She gasped again and rose. “Good night, Jimmy.”
He also rose to follow her, gently tugging her arm from behind. Tiphany wanted so much to cave in as she felt his muscular frame slightly press against her back.
“Wait, Tip…What’s wrong? You don’t even want to go to the prom with me?”
“It’s not that,” she retorted apologetically. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Hey.” He turned her around to face him. “You haven’t gotten over your boy, Manuel, have you?”
“That’s not it. I broke it off with him,” she explained irritated. He was about the twentieth person to whom she had to reiterate that fact.
“So…Sheila broke it off with me, and she still wants me back.”
“She broke up with you?” Tiphany echoed the shocking revelation.
“Yeah!” He released a boyish chuckle. “She figured out I had been liking somebody else and got mad. She told me it was over. So, I left her alone. She’s the one who can’t stay away though.”
Tiphany narrowed her eyes looking into his. “She was right breaking up with you – whether she still likes you or not. No girl wants to be one of the many, Jee!”
“Cool! I have no argument with that,” he explained holding his hands out. “I’m tired of having a bunch of chicks. My black book is too full anyway.”
“Right,” she blurted sourly.
“I just want one girlfriend to keep from now on.”
“Who’s the lucky one?” She asked without a clue.
“Will you be my girlfriend, Tip?”
Saying “yes” would have been so easy for her. If only she believed he was sincere, she could float home on a cloud. But the timing was too perfect in Jimmy’s world. This was around the time when he would get another new girlfriend. Tiphany knew her heart was worth more than the bait to which his other girls had hooked themselves.
“Jee, it’s apparent you know what you want – the scholarship, the major in business. And you even want a lot of girls to fall head over heals for you…”
“No…”
“Just like the other players know what they want,” she insisted. “But you don’t know who you want.”
“Yeah, I do,” he argued defensively. “I’ve been checking you out. But Manuel is a big ole’ dude.”
“Hmph!”
“Tip, if I had approached you this time last year, would you have trusted me enough to let me take you out?” He asked anticipating her answer.
“Probably not,” she admitted truthfully shaking her head.
Jimmy scoffed. “The one girl…And she doesn’t even like me.” He dropped his hands into his pockets and turned his back to her. He stared out into the dark coughing out half-laughter again – shaking his head in sheer disbelief.
“Gie-lee, Jee! I’ve never seen you pout before.” She laughed to clear the air. But she was unable to get a different response from him. Pulling off his jacket, she forced herself to remain cold. “Maybe you might want this back.”
“Naw, Man, you keep it,” he blurted as if he did not care.
“Jee? Jee, I’m sorry. Okay?”
Midnight struck. A mass of fire works shot into the dark sky. She had expected to hear howls of excitement coming from the gymnasium. Yet, at the turn of 1979 to 1980, it seemed that only he and she stood under the moonlight – slow music heard from a loud car stereo in the parking lot.
Jimmy slowly turned to face her again. With disappointment written over his entire handsome face, he took the jacket that she returned to him. He then slowly walked around her until he was able to place it back over her shoulders from behind. “I really want you to keep it. If I ever want it back, I’ll have a reason to come knocking at your door.”
How could she say “no?” She smiled at the thought that he would ever do that for her. In fact, she could not remember ever seeing another girl wearing it.
“Look,” he continued. “It’s okay if you don’t want to be my girl. But I don’t want to lose you as a partner. Let me take you to some parties and dances so we can keep kickin’ it. Doesn’t have to be like we’re dating. Whatever would make you happy.”
His eyes begged. Her heart melted.
“Okay, Jee.”
“And what about my prom?” He persisted. “Can I take you?”
“Let me see about that. Okay? What if I decide to go to the prom at my new school? You know, this is my junior year. And in that county, I heard they have Junior and Senior prom.” She wanted desperately to just say “yes.” But his way of dating was too complicated for her. So, she was uncertain.
“Well, how long should I wait?”
“Just let me get a good feel my first month at Bridgewood.” He didn’t seem to like her answer. “But remember we still have the other dances and parties.”
“Yeah,” he replied lighting up. “Just give a brother advanced notice on the prom though. I’m not trying to go stag. You know?” He nudged her arm playfully.
“That’s fair.” She assured him with an understanding smile.
“Now,” he began on a different note, “it’s already after midnight. Can I kiss you for the occasion?”
Tiphany’s heart skipped a beat. She knew too well that on that night, she would dream of kissing Jimmy and would probably kick herself after waking up. But she gulped down a lump in her throat before forcing herself to tell him the only answer that could protect her heart.
“No, Jee.”
“But, Tip…It’s New Years!”
“Happy New Year!” She turned on her heel and headed back toward the gymnasium under the lights of the fireworks.
“Aw, come one!” He begged as he followed her intending to wrap his arms around her waist.
“Get over it, Jee!”
“Aw, Man!”
December 10, 1993
Under the dim lights, the projected sky-blue silhouette illuminated from wall to wall giving the appearance of elegant royalty inside an ancient castle. A one-inch elevated pool of pink and white rose petals flooded the small aisle between two columns of seats. Silk sashes decoratively covered the seats with the same shade of blue as those that draped along each wall in the hotel ballroom. Complex intertwines of pink roses and periwinkles arched seven feet high from the left foot of the altar to the right side.
Geraldine
