by Carl Weber
“Yeah, he is pretty special, isn’t he?” Simone said happily.
“Who, me?” I pointed at myself.
“Oh, don’t be shy about it, young man,” Mr. Wilcox said to me. “My daughter finally being with someone I approve of is a good thing. A nice churchgoing fella, not to mention a UVA man. If this isn’t special, I don’t know what is.” Mr. Wilcox picked up his iced tea and held it up. “Now, that’s something to toast about.”
Simone, excited, lifted her glass and tapped it against her father’s. When my glass didn’t meet theirs, Simone cleared her throat and hurriedly sipped from her glass, leaving her father’s to hang in the air while it waited on mine to join it.
“Daddy, go ahead and drink up. Your ice is melting,” Simone told him.
I felt it was time to nip in the bud this little misconception that was brewing.
“Mr. Wilcox, I think you might have the wrong idea about things,” I said.
“Oh? About what?”
“About Simone and me. You see, we’re not really the couple that you think we are.”
Simone wasted no time jumping in. “Oh, Aaron, you don’t have to explain everything about our relationship to Daddy.”
It was a failed attempt to shut me up.
“And see, that’s just the thing. We don’t have a relationship, not really.” I turned to Simone’s father. “Not the kind you think we have, Mr. Wilcox. You have a beautiful, intelligent, business-savvy, God-fearing daughter. You’ve raised her well, Mr. Wilcox, and any man would be blessed to have her as his woman, but Simone and I just aren’t at that stage. Not yet, at least.”
“Yet,” Simone interjected hopefully. “But we’re working on it. Right, Aaron?” She looked at me desperately, begging with her eyes for me to say what she wanted to hear. What both she and her father wanted to hear, evidently. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, though I also didn’t want to embarrass her in front of her father.
“Only time will tell, Simone.”
I guess my answer was good enough, because she didn’t push it any further. “Excuse me.” She stood, placing her napkin on the table. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
I took a drink of my soda, looking around and admiring the place as if I’d just gotten there. The tension between me and Mr. Wilcox was almost palpable.
“So, she’s just a lay to you is all,” he said.
I dang near spit the drink out of my mouth. “Excuse me?” I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
“You heard me. All that you said about Simone. Basically you’re just getting your rocks off on my daughter.”
“No, Mr. Wilcox, it’s nothing like that.” I held up my hands in defense. “I like Simone. I really do. It’s just I’m not looking for anything serious.”
“Who are you kidding? Don’t forget we’re both UVA men, son,” he stated. “Anyway, I know Simone is a handful, but once she’s ready to settle down—you know, really ready—she’ll be okay. And from what I can see, she appears to be ready. I have never seen her this excited about a man.”
“Mr. Wilcox, I appreciate everything you’re saying, and I like Simone, but I’m trying to build a career. I don’t have time for anyone serious.”
“If I were you, I’d make a decision, son. Either you’re going to be with my daughter or you’re not. There is no in between when she sets her sights on something. You don’t know Simone. She’s like her old man: We both play for keeps. With you feeling the way you do, I’d hate to have to come back up here to New York and find out someone got hurt.”
“I promise I’m not trying to hurt Simone, sir. I’m being up front with her on everything.”
“I wasn’t talking about Simone getting hurt, son. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked as Simone returned to the table.
“What’s what supposed to mean?” she asked.
Her father looked up rather innocently. “Oh, nothing. I was just giving your friend here a little advice on how to handle you.”
“Well, is he going to take it?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Mr. Wilcox gave me a concerned glance.
Just then our waiter approached the table. “May I take your plates?” Everyone nodded. “Can I get anyone dessert?”
“As a matter of fact, I’ll have a slice of that chocolate cake to take back to my hotel room,” Mr. Wilcox stated, then looked over at Simone and me. “Those two won’t be having any dessert, at least not here. Theirs will be served in bed.”
I think both Simone and I almost peed our pants when Mr. Wilcox looked at me and winked.
Simone
32
I thought I was going to go through my seat belt when Aaron’s truck screeched to a halt in front of my house. From the scowl on his face, I knew that’s exactly what he wanted me to do. I didn’t have a clue why until I glanced up from where I was nestled under his arm and saw the plain brown car sitting in my driveway with its lights on.
It was like déjà vu.
“Um, whose car is that?” Aaron barked.
This time, I had no clue who the driver was or what they could possibly want.
We’d just returned from dinner with my father, and despite a few awkward moments, he was very, very impressed by Aaron. We’d had one hell of a meal, and I was all ready for “dessert,” if you know what I mean. I was still a little pissed about Aaron’s lack of commitment, but I was more horny than pissed. Besides, I felt that I could best win him over under the sheets.
“I don’t know whose car it is.”
“Like you didn’t know the Range Rover before, huh?” Aaron slipped his arm from around my shoulder and glared at me.
“Don’t start, baby, okay?” I held my hand up to halt him.
“I won’t start.” Aaron kept his eyes riveted on the two men who were stepping out of the car. I opened my car door without waiting for him to let me out like he usually did.
I hadn’t gotten ten feet from the car when one of the two men accosted me in an authoritative manner. “Simone Wilcox?”
“Yes?” I tried to make out his face to see if I recognized him. I didn’t. I didn’t even recognize his voice. “Who’s asking?”
“I’m Detective McGraw, and this is my partner, Detective Phillips. We’re from the Queens Homicide Unit.” They flashed their badges.
My heart started pounding and my mouth went dry. What the heck were homicide detectives doing at my house? I glanced over at Aaron, who was getting out of the truck.
I tried to keep my voice from shaking as I answered. “Yes, I’m Simone Wilcox. Can I help you?”
“We just want to ask you a few questions,” Detective Mc-Graw stated.
“Questions about what?”
“We just have a few questions, ma’am. That’s all.”
“You mind if we step inside your house? We don’t want to alarm your neighbors,” Detective Phillips requested.
Like a knight in shining armor, Aaron appeared at my side. “Is everything all right?”
Aaron’s question kind of snapped me out of a fog, and suddenly it struck me that these men were homicide detectives and could be bringing bad news. Tears flooded my eyes. My first thought was that something had happened to my father between the time we’d left him until now. “Please don’t tell me my daddy is dead.”
“What’s this all about, Officer?” Aaron put his arm around me. He could see I was quite worried.
“Please, allow us to step inside,” said Detective McGraw. “We just have a couple of questions. This won’t take long, I promise.”
My hands were shaking so badly that Aaron had to take my key and open the front door for me.
Inside, Detective McGraw wasted no time starting his interrogation. “Do you know Jonathan Smith?”
I involuntarily gasped. I was relieved that this wasn’t about Daddy but didn’t fare any better knowing that it was about Jonathan. “Yes, I know him—or at least I did know him. He was a good man.”
The detective nodded. “So, exactly how well did you know him?”
Both officers had pen and paper in hand, ready to notate any and everything that I said. I kept glancing over at Aaron, who was standing to the side, observing the exchange between the detectives and me with more than a keen interest.
“I knew him pretty well. We were both officers in our church,” I answered honestly.
“Did you know that you were the last person to speak to him?”
I glanced at Aaron again before answering. Aaron’s eyes told me he didn’t like what he was hearing.
“I didn’t talk to him the day he died. He was dead when I found him.”
“So, you were the one who found him?”
“Yes.” Both officers were scribbling in their notepads like crazy.
“You said you weren’t the last person to speak to him, but just before his death, he was texting back and forth with you. What was that all about?”
“Well, we were texting about some money he’d promised me,” I admitted. Once again, I was telling the truth; he had promised me money. The two men eyed each other. What made it even worse was that Aaron was leaning in closer to make sure he heard every word that came out of my mouth.
“Why would he promise you money?”
I hesitated. Now I regretted that I’d allowed this questioning to go on in front of Aaron, but initially I’d had no idea this would be the subject. “Well, he promised me money because I was … I was a little short.”
Aaron’s neck turned as he frowned at me.
“You say you were a little short. How much is a little short?”
“I don’t know. It was a few weeks ago. I don’t remember.”
“Does thirty grand sound about right?” Detective Phillips barked.
How did he know the specifics? I know damn well Jonathan and I never once texted the actual dollar amount. Who the hell had been talking?
I couldn’t look at Aaron anymore. Things were getting too intense. “I don’t know, maybe around that much. Like I said, it was a few weeks ago.” I squirmed in my seat. There was absolutely no getting comfortable.
“Ms. Wilcox, were you and Mr. Smith lovers?” Detective Phillips shot at me.
“No!” I denied emphatically. Now I looked directly into Aaron’s eyes. “I swear to God we weren’t.”
“Then why would he have promised you all that money?” Detective McGraw charged. Detective McGraw and Detective Phillips spoke to each other with their eyes, and they were both coming to the conclusion that I was lying about something.
“He didn’t give me any money,” I replied.
“No, but he had thirty thousand dollars in cash in his car when we arrived at the scene, so I’m gonna need an answer to my question.”
“What question?” I wasn’t paying attention now. I was thinking about the money. Damn, if only I had had the wherewithal to really look in his car, I could have gotten my money and then called 911. That would have solved a lot of the problems I was having now.
“Stop playing games, Simone, and answer the man’s damn question,” Aaron snapped at me.
His outburst caused the detectives to look at him, and then at each other with eyebrows raised.
“Ms. Wilcox, would you feel more comfortable if this gentleman left the room?” Detective Phillips interceded.
I shook my head. Why couldn’t he have asked me that five minutes ago? Now it was too late. Aaron had heard enough that I would have to give him an explanation. Something told me this entire scene was screwing up my chances of getting laid big-time.
“No, he can stay.”
“Once again, why did you ask Mr. Smith for money?” Detective Phillips repeated.
“He owed it to me,” I said flat out, with a hint of venom that I pray to God went undetected.
“The last thing that he texted you was …” Detective Phillips looked down at his pad and flipped back a couple of pages. “‘If you want this money, come out to the parking lot and get it.’” He looked back up at me. “From what we can determine, when you came out to get the money, he wound up shot.”
Wait a minute. Were they saying what I think they were? “Are you saying he was murdered? I thought it was a suicide.”
“We’re not so sure of that. There are a lot of unanswered questions.” Detective Phillips stared at me, trying to read my reaction.
Well, he didn’t have to try to read it. I was going to make it clear. “Are you trying to say I killed him?” My voice cracked in disbelief.
This was obviously Aaron’s breaking point. “Hold up. Is she under arrest?”
“Why? You her lawyer?” Detective Phillips shot back.
“No, but I know enough of them to know she should get herself one.” Aaron stepped in between the detectives and me. “Baby, don’t say anything else unless your lawyer is present.”
“Is that what you want, Ms. Wilcox? You want a lawyer? You guilty of something?”
“No, I’m not guilty of anything,” I replied, then turned my attention to Aaron, whose interference was starting to make me look bad. Hell, I could do that on my own. “Aaron, move, baby. I don’t need a lawyer.” Not yet anyway.
Aaron frowned, shaking his head. I could tell he didn’t agree with my choice to proceed. “Baby, that’s not wise—”
“You heard the lady. Now, move out of the way before I arrest you for obstruction.” Detective Phillips leaned in, pressing the issue and ignoring the advice Aaron had just given me. “Did you kill Jonathan Smith?”
“No, I would never do anything like that.” I was appalled. I mean, it could be said that Simone Wilcox was a lot of things, but damn it, a murderer I was not!
“Why should we believe you wouldn’t?”
“Because Jonathan Smith was my biological father, for God’s sake!”
I didn’t pay any attention to the look on the detectives’ faces. All I could see was the shock written on Aaron’s face. Ironically enough, he’d just met my father, the man who was married to my mother when I was born and the only father I’d ever known.
“Jonathan Smith was just trying to pay me back for being a shitty-ass father and not being there for me as a child. I guess you could call it back child support.”
The detectives gave each other a long look, and then they started writing in their notepads again. They’d wanted an answer to the texts; now they had one. I just hoped they, along with Aaron, would keep their mouths shut.
Tia
33
When I heard the knock on my front door at seven o’clock sharp, I removed my apron and smoothed my hands down the hot-pink silk blouse that I wore to complement my dark-wash skinny jeans.
“Prompt, aren’t we?” I teased when I opened the door.
“You know I’m the king of promptness,” Aaron reminded me.
How could I forget? I was late to choir rehearsal one time because I’d been on a call at the hotline, and he didn’t even give me time to explain before he nearly bit my head off. I know I had a small solo, and they couldn’t practice the song without me, but dang!
“Well, King, I’m sorry I don’t have any red carpet to lay out, but would you honor me by entering my humble abode anyway?” I bowed and extended my arm for him to enter.
“You’re too much, you know that?” Aaron said as he entered.
“Why don’t you have a seat on the couch? The main course is ready. I’m just going to get the garlic bread out of the oven. I hope you like spaghetti,” I called over my shoulder as I headed for the kitchen.
“I love it.”
“Dinner is served,” I announced a few minutes later as I returned carrying a bowl of pasta and a basket of garlic bread to the table.
“Great, because I’m starved.” The male voice that replied to my announcement didn’t belong to Aaron.
“Kareem, what are you doing here? I thought you were out playing basketball.”
“I bet you did,” Kareem replied. “The game got canceled, though, so it
looks like I’ll be able to join you and your boy for dinner.” He shot me a knowing look. “That is, if it’s okay with you, sis.”
“Ah, mystery solved. You’re her brother.” Aaron sounded relieved. He extended his hand to Kareem. “Sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk that night in the parking lot,” he said. I thought it was a diplomatic way of bringing up the subject without actually mentioning my brother’s bad behavior.
“Yeah, man. You know how it is,” Kareem replied. “I just gotta watch out for my little sister here.” He looked at me. “She’s all I got, you know.”
“I feel you. I don’t have any sisters myself,” Aaron admitted, “but I imagine I’d be the same way if I did.”
“Yeah, there’s too many brothers out there looking to take advantage of a woman, you know?”
Oh, no! I had to stop Kareem, because he sounded like he might actually start discussing my rape if I didn’t.
“Okay, well, enough of this,” I said, trying to sound light-hearted. “I didn’t slave over the stove for two hours for nothing. Let’s eat.”
We all headed to the table. After I blessed the food, we dug in, enjoying a good meal and good conversation. Well, Aaron and I talked. Kareem just stuffed his face and listened to us go back and forth.
By shortly after nine, Aaron was on his way out the door. “Thanks again for the meal, Tia. Dinner was delicious.” He held up the plastic container full of spaghetti. “And thanks for tomorrow’s lunch.”
“Anytime. You be safe out there.”
“I will,” Aaron assured me. He looked over my shoulder at Kareem, who was sitting on the couch flicking through television channels. “And it was nice meeting you, Kareem. Later.”
Kareem waved, and I closed the door behind Aaron.