Dark Or Cream

Chapter 7 – Pour It Up

“I knew it was you,” drawled a tall, handsome man behind her. Kaja slowly turned around and looked up into clear blue eyes. “Kaja, right?”

“Eric?”

He was even more handsome in person than she would’ve imagined. His lone close-up picture on the dating website didn’t do him any justice. His dimples made him look boyishly handsome, but his firm jawline gave him a manly look. Her eyes flew to his smiling lips and the bright flash of white teeth. His dark hair was tousled and lengthy, falling across his forehead. He pushed it back with his hand and reached for a handshake. Kaja stammered a greeting and felt his large, warm hand envelope hers.

“I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to meet you. You look stunning!”

“Thank you,” Kaja said with a smile, blushing.

“Can I hold your hand? Will it bother you if people see you with me? Do I look too country?” Eric grinned and held her hand anyway without waiting for her to answer. He did look relatively rural, but stylish like an Abercrombie ad with a nod to westerns. He wore a cowboy hat and a black shirt unbuttoned to mid chest with a white t-shirt underneath, a brown leather jacket on top. He had on jeans that looked fashionably distressed and expensive leather boots.

Kaja nervously closed her fingers around his and followed him up to the ticket booth. “What do you want to see? Oh, that one looks good.” He pointed to the movie she had seen the night before with Rashan and Kaj shook her head.

“I’ve already seen it. It wasn’t that great.” She pointed at a different movie and he shrugged.

“I guess we could go see that one.”

“You’re not into horror?”

He chuckled, a raspy, sexy sound. “Not much, but I’ll watch it if you want to.”

“No, no,” said Kaja, swatting at his arm. “Let’s try something else. What about that war movie?”

“Now, that’s a little more up to my speed. You like action?” He grinned at her, and his smile was infectious.

“I love action.”

“Alrighty, then.” He dug out his wallet and paid for the tickets. He took her to the concession stand and told her to get whatever she wanted, unlike Rashan who had simply assumed she preferred the buttery popcorn and soda. Kaja selected a fruit smoothie and a bag of cashews, thinking her date with Eric was already off to a better start.

They got wrapped up in the movie right away, and she stole glances at Eric as the story unfolded. His blue eyes danced as explosions filled the screen. He held her hand, but he didn’t paw at her body or invade her space. He didn’t try to kiss her or distract her from the movie. Kaja got engaged in the story and discovered by the time it was done that she didn’t want it to be over.

“They have to come out with a part two!” she squealed as they walked from the theater.

“I bet they will, but I bet it won’t be better than that first one. That director outdid himself this time. I knew it was gonna be good when I saw the previews, but that su*ker was fantastic!”

Kaja laughed at his animation, tugging him with her to her car when he started off in the direction of his. “Come on. I’m thinking we should eat something.”

“No problem, sweetheart. Where do you want to go?”

“I’m gonna take you to my restaurant if you promise me you’ll love my cooking.”

“That’s a given. I guarantee it. I haven’t eaten all day, hoping you’d offer just that, so I’ve got a mighty big appetite built up. You serve big helpings?”

“Heaps and heaps. As much as you can stomach.”

She smiled, caught up in his easy going nature. She felt relaxed, like she didn’t have to perform or play a role. She wasn’t auditioning for love of his life. They were two people having a good time together. Even the drive to the restaurant was fun.

“What station do you listen to?” he asked, fiddling with the knob of the radio.

“That’s a cardinal sin, honey. Don’t touch a black woman’s radio when you get in her car!” Kaja glanced over at him with her lips upturned, although she tried not to smile. He picked up right away that she was teasing.

“Ah, no. I’m messing up already. Well, ma’am, could you please kindly put on some tunes?”

Kaja giggled, saying, “You can turn on the radio, Eric. Put it on whatever station you like.”

She leaned back in her seat and stretched an arm out to the steering wheel, resting the other on the ledge of the open window. Eric turned on the radio and let the station she’d last listened to play. Pop music filled the car instead of her usual hip hop or R&B because she had tried something different on the drive from the beauty parlor in her attempt to get psyched up for the date. He nodded his head to the music, and Kaja had to admit, it wasn’t half bad. It wasn’t what either of them was used to, but it was a happy middle ground.

“So, what’cha cookin’ tonight, good lookin’?”

“Ha! Just tell me, is the lingo an act, or is this how you talk for real?”

“Shoot, you should hear me around the fellas at work. I’m a bona fide country boy. Does it bother you?”

“Why do you keep asking me if I’m bothered by you being you? Are you bothered by me being me?”

“I’m very much intrigued by you and all you are. You know what? You can take down every picture on your profile, cause not a one of them comes close to how absolutely amazing you look in person.” He whistled and fingered a strand of her hair.

Kaja rolled her eyes and smiled. “Don’t ask me if it’s real. It is. One hundred percent natural human hair.”

He chuckled. “Now see, I wasn’t gonna ask.”

Kaj pulled the car around behind the restaurant and led him to the service entrance. “I’m so used to going in through this door, but I just realized you’re not going to get the full effect of Cooking by Kaj, coming in the kitchen. This is the side where I get my deliveries. Let me take you around front. Hop back in the car.”

“Nah, I don’t mind. Why don’t you give me the grand tour?”

“You sure? I’m not trying to treat you like the help, just to be clear.” She didn’t want him thinking she was being funny, making him enter at the back like reverse Jim Crow. Suddenly race seemed a big issue as she realized all the ways he might take her actions the wrong way.

“Don’t be silly. I’d love to see the ins and outs of where you work. I’ve been curious about your restaurant since you told me about it.”

She unlocked the door and led him into the dark back room. “Watch your step,” she cautioned. Popping on lights as she traveled deeper into the restaurant, she took him to the kitchen area first and gave him a tour. “This is where the magic happens.” She gestured at her state of the art stoves and top of the lines equipment.