by Pat Simmons
“Hold on a sec,” she said, while assisting a customer who was constantly being distracted by her small child.
Checking her watch, Kendall obliged with a professional smile. Talise pretended not to notice that she was impatiently tapping her shoe. After the passenger finally went on her way, she turned to Kendall.
“You never finished telling me what happened in St. Louis.”
“Oh,” her coworker said with a shrug. “Girl, I forgot all about yesterday’s news. My ears are waiting for the latest going on around here.”
Resting one hand on her narrow hip, Kendall leaned on the counter. “Anyway, some Black guy, who was pretty-boy fine, seemed bent on talking to this woman before that plane took off. Someone caught his antics on a video phone. You would think the brother enjoyed the attention because he sure didn’t seem fazed by it.”
“Really?” Talise hoped no one would come to the counter until after Kendall completed the story.
“Yeah. Mr. GQ stared directly into the camera with a crazy, sexy smile and had the nerve to say, ‘Hi, Mom.’”
“Sounds like a fool.”
“Yep, a fool for love. Check it out on YouTube. It’s hilarious. Now my feet are killing me. See ya after break.”
Men only acted a fool for love in the movies. That was too much to ask from Ace. Talise lost faith in undying love months ago.
God, has love passed me by? Was it too late for her to find her true love? Especially having someone else’s baby? Talise shivered. She didn’t even want to think about another relationship. Focusing on her child would keep her busy for a lifetime.
By late afternoon, most of the flights were back to normal and the rest of her Friday was uneventful. She only thought about that crazy video once more.
With one hour to go before her shift was over, Talise couldn’t stop yawning. The good sleep she experienced the previous night was long gone. Plus, her body had begun to serve notice that she’d been standing too long. That feeling had become the norm during her shift. Between an aching back and swollen feet, she was hurting all over. Talise craved her bed and comfy cover. A glass of milk and then a nap would round off her day and make her a happy camper.
Forty-five minutes and counting, then she’d be off. It just wasn’t coming soon enough. Looking up, a smile of relief stretched across her face. Her body relaxed when she spotted Gabrielle navigating through the terminal, working her way around the passengers.
This was the last day for Gabrielle to wear her ticket agent hat. Hopefully, for her supervisor’s sake, Talise’s regular replacement would be back on Sunday. She watched Gabrielle detour into a gift shop for some snacks.
With fifteen minutes to go, Kendall’s replacement so far was a no show. Jessica was notorious for running late and then blaming it on traffic. When she did arrive, she was usually flustered and Kendall was less than understanding.
“Hey, Talise,” Gabrielle said, resting her items on the bottom shelf behind the counter. “You’re free to move around the cabin,” she repeated her standard greeting.
“You’re early,” Talise said with a big smile. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“That’s my job. Go ahead and sign out. I’ll take it from here.” Then turning to face the next customer in line, with a genuine smile, she addressed the gentleman. “I’m sorry for the delay, sir. We’re in the middle of a shift change. Give us thirty seconds, please.”
The man’s flared nostrils seemed to deflate. “Sure. I have a few minutes.” He returned her smile, looking like a prince who had just discovered his princess.
Talise bit her lip to contain her grin. They often teased each other about the impact their attractiveness had on the male species. Gabrielle always seemed to win hands down.
Mouthing her thanks, Talise gathered her things. Before she could walk away, Gabrielle touched her arm and whispered, “Get some rest this weekend. You’ve looked tired lately, but you’re still a diva.” She winked and lightly bumped her out of the way.
“Yeah, right.”
Covering a yawn, Talise nodded and patted Gabrielle’s shoulder. Waving goodbye, she escaped under Kendall’s watchful eye.
Talise had a full schedule the next day at the salon. Immediately after that, Sunday would begin her new work week back at the airport. She couldn’t fathom how she could squeeze in any “extra” rest. Except for the previous night, her sleep was routinely interrupted with multiple trips to the bathroom.
How did she manage to spend so much time with Ace between the two jobs? It saddened her that what she had with him was so superficial. It was a still a mystery how she had become pregnant, despite their safety precautions. Of course, it goes without saying, if she had never slept with him in the first place, then she wouldn’t be in her current predicament.
Talise was almost out of the airport when Kendall’s relief came rushing through the door. Jessica didn’t even notice her. Talise shook her head. The woman knew what she was up against. Kendall would curse her out in two languages, all the while smiling.
The Silver Line bus seemed to be waiting for her the moment she stepped to the curb. Although her body was tired, her mind hadn’t forgotten what Kendall said about the incident in St. Louis. She wondered if it happened before, during, or after her plane took off.
“Thank goodness for airport security,” she mumbled, as she thought about a possible workplace disaster. Employees were trained to react swiftly to any threat, no matter how insignificant it may appear at the time.
Collapsing in an empty seat, Talise pulled out her phone and accessed the Internet. Kendall had mentioned it was about a lover’s quarrel. On the YouTube site, she entered “man,” “Southwest,” and “lovers” in the search box.
The shaky video started with two smaller men tackling a man the size of a football player, as if to keep him from scoring a touchdown. The commotion would have been slapstick comedy if it wasn’t happening in an airport, her place of employment. Once in handcuffs, it was comical watching the men attempting to stand the suspect up on his feet.
From the rear, the guy was nicely dressed. She couldn’t yet make out the “pretty-boy fine” face, as Kendall described him. Scrutinizing the side view, he did favor… when his face came into full view, Talise gasped.
Her hand flew to her mouth, but the sound escaped anyway. With enough clarity, there was no doubt in her mind that it was Ace being escorted away. She blinked several times. Immediately and unexpectedly, her heart longed for him.
It had been over two months, and Ace Jamieson was more handsome than her memory could ever paint. Fearless and not easily intimidated, he still possessed the same aura that had attracted her.
“Are you all right?” A female rider asked, peering over Talise’s shoulder, who was instantly startled. Once the woman realized the cause of Talise’s behavior, she laughed. “Girl, isn’t that hilarious! It’s all over the Internet. Isn’t that man fine?”
Ace. Talise mused before she found her voice. “Ah, yeah, it is, especially the part where he’s being thrown to the ground.”
“He sure didn’t go down easily.”
Talise wanted to be left alone to her thoughts. It was good she wasn’t far from her South End apartment. Replaying the clip, she paused on Ace’s close-up.
“It didn’t take you long to move on,” she mumbled, as her eyes misted. So Ace was already involved in another relationship with someone in St. Louis.
Eva was pretty adamant that he wouldn’t be anywhere near her. But Ace was family, and Eva’s alliance would be to him. Talise swallowed. Her mind was running wild. Why couldn’t he fight for me like that?
The bus stopped a block from her apartment. Getting off, Talise began walking on autopilot. Her refuge seemed miles away. She prayed Lois wasn’t home. In her emotional state of misery, she didn’t want company.
By the time she made it to her door, Talise was on the verge of tears. Seeing Ace’s face was upsetting. She entered, listening for her roommate.
“Lois?”
When there was no answer, she shut the door and released the flood gates. Making a beeline to her bedroom, Talise tossed her purse in a corner and kicked off her shoes. With tears blurring her vision, she quickly disrobed. The only thing on her mind was going to bed and crying herself to sleep.
Unfortunately, her stomach growled as she turned back the cover. Then she froze, feeling something unusual. What was that? She waited to see if she would feel it again. A flutter. It was subtle, but she felt it.
Jubilation immediately replaced the pity party Talise was about to have. She was almost thirteen weeks. Her baby books said she could expect to experience flutters after week fifteen. Talise grinned, wiping at her tears. Evidently, her baby was saying otherwise.
“Okay, little one, let me feed you.”
She put her emotional breakdown on hold and made her way to the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator with gusto, she took out the makings for a hamburger and a salad. Twenty minutes later, she was enjoying a small meal and reading a baby book.
Afterward, Talise stored the leftovers for Lois’s lunch and cleaned up the kitchen. She couldn’t wait to relax in bed. With one hand on her stomach, she lay there, waiting for another flutter. But after the initial two quivers, her baby ignored any request for more.
It seemed like she had just dozed off when Lois came into the apartment, disturbing her peace.
“Talise.” Her footsteps brought her to the bedroom door, which was partially closed. She tapped.
“Talise?”
“Hmm?” Rolling over, she slurred, “Come in.”
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling okay?”
Talise grinned. “I think I felt the baby. It wasn’t a kick, more like a flutter. I was lying still, so maybe I could feel it again. Then I dozed off.”
Lois sat gently on the bed and smiled. “I hate to break up your moment of utopia, but a video is going viral on the Internet, and—”
“I’ve already seen it. Ace having a lover’s spat.”
Lois lifted a brow. “Humph. They never showed the woman. Personally, I think it was a setup. It was your flight, Talise. According to an article I dug up, it was the same flight as yours. It looks like the Jamieson wives had you fooled after all.”
Bracing her hands on the mattress, Talise shook her head and scooted to sit up. Her conflicting emotions from earlier returned with a vengeance. In a twisted way, Lois’s theory about a setup gave her a slight amount of comfort that another woman wasn’t involved. But it didn’t take long before reality set in and she became outraged at the potential embarrassment he could have caused her.
Lois stood. “It doesn’t appear that any Jamieson can be trusted. After I saw that video, I confronted Cameron. He denied knowing about Ace’s travel itinerary or motives. But all my trust was maxed out after he knowingly withheld information that his cousin was a scumbag.”
Talise smirked. It was a waste of energy for her to get mad when Lois was mad enough for the both of them.
After Lois left her, she reached for her cell phone. First, she had to prepare herself for a reality check. She had no right to demand the Jamieson wives pick sides. They seemed like the kind of people who, once they made up their minds about something, they couldn’t be swayed. Yet, days after meeting them, Talise was already testing their truthfulness about wanting a genuine friendship. Her interrogation began the moment Eva said hello.
“Did you know that Ace was at the airport yesterday?” Talise’s heart pounded, waiting for the answer she hoped.
“None of us did, until his stupidity went viral on that video.”
Talise breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God there was no setup as Lois hinted. She genuinely liked Eva and her in-laws.
Eva chuckled. “I can’t remember the last time I was so entertained by something on YouTube.”
“Do you know why he was there?”
“You.”
“Me?” Talise frowned, confused. “You just said Ace didn’t know I was there.” Something wasn’t adding up. The seed of Lois’s suspicions was taking root again.
“Evidently, he planned a surprise trip to Boston this weekend. When he thought he saw you, he was calling out and trying to get to you. The rest, as they say, is viral.”
“Hmm.” What was Ace up to? Thank God for iPods and headsets. She was glad she didn’t hear him or else she would have been on YouTube right along with him. Talise didn’t know how she would have reacted, seeing him after his betrayal. She could hear Sinclaire clearly telling her to watch and pray.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Unbelievable!” Ace roared, pacing in Kidd’s living room.
His brother, Eva, and his mother seemed unfazed by his tirade. Their eerie calmness irked him more. He felt betrayed when his mother admitted that it was indeed Talise at the airport.
“A girls’ tea day, huh? She flew a thousand miles to sip tea. Come on, people. How idiotic is that?”
Ace twisted his lips. It was too simplistic to believe. Talise definitely had other motives. What nerve she had to try and brainwash his mother, just so Sandra would help her to string the others along. He had to admit she was clever, though. What better way to infiltrate the family?
“You should talk, bro,” Kidd said, snacking on a sandwich Eva had prepared for him. “You’re the one who clowned on YouTube.”
When Kidd replayed the incident captured on video, Ace groaned at his brother’s scowl. Sure, he could have done without Kidd’s smart remark. After all, his reaction was merely his way of feeling in control in an out of control situation. How was he to know that it would turn out to be such a big deal?
All weekend long, Ace had held his peace and accepted his mother’s tongue-lashing about his behavior. Compounded with Kidd’s glare and Eva’s shun, he felt like a naughty grade-school boy.
Once the clamor over his YouTube celebrity status had blown over, his suspicions grew that something else was going on. His mother and Eva had one too many hushed conversations when they thought he was out of hearing range. When Talise’s name and the mention of a baby were repeatedly used in the same sentence, Ace demanded answers. She was none of their business and no longer his. How could they go behind his back and welcome her with open arms?
“The woman is lying, I’m telling you. Did she even look pregnant?” Ace demanded.
“A woman doesn’t have to look pregnant to be pregnant,” Eva retorted, rubbing her stomach.
“Hmm-mm. That’s the wrong answer in my book. The woman is lying and she has all of you feeding into her deceit.”
As hard as he tried, Ace couldn’t believe how his mother and Eva came to Talise’s defense. Nothing he said could convince them otherwise. It was part of her plan to use them to lay a guilt trip on him for a baby that didn’t exist.
“You walked out on her, Ace,” Eva snapped.
Finishing his sandwich, Kidd wiped his mouth and stretched his arm around his wife’s shoulder. His expression dared his brother a rebuttal. Whatever words he was ready to spew from his mouth, it was certain that Kidd would take it personally.
He and his brother had never fought over a woman, but somehow, it appeared things were about to change. They were going to have to step outside because Ace didn’t want Eva and his mother to witness him getting the upper hand on his older brother.
Ace barked, “Do you know how many women I’ve walked away from, Eva Jamieson? Talise is no different.” He experienced a sour taste in his mouth after spewing those words.
Standing, Kidd folded his arms and he lifted a brow. He didn’t say anything, but his stance was threatening enough, which annoyed Ace. Whose side was he on, anyway?
“Then that’s your loss. Men like you give all Black men a bad rap…”
“Babe, watch it. He’s still my brother.”
Ace didn’t blink. His brother had called it right because, at the moment, Ace was beyond angry. His family had interfered enough. It was time to part ways.
“What do yo
u people want from me, blood?”
“You don’t need to give your DNA until after the baby is born,” Sandra spoke up. “But then what do you plan to do?”
“I’ll decide when the time comes.” Ace headed for the front door. He needed fresh air and didn’t care if the summer heat was still stifling at night. With his hand on the knob, he glanced over his shoulder.
“Have a safe flight home, Mom.” Opening the door, he was gone.
Ace walked the neighborhood until he was sure Kidd and Eva had left to take his mother to the airport. When he returned to their house, he packed as much of his things as he could.
He was going to a hotel room. The next time he set foot into their house, it would be to get the rest of his belongings. Eva was no longer on bed rest, so no sob stories could sucker him into staying longer.
Once he checked into the Hilton Garden Hotel off I-70, Ace didn’t bother unpacking. He lay on top of the bed and stared at the ceiling.
“When did my life become so complicated?” he wondered out loud.
Give Me all your worries because I care about everything in your life, God whispered in the wind, ending with First Peter 5:7.
He heard that and now he could hear his mother’s voice when he was a teenager. “Don’t lead these young girls on, Aaron,” she would say to him. “If you want to be friends, then keep your conversation friendly and don’t spend so much one-on-one time with them. Otherwise, a girl will begin to think something more is going on between the two of you.”
Ace grunted. As far as he was concerned, he had listened to his mother and never led a woman on. They simply followed and he didn’t stop them.
Recalling a time when he was just turning nineteen, trouble seemed to be dogging him everywhere he turned. Between girls, school, and peer pressure, Sandra had told him to give it all to God. She said that God wanted Ace to trust Him with all of his problems because God cared about everything in his life. Ace had dismissed her advice then just as he had done this time.