Chapter 19
Emily . . .
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I Didn't Want to Test It
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I
changed into an outfit more appropriate for a night out on the town. I was usually the designated driver, but it was unanimous that both Samantha and I needed to drown our sorrows and continue our laughs over heavy doses of margaritas.We knew that after a night of drinking we would have to find alternate transportation, and because she lived closer to the Metro, we got in her car and headed to her place.When we walked through her door,Tyler was already there.
“Hey, hon, how did your last meeting go?” Samantha asked as she leaned over and gave Tyler a kiss on his lips.
I made a mental note that she must have given him a key.This was an unbelievable development because Samantha didn't go for that. I remembered she told me once, “Girl, giving a man a key to your place is like asking for trouble. No man will ever be able to unlock my door unless there's a ring on this finger.” Funny how time could change things.
As I watched them, it occurred to me that no one would ever believe that Samantha and Tyler had reconnected just last week. They looked like your typical married couple who greeted each other at the end of a long day. Tyler was stretched out on the coach, typing on his laptop while eyeing ESPN on Samantha's large plasma TV.
“You ladies ready for your night out on the town?” Tyler asked.
“We sure are.” Samantha smiled. “I'm gonna change and I'll be back in a sec.”
Samantha walked upstairs to her bedroom and I made myself comfortable on the other end of the couch from where Tyler sat. I really liked him. I knew Tyler through the wonderful things that Samantha told me about him when they first dated, and also through his association with my former student, Alexandria, the little girl with
the gift
. Ironically, Tyler was Alexandria's godfather, and much like Samantha and me, he and Alexandria's mother had been best friends since college. After Alexandria's father's heart attack, Tyler had stepped in, dropping her off and picking her up from school for a solid month until her parents resumed their normal schedule. I knew then that he was the kind of man Samantha needed in her life.
“Emily, I'm really sorry to hear about your mother,”Tyler said, transferring his laptop to the coffee table. “I know what it's like to lose your parents. So if you ever need to talk, just give me a ring. Sam can give you my number.”
I smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Tyler. I really appreciate that.”
My friend just might get that ring sooner than I thought because Tyler looked and sounded like he planned to be around for the long haul this time. We chatted while I continued to wait for Samantha. Thirty minutes later she emerged downstairs, looking the picture of urbane style at its best in her hot pink miniskirt, multicolored silk top, and a pair of sexy stilettos. Her tall, thin frame coupled with designer clothes and designer styled hair made her look as though she'd just stepped off a runway.
“You look good, babe.”Tyler smiled.
“You like?” Samantha asked as she spun around.
All Tyler could do was laugh and shake his head.We both knew that Samantha was a big ham and a huge flirt.
“Let's head out,” Samantha said to me.
Tyler grabbed his keys, stood, and walked toward the door. “No need for you lovely ladies to walk down to the Metro when I can drive you to the restaurant.”
As I rode in the backseat of Tyler's rental car and watched him and Samantha laugh and discuss their plans for the rest of the weekend, I suddenly realized that she was right. My love life was in the pits! It was September, and I hadn't had sex since January, and that was only because I'd been so distraught after mom's funeral that I had welcomed Bradley's physical comfort one cold, lonely night. But other than that, I'd been as dry as an empty well. And now that I didn't have to focus on grieving, moving, or starting a new job, I was acutely aware of my lack of, and longing for, physical companionship.
As much as I daydreamed about Ed, and in spite of what Ms. Marabelle and Ruben had told me, I knew deep down that a relationship with him could never be. To say nothing of the fact that he was my best friend's father, he was also a married man. I thought about the conversation I'd had with Ms. Gerti last weekend and I realized that she had been right, too. If I crossed the line, I had to be prepared for the consequences.As I watched Samantha smile with happiness, I knew that I couldn't live with her likely disapproval if I became involved with Ed.
Samantha talked about her mother with the annoyance of someone battling a toothache. But I knew my friend. For all her chutzpah and tough talk she really did want her mother's approval. I remember once in college we were talking about our futures and what we wanted to do with our lives. I told her that I wanted to be a teacher like my mother, and I never forgot the look on Samantha's faceâlike a little lost childâand her words that followed, “I wish I had a relationship with my mother like you have with Ms. Lucille.”
Samantha's mouth said one thing but her heart spoke another. If Brenda discovered that Ed was having an affair she would be livid, and if she learned that it was with the young woman whom she had treated like a daughter and welcomed into her home for summers and holidays over the last eleven years, she'd be devastated. And if she would be hurt, Samantha would be, too.The saying that blood is thicker than water wasn't a cliché, and even if it were, I didn't want to test it.
I knew that I needed to work on getting Ed off of my mind and out of my heart. And the only way to do that was to start dating so I could have a chance at happiness. It was too late for Bradley and me, and it wouldn't be fair to yo-yo back to him after my declaration last weekend. I knew the dating scene was rough, but I had to have faith that there was someone in this world for me.
When Tyler double-parked in front of the restaurant, I hopped out and went inside to wait for Samantha while they kissed good-bye. The minute I walked through the door I knew I was going to have a good time. The interior was sleek with the perfect combination of bold colors and modern design. Its trendy location in the Verizon Center/Chinatown area made it a hotspot for people with an urban flair. I walked up to the hostess stand and stood to the side, trying to survey the crowd. It was packed like they were giving away food. A minute later Samantha joined me. “How long's the wait?” she asked the ultra thin hostess.
The Kate Moss look-alike studied her seating chart. “About an hour.”
Just as the hostess was about to put our name on the waiting list, two prime spots opened up at the bar and we made a beeline in that direction. I noticed eyes following us as we glided across the room. I had to admit, Samantha and I looked good. I was sure they all thought she was a model, and as for me, well, I cleaned up pretty well. Because I was turning thirty in a few hours I decided to bring it in with a bang and shake things up a bit. My outfit of choice was a simple but ultra-sexy burnt orange halter dress that clung to the curves of my body. I accessorized my look with a pair of bronze-colored stilettos, and large gold and bronze bangles on my wrist.
E-mi-leee!
I heard a familiar voice call out my name. I lit up when I saw Ruben and Roger as we approached the two empty seats. Ruben was smiling from ear to ear, happy to see us. Samantha and I exchanged hugs with them before settling atop our bar stools.
“You two are the hottest bitches in this place!” Ruben said as he snapped his fingers. Samantha ate up the adulation while I just smiled. Ruben pointed from Samantha to me. “
Vogue
model and beautiful temptress, that's what you two are. Absolutely fierce!”
I laughed. I had never thought of myself as a temptress, but I decided to embrace the compliment and go with the flow.
“Thank you, cutie. Love your outfit, too.” Samantha smiled.
As always, Ruben was fashionably dressed in a stylish pair of dark denim jeans, white linen top, and leather sandalsâmen's sandals for a change! Roger sat beside him looking just as handsome in a similar outfit, which I was sure Ruben had coordinated. But instead of looking upbeat and happy like his partner, Roger looked bored, as though he were ready to go.
“You okay, Roger?” I asked.
He smiled. “I'm fine, just tired from so much travel with the job. It would be great if we could leave at, I don't know . . . before dawn,” he hinted, nudging Ruben in his side.
“He's always tired. Don't mind him,” Ruben said with a quick wave of his hand, his silver bracelets clanking together as he spoke. Roger just ignored him and smiled. They had been together for so long that they simply accepted each other's quirks and kept on moving.
“Well, we're having a little pre-birthday celebration,” Samantha announced.
Ruben clasped his hands together with excitement. “Tomorrow's the big day, and I can't wait for the
faaaaabulous
party!”
Samantha rolled her eyes at the mention of the event.
“What's that look all about?” Ruben asked, raising his brow. “Do tell?”
“I need a drink first,” Samantha said.
I was with her on that one. “Make that two.”
Roger raised his hand for the bartender. “Give these ladies whatever they like. It's their birthday.”
The bartender made a big deal of it, calling attention to the “two lovely ladies celebrating their birthdays,” as he announced to everyone gathered near the bar. Before we knew it, Samantha and I had so many drinks coming our way we had to share them with Ruben and Roger, which elevated Roger's spirits considerably.
An hour and several appetizers and drinks later, I was officially buzzed. I was feeling so good I temporarily forgot about anxiety and forbidden love. But even in my hazy state I realized that something interesting was happening. This was the first time Samantha and I had ever gone out that she hadn't flirted with every man in sight. Instead, she was wrapped in conversation with Ruben and Roger, explaining the complicated mother/daughter dynamics that led her to roll her eyes. If I had questioned her feelings for Tyler before, she laid them to rest tonight. She wasn't thinking about any other man except the one who was back at her place, curled up on her couch, waiting for her to come home.
While the three of them drank and immersed themselves in Samantha's stories of family drama, I sipped and flirted with a few of the men who'd bought me drinks. I was feeling loose and free, but then my entire night changed when I saw Ed approach the bar.
“Well, look what we have here.” He smiled.
Samantha leaped from her stool and gave her father a big hug. “Hey, Daddy!” She threw her arms around Ed's neck and then reached over toward a tall man standing by his side. “Hey, Uncle Ross!” she squealed like a kid. “When did you get into town?”
“Your old man picked me up from the airport this morning, and he's been running me ever since,” her Uncle Ross said. “Matter of fact, I wanted to rest and relax in my hotel room, but Ed insisted on dragging me out tonight.” His playful wink let us know that it was really the other way around.
I had heard many stories about Ross Morgan over the years. He was Ed's best friend. They had met in undergrad and became thick as thieves when they both entered Howard Law School. Samantha loved her Uncle Ross, who also happened to be her godfather, and a free spirit just like she was. And from what I'd been able to glean from listening to the stories she'd told me, Uncle Ross had a bit of an edge, which made his stock rise further in Samantha's eyes. But I think what bonded her to him even more was that they both had contentious relationships with Brenda.
Unlike Ed, Uncle Ross looked every bit a man in his mid-fifties, but his magnetic smile and high energy balanced out the hands of time. He also had a sexy swagger that could only come from self-assured confidence, which he exuded, just like Ed.
“Good to see you again, Ed,” Ruben sang out. He was clearly tipsy, as were Samantha and I. Roger was the only sober head in our group, despite devouring several cocktails.
Ed tipped an imaginary hat in Ruben and Roger's direction, then introduced them to Uncle Ross. In the meantime I sat on the edge of my seat, my heart beating fast, my palms beginning to sweat.
Ed turned his attention to me. “Having a good time?”
I nodded. “Yes, I am.”
His eyes found mine and locked into place. Over the last few weeks I had become accustomed to catching Ed's subtle stares that hinted of something more, but tonight it was different. He looked at me the way I imagined he would one of his clients, professional and solidly business. There was also a noticeable shift in his body language, which was surprisingly formal. He folded his arms high across his chest and waited, like he was expecting more than the simple answer I had given him. I may have been buzzed, but not so much that I didn't know there was something strange about Ed's mood.