“Okay, pumpkin?” I parrot, dubiously.
“Yeah, it’s cool. My dad is the best. He’ll be real nice to you, Mommy.” Jordan dollops his ice cream as he regards his father.
Stenton smiles a real smile. An impressed smile.
Things go quiet for a moment until Jordan asks, “This is like different from Jemma, right?”
Stenton’s eyes go big. He’s panicking, and while I don’t relish my child knowing who a “Jemma” is, I see he doesn’t know her well enough to know her name.
“No.” Stenton shakes his head adamantly. “Nothing like that either.”
Stenton’s out of wits, but Jordan’s full of them. It’s quite amusing…and conjures questions. I take a minute to consider my thoughts before speaking. When I observe Jordan is totally transfixed with his ice cream, I go for it.
I grab my glass of water. “When was the last time you”—I clear my throat, covertly—“dated?” I then take a sip.
In my periphery, I see Stenton’s eyes flutter, obviously catching my drift. As my gaze lands on him, he straightens in his seat and clears his throat, too.
“In March,” he answers with forced confidence.
Wow! March? I don’t know how to feel. I want to be upset…but why? Stenton didn’t start pressuring me about still being in love until June of this year. But why do I feel jealous about him giving his stuff—good stuff…toe curling, award-winning stuff—to another woman? I shake it off as soon as jealousy tries to creep in. Only he conjures that particular insecurity in me.
Stenton’s mine!
We may not be intimate…yet, but we’re still together. When we’re ready, his “good stuff” will belong to me, exclusively. Finally.
“When was the last time you”—I cough and quickly shoot out—“restrained someone?”
“August of 2010,” he answers without hesitation, though I can see the arousal in his incited composure.
August 2010? August 2010?
That was when we spent several of the best days of my life, forgetting about the pain, confusion and frustrations of our relationship. It was just before another bout with darkness from Erika’s untimely announcement to the world. Stenton and I made love both sweetly and intently for lengthy days and nights. Without words, he was able to make me forget about everything. With his hungry mouth, he communicated the only message I needed to hear at the time. I found my eyes abruptly diverting to his mouth.
“Excuse me, I need the ladies room.” My voice sounds strange, even to my own ears.
Stenton’s suspicious eyes find mine. Jordan’s face is still buried in his porcelain bowl finding more entertainment in his ice cream as I abruptly leave the table.
~~~~~~~~~~
August 2014
~Zoey~
Almost a week later, after church service, we’ve just finished a lip-smacking dinner at a country club in Scotch Plains. It so happens to be the sister club to Moorestown Creek, the place where I met Stenton. He had Srey reserve a rather large room here to celebrate my dad’s birthday. The sun is pushing through the tall windows of the room, highlighting its opulence. The staff is busting in and out of the double flap doors from the service kitchen, supplying refilled drinks and setting up the dessert table.
Jordan is running around the perimeter of the room with the stick airplane my dad made him, pretending to soar. He’s animated even without the awaiting sugar from desserts. Ruth is at the end of the table, fussing with Stenton about pictures on social media. Whose pictures, I’m not quite sure, but I do know it’s one of Stenton’s celebrity friends. I even hear her slip a few vulgarities into her arguments. I don’t say anything because Jordan doesn’t seem to have caught them. I’m simply relieved Stenton hasn’t joined her. These two constantly go at it, but never fail to engage each other. I guess he’s the brother Ruth’s never had. Funny, when I met him, I resented that little sister role I felt Stenton forced me into. Now, we’re…together.