“Cut it out, Albany,” Sherri snapped, finally becoming aware of her daughter’s texting. “And put down that phone.”
Randall cleared his throat. “Your mom and I have a lot on our minds, Son.” Sherri snorted. Three pairs of eyes turned in her direction. She kept hers glued to the veggies on her plate, the ones she’d been moving from one side to the other for the past ten minutes. In an attempt at normalcy, she looked at her son. “How did baseball practice go today?”
Aaron shrugged. “All right, I guess. I want to play first but Coach has me out in center field.”
“Every position is important, Son.”
“Yeah, but the first baseman gets in on all the plays!”
“It’s summer, Aaron. There’s a lot of other things you can do besides baseball.”
“Like what?”
“Swimming, tennis, bowling—”
“Bowling! No, Mom, that’s not cool.”
“You can get a job,” Randall offered.
Albany’s eyes widened. “That’s not cool either, Dad.”
“The food is delicious, baby,” Randall said, venturing a conversation in Sherri’s direction. After days of minimal conversation about only what was absolutely necessary, and otherwise passing each other like virtual strangers, this was the first time he’d openly tried to engage in real talk. He hoped that the children’s presence would prevent Sherri from telling him to go straight to hell. “Did you make it?”
She looked at him with a dead-on stare. “No.”
“It’s good,” he said, clearing his throat again. “Do you like it, Albany?”
“It’s all right. I like her lasagna better.”
After another excruciating ten minutes, Albany asked if she could be excused from the table. Aaron followed her. Sherri stood and began gathering the plates. She reached for Randall’s. He grabbed her wrist, looking up at her with a pleading look in his eyes. “How long are we going to go on like this, Sherri?”
She pulled her arm away from him. “I don’t know.”
That evening, talk was all but missing in the bedroom. Randall kept trying to find a conversation with Sherri that would last longer than five seconds, but without success.When she said she was going downstairs to watch a DVD, he’d actually been grateful for their earlier decision to leave electronics out of the bedroom. Because honestly, he didn’t know how much more of her silent treatment he could take.
The following morning, Randall left the house on a mission. He’d spent the time that Sherri had been out of the bedroom on his iPad, and contacting a couple close friends for information that he’d have to be sure remained confidential. By the time he logged on this morning, the information that he’d requested had shown up in his in-box, and after an e-mail to the referral his New York colleague had provided, Randall was ready to move full speed ahead.
While at a stoplight, he programmed the phone number from the e-mail into his car phone and waited for the call to be answered.
“Evans Investigations.”
“Hello, Douglas Evans, please.”
“Yes, and who’s calling?”
“Mr. Waters,” Randall answered, using the code name that Mr. Evans had suggested to ensure his anonymity. “He’s expecting my call.”
Shortly afterwards, Randall heard a raspy voice he felt could have been scripted for that of a private eye. “Doug Evans here.”
“Doug, it’s Randall Atwater.”
“Oh yes. Hello, Doctor. I’ve been expecting your call.” A short pause and then, “What can I do for you?”
Randall took a deep breath before he replied. This was a big step. He hoped it would pay off. “You can find out everything you can about someone who’s been harassing me.”
“Someone in the workplace?”
“Indirectly. It’s a freelance writer whose interest in my work seems to have turned into a personal obsession. I want it to stop.”
“What’s this writer’s name?”
“Jacqueline Tate.”
“Have you crossed the line with this person?”
Randall was thrown by the investigator’s candor. But given what he was asking the man to do, he felt it fair, and knew he’d do whatever it took to get his life back to normal. “Ours was a professional relationship,” he responded. “I haven’t crossed the line.”
“What other information can you give me about her?”
Randall shared what he knew.
“Wow, I just pulled her image up online. She’s a beauty.”
“Beauty and brains don’t always equal a sound mind, or good character.”
“What exactly do you want to know about her?”
“Everything you can find. This woman came to my home, verbally attacked my wife, and accused me of having an affair. She did other things, like break into my office, all of which resulted in restraining orders for me and my wife. She knew information that was unsettling, namely, what type of bed was in our master suite.”
“Any chance she’s been in your home?”
“Absolutely not, which is why I’m determined to know how she obtained this information. I need to know everything about her. Do you think you can do this?”
“I can’t guarantee what I don’t know,” Doug said, “but I can tell you this. I’ll find out everything out there on this Jacqueline Tate, and pass on this information. What happens from there is up to you.”
“That’s as much as I can ask for. Thank you, sir.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Thank me after I produce.”
Randall’s smile was tentative yet hopeful as he hung up the phone. Maybe the playing field would now become level. Maybe he’d learn as much about Jacqueline as the woman seemed to know about his family and him.
CHAPTER 41
Sherri settled into a chair in the living room, wearing a genuine smile for the first time all day. “Hey, Nate. What’s going on, Brother?”
“Aw, nothing shaking but the leaves in the trees.” A pause and then, “But I did meet a cute little honey over the weekend.”
“Family material?”
“Dang, why is it that you women tend to rush to judgment ? I said I just met her two days ago. That’s not enough time for me to find out her favorite color, let alone decide whether or not I should propose or if she’d be in the running to be the mother of my child.”
Hearing his words, Sherri had to laugh. “I apologize. I’m turning into Mom, asking you the same types of questions she fired at me continuously until Randall gave up the ring.”
“To be honest, Sis, lately I’ve entertained thoughts of settling down. Not only because I’m not getting any younger, but because I feel the goals I have set for myself would be accomplished more easily with a nice, strong woman by my side. That said, I don’t know that I’ve met her yet. When I do, you’ll be one of the first to know.”
“I appreciate that, Brother.”
“I do have news, though.”
“About the in-home caretaker?”
“Yes, Wanda.”
“What about her?”
“I like her, Sis. Mom spoke to her on the phone. She’s a breath of fresh air, professional yet down-to-earth, a Southern girl who seems to love what she does—take care of people.”
“Family material?” Sherri joked.
“Ha! Maybe, big sis, but not in the way that you think. Don’t get me wrong. She’s a pretty enough girl, in a plain sort of way.”
“But not bougie enough for my brother, huh?”
“Don’t act like I’m shallow, it’s not like that. In fact, my focus was so tuned in to her and Mom’s interaction that I wasn’t thinking about much of anything else.”
“And Mom liked her?”
“Sis, they’ve already bonded. Mom clearly enjoyed Wanda’s personality and Wanda is clearly interested in enhancing Mom’s life. I told her that I was very pleased with the agency’s selection and that until further notice, she could consider herself hired.”
“Well, who am I to argue? You’v
e got my vote. I’ll call and talk to her over the phone tomorrow and make plans to meet her in person very soon.”
Later that evening, Sherri and Elle worked out in Elle’s home gym. “You’re getting better, lasting longer,” Elle said, after they’d finished working out on the elliptical and Stairmaster machines respectively.
“Yes, I think I’m beginning to feel some results. Going up and down the stairs, I find I’m not as winded and I’ve started jogging instead of just walking the dogs.” She looked over at Elle, whose stomach showed no signs that she’d carried a child. “Still trying to lose the stomach flab, though.”
“You might want to make another date with Shaun T.”
“I can see his workouts have you toned.”
“A friend of mine has lost over forty pounds.”
“Maybe I’ll give him another try. But not tonight.” Sherri hung her towel around her neck and walked over to her bottled water.
Elle sat on a nearby chair, drinking water too. “What else is going on?”
“I heard some good news today. My brother met the woman who’s going to be my mom’s in-home assistant. He likes her. She starts right away.”
“That’s great news, Sherri. I know that her neighbor leaving was a real concern.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Is your mother feeling better?”
“Whatever is happening with her is really weird. She’ll go for weeks feeling fine and then have an episode. It’s frustrating that the doctors can’t pinpoint the cause.”
“It’s often a process of elimination. That’s why they call it practicing medicine.”
“Spoken by a doctor’s wife,” Sherri announced to the room.
“Hey, practice makes perfect is what I always say. I’m glad to hear your mom has someone there with her, to keep her company if nothing else. You’re lucky to still have her around, Sherri. I miss mine every single day.”
“I can’t imagine what I’d do without her, Elle.”
“Hopefully it will be a long time before you have to.”
Jacqueline stood back and looked at her handiwork. For the last hour she’d been making herself at home in her new space—the guest bedroom at Elaine’s house. Nothing in the home was to her liking or taste, too over-the-top with the country theme. But in the short time she’d been here she’d managed to place a camera in Elaine’s room and another one in the living room. She’d rearranged the furniture in the guest room so that her computer desk faced away from the door. She’d also changed the door knob to one that locked. Old people tended to be nosy. She couldn’t chance her patient snooping around and finding things she shouldn’t. With one last look around and then in the mirror, satisfied that she looked appropriately average, she ventured back upstairs.
“Miss Elaine?” Thinking about how her country twang would sound to her friends back home almost made her laugh out loud.
“In here, Wanda!”
She walked into the kitchen, where Elaine was pulling a chicken out of the oven. “Mm, that smells delicious.”
“It’s not much, but I figured you might be hungry.”
“You really shouldn’t have bothered.”
“Been a while since I had someone to cook for, so it was actually kind of nice.”
Small talk continued while Jacqueline helped Elaine place bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans, and a plate of rolls on the table.
“I’ve got some lemonade in the fridge.”
“I’ll get it,” Jacqueline replied. She returned with the pitcher and two glasses, sat down, and began dishing up food.
“Wait, child. We have to bless it first.”
“Of course.”
“You want to offer prayer?”
“No, Miss Elaine,” she hurriedly replied. “You go right ahead.”
After saying the prayer and preparing her plate, Elaine said, “So, Wanda, tell me a little more about yourself.”
Pulling from the information she’d gleaned from Wanda’s computer, Jacqueline told Elaine about growing up in Alabama and spending the summers in North Carolina, where her grandmother lived. “When she got sick, I moved here to take care of her. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I miss her tremendously, but am so thankful that I got to spend that quality time with her before she died.”
“I’m sure you were a blessing. That had to be a sacrifice. How old are you, Wanda?”
Jacqueline gave her the age on Wanda’s driver’s license.
“Don’t you want to get married, have children?”
“One of these days, I guess, when the right man comes along.”
“Choosing a husband is a big decision. You’re right to take your time. I think that’s why there are so many divorces today. Women latch on to the first man who proposes, don’t take the time to see whether he’s really the one or not. That and the fact that they don’t pray on the decision and wait on God for the answer.”
“You’re absolutely right, Miss Elaine. There is this one man I like and I think he likes me. But there’s something separating us.”
“What, a woman?”
Jacqueline cut her eyes at Elaine before she could think. The woman’s accuracy was unnerving.
“No, ma’am. Distance. We, uh, live in two different states.”
“Is that all? Hmph. That’s a problem easily solved. Why don’t you just go where he is?”
“I want to, Miss Elaine, would do so in a heartbeat. But not without a commitment.”
“You know what, baby? Tonight, I’m going to say a prayer for you, that God will this man will see the light so that he’ll ask for your hand in marriage.”
“Sure, Miss Elaine. Maybe your prayers will get through. Mine seem to be stuck somewhere between here and heaven.”
“Child, there is nothing too hard for God. You just keep the faith and don’t you worry,” Elaine said, spooning up another serving of her fresh green beans. “I know that God answers prayer, and it just might be sooner than you think.”
Jacqueline smiled and changed the subject by commenting on Elaine’s homemade rolls. But the irony wasn’t lost on her that the man Elaine was praying would become her husband was currently her son-in-law.
CHAPTER 42
Randall navigated the streets of Washington, D.C. on his lunch hour, glad for the diversion of pedestrians and horns. “James, how’s it going, man?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you.” James’s concerned voiced boomed through Randall’s automobile speakers. “It’s not like you not to return a phone call.”
Randall nodded, belatedly remembering the message his friend had left earlier in the week. “I apologize, man. A lot going on.”
“Talk to me.”
“Aw, man,” Randall said with a sigh. “Where do I start?”
“Debbie always says the beginning works pretty good.”
“You know the beginning. In fact, you warned me in the beginning.”
“You know I’m not one to cut you with ‘I told you so,’ but I thought that woman was trouble from the moment I saw her.”
Randall turned down the music and filled him in on the most recent events. “I couldn’t believe she had the nerve to come to the house. And then guessing correctly that we sleep on a TempurPedic mattress? That was the final straw, right there. Sherri didn’t speak to me for over a week.”
“I’m surprised y’all are talking now.”
“Just barely. I’ve been sending Sherri love letters all week, little e-mails letting her know how I feel. Those, and the daily gifts of flowers, chocolates, and in-home massages, finally wore her down. I think the teardrop necklace I have for her tonight, plus what I have planned for our anniversary, will finally put this mess to rest, man. Things got so bad, I almost told her.”
“About her anniversary gift? No, man. Let it be a surprise. Speaking of... how’s that working out?”
“Very well, especially considering that everything has had to happen by phone, internet, and a local contact.”
“I hope she appreciates all it took to make it happen.”
“Trust me, she will.What about Jacqueline? Have you seen her around?”
“No, and I hope to never see her again.”
A short while later, Randall walked into his home and heard the sounds of Bobby Brown. He smiled, hopeful. Sherri normally only played her 90s music when she was in a good mood. He walked through the house, finally finding her in Albany’s bedroom.
“Hey, baby.”
She turned from where she was going through the CDs on her daughter’s shelf. Randall saw something he hadn’t seen in a while . . . her smile. “Hey,” she said.
“Find any contraband?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything. With everything available on YouTube and all other kinds of websites, there’s no telling what our children are listening to.”
He walked over. “I’ve missed touching you, baby. Can I get a hug?” She obliged him, and when she would have pulled away, he held her tighter. “I want us to get back to where we were, Sherri, before all this madness happened.”
She hugged him tighter. “Me too,” she said at last.
He stepped back. “I love you and our children more than anything in this world; more than science, more than my career. I would never do anything to jeopardize what we’ve built together. If you believe anything about me, please believe that.”
“Look at this from my perspective, Randall. What if some dude came to you and told you what type of bed we slept in? Do you think you’d just dismiss what he told you because I said it wasn’t true? Would there be no doubt at all in your mind, no wondering if the possibility of my cheating existed? I’ll tell you the answer. No, you wouldn’t. You’d question me. You’d think about it. You’d have to digest my explanation and cool down from being pissed off. There’s no way you’d calmly accept whatever I told you.”
“But you believe me now?”
“To be honest, it’s still a struggle. But aside from that comment, I can’t find anything else to support her story. You’ve given me no reason to be suspicious, no proof that what she said could be true. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I agree that it could have been just a lucky guess. It is a very popular mattress, and there are only so many types of beds.”
The Perfect Affair Page 22
