J.A. Pierre - A New Dawn: From Rich Housewife to Suddenly Single

by Unknown

  She was a cute eleven-year-old, with brown hair and blue eyes. Like Brad, the injuries were mainly to her legs. Brad knew Amanda would be up and moving around in no time. She was young—they healed faster than the old—and was getting great treatment.

  “You’ve been such a trooper,” Brad said.

  Amanda’s mother smiled. She’d been the luckiest of the four people involved in the accident—coming through it with a broken arm that had already healed. Her husband had broken two bones, neither to his legs. Brad remembered he’d walked out of the smashed car.

  “Tell me about it,” Amanda’s mother said. She looked at Amanda like she was the best thing in the world.

  Brad admired the woman’s dedication to her daughter.

  He’d come to find out through talking with her that she was a hot-shot lawyer with her own small firm. Still, she made sure to visit her daughter hours at a time every day. Brad knew the time this took away from her law practice. His dad was a lawyer. Their hours could be gruelling.

  But here was a mother whose first priority was clear.

  Brad wheeled closer to them.

  They talked about how their week had been going so far, about the progress made in physical therapy. As always, Amanda was looking forward to her next session. Brad admired her can-do attitude.

  “See you next week, kid,” he said when it neared an hour.

  Amanda nodded. “Sure thing.”

  They gave each other a fist bump.

  Brad turned and began to wheel toward the door. He hoped to get home before rush-hour traffic picked up.

  “This time next year we’ll both be walking,” Amanda said.

  Her mother laughed lightly. “And Mommy’s going to throw you a party for all your hard work,” she said with adoration.

  Brad turned his wheelchair around.

  “You’re going to come to my party?” Amanda asked.

  Brad nodded. “Definitely.”

  Chapter Seven

  Dawn stared ahead with focus.

  The music gave her the extra bit of energy she needed as she pressed on. She only had to run eight more minutes, and then her two miles for the day would be over.

  She hated exercise.

  No wonder I’ve never done much of it. Dawn shook her head. She needed to think positively. Still, it never failed to happen. At some point during her thrice-weekly workouts, she’d think about how much she hated working out. But she always felt good afterward, and even better when she saw the results in the mirror after a short month of regular cardiovascular activity. Results made her return to the gym.

  Besides, pencilling the workout time into her calendar helped fill up her schedule. Truth be told, exercising was a catch 22 for Dawn. On one hand, she wondered why she’d never made the effort to do much of it when she was married. And if she had, and had been fitter, would it have prevented Gary from straying?

  On the other, Dawn relished the good things that had happened in her life since the divorce. Like her workout regimen—which gave her more clothing choices when she went shopping.

  She could do whatever she pleased with her day. There was no one to take care of on a daily basis but herself. And what surprised Dawn the most was her daughter’s sudden interest in cooking when she came home for the weekends. She and Dawn would make at least one meal together, something that they rarely did at Bon Avenue.

  Dawn left the gym and headed home. She wanted to take a shower before she went to the salon. She had a date with Brad later that night.

  She was truly enjoying talking to the accountant, who’d called her the morning after their date. Each day after, they’d talked. They hadn’t seen each other in three days and Dawn was excited for them to meet up again.

  She enjoyed listening to Brad’s smooth voice. He was an intelligent man with a genuine love for what he did. Dawn got that he was a hard worker. She was attracted to this quality.

  Dawn didn’t think she could be with an underachiever after being married to a successful businessman. She laughed to herself. I hope that’s the only thing he has in common with Gary. If Brad did want a relationship with her, he’d have to show her that he would be committed to her.

  Dawn was too old for games. She’d been there and done that. The idea of coming out the loser after investing in a relationship didn’t appeal to her. And so deep within, Dawn hoped Brad wasn’t bamboozling her.

  She didn’t want to be the bitter woman who forever carried a chip on her shoulders against men because of an ex. Still, she understood why some women became that way.

  *

  “Oh my goodness.” Dawn wanted to turn her car around that minute. “What the hell is he doing here?”

  She pulled next to the curb in front of her town home. There was no driveway, something Gary’d viewed as amusing when he first saw her new place when he’d dropped Sherine back from dinner.

  Gary got out of his Range Rover. “Hey. I’ve been trying to reach you.” He stood outside on the curb.

  Dawn rolled up her windows and got out of her car. “What are you doing here?” She didn’t have time for niceties, her hair appointment was less than an hour away.

  “You haven’t been answering my calls.”

  “That’s because I know what they’re about, Gary.”

  Dawn began walking to her door. She stopped when Gary started following her.

  He raised his eyebrows when she turned around to face him. His head wobbled as he asked, “Can I come in?”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  Gary frowned.

  “There’s no point in us talking about anything other than Sherine, Gary. We’re already divorced, and I think that we’re better off as we are.”

  Gary folded his arms. He checked Dawn out now. “You’ve been working out, I see. You never did that when we were married.”

  Dawn felt a tinge of guilt bubbling inside.

  “I think you owe it to me to hear me out.”

  “I don’t owe you anything. You’ve already gotten some of the best years of my life.”

  He shrugged. “Everyone’s young once. Someone had to get it.”

  “I have somewhere to be.” Dawn sighed in irritation. “And I’ve already said what needed to be said.”

  He studied her carefully. “There’s someone new, isn’t there?”

  Dawn shook her head. It was too early to be giving confessions to Gary. “I never said that.”

  He watched her. “There is, I can tell.”

  It was in the way he said it—Gary was still the same man despite the honeyed words he’d left on her voicemail.

  “Gary,” Dawn turned from him, “go home, please.”

  Dawn wasn’t quite sure what his new home looked like. They’d sold the house on Bon Avenue. She knew he’d moved to another posh neighbourhood, but she’d never ventured near his home.

  “Huhh.” Gary exhaled loudly.

  At the front door, Dawn looked over her shoulder. Gary was back at his SUV. His keys jingled between his fingers as he fumbled to open the door. She unlocked her door and went inside.

  Dawn thought of Gary’s frequent affairs as she climbed the stairs. She couldn’t muster the faith that he’d changed.

  Years of being his wife was her antenna. She stomped up the stairs, feeling heated by Gary’s boldness. Maybe I should’ve picked another gated community. She began to peel off her clothes when she entered her bedroom. There was no way she’d let Gary get under her skin.

  You can shame me once, but I’ll be damned if I’ll go back to you and let you shame me twice.

  Female intuition told Dawn there was another woman lurking in Gary’s life.

  Chapter Eight

  Brad took her to the Warner Theatre in Washington D.C. The national theatre was well known for hosting theatrical presentations featuring celebrities, as well as musicals.

  He’d chosen the location because he wanted a lighthearted evening and the theatre had handicap access. Dawn met him there an
d complimented him on their prime seating.

  Brad felt proud that a beautiful woman like Dawn was at his side. He hadn’t been on a date in over a year. He’d ended his last relationship after his ex and he started arguing more than laughing in their relationship. As far as Brad was concerned, life was too short to be miserable, or worse, to have someone in your life that made you glum.

  Dawn and he laughed during the play about a pastor’s young wife as she tried to loosen up her frigid middle-aged husband. When she threatened separation, the pastor busted out of his cocoon, to the delight of the audience. Brad enjoyed the singing throughout the play, but not as much as when Dawn leaned close to him and whispered in his ear, “Thanks for bringing me here.”

  He felt awesome. Here was a woman who’d had access to the finer things in life, enjoying a simple play with him. Brad knew he could’ve easily dropped a couple of stacks on an extravagant date to woo Dawn. But he felt that he could truly be himself with her from the get-go, despite his account status.

  *

  Brad wiped the sweat that formed on his forehead despite the AC. He was nervous about the staging at his home for the real estate agents.

  “This place looks great if I do say so myself.” Laurel, dressed in her signature power suit, crossed her toned arms and scanned the living room.

  Brad looked around. He had to admit, she’d done a great job sprucing up his place with additional furnishings. “I especially like that portrait over there.” Brad made a face. The bright colors in the framed art weren’t his cup of tea.

  Laurel shrugged. “Well, some people like art. You want to appeal to the widest tastes possible.”

  “I have a feeling this place will sell soon,” Dawn said as she walked out of the kitchen holding a silver platter of mushrooms stuffed with feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.

  There was a tasty spread on the dining room table: herb roasted chicken legs, grilled salmon, organic vegetable quiche, roasted red potatoes with parsley, curry couscous, and garlic-parmesan green beans. For dessert, Dawn had kept it simple with shortbread cookies.

  “Me too.” Laurel winked. “I have a reputation to uphold here.”

  “So it’s not just about selling my house?” Brad asked with amusement.

  “It’s not only about that.” Laurel tilted her head. “Don’t act like you don’t know I’m competitive. I take pride in selling places quickly. That’s why you hired me, remember?”

  The doorbell rang.

  “The first person’s here.” Laurel rubbed her hands together. “Showtime kids,” Laurel said with the casualness of familiarity before she went to open the door.

  Agent after agent walked through Brad’s house, commenting and complimenting as they saw details that might interest their clients. Laurel charmed them throughout the evening as she tried to win them over. Brad knew he couldn’t have chosen a better person.

  As the event wrapped up, Brad thought he’d take a minute to thank the agents for taking the time to visit his home. It might be the icing on the cake.

  He stood up from his wheelchair. Laurel clapped her hands together, excitement on her face. She knew he’d lived an active lifestyle before the accident and had been a frequent jogger.

  Dawn’s wide-eyed expression didn’t go unnoticed and Brad smiled. He’d been working hard during his physical therapy sessions. He’d always been a man who knew what he’d wanted. He wanted to walk again soon, and he wanted Dawn.

  The frequency of their dates increased over the next few weeks. They went to dinner, sang to each other at a karaoke bar, went to the Air and Space Museum, and went to Laurel’s birthday party.

  Being around Dawn felt dream-like to Brad. She made him feel so good about himself and about life. Brad enjoyed her cheerful and easy-going personality, though she claimed he brought that out in her. He also admired how she’d gone from a stay-at-home mom to an entrepreneur. Whenever she asked, he gave her plenty of tips on running a business.

  He’d wanted to sell the house to move closer to his mother, sister, and brother who lived near each other an hour’s drive away. He’d been a single man and thought it was time to be closer to family. But putting his home up for sale had brought about an unexpected benefit for Brad when Dawn entered his life.

  He continued to gain strength and began regaining his balance with therapy as he took steps out of his wheelchair. The first steps he made were wobbly. It frustrated Brad that he had to relearn a skill he’d taken for granted all his life.

  Eventually, his doctor prescribed stronger medication for him to combat the aches that began to trouble him.

  Chapter Nine

  Dawn sat waiting impatiently at the bar of the country club. The longer she waited, the more she asked herself why she was even there.

  Gary had begged to meet her, claiming he had important matters to discuss.

  She looked around at the posh environment. Gary was always one to love settings of prestige. Power mattered to him. Not having to attend pretentious dinners and other events with him was a perk Dawn had enjoyed since their divorce.

  “I’m here!” Gary smiled. He was dressed impeccably in a black Armani suit. He did look handsome. But his coldness had done a number on Dawn’s heart. In many ways, it’d hardened toward Gary in a way that made Dawn uncomfortable.

  She’d once loved him. Many times she still fought within herself to not see their marriage as wasted years.

  Gary sat and began talking. Dawn soon realized that he’d said nothing new from the voice messages. If anyone would’ve told her she would be the one that didn’t want to jump back into a broken marriage, she would’ve denied it. But things had turned out that way.

  Now, Dawn sat, furious that Gary had the audacity to waste her time. She didn’t show it though.

  Old habits die hard.

  Many times throughout their marriage, she’d wanted to scream at him, yet she’d managed to contain herself. The trait had rubbed off on Sherine, who rarely showed when she was upset.

  Gary was used to convincing people. The skill had made him triumphant as a financial consultant. Eventually, Dawn’s impatience won over. She slid off the bar stool.

  “I have to leave, Gary.”

  He covered Dawn’s hand with his own. “No, don’t.”

  “Gary,” she began. Dawn felt like someone was watching her and she turned to scan the room. She was surprised to see Brad. A man stood next to him near the doorway. Dawn saw their resemblance and guessed it was the older brother Brad had told her about. He had the same gorgeous skin as Brad, as well as the defined nose and broad shoulders.

  Gary began to stroke her hand with his fingers.

  Brad looked at Gary’s hand over Dawn’s. His jaw tightened before he spoke to the man next to him and they left.

  *

  She called him after she’d wrapped her hair to go to bed. After talking to her good girlfriend, Camille, she’d decided to wait awhile. Dawn thought surely Brad would’ve called her by night time. She was bummed when hours passed and he hadn’t called.

  In every way, she was new to the dating scene. Still, Dawn held back. She wanted to see how Brad would react once they did speak. She had a simple explanation for Gary’s behavior and she hoped Brad accepted it.

  Truth be told, Dawn wasn’t trying to trade a neglectful man for a jealous one.

  She picked up the phone and dialled Brad.

  “Hello.”

  He sounded normal enough. “Hi, how are you doing?”

  “I’m doing okay.”

  “We didn’t get a chance to talk today.”

  “Yeah, well, I saw that you were busy,” Brad said hastily.

  Dawn smiled. She could tell that part of him was upset. And maybe he’d thought of her during the day as much as she’d thought about him.

  She sighed. “That was my ex.”

  “I know who he is. I’ve seen him in the newspaper before.”

  “Right.” Gary was well known in the African-American Beltway com
munity.

  “He wanted to talk. He’s been trying to rekindle things but I’ve moved pass that. I think things might’ve looked funny with him trying to hold my hand, but there’s nothing there.”

  “I’m only going to ask you this once, Dawn: are you sure you don’t want him?”

  Dawn sat on her queen size bed. “Yes, I am.”

  “Okay then.”

  She rocked her head back. Was that it? She chuckled. “Wow, you’re different.”

  “Huhh?” Brad laughed softly. “Maybe,” he said before pausing. “But we’re adults and adults can communicate in order to avoid misunderstandings. I don’t want friction in our relationship ‘just because.’ I want things to be good between us.”

  Dawn smiled. And in that moment, she fell in love for the second time.

  *

  At first Dawn wasn’t sure if the vibration was real, but when it continued, she began to awaken from the grogginess. It was the buzzing noise that fully caught her attention.

  She one-eyed the red light on the alarm clock on the nightstand next to her bed. It was after 9: 00 a.m. She must’ve forgotten the phone on silent. She’d turned off the ringer before a meeting with a client who was planning a big event the day before. It was Dawn’s biggest gig, and she’d wanted to focus on the event’s menu and the client’s desires during their discussions.

  Brad. “Hello.” The phone wasn’t completely by her ear. She adjusted it to hear him better, then sat up.

  “What was that?”

  “I’m sorry to disturb you.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  “I’m really not feeling well.” He sounded down. “I don’t want to go to the hospital though. I might just need a bowl of chicken soup or something.”

  Dawn laughed. “Ahh.” The man flattered her in the best possible way—through appreciation of her food.

  “Can you come over?”