Basketball Jones (22 page)

As crazy as this episode had been up until now, never had it been crazier. My heart hammered away in my chest and I took a deep breath before speaking. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, making eye contact with Cisco. I wanted to let him know that I wasn’t in any danger but I still needed him close by.

“Don’t be coy and cute with me, Aldridge. Or should I call you AJ? Yeah, I think I will. I knew all about your little affair before
I married Dray but figured it would end when we left Atlanta. You’re not dealing with some sista girl,” she said, snapping her fingers in mockery, “who’s too stupid to not know that the man she was about to marry had a boy on the side. But I will say this for you, AJ: you’re persistent, so I had to deal with you the way my daddy deals with his business partners, and that means hitting you in your wallet.” She stepped closer to me and raised her jeweled finger and waved. “Do not contact Dray under any circumstances or not only will I release your little sex tape on the Internet, but I will put your sick phone conversations and texts on full blast. Then for the pièce de résistance I’ll tell Dray’s parents about all this madness. And we both know they would be crushed and so would Dray. So if you love him like you say you do, then it’s time you show it.”

So this is what everything came down to. Some cheap blonde who managed to trap Dray called the shots for the guy who loved Dray with all his heart. At the same time, I didn’t know what made me madder—that this woman was giving orders or that Dray had settled for such a low-down piece of trash. He’d never spoken of her in anything but adoring terms, so maybe Judi would make a fine actress.

I didn’t respond, but a silent rage started to warm my body. I wanted to slap the shit out of this woman, but I could flash forward and see my ass sitting in a jail cell for hitting a pregnant woman, and a white one at that.

“So do I make myself clear? I don’t want to have this conversation again. I need my husband to turn his full attention to me, our child, and the few good years he might have left to make millions. You understand me?”

Recalling my promise to Dray never to reveal our relationship, I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Although she flashed a fake smile, I could tell she was not amused. “So that’s how you’re going to play it? Well, let me leave you with this piece of advice: if you dare to get on that plane to Arizona tonight, you’re bringing Dray’s life, as he knows it, to an end. I’ll be on the phone to Mississippi so fast that his family will think another Katrina has hit.”

I’d had all I could take. “Nice seeing you, Judi. I hope the rest of your pregnancy is a stress-free one.”

“I can live stress-free as long as you do what I say and have no further contact with Dray. And if you think for the slightest second that I’m not serious about doing what I just said, then you are sadly mistaken.”

I turned around and realized that Cisco was now only a few feet from us. I guess the conversation had gone on long enough to signal trouble.

“Is everything all right?” Cisco interjected.

Judi turned in disgust. “Who is this? What kind of person are you? Are you two-timing my husband with somebody else’s husband?”

“Aldridge, is everything cool?” Cisco asked again.

“Everything is cool. Are you ready to roll?” I shot Judi my death look, warning her that she’d fucked with the wrong guy. She might have had the upper hand right now, but that could change at any moment. I wasn’t going to roll over that easily.

As I started to walk out of the park, she shouted, “Don’t force me to make those phone calls, Aldridge, because I will. Nobody messes with Judi Ledbetter and just walks away. Do you hear me? Nobody!”

When we were safely out of the park, Cisco asked if I wanted to talk about what had just happened.

“I really don’t want to get into it right now.” “That’s cool, but who was that pregnant white chick and why was she all up in your grill like that?”

I turned to face him. “I said I don’t want to talk about it.” Cisco let it go and we walked a few blocks in silence. My nerves had calmed some and I had the urge to tell him what had gone on, as much to process my anger as to share the whole story. “That was my boi’s wife, and it seems like she’s the one who’s been blackmailing both of us.” There, it was out in the open at last. Since I wasn’t going to see Dray anymore, I had no need to protect our secrets. Judi was the kind of low-class bitch who would tell his father and Dray would never forgive me, knowing I could have prevented that.

“How did she find out about you two? You guys are together, right?”

“Yeah, we’re together. Have been for seven years.” I was surprised at how easily I released the secret I’d kept for years. “But how did she find out about it?” Cisco asked. “I guess that’s the million-dollar question.” We turned onto a street. “Are you going to tell him what happened?” “Nope.”

“Then who was that dude who left with the money?” “Someone Judi paid to do her dirty work. But taking my money, my boi, and my house wasn’t enough. When she saw me, she couldn’t resist letting me know she knew what the deal was,” I said.

“Bitches all the same no matter what color they are.” I didn’t need to hear that and was relieved to reach my town house where I could finally be alone.

“True. Good looking-out.”

“No problem. Do you want me to come inside and make sure everything is cool?”

“I think everything will be fine. I really appreciate your concern, but I got some things I need to take care of. Give me a call tomorrow and we can talk about resuming my workouts.”

“That’s what’s up.” Cisco surprised me by lunging forward and giving me a brother-man hug. He slapped my shoulder by way of saying goodbye, then climbed on his bike.

I turned the key to my door and watched Cisco disappear into the New Orleans night.

For the first time in a week, I walked into my house without dreading some danger that might await me. Strange as it seems, I felt safer knowing who the enemy was. I picked up the phone and called my cell phone provider, canceling my three cell phones. I got a new cell phone number but made sure that it was private. I confirmed twice with the customer service representative that no one would be able to gain access.

“No one can get it unless you give it to them,” she assured me.

Next I called my mother and gave her my new number. When she asked if everything was okay, I lied and told her yes. I explained that I was getting too many telemarketing calls in the middle of meetings. I promised to try my best to make it home in two months for Christmas.

I called Jade but got her voice mail. “Hey Jade, I’m taking off for a couple of weeks and I had to change my phone numbers. Don’t worry about me. I promise to reach out once things settle down a bit.”

I then phoned Maurice. I knew I couldn’t hang around New Orleans for long and would have to find a place to stay for a couple of days. I needed to be around a good friend as I figured out what I would do next. Of all people, he knew how it felt to lose a man.

“Come on, child, I could use the company,” Maurice said.

“Are you sure it won’t be a problem?”

“If it gets to be a problem, then I’ll put your ass out,” he joked.

“I think I’ll leave here first thing tomorrow.”

“Does this have anything to do with the phantom boy friend?”

At first I began to resort to the usual lies to cover my tracks, but to my surprise I said, “Up until now everything had to do with the phantom, but not anymore. Not anymore.” Just speaking the truth so spontaneously felt like a new beginning in some small way.

“I’m glad to hear that, child. I’m sure he wasn’t good enough for you. Men ain’t shit. Never have been, never will be. It’s all about the dick for them. That’s real talk, honey.”

As Maurice continued to ramble on about how lucky I was to be rid of my boyfriend, I felt a deep regret rise within me. I had an aching sense of sorrow. I felt like I had lived most of my adult life in a dream. A dream that died that evening in the park with Judi. Now I had to go and live in the real world. And my friend Maurice was as real as it got.

I woke up to what was going to be my last day in New
I
Orleans for a while. I’d not spoken to Dray since the
-"^
drop-off and I struggled with my tremendous feeling of loss. With my phone shut off and him on the road and unable to just drop in on me, I pictured him deeply concerned. At least I hoped he was worried. More than anything, I imagined he was pissed.

Morning had settled in cool and secure, a mild drizzle falling outside the bedroom window. I got out of bed and emptied the contents of my closets into three suitcases I had lined up on the floor. The stuff that didn’t fit in the suitcases I put in two big boxes to give to the local Salvation Army. I’d loved shopping for all those clothes, yet it was surprisingly easy to let them go. After all, I reminded myself, they’re just clothes.

As I packed, I was overcome with flashes of anger at what Judi was doing to Dray and I fantasized about getting revenge. I desperately wanted to get the bitch back, but she had me over a barrel.

I thought about calling Dray and telling him what had happened and giving him an ultimatum. I knew he loved me, but
was that enough to give him the courage to face his fans and, more important, his family? Was that asking for too much?

Then I thought how selfish I sounded by thinking this little love affair was more important than Dray’s career and family. He would never forgive me if I forced him to make that decision, and so leaving and following Judi’s orders was most likely the wise move.

Just as I was going into the kitchen to get something to drink there was a knock at the door. What if it was Dray? What explanation would I give him about the suitcases? I wouldn’t put it past Judi to show up at my door for round two. I walked into the living room and through the side window looked outside and saw Jade.

Relieved, I opened the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“I got your message. What is going on?” Jade asked with a look of genuine concern. “You can’t take off just like that.”

“Everything is fine,” I said.

“But where are you going?”

“Atlanta, to help out a friend of mine.”

“Is he or she sick?”

“No, just dealing with a little love issue.”

“Oh, he’s got the love jones,” Jade said, understanding in a snap.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

“Is it your friend Maurice that you were telling me about?”

“What about Maurice?” I asked.

“Is he the one in love?”

How had she remembered his name? I couldn’t have mentioned him more than twice, but I guess women remember insignificant shit like that.

“Yeah,” I stuttered. I appreciated her concern but was in no mood for company all of a sudden.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure about what?”

“Are you sure no one is messing with you?”

“Why would you ask me that?”

“I don’t know. I just have a funny feeling,” Jade said vaguely.

“Trust me, Jade, everything will be fine.”

“Do you need me to take care of things while you’re away?”

I hadn’t gotten around to that. “Yeah, Jade. Thanks a lot. I’ll pay you when I get back. I hope that’s okay.”

“I’m not worried about that. I just hope everything is all right and you can get back here soon. Besides, I think my ship is getting ready to come in.”

There it was again. It was as if she knew a whole lot more than she was saying.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” Jade said quickly. “Just make sure you call me when you get settled.”

“I will.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was strange with Jade changing the subject. I asked, “What do you have planned today?”

“I have a couple of in-home appointments and I’m going to try and get to the gym.”

“Okay, give me a hug and I’ll see you soon,” I said as I moved close to Jade and hugged her tightly. Just before I released her, she whispered, “You know I’m here if you need me.”

“I know,” I said as slow, small tears formed in my eyes.