by Honey
“I can tell by the glint in your eyes and the cheer in your voice how much you love to dance. It’s an amazing art form. What is your favorite part, Jill?”
“It is the discipline. You see, in Jamaica we don’t have big, extravagant schools, such as this one, or huge studios, like those in New York and other major cities. Most girls learn to dance like I did—in small cramped rooms with warped music boxes and no mirrors. I had to use my imagination and rely on my memory of performances by professional dancers I’d seen on television in order to develop my craft. In classes, my dance mates and I had to work five times as hard to develop skills and techniques, because we did not know if our parents would have money to pay next week’s fees. So I used to practice at home every day just to stay ahead. My love for dance and the discipline became my driving force. Because of it, I became a very fine dancer. After a while, there was nothing else my instructor could teach me. Thank God I am here in America, where I can learn more.”
Mrs. Scott rose from her chair and walked over to a shelf where a portable stereo sat. She pushed a button, and the Fugees’ version of “Killing Me Softly” filled the room.
“May I?” Jill asked, removing her scarf.
Mrs. Scott reclaimed her seat and smiled. “I was hoping you would.”
Jill waved her scarf in the air and did a smooth pirouette. She then moved into a series of forward lunges and shoulder rolls. A perfect left-leg side lift followed by a cha-cha earned her a round of applause from her audience of one. Jill took her impromptu performance to another level by mixing some hip-hop and tap moves into the routine.
“You’re a very talented dancer, Jill!” Mrs. Scott pressed her hand to her chest in awe. “The job is yours if you want it. I know you’re used to teaching youth, but the senior ladies are a wonderful group. They meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from ten o’clock until noon. And if you can, I would love for you to spend an extra hour or two here on Wednesdays to help me work on some choreography for our Christmas production. I can pay you only fifteen dollars an hour until my grant is renewed, but after that, we’ll sit down and negotiate a better deal. I have great plans for you, Jill!”
“I’ll take it! Thank you so very much, Mrs. Scott. I will not disappoint you.”
* * *
“Oh my God, Zachary,” Jill whispered. She covered her mouth with both hands and stared at Jay’s car parked in the driveway. “I don’t want to see her! You told me you were going to the hotel to tell her about us. Why haven’t you kept your word?”
Zach looked at his house. The only light on was in the upstairs guest room. Jay, the control freak, had returned and was sending a bold message to Jill. After being away for over a week without as much as a phone call, she was now back, and she expected Jill to share a bed with her. Zach was highly pissed off, and he wanted nothing more than to go inside and tell Jay that he and Jill were in love. But it wasn’t as simple as that. For days he’d been trying to make Jill understand that Jay could make their lives a nightmare if they didn’t handle the situation with extreme caution.
“I’m taking you to Dex’s house. You can’t stay here tonight.”
“No, I won’t go, Zachary! Why can’t you just go into your house, tell Jay you love me, and demand that she leave?”
“Damn it, Jill. It ain’t that simple! If I do that, Jay will pull the plug on your paperwork with the immigration department and will send you back home. You know what she’s capable of. Look at what she tried to do to Venus out of spite! We are dealing with a woman who hates her own child. I ain’t gonna give her an opportunity to hurt you. You’ll stay with Dex and Ramona tonight. I’ll make up something to tell Jay. Give me a little more time to work this out . . . please.”
* * *
Jay was in the kitchen when Zach returned from Dex’s house. He had stayed for a while to explain the situation to his boy and Ramona. Then he had spent some time with Jill and had helped her get settled before he left. On his way home, he had thought about how he had hoped he’d be spending the rest of this night in bed with Jill and continuing the celebration of her new job. He had taken her to Ray’s on the River for dinner, and she’d promised to thank him for it all night long. Now, instead of making love with Jill, Zach was standing in his kitchen, about to have a bullshit conversation with Jay before going to bed with a hard dick.
Jay looked up from the bowl of grapes she was eating at the kitchen table and stared past Zach. “Where is Jill?”
Zach loosened the knot in his red necktie and leaned against the counter. “She’s at Dex’s house. His wife, Ramona, has a job interview in the morning, and Jill is gonna babysit their daughter. When did you get here?”
“I took off around five o’clock and drove straight home. I’m off tomorrow too, so I thought I’d spend some time with my baby.”
Zach saw red, but he acted cooler than that. He held his anger in check. “You haven’t seen Jill or called her since you stormed outta here over a week ago, Jay. What’s up with you?”
“I’ve been busy. This ain’t Jamaica. White folks will eat your ass alive if you miss a step. You know how it is. I’ve finally got the marketing department running smoothly at the hotel, so I took some time off to take care of my personal life. Which reminds me. I need a loan, Zach.”
Bitch, you’ve got some damn nerve! The words almost rolled off Zach’s tongue, but he swallowed them. He dropped down in a chair at the table and eyed Jay suspiciously. “What do you need money for, and why the hell should I lend it to you? You’ve treated me like shit in my own home since the day you moved in, and I’ve taken it. And now you have the audacity to ask me for money.”
“I need to borrow about four thousand dollars so I can secure Jill’s permanent resident status here,” she rushed to say. “I’m having everything expedited so she can apply for school and maybe get a part-time job. I want her to be able to take advantage of the opportunities Atlanta has to offer. I owe her that.”
Zach nodded, knowing full well he had just been fed a load of bullshit by his sister. After all these years, Jay still thought he was stupid. She was up to something. Zach could feel it in his gut. Jay needed money for some reason she didn’t wish to share with him, and she was using Jill as an excuse to get it.
“Give me Jill’s file, and I’ll take care of it,” he said. “I’ve got a friend who has juice in the immigration department. He can get things done quickly, and it damn sure won’t cost four grand. I’ll pay for everything as a favor to you, sis. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”
Zach got up, feeling like a million bucks. He smiled down at Jay. She wanted to say something, but he had shut her down. If looks could kill, he would’ve been a dead man. He patted her shoulder before he pivoted to walk out of the kitchen, but then he quickly turned around.
“I almost forgot. Jill has a part-time job,” he announced. “She’ll be teaching dance and doing a little choreography at a performing arts school in Midtown. She starts Monday.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Jill was too upset and disappointed in Zach to sleep. She’d been crying since he left her at Dex’s house. She was comfortable in the guest bedroom next door to Abriah’s nursery, but it wasn’t where she wanted to be. Jill wanted to be at home with Zach, but he had sent her away because of Jay. By now, he should have told his sister about them. In Roy’s opinion, that would indeed be his most difficult task, but he’d said Zach would do it if he truly loved her. Jill sat up and looked out the window. It was a beautiful starry night. Her eyes found the brightest star in the sky, and she made two wishes: That Zach would tell Jay that he loved her, and that they would be together forever.
Jill’s cell phone rang, startling her. She knew it was Zach. No one else called her except him. “Zachary?”
“Yeah, it’s me. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. And I want you to know I love you, Jill. I love you more than I thought I could ever love a woman. Please don’t ever doubt that. You have to trust my heart and believ
e I’m making the best decisions for us right now. I’m gonna start working on your resident status tomorrow with the immigration department. Once I take care of that, I’ll tell Jay everything. I promise. I love you.”
“I love you too, Zachary.”
* * *
“Jay is giving you the runaround, Zach. Clive has already told you that Jill’s application doesn’t exist. You need to get your hands on her passport and other documents so you can get the ball rolling. She’s gonna need them for school and for tax purposes anyway. She’s a working girl now.” Dex eyed his boy with concern.
“I’ve called Jay every single day since I told her I’d take over the process, but she’s always too busy to talk. I offered to stop by the hotel to pick up Jill’s file. Jay had a million excuses. She’s got me the by the balls, and she knows it.”
“I have an idea about how to get everything you need from Jay, but I’m not sure you’ll go along with it.”
Zach took his Heineken to the head and then sat the empty bottle on the bar. Floyd, the bartender, replaced it with another one right away. “I’m desperate, Dex. I’ll go along with just about anything.”
“Send Jill to the hotel to get it.”
“Are you crazy? You expect me to let Jill sleep with Jay for a passport and some damn documents? That’s some twisted shit even for you, Dex. I’d rather move with Jill back to Jamaica. Besides, she won’t do it. She won’t let anybody touch her except me.”
“I didn’t say anything sexual necessarily had to go down. But if Jay thought Jill was about to break her off . . .” Dex raised both palms in the air. “Jill could pretend she needs her file for her job, which I’m surprised really isn’t the case. Anyway, we could take her over there and wait for her to get Jay all hot and bothered. Then, as soon as Jill gets the goods, we get her outta there before anything jumps off.”
“Don’t you think that’s cutting it kind of close, Dex? Would you want Ramona all up in a hotel room with her ex, trying to seduce him outta some old pictures or something?”
“I wouldn’t mind if it was something very important. And as long as she accomplished the goal without taking off her clothes, I’d be okay.”
“Jill doesn’t even wanna be in the same room with Jay.”
“Ask Jill if she wants to continue to live in the same house with you in this country.”
* * *
“Nooo, Zachary, I won’t do it!” Jill cried and waved her hands before his face. “I don’t want to be anywhere near Jay. Please don’t make me.”
“I won’t, baby. We’ll have to come up with another plan.” Jill buried her face in Zach’s chest. He kissed the top of her head and looked across the room at Dex and Ramona. “We need a plan B, y’all.”
“Jill, sweetie, you need to call Jay and ask her for your file,” Ramona said calmly. “Tell her your boss needs a copy of your passport and temporary visa. Let her know you’ve already applied for school, and it’s important for you to have your file. That’s an honest and direct approach. If she asks you to meet her at the hotel, Zach will go with you. If she brings it to his house, he’ll be there also.” Ramona looked directly at Zach. “You need to handle your business, sir. Time has run out for all these games. Tell Jay about you and Jill. Be ready for the battle of your life, but tell her anyway. Dex and I are on your side. We’ll do whatever we can to help you two.”
* * *
The scent of Ayla’s expensive perfume still lingered in Jay’s posh corner office an hour after she left. Upset, Jay drained her glass and immediately filled it again with Disaronno. Jay needed the strong drink to process the interesting conversation she and Ayla had just had. If the doctor’s suspicions were correct, Jill was a hell of a lot smarter than she appeared. Jay couldn’t imagine that being the case. She had deliberately kept Jill in a fishbowl since she was a teenager, and had shielded her from all outside influences, including her family. There was no way the student had outsmarted the teacher.
If Zach and Jill were actually having an affair right under Jay’s nose, which Ayla had sworn they were, it would be the worst act of betrayal between siblings since Cain murdered Abel. Zach wasn’t a murderer, but he damn sure was no saint either. Ayla had said he’d been jerking her chain for almost two years now, with no plans of making her an honest woman. She’d had two abortions for him, and he’d given her chlamydia once. Jay was pissed that Zach had refused to let her borrow the four grand she’d asked for, especially now that she’d learned Ayla was his sugar mama. That was why he could roll around the ATL in a Mercedes SUV and a Plymouth Prowler and live in the suburbs. His selfish ass had allowed Ayla to basically pay for his master’s degree from Georgia State University while she was struggling to pay off student loans she’d accumulated in medical school.
Jay needed proof that Zach was sleeping with Jill. She had to know if he had the balls to do some foul shit like that to his only sibling. And Jill would be a sneaky, ungrateful bitch if she was fucking Zach after all Jay had done for her and her dysfunctional family. The thought of them together in bed was too much for Jay. Yes, she would take Ayla’s advice. She would catch them in the act. She had to see it with her own two eyes. And once she did, she would destroy them both.
* * *
Jackie Dudley Brown could be called a million things, but stupid wasn’t one of them. The tension around her dining-room table was extra thick. She had cooked a midweek meal of meat loaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and fresh turnip greens. It was a smart combination of Zach’s and Jay’s favorites, so she’d invited them both. Her homemade cheesecake was baked with Jill in mind. Jill loved it covered with fresh pureed strawberries. Now that the family had gathered and was eating in complete silence, Aunt Jackie wondered if dinner had been such a good idea. The atmosphere was awkward, and she wanted to lighten the mood.
“How is work, Jay? Is it what you expected?”
“The pay is excellent, but the hours are much longer and more demanding than I’d expected. I work sixteen to eighteen hours a day sometimes. My personal life is suffering. I’m not even sure what is actually happening before my very eyes most days.”
“Oh . . . well . . . um . . . What about you, Zach? Is there anything interesting going on at the hospital? Tell me about your new babies,” Aunt Jackie said.
“I’ve got three. They’re all boys. Dr. Schwartz said the smallest one won’t make it through the night. He was born with gastroschisis, which means his intestines formed outside of his little body. I wish you could go pray for him, Auntie. He’s a beautiful baby.”
“I’ll pray for him and his family. How is dance class, Jill?”
Jay cut her eyes at Jill and held her gaze. Aunt Jackie sensed the friction mounting between them. Neither woman appeared intimidated by the other. Their stares sliced through each other. Jill finally looked away to face Aunt Jackie.
“It is wonderful! I’m teaching, but I am also learning a lot. You must come to our Christmas production, Auntie. It will be on the fifteenth of December.”
“I hope you’re sending some of your hard-earned money back home to your family. I know they’ll be looking for it.” Jay snickered. “They love money.”
“Ms. Faye and Mr. Orville called yesterday. They and their children are doing fine. It’s funny. They’ve never asked me for one thin dime,” Zach snapped.
“It’s dessert time,” Aunt Jackie announced. She was determined to keep order in her house. “I’ll go and get it.”
When she was out of earshot, Zach glared at Jay. “I’m gonna follow you to the hotel after dinner so I can get Jill’s passport and other documents. She needs them for her job and school. My friend said you haven’t even applied for temporary alien residence on her behalf, Jay! Why did you lie?”
“Go to hell, Zach! You go straight to hell!” Jay slammed her hand on the table. “Why are you so worried about Jill’s status in this country anyway? She came here with me. If I didn’t know better, big bro, I’d swear you and Jill were screwing around be
hind my back. But that’s ridiculous, because Jill would never do that to me. I’m the only person who has ever loved her unconditionally.” Jay locked eyes with Jill. “When your father denounced you as his daughter and called you a bucket of trash, I took you in and cared for you. I gave you a better life than you could’ve ever imagined.”
“And the Academy Award for best actress goes to Jayla King! You are good, sis. Can you even spell love? You have never loved Jill. You have owned her! What about all your other honeys on the island? Remember, I was there. I saw everything. Now, I want Jill’s passport!”
“And I want you to kiss my ass.” Jay pushed back from the table, knocking her chair over, and stared Zach down.
“Hold up!” Aunt Jackie shouted after returning to the dining room. She put the cheesecake and topping on the table. “There will be none of this in my house. Sit down, Jay.”
“I’m leaving. I gotta get outta here,” Jay muttered.
“You ain’t going nowhere. Sit down!” Aunt Jackie ordered. “I’m about to serve dessert. It’s cheesecake, and I know it’s your favorite.”
Jay took her seat while Aunt Jackie went back to the kitchen to get the plates and forks. When she returned, she began to serve her family. No one said a word until Jay realized the dessert topping was strawberry, and not raspberry.
“Damn it! Why would you make strawberry topping, Auntie? You know I hate strawberry!”
“I’m sorry, baby. I forgot.”
“How could you forget?” Jay hopped up. “From the day Uncle Bubba told me strawberries were Wallace’s favorite fruit, I swore I would never eat them again. I was nine years old. You should’ve remembered!”
Jay ran from the dining room in the direction of the front door.
“Jayla Simone, come back here! Come back here, I said!” Aunt Jackie yelled.
The door slamming shut shook the house. Aunt Jackie stared at it for a moment before she turned her head and rested her eyes on her nephew. “Okay, Zachary Sean King, I want to know what is going on between you and your sister. But first, you need to tell me how long you’ve been in love with Jill.”