Hidden Intentions 2 Read online

  “Hello,” I answered on the first ring.

  “Nya, I’m glad you’re up!” Steven, Tory’s older brother, exclaimed.

  “What’s wrong?” I was getting a horrible feeling deep down in my stomach.

  “There’s been a terrible accident. I’m right outside in your driveway. Come with me so we can go to the hospital.”

  “What happened to Tory?”

  “I’ll explain everything I know when you get in the car.”

  Thankfully, I still had my clothes on. Desperate to know how my future would be impacted, I almost fell, hurrying down the stairs, but somehow managed to get outside of my house in one piece.

  Chapter 7

  Dark clouds and a mist of heartfelt sorrow filled the air as hundreds of people gathered at Mount Grove Harvest Church. Now, standing at the gravesite alongside Evelyn and Anne, Tory’s mother and sister, I was wondering how we made it through the closed-casket service. Not one, but two portraits of him hung in the church. Numbness, and thinking this was a bad dream that I desperately wanted to wake up from best described how I felt.

  I couldn’t get out of my head the preacher chanting over and over again, “Instead of mourning, let’s celebrate his life.”

  I just wanted to ask God, “Why did he die? And why now?”

  It was complete silence in the car while driving to the gravesite.

  Looking down as the funeral workers lowered his bronze, gold-trimmed casket into the grave, I couldn’t celebrate. His life was cut too short. He’s gone, I thought, wiping my eyes with the eleventh tissue today.

  Tory’s father, George H. Sothers, had died of a massive heart attack, which happened while he was sitting in his favorite La-Z-Boy recliner. He’d tried to get up and dial 9-1-1, but Evelyn found him face down in the living room. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

  Mr. Sothers, a pack-a-day smoker for thirty-two years, had vowed to quit smoking four months earlier. The doctors thought his heavy cigarette smoking was a big contributing factor in his death.

  Formerly a mathematics professor at Norfolk State University, just a month ago he had received the Professor of the Year award. His colleagues, faculty members, students, and friends flooded the church and gravesite to give their condolences.

  Out of his two sons and daughter, Tory, who was at the store when he’d received the news and rushed over to the hospital, took the loss of their father the worst. Since his father’s passing, except for checking on his mother every morning, all he did was lay in bed or sleep all day. When I tried talking to him, he would tell me he wanted to be left alone. Because I was his wife and best friend, I didn’t take it personally. People grieve in different ways.

  Tory’s boss, Irvin, and his wife had also attended the funeral. Yvette, Leah, Tara, and their husbands all came to express their condolences to Tory and his family. Besides Tara, none of us had experienced the pain of losing a parent.

  The gracious ladies from the church handled the repast, which took place in the basement of the church. They prepared Mr. Sothers’ favorite dishes including roast beef with potatoes and carrots, fried chicken, and ham biscuits.

  “He’s with the Savior now,” Evelyn whispered in my ear as she leaned in to give me a hug.

  “Yes, ma’am, he is.” I didn’t know what to say to truly comfort her.

  “Hold on tight to Tory. He will need you. I’m worried about him. I don’t like the lost look in his eyes.”

  “I will be right by his side,” I declared, reassuring her. “I know we can get through this. Losing a parent is something I can’t even imagine. Leah and I are so close to my parents. That’s probably why Tory looks so lost and empty. To be honest, I wouldn’t know what to do either.”

  “Nya, that boy is lucky to have you.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Sothers. I’m going to go check on him.”

  I found Tory sitting alone in a corner, his head down. “Would you like for me to fix you a plate?” I asked, rubbing his shoulder. He hadn’t eaten in days.

  He shook his head. “No, I’m not hungry.”

  “Are you sure? The ladies made you and your daddy’s favorite, roast beef.”

  “I’m sure.” He nodded.

  “What about a drink of sweet tea?” I showed him my glass with a wedge of lemon.

  “No, I’m good.”

  “All right.” I gave him a small peck on the forehead.

  Three hours later, as people were starting to leave, Tory was still sitting in the same spot.

  Chapter 8

  Three weeks later, at the reading of the will, we learned that Mr. Sothers had left each of his children $125,000 from his insurance policy. Along with retirement benefits, their house being paid off, and numerous insurance policies, Tory’s mother was going to be well taken care of.

  Sitting at the attorney’s office, Tory looked like a zombie. He’d fallen into severe depression, refusing to carry on with any of his daily activities and hadn’t shaved and showered in days. Sleep was one of his few comforts. He was either trying to sleep his sorrows away, or trying to forget about the death of his father. Waking up was hard for him to do. He tossed and turned all morning, and when he finally got out of bed, it was to grab a bottle of Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin, or Bacardi rum.

  At night, he’d tell me countless stories about his father. My favorite was the Labor Day cookout. Tory was a seven-year-old prankster, Steven was twelve, and Anne was eleven. While Steven was riding his bike, Tory went inside to tell his parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles that Steven was hit by a car, and, of course, all the family members ran outside to see how Steven was.

  “Gotcha!” Tory chuckled.

  His father grabbed his behind and beat the hell out of him for pulling a stunt like that. In one moment, Tory and I would be laughing about these stories, and the next moment, his head would be in my lap crying.

  His mother was very worried about him. I tried to encourage her and reassure her that Tory would snap out of it, but honestly, who knew how long he was going to continue on that way? I was going to be patient for as long as it took, but I didn’t know what to do or what words to say to him to ease his pain and help him through it.

  Chapter 9

  Rome and I kept postponing the grand opening of the restaurant, Thai Temple, for as long as we could, thinking Tory would soon snap out of his depression. But, unlike Tory, the restaurant was Rome’s only source of income, so I understood when Rome said he couldn’t continue to wait on him. Not to mention, the rent on the property was due in a week, and I wasn’t about to pay another month’s rent on my own. I had to take money from Tory’s inheritance to pay the last two months. I didn’t want to keep dipping into the inheritance, so we needed to start generating money as soon as possible.

  Tonight was the grand opening. Meanwhile, Tory was getting worse. Today, he’d doubled his usual intake of rum, gin, and vodka, along with a case of Coronas. I came home from work to find a bunch of limes and empty bottles sprawled over the island in the kitchen. Tory was in his boxers in the living room watching home movies. The stench of alcohol was now a regular feature in my home. I decided not to fuss about the mess in the kitchen and apply my energy to getting him out of the house.

  “Let’s go to the restaurant and stay for a little while. Rome would love to see you there. He needs your support. This is both of your dreams come true,” I proposed, putting a dab of Carmex on my lips.

  Tory yawned. “I don’t feel like it. I’m going to sleep.”

  “What am I supposed to tell Rome?”

  “Good luck.” He shrugged his shoulders and headed toward the staircase.

  Although Tory chose to stay home and wallow in sorrow, I decided to come out and show my support.

  The grand opening of the restaurant was a huge success. The dining room was packed with customers, and we even had a waiting list. The money spent on promotions definitely paid off. I also helped to drum up buzz about the place by word of mouth—telling my coworker
s, the dry cleaning lady, patients, and anyone else who would listen.

  Wearing a sexy black pencil dress and red stiletto heels, I walked to the bar with style and confidence.

  “Nya!” a voice called out.

  I turned to see Rome walking toward me. “Hey, Rome,” I said, admiring his grey suit. “You look great. The ladies are going to be all over you tonight.”

  “Thanks. I already got a few offers. Where’s Tory?”

  “He couldn’t make it. He’s still having a hard time dealing with the loss of his father. I know it’s difficult for anyone to overcome the loss of a parent, but I’m hoping he’ll recover from his depression soon. When you can, please call him and give him some words of encouragement.”

  “Since the funeral, I’ve called and left several voice mails, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls. I know he’s going through a rough time. I remember, from high school, how close him and his dad were. I’ll continue to call and leave messages. Hopefully he’ll call me back one of these days.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it. This is a good turnout,” I said, looking around and changing the conversation.

  “Yes, it is, which is fantastic for business. In the meantime, I don’t mind playing host for the night, but my girlfriend Adriana is the jealous type and doesn’t like the extra attention I’m getting.” Rome cast his eyes in Adriana’s direction.

  “For your sake, don’t act up,” I teased, giggling.

  “Well, enjoy yourself, Nya. I don’t know if you’re expecting any company for dinner, but the food is on the house, of course.” Rome smiled at Adriana, who didn’t look too happy sitting in a corner by herself.

  “Thank you.” I gave him a hug.

  I knew Adriana wasn’t worried about me. From the day we met, she and I had made a pact to keep an eye on each other’s man if either one of us wasn’t around, since we knew both of them would be spending a lot of time here constantly greeting customers.

  As I headed to my reserved table, I noticed Yvette and Tara were already here.

  “Thanks for coming.” I hugged both of them.

  Since her mother-in-law had made a permanent indentation in her couch, Yvette was ecstatic about getting out of the house. Leah and Tara were always going out, so they were accustomed to these events.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Leah butted in. She sat down at the table. “I couldn’t find my MAC ‘fix a face.’ Besides, I couldn’t pass up free food.”

  “The place looks wonderful,” Yvette said.

  “I agree.” Tara raised her glass of Merlot.

  “Hey, Christie,” I said to our waiter when she came to our table. “This is my sister Leah and my two friends, Tara and Yvette.”

  “Nice to meet you,” they said in unison.

  I hadn’t planned on it, but Tory’s absence forced me to play an active role in the restaurant. Rome and I immediately liked Christie when she interviewed with us. She was young, charming, and energetic.

  I’d even suggested to Rome that he let me handle the accounting. How hard could it be? Take money in with cash and credit card, make the bank deposits, do payroll and pay invoices out. As long as I stayed on top of things, I wouldn’t have any problems.

  “Likewise.” Christie smiled. “Now what can I get you ladies to drink?” she asked eagerly.

  “Shirley Temple for me with three cherries please,” I told her.

  “I’ll have an apple martini,” Leah said.

  “I’m still working on the glass of red wine I picked up at the bar, so I’ll just have a glass of water,” Yvette explained.

  “Let me get your drinks, and I’ll be right back.”

  “Thank you,” I responded.

  Leah looked around our table. “Where are the menus?”

  “The cooks are preparing seven different meals for us to sample. I figured it would be fun to try different dishes.”

  “So what’s going on with Tory?” Tara asked.

  “Besides becoming a drunk, he’s fine,” I shot back, crossing my arms.

  “It’s only been three months,” Yvette said. “Give him some more time.”

  “I’m trying to, but it’s hard. Yes, I understand he’s dealing with the loss of his father, but I despise the way he’s dealing with it by drinking himself to death. It’s hard not to resent him since he knows I have a zero tolerance for anyone who abuses alcohol. It shouldn’t be used as a form of escaping your problems or refusing to face your fears. The rate the man is going, he could potentially be at risk for liver damage.”

  “Maybe he needs to see a psychiatrist.” Tara took another sip of her wine. “Y’all made me go, and I turned out just fine.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you. I already mentioned the idea to him.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “He said no. I’m getting frustrated, Leah, because I can’t have a conversation with him without an alcohol bottle in his hand. It’s almost as if he’s given up his will to live. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone, including his mother.”

  Yvette gently grabbed my hand. “You know we’re here for you.”

  “Tory is just going through a hard time right now,” Tara added. “He’s a good man.”

  Leah glanced at the table next to us. “He’ll snap out of it.”

  “Thank you.” I breathed a small sigh of relief, hoping things would get better for Tory and me.

  “What dishes did you order?” Leah asked.

  “It’s a surprise. So what’s been going on with everyone? I haven’t had much time to catch up with any of you lately.”

  “I hate my mother-in-law. She’s taking over my house. Jarvis is oblivious to all of it. If he even thinks I upset his precious mother, he gets mad with me. It’s as if I’m competing for my own husband’s attention.” Yvette sighed. She looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, revealing that bit of information. “But tonight is about the opening of the restaurant, so I don’t want to talk about her all night. On a lighter note, the women’s shelter is doing great.” She smiled. “I just got a few retail stores to donate new, sophisticated work clothes for the women who have interviews coming up.”

  “Nelson is getting frustrated with me because I won’t set a date for the wedding. To be honest, I still want to have my fun. Settling down with children and suburban life doesn’t interest me right now. Eventually, I’ll settle down but not anytime soon. Oh! And he wants me to pick up more hours at my job. I can barely stand working my regular hours, and he wants me to pick up more?” Leah ran her fingers through her hair. “Six months ago, he relieved me of my second job. It was just in time too. It was beginning to cut into my going-out time. Now he keeps telling me he’s tired of bailing me out financially, that I need to get my bills and money in order. Okay, so I spend a lot of money on clothes, shoes, and makeup. That’s what it takes to be the hottest thing when I walk into the club. I refuse to give up my throne to some girl looking like she got her clothes from last year’s clearance rack. I love having all the guys drool over me and how the women envy me.”

  “I don’t envy you.”

  “Nya, you’re my sister. You don’t count.”

  “I’m going to ignore that last comment. Nelson is right about the finances though. You need to get it together.”

  “As far as going out, that’s the way Nelson met you, so he needs to be patient,” Tara added.

  “I agree to a certain extent.” Yvette looked at me and nodded. “Leah, if you really want to get married, you have to be willing to settle down. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lose your identity in the process. Obviously you’re not ready for the married life and all the responsibility that comes with it. At least, you didn’t have a baby and discovered you weren’t ready—after the fact.”

  “Why can’t you try to save at least two hundred dollars a month? Take a baby step at least. Your goal should be five hundred dollars, for the amount of money you make.”

  Leah shrugged her shoulders. “Things add
up, and before I know it, my whole check is gone. I lay in bed at night wondering, ‘What the hell did I buy?’”

  I was starting to get annoyed with the conversation. “Are you going to save or not?”

  “I’m not going to commit to something when I’m not sure of what I’m going to do yet.”

  “It’s your choice to make, but when you’re broke, don’t complain about it.”

  “Have you noticed you’re getting bags under your eyes?”

  “Ha! Ha! Typical Leah! When you don’t get what you want, you just have to point at stuff about me.”

  “Whatever. I don’t complain about not having money to you, anyway, since you made it clear I can’t borrow money from you anymore. Besides, Mommy and Daddy still bail me out every time.”

  “Borrowing is when you give money back. You take money and never give it back.”

  “Stop talking,” Leah hissed. “You’re beginning to give me a tension headache.”

  “Well, that’s about enough of you two,” Tara cut in. “The dealership has slowed down a lot, as far as sales. I’m glad I made the decision to become a finance manager. This way, my salary is guaranteed. Rob and I are doing fine. To be honest, I miss going out as much as I used to, but on the other hand, I have a man who truly cherishes me and accepts me for who I am. Last year, when he caught me out there with that DJ guy—hmm, I can’t remember his name—my man forgave me and still married me. And, today, we are better than ever.”

  Tara knew how much Leah loved getting under my skin. My parents were pure enablers for Leah. Since I was the oldest, they didn’t dare do the same thing for me because they’d always expected more from me. Leah had always had it so easy.

  I smiled. “That’s love, all right.”

  “Ladies, here are your drinks,” Christie announced as she distributed the orders. “I am so sorry for the delay. Your entrees will be out in just a couple of minutes.”

  “Thank you,” I told her.

  That night, the four of us talked, ate, and laughed for hours. It was good to get out and spend time with my girls. Leaving those medical scrubs at home and getting dressed up made me feel great too. I needed to have some sort of outlet from Tory.