Close Quarters: A Novel (Zane Presents) (20 page)

My masseuse commented that I was really tense and to relax my body. I took a few cleansing breaths and settled into the massage. I told myself to enjoy the moment because later I’d need to channel the calm I was currently experiencing.

B
ebe swirled the wine in her glass. I watched as Charlee studied Bebe’s every move. I was more than tense, I was on edge. Bebe’s typical haughty visage grated on my nerves.

Ellis was seated at the head of the table, his mother at the opposite end. I was to his immediate right, with Giselle next to me and Charlee across from her. We were an interesting group, sipping wine, no one talking.

Bebe cleared her throat. “So, Charlee, is it? What do you do for a living?”

I shot Charlee a glance, trying to catch her eye to issue a warning, but all of her attention was focused on Ellis’s mother.

“Bebe, right?” Charlee asked.

“I prefer Mrs. Harlow when I first meet—”

“Well, Bebe, I work in the music industry. I own an entertainment management company and manage some of the hottest artists out there right now.”

“That makes perfect sense.”

Charlee tilted her head slightly. “In what way?”

“Oh, I can tell a lot about a person upon first sight and I thought you had a particular manner about you.”

“And what manner would that be?”

Bebe set her wine glass on the table. “Well, your style immediately
told me that you probably had some sort of alternative lifestyle.”

“Alternative lifestyle?”

“Well, yes. That hippity-hoppety garb you’re wearing screams alternative.”

Ellis cleared his throat. “Mother.”

Bebe raised her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Yes, son?”

“Charlee is one of the top female executives in the music business.”

I was just about to interject when Charlee spoke up first. “Bebe, I’m not sure what about my clothing makes you think I live an alternative lifestyle, but please be assured my life is about as mainstream as they come. I’m well-educated, run my own business, have quite a name in my industry, and oh yeah, I make a helluva lot of money. I work hard. Don’t be confused because you don’t see me wearing Brooks Brothers. That is not my uniform of choice. I wear what I please, when I please. Oh, and I play hard, too.” Charlee picked up her glass and then paused to say, “Now did your
first sight
tell you all of that?”

I concealed the smile that was threatening to spread across my face and shifted the focus of the conversation.

“Bebe, Giselle is a doctor. She’s a cardiologist.” Bebe’s face brightened. “A doctor? You know my husband was a pediatric surgeon. A cardiologist? Now that’s impressive.”

I registered her slight to Charlee but continued calmly. “As you can see, I have been blessed with wonderful friends. Beautiful and successful, but more importantly, faithful and devoted. I don’t know what I would do without either one of them in my life.”

“That’s sweet, dear,” Bebe said, brushing me off. “Ellis, what’s on the menu tonight? I’m famished.”

As Ellis rattled off the menu to his mother, I took a moment to give my girls
the look
. The one that said,
This bitch has lost her mind
.
Charlee chuckled at my unspoken words. Giselle excused herself to the restroom.

Bebe waited until Giselle left the dining room. “Is she all right?”

“I’m sure she’s just fine,” I said.

“She’s expecting, isn’t she?” Bebe asked.

It seemed her curiosity was genuine and not laced with any ulterior motives, so I answered. “Yes. I believe I had mentioned that one of my bridesmaids is expecting. That’s Giselle.”

Bebe nodded. I relaxed a bit when I saw that the first course was coming in. Baby lamb chops drizzled with a maple peppercorn glaze. I was sampling my first bite when Giselle rejoined us at the table.

Giselle had barely placed her napkin on her lap before Bebe pounced. “Are you married, dear?”

Giselle looked around the table to see if Bebe was speaking to her or Charlee. She fiddled for a moment with her utensils and then looked directly at Bebe. “No, I am not.”

“Do you plan on marrying before your baby is born?”

“Actually, no.”

“Why not, dear?”

“I’m raising my child on my own.”

“Where’s the baby’s father?” Bebe pried.

Ellis stood up, interrupting his mother. He raised his wine glass. “Ladies, this toast is long overdue. I know how important you are to Lina. I recognize that she loves you both like sisters and I’m pleased to embrace you as family.”

I stood next to Ellis and tapped his glass. I appreciated his effort to shut down his mother’s inquisition of Giselle. I fixed Bebe with a look that told her to proceed with caution. She raised her glass in my direction and smiled a wicked little smile. Charlee tapped Giselle’s glass of seltzer water and ignored Bebe altogether.
Considering we still had two courses to get through, I figured we were off to a marvelously treacherous start.

Ellis took his seat and gestured for me to do the same. “Mother, do you want to share your news about the reception with the ladies?”

Bebe dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “I was going to deliver my good news over dessert but I suppose now is fine. Melina, through no easy feat, considering the lack of time we’re working with, I managed to secure the Waldorf Astoria for your reception.” She clapped her hands together as if delighted with herself.

I wanted to say something, but my lips wouldn’t move.

Ellis turned to me. “Well? What do you think?”

He was beaming. Like mother, like son. Obviously, he was elated with the location and quite pleased with his mother.

Giselle, sensing my discomfort, spoke up. “Melina, Ellis, you are going to have a beautiful reception.”

Charlee chimed in, “Wow. The Waldorf. Sounds like a fairy tale. Is that what you had in mind, Melina?”

This was my opportunity to speak up and tell Bebe just what she could do with all of her plans. “Sounds wonderful, Bebe.”

“I told you that this wedding will be a grand affair. I’ll see to it.”

Ellis leaned over and kissed me on the temple. I didn’t know what to say. Especially with my girls watching the black widow spin her web. If I didn’t know it before, I certainly knew now that she was the spider to my fly. With extreme clarity I felt her wrapping me tighter and tighter to the point of suffocation.

“
We’ll
see to it,” I said. “This wedding should be a collaborative effort, Bebe.”

Bebe frowned at me. “Perhaps I wasn’t clear about Harlow family tradition. I have always done everything within my means
to maintain Harlow standards and traditions. That includes ensuring that my son’s wedding is perfect. I understand that you probably find me meddlesome and feel I’m encroaching on your special day. Maybe I am, but remember one thing. I am the head of this family. I determine how the Harlows do things. This isn’t just your wedding, it’s
our
wedding. The entire family.”

Ellis placed his hand on top of mine. I slid my hand away. “You know, Bebe, I was going to wait until later when we were alone to address this, but since you wanted to discuss matters in front of my friends . . . ”

“You take issue with something I said?”

Ellis spoke up. “Of course not, Mother. As I told you before we appreciate all that you have done. Lina, we’ll talk about this later. In private.”

I glared at Ellis in disbelief. His expression told me that lines had been drawn and that, as usual, he was siding with his mother. I slowly pushed my chair back and excused myself from the table. I heard someone following behind me, but I didn’t turn around. I headed straight toward the kitchen.

“Lina,” Ellis called out gruffly. “Lina.”

I ignored him, continuing my march across the living room and into the hallway. Ellis caught up to me right outside the kitchen and grabbed my arm. He glided past me and pulled me into the center of the room.

He jerked me close to him. “What is wrong with you?”

“With me? What’s wrong with
me
? What’s wrong with your mother?”

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately. We’re supposed to be a family. These past few months you seem to have launched some sort of war against my mother.”

“You are so blind,” I said, half-whispering.

“No, I’m not. I can clearly see that you resent my mother’s help. I would think that you would defer to her experience and embrace her because all she wants is our happiness.”

I shook my head. “Do you hear yourself? Your mother is not concerned about our happiness. All she cares about is putting up a good front and making sure the Harlow image isn’t tarnished by me. Your mother does not like me, Ellis. It’s obvious to everyone, except you.”

“You know, Lina, my patience is wearing thin with all of this you-versus-Mother nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense. It’s the truth and I can’t understand why you don’t want to acknowledge it.”

“I’m going to say something to you and you better take it for what it’s worth.”

I walked over to the table and sat down. I was suddenly feeling drained and a little lightheaded.

Ellis grabbed a chair and pulled it close to mine. “I’ve always been the type of man that doesn’t allow diversions of any kind in my life. For many years my life was my company—my work. Then I met you. I let you into my life, welcomed you into my family. There are few people that truly matter to me in this world. My mother and my sister
are
my world. There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do for them. You know I feel the same about you. I do not want you to be at odds with my mother. I won’t tolerate it. So whatever you need to do to get on the same page with my mother, you do it. This little feud you have going with her is a diversion to me. A diversion I don’t need. I don’t have the stomach for it and I want you to put an end to it right now.”

Ellis got up to leave the room.

“You don’t even care what I have to say, do you?”

“No.” He started toward the door. “Take a moment to get
yourself together, but hurry up. I hope this is the last time we have to discuss this.” He left the kitchen.

I leaned forward, elbows on the table, and let my head fall into my hands. I hated Bebe. I was beginning to hate Ellis. How could I hate the man who was supposed to be my husband? I tried to swallow the bitter taste Bebe and Ellis left in my mouth, but I was starting to choke on it.

I’d never forget the first time I met Bebe. Ellis and I had been dating about three months. His father was on the Board of Directors for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and they had invited us to join them at a jazz benefit. Ellis and I were elegantly dressed for the evening. He was in a black tux and I had on a long black gown. We arrived at his parents’ penthouse for cocktails before the show. Ellis’s father entered the study and immediately walked over to me. He was a handsome man. I extended my hand to shake his and he pulled me into a warm hug. He kissed me on the cheek, effusing about how glad he was to meet me. He was so engaging, so interesting to talk to. He took an immediate interest in my business and spoke about how important it was for young, black women to have their own companies. He invited Ellis and me to come to dinner the next weekend and would not accept no for an answer. He made me promise to make Ellis stop working so hard and commented that he didn’t think I would have a problem keeping him home a bit more.

We were enjoying a glass of champagne when Bebe floated into the room, her flowing, black skirt billowing out over her shoes. Her white wrap blouse with an upturned collar and revealing neckline, flattered her svelte shape. Bebe appeared to be the epitome of class and grace.

Ellis immediately went to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. She air-kissed both of his cheeks, then captured him by the chin.
She turned his face from side to side. “My, you are handsome. We’ve created such beautiful children, haven’t we, Dr. Harlow?”

Ellis was beaming. His father said, “Let go of that boy, Bebe.”

She gave Ellis a quick squeeze and then turned her attention to me. Ellis guided Bebe by her elbow the few steps to where I was seated. “Mother, this is Melina.”

I arose to greet her. Bebe air-kissed my cheeks the way she had just done to Ellis. I gave her the sweetest smile I had to offer, the one reserved especially for meeting parents for the first time. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mrs. Harlow.”

“Same here, dear,” she chirped. “Ellis, I’d like a glass of champagne,” she said to her son, never taking her eyes off me.

“I appreciate you inviting us to the benefit tonight,” I said.

“It’s our pleasure,” Dr. Harlow said.

“We thought it was time to meet Ellis’s latest love interest.”

I raised my eyebrows at her choice of words. Ellis handed his mother a glass, then put his arm around me. “Lina, Mother is not one to mince words. You’ll never have to wonder what she thinks.”

Dr. Harlow looked at me and nodded. “Trust me, Melina. I know better than anyone how true that is.”

Bebe playfully swatted at her husband and son as if they were just teasing. They definitely were not.

• • •

If I knew what was in store for me with Bebe, I would have thought twice about dating Ellis. I did my best to put that first encounter out of my mind. It wasn’t helping my current mood and I wanted to get through the remainder of the evening. I went over to the sink, wet a paper towel and dabbed a bit of cold water on my face. I blotted it dry and then took a deep breath before returning to the dining room.

Giselle and Charlee gave me concerned eyes. I pasted a tiny smile on my lips for their benefit, then took my seat. They were wrapping up their main courses and the dishes were being cleared. Dessert had already been placed on the table—white chocolate mousse with raspberries. I fiddled with my spoon, dipping it into the goblet filled with the airy chocolate, then laid it back down on the napkin. I had lost my appetite.

“Ellison, everything was delicious,” Bebe said, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “I do think your chef is better than mine.”