leave.”
“Oh.”
“It isn’t like that, he is a doctor and he was on call.”
“Oh.”
Meeka laughed at the change of her mother’s tone. Apparently it was okay if he was a doctor.
“So tell me about him.”
“His name is Rick and he is really nice. Good looking.”
“Rick, huh. So is he a resident?”
Meeka had to laugh then. She looked up the stairs, hoping her son Malik would hurry up and come down to save her from her nosy mother’s questions.
“No mom, I think he runs the E.R. department.”
“Wow, he must have started school young…”
“No mom, he is about ten years older than me.”
Tamila looked at her daughter sideways and was about to say something before her son came down the stairs.
“Mommy!”
“Hey baby. Did you have fun?”
“Yes, grandma let me stay up late and watch that new movie I have been wanting to watch.”
“Well mom, I will see you later. Maybe you could watch Malik next week so I can go on another date?”
Tamila was still trying to process the information that she had just received. Her mother was not quite sure if she liked the idea of her daughter dating a man so much older than her. She was over-protective of her daughter’s heart after she became widowed. The woman couldn’t deny though, the joy on her younger daughter’s face, so she decided to hold her judgment, which was really hard for the out-spoken mother to manage.
Meeka was surprised that she didn’t hear more from her mother, but neither woman could speak more on it in front of her son Malik.
“I love you baby. You know I will watch my grandson whenever you want me to.”
Chapter Nine
Meeka gave her mother a kiss and then left to get ready for work and to get her son ready for school. While she dreaded going to work, there was a new lightness in her step when she finally got into the restaurant. She was on time and actually smiled at Johnny when she passed him as she walked in. He looked up at the clock, making sure she wasn’t a minute late. He seemed upset that she was on time because he had no reason to yell at her that day, though he would find a reason, Meeka was sure of it.
The day was going pretty good and after the lunch rush, she had started to do her side work to get out of there early. While Johnny had not bitched at her when she came in that morning, he was giving her the stink eye the rest of the day. She also saw him getting cozy with the new blonde girl, who was now getting the best section in the place. There was something going on there, but Meeka just tried to put it out of her mind.
“You got someone in your section.”
Meeka looked over at Johnny and gave him a dirty look. She had just finished cleaning her section and was trying to get out of there early. Instead of getting pissy with him though, she just sighed a little loud and went back to her section to get it over with. There was a man with his back to her and when she set the menu down, she realized it was Rick.
“Hey baby. I missed you.”
Meeka smiled and gave him a giant hug. She felt nervous all of a sudden and she could feel her body responding to him. He pulled her down next to him and she squealed when he tried to kiss her. She kissed him briefly and then stood up, straightening her uniform. She looked over to where Johnny was standing and she loved the dropped jaw the he had. Maybe it was because Rick looked older and very classy or that she had never been with anyone in the last year she worked there.
“What are you doing here?”
“I can’t get you off of my mind and I had a little time off. I thought I would come over here and see if I could get some pasta.”
“Oh pasta huh? Well I could make you some at the house. I am about to leave as soon as my last customer goes home.”
Rick looked around and when he didn’t see anyone, he realized she was talking about him.
“I would much rather have some dessert Meeka.”
“Good, give me a minute and we can finish what we started last