Black Female

by Kim J. West

  I knew that restaurant; it was one of those that took months to get a reservation but of course, for my mother, that was never a problem. It was in Buckhead, not far from us, and there’d probably be celebrities dining there too which meant paparazzi.

  Ashley headed inside the mansion to get dressed while I went to the guest house where I had a few clothes stored. I changed into smart black slacks and a black shirt. It was Sunday and I wouldn’t be wearing a tie and my mother knew not to nag me about this. As I got ready, I thought about Ashley’s apology. I still didn’t know what to make of her reaction that I wasn’t engaged to Isabella. Clearly, my mother and her had talked about this, but not about Lena. I still hadn’t had a debrief with my mother over Lena and intended to do so before the evening was over.

  As luck would have it, my mother, now elegantly dressed came over to the guest house with a selection of ties belonging to my father, to see if I needed to borrow one. I declined but asked her to sit down. I could see with the expression on her face she was hardened about what she expected me to bring up.

  “Mother, I think we should talk before we head out to dinner.”

  She raised her eyebrows expectantly as though she had no idea what I wanted. I carried on.

  “Your behavior towards Lena yesterday was totally unnecessary. As your son I’m appalled--“ she cut me off.

  “—As your mother I’m disappointed that you could be seeing this… this person who turns out to be a member of staff at Strauss Carter,” she retorted, her voice becoming shrill. Naturally she’d have asked her personal security for details on Lena and this information was easy to locate.

  “I’m in love with her, mother.” I said firmly. “She is hurting right now and because of that, I’m hurting.”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped standing up. “Ashley is our guest and with my scan results expected this week, now is not the time to have this upsetting discussion.”

  She turned on her heel and stormed back to the mansion. I went to my car in the front driveway, intending to drive myself to the restaurant, rather than in the limo waiting for us.

  After a long wait, my smartly dressed parents emerged.

  “Oh there you are,” scolded my smiling mother, as though we hadn’t just had a tense conversation. Ashley came down the front steps soon after them. She was dressed beautifully in what was probably a very expensive dress. I swept my gaze over her, coming to rest my eyes on the hand that clutched her matching purse; because on her ring finger, was the engagement ring I’d given her years ago. I was tempted to demand why she was still wearing it, when I realized it might not be a good idea to make a scene, with my parents and their staff milling around.

  I told them I’d meet them at the restaurant, which resulted in glances between the three of them. Without waiting for a response, I headed to my car and drove off.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  I arrived at the restaurant ahead of them and as I feared, the paparazzi was already lurking a safe distance from the entrance. I gave the keys to a valet and quickly entered the restaurant amid flashes from the photographers and was led to the bar, while I waited for the rest of my companions to arrive. Having had too much to drink the previous night, I opted for an alcohol free cocktail, taking note of the few celebrities and wealthy diners around me. A few people nodded their greetings and a couple of pretty, young socialites I knew came over to chat. I kept my responses brief and was relieved when my parents’ arrival rescued me, just after one young lady had asked for my number “to do dinner sometime.”

  We were led to our table in the restaurant section, which was decorated in ‘olde worlde’ décor and genuine antiques giving it an sixteenth century feel. Ashley was eyeing me constantly as I pulled out her chair for her to sit. After we were seated, she brushed my arm with her hand which prominently displayed the engagement ring on the table, obviously wanting me to notice it. I paid no attention to her overtures. Did she think after three years I’d been waiting for her to return to me? As beautiful as she was, my mind was constantly on Lena and I was already focused on our date on Thursday night. While my parents were chatting to another couple they knew, I turned to Ashley.

  “Why are you wearing the ring?”

  “To remind us of a happier time,” she shrugged.

  “But we ended things, Ashley. And I’ve since moved on.”

  “Are you trying to hurt me because of what I did?” She had the audacity to look hurt.

  “No, of course not. I’m simply in love with someone else.”

  She paused contemplating my words. “Then why are you here with me and why am I the one with the ring?”

  Realizing I was wasting my time, I turned away from her and just then, my parents had finished their conversation with the other guests.

  Despite sitting beside Ashley, I focused my attention on my father and briefed him on the Empire Finance crisis, since I was leaving for New York early the next day. After the ladies had politely listened for a while, my mother made a comment about how “business shouldn’t be discussed at a family dinner on a Sunday”, so we moved on to other more general topics. Thankfully, Ashley was also leaving the next day on her father’s jet and I wouldn’t have to see her again.

  Later after our final course, my mother and Ashley went off to “powder their noses”, leaving me with my father for the first time that evening. I had to know if he knew what’d happened.

  “Dad, did mother tell you about what happened when she came over to the penthouse yesterday?”

  He dithered for a moment. “Not in so many words,” he said at last. “Look,” he added. “Your mother wants the best for you and I know sometimes she goes a little overboard. I’m sure the girl you had over there was lovely, but this world hasn’t changed as much as you think. Think about the future, son. Think about the company we have built and above all, think of your mother and me.”

  I had no time to give my father a response; the ladies were making their way back. I saw my mother speaking briefly to the restaurant manager who nodded. A few minutes later, he approached our table with a professional, smartly dressed photographer.

  “I thought we might take a few family pictures of this wonderful evening,” my mother quipped with a gleam in her eye. “We need to have positive images of our family to counter the negative.”

  Reluctantly, I stood with them, Ashley strategically placed next to me, while my parents stood at our sides. Since this seemed to be an in house photographer, I was confident they wouldn’t end up being broadcast in salacious media circles.

  After dinner, we left the restaurant and I led our party to the exit where the paparazzi attempted a few poor shots as I hustled everyone into the limo. I said a final goodbye to Ashley, collected my car and went home to the penthouse.

  ***

  After a tough day of firing and hiring in the Empire boardroom in New York, I headed to my hotel suite to change my clothes, before meeting my staff for a debrief over dinner. Jackson who’d traveled with me to New York sent me a text to tune into channel 731. Immediately, I turned on the television to that channel in time to watch a weekend entertainment report.

  There it was; the photograph of my family and I from last night, with Ashley standing beside me. The report detailed how her and I had gotten back together, after I used Isabella to make her jealous enough to return. It detailed how we’d just had a family dinner to celebrate the engagement. The ring on Ashley’s hand was prominently displayed and circled in a close up shot.

  Shit, I thought out loud. This was the last thing I needed right now. Immediately, I tried calling Lena. I knew she was home at her place and would have no reason not to answer my call, but she let it go to voicemail. She must have seen the report. Just then, the landline rang with Pike telling me they were ready for me. I decided to leave it, until Lena and I’s planned meeting on Thursday and headed downstairs.

  Thursday afternoon at 4.00pm we landed in Atlanta and Jackson and I immediately headed to
the Penthouse. I was expecting Lena at 7.00pm and didn’t have much time to prepare for her. Things had gotten steadily worse since my visit to Rockdale. Firstly, the false report of my engagement to Ashley had surfaced; and after seeing the pictures myself online, they seemed so believable and Lena would have seen them. Then Tuesday while I was still in New York, I received my daily memo from Baker which reported Lena’s immediate resignation.

  Initially it was upsetting news that she’d taken this step without discussing it with me first, but having thought about it, this could speed up my intention to publicize our relationship far and wide. If she was no longer my employee, then her fear about exposure was now a non-issue and this would be a positive.

  Having thought all week, I was planning a no holds barred seduction. First, I was going to prepare an intimate dinner for her, then give her the amazing white diamond necklace and matching earrings I’d bought in New York. Once I’d convinced her to wear them and nothing else, I planned to make love to her in all sorts of ways she’d never imagined. My final ace was going to never allow her to leave; I was asking her to move in with me immediately, and I was finally going to tell her how much I was in love with her. I was laying my soul bare; I only hoped it would be enough.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  As soon as I arrived, I asked George the concierge to meet me in my apartment. I told him to send a florist over with as many white roses as they could find. I also asked him to arrange for the best chef available to come to my apartment immediately to prepare a three course dinner, as well as a server to come and arrange the dining room for an intimate affair. In less than an hour, he’d returned, bringing with him a small village of kitchen staff and a team of florists. I left George instructing them with Jackson on standby, while I headed upstairs to shower.

  By 6.45pm, everything had been prepared and after I’d checked with the chef how I was going to serve everything, I dismissed all the staff and I opened a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to let it breathe, while waiting for Lena to arrive.

  By 7.15pm I was pacing. This was unlike her; she was never late. I drank a glass of wine to take the edge off my nerves, keeping my phone in my hand in case she called. Jackson was downstairs, ready to give me a heads-up as soon as she showed up; nothing from him.

  By 7.30pm I began to realize I might have been stood up. I tried sending a text:

  “I was expecting you at 7?”

  Keeping my message app open, I saw it turn from ‘delivered’ to ‘read’. No reply. I called. It rang and rang; she didn’t answer. I kept retrying and each time, the call went unanswered. Eventually, her number became unreachable.

  Jackson and I headed over to her apartment which was dark from the outside as though nobody was there. After repeated knocking, an annoyed neighbor eventually came out. I rushed over to them.

  “I’m looking for Lena… Lena Williams? She lives in this apartment,” I said pointing to her door.

  “I saw her packing and moving boxes out over the last few days,” the neighbor replied. “I think she’s moved out.”

  Moved out? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Unfortunately, Jackson had traveled with me to New York; I should have asked him to stay and keep an eye on her.

  We headed back to the penthouse, while I sent message after message, asking Lena to call me. I felt panicked; nothing was going the way I’d anticipated at all. She’d promised to see me but she’d stood me up. What I felt in that moment was indescribable. As I walked into my study, my cell phone suddenly pinged with Lena’s custom message tone. I opened the app quickly and gaped at the message for a long moment. Then before I realized what I was doing, I threw my cell phone against the far wall of my study and it immediately disintegrated into small pieces. The message had read:

  “Right now I’m boarding a plane to go back home to California. Permanently.

  Congratulations on your engagement. Thanks for everything. Goodbye.

  L.”

  ****

  That night I slept in one of the empty bedrooms; I didn’t want to spend the night in my suite until the housekeeper had cleared out all the flowers I’d arranged for Lena’s visit. The next morning, I called Jackson from the landline to ask him to go purchase a new cell phone for me, then I called Janice to tell her I’d be unavailable until Monday. Lena had left me; I didn’t want to face anybody. I didn’t want to think about it or focus on it.

  I booked Mason my trainer for a full day session for Friday, to catch up on my missed training sessions when I was wasting time chasing Lena Williams. Whenever I asked for one of these boot-camp sessions, Mason always brought two or three other trainers to help him take me through my bouts. I was particularly brutal and tireless, working off my frustrations on them as they circled me while I dropped each one in turn within seconds; over and over again. It was better than drowning out my sorrows with alcohol.

  Later, after another round where I almost broke another trainer’s arm in a dead-bolt submission hold, Mason pulled me aside to talk.

  “What’s going on with you man?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” I lied.

  “Listen man, I’ve known you for more than ten years and we are friends, right? So if I think something’s wrong, I’m gonna call you out on it. Talk to me.”

  “Drop it, Mason.”

  “Fuck you, Carter.”

  I gave him a nasty glare.

  “You’re going above your pay grade, Mason. So watch yourself.”

  Mason looked shocked for a split second, then my heart fell slightly as a look of hurt I’d never seen came over his features.

  “Oh, so it's like that? I care about your ass and now I’m given that shit in return?”

  I shook my head and turned towards him. Mason was a friend and although he worked for me as a trainer, I knew I shouldn’t disrespect him.

  “Look; sorry man. Just some personal stuff going on. Nothing I want to discuss.”

  “The black female?”

  I shrugged.

  “What’d I tell you man? I tried to warn you. Now you’re up in here acting like a li’l bitch? Shit. I thought somebody had died.”

  He turned to his trainers who were across the room attending to the guy with the sprained arm.

  “Let’s kick his ass.”

  After Jackson had brought me a new handset which I managed to upload with the backup from my cloud storage, I found there was a voicemail from Isabella asking me to call her back.

  “Hey, Isabella,” I said as soon as she answered.

  “Hey!” she replied sounding excited.

  “What are you so happy about?”

  “Your engagement to Ashley of course. Congratulations.”

  “You of all people should know it’s fake news.”

  She gasped. “Oh my goodness, it’s not true? When that girl from your work called to ask me about it, I told her it was true because I saw the engagement pictures.”

  “Which girl? Janice?” I demanded.

  “No; Lena.”

  “She called you to ask about me?”

  “Yes. She asked if I was dating you but I told her you were like a brother to me. Then I asked her to tell you congratulations for the engagement to Ashley.”

  When I ended the call with Isabella, I felt sick to my stomach. This information explained why Lena might have taken the engagement news seriously enough to leave. A TV report alone wasn’t enough, but a confirmation from a friend of mine would certainly add weight to the rumor. I had to set the matter aside for now; until I figured out a way to reach her.

  Chapter Fifty

  I headed to my parents home earlier than usual on Saturday. I’d been away in New York, then tried to deal with Lena’s sudden departure. I had to hear the final report on my mother’s condition. She’d have gotten the results sometime that week.

  When I arrived at the mansion, they were still sequestered in their wing and I wandered out to the garden alone. It’d been almost two days since Lena had told me she was boa
rding a plane back to California. I hoped she would realize her mistake and come back to me before I had to go find her. But for now, I had to give her space while I handle my parents.

  Half an hour later, my father came out to the garden, looking stressed.

  “Dad,” I said walking towards him. “How are you? How is mother?”

  He pulled my arm and we headed to the patio chairs.

  “We got the results last night. Your mother’s tumor is in a critical area of the brain, son. She needs brain surgery.”

  My heart sank down a bottomless pit. This was terrible news. He patted me on the arm as I steeled myself for whatever else he wanted to add.

  “The doctor said she has a good chance of surviving it. She will be undergoing surgery to attempt to remove it on Monday.”

  I was silent for a long moment.

  “How is she taking it?”

  “Better than I am, that’s for sure,” he said with a weak smile. I could see the worry he was trying to hide. This is where my father and I differed. I handled stress differently; he got emotionally involved and hovered over the problem until it was solved, hence his heart troubles from years of running a multi-billion dollar corporation and the stress that came with it. On the other hand, I detached myself from the situation, solved it dispassionately and methodically, while handling the stress by doing something physical like working out obsessively; or sex. Lately, making love to Lena had become my drug of choice when it came to stress but that option was off the table, for now.

  Just then, my mother joined us, dressed in a printed, kerchief, flowing dress, looking as beautiful and groomed as she always did. She was smiling happily; it was never her nature to admit anything was wrong with her; my father and I always blamed it on the German way of thinking. Of course she was born in the United States and was a Southern belle by any standard, but her historical family culture still showed through when she handled illness with her ‘grin and bear it’ approach.