No One in the World (14 page)

“I'm sorry. I truly am, but it's not working.”

“You can't just leave me and tell me you're taking my daughter with you because it ain't working. There has to be more than that.”

“Let this happen, Eric,” Jess said sadly. “It's better for everyone.”

“I won't let you do it.”

“You don't have a choice. It's already happening.”

B
lac sat alone in his cell, on a chair, staring at a wall. It was almost lights out and the cell doors would be closed soon.

He had just come back from speaking on the phone to his girl Theresa. She was so excited that she screamed through the phone and told him she was going to make his favorite meal, give him a bath, a full body massage, and anything he wanted after that.

The phone pressed to the side of his face, Blac smiled, grateful that at least there would be someone there at the gate to pick him up. He didn't even know if Eric had that. He hadn't heard from him since he got out, which led Blac to believe Eric's so-called twin brother didn't come through for him.

That's why there was a frown on Blac's face as he stared at that dirty cement wall in front of him. He was excited about getting out tomorrow, but he had been betting on somehow being able to use Eric's filthy rich brother to put his hands on the $150K he needed to save his ass. If this Cobi character decided to disappear, then Blac would be back to the drawing board, and that would be a bad thing. He just wanted to be done with this chapter of his life and move on to something better.

Blac had a twenty-six-year-old little sister, Wanda, that he loved dearly. She had an eight-year-old son named Johnny. He hadn't seen his nephew since the last time he was a free man, years ago.

Wanda and Johnny lived in the small town of Racine, Wisconsin. Blac hated to think about it, but he was what drove them out of Chicago.

The late-night visits by thuggish men, rolling up in pimped-out cars, unexplained stacks of money appearing in the house he lived in with Wanda led her to believe that Blac was not a good influence on her or Johnny's life.

She told Blac she was certain of that the morning Johnny, at four years old, came running down the hallway, playing with a gun. Wanda was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for the boy when she heard a loud click.

When she spun around, she saw her son giggling and pointing a gun that was just about as big as he was, at her.

Later that night, Wanda had sat her older brother down and explained to him, “If your gun had been loaded, I would be dead right now. And who knows, maybe even Johnny, too. Stay here if you like, but I can't take it anymore. I love you, Joseph.” Wanda refused to call him Blac. “But I can't have you influencing Johnny like that, wanting to grow up to be like you. I won't let you and the streets take him from me.”

Wanda had a friend who found her a job way down in bum-fuck Wisconsin of all places, and she packed herself and Johnny up as quickly as she could and got out of Chicago.

Before she left, she asked Blac to come with them, start a new life there.

Blac snickered, turned away, like he hadn't given it any thought at all, when he actually had. He shook his head and said, “What the hell would I look like hanging out in Wisconsin? Nope. No thanks. I ain't no dairy farmer.”

When he turned to look back at Wanda, there were tears on her face. “You're gonna end up in trouble if you stay, Joe. You gonna end up in trouble or dead.”

H
is hands in his pocket, his head lowered, Eric walked a line back and forth across his room.

When he heard a knock, he stared at the door but did not move.

The knock came again. Eric walked over and opened the door to find Cobi there.

“What are you doing locked up in this room again? We live in a mansion. There are other places to do things, you know.”

“Prison mentality,” Eric said.

“How did your meeting go this afternoon with—”

“Jess,” Eric said. “It ain't go very good.”

“Let me get you out of here. We have acres of land out there. Let's take a walk.”

The night was warm, and the sky above was speckled with stars.

Eric told Cobi about the meeting, about how nicely Jess was dressed and how embarrassed he felt because he was wearing the same clothes he wore three years ago, when he was thrown in prison.

Cobi appeared saddened by what Eric told him but remained quiet.

Eric looked just as sad. “She said I just need to leave her alone and let this happen. What the hell does that mean?”

“You can't just wait on her. You have the letter from the attorney,” Cobi said. “I'll call him, so we can find out exactly what's going on.”

“How can she say I'm unfit to see my daughter?” Eric said, distress in his voice. “I love my little girl and treated her the best I could. Why would Jess do this?”

“You were in prison for three years, right?”

Eric nodded.

“And the child is four years old now?”

“Yeah. She just made it last month. You wanna see a picture of her?” Eric said, digging into his back pocket. He pulled out his wallet and slid out the old photo of Maya and handed Cobi the picture.

“She's gorgeous. Look at that smile, and those dimples. She's beautiful, Eric,” Cobi said.

“She is, isn't she,” Eric said proudly.

“Maybe Jess thinks you been away too long. Maybe that's why she's doing this,” Cobi said, passing the picture back to Eric. “I really don't know. We'd have to speak to a family law attorney. If Jess is filing a petition, there's going to be a hearing. I know a good man who practices family law. I'll get him to represent you.”

T
he next day Eric and I walked in the house around three in the afternoon. I took off work today, because I had the appointment with Sissy and the mystery woman I was supposed to be marrying, but I also wanted to start the process of helping my brother keep his daughter.

This morning, I knocked on Eric's door to wake him up, but he had already dressed and showered and was sitting on the edge of his bed.

“You're up early,” I said.

“Still on prison time.”

“You have plans today? I got somewhere I want to take you.”

We ended up at my favorite clothing store. AERO was located on Michigan Avenue. They carried the finest designers from all over the world, and they even had a spa, where I often went to get a facial, mani-pedi, and a massage.

I knew the owner, Monica Kenny, so I always received five-star treatment.

Standing outside the big glass doors of AERO, Eric stopped me just before I pulled on one of the handles.

“What are we doing here?”

“We're getting you some new clothes.”

“No. I don't need none.”

“You told me the only clothes you had were the clothes on—”

“I wasn't saying that to get you to take me shopping. I ain't like that, man. And I don't need none of your charity.”

“Then what, Eric?” I said. “You wanna walk around wearing the same jeans and T-shirt?”

Eric lowered his head. “I don't wanna take no handout from you, man. I need to earn it.”

“Fine. Whatever I buy you today, or from now on, we'll look at it as a loan.”

“I'm gonna need a way to pay it back.”

“I'm one step ahead of you. My sister has a little influence in the family company,” I said, smiling. “I'm sure we'll be able to find you a job there.”

The owner, Monica—an attractive, shapely woman, with short-cropped curly black hair—almost passed out when she saw the two of us. I had called her earlier this morning and told her I wanted her to lay out a fashion show's worth of fine men's suits, casual clothing, and sportswear.

“Changing up your look?” Monica asked.

“I wouldn't quite say that,” I told her. “You'll see. Oh yeah, and I have a surprise for you, too.”

Seeing Eric and me, Monica gave me a hug and said, “So is this the surprise you were talking about? You've been cloned?”

“Very funny,” I said. “Monica, this is my long-lost twin brother, Eric.”

Monica stepped forward, looked at Eric's attempt at a handshake, blew it off, and gave him a hug. “Family of Cobi's is family of mine. I assume this is really who the clothes I laid out are for?” Monica said to me.

“Yup.”

“Then why don't you go over to the spa? Charlene is waiting to take care of you, and I'll make sure Mr. Eric here gets everything he wants.”

Eric and I walked back in the house at three carrying six thousand dollars' worth of clothes. He picked out jeans, jerseys, slacks, shirts, and even three beautiful Italian suits and ties to match.

On the way home, we stopped off and had Eric hooked up with service and the latest iPhone.

Inside the mansion, we set down all of the bags. Eric shook his head. “What am I supposed to say, man?”

“Nothing, because you already thanked me a gazillion times on the way home.”

Eric pulled the phone out of his pocket and started poking the touch screen. “Dude! I even got a phone. I can't believe it. Tonight, my boy is gonna be like, wow!”

“You're meeting someone tonight?”

“Yeah, I'm probably gonna be out pretty late.”

“Well, have a good time.”

Eric gave me a quick hug, clapped me on the back, and said, “Thanks again for the clothes.”

B
ecause Austen no longer had a car, a limo had been sent for her, which brought her out to the Winslow Hair Care Products corporate offices.

When Austen was given the okay by Sissy's secretary to step into Sissy's office, she saw that the woman was on a very heated phone call.

“Listen, I told you we will have the money! When have we ever been late?” Sissy raised her voice into the headset as she paced the office. Tiny, quarter-sized circles of perspiration dotted the blouse under her arms. She held up a finger to Austen, while giving her a forced smiled. “Well, you just hold them off as long as you need too, understood? Good!”

Sissy disconnected the call, pulled off the headset, and walked over to greet Austen.

“Sorry about that,” Sissy said, taking Austen's hand.

Austen had made a point to put on a nice earth-toned spring dress and short heels to appeal to the man she was supposed to meet today. It's not as though she felt she had to sell herself, but over the last couple of days, she did realize that this deal was something that she desperately needed, and she wanted Mr. Winslow to feel as though he was getting what he was paying for, so to speak.

“Sorry that my brother isn't here yet,” Sissy said. “He should be walking in the door any—”

Before Sissy could finish, her office door opened and in walked Cobi.

Austen had seen pictures of him in magazines before Sissy had given her the clippings. She had even seen him on the evening news a couple of times, but none of those sightings did him justice, Austen thought. Gay or not, Cobi Winslow was a beautiful man with his medium chocolate brown skin, his chiseled facial features, perfectly shaped head, and athletic body. It was sad, because yes, Austen felt her body warm a little at the thought of what he would look like standing there nude.

“Austen,” Sissy said. “Let me introduce you to my brilliant big brother, Cobi Winslow.”

Cobi took the four steps over to Austen, displayed a beautiful smile of gleaming white teeth, and shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you. Miss Greer, correct?”

“That's right,” Austen said, enjoying the softness of his hand and the strength of his grip. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Winslow.”

“Well,” Sissy said, behaving like a proud mother sending her teenage son to his prom. “Looks like we've made a connection. Once I get the contract prepared, we'll have this deal done in no time. Till then, why don't we just all sit down and get acquainted?”

“You know what, Sissy?” Cobi said. “Would you mind stepping out for a moment and giving me and Ms. Greer a few minutes to speak alone?”

“Oh,” Sissy said, surprised. “No. No problem,” she said, making her way to the door. “Just . . . call if you need me.”

After the door closed, Cobi paused a moment before cutting to the chase and saying, “So what do you think?”

“What do you mean?” Austen was caught off guard.

“If I know my sister, she has already explained every minute detail about this potential arrangement. You understand what will be happening, don't you?”

Though fully aware, Austen sounded uncertain. “I do.”

“This in no way will be a traditional, fairy-tale marriage. Not even close.”

“I'm not expecting it to be.”

“And you're okay with that?”

“I am.”

“Because you're having financial difficulties and this deal will rescue you from them?”

Austen didn't like it being summed up like that. It made her feel like the high-priced prostitute she told Sissy she wasn't. “I guess so. And how about you? I won't be the only one in this. Will you be okay with it?”

“I will.”

“Because you're gay, and your father wanted you to marry a woman in order to receive your trust?”

“I guess I deserved that.”

“You did,” Austen said, trying to smile. “Is this something that you really want to happen?”

Cobi looked down at his shoes, then back up at Austen. “I don't necessarily think it's a good idea. You?”

“I feel the same,” Austen admitted. “But just like me, if you had any other option at all, you'd take it. Right?”

“That's right,” Cobi said.

A
fter the meeting, I sat in my father's Mercedes, thinking about the woman I just met—the woman who would be my wife. She was beautiful, pleasant, and didn't seem to have any pie-in-the-sky beliefs as to what this would be. That was a good thing. I just hoped my sister knew what she was doing.