by Rhonda Bowen
Naomi rolled her eyes and turned back to the mirror where she applied her eye shadow. “I am not twenty-one anymore. I’ll leave that over-sexy-stripper look to you and your friends.”
“Shut up,” Camille laughed and tossed a chip at Naomi. Naomi grinned. It was nice having Camille back. Having her around. She realized that in the past few months she hadn’t spent nearly enough time with her, just hanging out enjoying her niece’s company. All that would change. Regardless of what did or did not happen with Jordan, she would make sure Camille never got sidelined again.
“Any plans for tonight?” Naomi asked.
Camille’s face fell. “Nay...”
“I’m not prying, just making conversation,” Naomi kept her gaze on the mirror.
Camille eyed her suspiciously as she munched on the chips. “Crystal is coming over. I’m gonna put in some box braids for her.”
Naomi turned around and frowned at her niece. “She better be paying you for that.”
“No doubt,” Camille said. “Ain’t no free labor happenin’ up in here.”
Naomi smiled. “Good. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of my niece.”
“Naomi?”
“Hmm?”
Camille took so long to answer that Naomi almost put down the mascara brush to look back at her.
“Thanks,” she finally said. “For everything.”
Naomi blinked back tears, but kept her voice steady as she continued to work on her eyelashes.
“That’s what family is for, hun.” She capped her mascara and reached for the lipstick. “Now, go get my dress out of the closet so you can help me into it. My ride will be here in about fifteen minutes.”
Camille scrambled off the bed and ran to the closet. Naomi was sure she would take the opportunity to rifle through it for anything near her size. By the time Naomi got back, she would surely be missing a few items.
“Ooh, Nay-Nay, this dress is off the hook!” Camille squealed as she rushed back into the room with the hanger. “You’re going to have Jordan panting like a dog.”
Naomi laughed nervously. “I sure hope so.”
The time seemed to fly and before Naomi knew it, her ride waited for her downstairs.
“There’s leftovers in the fridge but if you want to order something, there’s money and menus in the kitchen drawer,” Naomi grabbed her purse and headed towards the door.
“Naomi, wait!”
Naomi turned around, her dress swung as Camille hurried towards her with a bottle of what looked like body spray.
“Hold out your arms.”
“I already have on perfume,” Naomi protested.
“This is not perfume,” Camille grabbed her aunt’s left arm and misted it with the liquid.
Naomi squealed when the light began to shimmer and reflect off her skin. “Are you covering me with glitter! What do you think I am? Sixteen?”
Camille rolled her eyes, and spread the liquid over Naomi’s arm like lotion. “It is not glitter, but it will make your skin glow. Jordan’s going to think you’re an angel.”
“Yeah, an angel from some kid’s kindergarten class drawing.”
“Oh! Be quiet,” Camille grabbed Naomi’s right arm and sprayed before Naomi could stop her.
“I can’t believe I am letting you do this to me...”
“Turn around!” Camille ordered. She prayed Naomi’s exposed back and then before she could stop her rubbed a bit on her chest where the top of her dress dipped very slightly towards her cleavage.
“Okay enough!” Naomi pulled the door open. “Bye!”
“Have fun!”
Naomi hurried down the stairs and out into the cool night air. She paused when she saw the limo parked in front of her building.
“Really, Amanda?” Naomi asked when the door opened and the woman peeked her head out. “Limousine?”
“Well, you know me,” Amanda waved Naomi inside. “Go big or go home.”
Naomi rolled her eyes as she slipped into the back seat and closed the door behind her.
Amanda winked. “Love the dress by the way.”
“Oh, this old thing?” Naomi said with a grin. “It was just something I had lying around.”
Amanda laughed. “I’m sure.”
“So do I know any of the recipients this year?” Naomi asked as she settled back into her seat across from Amanda’s.
“No, but next year, I hope you will,” Amanda folded her hands in her lap as sat back. “Have you ever thought about being a part of the committee for the Thirty under Thirty awards?”
Naomi blinked, not sure if Amanda was being serious. “No.”
“Well, you should.” Amanda said earnestly. “You’ve recommended individuals for the award almost every year since you received it. Many of them have gone on to do really well with the money they’ve received. We have a couple of people retiring this year and I think you have an eye for young talent. You’d be great on the committee.”
Naomi bit her lip thoughtfully. Her life was already over scheduled as it was, but the thought of encouraging and building young entrepreneurs excited her. Working with Teresa on expanding her business had energized her more than anything she had done career wise recently. She could definitely see herself getting more involved.
“Maybe,” Naomi said. “I would have to think about it.”
“Well, start thinking,” Amanda said. “Because I plan to recommend you at our board meeting next week.”
Naomi stared out the window and watched the New York lights pass them by. She knew she would enjoy working on the committee, but it would mean seeing Jordan pretty frequently as he was also a part of the team. As it stood, their lives didn’t intersect that much, and that would be a good thing if it turned out that they didn’t end up together. She wasn’t sure if she could bear seeing him all the time, having him be that close but so emotionally far away.
“Don’t worry about Jordan,” Amanda said knowingly. “Regardless of what happens, he’ll stay professional. It won’t be a problem.”
Naomi sighed and rested her hand on her cheek. That was easy for her to say.
Chapter Twenty-six
Jordan checked his watch, scanned the room, pulled at his necktie then checked his watch again. He retrieved a glass of water from a table nearby, took a sip then promptly discarded it. He checked his watch for a third time.
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Jordan Isaiah Lennox, will you stop fidgeting! You are about to give me a nervous breakdown.”
Jordan threw an apologetic glance towards the regal looking woman seated at the table with him.
“Sorry, mom.” He sighed. “I guess I am a little on edge tonight. Where is Amanda? I thought she would be here by now.”
“Your sister has never been on time a day in her life,” Elizabeth Lennox said as she adjusted her place setting. “I don’t know why you thought it would be different today.”
“Well, she is a part of the Thirty under Thirty board,” Jordan said, unable to keep the annoyance out of his voice. “You would think she could be on time for her own event.”
Elizabeth chuckled and Jordan looked over at his mom.
“What?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Nothing my dear.”
He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, but she just smiled and settled her attention on the printed event program. Unable to stay still a moment longer, he stood up suddenly and strode through the crowded ballroom to the men’s room at the back. He was glad to find it empty and took the opportunity to splash some water on his face. He dried the damp spots with a paper towel then stared at himself in the mirror.
“Come on, Jordan. It’s not that big a deal. You’re just going to walk up to her and tell her how you feel. Lay it all out there and let the chips fall where they may. That’s the plan. Just say how you feel.”
He nodded at himself. He felt only marginally better after his pep talk. He headed towards the door.
“Say how you feel, say how you fee-.”
&
nbsp; The words died on his lips as his eyes caught a blaze of orange.
She was here.
Every beam of light in the room seemed to be attracted to her beautiful form as she smiled and greeted colleagues, awardees and fellow business persons. She was radiant. Her dress flowed gently over her curves then cascaded to the floor and glided around her like a haze of light. Her skin glowed like a warm summer sunset. Jordan longed to touch it, to feel its warmth.
He wavered between standing and watching her versus being closer to her, but eventually the tug of his emotions moved him across the room.
The band had started playing. Smooth jazz flowed through the ballroom and everyone seemed to move to the dance floor to take advantage of the opportunity to soak up everything the event had to offer. But he kept getting held up by people who knew him. She was mere steps away when his view was suddenly cut off by a broad figure.
“Jordan Lennox, it’s good to see you.”
“Judge Bryan,” Jordan responded. He forced enthusiasm he didn’t feel into his voice. “Good seeing you here.”
“Yes well, I’ve heard a lot about these awards, but never had the chance to attend until this year,” the Judge said. “You guys are doing a great job, recognizing the young businessmen and women in this fine city.”
Jordan nodded and tried to appear interested as the Judge went on, but he couldn’t help but search for the flash of orange over the man’s shoulder.
“Well, Judge, I’d love to stay and chat but...”
“Listen, Lennox,” Judge Bryan put a hand on his shoulder before he could slip away. “Have you ever considered running for city council?”
“To be honest, sir, I haven’t.” In the corner of his eye, Jordan saw Naomi head towards the front of the room.
“Well, we’ve had an alderman position open up in the Bronx. With your family’s history of success in city politics, I definitely think you should consider it.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” Jordan said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Jordan slipped away from the Judge before he could say another word and made a beeline for the front of the room to where Naomi stood near the stage. But before he could get near, the music faded and the lights went down on the room.
“Good evening everyone and welcome to New York City’s 25th annual Thirty Under Thirty Awards.”
There was a round of applause as all attention turned toward the stage and the chair of the committee, Ron Scarlett.
“This is very special evening for New York’s young entrepreneurs.”
Jordan searched the darkened room for Naomi. She was still by the stage. He whispered apologies as he discreetly tried to move towards her. He knew he could wait. She would likely be there all night. But if she wasn’t, if she somehow left without him getting a chance to tell her how he felt, he wasn’t sure he would be able to forgive himself.
He was so focused on getting to where she was that he barely heard what was going on. It wasn’t until Naomi walked up the steps to the stage and the spotlight fell on her that he stood still.
“Good evening, everyone,” Naomi said. “This evening, I am here to present the Woman of Courage award. This award is presented to a young woman who has had to overcome extraordinary odds in the pursuit of success. As a former recipient of this award, I was asked to say a little bit about what it means to be courageous.”
Naomi paused. Jordan watched as emotion fluttered through her eyes, just before her gaze fell to the podium in front of her. He felt his chest tighten.
“But the truth is, I haven’t been very courageous.” She looked up and the pain in her eyes echoed in waves through him. “In fact, in many ways, I did not deserve this award when I received it several years ago. You see for a long time, I was a coward in my own life. I let a man who said he loved me hurt me over and over. Beat me until I couldn’t recognize my own face in the mirror. Break me in ways that no woman should ever be broken. I allowed him to do this. And I let him make me believe it was my fault. I couldn’t leave. I didn’t have the courage to. But I thank God that he placed women of courage in my life. Women like my cousin, who saved me when I couldn’t save myself. Women like my best friend, who caught me when I was about to fall again. Women like my mentor who helped me learn how to heal. Those were the real women of courage.”
She lifted her chin and drew in a deep breath. “And as I listened to the stories of the four women nominated today, I recognized in them the courage that I found in the women who saved me. I know we only give one award, but all of them deserve to be up here today and so I invite to join me on stage: Estella Campbell, Juliet Johnson, Teresa Jones, and Kimone Keen.
There was a round of applause in the room and Jordan watched Teresa Jones wheel a beautifully dressed woman up the ramp to the stage. The other two women followed behind them. They were all familiar. He had met all the nominees and knew all of their stories personally. It had been a hard choice for the committee to choose just one. Naomi was right. They were all exceptional.
“And the recipient of this year’s Woman of Courage award is…” Naomi paused to open the gilded envelope. “Juliet Johnson.”
The slim, dark skinned woman stepped to the podium to the sound of more applause as she received the plaque and the envelope, which Jordan knew, held a sizeable check. Naomi hugged the woman tightly then hugged the other three nominees. She held on to Teresa a little longer than the rest.
“Thank you so much for this award,” Juliet beamed at the crowd. “I am so grateful for this recognition and for all the support the committee has given to me and the other nominees. If there is one thing I have learned, it’s that courage is not so much about overcoming the big things, but in getting up everyday and overcoming the doubts in yourself.”
She turned to look back at Naomi. “And this woman here, though she thinks otherwise, has shown so much courage in her words today. This award is not just mine. It’s Teresa’s, Kimone’s, Estella’s and Naomi’s too. So on behalf of all of us, thank you.”
The applause, along with lots of cheers, sounded again as the five women left the stage together. Jordan wanted to add cheers to his applause but the lump in his throat kept him from speaking. It had lodged there after he heard Naomi. It was filled with pride, and with something he had never felt so strongly before as he did now - unconditional love.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Naomi’s stride felt light as she walked down the steps of the stage with the other women ahead of her. Teresa had been right. Telling the truth about her past, taking it out of the realm of secrecy had loosened the chains it had over her. That moment, as she stared out at the hundreds of faces looking back at her, she had been terrified. The fear had almost paralyzed her. But the moment she let the words go, she felt freer than she had ever felt since everything had happened.
As she stepped off the last step, she wasn’t surprised to see who was waiting for her. She hugged her friend tightly, remembered all the times when Natasha had held her up, because she was too much of a mess to hold up herself. There would never be enough words to express how much Naomi appreciated Natasha for those times.
“I am so proud of you, hun,” Natasha said quietly.
Naomi pulled back and looked at her friend. “I don’t say it enough, but thank you.”
Natasha nodded and blinked rapidly. Naomi’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, Natasha...are you...crying?”
“Shut up!” Natasha scowled. She swiped at her eyes and looked away. “I just have something in my eye. Probably one of your hairs. I barely had time to close my eyes when you pounced on me awhile ago.”
Naomi grinned and folded her arms. “I pounced on you?”
“Yes,” Natasha said as she dug through her purse for her compact. “For real, Naomi, you get way too emotional sometimes.”
“Do I?”
“You do.” Natasha glared at her eyes in the mirror.
Naomi shook her head. “You need a tissue to get that hair out?”
“You sure? Cause your eyes look a little wet.”
“That’s just my new wet-look mascara,” Natasha flipped her hair. “A lot of single men in here tonight. A girl’s gotta pull out all the stops, you know what I’m saying?”
Naomi laughed and pulled her towards their table. “How about we let them finish handing out the awards before you start prowling?”
Natasha shook her head but let Naomi lead her away. “See, that was always your problem Naomi, you never remembered the importance of being ahead of the game.”
They slipped into their seats even as the hosts announced the next set of awards. Naomi clapped at the appropriate times and tried to pay attention, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from scanning the large dimly lit room.
Natasha leaned over. “You see him yet?”
“Who?” Naomi asked innocently.
“Oh, so we’re gonna play that game?”
Naomi rolled her eyes. “No, I haven’t seen him yet.”
Natasha smiled and turned her eyes back to the stage. “Don’t worry. He’s here.”
Naomi wasn’t worried. At least she didn’t think she was. But when the waiter had to refill her water glass three times before they had even finished presenting the awards, she knew she was fooling herself. When she stood up, Natasha glanced at her questioningly.
“Ladies’ room,” Naomi whispered.
Natasha looked at Naomi’s empty glass. “I’ll bet.”
Naomi ignored her friend and walked down the side of the room quietly to the back and into the hallway where the washrooms were. She was glad to find them empty. After she handled her business, she stood in front of the mirror a moment and stared at the smile that seemed permanently fixed on her face. So much had happened in the past couple of weeks. It seemed like in the span of three months her whole life had changed. She had lost a few things, such as her fiancé, and the privacy around the secrets in her life. But she had also gained so much: a better relationship with her niece; the freedom to not be ashamed of her past, and the assurance that even if things didn’t turn out perfectly, they would be okay. She would be okay. In the midst of it all, God had her back. And she would never lose that.