Circles the Trilogy (Secrets and Lies)

by Carla Buchanan

  Eleven – You Have A Hickey?

  I guess Neesa and Roc were listening and waiting for things to calm down. I can only assume that Roc was holding her prisoner inside to keep her from coming out to defend me against Daryn’s harsh words. I’m so embarrassed now that I’ve let his words sink in that I grab my phone off the counter and sprint to my room. I lock myself inside and quickly slip a maxi dress over my head.

  No one follows me. I guess they are giving me a chance to cool down so I use this opportunity to make my escape. I don’t want there to be confrontation between Quinton and Daryn or Roc and Daryn. Daryn doesn’t know when to shut up sometimes and I’m afraid that he may say something that’ll get him killed by Quinton and Roc.

  I peek out the door and I hear their voices in the kitchen. I stuff my sandals into my purse in order to be as quiet as possible when I slip out of the door. Instead of running to the elevator, I take the stairs down ten flights. I reach the bottom in record time. I slip on my sandals and throw a hand up to the man at the desk. I guess he’s new since I’ve never seen him before. As I emerge from the building, I am just in time to see Daryn’s Mercedes turn into the visitor’s lot of our apartment. I run over to him before he can turn off the engine and slip inside.

  The first thing he says is, “I’m glad you came to your senses. I don’t care if you apologize to me or not, but you will apologize to my mother and your mother in the morning. You will give off an attitude of the blushing bride-to-be during tomorrow’s events and you will follow any instructions our mothers give to you in regards to this occasion. I see now that it was a bad idea to allow you to come here to see Aneesa alone and from now on I will be with you when you visit her, if I allow you to visit her at all.”

  I don’t say anything. I’m tired and angry and I feel like the only person who should be apologizing is him. I don’t want to deal with another confrontation so I will play nice for the sake of our families.

  The car stops at a light and I pull the visor down and peer into the lighted mirror so I can check my face and make sure I look presentable. This is a mistake because Daryn looks over at me and his face turns cold and hard.

  “What the… Are you braless, Sasha?”

  I look down and see that my nipples are protruding through the thin material of the maxi dress I’m wearing making it obvious that I have nothing on underneath. I’d been naked under the robe I had on and didn’t have time to put on a bra or panties.

  “This is exactly what I was referring to before. That friend of yours is a bad influence on you. I’ve never known you to go out in public without proper undergarments. You never know who you may run into and you’re running around with your assets on display for everyone to see.” He continues to drive toward his parents’ suburban estate. “What was the point of your parents sending you to etiquette classes and charm school if you’re going to completely disregard that training and behave like some loose slut? I have to tell you, Sasha. We are all worried about whether or not you can be left alone for too long since you seem to turn into someone completely different when you aren’t with one of us.”

  I release a loud sigh. I’m fed up with this conversation and I fight to not give in to the tears that are threatening to fall. We finally pull through the gate at his parents’ estate and drive around to the guest house. I’m so thankful that he’s not making me go into the main house tonight. I jump out and attempt to cover myself with my purse. When I get to the door, Daryn comes up behind me. He presses his body into mine and gropes my crotch through my dress. I whirl around and slap him. He laughs.

  “Hey. Don’t blame me. You present yourself like a slut, and then I treat you like one. I’m just proving a point to you.” He laughs again as he opens the door to the small guest cottage we’re staying in.

  I stand in the doorway for a second while Daryn continues inside. I’m baffled. Something is wrong. It’s like I’ve been asleep and I’m just waking up. I’ve made a discovery; I just don’t know what it is yet. It’s like when you have a dream and you know the dream is important to you but you can’t remember it to save your life. I am almost positive that there is something Daryn knows about me that he isn’t telling me. He’s been hinting at it with each confrontation, but he seems to catch himself before he says too much. Though it’s not too late, I don’t feel like searching my mind for the clues to put together tonight. I will wait until after the party to go over everything in my mind. Daryn is right about one thing… Tomorrow is not the time for me not to be on my best behavior. I may not like it but it’s true. And no matter how much Quinton wants to believe that I’m his, I’m not and more than likely, I never will be.

  ***

  The next morning I am awakened by all the activity outside. I get out of the bed and see that the space Daryn had been sleeping in next to me is empty. I go to the window and pull back the sheer curtain panel and see that the Bryant’s estate is crawling with people setting up tents, placing red, white, and blue décor, and… Crap! I see them. A small group led by Mrs. Bryant and my mother are heading towards the cottage. I look down at my long silky night gown and realize that I’m not ready for company.

  I run into the bathroom and look at my reflection. I don’t look too bad, but I am not public ready. I hear the door to the cottage open and then I hear my name being called. Just like that woman to not knock before entering our personal space.

  “I’ll be right out,” I say loud enough so that I’m heard. I guess that doesn’t really matter because as I lift my toothbrush up to my mouth, my mother’s reflection appears in the mirror behind me. I’m not ready for this. I really don’t get why Daryn didn’t wake me before he left, but it’s too late to dwell on that now. I hastily brush my teeth before saying anything to her. “Good morning, Mother.”

  “Good morning, Sasha. Are you feeling okay? Are you ready to get started?”

  Does it really matter? Will you get out and give me some time if I say I’m not ready? No, probably, not. “I’m fine, Mother. And I want to apologize to you for neglecting my responsibilities on yesterday. I know you and Mrs. Bryant have gone through a lot of trouble to coordinate this event. I really didn’t mean to cause any trouble.” My words are sincere. I love my mother and I am sure she was embarrassed by my deception on yesterday. I lied to get out of some appointments and I am truly sorry that I’ve disappointed her. What I’m not at all sorry about is how I spent my day on yesterday.

  As I stand here, I feel a delectable soreness in my body that has nothing to do with the workout I had yesterday. I am reminded of Quinton’s body draped over mine and his hands and mouth all over me. Maybe he was right. Maybe I am his. I’m his in every way that matters. He has my thoughts. He has my body. He has my heart. I will never be able to respond to Daryn the way I respond to Quinton. He has ruined me for anyone else. I smile at the thought.

  “Oh goodness,” my mother says blushing. “I know that look. That is the look of a woman who’s been ‘put in her place’ by the man she loves. I’m glad because you had us all worried. Well I only hope that man of yours didn’t keep you up all night because you’ll need all your energy today.

  Yes, you heard it right. Those words did come from mother’s mouth. She may be prim and proper and reserved at times, but she has never been afraid to tell me that keeping a man is eighty percent physical and the rest just falls into place if you are doing what you need to do in bed. Her theory is that as long as you keep that behavior in the bedroom and present yourself as a lady outside the bedroom then your relationship can last forever. She may have been a tyrant about me keeping my goodies to myself when I was young, but once I turned eighteen and her search for my fiancé began, she made sure to leave me with her ‘theories’ on how to keep a rich and successful man.

  She has no idea that this smile has nothing to with Daryn. In all the time I’ve been with Daryn, I have never worn such a satisfied expression after making love to him. Maybe if I think about my afternoon with Quinton all day, I’ll be
able to get through the day.

  “Mother, can you go make my apologies for making everyone wait, but I need a few minutes to take a shower. I promise to be as quick as possible.” I lift my hair and begin to twist a ponytail holder around it when I hear my mother gasp.

  “What in the world? Daryn should know better than to do something as childish as to mar your skin with passion marks before an event like this. You young people need to learn more control. I think Ella planned to have the stylist put your hair up, but that just won’t do. I’ll warn everyone.”

  Before I have a chance to explain or come up with a good lie, she leaves the room. I immediately pull one of the drawers open to retrieve the hand mirror. I turn so I can see the back of my neck and sure enough, it’s there. A very prominent dark mark is on display right where my neck meets my shoulder. I remember precisely when Quinton sucked and nipped at the spot and then kissed over the spot. I feel a chill come over me as I remember, but it is immediately replaced by dread. I don’t have time to think about it right now so I turn on the shower and hope that neither my mother nor Mrs. Bryant decide to confront Daryn about the mark.

  ***

  I enter the living room of the cottage wearing a simple royal blue sundress and designer slip-in sandals. I don’t try to do too much to myself because I am sure that Mrs. Bryant has chosen something for me to wear.

  I look around and find Mrs. Bryant giving out instructions to everyone and when she looks at me she gives me her most plastic smile which I return in kind. I know that smile has everything to do with the fact that she thinks I am somehow to blame for ruining the hairstyle that she has so carefully chosen for me. I walk over to the group and politely ask if I may speak with her in the kitchen and she nods. We walk into the kitchen and I proceed to give her the same speech I gave my mother, apologizing for my behavior on the day before. I tell her that I was just nervous and overwhelmed by it all. She doesn’t even acknowledge my words and instead turns me around and examines the passion mark.

  “We could do makeup, but… No, no. That won’t do since you’ll be wearing white. We’ll just go with a conservative half up, half down hairdo. Yes, that’s it. Instead of a conservatively placed chignon, we’ll go for the innocent look with soft flowing curls,” she says as she circles me.

  I don’t say a word because she isn’t talking to me. She is talking to herself as she debates the look that will best represent her husband and son in the pictures that are sure to be taken.

  I have no idea what she plans to have me wear since the final decision on the engagement party dress was between Mrs. Bryant and my mother. I tried on several of the dresses from the designer that Mrs. Bryant hand chosen, but she was unhappy with all of them because they didn’t hide the part of my body that her personal trainer was currently trying to shrink. She’d instead had a stylist come and take my measurements and she and my mother chose a dress on their own.

  Mrs. Bryant leaves me in the kitchen while she gives her final orders to my style team. I pour myself some juice and listen to her brag about the over two-thousand dollar strapless Lucinda Collection J. Crew ball gown that she has had shortened to just below knee length just for this occasion.

  While Mrs. Bryant gives the team their final orders, I notice that my mother is in a far corner on her cell phone. She has a worried look on her face and when she sees me staring she gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes and she turns away. I walk over to her and apparently she is so engrossed in her conversation that she doesn’t hear me because she doesn’t stop talking. I hear her say something about someone getting suspicious if they don’t learn to control the things they say. I am almost positive that she is speaking to Daryn and the fears I had last night return to me in full force. I remember the conversation I had with Daryn before I left my apartment last night.

  ‘You act like if you let me out of your sight for too long that I’ll strap on my prostitute gear and go stand on the nearest corner’, I’d said to Daryn on the phone.

  ‘That’s exactly what we are worried you’ll do, Sasha. You are such an ungrateful, spoiled bitch sometimes -’

  Before Daryn was able to say anything else, Quinton had disconnected the call. I didn’t bother to ask Daryn what he meant by that for fear of what… I don’t know. But the comment had brought on some thoughts of other comments I’d heard from my parents over the years and had caused an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

  I tap my mother on her shoulder and she nearly jumps out of her skin. “Is everything okay, Mother? You look worried.”

  I know for a fact that she is worried and I also know for a fact that she is hiding something when she avoids the question by waving a dismissive hand at me and telling the person on the other end of the phone line that she’ll get back with them later.

  Mrs. Bryant appears by my side and I guess she overhears our exchange because she interrupts telling my mother that they need to go check to make sure the caterers have everything they need to start setting up. My mother heads to the door of the cottage and Mrs. Bryant follows her.

  Before going through the door, Mrs. Bryant turns to me and says, “The team has their instructions, but I’ll send Saleena over to help you. She should be finished getting her hair and makeup done by now.”

  I’m saved from declining my sister’s help when I see Neesa’s head poke around the door. “Oh, I’ll be fine, Ella. Neesa will help me with whatever I need.”

  “Oh yes, Mrs. Bryant. Don’t you worry at all. I have everything under control,” Neesa says sarcastically. She then gives her a look that is somewhere between a smile and a sneer and I can’t help but cover my mouth to keep the laughter inside.

  To my surprise, Mrs. Bryant doesn’t put up a fuss about not having one of her handpicked spies to stay with me and I am oh so grateful for that.

  Another knock on the door is the caterer delivering a tray of fruit and yogurt to the cottage for myself and the team of stylists. I tell them to dig in and then excuse myself from the room. I pull Neesa through the bedroom and into the bathroom where I shut the door and lock it.

  Before I am able to get a word out she smacks me on the arm. “Young lady, you have some explaining to do. How could you just run out like that last night? What were you thinking? You could have at least answered my texts if you weren’t able to answer my calls.”

  I sigh. “I’m sorry. I was upset and Daryn was on his way. I didn’t want there to be a confrontation between the guys. I couldn’t have Roc and Quinton in jail for something that had to do with me.”

  Her face softens. She gets it. There is no doubt in either of our minds about what could’ve happened if Quinton or Roc had of gotten their hands on Daryn.

  “I understand why you didn’t want to respond last night, but why haven’t you answered any of my calls this morning?” she says leaning her butt against the sink waiting for me to answer.

  “My phone hasn’t gone off this morning. What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about the fact that I have called you at least ten times this morning and I have probably crashed your phone with the number of texts I’ve sent to see if you’re okay.” She gets up and opens the bathroom door. “Where is your phone, I’ll show you. You must have left it on vibrate or something.”

  “You’re right. I did put it on vibrate when we got here last night, but I plugged it up to charge and I always turn the ringer on when it’s charging.” I start to panic a little as we exit the bathroom. Sure enough my panic is not unfounded because my phone is no longer sitting where I’d put it to charge. I run over to the side of the bed to see if I may have knocked it on the floor, but I don’t find it there. “Holy shit!”

  I am on the floor with half my body under the bed when I hear Neesa’s voice above me. “What are you doing, Sasha?”

  I slide from under the bed. I look up at Neesa and I’m sure my eyes are as big as saucers. “It’s gone and I know he has it. He has my phone Neesa. I didn’t get a chance to erase the mes
sage Quinton sent before he came by yesterday.”

  “Holy shit!” she says. “What are we going to do?”

  That’s what I love about Neesa. She doesn’t see this as only my problem. She takes on the burden just like any good best friend would. She helps me off the floor and we both sit down on the side of the bed.

  I’m worried because I know it is too late to do anything about the situation. I am sure that Daryn has already gone through my phone and though Quinton’s number isn’t programmed into my phone, the message is still there. I try and remember exactly what the message said and whether or not it was suggestive in any way but I think it would depend on how you look at it.

  Once again my best friend reads my mind and asks, “So, what did the message say? Was it bad?”

  “I think it said something along the lines of ‘I heard from a reliable source that my Society Girl would be around today. Mind if I come say hello?’.” I stare at the wall for a second as I try and make sure that is what the message said. “Yes, I’m sure that’s what it said.”

  Neesa grabs my hand. “Well, that isn’t so bad.” She pauses. “Sasha, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but maybe this is a sign. Maybe we can just sneak out of here and take off in my car. I can get Quinton to meet us somewhere and he can take you far away from here for a while. I saw the way you two looked at each other yesterday. That was more than just lust. That man loves you. Roc said that he’s never seen him this way with a woman.”

  “Oh, Neesa. I love him so much. And yes, I do believe he loves me too since he told me so yesterday. But you know as well as I do that I can’t be with him. It would be a complete disaster. The media would crucify us if they found out that I left the son of a ju –”