by Toya Wright
“They drive like you,” Paris egged on. “You should feel right at home, here.”
“But did you die?” British said mocking the Asian guy from the Hangover movies. We all laughed. So did the driver. We got to the restaurant and it seemed empty. The Divas hopped off the back of the truck quickly, only to stand there with blank looks on our faces.
“This place doesn’t look open,” Kennedi said.
“Yeah, I called dem and told da owner ya were coming,” the driver winked at Kennedi. “Dey opened early just fuh ya.
“Awww! Thank you!” Kennedi gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Der food is de best. I’ll wait for ya.”
We walked in and the place was deserted, with the exception of one table all the way in the corner. The owner quickly jumped up to greet us and walked us over to the ocean view side. Perched at the top of the island, the view looking down into the cay was amazing! Small boats dotted the sun dappled waters, while huge cruise ships passed in the horizon.
“I will give ya menus, but I would really like to bring ya chef’s special plates,” the owner said. He was a pudgy little man, who looked to be in his 50’s with a bright, wide smile and dimples. Whatever business he had going on in the corner over there appeared to be serious. That was none of our concern.
“Chef’s special it is,” Kennedi spoke for the group without hesitation.
“Chef’s special it is,” I agreed. He took our drink orders…tequilas all around…and was gone.
“Have you ever wanted to push somebody off of a cliff?” Madison asked standing in the window. She walked over to admire the view. We looked at each other. She was either talking about her husband or his crazy ex.
You know that friend who really has their shit together? Madison was that friend. She seemed to always have a plan for any situation in life. I tease her all the time that while the rest of us were growing up playing with dolls, she was in her mother’s heels and pearls practicing arguments in the mirror. That damn girl had an argument for everything; she was always playing devil’s advocate. She had a way of making you see things from the other side of the coin which was usually her side.
She was an attorney who came from a good family. Her parents wanted her to follow in her father’s footsteps and be a doctor, but law seemed to be more her passion. Besides, she had two brothers, both of whom decided to venture into medicine. As the youngest child in the house, she was spoiled, but her parents taught her how to fend for herself. She learned quickly to earn what she got. Her father had to work for what he had and taught his children to do the same.
Straight out of college, she went to law school and breezed through. She was able to land a job at a firm right away thanks to her father’s extended network. She looked and dressed the part. Standing at 5’8”, Madison was almost statuesque. She kept a weave down her back with beautiful bouncy curls for days. Madison knew she had something to prove and she kept herself looking right.
Competing with the white boys who had pedigree, Madison had to be twice as good and three times as sharp. Every day she strutted to the law office or the courtroom in tailored two piece skirt suits and blouses paired with Louboutins and Jimmy Choos. Her makeup was minimal, usually with a pop of color on her lips. Hues of pink and red did wonders for her light skin and high cheek bones.
She quickly realized that the partners at her firm were not trying to promote her. Madison had to move on to shine. That’s just what she did. She applied to jobs at other firms and made it clear during interviews that she desired a more aggressive case load. She wanted to improve her litigation skills through the challenges of arguing cases during trial. Moving on to another firm was difficult having only two years of experience, but she conquered it.
Madison had dreams of being a district attorney and set her sights on Fulton County. Being female was going to be hard enough, but being black really stacked the chips against her. Strutting down the hallways of the courthouse, she received the usual long stares and surprised looks. The older gentlemen sometimes still could not believe a young, black woman had made it into the good ol’ boys club. They could tell she was a lawyer versus being a client by her demeanor. She walked upright, looked them in the eye, smiled and barely nodded. The sleek, calfskin briefcase with a horse and carriage logo proved that she spent a mint on it.
When she met Robert, it was totally by accident, being in a relationship was the last thing on her mind. Robert was decent looking, bald head with rectangle glasses. His complexion was a few shades darker than hers, somewhere between Shamar Moore and Will Smith, handsome and a baby face like Larenz Tate. When she met him, he had on a fitted hat, t-shirt with jeans and bright colored sneakers. Not exactly what she had been used to, then again, her head had been in the books for so long, she wasn’t sure what she was used to.
She had a staple of random guys. There was a maintenance man, who she literally used for odds and ends around the house. Mr. Friend Zone, the guy who truly wanted to be more, but couldn’t break past a warm hug and a forehead kiss. The Homies, a group of guys she’d gone to undergrad with who partied together and were practically inseparable during football season. Mr. Plumber…well, she couldn’t take him home to mama because he had no real future plans, but he laid pipe the way she needed it. Mr. Backfield, he was the guy who she called, when Mr. Plumber couldn’t be reached and she needed to be worked out. Mr. Backfield was also good for dinners and movie dates.
Madison was good, so when she met Robert at an album listening party, her roster was already full. With a catch like Madison, her whole roster played at their full potential. All of them wanted to be available when she decided to settle things down a bit. She went with a lawyer friend who practiced entertainment law, Monica. The restaurant, turned event venue was downtown and apparently was the spot for many intimate gatherings from wedding receptions to birthday parties to…you guessed it, listening parties. An intimate crowd of about 100 people were there to hear the new album, it was a good sized crowd to mingle in. As it turned out, Robert was a record industry exec. He found and produced talent, including the artist who was presenting that night.
He couldn’t help but want to step to her. She was classy and kept it simple. Rocking tight jeans, and a loose silk shirt, Madison was turning heads. He appreciated her minimal makeup in a world where women felt like they couldn’t leave the house until they accomplished a geisha look. Stilettos completed the outfit and she knew how to walk in them. He saw a few guys open up a conversation with her just to obviously be turned down, because he saw them walk away trying not to look defeated.
“You know, I’m not like these other guys around here. I know exactly who you are.”
“Is that right?” Madison challenged. She knew exactly who he was too and would be totally impressed if a man of his caliber knew who she was.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Ok?” She stared at him waiting on him to saying something lame, sure that he was used to having girls throw themselves at him.
“You are the girl waiting on me to come over and ask you what’s yo’ name and what’s yo’ sign!” Madison rolled her eyes, bothered. Damn, even worse than I thought. She turned on her heels to walk away.
“No, no, no.” Robert grabbed her arm to keep her from walking. She looked at him thinking, whatever else you have to say better be good, buddy. “Madison Taylor,” he said laughing.
“Look at you!” She did the slow clap.
“I read the article about you in Upward Atlanta magazine.”
“You remembered my name?”
“Honestly, no. I remembered your face, because I remember thinking how pretty you are. I got your name from Monica.”
“I’m a little tied up tonight with the listening party, but I would love the opportunity to sit and chat with you over dinner.”
“I think I’m good.”
“Cool, no pressure. Here is my card, call me when…you change your mind.” Robert gave her a card that simply had his name, em
ail and phone number. The email address was his first and last name at gmail. Very generic. Even though he was a very successful A&R, he was clearly not caught up in titles. Or he knew anybody he was giving his card to already knew who the hell he was.
It only took a week before she was bored enough to call him. He lingered in her mind and seemed to be genuinely interested beyond the cliché ‘you’re fine, I wanna holla’ dudes. Madison was in the mood for a different type of company. He took her for tapas in Virginia Highlands. Easy vibe, no expectations and she could eat without acting like she had to starve herself.
Madison was very surprised at how easy it was to talk to Robert. Before either of them knew it, they were closing down the restaurant. They had nothing in common, but the conversation came so easily. Neither of them dominated and their personalities gelled so well. In no time at all, they were spending hours a day on the phone or hanging out. Madison put no pressure on him to put a label on what they had, they were just enjoying themselves. She was happy to have company, and he didn’t mind having a smart, beautiful girl on his arm.
Madison got busy with work. The tougher cases she wanted required more dedication and longer hours. She was ok with that, she knew the grind would pay off in the end. Robert respected her hustle as he had one of his own. He was always traveling around the country in the market for new talent, yet he made time for her. When their demanding schedules did not allow them to see each other for days at a time, he made sure to connect with her over the phone.
The relationship between them blossomed and Madison began spending less and less time with her team. Robert was filling all of the voids and what little spare time she had. He’d try to pry her to get information about cases that he knew she couldn’t discuss and she would divert his attention to his up and coming artists. They enjoyed each other’s company. They did everything from summer concerts to art galleries, when possible.
Robert’s job took him out to L.A. for a few months. He would be gone for a while and Madison knew she would miss him; however, the easiest thing for a lawyer to do is occupy time. There was never a shortage of briefs, testimonies and research to do. He asked her to save herself for him; she laughed and said she wouldn’t make any promises. After a month, they were both feeling it.
“I miss you, Madison.”
“Ummm, you’re being weird,” she joked. She really missed him too.
“C’mon, man. It’s been forever since we were able to hang out. I’m out here in sunny L.A., all by myself. Lonely. No one to talk to. Wishing you were here.” He purposely tried to make his voice sound sad.
“I wish you were here in Atlanta with me.”
“You can be here…ya know?”
“Robert, you’ll be alright. I cannot spare the time to break away and fly cross country.”
“Dang, it’s like that?”
“You’re supposed to be out there for work, so work. Do you know how long the flight is from the East to the West Coast?”
“Yes ma’am. I make the flight often.”
“Are you aware what an encumbrance it is to attempt to study briefs on the plane’s tiny pullout tray? Do you know that performing research using resources limited to that of an iPad would drastically decrease the chances of…
“I need to see your pretty face.”
“…would drastically decrease the chances of….”
“I’ll have my assistant buy you a ticket for Friday. Pack a bag, you are coming to see me.”
“I can’t just…”
“Yes you can! You deserve a break. I’ll take you to all of my favorite spots out here.” His voice sounded so energized.
“Well, I haven’t been to L.A. before.” Madison didn’t give herself a chance to travel and see anything. This trip would be new and out of the ordinary.
True to his word, by the end of the day, there was an airplane ticket with Madison’s name on it. She was impressed with how quickly Robert moved. A part of her didn’t believe he was going to send for her, so she didn’t think about packing her bags until she got the flight confirmation.
When they saw each other at the airport, it was evident they were giddy with excitement. Madison was trying to keep from running, she was so excited, she just couldn’t help it. He grabbed her in a tight embrace, spun her around and kissed her. It felt so good to be in each other’s arms again.
“This is what I wanted you to see,” Robert said walking through the sliding glass door of the house to the infinity pool. He had a house in the Hollywood Hills. He walked her to an oversized, round patio chair, sat down with his legs open and put her in between. Leaning back on him where they sat, the view was pristine. Madison could see a plethora of lights down in the valley and out into the city. The world was alive, but all they could hear was the faint sound of wind as it whistled through the trees. And each other’s heartbeat. The sun danced into deep oranges and plums on the horizon. It was incredibly peaceful.
“O…M…G! This is absolutely amazing! It’s like nothing else exists.”
“But you,” he swooped her hair out of the way to kiss her neck ever so gently. The gusts of wind sent a chill down her spine. Her body opened up in a way she had not expected. She tilted her head and grabbed the back of his neck to let him know he was welcomed there. They craned around until their lips met and they hungrily explored each other’s mouths.
She stood up and undressed in front of him. Slowly, pants first, then shirt, followed by her bra. He shook his head no and pointed to her panties. Madison giggled and pulled her panties down, then back up, then down again. They both laughed. Once they dropped to the floor, he admired her body. He had seen her in skin tight clothes, but what he saw was even better than he anticipated. She walked to the edge of the round patio chair and pulled his pants off from the cuff. Robert made sure his boxers went with them.
Madison straddled him and they kissed passionately. Robert’s throbbing boomerang made her get so wet. So did knowing they were outside and at any point, any of their neighbors could come out and have somewhat of a view of what they were doing.
She was so excited, little foreplay was needed. Even wearing protection, he slid right in. She took her time riding him slowly, thrusting him with her arms wrapped around his neck. Then she pushed him back so he could slide deeper into her wetness. She moaned and grabbed her own breasts because that shit felt so damn good. Seeing that she enjoyed herself so, Robert climaxed immediately. Madison placed tender kisses all over his body as they embraced each other under a setting sun in the L.A. sky.
Robert was fun and outgoing. Of course, because he had money, he was able to keep up the high maintenance lifestyle she had somewhat become accustomed to with a good job, but he always managed to do little things. He bought her flowers, he even took her to find the best chocolate chip cookies in the city. One day, they went on a mojito hunt. They spent the day going to different restaurants sampling mojitos to see who had the best one. The main thing was how they were enjoying each other’s company.
As a just because gift, Robert bought Madison a passport holder. She didn’t even know what it was. She opened the box and gave him a half ass smile, followed by a, “Gee, thanks.” He told her they were going to push beyond the states to see some shit. When Robert and Madison took their first international trip, there were still no labels on the relationship. They flew to London and Dubai, places she had only seen on TV, as well as Valle de Guadalupe, and other places she had never heard of because she was so busy working toward an award winning career. Without the pressure of labels, they were fully aware that the other person was there because they wanted to be. Nothing was keeping them there, legally or out of obligation.
For her 29th birthday, Robert took her to a beautiful Spanish restaurant off the grid. It was located amongst historic houses downtown. In a small, intimate setting, the yard was decorated to look like old world Spain with rows of hanging lights and small tables with vivid tablecloths. Robert hired a band with a professional singer and invi
ted a few of Madison’s good friends, me and The Divas included.
We were having an awesome time. Talk about food! There was so much food! It seemed like plate after plate of Spanish family-style dishes adorning the table. After we all ate and were sitting around drinking, the music died down. We all could take a hint. We knew something big was about to happen, Madison on the other hand, did not catch on at first.
“Is dere anything else ju would lie ma’am?” A waiter asked Madison.
“No, I think I’m good.”
“Wine? Sangria?”
“Yes, I’ll have another sangria.”
“What about dessert?”
“Not for now, in a little bit,” we couldn’t believe she was carrying on a conversation and hadn’t noticed that Robert had disappeared from her side.
“Will you accept Robert’s proposal?”
“Huh?!” The waiter turned Madison’s chair around and Robert was behind her on his knees holding a box with a ring. She was stunned! She started crying and laughing at the same time. It was a simple classic round solitaire on a platinum band.
She was never against the idea of marrying, she wanted it done the right way. Here again, she had put no pressure on Robert. He asked her to marry him in his own time when he was comfortable. Her immediate answer was, “Yes!” Over the course of the next few days and weeks, she had to really consider what they were about to do.
Talking about their futures, they shared intimate pictures of what they envisioned for their lives. Robert already had three children from a previous marriage. He and his ex, Shelly were the fortunate divorcees who realized that kids suffer more in divorces than parents. They worked hard to keep lines of communication open and honest. Shelly didn’t use the children as pawns to piss him off because they were no longer together. Robert made sure he was there for them emotionally, as well as financially.
With him already having three kids, Madison was content having just one or two of her own. She was particularly close to his oldest, a teenage daughter named Desiree. They spoke on the phone often and hung out doing cool step-mom or big sister type shit. Desiree’s mom was glad Robert found someone mature enough to handle her and the kids. Madison and Desiree went to movies, got mani pedi’s and gave Desiree’s mom a break from the teen ‘tude.