I was excited about the possibility of Deandre flying down to see me. I smiled as I imagined his hands all over me while my body tingled from the rhythm of his lovemaking. If he did show up, neither of us would see the outside of those four walls until Monday morning. They’d have to put an APB out on me to find my ass!
* * *
At the restaurant, the ambiance was cozy and bright. Atlanta’s beautiful people partook in food, conversation, and alcohol. Glasses clinked, and jokes were exchanged as the hostess seated us at a table by the window.
Frank pulled out a chair for Tisha first, then me.
She checked her phone and said, “Vaughn is running a few minutes behind.”
Our waiter approached our table and greeted us with a welcoming smile.
“Could you bring us three caipirinhas?” Frank asked him.
“Yes, sir.” The waiter nodded and approached the bar.
I looked at Frank, then back at Tisha. Being alone with them was even more awkward than I had imagined it would be, and I realized I should’ve followed my first mind and stayed in my hotel room. At that point, I didn’t care if Vaughn laughed like Urkel and looked like a wildebeest; I just needed him to get there, because there was no way I could survive the dinner on my own.
“If you will excuse me for a minute, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” Tisha said, then stood up and walked away from our table.
I looked toward the entrance and noticed a tall brother in a dark green suit, checking his cell phone. I pointed and asked, “Is that him?”
Frank shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”
The waiter placed our drinks on the table and said, “The salad bar is open whenever you’re ready. The meat-carvers will be making their way over to your table. We have some great cuts of filet mignon and leg of lamb. Also, the garlic chicken is quite good. Please let me know if I can get you anything else.”
Frank sipped his drink. “Mmm,” he said, licking his lips. “We’ll have a pitcher of this.”
“Certainly, sir. I’ll bring it right away.” Our waiter smiled, then walked away to check on another table nearby.
Frank touched my hand. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I yanked my hand away.
“I remember when you used to let me touch you everywhere.”
“What’s wrong with you? We’re in this restaurant with your wife, and you’ve got the nerve to hit on me! Can you please keep your impulses in check for one night?”
“I loved you, Kai. I still do. And if you ever loved me the way you said you did, you wouldn’t be able to shut me out like this. I know I made too many mistakes to count, and I know you’ve got somebody new, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I can’t even remember the last time I told Tisha I love her or the last time she said that to me, but what you and I had…that was real. Don’t you miss it? Miss me? Even a little?”
When I dared to look into his eyes, I saw the man I’d once thought I’d spend the rest of my life with. “Frank, please don’t do this to me now.”
Tisha sashayed back over to our table, then sat down and cleared her throat. “Am I interrupting something?”
I took a long drink, hoping the Brazilian rum would mellow my nerves a little.
Frank asked, “Any word from Vaughn?”
“He should be here any minute.”
“Well, I’m too hungry to wait much longer.”
“Oh, my dear Franklin, your appetites always dictate your actions,” she said, then smiled naughtily at her own double-entendre.
Our waiter returned with a pitcher of caipirinha and said, “Sorry this took so long,” he said. “We’re having a busy night.” He glanced down at my half-empty glass. “More for you, miss?” he asked, then topped off my glass when I nodded.
“Thanks,” I said, then took a long swallow that had me feeling tipsy almost right away.
A few minutes later, the meat-carvers arrived at our table with a delicious display of cured meats. I tasted the beef ribs and cordeiro. I nibbled on fresh garden salad and cheese bread. All the while, I guzzled down three more caipirinhas. Soon, I was so drunk that I almost forgot what Frank had said to me while we were alone.
He excused himself to go to the bathroom.
The moment he walked away, Tisha flashed a mischievous smile in my direction and said, “He’s got a nice ass, doesn’t he?”
“What?”
“Perfect for squeezing while he delivers you to a sweet, sweet climax. Oh, Kai, please cast aside your whole innocent act. I know you fucked my husband, and I know you loved every stroke.”
Suddenly sober, I stared at her in disbelief. My heart began to thump wildly in my chest, and I wanted to run for the door. I closed my eyes, convinced that I had to be having some horrible dream. I prayed that when I opened my eyes, I would be back in my hotel room, with TV buzzing in the background. Unfortunately, though, that nightmarish moment with Tisha was my reality.
She leaned closer to me and said, “We need to have a bit of honest dialogue, woman to woman. I’m sure that what I’m about to tell you will clarify any misunderstandings. First of all, I’m privy to all the details of your affair with Franklin. He’s my husband, and I am his wife, and there are no secrets between us, dear. Second, I actually encouraged him to invite you to this conference. And third, you’re more likely to meet the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus than Vaughn. I made him up to get you to come out with us. I’ve been waiting six years to have this conversation with you tonight.”
Her words sucked the oxygen out of the room. I took several deep breaths, brought the glass of caipirinha to my alcohol-numbed lips, and mumbled, “You…you knew all this time? About me and your…about me and Frank?”
She laughed. “His libido is rather predictable, and you have two things he greatly admires,” Tisha said, pointing to my cleavage. “What are you? D? Double-D? Well, in any case, you’ve got me beat in that category. In many ways, you’re more Franklin’s type than I am. Not only that, but the fact that he has a thing for you is also a reflection of his love affair with his career.”
“So you…you didn’t…care?”
“A quality man should never be discarded because of an indiscretion. Countless wives have made the error of confusing infidelity with disloyalty. All men, even the most brilliant and talented, are simply too weak to control their primal nature. So, to answer your question, I’m indifferent when it comes to your dirty little liaisons with Franklin. Honestly, I’m quite glad to share him with a woman like you, someone who has some class. I hope I’m not being too forward, but I’d like to offer my hand in friendship.”
“Oh my God! I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”
She laughed. “Tonight is only the beginning. You’ll see.”
CHAPTER 11
The limo driver held the door open for me, Frank, and Tisha as we climbed into the back seat. Frank sat between us.
I was still in a rum-induced haze, and part of me actually questioned that the strange conversation with Tisha had even happened.
She smiled at me and asked, “Would you like some champagne?”
I shook my head. “No…thanks,” I slurred out.
She poured a glass. “My dear, this is Armand de Brignac. I insist that you at least have taste.”
“No, no…I-I’m fine,” I said, but when Frank lifted the glass to my lips, I sipped a little bit.
Tisha grinned and freed her long hair from its bun. She shook her dark, wavy mane all around and let out a scream. “Let’s go for a drive!”
“I, uh…I thought we were going…back, to the hotel.”
She asked, “Do you have a curfew?”
“I should…be getting back…I need to check in with Deandre, and—”
“Don’t you wanna take in the city sights?” She poured a glass of champagne for herself and Frank.
“I agree with Kai,” Frank said. “Let’s just call it a night already.”
Tisha frowned. “Party poopers! What
gives? Besides, this is the perfect opportunity for me to cross something off my bucket list.”
“What’s that?” I asked reluctantly.
“I don’t know why I’ve never done it before, especially considering that I’ve been riding in limos all my life. Anyway, I’ve always wanted to pop out of the sunroof…topless!”
Frank shook his head. “Let’s not indulge your teenage fantasies tonight.”
She ignored him and began unbuttoning her blouse.
“Please don’t, Tisha,” he pleaded. “You might get arrested or, even worse, somebody might videotape you. Do you really want the kids to see that on YouTube one day?”
She slipped off her blouse and said, “My dear Franklin, I am miles away from our children, and when was the last time you heard of cops pulling a limo over? Besides, there’s no risk of candid camera. For one, it’s too dark outside, and for two, I don’t have much to look at anyway. Now, if I had a rack like Kai’s, it might be a different story. Please let me live a little tonight. I just wanna feel the open breeze on my girls. What’s the worst that can happen? I give some lonely trucker a thrill?”
“Don’t do it!”
“You say that with such authority. Baby, I’m a grown-ass woman. I can do as I please!” With that, Trisha unhooked her lacy, black and red bra. Her lemon-sized titties had huge, caramel-colored nipples, and I was surprised to see a tattoo of a purple and blue butterfly on her left breast; I didn’t expect to see ink on an aristocrat like her, but then again, Tisha had shocked me several times in one night.
“Stop!” Frank pleaded, grabbing her arm. “Put your clothes back on!”
She laughed and said, “Sorry, but the queen’s not backing down tonight.” She stood up and screamed like she was riding a rollercoaster at Cedar Point. Tisha had another tattoo on her lower back, a pair of large, dark eyes, and a thin red thong peeked out above the waistband of her knee-length skirt.
Despite my tipsy state, I was appalled by her behavior. I looked over at Frank, and he looked down at his champagne glass and shook his head. I knew from experience that he had a freaky side, but his wife flashing half of Atlanta seemed a bit much, even for him.
As we neared the stoplight, a blue Lincoln Navigator with twenty-two-inch chrome rims pulled up next to us, with Jay-Z’s latest song booming out of its custom sound system. There were five men in the vehicle, and they rolled down their windows and looked up at Tisha with wide eyes and even wider smiles. The driver even blew a kiss at her.
One of the passengers asked, “What’s your number, sexy?”
“I’m married.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t!”
She laughed.
Frank hollered, “That’s enough!”
The light turned green, and she shouted, “Tame me, Daddy! Make me behave!”
Frank desperately tugged at her waist and pulled Tisha back inside.
Her hair was wild, her yellow complexion flushed red, and her nipples hard. She grinned. “That felt so fucking good! You should try it, Kai.”
“She would never do anything like that,” Frank explained.
Tisha’s eyes lit up as she turned to me and asked, “So…what would you do?” She slid her hand up her thighs. “Why don’t you two put on a little show for me?”
“Hell no! Take me back at the hotel right now, or pull this damn thing over and I’ll walk back!” I yelled. As drunk as I was, there was still no way I was going to be part of a threesome then or any other time. I’d never been attracted to women, and if I did ever have the inclination to try it, Tisha would have been the last chick in the universe that I would have wanted to mess with.
“Take us back to the Omni, buddy!” Frank called out to the limo driver. He then turned to me. “I’m sorry, Kai.”
Tisha snapped her bra back on and looked at me. “I’m genuinely disappointed. I really thought tonight would be the beginning of a special friendship between three consenting adults.” She slipped her blouse back on. “I realize I might not be your type, but there are no words to express all the joy you’re missing out on.” She flicked her tongue out toward me rapidly.
“Please stop. You’re embarrassing yourself…and me,” Frank said.
She fastened the last button on her blouse and looked at me. “You two are prudes, no fun, but I guess I can’t have it all. I do have something you never will though,” she said, then held up her ring finger and showed off her large diamond. “Franklin married me, not you. Haven’t you ever been curious about the real reason why?”
“Tisha, don’t—” Frank began.
“I’ll give you a hint,” she snapped, cutting him off as if he wasn’t even there. “It wasn’t because of my wealthy family. Although, marrying a rich bitch like me did give him an explosive hard-on. As the son of a brick mason and a teacher’s aide, Franklin had a deep, profound sense of depravity. His childhood is full of tear-jerking memories of utility shut-offs, visits to the food pantry, and watered-down milk, so—”
“Shut the hell up, Tisha!” Frank shouted in a tone of unrecognizable anger; I’d never seen him so upset before.
“Don’t worry, honey. This little bedtime story is almost over. Where did I leave off? Oh yeah, the reason Franklin married me. Like I mentioned before, it wasn’t because of money, and it wasn’t because I got pregnant with Frank Jr. In fact, I actually considered getting an abortion. It certainly wouldn’t have been a first for me. But my dear Franklin begged me not to go through with it. Isn’t that right, Franklin? All of those Christian values your mother and father raised you with sparked a guilt trip.”
He looked bewildered. “You don’t even deserve to be the mother of our sons. You’re the most heartless bitch I’ve ever known, Tisha, but karma’s gonna catch up with you one of these days, and then—”
“Karma? Really, Franklin, that’s cute. Anyway, as I was saying…Franklin chose a shotgun wedding to me over a life with you. Why? I’ll give you another hint. It wasn’t because of my abilities in the bedroom. Don’t get me wrong. I can suck and fuck better than an upscale call girl, but it wasn’t my marvelous pussy that convinced Franklin to propose.” She looked right at him and demanded, “Be a man and tell her the real reason.”
“Stop,” he pleaded.
She laughed. “I knew you wouldn’t have the balls to tell her.”
“If you weren’t the mother of my children, I swear to God…”
Just then, the limo driver pulled into the circular driveway of the Omni, and I was grateful that the crazy ride was over. I ran into the lobby and hopped into the first available elevator. As the metal doors whooshed closed, I watched Frank and Tisha arguing with each other near the front desk. Truthfully, I felt sorry for him; “bitch” was too kind of a moniker for Tisha Anderson. Part of me wondered what she was going to claim as the real reason Frank married her, but given her vindictive nature, there was no telling what she was going to say.
* * *
As I rode up to the twenty-first floor, I considered how different my fate might have been if Frank had never met Tisha. If he had been at my side to take care of me and comfort me during my pregnancy, I might never have had a miscarriage. Instead, we would have been the proud parents of a healthy baby girl—or at least I presumed it would have been a girl, since I’d always wanted a daughter. I continued to envision my fantasy in my inebriated, angry state as the elevator carried me up to my floor: Now, Crystina would be six years old, entering first grade. I’d drop her off at school in the morning, and I’d smile back at her when she looked at me with those bright, brown eyes. She’d hop out of the car with her Doc McStuffins lunch pail, and I’d walk her to the front door and kiss her forehead. Then she’d look up at me and say, “I love you, Mommy!”
When I heard the ding of the elevator, I stepped off of it, completely aware that there was no chance of me ever sharing my life with Frank. My best hope for a family of my own was to stick with Deandre Grant.
I slid my keycard through the slot and ope
ned the door. I immediately checked my phone and read Deandre’s message: “I miss U, Reese’s. Can’t wait till U get back home.”
I texted back, “I miss U2. :).”
I untwisted the cap on a bottle of water. Each sip helped rehydrate my body. The combination of caipirinhas and champagne had me so twisted. I hadn’t felt so drunk since my college days, when Chantel and I used to get guzzle Bacardi and Faygo cocktails.
I slipped out of my dress and into my oversized Detroit Pistons t-shirt. I lay across the bed and looked at the alarm clock; it was 3:19 a.m. I should have been tired, but too much had happened for me to sleep, and I didn’t want to wake up with a pounding hangover.
I heard my phone make a noise, and I glanced back it and saw a long text message from Frank: “Now U C the madness I have 2 live with every day. I love U, Kai. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about us, but Tisha said if I try 2 leave our marriage, she’s going 2 make me pay & she’s not just talking about alimony. She doesn’t even love me. She just gets off on manipulating me. She’s not even here right now. She’s hanging out with some guy she met @ the hotel bar. I’m so alone right now. Can I please come to UR room? I need to see U so bad.”
I took a deep breath and texted back, “No!”
There was a time when I was incapable of resisting Frank, but that was before Deandre. I grabbed the pen on the nightstand and signed “Mrs. Kai Grant” on the notepad. I was 100 percent ready to go the distance with Deandre, and I really hoped he felt the same way about me.
CHAPTER 12
The next morning, I decided to skip the networking brunch. I really wasn’t in the mood to meet strangers wearing oversized “Hi. My name is…” stickers on their lapels or exchange more business cards with people I could easily connect with on LinkedIn. Besides, I wanted to avoid seeing Tisha and Frank. After that crazy limo ride, I wanted nothing to do with the Andersons or their marital drama.
I slipped into my swimsuit and went to the pool. A young family was swimming in the shallow in, and the children were wearing colorful floaties on their arms and around their little bellies. They splashed and giggled as their parents held their hands and cheered them on.
I was very happy to see that the Jacuzzi was empty. I pressed the button to power up the suds and submerged in the hot water. My whole body relaxed within seconds. As I watched the family having fun, I almost forgot about the Frank and Tisha fiasco and about how much I missed Deandre.