On the Other Side(80)
Damita didn’t think she had ever met a man that was ready to go as quickly and as frequently as Lester. No sooner than they were lying in bed, enjoying the afterglow, he would rise to attention, again, and again, and again. She wasn’t complaining, but she hoped she would continue to be able to keep up with him. In the meantime, she was enjoying the ride.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Over time, Damita fell into some pretty commonplace routines. She was surprised to find that she liked it. Her relationship with Constance had evolved into a great friendship and it didn’t hurt that Constance’s brother was completely in love with Damita. The job was going well and even though she had declined any and all promotions offered, she still received a raise after having worked there for a year.
She enjoyed her Friday nights with Constance and Lester. Sometimes her and Constance stayed at home and watched movies together or went to a movie or dinner. Other times Lester would tag along and they would go bowling or dancing. Saturday night was all Lester’s. He often told her it was his favorite day of the week. No matter what was going on she made sure that Saturday was reserved for him. For the first time, she was able to learn about compromise in a relationship. It felt really good.
“What’s cracking for tonight?” Lester asked one Friday night.
“Isn’t tonight our bowling night?”
“That it is. I look forward to kicking some butt tonight. I hope you bring your A-game.”
“Consider it brought,” Damita said.
“Oh yeah, I love a challenge. It’s on tonight!”
“Are you sure we’re still talking about bowling?” Damita asked.
“Hell yeah. Oh. . .and that other stuff, too,” he said, laughing.
“I should have known.”
“I’m going to go hang out at Constance’s house for a while. She called me today and I was busy at work and couldn’t talk. She sounded like she was having a bad day. You can pick us up over there when you’re ready.”
“No problem!”
When Damita arrived, Constance seemed out of sorts. She kept checking and rechecking the locks and the face Damita usually associated with being consistently pleasant and smiling, now had a pained expression.
“Constance, please come and sit down.”
Even after she sat down she continued to shift uncomfortably in her seat and glanced frequently toward the window.
“Lester should be here soon. He’s coming to pick us up so we can go bowling,” Damita reminded Constance.
Constance looked fearful. “I don’t think we should go tonight,” Constance said.
“Okay, Constance, tell me right now what’s going on. I’m worried about you.”
“Damita, I think he’s back.”
“What makes you think that? Why would he come back after all these years?”
“He’s back to destroy my happiness.”
Damita tried her best to reassure her. “No, Constance. You’re fine. He’s not back. You’re experiencing some anxiety, that’s all. You’ve been working so hard lately at work. All you need is a vacation.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice? I don’t remember the last time I’ve been on a real vacation,” Constance said.
“Then, maybe we should plan one. I could use a vacation myself.”
“I’ve always been resentful that because of Neal I missed my trip to Jamaica. Why don’t we go there? We could get some sun, do a little swimming, go to the spa. What do you think?”
“It sounds glorious.”
“Then, that’s what we’ll do.”
“Damita, you know the reason I never go on vacation?”
“No. Why?”
“I’m afraid of running into him or anyone that might know him. I feel protected here. I feel like the risk of running into him or someone who knows him is greatly reduced in Seattle. Now, a place like Jamaica, you never can tell.”
“I never thought about it that way. I can’t imagine being in Jamaica having fun and running into my mother or Carmella, or even one of my former coworkers from Underhill. I would hate it if they found out I was alive that way.”
“I’m worried for different reasons. I’m afraid that if Jack finds me he will kill me. He vowed he would never give me up. Once he told me he would rather see me dead than to allow someone else to have me. The moment I heard those words, I knew life would never be normal for me ever again.”
“Open up, it’s the police,” Lester said, joking around and knocking on the door.
“Stay there, Constance. I’ll get it.” She opened the door and let him in. “Chill out tonight. Your sister thinks Jack may be back and she’s freaking out.”