Free A Love Like This (Book 1) by Kimberly Lane

Damian in a crowded restaurant.  
    Sarah shatters the quiet by slapping her hands on the table.   “ You guys want to see something funny? ”  
    Pookie   says,   “ Yes please anything to break the tension. ”  
    Sarah looks over at me as I tear into the pancakes.   I ’ ve already finished the okra, French toast and oxtails.     “ Leila   have   you told   Nickie   and   Pookie   about Tucker Bradley? ”     I swallow hard.   My face gets hot and little beads of sweat develop on my upper lip.     Nickie   smiles at me and   Pookie   belts out a hardy laugh.  
    Pookie   says,   “ I didn ’ t know black folks could blush. ”  
    I fan myself with the dessert menu.     “ I ’ m happy to amuse you all, ”   I say leaning back in my chair and sliding the waist band of my sweats down over my stomach.   It was concave just minutes ago now there ’ s a tiny bulge.     “ I think I ’ m going to be sick. ”  
    “ So who is Tucker Bradley, ”   Pookie   says spooning a big heap of cheese grits into his mouth?  
    “ He ’ s just a student teacher in one of my class; well he was until the class ended. ”  
    “ Yeah right, ”   Sarah says.     “ He is not just a student teacher.   Other than the economic crisis and a bunch of other political garbage I don ’ t understand, he ’ s all she ever talks about. ”  
    Nickie   says,   “ I ’ ve never known you to be shy around boys. ”  
    “ That ’ s just it, ”   I say pushing an oxtail bone around the plate with my fork.     “ He ’ s not a boy he ’ s twenty-six, super smart, gorgeous and he ’ s white.   I've never dated a white guy before."
    “ Hello, I ’ m white and you talk to me all the time." Sarah says with a mouth full of food.
    “ Yeah but I don ’ t picture myself licking whipped cream off your ass every time I see you. ”     Everyone stops eating and looks at me with their heads slightly cocked to one side.     “ What?   It ’ s true I get all squishy every time he stands near me.   The problem is compounded by the fact that he has a girl friend and hundreds of groupies. ”  
    “ Aww   sweetie, ”   Nickie   says in a sing song voice then reaches across the table to hold my hand.  
    “ Oh stop being dramatic,   that ’ s my job, ”   Sarah says.     “ The only problem is he ’ s still pissed that you went out with his best friend.  
    “ You never told me , ”   I say.  
    “ It doesn ’ t matter. A little jealousy can be good for a relationship, ”   Sarah says.
    Pookie   pays the check and we all set off towards the dorm.
    “ I ’ m going to have to meet this Tucker, ”   Pookie   says with a big smile.   “ And   Nickie   we ’ re going to find you a man that prefers chicks over dicks, ”   Pookie   says.
    “ Or yoni ’ s over   cajone ’ s, ”   Sarah adds.
    “ What the hell is a yoni, ”   Pookie   asks.
    “ Its Sanskrit for vagina or more literally a woman ’ s holy place, ”   I say.
    “ You made that up, ”   Pookie   says laughing.  
    “ It ’ s a thing, ”   I say.
    Nickie   forces a smile and slows her pace falling behind the group.   I slow down to walk with her while   Pookie   and Sarah trudge ahead cracking jokes and stopping to talk to street vendors.
    “ We ’ re going to have fun this weekend Nick, ”   I say wrapping my arms around her waist.  
    “ I ’ ve missed you, ”   she says and kisses the top of my head.   The best thing about having a big sister is unconditional love.
    Once in the room I shower, wash and condition my hair then cover myself in my favorite Satsuma orange body butter.     Pookie   and   Nickie   take turns flat ironing my hair.   It takes nearly two hours for them to yank and fry my fluffy hair into a long shiny main.   They say my hair is so thick that I ’ ve given them both carpal tunnel   syndrome   by the time it ’ s all done.     Pookie