She Said, She Said

by Celeste Norfleet

  It was way after midnight and her mother still wasn’t home. It started to rain as soon as she climbed into bed. A few minutes later, lulled by the storm, she fell asleep. Then, just after two in the morning, she was awakened by a noise. She listened in the darkness, not hearing anything except the distant thunder. But that wasn’t the noise that woke her up. It was laughter, her mother’s laughter, and it was coming from outside.

  She went downstairs and peeked out the front window. Her mom was on the porch talking to someone. A few seconds later she realized that she was talking to Keith Tyler. She listened.

  They talked about high school and how he never really talked to her and how he was popular and she was the quiet, studious one. They mentioned other people they went to school with in a kind of “where are they now?” thing. Then she talked about her old job and he talked about his short-lived career as a professional football player and how he’d gotten hurt and had to leave the game. He started telling her how much he regretted not knowing her in high school and how they might have been really close.

  Tamika watched as he moved closer, then reached up and touched her mother’s face. He leaned in slowly. Without thinking, Tamika opened the front door wide and fast, startling them apart. “Mom, is that you? The porch light blew out.”

  “Yes, it’s me,” Laura said.

  “Hey, I thought that was you,” Tamika said.

  “Hey, sweetie. What are you still doing up? It’s late. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just couldn’t sleep and I heard a noise out here, so I came down to check it out.” She glanced at Keith hard.

  “It was probably the storm coming back.”

  “Listen, Laura, we’ll continue this later,” Keith said, then took Laura’s hand and kissed it. “Good night.”

  Tamika frowned, grossed out by the old-time wannabe player trying to hit on her mom. She watched as he walked back to his car, got in, waved, then drove off. Her mom stayed on the porch smiling and waving.

  “Aunt Sylvia’s here,” Tamika said as her mother headed to the front door.

  She stopped. “Here, already? I thought she was visiting a friend for a few days.”

  “She’s back,” Tamika said. “She’s upstairs asleep. I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.”

  Laura smiled, shaking her head. “There’s a lot about your aunt that you don’t know.”

  “I’m beginning to see that,” Tamika said. Laura turned back to the front door. “What are you wearing? That’s not what you had on when I left you at the party.”

  Laura looked down and chuckled. “Oh yeah, we were out dancing and there was a sudden downpour. My clothes got soaked so I borrowed something from Grace.”

  “The top is too tight, your stomach’s out and the skirt is way too short,” Tamika said of the well-fitted midriff top and outrageous skirt.

  Laura chuckled again. “I just borrowed it. It’s not like I’m gonna wear it all the time. But for your information, I got a lot of compliments on this outfit.”

  “From Keith Tyler, no doubt,” Tamika surmised.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact he liked me in it.”

  “I’d bet he’d like you out of it more.”

  “Excuse me?” Laura said.

  “I thought Ms. Hunter was gonna drive you home.”

  “It was late and after dancing all night Grace was tired, so Keith was kind enough to drop me off on his way home.”

  “So, exactly what’s up with him?” Tamika asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, can’t he see that big old wedding band and rock on your finger?”

  “Tamika, Keith knows I’m a married woman. He’s just being nice, that’s all.”

  “It doesn’t look like that’s all to me.”

  “We’re old friends, we go back,” Laura said.

  “Isn’t he the one who rubber-stamped the same thing in everybody’s yearbook?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling.

  “And that’s okay now?” Tamika asked.

  “That was a long time ago. We were kids.”

  “So now that you’re adults it’s okay.”

  “Let’s just say that after a while time passes and you learn to let bygones be bygones.”

  “I don’t like him and I don’t trust him,” Tamika said as a burst of lightning flashed across the sky.

  “You don’t know him.”

  “You don’t know Justin but you don’t like him.”

  “I never said that I didn’t like Justin. I said that you didn’t need to get tied down to one boy just yet. I don’t know why you twist things around. I say one thing and you hear something completely opposite. Besides, this is totally different,” Laura said. Tamika didn’t reply. “Okay, so you don’t like him. Tell me why.”

  “I don’t know, there’s just something about him.”

  “Well, I guess that it’s a good thing that he’s not your friend, then, isn’t it?” Laura said.

  “Fine, whatever. I’m just saying.” Thunder rolled, sounding closer.

  “Tamika, we’re just friends. You have nothing to worry about. Nothing’s gonna happen between us. I’m still married to your father, okay? Okay?”

  “Yeah, okay,” Tamika said reluctantly as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled at nearly the same time.

  “Now, come on in. It’s late and it looks like that storm is coming back this way.”

  They walked inside and Laura locked the front door.

  “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” she said, continuing upstairs. Then she stopped when Tamika didn’t follow. “You’re not coming upstairs to bed?”

  “Yeah, in a minute. I’m gonna get a glass of water first.”

  “All right, don’t stay up too late. Good night.”

  “Night,” Tamika said, still annoyed by her mother’s blind devotion. She went into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of cold water and decided that she was going to find out exactly what Keith Tyler wanted. The more she thought about it, the more skeptical she got. Keith reminded her of Justin, and that was definitely something to be concerned about.

  She knew his type. Justin was his type and her mother had no idea what she was doing. She couldn’t see him for what he was. Completely battery-charged, she unplugged the laptop from the wall socket and went online. She was online when her cell rang. It was late, way after midnight, but she still answered. “Hello.”

  “Hi. I hope it’s okay that I called this late. I wanted to catch up with you. Are you busy?” Sean said.

  “I can’t talk right now, Sean,” she said as she continued surfing, looking for more information on Keith Tyler. Being that he was a professional football player and apparent PR whore, there were hundreds of sites listed for him.

  “Okay, it’s just that I saw that you were online so I just wanted to call and say sorry that I missed you tonight.”

  “Missed me, what? Look, Sean, you don’t even really know me. Anyway, I can’t deal with that right now. My mom has gone crazy. It’s like she’s trying to be a teenager all over again. As soon as we got here she changed, hanging out with her friends all the time.”

  “So what’s wrong with that?” he asked.

  “You’re kidding me, right? How would you like it if it was your mom?”

  “No big deal. So, what, she’s having fun, right?”

  “She’s a mom—my mom. She can’t be doing that.”

  “Doing what? Having fun?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” she said, then realized how silly she sounded. “Never mind, you don’t get it. She’s old, she needs to just clean out this house and that’s it. I want to go home. This place is tired and old and pathetic.”

  “Is Fraser really that bad?” he asked solemnly.

  “Yes. I hate it here. The people are all stupid and country. It’s like being stuck in the Dark Ages. I hate everything about this place.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Y
ou know what? You’re a lot different than before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I don’t get why you’re so stressed over this. You need to chill. If your mom wants to have a little fun, then what’s the big deal? She’s allowed.”

  “Oh, please, you don’t even know. The big deal is that she needs to chill so I can go back home. I have things to do.”

  “Justin, right?”

  “No.”

  “Look, I don’t know your family, I’m just saying—”

  “That’s right, you don’t know my family. You don’t know anything about my family or me. So don’t be getting all up in my business, trying to analyze me.”

  “You’re right. I guess I’ll talk to you whenever.”

  “Yeah, right, whatever,” she said.

  “You know what? You’re really different. I guess you and Justin deserve each other after all. Later.” He hung up.

  She had just dumped everything on Sean and now she felt horrible.

  Chapter 16

  Laura

  Laura danced upstairs, down the hall, into the bedroom and bathroom and as she put on her pajamas. The good feeling had surrounded her and she was loving it. The music still plugged in her head played on and on. She’d forgotten how much fun she could have just hanging out.

  She climbed into bed, but the music and happiness wouldn’t let her sleep. She lay back thinking about the party. What had started out as an outdoor picnic soon moved inside. The rain poured outside and they danced, laughed and joked inside. She had too much fun and, of course, hanging with Keith didn’t hurt.

  All of four years she’d had a crush on him while they were in high school. And all of four years he completely ignored her. But tonight she was the only person he saw and it felt great having a man’s full attention.

  Just as her thoughts focused on that, a quick sudden pang of guilt hit her. Malcolm. She wasn’t exactly being unfaithful, but she couldn’t actually say that she hadn’t been flirting either. As soon as she half dozed off her cell rang. “Hello.”

  “I got your number from Grace. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “Keith?”

  “Yeah, is this a bad time?”

  “No, not at all. How are you?”

  “You mean since the last time you saw me about an hour ago?” he said. She giggled. “I’m okay, you?”

  “I am fantastic.” She breathed out slowly.

  “I’d have to agree with that. You are kinda fantastic.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “No, really. I guess I never took the time to really hang out with you, but I gotta say that I really enjoyed myself with you this evening. You are one beautiful woman—mind, body and spirit.”

  “You think so, huh?” Her body began tingling nicely.

  “I know so,” he moaned into the receiver. She didn’t say anything. “Are you still there?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Did I embarrass you?”

  “No,” she said, smiling, trying to remember the last time her husband had even glanced at her appreciatively. After he’d had the affair with his coworker last year, she went on a serious diet and hit the gym as if it were the only place on earth. She’d lost weight, gotten into shape and started wearing stylish clothes and he never said a word.

  “Sorry,” he apologized anyway. “It’s just that I can’t remember having as good a time with anyone in a long, long time. Just standing out on the front porch talking to you was nice.”

  “Yeah, it was kinda nice.”

  “So…” he began, then paused a few seconds. “May I see you again?”

  “I’m not sure my husband would appreciate me hanging out with a single man.”

  “I understand. If I had you as my woman I know I’d have a problem with that too. He’s a very lucky man.” She didn’t respond. “So I’d better say good-night, before I really give him something to worry about. Good night, Laura.”

  “Good night, Keith.”

  She closed her cell and lay back slowly. So that’s what it felt like to have Keith Tyler call you in the middle of the night. She smiled, then giggled until she fell asleep.

  The next morning she got up late and, to her surprise, Tamika was already up and in the kitchen. She was making pancakes and talking to Sylvia, who was sitting at the kitchen table drinking something hot from a mug.

  “Morning,” Laura said, yawning and covering her mouth.

  “Well, good morning, sleepyhead,” Sylvia said.

  “Morning, Mom. How many pancakes do you want?”

  “Pancakes? You don’t cook pancakes.”

  “Aunt Sylvia just showed me. It’s easy, watch.” She shuffled a spatula under and flipped a pancake over, nearly missing the side of the pan. “See, easy.”

  “Not bad. Good for you. But I’m gonna pass on breakfast. I think I ate too much last night.” She walked over and picked up the teakettle on the stove, still heavy with hot water. She grabbed a mug and found a tea bag, then began dunking it slowly as she sat down next to Sylvia.

  “Sure it wasn’t something you drank?”

  “No, Aunt Sylvia. And besides, Grace is in AA. She didn’t have any alcohol there last night, just soda and punch.” She sipped the hot drink and grimaced. It was hot and strong and exactly what she needed.

  “Uh-huh, like nobody else can bring booze to a party and spike a punch bowl.”

  “I wasn’t drinking last night. I just danced too much and had too much fun.”

  “Well, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

  Tamika placed a stack of pancakes on the table and sat down. She grabbed a few, added syrup, then dug in as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

  Sylvia grabbed a couple of pancakes, added a ton of butter and half a bottle of syrup, then cut into them with a knife and fork. Laura just sipped her tea.

  “So, what do we have to do today?” Tamika asked.

  Laura sighed. “We’re gonna help Aunt Syl with the last of her things, then start sorting things out, what we’re gonna keep or toss out. Also the Realtor specialist I spoke to in Boston might be coming by this morning. She’s supposed to call if she can make it today.”

  “What’s a Realtor specialist? Like an agent?” Sylvia asked.

  “No, they don’t actually sell the house but they give you ideas on how to make the house more sellable. They talk to you about improvements, remodeling, staging and things like that. Since we’re selling it ourselves I hired her to give us some advice.”

  “Oh, heavens,” Sylvia muttered, disheartened.

  “What?” Laura asked, seeing her saddened expression.

  Sylvia shook her head slowly. “Nothing, nothing. It’s just that this house has been in your family for so long, it’ll be a shame to just let it go just like that. Thank goodness your dear mother isn’t alive to see this. It would break her heart.”

  “I don’t have a choice, Aunt Syl. The upkeep on this place is too expensive now that I’m not working and it’s too far away for me to keep an eye on it. I spoke to the Realtor specialist and she seemed to think that we could sell it without too much trouble. I know it’s been in the family forever, but I don’t see any other alternative. I don’t want to rent it out furnished. I’d rather sell it than to have someone trash or destroy it. We just have to get the place together so she can check it out. I’m sure she’s gonna have some things to suggest we do.”

  “What kind of things?” Tamika asked.

  “Oh, just ways to help make the house move quickly—presentation, curb appeal, things like that,” she said. The room got quiet after that. Laura could feel the tension in the air. It was obvious she wasn’t the only one regretting her decision.

  After breakfast the three of them gathered boxes and started packing up the remainder of Sylvia’s things. By the time they finished it was after twelve o’clock. And there were over fifteen boxes lined up by the front door.

  “Honey child, I don’t know where I got all that stuff and I have n
o idea where I’m gonna put it all. Roberta’s gonna have a fit when she sees me bringing all this with me.”

  “Roberta’s coming?” Laura asked.

  “That’s what I told you the other day when I called, remember?”

  “I meant to call you back. We had a bad connection and I couldn’t really hear you.” Laura exaggerated since there was static on the line and she was too busy looking at Keith.

  “Don’t matter about that. She’ll be here in a few minutes to pick me up anyway.”

  “She’s picking you up? What about your car outside?” Tamika asked, assuming it was hers.

  “My car?” Sylvia asked, then looked at Laura. “Oh, you mean the car parked out front. I wouldn’t worry about that right now, although the keys are in the counter drawer just in case you need to move it.”

  “I still have the rental. We’re fine,” Laura said.

  “Well then, maybe Tamika would like to use it.”

  Laura looked at Sylvia, then to Tamika. “We’ll see.”

  An hour later Roberta, Sylvia’s daughter, arrived.

  “All this stuff goes?” Roberta asked. Sylvia nodded. “Mom, where are we gonna put everything? The apartment is already busting at the seams, and if you store one more thing in my house my husband is gonna divorce me.”

  “Of course he won’t, and if he does, then good riddance,” Sylvia said.

  Tamika chuckled, Laura shook her head and Roberta was just plain exasperated as Sylvia laughed.

  The four loaded all the boxes into Roberta’s minivan, then said their goodbyes. Roberta got into the driver’s seat and Sylvia walked back to the house. Laura met her on the front steps. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

  “Truthfully, I don’t have a clue.”

  “And Malcolm, what’s this thing with him?”

  “Same answer.”

  “Honey child, somebody needs to call that man on the other side of the world and clue him in. He’s losing and he doesn’t even know it. There’s no sense half-stepping like this. I told Tamika the same thing.”

  “I know we’ll get it together one of these days.”

  “Not if he’s halfway ’round the other side of the planet. You need face-to-face.”