I didnt think you existe.., p.15
I Didn't Think You Existed 2, page 15
I could see out the corner of my eye as she got up and ran toward the kitchen. That was where she kept her first aid kit, but I knew my cuts were a little too deep for some minor Band-Aids plastered here and there. I struggled to stand, then made my way to her favorite recliner, sat down, and tried to catch my breath.
“Oh, baby, look at you,” she cried while cleaning the cuts and scratches on my face with alcohol and then applying antibacterial ointment. “I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but I still think you need to contact the police or at least go to the emergency room.”
“Mama, I said I don’t want to involve the authorities, and if I go to the emergency room, that’s definitely what they’re going to do. I just need to treat these cuts and take a few pain pills. I’ll be okay.”
“I don’t understand this foolishness, David, but you’re a grown man, so I’m going to leave it at that. I’ll get you some water and a couple of muscle relaxers.”
She left the room as I fought to sit up straight. I had heard her say that she was going to leave it at that, but knowing my mother, I figured it was far from over with.
As I sat there, I thought back to yesterday, when I’d received a strange phone call, and something told me that this wasn’t some random incident. Someone had set me up. The call yesterday had been about meeting up with someone regarding a business opportunity. I hadn’t found it odd at the time, because of the line of work I was in. With driving tour buses, a lot of business came directly by word of mouth, so I had figured it was a third party recommended by someone I knew. With that in mind, I had agreed to meet up this morning. However, when I first tried to leave, my car wouldn’t start. I didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with it, because I didn’t want to be late to the meeting. Instead, I hopped on public transportation and went to the Starbucks. I waited there an entire hour and a half, while calling this person over and over again, before realizing they weren’t going to show up. Then, when I was returning home, right up the street two guys jumped out of the bushes in broad daylight and beat the holy crap out of me. I had never seen them before and didn’t have a clue who they were, but my gut continued to tell me that this was connected to Leslie.
A month ago, Mrs. Smith had refused to point me in her direction, so I had ended up going to the police after receiving that text that said only, Die. They did a slight investigation and told me that Leslie had an alibi for each instance when the texts came through. They also stated that the texts were coming from a burner phone, which she was not in the possession of or in the vicinity of. No matter what they had claimed, I knew it was her, because no one else could be behind this. And now, since it appeared she had enlisted some help, I needed to as well. Immediately, I thought of the one person was was just as sneaky and conniving as me: Patricia.
Peculiarly enough, we hadn’t spoken since that day she called off our whole mission. Yet I believed she still owed me for my services, and it was time she paid up. Not being able to wait until I healed, I called her right then and there. She answered, sounding a little weird.
“Hello?” Her breathing was heavy and fast. Maybe I’d caught her while she was exercising or taking a jog.
“Patricia, it’s David.”
“Oh,” was all she said, not sounding the least bit thrilled to hear from me, but little did she know the feeling was mutual. “How can I help you, David?”
“I’m calling because we need to meet up. There are some things I need to discuss with you and could use your help on. And seeing how I helped you out before, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind returning the favor, right?”
“You helped me out? All you did was go to St. Louis on my dime. Anyway, I don’t know about this. I’m not sure that whatever you’re up to, I want to be involved in.”
“Well, sorry, but I’m not taking no for an answer. So, meet me at the Starbucks on Tenth tomorrow at noon. I’ll see you then.”
I hung up without giving her a chance to contest anything. And by tomorrow, I would have myself all cleaned up, would figure out a way to get back at whoever did this to me, and would see where things stood with Patricia and her million bucks. She may have thought I’d forgotten all about it, but naturally, I hadn’t. And that money might very well be my ticket to paying back Leslie for her foolishness.
CHAPTER 25
PATRICIA
“Ooh, baby, faster, harder. Oh, my goodness, Randle. I’m about to cum!” I screamed before releasing every bit of anxiety and tension I had bottled up inside me. Especially after getting that phone call from David, who’d had the nerve to bring up my one million dollars, or the one million that I wouldn’t have. Anyway, I couldn’t believe him or the fact that he was seeking my help with something that he was involved in.
“Who was that on the phone? It wasn’t Terrence, was it?” Randle questioned, rolling over onto his back and trying to settle his breathing. I guessed I’d really taken him for a ride.
“It wasn’t anyone important. But why are you so afraid of Terrence finding out about us?”
“I’m not afraid, but he’s a friend as well as a client. I don’t need him thinking I’m mixing business and pleasure with his soon-to-be ex-wife.”
“Soon-to-be ex? Who said anything about me divorcing my husband?”
“I guess I assumed that with what’s been going on between us for the past month, you would be over that part of your life, Pat.”
“Well, I’m sorry if I’ve led you on, but Terrence is still my husband, who I love deeply.”
“I see,” was all he said, sitting up on the side of the bed.
I had other concerns on my mind, though, and no time to worry about his feelings or his ego. “But, Randle, I do have a legal question for you really quick.”
“Right now?” He looked at me sideways.
“Yes, baby, right now. Anyway, when it comes to verbal agreements, how do those hold up in a court of law?”
“Well, if one or both of the parties can prove that they had an agreement from the start, then that agreement is just as legally binding as a signed contract.”
“And how can anyone actually prove a verbal agreement?”
“Uh, some people have recordings of their agreement or maybe even text messages or emails affirming that something was in place,” he said before getting up and heading for the bathroom.
I knew that David and I didn’t have any recordings, but he might very well still have my initial Facebook message reaching out to him. And I was positive he still had the numerous texts we’d sent back and forth when he headed to St. Louis. Needless to say, I knew I’d gotten myself into a real pickle, which I had to figure out how to get out of by tomorrow. I wasn’t going to let David scare me, though. This ball was still in my court, and he’d learn at this so-called meeting tomorrow whom to fuck with and whom not.
Randle came walking back in, buck naked, and I was more than ready for round two. I guessed I was making up for all the time that Terrence had been out doing his thing with Ms. Tate. But now it was my turn, and I couldn’t care less that Randle was his friend and attorney. He made me feel good. Unlike Terrence, Randle was interested in me. He asked about my likes and dislikes, he encouraged me, and he made me feel beautiful and, most of all, desired. We’d spent almost every day with one another after leaving his office that day. He’d bought me flowers, taken me on dates. He courted me like a man was supposed to. But just when I thought that things were great, he had to go and sour the entire mood.
“So, if you’re done asking your questions, I have a question of my own. Are you really still in love with your husband? Is love what’s stopping you from starting the divorce process, or is it that you don’t want him to end up with the money and be with another woman?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking these things, because I thought I’d made myself clear when we discussed it the other ten times before. I got up and put on my robe, because I could already see that there would surely be no round two.
“Didn’t we talk about this already?” I replied.
“Yes, we tried, but you didn’t give me an answer then either, so I thought you might be ready now.”
“Look, it’s all just complicated, all right?”
“No one is making it complicated but you and Terrence, and you two don’t even want each other. I mean, you’re having sex with me, and he’s with—”
I cut him off with rapid-fire questions. “With whom? Has he confided in you? Has he told you about him and that coworker of his?”
“Why the hell are you so obsessed with that woman anyway? Damn,” he yelled at me.
I’d never seen that side of Randle, and I wasn’t sure if I was upset or turned on more by it. “It’s not that I’m obsessed, Randle. He’s my husband, for goodness’ sake.”
“So, what am I? Just some good dick to keep you company until you and Terrence figure out what you’re doing? Because I’m not going to be the side dick or rebound brother, Pat. That’s not where I am in my life. I thought we might have been on the same page.” He grabbed his jeans and started to slide them on.
I couldn’t believe that after having such an amazing time with each other, things were turning out this way. I crawled up behind him and threw my arms around his neck. “Randle, please, would you stop being so dramatic! You know that you’re not my side dick or rebound. But I just thought we were having fun, without complicating things.”
“Oh, fun. Fun is what you want? So, you mean you want a brother that has sex with you and then you bounce? You want someone that doesn’t call or text just to see how your day is going? You want someone that’s not concerned about building a home for you and your sons? You want fun? Well, Patricia, maybe I’m not the fun boy that you want, because I’m a grown fucking man. I had fun in my twenties. Now it’s about building a life and a future. So, I guess when you’re out of the fun stage and you’re finally ready to let go of a man that’s clearly showing you he doesn’t want you, then give me call. I might still be around.”
Randle grabbed his shirt and left me sitting there, looking foolish. I got up and walked over to my mirror and took a good look at myself. “What’s wrong with you, Pat? Here you are with a wonderful man in your life who’s wanting to do all the things you’ve been begging your husband to do. Yet you’re trying to hold on to something that’s not there just to get revenge and make Terrence as miserable as he made you. What are you going to do?” I asked myself, speaking aloud.
Next thing I knew, I walked over to my cell phone and started to dial a number. Although there was a small part of me that still didn’t want to do it, the rest of me knew that I needed to do it. I took a deep breath when I finally heard her voice on the other end of the line.
“Hey, Kim. It’s Patricia. You told me to give you a call whenever I was truly ready to start the process.”
CHAPTER 26
TIFFANY
I was starting to think that the minute I’d put that check in Terrence’s hands a month ago, I’d created a monster. He’d ended up staying with me only for maybe a week and a half before finding a decent enough house to rent. Although I personally felt it was a bit pricey, the home was beautiful and in a perfect location. I saw it as the perfect place for us to one day begin building our little family together, once his divorce was final, especially since we’d officially labeled ourselves a couple.
Of course, I didn’t want to rush things, and I knew he still had a lot that he needed to resolve with Patricia, but he had assured me that this part of his life was over. He continually told me that he was ready to establish a home and a family for his two biological children. His twin daughters meant the world to him, but their mother refused to allow him to see them outside of her parents’ home. He had explained that this was why it was so important that he had a home, a place where he could truly build a relationship with them. Only thing he had requested was that I give him at least six months of living on his own before I moved in, because after all the craziness with Pat, he just needed a little time to himself to breathe. I completely understood, so there was no pressure from me at all. However, strange things had started to happen, things that to me weren’t adding up, and I was beginning to feel like Terrence was playing games and taking me for some type of fool.
“We better get up, baby, and get our day started.” He hopped up right after getting some morning sex and prepared to shower.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Did you want me to grab you something from Starbucks too? I’m going to stop and pick up something for me and Monica on the way in.”
“Uh no, actually, I’m not going into the school today. I might be heading out of town in the morning, and I have a few things to handle before I leave.”
“Out of town? Where are you going?” I asked.
“Uh, probably St. Louis. I don’t know if I told you, but my best friend, Greg, lives there. He has some work to do on a house that he’s renovating and asked if I would come and help him out.”
He kissed me on the cheek and headed for the bathroom, his way of saying the discussion was over. Yet for me, it was far from that.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” I yelled just as he closed the bathroom door.
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think it was a big deal.” He walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his cell phone.
“I see. Well, if it’s all right with you, I’m going to leave a couple of things here so that I won’t have to pack on a weekly basis,” I told him. He must have thought I was asking for permission. Next thing I knew, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.
“Baby, maybe you shouldn’t do that right now.”
“Why not? You have things at my home and even a key to the house.”
“I know and you’re going to have a key here once you move in, but right now I don’t want to confuse things, all right? It’s nothing personal, and you know I love you, but we have all the time in the world for stuff like that.”
He went back into the bathroom, and a minute later I heard the water running in the shower.
You don’t want to confuse things, huh? I thought at the very moment my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something that looked like shoes peeking out from under his bed. When I bent down to get a better look, the items were exactly what they had appeared to be. “Now, what the hell are you doing with a pair of women’s sandals and house shoes under your bed, Mr. Montgomery?” I muttered aloud.
I picked up the sandals, contemplating whether I should go and throw them into the shower with him. Instead, however, I decided to put them in my bag. One thing I was sure of, whomever the sandals belonged to, they would surely come looking for them, and when they did, Terrence would have some explaining to do to both of us. “Serves you right, Mr. I Don’t Want to Confuse Things.”
I left his house while he was still in the shower. I couldn’t wait to get to the school and talk with Monica.
Thirty minutes later, I asked Mrs. Washington if Monica was inside her office and if I could go in. Monica must have smelled her Starbucks through the door, because she opened it up and told me to come right inside.
“Girl, give me that coffee quick. I just had a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Taylor, and I thought I would have to fire the man. He better be happy I had my latte on the way to help calm me down.”
I didn’t say anything but simply sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Monica asked.
“It’s Terrence, as usual as of late.”
“Oh, boy, let me sit down for this.” She took the chair right next to me. “Now, what’s going on in lovers’ land?”
“I’m not exactly sure, Monica. It’s almost like he changed the minute I gave him that check to help him out and he got the house.”
“Girl, I still can’t believe you did that, because that’s a grown man, and he had no business asking you for any type of help, especially not financial help. But what’s going on?”
“It’s just that ever since he got the house, he’s been so different with me. I normally stay there a couple nights out of the week, but it seems he’s starting to have an issue with that. Then today I asked if he minded me leaving some items there, so I don’t have to pack this spinnanight bag every week, and he had an issue with that too. Not to mention, he’s still asking for money here and there, because he claims he’s falling short all the time. And on top of it all, I’ve been finding a lot of feminine items at his home that don’t belong to me.”
“What? Like what?”
“Well, it started with female body wash and body sprays. Then I found a pink-ass toothbrush and a pink umbrella. Twice, I’ve found feminine products in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. And just today I found these.” I reached down and pulled the ugly-ass sandals out of my bag for Monica to see.
“Yep, those are women’s sandals, but they sure are ugly too. But, Tiff, girl, why do you have them with you? And how did you get them out of there without him knowing?”
“He was in the shower, so I just took them. I want Terrence to have to come and ask me about them, if he has the nerve, because I’m sure the owner knows that she left them there. She’ll wonder where they went.”
“And do you really think he’s going to do that? Because we both know that no matter how guilty a man is of something, he’ll take it to the grave before coming clean.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want him to address it, because I know I’m not crazy, and he’s trying to make it like I am.”
“I guess I don’t understand why you two are even playing games like this with one another. I thought you wanted to be together?”
“Well, I still do. I mean, you know how much I love that man. But I’m not quite sure if he still wants the same. His mouth says it all the time, and everything is great whenever we have sex, but other than that, his actions are telling me that his mind and heart are somewhere else. I swear, it’s like he’s turned into someone that I don’t even know anymore and honestly don’t like. It’s really starting to scare me, Monica.”
“Oh, baby, look at you,” she cried while cleaning the cuts and scratches on my face with alcohol and then applying antibacterial ointment. “I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into, but I still think you need to contact the police or at least go to the emergency room.”
“Mama, I said I don’t want to involve the authorities, and if I go to the emergency room, that’s definitely what they’re going to do. I just need to treat these cuts and take a few pain pills. I’ll be okay.”
“I don’t understand this foolishness, David, but you’re a grown man, so I’m going to leave it at that. I’ll get you some water and a couple of muscle relaxers.”
She left the room as I fought to sit up straight. I had heard her say that she was going to leave it at that, but knowing my mother, I figured it was far from over with.
As I sat there, I thought back to yesterday, when I’d received a strange phone call, and something told me that this wasn’t some random incident. Someone had set me up. The call yesterday had been about meeting up with someone regarding a business opportunity. I hadn’t found it odd at the time, because of the line of work I was in. With driving tour buses, a lot of business came directly by word of mouth, so I had figured it was a third party recommended by someone I knew. With that in mind, I had agreed to meet up this morning. However, when I first tried to leave, my car wouldn’t start. I didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with it, because I didn’t want to be late to the meeting. Instead, I hopped on public transportation and went to the Starbucks. I waited there an entire hour and a half, while calling this person over and over again, before realizing they weren’t going to show up. Then, when I was returning home, right up the street two guys jumped out of the bushes in broad daylight and beat the holy crap out of me. I had never seen them before and didn’t have a clue who they were, but my gut continued to tell me that this was connected to Leslie.
A month ago, Mrs. Smith had refused to point me in her direction, so I had ended up going to the police after receiving that text that said only, Die. They did a slight investigation and told me that Leslie had an alibi for each instance when the texts came through. They also stated that the texts were coming from a burner phone, which she was not in the possession of or in the vicinity of. No matter what they had claimed, I knew it was her, because no one else could be behind this. And now, since it appeared she had enlisted some help, I needed to as well. Immediately, I thought of the one person was was just as sneaky and conniving as me: Patricia.
Peculiarly enough, we hadn’t spoken since that day she called off our whole mission. Yet I believed she still owed me for my services, and it was time she paid up. Not being able to wait until I healed, I called her right then and there. She answered, sounding a little weird.
“Hello?” Her breathing was heavy and fast. Maybe I’d caught her while she was exercising or taking a jog.
“Patricia, it’s David.”
“Oh,” was all she said, not sounding the least bit thrilled to hear from me, but little did she know the feeling was mutual. “How can I help you, David?”
“I’m calling because we need to meet up. There are some things I need to discuss with you and could use your help on. And seeing how I helped you out before, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind returning the favor, right?”
“You helped me out? All you did was go to St. Louis on my dime. Anyway, I don’t know about this. I’m not sure that whatever you’re up to, I want to be involved in.”
“Well, sorry, but I’m not taking no for an answer. So, meet me at the Starbucks on Tenth tomorrow at noon. I’ll see you then.”
I hung up without giving her a chance to contest anything. And by tomorrow, I would have myself all cleaned up, would figure out a way to get back at whoever did this to me, and would see where things stood with Patricia and her million bucks. She may have thought I’d forgotten all about it, but naturally, I hadn’t. And that money might very well be my ticket to paying back Leslie for her foolishness.
CHAPTER 25
PATRICIA
“Ooh, baby, faster, harder. Oh, my goodness, Randle. I’m about to cum!” I screamed before releasing every bit of anxiety and tension I had bottled up inside me. Especially after getting that phone call from David, who’d had the nerve to bring up my one million dollars, or the one million that I wouldn’t have. Anyway, I couldn’t believe him or the fact that he was seeking my help with something that he was involved in.
“Who was that on the phone? It wasn’t Terrence, was it?” Randle questioned, rolling over onto his back and trying to settle his breathing. I guessed I’d really taken him for a ride.
“It wasn’t anyone important. But why are you so afraid of Terrence finding out about us?”
“I’m not afraid, but he’s a friend as well as a client. I don’t need him thinking I’m mixing business and pleasure with his soon-to-be ex-wife.”
“Soon-to-be ex? Who said anything about me divorcing my husband?”
“I guess I assumed that with what’s been going on between us for the past month, you would be over that part of your life, Pat.”
“Well, I’m sorry if I’ve led you on, but Terrence is still my husband, who I love deeply.”
“I see,” was all he said, sitting up on the side of the bed.
I had other concerns on my mind, though, and no time to worry about his feelings or his ego. “But, Randle, I do have a legal question for you really quick.”
“Right now?” He looked at me sideways.
“Yes, baby, right now. Anyway, when it comes to verbal agreements, how do those hold up in a court of law?”
“Well, if one or both of the parties can prove that they had an agreement from the start, then that agreement is just as legally binding as a signed contract.”
“And how can anyone actually prove a verbal agreement?”
“Uh, some people have recordings of their agreement or maybe even text messages or emails affirming that something was in place,” he said before getting up and heading for the bathroom.
I knew that David and I didn’t have any recordings, but he might very well still have my initial Facebook message reaching out to him. And I was positive he still had the numerous texts we’d sent back and forth when he headed to St. Louis. Needless to say, I knew I’d gotten myself into a real pickle, which I had to figure out how to get out of by tomorrow. I wasn’t going to let David scare me, though. This ball was still in my court, and he’d learn at this so-called meeting tomorrow whom to fuck with and whom not.
Randle came walking back in, buck naked, and I was more than ready for round two. I guessed I was making up for all the time that Terrence had been out doing his thing with Ms. Tate. But now it was my turn, and I couldn’t care less that Randle was his friend and attorney. He made me feel good. Unlike Terrence, Randle was interested in me. He asked about my likes and dislikes, he encouraged me, and he made me feel beautiful and, most of all, desired. We’d spent almost every day with one another after leaving his office that day. He’d bought me flowers, taken me on dates. He courted me like a man was supposed to. But just when I thought that things were great, he had to go and sour the entire mood.
“So, if you’re done asking your questions, I have a question of my own. Are you really still in love with your husband? Is love what’s stopping you from starting the divorce process, or is it that you don’t want him to end up with the money and be with another woman?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking these things, because I thought I’d made myself clear when we discussed it the other ten times before. I got up and put on my robe, because I could already see that there would surely be no round two.
“Didn’t we talk about this already?” I replied.
“Yes, we tried, but you didn’t give me an answer then either, so I thought you might be ready now.”
“Look, it’s all just complicated, all right?”
“No one is making it complicated but you and Terrence, and you two don’t even want each other. I mean, you’re having sex with me, and he’s with—”
I cut him off with rapid-fire questions. “With whom? Has he confided in you? Has he told you about him and that coworker of his?”
“Why the hell are you so obsessed with that woman anyway? Damn,” he yelled at me.
I’d never seen that side of Randle, and I wasn’t sure if I was upset or turned on more by it. “It’s not that I’m obsessed, Randle. He’s my husband, for goodness’ sake.”
“So, what am I? Just some good dick to keep you company until you and Terrence figure out what you’re doing? Because I’m not going to be the side dick or rebound brother, Pat. That’s not where I am in my life. I thought we might have been on the same page.” He grabbed his jeans and started to slide them on.
I couldn’t believe that after having such an amazing time with each other, things were turning out this way. I crawled up behind him and threw my arms around his neck. “Randle, please, would you stop being so dramatic! You know that you’re not my side dick or rebound. But I just thought we were having fun, without complicating things.”
“Oh, fun. Fun is what you want? So, you mean you want a brother that has sex with you and then you bounce? You want someone that doesn’t call or text just to see how your day is going? You want someone that’s not concerned about building a home for you and your sons? You want fun? Well, Patricia, maybe I’m not the fun boy that you want, because I’m a grown fucking man. I had fun in my twenties. Now it’s about building a life and a future. So, I guess when you’re out of the fun stage and you’re finally ready to let go of a man that’s clearly showing you he doesn’t want you, then give me call. I might still be around.”
Randle grabbed his shirt and left me sitting there, looking foolish. I got up and walked over to my mirror and took a good look at myself. “What’s wrong with you, Pat? Here you are with a wonderful man in your life who’s wanting to do all the things you’ve been begging your husband to do. Yet you’re trying to hold on to something that’s not there just to get revenge and make Terrence as miserable as he made you. What are you going to do?” I asked myself, speaking aloud.
Next thing I knew, I walked over to my cell phone and started to dial a number. Although there was a small part of me that still didn’t want to do it, the rest of me knew that I needed to do it. I took a deep breath when I finally heard her voice on the other end of the line.
“Hey, Kim. It’s Patricia. You told me to give you a call whenever I was truly ready to start the process.”
CHAPTER 26
TIFFANY
I was starting to think that the minute I’d put that check in Terrence’s hands a month ago, I’d created a monster. He’d ended up staying with me only for maybe a week and a half before finding a decent enough house to rent. Although I personally felt it was a bit pricey, the home was beautiful and in a perfect location. I saw it as the perfect place for us to one day begin building our little family together, once his divorce was final, especially since we’d officially labeled ourselves a couple.
Of course, I didn’t want to rush things, and I knew he still had a lot that he needed to resolve with Patricia, but he had assured me that this part of his life was over. He continually told me that he was ready to establish a home and a family for his two biological children. His twin daughters meant the world to him, but their mother refused to allow him to see them outside of her parents’ home. He had explained that this was why it was so important that he had a home, a place where he could truly build a relationship with them. Only thing he had requested was that I give him at least six months of living on his own before I moved in, because after all the craziness with Pat, he just needed a little time to himself to breathe. I completely understood, so there was no pressure from me at all. However, strange things had started to happen, things that to me weren’t adding up, and I was beginning to feel like Terrence was playing games and taking me for some type of fool.
“We better get up, baby, and get our day started.” He hopped up right after getting some morning sex and prepared to shower.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Did you want me to grab you something from Starbucks too? I’m going to stop and pick up something for me and Monica on the way in.”
“Uh no, actually, I’m not going into the school today. I might be heading out of town in the morning, and I have a few things to handle before I leave.”
“Out of town? Where are you going?” I asked.
“Uh, probably St. Louis. I don’t know if I told you, but my best friend, Greg, lives there. He has some work to do on a house that he’s renovating and asked if I would come and help him out.”
He kissed me on the cheek and headed for the bathroom, his way of saying the discussion was over. Yet for me, it was far from that.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” I yelled just as he closed the bathroom door.
“Oh, I don’t know. I guess I didn’t think it was a big deal.” He walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his cell phone.
“I see. Well, if it’s all right with you, I’m going to leave a couple of things here so that I won’t have to pack on a weekly basis,” I told him. He must have thought I was asking for permission. Next thing I knew, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.
“Baby, maybe you shouldn’t do that right now.”
“Why not? You have things at my home and even a key to the house.”
“I know and you’re going to have a key here once you move in, but right now I don’t want to confuse things, all right? It’s nothing personal, and you know I love you, but we have all the time in the world for stuff like that.”
He went back into the bathroom, and a minute later I heard the water running in the shower.
You don’t want to confuse things, huh? I thought at the very moment my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something that looked like shoes peeking out from under his bed. When I bent down to get a better look, the items were exactly what they had appeared to be. “Now, what the hell are you doing with a pair of women’s sandals and house shoes under your bed, Mr. Montgomery?” I muttered aloud.
I picked up the sandals, contemplating whether I should go and throw them into the shower with him. Instead, however, I decided to put them in my bag. One thing I was sure of, whomever the sandals belonged to, they would surely come looking for them, and when they did, Terrence would have some explaining to do to both of us. “Serves you right, Mr. I Don’t Want to Confuse Things.”
I left his house while he was still in the shower. I couldn’t wait to get to the school and talk with Monica.
Thirty minutes later, I asked Mrs. Washington if Monica was inside her office and if I could go in. Monica must have smelled her Starbucks through the door, because she opened it up and told me to come right inside.
“Girl, give me that coffee quick. I just had a one-on-one meeting with Mr. Taylor, and I thought I would have to fire the man. He better be happy I had my latte on the way to help calm me down.”
I didn’t say anything but simply sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Monica asked.
“It’s Terrence, as usual as of late.”
“Oh, boy, let me sit down for this.” She took the chair right next to me. “Now, what’s going on in lovers’ land?”
“I’m not exactly sure, Monica. It’s almost like he changed the minute I gave him that check to help him out and he got the house.”
“Girl, I still can’t believe you did that, because that’s a grown man, and he had no business asking you for any type of help, especially not financial help. But what’s going on?”
“It’s just that ever since he got the house, he’s been so different with me. I normally stay there a couple nights out of the week, but it seems he’s starting to have an issue with that. Then today I asked if he minded me leaving some items there, so I don’t have to pack this spinnanight bag every week, and he had an issue with that too. Not to mention, he’s still asking for money here and there, because he claims he’s falling short all the time. And on top of it all, I’ve been finding a lot of feminine items at his home that don’t belong to me.”
“What? Like what?”
“Well, it started with female body wash and body sprays. Then I found a pink-ass toothbrush and a pink umbrella. Twice, I’ve found feminine products in the cabinet under the bathroom sink. And just today I found these.” I reached down and pulled the ugly-ass sandals out of my bag for Monica to see.
“Yep, those are women’s sandals, but they sure are ugly too. But, Tiff, girl, why do you have them with you? And how did you get them out of there without him knowing?”
“He was in the shower, so I just took them. I want Terrence to have to come and ask me about them, if he has the nerve, because I’m sure the owner knows that she left them there. She’ll wonder where they went.”
“And do you really think he’s going to do that? Because we both know that no matter how guilty a man is of something, he’ll take it to the grave before coming clean.”
“Yeah, I know. I just want him to address it, because I know I’m not crazy, and he’s trying to make it like I am.”
“I guess I don’t understand why you two are even playing games like this with one another. I thought you wanted to be together?”
“Well, I still do. I mean, you know how much I love that man. But I’m not quite sure if he still wants the same. His mouth says it all the time, and everything is great whenever we have sex, but other than that, his actions are telling me that his mind and heart are somewhere else. I swear, it’s like he’s turned into someone that I don’t even know anymore and honestly don’t like. It’s really starting to scare me, Monica.”
