Becoming Us (COMPLETE)

*Five*

It was finally Friday, and I was excited for my second date with Trae.

Skintight jeans and gold strappy sandals with three-inch heels paired perfectly with my dark pink top that was cut low enough to offer a glimpse of the pale pink bra underneath. After our date Wednesday, I'd decided to embrace feeling pretty, including cute matching panties—just in case.

I still wasn't ready for sex, but he'd seen my panties the other day, and I wanted to be prepared. So, freshly washed, shaved, straightened, and wearing light makeup, I was ready for whatever Trae made me want tonight.

Maybe.

Probably.

Well, probably not sex. Maybe.

The touching had been better than good, and what Mandy said made me wonder what Trae might be packing. I mean, it'd be okay to look, right? It wouldn't mean I had to do anything.

A soft knock at the door preceded Mama's voice. "You got a minute, sugar?"

"Sure. Come on in."

Mama opened the door and beamed when she saw me all dressed up. "You look pretty! Are you going out with the same guy?"

She shut the door to keep our conversation private. Not that Gary would've heard anything anyway, with the television blaring.

"I am." I smiled. "Trae should be here any minute."

"Where y'all going so late?"

"Vanzant's for a couple drinks and dancing."

"That's wonderful! I'm so glad you've found a good'un!" Mama sat on my bed and patted the spot beside her, so I joined her on the colorful floral comforter. "I have some good news myself." She beamed, crinkling the skin around her pretty hazel eyes, and my stomach sank. With Gary still here, it couldn't be the news I hoped for.

"Gary and me talked yesterday, and he's gonna move in here. He wants to take care of me and pay the bills. Isn't he the sweetest?"

"Are you sure you want that, Mama?" Her face fell, and I rushed to go on before I lost the nerve. "It's just he gets angry pretty quick, and if he pays the bills, he'll think he's in charge."

Her brow furrowed, and then smoothed as she twisted her brown hair over her shoulder. "Well, I like a man that takes charge. Besides, if he's paying the bills, you can save your money! You can do whatever you want and not worry about me."

I scoffed. Mama's philosophy that your man should teach you about sex so you can learn what he likes, and being a quietly supportive woman is rewarding, was starting to look even more like bullshit than I'd always thought.

Thank God she'd at least had the sense to get me on the pill. She was a loving Mama, but I didn't want to end up like her.

"He's not gonna want me living here, Mama."

"Of course he will." She took my hand. "You're my baby. We're a package deal. I want to see you save and have fun. You deserve it!"

Mama clearly thought she was doing something nice for me and I didn't want to burst her bubble, so I just smiled. "Okay, that sounds great."

She didn't need to know I'd only be saving long enough to get out of there. With Gary paying the bills, that shouldn't take more than a few months.

Tires crunched on the gravel drive and we both hopped up. "You better hurry before Gary wants to greet your date. I'm going to get my shower."

The way her voice pinched on the word greet told me she knew what kind of person Gary was. I didn't understand why she'd put up with that, but it wasn't my problem. All I could do was keep Trae from having to deal with it.