Betting On Love

by Hodges, Cheris

  “Ma, what’s going on?” James asked after she’d relocked the door.

  “Stephen Carter purchased this building,” Maryann said. Then she walked behind the counter and handed James the letter she’d received from Stephen’s attorney. “He’s shutting me down.”

  James read the letter and his blood boiled. “How in the hell did this happen?”

  “The owners of the building wanted to make some quick cash, and Stephen came by with an offer,” Maryann explained. “That little bastard.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Jade said softly.

  Maryann shook her head. “It’s all right. I’m going to relocate my bakery, and Stephen can have this building. It’s falling apart, anyway, and I hope when he walks in, it crumbles on his head.”

  “No, Ma, I’m not going to stand for this,” James said as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the attorney’s number on the letterhead.

  “Timothy Harrington’s office. How may I help you?” the woman who answered the phone asked.

  “I need to speak to Mr. Harrington about a letter he sent to my client on behalf of Stephen Carter,” James said.

  “Hold on please.”

  Seconds later Timothy Harrington was saying hello.

  “Mr. Harrington, James Goings. What is this letter that you sent to Maryann Goings about the purchase of her bakery?”

  “Well, if you read the letter, it says that the building was purchased and we want the premises cleared within thirty days. What’s there to question?”

  “The question is, how can you represent an asshole that would throw a woman out of her establishment and close down a neighborhood staple?” Anger peppered James’s tone.

  “Sir, I don’t have to take this abuse from you,” Harrington said.

  “But you’re going to represent trash like Carter, and you don’t think what he’s doing is abuse?”

  “Just hang up the phone, James,” Maryann said in an exasperated voice. “I don’t feel like fighting with Stephen and his lawyer.”

  James hung up and crossed over to his mother. “Mo and I will find you another place to open up a bakery right here in Sweet Auburn,” he said as he enveloped her in a hug.

  Maryann sighed. “Good luck on that. Do you know how much real estate is going for around here these days? Since the buppies and yuppies started moving in, Sweet Auburn isn’t what it used to be.”

  “Those buppies and yuppies love your bakery,” James said, “and Stephen knows that.”

  “He’s jealous,” Jade said, “because no one is standing in line for his dried-out food and fake ambiance. This is so like him. I don’t even know where he got the money to even buy this building. He was on the verge of bankruptcy when I loaned him money.”

  James shook his head. “He must have found another fool to give him some money,” he spat.

  Jade nodded in agreement. “I’ve been that fool,” she muttered.

  “I’m going to stop feeling sorry for myself and open these doors while I still can,” Maryann said as she wiped her hands against her thighs. “Stephen is going to get his.”

  James didn’t say a word as his mother turned the lights on in the bakery.

  Jade walked over to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “Hell no. I know why he’s doing this, and he’s not going to get away with it.”

  “This is my fault,” Jade said.

  “Not totally, but I told you this whole revenge thing wasn’t worth it. This is the kind of shit I was talking about,” he responded.

  Jade dropped her arm from around him. “What are we going to do?”

  “I’m going to take care of Stephen, one way or another,” he said angrily, and then he stormed out of the bakery.

  “Where is he going in such a hurry?” Maryann asked Jade.

  “I think something bad is going to happen,” Jade replied as she pulled out her cell phone and called Maurice.

  James got into his car and headed to Stephen’s restaurant. He wanted answers and he wanted blood. He double-parked his car in front of Stephen’s building, not caring about the citation that he was sure to get if parking enforcement came by, and he hopped out, then stormed into the restaurant, which had just opened for lunch.

  “Sir, how may I help you?” the hostess asked.

  “Get Stephen out here right now,” James bellowed.

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  James pushed past her and headed for the rear of the restaurant. He found Stephen’s office and burst through the door. Stephen, who was sitting at his desk, on the phone, dropped the receiver and looked up at James, who was standing over him with his fist reared back. Before Stephen could react, James had clocked him in the face, knocking him out of his chair.

  “You slimy son of a bitch! How dare you involve my mother in your bullshit!” James pounded away on him, unleashing a string of curses, which vibrated throughout the restaurant. Stephen was helpless to defend himself as his mouth filled with blood. James pulled back from him when Stephen’s body went limp. “Get up, bastard!” he demanded.

  Stephen didn’t move immediately. Slowly, he tried to rise to his feet, holding on to the edge of his desk. He spat out a mouthful of blood and glared at James. “You’re going to jail.” He attempted to pick up the phone and dial 911, but James slapped the phone from his hands.

  “You and Jade can fight all you want, but when you involve my mother, you have to deal with me.”

  “To hell with Jade and your mother. You wanted to get in the fight. Now deal with the consequences,” Stephen said through labored breaths.

  James rushed him and grabbed him by the collar. “Check this out, bastard,” he bellowed. “You’re going to find my mother a new location for her bakery, or I’m going to break every bone in your damned body.” He pushed Stephen into his chair and glared at him. “You have twenty-four hours.”

  “Do you think you’re in any position to dictate anything to me?” Stephen coughed and spat blood into a handkerchief.

  “Do you think I’m playing with you?” James asked.

  “How effective do you think you’re going to be from jail?”

  “Twenty-four hours, or you’d better press charges and hope the Atlanta police can find me.”

  A security officer walked into the office. “Mr. Carter, is everything all right?”

  James pushed past the rent-a-cop and headed out the door. Getting into his car, he headed back to the Sweet Auburn Bakery. He didn’t notice that he had bloodstains on his shirt and his hands were swollen. The moment he walked into the bakery, Jade and Maryann rushed toward him.

  “Where have you been and what happened?” they asked in concert.

  Jade grabbed his hands and looked at the blood on his shirt. “James,” she said.

  “I lost my cool, but everything is fine,” he said, shaking out of her grasp.

  “James, you’re not doing me any favors by fighting with Stephen,” Mar yann said. “I know that you and this man don’t get along, but this isn’t how we’re going to handle this thing.”

  He looked down at his hands and the blood on his shirt. “All right. I messed up,” James said.

  “You’re damned right you did,” Maryann said. “Beating that man isn’t going to change a thing. Go clean yourself up.” She stalked away from him.

  Jade shook her head and hid her tears from James. His anger was scaring her, and she knew the only thing she could do to make things better was to drop her lawsuit against Stephen and try to end this war.

  “Jade,” Maryann said. “I hope you’re not too put off by my son’s behavior. He’s always been very protective of me, and it has a lot to do with the hell his father put me through when he was growing up. James is highly protective of the people he loves.”

  “I know,” Jade said quietly.

  “But I don’t condone violence. We’ve had enough of that in our lifetime,” Maryann said. “I pray this thing doesn’t get out of ha
nd. Why is Stephen even doing this?”

  Jade looked at her and started to say it was her fault, but James walked out of the bathroom and over to the women. “I’m sorry if I caused either of you to worry,” he said calmly.

  Maryann hugged her son. “You know, Stephen isn’t your father.”

  “Ma,” he said.

  “Just remember that,” Maryann added.

  Customers began trickling into the bakery, asking Maryann why she hadn’t been open earlier. She didn’t pull any punches and told her loyal customers that her building had been purchased by Stephen Carter.

  “The guy who was in the paper this morning?” a woman asked. “I’ve been to his restaurant, and it’s horrible. Why does he want this building?”

  Maryann shrugged her shoulders. “We’re closing in thirty days,” she said.

  “That’s a damned shame,” the woman said as she took a huge bite of her pastry. “Do you have a Web site? Because I’d order these all day online.”

  Maryann smiled. “That’s a great idea.”

  The woman continued munching on her pastry as Jade walked over to Maryann. “You know, you could always sell your stuff in the restaurant my friends and I are opening in Charlotte.”

  “My sons have been trying to get me to North Carolina for the longest time. I guess this is the—”

  The door to the bakery flung open, and Maurice stormed inside. “Where’s James?” he asked when he spotted Jade.

  “He’s in the back,” Jade said. “Maurice, you really need to talk to him.”

  Maurice looked over at his mother and then grabbed Jade’s arm. “Is this about Stephen?”

  “Yes,” Jade admitted.

  “I knew you were trouble. Stephen wasn’t worrying about my mother or this place until you and your friends started this war with him,” Maurice stormed.

  “Let go of me,” Jade said as she jerked away from him. “I know this is hard on your mother, but I can make it right.”

  “What are you going to do? Leave us the hell alone? But you can’t do that, since you got yourself knocked up,” Maurice bellowed.

  “What did you say?” Maryann asked. She turned and looked at Jade. “Are you pregnant?”

  At that moment James walked to the front. “Maurice, what are you doing here?”

  Maryann slammed her hand against the counter. “Wait a damned minute. Jade, are you pregnant?”

  James glared at Maurice as Jade said, “Yes. That’s one of the things that we came here to tell you.”

  “Pregnant? Wow,” Maryann said.

  “And we’re getting married,” James said. “But this is not how I wanted you to find out.”

  “Well, this makes what you did even more reprehensible,” Maryann said. “If you’re getting ready to start a family, why are you acting like Mike Tyson?”

  “What did he do?” Maurice asked.

  “Got into a fight with Stephen Carter,” Maryann reported.

  “Again?” Maurice said.

  “Again?” Maryann asked.

  “Stephen came to my office in Charlotte, and we had an altercation,” James explained.

  “All because Jade and her friends started this thing with Stephen,” Maurice blurted out.

  “That’s not fair,” Jade said. “I wanted my money back and—”

  “The only person to blame in this situation is Stephen. Jade’s about to be a part of our family, and I don’t want any more fighting today,” Maryann said, waving her hands, and then returned to her customers.

  Jade turned and walked toward the door.

  “Jade!” James called out.

  Jade ignored him and walked outside; then she called Kandace to come and pick her up.

  CHAPTER 29

  By the time Jade got into the car with Kandace, she had cried a bucket of tears. “I can’t believe everything is such a mess,” she said in between her sobs.

  “I knew Stephen was dirty, but to go after James’s mother? That’s low even for him.”

  “Well, James’s brother is trying to put all the blame on me,” Jade said as she wiped her eyes. “And James just stood there, not saying a word. It’s as if he agrees with him.”

  “Did James say that he blamed you?”

  Jade shook her head. “Then,” Kandace continued, “why in the hell are you running away like he told you to go to hell? I wonder about you sometimes.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean you shouldn’t have been so quick to run out of there,” Kandace said.

  “But James just stood there while Maurice said all those ugly things.”

  “Really?” Kandace asked. “Or did you run out of there before you let him say anything? You have to realize that you’re carrying his child, and it’s not just about your hurt feelings.”

  Jade squeezed her eyes shut. “You’re right.”

  “I know I am. I’ve always been the smart one.”

  “All right. Turn the car around,” Jade said. “It’s time for me to stand up to Maurice once and for all.”

  Kandace smiled. “And when baby Goings is old enough to understand, Godmommy Kandace is going to tell him or her all about the day she saved his or her family,” she said, then made an illegal U-turn and headed back to the bakery.

  James slammed inside the bakery and grabbed his brother’s arm, dragging him to the back while their mother was checking out a line of customers. “What the hell is wrong with you?” James boomed.

  “What are you talking about? That bi—” James grabbed Maurice by the collar. “I have beaten one man today. Don’t become the second one. Jade is going to be my wife, and you will respect her. She isn’t the one who’s forcing Ma out of here.”

  “Let go of me,” Maurice said, pushing away from his brother. “Stephen wouldn’t care about this building if it wasn’t for her.”

  “And you blaming my pregnant fiancée is going to change matters how?” James demanded.

  “All right, all right,” Maurice said, throwing his hands up. “I was mad and lashed out. Jade called me because she was afraid that you were going to kill Stephen or end up in jail. I guess I shouldn’t have gone off on her.”

  “You think?” James snapped. “Jade is the mother of my child, and I love her more than anything. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone over there and beaten the hell out of Stephen, but I won’t let you disrespect her. I will not have you making her cry because you have your ass on your shoulders. Stay away from her—us—until you can treat her with respect.”

  “Look, Jade has got you involved in this crap with Stephen, and you’re not even acting like yourself.”

  “I’m protecting the woman I love, just like you did when you went after Lauryn.”

  “That was different, because Lauryn tried to kill Kenya,” Maurice agreed.

  “And Stephen is messing with my future wife and my mother.”

  “You need to check yourself, because you’re acting like him. How long is it going to be before you’re taking your anger out on Jade?”

  James dropped his head. “I would never do that.”

  “She was scared when she called me.”

  “And that’s a call I should’ve never made,” Jade said from the door. “I didn’t know you were going to come here and blame me for everything.”

  Maurice and James turned to face her. “I’m sorry about that,” Maurice admitted sincerely. “I was wrong, and I shouldn’t have said this is your fault. Stephen is the one who’s forcing my mother out of here.”

  “I’m going to try and end this,” Jade said. “I’m going to call Kenya and have her drop the lawsuit against Stephen, and maybe he will stop harassing your mom.”

  “And then he’ll own this building!” James blurted. “No, you keep the lawsuit going, and we will figure the rest of this out.”

  “Do I get to have a say in what happens?” she asked.

  “Yes,” James said and jabbed Maurice in the stomach with his elbow.

  “Of course,” Maurice
added.

  “Then let me do this. Your mother has been nothing but kind to me, unlike some other people.” She looked pointedly at Maurice, who turned away from her glare. “I want to help.”

  “All right,” Maurice said. “If you want to help, then help us. Help us find someplace else for Ma to open her bakery, and that’s it. Stephen owes you, and Kenya’s working hard on the case. We’re going to stick behind you on this.”

  Jade nodded, but in the back of her mind she wondered if Maurice meant what he’d said.

  “All right,” Maryann said from the door. “Have you all cleared up all your drama? I hope you know that I could hear you all up front.”

  Maurice walked over to his mother and hugged her. “Sorry,” he said.

  “I know I taught you better than this. You’re going to be nicer to Jade, because she is family,” Maryann ordered.

  Jade smiled brightly. “Mrs. Goings,” she said.

  Maryann held up her hand. “Now, Stephen can have this building. It’s too small for all the people that come here, and one of my customers had a great idea, I can make a Sweet Auburn Bakery Web site and ship my products all over the world. I don’t need this building to keep my dream alive. And with all the grandchildren coming, I’m going to need to be close to them, so you boys have your wish. I’m finally moving to Charlotte, and Stephen can go to hell.”

  Hours later James and Jade were sitting on the sofa in her Buckhead penthouse. She dabbed his swollen knuckles with peroxide while they waited for a delivery of Chinese food for their dinner.

  “James,” she said while bandaging his hand with gauze, “why are you so angry?”

  “What? Babe, I’m not angry,” he said, snuggling closer to her.

  “Your actions today say otherwise. Don’t you think the way you went after Stephen and the way you spoke to Maurice were a little over the top?”

  “I let my temper get the best of me, but that’s only because I don’t like people messing with my mother or you, and that’s what Stephen is doing.”

  “What about your brother?” she asked. “Maurice doesn’t like me.”