by Mary Monroe
“Macy’s is always having a big sale. And I’m glad you brought up the newspaper.” I took a sip of my orange juice and pushed my plate to the side. I couldn’t eat or drink another thing. “Did you read about that young black woman they found strangled to death in an alley in San Jose the other day?”
“Yeah, I sure did. Poor thing.”
“That was a nice picture of her in the newspaper. She was so pretty. And she reminds me of you. . . .”
Chapter 41
Lola
I KNEW JOAN WAS TUNING UP HER MOUTH TO MAKE MORE COMMENTS on the subject of another missing woman who resembled me, so I took it and ran. “You know, Bertha told me that same thing when she saw the newspaper article. She made a joke about me possibly having half sisters all over town because of the way Daddy got around.” I stopped talking. A curious look appeared on Joan’s face, so I continued. “She even mentioned that big newspaper article from last year about those three black women who disappeared and are still missing.”
“The same three women who look a lot like you.”
“A lot of women look like me. As a matter of fact, everybody looks like somebody else. You’ve been going around since we were teenagers bragging about how much you look like Halle Berry.”
“Lola, you should take this more seriously.”
“I am! But I refuse to let my imagination run wild the way you are on this subject. Look, they never found those other three women. Nobody even knows if they’re dead or stretched out on a beach in Costa Rica drinking piña coladas. At least they found the body of this latest woman so her family can give her a proper burial. You would think that by now prostitutes would stop working the streets and get their tricks off craigslist or one of those other sites that the smart hookers use. Picking up strange men off the street, the woman they found in that alley is lucky she lived as long as she did.”
“Yeah, you’re right, I guess.” Joan cleared her throat and glanced at her watch. “I have an appointment to get my nails done and I need to swing by Macy’s on my way home.” She cocked her head and looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “If you don’t tell me why you wanted me to meet you for lunch, it’ll have to wait until I get back from Phoenix on Sunday,” she warned.
“You can’t tell anybody what I’m about to tell you now.”
“Since when do you have to warn me about keeping my mouth shut? As long as we’ve known one another, I’ve never blabbed anything juicy that you shared with me.”
“Libby is having an affair,” I blurted.
Joan’s eyes got as big as golf balls. “Lola, are you telling me that your loathsome stepsister is fooling around with another man?”
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”
“What man, other than Jeffrey, would be desperate enough to want her with her plain, dumpy, mean self?”
“At least one other man does. And, believe it or not, he’s even better looking than Jeffrey.”
“Yikes!” Joan laughed. “That conniving bitch! Who does she think she is—me? Either she’s using witchcraft, or she’s blackmailing this man. I’ll be goddamned. I don’t know what this world is coming to.”
“I could make a whole lot of trouble for her if I wanted to.” I snickered. “I could even send Jeffrey an anonymous note.”
Joan shook her head. “Uh-uh. Don’t do that. That’s something Libby would do to somebody, and you’re nothing like her. How do you know for sure she’s having an affair? It could be a rumor like the one that went around years ago about you sleeping with her husband. You of all people should know you can’t believe everything you hear.”
“Uh-uh. This is no rumor. I saw her with my own eyes.”
“What? You caught her? Have you been following her around?”
“I didn’t have to follow her. She had the nerve to bring the dude to the house Sunday! She didn’t know I was still in my room.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about what I had witnessed. When Libby’s lover left the house, which was less than a minute after she’d been busted, she came back to my room. She hadn’t knocked, and when she barged in she had one of the most frightened looks on her face I’d ever seen. Her thick brows were furrowed, her nostrils were twitching, and her lips were trembling. I had just stuffed some clean workout clothes into my gym bag and had it, my purse, and my car key in my hand.
“Lola, I know you’re about to leave the house, but can you hold up for a few minutes? I need to talk to you.”
“I guess so,” I’d said with a shrug.
“Um . . . I’m telling you now, you’d better not blab my business to anybody,” she warned, and shook her finger in my face. She hadn’t shut the door. Instead she’d stood in front of it with her hand on the knob, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “What I do is between me and my husband.”
“Libby, I don’t care what you do,” I said casually. “But don’t expect me to cover for you.”
“Cover for me? What makes you think I’d ask you to ‘cover’ for me?”
“Gossip travels faster than the speed of light in this town. Other people might already know what you’ve been up to. If Jeffrey hears any rumors and asks me if I know what’s going on, I won’t lie for you.”
“Who asked you to? The thing is, what Jeffrey doesn’t know won’t hurt him. He won’t know what I did if you don’t tell him. Greg has a wife and kids, so I know he won’t tell anybody. Besides, you have nothing to gain by ratting me out.” Libby had given me a pleading look. This was one of the signs she rarely displayed that told me she was human. “Um, do me a favor and keep this to yourself. If he asks if you knew about Greg and me, I hope you’ll dummy up. . . .”
I shrugged. “He probably won’t ask me, so don’t worry.” I’d cocked my head and given Libby a thoughtful look. “How long have you been seeing Greg?”
“Why? What’s it to you?”
“I’m just curious,” I’d replied. “I didn’t think you were the cheating type.”
Libby’s jaw dropped. “I’m not ‘the cheating type’! Girl, you need to stop watching those cheesy movies on the Lifetime channel. They are putting all kinds of ridiculous ideas in your head. I just had a weak moment, that’s all. And anyway, you were supposed to be at the nail salon.”
“So were you,” I’d pointed out.
“Well, I’m going there now.” Libby turned to leave, then she turned back around and gave me another pleading look. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
“Meaning what?”
“Look, I know you don’t like me, but you can at least be civil to me. I mean, woman to woman, females in the same family need to stick together. If there’s something you want to do that you shouldn’t be doing, I’ll cover for you.”
“You cover for me?” I’d wanted to laugh. I didn’t, because I knew that it would upset Libby even more. And she would probably spend even more time running her mouth. All I wanted was for her to leave me alone. “Libby, with all due respect, I doubt very seriously if I’d ever need you to cover for me.”
By the time I finished telling Joan everything that Libby and I had said to each other, she was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. “So what are you going to do with this information? I know you’re not the blabbing type, so other than me, who can you share this juicy story with?”
“That’s the next part of what I wanted to share with you,” I gushed. I cleared my throat, sat up straighter in my seat, and puffed out my chest. “Calvin’s back. He called me up and we finally set a date to get together in a hotel in a few hours. He has some catch-up trucker work and a few personal things to attend to first, so he won’t be available to see me until then. I don’t know what all we’ll talk about, but he’s got a great sense of humor, so I think this story about Libby will give him a lot to laugh about. I’ve already told him about Bertha, and a little bit about Libby and Marshall. I’m sure he’d like to hear an update.” An extremely gloomy look crossed Joan’s face. “What’s the matte
r? You look like a pallbearer.”
“You’re going to hook up with Calvin in a hotel in a few hours and you’re just now telling me?”
“I didn’t want to seem too anxious.”
“Pffft! Honey, you reached that point a long time ago.”
“Oh well.” I shrugged. “I am very anxious to make love with him. But I never expected him to call me out of the blue and ask to hook up on the same day. I wish he would have given me more notice. But—” I paused and gave Joan a dreamy-eyed look. “I’ve been waiting long enough to get my hands on that man, so I’m going to make a beeline to that hotel.”
“I’m happy for you, Lola,” she said. Within seconds, her normal face returned. But there was a hint of despair in her voice. “I know how long you’ve been itching to check out what Calvin’s got between his legs.”
“Well, you don’t have to make it sound so crude!” I snapped. “For all you know, we might not even have sex.”
“And Santa Claus has nothing to do with Christmas. Be serious! Let me remind you again—you met the man through a sex club.”
“What about that day I met him and all we did was have coffee in a coffee shop?”
“So what? This time you’re meeting him in a hotel room.” Joan pressed her lips together and eyed me critically. I didn’t like the way she was looking at me, but since the conversation was tense enough already, I decided not to mention it.
“Joan, sometimes you make me feel so uncomfortable. Maybe I shouldn’t have even told you about my upcoming date with Calvin.”
She gave me an apologetic look. “I’m glad you told me, and I’m sorry for talking shit. I . . . I just hope you find what you’ve been looking for all your life. You deserve it.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate your saying that.”
“And I mean it. Good luck on your date with Calvin.” Joan patted my shoulder and gave me a warm smile. “I want a full report afterward. I can’t wait to hear if your sexy truck driver is as good as he looks.”
“After all the energy and time I’ve spent trying to get to him, he’d better be.” I laughed. Joan didn’t.
Chapter 42
Calvin
I HAD A DREAM ABOUT LOLA A FEW NIGHTS AGO. IN IT, I FINALLY MADE love to her for the first time. It had been such a pleasant experience, I needed to experience it for real as soon as possible. That was the reason I asked her to see me today! If she was a lousy lay, I’d have to revise my time line. I’d have to kill her even sooner than I planned, because I would not want to waste more of my time having sex with a woman who couldn’t satisfy me. Nothing irritated me more! I recalled a woman I’d pursued several years ago because a buddy of mine had raved about her performance in the bedroom. Sex with that same woman had not done much for me. Despite all the great reviews other club members had posted about Lola, I needed to find out for myself. If she was as good as I hoped, I’d probably stick to my original time line.
She had sounded pleased to hear my voice and even more pleased, and surprised, that I’d finally asked her for a date so we could take our “relationship” to the next level. She surprised me by agreeing to see me on such short notice, a man who was still practically a stranger to her. It was another indication that she was a damn fool.
After I had dropped off my rig and made it back to my house, I took a shower. I saw that I had numerous messages on my cell phone and my landline, most of them from Sylvia, but I was not interested in talking to anybody until after I’d checked out Lola’s goods. If she was going to disappoint me, I’d be in a bad mood when I got back home. If she was good, I’d be in a much better mood when I talked to Sylvia and everybody else who’d blown up my answering devices.
* * *
I checked into the Hyatt at four p.m. Lola showed up thirty minutes later.
“Um, I was going to call you and see if you wanted me to bring anything,” she muttered as she entered the room.
I shook my head. “Baby, you brought everything I wanted you to bring,” I told her, draping my arm around her shoulder. “You look as beautiful as ever.”
She had on that disgusting smock she worked in, and her makeup looked a little crusty, but she was still one of the hottest women I had ever come across.
“Really? I didn’t even have time to go home and change clothes or redo my makeup,” she said, patting her hair. “I didn’t want to get caught on the freeway in that commute traffic and get here later than I wanted to.”
“Honey, the important thing is, you’re here now,” I said with a sniff. I led her to the bed and we sat down at the same time. She seemed nervous. “I’ve been looking forward to this day.”
“I have too,” she said, then coughed. She kept her eyes on the wall in front of her until I touched her chin and turned her face toward mine. “Oh, Calvin!” she swooned.
Before I knew it, she hauled off and kissed me and wrapped her arms around my neck. We kissed some more and groped one another for about five minutes before she pulled away. She was giggling and blinking and looking me up and down all at the same time.
“I can’t stay long,” she said, looking at her watch. “I’m afraid to be out alone after dark,” she explained.
“I understand,” I said, slowly rising off the bed. “Well, do you have time to have a drink with me? The minibar is fully stocked. You seem a little tense, and a glass of wine will help you relax.”
“Yeah. I would like something to drink.”
I filled two glasses with white wine, and we sat on the bed and drank in silence. She finished first. Then she sat there sniffing and glancing at me with the empty glass still in her hand. I finished mine, set both glasses on the end table, and pulled her into my arms. She got out of that damn smock and the rest of her clothing and shoes so fast, it made my head spin. With a glazed look on her face, she stretched out on the bed and watched as I removed my clothes. Her eyes never left mine.
“I am so happy you called and asked to be with me today,” she admitted.
“I’m happy too,” I chirped, as I kicked off my shoes.
Even after we got as close as two human beings could get, I could tell that she was still tense. “Lola, relax and let yourself go,” I whispered. “I want you to enjoy this as much as I know I’m going to.”
Right after I said that, from that point on, she behaved like a tiger in heat that had just been let out of a cage during mating season. And, to my delight, she was extraordinary. We didn’t make love, that word was too tame. We fucked. By the time I pulled out of her body and rolled off her, I was so exhausted all I wanted to do was get some rest. Now that I knew what she had to offer, I definitely didn’t want this to be a one-time event, so I decided to give her as much attention as I could.
I handed her another glass of wine and pulled her into my arms again. As soon as we got comfortable on the bed, I initiated a conversation knowing that she was going to bore the hell out of me, babbling about the same stupid shit she always babbled about every time I conversed with her. I didn’t think she’d ever stop rambling, so after listening to her nauseating drivel for ten minutes straight, I interrupted her.
“Lola, if you don’t have any plans for Saturday, I’d like to see you again,” I said.
She gasped. “You would?” I had just fucked the living hell out of this woman. I knew she could tell that I had enjoyed myself. So why did she sound so surprised that I’d want to see her again in a few days? “You mean this coming Saturday?”
“Yes.” I gently caressed her arm. “If you come early enough, we can have lunch. And if you can stay as long as I’d like you to stay, we can have dinner too.”
She kept her composure, but she couldn’t fool me. The way her eyes lit up, it looked like she wanted to dance a jig. “I’d love to see you again on Saturday.” She cleared her throat and looked in my eyes and blinked. “I’m just so happy that we finally got together.” She got up off the bed and started putting her clothes back on. “I wish I could stay longer, but it’s already starting to
get dark.”
I stood up and wrapped my arms around her so tightly, I could actually feel her heart thumping. She had all of her clothes back on except for that ridiculous smock. “Let me escort you home.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’m not ready for you to meet my folks,” she said, giving me a hopeless look.
“I’m sorry. I’m getting way ahead of myself. What I meant to say was, I’ll drive right behind you to within a couple of blocks of where you live. That way you don’t have to be afraid to be out driving alone at night.” I gave her the most compassionate look I could manage. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. I was afraid if I said any more corny shit and she didn’t leave soon, she’d start crying. “Thank you, Calvin,” she added in the most demure voice a woman ever used in my presence. “I . . . I am so glad I met you.”
I wanted her to be happy. I wanted her to live with the fantasy that she was making me happy all the way up to the moment I killed her. I embraced her even tighter. It was time to throw her a very big bone. “Lola, I know you don’t know me that well yet, but I’d love to do something very special with you for my birthday in July.”
“Oh?” There was a look on her face that words could not describe. She blinked rapidly a few times. “What would you like to do?”
“I’d like to spend an entire weekend with you. I love Frisco in the summertime, so we can check into a hotel and really enjoy ourselves. Maybe even take in a show and some sightseeing. Please say yes. It would be the best birthday present I ever had.”
“Calvin, I’d love to spend a weekend with you in Frisco!” she hollered, almost choking on her words.
Chapter 43
Joan
A PAIN SHOT THROUGH MY CHEST WHEN REED WALKED INTO THE bedroom Wednesday at six a.m. while I was packing for my upcoming mysterious getaway.
“I think your going away alone to refresh yourself is a good idea,” he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. I cringed when he started nibbling on my earlobe. He’d drunk a glass of wine with the leg of lamb, asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes I had cooked for last night’s dinner, so his breath was foul enough to irritate the hell out of me.
