by Ashley
London looked toward the ceiling as Kalil removed the traces of blood from the corners of her lip. She grimaced when he touched her face.
“Ssh, I’m not gon’ hurt you, ma,” he said as he tried his best to clean her up. As he touched her face, he examined the beauty of the woman sitting before him. She was gorgeous, and he couldn’t believe that any man would want to bring harm to her.
London finally looked Kalil in his eyes and was about to speak when they both heard the clanging of the auditorium doors as they opened.
Jada came running in. “Daddy, are you ready yet? Mommy gon’ be mad if you take me home late.”
London turned her head away from Jada. “I don’t want her to see me like this,” she stated softly. As Kalil never removed his hands from her face, London grabbed his hand with hers and hid behind it as Jada came near.
“Jada, go and wait in the hallway. I’ll be right out. Just let me finish talking to Ms. London, okay?”
“Okay.” Jada hesitated then let out a sigh.
“I’m sorry,” London said, once Jada had left the room.
“Don’t apologize. Are you okay?” Kalil rubbed the side of her face. He used a gentleness that he only shared with his daughter, and it made her force a smile.
She nodded her head. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”
Kalil reluctantly got up to leave. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he had to make sure that he got Jada home. He dropped his daughter off and then decided to call it a night.
Kalil couldn’t get the thought of London out of his head. Every time he closed his eyes he saw her deep, dark brown eyes staring back at him. He knew that there was something about her that intrigued him, but he also knew that she was married. He wondered if she knew exactly how beautiful she was. Her smooth skin and exotic features were uncommon in the hood. Her perfect face looked like a creation of some famous painter.
He tossed and turned the entire night as thoughts of her raced through his mind. He was anxious for the morning to come, because he knew that he would get to see her again.
Chapter Six
The next day, after the storm had eased, Kalil went back to work for Mr. Moretti. Kalil wasn’t the only black man that worked there, but they were all treated the same—like trash. It seemed like if you weren’t full-blooded Italian, then Mr. Moretti had no respect for you. The only reason he even hired his black workers was because he knew that he could get away with paying them less money than advertised.
“Kelly!” one of the project managers yelled, calling Kalil by his last name, “go tell Mr. Moretti that we have another shipment coming in!”
Kalil was grateful for the break. He dropped what he was doing and went to relay the message. He walked into the room without knocking, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the pile of hundred-dollar bills on his boss’s desk.
Mr. Moretti and the group of Italian men who stood around the desk immediately tried to cover up the pile of money.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you fucking stupid or something? Close the fucking door!” Moretti slammed the door in Kalil’s face.
Kalil quickly made his way back to his work area. What the fuck they got going on up in this mu’fucka? This construction shit got to be a cover-up for something. It had to be about fifty stacks on that table, Kalil thought as he continued to work. His mind was split between the money and Jada’s dance teacher, and by the time his shift ended he was exhausted.
When Kalil got to Jada’s school, she was the only student still waiting to be picked up. He stepped into the auditorium and smiled when he noticed that the stage lights were illuminated on his little girl. He smiled as he watched London instruct his daughter on her form. London held Jada’s waist, and they dipped their hips in unison. Kalil clapped slowly as he climbed the steps to the stage.
“Daddy! Look what Ms. London taught me.” Jada danced around the stage.
Kalil tried to focus on his daughter, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off London. He could tell that she was embarrassed, because she refused to look his way. He approached her and stood silently as he waited for her to say something.
“Thank you for yesterday.” She kept her eyes focused on the CD case that she had in her shaking hands.
Kalil lifted her face so that he could look her in the eye. “You good?”
London nodded. “Yes, I’m good.”
“Did he hurt you when you went home?”
London looked at him. She didn’t understand why he was so determined to help her out. “Why do you care?” she asked him, her brow wrinkled in confusion.
“I don’t know. I just do.”
He brushed her swoop bang out of her face and caressed her neck softly with his rough hands, sending goose bumps up and down her spine.
“Let me take you out?”
London raised an eyebrow. “Out?”
“Yeah, out. I want to get to know you.” He noticed the skeptical look on her face and quickly added, “As friends, of course.” He looked down at her, his stare warm and full of concern. He frowned because of the black eye. It seemed so out of place on her gorgeous face.
London couldn’t help but stare back into his bedroom eyes. His lips were perfect, and she could imagine herself kissing him.
“I can’t.”
“Okay.” Kalil nodded his head. He understood why she turned him down. He knew that she had a lot on her mind and that her situation wasn’t as easy as his. She was married and, even worse, in an abusive relationship. Kalil would be patient. Her husband obviously didn’t appreciate what he had. Kalil would wait until she was tired of being mistreated and would then show her how she deserved to be taken care of.
He touched the side of her face that was black and blue then leaned into her and whispered, “You deserve better.”
With that he grabbed his daughter’s hand and walked down the steps as he prepared to exit the room. Before he reached the door he heard her call his name.
“Kalil?”
He stopped walking and turned to face her. “Are you better?” she asked him, her shaky voice echoing through the large room.
“For you, I would be,” he replied and then left the room.
From that day forward, Kalil made it a point to pick Jada up from school every day. He told himself that he was doing it for his baby girl, but truthfully a part of him wanted to check on London. He was attracted to her, and even though she was married, it didn’t stop him from wanting to see her.
Every day he would watch as she taught her class. He told himself that he was there to show Jada his support, but he often found himself spending more time watching London than his daughter. He was infatuated by her style. Her smile was gorgeous, and when she danced, he saw a passion in her that was inspiring. Each day he would watch as London’s bruises healed, but he always noticed when a new one would appear. He noticed everything about her, and he could tell that silently she liked the attention he was giving her.
“Why do you show up here every day?” she asked him one day as she gave the girls time to warm up by themselves.
“What? You don’t want me to?” Kalil sat low in one of the auditorium seats.
London smiled and shook her head. “You have to stop this. I can’t allow myself to start this with you,” she stated seriously. Her voice was full of concern as she stood with one hand planted firmly on her hip. Her eyes watered over as she looked down at the man she desperately wanted to get to know. Why does he have to be so damn charming?
“Start what with me? I know you’ve got a lot to be afraid of. I would never put you out there like that. You’re not doing anything wrong. I’m just here for Jada,” he stated with a smile that melted London’s defenses.
“I’m serious. You have to stop, Kalil. Just please don’t complicate things for me more than they already are. You have no idea what I’m going through.” London looked back at her class on the stage.
“I hear you, ma,” Kalil stated as he stood up, “I hear you.
” He wasn’t upset because he already knew why she was reluctant to fuck with him. She began to walk away, but Kalil reached for her arm.
“Oww!” She grimaced and quickly pulled her arm away.
Kalil turned her arm around and saw the red marks deeply embedded in her skin. Her arm was blotchy and swollen. Kalil shook his head in disgust. “You stay beautiful, a’ight. When you ready to leave that nigga, you let me know,” he stated as he put on his fitted Yankees cap and exited the room.
London didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t keep her mind off Kalil. Even though she hardly knew him, there was something about him that kept her thoughts preoccupied. She couldn’t help but think about the way he looked at her. His eyes seemed to penetrate her, and his presence made her heart race. What the hell am I doing? I don’t even know him, she thought to herself each time she found her mind wandering off.
To keep herself busy she went to the school early to prepare for her class that evening. She loved volunteering at the performing arts elementary school. Her first love was ballet, but her husband never let her pursue her dreams. She figured that since she couldn’t do it, she may as well teach other young girls how to. Now twenty-six, she’d wanted to join a dance company since she was a young girl.
She had been dancing since she was a five-year-old, but when she married her husband she was forced to give up all of her goals. She wasn’t a dumb woman; she never had been and never would be. She was stuck in a bad situation and had no control over her own life.
Kalil had come out of nowhere, and she didn’t know what to do with him. It was obvious that he didn’t have much, but he had the swagger of a man who was working with big chips. She didn’t know him very well at all, but the little bit of time that she’d already spent with him made her yearn for more.
She thought of him at night when she went to sleep, and he occupied her thoughts constantly throughout the day. She wondered what it would be like to be his. She knew that he had to have someone in his life, and she often found herself jealous of Jada’s mother. What was she like? What made her so special? Why not me? These were questions she asked herself every time she saw him. She knew it was crazy, but she couldn’t help herself.
She wanted to be a part of his life. There’s no point in starting something that I can’t finish, she thought to herself.
On the outside, her life appeared to be perfect, but on the inside she was dying slowly. She put in the Mary J. Blige CD, positioned herself in a dramatic starting pose, and waited for the music to begin as she got lost in her creative dance.
Kalil kept his distance from London for a while. He knew that she wasn’t trying to leave her situation. It was evident that she was used to living the good life and he couldn’t offer her that, so he stepped off. He kept his distance from her and kept his mind focused on providing for his daughter.
He worked day in and day out for Mr. Moretti, and the longer he worked there, the more he became convinced that there was more to the old man than what met the eye. Kalil was growing tired of getting fucked over by Moretti. He wasn’t getting paid like he needed to, and his patience was growing thin. He was working like a slave, but still couldn’t afford to cop his own crib and car. The only thing that he’d invested in was a new cell phone so that Jada would be able to reach him.
His cell phone rang, and he flipped the face up. “Hello?”
“Hi, Daddy,” Jada greeted him, excitement in her voice.
The sound of his daughter’s voice put a smile on his face. “Hey, baby girl. Daddy’s at work right now. What’s up?” He wiped the sweat from his brow.
“My recital is tonight. Are you coming to watch me dance? Mommy is coming. I want you to be there too.”
“What time does it start?”
“At six o’clock.”
Kalil pulled the phone away from his ear to view the time. It was already four-thirty, and he wasn’t supposed to get off work until eight. Fuck, he thought to himself, knowing that he was going to have to leave early.
“Daddy, will you be there?” she repeated.
He could hear her getting teary at the thought of him not showing up. He sighed. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” He hung up the phone and went to Moretti’s trailer to ask him for the rest of the day off.
Moretti never even looked up from his desk. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I need to leave early. I promised my daughter that I would be at her recital and—”
“Get your ass back to work before I fire you,” Moretti said calmly. He still hadn’t looked up at Kalil.
“What?” Kalil asked, feeling himself get heated.
“I don’t give a fuck about your daughter. Get your ass back to work!”
Kalil nodded his head out of anger. He had to calm himself down before he did something to land him back in prison. He’d been disrespected by Moretti time and time again, but this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He decided to fall back and leave. I’ma make sure this mu’fucka get what he got coming to him. He took off his hard hat and threw it on the ground as he walked out of the office. He couldn’t afford to just walk out on his job, but at the same time, he was a man and was tired of being degraded by Moretti. The only thing he wanted to do was be a good father and take care of his responsibilities, but it was almost impossible for him to do that in mainstream America. He only knew one way to get money and was trying to avoid that route at all costs.
He knew that Mr. Moretti would be upset with him for ditching work, but he left anyway. He had to be at Jada’s recital, or he would never hear the end of it. He would much rather deal with the repercussions from his boss than disappoint his daughter, so when the shift manager wasn’t paying attention, Kalil slipped out.
Kalil made sure that he stopped by the crib before he made his way to Jada’s school. He knew that he would run into London and he wanted to be fresh when she saw him.
He walked into the full auditorium and made his way backstage. He found Jada standing in line with the rest of the girls, her long curly hair pulled up in a ponytail, and her pink ballerina skirt making her look like something out of a fairy tale.
“Daddy!” she yelled in excitement as she jumped into his arms. “Where’s Uncle Quinn?” she asked, looking past his shoulders.
“He couldn’t make it, sweetheart, but he told me to give you this.” Kalil pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“That’ll do,” she said smartly.
“That’ll do, huh?” he said as he tickled her. He hit her on the butt and told her to get back in line. He shook his head as he thought about how much she reminded him of Destiny.
London asked, “You ladies ready?” Then she wished them luck and sent them onto the stage.
When the lights in the entire auditorium dimmed, Kalil couldn’t see anything but London’s silhouette.
She could feel his eyes on her, and she smiled when she felt him walk up behind her.
“How you been, ma?” he whispered in her ear.
She kept her eyes on the stage as she replied, “I’ve been well. I haven’t seen you in a while. You used to pick Jada up every day.”
“What? You checking for me now?” Kalil was standing so close to her, his lips touched her ear every time he spoke.
She turned around and faced him with a slight smirk on her face. “Checking for you? How can I be interested in somebody I barely know?”
“Because you feeling the kid,” he replied arrogantly.
The feeling of his breath bouncing on her neck gave her goose bumps and her nipples came alive. He placed his hands around her hips and pulled her close. His touch felt good and she wasn’t going to stop him, even though she knew that she had no future with him.
She looked him up and down. He was clean in his light Sean John jeans and gray casual Sean John sweater. He wore a fitted NY cap that sat low over his eyes. He was looking good, she had to admit it.
“Let me get to know you,” he whispered.
&
nbsp; “I can’t,” she replied weakly. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.
Kalil nodded his head and removed his hands from around her waist as he backed up. He knew there was no point in pursuing her; she was already taken. He wasn’t trying to play games, and if she wasn’t interested, he was going to step off.
“Is that an attitude that I’m sensing?” London joked as she noticed his change in mood. She looked back at the girls onstage to make sure that everything was going smoothly, but she quickly refocused her attention on him. She walked up on him and said, “It looks like you’re the one checking for me.”
“Something like that,” Kalil replied, not masking his attraction.
London couldn’t help but be intrigued by him. He was charming, and for some reason she could sense that he was sincere when he told her that he cared about what happened to her.
He put his hands on her neck and brought her face close to his. “You playing games, though.”
“I’m not. You just putting me in a bad situation. It’s not as easy as you think.” She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against Kalil’s. “What do you want from me?” she asked.
He didn’t answer her. He just kissed her lips lightly.
She opened her mouth reluctantly and pulled Kalil’s lower lip into hers gently as their tongues were introduced for the first time. The tremor that London felt in her heart caused her knees to get weak. Their kiss would’ve become more intense, but the sound of applause caused them to snap back to reality.
London quickly broke their embrace and rushed onto the stage. She quickly thanked the audience for showing up and supporting her program. She then ushered her class off the stage.
The backstage quickly filled with parents coming to congratulate their children.
Jada ran up to her. “Ms. London, did you see me?”
“I did. You were perfect.”
Kalil walked over and picked Jada up as he looked London in the eyes.