“I didn’t come over here to cook or prepare anything, but since I’m sure Keith is hungry, and so am I, then I’m going to put the salad together without complaining.”
“Well, thank you,” Trina said with sarcasm. “Besides, I want to keep you busy while you’re here, just so you don’t find yourself in that trouble you mentioned earlier.”
I laughed and ignored Trina’s remark. Truthfully, I could’ve found myself in trouble. Then again, so could Keith. He kept looking at me, and when I flaunted myself to the refrigerator to get the items for the salad, his eyes were all over me. I purposely dropped a tomato, just so I could bend over. I wanted him to get a clear view of what I looked like in that position.
“I’ll be right back,” Keith said. “I need to go make a phone call.”
“Okay,” Trina said. “Take your time. By the time you get finished, dinner should be good and ready.”
Trina didn’t lie. Within fifteen minutes, Keith returned to the kitchen. The table was set for three, and I took the honor of pouring the wine.
“Half glass or full?” I said while standing in front of Keith with a flute glass in my hand.
“Full,” he said. “All the way to the rim.”
“All you have to do is ask.”
I filled his glass then sat it on the table in front of him. I figured Trina would only want her glass filled halfway, so I poured the wine and placed the glass in front of her. Before pouring my glass, I sat at the table and crossed my legs. I lifted my glass and toasted to good friends.
“May we all stay this close for many years to come.”
Trina displayed a fake smile and Keith nodded. Minutes later, we tore into the food and kicked up a conversation that went on for quite some time. Trina directed more of her conversation to Keith, and truthfully, so did I. We talked about his career, his family . . . more so about his brother. Keith definitely had my attention when we discussed Bryson, so I elaborated more.
“Where did you say he worked?” I asked.
“I didn’t, but he’s a construction manager. The last two projects he worked on were the Stan Musial Bridge and Ball Park Village.”
“I bet that was interesting. I have yet to drive across that bridge, but I have been to Ball Park Village. It’s nice. Is he married? I saw him at the hospital when you were there, but I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself.”
Trina and Keith spoke at the same time: “Yes/no, he is/ isn’t married.”
I laughed when Keith looked at Trina who insisted that Bryson was married.
“I’m sure Keith knows if his brother is married or not,” I said to Trina.
She gave him an evil gaze, but smiled to play it off. “You’re right,” she said. “He’s not married, but he’s engaged, isn’t he?”
Keith shrugged. “If you want to call it that, yes, he’s been engaged for almost four years. I’m not quite sure if he’s found exactly who or what he’s looking for yet.”
“I know,” I said then took a bite of the chicken. “Many of us are still looking for the right one. It’s hard to know exactly what you want, and we fool ourselves so many times, thinking and believing that we’ve found our soul mates.”
“I truly believe that I have,” Keith said, looking at Trina. “Make no mistake about it, I’m not confused in any way.”
Trina smiled then leaned over to give Keith a kiss. I wanted to puke. He only said that because he knew she was pissed about something. Probably about how much he kept staring at me. To me, his eyes said it all. If I wanted him, I could have him. But for now, he had to say kind words to warm her little heart. Too bad he may soon break it.
“Awww,” I said with a fake smile. “Isn’t that so sweet? I’m glad you’re not confused, because Trina was confused for a real long time. When she told me that she was down with women, instead of men, I was like, girl, please. Don’t even come to me with that mess. I didn’t believe she was trying to go there, but I guess she had an urge. I was totally shocked about the Lexi thing, and I’m sorry you got caught in the middle. I told Trina to always be honest about her feelings. If not, somebody was liable to get hurt.”
Trina’s face fell flat. I guess my little comment caught her off guard. She lowered her fork to the plate and killed me a thousand and one times with the look in her eyes.
“Just so you know, Keith knows that I used to date women. He knows all about my past relationship with Lexi, may she rest in peace. I don’t recall you ever telling me to be honest about my feelings for anyone, especially since honesty isn’t exactly your specialty.”
I dabbed my lips with a napkin and remained calm as ever. Besides, I was sure Keith didn’t want a loudmouth ghetto girl, and Trina was definitely representing.
“I don’t know why you’re raising your voice. All I did was express to Keith how confused you were about relationships. I’ve been confused before too, so it’s really no big deal. I applaud him, especially if he knows what he wants. Most men don’t, but I appreciate those who do.”
Keith spoke up before Trina did. “I get what you’re saying, and after our little incident, we have agreed to always be open and honest with each other. I doubt that Trina is confused by who she wants, and there was a legitimate reason why she felt a need to pursue relationships with women, rather than men.”
“Well, she never shared that tad bit of information with me. And as long as the two of you are happy, that’s all that matters. I’m good, but I could be so much better if you’d do me a favor and introduce me to your brother. If he’s still confused, maybe I can help him settle his needs and desires, once and for all.”
Keith looked at his watch. “Funny you should ask. I told him to drop by after work. He should be here shortly, and you two can have another opportunity to meet then.”
“No,” Trina said. “I mean, it’s not right to introduce him to someone when he’s already engaged to someone else. In addition to that, Evelyn is getting ready to go. I’m sure she didn’t intend to stay this long.”
Trina shot me a dirty gaze and tried to cover it up with a smile. I smiled back, but made it clear that I had nothing else to do.
“I didn’t intend to stay this long, but what the hell? And as for Bryson being engaged, allow him to tell me his relationship status. Then we’ll decide where to go from there. Who knows? He may not even like me. I might not be his type, so just relax.”
“Oh, you’re definitely his type,” Keith quickly said. “No question about that.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Trina hissed. “Why would Evelyn be his type?”
Keith had put his foot in his mouth without even knowing it. Trina stared at him, awaiting an answer. So did I.
“What I mean is she seems nice. He appreciates nice women with pretty smiles.”
His punk ass just lost a few points with me. If anything, he should’ve been honest and told Trina exactly why he thought Bryson would be interested. It was because I was sexy as hell, way more beautiful than Trina could ever be, and my personality was off the chain. I couldn’t even count how many times I’d made Keith smile and laugh tonight. He knew that I was capable of bringing more excitement to his brother’s life. Maybe to his too.
“Nice, huh,” Trina said then turned to look at me. “Well, I hope your pretty smile gets you exactly what you want.”
I displayed that smile she was referring to. “It always does.”
Keith sensed an argument brewing so he quickly intervened. “Ladies, I didn’t mean any harm. I meant nothing by stressing my brother’s taste in women. Ultimately, he’ll decide what to do with Evelyn, not me.”
Trina didn’t appreciate his words. She got up from the table with an attitude. “I’m going to do the dishes. After I’m done, I’m going to bed.”
Keith got up and wrapped his arms around Trina as she faced the sink. “You want me to help? How about you wash and I dry?”
“No, I don’t want you on your feet for that long. If Bryson is going to be here soon, why
don’t you go chill in the living room? Turn the TV on, and I’ll bring in some more wine before going to bed.”
“Are you sure?” Keith said. “I don’t mind helping you clean up. I’m not that tired.”
“I’m sure. If anything, Evelyn can help me then she can leave. Like I said, I’m a little tired and the bed is calling me.”
I guess that was a hint, but whatever. Keith kissed her cheek, and when the doorbell rang, he gave her a light pat on the ass and walked away. She smiled, but I caught her rolling her eyes at me again.
Since I had just gotten my nails done, I wasn’t about to help her with the dishes. I stood next to her with my arms folded. “You know, I really don’t get why you’re being so mean to me. One minute we’re cool, and the next minute you’re treating me like you don’t want to be bothered.”
“That’s because I don’t want to be bothered, Evelyn. You tend to say the wrong things sometimes, and the last thing I needed was for you to remind Keith about why he was stabbed. I already feel bad about the shit. I don’t need you up in here talking about how confused I was.”
“You act as if being confused is such a bad thing. I meant no harm by my comment, and excuse me if I rubbed you the wrong way.”
“Well, you did. Now on another note, you need to forget about pursuing Bryson. From what Keith told me, he has enough drama with his girlfriend. I don’t want you to involve yourself in anymore mess, so that’s why I spoke up about it.”
“Thanks for the warning, but I think I can handle Bryson.”
“Just like you handled Cedric, right?”
“I didn’t handle Cedric. Obviously, someone else did and good for her. He deserved whatever he got. Remind me to go put some flowers on his gravesite, whenever it dries. I’d hate to get mud on my shoes.”
“Well, breaking news. You may want to sit down before I say this to you, but don’t go buying flowers just yet. The woman you’re speaking about didn’t do a good job. Cedric is alive and well. Jacoby told me that he got out of the hospital yesterday and he’s at home with his family.”
I wanted to punch Trina in her face for lying to me. All she was doing was trying to upset me, because she was mad about the attention Keith had shown me tonight.
“Stop your lies, Trina. Kayla already told me he was dead and so did you. Did he come back from the grave?”
“We both were sadly mistaken. He’s alive. Maybe not as alive and well as he could be, but I assure you that Cedric Thompson is alive. I don’t mean any harm by saying this, but you should have waited before having that abortion.”
The wicked smile on Trina’s face cut me like a knife. I felt a hard jab in my stomach that was tied in a knot.
“Don’t lie to me, Trina. This is nothing to play with. Is he really alive or is he dead?”
“Why don’t you call his cell phone and see? Maybe he’ll answer, maybe he won’t. If he does, tell him I said I hope he feels better. I’m sure you’ll stop by with some wine, a balloon, and a card. If you’re planning on giving him a card, make sure you let me sign it.”
I wasn’t sure if Trina was messing with me. But just to be sure, I rushed to my purse to retrieve my cell phone. I dialed Cedric’s cell phone number, and after three rings, a woman answered. I didn’t recognize her voice, but I was sure that it wasn’t Kayla’s.
“May I speak to Cedric Thompson?” I said.
“Mr. Thompson is not accepting phone calls at this time. Would you like to leave a message for him?”
“You said that he’s not accepting phone calls at this time. When will he be able to accept them?”
“As soon as he’s better, ma’am. I can give him your message, and I’m sure he’ll return it as soon as he’s able to.”
It still wasn’t clear to me that Cedric was alive. “What I’m asking is, if I leave him a message, will he be able to get it? I thought Mr. Thompson was deceased.”
“No, ma’am. He’s alive. You can leave a message—”
I pushed the end button and stood with a stoned face. I could hear Trina whistling in the background. She had the audacity to giggle.
“Told you so,” she teased. “Now, getting back to that card. Are you going to go purchase it, or shall I?”
I swallowed the oversized lump in my throat and tucked my purse underneath my arm. I was in no mood to entertain Bryson now, but the second I entered the living room, there was hope. Needless to say, Bryson was one fine motherfucker. I felt another trickle, especially when he stood and extended his hand to me.
“I’m Bryson, Keith’s brother. I believe we met before, at the hospital. I can never forget a face as pretty as that one.”
I was deeply hurt inside about Cedric being alive, but I couldn’t help but smile at Bryson’s kind words, as he towered over my short frame.
“Yes, I remember seeing you at the hospital. It is such a pleasure to see you again.”
“Why don’t you have a seat and join us for some drinks? I haven’t had dinner yet, so maybe Trina can whip me up a plate and bring it to me.”
Bryson looked over my shoulder at Trina. She winked at him and promised to bring his plate in a minute. Meanwhile, she stepped up to me and whispered in my ear.
“Whatever you do, don’t turn around. Take what’s in my hand, go to the bathroom, say good-bye, and then leave.”
I wasn’t sure what the hell Trina was up to. Whatever it was, I backed out of the living room and removed what was in her hand. When I looked at it, it was a maxi pad.
“You’re bleeding,” she said. “See, if I was a dirty friend, I would have let you flaunt yourself around, like you’ve been doing all night, and embarrass yourself. The least you can do is thank me. Your abrupt departure will let Bryson know you’re not interested, unless you want to go back in there with that stain on the back of your dress.”
I was floored. Without saying another word, I rushed to the bathroom to check my blood flow. Trina was right. I would’ve embarrassed myself big time. I was seconds away from turning around so Bryson could get a glimpse at my shapely behind. I hurried to clean up, and before I made a swift exit, I poked my head through the living room’s wide doorway.
“Fellas, I’m sorry. I have an emergency, so I have to leave. Bryson, I hope to see you soon, and Keith thanks for letting me stay for dinner. Take care, okay?”
They looked confused. Bryson stood and offered to walk me to my car.
“No, please, I’m good,” I said. “Stay. I promise you that we’ll speak soon.”
Trina rushed me to the door and I didn’t say another word to the men. While on the porch, I whispered for her not to tell Keith about my little incident.
“Good-bye, Evelyn. Go home and see about yourself. And leave Cedric alone. Let that man rest and wash your hands to that situation.”
I didn’t reply. Trina knew I wasn’t about to make that kind of promise.
Chapter 4
Kayla
The good thing was that Paula Daniels was behind bars. She confessed to trying to murder Cedric, and the focus had been taken off of me. Jacoby was delighted that Cedric was recovering well, but the unfortunate thing was that I wasn’t.
I wanted to forgive Cedric for all that he’d done, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t find the right time to speak to him about his affair with Evelyn, and now that he was home, I didn’t want to be in his presence. So instead of staying in the house, I moved my things out of Trina’s apartment and went back to a hotel room. This time, I had money in my pocket, and I withdrew a substantial amount of money from Cedric’s bank account; money that could assist me, until I decided what to ultimately do. The divorce papers that he’d sent to me, right before he was shot, awaited my signature. I wasn’t sure if I would sign them, but for now, the papers sat on the table in the hotel room, along with several checks that I’d written to take care of his bills, along with mine. With Cedric unable to handle things, I took the initiative to make sure everything was taken care of. He was very organized, and as I searched hi
s office, I found a list of his monthly expenses that needed to be taken care of. I also found a list of the numerous payments he transferred to Evelyn’s account, and additional payments he sent to other women’s accounts as well. I didn’t know who any of the women were and some of the deposits into their accounts could have been work related.
The house that his receptionist lived in had Cedric’s name on it. After he kicked her out, he’d planned on renting the place. At $5,000 a month, it was obvious that she hadn’t been living in a shack. Evelyn was the one who had gotten duped. Her loft was nice, but in no way could it have been like the house Paula had lived in. Speaking of being duped, that applied to me too. There were hotel receipts from when Cedric was out of town. He paid for dinners, plays, cars, and then some. He damn sure wasn’t cheap when it came to giving money to his mistresses, but they all were required to put up with his mess. What I discovered was there were plenty of women who seemed willing and able: willing to hurt me and destroy our family, like Cedric was.
Since Jacoby decided to stay at the house with Cedric, I felt a little better. I didn’t want Cedric being alone, so what I did was hire a maid/nurse’s aid, Cynthia, who was capable of taking care of him. Ever since he’d been home, I stopped by to check on him. Some days he didn’t know I was there, other days he would see me but wouldn’t say much. According to Jacoby, he said he and Cedric were starting to talk more. He said they had a few positive conversations, and Jacoby had asked me when I was coming back home. At this time, I wasn’t sure.
I entered Cedric’s house through the front door. Jacoby was sitting on the couch in the great room, watching TV with Adrianne. They both smiled when they saw me.
“Hey, Mama,” Jacoby said, standing up.
So did Adrianne. She reached out to give me a hug. “Hello, Mrs. Thompson. How are you?”
“I’m doing okay. What are you all watching on TV?”
“ESPN,” she said then playfully rolled her eyes. “We’re going to the movies in a little bit. Would you like to go with us?”
“No, not today. Maybe some other time, but thanks for asking.”
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