Four Degrees of Heat

by Rochelle Alers, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Brenda L. Thomas; Crystal Lacey Winslow

  Kendrick glared at Damon, who glared right back. “Victoria, you want to tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Victoria walked over to Damon’s side. “I’m not telling you anything, except get out of my house before I call the cops.”

  “I see you ain’t too broken up about our wedding,” Kendrick said, never taking his eyes off Damon.

  “News flash! We didn’t have a wedding. Your ass didn’t show up. Now you have the nerve to show up here, demanding to know who is inmy house. You must be on crack!”

  Kendrick finally broke his gaze on Damon, who hadn’t flinched, and spun on Victoria. “So were you fucking him while we were together?”

  “You know what, Kendrick? I don’t have time for this. Get out.” Victoria pointed toward the door.

  Kendrick ignored her and turned to Damon. “Yo, bro, she tell you she got a man?”

  “As a matter of fact, she did. She told me she had one, but she figured they had broken up, since the chicken-shit brother didn’t show up for her wedding and only sent a note by a homeless man.” Damon stepped toward Kendrick, his fists balled at his sides.

  “So you just thought you’d step right in and console her?”

  “Somebody needed to.”

  Kendrick looked like he wanted to lunge for Damon’s throat right then, but the three inches and about thirty pounds in size difference seemed to have made him think twice.

  Kendrick took a deep breath like he was contemplating his next move. “Look, man, my beef ain’t with you. I’m goin’ need you to leave so I can work things out with my woman.”

  “I am not your fucking woman!” Victoria screamed. Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her back, trying to calm her down.

  “I think she asked you to leave,” Damon said forcefully.

  “This is between me and her.”

  “If you don’t leave now, it’s gonna be between me and you.”

  Kendrick paused. “So, Victoria, it’s like that?”

  “Kendrick, get out of my house. Please.”

  Kendrick looked like he wanted to cry. He swallowed. “Fine. I knew there was a reason I didn’t want to marry your skank ass.”

  Victoria was about to light into him again, but Damon stepped in. “Trust me my man, her ass is anything but skank.” Damon reached down and palmed it. “In fact, it’s quite luscious.”

  Kendrick stepped toward Damon, ready to pounce. Damon moved toward him as well.

  “Motherfucker, if you even think about jumping, your ass is good as dead.”

  Kendrick thought about it, then flipped his hand. “Fuck it. You can have her. That’s why I left her controlling ass at the altar. You’ll see.” Kendrick forced a laugh as he headed toward the front door. “Yep, you’ll see.”

  Victoria almost picked up the vase sitting on her sofa table and hurled it at Kendrick’s head. Instead she just let him leave and shook her head at his nerve.

  “You okay?” Damon asked, rubbing her back.

  “I’m cool.” She smiled as she pictured Damon playing the tough guy with Kendrick. “Wow, the D.A. getting tough.”

  “I told you I’m from the streets.” Damon ran his hand gently up and down Victoria’s arm. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

  Victoria looked away. Her heart was aching. How could she feel anything but utter contempt for Kendrick? “I hate him,” she whispered.

  Damon draped his arms around her waist. “But unfortunately, you love him, too.” He gently kissed her neck. “Trust me, I understand.” Damon spun Victoria around to face him. “If only our hearts would follow our heads. You can’t choose who you fall in love with. Because common sense is telling me, ‘Man, you’re not even divorced yet. This woman is going through some things herself. You don’t need to jump from one relationship to another.’ Common sense is telling me all that.”

  Victoria slyly smiled. “And what are you telling common sense?”

  “To go to hell. I love how I am with you. I love how you make me feel.” Damon took Victoria’s hand and placed it on his chest. “So between the head and the heart, the heart wins every time.” Damon leaned in and kissed Victoria passionately. “Let me make you forget Kendrick,” he whispered as he kissed her breasts.

  “Kendrick who?” Victoria moaned as she closed her eyes and savored his touch.

  Chapter 11

  Victoria glanced out the peephole. It had been a couple of months and she’d only seen her once, but no doubt about it, that was Trina standing on her front porch. What was she doing here? Damon had only been gone a few minutes. He’d gone to visit one of his fraternity brothers who lived nearby. Trina must’ve been watching the house and came as soon as she saw him leave.

  “May I help you?” Victoria asked after she opened the door.

  “I came to talk to you. Woman to woman.” Trina stood there with her arms crossed and attitude written across her face.

  “You know, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I don’t think you have anything to talk to me about.” Victoria moved to close the door.

  “Oh, I think I do.” Victoria hesitated before looking outside. Her neighbor across the street, old nosey Mrs. LaReau was peering at her. Victoria decided she didn’t need a scene in her front yard so she took a deep breath, then stepped to the side allowing Trina to enter.

  “You have five minutes,” Victoria said. She didn’t know why she was giving this woman the time of day, but Trina seemed determined, so she might as well get it over with.

  Trina glared at her. “I only need four.” She adjusted her Kate Spade bag on her shoulder. “Look, I don’t know what you call yourself doing with my husband—”

  Victoria cut her off. “He’s about to be your ex-husband.”

  “But he’s not yet.” Trina’s stare was piercing. “As I was saying, I don’t know what you call yourself doing withmy husband, but you need to leave him alone.”

  Hit the bitch in the eye. Victoria shook off the evil thoughts creeping into her head. “I think that should be left up to Damon. I’m not making him do anything he doesn’t want to do.”

  “Damon is acting out right now. He’s like a little boy scorned, and for your own sake, you need to back off.”

  Victoria snickered. “Oh, so it’s my feelings you’re concerned about?”

  “I’m just trying to tell you.”

  Victoria sighed. She didn’t know why she was even indulging this woman. “How did you find out where I live?”

  “I am very resourceful. I felt obliged to tell you, Damon and I have a bond that you will never be able to break.”

  “Well, you weren’t too concerned about that bond when you were gallivanting around with Felix Cambridge.” Victoria crossed her arms and glared back.If this heifer thinks she can come here and intimidate me, she is out of her mind.

  “My relationship with Felix was a mistake. I felt neglected, and I made a mistake. I’ve told Damon that. He’s a little bitter right now, but he’ll come around. You, however, all up in his face are clouding his judgment.”

  Count to ten. She wants you to act a fool so she can play the helpless wife.“I’m not in his face. I live three hundred miles away. Damon is in my face because he wants to be.”

  “Well, he talks to you daily.”

  “How do you know how often he talks to me? Are you spying on him?”

  “I will do whatever I have to do to save my marriage.”

  “So now you’re interested in your marriage?”

  “I will save my marriage,” Trina stressed. Her voice softened, like she was genuinely concerned about Victoria. “You have to realize that this relationship is headed nowhere. Damon is impulsive and stubborn. When common sense prevails, he’ll want to honor his vows of for better or for worse. But you, you should be able to see that you don’t mean anything to him. Think about it. Have you met his family? Has he even talked to you about meeting his family? Have you even been to Dallas to see him, or does he just come here, fuck you, and go back home?”

&nbs
p; Victoria shook her head. This was getting ridiculous, and she’d had enough. “Your five minutes are up.” Victoria headed toward her front door. Trina might be ghetto, but she was not. So she refused to let this woman reduce her to the point of acting a fool, and that’s just what would happen if she spent one more minute with this bitch. And she damn sure wasn’t about to get to fighting over a man.

  Trina defiantly plopped down on the couch. She crossed her long, sultry legs and tossed back her hair. “I just felt if I came and talked to you woman to woman, we could get this straight. But it’s obvious you’re not getting it, so let me break it down. You’re something to do. A rebound. Payback. I hope you realize, messing with my husband, you’ll only end up hurt.”

  Victoria took a deep breath. No, she wouldn’t fight this woman over a man, but she would fight her for her blatant disrespect.Just keep your cool. “Thank you for your analysis, but I’m a grown woman; I can take care of myself. I think the only reason you have any interest in salvaging your marriage is because Damon doesn’t want you anymore.”

  “Oh, that is so funny. Doesn’t want me?” She laughed before suddenly stopping and turning serious. “Sweetheart, he will always want me. I’m in his blood. Have been since he hit puberty. He’s just a little hurt right now. But when he gets over that, he’ll come begging me to come back like he always does.” Trina looked at her fingernails, then extended her hand like she was examining it. Victoria figured she was trying to make sure Victoria noticed the huge wedding ring on her finger. “I’ll admit it,” Trina continued, brushing off imaginary lint on her sleeve, “I was a bad girl. But I know that in time, Damon will get over it. He loves me that much. You can never compete with me.”

  “Get out of my house.”

  “I’ll leave, but consider yourself warned.” Trina grabbed her purse, stood up, and strutted to the door without so much as a glance Victoria’s way. Victoria slammed the door as hard as she could.

  “Uggghhhh! I can’t believe that bitch!” Victoria stood in the middle of the living room, seething. Slowly, she started to think about Trina’s words. The woman was right. He was still married, and no doubt about it, he got involved with her because he was hurting over Trina. Maybe she was setting herself up. Maybe she had fooled herself into thinking their relationship was more than it really was. She was a rebound, plain and simple. How could she compete with the woman who had been in Damon’s life since he was a little boy?

  Victoria’s anger was now mixed with doubt. She walked over to her cordless phone, picked it up, and punched in Damon’s cell phone number. She got his answering service and left a message asking him to call her back.

  When the phone rang a few minutes later, Victoria snatched it up on the first ring.

  “Damon?”

  “Uh, no. It’s Iman.”

  “Hey, girl.” Victoria sank into her love seat.

  “Well, damn. Don’t sound so thrilled to hear from me.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s not that. I’m just waiting on Damon to call me back.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “His wife.”

  “His what? You didn’t tell me he was married. You’re messing with a married man?”

  “It’s complicated. The only reason I gave Damon the time of day was because I knew they were divorcing.”

  Victoria heard Iman clicking her lips with skepticism. “That’s what they all say.”

  Victoria had debated telling Iman how she and Damon actually met. But at this point, she needed someone to talk to. “Let’s just say the whole reason Damon was in Belize in the first place was to catch his wife with her lover.”

  “Oooooh.”

  “Yeah, but you wouldn’t know she was the one caught cheating. All she wanted to know was who I was. Forget the man she had come there with. Damon said he had her served with divorce papers as soon as he got back. Despite what she did, she seems to think there’s still hope.”

  “Is there?” Iman’s words made Victoria think. She had been proceeding full speed ahead with Damon without any real thought to his situation. How do you just throw away four years of marriage to someone you really love?

  “I thought it was over, but now I don’t know.” Victoria sighed.

  “What does that mean?”

  “Trina showed up at my door today, demanding I leave Damon alone.”

  “I hope you cut that bitch.”

  Victoria laughed. As sensitive as Iman was, she could be extremely volatile—she probablywould’ve cut Trina. “I came close,” Victoria responded. Just then her other line clicked. “Hold on, that may be Damon.”

  “Hello,” Victoria said once she clicked over.

  “Hey, baby, what’s up? I got your page.” It was Damon. “I’m still here chilling with Bruce.”

  “Hold on.” Victoria clicked back over, told Iman she’d call her back, then clicked back to Damon. “I had a visitor right after you left.”

  “Don’t tell me Kendrick had the nerve to come back?’

  “No, not my ex, yours.”

  “My Trina?”

  Victoria didn’t like the sound of that. “Yeah,your Trina.”

  Damon must’ve detected the sarcasm in her voice. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just dumbfounded. What the hell is she doing here? Why would she come to your house?”

  “Why else? To warn me to stay away from you.”

  “How does she know where you live?” Damon sounded like a frantic, cheating husband whose wife had discovered his mistress. Victoria got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

  “She made it clear that I’m keeping you two from reconciling.”

  Damon was silent for a minute, and the sick feeling in Victoria’s stomach deepened. “I’m sorry, Victoria. Trina can get quite ignorant. I hope she didn’t show her ass.”

  “She did. But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.” Victoria felt herself ready to cry. How could she be so stupid? She knew better than to get involved with a married man. Until he was actually divorced, no man was really free. “Damon, what’s going on? Am I standing in the way of you trying to work things out with Trina?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Victoria fiddled with the cord on the phone. Her heart had barely healed from Kendrick, and now she’d allowed it to be broken again. She’d only known Damon a short time. Why in the world would she let herself get so wrapped up in him? Do not cry. Do not cry? The old Victoria would’ve done whatever possible to keep herself strong, not let a man see her cry. But after Kendrick, this had just become too much to bear. “Damon,” Victoria sniffled as the tears began trickling down her cheeks, “I don’t blame you. It’s my fault. I should’ve known better than to get involved with you. You’re still married.”

  Damon sighed. “This is crazy. I’m still married only because there’s a waiting period.”

  “But if I wasn’t around—” Victoria had to stop talking to keep her voice from cracking.

  “Victoria, are you crying?”

  Victoria didn’t respond.

  “I’m on my way back over there.” Victoria was about to protest, but Damon had already hung up the phone.

  Victoria placed the phone back on the cradle and leaned back against the sofa. She knew they were together on the rebound, but she thought they’d progressed so much further than that. Victoria rubbed her temple. Her head was throbbing. This was supposed to be a nice, relaxing weekend; now one visit from Trina, and everything had changed.

  Victoria hadn’t even realized she had dozed off when she heard the doorbell ring. She jumped up, raced to the door, and swung it open.

  Damon came storming in. Victoria was poised, ready to break things off right then and there.

  “Look,” Damon said, “I know we came together through less-than-desirable circumstances. But I need you to understand.” He grabbed Victoria and pulled her to him. “I don’t want Trina. I want you. Only you.”

  Victoria didn’t know what to say. He was so convincing, but s
o was Trina.

  “But if I weren’t around—”

  “If you weren’t around, I’d simply be by myself. Trina lost my heart in Belize. You found it there.” Victoria looked off as she felt herself tearing up again.

  “But I haven’t even been to visit you in Dallas.”

  “Is that what this is about? You want to come see me in Dallas? You have my home number, my cell number, my pager number, and my work number. I talk to you every night into the wee hours. So I can’t possibly be still living with Trina, if that’s what you think, now can I? I’ve been coming here because you know I’m staying with my brother for now, and I thought we’d have privacy. But if coming to Dallas will make you feel secure with what we have, by all means come on. We can get a hotel. I don’t care, I just want to be with you.”

  Victoria thought about that. He had a point. There was never a time she couldn’t get in touch with him. And their conversations went to three and four in the morning. But she’d seen her share of men who knew how to play the game. Or maybe he was devoting his time to her now—but all that could change once he got over being mad at Trina.

  “I think you know me well enough by now to know, I’m honest. I don’t play games. If I thought there was even a glimmer of hope for Trina and me, I would not be here with you. Look at me.” Damon pulled Victoria’s chin toward him. “I want you. I love only you.”

  Victoria gazed into Damon’s eyes. If she had any doubt about their relationship, it was gone that very moment. She wanted to trust again. She wanted to love again. And Damon was just the man for the job. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was worth a try. With Kendrick, all the signs were there that he wasn’t ready to fully commit to her. But Victoria realized she had overlooked them becauseshe was ready. Before Kendrick, she had never had her heart broken. After Kendrick, she had sworn no one would get that close again. Maybe she’d grown. Maybe she’d realized true love was worth some risks. Whatever the case, Victoria knew Damon was her destiny. This time, as the tears came forward, Victoria didn’t even consider holding them back. She let them flow freely as she hugged Damon tightly and muttered, “I love you back.”