by LaJill Hunt
"Yeah, and we should hurry. Those egg rolls he's talking about aren't even cooked."
A few hours later, just before the clock struck midnight, Bernard pulled me beside him and whispered, "They say the person you start the new year with is the one you'll spend the year with."
"That's definitely not true," I said, thinking of New Year's Eve the previous year, which was spent at church with a guy I just started dating, along with his parents. By Valentine's Day, we stopped dating, "Who were you with last New Year's Eve?"
Bernard gave a look as if he was deep in thought, then said, "Yeah, you're right. This year it's gonna be different, I'm gonna make sure."
"It's almost time!" Brandi squealed; she passed out glasses of champagne. She turned the volume on the television up, and we all began counting down along with the people in Times Square.
"Ten, nine, eight…"
I looked over and watched Doug take Brandi into his arms; they smiled at one another.
"Seven, six, five…"
I felt Bernard's body close to mine, and I turned to face him; I looked into his eyes, and my arms found their way around his neck.
"Four, three, two…"
His mouth covered mine, and we kissed for what seemed like hours. Over and over again, I tasted him, smelled him, savored the moment, not wanting it to end. The intensity was so strong, I felt my knees begin to weaken.
"Happy New Year!"
* * * * * * * * * *
"I was serious when I said I want this year to be different," Bernard told me a few hours later. We had fallen asleep at Brandi's, and after a brunch consisting of leftovers from the night before, we were all leaving, with the exception of Doug, who decided he was going to hang around and help Brandi clean up.
"Okay," I said, not sure of what he wanted my response to be.
"I would like to take you to dinner, if you're willing to go. I enjoy being around you and spending time with you. I know you have a great time when we're together. Can I pick you up Friday night, around seven?"
"Bernard," I sighed. I thought about everything Brandi said earlier and realized that I wanted this year to be different as well. Instead of wondering what if, I decided not to think and quickly answered, "Make it seven-thirty."
In-School Suspension
"What's going on, baby?" Bernard said, walking over to my car where I was standing. He was just about to kiss me when I started speaking.
"Amir brought a gun to school, Bernard."
"What? Amir? Are you serious? That's crazy. Is everyone okay?"
"Yeah, everyone's fine. We found it in his locker."
"That's good," Bernard sounded relieved momentarily, and then added, "Amir, I can't believe it. His grandmother is gonna kill him."
"Bernard, we asked him where the gun came from, and he said it came from you."
"ME?" Bernard yelled and looked at me like I was crazy. "What the fuck?"
In all the years that I knew him, it was the first time I'd ever heard Bernard curse. His eyes became dark with anger, and I became nervous.
"Dannica, you know he's lying, right?" He asked.
I stood there, not knowing how to answer him. Bernard's look of anger turned to one of hurt.
"Oh my God, you believe that I would do something like that? You think I'd give a kid a gun? I've known Amir his whole life; he's one of Bryce's best friends. And did you consider the fact that giving Amir a gun would not only be Bryce at risk, but you too? Do you think I would put the life of the woman I'm in love with in danger?"
I hadn't considered any of that. I hadn't had time to consider anything.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "That's why I called you. And he didn't exactly say that you gave him the gun."
"What exactly did he say, Danni?"
"He said he got it from the supply closet," I told him.
"Great," he said and started to walk away.
"Bernard, wait!" I called after him. "Where are you going?"
"Back to the shop," he said. "I gotta figure out what the hell is going on."
I stood there, not knowing whether to follow him or go back to work. I decided to go back to the school and handle what I knew was going to be a media nightmare once word got out that a gun was found on campus.
Just as I thought, the phones were ringing non-stop, and the office was full of parents picking up their children. I was only gone less than thirty minutes, but all hell had broken loose at the school. Mr. Ferguson and I wasted no time coming up with a game plan.
"Principal Eaton, the school board is on line two," Mrs. Butler announced.
It was the call I was dreading. I was so overwhelmed with this situation, and I felt as if I was at my wits' end. Here the school board, the parents and the city entrusted me with the safety of their children, and I'd been so caught up with my own social agenda over the past few months that I didn't even realize what was going on within the walls of my own school. I failed everyone miserably.
"This is Dannica Eaton," I said into the phone.
"Ms. Eaton, this is Dwight Reed."
"Yes, Dr. Reed," I said. Dr. Dwight Reed was the school superintendent and was known to fire personnel on the spot if he felt inclined to do so. I sat back in my chair and prepared for him to advise me that I was being dismissed.
"I understand there was a weapon found in one of the school lockers."
"Yes sir, we did confiscate a gun from one of the students," I said.
"I'm hoping this was taken care of without incident?"
"Yes, the gun wasn't even loaded. The student was taken to the Department of Juvenile Services, we placed the school on security lockdown and sent an alert to all the parents via text, email and voicemail. A thorough search of all the lockers were done, as well," I replied. "I've also prepared a press release, and I will be speaking with the media in a little while."
"Okay, well, it sounds as if you and your staff have done everything within protocol, and it's taken care of. I expect a full report within the next forty-eight hours on my desk," Dr. Reed informed me.
"Yes, sir, it will be prepared immediately," I was so nervous that my hand was shaking. I tried to think if I was forgetting anything.
"And Ms. Eaton," Dr. Reed added.
"Yes?"
"I understand you're doing a great job at the school, and I hope that this will be an isolated incident."
"I would hope so as well, Dr. Reed. We're doing everything to make sure the students here have a safe learning environment."
"Very well then. I will speak with you soon," he said and hung up.
Relieved, I sat back in my chair. Mr. Ferguson walked in and asked, "Which big wig was it?"
"Dr. Reed," I told him.
"Oh, Lord," he said, his eyes full of concern. "You're not fired are you?"
"No," I told him about the conversation with Dr. Reed, "not yet."
"Why not yet?"
"Amir told us he got the gun from the supply closet," I shook my head. I thought about the aftermath that I knew would be coming once everyone not only found out that I was dating the man who was possibly the source of where Amir got the gun. Even if Bernard hadn't given him the gun directly, he was somewhat of an accessory. My career was on the line, and it was all my fault.
Mr. Ferguson shook his head, "I don't believe that. He can't be telling the truth."
"What makes you so sure? They sell everything else in there," I remembered the shelves stocked with all sorts of items and tried to recall seeing any type of weapons. "You said so yourself."
"That was back in the day. It's different now. B. Wright doesn't even roll like that."
"Roll like that?" I couldn't help smiling. Mr. Ferguson was almost sixty, and hearing him use street slang sounded funny.
"Roll like that," he repeated. "This man has worked hard year after year to restore dignity and respect to that shop. Do you know how hard that was for him? And to think that he would risk everything, not just his freedom, but his reputation in the community.
Bernard loves these boys. Now, he will give them condoms, that I do know. But, you can't convince me that he would give them a gun. That's not even in his nature. He's a smart kid, always has been."
I didn't even realize I was crying until Mr. Ferguson reached over and passed me a tissue. I took it from him and realized that he had more faith in the man that I loved than I did.
"Thanks," I sniffed.
"Love is a complicated thing, huh?" He smiled at me.
"What?" I asked, surprised by his statement. "I…how…"
"Girl, please. I know everything that goes on in these streets and these hallways. It's my job."
"Mr. Ferguson, I don't know what I'm gonna do. When people find out…"
"Find out what? The only real concern that matters is that we confiscated a gun from a student and no one was hurt. Everything else is non-essential. You're a principal and you made sure your students were safe, and you will continue to do so. That's your job and that's all you need to explain."
There was a knock at the door and Milton walked in, "The news people are starting to gather out front."
"Thank you. Is Amir okay?"
"Yeah, his grandmother was there when we got there. I made a call to my buddies at the precinct to let them know he got the gun from the barber shop. They are executing a search warrant right now. The dude who owns it will be arrested before the sun goes down, I hope. He rides around here like some kinda hero, and the kids act like he's a celebrity."
"What? Why would you do that?" I snapped. "What was your point?"
"What do you mean? Why are you upset?" Milton frowned.
"We don't even know if that's where Amir got the gun!"
"The point is that's where the boy said he got it and he probably did. From what I heard about that spot, it's been being watched for years. They've been running everything from prostitutes to drugs outta there for years. Hell, the old owner was shot right out front in a drug deal gone bad. The apple don't fall far from the tree. I already told one reporter that you finding the gun will probably result in that menace of a business to be shut down for good. You're the hero."
I looked at Mr. Ferguson for some sort of help. My head was spinning out of control. This was worse than I imagined.
"Officer Gilbert, you probably need to give Ms. Eaton a minute," he told Milton.
"I don't understand why this is so upsetting to her," Milton said, "What did I do wrong?"
"Please just go out and let them know I'll be right out," I exhaled.
"I'm head of Security, don't you think I should be out there beside you to field questions about the situation?"
"No, I don't need you to do anything else, Officer Gilbert. You've already done enough."
"But…" Milton started.
"Go!" I yelled.
Milton hurriedly left out of the office, and when he was gone, I cried again.
Mr. Ferguson didn't say anything; he just sat across from me and patiently waited for the tears to stop.
"Now what?" I asked him.
"Now, we go talk to the press and you do your job. Everything else is non-essential."
"No, it's not. It's not all non-essential. I love Bernard, and this is all my fault. He didn't do anything wrong."
"Neither did you, Ms. Eaton. Trust me, you think this is the first time B. Wright has gone through something like this? He knows the drill. You say you love him, right?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"Do you think he loves you?"
I thought about the conversation I had earlier with Bernard and his words echoed in my head, Do you think I would put the life of the woman I love in danger?
"Yes, he does," I nodded again, this time with a slight smile.
"And I'm sure he knows that you love him enough not to do anything to hurt him. You didn't do anything wrong, Ms. Eaton, so stop acting like you did."
"I did do something wrong, Mr. Ferguson."
"What's that?" Mr. Ferguson asked.
"When Amir told me he got the gun from the supply closet, I believed him and I confronted Bernard about it. I'm no better than Milton."
"Well, I guess that does complicate things a little. But, like I said, love is a complicated thing."
* * * * * * * * * *
Hours later, after giving a statement to the press, I sat outside of Bernard's townhouse, waiting for him. I tried calling and texting him over and over, but either I was being ignored, or his phone was dead. I considered going to the shop, but Brandi told me that the police had swarmed in and turned the place out. We knew that my being there would only add fuel to an already burning fire. I decided to be patient and wait. But, when the clock showed that it was almost one in the morning, and he still hadn't arrived, I decided to go home. I knew that I had a full day ahead, and I needed to try and get at least five hours of sleep.
When I pulled up to my house, I was surprised to see Bernard's truck sitting out front. My heart leaped and I jumped out of the car and ran over to greet him.
"What are you doing here?" I squealed, yanking his door open.
He nearly jumped out of his seat, and I realized he had been sleeping and I awakened him, "What?"
"I've been waiting at your place for hours. I tried calling you but you didn't answer."
"My phone was confiscated by the authorities," he grumbled, stretching as he climbed out.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, feeling even guiltier about the situation.
"No need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong. My lawyer told me to give it to them anyway. I didn't have anything to hide," he shrugged and gave me a hug.
When we were inside, I stared at him and saw the tired weariness in his eyes, "Bernard, I did do something wrong."
"What did you do?" He frowned.
"This afternoon, when you told me that I was the woman you were in love with, I didn't tell you I loved you back."
"I said that?" He folded his arms, and I could see him fighting a smile.
"Yes, you did," I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. As we went upstairs, I knew that I would be getting even less sleep than I anticipated; especially since Bernard already started undressing me.
The following afternoon, I was in my office when Milton knocked.
"Ms. Eaton."
"Yes," I said, looking up from the report I was working on.
"Can I come in and talk to you for a few minutes?"
"Sure."
"I just wanted to give you an update on the Amir situation."
"Okay."
"Um, turns out, Amir didn't get the gun from the supply closet, as he stated. He got the gun from a gang member. Amir told him he needed a gun, and he met him one night behind the supply closet and got it. I guess he really didn't know the difference."
"That's good to know."
"I guess your boyfriend is off the hook," Milton told me.
I looked at him like he was crazy, "Excuse me?"
"I mean, from what I understand, when they dumped Bernard Wright's phone, most of the calls and texts he made and received were to you. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you all were involved and now I know why you were upset."
"Well, Milton, my personal life should not be any of your concern, and the status of Mr. Wright and my involvement wasn't why I was upset. The reason I was upset was because you reminded me of myself, and I wasn't proud. I judged Mr. Wright based on his past and what that shop was known for; instead of all the good he's done, the difference he's made, and is making in these kids' lives and this community. And that's not fair. It's not fair to him, or to these kids. We almost ruined a man based on what we thought, not what was true. And we were wrong."
"Well, I apologize," Milton said.
"You don't owe me an apology," I told him, then pointed to Bernard who was now standing in the door of my office, "You owe one to him."
Milton turned around and seeing Bernard standing there, he quickly stood up.
"I apologize, man," Milton held his hand out. Bernard stared at it for a few
seconds and then finally shook it.
"It's all good," he said. He waited until Milton left out and he said, "So, what was the point of all that?"
"Of all what?"
"That whole speech."
I got up and closed my office door. I put my arms around his neck and said, "That speech was non-essential. The only point that matters, is that I love you."
Catch 22
Wednesday Night
11:10 P.M.
The sound of the front door closing caused Sophia's eyes to open and listen closely at the click of the deadbolt as it turned. The clock on the nearby nightstand read ten minutes after twelve. She continued to listen as the footsteps made their way up the steps, entered the dark bedroom and continued into the bathroom. The jingling of his belt and the change in his pocket as his pants hit the floor seemed to echo and the water could be heard running in the sink. Gerald called a little after eleven to say that he was on his way and he wanted her to be waiting for him. Sophia was hoping that with all they had planned over the weekend, sex would be the last thing on his mind. No such luck. Maybe this time will be different, she tried to tell herself. Maybe he'll come and climb into bed and start nibbling along my neck, kissing me until he gets to that spot right above my collar bone and then began sucking, right there, at that spot that gets me wet every time. She felt the heat in her body rising and the wetness beginning to form between her legs. Tonight, he'll take each of my breasts into his mouth, gently biting each one, his tongue encircling my nipples, hardened from the heat of his mouth. Sophia's breathing became harder and she began biting her bottom lip. Maybe, just maybe…her fantasy was interrupted by his climbing beside her.
"Baby, I'm home," he whispered into her ear.
She opened her eyes and rolled over and faced him. She could smell the toothpaste on his breath, "I see."
"You ready for me?" He gave her a wanting look and she began to get excited. Maybe, just maybe, tonight would be different.
"Of course, I am," she leaned over and kissed him. He kissed her back, forcefully, crushing his mouth on hers. His tongue was so far in her mouth that she nearly gagged. Sophia moaned in disgust, hoping he would get the hint, but he mistook it for pleasure and instead of backing off, kissed her harder. His hands reached between her legs and before she knew it, he had entered her.
