One Sunday after church, Triage announced that they weren’t going out to brunch as they normally did.
“So what am I supposed to eat?” she cried playfully.
“Be quiet, woman!” he teased. “Just follow your man.”
But she frowned when Triage stopped at a gated condominium community in Marina del Rey.
“Where are we going?”
“Sshh,” he whispered, taking her hand and helping her from the car. They walked to one of the buildings right on the beach. Triage took a key from his pocket, opened the door, and led Deborah into the impressive foyer. Its rich marble floor and cathedral ceiling created a feeling of grandeur. Large picture windows in the living room faced the ocean, and a dramatic black-slate fireplace went from floor to ceiling. They walked from the living room into a kitchen the size of her apartment. Upstairs there were two large bedrooms and a massive master suite that seemed as long as a football field.
“This is beautiful,” gasped Deborah as they finished touring the twenty-five-hundred-square-foot space. “Is this going to be your beach house?”
He grinned. “Nope.” He handed her the key. “I bought this for you.”
Her jaw dropped, and then she began shaking her head. “Triage . . . this is wonderful. I can’t believe you did this for me, but I can’t accept it.”
The smile slowly disappeared from his face. “Why not?”
She took his hand, and they sat on the carpeted staircase. “I can’t accept a gift like this from a man.”
“I’m not just a man, Deborah. I’m your man.”
“But you’re not my husband. A gift like this can only come from the man I’m going to marry.”
He stood. “I don’t understand.”
“Look at it this way. Suppose things don’t work out for us, and I’m living in this house. How would I explain it to the man God has chosen for me?”
“Just tell him that your ex-boyfriend bought it for you.”
“And how would that sound?”
He was thoughtful. “Okay, but how do you know that I’m not that man?”
She smiled. “The way I feel about you right now, I pray that you are.” Her smile faded just a bit. “But we don’t know yet, do we?”
He shook his head, but after a few minutes, he pulled her from the stairs. He held her. “I don’t know too many women who would turn this down.”
She looked around the room. “Believe me, I would love to live here, but not this way. And not at this time.”
“I’ve gotta tell you, I’m blown away.”
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
He kissed her forehead. “Deborah Anne, that is a very good thing.”
She brought her lips to his, then, after a few seconds, pulled back. “Now let me take you to the place that I’m going to buy.”
Triage carried the last box into Deborah’s new condo in Manhattan Beach and dropped it in the middle of the kitchen floor. “This should be the last of it.” He put his arms around Deborah as she placed silverware in one of the kitchen drawers. “Are you sure about this place?”
“I know you’re not still talking about that.”
He laughed. “I can always try.”
Vianca took a stack of towels from a box. “I’m going to put these in the linen closet, okay?”
“Thanks.” Deborah nodded.
“I’m going to take this entire box into your bedroom,” Phoebe said.
The moment they were alone, Triage pulled Deborah into his arms and kissed her deeply. After a while, she gently pushed him away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Phoebe and Vianca could come in here any moment.”
“So? They know how I feel about you.” He leaned forward to kiss her again, but she slipped from his arms. “Fine.” He smiled. “We’ll just save it for later. I’ve been thinking about a way to christen this place, and I know just how we’ll do it.”
When Vianca and Phoebe came back into the room, Deborah sighed with relief. She and Triage had been going out for a month now, but they hadn’t gone far enough for her to announce that she was a virgin. But the time was coming, she could feel it, and she hoped she hadn’t made a mistake by not saying anything before.
The knock on the door interrupted them all, and Triage took out his wallet to pay for the pizza.
“Okay, let’s eat,” Deborah announced.
They devoured the pepperoni pizza, washing it down with plenty of Mountain Dew as they chatted about the upcoming holidays.
“Are you gong to fix your first Thanksgiving dinner here in your new home?” Vianca asked.
Deborah took her time wiping her mouth. She hadn’t had the chance to tell Triage. “No, I think I’m going home,” she said slowly. She could tell by his raised eyebrows that he was surprised. “It’s my first time away from home, and I know my parents expect me.”
“I would’ve thought you guys would spend the holidays together,” Phoebe said.
Deborah took Triage’s hand and kissed it. “We’ll probably be together for Christmas.”
They had almost finished the pizza when there was another knock on the door.
“Visitors already?” Triage smiled. “Who’s coming over here that I don’t know about?” When he opened the door, the smile fell from Triage’s face. A large, angry-looking figure loomed in the doorway.
“Is Phoebe here?” the man asked as he looked past Triage, avoiding eye contact with him.
Inside, Phoebe groaned and whispered, “It’s Thomas.” She pushed her chair back and rushed to the door. “Hi, baby.” Phoebe took Thomas’s hand and brought him inside. “Everybody, this is my friend Thomas.” She introduced him to the group, but Thomas just gave a perfunctory nod and continued staring straight ahead.
“Thomas, we just finished the pizza, and I don’t have any other food yet,” Deborah said.
“I don’t want anything,” he replied flatly. He turned to Phoebe and asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“I haven’t finished with everything here—”
“Oh, that’s all right,” Deborah jumped in. “I can put away the rest of the stuff.” She hugged Phoebe. “Thanks so much for your help.”
They watched in silence as Phoebe gathered her belongings and left with Thomas, who made no secret of his impatience.
“Who is that guy?” Triage asked.
“That’s her new man,” Vianca said. “I told her I didn’t like him.”
Deborah shook her head. “This is the first time I’ve met him. I don’t even know what he does. Maybe he’s just having a bad day.”
“No, I met him when she brought him over to Lavelle’s, and he acted the same way. He’s big bad news.”
Deborah shrugged and began putting their plates into the dishwasher.
“Well, I’m going to get out of your hair too,” Vianca said, “but I’ve got to call Lavelle first.”
In a few minutes, Deborah knew, she’d be alone with Triage, and she dreaded it. They’d been alone plenty of times, but tonight he was looking at her with lust. She knew this would be different.
They were clearing the rest of the table in silence when Vianca walked back into the room.
“Deborah, I have a big favor to ask you. I can’t find Lavelle, and I don’t have a place to stay.”
Deborah frowned. “What happened to your place?” She knew Vianca spent most of her time with Lavelle, but she did have her own apartment.
“I got rid of it and moved in with Lavelle. But it’s an interesting situation. He won’t give me a key.”
Triage moaned.
“I’ve asked him for a key plenty of times,” she explained. “But—”
“And you don’t know where he is now?”
She shook her head sadly. “He’s not answering his pager.”
It was Deborah’s turn to shake her head. Vianca was taking her relationship with Lavelle too seriously. Vianca had to see how Lavelle was around other women, and Deborah was convinced that it wasn�
��t friendship with Phoebe and Lavelle. Vianca had to know it too.
“If he doesn’t answer his page, I won’t have a place to stay tonight.”
Deborah wanted to ask Vianca why had she stupidly given up her place. She wanted to know how you could live someplace where you didn’t have a key. But all Deborah said was, “You can stay here.”
Triage sighed aloud, and Deborah shot him a “What can I do” look.
“Thank you so much. I’ll help you unpack everything tonight.”
Deborah smiled. This could turn out to be a good thing, in more ways than one.
“Honey, you don’t have to stay,” she said to Triage. “Since Vianca will be here, I’ll get a lot done. Besides, you did all of the heavy lifting, so go home and get some rest.”
Vianca had gone into the bathroom, and Triage pulled Deborah into his arms. “I didn’t want to leave,” he whispered. “I was hoping we’d spend your first night here together.”
Yes, she thought, it’s time for the talk. Tomorrow.
“Are you busy in the morning?” Deborah asked.
“Oh, a woman after my own heart. A morning lady. I’ll be here bright and early.”
“I’ll call you when Vianca goes home.”
He kissed her like he never planned to leave, and by the time Vianca came back, Deborah had to push Triage out the door.
“Thanks again, Deborah—”
Before she could finish, Deborah threw a towel at Vianca. “Let’s see if you’re still thanking me in the morning.”
CHAPTER 34
DEBORAH YAWNED AS SHE ROLLED OUT OF HER bed and went into the hallway to answer the intercom. “Who is it?”
“It’s me,” Triage boomed through the small speaker on the wall.
She buzzed him in, then tapped her fingers against the wall. What was he doing here so early, and why had he come without calling first? He had never done that before. Obviously, to Triage her move had signaled a change in their relationship. She tightened her bathrobe around her waist and smoothed her hair. It was time for the talk.
She held the door open for him as he stood grinning with a Starbucks bag in his hands.
“Surprise!”
“I told you that I would call you when I was ready for you to come over,” she said gruffly.
He kissed her cheek. “Is that any way to greet your Tazo tea and your man?” His eyes roamed the living room. There were no boxes in sight. “Wow, you and Vianca must have been up all night!”
“We were up pretty late—that’s why I said I would call you.”
He frowned and dropped the bag on the dining room table. “What’s the big deal? Is Vianca still here?”
“No.” Deborah crossed her arms in front of her. “Lavelle paged her at four A.M., and she went running out of here.”
Triage shook his head. “That’s one strange relationship.”
Deborah nodded. “I know, and I don’t think it’s going to work out for Vianca.”
Triage shrugged. “But that has nothing to do with you and me.” He edged toward her and grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist. “So that means that we’re alone in your new place.”
“Yes.”
He pulled back to look directly at her. “You sound like you’re mad. Or are you just tired?”
“I’m not mad, I’m just surprised that you came over here without calling first. Especially since it’s so early.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry if I woke you.” He nuzzled her neck. “But if you’re tired, that’s no problem. What I had in mind will take you back to bed anyway.”
With her palms out, she pushed him away gently. “Triage, we have to talk.”
“Talking is not what I had in mind,” he said, pulling her back to him.
She turned away and sighed.
“Deborah, what’s wrong? I thought you were as ready for this as I am.”
She turned to face him. Deborah loved the way he looked. It was only seven in the morning, but he was pulled together with jeans and a tailored shirt, looking more like a preppie from Harvard than a rapper.
All she wanted to do was fall into his arms and never have this conversation. But it had to be done, and she realized there was only one way to do it.
“Triage, I know we should have talked about this before, but what happened between us happened so fast—”
“Deborah, what is it?”
“I’m still a virgin.”
His eyes widened, and he grinned. “Wow! Oh, baby, that’s wonderful.” He pulled her to him again and hugged her tightly. “I’m glad I’m going to be your first.”
Deborah held up her hand. “I don’t think you understand. I’m a virgin because I’m waiting for my wedding night.”
He drew back, confusion written on his face.
“My virginity is going to be a gift to my husband,” she explained.
“You’re kidding, right?”
She shook her head.
If he hadn’t looked so sad, Deborah would have laughed, but she remained silent.
He ran his hand over his head. “Man, I didn’t know there were people who still felt that way.”
“I know, but this is something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a very young girl. And I only have one chance to do it right.”
“But who says this isn’t right? I’m falling in love with you, Deborah, and I know there’s nothing wrong with two people expressing how they feel about each other.”
“I can quote you scripture after scripture that says this is right, Triage. God says that fornication is not for our body and that we should flee from it. But I don’t want to lecture you, and I’m not trying to judge you. I’m just telling you what’s right for me.”
“Wow.” This time when he said the word, the excitement was gone.
“Triage, I hope that you’ll respect my decision,” she began with her head lowered. “But I also understand if this changes things. I should have told you before, so I will understand if—”
He held up his hand, interrupting her. “I can’t say that I’m not disappointed. I couldn’t sleep last night just thinking about what I thought we’d do this morning.” He took a step toward her. “But I do respect you and what you want to do.” He lifted her face toward his. “You really are a beautiful woman, but I already know that there is so much more to you than that. So if this is how you want to do it, I’ll try.”
She smiled weakly. “That’s all I can ask.”
“You know, I never thought I’d be in this position. Being around you and getting to know the kind of person you are makes me want to be a better man.”
He kissed her and turned toward the door.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ve got to go home. I might be better, but I’m still a man. I just hope there’s a cold shower waiting for me at my house!”
Before she could say anything, he was gone.
CHAPTER 35
THE FIRST THING DEBORAH SAW WHEN SHE STEPPED off the plane was Willetta and Maxine waving their hands wildly in the air.
They hugged, and laughed so loudly that others in the gate area turned and stared.
“I can’t believe my famous cousin is home,” Willetta screamed. “You even look like you’re important now.”
They walked straight to the car, since she’d brought only a carry-on bag. Even so, it took almost thirty minutes to maneuver from the gate to the car and out of the airport. Deborah could see why the day before Thanksgiving was considered the most traveled day of the year.
During the hour-long ride home, Deborah tried to answer the questions her cousins bombarded her with. By the time they pulled into the town of Villa Rica, Willetta and Maxine were satisfied that they knew all about their cousin’s new life.
“Well, I can’t wait to come and visit you now that you have your new place,” Willetta said. “Maybe right after the New Year.”
“You know you’re always welcome,” Deborah responded, though her eyes were on the streets of the
hometown she loved. She was so glad to be back in the cocoon of her hometown—less than seven thousand people, who still had to be reminded to lock their front doors.
The streets looked the same, but she felt so different. When they turned onto Peterson Road, Deborah could barely wait to jump from the car. Both her mother and father ran onto the porch when they heard Willetta’s Chevy pull into the driveway.
It took several minutes for the hugging and the kissing to pass, as aunts and uncles and cousins came running from all directions.
Elijah had ordered pizza, since the kitchen was bustling with preparations for tomorrow’s dinner. Relatives continuously flocked to the house until after ten, when Elijah put everyone out.
“My daughter needs her rest,” he said kiddingly, then pushed everyone out the door.
Deborah was glad when it was just her and her parents.
“So how are things really going, Deborah Anne?” Elijah asked.
Deborah curled up on the couch and smiled. “It’s really good, Daddy. It’s a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, with the long hours and constant rehearsals.”
He nodded, and Deborah could tell by the look in her father’s face that he was proud, even if it wasn’t what he would have chosen for her.
“I’m even taking on a new role with Lavelle. I’ll be singing a duet regularly with him now, and it will be on the new album. I’ll sing it the first time at our Christmas show on December twenty-seventh.”
Elijah’s smile turned down just a bit. “Is it that duet you sang when you were in Atlanta?” His voice was low.
“No,” she said quickly. “That’s Emerald’s song. The one I have with Lavelle is much different. In fact, it’s Bebe and CeCe Winan’s song, ‘I’m Lost Without You.’ Lavelle let me choose it.”
His smile returned, and he nodded. “I like that,” he paused. “Have you found a good church home in LA?”
She nodded. “I thought I told you. Triage and I go to Macedonia Baptist Church. I miss Pastor Duncan, but Macedonia is a Word church, and I’m still growing in God.”
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