“Then let me explain.”
She told him about her relationship with Sean, from how he backed out of the wedding up to when she ran into him at the mall.
“I was upset with him for acting like everything was okay. He sent the flowers to apologize for being forward with me. I only agreed to go out to lunch with him so I could tell him that he need not contact me any further because I am involved with someone.”
“And you think he accepted that?” he asked, disgruntled by the simplicity of her statement. He knew how men, particularly brothers were when it came to a taken woman. They loved challenges. Trying to regain the affections of an old flame posed the best challenge especially when what they had was good. He ought to know, because the challenge was before him just a few months earlier.
In addition, he found it hard to believe that this brother would back away just because she said she had a man. As a young man, Darius remembered challenging a woman’s faithfulness to her man by making a pass at her anyway just to see if he could accomplish something. Those days were long gone now as his energies were set on one woman. But there were still many men out there who provoked the challenge.
She nodded. “He told me to tell you that you are a lucky man,” she repeated Sean’s words.
Darius nodded in agreement. “Yes, I am.”
“And I am one lucky woman,” she added with a kiss.
The two got lost for a moment in a passionate kiss when Darius pulled back. He looked at his watch. “I have exactly 52 hours and I don’t want to waste one damn minute.”
Alexa laughed. “Aye, aye.” She hopped off his lap and disappeared for a few minutes. When she returned, she quickly grabbed her coat and purse. “Ready when you are.”
Darius brought a bowl of hot buttered popcorn into the living room while Alexa followed with two glasses of Pepsi. He sat the bowl on the coffee table and went upstairs to retrieve the stadium blanket Alexa told him he would find in the guest room closet. Just as he bounded up the stairs, the telephone rang.
Alexa placed the drinks down and answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“I hope you aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t be doing,” the caller said.
Alexa sat up at the sound of Maya’s voice.
“Hey, girl!” she exclaimed. “Long time no talk to.”
“I know, what’s up with you?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing my behind. I heard you and Darry are back together.”
She hesitated, not knowing exactly all that Maya knew. “Who told you that?”
“Bry, who else? He picked up on you two at the reception and confirmed with Darius a couple weeks ago that you two were trying to make it a go again.”
“I’m sorry, May,” she began. “I intended to call and tell you, but time got away from me.” Alexa wanted to tell her friend the real good news about them tying the knot, but declined, wanting the announcement to come from both of them at the right time.
“Yeah, I know how it is when things are going so well that you’re bogged down enjoying the moment.”
Alexa laughed at her friend’s comment. “I guess you could say that.”
“Are you happy?”
Alexa sighed dreamily. “Yes.”
“Who would have known this would happen?” Maya asked out loud. “It was just four months ago that the two of you were at each other’s throats. I knew when I got you two together sparks would fly.”
“Whatever,” Alexa moaned. Leave it to Maya to think she had something to do with everything involving the two of them.
“So have you told Darius the good news about your promotion?” Maya asked. Maya was one of the first to know.
“Not as yet,” Alexa whispered, so Darius wouldn’t overhear.
“Alex, you have to tell him. You’re supposed to be in New York by June and May is almost here.”
“I know, I know,” Alexa groaned. “Don’t you think I know that? I’m just waiting for the right time.”
“I think the right time is now,” Maya shot back. “How are you going to try to rebuild a relationship based on secrets? You really need to approach this delicately. You both have experienced a great deal of pain from what happened in the past. You of all people, Alexa, should know the challenge you have before you with Darius.”
Alexa knew that Maya was right. Had she known that they had gone against all advice and eloped, she would be devastated.
“I can only pray that you are taking things slow,” Maya continued. “Trust me when I tell you to hold off getting involved physically right now.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because when two people who have a past such as you and Darius get involved sexually, you are placing yourselves in a dangerous position. When you share yourself with someone, you are creating a soul tie. After being apart for so long and getting back together physically you’re essentially taking on more baggage than what you left behind.”
“Darius and I are adults, Maya. I think we would be mature enough to leave the baggage in the past.”
“But you thought you left your heart in the past, too, now where did that get you?”
Alexa couldn’t reply because Darius had returned to the room carrying two pillows and the large blanket she requested. He flung the blanket out in the air so that it floated down perfectly over her, then fluffed up one of the pillows and placed it behind her back.
“Thanks, baby,” she whispered.
“Who you talking to?” he asked as he snuggled up beside her. He began licking playfully at her neck with his tongue.
“Maya,” she whispered.
“Hi, May!” Darius shouted, smiling mischievously in Alexa’s face as he began to undo the buttons on her blouse.
“What’s up, Captain D?” Maya shouted back.
“Maya says hi.”
Darius nodded and opened his mouth to reply when Alexa pressed her palm against his face. Darius poked out his lip in response making her smile.
“Well, I don’t want to hold you two lovebirds up. If I know you and Darius like I know I do, I know you two are probably naked now.”
Alexa laughed as she thought about some of their escapades. “Forget you.”
Before hanging up, Maya made a heartfelt plea that pulled at Alexa’s conscience. “Please, hon, trust Darius and your love for one another enough to do the right thing. Don’t do anything rash. Take your time and allow the healing process to take its time.” Alexa let Maya’s words marinate in her mind. If there was one thing Maya knew about her, it was her fear of confronting people. The thought of telling Darius made her so nervous that she felt faint
“I will,” she promised.
“I’m only saying this because I love you and I hope you know that.”
“I know and I love you, too,” Alexa returned.
“Good, now call me if you need me.”
Alexa placed the handset on the hook with a sigh.
“Are you sure that was Maya?” Darius asked with a strange look on his face.
“Yes, that was Maya,” Alexa said. “Who else could it be?”
“Sean,” he flatly replied.
She immediately pushed Darius away with irritation and sat up. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“I know. I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized. “I just can’t believe that brother.”
“I told you he didn’t know about us, baby. I had to tell him.”
“I know.” He pulled her into his arms again. “I just can’t stand knowing that I am so far away from you when there are brothers here pushing up on you.”
“Darius. I could say the same about you, but I don’t.”
He nodded slowly at her response. “I know. I trust you.” He kissed her sweetly on the neck. “I’m just feeling a little out of it. I miss you like crazy. It’s hard being married and not living with your wife, especially when I think about you practically every moment every day. Then there’s my job. I am so ready to get out on my own t
hat I can’t stand going to work sometimes. Plus, I’m still trying to keep up with my responsibilities at the school. I just need there to be some stability in one area in my life.” He took her hand into his. “We need to talk about what we are going to do.”
His words did not come as a surprise. She knew that it was inevitable that decisions had to be made.
“You know, I’m glad I decided to come.” Darius sighed with a squeeze of her hand. “You have this way of making me relax.”
He reached up and traced her jawline with his forefinger. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she returned.
Darius’s visit was exactly what Alexa needed to get her through the week. The two spent most of the weekend in the house watching rented videos and eating takeout. Darius wasn’t up for sightseeing or a night out on the town. All he wanted to do was sit around her place, relax and enjoy his wife.
“Do you ever feel guilty?” Alexa sultrily asked one evening as the two were curled up on the sofa. Alexa, who was pulling up the rear, pressed her face against the baby-soft skin of Darius’s bare back. She kissed him tenderly, loving the feel of his flesh against her mouth. Her arm was possessively draped around his hip.
“About what?” Darius asked as he turned onto his back, giving her full access to him.
“About lying to our family and friends.”
“We aren’t lying,” he replied.
“The only reason why you say that is because nobody suspects anything, so you don’t have to make something up.”
He laughed lightly, knowing full well she was telling the truth.
“If you want to know the truth, I’m not ready to share you with the world yet. Call me selfish if you want, but I’m not eager to deal with the questions or comments.” He rolled onto his side and propped his bearded chin in his palm. “I want to give us the chance we missed nine years ago. I want you to feel good about me being your husband and you being my wife. I know that the distance makes it hard, but when we are together, it’s like the first time all over again. You make me want to love you harder and all I want to focus on is doing just that.”
Tears welled in Alexa’s eyes at his touching confession. She wanted the same, more than anything else as well. Leaning over, she planted a sweet, love-filled kiss on his mouth. For the first time, the anxiety that she had felt days before slowly evaporated as her whole being blossomed like a flower ready to receive love.
Alexa promised that she would make their trip to Kansas City worthwhile. She had just received a package from the Visitor’s Bureau in the mail and had made a mental note to preview the contents at lunchtime.
Once they were together, on fair territory, she would bring up the announcement about her new job. In fact, maybe moving to New York could be an answer to their prayers as far as the new business was concerned. Not only would it provide them with a fresh start, but it would also eliminate argument over their future living arrangements.
All Darius had to do was discuss the possibility with Bryant. It would be exciting starting their new lives together in a new city. She had to come up with a plan to sell New York City to him and present the idea to him the right way. Reaching into her desk drawer, Alexa removed a notepad. She drew a line down the center of the page and wrote pros on one side and cons on the other.
In the business she was in, she always found it beneficial to weigh the possibilities of a project before taking it on. Under the word pros, her hand lit across the page in fervor. After acquiring a good number of points, she turned to the opposing side. It was as if reflecting on the negative. Sometimes one negative point could be so detrimental that it could outweigh all positive potential. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that Darius would understand.
Chapter 19
Alexa had been so engrossed in her work that by the time she stopped to take a break, it was lunchtime. The office was quiet as most of the employees were out on lunch or at meetings with clients. Hunger pangs confirmed that it was time to eat. A hot pastrami and Swiss sandwich from Pizzazz’s Deli down the street sounded appetizing. She grabbed her coat and was about to transfer her calls to her voice mail when the telephone rang.
With a sigh she picked it up. “Thank you for calling Marks-St. Claire, this is Alexa.”
“Hey Alexa, this is Crystal.” Alexa recognized the familiar southern drawl right away.
“Hi, Crystal!” she said cheerfully. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, and you?”
“Good.”
“I was just calling to say that I’ll be in Denver in exactly two hours. I wanted to know if you want to get together.”
“Sure. Just give me your flight information and I’ll meet you at the airport.”
Crystal recited the information while Alexa scribbled it down on a notepad.
“I’ll just leave from here and meet you at your gate. So how long are you here for?”
“Until tomorrow morning,” Crystal replied.
“Then you have to stay with me,” Alexa insisted.
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“Girl, please. I won’t take no for an answer. I have plenty of room. Plus, it would be nice having some company.”
“Are you sure?” Crystal asked.
“Yes!” Alexa exclaimed with a smile. It would be nice to have another human voice around. The place was lonely without Darius’s presence.
“Thanks, Alexa.”
“No problem. I’ll see you at 3:30.”
Alexa smiled as she hung up the telephone. Crystal was a really nice person. She had good vibes about her the moment they met. Crystal must have felt the same or she was sure she wouldn’t be calling.
The remaining two hours went by fast. Before Alexa knew it, she was at the airport waiting for Crystal to exit the jetway. Crystal was one of the four flight attendants exiting the plane with their Pullmans in tow.
“See ya!” she called out to the others as she spotted Alexa.
“Hey, girlfriend!” Crystal cried. She looked professional in her tailored navy blue dress, the company’s uniform, and a colorful red and gold scarf tied around her neck.
The two exchanged hugs.
“My feet are killing me,” she groaned. “I had three flights already this morning. Thank goodness I have the next few days off after tomorrow morning’s flight.”
Later the two settled down before a takeout dinner of chicken Florentine, garlic toast and salad from Camille’s, one of Alexa’s favorite restaurants in her neighborhood.
“Do you like your line of work?” Alexa asked.
Crystal took a sip of water and nodded. “Yes, I love it. It will be hard getting used to not traveling so much once Reg and I get married, which is why I’m trying to visit all of the places I can. I know I am going to have to settle down once that happens because family is more important to me than my career.”
Alexa toyed with the idea of bringing up her promotion, but Crystal’s strong comment regarding family made her think twice about it. She wanted to get a feel for the situation through the eyes of someone who saw Darius on a regular basis.
“Can’t you work part-time rather than totally give up your career?” Alexa asked trying to fit her situation into the conversation.
Crystal shook her head adamantly. “I’ll just have to find a new line of work.”
“Why, if you love it so much?” She couldn’t understand why Crystal should have to sacrifice her passion in order to be with the man she loved. It sounded so one-sided, so conditional.
“Because Reg wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve discussed what we want for our family, especially when we have children. He told me that he never wants us to spend a night away from one another unless it was absolutely necessary. He even wants us to eat dinner together every night. With my job that would be impossible. I understand where he’s coming from though. Both of my parents were home for breakfast in the morning and dinner at night.”
She sighed, thou
ghtfully. “And because I come from a long line of traditional, southern black women. Regardless of their education or careers they had before they met their husbands, they set it all aside to take care of home once they got married.”
“Does that bother you?” Alexa asked. She couldn’t understand that way of thinking. “I mean just giving up your career like that to be a housewife?”
Crystal nodded sadly. “Part of it does, but I know it’s something I have to do. All of the marriages in my family are successful because of the tone the women set.”
Crystal’s last words reverberated in Alexa’s head. It was hard for her to come up with such a cut-and-dried resolution for their situation. On the one hand, she loved Darius and having him back in her life. But on the other, she had put in some time with Marks-St. Claire and felt obligated to fulfill her position to the fullest.
“So, what’s with all the questions?” Crystal asked. “Are you thinking about leaving your job?”
Alexa shook her head. “Actually, it’s just the opposite.” She filled Crystal in on her promotion followed by Mrs. Holland’s glowing evaluation of her.
“You go, girl!” Crystal shouted enthusiastically. She reached up for a high-five.
“Thank you, thank you.” Alexa replied, taking a bow from side to side. “I am so excited.”
“You should be. Being the editor-in-chief of your own magazine ain’t small time. Go on, head sista in charge!” Crystal teased.
“That’s right,” Alexa echoed her comment. She couldn’t believe how at ease she felt with Crystal.
The rest of the evening was spent talking about the things to do and places to see in the Big Apple. Because of her occupation, Crystal had been to New York many times, even had friends there. She suggested that Alexa look them up the minute she got settled as they were good people. As she had imagined, Crystal was turning out to be a good friend.
Chapter 20
“All in favor of hiring John Sears as athletic director say aye.” Albright Givens put the question.
“Aye.” The vote was unanimous.