Sharp Curves Ahead Read online

  “It’s the twenty-first century, Mom; everybody’s fornicating. The point is, I want to experience being normal for once in my life. I’m tired of dragging all this weight around and I’m tired of people looking at me and seeing someone they either despise or feel sorry for. For once in my life, I want to experience what it feels like to be admired and respected.”

  “It’s not the outside that counts; it’s the goodness of your heart.”

  “That sounds good in theory, but in our society, it’s not true. Everyone judges me and I’m sick of it.”

  Lorraine gave Jayla’s shoulder a squeeze. “I understand, sweetie. But I’m going to miss spoiling you with my cooking. It’s one of the ways that I express love,” she said, stroking Jayla’s hair affectionately.

  Jayla forked up a mound of potato salad. “I know, Mom.”

  “On the bright side, with Derek having to eat that bad prison food for all these years, I’m sure he’ll appreciate all the love I put into my dishes.”

  Jayla released a long sigh. “I don’t want to sound negative, but whether Derek was guilty or innocent of the crime, he’s a convicted felon, now. Being a single woman, I think you should reconsider living under the same roof with him.”

  Lorraine put a hand on her hip. “I’ll have you know, I changed Derek’s diapers. I’m like a second mother to him. What exactly do you think my godson would do to me?”

  Rape and rob you, maybe? “I don’t know, Mom. It’s so hard to know who to trust anymore.”

  Times like now, when a strong male presence would have come in handy, Jayla couldn’t help missing the father she barely remembered. A firefighter killed in the line of duty, her father was only twenty-nine years old when he passed. Lorraine had vowed never to love another man again, and turned to the church for support.

  Lorraine took a seat at the table. Before digging into the potato salad, she pointed her fork at Jayla. “Derek’s mother was my best friend, and before she passed, I made a promise to look out for her boy. If she was still here and you needed help, Jayla, I’m sure she’d look out for you. Where’s your sense of Christian duty, child?”

  “I don’t have faith in people the way you do. Not anymore. I’ve learned the hard way that people present themselves one way and turn out to be another.”

  “Well, you need to get prayed up like I am. With God on your side, there’s no reason to fear any man,” Lorraine said, now pointing a big serving spoon at Jayla. “Listen, I don’t want you treating Derek like he’s a criminal when he moves in here, do you hear me? We’re going to welcome him into this family and help him get back on his feet.”

  “If you say so,” Jayla said grudgingly.

  “I hate to think about what that boy has been through, caged up with a bunch of animals. I intend to provide him with a home where he’ll feel safe and loved, and reunite him with the church.”

  “When exactly is he getting out?”

  “Next week.”

  “You’re kidding. Are you going to leave him alone in your home when you come to stay with me after my surgery?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  “Mom! He could rob you blind while you’re away.”

  “What do you suggest I do? Renege on my promise to look after you?”

  Jayla frowned. “No, you can’t leave me to fend for myself while I’m incapacitated! I think you should tell Derek that he has to stay at a halfway house or a shelter. Anywhere but here.”

  “I’ll do no such thing. But I do have an idea.”

  Biting into a crunchy piece of chicken, Jayla gave Lorraine her attention.

  “Instead of me staying at your place, why don’t you stay here with Derek and me?”

  Jayla winced. “Ew. I don’t want to be around a strange man while I’m recuperating. Besides, I’d rather be in my own bed, around my things when I’m not feeling well.”

  “Why’re you acting like he’s a stranger when you practically grew up together?”

  “I only saw Derek on holidays, and I haven’t laid eyes on him since I was like fourteen or fifteen. For all we know, he could have grown up to be a serial killer.”

  “His mother raised him to be a good, God-fearing boy, and I’ve made up my mind. You’ll stay here with Derek and me, and that’s the end of the discussion.” Lorraine leaned back in her chair and folded her arms.

  * * *

  Despite having to drain her meager savings account to pay a bankruptcy attorney, Jayla felt hopeful about her future. As she sat in the attorney’s office signing off on paperwork, she could physically feel the burden of debt lifting from her shoulders.

  “The first thing you should do after the bankruptcy is final is open a new line of credit,” the attorney advised.

  Interested, Jayla sat straighter. “Really? I thought the bankruptcy would remain on my credit report for seven years.”

  “That’s true, but you’ll find that some creditors, like car dealerships, for instance, will take a chance on you because they’re aware you don’t have any pending debt that’ll prevent you from paying your bills on time.”

  Jayla’s eyes lit up. The plain-looking Subaru she drove was not sexy at all, and it had been acting up lately. She could use a newer model car to go along with her new body, and she couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of something sleek and shiny with that new car smell on the inside.

  “Establishing credit and rebuilding your credit history is a step in the right direction,” the attorney continued.

  You don’t have to tell me twice!

  Things were starting to look better and better by the second and she wondered if she could dare to dream that her good luck might lead her to a good man that didn’t try to hide their relationship behind closed doors like it was a dirty secret.

  What would it be like to be kissed and hugged in public, and treated like she was highly valued? All her life she’d observed other women holding hands with their man or having a protective arm around their waists as they strolled along the city streets. Yet, those simple gestures had never been extended to Jayla.

  At least not in public.

  But those days would soon be over, she thought brightly. She would no longer be the fat chick who was kept hidden.

  She could picture herself getting engaged in the foreseeable future. Getting married. And having kids, like everyone else.

  “We should have a court date in sixty days,” the attorney said, breaking into Jayla’s thoughts. “I’ll keep you posted.”

  Jayla and the attorney shook hands. She walked out of the law office and emerged into the crisp air feeling like a brand-new woman, and feeling grateful for the opportunity to press the reset button on her life.

  * * *

  A text from Lorraine telling Jayla that Derek had arrived earlier than she’d expected sent Jayla speeding down Roosevelt Boulevard after her meeting with the bankruptcy attorney.

  She drove so fast and erratically, she nearly sideswiped a shiny Mercedes, and for that error, she received a barrage of epithets from the driver.

  “I’m sorry,” she mouthed.

  “Fuck you,” the driver exploded.

  Instinctually, she was about to give the angry motorist her middle finger, but she didn’t have time for road rage. Not wanting to leave her mother alone with a jailbird who could potentially knock her upside her head, snatch her purse, and rape her, Jayla sped along. She only took her foot off the gas pedal when she approached red light cameras.

  When she reached her mother’s house, she parked hastily and dashed inside with her hand wrapped around the handle of the blade that she took out of her handbag and tucked inside her coat pocket.

  “Mom!” Jayla yelled as she let herself in with her key.

  “We’re in the kitchen, honey,” Lorraine called in a sweet, lilting voice that was usually reserved for her beloved pastor.

  With a sense of relief, she removed her hand from the handle of the knife and followed the pleasant aromas that drifted from the kitchen. Sea
ted at the table was a tall, thick, fine-ass man, the color of brick clay with facial features so strongly masculine, they could have been chiseled from stone.

  His hair was styled in a trendy, high fade with a tangle of curls on top. He looked nothing like the gangly boy she remembered. The only telltale signs that the hot, broad-shouldered, beefed-up man in the kitchen was her childhood friend, Derek Gallion, were his warm, cocoa-brown eyes, his distinctive high cheekbones, and his complexion.

  “Look at you, Jayla. All grown up and beautiful.” The tone of his deep voice was a rich mixture of street jargon and eloquence. His words of praise were followed by a bright smile that took his good looks to another, more extreme level of hotness.

  He got up from the table and gave Jayla a big hug.

  Derek’s steely arms felt good around her, but she didn’t want to let her guard down around him. She wriggled free from his embrace. “Hi, Derek. You’ve changed a lot since I last saw you.”

  As her eyes appraised him, she noticed her mother smiling in approval, as if she was ready to call Pastor and get the two of them hitched.

  Lorraine had wanted to marry Jayla off as soon as she’d graduated college, and now, with Jayla in her thirties, it appeared that Lorraine was desperate enough to hand her over to a felon.

  An easy-on-the-eyes felon, but a felon nonetheless.

  “Sit down, Jayla, and let me make you a plate,” Lorraine offered.

  Derek jumped to his feet and pulled out Jayla’s chair.

  “I see that being in prison didn’t cause you to forget the good manners your mother instilled in you,” Lorraine said appreciatively.

  “No, ma’am. I’ll always be a gentleman, despite being wrongly incarcerated for the past ten years.”

  “The injustice of it all,” Lorraine said, patting Derek on the shoulder. “Don’t you worry, hon. Jayla and I are going to help you put those unpleasant memories behind you, and help you move forward.”

  Speak for yourself, Mom. After dealing with Sadeeq, my antennae are up for con artists, and the jury is out on Derek.

  “Thank you for kindness and hospitality, Ms. Lorraine,” Derek said. “I don’t plan to be a burden for long. As soon as I can get on my feet—”

  “You are not a burden,” Lorraine interjected. “You’re like a member of our family, and the only thing I expect is for you to accompany me to church on Sundays and let the Holy Word fill you up with understanding and forgiveness.”

  Oh, Lord, here she goes. Better Derek than me sitting up in church all day!

  “Yes, ma’am, I’ll go to church with you,” Derek responded, his head down as he dug a fork into a baked potato that was loaded with butter, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

  Jayla couldn’t help feeling sorry for Derek. Her mother hadn’t been able to drag her to church since she was in high school, but poor Derek, being Lorraine’s captive houseguest, had no choice but to indulge her wishes and sit up in Sunday service, listening to Pastor go on and on for hours.

  After the meal, Derek insisted on clearing the table and washing the dishes, giving Lorraine an opportunity to get Jayla alone in the living room. “Do you see how big and handsome that boy turned out to be? I’m telling you, he’s husband material,” she said, beaming.

  “Slow your roll, Mom. He’s straight out of prison, and we don’t know what kind of damage was done to him in that place. He could be all messed up in the head. Furthermore, he was tried and convicted. So, despite his good manners, he could very well be the violent criminal the court said he was.”

  Lorraine sucked her teeth and waved a dismissive hand. “That’s Helena’s boy in there, and he’s sweet as pie. You can see with your own eyes that there’s nothing violent about him. It was a case of mistaken identity because they think all black men look alike, you know that.”

  Jayla sighed. “That’s true, but he’s had ten years to become an expert in the art of deception, and I’m not going to give him a pass merely because he’s Ms. Helena’s son…and you shouldn’t either.”

  “Are you saying I should kick my best friend’s son out?”

  “No, but I am saying you should keep your eyes on him and keep your wallet and other valuables out of sight…as a precaution.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I’m not living in fear inside my own home. Just give him a chance, Jayla, and stop treating him like a suspect.”

  “I believe in being cautious,” Jayla said firmly.

  Lorraine sighed. “I’m going upstairs to tidy up the guest room. I want you to join Derek in the kitchen and make small talk. Get to know him better.”

  Jayla frowned.

  “Go on, now,” Lorraine insisted, motioning with her hands. “Make him feel welcome, Jayla. It’s the Christian thing to do.”

  Jayla rolled her eyes toward the ceiling and then grudgingly treaded to the kitchen.

  “I heard what you were saying to your mom, and I’m sorry that I make you feel uncomfortable. It’s understandable, though. Hopefully, I won’t be a burden for too long,” he said with hurt glimmering in his eyes.

  “Derek, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings—”

  He held up a hand. “Let me finish. I didn’t commit armed robbery. I’ve never owned or even touched a loaded gun. If I could change anything, I would have never stepped foot into that Chinese store that night, but what’s done is done. I missed out on being a comfort to my mother when she was sick and needed me, and that’s a pain in my heart that I have to live with for the rest of my life. I’m not asking for pity; I just wish you’d give me a chance to prove that I’m a decent person. I’m not a freeloader, and I plan to pay your mother back for my room and board.”

  “She doesn’t expect—”

  “I insist, and I told her that.”

  “Listen, Derek, I’m sorry that I made you feel bad, but the way the world is today, it’s not wise to put blind faith into anyone.”

  “Understood,” he said morosely.

  Feeling awful, she patted him on the back, and feeling his muscles beneath his shirt excited her. His hard body was a reminder of how much she missed having a man in her life. Despite his good looks and obvious strong back, she wasn’t looking for anything serious with Derek.

  But, she sure could use some good dick. With Derek, she wouldn’t allow her feelings to get involved. She’d use him for sex the way so many men had used her.

  As she imagined herself dropping over on her lunch break from work, and jumping into bed with Derek while her mother was at work, Jayla allowed her hand to meander down to his crotch.

  He caught her by the wrist. “Yo, what are you doing?”

  “I’m sorry, I thought…” Her voice faltered in embarrassment.

  “I’m gay, Jayla,” he whispered. “Can you keep that information to yourself? Being a Christian and all, I don’t think your mom would understand.”

  Jayla nodded dumbly. Her gay-dar was completely off.

  “I hope we can be close friends—like when we were kids,” Derek offered.

  Friends? Feeling humiliated and rejected, yet again, and this time by a gay dude, Jayla began to sob. “I feel like a fool,” she admitted in a voice that cracked.

  Derek gathered her in his arms. “Shh, shh. Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he murmured as he patted her on the back.

  Enclosed in his arms, Jayla caught a glimpse of her mother entering the kitchen. Jayla watched as her mother came to a complete stop while looking delighted and surprised at the same time.

  Lorraine cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds.” Her hand touched her heart. “I hoped you two would hit it off. Do I dare start dreaming about beautiful grandchildren?”

  Jayla and Derek cut their eyes at each other and burst out laughing.

  “Let’s leave the grandkids out of it, Mom. I was just welcoming him home,” Jayla said.

  “Mmm-hmmm,” Lorraine muttered dubiously. “I saw the sparks between you two the moment you set eyes on each other.” She raise
d a cautioning finger. “But I insist that you two be respectful of my home. No hanky-panky while you’re under my roof,” Lorraine added sternly.

  “Yes, ma’am. I would never disrespect your home or your daughter,” Derek replied, allowing Lorraine to believe that he was attracted to Jayla, but would work hard to control himself.

  Chapter 20

  Bailee arrived at Gentle Breeze Wellness Center with no illusions. She was fully aware that the weight loss facility wouldn’t provide her with a quick weight loss fix. Nor was it a beauty spa where she’d be pampered, either. The atmosphere was more clinical than glamorous. Her private room, for which she’d paid extra, certainly wasn’t the Four Seasons, but it was comfortable and cheerful enough.

  The focus of the retreat was on sustainable lifestyle changes. The structured environment, exercise classes, outdoor activities, and prepared meals would help Bailee with her journey toward a healthy lifestyle. The hefty price tag was well worth the opportunity to learn long-term weight management.

  The place was exclusively for women and Bailee was glad. She didn’t want a man standing on the treadmill next to her while she grunted and perspired.

  During her tour of the facility, she noticed numerous signs that read: LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN. She assumed the idea was to love yourself throughout the journey and not to feel that you weren’t lovable until you reached your goal.

  After the tour, she sat down to map out her personalized daily schedule with a perky health specialist named Susan.

  Reading from a list in front of her, Susan offered Bailee the option of starting her day with morning meditation or a sunrise beach walk. Meditation sounded like a waste of time and Bailee opted for the beach walk.

  “Breakfast is at seven-thirty and then there’s Ultra Circuit Training in the gym, which is mandatory,” Susan said.

  “Okay,” Bailee responded with a smile, though she suspected she’d be crying in the morning while trying to get through an hour of torture.

  “At nine-forty-five, you have the option of Aqua Fit or Zumba Class.”