Page 54 of Sweetest Temptation
“Your daddy's been in here acting like he's on Top Chef.” My mom teased, giving him a playful expression.
“Don’t hate, Clarissa,” he said, grinning as he layered turkey and cheese on the roll. “You wasn’t complaining a little while ago before our daughter got here.” He winked at her, and she shyly dropped her head.
“Okayyyy! TMI!” I groaned as I held my ears.
They both cracked up laughing, clearly enjoying my discomfort.
My dad shrugged, still smirking. “Hey… I’m just saying. Marriage ain’t gotta be boring.”
“Lord, help me,” I muttered, shaking my head as I reached for a water bottle from the fridge.
“Don’t let your daddy fool you. He only gets romantic when he wants something cooked or washed.”
“Woman, stop lying,” he said, sliding a sandwich onto a plate and setting it in front of me. “You know you love this charm.”
“Charm?” she repeated, arching an eyebrow. “That’s what we call it now?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Y’all need your own reality show.The Clarissa and Dale Chronicles.I’d tune in just for the chaos.”
Mama waved me off. “Mhm, and those marks on your neck tells me you gon’ be in the kitchen with some man getting on your nerves soon too.”
My hands shot to my neck. I forgot to cover the marks with makeup that Samir put on me last night. I was so embarrassed as my eyes met my mother’s, not daring to look at my dad.
My mama’s eyes lit up like she’d just struck gossip gold. “Mmm-hmm! Don’t try to hide it now. I know a love bite when I see one,” she said, leaning in with that mischievous grin that always made me nervous.
“Ma!” I groaned, tugging my hair down to cover my neck. “Can wenotdo this right now?”
Daddy looked up from his plate, confused. “What marks?”
“Nothing!” I said quickly, shooting my mama a warning look.
“Nothing, my behind. I bet that ‘nothing’ got tattoos, fine, and loves your cakes.”
“Ma, please!” I buried my face in my hands, wishing the floor would swallow me whole.
“Okay. That’s my cue to leave you women alone.” My day grabbed his plate and headed out of the kitchen, but not before whispering something in my mother's ear, making her nod and giggle like a schoolgirl.
“So, I assume the man who put those hickeys on your neck is the man you were all over social media with?”
“Mom, it’s not like that. I mean… Yes, Samir and I are… Well, I don’t know what we are, but I do like him.” I smiled.
“Oooh! Look at that smile! Yeah, it’s more going on than you are letting on. So why the hesitation, sweetheart?”
I sighed, tracing my finger along the counter, trying to find the right words. “Because it’s complicated, Ma. He’s not like anyone I’ve ever dealt with before. Well, I’ve only been with Jerome, but Samir is… intense. Too confident. The kind of man that doesn’t just walk into a room, he takes it over.”
Mama raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Sounds like good trouble wrapped up in fine packaging.”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m afraid of. He’s got this whole bad-boy-charm thing going on, but he’s also… thoughtful. A bit arrogant. But I like that about him. It’s just… He wants kids, Ma, and I can’t give him that. That’s one of the reasons I never dated after Jerome.”
My mother gave me a reassuring look only she could pull off. “Baby, that shouldn’t be a reason not to date. Your doctor never said youcouldn’thave kids. She just said it might take a little longer than usual, but it’s still possible. Don’t let that stop you from letting a good man love you.”
I looked down at my hands, letting her words sink in. “It’s not just that, Ma. I don’t want to get attached to someone and thendisappoint them later if things don’t work out. What if he wants kids right away? What if I can’t give him that?”
She reached over and tilted my chin up until our eyes met. “Then that ain’t the right man, baby. The right one will love you, and not just for what you can give him. And if he’s worth a damn, he’ll be patient enough to wait.” Her voice softened. “You've been through enough heartbreak already, Zanova. Don’t go talking yourself out of something good just because you’re scared of what might happen.”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. “You really think he could be something good?”
She smiled, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “I see the way your face lights up when you say his name. You don’t even realize it. That’s how I know.”
