Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits by Norma Jeanne Karlsson Page A

and sweet…I like him.
    “Shannon, please. Mister?”
    “Carmichael, but please call me Rodger.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rodger, a little more heat would be great,” I smile at him. I’m getting his card so he can drive me around more often. It’s like having Uncle Mick drive me around. The thought makes me grin.
    We ride in comfortable silence. The closer we get to the pub the more excited I’m getting. I should be nervous, but I don’t panic so I don’t really do nervous either. I can’t wait to see their faces. I wish I could film this…it’s going to be epic. Rodger pulls up in front of Flannery’s and hops out to escort me from the SUV. He stands just in front of me and takes my hands shielding me from any mishaps. I love Rodger. I thank him and hurry to the door. Cian the doorman and owner’s son takes one look at me and stumbles. I realize he doesn’t recognize me though, he’s stumbling at the hotness. I glow internally. He pushes the door open to let me in and I breeze by him avoiding eye contact, so he doesn’t figure out that he spends two evenings a week with me in jeans and a T-shirt talking sports.
    The pub is packed. It’s a classic pub, wood everywhere and walls covered in various Irish sporting memorabilia. The bar is just to the left when you walk in and the tables are to the right. Pool and darts at the back, with a stage beyond the tables. It’s a pub. I walk over to the bar where Johnny and Jack are tending. Jack owns the place and Johnny is his oldest son. Jack notices me first and does a double take. He recognizes me and smiles from ear to ear. I return the gesture.
    “Shannon, you look stunnin’,” he coos at me in his broad Irish accent.
    “Thanks, Jack. Where are my boys?” He hands me my usual Long Island Iced Tea and I go to open my clutch to pay. He smacks the air at my gesture.
    “S’on me, Love. Boys er jus o’er dare.” He nods behind me and winks. I nod a thank you, and make my way toward them. They’re all huddled together, no doubt strategizing for the quiz. They all have on versions of Finn’s outfit, yet they all look a bit different with a variation in shirt or jacket color. I’m a lucky girl to spend time in their company. I smile as I cross the room. I’m being stared at by every male in here and some of the women too. I move through the room like I don’t notice or hear the silence that is following the stares. I get to the table unnoticed by my boys and come up behind Kavy’s back.
    “Is this seat taken gentleman?” I ask seductively. They don’t look up.
    “Sit down, Kid,” Sully says, still staring at the quiz sheet in front of them. Okay this is going to take some effort.
    “Kavy, can you move your chair over so I can slide in?” I ask coyly. He pushes back and stands up to move his chair. His eyes start at my feet and move swiftly up my body and stop on my eyes. I smile at him my panty dropping smile. It doesn’t work on his panties, but it works on his beer. Score: one Kid, boys zero!
    “What the FUCK, Kavanagh?!” Sully yells. They’re all moving back from the table to avoid the spill and save their phones. A domino effect of eyes hit me, starting with Cally, Sully, and ending with Finn. No one is saying a word. I keep my smile plastered to my face like a beauty queen. Matthew, Jack’s youngest son, comes running to clean up the spill. He’s eighteen and has no filter.
    “Holy fuckin’ shit, Shannon.” His jaw is on the floor. “Will you please go out with me? Marry me? Let me smell your hair? Anything?” I let out a huge chortle at that.
    “Call me when you graduate high school Matty and we’ll see about the hair sniffing,” I gleam at him. He cleans up the spilled pint of beer and pulls out my chair for me to sit down. This high schooler has better manners than my boys. I sit down again carefully, Matty is more at risk for a heart attack than Rodger at this point. My boys are still staring, not moving, jaws on