In Between Lies Page 7

  Just then, Savannah knocked on the bedroom door when she heard all the noise. Moving Rosalyn to the side, she saw her sister whom she hadn’t seen in about a year. An array of emotions ranging from hate and anger to complete disgust raced through her. Even though she wanted Tamika to respect her mother, she could not find it in her heart to do the same. Savannah turned and left the room without saying one word.

  She really has nerve to show her face around here again. Hasn’t she done enough? I wonder whose man she is about to snatch now. There has got to be some poor soul that she’s clinging to, she thought as she headed for the kitchen. Trembling with anger, she reached in the cupboard and got a coffee cup and filled it with black coffee. Black coffee seemed to bring her down from both a drunken state and anger. She needed to drink at least three cups before she would be able to face her sister. By no means, would she bring Kevin around Lenora.

  “Hello, Savannah. It’s nice to see you too.” Lenora walked into the kitchen and sat beside her sister. “Wait before you say anything and let me apologize with all my heart about what happened between me and Dre. I know I was wrong and you should hate me to death.” Aware that her sister was on the edge, Lenora moved back a little from her reach just in case Savannah had the urge to swing.

  “I know that I should accept your apology, but I am having a hard time even looking at you let alone giving in to your apology. Do you understand what you did to me? Do you have any idea how that set me back?” Not waiting for Lenora’s answer, she continued. “I cannot understand how you can be so callous. How could you sleep with the man that I was going to marry and spend the rest of my life with and keep a straight face at the same time…laughing and grinning in my face the whole time? What the hell? How would you feel if I did that to you? You can’t answer that, can you?”

  Lenora was on the verge of tears. “Sis, I know I was wrong from day one…and I won’t get into a long story, but I just want you to know that I am truly sorry. I came back home to set things straight. A new year is rolling in and a new me is arriving with it.” She moved closer to Savannah and held out her hand in a gesture of making peace. “Please?” she tapped Savannah’s arm.

  “I know I shouldn’t accept your apology, but you weren’t in it alone. At least you are sorry…or act like you are.”

  Savannah knew it was not in her sister’s character to come clean the way she did unless there was something in it for her or something was seriously wrong. She eyed Lenora, looking for some sort of sign that she was faking. What looked back at her were dark circled eyes that used to be bright with life and mischief. Savannah rose and stood in front of her sister then reached out to hug her. “I accept.” One of the reasons she accepted is that she had found a new freedom within Kevin and her ghosts of the past were now conquered. She felt like the better woman and knew she was. Besides Dre had a big hand in what happened too. It takes two.

  Lenora cried as she wrapped her arms tighter around her sister. “I need to tell you something else.”

  “What?” Savannah pulled her away to face her.

  “I am here to stay and I hope you won’t have a problem with me being around.”

  “No, you need to be here with your daughter. She needs her mother right now. You owe her a lot and she will be watching. You have a beautiful bright daughter…so don’t ruin and strain the relationship any more than you have.”

  Rosalyn came into the kitchen and overheard the ending statement that Savannah had just made. “You got that right. Tamika has suffered a lot with you, girl. So get back there and start mending those wounds.” She pointed towards Tamika’s room.

  Lenora left quietly.

  “I heard what was said and I am so happy that you accepted her apology. Now…you know we are having a big family dinner soon…so why not bring your friend to dinner?” Rosalyn smiled. “You promised to bring him and I still haven’t seen him yet. Where is he?”

  Savannah had not mentioned anything to Kevin about any outings or dinner with her family, even though she had told her mother that she would bring a friend by to dinner and meet them. Maybe she could get him to come along as a friend. No one had to know the extent of the relationship. “I’ll see what I can do, mom.”

  Weeks had passed by and before she knew it, the deadline for her on the side campaign had come. She wanted to present Kevin with a great plan to bring more business to The Blue Horizon. She practically skipped out on the all but important meetings and outings with Jazzy to complete this plan. Her morning runs had been lacking as well, but she’d made up for it doing extra curricular sexual laps with Kevin on the side. Smiling to herself she thought of Kevin, bringing goose bumps to her flesh. Had she really fallen for him so quickly?

  “Hello beautiful,” a voice came from behind a huge vase of roses. Kevin stuck his head through her office door. “You working late tonight?” he asked. “I thought we were going out to grab a bite by 7?”

  “I’m sorry. “I got caught up in the moment here. Actually, I was working on your new campaign here. Take a look at this.” She handed him her proposed plan.

  “All work and no play makes Kevin a naughty boy,” he tossed the paperwork to the side and scooped her up into his arms. Kissing her deeply, she succumbed to his wandering hands and tongue, forgetting that they were still in her office. Though it was late, there were people still milling about.

  “Okay, babe, lets go before this gets out of hand.” She backed away, straightened her clothes, and waited for him to calm himself down before she opened her office door.

  “I’m starving…where are we going?” she asked as he lead her out to her car.

  “Just follow me.”

  After dropping her car off at her place, she slid into the passenger side of Kevin’s car. He slid his hand over her thigh and left it resting there as if that were the place to be. She placed her hand over his and inwardly smiled. Things couldn’t be better.

  The bright, full moon had a calming effect on her. Though she was already happy with her “man” sitting next to her, she was thankful for the quiet ride to the apparent restaurant they had just pulled up to.

  Since they’d met she’d grown to actually love being in his company on a regular basis. When he wasn’t around, she delighted in watching him and hearing his voice on the nightly news, his calming voice lulling her to sleep.

  Jazzy had told her she was whipped and molded into what he wanted and he was exactly what she needed and was happy to see her finally getting out to enjoy herself. She thought of Richard, on the other hand, who warned her against his type. Since he’d been wrapped up in his work and side photography work, she’d seen less and less of him lately. Her mind wandered….what was Richard into anyway. He’d been pretty secretive about who he was seeing.

  She’d not seen nor felt any signs of Kevin doing anything outside of wonderful for her, so she quickly dismissed Richard’s warnings and was happy to let go and be free with Kevin. Jazzy was right. He was just what the doctor ordered. Dre and Lenora were now a lifetime away…just as she liked it. The whole incident which threatened her sanity and will was now the distant past, not easily forgotten but dulled out to a gray, almost shadowy existence. Thanks to Kevin.

  “Hey, you with me over there?” Kevin asked. He clanged his fingertip across the top of his wine glass. “I mean, you are here with me aren’t you?” Or is there somewhere else you’d rather be?”

  His smooth, chocolate skin glistened in the low, candlelit room. Soft music played in the background as their personal chef crossed the room and stopped at their table.

  “Bonjour! Je m’apelle Pierre.” His French accent was very thick. He placed their meals before them. “Bon apetite!”

  “Sorry, we don’t speak French,” Kevin said smoothly, “but I believe I understood what you said,” then waved his hand over the table. “And we do know good food when we see it,” and smiled.

  “Pardon, enjoy your meal,” Pierre looked at Savannah, then back at Kevin, “you and your lovely
lady friend, I may add.”

  “Charmer,” Savannah said as she blushed.

  Pierre dismissed himself.

  “So what were you thinking about?” Kevin asked.

  “Nothing, really,” she lied. “Well, since you asked, I was thinking about asking you to meet my family earlier. They are dying to see who I have been seeing lately. They would…um, I would love to have you over for dinner next week.”

  “I can’t see why I couldn’t make it.” Inwardly thrilled that he’d finally gotten through her first layer of defense, he made it a point to emphasize his pleasure by taking her hand in his and kissed each finger lightly while looking into her eyes. “Just let me know when.”

  Savannah ate it up. Whoa this man is too much! Lord help me! she thought. Looking around she blushed. Just as she was getting comfortable he abruptly dropped her hand as his cell phone vibrated. Looking at it, he quickly dismissed the call, then without a word, delved into his platter that sat before him.

  “Did you need to take that call? It’s ok if you need to.” Savannah prodded, as she took a bite of food.

  “Private number… I have no idea who it was. Besides if it’s important, they can leave a message and I can call them back later.”

  They finished their meal and lazily talked a little while longer before leaving.

  “I had a lovely evening,” Savannah stated as both her and Kevin made their way into her kitchen. “Drink?”

  “I’m glad you did. I want you to enjoy yourself, Savannah. You have been working hard lately..and yes, I’d love a drink.” Kevin followed her to the kitchen. Savannah handed him his drink as he loosened his tie and sat on the barstool next to her. “I want to tell you that I have had a great time with you these past few months,” Kevin said as he sipped his drink.

  Looking into his eyes, she could tell that he was being genuine. “Me too. I have to tell you that I did have some reservations about our relationship at first. But you have really been there and I can’t complain.” She emphasized the word relationship. Were they having a committed relationship or were they actually a couple in a benefiting relationship? Not sure, she continued, but bypassed that thought. “Movie?” she pointed towards her sitting room.

  Just then, Naomi ran across his mind. Feeling his facial muscles tighten, he tried to relax. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

  “Nothing. But first, let me freshen up.” He jumped from the barstool and headed for the bathroom, making sure his cell phone was in his pocket and still on vibrate.

  Savannah picked a movie and inserted into the DVD player. A wide smile crossed her face. She was happy that she had chosen to expand on their relationship despite Richards’ warning. He’d not shown any signs of being the player that Richard said he was. And that was a long time ago, she reminded herself. However, there was that phone call that he chose to ignore at dinner. It did seem a little suspect.

  She pushed the thought from her mind, not wanting to jump to any conclusions then raced to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. In the beginning of the relationship, the only thing that she could think of that semi bothered her was her seemingly inexperience in the bedroom. Kevin seemed to have a handle on that end and knew what he wanted. It had been up to her to match his insatiable pace. But the fast learner that she was, she quickly adapted to his different styles of lovemaking. And at times, she seemed to notice that his aggressiveness altered from time to time, for no apparent reason. He was satisfied as well as her being satisfied. She headed back to her sitting room, grabbed the remote and awaited his return.

  “Hey baby,” he said with a concerned look on his face. “I’m going to have to pass on the movie tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “That was the station that called. I am needed for an emergency there.”

  “Well, I hope everything is ok?” she said concerned and questioning at the same time.

  “It will be. Rain check?” He grabbed her by the waist and hugged her tightly. “I will call you later after everything is settled.”

  Savannah stood at the window and watched him pull out from her driveway. Not knowing really what to think or say. Instead, she opted for a huge bowl of ice cream and decided to call it a night.

  ************************************

  Sitting on her balcony located just off of her small one bedroom apartment, Naomi Saunders thought of Kevin Styles. He’d not answered any of her calls this afternoon or as a matter of fact, the last few days. She wondered if he was that busy or just ignoring her. The way she’d sexed him up the last few times, she found it hard to believe that he’d quickly dismiss her like that. Getting up, she walked to the edge of the small balcony and stared into the night sky.

  In the short time she managed to get him alone and in her bed, he’d pumped his way into her once before unfeeling heart. Did she imagine it, or had he professed his love once again to her in the heat of passion? She embraced herself and smiled. Imagining the day when she could once again feel him in her and taste him had finally come about and it was sweeter than she thought it would be.

  Since her mother barely knew her from Eve in between her sky high binges, she grew up practically homeless, a very unsheltered life. Moving from one place to another, usually each one worse than before, she’d become a quick learner and knew how to adapt to her surroundings very well. The advances of her mothers binge partners/boyfriends forced her to grow up quickly. A chameleon of a sort, she knew how to fit in well with others when the need benefited her. She also grew to learn to fight for not only herself, but for what she wanted in order to survive in Chicago’s cold streets. She’d worked her way through a small community college and found refuge in taking short drama classes. Thus she’d found her calling…and that is where she found her Kevin.

  He was standing there in the middle of the set. She sat, staring at a tall, dark, lean brother. Even back then, he was smooth. He had it, whatever it was…the aura of confidence, a magnetism that could only be his own. She’d sat there and watched female after female approach him and engage in small talk only to be sent away. However, a couple of times she’d noticed that there was an exchange, probably of phone numbers, she’d thought. She’d noticed that he was picky in which girl he chose to engage in conversation with. Most were tall, light skinned, had a nice body shape and tight frame…and from what she could tell, a fat behind. Oh, he knew what he liked.

  From that point on, she’d made it her business to become acquainted with the dark god. It really didn’t matter to her at the time that she was a little overweight and out of shape, and wore thick, wide rimmed glasses. Hell, she was practically blind. But she could see him, both physically and in her minds eye at night when she lay in her small dorm room fantasizing about him. She had charm on her side, and had to admit to herself that she was a thick, beautiful, lightly bronzed milkshake…and donned a fat ass that she kept hidden under baggy jeans. So why not give it a shot? Instead of approaching him as the others, she’d observed, she studied him more closely and got to know and understand his tendencies and mannerisms. So she watched and waited… then became a friend in waiting, using their Drama class as an opening into his life.

  Her studying had paid off and she quickly became more than a friend to Kevin. In a matter of months, they were an unspoken, on the side kind of couple. Nama sexually grew in ways that she hadn’t imagined in such a short time that it scared her. Kevin’s bedroom skills far surpassed any man that she’d been with in her short, dating life, and gave her more and more courage to try more things under his tutelage. She was sprung even before she knew what “sprung” actually was.

  Unfortunately for her, she’d found that she was not the only one and had issues with it…to the point of creating such chaos behind his back with the “other” women that she’d lost her unborn child due to the stress of trying to keep up with him and his flings….then turned around and lost him completely to someone new. His love life, she’d found had a revolving door and she was j
ust one of the many nameless that it revolved around. He never knew about the child they had conceived and lost.

  Shaking herself from her past thoughts, she got up and headed back to her bedroom and checked her reflection in the mirror. The once wide rimmed glasses were now replaced by light brown colored contacts. Her thick frame, now taut and just right was the envy of most of the women she auditioned against for commercial spots. And her short, spiked hair framed her face perfectly, leaving one to only imagine what secrets she hid behind what she called one of her best assets; her big, beautifully shaped eyes. Eyes that men stared into and became mesmerized by instantly. Yes, she’d completely transformed herself into a bona fide diva that men found hard to resist. She smiled and got dressed while happily humming to a tune that was playing on her clock radio. Just as she finished putting the final touches of make up on, her doorbell rang.

  “You ready?” he asked as he stepped inside. “We have about thirty five minutes to get to the set for your photo shoot. And baby, you look good, I might add.”

  “Well thank you so much, Mr. Caldwell….”

  “C’mon, Naomi. Since we have developed this working connection and whatever else that comes from it, please, call me Richard.”

  “Okay, Richard. I really need to get this portfolio done so I can land more gigs,” she smiled, grabbed her purse and her duffel bag then disappeared through the doorway with him following closely behind.

  The ride to the studio was a pretty short distance from Naomi’s apartment, which happened to be a block away from Richard’s home.

  “This is nice, Richard,” Naomi said. “I love the pictures. Is this all of your doing?” She pointed to a far left wall that housed a myriad of photos.

  “Yes,” he said as he walked her down the hall and gave an explanation of each one.