Ming made a sour face, pulling the child out of Roshawn’s reach. “That’s yuck,” she chimed as Alexa broke out into a fit of giggles.
Roshawn shook her head. “I’ll trade you,” she said, looking toward Mecan before rolling her eyes skyward.
Mecan laughed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Oh, it’s not all that bad.”
“That’s what you think. Where’s my girl?”
The man gestured toward the back of the house. “In the kitchen with Bridget.”
Roshawn stopped short, a look of pain skewing her face. She dropped her head into her hands, the appendage waving in frustration from side to side.
“Why didn’t Jeneva tell me Bridget was going to be here?”
“Because she knew you wouldn’t come. Now, go on inside. They’re waiting for you.”
Roshawn sighed.
Easing past her, Mecan chuckled lightly. “Come on, kiddo,” he said to Ming, gesturing for her to follow him. “Alexa and I were watching Dora the Explorer on the big screen in the den.”
Roshawn watched as Ming followed behind him, chatting a mile a minute to the little girl in her arms. She stood frozen in place as she struggled to contain the wave of anxiety that had suddenly consumed her. Taking long, deep breaths she fought to focus on anything except the confrontation she expected was waiting for her in the other room. Jeneva calling her name interrupted the moment.
Jeneva Tolliver rushed forward, wiping her hands against a cotton dishrag. “Roshawn, what are you doing? Come on in here,” she said leaning to give her friend a quick hug and kiss.
“Hi. Mac said Bridget was with you and I didn’t know…” She paused, her eyes skating about anxiously.
“You two need to get past this. You’ve been friends too long for this to keep on. Come talk to her,” Jeneva said, pulling the woman’s arm as she led her down the hall.
The end of the corridor opened to an expansive gourmet kitchen with a large center island and top-of-the-line, stainless-steel appliances. Corian countertops and custom cherry cabinets set the tone for a comfortable gathering space and the aroma of something decadent and sinful billowed from the double oven out into the room.
Roshawn smiled. “I smell chocolate.”
Bridget Hinton sat at the counter, her lean legs swinging from side to side from her perch on the high bar stool. “Jeneva made our favorite, Death By Chocolate cake,” the woman said, nodding in Roshawn’s direction.
The two stood staring at each other until Jeneva pushed her friend farther into the room. Roshawn chuckled ever so softly, then strode to Bridget’s side, extending her arms in an offering of peace. Bridget eyed her friend with a hint of reservation before slipping from her seat to give the woman a hug.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that you have my blue silk suit in your closet, I would still be mad at you. “
Roshawn gave the woman another quick squeeze. “I love you, too,” she whispered, tears spilling out of her eyes.
Bridget stepped back, gripping her by the shoulders. “Hey, what’s all this?” she asked, concern shadowing her expression. “We’ve had worse fights before, Roshawn. Why are you crying?”
Roshawn’s tears had transformed into a low sob. Bridget and Jeneva stood eyeing her, both disturbed by her obvious distress. The moment was circumvented by Ming and Alexa bursting into the room. Roshawn quickly wiped her eyes, then slipped out the French doors onto the screened porch. She stood staring out toward the Olympic Mountains and the large body of oceanic water that lay between it and the shoreline just a few lengthy feet away. Inside the living space, Ming greeted each of her godmothers, her youthful exuberance only outdone by the toddler’s boisterous energy.
Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, Roshawn struggled to regain her composure. What in the world was going on with her? she thought. Why was she suddenly feeling so completely out of control? As she stood reflecting on all her issues: her daughter, the salon, their finances, her ex-husband and her best friends, she couldn’t help but reflect back on the disagreement between her and Bridget. The bad behavior that had put a blemish on their lifelong friendship, weighed heavy against her heart.
It had been New Year’s Day, a brisk afternoon much like the day’s weather. A cold breeze had been blowing rapid gusts across the bay and like today they had all been gathered in the Tolliver home in celebration. The women had been in the kitchen giggling, and gossiping, and carrying on like they always did when the three of them were together. Bridget had been giddy. Giddy over the anticipated arrival of Darwin Tolliver who was returning from a trip to Louisiana to spend the week with his twin brother and sister-in-law. Bridget’s giddiness had been infectious.
* * *
“Look at her, Jeneva!” Roshawn had exclaimed, laughter pulling at her lips.
Jeneva shook the length of her natural hairstyle from side to side. “I don’t know why she’s acting like that. When he gets here Bridget won’t say ten words to the man.”
The two women laughed.
“I’ll speak to him,” Bridget said, flipping her hand at the two of them.
“I think she’s afraid of him,” Roshawn said, her eyebrows raised.
“Do you think?” Jeneva answered as if Bridget wasn’t sitting there beside them.
Roshawn nodded, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Either that or she’s got some deep-seated attachment to that vibrator of hers!”
“Look, heifer,” Bridget gushed, spinning around in her seat to give her friend a playful push.
The trio fell out laughing, then the moment turned reflective as Bridget fell back against her seat, leaning her head on Roshawn’s shoulder.
“Darwin’s not interested in me. I’ve been batting my eyelashes at the man for a year now and he treats me like he treats Jeneva.”
“That’s your problem. You need to be batting something other than your eyelashes at him.”
Jeneva rolled her eyes, jumping to her feet to check a pot of chili simmering on the stove. “Lord, please don’t get her started.”
Roshawn chuckled. “You need to take some of my advice. I know these things. Look at what I did for Jeneva and Mecan,” she said, her head waving up and down against her shoulders.
Jeneva tossed her a look that said, You wish you’d done something for Jeneva and Mecan.
Bridget swatted at her again. “What things? The only man you have ever given any serious time to is your ex-husband. What’s to know about that?”
Returning to the seat opposite the two women, Jeneva shrugged. “Roshawn may actually have something, Bridget. How many divorced women have slept with their ex-husbands as long as Roshawn did? If the man hadn’t gone and gotten married on her, she’d still be enjoying it!”
Roshawn snapped a finger. “That’s right. Girlfriend had it like that. And you wish you did too!” she said smugly.
Bridget shook her head. “What I wish is that I had more of your confidence, Roshawn. Even when we were in school, you were like a man magnet. They all loved you.”
“That’s only because she was putting out,” Jeneva said matter-of-factly.
“Says you!” Roshawn exclaimed.
“Said half the football team,” Jeneva said with a laugh.
Bridget nodded. “And the basketball team, the band and the chess club.”
Roshawn gestured toward the two of them with her pinkie finger.
“What’s that for?” Jeneva asked.
“You little people who aren’t worth the full thing,” she said as she extended her middle finger in another crude gesture. “And, I never did anyone in the chess club.”
Again, laughter rang through the room.
Bridget heaved a deep sigh.
“I’ll tell you what,” Roshawn said, leaning forward in her seat. “When Darwin gets here I’ll show you how to work a man the right way.”
Bridget winced. “Don’t you dare, Roshawn. Leave the man alone.”
Jeneva nodded. “She means leave her man al
one.”
Roshawn grinned.
“I mean it, Roshawn. Please don’t flirt with Darwin. I really like him and if you start acting up and he goes for it I’ll never forgive you. I don’t want a man who’s wanted you first.”
Roshawn sat back in her seat and shrugged. “Whatever. You just need to stop hating on a sister. I’m only trying to help you out.”
* * *
Roshawn closed her eyes, shaking her head as she willed away the memory. The evening had ended badly, Bridget driving off in haste, disappointment spilling from her eyes. Roshawn hadn’t been thinking anything of it when she and Darwin had stood like co-conspirators in the corner of Jeneva’s family room, bodies hovering too close together for anyone’s comfort. An off-color joke had incited the moment, the two laughing coyly as if they shared a personal secret. For Roshawn, flirting was a natural state of affairs when in the company of a good-looking man, and Darwin Tolliver was one good-looking, black man. Tall, like his brother, with the same blue-black complexion, brilliant white smile, and dimpled cheeks, Darwin had a majestic presence, and what woman could resist a man who carried himself like the emperor of his own private kingdom?
Bridget had not been at all amused, her feelings clearly hurt after she had asked her friend to not muddy the playing field where she wanted to navigate her own game plays. As innocent as the moment was, Roshawn had overstepped the boundary of their friendship by not abiding by the one request that had been made of her. Bridget hadn’t spoken to her since. Not until today. Both had been too stubborn to reach out and make the first gestures of apology and forgiveness. Like always, Jeneva had been the catalyst to bring them back to the folds of their lifelong friendship.
The doors behind her slid open and Bridget stepped out onto the porch by her side. Her friend wrapped her arms around Roshawn’s shoulders and hugged her tightly. Roshawn fought the urge to start crying all over again.
“I’m sorry, Bridget. I really didn’t—”
“Stop,” Bridget interrupted. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I was just jealous. You always get along so easily with men and I can’t seem to stop shaking when I’m around a man I like. I deal with dozens of men every day of the week but let me be around a man I’m interested in and I can’t function.” She paused. “But did you have to kiss him, Roshawn?”
Roshawn winced. “It wasn’t like that, Bridget. I swear it wasn’t. We’d just been talking and joking and teasing and when I kissed him I wasn’t trying to come on to him. It was just a light peck, Bridget. Nothing else. The man didn’t even give it a second thought and neither did I.” Contrition punctuated the lines of her expression as her gaze met Bridget’s.
Bridget heaved a deep sigh before continuing. “I know you wouldn’t do that to me on purpose,” she said, her voice coming in a loud whisper. “I was just frustrated, that’s all, and you two had looked so comfortable together. I guess I just jumped to the wrong conclusions.”
“You raced out so fast you didn’t give me a chance to explain. Darwin is a friend, but he’s really interested in you, Bridget. I think he’s just a bit nervous, too. I caught him looking at you a few times. Boyfriend was all glassy-eyed and drooling. He was a mess and I was giving him a hard time about it.”
Bridget giggled softly. “Well, he’s back in Shreveport so we can forget anything happening there.”
The two stood quietly together for a brief moment before Bridget spoke again.
“What’s wrong, Roshawn? We know you, and you aren’t yourself. You haven’t been yourself for a long while now. What’s going on?”
Roshawn shrugged. “I don’t know. I just can’t seem to pull myself together. Ming’s out of control. My business is falling apart. My life just feels so empty all of a sudden. I’m not having fun anymore. And, I’m just tired, Bridget. Just too tired for words.”
“Sounds like depression to me. That’s not good, Roshawn. We’ve got to fix that.”
Roshawn shrugged, allowing her body to lean heavy against her friend’s shoulder. Jeneva eased out onto the porch to join them, catching Bridget’s last comment. She joined in the embrace, hugging both of the women warmly.
“I think you need a change, Roshawn,” Jeneva said softly. “I think you need to step out of your comfort zone and stir things up a bit. The Roshawn we know would never let herself stagnate and you’ve been stagnating.”
Roshawn’s gaze met Jeneva’s, the statement wrapping itself firmly around her attention. She mulled it slowly, allowing it to seep deep into the recesses of her thoughts. The truth of it was suddenly disconcerting and it was in that instant Roshawn knew she needed to do something, but what that something was, she didn’t have a clue about.
She nodded her head slowly, an easy smile rising to her lips. “You both may be right,” she said. “I know I need to get myself together. Maybe a change would do that for me.”
Jeneva gave her a smile back. “Why don’t we discuss it over chocolate cake?”
“You’ve got ice cream, too, right?” Bridget asked.
“Edy’s Toffee Bar Crunch.”
Roshawn giggled. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!”
Chapter 3
Back inside the house the three women settled themselves around the kitchen counter as Jeneva sliced oven-warm cake into deep bowls, topping each off with huge scoops of melting ice cream. Roshawn hummed as she savored the first bite, allowing the warmth of the fudge dessert to meld with the creamy texture of caramel, and the delicate crunch of toffee candy.
Bridget nodded her agreement. “If this doesn’t cure what ails you, girlfriend, I don’t know what will.”
Roshawn grinned. “It may not cure it but it is sure making it feel a whole lot better.”
Jeneva laughed as she sat down and took her own bite. “So, what’s up with our godchild? She said you were mad at her. And, you threw her iPod down the stairs and broke it? Didn’t that thing cost like three hundred dollars?”
Roshawn laid her spoon down in the bowl and shook her head. “Ming didn’t come home until three o’clock this morning. She was hanging out in the cemetery with that boyfriend of hers and his gang, drinking and doing God only knows what else.”
Jeneva groaned. Bridget chuckled.
“That’s not funny, Bridget,” Roshawn said.
“Yes, it is. She’s just like you, Roshawn. Remember that night in the Recovery Room?” the woman asked, referring to the defunct dance club that should have been off-limits to them when they’d been Ming’s age.
Jeneva burst out laughing, drawing her hand to her mouth. “I’d forgotten all about that.”
Roshawn tossed a quick glance over her shoulder toward the doorway. “I can’t believe you remembered that,” she whispered.
“How long did we stand in that bathroom?” Bridget asked, looking from one to the other. “Hours,” she said, answering for them. “And, your father knew we were there. That man sat at that bar until closing time trying to catch us.”
The three of them giggled.
“We got in so much trouble,” Jeneva exclaimed, catching her breath. “My folks wouldn’t let me out of the house for almost a month.”
Bridget nodded. “Same here. The sun was coming up by the time we made it home and we couldn’t tell them where we’d been. Can you imagine what they would have done to us if they had known we’d crawled under the tables to go hide in the bathroom when we saw Mr. Douglas come in?”
The trio shook their heads at the thought.
Bridget continued. “We stayed in trouble hanging out with you, Roshawn. You were always getting us into some kind of mess.”
“I was not!” Roshawn exclaimed, a wide smile filling her face.
Jeneva’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, you were. How about the time we met those guys at the club and one of them convinced you to go to that private party?”
Bridget burst out laughing, clasping her hand over her mouth to silence the outburst. “It was a private party all right. You made us
go with you and we followed them to the dredges of town. All they wanted was to get us into that nasty-looking apartment for some one-on-one fun.”
“I cannot believe we were that naive,” Jeneva chimed. “Anything could have happened to us.”
“And don’t forget,” Bridget added. “We only got out of that mess when Roshawn ran over that fool’s foot.”
The three women laughed hysterically at the memory, reflecting back on the young man who had jumped up and down in the middle of the darkened street drawing attention to the fact that his right foot had just been mauled by the Chevy Impala’s front tire.
Roshawn wiped the damp tears from her face. “But we had a lot of fun. You have to admit, we always had a great time.”
Her two friends nodded, wiping at their own faces.
Jeneva reached to stroke Roshawn’s forearm with the flat of her palm. “That’s what you need to get back, Roshawn. That feeling you have when you’re enjoying life.”
Bridget dropped her hand beside Jeneva’s. “You’ve forgotten how much fun you have when you’re living life in that special way only you know how to do, Roshawn. And, that’s what Ming’s doing now, living her life and enjoying every minute of it. Just like you taught her.”
Jeneva laughed again. “Baby girl got it honest, Roshawn. That apple didn’t fall far from your tree.”
Roshawn heaved a deep sigh. “I’m doomed,” she said jokingly. “I’ve got to put the brakes on her. I don’t want her married with a baby before she’s twenty. I know I got lucky. Chen was a good man and he’s been a great father. But there is no guarantee that Ming will be as blessed. And, if that boy she’s hot after now is any indication, then I surely don’t want her following in my footsteps.”
Love in the Lineup Page 3