Two Tears in a Bucket (21 page)

“
Simone, honey,” Nana cut her off, “you know I know that. The only person on drugs is your momma. Now, you listen to me. Your momma is planning a birthday party for Jordan, and I’m calling to let you know. Her and Ricardo don’ up and sold their old house and bought a new one a few weeks ago. They’re having the party at the new house and you should come.”

“
Nana, you know if Ricardo’s there, I can’t come.”

“
Who cares if he’s there? He don’t like me either, and I ain’t studying his foolish behind. The party is this weekend, so write down this address.”

● ● ●

Simone drove up and down the street a few times, unsure if she really wanted to go inside. The pit of her being needed to see Jordan, to inhale her sweet baby scent while she cradled her in her arms. And for that reason alone, she squeezed her car into a parking space a few houses down from her mother’s.

Looking around, she recognized a few of the cars.
Stan got an invitation,
Simone said to herself, recognizing her brother’s Pathfinder.
How can she call Jordan’s uncle and not her mother?

Simone rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to ward off the tears and muster up the strength to go inside.
It’s Jordan’s birthday. I gotta go
, she tried convincing herself over and over just as someone tapped on the passenger window. Simone looked up.

“
Oh my God,” she said, releasing the locks. Alicia stood at the passenger door with Jordan on her hip.

“
Say, hi, Simone,” Alicia said to Jordan as she opened the car door and climbed inside.

Simone was so stunned by the sight of her baby that she didn’t even bother to correct Alicia. To Jordan, she wasn’t just Simone; she was her mother.

“
Stan told us you were outside,” Alicia said. “Wow, Simone. You look so pretty.”

Simone had made sure to look better than her best, for everyone in the house probably assumed she was on drugs. Just for the occasion, she’d gotten her hair done the day before and bought a new pair of jeans and an expensive wool sweater that was itching the hell out of her.

“
Oh my God. Look at my little baby,” Simone said, her eyes tearing up. Jordan’s hair had grown and was neatly brushed into two curly ponytails. “Come here, baby.”

Simone took Jordan from Alicia and squeezed her. “Wow, you look just like your daddy, too,” she said. The resemblance between Jordan and Kevin was unreal. Jordan smiled, displaying two bottom teeth. “Look at your little teeth. Who told you to bring her out?” she asked Alicia.

“
Nana did. Stan saw you parking.”

“
Your mother didn’t say anything?”

“
No, she put Jordan’s jacket on and told me to bring her out.” Jordan turned to look at Alicia. “Hey, Jordan,” she cooed.

Jordan let out a little whimper and reached for Alicia, killing Simone softly. She refused to hand her over, though. Part of her contemplated driving off with Alicia in the car, but she knew she wouldn’t get far before the police were called. Knowing her mother, she’d press charges and have Simone thrown in jail for kidnapping the baby her mother had stolen.

“
Dang, she don’t even know who I am,” Simone whispered.

“
You coming inside, Simone?” Alicia asked, opening the passenger-side door.

“
Yeah.”

“
I’ll get the stuff out the backseat,” Alicia volunteered.

Simone climbed from the car with Jordan in her arms. Her heart quickened with each step up the walkway as she followed Alicia inside the house. The living room grew quiet when they walked in. All eyes fell upon Simone. She took a deep breath and forced her fakest smile ever.

“
Hello,” Simone greeted happily to the entire room.

“
Hey, Simone!” Nana greeted, cracking the silence. “Don’t you look beautiful.”

“
Hi, Simone,” Angela said without a pinch of guilt. Jordan squirmed in Simone’s arms, reaching for Angela. “I need to change her anyway,” Angela said as Simone passed her baby over to the thief without speaking.

“
Here, Simone. Come sit with me.” Nana made room for her granddaughter on the couch.

Squeezing next to her, Simone scanned the room. The bulk of the people present were either Angela’s friends or Ricardo’s family.

Me and Kevin supposed to be giving this party,
Simone thought.

“
You okay?” Nana noticed the look on Simone’s face.

“
No. I can’t stay here, Nana. Jordan doesn’t even know who I am,” she mumbled on the verge of tears.

“
I know.” Nana patted Simone’s leg. “I thought it would be a good idea, but I guess I was wrong. I’ve been trying to talk some sense into her, Simone,” Nana mumbled underneath her breath.

Angela walked back in the room, the happy host with Jordan on her hip.

“
I gotta go, Nana,” Simone mumbled. She stood from the couch as her tears began to fall.

● ● ●

A message was taped to Simone’s bedroom door when she got home. Her placement specialist from the temporary agency wanted Simone to call her at home. Simone headed toward the phone to place the call.

“
Great news, Simone. You’ve been asking for an office assignment without the typical office environment, right?” she said in her chipper valley-girl accent.

“
Yes.”

“
Something that wouldn’t have you confined to a desk, right?”

“
Yes.”

“
Well, I have something for you. I got an emergency page today from a large property management firm that’s in desperate need of someone. One of their consultants had to take a sudden leave of absence. So, here’s the job you’ve been requesting, and it’s long-term. There’s an awesome chance that you’ll be placed permanently. They’re expecting you Monday morning.”

Part Two

“
Let it go…”

Chapter Nineteen

June 1992

Two and a half years after walking into the leasing center as a temporary consultant, Simone had not only been welcomed on board permanently, but she’d been offered the sales manager position. Finally, she’d found a job that held her interest, one she looked forward to going to every morning. The passion she developed for her managerial position in sales was the perfect distraction from the rest of her life.

Ten o’clock in the morning. The clock was ticking. The Monday morning reports were due to the corporate office in less than an hour. The door to the leasing center chimed, indicating a visitor. The four consultants Simone now managed were all out showing apartments.

I hope they don’t wanna see no apartment,
Simone thought as she mentally transformed into the happy-go-lucky sales manager.

“
Hey there. How you doing?” She flashed her dimpled smile to the suited gentleman. “How can I help you this morning?”

“
Yeah.” He stared at Simone. “Umm…” he moaned, squinting his eyes, deep in thought. “I came to turn in this application. I understand y’all are looking for law enforcement people to work surveillance around here part-time.”

“
Yes, the residents are complaining about the kids loitering and selling weed. We don’t want it to escalate so…” She allowed her simple shrug to complete her sentence. “You’re a police officer?”

“
Kinda. I work for the DEA, and my particular unit works closely with the county police. We oversee a lot of drug operations, and we’ve cleaned up quite a few apartment complexes.”

“
Okay, cool. Maybe you could actually be in charge of the operation here. Like I said, it’s not bad, but we don’t want it to get bad.”

“
I understand.”

“
Since you have the experience and know the cops already, maybe you can run the schedule, hire your own team, everything. I won’t have to do anything but hire you.” Simone smiled.

“
I’m sorry,” he said, staring at Simone, “but this is killing me. It seems like I know you from somewhere.”

“
You think so?”

“
Yeah. I never forget a pretty face, and yours has to be one of the prettiest I’ve seen in a long time. It’ll come to me when I leave,” he said as he handed her the application. “So what do I do now?”

“
When did you want to start?”

“
I can start tonight, for real.”

“
Then tonight it is…” Simone glanced at the application for a name. “Perkins?” Her memory kicked in. “Agent Perkins! Oh my goodness, I remember you.”

“
So we have met?”

“
Yeah.” Simone lowered her voice. “You stopped this other officer from checking me a few years ago over in Stanford Woods. I’ll never ever forget that. I was scared to death.”

“
Yeah! That’s where I know you from! You have that pretty little baby.”

“
Shh,” Simone said, looking around the office, making sure they were the only two present. “Nobody knows I have a baby.”

“
Why? Something happened to your daughter?”

“
No, but it’s a long story. Never mention her in here.”

“
Okay, but you gotta explain that some day. Maybe over dinner.” His pager vibrated. “Ah, man. They would call me when I was getting ready to ask you out. I’ll be back,” he said, heading out of the office.

Later that week, Simone sat behind her desk, finalizing the leases for the ten families that were scheduled to move in Saturday morning. Eight of the apartments were ready to go, and two were still being worked on by the maintenance staff. Simone wasn’t leaving until she’d inspected each and every one. She didn’t have far to travel. Home was now a two-bedroom apartment within the community. She walked to and from work every day.

“
Hey!” Agent Perkins walked into the leasing center. “What you doing working late on a Friday night? Somebody as pretty as you should be out on a date.”

“
Sounds good, but I have people moving in tomorrow. I still have to inspect two more apartments, but that may have to wait until the morning. I’m starving and I’m tired.”

“
Well, I’m going to pick up something to eat. I can bring you back something.”

“
Good,” Simone said, reaching for her purse.

“
You don’t need your purse. I got it,” Agent Perkins said. “Just tell me what you want.”

“
No, that’s okay, Perkins. I can get it.”

“
Simone, I’m not taking your money, and stop calling me Perkins. I told you before to call me Andre.”

She glanced up from her purse. “Okay, Andre. Bring me whatever. I’m so hungry that it won’t even matter.”

Simone’s workday rarely ended on time, and night after night, Andre kept her company, filling the time with chatter and Styrofoam containers stuffed with their dinner. He surprised her one Saturday night, strolling into the leasing center in a crisp white linen outfit.

“
Wow, don’t you look nice,” Simone complimented. “I guess you’re not working here tonight, huh? You look like you have a hot date.”

“
I do,” he said confidently. “With you.”

After much persuasion, he convinced Simone to say goodnight to her desk and join him for dinner at an exquisite restaurant.

“
You belong in places like this,” Andre whispered softly, caressing Simone at the small of her back as the maître d’ escorted them to an intimate booth.

The relationship progressed, and each weekend, Andre surprised Simone with something different. He wined and dined her as if she were a queen and impressed her with his gentlemanly mannerisms. He opened her car door, pulled out her chair, and allowed her to order first with a graceful wave of his hand. It was those simple things and more that carried a lot of weight with Simone. No other man had ever treated her like Andre.

Two hundred and thirty pounds of solid muscle, Andre walked with the confidence of a soldier. Chiseled to perfection, with a clean, bald head and dark features that rested handsomely along his milk-chocolate skin, he was the epitome of sexy. He was rough, but not thuggish like Kevin. And while Andre often conversed with the higher-ups in corporate America, he could break it down and keep it real with the niggas in the hood. He was sexy, diverse, and a perfect gentleman.

● ● ●

Andre pulled the dark federal cruiser into a dimly lit park that overlooked a manmade lake.

“
What are we doing here?” Simone questioned.

Andre had told her two days ago to wear her infamous black wrap dress on Friday. He adored the dress and had gone ballistic the first time he saw her in it, admiring the way the wind flirted with the flimsy material, allowing him a little glimpse of her shapely thighs.

“
Hold on a second,” Andre said as he hopped from the car and walked around to his trunk. Seconds later, clutching a wicker picnic basket, he opened Simone’s door and reached for her manicured hand.

“
We going on a picnic?” she asked, stepping from the undercover vehicle.

“
Yeah, I saw this little basket in the store a few weeks ago, and I’ve been planning this day ever since.”

Strolling across the park, Andre pulled a small blanket from the basket and draped it on the grass for Simone.

“
Have a seat, Maybelline.”