22. Talia
TALIA
“Girl, what do you think about this one?” Eve asked and spun around in a dress that she had bought at the mall earlier.
I had spent the entire day with Eve and Anneka at the spa, the hair salon, and shopping. We later had dinner and drinks before we returned to my place, where they had parked. Both ladies had met over here, and we rode in my vehicle.
Anneka had run upstairs to use the bathroom before going home, and Eve wanted to show off a couple of the dresses she purchased for a date she was going on tomorrow. She seemed to really like this guy and was giving him an honest chance.
I was happy for my girl, but my heart ached for Izael. I wanted to forgive him, but I couldn’t understand why he would purposefully try to sabotage me. It made no sense, and because of that, it was hard to forgive him.
I knew the only way to do that was to get the answers that I needed. Although I would have to call him or accept his calls for me to do that, I was prideful and didn’t want to let my guard down. I knew that I had screwed up, but so had he in a major way.
“You looking good, boo,” Anneka stated as Eve turned left and right.
“Chè?”
“Hmm?” I was on my belly on my bed with my chin propped on my hands. My feet were crossed at the ankles, and I kicked them up and down.
“I asked how do I look,” Eve repeated.
“Where is your mind? You’ve been absent most of the day,” Anneka stated.
“On that damn man. Girl, if you don’t pick up the phone and have a conversation with Izael,” Eve commanded.
“Whatever,” I mumbled and rolled onto my back.
“So, which dress should I wear for my date tomorrow night?" Eve asked.
“Silver.”
“Blue.”
“Well, damn. Y’all didn’t make that easy at all.”
I shrugged. “Choose what you like, Eve. They both look good and classy on you. I just happen to prefer the silver, and Neka prefers the blue. Now, you have to choose.”
Eve sucked her teeth. “I don’t know why I even bothered with you two.”
“Because you knew both looked great on you, and you just wanted our confirmation,” Anneka stated.
“Exactly,” I remarked and laughed.
Eve proceeded to take the dress off, and Anneka spun around in the chair at my vanity and looked at me.
“So, boss lady. What are you going to do about your little love dilemma?”
“No dilemma.”
“It’s not that cut and dry, Talia. The man clearly loves you, and you love him. You were so happy when you were with Izael. Now, you’re just miserable, snapping out orders, and looking humdrum. You can tell the difference even in your write ups.”
“Really?” I asked, scrunching my nose up.
“Girl, that last write up you wrote about Ponchos Bar and Grill on the Eastside was as bland and boring as you said their food was,” Eve stated.
“Good. Maybe people will get the message.”
“Or they won’t read it because it was so damn dry,” she replied.
I huffed out a sigh. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“Call him up and tell him to meet you so that you two can talk,” Anneka stated as my phone chimed.
I picked it up and opened the text.
“Or I can simply meet him tomorrow at River & 3 rd of all places. Not sure why he wants me to go to that joint,” I muttered under my breath.
“What’s going on?” Eve asked and jumped on the bed beside me. She looked over my shoulder and read the text aloud.
“Girl, quit moping and go get your mans back tomorrow,” Anneka stated and giggled.
“For real. Because I know if my man wasn’t at work right now, I wouldn’t be sitting around with you boring bitches,” Eve stated.
I pushed her shoulder and replied. “Kick mud, bitch.”
She giggled and hopped off the bed. Gathering her bags, Eve stated, “It is time for me to head home. It’s getting late.”
“Me, too,” Anneka remarked.
I followed both ladies to the front door, hugged them, and wished them a good night after they promised to call or text when they arrived home.
Although I tried to pretend that I didn’t care, I was anxious for tomorrow evening to come so that I could see Izael. I didn’t understand why he did what he did to me, but I missed him so badly.
I knew that it was going to be a long night.
* * *
If I thought the night was going to be long, it seemed as if the day dragged on. I swore I looked at the clock on five different occasions at various times of the day, and it was noon. I received an email from Asante Dillard asking me to give her a call around four, and though I was hesitant to call her, I did because curiosity got the best of me.
“This is Asante Dillard. How may I help you?”
“Hi, Asante. This is Talia Campbell.”
“Talia! Thank you so much for calling me. I wasn’t sure if you would, especially considering everything that happened.”
“Asante, I would like to apologize to you for how I handled things that day. You were unfortunately pulled into something that you shouldn’t have been involved in. I know that I didn’t stick around to explain, and I also know that the email I sent declining your offer was cryptic at best.”
“I will agree that I was stunned at the statement ‘I believe that it is in the best interest of the magazine and me to decline your offer at this time. I have had a personal relationship with someone on your board, and I believe that it would be a conflict of interest for me to take the job’. It would have left anyone hungering for more details.”
“But not you?” I asked, suspecting that she knew more than she let on.
“No. Not me. I asked you to call me, Talia, because I owe you an explanation and an apology. You see, Izael is an old friend of mine. He and my husband are good friends from a long time ago. They still keep in touch, and he comes to our home at least three times a month. Usually, he and I get caught up in business talk while my husband tunes us out. My husband is in the construction business, and when Izael and I talk about cultural ideas and norms, Kenny usually blanks us out.
“About a month ago, during one of those discussions, Izael asked how our search was going. With him being in the restaurant business, he had a vested interest in the column for our magazine. He definitely wanted someone who would have favorable interest in not only the restaurants that he owns but those that he has a business share in.”
I nodded and listened to her, unsure of where she was going with this.
“When I mentioned how excited I was that T from T’s Tasty Temptations applied to the writing position for that column, he instantly recoiled. When I asked him what that was about he declined to speak on the matter. I pushed and pushed him about it until he folded. He shared with me that you had left several negative reviews for a restaurant that he owns.”
I was baffled. I couldn’t imagine what Asante was talking about. I had never left reviews on any of Izael’s restaurants because I always thought it would be a conflict of interest. I would feel disloyal to him if I wrote a negative review because I did not like the restaurant. And if I did like it, I would be worried about writing a positive review because of my feelings for him.
“I’ve never left a review on any of his restaurants. I mean, I’ve eaten at Tahini, Pepper & Spice, and The Ebony Candle, and I love them down! But I’ve never reviewed them at all because of our relationship. Although people don’t know who I am, I still didn’t want to create a conflict of interest. It’s just good business sense, is all.”
She chuckled politely and then stated, “Oh, sweetie. You really don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?”
“Izael is part owner of The Sweet Spot, Cozy Fusions, The Culinary Canvas, and he owns River & 3 rd .”
“No. I knew that he owned…Wait. What did you say?”
“I said?—”
“No. I mean, I heard you, but did you say that he owns River & 3 rd ?”
“Mmhmm.”
“I knew he had a share in all of those, but why didn’t I know about River & 3 rd ?”
“Aimee Kensington opened the restaurant. She owned it for two years before she and her husband died in a car accident with a drunk driver. They bequeathed it in their will to Izael because he was like the son they never had. Aimee was?—”
“His father’s baby sister.”
“Exactly.”
“The restaurant used to be called The Velvet Suite before I moved to Atlanta.”
“Yes, and he changed the name after he acquired ownership because he wanted to pay homage to her in his own way,” Asante explained.
“Because she died at the corner of River & 3 rd ,” I finished.
“Right.”
“Why didn’t I know that?”
“When he acquired the restaurant, I advised him not to publicize the fact that ownership had changed. People often get the impression that service might decline or something changes when that happens. I told him to keep it under wraps.”
“But we were in a full-fledged relationship, and before that, we were like family. Why wouldn’t he tell me?”
“That’s something you’ll need to ask him. But Izael didn’t push me not to hire you. That was my choice because I saw the pain etched on his face about the situation. He was torn. I told him that I would not hire anyone that would create any discomfort for him out of honor of our friendship. He was visibly relieved, and he thanked me.”
“So, how did it come around to him changing his mind? I overheard your conversation that day when you were walking to the reception desk. You said that you were grateful that he changed his mind, and had it not been for that, you wouldn’t have hired me.”
“He called me back after a while and stated that I was making a foolish decision. He said that he couldn’t think of a better person to cover that section of the magazine than you. He told me that you would bring a lot of creativity and expertise that I could never get anywhere else. He shared with me that he didn’t want his personal feelings to color a business decision. And I believe that he was right. It’s what I felt all along, but I also wanted to respect him as our board chair.”
“I understand and appreciate this. Thank you so much, Asante. This explains more than I could have imagined.”
“You’re welcome, but I truly wanted to let you know that he resigned as the board chair Friday. I know that it’s a Sunday and not a normal business day, but I really urge you to reconsider the position. Please, Talia. Maybe take a week to think about it and then let me know.”
“I can do that,” I stated with a smile.
We ended the call, and I began to get ready for my date.
* * *
“Come on in. No one’s going to bite you,” Izael stated as he held the door of the restaurant open for me.
“Are you sure? I know that this is sacred ground.”
He closed his eyes and exhaled softly. “It is.”
“Zae, why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never gave me a chance.”
When I stepped inside the restaurant, I saw the staff in the kitchen, but there were no patrons in the restaurant. Izael led me back to the banquet room. I noticed as we walked that the room sat at the corner of River & 3 rd , according to the street sign posted outside of the room.
“I didn’t realize the restaurant was closed on Sundays.”
“It’s not normally. But today is a special day, and I will do anything for my queen,” he replied and looked tenderly into my eyes.
“What’s so special about today?” I asked.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
“We met twenty-one years ago on this day. Today is a celebration of our friendship.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“Wow. I didn’t realize that.”
“I remember because it was three days after my mama’s birthday.”
I smiled up at him, and just when I expected him to kiss me, he stood aside and waved his hand with a flourish. In the center of the room was a blanket spread on the floor. Lit candles were strategically positioned around the room, and vases of pink frangipani were all around the room.
“Zae, what’s all this?”
“This is what me fighting for you looks like, Talia.”
Tears sprung to my eyes. “You’re so sweet.”
“Baby, there’s nothing sweet about me. I’m just a man who loves you like this.”
“Zae, you remembered,” I stated and pointed at the flowers.
“That they’re your favorite flowers? Yes,” he whispered while he wrapped his arms around my waist.
A violinist stood in one corner and played music softly, and my heart melted inside of my chest. Izael took my hand and helped me lower onto the blanket. There were several platters on a low table beside us.
“It smells delicious,” I observed and looked skeptically at the covered dishes.
The food I had eaten here on several occasions smelled great, but the aroma didn’t match what I remembered the flavors to be.
“Well, let’s see how it tastes,” he stated.
I watched as Izael fixed our plates and then poured me a glass of wine.
“Aren’t you going to drink any?”
“No, I’m driving. If I had been thin
king, I would have hired a driver for tonight.”
“What about me? I’m driving.”
“I was hoping that you wouldn’t. I was hoping when the night ended, you would be coming home with me.”
My heart danced inside of my chest.
“So, what did you want to talk with me about?”
“Everything that happened.”
“How long did you know that it was me?”
“The night that I used your computer to access my email so that I could sign a contract. It fucked my head up so bad that I didn’t sign that contract until a couple of days later.”
“I’m so sorry, Izael. But I didn’t know you owned this restaurant.”
“Yeah, and I didn’t know that you were T’s Temptations.”
“Well, I’ve always kept that hidden. I made that decision from the minute that I decided to do it because with all the friends that I have in the industry, I never wanted to feel the pressure to write a good review just because I was friends with someone. And if I chose to write a negative one, I didn’t want that to impact my friendship with people.”
“No, I get it. That makes sense. Because I damn sure felt a way when I realized that it was you who wrote those things.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that you owned this restaurant?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t think about it. I hadn’t told most people because Asante advised me not to. I would have told you, but the subject never came up between us. You knew that I owned a few restaurants and had an interest in others. When I realized who you were, I realized at the same time that you couldn’t know that I owned it.”
“If only we had just talked about things.”
“You’re right. I usually came in stressed and wanted to just disappear in you.”
“And I just wanted to surround myself in the cocoon of loving you and being loved by you.”
“I was wrong for not telling you as soon as I knew, but this was why it was important for us to spend quality time together. We needed to be strong to overcome challenges. Not living together was tough enough, but we both needed time to get our minds right, Chè.”
“You were right.”
I took a bite of my braised beef short ribs, closed my eyes, and I moaned.
“This is heavenly!” I complimented after I finished chewing.
“Glad you approve.”
“These were cooked with red wine, hmm?”
“They were,” Izael confirmed.
I immersed myself in the garlic butter and herb mashed potatoes.
“Smoked gouda.” I nodded my approval.
“Says the girl who always hated cheese in her mashed potatoes as a kid.” Izael chuckled and shook his head.
“When done right, it’s perfectly fine. I’ve come to learn that through age and wisdom,” I replied with a wink.
There were garlic-seared green beans with a lemon butter sauce, sweet potato spears, and braised collard greens. The food was so delicious that we stopped conversing. Other than the sound of the violinist in the corner, the only noise heard was the smacking of our lips and moans of appreciation.
“I could just lay down and sleep now,” I stated as I wiped my hands on the moist towelettes Izael handed me when I finished eating.
“Do you approve of the meal, ma’am?”
“I do. But I don’t want to write another review because this isn’t on your usual menu, and I don’t want it to be influenced by my relationship with you.”
Izael inhaled deeply, nodded, and then pulled his fingers through his beard.
“Would you consider stopping in here again of your own accord and writing a review based on a separate experience? You wouldn’t even have to tell me that you were coming.”
I considered that, and I believed that everyone deserved a chance to redeem themselves. However, I agreed with a stipulation.
“Okay, but you need to overhaul your entire menu and reconsider how your chef is preparing the meals. In the past, it felt like they were giving us meals that were previously cooked and then heated up in a microwave. They were bland.”
“Okay, okay. I get the picture,” he stated as he nodded at the violinist.
I watched as the violinist left the room.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to bash you in front of him.”
“It wasn’t that, Talia. Remember when I moved out, I told you that you needed time to reconsider our relationship?”
I nodded.
“I know that a lot has happened in that time since, and lately I haven’t been the most favorable person in your life. So, I know you probably didn’t consider my offer and was hardly thinking about a relationship with me, but?—”
I rocked forward and pressed a finger against his lips. “Shh…you’ve been all I’ve thought about since the moment that I walked out of that door at the magazine. You’re all I ever think about, Zae. When we were still seeing each other and when we weren’t, all I could think about was you. I wanted to be closer to you. I needed to be in your presence. Every waking moment of my day and every dream-filled night was about you. I had a hard time writing reviews, and my girls even told me they were bland. They needed a little extra seasoning.
“Zae, you are the seasoning in my life, and without that, my life is bland at best. I love you, and I have never stopped loving you since I first fell in love with you all those years ago. Yes, I was hurt over what I thought you had done, but when Asante told me what happened, it made sense.”
“So, you’re not angry with me about that anymore?”
“I’m disappointed that when you learned who I was, you didn’t come to me with it. I trust you, Zae, and that means that I trust you to do what’s right for our relationship at all times, no matter what you think my reaction might be.”
“You’re right, baby,” he replied and reached out and smoothed my eyebrows. “It’s my job to protect you and us.”
“And mine too.”
“I just love you so much that I didn’t want to lose you, and I was worried that’s exactly what would happen. And yet, I almost lost you anyway.”
A knock sounded at the door, and though Izael’s gaze remained on me, he called out, “Come in.” The door swung open, but my attention was still on my man, who was saying, “I thought you might want to pay your compliments to the chef.”
I turned to do just that when my mouth fell open, and I screamed at the sight of the man who stood in the doorway with his hands crossed in front of me. I jumped up and ran to the small-framed man with a big heart, bold personality, and a flair for the dramatic in the kitchen.
“Oh, my goodness! What are you doing here?” I shrieked as we squeezed each other tightly.
His pale blue eyes crinkled at the corner as I pulled back and stared at him.
“I came to prepare a meal for my beautiful friend and the best sous chef in the USA.”
“You came all the way to Cherokee Springs for little old me, Chef Caesar?” I asked, pressing my hand against my chest. I was as pleased as punch.
“I did, and to review the current practices and re-train the chef here at River & 3 rd ,” he stated.
“Are you serious?” I asked in shock as I looked back and forth between him and Izael.
He nodded with a smile and then replied with a wink. “You know I never play about these things.”
I turned back to Izael. “Really, babe?”
“My aunt deserves the best, Talia. And if I plan to bring you here in the future, I want it to be deserving of you. I know that you trained under the best. I have no problem getting my shit together when I’m slacking. I just needed to know exactly where and how I was slacking. So, I made a phone call and asked for some advice and assistance. He has agreed to be here for the next two weeks to help us turn things around,” Izael stated.
“Oh, my goodness. This is going to be the best restaurant in Cherokee Springs!” I exclaimed and clapped my hands with laughter.
“Good. As long as you approve,” Izael stated and stood to walk to me.
“I will let you two get at it. I have a kitchen to clean,” Chef Caesar stated.
“I’ll be back to visit,” I remarked.
“And I hope to help with a meal or two,” Chef Caesar replied with a wink.
“You bet your sweet ass I will,” I stated.
He laughed and closed the door behind him.
“Izael, I’m so proud of you!” I exclaimed and threw my arms around his neck.
“Does that mean that I earned the right to take you home with me tonight?”
“You damn sure did.” I confirmed my agreement with my lips pressed against his.
Our kiss was sweet but long and passionate as Izael worked his way further into my heart as if that were possible. His hands gripped my ass, and he squeezed.
When we finally pulled back for air, he looked down at me and declared, “I love you, Talia. I love everything about you, from your flat ass to your sassy attitude.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I love you too. Now, would you please take me home and fuck the shit out of me? I’m horny as hell.”
“I can start with the appetizer now and finish the entrée at home.”
“You do that,” I replied in a voice dripping with honey and sensuality as he lowered to his knees and lifted my leg over his shoulder.
“Aww damn, girl.”
Izael realized that I hadn’t been wearing panties underneath my dress, and he rewarded me with one long swipe of his tongue through my parted flesh. I rocked forward, allowing him to get a sugar high from my sweet nectar.