His Woman, His Wife, His Widow Read online

  He was tall, about six–foot–two inches. His perfect skin was the color of melted caramel, and his curly jet black hair was flawlessly faded and tapered. In stark contrast, his eyes were emerald green. He smelled like an angel. His mother and father worked overtime putting this gorgeous brother together.

  “What’s the matter, cutie? Can’t you talk?”

  I miraculously found my voice. “I’m here by myself. Why do you ask?”

  “May I ask your name?”

  “My name is Lindsay, but everybody calls me Nay or Nay-Nay, short for Renee which is my middle name. I hate my first name.” I could not believe I actually told him my given name. I never divulge that information to anyone at an initial meeting other than school officials. This guy’s looks had me all discombobulated.

  “Well, since everyone else calls you by a nickname, I think I will stick to calling you Lindsay. That way you will always think of me differently. My name is Shaun and everyone calls me Shaun. So if you want to be different on my behalf, you will have to think of your own manly nickname for me. How old are you, sexy?”

  I was so focused on his beautiful, smooth lips that I barely heard his question. Eventually I regained my composure and uttered a barely audible answer. “I’m sixteen.”

  “Sixteen! Wow! I thought you were a little older. No offense, but you have this maturity about yourself that betrays your actual age.”

  I knew he was just spitting game. I hadn’t said enough to him for him to make that judgment. But I liked the fact he was interested. In an effort to live up to his impression of my maturity, I did my best to uphold my end of the conversation. “How old do I need to be, Shaun?”

  This time before he answered, he rewarded me with a breathtaking smile. “Listen to you sounding like you’re about nineteen or twenty. I asked because I’m nineteen and I’m interested in you having dinner with me sometime. I just wanted to be sure that we were age compatible. Some might say there is a big difference between sixteen and nineteen. I think it depends on the individuals.”

  He sounded very mature and intelligent, and I was becoming more and more impressed with this wonderfully handsome guy with each word he spoke. Heck, as fine as he was, I could fall in love with him if he just stood in front of me and never opened his mouth.

  “Do you think we are age compatible?” I asked.

  “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

  “Aren’t you capable of answering my question directly? I hope you are not always so evasive.”

  Shaun cocked his eyebrow in surprise, then said, “Evasive! That’s not a word I’ve heard anyone use to describe me before. Another sign of your maturity. In answer to your question, yes! I do think we are age compatible.”

  “Then my answer is yes. I would like to have dinner with you.” I was so glad I loved to read. My mother says an avid reader is privy to words that non-readers may not normally use. She says a person never knows when they may have to put that knowledge to use.

  “Cool. What day would be good for you? Since you are only sixteen, I’m sure you’re still in school. I’m guessing this weekend would be the first time you would have available.”

  Now how do I tell this guy who thinks I am so mature that I am grounded this weekend? I hope being straightforward works. “I can’t go out with you this weekend. Being that I am only sixteen, I sometimes still find myself on punishment. This weekend happens to be one of those times.”

  “Oh, I see. What did you do to cause your parents to ill out on you?” As he spoke this time, he moved closer to me and positioned his hand just above my head on the shelf in the aisle. I got another whiff of his cologne, and my knees almost buckled. To make sure I didn’t fall on my face, I stood a little straighter and folded my arms in front of me.

  “I was excluded from school for fighting.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I was totally embarrassed. I felt like such a kid. He probably went from thinking I was mature to thinking I was some ghetto street fighter.

  “Whoa! Hold up, sexy. I know you’re not telling me that you had an actual fistfight, are you? You are far too fine and sophisticated for that kind of stuff.”

  My initial feelings of inadequacy flew right out the window at his words. Shaun had a way of making me feel special, and I found this fact both fascinating and intimidating. How could I let someone I’ve known for less than five minutes have any effect on me at all? Even though I felt less awkward about my fight, I still wanted Shaun to understand the circumstances.

  “Well, I was actually helping my best friend. It was her fight. But our motto has always been if one of us is swinging, then both of us are swinging.”

  “I know how that can be. I’ve been in that position on occasion myself, but we must work harder at avoiding those types of encounters at all cost. We have to make sure we keep that face beautiful. I would not be able to stand it if some crazy female intentionally set out to destroy your beauty. I’m sure there are a lot of jealous ladies out there just waiting for the opportunity to do something evil like that. Promise me you will be careful, okay?”

  This brother was so cool that even M & M’s didn’t melt in his mouth. I didn’t even bother giving voice to his question. I was too busy standing there grinning.

  The last thing Shaun had to worry about was me being taken down by some jealous female. I had never lost a fight in my life. Though I had not actually kept a record of the number of scuffles I had been in, I liked to brag that I was thirty and zero. My mother hates to hear me talk that way. She says that Christian young ladies should not be fighting. Jesus wants us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I say she should tell that to all the haters in the world. Thinking about my mother brought me back to my appointed task.

  “I really need to grab this stuff for my mom and get home so she can finish cooking. I have been gone a while now and the last thing I need is to make her any angrier at me than she already is.”

  “I understand. Did you drive here to the grocery store or do you live in walking distance?” he asked as he followed me to the checkout counter.

  “Neither! I don’t have my driver’s license so my mom won’t let me drive. I live about a half-mile away, but she still made me walk,” I whined, again hoping he had not reversed his initial opinion of me as I crooned about my predicament like a baby.

  Shaun giggled a little. “Why don’t you let me drive you home? That way, I’ll know where you live when it’s time for me to pick you up for our dinner date. We can also get to know each other a little more during the ride.” He then flashed that perfect smile again. Was there no end to this guy’s great qualities?

  I had to seriously think about riding home with him, beautiful face, smile and smell aside. Mama told me not to get in cars with guys I barely know. She knew I had a fascination for guys with nice rides. “I don’t know if that is a good idea. I really don’t know you, and riding in a car with a complete stranger could be hazardous to my health.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do to you?” Shaun sounded a little offended.

  “To be totally honest, it’s not you that I’m worried about. It’s my mother that would cause all the damage. She hates for me to get in cars with people I barely know.”

  “Does your mother have to know we just met? You could tell her that I’m someone you have known for a while, and we ran into each other at the store.”

  I was very tempted to go along with him and his lie for more than one reason. One, he was very interesting to talk to. Two, he was very fine, and three, I hated the idea of walking all the way back home very much. As if he read my mind, he spoke again.

  “Come on, cutie, I know you don’t want to walk if you don’t have to. Besides, I want to get to know you better. Me driving you home, and I do mean straight home, will afford us the opportunity to talk a little more.” Then he smiled again, and my mind became very made up.

  As we walked to the parking lot I couldn’t help smiling at the fact Shaun insisted on paying for my m
other’s groceries.

  She only had a few things, but I thought it was so cool of him to make the offer. I wonder if Mama would classify this as an unexpected blessing from God. Too bad she could never know about it.

  Shaun led me to his beautiful, candy apple red convertible Trans Am. It was almost as gorgeous as he was. The leather interior and the drop top were both tan, and the tires housed an extraordinary set of silver rims. This car was stunning.

  Shaun walked me to the passenger side door and held it open for me. Once I was seated, he reached inside, pulled my seat belt into place and snapped it. He lingered there, staring as if he noticed something disturbing about me for the very first time. Before I knew what was happening, he leaned into the car and kissed me on my nose. He smiled, closed my door, then sauntered over to the driver’s side. As soon as he was settled into his seat, I questioned him.

  “So why are we stealing kisses? I rarely let anybody kiss me, especially someone I have known for all of ten minutes.”

  “I was wrong for that, Lindsay. I apologize. I got caught up staring into those beautiful eyes and I was unable to resist. Actually, you should consider yourself lucky I only landed one on the tip of your nose. I should have aimed straight for your lips,” he replied smoothly.

  “Well then I guess you should be glad you went with your better judgment. My natural reflexes would have probably led me to smack you.”

  Shaun laughed hard and long. I thought he would never stop, and I became very irritated. It was as if he didn’t believe I would hit him. Believe you me I would have. I don’t care how fine he is. Kissing is reserved only for guys I am really into.

  Once the laughter finally died down, Shaun looked at me and noticed I was a little upset. “You were serious, weren’t you? Oh, I forgot. You’re a fighter.” Before I had a chance to respond, he continued. “Okay, Ms. Mike Tyson, which way to your house?”

  My annoyance subsided with his joke, and I even smiled a little when I gave him directions.

  “So Lindsay, when can we go out? How long has your mother got you on lock down?” Hearing him continuously call me by my first name grated on my nerves, even from lips as sexy as his.

  “I’m only grounded until the end of this week, so anytime next week will be cool. Shaun, can I please get you to call me Nay? I really hate my first name.”

  “Does anybody else call you Lindsay?”

  “Only my grandmother on my father’s side, but I only see her once or twice a year, so it doesn’t bother me as much.”

  “Then I’m sorry, but I have to decline your request. Just think about it this way; whenever you hear your name, you will always know it’s me speaking even if you don’t see me.”

  I didn’t know whether to be mad or flattered. I guess I was actually grateful because I took what he said to mean he planned on seeing me often. I decided to give up my fight for preserving the right to be called what I wanted and got used to the fact that I’ll have to hear my ugly name coming from such beautiful lips.

  “So tell me something about yourself. I know you’re sixteen, you hate your name, and you like to hit people. What else makes up Miss Lindsay Renee?”

  Okay! Now enough is enough. Just as I make up my mind to allow this fool to call me by my first name, he goes and gets all kinds of crazy on me.

  “Oh no you didn’t use both my first and middle names together? Now that is taking it too far. My mother is the only person who gets away with that. And even she only does it when she’s upset with me,” I told him a little loudly.

  Shaun looked at me as if I had lost all my marbles. He threw up his hands in mock surrender and began pleading for my pardon. “Okay! Okay! Calm down! I apologize. Please don’t hit me. If you forgive me, I promise I’ll never call you anything but Lindsay from here on.”

  He looked so sorry that I felt bad for going off the way I did, so I gave him a smile. “All right, you’re forgiven this time, but watch it, buddy,” I said pointing my index finger in his face. Then I proceeded to give him some info. “I go to Henry Ford High School, I have a little brother named Kevin, and we both live at home with our mother. No father to speak of anymore. I don’t have any sisters, but my friend Shyanne and I are closer than most biological sisters I know.”

  “Do you have a man right now?”

  “Nope.” Then a thought ran rapidly through my mind. A guy this fine probably has about six or seven girls laying claim to him. “What about you? Do you have a woman?”

  Shaun didn’t say anything right away, and his hesitation made me a little nervous. The last thing I needed was to be seen hanging out with somebody’s man and end up in a situation like the one I just went through with Shyanne. I had always made it my policy to never step to someone else’s man because I wouldn’t want anyone stepping to mine. Granny always says what goes around comes around. I try never to intentionally hurt anyone. I want people to treat me with respect; therefore, I go out of my way to treat others in the same manner. I’m no Bible scholar, but I’m pretty sure that concept is in there.

  “Well, to be totally honest with you, Lindsay, I just got out of a relationship a few weeks ago. My ex is still having a hard time dealing with the fact that it’s over between us. We were together off and on since I was fifteen. And in sticking with the honesty theme, I guess I should inform you that I also have a one-year-old son. It wasn’t planned, but I don’t regret it now that he’s here.”

  I sat bug-eyed and speechless in the passenger seat, amazed at all Shaun had revealed. This guy had a kid and a potentially fatal attraction in his life. My instincts told me I should put a halt to any further discussions of hooking up with him. A guy this good-looking usually does come with a lot of baggage, and he had just hauled two steamer trunks into our conversation. I guess he could feel my paranoia because he tried making me understand why he dropped those big bombs on me.

  “I realize I said a lot about myself in a short time. I’m not usually that open with too many people. I just feel connected to you, and you are so easy to talk to. I also see us spending a lot of time together, and I didn’t want you to get caught off guard. I can already tell that you are a special young lady, someone I want to get to know a lot better. But if what I have said to you is too much for you to handle, I’ll understand. I’ll drop you off at home and try to forget I ever met you.” Shaun’s conversation then took on a mocking tone. “It’ll be hard, but I don’t want to inconvenience you with my load.”

  It was definitely true. Shaun did have a few strikes against him. Dating a man with kids was a no-no in my book. The fatal attraction thing was a big deal as well. Yet he did have a few pluses in his column too: great looking, cool car, and intellect. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded so sincere and grown-up.

  “You do seem to lead a very busy life for someone who is only nineteen. I don’t know anyone in my age group who has been in a relationship for four years. That’s a long time to stay with someone unless you plan on getting married. Why did you two break up?” I asked.

  “It’s hard to explain. To start with, Rhonda, my ex, is a year younger than I am, but the age difference seems so much greater most times, especially since our son was born. I don’t feel like we have anything in common any longer. Rhonda is still into things that no longer interest me. I can’t think of anything specific right now, but the bottom line is I don’t feel the same way about her that I used to. It may seem cold to say that after she’s had my baby, but she is stuck in the same fourteen-year-old frame of mind as when we met. I guess you could say I have outgrown her. I may not seem very prince-like right now, but like I said, I have to be honest with you.”

  This was the second time in our short acquaintance that Shaun spoke aloud what was on my mind. I was sitting there thinking that perhaps he became uninterested in her after she had his baby. That happened to a few females I knew after they had their babies.

  Shaun nearly drove by my street while I sat silently musing. I had to pull myself from my thoughts to t
ell him where to turn. “Shaun, I live right here on Pierson. Turn right, and my house is in the second block.”

  “Dang, lady! That was a short ride,” Shaun announced as he parked after I directed him to our house. “Seriously, Lindsay, I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you. I really want to see you again; spend some more time getting to know you personally. I’ve already started by telling you a lot of personal things about me, and I hope it hasn’t scared you off.”

  “It’s true you’ve said a little more than a mouthful in the short time we’ve been talking. The average dude would have me saying, ohhhhh no. But you seem able enough to handle yourself and your current situation, so I won’t hold it against you. If you have a piece of paper and a pen, I’ll write my phone number down for you. Please don’t call me before Sunday because my punishment excludes me from using the telephone. We can discuss our dinner plans when you call because I want to get out of this car before my mama looks out the window and comes out here embarrassing me.” I looked toward the house to see if I could see Mama peeping out of the windows.

  Shaun handed me a matchbook and pen, and I wrote down the number, then handed the matchbook back to him.

  “I’ll keep the pen just in case you meet anymore cute, mature young ladies that may not be grounded. You won’t have anything to write their numbers down with.” I got out of the car and closed the door. I ran up the steps to the front porch of my house, turning around to see Shaun sitting there laughing at me.

  I planned on adding a little something extra to my prayers tonight. I needed God to bless our potential union.

  I hated that Sunday was a whole three days away.

  Chapter Three

  Today I was up and out of the house early, skipping breakfast and heading straight to Shyanne’s house so that we could walk to school together and to give her the scoop on my Prince Charming. I hardly slept last night in anticipation of sharing my news with my best friend. Shyanne was also grounded as a result of the expulsion from school, so using the telephone for either of us was out of the question. I had to get to her and dish my news in person. Our daily trek to school was the only freedom allowed in our prison terms.