Less Than Perfect Circumstance (15 page)

I
wasn’t sure where Charney was going with this question and answer s
ession, but since I had nothing to hide, I
continued to indulge him. Riley had an important phone call and politely excused herself from the table.

“So, is it just your b
usiness partner and yourself?” h
e asked.

“I have
a secretary.”

They laughed. I
joi
ned in the laughter, and when I collected
m
yself, I continued.

“H
er name is Camille. Of course there are others. I have an investor who no longer lives in the area. He’s the other R in Double R, but has no direct dealings with the company. Then, there’s the busin
ess partner I mentioned earlier.
Mr. Millington you
spoke with him briefly.”

“Yes, I remember. Wesley
, right
?”

“Right.”

Most of what I
was te
lling Charney was information I
had alr
eady shared with the Millington
s. They sat and listened intently.
I mentioned the other designers and their credentials, assuring Mr. Millington he had hired the best team to get man his project. I was proud of my company
and our accomplishments, and getting a contract like the Millington Project meant the company had arrived.

“And where did you study?” Charney asked.

He leaned forward with his hands clasped on top of the table. I realized that while we talked, ou
r wine gl
asses sat untouched
.

“If I’m prying too much, please say so,” Charney offered.

I
didn’t mind Charney asking bec
ause I had no problem sharing my
accomplishments. It felt good to have a
conversation completely about
m
e
. For the fi
rst time, in a long time, I
wasn’t talking about Kelvin.

“To answer your question, no, you’re not asking anything I don’t mind sharing. As for my education, I went to MIT,
” I
responded, smiling with pride.

“Let me get to the point….”

Before Charney could complete his thought, Riley returned, looking a little disappointed. She apologized and announced that she had a pressing issue she had to deal with. Curtis and Nadia also hinted that they, too, were rea
dy to call it a night. As I grabbed my
suit jacket to join in their departure, Curtis inter
rupted and insisted that
Charney
and
I
continued
our conversation
.

“Diaz will take care of you,” he said as he pulled his wife’s chair, held her hand
,
and helped her to her feet.

I
didn’t want to de
cline Mr. Millington’s suggestion
.

I said my
goodbyes to Curtis and Nadia. Curtis stopped and had a brief conversation with Diaz before exiting the restaurant. Riley was extre
mely polite. She apologized,
again
,
for having t
o leave the conversation. I
understood. Charney excused himself, accompanied Riley through the double glass doors, and waited for her car to arrive.

From the table, the hustle and bus
tle of the outdoors was visible.
So, too, were the women in their elegant
evening wea
rs
and men in
dark business suits, if not tuxedos. Le Bernardin had a very romantic atmosphere. Many of the customers who exited their automobiles man before woman, entered in just the opposite. As they came in, they wal
ked hand in hand or arm in arm,
the man claiming the lady he was with. The Millington couple did just that. Charney and Riley, however, walked one behind the other. Not even a hand in the small of her back to guide her through the crowd. Nothing hinted t
hat they were together. My
earlier thoughts about them seeming a little distant were confirmed.

I was nursing my
glass of Long Isl
and that Terris had brought while I
waited for Charney’s
return.

“I hope I’m not keepi
ng you from other engagements,” he said, sitting in the chair to my left, the one where Mr. Millington previously sat.

“No, you’re not.”

I didn’t plan on ending dinner sitting next to someone I had no business or personal relationship with, and I hoped, in the end, this sacrifice was worth it. I had nothing else planned, and since I wasn’t spending my nights talking to either Kelvin or Jackson, Charney’s company was better than spending the evening alone.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

“So what exactly did you and this Charney character discuss?” Wesley asked.

“Not only were Mr. Millington and Charney business partners, they were
also cousins. He
had another project in mind
he wanted me to design.”

“Really
!?
If you keep this up, I’m going to be broke taking you to celebrate,
” Wesley Joked.
“What project was he thinking about?”

“He didn’t exactly go into details. Just that it was one he had been thinking about for a while, and had finally gotten the financial
support after gotti
n
g
the banks and Mr. Millington to see his vision.”

“So
what about this female he was with?”

“Mrs. Millington?” I
asked
in jest

“No
.
Riley.
She sounds like a winner.
” Wesley smiled and took his drink to the head. 

“I’m just messing with you, man. She was his ex-wife. They divorced a couple years ago, but they still had a pretty so
lid business relationship. S
omething at the table wasn’t sitting well with her, and after they left, Charney gave me an idea what exactly might have been bothering her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Turns out this Charney guy wasn’t only a ladies man, he was a man’s man, too.”

“So he’s a baseball player, swinging his bat in both directions.”

I laughed. “Pretty much.”

“And Curtis
knew this?” Wesley asked with uncertainty.

“He did. Apparently he
thought that Charney and I should meet, but he was certain that I wouldn’t give him the attention he sought unless Charney had some business to discuss.”

“I’m curious. Mr. Millington thought he knew you well enough to take a guess at where your interest lies?”

“Not exactly. But conversations can be more revealing than you think. Maybe I should have shown up to dinner with Denise or Toni on my arms. But you know me. I have nothing to hide,” I explained.

“
I know.
So what did you say to him?”

“You know
I d
on’t mix business with pleasure, and I wasn’t about to start with someone like Charney, no matter what was at stake or how irresistible I found him to be.
I also told hi
m
I was already pleasin
g someone.
”

Ta
lking to Wesley was easy. I
could talk to him about anything. He wasn’t judgmental, and he made a damn good business partner
, too
.

“So how did he take that news?” 

“The fool asked me who the lucky lady was.”

“Maybe he was giving you the benefit of the doubt, since you weren’t acknowledging his advances.”

“Whatever he was giving me, or planned on giving me, I didn’t need it.”

“I can almost guarantee that’s the reason he and th
at Riley girl broke up. People don’t take marriage serious anymore, and they get into it not know what the hell they are getting into. I hardly talk to my pops now. T
en years into
their
marriage and I still can’t stand his new wife
.
I have no respect for home wreckers.” 

“Now I understand. I thought you were just a pimp,
” I
joked
.

Afte
r our
third ro
und of drinks, we
began feeling the effects. Wesley spoke casually to a female customer to his right. He was even more irresistible when he’s being silly. She laughed most of the night, at anything he said.
I
didn’t find
any of what he was saying funny.
She
was
feeling her drinks, too.
I
didn’t catch everything this lady said, o
nly knew her name was Nadine. I
thoug
ht she was very attractive until I
noticed the white-gold diamond ring proudly displayed on her left hand.
I
was immediatel
y unimpressed. I waved my
left hand in Wesley’s direction,
bringing his attention to my ring finger, and the
n
nodded in
Nadine’s direction.

“Does your husband know you’re here?”
Wesley asked, sounding disturbed.

She opened her clutch purse, pulled out a carton of cigarette, and
,
as if to say
“
to hell with you
,”
she placed a single cigarette in her mouth and, without another word, grabbed her glass and walked away.

Wes swiveled around in his chair.

“Thank you for the conversation,” he yelled with a smile, and turn
ed his attention back to me.
“See what I mean. Poor man is probably
home playing babysitter, thinking
his wife was o
ut hanging with her girlfriends, not knowing she’s out trying to find her next sexual fix.
”

“Well, I hope that cigarette and Bacardi gives her the pl
easure she was seeking from you,” I
joked.

“She was just entertainment for the moment. It wouldn’t have gotten farther than those glass
doors.Can
you close out our tab, please?” Wesley handed Collin his credit card.

Ace of Spades had gotten
a little more crowded. The two-for-
one special that brought more people in was over, but people were still drinking.

“I expect to see you bright and early tomorrow,” Wesley joked
.

“I would hate to disappoint you,
my friend.” I
hadn’t felt this relaxed, this good, in a while.

In the parking lot we
saw Sidney and a male companion.

“Trevor.
How are you?” s
he greeted.

“I’m fine. How have you been
?” I asked, giving her a hug as if I had known her all my
life.

“No
complaints.This
is my fiancée, Jamel,” she introduced, pointing to the man standing next to her.

“It’s nice to meet you,
” I
said, and introduced Wesley. “We’re getting ready to head out of here. You guys enjoy your evening.”

“Pleasure to meet you Sidney…
J
amel…,
”
Wesley acknowledged and headed towards the car.

“Likewise,” t
hey responded in unison.

I
stood and chatted with Sidney for a few moments longer before joining Wesley, who was waiting patiently at the car. When he got his chance, Wesley asked the question he had been burning to ask.

“Is that the Sidney
you met here the other night?” h
e asked when he was certain he couldn’t be heard. 

“Yes, that was Sidney.”

“Beautiful,
”
he complimented.

When I
got home, all I
wanted
to do was sleep. The one missed call and message I received was from my father. I
promised to return his call tomorrow.
He probably just wanted to hear how my d
inner with the Millington
s went,
I
thought.

Messages Deleted.

Ther
e was still no word from Kelvin or
Jackson.After a long hot shower and less than a half hour of watching a re-run episode
of the ‘The Jefferson’s’, I
fell asleep and slept like a baby.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

DON’T YOU WORRY, YOU JUST SLEEP MY LOVE

Dexter

When I reached home from the hospital, the mood to eat was gone. Eleanor was up waiting. Deidre and Marcel Sr. were asleep in one of the upstairs bedrooms. My niece, Briana, was asleep in her grandparent’s room, next to her grandfather, except this time he wasn’t there. J.R. had fallen asleep on the couch, his head resting in his grandmother’s lap.

Eleanor had her hands wrapped around a cup of steaming hot coffee, gripping it tight enough, as if at any moment, it might fall. After taking a sip, she gently tapped the empty seat next to her and summoned me to join her and my favorite nephew on the couch. She had a large cup of hot chocolate waiting when I sat down. I was a little tired, but I couldn’t pass up tea and conversation with Eleanor. I sat, took a sip of the hot chocolate, and reached for one of the chocolate chip cookies the ladies had made earlier. The first bite was delicious.
They were still warm and soft, as if they had just been removed from the oven. 

“Hey, how are you holding up?”

“Oh, I’m fine. I’m more concerned with how you’re doing,” Eleanor said, her eyes still fixed on the cup in her hand.

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m talking to him and he was just lying there. Every now and then his eyes twitched, but that’s pretty much all the movement I saw in him,” I explained.

“I’m sure he heard you.”

“I just wished we weren’t so stubborn.”

“There’s no denying you are both set in your own ways. You know your father. It’s not that he doesn’t understand. There are things you and your father should have dealt with a long time ago, but for whatever reasons, you’ve allowed it to fester. You’re his son, and
well, you know.
”

“Listen, I told Rian and Lena I would meet them for breakfast tomorrow, and give you some time with dad.”

I got up and kissed her on her forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

“I’ll put J.R. to bed. Let’s go, man,” I said, tapping J.R. several times on his back.

When he didn’t respond, I lifted him and carried him to the bedroom. When I returned to clear the coffee mug, teacup, and tray of chocolate chip cookies, I stopped to listen to Eleanor’s prayer.

She was on her knees with her hands clasped beneath her chin and her elbows resting on the couch.

“Heavenly Father,” she began. “My Comforter, my Provider. You know exactly what you’re doing so I dare not question your actions. I just want to say thank you for bringing my family together, safely. Thank you for bringing my sweet Marvin into my life and letting me borrow him for as long as you have. Whatever he has done, I ask that you forgive him, and when he meets you, have mercy on his soul. Thank you for protecting my dear Dexter, and my precious grandson, J.R. You know I couldn’t go on without my children. They are everything to me. Thank you for guiding and protecting my family. I pray to you, my Father, my Savior. Amen.”

If there was some unspoken law about intentionally overhearing someone’s personal conversation with
their
God, I had just broken it. Her prayer brought tears to my eyes. Eleanor got up from her knees, grabbed the blanket that covered J.R. while he slept, folded it neatly, and then headed upstairs to bed. I quietly placed the dishes in the dishwasher then went to my room to sleep.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Sunrise rarely found Eleanor DeGregory in bed. It didn’t matter what time she went to sleep, she was usually the first one to wake. When I entered the kitchen, Deidre was standing over the stove pouring small puddles of pancake batter onto the skillet. Eleanor, who made the best scrambled eggs, was whipping eggs in a bowl. In another bowl, she had separated egg whites for J.R. Marcel Sr. hadn’t made it downstairs yet.

“Good morning, mother, sis,” I greeted, wrapping Eleanor around her waist and kissing her cheek.

“Good morning, Dex,” they answered in uni
son. Eleanor lightly slapped my
face.  

“M
orning, Uncle Dexter,” Briana yelled. She was in the breakfast nook setting the table.

“Good
morning, Sunshine. Hey, where’
s your brother? Does that boy ever sleep in?”

“He’s outside with that basketball again,” Briana responded, still concentrating on the self-given task.

J.R. was in the driveway practicing his dribbling and his crossover. Sometimes it was hard to tear him away from the basketball. At least while he played, his mind was on something other than his grandfather.

“Uh, mom, who are you making so much breakfast for? I told you last night I was meeting Rian and Lena.”

“No, you’re not,” Eleanor ordered.

“What do you mean?”

“I called Rian. They should be here shortly.”

“What did you do that for? If we are all here, who’s with dad?”

“That’s why they have nurses, Dexter.”

“Don’t you think one of us should be with him?”  

Dane walked into the kitchen and headed towards the refrigerator.

“Dexter, dad’s going to be ok.
Honestly, I don’t think he wants all the attention we’v
e been giving him,” he said, removing
a pitcher of
freshly squeezed orange juice from the refrigerator.

“Uncle Dexter, grandpa likes his privacy. He’s going to be
alright
. I prayed for him last night.”

Briana grabbed the pitcher of orange juice from her Uncle Dane and headed back to the table. A few minutes later, Rian and Lena arrived. J.R. followed behind them holding the basketball on his hip.

“Boy, you have been in that driveway all morning.”

“I’m just perfecting my skills, Uncle Dex. Now I can take on Uncle Patrick, beat him even, with one hand tied behind my back,” J.R. bragged. “He doesn’t have to lose on purpose.”

“That is so true.” Not wanting J.R. to see that I was bothered, I responded as politely as I could. That was the last name I wanted to hear.

“Do you think we can call him when I get home?”

“I’m sure he would love to hear from you.” 

I was very protective of my nephew, and was careful who I allowed to meet him. J.R. was like my son. He didn’t have the easiest entry into the world. Born three months premature, he spent the first few months of his little life with tubes coming from his nose, attached to machines monitoring everything from his heart rate to his body temperature. His birth was very difficult for Deidre who, two years earlier, had given birth to Briana, who she carried full term with no complications.

I fell in love with J.R. when I first saw him. Visiting her baby at the hospital was very emotional for Deidre, heartbroken every time she had to leave him there. Often she visited J.R. alone, since her husband spent most of that time on business trips. I made sure Deidre had the support she needed, and whenever she called, I was right there.

As I watched J.R. grow, I saw so much of myself in him. I thought about some of the things I had to go through, especially with my father, and promised to provide love and understanding to my favorite nephe
w

my only nephew, but still my favorite.  If at anytime no one understood J.R., I vowed I would.

“It’s time for breakfast, son,” Eleanor interrupted. “You can talk to your uncle about that later. Go and get cleaned up, and tell your father breakfast is ready.”

“Dad, we’re ready to eat,” J.R. yelled from the bottom of the stairs then dashed to his room.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

There was an unusual silence at the breakfast table. Unlike other visits, Marvin wasn’t sitting
at the head of the table, sharing jokes he had heard on the golf course, passing them off as his own. Even when he did make them up, they usually weren’t ve
ry funny. Also missing
were the tense moments
my father and I often shared, even though I wasn’t the only one at the table.

Last Christmas after the
anno
uncement of Rian’s
engagement to Lena, Marvin jumped at the opportunity to
dish out his usual jabs. Of course, they were directed at me. He acknowledged
that all his children were either dating, married, or engaged, and w
anted to know what I
was waiting for. It didn’t matter that Patrick
had been a constant in my life for the last couple years
,
our
relationship
wasn’t
acceptable in Marvin’s book. I
often wo
ndered if,
between golf
swings, Marvin bragged about
m
e
as much as he bragge
d about my brothers and sister, or did he drag my name through the mud every chance he go, as he always does. I
never thought
I was a disgrace to my father, but every now and then, my father’s actions made me think otherwise
.

I had spent most of my life living as my father wanted. I wanted so much to matter. I became a lawyer as my
father wanted.
It was my
dream
, too, but my
academic s
uccess was largely to please Marvin DeGregory
. Law School
was very demanding, and I
gave up so much while studying
for the Bar
. Ye
s, it was all worth it. My
dedi
cation was more about making my
father
proud than anything else. It seemed none of my
accomplishments ov
ershadowed the fact that, in myfather’s eyes, Inever became the man he hoped
.
The gleam I saw in my father’s eyes when he talked about Rian, Dane, or Deidre, seemed to disappear when my name was spoken. I
had so much I
still needed to say to Marvin.
How dare
you
leave him now
?
I
thought.
This was so much like
the Marvin I had come to know so well. He knew exactly how to avoid situations.

It w
as as if time stood while I had escaped in my
thoughts. J.R. was still trying to convince his father to buy him the newest pair of Michael Jordon basketball sn
eakers. Jordan was no longer anNBA player, but everyone was
still trying to be like Mike. Eleanor was still laying out reasons why Rian and Lena’s wedding should be in Florida, although most of the fam
ily lived further north. They did agreethat a wedding in
Florida, at a country club, with the Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop was very hard for them to pass up. Nonetheless, they were going
to have the wedding they wanted, and where they wanted.
Deidre and Briana had a brief discussion about cutting her hair before returning to school, but that was a moot point. Deidre wasn’t having it.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

The last letter I
received at
my
parent’s house were those from the
many universities I
was interested in attending.
I
was surprised when Briana walked in
to the living room and handed
m
e
a letter with a return a
ddress but no name. I
didn’t recognize the address on the front of the envelop
e. I
ripped open the envelope, c
urious to see what was inside. ‘A Celebration of Love’
was written in calligraphy across the seal. The invitation, protected by pearly white tissue paper read, “
A celebration of a new love. Come share in the renewed love of Mrs. Belinda Todson-Nealon and DaMarcusNealon
.” B
efore I
could f
inish reading the invitation, I
was on the phone, waitin
g for Belinda to pick up. 

“So, you and DaMarcus decided to work things out after all?”
I
asked
,
almost sarcastically.

“Hey sweetheart, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine. I just got the invitation. Where is the husband now?
”

“He went to visit his parents for the weekend. How’s your father coming along?”

“He hasn’t made much progress. He’s hooked up all sorts of machines, and has tubes running from one body part to another. It’s hard to see him in that condition, but that’s the condition he’s in.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I’m sure he’ll pull through.”

“I’m starting to have some doubts about that, B. All we can do is wait, and I am tired of waiting.”

“A little impatient, are we?” Belinda asked with a hint of smile in her voice.

“Oh, I’m beyond impatient.
”

“I’ll keep him in my prayers, honey.”