BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (89 page)

She instantly felt bad, then nodded and turned away and headed for the stairs with her son.

Shawn turned back to Mundo and Ben, "When she's in a bad mood, for whatever reason she is, leave her alone, okay?"

"She the one come out here startin' it! Why ain't you chewin' her out?" Mundo defended them.

"Am I chewin' you out?" Shawn retorted.

"Feel like it, she slept all morning and we out here helping her out, and this our reward. You always back her over us."

"Hey! You're both young men, you don't need me to back you against her! Learn that if a woman is doing something that seems unreasonable, something is wrong!" He turned to Ben then asking, "You know what's wrong with her?"

"No, I don't." He answered right away, lying. He had an idea, but he wasn't going to bring it up before Mundo and Shawn.

"And everything went okay between you two last night?"

"Everything was fine between us last night."

Shawn eyed him and Mundo, nodding, "Okay, well - you guys go on with what you want to do, leave her alone for the rest of the day."

"Huh-huh, you ain't got to tell me twice! When you go in, you might wanna dial a exorcist for her ass, it's Sunday, lines should be open!" Mundo grumbled.

Shawn shook his head and fought not to chuckle at him, "Mundo!" He called his name in warning, despite the corners of his mouth twitching to grin.

"Ah'ight, ah'ight, ah'ight, I'm chillin'."

Shawn backed up in the door and slid it closed, leaving them outside.

Ben stood for a moment wishing that he and Crystal were there alone, had they been, he would have dealt with her, but because of Mundo and Shawn, his hands were tied, for now that is.

"Come on man, let's go chill out dude. Now, you see what she like."

Ben turned to Mundo, "Do me a favor little brother, try to fight your need to further antagonize her, it only makes things worse."

"Ah man, you too!?"

Ben stared at Mundo a moment and then, just came clean, "I love her Mundo, I'm - in love with her - Crystal Bella. I also know her, I know what this is - what just happened."

Mundo couldn't believe he just put it out like that.

"You look surprised?"

"She still married to Victor man. And, maybe, still in love with him. Dude, don't set yourself up like this, as you can see, she already trippin' on you."

"Yeah, I can see it. Thing is, I just - I don't wanna play the game, know what I'm saying? I'm just gonna deal with it all, straight forward, sometimes on her terms, sometimes not, it will all depend I guess, but - I'm not in denial - whether she chooses to be or not."

"Well, I'm gone be straight with you. With her, I think you biting off more than you can chew. My sister, she got issues dude, she got serious issues."

"Well Mundo, so do we all. It's the curse of being flesh and blood humans. And Crystal is emotional. She's like, one of those books really hard to read, like Shakespeare, you know? Yet, once you get the insight, the understanding of how the terms and wording are structured, once you get behind the meaning, you can't stop reading it, because comprehension drives home the fact that it means something. She's like Shakespeare ... and I like reading Shakespeare."

"Dai-yum! That's some deep philosophical shit man! It's summer right now, school out! I ain't supposed to be thinking that deep and hard on shit - you either! Chill! We in L.A. 'sposed to be having fun, lighten up." Mundo advised shaking his head, turning to lead the way on their walk, "Yeah, you need to hang around me more. Lettin' shit get t'ya, makin' ya'thank - we thank when school back in, but right now, it's
su-u-um-mer - summer time is here...da da da da taaaa ... yes it's su-u-um-mer - my time of ye-e-ear."
He sang with a surprisingly incredible voice, making Ben laugh out. "Wow, that sounded good, you should be singing instead of mixin'." He grinned following behind him out the side of the house.

"Hey I'm good wit' mixin' ya'know, just now and then, I let a little bit of other thangs 'bout me out." He winked, determined to stay upbeat and not let anything or one, ruin his good time.

After getting Isaac down and to sleep for his nap, Crystal came down to find Shawn in the kitchen fixing her something to eat. "You should be hungry, I made a salad for everyone, some fresh Salmon fillets and pea soup, here you go, eat up." He smiled placing the food at a setting at the kitchen bar. She looked up from it, to him, "Papah-Shawn you don't have to do stuff like this for me, weren't you working in the office?" She asked, taking a bar stool looking over everything, it looked so colorful and delicious.

"I needed a break. Been working non-stop since your mom and Mama JoJo left. They'll be out for a while, Sylvia is going to take her to pick up some things in the Limo and then she'll be back home, after church."

Crystal nodded with her fork in hand, spearing her salad, eating, it tasted as wonderful as it looked.

"Is it okay?"

"It's incredible, you're such a good cook papah-Shawn." She sighed loving the way he could make up a salad.

"You want water, seltzer water, lemonade, or a soda?" He asked grabbing a glass for her.

"Yes please, just water is fine."

"Coming right up." He filled it from the refrigerator and set it before her. "Anything else?"

She looked up sheepishly at him. "When I'm done eating, can we - talk?" She asked hesitantly.

"I was hoping you would say that Lil'mo, so, finish your meal and join me in my office when you're ready, okay?"

"Yep."

Crystal stood at the kitchen sink, drying off the counter after washing her dishes, her mind on the talk with Shawn, while she was a little nervous about it, she wasn't afraid. She decided to check on the boys before she went in to talk to him; they were sound asleep.

Shawn looked up at the tap tap tap on his door, "Come on in Lil'mo." He invited, figuring it could be no one else. He'd been touching up some of the pictures he took when Mundo had been with him for taking pictures of the interracial couples that the James's would be using at Pen-tab. He was also finishing up the last website of the authors sites he was doing. It felt so good to be on target again, not behind and under pressure. The breather, thanks to Ben, was a blessing.

"You sure I'm not interrupting your work?" She asked softly, easing in to take a seat before his desk.

"Don't be silly, I always have time for my girls. Speaking of which, I wonder if Angela is ready to come home yet?"

"She must be having fun."

"Yes, must be." He returned turning from his computer to face her. "Tell me now, why you looking so lost? What was earlier about?"

Crystal sat back in her chair, gazing at the man who married her mother and basically, was making such a difference in their lives, she couldn't help but admire him, look up to him, seek him out for times like this. Problem is, part of it - what plagued her, was about him.

"You've got something ridin' you pumkin' - you do know, that with me, nothing is off bounds."

"I know, but - well - it's just that I wanna talk to you about something, but I don't know how to, exactly. As I think about it, in truth, it's none of my business - I have no right to - ask about it, wonder about it. But, I can't help wondering and I don't want something like this - coming between what I think of you."

Shawn froze, staring at her. His mind racing with where this might be going, especially considering where they were last night. Now, he had to know what was going on.

"Crystal, anything - I do mean anything, that disturbs you, that might block the growth and trust of this family, especially from me, as I've stepped in - gladly - gladly as your father, your brothers ... I must know what that is to deal with it. I don't want anything, coming between any of us, ever ... not ever! I mean this from the bottom of my heart, God as my witness I do, I love your mother - with everything in me, and her children - you and your brother - you're mine. You've been given to me, I believe that. So - if there is anything, that is making you feel un-easy ... here is where you belong, talking to me about it - straight up, okay? You believe me?"

Crystal nodded, trying to fight making it emotional, but with the sincerity of his words, it was hard not to get emotional. Only from her mother, had she known and trusted in such a show of absolute love. She sat trying to imagine what she might have been, had this man, truly been her father, from conception? Now, she wished she had not started this discussion, because simply put, he was a man who as a young man made a mistake, she didn't feel now that it was her right or place to call it to his attention. Even so, he needed to know what was being spread about him.

"Still wrestling with telling me?" He asked, his heart going with dread, try as he might, there was only one thing that could be troubling her, concerning
him.
Shawn braced himself.

Crystal resolved herself to getting it out, but knew she had to be careful in the delivery due to the way he was about them. If the way he reacted concerning Mundo at the pool hall the other night was anything to go by, telling him what Oscar T. said and did to her was totally out of the question. Settled in her mind how she was to bring it out, she began.

"First, Ben and I - we had a terrific time last night."

"Glad to hear it, so what was up with earlier?"

She sighed. "I think I over handled things there, I'm just scared that's all. I want to get my life in order, one step at a time, in one area at a time and - well - I don't want anything interfering, complicating matters."

"I see, you talking about Ben?"

She nodded first then answered, "Yes. He's ... well - he's too good to be true, if I must be honest. And, I'm still trying to get my self over Victor and my marriage falling apart. I don't want to be one of these women, who jumps from one guy to the next, know what I mean? I don't wanna be like that. I wanna do things the right way, I want to live right - and - I don't want my boys growing up later thinking, that their mother is into bed with anyone who shows me a little attention."

"Your boys would never think that about you, because that's not who you are."

"Well - if I went straight from Victor - to-..."

"Ben?"

She nodded looking in her lap, "Yeah, Ben. Besides, he's with Gail - and - that's another thing. I don't want the reputation of taking someone else's man, or - scheming to break them up, that's just so ugly - you know? To be honest, that's kinda what this all feels like, sneaky and under handed. I smiled at her, I invited her into our home and now - look at us - we went out on a date together. I should have never given in and did that, it's just wrong. I don't want my life going off into that direction, I'm not going to do it. I will prove my fath-... well, Mr. Payne was wrong about me! I will not live my life proving him right, no way ... no way."

Shawn exhaled and sat back. He wouldn't admit out loud that he'd hoped just that, that Ben would be able to get with her, take her mind off of Victor. He wanted her in his fold by every means possible, even if it meant her marrying his son. Hearing her protest of it, brought that to the fore with him, that
that
is exactly what he'd hoped. Even so, he understood her feelings but hated that her every action was fuelled by her worthless sperm donor, Armundo Payne Sr. He'd laid a heavy burden on her shoulders, that she would no doubt fight against in every aspect of her life.

"Crystal - you can't let what your father did to you, direct what you do in your life. You can't let it and how he was with you, make you."

She sat thinking about that a moment and then looked up at Shawn saying, "You let your father's words, deeds, direct you, make you. Maybe even, made you rebel a bit, do something, you now regret? Right?"

Shawn felt heat steel over him, so much so that he turned red on the spot. Once more, he felt frozen, turning warmer by the moment.

She decided to go on and get it out now, "Last night, we found out, that Deidre's father, Mr. Wherrington, doesn't like you."

Shawn couldn't speak, he only nodded as if to say,
go on
.

"He uh, had quite a bit to drink - which made him, insulting about you - to Ben."

Finally he spoke, "You saying he harassed Ben, you?"

"No no, just - he was mouthing off to Ben."

"What did he say to him?"

"He - he insulted you and said that - you - did porn."

Shawn thought he would burst into flames, such shame raced over him. For her to know that, for his son, to know that - coming from Oscar T. Wherrington - was like getting punched painfully in the stomach, he literally felt ill. His heart felt lodged in his throat. "He - he said that to Ben?"

"Yes, and Ben, well - a bit upset over it, he told me."

"I see."

"He said, you were part of a team, Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl - told Ben to look it up, to see for himself."

"I see."

Crystal could tell by the look on his face that it was true, he was now, having a hard time looking at her. Seeing him like that, again, she wished she could have kept it to herself. He reached up and stroked both hands over his head and then down over his face. "Jesus Christ!" He gasped, struggling with the magnitude of it.