Vexed

by Honey

  Rowland, the concierge, had made it a point to mention that Roy and Jay had once been close. But over some time, the dynamic in their working relationship had shifted. At times, Jay had taken advantage of Roy and had misused him for personal reasons related to her lover. And it was her now former lover Jillian Bessette who appeared to be the root cause for Jay’s complaint about Roy. Although Jay had never mentioned her name or anything about the wedding, all the resort’s employees had been whispering about it. Mr. Vincent was inclined to believe that most of what he’d heard was true. He didn’t think Roy had done anything worth being terminated for, but as his boss, he had to question him and report his findings on the matter to Jay.

  Mr. Vincent had left a message for Roy with the clerk in the service quarters, instructing Roy to report to his office at ten o’clock. It was eight minutes till. He placed Jay’s sloppy handwritten complaint on top of Roy’s employee file. She had left a ten-minute rant on his voice mail, so it had baffled him when he found the note on his desk Monday morning. About a minute later there were three quick taps on the door.

  “Come in,” Mr. Vincent said in his distinguished British accent. He stood behind his desk, and when Roy entered, he extended his hand. Roy shook his boss’s hand.

  “Have a seat, Roy. How are you?”

  “I am well. Thank you, sir,” Roy answered, a nervous smile on his face.

  Mr. Vincent reclaimed his seat and placed his palms flat on the desktop. “Do you have any idea why I requested this meeting, Roy?”

  “Yes, sir, I suppose I do. Ms. King is probably upset that I was not available to drive her around the island Saturday evening. I was off work, with permission to keep the van in my possession. You can check the schedule and request records. I went and picked up Ms. King from the airport anyway and brought her here safely. Then I left, although she’d asked me to wait for her. I never agreed to be her chauffeur for the evening, Mr. Vincent, never.”

  “That sounds like a cut-and-dried recollection, Roy. You’re an honest man, and I believe everything you just said. But what haven’t you told me?”

  Mr. Vincent watched Roy’s facial expressions as he mulled over his situation in silence. There was definitely something more that needed to be said. Why was it so difficult for Roy to reveal the rest? His job was secure. Mr. Vincent had hinted as much. Nothing the other employees had already told him about the relationship between the driver and his former boss would change that. All he wanted was the full history in Roy’s own words.

  “I will tell you everything, Mr. Vincent, so you will understand why I behaved as I did. This will not be a pretty picture at all, sir.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that, Roy. Please do tell.”

  Roy’s journey down memory lane and up to Saturday evening did indeed shed light on the situation, and afterward, he still had his job.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Five fabulous days and nights on Grand Cayman Island had come and gone much too fast for Zach and Jill. The nightclub dancing, sunset strolls on the beach, and passionate lovemaking at the break of dawn would forever be remembered. They’d made enough wonderful memories to last a lifetime. But now it was time to return to reality. Their first stop would be Montego Bay, and then they’d go on to Kingston to spend three more days with Jill’s family before bidding them farewell. A few days ago Zach had spoken with his buddy Clive at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Atlanta. Jillian Josephine Bessette had been granted clearance to return to the United States. Her marriage license bearing her new name would have to be shown to airport officials, along with a document from the United States government, before she could board their flight. That document had already been faxed and was waiting for them at the Blue Lagoon Resort.

  When Jill and Zach flew back to Jamaica, Roy was waiting for them at the airport.

  “Welcome back, newlyweds!” he greeted. Roy was excited to see his friends. “How was the trip?”

  “It was wonderful. I am the luckiest woman alive!”

  “My wife and I enjoyed our honeymoon, my friend. I could get used to married life.”

  Zach helped Roy load their luggage into the back of the van after Jill had climbed into her seat. She was still wearing her bridal glow. Marriage definitely agreed with her.

  “I must speak with you privately, Zachary. There is something I think you should know, but please, not a word to Jill. She is too fragile in her condition. We must speak as soon as we reach the resort.”

  Zach grabbed Roy by his arm. “It sounds serious. Is Ms. Faye or one of the children sick?”

  “They are all well. Please, Zachary, let us leave at once, and we will talk at the Blue Lagoon.”

  On the drive from the airport to the resort, all kinds of scenarios crossed Zach’s mind. He did the process of elimination but came up with nothing. He had spoken to Aunt Jackie and Nahima twice while he and Jill were on their honeymoon. They were fine. He had checked in with Dex and Ramona, and Wallace had called him last night. Zach was clueless and curious. As soon as they reached the Blue Lagoon, he checked in and retrieved the fax from the front-desk clerk. Once Jill was settled in the villa, Zach hurried to meet Roy downstairs.

  “Talk to me,” he said as soon as he found Roy in the lobby.

  Roy motioned toward two wingback chairs in the posh resort lobby. “Come. Let’s sit. Zachary.” Once they were seated, Roy broke the news. “Your sister was here.”

  “Jay was in Jamaica? When and why?”

  “My friend, she arrived the day of the wedding. She knew you and Jill were to be married, but she had no idea about the time or place. I drove her to the Island Paradise and left her there. She was very angry, I tell you! She tried to have me terminated from my job because of it, but I told my boss the whole truth. Ms. King left the island Wednesday and went back to Atlanta. Littlejohn, another driver, told me so.”

  * * *

  Multiple bottles of Disaronno and sex with Ayla one day and Nina the next became a pattern for Jay over the next few weeks. She’d lost more than ten pounds due to her poor appetite. To say she was depressed was an understatement. She was battling to maintain her sanity. Her inability to concentrate was evident in her work. Manny, a senior marketing member of her team, was basically running the department. Aunt Jackie had been trying to reach Jay for days, but she’d refused to take any of her calls. She wanted nothing to do with her aunt or any other member of her family.

  Ayla had suggested that Jay get some professional help. She’d recommended her colleague Dr. Capone. Jay had blown off her concern and had told her that in time she would be fine. Then she’d asked Ayla questions about Zach and his attitude on the job since he and Jill had gotten married. Ayla had lied and said she hadn’t seen him, but she had. She and Zach had actually spoken briefly. She had apologized for the lies she had told about him and for acting so irrationally when their affair ended. Ayla had even congratulated Zach on his marriage. And out of concern for Jay, she’d encouraged him to make contact with his sister, because she was experiencing some serious emotional issues.

  * * *

  Jill met Zach at the door, as she did every evening when he got home from work. He was two hours late because Aunt Jackie had asked him to come by her house so they could talk. Jill was anxious to hear about their conversation. She followed Zach into the den and sat down next to him on the sofa.

  “What did your aunt want to talk about?”

  “She thinks it’s time for me to talk to Jay. I agree with her, but what do you think?”

  Jill closed her eyes and rubbed her belly, which had expanded tremendously. She had been stuck in the house for over a month, venturing out only to go to doctor’s appointments and on the occasional dinner date with her husband. Fear had kept Jill in hiding, but she was ready to reenter the real world. She missed church and shopping. She’d also been eager to visit Umoja Academy.

  “It is time. You should visit Jay at the Seven Seas, but I must go with you. We both owe he
r an apology.”

  “Nah,” Zach said, shaking his head. “You’re not going anywhere near Jay. Have you forgotten how she treated you when you went to ask for your passport? You are in no condition for that kind of abuse, Jill. You didn’t deserve it then, and you sure as hell don’t now. Let me go alone. You can apologize to Jay in a letter or over the phone. This is a war between my sister and me, and I’m ready to wave the white flag.”

  “Are you going to tell Jay we’re expecting a child?”

  “Why not?” Zach rubbed Jill’s baby bump and kissed her on the cheek. “I might as well lay everything out on the table to get it over with. Whatever happens after that is all up to Jay.”

  Zach called his sister, and she agreed to meet him at the second-floor bistro at Seven Seas tomorrow, at six o’clock.

  * * *

  Jay pressed the power button on her cell phone to end her surprise call from Zach. She grinned at his humility. She’d detected a tinge of sincerity in his voice. It had almost been convincing. There wasn’t much for them to talk about as far as Jay was concerned. If Zach had any balls, he would’ve initiated a conversation with her months ago, and he never would’ve married Jill. If he thought he could offer Jay some half-assed apology, and then they’d join hands and sing a couple of verses of “Kumbaya,” he was sadly mistaken.

  Jay picked up the phone again and dialed Nina’s number. She felt like drinking and playing cards at Nina’s spot. Things were always hot and popping over there. Jay was a little leery of some of the characters Nina hung around with, but for the most part, she could deal with them as long as she had both eyes wide open.

  Nina answered on the first ring, and immediately Jay heard folks talking smack and music blasting in the background. “Hey, Jay.”

  “What’s up, baby? It sounds like a Thursday night party going on over there.”

  “Yeah, it’s something like that. A game of dominoes, some liquor, and Negroes talking shit. You know, the usual. What’s up with you?”

  “I’m about to roll over there and kick it with y’all. After the crew leaves, you and I can have an after-party.”

  “That’s a plan.”

  * * *

  Zach had left work an hour earlier than usual. He’d needed the extra time to collect his thoughts and prepare for his meeting with Jay. When he’d called Jill, she had sounded nervous for him. She knew how stubborn and callous his sister could be. Jill didn’t want Zach to get his hopes up, only to have Jay crush them. Aunt Jackie had told him she’d be praying and hoping for a resolution, because the entire situation was taking a toll on her. Lately, she hadn’t been sleeping well at night, worrying about her children. Aunt Jackie had advised Zach to be as humble and apologetic as he could to win Jay’s forgiveness.

  As Zach sat at the reserved table for two, sipping a whiskey sour, he had a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach. Jay was already twenty minutes late for their meeting. She hadn’t called, nor had she answered any of his calls and text messages. Zach wasn’t down for any bullshit. He had come to get to the bottom of things with Jay, but it appeared she wanted to play games. He had just thrown a few bills on the table to cover his drink and had stood to leave when Jay entered the bistro. Her tailored navy suit and light blue custom-made shirt made him feel like a bum. He was rocking a pair of green scrubs, covered by a black suit jacket.

  “What’s up, big brother?” Jay pulled out the chair opposite Zach, took a seat, and smirked.

  Zach picked up on her cynicism right away. “Hey, Jay. How are you?” He sat back down.

  “I’m great. How is the family?”

  “Aunt Jackie is fine, but she’d be better if you’d answer the phone when she calls.”

  “And how is the wifey?” Jay smiled, but the expression was so insincere. It was more like a taunting scowl.

  Zach was ready to go there if this was what Jay wanted. At this point, he felt he had nothing to lose. “Jill is fine. We’re happy, Jay.” He rubbed his goatee out of habit and tried to maintain his composure before he spoke again. “Jay, I’m sorry—”

  “Hold that thought, Zach.” Jay signaled for a server who was busy at another table. “I need a drink for this.”

  A cute blond girl came to the table and took Jay’s order for her signature drink and an appetizer platter. Zach asked for a glass of water.

  When the server left, Jay gazed at Zach. “Go ahead, Zach. What were you about to say? It sounded like an apology.”

  The words humble and apologetic resonated in Zach’s mind. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Jay. I take full responsibility for what happened between Jill and me. I was wrong for allowing my heart to get the best of me. I had no right to make emotional or physical contact with Jill while you two were together or even after you broke up. I want you to forgive me.”

  “You’re right. You had no right to fuck my bitch.”

  Zach gritted his teeth and tried to maintain control. “Jay, I’m making every effort to be civil, but you’re crossing the line.”

  “Nah, Zach, you crossed the line! What you did was cold blooded. I never would’ve done that to you! Yeah, I slept with Ayla after the fact, but you didn’t give a damn about her. Hell, I don’t either.”

  “You didn’t love Jill,” Zach said calmly. “But that isn’t the issue here. The reason I asked you to meet me this evening was so I could apologize to you for getting involved with Jill and causing your breakup. I didn’t plan it. Things just happened, Jay. I swear.”

  The server returned with their drinks and the appetizer platter. Zach just stared at his glass of water. Jay drained her drink.

  “So, how is it supposed to work now, huh?” Jay snapped. “You married my ex. Are we supposed to get together for the holidays and family cookouts? Maybe we could vacation together. We all love Jamaica.”

  “It’ll definitely take some time for us all to get used to the situation. But can’t we at least try? It’s all about forgiveness and moving on, Jay. I know what I’m asking won’t be easy, but it is doable. I’ve forgiven Wallace. We have a good relationship now. It didn’t happen overnight. It took time and effort on both our parts. It’s possible for us as well.”

  Jay shook her head. Rumors about Zach and Wallace reconciling were one thing, but Zach’s confession was a slap in her face. “You can embrace the bastard who killed our mother, but you stabbed me in the back. That’s cold, Zach.”

  Zach reached across the table and took Jay’s hand. “I’m sorry for hurting you, and I’ll do anything to make things right between us. Just tell me what I have to do.”

  “That’s easy.” Jay snatched her hand away from Zach’s hold. “Have your marriage to Jill annulled. Then send her ass back to the streets of Kingston.”

  “I can’t do that. I love her, and I ain’t living without her. And . . . um . . . wow . . . This is hard for me to tell you. But I’m just gonna give it to you straight. Jill is pregnant. We’re expecting our first child in August.”

  Chapter Thirty-five

  “I knew Jay would not accept your apology, Zachary. She can hold a grudge forever, ya know?” Jill looked at the letter she had written to Jay. Zach had given it to Jay, but she had crumpled it into a ball and had thrown it at him. “She didn’t even bother to read this. It’s a shame, because I meant every word I wrote. I’m truly sorry for betraying her.”

  The sound of heavy raindrops pounding the house and the yard filled the den. Jill wondered what Zach was thinking. Did he regret falling in love with her? Had their coming together cost him Jay’s love forever? And would he blame her if that was the case? Jill lifted her head from his chest and stared at him eye to eye. He had been holding her on his lap for several minutes in complete silence.

  “Before you even ask, Jill, the answer is no,” Zach said, as if he had read her mind. “I love my sister and I miss her, but I have no regrets.”

  * * *

  Jay guided her Beamer down the street deep in the hood. She was looking for the address that Fudge
, one of Nina’s homeboys, had scribbled on a sheet of paper the other night. In all her years in Atlanta, she had never been to this particular section of town before. There was a liquor store on every damn corner, and the number of abandoned homes outnumbered the occupied ones. Half-naked prostitutes, with big, jiggling asses, were on the stroll in broad daylight, and it seemed perfectly normal. Drug dealers were bold as hell too, making transactions right out in the open. Jay couldn’t believe she had sunk so low, but Zach had started this shit. And she was about to end it.

  She spotted the address, but the house was boarded up, like most of the other ones on the block. Vulgar graffiti covered the chipping wood on the front of the abandoned residence.

  “I’m overdressed for this neck of the woods,” Jay complained aloud to herself as she climbed out of the Beamer. She shut her car door, then locked all the doors and activated the alarm. She took several steps toward the house and double-checked the number. It was the address, all right. “Where the hell is he?”

  Fudge appeared out of thin air and scared the shit out of Jay. She patted her chest and panted for air. He stepped closer to her, his tall, stocky frame decked out in a blue-and-white Adidas sweat suit. Face-to-face, they looked like an odd couple, with Jay sporting a navy pantsuit, a starched white shirt, and a pair of spectator pumps.

  “Chill, baby. You’re cool. Let’s hop in your whip and let’s roll out,” Fudge told her.

  Jay and Fudge walked to her car side by side. She looked around the forgotten neighborhood. Music was booming from all directions, and the stench of weeks-old trash soured the air. It was hard to believe that only a few blocks away in the opposite direction, there were condos, lofts, high-end boutiques, and restaurants that catered to Atlanta’s rich and famous.

  “I’ll drive,” Fudge said when they reached the Beamer.