by Ray, Shamara
I was in my room pulling clothes from my closet when Malik came through the front door. Moments later, voices from the television in the living room blared through the apartment. The meteorologist on the weather channel was predicting snow, possibly heavy, in the next couple of days. I folded a sweater, placed it in my bag and went out to the living room.
Malik jumped when he saw me. “Shit! I didn’t know you were here.”
I held in my laughter. “I came in a while ago. They’re predicting snow? My parents are supposed to be flying in the day after tomorrow.”
“They’re forecasting snow for Friday night. They should be all right if their flight gets in before eight p.m. That’s when it’s supposed to start.”
“Oh, good,” I said, relief washing over me. “They’ll be here in the afternoon.”
“So what’s the plan? Are your parents staying here with us? Because if you need my room I can sleep on the couch.”
“No, thanks. We’re staying with Ellis for the weekend. I’m heading to Long Island tonight.”
“Sounds nice,” he said with zero emotion.
“So I’ll be out of your way all weekend. You don’t have to worry about seeing me until Monday night.”
“Cool.”
I returned to my packing and left Malik on the couch flipping through the channels. I sort of wanted to plop down and join him for a while, but I knew Ellis was waiting and would be calling to find out what was taking me so long to arrive.
I zipped my overstuffed bag and placed it by my bedroom door. My phone rang. It was Charlee and Giselle on three-way. I reminded them I’d be at Ellis’s and they could reach me over there if they were unable to get me on my cell phone.
I hung up with my girls and grabbed my bag. Malik was exactly where I had left him. Slumped on the couch. Mindlessly focused on the television. “You need help with your bag?”
I opened the apartment door. “Thanks, but I got it. Have a good weekend.” I stepped into the hallway.
Malik called out. “Do you need these bags?”
I turned around. I had forgotten about the robes I tossed on the sofa when I came in. I was supposed to gift wrap them.
Malik brought them over to the door. “Are you sure you can carry all of that stuff?”
I hefted my bag over my shoulder and took the two shopping bags from him. “I’m sure. Thanks, Malik.”
He smiled, moved in closer and then planted a soft kiss on my cheek. I don’t know why, but I returned the favor.
“Have a good time, Mel. See you when you get back.”
Malik closed the door before I had a chance to respond. I’m glad he did because I didn’t know why he kissed me, but even more strange, I wasn’t sure why I kissed him back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
MALIK
The first thing I noticed when I opened the door to my office was that the lights were already on. The blinds had been opened and Kai was propped on the sofa, flipping through a portfolio.
She looked up when I came in. “Good morning,” she said with a smile.
“Morning.” I looked around to see if I could gather clues as to why she was in my office.
Kai puckered her lips and craned her neck in expectation of a kiss. I paused a beat before crossing the room to her. I leaned down and briefly touched my lips to hers.
“That’s all you got for me?” she asked.
“What’s up, Kai?” I said. It was too early for these games and I was feeling a little short on patience.
She sighed, then patted the sofa next to her. I took my time sitting down.
“I was going over the print ads for Sphere Electronics and found a problem,” she said.
I knew those ads inside out and there was nothing wrong with them. “What would that be?”
“The Sphere logos are missing.”
“Let me see that,” I said with more than a touch of annoyance in my voice. The ads were going live in two days.
Kai handed me the portfolio she had been flipping through. “It’s missing on this one and also the one with the animated characters.”
I scanned the pages. “These aren’t the final versions I submitted. You saw and approved the final ads. Who gave these to you?”
“I know. I saw the final ads and they were correct. I don’t know how this happened.”
“We better get this rectified.”
“Malik, there’s no way we can halt a national campaign that’s scheduled to launch in less than forty-eight hours.”
“Who said anything about halting the campaign? I said let’s get this rectified.”
Kai’s eyes darted around the office. She bit her bottom lip, then started fidgeting with her skirt. “All right, let’s meet in an hour in the conference room. I have a few calls to make and then we can try to sort this out.”
“Make it fifteen minutes. I want to get ahead of this problem.” I went over to my desk and picked up the phone. I was going to find out who was responsible for the imminent train wreck.
Kai turned to me on her way out the door. “Oh, I almost forgot. Gerry wants to see you in his office.”
I dropped the phone back into the cradle. “Now?”
She nodded.
“I don’t have time for Donner right now.”
“I’ll see you in fifteen minutes,” she said as the door closed.
• • •
I straightened my tie before I stepped into Donner’s office. He was behind his massive mahogany desk, glasses hanging off the tip of his nose.
“Mr. Donner, you wanted to see me?”
“Malik, sit down.” He had copies of the ads spread across his desk.
I took my time getting situated. “I was just reviewing those in my office. I plan to find out exactly how—”
“Malik, I thought you were ready for an account like Sphere. Obviously, I was wrong.”
“Mr. Donner—”
“At this level there’s no room for mistakes. No room for excuses. Sphere was your project. The ad campaign is supposed to launch in two days. Due to this mix-up, it won’t. This has never happened in the history of this company. Effective immediately, you are terminated from Newport and Donner.”
“I’m fired? Just like that I’m fired?” I loosened my tie. It was suddenly constricting around my neck. I stood up, my voice rising with me. “After all I’ve done for this company?”
Donner droned on, staying on message. “Your office has been packed up and security is waiting to escort you out.”
A security guard walked up behind me and motioned toward the door. I silently nodded my head at the guard.
Planting my hands on Donner’s desk, I leaned over him. “Remember this day. It will end up being one of your biggest regrets.”
I followed the guard through the office. The fair-haired boys stared, some poked their heads out of their office doors. I was led out like a common criminal. With each step toward the exit, the more pissed I became that I was providing their entertainment for the day.
The receptionist looked down at her computer screen as I passed her desk. The same woman that greeted me when I arrived in the morning and departed at night, avoided eye contact with me as if I was a stranger.
I was handed my box by another security guard waiting for me next to the elevators. Two security guards for the occasion? Donner must have really thought I was going to turn angry black man on his ass. Instead, I calmly took my box, rode the elevator down to the lobby and exited the building.
• • •
The first person I called when I got home was my father. I kept him on the phone for over an hour, venting my frustration and anger. I couldn’t believe that I had just been fired. Donner couldn’t give a fuck about all of the hard work I had put into the Sphere project. He hadn’t given one iota of consideration to all the money that I had made his company over the years. His ass didn’t even give me an opportunity to address the problem. He blindsided me, caught me completely off guard, and fired my ass. No quest
ions asked. My dad tried to get me to refocus my energy and concentrate on what the situation meant for my future—that I could move forward unencumbered. Carpe diem and all that shit, but I wasn’t in the mood for any pep talk. He wouldn’t let me off the phone until I promised that we’d meet up in a few days to rework the timeline for my business strategy. He was trying his best to keep me on track through the storm and as I reached for an unopened bottle of Patron, I was hurtling toward a derailment.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
MELINA
Stray snow flurries blew past the window. I stretched, then burrowed deeper beneath the covers. I stole a few extra minutes of relaxation in Ellis’s bed before I needed to spring into action.
The weather was supposed to take a turn for the worse by the evening. I just wanted my parents to arrive safely and well ahead of the snow. Ellis was going to bring Bebe home with him after work. That left me with a couple of remaining hours in the morning and early afternoon to prepare for our “family” weekend. I forced myself from the warmth of the bed and got started with my day.
On the way to the supermarket, I decided to give Bebe a call to make sure she was in a good mood. I figured a little buttering up would set the tone for a pleasant experience during the weekend. I really did want us to get along better. Nothing would make me happier than to have a beautiful relationship with the mother of my future husband. Right now, we were struggling for cordial. When her voicemail picked up, I left a message letting her know that I was looking forward to seeing her later and that I’d have a glass of her favorite wine ready when she arrived. No one could say that I wasn’t trying.
I called my mom next. She was in the middle of packaging some sort of delectable treat to bring with her to New York. She refused to tell me what it was and hurried me off the phone. Knowing my mother, she had probably baked a batch of homemade cookies. I had barely managed to tell her that Ellis’s driver, Stanley, would be waiting for them at the airport before she hung up.
The clock was ticking and I needed everything to be perfect. I wrapped my scarf around my neck, pulled on my gloves and rushed into the market. The snow was coming down a bit heavier. There was a light dusting on the ground and I hoped it would hold off long enough to avoid impacting flights coming into JFK Airport. I quickly got my shopping done and then headed back to Ellis’s to get ready.
I had the entire evening planned. I was going to do away with all the pomp and circumstance that came with entertaining at Ellis’s. This was an informal occasion with family. We’d have dinner at the kitchen table, served by me, not in the formal dining room and definitely no staff on hand. After dinner we could all go to the theater room for a movie or maybe drinks and smooth jazz in the study before turning in for the night. I was finally starting to feel that we would enjoy one another this weekend. I was prepared to do everything in my power to bring our families together.
• • •
I was standing by the window, arms folded, peering out into the night. As soon as I saw the headlights from the limo pulling into the circular drive I ran to the front door and down the steps. My mother was out of the car and headed my way before Stanley had a chance to open her door.
We hugged each other tightly. “Hey, sweetheart,” my mother said. She kissed me on the cheek. “You’re going to catch a cold out here.”
I laughed. “You just got here and you’re already worried about somebody catching a cold.”
My father walked up and gave me a hug. “Hey, baby girl.”
“Hi, Daddy.” I beamed at my father. He towered over me by at least a foot. “Stanley, can you please bring the bags inside?”
“Stanley, let me give you hand.” That was just like my father to offer his assistance. He stayed behind to help Stanley as I led my mother into the house.
“Mom, how was your flight?”
“It wasn’t bad. I thought the snow would delay us, but thankfully it hasn’t started accumulating yet.”
My father came into the house. “This is some place Ellis has here,” he said, handing me his coat.
“Do you see that Christmas tree, Lawrence? It’s beautiful, and so tall. Melina, I know you didn’t decorate it.”
The fifteen-foot tree sparkled with white lights and gold and ruby ornaments from top to bottom.
“Of course not, Mom. Decorators take care of that.” I led them past the living room. “Let me give you guys a tour. Ellis and his mother should be home soon.”
“I can’t wait to finally meet her,” my mother said.
I said a silent prayer for all to go well. “And I can’t wait for you to come with me to find my wedding dress.”
My mother grabbed my hand. “My little girl is getting married. I’m so happy for you, Melina. You’re marrying a wonderful man who loves you and will take care of you. Your father and I couldn’t ask for more.”
I squeezed my mother’s hand. “Mom, don’t start getting emotional on me.”
She smiled. “I won’t. I promised your father.”
“It’s true. She guaranteed me that she’d leave the waterworks back in Maryland.”
All I could do was laugh. She might have made that promise, but I knew she couldn’t keep it. Once we got to the bridal shop and she saw me in a wedding gown, all bets would be off.
I began the tour downstairs, leading my parents from one room to the next. My father couldn’t believe there was an Olympicsized pool inside the house and my mother wanted to make use of the spa. I showed them to their room last, so they could get settled. “Come down to the kitchen when you’re done. I’ll be making dinner.”
It felt so good to have my parents visiting. Sometimes I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I had them with me. I went to the kitchen to finish dinner. The fireplace was burning and generating the warmth and coziness I was hoping to have for the evening.
I busied myself at the stove, browning the chorizo and then the chicken for the paella. I cleaned the shrimp, scrubbed the clams and split the lobster tails earlier to make preparing the rest of the dish relatively easy. The salad was already tossed and in the fridge and I also had a loaf of rustic bread that would be accompanied by a nice olive oil. We were having pumpkin cheesecake for dessert—one of my mom’s favorites.
My parents joined me in the kitchen. “Do you need any help, Melina?”
“No, I want you to sit down at the table and relax yourselves.” I placed a bottle of white wine and two glasses in front of them, then handed my father a corkscrew. I pulled baked brie wrapped in a puff pastry from the oven and arranged it on a cheese board alongside sliced strawberries, apples and candied pecans.
“Dig in while it’s hot,” I said, setting the cheese board between the two of them. “Here are some plates and forks.”
“Looks good,” my father said.
“I know how you love brie cheese, Daddy. Let me know if you like it.” Voices and footsteps traveled toward the kitchen. “Sounds like Ellis and Bebe are here.”
I placed two more glasses on the table and Bebe’s Bordeaux she was so fond of drinking.
“Hello,” Bebe sang out, as she entered the room. She walked straight to my mother and gave her a kiss on each cheek. “Cynthia,” she said, smiling. Bebe turned to my father as he waited to greet her. “Lawrence. It’s so great to meet you both.”
She extended her arms for a hug. My father leaned down to accommodate her gesture. I was completely caught off guard by Bebe’s warm welcome. I came from behind the counter and approached Ellis and his mother.
Bebe pulled me into a long embrace. “How are you, darling? Something smells delightful.”
“Bebe . . .hi . . .I’m fine,” I stammered.
My mom gave Ellis a hug and my father followed it up with a manly handshake.
“How was your trip?” Ellis asked. He walked over to me and kissed me on the temple.
“It was pretty good,” my father responded.
“I apologize I was unable to pick you up from the airport mysel
f. I had a meeting that couldn’t be rescheduled.”
“We know you’re a busy man. I appreciate you sending the car for us.”
“Bebe, this meeting is long overdue,” my mother said.
“I was just saying the same thing to Ellison. There’s no excuse for not doing this sooner.”
I pulled Ellis over to the side while our parents continued chatting at the table. “So far so good,” I said in a hushed tone.
“What did you expect?” he asked, brows furrowed.
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Let’s not make a problem when there isn’t one.”
I nodded. “You’re right.” I leaned in for a kiss. “Why don’t you pour yourself a glass of wine and get comfortable?”
“Now that sounds like a good idea. The snow is starting to get heavy out there.”
“I’m glad you made it in before it got too bad.”
“What are you cooking?”
I led him over to the simmering rice and seafood mixture on the stove. “We’re having authentic paella,” I said with a Spanish inflection.
“It looks delicious,” he said, reaching for a fork to dip into the pan.
“It’s not ready.” I shooed his hand away from the stove. “There’s cheese and fruit on the table to hold you over until dinner is served. Now go on over there and wait.”
• • •
My father patted his stomach. “Melina, everything was delicious.”
“I had no idea you knew your way around the kitchen,” Bebe added. “The cheesecake was divine. A tad rich, but—”
“Lina is an incredible cook, Mother.”
“She learned from the best,” my mother said.
I had to laugh at my mother’s cheekiness. “Thank you.”
“Would anyone like another slice?”
Ellis shook his head. “Maybe later.”
“I couldn’t possibly eat another bite,” Bebe answered. “It seems your daughter will be fattening up my son once they get married.”
“This is a beautiful kitchen and I hope Melina plans to use it to keep her husband happy,” my mother countered.