Full Figured 5 Read online

  “I guess so, but I do get lonely sometimes. I’m not going to accept anybody, though, and you shouldn’t either. Maybe we should go out this weekend and see what’s happening at the comedy club. We haven’t been out in a while and dancing, a good laugh, and drinking may be what we need.”

  “That may not be a bad idea. Besides, Chassidy is going to spend some time with Latrel and Angelique. They’re coming to get her tomorrow, so I’ll call you on Friday.”

  “I can’t believe you’ve agreed to go out, but I’m glad you did. Who knows . . . you just may find another man like Roc. I can tell you miss him, Dee, and if you do, why don’t you just call him?”

  I wouldn’t dare tell Monica that I had been calling him; I was too embarrassed. I told her it was over and I didn’t want her to judge me for still having some hope in our relationship. “Girl, I’m not thinking about Roc. I hope he’s somewhere living happily ever after. If he is, good for him.”

  “Uh-hmm,” Monica said, knowing me all too well. “I can’t see you not thinking about Roc, and I don’t believe for one minute that he hasn’t crossed your mind.”

  I bit into my nail, wanting to tell Monica the truth. “Maybe just a little. I’ve been thinking about him a little, because I think I made some mistakes.”

  “If you’re having regrets, call him. What can it hurt? You said Chassidy wants to see him and it’s obvious that you do too.”

  “I do want to see him, but I’m not sure what to say. I guess I’d have to find him first. It seems to me that the man has disappeared.”

  Monica was silent for a while; then she responded. “Go back to the first place you met him. It was at the carwash, wasn’t it? If he’s not there, I’m sure somebody there knows how to reach him. And, if you’re lucky to catch up with him, good for you. What’s meant to be will be.”

  I couldn’t agree with Monica more. We talked for a few more minutes; then I took her advice and drove to the carwash I’d met Roc at on Lindbergh Boulevard. His uncle Ronnie used to own the place, and even though he was no longer alive, the carwash was still open for business. It was in no way as busy as it had been before, but I wasn’t sure if that was because winter was just coming in, or business wasn’t that great. Either way, I parked my car, and as the gusty wind slapped my face and blew open my trench coat, I hurried inside to see what I could find out.

  “May I help you?” asked a white man with a wrinkly face. He definitely wasn’t who I’d expected to be standing behind the counter, but what the hell.

  “I hope you can help me. I’m looking for Rocky Dawson. He used to work here awhile back, and his uncle Ronnie owned this place. I’m an old friend and I’m trying to catch up with him.”

  “Ronnie no longer owns this place, I do. And I don’t know who Mr. Dawson is. Sorry I couldn’t help you.”

  I nodded, pretty much knowing that I wouldn’t have much luck here. My luck, however, changed when I saw Roc’s friend, Bud, standing in the back office with a black phone pressed up to his ear.

  “Excuse me, but isn’t his name Bud?” I asked the white man.

  He turned to Bud, then back to me. “Yes, he’s the manager. Would you like to speak to him?”

  “If you don’t mind,” I said, smiling. “I hope it won’t be a problem.”

  “Not at all.”

  The white man walked away. Shortly after, Bud came from the office and made his way to the front desk. He inquisitively looked at me, then smiled.

  “Desa Rae,” he said, coming from behind the counter. He reached out his hand to shake mine. I accepted.

  “Hello, Bud. It’s been a looong time. I’m so glad that you remember me.”

  “Of course I do. The last time I saw you was at the hospital when Roc had been shot. I’m glad it all turned out for the best, because he damn sure had all of us worried that day.”

  “Yes, he did. Very worried, as I am still worried about him right now. I haven’t seen him in a while, and I heard that he’d moved to Kansas City. Have you heard from him at all?”

  Bud nodded and tucked his dirty gloves into his back pocket. “We talk every now and then. When Ronnie was killed, so many things changed. Several of our partners went down, and a few came up missin’. We never found out who was responsible, but I know Roc won’t rest until he finds out what really happened. The last time we spoke, he was on a mission to do just that.”

  “I can only imagine. I wouldn’t want to disturb his mission, but I would like to talk to him. Do you have a number where I can reach him?”

  Luckily, Bud did not hesitate. He pulled a business card from his pocket and scribbled Roc’s number and address on the back. He gave the card to me. I looked at the card, noticing that it was a St. Louis number.

  “I thought he was in Kansas City. Didn’t he move?” I asked.

  “I believe he has a place in Kansas City, but he has a place here too. Go holla at him. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you. I know he really cared for you, Desa Rae, and after losin’ Ronnie, I’m sure seein’ or hearin’ from you would up his spirits.”

  “I hope so,” I said, feeling the same way as Bud. I thanked him for the information and returned to my car. Once inside, I reached for my cell phone and dialed the number Bud had written on the card. My heart was racing a mile a minute. When I heard Roc’s voice on the other end, my heart started slamming hard against my chest. My mouth was dry; I was barely able to speak.

  “He . . . hello, Roc,” I said with a stutter.

  “Who dis?” he asked in a sharp tone.

  “It’s me. Desa Rae.”

  There was ongoing silence, then a deep sigh that was followed by a click.

  Chapter 2

  Nearly an hour later, I was back at my desk with a serious attitude because Roc had hung up on me. I couldn’t believe he’d done it. I knew he wasn’t that upset with me where he didn’t even want to talk. I mean, after all the crazy mess he had done to me, I was always willing to listen to what he’d had to say. I may not have agreed with his decisions, but I always gave him every opportunity to express himself. Shame. Shame on him for dissing me like he did. In no way would I kiss his tail or try to get him to change his mind about us. I viewed it as his loss, not mine.

  Mr. Anderson’s door was shut, so I figured his meeting with Ms. Avery was still going on. I had no intention of interrupting him, but I surely couldn’t wait for this day to be over. Even though my vacation plans to Jamaica were squashed, I was still looking forward to chilling around the house, doing nothing but resting, reading, cleaning, and catching up on reality TV shows. Monica’s suggestion to go out this weekend seemed right up my alley, too, but I wasn’t so sure about the club scene in St. Louis. The last time I’d gone out, drama ensued. Somebody started shooting and Roc and I got caught in the crossfire. I was thinking about changing my mind, but when I called Monica to renege, she tore into me.

  “You had me hyped about going, now you done changed your mind that fast? I guess I’ll just go by myself, and why must a little partying at a comedy club be considered a crime?”

  “It’s not and that’s not what I’m saying. I was just thinking about the last time I went out with Roc. Things didn’t go so well. I don’t know if the club scene has changed.”

  “I don’t know either, but I’m willing to go out and have a good time. We don’t have to stay long, just for a few hours.”

  I sighed, but agreed to go because I hated to let Monica down. After all, we were both single, so what did we have to lose? “I’ll go. But you’re driving. Pick me up around nine o’clock on Saturday.”

  “Will do. Now, changing the subject for just a minute. Did you have any luck with getting in touch with Roc?”

  “If you believe that him hanging up on me when I called was success, then I had it. Can you believe that? I want to call him back and cuss him out, but forget it.”

  Monica laughed. “See, you’re better than me. I would call him back and get in his shit. What nerve does he have hanging up on you? I
know he’s not upset about how you walked away from him at Latrel’s wedding, is he? What did Roc expect for you to do?”

  “That’s what I want to know. He keep disappearing, then showing back up, expecting me to be there for him no matter what. What kind of mess is that?”

  “I’m with you this time. Forget him. If he wants to act like that, who needs him?”

  I was so glad that Monica had taken my side and was seeing things my way. We kept talking about my unfortunate situation with Roc, but when I turned to the right and saw Mrs. Anderson coming my way, I whispered to Monica that I had to go.

  “I’ll call you later,” I said, slamming the phone down and jumping to my feet. A wide grin covered my face, and I smiled as Mrs. Anderson approached my cubicle.

  “Hello, Judy. You look lovely today,” I complimented her. She did look nice in her winter-white pantsuit and black high heels. Her healthy gray hair was full of tight curls that hung past her shoulders. She was a beautiful black woman and Mr. Anderson knew better than to trade in class for trash who was in his office.

  “Thank you, Desa Rae. It’s always a delight seeing you. By any chance, is my husband here? I’ve called his cell phone several times and didn’t get an answer.”

  I swallowed hard, then looked at his office door that was still closed. I couldn’t hear anything coming from inside, but I was sure he hadn’t left. “I . . . I just got back from lunch, but per his calendar, it looks as if he’s been in meetings all day. Once he returns, I’ll ask him to give you a call. I’m sure it’ll be soon.”

  I hated to be put in the middle like this. Lying to Mrs. Anderson didn’t feel right to me. I didn’t want her to get her feelings hurt, nor did I want to find myself without a job.

  “If he’ll be back soon, I’ll wait for him. I do need to go to the ladies’ room, so I’ll be right back.”

  I sighed from relief as Mrs. Anderson walked away. As she did, I quickly buzzed Mr. Anderson in his office. He didn’t answer.

  “Mr. Anderson,” I said, raising my voice through gritted teeth. “Please pick up! This is urgent!”

  Finally, he picked up the phone, sounding as if Ms. Avery had drained every ounce of semen from his dick. “Whaaaaat is it, Desa Rae? Didn’t I tell you not to interrupt me?” he hissed.

  His tone raised my brows, but now wasn’t the time for me to show my ass. “Your wife is here to see you,” was all I said and hung up.

  I dropped back to my chair. My heart was racing for Mr. Anderson. I could hear a bunch of bumbling going on in his office. Minutes later, I could see Mrs. Anderson coming my way, causing me to sink into my chair. It was obvious that things were about to turn ugly, and as soon as she neared my cubicle, Mr. Anderson’s door came open. His eyes connected with Mrs. Anderson’s, but her eyes were glued to the Video Vixen. I immediately noticed that her weave was now a bit tangled, her makeup had disappeared, and her short skirt had wrinkles. The beads of sweat on Mr. Anderson’s forehead were a dead giveaway and his white pressed shirt was barely tucked into his slacks. Why people chose the workplace to have sex, I didn’t know. But Mr. Anderson was a risk taker. I wasn’t so sure that it would pay off for him today.

  He displayed a fake grin on his face, but when Mrs. Anderson’s hand went up to her hip, it was obvious that his grin had not sold her. “I’ve been trying to reach you,” she said in a sharp tone. “Looks like you’ve been tied up with this heifer and unable to answer your phone.”

  Ms. Avery pointed her finger near Mrs. Anderson’s face, but before she could say anything, Mr. Anderson spoke up. “It’s not what you think,” he said to his wife. “Latrese just stopped by to let me know what was going on with our son at school. I transferred my calls to voice mail, and our meeting has only lasted thirty or forty minutes. You know I would’ve returned your call. Don’t I always?”

  His son! I thought. Wow, he has a son by this woman? That was something new to me, and I was all ears.

  Mrs. Anderson shook her head and pursed her lips. “When are the lies going to stop? I’ve been trying to reach you for two hours, not thirty minutes. I told you that if you continue this thing with Latrese, you and I are over. Expect to hear from my attorney tomorrow, and since you can’t find time for me, maybe you’ll find time for your mother. She’s been taken to the hospital. I don’t know how serious it is, but if you weren’t so busy playing house at work, maybe you would’ve learned of her condition faster than me.”

  Without saying another word, Mrs. Anderson walked away. She wasn’t about to make a damn fool of herself, clowning over no man, and I didn’t blame her. Ms. Avery stood with a grin on her face, and even though I had nothing to do with it, I surely wanted to slap the mess out of her. I despised women who interfered in people’s marriages. And then to have a child by a married man was tacky. Apparently Mr. Anderson didn’t give two cents about her, and all she was worth was a fuck in his office. He had gone back into his office to make some phone calls, I guessed to find out what was going on with his mother. Ms. Avery waited for him by the doorway, until I heard him tell her to leave.

  She folded her arms, and tried to show a look of concern on her face. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked. “Let me know if you need anything. I’m just a phone call away.”

  He didn’t even respond. I could hear him speaking to someone over the phone, so it was time for the trash to make way back to the Dumpster. She could see the scolding look in my eyes, but all she did was smile and walk away. Good for her, because I wasn’t one who could hold my peace with women like her. The situation with my ex-husband, Reggie, left me bitter. We had been through some of the same mess, but eventually Reggie simply told me that he didn’t love me anymore. He wanted to be with his mistress, but after we divorced, their relationship didn’t last much longer. Reggie tried to come crawling back, but there wasn’t a chance in hell that I would ever let him back into my life. I was at an age where I needed peace and stability in my relationships, and in no way did I want to find myself at the age of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, still dealing with this kind of foolishness. When was enough, enough? The truth of the matter was, Mr. Anderson had been getting away with this crap for a long time. I hoped Mrs. Anderson was serious about taking action, but that was her decision to make.

  I was so glad the day was over. I barely had a chance to say good-bye to Mr. Anderson because he had left to see about his mother. Also, he’d spent much of the afternoon trying to calm things with his wife over the phone, so there wasn’t much for me to do. I packed it up early and left too. On my way to pick up Chassidy from preschool I made a quick detour. I still had at least an hour and a half to pick her up, and going against everything I had felt inside, I decided to see what was up with the address that was written on the card from Bud. If Roc had issues with anything I’d said or done to him, I wanted him to tell me face to face. It was ridiculous for him to hang up on me, and if the shoe were on the other foot, he would want some answers too. I had plenty of questions, so I pressed my foot on the accelerator and sped up.

  When I arrived at the ranch-style home off New Halls Ferry Road, I became a bit nervous. Two SUVs were in the driveway and one had the hatch lifted. The front door was open, but the screen door was not. The house itself looked to be in good condition and the neighborhood was populated with Blacks. I wondered if Roc was living here with someone, or if the house belonged to him. I didn’t think that Bud would give me another woman’s address, but when I saw a young chick looking to be in her mid to late twenties or early thirties come outside with a bag in her hand, maybe he did. She was an attractive young woman, a bit healthy like me, but her hair was cut short. I was glad not to see Vanessa, but I wasn’t happy to see that the woman was pregnant. She looked to be at least four or five months—she was definitely showing. I couldn’t help but to think how long Roc and I had been apart, and if my calculations were correct, it had been, maybe, seven months. Also, I wasn’t sure who the woman was, but when she saw me parked across the street, she waved. I didn
’t want to look as if I was checking out the scenery, so I proceeded out of my car, just to get the answers I came to get.

  “Excuse me,” I said, walking up the driveway with a smile. “Does Roc live here?”

  Her seemingly nice demeanor changed and her face fell flat. “Who wants to know?” she asked. Her eyes were all over me and much attitude was written on her face.

  I reached out my hand to shake hers. She looked at it, and hesitated before she shook it. “My name is Desa Rae. I’m just an old friend of Roc’s. I’m not here to cause any trouble and all I want to do is speak to him about our daughter.”

  She pulled her hand away and attached it to her hip. “Desa Rae? Are you one of his babies’ mamas?”

  Well damn! That didn’t even sound right to me, but I guessed I was, especially if she was one too. Thinking about it, I now wondered what the hell I was doing here. I started to walk away—run—but when I heard Roc’s stern voice, my head snapped to the front door. Almost immediately, my heart slammed so hard against my chest, as if it wanted to get out. Roc looked fine as ever, and without a shirt on, his buffed chest was carved in all the right places. The blackness of his silky skin was a beautiful sight and the waves on his Caesar cut were flowing deeper than the ocean. His jeans hung low on his waist, showing his baby-blue boxers. He leaned against the doorway while holding the screen door open. I hadn’t moved and neither had the other chick, so he called out again.

  “Tiara, come here,” he said. “Come back inside.”

  Tiara rolled her eyes and closed the hatch. She walked toward the front door, stopping before going inside. “See, this is what I was afraid of,” she said to him. “I get tired of your hoes showing up at their leisure. I wish you would handle this.”

  Tiara pulled on the screen door and bumped Roc’s shoulder as she walked into the house. He said not one word to her, but the smirk on his face showed that he really didn’t give a damn. I’d seen that look plenty of times before. The one thing that I had known about Roc was he got a kick out of drama and could handle any woman who would bring it.