Jessica ran past Alex and up to Shay. “Shay, are you all right?” she asked her, her face lit up with concern.
“I’m okay,” Shay said as Matty stood back and allowed the two roommates to hug. He looked at Alex.
“My,” Alex said, walking up to him, “how you get around.” Her beauty, her jewels, her entire personae lit up the drab room.
“How did you get here?”
“Cab. Which was the height of embarrassment, of course. But you left me little choice.” Then she looked past him, at Shay. “Hello, Shanita,” she said.
“Dr. Graham,” Shay said. She knew Alex didn’t care for her, and the feeling was mutual. “You didn’t have to come.”
“One of my mentees was viciously attacked, of course I had to come. What happened?”
“A dude jumped me in the shower stall and tried to rape me.” Alex wanted to roll her eyes. She’d met her ghetto queens in the past, but she was beginning to believe that Shay won the prize. “And was this dude known to you when he jumped you in the stalls?”
Shay looked at Jessica. “He was a friend of mines,” Jessica said, “but not anymore, Dr. Graham. For real, though.”
Although Jessica Malveau garnered a little more respect from Alex than Shay did, it was barely more. “I didn’t know you knew Mr. Driscoll, Shanita,” she said, attempting to ramp down her overwhelming curiosity.
“Yeah, well, lots you don’t know about me, Dr. Graham,” Shay decided to say. If Matty had some business interest with the school, as she had already assumed he did, she wasn’t about to give Alex the hook to hang him out to dry with.
Alex looked at her. Matty, surprised by Shay’s coldness, could see the hurt in Alex’s eyes. Everybody took Alex as this tough witch who had no feelings, when the opposite, he knew, was true. “I wasn’t trying to pry into anybody’s business,” Alex finally said. “It was a simple question.”
“And I answered it, didn’t I?”
“Shay, that’s enough,” Matty said firmly, but Alex called him off.
“No need, Matty, I’m used to it. All I’ve ever done was help her, but alas I’m always the bad guy.” She said this and then looked at Matty, the pain in her eyes searing him. “Could I please see you outside,” she asked them. Then she looked, once again, at Shay. “Glad to see you’re going to be all right, Shanita,” she said and left.
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Bitch,” she said as she left.
Matty looked at them, but especially Shay. “Why were you so rude to your dean?” he wanted to know.
“She’s awful, Matty,” Jessica said, “you just don’t know. None of the kids ‘round here like her.”
This bit of news seemed to surprise Matty. “Why don’t they like her?”
“Because she’s a horty-tordy bitch, that’s why,” Jessica volunteered.
“We know you have to deal with her, Matty,” Shay said, “but she just gets on my nerve, that’s all. Always thinks she’s better.”
“For real, though,” Jessica agreed.
Matty exhaled, and then left the room.
Jessica looked at her. “You don’t think he and Dr. Graham . . . are . . . do you?”
“Like how should I know?” Shay said truthfully, agitatedly, and then laid down on the gurney. The last thing she needed tonight was more drama to worry about.
Matty walked outside of the clinic to find Alex standing in the parking lot. She was smoking a cigarette, something he knew she occasionally did whenever her stress level went too high. He removed the cigarette from her hand, tossed it to the ground, and doused it with the bottom of his shoe.
“So you left me for her,” Alex said, folding her arms, unable to conceal her pain. “For that tart?”
Matty, however, remained cool. “You left me, remember?”
“I never left--”
“When you decided to bang football coach, you left me, Alex. I even considered taking you back, but you continued that affair. So don’t you dare rewrite our history.”
“But her, Matty? She’s just a kid!”
Although he knew Shay to be a lot more mature than her years, he wasn’t about to get into that with Alex.
When Alex realized he wasn’t going to discuss his relationship with Shay, she moved on. “So where does this leave us?” she wanted to know.
“Exactly where it left us when you decided to sleep with football coach.”
“His name is Peter. Peter Dial.”
Peter Dial, the brand new newlywed, he wanted to say. But he couldn’t hurt Alex like that.
“Nothing’s changed, Alex,” he said, instead. “We’re still over. I took you to that ball because I still care about you and always will, but that part of our relationship is finished.”
“You love the girl?” she asked him pointblank.
Matty merely stared at her, and his silence, it seemed to Alex, spoke volumes. Her heart dropped. He actually loved that child. Just the thought of it, that he had truly moved on, caused her to panic. She couldn’t lose Matty, especially not now. She was aging all alone.
And Peter didn’t want her, either, he had, in fact, just married some younger woman within a week of their breakup. Which meant, she knew, that Peter had been fooling around on her during the entire time she was fooling around, with same Peter, on Matty.
“Anyway,” Matty said, giving her the keys to his Mercedes, “you take the car, go back to your party. I’ve got to get back to Shay.”
“Matty, I’m pregnant,” Alex said so quickly, so suddenly, that it floored him. She even shocked herself. She and Matty hadn’t had sex in nearly two months. How in the world was she going to explain a two-month-plus premature baby to him?
But, in her mind, it wouldn’t matter by then. Matty would have already married her and been committed to her. And even if he questioned the baby’s timing, and possibly total African-American features, and wanted DNA and the whole nine yards, she’d still bet that he wouldn’t leave her. He’d be angry, and would battle her about it, but he wouldn’t leave her.
Matty was the best man she’d ever known. She couldn’t lose him now.
But his reaction wasn’t what she expected. He simply stood there, floored, yes, but not in a way that bespoke a man ready to do the right thing.
“You heard me, Matty,” she said, amazed by his lack of reaction.
“I heard you.”
“And?”
“And when the baby comes,” Matty said, attempting to remain calm although her news had unhinged him, “and we take the paternity test, if it’s my child--”
“If?” she said, offended.
“If it’s my child, I’ll take care of my child. Now excuse me, but I need to get back to Shay.”
And he left. Just like that. Alex just stood there, barely able to breathe. She quickly pulled out another cigarette and attempted to light up, her liter false-starting nearly three times before the flame came. She took a deep drag and then exhaled. Perhaps if she could have gotten him in bed with her tonight, and then sprang the pregnancy news on him, he’d be more believing.
But Matty was no fool and she should have known better. Peter, he knew, had a better chance of being the daddy than he did, especially when Peter, during his altercation with Matty that day, made it clear that he was not only sexing Alex, but sexing her two or three times daily. Which, of course, caused Matty and Alex to get into it again. She should have known better than to think he’d easily believe that any child she was carrying was his.
She got into his Mercedes that was double-parked in front of the clinic, her heart pounding. Her father always said if plan A didn’t work, re-work and then present plan B.
“Plan B it was,” she said aloud, although she knew it would be nothing short of a hail Mary pass, a nuclear option, a gamble to end all gambles. Either Matty was going to fall for it hook, line and sinker, or he was going to believe it the most incredible, most nonsensical scheme since all of those Tupac sightings.
EIGHT
It was
a two-bedroom condo with a beautiful ocean view and although Jessica was elated for her, Shay wasn’t feeling it. The entire week since that night of the assault was kind of a blur for her. First, Matty had her transported from the clinic at Franklin and taken to some fancy hospital in Baltimore where she was admitted for nearly a week. She had to endure every test imaginable to ensure nothing was broken, no internal bleeding, on and on and on.
Then, to make matters worse, on the day of her release Matty was still stuck in Chicago on major league business and wouldn’t be back until later that night. Which meant Jordy had to be the one to pick her up from the hospital. Only Jordy, didn’t take her to the dorm, where she absolutely expected to go, but to some fancy condo right there in Baltimore. Owned, of course, by Matty.
“It’s yours, Shay,” Jordy said, attempting to hand her the keys, but she only shook her head.
“No, thanks,” she said. She wasn’t about to move into his condo, she didn’t care how beautiful it was. “I’m going back to the dorm.”
“The dorm?” Jessica said, astounded. Ever since that incident with Hector, she had been at Shay’s side, a fact Shay liked, even though she wasn’t quite sure about it. “Why you wanna go back there?”
“Because I do, Jess, that’s why.”
“Girl, I don’t know why you’re trippin’.”
“I’m not living in his condo.”
“He bought this for you, Shay,” Jordy pointed out. “He won’t live here. This will be your place. He lives in his own home, a home, as you know, is more than adequate for him.”
“But why I got to stay here? What’s wrong with the dorm?”
“Mr. Driscoll believes you’ll be far more comfortable here.”
“Yeah, so he can keep an eye on me, right?”
Jordy told Matty that Shay wouldn’t go for it, but Matty insisted. “He wants the best for you, Shay.”
“Then he should let me stay where I wanna stay. With Jess.”
“I can move in with you,” Jessica volunteered, which had been her intention from the moment she saw the place. “Then that way you won’t feel like no. . .” Jessica wanted to say hoe or slut or trick, but she held her tongue. “So alone,” she said instead. “I can stay with you.”
Shay looked at Jordy. Jordy hesitated. “I’m not sure if Mr. Driscoll would be open to it,” he said.
“And why not?” Shay wanted to know. Because a roommate might hear him banging the mess out of her, she wanted to add, but she couldn’t be that crude to Matty. He wasn’t like that and she wasn’t going to act as if he was. But the thought of this, of him buying something as extravagant as a home for her, was going faster than she was willing to go right now. Maybe with Jessica around, with a roommate, it wouldn’t feel so outrageous.
“We can certainly ask him,” Jordy finally said and pulled out his cell phone. When Matty came on line, he explained the situation.
“Wouldn’t it be great?” Jessica was asking Shay while Jordy talked to Matty on the phone.
“I don’t know, Jess, if it’s a good idea at all. I mean, he’s already helping me out in so many ways. Now this too?”
“What you mean this too? He was paying your dorm fees, wasn’t he?”
“Dorm fees and buying a condo for me are like night and day and you know it.” She knew it, but she would love to live here, too. But she held her tongue.
Jordy closed his cell phone and walked over to Shay.
“You asked him?” Shay asked.
“I asked him,” Jordy said.
“And?” Jessica asked.
“He was in a meeting and couldn’t really talk the way he wanted to, but the bottom line is that he said no.”
This floored Jessica. “What, he don’t think I’m good enough to live here with Shay?” she wanted to know.
But Shay was already standing up. “Then fine, Jordy,” she said, heading for the door, Jessica following behind her. “You tell him thanks, but no thanks.” Shay said as she and her roommate hurried out.
***
A knock on the dorm room door woke Shay back up. She had been attempting to get back into her studies, after a week’s absence, but was already falling asleep. Jessica was seated on her own bed, with her headphones in, studying too. Only Jessica was a natural student and always managed to get good grades. Shay had to work harder for hers.
It was Jessica who sat her Economics book down and went to open the door. Both she and Shay expected it to be one of Jessica’s beaus, they were always dropping by, but when the door was opened and Matty walked in, both were equally stunned.
Shay was stunned and elated to see him, although she knew he wasn’t pleased with her decision to forgo the condo offer. She sat up. “Hi,” she said. “You’re back.”
“Just got back.”
“Hello, Matty,” Jessica said.
“Hello, Jessica.”
“So what’s up?” Shay asked him, although she had a pretty good idea. He looked so tired, as if he came back in town and immediately headed this way.
“I need you to pack your bags,” he said without beating around the bush.
Jessica sat back on her bed Indian-style, her eyes riveted on Matty.
“I already told Jordy I’m staying here,” Shay said.
“I don’t want you to stay here.”
“But that’s what I want.”
Matty was ready to fire back, Shay could tell it, but he held back. Looked at Jessica, instead. “Jessica, will you please excuse us,” he asked.
Jessica really didn’t want to excuse anybody, but maybe Matty could talk some sense into the girl. And maybe Shay would say okay, but only if Jess could come along. And that uppity Matty Driscoll would have no choice. She stepped outside of the dorm room, and then put her ear to the door.
Matty walked over to Shay’s bed, and sat on its edge. “What’s the matter?” he asked her. It had been a rough week for both of them, and the drain was showing all over his exhausted face.
“I don’t understand why I need to leave the dorm, Matty. I don’t see why you think it’s so . . .”
“Real? Because that’s what it is, Shanita. Some maniac nearly rapes you, tries to kill you from what some of those witnesses said, and you don’t understand why I would be concerned?”
“I understand it, but it’s just that what happened to me was a freak thing. Hector was just trippin’. That’s not something that happens all the time.”
“And I’m not about to sit back and let it happen again, Shay!” Then he exhaled, a cloudy look piercing his eyes. “When I was told it was you, that you were the young lady that some joker had assaulted, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I thought I . . .” He couldn’t continue. He just sat there. Then he seemed to make up his mind. “Shay, I need you to not fight me on this. I know it cramps your style, I know it challenges your independence, but that’s not what this is about. I’m not trying to control you, I’m just trying to protect you. I’m out of town a lot lately, you know that, I’m not just forty miles away most of the time anymore. When I’m not around I have to know you’re safe, I have to. I can’t concentrate on what I have to do and worry about you, too.” Shay just sat there. She hated worrying Matty, but what did he expect from her?
“What about Jessica?” she asked him. “Could she stay--”
“No,” he said flatly.
“Why not, Matty?”
“Because I don’t want her anywhere near you. Is that clear enough?” He didn’t mean to sound harsh, but that roommate of Shay’s rubbed him the wrong way.
“And why’s that? It wasn’t her fault what Hector did. How could you blame her?
You don’t even know her.”
“I know her type, all right? Now get your things, Shay,” he said as he stood to his feet.
“It’s late, I’m exhausted, and I want to get to bed. With you.” He said this without stuttering.
Shay just sat there. She felt almost as if it was all already decided, and she couldn’t
understand why she felt that way. But she got up, got her things, and then left with Matty.
***
Dr. Clive Stewart rolled off of Alex and both lay on their backs in her luxurious Dresden home. They had been at it for nearly three hours, pounding and pounding, and now he was exhausted. He loved the way Alex did him. She was always good for a good fuck.
But now she wanted so much more.
“What if it doesn’t work?”
“It’ll work.”
“But what if it doesn’t, Alex, what’s the game plan if it all blows up in our faces?”
“If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. You’ll go on with your life, and I’ll go on with mine.”
“And what if Driscoll wants to make trouble for me?”
“What kind of trouble, Clive? Besides, this scheme won’t ever be uncovered unless you and me uncover it-which neither one of us will. Matty may not go for it, he may treat me the same way he treated me when I told him about the pregnancy. That’s a chance I’ll have to take, but it’ll be my chance. Not yours. None of this will blow back on you.” Clive was sold, Alex could tell by the glint in his big eyes, but it wasn’t a hundred percent sale. “I don’t know, Alex,” he eventually said, “Driscoll’s a powerful man.”
“And you aren’t? You’re a renowned surgeon for crying out loud!”
“I just don’t know if I want to be on that man’s bad side.”
“You won’t be on his bad side. Stop over-thinking this, Clive. You’ll be helping me to get my man, that’s all this is about.”
Clive looked at Alex, at her very desirable dark body. “And what’s in it for me?” he wanted to know.
Alex smiled. No he didn’t ask me that , she said to herself. Then she moved over and straddled him, sliding her womanhood over his naked body. And then she moved up further and further until her womanhood was hovering over his face.
Romancing Her Protector Page 9