Mama Dearest (26 page)

“You’re from Palm Springs? I’ve been thinking about building out there,” Dennis said.

“Then we have to talk,” Ava said, pulling up a chair.

“Would you like to join us?” Sonja asked.

Ava patted her on the arm and said, “I already have, love. Pay attention.” She zeroed in on Dennis. “What are we drinking?”

“Champagne,” Dennis said.

“But of course,” Ava replied, “Dom in the middle of the day sounds wonderful. And I’m famished. I think I’ll order a steak. Medium rare, of course, and a baked potato.”

“I don’t think they offer baked potatoes during lunch. I tried to order one the other day and I had to wait until dinner. I just love baked potatoes with cheese,” Sonja said.

“Nonsense, child. It’s all in how you ask, and if they tell you no, then you ask somebody else. Isn’t that the way you do it, Dennis?” Ava asked with a smile. She was wearing a snow-white wrap dress with a plunging neckline. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and covered by a bright yellow hat with a polka dot band. Ava had on gold open-toed mules and carried a matching bag. Her eyes tilted down as she sourly examined the bright orange shorts set Sonja wore.

“I like the way you think, Ava,” Dennis said, smiling back. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Most smart men do.” The waiter appeared and handed Ava the menu. “Now, let me see what kind of salads they have. After a workout and a swim I have quite an appetite. I guess I can always go back to my diet when the vacation is over. A diet I will be happy to share with you, Solange, when you decide to get rid of those pesky ten pounds. Potatoes can be fattening, you know.”

“It’s Sonja,” she corrected gently.

“Of course it is, sweetie.” Ava turned her full attention to Dennis. “Now, when do you think you might be building in California? I have seen some of your homes and they are something else. I think they will be a big hit in Cali.”

“What kind of business are you in, Ava? I think we met with Seneca on his yacht on Fisher Island.”

“Oh, you name it and I’ve done it,” Ava said, ignoring the Fisher Island statement. “But basically I’m a woman who aims to please her man. I know you can appreciate that, Dennis.”

The older man was enthralled by her flirting. “Are you married, Ava? You look so familiar.”

“Maybe you know me from my show business career. I was a huge cabaret star. Currently I’m between husbands. I’m a widow.” She looked away misty-eyed. “I lost my husband at a very young age. But I’m always looking. You’ll have to introduce me to some of your business associates.”

Charmed by her directness, he asked, “Sonja, who do you think might be good for Ava?”

“I have no idea,” Sonja said flatly.

“Now don’t tax yourself thinking about it, sweetheart. I’m sure if Dennis puts his mind to it, he will think of somebody. Sonja tells me you have a home in Tampa Bay. I was thinking of visiting there in the fall. I’m a big Tampa Bay Bucs fan. I bet you even have a box. Maybe I can be your guest at one of the games.”

Sonya jumped in, “I’m in charge of the guest box. That’s my job.”

Ava turned a tolerant smile on her, like a mother with an awkward teenager. “Oh well, great. Let me look at the schedule and I’ll tell you which games I can make.” Ava looked around the restaurant and said, “Now, where is that waitress? Good help is so hard to find.”

J
UST AS
A
VA WAS
preparing to get into the limo for a trip to the airport, she heard a female voice call her name. Ava turned and saw Sonja walking toward her. She was wearing a tiger print swimsuit top and a see-through sarong. Ava imagined Sonja had missed the memo about no animal prints after age thirty. She figured Sonja had missed a lot of memos about taste and class.

“Sarita. How are you? I’m on my way back to New York,” Ava said
as she approached Sonja for a fake kiss. Ava was a bit taken aback when Sonja backed away.

“First of all, and for the last time, my name is Sonja. I don’t want to have to tell you again.”

“My, my, aren’t we touchy, hon. But you know how it is. I’ve always been so bad with names. Where is that lovely husband of yours?”

“Dennis is getting a massage, but that of course is none of your business.”

“Now, Sonja, why so bitchy so early in the morning? I guess you must have caught Dennis eyeing me like a Thanksgiving turkey with stuffing when we broke bread. Not to worry, child. If he makes a play for me, I promise you’ll be the first to know.”

“I’m not the least bit worried about you, Ava. If Dennis were to leave me, it would be for someone a lot younger and a lady with real class and not the fake shit you bring.”

Ava was delighted to see Sonja’s claws bared. How little this clueless wonder really knew. “Oh my, my, love. Is that the ghetto I hear seeping out? I must say, it did take a little longer than expected,” Ava said with a satisfied smirk.

“Call it whatever you like, but I want you to know my husband told me all about you last night when we retired to our suite. So I don’t think it would be wise for you to come and visit us. Football games or otherwise.”

Ava reacted like she was speaking in tongues. “What in the hell are you talking about, and try not to use the ebonics? As you can see, I have a driver waiting on me, and I don’t want to waste time with the translations.”

“He told me about you and his friend, and I’m warning you, I will find him and let him know where to find you.”

“Him? Does this imaginary friend have a name, love?”

“You know the name, bitch. So don’t you forget that you’ve been warned.”

As a parting shot, Ava decided to return the heat with a little fire of her own. “Sweetheart, dumb little no-class tramps don’t warn Ava about shit. Now if you’re finished, I have a plane to catch,” Ava said as she ducked her head into the backseat of the limo. But before she was almost in, Ava backed out slowly and turned toward Sonja. “And in case no one told you, it’s never proper to wear open-toed sandals without getting a pedicure.”

I sat at a corner table of Blu, a popular midtown restaurant, nervously stirring my iced tea. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so uptight about a meeting. It was an important meeting, one that could get my life back on its proper course.

The only way I was going to get my show and rid myself of both Ava and Lyrical was to bring Madison into the mix. I’d attempted to avoid involving Madison but I no longer had any choice. Derrick could make that happen. Which is why I phoned him. When I told him I wanted to fly to California to discuss an important matter he told me he was actually in New York and reluctantly agreed to meet with me the next day.

I got to the restaurant about fifteen minutes early to secure a table facing the door. I wanted to flash my winning smile the moment Derrick entered the establishment. I now sit there nervously anticipating his arrival. I look at the tea glass and see that all of the white crystals of the sweetener have dissolved. I pull out my compact to make sure that my bright red lipstick is
flawless. I still had ten minutes before Derrick was scheduled to arrive.

Taking a sip of the sweet tea, I thought about Derrick and our relationship, and wondered if he had fond memories of me. We’d met during my freshman year at Howard University. I’d dropped my student ID card, and when I bent down to pick it up, Derrick beat me to the punch. Our hands touched and the feeling was electric. I knew I was going to fall in love with this man.

The first two years it was a perfect love affair and I thought I’d met the man I was going to marry. Derrick was in the ROTC with hopes of becoming a civil engineer. He, like me, was a first-generation college student. He had the most beautiful hazel-brown eyes and a boyish vulnerability that I found hard to resist.

Right before my senior year I discovered I was pregnant. My whole future was about to start and the timing couldn’t have been worse. My first reaction was to get an abortion, but Derrick was adamant that we get married and have the child. A couple of months into my pregnancy, he started to waver about our future and I decided to give the baby up for adoption. After our daughter was born, Derrick double-crossed me and managed to adopt her without my knowledge.

We lost touch until a few years ago. Derrick showed up in Vegas to tell me that his sister Jennifer, who had raised our daughter, was dying of breast cancer and that he needed me to raise Madison. This was a time when my career was on the landing strip for a big takeoff, and being a mother was the last thing I wanted to do. But Derrick said that enough time had passed. If I ever changed my mind and wanted to be a part of Madison’s life, he would welcome that.

My trip down memory lane was ended by a male voice. “Still just as beautiful as ever.” I looked up and saw Derrick standing a few feet from me just as handsome as ever.

I stood up, took both his hands in mine and gave him a kiss on each cheek. “Derrick. It’s so good to see you.”

“Yancey Harrington Braxton. Man, was I surprised to hear from you.”

“Have a seat,” I said. “I hope this restaurant wasn’t hard to find.”

“No, my driver came right here,” Derrick said, taking the opposite seat.

“Where is that waiter?” I asked nervously. Damn, I couldn’t calm myself.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile on his behalf. “I just need to get the waiter so we can order you something to drink.”

“I’m fine, but I must say, you seem a little nervous. Is everything okay?”

I slapped his wrist playfully. “Oh, it’s fine. Tell me, are you still an engineer?”

“I still have my license, but for the last couple of years I’ve been managing a rising young star, who also happens to be my daughter,” Derrick said proudly.

I didn’t respond. Even though he had put the issue on the table, I still couldn’t talk about Madison. I was getting ready to look over the menu when the waiter approached the table.

“Can I get the gentleman a drink?” the waiter asked.

“Just let me have a cranberry juice with Seven-Up,” Derrick said.

With the sweetest smile I asked if they had any specials.

He warmed right up. “Yes, we do. Why don’t I get the drink and then I’ll go over them with you?”

“That will be fine,” I said as I smiled a hundred watts at the waiter. When I turned toward Derrick, he was blushing like a boy.

“I see you still got that charm,” he said.

“You think so?” I asked, fake eyelashes operating at full speed.

“You
know
so. Are you still in the business?”

“Oh yeah, and things are going well. Right now I’m looking over several projects trying to decide which one to take. There are
television, stage and movie offers my agent and I are considering,” I said.

“That’s good to hear. I tell you I’ve learned a lot since Madison got in this crazy business, and I don’t know how you all do it.”

“I couldn’t do anything else,” I said.

He was fully under my spell. “You always were a star, Yancey.”

“How is your mother Charlesetta doing?”

“She’s doing fine. About a year ago she moved in with us in California to help with Madison.”

There was my opening again, and this time I took it.

“I see Madison is doing quite well. I guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. You must be so proud of her.” I picked a piece of the rye bread from the basket and spread whipped butter across it. Just as I took the first bite, the waiter came over and set Derrick’s drink in front of him. He rattled off several specials, and when he mentioned a broiled trout stuffed with spinach and rice, Derrick and I looked at each other and nodded our heads in agreement just like we were on a date. Some nice habits hadn’t died, even though we had moved up a few stars on the restaurant scale.

When the waiter left, Derrick pulled one of the thin golden brown breadsticks from the basket and bit off the tip. He looked at me and said, “Yes, I’m quite proud of her, and I think you’d be, too, if you took the chance to get to know her.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Derrick,” I said, not faking it. “Everything I’ve read about her makes Madison seem like the perfect child.”

“She’s not perfect, but Madison is a good girl.”

I didn’t respond, although I was proud of her too.

“How’s Ava?” Derrick asked.

A dark cloud passed on my brow. “What can I say? Ava is still Ava.”

“Is she still in jail?”

“You heard about that? Wow.”

“Yeah, we heard about that. I wanted to contact you, but since you hadn’t responded to any of the notes I’d sent with pictures of Madison, well, I figured you had your hands full.”

“I’m sorry, Derrick,” I said, genuinely meaning those words. “I was busy, but I should have responded and thanked you for sending the photos. She is a beautiful girl. You’ve been an excellent father.”

He looked down at the table and nodded his head. “No problem. So, tell me what you need, Yancey. I know you didn’t want to meet with me to talk about the times we had back at old HU?”

The waiter brought out two small salads and suddenly I thought I might need a little help, so I ordered a glass of wine. I encouraged Derrick to do the same but he declined, saying he was meeting Madison and her producer at the studio later in the evening.