Love Delivered (15 page)

“Because, Zo, guys like Victor are too egotistical for the title of lead,” Bernard asserted with exasperation.

“Yet
you
have the title.” I chuckled, shaking my head with my phone in the crux of my ear and shoulder.

“You’re joking, right?”

“Not at all. C’mon, B, everybody knows your habit of gyrating your lips when extending notes is well-executed from years of practice. You love the captivating attention of singing lead. I ain’t mad, just keeping it real,” I shared honestly.

I was finishing up on feeding Jordan his dinner while having a late chat with Bernard, something that had increasingly become more frequent.

There was a pause as I wiped the baby’s slimy mouth; little lips I could steal kisses from all day.

“Are you serious? I don’t do that—”

BEEP

The call waiting tone sounded.

“Hang on, B,” I interrupted to check the caller I.D. “In fact, I gotta take that. I’ll hit you up later.”

“Okay. Call me tomorrow,” he issued emphatically, almost demanding it.

“Okay.” I chuckled before clicking over.

“Hello.”

“My dear, Elizabeth,” Jacques enunciated with his thick accent. “You sound just as delectable over the phone.”

“That must be some phone you’re holding,” I jeered. “What have I done to deserve this call, my friend?”

His laughter flooded the line. “Ahh…your sense of humor. It’s very attractive.” I rolled my eyes as I handed a spaghetti soiled Jordan over to Eligia for his bath so that I could retreat to the living room to study. “I’m just checking in on you since our lunch last week. How did everything go with your attorney?”

I knew immediately the conversation he referred to. Jacques and I had met nearly four times over the past few weeks since his proposal of mentoring me for my first business launch. He’d been hugely resourceful in guidance, almost to the point of making me forget his true intent: to get me into bed. He’d kept his hands to himself and even grew less insufferable by buffering his flirtation with talks of his personal life. Jacques shared minimally about his nieces and nephews back at home. As I aspired to be, he was a very well-traveled man. The switch in gears of his approach allowed me to lower my guard.
Slightly
. Jacques was a fairly attractive man and one who made an art of seducing women. That fact alone deterred my sexual interest in him.

“I did actually. Chesney and I have met with four of those potential investors I told you about and now we’re just playing the waiting game.”

“And the location?”

“The leasing papers have been signed. I pick up the keys tomorrow. I have a cleaning crew coming in on Monday to sanitize the place including the ovens and other appliances. Tonight, I plan to purchase a sign. So far so good, bud.”

“Ha! That’s excellente, Elizabeth. You are implementing your dream!”

I cracked an escaping smile, feeling my pride blossoming for the first time.

“I guess I am. I appreciate your guidance on this, Jacques.”

And I did. No matter his motives, the knowledge he provided had me opening my first cupcake house in less than six months since conception.
Risky?
Yes, but risk was in my blood. I had nothing to lose, only experience to gain.

“It’s been my pleasure,” he droned into the phone. “I won’t keep you. But since you’re expressing gratitude, I’d like to see you again although you’re pretty much off and running with your plans.”

Crap!
I bit my bottom lip and suddenly Tynisha’s words of “
Get like Stenton and get a new fuck partner!
” popped in my overworked mind. I wasn’t necessarily ready for a new partner, but certainly ready for new. Stenton had moved on, and at some point I needed to as well.

“Sure. Let me know the next time you’re in town.” I rubbed my clammy palm against my thigh to wipe the nervous perspiration away.

“With pleasure.” I could hear the grin plastered to his face.

I gaited into the dining room that had easily become my favorite room of the house. Since Eligia had taken on the role of full time nanny, I moved Stenton’s things into the room I would have used as an office. The expansive tabletop provided the space I needed to fold clothes and use as a work station.

My phone chirped again, this time a text. It was Tynisha.

Ty:
Go the fuck here! She tried to delete it but you can’t delete from the Internet!

As I rolled my eyes I clicked on the blog link. While the page loaded I felt myself grimace.

No…

I leaped to my laptop to go Bossip.com directly, scrolled down until I saw the headline with the most familiar name in the world, and clicked. When the page populated I recognized the thigh again. It was muscular, columnar with wiry hair sprouted masculinity about, but the view…the angle was lewd. It was no doubt a photo of the inner thigh of a man. What made the imaging intrusive was the manner that the name
NINA
was inked near where one can safely assume his pubic area was. That part you didn’t see; it was covered by a fluffy white pillow. When I was able to swallow the utter shock, I recognized the image was a screen shot of a tweet. The caption read:

A year and a half ago I told U I was nearsighted and would have 2 look close 2 C how far down your tats went. With this view I C how dedicated 2 your loved 1s U really R. #TwentyTwentyVisionBaby #Love #Tats #SevenAllDay    

My mouth dropped. My breathing doubled in rate, audibly. It felt like my entire tense frame misted in sweat and heat flushed all over.
Did she really post this on social media?
Erika was bold, risky, occasionally shameless even, but how did Stenton fare with this? He’s not an attention seeker.

THIS IS PERSONAL, ERIKA!
screamed in my head.  

The idiot even believed the name was a familial reference. Who memorializes family on an intimate place on their body that won’t be seen by anyone but a lover? Just shameless, that woman! I slammed my laptop shut, pushed away from the table needing to distance myself from the debauchery. But then something hit me. I went back to the computer and onto the intended site before that trash stole my attention. I ordered the sign for the bakery, feeling satisfied after hitting “Complete Order.” 

If I could pinpoint the time when my emotions began to spin out of control it would be that night. I didn’t know how to handle Stenton’s relationship with Erika, but had to accept it. I’d gotten caught up, listening to blogs and radio gossip. ‘
Are they together or are they not?’ ‘Did she cheat or didn’t she?’
The only thing I did know for sure was that he didn’t want me. Most days, I was fine. I went about life with all its adventures. I had a business to kick off, one that was growing more all-consuming by the week. It had been an exciting distraction, but not enough.

I set it up so that I saw Stenton less and less. His time with Jordan wasn’t affected at all. Now that the baby was old enough to stay away from me for days at a time, Stenton didn’t need to come by like he used to. We’d arranged to have Jordan dropped off or picked up. My desire shifted from wanting to be with him. It eventually turned into simply wanting to be a twenty-three year old and hang out sometimes. I didn’t want to be an old rag who didn’t know how to have a good time. It was bad enough that I grew up very sheltered; I didn’t want to die that way.

I started hanging out with Tynisha on occasion. It was good for me to get out and mingle with people. This was good for business, too. Of course, I had my fair share of interested guys aside from Jacques. Some were good, some decent, and some just horrible. The most pathetic ones were those who wanted me because of who my son’s father was. Those were C-list celebrities. I even got a Laker, who tried his hand. It didn’t take long for me to learn he was Stenton’s nemesis and was more interested in pissing Stenton off than getting to know me. That encounter lasted all of two weeks. And then there was Bernard who’d made it clear over the years he wanted a relationship, but bought my excuse of not wanting a relationship with Jordan being so young. That was my story and I was sticking to it.

About a week after that tweet went viral, Tynisha called to invite me to All-Star weekend taking place in Arlington, Texas. With little reluctance I obliged. It came with the perk of her dressing me for the occasion. My parents agreed to keep Jordan while I was away.

I didn’t book at the same hotel where Tynisha was staying with Alton. It was the same one where Stenton would be with Erika, I was sure. I booked a suite around the corner, not wanting to be too far from Tynisha and the other girls I ventured out there with.

The first night proved to be horrible. I thought I was ready to conduct myself with no cares and not be affected by Stenton. I mean, I mentally prepared myself, went over and over the way I’d say ‘hello’ for days. I even came up with an impassive response to him finally introducing me to Erika. Thought I had it in the bag. I learned I was so wrong.   

The club was dark with flagrant neon lights illuminating the room. Of course we were escorted to the V.I.P. section upon arriving. The girls immediately grabbed champagne, clicked their phones for pictures and danced. I indulged when asked, but I wasn’t all that comfortable with joining in. Yet I was fine. The music was energetic and I surprisingly sat fascinated, watching the droves of celebrities come through, chatting very familiarly with Tynisha. Alton immediately joined us with his crew just behind him. His eyes turned uneasy as soon as they hit me.

“Daaaamn, Zo! You got security, right?” He asked directly in my ear over the hard music.

I shook my head. “For what?”

“For one: you look good as shit. You putting every man in here at risk. And two: because of who JR’s father is. If word gets out you here with no armor, it could get ugly.”

I pushed into his ear, “I’m fine. Don’t think anyone even knows I exist.”

Reluctantly, he accepted my answer with a wry smile before moving along. I continued to people watch and even danced a bit with the girls. I guess with the alcohol having seeped into my blood stream, I got lost in the music.

“There they go.” I was jerked at the arm and looked over to find Tynisha, who quickly let go and strutted over to Alton.

Then I scanned the room, not quickly registering her “heads up.” It didn’t take long for me to meet eyes with a tight-eyed Stenton. He sat across the room with his arms and legs stretched on wide, appearing meditative. Next to him, dancing in her seat and laughing with someone to the left of her was the beautiful Erika Erceg. That image of them jarred me. Suddenly, I felt unstable on my feet and needed to sit. The D.J. announced that Stenton and Erika were
in the building
and the crowd went up in hysteria. He’d done it to most of the celebrities I noted as present, but Stent and Erika’s got a louder response.

After twenty minutes, I’d realized there would be no hellos or introduction of me to Stenton’s girlfriend. In fact, they remained on their side with Erika occasionally dancing, occasionally chatting animatedly with others, and occasionally feeling Stenton up. It didn’t matter that he’d seemed distracted during their pseudo make out session, it stung.  

My phone vibrated in my hands with a text from Jacques telling me he’d be available for dinner tomorrow. We’d spoken a few days before I left when he arrived on U.S. soil. When he asked to see me I expressed my regrets for being away. After talking a bit, Jacques “conveniently” informed he’d be in the “vicinity” that weekend. I texted him back agreeing to it. Why not? What was holding me back?

“That fool is over there brewing. He won’t even speak to me?” I hear being shouted into my ear. My neck jerked to find Tynisha, again.

“Who?”

She gestured across the section with her eyes. “StentRo!”

My gaze found him. He was talking with a waiter.

“Why?”

“Because I brought you here.”

She didn’t bring me anywhere. I came on my own volition. I had a brain of my own and was not influenced by anyone.

“How do you know this if he isn’t speaking to you?”

“Alton’s little ass just cussed me out. According to him, Stent is tight as hell because he didn’t know you’d be here. I told Alton I didn’t know and, after all, you are his baby’s mother and y’all communicate. Shit!” Tynisha rolled her eyes, knee-deep in her pity party, then quickly flashed a fake smile and waved to someone near her.

The truth of the matter was Tynisha kept feeding me the drama on Stenton because she hated the woman he was with, not out of genuine allegiance to me. And if I was honest, I allowed her to rope me in on her child’s play because some sick part of me wanted to be tortured about the moving-on of Stenton. It hurt, but sent a message of finality to my subconscious. He moved on! I needed to, too!    

I excused myself for the bathroom. While in there, I checked my face and noticed my makeup was still intact thanks to the glam squad Tynisha sent over to my suite. I got a peek into her fabulous world while having two people tend to me at once. On my way out, I felt another pull on my arm. I trailed the tatted arm and found a glaring Stenton Rogers. Before I knew it I was in the middle of burly men who served as a barrier to Stenton and me against the other patrons waiting in line for the bathroom.