The Redemption of Memphis Drake: A Second Chance Romance

by Shay Stone

  “He’s stubborn like his momma.” We share a smile. I lay my hand over hers. “Nyla …”

  Her smile fades. She yanks her hand away like she touched a hot flame. “I should get to work. Come on, Conner. Give mommy a hug so you can go play.”

  He wraps his arms around her neck and gives her a kiss. When he releases her, he places both hands on my cheeks, still holding Wally with one. “Memfoos, you stay?”

  My son wants me to stay with him. I want to say “yes” more than anything in the world. How can I possibly tell him “no”? Luckily, Nyla comes to my rescue. “No, honey. Memphis has to go to work too.”

  “O-kay,” he replies as if the answer was expected. I’m gifted with a kiss and hug. I close my eyes and breathe him in, squeezing him until he lets go. Nyla takes his hand and presses her thumb to a scanner, prompting the door to open. Conner runs inside but comes back seconds later like he forgot something. He waves. “Have good day.”

  “You too, buddy. I’ll see you soon.” I stand there in awe watching him interact with other children. “You’ve done a fantastic job with him. He’s amazing.”

  “Yeah, he is,” she agrees, beaming with pride. “We should go. He’ll want to come out if we stay.”

  “Okay,” I reply, but don’t move. She stoops to retrieve her briefcase and tugs me by my sleeve towards the elevator. “Come on.”

  My eyes remain on Conner until the doors close. “How do you do it? How do you leave him every day?”

  “It’s hard. I cried like a baby every time I dropped him off for the first month after my maternity leave was over. But he likes it there. He gets to play with other kids and the people are great. They don’t just babysit and leave the children to run wild. They work with them. Conner loves to learn new things. He’s like a little sponge.”

  The elevator glides to a stop at Nyla’s floor. I know she needs time but being apart from her and Conner is killing me. I can’t let her leave without saying something. “I want to see him. Please let me spend time with him. I know you’re angry with me, and you have every right to be, but please don’t keep me from my son.”

  She sucks in a shaky breath. “Memphis now’s not the time.”

  “Then when? I’ll go anywhere. Do anything. Just tell me.” I hold out the croissant and coffee as some ridiculous peace offering. “Angel, I’m begging you. Please just give me a chance to explain.”

  A storm of emotion flashes in her eyes, making them tear. But just when I think her defenses are weakening, her armor goes back up. “No. You can’t just waltz back into our lives after being gone for three years and expect me to be okay with it. What if you leave again? I’m not putting Conner through that.”

  I set the drink and bag on the floor and grip her lightly by the arms. “I won’t. I swear. Nyla, I love you. I love him. I want us to be a family.”

  She shakes her head vigorously. “No. I don’t believe you. We’re already a family. I won’t let you destroy that. Michael’s been good to us. He’s been there for us.”

  “Good to you? I just heard him call you a ‘fucking cunt,’” I snap a little louder than I intended. It’s only then I notice the elevator doors have opened and people are staring at us.

  She pushes my arms away and lowers her head, slowly backing into the office. “He was upset. We were running late and making him late. He’s not normally like that. He’s having a tough time with you being back,” she stammers, making excuses for him. “I have to go.”

  She hurries away, leaving me alone once again. I ride up to my floor, pitching the coffee and pastry into a trash can and head into Max’s office, flopping onto his couch dramatically. “Please tell me you’ve found some evidence so I can get Nyla and my kid away from that lying motherfucker.”

  Max’s fingers freeze on his keyboard and his face scrunches into a ball. I sit up and frown. “What?”

  “That better not be who I think it is.” The sound of Jen’s annoyed voice blares through the phone speaker. “Is that Memphis?”

  Oops.

  “No?” Max replies like it’s a question.

  “Yes, it is. Maximus Kendrick Steele if you hired him back …”

  “Sorry baby, you’re breaking up. Gotta go. Love you.”

  He disconnects the call, but not before Jen growls, “asshat” at him.

  “By all means, please barge in whenever you like,” Max snorts.

  “Your assistant wasn’t at his desk. I take it you didn’t tell Jen about me?”

  “Do I still have my balls?”

  “I’m not checking to find out.” I smirk. “So, is there anything new?”

  “It’s only been a day, Memphis.”

  “I know,” I pout, sinking in my seat. “And I appreciate everything you and Colin are doing. It’s just … it’s hard. I’m scared, Max. Every second they’re with him, they’re in danger. If anything happens to them ….”

  “We’ll make sure it doesn’t. I’ve got men on her and Conner. Colin’s got a detective poking around trying to place Mike at the bar. If something’s out there, we’ll find it.”

  “Good. That’s good,” I mumble still thinking. “Maybe I should just tell her. I can ask her to take Conner on a long trip somewhere until we figure this out.”

  “If you do that, Mike might get suspicious. He could hurt them or run to Vito and tell him you have a son. Then it’ll never be safe for them to return. For now, just do what Mike asks and let him think he’s in control. Get as close to Nyla as you can. The more she starts to trust you, the more likely she’ll believe you when you finally do tell her the truth.”

  He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn Nyla’s trust and win her back for good. And boy, do I have my work cut out for me.

  FORTY

  Elevator rides. Who would have thought anyone would live for elevator rides? But I do. For ten glorious minutes every day, I get to ride up nineteen floors pretending Nyla, Conner, and I are a family. I arrive early each morning and wait in the lobby to ensure I don’t miss them.

  “Hi Memfoos!” Conner calls out each time he sees me, his face lighting up like the fourth of July. I love that he looks forward to our time together, but long for the day when “Memfoos” is replaced with “Daddy.”

  He babbles nonstop—something Nyla says is out of character for him—telling me about his car ride, or something called Yo Gabba Gabba, or Dora, who I now know is a cartoon. I thought she was a friend of his until Nyla laughed at me when I asked why on Earth the girl’s parents would let their toddler have a pet monkey.

  After hugs and kisses goodbye, we drop Conner off at daycare, and then Nyla and I ride up the rest of the way, though I still haven’t convinced her to hug and kiss me goodbye yet. I did get her to agree to take my phone number in case there was an emergency with Conner. That’s progress, I guess.

  Last night, she texted me a picture of her and Conner at the Yankees / Red Sox game, that is now my screensaver. Other than that, she keeps our conversations strictly about Conner, immediately shutting me down when I try to broach the subject of us or explain why I left.

  “Good morning, angel,” I greet Nyla as she hands her bag off to me, falling into the routine we’ve developed. I present Conner with a toy dinosaur—his latest obsession—and place my hand on Nyla’s lower back, guiding her to what has now become our corner in the back of the over-crowded elevator. My own tiny slice of heaven.

  Today, Conner is wearing the hat and Red Sox jersey I bought him last week. As we walk him into daycare, each of us holding one of his little hands, he tells me Papa is taking him to the game tonight.

  “Memfoos, you come?” he asks. Once again, I wish I could say, ‘yes.’ It’s difficult remembering how close Edward and I once were. Had I stayed I have no doubt we’d be taking him to this game together. I owe him an apology as much as I do Nyla. Every day I think about stopping by his office, but I still don’t know what to say. And the longer I wait, the more awkward it becomes.


  “I’m sorry buddy, I can’t. But maybe Mommy and I can take you out to lunch today.” I gaze at Nyla hoping she’ll agree to it. Conner awaits her response, looking as eager as I feel.

  She stalls, and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s contemplating it or because she’s trying to come up with an excuse not to go. The elevator slows and people fight their way to the front knocking me forward until my body is pinned against her. If I puckered up, I could kiss her. Her eyes fall to my mouth, and I know she’s thinking about it too. She glances back at me to see if I’ve caught her. I smile and she knows I have. Her eyes dart away, and she tucks a lock of hair behind Conner’s ear.

  “Not today, honey. Mommy’s got a meeting.”

  “Can you push it back a bit?” I ask, shifting to give her more room once the elevator starts moving again.

  “I can’t. It’s with several buyers from a multi-national overseas chain.”

  “Maybe I could still take him?” I know I’m pushing, but it’s been three weeks now.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Pleeeeeeeease, Mommy,” Conner begs.

  “Yeah, please Mommy,” I throw in with an impish grin.

  “Not today.”

  “Come on, I’ll just take him downstairs to that little deli next door.”

  “I said, ‘no,’” she snips harshly. She catches herself and softens her tone. “Maybe another time. Come on baby, this is our floor. It’s time for you to go to school.” That’s what she calls daycare.

  Her answer appeases Conner, but it sure as hell doesn’t pacify me. We hug and kiss our son goodbye and walk back to the elevator. By the time we’re inside, I’m teeming.

  “When?” I snap.

  “What?”

  “You said we could do lunch another time. When?”

  “Memphis, I don’t know. Can we not do this today? I had a rough night, and I’m already late for a meeting with the ad team.”

  “No, we’re going to talk about this now.” I press the button to keep the doors from opening and exhale my frustration. “If you didn’t want me to be a part of his life why did you give him my last name?”

  “The truth? Because I didn’t want Conner to think his daddy didn’t want him. You walked out on me. Not him. If you had known about him, I know you would have loved him. It was me you didn’t love anymore,” she says, fighting tears. She turns her back to me, her shoulders hunching and shaking as she tries to smother her cries. “Please let me out of here.”

  “No, goddammit! You can believe whatever the hell else you want, but you don’t get to believe that.”

  I release the button allowing the doors to open and take her by the arm leading her into the women’s bathroom. We’re finishing this damn conversation. After I check beneath the stalls to make sure we’re alone, I let her have it. “You were my life. You still are. It killed me to leave you. There were nights I didn’t think I’d survive it. But I did it to protect you. And that’s what I’m trying to do now. Because I love you! If you’d just hear me out, you’d know all this.”

  The door swings open and Emily steps inside, pausing when she sees us. “Everything okay in here?”

  “It’s fine,” I reply, keeping my eyes locked with Nyla’s.

  “Nyla, do you want me to call someone?” Emily asks, eyeballing me like the piece of shit I am.

  “No,” Nyla responds, forcing a smile. “Everything’s fine. Can you do me a favor and let Samantha and her team know I’ll be there in a minute?”

  “Sure thing. I’ll be right back,” Emily promises, not realizing I’m the last person Nyla needs to be saved from.

  I lay my hands on the counter and meet Nyla’s eyes in the mirror. “Angel, I’m trying to be patient, but you’ve got to give me something. This ten minutes in the elevator every day isn’t enough. What’s it going to take for you to trust me with him?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to trust you again,” she confesses, looking away. And though I don’t blame her, hearing her say the words devastates me. I scrub my hand over my face and turn towards her, closing the distance between us.

  We’re inches apart, yet it feels like there’s an ocean between us. I lift my hand to tuck her hair behind her ear but stop myself. “Nyla, please. I know I hurt you but I’m trying really hard.”

  “And you think I’m not? Do you have any idea how difficult this is for me? Seeing you with him? Thinking about how things could have been?” She rubs her hand over her forehead and once again I have to fight the urge to pull her into my arms. “I know I’m giving you mixed signals, but I can’t help it. Every time I’m with you it feels so natural. It makes me forget about the horrible things you’ve done, and then I get mad at myself for forgetting. I know you say you’re not going to leave again, but I never thought you’d leave the last time either. I’m scared, Memphis. I can’t go through that again, and I won’t put Conner through it.”

  “I understand that. But I’m never going to be able to prove myself if you don’t give me the opportunity. Please, one lunch. Anywhere you want. Just the three of us. I promise I won’t bring up the past or try to explain why I left. We’ll have a quiet, peaceful meal with our son.”

  There’s trepidation in her eyes as she considers my offer. “Fine. Lunch tomorrow.”

  I smile wide. “Thank you.”

  “I have to go.” She points over her shoulder, giving me an uneasy smile. I follow her out of the restroom, and we part ways at the elevator.

  You’d think I just won the lottery by the way I’m grinning like an idiot. I grab the elevator up to Steele Industries and settle in at my desk, ready to tackle the day when my phone pings with a text from Mike.

  Need to meet. Blind Pig 6 pm.

  And there goes my smile. I already know what he wants. I go back to my financials and don’t look up again until well after five. Shit. There’s no way I’m going to make it across town by six during rush hour. I grab my briefcase and hurry to catch the elevator. It stops on the nineteenth floor. The doors open to Edward holding my son.

  “Memfoos!” Conner cheers. Edward’s greeting isn’t nearly as warm. His eyes would incinerate me if they could. He hesitates, checking his watch before climbing into the elevator. “Papa you know Memfoos?”

  “Yes, Papa knows Memphis,” Edward replies.

  Conner chats away and we respond accordingly, trying to pretend the animosity between us isn’t sucking the air from the tiny box we’re in. Our focus is on Conner, though it’s clear we both have something to say. When Conner breaks to take a sip of his juice, I use the opportunity to make my apologies. I’m a jerk for not doing it sooner, but I didn’t know how.

  “Edward, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. I want to start by saying, ‘I’m sorry.’”

  Unfortunately, Edward sees this as his chance to tell me what he’s been waiting to say. “Do you honestly believe there is anything you could say that would make me forgive you after what you’ve done? You broke my daughter’s heart, and mine too. I treated you like a son.”

  “I know you did. And I’m sorry if you felt betrayed, but I left the way I did to keep Nyla safe. I didn’t have a choice. You have to believe me.”

  “I don’t have to believe anything. You’re a con man. You played us, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you do it again!”

  “Papa no yell,” Conner scolds, pressing his hand over Edward’s mouth.

  Edward closes his eyes and musters a smile for his grandson. His voice lowers but maintains its edge. “Let me make something clear. If you came back here looking for money, you might as well just pack up and go because you’re not getting a dime from me or my daughter.”

  “You think I’m here for money? I came back to protect Nyla.”

  “You left to protect her and now you’re back to protect her? Make up your mind, Memphis, because as far as I’m concerned, the only one she and Conner need protection from is you,” he spits back, storming out of th
e elevator to the Cadillac Escalade waiting outside. I’m on Edward’s heels, continuing to plead my case as he buckles Conner into his car seat.

  “Edward, I need you to listen to me. I love Nyla. You know that. I would have never left her if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. You want to hate me? Fine. I understand why you do. But you don’t have to like me to listen to what I have to say. Mike is dangerous. He’s not the guy you think he is. I tried to warn Nyla about him, but she won’t believe me. But you’re her father. Whatever you may think of me, you have to know I would never want anything bad to happen to her or Conner.”

  “I don’t know anything when it comes to you,” he grates, sliding into the seat. “Why don’t you do us all a favor and go back to wherever the hell you’ve been for the last three years and stay there!”

  His driver steps between us, placing a hand against my shoulder. “Sir, I’m going to need you to step away from the vehicle.”

  I do as I’m told, still pleading with Edward as the door slams shut. “Please, just promise me you’ll watch out for them.”

  They drive off, leaving me standing there. Dammit. That couldn’t have gone any worse.

  FORTY-ONE

  When I finally arrive at The Blind Pig, the bar is packed shoulder to shoulder with the after-work crowd ready to blow off some steam. Mike is parked on a stool at a high-top with the waitress from last time draped all over him. I know he’s been sleeping with her. I’ve followed them to a hotel on more than one occasion.

  If the empty glasses in front of him are any indication, he’s already on his fourth drink. I’m not happy knowing he’ll be going home drunk to Nyla and my son. He always has a temper, but his fuse is even shorter when he drinks.

  I trudge over, pausing a few feet away when my phone dings with a text from Giovanni.