“I’ll call you later,” Detria said, then opened the door and left.
Detria turned the corner and headed out of her sister’s neighborhood. At the traffic light, she searched for her phone until she found it, pulling it out of her new handbag. She dialed a number. “I need to see you,” she said to the person on the other end of the phone. “I need to see you now.”
Chapter 6
“Bad boys ain’t no good. Good boys ain’t no fun.” Mary J Blige
Detria turned swiftly into Skip’s driveway. They had long since stopped meeting at his house, but today was an exception. After talking to Brooke, she agreed, she had to call things off between them. If Stiles discovered her infidelity, her life would be in a shamble and like his ex; she would be hated by just about everyone at Holy Rock. One thing her mother-in-law had told her, God rest her soul, was to never let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, ‘cause some things are better left untold.
Now that she’d confided in her sister, Detria felt like she had no choice but to face the fact that her life could turn pretty ugly, real fast unless she broke it off with Skip. She cared about him deeply, and she honestly believed he cared about her; but when Brooke asked if she was in love with Skip, Detria couldn’t give her an honest answer. Maybe it was because she didn’t know her own true feelings.
Detria was careful not to use the tip of her perfectly polished and manicured nail to push Skip’s doorbell.
“Hey, come on in,” Skip told her as soon as he opened the door. “What’s going on? You sounded upset on the phone. What has preacher boy done now?”
Detria swiftly walked into the house. She was familiar with almost every inch of his modern style, tastefully furnished home. She strolled nervously into the open area living room that Skip had made into a man cave. “I can’t see you anymore. It’s over.” She talked, fast, like she had to hurry up and get it out before she couldn’t say what needed to be said. “I shouldn’t have let this go on this long.” She waved her hands flippantly through space. “I never should have let this happen in the first place.”
Skip walked up on her, grabbed her in his arms, and hungrily covered her mouth with his. His sweet tasting kiss almost cut her breath off.
She nudged him away, but he didn’t stop. “Uh, no, stop. I’m serious,” she managed to say, nudging him harder in his lower rib cage.
Skip stepped off. “What’s this all about?”
“I just told you, it’s over. I can’t do this anymore. Here I am, a married woman, a mother and a first lady and look at me.” She looked herself up and down, turned up her nose and then looked at Skip with tears forming in the crest of her eyes. “Lord, what have I been doing?”
“Okay, if this is the way you want it, fine.” Skip turned and started walking out of the room.
“Where are you going?”
“To fix myself a drink.”
Detria followed. “You do understand, don’t you?” She sounded pitiful. She didn’t want to end things with him, but part of her knew that it was best that she did. She couldn’t believe that no one had discovered that she was messing off on Stiles, but she was glad no one had. She had to make things right in her marriage and with God.
“No, to tell you the truth, I don’t understand,” Skip snapped. “I don’t understand why you want to stay in a marriage that you don’t want to be in. If you did, then you wouldn’t be with me. I don’t get it. First lady or no first lady, if you’re unhappy, I say kick preacher boy to the curb and move on with your life.”
Stiles opened a bottle of vodka that was sitting on the kitchen counter top with other bottles of liquor. He got a glass from out of the overhead cabinet, turned around, filled it with a couple of ice cubes from the refrigerator door, poured himself a shot, and immediately turned it up. He grimaced like he was in pain as the liquor went down his throat.
“Please, don’t do this, Skip. Don’t make it harder for me than it already is. I care about you a lot. You know that.”
“Oh, really?” Skip said with sarcasm. “Are you sure I haven’t been your little boy toy all this time? I mean, do you realize that I could be with whoever I want to be with, Detria? I’m a single guy, no obligations to any one, not even to you. I care about you, but I guess you’re right, this has to end. I’m not going to let you keep on using me for your pleasure whenever your husband rubs you the wrong way.”
Skip made himself another drink and swallowed it just as quickly as he did the first one.
Detria walked up to him, then stopped. “I’m sorry. I only hope God forgives me. And I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me too.”
Detria turned, walked off, and didn’t stop until she was outside standing next to her car. She got ready to open the car door and then stopped suddenly. Wiping tears from her eyes, she pushed the button on her key set and the trunk popped open. “I’m sorry,” she kept saying to herself as she retrieved the package and went back to Skip’s door. It was still open and she walked back into his house, closing the door behind her.
Back in his kitchen, she said, “Here.” She pushed the small bag toward him.
“What’s this?”
“It’s yours.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly on his lips.
Skip looked at it then removed the box out of the bag and opened it. He studied the bracelet like he was contemplating whether he should keep it or give it back.
“Humph,” he said. “So this is what it’s come down to, huh?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, Detria. Go back to your husband and your daughter. Go back to pretending you’re the perfect little wife.”
Detria looked at him while tears streamed down her face.
Skip placed the bracelet on the kitchen counter. Walking up to her, he pulled her into his arms. His hands roamed her curves and the heat from his body set her on fire with desire. She melted under his touch. She heard her breath grow short and the sound of want eased from the depths of her soul as her body reacted to his touch.
“One more time,” he said as he continued kissing her passionately. “That’s all I ask, baby. One more time, and I’ll leave you alone. I promise.”
Detria didn’t resist as he kissed her salty tears away.
Skip paused. Looking deep into her eyes, he took hold of her hand and led her to his bedroom.
Detria laid up with him for the remainder of the afternoon, savoring the last time they would be together intimately like this.
Skip reached over and nuzzled her on the neck. “I’m going to miss you. I’m going to miss holding you, kissing you, making love to you,” he whispered in her ear.
Detria slowly turned and faced him. “I’m going to miss you too, but you know this is what we need to do, don’t you?” She sat up in his bed, not bothering to shield her nakedness. She stared at him, silently tracing his cheek with the tip of her thumb. Her eyes landed on the bracelet. “When did you put it on?”
“While you were sleeping,” he answered, smiling and studying the bracelet on his wrist. “This is nice. I like it.”
“I’m glad.” Slowly, she got up. “Every time you wear it, I want you to think of me.” Climbing out of the bed, she ambled to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. This was hard to do, breaking it off with Skip, but what else was she supposed to do? She called herself a Christian woman and it was high time she started acting like it.
Skip sat on the side of his bed then got up and walked to the bathroom door. He was about to turn the knob but decided not to. If this is what Detria wanted, he was going to let her have her way. He went to his guest bathroom down the hall to clean himself up then went to his man cave to wait on Detria.
Minutes passed before Detria came out of the bathroom and into the man cave. Skip was sitting on the sofa in front of his TV playing a sports game on his Xbox One.
Standing in front of him, Detria said solemnly, “I’m leaving now.” Her face was etched with hurt and she felt a tinge of uncer
tainty about her decision. Once she left Skip’s house, there was going to be no turning back. The past would be just that, the past. It was time for her to move forward, see if she could truly be happy being Stiles’ wife and the mother of his child.
Skip put the game on Pause and looked up at her. No words were exchanged between them.
Detria leaned over slightly and kissed him before she turned and walked away, refusing to look back.
Chapter 7
“It's easier to be with someone you can't love, than to admit you love someone you can't have.” J. Johnson
Detria surveyed their spacious 4,100 square foot home. The luxurious space was all she had dreamed of and more. They had been living at their new, gated address for six and a half weeks, and Detria absolutely loved it. She had spent the past month decorating it. The dark oak hardwoods, trey ceilings throughout, wainscoting, and open space layout, combined with her excellent taste in furnishings made the house look like something off HGTV.
Detria was equally excited that she had everything moved into the new house in time to host Stiles’ birthday dinner. Today he was thirty-six years old, and Detria had planned a sit down dinner for fifty. A dozen or so women from Holy Rock’s Women’s and Kitchen Ministry were busy helping to prepare food and decorating the family room and the outside kitchen area. Initially, Detria planned to have the dinner catered by one of the upscale restaurants located downtown, until the Women’s Ministry convinced her that they could prepare a menu of food that would rival the best of restaurants.
Stiles tried to convince Detria more than once not to go all out for his birthday. He would rather have spent an intimate evening with her and his daughter, but Detria, being the attention seeker she was, refused. More than celebrating his birthday, she wanted to show off their new address.
Detria hurried and finished getting dressed. She expected the guests to start arriving in less than an hour.
“Stiles, honey, are you ready?”
Stiles appeared in the doorway of the master bedroom. “What did you say?
“Are you ready?” She turned around and her mouth dropped open when she saw him inside the doorway. He looked so fine in his black suit and tie. She grew excited seeing him, something that surprised her. Since ending things with Skip recently, she found herself enjoying being around Stiles more. When she was at Holy Rock during the week, the two of them often ate lunch together. Detria had even persuaded Stiles to make love to her a time or two in his church office, something Stiles would never agree to do in the past.
Stiles acted like he was enjoying the new and improved Detria. She had confided in Brooke that she’d taken her advice and broken it off with Skip, and since doing so she admitted that maybe she hadn’t given Stiles or her marriage a real chance before. But, now, things were slowly turning around. Whenever she did see Skip at church, he spoke to her and kept on stepping. That was the down side, seeing him almost every day. She fought against the temptation to be with him by trying to channel her emotions toward Stiles.
The birthday dinner was a success. The deacons, trustees, the church secretary, and many of their closest friends and family attended.
Detria had asked Skip not to come but he told her that Stiles would be expecting him, and that she had to get used to them being in the same space at times. It turned out that everything was so busy that she actually didn’t have much time to focus on Skip being there.
Hezekiah and Fancy came all decked out in their finest. Pastor and his wife, Josie, were there acting like two star struck teenagers. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Gathered around tables strategically placed outside in the open area, guests had a choice of premium cuts of steak, grilled salmon, and perfectly baked chicken breasts. There was a huge array of grilled and steamed seasoned veggies, various salads, breads, pastas, plus a cupcake station. Hired servers made sure everyone was properly served.
“Um, excuse me.” Skip stood up and clinked his glass of sparkling juice. “I’d like to propose a toast.”
Detria swallowed deeply and stared at him. Her heart beat rapidly.
Stiles was busy talking to Pastor and Hezekiah. He stopped talking, as did the other guests, when Skip proposed to make a toast.
“Pastor Graham, May this next year bring you the very best of happiness, the best of health, and may God’s favor abound in your life. Happy birthday, friend.”
“Whaaat?” Stiles whispered underneath his breath, then slowly looked from side to side until he saw his wife standing next to her parents and sister. He swallowed hard, frowned, but said nothing. He refocused his piercing gaze on Skip, only Stiles really didn’t hear a word Skip was saying. He was too engrossed with the diamonds glistening from the bracelet on Skip’s wrist as Skip held the raised glass in his hand. Stiles quickly did an instant mental replay to that day, over a month ago, when he and Leo saw Detria shopping at Zales.
Skip was wearing a bracelet identical to the one Stiles saw Detria purchase, the bracelet he thought she was buying for him. He shook his head and tried to tell himself that it was just a coincidence, but he felt differently.
For his birthday, she gave him a Parallel Study Bible with his initials engraved in gold and season tickets to the Grizzlies games, which paled in comparison to the bracelet Skip was wearing.
Stiles remained dumbfounded until Pastor poked him in the side. “Cheers, son.”
Stiles shook his head slightly as if he was coming from under a spell. “Oh, yeah. Cheers,” Stiles said under his breath, his eyes remaining glued on Skip. He took a sip of the sparkling juice, as he tried to contain his mounting anger.
The remainder of the dinner party went smoothly. Stiles and Skip talked and he was able to get a closer look at the bracelet. It was definitely the same bracelet. While Skip and some of the other deacons stood around in a circle talking to Stiles, Stiles’ mind started racing. He thought back to that night, a little over a year ago, when he heard Detria on the phone with who he suspected was another man. He thought about the times he’d come to Detria’s office at church only to find Skip in the office with his wife. Detria always had a good reason for Skip being there. He was helping her do this, or that or they were going over paperwork for something pertaining to the Children’s Ministry. However, tonight, as he thought about the bracelet, and began adding up things in his head, he concluded that maybe there was more to Detria and Skip’s relationship.
Stiles pondered over everything. Could Skip and Detria? No way. He shook his head, hoping to rid his mind of the crazy thoughts zooming around in his mind. He forced himself to join back in the conversation he had started up with some of the fellows about sports. The devil is a lie, he told himself.
***
All the guests had departed for the evening, and everything had been put away. Stiles and Detria went in the back yard, sat out on the lanai, partaking of a real glass of red wine, and not the sparkling juice Detria served her guests. The reason she served the non-alcoholic beverage was because she didn’t want to hear the tongue-lashing she was sure to get from some of the rigid, old-timers of Holy Rock had she served alcohol.
“How did you enjoy your birthday?” she asked, her head nestled under the crook of Stiles’ upper arm, as she snuggled against him on the all-weather sofa.
Stiles leaned in, took two fingers, and gently lifted Detria’s face to meet his. With fervor, he began kissing his wife. “How do you think I enjoyed it?” he spoke in his deep baritone voice.
For the first time during the four years they’d been married, Stiles felt like maybe things were finally on the right track with his family, his ministry, and his marriage. So what if Skip had on a bracelet identical to the one he saw Detria buy. Skip loved flashing bling and showing off, and it wasn’t like the bracelet was a one of a kind piece of jewelry. A number of men could have the same bracelet, and that included Skip. Still, there was that inquisitive part of him that couldn’t help but wonder where the bracelet was that he saw Detria buy, but
tonight wasn’t the night and this wasn’t the time to bring it up. Stiles was a firm believer that in time, all things would be revealed…good or bad.
He dismissed the crazy thoughts circulating through his mind, and in turn concentrated back on his wife. Detria was a lot of things, but stupid she was not. There would be no way, even if she did cheat on him, that she would cheat with one of his partners. No way. Plus, hadn’t Detria proved that she loved him by the way she’d gone all out to make sure he had a memorable birthday? And, the night wasn’t over yet. It looked like he was going to get some good loving too. What more could a man ask for?
“You ready to go upstairs?” Detria asked, stroking him in all the right places.
Stiles shook his head. “Uh uh. I don’t want to waste this magical night closed up in a bedroom. I want to make love to you right here under the moon and stars.” Caressing her tenderly, he eased her back down on the sofa. Tonight all he wanted to do was make love to his wife, and during the process, maybe they would make a little brother or sister for Audrey.
***
On the way home from the dinner party, Skip thought about Detria. She looked stunning tonight in an all-black, above the knee, strapless, wide-skirted dress, and black heels.
Stiles and Detria’s new crib was like walking into a rich man’s palace. Skip would never admit it, but Stiles had the life he sometimes wished he had. Fine wife, good money, a cute kid, and hardly a care in the world. Skip also knew that Holy Rock practically paid Stiles hand over fist; but in Skip’s eyes, Stiles was still a jerk. Maybe no one else could see it, but Skip knew the real deal Stiles, the one from way back when.
They had been cool since middle school. Not many people other than Skip knew Stiles had a temper and could fly off the handle at the drop of a dime. Stiles used to be a ladies’ man, having bedded and messed over more than his share of girls until he met Rena after returning home from Duke Divinity School.
Rena Jackson had changed Stiles for the better. She had his nose wide open. Skip laughed to himself at the memory about Rena sleeping with Francesca aka Frankie, Stiles’ sister. When Stiles told him and Leo about it, they didn’t blame Stiles for divorcing her. No man in his right man would want to stay with a chick after she pulled something as foul as sleeping with another woman, especially when it wasn’t a threesome.
My Wife My Baby...And Him Page 5