by Darrien Lee
Craig put on his jacket. “We’re taking Brandon Christmas shopping. Hey! If Tressa doesn’t show up, give me a call. You can go with us.”
Lamar waited as Craig locked up the office.
“I don’t want to intrude on you and Venice.”
They turned, walked toward the elevator and entered.
“It’s no problem, but I hope she shows up, Lamar.”
The door opened and they walked to their perspective vehicles.
Lamar said, “So do I. I’ll see you in the a.m.”
“Later, man, and good luck.”
“Thanks and tell the family hello.”
“Will do.”
When Craig walked into the kitchen, he found Venice hard at work with dinner and the phone cradled under her neck. Brandon was upstairs playing in his room. Craig crossed the room and planted a cheerful kiss on her lips. She smiled as she watched him check the pots, then head upstairs for a shower. Venice continued to talk on the phone.
“Mom, there’s no need to panic. I’m sure Portia would come to you for birth control. If not, she would probably ask me and she hasn’t.”
Venice’s former mother-in-law answered worriedly, “I know, Venice, but remember, you went to Sinclair instead of your mom.”
Venice sighed remembering the anxiety of talking about birth control with her own mom. That was the main reason she went to Sinclair, her sister-in-law.
“Do you want me to talk to her and see if she mentions it?”
“I don’t know. We might be getting ahead of ourselves. I don’t even know if they’re hers, but they were in her closet.”
“She could be hiding them for a friend. God, I hope it’s not for Crimson! Got to go, Mom. I’ll let you know if I find out anything. I’m glad Brandon was awake so you could talk to him. He misses you guys.”
Mrs. Anderson responded, “We miss all of you. Tell Craig hello and we’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too, and tell Pops I love him.”
Venice became silent.
Mrs. Anderson said, “Venice, please don’t…”
Venice sighed. “It’s still hard, you know. It hurts. I still miss him so much.”
“I know. I miss him, too. Not a day goes by that I don’t cry for my son. They’re getting less, but the tears still come. You have been blessed with a wonderful man. I love you and we’re always here for you if you ever need anything. Now, go take care of your family. We’ll talk another day, Baby.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you, too. Goodbye.”
After hanging up, Venice ran upstairs to see Craig. Upon entering the bedroom, he was already in the shower. She opened the shower door and said, “Nice!”
He turned, smiled and said, “Come on in. The water’s great.”
She backed away, just as he reached for her. She approached him again and leaned in for a kiss, being careful not to get her clothes or hair wet. His perfect body, covered in suds, met her at the door. The kiss was wet and warm. He wanted to pull her inside, but knowing Brandon was just down the hall stopped him.
“Woman, you’re lucky Brandon’s down the hall.”
“No, you’re lucky. I wouldn’t want him to hear you scream.”
They stared as if they were challenging each other. Craig finally broke the silence, saying, “We’ll see who screams the loudest when I get you on the honeymoon.”
“O-o-o, I’m scared!!”
“Funny. Now if you’re not coming in, close the door. You’re letting all the good steam out.”
Venice laughed as she left the bathroom. She checked in on Brandon and made sure he had cleaned up his room. She told him dinner would be ready in fifteen minutes, then it was off to the mall.
CHAPTER Twenty Six
It was now seven thirty and Lamar had decided to call it a night. She wasn’t coming. Just as he motioned for the waiter, she entered the restaurant. Lamar couldn’t tear his gaze from her striking beauty.
She had to be at least five feet eight. The thick tresses of hair hung loose tonight, inches below her shoulders. She had not spotted him yet and this gave him more time to admire her physical attributes. The black dress she wore molded to her magnificent curves as if it were custom-made for her. He couldn’t take it any longer. He stood and immediately crossed the room to meet her, instantly becoming the envy of every man in the room.
She smiled and said, “Sorry I’m late, Mr. Fletcher.”
“Apology accepted and, for the last time, it’s Lamar. Otherwise, I will not answer you. Okay?”
She smiled. “I’ll try to remember…Lamar.”
She took his hand as they followed the waiter over to their table where a vase with eleven yellow roses awaited them.
Craig’s truck was stuffed with shopping bags from various stores. They were all tired from walking from one end of the mall to the other on both levels. Before they could exit the parking lot, Brandon was fast asleep. They had accomplished buying gifts for all the people on his list. Craig looked over at Venice.
“I forgot how much energy he has.”
“I know. My feet are killing me.”
He patted her on the thigh. “I’ll rub them for you when we get home.”
“I think I’ll take you up on your offer, Bennett.”
At that point, she leaned her seat back and closed her eyes. It would take approximately thirty minutes to get home.
Later, with Brandon safely tucked away in his bed, Craig motioned for Venice to join him on the sofa in their room. She had just finished her shower and sat next to him.
He took the lotion from her hand and said, “Let me do that.”
She leaned back and allowed him to apply the lotion to her legs. Moving in slow, seductive strokes, he made his way to her sore feet and massaged them thoroughly.
He smiled. “You smell good.”
Her eyes were closed as she replied, “Thanks, and that feels wonderful.”
“It’s my pleasure, Sweetheart.”
He finished massaging her feet. “Stay right here. I have something for you.” She opened her eyes. “What is it?”
He didn’t answer. He just entered the closet, then came back with one hand behind his back.
“Craig, what do you have behind you?”
He didn’t respond. He just had a serious look on his face. It made her curious, so she sat up on the sofa. Staring at her as he approached, he got down on one knee.
“Venice, I just want you to know that having you in my life has made me whole. Until you, there was no me. I have never loved as I love you. There has never been and will never be anyone who could complete me as you have.”
Venice was overwhelmed with the words Craig recited. She didn’t know where he was going with it, but he did.
He continued by saying, “Sweetheart, what I’m trying to do is properly propose to you. Will you marry me?”
Venice leaned back on the sofa in shock as he produced a small velvet box from behind his back. Inside was a bridal set, which had to be at least three carats. One ring had a huge round diamond in the center with clusters of diamonds encircling the band. The wedding band was a cluster of diamonds also.
Venice stared at the rings. “Bennett! You already gave me a ring!”
“That was from our past. I want you to have something new to represent our new beginning…as a family.”
She stared at him, then at the rings.
“You didn’t have to do this. I’m perfectly happy with the ring you already gave me.” He took her hand into his and slid the old ring off her finger. He looked her in the eye, slid the new ring on her finger and asked again, “Will you marry me?”
“If my memory serves me correctly, I’ve already proposed to you, Bennett.”
“I know, but you know I’m old-fashioned. Traditionally, I feel like I still need to ask you.”
She stared down at her finger.
“You already have and you surprise me every day. Yes, I will ma
rry you. I also want to thank you for loving me and my son so much.”
He stood up, pulled her up from the sofa, and held her hands. She stared up into his dark eyes.
“You are an amazing man, Bennett, and you make me what I am…complete.”
The deal was sealed with a sizzling kiss.
Craig was looking forward to his upcoming wedding and Christmas. They planned a big surprise for Brandon by bringing Ms. Camille to Philadelphia. He had suspended his commutes to Japan until after New Year’s Day. Most important was settling the situation involving Katrina. He couldn’t understand how she thought he was interested in her in any way except as an employee. Her mental health was in question and he prayed Joshua handled the matter successfully.
School was out for Christmas break so Nanna came and got Brandon to spend a couple of days with her and the rest of Craig’s family in Dawson. Craig and Venice met Ms. Camille at the airport to take her to see her new home.
“Craig, it’s nice to finally meet you. Venice has told me so many wonderful things about you.”
Craig looked at Venice.
“Likewise, Ms. Camille. I feel like I already know you.”
Venice spoke up and said, “Turn left here and it’s the fourth house down on the left.”
Ms. Camille could see the neighborhood was neat and clean and had plenty of shade trees. When Craig pulled up into the driveway, Ms. Camille gasped. It was nothing like her home in Detroit. Craig got out and went around to help Ms. Camille out of the car. She was speechless. Right before her eyes was the house she had dreamed of as a young girl. It was a white, two-story house with a white picket fence surrounding the front yard. Lining the sidewalk were the remnants of colorful flowers and shrubbery. The large house had a wraparound porch with a swing on one end, perfect for relaxing during the summer. The tall trees in the front yard would add plenty of shade on a hot summer day.
“Do you like it, Ms. Camille?”
“How did you know, child?”
Venice confessed that she called Ms. Camille’s older brother in Mississippi. He told her of the house she talked about having when they were growing up.
“I had no idea Wilbur would remember talks we had as children.”
Craig escorted her up the front steps.
“He remembered perfectly, Ms. Camille. There were some details he gave us and I was able to add them inside. Are you ready to go see?”
“Craig, Darling, I’ve waited all my life. Let’s go.”
Inside was the sitting room with a huge fireplace. The kitchen had all the modern appliances as well as a large pantry for storage. Down the main hall was the master bedroom with the window seat Craig built so Ms. Camille would be able to look out over her backyard and into a man-made water garden. The tears flowed down her face as she turned and embraced and kissed both of them.
“How could I ever repay you for your kindness?”
Venice whispered, “You already have, Ms. Camille.”
“Children, this is too much.”
Craig said, “It was our pleasure, Ms. Camille. There are three more bedrooms upstairs as well as two full baths.”
Venice hugged her.
“We can go pick out your furniture and whatever else you need tomorrow. Then, by the time you come back, you’ll be all set.”
“Where’s my baby?”
Craig said, “He’s with my grandmother in Dawson. Since you were coming, Nanna told us to let him come visit with her for a couple of days so it wouldn’t spoil the surprise. Now, after we finish showing you the house, I’m taking the two most beautiful women out to lunch.”
Ms. Camille looped her arm with Craig’s.
“You won’t hear an argument from me. Lead the way, handsome.”
Venice smiled and put her hands on her hips.
“All right, Ms. Camille. Don’t forget he belongs to me.”
“Hush your fuss, child, and let an old lady enjoy the company of this handsome man.”
They laughed and went upstairs to finish the tour.
Brandon was enjoying his visit with Nanna and Craig’s niece and nephew. They were helping Nanna decorate her Christmas tree, which was starting to take shape as each child scrambled to put the next ornament up.
Brandon said, “Nanna, this is so much fun!”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. When we finish, your nanna is going to fix you guys some grilled cheese sandwiches and we’re going to watch a movie. How about that?”
All three kids jumped up and down, yelling in appreciation. Nanna went on to say, “Tomorrow, we have to make cookies. Can you guys help with that?”
Craig’s niece, Samantha, said, “Oh, yes, Nanna. We can help you. I make the bestest cookies.”
Craig’s nephew, Thomas James, named after his grandfather, replied, “No, you don’t! They taste like mud!”
The arguing started and Nanna said, “Now! Now! I’m not going to have that. Thomas James, quit teasing your sister.”
When Nanna turned to open another box, Samantha licked her tongue out at him. He showed her his fist in return. Brandon’s eyes widened in amazement, enjoying the exchange between brother and sister. This made him wish even more for a sibling. He would be happy with either a brother or sister and once Santa got his letter, he hoped his wish would be under his tree on Christmas morning.
Katrina was pleased with the fact that Nathan’s editor decided to give her the extra time since they now knew where and when the wedding was taking place. Katrina picked out an exquisite dress for the event and she was sure it would knock Craig off his feet when he laid eyes on her. Plus, she wanted to make a grand entrance. After she ran the list of Venice’s indiscretions down to Craig, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere near her. Even though she was concentrating on ruining their wedding plans, she still had concerns of her own. She was almost sure Venice had found out about her past and was the one trying to torment her. Her final reward would be sending her running back where she came from. The police could question her all they wanted. She knew she didn’t kill Gunner even though she wished she had. There had been numerous times he reminded her that she worked for him. She still had the scars as reminders.
Craig and Venice knew they had a lot of business to take care of since they would be marrying soon. Jarvis left Venice very wealthy and Craig’s business was worth millions in itself. They had to decide how they were going to handle their finances. Venice was still using the same accountant she used when she was in Detroit. Since she would be living in Philadelphia, she decided to sign on with the same company Craig was using. They met with lawyers to examine their will and testaments, life insurance as well as other personal matters. When Venice mentioned buying Ms. Camille’s house, Craig insisted on helping with the expense. He told Venice that Ms. Camille not only helped her and Jarvis with Brandon, but that she would be the one to help look after their children. He felt it was only fair that he be involved in making her move to Philly comfortable and rewarding. Venice was stubborn at first, but finally saw his point. Two days later, they took Ms. Camille back to the airport to fly back to Detroit to finalize her business there. Christmas Day, Brandon would be surprised with Ms. Camille as his caretaker, as well as lots of other goodies.
Craig entered his office and greeted Francine warmly.
“Good morning, Francine.”
“Good morning, Craig.”
Francine followed Craig into his office and began to read off his appointments for the day.
“Thank you, Francine, and I forgot to tell you how nice you look today.”
“Thank you, Craig.”
She continued to stand there as Craig shuffled through his mail. He looked up and asked, “Francine, is there something else you want to talk about?”
She fumbled with her notepad and looked down at the floor.
“Francine…is everything okay?”
She looked up at him and clearly looked distressed.
“Have a seat, Francine. Let me get you a glass of w
ater. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
She sat down in the chair opposite his desk and waited as he brought her a glass of water.
After handing it to her, he closed the door and sat in the chair next to her. She took a sip of the water and turned to look at him.
“Now…tell me what’s got you all upset this morning. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Well…Craig…there’s something that has been going on and I think you should know about it. You see, Katrina…she…she has some issues and for some reason she’s made it her mission in life to win your affections. I don’t know the particulars, but she mentioned something about breaking you and your lady friend up so you can be all hers. She’s not a bad person, really. She just don’t know when to leave well enough alone. I don’t want her to cause you any trouble, but I don’t want anything to happen to her either. She just won’t listen to me.”
“I see, Francine. How long have you known?”
She looked down at her hands in her lap.
“Craig, she hasn’t confided in me. I just know she talks about breaking you guys up. I hope she hasn’t done any damage to your relationship.”
Craig stood up and offered Francine his hand. She took his hand and he gave her a warm hug.
“Thank you, Francine. I don’t blame you and I’m glad you told me. I know you two are friends, so I know it was hard for you to come to me. I’ll handle Katrina, so just keep this conversation between us. Okay?”
“Okay and again, I’m so sorry I didn’t come to you sooner. I just thought Katrina would drop all that nonsense. She does have some good qualities about her, so please don’t be so hard on her.”
He walked her to the door. “Forget about it. Now, I guess I’d better get to that meeting. Huh?”
“That’s right. Oh, I forgot! I think Katrina saw some paperwork on your desk regarding a ceremony in Ocho Rios.”
Craig looked surprised, not realizing he had left the papers visible.
“I see…thanks for letting me know, Francine, and I’ll talk with you after I get back from my meeting.”
“Okay. If you need anything else, let me know.”
“I will. Tell Lamar I’ll be back in the office around one o’clock.”
