by La Jill Hunt
“Can you excuse yourself, please?” Lisa directed at the girl, who hurriedly went back out the door.
“Look, I don’t have time for no drama. Marcus invited me over for a cookout and told me it was cool if I brought a date. Now here y’all go tripping.” Sam frowned.
“Marcus! Marcus!” Lisa yelled for her husband.
“You came over to a cookout when Kendra has been in the hospital since yesterday? You ain’t go check on her. You ain’t go be with her. You just came to a damn cookout?” Shar shook her head.
“What’s up, baby? What’s wrong?” Marcus came through the back door and into the kitchen. His eyes went from Lisa to Shar then finally to Sam, and he slowly asked, “What’s wrong now?”
“Man, I brought a date. But you told me I could.” Sam acted as if he had done nothing wrong.
“I thought the date you were bringing was Kendra.” Marcus shook his head.
“I never said that. You assumed it,” Sam told him.
“Shit,” Marcus said. “Baby—”
“Don’t nobody give a damn about his whack-ass date!” Shar yelled. “Ask him where Kendra is and has been since yesterday morning.”
“Where is she?” Marcus looked confused.
Sam took a few moments and then said, “She went to the hospital. You know how she is. Her stomach was hurting again. It’s been hurting since she got knocked up. Do you know how many times she’s been to the doctor and the hospital and nothing’s been wrong? She is being dramatic as usual. Hell, she must not be that sick, because you sitting here chilling at the cookout, eating deviled eggs.”
“Her stomach hurt because she was in labor, asshole!” Lisa was so mad that her voice was an octave higher than normal.
Sam’s eyes widened, and his head snapped around to look at Lisa. “Labor?”
“Yes, labor. She kept calling you. I kept calling you, but you were busy, remember? Well, you were so damn busy that you missed the birth of your son! It’s a boy, bitch!” Shar spat the words at him.
“What? What are you talking about?” Sam’s eyes widened, and he took a step closer toward Shar.
“Kendra had the baby earlier today.” Lisa directed her words toward Marcus.
“Isn’t it too soon for her to deliver?” Marcus looked to his wife to explain.
“Yes.” Lisa nodded.
“What are you saying?” Sam asked.
“Your baby is dead. That’s what she’s saying,” Shar cried.
The room became completely silent, and no one moved. It was as if no one knew what to say.
Finally, Sam spoke, “I ain’t really think that baby was mine anyway.”
Shar moved so fast that Lisa didn’t even realize what was happening. Her sister’s fist connected with the side of Sam’s face with a force so hard that he stumbled. As he was steadying himself, she kicked him in the stomach, and he stumbled back again.
“Sharlise!”
“Shar!”
Marcus and Lisa yelled at the same time. Hearing the commotion, people rushed inside to see what was going on.
Sam charged at Shar, but Marcus grabbed him before he could reach her.
“I’m gonna kill her! Get off me!” Sam yelled. “You betta watch your back, Shar, because I’m coming for your ass. Believe that. I’m coming for you!”
“Let him go!” Shar demanded.
Lisa pulled her sister by the arm into her and Marcus’s bedroom. “It’s over, Shar. Calm down.”
Shar’s bottom lip trembled, and she could barely talk. “I h . . . hate h . . . him!”
“I know you do, Shar. You’re right. He’s the worst. But you’ve gotta calm down.”
Lisa had never seen her sister so angry. Shar was normally the cool, calm, collected one who got along with everyone. It was the first time Shar had ever physically put her hands on anyone, let alone a man. Lisa sat on the bed and pulled Shar’s head into her lap, rubbing her back. “Calm down, Shar. It’s gonna be okay.”
Shar continued to cry, but her breathing slowed, and the trembling stopped. “I told Kendra not to mess with Sam. We all told her. She knows how he is. But she . . . she really loved him . . . and he treats her . . . treated her like shit.”
Lisa heard the door creak, and Marcus stuck his head in. “Is she okay?” Marcus asked.
“Is he gone?” Lisa responded.
Marcus nodded and motioned for Lisa to come into the hallway. She eased Shar’s head off her lap and said she would be right back.
“I feel horrible, baby,” he said when the door was closed and they were out of earshot.
“Your brother is horrible. You didn’t do this. He did,” Lisa said.
“I told him he needed to get over to that hospital now and check on Kendra. He’s going. I think we need to go over there too, but all these people are here,” Marcus said. “I don’t want to tell them to leave and then they ask why. It ain’t their business.”
“You’re right. But I don’t even feel like entertaining anyone. Let’s just let everyone know they can eat, but we have a family emergency to deal with.” Lisa sighed.
“Okay.” Marcus nodded, then pulled her close and said, “I love you. I didn’t know he pulled a stunt like this.”
“I know you didn’t, Marcus. But I need him to stay away from me, for real. I need some time to deal with all of this.” Lisa shook her head.
“I know what he did is messed up but, Lisa, he’s still my brother. We work together. Hell, he’s my ride to work,” Marcus told her.
“Then you need to work on finding another ride,” Lisa said. “Brother or not, there are just some things that are just wrong, and I’m not gonna deal with.”
Marcus didn’t say anything else, and she went back in to check on Shar, who had drifted off to sleep. Their guests ate and were understanding when they explained the cookout would be ending early.
That night, Lisa and Marcus went to the hospital to check on Kendra and pay their respects. Sam still hadn’t made it to the hospital or called when they got there. Later, as they drove home, Lisa reminded Marcus that she wanted his brother to stay away.
“I understand, and I’m gonna respect what you’re asking. But again, realize that he’s still my brother. He’s not perfect and neither is this situation, but that’s my family. You gotta respect that. There’s going to come a time when we’re all gonna have to heal from this, put it past us, and move on. Trust me, that’s how God works.”
“I can’t think of any situation that God will put us in where I have to deal with getting along with your brother after this, Marcus,” Lisa said matter-of-factly.
Ninety days later, the two brothers walked into a convenience store, and the next day they woke up millionaires. Marcus was right. They had no choice but to deal with one another, but Lisa still could not move on, and she knew neither could Shar.
Chapter 14
King Douglas
“What are you doing here?”
King entered Scorpio’s hospital room and immediately stopped. He had been confused by so many things that had happened over the course of the past two days that nothing should have surprised him. Not the sight of his newly built home now roped off by yellow crime scene tape and police officers, not the overly protective hospital security staff who gave him a hard time when he arrived to visit, not even the look of shock on the face of Scorpio’s personal security guard, Cheddar, who was posted outside of her hospital room door. But the sight of Yolanda Powell, sitting at Scorpio’s bedside, came as a surprise to him.
“I, uh, I came to see Scorpio?” His words came out sounding more like a question than a statement. He walked a step closer and stared at his soon-to-be ex-wife lying motionless in the hospital bed, an IV in her arm and tubes coming out of her body. There were all sorts of monitors connected to her.
“Well, you see her. You can leave now,” Yolanda told him.
He had only met her one time, and that was when she came to his and Scorpio’s wedding. They were introduced briefly
before the ceremony, and she hadn’t seemed any happier to see him then than she did now. Scorpio told him that her mother was her least favorite person in the world to deal with. She didn’t care for her very much, and he was starting to see why. She was cold and callous.
“I don’t think so,” King told her, walking closer to Scorpio’s bed. “I’m not leaving.”
“I’m asking you politely to leave my daughter’s room now. You haven’t been here all this time. Now all of a sudden you’re concerned?” Yolanda stood up.
I could say the same thing about you. “I was across the country when all of this happened. I flew back as soon as I heard, but I had to take care of the house and make sure it was secure,” King said.
“So the safety of your property was more important than the safety of my daughter.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” King tried to remain calm, but she was making it difficult.
“That’s what you said,” Yolanda snapped. “I don’t have to do this. This is why we have security in place. Young man, please come and escort him out of here!”
Cheddar walked into the room, looking and sounding very much like Ving Rhames with a beard. “What’s the problem?”
“I don’t have a problem, Cheddar. You already know. I just came to be with Scorp, that’s all, man. She seems to be the one with the problem, not me.” King nodded toward Yolanda.
Cheddar looked like a child who had been asked to choose between both parents, and he didn’t know which one to choose. He was saved by the doctor who came in.
“Mr. Douglas, I’m Dr. DeWitt, Mrs. Douglas’s doctor. Nice to meet you.”
“Her last name is Powell,” Yolanda offered.
“Nice to meet you too, Dr. DeWitt.” King ignored her and extended his hand to the doctor. “How is she?”
“She is coming along nicely. We have started weaning her off the sedation medication, and she has been alert at times. The most important thing is that she remains calm,” Dr. DeWitt said. “She did inhale a lot of smoke, which was a major concern. That is why we have her under the constant flow of oxygen, but there doesn’t seem to be any lung damage, which is a good thing. She suffered some burns to her right leg, ankle, and foot, but they will heal over time.”
“We already know all of this.” Yolanda seemed frustrated. “This is no concern of his. She needs to be taken off the drugs completely, and when are you taking the tube out of her throat?”
“Soon, Mrs. Powell,” Dr. DeWitt said.
“Miss Powell,” Yolanda corrected him.
He pursed his lips. “I apologize, Miss Powell. I will have the nurse come in, and we’ll do some more blood work and check her levels. If they’re good, then we’ll see about taking out the tube,” Dr. DeWitt told them.
“More pricking and prodding.” Yolanda rolled her eyes. “And no progress.”
King turned back to Scorpio and noticed her eyes open for a moment. She looked at him, then looked over and saw her mother and quickly closed them again.
“Dr. DeWitt, is there any way I can have some privacy with my wife?” King asked.
“I don’t think so!” Yolanda said. “Absolutely not! And stop calling her that!”
“Well, we are still married. Right, Cheddar?” King asked.
Cheddar nodded slowly.
“I am her next of kin, and any medical decisions really should be made by me,” King informed them.
Dr. DeWitt seemed happy to agree with King’s revelation. “Yes, sir, that’s correct. I think we should leave them alone and give them some privacy.”
“No! I’m not going anywhere!” Yolanda hissed.
“Cheddar, can you escort her out, or do I need to call hospital security?” King smiled.
“I’m sorry, Mizz Powell. You’re gonna have to leave the room for a little while,” Cheddar said.
“This is ridiculous. That’s my daughter! I’m calling my attorney to see what can be done about this,” Yolanda said and stormed out of the room.
King shook his head and thought for a moment. The last thing he wanted was for things to get worse than they already were, and he didn’t want to run the risk of having any more of their personal drama leaked to the press.
“I’ll be right back,” he told Cheddar and went into the hallway. “Miss Powell, wait!”
Yolanda turned around quickly. “What?”
“Look, I don’t want things to get ugly. I don’t . . . we don’t know one another very well, but we do have something in common. We both love your daughter. Yeah, I know the marriage is over, but despite what you may think or what you may have heard, I still love her. And at the end of the day, we’re still friends. So I’m gonna be here for her, because she needs me. I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s good or she tells me to get the hell out,” King told her. “I’m sorry if that’s not what you want, but it ain’t about you. It’s about her. I hope you understand and respect that the same way I respect that you’re her mother and wanna be here too.”
Yolanda inhaled deeply and told him, “I’m staying at the Hilton downtown. If there is any change before I return in a few hours, I expect to be alerted. I also expect the same privacy with my daughter that you do.”
“Yes, ma’am.” King nodded and walked back into Scorpio’s room.
“You good?” Cheddar asked when he returned.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” King told him. “Thanks.”
“That woman is a pistol,” Cheddar said as he headed toward the door.
“So is her daughter,” King said, pulling a chair closer to Scorpio’s bed and taking her small, delicate hand into his. He looked at the beautiful face that he had seen plastered all over magazines, billboards, television commercials, and fashion runways. It was the same face he had the pleasure of waking up next to for many mornings during happier times. “I guess that old saying is true. The apple don’t fall far from the tree.”
Scorpio’s eyes opened.
“Hey, you,” he whispered.
Her eyes widened, and she looked around the room wildly.
“She’s gone.”
He felt her fingers wrap around his, and her gaze softened.
“You’re welcome, baby. I got you.” He smiled at her. He was relieved to know that she was going to be okay. He spoke the truth when he told Yolanda that he loved Scorpio and she was his friend. They had been so way before they were married.
They had met when she attended one of the Hot Boyz concerts years ago. They had just performed, and he was in his dressing room when Kaz, his bandmate, knocked on the door.
“Yo, you ain’t gonna believe who’s out here asking for you.”
“Is she fine as hell and over twenty-one?” King asked, using a towel to wipe the sweat off his muscular chest and abdomen.
“She is beyond fine, and she’s legal. She is dream girl material, way outta your league. I’m tryin’a figure out why she even wanna meet your corny ass, but she does, real bad.” Kaz was so excited that he could hardly keep still.
“Yo, if she busted and this is a joke, you know I’ma get you back! I ain’t forgot about that other chick in Atlanta with the bad weave and fake ass! She better not be from the Squad, Kaz,” King warned his group member.
The guys constantly played jokes on one another while on tour, and sending in a groupie from what they called the Terror Squad, because of how terrible they looked, was one of the most common pranks.
“Naw, son, this chick is glam squad! Naw, she ain’t even glam. She is—”
“Man, just bring her in!” King laughed.
“Now? You sure you ready? You might wanna put on a shirt for this one.”
King looked down at the six pack that he worked so hard to keep, and he flexed his chest muscles at Kaz, who was on the slim side and who envied King’s muscular body. “Bring her in.”
Kaz rolled his eyes and opened the door slowly. “You ladies can come in.”
King almost panicked when a tall, stout white woman walked in, smiling
at him, wearing a tight, low-cut dress. “Oh, my God, it’s really you!”
“’Sup.” King’s voice was flat, and he gave Kaz a look of disgust.
Kaz opened the door wider and in walked the tallest, most beautiful woman King had ever seen. He did a triple take to make sure it was really Scorpio standing in front of him, and he became almost as fidgety as Kaz. Keep it cool, he reminded himself. She may be Scorpio, but you’re King!
“Hello.” Scorpio smiled slightly.
King smiled and tossed the towel he was holding over his shoulder. “How are you, ladies? Did you all enjoy the show?”
“Oh, my God, yes!” the other woman squealed. “It was amazing!”
“I’m glad, I’m glad. Have a seat.” King motioned to the red leather sofa. “Well, since you all know who I am, how about you tell me who you lovely ladies are?”
“I’m Scorpio, and this is my friend, Jewel, your biggest fan,” Scorpio said, introducing the woman beside her.
“Nice to meet both of you. I’m sorry I’m a little underdressed,” King apologized but made sure he gestured toward his torso so they would look.
“You’re fine!” Jewel gushed. “I mean, you look fine. I mean—”
“She’s a bit nervous.” Scorpio shook her head. “But it’s her birthday, and I promised her front row seats to tonight’s show, so meeting you is the icing on the cake, so to speak.”
“What? Happy Birthday, Jewel!” King walked over and gave her a hug, and she screamed.
“Jewel!” Scorpio scolded.
King looked up and winked at Kaz, who just shook his head.
“Can I get a picture?” Jewel took out her cell phone and passed it to Scorpio.
“Sure.” King took the phone from her. “Kaz, can you take this pic of us right quick? Give him the phone.”
Kaz looked like he wanted to smack King.
“Wait, we can’t take a pic without him being in it. That’s not right. How about if my security, Cheddar, takes the pic of all of us? He’s right outside,” Scorpio told them.
“Thank you, Scorpio!” Kaz smiled with a vindicated look on his face.
“No thanks needed. You’re my favorite Hot Boy!” Scorpio winked.
“What the . . .” The smile on King’s face disappeared.
