believed it was impossible to have a serious relationship, Simone had proved him wrong and showed him how love really felt. So why couldn’t he buy the ring? And more importantly, was he really over Rhonda?
Kevin needed to talk to someone, someone other than his mother. He needed some fatherly advice. Shit, maybe I should go to the nursing home and talk to Mr. Johnson.
“ Sir?” the saleswoman said. “Should I wrap this up for you?”
Kevin handed her the ring, suddenly feeling as if he’d been unfaithful to Simone.
Damn! he screamed inside. I gotta call Rhonda and let her know this shit is over.
Beatrice suspiciously watched the son she knew inside and out. She could tell he was battling demons, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know the devil’s name.
“ Hey,” she said, rubbing his back for support. “If you not ready, you not ready.”
“ Naw, it’s not that, Ma,” Kevin said.
“ Well, sir,” the saleswoman interjected in one final attempt to close the sale, “we do have a wonderful layaway plan.”
● ● ●
Simone sensed something was wrong when she walked through the doors of the law firm that morning. The place was a ghost town. Dang. Everybody called out sick?
“ Hi, Simone. I need to speak with you. You mind joining me in the conference room?” Joan, Simone’s supervisor, said.
Uh-oh , Simone thought as she followed her.
“ Is this about me being out sick?” Simone asked, noticing the file folder tucked underneath Joan’s arm as she sat at the cherry wood conference table.
“ I wish it was that simple, Simone. Does the place look a little deserted to you?”
“ Yeah, I noticed that when I walked in,” Simone replied. “The phones haven’t even rung. I thought it was a holiday that I didn’t know about.”
“ No, Simone. It’s no holiday.” Joan sighed.
“ Unfortunately, the partners have decided to dissolve the company and go their separate ways.”
Joan placed Simone’s file on the conference table and peered down at the papers to avoid looking at her.
“ Each partner has written you a letter of recommendation. Although you’ve exhausted your leave, you’ll still receive a full paycheck next Friday, and…” Joan rambled on, babbling words of no interest to Simone.
Oh… my… God, Simone screamed to herself. I don’t have a job .
● ● ●
Kevin wasn’t there when Simone arrived home in the early afternoon. With the weight of the world hovering over her, Simone undressed and climbed back in bed. When her cycle skipped another month, she’d accepted fate and realized that a baby was growing inside of her. Now, since she was unemployed, Kevin needed a job more than ever.
My last paycheck will cover the rent for August, but then what? Simone thought. Shit… I know Kevin’s really gonna be on the strip now. Simone heard the apartment door close.
“ Hey,” Kevin said halfheartedly as he walked into the bedroom. “What you doing here so early?” Simone noticed his somber expression and figured his day had been as bad as hers. “You got sick at work?” he asked.
“ No. I lost my job. Why you look so sad?” Simone asked, quickly changing the subject.
“ You lost your job? Why, ’cause you were out sick?”
“ No, the company dissolved. I get my last check next Friday, so that’ll cover the rent for August. But after that, I don’t know what we gon’ do.”
“ Simone, don’t worry ’bout that, baby. I’ll take care of it.” Kevin plopped on the bed and dropped his head into his hands.
Simone crawled to the end of the bed where Kevin sat. Slowly, she rubbed her hands up his back, across his broad shoulders, and worked them down his muscular chest.
“ So,” she whispered, nibbling softly on his ear, “why you look like you lost your best friend?”
He squeezed her hands and kissed them, thankful that the jewelry store had layaway.
“ How’s that possible when my best friend’s right here?”
● ● ●
Kevin stood
Kevin needed to talk to someone, someone other than his mother. He needed some fatherly advice. Shit, maybe I should go to the nursing home and talk to Mr. Johnson.
“ Sir?” the saleswoman said. “Should I wrap this up for you?”
Kevin handed her the ring, suddenly feeling as if he’d been unfaithful to Simone.
Damn! he screamed inside. I gotta call Rhonda and let her know this shit is over.
Beatrice suspiciously watched the son she knew inside and out. She could tell he was battling demons, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know the devil’s name.
“ Hey,” she said, rubbing his back for support. “If you not ready, you not ready.”
“ Naw, it’s not that, Ma,” Kevin said.
“ Well, sir,” the saleswoman interjected in one final attempt to close the sale, “we do have a wonderful layaway plan.”
● ● ●
Simone sensed something was wrong when she walked through the doors of the law firm that morning. The place was a ghost town. Dang. Everybody called out sick?
“ Hi, Simone. I need to speak with you. You mind joining me in the conference room?” Joan, Simone’s supervisor, said.
Uh-oh , Simone thought as she followed her.
“ Is this about me being out sick?” Simone asked, noticing the file folder tucked underneath Joan’s arm as she sat at the cherry wood conference table.
“ I wish it was that simple, Simone. Does the place look a little deserted to you?”
“ Yeah, I noticed that when I walked in,” Simone replied. “The phones haven’t even rung. I thought it was a holiday that I didn’t know about.”
“ No, Simone. It’s no holiday.” Joan sighed.
“ Unfortunately, the partners have decided to dissolve the company and go their separate ways.”
Joan placed Simone’s file on the conference table and peered down at the papers to avoid looking at her.
“ Each partner has written you a letter of recommendation. Although you’ve exhausted your leave, you’ll still receive a full paycheck next Friday, and…” Joan rambled on, babbling words of no interest to Simone.
Oh… my… God, Simone screamed to herself. I don’t have a job .
● ● ●
Kevin wasn’t there when Simone arrived home in the early afternoon. With the weight of the world hovering over her, Simone undressed and climbed back in bed. When her cycle skipped another month, she’d accepted fate and realized that a baby was growing inside of her. Now, since she was unemployed, Kevin needed a job more than ever.
My last paycheck will cover the rent for August, but then what? Simone thought. Shit… I know Kevin’s really gonna be on the strip now. Simone heard the apartment door close.
“ Hey,” Kevin said halfheartedly as he walked into the bedroom. “What you doing here so early?” Simone noticed his somber expression and figured his day had been as bad as hers. “You got sick at work?” he asked.
“ No. I lost my job. Why you look so sad?” Simone asked, quickly changing the subject.
“ You lost your job? Why, ’cause you were out sick?”
“ No, the company dissolved. I get my last check next Friday, so that’ll cover the rent for August. But after that, I don’t know what we gon’ do.”
“ Simone, don’t worry ’bout that, baby. I’ll take care of it.” Kevin plopped on the bed and dropped his head into his hands.
Simone crawled to the end of the bed where Kevin sat. Slowly, she rubbed her hands up his back, across his broad shoulders, and worked them down his muscular chest.
“ So,” she whispered, nibbling softly on his ear, “why you look like you lost your best friend?”
He squeezed her hands and kissed them, thankful that the jewelry store had layaway.
“ How’s that possible when my best friend’s right here?”
● ● ●
Kevin stood
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