BWWM Romance: Crossing The Line: Interracial Romance / Wealthy Love Interest by Aisha M. Taylor Page B
Authors: Aisha M. Taylor
Ads: Link
said. He and Derick reached for Shawna's chair at the same time and locked gazes. "Sorry," Virgil said. "I was just going to pull the seat out for the lady."
"Allow me," Derick replied.
Shawna quickly tapped a different chair and Virgil pulled it from under the table without further argument. The tension passed as menus rose to cover faces. Shawna gave Virgil an apologetic look and he shrugged, happy to be seated in between her and Derick. Although he had agreed to play nice, to give up his territorial nature was asking too much. Virgil didn't know who this man was, but the way Derick looked at Shawna told Virgil all he needed to know.
"How have you been, Shawna?" Derick asked from over his menu. Shawna looked up at her father, who was busy studying the menu with her mother and ignoring the conversation. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her father liked to have the first and last word. For him to give a simple hello and allow Derick to drive the conversation piqued her interest. Over the phone, her father had rambled off something about substituting for their sister church, but quickly jumped off the phone when Shawna asked for more details. He hadn't even asked if she had been attending the sister church or planned on coming to his sermons while he was on her side of town.
"I've been well, Derick. And yourself?"
"Good. I started my apprenticeship and will hopefully start at St. Mary's School of Theology in the fall."
"That's nice," Shawna said.
"That's nice?" Her father repeated. "He's taking the path to becoming a true man of God and all you have to say is that's nice?"
Oh , Virgil thought. Wow.
"It's not a surprise or anything, Daddy," Shawna said. "I'm happy for him."
"What do you do, Virgil?" her father asked. His eyes shifted down to the spiked bracelet and back up to Virgil’s face.
"I'm a musician and a tow truck driver."
"Do you believe in God?"
"Daddy, that's not proper dinner conversation."
"Why not? Are you telling me that God doesn't have a place at this table?"
Nichelle shook her head and kept studying the menu. "Keep your voice down, before they put us out, Cordell," she said. "You just met the boy."
"I need to know if he's tempting my daughter away from the light," Pastor Mills said.
Virgil sat up in his seat and quoted from the Book of Luke about temptation and Pastor Mills raised his eyebrows. Shawna slowly turned to face Virgil, who squeezed her thigh to tell her not to give him away. He engaged Pastor Mills in a hearty biblical discussion while cutting off Derick's attempts to butt in. Nichelle still shook her head and rolled her eyes. She forced them to shut up and get their orders together because she was hungry.
Derick focused on Shawna again, asking her about her classes and whether or not she planned on bringing her degree back home.
"I haven't decided yet," Shawna said. "I kind of like it out here. I'm only a few miles away."
"One hundred fifty miles is not a few, babygirl," her father said.
"It's not a plane ride."
Pastor Mills loosened up. Assuming he was in the presence of two men of God who had his daughter's best interests at heart made him relax and open up. He became more fatherly and less sentinel-like. Virgil recognized Shawna's features in her parents' faces. She had her father's smile and her mother's quick, soulful, brown eyes. She favored her mother more and Virgil got a glimpse into a beautiful, gracefully aging future.
Shawna pinched Virgil when he started to chuckle at Derick's overly enthusiastic before-meal prayer. The conversation floated away from Shawna and her plans for the future to other secular things, such as sports, and Shawna and her mother gossiped about the women of the church. As the night went on, the more relaxed the table became, except for Derick. He refused to take his eyes off of Shawna, starving for her attention.
Derick was the first and only boyfriend her father had ever approved of. She met him in elementary school. They were in
"Allow me," Derick replied.
Shawna quickly tapped a different chair and Virgil pulled it from under the table without further argument. The tension passed as menus rose to cover faces. Shawna gave Virgil an apologetic look and he shrugged, happy to be seated in between her and Derick. Although he had agreed to play nice, to give up his territorial nature was asking too much. Virgil didn't know who this man was, but the way Derick looked at Shawna told Virgil all he needed to know.
"How have you been, Shawna?" Derick asked from over his menu. Shawna looked up at her father, who was busy studying the menu with her mother and ignoring the conversation. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her father liked to have the first and last word. For him to give a simple hello and allow Derick to drive the conversation piqued her interest. Over the phone, her father had rambled off something about substituting for their sister church, but quickly jumped off the phone when Shawna asked for more details. He hadn't even asked if she had been attending the sister church or planned on coming to his sermons while he was on her side of town.
"I've been well, Derick. And yourself?"
"Good. I started my apprenticeship and will hopefully start at St. Mary's School of Theology in the fall."
"That's nice," Shawna said.
"That's nice?" Her father repeated. "He's taking the path to becoming a true man of God and all you have to say is that's nice?"
Oh , Virgil thought. Wow.
"It's not a surprise or anything, Daddy," Shawna said. "I'm happy for him."
"What do you do, Virgil?" her father asked. His eyes shifted down to the spiked bracelet and back up to Virgil’s face.
"I'm a musician and a tow truck driver."
"Do you believe in God?"
"Daddy, that's not proper dinner conversation."
"Why not? Are you telling me that God doesn't have a place at this table?"
Nichelle shook her head and kept studying the menu. "Keep your voice down, before they put us out, Cordell," she said. "You just met the boy."
"I need to know if he's tempting my daughter away from the light," Pastor Mills said.
Virgil sat up in his seat and quoted from the Book of Luke about temptation and Pastor Mills raised his eyebrows. Shawna slowly turned to face Virgil, who squeezed her thigh to tell her not to give him away. He engaged Pastor Mills in a hearty biblical discussion while cutting off Derick's attempts to butt in. Nichelle still shook her head and rolled her eyes. She forced them to shut up and get their orders together because she was hungry.
Derick focused on Shawna again, asking her about her classes and whether or not she planned on bringing her degree back home.
"I haven't decided yet," Shawna said. "I kind of like it out here. I'm only a few miles away."
"One hundred fifty miles is not a few, babygirl," her father said.
"It's not a plane ride."
Pastor Mills loosened up. Assuming he was in the presence of two men of God who had his daughter's best interests at heart made him relax and open up. He became more fatherly and less sentinel-like. Virgil recognized Shawna's features in her parents' faces. She had her father's smile and her mother's quick, soulful, brown eyes. She favored her mother more and Virgil got a glimpse into a beautiful, gracefully aging future.
Shawna pinched Virgil when he started to chuckle at Derick's overly enthusiastic before-meal prayer. The conversation floated away from Shawna and her plans for the future to other secular things, such as sports, and Shawna and her mother gossiped about the women of the church. As the night went on, the more relaxed the table became, except for Derick. He refused to take his eyes off of Shawna, starving for her attention.
Derick was the first and only boyfriend her father had ever approved of. She met him in elementary school. They were in
Similar Books
