Chapter Eight
Trenton was still sore from his altercation with Ramsey, but it wasn't going to stop him from promoting his book and making money. He mingled with fans in a small bookstore in an affluent area of town, and when asked about his injuries, he lied and said he tripped over his dog and fell down the stairs. His story seemed to intrigue fans even more and make him even more popular. He was charming, handsome, and knew how to work a crowd, especially the women, and when one particular woman walked through the door, he immediately made his way over to her.
“Andria Rockwell, what a nice surprise,” he said as he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Andria was the spoiled daughter of Thomas Kirkland Rockwell, the U.S. secretary of defense, and she was Ramsey's ex.
She smiled and said, “Well, you're a sight for sore eyes yourself. I never thought our paths would cross again. It's great seeing you.”
“You too.”
“You're blowing up with this book and your spot on BET. What next?”
“Who knows? Maybe I'll run for mayor,” he joked before whispering to his assistant that he was taking a break. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“Sure,” Andrea answered, and he escorted her over to a table, where they sat down.
The waitress came over to take their orders. After she left, Trenton said, “You look stunning, Andria. I see life is still treating you well.”
“I do okay, but I want to talk about you and what happened to your face.”
He touched his jaw and told the same lie he had told everyone that had asked.
“You're lucky you didn't break your neck,” she responded. “So tell me, how did you turn your ordinary life into this?”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs and proudly said, “It was being at the right place at the right time, meeting the right people.”
The waitress returned with their coffee and complimentary pastries. Trenton pulled out a twenty and handed it to the waitress, but she refused to take it. She reminded him that his coffee was also on the house. Trenton insisted that the waitress take the twenty as a tip for good customer service, which she happily accepted.
Andria took a sip of her coffee and asked, “So since you've become so successful, is there anyone special in your life?”
He sighed and said, “I don't know how to answer that. I am with someone. Are they special? Good question. The jury's still out on that one.”
Andria giggled.
He took a sip of his hot beverage and asked, “What about you? Have you been able to get over the almighty Ramsey Stone?”
She covered her face with her hands and said, “Not really. I don't know what's wrong with me. I know I wasn't the only woman he was dating. Looking back now, I know I was just a booty call and I made myself available for him anytime he wanted me. I fell in love with him. I still can't believe he married that woman.”
“I'll have to say I was shocked as well,” he replied.
“What about you? Does your lady friend compare to Keilah?”
“My situation is a little different. I broke up with her, remember?”
“Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. You basically left her at the altar. Ramsey told me she had her dress and everything. I hate her guts, but I don't know how you could do her like that.”
He sighed and said, “I just couldn't go into a marriage with her doing what she did for a living. She wouldn't quit and I wouldn't bend, either, so I said to hell with it. Do I regret it? Hell yeah! Do I want her back? It would be nice. Do I think it'll happen? The chances are pretty slim.”
“I still don't see how you dumped her so close to your wedding. Didn't you love her?” Andria asked.
“Yeah, but I had to stand my ground. It was my job to be the man of the house, but she was acting like she wanted the position. She had more balls than I could deal with.”
Trenton was beginning to get angrier by the second about the demise of his relationship with Keilah. He'd thought he was over her, but he realized he wasn't. She was supposed to be heartbroken over him, not the other way around. He was upset that she had moved on and found happiness with not just any man. She'd married Ramsey Stone.
“Anyway, that's enough about me,” he added. “What about you? Is love in the air?”
She smiled and said, “Well, there is this one guy I'm seeing now. He's no Ramsey, but he's sweet. He's a little older than me, but he has a great job where he gets to travel, and he adores me. I can see making a life with him.”
Trenton laughed and said, “I can already tell there's no love connection, but I understand how you feel. You're looking for security and stability, and it don't help that the brother's got a fat bank account, huh?”
She stirred her coffee and said, “Who says he's a brother?”
“Don't tell me you've crossed over,” he joked. “What about the sex? Because I remember hearing that you were practically a freak.”
She threw a napkin at him and exclaimed, “I'm not! Who told you that?”
They laughed together, and she admitted that he was, in fact, African American and the son of an acquaintance of her father's.
They talked a little while longer, and then Andria touched Trenton's hand and said, “I don't want to keep you from your fans any longer. I know you have to get back over there and work the crowd. I need to go to the ladies' room. Do you mind watching my purse?”
“I'm in no hurry. Take your time.,” he answered. “My time here is almost over, anyway. It's been nice catching up with you.”
They stood, and she said, “The same here, Trenton. I know we didn't always get along when we were with those other people, but I'm glad we've grown since then.”
“Me too,” he answered as he watched her make her way to the ladies' room.
Â
With Thanksgiving behind them, the Stones could finally exhale. It had been a long holiday weekend, but it had also been special because they had had their entire family present to give thanks. They had so much to be thankful for and looked forward to seeing one another for Christmas in a few weeks.
Keilah was busy going over records, preparing for year-end reports, while Ramsey took off early for a weekend trip with his two best friends, Neil Jackson, an ex-military officer like Ramsey and now a D.C. police officer, and Kyle. Keilah's eyes were tired and she needed a break, so she called her best friend and asked her to meet her for lunch.
Keilah met her dear friend Tori Giles for lunch at a restaurant that specialized in healthy Southern cooking. Tori was an attractive woman, slender with long, muscular legs. She wore a Halle Berryâstyle haircut, and being from Jackson, Mississippi, she took her Southern heritage seriously, especially when it came to cooking. After graduating from Howard, she moved to New York, where for several years she worked in a public relations firm. She had moved back to D.C a few months ago and was now working as a lobbyist in the gas and oil industry. She had done very well for herself financially, and presently she was single and waiting for Mr. Right so she could settle down.
Keilah hugged her and said, “Tori, you look fabulous.”
Tori sat down and said, “So do you. You're wearing that suit. You look so professional.”
“So do you. I know you're a pit bull on Capitol Hill.”
“Something like that,” Tori replied as the two women laughed. “Marriage and motherhood agree with you, Keilah. You're glowing, and you haven't aged a bit. You still have that same majorette figure that you had in college.”
Keilah took a sip of her water and said, “Thank you, Tori, but I am a little heavier in the hips.”
“That's baby and marriage weight, and so what? The extra weight looks great on you.”
Keilah smiled and said, “You sound like my husband. Seriously, though, I never thought I could ever be this happy. I'm so glad my eyes were opened and I saw Ramsey for who he was. We were friends for so long, I never thought of him in any other way.”
“That's funny,” Tori said as she buttered a hot croissant.
“Hello, ladies,” a baritone voice interrupted. “What a nice surprise.”
Keilah made eye contact with him and asked, “Are you stalking me, Trenton?”
Trenton put his hands up and said, “Whoa, calm down, Mrs. Stone. I saw you guys from my table across the room, and I only came over to say hello.”
“Hello, Trenton,” Tori replied. “You look good.”
He didn't remove his sunglasses, because if he did, they would see the black eye he had courtesy of Ramsey Stone.
“Thank you, Tori. You're looking rather hot yourself,” he said in response.
“Congratulations on the book,” Tori stated. “I see you with your bling.”
He looked down at his diamond-encrusted watch and said, “I appreciate that. I can tell life is treating you well too.”
Tori held her glass up to him and said, “It is. Thank you.”
He glanced back over his shoulder and said, “I would ask you ladies to join me, but Keilah's husband don't take kindly to me being in her personal space. God forbid he walks in and finds me talking to you.”
Tori giggled.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Keilah asked.
Trenton smiled, realizing that Keilah didn't know that Ramsey had paid him an unfriendly visit. He rubbed his chin and with a frown said, “I guess he didn't tell you, huh?”
“Tell me what?” Keilah asked, clearly agitated.
He leaned down close to her and sniffed her perfume, and then he whispered, “Damn, you smell good.”
Keilah leaned away from him and said, “Get the hell away from me, Trenton.”
He laughed, and then his expression went from warm to cold in an instant. “Tell Ramsey my memory is long, and if he's not careful, something or someone will remind him that he's not invincible.”
Keilah stood and threw her napkin on the table and said, “Get the hell out of here before I shove my Jimmy Choo shoes up your ass. Don't you ever threaten my husband, you bastard. Everything that happened to you was brought on by you.”
He laughed, then reached into her glass of water, pulled out a cube of ice, stuck it in his mouth, and said, “Hmmm, I can still taste you. See you around, babe.”
Tori gasped in shock.
Keilah sat down and said, “Ain't that a bitch? He has lost his damn mind.”
“What do you think he was talking about?”
Keilah motioned for the waiter to come remove her glass and said, “Who knows? He's delusional and sad.”
“I can't believe he did that,” Tori said as she placed her napkin in her lap. “You are going to tell Ramsey, right?”
“If I do, I'm afraid he might kill him,” she answered just as the waiter brought her another glass of water. She was furious and couldn't believe that Trenton would approach her like he did. She had every right to kick his ass across the room, but exercising restraint, she decided not to feed into his arrogance and ignorance. This was something her husband definitely needed to know about. Who knew what he would do next? In the meantime she would try her best to enjoy lunch with her best friend.
“Okay, enough about Trenton. I want to know what's been going on with you. How's work?”
“Work is great. I love spending time on Capitol Hill, around all that power.”
Keilah opened her menu and said, “And you love spending all that money you're making too, huh?”
“I do like the finer things in life,” she replied as she scanned her menu. “Like these shoes, which I had to have.”
Keilah looked down at her friend's feet and said, “Those are nice. I don't blame you. You only live once.”
“Ditto! But I'm not stupid. I am investing and saving too. A girl's got to have a nest egg. Everyone can't be a millionaire like you.”
“May I take your order?” the waitress said, interrupting the pair.
“Yes, I'll have the crispy crab cakes, collard greens, and triple corn grits with a lemonade,” Keilah recited to the waitress.
“Okay. What about you, ma'am?”
Tori said, “I'll have the honey-soy broiled salmon with the zucchini-rice casserole, a small house salad, and an iced tea.”
The waitress smiled and said, “I'll be right back with your drinks and more honey buttered croissants.”
When the waitress left, Keilah stared Tori in the eyes and asked, “How's the dating scene going for you?”
“I go out to dinner from time to time. You know I don't have a lot of time to date.”