by AliyahBurke
When they closed the diner that night Tony came to the office to see her. “Mac?” When she looked up at him he continued, “There is a guy at the door who wants to talk to you. Says he knows you, a Mr. Hartford.”
Clint. Why would he be here at eleven-thirty on a Sunday night?
“Can you let him in for me? I’ll be right there.”
“You want me to wait for you?”
“No, I’ll be fine. Go home to your wife.” He gave her a stern look and she reiterated, “I’ll be fine. Go ahead.”
“See you in the morning, Mac.”
“’Night, Tony.” Moments later she walked up and found Clint sitting at the counter with a coke in his hand. She cleared her throat so she didn’t startle him. “What can I do for you, Mr. Hartford?”
“Where’s Gavin?”
“Why are you asking me?” Her traitorous heart tripled its speed at mere mention of his name.
“Because as far as I know you were the one to see him last.”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t seen him since y’all were at the restaurant last Monday. What’s going on, Clint?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t answer his phone, his door. I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, where is his car?”
“At his condo.”
“So he is probably there. Just pound on the door until he opens it.”
“Come with me.”
“What?”
“Come with me. He’ll open the door for you, I know he will. Please.”
It didn’t take her long to decide, for she had already gone over the questions she had and formed a decision. She needed to talk to him anyway. “Fine. I’ll go over. Give me a minute, I want to change. Be right back.”
Five minutes later a much more comfortable Sanura came back up to find Clint. “Let’s go. Come on, we’ll leave out the back.” Clint followed her down the darkened hall and out the back door as she set the alarm and locked the place up.
Her tension grew the closer she got to the building. What was she going to find? It most definitely wasn’t what she expected. As she and Clint got off the elevator at the tenth floor, she heard pounding and yelling. When they looked they found both Cathy and Gavin’s mother outside his door.
“Gavin, please let me in. I have to explain this to you.”
“Gavin, honey, please. I love you, whatever it is we can work it out. Gavin, it’s me, Cathy.”
His mother saw her and Sanura would have sworn she saw relief flash across her face. The old lady waited for her to get there and said, “Get him to open the door. Please.”
Cathy sneered. “If he won’t open the door for me why would he for her? Remember what he said when I said I was her, he yelled even more for me to leave.”
From inside the residence they all heard swearing and crashing. Sanura stepped past the two other women and Clint to the door.
Knock. Knock. “Gavin? Open up,” she said.
“Get the fuck out of here.” The snarl from the other side.
“Open up, I want to talk to you.”
“Leave me alone!” Each word was yelled. “Stop trying to make me think she’s there. Leave me alone!”
Sanura frowned. “Come on, Gavin, open the door.”
“Sanura?”
There was lots of fumbling as the locks were opened. Seconds later the door was wrenched open and he filled the doorway. His eyes were feral as they skimmed the group to land on her face. The countenance of the man who stood before them took her breath away. Took all their breaths away. His face was gaunt and hollow. Eyes red-rimmed and glassy.
The instant his eyes fell upon her, he latched onto her like a lifeline to the rescue ship. Gathered her in his arms and pressed her body close to his. Engulfing her with his size alone.
“Easy there. I have to breathe.” She spoke gently to his ear. His grip lightened only the tiniest fraction. “Okay, I get it. You don’t want to let go.”
Sanura glanced over her shoulder at the others there. Clint shook his head and touched Gavin on the back and said, “I’ll call you tomorrow, man.”
Ignoring the two women, Sanura slowly pushed him back inside his place. The site was a mess. Things were broken and lying around. Sanura maneuvered him to his bedroom and tried to get him to sit down. He finally did but wouldn’t let go of her. Gavin kept touching her as if to make sure she was real.
Finally he noticed who else was there. “Get the hell out of my house.” When they made to argue the point Sanura stepped in.
“Now. Get out. He doesn’t want or need you here right now. Come back tomorrow.”
“Don’t ever come back.” He sounded so angry.
“Come back tomorrow,” Sanura insisted.
Cathy looked like she would protest but a glare from his mother stopped that dead in the water. They left her alone with Gavin.
“You came back,” he mumbled into her neck.
“What’s going on here? This place is a mess.”
Gavin wrapped his hand tightly in her shirt and fell back on the bed, dragging her with him. Moments later she heard him mutter, “Now it’s all right.” Then he fell deeply into a much needed sleep.
It took Sanura a while to get out from underneath him, for every time she tried to move away he tightened his hold. Finally she had to slide out of her shirt and wiggle off the bed. Taking one of his dress shirts she took a quick shower and put his shirt on. It hung to mid-thigh on her. Checking on him, she made sure he still slept. He was sound asleep, her shirt clutched tight and his nose pressed into it. Then she began to clean.
He had at least made an effort, for there were more cleaning supplies like she had brought the first time. However, his home was a disaster area. Apparently he had been binge drinking and not much else, for she picked up many empty bottles
Sanura cleaned all night. Turned on the phone and straightened up the mess. She scrubbed the kitchen and began to make him some food. That was how Gavin found her, bending over the oven removing some coffee cake, with a fresh brewed pot of coffee waiting for him.
Chapter Twelve
He awoke in another full blown panic, like he had been for the past week. The thought she had left him the was first thing he remembered. Then the smell of lilacs filled his head and he believed himself to be going crazy.
Then he noticed her shirt in his hand. After he struggled up in bed he noticed there was a pair of shorts folded on the chair with some feminine sandals underneath. Could she be really here? He stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. His haunted face taunted him again. With a not so steady hand he shaved and took a quick shower. Dressing in a pair of old sweatpants, he walked down the hall to the kitchen, the smell of coffee and something else filling his nose. The sight before his eyes was the best he had ever seen.
“You’re real,” he said, surprised.
She set down the hot dish and put those bottle green eyes on him, taking in the naked chest and low riding sweats. “And you’re awake.”
Sanura was in his arms in the twinkling of an eye. His lips searched hers and when they parted that was all the invitation he needed. The kiss was heated and full of passion. Grudgingly she stopped the kiss.
“No. We have to talk.”
“You’re right.” He stepped back from her body with great reluctance and found a cup for coffee.
They had food in front of them and were eating when she asked, “What the hell has been going on with you?”
“What do you mean?” He ate like he’d been starved.
“This.” Her hand waved as she indicated his home. “What is this thing you are doing? The drinking? Not going to work. What up with that?”
“Sanura, when you rejected me I felt so empty. I have never come remotely close to feeling for anyone what I feel for you. I didn’t know how to handle it. So I chose to forget.”
“Please. Do you really think that I am going to believe I have that much impact on your life?”
“Believe it or not, it’s
true.” Gavin stood up and grabbed her hand, dragged her away from the hot food. He sat down in an overstuffed chair and placed her across his lap and anchored her to him. “This is what I should have done that night this whole thing started. Held you and not let go until we worked through this.”
She was stiff for a moment before she sank against his chest. “So talk.”
“Yes I was with Cathy that day.” His grip tightened to stop her immediate struggle. “Not like that. We were at my mother’s house. I was helping put some things up and she was supposed to be helping. I wanted her to come help me finish so I could go home and wait for you. After that call I went to your restaurant, then your house, before finally going to confront my mother. That was when I finally got you on the phone again—by the way, you really need to stop hanging up on me. After that conversation with you I left my mother’s and came here.” He brushed his lips over the top of her head, so grateful to hold her again.
“I know I hurt you, but I didn’t know how to fix it. I was so scared that I had lost you I began to drink. I still don’t know how to fix this between us. Please believe me, I want to fix this. I love you, Sanura. I think I’ve loved you since the first day I laid eyes on you. I need you in my life to make it worthwhile. You are what I have been missing from my life. I don’t want to lose you. Ever.” He maneuvered her face to his.
He saw tears fill her eyes as she listened to his words. As if embarrassed, she moved her head so it was tucked under his chin and they both looked out the windows. Before she could respond, his doorbell chimed.
* * * *
“Go away,” he yelled.
“Come in,” she hollered louder.
It was his mother, his entire body tensed as she walked closer to them. “Get the hell out of here,” he growled.
“Gavin. This is your mother. You two have to talk,” Sanura admonished.
“Then she can wait. I am not letting you out of my sight until we get through this.” His arms tightened more.
“Easy. Remember me? Breathing is a good thing. Don’t forget that. I won’t leave, but you should talk to your mother.”
“Later. There is nothing more important to me than you. Don’t you understand that, Sanura?” His fingers curved her face to look up at him. “You. You’re the only important thing to me. I love you.”
Sanura blushed. “Look. What happened, happened. There is nothing I can do about it. I can’t change people’s minds about me. About us, but if you are willing to face it with me, then I am ready. I came to the decision in church Sunday. The sermon was based on the scripture from Corinthians I 13:7-8. Do you know it?”
Gavin shook his head. “I don’t know scriptures.”
“It says: ‘Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails.’”
He squeezed her tighter and asked, “Does this mean you love me?”
“It means I am working on it.” Sorry, Lord, I can’t give him everything at once. You understand, right?
Gavin buried his face in her thick mane of hair. There was a moment of awkward silence as Mrs. Rawlins sat down on the couch. Sanura struggled to get up but the steel bonds held her in their vice-like grip. The message was clear: she was staying put.
Sanura snuggled deeper into his warm embrace and shut her eyes. Exhaustion had set in full force. She had gotten up at five for work yesterday and stayed until closing. That was when Clint showed up and they came here. While Gavin had slept she cleaned and cooked some food. It was almost ten now and she was going off of twenty-nine hours without sleep. She had wanted to go grocery shopping, but didn’t want him to wake and find her gone. Sanura needed sleep. And a shower. A longer hotter shower than her previous one.
With an effort, she summoned the last of her energy and climbed out of Gavin’s arms. Sanura noticed how the old bat took in the fact she was clothed in one her son’s shirts, showing off legs and feet.
“Where are you going?” He wound his fingers into the shirt, preventing her escape.
“I need a shower. I still smell like the restaurant.” Gavin’s body stiffened. “Besides, y’all two,” her gaze flicked between them both, “y’all got some issues to discuss.”
Gently her fingers took his off the shirt and, after giving them a quick squeeze, she turned to walk away. Sanura made it about half a step. There was a gentle but ironclad hand around her wrist. Gavin leaned over the chair as he searched her face for something.
Lord, why didn’t I know he was this worried? I’m not sure I am ready for this.
A tender smile turned up one corner of Sanura’s mouth as she allowed him to tow her back in. It was like his mother wasn’t even there. She bent down to his ear.
Her breath caressed his ear as she whispered, “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. I need a shower. Listen to your mama. You may not agree with everything she says, but at least you hear her out.” Snakelike, her tongue flickered out to tease his ear lobe before she rose and left.
* * * *
Once Sanura disappeared down the hall, he stared at his mother. “Say what you came to say.”
“I need to explain why I did to you what I did.”
“Why? There is nothing left for us to discuss. You don’t approve of Sanura, you've insulted her a multitude of times. What’s left to say?”
She dampened her lips. “My reason for doing it.”
“I don’t care. You’re acting like some damn Klan member. For your information, one, I was chasing her; two, she owns that business, she is not just a delivery girl; three, those bruises she got were from defending her friend.” Gavin stopped short with a wave of his hand. “Why am I talking to you? I am old enough to make my own decisions. Like I said, if you want to take away my inheritance, fine. Do so. But know this, I love her. If she would marry me today then I would do it before she could change her mind. If I could get her pregnant and marry her because of that I would, and gladly spend the rest of our lives convincing her how much I love her. There is nothing in this world you could say or do to change my mind.”
His mother’s words, when they came, were quiet. “I want you to be happy. I thought Cathy would be a better choice for you. I have known about Sanura since the first time you met her at your firm. I didn’t want you to go through what I went through. I was trying to protect you. I owe her an apology and I will make sure she gets it.”
Gavin stopped listening to his mother. His mind wandered to where Sanura was. She should have been done with her shower by now. He rose from the chair and walked down the hall to his room with his mother sputtering behind him. He opened the door to his bedroom, and asleep on his bed was a vision of loveliness. Sanura was dead to the world. She lay on her stomach with her hands curled up under her body between her and the mattress. Her hair looked damp and it lay shiny across her shoulders. She had her head on his pillow and her long lashes framed her high cheekbones. She was exquisite.
“What’s she doing?”
“She’s sleeping, what does it look like?” Gavin crossed the room and unfolded the comforter, and covered up her shirt-clad body. He wanted nothing more than to slip in beside her and gather her body close to his. But he had another matter to attend first. There was a sense of peace settled around his whole body. He steered his mother out of the room and back to the living room.
“Say your piece, Mother.” He sat across from her. Sanura was sleeping in his bed, she wasn’t going anywhere. There was a chance for them after all. He could listen to his mother now.
“I need to explain to you about my reaction about your friend asleep in your bedroom.” Her voice held a wistful note he hadn’t heard before.
“Go ahead.”
“Before I met and married your father I was in love once.”
His mother, in love?
“I was a young woman and fell in love with not a poor man, but a man of the wrong color. A black man.”
Gavin couldn’t have been more surprised than he was at that moment.
“He made me feel things your father never came close to making me feel. My parents were furious. They finally offered him money to stay away from me. When he took it and left I was devastated. From that moment on, I have always believed they were in it for the money, without values or morals. There is much more I want to explain to you, son. But right now, there is a woman in there that needs your attention. For what it’s worth, I like her. There is something within her that is very special. You stood up to me for her, Gavin, you can stand up to anyone. If she makes you happy, then don’t let anyone stop you from being with her.”
Gwendolyn rose and nodded at her son before she headed to the door, appearing for the first time he could remember as fragile. Gavin followed and placed a kiss on her cheek as she left. He had much to think about.
Once his mother was safely in the elevator, Gavin shut and locked the door to his apartment, shut off the phone and, dressed in only his boxers, climbed into the bed beside Sanura. He slid his arm under her neck and smiled as she curled up on his body, putting one lean leg over his and one hand on his chest. Finally at peace, he drifted back off to sleep.
His peace didn’t last. When he awoke later that day he was alone. Her clothes were gone from the chair. Gavin bolted out into his living room and found no sign of her at all. On the shiny countertop in his kitchen was a piece of paper with a cup on its corner. He moved to pick up the paper and read:
Sorry I wasn’t there when you woke. Had to get back to work. See you this evening? Here? Wine? You ’n me? Nothing else? If not, ring my cell or call me at work. Later.
~Sanura
With a smile on his face, Gavin got ready for work. He met Clint at the door and, as he looked his friend in the face, he knew Clint understood. Within moments they were called into Dorgan’s office.
Once the men were inside the man in the leather chair slapped his gaze on them. “Well, have you gotten the Harris account yet?”
Gavin exchanged glances with Clint, who nodded in affirmation. It was time. “Well yes and no.” At the look Dorgan sent, Gavin continued. “You didn’t want the Harris account because of the man’s skin color. Now, since the money from Morris is not flowing as fast or easy as you thought it would be you, decided Harris’ money would be fine.”