“I’m glad you did, too.”
“So, have you spoken to your dad lately?”
“Yeah, I called him earlier to ask him to pray for Carmen’s mom. What about you?”
“I haven’t talked with him since this past weekend, but we try to stay in touch as much as possible.”
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because everyone knows that Daddy thinks the world of you.”
“And the feeling’s mutual. I may be here in Chicago, but Curtis is still my mentor and I’m still learning a lot from him.”
“I can imagine,” she said, but was at a loss for words again. Phillip seemed to be searching for something else to say as well and Alicia knew why. He still had feelings for her, and God forgive her, she still had very strong feelings for him, too.
“So, your dad tells me you finished your novel and that you’ve signed with his agent.”
“I did, and now she’s in the submission process with editors.”
“Wow, baby…I mean…well, you know what I mean. Anyway, I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks, and actually, you should take some of the credit because you always encouraged me to keep writing until I finished. Even when we weren’t getting along.”
“I did it because I knew you were good and that you deserved to be published.”
Just then two sixtysomething women who looked like sisters walked in, said hello, dropped a couple of overnight bags on the floor, and went back out.
“They must be planning to be here for a while,” Phillip said.
“Probably so. I’m sure a lot of people stay for days just like Carmen is planning to do. I guess it just feels better to stay close when someone you love is fighting for their life.”
“There’s no doubt about it,” he said, and the moment between them became awkward again. Not in a bad way but in a bashful, nervous, and uncharted-territory sort of manner-uncharted because while they’d once been completely in love with each other and had taken marital vows before God, this whole seeing-each-other-for-the-first-time-after-the-divorce-and-still-experiencing-intense-chemistry thing was a bit overwhelming. Not to mention Alicia had a new husband. She was married to a man she loved and one who cherished her very being, so none of what she was feeling made any sense.
Alicia and Phillip sat watching CNN and made small talk, and Carmen soon returned.
“So, what did you get to eat?”
“I had a tuna croissant and some fries.”
“Good. Because it really was time you ate something.”
“Well,” Phillip said, standing up, “I guess I’d better get going. But before I do, would you like me to go say a prayer for your mom, Carmen? Because I would be more than happy to.”
“Yes. My mom needs all the prayer she can get, so if you don’t mind, I would really appreciate that.”
“I don’t mind at all,” he said, and the three of them headed toward the intensive care unit. They strode down the corridor, Carmen walking slightly in front and Alicia and Phillip walking side by side. They continued on their way, and it wasn’t long before Alicia felt a wonderful sense of comfort. But then she thought about JT and felt a tremendous sense of guilt.
Chapter 28
JT typed in his user ID and password and waited for his account details to pop onto the screen. He’d already browsed it late last evening, but he couldn’t help looking yet again. First he saw a transfer amount of one hundred thousand dollars and then a second for fifty thousand. It was all there, every single dollar, and now he really would be able to pay for the hundred-thousand-dollar media campaign and also give Barb the fifty thousand she was demanding. Everything was working out exactly the way he wanted it to, and he couldn’t have been happier.
Although he did wonder if this really would be the end of Blackmailing Barb, and sadly, he knew there was no way to guarantee it. He knew her word basically meant nothing and that all he could do was hope the money he was preparing to give her would more than suffice and that she would disappear. He couldn’t be sure one way or the other, but he would pray for that kind of outcome just the same.
JT scrolled through his account information, clicked on a few other general banking items, and then signed out. He was all set on the financial front, and that made him think about Veda and how it wouldn’t be long before he’d be able to search for and purchase that nice little getaway property he’d been thinking about. It would be his home away from home and the place where he could spend all his private time with Veda whenever she was able to fly in from Minneapolis, and also with any other women he might connect with from time to time. He wouldn’t go looking for another mistress, but he was slowly beginning to accept the fact that he needed to be with different women. He needed a variety of them to choose from, and there was no use trying to fight the inevitable. He wasn’t sure why, but this morning, he’d done a lot of soul searching and had come to the same conclusion over and over again: He loved or cared about all the women in his life, but none of them was enough. Not Alicia, not Diana, not Veda, and certainly not Carmen. So, in the end, he was who he was and there was simply no changing that.
JT pulled out his BlackBerry and dialed Veda’s cell number. It rang three times before she answered.
“How are you?” he said.
“I’m well. How are you?”
“Fine, now that I’m talking with you.”
“I saw that you called me, but on Monday, I was with my son and some of my relatives, and then yesterday I had meetings back-to-back.”
“I figured as much, but you know I missed hearing your voice, though, right?”
“I missed you as well.”
“Did you have a good holiday?”
“I did. It was actually better than I expected it to be. And yours?”
“It was okay. One of the people in attendance had a medical emergency, but before that, the day had turned out pretty nicely.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I hope it wasn’t too serious.”
“Unfortunately, it is, but we’re praying for her to get better. So, tell me,” he said, no longer wanting to focus on Carmen or her mother. “When will I get to see you again?”
“I don’t know. Hopefully soon, though.”
“What about this coming weekend?” he asked, seeing no reason to wait any longer than that.
“I wish I could, but remember, my son’s graduation is on Friday, and I’m throwing him a party on Saturday.”
“Oh, that’s right. You did mention that, but I totally forgot. Well, then, how about next weekend?” he asked, removing the phone from his ear. He’d heard the Call Waiting signal but now that he saw it was Carmen, he frowned and ignored it.
“I’ll check my schedule and will let you know as soon as I can. I think I’m pretty open, though.”
“Good. Because I really need to see you. I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and if we don’t get together soon, I’m afraid I’ll die from withdrawal symptoms.”
Veda laughed and so did JT, but then he said, “You think it’s funny, girl, but I’m serious.”
“Whatever you say,” she said, still chuckling.
“I really do miss you, Veda. I miss seeing you, holding you-I miss everything about you.”
“Well, the truth is, I miss you, too. I’m not sure why, but I do.”
“Meaning?”
“That I don’t even know you. And you don’t know me, so it’s not normal for two people to feel this way about each other so quickly.”
“Yeah, but stranger things than that happen all the time, and for the most part none of us has any control over who we fall for. It’s pretty much just the nature of the beast, so to speak.”
“I guess.”
The two of them paused for a few seconds and then JT said, “Well, I suppose I’ll let you get going, but definitely call me once you know if you’re able to come down.”