Not a Day Goes By (18 page)

48

I FINALLY DECIDED to call Yancey. For the last couple of days I’d been avoiding her as if I were allergic, which is a polite way of saying I’m not certain I could control my emotions if I talked to her in person.

I hit the speed dial, then put the phone on speaker.

“Hello,” Yancey said.

“You been thinking about me?” I asked.

“Where have you been? I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. I left you a couple of messages at home and your office. Is everything alright?” Yancey asked. There was a definite panic in her voice.

“I’m sorry, baby. I did get a couple of messages, but I’ve been working like a slave so everything will be in order for the big day and the honeymoon. I’m trying to make some more money so I can support you like the star you are,” I lied.

“Do you love me? I love you,” Yancey said. When I heard her say “I love you” my entire body felt as if an electrical shock had surged through me. The words sounded flat and rehearsed. But I didn’t react. I figured I had to go along with the game. But it was hard keeping Yancey and Ava’s conversations from weaving through my thoughts. The knowledge that my secret lust wasn’t a secret anymore made me ill. But this was no time to get sick. I had to get my payback.

“Of course I love you. Gonna spend the rest of my life with you,” I said. “How are all the plans going?”

“Fine, I guess. Ava’s in town and taking care of everything,” Yancey said in the casual tone I was used to.

“Oh, that’s great,” I said. I wanted to ask what broom the Wicked Witch of the West had flown in on, but I resisted.

“Are you getting excited about the party tonight?” Yancey asked.

“The party?”

“Yeah, the engagement-rehearsal party at Laura Belle’s. Ava says it’s going to be wonderful.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind,” I said. Zurich popped into my thoughts. I needed to call him and tell him I was sending the ring back. I didn’t need anything to remind me of what a fool I had been when I was in Chicago.

49

THE ENGAGEMENT party of Yancey and Basil had more surprises than guests. Mostly from Madam Ava Parker Middlebrooks. Guests dined on smoked salmon and caviar on lemon toast, crab cakes, Cajun brochettes, and mushroom frittata. Ava spared none of her husband’s money as she pulled out all the stops to show New York’s elite and elite wannabes what a grand diva she was. In her mind, this wasn’t about Yancey and Basil, but as always, it was about her.

Most of those attending the event could not say they personally knew Yancey or Basil, much less that they had ever heard of Ava. Throughout the evening, as guests were overpowered by the splendor of the imported flowers and ice-sculpted swans atop mirrored tables, they could be heard saying things like: “I don’t really know Yancey, but I’ve seen her in a few shows”; “Yeah, back in the days when Basil was playing for the Warriors, I partied with him and a few of his teammates”; “I hear her mother used to be a big star in some part of the world.”

About an hour into the party, the handsome couple danced in the center of the ballroom to Kenny Latimore’s hit “For You.” When Kenny’s voice faded, Basil took Yancey’s hand and led her off the floor. All kinds of thoughts were weaving through his mind. He thought of how beautiful Yancey looked, and for a second he wondered if he should have one more throw-down in the sheets. But when he remembered Ava telling him how happy she was to have him as a son-in-law, the reality of his doomed situation hit him like a body-slamming tackle.

“Are you okay?” Yancey asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I mean, I’m on top of the world,” he said.

“I thought you might be sad because your father didn’t make the party.”

“No, I’m fine. Besides, he will be here for the big day, and all he has to do is stand by my side,” Basil said as he placed his hand at the small of her back. “Come on, let’s go speak and introduce ourselves to some of our guests.”

As Basil and Yancey drifted from table to table greeting their guests, Ava took to the bandstand and whispered to the conductor. She then took a fork and tapped her crystal champagne stem, asking for everyone to quiet down. A hush came over the room and all eyes fell upon Ava, dressed in a beige silk chiffon dress covered with colorful silk butterflies and flowers. She was also wearing a pink diamond and pink-gold heart necklace she had bought when she purchased Yancey’s wedding tiara.

“First of all, I hope none of you were expecting a chicken wing affair. Isn’t the food great?” The ballroom suddenly filled with laughter. Ava continued, “I’d like to thank you all for coming out to celebrate the wedding of my beautiful daughter and her handsome, or should I say phine—spelled with a ph—future husband. As all of you know, talent runs in our family, so in a tribute to my daughter’s gifts, I would like to serenade the couple with a few songs.” Ava spoke in an unsteady voice, as one of the twelve tuxedo-dressed waiters refilled her glass for the eighth time. Ava took a swig of champagne, turned and looked at the conductor, and yelled, “Hit it, fellas.”

Yancey and Basil were back at the head table, looking on in shock. Yancey was stunning in her formfitting light-green silk gown, the color of lettuce, designed by Anthony Mark Hankins. The dress had a plunging neckline and a small train sprinkled with exquisite beads and had guests wondering how she could possibly outdo herself for the wedding. A sable coat hung gently off her shoulders. Basil wore a silk crepe dark-gray suit, with a sky-blue shirt and matching tie.

Ava’s first number was smooth and appropriate, “When I First Saw You,” from the musical
Dreamgirls
. But the second number, a rendition of “And I Am Telling You,” after another swig of her bubbly, was more Jennifer Lopez than Jennifer Holiday. Ava closed her set with a gut-bucket rendition of “I Got the Right to Sing the Blues,” which she ended by kicking off one of her expensive suede pumps. As the shoe floated in the air, the best-of-Broadway packed crowd offered polite applause and headed for the bar en masse. Yancey, her face covered with embarrassment, looked at Basil and mouthed, “I’m going to the little girls’ room.”

“Are you alright?” he asked. Yancey didn’t answer as she gave him a peck on his cheek and grabbed her silk beaded purse from a nearby table and rushed toward the stairs. Basil looked around the hall to make sure Campbell and Cade were okay, only to find Cade intently focused on a plateful of golden pineapple slices, honeydew melon, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Basil was smiling to himself when he heard a recognizable voice in his ear. “So you’re really gonna do this?” He turned to his left and saw Monty sipping a glass of champagne.

“Did Yancey invite you?” Basil demanded.

“No, I came with a friend. She was in
Fosse
with your bride-to-be.”

“Where’s your man?”

“We’re on a bit of a hiatus.”

Basil pulled one of his business cards from his wallet and then a pen from the inside pocket of his jacket. He jotted down a number on the back of the card, and with a sly smile he whispered into Monty’s ear, “Call me in a couple of weeks. I might have something for you.”

“So Santa Claus is still gonna be handing out gifts in January. How wonderful,” Monty said quietly. He stuck the card into the front pocket of his tight-fitting leather pants. Basil didn’t respond. He noticed Cade had finished his fruit, so he headed toward the table.

YANCEY
reached the bottom of the stairs, descending into darkness and then into a well-lit, flowery-fragranced bathroom that reminded her of her dressing room in Las Vegas. Yancey was looking into the mirror checking her makeup when she heard a familiar voice say, “I will remember this party for the rest of my life.” Yancey looked up and saw a beaming Windsor standing a few inches from her. She was wearing an elegant dusky-gray pants suit and a pale pink sweater.

“So, you’re having fun?” Yancey asked as she dabbed her lips with a tissue.

“Yes, this is great. My folks had so much fun that they left about fifteen minutes ago,” Windsor said. “They wanted to rest for the wedding.”

“Can you believe Ava?” Yancey asked, turning to face Windsor.

“It looks like she’s having fun too,” Windsor said. She smiled at Yancey and placed a strand of Yancey’s hair back in place in a very big-sister moment.

“Are you always so happy?” Yancey asked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad day in my life. If I did, I didn’t know it,” Windsor answered confidently.

“How can that be? Everybody has bad days.”

“I have a little help from above. My family and work make me happy. And when they fail, I turn to my library of Iyanla Vanzant books.”

“Who is that?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, who is this Vanzant person?”

“You’ve never heard of
Acts of Faith
or
In the Meantime
?”

“No.”

“So now I know what to get the girl who has everything for Christmas.” Windsor smiled.

“You think that will help me?”

“I know so. But you’ve got to read them,” Windsor said. She locked her arm in Yancey’s and moved toward the door, then said, “Now let’s go enjoy the rest of your party.”

AS the party came to a close and the guests began to file out, Yancey pulled a few of the flowers from the assortment of fresh pink and white roses. She decided that she would take a piece of the evening with her, and roses always brought her a small amount of joy.

Yancey was looking around the room for Ava and Basil when she suddenly heard a female voice say, “You look beautiful tonight. I don’t know how you’re going to top it on your wedding day.” It was Darla.

“You’re so sweet. When did you get here? I got the message you were running late,” Yancey said as she gave her a hug.

“I got here right before your mother’s toast. After she got through singing, I looked around for you. I’m sorry about being late. Our flight was two hours behind schedule and then when I got here, I had to do some last-minute Santa Claus shopping for Mollie.”

“Where is Mollie? I want to see her.”

“She’s with my relatives in the Bronx. She told me to tell you hi and she can’t wait for the wedding.”

“That’s sweet,” Yancey said. Darla noticed she looked distracted and sad.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“I’ve got some good news.” She gave Yancey a supportive smile.

“What?”

“The dresses fit Mollie and me perfectly.”

“That’s great. Look, Darla, I’ve got to go find my mother. I’m kind of worried about her. I’ve never seen her drink like she did tonight.” Yancey’s eyes scanned the room.

“Do you need me to help you find her?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I guess she’s nervous like me,” Yancey said and kissed Darla on the cheek. When Yancey pulled back, Darla’s smile was even bigger as she looked over Yancey’s shoulders. When she turned to see what had captured Darla’s attention, she saw Basil holding her mink coat.

“I believe this belongs to you,” he said. Yancey stretched her arms out and Basil gently put the coat around her shoulders. “Are you ready to say good-bye?”

“Did you see Darla?” Yancey asked.

“Yeah, we spent some time visiting. I’m the one who told her where you were.”

“Okay, you love bugs. I’ve got to go and I’ll see you early Sunday,” Darla said. She hugged them both and headed to the coat check.

“Have you seen Ava?” Yancey asked.

“She’s in the limo, waiting on you.”

“So you’re sure you’re okay with us spending Christmas apart?”

“I’m cool. I’m going to have my hands full entertaining my family. You and Ava enjoy your time at the spa.”

“You promise this is the last Christmas I will spend alone?” Yancey asked in the voice of a little girl. Her gaze went inward, then focused on Basil’s face more tightly.

“I’ll do the best I can,” Basil responded.

Basil and Yancey walked through the double doors and out into the night. The air was shockingly cold and the full moon looked painted in the sky. When Basil spotted Ava’s car, he turned toward Yancey and said, “Well, this is it.”

They squeezed each other tightly, and then Yancey looked up into his eyes and asked, “Do I deserve all this love?” An intimacy had crept into her voice.

“Only you can answer that,” Basil said, wondering if his voice was giving away his true feelings. Yancey smiled at him and he returned a complicated smile of both anger and sadness. He buttoned the top of his leather coat as though he were protecting himself from the melancholy of a doomed love affair. Basil hoped spring would come soon and his sadness would be as rare as identical snowflakes.

Yancey gave him a quick peck on the lips. She was getting ready to tell him she loved him when she heard Ava’s voice screaming from the backseat of the limo. She was exhausted and intoxicated. “Yancey, you gonna have the rest of your life to kiss him. Come on and git in this car. I’m tired.”

Basil looked at Ava and then at Yancey and said, “Your mother’s right. You should listen to her.”

50

CHRISTMAS DAY was usually a lonely time for Yancey. She could never shake the feeling of abandonment she’d felt from spending so many Christmases without a real family. And this year it was no different, even though she was getting married the next day. She couldn’t help feeling an overwhelming sadness.

Ava had ordered a six-course meal to be served in a lush suite at the Peninsula Hotel. During the serving of the soup and salad, Ava chatted endlessly about the marvelous job she had done with the engagement party. The mere sound of her voice began to grate on Yancey’s nerves.

As Yancey picked at her food, she thought about calling Basil
and
Derrick. She was anxious to find out how Madison was on Christmas Day. The only thing that prevented Yancey from making either call was the certainty of a screaming tirade from Ava. Yancey knew exactly what Ava would say. She’d start off by railing against Madison and how she needed to forget about her once and for all. Then Ava would tell Yancey how expensive the wedding and engagement party were and that she couldn’t continue to support her and that with Yancey’s mediocre talents a rich husband was the only way she’d ever live in the style she wanted. Yancey was beginning to think that marrying Basil would be the only way to release herself from needing Ava in her life.

When the main course was served, Yancey suddenly lost her appetite. After one bite of the braised lamb, she put her fork down and looked across the table at Ava and asked, “Did you ever consider giving me up for adoption?”

“What?” Ava asked.

“You heard me. Did you ever think of giving me up?”

“What kind of fool-ass question is that?”

“Then answer it,” Yancey demanded.

“Are you thinking about that little girl again?”

“Ava, her name is Madison.”

“I’m not going to tell you again. Forget about her. Do you know how many men walk away from their children every day? Millions.”

“I’m not talking about anyone else. I’m talking about you.”

Ava didn’t answer Yancey, she just continued eating. A few minutes passed and Yancey asked another question. “Do you love me?” This time Ava had a question, and an answer.

“Do I love you? I love you the best I know how. It’s hard to love when nobody has ever shown you how,” Ava said.

“What do you mean? Grandma loved you.”

“I don’t think so. Have you ever wondered why I gave you Bobby Earl Braxton’s last name instead of my last name? Even though your father made it perfectly clear he wasn’t the marrying kind and didn’t really know if he loved me.

“I hoped, no, I
prayed
that if you didn’t have my name, then maybe your life might be different. Maybe giving you up for adoption would have assured that, but when your own mother asks you—after I’d already been embarrassed in our small town—if I was sure Bobby Earl was the daddy . . . Well . . . maybe now you understand how I feel about loving anyone,” Ava said.

Yancey wasn’t certain but she thought she noticed tears forming in Ava’s eyes. Ava took her linen napkin and dabbed the corners of her eyes while looking down. Yancey thought about what her mother had said about love, never really knowing if she had ever been loved. Yancey had felt that way the majority of her life. Until she met Basil. Since he’d also grown up without a mother, she’d sensed an immediate mutual bond, and felt he understood her. Somewhere in her heart she knew that despite his secrets he loved her. Maybe, Yancey thought, she could change Basil once and for all—she could save him with great sex and he could teach her to love. Maybe this was the reason she needed to marry Basil—she could accept his love and at the same time maybe she could learn to love. If she learned the secrets of true love, then maybe she could share them with Ava. She looked across the table at her mother, and for the first time felt sorry for her.

“Well, girl, you really know how to lift up the holiday spirit,” Ava said as she got up from the table. “I need to call my husband and Hector.”