just going to pack all your shit up while I’m gone and take Iliana! What a childish ass move, Janet!”
“Can you meet for dinner tonight?” she asked.
“Dinner? What the hell? Where are you?” I questioned.
“We’ve moved in with my mother for the time being until I can get things worked out,” she said.
“So you go behind my back, spend a hundred thousand dollars without telling me, and then move out?” I asked.
“Kahlil, you called me a bitch! Who talks to their woman that way?” demanded Janet.
“Oh, I see. You’re the victim! How did you think I’d respond when I found out you robbed my account?” I asked sarcastically.
“I didn’t deserve to be called that, and I didn’t rob you!” she screamed.
“I’ll admit it was wrong calling you out of your name, so I apologize for disrespecting you.”
“We’re not going to resolve this on the phone, so are you going to meet me or not?” Janet demanded.
“Name the place and I’m there,” I said.
“Let’s meet at Scooter’s Steakhouse in two hours,” she said.
“I’ll be there.”
*****
Walking into the restaurant, there was no sight of Janet. “I believe there are reservations for two under Thompson,” I said to the hostess.
“I’m sorry, sir. I have no reservations under that name,” the woman said after looking over the reservation list twice.
Standing there puzzled, She did say Scooter’s, right? I said to myself. “Try looking under the name Smooth,” I said.
The hostess looked at her list once more. “Yes, here you are. We have you in our VIP reserved room on the second floor. Right this way, sir. Mrs. Smooth has already arrived,” she said as we walked toward the back of the restaurant. I didn’t bother to correct the woman on the Mrs. statement and just rolled my eyes playing along with it. An elevator took us up to the VIP rooms. Janet was sitting in the room which was dressed in romantic dim lights as jazz played in the background. She was wearing a long, sexy, black Chanel dress that had a long split running up the left side of it and clung to her body nicely displaying her phenomenal figure. And of course, she was rocking the matching black, three-inch Chanel heels. Her heavily displayed cleavage was in full view in addition to the erotic glimpse of her toned left thigh that peered through the split, as she sat at the table skimming through the menu. I could not take my eyes off her.
Looking up, she smiled as she rose and sauntered over to greet me. We hugged and kissed before I escorted her back to her chair, pulling it out for her to sit back down.
“You look handsome,” Janet said with a sexy grin.
“You’re a knockout yourself; but let’s cut the games here, Janet, and get down to it because this is not date night. I didn’t anticipate coming back to a cleaned-out house with two of the most important people in my life gone,” I responded. Janet immediately dropped her head and took a deep breath. “What is it, Janet? What did I do so wrong that led you to move out and take Iliana away from me?” I asked.
Janet reached across the table, picked up my hand, and kissed it softly. “Kahlil, I want you to know that I love you more than words could ever describe. You’ve loved me unconditionally and embraced Iliana with open arms since day one of this relationship. There is no doubt that you love her as if she were your own. You’ve taken care of me physically, mentally, and emotionally making me extremely happy.” Janet suddenly pulled her hand away from mine when the tears began rolling down her face. “Despite all of the happiness I have with you, there is a piece of my old life that has come back changing my outlook on a few things. Kahlil, I need you to understand that David and I ended our relationship prematurely. I didn’t get closure,” she said.
“You didn’t get closure?” I blurted out.
“Kahlil, please, just hear me out on this. Looking back on it all, David had the right to express himself about the situation, but he couldn’t. The two of us should’ve talked things through while he was in prison, but I chose to walk away and was pregnant on top of that. I let my emotions cloud my judgment. Having dinner with David and you being gone gave me time to reflect on a few things. I can’t hide the fact that I’m still in love with him. I want Iliana to know whom her biological father is and have a bond with him. It’s his responsibility to raise his daughter, not yours.” She leaned forward placing her hands on top of mine once more. “Kahlil, I truly love you.”
Breaking my hands free from Janet, I leaned back in my chair devastated. “Don’t say that shit to me! You brought me out here to this romantic restaurant just to break my heart?” I asked.
“Kahlil, those were not my intentions! I wanted to be up front and totally honest with you. How can you hold that against me? I needed to be true to myself. You have the right to know how I feel, and there was no easy way to bring this to you. We should always be open with one another, right? When I saw David, a lot of feelings came back, and I realized that I was not completely over him like I thought,” Janet explained.
“Tell me this. Was it too soon when you came into my life, climbed into my bed, moved into my house, and allowed me to be involved in your daughter’s life?” I asked with rage and pain. Janet had no response. “I know what it is; after all this time, I’m the damn rebound guy. You were young, with a newborn, and never worked; so instinct kicked in, and you latched onto me when I showed interest. The dates I took you on and the money I threw around, you simply used me!” Janet appeared to be ready to give a rebuttal, but I put my hand up quickly. “Stop right there. It’s my turn to talk now!” I demanded.
Janet leaned back in her chair folding her arms in anger. “I’m listening,” she snapped.
I thought back on when we first met at the park where I was running. Janet was there walking with Iliana who was just a young girl at the time. She had on some short runner shorts and a sports bra, and I admired her physical beauty. She had this look of determination on her face as she walked, listening to her music and pushing her daughter down the sidewalk in a stroller that I found so attractive. She shot me down time after time before finally giving in and agreeing to a date.
Reality quickly set back in as I focused on the present and the fact that my girlfriend of all these years was breaking up with me. Leaning forward once more, I placed my hands on top of hers.
“When I met you, I felt that I had found the missing piece of my life. We clicked instantly once you got over the fact that I was five years younger than you.” Putting my head down for a moment to hold back my devastation, I prepared for what I knew was about to happen. I pulled my hands away from Janet’s for a moment and sat back in my chair. Placing my hand in my inner suit jacket pocket, I pulled out a small black velvet box and sat it on the table.
“What is this?” Janet asked.
“Open it. Obviously, I held on to it for too long,” I replied sarcastically.
Janet opened the box and sat staring at a seven-karat engagement ring, glistening bright as the lights of the room hit each angle. “Kahlil!” she whispered in a soft voice. The flood gates really opened as Janet cried uncontrollably with heavy breaths.
“I was eighteen when we first met. Marriage was nowhere on my horizon because I was young and not established enough to securely take care of you and Iliana like I wanted to. It’s now apparent that my apprehension has served its purpose in a different way. I had to be sure I was ready for the next step. My plan was to propose by the end of the year.” Reaching across the table, I closed the box returning it to my inside pocket. “You were my first true love, Janet. The love I have for your daughter is indescribable. Good luck with David,” I said as I stood from the table. Janet quickly grabbed my hand pulling me back down to my chair.
“Kahlil, you’re done just like that?”