“Only? I’m glad you’ve got forty-eight dollars to throw away, because I sure don’t. There is no way I would spend that kind of money if I knew someone was willing to drop me off and pick me up.”
“You’re starting to sound the same way Marilyn did last week when we were at the mall.”
“That’s a scary thought. What did she say to criticize you this time?”
“Well, it wasn’t so much that she was criticizing me, at least not directly, but she was pretty upset at the fact that I spent sixty dollars on this red nightgown,” Regina said, slipping it out of the suitcase and passing it over to Karen.
“This is beautiful, but, as much as I hate to agree with any of what Miss Thing has to say, I have to agree that sixty dollars was a bit steep for any piece of lingerie I can think of. Especially since you probably won’t have it on longer than five minutes.”
“Maybe so, but I don’t care if I only get to wear it for two minutes, just so long as it turns Larry on. When he called earlier, all he talked about was how he wished I had flown down to Atlanta, and how he couldn’t wait to get home and make love to me. And this outfit right here is going to make him want to even more.”
“You don’t have to convince me. It’s your pocketbook, and you know we never see eye to eye when it comes to money, anyway, so there’s no sense in us going round and round about something that we’re never going to agree on.”
“You’re sounding like Marilyn again. You guys are just too conservative. Shit, you only live once, and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no guarantee that tomorrow will even come.”
Karen didn’t say anything, because it was that very attitude that caused Regina and Larry to live from week to week and the reason Regina was always having to worry about which bill she was going to be able to put off until next month. Which never made any sense, because if she didn’t have enough money to pay it this month, how was she going to pay twice as much the next? Regina was Karen’s best friend, but how anybody with a household income over one hundred thousand dollars could position themselves into a financial situation like that was far beyond Karen.
Regina tucked the expensive nightgown back into the suitcase. “Well, I guess that’s about it. All I have to do now is slip on my jeans, put on my face, and brush through my hair.”
“I’ll zip up all your luggage and take it down to the living room while you’re doing that,” Karen said and stood up. “Is there anything else you want me to do?”
“No, I think that’s it.” Regina sashayed into the bathroom off the master bedroom.
Karen zipped both the garment and overnight bags and then the medium-sized suitcase. She carried them down to the living room all at once and then returned up to the bedroom. She leaned her shoulder inside the bathroom doorway and watched Regina smooth on her foundation. “I can’t believe Larry didn’t find out about you coming down there or at least get a little suspicious at some point.”
Regina went across her right eyelash with brownish-black mascara. “I really think he believed I was sold on that New Orleans trip in July. Although, I was so afraid that he had busted me this morning when he called and realized I wasn’t at work, but I played it off as best I could. It didn’t sound like he suspected anything out of the ordinary.”
“How did he know you were at home in the first place?”
“He called my office, and when Shelly told him I wasn’t in yet, he called here. I didn’t think he would call me at work, since he’d been calling every night, and it was a good thing I’d warned her of what to say just in case.”
Karen folded her arms, leaned her head against the doorway, and yawned. “I’m so tired, and I’m starting to feel sleepy.”
“If my husband had jumped my bones last night and then again first thing this morning, I would be tired and sleepy too.”
“Is your mind ever out of the gutter?” Karen said, shaking her head.
“Well, you know that’s what it is, unless maybe you’re pregnant.”
“Girl, please. Don’t even wish something that terrible on me, unless you want to see me totally lose my mind and slip into a severe state of depression. It’s almost nine-thirty, so you better get your butt out of that mirror before you miss your flight,” Karen said and then walked over to the chaise and lay back on it.
Regina was still laughing. “I knew if I brought up the subject of having babies, you’d wake up in a heartbeat.”
CHAPTER 8
REGINA HAD made it to Atlanta. Finally, all the sneaking, planning, and shopping for this major event were now only minutes away from paying off. This was going to be the surprise of Larry’s life, and she couldn’t wait to see his reaction. He’d be shocked at first but eventually overjoyed.
The plane ride hadn’t been the greatest, though. The flight had been delayed two hours because of some maintenance problem, and her ears were still plugged from all the popping. What’s more, she still had that woozy feeling in her stomach that had come right when the pilot had reached cruising altitude. Her nerves were running wild from all of the excitement, and her heart was beating a mile a minute.
She couldn’t wait to see her husband, and this taxi driver wasn’t going nearly as fast as she needed him to. She wanted him to ride in the backseat so she could take over the steering wheel. She would show him how to get there in what Karen’s grandmother used to call “a who run and a rip.” Regina smiled, because Grandma Claire had always had a funny and unique way with words. Words Regina had never heard anywhere else. Like “she-booty,” which meant a “big behind.” Or “jessey,” which meant “just any kind.” Or “jack leg,” which was a minister who was sure he could, but didn’t know how to, preach. And best of all was “cuff,” which was an outrageous black person that had no morals. Regina could still hear Grandma Claire saying now, “Cuffs just won’t act right.” Karen was the only person she knew who had a grandmother so humorous, so wise and so loving.
But then, Karen always seemed to have the best of everything. It was Karen who had always been the teacher’s pet. It was Karen who had always gotten the straight As in high school—without studying until the night before a test. It was Karen who, even without being light-skinned, had the clearest skin. It was Karen who’d always gotten the best-looking boyfriends. It was Karen who’d graduated magna cum laude from college and had completed her MBA while working full-time. It was Karen who’d been the first to find a husband that worshiped the ground that she walked on. It was Karen who had first moved into one of the ritziest subdivisions in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. It was Karen who had first purchased an SUV. It was Karen who had been promoted twice in one year and received a huge raise.
Regina didn’t know whether to be angry at herself or downright embarrassed because of what she was thinking. Karen was her best friend and had proven it over and over, time and time again. She’d had these thoughts a lot lately, though, and couldn’t understand why. Surely, she didn’t envy Karen. At least, she didn’t think she did. And anyway, how could she? Karen was her girl. The sister she’d never had. They had played together as children and cried together whenever there was trouble. But it was just that everything always seemed to fall right down in her lap without her ever having to put forth any real effort to get it. Sometimes it just didn’t seem fair.
Regina wished this driver would step on it. “How far are we from the Marriott?” she finally asked.
“It’s just up ahead,” the taxi driver said and pointed straight in front of him.
Good. She dug inside her purse, located her compact, removed her black Ray-Bans, and patted her nose with the pink, plush sponge. Her lipstick was still intact from when she’d freshened it up right after landing. She forced the compact back into her purse and pulled out her wallet so she’d be ready to pay the cab fare the moment they arrived in front of the hotel. When she started to put her sunglasses back on, she noticed the driver gaping at her in his rearview mirror. Admiring her, she guessed, and to tell the truth, she underst
ood why. Luanne had outdone herself when she’d cut her hair two days ago, and Regina’s complexion was completely blemish free, thanks to those Ambi skin-care products she’d been using religiously for the last two months. It may have been vain, but she knew she was looking good.
She scanned all of the buildings as they continued down the street. Peachtree Avenue sort of reminded her of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Right in the heart of downtown and filled with clusters of stores and restaurants of all kinds. If it hadn’t been for that plane delay, she would’ve had plenty of time to drop her luggage off at the front desk of the hotel and visit at least a couple of the clothing shops before Larry’s class was over. She still needed to find Karen a birthday gift. But then, she would definitely have time tomorrow. All day, for that matter.
They rolled up in front of the hotel, and as planned, she handed the man a twenty-dollar bill, told him to keep the change, and swung open the car door. She pulled out the overnight bag, threw it on the same shoulder her purse was swinging from, retrieved the last two pieces of luggage from the backseat, and, although she didn’t intend to, slammed the door.
Each of the bellboys standing out front were busy with other patrons, and she didn’t have time for any more of this waiting. She proceeded toward the revolving door but then realized how impossible it was going to be to get through it, since she was carrying such a bulky load. She glanced to the right and spied a normal door, but just when she went to set down the suitcase to open it, a cute little Chinese boy did it for her. “Thank you,” she said, smiling at him. She wasn’t sure if he understood English or not, but when she saw him smile back as if acknowledging her appreciation, she figured he did.
She strode through the luxurious lobby toward the long row of elevators and pressed the top button. Just standing inside a hotel of this distinction gave her a cozy feeling. Made her feel important. And who wouldn’t? The color scheme was a beautiful, deep shade of burgundy, and the atrium hovering over her was completely out of this world. Not to mention the more than sixteen hundred rooms spread throughout all forty-seven floors.
When she turned back toward the elevator, she heard a chime, and the door directly in front of her opened. A middle-aged black couple, a young black girl, probably their teenaged daughter, and an older, classy-looking white gentleman stepped out. Regina, two other women, and a bellboy stepped on.
“You’ve got quite a load. Which floor are you going to?” one of the women asked.
“Twenty-two, thank you,” Regina said and smiled.
When they arrived at the tenth floor, the two women got off, and the bellboy did the same on the seventeenth. When the car reached the twenty-second floor, Regina stepped out, studied the arrows on the wall to see which direction room 2218 was in, and headed straight for it. Finally.
She positioned herself in front of Larry’s room, dropped everything on the floor except her purse, and knocked three times. With all of the rushing and excitement, she hadn’t even considered the fact that Larry might not even be in his room. She raised her right fist to knock again but lowered it when she heard footsteps approaching the door, which opened halfway.
“Just sit it down on the dresser,” Larry said.
It was all Regina could do to keep from cracking up when she realized Larry had mistaken her for room service. She pushed the door open a little farther and saw him walking away. He was wearing the black terry-cloth wrap she’d bought for him last Christmas, and his body looked good enough to eat. She dragged her luggage inside, sat her purse down on top of it, and shut the door. She heard the shower running, and she was glad she’d gotten there in time enough to jump in with him. They hadn’t made love under steamy, hot running water in a long time, and she was looking forward to it.
“I’m not room service, but I’ve got everything you need for dinner,” she said, laughing.
Larry swirled around, looking as if he’d just seen a ghost.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” she asked.
“What are you doing here?” Larry finally asked.
“What do you think? To spend some time with my handsome husband.”
He moved closer to her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming when I called you this morning?”
Regina met him halfway and reached out to embrace him. “I wanted this to be a surprise, and it was more than worth it just to see this look on your face. I really got you good this time, didn’t I?”
Larry wrapped his arms around her, still in a state of shock. “I really wish you’d told me, Regina.”
She leaned her head back and stared him straight in his face. “Why? All that matters now is that I’m here, and now we can finally spend some quality time together in this gorgeous hotel suite.”
Larry opened his mouth to say something, but just then the shower was turned off. Regina jerked her arms from around him.
“What happened to the shower? Why did it just shut off like that?” she asked.
“You really should have told me you were flying down here.”
What the hell was he talking about? She had a feeling she didn’t want to know. “Is somebody in there?”
Larry didn’t say anything. Didn’t even move.
“Why aren’t you saying anything, Larry? What is going on here?” The tone of her voice was much louder now than it had been one minute ago.
Regina pushed past him, stormed into the next room where the king-sized bed was, and shoved open the bathroom door. Larry rushed behind her.
Regina’s heart dropped through her stomach when she saw who was standing in front of the shower door reaching for a bath towel. This just couldn’t be. She clinched her eyes shut and prayed this was nothing more than a dream, but when she opened them, Marilyn was still standing before her, butt naked and dripping wet. Regina felt as though she was being struck with high-voltage shock waves. Then with no warning and no energy to prevent it, she collapsed against the wall and slid all the way down. Tears were already flooding her cheeks. Larry pulled her up, into his arms, and escorted her back out to the bedroom. Marilyn stood in the same spot where she was, motionless.
When Regina realized Larry was holding her, she pushed him away and cried, “Why, Larry? How could you do something like this? Oh God, how could you do something like this?”
Larry held both hands up and opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“How could you mess around with one of my closest friends?” Regina said, wiping her tears with her hands.
Larry inched a little closer to Regina. “Let me explain, Regina. It’s not what you think. It’s not what you think at all.”
“I come in here and find Marilyn butt naked and you’re telling me it’s not what I think? Please. Larry, you must think I’m crazy.”
Regina turned toward the bathroom and saw Marilyn coming out wearing a lavender silk robe. This bitch was bold. She wasn’t making any attempt to get dressed or leave or do anything. Regina was boiling hot. “How could you do some shit like this, Marilyn? I’ve been a good friend to you for the last twelve years. I can’t believe you would even stoop to some shit like this. What’s the matter with you?”
“Look Regina, I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but now that everything is all out in the open, none of us has to ride down front street anymore. I don’t have to pretend that you and I are good friends, and Larry doesn’t have to pretend that he loves you, when he knows he doesn’t.”
“What do you mean we’re not friends? You know, Karen has been right about your critical, jealous, cheap-dressing, pony weave-wearing ass all along, and I was stupid for not listening to her. And I can’t believe you had the audacity to go shopping with me last week, knowing good and well you were flying your ass down here. You wanted me to find out this way, and only a filthy, rotten bitch could do some shit like that.”
Larry cocked his head to the side and then up the same way that ring-eyed dog on the Little Rascals used to do when he was totally surprised about something. He couldn�
�t believe Marilyn had known all along that Regina was flying down to be with him. Damn. He’d been planning to tell Regina real soon, but not like this.
“Marilyn. I need to talk to Regina alone, so can you please get dressed and leave the room for a while?” Larry said and then took a deep breath.
“What do you need to talk to her alone for? She knows what’s up now, and that’s all she needs to know. If you think I’m going to leave her alone with you so she can beg and plead with you not to leave her, you must be crazy.”
“Bitch, what do you mean beg? This is my husband, not yours,” Regina yelled and then stepped so close to Marilyn that their bodies almost brushed.
“I mean exactly what I said, and as far as I can see, you’re the only bitch in here. The man doesn’t want you anymore, and begging is the only leg you’ve got to stand on.”
Regina couldn’t take this shit anymore, and before she knew it, she had hauled off and slapped Marilyn with her right hand. Marilyn grabbed the left side of her face, obviously trying to ease the pain, and then gazed at Regina with her eyes squinted. “It’s on now, bitch,” Marilyn said, swinging both her arms.
Larry jumped between the two of them, facing Marilyn and grabbing both of her hands before she could take a single strike at Regina. “Marilyn, please don’t do this,” Larry said.
“Move, Larry. Didn’t you just see that bitch slap me?” Marilyn screamed.
Regina made her way around Larry and knocked Marilyn’s head to the side as hard as she could with the flat of her hand. Marilyn broke away from Larry, turned around, and resumed swinging with all her might. Regina fought back. Their bodies locked together and collided against the wall, Regina pulling Marilyn’s weave, hoping to yank it apart from the two inches of natural hair that she had, and Marilyn pressing Regina’s face with as much force as she was capable of, trying hard to bruise it. Larry tried to pull them apart, but they were holding each other too tightly, and neither of them was willing to let go.
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