by Darrien Lee
“Sorry, Babe, I’ll buy you another one tomorrow.”
As he planted hot searing kisses on her neck, he said, “Forget the shirt, woman. You have on too many clothes.”
Venice wiggled out of the pants and blouse with Craig’s assistance. It was then he realized she wasn’t wearing any undergarments.
“Venice, Sweetheart, didn’t you forget something?”
She cupped his face, pulling him down to kiss her. Between those hot kisses, she said, “I wasn’t in the mood today. Aren’t you glad?”
His hands trembled as he discarded his jeans and briefs, then stood before her dazed.
Venice rose up on her elbow. “Are you okay?”
He covered her body with his. “Welcome home, Baby.”
Manley met Joshua as he exited the airplane in Philly. They shook hands and proceeded through the airport. As they drove off, Joshua asked, “Is everything in place?”
“Just as you requested, Joshua.”
“Good. This shouldn’t take long at all. Thanks for all your hard work, Manley. I owe you.”
“No problem, Josh.”
Katrina entered the office with a smile.
Francine asked, “What are you so happy about?”
“Oh, nothing much except for the fact that Craig Bennett will be mine sooner than I anticipated.”
Francine gathered some paperwork from her desk.
“You mean you’re still at it? I’m beginning to wonder about you. If you put this much energy into your job, you would be part owner by now.”
Katrina followed her over to the file cabinet. “What’s wrong with you?”
Francine turned obviously annoyed. “I don’t like what you’re doing, Kat. Craig must love that woman. I don’t know what you did, but it has affected him. He’s not as happy as he was a few weeks ago.”
Katrina scanned the office. “So where is my future baby’s daddy?”
Francine slammed the file drawer closed.
“Out of town on business. He should be back in a couple of days. I have work to do, Kat. I’ll catch up with you later. Okay?”
“Francine, are you pissed off at me?”
Turning to look her in the eyes, she said, “I just don’t agree with what you’re doing. It’s wrong.”
Katrina touched her on the arm. “We’ll talk later. I’d better go before Lamar hunts me down. Lunch is on me today.”
“Thanks. Catch you later.”
Francine sat back in her chair and wondered if she should tell her boss what had been going on behind his back. Craig was a great boss and friend. This was a situation she would have to pray about.
Joshua and Manley watched from the rental car as Katrina retrieved her mail from her mailbox.
“It’s a shame that a woman as attractive as her can be so scandalous.”
Joshua responded, “You got that right. We’ll give her twenty minutes, then we’ll ring her doorbell.”
Manley nodded and continued to watch Katrina through his binoculars.
Katrina fed her cat and sat down at the kitchen table to go over her mail. Before she started, she prepared herself a small glass of wine to relax. Kicking off her shoes, she noticed a brown manila folder without a return address. She decided to open it first and gasped when the contents were revealed. On the table was a picture of her when she was working in a Chicago strip club. Katrina yelled, “What the…! This can’t be happening. I’ve put that life behind me!”
She started pacing the floor and wondered who would’ve found out about her past. She moved to Philadelphia three years ago and didn’t tell anyone about the job, which put her through college. Also in the envelope was a police mug shot where she had been arrested for prostitution. She only did it a few times to make extra money. One of those times happened to be during a police sting. She stopped pacing, then a thought came to her.
“Venice! So you know how to play dirty, too. We’ll just see how far you’re willing to go.”
Still somewhat nervous, she was chewing on a perfectly-manicured nail when the doorbell chimed. She tried to compose herself before answering the door but only halfway succeeded.
“May I help you?”
Manley flashed a badge and said, “Ms. Simmons?”
“Yes.”
“We’re detectives from the Chicago Police Department and we want to talk to you regarding the disappearance of Tyrone Waters.”
“Who?”
“His street name was Gunner.”
Katrina was shaken as her former boss/pimp’s name spilled from the detective’s lips.
Oh, my God!
Joshua stood quiet, observing the woman’s behavior. She finally said, “I’m afraid you have the wrong Katrina Simmons.”
Manley then produced paperwork and a photo showing where Gunner bailed her out of jail.
Her knees buckled.
“Detectives, I can’t help you and if you don’t mind, I’m not feeling well.”
Manley said, “Of course, Ms. Simmons. We will call on you tomorrow, but we must discuss this matter. Witnesses put you as one of the last people to see him alive before his body was found in a land fill. May we possibly call upon you at your job?”
“No! Please! You can come by here tomorrow. I should be feeling better by then.”
“Very well. We’ll see you tomorrow and we hope you feel better.”
As she was closing the door, she said, “Thank you. Goodnight.”
She watched them retreat to their car and drive off.
Her thoughts were racing through her head. Could it be possible that someone other than Venice was behind this? If not her, then who? Someone could have tracked her to Philly. She would just have remain cool and wait until they contacted her again.
The next day, Katrina called in to use a sick day. She had to get herself together in order to deal with the detectives and the anonymous pictures she received in the mail. She didn’t get much sleep, and wouldn’t have been any good at work anyway. Around noon, she called Francine to see if anyone had called or been by the office looking for her. Francine confirmed with her that no one had been by to see her, then asked if she needed anything. Katrina told her she was fine, then thanked her for asking. Craig returned to the office after lunch for a meeting. He greeted Francine warm, but not too cheerful. He was trying to follow Joshua’s instructions so Katrina wouldn’t figure out he knew what she had done to Venice. He just prayed that he would be able to control his temper when he laid eyes on Katrina. He hoped Joshua could get the situation taken care of as soon as possible, especially by Thanksgiving. His plan was to have a Christmas wedding. Sooner, if it could be arranged. The Architects Ball was coming up on December twenty-eighth. By then, he wanted to be able to introduce Venice as his wife. He pushed the intercom on his phone and instructed Francine to order two tickets for the ball. With a smile in her voice, she said, “Will do, boss.”
Craig was going to be very busy the next few weeks working on the Garrett design. He hated to leave Venice at the house alone, so he made arrangements to work from home a couple of days. Lamar was the only person who knew what was going on.
One morning when Craig woke up, Venice was not in bed. He turned to look at the clock, which read four a.m. He rose from the bed in search of her. After looking upstairs, he proceeded downstairs. He was starting to get nervous when he heard her enter from the door leading to the garage. Their eyes locked in silence as they stood in the kitchen. Relieved and upset, he asked, “Where have you been?”
“Jogging.”
“At four a.m.?”
She walked into the laundry room and proceeded to take off her clothes. As she tossed them in the washer, he followed and watched her intensely.
“What’s wrong, Venice? You never jog like this unless something’s really bothering you.”
Without making eye contact, she took off her sweats
“Nothing, Craig. I should’ve left you a note. I thought I was going to be back before you woke up.”
Standing there with only her sports bra to discard, he scanned her. The thought of her hurt entered his mind. He calmly but firmly said, “I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t jog in the middle of the night. Don’t do it again.”
Pulling the bra over her head, she answered, “I wasn’t thinking. Sorry.”
She couldn’t fool him; he knew something was bothering her and he would eventually get to the bottom of it. She wrapped a towel around her body.
“I’m going to head upstairs for a shower. You can go back to sleep now.”
“Since I’m up, I’m going to try to get some work done.”
She saw how much her stunt scared him and she needed to put his mind at ease.
“Okay. I’m sorry I interrupted your sleep.”
He turned to walk away, then said, “Get some rest, Venice.”
She watched him enter his office before heading upstairs.
She just wasn’t ready to tell him she was feeling depressed as the first holiday without Jarvis was approaching. She didn’t know how Brandon was going to handle it either, which made her uneasy. She tried convincing herself that she should be happy to have Craig in her life, but something was still missing. Their family tradition had ended with Jarvis’ death and she knew this year would feel awkward. Talking about it with Craig didn’t seem appropriate so she decided to try and deal with it herself. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Craig’s feelings. He had been so wonderful to her.
The warm water was soothing to her skin. The jog felt good, but didn’t remove her anxiety. After her shower, she dressed in her silky red nightgown and went downstairs for a cup of hot cocoa. At the bottom of the stairs, she noticed Craig hard at work at his desk. She decided to make him a cup also, topping it off with some whip cream.
As she entered his office, he glanced up briefly before returning to his paperwork.
Venice cautiously asked, “What are you working on?”
Without looking up, he said, “I’m writing out a proposal to lease a larger building. We need more office space.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
She stood there in silence.
“Craig, I brought you some cocoa and I’m sorry I scared you.”
He looked up, searching her eyes without responding. He noticed her wounded look and realized she was presenting him with a peace offering. He stood and took the hot cup from her hands and sat it on the desk.
“Thank you and you’re right. You scared the hell out of me. I tremble when I think of what could’ve happened to you out there. Baby, please don’t take chances like that again. It’s my job to protect you, but you have to do your part, too. Okay?”
She nodded in acceptance as he embraced her lovingly. She clung to his warm body as tears trickled down her cheek.
“I’m sorry, Craig. I’m on my cycle and when I’m on my cycle, I get a little cuckoo.”
He tilted her chin. “Venice, you’re always cuckoo.”
“Craig!”
Laughing, he said, “I’m just kidding, but seriously, it seems you’ve been doing a lot of crying lately. I want you to be happy here. Not sad, Sweetheart.”
She took a deep breath before confiding in him.
“I wasn’t going to burden you, but it’s the holidays. It’s going to be…”
“Different? Is that what’s bothering you?”
She held his gaze, then stuttered with, “Craig, I-I don’t mean to-to…”
“Venice, I realize the holidays are going to be rough on you and Brandon this year. I want to help you through it. Let me know what you want to do and we’ll do it. If you want to go home, I’ll take you home. If you want to stay here, we’ll stay here. Just don’t shut me out. I’m here for you and I believe you’re here for me.” He kissed her on the forehead and said, “We have to stick together. Okay?”
She hugged him feeling some anxiety lifted.
“Craig, I don’t know what I want to do. I know I don’t want you to feel less important in my life, because I still miss Jarvis. I love you so much. But I still love Jarvis, even if all I have are memories. I hope you understand.”
He caressed her cheek and answered, “I do. We’ll just have to take it one day at a time. Okay? Now, let me sample this cocoa; then we’ll talk.”
They chatted and cuddled for the next hour as they finished their cocoa. Becoming sleepy again, they returned to their bedroom for some well-needed sleep.
CHAPTER Twenty Three
Brandon was so excited about his party. He was also happy that his mom and new dad would be home in a few days. He finally drifted to sleep. Hours later, he was awakened to find his dad sitting on his bed.
“Daddy?”
“Hello, Son. How are you doing?”
Brandon leapt into his dad’s arms and said, “I miss you so much, Daddy.”
“I know, Brandon. I miss you, too.”
“Daddy, are you really here? I thought you were in heaven.”
“Well, Brandon, I’m on my way, but there were some things I had to take care of first.”
“Does Mommy know?”
Jarvis smiled and rubbed his head.
“No, Son, she doesn’t. I have to hang around and make sure you two are going to be ok after I leave.”
Brandon solemnly looked into his dad’s eyes and said, “Momma was real sad when you left, Daddy. She cried all the time and would never get out of the bed. Uncle Josh had to make her. I get sad, too, because I miss you so much.”
“I know. I love you and your mom and I know she still loves me. I left you guys so fast and it was more than your momma could handle. But I was sick, Brandon. I didn’t want to leave you guys, but I had to. You understand don’t you, Son?”
“Not really, but I’ll try. Daddy, Momma’s trying to be happy again. She’s going to marry Mr. Craig.”
Jarvis smiled and said, “She is? Do you like him?”
“Yes, Daddy. He’s fun and nice, just like you, and he makes Momma smile.”
“I’m glad you like him. He’s cool and I want you to mind him, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy. Are you going to visit Mommy, too?”
Jarvis smiled. “Not right now. Maybe later. Well, I’d better get going.”
“Are you going to come back and see me? I’m having my going-away party in a few days, then I’m moving with Momma and Mr. Craig to Piladelkia.”
“You mean Philadelphia and yes, I’ll visit you before you leave. Tell your mom I love her and to keep the window open for me.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry, Brandon. She’ll know what I mean.” Jarvis kissed and hugged Brandon tightly.
“I love you, Son. Don’t you ever forget it. Now close your eyes and go to sleep.”
“I won’t forget, Daddy. I love you, too. Goodnight.”
Jarvis stood, tucked his son in bed, and kissed him one last time. When Brandon turned to say goodnight again, he was gone.
Thanksgiving
To help Venice cope with her depression, Thanksgiving dinner was held at her brother Bryan’s house. The families knew they had to break tradition this year for her sake. Normally, they alternated the years between the Anderson and Taylor homes. Bryan’s wife, Sinclair, invited Craig’s sister and his entire family up for the celebration. The more the merrier was her plan. Venice made sure no one had to stay in a hotel. Her careful planning was able to accommodate everyone. The mood remained festive until it was time to bless the food. Venice had tried to prepare her emotions, but it was to no avail. Things had to be said and she prayed it would be healing for her and it was.
After dinner, she took a walk with her oldest brother, Bryan. They walked for a while in silence, then Bryan said, “Baby girl, I’m real proud of you. You really have grown into a beautiful, strong woman.”
Venice smiled. “Thanks, Bryan.”
“No, really. You’ve been through a lot these last few months. Jarvis would be proud of you.”
“I don’t know about all that. I fell apart and I’m not completely back together either. Bryan, I’ll never be the same. Jarvis was my life and I love him so much.”
They stopped and sat on a bench under a big oak tree down the block.
“Venice, you guys were young, but you were mature and dealt with your consequences like pros. I always admired ya’ll for that.”
Venice looped her arm through her big brother’s.
“Thanks to you, no doubt. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but thanks for being there for me. You have always supported me and answered any questions I asked. I appreciate that, Bryan, even though I made you uneasy with the sex questions.”
They laughed together for a moment, then once again it was silent. Venice laid her head on his shoulder and burst into tears. Bryan knew it would eventually come. It was only a matter of when. She had held her emotions throughout dinner, and now she could finally release them. He hugged her tightly and did his best to comfort her. It would take time for her to get past the pain of losing Jarvis. Craig would have a major role in helping, but it would be an uphill journey. Bryan was happy they found each other again and so was the rest of the family.
After finishing off some pie and homemade ice cream, Craig asked Joshua, “Where’s Venice?”
“She took a walk with Bryan. They do that every year after dinner.”
Craig sat on the sofa. “Did she seem okay to you? I mean, do you think she’s okay?”
Joshua’s wife, Cynthia, walked over and handed him their baby. Joshua kissed Sierra on the cheek and answered, “Craig, Niecy is going to be messed up for a while. Just bear with her. She’s probably going to throw some emotional drama your way, so I hope you’re ready. I know for a fact she loves you, but she’s still holding onto Jarvis. Since Brandon looks so much like him, she’ll have a hard time letting go. Just be patient with her and don’t think you’re not important in her life. You are her past, present and future. Don’t worry, everything will fall into place. Especially after we put Katrina in check.”
Craig reached over and tickled Sierra’s foot.
