Trina sat silent. She rolled her eyes at me a few times and then released a deep breath. “Instead of telling me all of this, why don’t you call Kayla? You really need to have this conversation with her, not me.”
“I’m having this conversation with you because you said you wanted to talk. I don’t mind telling Kayla what I just told you, but I assure you that I’ll get the same response. She will not listen to me, and she is set on me being a horrible person who can’t be redeemed.”
Trina didn’t say anything, but she knew I had spoken the truth. And at this point, I just didn’t care anymore. I was sure Trina would relay everything I’d said to her to Kayla. If she wanted to talk further about it, I was sure she would reach out to me.
“I did say that I wanted to talk,” Trina finally said. “And if that’s going to be your explanation for all of this, then so be it. On another note, when can I see your new town house?”
“We can go over there now. Do you have time?”
Trina said she did, so we got in her car and left. On the drive there, she was real quiet. I asked what was on her mind. That was when she mentioned her trip to New York tomorrow.
“So you decided to go, huh?” I said.
“Yep. I need to stabilize my career, and I’m due to meet with some important people on Friday.”
“What kind of important people?”
“I just told you. People who may help me stabilize my career.”
“So you have to go all the way to New York to find people who can help you stabilize your career? That makes no sense to me, and like you told me earlier, I think you may need to come again.”
Trina swallowed and continued to speak to me with an attitude. She did that often when she felt guilty about something. “If you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about my trip. I have a lot of things on my mind right now, and talking about it isn’t going to help much.”
“Okay. I won’t push like you push me when I don’t want to talk. But I do have to ask how Keith feels about your trip.”
“He thinks I’m going on a three-day vacation with you and Kayla. So, whatever you do, please don’t call me at home, don’t call my cell, and do not call him.”
Trina was playing with fire. And she had the audacity to try to make me feel bad about my situation with Cedric. He wasn’t the one she should be concerned about. If she wanted to be mad at me, she should be mad at me about having sex with the one who could be her possible father-in-law. Since she didn’t know about us yet, I guessed she couldn’t be mad.
“I won’t call Keith, and as a matter of fact, I have no reason to call him. While I don’t approve of what you’re doing, I’m not going to sit here and judge you like you judge me. Especially when I . . .” I paused, then changed my mind. “Never mind. Forget it. Make a right at the light, and at the first street, make a left.”
“Forget what?” Trina said, following my directions. “What were you going to say?”
“Nothing. Now, drive all the way to the end of the street, and my town house is on the left.”
Trina drove farther down the street, then parked her car. She looked at the town houses, then nodded. “These are nice. Must have cost you a fortune. But what were you about to say?”
“I said never mind.”
“And I said tell me. I hate when you do that, Evelyn. You need to quit it.”
“I’m hesitant to tell you because the last time I told you a secret, it got back to Bryson, and he wound up beating my ass. You do remember that, don’t you, my dear friend?”
Trina looked down; then she started fumbling with her nails. “I’m sorry about that, but I had no idea Bryson was that kind of man. And even though you told me he would hurt you, I didn’t think he would go that far.”
“You mean, you didn’t believe me. Just like you don’t believe what I just told you about me and Cedric.”
“Let’s not go there again, but go ahead and tell me what you were about to say. I won’t say anything to anybody, especially not Kayla.”
“Kayla’s not the one I’m worried about. I’m worried about you telling Keith.”
“I don’t like to keep things from him, but you already know that I have been keeping some secrets. Whatever your secret is, if you don’t want him to know, then I won’t say anything.”
I paused for a few seconds, then let it out. “Even if it’s about his father?”
A tiny frown appeared on Trina’s face. “His father? Is there something he should know about his father? If so, Evelyn, you’d better tell me. I don’t want Keith to get hurt again, like he did when you broke it down about Bryson.”
“I wouldn’t want Keith to get hurt again, either, so my lips are sealed.”
Trina wasn’t having it. She wouldn’t get out of the car unless I elaborated more. “You are so wrong, Evelyn. Did you see him with someone? And please don’t tell me that you saw him with a man too.”
“No, trust me when I say it was nothing like that. He is, indeed, one hundred percent all man. I can assure you of that.”
Trina looked as if she had stopped breathing. Her mouth dropped open, and she sat up straight in her seat. “Evelyn, please don’t tell me what I think you’re trying to tell me. Are you fucking Keith’s father?”
I looked straight ahead, then zipped my lips. “I have nothing to say.”
“Like hell!” Trina shouted. “Tell me now. Then again, no. Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. ’Cause if you did, I would definitely have to tell Keith. But as far as I’m concerned, this conversation didn’t happen. I don’t want to know anything, and please take me inside to see your new place.”
“I will. After I tell you how freaking big his dick is. Girl, that thing is about this damn long, and he beat the shit out of me with it.” I tried to show Trina the measurements with my hands, but she turned her head and covered her ears.
“Nope,” she said. “I didn’t hear a word you said. All I heard you say was, ‘The weather sure is nice outside.’”
I laughed, then pulled her hands away from her ears. “Huge, girl, and your dear friend is hooked! It only happened one time, but I can’t stop thinking about him. Are things that serious between him and his wife? Do you know if the marriage is solid or not?”
Trina started to hum. She tapped her feet on the floor of the car, then covered her ears once again. That was when I opened the car door.
“Fine then. Let’s go inside,” I said.
I got out of the car, and so did Trina. As we made our way to my front door, she walked behind me.
“You know what?” she said. “I think there is a motive behind everything you do. You knew that if you told me about you and Mr. Washington, I would tell Keith. And Keith would tell his mother and confront his father. A whole lot of shit would get stirred up, and then Mr. Washington may come running to you. That’s what you want to happen, but just so you know, I’m not telling Keith one word. The holes you dig keep on getting deeper. I promise you that he is not the kind of man you want to fuck with.”
I didn’t respond, but Trina knew me all too well. I did have a motive for telling her, and it was just that. While she said she wouldn’t tell Keith, in my heart, I felt that she would.
* * *
The next day I was all moved into my new town house. It was sweet. Had a spacious loft area, three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and a luxury kitchen. I had so much room, and I intended to use one of the bedrooms as an office. In order to keep myself busy, I had to start a business or invest in one. Whenever I was ready, I had the place to do it.
Most of my furniture had been delivered, and this go-around I had gone the classic contemporary route. The walls were a light gray, and most of my furnishings were soft yellow and silky white. I was totally impressed by some of the things I had picked out. The interior designer I had hired to hook up everything for me had said she couldn’t make it over until the weekend. I had wanted to ask Trina to help me, but I didn’t like her taste. She liked loud colors�
�colors that could blind a person when they came into a room. I hoped that she wouldn’t take offense at me for not asking her and hiring someone else.
After the sun went down, I sat on my new plush sofa and thought about calling her. Then I remembered what she had told me about going to New York. I was worried about that little situation, but I figured that Trina and Keith would someway or somehow work it all out.
I got up from the sofa to go turn on some music. Kayla wasn’t the only one who could afford to have an intercom that played music throughout the home. I was now balling too, and it certainly felt good. So good that I got me a cigarette, poured a drink, and then went outside on my balcony. I took a few puffs from the cig, then whistled smoke into the air. Thoughts of Charles quickly invaded my mind. I visualized myself on that bed, getting the royal treatment again. The way he held my waist from behind and gave me inch by inch had felt spectacular. I had gone crazy and had never leaked that much in my life. My thoughts of him got so deep that I backed up to the wrought-iron lounge chair and let my silk robe fall to the side. I smashed the cigarette in an ashtray, then cocked my legs open. Hot and more than bothered, I slipped two of my fingers inside my pussy. I closed my eyes while sliding my fingers in and out of me. They felt nothing like Charles, and a few minutes in, I gave up.
I went inside, snatched up my cell phone, then punched in his number. On the second ring, he answered. His masculine voice uttering a simple word like “hello” made my pussy dance.
“Charles, this is Evelyn,” I said in a soft tone.
There was a pause. Then he responded, “What do you want?”
“You. I want you. I need to see you again.”
The only thing I heard was the call drop. I wasn’t sure if he had done it intentionally or not, but when I called back, his phone went to voice mail. I tried three times, and after that, my number was blocked. I was completely taken aback. I guessed he meant what he’d said about going there only once, and I was highly upset about it. I didn’t know what to do about his ill treatment, but surely I’d think of something.
11
Trina
The big day had finally arrived. I had stayed up late last night, packing and making love to Keith, and afterward, I hadn’t gotten much sleep, maybe an hour or two. When I woke up, I found him in the kitchen, cooking breakfast. He was in his black Calvin Klein briefs that melted on his perfect ass. His colorful tats were on display, and his smooth chocolate skin made me want to have him again for breakfast. When he turned around, my eyes dropped to his mountain of love, which appeared to be hard.
“What are you thinking about, other than my breakfast?” I teased.
“I was thinking about how bad you put it on me last night.” He laughed, then slid my pancakes on a plate. “I couldn’t let you leave here hungry.”
“Thank you,” I said, walking up to him to give him a kiss. “But I only have time to eat one. I’m running behind, and I really need to get out of here. Kayla and Evelyn are already on their way to the airport.”
“Do you need me to drop you off?”
“No. I’m going to drive and leave my car in the parking lot. When I return, I don’t want to wait for you to pick me up.”
“Okay. We’ll hurry up and eat. Give me some suga and go.”
I wished I had time to give him more than that, but I didn’t. I ate the pancake and a few pieces of bacon. Guzzled down some orange juice, then gathered my luggage, which was already at the door.
“Let me help you with that,” Keith said as I put the straps from one of the bags on my shoulder.
“I have only two bags. I got it, but thanks.”
I puckered my lips for a kiss, Keith obliged, and that kiss instantly turned intense. Keith was the one who backed away from it.
“Don’t start nothing you can’t finish,” he said. “Have fun, and don’t forget to call me when you get to Vegas.”
I assured him that I would call. I surely intended too, and the second I got on the plane, regret and guilt washed over me. I wasn’t sure how this trip was going to pan out. For one thing, I knew it wasn’t all about business.
I was in New York in no time at all. Was glad I didn’t have any layovers and the plane was on time. I had asked Sasha to meet me at LaGuardia, and, sure enough, while as I was waiting for my luggage, she appeared.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw her, but I tried to play down my enthusiasm. Her beauty couldn’t be denied. I loved her Afrocentric style. And she was one sexy woman. Part of her hair was now braided in a knot, with some of the braids falling far down her back. She wore a loud yellow tank and a colorful skirt. Her heels had ribbons on them that tied around her ankles. A red, yellow, green, and black necklace gathered around her neck, and her makeup was flawless, like the paint on a great work of art.
The first thing she did was walk up and give me a hug. Her breasts pressed against mine, and her sweet perfume drew me right in.
“No words can express how delighted I am to see you,” she said. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“No, thank you for inviting me. I’m waiting on my luggage. It should be here in a minute or two.”
We waited for almost fifteen minutes for my luggage to come. Afterward, we walked together to her car, and within thirty minutes, we were at my hotel.
“You don’t have to stay here, you know,” she said. “The last thing I want you to do is waste money.”
“Well, hopefully, I’ll be in a position to get some of that money back. I’m excited about the meeting on Friday. Did you get those pictures I shipped to you?” I had shipped three of my paintings to Sasha so she could share them with the individuals I planned to meet tomorrow.
She confirmed that she had gotten them. “They arrived late yesterday, so I haven’t had time to show them to anyone. But they are breathtaking. You certainly have talent, and your pictures need to be on display in museums.”
I’d never gotten compliments like that about my work. Not even from Keith. And even though I was good, I didn’t think I was that good. Then again, yes, I was.
Sasha helped me unpack my things, and then we headed to the sandwich shop in the lobby so I could get something to eat. Sasha couldn’t join me, so we parted ways outside the sandwich shop.
“Don’t eat that much,” she said. “I’m taking you to dinner later, and then we’re going out to have some fun, before we take care of business. Try to get some rest, and I’ll pick you up around seven or eight tonight.”
She gave me another hug before prancing away. I felt good about being here, and when I returned to the room after having a sandwich, I quickly called Keith to let him know I had arrived.
“We’re here,” I said, lying my ass off. “It’s steaming hot, but we’re going to go walk the Strip and see what’s up.”
“Try to stay cool and drink plenty of water. How was your flight?”
“A little bumpy, but we made it. Evelyn and Trina are already arguing, but you know how they are.”
“Yes, I do. Don’t get in the middle, and if they start fighting, you need to come home. I’m missing you already.”
“Yeah, me too. What are your plans for today?”
“I’m going to hang out with Chris and Shawn at the pool hall tonight. We also have plans to go to a strip club,” he said, laughing.
“Strip club, my ass. You’d better not be spending your time at a strip club, especially when you have all of this.”
“I agree. I was only kidding, and I’m well aware of what I have. Love you, baby, and I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, you will.”
I hung up, then fell back on the bed. I drifted off as I thought about our relationship, and then my thoughts shifted to Evelyn and Keith’s father. Since yesterday I’d been pondering the question of whether I should tell Keith, but that would give him another reason to hate Evelyn even more. I also felt as if it was none of my business, but then again, Keith was my business. The last time I had thought that way was when I discove
red that Evelyn was having sex with Cedric behind Kayla’s back. Keeping that from her had been the wrong thing to do. I just wasn’t sure if spilling the beans was the right thing to do this time, but I did know that keeping all these secrets wasn’t good for anyone.
I fell asleep while in thought, and when I woke up, it was already several minutes after six. I quickly got up to shower, and since Sasha said we would be going out tonight, I decided to put on a mustard-yellow pantsuit I’d brought. The jacket buttoned at my waist, and the pants fit like leggings. Even though I didn’t like to wear heels, I rocked them, anyway. I swooped my layered hair to the side, spiked the front a little, then sprayed a dash of perfume between my breasts, which were visible due to the low-cut jacket. The only thing I had underneath it was my bra, which you could barely notice was there.
Sasha had told me to meet her in the lobby. By the time I had gotten all dolled up, she was already there. She still had on the skirt and the accessories from earlier, but instead of the tank, she now had on a jacket. From a short distance, I could see the lust in her eyes as she scanned me from head to toe. A wide smile appeared on her face, and a compliment followed.
“You are so beautiful,” she said. “Anybody ever tell you that you look like Kelly Roland?”
“Trust me, I hear it all the time.” I laughed.
I made my way to her car with her. The club we went to was less than five miles away, and when we got inside, it was jam-packed. Sasha had reserved a table for us. We sat close to a stage, but nothing was happening there yet.
“What’s going on here tonight?” I asked, then took a seat.
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”
A waiter came over to the table to ask what we wanted to drink. I wasn’t a heavy drinker, so I ordered a wine cooler. Sasha ordered a Long Island Iced Tea.
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