Page 43 of Champagne Kisses
I’m stunned. He just said the sweetest things any guy has ever said to or about me, but he’s acting like it was the most casual thing in the world. Both Denise and Tiffany have knowing smiles on their faces.
“That’s all well and good,” Denise continues, “but do you really know Maya? Like even her pet peeves, her dealbreakers?” Thank goodness Adam is a good sport. They are not going easy on him.
“For Maya, cheating is a dealbreaker,” offers Denise.
“Noted, though I think that’s true for most people.” He looks me in the eyes directly. “Cheating has never been my style.” I sigh in relief. The girls might be a bit nosy, but they’re also asking questions I’ve been too scared to consider.
“And she hates when people order for her,” Tiffany adds. “I totally get it. I couldneverlet a guy order for me—“
“While I think it can be sexy when a man takes charge like that,” Denise finishes. “And what about her favorite color?” Denise asks. Adam stays quiet, happy to watch my two best friends bust my chops. Tiffany interjects.
“She might tell you it’s teal or maybe red, but in her heart of hearts, Maya’s favorite color is—“
“Pink!” Denise yells triumphantly, a smug grin on her face. “Like Barbie pink. Seriously, she’s got a closet full of the stuff, that she thinks we don’t know about.”
My cheeks turn that same shade and I slouch in my seat.
“Guys,” I pout. “Can’t a girl have a few guilty pleasures without her girls ratting her out to her boyfriend?” They just smile and Adam has the nerve to chuckle. Tiffany puts her fork down, her expression serious.
“If I’m being real though, I wanna warn you that racewillcome up at some point. I see it all the time at my school. The kids are young, but a lot of the time, it’s the same shit we’re dealing with.“ She takes a sip of her Bloody Mary. “Dealing with the race bullshit, the discrimination, may not be fun, but it’s best to face it head on.” Her face turns even more solemn. “Andbelieve her…if she talks to you about it.”
The whole table is quiet for a moment. There’s clearly a story behind Tiffany’s words, but I doubt she’d want to get into it in front of Adam. I make a mental note to talk to her about it soon. Adam finishes his sandwich and puts his hand on my thigh under the table.
“Thanks for the insight, ladies.” He gives my thigh a squeeze. “Seems like we blew right past small talk, which is fine by me.”
“In the words of Sweet Brown,” starts Denise, “‘ain’t nobody got time for that.’” She raises her glass and Tiffany giggles and clinks her glass to Denise’s.
I’d been avoiding this conversation,—even in 2024, we can’t kid ourselves that being together won’t rub some people the wrong way—but it was relatively painless. Tiffany is right; it’s best to face this head on.
For the rest of the meal, Tiffany and Denise thankfully stick to more traditional interrogation topics. Tiffany asks about Adam’s job and educational background, while Denise asks about his family and exes before I shut down that conversation. I don’t need Adam thinking about his exes any more than absolutely necessary.
Other than the initial questions about race and relationship status, this may have been the most successful “meet the friends” outing I’ve ever had. Adam fits right in and doesn’t shy away from the tough conversations. By the time the check comes, we’re even talking about another brunch date. Maybe Adam and Iarestarting to get serious.
Chapter twenty-three
Adam
Ilook down at the legal pad in front of me and see a crude doodle of a woman’s face with long, flowing locs in the margin of my notes. It’s safe to say I could never have gotten into Pratt with these skills. At the time, I was busy “sowing my wild oats” on the other side of the country. If I had met Maya then, like when I was home on break or something, would I have hit on her?
I pride myself on being a smart guy, but I was practically drowning in interested women in college. Women who let themselves into my room while I was in class. Women who installed viruses on their computer just so I could fix it. Even multiple women at the same time, hoping to check “college threesome” off their bucket list. Honestly, I doubt I would’ve seen Maya through all that…noise.
Next to me, Eric clears his throat and nudges my foot under the table. The room of my colleagues looks at me expectantly.Busted.
“I’m sorry,” I say, chagrined. “I was reviewing my notes and missed what you said. Could you please repeat that?” Mr. Hallorann, my boss and a little bit of a hardass, leans forward in his chair at the head of the conference room table.
“How is the migration coming, Adam? It’s critical that our transition to RISE goes off without a hitch.” Right. The migration. That has only been my top priority for the past three months. Luckily, I can talk about that project in my sleep if necessary.
“It’s going well, sir. We are on track to finish on the 31st of next month, as projected.” Mr. Hallorann steeples his fingers on the desk and smiles approvingly.
“Great work, Adam. I knew you’d stay on top of it.” He stacks his papers emphatically. “Lets give everyone back,” he looks at his watch, “eleven minutes of their time.”
The meeting adjourned, everyone gathers their things and starts to clear out of the room. Eric gestures to my notepad as he shoves his laptop into his bag.
“Is that her?” I raise an eyebrow inquisitively.
“Is that who?” Eric gives me a smug smirk like he thinks I’m an idiot.
“Who? The girl that’s got you zoning out in status meetings, that’s who.” We both walk out of the conference room andhead in the direction of the kitchen. I sigh, knowing I’ve got no choice but to spill the beans.
