ONE NIGHT....20

HELLO EVERYONE.  FIRST OFF I WANTOT SINCERLELY APOLOGIZE FOR THE MAJOR DELAY.  BUT AS SOME OF YOU KNOW.  I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOME MAJOR SUFF IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.  THAK YOUVERY MUCH FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO EMAILED ME HERE AS WELL AS ON MY PRIVATE EMAIL.  ALL YOUR THOUGHTS WERE GREATLY APPRECIATED.  WITH ALL THAT WAS GOING ON I HONETLY COULDN'T BRING MY SELF TO DO ANYTHING MOST DAYS.  mY HUSBAND IS DOING WELL AND WILL BE IN PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR THE NEXT 4 MONTHS. MY FAMILY AND I ARE DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF MY BROTHER.  BUT WE ARE TIGHT SO WE WILL GET THTOUGH.  oNCE AGAINPLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES.  ONCE I POST  THE LAST CHAPTER 21 I WILL NOT BE WRTING FOR A WHILE.  BUT I WILL LOG ON TO SUPPORT OTHERS.  I AM DEFINITELY LOOKING TO READ ALL THE NEW STUFF.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO BESTSEXEVER69, MOCCA85, HYPNOTIQQ,AND EVERYBODY WHO SHOWED ME LOVE...

Vanessa

I thought about it for a minute and decided that I should see Jason before I leave, so I head to ICU.  Once there I pause at the door, thinking maybe I should not go in. I stood there contemplating whether or not it would be a good idea, to be the one to tell him that Donna is dead.  I realize that I don' owe Jason anything.  Because of him I lost my child.  He made promises to me that he never had any intentions on keeping.  He told me he loved me and wanted us to be a family, but the first chance he got; he was ready to kick my ass to the curb, literally.  I wonder who told Donna about me and Jason.  There is no one else who knew about the affair other than Brandon, and he would never tell anyone.  Or would he? The more I thought about it the more things started to make sense.  Brandon came all the way to Atlanta, and found me.  He paid me 750,000 dollars to start an affair with Jason.  It still did not make any sense though, Donna hated Brandon, and she could not stand him.  They were always butting heads, and arguing with each other.  Then again it could have all been a front.  They could have been getting it on behind Jason’s back.  Which would explain why Brandon wanted me to break up Jason and Donnas’ marriage?

This is all too much for me.  I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but pieces are starting to fit a little to well.  You know what; I will just have to cut my losses.  Looking toward the door Vanessa blows Jason a kiss goodbye, and heads back towards the elevator.  All the while thinking, maybe she should say goodbye. Maybe she should be here when he gets up.  He will need someone to comfort him and help through what is sure to be a difficult time.  The elevator doors open, and I just stands there, not sure what to do.  Should I get on and never look back, or turn back and be there for the man that I love?

2006

One day I’m going to stop doing this Vanessa thought as she applied her make up.  I am the top dancer at a small club in Atlanta.  I am chyna doll. A blend of my Chinese mother and black father I never knew.  I started dancing when I was 19. I started making good money from the very beginning.  Especially when I started doing private parties for celebrities, actors, and athletes.  At a party for a famous athlete, one night, I made18, 000.  They were not giving me5's or 20's, they strictly throwing 100's all over her and this other girl I was with.  I made and extra 25g's that night after I showed him what I could do behind closed doors.  After that night he was calling me and showing up at the club all the time. But his wife soon put a stop to all that. I made really good money, and was able to pay my way through school.  You always hear girls say they danced to put themselves through school. For me it was different. I danced because I liked it. I liked the power I possess when I am on stage.  All eyes were on me.  The hungry men as well as the hating bitches.  I went to school because I knew I could not dance forever.  I got a degree in finance and marketing and I had a 3.7 GPA. Something I was very proud of.  I was smart enough to invest and put my money away. I did not live an extravagant lifestyle. I drove a Toyota Camry, and lived on a very decent side of town.  I would be dancing for a while. Until I felt I had enough money to leave Atlanta and live very comfortably.  But one night that all changed.  I was leaving the club when she noticed all four of my tires were flat.  This is something I had to deal with form the other girls in the club.  My windows have been smashed twice and the headlights busted too many times to count.  The girls hated me, because I was the most requested and the highest paid dancer in there.  The bar usually did not start getting packed until it was time for my set.  I was on stage for 3 songs, when all the other girls only had one song.  I was the pretties, had the best body, and was the boss’s favorite.  So it’s only natural that I was hated on.  I had to deal with so much shit from these second string bitches.  I called AAA, and sat in my car and waited.  While on the phone checking my messages there was tap on my window.  I turned and saw a fine redbone brother smiling at me.  She rolled her window down.  “Hi”. 

“Hi yourself”

“I was inside earlier and I just wanted to tell you that your performance was off the chain.

“Thank you”

“You’re welcome.” “I’m Brandon, by the way.  He stuck his hand out to shake mine.

“Nice to meet you Brandon, I’m Vanessa.”

“Vanessa, that’s a pretty name.”

“Do you dance full time Vanessa, or this a part time means to an end.”

“Why?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card.  “My name is Brandon West.  I am looking for an old friend of mine.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  Her name is Ayoki Lee.  You were listed as an emergency contact on a job application she filled out 2 years ago.”

“Ayoki?  I remember Ayoki.  But she died last year.”  “She never mentioned a Brandon.”

“Well, I’m an old family friend.”  “How did she die?”  “She was in a car accident with a drunk driver.”  “I’m really sorry.”

“Damn.”  “It took me so long to find her.”  “Shit”  “were you guys really close?”

“Not really.  We were just roommates for a couple of years.  We shared similar backgrounds so we became close. I heard about the accident last year while I was living with my parents.”  

“Oh, ok.”  “Well I’m sorry to have bothered you.”  “I really did enjoy the show.”

I tried to give him back his card, but held my hand.  “You keep that. You never know.”

“Ok.”  Just as quick as her was there he was gone.  He got into the shiniest black Mercedes I ever saw and disappeared.  Little did I know that two years later he would come to my rescue?

 After the club closed down 1 year later due to tax fraud, I ended up working on the streets doing what I had to do to pay my bills and tuition.  I was working one night when this guy who had been stalking me for months showed up and tried to push me into his car.  I fought him off and hit him with my shoe.  As I was running across the street I was almost run over.  With the blast of the horn scaring the hell out of me, I froze in front of the car.  The driver got out and walked over to me yelling at me about watching where I was going.  It was him.  Mr. Smooth himself.  The moment I recognized him he recognized me.  He asked me if I was ok.  Then I heard that guy calling my name.  I got scared and asked him if he could drop me off somewhere far fro here.  He told me to get in the car and he drove off.

“What are you doing on the streets at this time of night?”

“I could say the same for you.”

“I was working.”

“Well so was I.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“Since the club closed a 1yr and ½ ago.”

“You need to find another occupation.”

“Easier said then done Mr. Rich man.” I said looking around his car.

“Call me Brandon, please.”

“Whatever.”  “Do you think I really want to be doing this?”  “Do you think that I want to be where I am?”

“Well why don’t you stop doing it.?”

“Because, I have bills, and rent to pay.  I have food and clothes to buy.  That’s why.”

He was quiet for a long time.  I thought that maybe he was done questioning me.  He pulled over to where I had told him to drop me off.  He parked and turned to look at me.  He looked at me from head to toe.  I had the feeling I was being examined.  His gaze was so intense.  He studied me for what seemed like five minutes. Then he smiled. Not a happy smile, but one of those smiles people get when they know something no one else knows, or they are about to do something bad.  He turned and looked out the window, looking as if he was contemplating something.

“Well if you really are serious about not wanting to do this.  Maybe you can work for me.”  He did not hear an answer so he turned and looked at me.  “Well?”

“Well what?”

“I just made you a job offer, and you did not say anything.”

“Of course not. I don’t respond to bullshit...”

“Bullshit?”  “Why would you think it was bullshit?”

“What kind of job could I possibly do for you?”  “Do you need a CEO, CFO, COO, what?”  “I can be your financial advisor, and make you millions.”

“That’s was funny, but no.”  “It would be along the lines of what you’re doing now, but safer and you only have to deal with one person

“Oh I see now.  You’re Richard Gere, and I’m Julia Roberts.”

“Well actually I would not be the Richard Gere to your Julia.  But I can make it worth your while.”  “The only catch is it’s in Chicago.”

“Chicago?”  “You must have banged your head.”

“Just listen to me for 5 minutes, and if you don’t think the arrangement, and price is suitable to you, then you can get out of the car and never look back.”

Looking at him for a moment, he looked to be serious.   So I sucked my teeth, land leaned back into the passenger seat.  Het it could not hurt to listen.  Who knows maybe he can be my last job tonight.  Shit I mean he was fine.  So I listened to his offer, and by the end of those 5 minutes we were shaking hands.

Chicago her I come!!

MEANWHILE

Brandon is sitting in his car, his head on the steering wheel, tears streaming down his face, he is sobbing from the guilt of having a hand in causing the death of the woman he loved.  How could all of this have happened? He was this close to blowing Jason out the water and taking his rightful place as Donna's husband.  To have it all end like this was a shock to his system.  He can only remember feeling this kind of pain only once in his life.

1987

It was a hot and humid august day.  The sun felt like you were in the middle of the Mohave dessert.  I could not drink enough ice cold lemonade; eat enough ice-cream to get cool.  I was jumping off the side of the family yacht.  I had just broken through the water when I heard my mother calling my name.  She sounded upset so I hurried up the ladder on the side of the yacht.  I was pulled up by one of the men who worked on the boat. I could see my mother was frantic, she was crying and hysterical.  She turned and saw me standing there, ran over to me and dropped to her knees in front of me and hugged me real tight.  I kept asking her what was wrong, but all she could do was cry. Later I would learn that my father had died while playing golf. I cried, and I cried hard, and for a long time. I could not believe my father was not coming back and I would never see him again. I could not sleep for a long time. My mom thought that maybe I needed to speak to a professional. She thought that I needed help and was withdrawn, and not talking to anyone.  School was about to start in a few days, and I was looking forward to getting out of the house, away from my mother and all her hovering.  I was getting ready for my first day when my mom came down to speak to me.  "Are you sure you are ready to go to school?"  "You don’t have to be brave for me sweetie."  "I’m not being brave mom, I’m fine."  "Ok well listen baby, if you don’t feel well or if you feel overwhelmed, just call me and I will send the drier to come get you, ok?"  "Ok mom."  She kissed me and I ran for the car.  Happy to be out the house, and out from under her concerned stares.  I got in the car and looked up to see my mom waving at me I waved back and told the driver to go.  I was glad he was going to school; the distraction would help stop thinking about my father, and how much I missed him.  As I pulled up to the school you can just smell the money, and arrogance.  The building reminded me of a castle. The only thing missing was a drawbridge and a moat.  It had a horseshoe drive way that was as wide as a four lane highway.  It was filled with Mercedes Benzes, and jaguars, and limos. All of them black with tinted windows.  As I got out of the car, I noticed a red ford mustang, the one with the white soft top pull up into the driveway.  Looking around I was not the only one who seemed to notice how out of place this vehicle was.  Out of the passenger side stepped out a kid about my age.  A woman appeared from the driver's side.  She was real pretty; she was the prettiest woman I ever saw.  She came around to the little boy, and kissed him on the cheek, everybody was looking at this kid and his mother like they were intruders into their private world of the rich and privileged.  Just then the headmaster came out and personally greeted the woman and the kid, and just like that there was acceptance.  The headmaster only comes out to greet important people.  He came out for me two years ago.  But then of course my father had rebuilt part of the school and had written many checks during fund raisers.  The headmaster shook hands with the mom and led him towards the school.  At this point everyone was back to their own business.  If the headmaster came out to greet him then he must be important, which made him acceptable.  That kid I found out later, his name was Jason.  He and I became friends later on that year.  Now we are best friends.

Brandon was 19 when found out about Jason and Anthony being his brothers.  By now he and Jason had been friends since 5^th grade.  He was in his father’s office sitting at the computer working on his paper for history class.  There were still boxes of old papers and files still tucked away in the corner of the very large office.  This had a full sitting area, a bar, and a small fridge.  Three of its four walls were floor to ceiling shelves holding hundreds of books.  The fourth wall was gone, and replace by floor to ceiling windows.  Brandon decided maybe going through the boxes might be able to help him clear his mind.  But the reality was he did not want to write this paper.  He got up from where he was seated and went over to the boxes in the corner.  He started going through them one by one.  They were mostly full of papers.  At the bottom of one of the boxes was a wooden box. He pilled it out and tried to open it but it needed a key to be unlocked.  He tried to pry it open but could not.  We back to the desk looking through all the drawers, thinking maybe he could find the key. He looked everywhere and could not find any keys anywhere.  Everything was pretty much left untouched in this room since his father passed away and no one has been in here. So the key must be here somewhere.  With his curiosity getting the best of him he decided he needed to find that key.  He pulled out drawers and searches the huge desk.   After thirty minutes, and no luck he was getting frustrated.  He knew now that in that box must be something important. With his paper long forgotten he went to search the shelves.  He pulling books of the shelves, looking through the pages, and could not find anything.  He sat on the sofa, tired and about to give up when he noticed the shelf in the corner near the door.  There was a vase sitting on top of a little box, on the top level. A glass box that had sand in it. And the rest of the shelves were full of trophies.  He went over to the vase and turned it over.  Nothing.  He looked in the box, again nothing.  You know what maybe it would easier to get a hammer and break open the box.  He started to walk away when he noticed, what looked like a piece of string in the sand.  It looked weird sticking out of the sand so he pulled it.  To his amazement at the end of the string was a little tiny gold key. He knew this gold key was the key that unlocked that box. He could not believe it, but the fact that it was buried in the sand, meant that whatever was in that box was important...  with his excitement building he went to the couch and put the box next to him.  For some reason his heart was pounding.  He knew that whatever was in this box, his father did not want anyone to know of it.  He put the key in the lock and turned.  Hearing the click he knew the box was unlocked, but waited a minute to open it.  For some reason he felt he needed to brace himself...  He lifted the lid, and exhaled.  In the box was just papers, and pictures. He took out the pictures first. He looked through them not recognizing any of the people in them.  In one picture was a woman holding a baby.  She was smiling, and she was very beautiful.  She had skin the color of milk chocolate.  Her hair was long and coming over her shoulder. She was standing in front of a house right next to a for sale sign, with the word sold across the front.  Turning over the picture he saw fades words written on the back. Michelle and Anthony at the new house.  He saw several more pictures of the woman, as well as the child.  But one particular picture almost took his breath away.  It was a picture of His father holding that same little boy. The little boy had his hands wrapped around his father's neck and was smiling big.  Turning over the picture reading the words on the back, “Anthony and daddy".  Brandon dropped the picture and got to his feet. He could not believe what he just saw.  Regaining his composer he sat down again and continued looking through the pictures.  There were dozens of pictures of his father and Anthony.  Pictures spanning years. The last picture he found of his father and Anthony, the back of the picture said "me and dad 8th Grade graduation.  Judging by the year he had just turned10yrs old.  He could not believe this his father had another son.  By the looks of him he was going to be, or is one big guy.  Looking down into the box, he could see there were more pictures.  He was afraid of what he might find.  But his curiosity got the best of him and he picked up the remaining pictures.  There was a picture of another woman.  She could easily be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  Her skin the mixture of toffee and caramel.  Even in the picture her skin glowed.  She was pregnant in the picture and smiling big.  There were several pictures of her, and his father.  Pictures of them kissing, and holing hands.  Then he came across the pictures of his father holding a baby, in what seemed to be a hospital room.  He was kissing the baby and smiling. Another picture of him kissing the woman while she held the baby in her arms.  They looked like a loving family.  Looking on the back of the picture at the date, Brandon was 1 years old at the time.  Anger filled him.  He could not believe that the father that he had loved and adored had two other families.  And it looked like he spent more time with them then with him. He was always on a business trip, or closing a deal.  Now he knew he was spending quality time with his other kids.  Looking down into the box he saw a big manila envelope marked confidential.  He tore it open, wanting to see what other secrets his father had.  The envelope contained several documents, court papers, contracts, and bank statements.  The most fascinating documents were paper clipped together.  Brandon looked down at what he held in his hand; 3 birth certificates. Anthony West, Ayoki Lee West, and Jason Brooks.  The shock tore through Brandon’s body.  Jason Brooks?  His best friend, Jason, was his half brother.  This can’t be true.  There is no way Jason Brooks...no way there is no way that Jason was his brother.  But how could he deny it when it was there plain as day.  Mother: Lynn Brooks, and Father: Gregory D. West.  It was there plain as day in black and white.  His father was also his best friend’s father.  For years people would say we resembled each other, but we always said it was because we had been friends for so long.  He never put two and two together. He wondered if Jason knew, but he said that he never knew his father, and only met him a few times.  The last time he saw him he died a few days later he said.  He never wanted to talk about it so they never talked about it.  The only other papers were hospital bills, mortgages, and expenses.  His father had been supporting his bastards all their lives.  He gathered all the papers into the box, he needed to get to the bottom of this, and he needed some answers.  He headed straight for his mothers room.  He had a feeling she knew more than she ever let on.