The Trouble With Luv'

“Not bad. But you’re wrong.” He chuckled heartily at the exaggerated look of shock on her face. Xavier finished his milkshake. “I’m the guidance counselor and home economics teacher at Christian Academy High. But—” he paused for effect “—when I was a little I used to play cops and robbers.”

Xavier’s heart warmed at the sound of Ebony’s rich, throaty laugh. It was playful, sexy and flirtatious all in one. And he wanted to hear more of it.

For the next forty-five minutes, conversation flowed smoothly between the pair. Flirtatious smiles, shrieks of laughter and amusing tales punctuated the meal. Ebony was shocked at how much they had in common. They shared more than just a birth date. Sushi was their favorite food. Baseball their sport of choice. They both played the piano and were the biggest John Coltrane fans of all time. And they had each seen the movie Love Jones about fifty times.

The waitress bounced back over to the table. “How’s your meal, ma’am?”

“Terrific.”

When the waitress took the plates and asked if they needed anything else, Xavier draped his arms over the back of the booth. “Could you bring us a couple of dessert menus? I think my date is in the mood for something sweet.”

Am I ever, Ebony thought, cleaning her lips with a napkin.

“Had you always dreamed about owning your own business?” he asked, returning to the topic they had been discussing before they were interrupted. “Is this what you imagined yourself doing when you were a kid?”

“Nope. When I was seven years old, I wanted to be a firefighter.” The words were barely out of her mouth when she felt a sharp stab of pain in her stomach. Ebony’s eyes watered. Gripping the side of the table, she took a long, deep breath. It didn’t help. She felt like the room was spinning.

Xavier examined her face. “Are you okay? You don’t look too good.”

“Be right back,” was all Ebony could say. Cupping her mouth with one hand, and cradling her stomach with the other, she hurried toward the washrooms.

Once inside the ladies’ room, Ebony threw herself over the sink and emptied her stomach. She thought the worst was behind her, but when she tried to stand up, she felt her stomach twist into tight knots. Holding her side, she slumped against the wall and dropped to her knees. Closing her eyes, she prayed that the pain would end.

“Oh my God!” she heard someone yell. She felt a hand on her shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

Ebony’s eyes flittered open at the sound of the soft and caring voice. The scent of onions permeated the tiny jail-cell-size bathroom. She felt the heat of the woman’s breath on her face, but she didn’t have the strength to move away. “I’m sick,” she said.

“Do you want me to call your husband?” The woman read the question in her eyes. “My sisters and I are sitting in the booth behind you guys. Now, let’s get you cleaned up before I go and get him. If he comes in here and sees you slobbering all over yourself, he’ll probably pass out.”

Xavier! Ebony didn’t want him to see her like this, but she couldn’t spend the rest of the night on the bathroom floor of Dakota’s Bar and Grill, either. She took the toilet paper the brown-skinned woman offered her, cleaned her mouth and dragged herself up off the floor. When Ebony saw her reflection in the mirror, her eyes spread wide in shock. Mascara coursed down her cheeks, the front of her dress was stained and to top it all off, she smelled like spoiled fish.

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