Chapter 3

 

The rain continued in its remorseless fashion. I struggled out of Claudia’s car with bags, and she struggled behind me. Bailey flew out of the house when she saw us. 

“Jay! Why didn’t you call? Claudia, why didn’t you call me?” Bailey scolded, taking the bags from us in one fell swoop.

“Because your stubborn a*s future wife insisted that we could get it all.” Claudia said, shaking her formerly stylish, now soaking wet bobbed hair. 

“Ugh, Claud, digusting.” I groaned. She turned her lip up at me.

“Whatever. If you’d have just called your strong as bull future wife here, she coulda gotten every single bag and we would have been beautiful and dry as we should be.” 

“Aunt Claudia!” Jada’s little feet slapped the tiles and she dove into Claudia.

“Hi munchkin. I bought you something.” Claudia scooped her up and her voice changed. She always softened when talking to Jada. Not quite the tenderness of before, but something much like it. It was almost maternal, although Claudia had promised to never, ever procreate. 

Bailey reappeared with towels and sweats for us. She knew Claud and I like the back of her hand. I changed in the guest bathroom quickly and before I made it back to join Jada and Claudia in the living room,

“Jay. Can we talk?” Bailey’s always gentle voice prodded me. As I passed by the great room, Claudia gave me quick, questioning look which I answered with almost imperceptible shrug. I felt like I was going to the principal’s office as I followed her up to our room. She waited until I came in and closed the door behind me. 

“How are things?” I could tell she was pondering something; this question was leading somewhere. I sat down on the couch in the sitting area. 

“Okay.” I answered slowly. 

“So, yeah. Liz sent me an e-mail.” S**t, I thought. I sighed. “How come you didn’t tell me you saw her?” Bailey sounded as if she wanted to be angry with me for keeping it from her, but she was more resigned and tired sounding than angry. 

“I didn’t think it was that important.” I said feebly. Bailey knowingly looked at me. 

“Was Desi there?” Her voice was soft. She was handling that particular question with kid gloves. 

“Of course not. Don’t you think that would have been worth mentioning? Liz is just Liz.” I said. I felt almost dishonest for saying that. Liz had always been more than just Liz, she was important, she was special to me. Bailey knew that. She squinted her eyes, studying my face for my reactions. I turned and pretended to look out the window. 

“She just said congratulations.” She said after a long pause. “She just wanted me to know that she was happy for us.” Happy for us? Liz? I had so many questions, but I wouldn’t ask them. I nodded.

“Sorry that I didn’t tell you.” I said offered a long pause. “It just didn’t seem like she was very happy for us when I saw her, and I honestly didn’t want to mention it. It was weird.” I turned back to face her. She nodded, accepting my honesty. 

“Yeah. It’s weird. With them, it’ll always be weird. Wanna go down, watch the movie with the girls?” I turned my attention back to the bay window in our bedroom. I was considering the window seat, although it wasn’t the most comfortable, I could curl up in it, watch the rain. Do some thinking; address the thoughts that I’d been avoiding all day. The purple shirt floated through my mind. 

“I’ll be down in a while. I got your shirt.” I made my way to the window seat, and I heard Bailey rustling through the bags. I didn’t even hear her cross the room; I just felt her kiss on my cheek, her arms wrap around me in gratitude. 

“It’s perfect, babe. You always take such great care of me. Love you. See you when you come down.” 

***** 

I’d been talking to Bailey for a month now. She’d left to go back and play basketball, and when I thought I’d never hear from her, she was consistently calling me. I’d normally talk to her around my lunch time at noon, which was 7 PM in Italy. On game days, I’d take my lunch break late, at 3 or 4. She’d be exhausted, but always stay up and talk to me on my hour break. I figured she never questioned the times that we talked because she was so busy.   I never mentioned it was because I lived with my girlfriend. 

“How was the game?” It was 4:15 PM my time, so 11:15 PM her time. She sighed.

“Good. I’m tired though. But I don’t want to talk about that. How is your day?” 

“Heeey, Jaylen!” I heard Bailey’s teammate call out to me. I could almost be certain Bailey was making a face at her. I grinned.

“Tell Rob I said hi.” Robyn was also Bailey’s roommate and she was always full of energy, no matter if they’d played their hearts out. They were always together, and I probably talked to Robyn as much as I talked to Bailey. Bailey relayed the message, and then I heard her moving around, for privacy, I was assuming. 

“Did you get my e-mail?” She said. Bailey e-mailed me daily. It was very intimate and thoughtful, those e-mails. I had gotten to the point that I relished them, looked forward to them every single day, and didn’t feel guilty about looking forward to them, either. They were wonderful and brilliant, Bailey was a gifted writer, and she told me winding, epic stories about her experiences in Rome.  Pictures often accompanied these stories, and I was thrilled, feeling like I was actually there. 

“I did.” I wondered if she could hear the smile in my voice. “It made my day. As usual.” 

“Good. Hey, can I have your home address? I wanted to send you something.” She said. I paused, wondering how I’d explain that to Desi.  Whatever, I thought to myself. She never checks the mail anyway. I rattled off the home address, and Bailey laughed. “Maybe you could e-mail it to me?” 

“Of course I can. Did you guys win?”

“Yep. I was kinda distracted though.” 

“Why?” 

“Thinking about you, of course.” She said easily, and just as easily, I blushed. 

“Jaylen.” A co-worker of mine approached me, interrupted our conversation, which earned her a scowl. “You have a delivery at the front desk.. you know, whenever you come in.” She looked taken aback. I replaced the scowl with a smile.  

“Thanks.” I said to her. 

“Babe. I’ve gotta go. Rob’s gotten into something.” Bailey was laughing. “Talk to you soon.” I sighed in disappointment. 

“Really?” I asked, hoping she’d say she was joking.

“Yeah. I miss you, Jaylen. I really do. Talk to you later. E-mail me if you get a chance.” She said. We hung up and I walked back to my office dejectedly. But I was only dejected for a moment. I had a huge, beautiful flower arrangement awaiting me. The receptionist still looked a bit nervous. 

“Isn’t it beautiful? Sorry to have interrupted you.” 

“It’s fine.” I said, mooning over the flowers. I plucked the card out and then gave the flowers an incredulous look. “I’m going to need a forklift to get this thing back to my desk.” 

Turned out, I only needed a strapping male co-worker. When I finally settled back into my desk after having to clear a significant space for the flowers, I looked at the card in my hand. 

I thought this would make you smile. You make me smile all day, every day. It’s the least I could do. Thinking of you, always. -B.

***** 

“Jay?” Claudia interrupted my thoughts. “Are you okay?” I looked like I was asleep, I was certain, but I was immersed in my thought of the past. 

“Yeah, honey, I’m fine.” Claud came in anyway, and presented me with a glass of wine. 

“Bailey said you were, but I just wanted to make sure. Want some time alone?” She asked.

“Yeah, but you’re not leaving, right? I was going to cook dinner.” She grinned.

“Do you see this weather? I’m probably staying the night.” The guest room next door to Jada’s was Claudia’s room. We had two additional guest rooms in the house, so that one was hers alone unless we had a tremendous amount of people visiting. For the wedding, she’d have to share rooms, which did not make her happy.

“That’s fine. I’ll come down in a little while, I promise.” I turned back to the window, and the rain, and fell back into my thoughts.

***** 

Three months into this flirtation that I had going with Bailey, and I was more confused than ever. I couldn’t stop thinking of her. I was wondering what I’d tell Desi, what we would do. Although I liked Bailey, I knew I still loved Desi. I knew I owed Bailey much more than this, regardless of it she was halfway across the world. She’d be back soon. I couldn’t wait much longer to tell her the truth.

“Jay.” Desi came into the bedroom after answering the door. “What’s this?” She asked of the package in her hands. My heart leapt into my throat. I shrugged rather cavalierly. 

“I don’t know.” I said to her. She tossed it on the bed at me.

“Here, it’s for you. I just signed for it.” Normally, she’d turn and leave. We were still in the midst of all this uncertainty and I’d been more than happy to be distracted by Bailey. She waited patiently. I saw the name on the outside of the package and swallowed. It was from Bailey. I opened it and out spilled every shot glass imaginable. Glasses from Italy, Turkey, Israel, England and then more from all over the US. I’d mentioned to her that I collected shot glasses. I smiled brightly and Desi looked at me expectantly.

“My friend sent it to me. She knows I collect shot glasses.” I told her. Desi sucked in a breath.

“So, now you’re friends with Bailey Price. When did you even meet her?” I wanted to tell Desi that it was that night at the club, but then, I remembered that I hadn’t ever addressed how she knew Bailey, and why she’d looked so scared that night. 

“I met her the night you saw her.” I said simply and then gave her a look. “When did you meet her, Desiree’? I remember that night and you looked real disturbed.” I noticed a letter amidst the glasses, and slid it toward me, hopefully without notice. 

“I met her through a mutual friend.” Desi hadn’t noticed the letter. As a matter of fact, her eyes were fixed on a part of the comforter, and she wouldn’t budge. Desi was lying to me. 

“Does she have anything to do with that text about a date?” I asked. Oh, I hadn’t forgotten. Desi’s eyes were moving around, I could see them, but she wouldn’t look at me. She couldn’t. I swallowed. “Okay, Desi. Whatever. Bailey and I are friends. You’re dating other people. Let’s not and say we did.” I scooped up the shot glasses and the letter and walked out of the room. I smiled as I lovingly added each of the ten glasses to my already voluminous collection, and then, I read the letter.

I wanted to send this to you months ago, but it took me a while to get the collection together that I wanted you to have. My friends that play ball sent them to me, and then I had to send them to you. I hope you love this. –B.

             I closed the letter and folded it up to keep it. Where, I didn’t know, but I knew I wanted to keep it. When I turned around, Desi was there. Her eyes were wet; she’d been crying. I didn’t ask because I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know why. She flung herself into me, and I melted, as I always did. I had an incomprehensible attraction to her, I always had. And her vulnerability, the rare times that she actually showed it, no matter what brought it on, always made me want to care for her. Her tears soaked into my shirt, and I knew what they meant: I’m sorry I lied to you, I love you. 

            “I’m tired of fighting. I love you, Jay. You know I do. I really love you. I don’t want to lose you.” But you are losing me, Desi. The words were on my lips, but I couldn’t say them. I wasn’t even sure if I meant them. She kissed me, and all of the thoughts that I came up with fell from me. She could never truly lose me. I was hers and she was mine. I loved her so much. Desi grabbed my hand, and led me to bed, the proceeded to make love to me, so gently and so passionately that I hadn’t needed to say a word. It was like she read my mind and knew that she was losing me. She wanted to whatever it took to keep me. 

            I woke up early the next morning. It wouldn’t have mattered, she usually was always asleep later than I was. Except today. I woke up to a plethora of noise in the kitchen. I slipped on a robe and tip-toed into the kitchen to see Desi up to her elbows in foolishness. The kitchen was tragic. I smiled. Desi couldn’t cook. The doorbell rang, and she saw me.

            “Babe. You were supposed to be asleep. Breakfast in bed.” She complained. I grinned. 

            “After I get the door, I’ll go back to bed.” I promised. It was like nothing had ever happened. Desi had that quality, that ability to make me forget the wrongs she’d done me, the hurt I’d felt. 

            “Hey.” I opened the door to Jada’s dad, my ex from long ago, and my little three year old princess. I had flirted with the idea of being with men again, gotten drunk and gone over to have sex with her dad. At that time, we’d been broken up for over two years. Then, I found out I was pregnant from the one time, the one dalliance that I’d had with a man in over two years. And viola, the beautiful Jada arrived. She toddled over and flung herself into me. The custody agreement allowed him to have her for a month. I’d missed her like crazy. 

            “Hey. Did you call first?” I asked him. Andre gave the apartment a quick sweep with his eyes. Then he shook his head.

            “No, I didn’t. Meant to. The princess was being busy, so I got a little busy. She wanted to come home.” Desi emerged from the kitchen. 

            “Oh, hey Dre. Want breakfast?” Desi was a very congenial person. While Andre hadn’t liked any of the other women I’d been with, he and Desi got along famously. That didn’t stop him from being somewhat jealous though. He often talked to me about us being a family with Jada, for Jada. Andre looked at my robe and at Desi’s robe and sighed.

            “Nah, Des. I’m going to head out.” Jada slid down my legs.

            “Ray!” Jada never caught on to the Desi thing, and since Desi’s full name was Desiree, Ray was her name according to Jada. Desi didn’t care. She grinned and Jada ran into her outstretched arms. Andre noted all this, bitterly it seemed. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

            “Bye, Jay.” He said quietly. “Bye y’all.” He walked out of the door.

            “Wanna help me cook breakfast, sweets?” Desi asked Jada, who was securely in her arms. Jada nodded emphatically. Desi threw a look back to me. “Go back to bed, Jay, you promised.” Desi and Jada went into the kitchen. I went back to bed as promised, but instead of turning the TV on, I listened to the happy squeals of Jada, and Desi’s kind voice, guiding her. My heart swelled with love, and Bailey, her shot glasses, and sweet letter seemed like vague, distant memories. I could only think of my perfect little family. 

Reviews

[Shellie]

still going great girl! very hard to...put doen...you no what i mean! Hmmm im wondering why Bridgey doesnt like Jay. Good tho that you created a character that gets to people in that way! Im more interested in finding out whats going on and is Bailey as nice as she seems. I hope they stay together.....

[Brjden (Bridge-Den) Cre..]

You know what I realized...... I don't like Jay. But I'll tell you why at the end of the story.
I'm captured by it though!