Some Came Desperate: A Love Saga (39 page)

       Simone walked an almost catatonic Jules out of Shay’s apartment, with Shay continuing to yell and complain as if she was the real victim here.   But Simone was certain now.  She’d done all she could for Shay.  She’d paid her back for leaving her in state custody over and over again.  She’d paid her back in spades.  Now she was washing her hands of her.

THIRTY-THREE

Two years later

The BMW roared through the streets of Atlanta and stopped in front of Elouise’s, a popular eating spot.  Jules jumped out, tossed her keys to the valet, and hurried inside.  She placed her shades on the top of her head and moved over to where Simone was seated near a window.

       “Not my fault,” Jules said as she sat at the table across from Simone.  “I left on time.  The traffic wouldn’t cooperate.”

       “I phoned your office,” Simone said, smiling, “and they said you had just left fifteen minutes ago.”

       Jules looked at Simone.  And then laughed.  “Okay, you got me, all right?  I forgot.  Feel better?”

       “You always forget.”

       “I’ve been so busy lately, I can barely remember anything.”  Then she leaned forward.  “But guess what?  I sold another house!” 

       “Another one?  Dang, Jules.  That’s four in one week.”

       “I know.  Ain’t God good?  I can’t believe it!  Here I am, doing what I’ve always wanted to do all my life, and I’m not just doing it, but successful at it.”

       “That’s a blessing.”

       “Would you care for a drink, ma’am?” a young waiter came over and asked. 

       “Ah, just a coke, thanks,” Jules replied, and the waiter bowed slightly and left.

       “So, what about you?”  Jules asked.  “How’s things going with you?  These little weekly lunch dates aren’t nearly enough time for us to catch up on things.”

       “I know.  Especially since you barely have time for this.  But I’m not mad at you.  I’m just thrilled your real estate venture is working out.”

       “I am too, girl.  Because believe me, I was scared when I first hit this town.  But God is good.”

       “Amen,” Simone said and they both lapsed into quietness.  Jules put on her shades to peruse the menu, which didn’t make any sense to Simone, and Simone just watch her big sister at work.  She looked so happy now, so unburdened, that it made Simone feel complete too.  Although she knew she wasn’t quite.

       The waiter returned with Jules coke just as her cell phone began to ring.  She checked her caller ID.  “It’s Phillip,” she said, “I’ve gots to get this one.”

       “Who’s Phillip?”

       “Just some guy I met.”

       “Another one, Jules?”

       “Darn right.  I’m single.  I’m available.  I’m weighing my options.”  Jules answered her cell phone. “Hey, Philly, how are you?” she said into the phone.

       Simone smiled.  Jules had really changed.  She seemed almost as if she was living her teen years in her late thirties, doing what she was deprived of doing when she was young and dumb and carefree.  If she was ever carefree, Simone thought.  But Simone was so proud of her.  She dumped Jeremy like a bad habit and never looked back.  Of course, the fact that Jeremy was low enough to sleep with her own sister had a lot to do with it, but it still took a lot of nerve, Simone knew.

       When Jules hung up her cell she smiled.  “He’s cool,” she said.

       “How long have you known this Phillip?”

       “About a week.”

       “And?”

       “And what?”

       “And what about him?”

       “He’s cool.  I told you.  He’s a nice guy.  He’s in college over at Mercer.”

       Simone looked at Jules.  “College?  How old is this Phillip?”

       “I don’t know.  19, 20.  He’s a sophomore.”

       “A sophomore?  19 or 20?  Jules, he’s a baby!”

       “And so am I,” Jules said with a grin.  “I’m enjoying my life, I’m sorry.  I’m not interested in any Mother Teresa roles thank-you.  I’m living my life.”   Then her cell phone rang again.  She looked at the caller ID.  “Barry,” she said.  “Gots to take this one.”

       Simone shook her head as Jules answered the call.  But when she hung up, Simone could tell something was up.

       “What is it?” Simone asked.

       “You are not going to believe this but I just sold another house.”

       “To Barry? I thought he was one of your ‘men friends.’”

       “He is.  But he needs a house.  That’s how we met.  I showed him a house.  Now he wants to buy it.”  Jules began getting her things together.  “I’m going to have to take a rain check on lunch.”

       “Of course.  Is this a substantial home, or?”

       “Let’s put it this way,” she said. “It’s in Buckhead.”

       Simone smiled.   “Enough said.  That’s going to be some commission.”

       “You’re telling me?  Girl, I’ve been so blessed.  And I’m doing what I love doing.  Ain’t God good?”  And then she looked up just as she was about to stand up and saw what she just knew was a ghost.  She blinked.  “It can’t be,” she said.

       “What can’t be?” Simone asked and then looked in the direction where Jules was staring.   And she had to blink too.  For standing near the front of the restaurant was Nick Perry, talking to the maitre d.  Simone’s heart dropped.

       Jules looked at Simone.  “Don’t you dare give that man the time of day,” she said to Simone.  “Don’t even go there with him, Simmie.  You can do way better than his old married behind.”

       “He’s just in the restaurant, Jules, my goodness.  That has nothing to do with me.”

       “Girl, please.  This ain’t no coincidence!  He’s probably stalking you or something.”

       “After two years?  Give me a break.”

       “Don’t let him get you all twisted around again, Simone.”

       “I’m not, okay?  He probably doesn’t even remember me.  He’s probably in town on business and just happened to come into this restaurant.  His presence here has nothing to do with me.”

       Just as she said that, however, Nick, staring at her, began heading in their direction.  “Uh hun,” Jules said.  “Nothing to do with you all right.”  Then she looked at Simone.  “Want me to stay?  Because I can move some things around.”

       “I’m fine, Jules.”

       “You sure?”

       “Positive.  Goodness.”

       Then Nick was upon them.  Looking tall and gorgeous as ever, Simone quickly realized.  “Hello, Simone,” he said.  “Hello, Jules.”

       “Remember what I said, Simone,” Jules said, ignoring Nick. 

       “Goodbye, Jules,” Simone replied, getting flustered.  Jules was behaving as if she was some simpleton who would actually jump back into a relationship with a married man without remembering all of that self-inflicted pain of the past.  She had to be joking if she thought that.  Self-inflicted pain was the last thing Simone ever planned to endure again.

       Although Jules didn’t like it, she did leave.  Nick exhaled.  Simone looked so beautiful to him, so stunning and elegant, that being up close to her again nearly took his breathe away.  “Mind if I sit down?” he asked her.

       Simone didn’t say anything.  She didn’t know if she mind or not.  Nick sat down.

       He sat more sideways, however, than straight-on, as he crossed his legs and tried his best not to stare at Simone.  He failed.  “So,” he said when it was clear she wasn’t going to say anything, “how have you been?”

       “I’ve been good actually.  Working hard.  Running my salon.”

       “You still have your salon then?”

       “Oh, yes.  I don’t know what I would have done without my work.  I love doing hair.”

       “Good.  It’s always good to have something.”  There was another time of silence, as the waiter came to bring Jules’ coke and realized that she was no longer there, but that a new customer had arrived. 

       “Oh, I’m sorry.  I thought–”

       “She had to leave.”

       “Well, sir,” the waiter said, “would you care for a drink or—”

       “What do you have there?”

       “Only a coke, sir.”

       “That’ll do,” Nick said and the waiter obliged him, placing Jules’ coke in front of Nick.  When the waiter left, Nick looked down at Simone’s hands, at how elegant they looked, and then into her gorgeous, light green eyes. 

       “You look beautiful, Simone,” he couldn’t help himself from saying.

       “How’s your wife?” Simone, angry that he would go there, immediately asked.  There was no way she was about to fool around with a married man ever again, she didn’t care that he did happen to be the man she still loved.

       Nick sat erect and did a quick exhale.  It used to hurt him to his heart to say these words.  Now he just said them.  “Delia, my wife, died Simone,” he said.

       Simone was dumbstruck.  She stared at Nick.  “She died?”

       Nick nodded.  “Yes.  She was very ill.”

       Simone knew that Delia was ill the night she had seen her, even that night she had come to Simone’s hotel room (a night that still embarrassed Simone).  But to be dead?

       “When did she die?” Simone asked.

       “Two years ago.  Just around the time that you left Miami.”

       “I had no idea, Nick,” Simone said, heartfelt.  “I’m so sorry.  I know you loved her.”

       Nick looked at Simone.  He did love Delia.  But he still loved Simone. 

       “So, what happened to you?” he asked her.  “As soon as I couldn’t find you, I considered hiring a private detective.  I figured you’d gone back to Atlanta.”

       “And it took your private detective two years to find me here?  He’s not very good, Nick.”

       Nick smiled a rare smile.  “No, I didn’t hire him.  I knew I needed time to get over . . . Delia’s death and I didn’t want to complicate your life either so, I didn’t hire him.  Besides, when I came looking for you, I didn’t want to come desperate.  I needed time.  Now I felt was the right time.  So I did hire an Atlanta PI to track you down for me.  He didn’t have to look hard.” 

       Simone realized for the first time that she wasn’t hiding anyway.  The thought pleased her.

       Then there was another period of silence, where all they did was sit still and contemplate their own thoughts.  Until Nick spoke again. 

       “Why did you leave, Simone?” he asked her.  “I thought you would stay at least through Shay’s deposition.  But before I knew anything you and Jules both had packed up and gone.  I tried to find out what had happened from Serita, but she wasn’t telling.”

       “Jules paid for your firm to represent her through the trial, but after that she was on her own.”

       “I gathered that.  What, she finally pulled one too many pranks?”

       “What Shay was pulling was never a prank,” Simone said with confidence.  “She was serious and she was malicious and she aimed to destroy.  I know that now.  But of course you knew it all along.”

       “Some people get over it, Simone,” Nick said.  “But I could see early on that Serita wasn’t one of those people.  If she held a grudge against you, real or imagined, she didn’t rest until she exacted her revenge.”