“Hello . . .” Jefferson said, grinning.
Kyla rolled her eyes. “Well, Brian. We really have to get together soon. Maybe I should plan a welcome home party or something.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. Then, I’ll call you. Jefferson . . . I’ll see you later.”
With all the dignity she could muster, Kyla strode past them and heard their snickers as she darted down the stairs.
Let them laugh, she thought. If Brian’s dates with Alexis were only casual, why was it all such a big secret? Anyway, she didn’t need to get any information from them. She was on her way to get all the news she needed.
“Kyla! Bon jour!” Stephen Felix, the owner of Memphis waved his arms wildly as he greeted her.
“Hi, Stephen. What are you doing here? I heard you got a part in that new Spike Lee movie. Congratulations.”
“Thank you, mon cherie.” He air-kissed both of her cheeks. “We just finished filming, so I came to check out my investment. You know how that is, dahling. But enough. I want to hear all about the big bash. Everyone is still talking about it. You made my restaurant famous, dahling.”
Kyla chatted with the actor as she followed him to one of the tables. He pulled out a chair for her. “I know you’re not eating alone today. Who’s joining you?”
“I am!” Alexis flew to the table and slumped into the other chair. Dressed in old jeans, a white T-shirt and a navy blazer, Alexis still looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
“Alexis, the most gorgeous woman on earth. When are you going to fulfill my fantasy and become the lady in my life?”
Alexis laughed. “When I forget about your six ex-wives.”
He held his hand to his chest covering his paisley tie. “How you offend me! I’ve only been married five times, but I would adore you more than any of the others.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“Well, I will just have to find a way to convince you. One day, you will be mine. Ladies, enjoy your lunch.” With that, Stephen floated away in his usual style, his feet barely touching the ground.
Kyla and Alexis giggled. “Is he a mess or what?” Alexis chuckled. “I wonder if his mother still claims him.”
“I’m sure she does, but he probably doesn’t claim her! He thinks he’s from the South of France and his mother would only remind him that he’s from South Central. But I really think he wants to marry you,” Kyla teased.
“Please. The man is thirty-something and has been married five times. That is almost chronologically impossible.”
“Well, he’s a piece of work, all right. But I don’t want to talk about him. Tell me about Brian.”
“Oh! What happened to, How is your day, Alexis? How is your business, Alexis? How are you feeling, Alexis?—none of that, huh?”
“Come on. Why are you teasing me like this?”
“Hi, Kyla, Alexis,” the waitress said, interrupting them. “Are you guys just having your usual?”
“What about the Cobb salad?” Alexis asked, and Kyla agreed, though she really wanted the high-calorie peppered shrimp.
When the waitress walked away, Alexis leaned back and smiled. “Okay . . . Brian’s really nice.”
“Nice? What’s up with that word? That’s the same thing he said about you.”
Alexis closed her eyes and frowned. “Oh, no, you didn’t! Kyla, why can’t you just stay out of my business?”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t mention your name. Well, maybe I mentioned it once. But he said you were nice.”
Alexis leaned forward, elbows framing the table. “Is that all he said?”
“Yup. But that doesn’t mean anything. I have a feeling that Jefferson told him not to say anything to me. So come on, tell me more.”
“Well . . . he’s a Christian, did you know that?”
Kyla shook her head. “No, I didn’t. Well you know what I think—there’s nothing sexier than a Black man with his hands raised to the Lord.”
Alexis laughed and nodded in agreement. “He’ll be coming to church with us. Jefferson invited him.”
“So, where have you guys been?”
“The first time, we went to Venice Beach . . .”
“Really? That’s a funny place for a man with Brian’s kind of money. I would have thought he would have been doing everything he could to try to make a good impression.”
“And that’s what I liked about him. He’s not pretentious. He was more interested in us getting to know one another than anything else. We spent the entire afternoon just talking.”
“Have you two talked about everything?”
Alexis frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I don’t want to get involved . . .”
“That’ll be the day . . .”
“But, I do think you should know . . .”
“If you’re talking about the fact that he’s divorced, with two sons, that his ex-wife’s name is Regina, she’s a teacher, and they lived in a brownstone in Boston, where she and the boys still live . . .”
Kyla held up her hands. “Okay, okay.”
“He’s told me everything, though I did have to ask him about Regina when he called me by her name. But it was an innocent thing. So far, things are great. No secrets.”
“Well, I just wanted to make sure you knew . . .”
“You don’t have to look over my shoulder, Kyla.”
“I’m not. So, when are you two going to get together again?”
“You have beat me and battered me and pounded me and blackmailed me into meeting you. And you still want more information?”
“All I asked is, when are you going out again?”
The waitress arrived with their salads and teas. As she walked away, Kyla and Alexis held hands, bowed their heads and gave thanks for the food they were about to eat.
“Ky, listen to me. I’m just going to chill and see where this goes. And I’m counting on you to let me and Brian do this without any pressure or interference.”
Kyla’s eyes opened wide. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of interfering.”
Alexis rolled her eyes. “Anyway, change of subject. Are you going to talk to Jefferson about getting a job?”
Kyla sighed, wiping the corner of her mouth with her napkin. “I have to.”
“You don’t sound too confident.”
“Because I know how he’ll react. But I’m not going to back down this time. I’ve just got to do something else besides being the professional professional’s wife.”
“If you explain it to Jefferson that way, he’ll understand.”
They chatted through lunch and were still talking when the waitress came to clear the table.
“Now, promise that you’ll tell me everything about your date tonight,” Kyla started as they gathered their things to leave. “And, don’t make any plans with Brian for the weekend. Remember we’ll be in Santa Barbara for the Women’s Fellowship with my mom.”
“Oh, that’s right!” Alexis bit her lip. “I do want to see your parents. Plus, we could get some shopping in . . .”
“You sound like you have something else to do.”
“Brian’s coming to church Sunday and I wanted to be there with him.”
“I didn’t know you meant this Sunday. I wonder if Jefferson remembers that I won’t be there.”
“Well, your mother’s program is Saturday, right?”
“Uh-huh. I’ll be staying until Sunday, but you could come back Saturday night or early Sunday morning and still make it to church with Brian.”
Alexis nodded. “Then it’s a plan.”
Kyla glanced at her watch. “Oooh! I’ve got to get Nicole.”
“And I’ve got to get back to the office to get some work done before I meet Brian.” Alexis paused, frowning slightly, wondering if she should bring up Jasmine. She didn’t want to make Kyla mad, but she had to warn her. “Kyla, I wanted to clear up what we talked about earlier.”
“What?” she asked, digging i
n her purse for her credit card, unaware of her friend’s look of concern.
“What I was trying to say . . .” Alexis began, “is that Jasmine . . .”
Kyla looked up and shook her head. “Don’t say another word, Alex. I am really tired of this thing you and Jasmine have going. And really, I’m surprised at you! I expect this from Jasmine, but from you . . .”
“Kyla, I only brought it up again because you’re not listening . . .”
“I’ve heard everything you’ve had to say. And you know what? This sounds just like some high school mess. I didn’t participate in that then, so you know I won’t be part of it now!”
Alexis had to force her mouth shut. She snatched her purse from the table and stared down at Kyla. Seconds slid by before Alexis spoke. “All right, Kyla. You don’t have to listen, but I hope your ears are open to this one free piece of advice.” She paused, as her eyes became slits. “That woman, that person that you call a friend . . . is . . . a . . . snake. And, I pray that one day you don’t find her slithering around on her belly eating everything in your backyard.”
Alexis turned on her heel, whipping her hair over her shoulder, and stomped out, leaving Kyla sitting with the check and credit card in hand and her mouth wide open in surprise.
Seven
* * *
“A snake.” Alexis’ words reverberated in her mind. It wasn’t that she was worried about their friendship; they’d had their fights before and had always been able to put disagreements behind them quickly. And Kyla knew this time would be no different.
Only this time, it felt different. Like Alexis was trying to deliver some covert message that she just didn’t get. She tried to remember Alexis’ exact words, but the only thing that stuck in her mind was the snake. An interesting choice of words.
Turning the corner, Kyla could see Nicole in the playground and she forcibly pushed thoughts of Alexis away. She slowed the car and honked the horn, getting both her daughter’s and the school attendant’s attention. The after-school monitor peeked through the fence and Kyla waved, ignoring the guilt she felt not walking to the playground the way the school’s safety and security policies requested.
The monitor nodded and motioned to Nicole. With pigtails flying and backpacks bouncing, Nicole and Hannah came running to the car. After they climbed into the backseat, Kyla leaned over and closed the door behind them.
“Mother, you’re late! Didn’t you remember that Hannah was coming home with us today?”
Kyla smiled into the rearview mirror as she pulled the car away from the curb. “Hello, ladies. How are you today?”
“Fine, Mrs. Blake,” Hannah whispered and Nicole sighed.
“You’re never late, Mother. Where were you?”
“I didn’t know I had to report my comings and goings to you, young lady. What’s wrong with you?”
Nicole pouted. “I had to fight for Hannah again.” The words were spoken as if she had performed her daily duty.
“Nicole, your father and I have talked to you about this.”
“She was protecting me.” Hannah’s voice was so soft Kyla had to strain to hear. “Billy was picking on me and Nicole made him stop.”
Kyla tried to hide her smile. “Well, what did Billy do, Hannah?”
Before Hannah could speak, Nicole answered, “He said that Hannah had a stupid name because it was the same whether you spelled it backwards or forwards. And, I told him that her name wasn’t stupid because it’s in the Bible. He didn’t even know that! He didn’t even know that Hannah was the mother of Samuel. And, I said he was the one with the stupid name because he was nothing but a bearded billy goat and if he didn’t stop picking on Hannah I was going to punch him in the nose!”
Kyla sighed. Quoting the Bible in one breath and threatening the boy’s life in the next. “Nicole, Billy was just being silly. Do you think you handled that in the right way?”
Nicole’s eyebrows furrowed. “Maybe,” she said, her voice suddenly soft.
“Really?”
A few beats passed. “Well, maybe not, Mommy. But I only said that to him because he made Hannah cry.”
Kyla glanced again into the rear mirror and looked at the two girls: Hannah crouched down low, shoulders slumped, looking even now like she was going to cry. Nicole, staring back at her, defiant in her attitude. And Kyla softened. She had to admit that while she wasn’t pleased with the way she’d done it, she was pleased that Nicole defended her friends. Just like Jasmine.
“It’s good that you want to protect your friends, Nicole. But you have to handle it in the right way, especially as a Christian. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I think so,” she paused. “A Christian should only kick someone’s butt if nothing else has worked.”
Kyla could not hide her smile. “Something like that. We’ll talk about it later.”
By the time Kyla turned onto their street, the girls were laughing and chatting about the upcoming summer vacation. And, when Kyla pulled into her driveway, the garage door was already up.
Nicole clapped her hands. “Daddy’s home!”
Kyla grabbed her briefcase and when she looked up, Jefferson was standing at the door, casually dressed in an old sweat suit. “Hey, you.” He kissed her cheek, taking her briefcase from her hand.
She wondered if he would say anything about what had happened earlier with Brian. Knowing her husband, he wouldn’t. Unless she brought it up. She wouldn’t.
“What are you doing home so early?” Kyla asked as she walked into the family room. Nicole and Hannah were sitting on the floor, already engrossed in the happenings on the Cartoon Network. “Hey, ladies. What comes first?”
Hannah looked up through her glasses, like she was going to cry, but Nicole barely glanced away from the television screen. “Oh, Mom. Can’t we just look at one cartoon?”
“What did your mother say?” The deep voice resonated through the room and both girls jumped up.
Nicole picked up her bag and Hannah dutifully followed. “Come on, Hannah. I think we should go up to my room and do our homework,” Nicole ordered as if she had suddenly come up with this idea.
“One day I’m going to learn how to do that,” Kyla said. “I’m going to get our daughter to do what I ask the first time without having to give a second explanation.”
“She knows she doesn’t get a second chance with me. But with you . . .” Lying on the couch, he took Kyla’s hand. “I’m pooped.”
“I guess now that you’re an old man, you’re going to have to slow down a bit,” Kyla laughed.
“Talk big now, but remember your fortieth is not too far away.”
“But for the next few months, you and I will be part of different decades and I’m enjoying every day of it.”
“I can see that,” he grinned as he clicked on the television news. They sat silently watching the depressing information of the day.
“By the way, I ordered pizza,” Jefferson said. “It should be here in a few minutes.”
“Oh, you dear, dear man!” She kissed him on the forehead. “I’ll go change.”
As she moved to get up, he held her tightly. He kissed the back of her neck, refusing to release his grasp. She giggled as his breath tickled her.
“You’d better let me go or you may have to finish what you started.”
“Promises, promises.” He loosed his grip and she ran up the steps, checking first on the girls, reviewing their assignments while they changed their clothes. Then, she shooed them away while she went to her room to change.
Dressed only in one of Jefferson’s huge T-shirts, Kyla came downstairs while Nicole was setting the table. “What’s up, Nicole? Don’t your father and I deserve to eat with you?”
“No, Mother. This is for you. Hannah and I are going to eat in my room.”
“What happened to asking first?” Jefferson asked.
Kyla’s eyes darted between the two. “You know what? As long as you promise to eat all your food and not make a mess,
you can eat upstairs.”
Jefferson’s eyebrow arched, but he remained silent. After the girls left with their plates, Kyla and Jefferson settled into the family room, trays set in front of them. Kyla bobbed her head to the jazz flowing softly through the speakers and chewed on a piece of pepperoni. Her eyes moved from point to point around the room, but she avoided Jefferson and his eyes, even though she could feel his piercing glance.
He finally broke the silence. “Okay, I can tell that something is wrong.”
She looked up, but didn’t say a word.
“Is it something with Nicole or the clinic?”
Kyla shook her head slightly. That was the problem. He couldn’t imagine that there could be anything else in her life. “No, it’s about me.”
She could see the muscles in his face tighten. “What is it? Are you sick?”
“Have you ever thought about what I do all day?”
His eyes blinked rapidly. “What? I don’t know what you mean.”
“Have you ever thought about what a typical day is for me?”
He was silent for a long moment, then his eyes flickered understanding. “Oh. You want to talk about this work thing again. So what’s wrong this time?”
“Nothing’s wrong. That’s what you always think. But that’s not my truth.” She pursed her lips, then proceeded. “I just wanted to let you know that once the summer is over and Nicole is back in school, I will be returning to work.”
Without a word, Jefferson stood, taking his plate into the kitchen. Kyla remained in the family room for several minutes before following him. He was leaning against the refrigerator, sipping soda from the bottle. She walked past him, around the center island, placed her plate in the sink, then turned facing him.
“I know you’re not happy about this, but this will in no way affect you or Nicole. You two will always come first in my life. This is something I have to do for me.”
She paused, giving him a chance to respond, but he kept sipping on his drink, his eyes staring at the nothingness behind her. Taking a deep breath, she strained to keep her voice steady. “Look, I’m not going to let this turn into a fight. I just want to talk about it.”
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