Legacy: It's Never Black and White in Love and Business

by E. W. Brooks

  We didn’t know, but going through that bill was one of the worst things Melissa and I could have done. It turned us into immature and unprepared investigators. We highlighted the number that appeared the most, and we called it. Everything that happened after only led us to lose faith in those around us. It turned our world upside down and the worst part is, it wasn’t even worth it.

  Maybe people stay together for reasons that have little to do with love and fidelity. Shaky situations and crumbling foundations aren’t as visible from a distance. Putting this thing under a microscope amplified their problems and put additional strain on a tense situation.

  Edwina’s thoughts scrolled past the countless times Tesha tried to break her too. Instead, she settled on the ways it made her stronger. Those thoughts were the ones that encouraged and empowered the damaged young woman. She smiled. Glad to have escaped her past and its choke hold on her future.

  Edwina panicked the moment she opened her eyes. She’d floated at least 5 feet from the pool’s edge. Her arms flailed, as she looked for something to hold onto. Her head plunged beneath the water, and it began to dance up and down her face as her body bobbled. She was choking on water, as she reached for the ropes that separated the lanes and pulled her way back to the pools edge.

  Edwina pulled her frightened body from the water and coughed incessantly, as she tried to clear the water from her windpipe. A handsome life guard rushed to meet her.

  “Are you okay?” He asked through an amazing smile that made Edwina’s heart flutter.

  “I am now,” said the near-drowning victim, between the sputters of water coming from her mouth. “But, where were you when I needed you?”

  “Sorry, I had a ways to come to get to you. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Yes, I’m fine”

  “Great. I have to run, but call me if you need me,” stated the handsome figure.

  “Sure thing, but what’s your name?” Edwina inquired.

  “It’s Matthew. Matthew Marlowe,” the young man returned, extending his hand. “It was great to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Edwina said, as Mrs. Whittington approached.

  “Edwina, I have so many students trying to get out of PE that I’m sorry for not giving your request the consideration it needed. You’re excused until this portion of class is over.”

  “Thank you so much,” Edwina said, regretting that she would miss the opportunity to meet Matthew Marlowe again.

  “I am really afraid of the water,” Edwina explained to her instructor.

  “Oh, don’t think you are getting off that easy. Quite the contrary, I have assigned you to Matthew Marlowe, lifeguard. He will teach you the basics about water survival, and as long as you can tread water for 4 minutes and float, you will pass the class. You don’t have to come back until the final exam for the water portion. And if you want to pass, Ms. Edwina, you will take full advantage of the help Mr. Marlowe can offer you. Otherwise, I’ll have to start calling you “The Rock”, because I don’t know how you did it, but you were determined to sink to the bottom of this pool just now. Will you be comfortable with a young man instructing?”

  Edwina was thinking about everything but water as she answered, “You can believe that.”

  Mrs. Whittington let out a small chuckle. She could tell Edwina and Matthew were smitten with each other. It wasn’t a hard read at all.

  “You just make sure not to drown. Do you understand?” The instructor asked.

  “Yes ma’am. My Momma talked under the table all the time before she died. I get your drift. Thank you so much for the opportunity. You won’t regret it.”

  She left the gym, the happiest she’d been since her arrival at UNC – Wilmington. She took a moment to close her eyes and enjoy the heat of the sun on her face.

  “Nice day, isn’t it?” A familiar masculine voice asked.

  “Yes, beautiful,” Edwina added, slowly opening her eyes to find the handsome Matthew Marlowe standing before her.

  “Hey,” Edwina said, trying to hide her embarrassment, as she wondered just how long Matthew had been watching her.

  “Don’t worry about swim class. I see you had some trouble, but I’ve got you covered. We can start tomorrow at, let’s say, 9:00 am. You down?” he asked.

  “9:00 am? That’s brutal, but you’re the professional. I’ll be there.”

  “Great, meet me at the practice pool, and we’ll go hard until 10. Then, maybe, grab some breakfast. How does that sound?”

  Edwina tried not to blush, “It sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

  Matthew smiled. He’d met quite a few ladies in his first semester, but none of them had that southern charm his father talked about, until now.

  Edwina Edwards could be the one, and he couldn’t wait to find out.

  Frizzy Hair Fears

  Edwina took a deep breath as her hand touched the door handle. You got this. She thought to herself. The smell of chlorine filled the air and her nostrils. Her heart began to race, but only until she saw Matthew.

  Watching him glide through the water as if he belonged there, gave her hope. Maybe he really could teach her to swim. The room was silent except for the sound of Matthew’s hands pushing away water, as he made the length of the swimming pool.

  “BUZZZ, BUZZZ, RINGGGGGG, RINGGGGGG”

  Matthew lifted his head out of the water and wiped the dripping liquid from his eyes, as he looked over to the side of the pool. Edwina was standing there gripping her bag so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her full breasts peeked over her bathing suit top, but not in a sleazy way. Her sexuality, in the midst of modesty, turned him on.

  “Glad you showed up. I was worried,” Matthew joked.

  “I take my education very seriously. I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Edwina returned, trying to hide the way her voice trembled.

  “Damn, and all the time I thought it was this body,” Matthew answered, as he stepped out of the pool. He was perfect. His chiseled frame instantly caught Edwina’s attention, as her eyes traced his body from head, to chest, to his six pack and finally down to his bulging cock. Her eyes stopped there as she took a deep breath.

  Matthew laughed after following Edwina’s eyes and seeing where they landed.

  “What’s so funny?” Edwina asked. She was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.

  “What were you looking at?”

  “You’re the one walking around her with your rock hard belly out for the world to see,” Edwina answered. There was no way she was gonna say had been eyeing his Johnson.

  “That wasn’t my question, but it’s all good. You can go to the bathroom in that back corner to change.”

  “No need. I just threw on my shorts over my suit. Let’s get this over with,” Edwina dropped her bag to the cold tile surrounding the pool and stepped out of her cheerleading shorts.

  “Damn,” Matthew exclaimed.

  Edwina just smiled. Her freshly shaven legs glistened and commanded his attention.

  “I gotta warn you, I don’t know anything about water, and it scares me to death.”

  “I kinda figured that out when I saw you out there flailing instead of floating in gym class.” Matthew chuckled.

  “Don’t judge me. You just can’t make me believe that water will hold me up. Do I look like a float to you?”

  “Well, I think you have a nice pair of headlights that could be used as floatation devices.”

  “That’s not funny, Dude. I’m not mentioning the kickstand you should put away,” Edwina said, as she pointed to Matthew’s semi-hard piece.

  “I can’t help it. It likes what it sees.”

  “Whatever. You just keep that thing to yourself and let’s get this torture over with.”

  “Why don’t you trust the water?” Matthew asked in a serious tone. Edwina could tell the games were over and it was time to get down to business.

  “I don’t trust much of anything these days,” Edwina said, as her voice trailed off into the
air.

  “We’re gonna fix that. I promise. Deal?” Matthew asked, as he extended his hand and Edwina shook it with a smile.

  “Deal,” Edwina returned.

  “Let’s start by getting in the water,” Matthew instructed.

  “Ummmm, can I get a float or a life jacket or something?” Edwina asked through a quivering voice, as she tried to hide her shaky hands.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “I don’t know you,” she responded.

  “We are in a room full of swimming pools all alone and you can’t swim. How do you know I won’t just throw you in one and let you learn to sink or swim right here and right now?”

  “Don’t be silly, you’re not that crazy.”

  “How do you know?” he asked.

  “I don’t think you’d harm me, Mr. Matthew Marlowe,” Edwina said, as she began to regain her confidence.

  “Then trust me to make sure you don’t harm yourself,” Matthew said, stepping into the water. “Besides, we only have about 30 more minutes before the swim team comes in, and I know you aren’t ready for those jokes. Trust me. I got you.”

  Those words made Edwina cringe. Things turned out bad anytime someone in her life asked for her trust.

  “What’s wrong, Edwina?” Matthew asked, sensing her hesitation.

  “Nothing, you just better not let me drown.”

  “I got you, Ma,” Matthew joked, as he waved his hands through the air in an attempt to look “urban.”

  Edwina smiled, as she focused on slowing her breathing before stepping into the 5 feet of water.

  “See, it’s not that bad,” Matthew said, trying to encourage his student to relax.

  “What do you want to try first?”

  “I need to learn to float.”

  “Okay. Good idea. I’m gonna need you to lie back.”

  “OH, hell no! How do I know you aren’t gonna let me fall?” Edwina asked, with a look of concern covering her face.

  “You have to trust me. Put your head here,” he said, as he pointed to the crook in his right arm. “Now, put that “donk” right here so I can support you.”

  Everything in Edwina was screaming. Her internal alarms were sounding and it was all she could do to stop the anxiety that was overtaking her. Instead of giving in to her fear, she relaxed and stepped closer to Matthew.

  “I trust you, so you better know what you’re doing,” Edwina said. Then, she held onto the side of the pool, as she lay back, placing her neck on the arm that reached out to support her body. Sure arms swept Edwina off her feet, and she was literally lying in his arms. She leaned her head back to enjoy the moment.

  The gurgling sound of water going in and out of Edwina’s ears made her uneasy, but Matthew’s strong arms made her feel safe.

  “Let go,” he instructed.

  “I can’t,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “I’m afraid you will let me go or not be there, and then I’ll be out there flailing again.”

  “Baby, I got you,” Matthew said before planting a kiss on Edwina’s lips. The movement shocked her. She panicked and began trying to wave her hands to gain some bearing.

  “Stop it,” he said, as Edwina reached for the side of the pool. “You have to trust that I got you,” he said, as he held onto the young woman he wanted to build a family with. He stepped out into the water and away from the safety of the pool’s edge.

  Edwina saw she had no choice, so she followed Matthew’s instructions. Edwina learned to float in no time. Matthew was impressed. The alarm on his phone sounded again.

  “We have 5 minutes before the swim team gets here. Run and get dressed, and we’ll go grab a bite to eat before my day starts.”

  “Okay,” Edwina responded. It felt good to have a man make plans for her. It’d been a long while since anyone had been interested in her, and this time, she could feel the chemistry and she knew the feeling was mutual.

  “Next time, we’ll start learning a few strokes.”

  “I’ll try,” she smiled. “But, I’ll need you to take your time with me.”

  “Don’t worry Edwina, we’re gonna have the rest of our lives.”

  “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,” Edwina laughed, “Can we start with breakfast?”

  “I wanna go steady with you, Edwina. I wanna be your man. I’ve been watching you for months. And then, what were the chances of you being such a bad swimmer? I want you Edwina Edwards and Matthew Marlowe always gets what he wants.”

  “Well,” Edwina returned, “I’ve been watching that tight behind of yours all semester too. So, how do you know I didn’t work out all of this so I could holler at you?”

  “I saw you in that pool with your arms flying everywhere. That panic was real. You need my help. That’s the reason you’re here.”

  “Okay, okay. You’re right. Can we go now? I’m starving.”

  “Meet you out front in 10 minutes?” Matthew said before jetting off to the men’s room.

  “You got it,” Edwina returned, as she wondered what to do with her wet hair. Those nappy roots always gave her away.

  ***

  “Who gave you this package? Did you see who left it?” Marcellus asked, as he scanned the photos and threw them on his desk. He was obviously repulsed by the envelope’s content.

  “No, Mr. Marlowe. It was in with the mail this morning.”

  “Thanks Jimmy. That’s all for now, I’ll buzz you later if I need you.”

  “Yes, Sir. But, what about the poll reports?”

  “Boy, you know I am gonna win. Now get your young ass out of my office and before you go crying about me cursing you out. You should know 2 things: most honest people curse and ALL CEOs do. So, man up and close my fucking door behind you, please,” Marcellus smiled, as he watched a brilliant young man, unaware of his genius, cower and back out of the room; as if to some king.

  Marcellus grabbed the mirror from the top drawer of his desk. He looked to see if his façade was still intact. It was, so he went on about his day determined to figure out just who would be bold enough to blackmail him? He was one of the most powerful men in the city and his connections made him virtually untouchable, but there was no way he could lean on any of those resources for this. He would have to handle this one on his own.

  I Killed Her in My Mind

  Edwina wasn’t ready for the feelings that came with her swim lessons. It had only been two weeks and she and Matthew were inseparable. The campus was buzzing, as everyone was preparing to go home for Thanksgiving. Edwina and Matthew had one more lesson together before it was time to hit the road.

  She had no idea what she was going to do for the holiday. She’d been spending so much time at Matthew’s that she really lost touch with most of her friends, but she couldn’t let him know that she was gonna be spending this Turkey Day in someone’s empty hotel room, alone.

  Matthew met her at the door of the gym. He smiled, as she jogged up the stairs to meet him. He cringed at the thought of being without her. She made life so simple for him. In two weeks, they’d grown into breakfast 3 times a week after swim class and at least 4 nights a week at his place; all of which included a mouth-watering Southern style meal.

  As soon as Edwina came within reach of Matthew, she kissed him on the lips. Hugging her instantly made his day better.

  “Are you ready to do the dead man’s float today?” Matthew asked.

  “No. I thought you could let me float on my back one more day,” Edwina answered trying to hide her anxiety.

  “Babe, you can’t stay on your back forever. You have to learn how to swim. I’m right here. I promise I won’t let you drown.”

  “Let’s just try the back float to make sure I’m comfortable, and then we can move on, okay?”

  “I’m only letting you get by with this because I like you,” Matthew joked, “but, we have to get down to business next week, Eddie. You have to pass Mrs. Whittington’s test.”

  “I know. I’m ready,” Edwina relented
.

  Matthew wrapped his arms around the new love of his life. Edwina is one choice his Father would gladly approve of. He wanted so badly to ask her to go home with him for Thanksgiving, but he wouldn’t want to scare her away by moving too fast, too soon.

  Edwina felt so comfortable lying back into Matthew’s arms. Being suspended like that meant that all her troubles could float away for at least an hour. Matthew began to step away and allow his new best friend to peacefully float beside him.

  Edwina was so blessed. She had everything she needed to be a successful student, but it didn’t mean very much without her mother’s validation. Matthew was too good for her, that’s what Tesha would say.

  The vibrant young woman began to lose faith in the fluid support surrounding her, as her mind drifted back to Norwood.

  It’s been years since my Dad was killed. That’s when my mother changed, and as hard as I try, I can’t bring one pleasant experience with them both to mind. As a matter of fact, when I revisit the things I learned from my parents, I can only seem to come up with things I don’t want to do. I don’t want to constantly fight over money. I don’t want to cheat on my husband. Instead, I want to understand my child. I want to be there as he grows up to enlighten and encourage him in a way that only a mother can.

  The task itself seems simple to me, but it was an impossible for my momma, and I’ll never understand why. But, there is no way I’m going back there after the way I left. There is no way Tesha would let me live that down, and I can’t be ammunition from her friends again. What am I gonna do? I don’t have roots any more. There is no place for me to call home.

  ***

  The reality of her life and the choices she’d made scared her to death. And, suddenly, she panicked. Her moment of calm retrospect was over and reality set in. Her arms began to violently hit the water, as her head dipped back into the pool.

  Suddenly, she felt strong arms pulling her up from the water. Matthew was there. She coughed but found that he’d caught her before the water ever got to her nose or mouth.