Dr. Knowles

Late Night

I walked over to the bar and saw lucky Louise.  He gave me my regular and we chatted up for a bit. I looked around and I couldn't believe who I saw....Mr. Carter.

He was sitting in the middle of the room watching the performance. I never would've taken him for the jazz/ poetry kind of guy but who am I to say, I don't know the man. I stared intently at him until he looked up. I turned around before our eyes met and started talking to lucky Louise again .

We talked for a couple minutes before I heard a familiar baritone voice come up from behind.

"Hello, Dr.Knowles" he spoke as chills went up and down my spine.

I turned around to see Mr.carter gazing at me.

"Hello Mr.Carter. fancy meeting you here."

"I would say the same. I didn't picture you as the jazz kind of girl"

"What did you picture me as? "

"More r and b maybe a little hip hop."

"Well I'm very eclectic when it comes to my music. You never know where you might find me."

"That's good to know."

"So why are you here so late or early?"

"I come here to think. Relax sort of, it takes my mind off things for a while" Carter had a tinge of sadness in his eye and I could tell something was bothering him.

"Want to talk?"

"Nah you wouldn't want to hear about my issues?"

"I would actually. You seem like such a calm and drama free man. What could possibly be bothering you?"

He gave a slight chuckle before he sat down at the bar next to me.

"Well as you know, today Jerome opened up about his mom, he hasn't before so I wanted to know from his mouth what exactly was going on in his head. He told me that he felt like I was hard on him. He wants to be so tough and hard. He thinks he can handle the world but he can't. I don't want him hurt. I never had my father to teach me how to be a man so I don't know how to teach my son. I take it one day at a time. I try my hardest to be there for him and show him how to handle things, but  its too much pressure sometimes. I don't know if I can handle it." Carter looked off into space as he talked and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He didn't have an example and he doesn't know how to be one.

"Mr.Carter--"

"Call me Shawn"

"Ok Shawn...listen to me and listen good. You are a great father to Jerome. You have shown him the best way you know how. He is a great kid and I know it. He has potential and I'm not just saying that because I'm a principal. I really see it. He's smart all he has to do is, keep applying himself. Jerome is at the top of his class. He's got a little tough side to him, but that's nothing. You can help him with that. Teach him to not always be so rough. There's a time and a place and he needs to learn when and where to act like that. Don't beat yourself over it. Its not your fault.Ok?"

Shawn looked at me and smiled.

"Dr. Knowles--"

"Call me Beyoncé"

"Ok Beyoncé, thank you. can I buy a drink?"

"No problem, if you need me im here. That goes for you and bab and I guess one wouldn't hurt."

"Bab?"

"Oh yea" I blushed. I wasn't quite sure if I should tell Shawn about Jerome's little nickname around school. "Its...um...it stands for something. it doesn't matter." I smiled through my teeth hoping he wouldn't ask me to elaborate. He ordered me a drink while I asked him questions.

"Where you from carter?"

"New York and you?"

"Houston Texas baby"

"Ahh I knew you were from somewhere. You have a think accent"

"Oh sorry" I blushed and put my head down.

"Its Ok. I like it. Its cute." Shawn said as he nudged me causing me to blush even harder.

"Thank you, so how old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm 30 turning 31 on December 4th. How about you?"

"Well I'm 24. What time is it?"

"3:30" he said with a hint of sadness probably thinking I was gonna leave.

"Well never mind then. I'm 25. Today is officially my birthday. whoopie" I said with fake enthusiasm.

"Well happy birthday. You don't seem too enthused. "

"I'm not. Its only been three hours since my birthday and its already gone horribly wrong."

"How so?"

"Well I  stayed after school as you know but that wasn't really an issue. I come home and no one is home. I was expecting my fiance, Michael but, He hadn't come home yet. I called his cell but he didn't pick up. Then I called his job and they said he left work at 3. He comes home late as hell talking about bey. Bey. Bey.  I see him and he's just like hey. I asked him where he was and he starts talking about how he had a huge client at work today and that he was working. That's bullshit and I know it--"

"He's  a lawyer?"

"Yea"

"What firm?"

"Babcock inc."

"What's his last name?"

"Ealy..."

"Im a client there. I didn't know you're fiance was Michael ealy."

"Yea well. That's great but what does that have to do with anything?"

"I was there today. we were working on a company lawsuit."

"So what're you saying?"

"I'm saying he was at work. Maybe he left and came back, but we were there working together"

"Oh my god, I feel like such an ass. How could I yell at him like that? Shawn what am I gonna do?"

"Go home and make it up to him. I guess. That was kind of mean."

"Oh my god. Thank you so much." I  hugged Shawn and gave him a cheek kiss as I left through the door. I was most definitely gonna make it up to my baby today even If it is on MY birthday.