“Just stay where you are. I’m not trying to rain on your parade. I really appreciate you being here for me. But I got myself into this mess and I have to deal with it, that’s all.”
“No, no. Don’t even think about it. Michael and I were about to leave anyway. I’ll just get dropped off at your place instead of mine. Just be cool and remember that you don’t have to go through this alone, whatever it is. I’m on my way.” And with that said, Kennedy hung up.
“Michael! Come on, we have to go. It’s an emergency. Miranda needs me now!” Kennedy almost tripped over bags from the spree from the day before when they had gone shopping for the house. Miranda was talking crazy. She had gotten herself into this and she had to get herself out. Who was she kidding? And to whom did she think she was talking?
Kennedy made it to Miranda’s house in no time flat. The huge bay window was shattered and the door was ajar. Kennedy walked in.
“Miranda, girl, are you still here?” The house was a mess. The sofas were turned over, glass was broken all over the floor, pictures knocked off the wall, and what looked like a trail of blood led to God knew where.
“I’m back here in the den,” Miranda said.
“Girl, I didn’t even realize that you had a den, since you hardly invite me over,” Kennedy joked, trying to lighten things, until she saw Miranda’s face. Dried blood and mascara left vertical streaks, masking scratches. Her friend’s face was swollen from crying. Kennedy grabbed and hugged her.
“What’s wrong, what happened to you? What happened to your house? And where’s Rich? Miranda, you have to tell me or else I can’t help you, can I?”
Her best friend broke down in her arms and cried.
~ 6 ~
Derrick awakened to the telephone’s ring. No, it was the doorbell. Man, was he tired and pissed. He did not like to be disturbed on Sunday, his only lounging day. He took his time answering the door; whoever could wait for him to brush his teeth and wash his face. When he peeked through the front window, he saw Courtney walking away from the door. He ran as fast as he could to try to catch Courtney before it was too late. He missed his baby so much that he had cheated again with Jericha the night before. Guilt set in, but Derrick knew not to be fazed by it or it would show. He was a man and he had needs, and at the moment he needed Courtney.
“Courtney, come on in, baby. I missed you. Did you come to spend the day with me or did you come to make me suffer?” Derrick teased, but in a way he was dead serious.
“Yes, I did come to spend the day with you and maybe even make you suffer a little, but just enough to make you break down and tell me you love me.”
Derrick grabbed Courtney’s hand and walked toward the bedroom to get what he wished he would’ve gotten the night before—no sex, just romance and a lot of cuddling.
Holding Courtney, Derrick remembered that he promised himself the previous month that they should talk. Even though he had every intention of getting things straight, he always found himself dumbfounded in Courtney’s presence. He just couldn’t find the nerve to be so forward and maybe rude if it came down to it. But he couldn’t put it off any longer. They were scheduled to leave for Rio at the end of July and he didn’t want to go with his hopes high just to have Courtney knock them down once they got there.
“Courtney, I need to talk to you.”
* * *
Ever since Nigel had suggested that they live together, Simone struggled with the idea. A month had passed since they had the conversation. Nigel seemed to be getting a little anxious for her answer, and she couldn’t blame him. After all, she had told him that she would get back to him about it in a matter of days, not weeks.
She thought seriously about what he wanted and what he wanted to give her. Moving in together, shacking up, living in sin, having someone to sleep with every night, kiss every day, and be there when she needed him. Having a full-time man. She wanted it, but was it going to be worth the time and effort in the long run? Was he going to prove to be all that she secretly thought he was? Was he always going to be able to last for more than an hour? She smiled as if she had hit the Lotto for millions. If he wanted to live together, he was going to have to eventually marry her. She wasn’t going to be any man’s full-time whore, maid, and best friend—unless the man happened to be her husband.
As Simone recleaned her already spotless apartment, the telephone rang. “I really don’t have the time to talk to anybody,” she said out loud, speaking to no one.
Simone couldn’t remember the last time she couldn’t think straight like this, except when she was promoted to VP of the firm. But even then she could think much straighter than now. She could hardly remember her own name. Talk about someone’s head being in the clouds. Nigel had her messed up bad, and boy, did she enjoy it.
What to do, what to do. How was she going to tell Kennedy that she would have to move out soon? Of course, she really didn’t have intentions of throwing her sister out, but Kennedy would not stay with Nigel living there. Simone was proud of her little sister, because only the Lord knew how much Simone hated having someone in the house with her and her man. Not that she didn’t trust Kennedy and not that she didn’t trust Nigel, she just never liked to feel as if she had to tiptoe around her own house with her own man.
Happy and confused, Simone decided to call Derrick for his unwanted but much-needed advice. He of all people would understand, because of the three of them he was the most private. But what was she going to say? That she was going to put their little sister out for a piece . . . no, she wouldn’t put it in those words. But she could easily tell him that she finally thought that she had found her Mr. Right and not just her Mr. Right Now. How could anyone build a relationship with a third wheel rolling around the house? Done with all the self-induced guilt, she decided to let Derrick play mediator.
“Derrick, is that you?” Simone asked, unsure of the voice.
“No, hold on a moment, I’ll get him for you. May I ask who’s calling?” a familiar voice answered.
“Sure, tell him it’s the big girl calling for the little boy,” Simone replied in her most seductive voice. She knew better but she couldn’t help it. She laughed as she heard Derrick repeating what she had just said, obviously trying to figure out who the big girl was that was calling him a little boy.
“Hello?”
“Derrick,” Simone said, laughing, “it’s me. I’m sorry but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Simone, girl, what’s wrong with you?” He laughed and explained to whomever that it was his sister. “Are we in a good mood or what? I can’t remember the last time you played on my phone.”
“Yes, I’m in a good mood and yet I’m not in such a good mood. Anyway, I called you to talk to you about it and get your opinion and advice. Do you have time to talk?”
“What? Am I hearing what I think I’m hearing? You want my advice? Get the hell out of here. This must be good. I’ll tell you what, I really can’t talk because I have company, as you already know. But as soon as I finish over here, I’ll be over, because I have to hear this in person to believe that you want my advice on something. Is an hour too long for you?”
“No, that’ll be just fine. It’s not an emergency or anything, it’s just really important to me. I’ll chill some wine for us, even though it’s early—believe me, we’ll need it. Love you.” Simone hung up as she always did. She never really waited for a reply and everyone hated it, but that was her.
* * *
An hour later, Derrick rang the bell and entered as if he lived there. He had been walking into other people’s homes ever since he was a little boy. Simone never minded. The place was completely spotless, even the plants were dusted. Something was definitely wrong.
“Simone, where’re you?”
“I’m in here,” she yelled as she saw Derrick come through the swinging doors.
“So what’s up?” Derrick asked after he kissed her on her cheek.
Simone grabbed Derrick’s hand and set him d
own at the island in the middle of the kitchen. “Listen to me completely before you speak. I have somewhat of a little dilemma on my hands here with Kennedy, only she doesn’t know about it yet.”
Simone opened the refrigerator, then closed it. She got a cookie and took a bite out of it and threw it in the trash. She straightened the canisters, and then rearranged them. Derrick sat back and crossed his arms.
“You okay, sis?”
“Yes. Just listen, okay? This is my story. I have a friend, well, actually he’s more than a friend, and I love him. We love each other and he wants us to live together. I want to live with him as much as he wants to live with me, but I refuse to give up my place for a man. He has to move in with me. But Kennedy’s here and I don’t know how to tell her that as much as I love her and she’s my sister, it’s time for her to be on her own. Hell, she’s old enough, she’s half of fifty,” Simone rambled breathlessly.
Derrick got up and poured some wine for both of them. “So basically what you’re saying is that you want some privacy for you and your man, and you feel that Kennedy’s going to be in the way and that you would like for her to leave but you don’t know how to tell her?” Derrick asked and laughed.
“Derrick, what is so damn funny? I wanted to talk to you because I thought that you of all people would understand, you know with you being all private. That’s why you moved all the way to New Jersey, isn’t it? So that we wouldn’t be in your business.” Simone slammed her glass on the table.
Derrick handed her a paper towel, nodded to the spilled wine, and checked his watch. Simone threw the wet paper towel at him. He was supposed to help, not act like he was in a hurry.
“Wait a minute, Simone, I do understand. The reason that I’m laughing is because you had no problem telling me, so how come you can’t tell Kennedy in the same way? Just say it. If you want privacy for you and whatever his name is, I see no problem with that. We’re not kids anymore, we’re adults. You can’t be responsible for Kennedy forever. She knows that. She has a job, a man who whisks her off to getaways or to wherever it is that she retreats to for days and weeks at a time. Just tell her, but give her time. Let her know at least a month in advance and she should be okay. So tell me, sis, what’s your friend’s name? Anybody I know?”
* * *
After Derrick left Simone’s he sped through traffic faster than he normally would. He couldn’t waste a minute more than he had to. Courtney was at his condo waiting for him. He had refused Courtney’s offer to accompany him to his sisters’ house but secretly he would’ve loved for his family to meet his new love. His sisters had told him that they were tired of meeting his women because as soon as they had gotten used to one he would have a new one. This time he had to be careful and sure. He had to be certain that Courtney was going to be around for a long time—maybe even forever.
Nobody had ever made him feel this good. This love thing was new and foreign, and he didn’t know how to handle it. For once in his life Derrick was insecure and jealous. It scared him. How could someone control something that he knew nothing about? He had to figure Courtney out, and fast. Derrick had to know that his feelings weren’t in vain and that they were mutual.
When he wanted to talk earlier, Courtney had been sound asleep. Derrick didn’t want to disturb the moment or the mood, but he had to know and hear it from Courtney’s lips that they shared the same feelings. As he entered the condo, he overheard Courtney on the phone saying I love you to someone on the other end. Derrick’s pulse quickened. He felt a numbing didn’t-hear-what-I-thought-I-just-heard feeling. He had a lump in his throat and his heart started to race. He really was in love.
As he was about to say something, Courtney rushed toward him with the phone in hand and kissed him on the lips. “My mother wants to say hello to you, Derrick,” Courtney said, handing the phone to him.
“Hello, how are you? I’ve heard so much about you, and I’m looking forward to meeting you,” Derrick said into the receiver, being overly pleasant. Derrick’s cheeks inflated as he blew a relaxed breath.
Rose petals dotted the floor, candles burned all around, and the love of his life was wearing a red thong and nothing else. Derrick hurried off of the telephone, hoping that Courtney would do the same.
As Courtney finished up the conversation, Derrick hurried off to the bathroom to shower. He was hooked. He had never imagined himself contemplating a future mother-in-law. He had never entertained the thought of marriage before. Before Courtney he couldn’t even fathom it.
A cool chill came from the doorway. The shower opened and Courtney stepped in, thong and all. Derrick was helpless and couldn’t have cared less. A person wasn’t supposed to affect another the way Courtney did him. “There has to be a law against this,” Derrick muttered as Courtney slid against him from behind and kissed his neck.
“Derrick, I need you, and I will have you. Do yourself a favor and don’t try to pull that macho stuff with me. I know you’ve been fighting your feelings for me. It’s so apparent that it’s ridiculous. Just give in. I won’t hurt you. Make it easy on yourself. If you want me, you have to come and get me. I’m right here and if you want me, all you have to do is spin around. But there is a catch. Once you turn around, you can’t turn back. If you face me, it means you must stay in my life. So don’t do it unless you really want me to be a permanent part of your life. That means there will be no one else in your life, only me.” As Derrick turned, the red thong dangled in his face.
* * *
As Miranda gained her composure, she sat back and wiped her tears. “I was just thinking of that saying of how God loves babies and fools. And right now I definitely fit into the fool category—”
“Tell me what happened, please. You know you have to talk about it,” Kennedy said in her best it-will-be-okay voice.
“I don’t even know where to start. Well, first of all I get this call from Rich’s lawyer saying that Rich had been arrested . . .”
“Arrested? Arrested for what?”
“Wait! It gets better. After the call, some heifer bangs on my door, calling me out of my name. She claimed that she was Rich’s woman. I opened the door and she swung. I beat the living hell out of her . . . tore the house up whooping her ass—”
“No!” Kennedy shook her head in disbelief. “And Rich? I can’t believe this . . .”
Miranda blotted her nose with a tissue. She rolled her eyes. “Well . . . remember when I told you that he owned a recording studio, deli, and the hair salon where I get my hair done? Well he does, or rather he did until he got arrested. What I didn’t know was that they were all fronts. Rich was involved in some white-collar scheme and extortion of some stores uptown. He made a lot of money, according to the authorities, millions. That’s how we’ve been living like this. That’s how come I’ve never had to work. And that’s the reason I have that Mercedes parked outside.”
Kennedy sat with her mouth wide open. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Miranda was smart and gifted, and all this time she had been living with a criminal. That was so beneath her.
“Miranda, I’m not going to fuss because I know you don’t need that right now. But can you please tell me why you got involved with a hustler? Was it for the money?”
Miranda shook her head and ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “No. I didn’t know Rich was hustling. It all came as a surprise to me when I spoke with his lawyer today. But you know we always wanted wealthy men, right? Someone who’d take care of us and buy us nice things. Well, I got all that from Rich. He was a poor girl’s dream come true. I guess I just didn’t realize—didn’t want to realize that eventually I’d have to pay for everything I got. I pray for your sake you won’t have to pay in the end for what you have with Michael.”
“I don’t think I will—Michael’s legit. He’ll always take care of me.”
“Hmm, I said the same thing about Rich. But look at me now. Just remember that illusions aren’t meant to be revealed . . . things aren’t always wh
at they seem to be. I mean, look at me. I’m not even supposed to be here. The authorities are seizing the house and the lawyer says I have until tomorrow to remove my things. Where am I going to go?”
Kennedy bit her lip and stared at the floor. “You can come and stay with me and Simone if you like and put all the furniture in storage.”
“Kennedy, that’s really sweet of you, and you know that if I had anywhere else to go I wouldn’t burden you two. Are you sure that it’s going to be alright with Simone? I wouldn’t want to put you two out or anything like that. I just don’t know what else to do.”
“Girl, don’t be so silly. We’re your family. You won’t be putting us out. First let’s get your things together and make arrangements to have them moved,” Kennedy said as she put her arm around her friend and led her through the house.
* * *
Simone picked up the telephone on the first ring. She had been waiting for Kennedy to call her back for more than an hour. She hated pagers. Why did people have them if they weren’t going to return calls? She had been mentally practicing what she was going to say to Kennedy all day. And now finally she would get the chance to talk to her sister woman to woman.
“Kennedy, what took you so long to return my call?”
“Listen, Simone. Miranda’s in a bit of trouble . . . not trouble exactly but she has just gone through one of the worst days of her life. I’m bringing her home to stay with us for a little while until we can figure out something. She has nowhere else to go.”
“What happened, Ken? Is she all right?”
“She’s fine now, I guess. Listen, we’ll tell you about it when we get there. Hey, did anybody call?”
“Yeah, some guy called. I could overhear him on your machine but I don’t know who it was, you know I don’t answer your phone.”
Momma's Baby, Daddy's Maybe Page 8
