Just Can't Let Go

“Can you meet me at Strip in Atlantic Station?”

Answering Dakota’s call ended my chat with Trés. I walked away from the Buddha statue in his house, saying, “I’m on my way.”

My heart raced with anticipation of the unknown. Lord, please let her have good news. The meeting with my family was inspirational. All of us were moving forward. I was most proud of Sandara. Outside of Mercedes telling our baby sister she wasn’t qualified to give Alexis advice on having a kid, I was pleased.

Mercedes might want to stop being judgmental, take a long look in a mirror, and admit she was not perfect. None of us was. Not me. Not Phoenix.

“Great. I’m upstairs outside on the patio sitting at a high table overlooking the courtyard. It’s a beautiful day. Bring your sunglasses.”

Sunglasses? Oh, no. I told myself, don’t read into her saying that. Stay optimistic. “Be there in twenty minutes.”

Since the day Phoenix mentioned managing Ebony, Trés had become my confidant. I shared intimate details about my feelings for Phoenix that my fiancé was not aware of.

I wanted a man whom I could be proud of. My fiancé was never that guy. I always believed in him more than he did in himself. Paying our bills wasn’t a problem. I had to do that regardless. Phoenix’s not making enough to provide for our daughter or himself bothered me.

I told Tres, “I can’t stay for drinks tonight. Have to meet with my investigator.”

“I can go with you, Dev, for support. Never know what bomb she’s going to drop,” he said, picking up his keys.

That was true, but what if there was no bomb. If I was wrong, and there was no explosion, either way this was my relationship. Perhaps she had good news. I chose to remain hopeful. Regardless of how others felt, I did not want my daughter growing up without her father. I made the decision to have Nya. If I had to, I’d do exactly like my mother had done with me. I’d put my little girl’s happiness ahead of mine.

Trés embraced me. I shouldn’t get comfortable being at his house after we left the set. With the best of intentions to remain faithful, the unexpected could happen. I found myself here again knowing the peacefulness of his home was what I needed after a hard yet productive day of work.

Inhaling the sweet vanilla scent of burning candles while we were chanting in front of the jade life-size waterfall statue of Buddha made me want to forgive Phoenix no matter what Dakota told me. Relaxation music played at a soothing audible tone that I could hardly hear. I didn’t want to leave but I had to go.

“I’ll call you later if I need to talk. You’ve been a real friend. And for that, I can never repay you.”

Trés hugged me. “Your indebtedness is no good with me. I love you, Dev. The time of day or night doesn’t matter. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

Getting in my car, I waved good-bye, then turned down my radio. Trés would say loud music could at times be entertaining for the soul. The faint sound of birds chirping, water falling, and wind blowing, feeds the spirit. He was right. There were times when I’d drift into meditation simply embracing the moment with him.

It wasn’t necessary to talk all the time. In fact, learning when to sit still and be quiet was more beneficial than my having the last word.

Taking a ticket, I entered the garage at Atlantic Station. I wondered how Trés’s wife felt about him. Was he one of those men who masked their true selves while marking their territory?

The grass was always greener from a distance.

I rode the escalator to the upper level, bypassed Z Gallerie furniture store, entered Strip. The security person inside made the guy in front of me remove his baseball cap. I walked around them, went upstairs. Exiting onto the patio, Dakota waved.

“Glad you could make it.” Patting the stool next to her, she said, “Sit beside me.”

The waiter brought me a glass of iced water and handed me a menu.

Before he could ask what I wanted to drink, I ordered a cabernet. “I haven’t eaten. I need to order something. Please come back soon,” I told him. I knew alcohol shouldn’t be my first consumption of the day but what if Dakota gave me bad news?

Dakota told me, “I haven’t eaten dinner. I waited for you. How was your day?”

I stared at the camera on the edge of the table closer to her. Made me think of the video Mercedes showed me with Benjamin and his mistress.

The waiter returned. I was starving but decided on the sushi. Didn’t want to throw up if what she was going to show me made me sick. Dakota ordered a steak medium.

“If you don’t mind, I’m more concerned about what you have to share with me than recapping my day.”

Dakota held my hand. “I want you to take a few deep breaths. What I must show you will probably shock you, but I understand your request to view it now. I’m not going to delay giving you this information. I’m also not leaving you hanging. I have a plan in place. All you have to do is give me permission to proceed.”

Felt like my heart stopped, then accelerated. “Is it that bad?” Was I getting ready to crash into a cement wall?

“Let me show you,” she said, picking up the camera.

My cab came on time. Focusing on the footage, there was nothing unusual about her trailing Phoenix’s car. I took a sip, keeping my eyes on the video.

I said aloud. “Okay, he didn’t go that far.” It was about a mile from our home. “He’s still in Brookhaven. That’s our neighborhood.” I frowned. “Whose house is he parking in front of?”

“Keep watching,” she said.

The waiter placed our food on the table. I held on to my glass of cab. I swear what I saw . . . “Can’t be.”

Phoenix got out of his car. Took Nya out of her car seat. Carried our baby to the front door, unlocked the door with . . . a key? No one let him in?

“Aw, hell no!” I said.

The waiter fast approached. “Is everything okay?”

Dakota calmly replied, “We’re fine.”

No, I was not fine. I was very concerned, more so about my child.

“A few more minutes, then I’ll explain the details,” she said briefly touching my hand.

Wasn’t sure if I could take much more. A black Benz drove up. Immediately I recognized the vehicle with the license plate AYMSSIK. She parked next to me at the studio all the time. Ebony got out carrying a bag marked ‘Houston’s’.

I insisted. “Stop the video. I’ve seen enough.”

“Okay,” she said. “I agree that you don’t need to see everything. If you change your mind at any time, I can show you the rest.”

Not wanting to think the worst, I explained to her. “Phoenix’s mother is out of town for a few weeks. You heard Sandara say she’s modeling so she can’t babysit Nya. Phoenix is managing Ebony, so maybe they had business to discuss.”

Dakota nodded. “Did you see Phoenix, your fiancé, let himself into Ebony’s house? That was not the only time.”

I became quiet. I wanted to nod but I couldn’t move.

“Dev, Ebony lives in Conyers with her husband. And she also owns that house in Brookhaven. She has property in Hawaii, New York, and a few other places.”

“Who’s her husband?”

Dakota shook her head. “You don’t know.”

“I knew she was married, but I didn’t dig into her personal life. That’s not my business.”

Quietly, Dakota exhaled, glanced toward the courtyard, then looked at me. “Buster Jackson is her husband. He’s the primary angel investor for your series.”

I froze. Felt like I was going to die. The glass slipped from my hand, crashed to the floor. My empty hand was still in the air. I couldn’t breathe.

“You need to inhale. You’re going to be okay. It’s my job to make sure of it.”

I gasped. Started heaving between words. “I wasn’t expecting all of this. His company practically owns my production. If he pulls out, I won’t have a second season.”

“Don’t be so sure. Now that you know, what I recommend is you take this one step at a time. Don’t do anything irrational. If you feel like yelling, screaming, crying, or swearing, call me immediately. Buster’s name is not on the house in Brookhaven. He may or may not be aware of Ebony having that residence. I’m not sure. He probably doesn’t know about Ebony’s affair with Phoenix or Spencer Domino.” Dakota repeated, “Probably.”

OMG! “Well, that doesn’t surprise me. Spencer seems to be sticking his dick in lots of holes.” Disappointed in my man, I asked her, “So what now?”

“Don’t show Phoenix your hand. In fact, be a little nicer to him if you can.”

“Really? A part of me wants to kill him or at least make him wish he were dead.”

Calmly, Dakota said, “Really. Just a little sugar sprinkled on top. Don’t check him. That’s where some of my clients undo all I’ve done. I have a locksmith on standby right now a block from your home. When Phoenix gets home, when he’s asleep or in the shower, take his keys. Text me when you have them in hand. My locksmith guy will be out front at your place in seconds. Give him Phoenix’s key ring. He’ll make a copy of everything on the ring, then give it back to you. The set he makes is for me. I’ll let you know what’s next. Got it?”

I nodded. Tears poured down my face. “Do I get a copy?”

Firmly, Dakota said, “No.”

“He had my baby over there. Seriously, I want to kill him.”

“No, you’re not. He’s not going to harm Nya. Neither will Ebony. Look at me, Devereaux. It’s fucked up right now, but I got you. Get his keys. Let’s have them copied and move on to the next steps. You have to trust me on this.”