His paid mistress. His kept woman.
The edge grew sharp when, as her mother had put it, "You ain't nothin' but that china-man's little black nigger whore! That's all you are to him and don't you think for a moment, you anything better than that! Comin' up in my house bragging with all your fancy this and that! Thinkin' you done rose above us! You was moving up lil'girl - but you done dropped yo' ass right in the sewer! Didn't think I knew did you? That he married and you carrying on with him like it ain't nothing! You aught to be ashamed of yourself! You do all this shit to come off so much better than everyone else, yet he the best you can do!? You that selfish that you don't care about the fact he got a wife?! What about her? What about his kids? Do you give a damn about anybody other than yourself?!"
That's when things began to shift in the relationship. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't work. She could not go on with herself, because her mother's words were only echoing what she'd been saying about herself as time went by. She then went from hinting that things had to change, to giving him alternatives. Again, her mother had been angry. Saying that she shouldn't be giving him alternatives. He was married. End of the discussion, move on! But she wanted him for herself, and she did it despite it all. Had he left his wife when they were deep in the midst of their relationship, she would have married him, despite the fact that it would have cost another woman her family life and happiness. Now, here she was out on the other end. She thanked goodness she always protected herself from getting pregnant. Besides, she hadn't wanted kids at the time. As it turned out, in the end, he'd been about nothing but lies and deceit. He lost patience with her once and yelled at her, "How can you expect me to destroy my wife that way?!" He shouted shooting up from the sofa where they'd been sitting at her place. Calming a bit, he'd turned to her and said, "Things are fine this way. You lack nothing. You have everything any woman would desire in her life. Be content and happy that you are better off than most."
That was the end.
Vivian had sat staring up at him realizing that he figured he was doing her a favor, commenting, "Better off than most - what? Black women like me? I should be happy hm? Is that what you're saying, this is the best someone like me can hope for, so accept it and shut up... right? That what you saying?"
"I treat you good! Plus you are free!"
"That's the word right there! Free! Get the hell out of my house!"
"I think you're being immature and foolish."
"I think I've been immature and foolish! Now get your shit, and get out of my house! Discussion over. I'm done. You're done. We're done. This way please." Vivian had walked to the door and opened it.
"You need to calm down, and when you do, you'll see the benefit of keeping it as it is." He said so confidently, thinking in time she'd back down.
Well she hadn't backed down.
"I asked you, are you alone?!" He demanded regaining her attention.
"You're getting on my nerves. You really are." She growled down at him and backed up in her window. She walked to her bathroom, used the toilet. Washed up, picked and shaped her hair, went back into her room, he was laying on the doorbell again, probably because she was taking her time, refusing to rush. She put on casual day clothes, made up her bed and walked out of her room and down the stairs into the kitchen, started her coffee maker, the doorbell again. Then turned and slowly walked to her door, undoing the locks and chain, she opened it.
Her stance at the door said loud and clear, 'No - you cannot come in!'
"You are rude! You knew I stood out here, you could have let me in while you dressed."
"No! I'll tell you what's rude! What's rude is your refusal to accept - No! Your refusal to see that we are done! That is rude! Go home to your wife, and leave me alone!"
"Is he here? That Jake?" He asked.
"No - he is not! As I said... that was just someone doing me a favor."
"Good... let me in so we can talk."
"No! No no no! You aren't getting in here!"
"If you remember, I helped you get this place. I gave you the down payment." He reminded her.
"Yeah... maybe so, but I've been paying the house notes! Believe me, what you've gotten out of me in the last five years, has been plenty in repayment for any money you put down."
"I don't think so - I don't think so! We can either talk, or - you can start thinking about how you're going to reimburse me."
"What?! Get the heck off my door step! Or I will be calling the police!"
"You know what, I think you're bluffing... I don't believe you will."
Vivian stood a moment, sorry she ever met him. "You know what, I think I'll do one better." She informed him and turned from the door charging over to her phone where she picked it up and started pressing buttons, realizing what she meant, Laek Chan rushed through her door to snatch the phone from her hand before she could finish dialling. A tug of war and battle ensued over the phone.
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!! LET GO O'MY PHONE!!!" Vivian screamed trying to keep the phone. He knocked her on the sofa, and almost to the floor as they struggled over it. "Who are you calling - hm? Who do you think you're calling?!" He ground out angrily.
"YOUR GODDAMN WIFE - SONOFABITCH! I'M SICK O'YO ASS!!!" She screamed in his face.
Losing his temper he slapped her, the first time ever.
Stunned, Vivian sucked in, her eyes wide with shock. Anger quickly set in; she retaliated, hitting and slapping him back. She was able to get in three good slaps before he got a hold of her arm and flipped her to her stomach before she knew what had happened, suddenly it was twisted up behind her back, he twisted so hard, pushing it high that she screamed out. "OW OW OW OW - YOU'RE GONNA BREAK MY ARM!!!" She cried in agony. He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back.
"Drop that ph-..." He started and then suddenly, in a blink of an eye, she felt a yank at her arm and scalp, but he let go and was off of her. She turned around quickly, in time to see him flying across the room to land with a crash against the far wall. Stunned to see Jake standing between them.
"Dr. China! You 'bout t'get a size twelve cowboy boot up your ass to the knee! You wanna try that move on me?!" Jake invited standing at ready to fight.
"Who the fuck are you?!"
"Delivery man! Got a ass whippin' made to order for you! You got ten seconds to get the fuck out the door doc!"
"Jake - I presume!?"
"Seven - six - five -..."
"You'll be hearing from my lawyer! Better hope he puts you up next!" Chan spat heading for the door. Not about to get into a fight with the man before him. He slammed the door as he left. Jake took a deep breath and turned to look back at Vivian.
"You alright?" He asked right off.
She was angry, in pain and humiliated. At that moment, she was in her hate all men mode.
"What are you doing here?!" She asked brusquely, rubbing her arm.
Jake stood staring at her. It was obvious she lacked appreciation for his sudden appearance as it would seem, just in the nick of time. Now he was pissed, "Since I'm here, I thought to give Sheila a call, maybe drop by her place... remember, I'm trying to find Sylvia."
"Oh yeah! Well of course... for Shawn right?! One second and you can be on your way!" She spat sarcastically with tears filling her eyes.
"What's your fucking problem!? I just did you a goddamn favor! What's with all the hostility directed at me?! The asshole just left remember?!"
"As soon as I give you what you came for... you can follow!"
"Fine! As quick as you can get it, I'll be gone!" He snapped back.
"You got it baby... that way you can get back to finding your brother's...wife!" She muttered irritably, yanking open her address book to Sheila's name. Grabbing a tablet, she started scribbling it out for him as he commented, "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't put it that way... as I told you - it's to help him."
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!!! DO YOU HEAR... I DON'T GIVE A DAMN - HERE - TAKE IT! NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE!!!"
<
br /> "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?! FOR HELPING YOU - THIS IS WHAT I GET?! YOU SEE I CAN SHOUT TOO!!!"
"Just get out of my house! I didn't ask for your help!" She blazed at him, breathing hard.
"But you sure as hell needed it! Otherwise you'd been sporting a broken arm right now."
"I'd rather have a broken arm... than to be owing any one - ANYTHING!!! I DON'T WANT NO BODY... DOING SHIT FOR ME!!! I'll do for my damn self! I've spent my whole life - by myself, doing for myself! And the one time... I let somebody - help me out just a little... I get that shit! Screw all you motha'fucka's! You all alike! Think I'm stupid!? You aren't any better than he is! He slithered out! You slithering in and it's all gonna turn out the same!" She was crying, erupting right before his eyes and she hated every moment but couldn't stop herself, she was feeling raw, mean and hateful. "You got what you came for... now go ... and this time... don't - don't come back." She sobbed with the door open.
Jake stood a moment staring at her, choked up for reasons he couldn't explain. He suddenly didn't want to leave, but he had his pride. Besides, it wasn't his problem - here he thought he was being the kind of man his father had raised them to be, to the extent of never standing by and letting anyone batter a woman. That was a major norule with Bart McPherson, so it had been natural for him to intervene. He dismissed that other feeling in his gut that twisted at hearing her cry out in pain, to see her being handled and hurt that way, he quickly dropped the wish he'd had that the Chinese doctor would have gone for him, because nothing would have pleased him more than smashing his face in for daring to do her that way. He folded the paper, put it in his pocket, hell with it, he had his pride.
"Nice knowing you." He said to her and stepped out the door.
Vivian slammed it behind him and locked it, fighting down a feeling that she shouldn't have done that to him. "Screw that... he's no better! I must be stupid for wanting him. He'd only be the same shit, just a different kind! I don't need it... I don't need no goddamn body! Fuck everybody goddammit! And your motha'fuckin' ass will be sorry you messed with me!" She growled, thinking of Laek Chan, picking up her phone and dialling quickly, two rings later, a soft voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Tell your husband, Dr. Laek Chan, to stay the fuck away from my house! I told his ass it was over five goddamn months ago! Now... his ass has gone too far! Tell him I'll be bringing a restraining order out on him he shows up here again! As for him getting a lawyer about this house - tell him I can get one too goddammit! He isn't the only someone who can get a lawyer! You tell him - you hear me!?!"
"Who is this!?"
"THE WOMAN YOUR SORRY EXCUSE FOR A HUSBAND HAS BEEN FUCKING FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS!!! BUT - NO GODDAMN MORE!!! TELL HIS ASS THAT!!!"
She clicked the phone off, breathing hard, a surge of uncontrollable rage hit her and she threw the phone across the room and kicked over her coffee table, turned and yanked the cushions from her sofa and launched them across the room. She rushed to the dinning room and grabbed one vase with the roses, ran to the door, opened it and launched it out to crash on the sidewalk, the other two quickly followed. Slamming the door, she was breathing hard and went to her sofa, sitting down without the cushions suddenly noticing the money strewn on the base of her sofa and on the floor. With her brows drawn puzzled, she slowly picked up each bill, by the time she gathered them all... there were two fifties and five twenties. Two hundred dollars.
Jake...
She started sobbing, thinking he left it in her sofa because he believed he was staying and perhaps sleeping with her. "I'm not a fucking whore! Damn you... I'm not a whore!" She was crying, she ran into her kitchen, grabbed the phone, ran back into her living room and picked up her address book, found McPherson, and dialled his mobile. It rang three times.
"Hello?" He answered.
"I'm not a fucking whore! You understand me!? I told you I didn't want this goddamn money! Two hundred of it! So what did you think - pay me in advance for a night to fuck me?! Is that what you thought?!"
"Lady - you're nuts! I can't believe you called me with this! I've never paid for a piece of ass in my life! I had no such intention of what you're asking in mind for last night! A night of fucking?! You see, I don't see you that way! 'Cause I can tell you now - you couldn't handle a night with me - fucking you! You couldn't handle it! My advice - take a nap - because you're definitely needing one!" He clicked off.
Vivian sat holding the phone, her spasm of craziness now spent. Tears rolled as in a matter of a few moments, she'd wreaked havoc on three lives. Laek Chan's, Jake's and her own. She sat still all for the tears. Feeling sorry for herself, angry at herself, angry at them, hating Laek Chan, but then... feeling sorry for his wife. She'd done it again, angry at her own messed up life, she'd lashed out and helped wrecked that woman's peace. Second thought, she changed her mind, if anything, she'd probably done her a favor.
Jake shook his head calling himself all kinds of fool. He knew it insane to even entertain such a ludicrous idea of being with a woman like that, black women were crazy! That one just proved it. "Sorry mom, you're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna be put through that kind of hell just to give you little chocolate babies! Hell - no. She is out of her mind!" He steamed, regretting even going back by there. Instantly, he regretted that thought. Had he not, there was no telling what would have happened to her. As he drove, he calmed down, thinking about everything that took place between them since Friday - the day they met. He figured she must have dual personalities, because she'd gone from being kind and concerned about him, caring for him... paying two hundred dollars to bring him into her home, and then taking the time to clean him up. It hadn't escaped his notice.
Then he'd returned last night... believing he would ease his way into her bed, simple and easy.
How wrong, how wrong. She thought, he meant to use her, abuse her. Well, he had intended a night of intimacy, but fuck her? No... that was harsh. He meant it when he said he didn't see her that way. After hearing her, seeing her, he knew for certain he could never be that way with her. His mind kept replaying over the kiss. If truth be told, it was that that brought him back. Everything about it had been soul stirring. The feel of her body in his hands, against him. He'd wanted her bad last night, so much so he'd had to take care of himself. Something he rarely ever did, but the image in his head wouldn't leave the erection to go down. Even after all that just took place, he wanted her. Because he knew why she was acting crazy. She scared him. Looking at her, was like seeing himself in so many ways. He needed to redirect his thinking, thatwas over, not to be messed with again.
He tried Sheila's number again for the third time, so far no answer at her home. This time, a man answered.
"Whatz up?"
Jake smiled. "Um, my name is Jake. I'm Shawn's brother, Sylvia married him-..." Jake heard laughter on the other end.
"Man you and yo' brother done gave my wife something to do for the next few weeks, how can I help you?"
"I'm in Chicago, looking for Sylvia - I need Sheila's help if possible - to find her."
Again laughter, "Yeah umm, she on her way home now. She won't be here for oooh 'bout another couple o'hours - you can come by here and wait if you want?"
"Hmmm, I don't know. I have a lot to do at home, I'm helping my brother get his house done for Sylvia." Jake returned, thinking about it.
"You had breakfast yet man?"
"Nooo, I haven't."
"Hell man, pull yo' ass on in and wait for Sheila... if you here, you might as well wait for her, all the way from Wisconsin."
Jake thought what the hell.
"All right, I think I will. I'm not far from Vivian's house, how do I get to your place?"
"Shit, you might as well be here! Where you at now?" Dennis asked.
Jake told him, "Man... you 'bout on our doorstep now... come down two more blocks to Dempsey, we 12422, I'll be looking for you."
"Alright, I'm driving a blue Chevy pickup."
"Well of
course." Dennis laughed, "I see you in a minute."
He hung up.
Jake drove the couple of blocks, turned down Dempsey and looked for the house number he was given. The neighborhood was immaculately clean. He was impressed. His knowledge of most black people came from t.v. and his mother. Living in the area of Wisconsin where they lived most of his life, limited his views of them. Because of his mother, he'd never been prejudiced, but his thinking had been tainted by his white associates who painted them another way. One thing for certain, this neighborhood where the homes were clean, the lawns manicured, with bushes, flowers and groomed trees was not suppose to be of their means. He was learning something new about black people, and that something was, they weren't all the same - as too many believed - from the ghetto, getting ready to commit the next drive by shooting, hanging out on the street corner waiting on welfare checks.
He found their home and pulled up.
Sheila's husband Dennis was standing in the door with a big grin on his face. Now that was a big man, he noted right away. He stood Jake's height exactly and out weighed him easily by at least a good forty to fifty pounds. It wasn't all fat either, even though he had a bit of a gut... not a big one, just one big enough to say... life is good. He had the most appealing face, one that made you want to smile right off the bat. Jake did as he stepped from truck.
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