SUNDAY LOVERS

3

There was a loud knock on Taraji's front door. She was in a deep slumber, but this woke her up. She sat up in her bed swiftly and looked at her clock. " Now who the hell is at my door?" She slid her house shoes on and went to investigate.

" Who is it?" She yelled at the door. There was a moment of silence before anything else was heard.

" It's Tasia!" Her sweet voice filled Taraji with instant joy.

Taraji opened the door, with a very inviting smile on her face. " Hey, girl!" She greeted Fantasia. She noticed something was in Fantasia's hand. It was a box. She looked closer. It was a cake box. She became confused for a moment.

" Listen, I know I flaked out on you yesterday. Something came up and I had to leave. I didn't want to bother you while you were showering so I just left. I feel bad, of course, so I made you a cake." She smiled and handed the cake over to Taraji.

Taraji became overwhelmed with appreciation. It was one thing for Fantasia to apologize for ditching Taraji after saying she would stay for dinner, but it was really thoughtful to make a cake. She appreciated her effort. It made her melt on the inside.

" Awe, boo, thank you!" She leaned in and gave Fantasia a quick peck on the cheek. " Come in! I'm about to open this right now." She dashed to the kitchen to grab her cake knife. 

" It smells really good in here! What's that?" Fantasia sniffed around.

Taraji thought for a moment. " I think that's the Tobacco bark candle. I got it from Bath and Body Works not too long ago. They're small but they're hella strong." She returned from the kitchen with the knife. "A strawberry shortcake cake!? How'd you know this was one of my favorites?" She removed the covering from over the cake, licking away the icing that was on her hand.

" Are you serious? I had no idea, but now that you mention it it actually makes sense for you." Inwardly, Fantasia had regret for allowing the last part of her sentence to slip out. She had feelings for Taraji but she didn't want it to seem like she was coming onto her. What if she didn't feel the same? Fantasia also battled with this familiar feeling because she was taught it was wrong, in the church, but it was a feeling she couldn't really control. It was natural.

" What you mean it actually makes sense for me?" Taraji slid the  first piece of cake into her mouth. She moaned in enjoyment. " Girl, this is so good! This is probably one of the best I've had. The crunch, the texture, the icing isn't too overwhelming, and it really reminds of the strawberry shortcake ice cream."

Joy felt like an understatement for what Fantasia was feeling in the moment. She always loved the feeling of people trying her baking and confessing it's some of the best they've ever had. It was even more special, to her, for Taraji to react in such a way. " Awe, thank you! I'm so glad you like it!" Fantasia was kind of relieved that the cake distracted Taraji from her previous question, meaning Fantasia didn't have to scatter her brain for an appropriate answer.

" You want a slice?" Taraji offered, as she continued to stuff her face.

" Oh, no. I'm good honey, that's for you to enjoy. I gotta get out here to church so I won't be late."

Taraji scrunched her face up trying to figure out why she was going to church on a Monday. " It's Monday."  She said with the straightest expression.

" Yea, I know. We have our bible studies on Mondays. They tell us if we don't go to bible study then we can't sing in the choir or anything." Fantasia explained

"See, I don't like that at all. That's that bullshit." Taraji carried on with eating more cake.

Fantasia thought for a moment. She thought about her freedom. Something she hadn't thought about, intensely, until Taraji came along. She had aspirations of reaching the kind of freedom Taraji represented in her eyes. What was keeping her from that? She didn't know at the time.