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“They can watch it in the corner. I’ll set up a little table for them as well so that they can eat.”

  “Does that sound good? You hungry?” Nigel asked Andre and rubbed his tummy. Andre giggled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Regina set the kids up in front of the movie with plates and went to set things out in the kitchen now that people were starting to arrive. When she got back, the kids were glued to an animated film about robots, and the three men were engaged in a lively debate over old-school dance music. Regina didn’t know much of what they were talking about, but it had Ellison off his seat, and before she knew it, the three men were doing some step from back in the day, clapping each other’s backs and laughing out loud.

  She raised an eyebrow in question, and the men broke out laughing again.

  Nigel slid his arm around her back as she neared, still laughing. She saw Jason taking mental notes, but there was nothing she could do.

  “Actually, should I put on some music?” Jason asked.

  “Funkadelic,” Ellison said.

  “Hush, now,” Jason said. “That’s before your time.”

  “Technically, it’s before all of our times,” Nigel said. “It was the sampling that turned us on to all the older stuff.”

  “Ice Cube,” they said in unison.

  “You have no idea what we’re talking about, do you, sweetie?” Nigel teased.

  “I know Parliament Funkadelic—kind of.”

  The three men laughed, and she didn’t mind that it was at her expense. She was glad that they were all getting on so well. She got up, put on some music and checked on the kids. When she sat down, the conversation had turned to money, finances and the economy. Knowing Jason and Nigel, she guessed this would be another heated topic. She was glad she had to leave them to get the door.

  Guests had started coming. Amelie brought a date. Little Tenisha was there, along with her parents, and she joined the boys for the movie. A couple of her coworkers from her morning job came. Several of her college friends who where still in the area stopped in. One even remembered Nigel.

  “No, it isn’t Nigel Johns!” Simone yelled.

  The two hugged enthusiastically. Simone had been one of Regina’s closest friends and knew Nigel well.

  “Simone. You were my big sister. Man, I was a pain in your butt, wasn’t I?”

  They both laughed.

  “Not all the time.”

  The two stepped aside to catch up.

  When the movie was done, Nigel went to amuse the kids for a while, but little Andre was cranky and started to cry. Nigel gathered Andre up and placed him on his shoulder, and then came to Regina.

  “I’m not an expert, but I think this one is tuckered out. I better head home.”

  “You can put him down in my room.”

  “Actually,” Nigel said, “let me call his mother so she knows we’re still here. Can she pick him up from here?”

  “Sure.”

  Regina spent parts of the night next to Nigel and other parts with her other friends. Toward eleven o’clock, though, the gathering had gotten thin, and by midnight, it was as it had begun: Jason, Ellison, Nigel and Regina.

  Regina got up to start loading the dishwasher when the buzzer rang.

  “That’ll be Michelle.”

  “I got it,” Regina said on her way.

  Regina welcomed Michelle in, got her something to eat and kept her company in the kitchen while doing some cleaning up.

  “Why don’t I know you from Charleston? I lived not too far from Nigel,” Regina said.

  “Our families weren’t that close. We saw each other for weddings and funerals—that kind of thing,” Michelle explained. “I was also a bit wild.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  When she was done, Michelle started helping Regina pick things up.

  “Stop. You don’t have to do that.”

  “I don’t mind. Nigel really likes you. That makes you like family. You’re lucky, Regina. He’s a good guy.”

  Regina didn’t know what to do with the comment, so she simply smiled.

  After Michelle left with Andre, Jason and Ellison got ready to leave with Kyle. At the door, Jason bent down and whispered to her.

  “We need to talk, honey. I need a major update.”

  He nodded toward Nigel, who was saying good-night to Ellison, and winked at her. “Overnight guest?”

  Regina waved him away but smiled as Nigel and Ellison approached them.

  “Nice to meet you,” Nigel said to Jason, shaking his hand.

  “You, too,” said Jason.

  When the door closed, Regina was left standing alone with Nigel.

  She looked up at him.

  “You want help with the rest of the cleanup?”

  “Okay.”

  “I was worried about you after today,” Nigel said.

  She was doing some of the dishes in the sink, and he was wrapping up the leftovers.

  “I’m over it, for now at least.”

  “Good. It’ll be okay. Hey, we’re almost done. You up for a late-night movie?”

  “Like?”

  “I still have the one the kids watched.”

  She laughed. “That sounds fun. And thank you for bringing the pasta and for the sweetgrass basket. It’s perfect. You didn’t have to.”

  “I wanted to. And I had a great time tonight.”

  She knew he had. He had laughed a lot, and the serious man he had become had slipped away for the night.

  They curled up together on the couch and started the movie. It was strange to her—the way they were getting along. She needed to process it, figure it out, but right then, it simply felt comfortable.

  “Oh, no. The robots’ children are being reprogrammed,” Nigel cried, and they both laughed. “What do they make for kids these days?”

  “Stop. It’s cute.”

  He rubbed her head. “Aww.”

  Regina found herself looking at him more than the movie, and finally she turned to simply stare. She stopped and turned her head back to the television as she reached up and ran her fingers down his face. She repositioned herself on the couch and bent toward him until her mouth was next to his ear. But she didn’t say anything. She kissed his lobe and ran her tongue along the inside of his ear.

  Nigel got still for a moment, but as she continued, he brought his hands to rest around her back. She wanted to turn him on. She had never wanted to turn a man on so much in her life.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No. Hell, no.”

  Regina moved down from his ear to his neck, moving her hand up to his chest. Frustrated, she pulled his shirt out of his pants and slid her hands underneath, playing with his nipples.

  He moaned softly, and she felt her womanhood inflame. Turning him on was making her hot and wet, and she didn’t want to stop.

  She shifted herself onto him, straddling his thighs, and brought her mouth to his, gently running her lips over his before opening her mouth to him. He dragged her up his lap to sit flush against his body, but she didn’t want him to be the one in control, not just yet.

  When she started rocking her hips over his thighs, Nigel moaned and squeezed her waist.

  “Can you feel that?” she asked.

  “Yes, yes.”

  She unbuttoned his shirt to have freer access to his chest. Then she pulled her dress over her head and took off her bra. She ran her breasts over his chest, rocking her hips over him until the center of her heat undulated over his manhood. Then she couldn’t help moaning.

  Nigel moved his hand over one of her breasts, but she took it away and pressed herself back against his chest. Then Nigel moved his hand between them, using
his thumb to caress her. She knew that he must feel her wetness through the thin mesh of her panties. But at that moment, such exquisite anguish filled her body that she could only cry out and oscillate against him.

  She hadn’t meant it to happen this way, but as his finger moved over her, it filled her body with an excruciating ache. She pulled back from him and gripped his shoulders as pleasure tore through her center. His finger continued to move over her, and she couldn’t stop herself from rocking over it, from riding along his body. She couldn’t stop, even knowing that he was watching her shameless gyration. As her womanhood convulsed, she cried out, shuddering as waves of contractions flowed through her center.

  When her body had started to calm, she felt naked and embarrassed and looked at him to see what he was thinking. His eyes were glazed over with passion, but he must have seen her hesitation.

  “That was the most erotic thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said, looking directly in her eyes.

  She smiled and kissed him, grateful.

  Then she felt down between them.

  “It’s not over yet.”

  She got up from his lap and pulled him up with her. Then she took his hand and led him to the bedroom. It was late, but she was going to have her way the rest of the night.

  Chapter 14

  Nigel switched the phone from one ear to the other.

  “I can’t tonight,” Regina said on the other line. “I just found out that my father’s having surgery. They didn’t tell me because they didn’t want to worry me with all that I have on my plate right now. But it’s major surgery, and it’s tomorrow. My aunt, his sister, has already flown in from Charleston to New Jersey. I can’t take my car, and the last Amtrak train leaves at ten o’clock, which I can’t make. Maybe I should just take my car.”

  “Slow down. What’s going on?”

  Regina took a breath that was audible over the line. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to unload on you. I’m just a bit frantic right now.”

  “Why can’t you drive?”

  “I’ve been having minor trouble with my car. A pinging sound that comes and goes, trouble starting sometimes. I don’t trust it before the next tune-up.”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “You have to work tomorrow.”

  “I can get back in time. I’m checking driving times online right now. What time do you want to leave?”

  “It’s almost nine now. How about ten, when the train leaves? I can’t make it to the station, but I can be ready by then.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll get a snack for myself on the way and see you at ten. It takes three and a half hours to get to Trenton. It’s a straight shot on I-95. We’ll make it fine, and I’ll be back in time for work.”

  “You’ll be up all night.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll see you at ten.”

  Nigel changed out of his good suit, stopped for a sandwich at a convenience store and headed over to Regina’s early. He ate on the couch while she called her mom, started packing, called work and left a message, emailed her boss, called Amelie about the booth at Eastern Market over the weekend, finished packing and changed. It was nine forty-five when she was done with everything and sat down to fidget. He ate his late dinner knowing that his main job was to simply be there and to stay out of the way.

  “If you’re ready, let’s leave early so you can get some sleep when you get there,” he said.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep, but we might as well go.”

  “Don’t worry.” He rubbed her shoulder. “You’ll be there soon.”

  Along the way Nigel learned that they’d found a growth in her father’s liver. Tests couldn’t tell if it was malignant or benign, but the goal was to go in and get it out regardless.

  Regina was nervous, and he did his best to ease her tension, but all he could really do was listen and be an arm for her to rest on.

  They got to Trenton just after one and to her parents’ house before one-thirty. Regina’s parents were asleep, but her aunt let them in. He stayed long enough to use the restroom, make sure Regina had her cell phone and say good-night.

  She walked him to the door, worry written over her features.

  “Try not to stress, Reggie,” he said.

  He pulled her into his arms, and she clung to him for a moment. He tightened his embrace and just held her.

  They didn’t stir until she took a deep breath and let go.

  “Thank you, Nigel. This means—”

  He found her mouth with his and muffled her words. He felt her open to his kiss, and when he pulled away, her arms remained wrapped around his neck.

  “I’ll be there for you, Reggie,” he said. “I’ll never let you down again.”

  “Thank you.”

  They didn’t step apart until they heard Regina’s aunt rustling in the kitchen. They lingered for a moment and moved together into one final hug.

  “He’s in good hands,” Nigel said. “Don’t worry.”

  Regina nodded, and he turned to go.

  He was home in time to grab a couple hours of sleep before heading to the office.

  He spoke to her a couple of times that week. The surgery had gone well, and the tumor was benign. It was relatively small, and her father would be home recovering by the end of the week.

  “When should I come pick you up?”

  “I can take the train back. It’s not a panic like it was coming here.”

  “I can come pick you up. That way, I get to see you, spend a little time with you. Just tell me when.”

  She hesitated for a minute.

  “With my aunt here and my dad doing well, I don’t need to stay too long. Why don’t you come on Saturday, stay over and we can leave on Sunday?”

  “Do your parents have room for me, or should I find a hotel? I don’t mind staying in a hotel. In fact, it would be best, with your father just home recovering.”

  “No. There’s a den with a pullout sofa. It won’t be a problem.”

  Now it was his turn to hesitate. “Sure?”

  “Sure.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there at noon on Saturday,” he said. “That gives us time to run errands.”

  “See you then.”

  “Bye, baby.”

  He spent a good part of the week working on the designs he had for her application and getting more information from Amelie for his plans. As the weekend approached, he was more than ready to see her again, though he was nervous about meeting her parents after all that had happened between them. And he was right to be nervous, at least in part.

  * * *

  He called her just before he got there to let her know he was close. She met him at the door of her parents’ home in Trenton’s West Ward. They greeted each other with a brief hug, but he gritted his teeth as she led him inside.

  “Mom, Aunt April, you remember Nigel.”

  Her mother was the one to speak.

  “I don’t have to think too hard after how he broke your heart.”

  “I know, Mom. That was a while ago.”

  Nigel finally found his voice. “Hello, Mrs. Gibson.”

  He stood near the door with his backpack, looking into the living room where the two older women were seated. Behind them was a dining set and a doorway leading to the kitchen, and off to his left were stairs leading up to the second story.

  As he took in their home, Regina’s mother was eyeing him up and down, making it clear that “a while ago” didn’t matter. He had broken her baby’s heart.

  “Well, come in. Put your things down in here.”

  “How is Mr. Gibson doing, ma’am?”

  She sighed and softened a bit. “We brought him home yesterday. Still
has pain but has medication to take. They just rush folks out of the hospital these days. Soon as he could walk down the hall, they let him go. But the good thing is that the surgery went well, so he’s out. Sleeping now.”

  “This is for him.”

  Nigel handed her a gift bag that held a housecoat and a toiletry set. She looked inside but didn’t take anything out.

  “That’s thoughtful of you. We’ll wait ’til he wakes before giving it to him.

  “Well, Nigel Johns.” She turned to face him and looked at him hard. “I ain’t forgot how you tore this one to pieces.” She gestured at Regina, and he swallowed hard. “But I thank you for bringing her up here Monday night and for coming to get her.”

  He could tell that he was being placed on warning. He’d done it once. He better not do it again, not even if he was being nice about bringing her home.

  “It’s no problem at all, Mrs. Gibson.”

  “You look like you made out okay for yourself. How’re your folks? They still in the old neighborhood?”

  “Yes, ma’am. They’re still in Charleston in the same place. They’re doing fine.”

  Thankfully, Regina stepped in.

  “Nigel, I have some errands for us to run.”

  “And I need to check on your father,” her mother said.

  After Regina’s mother went upstairs, her aunt April came out of the kitchen and offered them some iced tea.

  “I remember you, too, son. You turned out good. Don’t worry about Maretha too much. She’ll come around.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  It was thanks for both the tea and the welcoming words.

  Nigel exhaled and turned to Regina. “Errands sound good.”

  They both chuckled.

  “I’m sorry about my mom.”

  “Don’t be. She’s right to be protective of you.”

  “I know, but I’m still sorry.”

  Nigel put down his empty glass. “Let’s get to those errands.”

  “Aunt April, when we come back, we’re taking you out to dinner. Okay?”

  “That’ll be nice. Y’all be careful.”

  They picked up a few movies in the department store—a couple of Westerns for her father, a couple for them to watch that night.