When Love Calls, page 7
“You look different.” Sumeera shrugged out of her coat. She laid it on the white upholstered chair across from the sofa where Mona was holding Chanelle. “Having a social life must agree with you. Who’s the lucky guy?”
Mona couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. Ever since her movie date with Dexter a few weeks ago, she hadn’t been able to think of much else. The man dominated all of her free time, and she had no complaints. She had even stopped hanging out on the online dating site.
“I’ve been spending time with Dexter.”
A smile broke free on her daughter’s face. “Really? I thought you decided not to see him again. What changed?”
“I don’t know. He asked me to a movie weeks ago, and since then, I’ve been seeing him practically every day.” The last few days, their relationship had changed. Her feelings for him had grown considerably, and their intense kisses had turned into heavy petting sessions.
“I can’t believe you haven’t said anything.”
Mona saw Sumeera several times a week, giving her plenty of opportunities to tell her about Dexter. The only excuse she could come up with for not sharing the news was that she wanted to keep her and Dexter’s growing attraction between them. Besides, for months Mona claimed to not want a serious relationship, preferring a friend-with-benefits type of arrangement. Now she wasn’t so sure. Some days she still wanted her freedom, then other days, she loved what was developing between her and Dexter.
“By that huge smile on your face, I take it things are going very, very well.”
Mona grinned and nodded while standing with Chanelle, who hadn’t awakened. “Go ahead and start eating. I’m going to lay her down. Then I’ll tell you about me and Dexter.”
Mona took Chanelle to the master bedroom where she had a traveling crib set up. Before laying her down, she kissed the baby on the top of her head. Holding her close, she soaked up her baby scent. Grandma days, when she babysat, were the best days of the week.
She laid Chanelle in the crib and made sure the baby monitor was on before leaving the room.
“Okay, tell me what’s going on with you guys,” Sumeera said, when Mona walked into the kitchen. She had found the pancakes, hash browns, and sausage Mona left in the warmer. “Is this getting serious?”
Mona set the mug of coffee she’d been drinking into the microwave and heated it up.
“Like I mentioned to your aunt, I’m not looking for anything serious, but I’m enjoying his company.” She sounded like a broken record, but she wanted to keep reminding herself of the plan to stay unattached.
She told Sumeera about some of their dates and how she felt more comfortable with him than any other man she’d been out with. After dinner the night before, they went for ice cream at Graeter’s, where conversation flowed effortlessly. Not only that, but now Mona was addicted to Graeter’s treats. The popular ice cream shop had lived up to its reputation of being the best.
For weeks now, she and Dexter had fallen into a comfortable routine. Having an early breakfast and spending their evenings together eating, talking and some nights watching TV had become their norm. What Mona enjoyed most was despite how tired he might be at the end of the day, he always made time for her. She hated comparing him and Russell, but most days it was hard not to. Dexter made her feel as if they were a team, taking care of each other. With him, she felt cherished, protected, and appreciated.
“I knew Dexter was a sweetheart from the first time I met him. I’m glad you guys are getting along.”
“He’s like a big teddy bear. Warm and…cuddly,” Mona said, her heart thumping a little faster against her ribcage as she relived their goodnight make-out session. Even in remembrance, the intimacy of the night and being wrapped in his strong arms promised of better things to come.
Sumeera stood and rinsed her dishes before placing them in the dishwasher. “Does this mean you’re going to date him exclusively now?”
Mona took a tentative sip of her now-steamy coffee. Dexter was the kindest man she’d ever met and his even-tempered personality made it easy to like him. “Yes, but he understands I’m not looking for a serious commitment. Only a friend…a really, really good friend.”
Sumeera laughed and Mona smiled behind the rim of her mug.
“I assume that’s code for um…bedmate?”
“Something like that.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be talking in code with my mother about sex.”
Mona laughed when Sumeera gave an exaggerated shudder of mock disgust.
For the first time in her life, she wasn’t shy or ashamed about discussing her sexual needs or her desire to have a sex partner. Until recently, she’d been afraid her libido had retired. But each kiss and the sensual touch of Dexter’s hands on her body made her think otherwise. It was only a matter of time before they took their budding friendship to the next level.
Sumeera went into the bedroom to kiss the baby, then grabbed her coat from the living room.
“All right, I have to get out of here. I put Chanelle’s bottles in the fridge, and anything else needed is in her bag.” Mona walked her to the door. “As usual, breakfast was great, and I know I say you don’t have to feed me each time I drop off the baby, but I’m glad you do.”
“It’s my pleasure, honey.”
“Glad to hear that.” Sumeera grinned and hugged her. Mona’s heart burst with love each time she held her daughter, never wanting to release her. Every day she thanked God for this second chance to be in Sumeera’s life.
“Oh, shoot,” Sumeera said after they pulled apart. “I forgot to tell you. I might have found you the perfect spot for your boutique.”
“Really? Where?”
“Nate and Uncle Ben purchased a property that has retail space on the first floor,” Sumeera said, of Nick’s twin brother and their uncle. “The place needs work, but based on the photos and the information I’ve received, I think it’s perfect for what you’re looking for. I’ll let you know when we can look at it.”
Excitement bubbled inside of Mona. Seemed her whole life was falling into place. She was almost finished with her business plan, and just the other day she and Dexter had discussed logistics. He was willing to handle renovations if she found a place that needed work.
Only a matter of time before my dream is a reality.
Chapter Nine
Hours later, Mona sat in the glider positioned in a corner of her bedroom, rocking Chanelle.
“You are the cutest little girl God ever created,” she cooed to her grandbaby who rewarded her with a sleepy smile. Mona nuzzled her neck, eliciting a little giggle.
From week to week she marveled at the baby’s milestones. Lately, she had to dodge Chanelle’s tiny hands. Her little one was at the stage where she was grabbing at anything in reach, including Mona’s hoop earrings and her hair.
“I don’t know why you’re fighting sleep. Close those big pretty eyes. When you get my age, you’re going to wish you had time to take naps.”
When Chanelle’s eyes started drooping, Mona hummed a lullaby she used to sing to Sumeera.
“How could I have stayed away from your mommy so long?” she said to a now-sleeping Chanelle, brushing the back of her fingers down the baby’s chubby cheek. “Never again. I’m sticking around, and if I’m lucky, I’ll get more grandbabies.”
Mona kissed the baby’s forehead before laying her in the crib. She walked back into the living room and picked up the toys and the blanket from the floor.
She glanced at the thin watch on her wrist and her thoughts went immediately to Dexter. Normally, he called or stopped by at least once during the day, but she hadn’t heard from him. She shouldn’t be surprised. Each day seemed busier than the next, since he was juggling his handyman business as well as taking care of the condominium complex. She didn’t know where he found the energy to do all that he did.
Mona had just placed the last of Chanelle’s toys in the small container on the side of the sofa when the intercom buzzed. She hurried across the room to keep whoever was ringing her from doing it again.
“Hello.”
“Mona, it’s me. Let me in.”
Mona’s pulse jumped and she pushed away from the wall, surprised to hear Russell’s voice. It had been days since she’d heard from him. She thought he had finally moved on.
When the intercom rang again, she buzzed him in. He couldn’t be there. Nick and Sumeera had a restraining order, preventing him from being within five hundred feet of them, and that included Chanelle.
Mona didn’t bother waiting for him to knock, she opened the door, prepared to send him away knowing he wouldn’t leave her alone without saying what he had to say. Sumeera wasn’t due to pick the baby up for another couple of hours, and Mona wanted him gone. No way would she let him ruin her time with Chanelle. And that’s exactly what would happened if Nick ever found out about this visit. He was fiercely protective of his family, and rightfully so.
“What are you doing here?” she asked in a harsh whisper when Russell made it to the top of the landing.
“Hello to you, too, love.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek, but she turned her head before he could make contact.
“You can’t be here.”
“You’re not going to invite me in?”
“No. You have five minutes. What do you want?” She stepped into the hall and closed the door slightly, not wanting to be out of earshot of Chanelle.
“Who’s in there?” Russell asked, his jaw clenched. He made a move to go around her, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest. “You have a man in there?”
“Our granddaughter. So either tell me what you want or leave.”
“Not before we talk and before I finally meet my grandbaby.”
Mona shook her head. “That’s not going to happen and you know why.”
“This is ridiculous!” he yelled. “I have a right to see her.”
“You gave up that right when you manhandled our daughter.”
“That was self-defense! She attacked me!”
That was true. Before deciding to relocate to Cincinnati, Mona had flown to town with Russell earlier in the year, and had stopped by Sumeera and Nick’s home. What was supposed to be a nice visit, had quickly gotten out of hand when Russell tried blackmailing Sumeera. He claimed he wouldn’t sign a pending, multimillion-dollar contract between his company and Jenkins & Sons Construction if she didn’t agree to move back to New York and take over his property development business. Heated words were exchanged and Sumeera, who they later found out was pregnant, physically lashed out at Russell. When he tried to subdue her, Nick returned home to find Russell holding onto Sumeera’s wrists, and all hell broke loose. Since then Nick and Sumeera wanted nothing to do with her father.
“Russell, you have to leave.”
“Fine. Don’t let me see her, but you and I need to talk. Now.”
Just then her neighbor opened the door and looked out into the hallway. No doubt Russell’s loud voice prompted her to investigate. The building was normally quiet. Most people worked during the day, and those on her floor who were home, were retirees or worked from home.
“Come in, but you can’t stay long. Sumeera will be here soon and she can’t know you were here.”
Mona gave a slight wave to her neighbor and hurried Russell inside, hoping she wouldn’t regret doing so.
“This has to stop,” she said the moment she closed the door. “You can’t keep calling, sending gifts and dropping by whenever you want.”
“I can’t stay away from you. You know that. I don’t sleep well without you in my bed.” He reached for her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing the back of them. “I miss you.”
She slid her hand from his and took a good look at him as they stood in the small foyer. Russell never left the house unless well-groomed and immaculately dressed. Today, however, he looked as if he had slept in his dark suit. The two-day scruff on his cheeks and chin was also out of character.
Instead of commenting on his appearance, she said, “You have to let me go, and stop calling. We’ve already talked about this. We don’t want the same things, and I should’ve left sooner.”
“Don’t say that. You were happy being with me. We were happy together.”
“Not for a long time. I’ve changed and so have you.”
“I’m the same man you fell in love with. I’m sorry if I’ve been so caught up in work and my career, but I’ve given you everything a woman could want.”
“Not everything.”
He released an exasperated sigh. “Mona, I thought what we had was enough for you. We had a good thing going until you walked out.”
“There’s no sense in us rehashing this conversation. I’ve already told you more times than I can count for years now, that those things weren’t enough for me. But you ignored my desires. You knew I wanted my own fashion boutique. You knew I wanted marriage and more children.”
“I didn’t ignore you. I just didn’t understand why you wanted a store. There’s not enough money to be made in that. And what was the point of marriage? We were together every day for over thirty years. All getting married would’ve done was added a piece of paper signed by a judge or a minister saying we were married. You’ve always felt like my wife.”
“But I wasn’t!”
“And as for kids, you didn’t take care of the one we had, sending her to live with your sis—”
“Don’t you dare put that on me!” she seethed, anger gripping every nerve in her body as she slowly approached him. “It was your suggestion that Sumeera stay in the States while we expanded the business overseas. You claimed as a teenager it wasn’t a good idea to drag her around the world, especially when school started back. And crazy me, I listened to you! Besides, your inconsistent behavior worried me. I had to make sure my child was somewhere safe.”
“Our daughter was always safe with me!”
Mona had had every intention of getting her daughter back once they returned to the States, but Sumeera preferred Cincinnati, and Mona hadn’t been sure of Russell’s mental state when they returned. There were times when he could be the nicest man, but on occasion, he’d be awful toward people, behaving like a different person. She tolerated him out of concern, and because…outside of being a little controlling, he had treated her well.
“Honey, I’m sorry. You’re right. All of this is on me. But please let me make it up to you.” He gripped her shoulders before his hands moved up to her face, cupping her cheeks.
Mona shook out of his hold. “It’s too late.”
“You’re a part of me. I’ll do whatever you want.” He rubbed his forehead, seeming more agitated. “Besides…I need you more than ever. I had to fire Mavis.”
“Why?”
“She was stealing from me. Every week, some of my clothes were missing. I even caught her taking some out of the closet the other day.”
Mona frowned. “Are you sure she wasn’t taking them to the cleaners? She has no reason to take your clothes, Russell.” Mavis, their housekeeper, was in her mid-sixties, and a divorced mother of two grown daughters. Mona couldn’t see the woman, who had been nothing but loyal to them for over twenty years, stealing.
“I know she was stealing them!” he snarled, running his hand over his head as he paced the small area. Tension bounced off of him in waves. “You need to stop this nonsense and come home.”
Mona didn’t respond. Instead she watched as his agitation from moments ago dissipated almost instantly. He smiled and folded his arms across his chest, and that confident demeanor she was used to was back.
Observing him was like watching an episode of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
“Is this about Henry?” he asked quietly.
“Who?”
“Henry…the doorman. I talked with him about his flirting and told him to stay away from you.”
Shock hit Mona full force. “You did what?”
Henry was in his seventies and one of the nicest people she’d ever met. He was happily married, and had been for over fifty years. He never flirted.
“Listen, you don’t have to worry about him bothering you anymore. I told the building manager that I thought it was time Henry retired. They’re going to take care of—”
“Stop.” Mona shook her head and put her hands up. “Just stop. Russell, you need help. Professional help.”
He stood near the living room entrance, a puzzled expression on his face. It was as if he was trying to process what she was saying. Her heart ached for him, and she wasn’t sure how to help him.
“Russell, how did you get here?”
“Oh.” He snapped out of his trance and glanced at the Rolex on his wrist. “Darren’s outside waiting for us.”
“He came to Cincinnati with you?” she asked. Darren was Russell’s longtime driver and friend.
“Yeah, I’ve been doing a lot of traveling. Instead of hiring a driver in different cities, it’s easier to have Darren travel with me.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s good,” Mona said, more to herself than Russell. Surely Darren had noticed the changes. Maybe if she gave him the therapist’s information, he could see to Russell getting the help he needed.
“Why don’t you get your bags and we can head out,” Russell said, and pointed his thumb over his shoulder to her living space. “I have a meeting in Chicago tomorrow afternoon, but we can go to my hotel and talk. Then fly to Chicago, have dinner at Alina’s tonight, and then you can shop while I’m at my meeting tomorrow.”
Mona placed her hand on her chest, trying to keep her emotions in check as her heart broke for him. She no longer loved him, but she would always care about his well-being.
“Sumeera will be here soon. You have to leave. You can’t be here.”
He released a low growl. “This is ridiculous. I would never hurt my own child. That man of hers has brainwashed her. I’ll stay and tell her th—”
“No.” Mona pulled the door open. “Please…just go. I don’t want any trouble.”
