Imagined Love (14 page)

After a few drinks, Katrina began to relax and enjoy herself. Then Jeff demanded she get in the backseat. When she refused and tried to get out of the car, he pulled her back in by the neck!

“Look, you need to calm down, alright? Your girl said you was a good piece of ass and I want my money’s worth. I didn’t spring for dinner and a movie for nothing!”

Katrina was shocked to learn she’d been pimped out like a prostitute! Not for no damn White Castle’s burgers I ain’t, she thought before kicking Jeff between his legs with all the strength she could muster!

“Jade, please,” Katrina cried after she’d called collect begging for a ride.

As badly as Jade wanted to leave her out there, she couldn’t. Twenty minutes later she pulled in front of the drive-in entrance and was quite surprised to see Katrina walking towards the car smiling and holding hands with some guy!

“Jade, girl, you won’t believe what just happened!” she beamed, holding the passenger door open. “This is Mooney and he . . .”

“Look, Katrina, let’s go,” she snapped.

“Damn, Jade, you ain’t gotta be rude! I’m trying to introduce you.”

“Rude? Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I must be confused because I didn’t realize this was a social outing. The girl who just called me collect because she didn’t even have a quarter in her purse was all hysterical saying she’d been attacked and didn’t have a way to get home! And like a fool, I came running out here. And once again it’s not what I was told it was, is it!”

“Well if you just let me explain then you’ll know what happened!”

Katrina quickly told Jade that Mooney had arrived five minutes before she did. He hadn’t fully believed Mia’s story so when she passed out drunk he came back to the drive-in to make sure Katrina was okay. Jade nodded her thanks to Mooney still not as impressed with him as her friend seemed to be.

“Well, thanks for coming. I really appreciate it and I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Jade became enraged once she realized Katrina was talking to her! “Ooh, I hate you, you stupid . . .!” she seethed. “No, wait, you know what? I’m the one who’s stupid! I should’ve let your dumb ass stay out here!” Jade screamed, as she tried hard not to cry. “I hope you have a real good laugh, Katrina, because this is the last time I let you make a fool out of me! Everybody tried to warn me but I just wouldn’t listen. I’m so stupid!”

“Jade, wait I’m sorry, okay?” Katrina said, running alongside the car. “I really like him and I . . . please, Jade don’t be mad!”

Jade leaned over to close the passenger door then sped off. She didn’t speak to Katrina for days after that. She erased all of the messages from her answering machine and tore up the letters Katrina kept putting in her locker. Jade was done with her once and for all. At least that’s what she kept telling herself. Like always, though, she let other people convince her Katrina couldn’t help herself because of Cicely and the hard life she had. It was ridiculous, but somehow Jade let herself get sucked back in because she still wanted to love her. The only person who consistently told her to get rid of Katrina was Cicely! Jade didn’t understand how she could stand in defense of Alonzo and try to convince her to get back together with him but discourage a relationship with Katrina when they were basically the same person.

“It’s hard for me to answer that for you,” Landon said during one of their monthly phone calls. “Katrina is my sister and I know the hell she goes through living with Cicely. It affects you in way you don’t expect it to, Jade. I don’t know

how many times I told myself I wasn’t going to do something because I hated it when Cicely did it to me. And then I turned right around and did it anyway! That’s why I can’t see myself having kids. And neither can Katrina because we both know Cicely lurks in us no matter how much we wish she didn’t,” he admitted. “I wish you could forgive her because she needs a friend like you. But only you know what you can take because the truth is, Katrina will hurt you again. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s true. All I can say is just try to understand that she really doesn’t mean to.”

Jade was certain she’d get hurt again too and didn’t know if she was willing to risk it anymore. Like with Alonzo the good times were far and few between. There were only memories of when they were happy and Jade wasn’t sure that was enough to keep holding on to. She just didn’t see the benefit to having Katrina in her life.

It was the day before Thanksgiving, 1988 and Katrina had managed to convince Jade and Tawny to come over with their boyfriends as sort of a “let bygones be bygones” reunion. Cicely wouldn’t be back from her church revival until later that night and Honor and Raquel were spending the day with their fathers’ families. Alonzo called the night before unsure whether he’d be able to make it home at all. Robert lived with his girlfriend and her family and barely came by Cicely’s house. Katrina was confident she and her friends would have hours of uninterrupted fun, but as usual things didn’t go as she’d planned.

Katrina had just finished putting on her standard white eye shadow and burgundy lip gloss when she heard a knock at the door. She looked into the living room mirror one last time before going to the door to let her boyfriend inside. She and Mooney had been seeing each other quite a bit since that night at the drive-in. And Katrina was so smitten with him that she stopped seeing other guys! She felt it was a waste of her time to keep messing around with little boys when she had a twenty-year-old man with a job, a car, and an apartment.

Because she wanted some alone time with him Katrina asked Mooney to come over an hour earlier than her friends. She struck her sexiest pose then flung the door open expecting to see her boyfriend. Instead, it was Honor standing there with her usual sour disposition, arms folded in protest of something. Her father honked his horn before pulling away from the curb. Katrina held the door open for her sister then informed her that a group of friends were coming over and they were not to be disturbed. Then she went to call Mooney to find out how long it would be before he arrived and learned he wasn’t coming at all. Katrina was furious when he told her that his mom didn’t like the idea of him running off to be with some girl she’d never met while the rest of the family prepared for their Thanksgiving Day guests. Mooney promised to make it up to Katrina by taking her to a movie on Saturday but she didn’t want to hear it.

“Yeah, whatever, mama’s boy,” she said then slammed down the phone before he could hear her cry.

Honor had been listening to her conversation and found the whole thing amusing. Boys always made time to get Katrina into bed but wouldn’t put forth the energy to date or spend quality time with her. And she’s always calling everybody else stupid, Honor thought. “Idiot,” she snickered, returning her attention to the TV.

It didn’t seem to take Katrina very long to recover because a few hours after being stood up by Mooney, she was cuddled up on the couch with Damien’s

cousin! She was about to cancel the get-together when Jade called asking if they could bring Randall with them.

“Ooh, thank you, Lord,” Katrina moaned when the 6’6”, ebony-skinned basketball player walked through her front door. “You know I love me some dark chocolate,” she smiled. Randall smiled back, grateful he’d forced his cousin to bring him.

The bottle of rum Katrina had stolen from a party at Mia’s house was nearly empty and she, Randall, and Tawny were feeling no pain. They were laughing hysterically at the most inane things and revealing information they probably wouldn’t have otherwise. Like when Tawny told them about an incident she’d had several months ago. A friend had set her up on a blind date with a guy named Todd whose idea of a good time was getting drunk and having sex!

Ricky clinched his fists, obviously uncomfortable listening to the girl he was dating talk about having sex with another guy, and a stranger at that. Jade tried changing the subject by directing Tawny’s attention to something else but the girl was determined to finish her story. So she went on to tell them that she’d gotten so sloppy drunk that she forgot to use tissue to wipe herself and didn’t wash her hands. When Tawny climbed into bed with Todd feces was under her unnaturally long fingernails and on her backside! More disgusting was that she and Todd still had sex despite the stench of waste being smeared all over his sheets!

“Maybe that’s why he never called,” Tawny laughed loudly.

Randall and Katrina looked at each other then burst out laughing too.

“That’s some girl you got there, Rick,” Randall teased.

“I need to go,” Ricky announced, unable to hide his embarrassment and disgust. “Yeah, I need to go.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Tawny asked.

Ricky looked at Jade and Damien. “Is she serious?” he asked, incredulously. Then he stared at Tawny just shaking his head. “I’m gone,” Ricky said, as he made his way to the front door. He was startled to find someone there. “Whoa!”

“Todd, wait!” Tawny called, as she stumbled to her feet.

“Uh, I think you meant to say Ricky,” Damien pointed out.

“Oh, damn, she called him by the wrong name!” Randall roared, as he and Katrina fell over on the couch laughing.

Jade watched Tawny flop back on the couch. She was unsure whether the girl was just too drunk or too stupid to recognize what a fool she’d made of herself with that ridiculously inappropriate story. Jade couldn’t imagine telling anyone about that, least of all a guy she was dating.

“I’m sorry,” Jade whispered. “We never should’ve come here.”

Damien was about to respond to her when the mystery of who Ricky was outside talking to was solved. Alonzo walked through the front door and Jade’s

heart dropped into her stomach. The hateful way he glared at Damien made her nervous and she silently prayed a fight wouldn’t ensue. Alonzo and Katrina started arguing, however, when he yelled for all of them to get out! She gave him a piece of her mind and eventually he went to his room.

Out of the blue, Tawny asked the guys who they found attractive at school. And even though Randall attended Horace Mann High, he knew a lot of the girls from Lew Wallace and was more than happy to give his opinion. It was then that his true motives for wanting to come with Damien were exposed.

“My cousin here is the lucky one. He got the finest girl in the city!”

Katrina, stung by his comment, snatched away from Randall and they all stared at him. Apparently unaware of his cousin’s growing rage, Randall continued by saying how sexy he thought Jade was, especially when she danced. He closed his eyes, smiling broadly as he described the black, skin-tight body suit and high heels she wore as part of her kitty costume for Halloween. Triple Threat had performed at Lew Wallace’s Fright Night and Randall skipped his own school’s event so he could be there to watch Jade. He moaned and licked his lips as he relished his memories of her.

“Oooh, when I get my chance to get that I’m . . .”

Before Randall knew what was happening Damien leapt to his feet and hit him in the jaw! “You son of a . . .”

“Yeah Jade’s most definitely the sexiest one in the group,” Tawny said, seemingly unaware of the fight taking place right in front of her. “When she get up on stage and start shaking that booty all the boys go crazy! The way she moves makes it hard to believe she the only one of us that’s still a virgin.”

Jade was mortified!

“What?” Damien shrieked, as he relinquished the grip he had on Randall.

“Yeah, right,” Randall spat, as he fell back on the couch. “Damien’s square ass might be ‘waiting for the right time’, but ain’t no way in hell that dude back there didn’t hit it. I don’t care what nobody say!”

“Uh, oh . . . looks like somebody’s boyfriend is mad,” Tawny said when Damien snatched the front door open to leave.

“I don’t know what for,” Jade shouted. “His girlfriend tried repeatedly to talk to him about her past but he refused to listen. Isn’t that right, Damien?”

He took his hand off the screen door and turned to face Jade. She had tried several times to talk to Damien and once he’d even been childish enough to put his fingers in his ears so he couldn’t hear her. Like Randall, Damien didn’t believe a guy like Alonzo wouldn’t have made love to Jade and he just didn’t want to hear all the dirty details about it.

“Look, let’s go, dude,” Randall demanded, as he grabbed his coat and headed for Damien’s car.

Needless to say, Katrina was more than happy for him to get out of her house. She couldn’t believe Randall had been kissing and groping all over her when Jade was who he really wanted! What the hell is so special about her anyway, Katrina thought, bitterly.

Jade put on her coat and followed Damien outside so they could talk. He apologized for having an attitude towards her and explained that a big reason he hadn’t told her how badly he wanted to have sex was because he thought she needed time to get over Alonzo both emotionally and physically.

“What’s wrong?” Damien asked when he saw the look on Jade’s face.

“So does that mean the pressure’s about to start now? Every time we’re around each other you’re going to tell me how much you wanna have sex?”

“You know better than that, Jade. I’d never pressure you to do something you didn’t wanna do,” he said, gently stroking her hair. “Now I’d be telling a bold face lie if I said I didn’t wanna make love to you. I think about it all the time. But I want you to want me too.”

“I do want you,” Jade admitted, as she looked at the ground and nervously kicked at the snow.

Damien gently caressed her face with both hands, pulled her close to him, and planted a sweet kiss on her lips. “I love you.”

“Ooh, LORD! You gotta stop doing this to me. I can’t take it,” Jade said, trying to calm her raging hormones. “You drive me wild!”

“Oh, yeah? So what are we gonna do about that?” he whispered, holding her tightly. “All you have to do is say the word and it’s on, you hear me? Shoot, if you said right now I swear I’d kick that fool to the curb and we can get to it,” Damien said, as he motioned towards Randall who was seated in the passenger seat listening to his Walkman. “Just say the word and I’ll leave his ass here. I just wanna be with you, Jade.”

“I wanna be with you too,” Jade said but she looked terrified.

“Until today, it never occurred to me that you’re scared. But you don’t have to be afraid with me,” Damien said, staring deep into her eyes. “Whenever you’re ready, I promise to be gentle. We’ll take things nice and slow. And if you wanna stop, then we’ll stop, okay? I’ll take good care of you, Jade. I promise.”

Jade smiled at him then kissed him passionately.

“Please, come home with me,” Damien moaned, completely turned on by her. “My family’s already gone to East Chicago and Randall can walk for all I care. Please, Jade. You can’t send me to Grandma Birdie’s like this,” he said then opened his coat and looked down at his crotch. “Look what you did,” Damien whispered. “So come home with me and help me take care of it.”

Jade blushed. Her body was screaming to go with him but she knew it wasn’t the right time. “I wanna go home with you. I really, really do. But not like

this, Damien. Your family is waiting for you and I don’t want my first time to be a wham bam thank you ma’am type of thing. I don’t want you to have to get up and rush away from me. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, I understand,” he sighed. “Hey, maybe I can drop him off and then come right back.”

“Oh yeah, I can see your mama going for that. Not!” Jade laughed. “We’ll have our time, okay? I promise because your girl is hot for you. It’s below zero out here and I’m sweating messing around with you! So don’t worry, alright? I want you just as bad so it’s definitely gonna happen. I promise.”

They gave each other a quick hug and kiss before Damien insisted she leave too. He didn’t like the idea of Alonzo being anywhere around Jade. She reassured him everything was fine and that she was just going inside to get Tawny and would be leaving shortly. After Damien drove away, Jade stood out in the cold a little while longer debating whether to go back inside or not. She really just wanted to go home and wait for Damien’s call. However, Jade felt obligated to get Tawny home even though it was her own fault she no longer had a ride. “Just get it over with,” she mumbled and headed for the front door. Though with each step, something was urging Jade to get in her car and drive away. A little while later, as she tried to piece together her torn clothing, Jade wished she’d done exactly that!

“Dang, girl! You ain’t gone be no virgin for long, huh?” Katrina teased. “Shoot, I thought you was ‘bout to give it up right there in the snow how you was kissing and grinding all up on dude!”

“Why don’t you shut up,” Jade snapped.

“Yep, them legs gone be spread wide open any day now. That coochie over there percolating, ain’t it?” Katrina laughed loudly.

Jade laughed too despite her best efforts not to. “Shut up, heifer! Let me run to the bathroom and then I’ll take you home, Tawny.”

“Yeah, gone back there and take a cold shower. You know you need one, hooker!”

“Tramp,” Jade called, as she made her way down the hall.

Honor startled Katrina and Tawny when she came barreling out of the den with her coat and boots on. Tawny asked where she was going in such a hurry, but Katrina chimed in before Honor had the chance to respond.

“So I’m guessing it’s three o’clock. That’s when the pervert get home from work, right?”

“She’s not a pervert!” Honor yelled.

“Oh really? So what you call a twenty-year-old woman who screw girls when her man ain’t home? Huh?” Katrina snapped. “A pervert just like I said!”

“We’re just friends.”

“Girl, please! Ain’t nobody stupid, Honor! We all know you funny. You been that way since you was little so ain’t no sense in denying it. And I know who you in love with,” Katrina smiled wickedly.

Honor swallowed hard and her palms began to sweat. Seeing the horrified expression on Tawny’s face was humiliating enough without Katrina exposing her secrets.

“You want somebody that don’t swing that way,” Katrina continued, “so you letting some grown woman hump up on you ‘cause you can’t have the girl you love. Now do that make any kind of sense? Seriously, Honor, you need to have some self-respect.”

Tawny’s mouth nearly dropped to the floor! She couldn’t believe Katrina had the nerve to actually say that out loud. What a hypocrite, she thought.

Honor wanted to spit in Katrina’s face! She was in no position to be handing out any kind of advice, least of all on relationships. “Why you so worried about it anyway? I honestly thought you’d be thrilled that I don’t like men . . . all the more for you to bang. Right, whore?”