by Ronn Elmore
“A little.”
“Well, I’m not trying to rush you, but Nina will be joining us for dinner.”
“Bringing in the troops, huh?” Dwayne said, searching his pocket for the car key.
“Not really. Robbie had invited her to dinner before we knew you were coming. But I think meeting her will help you decide one way or the other.”
“So I’ll meet you at the house in a few.”
As Lafayette opened the front door, laughter mixed with the sounds of pots and pans clattering in the kitchen, and the aroma of fried chicken and greens filled the room.
“Uncle Dwayne!” His nieces, nephews, and cousins rushed him.
“How’s it going?” He lifted Nicole as Robbie and Lafayette’s other three children flanked him. He kissed Deborah and shook hands with Brandon and Joshua, then high-fived Mario and Eric, Monique’s foster sons.
Monique, Dwayne’s and Lafayette’s first cousin, had come from Texas to live with the Grandisons when she was four years old. Her mother, who had married too young, suddenly left her teenage husband and their daughter and took up residence with the local drug dealer. Monique’s father got drunk and, in a jealous rage, went with gun in hand to force his wife’s return. When she refused, he shot both her and her new boyfriend, then turned the gun on himself. All three died instantly. The family’s neighbors pooled their money to send Monique to Los Angeles to live with her uncle and aunt and their two sons. She had been raised as if she were the boys’ natural sister.
“What’s up with the sad face?” Dwayne asked Joshua, the eldest of the Grandison grandchildren, who had marched into the living room like the Pied Piper.
“My friends are going roller-skating and Mom won’t let me go,” Joshua said, pouting. “She said we’re having a family dinner and since I’m family, I have to be here.”
Joshua pleaded his case with the hope that his uncle would speak to his mother on his behalf. Dwayne chuckled, remembering the many occasions he’d done the very same thing with his aunts and uncles.
“Let me see what I can do,” Dwayne said, slipping Nicole from his lap.
“Don’t even try.” Robbie smiled as she entered the room. “Tell your uncle the whole story.” She placed her hands on her hips.
Joshua sulked from the room, and his brother and Monique’s two young sons followed.
“I’m really glad you made it.”
“C’mon now. You see me every Sunday.”
“I know,” Robbie said, slapping him playfully on his arm. “But today seems like old times… almost.” She paused. “Take off your jacket and get comfortable. Where’s your brother?”
“Upstairs, I think. Where’s Mom?”
“In the kitchen. Where else? But don’t worry. I’ll get her out of there. The moment she hears you’re here, she’ll come running.” She turned. “Deborah, I need some help in the kitchen.”
Deborah obediently followed her mother, with Nicole in tow.
Dwayne leaned back on the couch. He always felt at home here, though View Park was miles away from the South-Central corridor where he had grown up. Still, Lafayette and Roberta had created a space just like his childhood home. So unlike the high-tech, elegantly designed home that Yvette had created. He remembered when Yvette first surprised him with their new home. It was his birthday and Yvette told him that she had a surprise.
“So it’s a party,” Dwayne had surmised as they entered the Wilshire-Pacific Towers, which had been well known for housing many of Hollywood’s elite, especially New York-based actors who maintained bicoastal homes. Dwayne searched his mind trying to remember which of his clients lived here. “I can’t remember, who lives here?”
Yvette smiled as they entered the elevator. “What are you talking about?” She ran her hand over her hair, which was curled into a flip.
When the doors opened to the penthouse, Dwayne blinked in confusion. The massive space was empty.
Yvette took his hand and smiled again. “This is our new home. Happy birthday.”
He walked along the deep-piled carpet toward the long windows that faced the Hollywood Hills. Several minutes passed before he turned back to his wife. “Our new home?”
She bobbed her head like an excited schoolgirl. “Yes, sweetheart. I wanted to surprise you. Isn’t this magnificent?” She spread her arms wide.
He didn’t answer at first.
“You said it was time to start looking for a place so that we could get out of that cramped apartment.”
“But we agreed to buy a home—a house, with a backyard, where our children could run and play.”
The ends of Yvette’s smile turned down a bit. “Yeah… but there’s so much we have to do before we have children. This is a great place to start.” She took his hand and led him from the living room into the formal dining area. “And there’s more than enough space here. There are three bedrooms and it’s almost three thousand square feet.”
Dwayne followed as Yvette rushed through the apartment, taking him through the kitchen, the extra bedrooms, and the two bathrooms.
“You gotta love this,” she gushed. “I know you do.”
Dwayne pulled her hand, stopping her dead in her tracks. “Honey, this is nice, but it’s not what we talked about.”
“I know, but for now, isn’t this place just perfect? Just the right address for a successful young psychologist and his thoughtful, gorgeous”—she posed playfully—“and ever-so-brilliant wife.”
Dwayne shook his head, giving in.
“Hey, wait a minute,” she said. “I have something to show you. Come right this way, sir.” She kissed him softly as she led him into the master bedroom. Dwayne gasped as they entered a circular sifting room, then stepped into the massive bedroom. On the wall opposite the floor-to-ceiling windows was a black granite fireplace crackling with flames. In the middle of the empty room was a large blanket spread across the carpet and a silver bucket, holding a bottle of champagne, and two Baccarat flutes they had received as wedding gifts.
Yvette took her husband’s hand and gently pulled him toward the center of the room. He knelt beside her, taking her chin into his hands and kissing her deeply. He loved her so much, even if she was pushy and ambitious. But then again, everything she did was for them, to nurture their success and help the business to thrive. To help them build a secure future.
“Wake up,” the voice said, and Dwayne sat up, stirred from his daydream. It took a moment for him to focus on Lafayette standing in front of him and a young woman smiling at his side.
Trying to hide his embarrassment, Dwayne stood and extended his hand toward the woman, who looked familiar. “Hello, I’m Dwayne Grandison. Obviously, I have better manners than my brother,” he said, taking a jab at Lafayette for not making the introduction.
The woman’s earnest expression broke into a wide smile, revealing her perfectly aligned teeth. “Dwayne, you don’t remember me. I’m Nina Jordan,” she said softly, taking his extended hand.
Dwayne once again surveyed the slender, demurely beautiful woman, dressed stylishly in a tailored gray pantsuit and accenting scarf draped over one shoulder, her dark brown shoulder-length hair pulled back off her face. He had been instantly struck by her stunning looks, and, yes, there was a familiarity, though he at first thought her to be one of Robbie’s girlfriends. It took a moment for him to realize that he was still holding her hand.
“Nina, it’s good to see you again,” Dwayne said, now recalling the many times he’d seen her on various television programs some years ago.
“Let’s sit down,” Lafayette said, “and talk about this counseling program a bit before we eat.”
“No, you don’t,” Robbie said, entering the living room with a silver tray containing garlic dip and crudités. Bernice followed with small plates. “There will be no talk of business now.” Robbie put the tray down, then wrapped her arms around Lafayette’s neck and kissed him. “This is a family affair and we’re all going to have a good time.”
Dwayne followed Lafayette into the kitchen and filled the water glasses with cider, juice, soda, and sparkling water. When they returned to the living room, Dwayne looked around. Monique had just gotten up to chastise her two young sons, who had been fighting. Bernice sat in the high wing-back chair next to Robbie, who was on the love seat. Before Dwayne could sit next to his sister-in-law, Lafayette sat, put his arm around his wife, and smiled at his brother. The only place left for Dwayne to sit was on the couch next to Nina.
For a moment, he’d considered that they might be setting him up, and then just as quickly he realized he might be overreacting. After all, everyone knew that he wasn’t ready for any kind of relationship. This was only a gathering of family and friends who’d come together for conversation and dinner. It made sense that Nina was invited, since Lafayette was trying to sell him on joining the ministry. Dwayne knew that Lafayette was confident he would close the deal before sundown.
Casually, Dwayne sat on the couch and crossed his legs. When Nina glanced at him and smiled, he took a sip of his soda.
As they settled in, taking pieces of vegetables from the tray, the children played outside with the other neighborhood kids, the sound of their laughter and screams filling the air.
“Dwayne, I called Sean to see if he could join us, but his assistant said he’s on the road,” Robbie said.
Dwayne nodded. “He’s in Atlanta. I think he’s singing with Beverlyn Boudreaux this week.”
“Now, that woman can sing!” Bernice raised one hand in the air and shook her head. “You know the Holy Spirit is moving when she opens her mouth.”
“She’s really doing some things down there in New Orleans,” Robbie joined in, “with all of her crusades and speaking on top of her singing. But Lafayette said he heard she was moving to L.A.”
“Really?” Nina raised her eyebrows.
“The word is, Beverlyn and her uncle are putting together some kind of gospel television network,” Lafayette said.
“That’s going to take a ton of money,” Robbie said.
“Well, you know she’s got it,” Bernice noted.
“They all look kind of phony to me,” Monique chimed in.
“Now, Nikki,” Bernice said.
Lafayette turned to Dwayne. “What has Sean told you?”
Dwayne had been surprised. He didn’t really follow Beverlyn Boudreaux and knew nothing of her plans. Taking a sip of his soda, he replied, “Sean did mention something about her to me.”
“Well, you know both she and Sean have a concert in Los Angeles coming up,” Lafayette pointed out.
“Mommy, Mommy!” Nina’s seven-year-old son, Omari, came running into the room, interrupting the discourse.
“Omari!” Nina shrieked. “You know better than to interrupt us like that. Where are your manners?”
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I’m sorry, Pastor Lafayette.”
Dwayne smiled. “And who is this young man?”
“Omari, this is Dr. Dwayne Grandison.” Nina introduced the two of them as Robbie and Bernice turned their attention back to the kitchen.
“How are you, Mr. Dwayne?” Omari said before blurting out, “When are we going to eat?”
“Soon. Go back and play with the children for now.”
“Okay, Mommy.” The little boy, full of energy, scurried from the room.
Just Dwayne and Nina remained in the room as Bernice and Robbie prepared to serve and Lafayette went to check on the kids.
“So what do you think?” Nina inquired, moving forward in her seat. “Did you get a chance to go over the proposal?”
“Yeah, I did. I’m impressed. You’ve put together quite a program,” he complimented her.
“Thanks, but I know you could bring so much more to it,” Nina stressed. “And we’d be more than happy to work around your schedule.”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to get involved. I’m just not so sure that now is the time.”
“I promise it won’t take much of your time. Besides, I’ll be doing the bulk of the work,” Nina added.
Dwayne looked at Nina and then Lafayette, who’d returned, wondering if they knew what they were offering him. A chance to return to the place he’d always thought of as home.
“I’d be honored to work with you,” Nina said.
When Dwayne looked at Nina, he could see the sincerity of her compliment in her eyes.
“I hope you guys are finished,” Robbie yelled from the dining room. “We’re just about ready in here.”
“Maybe we should get together and discuss this a little more,” Nina said.
“Let’s do that.” Dwayne responded almost instinctively.
Nina pulled a small black book from her purse. “When would you like to meet?”
Dwayne laughed. “Boy, you don’t waste any time.”
She shook her head. “I try not to. Why don’t we do lunch tomorrow?”
Her timing was perfect. Monday was the only day he allowed himself free time, not taking his first appointment until late in the afternoon. It gave him time to catch up on paperwork and return phone calls. “That’ll be fine.”
As Nina jotted the appointment down in her date book, Dwayne glanced over at Lafayette, who was giving him a thumbs-up.
“It’s great to have you on board, man.”
Dwayne smiled as he shook his head. Just like when they were children, his big brother knew how to get his way.
Chapter Three
Dwayne looked at his watch and sighed. This was a side effect of his business—punctuality to the minute. He pulled his cell phone from his suit jacket, checked again to see if it was on, then laid it on the checkered tablecloth. He looked up and smiled as he caught sight of Nina rushing through the doors of Cafe del Rey.
“Dwayne, I am sorry,” Nina said as she approached the table. “Just as I was about to leave, my sitter called with an emergency, so I had to get someone else to watch Omari.”
“Oh, you could have brought him. I enjoyed meeting him yesterday. He’s a good kid.”
“Yes, he is.” She sat back in the booth as a waitress handed her a menu. “Thanks again for meeting with me. I’m so excited that you’ll be working with us.”
“Hungry?”
“Not really. I’ll just have a salad.”
Dwayne wasn’t all that hungry either, opting for a bowl of the eatery’s famed black bean soup. He turned his eyes back to Nina as the waitress maneuvered through the maze of tables in the crowded restaurant, finally disappearing from view.
Dwayne smiled at the way Nina’s eyes gleamed and the way her hands punctuated each of her words. And the way she pumped him up and made him feel good about himself. He had also liked that she, like him, wanted little of the limelight, opting instead for the things that, to him and now her, were most important: God, family, and making a difference.
“I know you’re a busy man so I think I’ve devised a way to both minimize and maximize your time.”
Dwayne sat silently as Nina presented her case. She was really quite pretty, he thought, understanding, as he sat before her, how as a child star, she’d been such a hit with adolescent boys.
“We would set up the general sessions for the entire group to meet just once a month. The private sessions, which are generally made up of three or four men, could be customized to your schedule. In fact, everything can be scheduled around you.”
Time, however, was hardly Dwayne’s concern. He’d had way too much of it on his hands lately. Nina finished her proposal just as the waitress put the crab salad with mixed greens in front of her and the bowl of soup in front of Dwayne.
“So what do you think so far?”
“Sounds like you’ve put together quite a program. I’d sure want you on my team.”
She smiled shyly, but he was serious. Nina had the same passion he once held for his father’s church.
They continued to chat through lunch, until Dwayne finally asked, “Is there any way you can put together a calendar so I can get an
idea of exactly what kind of time we’re talking about?”
“No problem. I can work on that this afternoon and get it to you in the morning.”
“Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”
“Well, thanks for lunch. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Nina took the napkin from her lap, put it on the table, gathered up her things, and rose.
“Wait, I’ll walk you.” Dwayne rose to his feet, hustling to take care of the bill.
“That’s okay, I’m late,” she called back. Nina had something a great deal more important on her mind as she turned her attention to her next appointment and the news her doctors were about to share with her.
She thought little about Dwayne and more about Omari as she got into her car and put an inspirational tape in, reminding herself that God was in control. Then she made a left onto Hughes Street, pulled into a parking lot, took one of the automatic tickets, and parked. She looked in the rearview mirror, and with her fingertips, blended the makeup under her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to turn her lips into a smile, but the blue-lettered sign on the building behind her came into view—Brotman Medical Center. Her weak smile disappeared. All that now filled her mind was the news the doctors were about to share with her. She picked up her purse and walked unflinchingly into the hospital and headed, as always, to the radiology department for the latest test results.
As he headed back to the office, he knew he’d been struck by Nina’s professionalism. But there was more. She stirred something deep within him. Something he hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Why had she left so soon? Was she not attracted to him in the least bit? Then almost instantaneously, he realized that not until today had it ever mattered whether or not a woman was attracted to him, for since Yvette, there were none he had been attracted to.
He arrived at his Beverly Hills office suite moments before his next clients. He’d received an emergency call from them that morning and had agreed to see the high-profile couple—she an anchorwoman and he a successful entrepreneur.
Renee and Jamal believed a quick, friendly divorce was the answer to what they saw as their irreconcilable differences. They were angry and fed up and came to see him for some eleventh-hour marriage counseling on the way to a high-powered Century City divorce attorney’s office.
