“Veronica fucked Rick.”
There was confusion on Tricey’s face. I understood her perplexity. First, you have to absorb the fact that Veronica actually had sex with someone else. Though I am not with her twenty-four seven, she does a damn good job of acting like I am her end all and be all, so even picturing Veronica physically linked to someone else is hard in itself. Then you have to picture that someone else being a man.
“Rick? The loud drunk guy at Bradley’s party that drank straight out of the Jose Cuervo bottle all night?”
“Hell yes,” I answered.
“Oh hells no,” Tricey replied with her nose turned up. “Oh. Hells. No. Is she on crack?”
“That bitch is on something.”
“How do you know?”
“Well, you know she and I have been kinda rocky, but we still talk every day. Bradley calls me a few minutes ago and asks me if I want to hang out tonight since ‘Veronica will be all up under Rick tonight’. That totally through me off since her first time meeting him was a couple of days ago in my living room. She made no mention of exchanging numbers with him. But Rick’s been telling Bradley that they have been tight as air since that day, went on their first date last night, and she gave him some.”
“He could have been lying on his dick.”
“That’s what I said, but like Bradley told me, why would Rick lie knowing how much Veronica and I talk? He wouldn’t lie knowing that it would get back to her.”
“Maybe she is just trying to get your attention after that argument you all had yesterday.”
“Well, fucking my fiancé’s friend ain’t the way to do it. I’m disgusted.”
“Me too. That was a low blow.”
“I am never so ornery that I do not realize the bullshit moves that I have been making. I have been fronting to my fiancé that this woman is my best friend, when really she is my lover. That shit is wrong and I know that. But Veronica is in no position to feel betrayed. She knew what was going on. She chose to stay. She chose to deal.”
“Maybe she feels like you choosing to marry Bradley is betrayal.”
“How is it betrayal when she’s known all along?”
“Don’t you think that if, God forbid, Amiel decides that he wants to work it out with Bridget that I would feel betrayed? Though I know full well that he’s married, if he ever chose to work it out with her, I would be crushed.”
“But you’re smart enough not to give him that ultimatum.”
“Because I’ve yet to get fed up.”
VICTORIA
Luckily, Taij’s mother wanted to spend some time with DeSire tonight, so she picked her up from the sitters for me. Since I had a night to myself, I asked Vince if he wanted to meet me at Eve’s for Erotic Poetry night.
Unfortunately, the excitement of my night was quickly ruined no sooner than I walked into the lounge with Vince right beside me holding my hand. Though I have only seen Sean, Crystal’s husband, about three times, I know his cheating, wife beating ass when I do see him. I for damn sure know Crystal when I see her, so I knew that the little heifer Sean was kissing and rubbing up against was not Crystal.
“Damn,” Vince cursed as we watched Sean and his “beau” kissing and dancing on the dance floor as R Kelly played in the background.
“You got that right,” I said with a disgusting smirk.
Vince and I stood at the bar and watched secretly. Sean has never met Vince, so he wouldn’t know him from the next man, and I was sure to hide amongst the crowd so that he could continue giving me more and more evidence.
“I wonder who the fuck she is,” Vince questioned.
“Another one of his hoes.”
“Crystal knows that he’s cheating?”
“She’s gotten clues but it’s never been as blatantly in her face as it is in mine right now.”
“Are you going to call her?”
Before I could answer, I noticed a woman approaching me with a big grin. I recognized her, but couldn’t quite put my finger on who she was or where I knew her from.
“Hi,” the woman greeted. “Your name is Vic, right?”
“Right,” I answered in confusion. “And you are?”
“Kristen, Crystal’s old neighbor.”
Now Vince and I were really confused. As my expression illustrated my confusion, I couldn’t help but to continue to sneak looks at Sean and his “beau”, who were still dancing and seemingly planning Sean’s sperm deposit later on tonight.
“We met a couple of weeks ago at the Negro League Café,” Kristen further explained.
“Ooooh, right! How are you?”
“I’m fine.”
“Are you here with Sean?”
Immediately, her eyes rolled into the back on her head.
“Hell no. That’s why I came over here. He hasn’t seen me yet. I’ve just been sitting at the bar watching his trifling ass. I feel so bad for Crystal. I’m so glad you’re here to see this shit. I wanted to call Crystal, but I just know her from back in the day. We’re not that cool, so I figure it isn’t my place.”
So does that mean it’s my place? My frustration with being put in this position was surfacing, so I quickly excused myself from Kristen and followed Vince to a more secluded area; a candle lit sofa arrangement in the corner of the lounge.
As soon as we sat down, Vince sat close to me and began to rub my shoulder with his free hand.
“I’m okay,” I told him.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. He’s not my damn husband.”
“But that’s your girl. Are you going to tell her?”
“Do you think I should?”
I always took Vince’s opinion into consideration. I trust that he unconditionally cares about me, so I know that he always gives me his honest opinion on whatever I ask- whether it’s what I want to hear or not.
Crystal is my friend, but we’re not as close as I consider Sugar and Tricey to be to me. You have to be careful when it comes to getting into a woman’s business about her man. If I tell Crystal about this chick, then she goes back and Sean sugar coats the whole thing or lies, and then gives her some good dick, Crystal will swear that I didn’t see what I know I’m looking at. I don’t want to be put in that position. However, last year I wish one of my friends would have seen what Taij was doing and told me so that I could have avoided the heart ache and Chlamydia that he gave me.
“If it were you, would you want someone to tell you?”
“Yes,” I instantly answered. “But this nigga can sweet talk her into staying through black eyes, so you think he can’t sweet talk his way out of this one? Then that puts me and Crystal’s relationship in jeopardy.”
“You’d rather put your morals in jeopardy?”
Two Mojitos and a Long Island Iced Tea later, I let Vince convince me to take a bath in his jacuzzi tub. The lights off, candles lit, and his wonderful body was sitting behind me. My head lay resting in his chest with my hair pulled up into a ponytail. His voice, with assistance of the hot water, seemed to be putting me to sleep.
Yet, every time I closed my eyes to drift away to la-la land, Vince’s voice would wake me up.
“Do you want to get married?”
“I’m flattered that you’re asking, but tomorrow isn’t good for me,” I said jokingly.
Vince laughed along with me saying, “You are so silly. That’s why I like you.”
For the first time in a long time, I was nervous around a man. Vince and I have been rather close for the past year, but it’s been an emotional connection. This was the first time that our bodies have touched without yards of fabric between us. I took off my clothes and hid from his eyes because I did not want his reaction to my nakedness to send chills through me. When he took his clothes off to climb into the water, I did the same.
“Seriously, Vic, do you think you’ll ever get married?”
“I don’t know. You know how I feel about relationships. Relationships are messy and stressful. I coul
d only imagine how a marriage could be.”
“Not if you’re married to the right person.”
As we talked, Vince simply held me. The bathroom was dark besides the light from a candle that sat in the windowsill. Slow jams whispered from a stereo a few feet away in his bedroom. The perfect mix of Jodeci, Jagged Edge, Jill Scott, and Anita Baker was playing, and they set the mood for such a relaxing moment.
Soon, Vince grabbed a sponge, lathered it with Pomegranate body wash, and began to bathe me. My breath was taken away. To ease my mind, he continued to talk to me as he washed my body. He lathered places on my body that I knew he’d been longing to see and touch. His response was as calm and gentle as his approach. I appreciated but feared it.
SEVEN
Monday, November 24, 2008
VICTORIA
Needless to say, Vince and I had sex that night… And every night since.
“What’s up, girl?”
That was Crystal in the doorway of my office. Suddenly, I was reminded of the decision that I had to make; whether to tell her about Sean and his beau or to mind my gawd damn business.
Yet, the urge to tell her about Vince and I was more powerful, so I simply gave her a huge grin as she came in and sat in her usual seat. Surprisingly, I have been smiling all weekend. Vince and I have been inseparable. From the moment of penetration to last night, we’ve been spending so much quality and physical time together. It’s as if no sooner than we had sex, it was instant relationship; add water and stir. Though no confirmation of a relationship has been discussed, I know what Vince wants. He is just scared to state it because he knows how anti-love I am.
But, as I said, surprisingly I have been smiling from ear to ear since Friday night. I thanked God when I noticed that the size of his penis was up to par with his body. I even called on God a few times during the sex. What I felt was more emotional than the raunchiness that I’ve been subjecting myself to for the past year and a half.
“What’s that smile about? What big dick did you land on this weekend?”
I smiled even harder as I answered, “Vince’s.”
Crystal’s mouth was to the floor. Two seconds later, the shock wore off and she let out a big squeal. She was so loud that she had to close the door as she cheered, “Hell yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!” She was even clapping. “All right, Vince!”
“Well, forget all about me.”
“Girl, please! This is hooray for Vince. He finally got your ass!”
“He sure did.”
“Was it good?”
“It was great. The sex, the time…Everything was great.”
There was a bit of surprise in Crystal’s expression. “You look happy.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. It’s just that usually you have this devilish smile full of lust on your face when you talk about your sex-apades, but the smile that you have on your face right now looks like genuine happiness.”
“It is.”
“So you like him?”
“I always have.”
“But a little more? Like he likes you?”
I sighed, answering, “I don’t know. I just enjoyed the moment and the weekend. It felt good to be treated like a partner rather than an obstacle course.”
“You choose to be an obstacle course.”
“Because it’s less painful.”
Speaking of pain, I figured I would tell Crystal about Sean’s night on the town before I weaseled out of being a good person.
“Enough about my weekend. How was yours? What did you do Friday night?”
“Not nothin’,” she tsked. “I wanted to go out, but Sean had my car.”
“Where was he?”
Crystal rolled her eyes as she replied, “Somewhere with Danny. Danny is a hoe, and I do not need Sean hanging around him. Sean has enough canine tendencies, so he doesn’t need any help.”
“He wasn’t with Danny.”
Crystal gave me a look like she knew drama was coming. But she should be use to it because it’s always some drama with Sean and his fist or dick. I didn’t feel bad for telling her. I just felt bad for being in the middle of it.
“Vince and I went to Eve’s that night and saw Sean in there with some chick. He was all hugged up with her and kissing her. Apparently, her name is Tonya.”
I was able to find that much out by following homegirl to the bathroom, complimenting her on her shoes, and casually asking her name as I introduced myself.
“Hugged up and kissing?”
“Grinding, kissing each other in the mouth…”
“Foreplay for the evening.”
“Maybe not.” I lied to soothe her frustration a bit.
“Shit, yes it was. He didn’t come home until four that morning.”
Crystal excused herself and I didn’t hear from her for the rest of the day. I actually didn’t wish to dwell on the matter with her because the whole thing made me remember how I felt when I was coming to the realization that Taij wasn’t shit. I just prayed for God to give her strength, because I am so familiar with how a cheating man can make a woman feel weak and helpless.
After work, Sugar met me at my place. I was happy to be in her company since her visits are so far and in-between, but I knew it was something fishy going on.
The fishiness was confirmed when she got to my home and I opened the door. There she stood with some chick that was not the crazy girlfriend/wanna-be-wife that’s usually attached to her hip.
“Don’t be using my house as a location to cheat on your girl,” I teased Sugar as she and I stood in the kitchen and left Samantha in the living room.
She laughed, saying, “Hey, this was a long ass drive. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.”
“You ain’t shit.”
“Look at the pot calling the kettle…”
“Blah, blah, blah. I am not in a relationship, so I can do whatever the hell I wanna do. You, on the other hand, are practically married.”
Sugar’s stomach seemed to turn at the notion.
Then I asked her, “So who is she?”
“Some chick I met on Myspace.”
I snickered. “Seriously?”
“Yep. Cute, ain’t she?”
“A little butch for your taste, but she’s all right.”
Sugar usually dates very prissy and dainty women; women like her. She is also usually the dominating factor in the relationship; always man handling, always cheating, and always breaking somebody’s heart. To see her with Samantha who is 5’8” of long corn rolls and no make-up was a little weird. However, in contrast of the braids, she wore low-riding straight leg jeans with a wife beater under her leather jacket that revealed a very large set of breasts. She was a cute girl and seemingly quiet. But if this was my first date with someone that I met on Myspace, I’d be quiet with anxiety too.
Since DeSire was fast asleep in her room, I ordered in. Sugar, Samantha, and I drank margaritas at the island in my kitchen as we waited on our large stuffed sausage, pepperoni, onions, and green peppers with extra cheese pizza.
Sugar asked me, “So what do you have planned for Thanksgiving?”
“I don’t know. Taij already asked for DeSire, and you know I don’t have any family, so I will probably be at home watching movies and eating take out.”
Both Samantha and Sugar gave me sympathetic glances. I knew better than to ask Sugar what she was doing for the holiday, because I was sure it involved being somewhere stuck up under Cassandra’s left and right titty, so she of course wouldn’t be able to answer considering our present company.
“I’m surprised Vince hasn’t offered you some romantic Thanksgiving dinner.”
When Sugar mentioned his name, I instantly smiled.
Quickly, Sugar quizzed me. “What’s that smile about, missy?”
Even Samantha chimed in. “Okay? Is that a glow that I see?”
It was embarrassing to admit it, but, yes, I was still glowing from this past weekend with Vince. T
oday, he popped into my office to hug me and whisper sweet nothings in my ear. Though I have been trying my best to avoid emotions such as these, it is so nice to finally feel loved.
Sugar asked, “What happened?”
“What makes you think something happened?”
“That dumb ass smile on your face,” she answered me.
Sighing, I replied with a smile, “Vince and I had sex this weekend.”
“Oooooo! Shut up!”
“We sure did.”
“How was it?”
“It was nice.”
“How did it happen? I thought you were so against having sex with him?”
“Well, we went out Friday night and had a few drinks. Then we went back to his place, which was normal. We’ve spent the night together plenty times without having sex,” I answered. “He convinced me to take a bath before going to bed. We sat in the bath together. It was so relaxing and romantic. He even washed my body, girl. Then we got out and he dried me off, oiled my body, and started to massage me. I was so turned on by that point that I didn’t even fight him when I felt him going inside of me. We were attached by the hip for the rest of the weekend.”
Sugar was smiling as she said, “That’s so sweet. I know he was excited. He’s been chasing your ass forever.”
“If he was, he hid it very well. He interacted with me like we’ve been doing this for years.”
“About time you gave that pussy up.”
Samantha giggled at me and Sugar’s exchange.
“You have to excuse us,” Sugar told her. “Vince has been trying for a year to get this girl’s panties, and she’s opted to fuck useless individuals, rather than this great man that is Vince, so this is a big deal.”
“You make me sound so bad.”
“You are that bad.”
“No, I’m not. I just don’t want to be in a relationship. I want to date guys who aren’t emotionally available, because neither am I. What’s wrong with that?”
Sugar answered, “The problem is, while you’re shifting through penises, you are going to let the best one get away.”
Good Girls Ain't No Fun Boxed Set (The SIX romance and urban fiction volumes of the LOVE, SEX, LIES series) Page 10
