Page 38 of A Table for Two
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Serenity walked into the Embassy Suites in downtown Sacramento late Saturday morning and searched the lobby for her sister. She and Chandra spotted each other at the same time. The two women let out screams of excitement and ran toward each other, gaining the attention of more than a few people, but Serenity didn’t care. She hadn’t seen her big sister in months and had missed her tremendously.
“Oh, I’m so glad to see you, Serenity.” Chandra and Serenity hugged, rocked, and cried, then hugged some more.
When they finally stepped apart, Serenity wiped her eyes. “Girl, I’ve missed you so much.” While both women had similar skin color and features, Chandra had inherited their mother’s trim five-feet-six-inch height, while Serenity’s curvy body barely reached five three. “How was the conference?”
“Not too bad. Some of these folks need to learn how to present, though, with those long, drawn-out boring lectures. I almost fell asleep in a couple of them.”
Serenity laughed. “I know what you mean. I’m not looking forward to mine.” She had to keep up with the continuing education requirements for nursing to maintain her license. “Do you want to grab something to eat in one of the hotel restaurants?”
“No. I know it’s blazing outside, but I wanted to check out Old Sacramento right across the street, and the brochure mentions lots of choices.” The city’s July temperatures were projected to hit the century mark later in the day.
“That’s fine. Good thing I decided to wear my tennis shoes.”
“You could’ve worn my extra pair if you hadn’t,” Chandra said as they headed for the exit. They crossed the wide street and meandered through the quaint area, stopping to check out restaurant menus and the various shops lining the cobblestone streets.
Serenity had come to Sacramento a few times but hadn’t yet had a chance to visit Old Sac. “I like this.”
Chandra snorted. “Of course you would. It kind of reminds me of your little town, except here you can drive five miles and find civilization.”
She playfully bumped her sister. “Quit hating on my town. I love it there. And the Bay Area isn’t too far.”
“The key words beingtoo far,” Chandra said with a laugh.
“Whateva. Where are we eating?” They walked around to Front Street and saw theDelta King, a paddlewheel riverboat. “How about eating with a view of the river?”
“I’m game.”
The riverboat’s restaurant only served dinner, so they ate at the bar and grill located in the boat’s forward section. They had a panoramic view of the river, and despite the heat, a slight breeze blew off the water. Over a meal of clam chowder, crab cakes, and salad, they caught up on everything that happened since their last conversation.
“Did Mom tell you she and Dad are taking a trip to DC?”
“No. But I’m so excited for them. She’s been wanting to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture since it opened.”
“I know. I wish Mark and I could go with them, but when I brought it up, Mom told me we were welcome to take the trip on our own because theirs was a trip for two.”
A surprised giggle escaped Serenity. “I guess she told you.” Their parents had always made a practice of taking vacations with just the two of them. When she and Chandra were growing up, Serenity had memories of them going on weekend excursions while she and her sister stayed with their grandparents. “It’s really cool that they’re still so much in love after all this time.”
“Girl, those are marriagegoals.”
“At least one of us can reach that goal,” she said wryly, taking a bite of her crab cake.
Chandra waved her fork dismissively. “You’ll get there. You might already be there if you hadn’t had to deal with Lloyd’s conceited ass.” She gave Serenity’s hand a sympathetic squeeze. “I’m sorry. You know my mouth gets ahead of my brain every now and again.”
Serenity pushed her salad around on her plate. “I know. But you’re right. Sometimes I try to recall what attracted me to him, and for the life of me, I can’t figure it out.” All her girlfriends back home had been excited that a doctor had set his sights on Serenity. With his tall good looks and intelligence, theirs was a match made in heaven. Except it hadn’t been. She’d be the first to admit that there had been some good times in the beginning, but in hindsight, the things she valued most, like having quiet dinners at home and spending time just talking or watching a movie together, weren’t on his list of favorites. He preferred dining at exclusive restaurants, attending the symphony, and having networking parties. She liked to do those things too, but only in moderation.
“Well, like Grandma always said, that’s why you date—to find out what kind of person he isbeforesaying ‘I do,’” Chandra said around a mouthful of food.
She smiled. “Thank goodness for that.” She shuddered to think what her life would be like had she hung in there, as a few of her friends had suggested. The women had tried to convince Serenity that things would change once they got married. But Serenity subscribed to Maya Angelou’s saying about believing what a person shows you.What has Gabriel shown you?that annoying inner voice asked. But she didn’t think she’d known him long enough to determine whether what he’d shown her were his true colors.Liar!
Chandra braced her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “Since we’re on the subject of men, tell me more about this new neighbor of yours.”
Serenity lifted her shoulder in a careless shrug. “There’s not much to tell outside of what you already know.”
“No? So, you haven’t spoken to him or seen him once since we talked last week? It doesn’t sound very neighborly.”
“You know I can’t stand you right now, Miss Psychologist,” Serenity said with a mock pout.
