Special Love: Book One

Chapter Three: Derrick

"Dawg, I can't get her off my mind, I think about her smile day and night." Derrick said to his boss and long time friend Jamar. "She's a good person, I can tell, I know she has been hurt, I can see it in her eyes especially that day at the airport." Derrick said. "Man, she probably think you stocking her or something, you run into her at the airport and then you see her at Wanda and Little Wayne's house, how is my nephew doing anyway?" Jamar said excitedly thinking about Little Wayne. "He's doing great, Ann has been working with him and things are coming along." Derrick told Jamar.

Every year in early April Jamar and I throw a huge Autism Awareness fundraiser sponsored by the Detroit Lions team. We have so many rich and famous people to buy tickets just to have dinner and drinks with some of the Lions players, mingle a bit, hear a speech and dance a bit.

I've thought about Ann all day thinking about her Caramel color skin, perfect kissable lips, nice soft curves, her nice hips and a butt that would make any man go crazy. She's like 5' 4", her hair is natural and she carries herself professional even when she's not at work. I make sure I'm at my sisters place every two weeks, especially after the first time I'd seen her there. I came down stairs holding my nephews in my arm and seen her. All I seen was beauty. I've always been a straightforward guy but when I'm around Ann, I'm nervous, she makes me nervous. I wanted to get her number but I was too afraid to ask. I thought she might say, we need to keep things professional or something. When my sister told me that she canceled because she was not feeling well, I sent so many flowers to her office, hoping that she would see them when she returned. I didn't know her favorite so I sent different kinds. I asked Wanda where Ann worked and she gave me the third degree.

Derrick: So Wanda, where do Ann work, I want to send her a get well card and some flowers.
Wanda: so you got a thing for Wayne's therapist?
Derrick: huh, where did you get that from, why, why do you think that, I just want to send her a card and some flowers. Let her know that she's in our thought and we want her to feel better.
Wanda: Derrick, I'm your sister and I've never seen you act like you act around Ann. You're fidgety. You act like you can't think. You're lost for words most of the time. And you look at her like you're in love with her. You're here for all of Wayne's appointments with her... Do I need to say more?
Derrick: Okay, I guess you have a point. I do like her, I like her a lot. I want to take her out on a date some day. I invited her to the Autism fundraiser, I hope she comes.

I begin to tell Wanda about the airport where I first seen Ann and how she caught my eye then. Wanda was smiling and pulled me in for a hug. "She'll go out with you, you are so adorable, who wouldn't." His sister said to him. Derrick backed up and looked at her and said, "but I don't want to be adorable, I'm a man," he smiled super hard. Wanda laughed and walked into the kitchen.

"I will see her on Tuesday at Wanda's and I will ask her if she will take my offer and come to the Autism fundraiser." Derrick thought out loud. "Damn, I gave her two tickets what if she brings some boyfriend or something. I will feel super stupid, I know she's not married I didn't see a ring." Derrick thought out loud.

Tuesday:
"Hi Ann, how are you, how is your day going?" As Derrick step closer to Ann. "It's okay, thanks for the flowers, I would have called you to say thanks but I didn't have your number." Ann said. Derrick thought to himself, "are you stupid, dumb or both, you didn't write your number on the damn card." "Yeah, I'm sorry, I meant to put it on the card, I guess I forgot. But my sister told me you called her and told her to tell me thanks. But it's no problem, I hope they made you feel better." Derrick said to Ann. "Yes they did, I haven't had flowers delivered to me in a long time, everybody at work was trying to be nosy." She laughed nervously.

I felt myself staring at her lips and then back into her eyes and back at her lips again. I know she noticed it also. She was so beautiful, I wanted her to be my beautiful woman. Her smile was innocent and her eyes told me that she wanted to trust but she was afraid to. I knew when I first met her, she's a good woman with a big heart and just like me she loved hard. Ann had been hurt and whatever idiot done that I wanted to kick his ass.

"Will you be able to come to the Autism fundraiser this Saturday?" Derrick looked into Ann's eyes and asked her. "Yes, I'll be there, I'm bringing my coworker/best friend Amy with me if that's okay." She said while looking down at her paperwork as she was packing things up to go. "Amy is so excited to me Jamar," She said laughing. He exhaled before saying, "oh that's fine, did you need more tickets or was two enough." Ann looked up at Derrick before standing, "thanks Derrick but two is plenty and I'm thankful I got those, I've never been to an event like this and I'm looking forward to seeing... to going!" She stuttered! Derrick smiled and handed Ann his business card. "Why don't you call me later and give me your address and I'll have a limo pick the two of you up." Ann looked down at her bag of toddler toys before picking the bag up, "that's too much, you don't have to do.." "It will be my pleasure," I said as I reached for Ann's bags. "Will Wayne and Wanda be at the event." Ann asked. "Yeah they will be there for a little while, you know that Wayne gets tired quickly and he doesn't like to be around too many people. Wanda will bring him for about an hour or two. Wanda is our guest speaker." Derrick told her. While walking her to her car, I looked at her and said. "Ann, I want to be real with you, I like you, I really like you a lot, I figured that out after I couldn't get you off my mind when I met you at the airport." I looked down at the ground after a few minutes of silence and then stopped and turned to face her and said, "Ann I want to take you out, even after this event, on a date or something like that. Is that possible?" Ann looked at me and said, "I don't know, I'll think about it."

The hurt in her eyes was evidence that some fool had played with her heart. Who ever he was needed his ass whooped, he needed his face smashed in the dirt. Ann was a beautiful woman and she deserved the world. If she gives me a chance, I will definitely give it to her. I opened her door for her, handed her my card and placed her bags in the back seat, I closed her door and smiled, "do you have other client tonight?" "No I'm done, I'm heading back to the office to drop some papers off and then home I will go," she said as she started her car. "While be safe and have a wonderful night, I'll see you on Saturday, make sure you call me and give me your address so I can send the limo to pick you two up." I said to her. "Okay, will do and thanks again Derrick, I really appreciate everything, especially the beautiful flowers. And my favorite flowers are any color tulips and white Lilies." She yelled out the window as she was backing out of the driveway. My smile was big and I winked at her as she drove off down the street. I felt all mushy inside, "is this a normal feeling" I said out loud, too loud because my sister yelled back at me, "yeah when you really like somebody."