Working quickly, Angelique set two places with plates, soup bowls, bread plates, water goblets and silverware and turned back to the cupboard to get footed dessert dishes for the fruit salad. Casually she added, "I also went to Adam's loft, and he had company. Adonis was there."
Paris stopped in the middle of serving the piping-hot chili. "Uh-oh. Did y'all get into it?" she asked with a smile.
Angelique finished the table settings with big, soft cotton napkins and took a pitcher of Crystal Light peach-flavored iced tea out of the refrigerator; both she and Paris were addicted to the beverage. Taking a seat, she shook her head no. "Actually, he was pretty well behaved today."
The two women reached out and took each other's hands and said grace, as was their habit. Then Angelique placed her napkin in her lap and daintily dug into the aromatic and very tasty chili. Paris followed suit, but she couldn't leave well enough alone. She had to go there again, just to satisfy her curiosity.
"You know, y'all don't fight nearly as much as you used to. What happened? Did you declare a truce or something?"
Angelique took her time answering as she had just taken a mouthful of a flavorful muffin. "Mmm, that's delicious! A truce? No, 1 don't think we declared a truce, exactly, but ever since he took me to the dentist, it's been awfully hard to be mean to him. He was too nice to me that day," she said reflectively.
Paris smiled broadly. "So does that mean you won't call him SpongeBob anymore?"
"Oh, no, girl. As long as he calls me Evilene, he's gonna be SpongeBob SquarePants. But that doesn't negate the fact that he was really nice to me when I needed him."
Paris thought back to that fateful day and had to agree that Donnie had come through like a champ. Angelique was never one to complain about physical ailments. In fact, she was something of a Spartan when it came to matters of health. She was rarely ill, and when she did get a touch of something, she'd soldier on until it was over. However, what had started as a mild headache had worked its way into horrifying proportions that left Angelique almost delirious with pain. In her usual fashion, she hadn't mentioned the pain to anyone, just tried her best to cope with it. Paris finally found her curled up on her bed, sobbing like a child. This alone alarmed Paris, as she'd never seen her cousin in tears before, but the fact that her right cheek was also swollen to three times its normal size was terrifying.
Angelique obviously had an infection or abscess of some kind and needed immediate attention, so Paris had called the first person she could think of, Renee, and luckily Donnie answered the phone. Almost before she'd hung up the phone, he was at their place. He had a good friend who was an endodontist and was able to work Angelique in as an emergency. The only problem was that Angelique was terrified of dentists and refused to go.
To Paris's utter amazement and permanent gratitude, Donnie had taken Angelique onto his lap like one of his nieces and held her tightly, assuring her that his friend wouldn't hurt her, and would take her pain away. "Evie, sweetheart, I can look at you and see how much pain you're in. That cute little face is all swollen and I know you must feel like crap. C'mon, Evie, let's go make it better, okay?" After those soothing words, Angelique did indeed let him take her to the endodontist, and Donnie even stayed with her during the whole process. Paris suspected that he'd held her hand the entire time. After that incident Angelique and Donnie just didn't seem to argue as much, not even when he called her Evie, a diminutive of Evilene, the name he'd called her for years when he wanted to push her buttons.
Paris observed her cousin while she slowly sipped her iced tea. Carefully setting her glass down, she decided to wade in with both feet. "So, have you ever thought about dating Donnie? I think he'd be fun to go out with," she said innocently.
Only a slight redness along her cheekbones betrayed the emotions Angelique was feeling. With admirable restraint, she merely said, "No. Not my type, actually."
Paris opened her mouth to probe further, but a slight tightening of Angelique's jaw told her this was dangerous ground. Just then the phone rang, and with a look of pure relief Angelique dashed to answer it. Paris sighed and speared another chunk of pineapple from the remains of her fruit salad. Okay, "not my type," she thought. Whatever you say, cuz. Whatever you say. Then she laughed, knowing that if Aidan were present, he'd give her a good whack on the back of her head and warn her not to do what she was thinking about doing. Not that it would have stopped her. Not in the least.
Chapter Three
While preparing to make dinner in his well-equipped kitchen, Adam was taking great pleasure in raking his younger brother over the coals. He was amused at Donnie's current angst and to some small degree he sympathized with it, but wasn't about to let him get away with his behavior.
"Adonis, what is wrong with you? Why were you so rude to Angelique? You were acting like she turned you down instead of Aneesah. What's your problem?" he asked bluntly.
Donnie frowned at Adam and took another swallow from his bottle of mineral water. "Okay, I admit I was less than cordial to Evilene, but that's how we communicate. It's just how we get down," he mumbled.
Adam shook his head as he assembled ingredients on the counter. "Don't you think it's a little childish, Donnie? I can't believe my brother talks to a woman like that," he said disapprovingly.
"Aww, man, Evie doesn't trip over it, why does it bother you? She likes to play and she can take it. She can also dish it out," he said with a short laugh. His mind automatically drifted back to another incident that had occurred shortly after she came to Detroit. Donnie hadn't liked the idea of Angelique staying in the garage apartment behind Renee and Andrew's house that was known as the Outhouse and made his position plain. Even now he felt a little warmth in his face when he recalled the things he'd said.
Angelique had been playing with his nieces in another part of the house while he'd been venting to Renee. "I just think you're asking for trouble having her here, Renee. Let her stay in a hotel or something, you don't need her underfoot. And you don't need to be waiting hand and foot on the little princess, either."
Renee had been busy folding laundry and barely looked up from her task. "Donnie, I don't know why you're behaving like this. Angelique may have been a handful at one time, but she's turned into a very nice young woman, which you might realize if you'd stop to take a look. Besides, she's wonderful with the girls; they adore her. And for your information, she's a big help to me."
Donnie cringed now as he remembered his next words. Even after months had passed, he was still embarrassed by what he'd said. "That just goes to show you, children don't know any better. That woman is a waste of skin. There isn't one redeemable feature about her, Renee." No sooner had he finished speaking than there was a soft gasp behind him. He'd turned to find Angelique standing there with a stricken look on her face, and felt himself shrivel up inside as he watched her cover her mouth with a slender hand. Before he could say a word, she had dashed out the back door, leaving him alone with Renee, who was glaring at him as though he were the worst scum on earth. He'd immediately taken off after Angelique to apologize, when he suddenly had the breath knocked out of him- Angelique had leaped on his back and grabbed his ears to use as reins.
"A waste of skin, huh? I got your waste of skin right here, you overgrown tree! You thought I was out here crying, didn't you? Well, I got news for you, buddy, I don't shed tears, I cause them!" And to Donnie's utter amazement, they ended up wrestling like children and chasing each other around the backyard to the consternation of Renee and the delight of his nieces, who thought it was some sort of game.
Donnie laughed out loud at the memory. That was one of the things he had to admire about Angelique: she was tough and more than capable of taking care of herself, and also had a surprising sense of humor. They had actually started having a little fun with their adversarial relationship after that. And he had apologized for the incident all the same, an apology she accepted with no comment.
Adam looked over his shoulder at his brother, who was lost in thought. "I still think you need to watch how you talk to Angelique. You wouldn't like it if someone talked to Benita like that," he pointed out.
Donnie's thick eyebrows drew together at the mention of his sister's name; his protective instincts leaped to the fore immediately. Donnie was, like all Cochran men, territorial and almost paternalistic when it came to taking care of those they cared about. "Well, of course I wouldn't put up with that. Nobody better talk to my sister like that, even if they call themselves playing. I ain't having that," he growled, then became silent for a moment contemplating what Adam had said. It was true, Angelique was someone's sister, too, and it was probably time he remembered that. Besides, he wouldn't have wanted anything bad to happen to her.