It's Only Love (The Matthews Family)

“I was looking around to see if you were a solo tonight,” I flirted, and wondered where it was coming from. I had a man. One that I was about tired of; but still, that is not the way I like to do things. I was in a committed relationship and that meant that I didn’t flirt with other men.

“No, I’m a solo too.” He folded his arms across that hard chest of his. “But now I’m curious.”

“What are you curious about?”

“Why would—what’s his name?”

“Lloyd.”

“Yeah. Why would Lloyd let you go to the movies by yourself?”

“Truth?”

“Truth.”

“When I told him that I was going to see a movie starring Dorothy Dandridge, he said he’d never heard of her.”

“No point in asking him then.”

“I came to the same conclusion,” I admitted, and now I was curious. “What about you; why are you alone?” I asked, and started inching toward the exit with him walking next to me.

“Pretty much the same reason. Most people I know aren’t into old movies, so after awhile I stopped asking people to go with me.”

“They never understand it and don’t quite get why you do,” I said, as he opened and held the door for me as I exited the theater.

“So, since we are both alone, would you like to get some coffee or something? There’s a Brick Coffee House nearby.”

I looked at my watch. “I don’t think so. Not tonight anyway.”

“Well, at least let me walk you to your car,” Victor offered, and I was instinctively about to say no when he said, “How can a lady walk alone.” Paraphrasing a line from “Dere’s A Cafe On De Corner” from Carmen Jones. “A lady oughta have a man to escort her to her car.”

I melted. “Sure.”

Not for the first time did I think about how much he dwarfed me in size. I’d often been described as tall, compared to most women at five foot six, but walking next to Victor, who looked to be at least six two with broad shoulders, I felt petite, feminine, and protected. As we walked from the theater toward the parking lot, I noticed how relaxed he was, how fluid his movements were. The intensity of his gaze a week ago and again today; the way he moved. How good he looked right now made me conjure thoughts of how good he’d be at touching me the way I liked; making love to me the way I liked. My face got warm just thinking about what I shouldn’t have been thinking about. I was taken, so Victor should not be on my mind right now.

“What are you thinking about, Natasha?”

His words took me away from my delicious thoughts. I stopped and told him a lie. “Nothing at all. Well, maybe about all the things I have on my agenda for tomorrow. What were you thinking about?”

He looked away before pinning me with his intense brown eyes. “You.”

I swallowed hard before trying to end this before it started, but he wouldn’t let me. “I know you were at the wedding with your man, so I know you shouldn’t go out with me; but there is something about you that I can’t shake. So even if I can’t have you now,” he paused before continuing, “I would at least like to be your friend.”

I looked at him, and when I felt that same pull that I felt at the reception I turned to get to my car, but he grabbed my hand. With anyone else, especially a man, that would have alarmed me. It was dark outside and there weren’t many people around. I didn’t know him but his touch ignited something inside of me. It made me want to be closer to him and never leave again. He almost made me want to take him up on his offer and invite him over for a cup, which would have been problematic since I live with Lloyd.

“How about you give me your number and I’ll call you?” It was all I could offer. I couldn’t commit to something I wasn’t even supposed to be doing.

He smiled like that was enough . . . for now.

And I smiled back.

I knew this should be the moment where I leave, but again, there was that pull, and admittedly I wasn’t quite ready to end this. So I made a lame attempt to start up a conversation. I asked him whether he was going to see Stormy Weather. He was on to me, if his smirk was any indication, but he went with it and I got so caught up in his almost childlike enthusiasm for finally getting to see the Nicholas Brothers dance on the big screen, that I thought maybe I’d like to go with him.

When we got to the car, I unlocked the door but I didn’t get in. Considering what I was doing and how I was feeling, I wasn’t ready to go home. So Victor and I talked at the car for the next hour. I leaned against the car and he leaned on the car next to me, shoulder to shoulder. Standing this close to Victor excited me. Every fiber in my being wanted to say it doesn’t have to end. I wanted to keep talking to him, and I could tell that he wanted to keep talking to me. I thought about what it would feel like if he were to kiss me right now.

And then we both chose the polite option.

“But I have to go.” I open the car door and got in.