Second Time Around (13 page)

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Authors: Darrin Lowery

BOOK: Second Time Around
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Because she always had her guard up, Korie wondered if this was just a thing or a phase for Vaughn. She wondered was he just a rich man looking for a booty call from an average woman. She thought to herself that some men liked women with big butts. Some liked women who were top heavy. She wondered if in some sick way, DeVaughn Harris was a man who got off on sleeping with middle-income women.
Girl, you're trippin'. This could be a black version of Cinderella or Pretty Woman, she thought.
Then reality hit Korie quite hard as she continued to think about what could develop between the two of them.
Or, it could be another heartbreak, she thought to herself.
She sat in her car and simply exhaled. She made up her mind that as far as she was concerned, the ball was in DeVaughn's court. If he chose not to call then it would be his loss. She did, however, make up her mind that she would be fair with him.
She drove through the parking garage and down eight floors where she paid for her parking. The bill was twenty-two dollars. She was miffed at the expensive cost of parking downtown. Still, she had a great night. As she pulled out of the garage, “the Daddy Thing” by Jaheim was playing. She looked at her backseat and put Darrin Lowery's book The Daddy Thing in her purse so she would remember to read it.
As she pulled out of the garage, she headed east to State Street. She then headed south on State Street, where she saw a familiar figure walking and looking at the storefront windows. She drove slowly beside the tall figure and rolled down her window.
Vaughn was taking a late-night stroll down State Street.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He looked up at her and smiled. He was not expecting to see her.
“Just taking in the sights, and thinking about you.”
“What about me?” Korie said, smiling.
Vaughn walked over to her car and knelt before the driver-side door. Korie cut off the engine.
“I was just thinking how nice it was to have dinner with you. I was just thinking that I seldom take time out for the important things in life.”
“Things like what?”
“Things like family, marriage . . . love.”
Korie was stunned. She was apprehensive and anxious all at once.
“Love?”
“Relax, Ms. Dillon. I'm not saying that I love you.”
“Whew, I'm glad to hear that because I was just starting to like you,” she said, smiling.
“Oh, so you like me,” he said, smiling.
She thought to herself, He has such a wonderful smile.
“You're okay, I guess.” They both laughed.
“So what I was saying is tonight got me to thinking; thinking about the important things in life: family, people and love. Not that I'm in love, but for a long time I haven't been open to the idea of love. “
“So what have you been doing all these years since your wife passed?”
“Making money.” He stood up and put his hands in his pockets, staring off in the distance as if he were disappointed in himself. “Making lots and lots of money. I think that's my only skill.”
“That's not a bad skill to have.”
“Perhaps not, but it's a lonely business.”
“I'm sure. I'm also sure that you have other skills. Outside of business, when was the last time that you went out to enjoy yourself?”
“I have dinner at different places all the time. In fact, I went to Vegas just last week.”
“When was the last time you went skating?”
“Skating?”
“Yeah, skating,” Korie said, smiling.
“Shoot, I don't think I've been skating since high school. Hell, that might have been before you were born.”
He laughed.
She didn't.
She briefly thought about the age difference. Just as quickly as she thought about it, however, she dismissed it.
“And what was the last book you read for recreation that wasn't about finance?”
“Uh, that would have been quite some time ago,, and it was The Coldest Winter Ever.”
“Great book. It's one of my favorites. What was the last movie that you saw?”
“At the theater?”
“At the theater.”
“Well, not to brag, but I have a theater at home.”
“I'm sure you do, but that doesn't answer my question. What was the last movie that you saw at the theater among other people?”
He had to think about it. He was almost ashamed to say.
“I believe the last movie I saw at the theater was The Five Heartbeats.”
“Oh my god.”
“But I've seen all the current movies. I just haven't seen them at the show.”
“We'll have to do something about that.”
“Oh really?” he said, smiling a full smile.
“Really. The next date is on me. I'm going to take you out and we are going to have some fun.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“What's your schedule like over the next few weeks?”
“I have a lot of things scheduled for this week, but you know what? I'll make the time . . . for you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
They both stared at each other like two teenagers. They looked at each other lovingly. And for the first time, Korie didn't see him as the older man. She just saw him as a man.
“Okay, well, I have to go home,” Korie said.
“Well, good night again, Ms. Dillon.” He leaned in a second time and kissed her on the cheek.
He smiled.
She smiled.
She then pulled off, turning the car stereo up and heading back to her place. Thoughts of this evening played over and over again in her head. Korie didn't remember the last time that she felt so good.
Then it dawned on her. The last time she felt this good about a man it was him. She turned the stereo down and drove in silence on the way back home. She thought about the gamble she was taking. She thought about the last time that she was hurt and she weighed her options again for the hundredth time.
That man is not this man. We need to give this man a chance. We need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let's just see where this thing goes. These are the things she told herself.
Korie went inside her place and the first thing she did was get undressed and jump in bed. She lay down and stared at the ceiling, smiling to herself at how the evening went.
Not only was Vaughn handsome and financially stable, he was a gentleman the entire night. He made no effort whatsoever to come home into her bed, or to get her into his.
Korie admired that. She sent him a text that said she was home. His return text thanked her for a great evening. Just as she was ready to turn over and go to sleep her house phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Are you just getting home?”
It was Jayna. She was looking for dirt, no doubt. Korie smiled to herself again when she thought about how wonderful tonight was.
“Yes, Mama, I'm just getting home.”
“And how did the evening go?”
“You know what? It was great. I'm glad you set it up.”
“See, I told you he was the guy for you! Are you going out with him again?”
“Yep.”
“Where is he taking you?”
“I'm taking him. I think I'm going to take him to a Bulls game.”
“A Bulls game? Hold up, Did you say you were taking him?”
“Yes and yes. What's wrong with that?”
“You shouldn't be taking him out. Hell, if anything he should be taking you out. You should be going with him to Paris or something.”
“Girl, stop. I'm taking him out because he seems a little removed from the black community and he can't remember the last time that he just kicked it and went out.”
“Uh, okay Korie. As far as being removed from the black community, that's called progress. And as far as kicking it, a man of his stature needs to focus on one thing: Making millions for himself and billions for his company.”
“Well, if we are going to see each other, I'd like him to focus on other things.”
“Like what?”
“Like me.”
“So you're telling me that you're really feeling him, huh?”
“I am . . . a little.”
“Good. So . . .”
“So, what?”
“What happened? Spill it.”
“We talked. We laughed and then he kissed me on the cheek.”
“That's it?” Jayna sounded disappointed.
“That's it. How did things go with Brandon?”
“They went fine; he's here with me now. He's 'sleep.”
“You ho!” Korie said playfully.
“It's not like that. I think he could be the one.”
“After one night, Jayna?” Korie was concerned about her girlfriend's judgment.
“I don't know what to say, we just clicked.”
Korie thought to herself, How many other men have you clicked with? The two women talked for about a half hour about their expectations. Minutes after that, they hung up. Throughout the conversation there were plenty of times that Korie had to hold her tongue. But again, she kept telling herself, sometimes being friends means not being judgmental. Besides, who was she to judge? Just days ago she was still thinking about her ex and now she was thinking about dating a man old enough to be her father.
Chapter Ten
Darren thought to himself, I'm finally rid of her. For the first time in a very long time, he hadn't thought about her anymore. He saw his clients, he went out on dates, and he occasionally paid for the company of Stephanie.
They'd gone out for the past six weeks and each time had been more amazing than the last. Darren tried to tell himself that there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. He tried to tell himself, like his client said, that he was simply in need of a service, and Stephanie provided that service. He knew that he sounded like one of his clients. He also knew that he was hooked like an addict.
It was costing him a pretty penny at 6,000 dollars a month, but he felt it was worth every dime. He simply saw more clients to offset the expense. It didn't dawn on him that in a year's time he would have spent 72,000 dollars.
He stepped his game up. He saw more elite clients. He took his last client's offer of learning how to play golf. As he learned to play golf, his client introduced him to more and more affluent men. Men whose issues ran deep, but whose pockets ran deeper. Darren began seeing many of the men at the club and started making more money inside of a few months than he had ever imagined.
His client, DeVaughn, had shown a great deal of progress. He confessed that he met someone and stopped spending money on the escort service altogether.
Darren thought, Tell me the secret so I can wean myself off.
His client stated that he met a woman; a remarkable woman who made him feel young again. His client thanked Darren for helping him with his addiction. He also thanked him for saving his company millions and millions of dollars.
“Mr. Howard, I really want to thank you for all your hard work. Initially I thought therapy was just some BS, but thanks to you, I am happier than I have ever been in my life.”
“I'm glad I could be of help. If you think you're ready, perhaps we should end our sessions together then.”
“Doc, are you breaking up with me?” he said, laughing.
“No. No, I'm not. But I do think you're ready.” The two men sat and shared a drink on the ninth hole.
“So why do you think I did it all these years? What made me turn to escorts? Any idea?”
“What do you think?” Darren asked.
“I'm asking you what you think.”
“It doesn't matter what I think.”
“Forever the therapist, huh? Do you ever answer a question directly?”
“I do. But not during a session. Listen, therapy isn't about voodoo or curing people with some magic pill or anything. It's like two people walking on the same journey, and on that journey, I'm not the guide: You are. I'm simply the companion. My job isn't to answer questions. My job is to ask you difficult questions that you may be afraid to ask yourself.”
“I thought we just agreed to terminate our sessions,” the client said.
“We did,” Darren said, laughing.
“Then answer my goddamned question,” the client said jokingly.
“Okay. Okay, I will. Just this once. I think you had a need that needed to be met. I think you needed affection and you needed some stress relief. A man in your position needs some sort of healthy outlet to relieve all the pressure in his life. At the same time, you didn't want to betray your wife's memory. So you used a service. You used the service because it met your needs without becoming personal, without crossing boundaries. It allowed you to be a man, but also allowed you to be a faithful husband. Faithful to the memory of your deceased wife.”
Darren took a drink of his beer.
His client shook his head in agreement, and then came the tears; tears he held back as he swung at the golf ball.
“You know. Mr. Howard, you're pretty good at what you do.”
“Please, call me Darren, and thank you. I should be good at what I do, for what you're paying me.”
His client smiled and laughed. “Just one more question.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
“How do I continue to go out with this new woman without disgracing my wife's memory?”
“Your wife will always have a special place in your heart. If you truly want to honor your wife, then honor this new woman. Take care of the living, but never forget the honored dead. It's time for you to begin healing. It's time for you to begin living again. Don't you think your wife who loved you would want that?”
“I'm sure she would. But it's hard.”
“No one ever said it would be easy. If it ever gets to the point where it's too hard, and you need someone to talk to, you have my number.”
The two men shook hands on the ninth hole. Just as they were ready to call it a day, it began to rain. They both headed back to the clubhouse. They changed clothes in the locker room and said their good-byes.
“Darren, before you go, I'd like to give you something.”
“That's really not necessary.”
The client reached into his jacket pocket and handed Darren a small envelope.
“You saved my company and me millions of dollars. On behalf of my company and me, we'd like to give you a token of our appreciation. Consider it a commission on the money that you saved us.”
“Thank you, Mr. Harris.”
“Please, call me Vaughn.”
DeVaughn Harris put his hand on Darren's shoulder and the two men shook hands again before Mr. Harris left.
Darren sat on the bench in the locker room and opened up the envelope.
It was a check for 100,000 dollars.
“Damn!” Darren said. “I guess I've finally made it.”
 
He considered calling her. After all, it was she who he wanted to be with when he was successful. That's why he left her to begin with. He left to lay a foundation for the rest of their lives. He left to get himself together. He left so they could have a happy ending.
I should call her. Shouldn't I? Maybe it's too late. Maybe it's been too long. After all, I have Stephanie now, right?

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