by Darrien Lee
“Will do.”
Francine closed the door and returned to her desk.
Well, well, well. Miss Katrina is smoother than I thought.
He picked up the telephone and made a very important call. After hanging up he smiled and picked up his briefcase before heading to his meeting.
CHAPTER Twenty Seven
Just as Venice finished wrapping the last present, the doorbell rang. Things had been calm the last few weeks, which allowed her to let her guard down. Right before she got to the door, something stopped her. She wasn’t expecting anyone, but a slight chill ran over her body. She decided to play it safe and peeped out the living room curtain. To her amazement, Katrina stood on the porch with a package in hand. Venice held her breath and thought if she let it out, Katrina would hear her. Anger instantly consumed her and made her want to open the door and give her the beat-down she deserved. Katrina rung the bell again, then left the mysterious package on the doorstep. Venice watched her as she walked back to her car and drove away. It was then she was able to relax. Katrina knew Craig was at work and found it the opportune time to stop by his house. Venice opened the door and stared at the package, then left it where it sat.
Will you ever give up, Katrina?
After Craig arrived home that evening, Venice told him about the package on the front step. When he opened it, he found a beautiful gold bracelet with a plain card reading From a Secret Admirer. Venice turned away and went upstairs.
“Venice! Wait!”
He caught her halfway up the stairs.
“I’m not going to keep this, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
She looked him square in the eyes. “I am through hiding out from Katrina. I’m sick of her making my life miserable. If she wants to print lies about me, let her. I’ll just have to explain it to Brandon the best way I can.”
He took her by the hand. “Sweetheart, don’t let her win. It’s almost over, I promise.”
“What are you going to do with the bracelet?”
“I think I will take it to the office and have it as a door prize at our Christmas luncheon. I don’t except gifts from strangers.”
“Craig, I’m not hungry anymore; I think I’ll go to bed.” She continued upstairs and when she reached the landing, she turned. “I cooked your favorite. Goodnight.”
She disappeared out of his sight. Craig simply stood there staring at the bracelet. He returned it to the velvet case, rewrapping it neatly. He was also tired of Katrina trying to control their lives. He had also lost his appetite. So, he put the food in the refrigerator and turned in for the evening.
That night, Craig stood in the bathroom mirror unable to sleep. The event of the day and previous weeks were starting to take a toll on him. He felt restless, knowing Katrina had turned his world upside-down. His life had become more than he could ever dream. However, sadness filled his heart. He looked over at Venice sleeping peacefully. How in the world did you end up in my life?
He was beginning to feel guilty at Jarvis’ expense. In a short time he would make her his wife, but would he ever be able to replace the emptiness her heart still carried? He also felt he needed to tell her about his conversation with Brandon. He splashed his face with water and returned to bed. Settling down, she scooted against his body.
“Is everything okay, Babe?”
In a whisper, he said, “Venice, I need to talk to you.”
She rose up. “Is something wrong?”
He pulled her into his arms. “Venice, do you remember the week Nanna was here?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Well, Brandon and I had an unusual conversation regarding Jarvis.”
Her eyes widened in curiosity. “What about Jarvis?”
It was obvious that Craig was having trouble getting his thoughts together. He wanted to tell her as gently as possible.
Venice was becoming nervous and asked again, “Craig, what about Jarvis?”
Craig hugged her. “Venice, Brandon said that when he was visiting his grandparents, his dad came to him and told him to tell you to keep the window open.”
“What!”
“He said Jarvis told him you would know what it meant.”
Venice jumped up out the bed with her hand over her mouth in shock. She backed away from Craig as he tried to console her.
He pleaded, “Venice, what does it mean?”
“No! Wait! Give me a minute! Oh, my God!!”
She was clearly upset and ran into the bathroom where she sank to the floor and threw up in the toilet. Craig followed helplessly as he watched her in agony. The tears streamed down her face as she grabbed her stomach like sharp pains were radiating from the area. Craig felt useless and angry with himself for telling her. He could do nothing to help her. He went to comfort her and this time she did not push him away. She cried openly and held onto him as he lifted her from the floor. He decided not to push for information as he returned her to the bed, then retrieved a cold towel to wipe her face.
Only minutes passed, but to Craig it seemed like hours. He watched as her breathing went from short rapid breaths down to slow deep ones. Her eyes remained closed so he wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep. Removing the towel, he stroked her cheek and whispered, “Everything will be okay, Venice. I love you and I’ll do everything in my power to take your pain away.”
She slowly opened her eyes after hearing his words. They stared at each other for a moment, then she rose up on her elbows.
“Craig, I need to use the bathroom.”
“Are you okay, Venice?”
Between sniffles, she solemnly answered, “I’ll be right back.”
He stood up, helped her to her feet and watched as she slowly walked into the bathroom. Once inside she looked at her reflection and came to the realization that no one except her and Jarvis knew about their private joke. Knowing that Brandon encountered some type of mystical visit from his dad threw her into a tailspin of emotion. She brushed her teeth and washed her face before returning to the bedroom to explain to Craig what it all meant. She composed herself and opened the door to find an emotionally drained Craig sitting with his head down at the foot of the bed. He stood as she approached, noticing her puffy eyes.
“Sit back down, Bennett. I’m sorry, but I owe you an explanation.”
He sat down and she joined him, holding his hand tightly in hers. It still took her a moment, but she found the courage to explain.
“Craig, what Brandon told you only two people on this earth knew about…me and Jarvis. When he said his dad told him to tell me to keep the window open…well…”
Craig hugged her.
“It’s okay, Sweetheart. You don’t have to explainY”
“Yes, I do. I owe you that. When Jarvis and I were dating, he used to sneak over to my house in the middle of the night and climb up to my bedroom. We spent many nights together this way and I was always afraid my daddy would think he was a burglar and shoot at him. Thank God, it never came to that. Anyway, he would always call when he was on his way. Before hanging up the phone, he would always tell me to keep the window open. I never told anyone, not even Joshua. So you see, Jarvis must have come to Brandon. But why?”
“I don’t know.”
“This seems like a dream. How did he seem? Should I say something to him?”
“It didn’t seem strange to Brandon. He seemed happy to have talked with his dad. It does make me wonder if he really understands what happened to Jarvis.”
Venice bit her bottom lip.
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you, Babe. I thought I had gotten a little stronger by now.”
He pulled back the covers and motioned for her to get in the bed.
“You are stronger, Venice. You don’t have to apologize for freaking out. You should have seen my face when Brandon told me. What happened is eerie and you didn’t react any differently than anyone else would have. Try and get some sleep. We’ll deal with this day by day. Okay?”
Sh
e pulled the comforter over their bodies. “Okay, and thank you.”
“No problem.”
Craig was spooked by the events that had taken place, but decided there had to be a reason for Jarvis’ untimely visit. He just hoped that if he had to encounter a visit, he would handle it in a calm and discreet manner. Before closing his eyes, he whispered a prayer of thanks, peace and tranquility. Venice kissed his neck and buried her face against his chest.
Wedding Week
Venice had found the perfect dress and she couldn’t wait for Craig to see her in it. The moment was bittersweet for her. She was about to marry a wonderful man who loved her and yet she couldn’t help but think of Jarvis and the life she had with him. Standing in the mirror, holding the dress up to her body, she remembered doing the same ritual when she was about to marry Jarvis. She hung the dress up in the closet and went to the window. Staring out over the yard, she hugged herself and tried to keep the sadness from returning. She never dreamed she would be going through this again.
“Oh, Jarvis. How did I end up here? Why did you have to leave me? I miss you so much.”
She closed her eyes and stifled the tears welling in her eyes. She still loved him very much, and yet her love for Craig was so true.
Winter had arrived with a vengeance and she couldn’t wait to feel the warm sand at her feet once again. An unusual chill traveled over her body just as someone knocked on her door. She rubbed the goose pimples from her arms and said, “Come in.”
Craig entered, carrying a cup. “I thought you might like some hot buttered rum.”
She smiled, taking it from him. “I remember the last time I shared this with you. Do you?”
“How could I forget? You were a wild woman.”
“Is that what you’re trying to turn me into now?”
He embraced her from behind. “I think I’ve been able to do that without the help of hot buttered rum.”
She caressed his arm. “That you have, Bennett.”
He sat on the bed, pulling her into his lap.
She sipped the rum in silence.
“What’s on your mind? Are you okay with this?”
She lowered the cup and solemnly and truthfully said, “I can’t help but think about him, Craig. I’m trying to move on with my life, but it’s so hard. I loved him so much. I look at Brandon, who’s so much like him and I tremble. The hurt is not going away overnight. You know I love you and I want you to know I’m dealing with this the best way I know how.”
He listened, hugging her as he spoke. “Venice, quit worrying about me. I want you to concentrate on you. I don’t expect you to get over the pain of losing Jarvis right away. It may take years for it to ease. Either way, I’m here for the duration and I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk to me about it. I know it’s nothing compared to what you and Brandon went through, but losing you to Jarvis was a pain I can’t even describe and something I never got over. But I thank God I found you and love again. I also have to admit, I’ve been dealing with some guilt myself. It doesn’t seem fair for me to be so happy when I think about the circumstances that brought us together. So, you see, we’re both dealing with a lot of emotions right now.”
She took another sip of her drink.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty. I don’t know what higher power brought us together, but whatever it was, I’m thankful. I’m also thankful that my son loves you so much.”
“I guess that makes two of us.”
“No, Bennett, three of us.” She hugged his neck and said, “I love you, Craig.”
“I love you, too, and I guess you’re going to stay here until the wedding, huh?”
She patted him on the thigh. “That’s right. I’m also going to remain celibate until our honeymoon.”
“That is sheer torture, woman.”
“You only have two more days left, then I’m all yours.”
She got up from his lap, but he didn’t want to break the warm contact. Continuing to hold her around the waist, he took the cup from her hand and asked, “Am I allowed to kiss you?”
She looped her arms around his neck while pressing her body to his and said, “Bring it on, Bennett.”
He smiled and lowered his lips to hers, taking his time to savor the sweetness of her mouth. Pulling her closer made her moan as she tried to get nearer. Cupping her hips, he picked her up while she wrapped her legs around his body. He laid her on the bed and covered her body with his just as Nanna knocked on the door.
“Craig! Venice! Dinner’s ready!”
They unwillingly pulled apart and smiled into each other’s desire-filled eyes. Craig nibbled on her neck.
“I guess you were just saved by the bell.”
“You know I’m weak to you, Bennett, and I promise it’ll be worth the wait.”
He kissed her one last time.
“No, I’m the one weak to you and I’ll wait a lifetime for you.”
“Thank you, Babe.”
He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “We’d better get downstairs before Nanna comes searching for us again.”
CHAPTER Twenty Eight
Katrina called Francine from the airport.
“Hey, Francine! I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be out of town for a couple of days.”
“Are you going home?”
“No, I’m going to get my man!”
“Katrina, what are you up to? Where are you headed?”
“Don’t worry, Francine. I’m going to have me a little fun in the sun.”
“Give me a number where I can reach you, Kat.”
“I’ll call you when I get there. Chow! Got to go.”
The phone went dead. Francine had a gut feeling Katrina was headed somewhere to cause Craig a world of trouble. The problem was she wasn’t a hundred percent sure. She would just have to wait and pray that she called back. With any luck, she’d tell her where she was and what she was up to. She couldn’t allow Katrina to cause harm to herself or anyone else.
Francine’s daughter came over and gave her a big hug.
“Momma, I’m hungry.”
“I’ll fix you something as soon as I make this phone call, okay?”
“Okay, Momma.”
Francine pulled out her address book, looked up the particular number, and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Lynette?”
“Yes.”
“This is Francine. I’m a friend of your sister, Katrina.”
“Oh, yes. How are you?”
“I’m fine, but I don’t know about Kat.”
“What’s wrong? Is she hurt?”
“No, she’s not hurt, but I think she’s doing some things that may hurt her in the end. I don’t know what else to do, so I called you.”
“Francine, please tell me. I don’t want my sister hurt.”
Francine went on to tell Lynette about Katrina’s obsession with Craig and about her suspicion that she had traveled to Ocho Rios to break up his wedding.
When she was finished, Lynette said, “Oh, Francine, I’m so glad you called me. Katrina has been through so much in her life. You see we never had a father in our life and Katrina started reaching out for love from any man she could get. She started confusing kindness for something more. Between you and me, Katrina was molested by one of our mother’s boyfriends for years. This man, Craig, is he your boss?”
“Yes and he is one of the owners of the company we work for. He’s a nice man but he’s already involved with someone else. I think Katrina has been doing things to break them up and now she’s going to stop their wedding.”
“She didn’t mention where she was going?”
“No, just that she would call when she got there.”
“The minute you find out, call me. I think my sister needs some help and I love her too much to let her ruin someone’s life. Thank you for calling me, Francine, and I hope my sister knows what a good friend you are.”
“Thank you, Lynette. I’ll call you.”
Lynette hung up the phone and said a little prayer of hope that her sister didn’t damage herself or anyone else.
Katrina arrived at the Ocho Rios hotel and checked into her room. She picked up the phone and called Francine to tell her where she was, but not why she was there. Nathan and the photographer from the rag magazine would be arriving later. This would give her time to scope out the territory before the ceremony. She called the front desk to see if Craig Bennett had checked in. They confirmed that he was there, which made Katrina very happy. The only thing she had to do now was stay out of sight until the ceremony.
Later that evening, Nathan came to her room to let her know he had arrived. In a few hours, she would break up the wedding for Craig’s own good. Venice wasn’t right for him and she would prove it.
“Nathan, make sure you get good pictures. We only have one chance at this.”
“I know, Kat. I saw the hotel staff setting up the chapel and a small ballroom. I must say, it’s beautiful.”
“Good, that will make the pictures even better.”
“Kat, you want this brotha that bad? I mean, what does he have that I don’t?”
Katrina turned and said, “No disrespect, baby. I mean, you’re da bomb in bed, but Craig’s got bank and he’s fine as hell.”
Nathan crossed the room and embraced her.
“Look, Nathan, business before pleasure. When this is over, I will have some serious grip and you can help me celebrate. You are going to be the envy of journalists all over the country, so you should be happy. Afterwards, Craig Bennett will be putty in my hand and that conniving heifer will be left out in the cold.” Katrina gave Nathan a deep kiss on the lips. “Now leave so I can get ready. The ceremony will be starting soon.”
“Whatever you say, Kat. Damn! I’m glad I’m on your side. That brotha ain’t gonna know what hit him.”
“Yes, he will. Hurricane Katrina is about to sweep him off his feet.”
Hours later, Venice eyed herself in the mirror one last time. She was pleased with the dress she’d picked out. It was a beautiful silk, ivory dress, which fit snug to her curves, stopping just above her ankles. It gave the illusion of being strapless, however the dress, as well as her arms, were covered with a thin layer of chiffon. This time she decided to wear her hair down in beautiful, shiny waves and opted to omit a veil. She turned and looked over at the bouquet of tropical flowers, which she put together herself. She wanted this wedding simple, yet elegant. When she walked down the aisle to Craig, she hoped to put the anxieties and fears of moving on with her life aside and just be happy with the man she loved.
