Scandal: Crossing Boundaries (Scandal Series #1 INTERRACIAL ROMANCE) (12 page)

"That's all," Keisha said after she had gotten off the phone with her last cousin. "I ain't got anyone else to call."

Davonte crossed his arms across his chest, looking upset. "You got to know somebody."

"I don't Davonte," Keisha said. "All I know is—" She paused, thinking for a moment. She knew someone who might come over to watch her boys if she was nice enough. Though she had been given no tangible reason to think he would be receptive, Keisha was sure he would say yes. "I think I might know someone."

"Who?" Davonte asked curiously.

But Keisha did not respond, going over to her work briefcase and pulling out a piece of paper. When she had located the number she dialed it on her cell phone and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" a deep voice answered.

"Zack?"

"Mrs. Johnson?" Zack sounded like he was in total shock and it was hard for Keisha not to giggle at how cute it was.

"Yeah," she said. "It's me. I got a favor of ask to you."

"Anything."

For some reason, Keisha felt a current go through her at how Zack was ready to please her.

After a short pause, she quickly explained her dilemma to her student.

"I'll be over there in ten minutes," he told her and then he hung up.

Davonte gave her a face as soon as she was off the phone. "Zack?"

"He's one of my students," Keisha replied.

"So you can trust some wonder bread that I don't even know to watch over our kids, but not my friend James?" Davonte asked incredulously.

"Davonte,' Keisha warned.  "Don't even start. It's not even comparable. James is a damn pot head. This boy I called is a good kid."

Looking like he wanted to argue the point, Davonte just shook his head and stalked off to sit over on the couch.

True to his word, Zack arrived ten minutes later.

"Hey Zack," Keisha greeted him when she opened the door.

But Zack just stood there like a statue, his mouth dropped open. He was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and his varsity jacket with his blonde hair slicked back. So use to seeing him in a school uniform all the time, Keisha thought the handsome boy looked pretty damned good in regular clothes. "Mrs. Johnson," Zack breathed in awe when he could finally speak. "You look absolutely beautiful."

There was something about the way he said the words that sent a tingle down her spine and warmth flow through her body.

"Thank you Zack," Keisha said, blushing. "Come on in."

She smelled the fresh scent of soap when Zack walked past her. He must have just taken a shower before she had called.

Zack hadn't even made it into the house good before Davonte was up in his face.

"What's up young man?" Davonte asked, coming forward to clasp hands with the younger boy.

"Yo," Zack replied easily, returning the handshake, "nice to meet you Mr. Johnson." He did not appear to be intimidated by Davonte one bit, though Keisha knew that was what Davonte was trying to do.

Davonte seemed to pick up on this and Keisha could tell that he instantly did not like Zack because of it. "Damn you look like you cut. You work out?" There was a malicious undercurrent to Davonte's seemingly innocent words as he studied the handsome young man before him.

Zack shook his head, eyeing Jamal and Lamar, who were sitting on the couch like statues, eyeing the white boy as if he was the boogeyman. "Nah, I just swim a lot."

Keisha was suddenly struck by how mature Zack appeared next to her husband, and not like a little boy at all. They were both tall and fit, and Zack's body, though more slender than Davonte's, was every bit as manly.

"Zack is one of the best swimmers at North High," Keisha boasted proudly of her student.

And according to Zack, one of the biggest cheaters.

She had decided to take no action against Zack's claims that he cheated. She had dealt with worse when she had taught back at Hawthorne...and she was still not altogether convinced about his story.

Disdain twisted Davonte's features. "Is he now?"

This is a damn shame that he is acting this way just cause I would not let his weed smokin ass friend watch my babies.

Quick to deflect Davonte's growing jealousy, Keisha rushed forward, saying, "Zack these are my two boys, Jamal and Lamar."

"Hey little fellas," Zack greeted them cheerfully.

The boys did not respond and continued to stare at him like he was the devil.

Going over to the kitchen table to grab her fur coat, Keisha said, "We won't be gone long. The boys love to play their Playstation so you can play right along with them. If you get hungry, help yourself to anything in the fridge."

"I'm good," Zack said, going over to sit down beside the two boys, who looked utterly petrified at this point. It was a struggle for Keisha not to laugh. But she knew her boys would quickly warm to the boy after they got over their initial fear of the unknown. "I just ate before you called."

At the door, after Davonte had stepped outside, Keisha turned and said, "Thank you so much Zack."

Zack's eyes were penetrating as he gave her a soft nod. "It's what I do."

"T
hat was such a wonderful dinner Davonte!" Keisha exclaimed as they walked down the steps of a five-star restaurant.

They couple had just enjoyed a delicious gourmet meal complete with live entertainment for their anniversary. During dinner, they had reminisced over the good times and how'd they first met. Davonte had been having so much fun, that he'd even agreed to slow dance a little.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Davonte said. He seemed somber suddenly, as if something was weighing on his mind.

On the way back to their car, they stopped at a beautiful, marble fountain out in front of the restaurant where people could toss coins in to make wishes.

Davonte pulled her close, his green eyes sparkling in the lights that surrounded the fountain. For a moment, Keisha felt like how it was when they first met, when their love was new. But the moment was fleeting, gone when Davonte frowned.

"What's wrong Davonte?" Keisha asked. Her man had been happy all day, but now he was acting strange.

Davonte let out a deep breath. "Keisha," he began slowly. "You look really beautiful tonight."

Keisha knew she was not going to like what he was about to say. She began to prepare herself for whatever it was, squaring her shoulders

She stared in his eyes, waiting for him to drop the bomb on her.

Suddenly, he chuckled, producing a silver quarter. "Make a wish."

"Damn it Davonte!" Keisha complained, letting out a gasp and slapping him on the arm. "You had me thinking you was about to tell me something awful!" Grabbing the coin, she thought for a moment before tossing it into the water.

"What did you wish for?" Davonte asked, pulling her back into his arms.

"You for real?" Keisha asked. "It ain't a wish if I let you know what it was."

"Tell me," Davonte growled, nibbling on her neck, tickling her.

"Okay," Keisha screamed, laughing. "Okay."

Davonte pulled back and gave her a devilish grin. "What was it?"

Keisha smiled naughtily, her mind going back to earlier that day. "I wished for a big, fat ass dick."

She instantly saw fire burning in his eyes and he suddenly pulled her roughly along. "We're going home now."

When they made it back to the house, they found Zack engaged in a fierce game with her boys. As she had figured would happen, her boys were now talking animatedly to the young white boy as if he was one of their little buddies.

Zack looked up when they stepped into the house, his eyes resting on Keisha for a good while. "You guys are back." His eyes flickered over to Davonte momentarily. "Have a good time?"

"Yes," Keisha smiled dreamily. "A very good time."

She could not be sure, but it looked as if Zack looked disappointed for a second before smiling. "Good."

Keisha was just getting out of her coat, about to tell Zack thanks for watching her kids and he was free to go, when someone began banging on the front door.

Oh lord, please don't let it be that nosy ass Holly.

"Who in the hell?" Davonte asked, his face creased in annoyance.

When Davonte opened the door, Keisha's jaw dropped.

There was Aunt Linda, wigless, standing in the doorway with Big Willy.

"Hey Davonte," Linda greeted Keisha's stunned husband. "Where my niece at?"

"Auntie what are you doing here?" asked Keisha when her shock had passed.

Linda limped into the living room, reeking of cigarette smoke and liquor, eyeing Keisha's expensive clothing for a second before saying, "Girl, I just got a call from the bank. That four-hundred dollar check you gave me was bad."

The breath left Keisha's lungs. "What?"

Linda shook her patchy, bald head. "The check you gave me bounced."

"But it should have been fine," Keisha protested. "Me and Davonte are doing quite well right now."

"Look girl," Linda growled, waving a dismissive hand. "I ain't gone argue with you about it. The bank said the check had bounced. Now my phone and lights are turned off."

"Maybe if you wouldn't smoke your check up at the start of every month, that wouldn't have happened," Davonte snapped.

"Nigga what?" Linda asked, taking step towards Davonte in a menacing manner. Thankfully, Big Willy was quick to grab his wife.

"Now, now Linda," Willy warned. "You in someone else's house."

"Get yo damn smelly hands off me," Linda half-yelled, slapping Willy's grubby paws away. "This fake, wannabe nigga ain't about to be talking to me like that!"

"Auntie please calm down," Keisha pleaded, glancing over at the couch where Zack sat with her babies. His mouth hung wide open at the spectacle that was Linda.

"Or get yo ugly ass up out my house," Davonte added, fueling the flames.

"Hold on a minute now, Davonte," Keisha warned, feeling anger pierce her breasts. "That's my Auntie. Don't be talking to her like that."

"The bitch gone come in my house, talking crazy, and you gone tell me that I can't say what I want?" Davonte asked incredulously. Then his face twisted into an accusatory scowl. "And what the hell was you doing giving this crackhead that kind of money? Did you honestly think she would pay any of her bills with it?"

The breath left Keisha's lungs as Linda shouted. "You red bone-lookin ass nigga, I'll show you a motha fuckin crackhead!" But her boney frame was held back by her husband as she struggled in his arms.

"You ain't gotta show me," Davonte said. "Everybody know you a damn rock smoker." He snorted derisively, studying Linda's gaunt face. "Hell, you probably even a carrier too. Uncle Willy, you need to get yourself checked out, man. She might have gave you something."

Linda went ballistic then, screeching, cussing and hitting Willy, trying to make her way to Davonte.

After her momentary shock passed, Keisha rushed to her purse, digging out all the cash she had available.

She barely heard Davonte's angry voice while in the process. "Keisha what the fuck you doing?"

"Here Auntie," Keisha yelled over her aunt's shrieking, handing her the bundle of cash. "Take this." She needed to pacify the situation before Holly had the cops at their door.

But Linda continued to howl, and in an unanticipated move, she bit her husband on the wrist causing him to let go of her boney arms.

Then she rushed Davonte with fury, but she did not even get the chance to get a lick in. As soon as she reached within two feet, Davonte swung on her, connecting with the side of her bald head.

Linda immediately dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks.

"Davonte!" Keisha cried with horror as she rushed to her aunt's side. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Davonte shook his fist as if it was in pain. "Crack-head bitch ain't about to run up on me in my own house."

"Auntie Linda," Keisha cried, checking her aunt's vital signs. The woman was still breathing, just out cold. Keisha glared up at her husband. "You got some damn nerve pulling that shit."

Davonte shrugged, careless that he just knocked out Keisha's favorite aunt. "And you got some nerve trying to give this chickenhead money we don't have."

Money we don't have?

But she did not have time to ponder it all, because Willy was pulling on her arm. "Help me get yo auntie into the car," he pleaded with a fearful glance at Davonte. "Your aunt drunk a bit before we came here and with all the noise she just made in this white neighborhood, the cops might be here any second."

Davonte snorted. "You mean she smoked a rock before y'all came and you worried about them finding it in her system."

Keisha tossed a nasty glare her husband's way as she helped Willy pull the unconscious Linda to her feet. It was a struggle to move towards the door, but she was stopped in her tracks when she heard. "I'll help."

Zack jumped up from the couch, coming over to simply lift Linda up into his arms and walk out the front door. After a moment of surprise, Keisha and Willy followed the young man out onto the Johnson's lawn.

Zack made a beehive straight to Linda's beat up, old Cadillac parked out on the sidewalk, instantly figuring out that it had to be Linda's with how beat up and raggedy it looked.

Willy rushed to the passenger side and flung the door open wide, allowing Zack to dump Linda onto the seat.

"Here Uncle Willy," Keisha said after the woman was securely tucked in, handing him the bundle of cash. "Make sure you guys get your utilities turned back on."

"God bless you Keisha!" Willy exclaimed, quickly snatching up the bundle of bills, eyeing the money as if it was a pot of gold. His dark face blended in with the night so that only the whites of his wide eyes showed...and Keisha would have busted out laughing if the situation wasn't so severe.

As it was, there wasn't a damn thing funny.

For a half-second Keisha wanted to snatch the money back, knowing that a good portion of the money would go to gambling and liquor, but she quickly thought better of it.

If she smokes that up, at least she can't say that no one helped her.

Leaning into the passenger seat, she kissed her auntie on her cheek. "I love you Auntie Linda," she whispered softly. She only got an incoherent moan as a response, but that was fine. At least she was still alive. Then Keisha stood and gently shut the door.