Still thicker than water (29 page)

“
I told you…she’ll be here. She is driving from campus, Sasha. And it’s only 6:50,” Mike reminded her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close.

“
Hey, relax. It’s going to be fine, babe. Happy Birthday.” He pecked her on the lips and she smiled lightly.

“
Maybe I should just take her to my aunt’s,” Sasha reconsidered. “Or maybe I should just stay home.”

“
Sasha!” Mike exclaimed, laughing. “Amanda is a good kid, she’ll take good care of Aubrey.”

Mike’s cousin Amanda attended Georgia Tech and had offered to watch Aubrey for them while Mike and Sasha attended her birthday dinner. She loved kids and could really use the extra money being that most college kids, were broke. Sasha had met her before, and could tell that she was a responsible and sweet girl.

“
Here, have a drink with me.”

Mike took out a bottle of white wine and poured them each a glass. He handed Sasha hers and smiled lovingly.

“
To you…Happy Birthday.”

“
To me,” she said raising her glass in a toast, but her elbow accidentally knocked the bottle over.

“
Shit!” She cursed, as it spilled all over the counter and floor.

“
It’s alright, get the kitchen cleaner,” Mike said calmly, grabbing some paper towels. Sasha went to the bottom counter and took out the pine cleaner.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“
That must be Amanda,” he added.

Sasha wiped up the wine with the cleaner and water as Mike went to answer the door.

“
Mommy, you did a boo-boo?” Aubrey asked cutely, walking into the kitchen.

“
Yeah Bri-Bri, now go in the living room. Mommy doesn’t want you around these chemicals.”

“
Hi Sasha,” Amanda greeted warmly. “Whew! That pine is strong,” she said covering her nose playfully.

“
Yeah, I know. I’m clumsy. You can open up a window if you want,” Sasha said, throwing the wet paper towels into the trash. Amanda walked into the living room and Sasha could hear her playing with Aubrey.

“
Hey Aubrey! Hey girl! We gonna have fun, tonight.”

“
Sasha, come on, we have to go,” Mike rushed her.

The dinner started at 7:30 and he knew it was no less than a half hour away.

“
Okay,” she agreed, knowing the floor was clean enough. She went to Aubrey and hugged and kissed her.

“
Bye baby girl, mommy will be back soon, okay?”

“
Okay Mommy,” she murmured.

“
I love you. Listen to Amanda, okay?”

Aubrey shook her head yes and Sasha kissed her again.

“
Okay Amanda, my number and the number to the restaurant, as well as her father’s and my aunt’s number are all on the fridge. No beverages for her after 8 pm and she’s bathed already. No scary movies, and no milk, okay?”

Amanda nodded.

“
Okay Sasha.”

Sasha turned and headed for the door where Mike was already standing and Amanda called after her.

“
Oh, Sasha!”

“
Yes,” she said, turning around anxiously.

“
Happy Birthday.”

Le Cove was a brand new, fine Italian restaurant in which Jayde had rented out and shut down for Sasha’s dinner. It was not hard for her to do at all, being that she was a partial owner in it.

“
Happy Birthday!” She yelled, as Sasha and Mike made it through the door. Sasha looked truly gorgeous in a chocolate satin A cut dress that lay against her skin perfectly and showed off her toned legs. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant ponytail, displaying her dangling diamond earrings. Her long eyelashes curled and almost appeared false and her lips were succulent in a beige iridescent lipstick. She looked breathtaking.

“
Thanks mama! Oh my god, it’s gorgeous in here!” Sasha exclaimed, making her way into the dim restaurant. Jayde had it set up so nice, with floating candles in glass bowls of water. A long table with a row of roses in vases going down the center was in the middle of the room, and servers walked around serving champagne and hor’duerves to the select group who were standing around, conversing. Sasha wished that Tatum could’ve seen it.

She spotted a few familiar faces, like girls from the salon where she got her hair done, people from Mike’s hospital, Jayde’s mother, and finally, Jayde’s new business associate, Chauncey.

Sasha acknowledged him with her eyes, but made her rounds, saying her hellos with Mike by her side, as Chauncey’s eyes stayed glued to her beauty.

“
Oh, Sasha, this is Dr. Winslow,” Mike introduced eagerly, as they had almost made their way around the entire room. She shook his hand and smiled, but focused on Chauncey who was now talking with some average faced, big butt female that she recognized from the salon. She noticed Mike becoming enthralled in the conversation with the fellow doctor, and used the opportunity for her escape.

Grabbing a flute of champagne, she stepped in the direction of Chauncey.

“
Hello,” she said to Chauncey, interrupting the girl’s sentence. Her greeting dripped with a territorial sass and the girl turned and faced her.

“
Oh, hey Sasha. Happy Birthday,” the girl said, as if she knew her well.

“
Happy Birthday, baby girl,” Chauncey added with a yearning smile.

“
Thanks.” Sasha kept her eyes on Chauncey and waited for the girl to catch a hint. When she didn’t, Chauncey broke the silence.

“
Can you excuse us for a minute?”

The girl, obviously disappointed, half smiled and then walked away.

“
Who was she?” Sasha asked, not masking her jealousy.

“
Damn, you look good as hell.” Chauncey said that like he had a hunger for her.

“
Chauncey, I’m serious. Who was that chick?”

“
I don’t know, she just came up and started talking. But for real ma, you look
good
. I think I might need you tonight,” he added in a deep whisper.

“
Chauncey,” she whined, starting to blush.

He took a sip of his champagne, stepping closer to her, and eyed her sincerely.

“
I’m serious. You might as well tell homie that you coming home with me, you and my little princess… and that, you know…it’s a wrap.”

Sasha didn’t answer because she felt an immense amount of pressure. She noticed Mike stealing glances in their direction.

Just then, a familiar face made their way up to them and Sasha smiled wide.

“
E! How are you… how you been?”

“
I’m good…how you?” He greeted with a smile.

E hugged Sasha and wished her a happy birthday and Sasha reflected on how long it had been since she’d seen him. Back in Newark, E was the one she would talk to about all of her and Chauncey’s bullshit.

“
Where is Bri, anyway?” Chauncey inquired matter of factly, breaking up the reunion.

“
Oh, she’s at home with the babysitter,” Sasha said, taking a sip of her champagne.

“
Babysitter?”

“
Yeah, Mike’s cousin Amanda…Excuse me guys, I gotta work the room,” she said glancing around, noticing all eyes on them.

She strutted away, leaving them standing there and finished her rounds. E started talking to some female and Chauncey watched Sasha, and then as if he could sense it, he looked up and noticed Mike was watching him, watch her.

They locked eyes with each other.

Both held a stare of challenge and defiance.

“
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m going to ask that we all be seated at this time,” Jayde interrupted loudly.

Everyone made their way to the table and began to take their seats, with quiet chatting. Sasha and Mike sat side by side and Chauncey sat almost directly opposite of them.

Jayde, who was seated towards the end of the table, stood up, drink in her hand and tapped the glass with her fork lightly. When she had everyone’s attention, she proceeded.

“
I’m gonna make this quick, ‘cause I know everyone’s hungry.” Everyone giggled. “I just want to make a toast… to a beautiful woman… a fantastic mother… a wonderful wife…” Sasha swallowed hard at that part as Mike wrapped his arms around her. “And an amazing friend…Sasha Seals. Oops, I mean Sasha Bernstein!” Jayde corrected, laughing, while Mike smirked. “To Sasha!” Jayde toasted and everyone followed suit.

“
To Sasha!”

Sasha smiled wide, loving the attention. She noticed the waitress coming over and she was ready to eat, until…

Ding...Ding…Ding…

Chauncey tapped his glass with his fork and rose.

“
If I could…just have a moment.”

Everyone’s eyes fell on him and Sasha noticed how almost every woman stared with lust. It was infuriating.

Mike’s friends from the hospital wondered exactly who Chauncey was.

Chauncey looked at Sasha with his deep brown eyes and she tried to remain composed sitting there in Mike’s arms.

“
I just want to say…you and me, we been through a lot kid. A lot good…a little bad,” he chuckled. “But you always held me down.”

Sasha breathed hard and Jayde smiled, as Mike’s friends wondered what Chauncey’s thug vocabulary meant.

“
You gave me a beautiful daughter…you’ve been a great mother to her…and I love you with all my heart for it.”

Sasha felt her eyes become misty and she contemplated jumping up and kissing him right then and there, but she was scared. Chauncey stared her right in the eyes, not caring about Mike’s scowl.

“
I hope your day is everything you want it to be, you deserve it…you deserve the best.” Chauncey said the last part with some sadness, as if he knew that he wasn’t the best for her.

As he took his seat and everyone drank to the toast, Sasha eyed him speechless. She couldn’t move. Mike stood up abruptly, ready to top it.

“
Excuse me, I just want to make one more toast,” Mike boomed, sounding flustered. Sasha noticed the waitress coming over to her.

“
Excuse me, are you Sasha Bernstein?”

Sasha smiled.

“
Yes, I’m sorry. You guys can start serving,” she whispered as Mike stood ready to talk. She was ready to get to the good food.

The woman had an uneasy, almost worrisome look on her face and it caused Sasha’s smile to slowly fade.

“
I’m sorry, there’s a phone call for you. They say it’s urgent.”

Sasha’s heart beat stopped and she stood up quickly, walking hurriedly across the room.

My baby, my baby. Please let everything be okay at home.

Sasha finally reached the front of the restaurant and spotted the phone sitting on the hostess stand. She lightly pushed the hostess out of her way and frantically reached for the phone.

“
Hello! Hello!”

“
Mrs. Bernstein,” a woman said in a comforting tone when Sasha picked up the phone. Sasha was relieved that it wasn’t Amanda calling and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“
Yes, this is Mrs. Bernstein,” she said, warily.

“
Mrs. Bernstein, this is Kathleen Philips…I’m calling from St. Joseph’s hospital…in regards to your daughter, Aubrey Mills…”

The air left Sasha’s body and she could only hear key words as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

“
Come here immediately…unconscious…critical condition…”

She closed her eyes and her head began to spin. Tears formed at her heart. It was like a bad dream, a worst possible nightmare.

Somebody wake me up. Please, somebody wake me up.

Her body shook violently and she dropped the phone. She had to get to the hospital, but she couldn’t move.

Oh my god, my baby…My baby…My baby…My baby…

“
Miss, are you okay?” The hostess asked as she noticed how pale Sasha had become and how bad she was shaking. Sasha broke down crying and grabbed onto the woman for dear life.

“
Oh my godddddd! Noooooo!!!!” She wailed in dire agony and terror.

Chauncey, Mike, E, and Jayde all heard the screams and made their way quickly to the front, all fearing the worst.

Oh no, not Aubrey,
Jayde prayed.
Please don’t let it be Aubrey
.