He sat on the sofa, observed her from a distance and had an expression on his face like the cat that just ate the canary.
When she came into the living room, he was speechless. The chandelier could have fallen on him, and he would have never known what hit him.
As he stood up, she got closer. The two cuddled and kissed for almost five minutes and started to make honey like two bees in heat. They ended up in the bedroom and never made it to the restaurant. When he was ready to take a break, she would scream for more. It was almost three in the morning when the lovemaking ended.
When Tawney woke up, Jamal was not in bed; she thought he had left and that it was a one-night stand on his part. Then she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. As she went to check, he had prepared breakfast. They kissed, and he escorted her to the table.
She was thoroughly surprised and impressed.
"Where did you learn how to cook?" she asked.
He answered, "While attending college, I worked at a popular Caribbean restaurant in Newark, New Jersey, where I was going to take you for dinner. I worked in the kitchen and learned how to prepare a variety of West Indian dishes from the finest chefs."
If she had any misgivings about him, those uncertainties were eternally gone. She was ready to be his lover and lifetime partner.
After breakfast, the two went back to bed and talked about their years growing up in their respective communities.
Jamal grew up in New Jersey, attended a popular state university and majored in computer science. While in college, he started a business in his parents' basement, designing software for students, local businesses, religious institutions, and community organizations.
After graduation, he did freelance work for major tech companies, saved enough money to purchase a brownstone in Harlem and expanded his business to where it was today.
Some of his clients were fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and not-for-profit agencies.
He had just signed on as a consultant with Tech World, Inc.
Tawney talked about her life growing up in Manhattan. She had a sister who lived in Canada. They were not that close because her sister was twenty years older, but Tawney and her parents were extremely close. Both parents were municipal employees.
Her mother was an accountant with the New York City Finance Department, and her father was the head superintendent of several school districts at the Board of Education. After leaving their jobs, they moved to a retirement community to be near family and friends.