Lyfe Changing (3 page)

Speaking of machines, my
answering machine was blinking like Rudolph’s nose. “Ten
messages…from who?” I said in disbelief wondering who the hell had
been blowing up my phone so early in the damn morning. I hit the
button on the machine and leaned over the counter to listen to the
messages. “Derrick!” Kim’s loud ass voice roared in the small
machine giving me a bigger headache than I had before. “Derrick
when are you gonna bring your trifling ass over here and see Dante?
He has been bugging me all day talking about wanting to see his bum
ass daddy so you need to make an appearance. I mean damn, I gotta
beg you to see you kids now? Is that what…Message
deleted.”

I just shook my head after
listening to this loud mouth hood rat continue to bitch and
complain. Kim was a money fiend I got caught up with around the
way, she was cool at first, she did her thing in the bed but she
wasn’t about to get no National Negro funds from me. Just my luck
her ass got pregnant and was trying to suck up as many dollars as
she could. Dante was about ten now and I chilled with my son as
much as possible. Even though every time I came around his silly
ass mother was trying to hit me up for some more cash, which made
me tend to stay away at times. I just didn’t understand, I kept her
bills paid, Dante never went without, so what the hell was the
problem? I do enough for her ass; she wasn’t getting anything else
from me.

I continued to listen to the
messages as I sipped on some much needed coffee, soothing my aching
brain. “Derrick its Lea…Dean really needs to see you alright. Just
come on over…please.” Lea was a different story; she was just a
damn sex addict, one of those women trying to get it any way she
can…you know the nympho type. She often called me over claiming
Dean; our eight year old needed to see me, yet half the time he
would be sleep or not even there at all. Lea just wanted to get her
rocks off; I didn’t know why she had to use our son as an excuse to
do it.

“Message saved.”
I guess I’ll hit her up a little
later
, I thought…
next caller
. “Derrick it’s
me…”
Shantae, what the hell she calling
for
, I thought. “Delilah is coming around
about three ok…Trent and I have to be at the Biltmore so I guess
you can play babysitter for a few hours…If you can handle
that.”
Damn another one
, I thought.
Why are these women all
calling me… did I forget something?
Shantae
and I were good for a minute until she dipped out on me for some
investment banker, but not before having my baby girl Delilah who
just turned six. Trent with his punk ass really thought he got one
over on me by taking my girl…little did he know I was still getting
with her from time to time.

I intentionally would leave
behind one of our many condom wrappers hoping to tip his smug ass
off, but every time Trent confronted Shantae she of course denied
it and like the dumbass he was he actually believed her. Didn’t
stop him from watching us like a hawk whenever we interacted to
exchange our daughter…I never pay his lame ass no mine though…
next. “Derrick…” I straightened up my stance on the counter, it was
Amari. She was my first girlfriend; she wasn’t like the others, we
really cared about each other but after many years of arguing,
fussing and cheating we finally went our separate ways.

No matter how much I loved
the girl I was not interested in wife-ing up nobody, especially at
the age we were at. So I had to let her go unfortunately, we
remained cool being that we still had a son to raise together, so I
knew if she was calling something was up. “Derrick where are you?
You were supposed to be here at ten to help me set up for Danton’s
birthday party.”
Oh damn… I knew I forgot
something.
It was Danton’s birthday
today.
“Anyway get here now! I’m not
covering for your ass this time.” After hearing that last message,
I sipped down the rest of my coffee and ran to the shower. I
returned back to my bedroom in nothing but a towel.
Ok
, I thought.
I need clothes, watch, shoes
and
… I looked back at my bed and Trina was
still lying there sleep.
Damn I forgot
this girl was here.
I leaned over and
smacked her bare ass abruptly waking her up. “Hey girl get up I
gotta go.” I said throwing my clothes on quickly.

She opened those beautiful
eyes of hers and yawned rolling over to look at me. “You going
where?” she said sleepily. “Out…and so are you so get up and get
dressed and I‘ll drop you off.” Trina continued to lie down as if I
hadn’t said one word. “Why can’t I stay till you come back.” I
looked at her like she was crazy. That was like asking a starving
child in Africa to guard over my food…the shit wasn’t going to
happen. I brushed my hair and slicked it back into a ponytail
ignoring her stupidity. “Look Trina, I can take you home or you can
catch the bus, but either way you getting yo ass out of here. Now
let’s go.” She rolled her eyes and reluctantly got out of the bed
and got dressed. I got all my shit, locked up my spot and we were
on our way out. I felt an increasing pounding in my head but forced
myself to ignore it.
Oh
great
, I thought.
I’m going to my son’s birthday hung over.

Destiny

“Hey Destiny, do you want me
to hang the painting here.” Marisol asked me. We stood in my art
gallery figuring out what to do with the new paintings that had
just arrived from Italy. “Yes, hang it up high in the center so it
will balance out the others.” I instructed her. I had finally got
around to opening my own art gallery after giving up years of
criminal law. After having studied art in school, I had dreamed of
traveling around the world to different museums learning about the
various styles of paintings and culture. Unfortunately my parents
had other plans. Law school was not that bad, I actually found
enjoyment and solving cases and appearing in court, but art
remained my side hobby and one true love.

After ten years of spending
hours and hours at my law firm and prosecuting one sad case after
another, the passion of art finally over took me and I succumbed to
my true desires regardless of what naysayers thought. I ended up
quitting the law firm I worked at and opened up this beautiful
place in downtown Fifth Avenue. My parents didn’t see how I would
make a dime by owning an art gallery, but little did they know that
the many big time lawyers and clients I once worked with were
willing to pay thousands of dollars to own these creative
pieces.

Half of them didn’t even
know the detail or the story of the paintings and sculptures they
wanted, but were willing to pay good money for them to make
themselves appear high class. I however knew every piece and every
story behind them. It was a joy every day to come to work and be
surrounded with such beautiful works of art. Four Years have passed
now and I had buried myself into this business making sure
everything was to my satisfaction. Unfortunately, I missed out on
having a personal life in my doing so. I was at the age of thirty
five with no husband, no children, and no prospects on the
horizon.

So in the eyes of all
women…especially my mother, I was a failure. I strolled back to my
office desk and plopped in the chair. It was not like I didn’t
date, I dated plenty, but I could never find the heart stopping
love that all other women seemed to have. I wasn’t too picky but I
wasn’t willing to settle either. I believed that when I come across
the right man that I would instantly know it, but in all of my
thirty five years it never happened. I was starting to think it was
me, maybe I wasn’t meant to have love on this earth… I prayed that
wasn’t so. I turned my head to the sudden knock on my office
door.

“Destiny...” Marisol stood
in the doorway. She was my secretary, a young vibrant girl with a
true enjoyment of art. She was about 5’4, with ocean blue eyes and
sandy blonde hair. I found Marisol to be very bubbly, smart and
quite a joy to be around. “Yes.” I said getting out of my depressed
stupor. “There’s a gentleman out in the front asking to speak with
you.” I looked at her puzzled being that she seemed a little too
excited to tell me that. “Ok, tell him I’ll be right out.” She
nodded and quickly disappeared. I sat up and smoothed out my black
office dress and headed for the door.
Probably some more clientele needing to spruce up there
home,
I assumed. I made my way to the front
lobby and was stopped dead in my tracks when I came across my
visitor. “Wow.” I whispered. It couldn’t help but escape my lips.
If Morris Chestnut had twin, this man would be it.

He turned his gaze to me and
showed off those pearly whites of his…and damn were they gleaming.
I finally struck up the nerve to speak to him given the awkward
silence. “Hello sir, welcome to Destination 1 how may I help you
today?” He stood there for a moment and I watched him glance over
and nod in approval of me. Any other time I would have been
offended by this, but I kind of like that he was admiring my
looks.

“You’re Destiny Witt
correct?” He said walking toward me with an outreached hand…I
gladly accepted. “Yes I am… do I know you?” “No…” He paused again
to stare at me. “I was referred to you by the Donalees. You see I
just bought a new loft uptown and I need something beautiful to
liven it up.” He spoke smoothly, so smooth it felt like butter. I
didn’t know if it was me but it most certainly was getting hot in
here. I smiled trying to shake off my nervousness and stay
professional. “Um...what was your name again?” He chuckled as if he
were embarrassed. “Please forgive me…I’m James Ryan, I work with
Taylor and Jones’s firm.” I nodded. “No apologies necessary…let me
show you around.” As I guided him into the back gallery I could
feel his eyes staring me down and unless this guy was a fan of Dona
Karen dresses, I doubt that he was looking at that. I turned around
suddenly and caught him in the act. He quickly averted his gaze
back to my face.

“I have plenty of things for
you, just tell me what you’re interested in.” James nodded and
looked around. His eyes fell on a blue painting in the front of all
the displays. “This one…tell me about it.” I walked over to the
painting with him and smiled. It was created by Nuetello, an up
incoming painter who happened to be making a name for himself.
“Woman in the midst.” He read the title. “It’s beautiful.”
Nuettello outlined a woman’s body in the center of a variety of
blue shades of color with dark shadowing causing it to really stand
out. “Yes it is…it represents the hardships and downfalls that most
women go through…” I explained. “It gives the appearance of being
swept up in a tidal wave.” James seemed intrigued by my description
and smiled. I smiled too, not too many buyers care to hear the
story of the art they buy. “I want it….when can you have it ready.”
I was a little taken back by his eagerness but not that taken back
that I would refuse a sale.

“As soon as possible…just
let me jot down your information.” James followed me back to the
front desk and I retrieved the much need data from him to make
arrangements. All the while I could feel him observing more than
the art on display. I looked up to see his eyes resting on my mine
causing my heart to stop. He smiled. “Ms. Witt?” I licked my dry
lips and nodded. “Yes?” “If I am not being to forward, what are you
doing tonight?”
Oh my God he is asking me
out,
I thought.
What do I do? What do I say?
“Nothing… really just finishing up here.” I said nervously.
“Well there’s a nice restaurant that I planned on going too and
since I am never one to like dinning alone I was hoping you would
join me.”
Oh God… Des just play it
cool
, I thought. I looked away from him not
trying to get sucked into those dreamy eyes of his that seemed so
captivating.

“I don’t know.” I teased a
little. “Please…” He said gently touching my hand. “I have a good
feeling about you and I want to take you out.”
Oh my God,
I melted.
Should I go? I mean he is gorgeous, good job,
very sexy, the type of man you don’t see every day. Still I don’t
know…I’m not sure.
I sighed to
myself.

C’mon Des your thirty five,
you’re not getting any younger, it’s time to jump on it before your
eggs dry up and you hit menopause.
I looked
back at him and smiled. “Yes… I would love to.” James grinned
widely, showing me those gleaming white teeth again.

“Good…I’ll pick you up at
eight?”

“Yes… eight will be
fine.”

“Great… I’m looking forward
to it Destiny.”

I watched James Ryan exit
the building and I wondered could he be the answer to all my
prayers. “If you want my advice I say go for it.” I heard Marisol’s
perky voice say from behind me. I chuckled a little and just shook
my head.
Ok Mr. James Ryan…I’m going to go
for it.

Derrick

Whew! I managed to make it
to my son’s party in a timely matter. After dropping Trina off on
the corner of her building, I hauled ass over to Amari’s place,
leaving Trina giving me the finger and cursing my God given
name…it’s all good though, she’ll forgive me later. I managed to
scoop up my baby boy something nice for his birthday on the way
there…something I knew he would love. As I parked in the driveway I
could hear music blasting and people scurrying around. I figured it
was the kids playing in the backyard. I made my way into the back
of Amari’s house, which was not that far from my own.