Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 22709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22709 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 114(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“I agree, but my parents definitely don’t. They flipped their shit when I told them what I wanted to do with my life. They hated the thought of the family name being attached to something so…unprestigious.” At the last word, I rolled my eyes so hard I saw stars.
“You know, there are high-end hair and makeup artists who work with famous clients and make serious money.”
“That’s funny you said that, because I made the same point to them. I said there was an opportunity to always keep learning and improve on a skillset and be highly sought after. But they weren’t impressed. I think after my failed college attempt, they don’t expect much from me.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to prove them wrong,” Jamal replied with a wink. It meant a lot that he not only had faith in me, but included himself in my future plans, while suggesting his help and support.
“I really appreciate that. Thank you.”
“I mean it, and you’re very welcome. Now, besides doing an amazing job at coloring your hair, what else are you interested in?”
“Well, like I said, I love to cook. I got tired of eating frozen meals, and decided to learn. I started watching cooking shows on TV and trying my hand at preparing what they did. I had a lot of disasters in the beginning, but I finally got the hang of it.”
“It’s impressive that you taught yourself. What’s your favorite thing to cook?”
I searched my brain; I’d never really thought about it. “Any kind of comfort food; chicken, pasta, potatoes, things like that.”
“Can’t go wrong there. I love all of those.”
An exciting idea knitted together in my mind and it sprung from my lips, “For our next date, I’d love to come to your place and cook for you.”
His reply of, “I don’t think that’s the best idea,” was like a punch to the gut. Had I misread his intentions? Just minutes ago, Jamal seemed pretty clear about wanting to be together. He quieted my anxieties by placing his hand on mine and rubbing my skin with his thumb. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. Remember what I said about my neighborhood not being the nicest place? It’s not exactly the type of…”
“I don’t care about any of that,” I interrupted, relieved by the misunderstanding. It didn’t matter to me where he lived, and I’d never hold any preconceived notions. Though it was a very different situation, people had made assumptions about me based off my upbringing as well; namely that I would be some kind of stuck-up rich bastard. “I just want to be with you.”
“You’re very sweet. But I still worry about your safety.”
“Well then, how about you come to my place?” Lord knew I would have the house to myself, and there was plenty of room for us.
“Now that sounds like a perfect idea.”
“Great.” Realizing I only half answered his earlier question, I added, “Other than cooking, I also love watching movies; all genres, but I am a sucker for a good sappy romance. How about you?”
“I’m more of an action fan myself, but I could be persuaded to watch a romance.” He winked, and I melted in my spot. The things I liked were important to him, and he wanted to experience them with me. “And I also love basketball.”
“Watching or playing?”
“I like shooting around, but mostly I follow college ball. My team is the University of Connecticut; the Huskies.”
“Is that where you went to college?”
Jamal shook his head. “No, I took online courses. My love for the Huskies started when I was a kid. Honestly, their mascot was my favorite, and I stuck with them. Luckily, they’ve proven to be a great team.”
I chuckled at the way he chose his favorite team, but thought his loyalty was sweet. “I can’t blame you, though; huskies are adorable. I love all animals. I’ve not watched much basketball, but I could be persuaded to do so.” Just like he’d done, I winked at Jamal, making him laugh at his repeated words.
We chatted nonstop as we finished our meals. There was no awkward silence between us; only laughter and thoughtful conversation. We had a lot in common, and any interests we didn’t share, we were each willing to try.
“I suppose we should be getting back to the office,” Jamal sighed as he looked at his watch. I nodded my agreement; I didn’t want him to get into trouble, especially on his first day on the job.
My emotions were split as we walked back towards the office; part of me was giddy about how well our date went, and about the promise of more to come, but the other part of me was bummed out about going back to work.
I knew once we were in the office, Jamal and I wouldn’t be able to flirt or speak freely. Our blooming relationship would have to be kept under wraps. I would need to be careful about blurting things out.