“Oh hi, Dominic!” A’moree acted surprised to see him, although Sanchez had already told her that Dominic was coming over. “What are you doing here?”
“I'm guessing your brother didn't tell you.”
A’moree smiled deviously. “Sanchez tells me a lot of things, but by the way you’re strutting these sexy legs, I assume you guys are going to the gym.”
Dominic tightened his lips to control his blushing. A’moree had an agenda and he was not about to get himself mixed up in it. “Let that crazy brother of yours know that I’ll be in my car waiting on him.”
“He’s not here.”
“You're kidding me.”
“You wanna come inside and take a look?”
Dominic ignored her by looking at his watch. “The youth forum starts in two hours. If we don't go now, he might as well forget it.”
A'moree kept that winning smile on her face. “He's coming right back. He went to the store to get some milk for his protein shake. Why don't you come inside and wait 'til he gets back?”
“Nawh, I'm cool…”
“Alright, we'll just sit and talk in your car.”
Dominic's smirk exploded into a laugh. He didn't see that one coming. “You think you're so smart, don't you?”
“I'm a Leo,” she declared. “Which means I'm confident and ambitious.”
“A little too confident, if I may add.”
“It works for me. I've been this way all my life.”
“Are most Bahamian women as shocking as you?”
A'moree giggled. “Shocking? That's a bad word, Dominic. You shouldn't describe a woman as shocking.”
“Why is that a bad word?”
“Because you made it sound as if I'm appalling.”
“You're right. I don't think you're appalling…”
“Then why won't you come inside?” she prodded, pouting her freshly painted lips at him. “Don't make me follow you to your car like a hungry little puppy.”
Dominic had to smile. He'd never met any girl like A'moree. As young and as innocent as she appeared, there was something mysterious about her.
She folded her arms. “Well? What's it gonna be, gorgeous?”
Dominic shook a finger at her. “You see, it's those little things you say that make me wanna run for my life.”
“Now, you're making me seem like a monster. You're a man of God, right?”
The question puzzled Dominic, but he tried not to show it. “That's what we call our pastor, but I have no problem being considered one as well.”
“Good. That's why you have no reason to be afraid of anything,” she said. “Especially not of a twenty-year-old virgin, opps, I mean female who loves Jesus just as much as you do.”
Dominic felt certain parts of his body heating up and he knew it was due largely to the voice of his flesh, crying out to be satisfied by this voluptuous creature standing in front of him. But a long time ago, he'd made up his mind to reject the very thing his mentor had so presumptuously embraced. His decision was written in stone. He would not give in to another female, except the female that was to be his wife. He'd seen enough pain in his generation to know that he didn't want to lose his destiny for ten minutes of sexual euphoria.
“Come in, and have a seat, Dominic,” A'moree said, shaking her head, still smiling. “I'm only messing with you.”
“Don't sweat it. I'll wait around out here for several more minutes. He doesn't show, I'm gone.”
“I don't get what you're so afraid of,” she told him. “I can't make you do anything you don't want to do. I just want to talk; find out a little bit more about you…”
That's how it always starts, Dominic thought to himself. He took a seat on one of the steps and then leaned his back against the rail. “Okay, what do you want to know?”
“I don't like how you're treating me, Dominic. I'm not as tough as I appear.” Closing the door, she stepped outside and sat down next to him. Her skirt was a little too short for his eyes, as it barely hid the smooth contours of her thighs.
“How far is the store?” he asked, making an excuse to regain his godly focus.
“I don't know,” she purred. “I'm not from around here, remember?”
“Right.”
She placed a hand on his knee and let it linger long enough to feel his muscles nervously contracting against her palm. “I know your momma is proud to have a fine-looking son like you,” she said. “Do you have any brothers?”
“Nope. It’s just me. My mother didn’t want to have any more children with my biological father.”
“Wow. That statement says a lot.”
“Yes. My father died an alcoholic when I was eleven, he was a very abusive man who took everything to the next level, which of course, made my mother suffer continually for most of their marriage. I got my share, as well. We were in constant fear for our lives.”
A’moree could tell it was a watered down version of his painful past. She gave him her complete attention at that point. “How sad, Dominic…”
“It doesn't matter now. I’ve gotten over most of it.”
“My grandmother told me once that what don't kill you, only makes you stronger.”
He smiled. “Grandmothers always know what to say.”
“Not mine,” A'moree giggled. “She only says nice things whenever I give her money. That woman is a trip.”
Dominic wanted to tell A'moree that she had a cute laugh, but he was afraid she would get the wrong idea. “She sounds like fun.”
“You'll change your mind after sitting with her for ten minutes.”
“C'mon. She can’t be that bad…”
“Yeah, right. Even now, she still quarrels with my mother for having two children with two different men. It doesn't matter that Sanchez and I are now adults.”
“We don’t get to choose our family,” Dominic said as he looked away reflectively. “But my stepfather means the world to me.”
“Oh, your mother remarried?”
“Yep. She married a preacher.” He faced her to get a glimpse of her expression. “They pastor a church in Palm River, about forty minutes from here. The city of Tampa was officially divided into five geographical regions, encompassing North and South Tampa, West and East Tampa, and New Tampa–each overlapping with a respective City Council district. Palm River is a neighborhood of East Tampa…”
A’moree rolled her eyes and smiled at Dominic’s attempt to impress her with his city’s history. It worked. “No wonder you’re such an obedient little boy. You couldn’t escape hearing about Jesus, even if you were deaf.”
He chuckled. “Well, my upbringing did play a huge role in my decision to become a Christian, but it’s a personal choice. A matter of the heart, you know what I mean?”
A’moree grew quiet and thought about that for a second. His words pricked her, but she was too far gone in her messed up life for them to have any real effect. She rested her hands in her lap and then gave him a questioning look. “So why are you at Mount Moriah and not with them?”
“My parents? Now that’s a good question.” He pouted his lips in search of the right response. His stepfather had just asked him that question couple of weeks ago. He didn’t have an answer then and he sure didn’t have one now. “Believe me when I tell you it’s a long story.”
“Then I better get a little more comfortable,” she said. “I love long stories.”
“Unfortunately, I will have to tell you some other time. I have to leave. The youth f–”
“Forum is tonight,” she finished for him. “Yes, I know. You said so a while ago. Can I come?”
“Are you playing with me?”
“Just tell me the time and I'll be ready.”
Dominic felt his heart racing again. The thought of spending all this ‘alone’ time with A’moree was frightening. Thankfully, he came up with a way to change the subject. “I hope Sanchez is okay. He’s been gone a long time. What store–”
“Listen Dominic, if you don’t want me to come,” s
he spat, “Then that’s all you have to say. Don't mess with my emotions like that, turning it off and on.”
“Are you for real?”
She stood up and waved him off. “Forget it. I hope the forum turns out to be a success.”
“A'moree, come on…” He watched her hips sway angrily toward the door, which she slammed as soon as she hopped inside the apartment.
Her sudden change of mood left him reeling in confusion. If he'd known that she would have taken offense at such a small matter, he would have simply told her to be ready for seven o'clock. Now he felt like an idiot, and he wasn't exactly sure how to fix it. He stood up and slowly made his way down the steps. Once he got into his car, he texted Sanchez a brief message:
I guess no gym today. Call me as soon as you get this. I think I made your sister upset.
Sanchez held his phone in front of him and read the text, which meant Dominic had just left the premises. He waited a few more minutes and then made his way to the front of the house, where A'moree stood with her back against the door. Her smirk grew wider when she saw him.
“How did I do?” she asked him.
“Not bad. Not bad at all.” He showed her Dominic’s text. “You’ve got him thinkin’ about you already.”
“I want to get him to do more than that,” she said, swiping her tongue over her lips. “He is so fine, Sanchez.”
“You like nice things,” he told her playfully. “Always going after the ones who are off limits. Let me warn you, though. You’re not gonna get my boy to break easy. Number one, he’s a Jesus freak. And two, you’re runnin’ competition with a woman he’s loved for years.”
A’moree grinned devilishly. “Well, you let me be the judge of that. All men have a weakness and I promise you I will find Dominic’s – even if I have to stay here for another week.”
Chapter Twenty