“If he wants to see me, he needs to come and see me,” she said, and was about to close the door in Don’s face.
But he stopped her again. “I’m gonna say this as a big brother to his little sis,” he said. “If you care at all about that man, and still wanna try to make something work with him, you’d better come with me. Because I assure you, this is going to be your one and only chance. He’s giving you a second chance already. Don’t blow it, sis.”
Don looked so sincere, as if he knew she actually stood a chance and wanted her to grab it. But a chance to be what? Edmund’s mistress like that Teri woman?
But Edmund didn’t treat her like he wanted her that way. Or did he? It was too early to tell.
“Have a safe drive back to Atlanta,” she said and was about to close her door for the third time.
But Don intervened again. “You owe him, Maude,” he said.
“I owe him?” That got her attention. “What do I owe that man?”
“Nineteen hours,” he said. “Because that’s how long it would have taken for you to ride back to Dillon. Not to mention that suite he put you in at the hospital. Not to mention the way he got you that chicken when you wanted it.”
Maude even smiled.
“He saved you that long ride on that bus and saved you from all that hospital food too? The least you can do is give him a couple hours of your time, Maude. At least you can do that.”
Maude exhaled. “You’re full of shit, you know that right?” she said to Don.
Don smiled a mischievously big smile. “Who me?”
But he was right. The least she could do was hear the man out and, hopefully, accept his apology.
“Let me get my phone,” she said and closed the door this time.
Don texted Wyatt, who was waiting outside in the Tahoe. “It’s a go,” he said with a black thumbs up.
Wyatt texted him back with a white thumbs up.
But when Maude came out in her bike shorts and sleeveless blouse and sneakers, looking even younger than she already was, Don smiled. She and his boss were so unalike that it baffled him still. But he learned long ago that a man couldn’t help who he loved.
But when they made it downstairs, it was Maude who was baffled. Because Sam, who was talking with another tenant, hurried over to her.
“I didn’t forget,” he said.
“Don’t start that again, Sam,” she said.
“Start what?” He handed her the receipt.
“What’s this?”
“He told me to give it to you.”
“Give what to me?”
“The receipt. That white man paid your rent for the rest of the year yesterday.”
Maude looked at him. “Hewhat?”
“Eleven thousand five hundred dollars. The includes your late fees. You’re all paid up until January of next year.”
Maude looked at Don. Don was as flabbergasted as she was.
“And tell him I ain’t said nothing bad about you,” Sam said. “I don’t want no trouble.”
Maude didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, and she didn’t care. All she could see was that receipt showing that she was paid in full until next year. It was such a big gift that forsome strange reason she didn’t feel offended the way she did last night when he wanted to help get her caught up. Which stunned her. Why wasn’t she offended?
