Dark Or Cream

She navigated from the page and read some news, checked her social network and answered some business emails. When she moved back to the inbox, Eric had already responded. “Gotta admit, I’d be hurt as a hit possum if you told me you wanted to stop talking to me. I understand you seeing someone else, but would it be wrong of me to ask if you would consider going out with me, too? Take a night and think it over. I look forward to talking to you in the a.m. How about you give me a call? 555-8344. Good night, beautiful.”

Staring at the screen, her hand moved with a mind of its own to her phone, but Kaja managed to hold herself in check before she did something foolish, like call this man who was giving out his personal number all willy-nilly over the internet. She was starting to feel like her life was something out of a reality TV show, too scripted to be true! First, she took her sister’s advice to start a dating profile page and wound up with a cute, interesting, different sort of guy she never would’ve met in her ordinary, busy world. Then, Ebony sent over the finest, most delectable man Kaja had ever seen to help her with the party. Both men wanted to take her out.

Kaja hadn’t had a date in longer than she could remember, and it was for lack of trying. She swatted away men like flies, eyes focused on the end game, having a successfully thriving business. While other women in their early twenties were chasing relationships and marriage, women like Kaja were career-minded. If it meant a few lonely Friday nights, so be it. She was connected to a lovely support system made up of friends and family who kept her grounded and knew how to make her have a good time when she got too bogged down with work. Between Ebony and their home girl at the beauty shop, Isis, she had her girl power team. Kaja had never felt like she needed a man to complete her world.

Yet, dipping a toe into the dating pool wasn’t a bad thing, and Kaja knew she was ready for a romantic relationship because she had done everything she had set out to accomplish career-wise. She was the successful businesswoman she wanted to be. She had to remind herself that having or wanting a boyfriend now wasn’t a crime, any more so than focusing on her dreams had been. Life was seasonal. Maybe it was her season for love.

She was of two minds about the current situation. She simultaneously wanted to run for the hills and settle in with a box of popcorn to see what happened next! Kaja lay back on her bed, dreamily thinking about Rashan and his sexy voice and those lips. She groaned deep in her throat. She hadn’t fantasized that hard about a man since she was in her early teens and experiencing hormones for the first time. He was the epitome of a man. From his stance to his conversation, he had her captivated, and she fervently wished he was the real deal.

Then, there was Eric with his arresting eyes and sunny smile. She knew him only through pictures but felt closer to him after days of conversation, and she wasn’t willing to let their burgeoning friendship fall by the wayside. Even if she met him and there was no spark, Kaja prided herself on being open-minded. It wouldn’t hurt to diversify her friendships. Already, they’d learn their different tastes in music weren’t too dissimilar. What else was lurking in the complex algorithm that had paired them? He said he was from the country and knew how to bake biscuits from scratch. (She didn’t believe him, of course. Everybody thought they could make biscuits from scratch, but still!) He seemed like a man who’d come in after a long day of work and really appreciate a good home cooked meal.

The Kaja Homemaker in her could see herself padding around the kitchen in an apron and killer heels, cooking for a man. Would it be Rashan? Or, was she leaping too far ahead in the future? Kaja had a habit of trying to peek around the bend of time to spy what was coming up ahead, but from where she was standing, there was a fork in the road. There was no telling what would happen next.