Destination D (14 page)

Dee paced in front of the window then stopped—confused and annoyed. “What have I gotten myself into?”

“Is that a rhetorical question, or do you really want me to answer it?”

Dee blew air from her mouth then shrugged her shoulders. She turned to the window again and stared out blankly. She was silent at first as she pondered his question carefully. “I don't know what I want. Isn't that why I'm seeing you? But I'm pretty sure that I can do this,” she mumbled.

“I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly? You
think
you can do it?”

Dee gave him a slow deliberate nod.

“How far do you plan on going with this?”

“I haven't thought that far yet, ya know?”

“Deirdre, as your therapist, it is my obligation to warn you about the ramifications this can have.”

“I'm fully aware of them.”

The doctor resumed his note taking. “And you still intend on doing it? Interesting.”

“Look!” Dee said defensively. “I'm just talking to him. It's not like the guy wants me to take his case to trial or something. I already told you I graduated in the top percent of my class in law school. I think that says something.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself ? I mean, your plan is to what? Apply what you learned in textbooks to someone's real-life case? How would you feel if I were pretending to be a psychiatrist?”

Dee felt her face grow hot. Confused and upset, she couldn't answer him. She hadn't thought everything out and he knew it.

“You need to be sure that what you're doing is in your best interest. I would certainly hate for this to blow apart in your face and you end up behind bars for something as negligent and criminal as this.”

Out of nowhere, the doctor's attitude seemed to change. A smile formed on his lips as he looked at her thoughtfully. “Dee, you are remarkable, you know that?”

Dee rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, feeling as if she was on a roller coaster with him. “What are you talking about? First you have me going away to prison for being a criminal and now I'm remarkable? What gives, Doc?”

The doctor nodded. He knew she didn't understand the direction in which he was taking her, but
he
certainly did. “Listen to me. The positive is that
you
already know what your capabilities are. You've just admitted it. That's a good start, but there's one thing that's missing.”

“What do you mean?”

“What do
you
think it means?”

“I have no idea! Why don't
you
tell
me?
You're the psychiatrist.”

“I'm disappointed in your sarcasm.”

Dee shrugged her shoulders and spoke reluctantly. “It means that I know that I have other abilities—I probably need to legitimize them.”

“By doing what?”

“I'm not ready for that.”

“Ready for what?”

Dee's face avoided his. She knew he was talking about her legitimizing herself by taking the bar. “You know, you're right. Maybe I'll just refer him to my roommate. She may be able to assist him.”

He smiled widely. “That would be a smarter idea, Deirdre. You catch on fast.”

She looked at the large clock on the wall and stretched her arms out. “Thank you, Doctor. I can see that my fifty minutes are just about over,” she said hastily.

“Ah…ah…ah…not so fast, Ms. Bridge.”

Dee turned around in surprise. “What?”

“You can't leave without your assignment,” he reminded her with a childlike grin.

With a confused look on her face, Dee asked, “What assignment?”

“It's an ethics assignment. You definitely have them,” he laughed. “We've just got to raise the bar on them. No pun intended,” he laughed.

Dee stared questioningly.

“When you feel like you're about to be dishonest, I want you to think about your ethics, or in your case, why you haven't become a legitimate attorney. That should be your focal point to help you get on track. After all, even lawyers have ethics, right?”

It depends on who the lawyer is,
Dee thought smugly, nodding in agreement.

He could tell that she was still not convinced that this was a feasible idea for her. “I'm not saying this is a quick fix, Dee. It's just part of the process. The decision to stop lying is totally your call.”

Dee looked up at him briefly. She needed time for all of this to soak in. “Thanks for your advice.”

“So, are you going to take it or not?”

Dee smiled. “I'll let you know next week,” she said as she winked and walked out of the office.

Dee walked down the hallway from her doctor's office, feeling a vibration on her hip from the inside of her purse. She quickly sifted through the bottom of it, found her cell phone, and glanced at her Caller ID.

“This is Dee.”

“Hi, Desiree, it's me.”

“Hey, Chris!”
What perfect timing,
she thought. Dee was somewhat stupefied at the irony. She sneaked a peek at the doctor's door, hoping he wouldn't walk out and hear her conversation.

“I was just checking with you. My boy is getting a little antsy about his situation, and I was wondering when you would be able to meet with him. We play in the ATL on Friday. Will you be available to meet then? Maybe we can discuss it over dinner and drinks?”

Dee was silent for a moment. She thought of the session she'd just had with her psychiatrist. Doc was right. She needed to face up to the fact that she wasn't a lawyer. And to pose as one would be criminal. However, it wouldn't hurt just to talk with him. No harm done. Right?

“Dee, are you still there?”

“Hey, yeah, I'm here. I was just taking a look at my appointment book. I'm free all weekend. Check with him and let me know what time is good for him to meet.”

“You're a life saver, baby! Thank you.”

“It's my pleasure. You know I'll do anything for you, Chris.”

Smooth Air

A
s he playfully knocked hard on Amanda's bedroom door, Melvin joked, “All right now. Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!” He was carrying a silver tray heaped with a plate of eggs Benedict, turkey sausage, waffles, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Melvin accompanied the feast with a single red rose nestled next to her silverware and the morning paper.

Amanda jumped as she caught herself gazing again at the old photo that she kept in her wallet. Not wanting Melvin to see her with it, she quickly shoved it back in its compartment and placed the wallet in her nightstand. “Melvin, you spoil me too much,” Amanda said, scooting out from under the down comforter. She sat up, smoothed her hair, and smelled the fresh coffee brewing from the kitchen.

Melvin sat the tray down on her lap, took off his black leather slippers, then tightened the belt of his maroon and black terry cloth robe around his bulging middle, which was starting to take on the shape of a full-sized football.

“Well, you gonna need some spoiling', especially since you're gonna have a lot of time on your hands now that you quit that big fancy law firm last week,” he said before leaving the room. When he returned he was carrying two cups of coffee and a tray for himself.

“Please don't give me indigestion
before
I've even had my breakfast.”

Melvin took a swig of his juice and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. “Woman, who you kiddin'?”

“I loved that job before I had to start working with that beast of a woman.”

“Baby, you shouldn't have let her chase you out of something you loved.”

“She didn't chase me out, I got fed up and quit. You should see her. I don't think even she knows who she is anymore. She still holds a grudge against
me.
I can't believe after all these years she's still mad that I didn't keep my promise. I had to tell her things change, lives change, people change!”

“I know baby, and I'm proud that you stood up to her, but now what are you gonna do? Hmmm? Sit around here by yourself all day and watch soap operas?”

“You know I hate soap operas,” Amanda said, slapping his arm.

“Ow! You don't have to get abusive on me, Suga'!” Melvin said, playfully rubbing his arm.

“I've got plenty to do!” Amanda said defensively. “Tracey is going off to college, so I'll be getting her ready for that. Next, I'm going to redo her room.” Amanda chuckled and pointed to his stomach as she sipped her coffee. “Or if I get really bored, I can sit around and watch that belly of yours get ready to hatch.”

Melvin looked down at his stomach and started to laugh. “You right, and this ol' breakfast I'm eating sure ain't helpin' none, either,” he said, shaking his head as he ate a forkful of eggs. He laughed again at himself and smacked his lips. “But, damn, it sho' taste good!”

“All right, now. You know you better watch it. The doctor already told you that you needed to watch that cholesterol.”

“You right. I'm gonna get back to the gym this week. I was looking kind of buff there for a while, ya know?” He flexed the large muscles in his arms. “Have you made any headway with Tracey yet about what's going on with her?”

“No, I'm just trying to give her some space and hope she will come to me when she feels the time is right.”

Melvin took a large bite of his sausage and closed his eyes as he chewed. “That's probably the best thing.”

“You sure are enjoying that piece of meat, aren't you?” Amanda laughed. “I like how you tried to change the subject to Tracey. You're still buff, but honey, you need to get a handle on that mid-section.”

“Oh, so you think I'm trying to bring it back to Tracey?” He rubbed her hand and smiled. “I will get a handle on it. I've just been gettin' so many referrals that I've got more business than I can handle. I had to turn down two jobs last week. I had five guys working on one job. Two others called in sick, and I couldn't do it all by myself. As much as I would have liked to have made that extra fifty grand, I got too much stuff goin' on at the same time, ya know? Just haven't been able to find the time to work out.”

“Yes, and part of that was my fault because you were here finishing out my basement before Tracey's party,” Amanda said, feeling a little guilty.

Melvin playfully tapped her on the tip of her nose with his forefinger. “Hey, Tracey is my girl too, ya know. And I would do anything for her and her mama. No contract is more important than the two of you.”

“Oh, and the basement looks so wonderful, Melvin. And that party…”

“As the young folks say: it was
tight!”

Amanda smacked him playfully on the arm. “Oh, so you know the lingo too now, huh?”

“Yes, I guess you could say I know a little something,” he said, holding onto his tray as he kissed her on the neck.

Amanda smiled. “Well, Tracey was something else, wasn't she?”

“She stood out in the crowd, as they say.”

“I think I like that young man she's dating. He at least seems to take her out of her mood swings that she's been having lately.”

“Yeah, what's his name?” Melvin said, snapping his fingers.

“Anthony.”

“Yeah, he goes by Tony, though. Smart kid, real smart kid. Got a scholarship to one of them Ivy League schools on the East Coast.”

“Harvard.”

“Yeah, that's right. I talked to him about Tracey. I don't think it's anything to worry about.”

“Well, I sure hope you're right.”

“Yeah, they seem pretty tight. I don't know how he and Tracey are going to stay together, being in different cities.”

“Tracey won't have time to be thinking about anything except those books. She's got to keep her scholarship, you know.”

“Don't fool yo'self, Amanda. Tracey's an attractive young woman.” He smiled lovingly at her. “Takes right after her mama. Boys are going to be on her like flies to a trashcan.”

“Oh, Melvin, couldn't you think of another way to say that? Flies to a trashcan—yuck!”

“You know what I mean. She's pretty. Men are going to be falling at her feet, and Tracey is gonna have to decide who she's goin' step over and who she's goin' allow to get up off that ground and be good enough to walk with her.”

“Melvin, you and your crazy sayings!” Amanda giggled. “Well, all I have to say is that she's there for one reason and one reason only, and that's to get an education. All of that other stuff is secondary.”

“Well, you keep leavin' those blinders on when it comes to Tracey. I've seen how she looks at Tony and I've seen how he looks at her. And believe me, she ain't gonna be just
studyin'
those books at Hampton. You wait and see,” Melvin said, pointing his finger warningly at her.

He took a bite of his waffles and shook his head in delight as Amanda got quiet and drank her juice. “All right, all right. I know when to move on to the next subject. Okay, that's enough about Tracey
and
my bulging gut,” he laughed. “Let's get back to your decision on quitting your job.”

“Well, I'm fine with my decision,” she said, relieved that they had gotten off the subject of Tracey. She paused for a few seconds as Melvin looked at her questioningly.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I think I'm well overdue to take some time off and do some soul-searching, maybe even take a couple of weeks and do some traveling.”

“Wooo! Did you come into some money that you forgot to tell me about?”

“No, silly, I've got a little money saved up, and I've been waiting to use it for a special occasion. And this is occasion enough for me,” she said as she polished off the last of her waffles. “As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to be joining you in that gym. I could take some pounds off myself,” she pointed to her own middle spread. She knew she was about twenty-five to thirty pounds too heavy for her five-foot-four-inch height.

“Not too many, Suga'. You know I like my women healthy,” Melvin said as he reached under the cover and pinched her on the thigh.

“I know,” she said, leaning to kiss him on the cheek. “Now, let me get out of this bed and get in that kitchen and wash these dishes.”

“What time is Tracey coming home?”

“Oh, it won't be until later this evening. Wanda's mother called last night and said that when Tracey and Wanda got up today, she was going to take them shopping.”

“Hmmm…so, now that you don't have to rush off this morning to work like you usually do, and Tracey will be out for most of the day, do you think we have a little time for…”

Amanda blushed at the thought. She couldn't remember the last weekend she was able to wake up leisurely next to Melvin without rushing out to work on something for Pam. They had so few intimate moments because she never let him spend the night while Tracey was at home. And she didn't spend the night with him because she didn't want to set a poor example for her daughter.

“Oh, Melvin, that sounds
really
good to me!”

“Maybe we can even take in a matinee later today,” he said as he untied his robe and slipped his nude body under the covers.

Amanda walked back in from the kitchen and joined him underneath the warm blankets, snuggling close to him. His brawny, caramel arms held her tightly and stroked the lace of the bodice on her negligee. He buried his face between her breasts and teased their curves with the light touch of his mustache. Amanda giggled at the sensation and ran her fingers through his coarse dark hair. She kissed him zealously on his full lips.

Amanda felt so protected in his arms. Melvin was her constant when the world around her seemed to be unsteady. With the ease of a trapeze artist, he lifted the straps of her gown with his fingertips, guiding them down slowly to her middle section. With his teeth, he slid the remainder of the negligee down to her inner thighs. Amanda moaned in anticipation as he moved up her body like a sleek panther, his tongue circling swiftly between her thighs and purposely bypassing her center. He worked his tongue back into her mouth and glided back down to her stomach.

She gasped as she felt his manhood work his way slowly and stealthily inside her as she raised her legs even wider to receive his full thrust. It had been so long since Melvin had made love to her that she wondered how she could have allowed herself to get so caught up in her work and deprive herself from this ecstasy. Melvin's moves became harder and stronger as he delicately moved her nipples in and out of his mouth and whispered long-awaited passions in her ears. “Don't you ever make me wait this long! You hear me, woman?”

“Yes, I hear you,” she repeated over and over again in his ear. Her nipples stood straight up at the command of his voice. He pushed himself farther inside her and maneuvered her hips on top of him as she rode him wildly. Not wanting to lose their rhythm, he grabbed her hips and held on tightly until their bodies fused together and their sweet juices merged and flowed out in between them.

Amanda lay on top of him, breathless and panting until she looked toward the phone's Caller ID screen. “Melvin,” she whispered, “you are not going to believe who's calling me.”

“I didn't hear the phone ring,” he said, kissing her on the neck.

“I know. I had the ringer on silence and forgot to turn it back on, but look at the Caller ID.” Melvin leaned over to look at the screen. “Well, are you going to answer it or should I?”

“Melvin!” Amanda whispered loudly. She thumped him playfully on his behind. The phone continued to ring silently. Melvin looked disapprovingly at her with his dark brown eyes.

With a sigh she flipped open the phone. “Hello.”

“Amanda? This is Pete Sterdivant.”

“Hello, Mr. Sterdivant, how are you?” Amanda said, sitting straight up and covering her breasts with the sheets as if he were standing in the room.

“Well, I'm glad to have finally caught up with you.”

“You're at work on a Sunday?”

“I've had to play a lot of catch-up this week. You know, we had someone very important leave us quite abruptly. I've been trying to reach you for a few days now, and haven't been able to leave a message.”

Amanda was stumped by what to say. “Uh, my ringer's been off.” She glanced over at her answering system attached to the phone. “And I guess I accidentally unplugged my phone's system.”

“I see, well, I've got you now, and that's all that matters. Amanda, let me get right to the point. You left here so abruptly that we never got an opportunity to talk about it or to follow the proper procedures for your exit interview. And quite frankly, the firm has been up in arms since your departure. Bill McKesson has been adamant about us getting to the bottom line of why you left.”

Amanda smiled at the thought that Mr. McKesson still thought so highly of her, even after her leaving the firm on such short notice. “I do apologize about that. It was under extenuating circumstances.”

“Would you mind coming by the office sometime this week so we can talk? Bill will be in on the meeting. You were one of our best paralegals, and we don't take losing someone of your caliber lightly.”

“I don't think me coming in there is such a good idea, Mr. Sterdivant,” Amanda said, looking at Melvin, who was mouthing at her to go and see what the man wanted.

“But why not? We were hoping that we could work out whatever it was that caused you to leave.”

“I'm just not sure if that's going to be possible.” Melvin frowned at her.

“Amanda, please reconsider.”

“Okay,” Amanda answered hesitantly. “I'll come in, that's the least I could do since I didn't give you a proper two week's notice.”

“How does this Wednesday morning at 9:00 sound?”

“I'll see you then, Mr. Sterdivant.”

Amanda hung up the phone and waited for Melvin's response. His silent approval said it all. He opened his arms for her to climb back in so they could pick up where they'd left off.