Daddy, Daddy,” Sierra squealed as she ran into his office barefoot and sticky hands. She jumped into his outstretched arms. “Hello Pumpkin. What are you getting into?”
“She’s being bad as usual,” Latoya said from the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. She put her hands in the back pocket of her jeans causing her breasts to protrude further out, and stepped into his office. “Are you busy?”
That was the first sign that something was amiss. Latoya never cared one way or another about what someone else’s agenda was, only hers. Not interested in whatever she was up to Jason sat Sierra in his lap and replied, “Yep, but she can stay.” He turned his attention back to the computer console.
“Haven’t seen much of you in the last month or so, what you been up to?”
The question startled him as he turned back to her. She was a beautiful woman, which had always been his weakness, but not anymore. Her stance reminded him of why he became involved with her in the first place; the fair skin, bewitching eyes and a hell of a body, even after the baby. That was the bait she used to pull you in, and once she did, the real witch would appear and try to take over your soul. “What?” He asked looking bewildered.
“You haven’t been around,” she replied taking care to tread lightly. “That’s all. I missed seeing you.”
“How would you know I haven’t been around? This is the first time you have been home in a month.” Sierra reached for the keyboard and he caught her hand and kissed it. “No Pumpkin.”
“Ahhh so you were looking for me?” she asked teasingly and took a step closer.
“No, I wasn’t. Since you have a daughter I thought you might want to, oh I don’t know, spend some time with her.”
“I spend the same amount of time with her that you do. So don’t give me that. You missed seeing me and you know it.” She grinned and teasingly pushed his shoulder.
That was the second sign. They had not had the ‘joking with each other’ relationship in almost a year. Not since she had flattened his tires to keep him from going out. “I am here every night and every morning when she wakes up.” She had now walked behind his chair and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Most times I’m here. But sometimes I just need to get away.”
“You are a mother, you can’t just get away.”
“You’re a father and you do it all the time.”
“I don’t have an issue taking her with me when I work. Isn’t that right Pumpkin?”
Sierra looked up at her father, “Yes Daddy.” He kissed her cheek.
“We use to do that together. But lately you haven’t asked me to go along.”
“It may have something to do with the chaos following you wherever you go. I don’t’ need it and Eric is fed up with it.”
“That faggot brother of yours is sensitive about everything.” He looked back at her with a warning. “Hey, I haven’t seen him around any woman I call it like I see it.”
“Not when it comes to Eric,” he replied angrily as he stood with Sierra.
“Alright—alright. I’m not here to talk about your brother.”
He sat Sierra in the playpen he kept in his office for her. “Why are you here?”
“Well, I was thinking it would be great to get away as a family; you, me and Sierra.”
Sign number three. They had never been referred to as a family. They simply had a child together, nothing more. “We are not a family Latoya. You are the mother of my child, nothing more. You seem to have a difficult time remembering that when we are in public.”
Standing in front of him, she put her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Jason, I was more than that to you at one time. It could be that way again.” He looked down at her hands, then at her. She took a step back and put her hands on her hips. “Jason, all I’m asking is that we do something together with Sierra as her parents. What’s wrong about that?”
“Nothing’s wrong with the theory, it’s the application that seems to be difficult for you.”
“We can make the same arrangements we have here. We don’t have to all be in the same room.”
He stepped away from her. “We need to talk about our living arrangements.”
“What about them?” She knew him, knew his moods, his tones. This tone concerned her. It was as if a decision had already been made. But she had news for him, she was not leaving.
“I’ve decided to move out.”
“Move out!” she yelled with hands on hips. She walked over and snatched his arm. “You are moving out on me and Sierra? The daughter you claim to love so much.”
“No, she’s going with me. You can have visitation rights.”
“Like hell she is. That’s my child, wherever she goes, I go.”
He sat in his chair and stared at her. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Try me. I will take her and you will never find us.”
Her threat did not faze him. He knew all her antics and had prepared for them. “Take her where Latoya, to CJ’s place? Hell, he barely wants you there. Or maybe Little T’s place? Surprised I know about them, you shouldn’t be. You know how this business is, everyone knows who you blow. You taught me that.” He turned his back on her and went back to his work. “You have one month to find a place to live. I’m putting the house on the market.”
Surprise turned into anger, and then anger turned into rage, when he turned his back. She reached into the playpen and grabbed Sierra out. The child cried out. “If you value any portion of your life you will put her down.” He said without looking her way.
“What you going to do if I don’t? Huh? What you going do?”
Jason turned slowly in his chair and glared at her. “Do you really want to find out?”
Latoya thought to dare him, but changed her mind. There was something different about him, no one thing she could put her finger on, but something was different. There was a certain confidence about him, a more defined swagger. She had one month to find out why. She put the child on the floor and Sierra ran to him with crocodile tears in her eyes. “You know I would not hurt her.”
Jason picked the child up and consoled her. “Apparently she doesn’t know that. Look, you know I would not leave you high and dry. You are Sierra’s mother and I want her to be in a good environment. Find a place for yourself and I’ll handle the financial end. But you will not use my daughter against me again. I will always take care of her, but all financial assistance to you will cease to exist. Do we understand each other?”
“You will take care of me financially?” she questioned for clarity.
“As long as you take care of Sierra, as you should,” he emphasized. “And as long as you do not try to keep her away from me.”
“What kind of finances are we talking about here, a monthly allotment or a lump sum?”
The fact that she asked the question pissed him off to no end. She did not question the terms of his proposal, visitation arrangement or even where Sierra’s primary residence would be. No, she wants to know about the money. “We will discuss that later. Find a place.” Dismissing her and any further conversation, he sat back down, placed Sierra on his lap, and began working again.
♪
Back at her end of the house, Latoya paced, wondering what was going on with Jason. There has been no word about another woman stepping on her turf. In fact, her sources swore that Jason had been solo for the last few months. Not so much as a one night stand. Nevertheless, something was going on she reasoned as she opened her cell and dialed a number. As she waited for an answer she wondered how in the hell did he know about CJ and Lil T. Whatever it was, it was messing with her livelihood and she don’t play that. “Hey boo. What you into today?”
“Toya?” Stanley questioned. “What you want?”
“I haven’t seen you in a minute and I miss you. Can we hook up?”
“The last time we hooked up you acted like a fool. Beating that girl down like that was wrong Toya, it was wrong.”
“Stanley, she was stepping on my turf. You know how I am about Jason. I don’t want no straight up ho in his grill, you know what I mean. I’m just looking out for the brother. After all he is my baby’s daddy.” Now that she had his attention she went in for the kill. “Since you know he ain’t breaking a piece off on me, I need a little somethin’—somethin’.”
“You need Big Daddy to take care of you girl?”
“Nobody can take care of it like you do Big Daddy.”
“You know I got you covered. Come on over, I’ll be home.”
Latoya opened the double doors to her closet and walked in. She had to wear just the right outfit to get the info she needed and leave there untouched by that little thing he called big boy.
♪
The house the Davies called home in the states was lit up with laughter as Miriam played with her granddaughter and sons. This was what she looked forward to whenever she came home from touring, spending time with her family, especially the bundle of joy named Sierra. “It’s hard to believe she is three years old. It seems like yesterday when she came home from the hospital.” Miriam smiled as she watched Sierra in the other room continuously hitting Eric in the head with her stuffed toy and he played like he was being knocked out.
“She amazes me every day, Mom. I can’t imagine my life without her,” Jason said with a beam of pride.
“That’s exactly what that hoochie of a mother is betting on,” his mother replied. Jason threw her a warning look. “Okay, I take it back. Where is she anyway?”
“She is not allowed here,” Jason replied with a quirky smile.
“Why, what happened?”
“Eric had a get together for the band and I came with a date. Latoya showed her butt and cursed just about everybody out. Eric forcefully removed her from the house.” Jason laughed. “It was a sight. It had snowed and I must have been taking too long to get her out after he told her to leave. All of a sudden Eric came over to where we stood at the door still arguing, put her over his shoulder and threw her out the front door in the snow. Then closed the door behind him and locked it. The whole place applauded as he walked back into the house picked up his glass of wine and continued his conversation. It was so damn funny.”
“Good for him. Now if I could just get my other son to do the same, I would be a happy mother.”
“Well get ready to smile. I gave her a month to find a place to live.”
A scream of elation escaped her before she could think to control it. “Thank God!”
Sierra was shaken by the sudden scream and jumped in her Uncle Eric’s arms. Curious what the fuss was all about, Eric picked her up and walked over to the sitting area where the two were talking. “What’s going on?” He asked with a smile as he noticed his mother’s joy.
“Not in front of Sierra.” Jason said as he took his daughter from his brother. “Gabby,” he called out. Gabby came in from the kitchen and took Sierra with her. Jason then turned back to his family. “I gave Latoya a month to find a place of her own.”
“He said it again,” Miriam said with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe you finally did it. She never wanted that child; just the financial security having your child gave her.”
Eric took a seat across from them. “What did she say?”
“She asked about the financial arrangements.”
“And?” Miriam raised her eyebrow.
“I told her to find a place and we will discuss it.”
Miriam sat back in her seat and crossed her legs. “So you’re buying her out of your life?”
Jason looked at his mother whom he considered a wise woman. “Do you know another way to keep my daughter and get Latoya out of my life?”
“Yes, a foolproof way.”
“You can’t have the woman killed Mom,” Eric rationalized.
“Why not? People do it every day. And this way you won’t have to worry about her meddling in any of your relationships.” Jason and Eric glanced at each other and decided their mother was not serious. “Oh, I’m not serious, but you have to admit it would solve all your problems,” she joked. Hitting Jason on the knee, “Okay, tell me about her.”
Jason tilted his head and smiled at his mother. “What makes you think there is a her?”
“Men don’t make major changes in their lives unless there is a her attached. So spill it.”
Eric shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “I have my own deeds to tackle, I can’t help you brother.”
“Oh I’ll get to yours. You have been preoccupied since I’ve been home. I know something is up with you, too. But, Jason first.” She picked up her glass of wine and sipped as she waited. Miriam, who could easily be Diane Carroll’s younger sister, crossed he legs and waited.
Jason lowered his head and smiled. “I met this woman a little over a month ago in Virginia and we have been spending a lot of time getting to know each other.”
“Mainly because Jason has not gotten rid of Latoya,” Eric supplied.
“Smart girl, I like her already.”
Jason glared at Eric. “Do you mind?’
“Not at all, go ahead.”
“As I was saying, her name is TeKaya Kendrick. She’s a photographer with a small studio of her own.” He sat up. “Mom, remember when you used to say, you will know when you meet that someone. Well, TeKaya is that someone for me. She’s beautiful Mom, inside and out. She’s intelligent, caring and she don’t take no bull from me. Whether we’re together or not, she is always foremost in my mind. She made me see that what I thought was a stable environment for Sierra, was a ruse, and as she grows older she will see it for exactly what is. It was at her urging that I consulted an attorney that specializes in custody cases to see exactly what rights I have as a father. I have known her for a short period of time, but she has had a huge impact on my life.”
A stunned Miriam looked from one son to the other. She had never heard her son speak so passionately about a woman before, not this one. Eric, yes. He was the romantic, but not Jason. “He’s not objective. Is she that beautiful?” she asked Eric.
“Yes, she is. She is very real, down to earth. I actually think she could whip Latoya’s behind and ask what’s next. Miriam and Jason laughed. “But she is not as beautiful as her sister,” Eric added. Both stopped laughing and stared surprisingly at Eric. Looking back at the two he repeated, “She’s not.”
Jason grinned as his mother turned her attention slowly from Eric, back to Jason. “So when do I get to meet this woman?”
“We are trying to keep her a secret a while longer. When the media get wind off her, that will set off a whole chain of events and to be honest, I just want her to myself for a while before that happens.”
“I understand that son. But I’m not the media, I’m your mother and when a woman has this type of influence on one of my sons I want to meet her in person and judge for myself. Set it up before I leave the country.”
Jason looked to Eric for help. “You might as well get her blessing and move on. You are going to have enough to deal with when Latoya finds out. You might as well get Mom out of the way.”
“Thank you, I think,” Miriam replied.
Jason stood, pulled out his cell and looked at his brother as he placed his call. “You are going to need me one day soon, and I will repay your brotherly loyalty.” He walked out of the room as his call connected.
Miriam’s sights now went to her baby boy. This one she could read like a book. Yes, he was the quiet one, the one that never talked about himself, or his feelings. He just put them in a song and it told the story. “Tell me about Heaven’s Gate.” She watched his suppressed surprised expression and smiled. She had not lost her touch.
He sat forward and smiled. “I can’t yet.”
“It’s a beautiful song.”
“For a beautiful woman,” Eric replied as he nodded his head. “She’s the one, she just doesn’t know it yet,” he said in his quiet confident manner. He stood and walked over to the window of his family room that allowed a spectacular view of the back of his ten acre estate. Before Siri, the scene was the only thing that helped to create his music. “I purchased a small place in Richmond to be near her.” He turned back to his mother, “She’s dealing with a lot and I want to be there for her. When she’s ready, I’ll be there.”
Miriam looked from one son to the other. She had to meet these two sisters that had completely captured her sons.
Jason walked back into the room as he closed his cell phone. “We have been invited to Sunday dinner tomorrow. Anyone up for a quick trip to Richmond?”