Page 47 of Continuum

My stomach was in knots inexplicably. I wasn’t going to let a man toy with me and then tell me how I was never going to measure up to a fictitious idea of his perfect woman. But I was curious.

I searched his eyes. “And what is it that you want?”

Holding my gaze, he took a slow, deep breath. His whole body rose and then fell before he spoke. “Support.”

“I can’t imagine someone not being supportive of you.” My voice was barely a whisper. There was something intimate about the way he was looking at me, talking to me. “You should be supported.”

The look he gave me sent butterflies rippling through my belly.

“Hey, are you done with this table?” a woman with three kids under four years old asked.

Ripping his eyes from me, Kwame checked his watch. “Yeah, we were just about to head out.” He stood, grabbing the trash with one hand and reaching for my hand to help me up with the other.

I couldn’t help but smile as I rose to my feet.

“Thank you! Thank you so much. Bless you,” she said as she hustled over. She told the older two to sit at the picnic table and the youngest one she had on her hip.

“It’s no problem,” I assured her with a wave. “Have a good rest of your day.”

“You, too. And here’s a tip, be careful,” she warned. “My husband used to look at me the way your boyfriend looks at you”—she gestured to her brood— “and here we are.”

Kwame and I laughed in response as we continued walking away. The more distance we put between us and the young mother of three, the heavier her gaffe became. I glanced down at our hands still intertwined and it didn’t feel as carefree as it did earlier.

Is he questioning our day together now? Does he think I want something serious now? Do I want something serious?I pursed my lips.Why did she have to say boyfriend?

As soon as we got in the car and the music came on, the same easygoing banter between us commenced. The doubts and worries that sprang up due to the woman assuming we were a couple melted away as he told me about an incident with Eli on their return trip to Atlanta.

“How is he still employed?” I laughed, shaking my head.

“Nepotism,” he replied easily and without sarcasm. “He has great ideas and he’s good at schmoozing people, but he can also come on too strong and he doesn’t listen. He’s reckless.”

“It sounds like they need you to babysit him?”

“It feels like it sometimes,” he chuckled to himself.

I studied his profile. “I picked up on something last night when you were talking the HU contract. Do they always send the two of you together?”

His jaw tightened. “They do.”

“Why?” I probed gently. When it didn’t seem as though he was going to elaborate, I added, “I would imagine you being an alumni would’ve been more than enough reason for you to get the contract finalized and signed on your own.” I shook my head. “And I don’t mean that with any disrespect. Eli is capable, I’m sure. I’m just curious since it seems that these trips with him always come with…shenanigans.”

His body recoiled and he eyed me suspiciously. “Shenanigans?” he mocked playfully. “Did you really just say shenanigans?”

I narrowed my eyes and scowled at him. “Yes. Yes, I did.”

“On purpose. You really searched your big brain for a word and settled on shenanigans on purpose.”

Shaking my head, I tried not to laugh. “Can you stop?”

“I’m just trying to understand what the hell happened for you to say shenanigans.”

“Stop it! I was just—”

“You were just trying to make sure I remembered that as sexy as you are, you are still Spelman.”

“Lord!” My head tipped backward, and I laughed loudly.

“But here’s the thing, I always thought you were sexy, Spelman. You got a big brain, a big ass, a big personality, a big heart.” He frowned. “Just don’t say shenanigans again.”

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