Destination D (26 page)

Amanda shook her head, her hands trembling around her glass. “Please, Amanda. I would love to see it. May I?”

Amanda couldn't believe that he knew her secret. She had always kept it in her wallet. It reminded her of the good times she used to have with him. Reluctantly, she reached for her purse and pulled out the picture.

“You had it laminated?” Rickey said surprised that she'd preserved it.

“Yeah, I guess I did,” she said, feeling embarrassed. She had looked at it so often that it had become worn and tattered.

“Tracey really knows you, doesn't she?”

Amanda smiled. “Too well, I suppose. I've really underestimated her.” She put the picture back in her wallet. She was afraid to ask her next question, but knew she had to. “So did you two start seeing each other shortly after that?”

Rickey nodded. “That same evening. And just about every evening after that when I was in Atlanta.” He paused reflectively. “I was even in town the night of her graduation party.”

Rickey looked up at Amanda and saw that tears were streaming down her cheeks. “Amanda, here, take this,” he said, giving her his napkin. He raised his arm and called the waitress over. The waitress came over and gave them a strange look. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, we're fine. May I just have the bill, please?”

“No dessert?” she said, handing him the check.

He handed her two hundred dollars. “No, we're leaving. Please keep the change.”

“Gee, thanks,” she said marveling at her 60 percent tip.

“No problem. Thanks for putting up with us.” He looked over at Amanda, who was still wiping tears from her face. He took her by the hand, “C'mon, let me get you out of here.”

“No, wait. I'll be okay.”

“Listen, you're not okay. Just look at you. I was just as shocked as you were when Tracey contacted me.”

Amanda cried again, and this time Rickey put his arm around her and escorted her out of the restaurant.

With their hands clasped together, they ran across 14th Street like two runaway kids darting between oncoming cars.

“Where are you taking me?”

“My suite at the Four Seasons,” he said as the doorman opened the lobby door.

“No, Rickey.”

“I just want us to talk in a more private setting,” he pleaded.

Amanda looked at him suspiciously. Rickey did a scouts honor symbol and then pushed the elevator button. It opened immediately. “After you,” he said, letting her get into the elevator first.

As they rode the elevator to the 40th floor, Amanda's ears popped a little. Rickey could sense her uneasiness as she kept her attention focused on the numbers lighting up at the top of the door. “We're here,” he said as the doors pulled open as if in command of his voice.

They walked to his room and slid the key card into the doorway. Amanda felt her body heat rise again as she caught herself staring at his physique. She watched his smooth hands push the door open and walk in first, signaling for her to follow him after he turned on the light.

“Rickey this is really nice,” Amanda said walking over to the black baby grand piano. She ran her fingers across the keys. It sat perched directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Across from it was a fifteen-foot sectional suede couch spread across the back of the wall. Across from that was a double fireplace that offered a sneak preview of the master bedroom.

“Thanks, I used to spend a lot of evenings here back when I played ball. C'mon, let me show you the rest of it.”

Rickey took Amanda by the hand and led her on the tour of the two-bedroom suite, which ended with the most elegant bedroom she had ever seen. Imported tapestries hung from the walls, and a large chandelier was the focal point in the ceiling, bathing the room in a romantic glow. The bed sat high above the floor, accentuated with four ornate posts that looked to be at least two feet wide.

“This sure is a lot of hotel for one person.”

“Well, I wasn't always single, Amanda.”

Amanda knew he had gotten married. It had been in all of the papers and on television.
Nurse Leaves the Medical Field And Enters the Major League.
“Yes, I know. Whatever happened to you and your wife?'

“You mean my
ex-wife,
Delores,” Rickey said sternly.

“Okay, I stand corrected. Your ex-wife.”

Rickey was silent for a few moments and then started to move toward her and stopped. “It was a big mistake. You know, I didn't even see it coming.”

“So, Delores gave you a shot of your own medicine, huh?”

Rickey laughed. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. Man, it seems like a lifetime ago. Women are just so forward now.”

“You mean
some
women, don't you?”

“Oh, no offense to you, Amanda. But, nowadays, whew,” he said as he took off his suit jacket and draped it across the sofa in the sitting area of the bedroom. Amanda saw his muscles through his onion-thin cotton shirt. He was still in great shape, she thought, catching herself again staring at his chiseled body.

Rickey sat down and rested his head on the back of the sofa, keeping his eye on Amanda who was still standing. “Sometimes every day was like Christmas for me. There was a time when I looked at women as beautifully wrapped packages and could open one up each day of the week.”

“Hmm, so I heard.”
What an asshole!

“Hey, I didn't mean to offend you, really.”

“No offense taken, Rickey. After all, I would only be lying to myself if I didn't say I was curious as to what you've been doing all of these years.”

Rickey took off his tie and opened the top two buttons on his shirt. Amanda got a quick preview of the smooth skin. She quickly turned her head around, embarrassed that he'd caught her staring at him.

“When we lost contact—”

“You mean when you never made contact with me!”

“Amanda, I still stand firm on what I said. I mean, damn it. I loved you and even though a baby wasn't in my plans—”

“You wanted me to have an abortion!”

“Yes, at first I did, but I knew that wasn't what you wanted, so we agreed that you would have the baby.”

“So, how come I never heard from you, huh? You accepted a scholarship to Notre Dame and then you were gone. I never heard from you again. The next thing I know, you're the number one draft pick and then you're off playing pro football.”

“I tried to make contact with you, I swear.”

“Here you go again with that lame excuse.”

“Amanda, I did, I swear. It's just that Mama wouldn't—”

“Your mother wouldn't what?”

Rickey got up from the sofa and walked in the opposite direction of Amanda.

“Rickey, your mother wouldn't what?”

Rickey turned slowly toward her and looked at her with turned down eyes. He inhaled and then released his breath. “I think Mama is responsible for me not getting your letters and for you not getting mine.”

“But why would she do that? I was about to enter my freshman year in college. I was having your baby and her grandbaby!”

“Amanda, you've got to understand. When my father died, she had to be responsible for my younger brother and me. Daddy had a good pension, but she still had to work to provide for Kyle and me. She didn't want anything or anyone to stand in the way of us being successful. When I told her you were pregnant, she told me that she would handle it.”

“Well, she handled it, all right.”

Rickey nodded. “She did. And I would write letters to you and leave them for Mama to mail.”

“And she never did…”Amanda's voice trailed off. “So, weeks turned into months, and months turned into several years, and all the while your mother was tampering with the mail.
She
was the one writing return to sender on all of my letters! She ruined our whole lives! She should be behind bars! Things could have been so different between us!”

“I know, Amanda. I just didn't realize it back then, you know?”

“I know,” Amanda said sarcastically. “You were just too tied up with football.”

Rickey dropped his head, humiliated as Amanda continued to chastise him. “But why didn't you just try and call me, Rickey? You could have at least called my parents.”

“I did! Twice. I spoke with your father both times.”

“He never told me.”

“Well, he told me that you didn't want anything to do with me. And he talked about how disappointed he was with me and how I hurt you. He thought that it was in everyone's best interest that I leave you and the baby alone. Shoot, he even threatened me.”

“Daddy?”

“Told me that if he ever saw my face, I wouldn't be capable of ever playing for another team again. He'd make sure of it! Shoot, that was enough for me tryin' to get in contact with you!”

Amanda's body shook, overcome with grief and pain. Rickey placed his arms around her as she felt herself dissolve into tears as Rickey spoke.

“That's when I decided to move on. I ran the women for a long time and then I got injured playing football.”

“I remember reading about it,” Amanda managed to say through her sniffles, feeling Rickey's fingers gently brushing her tears away.

“Delores was my nurse while I was in the hospital. We dated for a few months and, like a dummy, I thought she was in love with me. I found out she was in love with my money.”

“That's too bad, Rickey.”

“Yeah, for
her
it was. Fortunately for me, Mama was adamant about me getting a pre-nup. She hated Delores.” Rickey laughed. “Old girl went out of the marriage with what she came in with. Nothing.”

“Good ‘ol Mama, huh?” Amanda said under her breath.

“Well, she was then. She's gotten old, feeble, and forgetful now,” Rickey said sadly. “I had to place her in a nursing home when she started being a danger to herself. But she's in great hands.”

Amanda felt her barriers wash away with her tears as Rickey spoke. He walked over to her and lifted her face, then kissed her on the mouth. “I've never stopped loving you, Amanda, and I never will.”

Amanda could not think logically. She was so full of emotion that she allowed her passion to override her common sense. As she welcomed his kiss with an open mouth and a slip of her tongue, she suddenly felt her feet leave the ground. Amanda couldn't believe his strength. He lifted her up almost effortlessly, despite her weight, and laid her on the bed, stroking her long hair and caressing her breasts as he moved his fingers gingerly down the front of her dress and back up her thighs. Maneuvering his way to her backside, he gripped it and spread it open like ripe cantaloupe, hardly able to contain himself. He lifted her up with ease again, and removed her panty hose as his tongue found her sweet spot. She moved further down the bed, giving him permission for his fingers and his tongue to delve deeper.

Amanda moaned as she thought about how long she had dreamed of this moment. She still loved him. She still wanted him. And now she was alone with him in his bed, feeling the swell of his emotions rush inside of her. And, after seventeen years, she had finally forgiven him.

Lost and Found

O
h c'mon, Pam. Stop turning the poor guy down!”

“Well, since you seem to care about his feelings so much, then why don't you go out with him instead?” Pam placed the exquisite bouquet of oriental white lilies that Marc had just sent her into a vase. She had been avoiding his calls for several days, and he obviously thought this would be a good way to get her attention.

“So, is this the same guy that sent you those other exotic flowers, too?” Dee asked.

“Exotic flowers?”

“Oh, come on, girl, don't play dumb.”

Pam looked at her strangely until she remembered that Marc had sent her some flowers a while back. “Yes, he did send me some flowers. I had no idea what you were talking about.”

“How could you forget something as beautiful as those flowers?”

“Yes, they were lovely, but to tell you the truth, I hadn't had much time to even think about them. I was in the middle of the Tyfish case.”

“Yeah, obviously,” Dee said, looking at Pam suspiciously.

“I'm serious, girl. It was no big deal, really.”

“Well, the poor guy is obviously trying to make you think otherwise. What does he do for a living, anyway?

“He's a shrink, believe it or not.”

“Really? You ever talk to him about anything personal?”

Pam stopped arranging the flowers and gave Dee a puzzled look. “You're kidding, right? No way! And if I did have some issues, he would not be the one that I would tell them to.”

“Why not?”
You need to talk with somebody.

“Dunno. Just not my thing, I guess.”

“Well, I want to meet this man. Shoot! Ain't no need in both of us sitting around lonely. What's his name, anyway?”

“Marc something. It's so long, I can't really remember it. Listen, if you're interested in meeting him, I can set you up with him, okay?”

“Girl, I don't want to take
your
man!”

“He's not
mine
to take. Believe me. But if I did set you up with him, you know who will be upset.”

“Who?”

“Sedrick!” She looked at Dee and laughed.

“Oh, yeah, right! Whatever, girl. Seriously, though, why don't you just give the guy a chance?”

“Why don't
you
just give Sedrick a chance?”

“C'mon, Pam. That's not fair and you know it. Besides, I hear that's he's seeing some new woman now.”

Pam laughed. “Like she's competition for you?”

“Sedrick and I are good friends.”

“Because that's how
you
want it. He's been wantin' you since freshman year and you know it.”

“Here you go again…”

“Listen, I'll tell you what,” Pam said, choosing her words carefully. “If you get more open-minded about Sedrick, I'll
think
about getting more open-minded with Marc what's his name.” Pam giggled. “Is it a deal?”

“You know what, Pam? Just seeing you even entertain the thought of dating again makes me happy. I can't wait to meet this man.”

“So, you're saying you'll be open minded about Sed?”

“I'm not making any promises I can't keep, okay? But, I do have a better deal.”

“I'm afraid to ask. But, what is that?”

“If you agree to make amends with Amanda, I'll arrange the meeting and be there for the extra support.”

“Leave it alone, Dee.”

“But—”

“LET IT GO!”