“You mean to tell me that you don’t mind a fan base of a bunch of…” Sabathany stopped herself.
“Like I said, a fan is a fan no matter who it is. I don’t have a problem with what that dude likes. I’m secure in my sexuality.”
“I get all of that, but he’s still been rude to me the entire time. I may as well not even be here.”
“Just remember this…who do I make love to? You or him?” Kendrick whispered in her ear.
Sabathany’s body tingled from remembering his mastery in the bedroom and their shared ecstasy. “Say no more.”
“Yeah, so, don’t even let any of that bother you, because you’re the one going to the premier. You’re the one who’s going to be living the life. Only thing that dude can do for you is fetch the champagne when you call for it, and maybe cook your food.” Kendrick winked, offering up a giant prawn.
Lenox Hunter was parked outside when Kendrick and Sabathany emerged from the airport like Hollywood’s “It” couple.
Kendrick signed an autograph for a fan before taking his tenth fan selfie of the day, still enjoying the newness of it all. Thanks to mentions on Entertainment Tonight and E! praising his two-day appearance with Kelly Rippa, people were beginning to know who he was, and the movie had not come out yet. Sabathany grabbed the roll-on luggage from him, giving Kendrick the opportunity to do his thing with the medium-sized bunch of people. Lenox flung the cigarette he had been smoking to the ground, and rushed over to help her. This was his first-time meeting Sabathany in the flesh. He instantly saw the resemblance to Tika Sumpter Kendrick spoke of.
“Let me help you with these,” Lenox said, taking both roll-ons from Sabathany.
“Thank you. And you must be Lenox.”
“Last I checked.”
Lenox dragged the roll-ons to the open car trunk, all the while keeping his eyes on Kenny—his longtime friend, as he used a west coast, laid-back swagger to charm his fans. It was a change that had not gone unnoticed. This Brenda Vaughn creation named Kendrick, swarmed by fans vying for his attention, walked and talked differently each time he returned to the Twin Cities—each time a little less recognizable than the last time. Yet, Lenox was still mesmerized enough to stare into the Kendrick Black shine. Without lifting his eyes to Sabathany, Lenox said, “It must be rough, being on your way somewhere and having to stop to deal with all that.”
“No, he’s adjusting to it, actually. Just wait until the movie comes out. It’s going to be nuts!”
“I bet,” Lenox said, unaware of how wistful he sounded. Lifted from a trance of admiration, he shuddered, then resumed fitting the luggage into the trunk of the car. “So, how long are you guys here for?”
“Didn’t he tell you?”
“Yeah, but you know, things can change.”
“We’re here for a couple of days. I’m going to meet his family. Then, we’re off to do press.”
Lenox opened the passenger door for her. “You’re going to meet his parents? That ought to be interesting.”
The two locked eyes. Sabathany was unsure of what he meant, but did not like the tone. Standing eye to eye with Lenox, she maintained a neutral face.
“I’m sorry, and how do you know Kenny?”
“Been knowing Kenny since high school. We’re like family, he and I,” Lenox said. It sounded like both a proud announcement and revelation of power.
“We should get along fine, then. After all, we share his best interest.” Sabathany extended her hand.
Lenox eyed it as though it were infected, but shook it anyway.
Put off by Lenox’s reservation, Sabathany climbed into the back seat of the town car.
As long as you recognize that he knew me first, and I’ll always have his back, yeah, we should get along just fine, Lenox thought to himself as he closed the door.
“You guys are the best!” Kendrick yelled, backing away from the dispersing group.
Lenox moved to the front passenger seat and held the door open for Kendrick. He appeared uncomfortable doing the task.
Kendrick dove into the seat, and Lenox closed the door.
“They love you, baby!” Sabathany tapped his shoulder from the backseat.
“The crowds are getting bigger and bigger.” Kendrick touched her hand.
Lenox got in and started the engine. As soon as he drove from the curb, Kendrick lowered his voice. “Say, man, did you take care of that thing like I asked you to?”
Lenox caught Sabathany’s reflection through the rearview mirror. Their eyes met again. She sat back in her seat. He turned the radio on, flipping through random channels until he reached the oldies but goodies station. The Four Tops sang “Bernadette.” Lenox used the Motown Sound for cover. Raising the volume, he said, “Yeah, I took care of it.”
“You should’ve called to let me know.” Kendrick spoke like an authority reprimanding a subordinate.
“It took more time than I expected,” Lenox replied, careful to carry his voice just beneath the hard driving treble and base.
“Man, if I’m going to do this press stuff, I’ve got to know that you’re handling things.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Sabathany yelled over the music.
The volume came down to normal level. “Kenny left me in charge of some finishing touches for a surprise for his mother.”
“Oh,” Sabathany said, disappointed with Lenox’s revelation.
“Yeah, I owe her for running out like I did the last time I was here,” Kendrick chimed in.
Sabathany tapped his shoulder again. “I don’t remember you telling me you ran out. Why run out?”
“I was having issues with my wife and needed someone to talk to. Since things had gone so wrong with his dad, we met up a lot sooner than expected,” Lenox said.
Sabathany noticed the crafty smiles shared between the two men.
“Aw, best buds to the end. That’s sweet. I wish I had girlfriends who’d do that for me.” Then, she reclined back in her seat. She knew they were lying.
SEVEN
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Black.” Sabathany played this scene out many times in her head and never had she imagined this. A perfectly sincere sentiment followed by awkward silence. Not knowing what else to do, she gave Kendrick’s mother a hug, taking in Diane’s scent—a hint of gardenia and a tease of spice.
She felt just as Sabathany imagined she would—like unconditional love would feel if it were tangible.
“Oh well, all right then,” Diane said, flustered by the gesture. “Aren’t you precious?” She broke from Sabathany’s grasp, laughing cheerily while straightening her dress. “My goodness, Kenny, what a pretty girl.”
Kendrick smiled a smile that warmed his mother’s heart. Maybe if she were happy, her English springer spaniel-like keen senses would pick up good vibes from Sabathany. He decided to keep his fingers crossed.
“So tell me, Sabathany, what do you make of Minneapolis?” Diane asked.
“I’m not sure I could ever get used to this chill.”
Diane laughed. “You think this is bad? Wait till February.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“This is sort of freak weather. It’s not usually this cold yet,” Kendrick added as they followed Diane into the dining room. While Sabathany passed through, Kendrick paused in the doorway, taking note of the four table settings.
“Please tell me dad isn’t joining us,” Kendrick said.
“Your father’s working.”
“Then who’s the extra setting for?”
“When’s the last time you saw Paris?”
“Been awhile.”
“Mmm, hmm, that’s what I thought. She’ll be along here after while”
“I guess you’re going to meet my sister,” Kendrick said, taking a seat next to Sabathany.
Suddenly, as if on cue, a smoky feminine voice called from the kitchen, “Yoo-hoo! Hello?” followed by the closing of the backdoor.
Sabathany did a
double take when Paris entered the dining room, wearing vintage beauty with the same ease she wore her maxi-length, brown sable coat and matching fur hat. Her face was applied with the best makeup. Her beauty stretched across the ages. Sabathany, a stunner herself, was momentarily stunned, and then intimidated. She extended her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Paris.”
“Nice to meet you too. I swear, I could smell the grilled cheese the moment I walked in,” Paris said, tossing the coat and hat onto a chair next to her. “So simple, yet so tasty. And I know you made tomato soup to go with it, right?”
Diane pointed to the ceramic tan and red striped pot resting on the pot holder in the middle of the table. “Of course. What do you think that is? Oh, and before you get comfortable, could you bring out the sweet tea?”
“I can get that, Mrs. Black. I just love sweet tea.” Sabathany headed toward the kitchen before Diane or anyone else could object.
“Are you a southern girl?” Diane asked when Sabathany returned, holding a pitcher of tea.
“Me? No, I was born in Detroit and raised in L.A.”
Diane laughed, taking the filled glass of tea Sabathany poured for her. “Then what do you know about sweet tea?”
“My grandparents were from Macon, Georgia. Sure, they moved to L.A, but they never forgot where they came from, never forgot those southern comforts.”
“My goodness! I’m from Savannah!”
“Wow,” Sabathany gushed, “Small world.”
As soon as everyone had tea, Sabathany ladled soup into four small bowls. Kendrick was pleasantly surprised with how well things seemed to be going.
“Thank you so very much,” Paris said when she received her soup. “So, how did you and my brother meet?”
“A friend of mine brought me to this party to meet an agent he thought might represent me, but once Kenny and I laid eyes on one another, I can barely remember anything else that happened that night. We’ve been together ever since. A beautiful year and a half.”
“So, you’re an actress?” Paris asked.
“I had aspirations. Now, I write mostly.”
“You write books?” Diane asked.
“No, screenwriting.”
“Has anything you’ve written ever been made into a movie?” Paris blew on her spoonful of soup.
“I’ve done my share of pitches to the studios, but no, nothing made yet.”
Kendrick was amazed at how easily the lies dribbled from Sabathany’s lips. He tried to mask his disbelief.
“It all sounds very exciting,” Diane said.
“It is, ma’am.” Then in a pivot, Sabathany asked, “And what do you do, Paris?”
“I counsel at-risk youth.”
Sabathany looked perplexed. She imagined Paris doing something that centered around beauty. “Sounds challenging.”
“Paris has always been a great listener,” Kendrick said.
“Yeah, I bet that trait comes in handy,” Sabathany replied.
Paris tore the grilled cheese down its middle, the gooiest cheese stretched between the halves. “Actually, today at work I spoke with young people who identify as part of the LGBT community. Their parents tossed them out like garbage. Suicide rates among the LGBT youth community are higher than in the general population.”
Sabathany pulled her sandwich apart as well. “Hmm, interesting,” she said, taking her first bite of the sandwich. “Oh my goodness, Mrs. Black, I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a grilled cheese this good before. But there’s something else I taste. What do you do differently?”
“I spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the inside of the slices of bread before I put on the cheese,” Diane revealed.
“That’s genius.” Sabathany savored another bite. She watched Diane reach over and pull a string of cheese from Kendrick’s chin.
“Can you believe it? He’s thirty years old and I’m still babying him,” Diane confessed.
“I’m jealous. I wish my mother and I had this kind of relationship.” Without looking at Paris, Sabathany said, “I sort of know what you mean when you talked about parents throwing their kids away.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Paris asked.
A faraway look entered Sabathany’s eyes. She crossed her arms and nodded. “Yeah, she let my grandparents raise me. Then they gave me away because they started having health problems. That’s when I became part of the system.”
Kendrick placed a supportive hand on her leg.
“Did you ever find your mother?” Diane asked.
“Oh yeah.”
“We moved her out to L.A. from Detroit,” Kendrick said.
Diane’s face brightened. “Well, then, see? It may take a little time, but it’s not too late.”
“No, it is. She’s dead,” Sabathany said flatly.
It was the first time Kendrick heard it. He found the emotionless, matter-of-fact way she spoke unsettling. Sabathany took Kendrick’s hand from her leg and squeezed it hard. He did his best not to wince from discomfort.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry to hear that,” Diane said.
“Thank you.” Sabathany’s eyes were downcast. She continued squeezing Kendrick’s hand until the confusion left his face.
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did she pass?” Paris wanted to know.
“My mother was an addict. Can’t say I’m surprised it was the drugs that got her into trouble.” She looked at Diane, then to Paris, expecting judgmental stares, but none came. “Anyway, it just happened and I’m not sure that I’m ready to talk about it.”
“We understand.”
Paris reached across to touch Sabathany’s hand, an overture of support. Sabathany opened herself to be touched.
After lunch, Sabathany learned more about the Black family than she intended to. She watched old sports trophies receive a good dusting off, while team wins were explained in depth. Family photo albums were flipped through page by page. Memories were jogged. And while Kendrick and Paris grew bored from the rehashed minor details, Sabathany considered it time well invested in bringing her closer to the family.
“I think we should get going,” Kendrick said, unable to withstand the boredom. “Paris, we were thinking about going out later, did you want to join us?”
“Yeah, we’d love it if you would,” Sabathany cooed.
“Sounds like fun.”
“Great. Paris, where are we picking you up from?” Kendrick asked, helping Sabathany into her coat.
“I’ll text you my address.”
“Good idea.” Kendrick put on his own coat. “Babe, are you ready?
“I was born ready.” She noticed Kendrick staring at her. It was an uncomfortable kind of stare. She expected an interrogation on the way back to the apartment. “Mrs. Black, thank you so much for the afternoon. I had fun.”
“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Say, Ma, did they ever find the person that killed the little girl in the hit and run?” Paris asked.
Diane shook her head. She extended her hands towards Heaven. “My word, that poor little girl. No, they haven’t found the lowlife!”
Kendrick hugged his mother. “I love you.”
“Love you, too. Got a minute?”
“Of course. Sabathany, why don’t you warm up the car? Mom needs a minute.”
“Sure,” Sabathany said, going in for a second hug from Diane. “It was really a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise, dear.” Diane beamed.
“I’ll walk out with you,” Paris said. “Kenny, I’ll see you later.”
“Okay.”
Sabathany smiled at them before following Paris out the door. Once the door closed, Kendrick turned to face his mother. She was no longer smiling.
“That’s the best you could bring home?” Diane asked, her expression turning serious all of a sudden.
“What do you mean?”
“Sabathany.”
Hurt compounded the surprise on his face. “What’s wrong with her?”
/> “Seems phony to me, like she knew all the right things to say.”
“You hound me that I deserve to have someone in my life, and when I get someone who makes me happy, she’s not good enough?”
“Not for you. I’m sure there are plenty of eligible women out there in a state as big as California you can meet. Because I’m telling you, you’re a fool if you hitch your wagon to that one.”
“Sabathany is a great woman, Ma. You’ve known her for what, one afternoon? I’ve known her a year and a half.”
“Time wasted if you ask me.”
“What happened to you telling me that you would respect whatever decisions I made in my personal life because ultimately I’m the one who’s got to be happy with the decision? In fact, I distinctly remember you telling me you wouldn’t care who I brought home just as long as I didn’t bring a…”
“Just because that’s what I said I wanted doesn’t mean that’s what I wanted.”
“Then why say it?”
Diane ignored the question. “Look, I’m not naïve. You’re a little curious about these around-the-way, ‘hood girls. I get it. I suppose you’re going to have dalliances. Just do me a favor… remember that you screw women like that, you don’t marry them.”
“I didn’t know it was any of your business.”
Diane continued, “You two aren’t getting married, are you?”
“We’ve talked about it.”
Diane gritted her teeth. “Damn it, Kenny. What am I supposed to tell your father?”
“You don’t have to tell him anything. And even if you do, so what? What’s he going to do? Not speak to yet another one of his kids?”
“Just don’t knock her up, or you’ll never be rid of her.”
“I’m going to try and pretend we didn’t just have this conversation. I’ll talk to you later.”
Kendrick walked to the car. Sabathany had started the car and was talking to Paris from a lowered window. Sabathany took notice of Kendrick’s angered face.
“Something wrong?” Sabathany asked.
“Everything’s fine,” he said.
“Any idea where you guys want to go tonight?” Paris asked.
The Best Possible Angle Page 5
