by D. Camille
He smiled. “I’ll see you at school.”
She looked at him. “Okay.”
Danielle watched the two. “Maybe your father will think about letting you come back and play with Kam?”
Khalil had been watching the pair as well. “We can set a date.”
Both kids beamed as they all walked to the door. On the porch, Khalil stood looking at her in the doorway.
“So, I’ll call you later.”
She smiled. “You do that. I’d like to know that you’re safe.”
Khalil thought about her question earlier of who made him safe and happy. “Goodbye Queen.”
Danielle watched him put Kyros inside the car then trudge through the still falling snow to the driver’s side. Climbing inside, he waited a few minutes to warm the vehicle before backing out of the driveway. Danielle waved and he tooted the horn before disappearing down the street.
Closing the door softly, Danielle led her niece back inside to the den area. The room now felt empty without the Lewis males. Both were extremely intelligent, handsome and adorable.
“So little girl, Auntie Danielle needs to run a hot bath and soak her aching body. What are you going to do?”
Kam contemplated the question. “Watch a movie.”
“Okay, let’s pick one.”
Danielle set up the movie for her niece then retrieved her phone. Her sister didn’t get off work for another couple of hours, so she’d check in with her later, but Danielle wanted to have her phone handy when Khalil called.
In the bathroom, she grabbed some bath salts and started the tub. When the hot water began to rise, she added the aromatic crystals then turned to face the mirror. Danielle stared at her reflection in the mirror before reaching inside a drawer to get a tie to put her hair up.
She looked at the woman staring back at her. It had taken a long time for her to become who she saw. Strength had been a necessity, love of herself had been essential and time had been on her side. She lifted the hem of her turtleneck and removed the shirt. Her brown breasts sat up while constrained inside of a cream colored bra.
Slowly unfastening her belt, Danielle released the button on her pants and slid down the zipper. Separating the two sides, she saw the hem of the matching cream panties against her chocolate skin. Her hand went to the scar that ran parallel to the line of her panties.
When she’d fallen to the ground, her fears had been spoken. She’d felt as if she’d been broken again. Thankfully, Khalil had been there to rescue her from the cold, else she would have probably laid there forever, afraid to move an inch.
Luckily, he hadn’t noticed her panic and had simply chalked it up to the fall. Running her fingers along the mark, she closed her eyes. This pain was gone and she’d moved on to the next chapter in her life. A chapter that she was ready to close, if it didn’t include finding someone who could love the person she’d been forced to become.
“Yes Khalil, we all have scars…”
Chapter 4
Khalil arrived home with Kyros after a tough drive through the snow storm. Hurriedly, he rushed the boy inside to begin their nightly rituals. Removing their winter gear, Khalil headed to the kitchen and Kyros to the bathroom. Khalil washed his hands at the sink and began preparing a light dinner for the pair.
When Kyros appeared, he climbed up to sit at the counter with his tablet. “What are we eating Daddy?”
Khalil stood in front of the fridge and frowned. “I don’t know. It’s later than I thought we’d get here.” He turned to the boy. “What do you want?”
“A sandwich?”
Khalil nodded. “Sounds good and I’ll put on some soup.” He began to remove the ingredients for sandwiches then placed them on the counter. Moving to the cabinet, he pulled out a can of vegetable soup.
“Did you have fun today?” Khalil asked as he went about his tasks.
“Yes, Kamryn is fun.”
Khalil looked at him as he sat some celery and carrots slices in front of the boy. “You two seemed to get along well.”
Kyros smiled and reached for one of the vegetables then took some dip. “She’s nice.”
“You did well at the Museum,” Khalil complimented.
“I forgot some stuff.”
Khalil smiled. “You can’t remember everything.”
“You do, though.”
Shaking his head, Khalil said, “No, I can just remember a little more than you, but when you’re my age, you’ll know far more than me.”
“I wanna be just like you Daddy,” Kyros said taking another vegetable and Khalil paused.
Looking at his son, he reached over to rub his head. “Thank you son, but I want you to be Kyros Lewis because he’s a King.”
“You’re a King too,” Kyros pointed out.
Khalil went back to his task. “Yes, I am.”
“Isn’t a King supposed to have a Queen?” Kyros asked munching on his snack. “I mean I’m still little so I can’t have a Queen yet, but you need a Queen, Daddy.”
He looked at his son. “So where is this coming from?”
Kyros shrugged. “At school the other day, we read a book about Akhenaten and his Queen Nefertiti.” Absently, he finished off the vegetables and turned to his tablet.
Khalil nodded and went back to prepping the sandwiches while the soup heated on the stove. “Well if I had a Queen, she’d have to live here with us.”
“I know.”
Khalil studied his son who was now engrossed in his tablet. “You wouldn’t have a problem with that?”
Dark brown eyes looked up at him. “You need a Queen, Daddy,” he said firmly.
“What do you think I need her for?” Khalil questioned.
Kyros smiled. “You can hug and kiss her, like Uncle Lance does Auntie Khayla.”
Khalil shook his head. “You aren’t trying to hug and kiss anybody, right?” Khalil cautioned.
“No…not yet. I’m still a kid.”
Finishing the sandwiches, Khalil filled two bowls with soup and placed the food in front of Kyros, who moved his tablet out of the way.
“Eat your dinner,” Khalil instructed. “I need to make a call and I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Kyros agreed picking up his sandwich.
Khalil walked into his family room and dialed Danielle’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Khalil. I wanted to let you know that we’re home.”
Danielle smiled. “That was a long drive.”
“Longer with the snow and I had to make Kyros some dinner before I called,” he informed her.
“I made Kam some dinner too. Her mother is working late tonight, so she’ll stay over with me,” Danielle explained.
Khalil took a seat on the sofa. “How do you feel?”
“The meds and a hot bath helped a lot. Thank you.”
“Be careful when you pick your car up. It may still be icy,” he warned.
Danielle agreed. “I’m going to wait until they put some salt down or something before I even attempt to get my car.”
They both became silent for a moment before Khalil spoke again. “I enjoyed spending time with you today.”
“I certainly enjoyed it as well. Khalil Lewis is a very interesting man,” Danielle told him.
Khalil looked around the room. “Why am I uncertain whether I’m reading too much into your words?”
“Hmmm…then I should make it plain for you,” she said firmly. “I think you’re a beautiful black man that I want to get to know in many different ways. I understand that you have a son and he’s the most important thing in your life, so I can be patient because I believe that you just may be worth the wait.”
Khalil blinked, then looked at his phone. “Damn, did you just lay it out like that?”
Danielle laughed softly. “We’re adults Khalil. There’s no need to play games or act like I’m not extremely attracted to you. I know a King when I see one.”
“I appreciate your forthrightness. It’s actually very refre
shing,” he told her. “And like you, I know a Queen when I meet her.”
Khalil stood to his feet. “I don’t play games, Danielle…ever. Driving home, I wondered how I would get to spend more time with you and believe me, I was going to spend more time with you.”
“Then I’m glad we’re on the same page,” she said quietly.
“I’m more than attracted to you beautiful Queen,” he affirmed. “I need to finish dinner with Kyros, but may I call you later, after I’ve put him to bed?”
She smiled. “You may call me anytime Khalil.”
“Then I will speak with you again soon.”
Khalil met Kyros in the kitchen where he was starting on the second half of his sandwich. He took the seat next to him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be gone that long,” Khalil told him, picking up his own sandwich.
“It’s okay,” Kyros said sipping his soup. “I was hungry so I couldn’t wait.”
Khalil laughed. “It’s fine son.”
The two ate their fare and talked about the day’s events. Kyros helped to bring the dishes over to the sink, as Khalil began to wash them. Kyros then returned to his tablet and Khalil looked over at him.
“So tell me what you learned about Pharaoh Amenhotep IV and the Great Royal Wife…”
******
Later that night, Danielle laid in her bed thinking about one Mr. Khalil Lewis. From the moment she’d connected eyes with him in her courtroom, she’d known he was a force to be reckoned with. Looking over the case, Kyros’ mother seemed to have an agenda. Danielle hoped that by ordering everything to come out into the open, Khalil would be able to end this ordeal with finality.
The fact that he’d disrupted the proceedings showed his passion and then the fact that he’d sat quietly and listened to the opposing attorney slander his name, showed his control. When she’d allowed him a chance to speak, his words had cut to the depths of her heart although she’d shown no outward indications.
Danielle was the judge and she took her job seriously. She’d worked hard to sit on the bench. Like Khalil, many mistook her for a much younger woman and had often tried to run over her. She’d set the precedent that she was not the one to play with, inside or outside of the courtroom. When her phone rang, she couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her face.
“Hello?”
“Good evening Queen. I hope it’s not too late.” Khalil’s voice came through the phone.
Hearing his mellow baritone caused her to lie back against the pillows. “I’m on vacation, so I have nowhere to be in the morning.”
“The Center serves breakfast before school for the kids and for the elderly in the neighborhood, so I have to be there by six,” he explained.
“Then I’ll try not to keep you long,” Danielle told him.
“You may keep me for as long as you like.”
She smiled slowly. “Did Kyros enjoy his dinner?”
“We decided on soup and sandwiches since it was late.”
“If I’d have been in my right mind, I’d have offered you both dinner before you left,” Danielle commented.
“If you decide to offer for another time, we’d definitely accept,” Khalil said smoothly.
“I will make that happen,” she agreed. “Tell me what you like.”
“So this conversation is about to take a sharp turn?”
Danielle laughed softly. “Is it now?”
“If you throw out statements like that, then yes, it is.”
“Well before we make that sharp turn, tell me about this man that has me so intrigued.”
Khalil relaxed underneath the covers. “I’m a father, a son, a brother, a friend, a leader and an educator; I strive to do my best at all of them. My parents were Black Panthers, so my sister and I were taught self-worth and self-value at an early age. We were also taught to love our people, provide for our community and fight against unfair systems.”
“Kyros was born when I was in grad school. He wasn’t planned and Melody wanted to terminate the pregnancy since we had no plans to be together. When I told her that I was moving back to Detroit and starting a community center, she bailed. She’d had visions that I’d become some type of civil rights icon or a great professor at a prestigious university.”
“I couldn’t stomach the thought of terminating my child, so I told her that if she’d just deliver the baby, I’d take him and he’d be my responsibility. I’ve never asked her to do anything for Kyros except have some type of relationship, which she’s chosen not to do…until now.”
He paused. “And now I don’t trust her motives.”
“Showing up with this ‘fiancé’ and trying to take my son away from me completely?” he finished with a groan.
“I have to be honest Khalil, I had the same reservations when I looked at the case. I couldn’t understand why she was pushing so hard and so fast. I also found it strange how they tried to destroy your character. That really wasn’t necessary for visitation purposes,” Danielle pointed out.
Khalil sighed. “I’m glad you saw that too. I know that I have practically no objectivity when it comes to protecting Kyros. I wondered if I was making things up in my head.”
“She has these next few weeks to get her case together and I’d keep an eye on her,” Danielle suggested.
“I’ve hired a private detective to look into both her and the fiancé,” he admitted. “I need to see who these people are.”
Danielle smiled. “You’re a very smart man.”
Khalil sat up. “I don’t think any of that really answered your question and I don’t even know why I told you all of that.”
“I take it that you’re not used to sharing a lot about yourself?” Danielle inquired softly.
“I’m a man of action, more than words.”
“I heard you in my courtroom and you are very much a man of words as well.”
Khalil shook his head. “I felt very bad about disrupting your courtroom. As I said, I had every intention of finding you to apologize.”
“I’m not referring to those words,” she corrected. “When you had your time to speak, I felt each word that you spoke.”
“I just didn’t want you to take my son away.”
Danielle felt her heart flutter. “No one is going to take Kyros away from you. However, I would advise that you not have any outbursts at your next appearance. I’m not sure who your judge will be, but they may not think you’re as handsome as I do.”
“You like to do that,” he commented slowly.
She grinned. “What’s that?”
“Flirt.”
“Yes, Khalil, I like to flirt with you.”
He laid back and closed his eyes. “This is what you do?” he asked.
“I do a lot of things. I’m a judge, a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend, and a woman who is not afraid of life. I have more dreams and goals that I have yet to achieve yet I’ve done more than I could’ve expected in the time I’ve had.”
“I love my family, reading, traveling, law, beautiful black men and flirting with Khalil Lewis…not necessarily in that order.”
“Is it a problem?” Danielle asked.
“I’m finding that it is not,” he answered. “What man would have a problem with an exquisite Queen flirting with him?”
“The question now becomes, is that all the Queen wants?” He waited for her answer.
Danielle stretched her body on the bed. “Khalil, if I told you what I wanted from you, it would definitely take this conversation in a totally different direction.”
“That certainly answers the question,” he said plainly.
She laughed. “And that’s why I can’t help but to flirt with you. You challenge me to climb those invisible, unscalable walls that you have around you.”
“They’re there for a purpose,” he told her.
“I know. To protect the King until his Queen arrives to rescue him,” she said firmly.
Khalil shook his head. “How i
s she going to do that?”
“Hmmm…I can’t share Queen secrets, that goes against the code. You’ll just have to watch and see.”
He laughed softly. “I’m highly anticipating how the Queen moves.”
Danielle turned on her side. “I hope that you will enjoy them all.”
“Yes, I have no doubt that I will.” He told her softly. “I’ve enjoyed everything about you so far.”
“And on that note, I’d better let you get some rest before we definitely make that turn,” she told him.
Khalil smiled. “I agree. I will speak with you again soon Danielle. Have a restful night.”
“Thank you and I wish you the same.”
He paused for a moment and she waited. “I must tell you that I want you, so you can watch how the King makes his moves.”
“Goodnight King.”
******
The next day, Khalil sat in his office across from Christian.
“We’ve got a new judge scheduled.”
Khalil nodded. “Who is it?”
“His name is Judge Henderson and he’s not one for any nonsense,” Christian warned. “He’s hardnosed and goes on facts alone.”
Khalil understood the message and asked, “Has the investigator checked in?”
“Not yet. It’s only been a couple of days and we want him to be thorough,” Christian informed him.
“I agree.” Khalil told him. “Something’s not right and I need proof.”
Christian nodded. “Just make sure you’re not giving them any ammunition.”
Khalil frowned. “Like what?”
“Keep doing what you’re doing, that’s all.” Christian said with a hand. “I’m sure they’re watching you as well.”
“Let them watch.”
Christian shook his head. “Do you have any questions?”
“No, just make sure that my son stays with me legally.”
“Legally?” Christian asked confused.
Khalil stood to his feet. “That’s what we’re shooting for.”
“Is there another option?”
Walking around his desk, Khalil answered, “Of course.”
Christian got to his feet. “You mean illegally?”
Khalil looked at him. “Christian you’re a man of the law, so I’m sure you fully understand that laws are made, changed and abolished every single day. So this nonsense of being a law-abiding citizen at all times is a façade and there’s no damn law that will ever keep me from my son.”
