by Day, Zuri
“I left my keys on your coffee table.”
“Oh, and you think I’m going to give them to you before you finish your workout.”
“I’m through working out; at least with you. Look Night, this was obviously a bad idea. I’m too lazy for your workout and too old for games.”
“Who said you were lazy?”
“If you’ll just get me my keys, please, I’ll make sure not to take up any more of your precious time.”
Night made no move to get her keys or move away from the door so she could get them. Instead, he incensed her further by leaning casually against his door frame and casting his famous megawatt smile.
“I’m not going to let you quit on me.”
“Give me my keys, Night.”
“Give me ten minutes.”
“Look, I’m not playing; give me my damn keys or I’ll call the police.”
“And I’ll tell them I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about; not until you give me ten.”
“Ooh, I can’t believe this,” D’Andra yelled. Now she was mad for real. “What business is it of yours if I work out or not?”
“You made it my business when you agreed to let me be your personal trainer. I’ve started this job and I’m going to finish it. Good health should be a habit, not a hobby!”
“Look, Mister Know-It-All, you’re not the only one who’s trying to be healthy. I’ve decided to get in shape and I’m going to do it. I don’t need you preaching to me, and I don’t need you to reach my goals. I know you wish you’d been able to save your aunt but she’s dead and gone; helping me won’t bring her back!”
Anybody watching would have sworn that time stood still in this moment. The pain that slowly made its way across Night’s face was palpable enough to touch. He slowly backed away from the door, turned his back and waited for her to get her keys and leave.
D’Andra wished the floor could have swallowed her up. She regretted the words before they were fully out of her mouth. But it was too late to change them and too late to take them back. She rushed up behind him.
“Night, I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean that. Night?” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He reacted as if her flesh was fire. “Get your shit and get out.”
“Night, please, I’m really, really sorry. That was way out of line and I…I don’t know what possessed me to say something so mean.”
Before she knew it months of pain, encased in tears, began spilling out all over Night’s hardwood floor.
“I’m not trying to excuse what I said, Night, but I am truly sorry. I should be the last person in the world to say something to hurt somebody else. Words have been used against me all my life.”
Night was as still as a statue. D’Andra figured that as long as he wasn’t talking he wasn’t kicking her out. She went on in a voice barely above a whisper.
“I’m more like your aunt than I want to admit. A couple weeks ago, I, well, I ended up in the emergency room at MLK Medical. I’ve had Type II diabetes for almost two years now and some family drama’s been going down that caused my blood pressure to shoot sky high. It was borderline high anyway…guess it didn’t take much to send my numbers into the stratosphere.”
Night’s only movement was to cross his arms, his back still toward her. He didn’t say a word.
D’Andra slowly walked over and retrieved her keys, then over to the front door. But she couldn’t leave, not without trying once more to make him understand her pain.
“That’s not the half of it though, the reason for my anger. My ex-boyfriend was a real asshole, Night—”
“I’m not your ex-boyfriend. I thought we were becoming friends.” He finally turned to face her.
“We are, at least I hope we still are after the horrible way I’ve acted. But I took all kinds of crazy shit from him and now I’m taking it from my family and I guess your snapping at me…it just caught me wrong, that’s all. I know you don’t understand. I can imagine things have always gone well for you. You probably have no idea what it’s like to—”
“To what?” Night asked, fixing D’Andra with a penetrating stare. “To get pissed off? To be mistreated? To not be liked? To get dogged? You think you’ve cornered the market on feeling bad, D’Andra? You think when you cut me I don’t bleed?”
He fired these questions at her as he walked to within inches of her face.
D’Andra was at the door and couldn’t back up. For the first time since this argument started, she tried to lighten the mood.
“Come on, Night, you can probably count the times on one hand that someone’s treated you badly. I mean, look at you. You probably can get almost anything you want.”
Night looked at D’Andra for what seemed an endless moment. She wanted to flee but couldn’t, frozen as much by his probing gaze as by the door’s proximity. Suddenly she was aware of everything about him: the heat that seemed to radiate from his body, the curl of his thick lashes, the small dimple on the left side of his mouth, the beginnings of a five o’clock shadow on his chin. She licked her lips subconsciously, barely daring to breathe.
Night followed the flick of D’Andra’s tongue as it moistened her generous lips. He took in the subtle floral scent from her clothes that threatened to intoxicate him, the dilated pupils surrounded by hazel irises, the soft glow of sweat that still clung to her neck and down her generous cleavage, the slow rise and fall of her breasts as she awaited his response.
“Anything I want, huh?” he asked breathlessly.
D’Andra nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Well then get down those stairs and give me twenty and ten extra minutes.” He moved in closer still, his hard chest grazing her chest. “Let’s go!” he said softly, daring her to not obey his command.
For the next ten minutes, the only words spoken were Night’s resolute directives: push, tighter, higher, one more. D’Andra’s only sound was moderate and sometimes heavy breathing as she did sit-ups, squats and work with straps and an exercise ball. She was determined to finish the workout if it killed her; even as the reason for her doing so was because she wanted to live.
Finally he indicated they were ready for the cool down. “I knew you could do it,” he said, his first gentle verbiage. “It may sound like I’m being hard on you but it’s not personal I assure you; it’s all for your good.”
“I know,” D’Andra said.
Night directed her to the mat on the other side of the room. “We’re going to cool down with light stretches. Remember stretching after the workout is as important as stretching before. You want to keep your muscles long and supple; make your body line fluid and tight. He joined her on the floor, his legs in a v-shape in front of him.
“Spread your legs as wide as you can and grab my hands,” he instructed.
“Your legs are so long.” D’Andra became self-conscious again as she worked to widen her legs that refused to spread. “That’s as far as I can stretch them.”
Night placed a foot just inside each of her knees, leaned forward, grabbed her hands and began to push gently. “Trust me, D’Andra; I’m not going to push you too hard.” He applied slightly more pressure. D’Andra’s legs parted another inch on each side.
“Ooh, Night, that hurts.”
“Hurts so good, doesn’t it?”
“Not…really.”
“So tell me about this ex that had you biting my head off.” He spoke conversationally as he continued to coax her legs farther apart.
“There’s nothing to tell. He cheated on me with another woman and is out of my life. I’m better off without him.”
“Good job,” Night said. “No, you stay down, and lie back. I’m going to finish stretching you.” Night took D’Andra’s leg and pressed it gently up and over her head. “What was so bad about him?”
“Everything. I really don’t want to talk about him. I’m trying to put the past behind me, focus on myself. It’s all about me right now.”
Night
chuckled. “I hear ya.”
“Yeah, I bet you do.” D’Andra’s words were tempered by a smile.
“Oh, so it’s like that; you think I’m one of those conceited, self-centered jocks with a BlackBerry full of numbers and ice running in my veins.”
“Pretty much.”
They both laughed at that one; D’Andra didn’t really believe it even though with his looks it could be totally true.
“Well, Ms. Smalls, once again, you’d be wrong.” He switched to the other leg and continued stretching her muscles. “Like you, I’m trying to focus. It’s all about me right now; me and opening my gym.”
D’Andra knew she shouldn’t venture down intimate avenue but couldn’t resist. “Well, I know your woman is in your corner. She must be very proud of you.”
Night smiled at D’Andra’s obvious probe. “Yeah, my woman is very proud of me.”
D’Andra didn’t know why the information bothered her. She knew he had somebody, probably several somebodies.
“That’s good,” she said, and tried to sound like she meant it.
Night reached for D’Andra’s hand and helped her up. “But mothers are like that when it comes to their sons…proud.”
A thrill shot through her heart as she hid a smile. Am I to believe this man is unattached? She immediately berated herself for the thought and the feeling. Who he had was none of her business. If she wasn’t careful, her muscles weren’t the only ache he’d leave her with.
“Make sure to take a hot shower when you get home; even better if you can soak in a Jacuzzi,” Night said, as they made their second, and much more peaceful, ascent up the stairs. “Good work today.”
“Thank you,” D’Andra said, and she meant it. “And please, please forgive me for the comment earlier. It was totally out of line and I apologize.”
“It’s already forgotten. What time are you going to Bally’s this weekend?”
“Um, I don’t know.” Whatever time you’re not there. Seeing him two days a week was torture enough, especially in the private confines of his home. She had accepted that for the foreseeable future she’d be alone, until she got herself together. There was no use pretending she wasn’t attracted to the man. No use flirting with danger.
“Then I’ll see you for sure next Tuesday.”
“Yep, see you then.”
“I look forward to it, D’Andra. Looks like we’re in similar places in our lives; you’re focused on getting healthy, and I’m focused on making people healthy with my own gym. And I don’t know about you, but I could use a good friend right about now. What do you say?” He lifted his water bottle in a toast. “To friendship?”
D’Andra lifted hers in response. “To friendship.” She refused to examine the heaviness that replaced the thrill in her heart. Because she knew if she looked into truth, she’d have to admit that she wanted Night to be more of a FWB—a friend with benefits. And personal training wasn’t the benefit she had in mind.
7
D’Andra awoke to a steady thump, thump sound followed by a drone of chatter. At first she thought it was her neighbor, and then she realized the muted yet very discernible hip-hop beats were playing in her house. She threw back her comforter and stomped up the stairs to the bedrooms on the second floor. Her bedroom door was locked.
“Cassandra! Cassandra! Why do you have this door locked? Turn that music down and open this door!”
The music kept playing. D’Andra kept knocking. She was livid. Cassandra knew D’Andra slept between eight-thirtyish and three, and then took another short nap, if she was tired and could grab it, right before going to her eleven P.M. shift. The living room clock read two-thirty P.M. Their mother obviously wasn’t home. Loud rap music was the one thing Mary Smalls didn’t allow, not even from her favorite daughter.
“Cassandra!”
The music stopped abruptly. “There. Damn. Your knocking is ten times louder than the music was.”
“You know this is my sleep time. Where’s Mama?”
There was a pause before Cassandra answered.
“Cassandra!”
“She’s at the casino, now leave me alone.”
D’Andra jiggled the door knob. “What are you doing with the door locked, San? This is still my room with my stuff in there, remember? Why are you trippin’? Open the stupid door!”
D’Andra stood staring at the door as if it held some answers. It was petty stuff like this that kept unnecessary drama going on in the house. It was enough that her mother had asked her to give up her room for her sister and her sister’s kids. But honestly, D’Andra hadn’t minded that. Especially when she thought it was only for a month or so. But what little D’Andra had asked for in return—peace and quiet during the day, help with the housework, and not to be mistaken for a live-in babysitter on the weekends—was being ignored with more and more regularity.
At least the house is quiet, she thought, as she turned to walk back downstairs. Quiet enough for her to hear a bass sound that had not come from the stereo speakers. No, that heifa is not screwing somebody in my room!
D’Andra tried to stay calm as she walked back up the stairs. “Cassandra, I know you haven’t brought a man into this house, in my room, on my bed.”
“Whatever, D’Andra; get away from the damn door. I’m not going to open it. I’ve turned off the music, now leave me alone!”
Cassandra wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was talking to someone, and he was not on the phone. “She’s always been jealous of me just because I can keep a man and she can’t. Gets on my damn nerves.”
“Keep a man?” D’Andra yelled through the door, leaving the insinuation hanging in the air. “Your mother shares this house and your kids share that room. Show some respect.”
As if to drive the point home, the front door opened and Kayla, home from school, bounded inside. D’Andra blew out a long frustrated breath. “Your daughter’s home,” she said low enough so the child wouldn’t hear. “Figure out how you’re going to introduce her to your company.”
By the time she returned downstairs, a headache was announcing its arrival, partly due to the stress, and partly due to the fact she hadn’t eaten all day. She walked straight to her purse for the Tylenol, and into the kitchen for a glass of water.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” she said to the yellow-colored kitchen walls.
“You leavin’, Aunt Dee?” Kayla asked. “Can I go with you?”
D’Andra looked into the shining, excited eyes of her sister’s spitting image. She prayed their physical appearance was all they had in common. It seemed so; Kayla was sweet and even-tempered, helping more around the house than her sister and mother put together. If not for her work schedule, she’d almost consider taking Kayla with her when she moved.
She bent down and gave her niece a hug and kiss. “No, sweetie. I’m not going anywhere. Not right now.”
“Can I go with you when you leave?”
“I’ll be going to work then, Kayla. Work is for grown folk, remember?”
“I can work,” Kayla boasted proudly. “I help you cook, and the other day I did the dishes all by myself.”
Yeah, probably because your trifflin’ Mom was up in my bed screwing, is what D’Andra thought. “That’s a big girl, Kayla. I’m proud of you,” is what she said.
D’Andra had just poured Kayla a glass of orange juice when she heard bodies coming down the stairs. She braced herself for the confrontation. Instead, she heard the front door close.
Oh no she didn’t, D’Andra thought. “Kayla, go with your mother.”
“Where is she?”
D’Andra grabbed her niece’s arms and scurried to the front door. “Run, baby, go with your mother.”
As she’d expected, Cassandra wasn’t alone. She and a tall, good-looking man with baggy jeans and a hat on sideways were getting into a shiny, black Infiniti. Kayla ran up to her mother, who tried to send her back.
“She’s going with you,” D’Andra yelled. �
��You know I’ve got to work and I am not going to watch her. I’m not playing, San. Take your child!”
“We’re just going to Mickie D’s!”
“Good, get Kayla a Happy Meal!”
D’Andra slammed the door on Cassandra’s comeback, plopped down on the sofa bed and pulled the covers over her head. She was so angry she could hardly think straight. Her sister had thought only about herself as far back as D’Andra could remember. Cassandra thought she was the sun and the world revolved around her. And for most of her life it had, with D’Andra being just one of the planets twirling at her bidding. But no more.
Cassandra’s whine preceded her inside the door. “C’mon, DeeDee. Watch Kayla for me. Just fifteen minutes, I swear.”
“No.”
The childhood nickname Cassandra used, the one that used to melt D’Andra into doing whatever was asked, had no effect.
“Girl, you know you love your niece. We’ll pick you up something at McDonald’s. What do you want?”
D’Andra looked at her sister as if for the first time. This woman had nerve like Kobe had game. Did she not just screw her man in my bed, lock me out of my room and curse me for wanting to get in? Now she wants to bring me a sandwich?
D’Andra took the covers away from her face. “Where are the twins?”
“With Jackie.”
“Then take Kayla over there.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Cause I haven’t told baby boy out there about the twins. He thinks I only have Kayla.”
“You’re a trip, San.”
Cassandra was losing patience and it showed in her voice. “Are you going to watch her?”
“What part of the word no don’t you understand?”
“Forget you, you old cow. Soon as baby out here gets paid you’re gonna wish you’d have done what I asked you.”
“No, soon as baby out there gets paid you can get your nasty butt out of my room. And while you’re at it, count how many times you’ve done what I asked you!”
