The one thing that struck her as interesting was the wall in the hallway was filled with photos. She got up from her seat and walked over to get a closer look. There was photo after photo of Nikki, Terrance and baby Katrina. In every one they were all smiling. A couple of them reminded Patrice of those advertisements that Sears used to do when they had the portrait studio. They had to be happy at one time.
Katrina pulled at Patrice’s coat to get her attention. Patrice looked down at her. “Yes, baby,” she said.
“My daddy,” she said, pointing at one of the photos on the wall.
Soon after, Nikki came out of the bedroom and stopped to look at the photos as well. She started telling Patrice the history behind some of them.
Pointing at the photo with them with animated faces, she said, “That’s when we went to Great America.”
Patrice pointed to a photo that looked like they were at someone’s home. “Where are you all here?”
“That was taken at a family function at his parent’s house.”
“His parents.” Patrice was surprised. She just assumed that his parents were deceased or just not around.
Nikki turned to Patrice. “Terrance’s father abused them,” she said in a quiet voice.
The more she revealed to Patrice the more questions Patrice had. From what Nikki was saying, abuse was generational.
“In what way?” Patrice asked, waiting for Nikki to explain. Immediately, she saw the sadness in her eyes. She wished it wasn’t so painful, but most of the time hurt people hurt people.
“Frequent beatings, so the boy grew up in terror,” Nikki said, shaking her head.
“Where is his father now?” Patrice wanted to know because his mother might be able to help Nikki with Katrina.
“Somewhere drunk.”
Nix that idea.
“It’s one of the reasons I have tried to be patient with him because of what he’s been through. I wanted more than anything else to have a family especially for my daughter.”
Patrice wanted to tell her that if he continued to beat her, there still wouldn’t be a family. She looked at Nikki out of the corner of her eye. She is weakening.
Patrice could tell that reminiscing about the old pictures was causing Nikki to feel bad for boyfriend. It was gaining sympathy for him and that wasn’t good. She could go back to him if he sensed that, but Patrice clamped her mouth shut.
Time to go, Treecie. Patrice turned on her heel. “Come on, baby, we need to get out of here,” she said to Katrina, grabbing her by the hand. They started walking away then she stopped and said over her shoulder, “Have you packed everything you want to take?”
Nikki was still staring at a large photo of the threesome when Katrina was a newborn. Patrice didn’t think that Nikki heard her, so she walked back over to her and asked her again.
“Oh, yes, I think so,” she responded.
They left the apartment and went back to Patrice’s. Patrice didn’t know what it meant but on the way home, Nikki was quiet. The only noise in the car was Katrina singing her alphabet. Not a good sign. Patrice prayed that Nikki wouldn’t do something she’d regret. Patrice’s next thought was there wasn’t a thing she could do about it if she did.
* * * * *
Early Monday morning, Jacques sat in his car in front of his new home waiting for Patrice to arrive. The expansive three-bedroom home was located in the posh suburb of Barrington. When he lived in New York, Jacques always wanted to live in the suburbs. But with his work schedule, having a place to live that was close to work was always a plus. He saved more money not having a car because he could practically walk everywhere he wanted to go.
This time he wanted his living situation to be different and he was so pleased with the home that Cecilia found for him. He wanted to share this experience with Patrice, but lately he hadn’t been able to share much of anything with her.
Jacques checked the time on the dash and then his rearview mirror and still no sign of her. He didn’t mind waiting for her because he understood that she had others in her house. But he didn’t want to stop his sister from her other appointments.
After a while, he’d lost hope that she would show up at all. He couldn’t wait any longer, so he got out of the car and slammed the door just as he spotted Patrice’s late model Infiniti coming down the street.
Jacques watched as she pulled in behind Cecilia’s Lexus and got out.
“Sorry I’m late, Jacques.”
“Don’t tell me, something to do with Nikki,” he snapped.
With a sigh, Patrice patted his hand. “Later, Jacques. We’ll talk about it later.”
Dropping the subject, he turned to his sister who was watching their exchange. “Cee Cee, this is Patrice. Patrice, this is my sister Cecilia Germain,” he said, trying to give his sister at least a slight smile. He knew that she probably would see through it anyway, but he wanted to sound courteous all the same.
Cecilia started walking toward the front door. Punching in the code on the lock box, it wouldn’t open. She had to try several times before she got it to work. The container which held the keys to his house on the inside of the lock box was jammed and she couldn’t get the top off. After several attempts were unfruitful, she pulled out her cell phone to call the listing agent.
“Wait,” Jacques said, switching places with Cecilia.
He gave it a try with the top coming right off. He handed the keys to his sister and she unlocked the door and pushed it open. She turned slightly. “Come on inside,” she said, her voice echoing through the place.
Just walking inside the home lightened Jacques’s mood. He grabbed Patrice’s hand as they stood together in the foyer.
Cecilia walked over to Patrice and offered her hand. “I’m so sorry, I’ve heard so much about you, Patrice,” Cecilia said. “Watching you two together made me think about an old married couple,” she giggled.
Patrice laughed as well while she shook the woman’s hand vigorously. “It’s so nice to meet you. You’re so pretty,” Patrice said.
“Thank you. I’m sorry about all that drama trying to get the keys. The listing agent told me that the box on the door might give me a bit of trouble.”
Patrice opened her purse and removed her business card. “I’d like to give you a treat, on me,” she said, handing it Cecilia. “Please come in for a complimentary massage.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll do that.”
Cecilia pulled her card from the front pocket of her slacks. “Here you go. If you ever think about expanding your business, I do commercial as well.”
“Are you ready to explore the house?” Jacques asked, excited about showing Patrice the space.
They started their tour in the kitchen. It was a drab and dreary area, cutting off the flow of the open-floor plan. “Well, I don’t know about this kitchen,” Patrice said to Jacques.
“I’ll need your creative touch.”
“Of course, I’d be happy to help you decorate,” Patrice said.
“Whenever you have time to do it,” Jacques added. He wasn’t trying to throw shade at her, but it was a fact that she wasn’t ever available for him anymore. He had to be honest with himself because he didn’t know what direction their relationship was headed. The only thing he knew for certain was that he didn’t like it.
Cecilia turned her wrist over. “I’m so sorry, but I have to run. I do have another client.” She turned to Jacques. “Do you have any questions about this place?”
“No, everything is good. I saw it the other day, anyway.” Jacques walked over to her and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for everything.”
“Patrice, it was great to meet you. I wish I didn’t have to run off like this,” Cecilia said.
Patrice smiled and shook Cecilia’s hand again. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”
“Jacques, mak
e sure you put that key back in the lock box and close it when you leave.”
“I will,” Jacques replied, pulling his sister close to him. “I’ll see you later on, Cee Cee.”
Cecilia left and Jacques held Patrice’s hand. “Let’s go and check out the bedrooms.” They walked through to the other side of the sprawling brick ranch-style house. There was one bedroom at the front of the house, then as you turned the corner there was the master and two more bedrooms at the end of the long hallway.
Now that his sister was gone, Jacques could address his real issue with Patrice.
“This girl is getting in the way.”
“What girl?” Patrice frowned.
“Nikki,” Jacques responded.
Patrice threw her hands on her hips. “Of what?”
“Us.”
Patrice waved her hand and walked into the adjoining bath. “You’re speaking nonsense, Jacques.”
“No, I’m not. You just don’t see what I see, Patrice.”
“Jacques, I’ve got to go.”
“Yeah, to see about Nikki,” he said, walking out of the room, leaving her behind.
At the door, Jacques kissed her on the cheek. He made sure that he locked the house before walking to his car. He got inside the car and waited for her to get into her car.
Neither of them said good-bye to the other and Jacques had made up his mind that he wasn’t going to worry about it. When she drove off, he pulled away from the curb, watching her car glide down the street until it was nothing but a blur.
Patrice got into her car in a huff. She drove as fast as she could without breaking the law. Every couple of seconds she’d look in her rearview mirror to see if Jacques was following her, but he wasn’t. She could tell that he was more disturbed today than he was the day before. She understood that she was late coming to the showing. Jacques needed to have some compassion and understanding about what she was trying to accomplish by allowing Nikki and her child to stay at her place.
Patrice had a dilemma. She felt morally obligated to do everything she could to help Nikki. She was also very much aware that she had deep feelings for Jacques. She didn’t want to lose Jacques yet she couldn’t leave Nikki and her child out in the street. She was determined to help Nikki and keep her man. She was embarrassed that it was her first time meeting his sister and she had to witness that whole scene between them.
Her phone buzzed and she answered.
“This is Patrice.”
“Hey Treecie. I was calling to see what happened with the girl?” Renee asked.
“She’s going to be staying with me for a few days,” Patrice answered.
“What kind of a girl is she? What’s really going on with this situation?”
“She’s a good and decent person. I’ve found out more about her background.”
“Okay, I’m a little concerned. I don’t want you getting too tangled up in her situation,” Renee said, before exhaling. “Look, Treecie. I asked about the girl and the baby but I’m really concerned about you.”
“You don’t need to be concerned about me, Renee. I know what I’m doing.”
“Where is Jacques in all of this?”
Patrice’s mouth tightened grimly. She was becoming more frustrated because her sister didn’t know what she was talking about. “What do you mean, where is Jacques?”
“You just started this relationship with him.”
“So. And?” Patrice snapped back.
“And, you were the one who said how much you cared about him.”
“I do care about him, Renee.”
“Now, you’re so occupied with this girl and all of her problems.”
“I have to do what I have to do. Right now the girl needs me. There is an end to this.”
“And when might that be?”
“When I get her situated in a safe place,” Patrice’s voice escalated as the words came out.
“Patrice, there is no need to yell, I just asked. But now let me remind you that there are professional places who could help her do the same thing.”
“Now you sound like Jacques,” Patrice said in return. “Since you asked where Jacques is in all this, I can tell you that he is as overly concerned about me and as insensitive as you are.” Patrice rolled her eyes. “Let me talk to you later.”
Patrice got off the phone more determined to see this through. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands and glared out her windshield.
Jacques’s acting like a big baby and now here comes my detective-ass sister asking all these questions. I know what I’m doing.
Chapter Nineteen
After leaving the house, Jacques went to Starbucks to relax and get his thoughts together. He sat at a lonely table in the back of the shop near a window so he could just people watch. He found that it helped clear his mind. It used to be that if he were stressed, he’d work in his lab and get lost in his aromatic world.
Now, he didn’t want to go to the lab because he knew he would eventually run into Patrice. And that could make matters worse, so he just sat in the coffee shop and tried to pull his thoughts and emotions together.
Today was very important to him and he needed a clear head to complete the transaction of purchasing his new home—a place where he imagined him and Patrice spending a lot of time together. But that dream was starting to fade just as quickly as he fantasized it. There was a disconnect somewhere between them and he didn’t quite know how to fix it.
His decision to put down roots in Chicago weren’t based purely on the perfume project, but because he thought he’d found someone to share his life experiences with. He wasn’t talking marriage yet, but Patrice was a good candidate.
As he sat down, nursing his latte, he couldn’t help but smile when he reflected on how excited she was when they met at the conference. Her excitement and ambition to be a successful entrepreneur drew him in quickly. They worked well together at first, but now things were falling apart.
Taking a small sip from the coffee cup, he relaxed for a bit longer before leaving the coffee shop. He made it to the title company in record time, even before his sister got there.
Cecilia pulled up next to him in the parking lot and got out of her vehicle. Jacques motioned to get out as well, but his sister started waving her hands. “Don’t get out,” she said, pulling on the handle of the passenger side door.
She slid onto the seat, closing the door behind her. “Hey, Big Bro.”
Jacques glanced at her. “Hey, Cee Cee. Is there something wrong?”
“I came over here to ask you that same question.”
Jacques didn’t have to ask her what she was talking about; he knew she was referring to the scene between him and Patrice. He managed a weak smile and leaned on the armrest. “Well, Cee Cee, I’m not sure what to say except that I’m sorry you had to be a witness.”
“Do you love this woman?”
“Yes,” Jacques said without hesitation.
“I figured as much. I don’t have any advice for you. I can’t seem to get my own life together. But, you,” she pointed at him. “You’ve always been grounded and knew exactly what you wanted out of life. So, if it’s this woman that you want, you’ve got to do something about it.”
Jacques appreciated his sister’s words, but his problem was the fact that he didn’t know what to do.
After they sat a few more seconds in silence, Cecilia opened the door. “Let’s go and seal this deal.” A huge grin showed on her face before she kissed him on the cheek.
Thirty minutes later, Jacques was the proud owner of a gorgeous three-bedroom home in Barrington Hills, Illinois. With keys in hand, he walked out of the conference room with his sister and out of the building. He was elated and the first person he wanted to share the news with was Patrice, but after the way he’d acted this morning, he was sure that she wasn’t sp
eaking to him.
“Congratulations again, Big Bro. I can’t wait for you to prepare a fancy meal in that humungous kitchen you have.”
“You just tell me when and we’ve got a date,” Jacques replied pulling his sister into his arms, squeezing her tightly.
“I’m going to miss you,” Cecilia said, pulling back from him, turning away.
Jacques thought he saw tears in his sister’s eyes. He too, enjoyed his time being with her, but every grown person needed their own place. “It’s not like I’m across the country, like before. I’ll just be a car ride away.”
Jacques walked around to the driver’s side and watched his sister get inside her car. She turned and smiled at him without another word. He waited for her to leave before he started his vehicle and drove away.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later, Jacques pulled into the parking spot in front of the Good Scents boutique at the same time he saw Patrice getting out of her car. He hurried and did the same, arriving at the door with her. She stepped back.
Jacques pushed the door open, holding it open for her. “Ladies first,” he said as he angled his body so that she could get past him without them touching each other.
He followed right behind her and the two walked silently through the shop toward the back. She stopped to unlock her office door and he continued to the laboratory.
Acting like strangers wasn’t right, but again Jacques had no idea what to say to her. Before he pushed the key in the lock, he took a couple steps back just to see if she was standing in the hall watching him. To his disappointment she was not, so he twisted the knob, opening the door.
As Jacques rounded his desk, his cell buzzed. He answered it immediately when he saw the 212 area code.
“Jacques Germain speaking.”
“Roger here.”
“Roger, I hope you have some good news for me.”
“I wanted to give you an update on our progress.”
“Okay, I appreciate that.”
“Everything has been put in place and I will email you some contracts. All we need now is for Patrice McClendon to agree to let us handle the manufacturing and distribution from here.”
Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3 Page 18
