Love Is Overdue (30 page)

But then there was the alternative.
And Ben was right. I was up a creek without a paddle – and had been
ever since my mother’s “accident”.

I was stubbing out my cigarette as I
saw Ben making his way back over to where I was sitting.

He lowered his eyes at me as he
approached.

“
Sorry…” I shrugged. “Me
and my filthy habit.”

He sighed.
“It’s awright,” he admitted easily, grabbing one of his elbows and
stretching his arms out casually, first one and then the other. I
was immediately distracted again by his gorgeous body… “I smoke
too. Just a different poison.” He winked at me.

I smiled, popping some mint gum into
my mouth. I took a breath. “A loan,” I said firmly, standing up to
face him. “I’ll need to pay you back.” I held his gaze. “And thank
you.”

But Ben just sucked his teeth. “I
don’t do loans, Gabriela,” he said simply. “I don’t give away money
expecting to get it back – I’m not a bank.”

I stared back at him, completely
exasperated. “But you just told me if Laz agreed to pay to consider
it a loan!”

“
No,” he corrected me. “I meant if he
wants
to put
up the money out of his own free will then fine – not just because
he’s payin’ back some dude that’s bangin’ his sister.”

I let my breath out, frustrated. “I
see.”

“
Look, Gabby, I told you
already, I want to do this for you,” he said. “I don’t loan people
money out of principle. Never have, never will.” He watched me for
a moment. “Do you want that in writing?”

I let out a little laugh but rolled my
eyes. “Never mind…” I turned and gazed out at the crowds. “Just let
me think about this shit for a bit…okay?” I looked back over at
him.

He shook his head at me, sighing. “Why
you so stubborn? You’re like one of the most irrational girls I
ever met…for real…you’re lucky you’re so pretty.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “That’s
tame,” I noted. “Especially for…” I stopped. “Is that really all
you are?”

He gave me a look. “What?”

“
Just some dude that’s
‘bangin’ his sister’?” I repeated his words.

He kind of laughed. “Well yeah…to him
I am.”

I sighed. “I see…” I thought about
that, as we started walking again.

“
I have sisters too,” he
reminded me, nudging my shoulder lightly with his.

I smiled. “So that’s how you think
too, huh?”

“
Well…” He thought. “Neva’s
married so…the guy’s been around a while so we cool
now.”

I laughed. “And what about your evil
step-sisters?” I teased him.

He narrowed his eyes at me.
“Damn…that’s harsh,” he said, feigning offence. “Kimmie, though,
she would kill any guy that look at her the wrong way herself, so I
don’t really gotta worry about her. But Ali – she’s brought a
couple questionable dates around before I had to keep my eye on –
nothin’ too serious though.”

That made me smile. “Why? What was
wrong with them?”

“
Well…” He thought for a
moment. “She met this one guy through her agency at her job –
invite him over a couple times for dinner. Each time we sat down to
eat he would start moaning real loud and shaking and holding his
ears, and then Aliyah would start crying and go lock herself in the
bathroom for hours and hours – too much drama. Dude had to go.
Eventually they transferred him so she could keep her
job.”

I frowned. “That’s so sad.” I paused.
“What does she do for work?” I was curious now.

“
She’s a chef.”

I gave him a disapproving look and
narrowed my eyes.

Ben smiled. “I tried to tell her she
was a ‘sandwich artist’ but she didn’t like that – she only answers
to ‘chef’.”

My eyes popped open. “She works at
Subway?” I was impressed.

Ben laughed. “No…she works at a
school. In the cafeteria. She makes sandwiches. She used to just
wrap them and hand them out but a couple months ago she got a
promotion. So now she’s a chef.”

I smiled. “You must like that, huh?
Following in your foot steps and all…”

“
I’m just happy she likes
it,” he admitted. “It’s kinda hard for her to keep a job for long
so…whatever works.”

I was still smiling to myself, taking
it all in.

“
What?” Ben nudged me out
of my private thoughts, watching me.

“
What?” I turned back to
him.

“
What’s that look?” he
wanted to know.

“
Nothing, it’s just…your
family,” I admitted. “They just all seem so nice and down to earth
and…normal. I like that.”

Ben gave me a confused look. “As
opposed to what? The crack-head gangstas you assumed raised
me?”

I laughed. “No…but…I don’t know…it’s
just nice to see that it’s not all just bed-hopping,
girlfriend-stealing, scandalous shit going on, you know?” I bit my
lip. “Sorry, that probably came out wrong.”

Ben sucked his teeth and stared me
down. “That was uncalled for.”

“
I know. I’m sorry.” I eyed
him. “Are you okay?” I teased him.

“
No.”

“
You sure?” I gave him my
innocent, puppy eyes for effect.

He sucked his teeth at me again, but I
saw the flicker of amusement behind those sexy eyes of his. “You
need a spanking,” he said softly. “Maybe I’ll have to take you home
later and get a little scandalous on that big-ass mouth of
yours…”

I bit my lip as I felt a surge of
excitement flow through me at the thought. “Yes, please,” I
answered quickly.

Chapter
Fourteen

Tasha and I were scoping out the
action near the main stage. I’d left Ben up on the hill to spend a
little quality time with some of his family members. I figured it
may be wise to give him some privacy.

“
It’s getting fuckin’
crazy, girl…” Tasha was saying as we got nearer to the crowds. “Did
Ben say he had some blaze?”

I laughed, scanning the crowds and
swaying to the music. The band on stage was playing a Jah Cure
cover and the crowd was going wild.

“
He always has,” I told
her. “I think he’s just waiting…his parents are taking Sophie home
with them soon…”

“
That sucks.” Tasha made a
face, still scanning the faces in the crowd. “I could go for some
now.”

There were small groups of people
openly smoking weed around the main stage and Tasha pulled me in
further into the masses.

“
Yo, check it – there’s
your asshole brother-in-law!” She nodded over to where she saw Ivan
sharing a spliff with a few others in the crowd. “He owes me…come
on…” And before I could protest she grabbed my arm and pulled me
over to where they were.

Ivan saw us then as we approached. He
was laughing at something one of his friends was saying and then he
reached out and tapped Tasha’s arm, gesturing her
closer.

“
Hey…” I heard him shout
out over the music. “No hard feelings, girl…” I saw him give her
that same little eyebrow raise I knew Ben so well for, as an
apology. It was unnerving to me how much they looked alike. “Am not
a bad guy…” And then he glanced over at me. “You should know that
too.”

“
What?” I shouted back over
the blaring outdoor speakers. I couldn’t hear a thing.

He gestured me to come closer, but
Tasha broke in, nodding toward the spliff he was holding. “Peace
offering!” she shouted out.

Ivan laughed at that. “All good…” he
agreed, handing over the joint, giving her that all-too-familiar up
and down that all Caribbean men were so famous for.

She took a deep drag and then pulled
me in between them and passed it to me. I brought it to my lips and
took too deep a pull and started coughing. Fuck, I hated
that.

“
Easy girl…” I heard Ivan’s
voice as I recovered myself and he took the spliff back.

The three of us passed the joint
around another two times in silence, swaying and moving to the
music, watching the band. The weed was strong and I felt myself
start spinning much sooner than I was used to. That and the heat
from the sun and the melody from the stage sent me into a
mini-trance. I started to wonder seriously and far too urgently why
I was here in the crowd smoking a joint with Ben’s estranged
brother, who apparently had a thing for helping himself to his
brother’s left-overs. They obviously had the same taste in women.
That thought seemed to always hit me whenever Ivan looked at
me.

I snapped myself out of it and stole a
glance at Ben’s double, standing only a foot or so to my right. He
was nodding his head oh-so-slightly to the beat, taking his turn on
the spliff. He was smooth, I could tell. Far too smooth. The music
was piercing through me…

“
Congratulations!” I found
myself leaning over to him as he passed Tasha the joint.

He gave me a puzzled look, his eyes a
little heavy from the weed, his movements in slow motion. Fuck, he
looked just like Ben.

“
I hear you’re engaged!” I
shouted again, trying to explain myself.
“Congratulations!”

The expression on his face showed
recognition. He nodded slowly, smiling slightly. “Thank you,” he
managed finally, then motioned me closer and leaned into my ear.
“You should tell my brother to come to my wedding. You should come
too…”

I smiled slowly as the words
registered. “Probably not gonna happen!” I heard myself shouting
back, and then bit my tongue.

But for some reason he seemed to find
that amusing. “I know.”

“
It’s too bad, though,” I
added quickly.

He raised his eyebrows. Way too
familiar. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“
You look just like him!” I
heard myself saying then. “It’s so fuckin’ weird – I can’t get over
it!”

He smiled at that, though. Even though
I could have hit myself for all the stupid shit that was coming out
of my mouth…

He leaned into me again. “It’s the
angle.”

“
What?” I was
confused.

“
It’s just my left side
that looks like him,” he explained. “On my right, it’s him that
looks like me.”

I laughed. “That’s funny. I’m fucking
stoned.”

He smiled, taking the roach back from
me. “You’re welcome.”

Ω

We pulled up
outside Ben’s parents’ house just before 11 pm. They lived in a
modest, but well-maintained two-storey character home near Venables
and Victoria, only a block off Commerical Drive. The front porch
and walkway was surrounded by impeccable flower beds.

“
So this is where you grew
up, huh?” I smiled, turning to Ben as he cut the engine.

“
No, baby, I grew up in
Mango Walk, Montego Bay,” he teased me. “But I know what you mean,
so yes…”

I laughed at that. “Hey look – Sally’s
on the porch.”

Ben’s phone was buzzing. I saw him
pull it out, check the message and suck his teeth in irritation.
“Gimme a minute,” he told me simply as he hit dial and pulled the
phone to his ear. “Hey…” he started after whoever he called had
answered. “Outside my folks’ place…No, Sally took her home about
eight or somethin’, she was tired…well, that’s what am doin’ right
now, she gonna be asleep though, but it’s your call…Cool. Later.”
He clicked his phone off.

Maria. I didn’t have to
ask.

Ben reached for the door, and glanced
over at me casually. “Y’coming?”

Ω

“
Hello again…” Sally called out, beckoning us over. She was
seated on a wicker couch, reading a novel, a pot of tea on the
table in front of her. “Have a seat you two…let me get you a cup.”
She moved to get up, but Ben waved her off as he sank down on the
wicker chair opposite her. I took the couch next to
Sally.

“
Nah, no time,” Ben said
simply. “Maria waiting.”

Sally sighed, shaking her head
slightly. “Sophie’s fast asleep, Ben. Just call her and tell her
I’ll bring her home in the morning.”

Ben sucked his teeth. “Am not arguing
with her.”

Sally narrowed her eyes at her step-son.
“
Reasoning
,” she stressed. “Not arguing.”

Ben laughed at that. “What’s that?” he
wanted to know.

Sally shook her head, eyeing me
briefly. “Unbelievable.” She lay her book down. “Give me your
phone. Let me call her.”

Ben didn’t say anything right away. He
eyed Sally back, unconvinced.

“
Come on, this is
ridiculous. Hand it over,” she insisted.

I smiled at that.

Ben sucked his teeth again, relenting.
“Knock yourself out, Sally.” He pulled out his blackberry, hit
dial, and handed Sally the phone.

I loved the no-nonsense expression on
Sally’s face as she pressed the phone to her ear. “Maria? Hi
sweetheart, it’s Sally…I’m great, how are you? How are you feeling,
dear, how’s the baby?...Did you?” Long pause on Sally’s
end.