Page 63 of When Love Becomes A Need
“Oh, what do you do?” I groaned.
“I own a tattoo shop.”
My mom’s eyes widened. “An entrepreneur. I like that. Fatima, he seems like a keeper.”
Ahmad chuckled. “That’s what I been trying to tell her.”
My mouth dropped. “Well, don’t let her push you away. Fatima is closed off, but she’s a great girl. Just needs the right guy to break that wall.”
“Okay, mom.”
She smiled at me. “I guess that’s my cue. It was nice talking to you, Ahmad. Make sure my daughter brings you over one day soon.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Ms. Katherine, and I’ll do that.”
I shook my head while my mom stood up and walked back to where Johnny was sitting.
“Call me when you leave the shop.”
He bit down on his bottom lip. “I will.”
“Bye.”
Hanging the phone up, I mentally prepared myself for my mom.
“Fatima, you’ve really been holding out. Why haven’t you brought him by?”
“Because, I don’t know… I don’t want to rush things.”
“Judging from how your whole face lit up when he got on the phone, I can tell you you’re past that.”
Just the thought of Ahmad had me smiling again, showing there was truth to her words.
“I just wanted to make sure things weren’t just casual, I guess.”
“I want to meet him in person. If he has you blushing and smiling like you just were, then there is nothing casual about it.”
My mom was right; nothing about Ahmad and me was casual. I was falling for him, and that scared the shit out of me. I didn’t know if it was too soon or if it was real since I’d never been through this before. My heart always leaped when I heard Ahmad’s voice or saw his face. Butterflies would still fill my stomach and my body would get all warm whenever he touched me.
I looked back at my mom and Johnny. I was finally starting to understand the feelings the two of them held for one another.
____
“If you’re not feeling this at any point, let me know and we can leave,” Ahmad told me, holding my hand as we walked up to my dad’s door.
I looked at the house and nodded.
Since I hadn’t seen my dad since my graduation, I wasn’t sure how tonight would play out. He was happy when I told him I would come to dinner. He was even happier when I told him I was bringing someone with me. I was trying to walk into this with a clear head, but the closer we got to the door, the more anxious I grew. It was crazy because this was my dad, the man I used to love more than anyone growing up, and now the thought of him made me wish he had never been in my life from the beginning.
We stopped in front of the door and I pressed the doorbell.
“Stop looking like you’re about to walk into a war zone,” Ahmad laughed.
“That’s what I feel like,” I mumbled.
“Aye.” He pulled on my hand, prompting me to face him. “You’re doing this for you, not him, remember that. You don’t owe him shit. Saywhat you need to say, try to get to know your brothers, then we can leave with you having a clear conscience.”
I smiled up at him. Just that quickly he made me feel better. Reaching up, I grabbed his face and pulled it down so I could kiss him. I moved my hand down, brushing over his beard and gripping it lightly.
