Who's That Lady?

by Andrea Jackson

  “But the shoes I take to the shelter are hardly even worn! I never saw a man so particular about his shoes.”

  Key did a little dance step in his blue-trimmed white Nikes. “Hey, I’ve got no responsibilities. Why shouldn’t I indulge myself with some new shoes when I feel like it?”

  Vonetta gave an exaggerated sigh. This was an old argument, and only half-serious. “And you can get more use out of the things you hold on to.”

  “Once the thrill is gone, I move on.”

  Vonetta laughed and left the room with the bag slung over her shoulder.

  Crystal fought off a whisper of doubt. She must be really tired, or else having a severe bout of PMS. They were talking about shoes, for Chrissakes! Okay, so maybe Key used to change women like he changed his shoes. He’d told her he wasn’t like that anymore.

  She was his friend. And his current thrill, whispered a little voice in the back of her head. She felt more secure with the family than she had in a long time. But Key was still an unfinished issue.

  Key walked over to her. “What’cha doing?”

  “Helping Vonetta with some pictures. We can’t decide.”

  Key watched her flip through a stack of framed prints. Heat was seeping into her from his nearness. How long could she go on like this?

  Vonetta came back into the room carrying a bundle which she held well away from her body. “I found these in with your other shoes, Key,” she said, holding them out to show him. “These aren’t yours, are they?”

  Crystal glimpsed a pair of dirty white sneakers in a clear Ziploc baggie.

  Key leaped at his mother and snatched the bag. “My bad, those got in there by mistake. I’ll take them.”

  “And put them in the trash,” Vonetta called as he vanished through the doorway.

  Determined, Crystal hurried after him. She was just in time to see him stuff the shoes back into his suitcase, which was stashed behind the sofa in the living room. Key’s mouth was in a tight line and his cheeks had a ruddy tint under the chocolate complexion. He didn’t look up at her.

  She walked over and pulled the baggie from the suitcase to gaze at the contents wonderingly. “Are these the shoes you wore the first night we went out?”

  “Yes!” He spat the word out as if it tasted bad.

  She searched his expression for some clue to what this meant. She had just been berating herself for seeing significance where it wasn’t supposed to be. But still…“You kept them? Why?”

  “I don’t know! I was about to throw them out and then I just tossed them in the back of the closet, but they smelled, so I put them in this bag and then I just…forgot.”

  His gaze shifted and he looked belligerent.

  Crystal looked from the shoes to his face and back again.

  She felt a tension in her stomach. “I can’t decide if this is incredibly sweet,” she fought with her impulse and lost, “or pathetically freaky! The baggie is just too, too Monica Lewinsky! You know?”

  Key snatched the baggie back from her, his mouth twisting in a sardonic half-smile. “I’ll give you pathetic, but I was not planning to use them against you in your political career. It was just an impulse. It was stupid. I’m throwing them away. Look.” He stomped to the corner and dropped the bag into a trashcan dramatically. “There, see? It’s over. Let’s forget it.”

  She walked over and retrieved the bag. “No, no, it’s sweet, Key. It’s really kind of romantic. In a way.” She laughed aloud, hugging the bag to her chest. “Look, I’ll keep one and you keep one. How’s that? We can have them bronzed! We’ll always remember how our love began the night I threw up on your shoes.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

  He shook his head and laughed. “I guess that’s better than nothing.”

  He pulled her toward him, his hands slipping down her arms. The ardor shining in his dark eyes caught Crystal unaware.

  “Key…” Crystal began uncertainly, but before she could finish, he’d lowered his mouth onto hers. With Key’s soft lips pressing against hers with compelling fervor, she couldn’t help responding.

  A panting noise that didn’t come from either of them made them part enough to look down. Masai plopped down on the floor at their feet.

  When Key knelt to rub the huge mastiff on the head, Masai moaned with delight at the attention and mugged for more scratching.

  “You big, spoiled, hairy monster,” Key laughed. “Thanks for the reminder. But when I get her home—” He glanced back up at Crystal.

  Her breath hitched at the promise shining from his eyes.

  * * *

  They finished packing and loading the car. After the good-byes, the three travelers made themselves comfortable in Key’s Explorer for the long drive home. Shonté leaned over Crystal’s headrest to talk and reminisce about the weekend just past. They joked now about the explosion.

  Crystal still wasn’t quite sure she understood it, but Shonté seemed so much more relaxed now than she had when they arrived. Crystal had always been frightened by the Emersons’ arguments. But with a closer examination, she realized that even in the midst of passion, they never put one another down in a personal way or stopped anyone from expressing their feelings. This time Crystal had found herself firmly in the center of the controversy, even drawing some fire. Yet she hadn’t felt rejected.

  Shonté slipped an arm around Crystal’s shoulder for an affectionate hug.

  “You’ll be happy to know that I’m going to take a hiatus from men for awhile,” she announced.

  “Really?” Key responded. “I took a break from relationships for about a year. Best thing I ever did.” He directed a sideways glance at Crystal, who struggled to keep her expression straight.

  “Did you, Key?” Shonté asked with interest. “Why?”

  He lifted and dropped his shoulders, hesitated, then said in a slow drawl, “I don’t know if this is something I want to tell you guys.”

  “Oh, come on,” Shonté urged, bouncing on her seat. “You know you can tell us.”

  Crystal sat on her side of the car, biting her lip to control her curiosity. She’d almost forgotten about Key’s celibacy. He’d told her right before they—

  “Well…” He grunted a slight laugh and shrugged. Then he started to talk. “Back at the beginning of the year I realized I wasn’t enjoying the women I was seeing. It was all so empty. You know?”

  Crystal nodded, while Shonté watched him, intent.

  “Dating had become pointless. And then one day—”

  He stopped, reaching out to fiddle with the buttons on the car stereo.

  “What?” Crystal burst out.

  He cleared his throat. “This is a little hard to talk about.”

  “You can’t stop now,” Shonté complained.

  He exhaled noisily and went on. “I was dating this woman and we had reached the stage where you move it up to the next level. You know?”

  Crystal lifted her eyebrow, while Shonté said, “Do the wild thing?”

  “Oh, Lord,” groaned Key. “I knew I shouldn’t tell you two about this.”

  “No, I want to know, Key,” Shonté pleaded. “Because it’s the same way with me. It’s hardly worth the trouble.”

  He choked a little. “I guess you could say the same thing about me. Only I didn’t realize it until—” He grimaced. “My friend didn’t show up.”

  Crystal and Shonté exchanged blank looks. Then Crystal, flabbergasted, gasped, “Oh!” and a minute later, Shonté breathed, “Oh, man!”

  Key scowled at the road ahead of them. “So that’s when I decided it was time to take a break. If a woman who was attractive, fun, willing couldn’t get my motor started, then I needed a vacation.”

  Shonté slumped back on her seat, her brow puckered in thought for a few moments. Crystal peeped at Key’s face. He was watching her sideways with a self-conscious grin.

  Shonté leaned forward between them again. “So how long did that last, Key?”

  Crystal choked on an insist
ent giggle and swung her gaze out the window.

  “A few months,” Key answered smoothly. “But the point is, it took some pressure off me, let me clear my head, think about what I was doing with my life.”

  “And now?” Shonté’s voice was soft.

  “And now I know what I want.” Quiet confidence resonated in the understated timber of his voice.

  Crystal snapped her head around with a quick inhalation. She saw his smile spread to bring light to his whole face.

  “I see.” Shonté retreated to the back seat again. Her voice was pensive when she spoke again. “I know I’m just an attention hog, a diva. I admit it, I love pretending to be someone else and having everyone’s attention. While I’m on stage, I can be anyone, do anything. You know?”

  Crystal smiled encouragingly.

  Shonté went on. “I know it’s not important like your job or like Key’s work with athletes. But when I’m on stage I like to think it’s helping people for a little while to escape from their everyday problems.”

  Shonté eyed Crystal searchingly and seemed to finally make up her mind. “I know it’s hard for you to understand. But when I’m on that stage pretending to be someone else, I feel whole. I can make sense of the universe. If what I do touches someone, makes them feel connected, it’s like magic.”

  Crystal was silent, humbled. How could she have never seen Shonté’s passion, how important this was to her?

  A thoughtful quiet descended over the car. In a few minutes, Shonté drifted off into a doze. It was as if her unburdening had brought her peace.

  Key and Crystal didn’t speak. He seemed content to listen to the music and she was lost in thought about the events of the weekend. Crystal reviewed her sense of satisfaction in being with the Emersons and spending time with Key. Her fear of being rejected had melted away and she had a new confidence that she wouldn’t lose them all.

  After awhile Key asked her a question, drawing her out of her reverie. They talked, cloaked in the comfortable energy of old friends. Nothing heavy or personal but just an easy discussion of the weekend past and what they had to do next week at home and at work. They talked about music and food, squabbled over sports. The miles flitted past without pressure or anxiety. At one point, Key reached across the console to take her hand and smile at her. Her heart thudded in her chest with joy. She smiled back, squeezing his hand, and then let it go.

  Hours later, Key backed the Explorer up to the door of their condo so they could easily unload their bags and packages.

  Shonté dropped her last bag on the floor and sprawled on the couch. “Oh, God, I am so tired!” She stretched and yawned. “I guess we’d better get some sleep, Cee, so we can get up in the morning.”

  Crystal exchanged a helpless, frustrated look with Key.

  He rubbed his shadowed chin. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “Don’t you want something to eat first?” Crystal asked as he turned to go.

  “Want me to go get something?” Key asked in a half-hearted tone.

  “I don’t know….” She realized she was just drawing out the torment.

  “We should have something here,” Shonté said. “Want to take a look?”

  “No,” he said in low voice. His gaze locked with Crystal’s.

  “Oh, I just remembered!” Shonté gushed. “What if Graham comes back?”

  Crystal snapped out of her absorption. She was right. But that meant that Key—

  “I guess I should stay,” he began, sounding unenthusiastic about the idea.

  “You’re tired, aren’t you?” Shonté said, her sympathy aroused. “It’s okay. He probably won’t come back, and we’re definitely not going to open the door for him if he does.”

  “No,” Key said in a firmer voice. “I’ll stay. I just have to get my stuff out of the car.”

  Shonté turned to Crystal. “Can I sleep with you this time? I don’t mind the couch but—”

  Crystal looked at Key again. “No,” she heard herself say in a hollow, unnatural voice.

  Shonté’s eyes widened with hurt. “No? I mean, okay. I—I’ll sleep on the couch…”

  “No,” Crystal said in a stronger voice. She swallowed and lifted her chin to counteract her shaking knees. “Key can sleep in my room.”

  Key fixed her with a look of intense stillness. Shonté looked confused.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “We can sleep in my room if you want.”

  Crystal shook her head vigorously. She took a deep slow breath, her eyes on Key. “I mean Key…can sleep…with me.”

  Relief poured through her, turning her muscles to jelly. She watched a slow smile turn up the corners of Key’s mouth.

  Shonté stared at her in perplexity. “With you? Why?”

  She sounded so uncomprehending that Crystal was tempted to laugh.

  “Because.” She paused. “Because we’re lovers.” The last words were a low-voiced rush.

  Shonté’s blank look became even more vacant, her eyes bulging like they were about to pop out. She looked from one to the other, her mouth opening and closing. Suddenly she shuddered and clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Oh. My. God!” Her face flushed from her neck to her hairline.

  Key stepped closer to Crystal, watching his sister in mild concern. “It’s true, Princess. I know it’s a surprise.”

  She moved her head back and forth, babbling and staring at them. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.”

  Crystal moved next to Key and caught his arm, eyeing Shonté with anxiety. She had expected shock, but this was alarming.

  Still dazed, Shonté tried to speak. “When did this—? Then you must have—? And you let me—?” Her face suddenly went livid and she sprang forward and socked Key on his arm.

  “You didn’t tell me?” she screeched. She turned on Crystal, grinning and glaring in rapid alternation. “How could you keep a secret like this from me? I should kill you!”

  She flung her arms around Crystal’s neck, emitting a frenzied squeal.

  Crystal tried to protect her ears with one hand and pull off the stranglehold with the other. “Things have been a little difficult lately.”

  “But you could have told me.” She pushed Crystal back to arms’ length, looked at Key, and punched his arm again. “You idiot! Why didn’t you tell me? I thought you blew it back in high school, but you’ve somehow managed to work your way back in. And then didn’t tell me! You don’t deserve her, you know.” She shook her head at him.

  “I know.” A soft smile lit his face as he looked at Crystal and slipped his arm around her waist. “I’m truly blessed.”

  Crystal laughed, delirious. “So you aren’t mad, are you?”

  “Mad? No!” She seemed incredulous. She looked at them both again and clapped her fingers over her eyes. “It’s just too, too weird! This is going to take some getting used to.”

  “I know,” said Crystal in heartfelt agreement.

  Shonté suddenly gasped again. “Mom and Dad—?”

  “Don’t know a thing,” Key finished. “And let’s keep it that way for a little while.”

  She sighed. “Okay.”

  Key squeezed Crystal’s waist again. When she looked up, he dropped a kiss on her mouth.

  “Weird!” Shonté giggled again.

  Crystal laughed, too, because it did feel strange and at the same time felt good. She couldn’t help stealing another quick kiss before she pushed him away.

  Shonté sat down on the couch, folding her feet under her. She grinned at them. “Now. Tell me everything!”

  * * *

  In a short while, they all succumbed to exhaustion and headed for the bedrooms. With more giggling, Shonté left them at the door of Crystal’s room.

  At last they were alone together in Crystal’s room. Key closed the door and they looked at one another. Impossible to tell who moved first but they collided with the need to touch. Lips and arms clung to one another. She finally pulled back for air.

  “She took that well,” Key said. His voic
e trembled slightly.

  Crystal nodded, feeling a similar weakness. Relief from the uncertainty had left her giddy.

  “I should have talked to you first—”

  “Are you kidding?” He grabbed her arms and caressed them. Not a trace of doubt shadowed his expression. “I’ve been wanting this for weeks. What made you do it tonight?”

  She struggled to contain a shaky laugh. “I don’t know. I was listening to her plan about where we were going to sleep and I wanted to have the right to sleep with you…” She broke off, embarrassed. “I don’t mean I have a right, but…”

  He squeezed her arms with a seductive grin. “Oh baby, you have the right.”

  Her words caught in her chest, tangled up in her excitement. She took his face in her hands, wanting to express her need. “Key, I want so much to be with you.”

  He traced a line down her shoulder and back like a sculptor absorbing his work. “Oh, God, you don’t know how much I love to hear you say that.” Kissing her mouth, he whispered, “Let’s go to bed.”

  She smiled, slipping out of his embrace. “Okay. Let me get ready.”

  She began her usual bedtime routine, feeling somewhat awkward. Not only was she hyper-aware that Shonté was just across the hall, but it was the first time she had gone though her routine in front of Key. In a few minutes, he was undressed, showered and on the bed, with the blanket and sheet draped over his knees, watching her. She had to undress, wrap in a robe, select her outfit for tomorrow, gel and wash her face, moisturize her hair and put it up.

  “Are you coming to bed soon?”

  She glanced at his reflection in the mirror. “Just a little while longer.”

  He lay back with an exaggerated sigh, linking his hands under his head. Crystal turned her head to look at him stretched out in her bed so enticingly. Oh, God was she going to get to enjoy this every night? Her heart felt as if it would pound out of her chest.

  She jumped to her feet, grabbed her vanity bag and went out to the shower down the hall.

  Key clicked off the television and rolled over when she walked back through the door.