Holiday Fantasy

by Adrianne Byrd

  A cheer went up from the staff.

  “Don’t do any drinking before your spot.” They groaned. Stan ignored them. “And be sure to get there at least an hour before your start time. Any questions?” Stan looked at each face. “Okay then.” He clapped his palms together. “Good luck, and see you all tonight.”

  Everyone filed out, talking among themselves about the upcoming evening, who was going to wear what, and after-party hangout spots.

  Summer lagged behind, the feeling of melancholia seeming to slow her step. She didn’t want to walk into the new year alone. Not this time. Not again. She passed the receptionist’s desk just as the phone rang.

  “Dr. Lane—”

  Summer turned and stopped.

  “There’s a call for you on line one.”

  “Thanks, Christine.”

  She crossed the short space to a small, circular table and the well-worn fabric chair that served as the reception area and picked up the phone. “Dr. Lane.”

  “Hello, Summer. It’s Tre.”

  A rush of heat infused her body, and her heart began to palpitate. She swallowed. “Tre…hello.”

  “Please, before you hang up or cut me off, I’m coming into D.C. tonight. I was hoping we could meet, talk after your show…before, during. You tell me. Just don’t say no, Summer.”

  Briefly she shut her eyes. For weeks she’d longed to hear these words, have this chance. Now was her moment.

  “I’ve missed you, Summer. More than I can put into words,” he said in a rush when she didn’t respond. “And I’m sorry. Sorry for hurting you, for deceiving you. I want to see you, if you’re willing.”

  All the lectures she’d endured from Kia, the realizations she’d come to about herself in dealing with and counseling Gloria, stood in front of her, daring her to, for once, take her own advice.

  “I’d like that,” she whispered.

  Tre released a silent sigh of relief. “I’ll see you tonight. And, Summer—”

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll tell you later…’round midnight. Have a good show.” He hung up before she could change her mind.

  Summer held the phone for just a moment longer, savoring the fleeting remnants of their conversations, memorizing the intonations in his voice, the underlying laughter, and her spirit felt light as a breeze for the first time in weeks.

  She’d see him tonight. Tonight. Joy bubbled through her veins. She hung up the phone. Hmmm, now she’d have to run out and buy something really special to wear. Her step was light as she strutted out the door, waving, smiling and even making short comments to the WKQR crew whom she passed. She was so filled with her own happiness, she didn’t even notice the curious looks she received from the staff, who thought of her as “the reserved Dr. Lane.”

  Her thoughts scattered in a dozen directions at once—how would she feel when she saw him again, what would they say to each other, did he want her as much as she wanted him—then halted on Tre’s vague statement, “I’ll tell you later, ’round midnight.” Tell me what?

  Summer was a nervous wreck. She’d been in such a state she’d purchased three outfits, which all lay on the bed, staring up at her. She took a deep breath.

  “This is ridiculous. You’re acting like you’re going out on your first date or something,” she chastised herself. She paced back and forth in front of the bed, eyeing the creations. Finally, she decided on the red velvet ankle skirt and matching waist-length jacket.

  She hung the silver spaghetti-strap dress and the black cocktail dress in the closet just as the phone rang. Her heart thumped, and her first thought was that it was Tre, calling to say he’d changed his mind. Why was she so nervous? He was the one who had the explaining to do.

  She crossed the room and picked up the phone on the bedside table. “Hello?”

  “Hey, girl, it’s Kia.”

  “Hi. You’ll never guess what happened.” Quickly she launched into the story of the surprise phone call, filling in all the details up to and including what she was wearing.

  “Told you, you needed to give that brother a break.” Kia chuckled.

  Summer reclined against the pillows on her bed, crossing her legs Indian style. “You know something, Kia, I guess it took a major upset in my life for me to take a good look at it. I didn’t realize until very recently just how difficult I’d made it for people to get close to me. All these years I’ve been so busy solving other people’s troubles, I didn’t want to look at mine. I’ve been afraid of commitment, of giving a part of myself to anyone, because of my parents. I never wanted to be in a relationship like theirs, so I made sure it never happened by not having any. Until I met Tre. I know he has a lot of explaining to do, but you know, Kia, it doesn’t even matter.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. It must be a new year right around the corner, ’cause my girl has finally seen the light. Can I get an Amen from the congregation!”

  They cracked up laughing.

  By degrees Summer sobered. “He said he had something to tell me, but he wouldn’t say what it was. What do you think?”

  “I think you need to stop worrying about it and enjoy every minute with your man tonight.”

  Summer blew out a breath and smiled. “You’re right. And I intend to. Are you still coming tonight?”

  “I wouldn’t miss this for all the money in the world. See you tonight.”

  “Bye.”

  Chapter 8

  Summer arrived at Blues Alley at ten on the dot. Even at that hour the joint was jumping.

  The management of the club had done a fabulous job of making the cozy night spot festive. Mistletoe, poinsettias, and gold and silver garland abounded. White candles set in crystal containers adorned each red-topped table. The dimmed overhead lighting gave the space an intimate feel.

  Waiters scurried around filling food and drink requests, and Jordan Michaels was already onstage in the makeshift booth doing his thing with Toni Braxton’s “Let Me Count the Ways.”

  Summer slowly wound her way around the circular tables, her eyes scanning all the faces, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tre. By the time she’d made a complete assessment of the main room and the two small ones beyond, she was sure he wasn’t there.

  “Dr. Lane.”

  She turned, peering over heads in the direction of Stan’s voice. He began moving between the montage of sequined and tuxedoed bodies.

  “You look…stunning,” he said, looking up into her eyes.

  She smiled down at him. “Thank you. You look nice, too. I hardly recognized you.”

  He chuckled. “I know what you mean. Half the people here are my staff, and I don’t recognize them. But you—you were always classy. That’s what I liked about you from the beginning: brains, beauty, and a sense of style.”

  She smiled, slightly taken aback by his statement. “Thank you, Stan.”

  “Listen, Dr. Lane.”

  “Summer,” she offered.

  “Summer, I know I was pretty hard on you about that phone call business. I didn’t give you enough credit to be able to handle it. Threatening your job wasn’t the answer, and I apologize for that.” He shrugged slightly. “I guess I panicked when I envisioned my number-one show going down the drain. I didn’t think about you as a person, just a way to get ratings.”

  “Stan—” she reached out and touched his shoulder “—I understand. You’re running a business.”

  Slowly he nodded. “I intend to start running my business with more of a human touch. Maybe if I had, Tre wouldn’t have bailed out on me. I’d give anything to have him back. Best program director I’ve ever had.”

  She wanted to tell him that wasn’t the reason Tre left, ease his mind. But she knew she couldn’t, and the injustice of what Tre had done, not only to her, but to the people who depended on him, rekindled anew.

  “That’s not the reason why I left, Stan.”

  Summer looked over Stan’s head and right into Tre’s eyes. Stan turned and appeared as if he wanted to hug Tre. He
made a move to, but didn’t. Instead he stuck out his hand and heartily shook Tre’s, his face beaming.

  Summer’s gaze stayed riveted on Tre’s face. Suddenly she couldn’t remember why she was almost angry only moments ago.

  “We’ll talk about it later,” Tre added, “and I may take you up on that offer.”

  “You don’t even need to ask.” He stepped closer, his business mind in full gear, wanting to close this deal on the spot. “There’s nothing to discuss. If you want it, you got it.” He put his arm around Tre’s shoulder.

  Tre nodded. “Glad to hear that, Stan, and I’d love to discuss it with you, but now I need to talk with this lady right here.”

  Stan looked from one to the other, nearly singed by the heat that bounced back and forth between the two of them. For a moment he frowned, perplexed. Then realization dawned.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” He chuckled, shook his head in wonder, and walked away.

  “How have you been, Tre?”

  He stepped closer, wanting to touch her, afraid that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to let go. “Better…now.” His eyes skipped across her face. “There’s so much I need to tell you, Summer.”

  She reached out and took his hand, and he suddenly felt as if he’d been tossed a lifeline. “I promise to listen, if you promise to talk—really slow.” A smile eased across her face as she stepped into his arms, just as Jordan Michaels played “Been Gone Too Long” by Anita Baker.

  Ain’t that the truth? Summer thought, resting her head against Tre’s shoulder, closing her eyes as they swayed to the music.

  “I was wrong, Summer,” he whispered in her ear, almost as gentle as a love song. “I let my ego get the best of me because I couldn’t stand the idea that you weren’t paying me any attention.”

  She bit back a smile. “You certainly have a way of getting a girl’s attention.” She arched her neck and looked into his dark, searching eyes. “I had a lot of time to think, too, Tre. To take a look at myself—my life.”

  “What did you see?” His lips brushed her ear, and a shiver ran up her back.

  “A woman who was too busy tending to other people’s lives and not her own.”

  “But that’s what makes you special, Summer—who you are. Don’t change that.”

  “I won’t change everything, just the parts that need work.” She grinned.

  He stepped back and gave her a long up and down look. “From what I remember and from everything I can see, everything’s in working order.”

  She gave him a slow, steamy smile.

  He took her back in his arms. “There’s something else I need to tell you.” He immediately felt her body stiffen in his arms.

  “What is it?” she mumbled against his chest.

  “The calls you were getting from Gloria—”

  She stopped in midstep.

  “It was Diane.”

  “Diane? Your sister Diane?”

  “Yes. She came up with this brilliant idea. She figured it was a way to get us back together, maybe let you see my side. Believe me, I didn’t put her up to it. I had nothing to do with it.”

  Summer tossed her head back and laughed. “Does this phone thing run in the family, like a damaged chromosome, or something?”

  “I don’t know from chromosomes,” he said with a grin, “but I do know we have a unique way of getting our point across. Are you upset?”

  “I should be, but I’m not. It worked. For all my book sense, I fell right into it. Thank Diane for me.”

  “What matters is that we’re together. We took the long route to get here, but I think we have arrived, Dr. Lane.”

  “I do believe you’re right.” She touched her lips to his.

  The music came to a close, but they still held each other, gliding to their own beat.

  “You said you had something to tell me. Was that it—about Diane?”

  “No. Be patient just a little while longer, babe.”

  She angled her neck and looked at him through squinted eyes. “You’re up to something.”

  “Maybe.” He took her hand and led her to a vacant table, and they sat down. He took her hands in his. “Summer, there was no other job. I left because I didn’t want to deal with facing you, running into you and not be able to touch you, talk to you, make love with you. I thought moving away, leaving the station, would make things easier for both of us. I figured if I made a new start, I could put you behind me. I couldn’t. You’re the best thing that has happened to me.”

  “And I almost lost you, Tre. I wasn’t ready for honesty with you or myself.”

  “And now?”

  “I am.”

  “Then I’m going to be more honest with you than I’ve ever been.” He took a breath. “I love you, Summer. From the bottom of my heart. I love you and—”

  “Hey, girl.”

  Tre and Summer looked up to see Kia standing over them, a big grin plastered on her face. It was the first time Summer could ever remember not being happy to see her friend.

  “Kia. Hi.”

  Kia’s gaze remained fixed on Tre. “You must be Tre Holland.” She stuck out her hand. “Glad we finally had a chance to meet. The crazy schedules you two keep are impossible to arrange a get-together. But Summer has told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you.”

  “Has she?” He looked at Summer, who shrugged slightly.

  Kia pulled out a chair, inviting herself to sit down. “This place is packed,” she said, ignoring the fact that she was interrupting.

  “Didn’t you bring a date, or a date bring you?” Summer asked, praying that tonight wouldn’t be that one in a million time when Kia came out unescorted.

  Kia adjusted the strap on her black crepe dress. “Of course. He’s getting us drinks at the bar. But when I spotted you, I had to stop by and say hello, let you know I was here.” She bobbed her head to the music, a reggae selected by Danny D, who’d taken over the mic.

  Summer checked her watch. She had about fifteen minutes before she went on, and she was jumping out of her skin wanting to know what Tre was in the middle of saying before they were so rudely interrupted. It looked as if Kia had no intention of leaving. She could kick Kia, but she’d save it for later. She pushed away from the table and stood. “I have to get ready for my set.”

  Tre stood up. “We’ll finish this later. Promise.”

  She smiled and tried not to roll her eyes at Kia, who grinned innocently up at her.

  “I’ll see you both later.” She turned and headed for the studio.

  “Whew. I thought she’d never leave.”

  Tre frowned. “Excuse me?”

  “I wanted to talk to you.” She pulled her chair closer to the table. “Listen, Tre, I’ll get right to the point. I know you don’t know me, but since I feel like I know you and Summer is my best friend, I figure I have some rights.”

  Tre’s eyebrows shot up in an arch. She was a real character.

  “I’m going to tell you something about Summer, and then I’m gonna shut my mouth.” She leaned closer. “Summer really cares about you. Maybe cares isn’t the best choice of words, but I’ll let her tell you.”

  “Thanks,” he interjected.

  “Anyway, she may seem like she has it all together, but underneath of that perfect-looking exterior is someone with a heart of gold. She doesn’t give many people the opportunity to see it, but it’s there.”

  “I know.”

  “In other words, don’t hurt her—again. It took a lot of talking and soul searching on her part for her to even consider being with you again.”

  The corner of his mouth curved up in a wry smile. “I have no intention of being the same fool twice.”

  Kia grinned. “Glad to hear it.” She stood. So did he. “I’d better find my date. Happy New Year, Tre.”

  “Thanks. Same to you.”

  Kia was quickly swallowed up in the crowd, and Tre decided to wander around the room—see who he could see. If there was the remotest possib
ility that he would return to WKQR, he wanted to get a sense of what the general attitude was about his return. If he did take up Stan’s offer, he promised himself he’d work twice as hard at building the station to number one.

  “Ready in thirty seconds,” Leslie said into Summer’s headset.

  Summer nodded and took a quick look at her playlist, but her thoughts kept shifting to Tre—and Kia. She knew her friend like a good recipe. Kia was over there bending Tre’s ear. Telling him who knows what. Because she was good for that. She just hoped Kia didn’t spill the beans about how she felt about Tre. She wanted to do that herself, and would have if Kia hadn’t turned up like a bad penny. But, of course, whatever she was rattling on about she’d swear it was in her best interests.

  Her theme song began to play, and the audience roared with pleasure.

  “In five, four, three, two, one.” Leslie gave Summer her cue.

  “Welcome to my world, D.C. This is Summer Lane and it’s just ’Round Midnight. We’re coming to you live from the famous Blues Alley, and the house is packed tonight. As we get ready to move into the new year, a lot of us make resolutions, promises to ourselves and to others, which we hope to keep, but most of the time we don’t. I want to hear from you tonight, as we approach the midnight hour. What are some of your hopes, goals, and desires. And tell our listening audience how you intend to make them come to pass and keep them. While you’re out there thinking it over, we’re going to hear from R. Kelly with his anthem for us all, ‘I Believe I Can Fly.’”

  Summer slipped off the headphones and tried to spot Tre amid the glitz and glamour. He was nowhere to be seen. She sighed and settled back in her seat.

  The engineering team had set up a six-line phone, and all the lights were flashing.

  You’d think everyone would be out on the town tonight, she mused as Leslie cued her for her first caller.

  “Who is it?” Summer asked.

  “Didn’t want to give their name.”

  Summer’s stomach began to flutter. “You’re on the air, live at Blues Alley. What resolutions are you going to make, and how are you going to keep it?”

  “First I need to tell the woman in my life something I should have told her a long time ago.”