Southern Tide Vol. 02

He found her at the store's front, next to the checkout line, going over the items in her shopping cart.

"Ready?" he asked, as he approached.

"Yup. Got everything you wanted?" she smiled.

"Just about."

"I think I'll drive over to my mom's after this, to drop everything off early." she said, as she closed in on the cue.

"When are you taking him over there?"

"Day after tomorrow. He should be happy after he sees you. Oh...I forgot to get some hot chocolate. I'll be right back, okay?" and she dashed into one of the aisles, leaving him behind with the cart.

Brian caught himself watching her behind as she walked away, but quickly tore his eyes away from her body. He was lucky that the store was empty; otherwise, he would have looked like a slobbering fool to any onlookers. He began to pile the groceries on the moving belt while she was gone, hoping to distract himself from anymore of his daydreaming.

She had just emerged out of the aisles and joined him on the line, when someone called out to her.

He and Kiara turned around to see the same pair of women he'd crept upon, coming up from behind them. They were probably following Kiara.

"Hey girl, how've you been?" the redhead asked, flashing a smile that masked the sinister personality he'd seen not too long ago.

The blonde woman smiled, but looked Kiara up and down, as if taking her measure. Her eyes held a look of contempt. Even he noticed, but Kiara ignored it, and waved back at them.

"Hey. I'm alright. How's everything?" she acknowledged the red head.

"I'm good. Where's my nephew at?"

"He's with Derek. They went to the park, while I'm shopping."

"Okay. I see you got a lil' boo thang over here." she said, cocking her head towards Brian.

Kiara smiled nonchalantly and proceeded to introduce him to the women.

"This is Brian. He's an old friend of mine. Brian this is Natalie and Tayshia."

"Hi ladies." he smiled. "How y'all doin' today?"

"We're good!" Natalie, the red-head and obviously the leader of the two, responded.

He turned back to the cashier, who asked if the groceries were all being paid for on the same bill.

Brian handed his card to her, and said "Yeah, everything."

"Brian? What are you...?" Kiara questioned with a slight frown.

"Talk to your friends. I got it." he smiled.

"Ooh girl!" Natalie squeaked. "You givin' him that good stuff huh? Got him payin' for your food and everything! Derek never told me you were..."

"Derek? Sorry but I don't tell deadbeats my business. Now I've got to finish up and get home. I'll see you some other time." Kiara interjected and turned away from the pair to join Brian.

The cashier already had everything bagged, and had just handed him the receipt when Kiara joined him.

"Come on." she said, apparently annoyed.

Brian didn't say a word, but followed her as she left the two women, wide-eyed behind them. They had walked into the parking lot with the stocked cart, when he decided to finally say something.

"Mad at me?" he asked, as she opened the trunk of her car.

"No I'm not mad. But why did you do that?" she sighed.

"What'd I do?"

"Pay for my stuff. I'm not comfortable with men paying for things."

"Why is that? Can't I do something nice for a friend?"

"When a man pays for something it usually means he expects something in return. I don't..."

"I don't want anything from you Kiara." he said, aware that this was a slight lie.

He did want something. He wanted her, but he couldn't openly confess any of this. Her version sounded malicious, while his intentions were far from it. He would have done this for her even if she would never see him again.

"Well did you do it to get them talking?" she continued, "Because they will. It's a small town, and everybody knows everybody's business."

"I did it because I wanted to. You're treating me to dinner. It's the least I can do. Anyway, I didn't know you had stalkers out here." he said playfully, hoping to avert her attention from his so called blunder.

"Stalkers? Yeah you're probably right. Maybe I should call them stalkers. Those two have nothing better to do than talk shit about other people."

"So Natalie...she's Josh's aunt? And she doesn't like you?"

"No she doesn't, but I don't really care. She's a fake, and I don't associate myself with people like her. I only tolerate her and her brother because they're Joshua's family. He's too young to realize how conniving people can be."

"Are you worried that word's going to get out about us shopping together?"

"Not in the least. I'm a grown woman, and I choose my own company. If they can't handle that, then it has nothing to do with me. I know she's going to go back to her brother and talk about me like she's still in high school, but I don't give a damn!"

"You two aren't together?"

"No. He left me a few months before I had Joshua." she said glumly, avoiding eye contact.

It was a look of shame, but he knew that she probably wasn't to blame for this misfortune.

"Damn Kiara. I'm sorry." he sympathized.

"It's okay. I got over it and I think I was better off without him anyway."

"Is it going to be a problem? Having dinner, I mean. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

"Still trying to back out of dinner?" she asked, with a tiny smile.

"No...I just don't want to bring any drama into your life. Those two look like they're plotting against you or something."

"All the more reason to not back down. Besides, you'll have to explain to Joshua why two girls scared you out of coming to dinner. You want that?" she said, finally lightening up.

"No Ma'am!" he chortled. "I'll be there. Don't you worry."

"Alright then. Thanks for the help. I'll see you tomorrow." she said, as she got into the driver's seat.

"Definitely! I wouldn't miss it."

She smiled and bid him goodbye, and slowly drove away. He looked back to the store's transparent windows and saw the two women still chatting. He knew that they were probably whispering rumors about him and Kiara. They were likely to bring Joshua's father out to shake things up. Women had the ability to ignite such fury in men, and he knew that whatever was coming wouldn't be good. But he would not let them keep him away from Kiara. She was a feisty one, but worth whatever trouble those two could ever throw at him.

Chapter Three

"Are you kidding me?" Kiara shouted at her ex over the phone. "Seriously! How old are we Derek?"

"What do you mean?" he replied defensively.

"How old are you and how old is Natalie? You're both acting as if we're still kids!"

"What's our age got to do with anything? Word is you're walking around with a white boy, calling me a deadbeat and shit. Did you, or did you not say that?"

"Yes I said it, and it's true. I know where you got this all from, and you can tell either one of those bitches to grow the fuck up. Since when do you care about who I'm walking around with? You never cared before. Is it because he's white or because your chick left you, and you've got no one else?"

"Of course I cared." he replied, avoiding the question. "I care about you."

"Oh that's rich! You care about me now that you're alone and Stephanie left you. Before that I was only a baby mama to you. I didn't mean anything. Eight years went by and you treated me like I was just an employee; a babysitter for your son. Now I'm supposed to just forget all that, and go crawling back to you?"

"You're still stuck on the past Kiki." he said more calmly. "Just let it go. I'm trying to get my family back."

"Oh no! I will never let it go. I will protect myself and Joshua from you if I have to. So quit the bull and tell Natalie not to ever approach me like that again. I knew this was coming, and I knew they would get you to come after me. I just didn't think it would be so soon. You can still see Joshua, but don't ever think that you can lecture me about who I'm with. I am not your child and I am not your woman. I will walk around with whomever I please, so back the hell off!"

"You're trippin'! I'm going to come around, to see Josh alright?" he responded, ignoring her warning.

"Now you want to start coming around? Well you can't tonight. We have plans."

"Look Kiki. We need to straighten this mess. I want to fix things between..."

"But that's what you don't get. There's nothing to fix!" she cut in. "All damages are done, so just get on with your life, and I'll get on with mine. I have to go."

"But..."

"I gotta go!" she repeated sternly.

"This isn't ov..."

"Goddamn him!" she muttered under her breath, as she hung up without giving him a chance to finish.

She was in the middle of cooking, when Derek decided to give her a call. This was all being done on purpose. She knew him well, as he did her. He was intentionally trying to frustrate her in hopes of foiling her plans.

A part of her felt good to know that he was jealous. After all, what better way was there to get back at an ex who hurt you? She had hidden this small satisfaction from Brian, but she was actually happy that Natalie had seen her with another man. It wasn't the first time. This time however, she was seen with someone of a different color from every other man she dated in the past. They weren't even a couple yet, but Derek seemed to take offense to that very fact. At this point, she wasn't sure of what he would do. His response had been unlike anything she expected. He had always been calm and confident; even in an argument. But now, he was behaving much differently.

Getting back at Derek did feel good, but a thought began to worry her. Maybe she had always wanted him back. Why else was she feeling happy to be getting attention that wasn't shared with Joshua?

There was an extreme difference this time around. Of the few men she entertained in the past, not many had measured up to Derek. She would constantly compare their appearances, salaries and manners to his. She thought that he was the best she could ever do. She now realized that she really hadn't gotten over him, and sought these men in hopes of making him jealous. She had unintentionally placed him on a pedestal and suffered for it.

Of course things never turned out as she hoped, and she was left alone without so much as a kind word or apology from Derek. But she no longer felt the need to compare anyone to him. He was no longer impressive in her eyes. Brian had stolen his spotlight and she felt good about that, regardless of their rocky history.

She wanted Brian to be a part of her life, no matter how insignificant. Joshua's happiness was paramount, yet even she felt content in his presence. Maybe there really could be something there. She was a little skeptical, but knew that he was trying his best to make up for past mistakes. He could have avoided her, but chose not to. She would keep an open mind and base her decision on tonight's events.

The doorbell rang suddenly, and she looked to the clock, fastened against the kitchen wall. It was only a quarter past seven.

"What the hell?" she snorted.

Why couldn't Derek just take a hint? She had no patience for his antics, but she marched to the door anyway, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" she thought. "I need to get rid of him, and fast before Joshua sees him."

Kiara approached the door with her mean face on, but was only greeted by a smiling Brian. She was taken aback, because he looked quite different from when she last saw him. At 6'2, she had always thought of him as a tall and rugged Marlboro man. He seemed quite fond of wearing jeans and t-shirts as his main garb. At the last party, he had donned that same unkempt look, while everyone else had dressed formally. He never seemed to care much about grooming either, because he was normally unshaven, and his blonde curls were always long and hidden by a baseball cap.

Now a gentleman stood before her with a dozen red roses in one hand, and a large sky-blue gift box in the other. She didn't know what to say and just stared at his unfamiliar, yet gorgeous form. His dirty blonde hair was no longer wild and flapped in the breeze. Instead it was cut short, and slicked back to reveal his handsome features. His cobalt blue eyes seemed even more vivid now, and his high cheekbones and chiseled jaw, gave him a look of sophistication. He had also ditched the t-shirt and jeans look, and worn a charcoal grey suit with a matching tie.

"Wow...you look..."and she paused, not knowing whether she should use the word "handsome" to describe him.

"Different?" he smiled and presented her with the large bouquet.

"Yes. If I didn't know better, I would've thought you were a businessman or something."

"You don't like it?" he asked and raised his golden eyebrows.

"No, I do...I just...wasn't expecting you so soon." she said, and her cheeks flushed with heat.

Her fingers shook as she accepted the bouquet, and she tried her best not to fumble and drop them.

"I know. I wanted to hang out with Joshua before dinner. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Sure. Oh, I'm sorry, come in." she said, realizing that in her dumbfounded state, she'd forgotten to invite him in.

"Thank you." he said and walked past her.

He even wore cologne, and the spiced fragrance made her heart flutter as he brushed past. She wanted to steal him away and keep him close, but as he said, he was only here for Joshua.

The words stung, but she ushered him into her tiny and simply furnished living room. Joshua sat on the tanned carpet and was playing one of his video games. He wasn't dressed as formally as his elders, and had on a light blue polo shirt with khaki shorts. He was too engaged in his game to even realize that he wasn't alone anymore.

"Thank you for the roses" Kiara whispered, not wanting to alert her son to their presence. "I never expected a gift."

"You're welcome." he smiled. "I got Joshua something too. I think he'll really like it."

"That wasn't necessary Brian. You already did something nice for us. You didn't have to get us anything else."

"Are you always going to be like that?" he teased with a grin. "I wanted to, so take it easy. I like treating a lady to nice things."

She shook her head and smiled, "Okay, Marlboro man!"

He returned the smile and it warmed her heart. She hoped that her cooking would please him tonight. He had already done much in such a short time and deserved a decent meal.

"Hey Josh!" he called out, while Kiara gazed at him in awe. Her eyes hadn't gotten used to his transformation.

Joshua quickly turned around from his trance-like state and squealed, "Brian! You're here!"

"Yup! I wanted to hang out with you for a little bit, so I came early. What you playing?"

"Need for Speed. Want to race with me?"

"Sure...but I'm not so good at these games buddy."

"It's not hard. Come on I'll teach you."

"Alright. Sounds like a plan. Oh and I got you a little something." he said, and handed Joshua the blue gift box.

The box was huge in Joshua's hands, but light enough for him to support it.

"Really? What is it?" Joshua asked excitedly.

"Open it up!" Brian smiled, as he got on one knee to match Joshua's height.

Kiara enjoyed this little scene. Brian seemed to bond with Joshua so effortlessly, and it made her happy to see her son in such high spirits. Without waiting another second, Joshua lifted the box's lid and let the cover fall to the floor. He gingerly unfolded the opaque tissue paper, and lifted a tiny, black, felt cowboy hat from inside. Immediately, Joshua placed the hat over his head and it was a perfect fit.

"When you get back from your grandma's I'm going to ask your mom to take you riding again. Every cowboy deserves a good hat right?" Brian winked at him.

"Yup!" Joshua said, and flung his arms around Brian.

Kiara laughed at them. It was a very sweet gesture, and she would give him some slack for wanting to let Joshua ride alone.

"How do I look mommy?" Joshua grinned.

"It looks really good on you baby. I can't wait to see you in action."

"Can I wear it to dinner?"

"Okay but just for tonight, alright? Did you say thank you to Brian?" she reminded him.

"Thank you Brian!" Joshua smiled.

"No problem little guy." Brian chuckled. "Ready to teach me how to play?"

"Yeah, come on!"

She would have liked to stay with them, but her attention was needed in the kitchen.

"Okay guys!" she said. "I'm going to have dinner ready in a little while, so don't get too caught up in the games."

"Need any help?" Brian asked, as he rose from the floor.

"No, I'm okay. You two have some fun. I'll let you guys know when it's time to eat."

"Okay, but if you need me, give a holler."

"I will." she smiled, and turned towards the kitchen.

She really did want him to join her. She enjoyed looking at him. It was then that she seriously began to entertain the idea of asking him over more often. Even now, her fingers still trembled with excitement and her heart trip-hammered in her chest as she thought of his smile. She went a little further and imagined what his mouth would feel like on hers. She longed to know what he tasted like...but they had a long way to go before any of that could happen. She was unsure of whether he even found her attractive.

She had gotten her hair and nails done, and worn a cute little black dress that was sexy, yet appropriate in the company of Joshua. She wanted to impress Brian, but he never showed any signs of interest. This was a little disheartening, and she began to feel foolish. At first she hadn't cared so much about catching his eye, but now she was fretting over if he found her pretty enough.

"This is all Cat's fault." she sighed.

She wondered what Cat would think if she could see him now. With a cooler head, she realized that he had indeed over gone this major change for her. Joshua already loved him and wouldn't have cared about his appearance. Maybe after Joshua was gone, she could spend a little one on one time with him; something not involving only dinner. That would definitely be something to look forward to.

Brian lay back on the couch and watched as Joshua expertly maneuvered his racing cars on the television screen. He had played a few rounds but preferred to watch Joshua. He hadn't expected to feel very comfortable in their home. For a brief moment, he had even thought of her as the enemy. But then, she and Cat had probably thought of him in the same way. Still, he felt quite at ease now and was surprised that he didn't want to go anywhere that she wasn't; namely home.

She had left him and Joshua alone but he wanted to break away and go to her. He had given her the shock of her life by dressing up, but he wanted to please her. At the last minute he decided to get her a present. He had already gotten the hat for Joshua a month prior and wanted to do something that would possibly accelerate the pace of their new relationship.

Kiara had greeted him at the door with a look of annoyance but her anger quickly melted away, which gave a hint of mutual attraction. She was speechless and he tried his best to not laugh at her. Not many had ever seen him like this and anyone would have been easily shocked by his makeover. Despite her expression, she was beautiful tonight. She had also dressed up and worn a pretty black dress. It was a simple knee-length style which would have been drab and unflattering on any other woman, but Kiara was a knockout in the dress.

His mind was riddled with fantasies of slipping the loose sleeves down to her shoulders and brushing his lips against her cocoa-toned flesh. His lips quivered as he thought of taking her to bed and exploring every inch of her body with his tongue. It was a shameful thing to have such thoughts with her son right next to him but he couldn't help it. The more he tried to suppress his lust, the more irritated he became. He treasured their new friendship but the underlying fantasy of having her was more powerful. He wondered what his younger self would have thought of all this.