by Nicki Night
“Red wine, huh?”
“A few glasses. I feel like I need another few days of sleep.”
“Ha! I figured as much when you didn’t show up for hot yoga. You would have never survived. How was last night?”
Jade peeled her eyes open. “Last night.”
“You texted that you were hanging with some friends in the city.”
“Oh.” Jade hadn’t had that much wine, but she was good and tired. Yesterday had been a long day and sometimes the things she did when she was exhausted looked similar to the things she did when she was tipsy. She had wanted to spend time with Nixon alone and she was glad she had.
“Well?” Jewel said, bringing her back to the morning.
“Oh. It was fun. We went to some wine bar on Northern and then a lounge in the city.” Jade kept her response simple—ambiguous. Jade climbed out of her high post bed and shuffled through her room, which was fit for a bold dignitary.
Above her bed on one of the gray walls were black script letters that read The Queen Sleeps Here. The one black accent wall sparkled. Silver glitter had been poured into the clear topcoat. A peacock-colored dresser stood tall and handsome against the black sparkly wall. Above that a colorful painting reflected many of the other bold hues around the room. The crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling cast iridescent prisms across the walls and furniture day or night. Her home was as nontraditional as her wardrobe.
Jade relieved herself in the adjacent bathroom and shuffled right back to the bed without breaking her conversation with her sister. She’d explained that they weren’t out long, but chose to stop by a lounge that played great old-school music.
“Sounds like you guys had a great time.”
Jade didn’t bother correcting Jewel or confirming that it had been more than just her and Nixon who’d hung out together.
“Yeah. Now I’m paying for it.” Jade scooted until her back was flush against her velvety headboard, and pulled the comforter to her neck. “Now I don’t want to get out of bed.”
“But you have to—we have our sisters’ brunch today.”
Jade groaned. “That’s today?”
“Yes, it is! And we absolutely have to go. This is the place that Dad was thinking about renting out for Mom’s birthday brunch. He wants our review as soon as we get back.”
“Oh. Yeah. That.” Jade flung the covers aside. “I guess I need to get dressed.”
“I can smell your cabernet morning breath from here.”
“Shut up!” Jade laughed, shut her mouth and moaned. “It is pretty bad.”
“Eww! Go brush your teeth and put on something cute. I’m meeting up with Sterling after, so I’m driving my own car. See you there. Noon. Sharp, little girl.”
“Hey! You’re not the boss of me.”
“I was born before you, so that makes me the boss.”
“And Chloe was born before you. I’m going to tell her you’ve been bossing me around.”
“Go. Get. Dressed!”
Jade sat on the side of her bed, laughing at the longtime family joke about who was whose boss. She didn’t feel like moving. Jade picked up her cell phone and realized she’d missed a bunch of calls and had tons of texts. She checked the calls first. Her mother. Father. Kendall. Jewel. Nixon. After seeing Nixon’s name she looked up at her wall that resembled a starry night. He’d called. Something young, giddy and crush-like squiggled through her core.
Last night was fun. They’d connected, but boundaries needed to remain intact. She couldn’t be distracted in this program.
Jade checked her texts. Mostly, they were from the same people. Not her mother. El Chandler wasn’t a texter. She preferred to hear the voice of the person she spoke to—preferably in person.
Falling back on the bed, Jade stretched until every limb felt as if it had been elongated. She moaned with that stretch and then dragged herself to the walk-in closet. Originally, it was another bedroom, which she’d converted with custom-built cubbies for her shoes, shelving for purses and bars at varying heights for clothes. She grabbed a pair of cut-up jeans, a black sweater and thigh-high boots. On her way out she slapped several switches, shutting off the recessed lights around the perimeter and the chandelier hanging over the center unit with rows of slender, velvet-lined drawers for jewelry and lingerie—or pajamas. Jade wasn’t exactly the lingerie type. She preferred footie pajamas in the winter and tanks and panties in the summer, if anything at all.
In the car, Jade called Nixon back.
“Hey.” She didn’t know why she felt shy, as if this were the “morning after.” She hadn’t done the walk of shame.
“Good morning, or wait... Yes, there’s still a little bit of morning left.”
“Just a little.”
“You didn’t text me when you got in.”
“Oh!” She did remember him asking her to do that. “Sorry.”
“I wanted to make sure you got in okay.”
“Yeah. I did. I guess that’s obvious now.”
“Ha. Yes.” Quiet settled in the middle of their conversation.
After a while, Jade said, “Thanks for a great time. I liked both places.” Jade rolled her eyes, but quickly returned them to the road before her. She meant to direct the conversation to its end. She should have said something like “Thanks for checking on me,” or “Okay, have a good day.”
“Anytime! I had a great time, too.” Silence returned for several moments. “Are you busy tonight?”
No! “No big plans.” Jade banged her hand against the steering wheel. Why wasn’t her mouth cooperating?
“I have tickets to a neo-soul preview tonight. A friend is performing. Would you like to go?”
Jade huffed. “Nixon. I don’t know about—”
“I have more than one ticket available. You can bring a friend. I’ll leave them at the door for you.” He told her the address.
Jade could actually hear her heart beating. She huffed again and finally said, “Sure. Thanks.”
“They will be waiting for you at the door. I’m trying to help my friend promote. Hope to see you there.” A few seconds later he said, “No pressure. Glad to know you got home safe. Have a great day.”
Jade smiled as if he could see her.
Nixon ended the call without Jade officially saying goodbye. She didn’t want to bring anyone. She didn’t mind being just with Nixon, but being around him scared her. She had to focus on being a top-notch professional. Laser focus was necessary. Nixon made those lasers dull. Plus there was Mitch.
Jade groaned and drove the rest of the way to the restaurant to meet her sisters in silence.
Chapter 12
Jade went alone, driving into Manhattan mostly in silence. Thoughts were her company, many of them trained on Nixon. She needed to keep her walls erected somehow, but wasn’t sure how to truly manage that. In sessions, she mastered avoidance, even though her eyes roamed in search of him constantly. Jade was discreet, or at least hoped she was. Even with that, there was always work to do and people around serving as distractions. When the distractions were gone, leaving just the two of them to fend for themselves in that magnetic field, that was when it was hard for her. She could easily come undone.
Jade’s GPS told her that she’d arrived at her destination. She peered at the buildings lined up like uneven teeth, trying to spot the right one. The lounge had dark windows with the words Juke Joint playfully scrawled like script handwriting. With her arrival came second guesses. Maybe she should have brought Jewel with her, or even Serenity. Her soon-to-be sister-in-law loved music and played several instruments quite well herself. Serenity always introduced Jade to new artists and underground bands.
Jade wasn’t ready to reveal herself to anyone when she was around Nixon—especially her sisters. They knew her too well. She’d introduce Nixon with all the nonchalance she co
uld muster as some guy from her program. But they’d see right through that. Had Kendall been in New York, Jade definitely would have brought her. Kendall knew Jade’s secrets and would surely carry them with her to heaven. According to the family tree, they were cousins, but to each other, they were the best of friends.
Jade drove around for a while in search of a parking spot. Finally, she pulled into a garage and handed her key over to the attendant. On the walk back to the lounge she dialed Kendall, but didn’t get an answer. Jade felt like turning back. This wasn’t a good idea. It felt like sticking a fork into an outlet. Eventually she’d get electrocuted.
At the door, Jade pasted a smile on her face and walked in with her head lifted and chest out. A beautiful full-bodied woman sat near the door, her head wrapped in a royal blue fabric, which matched her skirt. She smiled and cavernous dimples appeared in her cheeks. She had a warm vibe that immediately made Jade feel welcome. This woman was a Jill Scott reincarnation.
“Ticket?” the woman asked.
“Uh, one has been reserved for me. I was told it would be here at the door.”
“Sure, honey.” The woman’s tone held a sweet lilt, reminding Jade of sweet tea and her great-aunts in the South. “What’s your name, honey?”
“Jade. Jade Chandler.”
The woman flipped through a few tickets, pulled out Jade’s and presented it to her. “There’s two here.”
“Oh. My friend couldn’t make it. I’ll pay it forward.”
“So nice of you. Enjoy the show, sweetie.”
“Thanks.” Jade took the ticket and headed past the nice woman with the sweet tone.
The lounge was full, but not packed to the hilt. Though she’d never been to a juke joint, Jade imagined that despite this establishment’s modern flair, it captured the essence of a real juke joint. She loved the way the rough, sultry essence blended perfectly with modern furnishings. One wall was filled with signed pictures of celebrities and musical legends. The others held art, with the likenesses of people like Langston Hughes, Billie Holiday and B. B. King, and colorful abstract paintings. You could make out the presence of musical instruments if you studied it long enough. She spotted a picture of Nina Simone and smiled. Jade wondered how many people her age enjoyed Nina, and imagined that it wouldn’t be many.
A stage was set up opposite the door, with instruments crowding the small space. Somehow Jade already knew she would enjoy herself even if she were alone.
Jade headed to the bar. The atmosphere called for a drink with a little more soul than a regular old glass of wine. Her eyes scanned the menu. No fried catfish for her tonight, though it sounded amazing and reminded her of her grandmother. She recognized some of the names of the drinks as songs from old greats. In honor of Nina, she ordered the Mississippi Goddam and chuckled.
When the bartender had handed her the drink, she turned and found Nixon walking toward her. At the sight of him, Jade gulped a sip and had to clear her throat. Nixon was a stunning man. His toned, tall frame looked scrumptious in the stylish shoes, jeans and button-down shirt. The buttons at the top were open, showing a simple chain and cross sparkling against his caramel skin. He smiled at her and she wanted to finish her drink in one large gulp, but resisted.
“Glad you made it.” Nixon gently touched her arm, leaned over and kissed her cheek.
That spot tingled. Jade said, “Hey,” but didn’t move. She wasn’t sure if it was the lighting, the atmosphere or the mischievous spirit of juke joints of the past coming to life, but she felt like knocking down the walls she’d carefully erected around herself and letting go.
“You look nice.” Nixon smiled again.
Jade felt something in her gut flutter. Forget Mississippi, Nina. Nixon Goddam. She chuckled at her thought. “Thanks. You look rather nice yourself.” She decided right then and there that this first drink would be her only one for the night. The lounge and Nixon were intoxicating enough.
Nixon looked beyond her on both sides. “Did you come alone?”
“Oh. Yes. Everyone else had commitments.” She cleared her throat again after that little lie.
“I have a table reserved up front.”
“Great! Lead the way.”
Jade followed as they snaked through the crowd. She was glad she’d come, but worried about what this whole atmosphere was doing to her resolve. Was this what happened to people in real juke joints back in the day? Were they filled with wild inclinations to toss aside their inhibitions? What fun, indulgence, Jade thought. She already knew she would come back to this place sometime soon.
Jade used to hang out regularly. Now her friends and siblings preferred dinners and brunches. This place made her long for the days when she’d shed caution and hung long and hard, and then woke up with five ultrasensitive senses—eyes that couldn’t bear light and a head that shunned the softest sounds. She’d promise never to hang out and drink again, but found herself back in the same clubs the very next weekend. Jade laughed. That was how she’d felt after the first time she hung out with Nixon. Both the cocktails and Nixon were intoxicating.
Like a gentleman, Nixon pulled out her chair. She sat right in front of the stage and Nixon took the seat next to her.
“I love this place.” Jade looked around, taking it in a little more.
“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”
“And it has a...feel,” she said, for lack of a better word.
Nixon smiled. “Yes. It does.”
Jade raised a brow. There was something sultry in his simple response. Or was it the cocktail? She looked at her drink. It was now half-gone. Jade put the glass on the table. Pace yourself. She looked up at Nixon, catching him watching her. With the drinks and with him.
“What time does the show start?” she asked.
Nixon looked at his watch. “In about ten minutes.” He nodded toward the small dance floor. “Wanna dance?”
“Let’s go.”
Nixon stood and reached for her. She took him by the hand and allowed him to lead her to the floor. A song from the seventies played. She didn’t remember the name or artist, but she knew the words. It was one of her father’s favorites.
For several songs, she and Nixon danced, teasing each other with their moves, playfully trying to outdo one another. They mimicked their parents’ style of dancing and laughed hard, bending over to let the laughter spill unhindered. Eventually, a voice resonated from the stage, announcing the band for the night, and everyone made their way back to their seats.
A tall woman came out first, doing various renditions of popular neo-soul artists. Once she’d effectively warmed up the crowd, she exited with grace, to explosive applause. Jade was reminded of when Chloe would hit the stage and leave everyone within hearing mesmerized. Her sister was better, of course.
Moments later, the headliners came on. Nixon pointed out his friend, who was the pianist. He joined in with the lead singer for one of the songs. The deep timbre of his voice made her insides rumble. The group was amazing and ended their first set to more thunderous applause.
Jade turned to Nixon. “I’m really glad I came. Thanks for the invitation.”
“You’re an old soul like me. I had a feeling you’d enjoy it.”
“Your friend was so good. How long have you known each other?”
“Since grade school. We grew up together. I try to support him whenever I can.”
“That’s great! We know some talented people.”
“You have friends who sing? Oh, yeah. Your cousin is the Kendall Chandler!”
“And my sister is an amazing singer, too. My brother and his fiancée both play several instruments.”
“Wow. Maybe I’ll meet them one day.” Nixon’s smile made warmth spread in her belly.
Jade took that bait, tilting her head as she responded. “Maybe you will.” She picked up her fresh drink and took a sip,
peering at him over the rim of her glass.
“Are you flirting with me, Jade Chandler?”
“Maybe...” She kept her eyes on his.
“I’m pretty good at that myself.”
“Not as good as me, I bet. And double entendres...” She waved dismissively. “I’m great at those, too.”
“You’re competitive.”
“You could say that.”
“Well, let’s see how good you really are.”
Jade accepted the challenge with pursed lips and a tilted head. “Oh, I’m very good...at what I do.” Her shoulders lifted as she chuckled.
“I like good. I do a number of things well myself.”
They went back and forth a few times with charged innuendos, until silent seconds passed as they tried to hold in their laughter. But then they failed, and muffled chuckles morphed into full-blown cackles. Their intended suggestive remarks were coming off more cheesy than sexy, more comical than sensual.
Jade shook her head and held up her hand, palm out. “Okay. No more. Please no more.” The other hand held her belly.
“Those were pretty bad. I’m embarrassed.” Nixon’s head fell back and he let his laughter roar.
Tears from laughing filled Jade’s eyes. “Oh my goodness.” She flattened a hand against her chest. “That was hilarious!”
Their jesting died down just as the band was beginning their second set, which was even better than the first. Jade swayed to the music, caught up in the rhythm. Nixon bobbed his head and tapped his hands against the table. Several times they held each other’s gaze or laughed, and bobbed their heads to the beat. Others ended with Jade feeling like Nixon was using his eyes to transport himself into her system. By the time the performance was over, Jade felt the full effect of Nixon. There was a lot to like about him and she loved when a man could make her laugh.
The applause died down as the band left the stage. Music filtered through the speakers. Chairs scraped against the floor. Some patrons took to the dance floor. Others headed to the bar, while quite a few made their exit. Nixon took Jade’s hand and led her toward the back of the lounge, to a room where the band members were gathering their things.