Almost Doesn't Count

by Angela Winters

  Sherise recognized both the names as Justin’s coworkers. She had met both men and their wives.

  “And that’s it?” she asked.

  Billie sighed. “Yes, but, Sherise, they could have made a mistake. They might have missed his name or it’s possible he replaced Cole or Brian, but the firm didn’t update their records before—”

  “He wasn’t there,” Sherise said solemnly. Was this really happening to her?

  “Maybe he wasn’t speaking,” Billie said. “Maybe he was just attending. That happens all the time.”

  “Or maybe he’s lying.” Sherise felt like she was going to be sick.

  She kissed a cooing Cady just to make herself feel better, but it didn’t work. She felt like a brick was sinking in her stomach.

  “I just don’t believe it,” Billie said. Maybe she was just being hopeful. Justin was nothing like Porter. “He’s just not that guy.”

  “Every guy is that guy,” Sherise said. “I guess I deserve it.”

  “Don’t say that.” Billie couldn’t think of more to say about that.

  She knew Sherise didn’t have much moral ground to stand on if it was true, but that didn’t matter. She was her friend and she was scared.

  “I know that’s what you’re thinking,” Sherise said.

  “I’m thinking that you need more than this to assume Justin is cheating on you.”

  “What else can you get me?”

  “Me?”

  “You’ve been through this before, Billie. You know what I need to be doing. Besides, you’re right there with him every day.”

  “I’m not with him,” Billie said. “I go weeks without even seeing him in the hallway.”

  “I need you to spy for me. I’m gonna—”

  “No, Sherise.”

  “I’m gonna follow him the next time he goes out for a meeting,” she continued as if not hearing Billie’s protests. “You can go through his office.”

  “I can’t do that,” she whispered into her phone even though she was alone in her office. “This is a law firm. There is very confidential information floating around here.”

  There was silence and Billie wondered if Sherise was still on the line.

  “I need you, Billie.”

  Well, damn. Billie wasn’t going to be able to turn that down. They were there for each other no matter what. Sherise would do it for her without question.

  “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

  Billie glanced at her watch. It was seven and Porter wasn’t there yet. This was all she needed. From the second she got up that morning, she was dreading this meeting. Now Sherise was demanding she investigate Justin for cheating. She was thinking about rescheduling drinks after such a hectic day, but she knew that Tara’s well-being was a priority.

  Her phone vibrated on the bar next to her glass of cabernet sauvignon. She didn’t recognize the number, but she wondered if it was Porter calling her to tell her he was late, so she answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Billie Carter?” a man asked.

  “Yes,” she answered, still trying to get used to that name again.

  “Are you the one investigating the Saturn House code violations?”

  “Who is this?” Her red flag went up.

  “You should think twice about fighting for Ricky Williams. He’s not who you think he is.”

  “If you don’t tell me who you are, I’m hanging up.”

  “One of those nine-one-one calls was not removed from the log. Wonder why?”

  “I don’t know who you think—”

  The static sound ended and Billie looked at her phone. The call was over. They had hung up.

  “What in the hell?” she asked out loud.

  “I’m only a little late. Don’t get so mad.”

  Billie hadn’t even noticed that Porter had taken a seat next to her at the bar.

  “I’m not talking about you,” she said.

  Porter eyed her pleasingly. “You look nice, Billie.”

  “Look, I don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get right to it.”

  Porter frowned like a child disappointed he wasn’t getting the attention he thought he deserved. “I was just complimenting you. Can we go somewhere more private? It’s kind of noisy in—”

  “Yeah, right.” Billie laughed. “Look, Porter, this is as private as you and I are gonna get.”

  “Afraid of being alone with me?” he asked with a sly smile.

  “More like disgusted at the thought,” she answered back.

  “I guess Robert Frask doesn’t disgust you.”

  She thought for a second to ask him how he knew about her and Robert, but didn’t bother. He would probably lie and just get a kick out of her showing it bothered her.

  “This is about Tara,” she said.

  “Are you sleeping with him?” Porter asked, his expression showing some mixture of jealousy and curiosity.

  “Fuck off,” she said. “Can we get to the point? Your daughter is considering having sex with Greg.”

  Porter’s expression froze. “What the fuck are you talking about? How do you know that? I’m gonna kill that mother—”

  “Porter, focus please. Let’s not go all caveman. She’s not having sex with him yet and I don’t think she wants to.”

  “She can’t!” Porter slammed his fist on the bar. “I knew I should have never let her have a boyfriend.”

  “That isn’t the answer,” Billie said. “And, Porter, you need to understand that if she wants to have sex, she can and she will. We can try to make her understand why she’s too young, but ultimately I think our job . . . your job is to make sure she is safe.”

  A familiar mask of stubborn insistence clouded Porter’s face. Billie knew this wasn’t a good thing.

  “I can’t do this alone, Billie. I need you. You’re the only mother she’s ever known.”

  “But I’m not her mother,” Billie said. “You are her parent, and you have to take the lead on this. You can’t let your anger and protectiveness get in the way.”

  Porter looked genuinely anguished and it touched Billie. His one redeeming quality was his love for his daughter.

  “I don’t want her catching something or getting pregnant and ruining her life.” He ran his hand over his head before it fell forward. “Jesus, Billie. I don’t know what to do.”

  “Here.” Billie reached into her purse and pulled out some pamphlets. “This is from Planned Parenthood. Also, this is a good ob-gyn to take her to. She can probably talk you through this as well.”

  “I don’t want any of that.” He slammed the papers on the table. “I want you, Billie. I need you to help me.”

  Billie sighed. Why was she all of a sudden everyone’s savior? “I’m more than willing to go to the doctor with you. In fact, I think she’d prefer it if I . . .”

  “Billie.” He reached out and placed his hand over hers. “I don’t want to go to a doctor. I want to talk her out of this. I need your help. We can do this . . . together. If we—”

  “Stop.” She pulled her hand away. “Porter, we aren’t doing anything together anymore.”

  “Fine.” He stood up suddenly and looked at her with derision. “I’ll do this on my own. I’m gonna forbid her to see Greg or any other boy. I’m enrolling her in a girl’s school, and that’s the end of it. She’s not having sex.”

  “That’s not the answer,” Billie pleaded. “You’ll make things worse. Listen to me.”

  “No,” he said angrily. “You’ve cut me out of your life, Billie, so I’m cutting you out of hers. Just stay away from Tara and me. I’ll handle this without you.”

  “Porter!” Billie called after him as he walked away, but she knew he wouldn’t come back.

  She ached at the thought that she had just made things worse for Tara. She was only trying to help the girl and she couldn’t let Porter’s anger push Tara in the wrong direction and end up causing her to ruin her chances for a good future.

  8


  Erica wasn’t sure what was going on.

  Terrell’s head was between her thighs as his tongue traced the outside of her center. Usually it would have her moaning and her body moving every which way. Her hands covered his as they caressed her large breasts.

  He dug his tongue inside of her and made a loud groan as his hands left her breasts and gripped her hips. He lifted her up, so he could go deeper. It felt good and she wanted more, but something was just wrong. He was trying so hard, she let out a fake moan just to make him feel better.

  Then he stopped.

  She looked down and he was looking up at her. Their eyes connected, and the second before she was going to try to fake it some more, she knew it was a waste.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as he sat up.

  “What am I doing wrong?” he asked.

  She sat up and waited for him to slide next to her. “You’re not doing anything wrong.”

  “I know you, baby. I know your body.” He watched as she covered herself up with her bedsheet. “You’re not here with me. This is about Jonah, isn’t it?”

  “I’m just not feeling it,” she said. “A lot of things are going on and . . .”

  “I knew that fucker trying to come back into your life was gonna fuck things up.”

  Erica turned to him. “You can’t blame it all on him, Terrell. You made the situation worse.”

  “It’s my job to protect you, Erica.” He slapped his chest. “I’m your man. Or am I wrong on that?”

  “This isn’t the time to test me, Terrell. You know you’re my man, but you’re not my father and I’m not a child.”

  “He’s not your father either,” Terrell pointed out.

  “Whatever he is, that’s for him and me to figure out,” Erica said. “You have to stay out of it.”

  “I see what’s happening,” he said. “He plays on your sympathy with his dad’s death and your mother’s necklace. All of a sudden you’re thinking you got a daddy.”

  Erica angrily wrapped the sheet around her as she slid out of bed. “If you’re going to be patronizing, then you can just leave.”

  “It’s the truth, baby.”

  “No, it’s not.” She turned to him, standing at the side of the bed. “Terrell, I’ve changed during those six months we were apart. Don’t assume you know me like you used to.”

  Terrell looked hurt. “I know who you are in your core, Erica. I love that woman with all my heart. I would die and kill for that woman.”

  “But you won’t trust that woman?”

  Terrell just shook his head. “I also know that woman, just like me, wishes she had a father growing up, and I’m just afraid that wish is gonna make you fall for his shit.”

  “Jonah has shown his true colors.” Without thinking, Erica’s hand came to the pendant on her necklace, and her fingers brushed against it. “But he is my father and I don’t really know if I can just ignore him completely. I don’t know if Mom would have wanted that.”

  “Why do you think she didn’t tell you about him? She obviously knew something was wrong.”

  “She probably didn’t want to interfere in his life.” She went over to the plush chair near the window and reached for her clothes. “Besides, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I’m not looking for a real relationship with him. I just think I shouldn’t treat him like he’s my enemy.”

  “Not yet at least.” Terrell laid back in the bed.

  She placed her hands on her hips. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that man is going to be defense secretary and probably president. You’re more dangerous to him now than ever.”

  Erica was fuming. “So what are you saying, Terrell? You saying this is all an act to get me on his good side so he can keep me under control and make sure I keep his little secret?”

  “I’m saying you can’t put it past him. I’m saying that you can’t let anything make you forget that he threatened me, threatened Sherise, and admitted to having done horrible things to people who cross him.”

  “He wouldn’t hurt me,” Erica protested.

  He looked at her as if she was a naïve child. “Bullshit. That man does not have good in him. Men like him don’t get that close to that much power if they have a soft spot in their heart. Erica, I think you know I’m telling the truth. That’s why you’re mad. You know and I know, you cross him . . . he won’t give a shit who you are.”

  Sherise was doing a lot of pacing these days, and once again, she was pacing her living room waiting for her husband to come home from work. She had made a decision. They were going to have it out. She had hesitated as long as she had because of her own guilt. Yes, she was being a hypocrite, but she couldn’t help it. She had given up one of the most important things in her life, her career, to make him happy, and he was repaying her by having an affair.

  There could be no other explanation, she told herself. She should be pregnant by now. He should be happy that he had his little stay-at-home wife. But no one was happy and there was another woman behind this. The second she found out who that woman was, Sherise was gonna make her wish she had never been born.

  And as for Justin . . . well, she had to hear what he was going to say. She had to think of what was best for Cady, and if Justin wanted to work on this marriage, she would try to make it work. After all, she knew better than anyone that temptation was a bitch.

  She had gone over in her head how she was going to force the subject and not let him divert the issue like he had before. When her phone rang, she rushed to it, hoping to God it wasn’t Justin telling her he would be late again. She wouldn’t stand for it tonight.

  It wasn’t Justin. It was Dr. Peña’s office. Why would her ob-gyn’s office be calling her?

  “Can I speak to Mrs. Sherise Robinson?” the squeaky voice on the other end of the phone asked.

  “This is Mrs. Robinson.”

  “Mrs. Robinson, this is Karen from Dr. Peña’s office. How are you today?”

  “What are you calling for?” she asked impatiently. She had no time for niceties.

  “Oh . . . um.” She cleared her throat. “Okay, well, there was a hold up on the records you requested. The woman who was supposed to process—”

  “What records? I didn’t request any records.”

  “Oh, um . . .”

  There was a pause and Sherise heard some frantic hands on a computer keyboard.

  “Sherise Robinson of 1783 O Street in Washington, DC?”

  “That’s me.” Sherise felt her chest tightening. She didn’t need any more bad news.

  “You asked to have copies of all your records for Cady sent to your new doctor last week, but the woman who was supposed to do it just up and quit and we’re—”

  “Wait a second!” Sherise shrieked. Just the thought of someone curious about Cady made her nervous. “Cady? Someone asked about my baby?”

  “Um . . . you did.”

  “Obviously I didn’t, you twit. Was it my husband?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m sorry, but the form here was filled out by you, signed, and includes your social security number.”

  Oh my God! Sherise knew it had to be Justin. Who else knew that number? Was Justin curious about Cady’s paternity? She felt her heart begin to beat so fast and loud she thought she was going to have a panic attack.

  “When . . . When did this happen?”

  “A week ago,” Karen continued. “The day you sent the form, the woman, Gillie, was supposed to process this, but she quit that afternoon. Her files got mixed up. It wasn’t until you called again—”

  “I called again? Who did I talk to? I want to talk to that person now!”

  “Ma’am, I—”

  “Now!”

  Sherise felt her legs getting weak and she had to sit down on the living room sofa while she waited for someone to return to the phone. The woman who picked up introduced herself as the office manager, Thalia Adams.

  “First of all,” Sherise began, “I never called and
asked you to send my information anywhere. I want to know exactly who called and what they said. Was it a woman?”

  “Look,” Thalia said in a deep, smoker’s voice, “Mrs. Robinson, just let me say that I had no idea—”

  “Fuck your apologies,” Sherise said. “You almost sent my family’s private medical information to some random stranger, and that makes you subject to a serious lawsuit, so you’re going to answer every question I have, and if you hold anything back, the next call will be to my lawyer.”

  When Sherise finally hung up the phone, her hands were shaking. She didn’t know what to do. She knew what she wanted to do and that was call Billie and Erica. She needed their help, but she couldn’t do it. She would have to tell them everything.

  What she knew now was that a woman, pretending to be her, faxed the office a copy of the standard records release form, including a signature and social security number. The form, which the office would be e-mailing to Sherise immediately, requested the medical information be sent to a Dr. Michael Moss’s office in Dallas, Texas. Requested was any and all information on Sherise’s pregnancy, birth, and the care of Cady.

  Thalia, reviewing the faxed form, noted that the sending fax number had a 202 area code, so it was made from somewhere in DC. She was told the information would be processed and sent within the week. They had not known the information hadn’t been sent; the office received a call from a woman claiming to be Sherise complaining that it was never received. Thalia promised to work hard to find the number that call came from.

  Despite her frantic demands for more information, Sherise knew that Thalia couldn’t do more for her at the moment, so she hung up and tried to figure out the tornado her life had just become.

  There was still a thought in the back of her mind that Justin was behind this, but it didn’t make sense. He had no clue that Cady might not be his. The only other person who could possibly know was Ryan, but she had neither seen nor heard from him since breaking it off after their night together. She was relieved to hear that he had moved to Atlanta shortly after their encounter. No one had known about their affair, and the way she had met him, fund-raising at a country club, was not well known.