Over the Hedge: Part 2- The Finale (Lucky in Love)

by Minerva Vesta

  Jenny let out a light chuckle. Her dainty, red-painted fingernails pressed to her lips as if I’d just said something amusing.

  “I don’t want to start things off on the wrong foot, Sean.” She stepped forward as she spoke, bringing her body closer to mine. “I wanted to make amends. This is a peace offering.”

  She extended her hand, offering the drink. I looked back and forth between her face and the glass. This woman must think I’m an idiot to take a drink from her.

  “No, thank you. I’m fine,” I responded indicating my empty glass.

  “Well, this one is on me.”

  “Look, I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at, but what do you want?”

  “I told you I want to make amends,” Jenny’s voice was low as she spoke. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry for the way things turned out. I never meant for things to end so badly. The only way for me to continue getting support from Greg was to give him what he wanted. He can be a very brutal man.”

  It was the first time I’d ever seen her look like she had any genuine emotions. I appreciated her efforts, but it was not going to garner an ounce of compassion from me. I couldn’t care less what excuses she had. She intentionally tried to hurt Lashawnda. And, for that, I would forever find her disdainful.

  “Listen, I’m not the one you need to apologize to. Lashawnda was supposed to be your friend,” I said.

  “Some friend she turned out to be. I didn’t know friends acted like poachers of a guy she knew I was interested in,” Jenny sneered. I shook my head, seeing the same person I’d always known, reappear. The spite was difficult to conceal in her tone.

  “What?” I asked in disbelief.

  Jenny couldn’t possibly be that delusional that she thought I was interested in her. At no point since I met her and Lashawnda on the same day did I ever think twice about her. If anything, she was the last person I ever thought about.

  “She knew how I felt about you,” Jenny explained, voice holding a slight tremble as she spoke.

  “Actually no, I didn’t. And whatever you felt wasn’t reciprocated,” I countered.

  “Sean, please; let’s not bring her into this. I wanted tonight to be about me making amends with you. I’m sure once we get to spend some time together, you’ll realize you like me. I already know I like you very much.” Jenny placed the drink down on the small table and reached her hands out to touch my chest.

  I quickly stepped back from her touch, bumping the back of my legs against the chair.

  “Are you fucking crazy? You must be, to think I want anything to do with you?” I barked, voice coming out louder than intended. I had to rein in my anger. Although we were standing in an enclave, I could still see a few people milling around.

  Jenny’s expression shifted from sugary sweet to maniacal and then back to angelic again. If I wasn’t a man who believed in the scientific method, I would have sworn she’d just cast some evil spell.

  “This could’ve all been so simple,” she said shaking her head.

  Suddenly, she reached up with her free hand and wiped my face with a moist cloth. I knocked her hand away from me. She swiped the cloth on the back of my hand again during my attempt to get out of her reach.

  “What the hell...” I began.

  But I could barely get the words out of my mouth. In an instant, my throat felt tight and my vision blurred. I was unsteady on my feet. Grasping the back of the chair, I tried to steady myself. I suddenly had the urge to close my eyes. My head seemed too heavy for my shoulders, and my entire left side felt like it was getting ready to give out in any second.

  Jenny walked closer and bent down over my sagging body. She pressed her face close. The clawing scent of her body made my stomach turn. Her fingers touched the side of my face again with the same wet cloth. I tried jerking away but couldn’t move an inch. When her lips kissed my forehead, I thought I would throw up.

  “I wish you would have been more accommodating, Sean. I didn’t want things to get to this point. Now, I have to do this the hard way,” she said, stroking my exposed skin with the wet cloth.

  “What did you do to me?” I asked, voice barely audible.

  “You see, Dr. Barnes’s lab isn’t the only one that I’ve taken information from. Did you know H&G was contracted by one of the leading pharmaceutical companies to design a potent, topical muscle relaxant? Well, the guys in the lab have had great success with using it on the rats. You should be lucky to know, you are the first human subject,” she explained.

  “You’re fucking nuts,” I gritted out.

  A jolt of energy passed through me, and I was able to move my right side. I took two steps before I stumbled to the side, falling against the wall. My feet felt heavy, but I willed them to move. If I could get back to the ballroom, I could be safe away from this woman. Whatever she gave me, someone could call for medical assistance.

  Sudden fear gripped me as I felt my ability to control my limbs slipping away.

  God, please don’t let me die. I pleaded.

  Visions of Lashawnda and me curled up in bed this morning flashed through my mind. In less than two hours I was supposed to be proposing to her at the beach. I woke up this morning envisioning today as the perfect day to pop the question.

  I dreamed she was walking along the shore with her shoes in one hand, and the fingers of the other laced with mine. The tide was high and coming in strong. We were discussing how to decorate the spare bedroom. I would casually drop down to one knee and ask her for her hand in marriage because I was ready to turn that room into a nursery. She would jump up and down screaming, ‘yes.’ Then we’d topple over while we embraced That’s the kind of thing that happens in a relationship with that clumsy lady of mine. We’d probably end up losing the ring too.

  God, I want my dream to come true.

  I want to be wrapped in my woman’s arms tonight.

  What the fuck did this crazy bitch do to me?

  I could hear the M.C. welcoming the attendees down the hall. As the feeling in my right leg dwindled, I didn’t think I would make it. I switched gears taking slow shaky steps toward the men’s restroom. There was an attendant working in there. Taking a left down the hallway, I held on to the wall for support. The men’s bathroom sign came into view. Pushing at the door, I let out a relieved breath as I almost fell into the attendant when the door swung open.

  CHAPTER 35

  LASHAWNDA

  “I ain’t never, no, no loved a man the way that I, I love you.”

  The low hum of Aretha Franklin’s voice streamed through the speakers in the car. I rocked my head from side to side at the conviction in every note she crooned. I sang along, voice sounding nothing like the Queen of Soul, but my heart was enthralled by the emotions the song invoked.

  Some days I looked at Sean and wonder if he was real. Ten months of knowing him and it felt like a lifetime. I didn’t understand the concept of love the way I do now. It was something foreign, something outside of my realm of understanding. Love was what I saw on TV, what I read in books, what I presumed my parents had. I knew familial love and the love of a friend. But romantic love was something entirely different. Every day, I was thankful to be experiencing the phenomenal of loving with a man like Sean. I wouldn’t want to do it with no one else but him.

  Tonight, would be a night of celebration. Me celebrating the love of my man and the success in my professional life. I had officially gotten accepted into the graduate program. Outside of Dr. Vanderpool, no one else knew. He wrote one of my letters of recommendation, so it was only right I share the good news with him first. He would also be my faculty advisor for the next three years. When I called with the good news, he blew it off like I already had my spot secured. He told me going through the application process was just a formality.

  I couldn’t wait to share the good news with Sean.

  I checked the time on the dashboard, thankful I’d made it through the madness on the road. One of the worst things about living in this c
ity was downtown traffic. I pulled my car up to the hotel’s main entrance. I briefly contemplated self-parking but valeted instead. The ceremony was in full swing by now. There was no point in wasting time with a long trek from the parking garage.

  I came to a rolling halt in front of the valet. I was in such a rush that I forgot to shift the car to park. Luckily, I hadn’t completely taken my foot off the brake.

  “So sorry, but I’m in a rush.” I hurried past the attendant, handing him my keys and snatching the parking tag from his outstretched hand.

  “No problem,” he yelled.

  It was my fourth time seeing him today; he was probably used to me. Putting together this event was stressful, but I couldn’t wait to see the outcome.

  Waving my apologies at the valet attendant, I hurried inside, mentally noting to leave him a huge tip when I left for the evening. I made my way to the lobby entrance and saw the signs indicating where the ceremony was happening. It surprised me that Sean wasn’t waiting for me in the lobby. The man was always there anticipating my needs. I’d envisioned him sitting there with his hands folded, elbows resting against his knees. When I approached, he would stand and look at me as if I was the only woman in the world. Sean had a way of making me feel like the sun rose and set on my smile.

  Laughter sounded from behind the large double doors of the ballroom. I carefully pulled them open and peered through the crack. One of the executives on stage was giving a speech about another honoree. Dr. and Mrs. Barnes were sitting at the assigned table in the front of the room. I scanned the area seeing the familiar faces. Yet, there was one face that I didn’t see.

  Where was Sean?

  Stepping out of the room, I pulled out my cell. Quickly hitting the call button next to his name, I waited patiently for him to pick up. After four rings his phone went to voicemail.

  “Sean, it’s me, where are you? I’m standing outside of the ballroom. I stuck my head in, but I didn’t see you. Call me back.” I looked around the lobby as I spoke, hoping he would come around a corner any second now.

  I sent him a quick text message after hanging up.

  Me: I’m here now. Where are you?

  Hearing applauds from behind the door, I knew I needed to get inside since there was only one more speech before mine. I opened the door amid all the applause, effectively concealing my late arrival.

  Mallory waved me over, and I went to stand next to the podium.

  “Hey, have you seen Sean?” I asked, joining in with everyone as I clapped loudly.

  “About forty minutes ago. He came to tell me you would be late,” Mallory replied.

  “Hmm.” I scrunched my brows in confusion. Where could he have disappeared to? I didn’t press Mallory for any more information; I could tell her mind was preoccupied with making sure the event was rolling smoothly.

  “By the way, I’m so sorry about coming so late. I really thought I could make it back here in time,” I apologized. Leaving her hanging was not something I wanted to do.

  “Girlie, don’t sweat it. Traffic is a bitch sometimes, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Besides, I wouldn’t want to smell like fish and dip for the entire evening either. I don’t blame you one bit for going home to change.” Mallory laughed when I rolled my eyes at the memory of my run-in with the waiter.

  “I swear some days this curse of mine just makes me want to give up in defeat,” I admitted.

  The room got quiet as the CEO made the introductions for the next honoree. I kept checking my phone every ten seconds for a missed call or text message from Sean. Fifteen minutes later it was my turn to make my speech. If Sean didn’t make it back soon, he would miss my announcement for my admissions into the graduate program. I had woven the news into my speech as a representation of how working for Dr. Barnes had enhanced my personal and professional growth.

  I looked out into the sea of faces as I took the stage. Mrs. Barnes was fussing over Dr. Barnes’s tie. From the time I walked into the room, I noticed how uncomfortable he was with it. I took a deep breath, ready to honor one of the greatest men I’d ever had the privilege of meeting.

  “Aww. Thank you so much.” I hugged another one of my coworkers who stopped by our table.

  My speech turned out to be a big hit. What knocked me off my feet was the recognition I received as Employee of the Year. During my acceptance speech, I had the entire room laughing when I told them I only got the award was because I kept the Mad Scientist out of everyone’s hair. I made it clear that his drive and passion, and sometimes eccentricities, are the reasons I love working for him. At the end, I was shocked when he engulfed me in a tight embrace and said, “It’s been a pleasure having you with me, Lashawnda.”

  The fact that he called me by my first name was more of a surprise than the hug.

  Now, it was an hour later, and the celebration was still going full swing. The open bar was proving to be a good idea to get people to loosen up and socialize. Thanks to Brad, and the guys from, Ealey we had the music covered. Although, he refused to take money for playing at my dad’s birthday party, I added him and the band to the budget for the H&G ceremony and made sure we didn’t skimp on his compensation.

  I picked up my phone again to reach Sean. I tried not to freak out, with the entire executive team sitting near me during the ceremony. I’d text him a few times with no response. Now, that the formal part of the ceremony was over, I could finally excuse myself.

  “Okay, Sean…you’re freaking me out. Babe, where are you?” I waited with the phone against my ear, almost as if I expected him to say something back. “I’ll try you again.”

  I paced the hallway outside of the ballroom, trying to think where he could have disappeared to. I called the house phone a few times, and he didn’t pick up there either. Making my way outside, I was about to ask the valet if they’d parked his car, when I suddenly got the idea to call Brent.

  “So, did he pass out on you?” Brent asked upon answering.

  “What? Brent this is Lashawnda what are you talking about? I called to find out if you’ve heard from Sean. We had a company event tonight. He was here, but now I can’t find him. I figured he might have left early for some emergency.” I paused and rubbed my forehead in frustration. “But that doesn’t even make sense. He would have called me.”

  “Hey, I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just got sick and went to the restroom,” Brent replied lightheartedly.

  “You think so?” I asked.

  Even to me, an hour-long trip to the bathroom seemed unlikely. But Sean had been acting odd all day; maybe he was sick.

  “I’ll check with the desk clerk to see if anyone’s seen him.”

  “Actually, your best bet would be to just go straight to the bathroom. The hotel has attendants working in there. They would more likely be able to give you an answer,” Brent proposed.

  “Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Later,” Brent answered.

  For the first time since realizing my boyfriend went M.I.A., I was hopeful.

  I made my way down the main lobby, away from the ballroom, toward the men’s bathroom. I tentatively knocked on the door and waited until someone opened it. It was an older gentleman with graying hair and a large potbelly. His vest poked out as if he was hiding a basketball underneath. After working in the health care field, I knew the signs of possible fatty liver. I could also detect faint traces of alcohol on him. It was that scent that lingered when people imbibed more than the norm. One of my great uncles always smelled like that when he came for family functions. As a child, I didn’t understand why Uncle Leonard smelled funny all the time. But, as I got older, I realized it was because of the liquor seeping through his pores.

  “Excuse me? Have you seen a really tall white guy with dark hair and green eyes come in here? He was dressed for the ceremony in the ballroom,” I asked, wrinkling my nose. “I’m sorry this is probably a bit unorthodox.”

  “Ah…ma’am, I don’t know abou
t any green eyes, but I did see a young man with dark hair and an impressive height in here a while ago,” The attendant responded.

  “Oh, great.” I stated with relief. “Can you tell me how long ago? Is he still in there by chance?”

  “Actually, he looked ill when he came in. He sat here for close to ten minutes looking like death was upon him. I offered to call someone for him, but he kept mumbling incoherently, so I just let him be until he asked for help. He was lucky his girlfriend came here looking for him,” he explained.

  “His girlfriend?” I asked, processing the older man’s words. I felt the presence of someone standing behind me. I looked to see a guy I recognized from work trying to get into the bathroom. I stepped away from the entrance to let him pass.

  “Yes, nice young lady. She said they’d had too much to drink, and she was getting them a room in the hotel, so he could sleep it off. I even offered to help carry him up to the room. I don’t know how a petite little thing like that could manage such a big guy.”

  “Can you tell me what she looked like?” I asked, trying not to panic.

  “Like I said petite, beautiful face, long brunette hair.”

  “What the hell,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “Sorry, miss, what did you say?”

  “That wasn’t his girlfriend. Unless her name is Lashawnda Price she has no right to that title,” I responded with more attitude than I intended.

  The attendant looked at me confused. It was obvious he didn’t understand what was going on, and neither did I. I was sure going to get to the bottom of it. It made no sense why Jenny would come to Sean’s aid if he wasn’t feeling well.

  “Ma’am, excuse me? But did you say Lashawnda? Is that your name?” he asked.

  “Yes, that’s my name. I’m his girlfriend.”

  “Oh, my lord. That’s what he kept saying. Every time I asked him if there was someone he’d like me to call he’d say, ‘Lashawnda.’ I’m sorry, but I thought he was just talking gibberish. Well, if you’re his girlfriend, who was that young lady that came in here to get him?” he inquired.