Fall Black In Love 1: When Henry Met Millie Read Free Page B

rude of me to sit here and eat in front of you.” He lifted the plate to her. “Please.”
    Reluctantly, she agreed. “Okay, but later when I buy food, you have to help me eat it.”
      “Agreed,” he said handing her the plastic fork.
      Millie took small forkfuls of macaroni and green beans before finally snagging a chicken wing from the plate. She swallowed and smiled at him. “Thank you.”
      “Do you want more?” he asked.
    She laughed while handing the fork back to him. “I think I’ve eaten more than enough of your food.”
      “You’re welcome to all that you want Miss Millie,” he said like a sweet southern gentleman.
    Millie took a bite of chicken. “I like your accent.”
    He smiled. ‘’I’m a country boy.”
      She settled back as he began to eat what remained on the plate. “So what brings a country boy to Detroit?”
    “Lynchings,” he answered without looking up.
    Millie sat up. “I’ve read about those.”
      “Three years ago, three civil rights workers were abducted and killed in Mississippi by a lynch mob because they were registering blacks to vote,” he told her.
      “Just three years ago?” she asked appalled.
      Henry nodded and paused his eating. “KKK and the local police did it. They killed two white men and one black.” He looked down in his plate. “I figured if they’ll kill their own, that was not a place for this black man.” Henry resumed eating.
      “You came here alone?” Millie asked.
    He nodded and she watched him finish off the rest of the food. “How old are you Henry?”
      “Twenty,” he answered looking up at her. “How old are you Miss Millie?”
    She smiled. “I’m twenty-one. That’s why when you continue to call me Miss Millie, it makes me feel old.”
      “I don’t do it for that reason,” he explained. “There’s nothing old about you.”
      “I was just raised to be a gentleman,” Henry added.
      “And you are. I don’t think I’ve met one before,” she admitted.
      Henry smiled. “Then you’ve been meeting the wrong guys.” He wiped his hands on a napkin then placed it in the empty plate as the music began playing inside the house.
    Millie watched as he got to his feet. “I should find a trash can. Enjoy the party Miss Millie.”
      “You’re supposed to share my food later,” she reminded.
    Henry smiled down at her. “I’ll be around for a while.”
      She watched as he disappeared into the house thinking that Henry Patterson would probably continue to run through her mind for many days to come.
      Henry found a trash basket inside the home before going to the large room where the music was coming from. He leaned against a wall and watched the dancers on the floor. Henry looked over as he was joined by Bill.
      “Hey Henry,”
      “Hey Bill, enjoying the party?” Henry asked.
    Bill frowned. “Not yet. I haven’t seen Honey. I wonder if she’s coming.”
      “She’s here.”
    Bill looked confused. “You’ve seen her?”
      “Yep, I saw her.”
      “Where?”
    Henry shrugged. “She’s around Bill, look for her.”
      Bill smiled. “Now that I know she’s here, I’ll find her.” Henry shook his head as Bill headed off in one direction. While he was watching Bill, a girl approached him from the opposite direction.
      “Did you come to dance?” she asked and Henry turned.
      “I can do that,” he told her.
    She smiled. “I’m Irma.”
      “Henry,” he replied. “You play on the team right?”
    She nodded happily. “I’m surprised you noticed. Everybody just knows Honey.”
      “I’m very observant,” Henry said smiling.
      “So am I. I’ve seen you at the games.”
      “You have a really good team. You play well together,” he commented.
    Her eyes lit up. “You know baseball?”
      “Yeah, I know a lot about baseball.”
      “So we have something in common,” she teased.
    Henry laughed. “I guess we do Miss Irma.”
    She looked Henry over. “So