by Candy Caine
She knew she shouldn’t be angry at Charles for cutting her loose. Their relationship had no strings attached. It was the way he did it that was hurtful. He should have told her to her face. If he’d loved her as much as he’d said he had, he would have been more sensitive. And then she realized, if he had truly loved her, he wouldn’t have wanted to be free of her.
Duh! She was really stupid. If he was unfaithful to his wife, what made her think he’d be faithful to his mistress?
Jade was filled with so many conflicting emotions, it made her head spin. No matter what she said or thought, she knew she’d always love Charles. And that was the sad part. Not only was she leaving him behind, she was also leaving her heart.
* * *
By the time Jade got off the bus in New London, she had a game plan. The first thing she intended to do was buy a newspaper. She needed a job and a place to live. As she waited for her luggage, she noticed a diner directly across the street from the terminal. It was about an hour before dawn and that would most likely be the only place open.
On the front door was a handwritten Help Wanted sign. She’d never been a waitress, but hey, she could learn. Waitressing would look smashing on her resume. She laughed. Then she realized she’d been putting the cart before the horse. Perhaps the management wouldn’t want to hire an inexperienced person. But needing a place to go until the town woke up, what did she have to lose?
The cashier at the register, a woman of about fifty with hair piled high on her head, chomped on a wad of gum as she read a paperback. Jade approached her and asked if the manager was around.
“Sure, honey. Did you find a crawly in your food?”
Well, that certainly made her feel good. What did they serve here?
“No. I’m interested in the job,” Jade said, pointing to the sign.
“Yeah, he’s here. I’ll call him.”
Jade half expected her to scream out across the place, not that it would matter. There were only about six customers, half of whom looked asleep. Instead, the woman called him on a wall phone. Much to Jade’s surprise, it took only a few minutes for him to appear.
“Mimi says you’re interested in the waitress job.”
Jade nodded.
“Come sit down and we’ll discuss it.” He snapped his fingers to get the attention of a tired waitress who was emerging from the kitchen. She padded over and he told her to bring two coffees. Then as an afterthought he asked, “Hungry?”
“No. Just coffee will be fine, thanks.”
The waitress, who looked as if she’d been dragged through a clothes wringer, brought them the coffee.
Jade smiled and thanked her. The poor woman shuffled away.
“Any experience, Ms…?”
“Jade Green.” She’d thought about lying, but there was no way she could pull it off. So she decided to tell the truth. She had some money behind her and if she didn’t get this job, she’d try for another. She didn’t have to beg—yet. “No,” she honestly admitted.
“So why do you want this job?”
“I’m relocating here and need to support myself.”
“Where’re you from?” he asked.
“New York.”
“Well, then. Welcome to our fair city.”
“And the job?” she reminded him.
He scratched his ample chin, one of several. She tried not to focus on the hairy mole living on his right cheek. “Normally we only hire people with experience. But I got a good feeling about you.”
The way he said that gave Jade goose bumps, but the door worked both ways. “Does that mean I’m hired?”
“Yeah. I’m a gambling man.”
* * *
It took a few harrowing days, but Jade finally was able to go solo. Kalisha, one of the waitresses with the patience of two saints, bless her, had been saddled with the task of breaking her in. Jade gave that poor girl a mental, as well as a physical workout, but Kalisha never gave up on her. Jade swore the next time she ate in a restaurant, she’d leave a generous tip. She’d never realized how strenuous waiting on tables was.
Kalisha also helped Jade find an apartment in her complex. So for the immediate future, things were looking pretty good. The worst Jade had to worry about were guys making passes at her. Whatever they envisioned, the only service they’d get from her would be the quick delivery of their food.
Night was the worst time for Jade. It was then that she had plenty of time to think about Charles. She tried to convince herself he wouldn’t be thinking about her and that she should move on. She’d thrown away her cell phone the night she left Manhattan. There was no way anyone from the law firm could reach her, and she intended to call in a couple of weeks to terminate her employment. The only one Jade truly missed was Shawna. She’d never said goodbye and that bothered Jade. But she couldn’t risk spilling the beans about Charles. Hopefully, Shawna would learn from Human Resources about her mother’s “illness.”
Chapter 7
On Friday nights, Kalisha would go out with friends to singles bars to unwind and scope out the guys. She was very chatty about her life and loves, and boy, did that girl love to party. Jade never talked about her personal life. That was a side she hardly wanted to dwell upon, let alone discuss.
Kalisha asked Jade to join her a couple of times, but Jade said no. Obviously Kalisha wondered why Jade had no desire to go out and came knocking on her apartment door one night with the intention of finding out why.
“Hey girl, you busy?”
Jade turned her surprised expression into a smile and shook her head as Kalisha walked inside.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” she teased Jade, eyeing the lone small sofa, snack table and lamp in the living room.
“I haven’t gotten around to decorating it just yet.”
“Obviously.”
“I don’t get a lot of visitors. Want some coffee?” Jade asked, heading into the kitchen.
“Yeah, sure.” She followed her in.
Jade had a small, round, wrought-iron glass-topped table and two chairs in the kitchen. Kalisha parked herself on a chair, her ample booty hanging equally over both sides.
“Damn! This chair is small.”
“All I have is a package of Oreo cookies,” Jade said, putting it down on the table.
“Now where ya gonna put the coffee mugs?” Kalisha teased.
“How was it last night?” Jade asked referring to Kalisha’s night out with the girls.
“Fine, girlfriend. You shoulda been there.”
Jade began to give her one of her stock answers as she poured the coffee, but Kalisha shut her right down.
“From what I see, there ain’t much you’ve been doing. Why are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding,” Jade replied, shaking her head.
“Well, the way I sees it, you must be runnin’ away from some man.”
Jade sighed. Then she told Kalisha about Charles. Kalisha absorbed it all and put it in the spin cycle of her mind.
“The only way to get over a man is to replace him.”
“I don’t need another man.”
Kalisha guffawed. “Girl, everybody has needs. You can’t just shut them off like a faucet. And even if you do, there’s gonna be an annoying drip.”
“I’m not ready.”
Kalisha pursed her lips and shook her head in annoyance. “That idea is bogus. Next time we go out, you’re comin’ along.”
Kalisha ended the conversation there. Jade knew there was no use arguing with her. Her plan of action would be to go with her and the others once, meet nobody, and then they’d leave her alone.
* * *
Jade accompanied Kalisha, Marie and Elle to a loud bar not too far from the diner. It looked like a dump on the outside and not much better on the inside. Still, it was nearly wall-to-wall people. Jade had never been in a place like this one. This joint had to be off the radar.
The bartender, a beefy guy with tattooed arms and huge bald head that shone u
nder the fluorescent lighting, was one scary brother. From where she stood, she didn’t see a single white face in the entire place.
They ordered beers and grabbed the first empty table they saw. Kalisha looked really good that night. She was a big-boned woman with ample flesh to fill those bones. Attractive with caramel-colored eyes, she always managed to meet someone. Marie, a slender, dark-skinned Hispanic woman was like a firecracker, while Elle, a tall, skinny woman of indeterminate age, hardly said a word.
Jade never truly rated herself. For the past twenty-five years she had looked in the mirror and merely accepted the image staring back at her. The long, wavy black hair, large hazel eyes, full lips and dimple in her chin were only constants to her. She’d never considered herself beautiful. If pressed, she’d consider herself attractive. When Charles first told her she was beautiful, she merely thought it was his way of getting into her pants. It wasn’t until later that she believed he truly meant it. Now, in retrospect, she wondered…
“Hey, Jade, you with us, girl?”
“Why? Did I miss something?”
Marie began to laugh. “Back there in Neverland or wherever you were, I doubt there was fine prime meat like those two fine brothers eyeballing us.”
Jade looked in the direction she was indicating with her chin and saw two guys dressed in similar black leather jackets looking back at them. One reminded Jade of a tough Wesley Snipes and the other a version of Denzel Washington. She couldn’t argue with Marie’s assessment of them.
A moment or so later, the guys sauntered over to them. Jade figured they were interested in Marie and Kalisha.
The introductions were made. The Wesley Snipes look-alike was Des and the other was Hank. During another round of beers, they all small-talked. Finally it was suggested they head out to this party the guys knew about. Jade began to decline, but having not driven, got voted down. Of course Jade could have taken a taxi home, but she felt drawn to Hank. It was crazy, and something she couldn’t explain. Maybe she was human, after all, like Kalisha had said. Whatever it was, she knew it was a physical thing. How else could she explain the excitement she felt building within her when their legs accidentally brushed under the table.
Jade’s group followed the guys to an apartment over a laundromat. Booming hip-hop greeted them as they walked up the flight of stairs in the back alley. Des rapped on the dented metal door twice. It was opened by a girl who looked no more than eighteen dressed in a sheer top that came three-quarters down to her waist and a mini skirt that just barely covered her bottom.
“Yo, Kiesha, this is Kalisha, Elle, Marie and Jade. Hank, you know.”
“Come on in.”
They filed in and saw the place was alive with a dozen or more people. There were several guys dressed like gangstas and several dressed in leather jackets and jeans like Hank and Des. The girls were wearing anything from short skirts to low-rise jeans and half shirts to see-through tops. Jade had to remind herself it was none of her business. She wasn’t their mama. The apartment belonged to Ansil Thomas, a producer of rap and hip-hop music.
Whatever Jade was feeling for Hank kept her glued to his side. He got two beers and gave her one. She’d already gone past her limit, but, hey, she wasn’t counting. She had a buzz on and was feeling no pain. Actually, her senses seemed heightened, making her all too aware of the pheromones Hank was giving off. The warmth that had been simmering inside her was now bubbling.
He’d casually put his arm around her shoulders as they talked. From the corner of her eye Jade saw Kalisha, who was with Des, give her a thumbs-up and a wink. Normally she’d stay away from boys from the hood. However, Hank was doing something to her she could hardly describe.
Jade wanted to blame everything on the beer, but he had the right moves and equipment to turn any girl’s head. Right then, hers had turned so far it was practically on backwards. Whatever problems she’d had were forgotten. All she could see was that virile hunk of male. She wanted to run her hands through his hair and trace the outline of those muscles straining against his T-shirt. His full, sensual lips reminded her of ripe cherries and she wanted a taste.
It had gotten crowded and they went in search of a quiet place to talk. Discovering an empty bedroom, they went inside. Boldly out of character, Jade locked the door, bringing a huge grin to Hank’s handsome face.
“You sure, girl? I doan wanna get busy if you doan wanna.”
Jade didn’t answer him. Instead, she reached up and took his face between her hands and lowered his mouth to hers. He tasted like beer and she drank it in. A moment later, he had his arms around her, devouring her neck with kisses. Already wet with desire, Jade wanted him more than anything else.
They fell back on the bed still kissing. Hank began to explore her body through her clothes. Perhaps he was giving her time to change her mind. There was no way that she was going to stop. She needed that boy—needed to get off. And nothing was going to change that fact. Until her mind decided to play tricks on her. She’d closed her eyes with that last kiss. However, when she reopened them, she didn’t see Hank’s face above hers, but Charles’s.
Jade groaned and rolled off him. “I’ve got to go,” she muttered.
“Huh? Wasup, with you, girl? One minute you’re a spitfire and the next you’re going? You got that split personality sickness or something?”
“I just can’t.” Tears ran from her eyes as the river between her legs dried.
“You on some kind of shit, girl?”
Jade shook her head and ran out of the room and out of the apartment before anyone could stop her. Hank was probably ready to kill her and Kalisha would have plenty to say, but she wasn’t going to wait around.
As soon as she was at least three blocks away, Jade called a taxi service and read the street signs to the dispatcher. Hiding in a storefront, she waited for the cab to show. It was the longest fifteen minutes of her life and gave her plenty of time to think about what she’d just done. She wasn’t proud of herself and certainly didn’t care for the implications. The truth was that she hadn’t put Charles behind her, at all.
* * *
The following day Jade nursed a terrible headache. She hadn’t wanted to think about the night before and she wished it had never happened. However, when Kalisha came over, it was exactly what she wanted to discuss.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, girl? You had that hunk drooling all over you and you go and ditch him.”
Jade didn’t exactly know how to explain what happened. She hardly understood it herself.
“I imagined Hank was Charles and freaked.”
“That’s it? You left a prime piece of meat hanging out to dry because of that?”
Jade looked away, fighting the tears building behind her eyelids. When she turned back all she could do was nod.
“You gotta let that man go. Time to get on with your life.”
“Honestly, I tried last night.”
“You gotta try a lot harder, girl.”
“Hank’s pissed at me, isn’t he?”
“Uh-huh. I’d stay out of his way for a while if I were you.”
“He was a nice guy. I didn’t mean to hurt him,” Jade said, rubbing her throbbing temples.
“You hung over, girlfriend?”
“I’ve felt better. Look, I’d like to lie down…”
Kalisha got the message and left. Jade took some more aspirin and crawled into bed. She slept for a couple of hours. Feeling better, she made herself some coffee and grabbed a few cookies. As she munched on the cookies, she realized she hadn’t spoken to her mother in a while and gave her a call. Jade soon wished she hadn’t.
Chapter 8
Her mother answered on the first ring as if she’d been sitting by the phone.
“Hi, Mama. It’s Jade.”
“You okay, child?”
“Yes, Mama. And are things good at home?”
“We’re fine. How is your job coming along?” she asked in a tone that sent a foreboding chill do
wn Jade’s back.
“Same old, same old,” Jade answered, hoping that would end all talk concerning her job.
“How’s the weather in New York?”
“Probably the same as you in Jersey.”
“And you would know?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Red danger flares were going off in Jade’s head.
“Because you’re not in New York anymore, are you? And you’re not working where you said you were. You’re lying, child. You in some kind of trouble?”
Jade was dumbfounded. How did she know? Better still, what was she going to tell her?
“You still there, Jade?”
“Yes, Mama. I’m still here.”
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, child.”
“Who told you I wasn’t working for the law firm?”
“Some white-bread lawyer from the city came looking for you. Asked about my health. Said you were supposed to be taking care of me.”
Jade groaned and spoke Charles’s name aloud. Her heart fell to her knees.
“Yes. That’s the name he gave. He your boss?”
“No. A friend.”
“Friend? He sounded like some love-starved puppy. Were you sleeping with that white man?”
“Mama!”
“Thought so. Became so high and mighty, your own kind ain’t good enough for you?”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I had no idea where you were. What kind of trouble you in?”
“Why do you keep asking that?”
“Because if you weren’t, you’d still be at your job.”
“I decided the job wasn’t for me,” Jade told her, knowing her mother wasn’t just going to leave it at that. She had the curiosity of Pandora and would not rest until she knew everything. Jade had to be creative and give her just enough to seem credible.