Pamela Yaye - The Trouble with Luv'

A smile warmed Ebony’s lips. By the end of the night, Xavier would be on his hands and knees begging to take her out again. She loved challenges, and nothing revved her engine like a healthy dose of competition. Snagging Xavier Reed would be like taking candy from a baby. And Ebony was in the mood for something sweet.

Xavier did another quick sweep of the kitchen. Confident that everything was in place, he flipped off the lights.

When Xavier fixed a hand to her waist and guided her through the kitchen, she had to remind herself to breathe. Ebony had met hundreds of gorgeous men, everyone from professional athletes to models to actors, but there was something special about the man walking beside her. Xavier Reed was in a class all his own. As far as her eyes could see, he was perfect. Sharp eyes. Long, thin fingers. Thick lips perfect for sucking and kissing. And the spicy, refreshing cologne embracing his skin suggested he had an adventurous side. Just the type of man she was looking for.

I just wish he wasn’t so fine, she thought, as they climbed the stairs. He could turn me out with just one smile!

While Xavier secured the locks on the doors, Ebony hurried across the church parking lot and climbed into her SUV. Thoughts of their impending date consumed her mind. She would have to keep her loose tongue in check. If she said or did the wrong thing, she might not get another chance.

Xavier jogged over. “Follow me,” he told her. “I know the perfect place.” When he turned and walked toward a battered gray car, a lusty smile claimed her lips. Ebony shook her head slowly, awe clear in her eyes. That man is too fine for his own good!

Dakota’s Bar and Grill was not what Ebony had in mind when Xavier asked her out. She was thinking of a fun, happening spot like The Hampton Club, or Sydney’s Café, not a mediocre restaurant with second-rate food and poor service. Trailing him into the dining area, she was careful not to touch anything. The customers were a mix of young starry-eyed couples and middle-aged singles who were looking for more than a tasty meal on a Friday night. Ebony took in her unsightly surroundings. Her eyes narrowed in disgust at the hideous neon plastic tablecloths and paint-splashed walls.

“Have you ever been here?” Xavier asked, sliding into one of the booths.

“No. Never.” Thank God went unsaid.

“Then you’re in for a real treat tonight.”

Ebony would rather stand than sit down in the flaky vinyl booth, but when Xavier motioned for her to take a seat, she did. It was as cold as a hospital examination table. Inspecting the tablecloth for a second time, she noted that it had bread crumbs and what looked like tomato sauce stains.

“Hungry?” Xavier asked, from behind a laminated menu.

“Starving.” Ebony didn’t even bother opening her menu. She already knew what she was having. You could never go wrong with soup and salad. But when the frizzy haired waitress with the pierced eyebrow bounced over and described the specials of the day, chicken noodle soup and Caesar salad quickly lost their appeal.

“The snapper is the best thing on the menu, Ebony. Go on. Try it. You’ll love it.”

She gave the waitress the nod. “And I’ll have a glass of red wine.”

“And you, sir?”

Xavier closed his menu. “I’ll have the Chocolate Supreme Milkshake and a slice of apple pie.”

Before Ebony could ask for the table to be wiped, the waitress bent down and gave it a thorough cleaning. Some of the worry lines on Ebony’s forehead fell away. When she saw wet wipes lying beside the condiments, she tore open a package and wiped down her hands. Maybe this place isn’t a dive after all.

The waitress departed, returned a few seconds later with their beverages and then left to check on a trio of black women now seated in her section.

A bowl of peanuts sat on the middle of the table next to a vase of fake flowers. Ebony scooped up a handful and put some into her mouth. When she finished what was in her hand, she took some more. “These are good. I could eat the whole bowl!”

“How can you be hungry after all that food we ate at the church? Where do you put it all?” he joked good-naturedly.

“I didn’t eat anything at church,” she confessed, double-checking to ensure her napkin was clean. Ebony covered her lap, and then dusted the salt off her hands. When she lifted her head and found Xavier watching her, she asked him what was wrong. “What’s with the frown?”

“Why didn’t you eat at church?”

“Old Man Griffin was still hungry after he finished his plate, so I gave him mine.”

Xavier raised a brow. It was the second time tonight Ebony had surprised him. First she had stayed behind to help him clean, and now this. He had watched her on and off during the night and whenever he glanced her way she looked like she wanted to bolt from her seat. Chester and Mariana were sloppy eaters, and he thought their poor table manners had robbed her of her appetite. But that hadn’t been it at all. Xavier was glad his assumptions were wrong. Thinking about dinner reminded him of something he wanted to say. He waited patiently for the waitress to serve Ebony her meal, and then for her to start eating, before he spoke. “I wanted to talk to you about Lydia’s—”

“Who?”

“The young girl who stormed out of the church.”

“I didn’t even know her name.” Ebony knew what was coming next. Xavier was going to reprimand her for chasing the girl off. “I don’t even know what I did wrong. One minute I’m listening to Old Man Griffin talk about his accident at work and the next thing I know she’s yelling at me!”

Xavier reached out and touched her hand.

His warmth spread up her hand and to her heart. It was a dizzying sensation. Ebony stared down at his hands. His fingers were long and thin, his nails neatly trimmed. But it was the size of his hands that made the blood in her body rush to her most intimate parts. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from blurting out what she was thinking.

“I don’t know what she said to you, but don’t take it personal. Her mother has a heavy drug habit and she’s been arrested for prostitution too many times to count. She kicked Lydia out of the apartment shortly after her seventeenth birthday and she’s been hustling ever since. I’ve been trying to get her into a shelter, but she refuses to go.”

When Xavier had been young and idealistic, he had thought he could change the world. He was going to make a difference. Touch lives. Bring change. Under his care, druggies would kick their addictions, dealers would see the errors of their ways and prostitutes would turn away from their corners and head to the church. But he soon realized there was little he could do if the person didn’t want to change. And the majority of the homeless people who came through the church doors night after night didn’t really want his help. These days Xavier concentrated on providing a place where they could have a hot meal. “Lydia’s tough-girl-I-don’t-need-anybody persona is a defense mechanism. It’s her way of coping with all the crap that’s going on around her. You represent everything she’s not but would love to be. That’s why she lashed out at you. Don’t take what she said to heart. They were the words of an angry girl who feels like she’s fighting against the world.”

In the ensuing silence, Ebony gave more thought to what Xavier said. His words were comforting and made a lot of sense, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. Maybe she had done something to provoke Lydia. Or maybe he was right. Maybe Lydia was a troubled teen trying to find her way. Xavier had given her something to think about.

Ebony sipped her drink. “You’re very insightful, Mr. Reed.”

He winked at her. “I get that all the time.”