Love Again (3 page)

“If you think that’s what it should be listed at I’m totally on board with it!”

“Great!  I have some paperwork for you to sign the rest I’ll be able to fax to you.” I told her.

As I was pulling the paperwork out I asked her about the pool, “I don’t smell any chlorine, at all?”

“Nope!  They had a state of the art ventilation system installed when the pool was being built.  They also chose salt water instead of traditional chlorinated.  Harold and Virginia passed away a couple of years ago in a plane crash.  They didn’t have any children and their parents were both deceased, they were both adopted as children so they had no siblings to pass the house down to.”

“Oh my goodness!  So where will the money from the sales go then?” I asked.

“College scholarships for the underprivileged, homeless shelters, children’s hospitals, youth sports programs in the area and of course you’re paycheck.” She said with a smile.

I slid the paperwork to her and she signed it.  “I’ll get it on the website today and probably do an open house next week.  I’m so excited about this!”

“Great!  I hate to cut out on you but I have another meeting at my office, fax the other paperwork to me and I’ll be in touch with you.” She handed me a business card and we shook hands. 

“Lennie if you ever want to go out for drinks or dinner I’d love to get to talk to you more.  I know this will sound bad but I really don’t have many friends outside my firm, sometimes I need that ear to rant and rave about my staff…just general B.S.”

“Sounds like a plan!  Maybe next weekend we can have dinner then hit a club?”  I hated lying to her, but I knew that Justin would be livid if I went to a club without him.

She nodded her head, “I’d really like that.”

We got in our vehicles and left.  I was so happy on the way back that I just had to call Corrina and tell her about the house.  She didn’t answer so I left her a voicemail, “Hey BFF give me a call when you have time.  I have some super exciting news!  Love you and miss you…muah!” I hung up the phone. 

Once I got back to the office James and Henry both followed me into my office so I could give them details and they could see pictures of the house.  “You’re going to make a killer commission off of it.” Henry said.

“Then she’s going to leave us and open her own business…I just know it.” James pouted. 

I laughed, “I’m not leaving I promise, I have to get the property sold first and let’s face it.  That’s a pretty big chunk of money.” I said.

“You’d be surprised, I bet your head is going to be spinning with phone calls and showings.” James told me. 

“We will see.”  I replied. 

Hopefully James was right.  If I could sell this place it would get my name out to more potential clients and skyrocket my career. 

Growing up my life was far from the ideal childhood.  My dad was an abusive prick to my mom--but it didn’t stop there.  He found his way into the wrong crowd of drug dealers and used his own wife as payment when he didn’t have enough money. 

The tiny apartment we lived in had walls that were paper thin, there were many nights that I laid in my bed listening to my mom beg dad not to let the men touch her.  Then I would listen to her beg them to stop whatever they were doing to her.  Countless mornings I would tip toe out of my small bedroom and find mom holding frozen vegetables to her face.  She could only leave the house if dad was taking her to work at the diner, sometimes he would let me go with them but most of the time I had to stay at home. 

His ‘friends’ would stop by and wait for them to get back, at only seven years old my mom had already showed me how to shoot the pistol she kept hidden under the couch. 

“You scared of us boy?” a greasy haired old man asked with a cigar stuck between his lips.

“N…no sir.” I stuttered out in response. 

“Maybe I need to have a talk with your Pa…it’s not nice to lie to your elders.” He said and blew a cloud of smoke in my face. 

The door to the apartment swung open, dad pushed mom through the door, “Here she is boss.” Dad said as he walked with his hand gripping her bicep tightly. 

“Perry please don’t, please I can’t do anything tonight.” Mom tried to protest.  Dad tightened his grip on her arm, she winced from the pain and tears filled her eyes.

“Dominique go to your room, why the fuck are you even out here?” dad shouted and pointed his finger toward my bedroom door. 

“Please don’t hurt momma.” I looked at dad and the other two guys. 

“GO.TO.YOUR.FUCKING.ROOM!” Dad yelled so loud I jumped and hurried to my room.  I curled up on my bed and cried as I heard mom’s muffled cries.  

Sometime later I was woke up by somebody gently shaking my shoulder.  My eyes hurt from crying myself to sleep.  When I peeked through the slits mom was knelt beside my bed.

“Dominique baby wake up.”

“Mom?” I whispered.

“Come on baby, we have to leave
now
!” she whispered in a rush. 

I rubbed my eyes and sat up in my bed, “But daddy will hurt us.”

“No he won’t not if we leave right now.  Come on.” She smiled and held her hand out to me.

She slowly opened my bedroom door, the squeak of the rusty hinges filled the silent apartment.  With big eyes I squeezed moms hand and looked up at her.  I just knew that daddy would be storming toward us any second.  She looked down at me and squeezed my hand and held her finger up to her mouth “Shh…”

I held on to her hand so tight my hand started to go numb.  She ran over to the couch, grabbed the small black gun and something that looked like a stuffed sock.  Then we rushed over to the door, she quickly put the gun and sock in her coat and helped me put my old holey coat on.  When she opened the apartment door she looked both ways down the dingy smelly hallway.  The lights buzzed and flickered, the hallway was cold and scary.  Gently she closed the door and walked briskly almost jogging down the hall.  When we made it down the three flights of stairs she looked both ways before practically pulling me out the front door into the misty night.  “Almost there baby.” She was jogging but never let go of my hand. 

A couple of blocks later a long shiny black car pulled up next to us, “Momma no.” I tried to tug her away from the car.

“Come on baby, they are going to help us…I promise.  He won’t be able to hurt us again.” She tugged me toward the car and opened the door.  With hesitation I climbed into the warm car with mom right behind me.  The car pulled away from the curb, then lights turned on in the car, there sat a man and woman, both dressed in clothes that looked really expensive. 

“Hello Dominique, I’m Virginia Wilson and this is my husband Harold.  You don’t need to be scared of us we are going to help you and your momma.”

I snuggled against mom, “Okay.” I whispered but didn’t take my eyes off of either of them.  The car ride was smooth and soft music played, I fought to stay awake in case they weren’t telling the truth. 

When I woke up later that morning I screamed and jumped out of bed.  I wasn’t in my own bedroom and mom wasn’t with me.  The door swung open and mom rushed in.  “Hey, it’s okay.  I’m right here.  We’re safe now, go take a shower and brush your teeth then we’ll go downstairs and you can have a big yummy breakfast.  How does that sound?”

She gathered some clothes that weren’t mine then went into the bathroom and started the shower for me.  “Don’t leave me momma.” I told her.

“I won’t baby boy, I’ll be right outside the door.” She kissed my cheek and smiled at me. 

I took a long hot shower since the water at our apartment was always cold and brushed my teeth twice because the toothpaste tasted like mint and bubble gum.  The clothes I put on fit better than what I had at our apartment, they didn’t have holes in them and they didn’t smell like stale cigarette smoke from my dad. 

I pulled the door open just enough I could peek out and make sure mom was still waiting for me.  She smiled and waved a hand for me to come out, “Look at you!” I ran over to her and hugged her.  “Ohhh baby we’re safe now…safe.” She rocked me back and forth.  “Ready for some yummy food?” she released me from the hug. 

Downstairs smelled sweet like sugar and cookies.  Sitting at the table was Virginia and Harold.  They both smiled at me, “Do you like pancakes?” Virginia asked. 

I nodded my head, “Y…yes ma’am.”

A lady wearing a black dress with a white apron tied around her waist appeared a few short minutes later with a stack of steaming hot pancakes.  She walked around the table and placed two on each plate.  “Thank You!” I said excitedly. 

“You’re very welcome young man.” She smiled and patted my shoulder before walking out of the room.  Mom helped me put some butter and syrup on my pancakes, my mouth watered from the smell and sight in front of me.  I looked up and Virginia was smiling at me. 

“Dig in!” she motioned at my plate. 

I ate a total of four pancakes, “Boy you keep eating that much and you’ll be ready to play football in no time!” Harold said with a laugh.

“Sorry.” I looked down at my lap. 

“No need to be sorry son, I’m glad to see you have such a healthy appetite.  What do you say we go out back and play some catch with your new football or shoot some hoops with your basketball?”

“I don’t have one.  Daddy said I didn’t deserve new toys.  If I played with a basketball or a football it was at school.”

“Sure you do, go look in the foyer by the back door.” He grinned at me. 

I looked at mom, she raised her eyebrows and smiled, “Better go see!”

I nodded my head excitedly and excused myself from the table.  I ran out of the room, through the kitchen and skidded to a stop by the back door.  There were brand new toys in a wooden box.  “Wow!” I whispered.  Hockey sticks, footballs, basketballs, roller skates…”Wow!” I said louder.

Harold’s laugh startled me, “So, what’ll it be?” He nodded toward the box. 

I picked up the football, “I want to learn how to play football…please?”

He nodded, “Let’s go then.”

Harold took his time showing me the proper way to hold the football, how to throw it, and how to kick it.  “You’re pretty big for you’re age and you’ve got some speed, I think you’ll be a linebacker.” He told me and patted the top of my head. 

“Is that good?” I asked.

He laughed, “If it’s what you want to do.  Go wash up then we’ll see if we can find a game to watch until lunch is ready.  How does that sound?”

“Awesome!” I sprinted into the house, past a couple of people and upstairs.  Mom was sitting on the bed with Virginia. 

“Hey baby, did you have fun?” She asked and wiped at her eyes.

“So much fun, Harold says I’m big and can play football someday!  Why are you crying momma?”

“I’m just happy, these are tears of joy baby.” She hugged me. 

“Harold and me are going to watch a football game on TV!” I told her and jumped up and down in my spot. 

She smiled, “Good for you, I’ll be down there in a little bit.”

Harold and I watched the Dallas Cowboys play the San Francisco 49ers.  It was after watching that game that I set my own goals, I was going to become a professional football player. 

That night while mom watched TV and gently stroked my back I looked up at her, “Momma, what happened to daddy?  Is he dead?”

Her hand stilled on my back, “No baby, he’s not dead he’s in jail and will be there for a very long time.  He got mixed up with the wrong people and hurt the wrong people, we’re safe now.”

“But…Harold and Virginia are white.  Daddy said never to trust white people.”

“Honey you’re going to be told a whole lot of different things all throughout your life, judging a person by their skin color will be something people hold against each other forever.  Just remember, no matter what color their skin is we are all the same inside.  Our skin color doesn’t make us who we are.”

“Okay momma.” I smiled at her and she smiled back.  “Night momma I love you.”

“Love you to baby.” She kissed the top of my head and hummed until I could no longer stay awake. 

~~~~~~

“Earth to Dominique!” My assistant Tiffany snapped her fingers in front of me.  “Did you go out and drink too much last night or what?” She laughed.

I shook my head, “Nope, just another childhood flashback is all.” I told her.

She looked at me with sad eyes, “I’m sorry.” She said and looked at the floor.

“None of that, what’s up?  Sorry I spaced out there for a minute.” I said.

“Well, I thought you might be interested in this newly listed house.” She laid a stack of papers down in front of her and pushed them across my desk.  I gave her a skeptical look, the last house she tried to get me to buy was, “In need of a little TLC” which meant it needed to be torn down.  Rather than pay for it to be tore down, I bought it and renovated it so it could be a safe place for abused women and children to go to in the middle of the night…no questions asked.

I picked the stack up and flipped it over, the first page listed the price, “Fourteen million?!” I said and looked up at her.  She nodded her head and bit back a smile, I shook my head then flipped to the next page.  The floor plan looked familiar and so did the kitchen, I flipped to the next page and my mouth fell open.  “The Wilson place is up for sale?” I said and about jumped out of my office chair. 

Tiffany laughed, “Do you want me to schedule a showing?  There’s an open house next week if you just want to wait.”

I walked around the desk and hugged her until she complained that she couldn’t breathe, “You’re the best fucking assistant ever!  I’ll personally handle this call.” I told her. 

“Okay, that way when nosey Ava comes in here I can honestly tell her that I don’t know where you are or what you are doing.”

Ava—was supposed to be my wife by now.  When a private investigator showed me proof that she was cheating on me, I moved out of our high-rise apartment and was currently renting an apartment in the same building as one of my best friends and teammate, Trevor.  Ava had been trying to get me back for almost a year now and I wanted no part of her or any relationship for that matter.  I had loved her and trusted her and she did nothing but rip my heart out and shred it to pieces.  I think she might have even set the pieces on fire.  I hadn’t dated in that year and had no desire to; I had random hook ups and that was it.  They never stayed the night and I usually didn’t call them the next day—or ever again.  Well except for one that was okay with a no strings attached random booty call.  She was cool.

“Let me know if you need me to help with anything.” Tiffany interrupted my thoughts…again. 

“You know I will.” I told Tiffany.  She nodded then walked out of my office. 

Obviously it was one of those days that I couldn’t keep my attention on something for longer than a minute.  It meant that I needed to do one of two things; I either needed to go to the gym and work out my frustrations or call Chrissy and fuck out my frustrations.  I opted for going to the gym, Chrissy had been over two nights ago—I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea about me and think I had feelings for her.