“Are you really? We’ve argued constantly about my job and a baby.”
“Of course, I am. I understand how hard you work and what your career means to you. You believe I don’t support you and that can’t be further from the truth. I don't want you to allow your career to impede us from growing our family.”
“Well, I saw my doctor while you were away. She gave me a full examination and found nothing wrong with me. She suggested I take time for myself because stress can prevent pregnancy,” lied Tami, not knowing if what she said was true. It sounded like something he would believe.
“Stress, huh? I never thought of that,” he contemplated. “How about we put all the baby talk on the shelf for now? That gives you time to become acclimated to your new position. I don't want to put any unnecessary pressure on you. Therefore, I will table the discussion for now.”
“Just like that?” asked Tami, unconvinced.
“Just like that. I love you and your health is more important than anything I want.”
Tami couldn't believe her ears. For months Josh has nagged her about a baby and now he would give it a break. She didn't know if she should trust what she’s hearing, but she would go along with it for now.
When they return home Nick was waiting in his parked car in front of their home.
“What is Nick doing here?” asked Tami.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, I sent him a text asking him to meet me here while we were shopping. We have to go over a work thing.”
“I’ll stay out of your way. I have plenty to keep me busy.”
“That's unnecessary, it's not like we're working on something top secret.”
The truth was, she didn't feel like being around Nick. She hasn't forgotten about seeing him with that woman at the restaurant. Although, Lauren may not be bothered by Nick and his plethora of women on the side. But, as a woman, it bothers her he and Josh are friends. She’s aware that she can’t break up their friendship, but that doesn’t mean she has to be cordial to him. Tami exited the car and walked ahead, bypassing Josh and Nick talking on the driveway. As she approached the front door, she noticed an envelope address to her lying on their welcome mat. She knelt down to pick up the plain manila envelope with her name on it. Tami looked over her shoulder, Josh was still speaking with Nick. She turned the envelope over and pushed the arms of the metal clasp through the hole of the flap. She peeked inside.
“What’s that?”
Tami jumped and turned around, Josh was standing right behind her. “Nothing, just something for work.” She stuffed the envelope in her purse. Josh let Nick into the house and Tami gave him a dry hello before walking upstairs. She ran into the bedroom and retrieved what was inside the envelope. It was an old newspaper article with a picture of her and a former colleague she worked with, Dr. Pennington. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the picture. Memories of how they met invaded her mind.
Lauren Corley had introduced them at a charity event. He was head of a well-known women’s clinic that provided outreach to low-income families. One weekend every month, he offered services, counseling, or medication for free to those who needed it. Inspired by Dr. Pennington’s generosity and everything he had done for the community, Tami became one of his biggest donors.
Why was this old article left on my doorstep and by whom? Tami hid the envelope in the bottom of her nightstand drawer. It had to remain hidden from Josh until she found out who and why it was sent. To take her mind off it, she took a relaxing bubble bath and afterward watched an action flick she’s seen a thousand times. Instead of focusing on the action playing out on her tv screen, her thoughts were on the newspaper article. If only she could figure out who left it and that’s when it hit her. The surveillance video! Tami removed her robe and changed into a pair of blue sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. As she dressed, she thought of ways to sneak into the study and view the video without Josh knowing. Tami tiptoed down the stairs. She opened the door to the study and carefully closed it behind her. Next, she rewound the video to where she and Josh left the house. After slowly fast forwarding, she saw someone come into camera view at the forty-five-minute mark. The person wore dark clothing and a hat. They kept their head down low the entire time as if they were avoiding the camera. Because of the view, it was hard to distinguish if the person was male or female. The video was of no help, she would have to solve it another way. For now, it would have to remain on the back burner because her stomach was yelling for food. She walked towards the kitchen as she got closer she heard Josh discussing a meeting he has in the morning with a potential client. As soon as she entered Josh's stopped mid-sentence, turned to Nick and asked him to give him a moment. He pulled her into the dining room. “Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked, with a hint of agitation in his voice.
“No,” responded Tami, confused by the question.
“Why did you call Lauren and ask her about Nick’s mother?”
“What are talking about?”
“I told you I had to cover for Nick because his mother was ill and you called his wife to find out if the story was true.”
“Is that what he told you?” laughed Tami.
“He mentioned you called Lauren to question her about his sick mother. I told him you wouldn’t do anything like that and he must’ve misunderstood.”
“I can assure you I did not call her to question his lie. Remember Lauren and I are friends so I speak with her all the time. I sent her a text stating I was sorry to hear that her mother-in-law was in the hospital. That’s all.”
Tami left Josh standing in the dining room to make herself lunch. At first, she planned to ignore Nick as she passed by him. But, his efforts to create an issue in her marriage bothered her. “Nick, I want you to know I did not reach out to your wife to question her about your mother. If I wanted to start trouble, I would have mentioned the woman you were with the other night.” She watched as the color drained from his face but before he could respond she continued. “But, I didn’t because what you do outside your marriage is none of my business.” She turned around and saw Josh standing in the kitchen’s entryway with a disapproving expression on his face. He immediately asked Nick if they could continue via Skype later that evening because he needed to speak with his wife alone. Josh has told her several times he hated when she spoke to his friend in that manner. He said it’s disrespectful and he would never use that tone with any of her friends. The difference was he hates none of her friends. Josh walked Nick to the door and when he returned to the kitchen, he wasted no time lecturing her.
“Tami, I know you never liked Nick for whatever reason, but you can’t speak to him like that. You were unnecessarily rude. If it were one of your friends and I acted that way, you would not be happy.”
“You know I don’t like him.” A response more suited for a petulant teen instead of a thirty-year-old woman.
“That’s no excuse to be rude.”
“I don't like how he takes advantage of you. The night of the break-in you were out of town because he said his mother was sick. That was a lie. I saw him out with another woman. You could have been home with me then I wouldn’t have gone through that whole ordeal alone.”
“Nick is my friend, and he is not taking advantage of me. I know it appears that I have his back more than he has mines. Look, I’m under no illusion of who Nick is. I know he can be a jerk concerning his marriage, but that’s his business,” said Josh.
“I couldn’t be friends with anyone like that.”
“Tami, just try to be cordial. You invited him and his wife to the dinner you’re having next week, do you want me to ask him not to come?”
“That would be nice. But, I will tolerate him for you.”
The couple watched two movies on cable later that night. Josh fell asleep midway through the second one. By midnight Tami was ready to call it a night. Before doing so she had to take her birth control pill. She walked into the bathroom, pulled out the round peach container that has become
the silent co-conspirator in her lie. A small feeling of guilt crept over her as she placed the pill in her mouth. Am I a hypocrite? How could she come down on Nick about his lies when she is telling her husband the biggest one of all?
◆◆◆
Tami picked her mom up from the airport the morning of her dinner party, she was elated to have her visit. They have become closer since her dad’s sudden passing. After her father's death, her mom had gone through a severe depression, it was to the point where she contemplated suicide. The only way she knew how to help her was to take time off from work and to fly to San Diego. Once there she helped her mother get medical attention and was eventually put on antidepressants and anxiety medications. Sometime later, her mother joined a support group to help her with her grief. Now she is in a better place. Although she takes anxiety medication from time to time, she is no longer standing still in her grief. Tami loved having her around because she was both a mother and a friend which makes it so easy to talk to her about anything.
“You need to gain weight, you’re getting so thin,” said Carol, as she and Tami exit the airport.
“Mom, I'm not thin, I gained five pounds this month.”
“I don't know where you put it 'cause you look like skin and bones.”
“Anyway mom, tonight I'm hosting a dinner party at the house with friends and a few colleagues. I forgot to mention it when we spoke this morning.”
“Do you need me to cook?” asked Carol.
Tami chuckled to herself. “No, I wouldn't ask you to do that. We have a catering company taking care of the food. It's just a small gathering. You can join us if you like.”
“Oh, I don't know. I’m tired from the flight.”
“I understand, no pressure at all. I will leave it up to you.”
On the way home, they stopped for a quick lunch and hurried home so that Tami could prepare for her party that begins at 7:30. She wanted to get her mother settled in and take care of last-minute details around the house. When they arrived home, Josh was outside tending to overgrown shrubs in the front yard. He ran over to the passenger side of the car to open the door for Carol. “How are you doing Ms. Webber? How was the flight?” he asked, as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“It was just fine, Josh,” she replied.
“Josh, can you get mom's suitcase out of the trunk,” requested Tami. “I will get her settled in the house.”
Tami had redecorated the guest room with a fresh coat of paint and new white bedroom furniture. She found the perfect bed at a furniture store that was going out of business. Josh brought the bags into the guest room and chatted with Carol for a few minutes. Afterward, she told them she would take a nap but will get up in time to meet her guest. Josh continued working in the yard and Tami vacuumed and did light cleaning here and there. An hour later the caterers arrived with the wait staff which included two young men and two women dressed in all black. She led them to the grand dining room furnished with cherry wood antique furniture, to go over details for the night. One of the young men stood in the back not paying any attention to words exiting her mouth. Instead, he kept his head down and his fingers busy texting on his phone. Becoming frustrated, Tami immediately entered the kitchen and pulled Carla, the owner of the catering company aside. “Carla, I'm having a problem with the tall young man with the dark hair. You need to get rid of him and find a replacement,” Tami angrily requested.
“That will be difficult Mrs. Hamilton. It's an hour before I’m set to serve and I have no one else available. Maybe I can talk to him, what’s the problem?”
“He doesn't look enthusiastic, he isn’t focused, and he is sending text messages while I’m speaking,” complained Tami.
“Rest assured, I will handle it. I will confiscate his phone until the end of the evening.”
“You do that and should any other problems arise this evening, expect a big deduction from your final payment!”
Tami left Carla to speak with her staff as she passed by the dining room to go upstairs she overheard the young man behaving belligerently about giving up his phone.
Josh walked in as she approached the bottom stair, the commotion in the dining room seemed to have caught his attention, “What's going on with them? Do I need to step in?” he asked.
“No, I expressed my unhappiness to Carla about a member of her staff. We discussed it and now she's handling it. I’m heading upstairs to change, let’s pray we have no problems tonight.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“What time should I expect you?” asked Ramona.
“For what?” spat Tim through the phone.
“Oh Tim, let’s not play games. I know all about Tami’s little get-together and I will be there as your date. So, I will ask you again, what time should I expect you?”
“How did you find out about the dinner party?”
“There's nothing I can't find out. You need to decide. Either we’ll play on the same team or I’ll release certain information you rather keep a secret.” Ramona could hear Tim exhale heavily. “I will pick you up at 6:30, text me your address,” he said.
She hung up the phone and text Tim her address. She no longer had qualms about him knowing where she lived. He understood who’s calling the shots and not to try anything crazy. She rummaged through her closet to pick out the perfect outfit. Settling on the body-con red dress she had stolen from Tami’s closet. Ramona loved how perfectly the dress hugged her curves but most things she wore did. At least that’s what people have told her. When she hit puberty at twelve, her body appeared to have changed overnight. She had gone from skinny and flat chested to wide hips, round bottom, and voluptuous breast that had older guys lusting after her. She assumed her figure came from her Puerto Rican roots on her mother’s side because it’s the mirror image of both her mother and grandmother.
As she touched up her hair with the curling iron, her thoughts drifted back four days ago when she visited her favorite pool hall, Ronnie's. Ramona had returned to have fun with the young bartender which she later learned his name was Chad. She had caught his eye as soon as she walked in but since it was a Friday night, there was a crowd. She’d played a game of pool and had a few beers while she waited for him to get off. After the last few people trickled out, she sat at the bar and watched him clean up. Neither exchanged a word, they already knew what the other wanted. After he’d finished cleaning, he locked the doors and turned off all the lights. The only source of light shone through a row of dusty windows from the parking lot. The bartender grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into a deep kiss. Once they came up for air, he led her to a back room. It was barely bigger than a small walk-in closet. There was a cot on one side and a TV on the other. The room was so small it made Ramona feel claustrophobic. “Do you live here?” she’d asked. “Shh, no talking,” he said, kissing her deeply while pinning her against the wall. He unbuttoned her shirt, his face lit up when he saw she wasn't wearing a bra. He’d stroked and caressed each breast playing with her nipples. With each stroke, she let out a soft moan. Neither of them could get out of their clothes fast enough. As they laid on the cot, he reached for a condom on a table beside the bed. Then he entered her slowly and quickly pounced inside her. “Oh yeah, baby!” he yelled over and over. The young bartender continued to pounce harder and harder, eventually collapsing on top of her five minutes later. She was less than satisfied but not wanting to hurt his feelings she put a smile on her face. “So, I didn't expect to see you again,” he stated while buttoning his shirt.
“I thought I'd come back so we could get to know each other better,” Ramona responded as she searched for her panties.
“I didn’t get your name.”
“Ramona and yours?”
“Chad.”
“So, you live back here?”
“No. Sometimes I sleep here when I don’t feel like driving home.”
“That makes sense. If you sleep here, then you must own this place.”
“My uncle does. I only work here pa
rt-time to pay off a loan he gave me. On my other job, I work as a server for a catering company. You know the wait staff for fancy parties and events.”
“So, are you mostly here or on your real job?”
“I'm only here when I have no events scheduled. Like I have one tomorrow and this weekend in Lakeland Estates,” said Chad.
Ramona's curiosity was piqued. “Lakeland Estates, I have a friend that lives there,” she lied.
“You do? Those people are really well off. I can't see anyone from this neighborhood friends with anyone over there.”
Ramona rolled her eyes, she didn't care what he thought. Tami lived in Lakeland Estates and maybe she could use this to her advantage.
“Can I see you again?” he asked.
“If you tell me what I need to know.”
Ramona had given him Tami’s address and asked him to confirm the event’s location. He wondered how she would get into the party. She told him not to worry about that, all she needed was confirmation. As far as another roll in the sack that was a lie. She’ll never be with Mr. Two-minute man again. He's young, gullible, and would believe whatever she told him. Three days later she had received a text from Chad confirming that the clients were Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton at Tami’s address.
After finishing her hair, she applied her makeup and put on a pair of black stilettos. Ramona reached for her cell phone, to check the time. Tim would be there soon and she couldn’t wait. She had an announcement that would accelerate her plan into overdrive.
◆◆◆
“Shit!” exclaimed Tim, as he hung up the phone with Ramona. I must get rid of this bitch! He spoke aloud to himself. How did she find out about the dinner party? Who would have told her? he continued, alone in his bedroom speaking to no one in particular.
Tim felt trapped in a situation he wasn't sure he could get out of. He had already Rsvp’d for two. He had planned to bring a date, Melissa, someone who he has been on and off with for the past year. Melissa canceled at the last minute so that meant he would have been solo the whole night. That was until Ramona called, now he was stuck with her all evening. But, what choice did he have? He could tell her to go to hell and dared her to make good on her threats. But, what good would that do? He would lose his job and ruin his career. His father would consider him an embarrassment to the family. The weight of the Lansing’s name would not be enough for a sexual harassment scandal to disappear. He had to play along until Gordon came through. At least he had a better handle on the other issue plaguing him, her request for a job near Tami. He’d told her he could only find something in customer service because HR had filled all other positions. it upset her but she had no other choice but to accept it. He’d explain that he couldn’t possibly offer her anything on an executive level.
Shattered Lives (The Shattered Series Book 1) Page 4
