Moments of Clarity (19 page)

Chapter 15

“Uh-oh!” Sasha spoke to the television after she saw the Knicks walk off the court with downcast expressions. Her heart went out in sympathy for them.

She walked over to the intercom system and hit the buzzer.

“Yes, Ms. Sasha?”

“Rudy, I need a favor. Mr. Sexton should be home in a couple of hours. Can you call me when he reaches the garage? I want to plan a surprise for him.”

“Not a problem, Ms. Sasha.”

She went over to the pantry, withdrew a bottle of champagne and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Then she went into the bedroom and grabbed Sexton's slippers and robe and took them to the game room with the Jacuzzi. Returning to the master bedroom, she took a long, leisurely bath, oiled her body, and stretched out on the bed.

The intercom buzzer startled her awake.

Sleepily, she pressed the button, “Yes?”

“He's here,” Rudy whispered.

Now wide awake Sasha said gratefully, “Thanks, Rudy.”

When Sexton opened the door, Sasha stood there clad in her terrycloth robe.

Looking at the gloomy expression on his face, she calmly took the duffel bag from his hand, placed it on the floor, and without speaking crooked her finger at him.

Sasha slowly backed down the hallway, her eyes never wavering from Sexton's as he obediently followed her down the hall to the game room.

She dropped her robe and stood naked in front of him. The she tested the temperature of the warm, swirling water with one toe. Nodding appreciatively and with much exaggeration, she immersed her whole body into the water, beckoning him with her eyes to join her.

Giving her a look, he quickly stripped and sank into her outstretched arms.

Neither talked at first, content to enjoy the closeness, and after awhile Sasha whispered as she massaged his shoulders, “I saw the game tonight.”

“That certainly was a waste of a few hours.” His voice had a bitter quality to it.

“You need to be rejoicing instead of looking so sad,” she said, trying to cajole him out of his somber mood. She reached over the side of the tub and poured him a glass of champagne from the chilled bucket.

“Why would you say that?”

“You guys were blown out. I heard the sportscaster say so,” she said as an attempt at humor.

Sexton responded somewhat miffed, “You do know that's a bad thing?”

“It depends on how you look at it. The coach didn't let you play at all, so there's no blight on your record.”

“I guess if you want to look at it like that,” he retorted.

“Also, now more than ever, he should know that he needs to change things around and give you more playing time.”

Now Sexton's tone brightened up. “Do you think that will happen?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “And to top it all off, you have one more thing.

You have a woman who loves you more than words can say.” She kissed him on his forehead.

For the first time since he had gotten into the Jacuzzi, she felt his body totally relax.

* * *

When the elevators doors opened, they were surprised to see Calvin standing there.

“Man, I was just coming to talk to you.”

“I'm on the way to practice. Aren't you going?

“Sure. Coach called me and told me to see if you were home. He's been trying to get in touch with you since last night.”

“I hooked my cell up last night because the battery is low. Why didn't he call my home phone?”

“All I know is he wants you to call him right away.” Calvin homed in on Sasha and smiled. “How are you doing? I haven't seen you around lately.”

Sasha was dressed in her uniform, and no patient looking at her would know that she had been up half the night talking and making love with Sexton. “I'm fine, Calvin. How about yourself?”

“I'm hanging in there. When's the last time that you talked to Tiara?”

Sasha looked carefully at Calvin and tried unsuccessfully to read his expression. If Tiara had told him anything about their argument, she couldn't tell because his eyes were as friendly as they always were when he looked at her.

“I don't know,” she answered, shifting her guilty eyes away from him. “Is she okay?”

“As well as can be expected. Peter filed for divorce, and it should be final soon. Tiara signed the papers because she doesn't want to drag things out, either.” He gave her a long look. “Maybe you could call her when you get a chance.”

Sasha's response was evasive. “Maybe I'll do that.” They had stepped into the elevator, and when it reached the lobby she gave Sexton a quick kiss, smiled at Calvin and said, “I've got to hurry, I'm late enough at it is.”

* * *

Sasha sat at her computer surfing the net for records of local adoption agencies. Frustrated, she sat back in her chair and reached for the phone.

“Anita?”

“Yes, Sasha. What can I do for you?”

“I have a personal matter. I need to find out information for a person who knows he was adopted. He has a twin but doesn't know who or where this person is.”

“Do you know where he was born?”

“Yes, in New Jersey.”

“What else do you know about him?” Anita sounded businesslike and decisive. Sasha visualized her jotting down things on a notepad.

Sasha gave Anita all the information that she had and then she said, “This is a personal matter so I really need you to be discreet. I've been trying to find out something and I can't get any information.”

“Those records would be sealed unless the mother left information so that she could be found at a later time in case her children wanted to locate her.” She added musingly, “I have some contacts. Let me see if I can find out anything.”

“Thanks, Anita. You don't know how much I appreciate this.”

“It's all in a day's work,” she answered before she hung up.

* * *

When Sasha let herself into Sexton's apartment, he emerged from the weight room and bounded towards her. She turned her face up for his usual kiss of greeting but instead, he lifted her and swung her around in a circle.

When he finally set her feet on the floor, she was almost breathless. “What's got you so excited?”

“Sasha, guess what Coach wanted?”

“I don't know, but whatever it is it's made you happy.” She was thrilled by the look of animation on his face. She hadn't seen him look so happy since he had gotten that earthshaking news from Kendall.

“He wants me to go to Las Vegas and play on the East Coast Conference team. It's almost unheard of for a player with as little game time as I have to get invited to play, but since Sylvester is having reconstructive surgery for his knees Coach wants me to represent the team.”

Sexton was so excited that Sasha could barely understand what he was saying.

“I'm so proud of you. This is so great, Sexton. I told you just to be patient and your time would come.”' She beamed. “So my boy is going to Vegas?”

“We're going to Vegas,” Sexton corrected her.

“We?” Sasha responded, shocked yet excited by the prospect.

“Of course. I can't go to Las Vegas without my Shorty. Can you take a whole week off?”

“I sure can! I have to get someone to cover me, but I have the vacation time, so they can't really say no.” She was already making plans. “I need to e-mail my administrator and give him the dates.” She stopped suddenly and gave him a look filled with love. “I'm so proud of you,” she ended softly.

“Why thank you, ma'am.” He paused for a minute, mentally making plans. “We'll see some of the shows while we're out there.”

“I've always wanted to do that.” Her eyes widened in anticipation.

“Then I'll make sure that it happens.” He lifted her hand in his usual manner, turned it over, and kissed the area just beneath her palm.

* * *

A few days later, Sasha rolled over to find Sexton staring at her. “I told you that you would get the hang of it,” he whispered and then closed his eyes. He wore a teasing grin and Sasha made a playful jab at him.

They were naked. The sheet that had covered them the previous night lay at the foot of the bed. Sexton moved his body onto hers and stared deeply into the soulfulness of her eyes. “Sasha, I—” he began. Just then the ringing of the telephone broke the intimate moment.

Exasperated, Sasha reached over and picked up the receiver.

“Yes,” she barked into the mouthpiece. The voice on the other line was so faint that she could barely make out the words.

“Sasha, I know that you don't want to be my friend anymore, but I need you.”

Startled, Sasha held her finger out to Sexton, motioning for him to hold on a minute. “Tiara, it's not that I don't want to be your friend anymore.” She stammered out of guilt because she hardly thought about her. “It's because things got to be too hard.”

“I know, Sasha.”

Tiara sounded so forlorn that Sasha felt a tug of sympathy for her.

“My divorce became final today.”

Sasha looked over her shoulder and saw Sexton heading towards the bathroom. He mouthed, “I'm going to take a shower.” The bathroom door shut with a decisive thud. Sasha couldn't help thinking that before the telephone had rung, something momentous had been about to happen. Now it might be lost forever.

Dragging her attention back to the situation at hand she said, “I ran into Calvin and he told me it was in the works.” She felt genuine sadness for what Tiara was going through, and it showed in the inflection of her voice.

“I think that I'm going to kill myself.”

Her words were so faint Sasha didn't think that she'd heard her correctly.

“Repeat what you said,” Sasha ordered.

“I don't know if I can go on,” Tiara mumbled. “I don't know that I want to.”

“Tiara,” Sasha said sharply, “you are a beautiful, educated, intelligent woman. You don't want to end your life over something that was never real in the first place.” She hesitated and then spoke the words she felt Tiara needed to hear. “He's not worth it. If you want another loser I'll take you out to the club Friday night and you can have your pick of those at happy hour.”

Sasha was relieved to hear a small chuckle from Tiara.

“Will you come over?” she said. “I'm just so lonely.”

“Of course I will,” she agreed at once. “I'll bring lunch.”

Tiara's voice noticeably perked up, and she eagerly asked, “What time will you get here?”

“I don't know. With traffic, probably one o'clock.”

“That long?” Tiara complained.

“I'll be there as soon as I can.”

“Thank you, Sasha,” Tiara said humbly. “You're a good friend.”

Sasha hung up the phone and looked at Sexton, who had just emerged from the bathroom. A towel was draped around his waist and Sasha's eyes met his in the mirror he was in front of.

“I guess you heard,” Sasha said.

“Not all of it, but enough to know that your drama queen friend is at it again.” He was rubbing lotion on his arms.

Sasha didn't correct him because he only spoke the truth. “Her divorce is final.”

“What is she mourning? She was living in a fool's paradise and she found out while she's still young enough to get on with her life. She ought to throw a block party.”

“I think she's still remembering Peter as the man he showed her when they were dating. That's her feeling of loss.”

“But he never was that person.”

“I know.” Sasha propped her head up with her arm.

Sexton sat down on the side of the bed.

“I think I should go and see her.”

“I thought that we were going shopping for our Las Vegas trip today. You said that you wanted to buy some things.”

“I know, but we still have time. The trip is a few weeks away.”

“But what am I going to do today?” Now Sexton sounded plaintive.

Sasha's expression was indulgent as she looked at him. “Since I'm going to be with Tiara, why don't you call her brother and you two can play together.”

“Funny!” he answered. “I think that I'll go down to the gym and get some practice in.”

* * *

Dressed in green and white Bermuda shorts, white tee shirt, and flip flops, Sasha rang the doorbell at Tiara's house. Immediately the door was flung open. Sasha gasped at the sight of Tiara. Her body was almost waif-like and there were dark circles under her eyes.

Sasha plastered on a smile as Tiara reached for the food. Only half jokingly, Sasha said, “Dive in right away. You don't have a minute to waste.”

Without answering, Tiara led Sasha into the kitchen and placed the packages from Quizno's on the counter. She stared at Sasha and said, “You look good.”

“So do you. You're too thin, but still beautiful.”

“I've always been the kind of person to eat with company and I don't have that anymore.”

Sasha felt remorseful. “We went through a rough patch. Friends do that sometimes. Look at Paris and Nicole. If they could work things out, I know that we can.”

“If only I had their money,” Tiara said wistfully.

“Money is not the end all or be all of happiness.”

“Spoken by a person who has it.”

“I don't have any money,” Sasha denied.

“Maybe not, but you have access to it.”

“Sexton does things for me, but I'm not on his payroll. I've learned how to budget for the things that I want.”

“Calvin said he would continue to pay my mortgage for another six months, but I've decided to sell the house.”

“I think that might be best. You can make a fresh start with the money you make from the sale.”

“I can't keep draining his finances.” Tiara averted her eyes from Sasha's.

Sasha nodded her head in understanding. “Where are you going to move once you sell the house?”