Page 11 of Candid Moments
“I got you.”
As she walks out of the restaurant, my eyes hawk her every movement.Damn! She’s perfect.
“Good morning,” a soft voice says, jarring me from Jamila.
“Morning.”
“I’m your server, Shelia. Your drinks will be right out. Are you ready to order?”
“Actually, we need another ten minutes. Can you please hold the coffee too until my companion returns? She wants it hot but you can bring out the other drinks.”
“You got it. I’ll be right back.”
When she struts away, I lift my cell from the table and check the weather. From the looks of the forecast, I might be stuck here until Wednesday for real. It’s expected to snow until late Monday night. This shit is crazy.
My office isn’t expecting my return until Tuesday but I still need to let my practice manager Lechelle know so she can make arrangements if my absence is extended. So I send her anemail and a text. She texts back almost immediately informing me that she’s handling everything. I didn’t expect anything less. Sheila returns with our drinks and when she does, Jamila walks in. She’s removing her camera from around her neck as she treks over to our booth.
As soon as she sits down, she shivers. “Shit! It’s cold out there.”
“You went outside.”
“Just inside the doors. I just had to capture the snow. The sun is out but there’s still a beautiful yet ominous grey hue in the skies. It’s breathtaking,” she says with so much passion. After examining her camera, she eases out of her side of the booth and joins me on my side. She extends the camera in front of me. “Look at this.” She shows me about five different images and each one is truly beautiful. She has managed to capture the snow in unique ways. “This one is my favorite,” she gushes as she enlarges the photo. “See how the sun is reflecting at the perfect angle on this plant. It makes it look alive,” she says with so much passion.
“It is beautiful. Are you a professional photographer? These are too good for a hobby,” I compliment.
With a huge smile across her pretty ass face, she answers with pride, “Professional and recreational, actually. I just love taking pictures. I get to experience life through my own lenses. What do you do?”
“I’m a dentist.”
“Wow! So I really should be calling you Dr. Denim.”
“Denim is cool.”
Her hand suddenly covers her mouth. “Oh God! My little gap must be driving you insane,” she teases with a laugh.
“It’s very small and a character trait. It suits you,” I admit. I definitely noticed her midline diastema the first time we ran into each other. It’s very small and actually adds to her beauty. Most people keep them because in all honesty, gaps do not have a negative impact on oral health. “Plus, it’s not my specialty. I specialize in oral and maxillofacial surgery.”
“What’s maxillofacial?” she asks, carefully pronouncing her words.
“It basically focuses on diagnoses and injuries in the head, neck, face, and jaws. I focus on that and all other oral surgeries.”
“I can’t imagine how long you were in school. My five-year bachelor degree was long enough. And yes, I said five, not four. I took a year off to travel and photograph the world.”
“Where did you go?”
“Ghana, Nigeria, Panama, Puerto Rico, Spain, Jamaica, and Mexico.”
“Which country was your favorite?” I ask, thoroughly intrigued.
“My best moments were captured in Nigeria. West Africa is full of gorgeous sights and people. I spent two months there and learned a little Igbo but don’t quiz me though.”
“There’s a huge Nigerian population in CF but I don’t speak Igbo or Yoruba, just English and a few conversational words in Spanish. That’s all I got.”
“I go to Taste of Nigeria when I want to hear the language, eat some stew, and maybe practice some of my words but I don’t go too often.”
“I keep hearing about that spot; I need to go.”
“You definitely need to go. It’s delicious and seasoned to perfection.” Sheila returns, interrupting. She has Jamila’s coffee, sweeteners, and a small stainless steel creamer dispenser. When she places the items in front of Jamila, Jamila immediately doctors up her coffee and takes a sip. “Mmm, perfect.”
