“So how goes the secret Jacqueline recovery project? You broke yet?” his friend asked him.
“Vince, man, shut the hell up. No, I’m not broke and you know I won’t be anytime soon. As far as the project, it’s good. The florist said that she was excited to see them every day and was disappointed to find out they wouldn’t be coming anymore. The messenger said that she screamed so loud, he thought he’d gone deaf, when she opened the trip tickets. As far as I know, she enjoyed herself when she went out with the girls.”
“Ike, I can’t believe you, man. This has got to be the craziest thing that I have ever heard of. You sure you’re okay with all this? What if she goes on one of these dates and falls for the guy? You are taking a huge risk, dude. For what, a small chance that she might take your dumb ass back.”
“Vince, I am not listening to your sorry ass. You have no one in your life. You’re not even willing to admit when someone has caught your attention. At least I am trying. If she goes for one of the cats that I set her up with then I know at least she is happy and not somewhere miserable, hating me.”
“You’re strange as hell, Ike. I know one thing for a big time Contractor, this is one of the dumbest things that I have ever heard of in my life. Setting up the woman you love with potential guys to steal her away. Yeah, that’s bright!”
“Shut up, Vince. Damn! Man, why you gotta piss on the situation?”
“What?”
“Just come on and play some ball. Always talkin’ smack about somebody else’s thing.”
“J, so who do you think is doing all of this for you?” Vivian asked as she checked out the outfit she picked for the weekend she and Jackie had planned.
“I really don’t know. At first, I thought that it was Ike, but then rethought that because Ike isn’t that thoughtful. He is much too inconsiderate to go through all of this trouble. I know that it has been orchestrated by someone though. I wouldn’t put it past your ass.”
“Whateva heifa. I don’t like you that much. Plus, I don’t have the kind of cash you need to pull this kind of thing off.”
“You could’ve paid it off in trade. You know that is not beneath you, Ms. Turner.”
“Kiss my ass! I have never done anything to even make you believe that I…”
“Bobby Walsh, last year, trick. You had that fool feignin’ for another taste of your flava and you wouldn’t put out until he bought you something or took your ass on one of his many trips.”
“Okay, so one time. A girl has to…”
“Stewart Channing. He bought the Benz because you told him he gave you something when he was sleeping with his wife. It was you that actually gave it to him, if I recall. Jonathan Husk gave it to you, plus the house in the burbs with the two car garage and pool. Soon as J.H. said he was in love with you. BAM! Dropped like a bad habit.”
“Quiet girl. Shhh, you just puttin’ my junk out there.”
“If I’m lyin’, I’m flyin’.” Jackie laughed as she twirled in the mirror.
“All right, all right. So, I have a weakness for living a better life. There is nothing wrong with how I obtained it. If I have a flair or knack for it, then…”
“Is that what you’re callin’ it? A flair or knack, then I must be confusing you with someone or something else.”
“Why in the hell are we friends again? I don’t have to take this abuse from you. I can get this kinda talk from…”
“From who? You know, yo’ ass has no female friends on account that they want to have equidistance from between you and their husbands or boyfriends.”
“Shut up! You ain’t right and you know it.”
“Girl, stop it. You know I love you. You know I’m your friend because I have no guy in my life.”
Vivian tossed a pair of jeans at Jackie and barely missed her.
“I cannot stand you, but you know it’s the truth.”
Jackie poked her head back out the changing room door. “Whateva. So you really have know idea who’s behind all of this?”
Vivian looked in the mirror and silently prayed that she could pull the lie off without her friend suspecting anything. “Nope, girl, haven’t a clue, but I sure as hell am enjoying spending the money.”
“Yeah, me too. I haven’t had this much fun in quite some time. Whoever it is, is truly a Godsend.”
Vivian’s eyes flared with joy. If Ike could hear Jackie talk right now, he would be so beside himself. She wanted to tell her friend the truth, but didn’t believe that she was ready to discover that her Godsend was also her sworn enemy or at least the person she swore to hate until the day he died.
“So have you heard from Ike at all?”
“Ugh, no. Why would you even bring him up? We were having a good time.”
“Well, I just wanted to know where you stood with that whole situation. At least this time you didn’t curse the ground he walked on or the day that he was born. Progress, huh?”
Jackie shot her friend a look that said just shut up and let sleeping dogs lie. “I’d rather not even discuss him. Ever!”
“Okay, but you know the reason you can’t talk about him is because you still love him. No amount of dating is going to change that fact.” Vivian slid into a changing room just as Jackie stepped out.
“Why would you say such a cruel and inaccurate thing?”
“Yeah right! Are you kidding me? You were…”
Jackie stood in the mirror with her arms folded across her chest and a tart look on her face.
“Okay, I’ll drop the whole Ike line of conversation.”
“Thank you. Now what do you want to do in Jamaica.”
The two friends continued shopping the rest of the afternoon. They had dinner together and parted ways. Jackie went to her condo and lit candles and put on some Miles to rest her weary bones and spirit. She must’ve fallen asleep because she didn’t hear her alarm go off. She checked her appointment book and saw that it was a light day for her, so she decided to rearrange the day and take the morning off. She went for a walk, had a bite to eat at a local café then returned home to shower before going in. She checked her messages. There was 1 from her lunch date and 1 from the office saying that her two patients from the afternoon cancelled. She called the office back and said she would be in tomorrow. She left for her lunch date. He had bumped it up to an hour earlier. She enjoyed knowing that she had somewhere to go, but the process of actually dating someone, a different someone and knowing it wasn’t going anywhere was becoming a bit redundant.
She walked into the bistro wearing a yellow sundress with red rosebuds and matching shoes, earrings, and purse. She saw the gentleman who was to be her date. He was wearing jeans, white Nikes, and a t-shirt that said “Ain’t it grand to be a man.” She thought to herself that this was going to go nowhere fast. She was right. All he talked about were cars and Nascar. When he wasn’t talking about that he was eating his way thru half the menu. He never complimented her on her looks or asked her anything about herself. He actually tried to give her a kiss goodbye after she said that she had to get back to the office.
“Viv, so what’s goin’ on? Is she enjoyin’ herself? She doesn’t know it’s me, does she?” Ike asked as they cut through the pathway of the park.
“Damn Ike, no she doesn’t know! She is having a blast and really lookin’ forward to this weekend. When do you think you are gonna tell her? I know I am dyin’ for her to find out. Let’s sit down on that park bench my feet are killing me.”
“I don’t know if I am ever gonna tell her. I don’t want our past to ruin this great thing she is feelin’.”
“Do you have anything else planned that I need to know about?”
“No, not yet. I know there is a play coming up that I know that she would enjoy, but I don’t know how to set that up yet. Oh, do you think that you could see if she would be open to having a blind date?”
“Okay, but why am I doin’ dat? You know, she is gonna get suspicious. She knows the only guys I know are…well you know.�
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“Yeah, I know, but just try.”
“Hey, do you know anything about these notes and poems that she’s bin gettin?
“Nope, why would I? I told you everything that I have done. What are they sayin’?”
“Oh just how much they like the way she moves and how they wish they had the balls to talk to her in person. How mesmerizing she is. Stuff like dat. And you know nothin’ bout any of that?”
“Right. I don’t have a clue. Wish I would’ve thought of it. Probably would’ve made my plight a lil’ easier.”
“Uh huh, okay. Loverboy.”
“Bye Viv, thanks again.”
“Yep.”
Isaac walked away feeling a little better about his plan, but was still nervous about the final outcome. He’d worked so hard over the past 8 months to try and get Jackie back to a place of happiness and peace with herself. Hopefully, all of this didn’t backfire on him.
“V and V, where are we going and why are you draggin’ me to a blind date that I said I didn’t want to go on?”
“Because J, you owe it to yourself to see this through. You said yourself that you were going to regret it if you didn’t find out who was behind all of this and who has been sending the notes and poems. I kinda wanna know myself.”
“Plus Viv has been livin’ vicariously through you all this time and she needs this final thrill.”
“Whateva punk.” Viv said as she pushed Vince. “He is right though. I really need to put an end to the suspense. It is truly killing me.”
“Fine. I really want to know where we are going. You really didn’t read the note that was addressed to me did you.”
“Technically, it said ‘For your best girlfriend’ and why would I read it when it wasn’t addressed to me?”
“I don’t know. To find out for yourself where you are being hauled to.”
“Why did Vince have to come?”
“We already had plans to hang out tonight, so it was just easier for me to tag along.”
The brother and sister exchanged a quick glance, hoping that the third degree would stop some time soon. They were running out of steam. It was adrenaline pushing them forward as it was. This elaborate rouse was exhausting for the both of them. They had their hands in it just as much as Ike did. Although, he had his heart in it as well.
“We’re here.”
Jackie looked out the window and noticed that they were at one of her favorite restaurants. The atmosphere was grand and elegant, but what made her love it was the fact that the ceiling was made of glass and the building was positioned in a spot that allowed you to watch the sun set and gave a perfect view of the sky at night when the stars lit it up.
“Wow, great taste for a guy. I cannot believe that we are here.”
“Okay, so give me a jingle lady if you want to cut and run and I will be right back here to pick you up.” Vivian could hardly contain the overwhelming feelings she was having. Her emotions were getting to her, knowing what was to come.
“We really don’t mind if you need us to come right back.”
“All right. Guys! Go and I will let you know if I need you or not. Crazy people, you’re making me nervous.”
Jackie walked to the door and was greeted by the hostess. She welcomed her and handed her a menu, stating that her party was waiting on her arrival. As she walked in, she noticed that the ambiance of the restaurant had changed and so did the layout. There were still quite a few tables but they formed half circles with a previously laid out white linen aisle. She followed the aisle to the archway of her favorite flowers and in the archway stood Isaac Thompson with a sign that said ‘OPEN YOUR MENU.’ She opened it and it said, “I love you now and forevermore. I wanted to know that you found joy in something I had done and created especially for you. I want to know that you could see beyond my shortcomings and love me. I was afraid before to completely open myself up to you, which is why I ran. When I walked away from you, I walked away from the greatest part of me. So, here I stand. Waiting for you to meet me and welcome me into your heart. I love you. Will you marry me?”
The room was quiet and through tear filled eyes she saw her family and Isaac’s family. She looked to the end of the aisle again and it all clicked. This was why she hadn’t heard from him or physically seen him because he wanted her to know this other part of him. This was why Viv had insisted on her wearing the white linen dress she’d made her buy months before. This was why Viv and Vince were never with her at the same time anymore. They knew it would come unraveled if they were together because she would catch on due to their secret looks. This is why Viv so easily dropped the subject of Isaac all this time. Her heart fluttered and tears slid down her face. Her hands went numb. She looked at him and he beckoned her forward. She started to move. She felt her entire being fill with love. She turned and walked out the front door. As she left, she heard a resounding inhalation of shock and the crowd’s murmurs.
Isaac stood there in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that she just walked out the front door. She didn’t even look back. He could feel the pain and the tears begin to pour out of him. He could hear the crowd of family and friends speaking about how it happened again. How it served him right. How he didn’t deserve it, not after all that he’d done. He heard the disagreements about how he should’ve had this happen to him and much more from both sides of the family. He heard Vince say how sorry he was. He must’ve slid to a sitting position on the floor because he had to look up to see who was speaking to him. There she was, eyes filled with tears, saying, “Yes, you asshole, I’ll marry you. Right here and right now. I just needed you to know what that feeling was, but I couldn’t leave you standing here. I could never do that to…” With that he stood up and kissed her. The minister cleared his throat and said, “That part comes later in the program.”
The Place My Heart Belongs
August 18, 2008
What am I doing here? Whose life is this that I’m leading? It can’t be mine. Day’ja Coleman was not one who was promiscuous, selfish, or an adulterer. Why is it that she kept allowing this to happen? Day’ja slid a piece of her short dark brown hair behind her ear. She slid out from under the covers and crept over to the side of the room where the majority of her clothes lay. She started putting them on when she realized that she couldn’t find her bra. Her lavender wrap shirt wouldn’t allow her to slide out of the hotel without someone noticing that she wasn’t wearing one. It had warmed up a great deal since the prior evening. It usually tended to do that on the West coast. Living in Beverly Hills rarely warranted having anything on heavier than a light jacket. Last nights cool breeze called for a jacket, but the heat that the sun was emitting from the large glass double doors leading to the balcony said that it wasn’t needed this morning. She would have to find that bra, it was bad enough that he already had a set of her panties, he really didn’t need to have a bra to go with it. It would also lead him to try and make another trip to her home to return it. Since that was not an option, it had to be found and preferably before he awakened.
She slid her jeans over her butt and buttoned them and checked to see if he was still asleep. She had that affect on him. Greg Mabins had always enjoyed their time together and always said that he slept better after their lovemaking sessions. He used to call her and tell her how his manhood throbbed to be with her kitty. She would instantly be aroused. This was part of the problem: her instant arousal and inability to keep her nympho tendencies in check. Greg is not one of the finest men on the planet, but his charisma and sex appeal could do one of the finer brothas in. His smile alone could wet your whistle instantaneously. He has the deepest dimples and those come here and drink me eyes. He stood 6’2 and had the build of a man who works hard for his money, but eats a hardy portion. He has a bit of a bulge in the front, but it was kept in check by his ability to stay active. His chocolate toned skin was just as smooth as the candy. He was always well groomed and well put together. He was a name brand whore. He wore some of the latest st
yles and names, but he would never brag that he owned them or could afford them. He got to her because of how he would take all of her in when she was in his presence. At the time of their first meeting, she hadn’t received that kind of encompassing a great deal.
Day’ja stood 5’3 and by Beverly Hills standards was overweight. She always had a big ass. She didn’t develop the matching breasts until after she had her third child and here she was pregnant again. She wore a B-cup for the longest time. Her hair length fluctuated with her mood. She had never had a problem with growing it back, but after a while she would get bored with the length and cut it to a much shorter one. Her sun-kissed, honey toned complexion was free of imperfections. Except for during the summer months when she would get heat bumps. Her hazel eyes glimmered on the reflection that stood in the mirror on the vanity. She felt something between her toes. There it was the lavender piece that she’d just spent 15 precious minutes trying to find. She’d already grabbed her purse, written a note, and was at the door when she heard him say, “Going somewhere.” Within the time it took her to breathe in, he was at her back pressing himself into her.
She grew up in Chicago, Illinois. That is where she and Greg met and where Greg still resided. That is also where she and Brad met. Bradford Waters was on location acting in a film The Killing Trees. He was one of the most infamous bachelors in Hollywood. There wasn’t a female in the world that hadn’t pined after Mr. Waters. His 5’11 statuesque physique drove women, including her, crazy. He had this boyish charm. His dark brown eyes called to you even in a still photograph. He too had dimples and the most beautiful wavey dark brown hair. He kept his milky toned complexion tanned. He usually wore a goatee, but even with his face clean-shaven he was still the sexiest thing walking. His washboard stomach was just glistening that day. He has never lost that. He rarely works out. She knows that now, but then she figured that he had to.
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