Page 46 of Dream Cum True
He chuckled. “It seems you’ve been a bit preoccupied.”
I nodded. “I definitely have, but the truth is, 90 percent of my reason for taking the job and moving to Chicago was to pursue Karla. I haven’t been vigilant in my search for a permanent residence because I don’t want to buy a home unless you and the girls are moving in with me.”
“Oh. I guess we’d better start house hunting when we get back, huh?”
Relief washed over me because I wasn’t sure how Karla would feel about us moving in together. Admittedly, we were moving fast and doing shit all kinds of ass backwards, but none of that took away from my love for her, and I loved her daughters simply because they were an extension of her.
“And the wedding?” Ma pressed.
“Give me some time to propose first, Ma, but you’ll be the first to know.”
We continued to enjoy the hearty breakfast my mother made while my parents and Karla got to know each other. Before we left for court, my parents had a trip to Chicago planned and would confirm the dates once they knew Emmet and Aliana’s availability.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked, just as she had after I met her parents.
“Your parents are lovely, and I can tell you’re a mama’s boy.”
“And I can admit to that. You’re the first woman I’ve ever loved as much as I love my mama . . . maybe even a little bit more.
“What happens now, since she didn’t show up for court?” Karla asked.
“They’ll put out a bench warrant for her arrest, she’ll lose the bail money she posted, and they’ll probably add a few more charges. If they find her or she turns herself in, she’ll likely be held in custody until the next court date.”
“I still find it hard to believe one woman is capable of all that.”
“Oh, she had help, but she’s the ringleader.”
“At least this trip hasn’t been a complete waste of time. I enjoyed meeting your parents, and I’ll meet your brother, sister-in-law, and nieces on Sunday.”
“Nah, it hasn’t been a waste. I called the hotel when you went to the bathroom, and they said we can check in early.”
“That’s great, because I’m exhausted.”
The hotel was a twenty-minute ride from the courthouse. Karla was indeed tired, because she was asleep within the firstfive minutes of our ride. Although it was still early in the afternoon, it had been a long day, and I could use a nap too.
As soon as we entered our room, Karla stripped down to her panties and bra before crawling into bed, and I wasn’t too far behind her. When I opened my eyes again, the sliver of light on the sides of the blinds told me it was still light out.
“I’m hungry,” I heard on my right.
“How long have you been up?”
“About an hour. Can we go eat?”
“You want to order room service?”
“Maybe for breakfast. I found this restaurant on Flikstagram. They serve soul food and have R&B Karaoke on Thursday nights. The menu sounds amazing, and the pictures of the food look delicious. Let’s go have some fun.”
I knew the restaurant Karla was talking about. It had been open for almost two years and had become a popular spot fairly quickly.
“Let’s do it. I owe you several date nights, and I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
The few date nights we’d planned, Cairo ruined, and the others had been at home. It wasn’t entirely my fault because Karla was very much a homebody and preferred game or movie night at home over going out, but I still needed to do better.
An hour later, we were seated at the restaurant and had placed our order. We probably ordered enough for a small army, and while we waited for our food, we were entertained by the brave souls who took the stage. Some of them could sing, others, not so much.
“Are you gonna go up there when we finish eating?” she asked.
“Hell nah.”
