Page 72 of Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming
SUCHI & KOFI
1
SUCHI
Suchi stares at Kofi as he glides along the rink in his skates. His long, wavy hair blows, his tattooed arms strong and muscular. His lips look like they need to be kissed. Suchi uses all of her strength to not go out on the rink and make out with that man. He’s giving sensitive rebel vibes, like her celebrity crush, Lenny Kravitz. She could tell that’s the type of time Kofi was on when they all were in the back of the party hall waiting to surprise Thad, Kofi’s cousin and the birthday boy. Suchi overheard him talking to Thad’s sister, Latrice, about her new baby. This strong, sexy man who looked like the personification of the phraseFuck around and find outwas positively cooing at pictures of his new baby cousin. It made Suchi’s heart melt.
Her eyes light up.
This is it!This is the man Ukweli was talking about.It has to be.Between Lyric and Aimee finding their men, and now I’m in the presence of this Adonis.This has to be it!
Another thought occurs to Suchi.
That’s why I spent Christmas with the Richardsons.
A couple of days before last Christmas, Suchi scheduled a Zoom call with her new employer, Mr. Johnson. She hadbeen working with his five-year-old twins to help them deal with the sudden abandonment of their mother. She dipped in April, and it was their first Christmas without her. Admittedly, his daughter, Leticia, was doing much better than her brother, Jelani, but she was still dealing with a lot of anger.
“I’m reallyworried about Jelani, Suchi. He wants his mother to come back for Christmas, but I haven’t been able to get a hold of her. I don’t know what to do.”
“First, take a deep breath.” Mr. Johnson does as he’s told. “Good. Next, remember that you have a family to support you. Take Jelani and Lettie to your sister’s house and tell your family what’s going on. Let them help you get Jelani over this hump.”
“Thank you. I know this sounds selfish, but I really wish you could join us.”
There was something about the look of sadness on Mr. Johnson’s face that reminded Suchi of her own father. He became a single dad when he was only nineteen. It wasn’t easy, but he did have help in the form of her grandmother, aunt, and uncle. Mr. Johnson has help too, but a little more couldn’t hurt.
“Well, as it so happens, my plans fell through last minute, so if that’s an invitation for a free meal, I’ll take it,” Suchi said.
That was complete bullshit. Suchi was planning on spending Christmas with Lyric and her family. Aimee and Bridget were going out of state, and Suchi avoids air travel near the holidays. The girls had to practically beg her to celebrate the new year in New Orleans. While it may not have been as chaotic as Christmas, it was still a big headache. There was no way she was going through that twice within two weeks—and Suchi’s own family came down with a nasty case of the flu. Her dad made herpromise to stay away. So, she was going with Lyric to her Uncle Doc’s orchard in Oak Glen, only a two-hour drive from LA. This was, until she spoke with Mr. Johnson. Her friends thought it was weird that she was choosing to spend time with her boss and his family, but Suchi’s gut and her conscience told her to do it. Mr. Johnson was a man who needed as much help as possible. And all things considered, it ended up being a lovely evening.
Suchi had thought she was just doing something nice for a single father and his sweet kids, but now she realizes going to the Richardsons for Christmas was an omen. If she hadn’t gone, she wouldn’t have met Mr. Johnson’s sister, Drea, who wouldn’t have invited Suchi to her husband’s birthday party, and she wouldn’t be looking at his handsome, enchanting and mouthwatering cousin, Kofi. The man Ukweli meant for her. Suchi can feel it with every fiber of her being. And judging by the way Kofi is looking at her, she thinks he feels something too.
Kofi skates over to Drea and Thad after Thad calls him over. They talk for a bit before Kofi makes his way over to Suchi.
Oh, dear God! It’s happening.Does my breath smell good?Is enough of my cleavage showing?Aimee always says I need to wear more clothes that make my tits pop.Why didn’t I wear something that makes my tits pop?
Suchi’s wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a cream colored off-the-shoulder, fitted blouse and beige chunky heels.
He smiles at her. “Hello, I’m Kofi. I hear you’re Suchi.”
Suchi’s face flushes. “I am.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He gazes into her eyes.
“Can I ask you something?” Suchi asks.
“Sure.”
“What made you come over here?”
“Honestly, I could say it’s because you’re a beautiful woman, which you are, but it’s more than that. You give off a bright energy, and I wanted to be near it.”
“Like I might be the woman of your dreams?” Suchi bats her eyelashes, making Kofi chuckle.
“Maybe. Would that be crazy?” Kofi asks.
“Nope, not to me. Stranger things have happened.”
“That is true.”
