Autumn Chic Lit: Cafe Con Leche, Chapter 3

Miss previous chapters? Catch up on chapters 1 and 2 here.

“You know you drool when you sleep, right?” Matt teases me through the phone.

After spending our first night together last night, which ended up being very romantic, despite my horrible nightmare, I don’t mind his teasing. We spent the morning at IHOP for breakfast and we didn’t part ways until around noon.

No real kiss yet, but I still melt every time he kisses my forehead.

“I do not drool. You’re a bad liar,” I say, painting my toenails to kill some time before our night outing. I glance at the clock: it’s 9:37.

“And when you weren’t drooling, you were snoring. I could barely sleep.”

“Okay, okay, Matt.” I want to squash the conversation about my imaginary drooling.

I wonder did I really drool on him? Nahh. I couldn’t have.

“So, what’s going on with this party tonight?” I ask to change the subject.

“Oh, it’s a frat party. And some of the other ball players are going to be there.”

“And you invited me to a party where it’s going to be a bunch of jocks, groupies and frat boys?” I can imagine all the drunk girls who will be throwing themselves at Matt.

“Yeah…I wanted to show you off,” he says in an incredibly sweet way.

“Show me off? The incredible drooling machine?”

Matt roars with laugher.

“So, is this a dress up or dress down type of party?”

His laugh is too cute.

“I’m sure you’ll look beautiful in whatever you wear.”

I blush. “Thank you.”

About an hour later, I’m showered, shaved, and dressed in a nice pair of long tight dark denim jeans, black button-up top with small ruffles and a pair of black boots. My hair is pulled back into a tight bun at the base of my neck. My makeup is light with emphasis on my eyes. Large hoop earrings and a cute black clutch complete my look. I’m wearing my best Victoria’s Secret push-up bra. Wink, wink.

I’m spraying myself with perfume when the suite bell rings. I grab my clutch and run to open the door.

Matt is standing there wearing a pair of dark jeans, black boots, and a crisp white dress-shirt with light blue pin stripping. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off his tan arms and nice silver watch.

“Wow” He says giving me an once-over at the door, pausing momentarily to check out my chest.

Victoria’s Secret never fails.

“Wow yourself,” I say pulling the door closed. I turn to lock the door and I can feel Matt’s eyes watching me.

“Wow,” he says again to my turned back. I smile.

It’s going to be a great night.

**********

Rihanna’s “Umbrella” is playing throughout the frat house. We’re on a make-shift dance floor on a lower level, in what I assume is usually the living room. We both had a couple of Apple Smirnoff Ice drinks, which I love.

“I heard that most basketball players were clumsy when it comes to dancing,” I crane my neck back to talk into Matt’s ear as he dances behind me in the middle of the party.

“Yeah?” He says as he grabs my hips and pulls me closer to him. Just being this close gives me goosebumps. “Well, I heard smart girls couldn’t dance.”

I turn to face him and drape my arms around his neck.

“Really?” I flirtatiously turn my head to the side while keeping eye contact.

“Really.” He says very close to my face, his breath is warm and sweet. We stare into each other’s eyes for a moment.

I could stay like this forever.

“Hey, Matt” A voice says. “Matt Parker? Is that you, man?” I turn to look. A tall red-headed guy is standing beside Matt with a beer in his hand. His cheeks are flushed and his eyes are glassy. He’s been drinking also.

Matt turns around to look at the guy.

“Hey, um, Don Green?” Matt says to the guy with a quick handshake.

“Dan Green.”

“How are you doing, man? I haven’t seen you since high school.” Matt reaches out and grabs my waist, to show me that he hasn’t forgotten me.

Dan looks at me quickly with condescending eyes.

“Yeah, man. Last time I saw you, you were being named the big basketball star for Miami, and now you’re at Polk?”

“Yep. I love it here” Matt turns and winks at me as they start playing “Kiss, Kiss” by Chris Brown.

“Oh,” Dan says looking at me again. “Dude, who is that?” He refers to me as if I’m not in earshot.

“This,” Matt pulls me closer again and looks at me, his body is a suddenly a little stiffer, less comfortable. “This is Jolisa, my girl.” he looks at Dan on the last two words, defiance in his voice, seeming to dare him to say something.

The air is suddenly tense.

“Hi. Nice to meet you.” I reach out my hand to Dan as if to break the tension. He looks down at my hand, not bothering to shake it.

“What’s up, homegirl?” Dan says, in a tone totally different from the one he used to talk to Matt, while throwing his hands out awkwardly, sloshing his beer around, and crossing them over his chest in a weird way. It looks like he’s auditioning for Malibu’s Most Wanted.

I squint my eyes at him in disbelief.

My body stiffens and I can feel Matt’s arm slowing leaving my side. I look at him. His eyes are daggers for Dan.

“Hi, Dan.” I greet him again trying to give him another chance. I wrap my arm around Matt’s waist and begin rubbing his side, beckoning him to calm down. “So, you and Matt went to high school together?” I say casually.

“Sho’ nuf, yo.” Dan says in that weird tone again, it’s like bad acting. “We used to kick it in M-I-A, you know what I’m sayin’, yo?”

“No…I don’t.” I say shaking my head at Dan’s behavior. There’s an awkward pause and I see Shawnie waving at me from across the room. I take this as my cue to exit.

“Excuse me.” I nod politely to Dan, even though he doesn’t deserve it. I turn to Matt taking my arm from around his waist. “Matt, I’ll be outside.” He looks at me quickly, his eyes are narrow and angry, and turns back to Dan

“Ok, Jo. I’ll be there with you in two seconds.”

“Ok,” I say walking away. “Nice to meet you, Dan.” I lie.

I can’t believe that guy.

I hear Dan break into a fit of laughter as I try to make my way through the crowd.

“Dude, Matt. I didn’t know you came all the way from Miami just to slum with the b-ball groupies.” I hear Dan say over the crowd before I could get away.

“Hey, Jo. You having fun with Matt?” Shawnie asks smiling while dancing with her boyfriend, Jesse, a tall dark-skin black guy who plays basketball with Matt.

“Hey guys.” I sigh. Jesse nods in response. “We were having fun until this really strange guy, that Matt went to high school with, started talking to him. Every time the guy says something to me it’s like he’s doing a bad impersonation of Flavor Fav.” I motion with my hand in the direction of Matt and Dan. Shawnie and Jesse stop dancing and look in that direction.

“That guy?” Jesse points quickly. “The one Matt is arguing with?”

I turn around to look. Matt looks enraged. He’s yelling something at Dan and pointing his fingers threateningly close to his face.

I start walking back over to the pair.

“Hold on, Jo. Let me go ahead of you.” Jesse says in his protective tone as he slides in front of me. Shawnie grabs my hand as we walk over.

Suddenly Dan says something inaudible and Matt rears his hand back and punches him in the face, Dan falls. The crowd splits. The music stops, literally, as someone bumps into the DJ’s table. I see Matt dive on the ground at Dan. I push my way through the crowd.

By the time I get to the middle of the circle surrounding the scuffle, Jesse has already pulled Matt off Dan and is standing behind him locking his arms to keep him from jumping on the guy again. Dan is standing up on the other side.

“Hey, hey, hey, Matt?” I say questioningly in front of him. He’s still glaring at Dan. I put my hand gently on his chin and bring his face close to mine. “Hey, look at me.” His eyes turn to me and soften.

“Dude, I can’t believe you!” Dan yells at Matt. The whole room is watching in disbelief. Matt’s eyes harden again as they look at Dan. I can hear Dan cursing behind me. I turn in his direction. He narrows his eyes at me. Matt is still struggling with Jesse.

“Matt, you hit me because of…th-this?” Dan motions his hand at me, his face bloody and swelling. I feel my body walking towards him, but Shawnie grabs my arm.

“Dude, I didn’t know you were a nigger-lover!” Dan says with rage in his voice, only looking at me with a weird grin of satisfaction like he always wanted to say that to someone.

A weird gasp came from the crowd and people start talking and shouting in unison. I can hear Matt yelling at Jesse to let him go, but Jesse only says “He’s not worth it, man.”

Shawnie tightens her grip on my arm. It’s like everything is moving in slow motion; anger slowly building inside me.

“Hey! Dude, you gotta go.” A tall pale blond guy interrupts, stepping out from the crowd in front of Dan with a group of guys behind him. They are all wearing the same fraternity shirt. The guys motion at Dan to leave. “Dude, you have to go, NOW! Or we’re calling the cops!” The tall guy says getting closer to Dan.

“But he hit me first!” Dan protested.

“But you provoked him. We don’t tolerate hate-words here, man!” The group of fraternity brothers began to escort Dan out the house.

I turn my attention back to Matt and put my hands on his face again.

“Let’s go, baby,” I say, looking into his apologetic eyes. He nods.

The ride back to Matt’s room is quiet, which is probably for the best because I can’t believe what happened.

Is that what Dan thinks all black people are like?

I sigh in disbelief of Dan’s closed-mindedness.

When we get back to Matt’s room, I immediately take him to his restroom to bandage his hand. The skin on his knuckles is split in three places from connecting with Dan’s face.

Once I’m done bandaging his wounds, Matt sits silently on the side of his tub while I lean stiffly against the sink, looking down at my toes. His bathroom door is closed. I sigh repeated, trying to fight the tears of anger from streaming down my face.

This whole town and this school are supposed to be so tolerant, but I guess some things never change.

I turn my head to look at Matt. He’s looking at me.

“Come here, Jo.” Matt says softly. I walk over to him. He grabs my hand and beckons me to sit on his lap. I oblige.

We sit in silence for a few moments.

“Do you think it’ll be like this every time we go out, I mean, with people not wanting us to be together?” I ask, not looking at him.

Matt sighs and wraps his arms around me.

“I hope not.”

We continue to sit for a moment, our bodies finally relaxed, where we feel most comfortable…together.

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