Trouble In Paradise (8 page)

“I don’t care about security
you better hope security comes because you about to need some security up in here!” 

Joshua dropped his head in his hands. 

“You act like we were never in a relationship!” 

“It has nothing to do with wanting sex from you and you know it.  You really need to move on Danielle don’t do this
to yourself.  You’re a beautiful girl you can have anyone you want.” 

“Anyone but you right?”

A brief pause . . . .

“We could end this being friends instead of fighting each other.  We could keep in touch if we end as friends,” he said his voice low and sultry.  “If we can’t,” he paused for dr
amatic effect, “then we won’t be able to at least stay in each other’s lives as friends.  You don’t want that do you?” 

It wasn’t really a question and Danielle knew it. 

“Oh so, we can just be friends and she gets the man, the car, the life!” she snapped. 

“Is that what you want Danielle, the life?”  

“No you know what I . . . don’t try and turn this around on me Joshua!”

“Ok, ok,” he said.  “Can we call a truce?” 

Danielle stared at him. 

“What if I don’t want to let go?  I want you.” 

“There’s no future behind that thoug
ht,” he said to her looking right into her eyes. 

He saw her hope die and then he saw anger being replaced by the lost look in her eyes and he knew it was about to get ugly. 

“This is not over,” she said. 

She sat back down on the bed and looked down at the floor. 

“It’s not over, I can’t,” she said shaking her head.  “I won’t.” 

He felt sorry for her. 

“Stay away from us,” he turned around and walked out the door.

Chapter 12

Caroline pulled up in front of her mailbox, she ended up leaving her car at the gym and knew she would have to go back for it later.  She looked at Victoria.  She hadn’t said much during the ride over, she was in a fog. 

“Victoria honey, are you ok?” 

Victoria looked up at Caroline. 

“How much did you see?” she asked. 

“I actually saw the whole thing, I was trying to speak to you when you crossed the street and almost got hit by that motorcycle.” 

Victoria had forgotten about that. 

“Then I saw her attack you.”   

“Do I still have a job?”

Caroline’s eyebrows rose. 
I guess I would want to know that too,
she thought. 

“Yes, your position is fine Victoria, look I
know I’m your boss but I saw the girl attack you, she had no way of knowing she would get a beat down but that’s the risk she took not knowing what she was getting herself into.” 

Victoria laughed,
Caroline joined in. 

“I’m just sayi
ng.  You have to be dumb to start a fight and not know you’re fighting Muhammad Ali.” 

They laughed some more. 

Victoria let out a long sigh. 

“Woo
the girl is nuts.  She was getting kicked around and still laughing.  That’s why I knocked her out.  She was laughing. 

“Pissed
me off,” her voice got quiet. 

Caroline had a look of concern on her face. 

“What have you done to the girl?” 

Victoria sighed again, “It’s a long story.” 

“I think we have time,” Caroline said. 

“I actually need to talk to my fiancé but I can’t get him to answer the phone.” 

She called again, the call tone he had set rung in her ear, it was Jamie Foxx—“Fall for Your Type.”  Jamie kept singing,

“I swear I always fall for your type.” 

The voicemail answered. 
Where is he
, she thought,
what is going on?
 

“I gotta
go,” she said. 

“Where
do you want to go?” Caroline asked. 

“I can’t get ahold of him and I’m worried.  I can’t sit here.  I almost killed that girl back there and we need to get some things straight.  Is there anything you need?
” 

“Yes,” Caroline said.  “I need to get my car.” 

“Where is it?” 

“At my gym, I was finishing up my workout around the corner from the jewelry store and decided to walk a bit that’s how I ran into you.” 

“Oh,” Victoria said, “well I’ll give you a lift over there so you can get your car. And thanks for the help, I really didn’t need to drive at that moment, I was in a New York state of mind.” 

“I know,” Caroline smirked. 

“By the way, I’m getting married.”

Victoria held up her hand. 

Caroline whistled, “That man is serious.  That’s the Leo Diamond isn’t it?” 

Victoria smiled, “Yes ma’am it is,” she winked.  “Now you see why we were fighting.” 

Caroline’s smile spread from ear to ear.

“G
irl you’ve got a real problem if that girl wants your man already you just moved here you’ve been here what a week?”

“She’s from Memphis, and she came all this way to start trouble.  I don’t feel like dealing with this but I guess I have to because I’m about to be married to this man and nobody will stop that.”

W
ith a confidant look on her face she wondered off into space. 

“I guess not,” Caroline said still looking at the ring. 

Fifteen minutes later Victoria pulled up to the gym.  “Thanks again Caroline,” she said. 

“You’re welcome and thank you.  I got your back girl. You ok with me, just don’t kill nobody and be to work on tim
e Monday.” 

Victoria smiled, “I will,” she waved. 

Caroline ran across the street and disappeared into the gym’s garage.  It was located in the downtown area a couple of streets over from Delaware Street.  Victoria sunk back into the seat and let out a long breath.  She pulled off slowly, picked up her phone and redialed Joshua.  She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t answering the phone. 

“Oh
!  This is ridiculous,” she said.  “This psycho has been stalking us.  I should go to the police station and take out a restraining order.   I need to talk to Joshua.” 

She was worried about him.  She knew Joshua loved her and wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.  She made a left. She was trying to get home as fast as possible, she needed to regroup and find Joshua. 

She pulled into the driveway, parked and got out.  Noticing the garage door was still up she walked around the car and into the garage. 
It looked like he left in a hurry
, she thought.  The tools were all over the garage floor and HIS PHONE! She reached down and picked it up.  He had fifteen missed calls.  H
ad she called him that many times? 
She started to scroll through the missed calls he had a missed call from somebody name Rebecca. 

“Rebecca, Rebecca,” she chanted tapping her finger on the phone trying to think of where she knew that name. 

It wasn’t coming to her,
gotta be the weed
, she thought.  The rest of the missed calls were her. 

She went to the side door and unlocked it.
He only locked the bottom lock; he did leave in a hurry. 
She went in and closed the door.  The house was warm, the air wasn’t on.  Her hands were starting to ache. She knew they would be soar in the morning.  She starting to rub her hands, walked to the steps, went up and into her bedroom. 

“This girl is crazy
,” she said still thinking about Danielle. 

The girl was a complete basket case.  Victoria started to take off her clothes.  She went into her master bathroom and turned on the faucet.  She proceeded to cup her hands under the water and splash it on her face.  She stood up and stretched, bent over and stretched.  Arms up and out, she stretched some more.  Bent back, with her back arched and stretched.  She had not had a workout like that fight in a while.  She shook her head in the mirror.  She could not believe the nerve of the girl and she was getting tired of looking for Joshua.  Her anger started to build. 

She grabbed a new pair of jeans and another Babyphat shirt.  She wiped her face with an Olay anti-generist facial wipe and put on some lip gloss.  She grabbed her comb and went through her hair bumping her wrap.  She sprayed some hair sheen on it to give it some shine and looked at her teeth.  She was in the mirror mouth wide open checking out her teeth when she put a face with the name Rebecca.  She turned instantly angry. 

“The white girl from the hotel!” she screamed. “Oh I don’t even believe this!”  

She ran to the be
d grabbed her keys and purse, stepped into a new pair of boots and left the apartment.  This is some bull, how do you be so passionate toward someone and have the nerve to get someone else’s number?   He’s been acting like he’s happy why is he still getting numbers?  She just couldn’t understand it.  She looked at her ring, it sparkled and it cost over three thousand dollars. 
He definitely loves me, I’m still gonna kill him.  Where are you? 

*****

“I cannot believe I am really driving all this way to entertain this girl.”  

Leon had driven until he could drive no more.  He had to put in his own vacation time at work because of the long ride.  He didn’t mind all that much, he loved to hear or see a show.  He really hoped Danielle had all her bolts tightened he
’d hate to have to point her out in a line up.  He chuckled. 

“Ugh, where am I?”  

He pulled up to a Holiday Inn Express in Evansville, Indiana.  He opened the door and got out.  Leon was wearing what they call skinny jeans, the kind that’s tight at the top, a lil’ loose in the booty area, and tight at the bottom.  Let Leon tell it, he looked good.  He had on some black and white converse and a black and white double fitted tee shirt.  He closed his car door and walked up to the hotel.  He stepped in and took a look around, not bad.  At the counter the clerk was looking at a newspaper, his head rose when Leon approached.  He was dark chocolate almost like a Hershey’s kiss and Leon was about to get a sweet tooth. 

“Can I help you?” the clerk asked. 

His name tag read Tyrone Washington.  In a daze Leon blinked. 

“Sir,” Tyrone said. 

“Ma’am, if you don’t mind,” Leon said and winked at Tyrone. 

Tyrone’s face would have turned beat red if he was a white boy.  Even as chocolate as he was you could see it.  His face was flushed. 

“Excuse me,” he said, “I didn’t mean any . . . umm,” he tripped over his words. 

“No worries,” Leon said brightly.  “Now that we have that out of the way, how are you today?
” 

“I’m good,” he said looking Leon over.  “Will you be staying with us tonight?” 

“I’ll be staying wherever you like,” Leon purred. 

The doorbell chimed.  They both looked at the door.  The manager walked in looked at them both, turned and kept on walking toward the back.  Tyrone cleared his throat, it was the most uncomfortable he had been in his life.  Never had a gay guy try to hit on him and this was an uneasy feeling.

“Will you be staying at the Holiday Inn Express tonight?” Tyrone asked in a more controlled tone. 

Leon s
mirked, “Sure, one night please,” he said with a long drawl. 

“Can I see your license sir?”

“MA’AM,” Leon said and handed him the license. 

When their fingers touched Tyrone jumped and snatched back his hand.  Leon laughed,

“I’m not going to bite you honey bun, unless you want me too,” he mused. 

Tyrone proceeded to check him in.  Leon looked around the lobby. 

“How about room service?” 

“Yes we have room service, here’s a menu.  You can step into our dining area straight down this hallway,”

Tyrone pointed toward the right,

“Or you can call down by pressing two one on your room phone.”

Tyrone made a copy of his ID while the receipt printed. 

“Can you tell me how far I will have to go to get to Chicago from here?”  Leon asked. 

He didn’t really need to know, he had a GPS in his car he just wanted to feel this Tyrone character out,
acting like he’s homophobic but I just saw him give me the once over, what’s up with that
?  Leon thought.  Men on the down low always acted like they didn’t want it, but they always did.

“Well that’s probably about another five hour drive but you can check online we also have Wi-Fi in our rooms.” 

“Oh goody,” Leon said biting down on his bottom lip.

Tyrone looked at his lips then back at him.  He handed him his key, and receipt. 

“You’re in room one 103, check out time is eleven a.m.” 

“Thank
s,” Leon said winking at him. 

He left it at that and got on the eleva
tor deciding to call for room service, after all he needed to call Danielle and make sure she hadn’t lost her mind.  When he got to the room he opened the door and shut it with his foot.  It slammed.  He looked back at it; he didn’t mean to shake the room.  He put his overnight bag on the bed and pulled out his cell.  He dialed Danielle’s number.

Danielle looked at her phone it was Leon.  January had called her three times already but she didn’t feel like talking to her.  She knew January would sound more like a mother than Leon.  She didn’t want to hear it.  She would have her payback. 

Yeah, payback for making love to me
, then running out the door and not calling to tell me why.  Dragging me along all these years and not marrying me. 

“A straight up sucker
!” she mumbled, enraged. 

The phone stopped ringing
as she fussed with herself.  It started up again immediately and this time she answered it. 

“HELLO!”  

“Well hello to you,” Leon said. 

“Where are you Leon?” 

“Well I’m doing fine you know, nothing’s happened to me even though I’m driving cross country with a gun to hand deliver to my psychotic friend,” he said sarcastically. 

“Very
funny Leon, you’re hardly driving across country and I’m not psychotic so let’s get that straight right now.  You know, I’m not gone take to many more of your smart comments if you don’t want to help me that’s all you have to say.” 

Leon let out a long sigh.

“Girl shut all the way up; I’m on my way aint I?  Dang, I’m tired of you fussing at me so just save it.”