Page 21 of All Out of Love

“Every time I see Traviata,” his father said, “I think of you, Charlotte.”

“You think of Charlotte?” Petita asked. “How so, Sebastian? Traviata means fallen woman.”

They all laughed.

“But she’s a good woman,” his father replied. “That’s what I mean. Charlotte is a good woman and it’s high time Grayson recognizes that.”

“Here we go,” Grayson said.

“Yes, here we go,” his father said. “You had a good one in Dena.” Dena smiled. “But you didn’t want her.” Dena’s smile disappeared. “Now you have a good one in Charlotte.” Charlotte smiled. “But yet you behave as if you don’t want her either.”

Grayson glanced at Charlotte as her smile dissipated too. She knew there was no commitment in their future, just like Dena knew the deal when she agreed to sleep with him all those years ago. But yet they loved to sit there like wounded puppies whenever his father broached the subject.

“It’s unheard of, Grayson,” his father continued. “You’re a forty-four-year-old man.”

“I’m well aware of my age, Father.”

“A man of your years and your status in this community is supposed to be a family man. But you’re still single and, even worse, you’ve never been married ever. That’s downright disgraceful. You have no children. You have no grands for your mother and I. What on earth is your problem? Charlotte is beautiful. She’s caring. She’s resourceful. She’s perfection in motion, boy. What more do you want?”

Love. Not perfection, Grayson thought. He wanted somebody who loved him, flaws and all. And whom he loved, flaws and all. That wasn’t Dena. That certainly wasn’t Charlotte. But he kept her around so that his father didn’t bother to bring yet another pick around for him to ignore.

When Grayson’s lack of interest in the conversation was all over his face, his father shook his head in frustration, but he ultimately changed the subject. “Did you receive another one?”

Grayson looked his father dead in the eyes. Given what he knew about him, sometimes he wondered how he could stand to be in the same room with the man. “Not since the last one three months ago.”

His father nodded. “You received one then?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t mention it.”

“It was addressed to me.”

“Did you turn it over to my people?”

Why would he even ask him that? Of course he turned it over! What did he take him for? “Yes,” he responded.

“Good. Can’t ask no more than that.”

Grayson could see Dena and Charlotte both moving closer against him as if by acknowledging their presence he would tell them what he and his father were talking about so cryptically. But they were wasting their time. Charlotte knew he would never confide in her. But Dena still thought she had the inside track with him regardless of who he dated. But he never confided in her either.

Then his phone began ringing, which was rare in and of itself. The few who had his number knew not to disturb him unless it was vital. But when he saw that it was from a detention center, he was too curious to ignore it.

He answered, but he did not put the call on Speaker. “Hello?”

“You have a collect call from Jameesha Latoya Morgan, an inmate at a correctional facility.” Do you accept the call?”

A correctional facility? An inmate?

“Do you accept the call?”

There was a long pause on Grayson’s end of the line. Anybody else and he would have ended the call already. But he was still holding on. Because he was floored. She was incarcerated? “Yes,” he said anxiously.

The recording added additional this call will be recorded or monitored information, and then the call came through.

“Hello. This is Jameesha Morgan. I need to speak with Mr. Carrington please.”

There was no response. Grayson felt trapped.