Unexpected Interruptions

by Trice Hickman

  He let out a sigh. “Allison and I are over. We’re done . . . finished.”

  “What brought this on?” Victoria asked casually, folding her arms across her chest. She didn’t know whether to jump up and click her heels, or sit down and comfort him.

  “Things haven’t been good between us for a long time. All we do is argue. I stayed in it for as long as I could, tryin’ to make it work, but in the end there was nothing left between us.”

  Victoria’s heart went out for him. She and Tyler had known each other for fifteen years, and lately, he hadn’t been himself.

  Tyler had boyish good looks and a natural charm that came as easy to him as breathing air. He was medium height, with broad shoulders and a slim build. His thick black hair was closely cropped, and his café au lait complexion still showed evidence of minor scarring from adolescent acne. But it was his big hazel brown eyes and sincere smile that made you notice only the goodness in his face and the brightness of his spirit. Tyler was charming, drawing people to him like a magnet, and his sense of humor rivaled Richard Pryor’s. He was educated and polished, yet possessed a bad boy quality that gave him edge, compliments of his Brooklyn born accent and homeboy swagger, which balanced out his suburban upbringing. And women loved him! “Victoria, who’s that cute brother who comes to visit you?” one of her graduate school classmates once asked. “Can you hook a sistah up? He’s adorable.”

  Tyler was blessed with his mother’s maiden name as his birthright. His father had been a prominent pediatrician, and his mother, a professor at NYU. Like Victoria, he was an only child. His parents were what many in their social circle called “bohemian” and “eclectic.” They were socially conscious, and were raising their son with the same values. They were Tyler’s heroes.

  He was thirteen years old when they were killed in a car accident, on their way to Morehouse College for his father’s alumni reunion. They’d decided to drive instead of fly so they could enjoy the lush greenness of the south’s landscape. On their way down the Interstate they were hit by a car of teenagers who’d skipped school in favor of drinking and joy riding. After the funeral, Tyler moved to Virginia to live with his mother’s older sister, who had never married or had any children of her own. His aunt Beatrice was an accomplished businesswoman, and she took Tyler in, raising him with the same humanitarian values she knew his parents would have approved of.

  Tyler had surprised everyone when he asked Allison to marry him. She was the opposite of everything he stood for. She was elitist, status seeking, and pretentious. She didn’t fit him. But his background, on the other hand, did fit into the fairy tale life that Allison wanted. And the fact that Tyler had a nice inheritance that had matured when he’d turned twenty-one sealed the deal. The trust his parents had the foresight to set up for him would sustain him comfortably for many years to come. Allison believed that over time, and with her influence, she could convince Tyler to give up his “down with the people” mentality, forgo his silly non-profit venture, and settle into a respectable corporate job.

  Victoria returned from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. “Colombian blend with lots of sugar and a dash of cream, just the way you like it,” she smiled, handing the cup to Tyler. She sat on the opposite end of the couch, sipping the hot brew. “Tyler, you know I never cared for Allison, but honestly, I’m sorry that you’re hurting right now.”

  “Actually, I feel relieved that we’re getting a divorce.”

  Victoria looked startled. “You’re really serious this time, aren’t you?” She knew that Tyler had threatened to end his marriage once before. A month after his wedding, he’d confided to her that he was thinking about separating from his new wife.

  “I think that Allison and I need to reevaluate things,” he’d said. “We moved too fast, and made a big mistake. So many things change once you say ‘I do.’”

  But after he talked with Allison, she managed to connive her way back into his good graces with sweet lies and sugar-coated promises to work on the problems of their marriage; mainly her overbearing attitude and meddling parents.

  Tyler took a sip of his coffee. “I know I’m doin’ the right thing. I told her I wanted a divorce six months ago, but she talked me into giving it another try.”

  “I knew you two were having problems shortly after the wedding, but you didn’t tell me that you tried to end things six months ago,” Victoria said with surprise.

  “Yeah, well, it’s been crazy and I didn’t want to bother you with it again. I felt bad when I dropped that news on you a few weeks after we got married. You’d just broken up with . . . well, you were goin’ through some shit of your own. So I decided this time I’d deal with things myself.”

  “You’re such a knucklehead. After all we’ve been through together, you know you can count on me to be there for you. No matter what.”

  “I know, I just thought it was something I could handle on my own. But after last night, I knew it was over. Her attitude was fucked up.” He paused. “I should’ve made her apologize to you on the spot. I’m sorry for that.”

  Victoria leaned over and patted him on the knee. “Don’t worry about it. Listen, I know I’ve asked you this question a dozen times, but why in the hell did you marry Allison in the first place?”

  Tyler looked Victoria squarely in the eyes. “Because I knew that even if the marriage ended, I’d be okay. I knew she couldn’t hurt or disappoint me. If I lost her, I wouldn’t be devastated,” Tyler admitted. “You see, when I first fell in love with Juliet I was cautious, ’cause I was afraid that one day I might lose her. But hell, after a while I couldn’t help it. I loved that girl.”

  “But you broke her heart,” Victoria softly reminded him.

  “I was a different man back then, young and stupid. I didn’t want to go through the kind of pain I felt when I lost my parents. After Juliet accepted the job offer in New York, I took it as a sign, so I broke it off. Crazy, right?”

  “Everyone makes mistakes,” Victoria tried to console.

  “Yeah, and that was a big one. That’s why I’m gonna undo what should’ve never been done. I’m going by my lawyer’s office tomorrow morning so I can file the divorce papers. He told me a couple of months ago that I could get one of those quickie divorces—that way I won’t have to go through the standard year-long separation period, as long as Allison doesn’t contest it. And she won’t. She’s upset right now, but she’ll get over it.”

  “What makes you so sure she won’t contest it? She’s held you off twice already,” Victoria asked, finishing the last of her coffee.

  “For one thing, her parents will probably have her married off to some Cliff Huxtable type before the ink dries on the divorce papers. Plus, as of this morning we’re no longer living under the same roof.”

  “Where are you going to stay in the meantime?” Victoria asked, ready to offer up her guest room for as long as it would take for Tyler to find a new place.

  “Whadda you mean, where am I gonna stay? I’m stayin’ in my house,” Tyler balked, picking up his cup and gulping now that his coffee had cooled.

  “So you put her ass out?”

  “You damn skippy. She’s back at her folks’ place. That’s why I haven’t slept in almost twenty-four hours. We spent all night and well into this morning movin’ her stuff. And it’s a good thing it stopped raining shortly after midnight or we’d still be hauling clothes and shoe boxes right now.”

  “Wow! I’m stunned.”

  “We just finished the last trip an hour ago. I would’ve been here sooner if I hadn’t had to wait for the locksmith.”

  “You changed the locks?”

  “You better believe it.”

  “Tyler, you don’t think she would do anything crazy, do you? I mean, I know she’s a bitch . . . but damn, she’s not stupid.”

  “You never know what a person is capable of under certain conditions,” he answered slowly.

  Victoria knew the true indictment behind Tyler’s words. They were
both ruminating over the same thought—the thing she’d done to Steven. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said, shaking her head. “Sometimes I still can’t believe I did that. Looking back on that entire situation, I was so pathetic.”

  Tyler reached for Victoria’s hand and held it firmly in his. “You were hurt. The shit he did was fucked up, and a heart that’s been hurt knows no bounds.”

  “I let Steven bring me down to a level that I’ll never allow myself to sink to again,” Victoria said with resilience. She could see the shock on Tyler’s face at the mention of Steven’s name coming from her lips. “I called him last night,” she continued, clearing her throat, “and I told him that I’m not angry with him anymore. I’m moving on and closing that door, and I can’t tell you the last time I felt this alive. I feel like me again.”

  Tyler pulled Victoria into his arms for a long hug. “I’m happy for you, sweetie. That asshole wasn’t worth it. I always thought you were too good for him anyway. I told you he was a weak ass brothah from the get go.”

  Victoria leaned back and looked at Tyler. “Please, just like I told you about Allison from the jump.”

  Tyler smiled and nodded his head. “Sometimes we see what we want to see.”

  Those Booty-Huggin’ Jeans. . .

  Victoria skipped church and spent the day with Tyler, who served as her sous chef, prepping the food she planned to prepare for dinner: roasted red pepper soup with cilantro, herb glazed lamb chops with mustard seed vinaigrette, rosemary new potatoes, and honey glazed carrots. That evening Debbie and Rob came over to join them. Victoria hailed the night’s feast as a victory dinner to celebrate Tyler’s new freedom. After they cleaned their plates, Victoria brought out a freshly baked apple cranberry pie, while Debbie carried the Ben & Jerry’s in one hand, and a carafe of coffee in the other.

  “To new adventures,” Tyler toasted. They all lifted their mugs, then dug into their dessert. “And on that subject,” he smiled, looking around the table, “I’m gonna get back with Juliet.”

  “What?” the group asked, speaking in one voice.

  Tyler nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna call her tomorrow. I got the 411 on her from her girl, Gigi.” He paused, nodding toward Debbie and Rob. “She’s Juliet’s best friend from undergrad.”

  “And she’s wild and crazy as hell,” Victoria added.

  “Yeah, Gigi’s a piece of work. But we keep in touch. Anyway, we talked a few months ago and she told me that Juliet’s seeing some guy, but it’s not serious, so I’m steppin’ in.”

  Victoria listened with caution, remembering Tyler and Juliet’s last encounter.

  They’d dated in college. After graduation, Tyler started YFI, while Juliet entered law school at Emory University. After she graduated, she was recruited by a large firm in Manhattan. It was a great opportunity, and would place her back home near her family. She and Tyler agreed that their love was strong enough to survive the distance, but after a few months he ended things.

  Juliet had called Victoria in tears. “What’s wrong with him, Victoria? Is it another woman? He hasn’t returned any of my phone calls. You’re his best friend and you know him better than anyone else. Please tell me why he’s doing this?” Juliet had pleaded.

  “I don’t know why Tyler’s acting this way, but I do know that he loves you. You need to go to him and talk to him for yourself.” Victoria didn’t know what else to say.

  The following weekend Juliet came back to Atlanta to confront Tyler. After that, the relationship was officially over. Tyler never talked about the details of what happened, but Victoria knew he wasn’t seeing another woman.

  Victoria looked at Tyler with skepticism. “What if the guy that Juliet’s seeing is more serious than Gigi thinks? You spoke to her a few months ago. A lot can happen in that time.” She hated to ask the question, but she wanted Tyler to be prepared.

  “I hear you, but I’m gonna do whatever it takes to win her back. Whoever that brothah is, he’s just wastin’ his time,” Tyler posed with confidence.

  “Wow,” Debbie said. “This is too much for me to process. We’re moving in a few weeks, Tyler’s getting a divorce and then reuniting with Juliet. And the biggest kicker of all . . . Victoria called Steven and told him to kiss her ass!”

  “I didn’t tell Steven to kiss my ass,” Victoria laughed.

  Debbie grinned, “I know, but you should have.”

  “Amen to that,” Tyler agreed.

  “Well, hold on because I have another announcement to make,” Victoria said. “I’ve decided to turn in my resignation tomorrow morning.”

  “What happened to waiting until next June?” Debbie asked.

  “Turning down the EMP nomination sends up a red flag. And like my father told me the other night, it’s a no win situation. I know that Ted will be disappointed because not only am I turning down his personal nomination, I’m resigning at the same time. But I gotta do what I gotta do.”

  “He’ll be disappointed all right,” Tyler grinned. “I bet he was really looking forward to mentoring you.”

  “Tyler, I told you. I think he might be gay,” Victoria sighed.

  Tyler shook his head. “Rob, will you tell her that the man’s not gay. He just wants a little brown sugar. Or in your case, a little milk chocolate,” he winked.

  Rob laughed, nodding in agreement. “What makes you think he’s gay?” he asked. “Have you heard rumors about him at work or something?”

  “No, not about him being gay, but Ted is estranged from his wife. I heard they even take separate vacations. She’s probably just a cover for him, his beard. And he’s never been known to even look in the direction of a woman.”

  Tyler laughed. “That’s circumstantial evidence. It doesn’t prove anything.”

  “Oh yeah? Then why is he into home décor? He even asked me about the potpourri in my office. And what about his boyfriend last night . . . who’s conveniently from out of town,” Victoria posed.

  Rob looked at Victoria with surprise. “Just because he’s in a bad marriage but doesn’t chase after other women, and he has good taste and hangs out with his friends when they come to town, that doesn’t mean he’s gay.”

  Victoria had to admit that under cross examination, her theory had more holes than Swiss cheese. “Well, there’s something about him that doesn’t add up.”

  Rob asked his next question with caution. “Victoria, have you ever dated a white guy?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked.

  “I can answer that,” Tyler said in between bites of his pie. “If you’re not a seven foot tall, money-havin’, expensive cologne wearin’, well-educated, well-dressed, well-hung Mandingo, Victoria ain’t havin’ it!” he laughed.

  “Tyler, you know that’s not true,” Victoria quipped. “I don’t put a dollar amount on how much a brother has to make. But Rob, to answer your question . . . no, I haven’t dated white men.” At this point Victoria was becoming slightly defensive.

  “Maybe you’re not taking Ted seriously because he’s white,” Rob said.

  “Rob!” Debbie snapped. “You know Victoria’s not like that.”

  Victoria remained silent.

  “I’m not saying that she doesn’t like white people, for God’s sake,” Rob defended himself. “I just think that maybe because she hasn’t dated white guys, it might affect how she looks at Ted.” He turned his attention back to Victoria for her reaction.

  “To be perfectly honest, I’ve never really considered white men as a romantic option,” she said resolutely.

  Debbie looked stunned. Now it was her turn to be silent. She and nearly everyone she knew had dated people of different races. She’d always known that Victoria was attracted to a certain type of man, and as Tyler had said, they all fit the same mold. But until tonight, in all the years they’d known each other, Debbie had never thought that her friend might disqualify a potential mate because of race.

  “Regardless of who you’ve dated or what you t
hink, that white man wants you,” Tyler said.

  “There’s evidence to the contrary,” Victoria countered in frustration. “Yesterday when I went into the office, Ted was there. I was wearing my Juicy Couture jeans and he didn’t even look at my behind . . . didn’t even try to sneak a peek.”

  Tyler put down his spoon. “You mean those booty-huggin’ jeans you wore to my Labor Day party last month?”

  “Yep, and he never looked below my neck.”

  “Damn!” Tyler said. “There’s got to be an explanation. I guarantee you he looked. You just didn’t see him. Hell, I’m your best friend, I have no romantic interest in you whatsoever, and even I looked at your ass in those jeans.”

  Although Rob wanted to comment, he didn’t. It was one thing to look at your wife’s best friend’s ass, but it was another to admit to it out loud. So he exercised good judgment and kept his mouth shut.

  “Umph, I never thought my friends would think I was so desperate that they’d try to push me off on a man who might be on the down low . . . and married!” Victoria balked.

  “As far as the married thing goes, Victoria does have a point,” Debbie agreed, recovering from her silence.

  Victoria was ready to change the subject. “Anyway, I’m resigning tomorrow and I’m getting on with my business, and my life. And you guys are right, I need to start dating again. As a matter of fact, I can’t stop thinking about this guy I met the other night. And before you ask . . . yes, he’s black.”

  Debbie leaned into the table. “Where, when, and is he fine?”

  “The Cheesecake Factory . . . Friday night . . . and yes girl, he’s fine,” Victoria giggled.

  Tyler spoke as he polished off the last of his pie. “You told me that you were having dinner by yourself.”

  “I was. He was seated at a table across from me.” Victoria talked with a dreamy look in her eyes as she told her friends about her encounter with Mr. Gorgeous.

  “Get a grip, Cinderella,” Tyler interrupted, “he should’ve been looking at his woman, not makin’ goo goo eyes at you. If that brothah was there with someone else and he still tried to step to you, stay the hell away from him. He’s no good.”