To Love a Man (27 page)

“Well you are in my way.”

“Look crazy lady I am missing the game you know the thing I came here to watch so move out of my way or I will move you myself.” Someone tried to push the door open but the woman walked back to it and held it firmly in place. Whoever was on the other side gave up in search for another rest room and Desiree cracked her own knuckles getting herself siked up because if she needed to she would hit some sense into this obviously crazy woman. The woman moved closer to Desiree and cleared her throat.

“You need to listen up and listen good Ramón Norris and I are meant to be together. You are messing that up. Give him up or else.”

“Yea ok whatever you can move now.”

The woman stood firm in her spot and
Desiree placed her hands on her hips. She was getting frustrated.

“Look I am so serious right now so you need to move. I don't know you and I really don't wanna know you. If you think you belong with Ramón well tough luck talk to him leave me alone.”

“I am Kimberly Ann Miles.”

“
Is that supposed to mean something to me?”

“Madison’s mother.”

Desiree cocked her head. “And what does that have to do with me?”

“I want Ramón back I want my family back so you need to disappear.”

Desiree laughed.
“Look I am gonna tell you one more time to move. I have nothing to do with you and I don't want anything to do with you.”

“Yeah well maybe Ramón does. And I am here to find out so expect to be seeing me around.”

Desiree walked towards the door and Kimberly stepped aside. Desire walked out the door and back to her seat wondering why Kim chose that time to make a scene. Nikki glanced at her.

“You were gone a while you get lost?”

Desiree tried to shake off what had just happened. “No what did I miss?”

“
Just a couple of turnovers and fouls nothing big.”

“Oh ok.
” Desiree began biting her nails. And Nikki could see right through her calmness.

“
So what kept you away so long?”

“Nothing.”

“Something.”

Desiree looked onto the court as the clock started to wind down.
“I ran into Kim.”

“Kim?
You mean Kim, Kim?” Gia said looking at Desiree.

“
Yep! Maddie’s mom.”

Nikki frowned.
“What? Well what did she say?”

Desiree frowned.
“She said she wanted her family back.”

Gia couldn’t hide her smile.
“Yeah ok she can’t be serious, what did you say?”

Desiree shrugged looking down to the kids sitting
behind half court. “I told her to move out of my way and if she had any problems talk to Ramón not me.”

Gia touched her shoulder as Nikki asked the question that was on
both of their minds. “Are you worried?”

The crowd star
ted to scream and Desiree grinned as the clock hit zero in the fourth and Ramón smiled up to her. She bit her quivering bottom lip.

“Not at all,
I am in love with him and he loves me that is all that matters.”

As the
crowd started to exit the stadium Desiree hugged Gia then she and Nikki walked down the stands to the retrieve the kids before they headed out to the car. As Desiree opened the door for Zack and Maddie she looked leaned against the hood of the Yukon waiting for Ramón. Nikki stood next to her allowing Jamie to sit in the car with Maddie, Zack and his new found friend Joshua. Desiree smiled thinking back to last week when Zack came running in begging for a ticket for his new friend.

The move wasn’t as bad as Desiree thought it would be and Zack really loved his new school, he didn’t even mind wearing the uniform.
Desiree had to admit when she first met Josh she was kind of skeptical because he seemed to be a little weird, however after meeting his very absent parents Desiree understood why he was the way he was and told him as long as he could be respectful she didn’t mind him staying over anytime.

An
hour later Desiree looked at her watch wondering what was keeping Ramón he usually was out by now. Taking into account the post-game interviews and coaches either yelling because of a loss or keeping momentum up from a win by the time you add a shower and getting dressed to that it usually came to an hour. Nikki yawned and Desiree shook her head.

“Nik you guys don't have to wait for us?”

“No I don't mind.”

“Ok I am just going to hurry him along
at this rate Rachael will beat us to the house.”

Desiree walked into the building and
thanked the security guard for letting her back in and walked towards the locker room. She felt her good mood drain as she saw Ramón talking to Kim. She didn’t know what was going on but she didn’t like it. As Desiree moved closer she watched in horror as Kim pulled Ramón down to her and kissed him. Desiree backed away not wanting to see anymore and feeling sick to her stomach.

The lump that had been forming in the back of her throat made it hard to swallow. She walked
back to the car forcing a smile as anger filled her up inside. She was pissed and was ready for war but tried to remain calm for the kids’ sake. A few minutes later Ramón walked out the locker room. He walked over to the car and Desiree stared at him. She wondered if he was even gonna tell her what happened.

All the way home she was silent wondering if she really did have something to worry about. As they walked into the house she went straight for the bedroom she needed to think and unwind. She walked over to the dresser and felt tears come to her eyes as she glanced over to
the picture frame. It was a picture of her and Ramón. The picture showed them staring at each other smiling. Ramón towering over her as he always did. She wanted to believe that there was nothing to worry about but experience has taught her when something was too good to be true it usually was.

Ramón watched the kids run into their room and then his eyes followed Desiree walking into their room. He didn’t know why she was so distant on the ride home. It was a great game. Won by thirteen he had twenty point’s eleven rebounds and three assists. Seeing Kim had been the one sour note of the day. She wanted her family back but Ramón knew that wouldn’t last. He
strolled over to the kids.

“You guys gotta get ready nana will be here in a minute to get you.”

They smiled and nodded an “ok” in unison and Ramón walked away. He went into the room and noticed Desiree holding a picture. He walked behind her and kissed her neck.

“Babe you ok?
You seem upset.”

“
Do I?” Desiree replied sounding weird to herself. She wiped a tear that slid down her face and she moved away from him as he began to frown.

“You have been quite all
ride.”

“I’m just thinking.”

“About?”

Desiree removed her earrings and placed then into her jewelry box.

“I ran into someone today. Someone you seem to know very well.” She said walking into the bathroom and filling up the tub.

“Ok who?”
he asked following her.

“Kim?”

He stopped in his tracks at the sound of her name. He knew immediately this conversation was not going to go over well. “Oh.”

“Yeah
I also saw you talking to her.”

“Ok what does that mean?”

She turned to his hands trembling and voice cracking. Wanting “Do I have something to worry about?”

“Baby come on
?”

Desiree held up her hands.
“No don’t baby me or sweetie me just answer the question.”

“I want you.”

She folded her hands crossing them over her chest let tapping the ground. “So how long has she been back?”

Ramón turned away from her and walked over to the bed
“Two weeks.”

Desiree stormed after him
“You have been talking to her for two weeks and haven’t told me?”

“It’s not like that.”
He said defending himself.

“Then how is it? you have been talking to her for the last few weeks and then she comes and blocks me in the bathroom talking about how much she wants to make it work with you and how you want to make it work with her.”
Desiree raised her voice feeling betrayed.

Ramón
removed he dress shoes and huffed. “I never said that.”

“But you talked to her about it and didn’t talk to me about it. If I am going to be your wife then why wouldn’t you talk to your soon to be wife about it? This concerns me just as much as it does you.”

“Desiree stop being so dramatic it's nothing.”

Desiree s
tood in front of him “Why didn’t you tell me she was back?”

“I was going to but I just didn’t see the point.”
He loosened his tie

“The point are hearing yourself?” she
sat next to him on the bed “You are talking to your ex girl the mother of your child this is a big deal.”

“Look Kim is Maddie’s mom this is about me and her not us and her. This has nothing to do with you so drop it. I am handling it.”

She stared at him tears welling up in her eyes.

“So I guess kissing her has nothing to do with me either.”

She jumped off the bed and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door. Ramón wanted to walk after her but someone knocked on his door. He opened it and Zack smile. “Nana is and grandpa are here.”

Ramón walked out the room as he saw his
parents walking into the house and the kid’s running back into their rooms.

“That was a great game Ramón and a great win.”
Joseph said patting his back.

“Thanks.”

His mom moved closer to him. “Is everything ok?”

“
Yeah the kids should be back out in a minute.”

“Oh where is Desiree?”
she asked looking around.

“I don't think she feels too well. She is in the room.”

“What’s wrong?”

Ramón shoved his hands into his pocket.
“We kinda had a fight today about someone.”

“So was that was Kim I saw in the stands today?”
Rachael walked over to his brown and tan sectional and took a seat down.

“Yeah. She came to talk to me after the game.”

“About what?”

“She wanted to talk about us being together. My engagement has been a top story for the last few months what makes her think that we will be together.”

“Well did you let her know that?”

“Yeah but like she said she wants a relationship with her daughter and me.”

Joseph frown joining his wife on the sectional. “So what are you gonna do?”

“There is nothing to do. She can see her daughter just not me.”

Rachael place her hands onto her lap and took a breath. This situation had trouble all over it. “So what does Desiree think about all this? Is that why she doesn’t feel well?”

“Kim found her
today and told her we were going to be together, and then Desiree walked in on Kim kissing me.”

“Ramón!”
Rachael jumped up from her seat.

Ramón threw his hands in the air to try and explain
“It all just happened so fast and I really upset her.”

“Why is Kim coming in out the blue now?”

Ramón pushed his hands back into his pockets trying to hide the shame on his face. “It’s kinda not out the blue.”

“What do you mean?”

“She got in contact with me about two weeks ago.”

Rachael
grimaced.

“I don't like this.”

“Like what?”

“I don't like you talking to her and not letting Desi know. She deserves to know what is going on
she is going to be your wife and Madison’s mom.”

“I know.”

“Look go get the kids you need to talk to your fiancée about this and you both come to a decision. The kids will see you in the morning before you leave.”

She walked away
from him and within five minutes she and Joseph walked to the door with Maddie and Zack. After seeing them out Ramón walked into the room and heard Desiree in the bath room. He walked in as she had her eyes closed in the bathtub. She had her headphones in her ears and looked as if she had been crying. Ramón suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Why did he say it had nothing to do with her when she was going to be his wife? What if Desiree felt he was gonna leave her? He walked out the bathroom and looked around. She was everything to him. She had to know that.

He walked around and pulled the candles out and placed them around the room. He wanted to make her feel as special as she was to him. He walked out the room and pulled out the strawberries he had Terri his chef pick up
earlier and placed them on a plate then spooned out the cool whip and walked back to the room. He turned his IPod on and the smooth sounds of Tyrese. As what am I gonna do played over the speaker Desiree walked out the bathroom and into the room.