Love Won't Let Me Wait Read online

  “Damn, a motherfucker done scuffed my shit,” he huffed while buffing the front passenger side rim with his towel. “Ain’t that a bitch!” Raoul straightened up, turn to face me, and studied me momentarily. “You alright, dog?” He asked as we shook hands. “You look like you’re having a rough day.”

  “I have a lot on my mind right now but I’m okay.” Although Raoul and I were like brothers I had no desire to discuss my problems with him. Certain things you just didn’t share with Raoul. He had a nasty habit of regurgitating things told to him in confidence at the most inappropriate of times. Tactful he is not.

  “Well let’s go get an hour of stress relief in. Whatever is bothering you; take it out on the weights.” I attempted to put Raoul at ease with a faint smile.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  We were finishing up our workout when the conversation turned towards Shannon.

  “I saw your girl at The Exchange yesterday,” Raoul said.

  The Exchange is a coffeehouse located downtown. Another of Charlotte's hot spots for young professionals. You can find them hanging out in groups, café lattes in hand, stern faced as if in deep philosophical debate, but more likely discussing pop music, the latest blockbuster movie, or some dreadful reality television show. Mostly the same crowd that frequents the Blue Room. Of course for Raoul the Exchange was just another spot to pick up women.

  “Shannon?”

  “Yeah, she was with that chunky, red chick with the bad hair weave.”

  “That’s her homegirl, Mavis.”

  “Whatever her damn name is. They should call her ass bigger-than-a-bitch.” I burst out laughing. “Come to think of it your girl is looking kind of thick herself. What you been feeding her?” I had noticed that Shannon was putting on weight, but it looked good on her so I wasn’t about to complain. I climbed off of the elliptical and wiped my face with my towel.

  “You don’t need to worry about what’s going on with me and my girl, jitterbug. Stay out of grown folks business.” Raoul laughed at my comment.

  “Hey, dog, I’m not trying to be disrespectful or anything that was actually a compliment. Your girl is looking fine as hell.”

  “Yeah, I guess coming from you that could be considered a compliment. That’s about as close as you’ll ever come to saying something nice about someone.” Raoul chuckled slightly as we walked into the locker room.

  “But for real though. Why your fine ass woman be hanging out with that hefty ass transvestite looking chick? She don’t have no fine friends you can hook a nigga up with?”

  “Man, you know Shannon doesn’t really hang out with anyone down here in Charlotte. The only reason she hangs around Mavis is because they’re both from Baltimore.” Raoul shook his head. “Besides, you know how that works. There’s always one fine friend, and one that’s butt-ugly. Shannon has Mavis and I have you,” I said. Raoul gave me a whatever look.

  “Well, since you brought it up, you want to hang out tonight?”

  “Nah, I think I’m going to call it a day. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “Ahh come on, dog be out with a nigga!”

  “I can’t dog. I have a lot of shit to do.”

  “Alright,” Raoul replied obviously disappointed as he exited the locker room with his gym bag hanging from his shoulder. I grabbed my bag from the locker and followed towards the door.

  I was climbing into my truck when Raoul rolled the passenger side window of his car down and yelled at me.

  “Kalem!”

  I turned around and bent over, bringing my head to eye level with his car window. Raoul had a serious look on his face.

  “We’ve known each other…been like brothers since high school. You know if you need someone to talk to, you can call me.”

  “I know, I’m good.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.” He turned the key in the ignition.

  “Alright, bruh, I’m bout to go down to the Foxx and fuck with some bitches. Handle your business.” He shot me a peace sign as he roared out of the parking lot.

  That is Raoul in a nutshell. He is no doubt a serious asshole, but what his friends know that others don’t, is that behind the cocky, brash, and sometimes downright offensive exterior is the most loyal, dedicated friend you could ever find.

  As I was heading back towards my apartment I gave Shannon a buzz. She invited me over for dinner and I was more than happy to oblige. I just needed to stop by my apartment to grab a change of clothes for the next day. I planned to have a little dessert after dinner tonight.

  Back at my apartment I quickly undressed and jumped into the shower. The water was forceful and warm. It relieved some of the tension in my muscles. I sure could use a massage. I climbed out of the shower and lay across the foot of my bed.

  Lying there staring into the mirror above the bed, I began brainstorming some options on the Intellica deal. I needed to come up with something that would satisfy the Intellica people without costing Calango additional money.

  I had a lot on my mind. Between Intellica and Shannon, I’d say my plate was pretty much full. Add Toya into the mix and I was dealing with a maximal level of stress. Some good, and of course some bad.

  I stood up and walked over to the closet to get dressed. Twenty minutes later I was out the door on my way to Shannon’s.

  Shannon and I had finished eating dinner and were sitting in her living room watching television, when she began planting soft kisses on my chest. She slid her hands upward from my chest to my shoulders and began to massage them. Her kisses awakened my senses. I attempted to reposition myself from my slouched position on the sofa but Shannon held me into position with both hands. I love it when a woman takes control.

  She continued to kiss my body, slowly working her way down towards my navel. She licked my belly button and began to unbutton my slacks. She unzipped them and slid her hand through the opening. The touch of her hand on my pulsating enlarged member caused me to quiver.

  Shannon released me from my boxers and began to lightly stroke my manhood. I observed as she curled her tongue around the underside of my shaft exploring the length of it.

  Eyes closed, I lay my head back in ecstasy. My body danced in unison with the moist warmth of Shannon’s stimulation. I opened my eyes as Shannon now fully naked climbed on top of me.

  I throbbed with anticipation as she teased me by rubbing the tip of my penis on the moist lips of her vagina. I watched as each inch of me was consumed within her. I clasped her butt with both hands as she repeatedly rose and descended on me with the finesse and power of a ballet dancer. I was totally under her control, and loving it.

  Lying in Shannon’s bed, her body snuggled comfortably in mine, I whispered in her ear to see if she was awake.

  “Shannon, baby, are you up?”

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “I was wondering if something was wrong between us. Did I do something to upset you?” Shannon rolled out from under me and turned on her side facing me. Concern etched on her face.

  “Baby, what are you talking about? Why do you think something is wrong?”

  “You have been acting somewhat distant since you got back from Baltimore. I was wondering if I did something to push you away.” Shannon looked away from me. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

  “I have had some things on my mind lately, but they don’t have anything to do with you.”

  “You know that I’m here for you. Is it something I can help you with?” Shannon was silent as she pondered my last question.

  “No. I have to deal with this on my own.”

  “Well do you want to talk about it? I’m a good listener.” She rolled back onto her side and faintly smiled at me.

  “I know, baby, I’ll tell you all about it when the time is right.”

  “Okay. Whenever you get ready to talk about it, I’m here,” I said and kissed her on her forehead. She closed her eyes and nuzzled against me. I wondered about the source of her troubles as I drifted off t
o sleep.

  Chapter 5

  I have a meeting scheduled for this morning with Calango and the people from Intellica. Bob Reasons, the CEO of Intellica called on Friday afternoon to set it up. Calango and I hoped that he was finally agreeing to our terms, so we could finalize the buyout. We had been waiting in the conference room for over an hour when Debbie came in to inform us that Reasons had finally arrived.

  I had my head down reviewing proposed changes to our offer when Debbie escorted Reasons and his team into the room. I stood to walk over to the door and greet them. As I approached I scanned Reasons’ entourage.

  I recognized Fred Stevens, his operations manager amongst the group. As I continued sorting through the seven or eight people in Reasons’ entourage my eyes locked in on a female associate bringing up the rear.

  I could not believe my eyes, it was Mahogany, our waitress from the Ladyfoxx. What was she doing here? She looked deftly professional in a charcoal gray pantsuit. It was an intriguing contrast to her g-string outfit at the Foxx.

  I tried not to stare at her as I approached. Reasons was doing the introductions. First, Kyle Perkins his vice-president, and then five or so other people I can’t remember, before he finally got to Mahogany. When he introduced us I pretended not to recognize her. She did the same, which elevated my curiosity. Did she remember me?

  I shook her hand and was informed that the woman I knew as Mahogany, was also known as Michelle Timson, a graduate student at UNC-Charlotte, and an intern at Intellica. I could hear the whistle of thin air slowly escaping the confines of Josh’s theory on Mahogany and her waitressing activities at the Ladyfoxx.

  While sitting in the conference room negotiating with Reasons and his team I amused myself by contemplating Michelle’s somewhat dual existence. Here it was Josh and I assumed that she was some wannabe stripper, when actually she was a student, working on her MBA no less. Maybe she worked at the club to pay her tuition, or for the flexible schedule and top-notch pay. I pondered this for a moment before returning my thoughts to the business at hand.

  Although Reasons did not agree to our terms, I sensed that he was wavering on his demand for additional money. It probably had something to do with my informing him that we were prepared to scrap the deal and begin negotiations to buy out Technosync Information Systems, one of Intellica’s competitors.

  Between the monetary compensation, stock options, and other incentives included in our package, Reasons stood to make an incredible profit. He had enough savvy to realize it was being pissed away on the bad advice of his management team.

  Following the meeting I gave Calango my impression of the negotiations. I was pretty confident Reasons would accept with some slight adjustments to our proposal. Calango agreed and we briefly discussed some options before ending our meeting.

  Something about the meeting was beginning to trouble me. I couldn’t quite place it, but I had an uneasy feeling about Kyle Perkins or KP, as he introduced himself. The kind of awkward feeling you get when your girlfriend introduces you to her first love at her ten year class reunion. I got the feeling that Perkins and I had met before; and from the way I caught him eyeing me a couple of times during the meeting, I don’t think it was under pleasant circumstances. It couldn’t have been anything of significance. I’m sure I would have remembered him if it were.

  I was sitting at my desk, staring out of the window when Debbie buzzed in to inform me that I had a phone call from Shannon. I swung around in my chair and turned on the speakerphone.

  “Hi, baby, what’s up?”

  “What are you doing for lunch?” Shannon asked.

  “I don’t have anything planned, what do you have in mind?”

  “Do you want to meet me somewhere?”

  “Is something wrong?” I asked sensing a bit of anxiety in her voice.

  “No,” Shannon responded calmly. “I just wanted to have lunch with you, I miss you.” I smiled. It felt good hearing those words. Maybe Shannon was coming out of what seemed like an endless funk.

  “Where do you want to meet?”

  “My place.”

  “Are you sure all you have in mind is lunch?”

  “Yes, for now.”

  “What time do you want me there?”

  “Right now.” I dropped a hastily scribbled note with Shannon’s phone number on Debbie’s desk as I scrambled out the door. I couldn’t wait to see her.

  Back at Shannon’s apartment, I sat down to the best pot roast I had eaten in years. A thick, spicy broth packed with baby carrots, new potatoes, and cotton soft meat seasoned to perfection.

  After lunch Shannon and I sat out on her balcony complimenting a bottle of cabernet sauvignon with light conversation. It was very romantic. I remembered all the things about Shannon that I loved. She looked stunning. Her hair glowed in the afternoon sun, and danced with the subtle wind. Her voice was soft and comforting, she captivated me. This was the woman I’d fallen in love with.

  Several times during our conversation I got the feeling that Shannon had something she wanted to say to me. I was curious but I didn’t want to force the issue. Patience isn’t one of my strong suits but I managed restraint.

  I returned to the interior of her condominium to pour myself another glass of wine. I was standing over the dining room table pouring wine into my glass, when Shannon stuck her head through the sliding glass door that led to the balcony.

  “Baby, can you go in my purse and bring my wallet please?” I turned scanning the living room for Shannon’s purse.

  “Where is it?” I asked sipping on my wine.

  “It’s in the bedroom on the dresser.”

  I walked into the bedroom and over to the purse. I loosened the leather straps wrapped tightly around it and looked in. Her wallet was near the bottom. Reaching deep into the purse I pulled out the wallet, put the purse back on the dresser and turned to exit the room. As I started away from the dresser I noticed a folded pink piece of paper lying on the floor in front of me. I started to ignore it but it occurred to me that it might have fallen out of the purse when I dug for the wallet. I reached down and picked it up. I was about to drop it back into the purse when curiosity grabbed a hold of me and I decided to open it up and see what it was.

  As I unfolded the paper it became apparent that it was some sort of receipt. Headlined across the top in bold black lettering was the address to a doctor’s office in Baltimore. I examined the date. It was dated several weeks prior. I counted back and placed the date as the Monday before Shannon returned from her visit with her sister in Baltimore. Just then Shannon yelled out to me.

  “Baby, did you find it?”

  I stuck my head out of the bathroom door and yelled back. “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute, I have to use the bathroom.”

  I walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind me. I felt a tinge of guilt for snooping particularly after I realized that I hadn’t even checked to determine whose name was on the receipt. It could have belonged to anyone, Shannon’s sister, one of her friends, even her mother. I looked down at the receipt again, finding the patient name. A knot formed in my stomach as I read the name, Shannon Mahoney.

  I quickly searched over the receipt and found the section that identified the reason for the doctor’s visit. My heart began pounding at a frantic pace as I read the words, prenatal examination.

  I suddenly felt weak and had to lean on the counter for support. There were a million thoughts running through my head. Like the throng of participants surging forward at the onset of the New York Marathon. Pregnant, how, when did this happen. I sat on the side of the tub and again glanced down at the receipt. There was no mistake about it. It was there as plain as day, Shannon was pregnant.

  I now understood the change in Shannon since her return from Baltimore. I now knew what she’d wanted to talk to me about, what had been weighing so heavily on her mind these last couple of weeks.

  I wondered why she hadn’t told me. There’s no doubt the news would have come as
a shock but I think I could have handled it. I wouldn’t have had a choice. I was still in a state of stunned disbelief when Shannon knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Baby, are you okay? You’ve been in there for a while.” I stood up and folded the doctor’s receipt back as I found it. I flushed the toilet and turned on the sink faucet.

  “Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Hurry up; I’m getting lonely out here.”

  I heard her walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. I opened the bathroom door and walked over to the dresser, dropped the receipt into the purse, and pushed it towards the bottom. Then I collected myself and walked into the living room carrying her wallet in my hand.

  “What took you so long in there?”

  “I ahh, I was feeling a little sick to my stomach.” Shannon studied me for a brief moment.

  “Your face does look a little flush; I hope it wasn’t the roast I cooked for you?”

  “No, no, baby the food was great. I think I might be coming down with something. I’ve been feeling queasy since this morning.”

  “Well I hope it isn’t something serious. Why don’t you skip work this afternoon, stay over here tonight and let me take care of you?”

  “I would love to baby but I can’t. I’ve got to get back to the office. I have a lot of work to do on the Intellica deal, and it can’t wait.” Shannon examined me carefully, her eyes scanning me from head to toe.

  “Are you sure?” I grabbed my keys off of the bar.

  “Yes, baby I’m sure. Don’t worry I’ll be okay.” I kissed her on the cheek and hurried out of the door in a haze of confusion and fear.

  On the drive back to the office I struggled to maintain my composure. My emotions and cognition were swirling out of control. It’s not that I hadn’t considered the possibility of fatherhood; I expected and even looked forward to being a father someday. I did however expect it to be a planned part of a marriage. I’d promised myself a long time ago that I would not be a weekend dad. I swore my kids would live with their mother and me as a family.