by Tracy Reed
Chris plopped down on the sofa. “I can’t believe Trina didn’t tell me.”
“So baby, when did you and Sean get so close?” Jordan asked his wife.
“When you two left him no one else to talk to.”
“And Kyla?” Jordan continued.
“Brace yourself Chris, he’s in love with her.”
“I figured that, but it won’t last.”
“I think you’re wrong,” Jordan blurted out.
“Excuse me?” Chris leapt up from the sofa. “Please don’t tell me he wants to marry her.” Jordan and Zoë remained silent. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s just me,” Zoë patted her chest. “I think he’s real close to popping the question. What about you honey?”
Jordan scratched his head. “Uhm…uhm…” He looked at Zoë and gave her a half smile.
“I have probably said way too much. I’m gonna get my coat and head over to see Trina and Tyler.” She came back and pressed the button for the elevator. “Honey, would you help me? Thank you.”
Jordan walked over and helped her slip her coat on and whispered, “I saw the ring.”
She turned and smiled. “So did I.” She kissed him. “Bye guys.” She boarded the elevator and left.
Jordan turned around and Chris barked at him. “We have to do something. This is worse than when he was with Francesca. Marrying this woman would be a big mistake. I can see it now. When she’s finished with him, he’ll slip back into the bottle and instead of AA, it’ll be rehab.”
“Shut up.”
“What?”
“The sound of your voice and those idiotic statements are getting on my nerves.”
“Excuse me?”
“Zoë was right.” He folded his arms and looked at his godbrother. “Sean is a grown man, and instead of confessing all the negatives that could happen, why not try celebrating all the good that’s happened for him.”
“Oh you think this woman is good for him.”
“Kyla, her name is Kyla…and yes, I hope he does marry her. I like her and she cares about Sean and Simon.”
“Just because she came over and played house doesn’t mean she’ll be a good wife. She only did that because…”
“It’s time for you to leave.” Jordan pressed the button for the elevator.
“What? I don’t understand. What about Sean, what are we going to do?”
“We, aren’t going to do anything. You’re going to leave and I’m going to call my brother and see if he and his girlfriend would like to join me and my wife for dinner tonight. At which time, I’m going to tell her how happy and delighted I am she’s in my brother’s life.”
“You’re about as crazy as your wife.”
“Maybe, but I agree with her. It doesn’t take ten years to make up your mind about the woman you love.” The elevator dinged and he ushered Chris inside and pressed the button. “Bye, Chris.”
“Jordan.”
He watched as the door closed and the elevator glided down. He reached into his pocket for his phone and pressed the preset number. “Hey little bro.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Let me speak to Kyla.”
“He wants to talk to you.” He handed her the phone.
“Hello.”
“I’m calling to invite you and Sean to dinner tonight with me and Zoë.”
“Let me check with Sean, hold on.” She covered the speaker. “He wants to take us to dinner tonight.” Sean smiled and nodded. “That’ll be great.”
“Good. I’ll text Sean with the details. Bye.”
“Bye…oh hold on.” She handed Sean the phone.
“Thanks.”
Chapter 61
KYLA RAN INTO THE HALL and grabbed the phone before it rang a third time. She picked up the receiver and answered. “Hi Jerome.”
“Sean is on his way up. How long have you been with him?”
“None of your business, Jerome.”
“By my count it’s been over six months. Good for you.”
“Thank you, Jerome.”
“So when are you two gonna put a ring on it?”
“Good bye, Jerome.”
She hung up the phone and smiled. “Marriage, I don’t think so.” She went back into her bedroom and closed the door.
Sean stood at the door fumbling with his key. He patted his jacket pocket where he had the ring box. Tonight would be a good night to pop the question. He thought about going inside and asking Kyla right before they left. He smiled at the thought of going to dinner with her wearing the ring and announcing they were engaged. He smiled and walked inside.
“Ky…Ky.” He closed the door and Winnie came running up to him. “Hey there Winnie. Where’s your mommy?” He rubbed her neck and walked into the kitchen. “Babe,” he called out. A few seconds later, the sound of stilettos hurriedly tapping across the hardwood floor came towards the kitchen. “Babe.”
“Yes.” She stood next to the counter putting her earrings on.
He turned around. “Wow, you look, wow.”
“It’s not too much, is it? I was going to wear the grey dress you like, but I didn’t think it was appropriate for dinner with your family at LeBernardin.”
“Turn around.” He looked her up and down and was awestruck at the deep cowl on the back of the beautiful, black silk jersey dress. Then his eyes wandered down her long, curvy legs to the five inch black pumps she was wearing. He swallowed hard and exhaled. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She kissed him.
“What about me?” He stood up and brushed his tie.
“You look very handsome, especially, that beautiful gold paisley tie.” She kissed him again. “I need to take Winnie down to the neighbor…come with me.” She put Winnie on her leash and grabbed her keys. “Honey, please get Winnie’s bag, thank you.” They walked down the hall to the second door on the right and Kyla knocked on the door, taking Sean’s hand in hers.
“Good evening Mrs. Banks.”
“Good evening Kyla.”
“Hi Hannah,” Kyla smiled at the little girl.
“Hi Miss Kyla.” The little girl bent down and rubbed Winnie’s neck. “Hi Winnie.”
“Mrs. Banks,” she handed her the leash and the bag. “This is my boyfriend, Sean Prescott. I wanted to introduce him to you so you wouldn’t be alarmed when you see him in the hall or on the elevator. He has a key to my apartment and Jerome knows Sean has my permission to enter my apartment.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Banks.” Sean said as he extended his hand to her.
“Nice to meet you, Sean. And this is my daughter, Hannah.”
He bent down and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Hannah.”
“Hi.” She smiled as she shook his hand.
“Kyla tells me you and Winnie are good friends.” He rubbed Winnie’s neck. “You know, I picked Winnie out special for Kyla and my dog, Simon is her boyfriend. Maybe the next time I leave Simon with Kyla, your mom will let you play with him too?”
“Can I mommy?” she asked.
“We’ll see.”
“Honey, we’d better get going. Thank you Mrs. Banks, thank you Hannah. I’ll be home around ten. Is that too late to pick Winnie up?”
“Let her stay until the morning.”
“Thank you. Good night.”
“Good night, Mrs. Banks.” Kyla and Sean turned and walked back to her apartment.
“Miss Kyla,” Hannah called as she ran down the hall. Kyla stopped and waited for the little girl while Sean went back to her apartment.
“Is everything okay?” Hannah motioned for her to bend down and she whispered in her ear. “Thank you. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” The little girl turned and ran back to her mother.
Kyla walked back to her apartment, went inside, closed the door and wrapped her arms around Sean smiling.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“Hannah wanted me to know she thinks my boyfriend is cute.”
>
“Well, I do have a way with the ladies.” He kissed her. “Get your coat.”
Dinner went well and dessert was going fine. Kyla reached over and took a forkful of Sean’s dessert. Zoë looked at Jordan and he looked at her, smiling.
“Kyla, how do you like the chocolate cake.”
She smiled and patted the sides of her mouth. “It’s very good.”
“Stop it Jordan. Kyla, he’s just messing with you. I do the same thing to him.” She reached over and took a forkful of Jordan’s dessert.
Jordan took a sip of coffee and continued. “So, Sean, when are you going to put a ring on this beautiful woman’s finger?”
Kyla started choking. “Excuse me.” She reached for her water.
“Are you okay, baby?” Sean patted her back.
“Yes.” She took another sip of water, trying to clear her throat.
“Kyla, please forgive my husband.”
“I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn Sweetheart, but it’s clear they’re in love with each other. I just wanted to know if I was getting a sister- in-law soon.”
“Jordan.” Zoë cut him the serious wife look. And he knew he was in trouble.
“Excuse me.” Kyla stood up and both men rose to their feet.
“Good going, Jordan.” Zoë jumped up and followed Kyla. She walked into the restroom and Kyla was leaning over a sink taking deep breaths. She wet some paper towels and handed them to Kyla.
“Thanks.” She placed the wet paper towels on the back of her neck. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. Actually, Jordan should be here not me. I’m sorry.” Kyla stood up. “For all my husband’s uncouthness, he’s very observant.”
“Is it that obvious?” Kyla asked.
“Yes,” she said smiling.
“All of this is new for me. I wasn’t expecting…I’m sure Sean told you about my past.”
“He mentioned you two had a lot in common and Trina filled in the blanks.” She took her lipstick out and reapplied. “Why don’t you tell me your side.”
“When I started hanging out with Sean, it wasn’t…I just wanted to get him into bed.”
“He did say you were frank.” Zoë smiled.
“But something happened. The more time we spent together, the more I realized how different he was. I felt comfortable around him. We started talking, flirting and meeting for coffee,” she snickered. “I tried every trick in the book and he wouldn’t budge. He went so far as to tell me he knew what I was trying to do and he even recited my plan to me. That was right around the time he gave me Winnie.”
“The dog, right?”
“Yeah. He said I needed someone to love me, because I wasn’t doing a good job of loving myself.”
“Sounds like Sean.”
“I don’t know what it is, but it seems like he can see right through me.” She removed the damp towels. “He knows pretty much everything about me and before you ask, yes, I know about his drinking problem and Francesca.”
“So you know about the slip up?”
“Yes, and he knows all about my ex and his wife, and all the details I was comfortable sharing.”
Zoë leaned against the counter. “Wow, you guys are a few steps ahead of the game. Then why did you get a little flustered at Jordan’s comment?”
“The one time we talked about marriage, was a while back and…he wants a lot. He wants the whole package, the kids, the family dinners, the pizza parties, the showpiece, the picket fence or in this case the duplex in Tribeca. I’m still trying to figure out my walk with God. Sean’s set, he knows who he is, where he stands with God, and what the next phase of his life is going to be.”
“That’s not true. Sean looks like he has it all figured out, because he has to. The only way to show you that you are on the right track and that you can count on him, is to lead by example. He’s come a long way, but he still has a long way to go. Heck, do you think Jordan was that polished when I got him?” She shook her head, folded her arms in front of her and laughed, “Girl, it has taken me almost eleven years to get him where he is.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I love him. When I met Jordan, marriage was the last thing on my mind. I was having a good, single girl time. He’s a brilliant surgeon, but sometimes he’s a little inept when it comes to dealing with people who aren’t his patients. The day I met Jordan, I had just started dating this fine bald caramel guy in my building. My dad had a mild heart attack and Jordan was the doctor on call. He took great care of my dad and once my dad was back on his feet, Jordan asked me out.”
“How romantic.” Kyla reapplied her lipstick.
“I wouldn’t say that, but he was a cute doctor and I felt obligated, because he had saved my dad. Anyway, it was the worst date ever. He took me to dinner at the hospital. I couldn’t wait to get home. When he brought me home, he kissed my hand and asked me out again. I don’t know why, but I said yes, and that date was even worse. We went to a coffee shop across the street from the hospital.” They both laughed. “And again, when he brought me home, he kissed my hand and asked me out and like an idiot, I said yes. I thought, okay, third time’s a charm. He picked me up and took me to church. I had made up in my mind that it was the last date. After service he said, ‘I’m sorry, but the only places I really feel comfortable are church and work. But if you give me another chance, I’m sure I can figure out a better place to take you on a date.’ At that moment I was ready to marry him.”
“Sounds like Sean.”
“They’re a lot alike. The other night when Sean called, Jordan woke me up and said we needed to come see Sean right away.”
“I don’t understand.”
“You girlfriend, have been the subject of quite a few phone calls and emails.”
“Let me guess, Chris?”
“Come on, let me buy you a drink.”
“How about a mineral water instead? I gave up alcohol once I started hanging out with Sean.”
“Girl, you’ve got it bad.” Zoë smiled as she opened the door.
“What about the guys?”
“They’ll be fine. Let’s go.” They walked out and Zoë waved at Jordan as they entered the bar and climbed up on a couple of stools. “As I was saying, Chris came over this morning and started in on how you’re a bad influence on Sean, and how it’s just a matter of time until he slips up again.”
“What?”
“May I help you?” the bartender asked.
“Two mineral waters, thank you. Oh and see that incredibly sexy man in the navy blue suit and gray shirt waving?” She pointed at Jordan waving to the bartender.
“Yes.”
“Put the drinks on his tab, thank you. Where was I…oh yeah, Chris. He came over this morning ranting and raving to Jordan.”
“I don’t know what Chris’ problem is. I haven’t done anything to him.”
“Don’t try to figure him out. He’s not worth the brain cells.” They laughed. “The only person on earth I know that can handle him is Trina. God bless that girl, I know there’s a special place in heaven for her.”
Kyla smiled and shook her head. “She’s a sweetheart and she never judged me. She’s been a real good friend and that beautiful baby.”
“My godson is cute, but my son Jordy is much cuter.” She took out her phone and pulled up his picture.
“He’s adorable. Look at the smile and those eyes.”
“Thank you. He has his father and uncle’s eyes. See what you can have…I’m just kidding.”
“Let’s take it a step at a time.”
She put her phone back into her bag. “If it makes you feel any better, Chris isn’t a big fan of mine either.”
“What is with him?”
The bartender placed the glasses in front of them. “Thank you,” they said in unison.
Zoë took a sip before answering. “Their mothers grew up together and kinda forced this friendship on the boys. As kids they were fine, but on
ce they got older, they grew apart. After a few years, they managed to find their way back to each other, and are now the best of friends. They love each other like brothers, but Chris…Jordan and Sean both spent a little time in the wild kingdom and Chris didn’t.” Kyla had a confused look on her face. “Let’s just say Sean wasn’t the only one who slipped up.”
“Oh,” Kyla smiled.
“Chris likes to remind the guys that he was able to keep himself for marriage.”
“He doesn’t like me because…”
“He thinks it’s just a matter of time before you get Sean into bed and once you’ve succeeded, he’ll be so upset with himself, that he’ll start drinking again.”
“What? How can he think so little of his friend? Me I don’t care, but Sean, doesn’t deserve to…”
“Calm down girl, someone might get the impression you’re in love.”
“You’re right, there’s a special place in heaven for Trina.” They both laughed.
“Girl, don’t give Chris a second thought.” She took another sip from her glass. “So, I hear you’re going to the Maldives.”
“Yeah, Sean got me a job with one of his clients.” Kyla’s smile was wide and she felt herself blushing. She took a long sip from her glass and looked over her shoulder at Sean.
“The Maldives is a great place for a honeymoon.”
“Stop it.”
“I’m just saying, it’s the perfect place for two people to go who haven’t you know, in a while, that want to celebrate their new life together. You can be as free as you want.” Zoë smiled. “Is it me or is it getting warm in here?”
“You are so bad.”
“I know, and if you marry Sean, we would be sisters and could shake things up in this family.”
“Well, I’m still not sure if that’s what I want.”
Zoë nodded. “I understand your apprehension, but if you don’t marry him, are you prepared to not have him in your life?”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s say he asks you to marry him and you say no, what next?”
“I haven’t given that any thought.”
“Well, here’s something to think about. If Sean asks you to marry him and you say no, that’s the end.”
