Roman offered his hand. “Thought you wanted to dance?”
The music mood was slow again. “You’re All I Need To Get By” drifted around them while Imani considered Roman’s outstretched palm. She accepted once a few seconds had passed. Aside from a brief fluttering of her lashes, she willed no further reaction when his hand spanned her waist. He led her to a spot on the floor. Both hands smothered her waist when he brought her in tight next to him. They barely moved in time to the beat of the gripping melody and lyrics. They moved that way for half the song.
“Do you think I could have you in my bed for just a few weeks and then let you go?” Roman asked her. “Do you know what it does to me thinking of someone else having you the way I want to have you?”
She pulled back as much as he would allow her. Her eyes were large and full of hope. “I could stay.”
“You couldn’t. You love and respect your parents too much to do things that way.”
“You could come with me.”
Roman smiled. “I really am in love with you.”
Imani bit her lip to stifle her gasp. Roman brushed his thumb over the spot where her lip disappeared beneath her teeth.
“How long before I get invited on Safari and shot dead or accidentally left behind for a lion’s supper?”
She shoved him playfully in response and shook her head. “My father likes you very much.”
“Enough to let me have you? To accept that I’d be the father of his grandkids one day? You really believe that, Imani?”
“Yes. I do.” She insisted when he rolled his eyes toward the chandeliered ceiling. “He will, because I’m really in love with you too,” she went to her toes, kissed him and they embraced for the next two songs.
~~~
“She really invited you to that thing?” Roman’s expression was full of disbelief later when he sat across the booth table from his brother.
“Yeah, that’s what I asked myself. Then, I asked Pop. He asked me if I was crazy, said he didn’t even want to go. No way would he pull me into that tripe!” Pitch joined Roman in laughter.
“Turns out, it was Grekka who invited me.”
Roman stopped laughing abruptly. “No way. Why?”
Pitch looked equally stunned. “Says he’s inviting his girl and wants me to bring mine so she’ll have more than your mother for female company.”
Roman’s eyes narrowed. “Did you say ‘his girl’?”
Pitch shrugged. “That’s what he said. Seemed real set on me bringing Candy.”
“You told the rest of your brothers about me?” Candace sounded dazed, surprised.
Roman rolled his eyes. “The guy can’t shut up about you.”
Pitch sent his girlfriend a quirky smile when she looked his way.
“Have you met her? Gabe’s girl?” Roman asked.
“No, but I think Ari has.”
“Is it serious?”
“Has to be if he’s bringing her to the Assumption Dinner, right?”
“What’s that?” Candace asked.
“Catholic thing,” Pitch explained.
“On August fifteenth,” Roman added. “Assumption Day is when Mary was taken up to Heaven after her death. When we were little,” he continued, “our folks would take us back to the old neighborhood near Bleecker Street. On Assumption Day, a tall statue of The Virgin Mary gets carried through the streets to church.”
“Sounds like a big deal,” Candace sighed.
“Yeah,” Roman nodded. “Even for those who aren’t all that religious. I can count the times on one hand that we went to mass, but every year my mother goes all out for the Assumption.” He looked to Pitch again. “Did Gabe tell her he invited you?”
Pitch seemed unbothered. “Said he did. Didn’t tell me how she took it.”
“You’ll be fine,” Roman waved off the concern. “Pop will be there.”
Pitch frowned. “And what about you?”
“Well he didn’t invite me.”
“What? You can’t shirk off that dinner, Ro.”
Roman’s face was a steely mask. “I’m eighteen, remember? By law I can shirk off whatever I want.”
“Ro-”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there if Grek asks me.”
