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Date Posted: 01:44:56 10/09/07 Tue
Author: Hannah
Author Host/IP: port178.dialup.bfree.on.ca / 66.207.116.178
Subject: Northern Woods, Chapter 127
In reply to: Hannah 's message, "Northern Woods" on 17:50:56 09/23/07 Sun

Chapter 127

Meanwhile, at the hotel, Lakeisha was sitting next to Nikita in the Samuelle suite drinking coffee, while Adam played quietly on the carpet with the few small cars and trucks his parents had bought for him.

“So.. how was your date with Willie?” Nikita asked slyly.

‘Oh…. I hope everything went okay.’ Nikita thought. ‘Lakeisha loves him so much and she’s waited so long for him to notice her!’

However, to Nikita’s dismay, her friend’s reaction was hardly positive…

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lakeisha mumbled into her coffee cup as she avoided her friend’s gaze.

A blonde brow rose in concern as Nikita considered the reasons for such a comment.

‘Either that was some date, or Willie’s done something to upset her.’ Nikita thought in surprise. ‘Oh I hope he hasn’t! He can be quite obtuse at times!’

So instead of commenting further, Nikita kept silent and continued to drink her coffee. Lakeisha didn’t offer any more conversation, so the two of them sat silently for a time, until Lakeisha looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes.

“Oh Keisha!” Nikita exclaimed softly. She quickly set her cup down on the coffee table and gently took her friend’s cup from her trembling hand to place it there as well. Moving closer, Nikita wrapped her arms around her friend and guided her head to her shoulder. Wordlessly she rocked her sobbing friend until Lakeisha gently pushed out of her arms.

“I have to go.” Lakeisha whispered.

“Where?” Nikita replied softly as she continued to grasp her friend’s hands tightly. “To your room? Talk to me sweetheart. I want to help.”

“There’s nothing you can do, Nikita.” Lakeisha sobbed.

“I can listen.” Nikita insisted quietly. “You’ve always been there for me. Don’t shut me out.”

Lakeisha nodded and whispered. “All right.”

“Willie did something, didn’t he?” Nikita probed gently.

“Yeah, he did.” The lovely black woman replied softly.

“What?” Nikita gently prodded.

“Everything… everything started out wonderfully last night.” Lakeisha began hesitatingly. “Willie called me and asked me out. Oh Nikita… do you know how long I’ve waited for that to happen?”

“Yes honey, I do.” Nikita said gently as she cupped her friend’s tear streaked face in her soft hands.

“We went to the hotel’s fancy restaurant upstairs.” Lakeisha said quietly. “It’s beautiful up there Nikita. Everything was perfect until… until…”

“Until what?” Nikita asked softly; giving her friend her full attention.

“Until she came in.” Lakeisha sobbed.

“Who?” a puzzled Nikita replied.

“Oh I don’t know. What does it matter anyway?” Lakeisha spat out in a heart wrenching sob. “She was glamorous, and obviously rich… and Willie stopped talking to me and stared at her for the rest of the evening. I might as well have been a chair… or part of the floral arrangement on the table.”

“You mean to tell me that he sat there staring at another woman while he was with you?” an outraged Nikita softly inquired.

Lakeisha nodded.

Nikita shut her eyes and sighed deeply.

‘Willie has to be one of the most insensitive men I’ve ever met. Charming… yes. Handsome… yes, but with no clue how to treat a girl and no concept of what a jerk he is.’

“Keisha, I’m so sorry that happened.” Nikita said sincerely. “I’d be upset if that happened to me too. Willie’s a jerk, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah.” Lakeisha whispered, as she wiped away her tears.

“So what did you do?” Nikita asked kindly.

“I told him I was going to the ladies room but I left instead. I don’t think he even noticed, Nikita. I went back to my room and about half an hour later I heard him knocking at the door, but I just ignored him and shut out the light.” Lakeisha replied.

“Did he say anything while he knocked… like ‘I’m sorry’?” Nikita asked quietly.

“Yes.” Lakeisha said softly. “I could hear him muttering …”

“What did he say?” Nikita interrupted gently.

“He kept saying ‘what’s her problem?’” Lakeisha reluctantly admitted.

Nikita shut her eyes, sighed and shook her head. Then she reopened her eyes and refocused on her friend. “And how long did you sit there in the dark crying?” she asked sadly.

“I don’t know. Finally he stopped knocking and went away.” Lakeisha admitted.

“I’m so sorry Keisha-honey.” Nikita whispered as she hugged her friend tightly. “You don’t deserve that.”

“I’ve had it, Nikita.” A now determined Lakeisha stated firmly. “I’ve waited a long time for him to ask me out and when he finally does, he ignores me. I’m going back to Toronto.”

“To what? An empty house? Come on Keisha, you can’t let Willie win.” Nikita said with a slight grin.

“Win?” Keisha asked in confusion; staring through bleary eyes at her blonde friend. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re a beautiful woman Keisha and Willie doesn’t deserve you. Besides, I think my darling ‘brother’ needs a taste of his own medicine.” Nikita stated firmly.

“What do you mean?” Lakeisha said with a frown of confusion.

“Remember the party Michael’s giving me next week?” Nikita said conspiringly.

“Uh huh.” Lakeisha acknowledged softly as she dried her tears with some tissues that Nikita handed to her.

“Well… Michael told me that he thinks that one or two of the handsome, rich… eligible men who will be there would definitely be interested in a certain attractive friend of mine.” Nikita said with a twinkle in her bright eyes. “And it wouldn’t hurt to let Willie squirm a little, now would it?”

“You mean, make Willie jealous?” Lakeisha said doubtfully. “I don’t know, Nikita. I’m not up to pretence. I really care for Willie, but it’s obvious that he doesn’t care about me.”

“So don’t pretend. Forget Willie for one night and just come to the party and have fun.” Nikita said with a determined gleam in her powder blue eyes.

“But he’ll be there, Nikita…” Lakeisha began in objection.

“Ignore him. He needs to know how it feels. Besides, maybe my attractive friend will meet another man at the party who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. You never know, now do you? I never thought I’d meet someone as wonderful as my Michael.”

“Date on the rebound?” Lakeisha said in a disgusted tone. “Nikita, I don’t know…”

“No… you don’t know and neither do I.” Nikita said firmly. “I realize that. What I do know is that I have to go to this party and the only one I’m going to know there is Michael… and his buddy Chuck. I want you to be there Keisha. I have to go shopping for a dress… and Michael said he’d get you whatever dress you wanted too. His treat. What do you say?”

“I…” Lakeisha faltered.

“Say yes, Keisha. Please say yes.” Nikita pleaded. “If you do meet someone, he doesn’t need to become the ‘love of your life’; but he could turn out to be just that. As I said earlier, I don’t know that and neither do you. What I do know is that I need you to be there and you need to be there too. You need to have some fun. Running home to Toronto isn’t going to do you any good.”

“I don’t know, Nikita.” Lakeisha replied.

“You know I’m right, but just think about it sweetie. That’s all I ask.” Nikita replied. “I’m not really looking forward to this party, but it’s important to Michael.”

“You’re not?” Lakeisha said in surprise. “Why?”

“Don’t get me wrong… I want to meet Michael’s friends, but would you want to go to a party if the guest list included all of your husband’s former girlfriends?” Nikita asked seriously.

Lakeisha shuddered, staring incredulously at her friend. “No. Why are they going to be there?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention that?” Nikita said with a sigh. “He dated the daughters of business associates and when the party was planned, he felt he had to invite them or their parents would be upset.”

“He didn’t!” Lakeisha exclaimed in horror as her mental picture of Michael’s perfection crumbled. “Oh Nikita, I’m so sorry!”

“Why are you sorry?” Nikita replied with a resigned sigh. “What is, is. What I need you to do is be there with me.”

“You do?” Lakeisha replied.

“Yes.” Nikita replied. “I need my friend’s moral support. Don’t misunderstand. I know Michael loves me and I’m not really worried about any of them, but I do find the situation just a little creepy.”

‘Creepy is an understatement.’ Lakeisha thought incredulously. ‘How could Michael be so thoughtless?’

“And Willie will be there as your bodyguard.” Lakeisha said, mentally picturing the upcoming event.

“Yes, he will.” Nikita said with a smirk. “He’s going to be there… *working*. You, however, will be there as my guest and you’re going to have fun. Willie will be forced to watch you have fun.”

“And if some attractive man seems interested, Willie will be forced to watch that too, won’t he?” Lakeisha asked with a small grin as she began to get into the spirit and see the possibilities.

“Yes, he will.” Nikita said firmly. “Maybe, just maybe that will make him realize how being ignored feels. He needs to learn that.”

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