While it was good to laugh and have fun as a family, the best part of the trip was being with Chris alone at our villa. Waking up with the man I loved in Cancún was everything I had hoped it would be. Every morning Chris and I worked out together. Usually, our schedules conflicted, so we never had time to do that at home. After we worked up a good sweat, we made love in the shower. Chris covered my body with light kisses as the water cascaded over us. He wanted the trip to show that we were a great team. We had breakfast together every day and went to the golden spa suite for the “Just for Two” spa treatments.
Chris also treated me like a queen every night. He let me choose the activities. We sang together at the karaoke bar, and although Chris wasn’t a big fan of clubs, he didn’t complain when we went to a few. Certain nights we stayed in our room, had dinner delivered to us, cuddled, and watched movies. Besides engaging in all the pampering and fun activities, we finally talked without fighting. We shared our frustrations, and it was those intimate conversations that brought me closer to him.
While we were cuddling in our room one night and having one of those intimate conversations, we seemed to reach a critical turning point.
“I know you love me, Chris. I’m having a great time here with you, but when this is over, I’ll still need all these things,” I told him.
Chris held my hand and pulled me closer to him while we spooned. Usually, he’d get defensive, and our conversation would turn into an argument, but now he was really listening to what I had to say.
“I want to make you happy, babe. Sometimes I don’t know what you need.”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated. I need affection. Now and then, surprise me with a sweet text or take me somewhere spontaneously. Compliment me now and then, open doors for me, and send me flowers . . . you know, things like that.”
Chris kissed my neck.
“I need you to make time for me, and not just when we’re with the kids. I mean just for me. Hold me, talk to me, and pay attention to me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you felt I wasn’t doing those things.”
“I told you this lots of times. See, Chris, you heard me, but you weren’t listening. There’s a difference. They’re not the same thing.”
“I know, and I promise that from this day forward, I’ll be a better husband to you.” He turned me around to face him. “I love you, Karen.”
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes when he said, “I love you,” meant more than words to me. It made me feel warm. I realized Chris was the only man I needed.
An elderly white woman sat down in the lounge chair next to me and interrupted my reminiscing. I watched as she and her husband exchanged a warm smile.
“Do you want another Malibu bay breeze, babe?” Chris asked me from his lounge chair on the other side of mine.
I smiled and nodded.
He winked and stood up to get my drink.
The elderly woman leaned over. “I love seeing young people in love. How long have you two been married?”
“We’re going on seven years in May.”
“I’ve been married to my husband, Doug, for fifty-three years. You two make a beautiful couple.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Thank you. You and your husband look very happy together.”
“I’m sorry. I’m so rude. I’m Grace.”
“I’m Karen. That’s my husband, Chris.”
“You know how I can tell he loves you?”
I shook my head.
“His eyes. It’s obvious by the way he looks at you that you’re his everything. He adores you the way my Dougie adores me.”
Her face was filled with love and admiration when she looked over at her husband. He was now talking and laughing with Chris at the bar.
“I’m so lucky to have him,” she added.
“What’s your secret to a happy marriage?”
She gazed contentedly at her husband again and said, “Nothing worth something comes easy. You have to work at it. Both of you have to be willing to sacrifice, to constantly communicate, and most importantly, both of you have to appreciate what you have.”
I nodded and watched Chris joking with her husband at the bar.
“Dougie and I have never been wealthy. We’ve struggled and fought more times than I can count, but he loves me. He’s given me four beautiful children, a house, and no matter the obstacle, we go through it together and we come out stronger.”
Chris and Doug came back with our drinks. Doug kissed his wife and squeezed her breasts. She playfully slapped his hands and pinched his ass when he went to sit down. I envisioned Chris and me being the same way when we reached fifty-three years of marriage.
* * *
Soft R & B played as Chris closed the blinds and lit candles around the room. I licked my lips at the sight of his naked, muscular dark-chocolate body. He kissed my hand as I handed him my wineglass. We were alone in our room for our last night in Mexico. I lay naked on my stomach. Chris kissed my neck and rubbed his hands over my hips. He placed soft kisses down my spine. I shivered from the sensation. I felt his tongue lick the small of my back and giggled as he nibbled on my butt. I turned to face him and spread my legs wide, inviting him to my treasure. Chris moved up to kiss me and worked his way back down to my peach. He devoured me, curling his tongue around my clit. It felt heavenly, but I needed more.
“Use your fingers,” I moaned.
Chris worked my wet pussy with one finger, then two. The sight of his dark face as he lapped up my honey and worked his magic with his strong, thick fingers sent me through the roof. My breathing was thick. I clutched the back of his head and held his face in my treasure.
“Hum . . . hum on it, baby,” I begged.
Chris followed my instruction. He held my ass, pulled me closer, and hummed on my pussy until my eyes rolled back in my head from pleasure. I bucked, squirmed, and arched my back while Chris held my hips down. I twitched and tried to push him away to catch my breath, but he continued to suck on my clit and work his fingers in me. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“I want to feel you inside me.”
Chris slipped his fingers into my mouth. I sucked on them while he used his other hand to roll on a condom and then hold his cock and enter me. I wrapped my legs around his waist. It felt so good to give myself completely to him. The sensation and pressure of his well-endowed penis plunging into me felt heavenly. Trey Songz was playing in the background, but the sounds of our lovemaking were their own music. I was close. I gripped his back and my vaginal muscles clamped down on his dick as he continued to thrust through my orgasm. I was lost. I couldn’t stop cumming as he stroked me.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I moaned.
Then, with one hard thrust, Chris roared and came hard before he collapsed on top of me.
I was completely spent, but I had never felt more satisfied and relaxed in my life. I was convinced that my marriage with Chris could work. My love for him eclipsed any feelings I had ever had for Raheem or Tyrell. People said that no one changed unless they wanted to. Chris had proved he could be the man I’d always needed him to be. We would return to our realities, but I was confident things would be different. He had changed, and so had I. I was ready to have my happily ever after with Chris and only Chris.
PART TWO
What’s Done in the Dark Comes to Light
Chris
“Shit! I’m so late,” I yelled as I looked at my watch and rushed to get dressed.
The kids were sitting on our bed, fussing with Karen while she combed their hair for school. I searched frantically in the living room for my keys. Karen and I had woken up early for an intense sex session and had lost track of time.
“Babe, they’re on the kitchen counter, next to our phones,” Karen shouted.
“Thanks. I’ll text you later.”
“All right. Have a good day, babe.”
I grabbed my keys, my wallet, my phone, and ran out the door. I drove like a madman, cutting people off and mane
uvering through traffic. This was my first day back to work after vacation; I couldn’t show up late. With the grace of God, I arrived exactly on time. My phone vibrated in my pocket as I got out of my F-150 truck, but I ignored it and went straight to my assignment on the construction site. As I settled in, my phone vibrated again, reminding me that I had a text message. I pulled the phone out of my pocket, looked down at it, and saw I had grabbed Karen’s by mistake.
The message was from Raheem. I paused and stared at the notification. I was curious to see why this guy was messaging my wife, but I questioned whether I should read the text. A small part of me felt I would violate her privacy and trust by reading it. It was probably nothing, anyway. After all, Raheem was her personal trainer, and he was probably just setting up their next appointment. Our vacation had renewed my faith in Karen. But as I continued to contemplate reading the text, I realized I still had this gnawing, lingering suspicion. I loved my wife to death, but I didn’t want to be played for a fool, either. I punched in her password and unlocked the phone. I opened the message.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Staring me right in the fucking face was a picture of a dick with the words He misses you.
Anger radiated throughout my body. My hands trembled as I scrolled through and read some of their previous conversations. My breathing was choppy, and sweat dripped from my pores. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. I read until I couldn’t bear to see any more. I didn’t care if I got in trouble at work; I needed to settle this shit with Karen right now.
I told the foreman that I had a family emergency and that I couldn’t stay, because my kids were sick. I guessed the look on my face proved to him that something was wrong. He let me go without a complaint.
I needed to know more. So I sat in my truck and scrolled through her entire text history with Raheem. As I read her messages, I squeezed the phone in my hand. I wanted to die. This was more than an affair. They had a relationship. She had met up with him more than a few times; she had seen him on numerous occasions before the trip. He’d even texted that he loved her. What made it worse was seeing that she had texted him back, I love you too. That meant it was more than a physical thing; feelings were involved.
As I scrolled through her text messages, I discovered she had another guy on the side, somebody named Tyrell. The more I read, the deeper into a depression I went. Reading the conversations from Karen—the mother of my children, the woman I had sworn before God always to be faithful to—and seeing that she talked dirty to other men hurt me more than any physical pain could. What was really fucked up about this phone situation was that she used my birthday as her password. That meant whenever she was doing her dirt, she was fully conscience of what she was doing, because I had to come to mind when she entered my birth date to unlock her phone. The signs had been there all along, but I had been too naïve and trusting to pay attention to them.
I copied the numbers for Raheem and Tyrell on an old gas receipt I had lying around on the console. Then I put the receipt in my glove compartment and slammed the compartment shut. I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I had to do something. Her text messages with the two men indicated that she knew Raheem from the gym and Tyrell from work. I wasn’t totally sure that Karen had my phone at the moment. It was possible that she had realized it was mine right away and had left it at home, but I sent her a text message, anyway.
Karen, come home now!
If she didn’t respond, I’d show up at her fucking job. If she did respond, we’d settle this shit at home. I didn’t know how I’d react when I saw her or what I’d say or do. I felt so fucking stupid. I gripped the leather steering wheel tightly and banged my head on it.
Before I knew it, I was speeding on the Grand Central Parkway. I was on autopilot. I tried to collect my thoughts, but visions of other men fucking my wife ran rampant through my mind. That was when Karen called me.
“Chris . . . I can explain,” she said when I picked up.
“Explain it when I get home,” I yelled.
“Please try to understand. We had a lot of problems and—”
“I’ll see you when I get home.”
I ended the call. I didn’t care what excuses she had. No matter how bad she had believed we were, there was no excuse for cheating. If our problems had been so bad, she should’ve left me. Our marriage wasn’t perfect. We had our problems—all marriages did—but no matter how big our problems had been before, she could’ve talked to me. Sleeping with one guy was bad enough, but sleeping with two was unforgivable.
Karen
After Chris left for work, I rushed to finish Jaclyn’s and Jocelyn’s hair. Their hair was so thick that it took time and effort to get it done neatly. When I finally finished, I walked into their bedroom and put the combs and the hair grease on their dresser. They followed me into their bedroom, and I quickly dressed them. Then I gathered my phone, my purse, and my coffee and rushed out the door with the girls. After I got them in the car, I drove the girls to school.
“Mommy is going to miss you. Have fun at school and be good,” I told them as I ushered them out of the car and up the sidewalk. Their teacher was waiting for them in front of the school.
“Bye, Mom,” they yelled and waved after I handed them off.
“Bye, babies,” I said, waving at them, as I stood still on the sidewalk.
I continued to wave back until their teacher took them inside the classroom, and then I made a mad dash back to the car. I zoomed down the Long Island Expressway, which locals called the LIE, hoping to get to work on time. Thankfully, I was on time, but I had so much work to catch up on that my nerves were on edge.
I waved to a few people when I got to the office, but I didn’t speak to anyone. Some of the employees were whispering and saying things under their breath, but I was used to the usual haters now that I was a supervisor. Tyrell waved at me, but I acted like I didn’t see him, and headed straight to my office. I sat down at my desk, turned on my computer, sipped my coffee, and began to look over reports. Minutes later someone knocked on my door.
“Come in,” I shouted.
Tyrell walked in and closed my door behind him.
I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “What’s up, Tyrell?”
“I texted you ten times over the past two weeks, and you never responded back. I’m not happy with us. I don’t like that you just cut me off when it was convenient to you. I deserve more than—”
“Look, save it. We’re done. You’re married, I’m married, and what we were doing was wrong. I’m trying to fix my marriage, and so we’re not doing anything sexual anymore. We can be friends. We can grab a coffee now and then, but we aren’t doing anything more than that. Now please, I have a lot of work to catch up on, and there’s nothing more to discuss.”
I pointed to the door. Tyrell slammed it on his way out.
About an hour had passed when there was another knock on my door. I was engrossed in highlighting reports and making corrections on work that was done while I was away, so I found this second interruption really irritating.
“Come in,” I shouted again.
This time it was my director, Roger Bedore. He had Helen, our Human Resources representative, with him.
I put down my pen. “Good morning, Roger. Good morning, Helen. How are you two today?”
Helen remained silent.
“I’m well. Karen, we need to talk,” Roger said.
He had a grim look on his face as he closed my door. His bald head shone as he bent over slightly and stroked his graying beard.
“Are you aware there are rumors going around the company about you?” Roger asked.
I was confused about why someone from HR was with him, and I was annoyed that shit was being said behind my back at work.
“Rumors? What rumors?” I asked.
Helen cleared her throat and said, “There are rumors that you’re having an affair with one of your subordinates, Tyrell Stevens. Employees are saying that because
of your affair, he has been shown favoritism, despite his performance being substandard. Is this true?”
“What? No. That’s ridiculous. I’m not having an affair with anyone in this office. I treat all the employees here equally. There is no favoritism.”
“Tyrell’s wife, Pamela Stevens, begs to differ. She has gone on the record and reported that she saw inappropriate text messages between you and Tyrell,” Roger said.
My heart was beating fast. “That’s not true.” I paused for a moment. “Does she still have them?” I asked.
Roger gave me a skeptical look when I asked that question. “No. She and Tyrell fought over the phone, and he erased his text message history,” Roger explained.
That was good to know. Without the texts, she had no real proof.
“Some of your subordinates have stated that Tyrell has been seen going into your office for unknown reasons and has been staying for long blocks of time,” Roger said.
A wave of heat came over me. Sweat dripped down my neck. Roger’s and Helen’s eyes pierced through me. I felt like they already knew I was hiding something.
“Some employees have even said they’ve seen the two of you leaving work together,” Helen revealed. “We value you here, but you know the company’s strict policy and procedures when it comes to relationships with employees under your supervision. There is a pending investigation regarding this situation. I advise you to talk to your union representative and prepare yourself to answer questions and face the allegations once the higher-ups want to close out the investigation. I’ll inform you of anything else that develops.” She paused. “Try to enjoy the rest of your day.”
Love and Happiness Page 9
