Last Call (18 page)

“I’m a bartender and waitress,” I reply, wondering why that matters to him.

“You’ll need to call your employer and inform him you can’t be on your ankle for a couple of days. Do you have any questions?” I shake my head and take the business card from his hand. “Be sure you call me and make that appointment.”

“I will,” I say as he leaves the room and Jason follows him out the door.

Great! How the hell am I going to get home, not to mention get Royce to and from school for the next two days if I cannot put any weight on my ankle? It’s not like I have crutches to hobble around on. I could ask Giselle if she could swing by and take Royce to school before she goes to work and see if Aunt Maggie can pick him up. I’m sure Howard won’t care if I’m gone. He just may need to come out of his office and actually help Paul with the customers.

As my mind whirls with all of the plans I have to make, Jason comes back into the room, but keeps his distance. After our almost kiss, I’m sure it’s freaked him out. Hell, it freaked me out a little, and I’m not the one who’s never wanted to explore the option of more before. The seconds right before we kissed, I know he was starting to feel more for me; otherwise, he would have acted like the asshole he usually portrays.

I look down at my foot, wrapped in a bandage and still aching with pain. When I glance back up, my eyes connect with Jason’s. He looks lost and completely overwhelmed. It immediately gives me the impression that I need to get out of his space before he ruptures at his seams.

Yet, when I start to slide off the counter and slowly make it to my one good foot, Jason is next to me in a second and his eyes are angry.

“What the hell are you doing? Did you not hear the doctor? You need to stay off your foot for a couple of days.” Jason lifts me back up on the counter and pins me between his arms, his palms resting outside of my thighs and his torso tucked between my legs.

“Well, I have responsibilities that a sore ankle can’t keep me from doing. Responsibilities like caring for my son. I don’t expect you to understand,” I say as I put my hands on his naked abdomen. I attempt to push him away from my body, but Jason doesn’t budge. He holds his ground and glares at me.

His mood went from happy to puzzled and, finally, to a jerk in a matter of fifteen minutes. He is completely crazy. He has to be.

I look at him and mirror his menacing eyes. He can’t keep me here. I just need a second to figure out how I will get home. Maybe Shelby and Giselle can pick us up. That way, one can drive my car and I won’t need to worry about it being left behind.

“I need to call my friends. They will pick me up and help me get my car home.”

Jason moves away from me and places himself once again across from me. He crosses his arms over his chest, the angry look in his eyes remaining there. “What about Royce and his day at the beach?” The question confuses me. Why does he care if we get to go back to the beach? Royce will be upset, but he will get over it.

“Well, he will be mad, but he’ll be fine,” I snap back and slide myself off the counter again, balancing on my right foot. How the fuck am I going to get out of here? I don’t want to ask him for help, but I need to do something. I don’t want to stay in here anymore.

I pull my phone from my pocket and open up my contact list, finding Giselle’s phone number. Just as I’m about to dial, Jason pulls my phone from my hand and puts it on the counter behind him.

“Hey! What the hell?”

“How about I take you and Royce back down to the beach so you can finish your afternoon there? I’ll hang out with him while you sit and sulk with your sore ankle.” The comment again throws me off guard because he is back to his obnoxious, playful self. I’m beginning to get dizzy from all the mood swings.

This is also not what I am expecting from him. The thought of the three of us on the beach is promising, but I’m worried Royce may get attached to him. I know in my heart of hearts this will never work; Jason will not be the man I wish he could be. Therefore, I don’t want to get Royce’s hopes up.

I get ready to tell him no when my son’s happy, wishful eyes are suddenly gazing at me. All he’s wanted to do today has been to go to the beach and play. I look down at my foot then back up to his eyes. Royce moves in front of me and stands next to Jason. He puts his puppy dog face on, making a sad, droopy face, and then folds his hands in from of his chest, begging me.

“Please, Mama, please.” He nudges Jason with his elbow and motions for him to copy. Without hesitation, Jason puts his hands in front of his chest and begins to whimper like a puppy, using the same puppy dog eyes.

I can’t hold it back; I burst out laughing at their plea.

“Okay, okay! Knock it off. You both look ridiculous.” After Royce high fives Jason, I hop on Jason’s back and Royce walks next to us as we make our way back down to the beach for an afternoon of fun.

J
ason

I really don’t know what’s going on with me. I was certain when I left my house for a jog I was going to cut Mariah loose after this weekend. Then wham! I am running smack dab next to her and swooping in to save the day. Then, before Jim arrived, a moment of weakness like no other flooded inside of me. I couldn’t help the words as they escaped my mouth.

Mariah is working her way into the quiet vault of inner feelings I allow no one to see. And standing there in my kitchen, I cracked and leaked out a very private piece of information. I wonder what she thought about being the first person in my house. I wonder if it freaked her out.

Then there was the almost kiss. I felt the sense of longing for her, and before I could stop myself, I was so very close to kissing her. I would have, too, if Jim hadn’t interrupted us. The feelings behind that almost kiss were cloaked in something very foreign, something completely unknown to me. It wasn’t like anything we had shared before; it wasn’t fueled by the desire to fuck her. No, this stemmed from a feeling I don’t think I’ve ever had in my body. In that moment, I couldn’t fight it. I’m not sure I even wanted to.

Something told me I needed to take care of this girl. She was alone, considering what she said about her responsibilities, and it’s the least I can do. Subsequently, I offered to take them back to the beach.

When Royce made me beg with him, I felt weird at first, but then I allowed myself to let down another wall and didn’t care about being goofy with him. I want him to have a great day at the beach, and I want to him to remember this day as a day of fun. After all, I made it my day’s mission.

We walk down the beach entrance and I put Mariah down and guide her to the sand. She looks at me confused, so I enlighten her on my plan. “I’m going to walk down and bring your stuff over here. This is a private beach area owned by the building association. It will be less busy.”

“I wanna come!” Royce shouts and walks to my side. “Can I go, Mama?”

Mariah gives me a look while I momentarily freak out a little bit, but then smile, knowing it will be fine. We both will be fine.

“Yeah, that’s fine, honey. You need to stay right by Jason, though. You got it?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Royce says. I suppress a laugh, knowing he’s heard that speech before.

Before I realize I’m doing it, I lift him up on my shoulders. Royce giggles with delight as he grabs ahold of my head.

“This way, I won’t lose him,” I say, and she just smiles. It’s the perfect, dazzling smile that keeps me attracted to her every single time I see it.

We head down the shoreline and I do what I can to shield my face from onlookers. The press would have a field day if they knew I was carrying some kid on my shoulders. Then the greater Miami area would speculate whom he belonged to and all the public shit about my love life would be plastered on the Internet. I’m just glad I snatched my hat off the hallway table before we left.

Royce is enjoying his view as I walk along the beach, the waves lapping at my feet as they roll onto the beach. The cold, salt water feels good. Once we make it down to their belongings, I pull Royce off my shoulders. He scurries to the blanket, putting his toys and football in his bag before putting it on his back. I instruct Glenn to carry the cooler and umbrella as I get the blanket and hoist Royce back on my shoulders.

We turn back to the private beach area, which is monitored by the building staff. The man on duty gives me a nod when I walk back to our area and find Mariah sitting on the sand, sadly staring at the ocean. I pause for a moment and look at her. She has a slight smile on her face, but it’s not the smile she has when she’s truly happy. She is deep in thought, and my curiosity is dying to know what she is thinking.

I walk over to her and pull Royce off my shoulders. After laying the blanket out, I help her move then sit back down. I want to talk to her about that look she has on her face, but I don’t feel I should. We have already crossed too many boundaries today, though; I don’t think we should go any further. After this weekend, we won’t be able to keep our sex-only relationship, and I don’t have it in me to give her more. I might as well make this day the best I can.

M
ariah

D
espite my amazing inability to catch a football, the day at the beach ended up absolutely perfect. I sat as I watched my son swim in the ocean with the man who’s supposed to be someone unknown to him. Jason spent the day swimming with Royce in the ocean, building sand castles, and ended the day with tossing the football.

My heart warmed at the sight of my son playing with a man, and it broke my heart knowing how much Royce needs a father figure in his life. He is not around my father or brother enough to get the male attention he deserves. I don’t want my son growing up his entire life fatherless. I was the idiot who fucked so many random men I don’t know who his father is. It’s my fault he doesn’t have a dad, and it’s my job to fix it.

Watching Jason with my son tells me he has the potential to be a great dad, but the little fact that he wants nothing to do with an actual relationship kind of hinders it. The couple of hours we spend at the beach prove that Jason has more inside of him. However, I know he will never let it out. Jason has his way of living, and let’s face it, it doesn’t include some no-name bitch with a kid. If he were to get emotionally involved with someone, it would be a supermodel or actress. I will take the time with him today for what it is—a nice day at the beach; nothing more, nothing less, simply a good day.

Next weekend, I will forget all about Jason. After today, I can feel how my heart has been aching for this kind of love with a man, but not just for me, for my son, too. I will never have that with Jason, though. It will be hard to forget about him, considering we’ve spent many nights enraptured with each other. Reality has a way of slapping you in the face, and it’s left me broken and bruised. I will miss him, but he’s not good for me, not good for my son.

I can’t wait for the needed distraction of my family. Next weekend, I will meet my sisters and mother for Jerrica’s last hurrah as a single woman. It’s always a great time with my sisters, who are all very different yet equally crazy, like me. They will be the therapy my heart needs after a weekend like this. Then Jerrica’s wedding will be here before I know it, and I will have a week with my best friends while Royce stays with my parents for his summer getaway.

Yeah, I will be completely fine without Jason. I’ve got the best support system in the world. I’ve got my family and best friends. A girl couldn’t ask for better.

J
ason

Today at the beach was probably one of the best days I’ve ever had. It’s sad that one of my best memories doesn’t include any of the accomplishments of my life. Nothing to do with the adversities I’ve overcome as a child or becoming a self-made millionaire with only myself to count on. Nope, spending the day at the beach with a magnificent woman and her kid will be caught up in some of the best moments of my life.

Mariah has a terrific kid, and I can tell he is the center of her universe. It makes me think about how she grew up as a child. There is no doubt in my mind Mariah has had loving parents and family. She probably went on family vacations, sat with her family every night at the dinner table, and had people who were invested in each other. For myself, on the other hand, Christmas was spent sitting around with a family who either didn’t give gifts or gave their
real
kids presents while I got to watch them have fun.

One of the best Christmases I’ve had was when I stayed with an older woman. I was about seven and her house was the second home I had lived in. From the moment I walked through her door, she made me feel welcome and as though she truly wanted me to be there. She wasn’t just taking me in to cash a check. She was invested in me as a person. She didn’t have a lot of money, yet of all the homes I lived in when I was a kid, hers was the best. I opened a small pack of dollar store racecars and coloring books with crayons. It wasn’t much, but it was the greatest holiday I’ve ever spent. Afterword, she cooked a big dinner and we spent the afternoon watching the classic holiday movies.