Love & Lies

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  “Yeah, we’d better because I’m sure Tracy is already cooking.”

  “You know, we should think about giving her a raise, because she really does a lot around here. She does everything we ask and she never complains.”

  “I just gave her one a few months ago, but since you and I weren’t on the best of terms, I didn’t bother telling you.”

  “Well, I’m glad, because even when there have been times when we’ve needed her to come on the weekend, she’s been more than willing.”

  “She’s definitely one in a million and I always make sure she knows it.”

  When Curtis turned on the shower I got up so I could jump in there with him, but the phone rang again. I was almost afraid to answer it, but when I saw that the area code was right here in Mitchell, I picked up the receiver.

  “Hello?”

  “How are you, Charlotte?” the male voice said.

  “Fine.”

  “And the children?”

  “Fine,” I said with uncertainty.

  “And Curtis?”

  “Wait. May I ask who’s calling?”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you don’t even recognize your own brother-in-law?”

  “Larry?” I said.

  “Nobody but.”

  “Oh. How are you?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Well, is there something I can do for you?”

  “Actually, I’d like to speak to Curtis if he’s there.”

  “Well…I don’t think that’s a good idea, Larry, because Curtis has made it very clear that he doesn’t want you calling or coming over here.”

  “Even after I poured my heart out to him the way I did at church on Sunday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  “I’m sorry,” was all I could say.

  “But Charlotte, I really have changed. I’m not that same conniving addict I once was, and all I want is a chance to get to know my niece and nephew.”

  “I understand, but Curtis feels very strongly about not having anything to do with you.”

  “But how do you feel?”

  “What do you mean?” I said, hoping Curtis wouldn’t turn off the water and hear me on the phone. If he did, I would have no choice but to hang up on Larry.

  “I’m asking you if you believe me. Do you believe I’m trying to be a better person, and do you think I deserve a chance to prove it?”

  “Well, it’s not really up to me, so regardless of what I think about you, I would never go against Curtis’s wishes.”

  “Well, do you think you could loan me some money until I get my paycheck? I only work part-time, so I don’t make much. But I’m staying at this boardinghouse and I need to make my weekly rent payment.”

  “I wish I could, but I can’t. Curtis would kill me if I did something like that.”

  “But he doesn’t have to know.”

  I sighed because even though Curtis had already predicted that Larry was only here to take advantage of us, in my heart I wanted to help him. But unfortunately for him, my hands were tied.

  “I can’t go behind his back doing something he’s completely against.”

  “Charlotte, please. I won’t ask you for anything else.”

  Just then, I heard the water turn off and the shower door opening.

  “I’m really sorry, but I have to go,” I said quickly, and pressed the off button on the phone.

  Then I joined Curtis in the bathroom. We smiled at each other, but at the same time I felt guilty for concealing yet another piece of information from him. This bothered me because, for whatever reason, I just couldn’t stop doing it. I was well aware of how much trouble this had gotten me into in the past and how all my lies and secrets had blown up in my face, but I just couldn’t see telling Curtis about Larry’s phone call because all it would do was send him into a frenzy and ruin the last full day we had together until a week from now.

  I knew it was wrong but I decided that this was the best way to handle the situation.

  “Lord have mercy, Tracy,” Curtis said as he reached for the bowl of grits. “Maybe I should have married you instead of Charlotte, because you can cook your behind off.”

  “Why, thank you, Reverend,” she said and they both laughed.

  But I didn’t see anything funny. I knew Curtis had only been joking, but I hated when he made comments like that to anyone.

  “Aw, baby, you know I’m just kidding, right?” he said, noticing my obvious disapproval.

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, and Tracy set down a bowl of scrambled eggs and left us in the dining room. Whenever Curtis was on the road, the children and I usually ate breakfast right in the kitchen at the island, but when he was home, he always preferred we sit in here as a family. He’d once said something about not having the opportunity to do this with his parents and sister while he was growing up and that he was “breaking the cycle.”

  “Hey. I’m serious. I was just playing with Tracy and trying to give her a compliment.”

  “Some things are better left unsaid.”

  Curtis laughed and rubbed his hand under my chin. “I can’t believe you’re actually jealous.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Yes you are,” he said, but we both fell quiet when Tracy returned with warm homemade biscuits and a plate of sausage.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked.

  “No, everything is perfect,” I said, smiling. “But if you don’t mind, can you call the children down here so we can say grace? Pretty soon the food will be cold.”

  “Sure, Ms. Charlotte, I would be happy to.”

  When she left Curtis laughed again. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Shhhh,” I said, because no matter how much I didn’t want to hear Curtis talking to Tracy or any other woman in that manner, I didn’t want Tracy thinking I had a problem with her.

  Especially since I had never been the overly jealous type and had only started to feel this way once I’d begun suspecting that Curtis was messing around on me.

  “You crack me up,” he said. “So what do you want to do today?”

  “I was thinking we could drive over to Chicago and do some shopping. We haven’t done that in such a long time.”

  “No, we haven’t, so yeah, let’s do it.”

  “Good morning, Daddy.” Marissa beamed and hugged her father.

  “Good morning, baby girl. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes,” she said, and then leaned over to hug me. “Good morning, Mommy.”

  “Good morning,” I said, and wondered why she hadn’t won an Oscar yet. Because she really was that good. And the way she was acting now definitely qualified as a great performance, since she never showed me any affection of any kind and we certainly never touched each other. That is, unless you counted when I did her hair and we touched in some way by accident.

  “Good morning, Mom,” Matthew said. “Good morning, Dad.”

  “Good morning,” we responded together, and Curtis said grace.

  “So anything special going on at school?” Curtis asked Matthew.

  “Not really, except I have to finish up that feature article I was telling you about.”

  “Did you work some more on the last part that you e-mailed me last week?”

  “Yes. You wanna read the lines I added?”

  “Of course. I’ll read it before you leave if we finish breakfast in time.”

  “Daddy, my class wrote some new words last week, too,” Marissa interrupted.

  “You did? Well, good for you.”

  “So are you going to stick with the sports section?” Curtis asked Matthew.

  “Maybe. I really like writing about the football team but I’d also like to write about some of the other stuff going on at school, too.”

  “Good. It’s better to get experience with every section of the paper if you can. That way you’ll know what you’re the most interested in before you get to high school. B
ecause you are planning to work on the paper there, too, aren’t you?”

  “Uh-huh. My goal is to be editor in chief.”

  “Exactly. You should also try to make editor in chief next year while you’re still in eighth grade if you can.”

  “Mr. Hotlen said if I keep writing as well as I have been, I’ll have a real good chance at getting the position.”

  “I’m really proud of you, Matthew, and I thank God every day for giving us the resources to send you and your sister to private schools. I didn’t have that opportunity when I was growing up and the public schools I went to in Chicago weren’t very good. But the reason I turned out okay was because I was so determined to read and learn everything I could on my own. It’s the reason I’m always encouraging you to read.”

  “What about me, Daddy?” Marissa cut in again. “Are you proud of me, too?”

  “Of course I am, baby girl. I’m proud of everything you do,” he said, and it bothered me that she always tried to take Curtis’s focus away from Matthew. It was so obvious but I could tell that Curtis never picked up on it.

  “Hey, Dad, a group of fathers are planning a camping trip for next May before we get out of school, so can we go?” Matthew asked.

  “I would love that. We haven’t gone since you were in Cub Scouts.”

  “I’ll tell them to count us in and then I’ll get all the information for you.”

  “But what about me?” Marissa asked, and I could tell she didn’t like the idea of Curtis and Matthew going away together and without her.

  “Little girls can’t go on camping trips with boys and their fathers. But maybe you and Mommy could go somewhere that girls like to go. Maybe you could invite some of your little friends over for a sleepover.”

  Marissa looked at Curtis but didn’t comment, and I knew it was because she would rather die than be left here alone with me. Sadly, I didn’t want to be here with her either.

  We finished eating, but as soon as the children went upstairs to get their jackets and book bags, the phone rang. This was the third time this morning and this time we let Tracy answer it.

  “Reverend Curtis, I’m sorry to interrupt your breakfast, but it’s Mary,” Tracy said, referring to Curtis’s assistant. “She says it’s important.”

  “Thank you,” he said, taking the phone. “Good morning, Mary, how are you?”

  I wondered why she was calling so early, but by the time Curtis ended the conversation, I already knew. I’d been able to tell just from listening to his part of the conversation.

  “Bad news, baby,” he said. “My publicist just booked me for a live television interview this evening, and she also scheduled a live in-studio radio interview in the morning with one of the top radio talk shows in New York. We’ve been trying to get both for the last couple of months, so I can’t pass them up.”

  “So when do you leave?”

  “My publisher is scheduling a flight out for this afternoon, but I promise I’ll make it up to you. We’ll go shopping when I get back next week.”

  I nodded but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Not with him coming home for only two days, but I didn’t argue.

  “I’m really sorry, baby,” he said, scooting away from the table. “But I guess I should get upstairs and get packed.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  As we left the dining room, Curtis slid his arm around my waist and I placed mine around his. I was still disappointed about his having to leave, but happy we were getting along so well.

  Because right now, happiness was all that mattered to me.

  Chapter 14

  JANINE

  I tried my best to stay focused on what Rebecca was saying, but as the minutes passed, my mind wandered in a thousand different directions. Rebecca was by far one of my best students, and I was always happy to consult with her on any given assignment, but today my thoughts were distracted. I was preoccupied because today would be the end of Antonio’s reign as ruler of my house. He had no idea what was to come, but this evening he would learn that I was no longer afraid to put him out and that I was willing to live with any consequences he tossed my way.

  “I was trying to decide whether I wanted my business to be one that sold a product or a service, but I’m thinking I’ll choose a service because if you can sell a great service, your chances of high profitability are a lot higher,” Rebecca said.

  “This is very true. Because even though any good product will sell, with a service, you don’t have to deal with discounting to wholesalers and retailers. You can charge a straight fee and not have to share any of it with anyone.”

  “Exactly. I’ve been reading this book I found on starting a business, and while I’d love to create a cosmetics company, I’ve decided to go with a marketing and public relations business. I did some research, and what I found was that so many business owners don’t realize how important those two aspects really are, and that they would do so much better in sales if they had someone to help them with both.”

  “You’re right, and actually, lack of proper marketing and publicity is one of the top reasons why most businesses fail. Another is that they don’t plan well enough, and that’s why I gave all of you this particular assignment. The first and foremost step for any would-be business owner should be to sit down and write a business plan.”

  “I know. And that’s why I’m so glad you assigned this for us to do, because I’m learning so much already.”

  “Good,” I said, and glanced at the clock on my wall. It was almost four o’clock, and as soon as Rebecca and I finished our conference I was going to head out to my car.

  “Well, I think that’s all for now. Pretty much I just wanted to make sure you thought my business idea was a good one to work on and to make sure I was on the right track.”

  “It’s great, and you’ll do fine as always.”

  “Thanks so much, Ms. Turner,” she said, removing her jacket from the back of the chair and putting it on.

  “No problem. Come see me anytime.”

  “Take care.”

  But just as Rebecca left, Thomas, one of my colleagues stepped into my office.

  “A bunch of us are going out for drinks if you wanna come.”

  “No, I think I’ll pass. But maybe next time.”

  “Yeah, right,” he said teasingly. “If I had a dollar for every time you told me that, I’d be rich.”

  We both chuckled.

  “No, really. I’m going to seriously think about going out with you guys. I don’t drink all that much, but it would still be nice to sit around and have a few laughs.”

  “Exactly. So why don’t you join us tonight?”

  “I can’t. But like I said, maybe next time.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Enjoy,” I told him, and he smiled on his way out.

  Thomas had been flirting with me for more than a year but I’d made it very clear that I was very much committed to Antonio, and Thomas never took his advances any further. He was nice-looking, clean-cut, and every bit the type of man I should have been attracted to, but for some reason I wasn’t. For some reason, I had never been taken with men who fell into the “Mr. Nice Guy” sort of category, but maybe it was time I rethought my position in this area. As a matter of fact, I knew for sure it was time I made drastic changes in the choices I made regarding my past relationships because none of them was anything worth bragging about.

  Next I organized a few items on my desk and slipped inside of my briefcase a couple of textbooks I’d been wanting to skim through for a while now. I wouldn’t add them to the current curriculum as required material, but if they contained the information I was looking for, I would certainly consider listing them on the course syllabus as additional and recommended reading.

  When I removed my leather coat from the back of my door, my office phone rang.

  “Janine Turner.”

  “Hey, we’re out of chips and orange soda, so I need you to swing by the store to pick some up,” Anton
io said, and I closed my eyes in disgust. “And some Oreo cookies would be nice, too, because Killer just can’t seem to get enough of those.”

  I bit my lip and said as politely as possible, “No problem. Do you need anything else?”

  “Well, actually, no, but I might as well let you know now that there’s been a change in plans. Killer worked things out with his girl, but Chiquita will be moving her things in tomorrow. Her aunt told her she has to find somewhere else to stay, and I’m not about to leave her hangin’ like that.”

  “Whatever she needs is fine with me,” I agreed. My first thought was to ask who on earth was Chiquita, but I knew immediately that it was the ghetto girl I’d seen yesterday, sitting at my dining room table.

  “Whatever she needs?” he repeated, obviously shocked. “Well, what brought on this happy-go-lucky attitude?”

  “I just don’t want to argue with you anymore, Antonio. You and I have a lot of history and it just doesn’t make sense for us to end up hating each other. Plus I finally decided that you and I living in the same house and living separate lives is not all that big a deal.”

  “Good. Because as long as you do what I say, there won’t be any problems.”

  “I should get out of here so I can head to the store.”

  “Cool. See you when you get here.”

  I hung up the phone, grabbed my belongings, and left the building in a hurry.

  About two hours later, I walked inside my condo with two grocery bags, but this time Chad and Nate didn’t offer to help me carry them. Probably because they were too engrossed with what Antonio had termed their “business venture.” The table was full of product and distribution supplies and Chiquita was sitting next to Antonio, eyeing me in a manner that screamed, I live here now, too, and there ain’t a single thing you can do about it.

  I continued into the kitchen but I could still hear the conversation Antonio and his posse were having.

  “Man, if we keep moving this out the way we did the last few days, we’ll be making major bank in no time,” Killer boasted.

  “You got that right,” Antonio seconded. “All we have to do is keep working sunup to sundown and we’ll have more customers than any other dealer in this city. All we have to do is keep laying low over here on this nice side of town where the police will never suspect anything, and then making sure we only sell it on the west end.”