Circle of Friends: Love, Lust & Destruction

by Rain, Renee

  Immediate toxicology screens ruled his death as suicide by alcohol poisoning. Cocaine was also found in his system. This surprised Tearny because she had no idea he was using the drug. There was no information about having run a digoxin immunoassay which would have shown the oleander poisoning. After the funeral, she did not keep in touch with his family or her own for that matter. Occasionally, she would find herself questioning the circumstances of her husband’s death but immediately dismissed her thoughts. After a couple of months, she began putting in multiple requests with the company she worked for to be transferred to sister offices in other cities. She was willing to go to the first site that would get her out of Atlanta. They told her it may take some time, but that she would be offered the next open position. To her surprise, she was offered a position in Charlotte, NC and that she would have 4 weeks to prepare

  While in the grocery store on her last day in town, she ran into Jimmy. He was at the funeral and promised to keep in touch like everyone else, but this was the first time since then that they had any contact. He complimented her on being able to carry on and actually smile. He carried her bag to her car for her. He expressed further sympathy for Keith’s dying and looked to the ground as he said he couldn’t believe he took his own life. He had a sorrowful look in his eyes as he told her that he wished Keith would have talked to someone. She took the bag from him and placed it on the passenger seat as she smiled and told him that it was alright. He shared that he didn’t know that Keith had been abusing her and tried to apologize for the night he and Heather were at their apartment. She turned to him. “Do you remember paying Keith to use my body?” He paused. He tried to apologize and told her that he thought that she was in on it since she didn’t seemed to object. He told her that he and Heather were no longer together. She stopped him from talking by placing her finger in front of her mouth. She didn’t tell him that she was moving to Charlotte. She simply told him that she will leave the past in the past. “I understand. But it was great seeing you smile.” He leaned in to hug her. He told her to keep taking care of herself. She shook her head as she got into the car and drove off. He stood watching until she could no longer be seen. She watched him through her rear view mirror wondering if she would ever see him again.

  While she interned for the company, she met a lady from Charlotte who was doing audits in Atlanta. They were from the same hometown. She pulled over and scrolled through her phone. She hoped that the number she had listed for Sabrina was still correct. Sabrina tried to keep in touch with her, but Tearny ignored the calls and emails.

  She figured she would take a chance on sending her a text message telling her that she was coming to Charlotte and hoped that she would get a reply. She would love to meet up over the weekend just to touch base and get a feel for the city before she had to start working. She was happy to finally get a reply message to call her when she got in town.

  Part III: Schism

  She didn’t know it, but as Sabrina walked away from Rome, he sent a text to Henry to tell him that he talked to her about his accounting needs. Henry sent a simple reply- okay. He sat his phone down on the kitchen counter and went out to wash his car. He didn’t pay Rome’s message much attention and doubted that she would call him.

  When he didn’t answer her call- she didn’t leave a message. She took that as a sign that she didn’t need to work for him and headed to the mall. She decided that she would just window shop and not put anymore charges on her credit cards. She loved the lingerie store. Although she had no plans to wear any for anyone special soon, she decided to stop in and see what was new. As she sifted through the racks of lacey garments, she realized a man was watching her. He decided to introduce himself to her when he realized she saw him looking at her body.

  “I don’t mean to be rude. My name is Mark.” He extended his hand out. While shaking his hand with her right and looking at his left, she saw a wedding band. He told her that he was shopping for something for his wife’s birthday and asked if she would help. “Sure. I can try.” She smiled and took a deep breath. “So how is her body shaped?” She asked as she looked around the store. He looked her up and down again. “She’s just about your size and height, but her breast are a little bit fuller.” She almost thought to flirt with him but his comment regarding her breast left her feeling a little less than confident. Sabrina looked down at what she always thought were great breast. She quickly showed him three different pieces that she would like to see herself in and turned back to the racks as if she were shopping. He thanked her for her help and proceeded to the counter with all three pieces as she walked away.

  She had gone to the food court to get a slice of pizza when she received a call from Tearny who was getting off the interstate. She was staying at a hotel north of town. “Well hey girl. I didn’t expect you to be here so fast.” Sabrina hurried and drank some soda to clear her mouth.

  “Yes I was going to get in touch with you a couple weeks ago, but you know they say time flies when you’re having fun. So are you going to feel up to grabbing a bite to eat or maybe a drink later on?” Sabrina told her that she would love to and told her of a bar and grill in the northern area that wouldn’t be far from where the hotels are at. As Tearny started to tell her she would meet her there, Sabrina’s other line beeped. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was Henry. Anxiety instantly kicked in. “Okay girl, I don’t mean to cut you off, but I have to take this call and I’ll text you the direction so we can meet at about eight o’clock.” Sabrina ended the call with her.

  “Hello.” Her heart started pounding harder as he began speaking. “I saw that you called and was just wondering if you butt dialed or something,” he ended his statement while clearing his throat. “No, I did call.” She paused. “I just didn’t leave a message.” When he asked her how she had been, Sabrina let out a sigh as she thought to herself how she loved his voice. “Well, I’ve been better, but I won’t complain.” She found herself twirling part of her hair. There was an awkward moment of silence before she worked up the nerve to tell him why she was calling.

  “Umm, I ran into Rome and he told me that you were looking for an accountant.” She felt so relieved when he told her that he did need someone to help. “Do you have about an hour tomorrow when we can meet to talk about it in person?” She hadn’t responded after a few seconds had passed. “There’s a coffee outside of the mall if you want to meet there around two o’clock.” He hoped that this would make her feel a little more comfortable.

  “Yes. That would be a good place. I know just where it is.” They ended their brief call and she sat and smiled for a moment. She thought about how she missed Henry’s voice. She missed his scent and his touch. She shook her head as she refocused on the crowd in the mall. She threw her trash away and headed home to freshen up.

  Tearny checked into the hotel and was relieved to find a practically spotless room. She laid back on the bed and listened to the silence. The sun was setting and it was a beautiful sight with the Charlotte skyline. Tears began to run down her face as she thought about how peaceful her days and night had been since Keith’s death. She wished that he would have gotten help for his drinking and abusive ways. Maybe she wouldn’t have thought to kill herself and maybe he would still be alive. She focused on what Stephanie said and asked God to forgive her for making the tea. She thought about going to a therapist but decided not to for fear that she could be charged with his death. She took a shower and put on some jeans and a tea shirt and headed to the bar.

  When Sabrina walked up to the entrance of the bar, Tearny was sitting on a bench waiting for her. “Girl I hope you haven’t been waiting for too long.”She greeted her with a hug. She found her eyes watering just a little when Sabrina told her how beautiful she looked. It had been a while since she had such a compliment that wasn’t coming from someone trying to get into her pants. She almost forgot what being a platonic friend was. They went in and were immediately seated. They ordered margarita’s and shared an appetizer.
They played catch up and talked about what had been going on in their lives.

  Sabrina expressed condolences on Keith’s death again. But instead of giving thanks, Tearny shook her head back and forth. “You know that man beat the hell out of me.” She looked at Sabrina with a cold, almost dead expression. Sabrina looked down at the table and replied. “I heard the rumors”. Tearny forced a smile and told her that she was okay, but shared that she really doesn’t want to talk about Keith anytime soon. Sabrina couldn’t help but to notice that Tearny was much thinner than she remembered. But knowing that she recently buried her husband she wouldn’t dare say a word. Besides, she was up a pants size and had no room to talk about weight.

  “So is this a permanent move?” Sabrina asked trying to change the subject. “I hope so. I will be staying at the hotel until I find a place. Hopefully I’ll find something soon because the company is paying for part of my stay, but it’s not cheap.” She took a small sip of her drink.

  “So which hotel are you staying at?” she asked Tearny as she flagged the waitress for another drink. When she told her where she was staying, Sabrina felt a weird surge of energy go through her. It was the hotel that Scott owned. After pausing for a moment, she stirred the ice in what was left of her first drink. “Wow, staying in a hotel can get cramped after a while. I have an extra room if you would like to stay with me until you found something.” Sabrina went on to tell her that she wouldn’t charge her anything for staying, but before she could answer, Tearny looked up to see two tall men walking up to the table.

  Sabrina looked up and saw Henry and Rome. “You know I couldn’t walk by and not speak to you.” Henry looked Sabrina over. He could tell that she had picked up some weight, but the only thought that went through his mind was how good the extra weight on her ass would feel with her on top of him. “I didn’t know you all hung out here.” She intentionally avoided making eye contact with Rome. “Oh, um this is my friend Tearny. Tearny, this is Henry and that’s Rome.” Sabrina barely looked at Rome as they exchanged greetings. But he smiled as he looked at how pretty her skin looked.

  “I’ll talk to you later?” Henry stated in more of a questioning manner. Sabrina just nodded her head letting him know that she would be seeing him. As she watched him walk away, she thought about how she missed being in cruise control when she used to ride his long, thick dick. She almost forgot about Tearny until she interrupted her thoughts.

  “What’s up with you two?” Tearny grinned as she waited for an answer. “What? Henry? Oh girl, nothing. I’m just going to help him get his accounts on track.” She stuttered as she tried to delete her lustful thoughts. “Tell me anything. But I know when there’s more than business going on between a man and woman.” Tearny stirred her drink as she sarcastically looked up to the ceiling. “So is his friend single?” Tearny asked. “Yes, and girl you really don’t want nor do you need to know what any of that mess is all about. Just avoid Rome like a plague.” Sabrina looked at her friend and rolled her eyes. She then smiled as she restated that Rome was no good.

  “Anyways, what do you think about just staying at my place for a couple months until you get an apartment?” She reached her hands out as if she were presenting a gift. “Really it wouldn’t be a problem. I have a two bedroom and you’d have your own bathroom. Plus it’s close to the office.” She shrugged her shoulders as she waited for an answer.

  “Well, the hotel is paid up for the next thirty days, but I would love to move in. That is if you’re sure it won’t be a problem.” Sabrina laughed and assured her that it would be no problem. They sat for a little longer talking before they finished their drinks and headed to the parking lot.

  Rome nudged Henry as he noticed the ladies leaving. “They’re probably sleeping with each other. She’s getting fat too.” He took a sip of his drink but stayed quiet. “Man did you notice she didn’t even look at us when we stopped at their table? I bet she den flipped the script.” Henry shook his head in disagreement but didn’t say anything. As he watched her walk towards the door, he admired where her weight gain was, but he was sure that Rome was wrong about her sleepy with her friend.

  “Hey, I’m going to catch up with you later.” Henry swallowed the rest of his drink, placed a fifty dollar bill on the bar and headed to the bathroom. Sabrina got a text just after she walked out the door. “Can you talk for a minute?” It was Henry.

  “Hey girl- will you be okay getting back to the hotel?”She didn’t want to seem like she was ditching her, but Sabrina really did want to see Henry. Tearny told her that she would be fine and the two said their good-byes.

  As Tearny drove off, Sabrina walked to her car near the back of the parking lot as she replied, “Yes- I’ll be at my car.” She then told him where she was parked. As she stood at her car waiting for him to come out, she could feel her heart beating fast. It seemed to pound when she saw him walking towards her. “You know it’s not safe for such a beautiful woman to be out here like this alone.” Henry stated as he approached her. She loved his smile and the cologne he was wearing. “So what’s up?” She looked at the cars passing by.

  “Nothing really, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute.” He was looking her up and down which made her feel defensive. “Yea, I’ve picked up a little weight since the last time we saw each other.” Her tone was sharp and obviously defensive.

  “And it looks real good on you.” Henry quickly stated as he looked into her eyes. He loved the way she put her makeup on. She wore just enough to accents her eyes and lips. He looked down to her breast which were fuller since the last time he caressed them. Her thighs were thicker and her hips wider and a quick thought entered his mind of running his tongue from her knees to her clit. “Really, you look good.” He rubbed his forehead as he tried to get rid of the thoughts of laying her on the hood of her car and immersing his dick into her wet, deep walls of pleasure.

  They stood looking at each other silently before Henry asked her if they would really be able to work together. Sabrina laughed. “As much as I need extra money- yes we will be able to work together. After all, your dick can’t pay my bills.”

  He smiled and as he put him arms around her waist. “It CAN pay your bills if you’d let it.” She knew she put her foot in her mouth, but could only shake her head. He backed up a little and told her that his feelings for her wouldn’t interfere with her working for him. He then told her that his paperwork was about six months behind.

  “You mean nothing’s been touched in six months?” She started shaking her head as he tried to explain that he thought they were being taken care of until he realized three weeks ago that it wasn’t the case. The woman he was paying to keep up his books was actually ripping him off and not keeping track of anything.

  “I wanted to kill that broad when I realized she charged ten thousand dollars in furniture to my account. I had to let her go and press charges, but I know that money is lost. And who knows how much more is missing.” He stood next to her and leaned against the car. “I really just wanted to talk to you. I mean I know we’re going to meet tomorrow to talk business. But since we ran into each other, I thought it would be nice to just talk for a minute. I think about you all the time.” Before he could tell her that he missed her, she cut him off.

  “Look, I am really sorry about Rachel ’s death. Who would kill themselves over a letter?” She looked up at the night’s sky after she realized what she said. Henry put his arm around her. “Did you tell her to kill herself?” he said in a low tone. She shook her head. He told her that he looked for the letter and labs after the funeral and couldn’t find them. “I don’t even remember which health department it came from.” He placed his hand on her cheek to turn her face to him. “And I don’t want to know.” He kissed her lips and she stood silent. “I know what part you played, and as fucked up as it might sound,” he paused, “I’m okay with that”. He looked up to the sky. “Many truths and lies were revealed when Rachel was buried. Part of me misses her. And I guess that’s
normal.” Sabrina turned and asked him if he’s been able to talk to anyone. He laughed. “No, I haven’t been to a shrink yet. But I’m not too far from one.” He continued laughing.

  Sabrina’s phone beeped. It was a text from Tearny letting her know that she was back at the hotel. “So is that your boyfriend checking on you?” Henry asked in a joking manner. She laughed with him for a moment. “I’ve taken a break from dating, boyfriends and all the drama it brings. It’s just me and my vibrator.” She smiled as she looked to the ground. Part of her felt embarrassed to tell him that, but another part wanted him to know that she hadn’t been touched. He could feel himself becoming aroused and decided her needed to cut the conversation short. “So, um, we’re meeting at the coffee shop-right?” He looked around the parking lot. Sabrina replied, “Two o’clock”. He told her that he wouldn’t keep her out and that he looked forward to getting his affairs back in order. They said their good-byes and Henry watched as she drove away.

  Tearny paced back and forth in her hotel room. Her heart was becoming overwhelmed with anxiety and although she had some alcohol at the bar, she couldn’t get herself relaxed enough to lie down. She called Stephanie, but there was no answer. She wasn’t up to talking to her mother, after all, she never told her about all that she went through while Keith was alive. And even though it was against her will, she still felt shame and guilt. She took her laptop and went to the bar in the hotel lobby. “Vodka and cranberry please.” She sat at a table for two as the waiter nodded his head acknowledging her order. No other patrons were there, but that was fine with her. She listened to the waterfall in the lobby as she surfed the internet looking for apartments in the area. The prices were comparable to what she was used to paying, but she now only had her income. She bookmarked a couple places that she would like to ride by in the upcoming week and proceeded to her social media sites to pass the time. She was surprised to find that Jimmy had sent her a friend request and a private message asking if she would ever consider having lunch with him. She accepted the request and returned the message letting him know that she had moved to Charlotte so meeting up would not be so easy. In reality, she didn’t want to see him, but she saw no need to be rude. She scrolled through his friend list and was surprised to see who looked like Henry and then Rome on his list. “Hmm, small world,” she said to herself. She thought about sending request to Rome, but she thought she better take heed to Sabrina’s warning that he was no good. After two and a half drinks and straining her eyes looking at the computer screen, she decided to go back to her room and get some sleep.