Blackgentlemen.com Page 8

  The familiar, “You’ve got mail” greeted her. Since Jeanette was the only person other than her boss who emailed her, she wondered what she wanted. The first email at the top of the page was from Jeanette, asking her the same question that she’d ended their conversation with the night before. “Are you going to email him?” Clarissa smiled to herself as she clicked open the message. Jeanette had to be admired for her persistence.

  “Hey, Girl, it’s me. Like you don’t know that already. I just wanted to know if you’d gotten around to emailing Julian? I know you haven’t, but I really thought you should so…”

  Clarissa’s heart began to pound against the wall of her chest as if it were trying to escape at the site of that “so.” She knew from past experiences that meant Jeanette had done something.

  “I did it for you. Yes, I know you’ll think I’m overstepping my boundaries, but I was overcome by a spirit and it made me do it…lol (that’s supposed to make you laugh) So, this is just a quick note giving you a heads up so you won’t delete any unfamiliar emails. Please don’t be mad. You’ll thank me later. Believe me. Love ya, Nette.”

  “How could she?” Clarissa blinked her eyes a few times in hopes that the message would somehow go away. But she knew no matter how many times she blinked, it would be the same. After a moment of reflecting on what was the worst thing that could happen, a feeling of hope replaced the ones of anger and fear. Then it dawned on her that she hadn’t paid attention to any other messages in her box.

  Closing the note from Jeanette, she began to quickly scroll through the rest of her emails. She received so much junk mail that she’d gotten into the habit of deleting them without even opening them. But not today. She rolled past them until she came across something that was from an actual person. After opening and closing five different emails, she saw it. There, at the very bottom, was an email from ThBesMn4u. Typed in the subject area was “A Blast From The Past” and immediately, she knew it was from him. Shocked at how quickly he’d responded, she was a little hesitant about opening it. Her hand began to shake slightly as she positioned the pointer to open it. The nasty way things had ended between them rushed back to her and she began to hope that he’d had a chance to put it behind him as she’d done…

  Six years before, Clarissa was a senior at Hampton University and deeply in love with her high school sweetheart. For three years, they’d managed to sustain a long distance relationship and had plans to marry as soon as they were finished with school.

  It was a few days until Christmas break. Midterms were done and everyone was packing up for the long awaited break. Clarissa and Julian had made plans to spend some time in the Bahamas during the first part of their break and spend the last few days at home in Orlando with their families.

  Ever since he’d laid eyes on her coming out of freshman orientation, Clark had done everything possible to get with Clarissa. No matter how many times she’d tell him that she was involved, he’d never given up. There’d even been occasions where he’d see her with Julian when he’d make his monthly visit down from Georgetown.

  This would torment Clark to no end. Especially since he’d bragged to his frat brothers, three years earlier, that Clarissa was going to be his.

  But over the years, despite his arrogant and sometimes obnoxious ways, Clarissa saw a soft side beneath Clark’s overly confident exterior. Thus she befriended him and grew to trust him. Believing that their friendship was harmless, the two began doing things friends did, along with a host of other friends of course. But in Clark’s mind, this mirage of a platonic relationship was merely part of his plan to get Clarissa to be his. He figured he’d just wait it out and when the time was right, go in for the kill. After all, he had the upper hand over Julian. He was there every day.

  Clark had just returned from a weekend visit to his family in D.C. Needless to say, he couldn’t wait to get back to tell Clarissa of his findings while there.

  “What’s up, Jeanette. Where’s your girl?” he asked as he approached Jeanette coming out of Magrew Towers.

  “Oh, it’s you. She’s in the room packing. I thought you were gone already.” Jeanette looked at him, wrinkling up her nose. She never liked Clark, nor did she trust him. Being from a big city, she was much more skeptical of people than Clarissa and although she could never pinpoint it, there was something about Clark that just didn’t sit right with her.

  “Naw. I just went for the weekend. I’ll be here during break.” He zipped his coat up higher and shoved his hands deep in the pockets.

  “Oh,” she dryly responded, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary talking to him.

  “Do me a favor and get Clarissa for me? I need to talk with her ’bout something.”

  Jeanette looked down at the boxes in her arms and then back at Clark. “Homey, I don’t think so. You seem to know how to barge in any other time so, as Martin says, ‘Get-to-steppin’.” She turned and walked off in the direction of her car in the parking spaces across from the building.

  “Alright then. Be that way. I hope she’s dressed,” he yelled behind her.

  “Yeah, I bet you do,” Jeanette called back over her shoulder.

  “You’ve got that right,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Clark sauntered into the building and glanced at the empty desk where visitors were expected to sign in. Room 102, which was just around the corner, had been Clarissa and Jeanette’s for the past two years. Lightly tapping on the door, he stood back and waited to hear her sweet voice invite him in.

  “Who is it?” she yelled through the door.

  “It’s your favorite man. Open up.”

  “Who?” she yelled back.

  “It’s Clark.”

  “Clark?” she said to herself as she walked over to open the door.

  Flinging the door open, she stood with her hands on her hips. Decked out in Georgetown sweats, her golden skin was glowing from the light layer of sweat that she’d worked up while packing.

  “Hey, Beautiful. You busy?” He leaned against the door frame.

  Does he always have to ask stupid questions, she thought. “Yeah. I guess you could say that. What do you need?”

  He straightened up and brushed past her as he walked in. Knowing that the words “Come in” never passed her lips, she suppressed the urge to tell him off. She thought she’d be nice today. Maybe he’d be of some use and help her get the rest of her things packed up.

  “I came on campus to pick up something from Darryl and thought I’d check on you before you left.”

  “Well, you’ve seen me. Now, I’m hoping you’ll help me finish packing. You can talk and pack, can’t you? Julian will be here tomorrow to pick me up and I’m only halfway finished.” She proceeded to put her things in the neatly aligned duffel bags on the floor.

  Clark walked around checking out the pictures that were posted on the walls and the corkboards. The majority of them were of her, Julian, and Jeanette while others were of the various friends she’d made over the years at Hampton. He was surprised to actually find one of him and her. They were hanging out at the student union after a concert at the Convocation Center.

  “You know I went up to D.C. over the weekend?” With his finger, he traced the flowery design on the top of the porcelain jewelry box that sat on her dresser.

  “I think I remember you saying something about going up there. Did you have a good time?” she asked as she stood in closet pulling out the last few items that were on the shelf.

  “Oh, no doubt. I love hanging with my peeps.” He picked up the box and handed it to her so it would seem that he was helping. She gestured for him to put it in one of the bags.

  “I wish I would’ve been able to go, but Julian was tied up with finishing his exams.” She closed the closet door and made her way over to the dresser.

  “Oh really?” He grabbed a few of the things she had on the bed and placed them in her trunk at the foot of the bed.

  “Yeah. We barely talked this weekend.
But, we’ll make up for it in a few days.” She smiled as she started to place the pictures in one of the photo albums that sat on Jeanette’s bed waiting to be packed.

  Clark knew this was an opportune time to hit her with the news he’d ultimately came to give her. From the moment he’d left D.C., he couldn’t wait to see her. The information he had was so hot, it was burning a hole in his tongue.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yep.”

  Clark grabbed her arm to make her stop and look at him. “Clarissa…I have something to tell you.”

  “What? I can do more than one thing at a time.” She removed his hand from her arm and went back to packing.

  “I think it’s best if you sit for this.” He sat on her bed and patted a spot next to him. Clarissa opted to sit across from him on Jeanette’s bed instead.

  “Okay, Clark, what is it?” She gave him her undivided attention.

  “I don’t know how to tell you this but…”

  “But what?” Clarissa hated when people dragged things out.

  “I saw Julian this weekend. And he didn’t look like he was testing to me.”

  “What are you talking about, Clark?”

  “I guess it’s best to just tell you.”

  Clarissa felt her stomach churn. She didn’t like where this was going. “I guess so.”

  “My cousin and I saw Julian at the movies with another girl. And they looked a little more than friendly to me.”

  Clarissa immediately jumped up to resume her packing. “You are so full of shit.”

  Clark walked over and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Look, I’m telling you the truth. If you don’t believe me, we can call my cousin. He has no reason to lie to you.”

  Clarissa tried her best not to think about what Clark had just told her. She snatched the remaining clothes off the bed and stuffed them into her suitcase.

  “Ya know, Clark—I knew this day would come. You’ve been trying to get with me for years, but I thought you’d gotten over that. I knew this day would come! Julian told me this day would come!” she irately spewed.

  Clark threw his hands up. “Hey, game recognizes game, Clarissa—and your boy, Julian—oh, he’s got more game than Dave & Buster’s. Look, I’m just trying to be a friend. I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

  “Well, thanks for telling me, Clark. If you don’t mind, you’ve gotta go. I’ve got things to do.” She walked over and opened the door for him.

  He slowly rose from the bed and strolled to the door. Just before he was fully out, he looked back at her. “If you need someone to talk to, just call, okay? I’m here for you, Boo. Remember that. Okay?”

  She focused on the socks on her feet. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  As soon as he was gone, she ran over to the phone. “I know Clark is lying.” She nervously punched in Julian’s number.

  “Speak to me,” his roommate piped into the phone as he picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, Manny, it’s Clarissa. Is Julian there?”

  “What up, Rissa? Naw, he ain’t here.” He yawned.

  “Well, could you tell him to call me as soon as he gets in? Tell him it’s very important that he does. Okay?”

  “Aiight. I’ll do that. Yo, tell that fine-ass roommate of yours that I’m still waiting on her call.”

  “I will. Thanks, Manny.”

  “No problem.”

  “’Bye.” Clarissa slowly placed the phone on her dresser. Still reeling from the shock of the news that Clark had delivered, Clarissa lost her desire to pack. She walked over to the window and watched as people packed up their cars and said their good-byes. Some hugged while others kissed, all trying to seal the short separation that lay ahead. Trying her best to keep her emotions under control, she blinked her eyes to fight back the fountain of tears as they built up in the corners of her eyes. She shook her head. “He’s lying.”

  “Well, that’s almost everything. You’re not finished yet?”

  Clarissa hadn’t noticed that Jeanette had come back in the room. She tried to dry her face of the evidence that something was wrong. “I was just taking a quick break.” She lifted her sweatshirt to wipe a little more effectively.

  “A break? Girl, please. You have more junk than anyone else in the dorm. If you don’t get up and finish, you’ll still be here packing when everyone comes back. I keep telling you to give away some of these clothes and shoes.” Realizing that she was engaged in a one-sided conversation, she walked over to the window where Clarissa was standing.

  “You okay?”

  “Okay,” Clarissa answered halfheartedly as she walked over to her empty closet.

  Jeanette followed her as Clarissa stood staring into the empty closet. As soon as she placed her hand on Clarissa’s shoulder, a flood of tears gushed out. Her shoulders began to heave and quake from the heavy sobs that escaped her throat.

  “What’s wrong? Did Clark do something to you?” Jeanette rubbed Clarissa’s back as she guided her to the bed to sit.

  “No. He didn’t do anything,” she managed to gulp out in between sobs.

  “Then what is it?” Jeanette grabbed a few tissues out of the box on Clarissa’s dresser and began to mop the tears from her face.

  “It’s not what he did…it’s more of what he said.” Clarissa began to cry at full blast again.

  Jeanette was doing her best to calm Clarissa down. She wanted to get to the bottom of what had just happened in the short time she’d been outside.

  Clarissa spilled out the story of what had unfolded to Jeanette. After listening intently to everything Clarissa was telling her, Jeanette knew her question would sound cruel. “And you believe him? Girl, Clark’s been trying to get with you since day one. Don’t you know he’d do anything to break you and Julian up?”

  Clarissa shrugged her shoulders and flopped back on the bed. “I don’t know, Nette. It’s just that…” she sniffled, “when I tried to call Julian this weekend, I either got no answer or Manny on the other end telling me that Julian wasn’t there. And when I called a few minutes ago to find out what’s going on, Manny said he wasn’t there again.” She grabbed her pillow and hugged it tightly to her body.

  “Well, first things first. Let’s call Julian again. Give him a chance to deny it or admit it, ya know? ’Cause it’s pretty hard for me to believe anything that Clark tells you about Julian. You know damn well that he has nothing but animosity toward him. And as long as he’s been after you, that makes it even harder to believe.” Jeanette grabbed the phone up from its resting place.

  “Who are you calling?” Clarissa asked.

  “Who do you think?”

  “I just called there a few minutes before you came into the room and he wasn’t there.”

  Jeanette continued to dial the number anyway. “Well, he may have walked in since then.”

  Clarissa sat up in the bed, leaning her back against the wall. “I don’t know…I mean, I don’t think I want to talk to Julian right now.”

  Jeanette looked at her with disbelief. “What?! Girl, get yourself together. We’re going to get the bottom of this To-day! Even if it means we have to drive our asses up to D.C. tonight.”

  “Hello?”

  “Who is this?!” she barked into the phone.

  “Who you wanna speak to?” the male voice barked back.

  “Julian, if that’s not a problem?” Jeanette sat down in the chair.

  “Yo…who this callin’ here actin’ like they ain’t got no manners?”

  Jeanette instantly knew it was Manny. Only he could murder the English language so horribly.

  “It’s Jeanette. I need to speak to Julian. Now.”

  “He ain’t here now. What I wanna know is, why you callin’ him and not me? He’s already spoken for—while on the other hand, I’m one hundred prcent A-VAIL-ABLE.”

  “Because I need to talk to him and not you…Okay?” He could really work her nerves. If he weren’t so damn cute, she wouldn’t even waste her time going back a
nd forth with him. He would’ve heard the dial tone right after he said he wasn’t there.

  “Why y’all lookin’ for him? Rissa just called her not too long ago and now you. What’s up?”

  “Look, can you get in touch with your boy? It’s extreee-mly important that he call us. And soon. Okay?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thanks, Manny. When this is all straightened out, I’ll give you a call. Okay?” Jeanette said, sounding as sexy and convincing as she could in an attempt to make him locate Julian sooner.

  “Aiight. Let me hurry up and find dude so you can do that. Later right?”

  “Yeah, later.” Jeanette hung up the phone before he was able to pull her into anything else that she didn’t want to be a part of. But, at the moment, she was willing to give him a call if he could get Julian to call them back.

  “What did he say?” Clarissa looked at her through partially swollen eyes, her nose almost as red as Rudolph’s.

  “He’s going to try and find him. Don’t worry. I know this is just a hoax. But if it isn’t, Julian’s going to regret this day forever.”

  After not hearing anything for hours, Jeanette decided it was time to make that drive. Clarissa was skeptical at first, but Jeanette convinced her that it was the best thing to do.

  True to his word, Clark volunteered to drive them up in his car. While Jeanette wasn’t too enthused with him being in the mix of things, she went along with it because of Clarissa. And the fact that Clark’s ’91 BMW was a lot more comfortable than her old clunker made his offer even more enticing.

  By the time they reached the campus, the sun had long said its good-byes. The campus buzzed with life as students celebrated the end of the term.

  Clarissa gave Clark instructions on how to get to Julian’s place. Once there, she asked him to wait in the car while she and Jeanette went inside. He tried to talk her into letting him come just in case, but she convinced him to stay behind.