Duke's Jazz

Chapter 8

Two days after the store opening

Jasmine

I was lying in my bed reading recipes for the store before bed when my cell phone started ringing with a number I didn’t know. “Hello?”

“Hi Jazz, it’s me Duke.” I knew it was him from his ‘hi’. It wasn’t like he had to tell me his name. Caught in my thoughts “Sorry, I hope you don’t mind I got your number from Sam? Also, I am sorry I woke you, I will call you later.” He sounded regretful.

“Not its fine, don’t hang up.” I rushed before he hung up hoping he heard me.

“Okay, so how was the opening?” his mood did a one-eighty, making me smile.

“It was well sold a lot and had a lot of requests for products nothing I can’t handle.” I smile since I am proud of work. “So, how is the family business?” I ask.

“Busy, you would believe the s**t I have to deal with, I had to stay late the last two nights in order to make sure that contracts were all solid before we started cutting.” I always knew he hated the ideal of becoming the head of the company but he sounded like he was enjoying his work.

“Really, now that sounds like fun, so what do you enjoy more working for the family or working for the military?” once it was out I regret asking, considering I knew Eva might be brought up in this conversation and I really didn’t want to hear about her.

“To be honest, it feels the same, but I tell you that I am starting to miss military life.”

“Why is that?” I am curious now.

“Well, it’s faster past and I liked not having to sit at a desk and hold conference calls all day.” If that was the case why did he retire?

“So, why did you retire then?” I noticed, I asked without thinking, hell it wasn’t even my business.

“I got shot below my knee while I was on active duty. They say it’s a miracle I still even have the lower half of my right leg, but they were able to fix me. When I recovered, they informed me I could run again, but they gave me the choice of honorable dischargeetirement or teaching newbies. I figured I might as well come home and deal with paper work.” It hurt knowing he had been hurt and taken away from the job he loved. I felt tears starting in my eyes and I felt the pain he must have felt.

“Jazz are you still there?” a little panicked

“Yeah I am still here.” I said, wiping the tears from my eyes with the back of my hands.

“I can’t believe you had a kid, and he looks so much like you with those beautiful storm-colored blue eyes.” I started laughing in my head. He really thought Avery looked like me. Why couldn’t he notice his own carbon copy?

“I can’t believe it myself some days, and boy is he smart. The other day, I got a phone call from the school and I thought ‘oh s**t’. What did he do now? It turns out they wanted to stick him in advanced classes and they needed my approval since Avery was excited about getting started.” I smiled at the achievements my son has made in the nine years of his life.

“He has to be smart to protect his mom one day.” It made me think about the fact that Avery had both mine and Duke's brains when it could go to school. He could strategize better than most and he could remember anything you taught him.

“It’s been killing me to know where his dad is?” How do I answer this question? I mean really how? Let’s see ‘well his dad was a married man and had another family.’ Okay true, but not going to work since it’s a loaded answer. Hmm ‘He just left.’ Another true one, I thought of a hundred different answers so I said f**k it.

“He just wasn’t around.” I said, hoping he wouldn’t ask more questions.

“He is a dumb SOB considering he left that little boy. I want you to know, Jazz, if you and Avery ever and ever need anything, you give me a call, okay?” I was sad and a little happy. He just called himself a ‘son of a b*****’.

“Why don’t you stop by tomorrow if you get the chance and we can plan our outing?” Okay, I really didn’t want to say date and get my hopes up, and get crushed if he said it wasn’t a date.

“An outing, woman. What do you take me for because we are going out a DATE?” I heard him laughing into the phone muttering about the work outing. I have to admit my stomach was doing flip flops thinking about the fact he said date.

“So, are you going to come to the store, so we can plan our date or not?” I tried to sound a little offended about the comment about an outing, but what can I say, I was giddy as hell.

“Yeah, I will be there about three o’clock, but I am going to let you go since I have an early morning.” He sounded sad.

“That’s fine. I have to consider it's midnight and we have been talking for two hours. I will be tired when I have to awake Avery up for school in the morning, but hey, it’s the perks of being a mom.” I ended with a sigh.

“Good night Jazz, I will see you tomorrow.” Yawning into the phone.

“Good night Duke.” I said, hanging up.

As I was putting down the phone, it rang again. “Duke, I said….”

“Honey, it's grandma, I am calling this late because a friend of mine in hospital and I am going to stay with her, so you will have the pick up Avery from school is that okay?” She asked, rushing.

“Yeah, that’s fine, I hope your friend gets better. Grandma, I love you.”

“I love you too, and don’t you forget that I know you talked to Duke and we will be talking about this later. Now I have to go.” She hung up before I could defend myself. Smiling, I fell asleep and dreamt about Duke.