by Anna Black
“You finish your champagne, and I’ll have this wrapped right away for you,” she said and moved to the back to have it gift wrapped.
Rayshon left the jewelry store and headed to the flower shop. He looked down at his phone and saw he had missed a few calls from Leila, so he listened to her voicemails, and it was all the same about him not being home for dinner, and she needed him to do this or that. He knew her words were true, but he wasn’t away doing leisure shit. He was working, but that night he was anxious to get home. He hadn’t had dinner with his family in weeks.
When he walked in, he was surprised that the house was so quiet. He went into the kitchen and was a little disappointed because there were no pots on the stove, and he didn’t see any takeout. He put his briefcase on the kitchen island and removed the KBanks Jewelers bag, then took it and the flowers and walked upstairs to find her. He went into the master bedroom first, but there was no sign of her. Then he stuck his head into his son’s room, thinking she’d be there with RJ, but she wasn’t there either. He knew Deja should have been with Devon, but he looked in her room anyway. Leila wasn’t there either. Her truck was in the garage, so he wondered where they were.
He stood in the hall and noticed a light coming from the baby’s room and knew that’s where she was. He gently pushed the door open to find Leila sleeping peacefully in her rocker. He approached slowly to keep from scaring her and leaned in and kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes, and he smiled.
“Ray, when did you get home?” she asked.
“A couple of moments ago. How are you feeling? Where’s RJ?” he asked.
She rubbed her face. “Umm, RJ went to Devon’s with Deja.”
“Where did he take them?”
“Home. I wasn’t feeling well, so Devon agreed to take him overnight for me to get some rest. Please don’t make a big deal of it, okay? I know you don’t like RJ staying the night.”
“So why did you allow him to go overnight?” he asked.
Leila could hear the irritation in his tone. “Because you have been working every weekend and staying out past his bedtime a lot lately, and I needed a physical and mental break from him, Rayshon.” She got up from the rocker.
Ray changed his tone. “Listen, it’s fine, okay?” He wanted to cheer her up and not make her upset. “And these are for you,” he said, handing her the flowers. He kissed her. “And this is also for you,” he said, giving her the gift.
“What’s this?” she asked, setting the flowers on the baby’s changing table.
“This is a little something to say that I love you, and I’m proud of you, and I’m sorry your store closed,” he said.
Leila’s eyes welled up with tears. She slowly opened the pretty package and gasped when she saw the beautiful necklace. “Oh, Ray. Baby, this is lovely. This is beautiful, baby.” She smiled, admiring it.
“You like it?” he asked, happy that she was delighted.
“Like it? I love it, but I have to pee,” she said and handed him the box. She hurried down the hall, and he grabbed the flowers and followed her.
“I’m gonna head downstairs,” he said. He went down to the kitchen and grabbed a vase for the flowers.
She joined him within minutes. “The necklace is beautiful, babe. Thank you,” she said.
He walked over to her and embraced her. “I’m glad you like it. And the saleswoman knows you. Her name is Kennedy Roberson.”
“Yes, I know her. She was one of my loyal customers. Her husband owns the restaurant on the corner.”
“Yes, Julian. He’s also a member of the gym.”
“I know. She told me back when she was pregnant with her twins. She swore she’d join too after she had the babies, but I guess things change.”
“Yep, baby, sometimes they do,” he said and moved over to the wine cooler.
“God, I wish I could have that right now,” Leila said. Her eyes watered.
“You can, babe. You know one glass won’t hurt.”
“I know, but the way I feel, I want to have an entire bottle,” she said, wiping her tears.
“Aw, come on, Lei. We have talked about this, babe, and talked about it. It’s not the end of the world.”
“It’s easy for you to say, Rayshon, because your dream of owning a gym has come true. And not only do you own one, but you also own three, and my one and only bookstore is closed.” She pouted, leaned back against the counter, and put a hand on her stomach. “This little girl is abusing this one spot right here, and I just want to scream,” she sobbed and made a frowning face.
Ray rushed over to her side. “Come on, Leila, baby. Why are you getting upset about this all over again? Come on, baby, and sit down. You’re getting worked up, and you know it’s not good for you or the baby.” He led her into the family room. She sat on the couch, and he sat in front of her on the coffee table. “I keep telling you that I’ll take care of us. You can be a full-time mom to our children and relax and take care of us now, without Tabitha.”
“Ray, please . . . Don’t give me that same old what-I-can-do-now. Are you not hearing me? I loved my store. I loved being around my books and getting up every day, servicing customers in my store. That meant so much to me, Ray, and I don’t have that anymore. I loved having authors visit and read from their novels and having release parties, and now, all that is gone.”
“What do I mean to you? What do the kids mean to you?” he asked.
Leila stood up. “Ray, thank you for the flowers and the necklace,” she said, walking away.
“Where are you going?” he yelled behind her.
“To Christa’s,” she said, slipping her swollen feet into her flip-flops.
“Why? I came home early to be with you and to make you feel better, Leila, not for you to run out on our conversation.”
“You know what, Ray? I never thought there would come a day in this marriage that you would not understand me,” she said, moving swiftly.
“What? What are you talking about? You’re acting as if the world has come to an end because your bookstore closed, Leila, when you have so many other things to be grateful for.”
She nodded at him after snatching her keys from the counter near the garage door. “I know what I have, and I am grateful, but what you fail to realize, Mr. Johnson, is that bookstore was a part of my life. Not more important than you and the kids, but just as important—and I lost it. If I cry too much or bother you with my loss, I’m sorry,” she yelled and walked out the door, slamming it.
Ray banged his fist on the island, wondering how this had turned into such a horrible night when he was only trying to make things right.
Chapter Three
“Hold on, Devon,” Christa said, getting up from the sofa. “Someone’s at the door,” she said and walked over to the peephole. “It’s Leila. Let me call you back,” she said and ended the call. She opened the door and could tell her friend had been crying. “Leila, what’s wrong? Come in,” she said and shut the door.
“I need to talk, but first the bathroom,” Leila said.
Christa nodded. Over the years, she and Leila had grown close, and now that she and Devon were seeing each other, they saw each other even more. Christa went into the kitchen and grabbed some bottles of water from the fridge and sat on the sofa as she waited for Leila to return.
“I’m sorry to come by so late, but Devon has the kids, and I’m trying to get away from them right now. I don’t need my kids to see me cry another day, you know?” she said with one hand on her head and the other on her belly.
“Come on, Leila, sit,” Christa instructed, handing her a bottle of water.
Leila took it, flopped down on the sofa, and let out a huff. “I just feel . . .” Another tear fell.
“Relax, girl. Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on,” she said.
“All I can think about is my bookstore, and all Ray has for me is how great it will be for me to become this supermom and wife. I love my family, Christa; you know that. I love m
y man, and my kids are my world, but do you know how good it felt to open my bookstore? As bad as my marriage was with Devon, he was behind me 110 percent when I decided to open my store.” She paused and gulped her water. She took a few deep breaths and continued, “And now, all that work is just down the drain.”
“Leila, I understand, hon, but you can’t stress and dwell on it. You are going to be okay without the store. You didn’t fail, and at least you got to do something you wanted to do. Not all people can say that.”
“I know, Christa, but what if your agent called you tomorrow and said your modeling career was over, and nobody wants you to model their clothes, makeup, or shoes, or see that beautiful smile on a billboard?” When Christa looked down and didn’t say anything, Leila said, “Exactly. See, that is how I feel. I know I’m a good mother and a great wife, and I was that when I had my bookstore.”
“I know, Lei, but you have to get out of this rut. I hear you. It would absolutely kill me if I got that call, but I would be able to say I did what I set out to do, and so can you. You can do other things. This doesn’t mean life’s over.”
“I know, Christa, it’s just going to take some time to get over it.” She swallowed more water.
They sat in silence for a moment or two, and then Christa spoke again. “Leila, I need to ask you something,” she said shyly.
“What is it?” Leila asked, turning to face her.
“If this makes you uncomfortable, please just tell me, but I need to know.”
“What, Christa? Spit it out.”
“Well, it’s about Devon and me—”
“Oh no, don’t even ask for any inside info about Devon. That, my dear, you are going to have to experience on your own,” she said, standing and moving toward the window. Christa loved her view and hardly ever closed the curtains, so she knew why Leila gravitated to Chicago’s lakeshore view.
“Come on, Leila. You’re the only person I can ask and, not only that, but also, I know you’ll be honest with me.” She followed Leila to the window.
“No, Christa, I don’t want to get into your and Devon’s business. It’s freaky enough that you guys somehow hit it off. No,” Leila said, putting up her hands.
“You talk to me all the time about you and Ray.”
“Yes, and you and Ray never hooked up. Or is there something you and Ray failed to mention?” She tilted her head to the side, giving Christa a suspicious stare.
“No, no, no. Come on. You know that nothing ever happened between us.” She saw the tension in Leila’s forehead ease. “All I want to know is one thing,” she pleaded.
Leila sighed. “Okay, Christa, come on,” she said reluctantly. “What do you want to know?”
“How is Devon in bed?” she blurted out.
Leila laughed out loud. “That is not a question that you should be asking me,” Leila said, smiling and shaking her head.
“Why not? We’re friends.”
“And Devon and I were married. I can’t discuss our sex with you.” Leila walked back toward the sofa.
Christa followed her. “You tell me about your sex with Rayshon, Leila.”
“Ummm, hello? That’s different. You can’t compare the two.” Leila flopped down on the couch. “This is crazy and so comical. I’m going to need a shot of something to have this conversation with you, Christa, because talking about Ray and me is totally different.”
“How? We’re girlfriends, Leila, and you tell me about sex with Ray, and I have told you about other guys I’ve dated, so why can’t we talk about sex with Devon?”
“Because it’s weird, Christa, and it makes me uncomfortable to think about you and Devon and sex.”
Christa sat down on the ottoman across from Leila. “Why? You guys have been over for years now, and you have watched Devon see other women. And you’re the only person I can ask.”
“Look, why don’t you ask Devon or, better yet, just have sex with him? And,” Leila added, holding up one finger, “when you do, I don’t care to hear about it.”
“Are you kidding me?” Christa asked in disbelief.
“No, I’m serious.”
“Well, I will put that in my mental Rolodex, but I can’t promise you I won’t spill. I wanna have sex with him, Leila, but it’s like he’s afraid to have sex with me.”
“Afraid?” Leila burst into laughter. “You are so funny. I haven’t laughed this hard in weeks, girl. It may be something, Christa, but fear isn’t it. I know Devon way too well. When we were good, the sex was outstanding.” She stopped talking, and Christa realized she’d gone back to her original plan of not discussing sex about her ex-husband.
“So, what can it be?” she asked, hoping Leila knew something. She and Devon had been dating for five months, and the only passion they shared were passionate kisses that led them nowhere.
“Christa, I don’t know.”
“Can you find out? Can you talk to him for me, please?” Christa pleaded.
“Are you high, Christa? No, I can’t talk to him about why he’s not doing you,” Leila said, looking at her as if she were crazy.
“Come on, Leila, you and Devon are friends, and I really like him. I know y’all have some bad history, but you guys are good now, and I know he’ll talk to you.”
“No, Christa, absolutely not. I don’t want to get involved or in the middle of your and Devon’s sex life. Just talk to him.”
“I’ve tried, but he avoids the conversation. I like him, Leila.”
“Well, Christa, you’re going to have to figure out something, because it’s weird enough as it is that you and Devon are together. I do not want to hear a word about the two of you naked between the sheets or in the shower or on the kitchen counter, you hear me? No matter how hot the story it, I don’t wanna hear it.”
“Damn, Devon gets down like that?” Christa asked, wondering if that’s how he used to do her.
“Eeeew. No, Christa, that’s how Rayshon and I do it,” Leila said and laughed.
“Oh shit, I was gonna say,” Christa said, and they both laughed.
“Well, I’m not talking about Devon’s ass.”
“I wish you were,” Christa said and slapped her thigh.
“Give him time. He and I do have some bad history, and we went through a very rough patch, but he’s a great father, and deep down, he’s a good person. He just got stupid on me.” Leila laughed. “Shit, it wasn’t funny back then, but now I’m able to laugh about it.”
“I guess you’re right.” Christa sat for a moment or two before she went back to Leila’s original reason for coming over. “So, I heard Ray’s new spot opened several days ago.”
“Yep,” Leila replied and smirked a little. “Gym number three.”
“That’s awesome for you guys. I remember meeting Ray at the old gym he used to work at before he converted his loft. This has always been his dream, and he’s doing it.”
“Yep, he is,” Leila said, standing to leave. “Look, I’m going to head back to the house. I walked out on Ray after an argument.”
“Leila, you will feel better. Soon, the baby will be here, and you will have something to do,” Christa said, and then wished she hadn’t.
“My baby isn’t gonna replace my store, Christa,” Leila said, moving toward the door.
“I know, Lei, and I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know, Christa, and thanks for listening. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Leila walked out without giving Christa a chance to say good night.
Chapter Four
Ray proudly walked into the gym, but he felt horrible about what Leila was going through. He didn’t have a clue how he was going to make her feel better. He wished that he could have flooded her store with tons of customers every day to keep her business going strong like he was. Every time he walked into that store, it reminded him of the day that they met. That store meant a lot to him too, but he didn’t have a solution to save it for her, something he had secretly tried doing by making sure he had flyers and posters
hung all over his gym advertising her promotions, sales, and events.
Sadly, the store’s profit dropped drastically, and it wasn’t making enough money even to cover the utilities. Leila did everything she could. She also brought in authors from all over to increase sales in the store. The headliners always had a great turnout, but they were the most expensive to bring in. She thought about moving the store to a different location, but after she got pregnant, she didn’t bring up that idea anymore. As the store became slower and slower, she had to let her oldest and most reliable employee, Nikki, go, and when her best friend Renee finished school, she was okay with not working at the store anymore. She took a position out of state, and she and Leila still talked but not as much as they did when Renee first left.
Ray was stressed enough with trying to get his businesses going, so he dove into his projects to avoid hearing Leila cry and moan about the store. He wanted her happy and would give his life for her happiness, but when it came to that bookstore, there was nothing he could say or do right, and it caused him and Leila to argue more than they ever argued before. He truly understood that it had to hurt, but he figured she was smart and talented and could find something else that she loved to do. And taking care of him and the kids should have been a job she wanted to accept gladly, he told himself, but obviously, that wasn’t what made her content.
He reached for his roster to see his new schedule. He hadn’t done any personal training sessions in a while due to him expanding and was happy that this facility was finally up and functioning so he could get back to doing what he loved. After he looked over his list of back-to-back appointments, he ran into his office to call Leila before he started. The last couple of days had been quiet, and she had barely spoken to him since the night she walked out on their argument.
“Hey, babe, I hope you’re feeling better today. I have a full schedule, but you know if you need me at any moment, they can page me. Try to get out today, babe. Take a walk in the park or something. I just don’t want you moping. I love you, baby, and I want you to feel better,” he said and hung up. He got up and headed to the floor to see who this new client Karen was. His mouth dropped open when he saw her. It was Karen, the nurse. The Karen he’d never called back.