Chapter 16
As usual, Tatiana, Nydia and Judith found themselves at El Rancho restaurant for lunch. The difference this time was that Beatrice Berry had asked them if she could join them. She needed to talk to them about an important issue.
“I'm in the middle of a moral dilemma and I need your advice,” Beatrice said as she nervously moved the food around her plate.
“We'll help any way we can,” Tatiana offered.
“First, what I'm about to tell you cannot leave this table,” Beatrice implored.
“That goes without saying,” Nydia stated.
“Of course,” Judith chimed in.
“I know all three of you are discreet and I won't find this all over the office tomorrow,” Beatrice said.
“No, definitely not,” Tatiana stated.
“I've got a new friend who lives in an apartment complex. She just joined our church. We were swimming when I saw . . . I saw . . .”
“You don't have to tell us if you don't feel comfortable,” Judith said.
“I need advice. I'm at a crossroad,” explained Beatrice, taking a swig of water. “I saw Kenneth.”
“Kenneth? Augusta's husband?” Nydia asked.
“Yes. He was going to an apartment. When the door opened, it was Lorna. Apparently Lorna lives in that complex too.”
“Just to clarify, you're talking about Lorna from work, right?” Tatiana questioned, surprised.
“Yes, Lorna Cummings. I tried not to think the worse. Maybe he was fixing something for her. After all, Augusta and her are such companions at work. But . . .”
“He's having an affair with her, isn't he?” blurted Nydia. Suddenly much about Lorna's strange friendship with Augusta became clear.
Beatrice nodded solemnly. “My friend said he's there all the time. He always wears a bowling shirt for some reason. My friend said Lorna likes to break men. She sees them for a while and then dumps them when they're most vulnerable. It's something to do with a bad childhood and a terrible father.”
“Do you think Augusta suspects anything?” asked Judith.
“I don’t know,” Beatrice murmured.
Tatiana nodded. “I but she does but—”
“Augusta like Suzanne is good at putting her head in the sand when she doesn't want to face something,” Nydia retorted.
“Right,” Tatiana agreed.
“I've been praying about this since I found out. What do I do? Is it my moral obligation to tell Augusta?” asked Beatrice with consternation.
“No, don't tell her,” Tatiana rushed.
“Don't,” Nydia affirmed.
“But what kind of child of God am I if I don't look after the welfare of a fellow human being. I know she gives us Christians a bad name, and she’s unspeakably cruel, but even then I can't wish her something like this,” Beatrice explained.
“I'm not telling you to keep this from her so that she gets her just rewards,” Tatiana asserted. “I'm telling you not to tell her because you'll find yourself entangled in a mess.”
“What do you mean?” asked Beatrice.
“Augusta will kill the messenger,” stated Nydia.
“Augusta won't believe you. She'll assume you're jealous of her relationship with her husband, and then she'll tell Suzanne how you're messing with her marriage. Suzanne will start wondering about you. Beatrice, I guarantee you'll end up the villain in this piece,” Tatiana explained.
“Take it from someone who knows, stay away from Augusta,” Judith implored. “You can't do a good deed when it comes to her. It'll backfire.”
“But should I be thinking of myself in this situation?” asked Beatrice with anguish.
Judith stared at her with compassion. “If you want to save someone who doesn’t want to be saved then good luck—you’re going to need it. I should’ve listened to Tatiana when she tried to teach me this lesson. I learned it the hard way. Watch what you say to Augusta—watch your back.”
“Beatrice, Augusta isn’t going to believe you anyway. What good would it do to tell her?” Tatiana questioned.
“But you said it yourself that she senses something,” said Beatrice.
“Sensing something is different than coming to terms with it. She won't do that unless she catches Kenneth and Lorna red handed,” Tatiana asserted.
“This situation is about to implode anyway,” Nydia stated. “Stay out of the way when it does.”
“Why do you say that it'll implode?” asked Beatrice.
“It has to. The situation is too off center,” Nydia explained.
“Something's going to happen soon,” Tatiana asserted.
“Meanwhile, don't say anything to Augusta, Beatrice,” implored Judith. “Don't let her use your kindness against you.”
Beatrice nodded solemnly. “Maybe your right. She does do a lot of damage in that office and for the most part, I try to stay away from her. What I'll do is keep praying for her.”
“You don't have to worry about us. We'll keep this secret,” Tatiana assured.
Nydia nodded. “Augusta doesn't deserve it, but we won't air out her dirty laundry,” Nydia stated.
“Even if she isn't decent, we are,” Judith asserted.
“Thank you,” Beatrice murmured.
It had been a few weeks and Tristan and Tatiana were still dating. They hadn't shared a bed yet. It wasn’t because Tatiana didn't want him because she really did. He hadn't pressed her on carnal relations leading her to believe that when he told her they needed to get to know each other better, he meant it. If it was a line, he had sustained it well.
Tonight, they were on our way to her mother's house for a special dinner Candida had prepared for them. Candida's new beau would be there and also her Aunt Pina and Uncle Beto. It was the first time Tristan would meet her family, and Tatiana was already having regrets.
“Are you sure you want to go?” Tatiana questioned. “Meeting the family can be scary. If you want to wait it's okay with me.”
Tristan chuckled. “I've been wanting to meet your family for a while. Calm down. It'll be fine.”
“You don't know my mother. 'Be afraid. Be very afraid.'”
“Don't be silly. I feel I already know her through you.”
“I'm warning you, she thinks men are mierda.”
“Some of us are shit.”
“If she thinks you're fooling with me, she's likely to clobber you with a rolling pin.”
“Then I won't fool you, and I'll stay away from her if she's got a cooking utensil in her hands,” Tristan declared, smiling.
“I don't know why I'm taking you. She'd much prefer it if I was gay.”
“I'll wear a dress and a wig if you want.”
“Tristan, you're making fun of this situation, but I'm telling you that this is serious. I'm trying to prepare you for my mother.”
“Stop worrying.”
Tatiana shook her head. “I couldn't take it, Tristan, if you didn't like my mama.”
“Stop worrying. Everything will be fine.”
Tristan took one hand off the steering wheel and put it over her own.
When they arrived at Candida's home, Tristan still hadn't completely convinced Tatiana this was a good idea, but what could she do? She was stuck. Tatiana had to let whatever happens happen. Her mother opened the door and after hugging and kissing her daughter, she looked Tristan over, dissecting him from top to bottom.
“I'm so happy to meet you, Ms. Perez,” said Tristan, handing her flowers and a bottle of Sangria.
Candida smiled. He hadn’t used Tatiana's father's last name. Point scored! Even Tatiana was impressed since she had only mentioned once how her mom had gone back to her maiden name.
“Call me Candida.”
“I'm Tristan a sus ordenes.”
Ding, Ding, Ding. He used Spanish—another point scored, thought Tatiana, smiling.
No date had ever told Candida he was at her disposal. But Tatiana's mother, b
eing who she was, still looked at him suspiciously. Tatiana introduced him to the rest of the guests. Pina gave Tatiana the thumbs up when no one was watching. Tatiana wondered if her aunt could really tell the type of person he was so quickly, but she did have a special gift. Still, Aunt Pina might be wrong. No one is right all the time.
As they were eating, Tatiana's poor victim date got bombarded with questions. Even Claudio, who had told Tatiana she could count on him for anything, was practically asking Tristan if he was good enough for her.
“Even though I've only known Tatiana for a short while, I know she's special. She's like a daughter to me,” Claudio declared and Candida beamed at him. “I need to know if your intentions are honorable.”
“What are your intentions?” Candida questioned suspiciously.
“She's my favorite niece,” Beto said. “We need to know you mean her no harm.”
Tatiana wanted to melt underneath the table. “Can we eat our steaks and enjoy this meal? I didn't bring Tristan so he would get interrogated.”
“Tatiana, your family has a right to know that I care about you,” stated Tristan. “My intentions are to get to know her, give her the respect she deserves, and try to create something between us that's healthy and truthful. Claudio, I know she's special, that's why I'm here. Beto, I promise you I mean her no harm. Candida, I'm going to give you my number and if I ever step out of line with her, you call me. I'm not perfect. I don't claim to be, but I think I can build something wonderful with your daughter.”
Ding, ding, ding.
The examination ended, and Tatiana's family relaxed their vice-like grip on him. The rest of the meal was actually pleasant. Tatiana caught her mother eyeing him, and she knew Candida was wondering if he was for real. Tatiana didn't mind her suspicious nature because she was asking herself the same question. Tatiana wanted so much to believe Tristan was authentic, but trust was too much of an issue for her.
At Tatiana's apartment later that night, Tristan asked if he could come in.
“I need to talk to you about something,” he said.
His seriousness scared Tatiana. “Okay.”
They sat on the sofa, and he quickly started speaking. “I didn't want to cover this earlier because I thought that you were stressed out enough with the family dinner.”
“Just tell me.” Prickly misgivings bubbled inside of her.
“I'm having to go to San Antonio for a few weeks for business purposes.”
“For a few weeks?” Tatiana asked with disappointment.
“Yes... And that’s not all,” he murmured quietly, as if he didn’t want to continue.
Tatiana eyed him carefully, her suspicious nature in full gear. “What else?”
Tristan frowned. “My ex-wife now lives in San Antonio...She called me last week to tell me she wants to meet with me. She asked if she could come to El Paso to talk to me.”
Tatiana crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You’re barely telling me this now?”
“I needed to process this on my own,” he murmured.
“But you’re not on your own anymore,” she snapped. “We’re supposedly in a relationship.”
“I’m still navigating myself through a healthy relationship.”
“You and me both,” Tatiana stated wryly.
Tristan let out a deep breath. “Anyway, I was thinking…that while I was already there… I’d see her.”
“See her?” Tatiana murmured, unhappily.
“I feel I need to close the circle with her,” he explained. “Please understand.”
Tatiana frowned “I thought you had already closed it.”
“Her betrayal is still very raw in my heart. Besides, I’m curious to know what she wants to tell me.”
“Oh, I can tell you what she wants,” she retorted.
“What?”
“Do you know if she’s already broken up with your former boss?” Tatiana questioned, her voice tight.
“Well, she mentioned something like that when she called me last week, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“You can’t be so naïve,” Tatiana declared with frustration. “She wants you back, of course.”
“I seriously doubt it.”
Tatiana grumbled loudly. A similar situation had happened to her when she was in college and her boyfriend had met with his former girlfriend. He had ended up taking his ex back without hesitation and dumping a shell shocked Tatiana. “I think we need to end our relationship.”
“What?” Tristan asked, completely taken by surprise.
“Go see your ex-wife without tie-downs. Let’s see what happens.”
“Why would you call yourself a tie- down?” Tristan questioned, puzzled.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Let’s just end this graciously.”
“End this?” He snapped, upset. “Were we at the same dinner party tonight? Didn't you hear what I told your family?”
“You need to leave now.”
“But Tatiana—”
“Leave.”
“But—”
“Don't make me ask you again. I need some time to myself.”
Tristan stood up with frustration. “I told you once I wasn't going to force my presence on you,” he muttered, exasperated. He started stepping to the door and suddenly swung around. “Damn it, Tatiana! If you're not going to trust me, if you're going to jump to the worst conclusions about me and keep cutting off our relationship, maybe it's better if we do end it.”
“Goodbye then.”