Guilty of Love (24 page)

Swiping his finger against her cold
cream, Parke whispered, “You might think clearer if you get that
stuff off your face.”

She smacked his hand away. “Believe
me, I can look worse.”

Chuckling, Parke agreed. “Don’t I know
it?”

Hallison smiled. “Cheney, indulge us.
You seem to be the only one able to keep PJ in line, so we
basically invited ourselves.”

Cheney lifted an eyebrow.
These
people are truly crazy, like that explanation justifies them
barging into my house.
She conceded. “Make yourselves
comfortable while I put on some clothes.”

Wanting to smack Parke’s silly pleased
expression off his face, she zoomed up the stairs instead,
overhearing their oohs and aahs about her house. Cheney quickly
changed into her jeans and a black sweater. When she returned, food
platters and a game board overtook her dining room table. The only
vacant chair was next to Parke. He stood, watching her.

Once Cheney was seated, Hallison
passed her a plate already filled with her own tetrazzini,
breadsticks, and salad. She sipped her parfait. “Parke, you did
good.”

He inched close to her face like he
was going to kiss her. What is his problem?
Try it at your own
risk,
her expression warned
.

“
I learned from a very
talented, tall, and attractive twin,” he complimented.

The room burst into laughter as Cheney
nudged him in the ribs. “Stop it.” She placed her glass on the
table and took a deep breath. “Now, tell me about the
game.”

“
Black Americans of
Achievement, one of PJ’s favorite,” Charlotte offered.

Lifting her brow, she faced Parke, and
smirked. “PJ, huh?”

Mr. Jamieson chuckled. “Yeah, that’s
what we call him when we’re all together.”

Cheney’s eyes strayed to Malcolm and
Hallison. They were an attractive happy couple. She was drawn in by
their magnetism. She detested romance books, movies, and plays, but
what she was witnessing created a yearning. Cheney felt awkward.
Although she and Parke were neighbors, they were gradually becoming
a little more than friends.

“
It does take some getting
used to. The eldest Parke is given his honor. After that is PJ1,
PJ2, etc,” Hallison explained.

“
Did PJ tell you about the
Jamieson love story?” Charlotte asked her.

“
Yes, he did. I think it is
beautiful for a love to last for so many years when you can’t find
commitment past one week today.”

Parke stretched his arm over the back
of her chair. “The Jamiesons pride themselves on fidelity and
loving their wives. There are no divorces reported in the direct
descendants of Paki because we carefully choose to love our woman
for life.”

Enough about love and
happiness.
Al Green wasn’t joking when he sang it could make
you do right or wrong. Larry had been all wrong. Cheney changed the
subject. “So about this game we’re playing…”

Parke shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s
hours of good company and more than two thousand questions about
Blacks, spanning four hundred years in America.”

Throughout the night, the Jamiesons
challenged one another, joked, and teased Parke. His father didn’t
spare doting on his wife, especially when she answered a question
correctly. They snuggled, winked, or kissed each other like they
had won points on
The Newlywed Game
.

“
Cheney, to redeem yourself
and bring you and PJ to the next level with the rest of us, name
the first Black woman to open a bank,” Hallison read from a game
card.

Biting her bottom lip, Cheney gave
Parke a sad, pleading look. “Tell me,” she whispered. “I know you
know.”

“
Make me.”

You’re definitely playing with the
wrong woman
. Lifting a brow, Cheney lowered her voice to a
husky tone. “Come closer.”

Grinning, Parke cooed, “Yeah,
baby.”

She pinched his cheek so fast he
didn’t know what hit him.

“
Ouch!” he yelled, frowning
as he rubbed his flesh.

Laughter erupted as his parents
slapped the table and Malcolm clapped.

Cheney scolded Parke, “We’re on the
same team.”

“
All right. You set me up
for that one. It’s Maggie Walker,” Parke answered.

Hallison nodded. “Correct. For two
extra bonus points, name the bank and the year it
opened.”

Despite her game face, Cheney winked
at Parke who sat sulking. “The St. Luke’s Penny Savings Bank,
founded in 1903. Renamed Consolidated Bank and Trust, it’s
headquartered in Richmond. I believe it currently operates several
branches in Virginia with close to $113 million in assets.” As if
they were on the same team, all the women beamed with pride,
clapping and giving Cheney high-fives.

“
Girl, we’ve got to hang
out,” Hallison insisted.

“
Include me in your girls’
day out,” Charlotte added.

Cheney thrived in the easy
camaraderie. As she moved closer to Parke, he covered his face with
quick reflexes. “I’m not going to pinch you again.” She snickered.
“Business major, Duke University. I just needed a hint, lover
boy.”

Everyone laughed except Parke who
challenged her, “I’ve got your lover boy.”

***

“
I thought the night would
never end at Cheney’s,” Malcolm said to Hallison as he drove into
the hotel parking lot to begin their romantic weekend
getaway.

Valets waited to open their car doors.
“Welcome to the Ritz Carlton. Enjoy your stay.”

Malcolm wrapped his arm around
Hallison and smiled. “Thanks. We plan to.”

October, two weeks later

He was sneaky, underhanded, and
heartless. His craftiness underlined his ability to play fairly.
Brian had backup. “I refuse to let you back me into the corner.”
She concentrated to counter his strategic move. “Okay, I know your
mother is the mastermind. Can’t even trust an eight year
old.”

She sipped from an empty glass
absentmindedly; forgetting she had drained her Kool-Aid after Brian
beat her the first time. “Aha! I see an opening.” She was about to
click on the mouse and jump Brian’s black checker when the phone
rang, causing her to move the wrong piece. “No! That’s the third
straight win.”

Happy faces popped on the screen,
jeering at her. Laughing, she glanced at the caller ID. Picking up
the cordless, Cheney whined into the phone. “What
Parke?”

“
I have a proposition for
you.”

“
This is not a
nine-hundred, talk-dirty line.”
Click.
She snickered. The
phone rang again while Cheney watched Brian set up a new board game
on the screen. She answered, “You’re interrupting a serious game of
checkers, Parke.”

“
Brian?”

“
Yep, who else? I think his
mother or the computer is helping him to beat me.”

“
How about replacing your
virtual checkers partner with a magical night with a
flesh-and-blood, muscular Black man who’ll make stars twinkle above
your head, musicians serenade your soul, and charm your troubles
away.”

She half-listened to his rambling
before enthusiastically double-jumping Brian’s checkers. “Hmm, so
that’s your proposition. Well, I don’t need a man.
Thanks.”

Parke sighed heavily. “Woman, you
could be an insecure man’s nightmare.”

“
Yeah, well, I’m living my
own.”

“
You don’t have to be. How
about going with me to Wabash Park’s last outdoor concert? Malcolm
and Hali will be there, and Hali insists I bring you.”

“
Oh no you didn’t, you
cheater!”

“
I’ve never cheated on any
woman. I also never committed. Those rules don’t seem to apply with
you.”

“
Whatever, Parke, I’m
talking about Brian.”

“
You had a great time with
us a few weeks ago.”

“
You know, I’m working
overtime to find something I don’t like about you, but your family
is wonderful.”

His playful tone became serious. “I’m
hard to get rid of, especially since I choose to be here for you.
I’d love to include you in all our family game nights.”

Warmed on the inside by his
declaration, Cheney recalled the night of uninhibited laughter and
pleasure. “And…if I don’t, everyone will follow me home again,
right?” Cheney hoped she disguised her desperation with
irritation.

“
That was a bold move, but
don’t deny you enjoyed it.”

I enjoyed everything, including
you.
To admit that would only inflate his ego. Distracted, she
realized she had set herself up for Brian to jump three spaces to
be crowned king. “I’m losing badly—and to a juvenile. I’ve really
got to go.”

“
I refuse to hang up until
you say you’ll go.”

“
I can always hang up on
you.”

“
True, but I know where you
live. I can pound on your door until you say yes.”

“
Or until Grandma BB loads
her shotgun. Give her a reason and you’re target practice. Yeah,
yeah, okay I’ll go. Your brother and Hallison are great company.
Bye.”

Undeniably, Cheney enjoyed being
around Parke. He was knowledgeable, entertaining, and somewhat
stuck on himself. She better be careful; he was starting to present
a threat to her emotions and being around his brother and his
girlfriend made her heart wish for things that were never possible
again.

***

As dusk set, Parke led Cheney as they
both carried fluffy blankets down Benton Street, heading to Wabash
Park. He didn’t have a care in the world. Admiring the night sky
littered with stars, he restrained from irritating her. She was
pretty, intelligent, and bitter or broken. He couldn’t determine
which, but at times he could see her mending from whatever that man
had put her through.

Parke sported a fresh haircut
revealing fine waves, and even changed his cologne, aftershave, and
deodorant in hopes a night breeze would drive her wild. So far, she
seemed oblivious to his changes or was she?

“
I love walking through our
neighborhood after dark. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. Houses
seem to come alive as indoor lights offer peeks of the families
living inside,” Parke sparked a conversation.

Cheney greeted fellow concertgoers
that strolled past them. “Yes, I guess it is. Thanks for inviting
me.”

The park was jammed with lawn chairs
and blankets. People were everywhere for the last outdoor event,
signaling the start of fall. Strings of clear Christmas lights hung
from trees, adding to the magic floating in the air.

It didn’t take long for Parke to spot
his brother and Hallison, who were dressed alike in denim shirts
and jeans. “It’s amazing how Malcolm and his girlfriend outshine
everybody in the crowd. They’re practically glowing.”

“
They really do look good
together, as if they’re totally in sync.” Cheney sighed.

Parke watched as Malcolm incessantly
seemed to have a possessive arm, hand, or his eyes on Hallison like
she was worth billions and someone might steal her.
I could love
Cheney. Whoa, could I? She is nothing like what I want, but maybe
everything I need.

“
It’s really good to see
you again,” Hallison greeted Cheney with a hug.

“
You, too. I only came
because Parke told me you were coming.” They chatted amicably until
Parke and Malcolm separated them.

“
You’ll love tonight,”
Hallison said, snuggling closer to Malcolm. She stared into his
eyes, not caring that he and Cheney were watching them. Malcolm
inhaled sharply when she stroked his beard.

Get a room
, Parked wanted to
say, but didn’t as he stole a glance at Cheney who wore an
unreadable expression, neither longing nor disdain, just a blank
look.

Malcolm bowed his head.
“Sorry.”

“
You two don’t need any
music,” Parke joked.

Guiding Cheney toward a free spot,
Parke insisted they share a blanket. Although they were sitting
next to each other, Cheney ignored Parke as she bobbed her head to
Breezin’, the band performing the soundtracks from the summer’s
blockbuster movies.

Using his peripheral vision, Parke
beheld everything about Cheney as she leaned back on her hands. Her
face was flawless, no moles or blemishes—nothing. He was annoyed
that her hair was in that blasted ponytail again.

The music was non-stop for more than
an hour, then one of the musicians tapped the microphone. “Before
we close out tonight, I want you to look at the person sitting next
to you and see if you’ll find
The Look of Love.
The band
began to play the tune made popular by Isaac Hayes.

Parke beheld Cheney’s cautious look.
She was scared. Winking, she smiled. Why did his eyes search out
his brother and girlfriend? They were whispering in each other’s
ear and stealing kisses. Lamenting inwardly, he turned back and
tapped Cheney. “Malcolm and Hallison not only have the look,
they’re also wearing it quite well.”