The Realest Ever

Chapter FIVE

BFF’S

Twenty minutes later Donovan stood on Aunt Ruth’s porch wearing the black slacks, gray shirt and black tie he wore to church that day. His heart was racing, and his palms were moist. He hadn’t been this nervous since he was in high school. He rang the doorbell and wiped his hands on his pants and then stuffed them in his pockets. He pulled them out and adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. He took a step back so that whoever answered could see him in the peephole. But then he thought it would look weird; him standing way back there, so he returned to his original spot.

Get a hold of yourself, man.

That was easier said than done. It wasn’t possible at all when the door opened and Donovan came face to face with the object of his fascination. Kyra wore a black skirt with a sleeveless pink blouse. She had her hair styled in a short bob with one bang concealing her left eyebrow. The skirt was form-fitting, clutching her curves like an insatiable lover. The blouse didn’t offer more than a glimpse of her cleavage, but it didn’t have to. Kyra’s breasts were vast and luscious. She wore a light coat of lipstick and a little mascara. Her eyes were as big and beautiful as Donovan remembered them. Her lips were full and moist, much more enticing than they were fifteen years ago.

While Donovan stood stiffly, unable to get his Hello out, Kyra found herself in similar disarray. She studied all of his Facebook pictures and thought she knew every muscle and contour of Donovan’s physique. But seeing him in real life was a totally different experience. The pictures didn’t do him justice. They failed to capture the intensity of his presence, the fire dancing in his dark eyes.

Donovan was a few inches taller than Kyra in high school, but he must have had another growth spurt after she left. He now looked to be six-foot-four inches tall, maybe six-five. Donovan was slim in the waist, compared to some of his Facebook photos. But even with a long-sleeved shirt on, Kyra could see that his upper body was massive, especially his chest. His trapezius muscles were like two fist-size knots on either side of his neck.

I wish he dressed more casual, Kyra thought. But she knew she’d swoon at the sight of him in a tight tee shirt – or a tank top. Or maybe they could go to a pool, and she could have him completely topless.

Whoa there.

Kyra tried to get her thoughts in check as her eyes swam up his torso, towards his face. Donovan was clean-shaven. The boyish good looks Kyra admired when they were young had evolved into a strong, manly jaw line, dark brown eyes that were almost intimidating even though his lashes might have been the longest Kyra had ever seen on a man. Donovan had a crew cut with a slight fade. His edge-up was impeccable. His lips were delectable.

Before Kyra could formulate a greeting for the Adonis that stood before her, Donovan closed the distance between them and wrapped his strong arms around her. Kyra felt a surge of electricity shoot from his hands to deep inside her core. She gasped, totally unprepared for the energy in his touch. Donovan pulled her closer, close enough for Kyra’s breast to press against his hard stomach. She felt her legs giving way. Donovan’s sweet fragrance filled her nostrils and intoxicated her further.

She grabbed hold of him – she had no choice, and they held on to each other for hours. Or maybe it was only seconds. It was hard to tell. Nothing mattered at that moment except for him and her. Neither of them realized how badly they missed each other until there was nothing between them but heartbeats, heavy breaths and a few layers of clothing that were the only thing stopping this hug from being something much more than friendly.

When he finally released her, Kyra’s head was spinning. She took a step back and wobbled slightly in her pumps. Donovan took her hand to brace her. Thank God she didn’t wear taller heels! She would’ve fallen for sure. That would have been awful – not just because Donovan would’ve seen it, but Kyra looked around and noticed that her whole family had joined her in the living room. Her face flushed with crimson.

“Hey, Donovan,” Kyra said as if she’d just opened the door. “This is my Aunt Ruth and my two kids, Katavia and Quinell.” She turned to introduce them.

“Nice to meet you,” Donovan said to the children. “Good afternoon,” he told Kyra’s aunt.

Kyra’s kids were more shy than usual. Quinell had only taken one step into the room. Kat sought shelter behind Aunt Ruth.

“Come on, ya’ll. Come say hi,” Kyra implored. “Donovan’s a good friend of mine. I’ve known him since I was your age,” she told Quinell.

Q stepped forward out of obedience, but Kat was still unsure about this hulk of a man who somehow squeezed through their front door.

“Girl, get over here,” Kyra said with a chuckle.

She went to retrieve her daughter. Donovan struggled to keep his eyes off Kyra’s derriere when she turned away. She filled out that skirt like nobody’s business. Donovan had been with Brianna for so long, he nearly forgot what a real, southern woman looked like – one who didn’t eat rice cakes or pull out a calorie counter before she ordered at a restaurant.

Donovan knew he’d never place his hands on Kyra’s lusciousness, but he had a sudden craving for a woman her size. Definitely not Kyra, he told himself, but if he was lucky enough to meet a totally different woman built exactly like her, Donovan might have to trade-in his Skinny Minnie.

“Hi.”

Donovan looked down and saw a young boy standing there. Donovan squatted so he could look the child in the eyes.

“Hello. My name is Donovan.”

His voice was deep and rich, creating a roll of bass that seemed to bounce off every wall before dissipating. He stuck out a hand to shake, and Quinell obliged. Kyra watched her son’s mitt get totally swallowed up in Donovan’s paw. She smiled. She walked over to them with Katavia in her arms.

“And this is my daughter, Kat,” she said.

Donovan stood and grinned at the baby. “Hello there.”

Kat stared at him for a moment, and then she smiled and buried her face against her mother’s shoulder.

“Oh, stop being shy,” Kyra said. She tried to get the baby facing the right direction, but it was no use. No matter which arm Kyra switched her to, Kat wouldn’t meet Donovan’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” Kyra said. “She’s usually not like this. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“She’s fine,” Donovan said. “I think she’ll like me once she gets to know me.”

Kat looked up at him, and Donovan winked at her, and the baby turned away again giggling. Kyra laughed. Donovan looked up and then crossed the floor to greet the last person in the room. Aunt Ruth eyed him suspiciously, even when Donovan reached to shake her hand.

“Hi, I’m Donovan Mitchell.”

She shook it, but Ruth was clearly guarded.

“You Kyra’s old friend, from when she used to live down here?”

“Yes,” Donovan said. “And she lived with my family once, for a little while, a long time ago.”

“Hmph,” the older woman said. “Y’all have a good time.”

She didn’t look like she meant it. Kyra didn’t know what was going on with her grumpy aunt, and she didn’t care. She deposited her baby on the sofa and went to wait for Donovan at the door.

“We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” he said as he backed away from Aunt Ruth. When he turned to face Kyra, Donovan smiled big and dopey. Kyra did, too. She hadn’t been this excited since the day Donovan’s mom let her move in with them.



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When they got in his truck, Kyra quickly fell in love with the cozy seats and cool air-conditioning. It’s strange, the things people take for granted. Kyra never thought a new truck would be so impressive, but after riding the bus and in her aunt’s ’96 Camry, Donovan’s pickup felt like the lap of luxury.

The childhood friends couldn’t take their eyes off each other as Donovan backed out of the driveway and headed for a restaurant downtown.

“What?” Kyra said after catching a few of his glances.

“I don’t know,” Donovan said. He shook his head and tried to keep his eyes on the road. “You look so different. I’m glad to finally see you again.”

“Different how?” Kyra asked. She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, either.

“You’re all grown up,” Donovan stated. “You’ve become a beautiful woman, Kyra.”

She blushed and coyly looked away. When did Donovan’s eyes become so damned piercing? When did his lips get so freaking suckable? Donovan moistened his puckers while she watched, as if he could read her mind.

“You did a lot of growing yourself,” she said. “You had some little muscles back in the day, but they’re all full-sized now. I see you.”

Donovan grinned. “Thanks, but my most important muscle will always be the one between my ears. The rest are superficial.”

Kyra heard him perfectly, but she still thought he said the one between my legs. Her eyes even swam in that directly. She caught herself.

Dammit woman, get a grip!

“I worked out to get bigger for football,” Donovan explained. “Especially when I got to college. Those guys are NFL-size. You gotta be strong to compete. But I’m a lot slimmer now.”

“I saw your college pictures,” Kyra said. “Your body does look better now. I mean you look better. Not your body. You know what? Let me shut up.”

Donovan chuckled. “Well, as a friend, I can say that your body looks better now, too. As a friend, I noticed that you got it going on.”

“Thanks,” Kyra said, blushing again. The AC was blowing perfectly, but it still felt warm in the truck. She fanned herself. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous around you.”

“Please don’t be,” Donovan said. “You used to be able to talk to me about anything. I hope we can still be like that, even though it’s been a long time since we talked.”

“Me too,” Kyra said. “I miss that. I miss you. Thanks for picking me up.”

“I said I’d fly to Arkansas to see you,” Donovan stated. “I meant that.”

“Thank you,” Kyra said. Her heart was filled with happiness.

“So tell me about your kids,” Donovan said.

“Okay. My son is eight years old. His name is Quinell. My daughter Katavia is two. Everyone calls her Kat.”

“They’re beautiful,” Donovan said. “You said you’ve never been married?”

“No.” Kyra thought she’d feel self-conscious about that, but she didn’t, not with Donovan.

“Are you still with their father?”

Kyra shook her head. “Quinell’s dad died before he was born. He got stabbed.” Her eyes glazed over as the bloody memory filled her mind.

“That’s terrible,” Donovan said. “I’m, I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“A lot of bad stuff happened,” Kyra said with a shrug.

Donovan thought that was a dreadful and cryptic comment, but he let it go for now.

“What about Kat’s father?” he asked instead.

Kyra sighed. “His name is Leonard. He’s still alive. He’s a hustler, and he does drugs, too. I didn’t know how bad he was at first. He’s in jail now. We’re not together anymore.”

Donovan didn’t know what to make of what he was hearing. He thought Kyra’s life was bad before she left Overbrook Meadows. He always assumed things got better for her in Arkansas.

“What about you, Mr. Mitchell?” Kyra asked. “I know you’re not married, but there’s got to be some woman trying to get her hooks in you.”

Donovan chuckled. “Yeah, there is someone. I’ve been with my girlfriend for almost eight months.”

Kyra couldn’t explain why her heart grew heavy at that moment. She already knew Donovan had a girlfriend. Even if he didn’t, it wasn’t like she and he could ever be more than friends. The one time they tried, all hell broke loose. That ill-advised shot at love literally ruined Kyra’s life.

“Is she pretty?” Kyra felt foolish for asking, but Donovan didn’t notice her inner turmoil.

“She is. Her name’s Brianna.”

“Is she in any of your Facebook pictures?” Kyra tried to sound like she was barely interested. “I think I might’ve seen her.”

“She has long, curly hair,” Donovan said. “She looks like a model. She actually could be a model. If you saw her pictures, you’d know because she kinda takes center stage, no matter who she’s posing with.”

“Yeah, I think I saw her,” Kyra said. Ha! Who was she kidding? She had practically memorized Brianna’s facial features. Kyra was pretty sure she could give a perfect description if someone wanted to do a composite drawing. “Eight months is pretty serious,” she said.

“It can be,” Donovan agreed.

Kyra didn’t know how to respond to that, so she changed the subject. “I see you took Regina Bryant to the prom.”

Donovan laughed. “You saw my prom pictures?”

Kyra giggled, too. “Is that stalking? I promise I wasn’t stalking you!”

“No, it’s all good,” Donovan said. “I forgot I had those pictures up.”

“I didn’t know you liked Regina.”

“I didn’t,” Donovan said. “Not like that. I know you didn’t like her.”

“I never said I didn’t like her.”

“Whatever. I know you didn’t like her,” Donovan insisted. “You didn’t have to tell me.”

Kyra wondered where he got that bit of insight from. But Donovan was dead-on, as usual. The strange thing was Kyra never had a good reason to not like Regina when they were in high school. It might have been because Regina revealed her fondness for Donovan one day when Kyra was a freshman. Kyra hadn’t expressed any attraction to Donovan at that point, and she convinced herself that she was just being protective of her big brother.

“I didn’t think she was good enough for you,” Kyra admitted.

“You were probably right,” Donovan said. “I only went to the prom with her because she asked me. And don’t worry, we didn’t do anything afterwards.”

Kyra was happy to hear that, but she said, “I wasn’t worried. That’s your business.”

“You don’t care?” Donovan asked. He looked skeptical.

“Uh-uhn,” Kyra said, shaking her head. “Why would I?”

“I dunno,” Donovan said. “I just thought since you didn’t like her, it might have upset you if you thought we had sex or something.”

“You mean like jealousy?”

Donovan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“We’re just friends,” Kyra said. “Friends don’t get jealous. Right?”

Donovan nodded. “You’re right.”

“But it is good to know that I don’t have to find Regina and punch her in the mouth for something she did so long ago,” Kyra said.

Donovan cut his eyes and grinned.

“I’m kidding,” Kyra said. “You know I’m just kidding.”



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Donovan took her to Red Lobster, and they dined on lobster tails and so many crab legs Kyra thought she should send an apology letter to PETA. While they dined, they talked more about what Kyra missed out on during Donovan’s junior and senior years at Finley High. And then he wanted to know what happened to Kyra when she moved to Arkansas. Kyra was eager to talk, but she didn’t want to dampen the mood with her war stories.

“Why do you want to hear about that?” she asked. “Didn’t nothing good happen in Little Rock.”

“Because it’s a part of your history,” Donovan said. “I know it wasn’t bad 24-7. Even the slaves had some happy times.”

Kyra laughed at his analogy. “You know what, that’s a good way to describe it. Everybody in the hood knows they’re in the hood. They know they’re poor, and the neighborhood stinks, and you can get killed for cashing your paycheck at the corner store. But at the same time, we always found time to party. A lot of people live every day like it’s their last, because it might just be.”

“I don’t want to know about everybody,” Donovan said. “I wanna know about you.”

Kyra’s smile slipped for the first time since they arrived at the restaurant. “I don’t really wanna talk about it,” she said. But just as quickly she offered him a brief recap: “When I left your mama’s house, I was hurting. I didn’t want to live in Little Rock. But I had to accept that’s where I was gonna be, and I might as well get used to it. It was hard. It got real bad sometimes. I used to wish you were there. I wished you were with me.”

“I’m sorry my mama kicked you out,” Donovan said. He never realized how big an impact that decision had on Kyra’s life.

“Please,” she said. “That wasn’t your fault.”

“I feel like it was,” Donovan said. “I never forgave myself.”

“Stop, please,” Kyra said. She shook her head and then batted her eyes. But the tears pooled and fell anyway. She quickly reached to wipe them away with her napkin. “I don’t wanna cry,” she said. “I’m having fun. Please. I don’t wanna talk about that.”

“Okay,” Donovan said. His heart was suddenly sick and heavy. He never wanted to see Kyra cry. Ever since he was a child, he would do anything to make her happy. “Hey, do you remember the time we beat up Jimmy and his sister?” He offered a hesitant smile.

Kyra’s eyes lit up, and she smiled, too. “Big-lip Jimmy and that stanky Rochelle!” She laughed loudly. “We tag-teamed the hell out of them!”

It was good to see her laugh again. Donovan leaned forward with his elbows on the table while Kyra retold the harrowing tale.



≈≈≈≈≈≈≈



Twenty minutes later, Kyra was reluctant to leave the restaurant. She hadn’t eaten that well in a long time. But returning to the comfy confines of Donovan’s truck was nice, too. Kyra hoped she’d meet a handsome man in Overbrook Meadows who had a nice car. It didn’t have to be anything flashy, so long as the seats were cozy and he had a loud sound system like Donovan did. Better yet, Kyra dreamed of the day she would have her own ride.

“So, what are your plans?” Donovan asked as he exited the restaurant’s parking lot. “You got some short term goals?”

Kyra grinned. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“About your goals?”

She nodded. “Yeah. The first thing I need is to get me a car. Wait, the first thing I need is to find a job. And then a car and my own place.”

“Do you have anything lined up?” Donovan asked.

She shook her head. “I’ll take whatever job I can find at this point.”

“What kind of work have you done,” Donovan asked, “in Arkansas?”

Kyra frowned. She knew he was going to ask about that. “I never had a real good job. I’ve been a waitress. I worked at some other restaurants, as a cashier and stuff. I had a job as a customer service rep. That one was cool.”

“Have you ever worked as a receptionist?” Donovan asked.

“No,” Kyra said. “But I know I can do it. The customer service job was kinda like a secretary.”

Donovan didn’t say anything, but he was watching her carefully.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Kyra said.

“Like what.”

“I know that look.”

Donovan’s eyes narrowed. “What look?”

“That I wanna help you look,” Kyra said. “That’s the way you used to look at me when I was little; when you thought you could fix all my problems.”

Donovan smiled. “I do want to help you, Kyra. I didn’t know you could read my mind, though.”

“I know you, Donovan.”

“Yes, you do.”

“And you think you know me, too. But a lot has changed since I been gone.”

“I know,” Donovan said. “I want you to tell me everything. I don’t care how long it takes.”

“Okay, but not today.”

“Okay.” Donovan smiled. “You know, I think you just need somebody in your life to encourage you and look out for you.”

“That doesn’t have to be you,” Kyra said. She regretted her comment when she saw a flash of pain in Donovan’s eyes. “I mean, you don’t feel like you have to keep saving me, do you?”

“I don’t know what I feel,” Donovan said honestly.

“I know that’s how it always was with us,” Kyra said. “But that’s not why I came back to Overbrook Meadows. I don’t want to depend on people anymore.”

“You didn’t come back for me?” Donovan was glad he was driving. He kept his eyes on the road rather than look at Kyra. This was the question Brianna and Beverly were most concerned about. Donovan wanted to know as well, but he was afraid of her answer.

Kyra swallowed and held her breath when she said, “No.”

Donovan’s heart stopped beating completely as he processed the rejection. But he didn’t know why that should upset him. He was in a relationship, and he hadn’t spoken to Kyra in fifteen years. Of course she didn’t come back for him. She didn’t even know that he still lived in the city until she contacted him on Facebook.

“Okay,” Donovan said. “I’m not asking you to depend on me, but will you at least let me assist you?”

“Assist me how?”

“I might be able to help you find a job,” Donovan offered. “And if I’m not working, I can give you rides to the library – or if you just wanna hang out and talk. I know things have changed, but I still consider you my best friend, Kyra. We’re still BFF’s, right?”

BFF’s. That put a genuine smile on Kyra’s face. How many people pledged to be Best Friends Forever only to lose touch after graduation?

“I don’t deserve you,” she said. “I don’t deserve to have someone like you caring for me. I told you that before, haven’t I?”

“Yes, I believe so.”

“But you never listen.”

“You shouldn’t have come back to my city if you didn’t want my help,” Donovan said.

It was a joke, but Kyra knew he was serious. And she took comfort in his words, despite the fact that she really did want to be independent.

Ten minutes later Donovan pulled into the driveway at Aunt Ruth’s house. It was late afternoon, still warm and sunny.

“Your girlfriend didn’t have a problem with you seeing me?” Kyra asked before she got out of the truck.

“Like I told my mom, Brianna ain’t great, but she’s okay with it,” Donovan replied.

“Your mom. Wow.” Kyra brought a hand to her face. “You already talked to her about me?”

“I took her to church this morning.”

“Mama’s boy.” Kyra snickered.

“Whatever.”

“Is she still mad at me?”

“She, um. She ain’t great, either,” Donovan admitted.

Kyra thought about the last time she saw Miss Beverly. Bad idea. She felt mortified and turned on at the same time. It was an awkward mix of emotions. She wondered if Donovan ever thought about their kiss. She would love to talk to him about it, but she knew it would be improper to bring it up because of his girlfriend.

“What about your aunt?” Donovan asked. “I feel like she doesn’t like me.”

“I have no idea what her problem is,” Kyra said. “I can’t wait to move from over here.” She eyed the front door of her aunt’s house much like she did when she was a child, looking at her own home.

Donovan was hit with a powerful sense of déjà vu. It was clear they weren’t meant to have a sexual relationship, but Donovan believed God put him in Kyra’s life to be her protector. They may have lost contact for a decade and a half, but his concern for her was one thing that remained the same.

“Please tell your girlfriend that I never asked you to help me with anything,” Kyra said as she opened the door.

Donovan grinned mischievously. “Will do.”

Kyra stared into his beautiful, brown eyes. “Thanks for lunch, and everything.”

“You’re welcome,” Donovan said. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”