"It's after ten. You left three hours ago."
"Time slipped away. We'll close down and head back. I'll drop Wynter at home."
"Okay. I'm taking Frankie and Emily over to their mom's house."
"Thank you. See you shortly."
"See you."
Hanging up, he rose slowly, not wanting to leave her side. "I guess we put reality off as long as possible."
"Mom's worrying?"
"Yes. I suppose I should have called...."
"You needed a break. So did I. And it was—beyond nice." She stood, placing her hands on his firm chest.
"Yes, it certainly was. Thank you for coming with me."
"You're very welcome."
Obi's hand sat on the gearshift. Wynter laid her hand on top of his. Smiling at her, he gave her another soft kiss. He wanted so much more, but knew he needed to take it slowly. He was very fond of Wynter, and she of him. However, mindful of her recent breakup, he was determined to take his time. He hoped he'd made his feelings clear with his kisses.
Clive's car was in the driveway of Wanda's home. The lights were on, and music played. When they got to the house, they found Emily sitting on the porch swing with a glass of wine and an e-cigarette.
"Um, you don't wanna go in right now," she said, slightly shell shocked.
Obi sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Really? I'm so sorry. If you and Wynter want to spend the night at my place, we can do that. Cause if I know my brother—this won't be the last time tonight."
"I'd love that," Emily said. "But you have to guarantee that you two won't—" She made vague gestures with her hands.
Wynter slapped them down. "We would never!"
"Just saying."
"We're not to that point, Emily," Obi explained.
"But you're working on it," she said, wiping her thumb across his lips. It came away with a smear of Wynter's cranberry colored lip gloss.
"Yes, but not yet," Wynter said. "Frankie's always been impulsive."
"So has Clive. Perfect match," Obi said with a grin. Glancing at his watch, he asked Emily how long she'd been outside.
"About thirty-five minutes. Why?"
"They should finish soon, unless he's giving her a special. Let's hope not, or we'll be here all night."
"A—special?" Emily asked hesitantly.
"Don't ask. Listen, I have toothbrushes, t-shirts and boxers you can borrow for the night. We can come back before church."
"Sounds good to me!" Emily said, hopping up. "I'll grab my bag." She retrieved it from the hall table. Locking the door, she declared that she was ready.
"Casa Obi is our next stop," Wynter said with a smirk.
Sending Clive a text, Obi started the car. He didn't expect to hear back from his brother, but he wanted Frankie to know where her sisters were. Not that either of them would notice.
Back at his house, he found a note from his mother on the refrigerator: "We'll be getting up about seven. Leave me a note if you want me to wake you. ♥ Mom"
He left a reply thanking her, assuring her he could get himself up. He also told her that Wynter and Emily were there, though he didn't go into details. She was a smart woman, who had three grown sons. She'd figure it out.
Sleep came easily. For once, he wasn't nervous about having to give his sermon, because his father had that responsibility.
His alarm went off, startling him awake. It was still dark out, but not because of the time. Thick storm clouds lowered and glowered on the horizon. Lightning flashed, followed by a distant roll of thunder.
Shaving carefully, he debated putting on his official uniform. He was still thinking about it, when there was a knock at the door. He knew it was his mother, because she always tapped three times, two times and one time.
"I'm up, Mom," he called from the bathroom.
The door opened and she peeped around. "Wearing the collar today?"
"I was just thinking about it." He stood in front of his closet in his black dress pants and white t-shirt.
"You're not officially on duty. Let Daddy worry about that."
Smiling, she entered the closet, scooting shirts around until she found what she was after. The shirt she handed him was a deep, rich raspberry—not a color he would have bought for himself.
"Where did this come from?"
"I bought it for you. It would please me for you to wear it." Her lips formed a firm line, when he protested. "I know you think it's girly, but it's a gorgeous color, which will look good on you. The women will love it."
"The men will think I've lost my mind."
"Tell them I gave it to you," she said with confidence. "Men understand about appeasing unreasonable, female parents."
"Yes, ma'am."
Undoing his pants, he tucked the shirt in. He was fastening his belt when there was another knock at the door. This time, it was Wynter.
"You about ready?"
"Yeah. We'll drop by your mom's place. It's on the way."
"Great. Thank you."
"I made coffee, and danish," Hester said. "It's set up to travel."
"Great. Thanks, Mom." Obi kissed his mother's cheek.
"You're welcome, darling." She gave him and Wynter each a hug. "Hurry up, son. You can't keep a woman waiting."
©Dellani Oakes 2023
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