The Sweet Road Back

by Jacki Kelly

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Darius took the seat in front of Dan’s desk without speaking. Nothing his agent said would change his mind.

  “Moving in with your ex-wife is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard of. And I ought to know ‘cause I’ve got three of them and wouldn’t even consider an idea this crazy.”

  “You mean they wouldn’t consider letting you. Besides, I didn’t come to New York to get marital advice from you, Dan. I think the publicist has managed to provide a plausible story for both me and Melissa.”

  “Everyone is going to think you went begging to get her back. What will talk about groveling do for your image?”

  “I don’t care what people think. If this is what I have to do to be part of my child’s life, then I’m doing it. Besides, I don’t think Melissa and I will be spending much time about town. She has her gallery and I have to work on the score.”

  “It’s your funeral man. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Dan picked up his pen and scribbled a note. He pushed it across the desk toward Darius. “Just give this number a call and they will deliver the stuff you requested. I’m meeting with a production company from Europe tomorrow. I’ll let you know once we work out the terms.”

  “As long as they know I’m not available until after the baby is born.”

  “Yeah, I got it. Are you allowed to date while you’re bonding with your new baby?”

  Darius pushed out of the seat. “Man, you’re too much. Remember the story is we’re working on our marriage. If I start showing up all over town with a different bimbo on my arm, the press won’t believe the release. Get with the program, Dan.” He walked out of the office without bothering to close the door.

  He glanced at his watch. He was going to be late for his father’s big surprise. Once he was settled in the Town Car, he dialed his father.

  “Dad,” he said when his father picked up.

  “Where are you, Darius?”

  “I’ll be at the restaurant in ten minutes. I’m stuck in mid-day traffic. Order me a dirty martini and I should be there by the time it arrives,” Darius glanced at his watch again.

  When the car pulled in front of the restaurant, Darius jumped out and ran inside. His father was seated at the table near the door with a striking woman cozied up next to him.

  “Dad, I didn’t know someone was joining us.” Darius took the empty seat.

  “I wanted to surprise you. Darius, I want you to meet Constance.” His father wore the biggest smile he’d seen on him in years. Darius reached across the table to shake her hand. Her hair was as dark as her eyes and fell below her shoulders in a cascade of thick curls. She studied his father as if her breathing was connected to his movement. His mother had never owned a look with so much definition.

  “Your father talks about you all the time. He even has me listening to hip-hop music now.” Her voice was soft, barely audible in the loud restaurant.

  “Well, Dad hasn’t mentioned you to me.” He gave his father a stern look. “But, it’s nice to meet you. From the big smile Dad’s wearing, he must be very fond of you.”

  “More than just fond, son. Constance and I are getting married.”

  Darius grabbed the water the server sat in front of him and took several gulps.

  “I know this is a surprise, but we wanted to tell you together.” Without taking his eyes off him, his father reached for her hand. Their fingers intertwined in an instant, like they’d been doing it for years.

  “I guess I should congratulate you.”

  During dinner, the two of them talked about how they met and their plans for the future. Darius nodded and smiled in all the right places. If his father was happy, he could be happy for him. Thankfully, they’d decided to just go to a Justice of the Peace and avoid all the family drama.

  “Dad, walk with me to the door. I need to get going.” He gave Constance a superficial hug and headed to the door.

  “You’re sure about this, Dad?” he asked his father as he signaled for the car.

  “My life has never been better.” He patted Darius on the back. “I should have done this years ago. What was I waiting for?”

  The deep furrow that always lived in the center of his father’s forehead was less noticeable in the setting summer sun. Darius hardly recognized the man standing in front of him. He was so relaxed he could have been a car salesman.

  “Dad, I was going to tell you later, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Melissa is pregnant.”

  “Son!” His father grabbed him and gave him a tight squeeze. “I’m going to be a grandfather. What great news! You have been the biggest joy of my life. I think some of my happiest times with your mother happened when she was pregnant with you.” For a moment, he concentrated on the activity down the street like he was trying to recall the memory.

  “I wouldn’t know, but I hope to find out.”

  “Are you two getting back together?”

  “I don’t know. I’m trying.”

  “My advice, son, enjoy every moment. Don’t miss a single event. Well, I better get back inside to Constance.” He patted Darius’s arm again.

  “I hope we can mend our relationship. I’ve made some mistakes.”

  “Melissa is special. The two of you love each other. I can tell.” He paused, and then nodded toward the restaurant. “Do you like her, son?”

  “I do, Dad. If she can make you smile the way you are right now, then how could I not?”

  Chapter Thirty

  The doorbell jarred Melissa out of her trance. Trusting her instincts wasn’t easy. Most of the time they led her down the wrong path. Allowing Darius to squat in the condo until the baby arrived was probably not a good idea. But his relentless five days of straight argument was convincing.

  Sharing the biggest event in her life with the man she had no business loving seemed about right. Why should her life get simpler now?

  She padded to the door, took a deep breath, and opened it. More than anything, she wanted to fall against him and hold on, but her dignity held her back. His expression was unreadable. She wanted to believe he’d stepped out just for a moment for a cup of coffee, instead of abandoning her for four months.

  “One box? Is that all you have?” She opened the door wider for him to enter.

  “With the stuff I had sent earlier this week and my things arriving later today, this is all I need.” He sat the box in the corner of the living room.

  “It’s your record player, isn’t it?” She came to stand next to him while he peeled back the flaps.

  “Yep. I’ve read hearing music is good for unborn babies, so I thought I’d get our child used to it now.” He lifted the pristine recorder from the box and placed it on the shelf below the television.

  “You’ve been doing some reading, huh?” There was a catch of resentment in her voice.

  From his stooped position, he faced her. “Don’t look so surprised.”

  She crossed the room and sat in the chair. “I am a little. I guess I never imagined you would get into this part of having a baby. I always thought you’d make a good father, but the nine-month wait doesn’t seem your style.” She placed her legs over the arm of the chair and swung her foot. She wasn’t angry with him but he no longer felt like her husband either. Could they co-parent this baby in harmony?

  He connected the speakers and the power along with a few other wires, then pulled a James Brown album from the box.

  “I thought you said soothing music. Don’t play oldies, she said.

  He shook his head and pulled out an Earth, Wind, and Fire album.

  “Oh boy, from one old tune to the next,” she groaned.

  “These are classics. My parents listened to this music. I grew up on this stuff.”

  He placed the vinyl on the turntable and dropped the needle in place. The sweet sound of the kalimba filled the room, reminding her of the first time they made love. Darius had insisted Can’t Hide Love needed to be their theme song.

  “T
hat song takes you back, doesn’t it?” He slid onto the couch.

  If only she could visualize them just enjoying a Saturday evening like any other married couple. But the divorce papers were on the office table awaiting their signatures.

  “So, now what, Darius?” She refused to be swallowed by a fantasy that didn’t exist.

  “Have you had dinner yet?”

  “No, I mean with us. Since you’re moving in, what’s going to happen?” She placed her feet on the floor.

  His eyes darkened as he came to his feet. The relaxed poise of his shoulder disappeared as he walked across the room and turned off the music. “You work on your gallery and I work on my score.”

  He disappeared down the hall into the small bedroom and closed the door.

  Turbo looked at her with his head cocked to one side.

  She gathered her hair on top of her head and leaned back in the chair. Mim had to be peering down at her from heaven shaking her head. This was one of the stupidest things she’d done in a long time. The apartment was too small for the two of them to exist together in it with all the emotions hissing and backfiring.

  “If things are going to be ugly, I might as well get this over with too,” she said to the dog as she made her way to the cubby hole just off the living room that she used for an office. The manila envelope had been delivered yesterday. She didn’t need to open it to know that it contained her future.

  She knocked on his bedroom door and waited for him to respond before going in.

  He was seated with his back to the door at a writing table he’d purchased for the room.

  “This arrived this morning.”

  Without turning around, he asked, “What is it?”

  Her knees wobbled, but she stiffened her back and stepped inside. “Our divorce papers. You’ll need to sign them.”

  “Leave them on the bed and I’ll check them out later.” His back remained to her but the edge to his voice said he was still angry.

  “Is this how it’s going to be between you and me? I can imagine the baby must feel this tension. Turbo won’t even come in this room.”

  He turned to face her and placed his elbow on the top of the chair. “I’m trying here, Melissa. I never thought it was going to be a party, but I’m trying. I guess I didn’t think I’d be asked to sign divorce papers on my first night.”

  “Did you think I’d changed my mind?”

  His eyes stopped at her belly before returning his gaze to her face. Their eyes met for a moment.

  “I don’t know what I expected.” He turned back to the desk. “I’ll look at them.”

  “Well, I expect you to be nicer. So, if you can work on your attitude, I’d really appreciate it.” She slammed the door and stormed to the master bedroom across the hall. Before she could close the door, he was there.

  “Nice? You’re asking me to sign divorce papers and I’m supposed to be nice? Maybe you’d like for me to order a cake and we can have a great big old celebration. How about that?”

  “What’s the matter? Is your ego wounded because I served you before you had a chance to serve me?”

  He lifted his index finger and pointed at her. “Don’t even go there with me. You started this show in motion. At least be woman enough to own it.”

  She placed her hands on her hip and moved closer to his outstretched finger.

  “Believe me, I’m woman enough.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Darius opened the cabinet under the stove, looking to find a frying pan. Without the convenience of room service, breakfast was his responsibility. He landed the pan on the burner with a thud.

  Their discussion last night just proved living together while she was pregnant wouldn’t be easy. Pregnant women already had to deal with mood swings, but by the time Melissa added her bias against him to the mix, living together could be like living in a war zone. He’d tone his attitude down a little. This arrangement was about the baby, not about their marriage.

  All he needed to do was eat fast and get to the new studio before Melissa came back from her walk with the dog. After last night, it was obvious they hadn’t planned this experiment well enough.

  He was a jerk. His little outburst last night was not called for. Why he’d let Melissa taunt him was unexplainable. All those conversations in his head about how he was going to be cool and reserved were ditched the moment she challenged him for wanting to be there. Talking about divorce backed him in the corner.

  He didn’t hear her come in until the dog nudged his leg. “Hey, boy,” he said.

  Melissa’s hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, but she looked incredible. The thin sheen of perspiration on her face made her glow. The tiny, shorts exposed her firm legs, and all he could think about was the last time he’d laid between them. Five months was a long time.

  “What cha’ cooking?” She positioned her ass on the stool in front of him. Even though she didn’t quite smile, at least the cold cast from last night was gone.

  “Eggs. Want some?”

  “Let me wash my hands. I’ll be right back.” He couldn’t take his eyes off her butt as she dashed down the hall. Maybe she’d be open for a little sexual activity to fill some of the hours they needed to share.

  When she walked back in the kitchen, the sweat was gone. He divided the eggs between two plates and sat beside her. “I know you’ll think this is corny, but you have a glow.”

  “I was just in the mirror. All I saw was fat cheeks, a shiny face, and spreading hips. I hope I’m not one of those women who gain a ton of pounds, then have a baby only weighing five pounds.” She shoved a forkful of eggs in her mouth.

  “You don’t have to worry about your weight. Turbo and I will make sure you stay healthy.” He put his fork down. “What time are you going to the gallery this morning?”

  “I’m there every morning at nine. Today, I’m meeting with two artists. If all goes well, I just might add them to the opening.”

  “Are you going to invite me to the opening?” he asked.

  “I…I…I hadn’t thought about it. I guess I never thought our lives would get intertwined just because we were doing this baby thing.”

  He put his fork down. “You’re inviting people you don’t know to your opening, so why not me?”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t stutter. You know exactly what I’m saying. Besides, I’ve got swag that could add some cool to your stuffy opening,” he teased.

  “I didn’t mean you couldn’t come. Of course, you can come—I’d love for you to be there. Feel free to bring someone if you want.” Her flippant comment hung in the air as she and the dog trotted down the hall.

  “I just might,” he yelled at her.

  ****

  Melissa slammed the bedroom door. If he stepped foot in her gallery with a hussy on his arm, she’d pull every track out of the woman’s head. She pulled off her clothes and placed her hands on her stomach while viewing her profile in the full-length mirror. The slight protrusion of her stomach was hardly noticeable. But the slip gown she had in mind for the party would not accommodate both her stomach and hips.

  She picked up the phone and dialed her sister.

  “Asa, I need your help,” she said.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I feel fine. My appetite is back with a vengeance. I think I’m putting on five pounds a day. I’m going to need something to wear to the opening that’s big enough to go around my hips.”

  “Melissa, the opening is in two days,” she squealed.

  “I know, but this just happened.” She paused. “Or I’m just noticing. I’m six months and I can’t hide this potbelly anymore. Please tell me you can help me. And I want something super sexy.”

  “Oh, where is this coming from?”

  “You know Darius is living here, and I want him to know what he’s giving up.” Melissa ran her hand over her stomach while glancing in the mirror.

  “Melissa, must you always play with fire? You know
you don’t have to fight every battle. You can choose to let the minor ones ease on by.”

  “Asa, that’s easy for you to say. You and Simeon haven’t had a bad day in your marriage. I’ve had more than my share.”

  “Simeon and I have some bad days. But I’m not trying to cut him off at the knees. I love him and I know he loves me, so we find a way to work through the issues.” She paused. “Stop by the boutique today, I think I have just the dress for you.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Melissa cracked open her office door at the back of the gallery to glance at the gathering crowd. Even though the gala didn’t start for ten minutes, several people were already milling around in the spacious gallery, doing more talking than buying.

  Before stepping out of her office, she turned to her sisters. “How do I look? Please tell me you can’t tell I’m pregnant.”

  “You couldn’t be any more radiant. The dress fits you perfectly. Asa’s assistant nailed the tailoring,” Dakota said.

  Melissa ran her hand down the front of her gown. The seductive low-cut V-neckline with ruched bodice highlighted her ample cleavage. The empire waist and A-line skirt hid her hips. She twirled around and the full skirt billowed out around her.

  “Asa?”

  “You look fabulous, honey. Now, go on out there and celebrate your opening. Simeon and I have already found the perfect piece to go in the sitting room.”

  Melissa gave her sisters a wink before leaving.

  Working the room was easy. Greeting guests kept her from watching the door to see if Darius would bring a date. She hadn’t meant to taunt him, but his reply was just as surprising. Each time the door opened, she expected to see him come through with a tall, sleek model on his arm. She struggled to catch her breath as the idea settled on her shoulders. She didn’t want to admit how much the thought hurt.

  The night wore on. The room filled gradually with people. One glance around at the stark white walls revealed several empty spaces and several larger pieces with sold tags tucked in the corner awaiting delivery.