BROWN SKIN | BOOK 1

|| C H A P T E R . 10 ||

I loved the quietness of museums. How everyone can soak up the artifacts of history without repeating it or saying a word. I loved long drives down the road. I loved cold tea. I loved any music that appealed my ears, no matter the genre.

And I was used to it.

Loving these things that can't love me back.

They didn't leave me heartbroken or carried emotions around, flipping from happy one minute then upset the next. These concrete and abstract things I enjoyed and loved well but as I continued to love them, I knew they would never love me back, and I didn't expect them too.

I guess it was easier that way.

  — Ebonee

 

"I'm not nervous." I informed Jewelz to reassure her the goosebumps that formed on the surface of my skin and the worry eating away in my chest weren't real.

I wasn't nervous. I couldn't be nervous going on this date with Beau because the kiss kept replaying in my head like a pink ballerina spinning in a chest to dulcet music over and over again. Even though it's been a brief second seeing Beau the other day, he hadn't shown up and talked to me about it at the restaurant.

He normally would sit and talk but as I passed out customer's dishes, he just waved while taking a phone call and left.

Jewelz found out Mama kicked me out of her house and Simone's own situation, but was grateful to hear we were invited for a second time. I didn't tell her about Beau and I last night, she tends to get all motherly unnecessarily.

"You look lovely sweetie." She said complimenting my outfit while flipping  through the magazine reading and sniffing little samples of perfume.

"Yeah," I sadly agreed, "Lovely."

I haven't told her I had one previous date where I ended up puking in the girls' bathroom for thirty minutes after eating coconut shrimp. Apparently, my stomach didn't like it too much. The date had to go as "lovely" as my appearance was right now.

Ever since Beau asked me out after the White Marble's anniversary, a scary bad feeling crawled it'sway up my neck. He probably wouldn't look my way again if I did something wrong or messed up today.

I smoothed out the outfit calmly. I was fine, I was going to be okay.

I drove to Little China Plate restaurant near several smaller eateries to draw in customers along the avenue with my hands shaking and my knees knotting together. The eatery wasn't far from White Marbles according to the GPS I pulled up on my phone as the sign became visible to anyone who was close. The Chinese exterior illustrated a red modern Chinese architect building similar to ancient palaces in its country.

I opened the door to be greeted by the chime of the bell at my entrance and an Asian hostess with  a polite smile for guest and red trendy chopsticks stuck out from the two buns in her crow black hair.

"Table for one?"

  I should've thought first to maybe call Beau after retrieving his number from the post-it Jewelz left on the refrigerator to let him know I was here.

A chorus of laughter escalated throughout the room, grabbing quick glances from other tables and I briefly looked up too after checking contacts on my phone and stared.