Hot Boyz (19 page)

“I already did,” Mercedes informed him.

“Good”

Little did they know Sequoia was sleeping just a few yards away.

Since Mason promised Star he would spend time with her when he had a few days to be home, he decided it would be nice to drive her to school, which he had not done since she was in the fourth grade.

They drove as slow as snails in the single lane of cars to the main drop off area in the front of her high school. Cars seemed to come to a stop as they looked over to peek inside of the tinted windows of Mason’s black-on-black convertible Porsche Boxer.

“Daddy, why do people always stare at you?” Star asked, watching the other parents break their necks to ogle her famous father.

“I think maybe they recognize me.”

“I know that. But why do they stare? I mean, I think that’s so
rude to just be all up in somebody’s face like they’re from another planet.”

“It’s human nature, Star. They see someone on television, and then when they catch them in person, it’s only natural I suppose.”

She felt the sticky eyes from the outside but tried to look preoccupied, zipping up the front pouch to her denim backpack. “I would never stare if I saw someone famous. So what.”

“If you saw Justin Timberlake you wouldn’t stare?”

“No.”

“How about Bow Wow?” Mason asked, looking over at her like he was getting somewhere.

She waved her hand toward him. “Oh, please. I don’t care who it is. It’s just an invasion of privacy to watch someone eat or talk in private, or drive their daughter to school,” she said loudly, looking the driver of a car dead in the eye.

“I don’t even notice anymore.”

“Well, I do,” Star said. Mason prepared to stop in front of Star’s school along with the other parents dropping off their kids. Star panicked. “No Daddy, just pull up over there, down the street,” she pointed up the street about a half a block.

“But you’ll have to walk farther,” Mason said.

“I’m okay. I don’t want everybody peeking in and being even more nosey as I get out.”

Mason pulled up. “Fine. How’s this?”

“This is good.” She bent over to pick up her lunch bag from the floor. “I’m surprised you’re home this morning. I thought you’d be on the course or jogging by now.”

“Well, I’m not. I’m here taking my gorgeous, talented daughter, who is growing up so fast, to school. Don’t I get a kiss?”

Star leaned toward her dad and stopped in mid-reach. “Oh my God, Daddy. Oh my God.”

“What, Star?”

She sat back, pressing her back against the seat. “Daddy, take me home right now.”

Mason turned to face her. “Why?”

“Daddy, I need to go home to Mom right now. Please, Daddy, just go,” Star insisted as she held on to the side of the seat for dear life.

Mason shifted the car into gear. “Star, are you okay?” he asked, pulling out again into traffic.

“No, Daddy,” Star said, reaching her hand under her rear end and holding her breath.

“What is it?”

She pulled her hand from underneath her skirt. “Dad, I’ve started my period.”

“Your period?”

“Yes, and it’s all over my skirt and the seat and everything.”

“Wait, I have a towel in the trunk,” he said, starting to pull over.

“No, Daddy. Just get me home to Mom, please. Hurry up.”

Mason began to speed along as he called Mercedes on her cell phone but there was no answer. “Where is she?”

“She was going walking with Aunt Venus.”

“Aunt Venus? Okay, when I pull up, I’m going to run in and grab a towel or sheet or something, and you go inside and head to your mom’s bathroom. I’m sure she has some tampons under the sink.”

She turned up her nose. “Tampons? No way am I using those.”

“Well, don’t you have any pads just for this very occasion?”

“Mom and I thought this day was at least a year away. Daddy, hurry and get me home and then go get some pads from the store.”

“I’m hurrying,” he said, taking the short route back to their house.

When he arrived and put on the parking brake, Star flung the door open. “I’ll be right here. Go,” she told him.

“Hold up a minute,” he insisted. “Sit tight.” He ran inside and then ran back out with a dark sheet as Star scooted along the seat, stepping out. She stood up, draping the sheet in between her legs and behind her butt. “Hurry, Daddy. I’ll be in the bathroom.”

“I’ll be right back,” he said, throwing a towel over the passenger side seat.

After making his way to the grocery store, Mason noticed people staring at him with the box of Kotex in the ten items or less line as he handed the cashier his debit card.

“Just slide it through, Mr. Wilson.”

“Okay,” he said, seeming nervous.

“You act like you’ve never done this before.”

“I have. It’s just that my, well, thanks. Can I have a bag, please?”

“Paper or plastic?”

“Paper.”

Mason arrived back home in two point two seconds. He ran inside to Mercedes’s bathroom where he found the door locked.

He knocked. “Star? Do you know how to use these?”

She took the bag and locked the door again, speaking from the other side, ripping the box open. “Yes. But isn’t there a belt or something I’m supposed to use?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask your mom on that one.”

“Daddy, can I just stay home from school?”

“Sure, baby. Just take care of yourself.”

“Is the seat of your car okay?” she yelled from the bathroom.

“It’ll wash off. Anyway, it’s black leather. Nothing will damage that. What’s important is you right now.”

“Good answer, Daddy,” she teased.

He smiled and shook his head, heading back outside to clean off the leather seat.

“What a day already, and it’s only eight in the morning,” he said aloud.

Mercedes was at the jogging trail at Fox Hills park. She bent over to stretch her legs out just as Venus walked up.

“Thanks for meeting me,” said Mercedes, giving Venus the once-over. “You look good, Ms. MexiBlack.”

Venus snickered. “Thanks. What’s been up with you?” she asked, tying her sweatshirt around her waist.

“Not much. Just handling my business with the agency and the family,” Mercedes said, turning from side to side.

“It must feel great to have some place to go other than staying home all day. I keep thinking about going back to work. Like it was before I married Claude.”

“You mean teaching?”

“Yes. At least part-time,” Venus replied, stretching her fingers to the sky.

“Why don’t you?” Mercedes asked.

“Claude is so old-fashioned. He said no woman of his is going to work. He wants me at home.”

“Some women would kill for that chance.”

They started to jog while Venus explained. “Yes, but I think not working robs you of your desire to grow and utilize your gifts and talents. I love kids and my job wasn’t so much about the money, obviously because I wasn’t getting paid a whole lot, but it was rewarding.”

“You can always come and help me out dealing with those childlike models I have to play mother to. Those girls are so dang immature. I need to run an agency for mature, plus-sized models. Maybe then they’d show up on time and confirm their appointments and not be such prima donnas. These girls will cancel a booking if they break a damn nail.”

“You’re so silly, Mercedes.”

“I’m serious. I’ll hire you. Just say the word and it’s done.”

Venus declined. “No thanks, but I think I am going to work on a volunteer basis for some worthy cause that helps kids who are terminally ill or who have AIDS.”

“That’s nice of you, Venus. We’re doing a benefit for the homeless at church if you want to help our committee. We do it every year and it brings in a lot of money for shelters and medical care organizations and food resource centers.”

“Now that, I’d love to do,” Venus said, looking inspired.

“What do you say we do about twelve laps? That’s a few miles,” said Mercedes.

“I’m game,” Venus replied.

After about twenty minutes, they slowed their pace down to fast walking. A couple of women walked by, leaning in toward each
other after giving Mercedes the once-over. Their attempts to muffle their voices wasn’t working. “Hey, isn’t that Mason Wilson’s wife? She’d better stay out here if she wants to keep that fat from chasing away that man of hers. She doesn’t look as young as she used to.”

Mercedes’s head followed their movement as they passed. “What the hell did you just say?” she belted out within a split second of their comment.

“Excuse me?” one lady asked, looking like she was interrupted.

Mercedes put her hands on her hips and turned back to face them both. She began to blink a mile a minute. “I overheard what you said, with your scrawny self. You need to put on a few pounds from what I can see. Shoot, I will hurt you up here in this park. You need to work on your whispering skills, or could it be that maybe, just maybe, that comment was meant to be heard?”

Both women stopped a couple of yards away. “No, ma’am. I apologize if I offended you. It was a private conversation.”

“She’s sorry,” said the lady’s friend. “She meant no harm.”

“Well, harm was taken.” Mercedes walked on at a slow pace. “Venus, let’s go. My own people doggin’ me out while I try to walk along the same trail in the same park that I’ve been walking in for most of my life. People never cease to amaze me.”

Venus tried to console her. “Mercedes, just ignore them. You look good and more importantly, Mason likes you just the way you are.”

“I ain’t about to lose my ass for no stranger who thinks that sexy is what they see in
Elk
and
Glamour!”

Venus agreed. “I’m with you on that.”

Mercedes took a deep breath. “Now that I’m all worked up, I’m going to go right on over to the Serving Spoon restaurant for some grits, chicken sausage, cheese eggs with onions, and biscuits,” Mercedes said out loud toward the two women as they walked down the track. “Come with me. My treat and then I’ll bring you back.” She looked back at the ladies again. “People made me work up an appetite. I’ve gotta work hard to keep all this wagon I’m dragging.
And besides, you could stand to eat a little anyway,” she said, looking at Venus’s slender hips.

Mercedes got back in her car and noticed the missed calls on her cell while Venus got in the passenger seat for a ride. She called Mason immediately.

“Sorry I missed your calls. Baby, can you believe these two so-called ladies, sistas, had the nerve to insult me at the park today. Talking about how I need to work at losing weight to keep from losing you.”

Mason spoke in a low tone. “Baby, I’m sorry that happened but Star started her period today.”

“And then when I confronted them they were all apologetic like… What did you say?”

“Our baby started her period?”

“When, in school?” Mercedes asked, with her eyes opened the size of quarters.

“No, in the car with me on the way to school.”

“Mason, no. How is she?”

“Just come on home, baby, she needs you. I see there’s no one quite like Mom,” Mason admitted.

She looked at Venus. “See, this is what life is all about. I’m on my way,” she told Mason.

She dropped Venus off at her car and said her good-byes.

That weekend, Mason went to church with Mercedes and the kids. Mason got a chance to sport his new charcoal Ralph Lauren suit. And Mercedes wore the off-white mandalay dress given to her by the designer, Marc Jacobs. Rashaad tried his best to wear his suit, but he always seemed to leave his jacket at home and his tie in the car. And Star looked sweet, wearing her new peasant dress she and Mercedes bought from Forever 21.

The Reverend pulled them aside after service. He excused Mason and Mercedes from the teenagers and took them into his private office. As soon as they sat down he hit them with a direct question. “Now what is going on with the two of you?”

Mason replied for the couple. “What do you mean, Rev?”

“I mean I’ve gotten word from the teen group that Star and Rashaad are withdrawn and nonsocial and I know that’s not like them. So I like to start with the parents and see if they know what’s going on. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mercedes commented, “No, I’m fine with you asking. I know Star has been a little defiant about her school plans.”

“Oh, really?” asked Mason.

“Yes,” Mercedes said. “And Rashaad is just moody.”

“That’s true,” said Mason.

The Reverend asked, “Where did he get that from?”

“Not me,” Mason replied.

“Not me,” Mercedes replied.

Mason said, “I thought moody means sometimes you feel good and sometimes you’ve got a lot on your mind. That’s everybody.”

“Why don’t we ask them?” Mercedes suggested.

“Why don’t we. I’ll be right back,” said the Reverend.

Star and Rashaad came inside looking like they’d just been arrested.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” asked Star. Cautiously, they took a seat around the Reverend’s desk.

“Nothing, dear. We just want to talk to the two of you for a minute.”

“About what?” asked Rashaad.

Mercedes explained. “About the four of us as a family. Your dad and I want to know what we can do to make things better.”

The Reverend added his comments. “And the first step is talking about what some of the concerns or issues might be. There’s nothing too deep for God’s arms to reach. I just want all of you to be able to communicate. Now I can leave the room if you’d like,” the Reverend offered.

“No, Rev, that won’t be necessary,” said Mason.

The Reveremd spoke directly to Star and Rashaad. “Or, if the two of you would prefer to come back another time, that’s fine too.”

Rashaad asked, “What do you want to know exactly?”

Mercedes replied, “How can we make things better? What, in your opinion, can be improved?”

Rashaad looked at Star. “Well, I don’t have any problems really.” And then he looked at the Reverend. “I just know that I worry about Cameron. He’s cool and everything and I know sometimes he feels bad coming by the house after Aunt Fatima got killed.”

“Has he told you that?” asked Mercedes.

“I asked him and he just plays it off.”