Page 27 of Somebody Else Will

“When are you leaving Houston?”

“In the morning.”

“Oh. Okay. Well, I suppose we’ll have to get to know one another by phone.”

“Just for now. I should be able to come see you soon. I’ll let you know the exact date tomorrow.”

“Okay. I can’t wait.”

“Me either. So, what are you planning to do for the rest of the day?”

“I’m gonna go home and rest for a while. I won’t be eating lunch since I’m still full from breakfast. Later this evening, I’m going to my grandmother’s house. Her church friends are bringing food over. Most likely, I’m going to just stay the night there.”

“That sounds like a plan. Would I be able to stay with you when I come, or would I need to get a hotel room?”

“Are you serious?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t want to assume a thing.”

“I want you at my place. While it’s not as extravagant as you’re probably used to, it will accommodate you just fine.”

“Girl, please. Apparently, you don’t know where my parents live. They live in a one-level, three-bedroom house. They refuse to move. They love their house and said they had no plans of getting another one, whether I bought it or not.”

I chuckled. “Well, I have a three-bedroom home as well. One bedroom I use as an office, and the other room is a guestroom. The only people that ever slept in there were my mama, my grandma, Jamia, and Jerzey. I don’t really have friends like that. They were only here to help me with something pertaining to the flower shop. So, I don’t know what I even needed it for.”

“It’s always good to have just in case. Are you still at the shop?”

“No. I just turned in my driveway.”

“Okay, baby. Go on inside and get you a nap in. When you wake up, call me.”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, gorgeous.”

I ended the call, feeling somewhat light. It was a blessing to have Ezekiel. Talking to him kept my mind from dwelling on what tomorrow would bring. However, it was there now. Hopefully, I would still be able to take a nap and not be consumed with missing Patsy Boswell.

When I got to Beaumont,I went straight to Antioch Baptist Church. I got a late start, so instead of meeting her at her grandmother’s place and possibly missing her, I just came straight here. My agent had kept me on the phone forever. While I was irritated about that, I had to make sure that things were going like they should. She was getting my take on stage plays and Broadway. I told her I was all for whatever was going to make me money and help me to gain exposure. Not only those things but also show my versatility as an actor.

She was happy about that, because I’d pretty much given her free reign over the projects I did. I had to be sure that I made myself as open as possible. I was a celebrity already, but I wanted to be at Denzel Washington status. I would be able to pick and choose what I wanted to do.

I parked and got out of my car to see that they were exiting the family car. There weren’t a lot of people here, and I couldimagine that was because it was on a Monday. People would go to a funeral if it was on the weekend. They would only take off work for the death of someone extremely close to them.

As I made my way to them, I noticed Jamia. She winked at me as she walked next to Denishia. She was the one who had given me Denishia’s grandmother’s address. I’d gotten her number from her at the party, when Denishia had locked herself in the bathroom. She was so excited that I was coming to be ‘with her girl’ and offer comfort.

I could tell that Denishia’s employees were truly genuine friends. They cared so much about her, and I was grateful she had that, especially at a time like this. She needed them tremendously. I knew she had her moments where she felt weak, like she did with me. If I wasn’t available, it comforted me to know that they were.

I was still somewhat shocked that she’d given in to me the way she did. I definitely felt like her vulnerability played a huge role in that, but I was willing to take it for what it was and for what she said it was going to be…me and her.

To know I had this brilliant woman to be a part of my life gave me joy that I didn’t even understand. I was beyond happy that she was willing to give a relationship with me a shot, although she didn’t really know me. We’d skipped right over the ‘get to know you’ phase and gone straight for the gusto. I supposed I would have to combine the phases into one… get to know you, dating, and fucking.

When they got to the door, Denishia and her grandmother just stood there. I could imagine that they didn’t want this moment to be real. Going inside would make it real. My heart went out to them, because I couldn’t imagine having to go on without my mama, especially with as close as I perceived them to be.

She seemed to be perfectly fine the day I met her. It was so hard to believe that she’d died the same day. However, none of us knew our appointed time, so it was important to live each day like it was our last. Finally, the funeral director opened the door, and I watched everyone walk through it. I went to the other entrance, because it seemed that was where the family procession would be.

When I entered, Denishia’s eyes landed on mine, and hers widened slightly. I gave her a sympathetic smile, and she beckoned me over to them. I glanced around and saw the wide eyes and heard the hushed voices. I assumed people were starting to recognize me. Once I got to her, she smiled slightly. I pulled her into my arms and said, “Hey, baby.”

She pulled away and said, “Thank you so much for being here. I thought you had to go out of town.”

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