by Tina Martin
She blew a long breath before getting out of the car. After pressing the alarm, she used the number keypad on the door, entering the code to get inside of the house. And there he was – Everson – sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop.
Okay, June. Time to earn that Oscar. Smiling, she walked toward to him saying, “Couldn’t leave work alone after all, huh?”
Everson folded the laptop closed, looking up at her. He wasn’t working – more like looking at photos of his son on Instagram. “Hey, babe. I was just playing around, killing time until you got back with your sexy self.”
June smiled. Already a suspicious woman, she noticed the weird look on his face when he closed the laptop. Why did he close the laptop in the first place? He didn’t have to close it just because she was there. At any rate, June leaned forward to kiss his lips briefly. “How was lunch with Barry?”
“Oh, you know Barry,” Everson said.
But his reply didn’t answer her question…
“I know it’s probably too early to be thinking about it, but what’s for dinner?” she asked.
“You mean, besides you? I’m not sure.”
June blushed. Mad and all, he could still sweet-talk her with his charm.
“And it’s not too early,” he said. “It’s five. By the time we decide what we want to eat, it’ll be six.”
“I’m hungry, so I know what I want to eat,” June said. “Do you want to go Papa’s Italian?”
“That’s fine with me,” he told her.
“Okay, then let me freshen up a bit. I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” he said, opening the laptop again as she walked away.
* * *
Everson thought June was unusually quiet over dinner. He would bring up a subject and she’d keep her answers short. At times, she looked lost. Distant, like she was there, but not really. This was uncharacteristic of her. On a normal day, she’d out-talk him – not vice versa. Everybody knows women talk more than men, so why was she so quiet?
“Hey, how did your meeting with Kalina turn out?” he asked.
June looked up at him. Her eyes lingered on the set of full lips she kissed and nearly consumed like a delicacy last night. She wondered if another woman was experiencing those. Then she looked at his hands, cringing at the thought of them touching someone else. Loving someone else. Before she was aware of it, a frown formed on her forehead. Those were her hands! Her lips! Her—
“June?”
She met his gaze, staring into the dark brown eyes that nearly matched his complexion. She’d lost herself in the handsome face of the man who suddenly felt like a stranger. Like a betrayer. A smooth-talking liar.
“June?” he said, frowning now.
“I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
He picked up a black, cloth napkin and wiped his mouth. “Yes. I asked you about your meeting with Kalina and you frowned at me.”
“Oh. Sorry. My mind is in a million places. The meeting didn’t happen.”
“You didn’t go?” he asked with raised brows.
“I went, but Kalina was busy with a project and I didn’t want to disturb her, so we’re going to meet again next week.”
“What do you mean she was busy with a project? Did she not know you were coming over?”
“She did. Her timing was off.”
“Hmm,” Everson said, taking a sip of wine.
June tried not to glare. He sounded like he didn’t believe her when he was the one backsliding. Not her. Funny how men got all suspicious when they knew they were doing dirt. “Why are you saying hmm like you don’t believe me?”
“Sorry, baby. That’s not what I was trying to imply. I wasn’t implying anything, really. I was just—never mind.”
June forced a smile. Enough feigning happiness. It was time to see what kind of man she really had. To see if he loved her like he said he did. To see if he would tell her the truth without her having to blow up his spot. So, after taking a long sip of wine, she said, “Hey, you never did tell me if you figured things out this weekend at Seaton? I still can’t believe they made you do everything over.”
There. She said it. She put his own lie out there to see what he would do with it.
Everson had been sipping on wine, but suddenly, his throat felt dry. And his heart raced. Before answering her question, he nearly guzzled down the glass of wine. “Well, it’s their money. These companies shell out a lot of money for the type of analyses I provide. Seaton just wanted to make sure they were getting their money’s worth, and hey I can’t much fought them for that.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” June’s heart sank with disappointment at the realization that her husband could keep a straight face and lie without so much as a flinch. He wasn’t going to tell her the truth about where he was this past weekend. She’d given him an opportunity. He didn’t seize it.
Everson reached for his cell phone when it buzzed, reading the text message that just came through.
Eliana: Hi, Everson. I wanted to reach out to you because, to be honest, I don’t think it will be a good idea for us to see each other, and by default, that also means Jaxson. I should not have brought you into this. Sorry.
The frown on Everson’s face tightened. For a moment, he forgot where he was as he began thumbing a hasty response:
Everson: No. No way I’m going to ‘forget’ that I have a son. You can’t-
“Everson?”
Still frowning, he looked up at June. “Yes?”
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“You tell me. You’re the one frowning.”
“Oh.” He laughed sheepishly and tried to dismiss the whole thing. Backspacing the text he was about to send to Eliana, he put his phone back on to his belt clip then gave June his attention. “It’s nothing. I just forgot something is all. Are we ordering dessert?”
“I don’t want anything, but you can order if you would like.”
Everson narrowed his eyes at her. “Is everything okay with you, baby? You’re quieter than normal and you’re giving up dessert. You always get the affogato.”
“I know, but I’m not feeling it tonight,” she said. “I think this food has made me drowsy.” And your lying has made me queasy.
“Then I’ll get the check so we can go.”
“Okay.”
At home, Everson shut off the car and didn’t budge – didn’t make any attempt to get out. He just sat there while June opened her car door.
With one foot on the cement garage floor, she looked back at him and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”
“Yeah. I just need to make a call real quick. I’ll be right there.”
“Okay,” June said. If she wasn’t fully convinced something was up before, now she was. Since when did he have to make phone calls from his car? Why the need for privacy all of a sudden? And if he did need privacy, was their two-level, four-bedroom home not big enough? He couldn’t make a call from their home office? Or was he afraid that she might sneak up and hear his conversation? He wouldn’t have that worry about being overheard if he stayed in the garage.
As she reluctantly went upstairs, she remembered all the instances his phone interrupted him at family dinners and other functions. He was a workaholic, so she didn’t think anything of those calls. But now that she had evidence he’d been lying, her gut was telling her that all of those calls weren’t about work.
June sighed. The stress was already taking a toll on her body. She never had problems ascending the stairs. But tonight, she had to hold on to the railings to help herself get up there like she was on the verge of a complete shutdown.
Chapter 13
On Friday, the guys, Everson, Colton, Rexford, Garrison and Bryson gathered at Barringer’s house for card games, pizza and beer. The women met at Kalina and Bryson’s.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been over here,” Rexford said while Bryson shuffled cards.
“Yeah, especially you, RoboCop,” Barringer joked.
Rexford grinned. He was a police officer and in some ways built like a machine. He stayed in excellent shape.
“Now that my life is no longer in shambles, I figured I’d have everyone over,” Barringer said. “Consider it a privilege to eat on my granite tabletop.”
Garrison shook his head.
Rexford rolled his eyes. “We know you got paper, Barry. Shoot...everybody knows.”
The men laughed.
Rexford continued, “You may have to find me a position at Blackstone Financial Services so I can drive foreign cars, wear thousand dollar shoes and brag about some granite. I barely got a pot to piss in on this cop salary.”
Bryson grinned. “Kill that noise, Rex? You have plenty.”
“Plenty of women, yes,” Rexford said.
“There he goes with that,” Colton said. “That’s why you broke…messing around with all these women. Go find yourself a good girl and stop playing the field. Ain’t nothing out there but heartache.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…heard it all before,” Rexford replied to his brother.
“Hey, aren’t you too old to be a player?” Barringer asked.
The men laughed again but somebody wasn’t laughing or joining in on the conversation – Everson. He was looking at his phone.
“Ay, are we talking or playing cards?” Colton asked, impatiently.
“Leave it up to Everson, the answer to that question would be neither,” Rexford said.
Bryson glanced at Everson from across the table. He already knew what was up with Everson. What he didn’t know was whether or not Everson had talked to June about it.
Barringer, who was sitting directly beside Everson, glanced his way, watching as Everson sent a text message. He couldn’t read it. He just knew that he’d sent one.
Unfazed by Rexford’s comment, Everson kept staring at his phone like he’d expected a quick reply to the message he’d just sent to Eliana. After his secret, in-the-garage talk with her a couple of nights ago, she still wasn’t budging on her decision to keep him away from Jaxson. And Everson wasn’t willing to let Jaxson go. He just found out about him. Now, he was supposed to forget him? Just like that?
“Yo, Ev,” Rexford said. “We know you’re a regular ol’ workaholic, but can you wrap it up so we can get this game going? Sheesh. You’re on the phone more than me, and you’ve only got one woman.” Rexford laughed, but his laughter quickly subsided when no one else laughed.
Actually, the mood in the room had shifted. Rexford glanced around the table, watching Bryson’s brows raise. Barringer had glanced up at Bryson, then back at his cards. Garrison frowned. He, too, sensed the sudden mood shift.
Colton slammed his cards on the table and said, “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Bryson and Barringer said together.
Garrison’s frown deepened. “You two just answered that question in sync. Oh, there’s definitely something going on.”
“Sure is,” Rexford said. “So, before I start guessing who’s getting divorced, just come on out with it. Don’t be shy.” He was looking at Everson.
“Nobody’s getting divorced, Rex.” Bryson took a swig of beer.
Rexford laid his cards down on the table. “What’s up then? Everson? Seems all the tension is circling around you.”
“Rex, chill, man,” Bryson said.
“It’s cool, Bryce,” Everson said. “They’re bound to find out sooner or later, so it doesn’t even matter.”
“Ev—”
Before Bryson could stop him from telling his business, Everson cut him off and blurted out, “I have a son.”
Bryson shook his head. Everybody didn’t need to know what was going on in his opinion.
Rexford chuckled. “That’s a good one, Everson. Look at him. He said that with a straight face and all.”
Everson’s jaw tightened as he placed his phone on the table.
“Wait…I don’t think he’s joking, Rex,” Colton said.
‘‘But you have to be, right, Everson?” Garrison asked, “Because I don’t recall June having any babies.”
All eyes locked in on Everson.
“Or are you trying to tell us that June is pregnant?” Colton asked.
“Nah,” Rexford said. “Listen to what he said. He said I have a son—not I have a son on the way. So that must mean he stepped out on June. See, I knew somebody was getting divorced. I knew it.”
“Enough with the antics, Rex,” Everson said. “I didn’t step out on June. Over the weekend, I found out I have a son. He’s fourteen—”
“Which means you were eighteen-ish when you got somebody pregnant,” Colton interrupted to say.
“Eliana Simmons—my girlfriend from high school.”
“Eliana?” Garrison asked. “The girl that moved?”
“Yeah, her. When she moved, she was pregnant and didn’t tell me. Fast forward all these years later…I run into her at one of my assignments and had to work with her for two weeks. Then, I did something stupid after the assignment was over.”
“Like what?” Rexford asked. “Make another baby?”
“No. I made plans to see her.”
Not sensing Everson’s irritation (and he should have, being a cop and all), Rexford rubbed his hands together and said, “Oh, shoot. This is getting good.”
Everson continued, “That’s where I was this weekend—at the beach with her. It’s when I found about Jaxson. That’s my son’s name. Jaxson.”
With a smirk on his face, Rexford asked, “You spent the weekend with a chick you knocked up in high school?”
“I think he was pretty clear when he stated that,” Garrison said, wondering how Rexford could possibly find humor in this.
“Let him answer the question,” Rexford said, amused.
“Yes,” Everson answered.
“Boy oh boy. Y’all know how to keep some drama,” Rexford responded.
“Tell us more about your son,” Garrison said, deciding not to be judgmental. Maybe he could sympathize because he had a son, a little boy named after him.
“His name is Jaxson. He’s fourteen. That’s about all I know about him. I have a picture, too.” Everson took the picture from his wallet and handed it to Garrison.
“Handsome kid,” Garrison said.
“Let me see that.” Colton reached for the photo. After he looked at it, he handed it to Rexford.
Rexford looked at the photo and surprisingly, didn’t have anything smart or amusing to say.
“I take it Bryson and Barry already knew all of this,” Garrison said since neither Bryson nor Barry asked to see the picture or seemed shocked by this in any way.
“They did,” Everson said. “But what does that matter? My life is falling apart in front of me and now Eliana changed her mind about introducing me to my own son.”
‘‘She’ll be all right if you toss her fourteen years worth of back child support,” Rexford said.
“She doesn’t want child support. She wants…she wants me,” Everson admitted.
Garrison glanced up at Everson. Frowning, he asked, “You didn’t sleep with her, did you?”
“No. I didn’t sleep with her. I kissed her and, yes, it was a mistake.”
“So, you wanted to sleep with her,” Colton said.
“Just because he kissed her doesn’t mean he wanted to have sex with her,” Barringer said, coming to Everson’s defense.
“Oh, yes it does,” Rexford added. “This is a woman he’s already been intimate with over a decade ago. Tell me you weren’t the least bit curious to take her for another spin, Ev.”
Everson stood up and took his phone from the table, sliding it into the front right pocket of his slacks. “I’m glad you think my life is comical. One day, you’re going to find yourself in a situation you can’t get yourself out of,” he said glaring at Rexford.
“Come on, man. I was just keeping things lighthearted,” Rexford said.
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“Well, I don’t appreciate it. It’s disrespectful. I would think an officer of the law wouldn’t bask in other people’s misfortunes—especially those of his own family. The police department must be desperate to fill positions if they allow womanizing dogs to walk around in their uniforms.”
Rexford frowned, darting his head back. He gestured to Everson when he said, “You’re the one with a wife, a side chick, a long lost son and I’m the womanizer?”
All self-control Everson had was out the window at that point. The pressure of it all – of the lie he told his wife, spending time with his ex, learning he had a child he didn’t know about and now on the verge of having to fight to see that child – was overbearing enough. But for Rexford to take it all for a joke made him snap like a tree hit by a bolt of lightning. In one fierce lunge, Everson barreled toward Rexford and threw a punch that nearly knocked Rexford out of his chair, but he caught his balance and swung back. Seemed it all happened in slow motion.
Bryson jumped up to put his body between the two men.
Barringer grabbed Everson from behind, but when he couldn’t get a steady grip on his angry brother, Colton grabbed Everson’s arm. Garrison assisted Bryson with securing Rexford.
“Stop it!” Bryson said, trying to calm Rexford down. He was still trying to lunge back at Everson, the same way Everson was trying to get back at him.
Everyone was on edge, but not as much as Everson. His chest heaved up and down as he glared at Rexford, wanting to knock that smug expression off of his face. “Get off me!” he shouted. At this point, he wasn’t even aware who was holding him. His eyes were locked in on Rexford. “Get off me!” he yelled again.
“I’ll let you go when you calm down,” Barringer said. “Family don’t fight each other like this.”