by Zena Wynn
Gail didn’t want to discuss Crystal anymore. She initiated a change of discussion and heaved a sigh of relief when the conversation moved on to other things.
At one o’clock, they gathered in the den. Her father was designated Santa and he distributed the gifts under the tree. What followed was so loud and boisterous that she barely heard the doorbell when it rang. That no one else did was certain.
They’d given the staff time off for the holiday so she got up, picked her way over the mass of paper, boxes, and toys littering the floor and made her way to the door. It was Crystal. Gail forced herself to smile as she opened the door. “Merry Christmas. This is a surprise. Come in.”
“I brought presents for the babies.” Crystal beamed excitedly and held up the huge department store bags for Gail to see.
“Wow! Well, you’re just in time. We’re in the den opening our gifts now.”
They walked in silence. The joyous racket coming from the den echoed all through the house. The minute they stepped through the door, a hush fell until you could only hear the Christmas carol playing softly in the background.
“Mom, Dad, you remember Crystal?”
“Hello.” Their words were polite. Their expressions weren’t.
“Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”
“Crystal, I don’t know if you remember them, but this is my sister-in-law, Rachel, and her husband, my brother Frank, Jr. Over there is my brother, Tim, and his wife, Deb. Y’all this is Crystal.”
“Merry Christmas,” they murmured, almost in unison.
“Rashid, Crystal brought presents for the twins. Isn’t that nice?”
All eyes swung in his direction, awaiting his response. He looked up from his position on the floor where he was helping the twins open their gifts. Gail begged with her eyes. Please be nice.
“Yeah.” And as an afterthought, “Merry Christmas.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Now if everyone would just behave, they might just get through this. Crystal picked her way across the room and sat on the loveseat Rashid was using as a backrest. Rachel glared at Gail and pointed her head in Crystal’s direction. Gail gave a slight shake of her head. It was her seat but she wasn’t going to make an issue of it. She sat on the couch with her parents instead.
“Look babies, I brought presents.”
“They have names.”
Gail kicked her mother. “Be nice,” she hissed under her breath.
Crystal paused, looking disconcerted.
“Crystal, meet Jamilah Melek and Ahkeem Jamal.”
“Oh, what pretty names. Ahkeem, I have a present for you.”
Jamal looked from the gaily wrapped box in Crystal’s hands to his father, who was staring at Gail. She nodded at the present, indicating that Rashid should take it. He did, but his reluctance was obvious.
The box contained a fancy toy fire truck, complete with bells and whistles. Rashid accidentally turned it on when he set it on the floor. The flashing lights and siren scared Jamilah and she crawled for Gail as fast as her little legs would carry her. From the frightened look on his face and the way he gripped his father, Jamal wasn’t too crazy about it either. Rashid turned it off.
“Why did you turn it off?” Crystal reached for the toy to turn it back on.
Deb remarked sharply, “Can’t you see the noise is scaring them?”
Crystal glanced at Jamilah, who was huddled in Gail’s arms, to Jamal, who was as far away from the toy as he could get and still be in his father’s arms. “Oh, I see what you mean. I thought he would like it.”
“When he’s older, I’m sure he’ll love it,” Gail assured her.
Pacified, Crystal dismissed the issue and dug into the next bag. “I’m afraid I went a little overboard with little Jamie.”
“Jamilah,” Rachel corrected.
“Jamilah. Thank you. The dresses were all so pretty that I couldn’t resist.” She pulled out five or six frilly dresses that could only have been purchased from an expensive, children’s boutique. “I also got her matching socks and hair bows. I know she can’t play with the dresses, so I also got her this doll.” She reached further into the bag and pulled out a baby doll that was almost as big as Jamilah. “Come see the pretty dresses, Jamilah.”
Jamilah stuck her finger in her mouth and leaned back against Gail, watching the strange woman from the safety of her mother’s arms. “Jamilah will have to warm to you,” Gail informed Crystal.
“Yeah, she don’t go to strangers,” her mother added.
Gail glared at her mother. “What mom meant to say is that Jamilah doesn’t go to very many people. Of the two, Jamal is the friendliest.”
“I said just what I meant,” her mother muttered.
Gail sent her another warning look. Then she noticed Jamilah rubbing her eyes. “What time is it? I’d better lay these two down for naps or there’ll be no dealing with them later. Come on, Jamal. Let’s go night-night.” She held out her hand to him.
He left Rashid and stumbled towards her.
“I’ll help you get them settled,” Rachel volunteered as she scooped Jamal up into her arms and flipped him over her shoulder. His high-pitched giggles almost caused Gail to miss what happened next.
“Rashid, can I speak with you privately for a moment?”
Everyone froze. Heads swiveled toward Crystal and Rashid as they awaited his answer.
“I think…” her mother began.
“Mom! Why don’t you go into the kitchen and prepare a snack for the twins. They’ll sleep much better with something in their stomachs. Deb can help…” and hopefully keep her under control. The last whispered in an aside to Rachel.
“Come on, Mom. The babies look sleepy. They’ve had a busy morning. We don’t want to keep them waiting,” Rachel added.
Gail could see the protest forming on her mother’s face. Her mouth opened and…
“Go to the kitchen, Martha, and check on dinner while you’re in there. I’m getting hungry again.”
Thank you, Gail mouthed to her father. He winked in return. Thwarted, her mother shot an angry look at her husband then rose gracefully to her feet. The three women standing in the doorway sighed in relief. Her mother might be pigheaded, but even she obeyed when Gail’s father spoke.
“We can talk in the study.” Rashid’s quiet voice broke the tense silence, adding another layer to it.
“Come on, Rachel. Let’s get these children into bed.” She hustled the women out of the den before anything else happened.
As she climbed the stairs, she mentally forced herself not to watch as Rashid and Crystal entered the study. There were enough eyes on them already. Rachel tripped and almost fell because she was watching them instead of where she was going. Her mother lingered in the kitchen doorway until Deb reached out an arm and yanked her inside.
In the nursery, Gail set Jamilah on the changing table and braced herself for what she knew was coming.
Rachel wasted no time. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Something. Anything. Why’d you even let her in the door?”
“I told you. She has a legal right to see the twins. I don’t like it but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“That sucks. She didn’t even know their names. And those toys…what was she thinking?”
“She likes kids, but she’s not familiar with them. She has a lot to learn.”
“Why are you so understanding about all of this?”
“I don’t know what kind of trouble Crystal can cause for Rashid, nor do I want to find out. It’s just best not to antagonize her.”
“I can go along with that, but why didn’t you say something when she sat by your man?”
God, she was so sick of explaining herself. She threw the soiled diaper into the pail. “It’s different for you. Frank married you because he loves you. Rashid married me to be a mother to these little ones right here.” She swung Jamilah off the changing table and r
eached for Jamal.
“It doesn’t matter why you said ‘I do.’ The fact is you did. That’s your man now and you’d better start fighting for what’s yours, or she’ll steal him right from under your nose.”
Gail closed her eyes and mentally counted to ten. “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right. I don’t. So enlighten me already.”
“One wrong move on my part and everything could blow up in my face. I don’t want to lose everything that matters to me. Not again.”
“Gail, look at me.”
She finished changing Jamal and disposed of the diaper before obeying.
“Is it the babies you’re afraid of losing…or Rashid?”
“Both,” she whispered, afraid to say it too loudly.
“You love him.”
“Yeah.” Gail sat in the rocking chair and watched the twins playing on the floor with their blocks. “I wasn’t supposed to,” she continued. “This was about the babies. When Rashid said he wanted a real marriage, I didn’t argue. After all, not only are we friends, but both of us are young, healthy adults who happen to be sexually attracted to each other. I thought, why not?”
“But things changed.”
“I think if we hadn’t added sex to the mix, things would have gone on as before. But we did, and everything changed. It became…more.”
“I don’t remember who said it, but I heard that in women, where the body goes, the heart will follow. I guess for you it’s true.”
The nursery door opened and her mother and Deb entered with the twin’s snacks.
“Put them on the table.”
As soon as they saw the food, the twins rushed over to their activity table.
While she placed the food on the table, her mother said, “Gail, you should be in there with your husband. There’s nothing she can say to him that you shouldn’t be able to hear.”
“This is something Rashid has to handle. If he wanted me present, he would have said so.”
“I understand where she’s coming from. I go through the same thing whenever Ashley comes around.” Ashley was Tim’s ex-wife. “She has to be very careful. Some things the men just don’t want us involved in. Ex-wives are one.”
“Well, I’m the mother-in-law. It’s expected of me to meddle. I’m going back down there.”
“Mom, please. Please don’t interfere. Not in this. You’ll only make things worse.” Gail was close to tears.
Her mother visibly fought a battle within herself before nodding. “It goes against every protective instinct I have as a mother, but I’ll leave it alone. I just don’t want to see you hurt again.”
“I know, Momma. Neither do I.”
* * * *
Over an hour later, Gail knocked on the study door. “Rashid, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
He sat at his desk, studying the papers spread all over the desktop. There was no sign of Crystal. “Where’s Crystal?”
“She left.”
“We’re getting ready to eat. Are you coming?”
“Not right now.”
“Oh.” She waited for him to say something else. Finally, with her shoulders slumped and head held down, she turned and opened the door.
A hand appeared out of nowhere and pushed it closed. He leaned in until he pressed flush against her back, and spoke into her ear. “Stop worrying. Crystal is out of my life for good. I don’t care what she says or does, that part of my life is over. Turn around.”
If she turned, he’d see the fear she was too upset to hide. She shook her head.
“Wife, turn and look at me. I want to see your face when I say this.”
Gail took a deep breath, braced herself and turned.
He cupped her face, lifting it to his own. “I didn’t marry you just to be a mother to the twins. My reasons were more selfish than that. I wanted you for myself. Your mother was right. Our friendship showed me what was missing in my marriage to Crystal. I made a vow to God and if she hadn’t left, I’d be with her today. But she did, and every day that she was gone, I realized how much I didn’t miss her. When you told me you were leaving, I was angry. I told myself it was on behalf of the children. Those three hours you were away were some of the worst in my life. You left and nothing mattered anymore. I realized then that I loved you. Do you hear me? I married you because I love you.”
The tears at the corner of her eyes made a slow track down her cheek. “Why didn’t you say so?”
“I knew how you felt about Greg. If I told you, it would have scared you away. I was willing to give you time to love me back.”
“You’re a very smart man.” She rose up for a kiss.
Much later, she asked, “Well?”
“Well, what?” His mouth traveled from her ear to her neck, stringing a line of kisses.
“Aren’t you going to ask if your plan worked?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?” She leaned her head to the side, silently encouraging him to kiss this side as well.
“I already know.” He paused to look at her.
“How?”
He nibbled on her left earlobe. “You talk in your sleep.”
Gail pulled her ear away from his mouth and glared at him. “I do not!”
He grinned wickedly. “Yes, you do.”
“You’re lying.”
“Honey, anything I want to know, all I have to do is wait until you’re asleep and ask, and I do mean anything.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Oh, really?” He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “Your favorite fantasy is to be tied up and blindfolded while your lover takes you over and over.”
“How…?” She jerked back so fast her head hit the door. “Oww!”
“Careful.” He rubbed the sore spot on her head. “In the room, under the bed, is another present. A private one, purchased just for our enjoyment. When your family leaves, we’ll try it out and see just how loudly I can make you scream.”
Someone banged on the door. Gail jumped forward and bumped her face against Rashid’s chin. “Y’all coming? Food’s getting cold.”
“We’d better go before Martha picks the lock and drags us out by our ears,” Rashid murmured dryly.
“I heard that!”
They both laughed as they joined the others.
Chapter Fifteen
“Ms. Gail, you need to check on your husband.” Carmelita met her at the door as soon as she entered the house.
“What’s wrong, Carmelita?” She’d never seen the housekeeper so agitated. She was twisting the apron into tight knots.
“This man, he come to the door and ask for the senor. I get the senor for him. This man, he makes the senor sign and hand him a letter. The senor, he read the letter and turn red. He so furious, he go into the study and slam the door. I no see him since.” Carmelita was so upset her English was slipping.
“How long ago was this?”
“An hour, maybe two.”
Gail set her shopping bags on the table. She’d left to take advantage of the after Christmas clearance sales. “Will you have Miguel take these to our room when he gets a chance?”
“Si, si, you go check on the senor.” She shooed her towards the study.
Gail lightly rapped on the door before sticking her head around the corner. “Rashid?”
“Look Lamont, just tell me how to proceed. You told me this divorce would stand in any court in America. How can she challenge it? I don’t want to hear about unusual circumstances. I want answers. This is why I pay your firm’s outrageous fees. Well, call me back when you do know something.” He slammed the phone down.
Gail flinched, surprised the phone was still in one piece. The last time he was this angry was when Crystal arrived unannounced. “Rashid? What’s going on?”
“This came while you were out. Read it.”
Gail took the papers from his hand and began to read. As she did, her knees weakened and she slowly sank into the one of the armcha
irs in front of his desk. “This is a Declaration of Intent. She’s challenging the divorce? On what grounds?”
“Keep reading. There’s more.”
Gail scanned the rest and sucked in a sharp breath. Crystal was suing for physical custody of the twins and requesting to be named custodial parent in the interim. She was accusing Rashid of breach of contract. According to the prenup, in case of divorce, Crystal would retain custody of any minor children. “Can she do this?”
“She’s trying.”
“What did your lawyer say?”
“That I needed to hire a good divorce attorney who was familiar with the appellate process. Under normal circumstances, this case would never get beyond the petition but he’s never heard of anything like this before. It just might intrigue the justice enough to allow it to be heard.”
“Did he recommend anyone?”
“Crystal already hired the best divorce attorney in town.”
“She might have the best divorce lawyer in town, but I know the best one in the country.”
“Greg.”
“Yes.”
“You think contacting him is wise, considering our history.”
“There’s no bad feeling between the two of you. He’s the one that told me to marry you, remember? Besides, this is just the kind of case he likes to sink his teeth into.” If anyone could keep them from losing the children, Greg could.
“Go ahead. Give him a call and see what he says.”
She dialed his cell phone.
“Gail, twice in one week? Miss me, baby?”
“Always.” It was the truth. She loved being with Rashid and the twins, but there was a piece of her heart with Greg’s name on it.
“Does your husband know you’re stalking me?”
“He’s standing right here.”
“Mmm, that’s interesting. What’s going on? I can hear from the tension in your voice that something’s happened.”
“Crystal hired a lawyer to overturn the divorce. She’s also suing for custody of the twins.”