Chapter 7
Nydia’s departure was a repeat of her arrival: dinner with Jasmine, Hannah, and Tonya in the hotel’s private dining room. Her gaze lingered on each of her friends, and she felt their loss even before leaving them.
Her month-long stay had sped by quickly. She’d become accustomed to ordering beignets and café au lait for breakfast, but she knew when she returned to New York, it would be a bagel with cream cheese and coffee light and sweet. And she had also gotten used to the sweltering summer temperatures and oppressive humidity.
The first time she’d set out on foot to explore the central business district she’d discovered the Outlet Collection at the Riverwalk. Nydia felt like a kid in a candy shop when she strolled through the mall with more than 120 stores. It had become the perfect place for her to shop for Christmas gifts. It had taken several days for her to cross off all the items on the list she wanted to give her parents, grandmother, brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces. She also took advantage of the hotel’s business office services when she wrapped and shipped her purchases to her parents’ brownstone for safekeeping until it came time for the family’s Christmas Eve tradition of exchanging gifts.
Jasmine and Cameron had returned from their honeymoon tanned and seemingly more in love with each other, and the new bride had enlisted her support when she admitted she had to shop for clothes to accommodate her thickening waistline.
Tonya and Gage were featured in the entertainment section of the local newspaper after a renowned food critic had interviewed them about the impending launch of their new supper club in the Garden District. He’d been assigned to critique the Singletons’ anniversary soirée and their son’s wedding, and the columnist had given the professional chefs rave reviews and had highly recommended reservations once Toussaints opened to the public.
Her gaze lingered on Hannah, who’d talked incessantly about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the ongoing renovations to her ancestral home. She claimed she was eager to begin her new career as an innkeeper.
Hannah met her eyes. “I know you’re tired of me beating my gums, but this is the last time I’m going to ask you whether you want to be the DuPont Inn’s CFO.”
Nydia felt all eyes on her as she gave the lawyer a direct stare. “I’m still not sure.”
“What aren’t you sure about?” Tonya asked.
“Whether I want to move from New York.”
“What’s keeping you there?” Hannah questioned. “Didn’t you tell us you’re no longer seeing your deadbeat boyfriend?”
“I broke up with Danny almost a year ago.” Nydia didn’t know why, but she felt as if she were being interrogated about a crime she did not commit.
Tonya glared at her. “So, there’s really nothing in New York to keep you from relocating.”
“What about my family?” Nydia said defensively.
“That’s the same excuse I used,” Jasmine added. “I didn’t want to leave my parents because I’m an only child. Meanwhile I had no idea they’d planned to leave New York and move to North Carolina.”
Nydia blinked slowly. “Your circumstances were different. Your parents were leaving New York, and you’re pregnant with Cameron’s baby.”
“That’s bullshit, chica, and you know it! I had no idea I was carrying Cameron’s baby when I came down for Tonya’s wedding. And even if I wasn’t pregnant, I’d still already committed to investing in the inn.”
Tonya dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin. “Maybe you should find a local man like the rest of us and give up the Big Apple for the Big Easy.”
“She already has,” Jasmine confirmed. “She went out with Lamar Pierce. When I first met him I thought he looked like the CNN journalist Don Lemon. That was when Cameron told me Don Lemon is also a native Louisianian.”
Nydia rounded on Jasmine. “Since when did you become a snitch?” She did not want to believe her best friend had revealed what she’d told her was a secret.
“Are you talking about Lamar Pierce who lost his wife in a drunken driving accident?” Hannah questioned.
Jasmine nodded. “Yes.”
Nydia sat, stunned, when Hannah related the details of Lamar losing his wife. “Everyone said they were the perfect couple. Valerie was a flight attendant, and she was on her way to the airport when a drunk driver hit the taxi in which she was a passenger and it burst into flames, instantly killing her and the driver.”
Nydia folded her hands in her lap. “How long ago did it happen?”
Hannah crossed her arms under her breasts. “It will be four years this Christmas. I remember the incident because I’d come back home to celebrate the holiday with Paige and LeAnn. Her death had become front page news because the driver of the other car was the grandson of a wealthy local oilman.”
Tonya leaned forward. “What happened to him?” she asked Hannah.
“He was arrested and his family hired a high-priced attorney, who got the judge to agree to an exorbitant bail and the forfeiture of his passport. The lawyer claimed he wasn’t drunk, but had neglected to take his bipolar medication. The lawyer also asked for a change of venue because he knew his client could never get a fair trial in New Orleans. The spoiled little shit had been involved in several DUIs.”
“What happened to him?” It was Nydia’s turn to repeat Tonya’s query.
“He OD’d on heroin a month before he was scheduled to stand trial. I don’t know whether it’s true, but I’d heard through the legal grapevine that Lamar sued the family’s estate for the wrongful death of his wife and the mother of his daughter. The case was settled out of court and all documents relating to it sealed.”
Nydia rested a hand over her throat. She’d invited Lamar and his daughter to celebrate Christmas with her and her family not knowing of the tragedy that had torn his family apart during the most festive holiday season of the year.
Hannah lowered her arms and took a sip of wine. “When you went out with him, he didn’t tell you about losing his wife?”
“No.”
“How many times did you see him?”
“Just once.”
“Maybe they didn’t talk but decided to do other things that were much more pleasurable than talking,” Tonya teased with a dimpled grin. “Look what happened to Jasmine when Cameron asked her out for what should’ve been one date.”
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you about that,” Jasmine mumbled under her breath.
Nydia pointed at Jasmine. “See how it feels when someone snitches on you.”
Hannah threw up a hand. “Stop it! We’re all grown-ass women who shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about what we do with our men.”
“Like St. John going commando and you giving him a lap dance in the backyard?” Tonya said, deadpan.
“Damn!”
“Coño!”
Jasmine and Nydia had spoken at the same time. “You didn’t tell us that,” Jasmine said accusingly.
A flash of humor crossed Hannah’s face. “That’s because what goes on in the family stays in the family.”
“And what are we, Hannah? Chopped liver? Just because you and Tonya are married to cousins, does that make me and Nydia outsiders?”
A noticeable blush appeared on Hannah’s cheeks with Jasmine’s sharp retort. “I’m sorry I made you feel like an outsider. I never thought I’d say it, but you, Nydia, and Tonya are the sisters I wish I’d had. You women have always had my back and for that I’ll be eternally grateful, and that means I trust y’all with my life.”
Nydia felt tears prick the back of her eyelids with Hannah’s passionate entreaty. Even though she did not have a sister, she felt as close to the three women as if they were related by blood. “Dial it down, Hannah, or you’ll have all of us crying and soupin’ snot.”
Hannah touched a napkin to the corners of her green eyes. “I know I can get a little emotional at times but—” She didn’t get to finish her statement because the other three women at the table tossed cocktail napkins in her direction. Throwing back her head, she laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks.
Nydia pressed her palms together. “I’m not going to promise anything definitive at this time, but I’ll let you know once I get back to New York and tie up a few loose ends when I’m going to join you all as an innkeeper.” She knew her pronouncement had shocked those sitting at the table when they stared at her. “Isn’t that what you wanted to hear?”
They recovered enough to flash wide grins. It had taken months of uncertainty, but now that Nydia had committed to becoming an innkeeper she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her. Not only had she missed her friends but she also had come to love New Orleans enough to make it her home. She’d talked about leaving her family when they were only a phone call away. And with FaceTime, she could see them anytime she wished.
“Why are y’all sitting there like bumps on a log?” She raised her wineglass. “It’s time we toast my new beginning.”
Tonya winked at Nydia. “Now you sound like a real Southerner when you say ‘y’all’ for ‘you all.’ ”
“Does this mean I can call y’all heifers instead of putas?”
Jasmine landed a soft punch on her shoulder. “You’re incorrigible.”
“And you love me for it, don’t you?”
Jasmine rested her head against Nydia’s. “You bet I do. I wouldn’t have you any other way.” She reached for her clutch on the table beside her plate and opened it. “I wanted to wait until tonight to give you guys something to show my appreciation for supporting me when I needed it most. Hannah, I thank you for helping me get what I deserved during my divorce. Tonya, I can’t thank you and the Toussaints enough for the incredible dishes you created for my wedding. And Nydia, chica, I’ll always love you for encouraging me to go out with Cameron, because I had no idea I could be this happy.”
She handed each of them a velvet drawstring bag. “I know y’all saw Girls Trip, where four best friends come to New Orleans wearing necklaces with ‘FP’ for ‘Flossy Posse.’ We’re not the Flossy Posse but from now on we’ll be known as ‘The Innkeepers.’”
Nydia opened the bag, and a pendant suspended from a white gold chain shimmered on her palm. The letters TI were at least an inch-long drop and covered with a shimmering display of blue-white diamonds. Her gasp echoed Tonya’s and Hannah’s. Jasmine had given her a diamond bangle as a gift for being her maid of honor and now the pendant.
“You didn’t have to do this, mija,” she said.
“Yes, I did, chica. We all have hit bumps in the road we call life and have overcome. That’s not to say that there won’t be other bumps, and if there are, then I want y’all to be there for me. We may all come from different mamas, but if I had to choose my sisters, then it would be the women seated at this table.” Pushing back her chair, Jasmine stood up, gathered her clutch, and walked out of the room, leaving them staring at her back.
“Let her go,” Nydia said, when Hannah stood up to follow Jasmine. “She gets even more upset when people see her cry.”
“It has to be hormones,” Tonya stated.
Hannah retook her chair. “I just don’t want Cameron to believe that we’ve upset his wife. The man is like a rabid pit bull when it comes to Jasmine. Say one wrong thing about her, he’s coming for your throat.”
“That’s because he’s been afflicted with a condition called love,” Tonya said. “The man waits until he’s ready to join AARP to fall in love, marry, and become a first-time father.”
“Don’t knock it, Tonya,” Hannah countered. “There are times when I can’t believe how much I love St. John. It’s not to say I didn’t love my first husband, but this time it’s different, because I trust St. John. And to me, trust in a marriage supersedes love.”
“Don’t forget the fact that Daddy is taking care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of. Didn’t you say that St. John takes care of business in bed?” Nydia teased. Hannah nodded. “I rest my case, counselor.” She gave Tonya a sidelong glance. “And I know your papi is laying pipe right.”
Tonya covered her eyes as she burst into laughter. “What are we going to do with that mouth?”
“Nothing, but accept the truth, Mrs. Toussaint. I saw that hickey on your neck you tried to cover with a bandana the night of the Singletons’ anniversary dinner. It was apparent Gage was sampling more than the dishes he’d prepared.”
Hannah lifted pale eyebrows. “You seem very glib when it comes to love, and I’m willing to bet that one of these days you’ll meet a man who will turn your life upside down and for the good.”
“I doubt if that’s going to happen,” Nydia countered. “And besides, I’m not ready to deal with a man at this time in my life.”
“What about Lamar?” Hannah asked.
Nydia shook her head. “Especially not Lamar. I don’t think I have the temperament to get involved with a man with a teenage daughter. We would clash and combust like tossing a match on gasoline.” She stood up and rounded the table and hugged Tonya, and then Hannah. “I’m going to turn in because I have to be up early for my flight.”
Hannah kissed her cheek. “When are you coming back?”
“I’ll call and let you know.” She blew a kiss to Tonya. “Love you.”
Nydia walked out of the dining room and headed for the elevators. She never liked goodbyes, especially if there would be distance between her and the ones from which she departed. During the ride to her suite she recalled what Hannah had said about Lamar losing his wife, and there was no way she could imagine his grief when he’d been told the mother of his child had died in a fiery crash. And the fact that he was still wearing his wedding ring indicated he hadn’t stopped grieving for her.
She liked Lamar, enjoyed spending time with him, but she drew the line when it came to becoming romantically involved with him, because there was no way she would be able to compete with a dead woman for his love. She’d been in a relationship where unknowingly she had become the other woman, and she vowed it would never happen again.
Reaching into the pocket of her jeans she took out the key card and the velvet bag with the pendant Jasmine had given her. Her friend had had a jeweler design the pendants in advance of her agreeing to become an innkeeper. And Nydia wondered if Jasmine knew her better than she knew herself. Well, she had given Hannah her word that she would invest in the DuPont Inn, and anyone who knew Nydia Stephanie Santiago knew she never went back on her word.
* * *
Nydia waited a week after returning to New York to unblock Danny’s number and call him. His phone rang three times before he picked up.
“Hola, muñeca.”
She frowned. Nydia hated when he used her father’s endearment for her. “Hello, Danny.”
“I guess you got my message.”
“Yes. Millie said you wanted me to call you.”
“Did she tell you I got a recording contract?”
“Yes,” she half lied. She’d viewed the television segment minutes before her cousin’s call. “Congratulations! It’s well deserved.”
“Thank you. It is possible for me to see you?”
“For what, Danny?”
“I thought we’d get together and celebrate over dinner.”
Nydia shook her head although he couldn’t see her. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Look, Nydia, I know what we had didn’t end well, but I’ve been getting together with everyone who has been supportive to me during my journey to secure a record deal. And you’re the last on the list of those I need to thank in person.”
Shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed, Nydia adjusted the pillows cradling her back and shoulders. She wanted to reject his offer to meet, yet she registered something in his voice that wouldn’t permit her to tell him no. What, she thought, could it hurt to see him one more time? And it wasn’t as if they would reconcile, because she’d agreed to become an innkeeper in New Orleans.
“Okay, Danny. Where do you want to meet?”
“How about El Rincon?”
Nydia smiled. Danny knew that was her favorite restaurant. “I’m okay with El Rincon.”
“Are you busy tomorrow night?”
Monday night fit into her plans because she’d promised her mother she would come by and spend the day with her. She owed it to Isabel to tell her in person that she was planning to move to New Orleans. “Tomorrow night works well for me. What time do you want to meet?”
“I’ll pick you up at six.”
Did he really believe she was that gullible? There was no way she wanted him to know where she lived. “I’m not going to be home. What if I meet you at the restaurant at six?” she countered.
A pregnant silence ensued before Danny said, “Okay. I’ll meet you there at six.” There came another pause. “Thank you, Nydia.”
“You’re welcome, Danny.”
She tapped the screen, disconnecting the call, and set the phone on the bedside table. Seeing her ex again would not only close a chapter on what they’d had, but also the book. Danny had sacrificed a relationship with her to make his dream a reality, and she was truly happy for him.
* * *
Nydia unlocked the door leading to the first story in her parents’ brownstone. It was apparent her father had replaced the runner along the hallway and the carpeting on the staircase, which had begun to show signs of wear.
Luis Santiago had prided himself on being an excellent landlord. Since his retirement from the NYPD he’d taken over some of the maintenance responsibility from the elderly longtime building superintendent. Her father now shoveled snow and mowed the small patch of lawn at the rear of the property. He’d also parceled off a section of the backyard for his wife, who’d planted an herb garden along with tomatoes and peppers.
She rang the bell to the apartment even though she had a key.
“It’s open,” Isabel shouted from somewhere inside.
Nydia pushed open the door and entered the expansive entryway with its exquisite parquet floor in a herringbone pattern. It had taken years for her parents to restore the property to its original magnificence. She walked through the living and dining rooms to the kitchen, where she found her mother and grandmother sitting at the table watching the television that rested on the countertop.
“No digas nada,” Ana Medina whispered without taking her eyes off the television when her granddaughter kissed her.
Nydia swallowed a groan. She should have known better than to come when Maury was on. It was rare that her grandmother missed the Maury and Jerry Springer shows. And because Isabel closed her salon on Mondays, the older woman had recruited her daughter to watch them with her. She sat through two segments of “You are and you’re not the father!” before garnering her mother’s attention and signaling she wanted to talk to her.
Nydia looped her arm through Isabel’s and led her out of the kitchen and into the family room. The obvious gray in her mother’s short, wavy, dark hair indicated she’d stopped dyeing it. And those who saw them together were astounded by their resemblance. It was as if Nydia were Isabel’s younger clone.
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Isabel whispered. She sat on the love seat, and Nydia dropped down next to her.
Nydia gave her mother a sidelong glance. “I thought you liked Maury.”
“It was entertaining when I first started watching it, but after a while there’s a limit to the theatrics.”
“It’s too ratchet for me,” Nydia admitted. “And you know I’m not into sitcoms or reality TV.” She’d grown up watching nighttime dramas with her mother. “Where’s Papi?”
“He went fishing with a few of his retired buddies. I didn’t tell you, but they pooled their money and bought a twenty-foot boat. They moor it off City Island, and a couple of times a week they go fishing.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was. At first I thought they used the boat just to hang out and drink beer, but when Luis came home with an ice chest filled with almost a dozen fish I was really impressed.”
“Good for him.” It was nice that her father had found a new hobby other than tinkering around the house. “I came over to tell you that I’ve decided to accept Hannah’s offer to invest in her inn.”
It had only become a reality for Nydia when she’d downloaded and printed out Hannah’s partnership agreement. She’d read it over twice and then forwarded it to her attorney sister-in-law for her approval. Twenty-four hours later she received an email with a thumbs-up emoji. It was only when she’d electronically signed the contract and authorized her bank to wire a check to Hannah that she’d felt compelled to tell her family about her future plans.
Isabel’s expression spoke volumes as a smile spread across her face. “Oh, I’m so happy for you. When you first told me about your friend’s offer to make you a partner in her business I kept waiting for you to say you’d do it.”
“But why didn’t you say something, Mami?”
Isabel’s lids lowered over her dark green eyes. “Because I didn’t want you to think I was trying to run your life. I heard that enough when you were younger.”
Nydia laced her fingers through her mother’s. “That’s because I thought I knew everything.”
Isabel smiled. “A hard head makes for a soft behind.”
“Now that I look back I would’ve preferred you spank my behind rather than be grounded for half my childhood.”
“I had good reasons for grounding you. I can put up with a lot of things, but not my children talking back when I tell them to do something. Your brothers were quick learners, but it seemed as if you had a problem with your hearing, because everything I’d say would go in one ear and out the other.”
Nydia nodded. “And I remember you wishing when I have a daughter she’ll be just like me. Then I’ll know what you had to go through.”
Isabel shook her head. “Now that I look back I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Not even you. It was as if you couldn’t stop challenging me.”
“Papi said I was just exercising my independence.”
“As far as your father was, and still is, concerned you can do no wrong.”
“I didn’t turn out too badly, did I?”
“You turned out wonderfully.” Isabel kissed her hair. “And I’m even more proud of you now that you’re going into business for yourself.” Isabel paused. “And whatever time I have left on this earth I don’t ever want you to call me again and say that you were fired without cause.”
Nydia rested her head on her mother’s shoulder. “I hope it never happens again, too.” She knew if she were to secure a position with another company, bank, or investment firm there was no guarantee she wouldn’t experience what she had with Wakefield Hamilton.
“When are you leaving?”
“I don’t know, Mami. Renovations are still ongoing. Hannah is hoping they’ll be completed before the end of October.”
“That’s next month, Nydia.”
“True. I’ve given Tonya money to pay rent on her apartment through the end of the year. And when she notifies building management she’s not going to renew the lease, then they’ll have to return her security, which she has promised to give to me.”
“And that means what?” Isabel asked.
“I’ll probably move sometime around the end of December or the first week in January.”
Isabel shifted, looking directly at Nydia. “Do you still plan to celebrate Christmas with the family?”
“Of course. And speaking of Christmas I invited someone I met in New Orleans to join us for Christmas Eve.”
“Is that someone a man?”
“Don’t give me that look, Mami. Yes, it’s a man, and if he comes then, he’s bringing his daughter.”
“How old is the child?”
“Ten.”
“What about her mother?”
Nydia exhaled an audible sigh. “She died four years ago just before Christmas.”
Isabel emitted a soft gasp. “It must have been devastating for that child to lose her mother at that age.”
“I’m sure it was and still is.”
“Have you heard the news about Danny Ocasio getting a record deal?” Isabel asked, deftly changing the topic of conversation.
“Yes. Millie called and told me he wanted to talk to me.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. We spoke yesterday, and I’m going to meet him tonight at El Rincon. It will probably be the last night we’ll ever see each other. There’s no doubt he’s going to be a superstar recording artist, and I’m moving to New Orleans.”
“Are you certain you don’t want to reconcile with him now that he’s signed a lucrative contract?”
Nydia closed her eyes for several seconds. “I’m very certain. There were issues other than money that impacted our relationship.” She would never reveal to her mother that Danny had told his friends he didn’t need to hold down a steady job because his girlfriend earned enough to support him until he broke into the music business. And once he became a star he could have any woman he wanted.
She didn’t want to discuss Danny. “I’m going back to sit with Abuelita. She always complains that she doesn’t see me enough.”
Isabel pushed to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”