“You’re kidding me? He didn’t really say that, did he?”
“Yes, he did!” Teddy laughed at Blake’s agitation.
“And what did you say to him?”
“Le dije que eras un buen partido. Pero, si alguna vez me hiciste replantearme lo valioso que eras, lo encontraría y me casaría con él en el acto.”
Again, Blake was amused. Teddy was playful, happy and beautiful. She spoke volumes even when she let the little girl inside come out to play. “English please!” He said laughing.
“I told him you were a good catch. But, if you ever made me rethink how worthy you were, I would find him and marry him on the spot.”
Blake quickly asked what else was on the agenda. Suddenly he was mad at the fact that some dude had made a play for her right before his eyes and he hadn’t even realized it.
“So, are you ready then for round two?” Teddy said. “I guarantee you, our next stop will be unforgettable.”
“If you’re ready, I am, too,” Blake replied.
Teddy and Blake arrived at the United Center with just enough time to make it to their skybox. Had they been much later, they would have missed the introduction of Lauren’s band.
“This has been a wonderful evening, Teddy,” Blake said. “And you have been a perfect host. Dinner was marvelous. And now, look at me: I’m in a skybox at the Chicago United Center, once the home of the greatest basketball player in the world, overlooking center stage and will soon be jamming to one of my favorite groups, the Black Eyed Peas. How did you ever pull all this off?
“You’re not the only one with connections and resources,” Teddy said. “Dinner was easy. I knew you were a man who liked fine things and I assumed that fine cuisine was high on your list. I thought about taking you somewhere a little more traditional, but then decided against it.”
“I’m glad you did,” Blake said. “Hopefully, by now you know there is nothing traditional about me. I consider myself a connoisseur of all things fine and beautiful.”
Blake couldn’t help himself. He said what he said because he meant it; plus, Teddy had opened the door. She was right on all fronts. He was a connoisseur of fine and beautiful things, and standing directly in front of him was his most challenging and elusive acquisition.
“I know,” Teddy said. “That’s why we had Latin cuisine for dinner. I wanted to spice things up. I wanted to make sure you were totally engaged and pleased with our meal and the ambiance. I never thought I would say this, Blake, but I’m happy you’re in my life and we’re friends. I know you don’t like to hear this, but I do owe you a great deal of gratitude for all the things you have done to help us and I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate everything you have done.” “Teddy, you don’t have to thank me,” Blake said. “I would have helped even if you had refused my services. You do not owe me anything. If anything, I owe you.”
“You owe me? What do you owe me?”
“I owe you for allowing me to be part of your life. I enjoy our friendship, too, and I wouldn’t ever want to lose it. Now, enough of all this sentimental stuff. I can’t wait to see the Black Eyed Peas. Hey, do you know anything about the opening act? I hope they’re good, but if they’re not, I hope they don’t take up too much time on the stage.”
Before Teddy could answer his questions, the lights went down and the entire crowd erupted. To Blake, it was evident that whatever the act was, this crowd was just as eager to see them as he was eager to see the Black Eyed Peas.
“Who is this group?” Blake asked.
“They’re called Deep Diamonds. They’re a local band with a huge following. In fact, they might be the breakout band of the year. They were hand-selected by the Black Eyed Peas to open for them.”
“What kind of music do they play and how do you know so much about their affairs?”
“They play everything,” she said, “but mostly neo soul, jazz, and funk. I’ve seen them play before and when I heard they were opening for the Peas, I thought you would enjoy seeing new talent on the horizon. I guarantee you will be blown away.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Trust me Blake, this band is the real deal.”
The crowd lifted their lighters and light sticks and began calling for the group to come out on stage. From where they were sitting, all you could see were lights flickering and the crowd chanting, “Diamonds forever!” Then the band appeared and the place exploded.
Teddy could see Blake was having a great time. Lauren was on fire and she looked like a beautiful bronze goddess. Her brown skin seemed to radiate against the gold leather vest and her hip-hugging suede pants. Her body was impeccable. You could see every curve, muscle, and hint of femininity Lauren possessed, and it was invigorating. Everything about her was flawless, from her wrinkled, curly, blonde locks, to her seductive and well-maintained manicure. With a female bass guitarist, one would expect to see a hard demeanor, but Lauren was different. In fact, the harder she played, the softer she became. Lauren was no doubt a crowd pleaser; they loved her.
Deep Diamonds played for a good hour and when they finally tried to leave the stage, the crowd refused to let them, as if they had forgotten that a major headliner was up next. Finally, after two encores, it was time for the Black Eyed Peas to do their thing.
“Deep Diamonds was fantastic.” Blake said. “And their bass player! She was brilliant. Why haven’t I heard about this group?”
“I don’t know,” Teddy said. “But after tonight, everybody will know them. Like I said, they’re a local group that just hit the big time.”
“You can say that again. That girl was on fire, Man …”
“Oh, yeah,” Teddy said, watching his every expression. “I was checking you out. I can see you really liked her.”
“Liked her?” he replied. “I thought she was great, not to mention stunningly beautiful. She definitely has skills and in my limited opinion, she needs to be on a much bigger stage.”
“Both points well taken,” Teddy said. “Who knows? Maybe one day she will be.”
For the remainder of the evening, Blake and Teddy danced to the sounds of the Black Eyed Peas and marveled at one of the best light shows they had ever seen. Neither could believe how soaking wet they had become; they’d literally danced from the time the Peas arrived on stage to when they left. There was no doubt in either of their minds that their date was something they both would remember and cherish.
As they were leaving the arena, Blake didn’t want the evening to end. It was still relatively early; the concert was over by 2:00 AM. “So, what’s next on the agenda?” Blake asked. “How about grabbing a bite to eat before we have to turn in?”
“I would love to, Blake, but I can’t. I still have some last-minute things to do before we leave tomorrow and if I eat this late, I won’t get anything done.”
Though obviously disappointed, Blake accepted her no without too much fanfare. “Well, I guess this is it then,” he said. “I want you to know I had a fantastic time tonight and our next date will be on me. Now that I have some idea what you like, I think I can put together something you will enjoy as much as I have enjoyed this. In fact, we should make date night a monthly thing. What do you say?”
“That sounds great, but you don’t have to pull something together just for me. I already told you that I wanted to show my appreciation for all you’ve done, including flying me to Chicago.”
“It’s not only about you, Teddy,” Blake said. “I enjoyed your company and as our friendship continues to grow, I would like to be able to do things with you because we simply like each other. Now, before you say anything else, let me flag down a cab and send you home. See you tomorrow.”
Teddy arrived at her Hyde Park residence with just enough time to call Blake to let him know she had made it home safely. What possessed her to do so was something she didn’t understand. But, for whatever reason, she felt compelled to call and check in. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she had really enjoyed his company an
d she had liked how he doted over her. He’d opened the door for her, pulled her chair out at dinner, and helped her put her shawl on. Even when they’d walked down the street, he’d walked on the outside as her father did with her and her mother.
“Hello, Blake. I just want you to know I made it in safely.”
“Good. I was just about to call you to make sure you’d gotten home okay.”
“I had a great time tonight, Blake, and I hope you did, too. I loved watching your expressions when you were surprised or excited about something. I even liked your expression when you got mad.”
“Got mad? What are you talking about?” he said, sounding perplexed. “I don’t recall getting mad this evening.”
“Well, I do.”
“Okay, I give. When did I get mad?”
“You got mad when the owner of the restaurant hit on me,” she said coyly.
Despite himself, the moment he was reminded of the owner’s deliberate indifference, Blake got mad all over again. He wasn’t used to someone encroaching on his space, and there was no doubt his Latin host had done just that. “Well, for the record,” Blake said, “I was not mad. But I did find what he did to be disrespectful and tacky. Anyway, let’s change the subject.”
“Yes, let’s do.” Teddy giggled. “I don’t want to spoil a fabulous evening. And by the way, I thought about the monthly date night and I think I would like that.”
“Me too Teddy, me too.”
“Well, it’s getting late,” she said. “So I’ll see you tomorrow about noon. I’ll meet you in the lobby and we can ride together. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”
Lauren arrived at Teddy’s about 3:00 AM, still emotionally high from the concert.
“Hey, you!” Lauren said as she unlocked the front door. “You still up?”
“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen,” Teddy replied. “I hope you’re hungry because I made us a couple of George Foreman turkey burgers and some sweet potato fries.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Dropping her belongings in the foyer, Lauren followed the earlymorning aroma into the kitchen where she found Teddy in an old terry cloth bathrobe, fixing their plates. For Lauren, it brought back memories of the two of them when they were younger.
“Hey, girl,” Teddy said as she reached out to give Lauren a warm embrace. “You were excellent tonight and the crowd loved you.”
“It was a great night, wasn’t it?” Lauren said, finally feeling comfortable enough to be pleased with herself. “Everything we did sounded perfect. The band was at its best tonight and it really showed. The press seemed to love us, too. And now get this: the Peas want us to tour with them!”
“Wow!” Teddy said. “But I’m not surprised. Are you going to do it?”
“I don’t know. I still need to talk it over with the band before any decision is made. We all have our lives here in Chicago and that includes our recovering community. We’ve worked hard together as a group to stay clean and sober so, as much as we think this is a great opportunity, we have to talk about it and then pray about it. God will tell us what we need to do.”
“Well, if I know God the way I think I do,” Teddy replied, “He will let you know and soon. You just have to be ready for the answer.”
“Sho you right, girl! Sho you right! Man, I can tell you’re still walking the walk.”
“Yes, I am, and it’s a daily walk, too.” Teddy smiled. “I never can get too comfortable, if you know what I mean.”
“You know I do,” Lauren said. “Now, enough of the small talk — not to say that talking about God is small. I’m just eager to know what it is you want to tell me. I’ve been thinking about this conversation all evening, so, please, no more suspense.”
Teddy turned up the music and they headed to the underground bunker to finish their discussion.
Teddy shared everything with Lauren, including that Lance and Basil had recreated an antidote for HIV and that it was 100 percent effective. Teddy could see from Lauren’s expression that when she said she had an antidote, it aroused her curiosity.
“So what does all this have to do with me?” Lauren asked. “There has always been talk on the street that AIDS was man-made so, again, what does all this have to do with me?”
“Two things,” Teddy said. “The people behind Isabella’s murder know we have the antidote and they will stop at nothing to get it. Everything they need is now hidden here in a safe and I want you — and only you — to know where everything is, just in case something happens to me.”
“What safe?” Lauren asked as she surveyed the room. “And what do you mean, if something happens to you?”
“You are standing on it now,” Teddy said.
When Lauren looked down, nothing looked out of the ordinary.
Teddy stepped off the rug and waved at Lauren to do the same. Then she moved the rug out of the way. Built into the bunker’s concrete floor was a door.
“That’s a safe?” Lauren asked, surprised to see there was no handle to pull it open and no dial for a combination sequence. “So, how do you open it?”
“That’s simple,” Teddy said. “You just say the first verse of the Twenty-Third Psalm.”
Smiling from ear to ear, Lauren was definitely both amused and intrigued. “I have to hand it to you,” Lauren said, “that’s ingenious. Even if someone found the safe, they would never think about or even utter the words, ‘The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.’”
And just like that, the safe opened. Lauren’s eyes were now glued to the technological wonder she had just witnessed.
“Now,” Teddy said, “if anything happens to me, everything you need is in the safe. You see this envelope?” She pointed to the top item in the safe. “Inside it is the name of a man I want you to contact immediately. Give him everything in the safe. He will know what to do.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s a friend and you can trust him. He will not only make sure the antidote and formula are protected, he will also protect you.”
“Like I told you before, pumpkin, I got all the protection I need.” Lauren pointed to the heavens. “So I’m not worried about a thing. Now, what is the second thing you said had to do with me?”
Pausing to take in what Lauren had said, Teddy knew she was right. God was the ultimate protector and she had needed Lauren to remind her. She shook herself, then continued. “The second thing I want to share with you is more personal,” Teddy said, gazing into Lauren’s eyes.
“Okay. Go on.”
Lauren hadn’t even flinched at the statement, so Teddy said, “In that safe, I also have a vial containing the antidote for you. Don’t you see, Lauren? You don’t have to live with this disease anymore if you don’t want to. In that vial is your freedom. No more drugs to arrest the symptoms caused by the weapon. No more worrying about being around people with colds in fear of them compromising your immune system. This will be the only protection once the weapon’s DNA structure completely changes, and believe me — it will change. If we are successful, the antidote will be available to everyone who needs it, but if we fail and the antidote and the formula get into the wrong hands, the world is doomed. Here’s your chance to eradicate the virus from your body.”
Lauren leaned back against the wall and said nothing. She was trying hard to fully comprehend what she had just heard.
“You all right, Lauren?” Teddy said as she reached out to take her hand.
“I don’t know what to think,” Lauren said, still shocked by the news. “I’ve been living with this disease for so long, and now, if what you are saying is true … .” Overcome with emotion, Lauren stopped in midsentence and slid down the wall until she reached the floor.
“Yes, Lauren,” Teddy said as she kneeled down beside her and began tenderly to brush away the tears gently rolling down her friend’s face. “You have a chance to be free from this wretched disease.”
For
a few minutes, neither said a word. They simply found comfort on the hard, cool floor of the bunker, holding one another. What Teddy had believed was good news now seemed to be the one thing that made Lauren sad.
“Who would ever have thought a cure would be found in my lifetime?” Lauren gently laughed. “And to think that my first lover would have something to do with the cure is just as mind-blowing.”
“I know, right?” Teddy said, laughing. “Me, of all people!”
“When I was first diagnosed, Teddy, I was so angry. I couldn’t believe my life had spiraled that far out of control. At the time, I believed I deserved the disease because I knew what I had been doing and the risks I’d been taking. I’d also known that if the dope didn’t kill me, something else would. Either some man would beat the crap out of me because I found no interest in his manhood or I would get ‘the package.’ That’s what we called AIDS back then. Of course, I got plenty of beat downs, but I always managed to get back up and back out there. The hustle was the draw.
“But when I was diagnosed with HIV, it was like the world stopped revolving around me. I could see it spinning on its axis, but it wasn’t spinning around me anymore. It was like I didn’t even exist. At least when I’d been out there, I knew I was alive. If a dude punched me and took my smack, the pain of not having my drug and the need to figure out how to get some more dope was a reminder that I was alive. And then came HIV. It was being diagnosed with HIV that led me to Christ. When I was feeling sorry for myself, I could hear this soft and tender voice saying, ‘I love you, Lauren.’ Long before I even knew He existed in my life, He was talking to me. And the more I heard Him say, ‘I love you, Lauren,’ the more I longed to hear it. Then one day, I asked who He was and said I wanted Him to show Himself to me. Do you know what He did, Teddy?”
“No, what did He do?” Teddy was trying to hold back her tears as she gently stroked Lauren’s hair.
“He really did show Himself to me,” she said. “There I was, in my dingy old jail cell, lying on an old beat-up mattress. Surrounded by unwavering concrete and metal doors and sitting in the same spot where other lost and forgotten women had come before me; and there He was. I remember just weeping, crying so uncontrollably that it muted out the sound of the other women housed in my dorm. That night, the Lord spoke to me. He told me that everything would be okay and that I shouldn’t worry. He told me the world I had once dreamed of would one day come true and I would no longer be in chains and bondage. He told me I would have a band, one that would be known all over the world. And look! It’s coming true! My band opened up for the Black Eyed Peas tonight!”
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