A Love Like This (Book 1) (40 page)

“Why do you think that is,” Shauna asks suspiciously.
 
She’s always suspected that Samantha didn’t want to be around her because she wasn’t the standard size 2’.

“I’m not sure.
 
I guess I was so absorbed in my relationship with Tucker that I didn’t make much time for anyone else.
 
This makes me sad because not only have I lost him but I’ve alienated most of my friends.”

“So I guess it was lucky we ran into each other that day,” Shauna says.
 
Their chance meeting didn’t seem much like a coincidence.
 
 
Samantha was standing outside the studio where Shauna works.
 
She said that she was just passing by but the studio is
in
 
the Outer Mission area.
 
Shauna knows that girls l
ike Samantha never travel beyond
Union Square.

“Yeah but I only wish my reunion with Tucker had gone better,” She says.

“I’m not really sure what you expected.
 
He’s married now,” Shauna says exasperated.

“Oh well, at least I’ve got a new friend,” Samantha says smiling broadly.
 

Shauna mimics Samantha’s Barbie doll smile and says, “Yeah at least there’s that.”

Their order arrives and Samantha pushes half of her food to one side of the plate.
 
She cuts the remaining food which is mostly lettuce into small pieces then she takes tiny bites and chews thoroughly.
 
“So he really loves her,” Samantha asks looking down at her plate.

Shauna thinks for a moment.
 
She doesn’t want’ to hurt Samantha’s feeling but she knows how Tucker feels about Leila.
 
“I know this must be hard for you.
 
I thought there might be a chance for you guys.
 
That’s why I agreed to have you over the other night but Tucker really does love Leila.”

Samantha’s face and neck turn a deep crimson.
 
“How do you know,” She asks averting her eyes.

Shauna takes a deep breath and says, “After my mom kicked us all out that night Tucker and I went into the pool house to wait for her to cool off.
 
I was expecting him to get on the phone and call Mike or Riley to go out but he didn’t.”

Samantha looks up at Shauna.
 
Her face is still flush, “Maybe he’s just getting sick of partying.
 
We’re all getting older you know.”

“That’s what I thought but he got on the phone and made an appointment at Cartier.
 
He left for about an hour and came back with the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, I see,” Samantha says her voice croaking in her throat.
 

They eat in silence.
 
The waitress reappears at their table caring two more glasses of wine.
 
“We didn’t order a second glass,” Shauna says.

“These are from the two gentlemen at the bar,” the waitress replies.
 
They turn to see two older men smiling and raising their glasses.
 
Shauna smiles back raises her glass and mouths the words, “thanks.”

“I think they’re into you,” Samantha says.

“They’re old enough to be my dad,” Shauna says.
 
“Besides their probably both looking at you.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.
 
You’re a beautiful girl and I’m not the least bit interested in dating right now.”

“It’s been more than a year since you and Tucker broke up.”

Samantha pouts, “I just can’t get over him.”

“What happened between you two anyway,” Shauna asks.
 

She’s silent for a few seconds while she thinks of the best way to frame the story.
 
Samantha didn’t think it was possible to fall for two men at the same time.
 
 
But when she returned from college and saw Tucker and Mike so handsome and fighting for her attention she wanted them both.
 
Tucker was the first one to ask her out.
 
The two started dating and everything seemed fine on the surface but Samantha couldn’t get Mike out of her mind.
 
By the time Tucker proposed she had made so many bad decisions that she couldn’t accept the ring.

She sighs softly and puts on her most pitiful face before plunging into the story.
 
“It was because of the baby,” She says starting to tear up.
 
“I got pregnant but I wasn’t ready to be a mom.”

She tries to hide her shock.
 
“So you had an abortion?” Shauna asks picking at the remains of her tuna.
 

Samantha nods yes. “I knew how much he wanted kids and I didn’t have the heart to tell him what I’d done but when he proposed I had to because it was eating me alive.”
 
She shakes her head and dabs at her tears with a linen napkin.
 
“Letting him go was the worst mistake I’d ever made and now it’s too late for us.”

Shauna feels a mixture of guilt and pity.
 
They ran into each other a few days ago.
 
Shauna knew Tucker was seeing someone.
 
However, she didn’t know how serious it was.
 
Now she feels responsible for causing Samantha more pain.
 
“I’m so sorry,” Shauna says reaching across the table to touch Samantha’s hand.
 
“I wish there was something I could do to ease your pain.”

“There is one thing you can do,” Samantha says her tears suddenly clearing.
 
“You can help me get him back.”

*****

Amy is sitting at her kitchen table thumbing through photos taken by a private investigator.
 
There are several pictures of Tucker and Leila exchanging vowels at the little chapel in Las Vegas.
 
There’s one picture of the couple kissing in the hall way of the dorm.
 
Leila’s legs are wrapped around Tucker and he’s pressed against her.
 
The final photo just arrived today and it shows Tucker with his hand wrapped around a man’s throat.

“I’m sure the university will be especially interested in this one,” she says with a menacing smile.
 
Her cell phone chimes with a text message from Samantha.
 
The message says, “Shauna’s going to help rid us of that black bitch.

Chapter 20

 
 
 
 
 
I have officially entered the twilight zone
.
 
My father has hated everyone I’ve ever dated.
 
The last guy I brought home was Devon Green.
 
My daddy answered the door and Devon stepped in wearing his saggy pants and a red rag hanging from his back pocket.
 
I was going through a bad boy phase.
 
I don’t know what transpired in their thirty second conversation.
 
 
By the time I reached the front door Devon was sprinting down the street holding his baggy pants and screaming like a woman.
 
Eventually I
just
 
stopped bringing guys home because I knew my daddy would never approve of
 
any of them.
 
However, he
 
and my new husband are suddenly thick as thieves.
 
I guess nothing brings men together like a good boxing match.
 
I don’t even want to know what they did to Damian after I went in the house.

Right now I’m sitting at a table in the back yard with my grandma Bess, Mike and
 
Nickie.
 
My dad, Doug,
 
Pookie
 
and
 
Koolaid
 
are teaching Tucker how to play dominos.
 
They’re drinking beer, slapping dominos onto the table and laughing like old friends.
 
I’m happy that he’s fitting in but it all seems so strange.
 
I left home terrified about
 
the possibility of getting pregnant.
 
Now it seems inevitable.
 
My life is like a train speeding out of control and I keep waiting for someone to yank me off or at least show me how to navigate.

“Are you ok baby,” grandma Bess asks.
 
“You look like you have something on your mind.”

“I’m ok granny.
 
I’m just tired from the flight. I’m going to lie down for a few minutes.”
 
I stand up and kiss my grandma on the cheek.
 
I look over and shake my head at
 
Nickie
 
and Mike.
 
He’s throwing his best game at her and she’s not trying to hear any of it.
 
I whisper in his ear, “be
 
yourself.”
 
I look over at
 
Nickie
 
and mouth the words, “be nice.”
 
She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her c
hest.
 
I laugh and stroll clear of
a small army of nephews, nieces and cousins.
 
When I walk into the house Keisha and
Momma
are standing in the kitchen talking.

“Where are you going Lay,” Keisha asks when she sees me.
 

“T
o my room,” I say walking past
them.

“Do you feel ok,” My mom asks.
 

“Just tired,” I say as I walk.
 
I enter my room and close the door behind me.
 
It’s still my private sanctuary.
 
It feels cool
,
quiet and peaceful.
 
 
I can detect a hint of lavender in the air.
 
I must have left potpourri in some of the drawers.
 
I climb into bed and try not to think about school or family or having babies.
 
I try to forget everything and just relax.
 
I’m nearly asleep when I hear a light knock at the door.
 
My mom opens the door and steps in carrying a steaming mug of tea.
 
She sets the mug down on the night stand near my bed and I scoot over to make room for her.
 
She touches my forehead.
 

She smells like fried chicken and the Liz Claiborne lotion
 
she’s used for years.
 
I rest my head on her shoulder.
 
“
Momma
do you ever regret giving up your dreams to start a family?”
 
My mom rubs my hair and offers a sympathetic smile.

“No baby, not for one second.
 
Having you girls was my greatest accomplishment. You’re so much like me when I was your age.
 
I thought I had it all figured out until I met your father.”
 
My mom gets a dreamy look in her eyes and I know what’s coming next.
 
 
The story of how she and my daddy met.
 
It’s a story I’ve heard a thousand times before but it never gets old.

Dana was sixteen years old when she first met Xavier Peterson.
 
She was sitting behind the counter at Denny
’
s where she worked as a hostess.
 
 
She was self-conscience about her silky straight hair so she kept it cut short and pulled back with a head band.
 
 
She didn
’
t wear makeup and the freckles on her nose had turned golden brown in the July sun.
 
Dana looked up from her worn copy of
 
‘
Architecture
 
Today
’
 
when she heard the bell chime on the front door.
 
Xavier walked in wearing dusty
 
old
 
work clothes. The
first
 
thing Dana noticed was his smooth chocolate skin and deep set eyes that seemed to look right through her.
 
 
He didn
’
t smile or flirt with her the way most boys did when they saw her.
 
In fact there was no sign that he noticed her at all other than a nearly imperceptible knob of his head while he stood in front of the counter.
 
 
Dana took out a menu and put a little twist in her narrow hips as she led him to a booth.