Authors: Stephanie Perry Moore

Prime Choice (4 page)

BOOK: Prime Choice

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If Damarius was with me, he'd be all over her. Tad also introduced her to my sister. After the formalities, we drove back into town.

“What's up, lady?” I asked in a cool voice.

“Y'all know each other?” Tad asked, all confused.

My sister explained, “Apparently, it's Perry and Saxon who know each other. They were just at the University of South Carolina together.”

“I went on the trip, too,” Savoy said, “and I got to meet this guy here!”

She nudged me in the arm, and I liked her touch. She wasn't coming on to me, and she wasn't shy, either. I couldn't figure it out, but I was intrigued.

“Well, we gon' talk up here and y'all can talk back there,” Tad said.

After a few moments of awkwardness, I began, “Savoy, I'm sorry we threw a blind date on you, but your cousin made me.”

“I wasn't okay with it when he told me as we were walking to the door, but I can deal with it now,” she said as she looked me up and down.

Dinner at Chili's was a lot of fun. The conversation was light. We didn't talk about football. We didn't talk about school. We didn't even talk about the white boy. Actually, Payton and Tad dominated most of the conversation, filling us in on college life.

The chemistry between my sister and her boyfriend was cool. Dakari was always my pick for her, but he tripped. Though I didn't know how long this thing with Tad would last, I was for it. He was so into God. I really admired that. I wished I was there, but I knew in my heart that some distance had come between God and I over the last couple of years. Tad was a role model for me more than he knew. As a college running back at Georgia, he could have any girl. However, I couldn't imagine him doing Payton wrong. I liked him.

His eyes showed my sister meant the world to him. Knowing she had someone at college that really cared for her left me off the hook with the thought of attending University of Georgia. In the back of my mind, over the last year and a half, I knew I wanted to be up there just to make sure she was all right.

I had gone to the same school with my sister all my life. Dakari, too, for that matter. Going to a different college from them would give me the chance to step out of their shadow and have my own light going on. The thought of not being anybody's little brother and making my own mark was real appealing.

As we played a game of Putt-Putt behind Tad and Payton, Savoy and I started talking about that very thing.

“I know it has to be stressful for you. All those schools wanting you, and hoping you make the right decision. My brother won't admit it, but he's terrified of choosing the wrong one. Why does Saxon have to be so cocky? He's got the skills, but why flaunt like that?”

Trying to gain brownie points, I said, “I don't know. He's your brother, so I want to say he can't be all that bad. But the brief few times we'd talked ... I admit he is crazy!”

“I know, I know. I guess the saying âYou can't live with him, can't live without him' definitely applies to how I feel about my brother. He didn't actually start becoming all great until recently. My parents, well, really, my dad, who's sorta like a father to Tad, were getting close. When Saxon started to see that, he applied his attention to football, and diverted my dad's attention back to where he wanted. I don't know why my brother's like that. We get everything we need, so we should be secure. We only moved to the country so my dad could be close to his mom, who lives in a sweet little house you passed before you got to our house.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember.”

As we came to the eleventh hole, I knew I wanted to talk deep with Savoy. She'd asked me about my world. We'd talked about football and her brother and all that, but I had some questions of my own.

“What is it that you want to ask me? You keep staring and nothing is coming out your mouth. What? Tad wanted you to meet me because he hates my boyfriend, right?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, yeah, I know that's the reason. That's the only thing he and Saxon have in common besides football.”

“So, is it that you like this particular white boy, or you just like white boys, period? I just gotta know 'cause I never heard of such a thing if the latter is true.”

Savoy said, “Well, the latter is true in this case, okay? I'm through with brothas. My cousin Tad is a rare exception. He loves Jesus way too much to mess up. And now that he's so in love with your sister, he definitely ain't gon' mess up! But that is the complete opposite with my brother. He has ten black books full of numbers and he can't even keep girls' names straight! And his friends, the pack he runs with, they are all dogs. They show no respect, and they're full of bad intentions. I'm tired of dealing with it, so I choose not to.”

If she was saying all black guys were bad, I couldn't agree with that. Yeah, some of us didn't treat girls the best. Some of us did, though. My face reflected my disagreement.

She continued, “And don't be looking at me like I'm full of it, 'cause I'm sure your boys are the same way. I met them in Columbia, remember. Most black guys have no respect for girls, not even trying to court and go the extra mile to keep us happy. So, if a white boy is what it takes, then a white boy is what I'll get. Now, don't hate me because I said that. If a blonde-haired, blue-eyed doll was flinging her hair at you, trust me, you'll take the bait and forget all about the sisters, too. You don't seem to be as crazy as my brother. I know you don't have just one girlfriend. What do you have, about five?”

“Now, why would you think that of me? Actually, I had a girlfriend. I don't know if you could say that I was a Tad, because Tad ain't trying to have no sex. That's why me and my girl broke up. In reality, I got needs, you know? But I was faithful to her. I still care about her. Even though it's time for me to move on, that doesn't mean I'm gon' be a dog.”

“But listen to what you're saying ... There's somebody that you still care for and yet you're not willing to fight for her. Ugh! Brothers don't wanna work at a relationship. And because there are so many women that outnumber y'all, you guys get to play it like that. I just don't respect that way of thinking.”

“You can't respect me?” I asked. “I am disappointed that you can't understand where I was coming from.”

“I'm not judging you, Perry. I mean, you're a cool guy. But how can I be feeling like you're the world's greatest when you had this girl, and she wasn't giving it up when you wanted, so you just bailed? It's like you don't care about her feelings enough to wait. Do you think that's right?”

I couldn't answer her. She had me stumped on that one. She was giving me a lot to think about. Was I taking care of things the right way in my life when it came to Tori? I mean, I did miss the girl. I was all confused, but I knew soon I would get it figured out.

I put that conversation to the side and enjoyed the rest of the time I had with the sassy girl I liked talking to. Hanging out with Savoy, I knew I couldn't do anything right then about Tori, so there was no need stressing about that. I liked the point where I was. I was a man. I wasn't a dog, but I was a brother who definitely knew what I liked. And I couldn't say that was all bad.

“Come on, Damarius, man. You slippin'. You can't press two hundred? What's up?” I teased my boy as we lifted weights.

Damarius tried again. “Aw, Perry, lay off me. I'm handling mines. I got this. You just step back and get on out the way.”

“Cole, you better get over there and spot the boy before he falls out! You know that's still too much for him,” I taunted as Cole nodded.

Actually, I knew Damarius really could lift the weight, but sometimes he thought he couldn't. I had to trick him. Use negative reinforcement to get him to cross over the line. If he wanted to show me up to make me think he was the man, then he'd do it. And that's just what he did.

“Take that! I should've bet you, man. I would've been rich,” Damarius said as soon as he put the weights back on the bar.

He and Cole slapped hands, and I nodded my head in approval. If he could get those grades up, then all three of us would be going to college for sure. I just hated that it seemed I had more dreams for my friend than he had for himself. I couldn't understand why that was, but I couldn't give up on him. I cared about his crazy self too much.

Next, it was Cole's turn. He was loading a lot more weight to both ends of the bar.

Damarius got up in my face and said, “Hey, man, why you stand us up yesterday, anyways?”

“I ain't stand y'all up,” I responded. “I called and left a message on both of y'all cell phones.”

“You ain't tell us what you had to do,” Damarius fronted me.

“I had a date.” I said. “Come on, Cole. Man, don't listen to him. Do your thing. I gotta bench press, too.”

Cole didn't move. He was waiting on me to elaborate, while Damarius sat on the other side of the bench also waiting on me to tell them my business. At first I was hesitant. Discussing it with them would only lead to the “S” question. But then I realized they knew this girl, and it would be interesting to get their take on the whole thing.

“You know my sister's boyfriend, right?”

“Some dude from Aiken,” Cole said. “He plays with Dakari at Georgia.”

“Yeah. I went out with his cousin,” I responded.

“Dang! You had a blind date. They set you up? Was she tore up, bro?” Damarius asked, laughing.

I bragged, “Man, you would've wanted to be in my shoes last night. Trust me.”

Damarius boasted back. “Please. Ciara keeps me busy enough and plus, I gotta whole bunch of extras on the side that I'm quite satisfied with, thank ya kindly. I don't want Perry Skky's leftovers.”

“Not even if it's that girl we met at USC with her twin brother, Saxon?”

“You ain't go out with her,” Damarius said, coming over to my side of the bar.

“For real, you did?” Cole responded, as he saw in my face that I was serious.

“What? So Saxon is related to your sister's boyfriend?” Damarius asked.

“Yeah, they're first cousins. I didn't even see him, but his sister was straight.”

“Man, we trying to get you hooked back up with Tori!” Cole said.

“Actually, Savoy was talking that same stuff last night,” I revealed. They both looked at me as if I'd spoken Chinese.

“So, you saying you went out with a new girl that's telling you to get back with your old girl? You're losing your touch, Perry. You need to step aside and give me her number!” Damarius said, trippin' like he was the man.

I busted his bubble and told him, “You the wrong color, homeboy.”

“Oh, she likes them white boys?” Cole asked. And I nodded. “As dark as you is Damarius, you far from her taste!”

“Man, she probably was with that wrong kinda dark chocolate that ain't have no taste. But wait til she have a piece of this sweet stuff! I'll win her back over to the brothers, trust me. The digits, please,” my friend said as he held out his hand before I tapped it and pushed it aside.

I said, “Come on, Cole. Finish the workout.”

“For real, though, if she already takenâwhite, black, Boricua, it don't matterâyou need to do what you gotta do and listen to her or us and get back with Tori. Brianna told me the girl been crying,” Cole said as he laid down to bench press.

I hit him on the head. We finished our brutal workout. Before we parted ways, they made me promise I'd think about the whole Tori thing.

Later that night as I tried thinking about football and school, I sat on the couch and all I could do was think about Tori. I didn't need any persuading. I missed being with the girl. I missed seeing her cute little face. I missed hearing her sweet, precious voice. What had I done breaking it off?

My mom brought me a plate of food. It was actually a bowl of food, a little country shrimp boil with crab legs, corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage and shrimp all smothered together in a broth. Dang, it looked good! I didn't know where to start. I was still so messed up with my heartbreak that I brought on heartburn and couldn't eat it. I sat it on the coffee table, and my mom sat next to me.

“Okay, something's wrong with you. My son not eating? What's up?”

“Naw, Mom. I'm straight.”

I was a big boy. I didn't need my mom all in my problems. Plus, I didn't want her knowing that I just wanted to have sex. Naw, that was okay.

“Did I tell you Tori called?”

Quickly my head turned toward her. “No, when?”

“She actually called a couple of times, but I spoke to her the last time she called. She sounded sorta down, too.”

BOOK: Prime Choice

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