“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the gestures, but I can do all these things myself. I was doing all of it before we met.”
“Yes, and I recall how much you complained about not being pampered, and having to do it all on your own. You wanted someone to spoil you on occasion and make you feel special—remember?”
“Yes,” Tiffany replied with a frown.
“And he’s giving you just what you asked for. Why are you resisting it? It’s like you’re purposely not allowing yourself to be happy, to just enjoy being with a man who’s so attentive.”
Tiffany flopped into a chair. “Is that what I’m doing?”
Her friend got up and walked over to her. “Honey, this isn’t the first time you’ve mentioned that Ivan being so focused on you is getting under your skin. The question I’m trying to get you to ask yourself is why does it bother you so much? You should give that some thought, Tiff. I’ve got to run. I’m meeting Adrian for dinner.” Milán kissed her cheek. “Have fun tonight, and we’ll talk later, okay?”
“Thanks,” Tiffany said absentmindedly.
She was sitting in the same spot when her doorbell rang minutes later. She stood up and checked her reflection in the mirror, pasted on a big smile and went to answer the door.
*
Bowling with Ivan and the group from class was more fun than Tiffany had imagined. She was not good at it, but with Ivan’s coaching and the support from her teammates, she got her first strike five frames into their first game. When they fell, Tiffany screamed with excitement and did a little dance.
“Is that your happy dance?” Ivan laughed.
She spun around a final time before pointing to the scoreboard. “I’m above thirty now,” she said triumphantly.
“Way to go,” he said supportively. “You’re improving.”
“Hey, let me take your picture,” Gladys said.
Ivan pulled Tiffany to his side while the elderly woman took their picture with her cell phone.
She glanced up at them afterward and said, “I’m taking another one. You two are too boring. Come on, Ivan, get in close and give your woman a smooch!”
He bent down to kiss Tiffany. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.
“That’s better,” Gladys said. “Would you like me to email it to you?”
Ivan’s eyes widened. “You know how to do that?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. My grandkids gave me an iPhone for my birthday, and they’ve been showing me all sorts of stuff. Next week they’re teaching me something called “Just Dance.” Like I don’t know how to dance already.”
“Hi.” A man came upon the group. “I’m Charles Waters. I work for ChiTown magazine.” He handed Ivan his card. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure,” Ivan replied.
“I write an online column and get a lot of followers on my social media sites who are interested in community issues. Colonel Mangum, I heard from a very reliable source that you donate your time and money to help out community-center patrons by teaching self-defense classes and that you’ve also supported local businesses in our area by installing security systems.”
Ivan’s eyebrows rose higher. “A reliable source?”
“Yes, sir. I’ve also heard that your company donates time and money to global and local charities. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions and take some pictures?”
Looking decidedly uncomfortable, Ivan seemed about to say no when Tiffany whispered into his hear to remind him of the seniors who were mulling around with excitement.
“They want this for you, Ivan. Just say yes.”
“I don’t need to draw attention to myself,” he whispered, and then smiled at the crowd. “I enjoy what I do,” he continued in a subdued voice. “I want to help my community where I can. Nothing more.”
“I know,” she murmured, “but it’s obvious someone must’ve placed a bug in the reporter’s ear. You’ll disappoint them if you say no.”
He glanced around for a moment, and then said yes. A round of cheers went up, and the group buzzed around the table where Ivan was being interviewed.