Turned Out Saga (36 page)

When Alexis woke up the next morning, her pussy was sticky and all she could do was smile, because she remembered every detail of the dream. Even though she smiled, she speculated on the meaning of the dream. What did it mean, if anything? Was the dream because of what Champagne was going through, was the dream because she was around a bunch of gay women or was she starting to get curious as well?

Zyair and Elliot Hart, Thomas' attorney, waited on Thomas to come from the back where the possessions he carried with him when he was locked up were being held. It had been a long-ass night and a half for him and he couldn't wait to get home to take a hot-ass bath. Being in a cell was not something he wanted to experience ever again. It was cold, it was dark, and there was a damp old smell to it that he knew was clinging to his body.

When he walked into the front of the county jail, he was surprised not to see any press. There sure was enough of it when he was getting arrested and when he was brought in but now that a brother was released, they were nowhere in sight.

Zyair and Elliot appeared to be in deep conversation when Thomas saw them waiting. Hopefully they were doing what he had been doing all night and that's trying to figure out who the hell was out to get his ass.

“I'm a free man!” he said by way of greeting.

Zyair was the first to stand up and give him a brotherly hug. “What's up man? You okay? No one bothered you in there, did they?”

Thomas shook his head and laughed. “Damn man, you're acting like I was in prison and shit. I was in a holding cell.”

“You do know you're going to have to do damage control to keep your reputation, perhaps put out a statement and give an interview,” his attorney stated.

“Yeah, but that shouldn't be a problem. People know me and they know that underage shit wasn't my doing.”

“I didn't think it was,” his attorney said. Although one could never be sure what a person was or wasn't capable of. This was one case where he had no doubt because when the ladies arrived Thomas was nowhere to be found, and when they were questioned all they said was they were invited to the party. They claimed not to know the name of the person that called them.

“Sir,” one of the officers said, “We need you to fill out some papers.”

“Man, I'll meet you out front,” Thomas told Zyair while he and Elliot went to sign release papers.

Once done and standing outside, Elliot told Thomas, “We'll talk later.”

“I'll call you tomorrow.” Thomas needed the day to think.

“Let's make it before then.”

“Let's not.” A bath, some rest, and an errand were the only things on his mind.

All Elliot could do was agree. After all, he worked for Thomas not the other way around.

* * *

Once in the car, Zyair asked Thomas, “What the fuck is going on with you? Be honest with me man. Did you fuck with someone's wife or fuck someone over?”

“If I did, you would be the first to know. Not only that but messing with another's man property, those days are long gone. You know I'm trying to make an honest man out of myself.”

“Well, it's obvious someone is out to get you, first the car and now this.”

“You think I don't know that? You think I didn't run down the list of people I know and have done business with?”

“What about that female who told Alexis she was pregnant by you? Shondell?”

“Nah, man. I don't think she has the kind of contacts for some shit like this, but you best believe I will either be stopping by her crib or giving her lying ass a call.”

“Do you think that's wise?” Zyair asked. “I think right now your concern needs to be clearing your name.”

Zyair was right, that should be his concern but he had another concern and that was Alexis. He'd thought about her all night. Was she that upset by what she was told that she chose not to come to the gathering? If she was that meant she cared for him more than he thought.

“Have you talked to Alexis? Does she know what went down?”

“Of course she does. Champagne stayed at her house last night. She said something about some dude following her.”

Thomas didn't like what he was hearing at all. If he found out who this character was, he was going to get the beat down for real. Thomas knew what he had to do and that's call out the big dogs; the fellas from his past, perhaps even do some investigating. Damn, here he goes again investigating someone. He really didn't want to have to go there because Alexis was not happy with him about the first time. But at least she learned who Khalil really was.

The rest of the ride was silent except for the music playing in the background.

Thomas was thinking about Alexis and Zyair was thinking about DaNeen. He ran into her a few days ago and found that he couldn't get her off his mind. He knew just thinking about her was trouble but his mind didn't always do what he wanted it to. He was a good man, normally a faithful man who slipped that once and didn't plan on doing it again. It's just that something was going on with Champagne. She'd seemed distracted lately and he was feeling a little left to the side. They were going to have to talk about whatever it was and hopefully fix whatever it was. Then that way maybe, just maybe, his mind wouldn't wander.

Alexis was in her office with the door closed looking at the flowers Gavin had delivered to her.

That morning when she woke up, Champagne had already left. There was a note on the kitchen table. It said,
Hey girl, I didn't want to wake you up but I did want to let you know that Zyair picked up Thomas last night and I'll call you later.

Alexis looked at the clock and saw that she had hours to go. She needed to see Thomas and speak with him. She needed to hear his voice and know that he was okay.

No, she hadn't forgotten about Victoria's mother. At this point all she could do was hope that the pregnancy story was a bold-faced lie.

Alexis' schedule was packed for the day. She had a meeting with the school superintendent. She also had to counsel a couple of students and get ready for a conference.

Normally, she tried to get out of going to the conference, but because her life had become somewhat of a mess and her mind was confused about who she was and who she wanted to be, she figured the getaway this conference afforded her was just what she needed. Plus, it was in Tampa, Florida, which meant she could extend her stay and visit Miami.

Alexis picked the phone up off her desk and dialed Thomas' number. On the first ring, someone knocked on the door. She hung up because she didn't want a half conversation with him.

“Come in.”

The person who walked in surprised the hell out of her. It was Shay.

Alexis stood up and went around her desk to greet her with a hug, but when she put her arms out, Shay gave her a look that stopped her in her tracks. She quickly put her arms down.

“I'm glad to see you, Shay.”

“Are you?”

“I wouldn't say it if I wasn't.”

Shay just stood there, not saying a word, just looking around.

“So?” Alexis asked, waiting to hear what she had to say.

“So?” Shay repeated.

Alexis could see where this was going and if it was going to go anywhere, it meant she was going to have to take the lead. Alexis sat down on the couch that was against the wall. She crossed her legs and thought maybe she should wait Shay out, let her have the first words.

Shay cleared her throat and tried to think of something to say.
I don't fucking want to be here. If it wasn't for Shamel's ass, I wouldn't be.

Alexis looked at her watch. “I don't have all day Shay. You came to see me, so there must be something you want to say.”

Placing her hands on her hips, Shay told her, “I ain't got shit to say. I heard you've been looking for me and wanted to know what you wanted.”

Fed up with the attitude and not wanting to play who can be the biggest ass, Alexis patted the seat next to her. “Come sit next to me.”

“I can stand,” Shay told her.

“I have been looking for you. I've been worried about you.”

“I can take care of myself.” Shay told her as she tried to picture Shamel with her guidance counselor. Shay thought about what transpired in the office with Shamel, how he fucked her and basically told her to “step off.” It was their first time having actual intercourse and she wanted it to be different. She'd gone down on him a few times over the past three months and she was trying to build it up to be more. She was hoping that he would become her sugar daddy and take care of her, but after the way he treated her, she just didn't see that happening.

“How? By working at a strip club?”

Shay rolled her eyes. “I was doing just fine until you came in there. What were you doing in there anyway?” She wanted to see if she was going to tell her anything about Shamel but Alexis wasn't falling for it. She was a grown-ass woman and she wasn't going to give a child information about her life.

“That's not important, what's important is why you've chosen to go the route you're going. Why are you stripping? You're smart, Shay. You used to be an honor student. What's going on with you?”

“You're asking a lot of personal questions.”

“That's because I care for you. You're one of the few students that have unlimited potential. You're special Shay, too special to be showing your body to any Tom, Dick, and Harry. You are a queen and you need to know that,” she told Shay.

Shay looked at Alexis and saw the sincerity in her eyes.

“Please sit next to me.”

For some reason Shay couldn't explain, she did just that.

“Talk to me. That's what I'm here for. Is something going on at home? Is there anything I can do to help out?” Alexis knew she was going out on a limb, but for very few students she would, and one of them was Shay. I went to the address in your files looking for you.”

This threw Shay off. She didn't really know that Alexis was looking for her. “What!”

“I went looking for you.”

“And what happened?” Shay wondered if her drug-addict mother answered the door. She was always fucked up. It could be by liquor or crack cocaine, whatever she could get her hands on. That's why Shay had to do what she had to do. That's why she stayed in motels with the money she made from stripping because most nights her mom had company and it was the kind of company she didn't want to be around because she was scared she might kill a motherfucker. Shay knew that she should share this information and that it was a burden she shouldn't have to carry herself, but she didn't and she wasn't sure when she'd be ready to.

“A woman answered the door.” Alexis watched Shay closely to see if she would get some kind of reaction. She wondered if it was her mother. “She was intoxicated and she told us–”

Shay grew alarmed. Who the hell did she take with her? “Us, who's us?”

“A male friend of mine,” Alexis reassured her. “We were told you don't live there.”

Shay crossed her arms. “That's because I don't.”

Alexis leaned into Shay trying to create intimacy. “Was that your mother?”

When Shay didn't answer Alexis knew her answer.

“Where are you staying? Who are you living with?”

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Shay did not come here to be grilled.

“Damn, how come you can't mind your business?” Shay stood up to leave but Alexis grabbed her arm.

“You are my business. I want what's best for you.” Alexis stood up. She took both of Shay's hands. “Do you remember when I first started counseling you and I asked you where did you see yourself after graduating? You proudly said college, and that you wanted to be a lawyer?”

Shay did remember but that was over a year ago. That was before her mother stopped caring, again. There was a time when she had it together, but then she'd start getting high again and so the cycle went. Right now Shay didn't see college happening. She needed to survive.

“Do you remember how we mapped it all out for you?” Alexis let go of her hands and was surprised when Shay didn't move. She went to a file cabinet and searched for a file. Once she found it, she handed it to Shay. “Look inside Shay. Look at what you dreamed of no less than a year ago. That can still happen.”

Shay didn't want to but she found herself opening the folder anyway and looking at the papers inside. She felt herself start to well up.

Alexis could see that she was having a small breakthrough. “Shay, all this is possible and so much more. You just need to let me help you.”

I didn't come here for this. I didn't come here for this,
Shay kept repeating to herself but Alexis' voice was overpowering hers.

“Look at you, you're smart, you're beautiful, you have more going for yourself than a lot of other students and you want to mess it up, you want to give up.”

“I owe people money. I'm in debt. I have to help my moms,” Shay told her.

“I'll help you get out of debt. We'll get you a part-time job.”
What the hell am I getting myself into?
Alexis wondered but she couldn't stop. She felt like she needed to save this girl.

Shay couldn't stop the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

“What is it? Do you need somewhere to stay? Is that it?” Before she knew it, Alexis was saying, “You can stay with me until we figure something else out.”

It was then Shay broke down. She sat down, placed her head in her hands and started crying. There was so much she wanted to say, so much pain inside her, but it was hers and she didn't know how to share it. All she knew was that Ms. Houston believed in her more than she believed in herself. It was a first. No one else had ever done that. No one else had ever told her the world was within her reach. She wanted to believe it.

This stripping shit paid the bills and allowed her to feed her mom but she wasn't responsible for her mother; she was responsible for herself. She did want out of the game. She just didn't know how she was going to escape it and here someone was offering her a hand.

Shay wiped her tears. She looked up at Alexis. “There's something I need to–”

Before Shay got a chance to finish her thoughts, Victoria came busting in the door.

“Ms. Alexis, I apologize. . . .” She stopped in her tracks when she saw Shay sitting there. “Oh, I'm sorry.”

Shay stood up. “No, no that's okay. I'll come back.”

Before Alexis could stop her, Shay was out the door.

Victoria looked at Alexis and asked, “Was Shay crying?”

Alexis didn't even bother to answer. She needed to go after Shay. “Why are you busting up in my office like that?”

“My bad. It's just that I wanted to apologize for my mother.”

“Why are you apologizing? What your mother does has nothing to do with you.”
With her lying ass, I hope.

“I know. It's just that I got you all involved when you didn't really want to and well, I'm embarrassed.”

Alexis had to ask. “Is your mom really pregnant?”

“I don't know. She said she is.”

“Does she have anyone to help her out if she is?” What she was really asking was if Thomas had been around.

Victoria raised her eyebrows. “Why?”

Think fast.
“Because I may be able to give her a number of someone that can help with doctor appointments and whatever else she may need help in.”

Victoria thought this was strange. “My mother's not a child. She had me and she's taken good care of me.”

“You're right, she did and she has.” Alexis looked at her watch. “Listen, I have to go look for Shay.”

“Is she okay?”

Of course, Alexis wasn't about to tell a student what was going on. “She's fine.”

Five minutes later, Alexis was walking back into her office, alone. Shay was nowhere to be found.

Alexis had a few minutes before her meeting with the superintendent so she picked up the phone to call Thomas. She dialed the number and listened to it ring. She needed to find out what happened; if he knew who would set him up and to let him know that she believed in him and his innocence.

“Hello?”

“Thomas.”

“Alexis?”

“Yes, it's me.”

“Can I see you tonight?” he asked her. “We have some things we need to talk about.”

“That's just why I was calling. I'll be by around eight o'clock.”

After hanging up Alexis asked herself yet again, “What the hell am I getting myself into?”