by Darrien Lee
“How did it go with Katrina?”
“Chick was shaking in her shoes. I have her right where I want her. When is this banquet of yours?”
“It’s a few days after Christmas.”
After putting a bottle in Sierra’s mouth, Joshua asked, “Have you and Venice set a wedding date yet?”
“I want to do it the Saturday before Christmas. I haven’t asked her about it yet. I may talk to her about it tonight.”
Sierra stared at Craig, then gave him a big smile, letting the milk run down her chin. This touched his heart so much.
“Can I feed her, Joshua?”
“Sure, man. Take her.”
Sierra looked curiously at her daddy, then smiled when Craig cradled her in his arms. Joshua handed him the bottle and he began to feed her.
At that moment, Bryan and Venice entered the room. Seeing Craig with Sierra warmed her heart. Their eyes met and their hearts knew what the other was feeling at that precise moment. After Venice hung up her coat, Cynthia grabbed her arm and whisked her out into the hallway.
“Girl, what are you waiting on? You need to hurry up and marry that man so you can put him out of his misery. All he talks about is you and Brandon, and you see how he’s fascinated with Sierra? What’s the hold-up?”
Venice took Cynthia by the hand and led her upstairs to Crimson’s room.
“To tell you the truth, Cynthia, I’m still a little scared.”
Cynthia put her hands on her hips and asked, “Of what? It’s obvious you love him and he definitely loves you. Brandon is crazy about him, too. The Andersons act as if they’ve known him for years. As far as your parents are concerned, he’s already family. Look, I know you’re still hurting, Girl, but you have to get that pain under control so you can deal with it. Craig is your blessing, Venice, so don’t turn your back on it. You’ve given me some tough love advice over the years. Now I’m returning the favor. Propose to the man!”
Venice sat on the bed. “Maybe you’re right, Cynthia. Thank you so much. I’m still full of mixed emotions, but I’ll take everything you said into consideration. I love you, Girl.”
Cynthia hugged her. “I love you, too. Now let’s get back downstairs so I can see if Sierra has spit up on your fiancé.”
When they entered the hallway, they met Craig with a sleeping Sierra in his arms. Startled, Cynthia offered to take the sleeping infant.
“Let me put her to bed, Cynthia.”
“Okay. Her crib is in here.”
The two women watched as Craig placed Sierra in the bed as if she were a porcelain doll. He reached over and turned on the baby monitor, then met them in the hallway. Cynthia said, “Craig, you did that like a pro.”
“I’ve had a little practice. I hope I get a chance to do it with my own soon.”
Cynthia observed the two staring at each other.
“I’ll see you guys downstairs.”
Once Cynthia was gone, Venice said, “Craig, I’m sorry if I’ve been a little distant with you today.”
He pulled her into his arms and said, “No apology required, Baby.”
Linking her arms around his neck she looked up into his eyes.
“I love you.”
He smiled and pressed his lips to hers tenderly. A soft moan escaped her lips as he pulled her even tighter against his body.
“Will you marry me, Bennett?”
He searched her eyes and asked, “Did you ask what I think you asked?”
She wrapped her arms around him. “Craig Alexander Bennett, will you marry me?”
His eyes glistened and he picked her up into his arms.
“Only if you agree to marry me the Saturday before Christmas.”
She kissed him and said, “You’ve got yourself a date, Mister.”
“Thank you, Jesus!”
Katrina flew to Chicago, not only for Thanksgiving with her family, but to gain information. She had to find out who was behind the pictures and putting the police on her tail. She was the oldest of four who grew up in a dysfunctional family. From the time she was ten years old, she became the mother figure to her siblings. Her mom was too busy hanging out in the clubs getting her groove on. Katrina remembered the many men her mom brought home and introduced as her friends. Some were nice while others made it clear they weren’t going to take care of somebody else’s kids. One man in particular watched her too closely when she was fourteen. He made her very uncomfortable and one night she woke to find him standing over her bed exposing himself. She tried to tell her mom but she wouldn’t listen to her. That was the beginning of her nightmare. The molestation continued for three years until the man was shot and bled to death in a bar room argument. For some reason, Katrina’s mom found a way to blame her. After that, her mom turned to alcohol and drugs.
Katrina was brought back to reality when her sister said, “Trina! Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“I’m sorry, Boogie. I didn’t hear you.”
“I know you’re not going to sit up here in my kitchen and call me by that old name?”
Katrina smiled. “I don’t care what you say, Lynette. You’ll always be Boogie to me.”
“Trina, I’m twenty-four. Don’t you think I’ve outgrown that nickname?”
Katrina picked up a piece of celery, threw it at her, and said, “Never…Boogie!”
They laughed together.
“Where’s your knucklehead brothers?”
Lynette stirred the dressing.
“Gone to pick up their trifling, good-for-nothing girlfriends. Trina, wait ’til you see the one Lil’ Terry got. She has more gold in her mouth than Fort Knox.”
“You have got to be kidding!”
Lynette said, “You’ll see. So, what’s going on with you? You got a man yet?”
Katrina dipped her finger in the mix.
“Put more sage in the mix, Boogie, and as far as your question, yes I do and I may let you meet him Christmas.”
“For real! That’s great, Girl. I’m glad you found somebody. I hope he’s fine.”
“Oh, my sistah, believe me, he’s not lacking in any category and the man’s got bank.”
“What’s his name?”
“Craig.”
“O-o-o-o, sounds sexy.”
“Believe me, Boogie, he is.”
Katrina went over, turned off the pot of turnip greens, then asked, “Boogie, have you heard any talk about Gunner lately?”
“Not really. Why?”
Katrina sighed. “Boogie, you’re the only one I confided in about what I did to put myself through school and I know you wouldn’t tell anybody. But some cops came to my door recently asking questions about Gunner. They said they had information that I may have been the last person who saw him alive.”
“Trina, I would never tell a soul. You know that. Maybe some of Gunner’s other girls put them on to you.”
Katrina put a piece of chicken in her mouth.
“Maybe so. Boogie, I didn’t kill him.”
“I know, Trina.”
They stared at each other for a moment. The front door opened.
“Oh, well, sounds like your brothers are here. We’ll talk later, Trina. Let’s eat.”
CHAPTER Twenty Four
Katrina returned to work Monday morning, still wondering who knew about her past. As she walked down the hall, she saw Craig Bennett headed her way. Her spirits immediately perked up on seeing him.
“Good morning, Mr. Bennett. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.”
He tried his best not to wrinkle his forehead and form fists with his hands.
“Morning, Katrina, and yes, I did. I hope you had a nice one as well.”
He knew eventually he would have to face her and it took a lot of effort not to go off.
“Nice of you to ask, and yes, I did. Mr. Bennett, I was wondering if you had anyone to escort you to the ball? If not, I would be honored to be your escort.”
Craig’s body tensed, then relaxed. He turned and with a smile s
aid, “It’s nice of you to offer, Katrina, but I already have an escort.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Is she anyone we know?”
He chuckled. “No, you don’t know her. Well, I’d better get to my office. Have a nice day, Katrina.”
“You, too, Mr. Bennett.”
He entered his office and let out a sigh. He did it. He’d faced Katrina without wanting to snatch the weave out of her head. Knowing Venice was at his house, in his life, and soon-to-be his wife was his motivation for control. Plus, knowing Joshua was working on a way to intercept Katrina’s devious plans allowed him to concentrate on his job. As he went over the stack of paperwork on his desk, his private line buzzed. He answered, “Hello?”
“Hello, yourself.”
Smiling, he leaned back in his chair.
“Miss me already?”
“You bet I do. I’ve finally gained enough strength to get out of this bed. You’re sinful, Bennett.”
“I’m happy I was able to serve you, Sweetheart.”
“I think serving me up is a better statement.”
He twirled his chair to face the Philly skyline. “I saw her a few minutes ago.”
“Did she say anything to you?”
“She had the nerve to offer to be my escort at the ball. I told her I already had an escort.”
“How did she take it?”
He ran his hand over his head. “She acted as if she were pleased. She did ask if she knew her. I told her ‘no’ which is true. She has never or will ever know you.”
“Craig?”
“Yes?”
“I love you. Now get to work.”
“Okay, boss, and I love you, too. Four weeks and counting, Sweetheart.”
“I can hardly wait.”
He stood up and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Me either and let Brandon call me when he wakes up. We have some man stuff to discuss.”
“Excuse me! He should be up in about an hour.”
“Okay. See you guys this evening.”
“Goodbye.”
As soon as she hung up, she called back and asked for Lamar. There was something she needed him to show her and it had to be today. Lamar agreed and told her he would pick her up in an hour. Venice was glowing when she hung up the phone. She had another important call to make. She wanted to offer Ms. Camille, Brandon’s former sitter, a job in Philly. She wasn’t sure if Ms. Camille would want to pick up her life in Detroit and move to Philly, but Venice figured she could at least try to make it worth her while. As she dialed the number, she remembered how emotionally distraught Ms. Camille was when Jarvis died. She also remembered how helpful she was in comforting her and Brandon in the midst of the tragedy. Ms. Camille was definitely one-of-a-kind and Brandon absolutely loved her.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Ms. Camille.”
“Oh my Lawd! Venice! How in the world are you doing, child?”
“I’m doing okay, Ms. Camille. How are you?”
“Child, I’m hanging in there. How’s my baby? The last time we spoke, you mentioned something about moving to Philadelphia.”
“Yes, Ma’am, I’m engaged to a wonderful man I knew from college and we’re getting married in a month.”
“Venice, that’s nice. You know, Jarvis loved you and Brandon something awful. I miss his silly little jokes and that beautiful smile of his. He was a good boy and I miss you and my baby, too.”
Venice could tell Ms. Camille had teared up and so had she.
“I know, Ms. Camille, and no matter what, I will always be in love with Jarvis.”
“I know, child. So when am I going to get to see you, my baby, and this wonderful man of yours?”
“I was hoping you would ask. Ms. Camille, what would you say if I offered you a job here in Philadelphia? Brandon really misses you and so do I. You’ll just love Craig and in some ways, he’s a lot like Jarvis. I know Detroit has been your home, but hear me out first. We can have the same arrangements we had in Detroit except that I will double what we were paying you. You will have your own home to go to when you’re not here with us.”
“Baby, I can’t afford to buy another house.”
Venice smiled. “Ms. Camille, I hope I’m not being too forward, but I found a house similar to yours in Detroit. I didn’t want to lose it so I put a deposit on it until I could speak with you. It would mean a lot to us if you would accept the house as a gift of appreciation. You were so wonderful to our family and I hope you will consider my offer to move here. Plus, after we’re married, we’re planning on adding to our family and I wouldn’t want anyone else taking care of our children.”
Venice heard sniffling on the other end of the phone.
“Ms. Camille? Are you okay?”
Through tears, she said, “Venice, Baby, this is a generous offer. You don’t have to buy me a house, Baby. If I decide to come to Philadelphia, it will be because I love you and that son of yours.”
Tears fell from Venice’s eyes.
“Thank you, Ms. Camille. My deposit will hold the house for seven days.”
“Thank you, Venice. Give me your number and I’ll call you in a couple of days. Tell my baby boy that I love him.”
“Will do and thank you.”
“No, thank you, Venice. God bless you and I’ll talk to you soon.”
Lamar entered Craig’s office and sat down in the leather chair.
“Craig, man, this has got to be over soon. I can’t take Katrina much longer. She had the nerve to ask me who you were bringing to the ball.”
Craig looked up with an irritated facial expression and asked, “What did you tell her?”
“I told her, first of all, it was none of her business. Secondly, I don’t make it my business to inquire about your personal life.”
Craig smiled. “You’re a good liar, Lamar.”
Leaning forward, he grinned. “I know. So, how’s that gorgeous fiancée of yours?”
Craig put down his drawing tool. “Venice and Brandon are doing just fine.”
“Oh, that’s right, her son is here now. How’s that working out?”
Craig rolled up the plans he was working on.
“We’re doing great. Now, Lamar, when you take these over to Roan’s, don’t make him angry again. Remember his assistant is his daughter.”
Lamar stood and said, “Please! His daughter is a grown woman! I’m not going to give up until I get her to go out with me.”
Craig put his hand on his shoulder, laughed, and said, “Don’t underestimate that old man. He still looks like he can beat you down. He knows you’re a womanizer and he doesn’t want you to have any part of his daughter.”
“Are you challenging me, Bro?”
Craig took a sip of water. “Lamar, you’re full of it. You know yourself you just want that woman for one thing and she’s a nice girl. You know you like your women fast and hot.”
Lamar suddenly became serious. “It’s different with Tressa and I’m going to prove that you and her old man are wrong about me.”
Craig raised his eyebrows.
“Lamar, are you saying you’re finally ready to settle down?”
Checking his appearance in the mirror, he said, “I wasn’t until I saw her. She’s so sweet and always nice to me. You can tell she’s strong and full of passion. Some of the women I’ve dated were nothing but gold diggers trying to get their hands in my pocket.”
“Lamar, the woman has turned you down every time you’ve asked her out.”
Lamar straightened his tie. “That’s because her old man is always hovering over her. I’m just going to have to talk to her when he’s not around to intimidate her.”
“Good luck. He watches her like a hawk. She’s his only child so you know he won’t think twice about taking a shot at you.”
“We’ll see. How do I look?”
“Go get her, tiger.”
Katrina sat staring at her computer screen in a daze. The ringing of the phone snapped her back to rea
lity.
“Bennett & Fletcher.”
“Katrina, my editor is on my back for that hot story for our newspaper. What’s going on? Were you making all of this up?”
“No, Nathan. I just need more time.”
“Well, she’s not wanting to give us any more time. When I told her it was regarding a well-known NFL player’s wife, her head spun around. She said her offer will not stay on the table forever.”
“I know, I know. See if you can talk her into a couple of more weeks. Tell her it will be a great story to break just before the holidays. I promise.”
“I can’t promise you, but I’ll see what I can do. Can you at least tell me who it is?”
Katrina smiled. “Not yet but when the time comes, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Hey, Katrina, why don’t we get together tonight for old time’s sake? I miss the feel of your smooth brown legs wrapped around my body.”
“Focus, Nathan! If you’re a good boy, I’ll reward you with much more than I used to give you.”
“Mercy, woman! You do know how to make a brotha sweat.”
“That’s my gift, Sweetheart. Later.”
After Katrina hung up the phone, she said, “Venice, whether you stay away from Craig or not, your debut in the tabloids will hit the stands right before Christmas. Craig won’t be able to deal with your cheating ways and he’ll come running into my arms. Katrina Bennett does have a nice ring to it.”
Across the street, Manley and Joshua looked up and gave each other a high-five. They finally had the lead they were waiting on. Bugging Katrina’s phone had been easy. Finding out who her contact was at the tabloids took some patience. Today, they got the break they had been waiting on.
“Manley, I think we deserve to celebrate. We now know who and when she’s planning on breaking the story. We have a couple of weeks before we move to plan B. Let’s go home.”
The only message Joshua left on Craig’s private voicemail was: Craig, go home and enjoy your family. It’s almost over.
When Craig entered the house that evening, he found Brandon, Venice and his grandmother in the family room snapping green beans. As he leaned down to kiss Venice, he asked, “Nanna! What are you doing here?”
Coming around the sofa for a hug and kiss, she responded, “I’m glad to see you, too.”
