Can't Stop Loving You

by Lisa Jackson

  Chapter 4

  The weekend could not have come any sooner, Kaycee thought as she reclined in her garden jet tub. She reserved bathing in her tub for the weekends because then she could lie in there as long as she wanted without interruption.

  With a drawn-out sigh, she sank back against the bathroom pillow and closed her eyes just as her cell phone shrilled in the next room.

  The ringing phone was nothing more than a distant distraction, and she thought about letting it go, but she remembered the business card she’d given to the young lady at Café Jireh. Although she made it a practice to not cut into her “special” time, she decided to answer the phone for the fear of losing another prospect.

  She jumped out of the tub and wrapped a thick terry bath sheet around her body before scurrying into the next room. Just as she snatched up the phone, it stopped ringing.

  She hoped it hadn’t been Mr. Thompson. She began to scroll frantically through the missed calls when the phone rang for a second time. This time she recognized the Savannah telephone number and answered it.

  “Hello, Mom,” she sang into the phone. Although she had just talked to her parents the night before, she was excited to hear from them. The Jordans were a close family, and Kaycee was their baby and the only girl. Her parents and four older brothers doted on her.

  “Hey, baby, why didn’t you answer the phone a few seconds ago?” her mother Katherine asked, her voice echoing through the lines. Kaycee immediately knew that that meant she was on the speakerphone and that her dad was close by. She slipped her earpiece on and headed back to the bathroom.

  “I was in the tub,” she announced, dropping the towel and stepping back into the inviting warmth of the tub. This time she turned on the jets before sinking back into her former position.

  “Hey, baby girl,” her father called out in the background.

  “Hey, Daddy!”

  “Hi, sugar, when are you coming down? You know we still have to plan our fishing trip.”

  Kaycee sighed. She’d missed their annual father-daughter fishing trip last year because of work, and she didn’t want to foul up plans for another one this year. She looked forward to the moments that they spent lounging on the pier, catching and then cleaning fish. Where most women would be squeamish, Kaycee actually found it relaxing. Her relationship with her father was great and she loved spending time with him.

  “I’m sorry, Daddy. I’ve been so busy with the house and the business.”

  “How is it coming along?” her mother asked.

  “Which one?”

  “Both,” her parents replied in unison.

  “I’m almost done with the unpacking, but I think I’m going to do some painting.”

  “If you need some help, let me know,” another male voice cut in.

  Kaycee immediately recognized it as being her brother, Kyle. She and Kyle were the closest in age and were often mistaken for twins. He’d grown up being all things to her: protector, confidant and her mouthpiece when she needed it.

  “What’s up, Kyle?” she called out, happy to hear his voice.

  “Nothing much,” he said, “How are things going with you?”

  “Could be better if you came to visit me.”

  “I know, I need to get out for real. I just have a lot on my plate right now,” he replied, speaking of his position as a college professor at Savannah State where he was working on obtaining his Ph.D. in math.

  “You probably need a break. You know what they say about all work and no play.”

  “No, what do they say?” he challenged. “And watch your mouth because Ma is standing here looking right at me.”

  Kaycee broke out laughing. “I’m just keeping it real. But seriously, it would be nice having you come out and hang with your sista.”

  “I might have to take you up on that. I need to get out of Savannah for a minute.”

  “Could it be because of Tara?” Kaycee asked, referring to his longtime girlfriend. The pair had been dating for almost six years and the whole family was practically on the edge of their seats waiting for Kyle to propose. At first, Kyle’s actions bothered Kaycee because she was in the same position with her ex-fiancé Paul. Then she’d come to realize that Kyle and Tara had something that she and Paul were lacking and that was love and respect. Tara supported her man like no other woman she had ever seen outside her own mother, and she admired her for that. Kyle, on the other hand, worshipped the ground Tara walked on. He definitely took care of business when it came to her. They both claimed that they didn’t need the ring to prove their love.

  “Whatever,” he caustically replied. “I don’t run from no one.”

  “Excuse me,” Kaycee teased.

  “Hey, baby girl, do you still have the hookup with the Falcons?” her father asked.

  “I may, did you want me to try to see about getting some tickets this year?”

  “That would be nice.”

  “So how’s business coming along?” her mother asked.

  “Good,” she replied and began to explain her possible lead with Café Jireh.

  “That’s great, Kaycee,” Kyle said.

  “We are all so proud of you,” Katherine added.

  “Thank you,” Kaycee replied. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Grandma Ursula and Great-Grandma Madelyn and your recipes.”

  “They would be proud to know that you started a business to carry on the family dream.”

  “Mom, I’m proud to do it. You know, I was thinking the other day how I come from an amazing family. First Grandma Ursula’s skill at baking and Grandpa Art being the first black firefighter to integrate an all-white fire station, and Grandpa James being an inventor, we have such strong history in our family and it makes me so proud.”

  “Listen to baby girl, sounding like she’s all grown up,” Kyle teased.

  Everyone laughed, including Kaycee.

  “Kaycee, we’ll let you go,” her mother called out. “We were just touching base.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll talk to you all later. Love ya.”

  Kaycee reflected on her wonderful parents upon ending the call. Russell and Katherine Jordan were a couple who loved each other and their children with such intensity that Kaycee could never think of a time when she had wanted to rebel against them. In addition to Kyle, she was sure that she could say the same about her other brothers, Rusty, Mark and Darren.

  When she’d informed them of her breakup with Paul and her decision to leave Carrington to start her own business, they’d showed her so much love and support that she thanked God every day for them. There was nothing anyone could say about any of the Jordans or do to them that wouldn’t cause Kaycee to rear up and strike back.

  Kaycee was grateful for them and was set on making Soulicious successful to honor those she loved the most.

  Chapter 5

  The big day had finally arrived. Kaycee stayed up practically all night making sure that all of the cakes and candies turned out perfectly. She took very special care in her selections and decided on coconut cake to impress Mr. Thompson’s taste buds and her famous red velvet cheesecake to win over La Jetta, as well as German chocolate cake, Italian cream cake and fresh peach cobbler. On top of that, she had made some chocolate-covered strawberries and truffles. Each dessert was neatly packaged in custom-made turquoise-blue-and-chocolate-brown boxes and tied with a shiny gold ribbon displaying the company name.

  This time she was not going to get caught with cake on her face as she’d done the other night. Just remembering her failed meeting made her triple-check to ensure that everything was in order. Before she went to bed, she stocked her briefcase with the high-gloss, full-color catalog, order forms and business cards and placed it in the trunk of her car. She also took the time to make sure that her appearance spoke of class and professionalism. To keep with the color scheme, she chose to wear her chocolate-brown wrap dress with a turquoise-and-brown scarf tied around her neck and a pair of matching brown sandals.

 
; For a change of pace, she worked some styling mousse into her hair, forming curly ringlets that framed her face. She smiled with satisfaction at the completed reflection in the mirror. After she loaded the car, she paused at the door to say a short prayer.

  “Father God, I thank you for being the lord over my life. Thank you for ordering my steps. Lord, you told me that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I believe that today you are opening up a door for me and I thank you in advance. Give me wisdom, oh Lord, to say the right things. Help me not to forget anything. Thank you for Your favor, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

  The ride to the café was a mere ten minutes, which was enough time for her to think. She thought about the business and how she was fulfilling her destiny. In less than a year, her life had taken a dramatic turn. First, she had left her job to pursue her business dream and then she had left Paul.

  Her job had been monetarily rewarding but was so stressful that it left her drained at the end of the day. Her midtown condo was located in a very desirable neighborhood within walking distance of all the “hot” spots of dining and night life, but it wasn’t something she enjoyed any longer.

  Then there was her boyfriend Paul: she was practically on pins and needles waiting for him to propose, yet every birthday, Christmas and Valentine’s Day passed without a word about the prospect of marriage. By the time last Christmas had rolled around, Kaycee had grown lukewarm to the idea of marriage, at least to Paul. So, when he got down on one knee during a jazz concert and proposed, she was tongue-tied. She could not say or do anything but shake her head no. It was at that precise moment that she knew the facade that she called her life was coming to an end and the real Kaycee Janae Jordan was coming to life.

  Words of disappointment were expressed and tears shed when Kaycee admitted that she didn’t have the heart to go on with their relationship. She spent most of that night evaluating her life and realized that there were many things that she didn’t like but had given into because they had been expected of her.

  Paul Copeland, for example, had stepped into Kaycee’s personal space at a business event with a seductive smile, making her flush with flattery from his attention. Kaycee had told him that she was a recent MBA graduate looking for a job, and attended the event in the hopes of getting some leads. Without a word, Paul immediately took her by the hand, led her across the room and introduced her to Gina Stall-worth, who would become her future boss. A week later, she was at Carrington Financial Group.

  Gradually, Kaycee found her appearance changing. Her hair was one of the first transformations. It was thick and coarse and came only to her ears so Paul suggested weaves. Although the long-layered style looked good and complemented her beautiful eyes, she hated finding stray hairs all over the house, especially in the shower drain and in corners on the bathroom floor.

  Natural styles were frowned upon in the Carrington environment, especially for management. Her desire to emancipate came while she was out at lunch with other managers. The group was rattling on about a client. Kaycee was there in body, but she had abandoned them in spirit by choosing to focus her attention on their surroundings. Then it happened. A beautiful black woman entered the restaurant. She seemed the embodiment of poise and power as she strolled past as if walking on a catwalk in a fashion show. The fitted T-shirt, flare-legged jeans and big curly Afro spoke volumes to Kaycee. This was a proud sista’ who wasn’t stepping aside to measure up to the world’s expectations, but who was demanding that the world step up to meet hers. After she paid for her takeout, she passed their table she smiled at Kaycee with a slight nod, and it was like confirmation that change would have to come. Downsizing quickly became a major focus in all areas of her life. She got rid of the man, quit her job, moved to the suburbs, took out her weaves and donated much of her pricey wardrobe to a welfare-to-work program. Now she was exactly where she wanted to be in life and she couldn’t be happier.

  Café Jireh was located in the growing section of midtown Atlanta called Atlantic Station, a popular live, work and play community made up of hotels, upscale boutiques and fine restaurants merged with expensive condos.

  Kaycee was relieved to find an available parking space right out front. A quick glance at her watch told her that she was ten minutes ahead of schedule, so she had time to relax and focus on her presentation, however, her nerves got the best of her and she gave in to them and went inside.

  The moment she entered, Kaycee grew nervous at the sight of a different face at the counter. She had been counting on La Jetta’s easygoing friendliness as support and confirmation to ease her fears. The woman standing behind the counter looked nice enough, but didn’t immediately generate the same kind of outgoing attitude that she had encountered with La Jetta. She was older with graying hair smoothed into a neat bun and glasses on the tip of her nose.

  “Good morning,” Kaycee greeted with her warmest smile. “I have an appointment with Mr. Thompson.”

  The woman slowly shook her head and peered sternly at Kaycee over the rims of her glasses. “Mr. Rick don’t meet with nobody on Mondays.”

  Kaycee’s mouth grew dry and she swallowed hard. “I talked to La Jetta last week and she said this would be a good time to meet with Mr. Thompson.”

  The older woman shook her head with a drawn-out sigh as if she had heard that excuse before. “I don’t know why Jetta acts like she’s trying to be Mr. Rick’s secretary. She knows better than that.” She looked down at the basket in Kaycee’s hands. “What kind of meeting do you have?”

  Kaycee placed the basket on the counter and took out a business card. She handed it to the woman.

  “My name is Kaycee Jordan and I was talking to La Jetta about doing business with Mr. Thompson.”

  The woman sucked her teeth and shook her head. “Jetta know Mr. Rick said he wasn’t trying to get anyone else to fill that position.”

  “May I ask why?” Kaycee asked. La Jetta’s explanation had been a little sketchy, and she wanted to know what she was dealing with.

  “He was burned,” she replied. “That’s all I can say.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Kaycee answered. Then a thought came to her. She was going to get to Mr. Rick today by any means necessary. She reached inside the basket and took out a container of peach cobbler.

  “I know what it’s like to have trust in someone and have them fail you,” Kaycee said removing the lid from the box to retrieve the small container inside. She placed the container in front of the woman and allowed the sweet smell of peaches, cinnamon and buttery crust to entice her nose.

  “Wh-what’s that?” the older woman stammered, her eyes lighting up at the gift before her.

  “My grandmother Ursula’s peach cobbler recipe,” Kaycee replied. “I’m told that one taste and you’ll never go back to instant cobbler again.”

  “Is that right?” she said, smacking her lips. Her eyes were big as saucers and Kaycee swore she could see saliva building up in the corners of her mouth.

  “Why not try for yourself?” She handed her a clear plastic spoon.

  The woman scooped some of the dessert in the spoon and examined it closely. She took a whiff and nodded as if the filling and crust were the right consistency. She brought the spoon to her face and eyed it for a few seconds more before placing it into her mouth.

  Kaycee watched her face intently, but she just continued to chomp away as if she had no opinion one way or the other. She finally looked up at Kaycee after finishing her bite. Her eyes traveled back to the basket.

  “What else you got in there?”

  Kaycee’s heartbeat quickened and she scrambled to open the basket to reveal its contents. “I have coconut cake, German chocolate cake, Italian cream cake and red velvet cheesecake plus some chocolate-covered strawberries and truffles.”

  “Wait right here,” the woman said and disappeared to the back.

  The minutes seemed like hours to Kaycee, and she prayed that her strawberries and truffles were still holding up.
She sighed with relief when the lady returned. She seemed like a different person.

  “Go on and have a seat over at the table there, sugah, and Mr. Rick will be out with you shortly.”

  “Thank you,” Kaycee whispered with a sigh of relief. “Thank you very much.” She quickly gathered her things and went to set up the table that the woman had pointed out. First she laid out a turquoise satin tablecloth. Then she removed the boxes containing the goodies. To her relief each one was intact. She removed the lids and propped the boxes atop them around the table. Before one chair she placed a gold fork, a china plate and one of the colorful catalogs with an order form and business card.

  With a satisfied grin, she sat back and waited. Customers threw curious glances her way wondering what the occasion was. A few even stopped to admire her wares and take business cards.

  The woman came over to the table to praise her for her creativity and offered her a cup of coffee on the house.

  “What do you recommend?”

  “All of it, but I’ll give you the toffee crunch,” she answered. Before she walked away she turned back and smiled again, saying, “By the way, my name is Charlotte and I think your peach cobbler is delicious!”

  Kaycee smiled proudly. “Thank you so much.”

  She looked back to the table and straightened the papers across from her once more. Suddenly, she felt a presence. Slowly looking up, her breath caught at the sight of her neighbor standing before her.

  Chapter 6

  The last person she wanted to see was him. He was too much of a distraction and concentration was important for this meeting. However, she could not deny how fine he looked in the pale yellow dress shirt and black tailored trousers, compared to the overalls and plaid shirt he’d had on a few days ago. The man was like a chameleon. Whatever he was there for, she hoped he’d get it and be well on his way.

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “My question exactly,” he replied.