Chapter 6
I couldn’t believe that nigga stole her car. Apparently, her mama didn’t think it strange for Denishia to allow him to drive her car with as calmly as she asked the question. I believed she knew just how much foolishness Denishia had been putting up with and how she was probably allowing him to do whatever he wanted to do… like she was weak when it came to him. However, he knew Denishia wouldn’t have gone for that today, not after the blowup I walked in on.
He was gonna have to be taught a hard lesson. Men like him really pissed me off. They made it harder for men like me. Here I was, wanting to be with this woman, and all she could think about was heartbreak. I knew that was where her mind was, so I couldn’t blame her for turning me down. She didn’t know me. She was going to be afraid to give anybody a chance after dealing with him. I would be the same way had the shoe been on the other foot. Guarding her heart was her utmost concern right now, and I had to respect it.
I chose not to stay in Beaumont long. Denishia had a lot of shit to handle, and I didn’t want to get in the way or make things harder for her. The entire time we waited for the cops, I stared at her, learning her mannerisms and the things that seemed to make her tick. Her business was at the top of her list of priorities. She had Jamia stay at the office for the last couple of hours to make sure the storefront was open and available to anyone wanting to place an order or pick up a small premade bouquet, even after she’d originally said they would close for the rest of the day.
When I told her I was going to head back to Houston, she looked somewhat sad about it, which caught me off guard. She was feeling emotional and was extremely distracted. I didn’t want to be selfish at that moment. She had a lot she was dealing with emotionally and mentally. I knew she would need time to work through all that. Not to mention, she still had a business to run.
I was about thirty minutes from my parents’ home when my phone rang. When I saw Denishia’s name flash across the screen, my eyebrows lifted in shock. “Hello?” I said after answering through the Bluetooth.
“Hi, Ezekiel. I wanted to say thank you for being there for me today. I’m so sorry I couldn’t spend time talking to you and telling you how much I really appreciated the beautiful flowers and lunch. I hate that you had to see me lose control.”
I smiled like she could see me doing so. I wished I could have spent more time with her also, so I was glad she felt the same way. “You don’t have to apologize to me for anything. Just make it up to me. I’ll let you decide how you’re going to do that. I leave town Monday morning, two days after the party.”
She was quiet for a moment. She never did agree to even take things one day at a time, so I wasn’t sure where she stood. However, I had to assume she wanted nothing to do with me… romantically, at least.
“Okay. Well, thank you again. I’ll see you next weekend.”
“You’re welcome.”
She ended the call, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she would do to show me how much she appreciated my presence today. She could just get a greeting card and offer me a free bouquet or some shit like that. I would be disappointed like hell. I chuckled to myself at the thought of that possibility.
She didn’t deserve the things that fool was putting her through. From what I knew about her, she was a kind soul, extremely talented, and business minded. I could also see that she wasn’t a pushover. If there ever came a time that she was, it was her decision to be one. What I saw today was a savage side of her that I hoped I never had to see again. She looked like she was two seconds from throat punching that nigga.
Once I got to my parents’ house, my dad was outside doing something in the garage. The man was always doing something, whether it was to beautify or maintain their home or anything to just keep him busy. I believed he truly hated sitting still in the house. He could sit still outside in his garage, watching TV, but being in the house for long periods of time made his skin crawl. Those were his exact words when he had gotten sick last winter and had to stay inside.
The weather was starting to change now, and it was threatening to be cold next week. Valentine’s Day was coming up as well, and I was hoping Denishia would have at least agreed to take things one day at a time by then. By the holiday, she could possibly be a little more comfortable talking to me. I supposed it didn’t matter though. I would send her a bouquet anyway. I just hoped I could see her before the party.
Before I could greet my father, my cell phone rang. When I saw my agent’s number, I quickly answered, wondering what she had for me. “Hello?”
“Good evening, Ezekiel! I know you are home, preparing for your mother’s celebration, but do you think you could make a quick trip to New York? They want to move the auditions up. They’re looking at having them Tuesday afternoon. You would be able to be back before next weekend.”
“Ugh! Let me check the weather, Suzette.”
The last thing I wanted was the possibility of a grounded or delayed flight. I couldn’t miss my mama’s celebration, especially being that I was the one giving it. Nor did I want to miss another moment being in Denishia’s presence. The crazy part was that I was willing to turn down an audition for that reason alone. She wasn’t even mine… yet. I wanted that woman so bad. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back as I had convinced myself I would.
“Suzette, the weather app is showing snow on Wednesday through Friday. I cannot miss this party. I can’t take a chance of being stranded in New York when I need to be in Houston. I am going to have to pass. I hate they changed the schedule.”
“Me too. You would have really been great for this role. In the meantime, I will keep searching for other possible projects that fit your interests. Talk to you soon.”
“Okay.”
I ended the call and whispered, “Fuck!”
I didn’t like anything coming between me and my money, but I refused to choose money over my mama. Another opportunity would present itself, and there would be nothing to keep me from it. I had faith in that. As I made my way to my dad, I noticed he was staring right at me. When I got closer, he asked, “Son, you good?”
I exhaled hard. “I guess. I turned down an audition because they moved it up to Tuesday. I was originally supposed to audition in two weeks. I don’t want to risk being stuck in New York and miss Mama’s party.”
“Your mama would understand if it’s something you need to do, son, but I applaud you for putting her first in this moment. I know how much she means to you, but this… this shows that you haven’t lost sight of what’s important.”
He rested his hand on my shoulder, and I smiled slightly. “Thanks, Dad.”
He nodded. “Had it not been for her encouragement, you would have let your dreams fall by the wayside. We as parents tend to shun what we don’t understand. What we think is best isn’t always right. I’m glad she didn’t listen to me. I truly believe you are operating in your purpose.”
I closed my eyes briefly. Having his approval meant a lot to me, but hearing him verbalize it always caused me to pause and soak in his words. I nodded, then asked, “What are you doing out here?”
Looking past him, I saw the wood scattered and his drill on the charger.
“I’m building her a bookshelf. You know she loves to read. I truly believe that was what helped her see the potential in you. Seeing you portray someone’s favorite book character was something she could get excited about.”
He smiled big and slowly shook his head. I chuckled and nodded, then headed inside. While he liked to work with his hands, it was something I had no desire to do. When I rubbed my woman’s body, I wasn’t trying to scratch her up because of calluses. That man had calluses all over his hands when he and my mama first met, because he didn’t believe in wearing gloves. When she started to refuse his touch, he knew he had to do something. I chuckled at the recollection of my mama’s words.
After walking inside, I found her sprawled out on the couch with her kindle in her hands, engrossed in the story she was reading. “Hey, Mama.”
She held her hand up, halting me where I stood until she got to a stopping point. “Hey, baby,” she said when she finally looked up. “This fool had the audacity to steal his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend’s car. Can you believe that shit? Talking about that nigga couldn’t have what was his. Just a whole ass thug!”
She cracked up laughing, causing me to laugh too. “You better not ever play a toxic ass dude that can’t accept responsibility for his actions. I swear, I would roll my eyes every time I saw you until I got over it.”
“Hey. If the money right, I’ll be him every day, all day.”
She laughed louder, then stood and hugged me. “Where’ve you been?”
“Trying to woo the woman I want. She wasn’t hearing me though.”
“You aren’t giving up, are you?”
“Naw, but she needs space for a bit. I’m gonna take that time to regroup and refocus my efforts.”
She giggled. “She must be a special woman to have you working so hard. Where does she live? I thought you said she wasn’t from Houston.”
“Quit fishing. She’s not from Houston.”
“Well, she must be pretty close.”
I slowly shook my head and walked off toward the kitchen as I asked, “What you got to eat in here?”
“Not a damn thing. I was hoping to go out to dinner tonight. I could go for a good steak.”
“Brennan’s?”
“Sounds good, baby. Let me go get dressed.”
She quickly headed to her bedroom, and I headed to mine to freshen up. I really didn’t feel like going anywhere and fight the weekend crowds, but there was no way I would tell her no. She knew that shit, and she took full advantage of that fact. Since Dad was busy outside, I assumed it would just be her and me, and I would be cool with that as well.
After taking a quick shower and pulling out a black turtleneck and black slacks, I sat on the bed and grabbed my phone to see if I’d missed any correspondence from my agent. Just as I was about to put it back down on the nightstand, a text message came through.
I just wanted to say that I will be there Friday morning to start getting everything together. However, I hope that you will have time for me to take you to breakfast that morning before I get started.
I couldn’t help but let a smile grace my lips. It felt like she was trying to avoid a romantic type setting, but she would learn that it didn’t matter the setting or time of day. Romance was in me. I could be romantic anytime, anyplace. I bit my bottom lip as I responded to her.
It’s a date.