“Damn,” he whispered to himself. He was aroused just thinking about Geneva. Samuel looked down at his crotch and saw the bulge forming in the front of his cotton twill pants. The effect Geneva was having on him was undeniable. “If she can make me feel this way from one conversation, I’m in trouble.”
Samuel shook his head, baffled by how a womanizing idiot like Geneva’s husband was lucky enough to marry a beautiful, smart, and kind-hearted woman like her. Conversely, he was equally baffled by how a nice guy like him had ended up marrying a disengaged, cold-hearted, and emotionally unavailable woman like Vivana. “My wife and Geneva’s husband should get together because they deserve each other,” Samuel said.
He thought about how his brother had tried to warn him, and again, he wished he’d listened. But he knew he couldn’t continue to lament about the mistake he’d made. What he needed to do was correct it, and that meant asking Vivana for a divorce.
Samuel pushed back from his desk and scrolled through the contacts in his phone until he found the number he was looking for. He called Jerry Butler. Jerry was the parent of a former student and had become a close personal friend over the years. He and Jerry golfed, played poker, and made an annual trip to see their favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, play each year. Jerry was also a family practice attorney, and had offered his services to Samuel on more than one occasion after seeing what type of marriage he and Vivana had.
Jerry picked up on the first ring. “Hey buddy, how are you?”
“I can’t complain.”
“Margie and I were just talking about you last night while she was getting Chris’s things ready for school. If it hadn’t been for you, my son wouldn’t be the student he is today. I can’t believe he’s in middle school now.”
“Wow, time sure does fly,” Samuel responded. “They grow up fast.”
Thinking about his friend’s son made Samuel reflect back on the first time he’d met Jerry. Jerry and his wife, Margie, had attended an open house at the school the year after Samuel had become the principal. The two men hit it off right away, and became quick friends. Years later, after Samuel married Vivana, he’d hoped that being around the Butlers would inspire his new wife to join him in his desire to start a family of their own. But Vivana never took a liking to the blond-haired, blue-eyed family. Samuel reflected back on the disastrous outing he’d arranged for all of them to go hiking in the mountains at a retreat that catered to families.
Vivana had ruined the entire weekend. She’d pissed Jerry off with her constant complaining about her disdain for the great outdoors. She’d alienated Margie by making snippy comments whenever the woman tried to engage her in polite conversation, and she’d frightened little Chris by yelling at him for playing with bugs along the hiking trail. A few days after they’d returned from the trip, Margie confided to Jerry, who in turn told Samuel, that she’d caught Vivana flirting inappropriately with one of the hiking tour guides, and that she’d even given him her number. When Samuel confronted Vivana, she’d flown into a rage, claiming that Margie had made up the story out of jealousy. From that moment forward, Vivana wanted nothing to do with the Butlers.
“So what’s going on?” Jerry asked. “I hope you’re not calling to cancel on me.”
“No, no. I’d walk through a hailstorm before I did that. It’s not every day that a man gets complimentary tickets on the ten yard line to see the Cowboys play at home, courtesy of his well-connected lawyer friend,” he said with a laugh. “What I’m calling about is a bit more serious.”
Samuel proceeded to tell his friend that he’d finally had enough, and he wanted to end his marriage. He explained how Vivana had grown increasingly distant and cold and that she was hardly ever home. He even confided that he and Vivana rarely slept together, or did anything else as a couple. “Vivana and I were fine until we said ‘I do,’” Samuel told him. “I don’t think I ever really knew who she was, and by the time I found out, it was too late.”
“I’ve seen this a million times,” Jerry said. “And I’ve got to ask, do you think she’s having an affair?”
Samuel switched the phone to his other ear as he breathed out heavily. “It’s possible.”
“Now let me ask the same about you.”
“No, I’m not.” Samuel instantly thought about Geneva and the very real feelings stirring inside him. “For now, I’m good.” He knew that Jerry would catch his drift.
“Okay, this is good information to have. We need to talk more at length, but from the little you’ve told me we can file under grounds of alienation of affection, indignities, and abandonment, which will pretty much get you out of paying alimony. Hopefully she won’t try to contest it, but if she does, we can subpoena character witnesses on your behalf.”
“I knew I did the right thing by calling you, even though I wish it was under different circumstances. I tried to make it work, but I can’t anymore.”
“I can’t say that I’m surprised,” Jerry said. “You hung in there a lot longer than most would have.”
“Too long. But I’m about to change that.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place and you know I’ll help you.”
After Samuel scheduled an appointment to meet with Jerry this Friday, he hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. He knew that divorces could be messy, and he also knew that Vivana had the kind of personality that was ripe for drama. That mixture alone could cause problems, not to mention the headache and distraction it could present. But he didn’t think things between them would become contentious because deep down he knew she would likely welcome the chance to break free of being married. The only thing she’d want was money, which if he had to pay, he saw as a small price in exchange for his happiness.
The determination he felt earlier when he walked into his office was now multiplied by ten. He was a man on a mission with a new goal. His first order of business was to get through the rest of what was already shaping up to be a hectic workload. After that, he planned to find a way to speak to Geneva again before the day ended. He didn’t want to let the sun go down without hearing her voice because he’d made up his mind that he wasn’t going to waste another day living with regret.
Samuel felt a combination of excitement and lust rush through his body. He’d gotten his mojo back and he was ready to put it to use. The calm, steady, and reserved part of him was still there, but the strong, fearless, and daringly bold side of him was ready to make an appearance. “Just hold on, Geneva,” he said to himself. “I’m coming for you.”
Chapter 15
JOHNNY
What the fuck is wrong with this crazy bitch? Johnny shouted in his head as he looked at Vivana. He was pissed, but he didn’t want to show it because he wasn’t sure what his soon-to-be ex-lover was going to do next.
“Baby, isn’t this resort beautiful,” Vivana said as she pressed the pages flat inside the latest issue of Brides magazine. She was admiring a two-page spread featuring a tropical resort. “I’ve done my research and this Cancun resort is the best one I’ve seen. I’ve never been to Cancun, have you?”
“Uh, no, I haven’t,” Johnny answered, telling her a bald-faced lie. Cancun was where he and Geneva had spent their honeymoon in grand style in the presidential suite of one of the city’s most exclusive and expensive luxury hotels. Ironically, the resort that Vivana was looking at was the very one where he and Geneva had stayed.
Johnny wanted to slap himself for not taking Bernard’s advice to go home instead of meeting Vivana at the hotel tonight. When he arrived an hour ago she’d been overly apologetic about how she’d acted earlier today. “I’m so sorry about your jaw,” she’d said at least twenty times, touching his face with each apology.
You should be sorry, he thought, but stopped himself from saying. Instead, he milked the sympathy she fed him and the fact that she was willing to get extra freaky in order to make up for the damage she’d done. And because he was going to break up with her anyway, he thought he should at least get
one last tryst out of the deal before walking away and never seeing her again. So he unzipped his pants and welcomed the expert blow job she gave him, followed by a pounding penetration that he delivered inside her wet middle, before turning her over for a little backdoor action that culminated in a heart-pumping orgasm, which he felt he deserved after the long, hard day he’d had. Afterward, he was as satisfied and relaxed as a baby who’d just been fed, burped, and put down for a nap.
But his relaxation was short-lived when ten minutes into his post-orgasmic high, Vivana pulled out a magazine with a smiling woman on the cover who appeared to be dressed in a wedding gown. He strained his eyes to get a closer look, and he nearly jumped out of bed when he saw a bouquet of flowers in the woman’s hand and a big caption that read Brides in bold letters.
Now, as he lay next to Vivana, who was snuggled close to him, all he could think about was how he was going to get out of bed and flee the scene without causing another incident like the one he’d experienced this morning.
Vivana tilted her head to the side, sweeping her long locks behind her right ear. “Well, since you’ve never been to Cancun and neither have I, it’ll be a new adventure for both of us.” She looked at Johnny and gave him a sly smile, then folded down the top corner of the page to earmark it. “I was thinking we could go in a few months; that way we can celebrate the holidays in a tropical paradise. What do you think?” she asked, giving him another sly smile.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because . . .”
“If you’re worried about the cost, don’t. I know it’s expensive, but I’ll go in half with you. And when you think about it, there’s no price you can put on spending eight days and seven nights of pure bliss and pleasure with the one you love,” she purred.
Love? Who the fuck said anything about love, he thought. Johnny had never used the L word with Vivana or any of the other women he’d fooled around with. “That’s not the point. We both have other obligations.”
“Johnny, neither one of us has to report in to a nine to five every day.”
He blinked his eyes in disbelief. “That’s not the obligation I’m talking about. In case you forgot, we’re both married. I had hell to pay when I stayed out for one night. Imagine what my wife would say if I was gone for a whole week. And how about your husband? I know you said that you pretty much come and go as you like, but a week? That’s pushing it.”
Vivana was quiet. Slowly, she rose from the bed in all her naked glory and walked over to the window without saying a word. She leaned on her left leg, placed her hand on her hip, and craned her neck. Right then and there Johnny knew trouble was about to erupt. He’d dealt with enough women to pick up on the subtleties of certain body language. A roll of the eyes meant someone was frustrated as hell and completely over a situation. Sucking of the teeth meant someone was getting ready to be told off. And a strategically placed hand on the hip, coupled with a crane of the neck, meant someone was about to get their ass kicked. The pose that Vivana had just struck sent a wave of worry through him.
Johnny knew he was in a vulnerable position because he was lying in bed, butt naked, still in a little pain from his swollen jaw, and tired from a combination of his rough work day, crazy drama this morning, and rigorous sex this evening. He was in no condition to defend himself, let alone fight, but if he had to, he would. He slowly slid his legs toward the side of the bed in case he had to move quickly to get away from Vivana. He glanced over at his clothes and regretted that they were scattered across the floor instead of in one neat pile that he could grab in the event he had to make a mad dash.
Vivana turned around to face him. “I haven’t forgotten that we’re both married,” she said. “But that’s a situation that can easily be fixed.”
He didn’t want to ask, “How?” because he knew the answer, and it was something he had no interest in pursuing. All he could do was look at Vivana with a vacant stare.
She let out a huff. “We can both get a divorce. When two people feel the way we do about each other, they should be together, no matter what. We were made for each other.”
Johnny remained silent.
“We have undeniable chemistry,” she continued, “which is hard to find. You understand me and I totally get you. We’ve filled a void in each other’s lives, and no matter what happens we’re there for each other. What happened today is a perfect example.”
Johnny squinted his eyes. “How does what happened this morning equate to us being there for each other? You followed me and then tried to beat the shit out of my client and me. Your stunt cost me valuable business and left me with a swollen and bruised jaw. Excuse me if I don’t see how that’s being there for each other.” Johnny had meant to keep quiet, so as not to escalate the situation, but Vivana’s outrageous comments were more than he could take.
Vivana shook her head and waved her index finger while making a tsking sound. “Now, now, now, don’t get all upset and bent out of shape. What I meant is that in spite of the fact that we had a big misunderstanding this morning, we’re back together, stronger than ever. I needed you tonight and you needed me, so here we are.”
Johnny didn’t say a word, determined to stay quiet this time.
“And what’s even more proof of the fact that we’re meant to be is that, ironically, we’re in the same room we shared last week,” she said with a big smile. “From now on, three nineteen is going to be our lucky number. Hell, I might even play it for the lotto.”
Johnny hadn’t even realized they were in the same room as last week, and he honestly didn’t care. All he wanted to do was get the hell up out of there.
“So you see,” Vivana continued, “we’re getting all kinds of signs that we should be together and that we can weather any storm.”
Johnny looked at her with a blank stare. She’s lost her motherfuckin’ mind! he thought. If he was uneasy before, he was downright nervous now. Vivana had gone off the deep end. He knew he had to use his head to scale back the situation brewing, and the only way to do that was to pretend that the pain in his jaw was becoming unbearable, requiring him to go home so he could take the prescription pain meds that the fake doctor at his fake appointment this afternoon had prescribed, which was the story he was going to tell her.
But before Johnny could put his plan of lies into motion, Vivana walked toward the bed—breasts swinging, hips swaying—and sat down in the spot next to him where she’d been lying moments before. She leaned over, placed her head on his shoulder, and smiled. “I’m going to ask my husband for a divorce tonight and I want you to do the same when you go home to Geneva.”
The sound of his wife’s name coming from Vivana’s mouth left Johnny feeling cold. He pulled away from her and groaned loudly as he rubbed his jaw. “Urrgghhh, this pain is intense. I need to take the meds that my doctor prescribed.” He eased out of bed, still holding his jaw. He quickly pulled on his pants, stepped into his loafers, and then walked over to the corner and put on his shirt. He was missing his belt but he didn’t have time to search for it because he knew that his window of opportunity to leave in one piece was getting shorter by the second. “My medicine is at home so I really need to go.”
Vivana raised her brow. “When did you visit the doctor and then have your prescription filled?”
Johnny had to think quickly. He didn’t know if Vivana had continued to follow him the rest of the day or not. He couldn’t afford to make a slip that could cause her to go off. “I didn’t go to the doctor or the pharmacy today,” he said. “I have a prescription I got filled a while ago. I still have some pills left over, and it’s a good thing I do because I need them right now.”
Vivana sat straight up. “Don’t leave, baby. Stay here and I’ll take care of you. I know exactly how to get your mind off your pain.”
“I really need to leave before this pain gets any worse.”
Vivana stood up and walked toward him. She planted her feet in
a stance that one would use if steadying for a fight. Her arms hung down by her sides and her fists were formed into balls. “I said don’t leave!” she growled.
Up to now, Johnny had been passively dismissive of Vivana’s increasingly aggressive tone. But his ego-driven, alpha-male bravado wouldn’t allow him to continue to be talked to or threatened in the manner in which she was doing. He stared back at her, eyes blazing with anger. “I guess you didn’t hear what I just said. I’m in pain!” he shouted. “Pain that you fuckin’ caused. Now I’m gettin’ the hell outa here!”
“Dammit, Johnny! I told you, I’ll take care of you.”
He grabbed his keys from the dresser. “This is nonsense.”
“This is love.”
Johnny couldn’t control his temper or his mouth any longer. “No, this definitely isn’t any kind of love. This is some crazy-ass bullshit. And I’m—”
Before he could get the rest of his words out, Vivana lunged toward him and threw her hefty arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly. “I’m only going to say this one more time. Don’t leave!”
“Get the hell off me!” he yelled. Johnny tried to pull away but she held on even tighter.
“I’m not letting you go!” she screamed. “You’re mine. All mine!”
“Bitch, your crazy ass better let go of me!”
Vivana slapped him across his face, right in the center of his swollen jaw.
“Dammit!” Johnny yelled. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
With a move quicker than he could react to, Vivana reached up, cupped her hands around his neck, and squeezed as hard as she could. Johnny was surprised by the strength she possessed because her grip was akin to that of a strapping man. He gasped as she continued her viselike hold, forcing him to struggle for air. She was still completely naked, which left her body vulnerable in strategic areas. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he knew he had to use his brute strength before she choked him to death. In a move just as quick as Vivana’s had been, he grabbed her hands as tightly as he could and pulled with a force that broke him free of her grip. But in the process she managed to dig her nails into his skin so deep that she drew blood.
Secret Indiscretions Page 14
