Who's That Lady? (12 page)

A headache pounding behind her eyes, Crystal made her way through the dark, rainy streets to her townhouse. When she burst through the open door to escape the pounding rain, she was smacked with the sight of Key sprawled on the couch in front of the droning TV. She stopped dead in her tracks.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, panic filling her voice. All she could think was that Shonté had rehearsal and wouldn’t be home for hours.

A watchful, poised stillness dropped over Key as he met her gaze. “Just thought I’d come by and visit.” His voice was quiet, neutral.

“But—” She couldn’t think of a thing to say. He looked so good lounging there on his side, propped on one elbow with one leg bent so that his foot was on the couch. Her gaze locked at the junction of his crotch. His jeans were baggy enough that she couldn’t see any outline, but her imagination went wild.

His eyes wandered to the open door behind her. “Where’s Shonté?”

“She—She’ll be here soon,” she babbled. She’d give anything if that were true, so that her roommate could act as a barrier between her and the man she wanted so much.

“Aren’t you going to close the door?” He swung both feet to the floor and pushed up off the couch. She watched him saunter toward her. Reflexively, she pulled her purse and satchel over her chest.

“Don’t—don’t you have practice today?”

He brushed past her and paused with his hand on the door.

“Too rainy.”

Duh
. The heavy downpour she’d escaped had started earlier in the afternoon. Her hair and clothing were damp despite the hooded jacket she wore.

“Maybe I should go,” he said in a dull voice, looking down at his shoes.

Her heart thudded with agonized slowness and her throat hurt. She nodded.

“That’s probably a good idea.”

He lifted his eyes to her face and anger flared in their ebony depths. “We can’t even be in the same room anymore?”

She drew in her breath. “It’s only for a little while. Until we get used to it.”

He shook his head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this,” he muttered. Again, he shook his head. “Listen, I’ll be out of town for the next few days. We don’t have to worry about running into each other. Maybe by then, we’ll be
used to it.
” He gave the phrase a bitter twist, then stalked through the doorway, letting it slam behind him.

Crystal dropped her purse and satchel tote to the floor and stumbled over to the couch where she collapsed. Oh, God, his scent still lingered in the soft cushions. Powerless, she turned her face to burrow it into the seductive aroma of exotic soap and a sweet powerful essence that was uniquely Key.

She didn’t know if she would ever get used to this either.

* * *

Shonté and Crystal attended a friend’s wedding on Sunday afternoon. Crystal had looked forward to it with more anticipation than she should because she knew Key was also invited. It had been more than a week since she found him in her living room and he’d left her reeling. He had been out of town for several days for a conference at another college.

During that time, she had been tormented by indecision. Was it such a bad idea to give in to the feelings they both churned with? It might be temporary, but why not enjoy it while it lasted? She was mature enough not to expect a commitment, wasn’t she? There was no reason at all they couldn’t deal with one another with respect, she decided. Maybe.

She was dying to see him, hoping that talking with him would help her make up her mind.

“Well, girlfriend, I guess it’s you and me at the spinsters’ table today,” said Shonté as they settled into Crystal’s car for the drive. She crossed her slim legs, leaning back against the seat. She wore yellow, something frothy with a sash low on her hips. Crystal wore light blue satin, a pants suit with billowing legs. The outfit was new, something she had chosen without Shonté’s help. Both she and Shont
é thought it was classy as well as sexy. The short jacket accentuated the curve of her hips and derriere. High heels finished the outfit with sophistication.

“Feeling old?” Crystal teased.

“Well, this is Alyssa’s second marriage! We haven’t even had our first one.”

Crystal laughed. “Don’t worry. When we hook up, it’s going to be spectacular.” She thought about Key.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Always the hopeful one,” grumbled Shonté.

Crystal looked around for Key when they arrived at the church but she didn’t spot him in the rows of pews they passed.

“Key is coming, isn’t he?” she whispered to Shonté.

“He said he’d be back from Maryland in time.”

Crystal settled back in her seat and tried to concentrate on the wedding as African drums heralded the entrance of the wedding party. The couple had chosen to reflect their African heritage in their wedding. The bridesmaids wore traditional headpieces, a loose-fitting wrap skirt, and a shawl over a short, loose blouse, all made of colorful Yoruban cloth. The men in the party wore black slacks, traditionally patterned tunics and caps. The bride’s young son, acting as the ring bearer, was adorable in his Kenté cloth robe.

The groom beamed with pride and happiness as he waited at the altar in a tuxedo trimmed in Kenté cloth. The wedding guests rose as the bride walked slowly down the aisle. Her bridal gown and veil were shimmering white, tailored to suggest Yoruban style, and trimmed in royal gold and purple. She glowed with joyous expectation.

Everything went as it was supposed to. However, weddings always left Crystal with mixed feelings. Everyone was always so ridiculously celebratory, even if the bride and groom had no chance in hell of staying together. Not that she had any reason to doubt this marriage. She didn’t know Alyssa’s second husband, but the woman had one failed marriage already.

Crystal planned to have a small family wedding with as few witnesses as she could get away with. But it looked as if that day wasn’t happening any time soon. Why should she wait for it? She sighed and glanced around for Key again.

After the ceremony, the wedding party and guests went to a nearby hotel for the reception. When she and Shonté made their way through the reception line, Crystal still hadn’t seen any sign of Key. Disappointment weighed on her so that she moved slower. Might as well face the fact that he wasn’t going to show up. Maybe it was better to wait till later anyway.

She accepted an invitation to dance with one of the other guests and was about to step onto the dance floor when she saw Key enter the room at the end of the reception line.

Her whole body lit with pleasure and anticipation. The entire length of the room separated them, so there was no way he’d see her. But she would talk to him soon. She hummed with anticipation.

Then she saw the woman beside him with her arm linked in his. Crystal stumbled and her dance partner caught her around the waist.

“Slippery floor. You okay?”

“Yeah,” she responded, barely registering the question.

In her partner’s arms, she moved awkwardly, maneuvering to keep sight of Key and that woman. As they made their way around the room, people kept coming between her and Key, but nevertheless, she watched him with cold focus.

The woman was gorgeous, tall and stacked like a model with a flat stomach, generous hips and breasts and shapely legs a mile long in a dark brown suit. She had cheekbones like those of Tyra Banks and the creamy golden skin of Halle Berry. She swung her long straight Beyoncé hair so that it brushed Key’s shoulder. She laughed and talked to everyone around, charming them all, but making it clear that she was with Key.

When the dance was over, Crystal looked around for Shonté, desperate to go home. When she didn’t see her, she found her way to a table near a bank of windows overlooking a rolling golf course. A waiter offered her a glass of champagne, which she gulped down. She stared out the window, not thinking.

“Crystal, hi!”

Her head jerked up. Key stood beside her table with his honey still attached to his arm.

“Hello,” she said, her lips cold and rigid.

“Crystal Taylor, this is Nina Chapelle.”

Nina held out her hand and smiled, showing perfect white teeth. My God, doesn’t the woman have any flaws? Crystal wondered. I bet it’s all fixed.

“How do you do, Miss Taylor.” Even her voice was sultry and memorable.

Crystal took the hand, dropped it.

Key looked at her, his brows creased with uncertainty. “Nina’s visiting faculty from Maryland and she’s going to speak at Hope University this week.”

Crystal crossed her legs and propped her chin on one hand. “Great!” she said in her best happy voice.

Key’s eyes widened with slight alarm. “So…how’ve you been?”

Crystal smirked at him. “Great!”

“That’s good,” he said, darting a nervous look around. “Where’s Shonté?”

Crystal shrugged and let her crossed leg swing back and forth.

“I guess I’ll go look for her then,” Key said.

“Great!” sang Crystal.

As Key took Nina’s arm to lead her away, he twisted his head to give Crystal a searching look, but she stubbornly kept her gaze on the view outside the windows.

Big stupid dolt. This was what sex did to people. It was all his fault. He’d made her go out with him and gotten her drunk and taken advantage of her. And now he had the nerve to flaunt his new floozy in her face.

The music was a painful tinkling background.
Where was that damn waiter with the champagne?
She got up and cruised the room looking for Shonté
. When she couldn’t find her, she went to the ladies’ room for awhile. Then she went back to the wedding reception.

The first people she saw were Key and Nina, sitting alone at a table. Nina leaned forward showing her cleavage and touched his knee. She wrinkled her nose and laughed at something he said.

Jealousy slashed through Crystal with the white-hot heat of pure rage. She wanted to walk over and knock the woman out of the chair, then declare Key was her man and she wasn’t having any ‘ho’ put her claws into him.

CHAPTER 11

Crystal had to restrain herself from attacking the woman, an effort that made her stomach hurt. This was no reality show that thrived on confrontations, featuring yelling, name-calling and chair throwing, she reminded herself. She wasn’t about to become that kind of woman, despite all the urgings from within. Instead, she turned on her heel and smacked straight into Shonté.

“I was looking for you. Did you meet Key’s date?” asked Shonté.

“Yes. Are you ready to leave?” she said through stiff lips.

Shonté sighed. “I guess. There aren’t any interesting men here anyway.”

Claiming a headache, Crystal asked Shonté to drive her car. Her cell phone rang when they were halfway home. She dug it out of her purse and answered it.

“Where are you?” demanded Key’s voice.

She snapped the phone shut.

“Who was that?” Shont
é asked, giving her a startled glance.

“Salesman,” she muttered.

“On a cell phone?”

The phone rang again. Crystal punched the off switch.

Shonté kept looking from the road to Crystal, puzzled by Crystal’s actions.

Then Shonté’s cell phone started to ring. Shonté stretched her hand towards her purse lying on the floor behind them, but Crystal grabbed it first. She opened Shonté’s phone and barked, “What do you want?”

“What is wrong with you? It’s not what you think!”

“I don’t think anything,” she muttered. “Go talk to
Nina
.”

She closed the connection.

There was a moment’s silence. Shonté spoke up in a hesitant voice. “Er…was that Key?”

“Yes.”

More silence.

“Did you have an argument with him?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know. I didn’t like that woman.
Nina!”
She put her full contempt into the name.

“Well, she doesn’t seem like his usual type. Kind of snooty. But I thought it was just a co-worker thing.”

“It doesn’t matter to me what it is. He can make a fool of himself if he wants to.”

She clamped her mouth shut and didn’t speak for the rest of the drive home. Shonté didn’t ask any more questions, so Crystal wasn’t sure what she was thinking.

When they got home, Shonté made her special hot toddy and took it up to Crystal’s room for her.

Crystal sipped the burning liquid and felt a flicker of warmth seep back into her soul. It was good to have friends who knew when to keep their mouths shut.

* * *

Key got Nina back to her hotel and made a swift exit, despite some strong hints from Nina. He had forgotten her by the time he reached his car.

What the hell had he been thinking?
He’d been pissed by Crystal’s continued ‘don’t touch me’ attitude and he’d wanted her to know that he didn’t care one way or another. But flaunting another woman in her face?

Asinine. Key rubbed a hand down his face, a groan rumbling through his chest. He stared blankly out of the windshield of his car for a minute. Should he go to her place and apologize?

Confusion mixed with indignation and regret swirled and tumbled inside him.
What the hell did he have to apologize for?
Crystal was the one who didn’t want anything between them. She had a nerve to make him feel like he’d done something wrong.

He turned his car toward his own apartment.

Not that he even liked Nina. But she’d told him she was coming to Hope University for a few weeks as visiting faculty and it had seemed like a small deal to invite her to the wedding to meet some of his friends. Although she didn’t raise his blood pressure, he’d reasoned that she might meet somebody who would keep her occupied during her stay.

His cell phone rang just as he pulled into his parking spot and turned off the engine. A glance identified the caller as Shonté. He quickly flipped open the phone and said hello.

“I think she’s got a thing for you, Key,” Shonté whispered.

He could barely hear her. “What? I can’t hear you.”

“I don’t want Crystal to hear,” she said a little louder. “She’s upstairs in her room with my hot toddy, but I don’t want her to know I’m talking to you.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked in an irritated tone.

“She’s got a thing for you.”

His sense of balance tilted. He could barely hold the phone, walk to his front door and open it. “What are you talking about?”

“Key, you are so dense at times. You should have seen her face when she talked about Nina.”

He cursed with fluent vulgarity. “It’s not like she wants me herself! I can be with whoever the hell I want to be with.”

“I don’t know, Key. She looked really hurt.”

His anger deflated like a punctured tire. “I didn’t want to cause that. Tell her there’s nothing between Nina and me. I just met the woman yesterday. I’m the only person she knows at Hope Univeristy, so I brought her to the wedding with me.”

“I know, but Key, what if Crystal has a
thing
for you?”

“Trust me, Shonté, Crystal does not want to be with me.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“Why do you think that?” he asked, his voice careful to counteract the light-headed sensation.

Shonté sighed. “She’s different. I don’t know what’s going on. But you know how jealous she was back in high school.”

“That was in the past. Now she’s a woman and there’s no way she wants me.”

“I guess. You don’t feel that way about her, do you?”

“Uh—”

“Because you know how much pride she has, and it would be too devastating if she started to feel like she couldn’t be around you.”

Key remembered their last encounter before his trip. The fearful look on her face when she saw him—

“Why would she feel that way?” To his own ears, his voice sounded like it was coming from far away.

“Key, you idiot. Don’t you know anything about women? We are not going to hang around to watch a man we love with someone else.”

“She’s not in love with me! And I’m not with Nina!” he yelped.

“Maybe not now and not Nina. But one day,” Shonté said in a knowing voice. “I’m telling you this because I love her like a sister and I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“I’m not going to hurt her. And she doesn’t have a thing for me.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Trust me, Shonté. There’s no
thing
.”

“We’ll see,” said Shonté before saying goodbye.

He stood in his living room, holding the phone in his limp hand.

* * *

That night Crystal found herself remembering Monica. Key had loved that girl deeply until she dumped him so coldly. Since then he’d never dated a woman more than a few months. She recognized it as a way of protecting himself. While she hadn’t thought it particularly healthy, she hadn’t thought it was any of her business. Until now.

She had apparently joined the ranks of Key’s flings. She should be flattered by being included in the lineup of beautiful, accomplished women. But now he’d moved on to
Nina
.

She gritted her teeth and rolled over in bed, thumping her pillow. Dammit, she was going to forget about him!

* * *

“Hi. This is Bernard Wayne. We talked at the wedding last weekend.”

It took Crystal a moment to put a face with the name and voice on the telephone. The call had been forwarded into her office.

She’d danced with him at the wedding, hadn’t she? He was one of Alyssa’s friends, someone she ran into now and then.

“How’d you get my number?” she asked, annoyed.

“I remembered you saying you worked in HR at the hospital.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Why had he tracked her down? She must have been pretty rude to him that day at the wedding. In fact, she didn’t even remember speaking to him while they danced.

“Did you enjoy yourself that day?” he asked.

“Kind of. I wasn’t feeling too well.”

“Crystal,” Bernard went on, “I wonder if you’re busy tonight. I’d like to take you out to dinner. We can talk, get to know one another.”

“Oh.” For a minute, her mind blanked. She had no feelings for this man. But what the hell? Her only alternative was to go home to an empty condo and torment herself with thoughts of Key. And
Nina
.

The prospect made her stomach clench. She had been in a fog since the wedding and she hadn’t heard from Key.

“Yeah, I’d like that,” she heard herself answer Bernard. “Should I meet you somewhere?”

They agreed he would pick her up about six that evening and said good-bye.

She dropped her head back on the headrest of the chair as she sat at her desk. She already felt tired. She had worked long hours for the last few days in an attempt to keep her mind off Key. She didn’t want to go out or make conversation or get to know someone new. All she wanted was her old friends back and life the way it had been.

Shonté popped into her office. “Gotta go, boss lady. I’ve got rehearsal.”

“Are you doing anything later tonight?” she called out. She could still call Bernard back and cancel.

“I’ll be late,” Shonté called over her shoulder on the way out.

Crystal slumped back in the chair.
Probably seeing Trevor
. God, Shonté was seeing someone, and Key probably was, too. She should do the same.
What the hell
, she thought again.

* * *

Bernard was a nice man with a little boy eagerness about him. As the evening wore on, she had to admit she found his attention flattering.

She had taken pains with her preparations. She showered, shaved her legs, sheened her hair, put on makeup, and perfumed herself. Her denim dress fit her body like skin, leaving little to the imagination, except perhaps the color of her panties. Her legs extended about a mile below the short hem, while her spike-heeled Pradas whispered indecent suggestions. Crystal stared into the mirror in shock at the voluptuous woman with twisted tendrils of hair falling into her eyes in a flirtatious peek-a-boo.

Bernard’s dark face broke into a wide, admiring grin when she opened the door to him.

“Wow. Excuse me for staring, but you look—”

She laughed and let him take her out to his well-kept car. Dressed in casual business clothes, Bernard was fun and attentive at dinner. In a past life, she would have thought him exactly the kind of man she wanted to meet. She should have enjoyed herself a lot. She told herself that she
was
enjoying herself. All she had to do was stop thinking about Key and wondering what he was doing.

After dinner, Bernard asked if she wanted to go to a movie or something. She hesitated before saying no.

As she sat in the passenger seat, letting him drive through the night, she looked at the bright moon shining above the city. Then she spotted a single shimmering star and the cold loneliness of it chilled her soul.

They stopped in front of her house and he turned to her.

“Well, I had a nice time. Thanks,” she said. This was the part she hated.

“I had a great time too. I’d like to see you again, Crystal.”

“Well, call me,” she said in what she hoped was a cheerful but neutral tone. She pulled the door handle.

“Oh, let me get that.” He scrambled to get out of the car and come around. Then he walked her to the door. She unlocked it and turned to him again.

“Thanks again. My roommate should be home any minute,” she added.

“Would you like me to keep you company until then?” he asked with a wide smile.

His directness caught her off guard. But he had been a perfect gentleman all evening. She had never heard anything against him from their mutual friends. And Shonté would be home soon.

“Well, you can come in, have a cup of coffee.”

She dropped her coat and went straight to the kitchen, flipping on all the light switches she passed.

“Decaf?”

“Whatever you’re drinking. This is a nice place,” he commented.

“We like it.”

She started to tell him how long they’d lived there and about Shonté’s acting.

In a few minutes they were chatting at the kitchen counter over two cups of herbal tea. He asked about her job and told her about his as a systems analyst for a large corporation, a job that required him to travel a lot.

“I’m going to San Diego next week. You’d like it. Would you be interested in going with me?” he asked with his wide easy smile.

She was thrown off again by his direct way.

Before she could speak, the doorbell rang. Relieved by the interruption, Crystal jumped off her stool and scurried for the front door.

“Oh, Shonté must have forgotten her key.”

She flung the door open. Key stood there, one hand on the doorjamb, waiting for her with a half-hooded gaze.

She was speechless.

“Hi,” he said. He took a step toward her. She didn’t back up.

“Shonté’s not here.”

“I’ll wait.”

“I have company.”

“You won’t know I’m here.” His mouth quirked in a challenging curve as he brushed past her.

Bernard stood in the dining area. Key strode toward him with his hand out.

“Key Emerson. My sister is Crystal’s roommate. I think we’ve met before, though.”

After Bernard acknowledged the introduction, the three of them stood in awkward silence. Out of Bernard’s line of sight, Crystal made a face at Key. He gave a half-smile and moved his chin in a slow circling motion that could have been interpreted any number of ways. He folded his arms and tucked his hands beneath his armpits, giving the impression he could wait all night. He continued to half-smile at Bernard.

Finally at a loss, Bernard cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll talk to you later, Crystal. Thanks for a great evening.”

Crystal said good-bye as he collected his coat and went out the door. Closing it, she whirled around, indignation spitting from her mouth.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”