Leroy aroused her in so many ways, she couldn’t begin to explain it. He satisfied her sexual appetite, challenged her intellect, and as the pastor of the largest Baptist church in the city, he fulfilled her spiritual needs as well. Yep, her girls needed to be patient just a little while longer. After she and Leroy were married and living in a big, new house, she could quit her job and spend all the time together that her daughters wanted. Until then, they had to understand that she was on a mission.
Kayla turned on the radio and bobbed her head to H.E.R. as she drove onto the highway, headed to a small ranch fixer-upper Leroy used as rental property. Two years ago, Kayla had discovered Darlene was pregnant with their fifth child and threatened to end the relationship. Leroy swore that even though she was expecting, having another baby had not changed a thing between them. He promised he would make it up to her by spending more time together. Instead of finding new tenants to rent the house, they used it as their special place. Leroy had even given her a key that she was allowed to use when he told her she could.
On the drive, she thought about his wife. A stuck- up woman like that didn’t know how to please a man like Leroy the way she did. As far as she was concerned, the sooner Darlene realized it, the better off she’d be. She was destined to be the next Mrs. Leroy Brown, and as soon as they were married and moved to a new city, Kayla was going to have another baby before it got to be too late. She almost pinched herself to interrupt her thoughts. She had an entire life planned for them. Often, she found herself spending hours at a time thinking about the glorious years to come.
As she turned onto the wooded cul-de-sac, Kayla found Leroy’s car was already in the driveway. Pulling in behind him, she felt a mixture of disappointment and excitement. She couldn’t wait to be in his arms again, but she had looked forward to making him dinner before his arrival.
She climbed out of the car and grabbed the bag with the steaks inside, then moved up the driveway and entered through the side door, stepping directly into the small, blue-and-white kitchen. She lowered the bag and her purse onto the counter. They would have dinner later. Right now, she wanted a little Leroy to tide her over until then.
Hearing music coming from the bedroom, she strolled through the living room and down the hall. Wrapped up in her excitement, she walked through the bedroom door and right into the shock of her life.
Her brain was in denial for several seconds before her blurred vision cleared. There on the queen-size bed were Leroy and Tracy Branch. Leroy was breathing hard as he pumped between her legs like he was seconds away from the finish line. Her eyes were closed with her arm dung over her forehead as she cried out. The headboard was slamming against the wall. Kayla shook her head from side to side, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. With her hand over her mouth, she backed up slowly and accidentally stumbled over one of Tracy’s shoes. Hearing the sound, Leroy glanced over his shoulder and his face changed from pleasure to shock.
He jumped from the bed. “Kayla, what are you doing here?”
Her reply was a mere grunt. She turned and walked quickly down the hall. Unfortunately, her feet couldn’t get her away from him fast enough. Before she could grab her purse, Leroy caught her about the waist and pulled her close.
“Let me go!” She whirled on him.
“Sssh! Let me explain.”
“I don’t want to hear it!” she snapped as she moved into the kitchen to retrieve her things.
He had the nerve to chuckle and say, “I don’t know why you’re so angry. It’s your fault. You shouldn’t even be here.”
Swinging around, Kayla tried to hide her shock and disbelief behind a bland expression. “How is it my fault? You told me to come.”
Leroy leaned against the wall inside the small kitchen with a cool expression, arms folded across his chest, dick wet and dripping. “No, you were supposed to come over tomorrow.”
She stepped forward with a confused look. “Thursdays are our night.”
“Today is Wednesday.”
Kayla lowered her head a moment and realized he was right. In her excitement she had mixed up the days of the week. As soon as she fixed her lips to apologize, his words penetrated her brain. Wait a minute... what the heck difference does it make?
She sucked her teeth and offered him a scowl. He couldn’t possibly think she was that stupid. “It doesn’t matter what day of the week it is. The fact of the matter is, you’re messing with Ray Branch’s daughter. I can deal with your wife, but I will not tolerate you sleeping with anyone else.”
As if she knew they were discussing her, Tracy sashayed her naked behind into the kitchen, moved over to the refrigerator, and removed a soda. “Whassup, Leroy? You coming back to bed or what?” she asked with a taunting smirk.
New fury shot through Kayla with every step. She bored her eyes on the trifling girl. The twenty-something woman had a reputation of being a ho. Showed up at church every Sunday in tight dresses and stiletto heels, smelling like liquor after a night of partying at the club. Female members of the church didn’t trust her within twenty feet of their husbands. She already had three kids with different daddies. Last year, she had won a large sexual harassment case against her former employer, whom she claimed had fired her because she refused to sleep with him. People who knew Tracy had sense enough not to believe that claim. Nevertheless, the court awarded her over half a million dollars. Now a woman with money, she managed to look like a girl half her age with her perky new breasts and a flat stomach. Studying her naked body with growing envy, Kayla could see why men flocked to her.
“Tracy, go back in the room,” Leroy’s loud voice boomed.
She sucked her teeth, rolled her eyes at Kayla, and said as she turned on her heels, “Don’t keep Ms. Kitty waiting too long.”
As soon as she was gone, he turned to face Kayla, who had already swung her purse over her shoulder. “Baby, we’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he said. His voice was almost pleading for her to understand.
Understand what? She leaned against the kitchen counter for strength that she just didn’t seem to have. She wanted to scream. It was a good thing she was a Christian, otherwise she would have cussed him from here to Chicago. Instead she said in a huff, “It looks like there isn’t anything else for us to talk about.”
He shifted his weight and his voice softened. “Kayla, honey, yes, there is.”
Swinging around, she glared over at him and said, “Answer one question. Why? I tolerate your wife, but why do you need anyone else? I thought I was enough for you. I thought you wanted to marry me.” She paused, then asked, “Is it because I’m fat?”
He moved up to her and grabbed her forearms. “Baby, you got it all wrong. Tracy came to me for spiritual counseling and guidance. She didn’t want anyone to know, so I told her to meet me here and one thing led to another. After that lawsuit, I should have known better than to be caught alone with her. She manipulated me, baby.”
His wet dick brushed against her hand and she jumped back in disgust. “Do I look that stupid to you?” She held up an open palm. “Don’t even answer that because you see me just as I have allowed you to see me. All these years I have broken my neck trying to prove to you how much I loved you. I believed one false promise after another. You told me you were leaving your wife, then the next thing I know she’s pregnant. You promised to leave her after the baby was born and we would move to Tennessee but then you changed your mind.” He had some nerve, trying to play her like she was stupid. She hadn’t just gotten off the short yellow bus. She folded her arms and gave him a pointed look. “Were you planning to tell me that you were taking your wife to the Bahamas or did that piece of information slip your mind?”
“Damn.” He gave a small laugh like one did when caught in a lie. “I was going to tell you tomorrow.”
Tears started running down her face freely and she did nothing to wipe them away. She had loved this man with everything she’d had, and he had tossed it all away. She reached for the grocery bag,
turned, and walked away.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he called after her, his voice a blend of annoyance and plea.
Sadly, she shook her head. “We have nothing else to talk about”
Before she could reach the door, Leroy grabbed her by the neck and slammed her back against the wall. Kayla screamed and dropped the bag. His hand was pressed firmly against her windpipe and she struggled to get free, but Leroy refused to let her go. He leaned forward and whispered close to her ear, “It’s not over until I say it’s over.” He then softened his grip and kissed her, forcing his tongue between her lips. Kayla tried to resist but could not. Leroy had power over her body. He always had. He ground his hips against hers and her traitorous body responded to his aggressive behavior. By the time he finally ended the kiss, she was whimpering.
Leroy smiled. “Like I said before, we’ll talk tomorrow. Now go home.” He released her and headed back into the bedroom where Tracy was waiting.
Breathing heavily, Kayla watched him go and didn’t even bother to reply. As soon as he shut the bedroom door, she obediently reached down for the groceries, and then rushed out to her car.
Chapter 4
Danielle
On Friday, Danielle went home after a long day at work, ready for dinner and a hot bath. Renee was due in tomorrow and she needed all the rest she could get. Her home girl suffered from adult Attention Deficit Disorder with symptoms so obvious it was enough to drive another person crazy. But not me, she thought with a smile. Renee, although loud and callous at times, always managed to bring a smile to her face even if it was at someone else’s expense. The weekend ahead was going to be loads of fun.
As she pulled into the driveway behind her Chevy Impala, a frown wrinkled her forehead. The car that she paid for, but Ron helped her pick out, had twenty-inch rims, tinted windows, and a sound system that could be heard a mile away. Now that he was gone, the vehicle would be a constant reminder of what could have been between them. As soon as she could get her garage cleaned out, she would put the car inside. Portia would be taking driver’s education in the fall, and if her daughter ever learned how to drive, maybe she would consider giving the vehicle to her. Although the way she’d been acting lately, she would be better off making her get a job and buy her own car. Danielle turned off her Durango and frowned. Knowing her parents, they would go behind her back and buy Portia a car anyway.
While climbing out of the SUV, she thought about how much her parents spoiled Portia and it pissed her off. Since the day of the alleged rape, her mother had been dropping by every evening bearing gifts that Danielle refused to let her daughter have. Her daughter would then stomp off to her room, muttering under her breath. Portia didn’t act like a rape victim; instead, she had been acting like a spoiled brat.
With a deep sigh, she stuck the key in the lock and went into the house. Her temper rose as she noticed that the vacuum cleaner was still in the living room in the exact spot she’d left it this morning, which meant when Portia got home from school, she had not bothered to do her chores. Moving into the kitchen, she found dishes piled in the sink and the trash waiting to be emptied. School was officially out for the summer and Portia obviously thought she was going to spend her vacation doing nothing. Angrily, Danielle lowered her purse to the counter and went to remove the trash from the can when she noticed a discarded Tony’s Pizza box and two crushed beer cans in the trash.
What the hell? “Portia!” she yelled.
The house phone rang, and she hastily went over to answer it, hoping it was one of Portia’s hot-ass friends so she could have the pleasure of telling them not to call again. Portia had lost her cell phone privileges so they weren’t about to start calling the house.
“Hello.”
“Portia Patterson, please.”
Hearing the grown man’s voice on the other line, Danielle quickly became suspicious. “This is her mother. Who’s calling?”
“This is Dr. Henric from Boone Hospital.”
“Is this regarding her lab results?”
He hesitated. “Ma’am, I’m not at liberty to share that information. Your daughter’s results are confidential.”
“Then I guess you better go check her file because I know the law. My daughter is only sixteen. I’m the one who brought her to the ER.”
He paused. “Just a moment.”
While he went to check her file, Danielle cupped the mouthpiece and yelled upstairs again. “Portia!” After more silence, she was growing angrier by the second. Portia was either asleep or had her headphones on her ears. She paced impatiently across the kitchen floor. First thing tomorrow, she was getting a cordless phone for the kitchen. Being confined to one space when she’d rather be upstairs choking the shit out of her daughter was driving her crazy.
“Ms. Brooks?”
“Yes,” she said impatiently.
“Sorry about that. I just had to make sure you had accompanied your daughter. I hope you understand that legally the hospital would be in a world of trouble.”
She rolled her eyes heavenward. He must be a medical student.
“Your daughter’s tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases.”
Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank God.”
“Ummm ... however, her pregnancy test came back positive.”
Danielle felt herself sway and tried to support her body with a wooden chair. “Did you say my daughter is pregnant?”
“Yes, ma’am. As soon as possible, she needs to see an obstetrician.”
“But the nurse dipped her urine while we were there.”
“These things happen sometimes.”
She barely heard another word as the phone hung loosely on her ear. As soon as Dr. Henric ended the call, she put the phone down on the cradle, then stood there for the longest time, stunned.
Oh, no! This can’t be happening to me.
A baby? Portia was still a baby herself. The last thing in the world she needed was to be raising another child. Her heart raced. Lowering her eyes, Danielle took a moment to try and pull it together. What in the world were they going to do? Portia was too young and immature to be a mother. The burden would fall on her own shoulders.
Hearing movement upstairs, her head jerked up towards the ceiling before she stormed through the living room and up the stairs. She passed her bedroom and the guest room before reaching Portia’s door. Not bothering to knock, she barged into the room and found Portia lying on her bed naked from the waist down with a vibrator between her legs.
Danielle froze, completely stunned by what she saw. Portia had her headphones on. Her eyes were closed. She was moaning as her hips bucked against the fat, twelve-inch device. The way she sounded she was obviously only seconds away from finishing. Good Lord, Danielle thought, the one she kept in her bottom drawer wasn’t anywhere near as big as that thing.
Portia was in the middle of an orgasm when her head lolled to the side and her eyes opened. As soon as she spotted her mother, she jumped up and the vibrator went flying across the floor. “Mama!” she screamed.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Danielle said sarcastically. “Put some clothes on yo’ naked ass and meet me in my room.” Furiously, she turned and walked into her room and took a seat on the end of her bed. Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe she had actually found her daughter fucking a vibrator. She actually felt like laughing. If the vibrator was the only issue, she probably would have. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.
Danielle slipped her Reeboks from her feet. She carried them to her closet just as she heard her daughter come down the hall. Turning around, she spotted her standing just inside the door with her head hung low.
“Why is it that I get home, and nothing has been done?”
“I was going to get to it.”
“When? After you got done getting some? What? Don’t get shy on me now. You want to be grown, then start acting grown. You’ve been here since noon and I come home to find you haven’t done a damn thang.”
�
��I was fin to do it.”
“I just bet you were.” Danielle pursed her lips and propped a hand to her hip. “The hospital called. Is there somethin’ you need to be telling me?”
Portia gave her a puzzled look, then shook her head. “Not that I can think of.”
“You’re pregnant.”
She looked stunned and then started crying.
Watching her, Danielle felt herself softening. This was one moment she hoped never to have experienced with her daughter. She sat on the bed and patted the mattress beside her. “Come over here and have a seat.” Dragging her feet, Portia moved to the bed. Instinctively, Danielle draped an arm around her, and Portia rested her head on her shoulder. “Did you get yo’ Depo shot last month?”
Her body was shaking, and she was crying so hard it took her a while to answer. “I forgot.”
“You for...” Danielle allowed her voice to trail off and took a deep breath. Too late now to point the blame. As a parent, it was her job to make sure her daughter got her birth control shot every three months instead of relying on an irresponsible teenager to get it done on her own. Portia continued to cry, and Danielle stroked a soothing hand down her hair and across her back. Despite all the drama Portia put her through, she was still her little girl. “We’ll get through this. I’ll support whatever decision you decide to make about the baby.” She dropped her lips to her hair. “Do you know who the father is?”
Portia hesitated, then shook her head.
Danielle closed her eyes and took a deep breath and remembered what her mother had always said when things got rough. The Lord doesn’t give you any more than he thinks you can handle. Well, she definitely had been delivered a truckload. Her parents had raised four children together and she couldn’t even manage to raise one. Where had she gone wrong?
Trouble Loves Company Page 7