Ugh! “If you say so.” Vangie couldn’t deal with the conversation much longer. Vangie thought Nivea had been humbled when her family had abandoned her, but she was as sickening as ever. Apparently the “nice” Nivea routine had only been an act.
“I want to buy Kenzie a pair of diamond studs, but I’m afraid to get her ears pierced. She’s so young, you know. What do you think?”
“Uh, I don’t know. Listen, I have to help Yuri with his homework. Have fun with Harlow on Saturday.”
Instead of getting off the phone, Nivea kept talking. “Harlow and I are going to have a ball. She’s going to be so relieved when I pick up the tab for lunch. Can you imagine how she must feel, having to put up with underprivileged friends that always expect her to pay for everything?”
“It must suck,” Vangie said ashamedly.
“Hanging with me is going to be a welcome change for Harlow.”
“Listen, I really have to get off the phone; I’ll talk to you later, Niv.”
After hanging up, Vangie had to sit down and collect herself. Was Harlow really kicking her to the curb in favor of Nivea? She couldn’t wrap her mind around that. Nivea was lying, deliberately trying to get under Vangie’s skin. Harlow couldn’t stand Nivea and her phoniness. There was no way Harlow would willingly spend an entire day with Nivea if Vangie wasn’t around.
An uneasy feeling came over her. Harlow had been avoiding her ever since she’d made the snide comment about Drake. It was time for Vangie to let Harlow know how sorry she was for hurting her feelings.
She pressed a button and entered Harlow’s number. Harlow didn’t pick up until the fourth ring.
“Hi. Did you get the flowers I sent?”
“Yes, I did.” Harlow didn’t sound enthused.
“Why didn’t you call and let me know? Actually, I know the answer to that. You’ve been avoiding me because you’re upset over the remark I made about Drake, and I want to formally apologize.”
“Oh, really?” Harlow said, sounding uncharacteristically sarcastic. “I’m not interested in your apology, Vangie. There’s been friction between us for months. I didn’t understand it, and I allowed you to be rude and impatient with me. I had no idea what was bugging you, so I held my tongue, hoping you’d get over whatever was wrong with you. Now that I know about your resentment toward me—”
“It’s not that serious, Harlow.”
“Don’t tell me what’s serious. It’s very serious that a so-called friend shuts me down every time I talked about my desire to get pregnant. And it’s very fucking serious when you start insinuating that my husband is involved in something illegal.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth; I didn’t say that.”
“You insinuated.”
“Harlow, I was drunk. You know I had too much wine that night.”
“That’s no excuse. Drunk or sober…friends don’t deliberately say hurtful things to each other. And frankly, Vangie, I don’t need a friend who’s envious of me.”
“I’m sorry I shared my feelings. I honestly thought you’d understand.”
“There’s nothing to understand. Your snotty attitude toward me was becoming unbearable, but I had hoped you’d get over whatever was bugging you. I took your shit for too long, Vangie. The more I took, the meaner you got. It was as if you wanted to punish me for living a charmed life.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is true. You resented me because of your own deficiencies.”
“What deficiencies?” Vangie asked in a wary tone.
“Hell if I know. You have to ask Alphonso and Shawn about your deficiencies. They should be able to clue you in on what makes you so damn unlovable that neither one of them were willing to wife you.”
Vangie’s mouth fell open. She dropped her hand downward and clutched her stomach, feeling kicked in the gut by Harlow’s harsh words. “How could you say something so cruel?”
“I’m keeping it real.”
“I’ve been mean to you Harlow—for no reason—and I’m woman enough to admit it. But I hope you’re not ending our friendship over something I said when I had too much to drink.”
“Unfortunately, I am. I think it’s best that we part ways, Vangie.”
“I said I’m sorry,” Vangie whined.
But Harlow wasn’t accepting Vangie’s apology; the low scornful sound she made announced as much.
“Can’t we talk this through? We’ve been through thick and thin together; how can you allow one incident to destroy a lifelong friendship?”
“I don’t trust you, Vangie. You treated me like shit for no reason and I allowed it. But you took it too far when you went in on my husband.”
Resigned to the fact that their friendship had been fractured, Vangie said, “All right, well, you don’t have to worry about me bothering you again.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice cracked, betraying her emotions.
“You need to delete my number because I’m definitely deleting yours.”
“Okay,” Vangie muttered weakly, and then the phone went dead after Harlow terminated the call. She gazed at her phone in disbelief and realized her hand was shaking. In all the years she’d known Harlow, she’d never heard her sound so bitter and cold.
Vangie would have given anything to take back what she’d said about Drake. She’d allowed the green-eyed monster to destroy a friendship that had endured both good times and bad. Being rejected by Harlow felt oddly similar to the way she’d felt when Shawn had walked out on her soon after she’d given birth to Yuri. Once again, she felt the pain of abandonment. The pain of being misunderstood. Why had she driven away the best friend she’d ever had?
A low moan turned into sobbing. Vangie began to weep and gasp, crying loud and uninhibited as if she were home alone.
Yuri heard her and came running into the living room. “What’s wrong, Mom?” He stared at her posture, which was bent at the waist with her hands clutching her stomach. “Are you sick? Does your stomach hurt?” He chewed nervously on his bottom lip and his eyes were filled with fear.
She hadn’t meant for her son to see her so helpless and broken. She’d always been strong in his presence. “I’m okay, Yuri.” She straightened herself up and wiped the tears from her face with both hands. Dry-eyed, she gave him a faint smile, proving she was all right.
Yuri continued to stare at her. “Why were you crying?”
“A friend gave me some bad news.”
“Who? Auntie Harlow?”
“No. Someone from work.” She couldn’t bear to tell Yuri that she and Harlow had parted ways. “Don’t worry about me, Yuri; I’m okay, now.” Trying to convince him, she forced another weak smile.
“I have some good news for you.” Yuri grinned at his mother.
“What’s the good news, sweetheart?”
“My dad is going to open his own barbershop, and he’s going to let my brothers and me work with him on the weekend.”
“That’s real good news, Yuri,” Vangie said, though she didn’t like the idea of Shawn starting his own business and moving up in the world. And she absolutely hated hearing Yuri referring to those little project hooligans as his goddamned brothers.
“Wanna know something else?”
“What else?” Vangie smiled in earnest. Her sweet little man was actually worried about her and was doing his best to come up with news that he hoped would cheer her up.
“I’m going to be my dad’s best man at his wedding!”
Vangie gasped. “What wedding?”
“His wedding with Jojina. I’m going to be my dad’s best man. Devontay is going to walk Jojina down the aisle and give her away. Guess what Javarious has to do?”
In a state of shock, Vangie couldn’t believe what Yuri had told her. Shawn was getting married to that gaudy, project chick? Oh, God! Vangie was hurt and mortified. Could her life get any worse? Everybody was moving forward except her. “Mom!” Yuri blurted, snapping her out of her reverie.
“What!” Vang
ie said in annoyance.
“Guess what Javarious and Starlet are doing at the wedding?”
“I don’t care what they’re doing,” she snapped. “Go do your homework or watch TV or something.”
“Okay, but I have to tell you about Javarious and Starlet.” He broke out into a fit of giggles. “Starlet was bragging about being a dumb flower girl, but Javarious is mad that he has to be the ring boy. The ring boy has to walk down the aisle carrying a fruity-looking pillow with the ring on it.”
Vangie was too hurt and weak to correct Yuri and tell him the proper term was ring bearer.
“I bet Devontay five dollars that Javarious is gonna drop the ring. It’s gonna roll around the floor and get lost and Javarious is gonna be in so much trouble.” Yuri broke into more titters of childish laughter.
“Your father’s getting married in church?” Vangie asked incredulously. Shawn, the man who was so against marriage, was trying to turn a hooker into a housewife? It was un-fucking-believable! Vangie wondered if her day could get any worse. “Yuri, please start your homework.”
“I can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t?”
“I can’t think when I’m hungry. What’s for dinner, Mom?”
Vangie had completely forgotten about fixing Yuri a nutritious dinner. The idea of trying to pull together a meal made her head throb. “Call Domino’s and order two medium pan pizzas.”
“Yay! We haven’t had pizza in a long time. Thanks, Mom!”
“Welcome,” she yelled in forced cheerfulness.
For Yuri’s sake, she was attempting to keep up the façade that she was okay with the news of Shawn’s upcoming marriage. In truth, she was pissed-off, shocked, and felt betrayed. Her mind raced with bitter thoughts: We’ll be eating a lot of take-out from now on. I’m not slaving over the stove after working all day. Why should I waste my time preparing nutritious meals when no one appreciates anything I do? Not Yuri, not his damn father, and not Alphonso. All the men in my life take me for granted and treat me like crap. Shawn refused to marry me, the mother of his child, and now he’s planning a big wedding with a tramp that has three kids that aren’t even his!
Suffering two harsh blows in one day left Vangie feeling nauseous. “Yuri, I have to lie down for a few minutes. Let me know when the delivery guy gets here,” she said as she dragged herself down the hall toward her bedroom.
NIVEA
For the first time in her adult life, Nivea felt a sense of calm. Not stressing over a relationship or money was a welcome relief. And Odette was a godsend. The woman was amazing with Mackenzie, singing Caribbean songs to her while she rocked her to sleep, and taking her for long carriage rides in her elegant pram. Prior to Odette coming into their lives, Mackenzie had never been exposed to so much fresh air and sunshine. Nivea had always strapped her in her car seat and driven her wherever they needed to go.
Due to Odette’s influence, Mackenzie was finally starting to sleep through most of the night. With so much free time on her hands, Nivea was practically living at the gym, and her toned body was proof of her effort.
Nivea kissed Mackenzie goodbye, handed her to Odette, and then breezed out the front door. Her hair was piled on her head in an artful top knot and she was dressed in top-of-the-line fitness attire. Continuing the all-white theme, she wore white designer yoga pants, white sneakers, a fitted white tank top, and a soft-as-butter, white leather gym bag was slung over her shoulder. She looked and felt like a million bucks. Money sure made a difference; life was beautiful.
Windows rolled down and the sunroof slid open, she inhaled the fresh air and blasted the radio as she made the trip to St. Davids.
She arrived at the fitness center at ten in the morning and was relieved to see only a few parked cars.
The gym was a ghost town with only a few employees and a handful of club members. It was thrilling to have the place practically to herself. Good fortune seemed to be coming to Nivea in leaps and bounds, lately. After going through the worst year of her life, it was about time that her luck finally had changed.
She started off with a half hour of cardio, and then an hour of Pilates. By eleven-forty, she headed to the weight room to get in another half hour of strength training before calling it quits and relaxing in the hot tub.
A couple of guys were in the weight room, announcing their presence by grunting and groaning like Neanderthals as they bench pressed enormous weight. Nivea sucked her teeth in disgust as she moved to the far side of the room and began working her back muscles. After ten relatively easy repetitions, she added more weight. Sweat poured down her face, confirming that she was pushing herself to the maximum.
She squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched her face in an unattractive grimace as she went through the painful repetitions.
“Maybe you should use lighter weights; you don’t want to pull a muscle,” said a male voice, taking her off-guard. Feeling somewhat embarrassed at being caught with her face scrunched in such an unappealing way, she relaxed her facial muscles and opened her eyes, expecting to see a helpful staff member. To her surprise she was looking in the face of the obnoxious Mr. Handsome. He was holding a container of orange juice.
“Not you again!” Nivea frowned in irritation.
“Hey, I was only trying to prevent you from straining your muscles,” he said with that cocky smile that made her want to slap him.
“Did I ask for your help? Why don’t you go pester someone else?”
Unfazed by her negative reaction to him, his brow arched in amusement. “Suit yourself, but if you get hurt, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With a shrug, he turned away. Chugging down orange juice, he sauntered toward the racks of free weights and barbells.
She caught a glimpse of his arrogant strut, and thought, He irks the shit out of me. Acting like I was supposed to swoon over his offer to help me. His conceited ass must think he’s God’s gift to women! Every fiber of her being tensed and stiffened, objecting to his cocky demeanor and air of entitlement. Even though he was no longer invading her personal space, she was completely rattled by the intrusion. With her workout officially ruined, she let go of the bar, allowing the loud clang of steel against steel to express her disgust. Head held high and with an angry sway to her hips, Nivea exited the weight room and hit the shower.
After showering, she considered getting another massage, but decided to try another spa experience. Selecting to unwind in the hot tub, she put on a lime-colored, one-piece swimsuit. A glance in the mirror told her she looked hot and curvaceous and the little bit of baby fat that had accumulated in her lower abs was completely concealed.
Nivea smiled at her image. If she continued working on her abs, in another month or so, her tummy would be flat enough to show off in a bikini.
She swept into the hot tub area and was grateful that the area was vacant. The hot, swirling water instantly relaxed her. Reclining with her head resting on a neck pillow, she closed her eyes as the powerful warm jets of water gave her a neck-to-toe massage. The water was incredibly soothing and soon she was in a tranquil state, hovering somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. A slight shift in her position and the jets of water shot between her legs, jolting her with pleasurable sensations that shot directly to her core.
She hadn’t thought about sex since giving birth; it was as if her libido had completely shut down. Now it was awakened and she felt a familiar throb. Her hand meandered downward, settling between her legs. Using the pads of four fingers, she gently pressed against the distressed area, attempting to soothe the dull ache.
But the throbbing persisted, growing more urgent as her middle finger unconsciously fondled her clit. The tempo of her finger strokes increased along with her breathing. Resting her head on the ledge, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and the feeling of anticipation that coursed through her.
The goal was to give herself an enormous orgasm. She could get there quickly by fingering her pussy with her longest finger while pressing on her cl
it with the heel of her palm. Or she could take her time and savor the journey as she thought about scenes from her kinky past. The more vivid her imaginings, the more intensely she would climax. She thought about her various sex escapades and decided to relive the threesome she’d had with two anonymous bartenders last year. Getting fucked by one man while sucking off the other had been one of the freakiest situations she’d ever been involved in. It wasn’t something she’d ever do again now that she was a respectable parent, but it was a convenient memory she could rely on to get her juices flowing.
Mmm. The pressure was building. It had been so long since she’d had any sexual release, she couldn’t control the soft murmurings or the gentle thrusts of her pelvis as her mind drifted from the ménage to the time Knox performed oral sex on her while her sister was in the next room making drinks to celebrate her and Knox’s upcoming wedding.
Mmm. Oh, yeah. Her hand moved more urgently and perspiration beads popped over her forehead. That memory of Knox eating her pussy with Courtney only a few feet away really had her going. So much so that she bit down on her lip, grimacing as mounting pressure accumulated in her core. Soft moans escaped her lips and her heart raced. As if a switch had been turned on inside her, Nivea’s flesh was buzzing and vibrating; she could tell it was going to be a massive orgasm. She could tell by the uncontrollable movement of her hips. And the way her groin jutted upward, welcoming the contact with her caressing fingers as well as the heated pressure from the water jets.
“Maybe I can help you with that,” someone whispered close to her ear.
Startled, Nivea gasped; her eyes popped open. Water splashed as she snatched her hand from beneath the crotch of her swimsuit. Pulling herself upright, she twisted around to face the intruder.
It was him! Mr. Handsome was crouched behind her, so close she could feel his breath on the back of her neck.
Recoiling, she frowned at him. “Why would you sneak up on me like that? The way you keep following me around is ridiculous. Your stalker behavior is scary, and if you keep it up, I’m gonna be forced to get a restraining order on you.”
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