Two Tears in a Bucket (39 page)

“
Did you have it checked out?”

Matter of fact, the dude sitting down there on the end was playing, too. He saw the whole thing.” Kevin pointed to another inmate sitting a few seats away. “And,” he said, taking Simone’s hands, “if I were fighting, I’d be on my way back to the other jail. They’d kick me out of work release.”

“
Yeah, well, you need to retire your jersey. Just imagine if Jordan was here. She’d have a fit.”

“
I’m all banged up, too. I couldn’t see out my damn eye last night and got my ‘man’ caught up in my zipper.”

“
Did the doctor look at that, too?”

“
Naw,” Kevin said, “but she ’bout to.”

Leaning back in the plastic chair, Kevin studied the positions of the guards. As always, they were too engulfed in their own conversations to worry about the goings-on of the visiting room.

With his chair resting back on the floor, Kevin lifted his shirt and toyed with the drawstring of his sweatpants. “I wore boxers today, too.”

“
Kevin, what are you doing?”

“
Hold up,” he said as he scanned the room again for the guards. “See, look.”

Simone laughed and turned her head away.

Realizing he wasn’t going to fix his clothes, she looked. “I don’t see no scratch,” she said, looking at the head of his penis.

Kevin took her hand and ran her finger along the cut on the head of his penis.

“
Oh, I do see it,” she said, while rubbing her finger along his head. “It’s getting swollen, too. You want me to kiss it for you?” she asked playfully.

“
Good God, girl,” Kevin said as his excitement oozed to the surface. “I wish you could kiss it.”

“
You really wanted me to see it, huh?”

“
Yeah,” Kevin said, lowering his shirt, unable to rid his smile. “I really wanted you to see the scratch.”

“
It’s a very nice scratch. One of the nicest I’ve seen. Now fix your pants, ’cause it’s getting hot in here.” Simone fanned herself and undid the top few buttons of her suit jacket.

“
Damn,” Kevin said. The tank top she wore underneath her suit jacket advertised her cleavage. “I like that top.”

“
Kevin, fix your pants.”

“
I can’t.” He smiled. “He won’t fit back inside the opening of my boxers.”

“
Uh oh.” She giggled, nodding her head toward Kevin’s shirt. “I think you sprung a leak.” He glanced at the small stain forming on his shirt from the excitement oozing from his penis. “What would happen if the guards caught you like this?”

“
I don’t know,” Kevin said, shrugging his shoulders.

He shifted his attention back to the guards. No one was watching. He pulled Simone forward and kissed her the way he’d wanted to when she first entered the room. Simone was hesitant at first, but she followed Kevin’s lead and allowed his tongue to part her lips.

“
Wow,” she mumbled, feeling a little awkward.

“
I love you, baby.”

To avoid Kevin’s eyes, she glanced down at the floor.

“
Damn, look,” Kevin said, lifting his shirt. He was fully aroused.

“
Ah, shit.”

“
What?” Kevin asked as Simone’s facial expression changed.

“
One of the guards is coming,” she said, quickly glancing down at Kevin’s pants.

The guard walked past the first row of chairs, heading straight toward Kevin and Simone. There was no time for Kevin to adjust his clothes.

“
Come with me,” the guard said, tapping Kevin on his shoulder.

“
Shit,” he grunted under his breath.

Simone’s heart stopped, as did the chatter in the crowded visiting room. Every head fell silent, bouncing from her to Kevin.

At the front of the room, Simone watched Kevin extend his arms out to his sides. The guard’s eyes fell to the crotch of his pants and Kevin yelled, “Man, you serious?”

Simone’s nerves rattled out of control as Kevin was escorted out the room.

“
That’s messed up,” another inmate yelled. “Y’all weren’t even doing nothing.” His comment drew too much attention to Simone as she sat in the back of the visiting room in her professional attire under the jailhouse spotlight.

Everything’s going to be fine
, she told herself over and over again. It had to be. An ounce of trouble would kill everything and possibly add on to his time.

A female in uniform walked into the visiting room. Simone knew from the stripes on her white shirt that she was an officer of some sort. She looked over in Simone’s direction and summoned her with a wave of her hand.

“
Come with me,” she said with all seriousness.

Simone followed her out of the visiting center and down the hallway.

“
Listen,” she said when the coast was clear, “you don’t have to worry. I’m Lieutenant Newsome. Kevin and I go way back. He’s in trouble, but it’s nothing I can’t fix. Next time,” she smiled, “y’all better watch that kinky stuff.”

“
Oh my God,” Simone gasped, clutching her chest. “I was scared to death. Where’s Kevin?”

“
They sent him back to his cell. He’s probably thinking he’s in trouble, but he’s okay,” Lieutenant Newsome assured her, patting Simone on her shoulder. “I’m going to let him know that I saved his ass. Hell,” she whispered, “he saved mine years ago.”

“
Well, can you do me a favor since you’re going to see him?” Simone asked.

“
Sure, what’s that?”

“
Tell him I said I love him.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jordan was calm and cool the day of the Xtreme Teen audition, but Simone was a nervous wreck.

“
Your audition’s at two, right?” Simone asked as she bore off the highway.

“
Yes, Ma. It’s one-thirty, and the navigation system says we’re only ten minutes away. Calm down,
’fore you make me nervous.”

“
No, I’m cool. You’re not nervous? Not even a tiny bit?”

“
Not one little bit. I’m excited, but not nervous. Why are you? You quick to get up and sing karaoke and everything.”

“
This is different. It’s you, not me.”

Simone and Jordan could hear another vocalist performing as they entered the theater.

“
You here for the audition?” a young lady asked, sitting behind a long folding table.

“
Yes. I have a two o’clock appointment,” Jordan said confidently.

“
Jordan Woodard?”

“
Yes.”

“
So where do we go?” Simone asked.

“
Well, it’s a closed audition. Jordan, you can go inside the auditorium. Mom, you can wait out here with us.”

“
Ah,” Simone said. “I can’t go in?”

“
No.” The young lady smiled. “You have to wait out here. Do you have your music? A lot of people have been using karaoke CDs, so if you brought one that’s fine.”

“
No, I’m singing an original song, and I have my CD.”

“
Oh, good for you.” She smiled, obviously impressed. “Just go on inside. Good luck.”

“
Good luck,” Simone said as she gave Jordan a quick hug.

Pacing the floor, Simone heard the introduction to Kevin’s song. Within a few minutes, Jordan’s voice filled the auditorium.

“
Wow,” the lady behind the desk said. “She’s the best we’ve heard all day.”

With a huge grin on her face, Simone listened closely. Jordan hit each note of Kevin’s upbeat song perfectly. Simone was so proud, she didn’t even realize she was crying.

Ten minutes later, Jordan burst through the auditorium with a huge grin. A burly white guy hurried out the door behind her, wearing a smile, also.

“
Ma, I made it!” Jordan boasted as she tap-danced her excitement.

“
Yes, ma’am, your daughter was magnificent. Hi,” he said, extending his hand to Simone. “I’m David Thornagon, the person,” he said, making quotations in the air, “in charge of this event.”

Simone shook his hand.

“
The competition’s a month away, but your daughter could easily perform today. Here’s the information on the dress rehearsals, and we need a copy of her music within ten days.” He glanced down at his clipboard and asked, “Is my next audition here?”

● ● ●

Kevin paced back and forth in front of the pre-release center with his first furlough pass tucked in his pocket, waiting for Simone. He tried to imagine every second of the six-hour pass, but his anxiousness couldn’t get past the initial shock. This was his first time outside of confinement without handcuffs, shackles, or supervision in years. Finally, he was getting a taste of the world he’d left behind.

The glistening white Cadillac Escalade pulled into the parking lot. Kevin’s heart pounded, knowing Simone had arrived barely five minutes late. After moving back into her old house, Simone had sold her Mercedes and traded her Navigator for the Escalade. She also wanted to ensure her home had the proper balance of peace and harmony. After skimming through a feng shui article in a magazine, she’d decided that anything polluted by the union she shared with Andre had to go, starting with their old bedroom furniture, which she donated to the Salvation Army.

“
Kevin!” she beamed, jumping from the truck.

“
Good God,” Kevin mumbled as Simone rushed to him dressed like he’d never seen.

Her sophisticated brown dress flirted with the gentle spring breeze and sat nicely on her every curve. The slight plunge in the neckline gave Kevin a glimpse of her cleavage. Click-clacking against the asphalt, her strappy high-heel sandals gave her shapely legs an extra dose of seasoning. Her hair, her makeup— everything about her was flawless.

Mmm, mmm
, Kevin thought. Her husband had been crazy to walk away from something like that. But Andre’s mistake was Kevin’s future, his key to life. The Simone he thought was breathtaking during their visits stood before him even more beautiful. The thing that attracted Kevin the most was that Simone’s inner-being matched her outer exquisiteness.

“
Hey,” she greeted, nearly knocking him down.

He matched her excitement and welcomed her into his arms.

“
You are so damn gorgeous. I love you,” he said.

“
I love you, too.” Simone could barely get the words out before Kevin greeted her with his passion. They kissed outside of the building like they hadn’t before.

“
Hey,” she said, peeling her lips from his. “Is this where you wanna spend the next five hours and fifty minutes?”

“
Hell, naw.” Kevin smiled.

“
Then come with me.” Smiling seductively, Simone grabbed Kevin’s hand and led him to the truck.

“
Damn,” he said, amazed by all the digital gadgets. “This truck is crazy.”

“
Yeah, on your next furlough, we have to go to Motor Vehicles and get your driver’s license. Then you need to open up a bank account and probably get a cell phone. We have to get you some credit, too. I would add you to my cell phone account, but that wouldn’t help you,” she said as he fidgeted with the truck’s gizmos.

“
The manual’s inside the glove compartment if you want to figure out some of this stuff. I don’t even know how to work half of them.”

Kevin reached over the center console, grabbed Simone’s hand, and brought it to his lips. “I love you so much, Simone,” he said as his lips grazed her hand. “I can’t even believe I’m here with you,” he uttered from his heart, barely above a whisper.

She eased her hand from Kevin’s and rubbed the side of his face, touched by the way he closed his eyes and inhaled her scent.

“
You need me to pinch you?”

“
No,” he said, then kissed her hand again. “I just need you to love me forever.”

Simone smiled at such an easy request. “So how do you wanna spend your day? I mean, you don‘t want anyone to know you’re out for a few hours, so what do you want to do? Want to go to the movies or…”

He squeezed Simone’s hand. “As long as every second is with you, it doesn’t even matter.” His answer was filled with so much love.

Barely half a mile away, Simone noticed the hotel sign. She eased her hand from Kevin’s and prepared to turn into the parking lot.

“
Well, we wouldn’t be alone at my house because the kids are there. And—”

“
Simone,” he interrupted, “how you unlock these damn doors?”

The minute the elevator door closed, Kevin was all over Simone. His hands traveled up her dress, caressing the plumpness of her ass that the thong didn’t shelter. He detoured from her sweet lips and nibbled gently on her neck, sending her wild.

“
Mmm, Kevin,” she moaned. He knew for certain that she could feel his rock-hard erection.

The elevator stopped on their floor. Without any words, Kevin grabbed Simone by the hand and led her down the hall to their room.

“
Boy, things have changed,” he said, watching as she opened the door with the key card.