“I’m about to tell Mom so wish me luck.”
“Shit, you’re going to need it,” he laughed.
I hung up and walked barefoot across the lawn to Mom’s. The front door was wide open and I could smell food on the stove. When the screen door shut behind me, Mom looked up. She gave me a big smile and I smiled back.
“You’re up bright and early,” she beamed.
“I know,” I reached around her, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and stole a piece of bacon from the plate. She popped my hand with her wooden spoon.
“Sneaky devil,” she said. I gave her a crooked smile and she shook her head. She continued to cook while I sat there.
“What is it?” she asked without looking at me. She continued to stir the pot on the stove and check the oven.
“I’m going to the city.”
“For how long?”
I didn’t answer.
“For how long?” she asked, louder this time; too loud for this size of a house.
“A while,” I admitted. She stopped stirring and wiped her hands on her apron. She put a glove on and pulled the casserole dish out the oven, sprinkled some cheese on it, and covered it with a towel.
“Why?”
“It’s time, Mom,” I said.
She shook her head and then she laughed. “Because of yesterday?” she asked with tears running down her face.
I had to turn from her. “It’s not just that.”
“Then what is it? I asked you why, so tell me,” she demanded.
Patty walked in from her old bedroom. She looked like she had a hangover and she barely made it down the hall before plopping down in a chair at the table. I leaned over and kissed her forehead before I got up and poured her a cup of coffee.
“Why are you guys talking so loud?” Patty asked.
“Your brother is leaving the Res and he won’t tell me why,” Mom yelled. She was opening and slamming cabinets now. Patty’s eyes widened and then she gave me a high five with big smile on her face. We made sure Mom wasn’t looking.
“Patty, do not encourage him!” she yelled, her eyes never set on either of us. This woman had an amazing talent to see without looking.
“But Mommy, there is nothing for him here. You want him to marry a local, but the local he had did him wrong. She’s a crooked bitch; and she’s poisoned his reputation here. All of the other girls are too scared of him.” Patty gave me an I’m sorry face and placed her hand on top of mine.
“Mommy, he can’t keep living like this. He’s a grown man and he’s been grown since middle school. If he stays here, he’ll never find someone to share his life with.”
“He goes to the market every weekend; he can find someone there,” Mom cried out.
Patty stood and went to her. Mom was crying over the sink as she tried to hide her face from us. Patty wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tight. I got up and went over; pulling them both into my arms. We stayed like that for a small eternity. Mom wouldn’t stop crying. She finally told Patty to watch the stove and she went to go lay down. She said she had a headache.
That afternoon, I packed my one suitcase in my brand new Ford Expedition. I had ordered a fully loaded, tuxedo black, moon roof, King Ranch with red leather seats. I had two rows of seats in the back which were heated and cooled. I had the voice activated navigation system put in. I also got the heavy-duty trailer tow and the power lift gate. This truck was a monster.
Mom was trying her best to be strong, but she was failing terribly. Dad gave me a pat on the back and walked back over to the house. He was a man of very few words. He only got chatty when he was completely wasted. Mom kissed me a dozen times before finally letting me go. I promised her I would be back in two weeks and that I would see her next weekend at the market. I was taking this weekend off to get myself settled in the city.
“Don’t talk to strangers, and don’t give anybody a ride,” she blubbered.
“Yes, Ma’am.”
She kissed me one last time and ran back to the house. I drove away from the reservation and I could feel the weight lifting from my body immediately. I didn’t take the ferry to the city. I wanted to enjoy the ride through the peaceful Olympic Forrest.
Hours later when I made it to Seattle, I decided to get a room in one of the nice hotels. I checked my phone to find the hotel with the most stars. The Fairmont was the best hotel according to the ratings. I pulled up at the hotel and the valet eyed me before rushing over. I let the window down.
“Sir, are you visiting or staying?” the young athletically-built boy asked me.
“I think I’m staying,” I said.
He gave me a puzzled look then grinned. “Do you have a reservation?”
“Not yet.”
“Sir, have you ever stayed at The Fairmont before?” he asked, seriously this time.
“No.”
“Well, welcome to The Fairmont and I know you’ll enjoy your stay,” he opened the door and I jumped out of the truck. He opened the back hatch and pulled out my one suitcase.
“Does this thing have a hemi?” he asked jokingly, coming from the back of the truck. I didn’t laugh at his little joke; I just stared at the young pale boy. His nametag said Brian on it. He cleared his throat and handed me a ticket.
“Ron, his bag please,” Brian told the other guy standing by the podium.
“That’s okay, Ron. I got it. Brian climbed into the truck, shut the door, and drove off. I looked over at the other valet and he was smiling at me. I turned away from him quickly and stepped toward the hotel’s entrance. There were three large poles with flags hanging from them. The two doormen smiled at me and opened both doors for me to walk through. They wore long, blue coats with sailor looking shit all over with a sailor hat to match. Their black shoes were shiny, and their pants were starched stiff.
The hotel looked like a large hospital from the outside. It would be a very expensive hospital, but it did look like one. Once I entered, I thought I was in the ballroom from the Titanic. Patty loved that movie and made me watch it so many times with her. No matter how many times she’d seen it, she’d snot and cry when Rose let Jack just die in the water. I hated the movie because Rose was lying there telling Jack she’d never let go and that’s exactly what the liar did. The hotel looked like that scene when Jack was waiting on Rose by the staircase.
The wood was glossy and smelled freshly polished. Everything had a glossy look to it. The lobby was full of furniture and flowers. There was a second story inside the lobby, and people were walking all around the hotel. I walked up two sets of steps and then I saw the front desk. I walked over and waited behind two people already being serviced. I stood behind a blonde woman in a gray, tight skirt suit with high-heeled shoes.
I looked around the hotel and once again I felt out of place. What the hell was I doing here? I knew this fucking hotel was out of my league and I looked stupid here. I was wearing a black t-shirt with khaki shorts and flip flop sandals. Everyone here looked like they were going or coming from a business meeting. The blonde in front of me finished and collected two keys from the man behind the counter and walked away from the desk. I watched her walk over to a bellboy with a rack full of luggage. The guy was having a hard time pushing the luggage cart behind the lady. He was grunting and sliding all over the place.
“Hello, sir…do you have a reservation?” the man behind the counter asked me. I turned to face him and took a step up to the counter.
“No, I don’t; but I would like a room if you have any available,” I told him in a clear voice. This hotel made me want to speak as clearly as possible.
“Of course, would you like a suite or a single?” the clerk’s nametag said Peter. He was medium build, medium height, black, and well put together.
“Um, a suite; I think,” I cleared my throat.
“Alrighty, sir; would you like a corner room facing the south, or will an inner room be sufficient?”
“Corner,” I said with a little more base in my thr
oat.
“And how many nights will you be staying?”
“Until next Sunday.”
“Alrighty, sir; I have a corner suite from today until Sunday. Does that sound sufficient?”
“Yes.”
“Alrighty, sir; may I please have a photo ID with the credit card you’d like to place on file?
I handed Peter my driver’s license and my AmEx.
“Alrighty, sir; your total is $6,123.”
I wasn’t really shocked at the balance. I knew this hotel was expensive; my phone told me that. Plus, I got a corner suite with all the bells and whistles. I nodded at Peter and he swiped the card swiftly through the credit card slot on his computer. Papers started printing behind him and he retrieved them. He laid three sheets of papers in front of me and I had to sign all three.
“Sir, Bernard will be your concierge for the rest of this day and Calvin will be your concierge overnight. Here’s both of their numbers and contact them with any assistance you may need, sir.”
I nodded as he handed me a key and directed me to the elevators. I walked over and there was a man inside pushing buttons for people.
“What floor, sir?”
“Um…” I had to look down at the paper in my hand. “Ninth.”
He nodded and pressed the ninth floor button. I was the only passenger in the elevator and the music coming from the speakers was loud. There was a classical piece playing and it was a noisy little number. I liked Native music and instrumental pieces myself. The elevator stopped on my floor and I got off.
“Have a good evening, sir.”
“Thank you, and you too.”
The elevator doors shut and I walked down the hall toward my room.
I passed two women walking down the hall toward me. I moved closer to the wall so they could have more room. They both thanked me and gave me warm smiles. I nodded back and kept on walking toward my room. I made it to my door and looked around and saw the two women were standing in front of the elevator, but the blonde was watching me. I turned back toward the door and slid the key in. The sensor next to the key slot turned green and I heard the lock click. I pushed down on the handle and the door cracked a little. I turned back toward the elevator and the blonde was still staring at me. She waved and then stepped onto the elevator. I pushed the door open and stepped in.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the room was the big windows. The room had wall-to-wall windows and the view of the courtyard was nice. All of the lights outside were on like Christmas. It was dark out, but the city was alive. I set my bag next to the door and went and sat on the bed. It was Saturday night and I was in an expensive hotel.
The first thing I ordered was the steak with roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables. An older man from the dining staff delivered it. I ate everything including the vegetables. The second knock was a younger guy from the dining staff. He brought lasagna with a side salad. I ate the lasagna, not touching the salad. The third knock was a middle-aged man from the dining staff. He had the lobster with crab legs and I finished all of it. The last knock was a man dressed in a three-piece suit.
“Sir, I am Calvin; your concierge. The bakery said these are for you.”
Calvin was about 6’3” or so; a black man with a light dusting of gray throughout his hair and beard. He wore white gloves and stood straight. Calvin had a small table with a large round serving tray with a silver dome cover. I stepped back so he could step in. He rolled the table in and started removing the other trays immediately. Once he had securely removed the others and had the trays out in the hall, he began to uncover the baker’s table. It had pastries, cookies, tiny cakes, slender slices of pies, and Twizzlers placed throughout the trays. The very well-designed dessert masterpiece had three layers.
“Sir, will there be anything else?” Calvin asked. I shook my head with an excited smile. Calvin turned to walk out the door. When the door opened, I saw two men in the hall gathering the dishes from before.
“Calvin?” I called out. He turned back toward me.
“Which is your favorite?” I gestured toward the dessert. Calvin placed his hand on his chin. He showed a deep decision being made.
“The cheesecake, sir.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a pretty good knockoff of The Confectional.”
“Confectional?” I asked him confused. Calvin laughed and stepped back into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“The Confectional is a place one could go and repent for their sins of loving sweet things. Their cheesecake is sinfully delicious, and you’ll want to confess all your sins for loving it. My girlfriend is a manager there, and I’m addicted to both.” Calvin laughed again, and I joined him.
“You’ll have to tell me where it is so I can confess for myself,” I laughed. Calvin looked at me then and his smile went away.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking…are you here for business or pleasure?”
“Both I believe.”
“Sir, did you need for me to arrange entertainment for you?”
“No, no. I’ve had fun entertaining myself this evening,” I gave Calvin a forced smile.
“Sir, my office is on the corner or press 1 on your room phone if you need me,” he nodded and left.
I ate three little muffin cheesecake things and they were good. I’m not sure if I’ve ever tasted anything as good as those little things. I covered the dessert back up with the cover and decided to go get more ice so I walked down the hall. On my way back from the ice room, I saw Calvin talking to the ladies from earlier. The blonde was pointing toward my door and then she whispered something to Calvin. Calvin looked up at me and I ducked back down the ice room hall. I stayed there on the other side of the wall hoping the ladies didn’t see me.
I heard someone clear his throat and then I stepped out. Calvin was standing there with a piece of paper in his white gloved hand.
“Sir, you have an admirer. Ms. Radcliff would like for you to have her number. She inquired about your status. Fortunately, I had nothing to tell her nor would I if I did,” Calvin assured me. There was a knocking on someone’s door.
“Ah, that would be Ms. Radcliff at your door, sir,” Calvin’s eyes turned and he was listening to the knocking at the door.
“She’s still there, sir,” he whispered. “Come with me.”
I followed him. We went back down toward my room but took a side hall instead of turning down to my hall. It was a black door with a peephole, but no numbers. Calvin slid in a keycard into the slot. He opened the door and we entered into a foyer. It was nice with a marble floor with gold trim everywhere. There was a large mirror hanging on the wall, a small table underneath, a large flower arrangement sat on it, a coat rack with two coats, three umbrellas in their rack, and a nice mat in front of the second door. Calvin slid in a gold traditional key in this door. He opened this black door and we walked into a living area.
“Please, sir, make yourself at home.”
The room was bright. It had the same colors my room had, but this was just a living area. There was a TV hung on the wall and two couches with two matching chairs. Calvin walked over to the kitchen area and the light came on automatically. He went to the steel fridge and pulled out two beers.
“Water for me, please,” I told him while I stood there holding my ice bucket. He turned back around and reached back into the fridge. Calvin had a beer in one hand and bottled water in the other.
“I figured you’d rather wait her out; she can be somewhat obsessive with things,” he told me as he reached for the ice bucket. He handed me the water and gestured for me to sit. He set the ice bucket on the kitchen counter and then I sat down on one of the couches. He sat on the other couch across from me. He picked up a remote from the coffee table and pressed a button. Music started playing from somewhere. It was Jazz, but it was low.
“So, Jamerson…what brings you to Seattle?” he asked, crossing his legs.
“Starting over.”
“Well, that’s very obvious; but you don’t seem like you know what you doing.”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Because you’re acting like a kid in a candy store and you’re scared of women.”
I sat there and then I opened my bottled water. I took a long swallow and slumped my shoulders.
“Would you like to talk about it? I’m your concierge and part-time psychiatrist. Everything is private.”
I don’t know why I did it, but I told Calvin every single thing there was to know about me. He laughed at the parts he thought were funny and he frowned at the parts that were sad or that made him think. Three hours had passed and Calvin knew me inside and out.
“So, what do you want to do here in the city?” Calvin asked.
“I want to be the man I’m supposed to be. I can’t find him or be him on the reservation. I need my own.”
“I know a guy.”
“That sounds like a bad line from a mobster movie,” I said.
Calvin laughed and then his smile was gone. “I didn’t mean it that way. But I do know of someone that can help you. What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Nothing,” I yawned.
“You go and get some rest. Someone will contact you tomorrow,” Calvin stood and handed me my ice bucket before walking me to the door.
“It’s not your fault, sir,” he said.
“I know.”
“Have a good rest of the day, sir.”
“You too, Calvin.”
I left Calvin’s suite and went back to my room. When I opened the door, there was a piece of paper on the floor. I opened it and saw a phone number with a note.
I’m the hot blonde from earlier,
Room 920
Come anytime.
Cleo Radcliff
I crumbled the paper up and threw it in the waste paper basket.
“I don’t even like skinny blondes,” I mumbled to myself. I laid down on the soft bed and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
I woke up to the phone trilling in my ears. I opened my eyes, and the windows were too damn bright. As I reached for the phone, I knocked over the clock. There was a clatter and I yanked the phone off the hook and growled.
The Enclave of Jyme (G Street Chronicles Presents) Page 7
