by LaJill Hunt
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I thought. I watched Reality and her mother make their way through the crowd until they reached Bernard. He, along with Doug and the other barbers from the shop, were arranging the bikes and other gifts. He seemed somewhat glad to see her and gave Reality a hug. Reality's mother continued talking loudly about needing to talk to Bernard outside.
"Hey, can't you see he's busy right now?" Doug asked.
"Nigga please, you betta get out my face," she snapped. "You aint muthafuckin' security!"
"Hold on, hold on," Bernard's voice was stern. "You're not gonna do this, not here, not now. Whatever it is, Peaches, it's gotta wait until after I'm done. This is business and you know I don't play about my business, right?"
She stared at Bernard and seemed to calm down a bit, "Yeah, I know. But…"
"You and Real go grab a plate, enjoy yourselves, and we'll talk later," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder.
"Fine," she said and slowly walked away.
"Wow, is that a parent?" Chuck asked.
"Which one?" Mrs. Butler asked.
"Mrs. Butler," I hissed, "that's not nice."
"Neither is she," Mrs. Butler said, and we all laughed.
The moment had arrived, and the bikes were all given out, along with iPods, gift cards, and other gifts for those who won door prizes. Bernard gave an inspiring speech to the kids, telling them to stay the course and make a difference. He also thanked me along with my staff and we were given a standing ovation. The emotion I felt was almost overwhelming.
"I'm really glad you changed your mind and came out today, Ms. Eaton," Mrs. Butler told me as we walked out the community center.
"I am, too," I nodded.
"It's important for the parents to see that you care about what the kids do outside of school, just as much as you do while they're in school," she sighed. "This community needs all the support it can get."
"Ms. Eaton!"
I looked to see who was screaming my name across the parking lot. Amir was on his shiny new bike and waving at me. I waved back and he came riding over to where we were.
"Nice bike, Amir," I said.
"I know. I'm so happy. I thought I wasn't getting nothing for Christmas, and look what I got."
"I'm sure you'll get something else," I told him.
"Nope, my mama got laid off and she told me and my brother the only thing we were getting was a roof over our head and a Christmas meal. We don't even have a Christmas tree," he said, his voice still full of joy. "I just wanted to tell you Merry Christmas."
My heart sank at the thought of his family not having a tree for Christmas, "You too, Amir, Merry Christmas."
"I'm so glad that boy got a bike," Mrs. Butler said. "Now maybe he'll get to school on time."
I turned and looked at her, "That's so sad about his mom getting laid off and them not having Christmas."
"His family is just one of many around here in the same situation."
* * * * * * * * * *
Later that night, I was curled up on my chaise lounge, eating a bag of cheese popcorn, drinking a pineapple soda, and watching A Christmas Story when there was a knock at my door. I crumpled the bag closed and clicked the mute button, wondering who in the world would be knocking on my door on Christmas Eve at ten o'clock at night.
"Who is it?" I asked.
"Santa!"
I peeked out the peephole of my door and saw the Santa hat and a big grin. I looked down at my Betty Boop pajamas and fuzzy slippers that I changed into and tried to think of what I should do.
"Um, I...give me a minute," I said, wondering why I changed clothes when I walked in the door.
Because it's Christmas Eve and you didn't plan for a fine-ass man to be knocking on your door, that's why, I told myself.
"Come on, Danni, open the door. Don't make me come down the chimney," Bernard warned me.
"I gotta put some clothes on," I told him.
"No, you don't have to," he laughed. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with those ugly pajamas you got on."
I turned around and saw that he was peeking in my window, "What are you doing, you STALKER!"
"Open the door!"
I turned around and opened the door, letting him in, "What are you doing here anyway?"
"I looked for you at the community center, but you dipped out," he said, following me into my living room.
"It was over, so I left," I told him, grabbing my throw and my bag of popcorn. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, I'm good," he took the bag of popcorn out of my hand, "You are such a junk food junkie."
"It's popcorn," I snatched it from him. "It's one of the healthiest snacks you can eat."
"It's cheese popcorn," he said, sitting on the chaise lounge before I could even ask for his coat.
"That's my seat," I told him.
"There's room for both of us," he smiled. Without warning, he pulled me by the arm and I fell on top of him.
"What the hell?" I squealed.
"I got something to show you."
I raised up and gave him a knowing look, "I don't think so."
"Relax, girl," he reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out what looked like a sprig of parsley and held it over my heard.
"What is that?" I looked up, suspiciously.
"Guess," he said, looking into my eyes with a seductive grin.
I stared back at him and nervously bit my bottom lip. I knew exactly what it was, and what it meant. I was breathing so hard, that I could see my chest rising and falling. He eased closer and closer to me, and I closed my eyes in anticipation. He pressed his lips on mine gently, and my heart pounded. A few seconds later, I pulled back, and we stared at one another. He lowered his arm, looking confused. I took the mistletoe from his hand and smiled. I leaned in and kissed him; this time, our lips parted, and his tongue found mine. My mouth savored the taste of him; he gently sucked my bottom lip. Heat began rising within my body, and I felt his arm around me. What sounded like a deep growl came from him; it stopped, then started again. He slowly pulled away from me.
"Hold up a sec," he whispered, then reached inside his jacket and pulled out his cell phone. What I thought was him growling turned out to be his phone vibrating. He stared at the screen and said, "Damn."
I stood up, relieved by the interruption. I silently scolded myself for not having the willpower to stop. Hanging out with Bernard to pass the time over the Christmas break was one thing, but now, it was going too far. Kissing him playfully under the mistletoe was no big deal, but then, initiating a real kiss was completely out of character. What if his phone hadn't vibrated and we hadn't stopped. There was no telling what we would be doing right now.. I glanced over at him and thought, 'No telling.'
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I just gotta go handle some business at the shop right quick," he said, standing up.
"This late? On Christmas Eve?"
"I just gotta pick something up for someone."
"Okay," I tried not to sound disappointed.
He walked over and put his arm around me and smiled, "I can come back, right?"
"It's Christmas Eve, Bernard. You should be with your family," I shrugged, "And I'm going to bed."
"Don't go to bed, Danni. I'm coming right back," he rubbed his hand along my back. "Hey, come ride with me."
"What? Are you crazy? I'm not even dressed," I looked down at my Betty Boop attire.
"You look fine. It's just to the shop, and we'll come right back," he said and kissed me, again sending me to a place of heated desire.
Unable to resist, I told him, "At least let me slip into some jeans."
"You're just gonna take them off when we come back."
"I'll be right back," I shook my head and went to change.
* * * * * * * * * *
The streets were empty as we drove through the neighborhood to the shop. A few houses were decorated with Christmas lights, which lit the ni
ght. We pulled into the parking lot of the barber shop, and Bernard pulled around back and parked. I sat back, prepared to wait while he got whatever it was he came to get.
"Come on," he said, turning the engine off and getting out.
"I thought you just had to pick something up?" I said, wondering why I needed to come inside.
"I am, but I don't want you to sit out here alone. This ain't the safest neighborhood. You know that as much as I do. Don't front like this ain't the hood," he laughed.
I quickly saw his point and hopped out, following him to the door. He opened the door and held the door for me. I could hear a beeping sound, and he rushed to push the buttons of the alarm system; the beeping stopped. It was dark inside, and he hit a light switch. We stood in what had to have been the break room of the shop, which held a table, some chairs, a refrigerator and a microwave. There was also a set of lockers and a row of hooks which held what looked like smocks, each labeled with a name.
"This is nice," I said.
"Come on, I can show you around," he said. He showed me around to the main area of the shop, which had eight barber stations, a waiting area, and three flat screen televisions. It was rugged, yet chic at the same type; upscale, but not fancy. The shop was decorated with lights and holiday garland; a huge tree sitting near the front door. I couldn't see outside because the windows were covered by large metal shades, which Bernard said they pulled every night as a safety precaution.
"This place is huge," I said. "I didn't know it was this big."
"It's grown a bit since I've taken over. Remember Hugo's Shoe Mart?" He asked.
"Yeah," I said, remembering thestore where my mom bought my school shoes when I was younger.
'We're actually standing in it," he laughed. "When Mr. Roman retired, I bought the place and expanded the shop."
"Wow," I said, "you did."
"Come on," he grabbed my hand, "I gotta get some stuff from the supply closet."
We went into another hallway and came to another huge, locked door, which Bernard opened. We stepped into what seemed like a huge stock room. On one side, there were shelves of barber products: clippers, bottles of shampoo, conditioners and blue bottles of Barbicide, towels, combs, and brushes. On the other side, were what looked like grocery shelves of non-perishable food and canned goods. Cereal, tuna, soup, snacks, and other food, were all lined up. There were also brand new clothes and shoes, and even coats. There were even a few video game systems, games, and a couple of laptops. I looked down and saw jars and bottles of clear liquid, and knew that was the 'white lightning' I heard about.
"What is all this?" I asked.
"It's the supply closet," Bernard told me, reaching onto the shelf and pulling down a Wii and a couple of games. "It's like the community swap meet."
"Where did you get all of this?"
"Some of it I bought. Some of it people donate," he said. "You've never heard of it?"
"I didn't think it was like this."
"Well, originally, it wasn't. When my dad had the shop, there were more inappropriate items stored in here. But, now, I keep food and clothing for people who need it, and of course, this stuff," he pointed to a shelf of actual school supplies.
"And you just give it away?"
"Pretty much," he nodded, "The kids have to earn some stuff. But, I know it's hard out here for the families in this community. And I try to do what I can to help if I know they need it."
"This is great, Bernard," I told him.
"I think I have everything. You need anything?" He asked.
"No, I'm good," I said, still amazed at everything I discovered about this man. He was so much more than I ever thought. I always knew that he was kind, funny and endearing, not to mention sexy, but now, I saw that he was a leader. I thought he took the fact that the kids looked up to him for granted, but he did indeed take his role seriously.
We walked out of the Supply Closet and he locked the door, then, after making sure the building was secure, we headed out of the barber shop. Bernard put all of the items into the back of the truck and we pulled off. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number; I heard him tell someone he would meet them at Chubby's.
When we got to the parking lot, Chubby's was closed, but there was a small sedan parked in front. Instead of pulling beside it, Bernard parked on the other side of the building. This time, he left the engine running. He grabbed the items which he had gotten from the shop.
"I'll be right back," he told me.
Unable to resist the urge, I leaned over and peered out the driver side mirror and watched as he walked over to the car. The door opened and out stepped Reality's mother, still decked out in her mink coat and blonde wig. She grabbed the boxes from him and tossed them inside the car, then reached up and hugged him. I held my breath in anticipation of how Bernard would react, but he politely removed her arms from around his neck and walked away. I quickly sat up straight, hoping he hadn't seen me watching.
"See, that didn't take long did it?" He asked when he got back into the truck.
"Nope, not at all," I told him.
As we drove back to my place, he turned the radio up and the sounds of The Temptations' Silent Night poured out of the speakers. Bernard reached over and took my hand.
"You need to stop anywhere?"
"No, besides, it's Christmas Eve, nothing is even open," I replied. It took everything out of me not to ask why he had to bring video games and electronics to Reality's mother, in the middle of the night on Christmas Eve; especially since that wasn't even his child, but I didn't say anything. I was attracted to Bernard, but there were still some things about him I didn't understand.
"Technically, it's Christmas Day."
I looked at my watch and saw that it was slightly after midnight.
"Merry Christmas, Dannica," he grinned.
"Merry Christmas, Bernard," I said.
He continued holding my hand the entire ride home, and even leaned over to kiss me at each red light we stopped at. I nervously anticipated what would happen when we got to my house. We pulled into the driveway and he opened the door for me, and put his arm around me as we walked up the sidewalk. I unlocked the door and was about to walk in when he stopped me.
"You're not coming in?" I asked.
"No, I gotta go," he said, staring at me, "I just wanted to make sure you made it in safely."
My heart sank, and I shrugged like it was no big deal, "Well, thanks for walking me to the door."
He hugged me close to him and unable to resist, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He rubbed his nose against mine and the kiss that followed was so passion-filled that the fact that he wasn't coming inside was probably a good thing. We indulged and tasted one another for what seemed like forever. The wetness of desire creeping between my legs along with the bulge of his hard manhood against me caused me to pull away.
"Damn, Danni," he whispered in my ear.
"What?" I said, innocently.
"Go inside," he said.
"Merry Christmas," I said.
"You damn right about that," he laughed and reached for me.
"You told me to go inside," I moved from his reach and stepped inside the door.
"I will call you later," he said.
"Bye, Bernard."
"Good bye, Dannica."
Teacher's Lounge
"So what do you wanna do for New Year's Eve, be saints or sinners?" Brandi asked. We walked through Nordstrom's, perusing the shoe racks for after Christmas buys. I already spent way more than I anticipated, but my eyes fell on a pair of Coach boots.
"It doesn't matter," I said and picked the boot up. "Do you like this?"
"Okay, what's wrong?" Brandi asked.
"What are you talking about? I think they're cute."
"Well, first of all, normally you'd be insisting that we be in somebody's synagogue, temple, cathedral, or sanctuary for New Years. Second, you're buying boots that you already bought on Black Friday, along with the matching purs
e. So, I need to know what's going on. Is this about B. Wright?"
"Girl, please," I responded, setting the boot back on the shelf. Suddenly I remembered buying the boots and they were still in the trunk of my car. My mind was playing tricks on me, and it was all Bernard's fault. I hadn't seen him since Christmas Eve. Although he called and we talked a couple of times, he hadn't mentioned wanting to see me or coming by, and neither had I. He was probably too busy being hugged up with Mrs. Love and Reality to be bothered. I was frustrated, not at Bernard, but at myself for even caring. The truth of the matter was that I had a vision for the man I wanted in my life, and it was not Bernard Wright. No way, no how!
"Danni, why don't you just call the man and invite him over for dinner? You know you wanna see him."
"No, I don't. Besides, don't you think if he was interested in seeing me, he would mention it?" I snapped.
"Well, considering the fact that you keep giving him mixed signals, he's probably waiting on you to tell him which level of friendship you want to have this week. First, you say you're strictly professional, the principal of his nephew's school. Then, you wanna be buddies with him and hang out and go Christmas shopping. And let's not talk about the kind of friends you were when he was tonguing you down on your front porch," Brandi laughed, "You're a tease."
"I am not!"
"A confused tease, at that."
"See, this is why I don't tell you stuff!"
"Excuse me, would you like me to get the other boot so you can try it on?" The young salesman asked.
"No, I'm good," I said and practically threw the boot back on the shelf.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and scurried away.
That made Brandi laugh even harder, "Danni, it's okay for you to like him. No one will judge you or think any different."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
