Terrell, he tol’ me he was goin’ away, sure, but he’d be back for me and our gran, and we’d have a big house and a whole big garage full of fancy cars and… and a swimmin’ pool in the backyard. Damn, I didn’t even know what a backyard was, you know? He’d laugh, Terrell would, and he’d grab me around the neck and rub his knuckles on top of my head, and he’d tell me we was gettin’
out.”
He looked at Jade, blinked. “We was gettin’ out, like that Ernesto kid. All I had to do was behave myself, go to school and wait, you know? That’s all I had to do.”
“Jermayne, I’m so sorry,” Jade said, but she was talking to the air that rushed in to fill the spot Jermayne had just vacated, throwing his chamois rag on the ground as he took off across the parking lot, headed away from the car wash. “Oh, Court,now look what I’ve done. They’ll fire him for leaving his job. I keep trying to make things better for him, and I’ve only made things worse.”
Court put his arm around her. He gave her a comforting hug that didn’t quite make the grade, and she was sure he knew it. “I’ll go speak to the manager, explain that Jermayne had a family emergency. I’ll talk him around, don’t worry about it.”
“And if you can’t, as you said, talk the guy around? Then what, Court? You going to buy the place so Jermayne can keep his job?”
“It’s a thought. I don’t think we own any car washes.”
“You don’t think you do? You don’t
know?”
THE PENTHOUSE
“I DIDN’T KNOW I was talking to your father when I called,” Court said when Jade entered the large living and dining area of the penthouse. There was even a baby grand piano in the suite, and it looked small in the expanse. A very intimidating room for a girl who lived in a small brick house on a Philadelphia side street.
“Uh-huh,” Jade said, still looking around the large room.
After a hot shower, she was wrapped in a soft white terry robe with the Becket Hotels logo stitched on the breast pocket in navy blue and gold thread. Her hair was still damp and she wasn’t wearing a bit of makeup. Her skin was flawless, her bone structure delicate, yet only a fool would think she was fragile.
“But now I’ve had some time to think about those phone calls, and I’m wondering why he wouldn’t have passed any of my messages on to you.”
Jade padded over to the couch, strewn with bags and boxes bearing the name of the hotel’s boutique. “He gets forgetful sometimes. What are all these bags? I need something to wear, not an entire new wardrobe.”
“I just had them send up a variety, so you’d have something to choose from, that’s all. Clothes, some makeup if you want it—because you don’t need it—and some shoes. A pair of boots, too, I think. The manager threw in a few size twos with the size fours. She said designer clothing tends to run a little larger.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Jade said, opening one of the boxes. “I wonder how she knew I didn’t know, though. Unless the hotel grapevine works at warp speed, and they saw us coming up here.”
“Does it matter?” Court asked as he sat back on the comfortable chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. “I called my pilot and told him I’d meet him at five. So, where do you want to go for lunch?”
“You’re hungry again already?” Jade picked up bright fuchsia silk slacks and a white sweater top embroidered all over with small fuchsia flamingos. “I’ll say this much—you wouldn’t lose me in a crowd.”
“I don’t plan on losing you, period, and you’dlook good in a paper sack. But I will say I’m not crazy about the flamingos,” Court admitted, grinning. “Try another box.”
“Gladly,” Jade said, replacing the flamingos and putting the lid firmly back on the box. “I’m guessing that outfit would be considered cruise wear or for vacationing in Florida.” She opened another box. “Oh, these are lovely. Look, Court—real
out.”
He looked at Jade, blinked. “We was gettin’ out, like that Ernesto kid. All I had to do was behave myself, go to school and wait, you know? That’s all I had to do.”
“Jermayne, I’m so sorry,” Jade said, but she was talking to the air that rushed in to fill the spot Jermayne had just vacated, throwing his chamois rag on the ground as he took off across the parking lot, headed away from the car wash. “Oh, Court,now look what I’ve done. They’ll fire him for leaving his job. I keep trying to make things better for him, and I’ve only made things worse.”
Court put his arm around her. He gave her a comforting hug that didn’t quite make the grade, and she was sure he knew it. “I’ll go speak to the manager, explain that Jermayne had a family emergency. I’ll talk him around, don’t worry about it.”
“And if you can’t, as you said, talk the guy around? Then what, Court? You going to buy the place so Jermayne can keep his job?”
“It’s a thought. I don’t think we own any car washes.”
“You don’t think you do? You don’t
know?”
THE PENTHOUSE
“I DIDN’T KNOW I was talking to your father when I called,” Court said when Jade entered the large living and dining area of the penthouse. There was even a baby grand piano in the suite, and it looked small in the expanse. A very intimidating room for a girl who lived in a small brick house on a Philadelphia side street.
“Uh-huh,” Jade said, still looking around the large room.
After a hot shower, she was wrapped in a soft white terry robe with the Becket Hotels logo stitched on the breast pocket in navy blue and gold thread. Her hair was still damp and she wasn’t wearing a bit of makeup. Her skin was flawless, her bone structure delicate, yet only a fool would think she was fragile.
“But now I’ve had some time to think about those phone calls, and I’m wondering why he wouldn’t have passed any of my messages on to you.”
Jade padded over to the couch, strewn with bags and boxes bearing the name of the hotel’s boutique. “He gets forgetful sometimes. What are all these bags? I need something to wear, not an entire new wardrobe.”
“I just had them send up a variety, so you’d have something to choose from, that’s all. Clothes, some makeup if you want it—because you don’t need it—and some shoes. A pair of boots, too, I think. The manager threw in a few size twos with the size fours. She said designer clothing tends to run a little larger.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Jade said, opening one of the boxes. “I wonder how she knew I didn’t know, though. Unless the hotel grapevine works at warp speed, and they saw us coming up here.”
“Does it matter?” Court asked as he sat back on the comfortable chair and crossed an ankle over his knee. “I called my pilot and told him I’d meet him at five. So, where do you want to go for lunch?”
“You’re hungry again already?” Jade picked up bright fuchsia silk slacks and a white sweater top embroidered all over with small fuchsia flamingos. “I’ll say this much—you wouldn’t lose me in a crowd.”
“I don’t plan on losing you, period, and you’dlook good in a paper sack. But I will say I’m not crazy about the flamingos,” Court admitted, grinning. “Try another box.”
“Gladly,” Jade said, replacing the flamingos and putting the lid firmly back on the box. “I’m guessing that outfit would be considered cruise wear or for vacationing in Florida.” She opened another box. “Oh, these are lovely. Look, Court—real
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