to do more artistic work. Right now my goal is to keep doing good work and expanding my credentials so that I can get those pay increases and maybe open my own design firm one day.”

“That’s a good plan once you’ve gotten as far as you have.”

Michelle felt another twinge of jealousy, but she let it go. She would be okay one day. She didn’t expect Rashad’s next line of inquiry.

“What’s it like raising a son? What is Andre like?”

“Andre is a sweet pea, as much as he’s been through.”

She’d said too much again, dang it. She had to stop opening the door to things she wanted to forget. She hoped that Rashad had missed it or would let it pass, but he didn’t.

“What has he been through, Michelle?”

She wanted to say something that would close the door on that question, but she didn’t know what.

“He... My marriage was difficult, and it ended badly. That’s not the example I wanted to set for my child, but he’s just a sweet kid—in spite of all that.”

Rashad nodded and let the question pass, and Michelle was grateful.

“But raising a child is wonderful. It’s so much responsibility. His whole life right now is up to me. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“I think I know what you mean.”

“And the love of a child is totally unconditional. It’s...a blessing. I guess I’m not really religious, but I don’t know any other word.”

To show his understanding, Rashad rubbed her hand. When he was finished, Michelle went back to caressing his fingers. She liked that better. She saw the look in his eyes when she did it, and he seemed to like it better, as well.

Their dinner arrived, and Michelle shook her head to get out of her thoughts. She and Rashad let go of each other’s hands and pulled them from the table to get ready to eat. She had ordered catfish, and Rashad had gotten steak.

“One day we have to come back here for their burgers,” he said. “I’ve heard they’re great, but there’s so much to choose from that all the times I’ve been here, I’ve gotten something else.”

“Have you been here often?”

“Sometimes my brothers and I come here before or after a game or if we get together on a weekend.”

“You and your brothers sound close.”

“I guess we are, as much as they rib me.”

“I wish I had a sister. Or a brother. Any sibling. I guess my cousin and his wife are as close as I come to that.”

“Then I’m glad you have them. I want to meet them sometime.”

“I hope you will. They’re great people. Without Nigel, I wouldn’t be in D.C. He was here first and helped me make the move. He drove me home to get more of my things. He helped me out financially until I had an income. He helped me get used to a more northern, more urban landscape. He encouraged me to go to Howard. He continues to help me with paying for it. He’s been a godsend.”

“One day,” Rashad said, “I hope you’ll feel close enough to me to let me help you.”

“One day, I hope I won’t need you—or anyone else—to help me.”

“That day is coming.”

“I know,” Michelle said. “And I guess I know all that I’ve actually done on my own, as well.”

“Exactly. You made the move. You’re taking the classes and working and raising a son. You’re my hero.”

Michelle was touched by Rashad’s words.

“I just have to remember to celebrate all that while I strive for more.”

“Amen.”

They ate quietly for a while, and the peace between them wasn’t interrupted until their waiter came to offer them dessert.

“Let’s split something,” Michelle suggested.

“What? I could go for apple pie.”

“I don’t think so. Not when there’s something called Chocolate Blackout Cake on the menu.”

“I should have known about the chocolate,” Rashad said, shaking his head.

Michelle laughed. “Yes indeed.” She turned to the waiter. “We’ll split the chocolate cake and ice cream.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Michelle ate most of the cake, and Rashad had most of the ice cream. After that, they headed to the movie theater, selected the new version of Les Misérables and found a relatively unoccupied row in the back of the theater to watch it.

Rashad had brought his sweater, and Michelle was already wearing hers, but it was still chilly. Not long after the film started, she slipped her hands into Rashad’s open cardigan to warm them. His chest heaved under her touch, and he glanced toward her.

“Sorry,” she said. “I just wanted to warm my hands.”

“No need for apologies. I don’t mind if you do that again.”

Michelle felt mischievous and raked her fingers along Rashad’s chest. It heaved again, and he shifted in his seat.

“Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have said you could do that again.”

Michelle smiled and let her hands come to a rest. Rashad wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to his warmth. She could feel the heat from his body as she rested her head on his shoulder, and his arm was like a blanket around her.

Without thinking about it, she ran her fingers over his chest again. Rashad turned toward her with a passionate look on his face that made her catch her breath, and before Michelle could react, he had drawn his hand inside her sweater and over her chest.

His touch filled her with desire, and her nipples tightened under his fingers. And he didn’t stop. He caressed the taut peaks that his fingers had just made until she was shivering with each flicker, until a low murmur escaped her throat.

They teased each other like that on and off throughout the film, stopping when one had had too much or to hear a touching or rousing song. But one or the other would start up again after the interlude. Occasionally, Rashad dipped his head to kiss her forehead or her ear. It made Michelle shiver, but he couldn’t really know what it did to her, the way it set her moisture flowing.

They sat up as the credits rolled and looked at one another. Her face felt flushed, and she was sure that the passion he saw there matched the passion in his own eyes.

“I have to get you home to Andre, don’t I?” Rashad said.

“No, he’s staying with Nigel and Regina and their little girl tonight.”

Rashad looked into her eyes and spoke in a soft, deep voice that sent quivers into the pit of Michelle’s stomach. “Come home with me,” he said. “Let me make love to you.”