Glass Heart

18

Later that night, Sage and Kareem went to one of the restaurants on the ship. They were both dressed to impress as they were escorted to their table. The waitress passed them their menus "What can I start you two off to drink with?" She asked, smiling politely.

"I'll get a sprite" Kareem said making Sage laugh. "What? I was forreal about no more liquor"

"I'll have a sprite too. Thanks"

The waitress walked away and Kareem smiled at Sage "You look beautiful tonight mama"

She blushed, pulling loose strands of hair behind her ear. Anytime Kareem complimented her, she got butterflies. Whenever she touched her, she got butterflies.

Just being around him, she had butterflies.

"Thanks baby, you don't look too bad yourself"

"Well I do clean up nice"

Sage rolled her eye and laughed "A thank you would've been a lot more appreciated"

"Thank you baby" he leaned forward and Sage met him halfway, kissing him.

"So tell me somethin, how was our first time?" She asked "I didn't think you'd be with the whole, public s*x thing, but you were. And that only added to the excitement and rush of things. Not to mention I'm sure you stretched me out a little. And you're aggressive, like I like it but also passionate at the same time"

"Well s**t, I do what I do. But at first, I wasn't with the open type thing but It wasn't too bad. I'd do it again"

"Wanna try it while raining? I haven't tried that yet"

"Yea, that's cool" the waitress came back with their drinks.

"Are you ready to order?”

"Um, give us a little more time" Kareem said "Talkin bout s*x when we pose to be looking for food" he chuckled when the waitress walked off.

"Hey, that was all you"

"Lie again. I'll body slam you on this table" Sage simply laughed but didn't say anything "Tomorrow's our last day. Would you like to go off the ship again at our last stop?"

"Yea, I wouldn't mind. I think the next stop is at this place where we can jet ski, swim with dolphins and sting ray. Things like that"

"Oh hell yea, I'm jet skiing for sure. You ever done it before? "

"No, but I want too. Babe, say it’s your birthday so we can get a cake"

"You want me to lie so you can have some cake?" He laughed.

"Look at it. It looks amazing, right? "

Kareem turned around and followed her eyes, seeing the chocolate cake sitting on the table where a woman was having a party. "That s**t do look good"

"See, so say it’s your birthday" she laughed.

"Using me for your dirty work, I'm appalled"

"You ain't Paul, you a nigga that steal" Sage mocked Ice cube from Friday after next. Kareem laughed, choking on his soda. "Babe, relax" she laughed.

"Sage I wonder bout you sometimes.”

"What?" She dragged, smiling "I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I'm a normal person"

"b***h where" he laughed "You just say random s**t all the time"

"No I don't" she laughed too.

"Remember the time you told me how a person makes enough saliva in their life to fill 2 swimming pools?”

"Uh, because it’s true" she giggled "Just think of it as a fun fact of the day"

"Yea ok"

The waitress came back over and Sage ordered Saracha shrimp with a steak and potatoes.

"Damn, that sound good" Kareem mumbled. "Get me that" the waitress grabbed the menus before walking off. "So how was the whole college life experience? Is it like how people describe it?"

"You mean the hot girls, slutty girls and wild parties?” he nodded "Well the guys on the sports team looked good, the girls had their slutty moments but it wasn't oh I need some d**k all day, you know? And the parties did get pretty wild"

"I was supposed to go to college on a scholarship for football"

"What?" Sage smiled "Babe, that's amazing"

"Yea it was" he smiled "But s**t happens. I ended up getting arrested which terminated the scholarship"

"What happen?"

He tensed up at the question but felt it was only right to tell her the truth, since she's been nothing but truthful to him.

"r**e charge" he mumbled, lowly.

Sage stopped drinking her soda "Huh?"

Kareem cleared his throat "r**e charge" he spoke a little louder. He looked up and watched Sages facial expression but couldn't read it. "It’s not true though, I was found not guilty"

"Because of lack of evidence or because you honestly didn't do it"

"Lack of evidence, but I honestly didn't do it"

She ran her fingers through her hair "I'm trying not to judge here" she mumbled "Well, what happen?"

He sighed and reached out fir her hand. She pulled it back "This isn't the best p-"

"Then let’s go back to the room. Kareem, this needs to be talked about. I can't imagine myself being with you, knowing you were arrested on a r**e charge"

"Ok, I understand" he stood up and laid $50 on the table before following Sage out the restaurant, who was already approaching the elevator.

Walking into the room, Sage kicked off her heels and sat on the edge of the bed. Kareem pulled off his shirt and sat beside her.

"It was my senior year of high school, prom. My date canceled on me so I went with a few guys off the team. One of them had a date and told us in the limo, she was down to f**k all us. I and Tyreke declined on that s**t but they went along and drugged her, r****g her"

"Why'd they drug if she agreed to have s*x with them?"

"Cause she didn't agree to it. Anyway, she said I was one of the guys that r***d her and I was arrested. The same day, I lost my scholarship"

"And the trial?" Sage grabbed his hand.

"All them niggas who r***d her, they nut was found either In or on her. Mine wasn't. They had videos and pictures and s**t and I wasn't shown in not one. And Tyreke, he testified I was with him the entire night because I was"

Sage sighed and looked up at him, then her lap again. "I'm sorry for ruining dinner. But that was something I wasn't expecting and that's something very serious"

"It’s cool, I get it" he looked at her and smiled a little "So now can you see yourself with me? Knowing I'm not a r****t"

"Definitely" she kissed his lips "Think we can sneak back to our table without the waitress finding out?"

"Hell yea, come on"

Sage grabbed her heels as Kareem grabbed his shirt. They raced out the room and out their things on in the elevator. They snuck back in the restaurant and to their seats.

"Damn we're good" Sage laughed.