Twisted Vows of Seduction

by N’Tyse

  Ménage hung up the phone and stuck the folder with all the paperwork in it into her suitcase. She checked herself in the mirror and walked out of the room.

  “We’re here!” Jeff called out.

  “Ooohh, something smells good, Daddy,” Deandra said.

  Ménage appeared from around the corner with a smile on her perfectly made-up face. She had on Denise’s apron that said MOMMY CAN THROW DOWN in big and bold orange letters. “I made you and your dad’s favorite.” Ménage smiled.

  “My favorite?” Jeff questioned, as he put Canvas down. “I didn’t know I had a favorite.”

  “Don’t be silly, baby. You have a favorite.”

  “I know what it is, Daddy!” Deandra said, turning to her father.

  “You do?”

  Deandra nodded. “Pizza!”

  “Oooo yeah! That is my favorite,” Jeff said, giving Ménage the eye that told her he was going along with Deandra on this one. Ménage knew that Deandra loved cheese pizza so that’s what she’d made for dinner. And she had done it all by scratch.

  Ménage walked over to Jeff, kissed him on the cheek, then took the bags out of his hands. “You had a long day at work, honey. Time to relax.” She looked down at Jeff junior and saw how much the boy resembled his father. “He looks just like you,” she said, watching Canvas walk around.

  Jeff nodded. “Thanks.” He looked around the house and saw how much she had cleaned since he’d been gone all day. She hoped she hadn’t left anything out of place. “The house looks great!”

  Ménage laughed. “Thank you, but when is the last time you vacuumed those rugs?”

  Jeff closed his eyes as if trying to remember.

  “Never mind.” She laughed. “That look just gave you away,” she said accusingly. “I also cleaned your room and reorganized your office. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “You didn’t have to go through all that trouble.”

  “It wasn’t any trouble at all. I actually enjoyed it.”

  Jeff gave her a peculiar smirk. “Sure you did.” He walked farther through the house. “Well, I’m going to go shower and change into something more comfortable. Do you mind looking after Canvas for me?”

  “Sure,” Ménage said. “I’ll have your plate ready when you get out.” She walked over to Canvas and picked him up. “Hey, handsome boy you,” she sang.

  Jeff watched her a short while longer before leaving her alone. She looked at Canvas again and turned her nose up. Babysitting was the last damn thing she wanted to be doing this weekend. “Fuck,” she hissed. And was his nose running? Yuck, she thought, searching through his bag for a wipe. “You stink,” she said, frowning. She pulled out the wipes, powder, and a diaper. Her lips upturned and she tried to hold her breath.

  Deandra walked back into the room and over to Ménage.

  “Hey, pretty girl,” Ménage said.

  Deandra smiled. “I did what you told me to do.”

  Ménage looked around to make sure Jeff wasn’t around. “You did?” she asked excitedly.

  Deandra nodded profusely, pleasure in her eyes.

  “What did she say when you told her?”

  “She didn’t say anything. But she looked sad,” Deandra reported.

  Ménage smiled. It was low of her to play the little girl for information like she had, but it was the only way she saw fit. “Well, I didn’t want her to be sad,” Ménage lied, further manipulating her.

  Deandra looked confused. “You didn’t?”

  “Of course not,” Ménage said. “I only wanted you to tell her so that I could make her an invitation to the wedding.”

  Deandra looked as if she didn’t understand. “Oh,” she said. The thrill she had in her voice earlier was completely gone.

  “Don’t worry. You couldn’t have known, because I forgot to tell you that part.” Ménage put Canvas back on the floor and he ran around the living room. “You want to help me make the salad?”

  “Yes.” Deandra smiled.

  “Okay, grab your brother and follow me.” She turned back around to face Deandra. “I can’t wait to be your new mommy.” She reached down to hug Deandra and just then Canvas started screaming. She realized at that moment that she never wanted kids.

  25

  As they walked hand in hand to her car, Nadine almost didn’t want to leave. She’d had so much fun with Leonard tonight and out of all the places she could have imagined their second date being, she never expected it to be on the rooftop of one of the most beautiful hotels in downtown Dallas. She couldn’t help but wonder how much trouble he might have gone through to make this night extra special. Nonetheless, the view was spectacular. His thoughtfulness amazed her because he would go over and beyond to bring a smile to her face. This is what made him different and worth getting to know even better.

  Leonard had wined and dined her all night under the stars with a romantic dinner, rooftop salsa dancing, and his charming personality that she couldn’t seem to get enough of. She hated their night had to end, but it was now a little past eleven and she had to get home.

  “I had a wonderful time tonight,” Nadine said once they reached her car.

  Leonard kissed the top of her hand. “I’m glad to hear that. I did as well.”

  She looked around her. They were on the seventh level in the hotel’s parking garage and there was nothing but space and opportunity between them. Oh how she would have loved to get to know him on an intimate level. Her mind needed the relief and her body needed the release. As if cosigning her latest thoughts, her pussy began to speak in such a language that only she could interpret.

  Leonard slipped his arm around her to open her door and the brush of his body up against hers started her fire engine to roaring. She hadn’t been this close to a man other than Jeff, in years. But the signals her body was giving off suggested to her that it didn’t know the difference.

  “I’ll call you.” She smiled, leaning in to kiss him.

  His lips felt smoother than oil and softer than cotton. Nadine reopened her eyes. The way he looked at her made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. He cupped her face. Apparently, one kiss hadn’t been enough. He leaned in to her and passionately kissed along her neck. Before she knew it, their lips were having intercourse.

  It felt so good and it felt more than right. That Nadine couldn’t deny. And the smallest of climax building inside of her was so forceful it could have shut down every last one of her vital organs. She needed to be held, needed to be loved, and needed to be taken care of more than anything in this world. But she couldn’t allow this man to blindside her by sweeping her off her feet in the first couple of dates. It was going to take a hell of a lot more in order for that to happen. She slowly pulled back.

  “I…”

  Leonard placed his finger against her lips as if knowing what she was going to say. “I’ll wait for as long as you need me to.”

  An easy fulfilling smile crossed her lips. “Thank you.” She got into her car, placed the key in the ignition, and drove off. Her pussy was terribly disappointed, but Nadine felt so good that she’d respected and honored the commitment she had made to herself by keeping sex out of the equation. If it really was meant to be like he had proclaimed so many times before, when that time did finally come, it was going to be magical.

  26

  He should have known in advance that he’d fucked up big time when he’d decided to stay the entire weekend with Naomi. Something he had never done before. They had flown back to L.A. to get more acquainted with the new house. They’d even started decorating and family planning. Everything was going perfect and he couldn’t be happier with his decision to move out of state. But with every day that went by, the messier he was becoming. He’d stopped wearing his wedding ring weeks ago, stopped checking in long before that, but now…he wasn’t even taking his ass home anymore. Part of him worried that his wife would discover he was having another affair, and the other part of him would be relieved. Then he wouldn’t h
ave to hide and pretend all the damn time. It was wearing him out. Giving him more grays than what he already had.

  Since Greg hadn’t called to tell his wife where he’d been, he figured she’d called everyone they knew, including his best friend, worried sick. So now as he rushed to his best friend’s house, Greg hoped like hell he hadn’t screwed up too badly.

  He pulled into Leonard’s driveway. When he didn’t see his car right away, he pulled out his phone to call him.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, man. You home?”

  “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Well, your car’s not.”

  “Oh yeah, I parked out back last night. Come on up, I’ll buzz you in.”

  “All right, I’m heading up now.”

  Greg parked on the side of the building and walked toward the gate. He pressed Leonard’s loft number and seconds later, the gate unlocked.

  “Damn, you look like shit. What the hell happened to you?” Leonard said when Greg walked in.

  Greg almost didn’t want to answer that. He looked like shit because he hadn’t slept much lately and preparing to file this divorce had put a lot on his mind. Especially with the financial setback he might take. But at least he prepared himself for the worst.

  Leonard scratched his head, clearly bewildered by the fact that Greg had shown up so early on a Sunday morning. “What’d you do man?” he asked finally.

  Greg looked at him without any remorse in his eyes. “I didn’t go home.”

  Leonard sighed heavily. “Damn, man.”

  Greg seemingly stared into thin air.

  “I thought you were going to give yourself some more time to figure out if this is really what you wanted to do.” Leonard walked into the kitchen and pulled down a bowl from the cabinet. He made himself some Honey Nut Cheerios as they talked.

  “That’s what you wanted me to do. I made up my mind a long damn time ago. I want out! I’m not happy.”

  Leonard looked at him oddly and Greg didn’t appreciate that look. He knew what he must have been thinking. “Don’t judge me, man.”

  Leonard shook his head. “I’m trying hard not to judge you. But I can’t help but be worried because you haven’t even known this woman that long! I mean, what, six…seven…eight months or something like that?”

  “I’ve known her long enough to know that she’s more of the woman for me than my wife has ever been.”

  Leonard shook his head. “It’s all in your head, man.” Leonard walked over to the sofa. He turned on the television and sat on the couch eating his cereal.

  “Damn, I came over here to clear my head. Not be lectured. If I wanted that, I could have kept heading east,” Greg said. He grabbed a Coke from the fridge. “Hell, man. We’ve known each other since elementary, but I think I’ve been in the game long enough to know what I’m doing.”

  Leonard turned back around. “I never said you didn’t. I’m just trying to keep you from making a huge mistake that you’ll regret later.”

  Greg walked over to the other couch. “Listen. I love her.”

  Leonard finished off his cereal and placed his bowl on the table. “Love.” He chuckled. “That’s a strong and scary word.” He sat there nearly in a daze.

  “Hey, man. If it doesn’t work out between Naomi and me, you have my permission to rub it in my face for the rest of my life.”

  “That’ll be the day I live for. Ha, ha, ha!”

  They both laughed.

  “By the way, how’d the date go with your new lady friend?”

  Leonard turned to him and a wide smile spread over his face. “Romantic,” Leonard summed up in one word.

  Greg took a sip of his drink. “Ha, ha, ha. I knew you were holding out.” He shook his finger at Leonard. “Hell, I think I’m worried about you. What’s it been?”

  “Just a few weeks. Nothing too serious.”

  “Yet.” Greg laughed.

  Leonard laughed along with him.

  “But how in the hell do you do it?”

  “Do what?” Leonard asked.

  “You know.” Greg didn’t want to come out and say it because it always made him uncomfortable. But this was his best friend. “Do you tell them about your…situation.…when you first meet them?”

  Leonard sucked his teeth, his expression changing a little. “Naw, man.”

  Greg gave him an unsure look.

  “Because every woman that I ever told right in the beginning…left me. And it’s not fair, man. I didn’t ask for this shit. You know what I’m saying?”

  Greg nodded.

  Leonard’s voice fell to a whisper. “I didn’t ask for it.”

  “So you think not telling this woman is a good idea?”

  “I’m going to tell her when the time is right. But first I have to make sure it’s real.”

  Greg stared at him.

  “Now I know damn well you’re not sitting over there judging me?” Leonard asked.

  Greg shook his head and sighed. “You’re a good dude. I just wish that shit never happened to you.”

  “It’s life, bro. It happens to the best of us,” Leonard said, a pained look in his eyes. He cleared his throat. “Besides, I take a cocktail for this shit.” He stood up. “Do I look like I’m HIV positive?”

  Greg shook his head. “You would have fooled me.”

  “Exactly!” He walked around to his library shelf and pulled down a thick folder. “As long as I take care of myself, doctors say I will live just as long as someone without it.” Leonard handed the folder to Greg.

  “What’s this?”

  “Copies of all of your and Vivian’s assets. I need you to look everything through carefully to ensure I’ve included everything.”

  “What’s the next step?”

  “We file a petition with the court stating the grounds for divorce. Separation and abandonment,” Leonard said. “We’ll make that stick with how she left you for three years to move to Connecticut. Her failure to complete the rehab program should work in our favor as well.”

  There was stony silence. Greg shifted in his seat and took a deep breath. He flipped through the folder. Leonard had included everything, right down to the money Vivian had stashed in her bra sock. It was definitely going to get ugly.

  “Care if I hang out and look through it here?”

  “Not at all, man. You’ll have the place to yourself because I’m taking my lady to church with me this morning. So I’m going to go get ready.”

  “Go do your thing,” Greg said. He made himself comfortable while Leonard headed upstairs.

  “Oh yeah,” Leonard hollered from the stairwell. “Call your wife, man! She called me looking for you.”

  Greg gave it some thought. In fact he gave it a lot of thought. When he finally made up his mind to call her, she didn’t answer. He looked at the clock. By now she was in the mirror patting foundation on her face as she got ready for church.

  “Leonard, I’ma go ahead and go home, man.”

  Leonard peered from the stairwell. He was looping his tie.

  “Everything in this folder looks sufficient. I’m ready to get this over with.”

  “No problem. I’ll file it first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Greg walked to the door and let himself out. He made it home in thirty minutes flat, without speeding. He unlocked the door and walked inside what now seemed more like a tourist spot. It didn’t feel much like home anymore. His home was now in Los Angeles. As he walked through the great room, he hadn’t noticed the new draperies until now as the sunlight lit up the usually dark house. The smell of roasted coffee beans gave her away. She was still home. Damn, he thought she’d be at church by now. She came out of the kitchen, a fresh cup of coffee in her right hand and no clear evidence that she was going anywhere.

  “My, my, my. Look at who decided to come home,” Vivian said sarcastically.

  Greg cleared his throat, obviously surprised to see her. “I just left Leonard’s place. Stayed out pretty late last nigh
t,” he said shortly as he headed toward the bedroom, hoping to avoid the interrogation. He didn’t mean for Leonard to be his alibi; it just sort of came out that way.

  “And the night before. Where were you?”

  “Look, I really don’t feel like having this discussion. Can it at least wait?”

  “I called you at least a hundred times, Greg! I was worried sick about you and you couldn’t at least call once? That’s so fucking inconsiderate of you!”

  “I’m sorry,” was all Greg could say as he undressed, headed for the shower, his wife right on his tail.

  “You’re sorry every time you can’t think of a good enough lie to shut me up,” she clamored.

  Greg cut through every corner of the house to try to escape her madness but couldn’t.

  “Are you involved with someone else?” she asked finally.

  Greg stopped in his tracks. He turned to her and the air in the room seemed to dissipate.

  She sniffed. “Just be honest with me for a fucking chance,” she said, with pleading eyes. “That’s all I ask.”

  This was the moment he knew would soon come. He was forced to face her with the truth. She looked down at his left hand. His wedding ring was missing. She tucked in her lips and tears began to fall from her bright blue eyes. “You haven’t worn your ring in nearly eight months,” she said, acknowledging how long she’d known about his latest affair.

  “I never meant to hurt you, Vivian,” he said.

  She splashed the hot coffee in his face. “Bullshit!”

  “Aghhh! What the hell is wrong with you!” he screamed.

  “You will pay for this,” she said. “Mark…my…word.”

  27

  She lay there in bed, missing everything there was to miss about him. She missed his conversation, his friendship, and his warm hard body in her bed. Naomi wanted that feeling she had when she was with Greg to last for a lifetime, but she knew that it wouldn’t. She had kept so much from him and had deceived him in a way that she couldn’t bear to bring herself to tell him the truth now. It would be too difficult to do. So all she could do now was accept things as they were. He would probably hate her for the rest of his life, and she wouldn’t blame him, because she’d brought it all on herself.