by Anna Black
“Hello, Rayshon,” she said.
“Karen, it’s been a long time,” he said nervously, wondering if she was over the fact that he never called her back after lying to her about hooking up with her again. She had called him several times, and he never answered because he and Leila had gotten together.
“It certainly has,” she said.
He didn’t know how to read her expression. “How have you been?”
“Good, really good. I’m now a licensed RN, and I work at the hospital across the street. I was counting down the days for you guys to open, and when I came in, I learned that you owned the place.” She gave him a bright smile. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you, and you are my first client, so we should get started. I see your profile is already filled out, so follow me,” he said.
He wanted to get straight to the workout and not talk too much. After she did her warmup, he moved over to the mat and began giving her some basic instructions on the exercise they were about to do.
“I’m not bitter about you not calling me,” she announced suddenly.
Although he was relieved, he absolutely didn’t want to talk about that. “Yeah, well, I’m very happy to hear that you’re not. We wouldn’t be able to be in our one-hour sessions if you still harbored some old anger.”
“Well, I’m over it. It’s wasn’t like you and I kicked it that long. After a few weeks of checking my phone every five minutes, waiting on your call, and dealing with the fact that you were no longer answering my calls, I put you in the one-night stand compartment.”
He wondered if her tone was that of someone really over it or someone still harboring some old feelings. “One-night stand? We did it again the next morning, remember?” he said, trying to make a joke of it.
She gave him a little laugh that sounded a little more convincing that she was over it. “You are so right, and it was wonderful.”
Ray decided just to agree and go back to the treadmill so they could stop talking. When the session was over, Karen gave him a friendly smile.
“Well, Rayshon Johnson, it was a pleasure to see you again. It’s been, what, almost six years, and you’re still as handsome as ever.”
“Thank you, and you are just as gorgeous as you were the night we met. I’m going to be real with you. When I met you, it was bad timing. I was already feeling someone, but to be totally honest, I didn’t know if I had a chance with her. Now, six years later, we’re married, two kids, and another coming soon.”
“Wow, that’s great,” she said and nodded. She smiled and told him she’d see him next week.
As soon as she was on the other side of the door, he rushed to call his best friend, Mario.
“Man, you will never guess who just left,” he said. He wondered what was going on in Karen’s little head. She seemed to be cool, but he couldn’t determine if she really was.
“Who, crazy-ass Katrina?” Mario joked, laughing out loud.
“Man, hell no. And why would you say her name? You know that name gives me the shakes.”
“My bad, man,” Mario said. “Hold on, let me shut my office door. My new assistant is always walking back and forth in front of my door, giving me that look, and I’m not trying to get fired or killed, ya hear me?”
“I feel you. I know those types all too well, but, dude, Karen was my first appointment today,” Ray said.
“Karen Karen Karen . . . Who in the hell is Karen?”
“You remember that chick I hooked up with right before Leila and I got together? She was out that night with her girl Logan, Lisa, or Leslie—whatever that damn girl’s name was. The nurses, the one I told you to ditch before Linda had your ass on the six o’clock news.”
“Oh yeah, that short chick with a whole lot of cleavage and a very little ass,” Mario recalled.
“Yes, her. And you remember how I played her to the left, then she showed up to my place unannounced, and I promised to call her and never did? She called me for like a month or two after that, but Leila and I had hooked up, and I wasn’t feeling her.”
“Okay, so what’s the bottom line, man?” Mario asked.
“Well, I think she is still ill about it,” he said.
Mario burst into laughter. “Dawg, I know you are fine-ass Rayshon Johnson,” he teased, “with the broad shoulders and eight-pack abs, but why would she still be thinking about your ass after what, six years? Your son is four, and you met her before Leila even got pregnant, man. Yo’ ass ain’t that irresistible.”
“You know what, man? You’re right. No way is she still tripping about that after all this time. Hell, she probably dating a doctor or some shit. I’m trippin’, dude. I have to get back to work. Thanks, man.”
“Anytime,” Mario said.
“Are we still on for drinks tonight?”
“Yes. Let’s meet up at Club Jay’s. I heard they do karaoke on Wednesday or some shit.”
“Karaoke, dude?”
“Yes, and they have two-dollar drink specials. You know Linda was laid off. I can’t be splurging like yo’ rich ass.”
“Man, whatever. I’ll meet you there at eight,” Ray said and hung up. He tried Leila again, but she didn’t answer, and he didn’t leave another message.
Hours later, Rayshon tried Leila once more—for the fifth time—before he went inside Jay’s to meet Mario. She still didn’t answer. He wanted to go home and check on her, but he didn’t want to deal with her right then. He just wanted to clear his mind. He walked in, spotted Mario, and went to join him. They talked in between karaoke performances when they could actually hear what each other was saying. He turned around on his stool when he heard them announce Kennedy Roberson, the owner of KBanks Jewelers, and a friend of Leila’s, and watched the woman who had just sold him a piece of jewelry for his wife the other day make her way to the stage. He hadn’t known she was a singer. He applauded with everyone else after she was done giving them her version of Jill Scott’s “A Long Walk.” Then he hurried over to say hello.
“Kennedy,” he said.
She turned to him. “Mr. Johnson, how are you?”
“I’m good, and please, call me Ray. Wow, what a voice. Why are you a jeweler?” he joked.
“Because that’s what I love doing. This here is something my husband loves to watch me do, so every now and then, I grace the stage with my presence.”
At that moment, Julian walked up. “Ray, right?” he asked.
“Oh, wow, Julian, right? You work out at my gym near your restaurant.”
“Yeah, and your wife owned that bookstore a couple of doors down, right?”
“Yes, but, of course, you know it’s no longer in business.”
“Damn, I’m sorry, man. That’s unfortunate.”
“Yep, we just hope it sells fast.”
“You’re trying to sell the space?” Kennedy asked. Ray nodded. “Well, I have just the person you need to meet. Hold on,’” she said and rushed off. Moments later, she reappeared with another woman.
“Mr. Johnson, this is my best friend, Cherae Brooks, and she just happens to be a talented real estate agent.”
“Hi, Cherae. Very nice to meet you, but we already have an agent. Sorry.”
“Well, I think you’ll be sorrier if you don’t fire your agent and hire me,” Cherae said with confidence.
“Really? Cherae, I’ll have to talk it over with my wife, and if she says so, then you are as good as hired,” he said.
Cherae handed him a card. “Great! I look forward to hearing from you soon, Mr. Johnson. It was nice to meet you,” she said and walked away.
“Well, Ray, I have to get back to work.” He turned to Kennedy. “Babe, don’t forget to go up to my office and put the order in for the bar. We can’t be outta liquor this weekend,” he said and gave her a quick kiss.
“Okay, baby, I’ll go up in a second,” she said. “So, how did Leila like the necklace?” she asked Ray after watching her husband walk away.
“Aw, she loved it. It’s j
ust I’m not her favorite person right now.”
“Don’t worry, it’s going to take a minute to settle with the idea that the business is gone, but she won’t stay this way forever.”
“I hope not,” he said, rubbing his head.
“She won’t. Now, go to the bar, tell Tony that I said your drinks are on the house, and you relax your mind, Ray.”
“Thanks again, Kennedy.”
“You’re welcome.”
Ray watched her head to a flight of stairs that had a sign that said: “Management Only.” He went back to the bar and hung out with Mario for a little while longer, and then he headed home. When he got there, the kids were sleeping, but he stole a few kisses from them both.
He found Leila in the bathroom. “I called you several times today,” he said, standing in the doorway. Leila was soaking in the tub and massaging her stomach with bath oil.
“I know.” She didn’t look up.
“Are you going to continue to do this to yourself, Leila? You know this stress is not good for the baby,” he said, wanting to suck all of her pain out of her.
“If I hear that one more damn time,” she yelled, throwing her hands up.
Ray was so frustrated that he walked away. He went downstairs, grabbed the rum and a glass from the cabinet, and took two back-to-back shots. He saw the message light on the phone blinking and hit play. After the first four messages from him, there was one from her OB/ GYN, Dr. Bryce.
“Leila, you missed your appointment today. I told you until we can get your blood pressure under control, we need to see you twice a week. Give us a call right away to set up another appointment.”
Rayshon slammed the glass on the counter and raced upstairs, taking two steps at a time. Leila jumped when he stormed into the bathroom.
“What the fuck, Leila? What, baby? What the hell are you trying to do—kill yourself? Kill the baby? Baby, I’ll get you another bookstore. Hell, I’ll convert every gym I have into a bookstore if you want, but please, stop this, Leila.” Tears burned his eyes. “You didn’t tell me that your blood pressure was up again. You didn’t tell me that Dr. Bryce said for you to see him twice a week,” he yelled, holding up two fingers. He was so mad that he wanted to shake her. “And why did you miss your appointment today?”
Leila didn’t answer. She just stared at the bottle of bath soap on the side of the tub with glossy eyes.
“Baby, I don’t know what else to say or do,” he said, moving closer to her. “I love you, Leila, with everything. And right now, all I care about is your health and the baby. You will go in to see Dr. Bryce tomorrow, and until our baby is delivered, you will do whatever he tells you,” he declared and walked away. He slammed the front door so loud, he was sure it echoed through the entire house, but he didn’t care. He was beyond angry, and he didn’t try to hide it.
Chapter Five
Leila sat in the waiting room, trying to remain as calm as possible so that her blood pressure would be normal. Rayshon had driven her to the doctor’s office, and he hadn’t said one word to her the entire ride. In fact, he hadn’t said more than two words to her that morning. When Dr. Bryce examined Leila, Rayshon smiled at the news that her pressure was normal, but Dr. Bryce made her set up an appointment for the following week anyway. She had four more weeks before she was due to deliver, and he wanted to make sure Leila made it and that she and the baby were healthy.
When they got home, Rayshon got out and helped her out of the passenger seat, but when they got inside, he kept his distance from her.
When he had to go to the gym, he went up to tell her he was leaving. “I’m heading to the gym to finish up my last four sessions, and then I’ll be straight home. I’ll pick up some takeout, so don’t worry about dinner. I just want you to rest,” he said and turned to walk away.
“Ray,” Leila called out softly, so low he barely heard her.
“Yeah?” he said and stopped and turned back to her.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Her voice was low and hoarse. “I don’t want to hurt our baby.”
He came back into the room and sat on the bed with her. “I know, Lei. I want to fix it. I want to take away your pain, but you gotta try too, Leila, and stop wallowing in it.”
“I know,” she whispered.
He held her tightly. “It’s just a store.” He felt her body tense.
“If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that,” she mumbled. Ray didn’t respond. He just held her close. “I’m going to rest now,” she said.
He kissed her softly on the lips. “I love you, baby,” he said and wiped her cheek.
* * *
“I know, and I love you too,” Leila said. “Now, go and finish up.”
Ray got up and left. When she heard the door close, she sobbed uncontrollably into her pillow. She cried until she fell asleep.
The ringing of her phone woke her, and she realized her family wasn’t home yet. She looked at the caller ID. It was Christa.
“Hello,” Leila answered.
“Hey, hon, I have a question,” Christa said cheerfully.
“What is it?”
“What’s Devon’s favorite food?”
“Christa, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Come on, Leila. I want to make a nice, romantic dinner here at my place, and I want to surprise him.”
“Christa, I told you that I don’t want to be in your and Devon’s mix.”
“You said we couldn’t discuss sex. You never said food.”
Leila shook her head. “Fried chicken,” she answered, “with homemade mac and cheese, green beans, and corn muffins.”
“What? I don’t know how to make that.”
“Well, that’s his favorite meal to eat, Christa. He loved for me to make that when we were happy.”
“Shit. I don’t know how to make soul food, Leila. What do I do?”
“Grab something from Dusty’s. I don’t know,” she suggested.
“It won’t be the same, Leila, please help me. Come over and show me how to make it.”
“Christa, I don’t want to make food for my ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Google it. I’m sure you can follow a recipe.”
“I know you hate this, but all of my friends, besides you, are models and wouldn’t dare touch fried chicken, mac and cheese, or corn muffins. I really like Devon, Leila. I know he’s your ex, but you’re the only friend I have who can cook, and you’re the only friend I have who knows how to make my man’s favorite food. Please, Leila?” she begged.
Leila sighed. She didn’t want to do it. “Okay,” she finally said.
“Oh, thank you, Leila. Thank you. I want to do it on Sunday. Please email me all the things I need, and I’ll be ready.”
“Okay, Christa, and after this, nothing else when it comes to you and Devon. I mean it.”
“Okay,” Christa said happily.
They hung up, and Leila made her way downstairs. It was only a little after five, and she still had over an hour before anyone would be home. She went to the fridge to get something to drink and saw Cherae’s business card. She wondered what Ray was up to with a realtor’s business card. He hadn’t discussed buying or selling anything. She grabbed it and called.
“Cherae Brooks,” Cher answered.
“Mrs. Brooks?” Leila said.
“Yes, how can I help you?”
“Well, I’m not sure. My name is Leila Johnson, and I just came across your card. I was wondering, do you know my husband, Rayshon Johnson?”
“Oh, yes, of course. I met him through a friend of mine, Kennedy Roberson. She said she used to get all of her books from your store, except when the one she wanted wasn’t in stock,” Cher joked.
Leila didn’t laugh with her. “Yeah, okay. I’m familiar with Kennedy. She also helped my husband pick out a beautiful necklace for me last week.”
“Yes, she does have great taste in jewelry,” Cher said.
“Well, I was just wondering, did my husband mention that we w
ere looking to buy or sell some property?”
“Actually, it was about your store. I told him if he really wanted to get it sold, that I’d be a better fit. I know the area well, and I can almost guarantee you that it will be sold a lot faster with me as your realtor.”
“Really? Did he tell you I already have a realtor?”
“Yeah, and Mr. Grant is a cool dude, but he’s old and a bit rusty. And I know for a fact that he is not out there trying to get your property sold,” she said and laughed again.
“Why would you say that?”
“Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll email you a list to compare my closings and Mr. Grant’s closings for the past six months. If you call me back, I know you’re ready to sell,” Cherae said confidently.
“Okay, Mrs. Brooks,” Leila said.
She gave Cher her email address and went to her website. She saw that she was closer, so she decided to meet Cherae at the property the following week to do a walk-through.
* * *
Leila arrived with Christa to do the walk-through. Since she had cooked a fabulous meal for Devon, Christa agreed to go with her that morning without hesitation. Usually, Crista would decline on doing anything that wasn’t all about her, but Leila knew she’d have Christa saying yes to whatever she’d ask for a while because Devon enjoyed the dinner so much.
Leila and Christa got out of the truck, and when they spotted Cherae coming up the street, Christa and Cherae stopped in their tracks when they saw each other.
“Cherae Thompson,” Christa snarled.
“Christa Montgomery,” Cherae snarled back.
Leila wondered what in the hell was going on. “Okay, you two know each other?” she asked.
“Unfortunately,” Christa said. She narrowed her eyes at Cherae.
“Okay, Christa, this is a business meeting for me, and I’m not going to allow my personal affairs with you to alter my meeting.”
“Okay, wait,” Leila said, “how do you two know each other?”
“Well,” Cherae said, “forgive my unprofessionalism.” She put her hands on her hips. “She stole my man.”