Precious Stones

by Darrien Lee

  He laughed, then reached into her glass of water, pulled out a cube of ice, stuck it in his mouth, and said, “Hmmm, I can still taste you. See you around, babe.”

  Tori gasped in shock.

  Keilah sat down and said, “Ain’t that a bitch? He has lost his damn mind.”

  “What do you think he was talking about?”

  Keilah motioned for the waiter to come remove her glass and said, “Who knows? He’s delusional and sad.”

  “I can’t believe he did that,” Tori said as she placed her napkin in her lap. “You are going to tell Ramsey, right?”

  “If I do, I’m afraid he might kill him,” she answered just as the waiter brought her another glass of water. She was furious and couldn’t believe that Trenton would approach her like he did. She had every right to kick his ass across the room, but exercising restraint, she decided not to feed into his arrogance and ignorance. This was something her husband definitely needed to know about. Who knew what he would do next? In the meantime she would try her best to enjoy lunch with her best friend.

  “Okay, enough about Trenton. I want to know what’s been going on with you. How’s work?”

  “Work is great. I love spending time on Capitol Hill, around all that power.”

  Keilah opened her menu and said, “And you love spending all that money you’re making too, huh?”

  “I do like the finer things in life,” she replied as she scanned her menu. “Like these shoes, which I had to have.”

  Keilah looked down at her friend’s feet and said, “Those are nice. I don’t blame you. You only live once.”

  “Ditto! But I’m not stupid. I am investing and saving too. A girl’s got to have a nest egg. Everyone can’t be a millionaire like you.”

  “May I take your order?” the waitress said, interrupting the pair.

  “Yes, I’ll have the crispy crab cakes, collard greens, and triple corn grits with a lemonade,” Keilah recited to the waitress.

  “Okay. What about you, ma’am?”

  Tori said, “I’ll have the honey-soy broiled salmon with the zucchini-rice casserole, a small house salad, and an iced tea.”

  The waitress smiled and said, “I’ll be right back with your drinks and more honey buttered croissants.”

  When the waitress left, Keilah stared Tori in the eyes and asked, “How’s the dating scene going for you?”

  “I go out to dinner from time to time. You know I don’t have a lot of time to date.”

  “You’re not getting any younger,” Keilah reminded her just as the waitress returned with their drinks and croissants.

  “Your entrées will be out shortly,” the waitress informed them.

  “Thank you,” Keilah replied.

  The two friends continued to talk over the next ten minutes about their lives and occasionally reminisced about their joyous college days before returning back to the subject of dating.

  “So when are you going to take the time to date?” Keilah asked. “You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, and I know your mom has been asking the same question.”

  About that time the waitress arrived with their entrées. As soon as she left, Tori said, “Well, I do have something to tell you, but you can’t freak out.”

  Keilah bit into her crab cake and said, “I promise.”

  “Well, I did meet someone, but I don’t want to say any more, because I don’t want to jinx it.”

  “Who is it? What does he do for a living? Where is he from?” Keilah asked, bombarding her friend with questions.

  “See, this is exactly why I haven’t said anything. You’re freaking out, and you said you wouldn’t.”

  Keilah put her fork down and said, “I’m sorry, Tori, I’m just so happy for you.”

  “Don’t count him in too soon. He’s fine and he’s sweet, but I need to get to know him a little more.”

  Keilah took a bite of her collard greens and said, “I understand, but hurry up, because Neariah needs someone to play with.”

  “Don’t hold your breath. It’s hard to find a good man these days, especially one who’s worth marrying.”

  Keilah gave her friend’s hand a squeeze and said, “Good men are still out there, sis, so don’t throw in the towel yet.”

  “I won’t. I’ll give him a chance,” Tori answered before she took a bite of her salmon. “He has the most handsome eyes and smile, and he smells so good.”

  “Really?” Keilah asked with a smile.

  Tori closed her eyes and said, “Yeah, and he has the softest lips. Hmmm, he’s a great kisser.”

  Keilah threw up her hands and said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about. You do the damn thang, girl.”

  Tori giggled and said, “I’ll keep you posted.”

  “You’d better, and you had better bring him over for dinner. I can’t believe I haven’t been able to get you over to our new house since you moved back from New York. You’re either out of town or you’re working. Life is too short, and you need to relax and have fun.”

  “I promise I’ll make the next one.”

  Keilah wiped her mouth with the napkin and said, “Good, because I want to meet this guy, but I’ll wait until you feel comfortable bringing him over. I don’t want him to feel pressured.”

  “Thanks, Keilah. Now, do you have any new pictures of Neariah? I know she’s growing.”

  “Of course,” Keilah said as she proudly pulled out her wallet and handed it to her best friend.

  “Oh, Keilah, she’s beautiful. She looks just like you.”

  “You think? I think she looks like Ramsey, but I see myself in some of her expressions,” she answered as she slid her wallet back inside her purse.

  “Are you planning on having any more?”

  Keilah finished off her lunch and said, “I would love to have at least two more. It’ll limit my time in the office, but that’s okay. I’m ready to cut my hours, anyway.”

  “You do know that you really don’t have to work, right?”

  Keilah leaned back in her chair and said, “I know, but the business is our creation. I never dreamed we would be this successful with our business.”

  “But you love being a wife and mother, don’t you?” Tori asked.

  “Without a doubt,” Keilah admitted. “I’m doing okay juggling both right now, but if I have two more, there’s no way I can work.”

  “I can understand you wanting to be in your office every day, but seriously, Keilah, if you don’t have to, don’t push yourself unnecessarily. Hell, you could probably be just as productive working from home. You do that sometimes, anyway, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Keilah answered.

  At that time the waitress came over to see if they wanted any dessert. Both ladies declined and continued to enjoy each other’s company for a little while longer before finally asking for the check. When the waitress sat their checks on the table, Keilah quickly snatched Tori’s out of her hand.

  “I got it!”

  Tori grabbed both checks out of Keilah’s hand. “You got the check all the time when we were in college. I have some paying back to do, so it’s my treat.” Tori handed both checks to the waitress along with her credit card. After the waitress walked away, Tori said, “I’m so glad we got together. We’re going to have to do it more often.”

  “We will,” Keilah replied as she pulled her lipstick out of her purse and reapplied it. “And keep me posted on that new man.”

  The waitress returned to the table with Tori’s receipt and credit card.

  Tori signed the slip and said, “I’ll definitely keep you posted.” She handed the receipt back to the waitress and said, “Thank you.”

  The two ladies grabbed their purses and headed toward the exit, where they hugged before the valet returned with their vehicles.

  Chapter Nine

  Ramsey and his friends started out their day with brunch at their hotel, during which they enjoyed an abundance of smoked salmon, eggs Benedict, strawberry and banana waffles, gou
rmet scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, and a multitude of omelets and other delicious breakfast items. As Ramsey waited for the chef to finish making his steak and veggie omelet, he felt someone slide their arm around his waist. Startled, he quickly turned and found his old flame, Andria, smiling up at him.

  “My, my, my. Ramsey Stone, you have gotten finer and sexier since the last time I saw you.”

  He eased out of her embrace, and without making eye contact, he said, “Are you stalking me, Andria?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m here on business. What about you?”

  He looked her in the eye and said, “Pleasure.”

  “Oooh, I like the way that sounds,” she replied as she scanned his body up and down.

  Anxious to get his omelet so he could put some distance between himself and Andria, he said, “Well, it was nice to see you. I hope all is well.”

  She licked her lips, and with a seductive glare she said, “I’ve been better, but seeing you has made my day.”

  The chef handed him the plated omelet, and Ramsey said, “That’s great. Well, enjoy your trip.”

  Andria grabbed his arm as he turned to walk away.

  “Ramsey, is there somewhere we can go talk? I would really like to catch up with you.”

  He pointed over at Neil and Kyle and said, “It’s really not a good time. I’m here with my friends, and it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

  She walked closer to him and asked, “In that case, aren’t you going to invite me to join you? I haven’t seen Kyle and Neil in a while.”

  Ramsey looked her in the eyes and politely said, “No. Sorry. This is a guys’ weekend.”

  She frowned upon seeing that she wasn’t getting her way.

  “No? What do you mean, no? Have you forgotten that you used to be all up in this?” Andria asked as she grabbed her crotch. “I haven’t forgotten how you dissed me over that bitch—”

  He put his finger in her face and yelled, “Don’t you say one more word, Andria, or I swear to God, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what?” she yelled, drawing attention to their argument. “Hit me!”

  “I don’t hit women,” he announced as he turned and walked away.

  Andria followed him over to his table and continued to cause a scene.

  Ramsey sat his plate on the table and calmly said, “You need to leave, Andria. I don’t know why you’re acting like this, but no matter the reason, you need to go on about your business before I have your crazy ass arrested.”

  She put her hands on her hips and said, “You can’t have me arrested. Do you know who I am?”

  Neil smiled and then discreetly showed her his badge.

  “We all know who you are, Andria. In fact we could never forget it, but if you don’t leave, I’ll call the police myself.” Neil announced.

  “Negro, please! You don’t scare me.”

  It wasn’t long before a hotel security guard approached their table and asked, “Is there a problem here?”

  Ramsey stared at Andria and said, “Miss Rockwell was just leaving.”

  The security guard, who had been observing the altercation from afar, turned to Andria and said, “Ma’am, the gentlemen would like you to leave. Are you going to leave on your own, or will I need to escort you out of the building?”

  Andria looked at him and said, “I wish you would put your hands on me, you rent-a-cop.”

  “Ma’am, I’m not going to ask you again,” the security guard replied.

  Andria pulled her purse strap up on her shoulder, pointed at Ramsey, and said, “You haven’t seen the last of me. You’ll answer to me one day.” As she angrily walked off, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number and said, “Rico, you’re not going to believe who I ran into.”

  Ramsey sat down, picked up his fork, and started eating without responding. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t regret getting involved with her intimately.

  Once she was gone, Kyle said, “Damn! You said she was crazy, but I didn’t know she was that crazy.”

  Ramsey smiled and said, “I would never hit her, but I started to shake the shit out of her.”

  Laughing, Kyle said, “Bro, I was sitting here thinking I was going to have to get some bail money ready for you. I could see it in your eyes. She really knows how to push your buttons.”

  “That’s what pisses me off,” Ramsey replied.

  “I wish I would’ve had my cuffs with me,” Neil said with a big grin on his face. “She sure is fine, though.”

  Ramsey looked over his shoulder and said, “Yeah, fine and crazy. I’m just glad she’s gone.”

  “Yeah, but you better watch your back,” Neil replied as he picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip.

  The gentlemen finished their brunch on a light note, talking about sports, and then it was on to Richmond, Virginia, to a car show and auction. When they got outside to Ramsey’s car, they were stunned to see that the finish was severely scratched. It was obvious that the car had been keyed.

  “Damn!” Neil yelled as he inspected the car. “I bet Andria did this. She jacked you up.”

  Ramsey was so livid, he just shook his head in disbelief.

  “This is going to cost you a pretty penny, bro,” Kyle said as he also inspected the damage.

  “Come on, so I can call the cops,” Ramsey said as he headed back into the hotel. “I hope they have her on tape keying my car. There’s no reason to believe anyone else did it.”

  “That’s true,” Kyle answered as he and Neil followed Ramsey into the hotel to report the incident. Unfortunately, one camera’s view of Ramsey’s car was obstructed by a van. The other camera showed the incident as it took place, but it happened too far away for security to say without a doubt that it was a woman, let alone Andria. But Ramsey knew it was her, and that was all that mattered.

  They were like any other men when it came to cars. They liked them shiny and fast, but not damaged. Ramsey came prepared to place a bid on one, especially since his prized Mercedes was now scarred. He had always wanted a classic car, and he was leaning toward a Mustang, but if something else caught his eye, he could easily be swayed if the price was right.

  “Damn, Kyle, did you come here to look at cars or not?” Ramsey asked as he noticed Kyle continuously texting on his phone.

  Neil laughed and said, “Give him a break, Ramsey. He has a girlfriend. I’m sure he’s checking in with her.”

  Ramsey stopped in his tracks and asked, “Since when?”

  Kyle looked over at Neil and gave him a look that indicated he wasn’t ready to tell Ramsey about his new lady friend.

  “He met her in the vegetable aisle at one of those organic food markets,” Neil volunteered.

  Ramsey turned to Kyle and asked, “Bro, why didn’t you tell me?”

  Kyle tucked his cell phone in his pocket and opened the car show program. “I wanted to wait to see if she would hang around longer than a week after she found out I worked for the Department of Defense. You know how women are. They like to ask, ‘How was your day? Did anything good happen at work?’ Shit like that. You know I can’t talk about my job.”

  Ramsey and Neil laughed together because they knew they were probably the only people Kyle could talk to about his job and know that what he said would be kept in the strictest confidence.

  “How long have you been dating her?” Ramsey asked.

  Kyle stuck a piece of gum in his mouth and said, “About a month and a half.”

  Ramsey looked over at Neil and asked, “Have you met her?”

  “No, he keeps her under lock and key.”

  “Is she ugly or something?” Ramsey asked his best friend.

  Kyle shook his head and said, “No, she’s not ugly.”

  “Have you hit it yet?” Neil asked with a sly grin on his face.

  “No! And if I had, I wouldn’t tell you!” Kyle answered, clearly irritated. “Are we going to look at cars or not?”

  “Oh, now you want to look at cars,�
� Ramsey replied with a chuckle as they started walking toward the showroom full of cars. “We can look at cars, but this conversation is not over. We will continue this at dinner, because I can’t believe you hid her from me. I want to know all about her.”

  Kyle stopped walking again and said, “Okay! Damn! You two are acting worse than my mom.”

  “I still can’t believe he hasn’t hit it after six weeks,” Neil added. “Something must be wrong with her.”

  “Shut up, Neil,” Kyle said. “Nothing’s wrong with her.”

  “Then something’s wrong with you. Do you need some Viagra to help you out?” Neil joked.

  “Go to hell,” Kyle replied as they walked over to a classic Corvette. “I’m not like you. I don’t jump in bed with a woman just because she has a pulse. I like a woman who’s attractive, educated, and classy. So far she has met all my expectations.”

  Neil opened the Corvette’s door and eased into the leather seat and pretended he was driving. “What’s her name?” he asked.

  “I’d rather not say right now,” Kyle replied.

  “Why not? Are you afraid I might’ve already tapped that ass?” Neil asked and then laughed.

  Intervening, Ramsey said, “Leave him alone. It’s obvious he likes the woman. Why don’t you bring her over for dinner so we can meet her?”

  Kyle rubbed his chin and said, “I don’t know. You guys can be a tough audience. I’m not ready to put her through all the questions, especially from Keilah.”

  The threesome moved over to a Porsche and started inspecting it.

  “That’s not fair. We care about you, bro, and you know Keilah loves you. She has a sixth sense when it comes to women. If this woman is not right for you, she’ll know.”

  “This is nice!” Neil announced loudly to his friends. “Ramsey, you need to buy this for your boy.”

  “What kind of Porsche is it?” Ramsey asked as he admired the sleek design.

  “It’s called a Cayman,” Kyle answered after glancing at the listing of cars.

  “It’s sweet, but I’ve never been a Porsche fan,” Ramsey replied.