Page 6

GERMAYNE

“ A fter all that excitement, I’m glad I don’t have to work today. I think I’m gonna hide in my house watching mindless TV. That was the most adventure I’ve had in a very long time.”

“I hear you, and thankfully, I don’t go in until this evening, so hopefully, I’ll be able to sleep it all off,” I say.

While the robber at the store was an unplanned nuisance, I’m not mad because I was victorious in shattering Chaniya’s wall of reservation about me.

After an hour of recounting the events with RPD, Chaniya and I were cleared to go home.

Now, here we are forty-five minutes later, conversing on the phone.

The goofy smile on my lips is only one of the indicators of how I’m feeling about my current situation.

“Tell me something that’ll get my mind off what we encountered.”

“I got you. So, you know what I do for a living, and I love it, but I can live without patients whose bowels release during labor,” I say, shaking my head.

“Stop, that doesn’t happen.” Chaniya laughs, and the sound has warmth dancing across my chest.

“Believe me, it does, and more than people in the field will admit from being the recipient of someone’s feces.”

“Tell me you’re joking, Germayne.”

“I’m not. I had a level of secondhand embarrassment I’d never experienced before.

Most people release their bowels during labor, but this woman shit on my hand while I was stitching her up.

I washed my hands ten times, even after washing them three while in the delivery room.

The nurses and my supervisor teased me for a month about it.

What’s worse is the woman’s grandmother had a blowout in her Depends but had no sense of smell to make her aware of the occurrence. ”

“Oh my God.” Chaniya laughs heartily.

It’s fast approaching four in the morning, and Chaniya and I are talking like time is of no consequence to either of us. What’s more interesting is I’m not sleepy or fatigued and perfectly fine with talking to Chaniya for as long as she wants to.

“Yeah, I had to call on Him to keep from flipping out while looking at the handful of shit covering my gloves.”

My heart skips a beat when Chaniya’s laughter increases, and she snorts before my low laughter escapes my mouth. Finding out that she works at Baxter Paws Animal Hospital as a veterinarian assistant was intriguing.

“That is too funny. That reminds me of when I had to assist with a cat’s delivery. Everything would have been cool if the temperamental hussy wouldn’t have used my arm as a finger file for her nails.”

“I feel you. Do you think you’ll ever go to school to become a veterinarian?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I love animals, which is why I sought out the job at the hospital. I’m just unsure if my love is enough to keep me in the field for endless years. What about you? You look good, birthing babies. Do you see yourself completing the process?”

“Maybe. I didn’t realize how much I would love what I do. The only downside to the job is having to coach a mother through a stillbirth.”

My chest pinches at the past instance of delivering twin boys who died after their mother was pushed down two flights of steps by her boyfriend. It took Dr. Carpenter and me hours to encourage the woman to keep pushing. When those babies came out silently, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

“Not that it’s the same because it isn’t on the same scale, but I can understand your difficulty with it because I have often had to comfort my boss after that occurrence with animals. It’s also one of the occurrences within the field that make me not want to further my education.”

“Understandable, because it’s hard for everyone in the room. Let’s change the subject, though. I don’t want to put a damper on our moods.”

“I’m good with that. Tell me your perfect Saturday activity if work wasn’t blocking the day.”

A low chuckle escapes my mouth because I can imagine how Chaniya will react to what I’m about to provide for an answer. Nevertheless, I push forward, ready to hear her rebuttal.

“Fishing.”

“Ewe. Seriously? Do you like that? I thought that was something only the melanin lacking folks do for fun.”

“I’m not sure if I like the judgment in your tone, Chaniya. Have you ever been fishing before?”

Silence pierces the line, providing my answer without Chaniya’s confirmation, making me interject before she has a chance to speak.

“Mhm. That’s what I thought. How about I take you on your first fishing adventure? Then you can form an opinion based on experience and not bias.”

“I don’t know about that. How much fun can a fishing outing be?”

“Actually, I don’t enjoy it for the entertainment factor that some fishermen receive. I?—”

“Really? Why do you go then?”

Another chuckle escapes my mouth, surprising me because it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a light banter between me and a woman. Chaniya is providing me with more than her outer appearance to be attracted to, and that’s the bonus I anticipated experiencing upon our initial engagement.

“Honestly, it’s about the peace I get when I’m sitting on the river bank.

Me and my grandfather used to go when I was a kid.

Yet, I only realized after going once he died how much I love it.

I can sit out there for hours and only catch five fish, but it never bothers me.

I can also get caught up in watching the fishing ripples moving, bringing me necessary calm. ”

As a kid, I didn’t understand why Grandpa Melvin insisted on teaching me how to fish. The beauty in the hobby happened the first time I went after his passing when I didn’t catch a single fish. Hell, had it not been for the fish stealing my minnows, I would have thought the lake was empty.

“Hm. Maybe I’ll let you take me so I can see what you’re talking about.” Chaniya cuts into my wayward thoughts, returning me to the conversation.

“You came for my favorite pastime, so you can bank on me dragging you out to the water. In fact, it’ll be how we spend our first date.”

“First date seems a little presumptuous, don’t you think?”

Taking a minute to note the time, I smirk because Chaniya doesn’t realize that the groundwork for our first date is presently being laid.

“The minute you asked for my number was the confirmation I needed to know that you’ve become comfortable with me. A date is definitely forthcoming, Chaniya.”

“Why are your eyes so droopy, and why are you moving so lethargic, Son? It’s not hot outside, which is why I asked you to come over to cut the grass.

I would have let your father do it if I knew you were looking haggard.

I already had to promise to make him a strawberry shortcake to let you do it instead of him.

” Ma frowns, staring me up and down with her hand resting on her waist.

After laying up on the phone with Chaniya until after five this morning, the last thing I felt like doing was cutting grass.

However, giving Dad a break and spending a little time with them motivated me to get out of bed this afternoon.

Caking on the phone is something I haven’t done since high school, but I don’t regret a single moment.

Hearing Chaniya’s laughter, snorting, and seductive yet low voice will always make me forfeit sleep for the opportunity.

“I know you hear your mother talking to you, son.” Dad’s deadpan voice has me blinking and scrolling through my mental rolodex for Mom’s words.

“Not enough sleep, but I’m good. Giving Dad the chance to relax will never be a burden. Although, a piece of your strawberry shortcake sounds great.”

One thing about Glynn Malone that I admire is his work ethic, which he made sure to instill within me.

Dad is also the one man I trust without reservation because he has always been intentional with his teachings.

Having a father who doesn’t simply preach things to their son without understanding has been one of the most significant rewards of having Glynn Malone for a father.

“We’ll see.” Ma smiles before leaving the kitchen.

Thanks to Mom’s mom, she knows how to cook and bake, which meant Essence and I always had homecooked meals growing up.

It’s also why I know how to do more than boil water and am able to feed myself whatever my stomach craves on any given day.

Adele Malone didn’t play that lazy man thing, so Essence and I received the same teachings and instructions on what it takes to run a household.

In fact, I can get stains out better than Essence because, unlike my baby sister, paying attention wasn’t lost on me.

“What’s the real reason? You’re looking like you been down in the gutter?” Dad asks after looking over his shoulder to ensure Ma is gone.

“Love jonesing or at least trying to.” A smirk slides into place because I can never get anything past Dad.

Dad gives me a blank stare, and a shout of laughter leaves my mouth when a frown forms.

“It wasn’t Sherita, man,” I inform him after getting myself together a minute later.

“I was about to say. If you ain’t learned anything else from that skeezer, it should be to become Usain Bolt whenever you’re in her presence. I’m not sure what trap school her lineage comes from, but you don’t need any parts of the education.”

A lopsided smirk slides into place from hearing the negative and old-school derogatory name Dad calls Sherita.

Dad has always communicated his displeasure with her since the first day I brought Sherita to meet my parents.

Dad said Sherita moved like a snake, even from the beginning, and he didn’t trust her.

“Trust me, we’re on the same page. Sherita Albert was the worst mistake of my dating life, and I’ve been dating many women over the years. I can’t wife or date a woman who can’t be bothered to adequately clean her menstruation undergarments.”

“Ewe.” Dad’s face contorts, and his nose twists, inciting my laughter again.

*bzz*

The single vibration coming from my pocket has me sliding my phone out to see who’s trying to contact me. The proud grin upturning my lips can’t be avoided when I see Chaniya’s name on my lock screen.

“Ah. It must be the object of the heavy bags resting under your eyes. I’ll give you some privacy, but I’ll be waiting to hear more about whoever she is soon,” Dad says before exiting the kitchen.

My fingers trip over themselves, trying to unlock my phone to read the message from Chaniya, and my heart rate increases with every second that passes.

Chaniya: I’m just waking up, but I wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed talking to you.

I’ve never been through anything like that before, so I was afraid to go to sleep which was the cause of asking for your number.

Ten minutes into our conversation calmed me enough to sleep, but your soothing tone prevented me from releasing you so we could get some sleep.

I hope it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience for you.

With the work you do, I can imagine how crucial sufficient rest is for you.

Forget getting this woman to accompany me to the wedding. I need to make her an expectant bride.

My body temperature, heart rate, and pulse elevate while reading Chaniya’s text, and my nerves begin firing all at once from the thought of locking her down.

Closing my eyes, I try to fight the fluttery feeling in my stomach that has never happened before.

Opening my eyes, I push the air gathering in my lungs and type a response that contradicts what I want to say: Marry me, Chaniya.

Me: There will never be a time when you’ll inconvenience me. Thank you for allowing me to spend hours with you. Calming you ultimately calmed me.