"She is very young at heart."
"Where is she now?"
"She lives in New York with her boyfriend. She flied down here about four months ago to do a book signing. She writes self-help and children's books for a living. Her name is Anna."
Annette looked up at him when he said the name. It was so similar to hers that she was quite surprised. She turned the page and next picture was of a tall man, very built, that looked like he was in his fifties. He bore a striking resemblance to Jordan. In fact, they had the same smooth brown complexion, nose, and jawline. He was wearing nothing but slacks that were rolled up to his knees. He was standing in front of what looked like a small hut.
"Your father?" she asked.
"Yes. That was our trip to Jamaica. He's a retired football player."
"You too look just alike," she said.
Jordan didn't say anything. He just watched as she turned to the next page, which was a collage of pictures of Troy, his brother. Troy in a high school football jersey, Troy wearing his track uniform, Troy stuntin' in front of what looked like a old model Mustang, Troy sitting on a motorcycle sporting a Mohawk, Troy sitting on his motorcycle sporting a bald head, Troy standing in front of his motorcycle, shirtless, flexing his muscles. "So, Troy must be your half brother."
"That's the technical term for it, but we're still related by blood … my father."
"Your father must have been so proud of you two. It's looks like you and Troy have accomplished a lot together."
"My father was back and forth in both of our lives. He didn't raise either of us."
When Annette heard the sad expression in his voice, she closed the album and gave him her full attention.
"I didn't learn that I had a brother that lived in the same projects that I did until my father got the nerve to bring him over when he came to see my mother one day. He was four and I was thirteen. I would have to babysit Troy when my father came to have sex with my mother. Sometimes, I had to miss school to babysit him. By the time I was fifteen, my father had moved to Texas, I believe. He married another woman. I didn't see anymore of him for a long time. I didn't see anymore of Troy either until we attended the same summer camp that same year."
At that moment, Annette didn't know whose life story was more painful. Hers or his. She could tell by the way he would not look her in the eyes that it was hurtful for him to recall not having a father in his life when he needed him the most.
"Troy and I were pretty close at summer camp. We knew we were brothers and we stuck together like brothers. For a couple days, he didn't show up at the day camp. I thought maybe he was sick or something and would come back soon, but when he didn't I remember using my lunch money for that day to take the bus all the way down to the projects where he and his mother had moved to. I learned from a couple boys in the street that Troy's mother had died of a drug overdose and Troy was placed in foster care. I wrote my father a letter the next day begging him to come go get my brother, but all the letters were returned unopened and unread."
"I'm so sorry. Had your father moved or something?"
"No. He later told me that his wife had been sending the letters back. By twenty, I was living on my own with two full time jobs, plus taking a few college classes here and there to support myself and my mother. I finally got the courage one day to go visit the foster home where Troy was living. He was thirteen at the time. He was a nuisance to the people at his current high school and his foster parents' were getting restless, so I asked Troy to come live with me and my mother. We didn't think the courts would go for it, since I was only twenty at the time, but somehow we convinced them and I adopted my brother at the age of twenty one. I have been raising him ever since. He's a grown man now, though."
When Jordan finished the story, she was smiling. "That is so remarkable. I've never met someone who would do that. Just the thought of you taking on the responsibility of raising your teenage brother and you were still barely legal yourself … is amazing."
"I did it out of love for Troy. But, I kind of did it for myself, too, which is selfish. When he went into foster care, I kind of missed having a brother around."
"You're such a special person," Annette said, smiling at him.
He smiled back at her for a while and then said, "I feel selfish because I at least grew up with one parent, but I can't imagine how you managed."
She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want him to see tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to think she was weak. "I dealt with it."
Getting the point, he got up and walked back over to his closet. "I've got you your first motorcycle helmet."
"Oh, let me see," she smiled, as he disappeared behind the double doors.
Suddenly, she felt the urge to lean back on the plush bed that she was sitting on and she did just that. She closed her eyes and enjoyed how the soft, cushiony mattress felt against her body. When she opened her eyes, Jordan was staring down at her. "Jordan, this bed feels so good. Where did you get it? I think I'll have to get me one."
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, ignoring her question.
"Thank you, but really? Where'd you get your bed? I think I might steal it if you don't tell me," she said, then gave him a sweet, cynical look. "Or better yet … I may just come over every time I need a good night's sleep and take over your entire bed."
"Actually, I don't have a problem with that at all," Jordan said, smiling down at her. "You can take over my bed any time you want."
"Don't wish for things you can't handle because sometimes you just might get it."
"Don't write checks that you can't cash," he replied.
"Don't worry, baby," she said back, hotly, lifting herself off the bed. "I got plenty assets in the bank." And she meant it. She got up and placed his album back on the coffee table where they had gotten it.
"You sure do … "
She pretended that it hadn't affected her the way he had slowly undressed her with his eyes while she was laying on his bed. Her body screamed for his hands to do what his eyes had just done … search her entire body. Her temperature had risen so much from the attraction she felt for him, that she knew it was suddenly time to leave from out of his bedroom. Or she might just cash that check that she had just written and some that she hadn't already written. She wanted Jordan in more ways than one and it included sharing his comfy, round bed.
"Weren't the others waiting?"
"They can wait … Or they can get the hell on … whatever floats their boat," he said, pulling a helmet out of the bag and handing it to her.
She reached out for it and admired it. It was black, shiny, and new with white lightning bolt strikes on either side. "I like it. Thanks."
"Let's go. I'm going to give you a quick lesson. Fill you in on a couple of our rules and we'll be good to go."
He reached out for her hand and they headed back down the stairs. The others were not in the living room and she watched as Jordan turned off all the lights, set the door alarm, and locked up.
When she walked outside, most of the guys and girls were standing around talking. Some of his crew were shining and detailing their bikes until the sun reflected off every angle. Jordan walked over to his motorcycle, which was already detailed and began explaining to her what to expect while she was riding with him. She listened with her eyes and ears wide open in excitement. She was so eager that she wished she had only done it sooner. He pulled on his helmet and instructed her to do the same.
"Heat Ryderz rule number one … always wear a helmet, guard your brain … that goes for male and female in more ways than one," he had said.
They rode around the parking lot for about twenty minutes until she felt comfortable behind him. One time she removed her hands from his waist to straighten her top.
"One of my own rules is that you keep your hands around my waist at all times … at least for now until you become a pro," he had said.
"I love this. I want to go faster," she said into his ear as they rode up and down the roads at a moderate speed just in his neighborhood.
"Patience," he had replied.
With that he rode back to his townhome with her behind him. The other guys had just revved up their motorcycles and seeing that everyone was present and ready, they began taking off one at a time and that's when she began to have the time of her life. It was all that she had imagined and more. She felt so secure with him as they rode that motorcycle at a speed so fast she didn't think that it was legal. Her hands were tightly clapped around his waist and stomach, her chest against his back, and her hair whipping in the wind behind them. They rode those interstates for what seemed like an eternity, moving in and out of traffic so quickly that the cars on the highway were left behind in dust. In total, she counted nine motorcycles including Jordan's. She, Tara, and another girl were the only girls present and riding on the back of a motorcycle with them. Finally, Travis, TJ's brother, who was leading, pulled over in the parking lot of the mall that Annette always shopped at.