White Lines III (12 page)

Zion winked at her. “You're getting taller every day, you know that?”

Adiva nodded.

“Soon you'll be tall enough to model for your mother's clothing line.”

On cue, Olivia opened the door.

“You don't have to ring the bell, Zion,” she said, flatly, her voice void of any warmth. “You have a key.”

He nodded. “I know. Just trying to be respectful.”

Olivia scoffed. Shaking her head, she turned and walked inside as Zion followed her into the house. She was beginning to wonder if this arrangement of theirs would ever change. Zion had moved out months ago. Since then, they had been co-parenting well together, with Olivia dropping Adiva off at school each day and Zion picking her up in the afternoon. Typically, Zion dropped her off curbside in order to avoid a confrontation with Olivia. But this time it was early in the afternoon, since Adiva's school had a half-day schedule. And, he wanted to talk to Olivia about a couple of things. Reluctantly, he entered the home that they once shared.

Olivia kissed Adiva on the forehead. “How was the last day of school?” she asked.

“It was great. I got my report card.” Adiva handed it to her mother and watched as a proud smile spread across Olivia's face.

“All fours!” Olivia proclaimed. “That's my girl!” She gave Adiva a high five, and hugged her tightly. “I'm proud of you.”

“Thanks, Mommy.” Adiva was beaming. She looked at her father. “Daddy said he's gonna take me shopping this weekend.” Adiva could barely contain her excitement at the thought of it. Like her mother, she loved to shop.

“Is that right?” Olivia cut a side eye at Zion.

Adiva nodded, smiling brightly. “Yup!”

Zion didn't want Adiva to tell her mother what else they had discussed, so he interjected. “Adiva, go upstairs and let me talk to Mommy for a minute. I'll come up when we're finished.”

Obediently, Adiva did as she was told, still excited at the idea of the shopping spree.

“You heard about Sunny?” Zion sat down at the kitchen table.

“Who hasn't?” Olivia snapped. “It's all over the radio and Mindy Milford practically did a whole damn segment on her show about it today. It's one of the reasons that I'm home so early. I got nothing accomplished with all the phone calls from the press.”

As the face of Olivia's clothing line, Vintage, Sunny had caused quite a stir at New York Fashion Week prior to leaving for Mexico when her breasts had broken free from one of the garments. Sunny's in-your-face behavior had been an asset for the company, garnering lots of press for Olivia's label. But Sunny's drug-related arrest was not the kind of attention Olivia wanted.

The thought of it made her blood boil. She looked at Zion. “Just when I was starting to make progress. Now it's all falling apart.” Olivia wasn't just talking about her clothing line. She felt like her whole life was in an out-of-control tailspin. She felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all.

“I mean … it's definitely not good publicity,” Zion agreed. “But it's not the end of the world either. Sunny's the one who has to explain, not you.”

“Yeah, but now I have to fire my friend. That's not a good position to be in.”

He nodded. “Sunny needs to step out of the spotlight for a while. I'm sure she knows that.”

Olivia shrugged. “It's all a big mess. Now I have to save face with the buyers and pray that they don't renege on our deal.”

Zion nodded. “Well, maybe I can help you out with that.”

Olivia laughed. “I remember a time when this whole conversation between us would have had a different meaning.”

Zion chuckled at the irony, too. “Seriously, though. Let me help.”

Olivia frowned. “Help me with what? My work?”

Zion nodded. “Yeah. It's summer now, and Adiva's out of school. You're working all the time, trying to grow your business. I was thinking that instead of her staying with your grandmother, Adiva can just stay at my place for the summer.”

“Listen.” Olivia took a deep breath to keep from going off. She was waiting each night for Zion to come home. And here he was talking about a whole summer. “She is
not
staying at your apartment, for the last time.”

“Why not?”

“Cuz only God knows what goes on over there. You're lucky I even let her come there after school.”

Zion stared at Olivia. At times like this, he wondered what he had ever seen in her in the first place. When they were younger, the two of them had such a volatile and passionate relationship, and it excited him then. Lately, though, he was mostly turned off by her loud mouth, scathing words, and her unwillingness to compromise. Her career had taken off, and he was happy for her. But her success was causing a disruption in Adiva's usual routine, and Zion wanted to be the one to fill that void. He didn't want Adiva being raised by her great-grandmother while Olivia was busy working hard. She usually went to Olivia's grandmother's house after school. But Grandma had recently been diagnosed with heart disease and hypertension, which required her to take it easy. Most days, Zion handled all of his business early in the morning. In the afternoons, he drove to Staten Island and picked Adiva up after school. He'd take her back to his apartment in Tribeca and they would discuss her school day, go over her homework, watch TV, and bond as father and daughter. Zion loved the time he had with her, especially since it was time spent without Olivia's nasty attitude, eye rolling, and teeth sucking looming large and killing the mood. But as of late, Olivia's responsibilities were causing her to be away from home more frequently than ever before. Several times a week, she got home long after most kids Adiva's age had been asleep for hours. Often he had to rouse Adiva from a peaceful sleep just so that he could bring her home. Olivia was adamant that Adiva should be at home each night, and she often reminded Zion that if he had any sense he would come home, too. But Zion was enjoying his freedom. Being without Olivia's nonsense was like stepping out of a pair of shoes that had caused you great discomfort all day long. There was no way he was going back to that anytime soon.

“You don't
let
her come to my apartment,” he corrected. “She's my daughter. What's mine is hers. My home is her home. Period.”

Olivia shook her head. “You're jealous,” she hissed.

“Of what? You?” He laughed. “You're the most miserable person I know.”

Olivia wanted to hit him. She wanted to spit at him, scratch him, cause him pain as he had done to her. She had been so close to having it all—the man she loved, a beautiful daughter, the career she'd dreamed of. But Zion had fucked everything up.

“You wish I was miserable,” she said. “That's why you're trying to punish me by moving out.”

Zion laughed again. “You're crazy.” He shook his head. “I moved out because your mouth is too reckless. Eventually, you were gonna make me put my hands on you, and I'm not that type of man. I don't believe in hitting women. But you … you tempt me and I think you're almost daring me sometimes.” He shook his head again as he thought about all the times Olivia had emasculated him in front of company—or worse, in front of their daughter. “I'm really happy for you with your work and everything. In fact, I'm proud of you. Really. It's not easy to dream about something and then go out there and make it happen. You're doing your thing.” He smiled a little. “But until you can admit that you need to change your attitude with me, I can't see us being together anymore.”

She knew he was right. She did have a terrible attitude. She had been quite a handful in their years together. But in her opinion, that wasn't the only thing coming between them. “So I guess the fact that you're still dealing drugs after all these years has nothing to do with the problems between us?”

Zion glanced toward the stairs, praying that Adiva wasn't within earshot.

Olivia continued. “We both need things to change. You need me to work on my attitude. I'm willing to do that. In exchange, I need you to stop hustling. Are you okay with that?”

Zion shook his head in frustration. Olivia made the shit sound so easy. “It's not like it's a job and I can go in and quit tomorrow,” he said. “It's not that simple.”

“Sure it is. Hustling drugs is playing little boy games, and you're a grown-ass man. What's that scripture that Grandma's always throwing at Lamin? ‘When I was a child, I acted like a child. But now that I'm a man, I put away childish things.' Something like that. It's time for you to stop being childish.”

Zion laughed hard. “You quoting scriptures now? Never thought I'd see the day. I remember when the only time you called God's name was if I was hitting it.”

Olivia glared at him with contempt. “You see that's the shit I'm talking about, Zion. I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, and you can't even stop your jokes and sarcasm long enough to give me a grown-up response.”

Zion sighed. “Listen, Olivia … what do you want me to say that I haven't said already?”

“That you'll stop hustling and find a legitimate way to get money. That you'll come back home and love me the way that I deserve, for once.”

“For once?” His face contorted into a deep frown. “Damn, Olivia. So all these years, you don't think I've been loving you right?”

Olivia stared at him without responding.

Zion knew then that their relationship was over for good. He knew that Olivia loved him. He loved her, too. But, they had grown in opposite directions. When they met as young adults, Olivia had been just as entrenched in street life as he was. They made trips out of town together when he was hustling hand to hand. As his role got bigger and his empire grew, Olivia had been right by his side looking gorgeous with her deep chocolate skin tone, her sassy mouth, and her unique style. They had been unstoppable once. But then she started demanding that he get out of the game. And the game was all that Zion had ever known.

“I'm gonna … what … sit around and let you support me financially?” He stuck his hands in his pockets. “I'm a man, Olivia. And a man has to make money. You knew how I made money the minute you met me. But now all of a sudden it's not good enough for you anymore?”

Olivia shook her head. “It's not good enough for
you
anymore, Zion. You said it yourself. You're a man. Not a boy. When we met, we were kids. The shit I used to think was sexy and exciting doesn't do it for me anymore.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I want more.”

He nodded, let her words sink in. Finally, he offered her a weak smile. “I hope you find it.”

Rage built up within Olivia so quickly that she couldn't seem to stop herself. She yelled, her voice raised so high that she even surprised herself.

“Fuck you, Zion!”

He didn't reply. Instead, he walked to the foot of the stairs and called up to Adiva. After a moment or two, she peeked her head out and looked down at her father. “Bring your bag, and come on. I'll bring you back to Mommy on Friday night.”

Adiva nodded and scampered off to get her bag, which she had already packed as part of the plan she and her father had worked out on the way over.

Olivia stared at Zion, incredulously. “Zion, you do know that if you leave here tonight it's over between us for good, right?”

Silence.

“HELLO?”
she shrieked. “Answer the fucking question!”

He pretended not to hear.

“You mutha—”

“Watch your mouth,” he warned. His voice was even, and his tone was serious. Zion was through with Olivia's nonsense.

She grunted angrily and paced the room in frustration. “You know what?” A maniacal smile graced her lips. “I hope those streets choke the fucking life out of you. You're gonna lose
everything
! Watch!” She shook her head in bewilderment, then laughed, although she found the situation anything but funny. “You'd rather walk away from me, from all these years and all that we built—to be a fucking
drug dealer
?” She grimaced in disgust. “Every minute I spent with you has been a complete waste of my time.”

Zion searched her eyes and saw the blind fury within them. She stood with her arms at her side and her chest heaving, out of breath. “Are you done?”

“Yeah, nigga! I'm done!” Even as she said the words, Olivia knew that she didn't mean it.

Adiva came downstairs just then, and Zion smiled at her. He took her duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. Then he took Adiva's hand in his. He looked at Olivia and wondered how a woman so beautiful could say such ugly things. He promised himself that this would be the last time Adiva would have to hear her parents arguing.

Olivia walked over to the door, opened it, and held it ajar for him. “Good-bye, Zion,” she said. She looked at Adiva and forced a smile. “Good night, sweetie. I'll call you tomorrow.”

Relieved and happy to be dismissed, Zion left with Adiva by his side and Olivia fuming in his wake.

*   *   *

Sunny's cell phone buzzed for the thousandth time. She would need to change her number as it had apparently gotten out somehow. One unrecognized number after another buzzed across her screen every few seconds. She dared not answer, knowing that it would likely be some nosy people wanting to know the scoop. But then she saw one familiar number light up the screen. Abe Childs. He was the vice president of Kaleidoscope Films, and the producer of her movie in the works. She answered.

“Sunny, it's Abe. Is everything okay?”

“Hi … yes! Everything is fine, Abe. I just have a misunderstanding to clear up, but everything is good.” Sunny's heart galloped relentlessly.

“Well, I'm sure things will work out for the best,” Abe said. “If you need, um, you know … referrals for any resources, just let me know and I'll gladly give you some numbers to call.”