Tonya brushed her short black hair into place. She let her hands run down her yellow dress. She wanted to look perfect. Look perfect for him. Her mother left an hour earlier. Kevin would be here any minute. She took a deep breath and stared into her own brown eyes. She exhaled and hung her head grasping the edge of the sink. Kevin. How had she ended up acting like a school girl for Kevin? She knew better. She had just turned 30 a few months ago, she was a grown woman. She thought back to how it all started...
Tonya took another sip of wine and rubbed a hand over her newly cut hair. She had chopped it off after breaking up with Paul. It was a symbol of her being her own natural self, forget relaxers. It was finally her summer break. Being a middle school teacher was hard work and now that the school year was over and report cards done, she felt like celebrating. It was two weeks since Paul and her had gone their separate ways. She had been the one to break it off and she knew it was the right thing, but the damn loneliness. She picked up her phone and flicked through her contacts. Who could she reach out to? Spend some time with who understood her, at least tried to. Paul, no; Erica, no; Helene, hell no; Kevin. She paused and read his name again. Kevin? She sat back on the couch and bit her full bottom lip. Kevin was her older sister's friend really, not hers. He was like a close family friend. He always teased her and called her little girl. He pretended to be super protective of her being that he was 11 years her senior. He was fun to be around and she had a good time around him. She had hung out with him occasionally without her sister, Noelle.
There had been one kind of weird time when he had taken her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips. She had made a face at him like he was crazy. He had done it a couple more times that night. The next time Tonya saw Kevin he acted like he didn't remember the kiss.
Tonya knew he did. She tried to wrap her head around him finding her attractive. She was cute she knew, but Kevin was 40. He was suave, knew all the right people and knew girls who were a little more conventionally beautiful. She was attracted to him of course. He was actor handsome with smooth brown skin and a bald head. Tonya had almost always dated white guys. Not for any real reason. She would've been perfectly happy to meet an intelligent, educated black man. It just hadn't happened.
Tonya clicked his name and typed quickly.
So bored. Send.
Beside that whole weird kiss thing...and the comment about her hips. It was at her birthday dinner. Noelle had organized it and invited Paul, her mom, and Kevin. He was considered a family friend. They sat talking when her sister retold the story about Kevin seeing them walking down the street near Noelle's house.
"I said I saw those hips," he grinned wolfishly at Tonya.
"Hips? Who's hips?" Tonya asked.
"Yours, Tonya," Noelle laughed.
"Do I have big hips?" Tonya whispered to Paul.
"Your hips are sexy," he kissed her ear.
She waited. Kevin was a nice guy and funny. She spaced out for a moment and pictured him naked. Stop it, she said to herself; you're in withdrawal, two weeks, no sex.
Ba-da-bum, text message.
I'm sorry. -- Kevin
I hesitated.
Hang out? Send.
Tonya took another sip of wine.
Come get you? --Kevin.
She'd been drinking; actually, she was kind of drunk. It was 10 pm on a Friday and she bet he had too. Why take the chance.
Cab. Send.
As Tonya walked up his drive she licked her lips. This was Kevin. She reminded herself, just Kevin, Noelle's friend Kevin.
"Hey baby," he greeted her at the door with a hug, "you cut your hair." He stood back and looked her over, "I like it."
"Sometimes I feel like an ugly boy," Tonya smirked.
"You? Never," he smiled and kissed her on both checks.
Kevin was like that, very friendly, touchy. It had taken Tonya time to adjust to this. She was the opposite.
"Why are you so bored huh?"
"Paul and I broke up," Tonya sat on the couch. He had already poured her a glass of wine. She took a sip.
"Eh, he was okay, but you can do better."
"Oh, here we go," Tonya rolled her eyes, "because he was white?"
"No, it has nothing to do with that. Hell, I date white girls. He was just," Kevin gestured with his head.
I took a look at him as he watched ESPN. He looked good, really good, as usual. He was fit and handsome. She watched the tightly coiled muscles in his arms. She shook herself. Stop it, this is Kevin.
"You okay?"
"Yea sure," she smiled and took another sip of wine.
"So you're out of school now? What are you going to do?"
