Shanice and the Questionnaire

Simone answered, "He went and practiced with Leroy and William on Saturday morning."

Shanice asked, "He went bowling with them?"

Jasmine pointed out, "He's always asking the guys for tips on how to bowl better."

Shanice asked, "He does?"

This is when Simone and Diamond glanced at one another. They wondered.

Jasmine changed the subject, "I see Bubba was talking to you."

Shanice said. "I heard he's interested in Lachelle."

Jasmine rolled her eyes, "What a surprise."

Simone frustrated with the attention Lachelle seemed to get, "Why can't guys she what she's after?"

Jasmine answered, "They're guys."

Shanice did mention, "Maybe Lachelle isn't what everyone says she is."

They all knew why Shanice would say this.

Simone always believed the rumors about Shanice were over exaggerated.

Shanice watched as drinks were brought to the table where Ryan and his teammates were bowling. She liked the fact Ryan never drank alcohol.

Simone mentioned, "I was thinking about setting Ryan up with Susan."

Diamond asked, "Which Susan?"

Simone answered, "The white gal who works at the nail shop."

Jasmine made a face and asked, "You didn't know?"

They all looked at her, "What?"

Jasmine answered, "She's dating Monique."

They all looked at her.

Simone said, "You just never know."

For the next half hour they talked about who they could set Ryan up with. Simone suggested a black friend of theirs. They debated among themselves if Ryan would date a black woman. It seemed to Simone this conversation intrigued Shanice.

Shanice never stopped paying attention to Ryan; she was excellent at hiding the fact she was doing so. This was the first time in her life she was attracted to anyone of a different race. She: felt he was in good shape (he wasn't an athlete by any means but he wasn't a mess), liked his manly features, he was always clean shaved, she liked his dark eyes, they were darker than some of the men she had dated, his curly dark hair was turning gray, he had a lot of hair, and she liked his smile; out of all his physical traits this is what she liked best. It was fascinating to her on how he kept bowling in this league. He was who he was, never apologized for it, at the same time never belittled anyone else for who they were. She liked the fact he admitted to what he knew and didn't know. She watched closely as he often tried different desserts and different foods he never tried before. From time to time he showed his sense of humor. Like the time a bunch of the guys challenged him to play a few songs on the jukebox. He played: Nat King Cole, the Temptations, Rick James, the Gap Band, En Vogue, and Charlie Pride. A couple of the older guys confirmed Charlie Pride was indeed a black artist. Shanice knew this because her mother taught music history at the University and her father was one of the jazz musicians who often played at the jazz club.

She felt there was a lot to consider. Even with Ryan being poor and without a car she felt he had a lot of the traits she was looking for. He: seemed to have a good heart, he knew a great deal about music, he treated all the women well, he worked, never once drank, never swore, he lived on his own, and he was older. She knew way to many guys her age, no matter what their race, who still lived with their parents or didn't have a plan. Lately she was more attracted to older men. There seemed to be less drama and it seemed as though they cared more. Men her age only seemed to be after sex; she liked sex but this wasn't everything.

Many claimed race didn't matter; she wished this wasn't the case. She had witnessed what many interracial couples went through, of many different races, and she felt it was never easy. She was certain her family would accept him but would his family accept her? Family was important to Shanice. If she would commit to a long term relationship she felt the success or failure of this had a lot to do with family. She felt she needed to find out if he was open to the idea of having a long term relationship with a black woman. Just because he was willing to hang out with black people didn't mean he wanted to have a relationship with a black woman.

She watched Ryan step over to a guy on another team and congratulate him. She noted is sincerity. Not one person in the whole league ever suggested he was fronting. She was honestly surprised on how attracted she was to him.

Something that legitimately concerned her. By glancing at his area she assume he wasn't very big; of course she wouldn't know for sure until she saw it. She had sex with guys who were both big and small. Both had their pluses and minuses. The reason she felt small guys were mostly on the minus column were their lack of confidence. Her worst sexual experience was with a guy who insisted he was large. What made him a bad lover was his denial and he kept pressuring her to tell him it was large. She was to honest of a person to tell lie to him, he broke up with her when she told him the truth. She never wanted to go through that again. She experienced the flip side as well. She was with a guy who was very large; but he was a lazy lover who felt his cock was all a woman needed. The one thing she never put up with was a guy trying to jam it in before she was ready. She left a guy laying there because of this. What she liked best was a guy who was above average in length and understood the importance of foreplay; if he liked it even better. She worried if she had sex with Ryan she wouldn't be able to feel it. There were times when she just wanted a good humping or she wanted to ride it. She wondered if she would miss just a good hump.

The last thing she had to consider. Did he like her? There was the possibility, even if he wanted to date a black women; he was interested in someone else. She felt many of the women who hung out here were far better looking than she was. A couple of the ladies joked about having sex with Ryan; she sometimes wondered if this was a joke. Guys were put off by her bluntness and unwillingness to deal with stupid behavior. The least thing she wanted was drama.

No matter what race a guy was, she wanted to be with a man who was loyal. She felt an added worry was if a beautiful white women showed him interest he dump her to date a woman of his own race. She worried he would have sex with a black woman because he was curious about it. Nothing hurt worse than allowing herself to love a man and he cheat on her.

She was concerned about her perceived reputation. She hoped any man who was interested in her understood she was a different person. This didn't mean she disliked sex any less. As a matter of fact she felt she liked sex more. She believed she would be a much better lover now than ever before. What was frustrating about her reputation. Is she had friends from a variety of races who slept around with far more people than she ever did and they never received the reputation she did. She often wondered if women of other races received the same sort of ridicule? Did they get called nasty things because they admitted to liking sex? Did they receive the same negative ridicule when they told a guy what they would put with or not? She could only go by what she experienced. As a black woman who stood up for herself and admitted to liking sex she was considered a slut.

She hated the word slut.

She smiled when Ryan had eight strikes in a row. She felt bad for him when he left one pin. She was happy when the guys congratulated him for the eight strikes. Shanice was certain Ryan would have felt great if he rolled a perfect game.

Ryan sat down and looked up at the table. He always looked for the table where Simone, Diamond, Jasmine, and Shanice sat. He was surprised on how many attractive women just hung out and watched the guys bowl. This was the first time in his life he was around so many single black women. He felt Shanice was one of the most interesting and attractive women he ever met. He liked the variety of outfits she wore. He especially liked: the pattern dresses, the jumpsuits, the jeans she wore (she often wore jeans with detailing or they were flared), the jewelry she wore; he found it fascinating when she wore ankle bracelets. He would never forget the time she wore black leather pants, a red top, and a long sleeved duster. He felt she looked both attractive and feminine in the spring outfit she was currently wearing. She was wearing a white jumpsuit with a green and orange tropical print. He: liked the beaded necklace, the orange and white bracelets, the orange thing she tied around her waist (he was unsure of what this was called), the ankle bracelet with a gold charm, and the wedges with orange straps; he missed the fact she had a light jacket and an orange purse hanging over her chair.

He often found himself trying not to stare at her. He liked her: oval shaped face, rounded chin, soft jaw line, short but wide nose, noticeable cheeks, and loved it when she smiled. He felt she was one of most feminine women he every met. Before meeting her he never really paid attention to lips or lipstick. He found her lips to be fascinating and the variety of lipstick she wore were irresistible. What he noticed first was her smile and her long dark hair. He felt her dark eyes were amazing; he believed no other woman had the eyes she had. He adored her small breasts. It took a lot of effort to avoid staring at her backside. He liked how noticeable it was but it wasn't to big; he sometimes imagined grabbing her butt and or teasingly smacking it. He hoped one day he could caress her dark skin.

The reason he hadn't asked her out was because of his financial situation. He heard she was a successful business woman. He could have cared less if she was wealthy but would she ignore him because of his lack of wealth. He was working at a warehouse, lived in a studio apartment, and was without a car. He was saving money to move and purchase a car but he would never be able to purchase her an expensive house or expensive things. He surmised a wealthier guy had a much better chance than he did.

He heard what some of the guys said about her. He knew of women with these types of reputations. He found this was often times just talk. Based on her current behavior he believed this was a misplaced reputation. He never understood why a guy could sleep around and he was a stud but if a woman liked sex she was a slut. He wanted to date someone who was upfront on what she liked and disliked.

He could relate to women who complained about bad partners because he experienced one himself. His fiance was a terrible lover. She never wanted to discuss anything sexual and assumed he knew what she'd like. He disliked the fact she would just lay there and expect him to do everything.

He heard the rumor Shanice would only date guys with big cocks. He was certain women avoided sex with him because he was smaller. He had two girlfriends and a friend with benefits who always came back to him. He hoped Shanice wouldn't reject him because of his size, but if she did, there wasn't much he could do about it. He believed if she gave him a chance he would prove to her what a good lover he actually was.

*** Same night at the bowling alley: Tamika and Debbie approach their Uncle ***

He was taken out of his trance when he spotted his two nieces step out of the club and approach him. He immediately stood up.

Everyone started to pay attention when two light skinned black women approached Ryan. They were both in their early twenties. One was five four, petite, had poofy short curly hair, dark eyes, a diamond shaped face, a cute smile, small breasts, and a noticeable backside. The other woman was five eight, was curvier in the hips, had noticeable strong legs, was even lighter skinned than the other woman, was about two years older, it appeared as though she was a natural blond, but she had natural dark highlights throughout her hair. Both had high foreheads, similar chins, and both had wider smiles. The petite one was dressed more like an artist with an artist type of hat on. The tall one was in jeans and a nice button shirt; both were careful to protect their purses. Neither were dressed as if they were seeking attention. It was obvious to the ladies at the table they had left in a hurry and didn't believe they would be staying any length of time.

The ladies at the table were in hearing distance, but they had to focus to hear.

Immediately everyone in listening distance became focused when the taller one said, "UR."

It was Simone who whispered to the group, "He's related to them."

Jasmine whispered back, "Are you sure?"

Simone whispered, "He's talked about having two nieces. She said UR right?"

Diamond asked back in a whisper, "I didn't know they were mixed?"

Simone stated, "I didn't either. But I believe UR is short for Uncle Ryan."

Shanice noticed the three of them had similar family features. Obviously they were not exactly alike because of the blending of the races, but many of their mannerisms were the same. There wasn't any doubt based upon the way they talked, and their body shapes; they were related.

The tall niece, who's name was Debbie, said in a very serious tone, "When did you start bowling here?"

Ryan said, "I've bowled her for a while. It's the best league I've ever been on."

A lot of people heard this.

The petite one, her name was Tamika said, "That's cool. But Momma's worried."

Ryan asked, "Tell her not to worry. I'm with friends."

They heard this too.

Ryan asked, "What brings you here?"

Tamika ignored his question and asked, "How are you getting home?"

"The guys take turns taking me home. They don't want me taking the bus at night."

Debbie glanced over at the guys on his league. She noticed Bubba check her out. She pretended she missed it.

Debbie agreed, "They're right. You live in a city now."

Tamika turned and looked at Ryan, "We keep telling you to pay more attention."

Ryan said, "I don't bother anybody."

The two nieces looked at one another.

Some of the guys who heard this looked at one another. This confirmed the concern some of the ladies at the table had.

Debbie said, "Momma said we're to take you home."

Tamika mentioned, "Momma didn't know why you were down here."

Debbie added, "She sent us here to make sure you were okay."

Ryan answered, "I don't see why she's worrying."

Leroy stepped up to Ryan, "Your up."

Ryan said, "Just wait here for a second."

"Sure."

Ryan went to bowl.

Leroy, Tyrone, Isiah, and Bubba looked at one another. Leroy stood up and walked up to Debbie, "We'll talk to him."

Debbie said, "He sometimes doesn't get it."

Leroy answered, "We make sure he gets home."

Bubba stood up and said in his now blend of southern and Midwestern accent, "Y'all. Nothing will happen to him when I'm around."

Leroy added, "When we're around."

Debbie smiled, "We appreciate it."

Leroy made a point to say, "He's a good guy. We understand he's not from around here."

The two nieces nodded their head.

Simone felt it was a good time to bring them over, "Ladies."

They turned.

Simone waved at them, "Why not sit with us."

The women looked at one another. They would wait until Ryan was done bowling. Tamika was already texting her Mom telling her what was going on. Both stepped over to the table. They would take their beloved Uncle home tonight.

Jasmine and Diamond pulled two chairs up to the table.

Simone introduced everyone then asked, "What's your names?"

The tall one said, "My name is Debbie. This is Tamika."

Tamika with a smile on her face said, "I'm named after my Mom 's Mom. She's named after Dad's mom. Obviously she was the Mom of UR and my Dad."

The group of four looked at one another.

Debbie being blunt said, "Our Mom is from here."

Tamika added, "Our parents met while attending the University of Wisconsin Madison. After they graduated they moved to the town we're from."

Debbie said before anyone would ask, "It'll be to difficult to pronounce."

Tamika added, "It's an American Native name."

They placed their purses on the table and dragged chairs to the table. Tamika assured their Mom they were taking Ryan home. She agreed with her Mom, as smart of a guy he was, they all believed he could be a little naive at times.

Before Debbie could wave the waitress over she stepped up to them.

She said, "The gentleman over there will buy your drinks."

Debbie asked, "Which one?'

"Bubba." She bent down and whispered, "He's a catch."

Debbie asked, "Which one of us does he like?"

The waitress lied, "I'm not sure."

The ladies would talk about this later. Their plan was to ask their Uncle about Bubba.

All four ladies noticed Bubba sit down next to Ryan and start talking to him. Ryan nodded toward Debbie.

Shanice asked, "Why UR?"

Tamika answered, "I don't know. When did it start?"

Debbie added, "I just started to call him that when I was little. It stuck."

While league went on, the two nieces were more than willing to talk about anything and everything. There was absolutely no pretense to anything and would answer question after question. The nieces made a point to tell them. With Ryan being from a smaller community he sometimes just missed how dangerous the city was; this always worried their Mom. The reason their Mom knew he was at the bowling alley was because a long time friend of their Mom was sitting in the bar and noticed Ryan bowling. The friend sent a picture and a text message of Ryan bowling. (The friend met Ryan when he was fixing their Mom's dishwasher.) Their Mom sent numerous texts and even tried to call their Uncle. When Ryan didn't answer the Mom sent her nieces to the bowling alley. The young ladies were informed it was sometimes to loud to hear messages and they never spotted Ryan ever answer a text message. This didn't surprise the two nieces at all; unless it was an emergency he never answered a text with a text. He would call instead. Texting was a rare event for their Uncle.

The nieces continued telling their history. The ladies started with how their Dad passed away when they were in high school. After their Uncle watched over them and their Mom. After graduating high school Debbie went to the University near the city. This way she could be close to their Mom's family. Tamika stayed in Wisconsin and earned a two year degree in electrons and a certification in sound engineering. The Mom and Tamika moved to the city because their grandfather died and all of them felt they needed to live with the grandmother. The Mom was able to get Ryan a really good paying job in the city. Two months after Ryan moved to the city the company shut down. The nieces explained how he was saving up for a car but didn't want to purchase one until he moved from downtown. Both confirmed their Uncle was indeed straight. They confirmed he: was never married, engaged once, and only dated white women. They believe he would be open to dating any minority but where they came from there were only three black families (including themselves) and two Asian families.

They went on to explain their grandfather's brother had married a black women in the late fifties; when it was terribly frowned upon. They had two sons and a daughter. One of the sons and the woman were very close to Ryan. The oldest son ended up marring a black woman. They had two daughters, one was currently engaged to an Asian (from one of the families that lived in town). The nieces explained the sister wasn't in any serious relationship; Debbie speculated she might be a lesbian. The other son married a white woman and they had a son and daughter. Both were to young to get married. The female cousin who was close to Ryan married a white guy, they had a son and daughter. The son married a black woman. The daughter was an unwed mother; the child's father was white. The nieces went out of their way to voice their displeasure of this guy.