I Know I've Been Changed (7 page)

Chapter 10

I
was so not believing this. I had just begun reading my e-mail at work and the first message had me fuming. It was from Richard, who had been missing in action, but I guess had stopped in the office long enough to send this e-mail.

It is my extreme honor to announce the promotion of Simone Sanders from production assistant to reporter trainee. Simone has proven she is an invaluable employee and a solid journalist. Therefore, we will give her a chance to showcase her talents on air. She will train for six months before coming on board as a full-time reporter.

I was floored. How was she able to work that? It was just a week ago that she had had me look at her tape. I hadn’t even given it back to her yet. She needed to take her little yellow tail to a small town and work her way up like the rest of us had. What in the world was Richard thinking? I was beginning to think he wasn’t thinking. He didn’t half come to work these days and when he did, he was always acting strange. And this was definitely a strange move. I mean, the girl had no experience. And it’s not like we needed any more black faces. They had me, our weekend male anchor, and two reporters. If that little tramp thought she was getting her slimy paws on my job, she’d better think again. I would chew her up and spit her out.

I reread the e-mail, getting angry all over again and decided to call Stan. After his secretary patched me through, I didn’t waste any time.

“Hey Stan, just trying to figure out what’s going on with this reporter training they have Simone doing.”

“Helo to you too, Rae,” Stan replied, in his usual chipper voice. “Richard told me about that. It’s no big deal. He’s just trying to give the girl an opportunity.”

“Since when did we get in the training business?”

Stan laughed. “Do I sense a hint of jealousy?”

I didn’t see anything funny. “Don’t be ridiculous, Stan. I’m just trying to get clarification.”

“Rae, sweetheart, you have no cause to be bothered, feel threatened, or anything,” Stan said. “You know you are the person who keeps the viewers tuned in. The company just started a reporter trainee program and Richard thought Simone would fit well in it. But trust me, it will be a long, long time before she’s ever able to become my chocolate star.”

I smiled. That’s why I loved Stan. He knew just how to make me feel better.

“So don’t you worry your pretty little head about anything other than taking home yet another Emmy. By the way, congrats on that. You just keep doing what you do and making us all rich,” Stan said. “Look, my other line is ringing and I need to take this call. Are we okay?”

“We are. Thanks Stan.”

I sighed, put the phone back on the hook and was just about to delete the e-mail when my phone rang. “Rae Rollins,” I answered.

“Miss Rollins, you have visitors up front.” The receptionist was whispering into my phone. “They’re demanding to see you.”

“Kay, you know I don’t see people without an appointment. Get their names and numbers and send them on their way.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy.”

“I told you her bougie ass wasn’t gon’ come out!” I heard a male voice shout.

“Hell, naw…she coming to see us!” a different male voice roared.

“Oh my God, Kay. Who are those people? Call security.”

“Well, I was going to,” Kay whispered. “But they say they’re related to you. They say they’re from some place north of here called Sweet Poke. And they aren’t leaving until they talk to you.”

I closed my eyes and prayed this was a really bad dream. This could not be happening to me.

“They say their names are Scooter and June Bug.”

“Why, why, why?” I stomped my foot under the desk so hard, I almost broke a heel. Scooter and June were some of my cousins from Sweet Poke. Kevin’s brothers. I thought Scooter was in jail himself. I hadn’t talked to either of them in years. They were pure country thugs. Why in the world were they bothering me?

“Do you want me to go ahead and call security?” Kay whispered.

I knew Scooter and June would act straight fools. The best thing would be for me to go ahead and see what they wanted.

“No, just tell them I’m on my way.” I placed the phone back on the cradle, took a deep breath, then headed up to the front office.

I was totally embarrassed when I saw them standing in the lobby. I was grateful that it was Kay at the front desk and not her backup, gossipy receptionist LaMonica. Kay was the epitome of professionalism. She wouldn’t go running to tell everyone about my people.

I surveyed Scooter and June. According to Mama Tee, the thirty-four-year-old twins were still living at home with Aunt Ola. With all the gold in their mouth, they probably could’ve bought their own place. Scooter sported a long, dripping Jheri curl. He had on baggy jeans and a
FUB
(not
FUBU
) shirt. The
U
looked like it had washed off. The Jheri-curl juice had his face looking like he had smeared Vaseline across it. June was the better looking of the two. He had thick cornrows and wore some Karl Kan (yep, no
i
) overalls. One strap was left undone and hung loosely across his chest. I wanted to tell him people stopped wearing their overalls like that twenty years ago, but then I figured, why bother?

“Scooter. June. Isn’t this a surprise?” I put on my best fake smile.

“What’s shaking, Cousin?” Scooter said.

“You high society now,” June added, looking at my picture on the lobby wall.

I simply smiled. “What brings you all down to Houston?”

“We need to holla at you ’bout a li’l sumptin’, Cuz,” Scooter said.

I looked at Kay, who had busied herself typing on her computer. I contemplated taking them into our conference room, but quickly nixed that idea. No way did I want anyone to see them.

“Why don’t we step outside? Did you park out front?”

“Word.”

I sighed and followed them out front. “Now, what’s going on?” I probably should’ve asked about Aunt Ola, but I was anxious to get this over with.

“Look here, we know you don’t like dealin’ with us too much since you left,” June said. “But, since you all big-time and stuff now, we thought you could help us.”

“With what?”

“We need you to get Kevin out of jail.”

I looked at them as if they were on crack. “Kevin, as in your brother Kevin? As in the Kevin that killed four people, robbed a bank, led authorities on a high-speed chase, hit an old lady crossing the street and shot at police? That Kevin?”

“Yep.” Scooter nodded as if he had just given me a simple request like, can I borrow $5?

“They treating him like dirt in there,” June interjected.

Yeah, that’s usually what they do to criminals, I wanted to say. “Guys, I don’t know what kind of power you think I have, but I can’t help Kevin.”

“Can’t you do an expo on the jail or something? I seen them undercover investigations the TV people be doing,” June pleaded.

“That’s exposé.”

“Whatever. All I know is corruption is goin’ on up at that prison and it needs exposing,” Scooter replied.

“Look,” June continued when he saw the utter confusion across my face. “Kevin would die if he knew I was telling you this, but some of them men up there, they funny.”

I still wasn’t getting it. “Maybe they use humor to pass the time.”

June let out an exasperated sigh. “Not that kind of funny.” He looked around, then fluttered his hand back and forth. “Funny, funny.”

I wanted to scream. “And your point?”

“Kevin is scared them funny dudes…” He paused and cringed. “He’s scared they might try something with him!”

“We got to get my baby brother out,” Scooter exclaimed. “
You’ve
got to get him out.”

I was still looking at them as if they were crazy. I couldn’t believe they were wasting my time with this foolishness. Even if I did have the power to get Kevin out of jail, I wouldn’t. I mean, good grief, four people were killed! “I don’t know what you want me to do. But number one, I don’t have that kind of power. And number two, he committed a serious crime, make that
crimes
with an
s
.”

“It ain’t him. He got hooked on that crack and it’s messed him up,” Scooter said, a pleading look etched across his face.

“I’m sorry.” I shrugged and headed back toward the front lobby. I didn’t know why I thought they would just go away. They followed me, no doubt trying to think of something to say to convince me to intervene.

“But he’s in pain,” Scooter protested.

“So is the old lady he hit in that chase, and the families of the four people he killed,” I bluntly responded without turning around.

“What happened to innocent until proven guilty?” June said.

I stopped just as I was opening the door and turned to face my cousins. “It died with the invention of the video camera. Kevin is
on tape
holding up the bank, shooting the four people, and taking off.”

“So, it’s like that. You not gon’ even try?” Scooter threw up his hands in frustration.

“I told you this bougie skank wouldn’t help,” June scoffed.

“You come asking
me
for help for your trifling convict brother and call me a skank?” I couldn’t believe I’d even wasted my time with these ingrates.

“We’re your family!” Scooter jumped up in my face.

Inside the lobby, I saw Kay stand up, phone in hand, ready to call security. She looked at me as if waiting for the word. I raised a hand to let her know I had the situation under control—for now.

“Look, I haven’t seen any of you in years and you waltz in here asking the impossible. I’m sorry. I can’t help you. Now, I’m going to ask you to leave before Kay calls security.”

Both of them glared daggers at me.

“Snobby ass—,” Scooter snarled.

June grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Let it go. She gon’ need us one day. You can bet on that.”

I looked at him and almost laughed. Need them? For what? There wasn’t anything they could do for me—except get the hell out of my station and take their country behinds back to Sweet Poke.

I watched them ease out the door and hoped that that would be my last time seeing them.

Chapter 11

I
whirled my pasta around my fork. Another dinner spent alone. As usual, Myles had called, saying he was running late. I was upset at first because this had become a regular habit with us. Here I was at his condo, two twelve-ounce steaks, jumbo shrimp, and angel-hair pasta sitting on the table, getting cold.

Myles could be so inconsiderate. I swear, sometimes I wondered how I could possibly love someone so selfish. I heard someone turning the doorknob and thought, finally, he’s home.

I got up to greet him at the door. But instead of the door opening, the knob just kept viciously jiggling. Then a woman’s voice called out, “Myles, you can’t run from me forever. Open this damn door!”

I didn’t know whether to be frightened or pissed. I hesitated before opening the door. “May I help you?” I asked after I swung the door open. A short woman with a closely cropped, blond Afro stood there, attitude all over her face. She had strong features and might have been attractive if not for the scowl on her face. She had a small diamond earring in her nose and wore a spandex miniskirt with a V-cut T-shirt that prominently showcased her double Ds.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked.

“Excuse me?” I knew this four-foot-tall heifer was not banging on my man’s door, asking me who
I
was.

“I didn’t stutter.” She pushed past me and made her way inside. “You know what? I don’t really care who you are. Where is Myles?” She looked around the room, her hands on her hips like she belonged there. Oh, no, she wasn’t about to punk me in my man’s home.

“Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but Myles isn’t here and you need to leave.”

She crossed her arms and looked at me cockeyed. “Awwww, snap. I know who you are. You that news lady. Myles told me he was dating a local celebrity, but he never said who.”

“Well, I’m glad you know who I am. But what you probably don’t know is this pretty face can get real ghetto.” I left the door open and stepped in her face, daring her to make a move. I wasn’t the bravest of people, but I wasn’t about to be played for a fool either. “I will make sure I tell my boyfriend you stopped by.”

She smirked. “Well, can you tell
your
boyfriend that his
other
girlfriend doesn’t appreciate being played. Now, I can deal with you, but I ain’t about to deal with no other hos.”

I looked at this woman like she had lost her mind. All this drama was making my head hurt. “Who are you?”

She uncrossed her arms and waved a hand in my face as she announced, “My name is Delana. And I’m what’s known as the other woman.”

I didn’t know how to react. But Delana looked like she couldn’t care less about my feelings.

Delana adjusted her knockoff Louis Vuitton bag on her shoulder and started wiggling her neck. “Look here. I told that sorry bastard that if he messed over me again, there would be hell to pay. So here I am. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but
our
man ain’t no good.”

Our
man? Okay, this fool was straight trippin’ and I was not about to listen to her madness. “You know what, Delana, you need to leave.” I was trying to maintain some dignity, but this no-class tramp was making it real difficult.

“Naw, I ain’t leaving until I say what it is I came to say. Myles ain’t here to hear it, so you will.” I sized her up. Girlfriend looked like she had some street in her. I could probably get one good punch in if I jumped her. Oh, who was I kidding? I’m no fighter. I talk a lot of noise, but that’s about as far as it goes. This woman looked like she had been around the block a few times. I saw there would be no getting her out the door until she had her rant.

“Say what you gotta say.” I walked over and shut the door before turning back to her. “But make it quick.”

“That’s what I thought,” she said as she smacked on a wad of gum. “Anyway, my cousin’s baby daddy’s sister saw Myles at this motel tonight with some other woman. At first I thought it was you, his celebrity woman, but then I figured if you was so high profile, you wouldn’t be goin’ to no seedy motel. How you get on TV, anyway? I think I’d make a cute reporter.” She stopped talking and struck a pose, then quickly returned to her defiant stance. “Never mind. We can talk about that later. Anyway, so I jumps in my car and hightails it over to the Diamond Inn off Highway 288. I sat out there honking my horn and calling his name until he came out. Then that fool gon’ have the nerve to try and play me. Tell me to beat it! Call me a crazy ho. Oh, I’m a show him crazy.” She pulled a switchblade out of her purse and began slicing up his leather sofa.

This was absolutely unreal. This woman had to be lying because I knew there was no way in hell Myles would reduce himself to the level of messing with someone like this.

I contemplated grabbing her arm, but sister-girl looked like she would’ve just kept swinging that blade. I decided this situation was beyond my control.

“Stop it!” I shouted. She ignored me and moved on to the love seat. “I’m calling the cops!” I finally yelled. That seemed to set in with her because she paused, the knife poised in midair.

“Fine. I’ll leave, but you tell that low-down dirty dog this ain’t over.” She closed the switchblade, dropped it in her purse, patted her Afro, pulled her spandex skirt down a little, and strutted out the front door. I stood there in utter disbelief. Where was Myles? He had to come straighten out this madness. I just knew he would not jeopardize everything we had to mess with a freak like her.

I numbly made my way into the kitchen, where I tried to clean up the now cold dinner. After I finished, I walked back into the living room. I stared at the sofa. It was damaged beyond repair. Delana had sliced it to shreds. I fell down on the love seat, which had escaped her wrath. I buried my face in my hands, hoping that Myles would hurry home so he could tell me this was all a big misunderstanding. I didn’t know what I would do if it wasn’t.

It was well after three in the morning when Myles came home. I was still sitting on the love seat. All of the lights were out in the living room when I heard him ease the front door closed.

He jumped when he saw me. “Rae, baby, what are you doing up?”

“Where have you been?” I didn’t look up at him.

“I told you I had to work late to go over the Metro Rail proposal.”

I turned to him, my gaze intense. “Was your meeting at the Diamond Inn?”

“What is going on with you? Where’d you get that? And why are you sitting here in the dark?” He walked over and flipped on the light. His mouth dropped open when he noticed his sofa. “What the…” He looked at me for an explanation. “Why did you cut my sofa up?”

“I didn’t cut your sofa up.” I kept my eyes focused on him and my voice calm. “Delana cut your sofa up.”

“How did she get in the house?”

“Oh, so you
do
know who she is?” I sat up, the calmness leaving my body.

He sighed heavily, like he’d been busted. “Um, yeah. She’s this friend of mine.”

“She seems to think she’s more than just a friend.”

“Look, Rae, I’m tired. My sofa is ripped to shreds and I can’t do this with you.”

I felt tears forming, but I was determined not to cry. “Myles, you owe me an explanation. Who is Delana and where were you tonight?”

“What is this? Am I on trial?”

Now my patience was wearing thin. “Who the hell is Delana and where were you tonight?” I yelled as I pounded the coffee table.

Myles rubbed his head. He hesitated before speaking. “Delana is no one. And I had a meeting tonight.”

“A meeting at a motel!” I screamed. So now he was going to try to play me for stupid. I threw back the afghan that had been draped across my lap and stormed into his bedroom. I grabbed my duffel bag and started stuffing my things in it. I had never changed out of my clothes so I was still fully dressed. “I’m sick of this,” I screamed as I stuffed my belongings in the bag. “You never have time for me! You’re always disappearing for hours on end. And you and your flirtatious behavior ’bout to get on my damn nerves! Now some ghettofied tramp comes sashaying in here, mad because you’re cheating on us!” I could no longer contain the tears. They started pouring down my face. Myles had followed me and was now standing in the doorway.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re the genius, what does it look like I’m doing? I’m leaving.” I walked to his closet and started grabbing my shoes, which were neatly lined up on my side of the large walk-in closet.

“So, just like that, you’re going to take the word of someone you’ve never met over someone you know and love.”

I stopped with an armful of shoes in front of me and spun toward him. “So are you telling me she’s lying?”

Myles smoothly moved toward me and gently removed my shoes from my grip. He threw them back in the closet. “Yes, she’s lying. Come on, I’m a political star on the rise. Why would I jeopardize my career”—he caressed my cheek—“my life with you, for someone with as much class as my left foot?”

“Well, then, why is she your
friend
?” I was trying not to give in so easily, although I desperately wanted to believe him. She did seem so out of character for him.

“She’s a woman I tried to help at the community center that developed an extreme crush on me. She got really ignorant when I told her there was no chance of us ever being together.” He lifted my chin so that our eyes met. “A man like me needs and wants a woman like you. But more importantly, I love you and don’t want anyone else. You do believe me, don’t you?”

“I…I don’t know. What about the motel? She says you were at a motel with someone else.”

“Let me repeat, she is a liar.”

“So where were you then?”

He removed his hand, then turned and walked toward the bedroom window. He gazed out into the darkness. “I did have a meeting, but if you must know,” he said without turning around, “after that, I drove around thinking about us.”

“Us?”

He turned toward me, a huge smile across his face. “Yes, us. I was thinking of how much I love you. And, well, I needed some time to make sure I was doing the right thing.”

“Myles what are you talking about? Doing the right thing how?”

“Well, this isn’t how I had planned on doing this, but since you think I was out cheating, I have to go ahead and tell you what I was doing.” He walked toward me, then dropped down on one knee. My heart started racing.

“I don’t have your ring yet because I wanted you to go with me to pick it out, but…” He took my hand and gazed into my eyes. “I have been missing a piece of me. For so long, I have felt incomplete. Will you join with me so that I can be complete?”

My hand was shaking fiercely. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, will you marry me, Rae Rollins?”

We had talked about marriage, but I had no idea he was anywhere near ready for it. In fact, whenever I brought it up, he changed the subject so quickly it wasn’t funny.

“Are you serious? Don’t play with me.”

“I’m as serious as a triple bypass.”

I studied his face, hoping that he wasn’t just proposing to get out of trouble. I don’t know if it was because I wanted it so badly, but I swear I saw the sincerity in his eyes. Deep down, I think I didn’t buy what Myles was saying, but I started thinking about being Mrs. Myles Jacobs and decided it wasn’t even worth arguing about. If he did mess with her, it was just something to do on the side. No way would he want anything real with her. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stupid. There probably was some grain of truth to what Delana said, but most men are going to cheat anyway. As long as I can have one that I know loves me and who can give me the life I need, then that’s all that really matters.

“Yes! Yes!” I pulled him up toward me and hugged him tightly. “Yes, I will marry you!” I began kissing him fiercely as I envisioned our life together, a life so far removed from Sweet Poke.