Body By Night

by Day, Zuri

  32

  It wasn’t often Jazz felt like a fish out of water. And she refused to admit that’s the way she felt now. But if she had admitted she was out of her element, it would have been true. Jazz was used to being in control and to getting what she wanted. But in the last few months, with first Night and now Brad choosing a life without her, things had changed. And in her life she did the leaving, thank you very much. It had been almost two weeks and Brad still had not returned her call. Soon it would be May. The deal should totally be off by now. If not, Brad Gilman would need to step up his game. She was getting ready to make that fact very, very clear.

  “Where’s Brad?” she demanded, bursting through the door. She was brought up short when instead of seeing Nancy, a mousy middle-aged woman who doted on Jazz’s exquisiteness, she encountered an equally beautiful, fashionably dressed woman with attitude sitting behind the receptionist desk.

  “Who are you?” she demanded, a little less forcefully.

  “Who’s asking?” Cassandra replied, with enough force for the both of them.

  “Never mind,” Jazz gave Cassandra a dismissive gesture before walking toward the hall and Brad’s office.

  Cassandra cut her off. “Look, bitch, you don’t just walk up in here like you own the place. I asked for you to introduce yourself. And if you can’t do that then you can find the door and make your exit.”

  For all of the secretarial school professional polish she brought to the position, she had not left her street skills at home. The unexpected combination of beauty and brawn was a total surprise to Jazz. It made her feel like, well, a fish out of water.

  “Brad!” Jazz yelled around the unmoving Cassandra.

  “He’s not here,” Cassandra said calmly, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on one leg. “And from the looks of it that might be a good thing because we need to have a conversation.”

  Jazz’s look of incredulity could have been next to the word in the dictionary. “We don’t have to have anything but you need a course in office etiquette.”

  “You won’t be the one who gives it to me.”

  “I’m outta here.”

  Jazz turned towards the door and then quickly spun around. She hid the hurt she felt behind haughty sarcasm; hurt at being replaced in Brad’s life by a lowlife tramp.

  “Wait! I get it. You’re the new flavor of the month, and your newfound yet limited success has you feeling pretty sure of yourself. You get a weave, a fake designer outfit from the swap meet and a bus ticket out of the ghetto, and you think you’ve arrived. Well I have news for you. Brad and I have been friends for years. I was here before you came and I’ll be here long after you leave.”

  “That may be the case,” Cassandra countered as cool as a cucumber. “But if you stay here for any longer than five seconds, I’m calling security.”

  “Who’s Jazz?” Cassandra asked a freeway traveling Brad just seconds after Jazz had huffed, puffed and left the office.

  “Why, is she there?”

  “No, but she was. And I must tell you Brad, I didn’t handle the situation very professionally.”

  “What happened?”

  Cassandra told him.

  “That’s all?”

  “It’s enough. Who is she?”

  “An ex-friend. We were good friends for a while but then we added sex to the equation and then I met you. I didn’t think the two of you would work well together so I stopped calling her. From what you’re telling me of what went down in the last five minutes, I’d say I was right.”

  “Ooh, baby. Are you saying you put her down because of me?” Cassandra said in a sultry, sexy voice. “I’m going to have to give you a special reward for that as soon as you get home.”

  Brad smiled with satisfaction as he hung up from Cassandra. He was whipped and knew it; the woman had come in out of nowhere and totally snatched him from the game. He always said he wouldn’t date a woman with one child, let alone three. But something about this street-smart yet vulnerable woman had brought out his caveman side. He didn’t look it but he was almost fifty years old. Being around Cassandra and hearing her talk of her children had for the first time in his life made him think about leaving a lineage. He’d already asked Cassandra to move in with him, and offered to hire a housekeeper and nanny. So far, she’d said no. She spent every evening with him before going home to be with her kids, giving him the kind of love and mind-blowing sex he’d barely believed was possible. Less than a month and he was already wondering what kind of diamond she liked.

  Brad pulled into the parking lot of a large electronics store. He decided to leave the top of his Porsche down since he’d only be a few minutes. After entering the store and looking up at the directive signs, he headed down aisle three.

  “Brad Gilman,” a voice behind him said.

  Brad closed his eyes briefly before turning around. Then he fixed his face with a smile. “What’s going on, Night?”

  “Everything’s cool.”

  There was an awkward moment as each man paused to collect his thoughts.

  “You know man, I’m really sorry about what happened with your real estate deal. I feel real bad about it.”

  “Why?” Night responded. His tone held no anger. “You’re the reason it fell out of escrow.”

  Brad didn’t have to say anything; his guilt-ridden face said it all.

  “I understand man. At one time, I was under Jazz’s spell. And I have no doubt in my mind something she told you is the reason I don’t have the keys to 10281 Centinela Boulevard. And I’m equally sure that whatever she told you is not the truth. But it’s cool. I’m looking at some other spots. Nothing is going to keep me from my dream.”

  “What can I say man? I screwed up.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “Tell you what. Why don’t I make a few phone calls, see if we can get the deal going again? I know that a couple other people were interested in it but I don’t think any paperwork has gone through yet.”

  “Brad, you don’t owe me anything.”

  “I owe you an apology. Let me make it by helping you get your building back.”

  33

  The dinner conversation was quieter than usual. Carter had brought Val her favorite rib dinner from Jewel’s BBQ, complete with baked beans and potato salad, but somehow the meal felt incomplete—stilted by words left unsaid.

  Val was first to try and bridge the gap. “Maybe you should consider it, Carter.”

  “Consider what?” But he knew what; it was the same conversation they’d had all weekend.

  “That D’Andra could be your child. At this point in our lives, especially with her grown and all, it wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. She’s a beautiful girl. I considered her like a daughter from the first time she came into this room. She’s warm, sincere, a lot like you when I think about it. Now look, I’d have to do a reassessment with these new eyes of knowledge, but she definitely has some of your temperament.”

  “That woman has wanted to get me back ever since I left her.”

  Val placed her finished plate on the table beside her. She wiped her hands and took a long sip of tea before she spoke again.

  “Maybe it’s time you put what Mary did behind you,” Val said. “And at least be open to helping heal somebody who’s done you no harm.”

  Carter was reminded all over again why he loved Valerie Marie Johnson. “How would you feel about that if it’s true, that D’Andra’s my child?”

  Valerie smiled, her answer both instant and sincere. “I’d say it would be poetic justice if after all these years the daughter Mary had becomes the daughter I’ve always wanted. Now will you take the paternity test?”

  Night couldn’t believe the emotional rollercoaster he was on. While still reeling from the news that D’Andra may be his stepsister, he was now excited about perhaps getting his dream spot after all. He sauntered into his mother’s hospital room with her favorite butter pecan ice cream.

  “Between you
and Carter, I’m going to gain twenty pounds by the time I leave here.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I can always take it home with me.” Night began putting the container back in the bag.

  “Boy, you are cruisin’ for a bruisin’. Did you bring me a spoon?”

  Night placed the ice cream beside him and reached for the paper bowls and plastic spoons he’d brought.

  Val watched silently as her son pulled everything they needed from a plastic bag. He’s so thoughtful, she thought. He and D’Andra would be good for each other.

  “Have you talked to D’Andra?” she asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “What do I say to her Mom? Her mother made you lose a baby. Carter may be D’Andra’s father. She’d be my stepsister.”

  “She could be your wife.”

  Night’s hand stopped in the mid-scoop. “Where is this coming from?”

  “It’s coming from knowing how happy you’ve been since meeting D’Andra. And seeing with my own eyes what a beautiful woman she is, inside and out. I just don’t want you to stop talking to her because of some misplaced sense of loyalty or obligation to Carter or me. Son, like I told you, I forgave Mary for what she did a long time ago. Surely you can forgive a woman who hasn’t done nothing at all.”

  Val told Night about Carter’s decision to have the paternity test. “I’ve come to love D’Andra and hope she is Carter’s child. That way, if you decide to act stubborn, like you don’t have the sense God gave you or I taught you, she’ll still be family to me…one way or another.”

  Night ate his ice cream in silence, digesting what his mother said. She was right. Night figured he couldn’t continue seeing D’Andra because it would hurt Carter and his mother to do so. Her words had given him permission to put his heart back in his chest.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said and left his mother’s room.

  Once in the hall he pulled out his cell phone. Voice mail picked up on the other end. Night thought about leaving a message but decided against it. The things he wanted to tell D’Andra needed to be said face to face.

  D’Andra battled mixed emotions as she left MLK Hospital. She’d convinced herself that there was no bitterness at her mother’s indirect participation in her losing the man she loved. D’Andra knew she’d lost him. How could it be any other way? Her mother had done a horrible thing to his mother. If D’Andra knew nothing else, she knew how Night loved one Val Johnson.

  Once on the highway, she put in her hands-free and pulled out her cell phone. She’d meant to call Elaine before getting to the hospital but had been lost in thought of what might have been with Night. She hoped it wasn’t too late to ask her friend to come to work a little early. After rushing off without talking to Elaine, D’Andra had spent the entire weekend battling with her pain. She was desperately in need of a compassionate, non-judgmental listening ear.

  “Where did you disappear to on Friday?” Elaine asked in place of hello.

  “Sorry, Elaine. I was more upset than I realized.”

  “I worried about you all weekend but was stuck in no man’s land on a camping trip we promised the kids. The Sequoia National Park is beautiful, but phone reception sucks! I’m glad you called, but I still might ring your neck for putting me in a panic by running off.”

  D’Andra knew Elaine was trying to lighten the moment, but couldn’t force a laugh. “Look, can you come to work early, so we can talk?

  “Absolutely.”

  After making their plans and hanging up, D’Andra realized she had a missed call. She punched the received calls button. Night! But there was no message. Not a good sign, she thought. But that he’d returned her message inspired a sliver of hope. He’d listened to her message. And he’d called.

  “Thanks for coming early.”

  “No problem. Max was boring me anyway, going on and on about his latest fixation: trout fishing.”

  “Where on earth did he get that idea?”

  “The sports channel. Yes, it’s considered a sport. Now he wants to buy a boat and sail the trout-filled waters.”

  The conversation faded as they walked past colleagues in the cafeteria and took a more secluded table near the back.

  “Okay, out with it. What on earth is going on?”

  D’Andra took a deep breath and dove into the story. She left out what her mother had done to Val, and focused on the fact that Night’s stepfather was her biological one. D’Andra told the story by rote, as if what she shared had happened to someone else. Her condensed version took less than five minutes.

  “So why are you so sure Night will break up with you over this? What your mother did is not your fault and neither is the fact that Carter might be your father.”

  “Yes, but the reality is it messes up their peaceful life and brings back painful memories to a mother he loves dearly. I can only imagine her reaction when he broke the news. Or how she’ll treat me now that she knows.

  “I do want to talk to Night, though, tell him how I feel. I don’t think it will change his mind but at least I can walk away knowing that I laid my heart on the line and that nothing is left unsaid.”

  “Looks like you’ll get your chance,” Elaine replied.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because Night just walked in the cafeteria and he’s headed in our direction.”

  D’Andra whipped her head around before she could remember to play it cool. Her eyes locked with Night and suddenly they were the only two in the room. He moved like a panther, sleek and confident. Her heart flip-flopped. How could she have thought even for a moment about not fighting to keep this man?

  “D’Andra,” he said as soon as he approached the table. “Can we talk?”

  34

  There was no conversation as Night and D’Andra navigated the short walk from the cafeteria to the outside patio. A few other employees were out there; one busy texting on his BlackBerry, another engrossed in a novel and a couple others smoking in the smokers’ area.

  D’Andra and Night walked past the small crowd to a bench several yards away. D’Andra sat on the edge of the bench; Night straddled the bench to face her.

  “I’m sorry,” he began.

  D’Andra’s heart dropped but she kept her head lifted. If she didn’t come away from this meeting with her heart, at least she’d have her pride.

  “For what?” she dared ask.

  “For not trusting my heart.”

  The answer wasn’t what D’Andra had expected. She looked him squarely in the eye for the first time that evening.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When you told me what you’d found out the other morning, I was in shock. That’s just for starters. I was confused, angry, hurt; and those emotions were distributed among several people I love and one person I don’t know, your mother. I should have focused on you; how you must feel to know that the man who raised me may be your biological father, how you must feel about your mom, and what she did to a woman you’ve grown to care a lot about.

  “But I didn’t. I admit, my first and foremost thought was about my own mom and how yours had hurt her. My heart told me to call you, talk it out, work through this together. But my head said I couldn’t see you after what your mother had done. It may not have been a rational thought but it felt like I’d be taking sides against my mother if I chose to stay with you. Plus I didn’t know if Mom knew about Carter’s past relationship with your mother, nor did I know how she would take the news that he might be your father.

  “So you told your step…Carter? What did he say?”

  “At first he said he was positive you weren’t his daughter. But later, after Mom talked to him, he agreed to a paternity test.”

  His response didn’t sound too welcoming but given the circumstances, D’Andra couldn’t say she blamed him. She hoped that maybe time and getting to know one another could heal some of the wounds.

  D’Andra hesitated with the next question. “And what about Miss Va
l? What did she say?”

  Night smiled. D’Andra’s heart flip-flopped.

  “She said what only somebody like my mother would. That she’s always wanted a daughter and that she hopes it’s you.”

  The tears D’Andra had sworn not to shed came instantly. So did her arm around Night’s neck. The position was awkward but she kissed him anyway. It was a light kiss, tender.

  But not enough for Night. He turned her until she was cushioned in the crook of his arm and proceeded to ravish her mouth relentlessly. They’d only been apart three days, but that was a longer time than Night wanted to spend without her. His tongue circled and plunged; it took years of martial arts discipline to keep his hands from roaming D’Andra’s shapely, thick body.

  D’Andra gave as good as she got. She was at work but she didn’t care who saw her. She hadn’t dared dream this moment was possible. But instead of running away she’d put her heart on the line with the message she left on his cell phone. And just like that she was back in his arms.

  Reluctantly Night and D’Andra broke the kiss. She knew it was nearing the time for her to clock in.

  “There’s so much I want to say to you,” she said. “Like I said on my message—”

  “What message?”

  “The message I left on your cell phone. I thought that’s why you came by. You didn’t get it?”

  Night pulled out his cell phone and checked for messages. There were none. D’Andra hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear. “That makes your coming here that much more special.”

  “Come home to me when you’re off,” he whispered back. “I’ve got something even more special for you.”

  D’Andra went warm from her navel down to her womanly core; her nipples instantly hardened. Every part of her body remembered Night’s specials. Seven o’clock in the morning couldn’t come fast enough.

  Night strolled to his car and popped the lock. For a moment he just sat there, trying to wrap his mind around all that had happened, and was happening. He’d be the first to admit how crazy it was that the woman he loved might end up being his sister by marriage. But life was just going to have to work out the details. Now that he’d reunited with D’Andra, he would never let her go.