Too Hot for TV

by Cheris Hodges

  “Do you think we’re finally off camera?” Raymond asked as he pulled Imani against his chest.

  “I hope so,” she replied. “The next time I’m on camera, I want to be somebody else.”

  He laughed and kissed her forehead. “I don’t know what’s more disturbing about that statement, the fact that you said it or the fact that I understand it.”

  His laughter was music to her ears since she knew what had been on his mind all morning. As she glanced at him, she realized that she had to help him find peace as they headed back to New York. She knew he would be worried about his friend, but Imani couldn’t allow Raymond to worry himself sick and watch him end up in a hospital bed beside his friend.

  She smiled inwardly as she thought about the first time they met. She was extremely rude to him, in total diva mode, yet he still turned around and saved her from a runaway car on the street. She wouldn’t have admitted it at the time, but Raymond was a knight in shining armor and she didn’t think those men existed anymore. She stroked his arm gently. No man had ever gotten this close to her, made her care about his feelings and what he was going through. But Raymond’s tenderness and respect made Imani care more that she’d ever thought possible. He hadn’t run away when she told him that she was a virgin and he hadn’t pressured her to have sex with him when she knew good and well he’d wanted to. He’d respected her wishes not to lose her virginity on television so that Tres could exploit it.

  He was real. He was caring. Imani didn’t usually consider other people’s feelings. It was her fatal character flaw, but she ached for Raymond and silently prayed that Keith would be all right.

  Did that mean he was her soul mate? That thought shook Imani to her core. Yes, she loved him, but could she imagine her life without Raymond? Not after the time they had spent together and getting to know each other.

  He looked at her and smiled weakly. “Thank you for doing this,” he said. “I know what a sacrifice this is for you. Tres really wanted you to stay on the show, didn’t she?”

  “That doesn’t matter,” Imani replied as she snuggled against him. “I’m here with you because you need me. I already know you would do it for me if the shoe was on the other foot.”

  Though he wouldn’t say it aloud, that little voice in the back of his head that kept telling him that Imani was in it for the fame asked, Was her departure from the show about the scripts she’d received? Stop it, he thought as he kissed her cheek.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, noting his silence. Immediately, she felt silly for asking that question. Of course he wasn’t all right. “I know you have a lot on your mind,” she added.

  “Keith is like a brother to me. You know, we started the clinic because we wanted to give back. When we went to school in Atlanta, a lot of the people we attended school with from New York decided to stay in the south. The money was better, the weather was a lot better, and a lot of us had things that we could only dream about in New York. And the women were lovely.”

  Imani smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. “They have nothing on you, though,” he added.

  “But Keith and I wanted to do something for Harlem. Despite the bad things that went on in our neighborhood, we had a lot of people who were in our corner. Mrs. Palmer had a bigger impact on us than we realized. Then she passed away our freshman year of college.”

  “And she’s who you named the clinic after?” Imani said.

  “We did that for two reasons,” Raymond said. “When she retired and got sick, it was so hard for her to find somewhere to go and get treatment. She didn’t have a car, so she would have to take the train into Manhattan, and doing that when you’re sick is no picnic. Keith and I didn’t want the other women in our neighborhood to face what Mrs. Palmer went through, especially since she had done so much for generations of children in Harlem. She taught first grade, and failure was never an option when it came to the kids she worked with. Cs were not acceptable and if she decided that you were one of her kids, she followed you for life. It was better to mess up and have your mother find out about it, rather than Mrs. Palmer finding out. Back in the day, kids listened to all adults. She was fierce.”

  “Sounds like you guys had a great mentor,” Imani said.

  Raymond nodded. “That’s why we wanted to honor her and make sure that people remembered her. I couldn’t do this without Keith. That’s why he has to pull through.” Tears threatened to spill from Raymond’s eyes, and Imani felt powerless, wanting to do something or say something to ease his distress. Words failed her, though. They rode the rest of the way in pensive silence.

  Once they arrived at the airport, the couple was escorted to a charter plane, which was a surprise to them both, since they’d expected to fly commercial. There was no long security line and Raymond seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as they were seated on the plane and he could make a call before takeoff.

  “Celeste,” he said. “How is he?” Imani watched the worry lines grow on his face. “I’m on the plane now and when I get there and take a look at his chart, I’ll be able to explain things to you. Have his parents gotten there yet? Celeste, don’t worry yourself sick, understand me? He’s going to pull through this.” Emotions choked him up and he swallowed hard. “Keith can’t leave us. I’ll call you when we land. Yes, we. When I get there, we can talk all about it.”

  When he hung up the phone, Imani leaned against Raymond’s shoulder. “How is everything?”

  “Celeste is going out of her mind because she doesn’t understand, so she says, what the doctors are telling her about Keith’s condition. She’s crying at the drop of a hat. But she did say that Keith is in stable condition, he just hasn’t open his eyes yet.”

  “Maybe he’s waiting on his best friend to get there,” she said as the plane took off. Raymond nodded and closed his eyes, while Imani stared out the window, watching as Maui began to shrink away from view.

  Raymond drifted off to sleep pretty quickly, leaving Imani alone with her thoughts and worries. She knew that Edward didn’t think it was a good idea for her to leave the show with her career being on an uptick. She wondered, though, if the offers that Edward had sent to her were real and would mean that her return to New York would lead to doing real work.

  But what about Raymond? He’s still going to need me in his corner, especially if his friend isn’t getting any better. How am I going to do both?

  Imani prayed that Keith would recover, not because she wanted to freely explore her options with the different roles offered to her, but because Raymond was in such pain. She hated seeing him this way because he’d always seemed so strong. Imani hoped that she could be strong enough for him because that’s what people did when they were in love. And, she thought as she looked down at his sleeping face, she loved this man. She couldn’t wrap her mind around how she fell for him so hard and so fast. Raymond awakened something inside her, not only desire and lust, but love and devotion also. She thought about all the other men she had discarded in her life, superficial brothers who were after one thing and made it clear that if she wasn’t sleeping with them, then there was no need for things to continue.

  No one else had ever caused her heart to flutter and butterflies to dance in her stomach. She gently stroked his cheek and his eyes opened.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  He nodded. “How about you? You having second thoughts about returning to New York?”

  Imani cupped his face in her hands and stared into his beautiful eyes. Was she having second thoughts? Of course. But she wasn’t going to tell him that now. “Not at all,” she replied. “Raymond, we don’t know what is waiting in New York and I know if it were my best friend, I would need someone to support me.”

  “Yeah, but . . .”

  “No buts, Raymond. Why don’t you just face the fact that you are stuck with me?” She smiled and Raymond couldn’t help but laugh himself.

  “Stuck, huh? I kind of like the sound of that,” he said as he pulled her into his
arms.

  Imani held his hand and leaned back in her seat. Within minutes she had drifted off to sleep.

  Raymond watched Imani intently as she slept, paying attention to the ebb and flow of her breathing, enthralled by the rise and fall of her breasts. She was so beautiful and her presence was calming. Had she not been on the plane with him, he would have been going out of his head. Her touch and her voice were better than any drug he could have taken to sleep on the plane.

  Keith, you have to be all right so that you can meet the woman who stole my heart, he thought. Raymond gently pushed a strand of hair back from Imani’s forehead. She looked like an angel. He knew she was going be a star. Hell, Halle Berry didn’t have anything on his chocolate drop. She hadn’t been that bad in Fearless Diva. And she had more sex appeal than a Playboy centerfold. Raymond leaned in and took a whiff of her scent. She smelled like a woman, sheer femininity. He ran his finger down her arm. Her skin felt like silk. He wanted to sleep buried inside her essence. Raymond put his arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes. Six hours later, Imani and Raymond were waking up as the plane landed at JFK International Airport.

  Chapter 17

  After getting their luggage from baggage claim, Imani and Raymond hopped into a taxi and headed to Beth Israel Medical Center. In the back of the cab, Imani held Raymond’s hand tightly as she silently prayed for Keith. After hearing how close he and Raymond were, all Imani hoped for was walking into the hospital and finding Keith on the road to recovery.

  Though what she wouldn’t share with Raymond was that walking into the hospital was going to be hard for her because she hated hospitals. It seemed as if death was on every corner and sadness hung in the corridors like thick drapes.

  “You’re quiet over there,” Raymond said. “Are you all right?”

  “I should be asking you that,” Imani replied. “I was just saying a prayer for your friend.”

  Raymond tenderly kissed her forehead. “Thank you.”

  Before she could reply, her cell phone rang, surprising her because she hadn’t paid the bill. Imani concluded that Edward took care of it and was the caller.

  “Answer it, if you need to, it’s okay,” Raymond said as Imani pulled her phone from her pocket.

  “Sorry,” she mouthed to him before saying hello.

  “Imani,” her agent said. “You decided to leave, huh?”

  “Edward, this really isn’t the best time,” she replied tersely.

  “I’m calling with good news,” he said. “The show’s producers are trying to spin this story to make you look like a real heroine, and I think you should run with it. How would you feel about doing The Early Show?”

  Imani glanced at Raymond as she considered what Edward was saying. Did she want to do The Early Show? Hell yes, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t use Raymond’s friend’s accident as a stepping stone to fame.

  “Can I call you back?” she asked.

  “Are you nuts? Imani, more national exposure, a chance to show people looking to work with you that you’re not a quitter . . . He’s with you, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. But, I don’t have a good feeling about . . .”

  “Imani, we’re on the cusp. You’re getting quality roles, your face is all over Times Square for a show you’re no longer a part of. If we don’t strike while the iron is hot, you’re going to find yourself right back where you were six months ago,” Edward stated. “Is that what you want?”

  “I’ll call you back,” she groaned as the cab stopped in front of the hospital. Imani ended the call and turned to Raymond. “Sorry about that.”

  He didn’t respond as he opened the door, held it for Imani and then paid the cab fare and retrieved their bags from the trunk of the taxi. She dropped her phone in her purse as she waited for Raymond on the curb. Imani could feel a change in his attitude. He seemed distant and she knew it was because he’d heard what Edward was saying.

  “Raymond,” she said, touching his arm. “I won’t do it.”

  “Imani, do whatever you want. I knew this was all about the fame for you, but I was hoping that this was something deeper,” he said. “If you want to go on The Early Show or Today and talk about how you put your acting aside to come and be with me, go ahead. Just don’t expect me to be waiting in the wings after you and your people spin it,” he said.

  “My agent is just doing his job, but that doesn’t mean I have to do the shows. This is private and I’m not . . .”

  Raymond threw his hands up. “Imani, I’m going in here to see my friend. I don’t have time for this.”

  Taking a step back, Imani reached out for her luggage and shook her head. “You know what, take care of your friend. I’m going back to Brooklyn.” She stomped off, heading for the subway. Raymond started to run toward her when he heard Celeste call his name.

  “Raymond,” she said, running into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  He hugged her tightly, hoping that he and Imani could connect later. He knew that he owed her an apology because she was right. She hadn’t committed to doing the show her agent had been trying to sell her on. Still, right now, he needed to focus.

  “Was that the other part of ‘us’ running for the subway? Keith told me you were really falling for her. Now, how did you mess it up?” Celeste asked.

  “Don’t worry about that. How is Keith?” he asked, still cutting his eyes in the direction Imani ran off in.

  “You should really check your messages,” she replied happily. “He woke up. He’s going to be all right. Come on.”

  “What happened, Celeste?” he asked as she half dragged him through the entry of the hospital.

  “Well,” she said after pressing the Up button on the elevator, “he finally asked me to marry him. And he did it typical Keith fashion.”

  Raymond laughed. “Over slices?”

  Celeste nodded and then tears spilled from her eyes. “It was shaping up to be the happiest night of my life. But when he got down on one knee and reached into his pocket, he didn’t have the ring. The big oaf had left it in the examination room. I told him we could get it later and I got the point. But you know Keith. He said, ‘Baby, I’ve made you wait too long for this and I want to put this ring on your finger so when we walk out of here, everyone will know you’re taken.’

  “He rushed to the car and didn’t get three blocks before a car came out of nowhere and plowed into him. That man,” she spat disgustedly, “was drunk. Twice the legal limit and walked away without a scratch.” Tears silently poured down her cheeks as the doors to the elevator opened. Raymond wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

  “Come on, now. You can stop crying. Keith had to stick around so that he can marry the best woman he’s ever known.”

  “Glad you said that. You know what’s funny? While we were watching you and that girl on TV, Keith said he didn’t have to go to Hawaii to find love like you did.”

  “What?”

  “Everyone could tell you were falling for her. We just hoped she wasn’t acting,” Celeste said. “But if she came back to the city with you, then it’s obvious that she wasn’t.”

  Before he could reply, the elevator came to a stop and Celeste led him into Keith’s room. Raymond’s breath caught in his chest as he looked at his friend, hooked up to machines, legs in traction, his head bandaged and his eyes slightly opened.

  “Look who I found,” Celeste said as she crossed over to Keith and kissed his cheek gently.

  Keith pressed the button to raise the back of the bed and nodded in Raymond’s direction. “You left paradise for me?” Keith asked hoarsely.

  “They made it sound like you were near death. I’m glad that’s not the case.” Raymond walked to the end of the bed and picked up Keith’s chart: ruptured spleen, fractured hip, and two broken legs. The chart said that the surgery to repair his spleen had been successful. “Looking good. Glad to see you’re on the mend, brother.”

  “Where’s your TV wife?” he asked, then broke into a f
it of laughter that became a cough. Celeste quickly poured him a cup of water. Once his cough subsided, he turned back to Raymond. “Well, where is she? Don’t tell me she stayed in Hawaii?”

  “No, she’s on a train to Brooklyn,” he replied with a sigh. “We had a misunderstanding.”

  Celeste shook her head. “I’m not one to pry. . . .”

  “Since when?” Raymond and Keith asked in concert.

  “Whatever,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But, if she came back here to be with you, then you need to fix what’s wrong between you two. If I’ve learned anything from this accident, it’s that life is too short. I could see when you looked at her on TV that you were really falling for her, Raymond. What happens if that train crashes or she’s killed walking to her house?”

  “Damn, Celeste, you have the guilt trip down cold,” Keith said. “I see I won’t be winning many arguments.”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “Don’t start none, won’t be none,” she replied.

  “Ouch,” Raymond said as he sat down and watched Celeste check Keith’s bandage. “Guess we know who will be wearing the pants in this marriage.”

  “Come on, now,” Keith said. “I’m giving her a pass because I’m in the hospital.”

  “Anyway,” Celeste said, “you two should really get over yourselves.” She readjusted Keith’s pillow and kissed his cheek. “And you know I’ve been running things.”

  “That’s right, baby.”

  She rose to her feet and started for the door. “I’m going to get some coffee, Ray, you want anything?”

  What he wanted wasn’t in the hospital’s cafeteria, but somewhere in Brooklyn. He wanted and needed Imani. He had to tell her that he was wrong and that he appreciated what she gave up returning to New York with him.

  “Raymond?” Celeste said again, breaking into his thoughts.

  “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

  When the men were alone, Keith asked Raymond what happened to Imani. “I wanted to see if she was as fine in person as she is on TV and on that billboard. You’ve messed it up already, huh?”