by Mz. Robinson
“Well no,” Amel said, laughing. “She’s a mama’s girl if anything, but all the rest of what you just said is true.”
“Then the answer is no,” I said quickly.
“But there is something you should know.”
“Mm-hmm,” I said, shaking my head. “I don’t care if she offered you a million dollars, we’re not going to do it.”
“Come on, boss,” Amel begged, clasping her hands together.
It was then that I noticed the diamond glistening on her ring finger.
Smiling brightly, she wiggled her left hand out in front of me. “Not even for me?” she asked. The smile on her face stretched further.
I grabbed her hand to admire the rock. “You?” I asked happily.
“Yes!” she giggled. “Tarik popped the question!”
Tarik was one of my former employees, one of my ultra-fine employees. At six-eight, he had mounds of muscle and a milk-chocolate complexion. He worked for me as a bouncer until he opened his own private security service. He and Amel had been dating for about a year.
“Congratulations, Amel!” I said, genuinely happy for the two of them.
“Thank you,” she said. The smile remained on her face as she went into detail about Tarik’s proposal and their plans to have a private ceremony on the lake, followed by a large reception at The Ambiance. “That is, if you will allow it,” she said. There was evidence of doubt and hope in her voice.
Looking at her, I smiled. “You know I will make an exception for you,” I said. “Just let me know the date and time.”
“Great!” Amel sounded relieved. “We’re planning on about 100 people for the reception, and we want the full catering package. Just name the price, and I’ll write you a check for the deposit.”
“Okay,” I said, pretending to hit the keys on the adding machine sitting on my desk. “Hmm…50 percent of zero is, uh…zero.”
“What?”
“Amel, I’ll do it for free,” I said. There was no way I was going to charge her. She was my right hand at The Ambiance, and I loved her.
“Octavia, I can’t let you do that.” She had tears in her eyes as she looked at me.
“You don’t have a choice in the matter,” I said. “Just give me your menu, the date, and the time.”
“Oh, thank you, Octavia,” Amel said humbly.
“No…thank you for allowing me this opportunity to do this for you and Tarik,” I said sincerely. “Is there anything else I can do?” I asked. I was willing to help Amel in any way possible. She had turned her life around and was on her way to a beautiful new beginning with Tarik. I was happy for her and wanted to show my support emotionally and financially, in any way I could.
“Just one more thing,” Amel said, dabbing at the tears that had made their way down her cheeks.
“Name it.”
“I want you to be at the wedding,” she said. “I mean, will you be my maid of honor?”
I was honored but completely surprised by Amel’s request. “Are you serious?” I asked, smiling.
“Tarik is my best friend,” she said, “and besides my mother, you are the only female I trust and have a genuine love for. So yes, I’m very serious,” she said.
“I would be honored,” I said sincerely.
After a peaceful silence, she said, “I keep asking him why he loves me,” and she shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Why wouldn’t he?” I asked, leaning forward in my chair. “You’re beautiful, intelligent, and one of the sweetest people I know.”
“And a former heroine junkie,” Amel said sadly. “Tarik could have any woman in the world.”
“But he chose you,” I said. “That’s all that matters. Your past is your past. Look at you today and just imagine where the two of you will be in the future. Amel, stop asking that man why he loves you and start celebrating the fact that he does.” I was speaking words that I once had to tell myself. I could not—or, better yet, didn’t want to—believe Damon truly loved me. What I discovered, however, is that when we stop questioning love and doubting whether or not we’re worthy of being loved, everything falls into place and goes according to plan. “And stop reminding yourself and Tarik of who you used to be,” I added.
Nodding her head, Amel smiled slightly. “Okay,” she said.
“Promise?”
“Promise.” She rose from her seat and began walking toward the door. “I almost forgot,” she said, turning to look at me. “A woman came in a couple days ago. She asked Tabitha if she could speak with the manager. When I went out to speak with her, she told me she wanted to compliment us on the service and the food.”
“That was nice,” I said, always happy to hear positive feedback from our patrons. I knew if he or she took the time to tell us how much they enjoyed dining at The Ambiance, they would take the time to tell their friends or colleagues the same.
“Yes, it was,” Amel said, “but after that, she started asking me strange questions.”
“Like what?” I asked curiously.
“She asked me about Beau and how he died,” Amel said flatly.
It had been nearly three years since Beau’s death, and I couldn’t imagine why anyone would be asking about him. “Hmm. Do you think it was someone who used to be friends with him?”
“I did, but then she asked me something else.”
“What?”
“About the incident at the grand opening of The Ambiance 2.”
That sent my radar up. After Kenny’s and Donna’s deaths at The Ambiance 2, reporters swarmed both of my establishments. If it hadn’t been for HPD repeatedly stating that the three deaths were in no way connected, I’m sure my businesses would have gone under. I assumed that whoever had questioned Amel was from the media and was trying to get their big break by finding a flaw in the system.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, rolling my eyes. “She was probably just a reporter, trying to get some juicy gossip.”
“True,” Amel agreed.
“See, Amel? That’s why I tell you to leave your past in the past,” I said, exhaling. “No matter what you do or where you go, there will always be someone who is more than happy to remind you of where you came from.”
Chapter 22
Damon
I hadn’t seen Donovan in weeks, and I have to admit that I missed him. I wished I could have both of my children in the same home, but that seemed impossible. I had spoken with him over the phone almost every day, and each time I felt more and more like shit—not just because I had assumed the role of a part-time father, but also because I was concealing the truth from my wife.
I tried to nonchalantly bring up the subject of men having children with other women just to see where her head was. After that conversation, I felt even more torn about telling her the truth.
The two of us were lying in bed when I brought it up. “Babe, a colleague of mine and I were talking about marriage and communication,” I said.
“Um, men discussing marriage alone?” she joked. “Was this a woman-bashing session?”
“Naw, never that,” I said. “Anyway, we were talking, and he was telling me about a dude he knows who found out he has a daughter by a woman he used to mess with.”
“Okay,” she said, looking at me.
“Well, the dude is married now, but his little girl is something like eight.”
“How long has he been married?”
“Four years,” I said, “and the baby’s mother didn’t tell him about the baby until around six months ago. He had no idea he had a child by her.”
“That’s trifling,” Octavia commented. “So now she wants to pop up with their daughter?”
“Well, the woman claimed she didn’t know for sure that he was the father,” I said.
“Do you think she’s lying?” she asked.
“According to him, they had a DNA test done, and he’s the father.”
Her eyes were wide. “Wow,” she said. “How did his wife take the news?
”
“That’s the issue,” I said. “He hasn’t told her yet. That’s why he wanted to talk to me about it. He isn’t sure what to do.”
“What?” Octavia was wearing an expression of utter disgust. “How could he not tell her?”
“Well, he says that before the two of them got married, she expressed some, uh, well less-than-appealing views about men having outside children.”
“I can understand that,” she said. “I mean, I thought Kenny was the scum of the Earth for having a child with Alicia. But the truth is, I didn’t like how the situation played out. Shontay found out over the telephone. I mean, yeah, he cheated, but he could have put it on the table. How in the hell did he think he was going to be able to keep that kind of secret?”
I had forgotten the entire story behind Kenny and Alicia and how the news of Kenny fathering Alicia’s child was unveiled. According to Octavia, Shontay had her check a number that Kenny was calling daily, and Kiya, Kenny and Alicia’s daughter, answered the phone. Kenny was there and took the phone from her. That was how Shontay discovered Kenny had a child; she heard Kiya call her husband Daddy. At that point, Kenny had no other choice but to fess up.
“Think about it,” Octavia continued. “Telling her would have been bad, but waiting for…wait, how long has he known now?”
“Six months.”
“Waiting for six months is ten times worse,” she continued. “There’s probably been 100 different opportunities for him to tell her, yet he hasn’t. She’ll probably flip out and question everything he says from here on out, and I can’t say as though I’d blame her.”
“You’re probably right,” I said, pulling her into my arms. I took a deep breath then slowly exhaled. I didn’t comment any further, seeing as though it was totally unnecessary.
As for Nadia, she kept her conversation with me brief. I could hear in her voice that she was still pissed about what had taken place at my parents’ home. Granted, putting my hands around her neck was the wrong thing for me to do, but her agreeing to stay away from me while knowing she would never be able to do so was just as wrong.
Since returning home from my visit with Donovan, I had been spoiling Octavia with gift after gift. I didn’t mind in the least, as she is worth every dime and then some. I had another surprise planned for her that I could hardly way to give her, a gift I had been promising her for a while. I had finally decided to take the time to make good on my promise. I was in my office wrapping up details of a business deal when I received a surprise visit. “Come in,” I said, after hearing a knock on my office door.
“Sorry to disturb you,” Louisa said as she opened the door, “but you have a visitor.”
I glanced at my Rolex and saw that it was a quarter till four p.m. I knew I had to be out of my office no later than four thirty so I could pick up Octavia’s gift before five. “Who is it Louisa?” I asked patiently. I had fulfilled all my appointments for the day, and I was clueless as to who could be there to see me.
“A very charming young man.” Louisa smiled. “He says he works for you.”
“What’s his name?” I asked, looking down at my watch. I always tried my best to make time for my employees, but at that moment, I was completely focused on my wife, trying to make sure I’d be able to surprise her like I’d planned.
“Kelly.” Louisa smiled like she’d hit all six numbers and the damn Power Ball on top of it. “Kelly Baker.”
I wondered what Kelly could possibly want and why he suddenly felt the need to pay me a visit at work. “You can let him in,” I said.
A few seconds later, Kelly strolled into my office, dressed like he was heading to an office of his own. He had on a dark suit and a dark pair of Stacy Adams. “Thank you for seeing me,” he said, extending his hand to me.
“No problem,” I said, offering a firm shake. “Have a seat. I see the cast is off,” I said, observing that Kelly’s cast and sling were now gone.
“Yes, I just left the doctor,” he said, sitting down across from me. “It feels a little funny, but it’s good to have two working arms again.”
“I know it is,” I agreed.
“Listen, I know you’re busy,” Kelly said, leaning forward in his seat. “I just wanted to tell you that I had a job interview earlier and I got a job. After I finish the garden at your home, I will be teaching at Monrovia Elementary.”
“Congratulations!” I said sincerely.
“Thank you,” he said, bobbing his head. “I appreciate that. I also want to thank you for your hospitality and everything you and your wife have done for me.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, “but to be honest, all the credit should go to Octavia.”
Kelly looked away for a second then said, “Yeah, she is something special—a very kind-hearted woman. She’s a rare find in this world.”
It wasn’t Kelly’s words that sent my radar up, but the way he was saying them. He sounded far too jealous for my taste. “The world is full of good women,” I told him. “You just have to find yours.”
“Maybe,” he said. “How did you do it?”
“What do you mean?”
“How is it that you lucked out and found that one?” he questioned. “She’s so beautiful, talented, and giving.”
“I guess I was in the right place at the right time,” I said. Leaning forward, I clasped my hands together on the desk in front of me.
“Almost sounds too good to be true,” he said, running his hand over the hair on his chin. “I mean, Octavia told me the story of how you two got together, but it almost sounds like a fairytale. It’s so…perfectly calculated. Shit!” He laughed. “In my mind, for something to go down like that—I mean, to find that happily ever after—a man would almost have to make it happen himself.”
My conversation with Lawrence ran through my mind. Is there something more to Kelly that we missed? “I believe a man has to go for what he wants,” I said calmly. “If you leave things to chance, you can end up empty-handed and assed out.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to remember that,” Kelly said in a tone that sounded slightly threatening. “Go for what you want? Yeah, I can do that.” He stood and adjusted his jacket. “Anyway, I better get going,” he said. “I won’t be around for a few days, if that’s all right with you.”
“That’s fine,” I advised him. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh, everything is good,” he said. “I’m just going to dip out of town for a minute and visit an old friend. I figure I better do it now before my schedule gets too hectic.”
“Understandable,” I said.
“Well, thank you for your time, and please tell Octavia I apologize.”
“Apologize? For what?” I asked.
“Oh…” he said with raised eyebrows. “For not telling her first about my new job.”
“Why don’t you just tell her yourself?” I asked curiously. He and Octavia had a much closer connection than I had with the man, so it seemed odd for him to suddenly ask me to serve as the middleman and relay messages.
“I just felt it would be too uncomfortable hearing it from me,” he said. “She’ll know what I’m talking about.” He turned and walked to the door.
“Kelly…”
He stopped at the door with his hand on the knob but didn’t turn around.
“There’s one thing about going after what you want,” I said. “Just make sure that whatever it is, it’s not already another man’s prize.”
He nodded and mumbled, “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
I sat at my desk staring at the door after he exited. My last statement to Kelly was more of a warning than just friendly advice.
***
After picking up Octavia’s gifts, I called to let her know I was heading home. I was still tripping off my conversation with Kelly, but I was not going to allow that to ruin my mood or what I had planned for my wife that night. “I’ll be home shortly,” I said over the phone.
“Okay, baby,” Octavia said in that sexy, ent
icing voice of hers. “I’ll be waiting in the dining room. Dinner will be done by the time you get here,” she added.
“Baby, you didn’t have to cook,” I said. “We could have ordered in.”
“I’m happy to cook for you,” she said. “You know I like my man to have home-cooked meals.”
I was thankful for that because the woman knows her way around the kitchen. However, I understood that she had a career and was a mother and was good at being both. I was delighted to come home and find my meals on the table, but I never wanted her to think it was mandatory. “You are the best, baby,” I said. “I love you, and I’ll see you when I get there.”
“Love you more,” she said.
I walked through the door carrying two dozen long-stemmed red roses in one hand and a gold envelope topped with a big red bow in the other.
Dinner was waiting for me in covered dishes on our dining room table, where Octavia was sitting, dressed in a pink lace negligee that was nearly transparent and hugged her body like a glove. I took one look at her, and my man began to get hard. “Are those for me?” she asked sweetly.
“Only if you tell me that that,” I said, pointing at her, “is for me.”
She stood and walked around the table toward me. I noticed she was wearing pink platform heels. Her legs looked like they belonged on a runway—long and sculptured without an ounce of fat. “All yours,” she said. Cradling my face in her hands, she pressed her soft lips to mine. Then she pulled away and smiled sweetly
“Where’s Contessa?” I asked.
“At Kelly’s for the night,” she said. “Jasmine is upstairs sleeping, so the two of us can be as bad as we like.”
“Sounds good,” I said with a naughty smile.
“I’ll take those now,” she said, reaching for the roses and the envelope.
“You can have these,” I said, handing her the flowers, “but this has to wait until after dinner.” I teased her by holding up the envelope and wiggling it at her.
Poking her lip out, she frowned. “Fine,” she said, easing the negligee up to reveal her bare clean-shaven pussy. “You can’t have any of this until after dinner either then.”
