"G-O-O-OD - DAMN GIRL! YOU WORKING THAT DRESS! COM'ON GIMME THEM DIGITS!!!" One leaned out to yell at her, slowing down to hang out and beg while cars behind him blew for him to move on. Wolf calls and whistles were sounding out, as well as - "HEY SWEET THANG - COM'ERE FO' MINUTE... COM'ON NA'! DON'T BE UPPITY - LORD DON'T LIKE UPPITY - BUT HE SHO-O-O' DONE PAID SOME ATTENTION TO YOU GIRL!!! COM'ON NA' SWEET THANG, LORD'AMERCY SWEET SWEET DARK CHOCOLATE! STOP THE GOD-DAMN CAR! SHET THE FUCK UP BLOWIN' - IS YOU BLIND!!! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT'S WALKIN' HERE - SHI-I-IT!!" The man had to move on because other's were yelling and cursing him. Another one, "GIRL IF YOU LET ME TAKE YOU HOME, WHEN WE GET THERE, I SWEAR FO'GOD - I'LL TAKE YOU TO HEAVEN!!!"
The last, "BLACK QUEEN - BLACK QUEEN - FINEST THING I EVA'DONE SEEN! DOIN' THAT WALK, YOU KNOW YOU FINE AND TENDA' - BLACK QUEEN AT YO'FEET - I SWEAR'FO GOD - I SURRENDA' - GUL COME ON DO ME RIGHT!!! GIRL YOU SO FINE!!!"
Derrick and Lydia were cracking up. "Oh my goodness, I ain't seen Vivian fo'some while. She use to come by the house all the time before Sylvia left home. Emph emph emph - chile built like a brick house! Look at'ha would you!" Lydia was enjoying the show given to them by the men, going nuts at her presence as she strolled across the street in between cars that had to stop due to the light. They heard Spanish guys calling out to her in Spanish and in English, punctuated by whistles from white guys as well. Vivian walked as if she heard nothing, head held high, nose in the air, with the regal baring of a queen, a stride filled with attitude wearing a dress fitting a body like hers.
Derrick wiped at a tear from the corner of his eye, he was trying with all his might not to look at his suddenly silent brother, the only one in the van not laughing, not liking the display before him, not one bit!
Jake was steaming.
His face was on fire.
His body was on fire.
Possessiveness road him like something mad going berserk within his system. His right hand gripped the door handle of the van and squeezed, using everything in him not to jump out, grab her and shake the hell out of her for wearing something so exotically electrifying. That last call following Mr. Poet made him open the door.
"AI AI AI AI!" Derrick warned him. "Don't even think about it, close the door and calm down. Come on, close the door, they see you they'll know - might alert Sylvia - come on now. Besides, I don't fancy a fight tonight. Jake - close - the - door!" Derrick ordered low, afraid he was going to end up on this busy street, standing between his brother and Vivian and any men who might try to rescue her from him, all things considered, his brother being white, Vivian black - it could get ugly.
Lydia's eyes grew huge watching Jake, she covered her mouth stunned at his struggle.
Finally, with a growl, he slammed it hard and threw himself back in the seat, writhing with anger. His fist opening and clenching on his knees.
"What the heck were you gonna do?" Derrick asked him.
Jake was livid, he couldn't answer.
"Look, take a few deep breaths, and let it go." His brother went on in an attempt to calm him, fighting not to laugh.
"Good God'a'mighty boy - what done got you all whipped up?" Lydia asked, but she knew. Shawn had told her, but now she was able to see it with her own eyes and couldn't help but enjoy it.
Jake felt hard and harsh, he was too mad to speak, his jaw ticking. He was mad at her. Mad at himself for showing himself up in front of Sylvia's mother and his brother Derrick. Since meeting her, too much of him was going nuts, this was not him. He knew it! His laid back, happy go lucky, fun and un-fazed nature - gone - with her present. Everything in him wanted to charge across the space separating them, snatch her to him, drag her to the van, toss her in, and make her sit still as he got his temper under control. To react as he did in front of his brother just fuelled his resentment that much more. He could just imagine what he'd run back and tell Shawn, his mom. The thought made him growl once more in the back of his throat. Surprising Derrick and Lydia who heard it for the second time. Jake couldn't take his eyes off of her, his heart beat in conjunction with the loud blaring statement in his head, a statement he didn't wish to lay claim to, but flashing despite his struggle it did... 'MINE!!! SHE'S MINE!'. This was the very reason he wanted no part of her. She was too damn beautiful. Too exotic and alluring. Too graceful. Her body too sleek! Too many curves! Too tiny a waist! An ass too amazing. He'd been building up a need to see her for days, reason he begged the truck off of his brother, which was parked at Lydia's house now. And now, seeing her again, made him wish to do exactly what all those howling at her imagined to do. He shook with a fierceness he'd never known. Still their words re-played in his head. Hearing those other men hoot and shout at her. To have her, would mean having to put up with that. He was pissed as he'd never been before. So much for a life at ease. So much for not a care in the world. All because of her. Here he sat, just short of rage! Why? That's the problem... why?! Her! That damn dress! That damn body ... both were lethal! Didn't matter what she wore, lethal! He imagined himself standing in her bedroom, going through her closet, ripping every clingy outfit he found there and burning them. Spraying gas on the leftover ashes and burning them again. Then he'd pull a potato sack over her head, granted, she'd give him a fight, he didn't give a shit, she'd wear it anyway dammit! Following that, he'd send her on her way. His anger went up another notch, another sound, a grunt this time - notified the occupants in the van that it had - his anger, gone up. It went up a notch because he didn't want to imagine such things. He wanted this runaway train within him to just stop! Finally, they made their way inside the club, she was out of sight. Traffic returned to normal... but he - he was left with that image of her, adding to all the others, to haunt and torture him.
Derrick decided to answer for his brother, "He'll be all right once he calms down now that she's out of sight. Man-o-man-o-man ... no doubt about it, I could never invite her to any of my games, my boys would lose for sure." Derrick chuckled.
Lydia sat back in her seat, grinning in glee. She couldn't wait to tell Shawn and her daughter what she'd just seen.
Shawn parked his bike in the alley behind the club. As he leaned under the alley light, surrounded by refuse, his mind was on the moment he saw his wife again. His system was highly charged. He couldn't help but wonder what he would do if she didn't wish to leave with him. All the facts about their relationship went through his mind. Like - how far it had come in such a short period of time. His aggressive pursuit of her. Funny how in the beginning, despite knowing how pleased his mother would be about him being with her, he hadn't known for sure he wanted her. Sylvia had been the first black woman he'd ever been attracted to. Certainly not the first he'd had sex with. Being with the Chocolate and Vanilla swirl team with Jesse had provided ample settings where he'd had sex with black women. Yet, they had not been a turn-on for him until her. Something about the bravery of her. Learning that this single black woman had moved to that small town of majority whites and living alone, unprotected had pricked his attention.
She was snooty, proud, moral and clean.
Her smile was like a light that could out shine the sun as far as he was concerned.
Her voice, the soft sweetness of it, or - the bite of it when she was in her, "trying to fend him off" mood - all served to attract him even more. The harder she pushed him away, the tighter was his hold, the greater his need. He'd pretty much made up his mind early in the game that she was most definitely what he wanted. Thus began the calls to Derrick and his family, or rather, his mom - letting her know. Telling her about the knock out across the road. He smiled as he remembered telling his mother,
"Give me a little time, she's gonna take a bit of work to break through, but I figure - I'll be bringing her home within the next year."
Gert had chuckled. "She playing hard to get son?"
"Oh yeah... that she is. I don't think she's playin' at it - if I were to leave her be, she wouldn't give me the time of day."
"Well don't you leave her be! You do
what you have to do son! I'll be expectin' to meet her soon."
"I think I'll have her wrapped up within in the next six months... maybe less."
"That's my boy! I'm so glad you're home."
That had been during the fall of last year, when he'd taken it upon himself to get her ready for winter and cut wood for her and stack it. His plan was simple. Whether she wanted a man or not, she had one - he just had to get her use to the idea of having him around. One thing for certain, he hadn't expected to fall so hard for her. The blind trip over into no reverse happened with the pool game. When he'd hustled her for that kiss. It hadn't necessarily been the kiss that nailed him, but the look on her face when she demanded that he respect her. When she, in tears refused to let him take advantage of her, despite losing the bet. He'd never known a woman to be quite that way. With most that he knew, he would have ended up getting it on with them on that pool table.
Not his wife.
She'd run for her life.
Had practically begged him not to use her that way.
Only way he would have had her, would have been to force her.
That was it.
The absolute turning point for him. The nail on it all. It was then that he was unavoidably in love - with Sylvia Martin. Right then, it clicked in him that if given the chance, he would marry her. That she would be the mother of any children he might have. At that point, she was all woman, lovely beyond words, and knowing it or not, in need of him. In need of his love, devotion and protection. So to return and see her as she was from the attack of Ray Olivetti, lit a rage in him he'd never experienced. He'd been willing to kill Ray. He'd pounded on him with a burning desire to feel his face shatter, his neck snap. To have even dared to try and harm her when she belonged to him. Even then, she had been his! To hurt her as he had done, drove him mad.
Shawn reached up and scratched at his neck as he stood there, fully accepting the fact that for her, he would die, he would kill.
"Aye aye m'man... you got some change on you?" A street dweller asked him suddenly.
Shawn looked at the bum.
Here he was in a Chicago back alley, and not a thread of fear in him. Because he knew how to look the part of someone not to mess with. Besides, he was not unarmed. Even though the area was on the far North-East side, majority white, Italians, Spanish - there were still plenty dangers in the back alleys.
Quietly, Shawn reached in his back pocket for his wallet, within the bills he found a ten. Realizing he might be setting himself up for robbery, he dissuaded such a notion from the man as he passed him the ten bill.
"Take it and get the fuck out of this alley! Lingering too much longer could get you killed."
The message, tone and the look of him sent the exact assumption he wanted to convey. That he was there for a reason, one the man didn't wish to be around to witness. Didn't matter if it was true or not, the main purpose was avoiding having to fend off a possible robbery just in case the old man had other resources that he might bring back. Shawn's words scratched any such consideration.
"No problem, th - thanks - I'm gone." The man took the money and moved quick, afraid of being in the midst of something that could end his life.
Shawn turned back to watching the back door of the club.
Looking down at his bike, he climbed on it and road it to a small hidden lot in the alley not far down from the club. Right away he saw a red mustang parked there in the midst of seven other cars. His heart went into palpitations. His wife's car. She was already there.
He pulled up along side it, turned off his bike and climbed off. Standing, he stared into the interior of the mustang. He could see little with it being so dark even though a light shined from a pole in the corner of the small lot. He shook his head.
"Wife... it's you and me tonight baby... just you and I. Papa's come to get'cha." He muttered low. Turning from her car, he walked back down the alley towards the rear entrance to see Paul standing in the open door waiting for him.
"There you are, I was afraid for a moment there, I'd have to come back again. Come on, hurry." He urged Shawn inside. "My brother's talking to his contestants, the bouncers are all out front." Paul spoke fast, leading Shawn to one of the empty dressing rooms. "Wait in here, you can hear everything happening on stage by that speaker up on the wall."
"You know which one of these rooms Sylvia is in?" Shawn asked going straight into the room as he asked.
"No idea. I know she's here. Bruce had them all come in early for rehearsals. Look uh Shawn, chill tonight okay?"
"I am chilling. Just came for my wife."
"Yeah but - Bruce, well - he's got designs on her because of her talent, her singing. He's gonna push it - try to get her to take him on as her manager."
"No chance! No way! I'm telling you now - I'm not puttin' up with any bullshit. Not when it comes to my wife!"
"I know that Shawn - but you have to at some point realize that in the end, it really is up to her."
Shawn stared at Paul with no answer. They could hear the audience growing crowded, there was a lot of talking and laughter as the small band played softly while they seated themselves.
"As long as he understands that she's my wife - and doesn't try anything with her, I'll chill. Does he know I'm here?"
"No... not back here. I did however hint that you might show up. I just don't want any trouble between you two."
"You're setting me up and warning me as if you know something? Anything going on that I should know about?" Shawn asked, accusation in his tone.
"No... everything is fine." He answered. He wasn't about to tell Shawn that already Bruce was investing in her. He'd ordered gowns for her performance to glamorize her appearance, spoiling her in a sense, to show what he could do for her, offer her - if she chose to go with him. He hadn't had much time to talk with Bruce as he'd liked to. Diane was rushing him, and Bruce was too preoccupied with plans for Sylvia. The moment just hadn't been right for them to really communicate.
"Look, I better get out front, Diane's already being bitchy over everything." Paul informed him.
Shawn didn't respond, he leaned back against the vanity table with his arms crossed and nodded at Paul, his signal that he was fine and could leave him now.
Taking a deep breath, Paul left to return back out front. On the way, he came up behind Meribel who was also heading out front, the two having never met, didn't know each other and so only nodded with a polite smile as they made their way past the stage to take the four steps down and into the main hall for their tables out front.
Chapter 120
Cocktail waitresses made their way from one table to the other, dressed in skimpy little uniforms styled from the days of nightclubs and smoky dens. Black skirts just to the edge of their bottoms, white ruffled crinoline fluffing it high and out. Their hair had to be pinned up with little fetching head dresses to match the black and white uniform. To be slim, with shapely legs was a requirement to work as a cocktail waitress at Fitzgerald's.
The audience was filled with lovers of Jazz, lovers of the nightclub scene, fans of live entertainment and the atmosphere that Fitzgerald's promised and delivered. Before the contest began, the band played, 'Night Train.' for all those milling about, being escorted to their preferred table or booth. In the back, in the shadow, to the right of the club, Derrick and Lydia occupied a booth, hidden from the stage and from those sitting up front. Jake stood leaning against it, with his back to the wall near the hallway leading to the ladies and men's rooms. He preferred to stand, it was a habit he had. No matter what bar or club he went to, he always stood and scanned those around him. Despite his brother asking him not to, he held a drink. He needed one. He needed to relax. Slowly he sipped on the Gin and grapefruit juice. Derrick asked him, "If you must - have just one and sip it slow. What if Shawn's needs you to drive or something, or I need you to?"
Jake hadn't answered. He was brooding. Sulking as he looked beyond his brother who stood before him at the time, staring tow
ards the table where Vivian sat with Dennis, Sheila and Meribel. When they'd come in looking for a table, she'd seen them, waving to get their attention, she invited them to sit at hers.
Because he refused to respond, Derrick gave up and took his seat across from Lydia.
"He gone be ah'right?" She asked Derrick right away.
"Who knows. He has a lot going on within him right now. To be honest with you, he's being a bit unpredictable. You see, my brother Jake - has never been in love before. He's not handling it very well."
"You thank he in love... wit' Vivian?" Lydia asked.
"No doubt about it." He murmured low for her ears only. "You see, Jake doesn't stew about anything. But he's stewing now. He's also trying to adjust to going from 39 to 40 and fighting it. On top of all that, he's gone through a recent tragedy, someone he was involved with, committed suicide this past week."
"Lord... Shawn ain't tell me that."
"Yeah... and now, Vivian. You see, my mother wants her, and Jake wants her. But - he wants her his way. Not the marriage and commitment way. Neither is he used to having a woman that he's forced to respect, one that the family wants him to bring home. I guess you could say he's a bit against the wall. Part of him wanting to do what my mom wants, part of him needing to rebel as he's always done. While he wants to please, he sometimes deliberately sabotages to avoid failing someone by actually trying. He wants her, is in love with her, but he's scared to death of admitting it, or committing himself. Covers it all up pretending to struggle with sacrificing his bachelor status. He's been a bad boy for so long, crossing over into being a man with one woman is like having to give birth, gonna be a whole lot of screaming." Derrick finished winking at her grinning.
Lydia started laughing enjoying Derrick's easy manner and enjoying her night out after so many years of nothing but working and being at home alone and unhappy. She'd forgotten all about this part of life, and for once, decided she would learn to live again. Too many years spent in sorrow and regret, bitter towards being forgotten, when she was guilty herself of forgetting to live for tomorrow and leaving the past behind, because she couldn't change it, that was impossible. So she decided from then on, that living is what she would go back to doing.
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