Finding Love At Life's Crossroads: An Interracial Novel

by Skylar Ward

  “According to this article,” Efia replied.

  “I can’t believe he is the owner of Calico Cays Resort and he didn’t tell you. That mess there is foul.”

  “Get this,” Efia said. “Drew Palmer is the COO of Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Corporation. That is an arm of Ace’s empire which manages his hotel and resorts including this place. This article even has a quote from Ace. He doesn’t believe in micromanaging people. His philosophy is simple: ‘find employees with a passion for their jobs, give them the tools and let them do their work. That is the way to get one-hundred-and-ten percent effort out of employees.’”

  “Are you still thinking of contacting him?”

  “I don’t know. Right now, this kid is my priority. Plus, I still have to deal with my parents.”

  “You have to be careful with a guy like him. There are too many stories that start out like yours and end on CBS’ 48 Hours.”

  “I thought we had a special connection,” Efia sighed wistfully. Clearly, the joke was on me. She shook her head. “I wanted him to care about me as much as I cared for him.”

  “From the appearance of this photo, I don’t think many women would fault you. How did your meeting go? Did Maria give you your walking papers?”

  “I received a text, she wants to meet with me tomorrow at ten. I imagined it will be my last day around here.”

  “Do you have your keys to my apartment with you?”

  “I left them at home.”

  Ashley lifted her bag from the bedpost of the bunk bed and removed a bunch of keys, handing them to Efia. “Here, I think you’ll need these.”

  “Thank you,” Efia said. “Hopefully, one day, I will be able to pay you back.”

  “Oh, please. This is what friends do for each other. You were there for me when my mother died. Who else would have stayed up with me all night? Now, I get a chance to return the favor.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Remember to deposit that check when you get home,” Ashley said.

  “I don’t have much choice now. It’s not like winning the lottery, but that ten thousand dollar plus the tip feels close to it.”

  “Aren’t you glad that you kept that check?”

  “Thanks to you,” Efia said, closing the suitcase she had packed.

  “Move over,” Ashley said. “Let me get that.” Ashley placed the luggage near the door. “I miss you already. I hope they don’t put some fool in here with me.”

  “Just remember you are here to do a job and everything will be fine,” Efia said. “And for God’s sake, keep your distance from the male guests.”

  Chapter 24

  Efia knocked on the opened door, trying not to think about her brief career in the hospitality industry.

  “Come in.” Maria waved her over and pointed to a chair.

  Efia sat down and waited as Maria typed away on her iPad. A few minutes later, Maria put the iPad down and faced Efia. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine,” Efia said, hoping to get the dismissal over and done with.

  The small talk wasn’t necessary when the outcome was a foregone conclusion.

  “That’s great,” Maria said. “You are one lucky chica. I think you have a fairy godmother someplace out there.”

  “Excuse me?” Efia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “I received an email from headquarters that you were promoted to assistant manager back in New York.”

  “Ace!” His name had slipped from Efia’s lips before she could stop herself.

  “Do you think he recommended you to Drew Palmer?”

  Efia shook her head. “Ace is headquarters.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Efia opened the article and handed the phone to Maria.

  “¡Ay, caramba! When did you discover this?”

  “Last night.”

  Maria read the article before handing the phone back to Efia. “Now, do you see my point?”

  Giving Maria credit, meant discrediting Ace, and Efia wasn’t ready to do so publicly—not yet, anyway. Unable to focus on Maria’s face, Efia kept her eyes on the desk.

  “Men like Ace Davenport see women like us as playthings.” Maria picked up a sheet of paper off her desk and handed it to Efia. “This is where you will be working. You are expected there on Monday.”

  “The Biltbury Hotel, located on 52nd and Lexington Avenue,” Efia read out loud. Things are looking up! “This will be an easy commute from the Bronx.”

  “You are flying out tomorrow afternoon. You’ll have a few days to get yourself together.”

  Relief washed over Efia that she was still counted amongst the ranks of the employed. Still, she wasn’t looking forward to telling her parents about her pregnancy. Realizing it could have been worse, she reminded herself, to take it slow and deal with each issue as they arise.

  “My advice to you is to keep your mouth shut when you get to New York. The least your coworkers know the better.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Efia asked.

  “Because you are as stubborn as a mule,” Maria said, “and you remind me of someone.”

  “You?” Efia asked.

  “Yes. I did the same thing twenty-five years back.”

  “Did you have the baby?”

  “I did,” Maria replied. “It wasn’t easy.”

  “What did you have?”

  Maria removed a photo from her desk drawer. “Meet my daughter, Isabella.”

  “She is beautiful. She has lots of you in her.”

  “She looks white like her father,” Maria said. “Everyone mistakes her for being white.”

  “I can see why. “May I ask you a personal question?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Does Isabella have a relationship with her father?”

  Maria’s eyes darkened. “No, he wanted nothing to do with us. He only agreed to pay Isabella’s college tuition after my husband threatened to expose him. Isabella is currently in law school. He is paying for that, too. I am grateful she will finish school debt free.”

  “How does Isabella feel about not having a relationship with her father?” Efia asked.

  “Isabella is a tough cookie, she doesn’t give a hoot. My husband raised her from five-years-old. He adopted her, and she thinks of him as her only father.”

  Efia’s pregnancy hormones kicked in, and a tear slid down her cheek. “Sounds like your husband is a good man.”

  Maria took another photo from the drawer and handed it to Efia.

  “He is black,” Efia said. “He is handsome.”

  Maria took the photo back and held it next to her breasts. “This is my Charles. Isabella’s father was my first. He was a magazine publisher. He owned several buildings in Manhattan. I was hired through a summer program to work in the mailroom. Right away, he showed an interest in me. I was young and impressionable, and I fell head over heels for him. He promised to leave his wife, then, I got pregnant. You can guess the rest.”

  “Was it difficult opening your heart to Charles after losing your first love?”

  “It took me a while to realize I was only a young plaything to that married man. He threw a few thousand dollars at me and banished me from his office building. I never saw him again. Charles sent him a letter when Isabella was a senior in high school.”

  “Charles sounds like a no-nonsense kind-of-guy.”

  “He doesn’t mess around when it comes to his family,” Maria said.

  “You are blessed.” Efia sighed. “Do you have any kids with Charles?”

  “Are you shitting me?” Maria laughed. “We have been busy, chica, we have three.” She took another photo out with the entire family. “This handsome boy here is Charles Jr. He is the oldest. He is seventeen. This is Gabriela, she is fourteen, and this chubby-cheek, mini-me is six. Her name is Isidora.”

  “You have a beautiful family. Seems like it all worked out in the end.”

  “It wasn’t easy. For a long time, I had a rough time takin
g care of a child, going to school at night, and working menial jobs. If not for my elderly neighbors, I would have given up a long time ago. They babysat my daughter for free, even took us to their church. That was where I met Charles.”

  “Thanks for sharing your story with me.” Efia hugged Maria. “And thanks for everything.”

  “I’ll have your flight information later today.”

  “Do you want me to do anything else around here before I go?”

  “Why don’t you get some rest.” Maria patted Efia’s cheek. “Do you plan to call Davenport?”

  “I don’t know. My heart desperately wants to contact him, but my head tells me it won’t end well. I don’t have the resources to fight Ace. He could easily terminate me from this job, and fight me for sole custody.”

  “Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the very best, chica.”

  “Thank you,” Efia responded. “Hopefully, Ace will reach out to me.”

  “I hope so,” Maria said, weakly. “Go, I’ll drop your papers off later.”

  Thrilled that Ace had started to pave the way for a better life for her and the baby, Efia’s inner turbulence eased. She didn’t know how it would end, but it was a good start. She paused at the door for a few seconds before waving goodbye to Maria. Exiting the office, she took in the beautiful surroundings. Her time at Calico Cays Resort might have been short, but it would always be a place for special memories.

  I am going to miss this place! Efia inhaled the clean air. She exhaled, still thinking about Ace’s generosity. “Clearly, he is not that bad, is he”? she whispered.

  Chapter 25

  Massachusetts

  Ace made a left from Beacon Street onto Exeter Street as the evening breeze washed through the windows of his midnight blue, Aston Martin DB9. He couldn’t recall the last time he had driven the luxury vehicle or the last time he had driven himself. He had started to embrace life, and it felt good.

  Switching the Aston Martin from Sportshift to Auto Drive via the paddle shift, he hung a left onto Commonwealth Avenue. Soon, the famous Algonquin Club came into view. His parents had been members before his birth. The place was like a second home to Ace. He slowed the Aston Martin and slid the car into park. Within seconds, a grinning young man was at the driver side door. Ace removed his Versace sunglasses, placing them into the arm compartment.

  “Mr. Davenport, it’s been a while. How are you?” asked the lanky valet with a mop of blond curls.

  “Hi, Marty,” Ace said, “that it has.”

  “I’ll take good care of her for you.”

  “Knock yourself out.” Ace said as Marty climbed into the car, closed the door, and sped off.

  <>

  Inside the club, Ace searched the crowd for Drew, spotting him at a table with two women. Not, Haley, Ace groaned, recognizing one of the women. Ace made his way to their table.

  “Ladies,” he said, acknowledging the women.

  “Hey,” Drew said, “You made it.”

  “I am here,” Ace said.

  “This is Joanna Calvo.” Drew pointed to the exotic, twenty-something sitting beside him. “Joanna, this is Ace Davenport.”

  Ace shook Joanna’s hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

  Joanna’s eyes lit up. “It’s so sweet to meet Drew’s friends.”

  “You remember, Haley Hollingsworth, don’t you?” Drew said. “She is the last person I expected to see here today.”

  Ace kept a straight face. He had dated Haley during his senior year of high school right through to the end of his junior year in college. Although he never considered Haley to be wife material, he’d always had fun with her.

  Ace clasped Haley’s extended French-manicured, hand. “Didn’t you move to Europe?”

  “I did.” Haley’s eyes remained on Ace’s face. “Now I am back.”

  “What about your job?” Joanna asked. “Did you up and quit?”

  “No, dear,” Haley replied. “I am portable. I run my own online, lifestyle magazine.” Haley sized-up Joanna. “And what type of work do you do?”

  “I am a video model in Hip Hop videos,” Joanna said.

  “Humm,” Haley responded.

  Drew spread his arm along the back of Joanna’s chair. And she leaned closer to him.

  A waiter appeared at the table. “Ready to order?”

  “How about a round of Martinis?” Drew said.

  “Why not?” Ace took a seat. “Make mine a Bradford.”

  “Four Martinis, coming right up,” the waiter said.

  “I never got a chance to offer you my condolences,” Haley said. She rubbed her hand up and down Ace’s arm. “Accept them now.”

  Ace’s lips thinned, and he removed his hand from the table, causing Haley’s hand to drop with a thud. The last thing he wanted to be was antisocial, but he wasn’t in the mood to discuss his late family with Haley. As far as Ace was concerned, if Haley were anything like her old self, she couldn’t care less about his family. The only person that mattered to Haley was Haley.

  “How is your husband, Haley?” Drew smirked.

  “We are divorced. That bastard cheated on me, imagine that?”

  “Imagine that,” Ace said under his breath.

  “I am not the same self-absorbed person you knew back then,” Haley said, “My divorce humbled me, believe me.”

  The waiter returned. He placed coasters and napkins before everyone. Next, he set the cocktail glass in front of the ladies and Drew. Lastly, he said to Ace, “Your shaken Martini.”

  “Thank you.” Ace took a sip of the martini.

  “Can I get you anything else?” The waiter asked.

  “We are good for now,” Drew said.

  A young, black woman across the way caught Ace’s eyes. Although his focus was on the woman, his thoughts were on Efia. He could still recall her soft floral scent, despite the extravagant fragrances currently invading his nostrils. Had he been an artist, he would have been able to sketch an accurate depiction of Efia from memory. I will visit Efia in New York City. No! Ace inwardly scolded himself. I can’t give her what she deserves, I can only offer her a moment. And she deserves a lifetime of moments. He glanced at Haley.

  “Welcome back,” Haley said. “Do you know that young lady over there?”

  “What young lady?” Ace asked.

  “The African-American woman,” Drew said.

  Ace recalled a conversation he once had with Efia, regarding the silly questions people had often asked about Africa. He suspected Efia didn’t need him to champion any cause on her behalf, but he couldn’t help himself.

  He glared at Drew. “How do you know she is African-American? She could very well be Ghanaian, Canadian, British, Trinidadian, or some other nationality.”

  Drew’s eyes swung to the petite woman and back to Ace. “I never thought of it like that, I just assumed.”

  “You wouldn’t buy a business only using an assumption, would you?” Ace asked.

  The energy around the table shifted, and all eyes turned to Drew.

  “No, I wouldn’t” Drew said. “I also pride myself on never making the same mistake twice. Thanks for the education.”

  Ace chuckled, hoping to put his best friend at ease. “We are never too young to learn or in your case too old.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Drew lifted his cocktail glass. “Point taken. Here is to life.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Joanna chimed in.

  Haley lifted her glass.

  Ace eyed Haley’s exposed décolletage before moving on to her smiling face. What do I have to lose? he inwardly asked. Ace raised his glass. “To life.”

  <>

  New York City

  Back in the Bronx, Efia dropped to the couch, switched on the TV, and curled up with a jar of fruit yogurt. It was the first time she’d had time to reflect on the past three weeks. She had gone to the doctor, had her pregnancy confirmed and started on prenatal vitamins.

  During her parent’s absence, she had
moved her clothes from their home to Ashley’s place. She had even taken Ashley’s advice and reactivated her YouTube channel while completing her two weeks on-the-job training.

  Now, with training and one full week of work behind her, she was in love with The Biltbury’s chic European-style. The boutique hotel, a mainstay of the globe-trotting, twenty-somethings exuded energy and charm.

  Undeterred by her many responsibilities, she embraced the job with gusto. From doing daily housekeeping room checks, scheduling staff hours, resolving guest’s issues, invoicing, and maintaining cash flow, to monitoring the internet for guest’s comments, along with anything else the general manager threw in her lap, Efia loved it all.

  With a negotiated starting salary of fifty-three thousand, plus profit sharing, she was well on her way to her long-term goal. In the meantime, the money she made from her YouTube channel would be used for her baby’s extracurricular activities. Plus, wearing a uniform meant she wouldn’t have to worry about spending money on clothing.

  Since arriving back in New York City, she had done her best to avoid meeting with her mother—until Rosina threatened to show up at her new job. Now that the day had arrived for their scheduled meeting, Efia sat nervously waiting for her mother to visit.

  The doorbell buzzed.

  Efia checked the time on her cell. Mom is not even a minute late. She put the yogurt cup on the coffee table, turned off the television and moved over to the hallway where she examined herself in the mirror. Except for her growing and sore boobs, she hadn’t seen any other significant change in her appearance.

  The doorbell buzzed a second time.

  Impatient much, Mom? Efia took a deep breath and opened the door.

  Rosina bustled through the door, grabbing Efia in a tight squeeze. “My child, it feels like ages since I set eyes on you.”

  “I miss you, too, Mom,” Efia said, hugging her mother, tightly.

  “Let me get a good look at you,” Rosina said, pulling back. “You are glowing. That island getaway did wonders for you. Once a person leaves all this pollution behind, the results are noticeable.”

  “Come, let us sit, Mom. We have to talk.”

  In the living room, Rosina reached into her oversized handbag, removing a pile of envelopes and magazines held together by a few thick rubber bands. “I brought your mail.” She handed the stack to Efia.