by M. T. Pope
“I know. And I feel so bad about it, but I can’t have sex with you. I need to get out of here ... get some air and go clear my head. Something.”
“You know if you do this, you’ll never be able to call me again. I don’t get down like this, Sky, and I thought you were much better than this.”
I was disappointed that Faith felt as if I had dissed her, and true to the fact or not, ending this was the best thing I could do for her. My feelings were all over the place, and after seeing Lela tonight, it would be wrong for me to pursue an intimate relationship with any woman until I resolved my feelings for her.
Faith put her clothes on, slamming the door on her way out. I offered to take her home, but she called for a cab. From my window, I watched her get into the cab, wondering to myself if I’d made a big mistake. Maybe I had, but something inside of me felt as if Lela was worth it. I left my penthouse and made my way to her duplex. I wasn’t even sure if she still lived there, but I took my chances.
Lela’s truck was parked in the driveway, so I got out of my car to go to the door. I knocked, then rang the doorbell, getting no answer. A few lights were on inside, but not many. As I walked away to go around to the back, that’s when I heard the door squeak open. This time, Lela stood with an attitude, as I was the one there to make my case.
“I thought you had plans tonight,” she said, not inviting me in yet.
“I did, but things didn’t work out, so I cancelled those plans.”
Lela put her hand in her pockets and stepped outside. “Sorry to hear that. But what brings you here?”
I had no intention of beating around the bush. “You know what brings me here, Lela. I want to know why you left me hanging. That shit hurt so badly and I thought we had something really special going on. I know how important your career is to you, but I expected you to keep in touch with me. Even though I was planning to get married, I still needed to hear something. . . anything from you.”
Lela leaned back and bent her knee where her foot touched the brick. “When I left, Sky, I was so confused. Confused about what I was feeling for you, about my marriage, as well as my career. My husband was making threats to hurt you, and to destroy my career. He sent those pictures to everyone he could possibly think of, put them on the Internet, and hung them in several of the women’s bathrooms around here. I was downright humiliated. Everywhere I went, people were whispering, calling me names, and treating me as if I didn’t belong here. All my life, I’ve tried to hide who I was, because I didn’t want people to treat me that way. I didn’t want to involve you in any of this, so I stayed away. But the pictures actually worked out in my favor. I don’t have to hide behind who I am anymore, and I finally realized that it isn’t all about who you sleep with, it’s who you love that matters the most. I don’t have to hide behind that anymore, and I don’t have to stay married to my husband, afraid that he’s going to expose me. I divorced him, but the downside is my career has stalled a little bit. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman, I’m black, or because I’m now open about being gay. I have three strikes against me, but I’m alive. I made it through my tough days in Afghanistan, but my job isn’t finished yet. This is my life, it’s who I am, and if you’re serious about being willing to do whatever you have to do to make this work, so am I.”
What Lela said was like music to my ears. I knew this was going to be a tough relationship for me, as being away from her for long periods of time would have its effects. But I couldn’t walk away. Not from a woman who was my true hero in every sense of the way. People said our relationships were different, but I was one to strongly disagree. We loved, we cared, we fought, we marched, we strove ... just like everybody else. Why we were considered different, I just didn’t get it. Someone would have to explain that to me one day, but for now, I reached out to Lela and our tongues threw a party... a celebration that had awaited us for quite some time. Hush was no longer the word and I was damn glad about that!
About the Author
Brenda Hampton is an Essence bestselling author. She was named a Favorite Female Fiction writer in Upscale magazine and was awarded the Best Female Writer by readers and Infini Promoters. When she is not writing, Hampton manages her own insurance business in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Other books by Brenda Hampton
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
The Dirty Truth
Girls From da Hood 5
Full Figured : Carl Weber Presents
Naughty
Naughty 2
Naughty 3
Naughty 4
Don’t Even Go There
WHEN DUTY CALLS
By Terry E. Hill
Chapter 1
The dining room table was set to perfection. Crystal goblets and silver utensils sparkled from candles that surrounded three floral arrangements placed at equal distances down the center of the table. Gold-embossed dinner plates that once sat before President Washington were placed in front of each guest.
Three male servers in white tuxedo jackets, bowties, and black pants moved silently around the table with white towels draped over their arms, refilling wine glasses, replacing utensils, and anticipating the need of each guest before they knew it themselves. A succession of courses that included salmon carpaccio, grilled quail, summer chanterelle mushrooms, and roasted rosemary potatoes were served in perfectly timed intervals.
Orpheus Roulette, the host, sat at the head of the table. His wife, Raven Roulette, was seated at the opposite end. The six chairs between them were occupied by some of the most powerful men and women in the country and their spouses. The guests included: Milo Fredericks, the governor of California, and his wife, Estelle; The chair of the Republican National Committee, Charles Richardson, and his wife, Carol; Rachel Maddox, the Republican senator from California, and her husband, Scot, rounded out the powerful party of eight.
“We wouldn’t be in the mess right now if the president hadn’t wasted the first two years of his administration bailing out corporations,” the governor said. “Those billions in stimulus dollars should have flowed into the economy from the bottom up. We’ve still got Californians and millions of others in every state around the country, losing their homes because of bad mortgages. There should have been a moratorium on foreclosures and every one of those loans should have been refinanced automatically at lower rates.”
“I don’t want to sound like I’m defending the president,” Charles Richardson said, waving a quail-laden fork, “but those people are getting what they deserved. They knew they couldn’t afford those loans. Why should other, responsible tax payers have to bail them out because they got greedy? I hate to admit it but the president in this instance was right. We had to save the corporations first. What’s your take on all this, Orpheus?” he said, looking directly at the host with a challenging smile.
The table fell silent. The servers instinctively moved to the perimeters of the room and faded into the wallpaper. Chewing slowed and all eyes turned to the handsome man sitting at the head of the table.
Orpheus Beauregard Roulette III came from a long line of military men who never shied away from a challenge, either on the battle field or in the dining room. He was 161 of the 217 four-star generals in the history of the U.S. Army. He was also among the youngest. His grandfather, Orpheus Beauregard Roulette Sr., was one of the first black men to fight in Italy in the Second World War. His father, Orpheus Beauregard Roulette Jr., served with honors during the Korean War. Orpheus, one of the nation’s most distinguished military officers, held numerous positions of command, served in Iraq, and in record time rose to the rank of four-star general.
Raven tried to make eye contact with her husband while dabbing her red lips with the cloth napkin, but Orpheus’s eyes were locked with his inquisitor. His rich bourbon skin glowed in the candlelight, and the distinguished wisps of gray at his temples pulsed in time with his heart.
Orpheus placed his silver fork on his plate and said, “I’m a military man
so I approach this from the perspective of national security. I agree with you, Chairman; this is the one thing this administration did right. Corporations are the backbone of this country, and if the banks had gone under, this country would have been perceived as weak on the international stage, thereby making us vulnerable to terrorist elements that would like nothing better than to invade our shores.”
The room exhaled when Orpheus spoke the words. Raven smiled as if her child had just delivered the valedictorian speech to his graduating class. The servers moved back to the table, and chewing resumed at a normal pace.
“I’m glad to hear you say that, Orpheus,” Charles said with a broad smile. The student had aced the first test. “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, Raven, but I worried about the general here when I heard you all had moved here to San Francisco.”
“Why is that?” Raven asked with a confident smile.
“Well I was concerned some of the liberal tree hugging, equal marriage, and global warming politics would rub off on my boy here. You know we have high hopes for your husband in the Republican Party.”
Raven smiled. “I can assure you, Charles, Orpheus and I are more staunchly Republican now that we’ve moved to San Francisco. The more we hear the politically correct chatter from the left the more we’re convinced our politics are what’s best for America.”
“It’s not easy being a Republican in California,” Governor Fredericks said. “Hell, if voters there didn’t like my movies so much I would never have been elected.”
The table erupted in laughter. “Don’t overestimate your acting talent,” Charles said, laughing louder than everyone else. “Your poll numbers consistently say that not only Californians, but also a large swath of the rest of the country agrees with your policies. You’re the perfect hybrid. Democrat on the outside and true-blue Republican on the inside. That’s why we love you,” he said, laughing even louder.
“Well, I don’t know about you all,” Senator Maddox bellowed over the laughter, “but I think the biggest mistake this administration made was when they repealed ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ It sent the absolutely wrong message to the country. I don’t have any problems with gays. What they do in the privacy of their own homes is none of my business. But this is a national security issue. Our brave men and women don’t need to and don’t want to serve side by side on battlefield with someone they can’t trust.”
Orpheus decided to preempt the second pop quiz and responded unprompted. “I agree,” he said. Again the table fell silent. “It’s been my experience that the presence of known homosexuals is disruptive to good order and discipline of military units. Life in the barracks is highly communal,” Orpheus continued in an authoritative tone. “Barrack life creates the camaraderie and unit cohesion that is vital to the proper function of a combat-ready force. In the military, respect and loyalty between members is powerful enough to transcend almost every animosity.”
Orpheus’s response gradually turned into a speech as he continued. “In the army soldiers are always conscious of the fact that the guy down the hall could very well be the guy who comes between him and death on some dirt road in Iraq. Allowing gays to serve openly in the military disrupts the balance and places our men and women at risk in times of war. Men are naturally uncomfortable with the idea of homosexuality and instinctively know that it’s not appropriate to relate to one another in those terms. In the close quarters of the barracks, this kind of tension quickly turns into animosity that, in my experience, cannot be overcome on the battlefield.”
Suddenly everyone at the table began to clap. The room was filled with, “Well put, General,” and “I feel the same,” and “I couldn’t have said it better myself, General.”
“I’m sorry,” Orpheus said, “I didn’t mean to get on my soapbox, but this is something Raven and I feel very strongly about.” Raven beamed proudly at her eloquent husband.
Milo reached for his wife’s hand and held it tight as he smiled and said, “That’s the message America never heard. I think if they had, they would have never supported the repeal. This isn’t about individual rights, it’s about the safety of our boys and girls in the military. It’s about the safety and security of our country and all that we hold dear as a nation.”
“Orpheus, I was in Washington last week meeting with a few of my colleagues in the senate and your name came up,” Senator Maddox said.
“I’ve also heard your name mentioned in Washington,” chimed Richardson.
“And what are they saying?” Raven asked before her husband could respond. “Nothing bad I hope,” she said with an ironic smile.
“Just the opposite, dear lady,” the governor said. “I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone here that I’m being encouraged by some members of our party to consider a run for president in 2012.”
“You’d be a great president,” Carol said.
“Slow down, Carol,” Milo bellowed with a broad grin. “It’s just talk at this stage. But I have to admit I’m honored and seriously considering it.”
“We want him to run,” Richardson said. “He’s got the looks, he was a celebrity long before he became governor and like I said earlier, he looks like a Democrat but has the heart of a true Republican.”
“What does this have to do with Orpheus?” Raven asked, already knowing the answer.
“Well, little lady,” Richardson said, “Some of us feel your husband’s name should be put on the shortlist of possible running mates. What would you think of that, Raven? Vice President Orpheus Roulette.”
Raven ignored the patronizing tone of the chairman. It didn’t matter because she was immediately thrust into the position she had worked so hard for since the day she married Orpheus Beauregard Roulette. She didn’t have to think about it.
Raven was a prolific fundraiser for the Republican Party and known for the elegant parties she had hosted for military brass, politicians, political donors, and celebrities. She had Orpheus’s political path well charted. Her sights had always been on the White House and had demonstrated on many occasions that she would do whatever it took to make that a reality. First vice president, then the Oval Office.
“What do you think, Black Bird,” Orpheus said to the contemplative Raven across the table. “Did we give these folks too much wine this evening?”
Again laughter swept across at the table. “We’re serious about this, Orpheus,” Richardson said with a straight face. “I want you and Raven to give this some serious thought. The country is scared right now. Terror threats, instability and political unrest in other countries; keeping our shores safe and maintaining our nation’s position of dominance on the world stage are priorities. A man with your impeccable military credentials might be just what the country is looking for on this ticket.”
The guests had all departed, smiling and slightly tipsy, in their government-issued, chauffeur-driven cars. The servers had been amply tipped and the caterer’s van loaded with the remains of a signature Raven Roulette evening.
“You looked beautiful tonight, Black Bird,” Orpheus said, holding Raven in his arms. “Everything was perfect as usual.”
“You were brilliant, Mr. Vice President,” she said as he nuzzled her creamy neck and shoulders. Orpheus ran his fingers through her silky coal-black hair. Diamonds dangled from her ears and captured what little light there was in the bedroom. She was beautiful. Some would say even too beautiful to be the wife of a vice president.
“It’s just talk, baby,” Orpheus whispered breathlessly in her ear. “There are probably twenty people on that shortlist. Don’t get your hopes up.”
Raven took a step back and released herself from his embrace. “Don’t talk like that, Orpheus,” she said to his surprised face. “We’ve worked hard to get you to this point. You have to be positive.”
“I know, baby, but we also have to be realistic. I’ve never held political office. I’m sure there are other, more seasoned politicians on the list. I just think it’s a long shot.”
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Raven turned her back to him and walked to a vanity in the corner of the room. “I won’t have you talking like that, Orpheus. Do you know how many asses I’ve had to kiss to get us this far? How many thousand-dollar-a-plate fundraisers I had to chair? How many times I’ve had to convince people you walk on water just to get your name mentioned as a possible candidate? Don’t fuck this up for me,” she said angrily.
“Honey, I just don’t want you to be disappointed,” Orpheus said pleadingly.
“The only thing that will disappoint me is if you screw this up.” Raven looked at her reflection in the mirror over the vanity. “I swear, Orpheus, I will never forgive you if you don’t fight for this with me. I can’t do it alone.”
Raven had been a beauty her entire life. She was born into a wealthy family in Los Angeles. Her father was an attorney. His clients consisted of prominent athletes, celebrities, and politicians being sued for seven-figure divorce settlements. Raven inherited her looks from her mother, who had been a Fashion Fair model who gracefully settled into a life of full-time mother and part-time trophy wife.
As a teenager Raven quickly learned that her looks opened doors that were closed to most other people. She was recruited for the high school cheerleading squad even though she had little rhythm and had no intention of ever trying out. The most handsome men in any room would crawl over dozens of other attractive women just to try their best pick-up line on her. She easily grew accustomed to being seated at the best tables in trendy restaurants regardless of whom she dined with.