by Honey
“Are y’all hungry?” Zach asked as they exited the airport.
“I’m not,” Jill said. “Are you hungry, Jay?”
“Nah, I’m tired. I just want a hot shower, a glass of Disaronno and cranberry juice, and some rest.”
“I’m not sleepy. I want to see Atlanta!” Jill exclaimed.
Jay looked at Jill and rolled her eyes. “You need some rest too. You haven’t slept in hours. We’re going to Zach’s house to relax. You’ll have plenty of time to see the city.”
* * *
“Yes, she’s here, Venus,” Zach whispered into the phone as he stood in his bedroom. He turned off the television so he could hear her faint voice. She was whispering through her tears.
“I want you to calm down,” Zach told her. “Have a glass of red wine. Go make love to your man. There’s nothing for you to worry about right now. Jay is tired. She won’t make any moves tonight. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
A light knock at the door caught Zach off guard. It was ten minutes after eleven, and his house was dark and quiet. Jay and Jill had been in the upstairs guest room since they’d first arrived around five thirty. Zach had prepared the guest suite with a private bathroom downstairs for them. But for some reason, Jay preferred to be upstairs.
“Come in.”
Jill stuck her head inside the room and smiled. Zach placed the phone on the dresser and reached for his red T-shirt on the bed. He slipped it on and motioned with a curl of his finger for Jill to enter. Zach stood in the middle of the master suite and watched her tiptoe toward him, wearing a soft blue cotton dress with spaghetti straps. He could see her nipples pressing against the light fabric and her hourglass figure outlined underneath it. He swallowed hard when the scents of ginger and lilac tickled his nose. Zach was grateful Jill had left the door slightly ajar. The throbbing in his groin was tempting him to break the hood rule about touching a family member’s lover.
Without warning, Jill hugged Zach, and he froze. She released him and stepped away, clueless about the fire she had ignited in him. “It is so good to see you, Zachary,” she whispered. “I am very excited about being in America. Your house is magnificent! Why do you have so many rooms when you live alone?”
Zach shrugged his shoulders and looked directly into Jill’s eyes and got lost. “I don’t know. I just fell in love with this house at first sight, and I had to have it.”
“Oh, I understand. May I ask you another question, Zachary?”
“Sure, go right ahead.”
Jill took a seat on Zach’s bed and casually slouched onto her side. She pressed her elbow into the mattress and rested her chin on her fist. “Tell me, Zachary, what must I do to enroll in school? I have brought all my records here from Jamaica. They are sealed and can be opened only by officials at the schools of my choice.”
Zach sat in the black La-Z-Boy across the room. “I think this is something you should discuss with Jay. She’ll be responsible for your tuition, books, and transportation. Don’t worry about school just yet anyway. Fall semester will begin next week at most colleges, so you’ll have to wait until the spring. Right now you need to see the sights of our great city.”
“Jay has no time for that. She starts work tomorrow, and she won’t have a day of rest until Tuesday. Someone is picking her up in the morning to take her to get a rental car. Her car should be here by next week.”
Zach had had no idea Jay would be out of pocket for the weekend. She hadn’t mentioned anything about her schedule to him. He and Venus had agreed that it would be best if Nahima stayed home with her and Charles until after Zach had spoken to Jay about her intentions regarding the child. Zach did not want to be left babysitting Jill. He needed to keep his distance from her as much as possible.
“Zachary,” Jill said, snapping her fingers directly in his face. “Did you hear what I said?”
Zach had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Jill had left her comfortable position on his bed. “I’m sorry, Jill. What did you say?”
“I’d like to call home tomorrow if that’s okay with you. Jay mustn’t know, though. She wants me to wait a couple of weeks before I contact my family, but I simply can’t wait that long. May I please call them tomorrow, after Jay leaves for work?”
“Sure.”
“We’ll have another secret. You never told me yours, Zachary.”
“I sure didn’t. Uh, let me see. I fell in love . . .”
Just then Jay walked into the room, yawning and stretching her arms in the air. “Man, how long did I sleep? I’m starving.”
Zach and Jill turned to watch her take a seat on the bed. Her eyes darted between them. Jill hurried over to Jay and sat on her lap.
“You got any food around here, bro, or do we have to call and order takeout?”
“I have plenty of food. Aunt Jackie came over Sunday after church and cooked all your favorites. Most of it is in the freezer, but I took out some roasted chicken and dressing last night. It’s in the refrigerator. Let’s go downstairs, and I’ll heat it up for you.”
* * *
Jill was bored to death sitting around Zach’s big house with nothing to do. She had explored each room and closet on both floors like an adventurer. She had taken her time in Nahima’s room, admiring her unique furniture, clothes, and baby dolls. It was the type of room she wished Angelina could sleep in one day. Jill had sat in the pretty white rocking chair and had studied the big picture of Zach and Nahima, which she’d removed from the dresser. The exquisite crystal frame was heavy and no doubt expensive. Jill had once again taken note of the similarities between Zach’s and Nahima’s facial features. They shared the same caramel complexion and full lips. Each had a pair of dark brown eyes and wavy black hair. Their smiles were identical. It was fascinating how much they resembled each other.
Jill had seen dozens of pictures of Nahima all over the walls and on the marble mantle in Zach’s all- white formal living room. They ranged chronologically from her newborn portrait all the way up to the present. She had assumed the striking young couple in the black-and-white portrait on the coffee table was Zach’s parents. Jay had told her once that their mother had died when they were very young and that their father had left them with their aunt. Other than that, she’d never spoken of her parents.
At this moment, Jill’s attention was drawn to the picture window in the living room, from whence she could see some neighborhood children roller-skating around the cul-de-sac. She laughed and clapped her hands when a dog ran down the street and started chasing the children. She could hear them screaming. A little girl fell down, and Jill felt sorry for her. She got back up and skated away. Seconds later the phone rang, and Jill went to search for it in the kitchen.
“This is the King residence,” she said cheerfully. The caller hung up. She frowned at the hum of the dial tone in her ear. Before she could return the cordless phone to its cradle, it rang again and frightened her. Jill pressed the power button and repeated her greeting.
“Who is this, and why are you answering Zach’s phone?”
“I beg your pardon, ma’am,” Jill said politely.
“Where is Zach?”
“I’m not sure, ma’am. Is this Aunt Jackie?”
The caller slammed the phone down in Jill’s ear again.
Chapter Thirteen
Ayla was pissed off as she whipped her red Mustang convertible out of the hospital parking lot. The Jamaican chick who had just answered Zach’s phone was more than likely the reason why he’d been so distant since returning from vacation. Ayla couldn’t believe he had gone all the way to the island and hooked up with some tramp and sent for her to visit him.
“That low-down, dirty bastard!” she yelled. “Who the hell does he think he is?” Ayla picked up her phone and pressed the number two on her speed-dial list. Zach answered on the second ring. His voice sounded muffled.
“Where the hell are you, Zach? And who is that Jamaican bitch answering your damn phone?”
“I can�
��t talk right now, Doc. Let me get back with you later.” Zach ended the call.
“Ugh!” Ayla screamed as she headed down Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
“Was that Jay?” Venus asked Zach as they sat on a bench in the park.
“Nah, it was Ayla, acting like a damn fool. She’s been bitching lately because I haven’t been able to kick it with her as much. She doesn’t have a clue what I’m going through. We’re just friends, and she knows that. I’ve told her to move on and find a brother who wants to settle down and do the marriage and baby thing, but she won’t. She called my house, and Jill—”
At that moment Nahima ran past her mother and Zach, as did some of the friends she had met in the park. They stopped at the swings, and each little girl slid into one and started pumping her legs.
“What were you about to say, Zach?”
He hesitated, unsure if he should tell Venus that Jay had not moved to Atlanta alone. She would be thrilled about it, but Zach didn’t want to give her false hope. It didn’t matter if Jay had one or one thousand women. She would always love Venus, and because of that, there were serious unresolved issues lingering between them. Zach rubbed his hands together and stole a glance at Venus with his peripheral vision.
“Jay didn’t move here alone. She brought her lover, Jill, with her.”
“That’s wonderful! She has moved on.” Venus smiled for the first time since they’d met at the park.
Zach held up both hands and shook his head to shut down her celebration before it went any further. “Pump your brakes. Jill is gorgeous, sweet, and generous, but Jay isn’t in love with her. I think she cares about her in her own peculiar way, but it’s not love.”
“I see.” Venus folded her arms across her chest. She leaned back on the metal bench and looked up at the sky. “I was hoping she had fallen madly in love, like I have. Then maybe she wouldn’t remember what we once shared. We were so happy back then, Zach. I thought it would last forever. I really did.”
Zach threw his arm casually around Venus’s shoulders. “But you wanted a baby, and Jay didn’t.”
Venus nodded and turned her attention to Nahima, who was swinging high into the air. She was having fun, like all little girls should. “I had always wanted a child. Jay knew that. We’d discussed it very early on in our relationship. Your sister promised me we would have a family. Obviously, at the time, we weren’t aware of certain things. But even so, Zach, she made me believe she supported my dream of having a baby. If only I had known she was lying.” Venus waved and smiled at Nahima. “I don’t regret giving birth to my daughter at all. She is not a mistake. I just wish the circumstances had been different. Why couldn’t Jay bond with her? I think she could have if she had just tried.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I honestly believe Jay went along with the plan only because she loved you and wanted to make you happy. Things changed quickly after that, as they often do. But that’s all in the past, Venus,” Zach said, looking at her worried face. “We have a situation now that we have to deal with. Give me a day or two to talk to Jay, and we’ll take it from there.”
* * *
It was just like old times at Aunt Jackie’s house. Uncle Bubba and Aunt Hattie Jean and Aunt Bertha had come over after church for Sunday dinner to welcome Jay home. Dolly Mae had come too, with all six of her badass grandchildren. Cousin Phoebe was at work but had sent her love. There was an abundance of good food and lots of lively trash talking going on. Jill was in awe. She had never experienced anything quite like it. Zach watched her interact with his family. He was grateful that they were going out of their way to make her feel right at home. When she offered to help clean the kitchen, Aunt Bertha chased her away.
“Zachary, I love your family. Everyone is so very nice. Your auntie is the world’s greatest chef! I ate two pork chops.” Jill rubbed her stomach and leaned back on the sofa.
She was in Aunt Jackie’s den with Zach, Uncle Bubba, and two of Dolly Mae’s teenage grandsons. The men had gathered in front of the big-screen television to watch an Atlanta Braves baseball game. All the other women except Jay were in the kitchen, washing dishes and putting away the leftovers. Jay was on the front porch, talking on her cell phone.
“I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself in America. I still have to take you sightseeing. Maybe we could go this coming weekend, but it’ll have to be our secret,” Zach replied.
Jill sat up and gave Zach a sly grin. “Oh, I can keep your secret, Zachary,” she whispered. “You have kept all three of mine, and I will keep yours forever. I promise.”
* * *
True to his word, Zach got up early the following Saturday morning to take Jill to see the city. Jay was spending the weekend at the hotel, claiming she was up to her eyeballs in paperwork. Getting out of the house was the perfect way to avoid temptation, Zach decided. Jill had strolled downstairs practically nude the night before to get a bottle of water. She hadn’t known Zach had fallen asleep on the sofa in the den. He had woken up when he heard her footsteps and had found her in a simple white T-shirt that barely covered her ass. As usual she hadn’t been wearing panties, and the sight of that had kept him awake for three agonizing hours afterward.
Zach and Jill left the house after a quick breakfast and hopped in his car. As they exited Zach’s quiet middle-class subdivision, he told Jill he had another secret.
“Oh?” she said. “What is it?”
“You’re gonna meet Nahima today.”
“Are you telling me the truth?” she asked excitedly.
Zach laughed at Jill’s enthusiasm. “I swear. We’re about to pick her up right now as a matter of fact. But Jay can’t know anything about this, Jill. Do you understand?”
“No, I don’t understand, Zachary. Will Jay think it is a bad thing for me to meet your goddaughter?”
When they paused at a stop sign, Zach faced Jill and reached his hand across the console to touch hers as it lay on her lap. “It’s a very complicated situation that doesn’t concern you, Jill. I just need you to promise me that you won’t tell Jay that you’ve met Nahima until I say it’s okay.”
“I promise.”
* * *
It was dark by the time Zach had finished showing Jill around Atlanta. He and Nahima had been great tour guides, and Jill had enjoyed every minute of hanging out with them. They’d taken her to the King Center, Centennial Olympic Park, Underground Atlanta, and the World of Coca-Cola. The highlight of Jill’s day had been spending time with Nahima at Chuck E. Cheese’s.
Zach’s cell phone rang as he pulled up at a gas station to fill his tank. It was Venus. “I know we’re late,” he offered as a greeting. “I’ll have her there in thirty minutes.” He jumped out of the car.
“No, Zach, don’t bring her home. Things are chaotic around here. Jay called the house and left a message on the voice mail while Charles and I were out. She said she wants to see me! Why would she do such a thing, Zach?” Venus cried. “Charles lost it when he heard Jay’s voice. She sounded all nonchalant, like everything was normal. Can you believe she asked me to meet her at the hotel? She’s an evil, psychotic bitch!”
“Calm down, Venus. I’ll keep Nahima. That’s not a problem. Jay will be at the hotel until Monday afternoon. Are you gonna be okay?” he said as he filled his gas tank.
“I . . . I . . . I’m not sure. Charles is asking all kinds of crazy questions and making irrational accusations. I’m afraid he’s gonna leave me. He can never know about Nahima now, Zach. Never!”
Zach could hear Charles shouting in the background. His voice was getting louder by the second. He was one mad brother. Zach’s heart went out to Venus, but he was livid with Jay. He wanted to strangle her with his bare hands. She had been back in town for only a few weeks, yet she had already started some shit. Zach was about to speak when he heard Charles ask Venus who she was on the phone with.
“I gotta go,” she said and hung up.
“Was that Jay, Zachary?” Jill asked when he climbed into the v
ehicle after pumping the gas.
“Nah, um . . . it was Venus. She’s not feeling well. She needs me to keep Nahima tonight.” Zach turned and looked over his shoulder at the sweet, innocent little girl, who had been born into a world of turmoil. She was sound asleep in her car seat. “Since Jay isn’t coming home until Monday, I told Venus she could stay.”
* * *
“Open this damn door, Zach!” Jay banged her fist against his bedroom door. “I need to talk to you right now!”
Zach sat up in bed and looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was 2:48 in the morning. Nahima! He suddenly remembered she was there. Jay was still supposed to be at work. Zach jumped out of bed and ran to the door. As soon as he opened it, Jay rushed right past him.
“What the hell is going on?” she screamed. “Why is that child here? What kind of bullshit game are you trying to pull?”
“This is my house, Jay,” Zach said as calmly as he could. His emotions were running wild, and they had been since he’d spoken to Venus. “I can bring anybody I want to up in here. You need to back the hell up and chill.” He sat down on the foot of his bed.
Jay stood over him. She was mad as hell. Both her fists were clenched, as if she was about to go to blows with him.
“What did you say to Jill? Who did you tell her that child was?”
“I told her the same damn lie I told her in Jamaica! I said she was my goddaughter! What the hell is wrong with you, Jay, huh? Why did you bring your selfish, heartless, trifling ass back here anyway? Did you come to ruin Venus’s life? Are you gonna try to stop her and Charles from getting married? Is that why you called their house, Jay?” Zach was up and in his sister’s face now.
“You dirty son of a bitch! You’re my brother, damn it! You’re supposed to have my back! It has always been you and me against the world,” Jay shouted. “We were two little orphans trying to make it without our parents.”
“We ain’t victims anymore. We’re survivors. We made it, Jay. Let it go. You’re victimizing people who love you.” Zach reached out to embrace his sister, but she snatched away.