"I wanna pick you up whenever you're down baby
I'm gonna make you stop when you're in my town baby
You make me pour some rum when you're not around
I was lost, but now I am found
If I know somethin', I know it sounds crazy
It's gonna feel so good whenever I'm close to you
Promising I'll do the things that you want me to
Whenever you need some, you know I got some
I hope you don't plan on making me run
All you gotta do is call me up and I'll come"
Emmavie – "Tune"
Adonis Creed knew from jump that Damian Anderson coming back into his life was the universe's way of telling him that some debts had to be paid in full. It cost to be the boss and walking into his regular grub spot had him on a hook for his past.
The two men slid into a booth across from one another and his regular server greeted him right away with a sunny smile and an even sunnier disposition. Freda was an older woman who had worked at the neighborhood restaurant for over twenty years. She knew Donnie from when he first moved in with Mary Anne, Athena, and Apollo Jr.—A.J.
"The usual, Donnie?" Freda asked, not bothering to give him a menu.
Her thick salt and pepper hair sat stacked on her head in a pretty bun. If she dyed her hair, she could knock off a good ten years and fool people into thinking she was in her early thirties instead of the sexy mature catch she enjoyed being. Before he married Bianca, Donnie used to flirt with Freda all the time, until her husband, the owner of the spot, told him to back his young ass down. She still enjoyed the playful teasing he gave her about running off to Paris with him.
"Yeah. I only want egg whites for my omelet, though," he said.
"And what about you, young man? Can I start you off with something to drink first?"
Freda held a menu out to Damian.
"I'll have whatever he ordered," Damian said.
"You got it, hun," she said.
Freda stepped away from their table, writing nothing down. The two men stared at one another warily.
"Hope you brought a big appetite. She's gonna bring back a monster plate with sides," Donnie said.
Damian rubbed his stomach, then folded his hands on the top of the table. There was no sense beating around the bush with the man. Donnie cleared his throat and leaned forward.
"How long were you locked up?" Donnie said.
"Eighteen years, bruh. Just got out last week."
"Shit."
Donnie glanced down at his hands. He used to write to Damian. Tried to keep consistent. He even used his own allowance money to send him something. Purely out of guilt. He tried so hard to be Damian's friend and got them caught up in some mess that tore them apart. Damian kept Donnie streetwise and connected to the real world. Being dropped into an insanely wealthy family out of the blue at age ten had him acting like a real-life Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Damian was book smart and street smart, and Donnie wanted to maintain that balance, too. Mary Anne had him connecting with well-off Black families and celebrities that knew and loved his father. The difficulty of juggling where he fit wasn't helped by the animosity of his new older siblings. It took A.J. a few years to adjust to having a baby brother that came from some strange cocaine junkie who had a one-night stand with the boxing champion of the world. A.J. eventually accepted him as a past indiscretion in their father's life. They grew close.
Athena…
She never accepted him totally. Never forgave her father, even in death, for hurting their mother. Donnie was the constant reminder that her daddy wasn't perfect and embarrassed the family. Over the years, she treated him as Mary Anne's pet but pretended to be welcoming and warm for interviews or family gatherings when they were teenagers. He learned to ignore her discomfort and simmering disdain. They stayed cordial and created a sibling dynamic that eventually became a begrudging liking of each other for the sake of their love for Mary Anne as adults.
Freda brought them water and juice along with big plates. Donnie fingered his toast.
"Glad to have you back out," Donnie said.
"I know I've been away a long time, but I've kept myself in shape. I still got gas in the tank."
"Come by the gym."
"Thank you."
"You were one of the best."
"Still am," Damian said with a shy grin.
They ate some food in silence, and Donnie noticed how hungry Damian was. He licked his fingers constantly. Donnie pretended to get full fast and pushed his half stack of pancakes toward him.
"Finish this man. I hate wasting food. My eyes were bigger than my stomach today."
Damian nodded his thanks and attacked the stack. He slowed down when Freda brought them fresh glasses of water and orange juice. When they finished the meal, they stayed at the table and Donnie ordered them coffee to go.
They took a long drive around Venice Beach. Damian told him he liked to ride the bus there every day to get his mind clear. Donnie parked in a lot near the sand and they watched the waves roll in.
"I'm sorry I stopped writing you… sending money. Once I got to college and started down a business degree, Mary Anne… she kept me on a tight leash to do well and I—"
"Don't worry about it. The letters you sent me were enough to keep me motivated. But I still had money on my books."
"Must've been Mary Anne. She made me stop sending money online. Maybe she wanted me to focus on my life and she'd give you the funds instead."
"A good woman."
"Yeah, she is."
Damian dug into his jean pocket and pulled out a letter. Donnie took it and read all the words.
"This still stands, man," Donnie said.
Damian smiled.
"All I need is for you to open the door. I can do the rest on my own."
"I'll hook you up with free membership to the gym… and a trainer."
"I'm looking for a job. Might take some time. Still figuring out things being free. Everything moves so fast on the outside. Most days I feel like I was frozen in time and can't catch up. I stood in a coffee shop on my first day out and watched people pay for coffee and donuts by tapping their phones on the register. For a minute, I thought everything was cashless, and I was freaking out. Technology just went warp speed. Things are loud all around me and it feels like a billion people live in L.A. now. I feel far behind… like I'm in a whole different dimension than everyone else."
"Take your time. I'll see what I can do to help you find employment. Where do you stay?"
"A transitional house downtown. I have to stay there for another month and then I can look for my own place. L.A. is so fucking expensive. I'll probably stay on the East side."
Donnie kept his eyes on the water.
"I don't know if I can ever thank you enough for what you did," Donnie said.
"Mary Anne helped make sure I could be up for parole with that lawyer she got me. Right now, everything is on me. Letting me use the gym, getting me a trainer and stuff… you've done your part. You kept your word. That means a lot. Real talk… everyone else who I thought was on my side bailed, man. Family. Old homies. You're the only person who didn't turn me away or ignore me. I was lucky your sister found me out on the street. I owe her."
"Nah, man. Athena's wrapped a little too tight. Best to leave her alone. This is probably her one good deed for the year."
"She seemed cool. Didn't kick me away like a stray dog."
Donnie checked the time in his car.
"Can I give you a ride back to your spot? I have to pick up my daughter soon."
"Yeah, that's cool. Thanks."
Donnie typed in the location of the halfway house on his cell and drove Damian onto a crowded freeway.
"Damn, this shit is packed," Damian said.
As far as the eye could see, there was only the scarlet red of rear car lights in the stop and stop yet again traffic. It took forever to get downtown. The transitional housing complex was lodged between an auto shop and a church in a seedy area.
"Come through to Delphi tomorrow at ten. I'll show you around, hook you up and we can talk more," Donnie said.
He held up his hand, and they clasped palms.
"I'll be there," Damian said.
Donnie watched him leave his car and grab the black bag he had toted from the back. Once Damian was gone from his sight, he headed out to pick up his daughter Amara from her private school in Los Feliz. He tapped his cell and Bianca's voice filled the car.
"Hey," Bianca said.
"On my way to pick up Ladybug. Do I need to bring anything home from the store?"
"No, I have a lasagna ready for the oven when you two make it back."
"Ok, cool."
"What's up?"
"Whatchu mean?"
"You sound funny. Did Tony bug you about doing the exhibition again?"
"Nah. I ran into an old friend today. He just got out of prison."
"Who is this?"
"I'll tell you about it later. Seeing him made me remember some old times. Haven't seen him in almost eighteen years."
"Mary Anne left a message for you on the landline. She wants you to call her when you get in, and please… tell me you cleared your schedule to come to the Hollywood Bowl on Friday."
"I did. Rearranged my day just for you."
"A.J. is coming down from Seattle with Janice. I haven't heard from Athena yet."
"If A.J. is flying in, she'll go with us. Ma is bringing her new gentleman friend, too."
"Ooh, she's doing the whole meet the family in a public place routine," Bianca teased.
"She likes him and he makes her smile. I like that. She's been alone a long time and I'm glad she feels comfortable enough to venture out with companionship."
"Me too."
"See ya soon."
Donnie hung up and parked near Amara's school. He scrolled work emails from his agent and thrummed his fingers on the open windowsill of his SUV. Damian stayed on his mind until his favorite little munchkin bounced into view, swinging her book bag and using ASL with fellow deaf classmates. She sprinted to the car when she saw he was driving their SUV instead of Bianca.
"I didn't know you were coming to get me!" Amara's hands signed.
She hugged Donne tight across the console.
He stared at his daughter and moved his hands and fingers with fluid ease.
"I came back from New York early and wanted to surprise you, Ladybug."
Amara hugged him again, then buckled up. Donnie turned up his music, and the bass rattled the SUV. Amara wiggled in her seat and rested her left hand on the console, the vibrations traveling up her arm and through her body.
His daughter was growing like a beanstalk. Slender in body with a slender face and features, she was the apple of his eye. He had followed Rocky's advice and treated his daughter as the blessing she was always going to be. There was no feeling sorry for her being deaf. Amara lived a full and busy life, learning to box at the Delphi under his supervision, while also learning to write poetry from Bianca. Spoiled rotten and loved beyond the stars, she made Donnie and Bianca's life complete.
They stopped off for ice cream and while they waited for their order, their fingers chatted together. Amara could read lips too, and he loved the way she huffed with excitement when she wanted to communicate about her busy day. After stuffing their mouths with Rocky Road and Butter Pecan Toffee sundaes, they drove to their new walled and gated residence in the hills above Los Feliz. Their two-story Spanish-style home was a terraced lot of 1.5 acres with a lagoon pool and spectacular city views.
"Finally made it," Bianca called, and signed to them from the kitchen.
Amara grinned.
"Went for ice cream," Amara signed.
"Didn't bring me any back?" Bianca teased. "Go change your clothes."
Amara dashed out of the kitchen and Donnie wrapped his arms around his wife.
"Smells good in here," he said, looking around.
"Made fresh garlic bread," she said.
Donnie kissed her cheek and ambled over to his home office. There were ten messages on his office phone. He ignored them. Bianca brought him a glass of red wine and he wandered out to the backyard to watch the sun go down.
As the color of the sky shifted and evening settled across the horizon, Donnie forgot about the world outside of his home.
###
Athena Creed held her cell against her stomach and stared at the number on her screen. She vacillated between putting the phone away and tapping the button on the screen several times. Staring out of her luxury penthouse view overlooking South Figueroa, downtown L.A. looked hectic down below. The night always brought it to life with a sultry glamour that had people returning to that part of Los Angeles in droves.
Damian had been on her mind all day.
Observing him plead his case to her mother earlier made her curious. She left the Creed family mansion early so that she could glimpse him close up. His body looked bulky under the jacket and sweatshirt he wore, with dark jeans snug on his gorgeous ass. With a face chiseled to rival the masculine splendor of an Italian sculpture she once saw in Firenze, it struck Athena with how beautiful and gentle Damian seemed. She was the one who had gone to the family emergency safe hidden in a secret room and taken a thousand dollars cash for him to have. She sealed it in an unmarked envelope and passed it off to the private guard to give to Damian. Mary Anne kept her cheeks puffed out and her lips twisted with disgust as she studied Damian's image on the security screen on her cell.
"Adonis has achieved the perfect life, and that hoodlum suddenly shows up," Mary Anne spat as she stomped into her tea room.
Athena hustled herself out quickly. She had a yoga class to attend and a bottle of Chablis waiting for her at home.
But then she saw Damian's face and grew curious. Backed her car up and everything when she glimpsed him walking in her rearview mirror. What she witnessed in him wasn't self-pity or the gloomy energy of a downtrodden man. Firm determination sat etched across his full features.
She tapped the phone.
It rang five times, and she nearly hung up when Damian picked up.
"Hello?"
"Damian?"
"Yeah."
"It's Athena."
The long pause on his end made her think he hung up.
"Damian?"
"I'm here."
"Were you busy?"
"Nah. I was sitting here reading."
Athena walked to her kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine.
"What are you reading?"
"The Forty-Eight Laws of Power."
Athena guffawed.
"Are you really reading that trash book?"
"It was in the book library here."
"Hotep central. That shit is full of contradictions and bullshit cut-and-paste cult maxims that have been used to dupe niggas for years."
"I don't know. It seems good so far."
"You enjoy reading?"
"Yeah. Always have."
"What's the best book you ever read?"
"You called me to talk about books?"
His voice was pleasant.
"I called to see how your reunion went with Adonis."
"It went okay. He's going to meet with me at Delphi tomorrow and hook me up with a trainer."
"How did you feel about seeing him again?"
"Why did you ask for my number?"
Athena stopped her wine glass from reaching her lips.
"I was curious," she said.
"Curious about what?"
"What do you really want with Adonis? He forgot about you after all these years. You expect him to fix your life?"
"No. I can do that on my own."
"How?"
"Getting back into the ring."
"I looked you up," Athena said, moving back into her living room that perched high above the downtown landscape.
Damien kept quiet on his end.
"Still there?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"You were on your way to the Olympics again. Already won a gold Junior Olympics title. Sports agents predicted you would be the next great professional champion. What happened? Why did you throw that all away?"
"I met your brother."
Athena closed her eyes and gripped her phone tight. Fucking Adonis. Whenever he showed up, people's lives changed for the worse.
"What's your favorite book?" he asked.
"Thich Nhat Hanh's 'Peace is Every Step'," she said.
"What's that about?"
"He's a Vietnamese monk. I once did a silent meditation walk with him in San Diego. He teaches we can use the hard things in life that antagonize us and turn them into something positive that connects us to mindfulness."
"I'll have to look for that one in the library."
"I'll let you borrow my copy. It helped me a lot over the years."
"You into all that new age stuff?"
"Thich Nhat Hanh is not new age. He teaches old wisdom. So does Malidoma Somé, Sonbonfu Somé—"
"Slow down, let me write this down—"
"I told you. I can loan you these books."
"You only dig into spiritual stuff?" he said.
"It keeps me focused on my work."
"What do you do?"
Athena grinned. For some strange reason, talking to him over the phone was like talking to a blind date.
"I work for a sports marketing agency. We represent elite athletes, sports teams, and sporting events."
"You like doing that?"
"I love it."
"I have to do some leg reps before it gets late. Can I call you back tomorrow?" he said.
"Sure. I want to hear all the gory details about your day with my brother."
"Wasn't nothing out of the ordinary. We had brunch, and he dropped me off. I'll see him tomorrow at ten and then I can move on with my life."
Athena took a sip of wine. His voice was confident.
"You two didn't talk about what happened in the past?"
"Not in detail. He feels bad and wants to help me. That's it. Can I still call you?"
She grinned.
"Yeah. Call me. I'll be running errands tomorrow. Leave a message if I don't pick up."
"I'll do that."
"Goodnight, Damien."
She hung up first and cradled the phone against her chest. After a few minutes, she checked her schedule on a phone app and rearranged a few appointments. Swiping her fingers across the screen, she highlighted the Delphi Boxing Academy. Ten a.m. on the dot.