I went into the kitchen to check on him, to see how he was making out with the stopped-up drain. Shareef had put something down there. I saw Rell plunging the sink with long, hard strides, yet the water still would not move. And the only thing I could think was, If Little Shareef breaks another got damn thing in my house, I don’t know what I’m going to do! Angel and Big Reef still think I’m their babysitter. Hello, I have three children of my own. She always said, “Girl, I got you. We are going to babysit for you,” but this had not happened yet.
After numerous attempts at plunging the sink, Rell realized the clog wasn’t budging, and it was time for him to get ready for work. He left the sink full of undrained water. I followed him upstairs and said, “I don’t know why Little Shareef has to come over all the time and break everything.”
“Mercedes is over here just as much as Shareef, and he doesn’t break things on purpose.”
“But my niece doesn’t punch holes in the wall or stop the sink up. I’m not used to this type of stuff in my—”
“In your what? Go ahead and say it. In your what? Where is all this ‘my stuff ’ coming from lately, Crystal? That’s my nephew and he is a kid and they break things. It happens.”
“All right. I’m not saying anything else, but what time are they coming to get him?”
Rell scrunched his shoulders, tied his black work sneakers, buttoned his evergreen-colored work shirt, which had GLOVER stitched on the pocket, and said, “I don’t know. I’m going to work. Call Angel and tell her to come get him.”
I followed him to the front door. “And what about the sink, Rell?”
“I’ll get on it when I come home.”
As I watched him walk out the door to the truck, I realized there were some things I really had to get used to. One of them was waiting on a man to do something. I’d been on my own since Jewel’s father went to jail, and I was just so used to getting things done. I was not waiting for him to come home to have this sink fixed. I did not have time to look at a sink full of dirty water. I was going to call a plumber.
By the time I heard Rell come in the house, I was exhausted from dealing with the plumber, kids, decorating, and washing clothes. I heard him call out from downstairs, “Eh, Crystal, how you fix this sink?” I came down the steps to see him standing in the kitchen with this metal coiled pole thing in his hand.
“I called a plumber.”
“Why would you do that? Didn’t I tell you I was going to fix it? You had me drive across town to pick this thing up, when you could have at least called me and said that you got it done.”
“Well, Rell I didn’t know what you were going to do. I didn’t have time to wait. I had to cook and wash clothes.”
“But I told you I was going to do it. Next time say something so I won’t be running around.”
Christmas morning, our house looked like a toy store. There were big, colorful, blue, green and red metallic wrapped boxes with bows on the top.
Last night, on Christmas Eve, while we were wrapping the last of the gifts, Rell surprised me with an early gift. He took my hand and removed my wedding ring and replaced it with a big diamond cluster ring. I was in tears when he said, “Every year, boo, I’m going to upgrade you.”
I felt good, because I had a real wedding ring, and then bad, because I had bought him only a robe and more slippers for Christmas, but he told me he’d wanted something comfortable to wear when he came in the house after work.
As for Nasir, I think he stopped breathing when he discovered Rell had got him a PlayStation 3 and an Xbox, a bike, and cars. And Jewel, she had dolls’ clothes, a little computer, and a little pink cell phone There were bikes, games, and Barbies. He bought Kori clothes and a bunch of baby toys. I didn’t know how he’d managed it. I knew he made money at that job: the overtime made our Christmas look like we were rich. I wasn’t really expecting all of this. With my gifts and the kids’ gifts, there wasn’t enough space hardly to walk.
“So I have one more gift for y’all,” Rell said. “Nasir, put on shoes. Jewel, you going to love it.”
“Oh my God, Rell. What is it?” Jewel asked. They were jumping all around the living room.
And then I went from happy to what the hell? Rell had a nasty dog with a bow run into my house.
“A puppy?” Jeweled shrieked.
Rell nodded. “Yes, a dog.”
Nasir got on the floor with him and was playing with him and hugging him.
I didn’t want to end the love session with man’s best friend. But I had to tell Rell, “Babe, no dogs in my house. I hate dogs.”
“But I’ll clean up after him. Look, the kids love him.”
“No, Rell, they are dirty and they stink. I hate animals. I don’t want no filthy animals in my house.”
“Fine, I’ll take him back.”
CHAPTER 46
Yvette
William was far from the kind of guy that I would date and that was exactly why I thought I should go out with him. I couldn’t get it right any other time, so maybe I needed to date differently. At least it was worth a shot and I wasn’t doing anything else.
He was outside my door promptly at 6:30 p.m. He opened my door and closed it like the gentleman he was. Up close William was a medium shade of brown, with a little darkness underneath both eyes from long hours and hard work. His aura seemed older, not like my dad, but a lot different than what I was used to. I wasn’t sure if I liked it yet.
“Did you have somewhere special you wanted to go? Because I was thinking maybe we’d ride down to Atlantic City, get a bite to eat. Get on the table for a little bit.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” I said.
He was driving a black Mercedes-Benz S-class with white interior. The inside smelled like strawberries, and the car rode smoothly. The whole forty-five-minute drive he played old-school R & B. He was in his own groove, bobbing along to music I kind of remembered from back in the day.
“So do you go to AC often?” I asked him, breaking the silence.
“When I can. Believe it or not, this drive is relaxing for me. Takes me away from all the craziness of the restaurant.”
“Why don’t you have more help?”
“Do you know how hard it is to keep good people? I’m constantly hiring and firing people. I’m forty-seven. I’ve been working since I was thirteen. When I was growing up I knew I had to work if I wanted something. But this younger generation don’t know or understand hard work. They come in and play around. They want to get paid for showing up.”
“I know what you mean. I used to run an HR department, but then I got divorced from my second husband and had to find a new job.”
“You’ve been married two times, and I’ve never met anyone I loved enough to marry once.”
“Yes, second means two,” I answered, becoming slightly irritated.
“Whoa. Should I be concerned?”
I wasn’t about to let this old man make me feel any kind of way for being divorced. Since he wanted to be smart, I decided to play the insult game with him.
“No. I think I should be more concerned about a man that’s forty-seven that has never married. But to be honest, you don’t look forty-seven. I’ve never dated an older man.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. I’m like a good-running car. You wouldn’t know what year I was unless somebody tells you. I get thirty-five, sometimes forty.”
“I definitely wouldn’t give you thirty-five with those strands of gray hair.”
“This I had since I was twenty-seven.” He laughed and I laughed and the game was over.
We arrived at the busy casino. He turned his car over to the valet, and we walked into Harrah’s casino. He went to a table and laid down stacks of one-hundred-dollar bills and the dealer dispensed him stacks of chips. Before he started playing, he handed me ten twenties and chips to play with. There was no way I was going to gamble all the money away. He would never know if I lost or kept the money.
I cashed in t
he chips and walked around the casino floor a bit, and then located William at the craps tables. His sleeves were rolled up, and he was shaking dice in his hand. It appeared like he was doing well: his chips were in a few rows stretching in front of him. He must have rolled the right number, because the second the dice hit the green table, the entire table erupted with a big, loud “Yeah!” The man next to him gave him a high five.
“What just happened?” I asked William.
“I rolled my point, and we all had a few hundred on it.”
“So you are winning?”
“I’m making out pretty good,” he said as he turned his attention back to the dealer, who was giving him back the dice once more. My father used to always say, “Never bother a man while he’s gambling.” William was gambling and winning, and I didn’t want to break his flow, so I left the table.
I made my way over to a blackjack table. The dealer handed me twenty-one a few hands in a row, and then the dealer turned on me and I lost back-to-back hands. I was done with blackjack and was off to the slot machines. I went and had a seat with all the senior citizens on the slots. I slid in a twenty and then pulled the handle aimlessly. I would probably give William another hour before I let him know I was ready to go. I looked around to see what the other people on my senior citizens’ row were doing. I kept pressing the buttons and pulling the lever. So far I had won forty dollars. Not bad, but after an hour of hitting the minimum bet of a quarter, I was back down to zero. I slid another twenty dollars in, and began pressing the buttons and pulling the lever again. Shortly after, the machine started making noise and three sevens appeared on the screen in front of me. All these people started surrounding the machine and me.
The older woman that was sitting next to me said, “You just won seventy-five hundred dollars.”
“Seventy-five hundred?” I repeated to her. “Are you sure? I only put one dollar on the line.”
“That’s okay. You still won the jackpot.”
People were coming over to me, congratulating me. Then an attendant came and asked me for my license. I was shocked and about to cry. My luck had finally changed.
CHAPTER 47
Yvette
The New Year would be here in a few hours, and I could not wait. My children called me earlier to wish me a Happy New Year and tell me that they were going to the fireworks with their father. I was comfy on the sofa reflecting on how crazy the past year had been. Geneva had invited me over to bring in the New Year with her family, but I wasn’t leaving the house. All I wanted was my glass of wine, a little television, and relaxation. That would be the perfect New Year. The phone buzzed on the floor and I answered to hear William say, “Good evening, beautiful. Do you have plans?”
“Hey, William. No. I will probably be asleep when the clock strikes twelve.”
“Oh no. I don’t want you to be alone on New Year’s Eve. My buddy and his wife are having a New Year’s get-together. Why don’t you join me?”
I thought about it and said, “Why not?”
I met William at the get-together, which was really an old head cabaret. Which meant everyone had to bring their own food and liquor for the guests at their table. It was held at a hall that hadn’t been renovated since the eighties. I think the average age of the attendees was fifty-two. I couldn’t believe that William had brought me out of my house to witness this “Step in the Name of Love,” “Cupid Shuffle,” old-head line-dancing fest. It was horrible. All the men were dressed in their Sunday best Easter suits with the hats to match. The ladies were snapping their fingers while line dancing in kitten heels. No one would be able to tell them they or their wigs weren’t sharp. I felt like I was with my sugar daddy, the way William was prancing me around the party, introducing me as his lady to everyone he knew. A lot of the men gave him approving looks; a lot of the women weren’t as kind with their stares.
We had a seat at his friend’s table, and he asked me if I wanted anything to eat and drink. I said yes and asked him to get me a double shot of Hennessy and some macaroni and cheese. I was going to need something to keep me interested in this party. One of the ladies from Cupid Shuffle line came over and asked William about the restaurant and his granddaughter. As soon as she left, I inquired about him being a grandfather.
“Yeah, I have custody of my granddaughter.”
“Why do you have custody of her?”
“My son and her mother are in jail. What can I say? I sent him away to college. He wasn’t doing what he was supposed to. I told him to come on home. He stayed down there and got himself in a bunch of trouble.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, he didn’t even tell me he had a baby. Of course, I went to get her when I found out Child Services were about to place her. I figured I’d keep her for a few months until their trial was over, but now it’s been seven years,” he said, shaking his head.
“How long is your son going to be away?”
“Another three years, but I’m so used to her now. I don’t know if I will let them take her when they are released. She is nine and in the fourth grade.”
“My daughter is the same age. Maybe they can meet up.”
“That would be good. She needs other girls her age to be around. She is so quiet and never goes out to play.”
“So who has your granddaughter now?”
“I have a lady that picks her up for me. She used to work for me and needed a job.”
“So she’s like a nanny.”
“Yeah, Connie’s way more expensive, but I need her. I’m constantly checking in on my businesses, and the restaurant keeps me very busy. She didn’t have a car, so I had to buy her one, and I give her gas money to get Jalena around to all her activities.” I drank my second shot of Henny and began to enjoy William’s company more. By the end of the night he got me on the dance floor, stepping and twirling the night away. We even had our picture taken by the picture man after he bought me a rose from the flower guy. I had a good time bringing in my new year with William.
CHAPTER 48
Yvette
Whew! That seventy-five hundred was so needed, but it also went as fast as it came. I think I had like four hundred dollars left. I paid everyone back, bought the kids gifts, treated myself to a few things, and that was it.
I was just getting off work and was on my way to Lena’s to see William. We’d been spending a lot of time together the last month or so. He may have been forty-seven, but he didn’t show his age, and he was really sweet and attentive. The other day we met at a day spa. I didn’t know how he knew my body needed that attention. He was there getting his monthly deep-tissue massage and invited me for the works. After our massage he stopped in Neiman Marcus to pick up his suit, and we ended up shopping for me also. I didn’t want anything. I mean, I did, but I didn’t want him to spend a bunch of money on me, but he told me he liked to spoil whoever he was with. He had one of the salesladies come over to me and help me shop. I stopped fighting it and let him spend two thousand dollars on me and another fifteen hundred on himself.
When I stepped into Lena’s, everyone catered to me like I was a queen, because I was William’s friend. While I waited for the hostess to get William, the new bartender placed a napkin in front of me and began flirting. He was clean-shaven and smelled good. He had a bald head and almond-colored skin. He would be my type of guy if he wasn’t working for William.
“What are you having, beautiful?”
“I don’t know. What do you recommend?” I asked.
“I think you might like my famous tropical rum. It’s sweet, it goes down smooth, and it makes you want more.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll take it.”
Right as I said, “I’ll take it,” William came out and kissed me on my cheek. He asked me how my day was going while giving my neck a quick massage. The bartender placed my drink in front of me, and William said, “By the way, Andre, I see you have met my lady.”
“Yes, Mr. Nelson, we just met.”
“Okay.
Watch how you observe her when she comes in here.” I was embarrassed, and the bartender laughed nervously.
“No, Mr. Nelson, I was just making her a drink.”
I tapped William on his hand and told him to stop. “So how is business tonight?”
“Business is always good on Thursday nights. It starts picking up. Are you cooking tonight?”
“No, probably not.”
“Order something for yourself and kids. Here’s the menu.”
Looking down at the menu, I said, “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to be with you.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ll have me fat with all this food.”
He laughed and said, “No need to worry. I like a thicker woman. Plus, it is too late. I’m already into you. And all my friends said we made a beautiful couple. They couldn’t believe I had a girlfriend who’s thirty-three.”
“So that’s what I am. A young, sweet thang to you,” I joked.
“No, you are much more. Order something and call me when you get in. I have to hurry up and get back in there. You know we are short staffed again.” He left, then turned back to me and reached in his pocket, pulled money out, and handed me four one-hundred-dollar bills.
“What’s this for?”
“For you. Treat yourself to something.”
“Okay, but I don’t want you to think every time I see you, you have to give me money.”
“You didn’t ask. I gave it to you. Now take it,” he said as he gave me a deep, strong squeeze of a hug and returned to the back. Before he left, he joked with the bartender that he was still watching him. The sexy bartender didn’t even look over at me anymore.
I went home, and the apartment was clean. Mimi was doing her homework, and there was a bowl of chicken noodle soup, garlic bread, and hot tea waiting for me. Although I had dinner for them already, I didn’t want to disappoint them and not eat the lovely meal they had prepared for me.
Another Man Will Page 24
