Player Haters

by Carl Weber

That snapped me out of the fog I felt like I was in. Did he really believe I would have a baby and just hand it over to him? At the time, my pride made that seem worse than an abortion. How would I look, not able to mother my own child, giving it to the man who tried to get with my best friend? Oh, no. Oh, hell no, that was not gonna happen.

  “Look, Prince. I’m getting rid of it.” My voice was flat as I got my emotions under control.

  “Hey, Prince. Funny seeing you here,” Trent announced as he came around the corner. He’d probably been lurking around there, waiting for us to finish.

  “Cut the shit, Trent,” I told him angrily. “I already know you told him I was coming.”

  “All righty, then. Y’all getting anything straight?” Trent asked.

  “Yeah, we got things straight. She’s gonna kill my baby.” Prince turned around and started walking, but then he stopped. He turned to look at me, and the sadness was gone from his eyes. Now he looked as angry as I was. “Melanie, you don’t have to worry about me calling anymore.”

  I didn’t answer him. What else was there to say?

  “Well, you gonna do this or what?” Trent asked as he opened the door to the clinic.

  “Yeah, I’m gonna do it,” I told him as I watched Prince disappear around a corner.

  Twenty minutes later I was in an examination room thumbing through the contents of the envelope Prince had given me. Before I started to look through the envelope I’d been daydreaming about what our child would look like. I know Prince told me once that he wanted a little girl. But me, I’d always wanted a boy. The door opened and a petite Asian woman in a nurse’s uniform came in, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Hi, Ms. Duncan.” She smiled. “My name’s Donna Lee and I’m the clinic’s social worker. I hope you don’t mind but before you have this procedure I have to ask you a few questions.”

  “Ask away,” I told her.

  “Okay.” She gave me a comforting smile. “I know you’ve probably been asked this quite a few times already but are you sure you want this procedure?”

  I shifted the envelope Prince had given me from hand to hand, then glanced at her with a weak frown. “Miss Lee, I’m not sure of anything right now.”

  “Have you thought about some of the other options? There is always adoption or you could keep the baby.”

  “Yeah, I guess I could, couldn’t I?” I replied more serious than I wanted to admit.

  “We can help you put together a support system if you’d like.” I thought about Trent who was sitting in the lobby waiting for me and then my mom and Wil and Diane. Then I glanced down at the envelope again.

  “No, I have a mother and some great brothers. Not to mention a baby’s father who’s willing to do the right thing. No, I think I have a support system.”

  The woman smiled. “So does that mean you changed your mind?”

  “No, it just means I need to give this whole thing some more thought. Can you hand me my clothes?”

  She smiled at me. “I sure can.”

  32

  Wil

  “Wil,” my new secretary Linda called.

  It had been almost three weeks since Jeanie Brown’s death and things had finally started to calm down around the building, although they were nowhere near back to normal in the sales department. Mimi was now in another building working in shipping and receiving, while Linda was trying to fill her absence the best she could. To be honest, she wasn’t a very good secretary, and even less attractive to the eye, which was part of the reason I hired her but it made me miss Mimi all the more. It didn’t help that Mimi stopped by almost every day during lunch to say hi, wearing those low cut blouses and tight skirts of hers. To make things even worse, she’d always end up sticking around her entire lunch break doing some of incompetent Linda’s work.

  “Yes, Linda,” I replied, looking up from my paperwork.

  “There’s a Keisha Smith waiting out here to see you. She says it’s important.”

  “Keisha Smith?” I scratched my head. “I don’t think I know a Keisha Smith. Does she have an appointment? What company is she from?”

  “She’s not with a company. She said to tell you she’s Maxine Graves’s sister.”

  “Oh, Mimi’s sister Keisha. Yeah, send her in.” I stood, smiling as Keisha walked into my office. God, she really was just a darker version of her sister. Fine as hell with an outrageous body. “Hey, Keisha, how you doing?”

  Keisha skipped the pleasantries and got right to the point. “Where’s my sister?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. I spoke to her yesterday but I haven’t seen her today. Have you checked shipping? She usually doesn’t stop by here until around lunchtime.”

  “What do you mean stop by? I thought she was your secretary.” She looked confused and was obviously out of the loop when it came to her sister’s business.

  “No, Maxine hasn’t been my secretary in almost a month,” I explained. “She’s working in shipping.”

  “What? But, but I thought.” She hesitated. “Oh, dear God. Where’s shipping?”

  “It’s in the building next door. Hey, is something wrong?”

  She sighed, “I sure as hell hope not. Can you call shipping and find out if my sister’s over there?”

  “Sure.” I reached down and dialed Maxine’s desk, letting it ring on speakerphone.

  “Shipping and receiving, this is Joyce. How can I help you?”

  “Hi, Joyce, this is Wil Duncan in sales. Is Maxine Graves around today?”

  “No, Maxine won’t be in until around one o’clock today, Mr. Duncan.”

  “Okay, thanks.” I hung up the phone and looked up at Keisha. If I didn’t know something was wrong before, I knew it now. I could see it all over Keisha’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Look, I don’t mean to be personal, but are you really divorcing your wife?”

  “Divorcing my wife? No! I’m happily married. Who told you that?” I gave her a strange look, then realized I probably knew the answer to my own question. “Mimi told you that, didn’t she?”

  “Yeah, she told me. But what I wanna know is, why the hell are you fooling around with my sister if you’re so happily married?”

  “I’m not fooling around with your sister.” I gave her an insulted look. I was gonna have to have a talk with Mimi. She’d taken that one kiss way out of context.

  “Yeah, right. You weren’t over her house last night watching the game when I called?”

  “No. I talked to her on the phone but that’s about it. I was at the hospital with my wife yesterday. We didn’t get home until close to midnight. Do you wanna call her?” I picked up the phone. This whole conversation was taking a terrible turn and I was starting to become annoyed.

  “So you and my sister aren’t having an affair?” Keisha asked. This sounded like it was news to her.

  “Look, Keisha, I know your sister likes me and I think the world of her, but I’m a married man. I’ve explained that to her. That’s why she was transferred to shipping.”

  “Well, then we’ve got a problem.” Her brow was furrowed. She looked truly worried.

  “What do you mean we’ve got a problem? How do I have a problem?”

  “Does Maxine know where you live?”

  “Yeah, why? What’s that have to do with our problem?’”

  “I think you better sit down, ’cause I have a few things to tell you about my sister that I doubt she put on her résumé.”

  I did as she asked and sat down. She sat down in the chair in front of me looking real serious. From that point on I started to get a real bad feeling about this.

  “Look, you’ve gotta promise me that this stays between you and me. If I’m wrong and Maxine’s just at the dentist or something, I don’t want her to lose her job by telling her personal business.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that. She’s not in my department anymore. Besides, I like Maxine. I would never do anything to hurt her.”

  �
��I sure hope you feel that way after I tell you this,” she said, leaning forward. “Wil, my sister is manic depressive. She’s been seeing psychiatrists ever since she was a teenager—”

  I cut her off. “What are you trying to say, that Mimi’s crazy?”

  “Delusional is more like it.”

  “Delusional? She seems fine to me.” I gave her a look of disbelief. I was starting to think Keisha was the crazy one.

  “And around you, I would expect her to appear fine.”

  “Well, what’s she delusional about?”

  “You.” She pointed at me.

  “Me?” I sat back in my chair, making a face as I pointed to myself. “Why is she delusional about me? I’ve always been nice to her.”

  “Exactly,” Keisha began to explain. “That’s her delusion. She takes your kindness for love. She thinks you’re in love with her, Wil. That you’re having a relationship. She told me y’all were getting married.”

  “Married! But I’m already married and I’m not leaving my wife. She knows that.”

  “That’s the problem. That’s always the problem with Maxine, Wil. She has these amazing fantasies about nice men like you sweeping her off her feet. I’m no doctor but I think married men are even attractive to her because you’re more of a challenge. Then when you stupid asses end up sleeping with her, you just make things worse.”

  “I didn’t sleep with her,” I reiterated.

  Keisha gave me a skeptical glance. “Well, you’ll be the first.”

  I didn’t bother to respond to her, although I did want to know more about Maxine. “So, is she dangerous?”

  Keisha was silent for a while before she spoke. “Let’s put it this way. The last guy she thought she was in love with was this guy named Philip. His wife fell off the platform of the Long Island Rail Road into an oncoming train.” I closed my eyes at the image. Then a thought flashed in my head. Marge had fallen and reinjured her arm right when she was supposed to come back and replace Mimi. Did Mimi have something to do with it?

  “Did Mimi do that? Did she hurt that man’s wife?”

  “Nobody seems to know for sure. The district attorney deemed it an accident because there were no witnesses. But Maxine was there, and what she was doing in Hempstead at that time of morning when she lived in Queens is beyond me.”

  “Look, Keisha, what about my wife? Is she in danger?”

  “I hope not but that’s why I’m here.”

  “What do you mean you hope not? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’m not sure but I think Mimi took a gun I keep for protection out of my beauty shop this morning.”

  I picked up the phone immediately and dialed my house. The phone kept ringing until I got my answering machine. “Diane, as soon as you get this message, call me right away. It’s important. Call me right away. And don’t open the door for anyone.” I hung up the phone and dialed her cell phone. Again I got no answer, so I left the same message.

  “Wil, I think you need to call the police.”

  I dialed 911.

  “Nine-one-one emergency. Please state the emergency.”

  “Can you send a car to 176 234th Street?”

  “We’d be glad to, sir. What’s the emergency?”

  “I think someone is going to my house to hurt my wife.”

  “Are they there already?”

  “I’m not sure. My wife’s not answering the phone.”

  “Sir, we can send a car over to your address but the officers will not enter the house unless they find a disturbance.”

  “Fine, just send a car.” I hung up the phone, staring at Keisha. “I’m going home, you wanna come?” She nodded and the two of us ran out of my office.

  33

  Mimi

  I drove past Wil’s house and circled the block for the fifth time, admiring the flowers and shrubs along his well-manicured lawn. It’s amazing the things you miss at night that seem almost impossible to miss during the day. I must have driven past Wil’s house a thousand times before, wishing it were me in there with him instead of Diane, but not once did I ever notice how beautiful his landscaping was. It was something I was gonna have to keep up after Diane was gone and I moved in.

  I parked my car on a side street about two blocks away, then started walking toward the house. I was carrying a box of my sister’s brownies with me. When I got to the front door I opened my pocketbook and slipped on a pair of black gloves to match my black and white outfit before ringing the bell. Diane answered the door a few seconds later wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.

  “Yes?” She stuck her head out the screen door, staring at me as if she wasn’t quite sure if she knew me or not. I was so dressed up she probably thought I was a Jehovah’s Witness.

  “Hi, Diane. Remember me? I’m Maxine, from Wil’s office.” She stared a little a harder and her eyes shifted evilly. I’m sure she must have thought I was over there to finish what we’d started at the party.

  “Wil’s not here. He’s at work,” she told me in a curt tone, turning toward her house.

  “I know. I didn’t come here to see Wil. I came here to talk to you, woman to woman, about him.”

  “Look, I don’t have time for this. My phone is ringing.” She pulled the door closed.

  “Let it ring. I think we need to get everything out in the open about your husband and me! That is, if you can handle it.”

  I think my suggestive words threw her for a loop because her reply, although positive, was less than confident. “I can handle it.” She sighed, opening the door.

  “Good, can I come in? I promise it’ll be brief and you’ll never see me again.”

  She pushed the door open and I stepped into the house just as the phone stopped ringing.

  “This is a lovely place you have here. I plan on having a place just like it, real soon.”

  Just as soon as your ass is buried and gone, I thought to myself as I followed her down the hallway.

  She walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table, gesturing to a chair across from her. I ignored her and set the box of brownies on the table. She glanced at it, but it didn’t seem to interest her.

  “What do you have to say about Wil?” she questioned.

  I walked around the table slowly, admiring the kitchen before taking the seat directly in front of her. “This is a beautiful kitchen. I always wanted a large eat-in kitchen. Although I’d probably change the color of the curtains.” I smirked.

  “Look, are you here to write an article for Good Housekeeping or are you here to talk about my husband? ’Cause I have to pick up my kids from day care—” I cut her off with a smirk.

  “Please, you don’t have to pick up them kids until two o’clock,” I quickly retorted.

  Diane’s expression was priceless. She looked like someone had smacked the shit out of her. “How did you know what time I pick up my kids?”

  “Wil told me.” I chuckled. “He tells me everything, you know. Including the fact that your ass is frigid and you’re not giving him any.”

  She was so shocked by my comment her mouth was wide enough to catch flies. When she gained her composure she pointed at the door. “I think you should leave.”

  I smiled. “I thought we were gonna talk.”

  “This conversation is over.” She started to stand.

  “It’s not over until I say it’s over. Now sit down, Diane,” I demanded.

  “Who the fuck you think you talking to? This is my house.” She balled up her fist, glaring at me.

  “Not for long,” I snapped.

  She looked like she was about to jump across the table and beat my ass but she stopped abruptly when I pulled a handgun out of my bag and pointed it at her chest.

  “Now I think I told you to sit down, didn’t I? That is, unless you want me to blow your ass away. Then who’s gonna pick up those kids at two?” I shook my head. “Not me. I’m supposed to be at work at one.”

  “Don’t you hurt my babies.” She slowl
y sat down, keeping her eyes on the gun.

  “Hurt them? You disappoint me, Diane. I would never hurt them. Matter of fact, I brought these brownies for them.” I opened the box of brownies with my free hand, taking one out and biting into it. “Have one?” I smirked as I told her, “You know, your girl Jeanie loved these brownies. I guess you could even say they were the death of her.”

  “You’re one crazy bitch,” Diane said, trying to sound brave even though fear was all over her face.

  I laughed and pointed the gun at her head. “Crazy? You know, that’s the same thing Jeanie said right before she took her last breath.”

  “Jeanie? Jeanie’s death was accidental.” She sounded like she was still hoping that was true.

  I laughed again. “Accidentally on purpose.” She didn’t reply so I continued. “Did you know Jeanie was allergic to sesame seeds? I did. That’s why I had my sister use sesame seed oil instead of vegetable oil in her brownies. You should have seen Jeanie’s face when I told her.” I took another bite of my brownie. “You have any allergies, Diane?” She didn’t answer so I waved the gun at her. “I asked you a question.”

  “No. I don’t have allergies.”

  “Neither do I.” I finished off the brownie. “You sure you don’t want one?”

  “Why are you doing this? Jeanie didn’t do anything to you. Neither did I.”

  “You mean you haven’t figured it out yet?” I was enjoying the look on Diane’s face as she sat there trembling. “I’m doing it because I’m in love with Wil and he’s not gonna be mine until you’re gone. What do you think, I just go around killing people?”

  There was a knock on the door and she moved like she wanted to answer it.

  “You expecting company?” I lifted the gun to her head.

  “No.”

  “Good. It’s probably just some Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

  When the knocking stopped I waited a few minutes, then gestured for Diane to get up.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Upstairs.”

  She gave me a puzzled look. “Why?”

  “You’ll see.” When we got to the top of the stairs I ushered her into the master bedroom. I’d never been in her house, but I knew where it was from sitting across the street staring at their window late at night, hoping to get a glimpse of Wil. Their bedroom was pretty. A combination of pastel paints and flowered wallpaper. I was impressed by the way the curtains and bedspreads matched the wallpaper. But the most impressive thing of all was the king-size bed. God, the things Wil and me were going to do on that bed. Just the thought of it made me wanna smack Diane for having the opportunity to do it first. But I regained my composure, remembering that she was about to get hers in just a few minutes.