Zane's the Other Side of the Pillow (20 page)

He pushed his plate away. I felt bad since he had gone through all of the trouble to go shopping at sunrise and come back and cook. Then I made that comment about not wanting to see drama on television and we were outdoing everyone on it.

“Tevin, okay. I'll move in.”

He eyed me sideways. “Now you're only trying to satiate me.”

“Isn't that what you wanted? For me to cave? So I've caved. I'm moving in.” I picked up his fork, scooped up some of the egg whites, and held it up to his mouth. “Open wide.”

He ate it and laughed. “Don't treat me like an infant!”

“I'm practicing.” I picked up some more food and pretended the fork was an airplane then started making engine noises. “Come on, Poor Little Tink-Tink, one more bite.”

He almost choked on the food from laughing at me.

“I have to get to work,” he said. “I have a consult in an hour.”

“That's cool. I'm having lunch with Courtney today anyway.”

Tevin had stood and was halfway to the kitchen entryway when he stopped and turned to look at me. “Courtney who?”

I giggled. “Courtney as in Floyd's wife.”

“I didn't realize that the two of you were still communicating. She hasn't said anything to me, and neither has Floyd.”

“Yes, we are. We've been hanging out quite often. She's my new BFF.”

“What's a BFF?”

“Best friend forever, silly.”

“Forgive me. I don't hang out with fourteen-to-eighteen-year-olds like you do at school.” He seemed hesitant. “Does Floyd know that the two of you have been spending time together?”

I laughed. “You make it sound like we're screwing each other.
Spending time
?” I finished off my juice. “I guess he knows but I honestly haven't seen him. We usually meet up. Sometimes with the kids and sometimes without them.

“After this huge breakfast, I may have to push lunch back an hour so I can get a nap in. Since I'm pregnant, I can throw down every few hours though. I hope you don't dump me if I put on too much weight.”

Tevin waved me off. “Never going to happen. But let me ask you one more thing. Does Courtney know that you're pregnant with my child?”

I wasn't sure how to respond to that question. Lying would have been easiest because the truth would only lead to Tevin not trusting Courtney—and Floyd. Courtney had sworn Floyd to secrecy, making him promise not to divulge anything to Tevin. He had confronted me about it and I begged him not to say anything to Tevin.

“Well,” he stated impatiently. “Does she know?”

I stared up into his eyes.

“Never mind,” he added. “I get the picture.”

Tevin walked out and while I felt some kind of relief, the words unspoken were enough to make him recognize the truth. He was far from stupid.

“It's not about who hurt you and broke you down. It's about who was always there and made you smile again.”

—Unknown

G
irl, you look fabulous pregnant!” Courtney gave me a hug and then we headed into DC Coast for lunch. “Have you eaten here before? I heard it's ridiculously good!”

“Courtney, I'm only a few months. I'm sure that I'll be waddling in a couple of months and that shit is not cute.”

“Jemistry, you're glowing. I've had four babies and each time I looked like all the blood was drained from my body by the end of the first trimester. Pregnancy has always been rough on me.”

“Hell, this is no walk in the park for me either.”

We gave our name for the reservation and were seated.

“Lots to choose from on the menu,” I said as I started checking out the selections. Like most pregnant women, my cravings changed from day to day. “Did you eat a lot of pickles and ice cream when you were pregnant? I always thought that was a myth but I love the combination and I've always hated pickles.”

“What about ice cream?” Courtney asked as she used her knife as a mirror to make sure she didn't have any lipstick on her teeth.

“I've always been down with ice cream, even though I'm lactose-intolerant.”

“Aw, that's the worst. But I feel you. I eat mushrooms and tomatoes like they are going out of style and neither one agree with me. I spend half the night on the toilet after I indulge.”

I made my selections. “I'm going to do the Heirloom Beet
Carpaccio for starters, and then try out the Pan Roasted Arctic Char with squash and eggplant, and some spinach with garlic and chili.”

“Hmm, you're going to need some acid reflux medicine after all of that. I'm keeping it simple since I don't know what half the shit is that you just named.”

We both giggled.

“I'm going to try the chicken Caesar salad, and the crab cakes.”

“Chicken!” I exclaimed. “You could cook that at home.”

“Exactly!”

Courtney was looking for the waitress so we could place our order. I decided that then was as good a time as any to say what needed to be said.

“I have some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

“I despise it when people give me that kind of choice. It's a fucked-up situation either way.”

“How so?”

“If I tell you that I want to hear the bad news first, then I'll be too upset to appreciate the good news. If I tell you to hit me with the good first, once you tell me the bad, the good becomes quickly overshadowed.”

“You do have a point.”

Courtney shrugged. “So you choose and I'll deal with it. It's either a win-lose or a lose-win.”

“Tevin and I ran into each other at BWI yesterday when I was coming back from Saint Thomas.”

“Hmm, I planned to ask you about your trip, but this is definitely going to be juicier.” She took a sip of her water as the waitress approached. After we ordered, she said, “You ran into each other and then what?”

“He was standing there waiting for the parking shuttle and he didn't see me at first. I hesitated about saying anything, but he
must've sensed me somehow. Next thing I knew, he was turning around and staring at me.”

“And then what happened?”

“He was happy to see me. Told me all about how he'd been searching for me and staking out my old place. How he'd called the school system but they told him to beat it.

“Tevin told me how much he loved me and begged for another chance.” I paused for a few seconds. “I took running into him as a sign. I'd come to the conclusion on my trip that I had to tell him about the pregnancy. It wasn't fair to continue keeping him in the dark.”

“That's what I've been trying to get through your thick head all along.”

“Yes, you have, and you were right.” I started smiling. “He's so excited about the baby. But I can tell that he's going to drive me insane with worry.”

“Jemistry, you're going to have to be patient with Tevin. He's been through a lot. Estella's three miscarriages took a toll on him. It took him years to snap back from that. It was tragic.”

“I realize that.”

The waitress brought Courtney's Caesar salad and my beet whatever it was.

“I'm doing the most. I've never tasted a beet in my life.”

“Well, it certainly looks delightful.”

“I'll let you know.” I took a bite and debated on my opinion. “It's different but good. Want to try some?”

“No, I'm going to play it safe with my salad.”

“Yeah, it's damn-near impossible to fuck up a Caesar salad.”

We both chuckled.

“How well did you know Estella?” I asked Courtney. “Did you hang out, like the two of us do?”

“No, not really. Estella was kind of a homebody. When I met
her, she'd already had one miscarriage, but I'd known Tevin for a few years prior to that. He and Floyd didn't start doing things together outside of work for a while. Now you can't keep them apart.”

“So back to my news. We met up at his house, talked things through, and I've decided to try again . . . to give us another chance. I even told Tevin that I'm in love with him. I had to admit it to myself first.”

Courtney almost choked on a piece of lettuce, and then drank some water to get it down. “That's wonderful! And it's about damn time you came to that conclusion. A blind person could have seen that you're in love.” She glanced out the window at an ambulance passing by with its sirens blasting. “I keep telling you that Tevin's not the type to cheat. He's always been like some mythical creature from an old fable. They don't make men like him anymore.”

“Please, Courtney, Floyd worships you from what I've seen.”

“Floyd is definitely there for me. He's a great provider and he adores the kids. But . . .”

“But nothing. The two of you are doing it. You have what most couples yearn for—a happy marriage.”

Courtney seemed like she wasn't too sure about what I'd said.

“It is a happy marriage, isn't it?” I asked.

“I presume that it is.”

“Presume?”

“We've had our issues. Nothing major.”

“Everyone has issues. Think about it. It's not easy allowing another person to be a part of your world
all the time
. It's been years since I've been serious, until Tevin, and it is definitely a challenge. You have to get used to each other's ways and temperament. Habits, both good and bad. Trigger points and trying to prevent pressing buttons that don't need to be pushed.”

“Sounds like you know what you're getting yourself into. You
and Tevin will be fine. I'm glad he won't be moping around like a lovesick puppy anymore.”

“My hormones are wilding out. Floyd might have to take Tevin out somewhere to relieve some adrenaline at least once a week until I have this baby.”

“What about a wedding?” I looked at Courtney with surprise. “Oh, come on. Tevin's not going to let you have that child without being married. I know that for a fact. Besides, he told Floyd he bought a ring and had planned to propose when all of that bullshit went down with your roommate.”

“He did, and I couldn't believe that he snuck behind my back and purchased it when we were in the Caymans. Slick ass!”

We got our main courses and ordered some iced tea with lemon. Again, Courtney's crab cakes looked like, well, crab cakes, and my entrée looked
thought provoking
. I had no idea what Char was when I ordered it but assumed it was fish. It was and it was actually good.

“I'm normally a creature of habit but I'm going to start being more daring with trying different things from now on.”

“Do you, baby girl. I'm sticking to what works for me.” Courtney wiped her mouth with her napkin. “So when do I need a dress for the wedding? Hopefully a bridesmaid dress. Hint. Hint.”

I sighed. “I suggested that we wait on the marriage. Just for a little while. But he convinced me to move in with him. That's easy since I'm subletting anyway. I'm going to pay Tiana for an additional month regardless.”

“But are you going to be married by the time the bundle of joy arrives?”

“If Tevin has anything to say about it, yes. I'm not even sure why I'm putting it off. I should at least wear the engagement ring.”

“Damn right! You should've worn it today so I could see it. I'm sure it is sick.”

“Sick? Yeah, it's stunning!”

“Well, you should've worn it today so I could be stunned!”

We laughed and kept eating.

Once we ordered desserts, Courtney asked the question that I hoped she'd forgotten all about.

“You haven't told me the bad news yet. What is it?”

I wiped my mouth, sighed, and put my cloth napkin back across my lap. “While I didn't flat-out confess to it, Tevin asked if you and Floyd knew about my pregnancy. He had no idea that you and I were even talking on the regular. When I mentioned that I was having lunch with you, he nearly lost it.”

Courtney seemed irritated.

“Aren't you going to respond?” I asked.

She shook her head. “See, this is why I wanted you to tell him from jump. Trust and believe, there will be drama.”

“Let's hope not.”

“Oh, it's about to go down. Floyd and Tevin are a lot alike but they're also very distinctive when it comes to their emotions.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“They're both type A personalities.”

“Which means what?”

Courtney put her napkin on the table after finishing a massive slice of strawberry cheesecake. “I'm stuffed and I'm tapping out.”

“As much as I pride myself on knowing it all, what makes our men type A personalities?”

“They're both ambitious overachievers, organized, proactive, impatient, good at managing their time, and they prefer people to get straight to the point.”

I laughed. “I can see that in both of them.”

“Indeed, but that's where they part ways.”

“Uh-oh, not the parting of the ways,” I joked.

“Tevin is an idealist and Floyd is a protector. Well, in essence,
they are both those things but there is always a dominant personality.”

“You're too smart to be a stay-at-home mother. I keep telling you that.”

Courtney had a degree in psychology from American University but had chosen to raise the kids while Floyd worked. Still, I was often amazed at how she would go from talking about swimming lessons and day camp to really deep shit.

“One day, I'll go out into the world and make my own millions. Right now, my life is all about making sure my kids make honor roll, have dinner on the table, and that they feel loved.”

“Well, I can't give up my career, but I will take maternity leave.”

“And no one is suggesting that you should.”

I had to admit that I felt some kind of way about the way the conversation was headed. While I could understand women making the decision not to work to stay home with their children, it was not for me. I had struggled too hard to get where I was and it was more important for me to allow my child to see me become successful.