After All (4 page)

“
So what companies usually
get picked, Greg?”Michelle cut right to bone.

“
Charlotte got some heavy
friends; you know what I'm sayin'? And they got friends. I got four
kids to feed.”

“
Who are her friends? Just
tell me. I'll get the rest myself.”

Greg twisted a key chain for several
moments before answering.”James Bridges. . . . and Ike Batiste. She
tight with them. People that you don't wanna get mad at you. That's
all I can say.”

Michelle fought to keep her face from
showing the excitement she felt. Ike Batiste and James Bridges had
been among the most prominent Black businessmen in Baton Rouge for
over twenty years. James Bridges had a thriving janitorial business
frequently hired by Ike Batiste to clean up his newly constructed
homes and vacant properties. Greg was right, both had powerful
connections locally and around the state.

“
Close enough to break the
rules?”Michelle looked at him.

Greg nodded.”Real good
buddies.”

“
And they get a lot of
business from the Housing Authority? Are you saying they get a lot
of business because of this friendship?”

“
I told you that's all I'm
gonna say.”Greg shook his head.

“
That's enough,
Greg.”Hooking the ink pen through the wires at the top, Michelle
slapped the pad against her palm.”That's more than
enough.”

Chapter 2

Anthony sat at his desk head down, the
blueprints spread in front of him. He had been sitting in this
position for thirty minutes.

“
What're you doing, man,
trying to memorize 'em?”Cedric lifted one corner of the
paper.

“
Just looking to make sure
everything's okay.”Startled to see his partner standing in front of
him, Anthony began to fold the blueprints.

“
Hey, we still need those
out,” Cedric held the blueprints.”Your head is definitely somewhere
else today. What's up?”

“
Nothing. I'm okay. The new
library on East Boulevard is the biggest job we've gotten yet. I
want everything to be done just right.”Anthony took a sip of coffee
then frowned.”Cold.”He got up to refill his cup from the pot in the
small kitchen down the hall.

“
Well, I ain't buying it.
I've known you long enough to know that sitting around with a
stupefied look on your face means one thing, you saw Michelle,”
Cedric called out.

“
Bull. And lower your
voice.”Anthony hurried back down the hall looking over his
shoulder.”Keisha is supposed to be here any minute. She's taking me
to lunch.”

“
So? She should have gotten
the message by now. She's been chasing you for months and you
haven't even been on a date.”Cedric clasped his hands to his chest
and batted his eyes.”Oh, Anthony, do you like my hair like this?”He
pretended to fluff his hair.

“
I know, but we've been
working really close on the City-wide Church Committee. And she
does have feelings. I just have to let her down easy.”

“
Okay, okay.”Cedric
stretched his tall lanky frame in one of the black imitation
leather chairs opposite Anthony's desk.”So how is Michelle these
days?”

“
What makes you think I
know?”

“
Quite playing games with
me, man. I know you saw her at the station and she let you have it
with both barrels.”

“
So you went over to
Shantae's house to visit little Devonne, right? No doubt to give
the little tyke some lessons on baseball or is it football?”Anthony
tried changing the subject.

“
Don't even try it. Yeah,
I'm seeing Shantae. And Devonne plays on both of the peewee teams I
coach. The boy is gonna be an all round athlete. Now back to
Michelle.”

“
Damn! I should have just
said hello and walked away. No, I had to make a fool of myself
trying to be friendly. She still blames Uncle Ike for her father's
business problems,” Anthony said in a voice tight with
exasperation.”And me for not agreeing with her.”

“
You still got a thing for
that woman. Course I don't blame you. She's got the
look.”

“
I don't have a thing for
Michelle. I just hate that we broke up the way we did. All through
high school we were so tight, remember? We even had a five year
class reunion. Almost everybody showed except Michelle.”

“
Man, some of those
bourgeoisie girls did give her the cold shoulder when her dad was
having financial problems. Y'all was kinda stuck up.”Cedric stuck
his chest out.”They only accepted me cause I was the star of the
football team and so good-lookin'.”He chuckled.

“
We weren't stuck up. Maybe
we were into our own clique, but that's normal for
teenagers.”

“
All the same, she got
treated differently after that.”

“
But not by me,” Anthony
blurted.

“
Well--”

“
I didn't turn on Michelle,
Cedric.”

“
Let's just say you kinda of
backed off when she started talking about your Uncle Ike being a
crook.”Cedric examined his fingernails.

“
We had a couple of big
arguments about him, sure, but I wasn't going to stop seeing her
because of it. We could have worked through that. She was just too
angry to listen.”

“
And you were too proud to
beg. I still say you ain't lost that lovin' feelin' yet, my
brother.”

“
I moved on long
ago.”Anthony refused to look him in the eye.

“
Hello, Anthony,
dear.”Keisha swept in. She wore the long deep purple cape that
matched her dress as though it were a queen's robe.

“
Hi, Keisha. How's
tricks?”Cedric stood up.

Keisha seemed to notice him for the
first time.”Hello. I'm just fine.”She honed in on Anthony ignoring
him.”Lunch time. We're going to Angelle's. You love their seafood
gumbo.”

Cedric made a face behind her
back.”Nice seeing you, too. Later, Anthony. You gonna meet me out
at the subdivision around two, right?”

“
Sure. See you then.”Anthony
waited until he was sure Cedric had left.”That wasn't very
polite.”

“
Cedric doesn't like me and
I don't care for him. Now let's have lunch.”Keisha smiled sweetly,
her tone saying the subject was closed.

Angelle's was crowded as usual. It's
location close to the downtown area and near the river made it
ideal for working people. Keisha and Anthony waved at several
acquaintances as they were led to a table on the second floor
overlooking the Mississippi River.

“
We're lucky to get this
view as crowded as they are.”Anthony sat down.

“
Luck had nothing to do
with, sweetie. Mr. Earl over there reserved this table for
us.”Keisha waved at the head waiter, an older black man who nodded
smiling.

“
What's so special about
today?”Anthony opened the menu.

“
We never officially
celebrated your winning the bid last month to build the new
library. Since I neglected you so, I'm making it up to you
now.”Keisha put her hand on his.

“
You're too good to me,
Keisha.”Anthony sighed. Looking over her shoulder, the smile froze
on his face. Anthony's jaw muscles tightened. The sight of Michelle
entering the restaurant on the arm of another man was an unpleasant
shock.

“
You're welcome. What's
wrong?”Keisha turned to follow his gaze.

“
Humm? Oh, nothing's wrong.
I, uh, thought of a detail at work that needs to be taken care
of.”

“
Isn't that Michelle
Toussaint, the news reporter on Channel Twelve? I don't recognize
that handsome man with her.”

“
Dosu Lemotey, he has a
large export business. I guess Michelle is interviewing him for a
story.”Anthony looked out of the window.

“
Not they way they're
laughing and carrying on. Say, you know her, don't you? You have
got to introduce us. Oh look, they're coming this way. Hi!”Keisha
waved vigorously determined to get their attention.

***

“
A friend is speaking to
you.”Dosu touched Michelle's elbow causing her to look
around.

“
Goodness, she must know me,
but I have no idea who she is.”Michelle smiled and headed for their
table.

She stopped short when she realized the
man with his back to her was Anthony. Dosu reached for her thinking
she had lost her balance. Just as his hand came up to Michelle's
waist, Anthony looked at them. He turned away sharply.

“
How are you?”Michelle stood
awkwardly not only because she was trying to guess who Keisha was,
but because of Anthony.

“
I'm Keisha Grant. You know
Anthony, right?”Keisha extended a hand.

“
Yes, hello. Dosu, this is
Anthony Hilliard.”

“
How do you do?” Dosu said
in his softly accented English as he reached out to shake
hands.

“
I watch your news show
almost every day. I just love those reports you do. Are you going
to the Black and White Ball this year? I hear it's going to be
fabulous.”Keisha

scanned Michelle from head to
toe.”Lovely outfit. Saw something just like in the Neiman Marcus
catalogue.”

“
Really?”Michelle ignored
the less than subtle attempt to find out where she
shopped.

“
I believe we have mutual
acquaintances.”Dosu spoke to Anthony.”Clarence Burrell and Darryl
Beshears speak highly of your work, Mr. Hilliard.”

“
Thank you. I learned a lot
from them. Have you known them long?”

“
Clarence and I met when I
came to this country to attend Tuskegee Institute. We have been
friends since then. Here is my card. I understand you may be
building more homes and offices in the future. I import many items
that can be used to furnish and decorate them.”Dosu handed him a
gold lettered business card.

“
It may be another year
before we get to that point but I'll certainly keep you in mind. So
how have you been, Michelle?”Anthony wore a stony expression as he
looked at her.

Michelle stood awkwardly between the
two men. She twisted the long strap of her purse.”Good. And
you?”

“
Just fine.”

“
You two practically grew up
together I hear.”Keisha grinned. Suddenly the light went out of her
face as she looked from Michelle to Anthony.

“
We've known each other for
a long time, yes. Michelle and I met in the seventh
grade.”Anthony's gaze wavered from Michelle to the scene outside
the window. A moment of uneasy silence followed.

“
It was nice meeting you,
Ms. Grant.”Michelle nodded at them both before moving away ahead of
Dosu.

***

Anthony was lost in thought for the
rest of their extended lunch. Keisha vainly tried to engage his
attention, but his conversation was perfunctory and distracted. So
Dosu Lemotey was the reason Michelle had given him the cold
shoulder. Apparently getting over him had been easy. When they
pulled up in front of the office, he got out of her Volvo without
speaking.

“
Goodbye,” he waved to her,
a vacant look in his eyes.

“
Hey, is that all?”Keisha
pouted.

“
Humm? Oh, sorry. Thanks for
lunch. It was nice. I better get going. It's almost two and Cedric
will be waiting for me.”Anthony seemed to shake himself
awake.

“
Okay. See you
tonight?”Keisha's voice dropped low.

“
I'm going to be working
awfully late. I'll call you later.”

Anthony left before Keisha could say
anything more. In the mood he was in, he did not think he could
stand too many questions. He was angry that seeing Michelle with
another man could shake him so. Not seeing her at all was bad
enough, but now he knew there was someone else in her life. Anthony
plunged into work for the rest of the day in an attempt to wipe the
picture of Michelle smiling at another man from his
mind.

***

“
How long were you
together?”Dosu spoke softly breaking into her thoughts.

“
What?”Michelle blinked. She
realized that she had hardly spoken since they had left
Angelle's.

“
The way you so carefully
avoided paying very much attention to him was very revealing.”
Dosu's handsome face wore a gentle, wise smile.

“
We’ve known each other
since we were about fourteen.”Michelle tried to dodge the real
question.

Dosu cocked his head to one side.”The
tie between you is strong.”He seemed to be looking straight into
her heart.

“
Anything we had ended some
time ago. He stabbed me in the back.”

“
I think maybe you and he
have hurt each other yet would like to mend that hurt. It is in his
eyes, and yours.” Dosu parked in front of the station.

“
Our... problem is much
deeper than you think, Dosu. It was more than a quarrel. We've both
moved on since then, believe me,” Michelle said in a firm
tone.