All About Him
Page 19
“Shit, you grown, who am I to tell you what to do if you wanna give them the biz?”
Suddenly, it felt like I had floated above my body and watched my hand as it reached for and clutched one of the red-bottoms, the very ones he had bought for my mother.
Chapter Forty
Cooper sat on my bed, eased back like we were old friends who had just enjoyed each other’s company. Sure, we were both feeling the effects of the liquor. His speech slurred a bit, and I felt weak on my legs.
But Cooper obviously felt safe in my presence, despite what he’d said the interviews had done to his career. I knew his wife, my sister, didn’t know he was here with me; she would never tolerate that.
But here he was, relaxed, leaned back, and talking about how different his life was now than the early years with me. He was drunk and so was I. But under the influence was the only way we were able to fake being cordial. This man thought it was okay to tell me how my shortcomings had held him back over the years. He told me that my sister was a better match for him.
I may not have still been in love with Cooper, but his words were lethal, and they cut me to my core.
“I don’t know where things took a turn with us,” he had the nerve to say.
That comment made my head swim. I definitely had some ideas.
He didn’t know where things took a turn with us? Was it when I was prostituting myself to jumpstart your career? Or maybe it was when I risked my own freedom and went to jail holding your weed. But if not that, maybe it was the many times I had to grovel and beg to get management at a venue to not fire you. Or better yet, all the times I warned you that my backstabbing sister was out to sabotage our marriage, but you went behind my back and fucked her anyway.
“People outgrow each other,” I said. I put the shoe down. There was no way I should’ve entertained the thoughts that floated around in my head. But I could hardly resist. It would be so easy, fast, and best of all, it would be completely unexpected.
He was still the same ole self-centered, selfish, narcissistic Cooper he’d always been. Despite all the wrong he had done, he had come out of it all completely unscathed, even better than before.
The bad press he’d received may have pushed back the release of a song, but he’d bounce back, because he knew his fans would forgive and forget. He’d come out of it unscathed. And maybe one day, he’d have the balls to actually write about it in his next hit song.
I had no love for him after what he had done to me. I actually felt pure hatred. The fact that he behaved like we should be above all that went down burned my insides until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
What if the judge knew he was here? Would he face jail for breaking his own restraining order? I knew he had very little to do with that order. I understood that came from my sister, but the fact that he allowed her to do it burned me up. When we were together, Cooper was the epitome of an alpha male. He did what he wanted, when and how, and he never made any apologies for it. But once he got under Evelyn’s spell, it was like he never had another independent thought of his own.
Everything he said or did was based on something Evelyn said or suggested.
“Look, Licia, we need to quit all this craziness. You know like I do that people love drama. When you let your misplaced aggression get the best of you, and you start trashing me in the press, baby, it only makes you look bad.” He shrugged easily.
My “misplaced aggression”?
He didn’t notice the twitch of my right eye, because he had the floor and he’d never stop to consider anyone else’s feelings during his time to shine. Absolutely nothing had changed about Cooper.
“Now, you got Evelyn running around here trying to contain all these fires, and she looking at me with a serious side-eye, you know it ain’t a good look at all.”
He was right; it wasn’t a good look, but the fact that he thought he could come over with a bottle of liquor and talk some sense into me was baffling, if not insane. I was fresh off my most recent arrest where I’d spent weeks in jail because of him and his hateful wife, and he wanted to talk about what wasn’t a good look?
“I ain’t trying to go all-out like Eve, talking about defamation lawsuits and all that other bull. I’m like, we all grown and shit; I’ma just go and try to reason with her.”
Now the real reason for his visit was starting to surface. I knew he had come with an agenda, but I couldn’t be sure what it was.
“So, Evelyn wants to file a lawsuit against me? It ain’t enough that I just spent weeks behind bars over some pettiness, but now she wants to sue me too?”
I flapped my arms around. “What y’all gon’ take? I ain’t got shit. You saw to that; you took everything and left me completely broke. What y’all gonna take now?”
My sudden outburst seemed to catch him off guard.
“I dunno why y’all hate each other like that. That shit ain’t natural. I mean y’all came from the same womb and yet y’all act like nothing less than enemies. Even strangers treat each other better.”
He always hated when I talked about Evelyn. It didn’t matter how wrong she was or how stupid the moves she made, he never wanted me to talk about her.
“What does Evelyn say about all of this?”
Cooper made a smacking noise with his mouth as he pulled in air. He shook his head and confessed, “Well, she lost her lid when I told her I wanted to talk to you, but you know me, Licia, I do what a man’s gotta do. She mad, but she gon’ be all right.”
He turned to me. “But it’s you I’m worried about.”
Cooper’s face even twisted into a pained expression.
I nearly laughed out loud at that comment and his expression, for real.
Cooper wasn’t worried when he took a flight with his mistress across the country, had me served and tossed all of my shit outside of the apartment we shared. He wasn’t worried when he cut off access to my one and only child, and he damn sure wasn’t worried when he had me thrown in jail for violating a protective order just because I wanted to see my son. But there was no need for me to point any of that out. My mind was already made up.
He barely noticed when I grabbed the stiletto shoe again. I gripped it in the palm of my hand and released it. Then I gripped it again and clutched it tightly.
Before I could think about what I was doing, the horror in Cooper’s eyes said he finally saw it coming, but it was too late. He was shocked as the spiked heel came barreling down and struck him in the side of his neck.
I swung as hard as I could. All of my weight went down and forced the heel to make contact with his skin.
Blood gushed from the area like a busted fire hydrant. His expression never changed as he tumbled onto his back, clutched toward his neck, and struggled to remove the shoe. It was lodged in past nearly half of the spiked five-inch heel.
“You have ruined my entire life. You took every damn thing from me, then you come back here and act like we’re old friends shooting the shit.”
He gasped for air and flapped around like a fish that had jumped out of its bowl.
“I fucking hate you!”
Blood was everywhere. It splattered on the walls, drenched my clothes and the sheets.
I couldn’t move.
He needed to know the pain he’d caused me. I watched as life literally drained from his face. After a few minutes of him squirming and kicking on the floor, he suddenly stopped and the air in the room went completely still. His eyes were still open and seemed focused on me.
That’s when I reached for the phone and dialed 9-1-1.
No one had to tell me when Cooper Spears died, because I witnessed it with my own eyes. It was wrong, but I felt like I had made that man what he was, and I had every right to take him out after all he had done to me.
“Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?” the dispatch operator said into my ear.
“Uh, yes, I need to report a death. Cooper Spears is dead,” I said.
“Cooper Spears, as in the singer Cooper Spears?” The dispatch operator’s voice took an obvious dip. She lost all professionalism.
Really? I couldn’t believe that the dispatcher was trying to get clarification about who had actually died. I held the phone and stood quietly.
Yes, Cooper Spears finally got what was coming to him, and he deserved exactly what he got.
Acknowledgments
I remain honored to be able to once again, give gratitude for all of the blessings bestowed upon me. I thank God for his continued favor... As always, unlimited appreciation goes to my patient and wonderful mother, Deborah Tucker Bodden; my lifelong cheerleader, and the very best sister a girl could have, Denise Braxton; my patient and loving husband, Coach Wilson, thanks for your love, and support. I’m a handful, but Coach is in it for the long haul and he understands: the good stuff never goes on sale! I’d like to thank my handsome younger brother, Irvin Kelvin Seguro and Amber; the two best uncles in the world, Robert and Vaughn Belzonie…
Aunts, Regina, and Shelia…, my loving and supportive family in Belize, Aunt Elaine, Therese, my cousins, Patrick, Marsha, and Cassandra, and the rest of my cousins, nephews, nieces, and my entire supportive family including my older brother, Carlton Anthony Tucker, who hustles to sell my books to anyone who will listen and buy a copy! If you know me well, you know I’m a walking poster girl for my beloved Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., but my love goes even deeper for my Sorors, Miranda Moore, Nikki Brock, Karen Williams, Jeness Sherell, Gloria Shannon, Keywanne Hawkins, Desiree Clement, Yolanda Jones, and the rest of those exquisite ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and especially all of my sisters of the Glamorous Gamma Phi Sigma Chapter here in Houston, TX. I’m blessed to be surrounded by friends who accept me just the way I am. ReShonda Tate Billingsley—Thanks for your constant support, listening ear, and unwavering faith in my work. Victoria Christopher Murray, your kindness, giving heart, and willingness to help others are the truth! Special thanks to my agent, Sara, and a world of gratitude to my Strebor family, the dynamic duo Zane, and Charmaine, for having faith in my work. Special thanks to the publicity Queens led by Yona Deshommes at Strebor who help spread the word about my work.
Again, I saved the very best for last, ______________ (your name goes there!) Yes, you, the reader! I’m so honored to have your support—I know you are overwhelmed by choices, and that’s what makes your selection of my work such a humbling experience. I will never take your support for granted. There were so many bookclubs that picked up Daddy by Default, Football Widows, Party Girl, Daddy’s Maybe, and A Social Affair, I wanted to honor some of you with a special shout-out: The bible of AFAM Lit: Johnnie Mosely and the rest of the wonderful men who make up Memphis’ Renaissance Men’s book club, Sisters are Reading Too (They have been with me from day 1!!)
Special thanks to Divas Read2-Happy Hour-Cush City-Girlfriends, Inc.-Drama Queens-Mugna Suma-First Wives-Brand Nu Day-Go On Girl, TX 1-As the Page turns-APOO, Urban Reviews, OOSA, Mahogany Expressions, Black Diamonds, BragAbout Books, Spirit of Sisterhood, and so many more, I appreciate you all! If I forgot anyone, and I’m sure I have, always, charge it to my head and not my heart. As always, please drop me a line at rekcutp@hotmail.com or sylkkep@yahoo.com I’d love to hear from you, and I answer all emails. Connect with me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter @authorpattucker—I follow back! And I love taking pics…mostly selfies, so check me out on IG as well.
About The Author
By day, Pat Tucker works as a radio news director in Houston, Texas. By night, she is a talented writer with a knack for telling page-turning stories. She is the author of Guarding Secrets, Somebody Has to Pay, The Cocktail Club, Sideline Scandals, Party Girl, Daddy’s Maybe, Football Widows, Daddy by Default (soon to be a movie), and Lachez (an original e-short). She is the coauthor with Earl Sewell of Loyalty Among Friends and A Social Affair and has participated in three anthologies, including New York Times bestselling author Zane’s Caramel Flava. A graduate of San Jose State University, Pat is a member of the National and Houston Association of Black Journalists and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. She is married with two children.
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ALSO BY PAT TUCKER
Guarding Secrets
Free Fridays
Somebody Has to Pay
The Cocktail Club
Sideline Scandals
Party Girl
Daddy’s Maybe
Lachez (an original e-book)
Football Widows
Daddy By Default
BOOKS WRITTEN WITH EARL SEWELL
Loyalty Among Friends
A Social Affair
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Strebor Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
© 2017 by Pat Tucker
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. For information address Strebor Books, P.O. 55471, Atlanta, GA 30308
First Strebor Books trade paperback edition November 2016
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Cover photograph: © Keith Saunders/Keith Saunders Photos
Author photograph: © Rochelle Scott Design & Photography
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ISBN 978-1-59309-684-7
ISBN 978-1-50111-955-2 (ebook)
LCCN 2017941825