Trouble with Luv' (24 page)

“Right.”

Nathan laughed. “Forget ya'll! I'm going to go find some booty!”

Xavier watched his friend stroll over to the dance floor with as much subtlety as Billy Dee Williams. It wasn't long before he was dancing with a blonde in a red one-piece pantsuit.

Beckoning the waitress back over to the table, Juan asked Xavier if he wanted a drink. “Want a beer? It'll help clear your mind. You know, relax you, take your mind off your woman problems.”

Xavier shook his head. “Naw, man, I'm cool.”

“Keep your head up,” Juan told him, returning to his sandwich. “It's not
that
bad.”

Yes, it is,
the voice in Xavier's mind said. For the next three hours, Xavier hung out with his friends. And when Leroy's shut down, he took Juan up on his invitation to play a game of cards. Xavier wasn't much of a card player, but he'd rather suffer through a game or two of poker than go home to a cold, empty house.

E
bony debated whether or not to reheat her food. She'd been so busy daydreaming, she'd missed the timer going off, and now her chicken teriyaki tasted like cardboard.
Just great,
she thought sourly, popping the plate back into the microwave and setting the timer,
now my food is dry and overcooked.

Her eyes returned to the window. It was the perfect night for stargazing. The sun had fallen behind the clouds some time ago, leaving a clear, cloudless sky, and a calm breeze whistled mellifluously through the trees.

Thoughts of Xavier turned over in her mind and every time Ebony relived their argument, she cringed. Over the course of the last two weeks, she had picked up the phone to call him but lost her nerve each time. A lot had happened in the time they had been apart but she missed him more and more each day.

Despite all the work that had been put into the revised proposal, the loan petition had been denied. Oddly enough, Ebony wasn't disappointed. The Women of Sensuality campaign was a glowing success and sales at all six Discreet Boutiques locations had shot through the roof.

“Maybe this is God's way of telling
one
of us to slow down and enjoy our success,” Kendall had said wisely.

Ebony had agreed but in the back of her mind she was already planning their next move. The rejection was a minor setback. They had been doing business with First National Trust for six years, and had always appreciated their first-class approach of doing business. But they weren't the only bank in town. Yesterday, Ebony had called a half dozen other financial institutes and received some promising news. She wasn't going to make any decisions right away, but it gave her something to think about.

The Women of Sensuality campaign was more than enough to keep her busy. And when she wasn't working, she was going to spend more time with the people she loved. Attending the Reed barbecue had reminded her just how important family was. Iyesha was going through the terrible-teen phase and Ebony remembered what a confusing time that had been. She didn't have anyone to talk to and even if Ingrid had been willing, Ebony wouldn't have felt comfortable opening up to her mom. Opal was a fabulous mother, but Iyesha needed someone else to talk to. Someone who would listen to her and validate her feelings without passing judgment. Ebony and Iyesha had a strong relationship and maybe if she made more time for her goddaughter, she wouldn't act out as much.

Her relationship with Xavier was over, but the time they'd spent together had changed her forever. Her aggressive in-your-face approach to dealing with the opposite sex was a thing of the past. She didn't have to be the star of the party or the loudest person in the room to get noticed, either. Xavier had shown her that much. He stood out in a crowd because of his quiet confidence and likable nature. He genuinely cared about people and it was evident in everything he said and did. Ebony's feelings for him would be there for as long as she lived.

The kitchen curtains flapped in the wind, and the breeze brushed across her face.
I wonder where he is?
On days like this, Xavier liked to ride his bike down to his parents' house or jog around his neighborhood park.

You're doing it again,
said a voice.

Ebony slanted her head to the right.
Doing what?

Thinking about him.

When Ebony thought about all the times they had cooked together or watched
Jeopardy!
or made love in the backyard under the stars, she felt warm all over. The sound of the microwave prevented her from retreating deeper into the past. After filling a glass with ice and drowning it with water, she put her plate on a wooden tray and went into the living room. Previews flashed on the TV, while Ebony fluffed pillows and spread out her blanket. Her new high-definition TV had been worth every penny. If it weren't for the blanket and the pillow, Ebony would swear she was at the movie theater. Hushing the light on the lamp, she increased the volume and prepared for the movie to start. The doorbell chimed just as the title of the movie was displayed on the screen.

It's Opal,
Ebony surmised, shaking her head.
Now that she has a new body, she wants to show it off every chance she gets.
When Opal had stopped by the office last night, Ebony had made it clear that she didn't want to go out this weekend. She missed having male companionship but she would rather stay home and watch
Scary Movie 3
than go to some overpriced club.

After spending the last week in meetings, Ebony just didn't have the energy to get dressed up, let alone dance. Truth be told, she just wanted to be left alone. No noisy clubs, no obnoxious jerks gawking at her. Tonight, she was going to enjoy a quiet evening at home and there was nothing Opal could say to change her mind.

The bell chimed again and Ebony had to restrain herself from yelling.
Why is Opal banging on my door like a raving lunatic? Is she trying to get arrested for disturbing the peace?
Ebony hit Pause on the remote control. Tossing the duvet cover off to the side, she stuffed her feet back into her slippers and stood.

“Hold on, I'm coming,” she called as she headed down the hall. Ebony opened the door. “Are you out of your—” The rest of her sentence fell away when she saw who the caller was. Ebony wanted to close the door and open it again because it was obvious her eyes were playing tricks on her. That, or Jacqueline Reed was standing on her doorstep.

“Hi.”

Ebony would recognize that voice anywhere. Jacqueline's stomach was jutting out of her orange baby doll dress, her face was plump and she was breathing heavily. It was hard to believe her due date was weeks away; she looked like she could give birth any second now.

Ebony eyed her with interest.
What is Jacqueline doing here? Oh God, Xavier must be hurt!
He had been in a car accident. His car had flipped over five or six times. He had been rushed to the nearest hospital but the doctors didn't think he was going to make it. Heart racing and mouth dry, she asked, “Is Xavier okay?”

“Not exactly.”

“Not exactly? What is
that
supposed to mean?”
God, it's worse than I thought!
“Is he alive?”

Jacqueline saw the horror in Ebony's eyes and suddenly understood her unusual line of questioning. “He's fine. I came here so we could speak in private.” She stood there quietly. Jacqueline had traded in her chin-length bob for dozens of floss-thin braids, and fingered the ends as she waited to be invited inside. When several seconds passed, she asked, “May I come in?”

Ebony wanted to tell Jacqueline to get lost, but instead, stepped aside. Feeling a tad underdressed in her robe and needing time to organize her thoughts, she offered Jacqueline a seat in the living room. “Can I interest you in something to drink?”

Jacqueline eased down onto the sofa. “A glass of juice would be nice.”

After bringing her a glass of orange juice and a plate of aunt Mae's hazelnut cookies into the living room, Ebony hurried upstairs to change.

Ten minutes later, she returned wearing a blue tank top and denim shorts. Once the curtains were closed and the two floor lamps were turned on, Ebony took a seat on one of the leather chairs. Standing would imply that she was uninterested in what Jacqueline had to say and anxious for her to leave. Ebony was both, but she was wise enough to use the good graces she had been taught.

“Would you like anything else?” Ebony wasn't trying to be hospitable; she was trying to move the conversation along so Jacqueline could be on her way. The quicker they got down to business, the sooner the mother-to-be could waddle her way on home.

Jacqueline rested her glass on a coaster. She smiled politely. “No, thank you, I'm fine.”

The two women sized each other up.

Ebony didn't know how she felt about Jacqueline Reed. Part of her hated her for being the main source of her problems with Xavier; the other part of her felt sorry that she had been married to a man like Malcolm Pleiss.

Jacqueline had no business butting into Xavier's life and Ebony resented her being in her house. But this time around, there would be no insults or accusations. This time, Ebony had the upper hand. This was her sanctuary, her domain, her safe haven. Nobody was going to disturb her peace. As soon as Jacqueline crossed the line, she and her big belly would have to go.

“You're probably wondering why I'm here.”

Damn, Skippy!
Ebony tasted her drink.

“Xavier's a mess!”

Water spewed out of Ebony's mouth. Wiping as the liquid dribbled furiously down her chin, she set down her glass and grabbed a napkin from the napkin holder.

“Okay, okay, so maybe I spoke in haste but the whole family is worried about him. He's stopped going to church, he's been partying with his friends and one night last week I had to go pick him up from the bar because he was too drunk to drive home.”

Ebony kept her tone light. “What does all of this have to do with me? After what happened at the Indigo, I'm quite sure I'm the
last
person Xavier wants to see.”

“He never did tell me what happened that night. Do you want to talk about it?”

Yeah, but not with you.

As if reading her mind, Jacqueline set out to dispel her fears. “I'm embarrassed about the way I treated you, Ebony. That's not who I am. Ask anybody. They'll tell you I'm the sweetest person you'll ever meet. When I saw you in the kitchen, all the painful memories came rushing back. But that's no excuse for my behavior. I had no right to embarrass you and I'm sorry.” Fingering the gold wedding band dangling on the chain around her neck, she rounded her eyes on Ebony, a sympathetic look on her face. “I'd like it very much if we could put the past behind us and start over.”

Jacqueline thought back to last night. When she dropped by her brother's house to check on him, he was inside the kitchen, hard at work, proofreading his graduate school essay.

“I'm applying to schools on the West Coast,” he had told her.

“Why, when we have perfectly good schools here?”

“I need a change of scenery.”

Xavier had never mentioned leaving Minneapolis before. He loved the city. All his friends were here and he liked living close to their parents. Jacqueline suspected loneliness was the driving force behind his decision to relocate, but when pressed, he denied it. Jacqueline didn't want Xavier to leave. She wanted him present for every birthday, graduation and all the other milestones in her child's life. E-mail, Web cams and camera phones made it easy for loved ones to stay connected, but it wouldn't be the same as having her brother close by.

While Xavier tended to dinner, Jacqueline had gone to the bathroom. “Nature calls,” she'd joked. But instead of going to the bathroom, she ducked inside his bedroom and raked through his drawers. Jacqueline had found what she was looking for on his nightstand. It had taken her three-quarters of an hour to find Ebony's house, and now that she was here, she had no intention of leaving until she got what she wanted.

“You don't have to tell me what happened at the Indigo. I'm not here to get into your business. I'm here for Xavier. He misses you and he wants you back.”

Uneasy with Jacqueline's stare, Ebony looked away. “I don't think Xavier and me getting back together is a good idea.”

“What's there to know? Xavier's in a funk because of
you,
Ebony. You're the one he wants. He loves you and you love him, so what's there to think about?” Jacqueline didn't understand Ebony's reluctance. She would never find a man who loved her the way Xavier did. Unless—“Are you seeing someone?”

“No, there's no one else.”

“Then what is it?”

Ebony held Jacqueline's gaze. If she revealed her thoughts, this peaceful meeting would quickly change tones. Finishing what was left of her drink, she struggled to find a nice way to say what was on her mind. “It's you.”

Jacqueline's hand flew to her chest. “Me!”

“Yes, you. I love your brother and I'd give anything to have him back, but I don't want to live the rest of my life on tiptoes because you hate me.”

“I'm going to be honest,” she said. “If I was looking for a woman for my brother, I wouldn't pick you.”

Ouch!

“You're completely wrong for him.”

No, I'm not!

“He's laid-back, quiet. You're loud and, well, loud.”

Ebony's jaw set in anger. Jacqueline had a lot of nerve talking to her like that. If it weren't for the fact that she loved Xavier, she would have shown his sister the door a long time ago.

“But it's not up to me who Xavier chooses to love.”

Thank God.
Ebony wanted to tell Jacqueline she was wrong about her, but held her tongue. There was no use arguing. Not when they were finally starting to get somewhere. Ebony disguised her anger with a smile. She stretched her mouth so wide her lips hurt. “So, you're okay with us dating again?”