by Ray, Shamara
“Daddy, please. Are you telling those stories again?” I asked, as I came into the room and took a seat next to my mother.
“I’m glad I didn’t meet you back then,” Ellis joked.
“Something tells me that you wouldn’t have had a problem with Mr. Bradford,” my mother offered.
“Daddy had a problem with everyone. No exceptions.”
Daniella looked from me to my father. “That’s sweet.”
“I’m keeping track of who Daniella brings around, too. They’ll have to pass my inspection before she can go out with them.”
Daniella laughed. “Oh goodness.”
Ellis was doing his best to step up in Daniella’s life since his father died. She may have been in college, but a girl always needs her father. If that’s not possible, a loving big brother can make a world of difference.
“Face it, Daniella, I’m keeping tabs on you.”
“Ellis, stop it,” I said.
“Thank you,” Daniella mouthed.
“All right. I do want to say a few things to everyone. The wedding is rapidly approaching and I’m embracing the prospect of being a married man. I have everything I could ever want, and more than I had ever imagined, both professionally and in my personal life. Lina is a remarkable woman. When I met Lina, I immediately wanted to know her better. She brought something to my life that I hadn’t realized was missing. I spend so much time running my company and immersing myself in work. It’s easy to allow work to control you, but Lina grounds me. She helps me to see that there’s much more to life. I look at her and I envision our future together. I see a home filled with love, some children and plenty of family. Lawrence and Cynthia, I’m proud to have you as in-laws. Mother and Daniella—I’m thankful for both of you. This weekend has made me realize that we’re all family. The holidays are here and it’s wonderful that we can all be together as a family. We have to treat each other with love and respect one another. When I think about my future with Lina, I’m striving for a close-knit family. We have four months until the wedding, but I don’t want to be apart from this woman. I know I’m getting a little long-winded, but I wanted to share my sentiments with you and to let you know that Lina is moving in next week.”
“I’m sure I speak for myself and Melina’s mother when I say it’s about time,” my father responded. “We prefer that she’s here with you.”
“That’s wonderful,” Bebe said, her lips pulled tight.
My mother knitted her brow at me. She had to be wondering why I didn’t mentioned anything when we were together earlier.
“We’re going to start packing this week. I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, so it will take me longer than a week to get it all done,” I said, trying to save face with my mother.
“But even if we haven’t completely packed everything, she’ll still be moving in by week’s end,” Ellis quickly rebutted. “I want her moved in before Christmas.”
A smirk settled on Bebe’s lips. “Melina’s right. These things can take time.”
“We’ll get it done,” Ellis replied.
“Let me know if I can help,”
“Thanks, Daniella,” I said.
Ellis clasped his hands together. “And with that being said, let’s go have dinner.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
MELINA
I took the train from my office into the city. Much of the snow from the weekend had been cleared away, but there was plenty of slush and icy patches to navigate at the corners. I gingerly crossed Lexington Avenue to 42nd Street.
Giselle and Charlee were already seated when I arrived at The Capital Grille for lunch. My mouth was running before I was even situated in the chair. “Thank you for meeting me on such short notice.”
“Your parents’ visit didn’t go well?” Charlee asked.
“It started off rocky, but it got better by the end of the weekend.”
“Did they leave yet?” Giselle said.
“Last night. They’re back home in Maryland. I’ll tell you about that later.” I sighed heavily. “I’ve got bigger problems than the Harlows.”
“Is everything all right?”
“What’s the matter?”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this.”
Giselle’s hand went up to her chest. “You’re scaring me, Melina.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching over to rub her baby bump. “It’s hard for me to say this, but I cheated on Ellis.”
“What!” Charlee said, her voice carrying to the surrounding tables. “With who?”
“I cheated with Malik.”
There was chatter at all the other tables, except mine. My eyes shifted from Charlee to Giselle and back. “Say something. Please.”
“How did this happen?” Giselle whispered.
“I know it’s not an excuse, but I had a fight with Ellis. I was pissed off and Malik and I started talking about our problems. We had some shots of tequila. Malik massaged my feet and it was downhill from there.”
“All I want to know is how was it?” Charlee asked.
“Charlee, how is that relevant?” Giselle said.
“Giselle, don’t front. You want to know, too. Melina, answer the damn question.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “It was the best I ever had. Malik put it down.”
“I knew it!” Charlee threw her hand up for a high-five. Giselle swatted it down.
“I feel so guilty. I can’t believe I did it. What’s worse is that I enjoyed it so much.”
“Did you think so many people cheat because it feels bad? Girl, you have been living like Pollyanna for so long that you don’t have a clue. People cheat every day.”
“I’m not people, Charlee.”
“You are now. And guess what? It’s not the end of the world. You’re human like the rest of us.”
“So you’re saying I’m not supposed to feel bad about what I did?”
“Of course not. I’m saying don’t beat yourself up over it.”
“Melina, I agree with Charlee to a certain degree. God knows you can’t change what happened.” Giselle’s voice cracked and her eyes got watery. “But you can make sure it never happens again.”
“It won’t. I’m moving in with Ellis this weekend.”
“Wow, okay. So you’re running from your situation with Malik?”
“Charlee, we don’t have a situation and, no, I’m not running.” I explained to my girls what happened between me and Bebe and then what followed with Ellis. Naturally, I had to give a play-by-play of my interlude with Malik. “When I went back to Ellis’s, he offered the most sincere apology and promised he’d do better when it comes to managing his mother.”
“Can’t nobody manage that vicious pit bull,” Charlee said.
“But he’s trying. On Saturday he sat us all down and discussed how important it was that we treat each other like family.”
“And you think that’s going to work?”
“We’re getting married, Charlee. I have to have faith that Bebe and I can have a civil relationship. Either way I can’t stay in that small apartment with Malik. Not after what happened.”
“You’re doing the right thing. Wednesday is my day off, so if you need me, I’ll be over to help you pack.” Giselle signaled the waitress. “I’ve got to order something. The little one is hungry.”
“I need all the help I can get.”
“I can come on Thursday to do the real work. I don’t think you and Giselle will accomplish much with her hormones making her cry every five minutes.”
Giselle laughed. “I’ve been getting better with that.”
“You could’ve fooled me. You were just tearing up a few minutes ago.”
“I can’t wait to see what you’re like when you get pregnant.”
“That is the furthest thing from my mind. I’m too busy trying to get it in like Melina.”
“Shut up, Charlee,” I said.
“I will. As soon as you tell me again what it was like
being with fine-ass Malik.”
I went back to the office after lunch with the girls. I could always depend on them not to be judgmental and to offer sound advice when I needed it. I knew in my heart it was time to move in with Ellis. My fear that I wouldn’t be happy had kept me from moving forward. But no relationship is perfect. In time, I could get Ellis to slow down with work and to devote more time to family. I’d even try to spice it up in the bedroom. We were already working on the problem with Bebe, so things could only improve.
The staff had left for the evening and I was basically shuffling papers around my desk. I was nervous about going home and seeing Malik. There was so much to say; I didn’t know where to begin. Charlee had asked if I was running and that hadn’t left my mind all day. Malik and I had certainly crossed a line and there was no turning back. It was best for everyone involved if I moved out. I had to forget what happened. I needed to dismiss the remnant sensations of Malik’s hands on my body, his lips touching my most intimate places and the feeling of him stroking me deep inside. I had to believe that out of sight meant out of mind, so I could purge those lingering thoughts. I expected it to be awkward between me and Malik when I got home. The last thing I wanted was to be having flashbacks of us together.
With the office locked up, I embarked on my commute home. The entire trip I kept telling myself to just act normal when I saw Malik. I was anxious to see how he would behave or hear what he’d say. I exited the train station and walked toward our street. As I neared the corner where I had parked my car all I saw was an empty space. “Oh shit,” I mumbled to myself. My car had been towed. Not only had I left my car in front of a no parking sign, but today was alternate-side-of-the-street parking. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” I said while marching down the block.
Malik was in the living room when I came in. “Hey.”
He looked up from the file in his lap. “Hey.”
I spoke over my shoulder as I hung up my coat. “My car must have gotten towed today. I left it at the corner Saturday night because of the snow.”
“It’s not towed. I moved it yesterday.”
“Did you?” A smile flitted across my lips.
“I saw it on the corner when I went to the store yesterday. I used your spare key to move it. It’s down the block.”
I went into the room and sat next to him. “Thanks, Malik.”
He tossed his folder on the table. “Listen, Mel. I feel like I should apologize for the other night. I don’t know where that came from. I mean, I know where it came from, I just don’t know what made me do that. I know you’re with Ellis and it was wrong of me to . . . well . . .you know.”
I was glad I wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with our indiscretions. “I’ve been thinking about what I would say to you when I got home. Now that I’m here my words are falling short.”
Malik looked good in his steel-blue V-neck sweater and dark-blue cargo pants. He was clean-shaven and his hair was shorter than when I last saw it.
He caught me giving him a once-over and smiled. “I can understand that.”
“I don’t want to pretend that nothing happened here on Saturday. In fact, I want to put my cards on the table. I loved what happened between us the other night. I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t. But the guilt has been eating me up inside for two reasons. One, I cheated on Ellis, and two, because I enjoyed it so much. I can finally grasp what people mean when they say they knew they were doing wrong, but it felt so good.
“I am every bit as responsible as you for what happened. I would never let you think it was your fault. I should have stopped before things went too far, hell, before they got started. But I didn’t. And that’s my cross to bear.”
“So I take it everything is back in order with Ellis?”
“We’re working on it.”
“Did you tell him about us?”
“No and I’m not going to.”
“It’s our dirty little secret, huh?”
“Malik.”
“What if I told you that I want it to happen again?”
“It can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked, inching closer to me.
“Because it’s not right.”
He leaned over and kissed me on the neck. “No one can determine what’s right or wrong but us.”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him back. “I’m confused. You just apologized for your behavior and said that you were wrong.”
“I apologized because it was the right thing to do for putting you in a fucked-up situation. But if we’re putting our cards on the table, the truth is, I want to be with you again.”
I put some distance between us and went to sit across from him. “Malik, I think the best thing for me to do is to move out. We can’t be roommates. Saturday never should have happened.”
“It’s no secret that I don’t like Ellis. Even if I did like the brother, I’d still say he’s not the man for you.”
“And I suppose you are?”
“I’m not going to make this about whether it’s me or him. It’s about you. I know you, Mel. You won’t be happy with that man.”
“I don’t need this right now,” I said, shaking my head. “We were kidding ourselves thinking we could live in close quarters like this without something happening. You’re a single man. I get that maybe I was the forbidden fruit. Well, now you’ve tasted the fruit and it was a big mistake. It’s not going to happen again. I can’t live in this apartment with you. We need to go our separate ways.”
“That’s it? Our friendship is over because of this?”
“How can we be friends when you’re telling me you want to sleep with me again? I’m engaged, Malik.”
“You were engaged two nights ago.”
“That was a low blow.”
“No, it’s the truth.”
“Well, what about your truth? Let’s talk about you.”
“Talk about me, what?” he said, tossing his hands up.
“What about Kai?”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s a classic Malik answer. You throw my engagement in my face but get evasive when I bring up your relationship.”
He nodded. “I’ll give you that.”
“So, answer the question.”
“Okay. I like Kai. She has potential to become someone special, but right now our shit is broken.”
“Well, I suggest you work on fixing your shit with Kai, instead of trying to tear apart my relationship.” I got up and headed toward my room. “I’ll be out by the end of the week.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
MALIK
Melina got me thinking I needed to figure out my situation with Kai. I had never officially deemed her my girl, but since we started messing around I hadn’t been seeing anyone else. We had spoken briefly earlier in the day and were meeting at her place when she got home from work.
I stepped off the elevator and began walking down the hallway to Kai’s apartment. I caught a glimpse of someone heading into the stairwell at the end of the hall. I could’ve sworn it was the big dude we had bumped into on a previous occasion in the elevator. “What the fuck?” I muttered.
Kai’s door was cracked open. I gently nudged it and stepped into the foyer. She was smoothing her hair and adjusting her shirt over her slacks. She spun around when she heard my footsteps. “Oh, Malik, you’re here.”
“It’s seven o’clock.” I loitered near the door, inspecting the room. A pillow from the sofa was on the floor and two glasses of water on the coffee table.
Her eyes were drawn to what had my attention. She bustled to replace the pillow and carry the glasses off to the kitchen. “Don’t just stand there. Have a seat.”
“Looks like you were doing a little entertaining.”
“Don’t beat around the bush, Malik,” she shouted from the kitchen. “If there’s something you want to know, then ask.” She came back into the living room, drying her hands on a dish towel.
“So dude was just in here?”
>
“If by dude you mean my neighbor, Gavin, then yes, he was here.”
“Word? You want to fill me in on what was going on?”
Kai’s hands immediately went to her hips. “You might want to rethink your tone, Malik.”
“I see Big Boy sneaking into a staircase as I’m coming down the hall and then I walk up in here and you got shit thrown on the floor. You’re over there fixing your hair and clothes, but you’re worried about my tone.”
“I think you need a reality check. You don’t own any of this,” Kai said, striking a pose. “I gave you multiple opportunities to make this an exclusive arrangement, but you kept side-stepping, probably too scared to be locked down. So now you come into my home acting like I’m your woman? I think we both know that’s not the case. And just to set the record straight, though I don’t owe you any explanations, Gavin and I are friends and nothing more. I don’t appreciate your insinuation that he was sneaking off. That’s my neighbor. He doesn’t need to sneak from my apartment.”
Women were notorious for mixing their messages. On the one hand, Kai wanted to make it known that I had no claim to her if she was fucking dude, but on the other hand, she said they were just friends. I knew I had probably hurt her ego by not saying either way whether I wanted a serious relationship with her. I had to admit that it was more of a stall tactic than a rejection. I didn’t know what I wanted, so I left the issue hanging. I figured as long as we were spending time and having fun, then she was still getting what she wanted.
“That’s cool, Kai. I’m just wondering why you didn’t speak to your friend when we bumped into him months ago. Neither one of you uttered a single hello. It’s funny. When I see my friends, we speak to each other.”
“Really, Malik?” Her neck was rolling now. “Now you’re just being an ass.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Not by me. At least not yet. Gavin and I met at a condo-owners meeting after we saw him on the elevator. I don’t have to do this with you. You’re not my man, so stop pretending to be.”