Erotic City (28 page)

“Milan, I don’t blame you.”

“I wish I could say that to you. Jarod, I know you didn’t expect me to not be pissed off. Now other than you being worried about Nancy, who you probably hurt as well, what else do you want? Because I’m about to hang up.”

“I totally understand your anger. I deserve that.” He waited. “What I did cost me a job I wasn’t ready to leave.”

“You must have been.” She shook her hair and tossed it back.

“I wasn’t. I enjoyed working there. I appreciated you for hiring me.”

“Yeah well. Your upper head won out. Are you done?” Milan’s frown was deep set.

“What I wanted to tell you was, and it might be nothing at all. But, I was at the airport today, picking up a client, and I saw Ramada, Lavender’s ex. The one who came in that night?”

She gave a long blink and sighed. “So?”

“Well, she was with Big Mack. And they were obviously together, if you know what I mean.”

“Ramada and Big Mack?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe they just ended up on the same flight. But when was this? She just called Lavender.”

“Then she must have just called him from the plane because they were just headed out of town not long ago. To Las Vegas. And believe me, Milan. They were very, very together.”

Milan just sat, wondering what the hell Ramada was up to now. And how Ramada could actually be involved with the very man she accused of forcing himself on her at knifepoint. It was just another sign that Ramada Hart was off her rocker.

Milan hung up and then called Lavender, but it went straight to voice mail. She didn’t leave a message.

44

“Try a Little Tenderness”

Thursday, June 5, 2008
4:12 p.m.

M
ilan sat at the desk in her home office after opening the envelope that contained her second check from the WET TV Network. She opened the document on her computer and read over the completed copy of the premiere episode that she’d turned in. She reread a portion of her script called “Adrenaline Rush.”

We, he and I, needed it. It was an adrenaline rush for my boyfriend and me. Adrenaline is a funny thing. It’s defined as a hormone released into the bloodstream that initiates bodily responses. It can affect the heart rate and blood pressure. Is that what that was when a strange man would stick his dick up my ass while my boyfriend fucked a girl in her ass at the same time? Was that what that thump, thump, thump was in my chest? A response to the fear factor? The fear of engaging in the forbidden? Fucking people we’d just met was hot as hell. Little did I know that one day, he’d take the road of the straight and narrow, the road of the cloth, and leave me here, still swinging from limb to limb, dick to dick, all fucked up from an adrenaline rush bonding. All in the name of, as he now calls it, sinning. For now, though, I have a new fear factor. And that’s my man’s ex-girlfriend. She must have adrenaline rushes twenty-four-seven. Because she is one crazy broad.

Just as she took a deep breath and exhaled, preparing to take a break, her phone rang. A 404 number appeared.

“Hello.”

A female voice said, “Milan Kennedy?”

“Yes.”

“Ms. Kennedy, this is Grady Memorial Hospital. We’re calling about Nancy Clark Kennedy. Your mother.”

“Yes. I mean no. Well she’s my stepmother. What’s going on?”

“Nancy is here. You’ve been identified as next of kin. I’m sorry but you might want to come here right away. Nancy has been raped.”

Milan stood from her chair. “Raped? What happened?”

“She was found screaming in the backseat of her car. She has injuries to her back, arms, legs, and neck.”

Milan plopped back in her chair. “Oh my goodness. How is she?”

“She’s in stable but serious condition.”

“What happened? I mean where was she?”

“Someone passing by on the street near Cascade Road saw her in the backseat yelling for help. She told them that when she was sleeping, some man attacked her. Ms. Kennedy, is she living in her car?”

“No. Not that I know of.”

“And I need to tell you that, she lost her baby as well.”

Milan leaned forward. “Her baby?”

“Yes. She was only about six or seven weeks along. She had a miscarriage. And it may have been due to trauma, or due to her age, we’re not sure. I’m sorry. If you’d like to come and see her, she’s here.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“And a Jarod Hamilton is here as well. He’s the one who gave us your information as next of kin.”

“Jarod is there?”

“Yes. Apparently, he was the baby’s father.”

“I’m on my way.”

Within ten minutes, Milan was in her car, headed downtown toward the hospital. She drove faster than she thought she would. She felt anxious. She felt worried. And she was surprised that she wasn’t actually mad. It really wasn’t anger that she felt. It was confusion from a ton of questions rattling about in her head.

Does this woman even deserve my time? Should I show up like this when she hurt my father and threatened to sue us? Especially after she got with Tamiko’s man? Even when she got pregnant by him.

Again she felt anxious. The instinctual answer to her questions was no. She then wondered,
What was she doing sleeping in the backseat of her car anyway?

She kept driving. Fast. She thought about her own mother and how Nancy had stabbed her in the back by playing the other woman.

“I feel like a traitor,” she said out loud. “Am I doing the right thing?”

She inserted the Jill Scott CD into the player but fumbled with it. She pushed one button and the radio played loudly. Just as she turned it down, a song began to play. It was the song that made her father famous. “Try a Little Tenderness.”

Milan turned it back up, lowered her hand, and listened to the words.
You know she’s waiting, anticipating, for the things she’ll never possess.
She felt the heat rush over her body and she swallowed hard to make room for her breathing. She sang, “
Try a little tenderness
.” She sang the line twice.

She slowed down a bit.

She calmed herself and answered her phone when she was less than a mile away from the off ramp on 85. “Hello, Lavender.”

He said, “Hey. I have Taj with me. I just wanted you to know.”

“This early on a weekday? What’s going on?”

“You know when I got the call from Ramada?”

“Yeah.” Milan held her breath, waiting for his reply.

“Well, it was Taj calling from home. Ramada left him there.”

She swallowed hard. “Left him?” She breathed.

“He’d been home all night and the house alarm went off. She wasn’t planning on coming home for three days. He was missing summer school.”

“What? Oh God. Then I guess that’s where she was going when Jarod saw her. That’s why I called you back. Jarod called and told me she went out of town. He saw her at the airport. I just assumed Taj was with a babysitter or something.”

“He saw her?”

“Yeah. And she was with Big Mack.”

“Hold up. She was with who?”

“Big Mack.”

“She was with him after all that mess about him forcing her?”

“That’s what Jarod said. That they were definitely together.”

“And she had the nerve to leave my son alone and run off?” Lavender sounded as angry as Milan had ever heard him.

“Did you call her?”

“Yeah. She didn’t dare answer. Now I see. She’s been busy with somebody who got her distracted by his money. Makes perfect sense. I wonder if she was with him that day she wanted me to watch Taj for a few hours when she came back early starting mess with you.”

“Who knows anymore with her? What I don’t understand is how she could think she’d get away with leaving an eight-and-a-half-year-old alone like that? Taj must’ve been scared to death. Was someone really trying to get in?”

“Everything was fine. All the doors and windows were secure. The police came out and put it on record that I have him.”

Milan turned the corner and shook her head. “I must say I’m not surprised. Crazy leaves clues, you know? Ramada is a nightmare. She should have been born without eggs.”

“Well, I’m filing a petition to get full custody in the morning. No more of this pick him up from school and you get your days, I get my days. He won’t be around her at all. She basically abandoned him. And, I already talked to Great Mama. I’m flying her out tomorrow so she can help take care of him for a while. You know she’s been going crazy being in Florida by herself. It was driving her up a wall anyway. Eventually she wants to sell her house and move here. She wants to be near Taj. And I’d feel better having her here anyway.”

Milan managed to smile. “Good. I’m happy about that.”

“And for now, I want you to know I’m gonna put off my plans to open Lavender’s.”

Milan felt surprised and relieved. “Oh really? Was that gonna be the name of it?”

“Probably. Just a thought. Gotta get this Taj thing handled first. Where’re you headed?”

Milan paused and then said, “Nancy is in the hospital. Believe it or not, she was raped.”

“When did this happen?”

“I guess last night.”

“And they called you?” Lavender sounded amazed.

“Jarod gave them my number.”

“Jarod and Nancy are still talking? I thought Tamiko said they were done.”

“He told me that, too. Seems she wasn’t letting go too easily either. And, she had a miscarriage. She told the hospital it was his.”

“What? I have to say that I’m shocked. But I’m more shocked that you’re headed over there.”

Milan pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Tell me about it. Please tell Taj I’m glad he’s okay.”

“I will. And maybe you can stop by when you’re done. I was gonna play basketball with Brian but I’m here with Taj.”

“I’ll do that. I’ll call you.”

“And I won’t be at work tonight. I’ll be here with him.”

“Okay. We’ll make do.” Milan turned off the ignition and opened the door.

“And I really do hope Nancy’s okay.”

“I didn’t think I’d feel this way, but I hope she’s okay, too. This just might all work out. I had a thought. I’ll tell you about it later. Bye.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Milan disconnected the phone and looked up at the sky and said, “I’m still saying it. Thank you, Dear Lord, for all things.”

45

“Soon as I Get Home”

Thursday, June 5, 2008
10:01 p.m.

I
just don’t picture you being a Hennessy-type-a girl.”

The fireplace was lit and the smell of burning wood was in the air.

Tamiko sat in the living room of her new friend Kellen’s home. They’d connected over the phone the day after Jarod left and agreed to have dinner. They’d planned on meeting at Johnny Carino’s Italian Grill in the Camp Creek Marketplace because Tamiko had scheduled a meeting nearby to look over some samples that her seamstress had made, but the meeting was rescheduled for the following week. Tamiko called Kellen to talk about meeting somewhere else since he lived in Fayetteville near her home, and he offered to cook Italian once he got home from work. She found that to be an offer she could not refuse.

Tamiko spoke with the strong drink in her hand. “Neither did I. I was always into wine but a friend of mine left a bottle over at my house after a party and that was all she wrote. It does the trick.”

They sat next to each other on his brown microsuede-upholstered couch. He held on to a cold bottle of beer. Kellen’s newer, three-bedroom home had bay windows, high vaulted ceilings, and beautiful hardwood floors. His color of choice for everything was chocolate. And his taste was very contemporary.

After sitting at the dark walnut table in the formal dining room where they’d devoured his Ragù version of lasagna and a Caesar salad, they were in his large living room listening to Keyshia Cole’s “Love” and talking.

Kellen said, “I was glad you called after we met. Sorry we had trouble connecting. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

She sat barefoot, wiggling her toes while she talked. “Hey, I needed to get out. Though I really must say I wasn’t expecting a home-cooked meal.”

“I’ll bet you deserve it. Sounds like you stay locked in a lot?”

“You could say that. But I needed to get my mind off of stuff.” She took a sip and then licked her lips.

“I see. Moms taught me how to make the quick version of lasagna. Gotta be self-sufficient, you know.”

“I see that.”

“Yeah, so I’m glad you could come by since we’re not too far from each other.” His voice was hip and young and sexy.

She found herself feeling the sexy part more than anything else. “You know they say it’s a real no-no to go over to a man’s house on a first date.”

“Really? Are you cool though? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.”

“Oh no, I’m fine.”

“Good. Good.” He looked down at her naked feet and said, “Listen, I wanted to ask you, do you date a lot? Or should I say, did you date a lot before your last relationship?”

“Not really. I’ve had four long relationships. Not a lot of casual dating really. Honestly, I don’t really enjoy dating. People try and put their best foot forward, and it just seems like an audition sometimes.”

“I agree. I don’t like it either. But, hey, whatcha gonna do? Gotta get out there and meet people.”

“True.” Tamiko looked around toward the den area. “This is a nice house. How long have you been here?”

“Just a few years. I had an apartment for a while and I took the money I’d been saving and put it down on this place. Got tired of paying someone else’s rent, ya know? Had to get me my own home.”

“You got a nice one.”

“Thanks.” Kellen took a swallow of his Corona. “I’ll be honest with you. Until you called on my home number and the caller ID came up, showing your last name, I didn’t know who you were.”

“Who I was?”

“I mean when it said last name Kennedy I remembered your sister’s name and it was like a bell went off. So I checked the Internet and not only did I see all the reports about the accusations against your sister’s club, but I even saw some pictures of you two on Google Images from when you guys were somewhere with your father. Your dad was big time I see. That must have been a trip. I mean, what was that like, being the daughter of someone that famous?”