Things turned sour quick. Time together became fewer and far between. Raquel had a difficult time raising her son and attending cosmetology school. Her mother refused to assist in the child rearing process, claiming her responsibility was to Raquel not her child. She was adamant about the fact that her job was complete and she had no desire to commence yet again. Edmond made it his duty to ensure that cash would never be a burden for her and picked up their son when he could. He was raised to be a man and work, to support his family no matter what the cost. He paid the majority of her schooling and expenses, her ambition for success encouraged him to get back into school, so he enrolled into Merritt Community College.
The vibration from her cell phone suspended her reliving of the past. She glanced over at the phone and realized their time had been well spent.
“And thank you for coming down to the courthouse. I knew that his no-good daddy wouldn’t do anything, so I didn’t bother calling. Charles still doesn’t know who he is. You always kept your word to stay in his life. You are the only father he knows. For that, I’ll do anything for you.” Raquel felt herself getting sentimental. “Hurry up and get out of here before you start something up.” This time she allowed him to gently kiss her forehead as they parted ways. He grabbed her in his arms and held her in a tight embrace for a moment, long enough to savor her floral fragrance, reminiscing on the times they would hold each other. After a moment, he let her go and walked out her office.
Tanya didn’t waste a moment dashing into the office after the coast was clear. “Guurrrl, who was that?” she asked, waiting in suspense wanting to digest the new dirt.
“Child please! That was old news walking out the door. That was the heartbreaker I told you about from my younger days.” She rolled her eyes a bit playing back in her head what she had just spoken.
“Well it sure seemed to me that that news is current!” Tanya instigated while she made herself comfortable in the very chair he got up from still warm from the energy he emitted from his core.
“Ed and I had some good times back in the day. I could always count on him; at least until he started making a life for himself. He met that woman and things changed. I refused to share him, so I ended it with him.” Raquel shook her head and stared off into the wall for a moment again feeling herself becoming emotional. “But, never mind all that anyway. His wife will be in for her appointment, so just don’t mention anything that happened today. We have an agreement and I want to make sure I keep up my end.”
“If you say so, Boss! All I know is what I witnessed, that man is clearly not over you. Wife or not, you had him first! If I were you…”
Raquel quickly interjected. “Honey, you are not me. You are still a young thang, wet behind the ears. You don’t know a thing about keeping a man. Little girl, you probably haven’t even had a real orgasm yet. Let me be the teacher in this shop and you take notes. How you get them is how you have to keep them. He comes when I need him and that is all you need to know. Your break is officially over! Please get my next client prepped.” Tanya sensed she had overstepped her boundaries and took her cue to leave before she stirred up any more mess.
Raquel’s cell phone vibrated on the desk again. She knew that it must be important. Her heart began to beat a little faster. She swallowed hard before answering. She remained silent to allow them to speak first.
“Hello.” The deep voice echoed in her ear. “Are you alone?”
“Yes. Tanya just walked out of my office.”
“I miss you. When can I see you again?” The caller spoke with an unruffled nature, yet still an air of demand in his request. Raquel was conscious that her time was running out and she needed to make good on her promise.
“I can see you tonight, but it will be late. I still have three heads left.”
“Good. Meet me at the Marriott Hotel in downtown when you are finished. I will text you the room number. And wear something sexy.” He moaned after his last word with a kiss through the phone and hung up.
Raquel flopped back in her executive chair, closed her eyes in meditation. She was going to need some truly divine intervention to see her through this situation.
It was a quarter after eight and Raquel was exhausted, yet she knew that this meet up was necessary. After her last client left the shop, she immediately wiped down the stations, swept the floor, folded the freshly washed towels and was out the door. Normally the cleaning would be left to Tanya, but she allowed her to go home early because she was feeling under the weather. Raquel was not above cleaning duties. It was imperative for the salon to remain immaculate at all times. She had a standard to uphold. Quality hair had no place in a filthy shop, in addition to the fact that her creative innovation thrived on cleanliness.
Once the trash was emptied, she was all set for her evening. Not having enough time to go through her date preparation routine; complete with a warm bubble bath, wash, blow dry, flat iron plus styling of her hair and full application of make-up, she settled for a quick birdbath via her bathroom sink. She used her curling iron to bump the few curls that dropped due to the work of the day. She slipped on her little black dress, always ready for her late night excursions that sang classy yet sexy-sophisticated. The outfit was not complete without Ralph Lauren’s Romance perfume strategically applied to the special parts of her body that always made her male suitors weak in the knees. Raquel took one last look in the full body mirror; she had to admit that she looked good. Being forty-eight never stopped her one bit. It gave her more confidence that she looked good for her age. Most men mistook her for her early thirties. She set the alarm system and was on her way.
On the ride over to the hotel, she couldn’t help thinking about Charles. For some reason he was pulling on her heartstrings. Most of the time, she awaited his call because it was always on time with some sort of request of deliverance. She dialed his number from her Bluetooth that made driving and handling business calls more convenient when she was pressed for time. His phone rang a few times before his voicemail picked up.
“You know who this is and you know what to do. Holla at me at the beep.” Beep!
“Hey Pook! It’s Mama. You were on my mind so I called. Well I guess you are busy, probably with some heifer. Don’t bother calling back. I’ll be out. Come by and see me tomorrow. Love you son.”
The Marriott was just the way she left it the last time she had a late night rendezvous. She parked in the guest overnight parking to avoid having to valet in the front of the building. It was nobody’s business why she was there or who she was there to see. She conducted her final face and breath check, inhaled all of her frustrations, irritations and disappointment and exhaled her guilt and regret. This night was predetermined, necessary. She whispered a quick prayer to herself.
Lord, you know all about it. I’m not perfect, but I gotta do what I gotta do. Just watch over me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
She grabbed her silver Michael Kors clutch to match her silver pumps. She checked to make sure her pepper spray was still tucked away in the crevice of the inner pocket to use in the event of an emergency.
Luckily, the lobby remained primarily inactive. The hotel was selected for its proximity to the downtown area, if the desire was to go out for a night on the town full of drinking and dancing. The best part is that it catered to those traveling for business. It was very unlikely to run into locals that would ask a million questions about why you are staying in a hotel within the city that you reside. It would make one think to themselves why they are so concerned considering they are in the same predicament. Raquel made her way to the elevators. She pressed the button to go up to the seventh floor to room 731 just as she was instructed to do. She admired herself through the reflection of the elevator doors. Damn, I look good!
“Raquel? Girl, is that you?” She was discovered, but by who? What were the odds that of all the nights she would run into someone she knew, in this hotel and this late? “Raquel, I know that is you.” The voice rang out.
R
aquel slowly made an about face to greet the all too familiar voice. “Hey Lydia.” she greeted with as much enthusiasm as she could muster up, which wasn’t any.
“You look…” she looked her up and down fishing for the words to complete her sentence.
“I look good! I know that is what you were trying to say.” The sass from Raquel was beginning to emerge.
“I see you haven’t changed any.” Lydia added an extra perusal of her countenance and cut her eyes. “What brings you out so late? Still bed hopping like you used to do back in the day?”
“First of all, that is none of your business! I am a grown woman and make my own decisions. Be clear, I am not ashamed, which is more than you can say for yourself.” Raquel felt herself getting upset, taking her back to a time in her life that she worked hard every day to move away from.
“I’m just kidding with you Rocky. Calm down. We are grown women now and just like you said, all that is in the past. I don’t even speak to Charlene anymore. You have probably heard more from her than I have. After I had Lance, or when I found out I was pregnant, I stopped coming around as much. I didn’t want her to feel some type of way since she was having her own issues getting pregnant.” The elevator chimed to let Raquel know it was ready. She decided to let it go on. This was a conversation she needed to have.
“Well that makes two of us. I only speak to her when I have to or when Ed makes me. Considering our boys are so close, you would think that even we would have a better relationship.” Lydia sighed.
“Well, we all know you ain’t never had no man stick around, so the jury is still out on your miracle baby.” Raquel laughed at her own humor. “Now, since you are all up in my business; why are you here?”
“The only men my world revolves around are my son and my Jesus. I don’t need nobody else!” She looked up to the sky and waved her hallelujah hands. “But, anyway…Bank of America is having a conference here at the hotel and I never go away, so I decided to use this as a mini-vacation staying at the hotel overnight like an out-of-towner.” Lydia was proud. It was clear that she was unable to travel and get away much. Since she was often consumed with Lance’s life, she felt she might miss something; or worse, something happen and she wouldn’t be right there to save him. “Let me not hold you up though. By the looks of it, I don’t want you to keep that man waiting.” She smirked trying to maintain her serious face. Raquel only rolled her eyes in response. “By the way, how is Charles? I overheard Lance talking to him the other day when he came by the house. Is everything all right? Although I may not care for you at times, I do love your son like he is my own.”
“I bet you do.” Raquel tried her best to be polite and courteous, but she did not care for Lydia and her sneaky ways. She tried to put on to the world that she was a new woman, saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost, but Raquel knew otherwise. However, it was true, their sons were like brothers and she had the same love for Lance. “Charles is good. He got himself into a little trouble, but nothing that can’t be fixed.” The chiming sound of the elevator reminded her of her task at hand, and with that, Raquel hurried into the open elevator just in time for her to make her exit. She didn’t bother saying goodbye. Lydia was more than capable of knowing that their conversation was over.
The elevator seemed to take an eternity to reach the seventh floor. She glanced at her watch to see if the time was far later than she planned to arrive, and it was. Everything was already set in motion, no need of turning back. Three light taps on the door was all it took and the door was opened. Rose petals painted the pathway of the modestly sized suite, leading to the king-sized bed.
“I almost thought you were going to stand me up.” The deep, gentle voice sent immediate chills through her body. She was reminded why all of this was necessary and worth the hassle. He poured her a glass of red wine to calm her nerves. It was apparent that she was a bit uneasy about the whole ordeal that transpired downstairs. He gently kissed her forehead and moved down to her neck and shoulder.
“Your Honor? Hold up one moment.” Things were moving so fast it slipped out. Things were going faster than she expected. His soft touch was a bit overwhelming, but appreciated.
“In here, you can call me Fred. I’m not judging the case in here. It is just us, so no formalities. I’m not ‘Your Honor’ or Judge Price. None of that.” He removed the glass from her grip and placed it on the nightstand next to the bed. He used his hands to alleviate the tension in her shoulders. In between massage patterns, he placed light kisses on her neck and ear until he could feel her body begin to synchronize to his body rhythm. “I know this may be a little difficult for you, but trust me. When your son is cleared of all the charges, it will be all worth it. Plus, I like you. This doesn’t have to be a one-time agreement.” Raquel zoned out. His words became a faint sound in her subconscious catapulting her into a quiet place of relaxation and ecstasy. She laid back, closed her eyes, and let him take full advantage of her.
“Housekeeping!” Raquel lifted her head above the covers to check the time. All of her released tension exhausted her body and she didn't realize that she slept fully through the night. It had been her practice to get out of dodge before the rising of the sun if she could. To her surprise her late night lover had beat her to the punch. Judge Price had cleared the hotel room, leaving a note behind on the nightstand accompanied with small breakfast and a cup of black coffee.
It was nice. Thank you! You took care of me, so I will take care of you!
Fred
Although she felt a little cheap on the inside, it was well worth it. Judge Frederick Price was the ideal man to commit this type of crime with. He was tall, dark and handsome and knew exactly how to use what God gave him, even if he did not give it to him to be used in that way. Raquel smiled to herself knowing that she could check off one less problem, considering her son seemed to always fall at the top of the problem list. It was imperative for her to clean off her sins before leaving the hotel. She turned on the water to the hottest temperature she could withstand and hopped in. She whispered another word of prayer as the water ran down her body.
The faint sounds of DMX’s voice sounded through the bathroom walls. Charles had finally decided to call her back. However, with all of the activity from last night and the fact she was a little tipsy, he could have called her back then without her knowledge. She grabbed her towel after she was thoroughly clean and checked her voicemail.
“Mama…Elijah is dead! I am trying my best not to bust a cap in someone’s ass. I can’t promise what I might do. I think I know who did this. It’s all my fault. Don’t call me back…I love you!”
Charles meant business. When he spoke in that manner, there was no convincing him otherwise. How is it that I get him out of one situation and he falls into another? I can’t do this anymore! She immediately called back to be directed to his voicemail. Again and again, she attempted to get him to pick up. Voicemail. Voicemail. Voicemail. She even aimed to get Lance on the line, but all she received was a disconnected message. It had been a time since she tried to reach him, so she figured he probably had his number changed. She had no other choice than to make that unwanted call.
Her hand trembled as each ring reverberated in her ear. She dreaded the day when she would have to call for his help. After all, he made no attempt to be there for her or his son after Edmond became a staple in her life. This time it was not for her to call on Edmond and jeopardize his whole family because of Charles. Now was time for his father to step up and shut all this mess down once and for all.
When it appeared as though the voicemail trend was going to be the theme of the day, he answered.
“Hello…Calvin…it’s me Rocky. I’m calling about your son.”
Chapter 8
They pulled up to the quaint 24-hour diner nestled on the corner of West Grand and Broadway. It was just after midnight and both Jamie Lynn and Lance were exhausted and hungry. The events of the evening created a void in their stomachs that was year
ning for fulfillment. She turned down the evening’s soundtrack of slow jams, pulled her vehicle up into the open slot that was awaiting her arrival and placed the car into park. She held back a brief period before engaging Lance. For her this fared the perfect opportunity to talk without any interruptions, no engine rumbling and no crazy women.
"What was all of that about back there? That girl was crazy if she thought I was going to get out the car and fight her. I stopped fighting chicks in high school.” She spat out her question, following each word with a twist and turn of her neck ending with her arms folded and her lips pooched out to the side.
Beyond the Hurt Page 8