Playing the Hand You're Dealt

by Trice Hickman

  I nodded and wondered who she was talking about. We shared everything, but as I knew all too well, some memories were better left alone and untouched. I lowered my head, trying to block out my past.

  Ever since Mother walked through the door, the mood in the room had shifted from fun and lighthearted to bleak and dreary.We were laughing and having a good time until she killed it with her wicked aura. But I refused to let her funk up my groove. “Back to your love life.” I grinned.“Have you had a chance to test any of the goodies I got you?”

  Emily smiled wide and put her hand up to her mouth as she blushed. “I have to thank you, girl! You know how to hook a sister up!”

  “See, I knew you were a closet freak!”

  We giggled like schoolgirls, carrying on so loudly that Daddy jokingly yelled from his study down the hall, “Don’t you two get into any trouble.”

  After our laughter and sex talk, I decided to tell Emily about the dumb mistake I made—sleeping with Carl. She didn’t look surprised, and as usual, she didn’t judge me. The thing I loved about my friendship with Emily was that she accepted me as I was. She was the only person in whom I’d ever felt that level of trust. I didn’t even tell Daddy all of my business.

  “Samantha,” Emily said in her soft but solidly firm voice that let you know she was dead serious. “Please stay away from Carl. I have a bad feeling about where he’s headed, and I don’t want him to take you there with him. Promise me you’re going to leave him alone?”

  “Emily, you ain’t said nothin’ but a word.”

  I really meant it this time. I was going to stay away from Carl. He had called me right before I got home this afternoon and this time I picked up. I told him that if he didn’t leave me alone I’d file a stalking complaint and get a stay-away order issued for his ass. That seemed to defuse him because no matter how bold Carl was, he didn’t want any trouble from the police. It was amazing, that with all the shit he pulled and his criminal activities, he had never served a single day behind bars in his thirty-three years on earth. He was just that slick.

  I planned to heed Emily’s advice and my own gut feelings because I could smell the trouble that was brewing. I made up my mind. I would go out with Tyme again and see where it led because I needed a change in my life.

  Chapter 9

  Ed . . .

  You Looking for a Change?

  I was trying to block out the sounds coming from the kitchen as Emily’s delicate hiccup-like laughter pounded in my ear. She and Sam were having a good time talking about all the men that my daughter was lining up for her. I knew I shouldn’t be so sardonic, but I couldn’t help myself. When Sam made the remark about playing matchmaker, I wanted to probe but I couldn’t.This kind of thing was maddening for me.

  As I sat in my study enjoying the smooth taste of my brandy, its pleasure drew me back to the encounter I’d shared with Emily several weeks ago when I surprised her by showing up at her new house unannounced. She was having problems with her contractor, so I thought that rather than draft a threatening letter, a face-to-face showdown with the man would be more effective. Plus, I was dying for an opportunity to be in a space with Emily other than in this house.

  She thanked me, and then insisted on repaying me for my efforts. I told her that a simple smile was all I needed. Man, she lit up and gave me more than I’d expected. Her smile gave me hope. When I looked into her eyes that day, something told me that she knew what I was thinking, and I believe she was thinking the same thing, too. I was a good judge of human behavior, and I was rarely if ever wrong about people’s intentions or motivations. That smile sparked something, and it led to more intense moments, like last week.

  As usual, I had been in my study having a nightcap, going over case documents for the coming week. Brenda was out at a volunteer function for her sorority, and Emily was reading CJ a bedtime story. After Emily finished, I heard her quietly tiptoe down the stairs. She increased her pace as she passed by my study, avoiding me. She walked through the kitchen and headed out the back door on her way to visit with Gerti, as she did from time to time.

  After an hour or so, I heard the soft sound of the door open and close. Emily tried to creep past my door again without being noticed, but this time I stopped her. I needed to talk to her. “How are things coming with the house?” I called out from behind my desk. I knew this would be a safe opening.

  She stopped in the middle of my doorway and hesitated for a moment. “Everything’s working out well. Emmanuel says they’ll be finished very soon, finally.”

  She said the last part with relief. I knew she was ready to have her own place, but I hated that she was so eager to leave. I’d miss seeing her around the house, even if it was only for a glimpse. I walked over to her and stood close. I could tell by her body language that she was nervous because she leaned back against the door frame. It was a move meant to put distance between us, but I could still feel her heat.

  “Do you need help with your move? I can lend a hand.”

  She shook her head. “That’s okay. I know you’re busy with your big case. Samantha’s going to help and—”

  I had to interrupt. “Emily, I believe that women are every bit as capable as men, but I’m also an old-fashioned gentleman, and I’d never let two ladies move a houseload of furniture by themselves.”

  “Oh, we won’t be.” She smiled, clearing her throat. “Samantha’s new friend and a few of his buddies are going to help us.”

  My head involuntarily jerked back. I knew I had to intervene in the situation. I loved my daughter dearly, but she made terrible choices in men. I didn’t know much about the new guy she was seeing because she’d barely mentioned him in our conversations, which wasn’t a good sign. Knowing that, I could only imagine what his buddies were like. “You’re moving on a Saturday, right?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Court’s not in session during the weekend.”

  She looked around the room, avoiding my eyes. Finally, she spoke. “I’m sure you have more important things to do with your weekend than move furniture.”

  “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do more, especially since it would mean helping you.”

  I watched her closely as a slight smile came to her face. She still wouldn’t look at me, but she nodded and told me that she appreciated my offer. We stood close to each other as the room became warm. It was a noticeable heat that could only be explained by the chemistry building between us. I took a deep breath and leaned against the other side of the door, inhaling the soft floral notes of her perfume. We were close enough to reach out and touch each other. Just as I was feeling dangerously comfortable, Emily broke the trance.

  “I guess I should head to bed now. Good night,” she said, making a quick exit.

  I stood in my doorway and watched as she walked down the hall toward the stairs. Her slow, sexy strut made the front of my trousers come to life and I wondered what it would be like to make love to her. When she reached the banister she looked back and caught me staring. Our eyes locked. I should’ve looked away, but I didn’t, so she did.

  Now, as I sat in my study reflecting on that moment along with a few others, I could see that my observations hadn’t been wishful thinking.This was real, it was within my grasp, and I couldn’t avoid it much longer.

  Under different circumstances this wouldn’t be a problem. I’d confess my feelings to the woman I loved and that would be that. But I was a married man, and the woman I loved was my daughter’s best friend. It was the kind of situation that could hurt people, physically and emotionally. But Emily had given me hope, and a man with hope can weather anything if he thinks it’s worth the fight.

  I was glad it was Friday.The past five days had been professionally gratifying, but personally frustrating. I had a great week in court, working the witnesses and the jury as if they were under my spell. It soon became apparent that things were going downhill for the defense. First thing this morning, two hours before court was to be called
to session, lead counsel for the opposing side called and offered my client our initial asking figure. I laughed and told him to keep dreaming. The stakes had risen, and I didn’t hesitate to tell him how high. Twenty minutes later he called again and capitulated. My client accepted.

  The trial that we all thought would last for two months was over in two weeks, and we were going to get a substantial amount above our initial request.You’d think this would’ve kicked off my weekend and that I’d be on top of the world. Well, I wasn’t. I was happy for my client, of course, because now the big oil company that knowingly exposed her husband to cancer-causing agents was going to pay for its corruptness, and for his death. But ever since last Friday when Sam told me that she was playing matchmaker for Emily, I hadn’t been able to get that thought out of my head.

  Right now, it was almost ten o’clock and Emily wasn’t home. She was out with Sam. Even though I knew that whatever they were doing, it probably involved Emily’s house because she was moving in tomorrow, I still wondered if Sam had introduced her to someone new. I’d never been the jealous type, but lately I found myself thinking about Emily out on the dating scene. She was a beautiful woman, and I knew her attributes hadn’t gone unnoticed, especially not here in DC.

  As I polished off my brandy, I heard Gerti rustling around in the kitchen. She was getting my coffee and bagel ready for the morning. I needed a distraction from my thoughts, so I walked in and joined her, bringing my empty snifter with me. “Hey, Gerti.” I smiled.

  “Hey there.”

  “How’s it going?”

  “Goin’ like it always goes.” She chuckled. “How’re you holding up?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure.Why? You don’t think I am?”

  She shook her head. “Didn’t say that.You just seem real stressed lately.”

  “Well, you know, the trial and everything.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She sliced the bagel and put it in the toaster.

  I studied Gerti as she performed the nightly task that she’d perfected over the years. She could do it with her eyes closed. “Do you ever get tired of getting my coffee and bagel ready every night, and washing out this damn brandy snifter?” I asked, sitting my glass on the counter.

  She laughed, took my glass, and put it in the sink. “You ever get tired of it?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “You looking for a change?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she mumbled again, this time looking at me as she folded her arms. “I’m sure gonna miss Emily. It’s been real nice having her around.”

  I nodded. “CJ will miss her, too, but this move will be good for her.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Gerti was mmm-hmming as if she had knowledge of something that no one else was privy to. She was a tried and trusted old friend.We didn’t have a lot of in-depth conversations, but we knew each other well. In many ways, she knew me better than Brenda did. She knew little things, like exactly how much starch I liked in my shirts and how much salt I liked on my vegetables. She knew when I was tired and not just frustrated. She could sense when I wanted to talk and when I preferred to be left alone to think in silence. She knew my habits and quirks, good and bad. And just as she knew me, I knew her, and her mmm-hmms meant something.

  Gerti smiled. “Guess I’ll turn in now.” She walked to the back door, then stopped and looked at me. “Funny thing about change.” She sighed. “Most people don’t change what they want, they change where they get it from.”

  And like that, I knew she understood. “Good night, Gerti.”

  “Good night, Ed.”

  I stood alone in the empty kitchen, staring at the coffeemaker and toaster.

  The next morning CJ and I sat at the breakfast table. He lingered over his cereal and toast while I drank my coffee and ate my bagel. He was usually a bundle of energy on Saturday mornings and you could hardly tear him away from his cartoons. But he was sad today because Emily was moving out. He looked up at me with the most sincere expression and asked, “Papa, can I go over to Auntie Emee’s new house and visit her?”

  “Sure, sport,” I said. I reminded him that he’d still see her at school every day, which brought a smile to his face and changed his mood. I smiled, too, because I suddenly realized that taking him over for visits would be a way for me to see Emily from time to time without suspicion.

  After breakfast, I dropped off CJ at his friend Ray’s house to play for the day, and then headed over to Emily’s place. The sun was shining brightly and it was hot as hell outside. I didn’t see Emily’s car so I assumed Emmanuel had completed her garage in the back.

  I found a space on the other side of her street and saw the large U–Haul double-parked in front of Emily’s row house. Her door was ajar, so I walked inside. I didn’t focus on the people in the room right away because I was admiring how nicely the completed renovations had turned out. I could see that Emily had made Emmanuel pay dearly for his malfeasance. But when I finally began to take in the sight in front of me, I had to force myself to stay calm. What stood out the most over the richly painted walls, high-end lighting fixtures, and shiny hardwood floors was the group of men I saw. There were six of them, sitting on the floor with Sam and Emily, eating danishes and drinking coffee.

  I recognized one of them as her neighbor whom I’d met, and he was sitting close to who I assumed was his boyfriend, judging by their openly intimate demeanor. Sam was sitting on the other side of them, looking slightly uncomfortable. Next to her was a guy with dreadlocks who seemed to share her mood. There were two other men to my left, and a third was planted much too close to Emily for my comfort.

  Damn! Leave it to my daughter to fill the room with testosterone. When I focused my stare on the guy who was sitting too close to Emily, his face registered in my memory. I had seen him several months ago at her mother’s funeral. He must be her ex, I thought. I wondered what the hell he was doing here.

  “Good morning.” I nodded to everyone, trying hard not to sound irritated. Sam jumped up, came over, and gave me a tight hug.

  “Hey, Daddy!” She smiled.

  Sam was unusually happy to see me and after a minute I quickly understood why. Upon further inspection of the room, I realized that one of the men sitting to my left was none other than her ex-boyfriend,Tyler Jacobs. Now I was really confused.Was this some sort of reunion of the exes? Sam released my neck and gave me a nervous smile.

  I scanned the room again, and I had to say that these young men weren’t anything like what I’d expected from my daughter. I guess it was because they obviously had some association with Tyler. It was going to be interesting to see where he fit into the equation.

  The guy with the dreadlocks stood up, came over to me, and offered an outstretched hand. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” He nodded.

  Sam swallowed hard like she was taking medicine. “Daddy, this is my, um . . . my friend,Tyme Alexander.”

  I shook Tyme’s hand and appreciated his firm grip and that he looked me in the eye when he spoke. “It’s nice to meet you,Tyme,” I greeted him. He was counter to Sam’s usual taste in men and I wondered why she hadn’t said much about him.

  “And this is Tyme’s cousin, Jason.” Sam motioned as she politely, but cautiously introduced us. She didn’t introduce the guy who was sitting too close to Emily, and before I could go over and meet him for myself,Tyler approached me.

  “Mr. Baldwin.”Tyler smiled. “It’s good to see you, sir.”

  “Good to see you, too,” I said as Tyler and I greeted each other with a handshake that turned into a hug. Tyler was the only man my daughter had ever dated who I approved of. He was a stand-up guy. I respected him. He was the kind of young man I’d be proud to call my son-in-law. Sam stood beside us looking like she used to when she was a kid and had just done something wrong. When I glanced over to my left, I saw Emily walking up with the “close sitter” in tow.

 
; “Hi, Ed.” Emily smiled. “Thanks for coming.You really didn’t have to.”

  “I wouldn’t miss your big day.” I nodded, turning my attention to the man standing beside her.

  “I’m Bradley Johnson. Emily’s friend.” The strapping young man extended his hand.

  I pumped his wrist with more force than necessary. He didn’t pick up on my irritation, but Emily did because she cleared her throat and looked away.

  “Daddy, I have a question I need to ask you,” Sam said. She took me by my hand and led me out the front door. I watched her brow furrow as the sun beat down on her face. “I can’t believe that Tyler’s here. Daddy, what am I gonna do?”

  Sam explained that Tyme had asked his cousin if he and a couple of his friends would help Emily with her move. His cousin agreed, and one of the friends he asked just happened to be Tyler, who was in town for a business conference. He’d flown in a few days early, and because he didn’t have anything on his agenda for today he decided to help out. It was a small world.

  I looked at my daughter, who was acting uncharacteristically nervous. “Sam, all you can do right now is help Emily. Concentrate on that and you’ll get through the day.”

  “Then what?”

  “You’ll just have to see how things play out, kiddo. Just be calm and use your head.” After I gave her a quick pep talk followed by a comforting hug, we went back inside.

  I walked into the living room and studied Bradley. He was looking at Emily in a way that I could never allow myself to do in public. I scrutinized the two of them together, searching for signs of any romantic entanglement on her part. I wondered when he had arrived in town, where he was staying, and how long he’d be here. I didn’t have those answers, but I was going to make damn sure that I got them before I left.

  After another twenty minutes the work finally began. Emily and Sam cleared away the discarded cups, napkins, and paper plates while the rest of us started bringing in the furniture and boxes. When we opened the U–Haul truck it was packed from top to bottom and front to back. I learned that this was what Emily and Sam had been doing until late last night.