Good Woman Blues (40 page)

Erikka forgot her irritation. She put an arm
around her mother’s shoulders. “But I thought you two would work
things out eventually. I hoped you would.”

“So did I.” Roz closed her eyes. A tear
slipped down one cheek. She wiped it away, but more came.

“Oh, Mommy. I’m so sorry.” Erikka rubbed
Roz’s back and let her have a good cry. For all her drama, Roz had
rarely cried in front of Erikka.

“Guess my plan backfired. I’m too old to
compete with his young thang.” Roz shuddered with a sob.

“What about being independent? Not letting
him call the shots in your relationship?” Erikka reminded Roz of
her own declaration.

Roz let out a sharp, painful laugh. “Yeah,
big talk when I thought he’d come crawling back. I’m a middle-aged
woman making a fool of herself with a boy-toy.”

“Mama.” Erikka drew back and stared at her in
shock.

‘Tell it like it is, sugar.” Roz sniffed.
“Get me a tissue, sweetie.”

Dazed, Erikka went to her bathroom and came
back with the entire box. “So, you’re telling me that you used
Hakeem?”

“No more than he used me. Craig is a
prominent man with power. Hakeem likes the idea of taking his woman
and moving in on his business.”

“I’m missing out on the best episodes of this
drama.” Erikka shook her head.

“Little does he know, he didn’t do either.
Look, I enjoyed his attention. But Craig is—” Roz bit off the rest
of her sentence. She seemed to realize present tense for her and
Craig no longer applied.

“Maybe if you and Craig talked,” Erikka
offered. She hated seeing her mother in such pain.

“There comes a time when more talk won’t
help. That’s my sensible side. In the midnight hour, I can never
dredge up that logic. I have to fight not to call Craig at two
o’clock in the morning and beg him to come home.”

“I can’t believe leaving you is so easy for
him.” Erikka decided she would have her own talk with her
stepfather.

“You haven’t seen his girlfriend,” Roz
retorted. “She’s all legs and surgically enhanced breasts.”

Erikka rubbed her back again. “Men lose their
minds at his age. He’ll come around.”

“No, I don’t think so. I’ve got to face it,
Erikka. My marriage is over.” Roz heaved a dramatic sigh.

“You’ll make it, Mama. Beneath that fab
hairstyle, the stylish clothes, and pretty face is one tough lady.”
Erikka patted her back again.

“Thanks, baby. You’re right. I might indulge
myself with brief bouts of self-pity, but I’ll go on somehow. With
Hakeem and half of Craig’s assets,” Roz added, with a predatory
gleam in her light brown eyes.

“You had me up until that point.” Erikka
yanked her hand away. She got up and sat in the easy chair.

“Don’t tell me you’re on his side,” Roz
clipped. “I’d like to remind you that Craig was the one who walked
out.” “Revenge isn’t always sweet, Roz. What have you pulled
lately?” Erikka knew that Roz was not the type to suffer in
silence.

“You shouldn’t be questioning me,” Roz
protested angrily. “You and Jaci act as though he walks with the
angels. Well let me tell you, my dear, Craig has made plenty of
mistakes.”

“I’m sure there is enough blame to go
around,” Erikka said, with much restraint.

“Hmmph. What about what I’ve had to put up
with all these years? His snotty family, and don’t even get me
started on his mother.” Roz waved a hand.

“You’re right.” Erikka had to concede Roz had
faced her share of challenges. Craig tended to be judgmental, and
he’d gotten it honestly. His family seemed to have a permanent
condition of keeping their noses in the air.

“Damn straight I’m right,” Roz replied
firmly.

“Still, I’d like to talk to Craig. I’m going
to miss him so much,” Erikka said quietly.

Roz glanced at Erikka. Her hard expression
softened. “Oh, honey. Anybody would think this is all about me. I
know how upset you and Jaci are about the whole situation. I worry
about you the most, though.”

Erikka looked at her in surprise. “Me?”

“Jaci feels secure that her daddy will always
be hers. But I know what a void Craig filled in your life. Every
little girl deserves to be spoiled by her daddy. I didn’t do such a
good job in choosing your biological father. But Craig has been
good to you from day one.”

“Yeah.” Erikka tried not to feel like a
frightened child.

“Craig might walk out on me, but he loves you
the way he loves Jaci,” Roz said with conviction. “I know he
does.”

“Thanks, Mama.” Erikka wiped a stray tear
from the comer of her eye.

“Hey, I’m just telling the truth. Believe me,
saying something nice about Craig right now is hard for me. But I
wanted you to know it.” Roz stood up. “Now I’m off to get my hair
and nails done. On Craig.”

“What do you mean?” Erikka walked her to the
front door.

Roz reached in her purse and pulled out a
platinum Visa card. “Craig must have forgotten I have this baby. He
hasn’t closed the account. Sophisticated Lady Spa, here I
come.”

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Erikka
said, knowing already that her warning would be brushed aside.

“What’s he gonna do, divorce me?” Roz let out
a wicked laugh as she waved good-bye.

Erikka watched her leave with a mixture of
amusement and sadness. Roz had put up a good front. She worried
what would happen when Roz realized getting even wasn’t enough. The
ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. In reflex she picked it up.
A reporter identified himself and fired off questions in the same
breath. Erikka dropped the phone as though it burned her hand. She
began to think of ways to escape when it started to ring again.

***

Erikka sat at her desk feeling tired, edgy
and aggravated. She drummed her fingernails on the dark green
blotter. A pile of papers at her elbow sat in the same position as
they had one hour ago. Unable to concentrate, Erikka had spent time
thinking about life. She wondered why she was being so stubborn.
Everyone else walked around the office like it was a funeral
parlor. Grim expressions and pessimistic grunts did nothing to lift
her spirits. Nadine seemed to be the only one able to smile. Still,
hairline cracks in her chirpy veneer were evident in staff
meetings. Nadine never mentioned Layton, Inc. without bringing up
Erikka’s name. The other two partners wore impassive expressions
during exchanges with her. Nadine had no doubt convinced Calder and
Brinkhaus that Erikka was to blame for the Layton disaster. Erikka
felt as though she were waiting for the hammer to fall. She swung
around to her desktop.

“Might as well end the suspense,” she said.
Erikka pulled up the company letterhead template to type her
resignation. A knock on the door stopped her temporarily.

“Erikka, your father is here,” a secretary
said.

“He is?” Erikka spun her chair around and
started to get up. Tony Odom was the last person on earth she had
expected. When Craig entered with a wink and a grin, Erikka grinned
back.

“Hello, sweet stuff. How’s my girl holding
up?” Craig held open his long arms.

Erikka walked into his embrace. She hugged
his muscular body, and then stepped back. “As well as can be
expected, considering I’m two steps from being out on the
sidewalk.”

“Doesn’t look like you’re on the way out to
me. Nice digs.” Craig gave her an affectionate pat on the back. He
walked over to the window and looked down at traffic. “Real good
view.”

“Uh-huh. I’m enjoying it while I can.” Erikka
joined him. They watched the traffic on St. Peter for a few moments
in silence.

“You’ll be fine. Take my word for it. I’ve
got confidence in you,” Craig said, his basso voice strong.

“Thanks, Craig,” Erikka said, with
gratitude.

“What’s this ‘Craig’ stuff? I’m your daddy.”
Craig gently pinched her cheek. He’d tell her that all the time
when she was a little girl.

Erikka’s eyes filled with tears. She looped
an arm around his waist. “I didn’t know—I mean, with you and
Mama—”

“That’s got nothing to do with my
relationship with you or Jaci,” he said, his voice gruff with
emotion.

She gazed at him, feeling her love for him
fill in the blanks. Erikka had let her childhood fears take over.
“I was meaning to call you.”

“Yeah, well I got tired of waiting. Don’t you
start neglecting the old man. Okay?” Craig stared at her. His hazel
eyes seemed troubled and questioning. “Jaci already jumped all over
my case. She’ll get over it, I guess.”

“You know she will.” Erikka gave him a firm
kiss on the cheek. “And you just try to shake me, mister. I’ll
bother you so much you’ll scream for mercy.”

“Not hardly.” Craig let out his breath and
wiped a comer of one eye. He swallowed hard and put on a brave
smile. “Glad you’re willing to talk to me without breathing
fire.”

“You don’t need my piddling little advice.
Besides, it’s not like I’ve got a blue ribbon record,” Erikka
teased.

“You’ll be okay, honey. Trust me,” Craig
said, with a serious expression.

“Then you must know something I don’t,”
Erikka replied with a cheerless smile. “Anyway, enough about
me.”

“No, really. Don’t make any hasty moves.”
Craig walked over to her desk as he spoke. He made a couple of
keystrokes and deleted the text from her computer screen.

“Don’t tell me you’re psychic or something.”
Erikka debated whether or not she was annoyed or relieved.

“No, just been in business about twenty
years. I know a lot of people in this city. You’re not washed up,
sweet-heart. You’re young, with lots of time to make a comeback.”
Craig smiled at her.

“Thanks, I think.” Erikka started to press
him for more details when her phone buzzed. The distinctive sound
meant the call came from inside the office. “Hold that thought.
Hello? Right. Sure, fifteen minutes.”

Craig watched her put the receiver down.
“I’ve got to leave. I’m through interrupting your day.”

“Thanks for coming by, Daddy. I feel better
about a lot of things.” Erikka walked to him and put both hands on
his broad shoulders.

“Hey, looking after my girls is my most
important job.” Craig pecked her forehead as though she were ten
years old.

“About Mama, she’s angry and, well, you know
how she is. Roz is—”

“Planning to pick me dry. I know. I don’t
want a down- and-dirty fight, but if she pushes it. ..” Craig
lifted a shoulder.

“Do you have to get a divorce at all?” Erikka
wanted to hope one part of her life wouldn’t crash around her. His
sour expression answered the question before he spoke.

“Baby, this has been a long time coming. We
should have faced facts a few years ago. Maybe if I hadn’t been so
full of myself or your mother so stubborn.” Craig shook his head
slowly, letting out a long sigh. “I’ve thought about a dozen maybes
in the last few weeks.”

Her phone buzzed again. Erikka hissed at it
as though that would help. “Hold on,” she said, and grabbed it.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Your mama and I will
survive. You take care of business.” Craig blew a good-bye kiss and
was gone.

“Damn! I mean, hello? Coming.” Erikka only
had thirty seconds to shake off one drama and prepare for the next
one.

***

“It’s just as well Erikka decided not to move
here, darling.” Gabriel’s mother gave him a sympathetic smile.

Gabriel sipped more of her delicious coffee.
He carefully put down the delicate bone china cup. His mother had
never been one to “save the good dishes.” His father sat at the
other end of the breakfast table. Pale yellow sheer curtains were
drawn back. The scenery beyond was the wide, manicured green lawn
of their backyard. Dressed in crisp khaki pants and a white shirt,
Charles nodded in agreement.

“Your mother is right. This Rochon girl—”

“Erikka,” Gabriel corrected. His father’s
expression didn’t change. He hadn’t noticed the tension in
Gabriel’s tone.

“That’s who I’m talking about. She’s used to
an urban setting. She’ll be happier back in New Orleans.” Charles
patted his pockets.

Rachel paused in the act of loading the
dishwasher. She went to the small oak desk in a comer, found his
eye-glasses where he’d left them, and handed them to Charles. Then
she went back to tidying up. His father muttered a thank-you while
he put them. Gabriel watched their neatly choreographed domestic
life. At one time he’d thought it too old-school and confining. Now
he wanted his own oasis in a sometimes cold world. He wanted to
create such a place for Erikka as well. His parents had their own
set of rules. Their picture of Ms. Right didn’t match his.

“These days the word urban is used as a
synonym for ghetto. I’m sure you didn’t mean it in that sense,”
Gabriel replied dryly.

“What?” Charles blinked at him from behind
his bifocals. “Of course not. But while we’re on the subject, this
recent scandal she’s gotten herself into is a sign.”

“Not good at all,” Rachel put in. She patted
her already perfect hairstyle and sat down.

“Last thing you need. Not when folks are just
beginning to accept you again. A woman kills her child and herself,
horrible.” Charles gave a grim shake of his head.

“Yes indeed. Poor woman.” Rachel clicked her
tongue in disapproval.

“You must have read that the CEO disappeared
with the pension fund. The company misrepresented its financial
picture, too.” Gabriel tried not to sound defensive. He wasn’t in
the mood for conflict. His parents seemed un-willing to
cooperate.

“With the help of their accountants,” his
father put in. “Listen, I know how it feels to be young. You see a
good- looking woman and common sense takes a vacation.”

“Exactly. Remember Lisette Darensbourg?”
Rachel went on, before Charles could answer. “Your father wouldn’t
give me the time of day when we were in high school. Lisette wore
tight skirts. You could say she was pretty. Only if too much makeup
and cheap perfume were your taste.”