The Professor - Ch. 27.2

Unfortunately for Baron, Aurelia heard every single word his loud talking brother said from beginning to end. Even now, she was putting her clothes back on. Having kept her garments to a minimum tonight and with her experience as a stripper, she was dressed and ready to go in under five minutes.

Then while Baron proceeded to help his brother get undressed and settled into bed, Aurelia snuck downstairs with her boots in hand, opened the front door, and left. She would put her shoes on in the car or else simply drive barefoot tonight.

Aurelia could handle social class issues in her private life, had even gone through them before with Marshall and his uncle. But racism? No. She refused to be with a man whose family looked down on others for things that simply couldn’t be helped.

Wealth was no respecter of persons. Anyone could attain it and usually did. But skin color was genetic. One simply had no choice in the matter, though some may argue that point considering sunbathers and, of course, Michael Jackson and Earl Weaver.

I wonder if Dingo knows about Raven, Aurelia mused, recalling those two unfortunate pieces of Marquess’ medical history that had dropped into her lap tonight. I’ll call Crystal and put her on the alert before I leave tomorrow, she decided, running quietly towards the garage area.

* * *

Baron didn’t hear the front door open and close, but he sure heard Aurelia’s car start up and zoom away from his house. The sound of a Volkswagen’s engine was pretty hard to miss.

She heard my stupid brother! Baron realized, quickly running downstairs.

He flung the front door open in hopes of catching Aurelia before she left. But it was too late. She was gone. He could hear the engine on full throttle from here.

Closing the door and locking it, Baron ran back upstairs to his bedroom where his cell phone was, which contained her number on speed dial. He called Aurelia’s cell phone only to find out that she had turned it off. He quickly sent her a text message even though he knew she wouldn’t receive it until she actually turned the phone back on.

That message read: Can’t we talk about it?

Tempted to get dressed and drive over to her place, Baron nevertheless refrained. The sound of Marquess puking out his guts down the hall swayed him. He had to make sure his brother was all right first, even though it was he that caused all this trouble tonight.

On top of that, Baron had class in the morning and a 7am breakfast meeting with the dean and the other instructors in the science department. With it being almost 4am now, he was already going to be functioning on very little sleep after his long night with Aurelia.

Baron’s night suddenly got longer when he walked into the guest bedroom Marquess occupied and saw vomit some of everywhere. Even on the headboard.

“Don’t you dare go in my closet!” Baron scolded loudly, stopping his brother before he relieved himself among the hangers again. “I barely got the smell out from the last time you mistook this closet for a bathroom.”

“Ain’t my fault you got a closet where a bathroom should be,” Marquess replied, staggering towards the real bathroom in the adjoining room.

“Nothing’s ever your fault,” Baron grumbled, snatching soiled sheets from the bed.

As he went about the task of cleaning up behind his brother, he made plans to call Aurelia after his morning meeting. He just hoped she’d turned her cell phone back on by then and would be more conducive to taking his calls.

* * *

As Aurelia continued to speed away, she failed to see the black jeep following her. The driver of the second vehicle drove with one hand. He held a mini-recorder up to his mouth with the other.

“Subject and her beau looks like they just had a big fight. Probably caused by his late night guest. They might make up considering the loud night of passion they just had. It’s still too soon to tell,” the P.I. said, determined to wait outside Aurelia’s apartment building just in case Baron showed up later to reconcile.

After freeing his hands of the recorder, the P.I. picked up his cell phone and dialed the number to a local private duty nurse. It was time to check on his beloved sick wife.

* * *

An hour later, Baron finally got a return text message from Aurelia. It read: Nope!

Please, he typed, starting to feel desperate inside.

Nope! Now leave this ‘black girl’ alone. 4 good! Aurelia replied in her final text message before turning her phone off again.

Baron became dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe she was dumping him after the wonderful night they just had, after all those declarations of love, and after all the trouble they’d gone through to be together.

No! Baron lamented inside. This just can not be happening!

© 2009 by Mi’Chelle Dodson/Suprina Frazier