Things We Lost In the Fire

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

*A|N: never will I ever take another break like that from writing, it felt weird 😫 But I'm back and the updates aren't going to be a week apart again! But here it is!

December 12, 1998

Fastening the back of my rose gold hoop earrings and smoothing out my maroon turtleneck, I looked over at the clock to see we still had a good fifteen minutes before we had to leave to head over to Mom and Dad's house. Technically we could wait around for another forty-five because mom just had to go all out for dinner tonight and she started cooking later than expected.

Surprisingly, this man is not as nervous about meeting my parents as I'd thought. He wanted to meet them back in May but I didn't want to jump the gun, not knowing whether he'd be around this long. I on the other hand was internally flipping out because I was so sure my dad was not going to like him.

I finally felt a little at ease once the notes of vanilla and lavender hit my nostrils. It's just something about P's fragrance that calms me and I was so happy when I found a perfume that was similar to his.

Bobbing my head and rapping along to the smooth voice of DeVante Swing flowing through my speakers, I tried to contain my giggles as I grinded against the hips that were now graciously pressed against mine. His North Cali accent was prominent as we sung in unison.

So hang around and give it up, cause all the real G's know what I'm thinking of. Cause you gotta be down, so give it up, theres a party over here so baby show me love, cause I got the Gin & Juice.

Turning in his arms, I scoffed as I peered up at him. "Keith take the freaking grill out please, you look like a thug."

"Oh now I look like a thug? All before you said you loved it."

"Yeah well my parents won't, especially my dad. One thing he hates is a guy that acts hood. Trust me, I know from previous experience."

Slouching on the edge of the bed, Keith began his little tangent. "Well, it's bad enough you got me dressing up to go sit at someone's house. This dinner could have easily been done with me in a hoodie and Timbs."

"I told you to put on a simple dress shirt, not a tux. Why do you have to be so difficult Keith? You need to be more like Woody, he bought my mom a bouquet of roses."

"See there you go! Trying to compare me to Woody, he's a kiss ass. I prefer to keep it real and use my winning smile and personality to charm momma's."

I rolled my eyes so hard at him. Grabbing my purse and Noah's coat off the bed, I snapped my fingers at Keith prompting him to get up. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"I don't need luck. But making me dress up, I deserve some nookie later!"

Walking into our parents house, the smell of oxtails permeated in the air.  The faint sound of mom's voice calling out for us from upstairs could barely be heard over the grumbling between Woody and Keith as they hung up their coats.

"Hmph, you call me a suck up, whose responsible for us being late? You are Keith. Why? Because you made us stop by Macy's so you could buy their mom perfume and their dad some golf gloves. Gifts aren't going to buy you brownie points my man.", Woody said.

Keith smacked his teeth, "Man, stop hating on me and go brush them naps on your head."

Woody spat back, "Boy you lucky we're in their parents house." Keith bent down to unzip Noah's thick Canada Goose parka. "Yeah, whatever man."

As we stood in the foyer, we watched as our parents descended down the winding staircase, looking dressed to kill as usual. With mom adorned in a peach cocktail dress and dad wearing a burgundy dress shirt, tie, black dress pants and Stacy Adams, we weren't sure if we were underdressed or if they were over dressed for the occasion.