So Wrong

by Camilla Stevens

  “Nonsense,” he said “I’m adventurous. I’ll try anything at least once.”

  “Just drench them in hot sauce and you’re good,” shouted her cousin Isaac.

  Someone pushed the hot sauce toward him. River shrugged and poured it on.

  “You should probably test that out before you pour so much on,” warned her grandpa George. Everyone chuckled.

  “Hey, just because I’m white, doesn’t mean I can’t handle spice.”

  This got a roar of laughter and even a few claps of appreciation. “Atta boy!” said, of all people, Theo.

  Bonita smiled at his bravado, but looked worriedly at the pools of hot sauce covering the disgusting pile of pig innards he was about to partake of.

  Oh River, you poor, brave soul.

  There was a collective holding of breath as he stuck his fork into the mess and plopped it in his mouth. He looked around with amusement as everyone watched him intently while he chewed.

  “How are you not gagging right now?” She asked him with bona fide wonder, remembering the first—and last—time she’d tried them.

  His mouth was too full to respond and everyone chuckled nervously to see what the final verdict would be. Bonita could actually feel the heightened anticipation as he swallowed.

  “Well?” she was the first to ask.

  “I actually kinda like them.”

  A cacophony of laughs, groans of disgust, claps and loud boasting from Elena erupted.

  “You don’t have to lie to save face you know. Plenty of us can’t stand them.”

  “It’s definitely an acquired taste and smell, but they’re pretty good. Hot sauce isn’t bad either.” He shrugged at her.

  “Alright, that’s it, he’s officially one of us,” Theo laughed. He fell firmly into the pro-chitterlings group.

  While everyone was busy discussing this revelation about Bonita’s infamous boyfriend, she just shook her head at him. River responded with a surreptitious wink as he took another bite.

  “So how did you two meet?”

  Everyone had their dessert plates of either pecan pie, tres leches, sweet potato pie, or flan. The entire family was scattered around the living room and the nearby kitchen area. Bonita and River were the star attractions, sitting on the couch in the center of it all.

  “Well, there I was being the Good Samaritan helping this gorgeous damsel in distress retrieve a book from the top shelf at the university bookstore, not that she had any thanks to offer me.” River gave her a mocking frown of disapproval.

  Bonita laughed and punched him in the arm lightly. “That is such a twist on the truth! What really happened is, he was being a shameless flirt and show-off, holding my book hostage until I gave him my name.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Bonita was glad no one had brought up Darryl. Apparently they comprehended the transition and understood that River was the one she was with now.

  “So how did you two meet, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson?” River asked out of curiosity.

  Juanita looked at her husband sitting next to her in one of the folding chairs they had rented to accommodate all the family. Maurice reached out and took her hand with a smile.

  “A simple case of love at first sight,” he said.

  Juanita turned to River and Bonita. “We were set up by friends. Nothing spectacular, and yes,” she looked over at her husband,“I knew after the first date I was going to marry him.”

  “Grandma and Grandpa have the real meet cute story,” Bonita said, looking at her grandparents with one raised eyebrow.

  Her Grandma Bonita laughed and waved her hand dismissively.

  “Oh come on! You have to tell it,” Bonita pleaded.

  Everyone joined in with the coercion, even though they had all heard the story before. But now they had a new person among them who had yet to hear the tale.

  “Well, now the curiosity is killing me,” River said looking their way.

  “Come on, sweetie,” her husband, George said, taking Bonita’s wrinkled tan hand in his larger mahogany colored hand. “Let’s relive that moment again.”

  Bonita couldn’t believe it when she saw her grandmother actually blush.

  “Okay, I’ll tell it then,” her grandfather said.

  “Oh no you don’t!” the older Bonita said, reaching over to swat him on his arm, laughing as she did.

  She settled back down and looked around the room of eager faces with pursed lips. “Okay, okay,” she finally said.

  She looked at River. “We were up in Northern California. Napa Valley?” River nodded, recognizing the locale, and she continued.

  “Anyway, my family had a small vineyard. These were the days before the big names came and took over. The harvest was over and we had our little tradition of…” her face darkened a shade, “well, pressing the grapes with our feet. Not necessary of course, even in those days we had machines to do all of that for us, but it was the Montoyas’ way of celebrating another season. A lot of the other wineries came over and we made a sort of festival of it. It was harmless fun, the girls lifting up their skirts and stomping away.”

  She gave George a pert look. “Of course that year a few weekend workers made their way over to the festivities. So there I was with my skirt up around my thighs—”

  “And what glorious thighs they were!”

  She gave her husband another swat on the arm and everyone laughed.

  “Still are,” he said with a wink toward River.

  Her grandmother pursed her lips, but continued on. “Anyway, I caught this one staring at me and I immediately dropped my skirts with embarrassment. There I was covered in grape juice and giving this stranger a nice little eyeful. I was mortified. But he just gave me this devilish grin and…well, I was a goner.”

  “That was the easy part,” George continued. “From there I had to go through her brothers and, worse, her father. He was not a happy man. Even when he found out I was going to Berkeley.”

  “Even when I finally ran away with him,” her grandmother said, looking over at her husband fondly. “Of course having children changed everything. They always do.”

  She reached out to take her husband’s hand. “It was a different time then, and it wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But I have no regrets at all. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

  “And I’d do it just to watch those legs of yours stomping away again.” The two of them laughed, then kissed as everyone around them clapped, even after hearing the story for the millionth time.

  River reached out to take Bonita’s hand and leaned in, whispering, “I guess I have her to thank for those gorgeous legs of yours.”

  Bonita slapped him on the chest with a smile. “Does that mean you’d do it all over again for me?”

  “Abso-fuckin-lutely,” he whispered in her ear.

  “I just don’t know if I can kiss a mouth that has actually allowed an entire plate of chitlins to pass through it. Please tell me you did it just to save face.”

  Everyone had long since gone home, the final consensus being that River was officially pretty fly for white guy, as her Uncle Theo had put it. All because of a plate of pig guts, she thought disgustedly.

  Now they were on the couch snuggling together by the light of the Christmas tree.

  “You sure about that,” he said pulling her in closer to him.

  “Eww!” she squealed. “I can still smell them on your breath.”

  “Come on, you know you can’t resist my kisses even with pig breath,” he said trying to reach her mouth with his.

  “River!” she laughed, deftly avoiding his advances, her glasses slipping down her nose.

  “Did you really like them?” she asked curiously.

  “I really did.”

  “No you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did.”

  “You couldn’t have. It’s okay to say you lied to—”

  “Hey,” he said, getting serious.
She pushed her glasses back up her nose and stared up into those green eyes that stared back at her with such intensity. “I’d never lie to you Bonita. I promise you.”

  Bonita felt her heart come to a standstill, then beat twice as fast. For some reason Darryl popped into her head. She wanted to tell River everything, leaving nothing out. But she refused to ruin this moment by even thinking about him. There would be time for that. Right now she just wanted to kiss River, pig intestine breath and all.

  So she did.

  35

  River was feeling pretty damn good.

  Part of it was the endorphins from the early morning run he was indulging in. D.C. wasn’t a bad place to go running, even in winter. It helped that it hadn’t yet snowed for the season. The weather was brisk and frigid and stimulated his senses, spurring him on as his feet hit the pavement.

  Rammstein’s Sonne, which was blasting in his ears transitioned into Kanye West’s Jesus Walks. River smiled at the irony. Bonita had assured him that there was no getting out of going to church tomorrow.

  Part of his elated mood was his experience with her family so far. Christmas dinner had definitely been interesting, but fun all the same. Although he had perhaps exaggerated his enthusiasm for chitterlings, he didn’t hate them and could see himself eventually growing to appreciate their unique taste…and smell.

  Perhaps next Christmas?

  The thought put a smile on his face and an acceleration in his pace. His lungs expanded and contracted, breathing in the crisp air.

  He watched the sun come up over the horizon as the day began. River found it comfortingly symbolic. Here he was in Bonita’s home city, beginning a new life with her.

  As he made his way back to the Jackson residence he slowed as he recognized a figure standing in front of the church the house was situated next to.

  Darryl.

  How could he forget the name? It was the name that had brought Bonita to his apartment that night he had first made love to her. That night she had first made love to anyone.

  The same conflict of emotions from that night ran through him once again as he neared the man: the resentment from her running to River’s bed, spurred on by fear rather than pure desire; the satisfaction of having been the victor in winning her affections; the anger at what she’d gone through before River came into the picture.

  But he wasn’t about to back down now. River had no idea what the man was doing here, but he planned to end it right here.

  “Darryl?” he said warily, pulling the earbuds out of his ears. As usual, his senses were on high alert as he neared him. It wasn’t just that the guy was Bonita’s ex, it was that there was definitely something off about the guy. River still remembered how tense Bonita was that night outside of her dorm.

  “River Wright,” the man said in an almost amicable tone, which was somehow even more disquieting.

  “You know my name. Congratulations. What are you doing here?”

  “Just curious how you’re getting along down here. This really isn’t your neck of the woods after all.”

  River chuckled. “Why, because of who I am?” he asked with a smirk, then came in closer. “Or because I’m seeing someone you haven’t realized is no longer interested in you.”

  Darryl met the challenge, also coming in closer to River. “Because you’re in my territory. Your family may be a big deal up in New York. But the West family runs things here…that includes the District A.M.E. Church.”

  River had no idea what that meant, but certainly didn’t like the sound of it. He wasn’t sure it was any of his business either way. His main concern was Bonita.

  “Politics are of no interest to me,” he confessed. It was true. Living in the shadows of his father during one mayoral election was enough to put him off politics for life. “So your family can run whatever territory it likes. That has nothing to do with Bonita and me. It’s over Darryl. She’s made her choice.”

  Darryl actually laughed, which made the hair on River’s arms stand at attention. There was something almost maniacal about it. It occurred to him that it was early morning on a Saturday and they pretty much had the street to themselves. River was confident that he could easily take the guy in a battle of fists, but crazy men were apt to carry around weapons.

  “You don’t get it do you Wright?”

  River waited, prepping his fists just in case.

  “Bonita is mine. She has been since my family joined her father’s stupid church. Whether she knew it or not, her life has been controlled since the day I first met her.”

  What the hell does that mean?

  “She doesn’t automatically belong to you because you say so, Darryl. She’s not some obedient little pet that you can groom and train. The fact that you’re treating her that way, says it all.”

  “That’s exactly what she is,” Darryl said, looking straight into River’s eyes with conviction that was so intense it was almost penetrating. “And an obedient pet is what she’ll be when I run for office and eventually become president. Frankly, she should be grateful.”

  So that was it, the perfect little wife. A minister’s daughter: humble, smart, attractive. Flawless.

  “President, huh? What will they do when they hear about what happened in the Peace Corps?”

  It was a stab in the dark. Something Bonita had said about Darryl’s stint overseas had nagged at him and he threw it out there just to see how Darryl would react.

  As if confirming his suspicions, Darryl’s face hardened and a shadow fell over his eyes making them almost black with animosity. “Whatever that bitch is claiming is a complete lie. I don’t care what the doctors or the police said, she wanted it just as much as I did. Just because she changes her mind afterward, doesn’t change that fact.”

  River’s blood ran cold. “Jesus…”

  “And if you or Bonita or anyone else brings up those false accusations, it won’t just be the law suit I shove up your ass that has you walking funny, it will be something far, far worse.”

  “You’re a fucking nut job.”

  Darryl pulled away and his face softened into something approaching calm collectedness. “I’m ambitious. There’s a difference. But if thinking I’m crazy is what it takes to get you out of the picture then so be it. Perhaps it’s best that you realize what lengths I’ll go to in order to get my way.”

  River absorbed that, wondering how far to push the man.

  “If you’re really that ambitious, perhaps it would be best to start looking elsewhere for a wife. You think you’ve found the perfect pet in Bonita, the one you can tame and control. Well, you’re a bit late to the party there.” He let the meaning sink in, briefly wondering if perhaps he had pushed the guy right over the bridge into crazytown.

  The mix of emotions that swirled in those dark eyes as it sunk in was as mesmerizing as it was threatening. River unconsciously backed up a step, but felt every muscle in his body twitch with preparation, ready to fight.

  Without a word, Darryl spun around and walked away. River watched him go until he was well out of sight.

  “There’s the early riser!” Bonita’s mom sang out from the stove.

  The Jackson family was in the kitchen getting breakfast ready. Bonita’s father was pouring coffee grinds into the coffee maker. Bonita smiled up at him as she set the table.

  “Mom’s making pancakes if you want some.”

  He smiled back, hoping his face didn’t reveal too much. Although he itched to tell her everything, he didn’t want to ruin the happy vibe going on, and certainly not in front of her parents. Some of the things Darryl had said might lead to some awkward discussion.

  “Yeah, let me just hop in the shower to wash off some of this funk and I’ll be right out.”

  He grabbed some clean clothes from his suitcase and ran to the bathroom. As he let the hot water run over him, he was conscious of how tight his muscles had been all the way back to the house. Gradually, they relaxed and he let the concern ease away with it.

&
nbsp; Darryl was upset, which was understandable. He’d get over it. Sure, there might be a few nasty phone calls, maybe even a couple uncomfortable encounters. But he was the son of a Congressman for crying out loud, one who was about to run for Senate if the rumors were true. Certainly he wouldn’t do something stupid. Especially if he had ambitions on being president. His main concerns seemed to be political. Bonita was just a prop, one he’d soon realize he was better off replacing with someone else.

  By the time River made it back to the kitchen he had convinced himself that it wasn’t nearly as bad as he had first assumed.

  Bonita and her parents were laughing about something and she smiled up at him as she saw him walk in. Why ruin a perfect breakfast with a nasty encounter with her ex? The only thing Darryl could do at this point is bring a cloud over the start of what looked to be another enjoyable day with Bonita’s family.

  36

  “So, just in case you’ve already started looking around for engagement ring ideas, this isn’t a bad start,” Bonita said, giving River a teasing smile.

  River and she were using the Saturday to go museum hopping. Now, they were at the National Museum of Natural History in The Harry Winston Gallery. The two of them had finally made their way to the large Hope Diamond on display.

  He looked distracted for a second, and she worried that he hadn’t got the joke. Just as she was mentally slapping herself, he smiled back and pulled her in closer to him.

  “It’s a bit small isn’t it?” he said, playing along. “I mean, I don’t think people on the other side of the planet would be able to see it from here. Nah, I think we can do better than this.”

  She giggled, mostly from relief. So far it had been a fun morning and they were winding down their tour of the museum before heading out to lunch. The place was packed so the two of them moved along, hand in hand.

  “So how about lunch?” Bonita asked.

  “What did you have in mind?” he asked.

  “I have just the place.”