Diane stood back, surveying their handiwork. The dining and living rooms had been painted a pale ivory, and a honey-beige carpet had been laid. Her pale furniture barely filled the huge rooms. Nevertheless, Diane was pleased. There was a warmth and comfort she found appealing. She had plenty of time to find just the right pieces to complete the spacious rooms.
“Well? Do you like it?” Diane asked.
Charles smiled indulgently from where he sprawled on the sofa. “If you like it, I like it. Just don’t ask me to move this blasted couch again!” He chuckled good-naturedly. They’d been arranging furniture and pictures all morning.
“What kind of answer is that?” She’d followed him into the hallway.
“It’s the best I’ve got,” he said from over his shoulder as he headed for the staircase.
“You don’t like it, do you?” she called after him.
“What do I know about these kind of things? I’ve got to get showered and changed. It’s after three, and I’m due at the center at four.”
“Oh...” she said, unable to hide her disappointment.
Halfway up the stairs, he turned and bounded back down. “What’s wrong, sweet cheeks?”
“Nothin’.”
“Can’t fool me. Give.”
“We’ve been married less than a month. I can almost count on one hand the evenings we’ve spent together.”
Charles frowned heavily. “I made dinner every day this week. Baby, you know I try to give you all my time once I’m home.”
“I know. But we haven’t had a romantic evening since we returned from our honeymoon.”
“Yeah, I know. There are just not enough hours in the day.” His mouth was warm and seeking over hers. Diane moaned, melting against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her mouth open and sweet beneath his. The kiss ended all too quickly. “I haven’t been paying enough attention to you.”
“I didn’t say that.” She shivered, recalling the intensity and sweetness of their lovemaking. “You were so very attentive last night.”
He grinned, “No complaints in that department?”
“None. Honey, I want us to spend more time together. We’re both so busy during the week.”
“How does a romantic dinner sound? Dancing and candlelight?”
“Dinner at home sounds more appealing. Just the two of us, in front of the fire ... no servants... I’ll cook.”
Charles laughed. “You cook?”
“I do. Stop acting like that! I’ve cooked for you before.”
“You mean the coffee you made the morning we stayed in your condo? You were barely speaking to me, as I recall.”
“Don’t remind me. All you wanted was coffee. You’re acting like I can’t fry an egg without a cookbook.”
Charles eyes twinkled with humor. “I didn’t say that. Sure you wouldn’t prefer to eat out?”
“I’d rather be alone with my man. Besides, I can’t wear the red teddy in a restaurant.”
He groaned, his mouth hot and demanding over hers. “Baby, we can eat cornflakes and bananas, for all I care. I’ll be home by eight. Don’t start the Luther tapes without me.”
Diane’s eyes were dark and dreamy as she watched her husband mount the stairs two at a time before disappearing from view. She hugged herself, still not believing her good fortune. Charles loved her as much as she loved him. It was true they had problems, but so did all couples. The doorbell chimed as Diane was walking past.
“I’ll get it,” she called to the elderly Sheldon when she heard his slow footfall in the hall. She mumbled beneath her breath about that poor dear man running around answering doors when there was absolutely nothing wrong with her legs, or Charles’s, for that matter.
Lillie Rivers stood on the front stoop.
“What!” Diane gasped, glancing nervously over her shoulder. Thank God the hall was clear, she thought. Quickly, she stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“Don’t be mad. I know you don’t want me here. But I had to see you,” she said, unsteady on her feet.
“How did you find me?”
“I followed you here. Nice place. You’ve done well for yourself, sugar. My little gal done real good.” She grinned, wiping at her tears.
Her crying didn’t impress Diane. Nothing Lillie said or did impressed Diane, not after all the sad years of neglect. The only person her mother cared about was herself. Diane was not about to let her mother mess her life up because of some thoughtless whim.
“You’ve got to get out of here before my husband sees you. I can’t talk to you here,” Diane whispered in near panic. Charles was showering this very minute. How much longer did she have before he was dressed and came looking for her?
“I need money. I wouldn’t ask, but...”
Diane could smell the alcohol on her breath, but she was too terrified of discovery to worry about the fact that her mother had evidently started drinking again. “Lillie, I gave you enough to cover the cost of food and rent for another month. What did you do with it?”
Lillie sneered, “Hell! I don’t have to explain to you.”
Diane knew she was in no position to argue. “Don’t move.” She rushed into the house. Where the world was her purse? Upstairs in the bedroom, probably. Then she remembered the money Charles kept in the drawer of the lacquered table in the hallway. It was for household emergencies. She was having an emergency right now, one in which she had only minutes to get her mother the hell away from here. As she yanked open the drawer, she almost stopped breathing. For a second she thought she heard her husband’s footsteps on the stairs. She listened intently. Nothing but the sound of the old house settling. She grabbed the money, barely remembering to count it, so that she could replace it later. She was a nervous wreck by the time she returned to her mother.
She practically threw the money at her. “Here. Now go.” “Thanks, baby.”
“I’ll meet you on Wednesday at four in the park. And Lillie, I want to see a receipt from your apartment manager.”
Lillie swore nastily. “Look, just because you’re livin’ high on the hog, in this fancy house... that don’t mean you better than me, girl. We’re the same, you and me. The same!”
Diane, on the verge of tears, said in a frantic whisper, “Never! I’m not like you! Get out of here before you ruin everything for me. Or is that what you want? Do you want me back in the gutter with you? Huh?”
Diane tensed. She heard Charles calling her name. “Go!” she pleaded. Even though her heart was pounding with fear, for she expected Charles to open the front door any second, she waited until her mother was in the back seat of the cab she’d hired and moving down the road before she stepped back inside. “I’m here.”
“Going somewhere? I thought I heard the bell.” Thank goodness he didn’t wait for an answer. “Don’t be upset, baby. I forgot that I invited the swim team over for spaghetti and fixings after the meet tonight.”
Diane was so busy hanging onto the door handle to keep from falling that nothing seemed to matter. “When?” was all she managed.
“Tonight, after the swim meet. Not to worry... I told Mrs. Sheldon. She’ll take care of the food.”
Diane knew she should be annoyed with him for waiting so late to tell her, but she was too upset about her mother to tell him that he should have consulted with her first, not Mrs. Sheldon. Apparently, he had dismissed their plans for a romantic evening together. However, now she didn’t have the stamina to be angry with him.
She was overwhelmed by how close she had come to disaster... how close she had come to losing everything she cared about... losing Charles. There was no doubt in her mind that he would not want to be married to her if he knew the truth about her background. It wasn’t because she thought he was a snob. She knew better. Nor was it because she was not proud of her own success. Diane was so shamed by the evil and hopelessness of where she came from that she feared that if it was revealed, Charles would lose all respect for her. There was nothing to keep her mother from dropping by any time she chose. Well, Diane must make certain Lillie understood the consequences of her behavior when she saw her on Wednesday. Lillie had put them both at risk by coming to her home.
“Di?”
“I’ll see you later.” She accepted the kiss he placed on her lips before he hurried out.
***
“Hey... man,” Eddie Walker called, leaning out his car window.
Jeff Jenkins glanced back over his shoulder. “Hey, Eddie,” he paused shifted his athletic bag from one hand to the other.
“Where you headed?” he asked ignoring the blaring car horn behind him.
“The center, man. Got a swim meet tonight.”
“Hold up, Jeff.” Easing the car over to the curb, he waited until Jeff was beside his car.
“What’s up?”
“I have a business proposition to put to ya, blood.” Eddie said with a smile. He and Jeff had grown up together, living in the same apartment building until Jeff and his mother had moved out of the old neighborhood.
“Naw... I don’t think so.” Since Jeff had started at the community center, he had made new friends—friends who were into sports and girls and school, guys who had big plans for the future, a future that didn’t include the bad stuff going on in the streets.
Eddie hopped out of the car and rounded the hood. He stopped next to Jeff, leaning against the passenger door. “Got no time for a homey? Ain’t good enough for you no mo’, man, since you been hangin’ at the center?”
“Naw, it ain’t like that.” Jeff could tell from Eddie’s pinched wild-eyed look that he was still using.
“You got any money, man? A twenty’ll do.”
Jeff shook his head. “All I have is five, and you can have that. But this is the last time, Eddie.”
“Hey, thanks. You still my partner... still my man. Look, I appreciate it.” Eddie smiled, palming the money quickly.
“Look, man, I gotta go. I have to meet the others on the swim team. Gonna beat the hell out of those guys from Grosse Pointe.”
“Swimming! Hell, what kind of sport is that? Punk stuff! ” Eddie said, unable to hide his resentment. He hated the way Jeff had changed. He was different now.
They had been close, real close, for a long time. That community center and that Randol guy had Jeff so messed up in the head that he’d turned his back on his real friends. Randol this, Randol that, was all Jeff ever talked about nowadays.
Jeff shrugged, then started walking on, refusing to get into an argument. They’d been tight until Eddie had started hangin’ with the neighborhood boys. Jeff’s mother had gotten him out of that area before he’d had time even to think about joining a gang. The next thing he knew, he was going to a new school and at the center every evening.
“Look, man... I-I-I’m sorry,” Eddie said, hurrying after him. “Hey, wait up. I have a proposition for you.”
“Not interested.”
“Wait, Jeff. We go back a long ways, man. I wouldn’t ask this of you... but I need a favor.”
“What’s wrong with Mark and DeJuan?”
Eddie shrugged. “They ran into a little trouble with the man. No big loss. Both of them are so strung-out on crack they ain’t good for nothin’. Got so bad, they spend more time usin’ than conducting business, my man. I’m the only one left got his head together.”
Jeff had his doubts, but refrained from commenting. “Let me give you a lift. Save the bus ticket for another time.”
Eddie laughed uproariously. “Come on, blood. You still my main man.”
Jeff glanced at his watch. He was already late. If he didn’t hurry, the team would leave without him. “Okay.”
Eddie grinned, pleased with himself. “Hop in. How’s your old lady? She found herself a man yet? Probably not, too busy tryin’ to run yo’ life.”
Jeff ignored the second question. His mother’s personal business was none of Eddie’s concern—friend or no friend.
“She’s fine. Really busy, now that she’s got this new job, working downtown.”
“That’s all right, man. You have to come by the crib. Big Mama is always asking about ya’.”
Eddie’s grandmother had always been especially kind to Jeff. He sure missed her peach cobbler. That woman knew she could make some peach cobbler. Absorbed in the passing scenery, it took Jeff a couple of minutes before he realized they were headed away from the community center, not towards it.
“Where you goin’, man?”
“One stop, and then we’ll head for the center. Won’t take a second. I need to get some smokes. Okay?”
“Sure.” Jeff said, although he was furious, but his affection for Eddie ran deep. Eddie had been there for him. It was Eddie who’d showed him the ropes in middle school. It was Eddie who’d come to his rescue when the big guys had started picking on Jeff.
While Jeff excelled in school, Eddie did as little as possible. Eddie’s goofing off was really stupid, to Jeff’s way of thinking, especially considering that Eddie was a real whiz in math. Eddie got decent grades without putting in any study time, just from what he picked up in the classroom—when he bothered to show up. About the time Jeff was accepted at Cass Technical High School, Eddie started getting friendly with members of the gang. Soon he quit school and started using. Eddie had gotten into a few scraps, but nothing serious, thank goodness. Eddie was okay.
It wasn’t his fault he didn’t have a mom like Anthia on his back twenty-four-seven. Nor did he have a coach like Charles sticking his neck out for him. Jeff wondered: if he really tried maybe he could convince Eddie to try the community center.
Jeff was so absorbed in thought that he didn’t notice they had circled the same block twice before Eddie slowed the car and eased to a stop outside a convenience store.
“I’ll be right back. Do me a favor, will you, bro? Get behind the wheel and keep the motor runnin’. This old thing might not start up if I cut it off.” At Jeff’s look of surprise, Eddie grinned. “It’s an old piece of junk. But hell, it’s moving.”
“No problem,” Jeff said sliding over. “But you’d better not be trying to pull nothin’ on me, man.”
“Naw! Be right back.”
“You’ve got five minutes. Then we ride.”
“Right.” Eddie grinned, jumping out and heading for the nearly deserted store. One hand deep in his pocket, he used the other to pull his knit cap down on his head.
Jeff’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel. He tried to ignore the feeling... the bad feeling that Eddie was up to something. Because of the glare of the sun, he didn’t have a clear view of the store or of the clerk behind the counter. All he saw was Eddie standing by the back cooler. Minutes ticked away. Then a woman and little girl came out of the store. Then an elderly man left while Eddie seemed to be fascinated with the soft drink section. After a few more minutes passed Eddie was at the counter with his back to Jeff. But he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to make his purchase and leave.
Growing tired of waiting, Jeff jumped out of the car, leaving it running, with the keys in the ignition, and headed for the store. “Hey, man, what’s the problem?” he asked.
Eddie sent a quick glance over his shoulder. The guy behind the counter was holding his hands out in front of him, not moving a muscle.
“This fool is scared.” Eddie laughed through the folds of the scarf over the lower half of his face. He tossed something at Jeff, his eyes never leaving the clerk, who seemed too scared to move. “Hold this while I get my money.” Jeff’s reflexes were superb. He caught the gun without thinking. He froze, suddenly realizing what was going on. “Are you nuts, Eddie? I don’t want any part of this.”
“Just point it, fool. And keep your mouth shut,” Eddie said, backhanding the man and shoving him aside. He began filling a bag with the contents of the cash register.
Stunned, Jeff watched as Eddie kicked the guy on the floor. “Let’s get out of here.”
The man on the floor reached under the counter for the silent security alarm and a gun.
Eddie was out the door first. Jeff was several steps behind when he heard a loud pop and felt a searing pain burning down the center of his back into his legs. He crumpled like a rag doll on the dirty linoleum floor.
***
“Where’s Jeff?” Charles asked, as the boys started piling into the van.
The fellows looked at one another. Finally, Luis, a short, thin kid, spoke up. “He’s probably just late, Mr. Randol. When Bob and I stopped at his place, he said he couldn’t leave the house until his mom got home. Said he’d meet us here.”
“I saw him get in a car with Eddie near the bus stop. Maybe he changed his mind about the meet?” Brent added.
Mike groaned. “Eddie’s trouble.”
“Who’s Eddie?”
“Just some crackhead from Jeff’s old neighborhood,” said Dexter Washington. “Jeff mentioned trying to get him involved in the center.” Dexter had been managing the community center for several years. He’d grown up in a rough eastside neighborhood.
“I hope he can. The kid needs to know there are other options.”
“He’ll be hard to convince.”
“Why do you say that?”
Dexter shrugged. “He’s dealin’, man.”
Charles was frowning. “Jeff doesn’t usually run with that kind of crowd.”
“Naw. But they been tight since the cradle, man,” Luis supplied.
Glancing once more at his watch, Charles said, “We may have enough time to drop by his place before heading on out. Okay, fellows, let’s put a move on it.”
Jeff wasn’t at home. Anthia was insistent that Jeff had left home on his way to the community center. Dexter and Charles exchanged worried looks.
“Think we should call the police?” Charles asked Dexter, as they walked back to the van.
“What good would it do? The kid’s late, not missing. Hit it, we got a meet to win.”
“Yeah,” Charles said, putting the van into gear. But he couldn’t dismiss Jeff from his mind in spite of the team’s first win.
Everyone was ready for food by the time Charles pulled into his own winding drive. Charles just hoped Diane was ready.
Diane met them at the front door dressed in a red jogging suit. Charles loved the color on her but still couldn’t help feeling disappointed that it couldn’t be the sexy red lace teddy.
“I hope everyone is hungry?” Diane said with a smile, once the introductions were made. “Come on. Everything is set up in the dining room.”
A hefty buffet had been laid out on the side table: spaghetti, meatballs, corn on the cob, seven-layer salad, loaves of garlic bread, and soft drinks. Chocolate layer cake and homemade vanilla ice cream rounded out the meal.
Before the dessert had disappeared, the boys were laughing and talking while Heavy D played in the background. After tons of food, the fellows played videogames and pool in the recreation room.
“Thanks, baby.” Charles leaned over and kissed Diane’s neck, taking the heavy tray of dirty dishes from her. “Everything was great. You and Mrs. Sheldon did a fantastic job.”
Diane laughed, happy at his obvious approval. “It was fun. Maybe we can have a little swim team of our own someday. What do you think?”
Charles grinned his voice suddenly huskier, deeper. “Sounds good to me. I won’t be gone long. We can discuss it in detail when I get back,” he whispered close to her ear. “Say, in bed?”
“Maybe...” She began with a smile.
“Maybe? I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Get out of here. The others are waiting for you.”
“Leave the dishes. I’ll clean up when I get back.”
“Forget the dishes. I have something else for you to focus your attention on... me.” She formed the last word silently, her soft lips as ripe and luscious as a succulent strawberry.
Charles pressed a quick, hard kiss against her mouth. “Hold that thought. I’ll be back as soon as I drop the others off.”