The Dancer

by Jordan Silver

  I left before I went back in there and did something stupid, like beg her. That shit’s not about to happen. If it was that easy for her to throw us away, then fuck this shit. Life was easier when I didn’t give a damn.

  I ran down to the garage, got into my ride and peeled out headed nowhere in particular. I was trying to outrun my thoughts but that shit wasn’t working, and I was too mad to stop and think.

  I slowed down when I hit New Jersey and kept going. It was another three hours to the shore but I didn’t care, no one would be around this time of year and that’s just what I needed.

  The farther away I got the worst I felt, but I ignored that shit too. She wasn’t deserving of all that I’d done and tried to do. Anyone who could overlook all the good and cling to the bad that easily was never going to change.

  I knew it was my anger talking. That when I told myself I didn’t care what she did I was only lying to myself, but I wasn’t ready to be an adult about this shit.

  My phone had been going off every ten minutes, but I ignored it, throwing the shit in the passenger seat next to me. I don’t want to hear shit. I know one thing, I’m never going to put myself through this shit again. Not for her, not for anyone.

  So why do I feel like hell? Like my heart was bleeding out in my chest? “How the fuck could you do this Anna?” I’d been so happy, so excited about giving her-her ring, the look on her face, the whole wedding planning thing.

  I practically had our life together planned out and it was all going to be good. Nowhere in there was my woman throwing a damn phone in my face and accusing me of some shit that I never even thought of doing. I’ve never had to deal with this cheating shit because it has never been an issue.

  The one time I was being true she had to pull this shit. I’d given up who I was for her, for us, had put myself out there and she still doesn’t trust me.

  I realized that I was more hurt than angry. That while I’d been building castles in the sky she was

  just waiting for me to fuck up so she could pull this shit. I wasn’t in the mood to see shit from her side because none of that mattered.

  She should’ve trusted me, or at the very least given me a chance to explain that shit. And who the fuck is this female? Where had she come from, why now?

  All the years I played the field shit like this never happened, so why now? It’s as if someone had deliberately set out to fuck with me, and her. They’d fucking hurt her. I felt that shit in my gut. “Dammit Anna.”

  I almost turned back when I remembered her face, when rationality tried to rear its ugly head. Thanks to mom I always do this thing where I put myself in someone else’s shoes, and I have to admit that if I’d seen a picture like that of her with someone else I might’ve jumped to the wrong conclusion too.

  But that doesn’t answer the fact that I’d spent the last few months showing this girl my heart in a way I never have with anyone else. And I know for a fact I would’ve at least given her a chance to explain her side before going upside her head.

  I really needed a drink, but could hear Tony’s annoying ass telling me that’s the last thing I need right now. Speak of the devil. His ringtone rang out in the car and all I could think is it took him long enough. Meddling fuck!

  “So where we going?”

  “The fuck you mean where we going?”

  “Check your rearview.”

  “This mother… where did you come from?”

  “Well, I was still on your block when aunt Sophie called and said some shit was up, by the time I turned around I saw you in the demon car zooming down Central Park South and I’ve been behind you ever since. Is this how you drive, you don’t look behind you? Pull over.”

  I looked out my window and saw nowhere to pull over. “Where the fuck to, the woods?”

  “Up ahead is a rest stop.” Five minutes later I pulled into the empty parking lot wondering what the hell I was doing here. She ran me out my own fucking house.

  Now this one is slamming out of the car like he’s mad. “What the fuck are you doing bruh? Is this how you plan on handling shit? You gonna run away and pout like a fifteen year old girl?”

  “There isn’t going to be a next time, I’m done.”

  “Don’t be an ass, we got work to do.”

  “What’re you talking about?”

  “Sherrie sent me the pic, I traced the number and guess who, it’s Arlene, well actually she used her kid’s phone.”

  “The girl in the photo is a paid escort. Arlene hired her, she didn’t know what she was doing. Only that she was supposed to get close to you. Someone else in the crowd took the picture, they didn’t have anything to do with it either.”

  “When did you do all this?”

  “While I was following you for the last three and a half hours. Now let’s go back.”

  “I’m not ready to go back.”

  “Too bad, grow a dick and stop acting like a bitch on the fucking rag. And you threw the fucking ring at her? If we didn’t have this shit to deal with I’d kick your ass myself.”

  “How is this my fault? After everything I’ve done this is how she treats me?”

  “All of what asshole? You’re only doing what a man is supposed to do. It’s been four hours, long enough for you to get over being pissy. And if not, too bad. You love her, this is part of that love shit, now let’s go. We haven’t spent this much time in Jersey since our teens at Wildwood. I think there might still be open warrants and shit.”

  “You go, I’ll catch up with you later.” I’m not ready to see her or to hear any of her bullshit excuses. And no matter what he says, I have gone above and beyond for her and I deserve better. Shit, I do sound like I drank bitch juice.

  “Fine, what do you have planned?”

  “Well, for starters, Sherrie knows that Arlene was behind this as well. She doesn’t know where she lives, at least she didn’t know three hours ago, but we both know she has resources and once she finds out…”

  I was heading for my car on the run. “Why the fuck didn’t you say something?” I drove out of the lot with him on my ass. Where is this day going? When is my life going to get back to normal?

  It took us two and a half hours to get back to the city because there wasn’t a cop in sight. I damn near broke down the door, suddenly afraid of what could’ve happened to her while I was gone.

  I was ready to apologize, to do whatever it took to get her to forgive me for some shit that I didn’t do. Yep, this is my life now, those chickens are roosting like a motherfucker.

  “Where is she?” Mom, aunt Jess, Travis and the baby were in the kitchen when I came back from checking our room.

  “Oh you’re back. The girls left like half an hour ago, said they’d be right back.”

  ‘Travis, didn’t I tell you not to let your sister go anywhere?”

  “I figured since she’s with Sherrie she should be okay.” Oh you poor fool.

  “Let’s go.” I grabbed Tony and headed back for the door. “One guess where they went.” He was already calling Sherrie, but we both knew she wasn’t going to answer. She never does when she’s up to no good.

  I’ve never been to Arlene’s house, but Tony put the

  address in the GPS when we got downstairs. “Westchester, fuck that’s like an hour away.”

  “Call Anna’s phone, maybe we’re not too late.”

  She wasn’t answering so I left a message. Meanwhile, how could she not answer my call after all the shit that has happened?

  ANNABELLE

  My life, what has happened to it? One minute I’m bawling my eyes out, reflecting on my life and where I as going from here. And the next I’m in a car with Sherrie on my way to as she put it, ‘put the beat down on a bitch’.

  “So you’re telling me that this woman was behind all this stuff? But why?”

  “Long story short, she worked for Max, she wanted the dick, he wasn’t interested and she lost her damn mind.”

  “Who is this person? Who does stuf
f like this?”

  “Welcome to New York. Besides, my brother is fine, this isn’t the first time some chick got into her

  feels over him and I had to go take care of her ass.”

  “But why didn’t he tell me all this was going on?”

  “My guess, he was being a ‘man’ protecting the little woman. If you told him half the shit you told me about your life, he’d think he has to stand in front of you. It’s cool in small doses, but sometimes us girls have to handle shit. Besides he’s not going to hit a woman, that’s where we come in.”

  “Wait, we’re really going to hit her?”

  “Damn straight, some of these bitches don’t learn unless they get a fist in the face. I know you said you can’t fight, so I’ll hold her down and you stomp her ass in.”

  “This isn’t really how I handle things, maybe we should turn back.”

  “Fuck that, aren’t you mad?”

  “Well yeah but, I’m just glad Max isn’t cheating on me. Oh he’s going to be so mad at me.”

  My life has become a rollercoaster. I think I’ve gone through every emotion there is in the last few hours. But the fact that I felt whole once again, now that I was assured that he really hadn’t done this, says it all.

  If he can find it in him to forgive me I’ll never make the same stupid mistake again.

  “How mad do you think he’s going to be?”

  “The fuck you care? You’re his girl, it comes with the territory. And if he gives you any shit after not warning you about that psychotic bitch I’ll kick his ass.”

  “If that doesn’t work I know this trick with ice and my tongue. Works on Trevor’s ass every time.” Trust her to make me laugh when I least feel like it.

  She’s not what I would’ve imagined my best friend to be. Brash, out spoken and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. But I’ll take her brand of real any day.

  When I think of the way the women had rallied around me I feel like crying. He’d given me a family, one that I could count on. One that accepted my brother and I no question, because of him and who they know him to be.

  Why had I forgotten all of that in the blink of an eye? When I look back at how I reacted I feel sick. I’d acted like a child, leading with emotion instead of a level head. He was right, I was looking at him through the same eyes that I see my dad through. I guess I still have some issues to work through.

  My phone rang and I almost broke my hand trying to get it out of my bag. “Don’t answer that.” She actually snatched my phone and threw it in the backseat.

  “That was Max.”

  “So? You can call him when we’re done, we’re here.” I started to have heart palpitations as we pulled into the driveway of a moderately nice home in what looked like a very quiet neighborhood.

  “I’ll do the talking, you just follow my lead.” A middle age man answered the door before we rang the bell with a big welcoming smile. “Hello, are you ladies lost?”

  “Uh no, is Arlene here?”

  “Well sure, do you girls work with her?”

  “No, because she doesn’t have a job. She got fired for trying to screw the boss.”

  Oh damn, I felt like I was trapped in the middle of one of those real housewives shows. “Now bring her out here.” The poor man looked like he thought someone was going to jump out of the bushes with a camera.

  “I think you might have the wrong house.”

  “Didn’t I ask you for that bitch by name?”

  “I think I might have to call the police.”

  “You do that, and let her explain how she set her

  nephew Ray up to rape my friend.”

  “What? You know Ray? I don’t…what is going on?” Just then a woman who I vaguely remember seeing at the club once or twice came to the door tying a bathrobe around her.

  “Alvin who’s at the…door?” She took one look at us and lost the color from her face. I was ready to turn around and leave ever since he mentioned calling the police, but Sherrie had other ideas.

  I’ve never seen anyone act the way she does in real life. She reached through the open doorway and pulled the woman out by her robe. “Did you think you were gonna get away with all this shit? Who do you think you are fucking with my brother and his girl you old hag?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Alvin call the police.”

  “Go ahead and call them, then we’ll tell them about you sending someone to rape her, and then they can have a nice chat with Bambi the hooker who you hired to fuck with my brother.”

  “Arlene, what is she talking about, did you do these things? And what’s this about you not having a job? Where do you go everyday when you leave here?”

  “Not now Alvin. Look, I don’t know who you are…”

  “But I know you.” I’d finally found my voice. I guess I was having trouble putting all the pieces together because she looked like everybody’s idea of a soccer mom.

  She didn’t look like the Tiffanys of the world, or my idea of what a home wrecking skank should look like. “Why did you do this?”

  “Sis, this is not how this shit is done. We’re not here to bake cookies with this bitch.”

  “I know, I know, but you know what. Now that I know what’s been going on she’s not that important. And she’s certainly not worth you going to jail, think of little Audrey.”

  “Well damn, you coulda reminded me of that shit before we drove all the way up here. You’re one lucky bitch. You do one more thing to mess with my family and next time I’m coming alone, without my conscience here.”

  She shoved Arlene who fell into the doorpost. We started to walk away and I was feeling good about the fact that we’d settled things without bloodshed or sirens.

  “Arlene, what the hell is going on? What did she mean you were trying to sleep with your boss?”

  “They’re obviously high on something Alvin, I’ve never seen either of them in my life. You know how those people are…”

  I made it back to the door on wings and smacked her in the face. “Who the fuck are you calling those people? That woman has more integrity in her little finger than you do in your whole damn body you scheming bitch. You almost got me arrested.”

  I turned my attention to her husband who looked like he was about to pass out. “Did you know she came all the way into the city to follow me around a store and drop something in my bag to make it look like I was stealing?”

  “Do you want to know where she goes every day when she pretends to be going to work? She stakes out our apartment like the stalking bitch that she is. And she sent that asshole to the restaurant to put his hand up my skirt, and then to the apartment to attack me.”

  As I said the words I realized how fucking insane they were. How had Max kept all this away from me? What lengths he must’ve gone to-to keep me in the dark and protected from all this bullshit. Because he knew I already had more on my plate than I could handle.

  “Let’s go Sherrie. Sir, I suggest if you don’t want to raise your children alone that you keep her away from me and my man. And by the way, she used your son’s phone to send racy pictures of an escort she paid to set up my boyfriend.”

  By now both kids had joined them at the door so I took it down a notch. Now that I was here I was mad as hell, but I still didn’t want to handle things with my fists.

  I think I almost didn’t believe that anyone could be behind this mess. Until I saw her face and saw the truth of Sherrie’s words, I might’ve always doubted. “Thanks Sherrie, I needed that.”

  “Yeah well you shoulda let me beat that bitch to a pulp. Damn it must me Audrey’s feeding time, my tits are leaking.” For some reason that made us both laugh like crazy as we sped away.

  Chapter 39

  “Isn’t that Sherrie’s truck?” He leaned on the horn and made an illegal U-turn to pull up behind them on the side of the road. I was out of the car before it came to a complete stop.

  I pulled open the passenger door and dragged her out and
into my arms. “Oh baby, are you okay?” She started to cry and mumble an apology but I only cared that she was in one piece and there was no blood.

  I looked over her head at Sherrie who seemed to be having some kind of attack as she clutched at her chest. “Can we do this later? I’ve got to get back to the city.”

  I didn’t want to let my girl go. “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you ride with Tony, and I’ll drive your truck?”

  “Sounds good.” She jumped down from the truck like her ass was on fire and hightailed it to the car.

  I helped Anna back in and belted her in before walking around to take the wheel. “Baby I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left the way I did.”

  “No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should’ve believed you.”

  “What happened back there, do I need to find you two a lawyer?”

  “No, I kept things calm. This is my problem. I don’t want Sherrie getting into trouble for me, besides she has a baby to take care of.”

  “What do you mean your problem? It’s done. I’m going to take it from here.”

  “Oh no, now that I know what’s been going on I’m going to take care of that bitch.” Say what now?

  “No you’re not, you’re not getting involved any farther.”

  “Listen, as far as I can tell she hasn’t broken any laws except for the stunt in the store and we don’t have a clear look at her face so that’s bunk. In other words, she’s going to get away with this mess and that I cannot have.”

  “Everything you say is true but it doesn’t negate the fact that if you go anywhere near this shit I’ll tan your ass.” A few weeks with Sherrie and she’s a damn thug.

  “Well what do you suggest?”

  “Like I said, I’ll handle it.” I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips. “You’re not wearing your ring, why aren’t you wearing your ring?” If she tells me she still believes that shit I’d drive off a damn cliff.

  “I wanted you to put it on for me.” She did that pouty sulk thing and that easily I forgot I was mad at her. “Baby, you have to promise that you’ll never do this shit again. I wasn’t cut out for this shit.”