15. Legacy
Legacy
M E: Hey, baby. I noticed that you weren’t in the office today. Are you WFH?
DISTRACTION: Yeah.
ME: Are we still on for dinner at Tahini’s tonight?
DISTRACTION: I can’t. I’ve got another appointment that I cannot miss.
ME : No worries. Can I get a raincheck? LOL.
DISTRACTION: Sure.
ME: How’s your day?
DISTRACTION: Cool.
That was the last message that we exchanged earlier in the day. Something was bothering him, but he wasn’t talking about it. In the last week, it seemed as if he was growing distant.
I focused on working on a sexual harassment case, getting case law for the attorney who requested it, and preparing to file a motion for discovery in another case.
“Do you have any plans after work?” Jennifer Greaves, an associate, asked.
“Not anymore. I did have plans earlier, but they were canceled last minute.”
“Why don’t you come out to the bar with us tonight? A few of us are going to pick up guys. Tanasia says she hasn’t had any in the last six months, and you know that my boyfriend and I broke up a few weeks ago. So, I’m ready to find something new.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Jenn, it might do you some good to be alone for a minute, girl. You go through men like people go through trash bags.”
She laughed so hard that all I could do was shake my head.
“Whatever. Are you going or not?”
“I’ll pass tonight.”
“Are you seeing someone? You’ve passed up the last few bar nights. You always used to be down for them when you first started.”
“I’m . . . it’s complicated,” I answered.
“Girl, please. I know you’re seeing someone, and I bet I know who it is too.”
“I doubt it.”
“You think that you’re slick. I know you two think that no one notices you when you slip out of here out of the stairwell. Y’all have lunch together in the little courtyard that no one uses almost every day.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, trying to play dumb.
“You’re seeing Legend Waters. One of the partners in Bayley, Waters, and Deleveaux Architectural Designs, LLC.”
“Goodbye, Jenn,” I stated, grabbing my purse and bag before heading for the stairwell.
“I’ve got my eye on you. Team LeLe.”
I glanced back at her over my shoulder and glared.
“Okay, maybe that didn’t sound right. How about LaLe?”
I shook my head and walked to the stairwell.
“I’ll keep trying,” she called out as the door closed behind me.
Legend and I weren’t ashamed of each other, and we weren’t trying to hide anything.
We just hadn’t discussed what we were with others, and the workplace was the last place I wanted to have that discussion.
Although people could see us together at times, and we didn’t work for the same company, I didn’t want to discuss it with anyone yet. Not co-workers anyway.
I headed home, showered, and grabbed a smoothie before I headed back out. My sister, Zenobia, had called me on the way home to see if I wanted to meet up with her at the yoga studio.
“Zenobia, let me see more arch in your downward dog,” Danika Shields, our yoga instructor and Zenobia’s best friend, directed.
My sister did as she asked. Danika used her hands to correct Zenobia’s form.
“Great job, Legacy,” Danika stated, passing me by.
I smiled, and Zenobia stuck her tongue out at me. “Teacher’s pet,” she hissed.
I giggled and transitioned into a warrior three pose. We worked out for another twenty minutes before it was time to go.
“Have you eaten yet?” Zenobia asked as we walked to the front of the studio.
“No. I just grabbed a smoothie after I got home and came straight here.”
“Let’s get something from the sandwich shop across the walk,” Zenobia suggested, pointing across the walk.
“Cool. Let’s put our things away first,” I stated, walking toward my car. Her car was parked five spaces over, and she headed in that direction. I stuffed my bag in the rear of my car and closed and locked it back up.
“Are you ready?” she asked, joining me again.
Standing up, I glanced in the direction of the sandwich shop, wondering what I would get to eat. My stomach was growling, and I realized that I hadn’t eaten since a little before noon, and it was well after seven.
“Yep. Let’s go. I’m starving.”
We walked toward the sandwich shop and passed a little café on the way.
I glanced inside, and I did a double-take when I saw Legend sitting at the back of the café with a woman.
My mouth dropped when I saw him take the woman’s hand and then reach up with his other hand and wipe her face.
She seemed to be crying, but then he got up and moved his chair closer to hers.
He held her and pulled back, resting his forehead against hers in a very intimate gesture.
My heart dropped, and the pain ripped my heart to shreds as I watched Legend and the woman together. She wrapped her arms around him.
“Hey, are you coming?” Zenobia asked. When I didn’t respond, she came back to my side again. “What’s wrong, boo?”
She glanced inside the café and looked back at me. “Legacy?”
“That’s Legend back there with that woman.”
“The Legend you’ve been dating?”
“Yes.”
“Who the hell is that woman?”
“I have no idea,” I answered in a voice so low that I wasn’t certain that she heard me.
“Aw, hell nah. We’re not going out like that.”
“Nobi, please don’t.”
“Hell no. I’m Bam’s woman, and we don’t get punked out over no shit like this.”
“No, Zenobia. If he wants her, he can have her. At least now, I know why he’s been so distant this past week.”
“At least have the decency to go in there and let his ass know what’s what,” my sister demanded.
I nodded and barged right in. Too late, I thought about what I looked like, but I really didn’t care.
I knew that I was sweaty, and my hair was a mess with the hasty ponytail I fashioned before our yoga class.
It had mostly come loose, and I wore no makeup.
I was probably just a little funky, too, but it was too late to think about all that because Legend looked up and spotted me.
The scowl on his face hurt and felt like rejection. It said that he didn’t expect or want to see me, and he just might deny that he was involved with me, embarrassing me further.
“Is this why you couldn’t meet for dinner tonight, Legend?” I demanded with a voice of steel. I didn’t feel like that on the inside.
“What are you doing here, Legacy?”
“I thought you had a business appointment.”
“Legacy.”
“I guess that is what you would tell me if you’re fucking around on me, huh?”
“Legacy, chill with that shit before you embarrass yourself.”
“I’m not the one who’s going to be embarrassed. You’re the lying, no-good ass nigga! If you weren’t feeling me, all you had to do was tell me.”
“Legacy, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Lose my number. Don’t speak to me at the office.”
“Don’t do something you’ll regret, Legacy.”
“I’m not gonna regret shit! And don’t fucking roll up on me, or I swear I’ll have my big brother Bam bust one in your ass!”
“You wanna threaten me, Legacy? You don’t wanna fuck with me. Send ya brother, ya daddy, and anybody else you wanna send, and I’ma fuck ’em up. Don’t you ever fucking threaten me again in life,” Legend warned in a low growl as he stood.
“What the fuck are you gonna do?”
I saw people turning our way because our voices were growing louder, and I didn’t care.
“She ain’t gotta do shit. My man is gonna whup ya ass the next time we see you. You can bet on that shit!” Zenobia jumped in. “Bitch ass nigga.”
Legend’s fists balled up, and his nostrils flared. “I don’ told ya asses to get gon. Don’t make me throw ya asses out of here.”
“Nigga, I wish you would lay—oop!” Zenobia declared as he snatched her elbow, lifted me over his shoulder, and dragged and carried my sister and me out of the café, shouting.
He let my sister go while she threatened him. “I swear I’m gon’ fuck you up for this. I promise I’ma cut ya ass and then get Bam to fuck you up!”
I looked at him as fury rolled through me, and my body shook from the rage. One tear fell, and I declared through clenched teeth, “I hate you, Legend!”
“Get the fuck on, Legacy.”
“Come on, boo. He’s gon’ get his. I promise,” Zenobia vowed.
Too pissed to eat, we both headed back to our cars. She tried to stay with me for a while, but I was too hurt to be comforted. I only wanted to go home so that I could cry alone.