Chapter 12 Crystal
Crystal
Mama called me at work to tell me that Neville was flying in that evening and would take a taxi straight to my apartment.
“What time is his flight coming in?” I asked, trying hard to keep the irritation out of my voice. I thought I had more time.
“About four thirty.”
“Mama, you know I work until six most days.”
“Well, baby, he’ll just have to wait in the lobby until you get home is all.”
“No, no.” I jabbed my pen into the middle of a stack of papers that were on my desk. “I guess by the time he clears Customs and Immigration and collects his bags it’ll be damn near six.”
Mama just stayed quiet.
“I’ll be home by the time he gets there. Don’t worry.”
“Okay.” She paused for a moment before going on. “You sound so stressed, honey. I think this visit is going to really help relax you.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Think what, sweetheart, that you’re stressed?”
“No, that Neville’s visit would help relax me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just an old lady talking foolishness, I guess,” she sang.
I shook my head. Sometimes I felt my mother was losing her mind. “So what time is your flight to Vegas?” I asked, moving us on to another subject.
“I’m getting ready to walk out the door now.”
I glanced at the small crystal clock on my desk; it was just past nine. “Oh, well, have a safe trip, and be sure to call me when you get there.”
“Okay, Crystal. Will do,” she said. “And really, you and Neville try to have a good time. Okay? Try to get out and see things. You know Neville hasn’t been back to New York in years. I don’t think he’s even left that island since he moved there.”
“Yeah, sure, Mom. Bye.”
***
I’d just smoothed my hands across the clean sheets of the guest bed when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl. What’s doing?”
“Hey, Geneva. Just putting the final touches on this room.”
“What?”
“Oh, I haven’t spoken to you recently. Well, Neville is coming in tonight.”
“Tonight! Oh, wow. I can’t wait to see him. I wonder if he’s still got that big ol’ jug head!” Geneva laughed.
“Well, you don’t outgrow something like that,” I said, dragging my finger across the dresser to check for dust.
“I suppose not,” Geneva said. “You don’t sound excited.”
“Well, you know, I just wish I had a little more time to get used to the idea.”
“Yeah.”
“So what’s been going on in your world?”
“Well, girl, I had the most embarrassing moment of my life,” Geneva started, then went on to tell me about her early-morning escapade with Eric’s manager, Deeka.
By the end of the story I was laughing so hard, my sides were hurting.
“I don’t ever want to see that boy ever again in my life!” she ended just as my intercom buzzed.
“Okay, girl,” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes, “I think that’s Neville. I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”
“All right, give Neville a hug for me and tell him I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
“I will, and listen,” I said as seriously as I could, “invest in some pajama bottoms!”
“Oh, you’re a real comedian now, huh?” Geneva laughed. “Bye,” she said, and the line went dead.
I gave the room another once-over and then headed over to the intercom.
“Yes?”
“A Mr.Neville Gill is here for you.”
“Thank you, Joseph. You can send him up.”
A few minutes later the front-door buzzer sounded. I took a deep breath, put on my best movie-star smile, and swung the door open.
“Crystal?” a deeply melanated man with shoulder-length locs asked.
“Neville?” I responded.
“Hey, gal. What you saying!” Neville yelled, and bent down and enclosed me in a tight embrace.
“H-hey,” I said, more than a little surprised. I gave his back three awkward pats before breaking the embrace. We just stood there for a while beaming at each other. He didn’t have a jug head anymore.
“Look at me, forgetting all my manners. Come in, please.” I took a step backward, making space for him to enter.
“Wow, this is a nice place,” he said as he slipped the green duffle bag off his back and dropped it down to the floor.
“Thanks.” I was still at the door, looking in the hallway for more luggage. “Is that all you have?” I asked.
“Yep. All I need.” He perused the apartment for a moment before turning back to me. “You’ve really done well for yourself, Crystal.”
“Yeah, I guess I have.”
“Don’t be coy, gal.” Neville laughed, and I noticed that his teeth were so white they seemed to sparkle. “You rich?”
His question caught me off guard; I stumbled for a moment and then recovered with “Rich in family and friends.”
“That is the best wealth to have!” Neville laughed again, and brought his hands together in a large thunderous applause.
“Oh, stop it.” I blushed. “Sit down, please.”
“I really appreciate you doing this for me, you know.”
“Neville, please, it’s no problem at all, really.”
“Oh, before I forget,” he said, reaching for his bag, opening it, and digging inside, “I have something for you.”
While he rummaged I had a moment to really look at him. He was dressed in a white T-shirt that was thin enough for me to see that he was muscled and firm. Sitting there with his legs open, it was clear to see that God had blessed him more than a few times.
Damn.
“Here you go!” he said, pulling a bottle of rum from the bag and handing it to me. “Just a small gesture. I really appreciate that you’re letting me stay in your home.”
“Thank you so much, and it’s no problem at all. I love the company.”
“Well, good.”
“Anyway,” I said when I found myself staring at him, “over there is your room.” I pointed across the living room toward the guest bedroom. “I hope it’s okay,” I said, standing up and starting across the floor. Neville picked up his bag and followed me.
“It’s lovely,” he commented, stepping inside and strolling over to the window. “Your mother didn’t say how much you were going to charge me.”
“Charge? Oh, no. Nothing. I’m glad to do it,” I said, waving my hand and trying hard not to focus on the bulge in his pants.
Neville threw his hands up into the air. “Well, free-ness is not always a good thing, you know.”
“?’Scuse me?”
“I have to pay you somehow.”
I could suggest a few different positions—I mean, ways…damn.
“Really, it’s not a problem. Don’t worry yourself about it.” I felt my cheeks begin to sizzle.
Neville nodded his head. “I will repay you in some way, someday.”
I just smiled.
“Well, look at us, standing here like we’re strangers or something.” Neville started toward me. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” Grabbing hold of my hand he piped up, “Come, let’s you and me get reacquainted.”
It’d been a long time since a man had held my hand.
It felt good. Damn good.
***
Before I knew it we had been sitting on the couch, talking for nearly two hours. My stomach was growling, and I realized that the last thing I’d eaten was a Cobb salad, and that was at noon.
Standing up, I started toward the kitchen. “You’ve got to be hungry, Neville.”
“Like a horse!” Neville laughed as he rubbed his stomach and trailed behind me.
“Well, I’ve got some leftover Chinese food and some salad in the fridge. I’m sorry but I don’t get to the grocery store too often; I eat out a lot,” I said apologetically.
“You’re giving me a place to stay; I don’t expect you to feed me too,” he said from the doorway of the kitchen. “How about I start thanking you by taking you out to eat?”
I thought about what Mama had said about Neville not having much money. “Oh, no, I couldn’t let you do that.”
“Please,” he said, giving me puppy-dog eyes.
“Okay. What are you in the mood for?”
“Whatever you’re in the mood for.”
I had been craving steak all week but knew that Neville’s pockets wouldn’t be able to handle that. “How about pizza?”
“Pizza it is.”
“Okay, then. Let me just fix my lipstick and we’ll head out.”
***
We ended up at Ray’s Famous Pizza. I ordered a Supreme slice and Neville ordered a Veggie. We both had bottled water and took a seat by the window.
“So do you like being back in New York?” I asked after I’d wiped the red sauce from my lips.
“I always have a good time when I come to New York,” he said as he unscrewed the white top from his Poland Spring water bottle.
My eyes popped. “Always?” I asked stupidly, replaying my conversation with my mother in my mind. “When was the last time you came through?”
He eyed me intently as he raised the water bottle to his lips and drank deeply.
I watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat.
There was something sickly seductive about the movement.
I pulled my eyes away. When he’d consumed half the bottle, he lowered it and watched me as he licked his wet lips.
“I come here at least twice a year,” he said.
I cocked my head to one side and gave him a perplexed look. “I thought you hadn’t been here for years.”
“Why would you think that?” he asked, taking a bite from his pizza.
“Well, that’s what I thought my mother told me,” I said, a bit unsure.
“You must have heard her wrong,” he said, and looked off toward the glass refrigerator that held the sodas and water. “I’m going to need some more water. How about you?” He pointed to my full bottle.
“No, I’m fine, thanks.”
I stared down at my pizza and mentally ticked off all the information Mama had given me about Neville. When he returned to the table, I had a laundry list of questions for him. Without making it seem as if I was giving him the third degree, I casually interrogated him.
“So,” I started easily, “have you been anywhere else in the United States?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve visited Miami a few times. I like that city. I’ve been to Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and Denver,” he said as he counted the cities off on his fingers. “Oh, yeah, and last summer I spent a month at Martha’s Vineyard.”
“Really?” I said, already feeling angry red heat climbing my neck. My mother had lied to me. “A whole month. What a life,” I added sarcastically.
Neville smiled. “Yes, I have a nice life. I can’t complain,” he said. “I’m supposed to be headed out to England in a few weeks. But that’s up in the air for now.”