"Are you listening to me?" Aneesah asked sharply. "This wouldn't be a good time to fall asleep, I assure you."
Donnie sat upright immediately. "I'm listening, Aneesah, I'm listening! But I think you're overreacting a little … " His words were cut off by Aneesah's prompt response.
"I'm not overreacting, you're underreacting! Who in the world makes a checklist and then tries to pick out a mate on that basis? Where in the world did you get that nutty idea?" she railed at him.
Donnie, gamely trying to gain points, actually had an answer for her. "British royalty," he said triumphantly. "They do it all the time."
Unfortunately, his words seemed to push yet another button in Aneesah. "Oh, great! This is your model for a happy marriage, an all but defunct political system that has nothing whatsoever to do with how you live your daily life? Or maybe you think you're some kind of king, is that it?"
His face blazing with heat, Donnie was tom between trying to argue more and trying not to laugh. Aneesah was really worked up now, and she was really beautiful when she was angry.
"Donnie, love is something that catches you unaware, it's not something you just go out and pick up when it's convenient for you. Marriage is hard work. It's tough being around the same person day after day in good times and bad. It's hard enough when you love that person to death. But when you just up and decide someone is a good candidate for matrimony and it's time you were hitched, you're committing romantic suicide.
"For a marriage to work, you need to have passion, excitement, desire and romance. Someone needs to be able to take your breath away with a kiss, to surprise you with love every day. And you can't sit there and say that the person has to be this tall, this wide, have this degree or that many IQ points. Real love doesn't work that way." Aneesah paused for a moment and put her hand on her hip. "You dodo, I thought you had more sense than this. My whole Christmas was ruined because I thought I'd really hurt you. And when I think of how much you spent on that stupid ring... ooh! Come walk me to the door. I'm about to leave in a rage because now I'm mad at you, Adonis."
Donnie watch her big, shapely bottom move as she whirled around to leave the room and decided that having two feet in his mouth was plenty; he probably needed to shut up right about now. He got up from the table and hastened to get Aneesah's coat.
"How long are you planning to stay mad at me?" he asked politely.
Aneesah looked at his handsome, unshaved face, his rumpled jeans and cruddy sweatshirt, and made the sound sistahs the world over make when disgusted. "Mmm-hmm! At least the rest of today and maybe part of tomorrow, that's for sure. I may allow you to take me to dinner later in the week to make up for it. But you have to swear that you're going to think about what I said," she said as she slipped into her coat. "Don't just sit around watching football today-really think about what I said. Love is too precious and marriage is too important to play around with."
Donnie hugged her tightly and promised her. "Aneesah, you're right, and I was wrong. Although I still believe in my heart that you'd make a beautiful wife for me or any man, I promise that when I get married it will be to the right person for the right reasons. I swear," he said solemnly, ending the hug and holding up a hand like a scout reciting his pledge.
"The words are nice, but that's the wrong hand," Aneesah said wearily.
Chapter Five
No one was happier than Donnie to have the holidays over and the normal work year start in earnest. He'd had quite enough of parties, rich food and endless gatherings, and was ready to go back to work and get back in his right mind. Even though he was back on a normal kilter as far as his feelings about marriage and Aneesah's refusal of his proposal, there were some strange things afoot in his world. He knew that whatever remained of his mental turmoil would be erased once he plunged back into work. The strange things all centered on the woman he called Evilene, but he was sure it was leftover holiday angst.
There was the New Year's Day incident, for example. After his heartfelt chat with Aneesah, he really did think about what she'd said to him, and after a long shower and a much-needed shave, he'd hauled himself over to Alan's house for the traditional open house. He was ready to relax and kick back with the rest of the family, and was even anticipating seeing Angelique again while the memory of that spectacular kiss was still fresh in his mind. He'd have been less than human if he hadn't admitted to a certain amount of curiosity about how they would react upon seeing each other. Within minutes of his entrance he had a very different perspective on the situation: there was Angelique and there was that A.J. with his arm around her.
Oh, so it's like that, is it? Okay, cool, if that's how you are, Evilene. Donnie let this and other savage thoughts disrupt his enjoyment of what usually was a relaxing day with his family. He'd given a lot of thought to how he would act when he saw her again, but it hadn't once occurred to him that Angelique would bring a date to the open house. He'd always suspected that this A.J. had a more-than-brotherly interest in Angelique and now he was sure of it. A.J. was hanging on to her like she was his personal property, and she was acting like she enjoyed the treatment, smiling up at the man for all she was worth. Donnie hadn't really noticed those deep dimples before, but now it was all he could see. Her long, thick eyelashes, her pretty, juicy lips turned up in a constant smile and her amazing dimples begging for the tip of his tongue to sample their sweetness-the entire package drove him crazy.
Donnie was so twisted at the sight of Angelique and A.J. that he ignored her presence completely for the short time they were there. He had just gotten Faye, his sister-in-law, to fix him a plate of fried turkey, black-eyed peas, greens, com-bread and yams when he looked up and the objects of his disdain had vanished, not to be seen again the rest of the day. With considerable effort he concentrated on watching football with his brothers and playing with his nieces and nephews. He made it a point, however, not to attend the open house Paris and Angelique were hosting the next day. He wouldn't have admitted it to a living soul but he was really angry with Angelique. She had no right to kiss him like that if she was involved with some other man. And to bring that man into his family's home, well, that was just too much. The less he saw of the sneaky little wench, the better.
His desire to see less of Angelique was complicated by the fact that she had a studio in the Cochran building. Cochran Communications, under Donnie's leadership, had moved from its original home on Jefferson Avenue to a new location in downtown Detroit that was closer to the heart of the city. Detroit was enjoying a resurgence of vitality and energy and Cochran Communications was right in the middle of it all. The new building was one that had been renovated by Adam and Alicia and preserved the elegant architecture of the auto-baron age combined with a sleek modem interior. Located near the Greektown Casinos, the new Ford Field indoor arena where the Detroit Lions played football and the beautiful Comerica Park, home to the Detroit Tigers, the Cochran building was home not only to Cochran Communications, but several other businesses. Angelique had leased office space there and it hadn't fazed Donnie one way or another, but that was before the kiss. Now it was pretty much a moot point since Donnie was in and out of the office so much that he'd never see her. At least that was the plan until his first day back at work.
There on his desk was a huge, obnoxious SpongeBob SquarePants gift bag. Donnie hung up his coat while eying the bag with suspicion. His secretary thought Angelique was sweet and would have delivered the package to his office without hesitation. He approached the parcel warily, and found a more conventional bag with a gift tag that indicated it was from Benita. He smiled and reached for the inside bag eagerly and then remembered why it was necessary for him to get the gift in this way. He was supposed to get the package at Angelique's open house and he hadn't gone. And now he had the package and no need to encounter that evil little woman again for a good long time. Life just couldn't get any better.
***
Angelique was so busy after the end of the holidays she barely had time to remember there was an Adonis Cochran in the world, which was just fine with her. At that moment she was in her studio in the Cochran building, matting the photographs she would bring to her presentation at the African-American museum. The bright winter sun streamed through the windows and her precise, careful movements occupied all her attention, keeping her thoughts at bay. To think about him meant that she remembered that kiss and that was something she really didn't want to do.