Riding the Corporate Ladder (Indigo) (24 page)

He reached for her arm before she could get out. “Hey, how’d I do?” he asked.

She smiled. “You did great, Ron. You’re definitely an apt pupil.”

His grin was adorable. “Thanks, Deena. I try my best.”

Keshaun was out of sight, but it would be a while before Deena could get him out of her mind. The first night alone was the worst. She got home at seven-thirty and immediately began to think about him when she came in from the garage. The sight of her desolate hallway reminded Deena of how she crept through the night before with a pistol in hand. In the living room, she still saw her purse on the floor, cracked open with the contents spilled like a piñata.

She tried to avoid her bedroom altogether, but it was only a matter of time before she had to change out of her work clothes. She walked past the doorway a few times but eventually forced herself to stop being silly. What happened was unfortunate, but it was in the past, and it was over. Keshaun was not in her closet and he was not under her bed. Keshaun was a kind, passionate, and gentle lover, and he would never do anything to hurt her.

The matter settled, Deena stepped into her bedroom.

And everything was fine.

She undressed with no problems—even when she had to pull the camisole over her head. She didn’t start to feel weird again until she went to hang her suit up in the closet. When she turned to leave, a terrible thought struck her: Keshaun had been in the house all along. He followed her to the bedroom and was waiting there now. His eyes were wet and bloodshot, but, unlike last time, he had a solution to his woman problem: Keshaun had nylons to bind her, socks to gag her, and he brought a butcher knife from the kitchen to torture and slice the life from her.

He had a big, healthy, hard-on too, and he’d use it before, during, and after her bloody demise.

Deena had another gun in the closet with her, but common sense kicked in when she went to retrieve it.

There is no one out there. Keshaun does not want to kill you. Quit being silly.

That sounded like good advice, so Deena took it. She left the closet, and of course she did not find Keshaun in her bedroom. He wasn’t there the next day or the day after that, either. And by Friday Deena stopped worrying about him altogether. In her big book of life, Keshaun would be remembered as simply another scorned lover. And given her risqué lifestyle, he was now one of many.

* * *

On Sunday morning Deena woke up with a huge smile on her face rather than the look of foreboding she usually wore for encounters with her sister. She felt fresh and vibrant, so she went to the closet and pulled out khaki capri pants and a sleeveless blouse. The shirt was bright orange with a scoop neckline. The capris were comfortable and didn’t hug her hips and butt like most of her other pants. The colorful blouse looked good against her smooth, auburn skin, and she knew her bare shoulders were sexy.

She went to the bathroom to look over the outfit, and it was then that Deena realized a trip to the beauty salon was long overdue. She had split ends like nobody’s business, and her roots were starting to look a little fuzzy. She wouldn’t be able to get to a stylist for another week, so she took out a hot comb and gel and set out to the do the best she could with her limited skills.

Yesenia called while she was brushing out the last few kinks, and Deena put her on speakerphone.

“What up!”

“Hey, Deena. Whatchoo doing?”

“Trying to get my head together. I should’ve gone to the shop yesterday. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You going to your mom’s today?”

“Most definitely. Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Wow. You sound chipper. How come you didn’t call? You don’t want me to go with you?”

“I think I’ll be all right this time,” Deena said. “Sheila’s boyfriend dumped her.”

“The car salesman?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I don’t know, and it doesn’t even matter. I’m gonna laugh in her face so bad.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Whatever.”

“I wouldn’t even show up if I was her,” Yesenia said.

“She’ll be there,” Deena assured her. “Just like I’ll always be there. It’s the circle of life. And I’ve got a little surprise for her this time…”

“I’m scared to ask what.”

“It’s Ronald,” Deena said. “He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“That’s wrong,” Yesenia said. “You shouldn’t do him like that. You don’t even like him.”

“Yes, I do. Ronald’s making big strides. Did I tell you we went out this week?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well, he came up to the job and took me out to lunch. I actually had a good time with him—and, yes, that surprised the hell out of me, too.”

“You went out with him after what happened with Keshaun?”

“What’d you think, Keshaun and I needed some kind of grieving period?” Deena asked with a chuckle.

“No, but—”

“One monkey don’t stop the show,” Deena informed. “I forgot about Keshaun the very next morning.” That was a lie, but telling it felt good. It gave her a sense of empowerment.

“So are you taking Ron over there to get at your sister, or do you really like him?” Yesenia asked.

“Can’t it be a little of both?”

“It can be whatever you want, Deena. Only you know what your primary goal is.”

Deena sighed. Her friend was a big stick in the mud. “I think Ron will be happy either way.”

“That’s what you thought about Keshaun.”

That hurt, but Deena brushed it off. “You can’t compare them. Ron is nothing like Keshaun.”

“If you’re using him, then it is the same,” Yesenia warned. “Everything Keshaun felt, Ron can feel that, too. You don’t want to go through that again, do you? I mean, Ron probably won’t respond the same way, but still…”

Deena knew her friend was speaking the truth, but she still wished Yesenia would lighten up a little. Life is too short to spend all of your time worrying about people’s feelings. “I like Ronald,” she said. “We’ve been having a good time together, and I’m thinking about dating him. That’s the truth.”

“All right,” Yesenia said.

Left unsaid was what both of them were thinking: You don’t take a man you’re thinking about dating to meet your mom. That was a special and almost sacred right of passage, usually reserved for serious suitors.

“So how’s your love life going?” Deena asked, eager to change the subject.

Yesenia’s mood softened. “Oh, my God, Deena, Darren’s so wonderful. He’s taking me to a picnic this afternoon.”

Deena rolled her eyes. “A picnic?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that romantic?”

“Yeah, I guess if you want to sit on the ground and fight ants and bees all day.”

“Stop playing. You know you want to go picnicking sometimes.”

Actually, Deena never would have considered that as an ideal date. But now that she thought about it, picnics were great ventures for romance. You didn’t have to wait for a seat at a fancy restaurant, and you didn’t have to worry about nosey patrons or obnoxious waiters. You could feed each other and lie down and talk afterwards. You could kiss tenderly with a soft breeze blowing through your hair. And if you were secluded enough, you could make love like they did in Jason’s Lyric, one of Deena’s favorite movies.

“Are you cooking?” she asked.

“No,” Yesenia said. “Darren says he’s going to bring everything. We went to the mall yesterday and got a big basket. He’s going to bring the blankets, and food: some wine and cheese, grapes and strawberries…”

“Grapes and strawberries? Hey, now.”

“We’re just going to eat them. Calm down, freak nasty.”

“You’re not going to let him feed them to you?”

“Well…”

Deena could hear her friend blushing.

“I might let him feed me,” Yesenia admitted.

Deena’s smile was wide and wicked. “After he gives you a grape, suck his finger for a second,” she advised.

“Ewww!”

“Girl, quit playing. Like you ain’t never sucked a finger—or worse.”

“What is he gonna think if I do that?”

Deena giggled. “He’s going to think you really like him, and that you like to put his body parts in your mouth.”

Yesenia laughed. “I do want that, Deena. But I can’t tell him I want that.”

“I’m sure he already knows,” Deena said. “You’re just prolonging the inevitable.”

“You call it prolonging the inevitable. I see it as building a solid foundation. Our relationship will be stronger if we wait.”

“Really? I’m going to have to try that one day,” Deena said, knowing full well she wouldn’t.

* * *

Ronald showed up at eleven-thirty sharp. He was exceptionally neat and clearly anxious. He bent to scratch Boogie behind the ears when Deena opened the door, and the terrier closed his eyes and enjoyed the affection. When he stood, Deena expected at least half as much tenderness for herself, but she didn’t get it. Ron didn’t attempt a hug or even offer a handshake. He did look her up and down a bit wolfishly, but his greeting was prim and proper.

“Hello, Miss Newman. Nice to see you today.” He wore white Dockers pants and a light blue button-down with a plaid design. His belt was braided, and his shoes were expensive and without scuffs. Deena couldn’t wait for her family to see him.

“Well, how are you doing, handsome?” she asked with low, seductive eyes. She hoped he’d want to wrap his arms around her or possibly kiss her, but Ron didn’t get the hint.

“I’m doing great!” he said. “It’s a beautiful day and I’m spending my afternoon with an awesome lady. Deena, I can’t tell you how honored I am that you would ask me to go with you to your mom’s house. I never would have expected it—not in a million years.”

Deena was ominously reminded of something Yesenia told her, but she couldn’t think of exactly what it was. “You’re a great guy,” she said. “You’re smart and funny. They’re going to like you.”

“I’m more worried about you liking me,” he said.

She smiled and gave him seductive eyes again. “I like you just fine.” She was sure he’d want to touch her this time, but Ronald backed out of the doorway instead.

“You ready to go?” he asked from the porch.

Deena narrowed her eyes and turned to grab her purse. “Yeah. Here I come.”

* * *

Things didn’t get off to a great start, but Deena still had high expectations for the Sunday dinner with her family. They left in Ron’s car and talked a lot on the way to the south side. Ron wanted to know about everyone who would be there. He wanted names, descriptions, and even mannerisms. Deena was curious about why he desired the information. She assumed it was just part of his nerdy personality.

But she was wrong.

What Ron really had in mind was making a great first impression, and he couldn’t have done better with that. When they got to Miss Bernice’s house, he spoke to everyone as if they were long-lost friends. Aunt Cheryl was the first to greet them when they walked in.

“Deena! How’s it going, baby?”

“I’m doing just fine,” Deena said and wrapped her arms around the large woman. She backed away with a sly smile curling her lips. “This is my friend Ron. He’s a computer programmer.”

Aunt Cheryl was supremely surprised. She gave Deena’s date a once-over with a hesitant grin. “It’s nice to meet you.” She stuck out her hand, and Ronald shook it briskly.

“Hi,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about you, ma’am. I hope your book does well. I would love to read your manuscripts sometime.”

Aunt Cheryl blushed and her smile became warmer. “Oh, well, I appreciate that. But I hope Dee Dee told you I just sent it in for further review. They haven’t accepted it yet.”

“That’s all right,” Ron said. “All we can do is our best. If you work hard and persevere, things will eventually go your way. And if they don’t send you a contract, I still want to read it. I love romance.”

Deena didn’t know if he was being honest, but Aunt Cheryl certainly liked the endorsement.

“Thanks, child. I’ll print out a copy for you—if you’re serious.”

Ron nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am. I’m very serious. My sister’s in a book club, and I can let her read it, too, if you want a good critique.”

Aunt Cheryl was speechless. She nodded at Ronald and then nodded at Deena, too. “I like him,” she said finally.

Uncle Pete stepped forward next and gave Deena a warm hug. He backed away and eyed Ronald with unmasked skepticism.

“And who’s this lucky guy?”

Ron gave him a hardy handshake. “Hi. I’m Ronald. And you must be Uncle Pete.”

“Yeah, I am. How do you know that?”

“Deena told me all about you,” Ron said. “I hear you’re a pretty good fisherman.”

“I do a little something,” Pete said with his hands on his hips.

“My dad took me fishing a lot before he died,” Ronald said. “I know some great spots you might want to check out next time you go.”