We walked together to where the men were congregating.
“Averie, I wanted to say thank you for recommending Sarah, the family attorney. She has been so helpful.”
“Are you still thinking about taking their mother to court?”
“Right now, with the help of a mediator, she and I are okay. I really don’t want to fight in court. Courts don’t favor dads very often in child custody hearings. To get the court to rule in my favor, I would really have to hurt their mother, and I don’t want to do that, but if it comes down to it, I will.”
“I understand. Those things can get very messy.”
“Yes, that’s something that I’m trying to avoid. The girls would be the ones that suffered the most.”
I saw a flash of platinum hair in my periphery. Turning around to see who it was, I laid eyes on the baddest female I’d seen in a long time. Her short, platinum blonde hair complimented her smooth tawny skin. She was talking with two other women in the room adjacent to the area where the men were sitting. One of the women I recognized as Averie’s sister, Keeva, but I didn’t know the other one.
Her smile and bright brown eyes kept me mesmerized until I heard Averie say, “Well, your daughters are even more beautiful in person. If you need anything from me as far as they are concerned, let me know.”
“Thanks, Averie, I appreciate it.”
I went and sat with the men but kept my eye on the pretty platinum lady.
“Her name is Cam. You should go and say hello since you keep staring at her,” Xavier, my mentor and boss said.
“Huh?” I said, turning to look at Xavier.
“Cam, that’s the only single woman in the group that you keep looking at. The one with the blonde hair,” Xavier motioned towards the group of women that I’d been keeping tabs on.
“She’s single?” I asked.
“She’s not married. She works in the beauty salon next to the barbershop where I go,” Xavier answered.
“Oh yeah?”
“Do you need to do shy brother or something?” Xavier chuckled, referencing a scene fromThe Five Heartbeats.
“No, thank you. I can introduce myself,” I laughed.
“Hey Morris,” Averie called just as I was about to make my way over to Cam.
“Yes?”
“We are about to play Spades. Do you want to play?” Averie asked.
“Sure, but I don’t have a partner.”
“Oh, I have a partner for you…Cam,” she called.
Cam stepped away from the group of women she was talking to and walked over to me and Averie.
“Cam, Morris. Morris, Cam.”
1
“Yes, today is their mother’s day to pick them up from school. I am leaving the courthouse downtown right now. I will be there in fifteen minutes.”
“Okay, Mr. Owens, the girls are waiting in the principal’s office. Come straight here when you arrive.”
“Okay, thank you. I am sorry about this.”
“We will talk when you arrive.”