Chapter 14

I become frustrated, unable to explain my trip to Southmore, following the black Caddy to Wissman Street. I want to tell him that he’s the most interesting and mysterious man I have ever met and…

I simply say, “You’re the charmer.”

“The charmer?” he asks, puzzled, crinkling his eyebrows.

“That’s what my aunt calls you. And she’s right. Everything you do and say is charming.”

A smile glazes his face, proving he’s happy to spend time with me, enjoying the afternoon, our lovemaking, and the rainstorm. We are sealed together on the bed in each other’s arms, motionless, barely breathing, perhaps drowning in each other’s eyes, arms, chests, and the rest of our bodies.

“I’ll take it,” he says. “I’ve been called many things, but never the charmer.”