The Secret First Lady: The Naked Truth (7 page)

He smiled at her candor. He knew it was more to her than what his eyes could see. Mike Rizzo was going to take his time and learn all there was to know about the divorced mother of two who pretended to be cold as ice.

Chapter Nine: Mystery

              Rachel aborted Mike’s home before the birds started to sing. She wanted to return home before day light and creep into her own bed, before her children had the chance to realize she never made it home. It was hard to tell a falsehood to them and knew if they were awake she’d have to do just that. 

She prayed they were still sleeping as she twisted the doorknob. 
What should I tell them? Mommy didn’t make it home because she was having sex with a random white man?
  She glided through the kitchen and tiptoed into her bedroom. She quickly peeled off her clothes and slipped into her night gown. Her apartment was silent. Ms. Jones curled her body up in a ball, attempting to steal a few hours of much needed sleep.

              Leah got up around 7:00 am while everyone else remained motionless. She made a bubble bath and prepared herself a nice little line to snort. “Time to take my medicine. I gotta stay high to deal with this bitch. She’s living the life that should’ve been mine. Rachel Jones, you will get your payback.” She smiled at her reflection and inhaled the powdery treat. Rachel had no idea she was literally sleeping with the enemy.

              The children awoke in unison. They were arguing over who was going to sit next to who and what cartoons they wanted to watch. Leah hopped out of the tub and threw on a towel without removing the suds from her body. She stormed into the living room almost tipping over. She was seeing doubles and the noise from the kids was blowing her high.

“Hey! All of ya’ll, shut up! Rachel’s trying to sleep and I’m not in the mood for ya’ll shit today!” Christina grabbed her mouth in shock. Rachel never cussed in front of them. “Now let me get dressed and I’ll make breakfast.” She stumbled back to the bathroom.

              The children all looked at each other with amazement. They no longer wanted to fight over the television channel. Christina was a sensitive kid and she couldn’t wait to tell her mother. She wanted Rachel to give Leah a piece of her mind.  They sat silently on the couch until their breakfast was ready.

              By the time the kids ate and got dressed, Rachel was rolling over to look at the alarm clock. Christina trotted into her bedroom. She climbed upon the king sized bed and kissed her mother on the cheek. “Morning, Ma,” she spoke in a pouty voice, informing her mother that something was troubling her.

              “Morning, Chrissy pooh. How’s momma’s angel?” Christina shrugged her shoulders and put on a sad face. “What’s wrong, darling?”

              “Leah’s mean.” Rachel sat up and gave her daughter a concerned look. Ms. Jones didn’t play when it came to her children.

              “What did she do?” Ms. Jones questioned.

              “She yelled and cussed at us for no reason.”

              “Is that so?” Rachel said in an I-know-she-hasn’t-lost-her-mind voice.

              “Yes, Mom, and that hurt our feelings.” Christina could be a bit dramatic at times, but figured she might as well go all the way in. She burst into tears and planted her head on her mother’s shoulder.

              “Are you okay?” Christina shrugged her shoulders again. “Let me get myself together and then I’ll have a word with her. Okay, baby?”

              “Okay, Mom.” She still spoke in a pouty tone.  She jumped off the bed and exited her mother’s room with a mission accomplished look on her face.

              Rachel wanted to keep the peace for as long as she could. She knew unnecessary tension would only make their already weird living arrangement uneasy. Instead of pondering over what she was going to say to Leah, she fantasized about Mike. 

              She couldn’t believe how well they connected; well, at least physically. Although, she pretended to be reserved when it came to her background, a part of her wanted to open up again to the opposite sex.  She didn’t want to end up a hopeless romantic. She decided to get up and continue her thoughts about Mike in the master bathroom.  She applied Noxzema to her face and continued to daydream.

              “Hey, Rachel!” Leah was thumping at the bathroom door.

              “What’s up?” Rachel was irritated that Leah interrupted her thoughts.

              “Uh, just wanted to say good morning and ask if we’re still going to the salon?”

              Rachel cracked the door open. “Yes. I’m getting dressed now. I actually need to have a word with you.” She opened the door to have a more intimate conversation.

              “So how did your night go, hot mama? I didn’t go to bed until 2:00 am and you still weren’t home. I imagine it went pretty well.” Leah was semi prying and trying to divert Rachel’s attention away from what she really wanted to talk about. She figured Christina had tattled on her and she wasn’t trying lose her free hair-do or any other perks.

              “I actually had an amazing evening. He’s different; I may give him the opportunity to get to know me.” Rachel was glowing just thinking about how her night ended.

              “Well when do I get to me him?” Leah smiled.

              “You don’t!” Rachel said changing her tone, remembering how Leah and she are connected in the first place.

              Leah smiled a toothy grin and sucked her teeth.
Oh I guess she thinks I’m going to steal him, too. She probably has point.

              “What I wanted to say to you is be willing to change.”
Well that’s not what I really want to say, but I guess it’s a good start.
Rachel thought silently as she gathered her thoughts.  “You may be use to cussing at or in front of your children, but I would appreciate you not doing that here or even when you move.  They’ll pick up plenty of bad habits from the rest of the world; let’s try to instill morals and values within them instead.” Rachel smiled at Leah.

             
This chic really think she and her kids are the Huxtables or something. Little does she know, I have a surprise for all of them!  But for now, I’ll play the game.
“Sure. No problem. You are absolutely right and I will do better.” Leah left out allowing Rachel to continue grooming herself.

Chapter Ten:  Discernment

              The extended family pulled up to Trazon’s Hair Salon located in midtown.  Leah was going to have a complete makeover with Rachel’s stylist. The children retreated to the day care area, while their mothers got pampered in the upscale salon. Most salons didn’t allow kids unless they, too, were customers. This was also the reason why Rachel didn’t mind driving all the way to midtown; besides Assatta, one of the stylists gave the most relaxing hair washings that seemed to briefly wipe all of life’s troubles away.

              Rachel noticed Assatta’s facial expression as she scrubbed Leah’s scalp under the sink. It looked as though something was troubling her. Once she placed Leah under the dryer, she questioned Rachel. “Is that one of your relatives?”

              “No. Sort of. Well, it’s a very complicated situation.” Rachel explained the situation as best as she could, trying not to sound too crazy.

              “You know I don’t go meddling in people’s business, but my spirit is telling me something is not right with her. I feel she’s here to hurt you more than she is to receive help from you. Be careful, Rachel.” Her stylist warned her in a loving manner.

              “Thank you, Assatta. I’ll be very careful.”

              “Would you like some water, tea, or coffee before I finish styling?”

              “No thank you, dear.” Rachel was in a daze, wondering if Leah actually came to Georgia for something other than a handout.

              After departing from the salon, they got on 75 North and headed towards Lenox Square Mall. Rachel wanted to set Leah up for success and she knew that people judged by first appearances. She toyed with the idea of giving Leah a positon at her firm. Leah had no work experience and minimum education, but Rachel was considering the risk.

              After they finished shopping and settled back in their luxury Stockbridge apartment, Rachel realized she had a missed call from Mike earlier that day. She decided to call him back.

              “Hello!” He greeted her on the first ring as if he were anticipating her call.             

              “Hey. Sorry I missed your call. How are you?”

              “Better now that I’m hearing from you, sexy hot chocolate,” he spoke in a flirtatious voice.

              “Hee-hee,” Rachel laughed. “Look, we’re going to be friends so we don’t have to keep pointing out each other’s skin color,” Rachel said jokingly.

              “Ha. Agreed. I apologize for overly stating the obvious.”

              “No worries, my Italian stallion,” she joked and they both laughed.

              “So are you free this evening?”

              “Maybe,” Rachel said in mischievous tone.

              “Maybe? Look at you playing hard to get.” He obviously knew she wasn’t hard to get after last night. “Are you going to make me beg?”

              “No need for all of that. What do you have in mind, Mr. Rizzo?”

              “Nothing spectacular. Let’s rent a few movies and order some take out.”

              “I guess that’ll be alright.”

              “You guess? Trust me, the more time we spend together, the less hesitant you’ll be,” Mike said sounding sure of himself.  Rachel rolled her eyes and they agreed to meet at eight-thirty.

              “Knock-knock,” Leah said entering Rachel’s bedroom. “I just want to thank you, again. I also want to apologize for my behavior earlier with the kids; I’m definitely willing to change.” She gave Rachel a hug, which always made Rachel feel so uncomfortable.

              “You’re welcome, Leah.” Rachel changed the subject. “Hey, I was thinking about bringing you into my firm as a paid intern. It will be temporary until you can find employment. How do you feel about that?” Rachel wasn’t sure if this would be the best course of action, but at least Leah would be earning her stay.

              “Oh, that will be great!” Leah was ecstatic.  This would be her first real job in her twenty eight years of living. “One other thing.” Leah paused and tried to look serious. “I’m ready to find my birth mom with your help.”

              “Good for you, Leah. We’ll look up some reputable investigators. Whatever the cost is, I’ll handle it. Finding her could put a lot of things into perspective for you.”

              Leah nodded in agreement. They both paused for a minute. Scanning the room, Rachel noticed how uncomfortable Leah was around her when they had nothing to say.

              “Well, I’m going to play a few games with the kids before I get them off to bed. I have a date tonight, if you don’t mind keeping an eye on them.” 

              “Rachel, you never have to ask me to keep them. You are good to my kids and me. You get ready for your date and I’ll hang out with them.”

              Rachel agreed and prepped for her date. Since they weren’t going anywhere special, she decided to be casual, yet sexy. She arrived at his house at ten minutes prior to the agreed time.  He greeted her at the door with a peck on the cheek and they headed out to the video store.

              Blockbuster was surprisingly packed. The two ignored the awkward stares they got from the customers who acted as if they hadn’t never seen an interracial couple.  Although, they weren’t officially a couple, in this day in age, perception is everything.

              Rachel quickly learned how great Mike’s sense of humor was when he blurted out, “So I’m saying, baby, how about you come back to my crib and put me on a pot of ham hocks.” He was putting on show for the spectators.  “And make me some red Kool-Aid.” Once the onlookers realized what point he was trying to prove, they quickly looked away.

              Rachel usually embarrassed easily, but she decided not to concern herself with what people thought about her. They rented some movies and picked up their order to go from Maggiano’s.

              Once they arrived back at Mike’s home, he attempted to explore her mind a little more.  Rachel was reluctant to share. She didn’t want to reveal how her now roommate was once her ex-husband’s mistress or how she fell in love with a gay pastor who committed suicide less than two months ago.  Instead, she talked about how great her children were and told him about her investment banking firm.

              He also discovered how well-educated she was.  He felt ashamed and admitted to her that he already placed her in a certain category. “Rachel, I know you said for us to stop pointing out our racial differences, but I have a confession.” She gave him a raised eyebrow look and nodded her head for him to continue.  “I’ve always been attracted to women of color, but most of the ones I’ve dealt with always wanted something from me. I’ve bought cars, paid bills, got used and abused. But you are in a completely different league.” He put down his head feeling embarrassed that he felt that way about Rachel and all the other black women he’d encountered.