by Skylar Ward
“And my daddy, too, Mommy,” Yasmine said, touching the red blotch beneath her eye.
Efia pursed her lips. Yasmine hadn’t grown up with photos of Ace on display, but Efia had shown Yasmine an online image of her father a year ago.
Yasmine tapped Efia’s arm. “Right, Mommy?”
“Yes, sweetie.” Hoping to change the subject, Efia lifted Yasmine’s chin. “Behave yourself at Mrs. Rosenberg’s home, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy.”
“That means no running around the home. You will sit and behave, right?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
“I have to run, sweetie. Mommy will see you at two o’clock for your appointment with the pediatrician, okay?”
“All right, Mommy.”
Efia picked up her phone and sent a text. “Mom, I sent you the address where to meet me.”
Rosina’s phone chirped from the back bedroom. “That is your text. I will get my phone later.”
Efia gathered some items off the table and lifted her short, black down coat from the chair.
“You have to take all of that with you?” Rosina asked, holding Yasmine’s hand.
“This is Sam’s computer. I have to pick up my laptop from the repair shop.”
Efia kissed Rosina. “See you later, Mom.” She lifted Yasmine. “Give me some sugar, sweetie.”
Yasmine wrapped her arms around Efia’s neck. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you double.” Efia lowered Yasmine to the floor and kissed her forehead. “See you at two o’clock.”
Chapter 3
The elevator doors parted, and Ace Davenport stepped out, just as a giggling, golden skin kid zipped past him. Her pigtails flying behind her as she ran across the marble lobby.
“Oh, my God, stop her. Someone stop her.” Ace noticed a black woman with a strong accent chasing after the child.
Ace’s strides lengthened, and soon his large hand landed on the little girl’s shoulder, bringing her to a halt. The child’s giggles ceased, and she craned her short neck, staring into Ace’s face. Ace’s hand dropped, landing by his side. The child twirled. She lifted her chubby right hand, covering the birthmark beneath her right eye.
Ace didn’t know when he had raised his own hand until he felt the warmth beneath his eye. His eyes roved over the child’s flowing, brown pigtails with flecks of blonde streaks before coming to rest on her beautiful, dark eyes—eyes he had seen before.
What the hell is this? Is this a sick joke? I am no expert on kid’s ages, but if I had to guess, I would say she is around four or five, that would mean … No way, No frigging way. Ace shook his head, his eyes never leaving the child. That’s impossible!
“Thank you,” the woman said, grasping the little girl’s arm. “Come along, child.”
The woman’s voice brought Ace back to the present. “Excuse me,” he said.
As the woman fixed her eyes on Ace’s face, her hand fell from the child’s arm, and she clasped her hand over her mouth.
“Mom,” A female called from a distance.
The older woman quickly gathered her composure, holding the child’s hand. As Ace watched the display, his body stiffened with pure awareness. He knew that voice. The owner of that voice had done the impossible. She had made him laugh. She had made him happy. And worst of all, she had made him forget his grief. And that had been unacceptable. Slowly, Ace twisted, coming face-to-face with no other than Efia Kwateng.
Stunned, Efia blinked up at Ace.
In Ace’s estimation, Efia no longer appeared to be the young lady he had met at Calico Cays Resort, she had matured. The two things he noted that hadn’t changed, she was still beautiful, and her hair was the way he preferred it.
Efia stopped abruptly, causing a young black man to bump into her.
“Pardon, me, miss,” he said in a British accent. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” Efia mumbled.
The man paused, squinting at Efia as though he wanted to make sure she was okay before he moved on. The child tugged her hand from the older woman’s hand and bolted to Efia’s side. The man nodded and left.
“Come on, Mommy, let’s go.”
Efia appeared to be holding her breath as she remained deathly still. Her feet seemed rooted in place as she met Ace’s gaze. Ace folded his fists at his side, trying to contain his anger. How dare she keep our daughter away from me?
The older woman stepped closer to Efia, grabbing the kid’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Ace shifted, blocking their pathway. “Not so fast, young lady.”
Efia averted eye contact. “I have an appointment with …”
“Cancel it,” Ace said. “This is far more important than your date, don’t you think?”
The older woman stepped forward. “My name is Rosina. I am Efia’s mother. We have to take the child to the doctor. You can talk to Efia another time. Now is not the time or place.”
The blood drained from Ace’s face.
As if sensing Ace’s fear, Efia quickly said, “She is okay. It’s only a routine checkup.”
“Cancel the appointment,” Ace said.
A hand landed on Ace’s back. “Listen to Efia’s mother,” Drew said. “You are two seconds away from creating a scene in this lobby. Efia is one of our employees, she is not going to disappear. You two can schedule an appointment for a fitting time and place.”
Ace’s face hardened, and he glowered at Efia. “Expect my call.” He gazed down into the child’s upturned face, and his countenance softened. He reached down and ran the back of his hand down the side of the child’s face.
The child stepped back, burying her face behind her mother.
Ace inhaled deeply, trying to contain his hurt. No father should ever have to meet his child under these circumstances. I don’t blame my daughter for rejecting my touch—no, I will reserve that for her mother. I guess sweet, innocent Efia Kwateng wasn’t so perfect, after all. Lifting his blue eyes away from his daughter, Ace shot Efia a withering glance.
“Let us go,” Rosina said, breaking the embarrassing silence.
Efia held her daughter’s hand and proceeded to walk away.
“What is her name?” Ace asked.
Efia stopped and faced Ace. “Her name is Yasmine.”
“Yasmine Acelyn Kwateng,” Yasmine said proudly.
Efia appeared as though she wanted the floor to open and swallow her. And Ace wished it would. As the trio headed for the exit, Ace glared after them. When I am through with you, Efia Kwateng, you’ll wish you had never been born.
Chapter 4
On legs that felt like rubber, Efia followed her mother and daughter out of the lobby of La Travesta Grand Hotel on Madison Avenue.
“Medaase, Mom,” she said. “I don’t know how I would have made it out if you weren’t there.”
Rosina cupped Efia’s cheek. “You are welcome, my child. I prayed he would leave before you came downstairs. I think the birthmark caught his attention. Right away, he sensed the connection. And I think the little one sensed it, too.”
“How did you end up in a conversation with Ace?”
“Yasmine was being Yasmine,” Rosina said. “She was running around the lobby. That’s how she came to his attention.”
“Mom, I keep telling you, you have to be stricter with Yasmine. Stop spoiling her.”
“After all these years and this man meets his daughter here, don’t you think the Lord had a hand in this?”
Efia tightened her hold on Yasmine’s hand. “Did you see the way he scowled at me. He hates me, Mom. I can feel it.”
“Forget about him for now, he is in shock.” Rosina cleared her throat. “You have a bigger problem on your hand. You have to tell the little one.”
Yasmine touched Rosina’s hand. “Tell me what Grandma?”
Both Efia and Rosina peered down at Yasmine.
“Hush, child,” Rosina said. “I am speaking to your mother.”
“We will continue this conversation lat
er,” Efia said. “Sometimes I forget how astute this one is.”
“What’s astute, Mommy?”
Despite Efia’s internal turmoil, and the backlash she knew was about to be unleashed her way, she didn’t forget her motherly duty. She put on a bright smile for her daughter’s sake.
“It means smart, sweetie.”
“Yeah, Grandma, my mommy said, ‘I am smart.’”
“I agree with your mother.” Rosina smoothed the curls that had escaped from Yasmine’s ponytail back into place. “Let’s take a cab over to the pediatrician’s office.”
“I need to clear my head,” Efia said. “Let us walk to the subway.”
<>
Ace dragged both hands through his hair as he walked back and forth in Drew’s office on the 14th floor of La Travesta Grand Hotel.
“I don’t get it,” he said. “Why would Efia do this? She had my contact information. What type of mother does this?” He turned, facing Drew. “What if I had gotten off that elevator ten minutes later?”
“Nothing happens before it is supposed to,” Drew replied.
“Don’t give me any of that bullshit positive thinking,” Ace said. “It’s been four years, Drew, four damn years and not one phone call.”
“That is surprising.” Drew opened the Credenza, removing a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky, and two etched globe whiskey glasses. He poured two fingers into each glass and handed one to Ace.
Ace swallowed the liquid without flinching, in fact, he welcomed the burn. He placed the glass on Drew’s desk and sat in one of the chairs close to Drew’s desk. Drew handed Ace the bottle before sitting. He took a sip of his Whisky and hit a button on his phone.
“Yes, Mr. Palmer,” a woman’s voice responded over the intercom.
“Rhonda, I need the personal cell phone number for Efia Kwateng. She is the assistant manager at The Biltbury Hotel.”
“I am on it,” Rhonda said.
Drew ended the call and took another sip. “You slept with an employee, Ace, what the hell were you thinking?”
Ace cut his eyes at Drew. “Do you want an answer to that question?”
“Damn straight I do. You owe me an explanation. You had me promote an employee under false pretenses.”
“How has that worked out?” Ace asked.
“Granted she has done a great job,” Drew replied.
“I rest my case.”
“That’s not an excuse. You are lucky Efia hasn’t sued the pants off you already.”
Ace’s eyebrows arched upwards.
“Wait a minute, does she know your connection to this company?”
“The topic never came up, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she did her own research.”
“Most of the employees don’t know who you are. It’s possible she falls into the same category.” Drew dragged his hand down his face. “I can tell you this, things are about to change, my friend. Prepare yourself, because this is about to hit the fan. And you know, the stench is going to cover all of us.”
“My daughter is my primary concern.” Ace loosened his tie. “Anything else is secondary, and will be dealt with in that order.”
“I have to hand it to you,” Drew said. “You do know how to go against the grain.”
“How so?” Ace asked, knowing Drew would have a negative opinion about Yasmine and Efia even if Efia weren’t an employee.
“Let’s face it, you stunned the hell out of everyone when you went through with your nuptials to Jodi, your friends took bets you wouldn’t. No one expected it, considering all the women you dated. And now, here you go once more. If you wanted companionship, I could have made arrangements for you on that trip.”
Ace glared at Drew. Even though Ace was angry with Efia, it pained him to hear Drew belittle her.
“Efia is the mother of my child. She deserves a modicum of respect on that front alone. Leave the judging of Efia to me.”
Drew shrugged and took another sip of whiskey. “She is not even in your social standing, Ace. Why her?”
“Tread lightly, Drew,” Ace said. “You need to stop seeing women through the eyes of some two-bit magazine, then, just maybe, you will find someone who is worthy of more than a year of your time.”
Drew did a double take and pushed back in his chair. “I just can’t see the two of you …”
“You want a reason?” Ace asked shutting down Drew. “Then I will give you a damn reason.” Ace stood, turning his back to Drew. He moved over to the bank of windows across the room. “I don’t expect anyone to understand it. Hell, I don’t even understand it, myself. When I returned from Calico Cays Resort, I intended to see Efia. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t looking for anything too heavy, just an occasional date whenever she was in town.”
“What happened?”
“I wasn’t good enough for her. She is the most giving person, I have ever met.” Ace said. “Well, that was what I thought before …”
“What the heck do you mean?” Drew asked.
Ace returned to the desk and poured himself another drink. He sighed. “In the end, guilt got me.”
Drew sipped his drink and regarded Ace over the rim of his glass. “Sounds to me like you have strong feelings for this young lady.”
“Yet, I let her go.” Ace dragged his hand down his face. “While I was living in the past, Efia went on to have a future without me. Now I have a four-year-old daughter who flinched when I touched her. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”
The ringing phone brought their conversation to a stop.
Drew put the glass down and lifted a finger to Ace, signaling he needed a minute. As Drew spoke on the phone, he reached for a pad and jotted down a number. When the call ended, he tore the sheet off and slid it across the desk. Ace picked up the piece of paper, glanced at the number, folded it, and put it on the inside of his jacket pocket.
“I swear, she is going to live to regret this,” he said.
“Let me ask you a question?” Drew said.
Ace took a sip of whiskey. “Ask away.”
“Is Efia Kwateng the reason you haven’t committed to Haley after all these years?”
Ace scowled. “Do you know why I haven’t taken any of my companies into the public arena?”
“No, but I am sure you will tell me.”
“It’s simple.” Ace placed the glass on the desk and rose. “I don’t answer to anyone. And you can bet, today is not the day I am going to change that philosophy.” Ace strolled out of Drew’s office, leaving the door ajar.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Drew said. “My friend cares about Efia Kwateng a hell of a lot more than he is letting on.”
Drew’s response followed Ace down the hallway.
Chapter 5
“Can I watch TV, Mommy?” Yasmine ran ahead of Efia. “I want to watch SpongeBob SquarePants.”
“Later, sweetie,” Efia said.
Yasmine stopped running and faced her mother. “Mommy, are you mad?”
“No, sweetie, I am not mad. I want to talk to you about something important.”
“Okay.” Yasmine ran to the couch and climbed on top.
Efia joined Yasmine, lifting the child into her lap. “Remember when I said, you will meet your daddy one of these days?”
Yasmine nodded.
Efia touched the mark under Yasmine’s right eye. “Do you remember when I showed you your daddy’s birthmark under his eye?”
“Like the man today?” Yasmine asked.
Efia knew the day would arrive when father and daughter would meet, but she had hoped it would have been further down the road—like fourteen years in the future.
Leaning against the couch, she drew Yasmine closer to her heart. “Yes, sweetie, like the man from today. He is your dad.”
“Is he mad at you, Mommy?”
“Yes, sweetie, he is mad with your mommy.”
“Why?”
Efia inhaled Yasmine’s sweet scent, thinking her little angel was the best of
both parents.
“Because I did something wrong,” Efia replied.
“Why?”
Efia had never believed in using baby talk with Yasmine, and she didn’t see any reason to start.
Efia’s eyes watered. “I kept you from your daddy, sweetie.” Unable to hold her tears in check, they spilled onto her cheeks.
Yasmine reached for her mother’s face, resting her hands on Efia’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, Mommy. I love you.”
“I know, sweetie,” Efia sniffed. “And I love you, more than anything in this world. Efia rested her chin on top of Yasmine’s head. “Always remember the decisions I made might not have been the right ones, but I did what I thought was best for you.”
“Can I see Daddy?”
“Yes, sweetie,” Efia said. “You will see your daddy.”
Rosina entered the living room, humming a tune. She sat beside Efia and patted her knee reassuringly. Yasmine slid from Efia’s lap and off the couch. Rosina rubbed Yasmine’s head.
“You can watch SpongeBob,” Efia said.
Yasmine ran off toward the bedroom.
“Wo ho te sen, my child?” Rosina asked after Yasmine was out of sight.
“I am fine, Mom.” Efia toed off her black heels. “Yasmine took the news much better than I thought. You were right.”
“Yasmine is still a child, it is easier at this stage. She is still young enough to make good memories with her dad. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You did the best you could under the circumstances.”
Efia sighed. “Did I?”
“Listen to me, Efia, you did what you had to do to protect your child—to give her life. Don’t let anyone guilt trip you now. That man might be angry today, but I doubt he can say with certainty he would have given his blessings to your pregnancy back then.”
Efia hugged Rosina. “Thanks for being my mother. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.”
Chapter 6
Efia removed the old-style police lock and pole from her door and stepped to the side as Ace stormed into her apartment.
“Where is my daughter?” he asked.
Efia closed the door, stiffened her spine, and steeled her nerves for the interrogation. “Yasmine is with my parents.”
