I sat there staring out the window contemplating my future with the one woman I would die for and the many women I would have to go through to find love again. There was only one thing to do: accept the unacceptable and do the unthinkable. “I will marry her,” I confirmed out loud. It took a lot to say those words, but if it would make her happy then I’d do it. What could go wrong? I’ve been with her long enough. There shouldn’t be any surprises. I grabbed my phone and scrolled to my calendar. Buy ring, I typed in.
I looked at the time on my watch: 7:00 p.m. Damn, it’s still early. I can’t call her now, my mind told me. Disturbing her fun would be selfish of me. Instead I finished my Thai dinner and headed to bed. I had to be well rested before the nonstop madness of selling out an entire building in thirty days.
It was six o’clock the next morning and I woke up alone. Where the hell is Regina? I questioned myself. I called her name: “Regina. Regina.” There was no response. I sat up in the bed and reached for my phone off the nightstand. I checked for any missed calls, voicemails—nothing. Usually, if she was staying out she would at least text me. I dialed her immediately. The phone just kept ringing then her voicemail picked up: “You’ve reached me, now leave a message.” I refused to leave a message. A strange chill tickled my body. I dialed her again.
“Argh, hello.” Her voice was groggy.
“Hey, baby, where are you? I woke up and you weren’t here.” I was concerned.
“I’m at Mandie’s. We had a late night so I just slept over. What time is it?”
“It’s a little after six. Will you be home soon? I need to talk to you.”
“Yeah, okay. Is everything okay?” By the sound of her voice I could tell she was clueless about her actions toward me in the past days.
“Yeah, just come home soon. A lot of things are about to change and you play a huge part. Love you, see you in a bit.” I waited for her to reciprocate then pushed End on the phone.
I didn’t know why, but her voice was strange. I didn’t know if she was still in one of her moods or what, but what I had to tell her would undoubtedly adjust it. I got out of bed rubbing the cold out my eyes and stretching toward the ceiling. I walked to the bathroom to relieve myself then headed toward the kitchen to put the coffee machine on.
I have to get the ring, and I know she probably already got one picked out. I’ll check with our jeweler first. This contract has to be signed before I put anything into motion. I have to start looking at houses. We can’t live in the city if we’re married. I want kids and she will have to allow me that if I’m conforming to her wishes. We’ll use a surrogate. Suddenly I heard my phone ringing from the bedroom. Who the hell could that be at this hour? I dashed to the bedroom and picked up just in time. “Mark Sands.”
“Good morning, Mark, it’s Vanessa. I wanted to ask you to breakfast at Norma’s in the Le Parker Meridien at eight? I didn’t know if you had other plans, that’s why I’m calling this early.”
“Only if you have the signed contract with you.” I was firm. She knew her brother had the contract for more than a week now. If they were serious about selling an entire building they should’ve signed the contract the day it was received.
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. There were a few hiccups in there that we weren’t expecting.”
“I see. I’ve used those contracts for the past ten years. I’ve never had an issue with any other builder,” I replied.
“So guess I’ll see you at eight to work it out.”
“As long as you can be held accountable when the contract is signed.” I may have been a morsel too confident, but I needed this to expand to a global effect and if I had to bend I would.
“See you at eight then.” The call disconnected.
I placed my phone on the counter and reached for a mug off the shelf above the coffee machine. After pouring some coffee I headed back toward the bedroom and turned on the TV. As the Today Show rambled off the morning’s headlines I walked toward my closet to pull out one of my custom suits made by William Fioravanti over on Fifty-seventh Street. I decided on a light blue tie and my dark brown Ferragamo Oxfords. Yes, that should make a statement, I thought heading out the closet.
I sat on the bed to finish up my coffee and watched the Today Show’s newscast. I thought I heard the door open. “Regina, is that you?” There was no reply, so I headed out the bedroom. “Regina?” When I got to the front door, it was shut with no one in sight.
I didn’t know if I was more disappointed in no one entering or that I was left alone for the past twenty-fours. I walked toward the kitchen and picked up my phone.
“Hello, Amanda. Sorry if I woke you, but I may need your help today.”
“My help? If you’re looking for Regina I can’t help you,” she replied with an attitude as if I was the worst person in the world.
“Damn, what did I do now?”
“Why don’t you ask her? I don’t understand how you don’t know what you did. Try acting like the man she wants instead of the man who’s causing her to spend a night at a hotel because of a fight you initiated.”
I was confused. I thought Regina was spending the night with her. I got serious. “Amanda, what are you talking about? Wasn’t Regina with you last night?”
“Ummm, listen you need to talk to Regina. I’m letting you know, as a dear friend, whatever it is that you guys are fighting about it’s going to make you lose her. She told me not to take your call, but I think you need to know you are about to lose the love of your life.”
I kept quiet.
“What did you do this time? How many nights is she going to spend in a hotel? Do you even care?” By her questions, I could tell she had her Nancy Grace hat on.
I almost dropped the phone. I didn’t want to believe what she was asking. Am I that blind to her goings and comings? I questioned myself.
“Mark? Mark, are you even listening to me?”
“Actually, Amanda, I have no clue what the hell you’re talking about. I have one question for you: was Regina at your house or not last night into this morning?” I felt my pulse accelerate. My mind started to race. I’ve been with her so long. How could I not see this? I thought it was about the ring. What the fuck is really going on?
“Ummm, I can’t say yes or no. I ca—”
“Amanda.” My voice became louder. “Amanda, you are not in a courtroom so stop covering your ass. Don’t forget who got you in that law firm. I’ve known you longer than Regina. If it weren’t for me your ass would still be living in East New York and paying MTA like a car note. The least you can do is show me some loyalty.” By her throat clearing and stumbling with words I knew there was definitely something she was keeping from me. I chimed in on her again: “Well, is there something I’m missing, Amanda?”
“I . . . I . . . I’m sorry, Mark. I—”
“If you can’t be truthful about one simple question, then I just may want to come clean about everything.” After I said that I knew she would have to give up whatever Regina was hiding.
A long time ago we had a chance encounter while I and Regina were going through a rough spill. She was drunk and horny and I was in a bitter revenge mode. At the time she and Regina hadn’t even met yet. It was all coincidental that they ever met. Just so happened that we all ended up at the same client’s party only one week after Amanda and I were intimate. She was the only other woman I really cheated with. I was a big flirt, but never went any further than words and smiles. When I bumped into her at the party it was a huge surprise and secretly written on my face that I didn’t want our association known.
“Damn, that’s a low blow. First, I don’t want you destroying the one real friendship I have. Second, how long are you going to hold that shit over my head?”
“Hold what? The fact that I was the one who helped you change your life so that you could get out of the ghetto and receive some respect for the lawyer you are, or that you fucked your best friend’s man? If I didn’t know any bett
er I would think you befriended Regina more just to get closer to me. Am I right?”
She screamed while I laughed. She was angry and boiling over like a teapot. It was funny to me how women would act. Or should I say certain women. Every moment Amanda had she did her very best to offer her goods. After many attempts she got the hint that when I was around she wasn’t. The only time we were in the same room together was in public.
Amanda’s reply told me she wasn’t willing to let our little secret out. “I don’t know what she’s doing. And no, she didn’t stay over here last night.”
Just then I heard the front door open. I didn’t hang up. As I stood there waiting I glanced at the digital clock on the microwave: 7:06. I saw Regina approaching and smiled. I returned to my conversation with Amanda. “Listen, I think we should meet for lunch to discuss everything. Do you think you can fit me in?”
“Yeah, but it’ll have to be near the courthouse. I have to be able to get to court in a hurry. I’m waiting on a verdict.”
“Sounds good.” I pushed End on the screen and turned my attention to Regina. I pulled her close to me and gave her a peck on the lips. I wanted to get a good whiff of her scent hoping I would detect some hint of betrayal, but there wasn’t. The scent of honey was all I got.
“Hey, what’s going on? What do we need to talk about?” She was antsy waiting for my reply.
“I can’t talk right now. I have a very important meeting at eight. It’s already after seven and I still haven’t showered yet. You look tired. I hope you didn’t have an all-nighter at some club.” I kissed her forehead and headed to the bathroom. I left her standing there confused and probably mad, but I didn’t care. My entire future just changed in a blink of an eye.
9
Amanda
Oh my God, what did I just do? He wouldn’t tell her or at least I hoped he wouldn’t tell her. There was only one solution: beat him at his own shit. I was ready for anything and knew how to play this game very well. He forgot where I was from. Mark may have pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I wasn’t about to let anything hang over my head. I grabbed my phone, swiped the screen to open a new text message.
Gina u have to call me.
I remembered that night like it was yesterday. Did he forget how he wanted it just as much as I did?
“Mark, I think you had enough to drink. I’m not about to let you go home now.”
“Please, I’m fine. Just call me a cab.” Mark slurred his words.
“Do you know how you look right now?”
He stood up and brushed his hand across his shoulder. “I look just fine and you can’t stop me. You don’t need to call a cab. I’ll just go out and get one.”
I jumped to my feet and got between him and the front door. “Mark, you can’t go out like this. You’ll probably get robbed or killed. Remember where you are?”
“I’m here with you and you’re kicking me out!”
“Mark, I’m not kicking you out. You’re the one who wanted to come all the way out here. I told you I would come to you. Mark, what do you really want?” His eyes told me everything.
From the first day I met Mark, I wanted him. Tonight was the first time he’d ever mentioned a woman in his life and by the looks of it she didn’t know what she was losing. Mark was on the rise as one of the top Realtors in New York. What woman wouldn’t stick to him like glue? Well, if she doesn’t want him I will be happy to have her seconds, I thought.
I gently pecked at his soft lips as a test. I only hoped he wasn’t too drunk to forget me in a few hours. He didn’t resist physically, but his mind wasn’t having it.
“Amanda, what are you doing? You know I’m taken. This isn’t right, but I sure as hell want to fuck you.”
With those words he undressed me slowly. I kissed him again and in return his manhood arose. I slid my hand over the front of his pants.
“This isn’t right. I love my girl.”
“Well, by the way your dick feels I don’t think it matters.” I unbuckled his pants and let them drop. His stiff penis easily showed through the slit in his boxers. I wrapped my hand around his shaft with my knees slightly bent and look up to him. His eyes were closed and it seemed that he was enjoying his retaliation against his girl.
“Yes. Show me . . . There’s no turning back now,” he whispered facing the ceiling.
I licked my lips and took him into my warm, wet mouth deeply. He moaned and pushed on the back of my head almost making me gag. After a few strokes he pulled me up and stepped out of his pants then pulled his boxers off.
“Bend over. I don’t want to see your face.”
After those words, my emotions took a turn. “What?” Before I could step back he turned me around and bent me over. I struggled a bit to make it rougher. Little did he know I liked playing the submissive type. Meeting a man who liked to take control was exactly what I was looking for.
Mark jammed his raw six inches into me. I received him like a linebacker, pushing every time he pumped into me. Our grunts became animalistic. He slapped my ass and it drove me insane. I bucked like a horse and screamed for him to fuck me in my ass. I wanted the intensity and passion to overrule the slightest hint of pain. When my body fell into an orgasmic state there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep that feeling.
We went at it like two dogs in heat. He pinched at my nipples, pulled on my hair, slapped his six inches across my face and I loved every minute of it. I think he did too because all the bitches, hoes, and hits I was getting made him cum all over me quite a few times. I think after his fifth shot over my body, he collapsed to the floor next to me.
“We need a shower,” I whispered.
“Yes, we do,” he replied in a miserable tone.
By the look on his face, he was trying to eliminate the worst mistake of his life. I didn’t feel awful, but I didn’t want him to feel he couldn’t come back to me. “Would you like to join me or should I leave you here in your thoughts?”
“I think it would be best if—”
I cut him off. “Listen we can just act like it never happened. I’ll take it to my grave only if you do one thing for me.”
His worried face disappeared. “How much?”
I wanted to smash his head into the ground, but I knew this will all be blessing for me. I swallowed hard and said, “Nah, I got my own money. I just want to hold on to it that’s why I don’t live in the city. I thought about what you said about where I live and the respect thing. You were right.”
“Okay, and now that your common sense side caught up with your smart side what do you want if it’s not money?”
“I think it will be challenge for you. I need an apartment. Isn’t it obvious?”
“Okay, where’s the challenge?”
“I’m not paying more than what I am paying now and the rent can’t go any higher after a certain amount of years. Oh, and if it does, it will only be decimal number percentage. How’s that for a challenge? I’ll let you mull it over.” I went into the bathroom feeling confident that my situation had just leaped forward.
The warm water poured over my head; my mind was spilling of happier moments in the near future. There would be no more Quincy slapping me around beyond the bedroom. This would be the only way to keep him from showing up at my house whenever he felt like it. I would finally get some respect at the office by my zip code. I would probably be able to get car service now without question.
There was never any talk about that night until I saw him at my client’s housewarming party. After Mark came through on our deal, my days at my firm became numbered. I sued them for discrimination and as I thought, they settled out of court. I made them sign a nondisclosure contract and received a letter of recommendation. I left and within days landed an interview with Coplan & Daughters, the most respected law firm in the city, and was hired on the spot.
It had been almost two years until I saw Mark face to face again. It was better that way. If I needed his help I called him on the phone. There was a
housewarming party by a client of mine; it brought our firm an easy five mil in billing alone. It was quite incidental that Mark sold him his first house. The house was so big that I didn’t think I would bump into him; although, I would have loved to reenact every moment of our forgotten night. Only, if it weren’t for the client introducing us for a hopeful business connection. My big mouth got me in a pickle when the client overheard my desire to purchase a summer house out in the Hamptons as well.
After the introduction to him and the woman on his arm our conversation was very much businesslike. I played my role as did he, but I was sure he didn’t expect me to throw a monkey wrench into the game. I befriended his gem on his arm. I saw his eyes when I asked for an escort to the ladies’ room. I took the opportunity to play the role of the woman with no friends and who hardly ever went out to rope her in. It worked because a week after we met she contacted me at the office to have lunch and since then our friendship had been building.
I secretly wanted her life and her position in Mark’s life. I didn’t know, nor did I care how long or serious they were. If befriending Regina put me closer to Mark, it was perfect. There was someone meaningful he had to meet, but I had to make sure it was serious and wouldn’t fall apart.
10
Regina
How could that be? After calling to rush over here, then you just dismiss my presence. Is this meeting more important? What part do I play that’s going to change everything? Has he finally changed his mind? There were many questions running through my mind as he showered. My phone sounded off, alerting me to an unopened message. I reached for a mug and poured some coffee for myself before retrieving my phone. Why was Mandie texting me at this time of the morning? I returned her text: What’s up? Wit Mark. Can’t talk.
Sharing the Sheets Page 6
