Channing would be there and could potentially eavesdrop, but I agreed to it and ended the call to finish getting ready for work. The day couldn’t have gone by any slower if it was going backward. By the time two-thirty rolled around, I was anxious to clock out.
The perk of being a part-time worker was being able to grab my purse and dash out of the department store as soon as my shift was over. I made it out the door before anyone asked for help. I got home with thirty minutes to burn before Eva and Kevin got off the school bus.
Once they arrived home, I shared the news of going to Channing and Kemara’s, and they were hyped. “Go get washed up then,” I said.
After they raced up the stairs, intrusive thoughts of Friday night entered my mind. Being pinned underneath Jeb as he made love to me had felt amazing, and I couldn’t get the feeling to stop taking over me when I least expected it to.
“I’m ready, Mama!” Eva ran downstairs, yelling, and Kevin wasn’t far behind her.
I grabbed my car keys, and we were out the door. I didn’t know what I was going to achieve by telling Kemara about Jeb, but I needed someone to help me sort out my thoughts.
***
We received a cheery greeting from Channing when we arrived.
“Hey!” he said and kissed me on the cheek.
“Hey Channing!” we responded in synch.
“How are you guys doing?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said, and the kids started talking a mile a minute.
I left them to catch up with Channing, who tried to keep up with their stories. They’d had a good visit with their father this past weekend and wanted to tell Channing all about it.
Kevin and Eva loved Channing from the beginning. After getting to know him, I also conceded he was a good man, which was really all that mattered to me for my sister’s happiness. Any other difference we had, I easily put aside.
“Hey,” Kemara said as I entered the kitchen. “How are you?”
“I’m good.”
I heard Channing tell the kids to come into the kitchen. “Your auntie has the table set, so let’s go in the kitchen,” he said.
“How’s my favorite niece and nephew?” Kemara asked as Eva then Kevin ran at her full speed.
Her question always got a response like…we’re your only niece and nephew, but it didn’t stop Kemara from saying it. Then, she walked around the table and looked at me with a raised eyebrow, silently asking the question is everything alright?
I smiled, nodded, and sat down at the table. Dinner was delicious. Kemara made her world-famous spaghetti bake with garlic rolls and sweet tea. Kevin talked about his weekend, video games, and sports. Eva added in a few things about boys.
That was the first time Eva had mentioned a boy she liked. I was shocked and scared as I listened to her. I didn’t want to think about my little girl having a boyfriend.
“We’re going to have to talk about this when we get home, young lady,” I said.
“Mom,” she whined. “He’s just my friend.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said.
“Oh, give my niece a break. She’s a good girl, so we know she won’t do anything she’s not supposed to do, right?” Kemara asked Eva.
“I won’t, Auntie,” Eva said in a soft tone.
For the rest of the dinner, I silently ate, only adding a few responses when Kemara or Channing asked me a question. They were anxious about having a child of their own, so they enjoyed every moment spent with Eva and Kevin.
When we were done eating, I made the point to help Kemara with the dishes. Channing agreed to sit with the kids while we chatted; however, two minutes into washing dishes, Kevin came barging into the kitchen full speed ahead.
“Eva is stealing the TV again,” he yelled.
“Kevin, we won’t be here long. Can’t you just play your DS until we get home?” I asked.
“But there’s this new Pokémon on, and everyone talked about it at school. If I don’t watch it, I’ll be the laughingstock of the whole school.”
“Laughingstock, boy—” I stopped myself from laughing because the look on Kevin’s face was priceless.
“Follow me, little man,” Kemara said, leading him out of the kitchen, and they headed up the stairs to the other TV room.
I was finished with the dishes when she came back five minutes later. “You’re going to make a great mother, you know?” I told her.
“Just because I took him to the other TV? Believe me, when Channing is watching TV, I’m stuck with going upstairs, so I understand his plight.” She chuckled.
“You’ll get what I’m saying one day. Kids will work your nerves. It takes a special person with patience to do what you just did, as small as it seems.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t wait.”
“Me either. I’m ready to be Auntie Meka.”
Kemara smiled as she took off her apron that was coming loose. She eyed me expectantly. “Back to what you were saying before I left out.”
“Kemara, what I’m going to say to you, you might not want to hear,” I started.
She began wiping the counters down. “Just what every sister wants to hear at the start of a conversation. I’ll hold back any comments until I hear what’s going on. So…what is it?”
I started explaining what was on my mind. The minute I mentioned Jeb and me ending up in bed, she dropped the towel, and her piercing brown eyes cut me sharply.
“It was a mistake. I was lonely that night and needed something, but it can never happen again. He’s a dog, and I don’t need another one in my life.” I peeked out the kitchen to make sure Channing wasn’t eavesdropping.
Kemara stood frozen. The beautiful skin of her golden cheeks had blushed to a light rose pink.
“Don’t just stand there, sis. I need advice. I don’t know why I have these thoughts that maybe something more could happen between us.” I sighed. “I’m just so confused. Did you have moments like this with Channing? How did you know what to do?”
Kemara grabbed my hand and pulled me over to take a seat at the kitchen table. “As much as I would like to say I have never felt like this about Channing, oh boy…did I ever,” she said.
Finally, I didn’t feel like a silly big sister that couldn’t get a grip on life.
“It’s scary opening yourself up to someone, but it’s also worth it to know you lived truly in the moment,” said Kemara.
“I definitely lived in the moment,” I admitted and thoughts of that night came back to me as if Jeb was right there, all over me yet again.
“How do you feel about it?” she asked.
“It was beautiful, wonderful, all of that.”
“Well, how do you feel about him?” she asked.
I snickered. “He’s okay.”
“Okay?” Kemara stared at me with her head tilted.
“I’ve heard about him being a player. That’s a pretty common theory of the white girls that work with me. I didn’t know him before your wedding, but I was attracted to him then, so I asked around. I never believed anything would come of my attraction though. Now, I don’t know how to feel.”
“Hmmm…” Kemara sighed. “Well, let me ask you this. When you and Jeb were together, and you weren’t thinking too much, how did you feel? Was there any chemistry?”
A glow from deep down inside me flourished on my lips. “Hell yeah, there was chemistry, but it felt wrong after it happened.” I hesitated, before adding, “You’re supposed to guide me through this and tell me what an awful mistake it would be to be with him.”
Kemara chuckled. “Am I supposed to do that, or is that what you want me to do?” She reached out and touched my hand, and my eyes went to hers. “I can tell you with certainty that he isn’t the person you think he is. He’s had some moments when he was younger, but haven’t we all? He’s a changed man.”
“I hear you sis, but I have an ex-husband that has clouded my judgment on all men. I have two kids who depend on me not to make choices that will wreak
havoc on their lives. I have to take myself into consideration, too.”
“You also have to follow your heart,” Kemara said, smiling. “I have confidence you’ll find the right answer on your own. In fact, I know where you can start.”
I frowned. “Where’s that?”
“Do you have any vacation time at work?” she asked.
“Yeah, why?” I asked.
“Me and Channing are going to Aruba in a few weeks. The place we’re staying has a ton of room. Come with us.”
“What? You can’t be serious.”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“You want me to travel with you on vacation? No, I don’t want to be in the way of your time with your hubby. You guys need that,” I said.
“It’ll be the thing you need to clear your mind and get some clarity. Channing says there’s a whole other side of this house we’re not going to use, so the kids can come too. They will love it.”
“Hmmm. Just out of curiosity, when do you leave?” I asked.
“June fifteenth,” she replied. “The kids are out of school, right?”
“They’ll be out of school. But if Rodney doesn’t flake out, the kids will be with him.”
Kemara squealed. “See…it’s perfect. Come on. What do you say?”
I needed to get away like a hooker needed heels, but I declined. “No. I can’t crash your vacation, and that’s exactly what I would be doing.”
“Tameka, come on, girl. You need this time, and I want you there.”
After looking at Kemara’s hopeful smile a few seconds, and imagining the beautiful island sand in Aruba underneath my feet, my mind was made up. “I’ll have to check my work schedule, and if it permits, I’ll be on a plane to Aruba!”
Chapter 8
Jeb
I hadn’t anticipated seeing Tameka’s car in Channing’s driveway, but it was plainly parked by the curb. I ran an internal debate in my mind. Should I leave and give her the space she wanted, or should I walk up there like a man who knows what he wants?
I opted for neither of those options. Instead, I sat alongside the curb and watched the house like a true stalker. It felt a little weird staying outside and not making myself known, but I wanted to get a glimpse of her leaving. Who knows, maybe I’ll get to see that gorgeous smile again.
I didn’t see any movement and wondered what was happening inside the house. Periodically, I checked the time. The sun disappeared, and it was pitch black outside when Tameka walked outside with her two kids.
Kemara and Channing stood at the door, waving them off. The kids hopped in the backseat and buckled up. Tameka got in the front seat but not before I had the opportunity to soak in her voluptuous curves and the reflection of the streetlight hitting her smiling cocoa brown face.
I was at a safe enough distance to go unnoticed. Tameka started her car and backed out of the driveway. When Kemara and Channing went inside, I did the only thing a respectable stalker would do. I followed Tameka home.
As I drove towards her destination, I scolded myself. Following a woman home was the stupidest thing I had ever done, but what was I supposed to do when I missed her like crazy? I stayed on her trail. The reasoning I had in my mind was that I was curious about where she lived, but I vowed I wouldn’t approach her. I still planned to give her space. At least, those were the thoughts going on in my mind, and I wanted to succeed in it.
Tameka turned into her subdivision, and I hesitated for a moment. There weren’t any other cars on the road, so I had to be far enough back that she wouldn’t suspect she was being followed. After a short while, I turned onto her street and proceeded ahead. She turned into a driveway, and I continued past her house then turned around. I pulled alongside the curb a few houses down and killed my lights. They all got out of the car and went inside.
Now that I knew where she lived, I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with that information, but I was glad I had it. I pulled away from the curb and headed in the direction of my condo, knowing at some point I would end up back at her cozy-looking place, and when I did, it would happen naturally.
Days passed, then a week, followed by another week. I couldn’t believe I spent so much time thinking about Tameka, wondering if she would walk back through my club’s doors. It was strange. I pursued women, but with her, I had to be patient. The more time passed, the harder it was to get her off my mind and to wait for a chance to be with her again.
A little over two weeks passed, and I couldn’t take it anymore. Despite every warning bell ringing in my mind telling me not to go back to her house, I left the club and proceeded in her direction. I had the route etched out in my mind.
It was just after five o’clock on a Friday when I pulled in front of her house. Her car was in the driveway. I had a small window of time before I had to be back at Club Elite for our Friday night business, so I maneuvered out of the car and headed up the walkway. I knocked on the door and waited for an answer. The door flung open almost immediately.
“The kids will be read—” Her words fell flat when she saw me. “Oh, hello, Jeb. What are you doing here?” she asked, looking around outside as if she were checking to see if her man was nearby.
I focused my attention on the luggage by her feet. “Are you going somewhere?” I asked.
“That’s none of your business. What are you doing here, and how did you find my address?” she asked.
See, this was the reason I was attracted to Tameka. She had fire in her soul, and it made for an eccentric, but exciting match to my strong will and persistence. I cleared my throat before explaining, “I needed to see you.”
Sounds of footsteps behind her brought my attention to her son bounding down the stairs. “Dad here?” he asked.
Her eyes barely left mine as she shook her head. “No, and give me a minute to talk to Mr. Jeb, okay?” she said to her son.
“Hello,” I said, stepping forward to speak to little Kevin, and Tameka moved over to block me from getting too close to him. “Remember me? I’m your Uncle Channing’s cousin,” I asked him.
Kevin nodded slowly. “Yeah, I remember you. You were at the wedding…dancing with Mama.” With the way Tameka was guarding him, he was too skeptical to say anything else to me. “Call me when Dad gets here,” he said to his mother then turned around and ran back upstairs.
“Are the kids going somewhere?” I asked. Was I overstepping my boundaries? Of course, but I’d spent too much time watching on the sidelines. It was time to get in the game. Her eyes grew dark, so I said, “Look, before you answer that, I know…that’s none of my business, but I tried to give you some space, and you didn’t call me or come by the club or anything. I don’t mean to intrude, but we have to talk.”
“Jeb, I—” her reply was cut off by a beat-up truck pulling into the driveway making a lot of noise.
“Is that their father?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she sighed out. “And you being here is only going to make an unpleasant situation worse.”
I turned around to look at the guy. He was about my height, but a little shorter. He wore clothes that made him look as if he was about twenty-five—a big, oversized ball cap, a red t-shirt, and black shorts with a pair of Michael Jordan tennis shoes to match it all. But when I looked at him, I knew he was either approaching forty or already there.
“I hope you got them ready,” he yelled gruffly when he came to the door, and Tameka appeared physically ill as her shoulders slumped, and she looked uneasy.
The muscles in my neck tensed. I wanted to step up to the man and say something, but I didn’t think it would go over well if I exchanged words, or worse fought, the kids’ father the first time I met him.
“They’re ready, Rodney. You don’t have to be so rude,” Tameka said then turned toward the stairway. “Kevin…Eva…your father’s here.”
Kevin bounded down the stairs, and a short while later, Eva walked down. They hugged Tameka and said goodbye.
“You guys go hop in the truck and wa
it for your father,” Tameka said, turning back to the man. “You get them for a month. That’s the deal. Don’t screw this up, Rodney.”
“Whatever, Tameka. You know, I don’t give a fuck about your idle threats,” he growled at her and turned to leave. He glanced to the right and, for the first time, made eye contact with me. He nodded but didn’t speak. Instead, he addressed Tameka. “Aw, how sweet? You got you a white boy to keep you company for the summer. At least, you won’t have to cry anymore about missing me and being alone.” He winked at her and left.
She stepped up to the door and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but didn’t bother. She watched Rodney head down the driveway and hop in the truck with her kids. Tameka stood there for a moment after closing the door. Finally, she turned around and faced me.
“Oh yeah...” she mumbled, looking as if she had forgotten I was standing there.
“Why do you let him talk to you like that?” I asked, barely able to contain my contempt for Rodney. All I needed was five minutes to show him how a real man should behave.
“Your apology is accepted for showing up at my house unannounced, even though you didn’t officially give me an apology,” Tameka shifted the subject.
“I’m not apologizing. I had to see you again.”
“You saw me. Now, if you’ll please go, I have things to do.” She moved away from the door to allow me room to walk out, but I didn’t budge from my spot.
“You shouldn’t let him do that to you. If you were mine, I would handle that shit swiftly and painfully.”
“Jeb, I have things to do.” She held the door open wider.
“Do you have to do more packing?” I asked, noting two luggage bags were still sitting at the bottom of the stairway. “Are you going somewhere?”
Tameka fixed her oval-shaped brown eyes on mine. “If you must know, I’m going out of town in a few days. Going to Aruba.”
Safe Place Series Page 7
