Playing the Hand You're Dealt

by Trice Hickman

  Samantha and I had spent every birthday together since we were nineteen. No matter where we were or what we were doing, we made sure we were together on our shared day. And because we would be spending this year at a party that neither of us wanted to attend, we decided to celebrate tonight. But that was before Tyler came back on the scene.When Samantha called me earlier today to confirm our date, I told her that we could hang out at another time. I knew she wanted to spend as much time with Tyler as she could before he returned to Atlanta. But she insisted that we keep our dinner date.

  “We can have dinner next week,” I told her. “You and Tyler need to spend time together while you can. Besides, we’ll see each other tomorrow night at our party.”

  “Emily, I don’t know why you’re trippin’,” Samantha said. “Men can come and go, but a true girlfriend, a sister, can never be replaced. Tyler and I can spend time together after I get home. Tonight, you and I are gonna have some good drinks and a great time.”

  She was the best friend I could ever have. “Samantha, I love you! Thanks for sacrificing your evening with Tyler just to hang out with little ol’ me.”

  “Girl, no man will ever come between us.”

  My palms sweated as my mind flashed to images of Ed. I hoped Samantha would remember those words because I had a feeling they would be tested sooner than she thought.

  Chapter 18

  Samantha . . .

  A Big Mistake

  I woke up this morning feeling as if I was on a cloud. But it wasn’t because today was the start of the weekend, or because it was one day away from my birthday. I was floating because Tyler and I had confessed our love for each other and had spent the last six days making up for the last six years. He cooked me breakfast from the groceries he picked up yesterday. I tried to help, but ended up burning the toast. He said it was okay, scraped off the black crusty parts, and slathered on some jam. He was so sweet.

  After we ate,Tyler headed over to the convention center for his final day of meetings and I called Emily to give her the skinny on my evening. She couldn’t talk long because she had to start her class, but she was just as happy for me as I was for myself. She even wanted me to cancel our pre-birthday celebration tonight so I could spend time with Tyler. She was one of the most considerate people I knew. But I told her no way. As many times as she’d been there for me, I wouldn’t dream of leaving her hanging. We had a true friendship. Even though her love life was in the toilet, she was ecstatic that I had finally reunited with the man of my dreams. It’s hard to find people who want more for you than they have for themselves.

  After we finished our conversation I got dressed and prepared to start my day. I was on my way out the door for a sales call to my new client at Bloomingdale’s when I heard my cell phone ring. I usually ignored calls that came in unknown, but for some reason I decided to pick up. “Hello?” I said. I could hear the person breathing on the other end, but they didn’t say anything. I was about to hang up just as I heard Carl’s voice.

  “You got everything moved in?” he asked.

  I had blocked his number to avoid his calls, but now he’d circumvented that. It was something he was good at. He must have been calling on one of those pre-paid, non-traceable phones.Two years ago when he had to “get ghost” for a few months until some trouble blew over, his cousin, Ronnie, delivered one of those nondescript phones to me so Carl and I could communicate.

  I prayed that Carl would just go away, but I knew that would never happen because even though we weren’t good at it, we were parents, and our son would always keep us in each other’s lives. But with all that said, I didn’t have time for Carl’s drama, especially since things had been going so well in my life without him. “Why do you keep calling me?” I asked.

  “Why you got that chump all up in yo crib?”

  I was silent for a moment.

  “You fuckin’ ol’ boy or what?”

  I put my handbag down, eased over to the window, and peered through my miniblinds. My face grew hot with anger when I saw Carl’s shiny black Escalade parked directly across the street. “What the hell are you doing? Spying on me?” I yelled through the phone.

  “Answer my fuckin’ question.”

  “I don’t have to answer shit. This is my house and my life, and I’ll have whoever I want in both!”

  “You makin’ a big mistake, Sam. A big mistake,” he said calmly.

  Just then it occurred to me that Carl hadn’t raised his voice once, not even when he cursed at me. I knew him well, and this was very strange and very wrong, so I decided to come at him a different way. “Listen, Carl. I don’t want any trouble with you. We had some good times while they lasted, but now it’s over. All I want to do is be happy and get on with my life. Please let me do that.”

  As if from out of nowhere, Carl flew into a rage, just like he did last month at the restaurant. “That new crib you got and that new life you tryin’ to lead can be over befo’ yo ass can blink,” he yelled into the phone.

  Oh, hell no! This fool had the nerve to threaten me for a second time. I was so pissed I forgot about trying to play nice. I had to bring this nonsense to a stop. “If you think you can make idle threats and get away with it, you’ve got another think coming. How about I blink my ass right over to the police station and let them know that Carl Tyrone Thomas of 1003 South Place just communicated a verbal threat to me and—”

  The next thing I heard was silence on my end of the phone and the sound of Carl’s tires speeding away outside. I watched as his truck made a right turn at the end of my block before he disappeared from sight.

  I sank down onto my coach, slightly shaken. Just when I thought my life was finally headed in the right direction, a monkey wrench was thrown into the mix. “Well, I can’t do anything sitting here on this couch,” I said aloud. I gathered my handbag, put on my game face, and hit the door.

  After Carl’s threatening phone call I went to see my clients like a good corporate employee, completed my paperwork, and sent e-mails to several new customers. Then, after I finished taking care of business, I headed to the police station. I was intent on getting Carl out of my life once and for all. But as I sat in my car, ready to go inside to file my complaint, a wave of second thoughts suddenly bombarded me. I knew that if I led the police to Carl’s door he’d be furious and would retaliate in some way. The police were to Carl what doughnuts were to fashion models—the unthinkable! He was the only criminal I knew who’d never had the slightest brush with the law. It was an amazing feat, considering the fact that he was a black man who sold drugs for a living.

  I wasn’t sure what he would do to get back at me because he had been acting so strange and unpredictable lately. But what I did know was that Carl was very capable of starting some real shit, and he would probably try to drag Tyler into it. The thought made my stomach queasy. Then a more disturbing realization popped into my head, one that I had completely forgotten. Carl had a few officers in his pocket whom he paid to make his problems go away, one of the reasons why he’d never had trouble with the law. I remembered hearing his cousin, Ronnie, casually tell him that a few of their guys on the inside were going to need a little increase in order to keep looking the other way. At the time I pretended that I didn’t understand what they meant. But growing up in a house that was ruled by the law, I knew the real deal.

  I had to admit that I was a little worried because my initial theory was probably right. Carl might be using his own supply. What else could it be? Other than a woman, the only things that could make a man lose his mind, act irrational, and spin completely out of control were the loss of money or the use of drugs. And because Carl had plenty of loot and a few hoochies tucked away on the side to keep him happy, it had to be the drugs. If that was the case, this was a situation from which the police couldn’t protect me. Being around Carl over the years had taught me that much. So I pulled out my phone and hit Emily on speed dial.

  “Hey, Samantha, what’s—”

 
; “What time will you be home?” I asked, cutting her off.

  “In about ten minutes. Why, what’s wrong? Did you change your mind about going out tonight?”

  I could hear the concern in Emily’s voice, but I didn’t want to go into too much over the phone. “I’m on my way to your place now and I’ll tell you when I get there.”

  I hung up the phone, flipped on my turn signal, and headed straight to Emily’s house.

  “This is what I was worried about when we spoke the other night,” Emily said to me. “Samantha, you’ve got to go to the authorities. Carl is dangerous, and the police can protect you from him.”

  We were sitting on Emily’s cushiony soft sofa. The aromatic smell of patchouli-scented candles and the soothing effect of her sienna-colored walls made me almost forget about my troubles. I took a sip of my Coke and shook my head. My naïve best friend still didn’t understand, even after I had explained everything to her.

  “The police have been trying to pin something on Carl for years but nothing ever sticks, and you know why?” I said, pausing as Emily looked on with anxiety. “Because Carl has officers in his pocket. If I file a complaint against him they’ll be dialing his cell before I walk out the door.”

  Emily sat her cup of green tea on the coffee table in front of us, shaking her head with worry. “There’s got to be something you can do.”

  “There is, I just haven’t figured it out yet.”

  “I knew it. This is the danger that Ruben spoke of. It’s got to be.”

  “What’re you talking about?”

  Emily tucked her legs under her hips, adjusting into a more comfortable position as she began to tell me about the premonition that Ruben had shared with her. Before I met Emily, I’d never heard of people with the gift, but where she grew up it wasn’t uncommon for people to claim to have the power to see into the future and talk with spirits. It must be a Southern thing. In the city we called them psychics or scam artists. I remembered during our freshmen year of college, Emily told me about an old woman in her neighborhood who possessed such powers. I thought it was a crock of shit, but you couldn’t convince my girl that the woman wasn’t legit.

  I loved Emily to death, but right now I couldn’t get sucked into her or Ruben’s supernatural foolishness. I had real-life issues to deal with. “Emily, I know you believe in that crap, but I don’t. Yes, Carl is dangerous, and yes, he’s been acting strange lately. But I honestly don’t think he’d bring physical harm to me.”

  “What makes you so sure? Samantha, he threatened you!”

  “When it comes to me, Carl is all talk. If he really wanted to hurt me he would’ve done it this morning after Tyler left. But he didn’t. Instead, he called me up and talked shit. He’s just jealous and he’s having a hard time dealing with the fact that I’m finally moving on for good this time.”

  Emily let out a deep breath. “This doesn’t sound good. Carl could fly into a fit of rage and snap, then you’d be six feet under.”

  “He’s not going to kill me.”

  “Didn’t he tell you that your life could be over before you could blink?”

  I sighed. “His threats are just that, threats. I know that Carl is capable of a lot of things, but he’d never physically harm me. His ego is bruised because I rejected him, but he’ll eventually get over it. I just have to make sure that he doesn’t start any drama in the meantime.”

  “I don’t think you should take his threats lightly,” Emily said.

  I nodded, full of lukewarm confidence. “I understand your concern, but trust me on this. Besides, once I mentioned that I would file a police report, you should’ve seen how fast he made tracks trying to get as far away from me as he could. He’s got a few officers on the take, but not all of them.”

  “Samantha, I warned you to be careful around Carl when I first got here, and now Ruben has predicted that someone I love is in serious danger and could lose their life. That someone has to be you, and I’m very afraid.”

  I patted Emily’s arm, trying to calm her—and myself. “Don’t worry about a thing.You’ve been through a lot this year and I don’t want you upset at a time that we should both be celebrating. I’m sorry I even mentioned this nonsense.”

  “It’s not nonsense, Samantha. I don’t think you understand how serious this is.”

  “What I understand is that tomorrow we’ll be entering into an exciting new phase of our lives, and we’re going to celebrate with each other like we always do, in spite of my mother’s ridiculous party. And I understand that you haven’t been laid in months and I’m going to make sure that you meet somebody fine at the party who can rock your world!”

  Slowly, I was able to get a smile out of Emily and then a laugh. I changed the subject, teasing her until we both howled. It felt good to laugh after having such a shitty day. I thought about how things had gone downhill since breakfast, and I hoped this evening would make up for it.

  Chapter 19

  Emily . . .

  I Didn’t Want to Test It

  I changed into an outfit more appropriate for a night out on the town. I was usually the designated driver, but it was unanimous that both Samantha and I needed to drown our sorrows and continue our laughs over heavy doses of margaritas.We knew that after a night of drinking we would have to find alternate transportation, and because she lived closer to the Metro, we got in her car and headed to her place.When we walked through her door,Tyler was already there.

  “Hey, hon, how did your last meeting go?” Samantha asked as she leaned over and gave Tyler a kiss on his lips.

  I made a mental note that she must have given him a key.This was an unbelievable development because Samantha didn’t go for that. I remembered she told me once, “Girl, giving a man a key to your place is like asking for trouble. No man will ever be able to unlock my door unless there’s a ring on this finger.” Funny how time could change things.

  As I watched them, it occurred to me that no one would ever believe that Samantha and Tyler had reconnected just last week. They looked like your typical married couple who greeted each other at the end of a long day. Tyler was stretched out on the coach, typing on his laptop while eyeing ESPN on Samantha’s large plasma TV.

  “You ladies ready for your night out on the town?” Tyler asked.

  “We sure are.” Samantha smiled. “I’m gonna change and I’ll be back in a sec.”

  Samantha walked upstairs to her bedroom and I made myself comfortable on the other end of the couch from where Tyler sat. I really liked him. I knew Tyler through the wonderful things that Samantha told me about him when they first dated, and also through his association with my former student, Alexandria, the little girl with the gift. Ironically, Tyler was Alexandria’s godfather, and much like Samantha and me, he and Alexandria’s mother had been best friends since college. After Alexandria’s father’s heart attack, Tyler had stepped in, dropping her off and picking her up from school for a solid month until her parents resumed their normal schedule. I knew then that he was the kind of man Samantha needed in her life.

  “Emily, I’m really sorry to hear about your mother,”Tyler said, transferring his laptop to the coffee table. “I know what it’s like to lose your parents. So if you ever need to talk, just give me a ring. Sam can give you my number.”

  I smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Tyler. I really appreciate that.”

  My friend just might get that ring sooner than I thought because Tyler looked and sounded like he planned to be around for the long haul this time. We chatted while I continued to wait for Samantha. Thirty minutes later she emerged downstairs, looking the picture of urbane style at its best in her hot pink miniskirt, multicolored silk top, and a pair of sexy stilettos. Her tall, thin frame coupled with designer clothes and designer styled hair made her look as though she’d just stepped off a runway.

  “You look good, babe.”Tyler smiled.

  “You like?” Samantha asked as she spun around.

  All Tyler could do was laugh and s
hake his head.We both knew that Samantha was a big ham and a huge flirt.

  “Let’s head out,” Samantha said to me.

  Tyler grabbed his keys, stood, and walked toward the door. “No need for you lovely ladies to walk down to the Metro when I can drive you to the restaurant.”

  As I rode in the backseat of Tyler’s rental car and watched him and Samantha laugh and discuss their plans for the rest of the weekend, I suddenly realized that she was right. My love life was in the pits! It was September, and I hadn’t had sex since January, and that was only because I’d been so distraught after mom’s funeral that I had welcomed Bradley’s physical comfort one cold, lonely night. But other than that, I’d been as dry as an empty well. And now that I didn’t have to focus on grieving, moving, or starting a new job, I was acutely aware of my lack of, and longing for, physical companionship.

  As much as I daydreamed about Ed, and in spite of what Ms. Marabelle and Ruben had told me, I knew deep down that a relationship with him could never be. To say nothing of the fact that he was my best friend’s father, he was also a married man. I thought about the conversation I’d had with Ms. Gerti last weekend and I realized that she had been right, too. If I crossed the line, I had to be prepared for the consequences.As I watched Samantha smile with happiness, I knew that I couldn’t live with her likely disapproval if I became involved with Ed.

  Samantha talked about her mother with the annoyance of someone battling a toothache. But I knew my friend. For all her chutzpah and tough talk she really did want her mother’s approval. I remember once in college we were talking about our futures and what we wanted to do with our lives. I told her that I wanted to be a teacher like my mother, and I never forgot the look on Samantha’s face—like a little lost child—and her words that followed, “I wish I had a relationship with my mother like you have with Ms. Lucille.”