"I don't understand you, man. What is up with you? I don't know the depth of what's going on with you and Meesha. It's not my business but I know that you wanting out of your marriage and with everything revolving around Peyton and her kid, it can't help but have an effect on your marriage and family life. That's just a given fact. "
Carlton toyed with the ink pen he had in his hand and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, definitely. Actually, I'm glad you stopped by. There's something I want to talk to you and Martin about, but I guess I'll have to settle for just you since Martin is out of town this week." Carlton laughed and Kingston smiled.
"Yeah, you got jokes, huh? I talked to him earlier. He said he's having a good time at the conference, learning a lot, doing a lot of networking."
"I'm glad to hear that. I'll call him later. I think it was a good decision to send him. He can learn a lot about how we can spread our evangelism ministry and outreach."
"I agree. So, cut through the chase. What do you want to talk about?"
"I'm ashamed to say this but I need to confide in someone I can trust."
"Well, that’s me fa sho. What's going on, man?"
"I've been unfaithful."
"You've been what?"
"You heard me. I've been cheating on my wife and it's with one of her best friends."
"Man you've got to be kidding me. What is wrong with you? Who is it? Or do I even want to know? Is it Peyton, the one that's in the middle of all of this mess you're going through now?"
Carlton shook his head. "No, it's not her. We're not like that. She keeps trying to tell Meesha that, but Meesha won't listen."
"Do you blame her? I have a lot of respect for Meesha, man. Girl has been down with you from the get go. She's always had your back and she's involved in the ministry just as much as you are. I hate what's happening to the two of you. You and Meesha are me and Damica's example of how a marriage should be. You two have always been the ideal couple. When we get married in a few months, I can only hope that Damica will be in my corner the way Meesha is in yours. So why would you even do this?"
Carlton shook his head and extended his hands out in wonderment. "I don't know. It just happened. That's all I can tell you. But now I'm having second thoughts. I can't expect God’s blessings if I'm involved in all of this mess, and adultery? My God what is wrong with me?"
"You’re human. You gotta get past this. Anyway, who is she?"
"You can't tell a soul, not even Damica. Do you hear me? I like your girl. She’s cool, but I’m sure even you will have to admit that she can’t hold water so I know if she hears that I’m messing off, straight to her friends she’ll go. And that means Meesha will know just as quickly."
"Yea, yea, yea. Now who is this woman that has you about to ruin your life and everything you've worked so hard to build?"
"Avery."
"Avery who? The only Avery I know is Avery Mitchelson.”
Carlton looked at his brother with a guilty, dumbfounded expression.
“Man, don't tell me that. That woman is crazy. Didn't she try to kill herself a few months ago? She's whacko."
"She is not whacko. And yes, she did try to commit suicide, but she was going through a lot. Her husband committed adultery on her and well a lot of things were out of place in her life. We had some counseling sessions about her depression and her problems, and─"
Kingston raised a hand. "Stop it, bro. I've heard it too many times....one thing led to another. Come on, man. Where is your self-control? And you just said for yourself that her husband cheated on her. So now you’re going to help her do payback on him? Come on, Carlton. See that's why I've been so hesitant about jumping that broom. I don't want to cheat on Damica. She's a good girl. I wouldn't want to break her heart like that. It's why I had to be sure this is what I wanted before I asked her to marry me. You feel me?"
"Yea, but you just don't get it. Man, things happened so quick. But now that Meesha is gone, I realize how much I miss my wife, my kids, and my marriage. I miss life the way it used to be and I think I want that back."
"You think?" Kingston stood up, put one hand in his pocket and walked across the office floor. "You need to know, not think. You know God is not in this. So come on. Think about what you stand to lose here. And that kid, you need to get that straightened out too. You don't know for sure if he's even yours. A girl like Breyonna who was out in the streets doing drugs, there's no telling who she was laying with man. Anybody could be that boy's daddy."
"I know, I know. But I believe he's my kid."
"Whatever. I'm telling you, you need to be sure. And you need to think twice about destroying your family for some other female."
"I've been thinking about a lot of things since Meesha and the boys have been gone. I've repented to God and now I need to see if Meesha still wants me."
"So are you saying that you've ended it with Avery?"
Carlton hesitated before answering. "I'm going to do it today."
Kingston shook his head in disgust. "You need to do it today. Don't screw up your marriage and family over a piece of tail, especially a piece of crazy tail! Come on, now."
"I got it. I got it," answered Carlton, relieved that he'd confided in his brother.
Kingston walked to the door, opened it, stopped, and looked over his shoulder at his brother. “And another thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You need to do a legit DNA test. Not some ‘I believe he’s mine crap.’ No telling who ole girl was messing around with out there in them streets. Be smart, bruh.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. Thanks again, man.”
“I’ll holla at ya,” Kingston said and walked out of Carlton’s office.
Carlton contemplated everything his brother said. He knew it was time for him to talk to Avery. He had to put an end to things between them before they got to the point of no return. He'd already done too much by giving her that diamond Tiffany bracelet. He had confessed his love for her and now he had to break her heart by telling her that they needed to concentrate on their individual marriages and family. It was the right thing to do even though part of him wanted Avery. Was it lust or love? He wasn't sure but it was time to sacrifice his feelings for what he had been blessed with and that was the love of his wife and kids.
He also needed to talk to Peyton about getting a DNA test done on Liam. It was time he found out for sure if the kid was his. Just because the boy had a birthmark identical to his, or almost identical, didn’t mean that he was his son. And if he was, it wasn’t fair for Liam not to know for sure that he was his daddy.
Carlton picked up the phone to call Avery. Once he ended things with her, he could concentrate on getting his life back on track and hopefully establishing a relationship with Liam if the boy turned out to be his.
Chapter 3
“Anyone can possess, anyone can profess, but it is an altogether different thing to confess.” Shannon L. Alder
Eva called Avery and Peyton to see if they wanted to meet up for lunch. It had been some time since they'd carried out the monthly routine of Ladies Day Out. She was tired of staying cooped up in a hotel and wanted the girls' advice about moving into her own house or townhome.
She couldn't expect to live in a fancy hotel forever, let alone raise a kid in a hotel. She still hoped that Harper would come around and they could work things out. Every day she expected a call from him telling her that he had made the whole thing up about having a vasectomy.
"I'm free," Avery told Eva when she called. "Where do you want to meet?"
"Do you even have to ask?” Eva replied.
“Zodiac Café?"
“You know it.”
"Okay, have you talked to Peyton?"
"I sent her a text right before I called you. She said she could come. I just have to text her back and tell her that we're going to Zodiac."
"Do you want me to come by the hotel and pick you up?"
"No, I'm already out so I'll see you guys in say an hour. Is that cool?"
"Yeah, an hour is good for me."
"Okay, I'll text Peyton and let her know that we're meeting up at Zodiac in an hour. Bye."
"Bye," replied Avery.
Eva looked at her watch. She would have lunch with Avery and Peyton and later that afternoon she had her first doctor’s appointment. She was both excited and nervous to find out exactly how far along she was and her expected due date.
Ω
The ladies made small talk while they studied their menus. Peyton couldn't resist any longer. She had to order something stronger than tea or soda.
"Please bring a bottle of your Raymond Merlot Reserve selection," she informed the server when he approached the table to take their drink orders.
"A bottle, ma’am?”
“Yes, a bottle. Do you have a problem with that?” Peyton smarted off, aggravated that the server would even ask her such a question.
“No, of course not. I just wanted to make certain, ma’am.”
“I'll have an Acqua Panna water," Avery said.
"I’ll have the same," added Eva.
When the server turned and left, Eva looked over at Peyton curiously.
"I thought you were laying off the alcohol," Avery said, without admitting that she couldn't drink even if she wanted to, being pregnant with Carlton's child.
"And you know I can't drink," Eva said, rubbing her slightly protruding belly in a circular motion. "So please tell me you aren't going to down a whole bottle of wine by yourself."
Peyton laughed. "Wine is to me what a soda or water is to you."
Shortly after, the server returned with the ladies’ drink orders and then proceeded to take their meal orders.
“Eva, how are things going with you?” Peyton asked after the server left. She took a sip of her wine. “Hmmm. This is heavenly.”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to meet you and Avery here today. I’m thinking about looking for my own place. Me and my pooches can’t stay holed up in a hotel. I don’t care how fancy it is, or how many amenities it has.”
“So, I take it that means you and Harper haven’t resolved your issues, huh?” Peyton replied. “It’s a crying shame that he’s acting so immature. You would think he would be excited to have a kid. I don’t care how much he talked about not wanting another child.”
“Yeah, I’m not feeling why he’s acting like he is. There has to be more to it. Are you sure you’re telling us the whole story, Eva? I mean, it’s not like the man is sterile or something.”
“Right,” Peyton laughed while Eva lowered her head and tried to keep her tears at bay.
Avery looked over at Peyton curiously and Peyton returned the stare. The both of them then looked at Eva.
“Eva?”
Eva slowly raised her head in shame, looking at each one of her friends.
Peyton took another swallow this time from her glass of wine. Raising one finger and switching it from side to side, she said, “No, no, no. Please don’t tell me what I think you’re going to tell me. That man is not sterile.”
“Come on, Peyton. How could he be sterile if Eva’s pregnant. That would mean that—”
“That she’s been bumping and grinding with somebody else,” Peyton carelessly said.
Eva couldn’t hold her tears back any longer. They came pouring down her cheeks.
“Peyton, you can be so darn insensitive,” Avery shouted at her friend. “Don’t you see the girl is troubled?”
Peyton basically ignored Avery’s remark. “Is he? Is Harper sterile? Tell the truth,” Peyton demanded.
Eva couldn’t mouth a word. All she could do was nod her head up and down as she continued to boo-hoo.
Avery immediately opened her purse and pulled out a convenient purse size pack of tissue. She opened the pack and pushed it toward Eva.
Peyton took the last swallow of wine and poured herself another glassful. “Oh, my God. That’s the reason he threw you out. I knew it had to be something far deeper than him not wanting a kid. So, tell us. Who’s the baby daddy?”
Avery rolled her eyes at Peyton.
“Whaaat?” Peyton shrugged her shoulders. “If Harper is shooting blanks then our friend here was sleeping with someone else. You really pulled one over on us. I never would have thought you would step out on Harper. I mean, I can’t say I blame you. Especially since you always said the man spent more nights away from home than he did at home. So who is he? Anybody we know?”
“Stop it, Peyton,” Avery snapped again. “Eva, everything is going to be all right. If you don’t want to tell us then don’t.”
Eva couldn’t explain the shame she felt, but the other part of her knew that no matter how smart mouthed Peyton was that when all was said and done, she had no one else to turn to but her friends. And she could trust them, that much she was sure of.
“It’s okay. I know how Peyton is,” Eva said, wiping away her tears. “When I told Harper that I was pregnant, I thought he would be so thrilled. Imagine how I felt when he told me he had a vasectomy and wanted me out of the house.”
Peyton and Avery’s eyes seemed like they began to grow large as a full moon.
“Dang! A vasectomy. This is even juicier than I thought,” Peyton said, picking up her glass of wine and taking a big gulp.
“I only slept with him once. I…I had no idea that it would lead to this. My life is ruined.”
“First of all, your life is not ruined. You’re not the only woman that’s gotten pregnant by someone other than her man, and you won’t be the last.” Avery sympathized.
“Come on, who is the baby daddy?” Peyton asked again, taking yet another gulp of her wine like it was a glass of water.
“It can only be one person.”
“Who?” Peyton pressured while Avery looked at Eva with pity in her eyes.
“Seth. Harper’s son.”
“I knew it!” Peyton almost screamed out loud enough for people at the next tables to hear.
“But I thought you said nothing happened between the two of you.”
“Obviously, she lied,” said Peyton.
“Won’t you just please shut up, Peyton!” Avery retorted. “Just shut up already!”
Eva continued. “I lied. I was too ashamed to tell any of you. But God knows I didn’t think it would lead to any of this. I just can’t believe this is happening to me. I can’t believe it. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.” Eva cried harder and harder.
Avery and Peyton both got up from their seats and walked around and stood next to Eva. Each one of them embraced her.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Avery said.
“I’ll take care of the check,” Peyton offered. “You all meet me outside.”
Avery helped Eva stand, grabbed her purse, and led a distraught Eva outside.
“I wish I had never told you to deceive Harper by getting off the pill.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered, Avery, seeing that the man had a vasectomy. Why did he do this to me? Why, Avery?”
“I don’t know but why didn’t you tell me that you slept with Seth? You know you could tell me anything.”
“Like I said, I was too ashamed. It happened the day before he left to go back home to Pennsylvania. I hated myself afterward. Then Harper and I had a beautiful night together. We made love like we hadn’t made love in a long time. When I missed my period the next month, to tell you the truth, I never thought for a minute that I might have gotten pregnant by Seth.”
Peyton appeared and walked up next to the ladies. “Where are we going from here?” she asked.
“I…I have my first doctor’s appointment this afternoon. I’m supposed to have an ultrasound scan to determine how far along I am.”
“Then that’s it. We’re going with you,” Peyton said.
“We can all ride in my car,” Avery suggested. “Peyton, I don’t want to hear any back talk from you. You’ve already had far too much to drink, so you know you’re riding with me. I’ll bring both of you
back to pick up your cars after we leave your doctor’s appointment, Eva. All right? Maybe you would have sobered up a little by then, Peyton.” Avery rolled her eyes at Peyton.
Eva nodded again and allowed her friends to lead her to the car. If she had to admit anything, it was that she felt so much better having confided in them.
Chapter 4
“High expectations lead to higher disappointments.” Unknown
“Mrs. Stenberg, come on back,” the nurse said.
“I want them to come with me, if that’s okay,’ Eva stated, looking at both Peyton and Avery.
“Sure, no problem. Come with me, ladies.”
The nurse led them to the ultrasound room.
“Please get undressed and put on one of the gowns from that cubby hole,” the nurse explained pointing to the cubby hole full of various sized gowns next to the table.
“Okay,” Eva answered.
“The doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse said and then exited the room.
Peyton sat down. The wine had her a little lightheaded, but other than that she felt she was fine.
Eva did as the nurse instructed and removed all of her clothes and put on one of the patient gowns that Avery passed her.
Avery, pregnant herself, was overly concerned because she wondered how Carlton was going to react when she told him that she was having his kid. Like Eva, she hadn’t told any of the housewives. She planned on telling Eva and Peyton today but then Eva shared her sad news and Avery dismissed her plans. Plus, she wanted to tell Carlton the good news first. She hoped that he wouldn’t be finished with her the same way Harper was done with Eva. Then again she dismissed that thought. Her and Carlton’s relationship was different. They were very much in love. He would embrace the fact that he was going to have a kid by her.
“Hello, Mrs. Stenberg. Hello, ladies,” the less than attractive young doctor said when he entered the room.
The Real Housewives of Adverse City 2 Page 2