by Mz. Robinson
“If I remember correctly, that was after she caught you beating out her best friend.”
“Shit, her friend was fine as hell!” he yelled. “I told her about bringing those tramps in our home. The dumb bitch shoulda listened.”
I shook my head. Not only was Lawrence an arrogant, heartless prick sometimes, but he was quite possibly the most psychotic person I knew. I made a mental note that after that assignment, I would release him from my team. He simply wasn’t stable, and that can be a liability. “Listen, I’m in a hurry,” I said, changing the subject. The shower was no longer running, and I knew Octavia would be coming out of the bathroom any minute.
“What you need?”
“I need you to check out someone for me,” I began.
“A new bitch?” Lawrence laughed. “I knew the pimp in you wasn’t dead.”
I blew loudly into the phone. It didn’t matter how many times I told Lawrence that I was committed to my wife, he always seemed to think there was a glimmer of hope that one of us was going to step out on the other. There may have been things I kept from Octavia, but faithfulness was not nor ever would be one of them. “Just listen,” I said impatiently. I gave Lawrence Kelly’s name and the information Octavia had shared with me and told him to let me know what he could find on him. Despite Lawrence being a colossal asshole, he was good at what he did, and a name and a brief description was all he needed. The man could find anybody, even if they were underground, hiding in an unmarked grave.
***
I spent the rest of my day with my daughter. I enjoyed our father-daughter time, which included watching her play at the park, making a major mess feeding herself, and taking a nap on my chest. I wished she could always remain small so I could hold her in my arms and protect her from anything that came her way. Out of everything I’ve ever made or built, she is, without a doubt, my greatest creation. That evening, I treated her and my wife to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House then later treated my wife to a heaping helping of dessert in our bedroom.
After we shared a nice hot bath, I lay in bed watching Octavia as she dug through the pile of clothes I had taken on my trip, separating the ones she planned to take to the dry cleaners from those that would be washed at home. “I told you I could handle that, baby,” I stated.
“I got this, boo.”
I smiled. My wife was far from the typical housewife, but she definitely still took care of our home, and everything she did, she did well.
“So you approve of Ms. Contessa?” Octavia asked, looking over her shoulder at me.
“I do,” I said, reflecting on the conversation I’d had with the woman earlier. Contessa seemed sweet and spunky. She was also slightly feisty for an older woman. “I like her. She reminds me of my grandmother a little.”
Octavia turned around to look at me. “Who?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“My father’s mother.”
Octavia pouted her lips slightly then shook her head. “Odessa?” She frowned.
I laughed. “Yes, my sweetheart of a grandmother, Odessa.” My grandmother had made a less-than-favorable impression on Octavia when the two of them first met. In fact, my grandmother insisted that the only reason I wanted to marry her was because I had gotten her pregnant. At the time of their meeting, though, Octavia wasn’t pregnant; my grandmother just refused to accept that I was marrying someone outside of her best friend’s granddaughter. To this day, Octavia and my grandmother barely have two words to say to each other. Out of respect and love for me, they have been cordial to each other on the rare occasions when they were together; however, out of my respect and love for both women, I have never, nor will I ever demand that they be friends or even spend time together.
Octavia smacked her lips loudly. “A lie, don’t care who tells it,” I heard her mumble.
“I heard that!”
“I know you did,” she said sarcastically. “That’s why I said it aloud!” She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at me.
“Let’s agree to disagree.” I laughed. “You keep on with that shit, and I’m going to show you what to do with that tongue.”
“I agree to disagree,” she said, batting her eyes at me, “and if I remember correctly, I already showed you what I can do with this tongue.” She turned her back to me and continued sorting clothes.
“That you did,” I said. “I’m thinking Round 2.”
“Not a problem,” she said. “Let me finish this, and then I’m all yours.”
I settled in against the headboard, folding my arms behind my head. I closed my eyes and exhaled. It felt good to be home, back in my own bed. I was in my own zone, reflecting on the fact that it had been a good day.
“Baby, who is Lena Jasper?” I heard Octavia ask.
I opened my eyes and saw that she had her pretty brown eyes locked directly on me; she was waiting for my response. “Who, baby?” I asked slowly. I was in no way attempting to play stupid, but I did wonder how she knew about Lena.
“Lena Jasper,” she repeated, walking over to the edge of the bed. “Who is she?” she asked, “and why is she writing you checks for four grand?” She was holding the same check I had returned to Lena during my visit. It was obvious that Lena had slipped the check in my jacket when I had excused myself to use her bathroom.
“Ms. Jasper is a tenant of mine,” I said, sitting up straight. “I meant to deposit that.”
“Shame on you,” she said, laying the check on the nightstand.
“I know,” I said. “I was so anxious to get the trip over with so I could get home.”
“I understand, Mr. Whitmore,” she said, climbing into the bed. She straddled my waist and kissed me slowly. “However, we cannot forget to take care of our business and handle the money,” she whispered.
“It won’t happen again,” I said, rolling her over on her back.
I took my time making love to Octavia for the second time that night. After her climax was complete, she fell asleep on my chest, and I held her tightly in my arms. I lay in the darkness staring at the ceiling. My mind wondered what Lena was thinking slipping the check in my jacket, and I came to the conclusion that she probably assumed I would find it before I returned home. I could only assume it was an innocent gesture. As I ran my fingers down the curve of Octavia’s back, thoughts of Nadia and Donovan floated through my mind; I silently said a prayer asking God—no, begging Him—to please let Donovan be someone else’s child.
Chapter 16
Octavia
It was after ten when I arrived at The Ambiance 2, and to my delight, we were packed to capacity. My crew was holding me down, and everything was running smoothly. After walking through my establishment and greeting the patrons, I excused myself to the comfort of my office so I could focus on my paperwork and closing payroll.
I was sitting behind my desk going over numbers when Katlyn knocked on the door and came in carrying a large green and black gift basket. Katlyn was a pretty plus-sized cocoa-complexioned sister with dark brown eyes. She wore her naturally curly hair in a short, well-kept afro and had a beautiful smile. “Special delivery!” she announced.
The basket was covered in green cellophane and secured with a huge black satin bow. Smiling, I instructed her to sit the basket on the corner of my desk. “Is it from my hubby?” I asked, standing and immediately opening the gift.
“I’m not sure,” Katlyn said, shrugging her shoulders. “There’s no tag.”
I knew if the gift had been from my hubby, he would have included a card. Damon loved to surprise me, but he also loved to reap the rewards of my appreciation. “Strange,” I said, “but thank you, Katlyn.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. She flashed me her signature smile then exited the room.
The basket was filled with fancy-looking hair- and skincare products, everything from shampoos and conditioners to oils, lotions, and body butters. There were also two large scented candles that smelled like a mixture of vanilla and hazelnut. Each of the items had
a nice light scent, and the labels read “Salon Déjà Vu” and stated that they were made of all-natural products with no alcohol. I figured it was the owner’s way of marketing her business, and although I had never heard of the salon or the products, I was still thankful for the gift. I made a mental note to ask Mona, my hairstylist, about them when I went for my next appointment.
I was in the process of wrapping up my paperwork when Katlyn knocked again, this time to let me know I had a visitor. “Let him in, but only if he’s tall and handsome,” I teased, assuming my visitor was Damon.
“He’s definitely both.” Katlyn smiled, flashing her brown eyes at me.
I stood, ready to wrap my arms around my hubby’s neck; however, I was surprised to see Kelly instead of Damon. Smoothing my hand down the front of my Chanel suit, I sat back down.
“So you base your visits strictly on how good-looking the visitors are?” he asked, shutting the door behind him. He was carrying two rolled papers in his hand, along with a small pink bag.
“No.” I laughed lightly. “I just thought you were Damon.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” he said, “but if it makes things any better, I come bearing gifts.” He peeked over in the basket. “Not that you need any more of those, I can see.”
“Not disappointed, just surprised,” I said pleasantly. “And for the record, a woman can never have too many gifts! Now have a seat,” I ordered politely. I observed that Kelly looked extremely nice in the midnight-blue button-down shirt and dark slacks he was wearing. “How did you get here?” I asked.
“I drove,” he said, jingling his keys at me.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m teasing,” he said. “Caught a cab.”
“Not funny,” I said, shaking my head.
“Shouldn’t you be at home resting?” I questioned.
“Probably,” he said, exhaling, “but I have work to do.” He handed me the documents from his hand. “I had to put the design on two pieces of sketch paper because my pad wasn’t big enough,” he said, “but I think you get the idea.”
I unrolled the sketches and studied them. They were designs for a Japanese garden for the backyard. “I love these!” I said sincerely.
“Really?”
“Yes, I honestly do,” I said, studying every detail.
“I figure we could seclude the entire south corner of the property,” he said. “We could put up some trellises for a few climbing plants, plant flowering cherry trees or Japanese maples…hell, we can even have a pond with koi fish!” he continued excitedly. “Umm, stones and boulders, paper lanterns…”
I smiled as he rambled on and on, trailing off on a list of all things Japanese. “I love it!” I said, interrupting him. “I just love it. So this is what you’ve been spending your resting time on?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“It’s a wonderful idea,” I said, glancing over the designs again. “Once you’re up to it, price everything and just let me know. I’ll run it by Damon.”
“I’ll do that this evening.”
“Aren’t you tired?” I asked. “Wouldn’t you rather spend your time relaxing right now, while I’m still allowing you to use your injuries as an excuse?” I teased.
“Are you kidding me?” He shook his head. “I’m bored out of my mind. Besides, the best way to get over an injury is to get back to work.”
“Don’t you have friends or someone special you could spend some time with?” I asked, rolling up the sketches and securing them with a rubber band.
“I associate with very few people,” he said. “I find that the less friends a man has, the better off the man is.”
“I feel the same way about women,” I confessed. “The woman with a whole lot of female friends—”
“Has a whole lot of female problems!” Kelly finished.
I smiled and nodded my head, for he had taken the words right out of my mouth. “Exactly.”
“Well, I should let you get back to work,” he said, standing. “I just wanted to run my ideas by you and bring you this.” He extended the bag he had been carrying when he’d walked into the office.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking the bag from his hand.
“Open it.”
Doing as Kelly requested, I opened the bag and found a beautiful porcelain angel figurine inside it. As I held it delicately in my hand, I smiled. “It’s beautiful,” I said sincerely. The angel was painted with a beautiful cocoa-colored complexion and pretty pink wings. She wore a pink and white dress and was barefoot, sitting on a rock, as if she was looking over someone or pondering peacefully. Staring at her face, my smile grew wider. “It’s Jasmine!” I said in awe.
“Yeah. This guy I used to work with makes them,” Kelly said. “I showed him a picture of Jasmine, and he handcrafted it to look like her. I figured she could be your little guardian angel, watching over you while you work.”
The figurine was truly beautiful. I set it down on my desk and smiled again. “I love it, Kelly,” I said. “Thank you!” I probably had thousands upon thousands of expensive gifts at home and in my office, but I was really touched by Kelly’s. You can buy diamonds and gems at any mall, but what he had given me was rare, and it took time to create.
“You’re very welcome.” He smiled, revealing his beautiful white teeth. “I think she looks good right there on your desk.”
“I do too,” I agreed.
“You really like it?” he questioned, staring at me.
“Yes, absolutely,” I said.
“I didn’t know what to get the woman who has everything,” he said, “but I wanted to show my gratitude for everything you’ve done for me.”
“I don’t have everything, Kelly,” I said softly, “but I am blessed, and no matter what I have, I’m always very thankful for the little things.” I meant every word I said to Kelly that day. Despite the fact that Damon and I are well off, I still take pleasure in the basics, and I still love receiving gifts, no matter what they cost.
“And I’m very thankful for you,” Kelly said.
There was a gap of silence between the two of us as we looked into each other’s eyes.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
Chapter 17
Damon
I wanted to make sure Kelly was on the up and up, handling his business properly, so I enlisted Lawrence to check him out. To my satisfaction, Lawrence hadn’t caught him slipping once. After two weeks of nothing, I decided to give my investigation a rest. “Here’s what I owe you,” I said, sliding a plain brown envelope across my desk toward Lawrence. The envelope contained $25,000, a small fee to pay to ensure that the man sleeping right under my family wasn’t some kind of pervert or a criminal.
Slipping the envelope off the desk, Lawrence smiled. “Always a pleasure doing business with you.” He stuffed the envelope in the inside pocket of his Armani jacket and then reclined in his chair. “I’m glad your boy was clean.”
“Yeah, you and me both,” I said.
“But what I don’t understand is why in the hell you allowed your wife to move his ass in yo’ shit?” Lawrence shook his head. “You could have saved yourself some damn money.”
“He’s our nanny’s nephew,” I said nonchalantly. “The brother has been taking some hard hits lately, and Octavia feels sorry for him.”
“The good thing is he’s up and moving, and he’ll be moving into his own place soon.”
Kelly stated he was feeling better more and more each day. Although he still had a cast on his arm, he was up and working every day. He had started work on the project he had presented to Octavia, and it looked like it was going to be a nice addition to our property. When Octavia told me about Kelly’s idea for the garden, I agreed to fund it, no questions asked. I could tell she loved it, and whatever she wanted, I was willing to buy. Although Kelly hadn’t given me any problems and he was doing a good job, I still preferred him to be out of my guesthouse as soon as possible, even if it meant I had to pay for his n
ew residence, something I’d already agreed to do.
“Something don’t make sense though,” said Lawrence. “If the brother has a degree and his work history checked out, why the hell is he planting daisies and water lilies for y’all? That shit just don’t add up.”
“The brother just wants to work,” I said, “but you speak like you feel like there’s more.”
Lawrence leaned forward in his chair and shrugged.
“You saying you missed something?” I questioned.
“I didn’t miss shit,” he said, cocking his head to side. “What I am saying is that I been making shit happen for a very long time, and I know things don’t just fall into place. There is always a mutherfucka like me hiding in the shadows, making it happen, and a lot of times we’re making it happen for a mutherfucka like you.”
I processed what Lawrence was saying and responded, “Well, I’ma chill for now. Like I said, it’s one more week. Until then, I’ll keep my eyes on him.”
“All right,” Lawrence said, nodding his head.
I was in a very good mood, especially since my day had started out on a very positive note. First, my wife woke me up with some good-morning head, and second, despite his reservations, Lawrence announced that Kelly’s background check had come out clean. Plus, I’d arrived at work and discovered that our numbers had gone up and my money was making me even more money. Things couldn’t have been better.
There was a tap on my office door.
“Come in!” I said.
“Mail call,” Louisa said, entering through my office door. She handed me a stack of envelopes then quietly exited as quickly as she came in.
I shuffled the envelopes from one hand to the other until I saw “DNA Diagnostics Center” printed on the upper right corner of one of them.
“I’ve got to make a move,” Lawrence said, standing. “Call me when you need me.”
I nodded my head, silently acknowledging Lawrence’s request while focusing on the envelope. Once Lawrence was gone, I ripped the envelope open and stared at the results in front of me. Tossing the printout on my desk, I shook my head. I ran my hand across my chin and tried to come to terms with what the results had to say about the rest of my life.
