Page 12 of Somebody Else Will

“Denishia, I saw a woman waiting for him when I escorted him out of here earlier. I can tell the police what I saw,” Ezekiel said.

“I can too,” my mama added.

I slowly shook my head and walked away from them, going to the restroom. I locked myself in there, wondering why it felt like my life was spiraling downward right before my eyes… and so damn suddenly. This was crazy. I lowered my face to my hands and cried. This couldn’t be my life. I should have ended things with him a long time ago.

There was a knock on the door, but I remained quiet. “Denishia, it’s me,” Jamia said. “Do you think he’s at your house making more problems?”

I immediately got a headache and called for the police again, asking if they could meet me at my house. If he could steal my car, then he was probably stealing a lot of other shit. He was spoiled, and that shit was partially my fault. He was throwing a fucking temper tantrum because he couldn’t get his way. Well, now he would be throwing a fit in a jail cell, because there was no way in hell I would let him get away with this.

I couldn’t believethat nigga stole her car. Apparently, her mama didn’t think it strange for Denishia to allow him to drive her car with as calmly as she asked the question. I believed she knew just how much foolishness Denishia had been putting up with and how she was probably allowing him to do whatever he wanted to do… like she was weak when it came to him. However, he knew Denishia wouldn’t have gone for that today, not after the blowup I walked in on.

He was gonna have to be taught a hard lesson. Men like him really pissed me off. They made it harder for men like me. Here I was, wanting to be with this woman, and all she could think about was heartbreak. I knew that was where her mind was, so I couldn’t blame her for turning me down. She didn’t know me. She was going to be afraid to give anybody a chance after dealing with him. I would be the same way had the shoe been onthe other foot. Guarding her heart was her utmost concern right now, and I had to respect it.

I chose not to stay in Beaumont long. Denishia had a lot of shit to handle, and I didn’t want to get in the way or make things harder for her. The entire time we waited for the cops, I stared at her, learning her mannerisms and the things that seemed to make her tick. Her business was at the top of her list of priorities. She had Jamia stay at the office for the last couple of hours to make sure the storefront was open and available to anyone wanting to place an order or pick up a small premade bouquet, even after she’d originally said they would close for the rest of the day.

When I told her I was going to head back to Houston, she looked somewhat sad about it, which caught me off guard. She was feeling emotional and was extremely distracted. I didn’t want to be selfish at that moment. She had a lot she was dealing with emotionally and mentally. I knew she would need time to work through all that. Not to mention, she still had a business to run.

I was about thirty minutes from my parents’ home when my phone rang. When I saw Denishia’s name flash across the screen, my eyebrows lifted in shock. “Hello?” I said after answering through the Bluetooth.

“Hi, Ezekiel. I wanted to say thank you for being there for me today. I’m so sorry I couldn’t spend time talking to you and telling you how much I really appreciated the beautiful flowers and lunch. I hate that you had to see me lose control.”

I smiled like she could see me doing so. I wished I could have spent more time with her also, so I was glad she felt the same way. “You don’t have to apologize to me for anything. Just make it up to me. I’ll let you decide how you’re going to do that. I leave town Monday morning, two days after the party.”

She was quiet for a moment. She never did agree to even take things one day at a time, so I wasn’t sure where she stood. However, I had to assume she wanted nothing to do with me… romantically, at least.

“Okay. Well, thank you again. I’ll see you next weekend.”

“You’re welcome.”

She ended the call, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she would do to show me how much she appreciated my presence today. She could just get a greeting card and offer me a free bouquet or some shit like that. I would be disappointed like hell. I chuckled to myself at the thought of that possibility.

She didn’t deserve the things that fool was putting her through. From what I knew about her, she was a kind soul, extremely talented, and business minded. I could also see that she wasn’t a pushover. If there ever came a time that she was, it was her decision to be one. What I saw today was a savage side of her that I hoped I never had to see again. She looked like she was two seconds from throat punching that nigga.

Once I got to my parents’ house, my dad was outside doing something in the garage. The man was always doing something, whether it was to beautify or maintain their home or anything to just keep him busy. I believed he truly hated sitting still in the house. He could sit still outside in his garage, watching TV, but being in the house for long periods of time made his skin crawl. Those were his exact words when he had gotten sick last winter and had to stay inside.

The weather was starting to change now, and it was threatening to be cold next week. Valentine’s Day was coming up as well, and I was hoping Denishia would have at least agreed to take things one day at a time by then. By the holiday, she could possibly be a little more comfortable talking to me. I supposed it didn’t matter though. I would send her a bouquet anyway. I just hoped I could see her before the party.

Before I could greet my father, my cell phone rang. When I saw my agent’s number, I quickly answered, wondering what she had for me. “Hello?”

“Good evening, Ezekiel! I know you are home, preparing for your mother’s celebration, but do you think you could make a quick trip to New York? They want to move the auditions up. They’re looking at having them Tuesday afternoon. You would be able to be back before next weekend.”

“Ugh! Let me check the weather, Suzette.”

The last thing I wanted was the possibility of a grounded or delayed flight. I couldn’t miss my mama’s celebration, especially being that I was the one giving it. Nor did I want to miss another moment being in Denishia’s presence. The crazy part was that I was willing to turn down an audition for that reason alone. She wasn’t even mine… yet. I wanted that woman so bad. I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall back as I had convinced myself I would.

“Suzette, the weather app is showing snow on Wednesday through Friday. I cannot miss this party. I can’t take a chance of being stranded in New York when I need to be in Houston. I am going to have to pass. I hate they changed the schedule.”

“Me too. You would have really been great for this role. In the meantime, I will keep searching for other possible projects that fit your interests. Talk to you soon.”

“Okay.”

I ended the call and whispered, “Fuck!”

I didn’t like anything coming between me and my money, but I refused to choose money over my mama. Another opportunity would present itself, and there would be nothing to keep me from it. I had faith in that. As I made my way to my dad, I noticed he was staring right at me. When I got closer, he asked, “Son, you good?”

I exhaled hard. “I guess. I turned down an audition because they moved it up to Tuesday. I was originally supposed toaudition in two weeks. I don’t want to risk being stuck in New York and miss Mama’s party.”

“Your mama would understand if it’s something you need to do, son, but I applaud you for putting her first in this moment. I know how much she means to you, but this… this shows that you haven’t lost sight of what’s important.”

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