Less Than Perfect Circumstance Read Online Free PDF Page B

tasted, she allowed the wine to caress her palate. She closed her eyes and allowed her mouth to savor a wine e qually rich in taste and price  the latter was the least of her concerns , if indeed, she had any. I glanced up at her, realizing, again, how much Belinda glows when spending money.
    “A glass for you, Monsieur?” Pierre asked, tilting the bottle towards the wine glass.
    “Certainly, thank you sir, ” I responded, realizing that my hopes of practicing any French had disappeared along with the smile on the waiters face.
    Belinda knew her wines. She and her younger brother, Christian, spent much of their childhood in Wisconsin on a vineyard owned by their parents, Wendell and Andrea Todson. After they sold the vineyard and moved to Newport News, Virginia, Belinda attended and graduated from Texas Southern with a degree in Business Finance. Christian, then a junior, was a Bioenvironmental Engineering student at North Carolina A & T State University. Belinda, who came from money, married money. It wasn’t something she planned; it just worked out that way. She enjoyed life. She enjoyed being Mrs. DaMarcusNealon even more.
    “So what will we be having today?” I asked, perusing the menu .
    “At this point it doesn’t matter. I’m starving from that shopping.”
    Belinda wasn’t complaining. She didn’t mind that she shopped until she damn near dropped, as long as she could eat after she got up. She took a long sip from her wine glass and continued. “Oh, before I forget, the girls and I are going away in a few weeks.”
    “And you want me to kee p which eye on DaMarcus?”
    I couldn’t decide if I was joking or not.
    “No. I just wished you could go with us.”
    “As one of the girls?” I joked.
    “You are so silly,” Belinda responded, trying not to laugh too loud.
    I was nothing close to being like one of the girls. I was a man first before I was anythi ng else .
    ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞
    Belinda and her best friend, Shayna Copley, met durin g the first week of new student’ s orientation at the Ernest S. Sterling Students life center. The student center is the “spot” on T exas S outhern U niversity ’s campus. The two women were tall, caramel complexion, and without a doubt, strikingly beautiful. They could be easily mistaken for sisters; however until they met, they were nothing but strangers.  They stood side by side, reading the posting announcing majorette auditions.
    Belinda was an excellent dancer and always dreamed of dancing in college. Joining “The Ocean of Soul” would be a dream come true. They auditioned and were both selected to dance for the premier band of the south. Belinda and Shayna were inseparable. They knew how to have fun. They were giggling buddies, and were very protective of each other.
    Belinda and Shayna stood on the field as the game clock ticked slowly towards halftime. The TSU football game against visiting Virginia State University was one of importance. The two teams ha d developed a friendly rivalry and would love to win bragging rights before a loud, but well-behaved, bipartisan crowd.
    DaMarcusNealon, who had suffered a sprained ankle in the previous week’s victory over Delaware State, stood on the sideline on a cool September evening, twirling a football in h is hand  the closest he would get to any football action in such an important game. Belinda felt his gaze, but never reacted. After the game, DaMarcus limped up to Belinda with an I’m-gonna-lay-it-on-you grin on his face.
    DaMarcus was full of compliments , leaning on crutches, favoring his left ankle. He had a sense of humor, and was very confident. Belinda had been eying DaMarcus , too, but did not want to approach him first. She was a freshman. What, if any, interest would the star junior running back on the football team have in her? She had confidence, but imagine how she would have felt if DaMa rcus showed no interest at all  not that she thought he would have rejected her