Jefferson drove blindly out of the subdivision and into heavy traffic. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he knew it had to be far away from Margo. Anger controlled his brain and his foot as he realized that he was going twenty miles over the speed limit. He could not afford a ticket or any run-in with the law, so he eased off the gas and pounded the steering wheel.
Passing an Arby’s restaurant made Jefferson realize he was hungry. He moved over to the right lane, turned at the next intersection and doubled back through the parking lot until he was at the drive-through window. At window number one, he paid for his food and advanced to window number two.
Three feet away, the door to the entrance of the building flew open…and déjà vu. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Linda Montgomery passed in front of him. She was engaged in an animated conversation with another woman. Still slender, she wore white cord jeans and a red polka dot knit shirt that came to the top of her jeans. Her hair was full and curly like she had gotten a perm. She and the other woman walked to a black Mercedes Coupe, got in and left.
It brought back memories of the night Linda was riding in his Mercedes on Fuller Street-the night her husband had followed them, the night that changed his life forever. Blake Montgomery’s death flashed before him, flooding him with memories of infidelity and why he was now sitting in the drive-through window at Arby’s instead of at home with Margo.
He had a sudden impulse to follow Linda…to find out where she lived, or perhaps find out what path her life had taken. But as immediate as the thought was, he dismissed it quickly because his heart belonged to the one woman he truly loved, Margo. There were obstacles there, and he needed to deal with them-and he would.
“Would you like ketchup with your order?” the server asked, handing Jefferson his bag.
“No thanks. Have a good day.” Jefferson drove off and headed into town.
Seeing Linda again made Jefferson conscious of the need to insure that his family remained a unit. Mistakes were made, and he had made plenty of them, but now that he was home and trying to put his life together, no one was going to disrupt it-even if they were brothers.
Jefferson made a series of right and left turns and drove down a long street, passing in front of SuperComp Technical Solutions. He circled the block and found a park down the street from Malik’s business. Mindless of the slight incline, Jefferson maneuvered the walker until he was in front of the building. This was a mission he was not about to abort.
There was little activity when Jefferson entered the building. A customer lingered, leisurely browsing at the selected display of computers and peripherals. A sign hung from the ceiling that called attention to the latest technology in operating systems, VISTA.
The customer looked up as Jefferson ambled forward and then went back to browsing. Forging ahead, Jefferson stopped when he saw the backside of Malik, who was gathering brochures. This was his best friend, the person he trusted. Never in a million years would he have thought that Malik would make a move on Margo-that he’d have the audacity to do so. Not Malik the advisor, the scolder, the one who tried to make him see reason when he was stepping out on Margo.
All thoughts aside, Jefferson approached Malik, who turned around with surprise written on his face. There was a kind of fear in Malik’s eyes as he looked at him and, without asking a question, Jefferson knew that the fear was riddled with guilt.
“We need to talk,” Jefferson said. He looked straight at Malik without batting a lash.
“Jefferson, it’s good to see you. I’m with a customer right now…maybe we can talk later.”
“I’ll wait until you’re finished. I’m sure I need to upgrade my system.”
Malik nodded and continued to pull brochures while watching Jefferson at the same time. Jefferson shuffled around the store, pretending to be interested in other things. Ten minutes passed, then fifteen, and it appeared Malik was in no hurry to scoot his client along. Tired of standing, Jefferson found an empty chair near the back of the store and plopped into it.
SuperComp had become a thriving business. When Myles and Associates was still in business, Malik had set Jefferson up with some of the best accounting and bookkeeping software that money could buy. Bored with sitting, Jefferson stood up and walked over to Malik’s work area. Jefferson could feel Malik’s eyes on his back. It felt like daggers trying to tear through the arteries in his heart because Jefferson’s heart was hurting. Wild ideas passed through his mind. Where were Malik and Margo when they kissed? Were they standing next to his desk or at the front of the store as she said goodbye?
Nervous hands began to sift through papers and files on Malik’s desk. Jefferson had crossed the line, but he wanted answers-any kind of answers that would give him an excuse to put Malik out of his misery. Fingers lifted the edge of a greeting card that sat under some papers. A picture of a beautiful bouquet of roses adorned the front, and when Jefferson opened the card, only the author’s words stared back…the card was unsigned.
Before Jefferson had a chance to read the card, a heavy hand sat on top of his and closed it.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Malik asked, removing Jefferson’s hand from his desk.
“Sounds like you’ve got something to hide, bro,” Jefferson responded while staring straight at Malik without flinching.
“I’ll talk with you in a second-as soon as I’m finished with this customer.”
Jefferson rose and looked back at the card that sat on the desk. Instinct told him to grab it and keep walking, but that would defeat the purpose of his coming in the first place. Instead, he walked among the rows of ink cartridges, jump drives, wireless adaptors and cables that lined shelves or hung from them. He looked up when he heard the bell ring at the front door and Malik walking toward him. Jefferson leaned on his walker, bracing for the confrontation that was about to happen.
“So, what is it you want?” Malik asked. “Apparently, you aren’t here to purchase a computer since you were snooping in my things.”
“Malik, you and I go way back. We’ve been friends for a long time. I counted you among the top five of my most devoted and loyal friends. However, I’ve noticed a difference in you since I’ve been home. I don’t know what it is…a kind of disconnect when it comes to me, and I don’t know where it’s coming from. No, I don’t know where this attitude of yours originated, but my intuition tells me it has something to do with my wife.
“I want you to know, Malik, that I didn’t sit in that prison day in and day out without feeling remorse for the things I did to Margo. She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved and will ever love, and I prayed to God that when I got out, I would right my wrongs…that I would do everything in my power to see that my family recovers from this awful event in our lives that I created.”
“What makes you think that Margo wants the same thing?”
“Oh. Is that what she told you when you had your arms wrapped around her, kissing her and telling her you could do things for her that I couldn’t do? Huh, you sorry ass hypocrite?”
“Don’t come in here accusing me of things because you’re a no-good son of a bitch.”
“Margo told me herself, this very afternoon that you kissed her and she kissed you back. I’ve come to serve you notice, lover boy. Stay away from my wife. You got it? MY wife! Margo is my wife, and don’t you ever forget it. I have no intention of going back to prison, but put your hands on my wife again…”
“Is that a threat, Jefferson?”
“Call it what you want, Malik, but you’ve heard what I said.” Jefferson gritted his teeth and went eyeball to eyeball with Malik. “Don’t you ever forget what I said.”
Jefferson pushed past Malik and walked out the door. Malik grabbed one of the hangers that held the ink cartridges to the board, yanked it, and knocked cartridges to the floor.
“You don’t deserve Margo!” Malik shouted at the closed door. “And I’m not scared of you, Jefferson. I will have Margo.” But there was no one in the room to hear those words.