All for Power

Chapter 2: No, This is Not a Date

(Lauryn Hill – Too Good to Be True)

*Gasps* "No way!" I said astonished at where Jidenna had taken me. It was the El Rancho Dominicano, "This is my favorite restaurant, of all the places in the world." I looked at him. "Really?! I used to come here all the time after classes were over when I used to be a teacher." "Oh yes, I remembered that you were a teacher out here." I responded. Jidenna, his crew & I placed our orders and sat down. Jidenna's crew sat in the table adjacent from us. "So now I want to ask you a few questions Miss Delfonte, if you don't mind?" "I don't mind at all, ask away." I replied. "How old are you?" he continued. "Old enough to go to a restaurant with man and his friends who I know nothing about." I fixed my lips & played with my straw. "I'm serious Maya." He smiled. "I'm serious too!" I looked up at him while I sipped my mimosa, then I took my lips off my straw. "Guess how old I am." I sat up straight & crossed my arms. "Hmm." He raised his eyebrow & stroked his thick beard. "I know for a fact that you are younger than me, not that much younger." He looked me up and down. "Raise you chin slightly for me ." "What?!" I raised my voice in confusion. "Just trust me." He took off his suit top and rolled up his sleeves. He gently placed his cool hands under my neck. I started to close my eyes till I heard in a thick African accent... "Eh Dr. Mobission, you checking for lymph nodes over there?" Whippa, Nana & Fluent started snickering at the table opposite from us. "Whatever Nana." He deflected. I lowered my head & then laughed. "Oh you think that's funny?" He said. "Umm, yeah nigga. I don't know too many dudes out here feeling on females necks to guess their age." "Alright, point taken. And you're 25 years old." My eyes immediately opened, then I touched my neck. "How the hell did touching my neck determine my age?!" I said in shock. "Well older people's neck is one of the first things that loosen & I read your blog before I came to your house." Jidenna showed the bio from my blog on his Apple Watch. "You ass!" I playfully punched his shoulder. He laughed at me. "You should know better, I was music engineer in college not a doctor." The waitress came with our food. "Thank you so much, this looks very delicious." He commented. "Yes, it does. Thank you." She smiled and nodded her head, then walked away. We proceeded to eat our food. He ordered chicken wings & fries; & I ordered the steak quesadilla. I looked at him and shook my head as he bit into his chicken wing. "What?" He said with his mouth chewing half full.

"You are such a typical negro, how are we all in a Dominican restaurant & you go order the least Hispanic based food?" I questioned giggling "I like chicken." He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Who doesn't like chicken?" He finished. "Chicken is life." He added. "I guess you're right." I agreed. "How's that quesadilla?" He asked. "It's scrumptious." I replied before I took a bite. "Where are you from? Do you have any siblings?" I looked up and raised my eyebrow. "Ok now I need to ask you a question Mr. Mobisson." He gulped & then quickly countered. "I asked you first." I retorted. "2 sisters, no brothers & all born & raised in Brooklyn. Now back to my question." He quickly became nervous. "O-ok, go ahead." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "Are you trying to turn this into a date?" I crossed my arms an crossed my legs to nearly mirror his pose. He laughed the question off, but his nerves were undeniable. "No, this is not a date. Not at all. I just wanted to get to know more about you. You seemed interesting to talk to and I'm really glad that I wasn't wrong." I nodded then leaned forward. "Do always take your interviewers out to eat during early evening hours?" I proceeded. "Do you always wear outfits like yours when you eat with interviewees?" I quickly looked myself up and down. "What's wrong with what I got on?!" I looked at him puzzled & slightly offended. "Nothing, nothing at all." He became nervous again. "It's just that you look really good and I-I..." He started to trip over his words. "Well thank you, I don't need any reason or any person to justify why I look really good." He slightly hung his head down, but quickly lifted it up. "You're absolutely right and I'm gonna put my foot in my mouth for that one and I apologize. He agreed. "As you should." I followed up while creating a slow circle motion with my finger around my glass. "Misogynoir and arrogance are two things I will never ever have time for." I sharply looked at him. He was damn near sweating bullets in front of me, it was kinda cute to see him so nervous. It's almost as if he wanted to impress me.