Song of Solomon (13 page)

“Happy birthday, old man!”

“Lord have mercy, girl, you're gonna kill a brotha!” Neil yelled.

“Get off him, Val!” Ella ordered while her two grandchildren stood around her legs. “The boy already halfway broke up. You gon' finish the job.”

Valerie slid out of Neil's arms, stood back, and examined him closely. “What? Are you hurt? What happened?”

Neil laughed at her unfounded concern. “No, I'm not hurt, at least not like you're thinking. I got the bright idea to go to the gym and work out today, and my whole body is kicking my tail in retaliation, that's all. It's good to see you, girl. What wind blew you into town?”

“The one that said, ‘Your brother turns forty-five today.'”

“You came in town just for my birthday?”

Valerie nodded. “And because Ms. Ella Mae threatened to pull out the strap if I didn't.” Turning to her children, she added, “Come on over here and speak to your uncle. Why y'all acting like you don't know him?”

“Well, it
has
been a minute,” Neil said as he returned to his seat on the sofa so he wouldn't have to suffer through the pain of bending down to hug Keisha and Tyrese. “You guys have gotten big. How old are you now?”

“I'm five,” Keisha said, putting up as many fingers.

“I'm seven.” Tyrese announced it like the two-year difference made him eligible to vote or something.

“Man, time flies,” Neil said. He'd seen the children at last year's family reunion, but they seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds since then. “Where's Otis?” he asked his sister, referring to her husband.

“He's in New York. He had a load to haul there today, so he couldn't make it. Somebody's got to bring home the bacon, right?”

“He still treating you good?”

“I'm still with him, ain't I?” Valerie said. Living up North hadn't erased any of the Southern country girl from her personality. Not by a long shot. “Boy, you know I don't take no mess. If he weren't treating me right, I'd be out, okay?”

“And what if he wasn't treating her good?” Ella injected. “As tore up as you are right now, you couldn't do nothing about it. All Otis would have to do is pat you on the back, and you'd crumble to pieces.”

The truth in her statement was a laughing matter that even the children took part in. It was turning out to be a better birthday than Neil had expected. He was having so much fun that he didn't even mind being the brunt of their jokes. He never got to see Valerie as often as he would like. She was a year younger than Neil, and she and her family lived in New Jersey. Valerie and Otis had recently celebrated their eighth anniversary.

“You think you gon' be able to help make your cake, son?” Ella looked at Neil with motherly concern.

“I'm not that bad off, Ms. Ella Mae,” Neil assured, rising from his sandwiched spot between his niece and nephew. “Let's get to it. You know I'm ready to get the baking over with so I can get to the eating.”

Neil washed his hands in the kitchen sink, and then spied all of the ingredients that his mother had already laid out on the counter. There were eggs, butter, flour, milk, sugar, cooking oil, and lemon extract: all the elements needed to make a lemon pound cake, his favorite. As customary, Ella did most of the work. All Neil really did was crack the eggs, pour in the milk, and lick batter residue from the spoons after everything had been mixed together.

“Okay, Ms. Ella Mae, you didn't invite a whole bunch of folks over here, did you?” Neil looked at his mother through suspicious eyes when he heard the doorbell ring again.

“I'll get it,” Valerie called from the living room.

“No, I didn't,” Ella said as she finished dumping the cake mixture in the two layer pans. “I know you don't like big parties, and I want you to enjoy your birthday. I wouldn't plan something that I know you wouldn't want. I knew you'd want to see your sister. That's the only reason I insisted that she come this way.”

“Ms. Ella Mae, it's for you,” Valerie's voice sang out.

Ella wiped her hands on her apron and pointed at Neil. “Okay, you be careful now. I want you to place both those pans in the oven. And try not to waste none of the batter while you do it.”

Neil nodded. “I got this, Ms. Ella Mae. You just go see about your company.” Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. “And get rid of them.”

Ella laughed before leaving him in the kitchen to follow the orders she'd given. The oven had been preheating, and when Neil opened the door, he had to turn his face away to avoid the hot vapors that came barreling out. There was a sheet of foil wrapping already lying on top of the oven rack. Neil gingerly placed one of the pans on the rack, and then the other. Once he finished doing so without a spill, he felt a sense of pride as he closed the door so the baking process could begin.

The voices from the living room seemed to get louder, and the louder they became, the more familiar they sounded, not just Ella's and Valerie's voices, but also the stranger's. Neil crept closer to the kitchen's entrance and listened. For several moments, all he did was stand glued to the floor and eavesdrop.

“Oh my goodness,” he whispered. Wiping his hands on a dishtowel that had been placed on the counter, Neil stepped into the opening for a better view. All of the front room guests were still getting acquainted, and Ella was the first to see him.

“Oh!” she said. “And this is the birthday boy.”

It was only at that moment that Neil was one hundred percent sure that their new houseguest was who he thought it was. Ella continued.

“Sol, this is Mrs. Shaylynn Ford from Shay Décor. I hired her to—”

“Hey, Dr. Taylor!” Chase exclaimed. “What you doing at Ms. Eloise's house?”

Shaylynn tried to keep straight all the facts in her head as she nibbled on cake, watched Chase interact with his new playmates, and listened to the conversation that flowed between the adults, all at the same time.

“People who have known me from childhood generally call me Eloise Flowers. That's my maiden name,” Eloise had explained to Shaylynn shortly after all the introductions had been made. “But folks who call me Ella Mae mostly call me Ella Mae Taylor, which is my married name. My husband gave me the nickname Ella Mae. Legally, my name is Eloise Mae Flowers Taylor, so both of them are who I am. I don't mind either one.”

After Shaylynn had settled in and met all of the house-guests, she and Eloise had gone through her humble abode and talked about the changes Eloise wanted to make. Neil and Valerie followed, giving their input too. The three of them didn't agree on much, but the one thing on which they all concurred was that the bottom floor of Eloise's split level house needed to be upgraded and rearranged so that she had to climb the stairs as little as possible. The stairs were the culprits that made her breathless, and that concerned both her and her children.

Eloise turned to Shaylynn and put an end to her deep thoughts. “Mrs. Ford, I know you didn't come over here for all of this, but thank you for staying for Neil's birthday cake.”

“Yes, thank you,” Neil echoed.

Shaylynn's eyes met his, but only briefly before she turned them back in the direction of his mother. “You're welcome, Ms. Flowers. The cake is delicious, by the way.”

“Ms. Ella Mae makes the best cakes in the world,” Valerie bragged.

“I helped,” Neil chimed.

“So if you think this cake is good, you should taste one that Ms. Ella Mae bakes by herself,” Valerie added.

Neil tossed a pillow across the room that his sister had to duck to avoid. “Shut up.” He followed up with a laugh.

Shaylynn laughed a little too. She liked the way Neil's family interacted. They seemed to genuinely like one another. It was something that, growing up, she'd not had in her own family, and although Emmett's family wasn't poor or dysfunctional like hers, they really never seemed all that happy either.

Neil excused himself and walked into the kitchen for his third helping of cake. Stealing a glance that she hoped nobody noticed, Shaylynn did a quick, albeit thorough, evaluation of the man she'd never seen outside of his professional element, or outside of a business suit. The sporty but smart Nike jogging set fell perfectly on Neil, and the red-and-white colors gave him a more relaxed look than the dark clothes he normally wore at school.

“Would you like more cake?”

Shaylynn looked to her right, and her eyes locked onto the fabric of the left leg of Neil's pants. Following the red line that accented the seam, she scanned him all the way up to his face. Shaylynn hadn't even heard Neil exit the kitchen, and now, with him standing so close, she could smell the masculine fragrance of a men's body wash.

“Uh . . . no.” She cleared her throat. “No, thank you. I think one is enough.”

“Oh, come on,” Neil urged. “Eating only one slice of cake is a sin.”

“It is not.”

“Yes, it is. It's in the Bible.”

Shaylynn giggled, knowing that he was teasing her. “What version is your Bible, Dr. Taylor?”

“Okay, so it's not in the Bible, but it is an unspoken rule for anybody black who lives in the South.”

Still smiling a toothy grin, Shaylynn shook her head at Neil's silliness. Another slice of cake did sound like a tasty idea, though. She glanced across the room at Eloise and Valerie, who had their own conversation going on, and then at the children, who were sitting Indian style next to one another, absorbed in an episode of
Blues Clues
.

“You can't be watching your weight,” Neil pointed out before she could speak. “One more piece won't hurt you. Come on.” He reached out his hand, leaving Shaylynn to wonder whether he was reaching for her hand or her empty saucer. Either way, he wasn't going to get it.

“I really shouldn't,” she replied.

“Please?”

After more seconds of thoughtful ponder, Shaylynn replied, “Okay, just one.” She stood on her own accord and held on to her saucer while walking past him into the kitchen. Neil followed close behind.

“You're a guest. Let me do that.” He stepped in front of her and took the cake cutter from her hand.

Determining that his untimely interception had left them standing too close, Shaylynn backed away to put more distance between her and the intoxicating smell of his skin. “Thanks,” she muttered.

Neil smiled, but said nothing as he placed the cutter against the double-layered lemon pound cake and began pressing.

“Wait. That's too much, Dr. Taylor. I can't eat—”

“Neil.” He stopped cutting and turned to face her. Lowering his voice, he added, “Call me Neil.”

Shaylynn felt flushed, and her stomach felt like there were little gymnasts inside vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. “I . . . I'd rather not.”

“Why?”

He was whispering now, and something about the sound of his raspy whisper birthed little bumps that raised the hairs on Shaylynn's arms. She took another half step back and refused to look at him.

“You're the director of my son's school, Dr. Taylor. I just think it is more appropriate that I refer to you by your professional title.” Shaylynn's mouth was so dry that she could only pray that her lips didn't look like she'd been kissing baby powder.

“But we're not at school.”

He made a good point, but Shaylynn insisted. “But still.”

“But still what?”

“He will hear me calling you by your first name.”

“And?”

“I don't want him to think he can do the same.”

Neil leaned his back against the counter and chuckled. “He's been hearing Val call me Neil and Ms. Ella Mae referring to me as Sol all afternoon, but every time he's said anything to me, it's still Dr. Taylor. What makes you think it will be any different if you call me by my first name?”

Shaylynn still had questions about that Sol thing, but for now, it would have to take a backseat. She was becoming too irritated with this war of words she was having with Neil to even be concerned about the root of his nickname. “That's different,” Shaylynn insisted. “I'm his mother.”

“And?”

Lifting her hands in mock surrender, Shaylynn's whisper turned harsh. “Just forget it.” Then she turned away to return to the living room. A firm but gentle grasp held her by the arm.

“Shay, wait.”

Shaylynn turned and glared up at Neil.
Shay?
First of all, nobody called her that, and secondly, who'd given him permission to be so casual with her? Thirdly, she liked the sound of it coming from Neil's mouth, and she hated that most of all. “My name is Shaylynn,” she stated. “But for you, it's Mrs. Ford.” With that, she backed away and stormed back into the living room, leaving the saucer and the cake behind. Without another word, she returned to the seat she'd vacated earlier.

Eloise and Valerie were still busy with their chatter, and the children were now in a competition to see if they could uncover the mysterious clues that Blue and his friend were giving on the television. If her son weren't having so much fun, Shaylynn would have grabbed him, her attaché case, and headed for her car.

“Here you go.”

There he was again, standing to her right. This time Neil handed her a small slice of cake and a fresh glass of milk as though he were handing her a peace offering. She looked up at him, and he gave her a half smile, but in his eyes, she saw injury. Somehow, Neil's feelings had been hurt in their heated exchange. That was not her intent, but he had pressed her, and she had to be firm. However, knowing she'd wounded him made Shaylynn feel unworthy of his kind gesture.

“No, thank you,” she whispered, dropping her eyes to the saucer.

“Please, Sh—Mrs. Ford. Take it.”

His quick recourse to correct himself before saying her name should have given Shaylynn a sense of victory, but it didn't. Taking the offering, Shaylynn thanked him, and then watched the man return to his place on the couch across the room. She returned his stare as Neil studied her for a moment, but unable to handle the intensity of his searching eyes any longer, Shaylynn picked up her fork and began eating.

“Do you guys want any more of your Uncle Sol's cake?” Eloise suddenly asked the children.

A chorus of cheers filled the room, and the children stood and scattered into the kitchen in preparation for their treats. Shaylynn never allowed Chase to run in the house, but he followed the others as though Neil was his Uncle Sol too.

“Ms. Ella Mae, don't give Kee-Kee and Ty too much,” Valerie said as she stood from her seated position and started toward the kitchen. She stopped in front of Shaylynn and sighed, adding, “My kids will be bouncing off the walls with all that sugar.”

Shaylynn's responding smile quickly dissolved when she realized that once again, she and Neil were alone. She turned up her glass of milk and hoped that when she brought it down from her lips, Neil would have found a reason to join the others.

“I'm sorry.”

Shaylynn's eyes traced the voice across the room. There was genuine regret in Neil's tone, and he was looking directly at her when he spoke. His eyes seemed to search her face, reaching for her thoughts. Afraid that he might be able to read them, Shaylynn cast her eyes downward.

“I didn't mean to upset you,” he continued. “I apologize for doing so.”

“It's okay.” Even though she didn't look directly at him, Shaylynn could see Neil shifting in his seat. He stretched out his legs and released an uncomfortable moan. It wasn't the first one she'd heard since her arrival. Shaylynn wanted to ask him if he were feeling well, but decided that it really wasn't her concern.

“So you decided upon Shay Décor, huh?” There was a twinge of satisfaction in Neil's question.

“Actually, no,” Shaylynn said. She didn't know why she was so determined not to give him any joy. “No decisions have been made.”

“But Ms. Ella Mae said—”

“I was pondering over the name when she called me that day, and it just came out when I answered the phone. Legally, the name hasn't changed yet.”

“Yet?”

Shaylynn's eyes surveyed Neil for the first time in a while. “No decisions have been made,” she repeated, leaving it at that.

Neil's lips parted to reply, but his words were intercepted by the return of Eloise and Valerie. The children had been instructed to sit at the dining room table to finish their desserts. Shaylynn watched the two women walk past her, and then she glanced toward Neil. He was watching her still, and there was a spark of some indefinable emotion in his gaze. It thrilled and troubled her all at the same time. She needed to leave.

“We're going to get ready to go, Ms. Flowers,” Shaylynn said as she stood. “Thanks for the cake, and I'll start working on your designs immediately and get back with you when I have some things for you to look at and consider.”

“You don't have to hurry off,” Eloise said. “Besides, the boy ain't finished with his cake yet.”

Shaylynn turned and looked into the dining area. The children were almost done. “Finish up, Chase. We have to go.”

“Let me cut you a couple of slices to take with you.” Eloise rose and grabbed her cane. “I got some foil that I can wrap a few pieces in.”

Shaylynn wanted to tell her not to worry herself. She didn't need any more cake and neither did Chase, but she didn't voice her objection. Shaylynn didn't know if she were following Eloise into the kitchen to keep her company, or to avoid Neil's eyes. Probably the latter. Those brown eyes of his seemed to bore holes into her flesh. Despite Eloise's urging, in a matter of minutes, Shaylynn was heading out the front door to join her son and his new friends, who were already outside, running around the front yard as though the sugar they'd consumed had gone directly into their bloodstreams.

“Chase, be careful,” she called from the open front door when he nearly fell during a high-spirited sprint.

“I'm going to be in town for a while, Shaylynn,” Valerie said as the two of them stood together. “My kids are out of school for a few days, so I'll be here until Thursday. Chase is having so much fun. Why don't you let him spend the night?”

Spend the night?
Shaylynn thought the woman must have lost her mind.

“I know Kee-Kee and Ty would love to have him stay over. Chase and Ty are about the same size, so I'm sure there is something in my son's suitcase that Chase can wear. We're going to KBCC tomorrow to visit with Neil, and we'll bring him by your house once we're out. What do you say?”

She had to be nuttier than a Snickers bar
.
Shaylynn tried to make her smile appear genuine, but there was no way she would even consider leaving her son with strangers that she'd only known for a few hours. “I don't think so, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Well, okay. But if you want to bring Chase by after school one or two days next week, maybe whatever days that he doesn't have a lot of homework on, you can.”