The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil (17 page)

“This is completely humiliating!” It was Alexa’s turn.

“Okay, calm down,” Adam told them as we stepped inside.

There, Ethan waited at the foot of the staircase, with wide, scared eyes. “Are they coming to take our house like they took our car?” he asked in the softest voice.

“No!” Adam declared strongly. “I told you guys, we’re fine now. This is going to be taken care of.”

“But if we’re all right, why did the bank put this up here?” Alexa asked. “For the whole world to see.”

“Because I haven’t had time to contact them and let them know that everything is fine.”

A long look passed between our daughters—one that said
they’d never believe that their responsible and efficient father would not take care of something like this.

“Look, I don’t want you guys to worry about anything,” Adam said, lowering his voice in a way that was meant to be calming. “It’s gonna take me a couple of days, maybe a few weeks to get everything back on track, but none of this is an issue anymore.”

They were quiet, but not too many seconds passed. Then, “Daddy, do you
really
have a job?”

I would’ve expected this from Alexa, but it was Alana who’d put the question right out there.

Before Adam could answer her, the telephone rang, and he used that moment to step away. But Ethan ran ahead, as if answering the telephone was his chance to escape the confusion.

“Hello!” Then, “Okay.” A pause. “Dad, it’s for you.”

“Who is it?” Adam and I asked together.

Ethan shrugged. “I think it’s the same guy from yesterday.”

From yesterday? Shay-Shaunté! She was calling again? This time, asking for Adam?

In two giant steps, I passed by my husband and snatched the phone from Ethan.

“What do you want?” I was ready for a fight.

“Uh … is this the Langston residence?”

I frowned. It really was a man’s voice. “Yes.”

“May I speak with Adam Langston? This is Browning Yearwood from American Express.”

Oh, my God!

“Oh, Mr. Yearwood. Yes. Please. I’m sorry. Yes. Please. Please.” When I finally stopped jabbering, I prayed that not having a coherent wife wasn’t going to cost Adam this job.

My hand was shaking when I handed the phone to Adam and stepped away. “Please, God; please, God; please, God!” I whispered.

“Yes, Mr. Yearwood,” Adam’s voice came through my prayers. Silence, then, “Yes, yes, yes. Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you so much. No, I understand. I don’t need any time. I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”

He hung up and threw a fist pump into the air. “I got the job, Shine. I got it, for real.” His hug was so tight that I was sure he’d punctured my lung. But with the way I felt, that was okay … I had another one.

Adam got the job! This wasn’t conjecture. This wasn’t hope. This was real.

Finally.

“Daddy, I thought you said you already had a job.” Alexa stood in front of us with suspicious eyes and crossed arms.

“I knew this job was coming—we were just waiting for the official word,” Adam explained. “And that was the call.”

“So, you really have a job now?” Alana asked.

“Yes.” He nodded.

“And you really are going to take care of the bank?” Alexa asked.

“Yes,” Adam replied, patient with the inquisition. “And the greatest sweet sixteen birthday party ever is about to go down in the Langston house!”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Alexa said as she gave her sister high five. She grabbed the cordless phone, then dashed up the steps. They had a few calls to make, I guessed. Ethan followed his sisters, though I didn’t think he had anyone he wanted to call.

“Hey,” Adam yelled out after them. “Doesn’t anyone want to celebrate?”

“We are,” Alexa yelled down, right before her room’s door slammed.

Adam’s laugh startled me. Yes, it was loud. Yes, it was hearty. But my surprise came from the fact that
he’d laughed.
A real laugh. When was the last time that had happened? His laughter filled our house with a joyfulness that had been missing. His laughter was the period on these last two years.

No, not a period—it was triple exclamation points. And tomorrow, I’d be able to put my own ending to my situation. Tomorrow I’d walk in
and
out of Ferossity for the very last time.

I reached for my husband and held him as tightly as I could.

Then I laughed, too.

Chapter 25

H
OURS LATER,
I
WAS STILL LAUGHING
. Well, laughing wasn’t quite the word. For the last few hours I’d been moaning and groaning, basking in complete ecstasy.

This was our celebration.

Now, Adam and I lay side by side, skin to skin, sated with pleasure. We held hands in the quiet, engulfed in complete peace.

“In a way,” Adam began, breaking through our tranquillity, “I think this made us better, Shine. We made it through the worst, now we can live in the best.”

I smiled. Then I giggled. Then I laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” I said, leaning over him. “I’m just happy.”

He joined me in laughter because he understood.

Then gently, he pulled me to him. Our lips met—a soft, lingering kiss.

When we eased away, I rested my head on his chest and
he embraced me. He held me close; not even air could pass between us.

I sighed.

Silence returned long enough for my eyelids to begin to feel the weight of my exhaustion. Right before my eyes closed completely, Adam said, “We came so close.”

His words, his tone, put a crack in my peace.

Adam continued, “Between our house, and Ma”—his voice quivered when he mentioned his mother—“and especially our children and even your family … I didn’t want to let anyone down.”

“I understand.” I held him tighter. “You never have.”

“I felt as if I had. I’m the man. I’m supposed to take care of my own.”

“You always have.”

I could feel him shake his head. “We were never supposed to be in this situation.”

I wasn’t going to repeat all that I’d been saying and everything that he already knew. This had to be the male ego talking. Pride. And other emotions that he had to let out so that he could let go.

“But I can tell you this, Shine; I wasn’t going to let us go down. It was never going to come to us walking away from this house. I was never going to let Ma stay in that room … and the kids, especially the twins …” He shook his head. “I would have done anything.”

Poof! Just like that the crack turned into a chasm—all of my peace was gone. I was completely awake now, and trouble was brewing slowly inside me.

He repeated, “I would have done anything,” and I sat right up. It was dark; all I could see was the outline of his face. But I didn’t need the light; I’d be able to read every little expression—even in the dark. “Adam?”

He didn’t say a word at first. All he did was stare at me and I knew.

Then he told me the truth. “I thought a lot about it. I thought about the promise I’d made to you when we got married. And then I thought about our family today. And God help me, but I would’ve done it, Shine,” he whispered. “I would have had to.”

I eased away from the arms where I’d always felt safe … and loved … and adored.

He said, “It would’ve meant nothing to me except saving my family. As a man, I would’ve done what I had to do.”

“That’s the part that scares me.” My voice trembled, and I was pissed at myself for showing how much his words hurt me. “You’re a man …”

“Who would’ve done it only to save his family.” I guess it was because I was so quiet that he felt the need to explain more. “We were on our last leg, Shine. For two years, I’d done everything that I could, interviewed for every job. What else would have been left for me to do? But,” he exhaled a long breath, “thank God for American Express. Because now I have a job and I can keep my vows.”

I rested my head back on his chest and let the quiet peace settle in. But I twisted, then I turned. No matter what, I couldn’t find that place I’d been a few minutes before.

It was like that place of peace wasn’t here anymore.

Chapter 26

T
HE SMELL OF FRYING BACON WOKE
me up.

This had to be a dream. We’d let our housekeeper/cook go long ago, and there was no one left in this house besides me who ever did any kind of cooking. That meant if someone
was
cooking, then this wasn’t a dream … it was a nightmare.

I glanced at the clock and shot straight up in bed. Eight ten? That was almost two hours later than I normally awakened. What had happened to the alarm? And why hadn’t Adam gotten me up?

Grabbing my bathrobe, I dashed into the kitchen, where Alexa and Alana sat chattering, their plates still half-filled with food. Ethan was on the other side of the table, swirling his bacon in syrup that had dripped from his pancakes.

Bacon and pancakes?

This was a nightmare for real.

But on second look, the food appeared edible. My children
were still alive and even seemed to be enjoying the morning meal.

Adam, wrapped in his bathrobe, stood at the dishwasher, dumping plates and pans inside. “Morning, Shine!” he said like his getting up and cooking breakfast was a regular occurrence.

The kids looked up. “Morning, Mom,” they chorused.

I kissed Adam before I did the same to our children. “The alarm didn’t go off.”

“I didn’t turn it on last night.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I wanted you to sleep.”

“I have to go to work.”

“Well, about that …” He closed the dishwasher, then, with a tug of my hand, pulled me away from the children. “I was thinking that maybe you could take the day off,” he whispered, “and we could celebrate.”

I grinned. “We celebrated last night.”

“And now we can celebrate all day, right after I get back from signing the contract at Amex. I’ll only be gone for an hour or two.”

“I really wanted to go in,” I said, eager to put Shay-Shaunté and Ferossity behind me.

“Give her your notice tomorrow.”

“I’m not giving notice, remember? I’m gonna quit and leave.”

“So then, what’s one more day?”

It was the way he kissed me that changed my mind. “I’ll be here waiting when you get home.”

He grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about, woman!”

I gave him a peck on his lips, though I wanted much more. But we had all day now. Picking up the last strips of bacon, I joined the children at the table.

“Are you going to work today, Daddy?” Alexa asked. I had a feeling that after yesterday, our children would be asking that question for many days to come—just checking.

“Yup,” Adam said. “I’m going to get dressed now!” He kissed the twins, then backed away from Ethan and bumped fists.

Ethan grinned, as if he was officially part of the grown-folks club now.

“I’ll see you guys tonight!” Adam said. “Love you all to pieces!”

I spent the next minutes getting the children out of the kitchen, checking to make sure they had their books, enough money, everything they needed to make it a great day. When I returned to our bedroom thirty minutes later, Adam was dressed, decked out in his blue pinstriped.

Umph. Umph. Umph.

That was the thing about my man. He looked as good with his clothes on as he did with them off.

My eyes were locked on his buns of steel when I asked, “So, you’re only gonna be gone an hour?”

“Or two.” He glanced back at me through the mirror where he stood adjusting his tie. “But I’m gonna make it as quick as I can.” Adam leaned over and planted a soft kiss on my lips. “You don’t even need to get dressed.” Another kiss. “I’ll call when I’m on my way home.” This time, his kiss lasted longer; I wanted to grab his tie and pull him down on top of me.

“I love you, Shine.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you best,” he said before he walked out of the bedroom.

When I heard the two beeps of the alarm, then the door close, I stretched out on the bed. My plan was to rest my eyes for just a few minutes, since it was too early to call Brooklyn
or Tamica and share this great news. But then, in what felt like a few seconds, I was awakened by the shrill ring of the telephone. I grabbed the receiver before checking the ID.

“Hello,” I said through a voice filled with sleep.

“Ms. Langston? This is Ms. Talbott, from Ritz-Koster Academy.”

Oh! I groaned into my pillow. Didn’t take a genius to figure out what this call was about.

“How’re you, Ms. Talbott?”

“Just fine,” she said in a tone that was meant to dismiss the niceties. “I was calling about the notices we’ve sent to your home.”

“Yes,” I said, although I didn’t know anything about that. But Adam did—I was sure.

“Well, we haven’t heard from you.” She paused like she wanted me to say something. I didn’t, so she continued, “You are behind—”

Now it was time for me to talk. “Ms. Talbott, before you go further, we’re handling this.”

“You’re behind several months—”

“Yes, but my husband just …” I stopped; no need to go into our business. I continued with, “We’ll be bringing our accounts current … before the end of this week.” I wasn’t sure when Adam would actually receive his signing bonus, but whenever it was going to be, we could postdate a check and make my promise to her the truth.

“So by Friday we’ll have your check?” she asked, sounding like she didn’t believe me.

“By Monday,” I said, just to be sure.

Her sigh told me that she didn’t like how I’d changed my promise that quickly. But she settled for what I’d said and once again pressed upon me the importance of the school receiving that money.

“The next semester begins in a few weeks, and if it’s better for Alexa, Alana, and Ethan to change schools now—”

“Ms. Talbott, you’ll have your money. Thank you for calling.” I didn’t mean to be rude when I dismissed her by hanging up, but I wasn’t going to listen to anything about my children transferring.

Thank God this was all coming to an end.

I glanced at the clock, and for the second time in a few hours, I shot up straight in bed. It was almost noon.