by Cydney Rax
“I told you what went down.”
“I heard what you told me. But I doubt that it went down like that. You sleeping at a renovation house? What the fuck ever.”
“You tripping. Don’t act like this hasn’t happened before.”
Kiara thought about it. A couple of times in the past, he had slept at the job site . . . because he said he was too drained to make it home and he wasn’t going to take chances driving. Back then she bundled up their child and drove to the job site to see if he was there. He was, because she noticed his work van. She went back home and never told Rashad she did a drive-by.
“Well, don’t get comfy,” she told him. She went and threw on some sweats, a t-shirt, and some flip-flops. She grabbed her keys and purse.
“Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“You’re about to show me where you were at. Come on.”
“Kiara, I don’t have time for this.”
She stared at him. “Rashad, when we took our vows almost ten years ago, one of the things you promised was to make me feel secure. You remember that?”
“Yeah. And—”
“I know what you’re about to say. But financial security isn’t the only way in which a woman needs to feel secure.”
“If you are saying you don’t trust me, then why are you with me? Why would you be with a man you don’t trust?”
“Prove to me that you can be trusted. And if you were where you say you were, you’d have no problem taking me to that spot. Right now. Let’s go.”
He gave a nonchalant shrug and went out to the garage to get in her car.
She got Myles, who was still completely knocked out, and struggled to carry him to the car. Kiara gently placed him on the backseat. She opened the garage door and they were on their way.
“Tell me where to go, Rashad.”
He slumped in his seat and gave her directions.
They drove approximately forty minutes to the northern part of town.
“Turn down this street.”
She did and he pointed at a one-story frame house on the left. It was surrounded by a white picket fence.
“You happy now? That’s where I was.”
She stared at the house, then frowned at him. She made a U-turn then drove back up the street until they were right in front of the house.
“What are you doing?”
She parked then put the car in neutral.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay. I’m putting my foot down on this, Kiara. We are not about to go up to this house. That’s trespassing. You see those big dogs in the yard?”
“Wait. I thought you said it was this house?”
“No. That one. The one with those two Rottweilers. And you know you’re scared of dogs.”
Kiara nervously laughed. “This is insane. What am I doing here?”
“You need to slow it down, babe. This is not us. We don’t do crazy shit like this.”
“Then why am I doing this?”
Rashad reached over and tried to hug her. “You are stressed. You need a vacation. I could use some R and R, too.”
She said not a word. She put the car in drive and kept traveling until they were back at their own house. They quietly went inside. Kiara made Rashad tuck Myles back in his bed. She lacked the energy and desire to do it herself.
When Rashad was done, he found Kiara in the kitchen, sitting at the breakfast table. He made her some hot green tea with lemon and handed a cup to her.
“Thanks,” she told him. “I just want you to keep me posted about everything. Communicate.” Her voice was hoarse. “I worry when you are gone all night, or for a long time.”
He nodded. “That’s understandable. But you should automatically know, when I ain’t here, ninety percent of my time is spent trying to make money. The other ten percent is just little stuff I need to do. But I don’t feel like I gotta check in with you first before I do anything that’s just normal day-to-day stuff. Would you want to give me a full itinerary of everything you do before you do it?”
“Nope, not really.”
“Good. I’m your husband. Ain’t no other Mrs. Eason out there but you.”
“I already know that. I’m just concerned about the wannabes.”
He laughed.
“Rashad,” Kiara said, standing up, “You know as well as I do that some chicks have no respect for another woman’s relationship. Haven’t you met chicks like that?”
“What? Not really.”
“Oh, now I know you’re lying.” She came and stood directly in front of him.
“How you know that?”
“Someone told me they saw your ass kissing another chick. A tall, pretty woman. Does that sound familiar?”
“If that someone is Adina, be suspect. She’s a hater. Plus she can’t see worth a damn.”
“Really, Rashad. Is that all you got?”
“It wasn’t me, whatever she saw.”
Kiara looked up in Rashad’s eyes. “Well,” she said, and shoved him backward into the kitchen counter, “I’m still waiting on you to prove that you’re trustworthy, and until that happens you will see this very stressed Kiara Eason.”
“Why you shove me?”
She smacked him across his face.
“This is just in case you’ve lied.” She smacked him again. “And this is for taking me for granted.” Her slaps annoyed Rashad, but he didn’t flinch. He grabbed her around her waist and squeezed her into a hug. He felt guilty because he knew he’d done her wrong, but he wasn’t ready to confess his sins.
“I don’t mean to take you for granted, babe. And, forgive me for stressing you out. But you’re not with just any man. I am considered a business pillar of this community, at least that’s what I want to be. So I have big goals. To reach them, I must be on my grind. Yes, I work around pretty women. I do lunch with them. I treat them. But they’re my clients. And don’t forget, one reason I work so hard is for you. I’m trying to pay for our cruise trip that’s coming up this fall. Another deposit is due.”
Kiara decided to back down. She knew Rashad was trying to stay on her good side.
“How could I forget the cruise?”
“Babe, we both work so hard,” he said in a tender voice. “Besides that, what else do we do? Don’t you want to get out of Houston? Go get our sexy back?”
“Well, yes. I do, but—” Her throat clogged with hurt. Her spirit couldn’t completely rest, no matter what he told her, but Kiara was weary of arguing. And as much as she asked her husband for the truth, it was a fact that many women who had issues with their men simply couldn’t handle the truth even if they got it.
Truth demands decisions. Truth forces changes. Was Kiara ready for major changes, things that would totally affect her family life, if she had the truth?
Later that afternoon, Kiara told Rashad she had some business to take care of.
“No problem. Me and Myles gonna hang out. He wants me to help him plant seeds in the yard. Something he learned from his Cub Scout meeting.”
“That’s the type of thing I like to hear from my husband,” she told him.
Kiara hopped in her car and drove until she reached a Chili’s Grill & Bar that was closer to Adina’s neighborhood.
They greeted each other and slid in a corner booth across from each other.
“What’s up, my friend?” Adina asked.
“Girl, I did what you told me. I confronted him. He denied everything.”
“Of course he would. Why would a cheater admit to something if you have no evidence? Or even when you do have evidence, it gets twisted into another convincing lie.”
“So now my ass is back at square one.”
“Not really,” Adina said. She gave Kiara a pensive look. “I really hate that things had to come to this, but what the hell.”
Adina retrieved a Kindle Fire.
“Damn.” Kiara laughed. “Why did you bring that?”
“Because I knew one day it would come i
n handy.” Adina powered it up and swiped the photos icon.
“I kind of held back some info from you, because I really wanted to protect your little heart. But since your husband is on some bullshit, shots are about to be fired,” Adina told her. She held up the tablet in front of Kiara.
“Here. Look. Tell me what you see.”
“That’s Rashad. And he is kissing a woman.” Kiara strained to get a better look.
“Girl, help me out.”
Adina came and sat next to Kiara so she could take a closer look. “That’s the fucking shirt I bought him for Father’s Day a few years ago.” She laughed. “That bastard lied his ass off. I’m glad I smacked his face.” She looked closer. “Oh, shit. I know this woman. And she is not my husband’s client.” Kiara took a photo of the photo. “That’s it. I deserve better. And I’m about to fucking get it.”
Kiara drove home wiping tears from her eyes. But she dried them right before she pulled into the garage.
When she walked inside the house, she heard the sound of the television. Rashad and Myles were playing a video game.
“Hey, baby boy,” she cooed, “why don’t you go up to your room? I need to talk to your daddy. I won’t take long.”
“Awww, Mommy.”
She gave Myles the look. He threw down the game controller and shot up the stairs.
Kiara calmly went to the master bedroom. She walked inside the custom closet. Rashad had installed the shelving when they first moved in.
“Too bad all that talent is such a waste,” she said. Kiara reached up and yanked a few shirts from the rack on Rashad’s side of the closet.
She stormed from the closet, went to the living room, stood in front of Rashad and held up his clothes.
“Watch this.”
She walked to the hallway, and looked down at Rashad’s suitcase. It was still sitting on the floor from when she first placed it there. She felt Rashad come up behind her. She bent down and dropped the shirts inside one by one.
Kiara went back to the closet.
Rashad was following right behind her.
“What are you doing?”
“Making myself happy.”
“You are nuts.”
“You better hope I don’t kick you in your nuts.”
She spotted a few pairs of his retro Air Jordans, gathered them in her arms, and went to toss them in the suitcase.
He just stared at her.
“I found out you lied about kissing that woman.” She opened her cell phone and showed him her new screen saver: the photo of Rashad in a lip lock with Alexis.
“Every time you do something foul, I will throw your shit in this bag. The day it fills up is the day we’re through.”
Rashad began yelling at her and trying to get his stuff out of the luggage. She shoved him away and went to get a can of pest control spray. She squirted it all throughout the hallway.
Rashad started coughing and immediately left the room. Kiara knew he suffered allergic reactions to roach spray.
When Kiara went to work the next day, the first person she saw standing outside her office was Eddison. As usual, his dress style was impeccable. He wore a light brown suit. He held a large tan mug in his hands. She noticed steam rising from the cup and she detected the rich aroma of a cortado.
“Hello there.”
“Eddison, really?”
After a tough night, his presence soothed her.
“As you can see, I am here to make sure your day starts out well. I wanted to pop in and say hello, make sure you’re good.”
“I’ll be just fine.”
She led him into her office and offered him a seat. He handed her the mug and she took a sip. It tasted delicious.
“Is everything okay? Can I do anything to help?”
“Eddison, you are like my knight. God knows I need that. But I gotta figure out a thing or two.”
“Kiara, just say the word. I will help you in whatever way you need.”
“I know you will. You’re an amazing man.”
“And I’m also trying to get you to reconsider helping my students.”
“Look, thanks for the drink. You’re such a sweetheart, but as far as these kids, I can’t help you. I’d like to. But I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
She sighed and felt frustrated.
“Kiara, please reconsider. These are good kids. We don’t want their future to be thrown away over this. If we help them, we can change the direction of their lives.”
She chuckled and set down her drink.
“I knew you’d do it.” He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“I do owe you. I will pay you back . . . with dividends.” He stood up.
“I’ll be in touch, Eddison, plus I think we need to have a conversation.”
“Let me know when you’re ready.”
She waved bye to him and watched him swagger down the hallway.
“Lord have mercy, that could be mine one day.”
She knew Eddison had her back and it was likely she was going to need him very soon.
But now she had to focus on the business at hand. She had an important mission that day. But it wouldn’t take place for another hour or so, when Alexis was scheduled to arrive at work.
Her cell phone began ringing. It was Rashad. She put his call into voice mail. He was the last person she felt like dealing with right then.
Kiara yearned to be comforted. She was afraid that her marriage was over. And she had to explore other options. She closed her eyes and thought about that dream that she recently had. It seemed so real. She imagined herself in Eddison’s arms again. He made her feel so safe. He was all about the details. And his bringing a coffee seemed so little, but it meant so much.
Alexis texted her and told her she’d be in at nine-thirty. Kiara did not respond. But when her administrative assistant showed up at work, Kiara was waiting for her at her desk.
“Put your things away and come see me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Kiara went to her office. Confronting Alexis would be the most difficult conversation she’d ever had with a woman.
Alexis was there in minutes and immediately shut the door. Her eyes were filled with tears. She couldn’t believe how much of her tears lately had been caused by other females. Something had to give.
“Oh, Mrs. Eason. I think I know why you want to see me.”
Kiara’s cell phone was face-up on her desk, her screen saver clearly visible. Alexis saw the photo of her and Rashad kissing. She started trembling.
“I feel terrible,” she said. “That picture is old. I was young and stupid. Have you ever done something you regretted?”
“Before you get started, don’t. This isn’t about you. He could have slept with any whore. If it ain’t one, it’s another.”
“Excuse me? Okay. I-I—”
“I only called you in here just to let you know that I know. I do not approve. Both of you ought to have known better; especially Rashad.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“That changes nothing. I want to kill you, but what good will it do?”
“It’ll never happen again, I swear.”
“I hope you mean that.” Kiara stared at her. “And now I’m going to sit back . . . and watch how you’ll be dealing with this situation. That’s it. You can go now.”
“I still have a job?”
“Alexis, please get out of my face and close the door when you leave.”
Kiara trembled with anger after Alexis fled her office. She was angry and felt so stupid. She wondered how many times Alexis laughed at her behind her back. She wanted to fire the girl, but she knew she had to walk a very thin line as far as the legal implications of her situation.
Alexis’s hands were shaking as she left Kiara’s office.
The event that had just happened really messed with her mind. In fact, she went back to her desk, expecting
to get an email or a phone call from Kiara or HR, but none of her worst fears were realized. It was difficult to concentrate on her work the rest of the morning.
Right before lunch, she couldn’t take it anymore. She trekked down that long hallway and stepped inside Kiara’s office. Her back was turned. She was on the phone talking in a loud whisper.
Alexis stood and listened.
“You need to be getting you some business, Rashad, because I’m sure enough about to get some.”
A pause.
“Blame yourself. You got the rest of the day to think long and hard about what you’ve done.”
Kiara slammed down the phone.
Alexis started to turn around and discreetly leave, but Kiara saw her before she could flee.
“I really need to remember to close my door. Did you need something, Alexis?”
“May I have a word with you?” Alexis closed the door and took a deep breath. “You may not believe me, you may hate my guts, but I’ve wanted to tell you, but he said not to tell.”
“And of course, you do whatever he says.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Your actions suggest otherwise, because you never went out of your way to let me know you were fucking him.”
“But I wanted to. I just didn’t know how. I had never done it before. I didn’t know when to bring it up—”
“How could you do it?”
“To be honest, when I met him I had no idea he was married. He never wore a wedding ring.”
That part was true. Due to the nature of his work, Rashad almost severed his ring finger when his hand got jammed up in some construction machinery. After a couple close calls, he decided to stop wearing his band and Kiara agreed.
“Oh, that only tells me that if a man doesn’t wear a wedding ring, then he definitely won’t wear a condom.”
Alexis gasped. She hoped she didn’t know about the baby. “I, um—”
“Where’d you do it with him? No, don’t answer. What does it matter at this point?” Kiara stared curiously at the young, stupid woman, the pretty princess who always looked like she was in control.
“What he did was his choice. But, Alexis, make no mistake. He didn’t rape you. It takes two consenting adults to do what you did.”