“Veronica, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. You just look so great. Why don't you join me for lunch? The waitress hasn't asked for my order yet anyway.” I flashed the grin at her for good measure.
She smiled a genuine smile for the first time. “Well, if you put it like that ...” She eased into the booth seat across from me. “So, how's the great house-hunt coming?”
Ray and I had been casing all of Dallas for a house, and it was not going well. “It would go better if your homegirl didn't expect to live in a castle,” I answered with a scowl. That girl had more styles. “I want a pool, Greggy. I need a double oven, Greggy. We need bigger guest rooms, Greggy.” All this after she told me the mortgage would be my responsibility and she'd take over the utilities and groceries. Already it looked like the wedding was going to be mostly on me. Except her dress and those of the bridesmaids. How generous of her. Like I didn't have a car note or anything else to pay? And I just knew it was going to fall to me to come up with the extras. The vacations, the little gifts, the nights out. My wallet was having chest pains just thinking about it. I could only hope that my promotion comes through. Otherwise it looked like I couldn't afford to be married to Renee.
Roni Mae nodded. “Yeah, I told her she was being unrealistic, but you know how she is. Renee wants it all and then some ... and then some more on top of that.” She flashed me a surprisingly pretty smile. “She should just be happy she's got a good man and take the rest as it comes.”
I stared at her. That was it. Right on the money. Within half a minute and without fanfare, she managed to get right to the crux of the problem. No matter what I did or bought or said, Renee would always want more. That's who she was. I shook my head. “Amazing.”
Roni Mae looked confused. “What?”
I laughed shortly. “Just that quick, you managed to solve a mystery that's been eluding me for months.”
She shrugged. “Sometimes you see things more clearly from the outside looking in.”
We fell into a contemplative silence for a few seconds before the lethargic waitress appeared.
“Can I get y'all something to drink?”
Roni Mae looked at me and rolled her eyes. “Actually, honey, we're ready to order. I'd like iced tea and a grilled chicken salad with your house vinaigrette.” If I had been with Renee, she'd have cussed the poor girl out and then ordered something complicated just to torture the waitress.
“I'll have a club sandwich with curly fries and a Coke,” I ordered. After the waitress left, I sat there smiling at Roni Mae.
She frowned. “Why do you keep grinning at me?”
I tilted my head. “I guess it's because you look so different.”
“Hmmph, I'm still the same person,” she said crankily, but she couldn't hide her wide grin.
“Well, then, I'm sorry I never got the opportunity to get to know you better before this.”
We lapsed into a steady, comfortable stream of conversation throughout the meal. I was shocked from time to time to realize that this was the first nonbusiness conversation I'd had with a woman in a long time that didn't involve some master plan on my part. I didn't stop to analyze how I was saying things or why. I was having a simple, enjoyable conversation. We talked about Aaron, and she forgave me for ever introducing the two of them. We talked about my promotion and how anxious I was about it. I glanced down at my watch after she told a hilarious story about one of her call-in contestants on the radio show.
“Veronica, we've been here for an hour and a half!” I couldn't believe itâI never lose track of time. Especially not during the workday!
She looked shocked. “Damn, I've got to hurry over to the station for a meeting.”
We both stood hurriedly, reaching for coats, wallets in hand. “I've got it,” I protested as she grabbed the check.
She sent me an amused look. “You're going to need it marrying the cash queen, darlin'.”
I winced and let her take the check. Hell, she spoke the truth. I was just shocked she'd offered to pay. Renee never offered to pay for shit.
As we walked to the register, a colleague of mine waved at me. “Now that you're the boss, you can take long lunches, huh, Samson?”
Veronica and I stopped dead in our tracks and turned toward him. “What did you say, Klingman?” I asked slowly.
He grinned. “Haven't heard yet? You got it, man. Congratulations, Mr. Regional Director.”
Veronica squealed beside me, and without thinking, I turned and grabbed her up in a big hug. I swung her around in a circle before setting her down. I smiled down into her face. She grinned up at me. “Congratulations, Big Man.” She said it in her best Veronique voice, and I just went with the moment. I leaned down and kissed her. Not lightly either. Hell, I was caught up in the moment and she was there. What surprised me was that she kissed back ... with enthusiasm. I dropped my coat, pulled her closer, and started acquainting myself with Veronica Mae Jackson's mouth. I liked what I discovered. She was sweet, natural. No snazzy technique, maneuvers, or manipulation. Just pure, honest sensation. Basic chemistry, man to woman. It was hot, it was wild, and I couldn't get enough. She sighed into my mouth as I slid a hand behind her neck to change the angle. The kiss went on and on until I was hard as a rock and she was sagged up against me, grasping my jacket for support.
“Way to go, boss!” Klingman called out, effectively splashing the moment with an ice-cold reminder of where and who we were. I stared down into Veronica's face and saw passion, longing, and surprise. I felt the same way.
Immediately, Veronica lowered her lashes and took a step back. For some reason, I didn't want her to retreat. If this wasn't the damnedest thing! This was Veronicaâhell, Roni Maeâfor Christ's sake.
“Veronicaâ” I started, and she put a hand out.
“No, no need to say anything. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.” She looked up at me and smiled a fake little smile. I could tell she was embarrassed as all hell and was trying to be brave. Hell, I was the one standing there with a hard-on like a lead pipe caused by my fiancée's bridesmaid.
I nodded. “Okay. Thanks for a nice lunch. And a nice, um, celebration.” I groaned inwardly.
Quit talking, Samson.
But what could I say? Hell, what was there to be said?
“Uh-huh, congratulations again. See you around.” She backed away before turning and practically running out of the restaurant. I leaned down to pick up my coat and noticed the check lying where she had dropped it during our little, um, celebration. I paid it and headed back toward the office.
So, I started thinking. I knew about the jobâthat was set. I knew what was wrong with Renee, but what could I do about that? But what the hell was that thing with Veronica? Christ! Roni was sexy as all hell; didn't know why I never saw that before. Aaron must've been a damn fool. If she was my womanâstop right there, Samson. Had to get my head together and get with the program. To think I went to lunch hoping to ease my confused brain. Next time I got confused, I'd order in.
25
Getting to the Party
JewelâSaturday, February 4, 2:57 p.m.
Â
Â
W
e were hidden between the produce and the dairy sections, partially camouflaged by a Nabisco display. I peered over the Wheat Thins and around the Triscuits to the butcher's corner.
“I can't believe you're doing this,” Roni Mae whispered to me.
I spared a withering glance in her direction. “Shut up, Roni. I know what I'm doing.” I sort of had a plan. Roman and I were still on the outs. I hadn't laid eyes or anything else on him in two and a half weeks. I was too proud and stubborn to apologize, and he was too proud and stubborn to give in. It was a foolish standoff, and neither one of us would back down. But enough was enough. I was afraid that the longer we stayed apart, the harder it would be to get back together. Desperation was just around the corner, and I
hated
feeling desperate. I needed an ally. Someone who could give me a little insight into how to solve this thing without either one of us appearing to give in. Like an accidental reconciliation, that's what I needed.
Alanna Montgomery was my target. I was going to casually bump into her and see what happened. If this didn't work, I would have to go to plan B. The
B
stood for “begging,” and I really didn't want to go there. So here I was, at the supermarket, waiting for Alanna to come in and do her weekly grocery run. I knew exactly what I was doing ... sort of.
Roni Mae snorted. “You're stalking Roman's mama; that's what you're doing.” She rolled her eyes. “Why didn't you just call the woman up and ask what you can do to get her son back without groveling? Ain't she gonna wonder why you're shopping in a grocery store way 'cross town from your house?” Her voice had risen dramatically, and I hurriedly shushed her.
“Shh! That's why you're here. I'm going to say that you wanted to come to this store. She doesn't know you don't live over here. Okay, there she is.” Alanna Montgomery pushed her cart up to the butcher section and began an animated discussion with the man behind the counter. “Let's get ready to go. Grab some stuff.” Roni and I shoveled some items into our cart and plunged forward. I circled the produce section while Roni convincingly sniffed and fondled fruit. Slowing down, I glided toward the meat counter.
“Eh, Bijou,
is that you,
chére
?” Alanna sang out, and I smiled. Perfect. She came over and hugged me.
“Mrs. Montgomery! How are you doing?” I hugged back. What a great woman; hopefully she'll make this easy for me. I really didn't want to have to beg.
“How many times I tell you call me Alanna, huh?” she scolded good-naturedly.
I smiled wider. “Alanna. You remember my girlfriend Veronica?”
Alanna narrowed her eyes at Roni. “You get thinner since I see you last, Roni?”
Roni Mae nodded with a grin. “Yes, ma'am.”
Alanna shook her head in resignation. “
Les jeunes filles aujourd'hui
!” I took that as “you young girls today!” She looked into our cart. “You diet on Teddy Grahams and Triscuits,
chére
?”
Roni sent me a suffering look. “Actually, these are for the station. You never know when low-fat snacks will come in handy.” I gave her a mental high five for improvisation skills.
“Um-hmm.” She sent Roni a last dubious look before pinning me with her gaze. “So, we miss you at
le diner Dimanche, Bijou.
” Sunday dinner. The last Sunday of every month, the Montgomerys got together for dinner. This was the first month I had missed it since September. Just this moment, I realized how much I had missed it. Come to think of it, I'd spent the past Sunday cleaning out my pantry ... hold back the excitement, please. It was pathetic. You think I was going back to that every weekend?
I shifted uncomfortably, and Roni spoke up. “I'm going to check on that new protein granola bar. Be right back.” She took off, practically leaving skid marks.
Before I could speak, Alanna continued. “And my Roman,
le 'tit chou
, he has the grim look in his eyes even when he smiles,
Bijou
. You fight, no?”
I sighed. “We fight, yes.”
She shrugged. “So make up, chile.”
I squirmed a bit. “Well, it's not that easy. Seeâ”
“
Bijou
, please.” She cut me off.
“L'orgueil et la jeunesse ne faisons pas bien ensemble, tu entends?”
Frowning a bit, I tried to translate. “Pride and youth don't do well together?”
“Exactement!”
She was pleased, but I wasn't. What she was basically telling me was that I was going to have to give in. Damn.
I really wanted to stand on my principles. Of course, that appeared to mean I would stand alone.
“Listen,
Bijou, je comprends
how hard it is to let go of the stubborn prideâthe female ego has size too! Ah, when I think of the
mêlees
Avery and I used to have. Ha! We still fight,
chére
! But tell me, is your pride so
importante
that you want to lose my Rome over it? Eh?” She rushed on. “Kat has a fancy soirée tonight to celebrate her new contract. It's at the Anatole. Seven o'clock. You come. You look good and show that boy of mine what he's missing. Let him sweat
pour un moment,
then snatch him up, chile.” Roni Mae was easing her way back over to us. “And you bring the shrinking Roni, no? We feed her better than crackers!” Alanna laughed.
I'd heard about the party from Renee. Her company, Royal Mahogany, was sponsoring the event. Kat had just signed an exclusive modeling contract with them. Renee said invitations were impossible to get. “We don't have invitations, Alanna.”
She dug into her purse, whipped out two envelopes, and handed them to me. “These are my last two,
chére
. You and Roni put them to good use.” She smiled at me. “Now, I'm going to do some grocery shopping. And next time you want to talk to me, try the phone, eh,
Bijou
?” She laughed in hearty amusement at my expense and started off down the aisle.
“She knew all along, huh?” Roni asked.
I watched Alanna disappear around the aisle. I could only pray that I had it that much together when and if I reached her age. “Yeah, I guess she saw right through me.” Same as her son did. I ditched the cart and we started out of the store.
Roni peered over my shoulder at the invitations. “So where we going tonight?”
“The Royal Mahogany Presentation Ball, baby!” I grinned, absolutely pleased with myself. I looked over at Roni. She did not look quite as pleased. “Don't you want to go? This should be a great little party! Think networking. Work the room, scout for men?” I loved stuff like this, and Roni Mae usually did too. Well-to-do, influential, and up-and-coming blacks from the Dallas area and beyond all gathered together in one room. She should be in heaven. This was a supreme networking opportunity. I unlocked the doors and climbed in. After a minute she climbed in too.
“Renee and Greg will be there?” she asked uneasily, fiddling with the seat belt.
Something in her tone worried me. I started the car before speaking. “Of course! Most of this campaign will be directly under Renee's jurisdiction, and I'm sure she'll have Gregory on her arm as the ultimate trophy date. Can't you just see them? Her in some skintight number flashing that rock all over the place and Greg power-brokering the hell out of the room, Armani tux in full effect, no doubt. The ultimate buppie couple at the ultimate shindig. I can hardly wait to see it.”
“I'm not going,” Roni said.
I stared at her. “What? Why not?” Ah, damn, there was a story here. Did I want to hear it?
“I'm just ... no, I just can't, that's all.” She turned to look out the window.
“What's going on with you? You've been irritable and nervous for the past week. Who are you dating that's doing this to you?” Roni Mae only got this unsettled over a man. God, if I had a dollar for every man who could send and had sent this girl swinging. Like a pendulum from glad to sad in a heartbeat. Silently, I thanked the Lord for blessing me with a calmer disposition. Then again, I just finished stalking a man's mama from behind the Nabisco display. Who was I to talk?
She laughed nervously. “No, no, I'm not dating anyone right now; you know that.”
I sighed. “Well, then, bring it on. What's up, girl?”
“Well, I'm starting to have feelings for someone I shouldn't.”
My eyes went wide, and I made a point of turning the corner and easing into the slow lane before I looked at her. My mind was going a mile a minute. Who? God, don't let her say Roman. My relationships with two of my girlfriends are strained enough because of men; I couldn't afford another. Stace tripping over Trick, Renee all in my face about Roman ... What was this going to be about?
“Well?” I prompted.
“It's Greg,” she whispered so softly, I had to lean over to hear her. Still, I thought I couldn't have heard her properly.
“I beg your pardonâdid you say Gregory Greg? Greggy Greg? Renee's Greg?” My voice had gotten louder until I was sure I had shouted the last word.
She winced. “Yeah. That's him.”
Ah, shit. Women could get along if it weren't for men; I swear we could. Of course, we'd be cranky and there'd be no one to kill bugs and take out the trash. But at least we could eat ice cream without worrying about fat grams, stop and ask for directions without being mocked, and watch TV without the channels being switched every thirty seconds. Rambling again ... sorry, flustered. I attempted to be calm. “So, when did all this come about?”
“It started the night of the barbecue at your place, you know, Labor Day?”
“Uh-huh.” I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't even notice her speaking to Greg.
“Well, he was just so nice. I kept thinking, âDamn, he's a nice guy.' You know, Aaron could be such an ass about things.”
“Uh-huh.” It was the best response I could muster.
“Anyway, it's not like I'm doing anything about it. I just really like him. But I'm pretty certain I'd feel funny making little chitchat at him and Renee right about now.”
“Roni, you're in the wedding! You can't duck and run from them forever.”
She sent me an irritated look. “I know that, Jewellen. But for right now, while everything is fresh, I need my space.”
While
what
was fresh? I decided to approach this cautiously, like the ticking time bomb of a situation that it was. “So, you haven't seen him since when?”
“Well, at church and stuff like that. And, oh, at that dinner at Pops Montgomery's.”
I shot her a look. “No, Roni, I mean alone.” I just knew she was going to say no.
“Well, uh ...”
“Veronica!”
“We accidentally met for lunch last week.”
To say I was shocked was putting it mildly. Roni Mae was the least deceptive person I knew. If she was sneaking around behind Renee's back, who was left to trust in the world? And Greg, well, I had to know. “Accidentally?”
She put a hand up. “Absolutely, swear to God. I had no idea he was in that restaurant.”
“So what happened?”
“Nothing really.” She turned to look out the window again.
“Nothing? But you don't want to look him or Renee in the eye tonight?”
“Okay.” She turned back toward me. “It was just a kiss. He'd just found out about his promotion, and we got caught up in the excitement and he kissed me. That's all.”
“Hmm.” I raised a brow. I knew if I stayed silent, she'd spill the truth of it.
“A series of kisses linked together as one, really.”
“Really.”
“Really.”
I thought about it for a second and decided to probe deeper. “This series of kisses, are we talking tongue here?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Heavy breathing?”
“Um-hmm.”
Damn, this could get messy. “On your end, are we talking electricity?”
She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. “Snap, crackle, and pop.” The expression on her face said it all. All at once, I felt worried for her and lonely for Roman. What a mess.
“Snap, crackle, AND pop. Oh my. On his side, any, er, noticeable signs of reciprocal feeling?”
She moaned a little in her throat and whispered, “Rock-solid evidence, you could say.”