Dream Girl Awakened (28 page)

Bria gathered the gifts together and whipped out her notepad to jot down the names of the givers. She prided herself on making sure the handwritten, thank-you notes were mailed out promptly after the party. She felt modern etiquette had gone to the dogs and she refused to be associated with email thank-yous.

“What happened to your friend?” Maxie asked Tawatha.

“Oh, her dude, I mean, her boyfriend, took her out for a night on the town. That's why she was drinking so light. I have the honor of reading her card,” said Tawatha as she took a drag of the Pink Panties she had ordered.

“Do you have a designated driver for the night? I don't want anything to happen to you on the way home.” Maxie was concerned about Tawatha's demeanor since her return from the restroom.

“I'm good. I've got too much on my mind to have messed-up vision.”

Bria picked up Lasheera's gift first. “Tawatha, this is Lasheera's gift. Are you ready?”

Aruba delicately pulled tissue from the gift bag, honored that Lasheera had chosen such a thoughtful gift. Aruba displayed the ring, earrings, and necklace packaged together. Everyone
oohed
and
ahhed
at the intricate detail and crafty design of the set. As if on cue, Tawatha stood and read the words:

“Aruba, you're the best boss a girl could ever have. You're patient, kind, unafraid to share your knowledge with me, and you're so encouraging. You poked, prodded, and made me realize my lost love of making jewelry. My dream for you is to keep being an encourager to those of us who need to smile and remember why we're here.”

Aruba blinked back tears, unaware that she'd influenced Lasheera in such a powerful way. She merely complimented her from time to time and told her to celebrate her sobriety and drug-free state.

“Thank you, Tawatha. Be sure to tell Lasheera she's forgiven for pulling this prank.”

Tawatha smirked, took her seat.

“If you start that crying, we'll be here all night,” said Maxie. “Dayton and I have more running around to do. Open my gift, honey.”

Bria heaved Maxie's big bag near the center of the table. It contained a Burberry purse, Coach shades, a Teddy Pendergrass album, an envelope, and a glass beverage dispenser.

“I understand some of these gifts, but the Teddy Pendergrass album?” asked Aruba.

“Don't make me tell everybody at this party how Teddy Pendergrass, or as your paternal grandmother, Ella, called him, Teddy Pendergraff, was the first grown man you had a crush on.”

“Please don't,” said Aruba, blushing.

“Tell us,” chimed Victoria. “I bet there's so much about Aruba we don't know.”

“Honey, Aruba was always a drama queen. Aruba's aunts, Kinsey and Mayella, always found some men to take them to the Kool Jazz Festivals in Atlanta and the Teddy Pendergrass concerts back in the day. They'd always bring Aruba back program books, albums, souvenirs, anything they thought was appropriate for a six-year-old. Well, they caught her singing Teddy's songs more than any of the other songs they gave her. The night ABC announced Teddy had been stricken in that accident, Aruba took to her bed and never got over the fact that he'd been paralyzed. At first we thought she was joking, but she really wanted to go to Philly to look after him. That's right up there with her delusions that she was Flip Wilson's daughter, and was the stalking target of Spiro T. Agnew. I'm telling you, she's a dream girl.”

“Thanks for spilling my secrets, Maxie. So what, I have an active imagination.”

“Be grateful I didn't tell 'em about your staged sermons and funerals.”

“Will you read your card, Grandma?”

“You know how much I hate the word ‘grandma,' so here goes. Aruba, I dream the greatest latter years for you that only God can give. You deserve it!”

“All that tattling for latter years' wishes? Okay, I feel you,” said Aruba. She blew Maxie a big kiss.

“We have a big envelope here from . . .” Bria turned the envelope over.

“That one's from me,” said Dayton, smiling. “I hope you get a kick out of it. It's a little something from Harold, Lotus, and me.”

Aruba opened the envelope. Aruba's eyes widened at the sight of the vacation package to Rio and Turks and Caicos. “Day!”

“I think you, James, and Jeremiah deserve some quiet time. Sun
and sand always give the body a new perspective. My dream for you is that you have peace, life, and longevity. Cheers!” Dayton lifted her Exhale to Aruba.

“Thank you so much. I know we'll enjoy ourselves.”

Bria was on to the next gift before Aruba could breathe. “Next, we have blue! Whose responsible for the Tiffany box?”

“That would be my gift,” said Victoria. “Everything was selected with you in mind.”

A twinge of guilt rose in Aruba as she opened the box. How had she allowed things to go so far? She'd served James with divorce papers, yet he insisted they meet tonight before he signed them. Victoria had been encouraging her to work things out with James, to see if counseling might mend their relationship. Aruba found it difficult to look in Victoria's eyes because she pretended she wanted counseling. Aruba opened the box and eyed the contents with confusion. Inside were three keys. “Keys? Are these to the cabin?”

“Aruba, those are the keys to my life. Since you want to live it so badly, I decided to bow out, let you take the reins.” Victoria read from her card.
“My wish for you is that you make my husband happy, since you've been having an affair with him. The large key is to my house. Winston allows a generous decorating budget, so feel free to make it your own.”
A collective gasp, then silence enveloped the table.
“The gold key is to my Mercedes, the car you and I rode around in sharing jokes, laughter. Wow, what a wonderful friend you are.”

“Victoria, can we step outside a minute?” Aruba stood, her hands trembling with the weight of being exposed.

Ignoring her, Victoria continued,
“The oval key is to Winston's practice. Up until I hired a private investigator a month ago to follow him going to your place, this is where I thought he was spending his time away from home.”

Tawatha perked up now, her second Pink Panties taking effect.
This is better than Venus and Serena at Wimbledon. I knew something would clear the way for me and James.

“It's been nice meeting you, ladies, but I have to leave now. I have an early morning appointment with my divorce attorney,” said Victoria. She snatched her purse and whizzed past Aruba who was fast on her heels. The women looked on in shock, neither daring to utter a word. Outside, Victoria struggled to open her door.

“Would you please just stop for a minute, so we can talk.” Aruba's eyes pleaded with Victoria.

Victoria turned to face Aruba. “What's there to talk about? You won Winston fair and square. Would you please move, so I can leave?”

“I thought you were unhappy with him. All you ever did was complain about him, make light of his work, his accomplishments, his provisions. I just thought . . .”

“You ‘just thought' what? That venting to someone I thought was a friend gave you license to slide on in and move me out of the way? How many other
friends'
husbands have you made a move on?”

“Victoria, I have never done anything like this before in my life.”

Victoria applauded. “How lucky am I to have been the first backstabbing you've carried out. You're pretty damn good. I'm sure you can hone the craft with other men.”

Aruba touched Victoria's arm. “Just let me ex—”

Victoria snatched her arm from Aruba's grasp. “
Don't touch me!
Don't ever touch me, come near me, or my child ever again! I'm trying to keep my cool, but you're testing my patience. Get away from me, so I can leave.” Neither saw the security guard approach, or Bria, holding Aruba's purse, or Maxie, shame etching her face.

“Is everything all right here?” asked the muscular young man.

“Things will be fine if she moves out of my way, so I can leave,” Victoria said to the man.

Aruba stepped aside so that Victoria could enter her car. She gave Aruba one last cryptic look before slamming her door. She backed out of her parking space, eyes straight ahead.

“Is it true? Please tell me it isn't true,” said Bria.

Aruba's silence confirmed Bria's fears. Aruba sought an explanation, something to say to her friend, but she couldn't. Aruba's phone message indicator startled the three of them. She flipped open her phone and read James's text message.

WHERE ARE YOU? WE STILL NEED TO TALK.

“I'm sorry, Bria. I'm sorry, Maxie. I . . . I have to go. I have to get this over with James.”

“Before you go, baby, tell me why? How could you do something like this?”

“You know I've been unhappy with James for so long.”

“You had other options, honey.”

“What about Mom and Dad? She's stuck by his side all these years. Remember Ms. Sheila?”

“Honey, I don't like secrets. Darling, Sheila confided in your father that your mother was cheating. She always had something tricky going on behind your father's back. He stayed with her because he loves her. I brag on my son-in-law because he's been good to your mother. She doesn't deserve such a good man. Nothing is as it seems, Aruba. I was hoping you'd turn out different. You'll see that when you get with this new man. I'm not saying you should stay with James, but I fear you've opened yourself up for a world of hurt.”

“I'm going to see what James wants, Maxie.”

W
inston had called for the fifth time. Aruba couldn't bring herself to answer his call. Not after the fiasco, not after the embarrassment. What was there to say? Hi, it's your loving homewrecker! What's new, lover? If only Victoria had let her explain that they hadn't slept together, that they weren't officially lovers. That her judgment was clouded due to the problems she experienced with James. Aruba's mind raced, her heart pounded. She was so absorbed in thought that she almost missed her stop. She gazed at the building sideways, thinking maybe she'd gotten the address wrong. She eyed the paper again.
420 N. Illinois Street
. She was about to pull away when she noticed their Pilot two cars ahead. She eased out of her company vehicle and approached the front door with suspicion. She knocked twice, afraid of what monkey business James had orchestrated. The good thing about tonight was that she could end their marriage.

“So what took you so long?” asked James as he opened the door, a wide smile on his face.

Aruba froze. She was speechless. Her first impulse was to touch James's hair. The man before her resembled the adolescent in stellar photos lining the walls of his parents' mantel. Gone were his well-oiled dreads that cascaded down his back, making women swoon. She adored the mop of curls framing his handsome face.
Is this my husband?
“James, what are you doing here? Why did you
cut your hair?” Before the shock of his Samson transformation could sink in, she noticed the suit and tie hanging from his well-chiseled frame. She melted as she took in the smell of the cologne he wore.

“Come in, Mrs. Dixon. I don't have all night. I have a marriage to save.”

The smooth sounds of Maxwell ushered her into a candlelit atmosphere. A table draped in white linen sat in the middle of the floor. Although the room was dim, she could tell that decorative, funky designs lined the walls. She also smelled James's signature steak, vegetable stir fry, and parsley potatoes. He handed her a single rose.

“Would you like dinner now, or after our chitchat?”

“James, we have a lot to talk about.”

“I agree. Will you hear me out tonight?”

“Yes. I'll listen.”

James escorted her to the table, pulled her seat out, and waited until she was comfortable. He'd taken care to set the table as she liked it. She noticed the wine chilling in the golden ice bucket.

“I miss you, Aruba. I miss Jerry. I miss us. I know I've messed up a lot in the past. You've put up with a lot of my shit over the years and I don't see how you've done it. A lesser woman would have left me years ago. I didn't think you were serious about leaving me until you moved out and I got served.”

“James.”

“You said you'd listen.”

“I promised you a lot in the beginning and I haven't made good on those promises. I've really been trying though, baby. That's why I called you here tonight.”

James slid her birthday gifts toward her. She hoped this wouldn't
be déjà vu. The last thing she needed was another surprise like the one Victoria had given her.

“Why are you trembling, baby?”

Aruba shrugged her shoulders. If only he'd said those words a year ago. Or even six months ago. For the first time since their journey had begun, she felt his sincerity, his love.

She opened the first gift and gasped with delight. “James. The ladybug. You remembered after all these years?”

“How could I forget? I've never seen a woman so excited over a pin. Most women ask for a ring upgrade, but you always admired that ladybug. I hope you like it.”

Aruba stopped short of asking how he had paid for the pendant. His thoughtfulness had floored her, filled her with more guilt.

He slid the envelope her way. “This is for you, too.”

Aruba opened the envelope, then did a double-take. She looked at James. “I guess I'm not sure I get this one.”

“That's the lease to this building. Our building. You're sitting inside Dixon's Hair Affair, Aruba. I own this shop.”

“James, stop. How? When?”

“Close your mouth,” James said. “I got a few investors behind me. Worked on the business plan you and I started together. When you left, I temped at Franzen Industrial Staffing. I don't believe in coincidences, you know. I met Katrina Benford, Isaak Benford's wife.”