by Mz. Robinson
“Damon handled the news about Kelly well,” Mama said, handing me an empty bowl.
After the two of us ate with Daddy and Kelly, I excused myself to the kitchen to wash dishes. Mama volunteered to tag along. Daddy and Kelly sat in our home theater watching a movie on the big screen.
“What news?” I asked, confused.
“Oh, that’s right,” she said, snapping her fingers. “I forgot…you didn’t tell him!”
“No, not yet, but when I do,” I said, “I know he will support my decision. He trusts me,” I said proudly.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Mama yawned softly, her third yawn in less than ten minutes. As I stared at her beautiful brown face, I noticed something I had never seen before. Mama looked tired—drained, to be exact.
“You look exhausted, Mama.”
“Don’t change the subject,” she said, looking at me.
“I’m not, but you need to go sit down,” I ordered. “I got this.”
On any normal occasion, Mama would tell me she was fine and find something else to wash, clean, or disinfect, but this time, she did exactly as I asked and walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat. “Your father has got to stop keeping me up at night,” Mama said, letting out another soft yawn. “I try to remind him I’m not twenty-one anymore.”
“Mommy, I do not need a visual,” I said, frowning.
“That wasn’t a visual, baby,” she said. “Trust me, you couldn’t handle the visual.” She laughed lightly and coughed a little.
“Are you coming down with a cold?”
“Probably just the change in the weather,” she said, shaking her head. “Don’t worry about me, baby. Just make sure you keep everything under control in this beautiful home you and Damon share.”
I could hear the warning in my mother’s voice, and I knew that considering my past history with lovers, she had a genuine reason to be concerned. However, Damon was not just my lover. He was my man, my friend, my husband, and the father of my child. He was everything I needed and more than I ever wanted. I had my hormones under control when it came to every other man, and there was no way I was going to allow Kelly—no matter how pretty he was—to disrupt my happy home.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” I told her.
“Ladies, it’s been a wonderful afternoon, but I think I’ll call it a night,” Kelly said, entering the kitchen. “Auntie and Jasmine are both getting their beauty naps, and as you can see, I need mine.”
Looking up from my dishes, I gave him a small smile.
“Thank you for everything,” he said.
“You’re very welcome.”
“But mostly for allowing me to be a part of your family and share your home.” He flashed his eyes at me then said with a straight face, “I promise your generosity and hospitality will not be in vain.”
There was an awkward silence in the room until Mama loudly cleared her throat.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Ellis,” Kelly said, redirecting his attention to my mother, whom I was certain had been watching the two of us like a hawk. “I look forward to seeing you again,” Kelly said.
“Have a great night, Kelly,” she said sweetly. “See you soon.”
The two of us watched as Kelly exited out the patio doors and walked in the direction of the guesthouse.
“Listen to me, little girl,” Mama said, staring at me. “Be very careful with that one.”
“I have a good feeling about him, Mama,” I said reassuringly. “I think he’ll be a hard worker.”
“It’s not his work ethic I’m worried about,” Mama said, rising from the table slowly.
“Stop worrying about me,” I said, walking over and taking her hand in mine. “I told you I have everything under control.”
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled, leaning on my shoulder. “Right.”
***
I love the fact that Damon is a business owner and a major player when it comes to making money, but I hate sleeping without his arms around me. I hate it so much that I rarely ever sleep when he’s gone, and that night was no exception.
After the two of us indulged in another lengthy phone conversation that included some steamy phone sex, we said “I love you” and then “Goodnight.” Afterward, I took a long, hot bath, slipped into a pair of shorts and a fitted tank-top, then popped in to check on Jasmine. After tucking my baby back in, I decided to have myself a nightcap. I was sitting in the kitchen enjoying a glass of Rose when I heard the roaring of our hot tub. I opened the French doors leading out onto the patio and saw Kelly sitting in it. The full moon in the sky cast an illuminating light down, reflecting off the water like diamonds in a mirror and bouncing off Kelly’s skin, causing it to glow. It wasn’t until he turned to climb out that I noticed he was only wearing his birthday suit. I suddenly felt like a horny stalker and decided to return to the kitchen and my drink.
Moments later, Kelly knocked on the patio doors.
“Come in,” I said before downing the last of my drink.
When he opened the doors, I was completely caught off guard by his appearance. He was bare-chested, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. I could tell he was naked under the terrycloth. His chiseled chest glistened with droplets of water covering his smooth brown skin. He held his fractured arm up against his body as if he were still wearing a sling. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought everyone was asleep. I know Auntie is knocked out, and I just assumed you and Damon were. Otherwise, I would have never—”
“It’s fine,” I said, trying hard to push the image of Kelly buck-naked out of my head but failing terribly.
“I’ll apologize to Damon in the morning,” he said, nervously shifting his weight from one leg to the other. The action caused the front of the towel to slip open slightly.
“Damon’s not home,” I said, looking away. “Not yet anyway.”
“Oh. Well, my apologies to you,” he said. “The heat is good for sore muscles, and I’m trying to ease the soreness without the pills.”
“I can respect that,” I said honestly. I had seen far too many specials on people who had become addicted to prescription drugs. I couldn’t blame him for looking for alternative healing methods.
“If it’s not too much trouble,” he began, “may I have something to drink?” he asked.
“It’s no trouble, Kelly,” I said, redirecting my attention to him. “Take whatever you want from the fridge.”
Staring in my eyes, he smiled brightly. “Thank you,” he said. “However, right now I’ll just take the water.”
I watched as he walked slowly over to the refrigerator and pulled out three bottles of water. I couldn’t help noticing that his thighs were as defined as a track star’s, small, but all muscle and not an ounce of fat. The towel covered his ass, but it could not hide the fact that it was also sculptured and toned. When he turned around and started walking toward me, I forced myself to stop my silent gawking and instead looked at my nails, pretending I was inspecting them.
“Thank you again,” Kelly said, standing next to my chair. “There is one more thing you can help me with.”
“Oh yeah?” I said, looking up into his eyes. They were lowered and staring directly into mine. “What’s that?” I asked.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
***
When he returned from the guesthouse with his bandages, I was thankful to see he was finally wearing pants.
Kelly flinched slightly as I pulled the wide Ace bandage around his chest as the two of us stood in the kitchen. He closed his eyes, and an expression of sheer pain flashed across his face. He leaned forward slightly, as if at any moment he might fall. I wrapped my arms around his waist, allowing him to place his weight on me, to use me for stability.
After a few seconds, Kelly opened his eyes and looked down at me. There was a hint of water, evidence of tears floating below the grayness that penetrated me through his stare. Placing his hand on my neck just below my hairli
ne, he whispered, “Thank you.” His fingers were extremely warm, almost to the point of feverish against my skin. His touch caused a small sensation to course from my neck down my back. Our eyes remained locked until Kelly dropped his hand from my neck at the same time I released the grip I had around his waist.
I continued the task of reapplying his bandage. “I’m sorry if I’m hurting you,” I said. I knew the pressure the bandage would put on his ribs would help alleviate some of the pain, but the process of me getting it on him seemed to make it worse, and I hated that I was hurting him.
“It’s not you,” he said. “I’m okay.”
I continued to wrap the bandage around his skin tightly then secured it against his body with two small metal clasps. “All done,” I said.
“Thank you.” He smiled slightly.
“That’s something you should do more often,” I said.
“What?”
“Smile,” I said.
“Moment of truth?” he said.
“I’m listening.”
“It’s somewhat hard not to when I’m around you,” he said, looking at me intently.
I remained quiet, choosing not to comment.
“Thank you again. Goodnight, Octavia,” he said. “Sweet dreams.”
“You too,” I said pleasantly.
Exiting the kitchen, Kelly pulled the door closed behind him. He was gone, but the sensation that had flowed through my body was still present, even in his absence. I closed my eyes while exhaling lightly as Mama’s words echoed through my head: “Be very careful with that one.”
Chapter 13
Damon
I had question after question for Nadia, but the one I wanted answered more than anything was why she hadn’t told me about her son. How could she allow damn near two years to pass and not once pick up the phone and let me know that she had a child, especially if I could be the father?
“I thought another man was his father,” Nadia said while the two of us sat in the hotel lobby consuming breakfast. “However, he always had his doubts and insisted upon a paternity test.” Taking a sip of her mimosa, she looked at me. “Once the test came back stating that he was not the father, I knew Donovan was your son.”
“You should have told me,” I said, “even if you thought there wasn’t a chance that he’s mine. Just in case, you should have told me.”
“But we always used protection,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “I figured there was no possible way for you to be his father, but that last night we were together, we slipped up.”
Nadia was right. I always wore a condom when the two of us were involved, so it didn’t make sense that I could have fathered her child. If Donovan didn’t resemble Jasmine so much I would have told Nadia to kiss my ass and call Maury Povich about her baby’s father. However, I couldn’t ignore or deny the resemblance. Granted, the last time Nadia and I slept together was a distant and cloudy memory, and I did remember there being a large amount of alcohol involved—so much that I wasn’t 100 percent sure that the condom hadn’t broken or torn. Hell, did I even remember to put the damn thing on? I wasn’t sure. The only thing I was sure of was that I needed confirmation and I needed it immediately. “When did you find out that the other man was not Donovan’s father?”
“Shortly after he was born,” she admitted.
“So you’ve know for two years?” I asked, trying to maintain my composure while resisting the urge to wrap my fingers around her neck. I was angered by the fact that Nadia had taken it upon herself to keep me completely shut out and in the dark about Donovan for the first two years of his life. “Why did you wait until now?” I asked, staring at her.
“I thought I could do it on my own,” she said lowly. “I can financially, but emotionally, keeping this type of secret is too much to bear. I don’t want to lie to my son for the rest of my life, Damon. He deserves to have you in his life, and you deserve to have him. Plus, I knew you had a new home and family,” she added. “I didn’t want to disrupt that.”
I was so busy trying to get answers to my questions and to come to grips with the fact that I might have a son that I actually had not taken the time to think about how and what I was going to tell Octavia. Her feelings about Shontay’s deceased husband Kenny having a child with another woman was less than favorable. Although Nadia’s child was conceived before I exchanged vows with Octavia, my mind was telling me that my wife would still not accept it and most likely wouldn’t forgive me.
“You can’t—correction, you won’t—disrupt my family,” I said. “In fact, no one is to know about this but you and me.” I was giving Nadia a hidden warning, and the look in her eyes told me she completely understood the consequences and repercussions that would fall upon her if she brought even an ounce of havoc to my home or marriage. “Have you told anyone that I could possibly be your son’s father?” I asked.
Sighing lightly, Nadia shook her head. “No, Damon,” she said. “I wanted to wait until I told you, then—”
“There is no then,” I said firmly. “You are not to speak a word of this to anyone until I give you the go-ahead. Do you understand?” I asked, locking my eyes with hers. I had known Nadia for years, and there was a time when I truly loved her, but if she did or said anything to harm Octavia, I would not think twice about hurting her—or worse.
“Yes,” she said lowly. “Yes.”
“Good,” I said lightly. Looking down at my Rolex, I saw that it was almost ten a.m. “You should go upstairs and get Donovan. Our appointment is at ten thirty,” I reminded her. “I don’t want to be late, and as soon as the test is done, I have to go so I can try to wrap up my business before I get on the road in tomorrow.”
Nadia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You haven’t spent any time with Donovan,” she said, sounding irritated. “I figured you would at least want to spend some quality time with him before you leave.” She was right, if he was my kid, but I was still hoping Donovan was not my son. Hell, for all I knew, Nadia obsessed over me so much when she was pregnant that her child came out with my family resemblance. I knew it was a long shot and that I was thinking like a dumbass, but I was willing to take any explanation I could get with the exception of me being the father.
“I have to wrap up some deals, and then I have to get home, Nadia,” I said, laying a 100-dollar bill on the table for the waitress. “I have a business to run and—”
“And a family,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“You make a drunken announcement at two in the morning that I have a son,” I whispered, leaning forward in my chair. “What in the hell do you expect me to do?” I asked. “Forget everything and everyone I’m responsible for?”
“Your responsibilities just increased by one,” she said, standing.
“We don’t know that yet,” I said.
“I know,” she said, smiling, “and whether you admit it to me or not, you do too.”
***
It took less than a minute for the pretty blonde technician at the DNA Diagnostics Center to run the cotton swab across the inside of my cheek, but the results I expected to receive two weeks later could possibly affect my life forever. I had a million thoughts running through my head, and I needed to try and clear some of them before I returned home to Alabama. I decided to cancel my morning appointments and instead stop in at Stone Mountain to visit with my parents, Damon Sr. and Ilene. If my mother had known I had been in the city and was just now paying them a visit, she would have given me a royal ass-whipping. She believes in handling your business, but in her mind, family is and must always remain first and foremost.
My parents had been together for thirty-two years, and they appeared to be more and more in love every time I saw them. That was the kind of love and longevity I wanted to share with Octavia, and I would have moved mountains to obtain it.
My mother opened the door to their home. She looked beautiful, as always, like a runway model in her cream, knee-length silk dress that hung off her shoulders and gold open-toed
Jimmy Choos. Her mocha-colored skin looked smooth and refreshed. Running her fingers through her short, tapered hair, she flashed her gray eyes at me. “DJ, darling,” she purred, throwing her arms around my neck. “What a pleasant surprise!”
“You look beautiful, Mama,” I said sincerely, squeezing her tightly.
“Thank you, baby,” she said sweetly. “You look handsome, as always.”
“Good genes,” I said, returning her smile.
“Only the finest.”
“Where are my daughter and granddaughter?” she asked, stepping back to look past me.
“At home,” I said. “I had some business to take care of, and I decided to pop in on you and Pops before I head out tomorrow.”
Mama searched my face with her eyes. Touching her hand to her neck, she rubbed the sparkling ruby hanging from the platinum chain around her neck. “Is everything all right?” she asked; like many mothers, it was as if she could see right through me, the way a fortune teller might see through a crystal ball. I could tell by her expression that she knew something was on my mind.
“Everything is fine,” I lied. “Just feeling a little guilty.”
“Guilty? About what?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“That I’ve been here for a while but am just now stopping in to see my family.” This time, it was only partially untrue.
“Um,” she said, cutting her eyes at me, “I raised you better than that.”
“I know,” I said, kissing her cheek, “and I apologize.”
“Just don’t let it happen again. Always remember, family first.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smile. “Where is Dad?” I asked.
“Out on the golf course with some colleagues,” she said, rolling her eyes, “trying to make the ninetieth hole or whatever it is they do.”
I laughed and shook my head. Unless it involves shopping or spending money, Mama couldn’t care less about my father’s hobbies. She is a true diva, and she will undoubtedly be one until the day she died.
“Do you have time to sit for a moment?” Mama asked.
