7-17-97, 12:00 PM

A silver Jaguar pulled up beside Kourtnee’s red BMW. The horn of the Jaguar blew. Kourtnee smiled really big and got out of the car after one last look in the mirror. The person in the Jaguar got out of the car. All I saw at first was a big bouquet of roses. Then I saw a tall, skinny, dark-skinned guy get out of the car.

He handed Kourtnee the flowers. She smelled them and opened the back door of the car and set the flowers on the back seat. She left the car door open so I heard every word that she and Martin said.

Martin and Kourtnee embraced. I thought they held each other far too long. Martin kissed Kourtnee on the cheek. Martin said, “You look beautiful as usual.” Kourtnee said, “Thank you. You look like you put on a little weight.” Martin responded, “Yes, I got some muscles now. I have been working out.” They finally let each other go. They held each other’s hands I was sitting in the car watching a cheesy love story and I couldn’t change the channel. Martin and Kourtnee reminisced some more. I honestly believe that Kourtnee had forgotten that she had brought me along with her. I felt like an intruder, a peeping-tom, or something of that nature.

Martin finally said, “Where is LaDawnya?” Kourtnee said, “She’s still in the car.” Kourtnee stuck her head in the door and said, “Are you gonna get out of the car?” I turned and looked at her as I said, “I don’t know. You two look like you want to be alone.” Kourtnee must have realized how she had been acting because she made this apologetic face and quickly removed her head from the car door.

I got out of the car as Kourtnee closed the back door of the car. Martin reached in his jacket pocket and handed me a small box. I looked at him, and then at Kourtnee, who was standing behind him. Martin asked me, “Are you gonna open the box?” I said, “Nope.” Kourtnee stuck her hand out and said, “Give me the box. I’ll keep it for you.” I handed her the box.

All three of us walked from in between the cars to the parking lot. Martin held out his arm to Kourtnee. She took his arm. Martin held out his other arm to me. I did not move. He said, “I guess I have to win your heart?” I didn’t say anything. Kourtnee said, “LaDawnya, come over here and walk with me.” I walked to Kourtnee’s empty side. We started walking to the entrance of the restaurant. I refused to be one big happy family, so I did not walk right beside Martin and Kourtnee. I walked two paces behind them. Kourtnee didn’t really seem to notice.

We walked into Maizon’s. It was very elegant. I could tell why this was Kourtnee’s favorite restaurant. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the restaurant. The tables and chairs had intricate designs on them. The staff was in all black suits. It was beautiful.

We were lead to our table. Martin pulled Kourtnee’s chair out for Kourtnee, then he pulled my chair out for me. He was laying it on a bit thick, but it was enjoyable. We ordered our drinks and looked at the menus after the waiter told us the specials.

I pretended to study my menu, but I was really watching Martin and Kourtnee. They were awfully friendly. She smiled at him. He fawned over her. It was sickening. Mushy was not a good look for Kourtnee.

The waiter came back to our table to take our orders. Martin said, “Ladies first.” Kourtnee ordered the veal. I ordered the Cornish game hen. Martin ordered the T-bone steak. Both Martin and Kourtnee ordered salads. (I don’t eat salads, so I didn’t get one.)

Martin began trying to impress me. I had no intentions of being impressed. I was not going to like Martin, no matter what he said or did. Martin told me how he and Kourtnee met. They met at Caffco University. Martin was a junior and Kourtnee was a sophomore. He was performing his comedy routine at a local comedy club. Paula and Kourtnee walked in. He saw Kourtnee and forgot his act. He began messing with Paula and Kourtnee about being late to see how Kourtnee would react. Kourtnee ignored him. Paula heckled him back. After his set, he went and talked to Paula and Kourtnee. Kourtnee was still unimpressed. He invited them to be his special guests several times. He and Kourtnee were out on a few dates, but they never got serious.

Nothing in the story impressed me. He was funny, though. He cracked jokes and said funny things all throughout his story. Kourtnee laughed at everything he said. She was acting like a girl.

Martin told me about his life, now. He was a VP of Artist Management at Traughber Records. He said that he was the person who discovered RC Cooper, but I didn’t really believe him. He ran down a list of gospel artists that he had worked with. I was still unimpressed.

It was easy to see why Kourtnee liked Martin. He was handsome, funny, wealthy, and knew some folk. Despite my efforts to dislike Martin, it was hard. He was fun to be around. He made me feel like I was important. (I can’t say if that was because he wanted me to like him or because he was that kind of guy.)

Martin was very nice to the waiter and the staff at Maizon’s. He was very cordial and respectful to both Kourtnee and I. I couldn’t figure this guy out. I think I was being hard on Martin because Kourtnee seemed to like him more than she liked Colt. This whole situation was very unfair to all four of us; Kourtnee, Colt, Martin, and me.

My thoughts were interrupted by Martin and Kourtnee laughing. I blinked my eyelashes and looked at Martin. He said, “Come on, baby girl. That was funny. You should be laughing.” I rolled my eyes. I really didn’t mean to roll my eyes. My eye rolling made Kourtnee shoot me a look that scared me. Kourtnee had never looked at me like that before. Martin touched her arm. The look on Kourtnee’s face turned back into the gleaming smile she had been displaying. Martin kept telling jokes, trying to make me laugh. I kept refusing to laugh. Don’t tell anyone, but he was really funny. If I wasn’t so stubborn, I would have laughed. Martin was ok, but I wasn’t gonna tell anyone.