Courtin' Jayd Read online

  “It never is with you, Rah,” I say, this time causing the silence between us. I have nothing left to say. Sometimes having expectations is the biggest letdown of all, especially if the other person never appreciated how great the expectation was.

  After the silent ride to Inglewood, Rah reluctantly left me at my mom’s front door without coming in. He thought we could spend the rest of the evening together and Friday, but I told him I already have plans. When I get inside, my mom’s in full pack mode, ready to spend her holiday with her man. At least her wish came true.

  “Jayd, I’m sorry you have to spend the holiday alone. Honestly I didn’t think you’d mind,” my mom says as she tosses both practical and sexy underwear into her suitcase. “I’ll be back on Sunday, sweetie. I can’t turn down Tahoe.”

  “Mom, you can’t leave me here for the entire weekend while you go off with Karl.” I knew she’d be gone for the holiday but not the entire weekend. “It’s supposed to be family time and we are family,” I say, plopping across her unmade queen-size bed and dropping my bags on the floor. If Mama saw her bed like this she’d have a hissy fit.

  “Oh Jayd, you’ve got many friends to hang out with. As a matter of fact, what’s up with Rah? You can’t have dinner at his house?” My mom moves on to the closet, where she begins to sort through clothes and shoes, matching her outfits for her trip.

  “Don’t ask,” I say, rolling onto my back to make myself more comfortable. “Can I sleep in your bed while you’re gone?” The last thing I want to talk about with my mother is my boy troubles. She never seems to have any trouble in that department.

  “As long as you’re alone when you do,” she says, throwing a cream cashmere sweater at me. She has the best taste in clothes. No wonder she’s always broke.

  “Is this for me?” I sit up straight on the plush bed and hold the soft pullover against my chest. Not that I have anywhere to wear it but I still wouldn’t mind owning it.

  “I think it’ll look good on you. And the way to attract what you want is to be dressed for it when it comes. I have a feeling your weekend will turn around and I want you to be ready when it does,” she says, heading for the bathroom to pack her toiletries. “There are a pair of white pumps that go nicely with the sweater, just in case.” From the looks of it, the only place this sweater is going to get worn is in front of the mirror. Now that I know I’m going to be completely alone for the stupid holiday, I feel lonely and tired.

  “Here’s the number for the lodge where we’ll be staying, Jayd. But you know how to really reach me if you need me,” she says, pointing to her head and winking at me. She kisses me on the cheek as she zips up her overstuffed suitcase, grabs her purse, and heads out the bedroom door, leaving me to mope in peace. A good nap will take my mind off Rah, Misty, and Nellie’s crazy ass for a while.

  I wake up from my nap and it’s very late, but I’m not sure how late. I feel like I’ve been sleeping for days. I walk into the living room and check my phone on the coffee table for the time. I wonder if my mom left me any food.

  “Nah, nah, nah, nah. Wait ’till I get my money right.” My cell phone rings as I pick it up, freaking me out. I didn’t even get to check the time before the name pops up across the screen.

  “Hey Jeremy,” I say groggily into the phone. I’m so hungry I could eat the damned thing itself. “What’s up with you?” I didn’t expect to hear from him. I thought he’d be enjoying a long ski trip or whatever it is rich white folks do during the holidays.

  “I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” he says sounding as compassionate as ever. “I thought you’d be up late since we don’t have school tomorrow.” I try to get my sleep no matter if we have school or not.

  “Nah, you didn’t. Actually I just woke up from a nap. What time is it anyway?” I walk into the kitchen where the flashing stove clock reads twelve and has for just about as long as I can remember.

  “It’s almost midnight,” Jeremy says. Damn, I’ve been asleep for three hours. Now I’m going to be up all night. At least this time my mom left groceries in the fridge. I don’t think they were for me as much as she wasn’t sure where she would be spending turkey day, so she stocked up just in case. Her and Mama hate to shop at the markets during the holidays, but not the malls. They can sniff a great sale out like a professional hound.

  “I know you probably have plans, but my family’s having a dinner tomorrow night. Would you be interested in coming?” Jeremy asks like it’s our first date. I remember the last family dinner I attended at his home when he got off for selling weed at school. His family is crazy and on top of that, they drink too much. I’d rather be at my mom’s alone than chilling with his wicked mother and racist daddy any day.

  “You’re right, I’ve got plans but thanks for the offer.” I didn’t have to lie but I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

  “Is there any way I can change your mind? I’d really like to see you outside of school for a change. I think we need to work on this whole being friends thing,” he says, making me chuckle. I look in the fridge and spot some yogurt and it’s my favorite—lemon. This will hit the spot until I’m ready to cook.

  “And does the whole friends thing include being tortured against my will?” I take a clean spoon from the dish rack and sit down at the dining room table. I wonder what the neighbors are doing for turkey day.

  “It’s not torture and besides, Chance and Nellie will be there. You should come. I promise, it’ll be fun. You won’t have to deal with my parents at all. You’re probably envisioning something small like the dinner we had, but it’s not like that. It’s more like the party we had last time.” Actually it might not be such a bad idea to be there with Nellie. It’ll give me a chance to talk her crazy ass out of talking to Nigel. I just hope it turns out better than our encounter at the last house party Jeremy’s family had. I know things are different now but his house holds no good memories for me.

  “Jeremy, it sounds fun, really. But I’ve already got plans. I appreciate the thought.” I swirl the yellow custard in its container and wonder what’s on the menu at his house.

  “You’d really rather spend the day alone than kicking it with your friend, free food, and very little adult supervision?”

  “How’d you know I would be alone?” I ask but I already know Nellie ratted me out even if she didn’t know I’d planned on spending time with Rah. She was probably unconscious of the catastrophic slip but now I have to go just to tell her off in person. I’m not even going to tell her I’ll be there. I’d rather surprise her and her big mouth. I hope she doesn’t let Mickey’s dark secret slip as easily as she did my holiday dinner status.

  “Does it matter? As your friend I can’t let you eat alone.” Well he’s got Rah beat there. Rah thinks I’m so strong that I don’t need him to make sacrifices for our relationship and he’s wrong. I’m tired of being set to the side like leftovers.

  “Alright friend, what time can I expect you?” It looks like I’ll get to wear my mom’s cashmere sweater after all.

  “I’ll see you at six. And Jayd, I’m really looking forward to spending some time with you.”

  “Me too, friend,” I say before hanging up and finishing my appetizer. If nothing else, I’ll get to take some food home. If it’s going to be anything like their spreads in the past, their should be plenty to spare.

  12

  Ballin’

  “Cash rules everything around you/C.R.E.A.M. get the money, dollar dollar bills y’all.”

  —WU-TANG CLAN

  After waking from my long nap yesterday evening I didn’t get back to sleep until six this morning. Luckily there was a black comedy marathon on cable featuring Katt Williams, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle that kept me laughing until I finally dozed off. I hope I keep my sense of humor this evening when I’m at Jeremy’s house. I’m going to need to laugh if I’m going to ignore the crazy comments his parents throw out.

  “Excuse me, is you saying something? Uh uh, you can’t tell me nothing,
” Kanye announces. It’s a text from Rah. He’s already trying to lock in plans for the weekend but I’m not responding to him right now. It’s after three and I still have to do my hair and decide on my final outfit. I think my mom’s white cashmere sweater and Kenneth Cole pumps will be perfect, but I’m not sure about which skirt to wear. Do I go sassy and short or classy and long?

  “Sassy and short. You have great legs,” my mom says, invading my private thoughts and I’m glad. I could use her help. Dressing to impress is my mom’s specialty, not mine. As cold as it’s going to be by the beach tonight, I’d sooner wear a pair of jeans and a hoodie. But my mom would never let her little girl go out like that.

  I was thinking the same thing, I say in my mind, throwing down the long skirt while holding the thigh-high chocolate suede mini to my body and eyeing my outfit in the mirror. Jeremy won’t be able to take his eyes off me all night. Good, it’ll show him what he missed out on, acting a fool.

  “There are some cream tights in my top drawer. Wear those and you’ve got the perfect outfit. I’m glad you have somewhere to show it off,” she says, indirectly saying ‘I told you so’ and that she was right. I slept with the sweater next to me. When I woke up, my hand was still on it so the first thing I felt was the soft material, and then Jeremy called. My mom’s got the whole power of the mind thing down pat. Too bad she didn’t continue her lessons with Mama. Who knows how powerful she would have become.

  “Mom,” I say out loud. Even if she can hear my thoughts, I still like talking to her as if she were sitting in front of me. “Should I even be going to this dinner at Jeremy’s house? Isn’t it wrong to string him along if I’m really feeling Rah?”

  “Jayd, are you getting married to either one of them tomorrow?” my mom says. “I already know the answer is no because if it were any different, Mama would have both of us in a sling and I don’t look cute in hospital attire,” she says, making me laugh. I can see it now if I ran off and got married like Tania and my mom did. Mama would kill us both, damn the consequences. “Have fun girl. Eat some turkey, have some pie, and don’t worry about anything else. Now, I’ve got to wake up my man before we miss our reservation. Have fun and be good.”

  “Bye mom. Thanks for checking in,” I say, but she’s already gone back to her vacation in Tahoe. My mom’s right. I am going to have fun without worrying about the rest. It’s not every day I get to celebrate Thanksgiving at an estate in Palos Verdes, basically Beverly Hills by the beach. And I get to look good while doing it. So far I’m not seeing a negative side to this new way of thinking. I want to be ready when Jeremy gets here and I don’t have much time left to prep. I hope Rah enjoys his evening as much as I anticipate enjoying mine.

  Putting the last bump in my freshly pressed hair, I check myself in the mirror and smile at my reflection. I opted for a simple, sleek hairstyle to complement my attire and I admit it all goes together very well. With my mom’s natural-colored throw to block out the cold, my outfit is complete. Now all I need is a good perfume to seal the deal. It’s six on the dot so Jeremy should be here any minute. I think I’ll go with J’adore, one of my favorite scents to borrow. I sometimes wear it just so I can spray the pretty bottle. My mom loves to look at all her fancy fragrances lined up like the expensive statues they are. As I spray the delicate scent over my body I hear a knock at the door. Jeremy’s on time and I’m ready for our night out.

  “Wow Jayd, you look beautiful,” Jeremy says as I open the front door. I turn on the living room lamp before heading out. I don’t like walking into a dark room at night.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself.” And he doesn’t, dressed in khaki slacks and a button-down white dress shirt. His attire must be at his mother’s request because Jeremy looks anything but comfortable in his clothes. “Something from the back of your closet,” I tease as I lock the door behind us.

  “Yeah, only on holidays or at court appearances,” he says jokingly. But I hope we never have to experience the latter again. “You ready for the festivities? The house was already packed and only about half of the guests had arrived when I left,” he says escorting me down the stairs to his Mustang parked in the driveway.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I say, sliding into the leather seats that coordinate well with my top. It’s a crisp, clear evening and I’m looking forward to the scenic drive. The view of the ocean will be breathtaking against the fading sun, setting a mellow mood for our eventful evening. “I’m glad you called and invited me to dinner. I’ve missed hanging out with you.”

  Jeremy looks at me the same way he did before our first kiss. I hope he doesn’t make the same move on me tonight because I might give in to his soft lips.

  “I’m glad you answered and grateful you decided to come. I’ve missed being with you too.” I don’t know where tonight is taking us but I’m down for the ride.

  When we arrive at Jeremy’s house, the first thing I notice is the glowing pumpkins lining the walkway up the porch steps to the house. The huge wooden door has a large handmade wreath hanging around the antique brass hook. The usual luxury cars are in the driveway, along with several others, giving the look of an episode of MTV Cribs. I wonder who else was invited? I can hear people in the back of the house having a ball. If tradition holds, that’s where we’ll be hanging out as well. I liked it better when the two of us hung out alone in his room and not just because we also got in a good make out session up there. The scenery is nice but the social life at the Weiner household is highly overrated.

  “After you,” Jeremy says, pushing the heavy door open. The smell of yams, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls hits me in the face is I step into the foyer. “Let me take that for you.” Jeremy removes my wrap and hangs it in the hall closet with the other coats. Servants walk quickly back and forth between the kitchen and the great dining room with huge platters in their hands, completely unmoved by our entrance.

  “Son,” Jeremy’s father, Gary, says walking down the winding staircase. He’s holding a pipe between his teeth, with a glass of scotch—his signature drink—in his free hand. I’m glad he’s holding onto the rail with his other hand because he looks as lit as a Christmas tree. “And you brought Jayd. It’s nice to see you two are still hanging out.” Yeah, he doesn’t mind us hanging out as long as we don’t bring any brown babies home. He’s such a two-faced liar I can’t even stand to look at him. But Jeremy’s right. I need to judge him and not him by way of his parents. I’m asking for the same thing in return, so I’m not going to be a hypocrite.

  “Hello, Mr. Weiner,” I say. Jeremy smiles at my effort. I hope he knows how hard it is for me to bite my tongue. But friends have to do that sometimes for the sake of the friendship. I hope Nellie understands that principle when I share it with her.

  “How do you like what my wife did with the place? By the time Christmas and New Year’s rolls around she will have spent a fortune on turning this place into a goddamned holiday parade, and I’m Jewish,” he slurs, waving his drink in the air. The house does look stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it. There must be a half dozen waiters tending to every aspect of the food and layout. And the decorations look like something I’ve see on display at Pottery Barn. The food smells good and knowing Jeremy’s mom, it’s a slamming southern spread. Good food is good food, I don’t care who makes it.

  “It’s very nice,” I say, elbowing Jeremy to get us out of small talk with his dad and outside to where the food is. I don’t want to hear another speech about how he married a Southern Belle who can’t make brisket.

  “Dad, I’m hungry and so is Jayd. We’ll talk later.” Jeremy leads me through the packed living room and out the sliding back doors. His brothers and their women are seated at the table closest to the doors. There are about fifteen or so small round tables spread through the large space, each with an outdoor heater in the center to ensure everyone’s warmth. The waterfall pond at the very back of the yard is lit with orange lights in the spirit of the season. Every
table has a huge pilgrim basket overflowing with fruit and expensive chocolates. They’ve really outdone themselves. Even Mama would have to give them props.

  “Jayd, how are you, girl?” Justin, his older brother, says. I admit it’s nice to see him again. He’s good for the eyes, much like Mr. Adewale is.

  “I love your shoes, Jayd,” his girlfriend Tammy says. She’s always complimenting my attire and I like her vibe too. They look extremely mellow and they have the munchies for real. They’ve raided the dessert tray and are making their way through the pound and chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, and cookies as a team.

  “Thank you. And I’m still loving that necklace,” I say, referring to the iridescent puka shells gleaming against her honeyed complexion. Tammy and Justin are the picture-perfect surfer couple.

  “Hi, Jayd. It’s nice to see you again,” his eldest brother, Michael, says to me. As usual, he and his wife Christi are tense and drinking heavily but at least they are coating their stomachs with plenty of food. The only person who’s missing is their mom. I wonder where the queen of the bunch is.

  “Jayd, I didn’t know you were coming,” Julie Weiner says right on cue. She walks up to Jeremy and kisses him on the cheek before greeting the rest of her family. With her she brings a surprise guest of her own: Mrs. Bennett. They both smile at my obvious discomfort before joining everyone else at the table. “Your family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving?” Mrs. Weiner gives me the creeps. It’s no surprise she and Mrs. Bennett are friends.

  “Actually my family is celebrating in their own way and I’m here at the persistence of your son. Your house looks lovely,” I say looking past them both and toward the pond. I’ve already designated that as our official hangout spot for the night. There are several buffet tables set up throughout the open space so I should be able to hide out well for the rest of the evening and sample all the tasty food.