by Wayne Jordan
He passed where she had stopped to open the door. He then he stood there looking deeply into her eyes.
If he’d only say the words.
She walked out of his condo and stood in the hallway. It took all her willpower not to beg him to love her.
If he’d only say the words.
But he didn’t say a thing and she turned to walk away.
He closed the door with a quiet, final click and then there was silence.
Chapter 11
Anger burned inside—Eboni’s words had upset Darren, but he knew that she was right.
He’d messed up and royally.
The past few weeks had been, to say the least, interesting. She’d come into his life at a point when he’d been frustrated and looking for something more. He’d been on a one-way street to self-destruction and being with Eboni had shown him that he needed to rein the wild horse he was on. He was a lot like Rafe, the horse that had been uneasy when he’d purchased him. But while others thought a more rigid training would have tamed the horse, he’d felt differently.
For weeks, he’d just stood outside the horse’s stall, until slowly he’d broken beyond the hostility and fear the horse felt.
He remembered the first time he’d seen Eboni. She’d just stepped out of her car outside his office building. He’d arrived at work and was taking a call on his cell phone.
A group of men at a construction site just opposite had stopped working as soon as she’d stepped out of her car. He remembered what she’d been wearing that day.
The bold red dress and heels she wore made her legs seem to go on forever. He’d noticed her healthy, well-toned body. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. She had been a breath of fresh air.
One of the guys had shouted something to her and she’d smiled...a smile that sent an instant, unexpected shock wave straight through his body. He’d decided the encounter was just serendipity and that their paths would probably never cross again. A few days later, however, he’d just stepped into his condo when he’d noticed her getting out of the elevator. He’d recognized her instantly and serendipity turned into destiny.
The next day, he’d done some research at the office and had got the information he wanted.
Eboni Alicia Wynter.
He’d put the attraction down to his lack of contact with those of the opposite sex. He’d obviously been celibate for too long.
And then, he’d seen her watching him from her balcony. He’d felt wicked and daring.
Even now, he could still laugh at the look of horror on her face when he’d dropped his boxers and dived stark naked into the pool.
Now his laughter was hollow. He was in love with her and on the verge of losing her.
* * *
Late Saturday, Eboni pushed the door gently and walked into her father’s room at the hospital. Her mother sat upright, asleep next to the bed. Her mother must have been as tired as she was, but the need to be with her father was more compelling than her need to get home.
Her gaze drifted to where her father lay, expecting him to be asleep, only to be startled by two bright eyes staring at her. He smiled, a lopsided lifting of his lips, which took him some effort. Tears sprang to her eyes.
She rushed over to his bedside, took his hands in hers and looked at him with adoring eyes. Despite his condition, he was still the most handsome man she knew. She realized what Cheryl had been talking about.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I...love...you...too, pumpkin,” he stammered. “Don’t...cry.”
She released his hands, wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m just happy to see you awake.” She kissed his cheek.
“Thirsty,” he mumbled.
“Okay, I’ll get one of the nurses.”
His right hand lifted slowly, indicating a glass and pitcher on the other side of his bed.
She rose, walked around the bed and filled the glass with water.
Her mother woke as she passed her.
“Hi, Mom. Dad wants water.”
Tears filled her mother’s eyes.
“Thanks, dear. Let me help you,” her mother said, rising from the chair and taking the glass from her. “I’ll give it to him.”
Eboni moved to sit on the edge of the bed while her mother slid the chair closer and lifted the mug to her father’s mouth. He sipped slowly.
Eboni looked at her mom closely, realizing that in just a few days, she had aged.
Eboni remembered that as a little girl, she wanted to grow up to be beautiful like her mom. Even with the pain in her eyes, and the cloak of fatigue draping her body, her mother still carried her beauty with elegance. That was the word she always associated with her mother. Delores Wynter was the picture of elegance.
And even now, tired with worry about her husband, her mother’s beauty seemed ageless.
“How are you doing, Mom?” Eboni asked.
“Tired, but I’ll be fine. The doctor says your dad is going to be fine, but when he recovers, he must take care of himself. We’ve been talking about retirement for a while, so maybe now is the best time to do it.” She held her husband’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “We’ve always wanted to take a cruise around the world.”
She pulled the glass from her husband’s mouth. His eyes had closed and he seemed to be drifting off to sleep.
“Let’s go on the balcony and talk,” her mother said.
Eboni took the glass from her mother and placed it back on the table. She followed her mother outside.
They stood by the railing, looking out to the busy street below.
“So what’s this I hear about a young man in your life?”
Eboni groaned. She should have known that was coming.
“I’ve heard he’s a good man. In fact, your father and I met him a few years ago when his father passed away. Your dad was his father’s doctor. I don’t even know if he remembers talking to me at the hospital.
“He was devastated, your young man, but he was strong and brave and I like that in a man. It’s not a pleasant experience taking care of someone with cancer. He was hurting.”
“I think there is a part of him that’s still hurting,” Eboni said. “He doesn’t seem to want to let a part of his past go.
“I love him, Mom. Why does love hurt so much? I don’t know if I can trust him.”
“You met a man a few weeks ago and you expect trust to be automatic. Love and trust grows over a period of time.”
“But how do you know when it’s true love?” she asked.
“When I met your dad, I didn’t trust a word that came out of his mouth. He was a playa of the worse kind. A black doctor back in those days would have been a catch for any woman. He had nurses and women of all kinds hungering after him.”
“So how could you come to trust him?” Eboni asked.
“Because I saw a man who didn’t really want to be that man, didn’t want the attention. He just wanted a good life with a good woman. I made him see that I was that woman.”
“But Darren lied to me, Mom. Didn’t tell me he had a daughter and an ex-wife.”
“But you didn’t know if he was going to tell you or not. You know what’s wrong with the women of today. It’s all about quickness and pride. I’m sure he would have eventually told you.”
Eboni nodded in agreement.
“When I met your dad, and he indicated he liked me, I made him wait until I was ready. I didn’t sit down one day and tell him all about myself. He found out things slowly during our courtship.”
“I understand what you mean, Mom. Maybe I’m being too hard on him.”
“Have you slept with him yet?” her mother asked.
“Mom!” she exclaimed.
&n
bsp; “Just checking. I’m not sure if I want to know, either. You’re still my little girl.
“Let me give you some sound advice and I say sound because I’m almost sixty. Having been married for thirty years to the same man and still love him as much as I did all those years ago.”
“What’s the advice?”
“When you feel that you’ve found love, go after it. Don’t give up so easy and question everything the person does. You’ll know the right answer.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Eboni, I love you, the way only a mother can love her daughter. I love my sons, but you are the joy of my heart and I’m so proud of you, I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it,” she said. “I saw your photo in today’s paper. And I said, ‘that’s my daughter saving a boy’s life.’ You went into that fire without a thought for yourself. I know people get scared about death. I know I don’t want you to die anytime soon. I want to see my grandbabies from you and that sexy hunk. But if I were to ever lose you while you’re doing your job, my heart would still swell with pride as I shed my tears. I would know you were trying to save someone’s life.”
“I thought you were disappointed when I chose my career.”
“Disappointed? I was scared, but when your dad and I thought about it, we knew you wouldn’t settle for anything less than what you wanted.”
“Damn, Mom. I’m going to cry. That’s all I seem to be doing these days.”
“Tears have never killed anyone,” she stated. “They just help you to clean out all the bad stuff inside that you need to get rid of.
“Eboni, I always told you this when you were growing up...listen to you heart. Really listen to it and you’ll get your answer.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
There was a noise in the room. She peered through the sheer curtains. It was Maxwell.
“Your brother is here to relieve us. I have to go home and prepare for a church event tomorrow. Talk to that young man. He’s good for you.”
When they entered the room, Maxwell was looking down at his dad. He looked up when they walked into the room.
“Maxwell, I’m glad you’re here. I’m going to get Eboni to take me home. You all can go home early tonight. I think your dad is going to be okay.”
Eboni looked around the room. During the past day, the mood and atmosphere had been grim. Now there was a sense of hope and expectancy.
When she left for home, she felt happy and alive, as if something good was about to happen.
* * *
“Hi, Eboni!”
Eboni turned around. It was Sunday and Kenya Grayson was waving at her from the play park. Eboni’s eyes immediately searched for Darren, but he was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s your dad?” Eboni asked.
“He went upstairs to get his wallet. Don’t worry. Mr. Smith over there is looking out for me until he returns.”
Eboni turned around and noticed the security officer for the first time. She waved at him.
“So where are you off to, pretty girl?”
“You think I’m pretty?” she asked. “I think you’re beautiful. We’re going to see a movie and then go to Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream. It’s my favorite ice cream.”
“It’s my favorite, too!”
“Come and go with us. I’m sure my dad won’t mind.”
“Dad won’t mind what, may I ask?”
Eboni’s heart stopped. He was standing directly behind her. She could feel his warmth.
“Can Eboni come with us, please? She likes Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, too. It’s her favorite.”
“So what about it, Eboni? I’m sure you don’t want to break Kenya’s heart.”
She hesitated, not sure what to say. Going with them was going to be a mistake.
She turned around and faced him. She could tell he was enjoying this. She was about to make an excuse but when she looked down, Kenya was already holding her hand and looking up at Eboni with a hopeful expectation.
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll come, but let me go upstairs and grab my purse.”
“Oh, goody! We’re going to have so much fun! And please hurry, I want to get to the movie early so we can get popcorn and hotdogs.”
Eboni turned and hurried toward the building, wanting to get away from Darren and his adorable daughter.
What had she gotten herself into?
She could have said no, but Kenya looked at her with those big brown eyes and she’d melted. That little girl was already learning her father’s charming tricks.
Upstairs, she lightly touched up her makeup, added two squirts of her favorite perfume, Rebel Fleur, and she was ready to go. She picked up her purse and looked in the mirror.
She was ready for battle. She was not going to let Darren and his darling daughter melt her heart anymore.
* * *
“Thanks for inviting Eboni to join us. You like her, Dad? I thought Mom told me you had a girlfriend?”
“How do I explain this?”
He stared down and Kenya and wondered how to explain the mess he’d made of he and Eboni. He watched Kenya’s eager little face, and then took a deep breath as he prepared to tell her the truth.
“Is Eboni your girlfriend?” she insisted.
“Yes, she is. But she is upset with me right now, so I’m not sure if she’s still my girlfriend.”
“You must have done something really bad for her to be upset.”
“Yes, pretty bad. But you don’t let it worry you. It’s adult business and we’ll work it out.”
“I know, Daddy,” she said. “Little children are to be seen and not heard.”
“Well, I don’t agree with that totally. However, I do agree that kids should let adults take care of their own problems.”
She nodded. “But if she likes me, she may like you back,” she reasoned.
“Well...”
“I’m back. Thanks for waiting for me,” Eboni interrupted.
“I’m glad that you came back, Eboni,” Kenya said, a broad smile on her face. She slipped her hand into Eboni’s, turned to her and smiled sweetly.
“My driver is already here to take us to the movie. He’ll come back for us afterward. I just don’t want the hassle of having to find parking.” Darren’s eyes slid over Eboni, discreetly devouring every inch of her. It had been so long since he’d been this close to her. Too long.
“It makes sense to me,” Eboni said, seemingly oblivious to his gaze. “I’m ready when you are.”
The ride to the Lincoln Plaza Cinema didn’t take too long. When they arrived, Darren told the driver he’d call him to pick them up at Rockefeller Center.
By the end of the movie, Darren noticed that Eboni seemed to be in good spirits. Unfortunately, Kenya had insisted she sit between the two of them, but during the movie, he’d deliberately placed his arm across the back of Kenya’s seat, allowing his fingers to touch Eboni’s back. The stiffening of her posture was a clear indication that his touch still affected her. While she pretended to be immune to him, he now knew her indifference was far from the truth.
While he wasn’t into kids’ flicks, he enjoyed the antics of the characters he’d grown to know so well. Last year, while Kenya was visiting him in New York, he’d been forced to watch the previous Madagascar movies with such regularity, he was ashamed to admit to knowing part of the movie’s script by heart, thanks to his daughter, who insisted on making watching movies a drama class.
Fortunately, Kenya seemed to have respect for the etiquette of the cinema space and did not insist on her usual enthusiastic participation.
When the movie was over, Kenya clapped loudly, and, of course, he and Eboni were forced to clap, as well. Kenya’s only request at the end of the movie was that they return to see it again.
The promise of ice cream was, luckily, enough to put that thought out of her mind...for a while.
When they arrived on the concourse level of Rockefeller Center, the lines at Ben and Jerry’s were quite long, so they spent the time listening to Kenya’s recap of the awesome movie.
When an elderly lady with her grandchildren complimented him on his beautiful wife and daughter, his heart swelled with pride. However, the daggers flaming at him from Eboni’s eyes wiped the smirk off his face.
Of course, his daughter, the child of his own heart, saw fit to show her delight at the comments by giggling and repeating, “Daddy, that lady thinks we make a beautiful family.”
Soon, they reached the cashier and his daughter’s focus changed to choosing from the vast array of tempting flavors on display.
“What kind of ice cream do you want, Eboni?” Kenya asked. “I want to see if your favorite is the same as mine. Daddy likes chocolate chip buttery swirl.”
“My favorite is the strawberry cheesecake,” Eboni replied, “but I’m going to try something else today. Maybe the triple caramel chunk!”
“Oh, that’s my favorite!” Kenya squealed. “I love caramel.” She turned to her father and said, “Can I have a scoop of triple caramel chunk and a scoop of strawberry cheesecake?”
“I’ll have the same thing,” said Eboni. “I’ll try your favorite.”
Darren laughed, turned to the cashier and ordered what the girls wanted and added two scoops of chocolate chip buttery swirl for himself.
When their order was delivered and they were seated, Eboni commented, “I can just imagine the calories we are all going to put on. I’m going to have to go to the gym every day for the rest of the week.”
“Can I go with you?” Kenya asked. “I’ve never been to a gym.”
“I’ll take you a day when there are classes for kids. But I’ll have to check my schedule at work first and of course you’ll have to ask your dad.”