Live As A Hypocrite. . .
The next morning Victoria called Denise. “I’m not coming in today,” she said, fatigue clouding her voice.
“Girlfriend, what’s wrong? Did you get a little too much of a good thing last night?” Denise giggled. “Oh, excuse me, I mean a lot of a big thing.”
“No, just the opposite,” Victoria sighed, explaining yesterday’s events to her friend. “That wasn’t exactly a good homecoming, was it?” she finally said.
Denise shook her head. “No,” she responded, but didn’t make further comment, although the words on the tip of her tongue were, I told you he was selfish. Instead, she focused on the business of the day. “So you’re not coming in, huh?”
“No. I need a mental health day.”
“Girlfriend, are you sure you’re okay? I can come over after work.”
“No, I’ll be fine. I just need to clear my head.”
“All right, I’ll reschedule your afternoon appointments.”
“Thanks,” Victoria said, breathing a sigh of relief before hanging up the phone.
Next on her docket was a call to Ted. He’d left for Chicago this morning and wouldn’t be back in town until the end of the week. She’d told him that she would let him know how her discussion with Parker had gone. She picked up the phone and began to dial, but then put it back down. She didn’t know what she was going to tell him because things were still up in the air. But even though she couldn’t bring herself to talk to Ted, she knew she needed to face Parker. She had to tell him that her feelings for Ted ran far beyond friendship. If he chose to end their relationship, which she knew was understandable, then she would deal with the consequences, but he needed to know the truth.
The Java Café was packed with people. Victoria stopped in to pick up Parker’s favorite blueberry muffins and two cups of coffee. “Hey Don,” she waved to the proprietor as he walked back toward the employees-only entrance.
“Oh, hi, Victoria. You’re looking lovely as usual,” Don smiled.
“Thank you. Parker’s back. I picked him up from the airport yesterday. He’s at home resting so I thought I’d get us a late morning snack.”
“Uh . . . well . . . um . . . that’s good,” Don said as he busied himself by opening the door for the girl coming out on the other side. “It’s busy in here today. Gotta run,” he said as he waved goodbye, then disappeared through the door.
Victoria paid for the food and headed out the door toward Parker’s building. After his long flight and their heated argument, she knew he was probably exhausted. If he was still in bed, she would set their breakfast on the table and wait. If he was up, she would try to be calm in their conversation. But more than anything, she would tell him the truth because she was determined not to live as a hypocrite for another day.
Chapter Twenty
I Can Explain...
From the moment Victoria opened the door with her spare key, she knew that something was wrong. Slowly, she walked into Parker’s condo and surveyed the living room. Her heart sank. Sitting on the coffee table were two wine glasses: one empty, the other half-full and stained with lipstick around the rim. She walked over to the side of the couch and looked down at the cute pair of strappy Manolos tossed about, as if their owner had hurriedly kicked them off. Her ears strained, listening to the soft, seductive lyrics of Will Downing’s voice trickling over Parker’s stereo system.
Victoria gripped the bag of pastries and cardboard coffee tray holder as she started her descent toward inevitable destruction. She knew what awaited her once she reached the end of the hallway and made a right toward Parker’s bedroom. She could turn around and walk away, or she could confront what was sure to be an ugly scene. Her legs pushed her forward.
She found him sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxers, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, head resting in the palm of his hands. The bed was in total disarray. The sheets hung off the sides and the comforter was jumbled, the aftermath of a wild tryst. Victoria stared in disbelief at the skirt and pink blouse lying on the floor. A tattered condom wrapper lay at the foot of the bed. She stood in the middle of the door unnoticed, taking in the details of the room, playing out in her mind what had happened prior to her arrival. It wasn’t until the petite woman dressed in a lacy bra and panties came out from the bathroom and let out a small, startled scream, that Parker realized Victoria was there. He jumped to his feet.
His voice was filled with panic. “Oh shit! Baby, I can explain.”
Emotion overcame Victoria, causing her legs to give way under her. She fell to the floor like dead weight as Parker rushed over to her. The hot coffee spilled on her leg, but she didn’t cry out. She endured the pain to her leg, which was overshadowed by the pain that was hammering her heart. She felt dizzy. So dizzy she became nauseous. “I’m gonna be sick,” she said, bending her head forward.
Parker reached for the bag on the floor beside her and brought it to her mouth. Before she could heave again, he quickly scooped her up in his arms as if she were a small child, and carried her to the bathroom down the hall. Victoria sat crouched on her knees, head over the toilet, arms hugging the edge of the bowl, heaving awful-tasting bile from the pit of her stomach. Parker knelt over her, rubbing her shoulder, whispering apologetic words she couldn’t hear.
When she finished, he handed her a cold cloth. It took Victoria a few minutes to recover, and when she did she looked at him with disgust. “Get away from me,” she hissed in a low and angry voice as she pushed past him and out into the hall. She looked straight ahead and saw the woman again. She was fully dressed now, standing in the entrance of Parker’s bedroom door with a smile on her face.
“You!” Victoria yelled as she stared into the face of the woman Parker had been with the night they first met.
Parker rushed into the hall to find Sheila standing there with a grin on her face. He looked at Victoria. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I can explain. This didn’t mean anything. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G,” he pleaded.
Sheila craned her neck so hard it nearly popped. “Oh, so this was just a mercy fuck? You didn’t act that way when you were on top of me.”
Victoria steadied herself against the wall, looking from Parker to Sheila. It seemed like a dream, but she knew it was real, the pounding in her head told her so.
“What’s it gonna be, Parker? Her or me?” Sheila asked, tossing her hair back as she threw Victoria a nasty look.
Parker glared in her direction. “Don’t try to make this seem like something it’s not. This was a one time thing and you know it. It was a mistake. Now get out of my house!”
“After what I just laid on you, I know you’re not tryin’ to put me out,” Sheila hissed.
“I told you, get out of my house!” he growled.
Sheila rolled her eyes. “Fine!” she shouted. She walked out to the living room, gathered her things, then slammed the door so hard it rattled the hinges.
It Just Kind Of Happened...
Several minutes later, which seemed like hours, Victoria sat on Parker’s sofa taking small sips of water. She barely remembered washing her face again and walking out to the living room. Parker had quickly thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sat on the opposite end of the sectional sofa, holding his head low. Little by little Victoria started to regain her senses. She had flashbacks of Steven, and that terrible night that seemed to be replaying itself in the present, but this time things were different. This was a different man. She was a different woman. And sitting there on Parker’s Italian leather sectional, she decided to handle this situation differently. Running from the truth, from hurtful situations, and from facing her own shortcomings had been her trademark and her downfall. This time she wouldn’t run. She was going to deal with this head on. “You dirty sonofabitch,” she said with venom.
“Baby, I can explain . . . ”
“You accused me of screwing around, but then I walk in here to find that you’ve been fucking someone. . . Sheila of all people? How long ha
s this been going on, Parker? Huh? Were you fucking her when she rubbed all over you at the Halloween party last year?”
“No,” he said in a pitiful voice. “This was the first time, I swear. It just kind of happened.”
“Bullshit. Things like this don’t just kind of happen. A woman ends up in your bed, fucking you on your sheets? Please, that doesn’t just kind of happen.” Victoria was furious. “How dare you question my virtue. Your ass hasn’t been in town for more than twenty-four hours and you’re already searching for new pussy!”
“Baby, it’s not like that. I wasn’t searching for anything. I was mad at you and I . . . ”
“So you fucked Sheila because you were mad at me? If I fucked someone every time I was mad at you, my legs would stay open. You’re gonna have to do better than that.”
“It was a terrible mistake. I’m so sorry. I was mad because I wanted you, I needed you, but you left. You weren’t here.”
“So you fucked Sheila in my absence?”
Parker shook his head. “Please stop saying that.”
“Don’t you dare tell me what not to say!” Victoria finally screamed.
“I’m sorry. But I just want to explain. Please let me explain.”
Victoria crossed her arms and stared at him in controlled silence. Parker’s smooth veneer had chipped away like a cheap paint job as his words tumbled out. “I was hungry, so I went to the Java Café to get some coffee and muffins. Sheila was there and . . . ”
“You have a refrigerator full of food. I saw to that. Why didn’t you take your ass into your kitchen to get something to eat? I’ll tell you why, because you were too busy on the prowl.”
“No, you’re wrong. That’s not how it happened. I felt bad because of our fight yesterday. And when I told you that I wanted to marry you, you didn’t say anything. Then I didn’t hear from you last night, and I was lonely without you. Anyway, I felt really miserable, so I went down to the coffee shop and Sheila was there.”
Victoria twisted her face when she heard Parker say the woman’s name, but he continued. “We started talking and I told her about my work in Kenya. She was really interested, and she was being so nice to me. And well, we ended up back here, and it just kind of happened.”
“So you fucked her because she was nice to you and she listened to your safari stories?”
“No. Well, yes . . . I mean . . . I was weak,” Parker stammered. “I needed someone to talk to, to be with. And we’d had that fight, and you just walked away from me, and . . . ”
“So it’s my fault? Because I wasn’t nice to you?” Victoria glared at him. “Who the hell do you think listened to you go on and on about the Africa Project through phone calls and emails for the last six months? Who do you think baked your favorite brownies and shipped them to you every month? And who picked up your ungrateful ass from the airport yesterday and listened to you talk about yourself for two consecutive hours?”
“Baby, I didn’t mean it like that. I was talking about how I felt after you left. I know you’re good to me. You’re the best thing in my life.”
“I am?”
“Victoria . . . baby, you know I love you.”
Victoria threw her arms in the air. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that when your man goes out and fucks another woman that it’s a sign of his undying love. That slipped right by me. I’m so silly!”
“Baby, I do love you. What happened with Sheila is totally separate from us. It was a terrible mistake at a weak moment. It didn’t mean anything.”
“What kind of person can go around fucking women with reckless abandon, and have it not mean anything?”
“It only happened this once.”
“So, did you fuck your female colleagues on the Africa Project? Or did you prefer those beautiful Kenyan women? I’m sure they were more than willing to give it up to the handsome American doctor with the big dick.”
“No, it’s not like that. I only love you, and I only want you. I was hurt and the thought of you being with another man pissed me off.”
“What?”
“The thought of you sleeping with Ted . . . I just couldn’t take it.”
“I told you, I haven’t slept with anyone except you. I can’t believe you’re even bringing Ted into this discussion. What you did has nothing to do with him.”
“But you said you wished you’d slept with him, and I couldn’t bear the thought of it.”
Victoria looked at Parker dead on. “I’ll be honest with you. I’ve developed deep feelings for Ted that go far beyond platonic friendship. And I’ve had plenty of opportunities to cross the line with him. But I didn’t because I wanted to be faithful to you. I loved you and I thought you loved me too.”
The room fell silent.
“Do you love him?” Parker asked, holding his breath.
Victoria nodded. “Yes . . . I do.”
Parker let out a heavy sigh. “I knew this shit would happen. I knew that the minute I left, that mothafucker would try to ease his way in. That sneaky sonofabitch!”
“He’s not the issue we’re dealing with. I’m not even thinking about Ted right now. I’m thinking about what just happened here,” Victoria fumed.
“But, baby, don’t you see? That’s why I felt so bad. Because I knew I was losing you. Otherwise you would’ve never left me like you did yesterday, and then you didn’t even call me last night or pick up the phone when I called you. I knew something was wrong. That’s why I felt so low today, and all of this happened.”
“Let me get this straight. You can’t bear the thought of me with another man, so you go out and fuck another woman? That’s your strategy?”
“No!” Parker yelled.
“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me!” Victoria yelled back.
“Baby, I keep telling you, it wasn’t like that. I didn’t plan this. I was at a weak point and it just kind of . . . ”
“Happened!” Victoria finished his sentence. “Yeah, you told me that already. You must think I’m stupid,” she huffed.
“Listen, I know it’s hard to understand because it’s hard for me to explain, but baby, it was a mistake and I wish I could take it all back,” Parker pleaded as he stood to his feet and came toward her.
Victoria rose from her seat, extending her arm out in front of her. “I’ve never been in a fight in my entire life. But so help me, if you come one step closer, I’ll kick your ass right here in this living room,” she threatened.
Parker knew she meant every word coming from her lips so he backed off.
Victoria sank back down into the sofa, trying to gather herself. They sat on opposite ends staring at each other. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she finally said, then stood to leave.
Parker pleaded with her again. “Please don’t go. Please . . . ”
“It’s over, Parker.”
“Baby, I know things look bad right now, but we can work through this. I’ll do anything you want. I’ll fix this, but please don’t leave.”
Victoria looked into Parker’s eyes. “You know what I went through with Steven. You know what he did to me, how he hurt me. How could you do this, Parker? It was so hard for me to learn to trust again. And now you treat me like this? You make me sick,” she said, spitting out her words.
Parker’s face grew desperate. He wanted to reach for her but he knew it wouldn’t be a good idea considering the threat she’d already made. “Baby, do you still love me?”
Victoria stopped just short of the door and turned around to face him. They stood across from each other, both looking like they’d just survived a train wreck. “Yes, Parker, I love you. But at this moment, I can’t stand you.”
Are You Threatening Me?
Ted made it to the end of the week by sheer will. It was late Friday afternoon and he’d just left the airport, headed over to see Victoria. She’d called him the day of her traumatic break-up with Parker. When he learned of the betrayal, he was furious. He didn’t want to see Victoria hurt in any way
, and especially not at the hands of Parker Brightwood. “I can cancel my last two meetings and come back a day early. You shouldn’t be alone,” Ted had told her.
“Please don’t do that,” Victoria croaked, still hoarse from tears. “I’d feel even worse than I already do if my drama interfered with your priorities.”
“But you are my priority.”
She tried to bring a smile to her voice. “That’s sweet, but I’ll be okay, really. You need to take care of the problems in the Chicago office. Promise me you’ll do that?” she asked. Finally, he agreed.
Ted stopped by La Madeleine, one of Victoria’s favorite restaurants, then headed to her house. He rang the doorbell and waited a few minutes before she answered. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a cutoff T-shirt. She raked her fingers through her hair, which looked as though it hadn’t been combed. Looking at her sleep-deprived eyes, Ted knew she was in bad shape. He took the bags back to the kitchen, then returned to the den and sat beside her on the sofa.
Victoria was appreciative that Ted hadn’t commented on her appearance. She knew she looked rough, and that was putting it mildly. She’d hoped to have herself together by now, certainly before he came over. But her mood had been gloomy all week. “I just don’t feel like doing anything,” she’d told Tyler when he’d come by earlier that day.
She looked at Ted. “I know I look awful. I’ve been lying around the house trying to get my head together. I guess I’m not there yet,” she said.
“You always look beautiful to me.” He stood and reached for Victoria’s hand, bringing her to her feet. “Why don’t you go upstairs and relax with a nice hot bath while I take care of dinner.”
Victoria soaked in a soothing bath of lavender and jasmine sea salts, washed her hair in herbal shampoo, and slipped into a delicate cotton sundress. She returned downstairs feeling more refreshed than she had in days. “What’re you cooking in my kitchen?” she teased playfully. “Something smells delish.”
Unexpected Interruptions Page 31
