Destination D

by Lori Beard-Daily

  “Yeah, how long ago was that?”

  “Hey man, it’s been about a week.”

  Sedrick was beyond pissed. Miranda had just met this man and was already tonguing him like she had just had his first child. “Well, Miranda, you don’t waste any time now do you?”

  Miranda pulled Sedrick by the arm. “You should talk! I saw you the other night with your friend! You thought I was asleep, but I heard and saw everything! You’d rather be with a nutcase than me?”

  Now Dee was really ready to go. She had no idea that Miranda was the one who had heard her conversation with Sedrick. Thanks to her little impromptu visit with Sed, all of her private business about seeing the psychiatrist was out. There was nothing for her to do except leave and spare herself any more humiliation. She would explain later to Sedrick.

  “Dee, come over here!” Sedrick yelled just as she was set to leave.

  Dee decided to be strong and walked to the patio. She was now in full view of Chris, Miranda, and Sedrick.

  “Dee, what the hell are you doing here?” Chris questioned.

  “She’s with me, man,” Sed said, coming to her defense.

  “Shit, Miranda, you are right about one thing. This woman is definitely a nutcase! Damn, what on earth have I done to deserve this?” Chris shouted out to the sky.

  “I’m not a nutcase!” Dee shouted.

  “The hell you’re not! “Chris shouted back.

  “See, it’s obvious, Sedrick. You are the only one who doesn’t realize who you are dealing with!” Miranda said defensively.

  “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, baby,” Sed said confidently. “I know exactly who I’m dealing with thanks to this little tête-à-tête between you and Chris. And you better stop calling Dee a nutcase,” Sed said threateningly. “And to answer your question as to what you did to deserve this, Chris? This is just called fate, my man.”

  Dee’s eyes darted between Chris and Sedrick, as Sed continued with the drama. “And Miranda, this is who you saw in my apartment the other night, correct?”

  “Yes!” Miranda said in a huff. She wanted so badly to call her another name, but she didn’t know how far Sed would carry his threat, so she hastily folded her arms across her chest.

  “But, what you didn’t see was this,” Sed said. He pulled Dee toward him and pressed his lips up against hers, his tongue entering her mouth with a slow and deep thrust. Dee was breathless as he began to release her. “But, this is what should have happened, but never did.” He pulled her toward him again and slowly and forcefully repeated the same motion with his tongue one more time, leaving Miranda and Chris speechless.

  Dee’s thoughts were rambling. Why is Sedrick doing this to me? Oh my goodness, this man can kiss! Why am I feeling like this? This isn’t happening. Sedrick and I have been friends for years.

  “I’ve been waiting to do that for some time now. Thank you, Miranda. And thank you, Chris for being here today because if it weren’t for the two of you coming here all hoed up like this, I don’t know when I would have admitted my true feelings for this woman. Now, I’m going to leave you with some advice my brotha.”

  “What kind of advice could you possibly give me? If you hangin’ with Dee, anything you say to me is questionable.” His words were arrogant and filled with bitterness as he laughed sinisterly.

  “Well, I’ve hit that plenty of times man,” he said pointing to Miranda.

  “Yeah, so? And I’ve hit that, too” he said, pointing to Dee.

  Dee and Miranda both looked as if they wanted to find a hole and crawl up in it together.

  “Well, that may be true. But Dee ain’t been around like girlie girl here has, man.”

  “Why, you double crossing arrogant son-of-a-bitch!” Miranda began to lunge toward Sed as Chris pulled her back.

  “Just make sure you use about two to three raincoats if you gone git with Miranda, cause she sho’ has been around!” Sed warned.

  Miranda picked up her glass of water and threw it at him, but missed. Sedrick gave Miranda a smirk then turned to Dee and placed his arm around her waist. “C’mon baby, let’s find us another place to eat. This restaurant has a really bad smell and I’ve completely lost my appetite!”

  Unexpected Passenger

  Pam was dressed in a one-shoulder black-beaded evening gown that hung straight around the hips and flowed effortlessly to the floor. She looked as if she were walking on air with her head raised high above the clouds. Her double-tiered diamond necklace and matching earrings glistened against her skin as she paused for a moment to open the door for Marc.

  “Wow! You look stunning! You are going to be the envy of a lot of women this evening.”

  Pam blushed. “Glad I meet with your approval.”

  “Yes, I do very much approve,” he said.

  “I had to make sure I represented you well tonight. After all, you are one of the American Medical Association’s prestigious honorees,” she said, trying to control her jitteriness.

  “It’s no big deal really,” he said humbly.

  She gently kissed him on the forehead. “Keep telling yourself that if it will make you feel better, okay? May I get you something to drink?”

  “No, I don’t want to get too relaxed before the awards dinner. I think I need to continue to look as stiff as possible in this boring tuxedo,” Marc laughed.

  “Well, you look very handsome to me, sir. And you’re wearing that Armani well this evening.”

  He laughed again. “You’re very kind, but I hate monkey suits, no matter who the designer is. On second thought, how about some water?”

  “All right. One bottled water coming right up,” she said as she walked toward the kitchen, watching him casually make his way around the living room.

  “Beautiful place you’ve got here,” he said, as he walked over to the fireplace mantel and picked up a picture of Pam with another attractive woman in a flight attendant uniform. He took a second look at the photo and immediately recognized Dee. He almost dropped the picture before he could put it back in its place. Pam walked back in the room and handed him a glass and a bottle of water.

  She looked at him warily. “That’s my roommate.”

  Marc quickly took a sip of the water from the bottle, loosened his tie, and sat on the sofa. Suddenly all of his sessions with Dee flashed back like a bolt of lightning. This was Dee’s roommate. The attorney. The one that made Dee feel so inadequate. The one that…damn it, he couldn’t believe he never put this together.

  Pam sat down next to him and placed her trembling hand on top of his. She could tell by the perspiration that was forming on his brow that he had figured out her and Dee’s relationship.

  “I know you’re her psychiatrist.”

  Marc nodded hesitantly. “I am.”

  “She was at the restaurant that night. And she saw the two of us together and ran scared.”

  Marc only nodded and gulped down the rest of his water, wishing he had asked Pam to get him something stronger. He cleared his throat and managed to form a complete sentence. “How did you find out that she was my patient?”

  Pam pulled her hand back and held it with her other one, trying to stop it from trembling. “It was a coincidence. I was in her room and your number came up on the Caller ID. Your assistant assumed I was Dee when I answered the phone and—”

  “And that’s when you found out? When Rebecca said that she was calling to confirm Dee’s appointment?”

  “Yes, Rebecca was calling about Dee canceling her sessions with you,” Pam responded, almost incoherently.

  “This is extremely troublesome for me, Pam.”

  “Yes, I know. It is for all of us.”

  “Where is Dee now?”

  “She’s flying. We haven’t been on the best terms since all of this happened, but I looked at her calendar and she won’t be back until late the day after tomorrow.”

  Marc breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, because this would really put even more of a strain on our
professional relationship if she were to see me in her home with you.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t do that. But I didn’t know how else to bring this up. I knew if you came here, you would see the picture and figure it out. And that’s what I need to talk to you about.”

  “Pam, I can’t discuss my relationship with my patient with you.”

  “I’m not asking you to. But she told me that she discussed me with you.”

  “All right. That’s her decision. I still can’t talk about our sessions.”

  “Then tell me this. Whatever she told you about me—is that going to change how you feel about me?” Pam paused and looked up at him cautiously. “Can you tell me that much? I need to know because I can’t move into your apartment if I know that you are uncomfortable with my past—and me, for that matter.”

  Marc got up nervously from the sofa and walked back toward the mantel. He looked at the picture again and shook his head as he looked over at Pam. He took in a deep breath and let out a loud sigh as he stared at the picture one more time and then placed it back on the mantel.

  Pam held her breath as she waited on what was obviously the inevitable. It was okay. She was a big girl. They had a good time while it lasted. Marc paced around the room, then sat back down. His eyes seemed filled with regret, as Pam remained silent.

  “So, you had decided to take me up on my offer on my apartment in New York?”

  Pam nodded as he caught her chin just before it went down again. His eyes interlocked with hers as he kissed her, sucking her lips as if they were ripened fruit. This was his way of saying goodbye. She just knew it. And as much as she hated to let go, she understood it completely. Pam’s heart fluttered as he smiled lovingly and then kissed her long and slow.

  He paused and looked straight into her eyes and whispered, “Does that answer your question? Come on Cinderella, let’s go before our chariot turns into a pumpkin. ”

  Off Course

  Sedrick opened his briefcase and took out one of the books he had just purchased and wrote:

  Believe in yourself, because I sure do.

  Love,

  Sedrick

  Before he could press the button to the elevator his cell phone rang.

  “Hey Sedrick. It’s Pam. Did I catch you between patients?” she laughed. “I wish. I had to take some time off and get things finalized for this grand opening. I’m practically spending the night with these contractors. If I don’t stay on them, they will take their time and keep spending my money.”

  “I wish I was there to help put some fire under those boys. You watch ‘em cause they will drag your building out for as long as they can and give you a nice bill at the end.”

  “I know. That’s what I’m trying to avoid.”

  “Well, I wanted to let you know that I’m definitely going to be there. Just make sure that you e-mail or text me the final details so I can arrange my flight. Where are you now?”

  “I’m headed to check on Dee and to see how her roommate situation is coming.”

  “That’s nice of you.”

  “Well, somebody has to look out for her.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Well, thanks to you, she was left high and dry without enough rent to cover the place until she can find a new roommate. So, I loaned her a couple of thousand dollars to tie her over.” Pam was silently seething through the phone. “Pam, you there?”

  “Sedrick, did you just say that you gave her some money for the rent?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’m dumbfounded as to why you did that because I gave her four thousand dollars to carry her ass until she found someone to move in!”

  Sedrick put the phone down and stuck his finger in his ear and jiggled it. “What did you just say?”

  “Four thousand dollars for my half of four months’ rent.”

  “That’s what I thought. Ah right. Let me call you later.”

  “Sed, you better talk to that woman. She sounds like she is losing her damn mind. How is she going to take money from me and then take money from you, too? Between the two of us, she can go a long time without finding anybody to live with her!”

  “I said let me get back with you,” Sed said, trying to remain calm.

  “I know this tone. All right, I’m going to hang up, but you call me as soon as you get to the bottom of it, okay?”

  Sed got onto the elevator and rushed out as soon as he got to Dee’s floor. He knocked on her door and took note that it was taking Dee a little longer than usual to open the door, so he put his ear to the door and thought he heard some movement. “Dee! You in there?” He knocked again.

  When there was still no answer, he decided to use the spare key she had given him in case of emergencies. “Dee!” he called out again as he took out the books from his briefcase and placed them next to the door. He looked around the apartment and thought he had stepped into the wrong one. The peach-colored leather love seats were replaced with a new olive chenille sofa. The paintings on the walls had been replaced with the most unusual looking three-dimensional octagonal mirrors.

  Dee walked in with a strange-looking, small-framed man dressed in lilac knit pants and a pink shirt with ruffles flowing down the front. His eyes were hard to see behind his tinted diamond studded-glasses. He reminded Sedrick of Elton John in the ‘70’s.

  “Hey, Sedrick.” Dee stumbled over her words. “I didn’t hear you come in. Ah, how do you like the mirrors?” she said, trying to ease the tension spreading across his face. “Sedrick, this is Omar…”

  Sed still remained calm. “The mirrors are cool. You look familiar Omar,” he said, trying not to stare at his eclectic mix of fashion. “Are you Dee’s new roommate?” he said secretly hoping this was Omar’s furniture.

  “Oh, no! I’m helping to give the place a little face lift.” Omar twisted around to shake Sed’s hand.

  “I see. Then whose stuff is all of this?”

  “It’s Miss Dee’s stuff, combined with my creation,” Omar admitted proudly.

  That was where he knew this guy, from a picture that Miranda had taken with him at one of the home decorating shows when she was trying to convince him that they should get a place together. This guy was top notch in the decorating field.

  “So, Miss Dee, what do you think you want to do in the kitchen?” Omar continued.

  “Oh, this room. I like it just the way it is,” she said, feeling Sedrick’s eyes pierce right through her.

  “Well, you’ve given me your budget and I can work within it, so let’s get back together in a couple of days. I’ll call you.” He gathered up his belongings and blew her an air kiss as he headed toward the door.

  “Nice meeting you, Sedrick!” He eyed Sedrick just long enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

  “Same here, Omar,” Sedrick said anxiously. He couldn’t wait for him to leave so he could get to the bottom of Dee’s sudden decorating escapade. He felt his blood pressure rising. “Dee, how’d you get the money to pay for all of this?” he asked as soon as he saw the door close behind Omar.

  “Sedrick, are you hungry? I just made some killer nachos.”

  “Dee, answer my question,” he said, evenly.

  Dee looked up at him sheepishly. “My brother sent me some money.”

  Sedrick looked at Dee suspiciously. His voice slowly started to escalate. “Your brother? Last time we spoke, you didn’t want to ask your family for any money. Now you’re telling me that your brother gave you money to help decorate?”

  Dee walked over to him and tried to calm him down. She took his hands and held them. “Sedrick, let me explain,” she said as he yanked his hands out of her grasp and turned his back on her. “Please, Sedrick Let me talk to you,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder to get him to turn around.

  Sedrick clenched his fists and looked at her with such disdain that it frightened her. He wanted to hit something. A wall. Anything that would let him release the rage festering inside him. He look
ed around the room again. “You’re lying to me! Why would you do that? Look at this place! You’re spending like you’re one of them damn Atlanta Housewives on that reality show, except you’re on steroids with your spending! It’s me, Dee. I’m not one of these brothas you can just jerk around. I didn’t intend on you spending my hard-earned money like this, and I’m not payin’ for this bullshit!”

  “Sedrick!”

  “Listen. I just got off the phone with Pam. She told me that she just gave you four thousand dollars before she left. Add my two grand and you got six grand, according to my calculations.”

  “I can explain, please!”

  “I don’t need any explanation. What I need is my money. Save your story for Pam, because when I tell her what you’ve done with her money, you’re going to need more than an explanation.”

  “But, I didn’t mean to…”

  “You heard me! I’m outta here. You’ve got till the end of the week!” he yelled as he picked up his briefcase and walked to the door. “Looking at you is making me sick!” He slammed the door behind him.

  “Sedrick! No! Wait! Oh, my God! What’ve I done?” She looked down and noticed the books on the floor. All were on different techniques on how to study for the bar. She opened the one on top and read his note. Her hands shook as she thumbed through the pages. She held the books against her chest and hugged them as she watched her dear friend walk out the door and possibly out of her life.

  A Higher Altitude

  Pam was growing accustomed to her frequent jaunts to New York. The firm was still in the process of moving her belongings to Marc’s apartment, which was a New Yorker’s dream. Lavishly furnished, it highlighted his rich Italian background with a large assortment of sculptures and paintings from his country.

  The three-bedroom, four thousand square foot apartment overlooked Central Park. She sipped on her coffee as she sat in the bay window seat reflecting on how she finally felt like she had it all. If only her father was around to see this. He would be so proud of her.