Midnight Kisses (11 page)

“That sounds good.”

 

Ironically, when Daniel woke in the morning Renée was gone. He'd overslept. It was almost midday. He picked up his cell phone. Two missed calls. One from Renée. The other from Jerome.

He dialed Renée's phone but there was no response. He dialed Jerome and he answered immediately.

“You told me I could call you.”

“Buddy, it's not a problem. I meant it when I said you can call me.”

“Cool. Are you going to be at the Center tonight? I have basketball practice.”

“I'll be there. I won't miss it.”

“Good. I'll see you later. I'm going to go finish my homework.”

“Okay, then.”

“And do you want to go get some ice cream or something? I want to ask you about a project I have for a class.”

“Yeah, ice cream would be cool.”

“Okay, I'll pay. I kept some of my allowance from last week.”

“Don't worry about that. I'll pay this time. I'll see you this evening. I'll be done by six.”

“Cool. Later.” The phone disconnected.

There was no turning back. The boy already had expectations. Not that Daniel had any intention of backing out. God had given him a second chance. It was not what he'd expected, but he'd accepted it willingly. He intended to do all he could to help Jerome to become the man he could be. He'd seen too many young boys go the way of the gun and Jerome was a prime candidate. The boy was aching for a father's love. Daniel was glad he had been there. There were so many people out there looking to exploit kids who wanted love.

Daniel remembered his father clearly and he had promised himself that he would never be the kind of father his had been. His father had never been physically abusive, it had all been about psychological control. It had only been after Taurean's release from prison, when he'd taken a good look at himself, that he had realized he had become just like his father. Now he had a chance to be the kind of person he should be. He was not Jerome's biological father, but he would teach him all he needed to know about life. The only thing he had to do now was hope Jerome liked Renée, but he knew Renée, and Daniel suspected that Jerome would soon be as hooked on her as he was.

Since he was making calls, he picked the phone up and called Taurean. One more day and his brother would be leaving. He planned on going over to the hotel tonight after he dropped Jerome home. Taurean answered immediately.

“Daniel, thanks for coming last night. Alana and I really appreciated it.”

“I enjoyed myself. Alana is really talented. You must
be proud of her. I noticed that Renée liked one of the paintings so I bought it, but I don't plan to let her know until Christmas.”

“I'll make sure Alana puts a discount price on it.”

“No need to do that. Remember, I'm still a rich man. I haven't touched much of the money I got when Dad died or the insurance money from the accident.”

“That's good, but I'm still going to pay for your ticket and Renée's ticket to Barbados. I did invite you, after all, and I'm not taking no for an answer.”

“No problem. But I still have to talk with my boss. So what's the plan for the day?”

“Alana and I are just going over to the gallery. I'm hoping you have some time to drop by but we leave tomorrow. I'm sorry we didn't come for more than the four days, but neither of us likes leaving the kids for too long. Plus, I never would've thought I'd run into you.”

“I always knew you'd be a good father.”

“And you, too. You were a good father. You were gentler. Chelsea transformed you.”

“Maybe, my brother. I may soon find out what it's like again.”

“Renée is pregnant?”

“No, Taurean. There is a boy at the Center whom I've been hanging with, mentoring. I'm actually thinking of letting him move in with me. Her grandmother is worried about him and she's not doing too well, healthwise. I plan on asking her to let him come live with me. He has no one else. I could eventually make it permanent. But taking on the responsibility of a teenager is vastly different from an infant.”

“Well, I say go for it. I'm sure you'll be good for him.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“No problem, man. So we'll see you later, right? I have to go, though…Alana is calling. Breakfast in bed.”

“Okay, Bro. You go enjoy your breakfast and don't hurt yourself. Tell Alana have mercy on the old man.”

“Old man? For me, breakfast has a number of courses and I'm more than capable of partaking of each. I'll see you later.”

Daniel put the phone down. The conversation floated around in his head. Taurean had actually thought Renée was pregnant. He would love to see Renée pregnant with his child. She would be even more beautiful, blooming with their son or daughter.

Last night had been different. They'd hardly touched, but he felt a sense of belonging he'd not felt for ages. She'd felt it, too. Of that he was certain. He loved her, but was that enough to dream about a lifetime of commitment? On the other hand, marrying her would be perfect if he were to adopt Jerome or become his guardian. Renée would make a wonderful mother. The maternal instinct came naturally to her. He'd seen how she had dealt with Jamie. She'd been gentle and understanding.

But he needed to pause a bit. He was getting ahead of himself with his plans. Suppose Jerome's grandmother didn't agree. But he knew he wanted to be the boy's father in every sense of the word, and God would make it work if it was part of his plan.

He stopped suddenly. He'd not asked God anything in the past two or three years. Something heavy and cold unwrapped itself from around his heart. He felt lighter, free. Like the prodigal son, he was acknowledging that he'd been wrong. God was taking care of him, despite the way he'd turned away from Him. He was ready to live again.

Tonight when he called Taurean, he'd let him know when he was going to the island. Maybe Barbados would be his final place of healing.

It had given healing to both Alana and Taurean, and maybe, just maybe, he'd find rest from his weariness there.

D
aniel looked at the most distressingly large pile of ice cream he'd ever seen and his mouth watered. He settled for a simple banana split, but what Jerome was eating with gusto left him wishing he'd made the same choice.

“Man, this is so good, I may get another one,” Jerome said, the expression on his face one of utter delight.

“While I find it rather tempting, I'm not going to allow you to eat another one. That must be so bad for your health you'll put on twenty pounds before we even leave here.”

Jerome laughed. “Not going to happen,” he said. “My metabolism will take care of the excess. If you were my dad, your grocery bill would be so high.” Jerome stopped immediately. He looked embarrassed.

Daniel realized this was the opportunity he'd wanted. “That may not be such a bad thing.”

“What do you mean?” Jerome said.

“Would you have a problem with me being your dad?”

The boy hesitated. “You mean like a foster dad?”

“No, not a foster parent. I mean like a real dad. Make it legal.”

“I'll get to call you dad?”

“Only if you want to.”

“I mean, only if you wouldn't mind.”

“That's the way I'd want it. But you have to promise me something. That you'd always try to be the best person you can be.”

“That shouldn't be too hard. I have a good example to follow.” He said this slowly.

Daniel could see he wanted to cry. Man, he was torn up inside, too.

“You wanna leave here? I should talk to your grandmother in person. This can't happen until I've spoken to her and she agrees.”

“I'm sure she'll agree. She's worried about me. She'll agree to anything that will keep me off the streets. Not that I planned to ever go here. I don't want to be like those other kids out there. Don't be fooled by how I dress. I'm nothing like those guys. It's just survival.”

“I know, son. I know.”

The smile on Jerome's face was enough to make everything right.

But…there was still his relationship with Renée to worry about.

 

Daniel knocked on the door of Shelley's apartment. He wasn't sure if she was at home, but he wanted to talk to her. She was the one person who could help him deal with his confused state of mind.

An eye appeared at the peephole and then the clanking of the several locks on her door. The door opened and she stood there, white stuff plastered on her face and wrapped in a robe that had seen better days.

He tried not to laugh out loud, but it took all of his self-control not to.

“If you dare laugh, I'm going to fire you,” she said, glaring at him.

He did laugh this time. “You know you need me in the office. Who's going to cover your back if you get rid of me?”

“All right, I hear you. Come on in. Who am I to argue with the best assistant I've ever had?” She turned around and headed for the living room, leaving him to lock the door.

When he was done, he followed her, joining her on the sofa where she spent more of her time at home. Shelley loved game shows, and as he expected, an ancient episode of the
$25,000 Pyramid
with Dick Clark was on her television.

“So what's wrong with my friend?” she asked. “Falling in love has you all confused and uncertain?”

He wondered how she always knew what was wrong with him. Maybe that's the reason he was here. He knew Shelley's intuition kicked in about personal matters related to him.

“It's Renée and my family,” he replied. “Things are moving a bit too fast for me. When I came to Chicago, I came knowing that I needed to heal; that my time of grieving had to come to an end.” He drew in a deep breath before he continued. “I wanted change and I was slowly coming to accept that. Now I'm faced with a budding relationship and my family wants me back in their lives. It's overwhelming.”

“Are you here for me to give you validation for what you already know you want to do?”

“Maybe.” Daniel shrugged. “I'm not sure. Renée makes me feel alive. I've been emotionally dead for so long, I don't know if I should get involved with the first woman who catches my interest and makes me feel good.”

Shelley moved closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. Her touch offered comfort, which radiated through his body, soothing him with its warmth.

“You love her, Daniel. And the sooner you are willing to admit it, the sooner you'll be able to deal with what's happening with you.”

“Love?” Daniel replied. “I'm not even sure I want to love again. I've loved people and it has brought pain and loss.”

“But those are the realities of life,” Shelley said, almost apologetically. “We live and we die. Everyone you know and love will one day die. Some before you, others long after you are gone. That doesn't mean you love them any less. I would think it would mean you love them even more. You were a minister. You of all people should know that. You keep denying God and saying
that the two of you have come to some understanding, but that's just an excuse.”

He nodded in agreement. “You're right. Maybe going to Barbados will help me deal with this. I have to face my family.”

“You know what your real problem is, Daniel?” she asked. “You're a man. You want to be strong and courageous. And yes, that's part of what being a man is. But you needed to dig deeper and find the true man inside, the man who, despite his strength, knows how to cry. Have you cried for the woman and child you claim to love so much? When that happens, then you'll truly start to heal.”

He didn't respond, didn't know what to say. In fact there was no need for words. Shelley had said it all. Her hand squeezed his. He squeezed hers back gently, then released it and stood. She glanced up at him, her eyes searching his face, as if she would find the answers there.

“Thank you,” he said, pressing his palm against her cheek.

“No thanks necessary,” she replied. “That's what friends are for. Now leave me alone so I can watch this show. All you need to do is look into your heart and the answers will all be there.” She smiled broadly.

“I love you,” he said.

She didn't respond, only continued to watch her show now on the screen, but he knew she'd heard. He turned and walked away, his heart feeling lighter.

He needed to get home and make a call. He planned on asking Renée to go with him to Barbados.

 

Renée closed the door behind her and tossed her briefcase on the sofa. She'd actually left work at the end of her shift. Today had been a particularly good one. Nothing major had happened and she'd made a serious dent in her paperwork. She'd even gone out to lunch with Cheryl—a rare occurrence.

She moved to the bedroom and slipped out of her clothes, then headed to the shower. Tonight she had all intentions of pampering herself. Life was too good to be worried about the little things.

She filled the tub, making sure that the water was warm and poured in her favorite scented bubble bath. When she stepped into the tub and lowered herself into the water, she felt like a baby cocooned in its mother's womb. She closed her eyes, and as her body slowly relaxed, the fatigue drained from her. In the midst of her daydreaming, she heard a noise in the distance.

Her doorbell. Who on earth could that be?

She pulled herself up, dried herself quickly and slipped on a robe. She rushed from the bathroom, moved quickly to the door, unlocked it and swung it open.

Daniel.

A part of her had known it was him, but she tried not to acknowledge it. Now her heart pounded in her chest with the excitement of seeing him.

She stepped back instinctively, giving him confirmation that he could enter.

As he stepped inside he reached for her, drawing her toward him until her breasts pressed against his chest.

“Don't you know you should check to see who's at the door before you open it?” he scolded.

“I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking.”

“This may be a good neighborhood but you still need to be careful.”

She didn't respond. She kept staring at his lips.

“You were in the shower?”

“I was taking a bath.”

“Now, if I'd known that I would have come earlier,” he teased.

He drew her closer and she pressed herself against him.

“If I'd known you were coming I would have waited.”

“I should have called,” he apologized.

“We'll have time for a shower a bit later,” she said seductively. “Right now, I want you. I've been thinking of making love to you all day.”

He lowered his head to capture her lips in a kiss that screamed desire. Renée placed her hands around his neck, pulling him even closer. She felt her body quiver with excitement, with the commanding intrusion of his tongue. She reached for his zipper, wanting to feel him deep inside her.

“Come, let's go to the bedroom,” he said, between the caress of their lips.

“No, I want you here, right here!”

“Oh, so you want to be kinky. I can do kinky.” He laughed.

Her hands continued their task, allowing his pants to fall to the ground. His boxers followed and he felt
her hands on his penis, her fingers running gently along its length. He groaned softly, knowing that he could not wait. He quickly removed his shirt and watched as her robe fell to the ground, revealing her perfect nude body.

“So you were waiting for me?” he moaned, carrying her toward the table.

He set her down, moved between her legs and then lowered her back to the table. He moved his head downward, placing his mouth on her stomach and then trailing down until he was between her legs.

He parted her lips with a finger, his mouth finding access to the core of her womanhood. Beneath him, her body shuddered and twisted while small whimpers of pleasure flowed from her lips. He buried his tongue deep inside her, the fresh scent of the lavender heightening his enjoyment. He teased her sensitive nub, arousing her to the point of exhilaration before he brought her down again, only to take her back up until she screamed with her need. He tasted the sweet honey of her femininity. And then, her body stiffened and her face came alive with the delight of her orgasm.

Her legs parted and he stood up and poised his hardness at her entrance, probing, teasing, rubbing until she'd bit down on her lips, trying to hold her cries inside. He slipped inside her slowly, loving the feel of her tight walls against his erect length. He pushed deep and her muscles clenched around him, drawing every thick, long inch within her. His penis throbbed and he began a firm thrusting of his hips back and forward.

He maintained a steady rhythm, his eyes focused on
her, watching as her face gave away the pleasure she felt. He stopped temporarily, shifting her until her buttocks touched the edge of the table. She wrapped her legs round his waist, drawing him closer and deeper.

“Don't stop, Daniel,” she commanded. “It feels so good.”

“You love it, don't you? Tell me you love it.”

“Yes,” she replied, her mouth covering one of his nipples.

He loved the feel of her mouth on him. His arousal intensified and he increased his pace, stroking her strong and firm. She groaned and called his name, urging him on, praising his prowess until his only desire was to please her and give her the same joy he was experiencing. When the moment of release came, it surprised them both with its power.

Daniel cried out in pleasure, his body tensing and relaxing as wave after wave of heat coursed through him, the feeling so powerful that he wished it would never stop. Renée held on to him, her own orgasm as forceful as his. Her fingernails pressed into his back but he felt no pain, only the vulnerability of her body as it shook uncontrollably against his.

He lifted her and carried her with him into the bathroom. They both needed the soothing silkiness of warm water against their bodies to stem the heat. But Daniel had no doubt they'd make love again.

Tonight was going to be a long night of ultimate pleasure and he had all intentions of playing his part.

 

Daniel nibbled on Renée's neck again. She giggled, tapping him gently on the stomach.

“So what do you say? Are you willing to go with me to Barbados?” he asked again, his hand gently kneading a taut nipple.

She hesitated. The offer had come as a surprise, but it was a tempting one. She was due a vacation since she hadn't taken one since she started work at the hospital. Leaving for a week or two couldn't hurt. She was sure getting the time off should not be a problem. But she couldn't concentrate on what he was asking. She slapped his hand away playfully.

“Are you sure it won't be a problem with your family?” she asked.

“Definitely not. Taurean was the one who suggested I invite you. You only have to agree. Just image all that sunshine, the white sand and crystal-clear water.”

She laughed. “Okay, you are really tempting me now…and I do want to see the island.”

“Plus I'm doing what you suggested. I want to see my family, and what better time than at Thanksgiving? And I want you with me.”

“You're sure you're ready to face them?” she asked.

“Yes, I know I'm ready. Seems that I just needed the push. Seeing Taurean made a difference. I know that I left Brooklyn and my family, but I wonder if I hadn't left if I would have dealt with my situation better.”

“Maybe, or maybe not. But you did take a long hard
look at the man you were. Maybe you needed to be away from your family and friends to do that.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That's true.”

“So where do I come into all this?” she asked.

“I want to be honest with you. I care about you. I enjoy being with you, but I'm not sure I'm ready for anything more.”

“I feel the same way. Since I got jilted at the altar, I've been wary of relationships. I'm not sure if this is the best thing for me, but I'm willing to give it a try.”