The Countdown to Thirty (13 page)

“Oh God Christian, what are you talking about!” I asked as
if he was right in the room with me.

What does he mean he doesn’t want to forget it happened?
Could
Christian really have something for me? Was the kiss really more than just
worked up emotions? Is this why Desiree went crazy in Victoria’s Secret? Did he
really call out my name in bed!

“No! No! It’s not what you think Kaia.” I told myself.

Then I thought back to the day at his apartment when he
terminated my conversation with Sanders, then the fact that he never liked
Malcolm the minute he laid eyes on him along with any other guy for that
matter.

“No,” I shook the notion from my head, “He’s just being a
big brother that’s what they do. I’m sure it’s no different with Celeste and
Riley. The only difference is we live in the same city.” I reassured myself.

But that still didn’t explain the kiss. And it really didn’t
explain his comment after the kiss that only until now seemed to pop back into
memory.
“I didn’t want it to happen like this.”
If he didn’t want it to
happen like this then how did he want it to happen?

“Oh God,” I sighed praying Christian,
the Christian
hadn’t been harboring some sort of secret crush on me all these years. It would
mess up everything! I text him back agreeing to meet-up once he got back from
Phoenix. My first plan is to squash this and squash it soon. For my sake and
any possible future with Malcolm, for his sake and for our family’s sake….no
matter how good of a kisser he is.

Sonya

After waking up horrified and still in shock to find out
Lamont was the one behind the pregnant woman’s shooting my heart weighed more
than a concrete block inside my chest. It’s been a whole lifetime since I’ve
felt emotions like this and I didn’t miss the feeling. As a matter-of-fact I
hate the fucking feeling because it’s been causing me to wail all morning long.
And sadly the cruelty of misery hadn’t adopted any leniency since I escaped it
years ago. I hated this. After burying my head under the armor of my girlish
purple comforter embellished with printed gray dandelions I cried for the woman
and her baby. Then cried for the baby I loved and lost and finally for Lamont
because the man I once worshiped who I thought could do no wrong was a lost
soul.

A half hour before one Saundra called and let me know she
was in the car waiting outside. She was picking me up for day one of Corrine’s
bridal shopping extravaganza even though she informed me that Corrine started
looking the day after the proposal. What made this day so special is that this
was the day all of her best friends would be here with her.

We walked into Antonio Philippe’s Bridal Show exactly at
noon and were greeted by a refined and yet fashionable sista with an edgy bob
cut and unique cat like eyes. Perhaps if she were about three inches taller she
could have easily graced somebody’s runway for sure.

“Welcome to Antonio Philippe’s, are you a part of the
Corrine Palmer wedding party?” She asked with an Ivy League accent.

“Yes we are,” Saundra replied while removing her designer
shades and planting them neatly in her hair. “Have they gotten started yet?”

“No, you’re right on time, please follow me.” She said with
a comforting smile as she began leading us to the back of the boutique.

The boutique was more of a bridal showroom and was very
upscale and particular in its fine finishing’s, crystal chandeliers and
dramatic long flowing draperies that graced the presence of each window. We
walked past an endless plethora of white dresses decorated in satin; silk;
lace; feathers; beads and sequin. The showroom was not only fancy it was
expensive. It made sense for a woman of Corrine’s standards to pick this
boutique to locate the perfect wedding dress and bridesmaid’s gowns.

“Hell if I ever get married again one day I’m picking this
place to find my dress.” Saundra whispered to me as we continued to follow.

I didn’t respond; my mind was still too distracted to
comment but for the life of me I was trying to keep it together.

Saundra stopped walking and grabbed my hand stopping me to.
She turned to the woman escorting us and asked, “Can you give us a moment
please?”

I gave Saundra a confused look.

“Sure, take all the time you need, I’ll let Ms. Palmer know
you’re here.”

Saundra responded with a smile and a “Thank you.”

She walked me over towards one of the finely draped windows
that had a beam of sunlight pouring through the showroom floor. I leaned
against the wall and focused my eyes on the shadow of the window pane against
the maple wood floors. Saundra stood in front of me and looked me in the face
with concern.

“Sonya what’s wrong? You’ve been quiet since I picked you
up. This isn’t like you even on your worst day.”

So much for holding it together. Either her big sister radar
had kicked in or I was a terrible actress. Regardless I needed to get this out.
I took a deep breath and let it go.

“You know that story on the news about the pregnant woman,
the woman who was shot during the so-called random home invasion? Jeanette
Myers?”

“Yea, did you know her? Everybody’s talking about that, is
that what’s wrong?” She asked looking very concerned.

“No I didn’t know her, but I feel like I do. The latest
breaking news said they arrested her fiancé,” I said between sniffles, “he
hired someone to fake a break-in and kill her.” I said with tears beginning to
flow down my face, “But she didn’t die.”

“Are you serious? Oh my God that bastard. It wasn’t a real
break in?” She asked with her hand pressed to her chest. “To think I even
deposited money into the bank account setup for him, are you kidding me?”

“No, I’m not.”

Saundra was passionate about this type of thing especially
since David works in the legal field. She could have been the poster child for
women against domestic abuse.

“It’s tragic. They should give him the chair, but why is it
affecting you like this?”

I grabbed tissue from my purse and dabbed away the tears
that had fallen. I was about to reveal the real truth about my past and it
sickened me.

“Because I knew him. When the story broke last night they
released his name and mug shot, Saundra its Lamont,
my
Lamont. I got
pregnant in Reno and when I told him…he beat me up pretty badly. He said it was
my fault and he threatened to kill me if I didn’t get rid of it. But he didn’t
have to do that because I lost the baby. That’s the real reason why I left. It
was more than just your average breakup.” I confessed.

Saundra gasped and I noticed her eyes grow a glassy look. I
never told her or my mother that part of the story. I didn’t want to seem like
more of an idiot than I was.
“The smart one, the one with the promising
future disappointed us all,”
is all I could imagine they’d feel at the
time.

If she was disappointed in me she did a great job of hiding
it. She embraced me in a deep and powerful hug and it reminded me of the many
hugs exchanged after our father’s death. I embraced her back tightly and let
the love from my sister comfort me.

“You’re safe Sonya, he can’t hurt you. I’m sorry you had to
go through that. I wish you would have said something to me. I would have
supported you.” She whispered in my ear. “You need to let this go.”

“I know. I just feel like there was something I could have
done.”

“There was nothing more you could have done. You left and
came back home where you belong and where you needed to be. He’s sick, there’s
nothing you could have done about that, do you hear me?” She said looking me
square in the eye now.

Deep down I knew that but coming from someone else who I
loved and respected made me actually believe it.

“I hear you, thank you.” I said wiping my nose.

“Sissy if you’re not up to this today we can go. I’m pretty
sure this will be the first of many more trips to the bridal factory…you know
Ms. Thing in there.” She motioned her head towards the private dressing room
where Corrine was.

I laughed a little, “No its fine, I feel better.”

When we finally made our way into the private dressing room
we were all smiles and had pumped up our excitement level to match the rest of
the ladies. We were greeted with cheers and lifted wine glasses.

“Well it’s about time, Corrine’s back there trying on the
first one.” Shanice said.

“Is she being a Bridezilla yet?” Saundra asked sarcastically
as we sat down in the plush lavender chairs that formed a half circle around
the bridal platform.

Trina responded while filling our glasses with wine, “No not
yet, but don’t worry there’s still enough time.”

While laughing I listened as they swapped stories about
Corrine’s eccentric dating life and how they never thought she’d settle down.
Breaking up the laughter and jokes, Corrine walked in and cleared her throat to
get our attention.

“Uh hmm,” She said standing there in a white dress with a
tube top that struggled to conceal her rather large breast. Other than that, it
looked beautiful on her shapely size fourteen frame. She walked past us and up
the platform and gave a little twirl in the mirrors.

“Woo, look at you Corrine I like, I like.” Shanice said.

Trina leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I can’t believe
it’s white.”

“I heard that bitch.” Corrine said laughing while she
checked herself from behind.

We all burst out laughing again then told her how pretty she
looked in the dress.

“What I meant to say was put that dress in your keep pile,
its lovely.” Trina corrected while giving a dramatic actress twirl of her
wrist.

“Thank you, I think I will. So,” She said turning from the
mirrors to face us as she still stood on the platform, “The colors for the
Bridesmaids dresses are going to be burnt orange.”

“That sounds pretty Corrine. Did you and David come up with
that color?” Saundra asked.

“Oh please honey, he could care less about the wedding
planning part. He’s leaving it all up to me and the coordinator. He said to
just tell him where to be, what time and how much.”

“You’re perfect man.” Saundra and Shanice said in unison.

Laughter filled the dressing room once again as Corrine
escaped the pits of scrutiny to go try on another gown.

We stayed there for another three hours trying on dresses,
eating complimentary pastries and sipping wine.

By the time Saundra dropped me back off at my apartment the
weather had morphed from blue skies streaked with warm rays of sunshine to
uneven shades of gray and thick blotchy clouds. They covered the entire valley,
leaving no trace of the earlier radiant sun. The storm that was approaching
from the east had taken over the skies so quickly I would have thought it was
the end of the world had the weatherman not predicted it last night. I entered
my apartment then walked into my room where I slipped into my cushy purple
slippers and large T. That’s when I missed a phone call but not before my phone
began ringing off-the-hook again.

“Who could this be?” I asked myself as I walked towards my
bed to retrieve my phone. The number was an unfamiliar local number.

Figuring it was a bill collector I answered anyway just for
the hell of it. I told them once and I’ll tell them again if I need to; I don’t
have the money because I don’t have a job…now write a letter to your
congressman, he can do more about that situation than me.

I answered calmly but armed with my well-rehearsed spiel,
“Hello?”

“Why hello, I was beginning to think you’ve forgotten about
me?” An unfamiliar male voice responded on the other end of the line. Kind of
young, but no younger than twenty-three or twenty-four, educated and very
proper but something told me this person was no gentleman.

Not in the mood for games or surprises I responded with,
“Who the hell is this?”

“Why Sonya, that’s no way to speak to your future gynecologist
of America.”

“Eew, Bobby!”

“Bingo. How are you my love?”

“I was fine until you called, how did you get my number?”

“That shouldn’t be too hard to guess. Unfortunately, I don’t
have time to keep you occupied for long dear. I’m studying for my mid-terms.
This semester is a critical one for me, not to mention my last.” He chuckled,
“You know, I was one of the first in my class to gain early admissions into
medical school…you do know that don’t you?”

“How would I know that? What do you want?” I seethed through
the phone ready to kill either Corrine or Saundra.

“Let’s just call it a courtesy amongst friends. You’ll
definitely need help getting a date to my sister’s wedding, that I already
know, and I didn’t want to disappoint you. I think if we coordinate our outfits
–“

I hung up.

“The audacity of that little punk! I’m going to kill
Saundra, I know she’s the one who gave it out. Does she really think he’ll be
the one to cheer me up? Please!”

I was so annoyed that I made my way to the kitchen, grabbed
a wine glass and didn’t stop pouring until it was filled to capacity.

After about an hour of TV and fooling around at my
workstation (which was really a vintage restored desk that turned out to be an
amazing thrift store find that I’d setup in Natasha’s old room) I stood in my
bedroom and aimlessly stared out the window. I was focusing my attention on the
courtyard and the drops of rain that fell below when I was hit with a strong
sensation of déjà vu. It left me with a powerful impression that I’d been here and
done this exact same thing at the exact same time in my life. But that was
impossible.

I sat down at the edge of my bed with the strange
supernatural feeling as I tried to predict the next series of acts in my sudden
sense of déjà vu, but I couldn’t. Out of boredom I stretched out on top of my
comforter and contently watched light raindrops tap against my window pane
until the stillness of the room forced my mind to meander to a similar time, a
time seven years ago when the weather was stormy and cloudy and I had made up
my mind to play hooky from school. I worked part-time as an assistant manager
of a retail store and fed my manager some bogus lie so I could spend the day
with Lamont at his place.

That day was the first time we had sex while raindrops accumulated
against his patio door, thunder struck and flashes of lightning disappeared
then reappeared among the dark grey sky. I came over that morning prepared and
ready for anything that might happen between us. I’d been fascinating long
enough about what it would be like to have him ravage my body and take
possession of my hips, my thighs, my breasts while I fell into a spell of
submission. After one month of dating, kissing, conversations and dinners I had
fallen in love with him. I felt special when he pulled me in close when other
men were around or made it his priority to know where I was at all times. Back
then, I thought it was cute that he wanted to protect me, but I soon learned
that that wasn’t it at all.

I closed my eyes and let my mind and body succumb to the
fantasy and hunger of his first touch on that stormy day:

“Come here, lay down.” He commanded as soon as I walked
through his bedroom door that morning.

I did as he said feeling a mixture of eroticism and fear.
I knew the moment I’d been waiting for was about to come true but I didn’t know
what to expect from a man of his immense size and dominating presence.