Pleasurable Expectations

t e n

The week passed in a blur, the time-consuming efforts of work making me forget what day it was. The weekend passed in the same fashion, and it was Sunday before I knew it.

Jeremiah asked if I wanted to hang out today, as my days were usually filled with work. However, I had to decline because today was the day I was going to let my family know what was up with my relationship status.

Michael had already unintentionally found out. He had found himself at my place the Friday after the night at the club, a bottle of Hennessy in hand ready for the drinking. He was disappointed when he found out that I had plans to go to Green Lake with my boyfriend.

Darius had his suspicions as well after his run-in with Jeremiah at my place a little while back. Since then, he had been texting me nonstop to see if the mystery man who had come to take me out on my date was my boyfriend.

As I walked the familiar streets to my family home, I found myself growing nervous at the thought of telling my parents. The cool air whipping my face was doing nothing to cease the sweat that was catching in my eyebrow.

My parents had always supported me in everything that I had ever done. I assume they will in anything that I ever will. Still, their initial reaction to Jeremiah wasn't exactly a positive one.

After the first event I had gone to, I told them all about it and who I had on my arm, their reactions falling between disappointed and scared. They had deemed that they already didn't trust Jeremiah, even though they had never met him. The two of them had concluded that, since he was able to work his way into these high-end events, he had to be lying to me about the state of his employment.

I shut them down, and ever since, there has been the faintest hint of tension.

I opened up the front gate and took the climb up to the house. Even from the bottom of the driveway, the house still nowhere near my sight, I was able to smell whatever it was that my parents were cooking.

As I grew closer, I deciphered the aroma as a mixture of garlic, corn, shrimp, and crabs. At the smell of the seafood boil, my nerves dissipated and there was an added skip to my step. If there's one thing my parents could always get right, it was whatever meal they decided to throw on the table.

"I smell a seafood boil," I sang as I made my presence known. Without being asked, I grabbed a stack of plates and began setting them on the table.

"What's wrong with you?" Michael was seated at the island in the kitchen, doing nothing, as per usual.

"Can I not be excited for a seafood boil, little gremlin?"

"Tiara, we all know why you're especially happy lately."

I quirked a single eyebrow as I took the stool next to him, daring him to say anything inappropriate.

"It could have something to do with the new di-"

"Outta pocket!" I interrupted. "Outta pocket, outta pocket, outta pocket." I got up from my place at the island and ventured over to my parents, but not before giving Michael a quick thump on the back of the head.

"Tiara, I swear if you just messed up my hair..."

"Don't worry. Your waves won't be drowning today." I smiled sweetly at him, which earned me a scowl.

"How are you today, Mama?" I pecked her on the cheek as I moved to stand next to her. I watched as she grabbed the cover to the pot off the white marble countertop.

"I'm tired of your brother hanging around here every day like he doesn't have his own home to go to." She decided to complain instead of answer the question.