The rest of their time together they walked up and down Waterside and talked. They didn’t take notice of the people walking by, or the ships harbored along the docks, or the shops; they were too interested in one another. After about a half hour, they took the ferry to Portsmouth to walk around Riverfront Park, which was much quieter and had less foot traffic, and felt more natural. Finally, to end their lovely afternoon, they took the ferry back to Norfolk.

The entire time he was the perfect gentleman; he walked on the side of traffic, guided her through crowds with a hand at the small of her back, and wrapped his arms around her on the return ferry when the air took on a chill. As the afternoon came to a close, Temi had to admit she was… disappointed. She knew if she called Thom to cancel; he’d be fine, but this was a lot already. Spending more time with Facundo now might get her into trouble later… she needed to slow things down.

“So. It’s about six,” he was looking down at his watch. “Would you like to have dinner together?”

“I can’t,” Temi sighed. “I promised my friend, Thom, a movie night.”

            “Wait. Thom… Thom… Thom…,” he repeated Thom’s name, trying to remember who he was. “Ahhh, the gay one, right?” Temi smiled shyly and nodded. “Then, I have nothing to worry about, right?” He pulled her in close.

            “Absolutely not,” Temi lifted her mouth to his. She smiled as she kissed him because she’d caught him off guard. He wasn’t expecting her to make a move, but by golly, he liked it. He pulled her closer and kissed with the urgency of a man who believed it was the last kiss he would ever experience.

            “Okay. Okay. We have to stop,” Temi’s voice was breathy. “I can’t have my panties falling off in public on the first date.”

            Facundo’s chuckle was low… sensual. “I’d like to see that. Perhaps the second date?”

            “Oh no, and I bet you would,” she rubbed her nose on his and gave him a peck on the lips. “I really need to go. Call me tomorrow?”

            “Absolutely!” He pulled her in for one more kiss before giving her leave.

            When Temi arrived home, Thom was just getting out of his car. Her mind was still reeling over her first encounter with Facundo, so she wasn’t expecting what came next.

            “Beautiful.” Thom swept her up in a passionate kiss in which she was nearly lifted off the ground as he guided her toward her door. Then he spent a moment kissing her while his body pressed her back against the brick wall next to her door as he fumbled for his key. Somehow, he managed to open the door without looking and once inside, Temi collapsed on the bottom step.

            “Sweetie, I don’t know how much longer I can keep this fake relationship going. Please tell me your date went well,” Thom didn’t miss a beat as he removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack.

            “It was nice,” Temi’s voice was just above a whisper. She was still trying to wrap her mind around what just happened.

            “Nice? Is that all you have to say about it?

            She looked up at her friend. “Thom, we walked along Waterside, we talked, and we kissed.”

            Thom’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. Temi could tell he wanted to scream out for joy, but he held it in; making him look as though he were holding his breath. “Okay, okay, girl. You need to get up to that living room, sit your ass on that sofa, and fill me in on the details.”

            Smiling big, she removed her shoes and did just as he asked. Once they had deposited themselves comfortably on the sofa, Temi’s head in Thom’s lap looking up at him; she began to tell him about her date. She left nothing out. The hand holding, the wind as it lifted his hair while they were on the ferry, Facundo’s jokes, his laughter, the passion of his kisses.

            “Oh my God, he sounds hot.”

            “Oh, he is hot!”

            Thom smiled down on her. “So, tell me, who’s the better kisser? Me or him?”

            There was really no comparison. Thom’s kisses were nice… comforting. Completely different from the steamy, passionate, make-your-panties-drop, kisses of Facundo. Besides the difference was probably in the fact that Thom had absolutely no romantic interest in her whatsoever. “Okay, Thom, I love you, really love you. However, I’m going to have to say Facundo.”

            Thom’s mouth dropped.

            “Thom, don’t be mad. I think he’s just better because he actually likes girls.”

            He closed his mouth and shrugged. “I’m sure that’s it. I mean, I would be a much better kisser for you if you actually were Taye Diggs instead of me just pretending you’re Taye Diggs.”

            Temi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Wait.” She sat up and turned to look at him. “When you kiss me, you pretend I’m Taye Diggs?”

            “Hmm. Only today. The last time you were Idris Elba and the time before that I was totally feeling Trevor Noah.”

            “Huh.” Temi tossed the information back and forth in her mind. “Well, at least I’m really hot in your mind’s eye.” Then another thought crossed her mind. “You know, Thom, you are a much better kisser than Jordan. I don’t know if that’s a reflection of how good you are or how bad he is.”

            “Bitch, please. You know I could make girls’ panties drop if I wanted to. These lips are magic.”

            Temi was up early the next morning to meet her mother for veggie picking in Virginia Beach despite her late night with Thom. He had spent the night again but stayed in the guest room, saying now that she had someone, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to share a bed with another man no matter how gay he was. Temi had a feeling it had to do more with the conflicted feelings he experienced the last time he spent the night, but since it didn’t bother her one way or another; she was fine with it. Especially if it put his mind at ease.

            “Ya, mom, I’m on my way,” she grabbed her keys and opened the door. “I’m whispering because Thom is still sleeping.” There was silence on her mother’s end of the phone, so after Temi started her car, she told her mother she would see her in five minutes.

            It took a little less than five to arrive at her mother’s home, and her mom was sitting on the front porch waiting. So, when she pulled up, Jada immediately walked over and jumped in.

            “Hey sweetie,” she kissed Temi on the cheek. “How did your date go?”

            Temi couldn’t help but smile as she turned her car around. “It was really nice. He was really nice.”

            “Oh.”

            Something seemed a bit off with her mother’s response, as if the “oh” was so much more than mere acknowledgement. Temi took a quick glance at her mother as she continued up Hillwell to Mt. Pleasant Road; she wanted to take the long way this morning. Mt. Pleasant was a straight shot from Chesapeake to Virginia Beach, and though a bit slower than taking the bypass and interstate; it was a much prettier ride as you drive. The houses and schools falling away as you approached Bergey’s Breadbasket; which was once a dairy farm, and giving way to open fields and farmland, reminding residents of Cheaspeake’s agricultural roots. At seven in the morning the dew was still fresh upon the grass, and there was a sleepy feeling in the air. The whole world seemed at peace.

            Temi and her mother rode in silence for several minutes. She didn’t want to ask her mother about the meaning behind her “oh” until she was out of the neighborhood. As they rode by the intermediate school and the landscape opened up, Temi finally felt she could delve into her mother’s unasked question. “Sooo. What’s up? You didn’t give me much of a response to my date statement.”

            Ms. Jada shook her head. “Honey, I just don’t understand. If you had a nice date, why is Thom at your place?”

            Temi hadn’t been expecting that. Her eyebrows pinched the bridge of her nose. “I had a movie date with Thom which got off to a late start because we talked so long about Facundo.”

            “Artemisia, you know I don’t have anything against Thom. He’s a wonderful young man who treats you the way I feel you should be treated.”

            “I feel a but coming on.”

            Her mother rolled her eyes. “But how do you think having a beautiful, virile, young man spending the night at your place looks to any potential suitors?”

            Temi hated the word suitors. Every time her mother used that particular word, she felt as if she was “goin’ a courtin.’” It was so old-fashioned. “Mom, we’re just friends. Besides, I told Facundo all about Thom, and he didn’t have any objections.”

            “Did he know Thom was spending the night?”

            Temi stopped to think about the question. Of course, the answer was no. She and Thom never planned their sleepovers; it would just happen if they stayed up too late. When Temi didn’t respond, her mother took her silence to mean, and correctly so, that Facundo did not know of their little slumber party. “Sweetie, be careful there. I know you love Thom; I do too, but not everyone will understand that love and devotion as only platonic.”

            The Clarke ladies always began with Henley Farm when they went pickin’. Then, whatever they couldn’t get from Henley’s, they would find at one of the surrounding farms. For two hours they bounced from farm to farm picking their own apples, pears, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, raspberries, and Temi picked up two pumpkins. She loved being out in the fields picking her own food, loved the smell of the soil and the gratification of finding the most beautiful specimens. It was just nice seeing exactly where her food was coming from, and it helped the wonderful farmers.

            “Well! Now, that was a productive trip,” her mother exclaimed with satisfaction.

            Temi smiled at her as she drove back to their little neck of Hampton Roads.

            “So, what do you and Thom have planned for the rest of the day?”

            Just then, Temi’s phone rang. Since she didn’t have a definitive answer for her mother, she chose to answer it. “Artemisia Clarke.” When the voice on the other end met her ear, her insides began to melt. She tried to keep her composure while Facundo informed her of the slightly erotic dream he had that night. There was a boat, the two of them, under a starlit sky twinkling against the darkness.

            “So. What do you think?”

            She couldn’t help but smile. “About the dream or your obsession with someone you hardly know?” 

            He laughed. “May I see you tonight?”

            “Facundo, this is all very overwhelming.” Though cautious words left her lips, her mind, and more urgently, her body was screaming yes!

            “I know I can be pushy when it comes to what I want.” At least he was honest. “But… I promise you… we will take this as slow as you like. I may still make suggestions,” again with the honesty, “but I won’t act until you say it’s okay.”

            Well, she couldn’t have any objections to that. “All right. What do you have in mind?”

            “Send me your address, dress in your sexiest little dress, and I will pick you up at; let us say, six.”

            “Okay. I’ll send you my address as soon as I get home, and I look forward to seeing you at six.”

            Then, in a voice dripping with warm honey, “I look forward to seeing you too.”

            Temi bit her lower lip as she tried not to smile too big while she set her phone down.

            “Mmm… by the looks of you, you may want to stop by the store and grab some condoms.”

            “Mom!” God, she really knew how to make a happy moment awkward.

            “I’m just sayin’. I mean, I thought you were gonna to have an orgasm just talking to that boy over the phone.”

            “You know, lady, I usually think your free speaking is cute… but not today.”

            “The truth will set you free, baby. And on that note, for your sake, I hope Thom is off on the prowl when your Latin lover shows up. Also, you may want to inform him just how close you and Thom really are.” Temi sighed. She just wanted to get her mom home, so she could get back to Thom.