Real Love 2 (Second Chances)

by H. H. Fowler

  “Call me, or call security…anything other than leave Yasmine in the room. You have no idea what that chick is really capable of. For all you know, she could have planted evidence against you. I hope you didn’t blab your mouth to the police or agree to sign anything. Until I secure a lawyer for you, silence is your best option at this point.”

  Drake hadn’t thought about anything like that. Even though he hadn’t signed anything, he’d certainly been trying to defend himself. But how could anyone think, being caught off guard in a situation like this? A woman so boldly throwing herself in Drake’s path was never heard of in his twenty-five years of existence. Ever since he was seven years old, he’d never dated any girl other than Sasha McKay. So he didn’t have the experience his brothers had when it came down to the treacherous traits of a woman. Sasha had always been kind and patient and terribly understanding.

  Suddenly feeling the weight of the accusations being brought against him, Drake dropped his head toward his knees. His tears fell silently down his jaws as he thought about how quickly his life had taken a turn for the worse. How could Kevin seem so much wiser than him, Drake thought, when he was the one who’d always led a life of quiet discipline? And even though he was the youngest of the three brothers, he’d been the one they would occasionally look to for advice. Could it be that the very essence of who he was, was being eroded by his unwillingness to fully forgive Sasha, and now Levi?

  Deep down, Drake knew the answer, but it certainly didn’t make him feel any less unforgiving. He, however, was completely distraught by what Yasmine had done to him. What had he ever done to her? It had to be more than her need for sex. She was a beautiful woman and could get any man she wanted. But why him? Why destroy his future? When the people of El Shaddai Ministries got wind of this embarrassing news, his vocation as a clergyman would be forever tarnished. They would hate him for sure. Then what would Sasha think of all this, especially when she already believed the worst of him? That thought made Drake cry more than anything else.

  “Look, kiddo, don’t cry,” Kevin said, standing to his feet. He then placed a supportive arm around his brother, giving him a firm squeeze. “You’re in a bad spot right now, but take comfort in this: I know you’re innocent and we will find a way to fight this.”

  Chapter Eight

  It was about a quarter to midnight when Hunter quietly walked through the door of her large upscale home. Sasha was sitting on one of the stools surrounding the marble island, nursing a fresh cup of coffee and pretending as if she wasn’t at all worried about the late hours Hunter was keeping with Kevin. But if the truth be told, she’d already slept and awakened twice, staring at her cell phone. But what was she expecting? A phone call from Hunter saying that the meeting with Kevin had been a mistake? The way Hunter had waltzed through the door to meet up with Kevin at the Shale, Sasha highly doubted Hunter was anticipating the worst.

  Kevin was not a bad looking guy, and he’d obviously caught the attention of her best friend. Two to one, they’d probably hit it off so well that Hunter didn’t want to come home. And with Kevin leaving to go back to Tampa in the morning, he probably wanted to squeeze in as much conversation into their spontaneous date as he could before he left. The two seemed great together and Sasha was beginning to warm up to the possibility of Hunter finding her soul mate, even if he was the brother of her estranged husband.

  Hearing Hunter accidentally drop her keys to the floor, prompted Sasha to push to her feet. She was now eager to know all of the juicy details of how the night unfolded between Kevin and Sasha. However, when Hunter came into view, Sasha was taken aback by her ruffled appearance. She rarely saw Hunter lose her composure for anything, which automatically shoved Sasha into a state of alarm.

  “Is that look telling me that it didn’t go well between you and Kevin?” she inquired, moving in to examine Hunter more closely. Even though she assumed Kevin wouldn’t physically hurt Hunter, she asked anyway. “He didn’t put his hands on you, did he?”

  “No, honey, nothing like that. Kevin has been the perfect gentleman. It’s Drake that I’m worried about.”

  “Drake?” Sasha’s heart sank in fear. “I don’t understand.”

  “Considering how this may dampen things between you two,” Hunter said, “there is no easy way to put this. Please promise me that you won’t jump to any hasty conclusions.”

  “Quit stalling, Hunter and just tell me what is going on. Because I don’t think it’s possible for Drake to hurt me more than he already has.”

  Hunter met Sasha’s gaze with much reservation, which was bristling beyond the normal concern. There was no mistaking the fact that Sasha was still deeply in love with Drake, despite her acting as if she didn’t care about him. “Kevin got a call from the police station tonight,” Hunter started evenly, “alerting him that a young woman had come in and reported that Drake had raped her in his hotel room.”

  The words knocked the wind out of Sasha and regardless of Hunter’s warning about assuming the worst, Sasha’s mind took off into a dozen different directions. And all of it came out as undiluted shock on Sasha’s expression.

  “Oh honey,” Hunter said, giving Sasha a sympathetic touch. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this.”

  “I don’t understand…” Sasha turned away from Hunter, wanting to speak, but her thoughts were continuing to trip over each other, trying to process the news. Rape didn’t belong in the same sentence with Drake’s name. Even if the accusations were true, she hadn’t the taste to believe it. Drake was a unique sort of man who didn’t mix with anything perverse. There had to be some other explanation…maybe the police had the wrong man. She turned her confused gaze back to Hunter and said again, “I don’t understand...”

  “I’m so sorry, honey,” Hunter kept saying. “I left Kevin at the police station, trying to get some background information. Do you want me to take you to see Drake?”

  The question rattled Sasha even more, especially because she couldn’t imagine seeing Drake in such a humiliating state, locked in a cage like an untamed animal. What could she say to him now? They’d barely figured out what was the next step forward in their efforts to reconcile, only to hear this crazy accusation about him. But then Sasha suddenly recalled living through the last six months of her life. The Drake she remembered may not have allowed a strange woman within fifteen feet of his personal space, but this was the same man who’d abandoned her and left her weeping in despair. That told her that she probably didn’t know her husband as well as she thought.

  She’d spent the greater part of her life sacrificing her needs for Drake’s, so that he would be able to achieve his dreams of becoming a licensed minister, helping him to excel on the wings of her love and her loyalty to him. She’d tried not to be a nuisance or one of those nagging women who didn’t trust the leadership of her man, who was always causing a scene because they didn’t get their own way. But what did she get in return? A swift kick in the butt and six months of guilt-ridden tears. Time out for being taken for granted. That man had caused her enough pain and embarrassment to last her a lifetime. Certainly Drake didn’t expect for her to drop everything and rush to his side like everything was okay between them.

  Being suddenly engulfed with rage, Sasha snapped, “What was Drake even doing with that woman in his room? He ought to have known better than that!”

  “What does it matter now?” Hunter said. “Drake needs our support, especially from you.”

  “I gather that you think he’s innocent?”

  “And you don’t?” Hunter was genuinely surprised that Sasha would even ask such a question. “This is Drake we’re talking about...one of the good guys.”

  “Drake has his flaws, in case you’ve forgotten,” Sasha scoffed. “Sometimes I wonder whose side you’re on.”

  Hunter drew her lips into a tight line. “Hurting my feelings is not the answer, because you know I don’t take sides when it comes to the truth. Drake made an attempt to reach out to you and
now I think you should do the same.”

  “Well,” Sasha lashed back, feeling the pinch of Hunter’s rebuke. “I’m not going to see him!”

  With a defiant look, Sasha twisted away from Hunter’s piercing gaze, disappearing through the French door exits toward the guest quarters. It was in times like these Hunter wished she knew the ins and outs of the Christian faith, because she didn’t have any idea on how to console her friend. However, that didn’t stop Hunter from focusing her gaze toward the heavens. Little by little, she found herself pouring her heart out to a God she barely knew.

  ****

  Yasmine thanked the police officer who’d accompanied her home from the hospital that night. Upon the orders of Officer Steve Mitchell, she was instructed to get medical assistance, where evidence of the assault could be documented. As soon as the police officer disappeared out of sight, Yasmine pulled out her cell phone and called her father.

  “Hi Daddy,” she beamed. “It’s done, and it turned out better than I thought. I think we should go out and celebrate.”

  Elder John gave a brief pause before he responded. “I am afraid to even ask what you have done,” he said.

  “All you need to know is that I’ve taken care of Drake – just like I told you I would. Now are we going out to celebrate or not?”

  “Why don’t you come over to my place,” Elder John suggested. “And while I’m at it, you should consider returning home to live with me; so that we can avoid this back and forth.”

  Yasmine frowned. “No, Daddy. I was just there earlier. And I’ve told you repeatedly that I need my own space, especially now that I am a coach for the national beauty pageant. Some of the contestants stay here under my tutorship.”

  “I am not telling you to give up your apartment,” Elder John said. “You’re not tutoring anyone now, are you? In fact, you told me you don’t have anything set up for at least another two months. Come home, baby and spend some time with your old papa. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be around.”

  “Why are you so hell bent on me coming to stay with you?” Yasmine spat in frustration. “I thought you would be more excited to know that Drake won’t be a problem for you anymore.”

  Elder John sighed into the phone. “You are all that I have left, Yasmine. Please understand that. I need you even more since I’m now the bishop of El Shaddai Ministries. And because I’m not really their favorite, those people in that church are going to give me a hard time.”

  “No they won’t,” Yasmine quipped. “Not when they find out what Drake has done to me.”

  “You never told me what your plan was. Should I be concerned?”

  Yasmine smirked. “Like I said, you’ll find out soon enough. Just be prepared to handle the media and all its moguls when the story breaks.”

  Elder John smirked too on the other end, but he kept his voice even. “And you did all of this for me?”

  Yasmine rolled her eyes. “Yes, Daddy. Now would you meet me by the Blue Marlin in half an hour?”

  “It’s an adult club, Yasmine. As bishop now, you know that I can’t be seen in there.”

  “Church titles have never stopped you before,” Yasmine retorted. “And besides, you get a thrill out of sneaking around at 1 in the morning.”

  Yasmine heard a pause in her father’s voice and she knew she had struck a nerve.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Elder John said quietly, “But I will not be found in such a godless environment.”

  “Fine!” Yasmine snapped. “I’ll find someone else to go with.”

  She angrily pushed her thumb against the disconnect button on her phone and then huffed her way into her apartment.

  Chapter Nine

  2:14 a.m.

  It was less than two hours to shut down, but it seemed as if the party was just getting started at the Blue Marlin. Levi, the main bartender on for that night was dealing with a bunch of boisterous drunks who didn’t know when they’d had enough to drink. It was as if after a certain hour, the atmosphere switched from the poised and professional to the wild and crazy. That was one of the main reasons why Levi hated working the graveyard shift, but this was part of his chastisement for that scene he’d pulled in the Champagne room six months ago, causing the club about four thousand in damages.

  So it was either the graveyard shift or the loss of his job. And Levi couldn’t afford to lose his job, not when he was still paying a ninety-thousand-dollar mortgage on a three-bedroom house. However, there were always certain kinds of freaks dropping in these early morning hours, hoping to camouflage their true colors. And Levi could only assume that the dense crowd and the heavy intoxication were the reasons that drew them out of their hiding. But having developed a keen eye during the years he’d worked at the Blue Marlin, Levi could easily pick out the preachers, the underage, and the closeted gay cops who were simply looking to hook up with young males who would do anything for money.

  Tonight was no different. The crowd was thick and they were drinking heavily. While many tried to have a conversation over the loud music, many more were nastily gyrating against each other on the dance floor. Levi stared in disgust. He was never interested in living such a loose life with people he didn’t know. Sure, he received tons of compliments on his smooth chocolate complexion and his Adonis-type body that would give the Greek god of beauty and desire a run for his money, but Levi considered himself more than a sex symbol. His body, his heart and everything else belonged to someone else anyway.

  Even if he tried to get intimate with other women, he would change his mind at the last minute. Because an image of Sasha McKay’s heart-shaped face would always invade his thoughts. It was a miserable state to be in, fighting against an apparition of the real thing he craved and trying to move on with his life. But he admitted that it was largely his fault for the condition he was in. Had he not fallen head over heels in love with Sasha, or worse, tried to steal her away from his best friend through treacherous means, maybe in time, he would have grown to accept his fate in a more responsible manner. Because he’d not only lost Sasha, he’d lost Drake too.

  Outwardly, Levi appeared to be functioning like a normal twenty-nine-year-old man, but deep down his soul was aching to be forgiven, to make amends with two of the most important people in his life. And he had tried to apologize to Sasha on multiple occasions, but she would not give him the time of day. With him working as a part-time basketball coach at the same school where Sasha was employed as a teacher, Levi saw her practically every day. She would not even look at him and it was literally killing Levi to see the amount of pain he’d caused her. He now realized how much of an insensitive bastard he’d been.

  Levi losing Drake as a friend was one thing. But Sasha had married him. It must have been a great challenge for Sasha to see Drake walk out on her. Even Levi was surprised that Drake had done something like that. He assumed Drake would have been more sensible and Levi had also assumed Drake would have confronted him about the situation by now. Levi had lied about making out with another man’s wife, which should be reason enough for any man to want to retaliate. But Drake hadn’t, preferring to skip town and avoid the drama altogether. Despite that, Levi desperately wanted to level with Drake and beg for his forgiveness, but where would he begin to look? The young man seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

  Soon, Levi’s pensive gaze began to casually move through the crowd, coming to rest at the entrance where a young woman and a much an older guy were making their way in. Levi had seen them when they visited two weeks before. The last time the unevenly-matched couple were at the club, the older guy was all over the young girl, smacking her on the lips, and openly indulging in inappropriate behaviors too shameful for their age difference.

  Levi thought he knew the type: An able-bodied gold digger, giving sex in exchange for a Sugar Daddy. But there was something strange about the young woman’s behavior that Levi couldn’t put his finger on. She seemed uncomfortable with the guy’s touch, even though she was sportin
g a big beautiful smile. Sometimes, she would subtly move the guy’s hands from her body and place them in his lap; other times she would have a faraway look in her eyes that appeared to yearn for something more than casual sex.

  And even though many of the patrons would gladly spill their guts to him (because of that friendly aura Levi seemed to exude), he didn’t involve himself in anyone’s personal affairs. It was better he did not, because he’d seen too much drama develop out of situations that had started from the threads of harmless conversation. Besides, he had his own problems to deal with and he was quite all right with not sharing in anyone else’s misery. The only real pet peeve Levi had was with these jackleg preachers who refused to admit that they were nothing more than pimps in suits. It was one of the main reasons why he didn’t attend church up to this present time in his life. Too many fakers in the pulpit.

  The guy veered to the left in search of an empty booth while his woman made a beeline toward the bar. Levi thought that was kind of strange. Some gentleman that dude was, making his lady serve him like he was the prince of Dubai. But despite his disgust, Levi offered the young woman a winning smile.

  “What can I get for you, my lady?” he shouted over the music.

  “Two cold beers.”

  Levi leaned his ear toward her. “Two what?”

  “Two cold beers,” she screamed.

  “What kind?”

  The young woman giggled. “Does it matter? Beer is beer, isn’t it? I am in celebration mode tonight.”

  “Good for you,” Levi said, not seeing the point in explaining to this high strung female that not every beer is the same. She wouldn’t appreciate the information anyway. “What’s the occasion?”

  “The what?”

  “The occasion,” Levi yelled.

  “Oh, my father has come into some inheritance and will soon be the talk of the town.”

  Levi was tempted to tease her about the ancient-looking guy being her father, but he knew where to draw the line between joviality and impropriety. “Well, in that case then,” he said, “I will suggest Samuel Adams Octoberfest – one of the house favorites. Trust me, you will return for several refills.”