morning.
Jake brought his hand over and placed it on top of Keisha’s. “I’m so proud of you, babe.”
Keisha grinned. “I am pretty awesome, huh?”
“And humble,” Jake cracked, closing his menu.
The waiter saddled up to their table and took their orders. Keisha ordered the manicotti and was glad when the waiter hustled away. She wanted as much time with him as possible. Jake had flown down from DC for the weekend, coming all the back to Mauryville when Keisha called him in tears with the news. She’d been so excited about the scholarship and what it meant for her future. She could finish her degree in a year instead of the two plus that night school afforded her. She could spend more time with Caleb.
"You're really doing it." Jake said, beaming with pride.
He was so adorable. “I am.”
“It’s just so amazing.”
"You sound like you had doubt,” Keisha winked. To be honest, Keisha had. Single, black, female mothers were a dime a dozen, and she’d worried that her essay wouldn’t be gripping or unique enough. But they’d loved it, calling her story ‘moving’ and ‘inspiring’.
"Nah," he said with a grin. "Ever since I met you I knew you were different. Driven. Unique." He smoothed the front of his V-neck sweater, suddenly seeming fidgety. Nervous.
A flash of fear went through Keisha. Was he ending things? Was he having doubts?
"I have something I want to talk to you about, Keisha."
All color drained from her face. "Oh no." Maybe they moved too fast. He had a re-election campaign to run after all on top of everything else. The attack ads had been especially vicious lately. "Jake, I-"
His aqua eyes went wide as he took her in. He picked up on the fact that she was starting to freak. "Jesus, it's not anything bad." He slid a little closer and looped an arm around her shoulder, pecking her on the forehead. "It's something good. Something good for us."
Keisha bit her lip, embarrassed that he'd almost seen her go into cardiac arrest over the very thought of them breaking up. If he didn't know she had it bad before, it was loud and clear now. "W-What's up?"
He downed the rest of his wine before he continued. "You know I spend a lot of time in DC."
"Mmhm."
"And I have an apartment in Raleigh. Not that I've frequented it or anything lately." She knew that better than anyone. She'd practically taken up residence at Winterhorn, even having a crib delivered so Caleb could spend time with them when they weren't, uh, otherwise engaged.
She gave him a nod to continue.
"But I've been considering buying a house in Mauryville." He swallowed. “Well a little more than considering. I’ve, uh, closed on a house.”
Keisha clasped her hands together. "That's great! We could get out of the hotel so I don't have to deal with Monique giving me the stink eye."
Monique should count her many blessings and name them one by one: 1) that she was still in the good graces of Carmen, the icy cool manager at Winterhorn , even though she quit without giving notice, 2) that the check Jake's squirrely former advisor paid her didn't bounce, although in the end it didn't matter since she blew it in Vegas, and 3) that she still had all her teeth for stooping so low and trying to end Keisha and Jake’s relationship with her charade.
Carmen was wise enough not to put the two of them on the same team, but it didn't stop them from crossing paths. Every time she saw Monique's face, she had to fight the urge to lay her out. But she wanted to set a good example for Caleb...and an all-out brawl at Winterhorn would only arm Jake's opponents.
"Yeah...if I don't have to look at that woman's face ever again, it'll be too soon," Jake piped, shaking his head. He traced the stem of the glass. Clearly there was something else. "The house I’m talking about is only a few blocks from Mauryville State. A few blocks in the good neighborhood direction," he added.
Keisha dropped her fork. Holy crap. Was he asking what she thought he was
Jake brought his hand over and placed it on top of Keisha’s. “I’m so proud of you, babe.”
Keisha grinned. “I am pretty awesome, huh?”
“And humble,” Jake cracked, closing his menu.
The waiter saddled up to their table and took their orders. Keisha ordered the manicotti and was glad when the waiter hustled away. She wanted as much time with him as possible. Jake had flown down from DC for the weekend, coming all the back to Mauryville when Keisha called him in tears with the news. She’d been so excited about the scholarship and what it meant for her future. She could finish her degree in a year instead of the two plus that night school afforded her. She could spend more time with Caleb.
"You're really doing it." Jake said, beaming with pride.
He was so adorable. “I am.”
“It’s just so amazing.”
"You sound like you had doubt,” Keisha winked. To be honest, Keisha had. Single, black, female mothers were a dime a dozen, and she’d worried that her essay wouldn’t be gripping or unique enough. But they’d loved it, calling her story ‘moving’ and ‘inspiring’.
"Nah," he said with a grin. "Ever since I met you I knew you were different. Driven. Unique." He smoothed the front of his V-neck sweater, suddenly seeming fidgety. Nervous.
A flash of fear went through Keisha. Was he ending things? Was he having doubts?
"I have something I want to talk to you about, Keisha."
All color drained from her face. "Oh no." Maybe they moved too fast. He had a re-election campaign to run after all on top of everything else. The attack ads had been especially vicious lately. "Jake, I-"
His aqua eyes went wide as he took her in. He picked up on the fact that she was starting to freak. "Jesus, it's not anything bad." He slid a little closer and looped an arm around her shoulder, pecking her on the forehead. "It's something good. Something good for us."
Keisha bit her lip, embarrassed that he'd almost seen her go into cardiac arrest over the very thought of them breaking up. If he didn't know she had it bad before, it was loud and clear now. "W-What's up?"
He downed the rest of his wine before he continued. "You know I spend a lot of time in DC."
"Mmhm."
"And I have an apartment in Raleigh. Not that I've frequented it or anything lately." She knew that better than anyone. She'd practically taken up residence at Winterhorn, even having a crib delivered so Caleb could spend time with them when they weren't, uh, otherwise engaged.
She gave him a nod to continue.
"But I've been considering buying a house in Mauryville." He swallowed. “Well a little more than considering. I’ve, uh, closed on a house.”
Keisha clasped her hands together. "That's great! We could get out of the hotel so I don't have to deal with Monique giving me the stink eye."
Monique should count her many blessings and name them one by one: 1) that she was still in the good graces of Carmen, the icy cool manager at Winterhorn , even though she quit without giving notice, 2) that the check Jake's squirrely former advisor paid her didn't bounce, although in the end it didn't matter since she blew it in Vegas, and 3) that she still had all her teeth for stooping so low and trying to end Keisha and Jake’s relationship with her charade.
Carmen was wise enough not to put the two of them on the same team, but it didn't stop them from crossing paths. Every time she saw Monique's face, she had to fight the urge to lay her out. But she wanted to set a good example for Caleb...and an all-out brawl at Winterhorn would only arm Jake's opponents.
"Yeah...if I don't have to look at that woman's face ever again, it'll be too soon," Jake piped, shaking his head. He traced the stem of the glass. Clearly there was something else. "The house I’m talking about is only a few blocks from Mauryville State. A few blocks in the good neighborhood direction," he added.
Keisha dropped her fork. Holy crap. Was he asking what she thought he was
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