“Hey, girl, what’s up,” Millie answered on the second ring. It was almost like she waited by the phone to talk about people’s business.
“Nothing, just doing some research. Let me ask you something. Do you know about a Don Perkins?” I didn’t know why I was crossing my fingers, but I needed Millie to really be the National Enquirer right now.
“Don Perkins. Did we go to school with him?” It was almost like Millie was searching through her database in her brain.
“No, he is a businessman. He does a lot of stuff in Atlanta.”
Millie got real quiet and I could actually hear her thinking over the phone. This could only mean two things: either she knew about him and had something really juicy, or she thought she heard the name before but had squat. I heard her whisper his name over and over again to herself, still searching for something.
“I know Trina used to date a Donald from Atlanta. I think he managed a lot of businesses.”
As crazy as it sounds, that might actually lead to something. “Is Trina’s number still the same?”
“Girl, you know that child ain’t changed her number since the ninth grade.”
Remember when I said there are benefits to having a best friend who knows everybody’s business? This was definitely one of those benefits. She may not have had the tea, but she knew the person who did and that was just as good.
“Thanks, girl. I’ll talk to you later.” I tried to hang up the phone, when I heard Millie interject.
“Wait a minute. What’s all the interest in Don Perkins? Is he a new project?”
Remember when I said there are also downfalls to having a best friend who is in everybody’s business? The downfall was I was not exempt from “everybody.” I loved Millie, but I didn’t need her in this just yet.
“Naw, just need to handle some business with him.” I knew that response would back her off me. She couldn’t care less if it wasn’t juicy.
“Okay, well what happened with you and Henry? Did anyone ever find him?”
I had quickly become over this conversation. I appreciated Millie giving me what I needed, but I was not in the mood to tell her anything about Henry and me.
“I’ll talk to you later, Millie. Thanks for everything.” I quickly hung up before she had a chance to interject again. I scrambled to find Trina’s number and quickly dialed it.
Two hours of conversation with my homegirl gave me everything I needed to start putting my plan in motion. I got off the phone with Trina and retrieved the business card Don gave me the last time we had our little encounter. Looking back at it now, I should have just kept my mouth shut. I dialed his office in Atlanta and talked to his secretary.
“Yes, Mr. Perkins is in the office today. Would you like me to put you through?” She had such a sweet and naïve voice. She must be trying to put herself through school or something.
“Oh, no, thank you. I was just checking.” I hung up the phone and quickly got dressed and made my way toward Atlanta.
The hour-and-a-half ride it took to get there seemed like it took me twenty minutes. If I was on a mission, there was nothing that was going to stand in my way. I walked into the building and searched which floor his office was on. I hopped on the elevator and headed up to the seventh floor. When I got off the elevator I fixed myself before I walked into his office. I peeked in the window to scope out the scene. I was fully prepared to outsmart the secretary, but it was just my luck I could see her doing the potty dance. I waited a few minutes and she darted right past me down the hall. I fixed my hair and made sure my boobs were up and in place before I stormed into Don’s office.
“Can I help you?” Don asked as I sauntered to a chair in front of his desk. He seemed a little uneasy, and I was getting a little offended that he didn’t remember me.
“I’m here to see you,” I said in my sexy voice.
“Okay. Did you make an appointment with Christine?”
“Is that your teenager who sits at the desk outside? Yeah, she wasn’t at her post so . . .” I crossed my legs like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. It took me a long time to perfect this move and it worked every time.
“Have we met?”
I could see the wheels turning in his head, and I didn’t respond to his question. I just smirked seductively.
“The busy beauty from the deli,” he finally blurted out.
“For a second there, Mr. Perkins, I thought you had forgotten about me.”
“I never forget beautiful women. So to what do I owe this pleasant surprise? Are you here to thank me for lunch?”
I thought it was cute that he felt like he had game just because he had a little money. I was here to put a hole in that balloon. I got up from my seat and walked around to sit on his desk right in front of him. He needed to see all of me because it was about to get serious.
“I am here to make you fix a wrong that we have both committed.”
His face went back to confusion. “Excuse me?”
“You have decided to terminate a deal you had pending with Henry Lloyd and you are going to give him something better.” I calmly straightened his tie as I talked.
“And why would I do that? You were right about that business. It was dead from the gate.” He sat back in his chair as if he had one up on me.
I gave him a smirk and continued, “I’m a smart girl. Though I was right about your little venture, that didn’t mean I wanted Henry to be out completely. I’m sure with all your vast resources; you have a position for him somewhere.” I tried to lean over a little so he could get a good look at my breasts. He leaned forward slowly and I figured I had him right where I wanted him.
“As thoroughly as I am enjoying this little act of yours, I’ve been successful for ten years and I’m not about to let some country tart flirt with me to get her boyfriend a job.” He sat back in his seat and began to focus his attention back on his work. “You can go now.”
If I didn’t have ammo, I probably would have been offended. My daddy didn’t raise no fool and I always had a backup plan.
“You’re right. You shouldn’t let a country tart tell you who to hire. I wonder if Daphne McKale may have something for Henry.”
Don’s eyes got big and I could see him trying to keep his composure. I loved this feeling: when I knew I had someone exactly where I wanted them and they never saw it coming.
“How do you know about Daphne?” he finally muttered.
I got up from his desk and began to walk around his office. I wanted to take my time and revel in this moment.
“How does it feel, Don? Concealing such a big secret for so long and then just like that some country tart walks in and pulls your pants down. No pun intended.”
“I don’t know what you want but—”
“On the contrary, you know exactly what I want. And I know exactly what you want.” He stayed quiet so I continued, “I wonder what all your business partners will think if they find out you had an inappropriate affair with a sixteen-year-old girl and your mommy paid top dollar to make her go away and conceal it when she found out Daphne was keeping your baby.”
I knew this was a low card to play, but I was going to do whatever it took to make sure Henry was set. I messed it up and I would fix it. I could see Don trying to choose his next move carefully.
“I was twenty-one years old.”
“I’m sure that won’t matter. Your whole claim to fame with your business partners is that you didn’t need help from your judge father or heiress mother. I don’t think they will be too happy that they are in business with a liar, not to mention a sex offender.”
He remained quiet for a few seconds, still thinking. I could tell he was backed into a corner and any second now he was about to give me exactly what I asked for.
“What exactly do you want for Henry?”
I tried to conceal my victory smile. This plan worked beautifully. “Something equally as good as or better than the venture you were going to move forward with. Henry is smart, hardworking, and about the
best deal closer you will ever find. You know if he works for you, he’ll make you more money than one of your businesses.”
I had no idea if any of this was true, but it sounded good coming out of my mouth and I was sure Henry would work his hardest to prove me right.
“I may have something in mind, but I have to make some phone calls first. If I have your word that you will forget you know anything about Daphne McKale, consider it done.”
I loved when I completed a mission successfully. It gave me such a rush. I gave Don a smirk and headed toward the door.
“One last thing.” I stopped right before I turned the handle to walk out. “When you tell Henry, I was never here.” I didn’t wait until he agreed; I just walked right out. I may not have been a lot of things, but I did get what I wanted with the right amount of persuasion. I hoped I was able to redeem myself with Henry. I never wanted him to feel about me the way he felt that night at the bar.
Chapter 26
Henry
My head felt like I had three black college bands having a drum line competition in it. I woke up face down on my living room floor with a bucket next to me. The last time I felt like this I was in college. I managed to muster up enough energy to grab a glass of water and some Advil from the kitchen. I tried to remember how I got home, but all I kept seeing was Janette’s face. I couldn’t believe she was the one who sabotaged my deal with Don. I knew she was capable of some sneaky things but I could never imagine that she would mess with people’s livelihood. I thought it was about time to leave all the women of the Maxson family alone.
I needed to figure out a way to get myself back to the place I was before Morgan ever showed up. I had to make sure Don got back on board with the plan and I needed to regain my player status. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t been with anybody since I heard Morgan was in town. Well, Janette, but she didn’t count. I needed some guidance and I knew exactly who I needed to talk to to get it.
I needed to try to sober up before I go anywhere. I couldn’t drive to see my mama with last night’s disappointment all over me. I stumbled into the shower and finally got to a point where my body wasn’t screaming for help. All the events of this past week swirled around in my head as the hot water ran across my body. I was ready to get Morgan completely out of my system and move on like she never existed. I straightened up enough to get dressed and make that drive out to the nursing home.
The two and a half hours it actually took me to get to the home seemed to be a distant memory when my mama was in front of me. She looked so beautiful and the nurse was telling me she’d been having several good days lately. I was so happy that she was doing well but I was a little upset with myself that I hadn’t come to see her earlier. I was so consumed with my own problems that I forgot about my own mother.
“I heard you’ve been on your best behavior lately. You ain’t been cursing the nurses out.” I brushed her hair behind her ear with my hand like she liked it.
“They ain’t been pissing me off this week.” She gave the cutest chuckle, which made me smile. It was good to hear her talking like her old self.
“Mama, things have been hectic lately.” I wanted to capitalize on her being in her right mind and get some sound advice while I still had the chance.
“What’s the matter, baby?” She stroked my hand like she usually did when she was trying to make me comfortable enough to talk to her.
“It just seems like everything I had under control is slipping away from my fingers.”
“Can’t nothing slip away from you unless you loosen your grip. If you had it under control once, then you can get it back. It’s just up to you.” Listening to her was probably the best thing I had heard all week.
“I don’t think that’s all the way true, Ma. I think I lost Morgan forever.”
“Did you ever really have her?” My mother’s response was kind of shocking. The last time I was here she remembered Morgan and me being happy. She even said we belonged together. I wondered how clear her head was today.
“Ma, I thought you liked Morgan.”
“I think she’s lovely, but that girl didn’t seem like she wanted to be tied down by no man.”
I almost wanted to burst out laughing, as sad as the situation was. It was amazing that my mama could tell that Morgan didn’t want to be with a man without even knowing it. Why was I so blind to it? “Well, you may be right about that, Ma.”
We stared out of the window at the birds fighting over the food my mother had put out for them earlier. Birds were always my mama’s favorite. She loved the different colors on them and how majestic it was to watch them fly. She had a special birdhouse for them when she was living at the house. She always had food for them and watched them during her breakfast. I thought they got so used to her, for the first few months after she moved they seemed like they were looking for her. It was sweet and sad at the same time. It made me miss her even more.
“Jimmy, you remember when we took that trip to DC? They seemed to have the best birds.”
I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when I heard her say my father’s name. “Ma?” I tried to touch her hand and look her in her eyes so that she could see me. She put her hand on my face and smiled.
“You were so handsome in your three-piece suit and I was getting so jealous of those girls staring at you.”
I had such a mixed feeling of emotions with her statement. On one hand I thought it was a sweet thing that she was harping on the good times with my father; on the other hand I needed her to stay with me in the present. I wasn’t ready for her to slip back.
“Ma, it’s me, Henry. I’m your son.” I needed her to come back to me, just for a little while longer. I tried to gaze deep in her eyes, hoping that she would come back. She gave me a smile and caressed my face and for a moment I thought that she actually saw me again.
“I love you, Jimmy. Don’t ever leave me.”
Tears began to roll down my face as I realized that she had left me. I was glad I got to have moments of clarity with her and I got what I came for, but I needed more time with her.
“I love you too,” I said as I kissed her on her forehead.
I walked out the room to get some air. I didn’t want to come apart in front of her. I didn’t know how that would affect her and I wasn’t trying to make anything worse. I paced up and down the hall, trying to pull myself together before I go back in her room. The ridiculous ring from my phone went off and it reminded me just how loud it actually was.
“Well, I’m glad to know you’re alive,” Beau said before I could even say hello. “Next time you decide to dip from a party, could you at least shoot a brotha a text or something?”
I swear he can be so extra sometimes. “My bad, dog. I just needed to get out of there.” I’d learned that if you agreed with Beau and made your apology early, he’d move on from the subject faster.
“I feel you. So where you at now?”
See what I mean? He’s on to a whole new subject.
“Visiting my mom. It’s been a minute and I wanted to check in on her.”
“Well, when you’re done with that, I would suggest that you get back to the office ASAP. I ran into Don today and he’s looking for you.”
By the tone in Beau’s voice it didn’t sound like it was bad news. I didn’t want to ask if he knew anything for fear of getting my hopes up. I hung up the phone with Beau and went to go spend a few more minutes with my mama. I was happy that it appeared that Don may not be done doing business with me, but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t neglect the most important thing in my life. I spent so much time this week trying to get Morgan back, I could spend a few more moments with the woman who loved me unconditionally. Besides, she was right. Nothing would slip out of your fingers unless you loosened your grip. I had a plan on having a chokehold on things from now on.
Chapter 27
Janette
I had never felt so guilty about anything in my life as I did after Henry yelled at m
e in the bar. None of that was a part of my plan. I wanted him to see that I was the only one who had his back when everything fell, not the one who set up his demise. I didn’t know why I had to open my big mouth. Maybe I didn’t deserve him. Maybe that was my karma for all the resentment I had toward Morgan. It was just sad that now that Morgan was out of the picture, he didn’t want anything to do with me. My father’s funeral was only a day away and I needed to be focusing on my family.
My mother still didn’t want to discuss what happened at the funeral home with my aunt Beanie, but at least she was out of her room. Everything was in place for Daddy’s burial except we hadn’t heard anything about his will. I was wondering what the process with that was and figured we should have at least heard from a lawyer by now. I wasn’t sure if I should take care of it or if it was already handled by my mother but I wasn’t prepared to ask. My mama and I sat in the kitchen, both playing with our food in silence. The house phone rang for the first time today and it kind of startled both of us.
“Answer that, Nettie. Whoever it is, I’m not here. I’m going back to bed.” She got up from the table and walked back to her room.
I answered the phone as soon as she was out of my line of vision to make sure she wasn’t involved in any lie I was about to tell.
“Good morning. This is Sonya Walker. I represented Mr. Joe Maxson with the changing of his will. Is Mrs. Maxson in?” the voice responded to my initial hello.
“Um, she’s unavailable at the moment but this is his daughter Janette. Is there something I could help you with?” I thought it was ironic and kind of creepy that I was thinking about this very topic not even five minutes ago. I looked up at the ceiling as if I could see my dad staring down at me. I knew he was the one behind the timing of this.
“Well, I’ve been notified of the passing of your father and, upon his request, he would like his will to be read and executed before his burial.”
“Well, we planned to have his funeral tomorrow.” I felt like this was kind of sudden, but it was what my father wanted.
All in a Day Page 13
