healing-hearts (33 page)

“I’m not sure.”

Jason lifted an eyebrow in his direction.

“You know, Mr. Richardson. I probably shouldn’t have even come to you.”

“Well, you’re here, why don’t you give it a try and talk to me. I may be able to help.”

“You’re the only one who can.”

Jason could see the young man was struggling seriously with something and he wanted to help him. “Why don’t you start at the beginning?”

“You remember I told you I was going to go to Healthy Fit today and see your wife about advice for the project?”

Jason was taken aback, but he kept himself calm and schooled his features for whatever may come. “Yes.”

“Well, sir, when I first got to the office I guess your wife didn’t hear me come in...”

“And?” Jason prompted.

Carlos viewed his hands again briefly, then glanced up again. “She was crying, sir.”

“Who was crying?” When the young man only stared at him, Jason asked, “Why was my wife crying?” Jason’s voice seemed to get caught in his throat.

“I don’t know, Mr. Richardson. I wasn’t privy to that information.”

“Was anyone else there at the time, her partner Leigh, maybe?”

Carlos shook his head. “No, sir. I didn’t see or hear anyone else.”

“Could she have been on the phone, maybe it was bad news from her parents?”

“I don’t know, sir. It could have been, she seemed fairly upset about something.”

“What did she say to you when you walked in?” Jason inquired.

“Nothing. She doesn’t even know I saw her. When I realized she was crying I stepped back out of the doorway quietly, went back outside and came in more loudly, calling her name from the lobby.”

Jason leaned back in his seat with his hands across his abdomen. “Then what?” He needed every detail in order to have any chance at figuring out what was going on with Yasmine. Ideas flowed through his mind of what could possibly have upset her to the point of tears. She was a woman who didn’t like to cry. Jason knew that first hand.

“She told me to have a seat and she would be out in a second. She came out a few minutes later with only a hint of any signs that she had been crying. I must say I was impressed.”

“She’s an impressive woman.” Jason spoke more to himself than his team member. “Anything else?”

“No, sir,” his employee rose.

“Thank you, Carlos, I’ll give her a call and check on her.” Jason gave Carlos what he hoped was a reassuring confident smile of a devoted husband. “I’m assuming you took some good notes during the meeting?”

“I sure did and you’ll get all of them written in the report tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to see them.” He commented, watching his staff member exit the office.

After his door was closed, Jason reached over to his phone to dial Yasmine’s work number. His hand hovered over the top for a few moments then he removed it. What reason could he give for calling her? He could ask about the children, but that wouldn’t give him the information he needed to know about her and Yasmine was such a private person that she wouldn’t willingly volunteer the information either.

It was Wednesday night, his visitation day with the kids. He had already blocked out his schedule so the evening would be free. He had missed Saturday’s time and he had hated having to cancel with them.

Opening a file on his desk he began to input data and stats into his computer about each of the last quarter projects. If he worked through them diligently, he could be finished with all of them before the children had gone to bed.

Buzzing Jeannie’s desk, he informed his secretary that he didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone. Then he began working.

~ML~

Jason had barely made it through the first chart when his intercom buzzed.

Jason pressed the speaker phone button. “Yes, Jeannie.”

“Mr. Richardson, I know you didn’t want to be disturbed, but Mr. Coleman would like to see you in his office...he said it was very important.”

Jason felt like stomping his foot, just like his son Joshua did when he wanted something and couldn’t have it, but he did the adult thing instead. “Tell him I’m on my way.”

Jason looked at the pile of work on his desk, locked his computer terminal, then left the office. “Jeannie, if I’m not back before you leave can you put away the files on my desk, I’ll just get them back out after this meeting. I have a feeling I’m not going to get out of here tonight anytime soon.”

“You got it, sir.” Jeannie bestowed one of her sweet sympathetic smiles on him.

Jason walked briskly to Mr. Coleman’s office, not wanting to waste any time. When he reached Pricilla, Mr. Coleman’s secretary, she told him to go right in.

When he entered he saw that Raquel was already seated in one of the chairs opposite of Mr. Coleman’s desk. Her presence threw Jason for a loop, not that they didn’t have meetings together, but because normally they were scheduled. The last time he called an impromptu meeting it was when Mr. Weary had gone into the hospital with a stroke.

“Jason, have a seat.” Mr. Coleman gestured cheerfully towards a vacant chair.

Jason took his jovial attitude as a good sign.

“Well, I’m sure both of you are surprised and curious that I called you together into my office,” Mr. Coleman began when Jason had taken his seat and the pleasantries were out of the way.

“You’ve got me stumped, sir,” Jason admitted.

“I’m with Jason, Mr. Coleman. What’s up?” Raquel agreed.

“You both are very much aware that Mr. Weary is retiring shortly and I’m going to need to fill his position.”

Jason’s heart began to race.

From the corner of his eye he could see Raquel sit up a little straighter in her chair.

“It’s been a while since we all talked about it, sir,” Jason commented.

“Nonetheless, it was something that I’ve kept in the forefront of my mind. But, of course, it’s my job to worry about those matters. It’s you two’s job to concentrate on bringing in good sales for our clients.”

“Hopefully, you have been pleased, Mr. Coleman?” The pseudo question seemed to roll off Raquel’s tongue.

“Yes, I have.” He smiled fondly at both of them. “If I hadn’t, then you two would not be sitting here.” Leaning toward them, Mr. Coleman continued, “Which brings me to the reason for the presence of the two of you.”

“What are you doing here?” Yasmine questioned the person standing at her door.

Charmagne, with the twins in tow, had just come into the kitchen and told her that a man was at her door, claiming to be her brother.

“My brother?” Yasmine had asked her.

“Yes, Ma’am, he even showed me a picture of the two of you.” Charmagne told her.

Yasmine didn’t want to make Charmagne or the kids nervous so she didn’t tell her that she only had an older sister.

Yasmine had walked to the doorway, to see Blake standing there with a broad smile on his face.

“It’s been a long time, Yasmine. I thought I’d surprise you.” He entered the house, but didn’t come any further.

“Well, I’m surprised.” Wanting her children far away from Blake, Yasmine turned to Charmagne and asked, “Can you take the children upstairs and stay with them?” Then for extra measure she added, “Mr. Richardson should be home any moment. If you could stay a little longer until he gets here?” It was a bluff for Blake’s benefit, and she prayed it would work.

“That’s no problem.” Charmagne eyed Blake pointedly.

Yasmine could see a curious look cross Charmagne’s face, but she chose to ignore it. The sooner she got the twins away from Blake the better she would feel.

Yasmine gave the children a reassuring smile as they walked up the steps.

“No greeting with a kiss? Is that any way to treat your long lost brother?”

Yasmine turned to him; she wouldn’t show him fear as she had done over the years they had been together. She would lean on anger, it was an emotion she could deal with, and hopefully draw strength from until she could convince him Jason would be home, and get him to leave.

In an angry whisper she proclaimed, “Blake you are
not
my brother.”

“You’re right, I’m not.” He began walking around her living room like it was his, eyeing the pictures of her and Jason and then turned and faced her. “I thought it would be a little awkward for you if I said I was your husband.”

“Blake, why are you here?” Yasmine chose to disregard his statement.

Blake sat down on her couch and got comfortable as if he had planned to stay awhile.

“I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop by.”

“You shouldn’t have, Blake. There’s a restraining order against you.”

“Is there?” He leaned forward and picked up the wedding album off the coffee table.

Yasmine reached over and grabbed it out of his hands.

“Yasmine, you’ve developed such bad manners since we’ve been apart.” Leaning back again appearing unfazed, he asked, “Is that what your
new
husband is teaching you?”

“I’m not going to discuss my life with you, Blake. I just want
you
to
go
.” Yasmine finished off her sentence between clenched teeth.

“What are you afraid of, that I might find out all your dirty little secrets?” He let his voice drop to a whisper.

“I don’t have any secrets.”

He gave a cryptic laugh. “Oh, everyone has things they’re hiding, Yasmine. And you’re no different.”

Yasmine remained silent, not wanting to fuel any further conversation.

“You have beautiful children, Yasmine. Too bad you couldn’t bear them yourself.” His statements were followed by a
tsk
tsk
sound.

Yasmine swallowed the lump in her throat; she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous when Blake brought up the children.

“Blake, my
husband
will be home any minute and you don’t want to be here when he arrives. I’ve told him all about you and he won’t be happy to find you here.”

“Jason, right?” Blake declared.

Yasmine’s heart began to sink. This wasn’t a random visit Blake was making. He hadn’t just recently tracked her down, he knew too much.

“How do you know what my husband’s name is?” Yasmine held tight reins on her emotions.

Lounging back with is arms spread, he revealed, “I know everything about you, Yasmine. Did you think that I would just forget about you...about what we had? Did you think I could just let...you go?”

Yasmine watched his calm posture, but wasn’t fooled—this was the Blake she had always known, the one that had haunted her life for so many years.

“Blake, I’m warning you. Leave before I call the police.” Yasmine backed up and stood by the phone on one of the end tables. “You know you’ll go to jail with the order against you.”

Standing, he pretended to walk toward the door, but he stopped when he stood in front of her. “Funny thing about restraining orders, Yasmine. There’s a time limit for them and if they’re not updated, they’re no longer valid.” Taking a step closer to her, he sneered, “I guess you were too caught up in your perfect little fairytale life to worry about it.”