Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

by Brenda Hampton

  “So, you want to smack me again? Is that it?”

  “Yes, hard. Very hard for being a motherfucking jerk.”

  “Then, do it. If it makes you feel better, then smack me.”

  No hesitation on her part, she smacked my left cheek hard. It stung a bit, but I held my stare, as well as my composure.

  “Hit me again.”

  She smacked me on the left cheek again, and then swung out with her other hand to smack me on the right. My face burned, but I remained calm.

  “Do you feel better yet?” I asked.

  “Much better,” she said.

  “Good,” I said, reaching out and yanking her hair back. I squeezed it tightly and gave her a long, hard wet kiss. She shoved me back then wiped her lips.

  I nodded and sucked my teeth. “If I forgive you for the abuse, and for almost getting me killed today, maybe I’ll see you tomorrow. If not, then give me some time to heal.”

  “Take all the time you need, Isaac,” she said, removing Erica from her car seat. “Your mind needs all the rest it can get. Besides, I’m sure that since the sheriff is back in town, you’ll be missing in action anyway.”

  “Sheriff? What sheriff?”

  “Your precious little wife. I saw her today at the gas station. She introduced herself to me.”

  My face twisted. “And, you’re just now telling me? Where…what did she say?”

  “She went off on me. What did you expect her to say?”

  “What the fuck does went off on you mean? Were you driving my truck?”

  “Yes, Isaac. I was in your truck and she got her feelings hurt. She wasn’t too thrilled to see Erica either, but that’s your problem, not mine.”

  “I can’t believe you didn’t say shit.” I hurried inside of my truck. I knew that listening to more of what Laquinta had to say would piss me off. Instead of feuding with her again, I jetted. I called Cydney’s cell phone, and finally, she answered.

  “Where in the hell have you been?” I yelled.

  “Isaac, I’m busy right now. I’ll call you later.”

  “Busy! What in the fuck do you mean?”

  She hung up on me. I called right back but got voicemail.

  First, I drove to our house. I didn’t expect for her car to be there, so I drove to her office. Her car was parked in the parking garage, along with a few other cars. It was late, but I didn’t care. Problems in our marriage or not, Cydney had some explaining to do. No matter what, I would’ve never left her for ten whole days without calling.

  By the time I made it to her office, from a distance, I could see Darrell sitting on the couch while looking in the direction of her desk. My pace was fast, but I paused after stepping inside of the doorway.

  “Do you mind if I talk to my wife, alone,” I asked. Darrell looked at Cydney for approval. “What in the hell are you looking at her for? I asked you to leave.”

  Cydney shot up from her seat and folded her arms. “In case you forgot, Isaac, this is his place of business. You need to calm down. And please don’t come in here demanding nothing from either of us.”

  “Cydney, it’s okay. Just close the door so that no one will hear you. Mostly everyone is gone, with the exception of the cleaning crew. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”

  Darrell walked past me, and since I didn’t move aside, he brushed up against me. After he left, I slammed the door.

  “How dare you bring your lousy tail up in here treating my boss like dirt.”

  I darted my finger at her. “Fuck your boss, Cydney! Is that the motherfucker you went on vacation with? Your mother told me you’d taken a vacation. I know damn well you didn’t go alone!”

  She cocked her head back and opened her mouth wide, as if she were shocked by my tone. “What’s it to you, Isaac? Before I left, we separated. I’ve had time to think about things and I’ve come to the conclusion that this marriage is over. I want a divorce. We need to get this unsalvageable marriage over with as soon as we can.”

  “All of a sudden, it’s like that, huh? You sitting over there glowing and shit. Motherfucker than probably fucked your brains out every single day you were away, and now, you want a divorce? It ain’t going down like that, baby. I’ve put too much into this marriage and I’m damn well gon’ get something out of it!”

  She laughed. “What a joke, Isaac. Tell me, what is it that you’ve put into this marriage but a bunch of foolishness and disrespect. I can’t believe those words even fell out of your mouth, especially after I saw your new wife and daughter at the gas station today. Didn’t she tell you?”

  “I let a friend of mine use my truck to take her daughter to the doctor. Now what? You’re making something out of nothing to justify your own bullshit.”

  “Well, Laquinta must be one hell of a good friend. When you first got that truck, you wouldn’t even let me drive it. As a matter of fact, I’ve never driven it. But I guess after being with you for so long, she can pretty much get anything that she wants from you. And her precious child…she’s quite gorgeous. She looks nothing like you, but I guess the pussy is so powerful that it’s not only cost you your marriage, but it also has you taking care of a child that isn’t really yours.”

  “I know she’s not mine. And just so you know, I’m not taking care of nobody. I had sex with Laquinta a few times, and that’s because your ass was tripping. Don’t blame me because you weren’t being the wife you should’ve been. I had needs, Cyd, and you were never there for me.”

  She plopped back in her seat and waved me off. “Boo, hoo, hoo, Isaac. I’m done disputing this issue with you. Let’s just get this over with so we both can move on.”

  I was somewhat hurt by her coldness, but more than anything, I could tell she’d been with someone else. I walked over to her chair and turned it to face me. With my arms straddled, I looked directly into her eyes.

  “Who is he, Cydney? I want to meet the motherfucker who got you speaking and talking a different language. He’s got to be something special to take what’s mine, and I swear to God that when I see him, I’m gon’ break his neck for interfering where he don’t belong.”

  “Back away from me, Isaac. You have no right to come in here throwing your threats around.”

  I shook Cydney’s chair. “Who is he?” I yelled. “Whoever he is, you will not have one damn day of peace with him! I’ll make sure of that, and if a divorce is what you want, then you’ll get it! It’s still not going to stop me from kicking his ass each and every time I see the two of you together.”

  Cydney attempted to stand, but I pushed her back into the chair. “You’ve lost your mind! I’m not going to put up with this. Leave, Isaac, or I’ll have you arrested.”

  “Do what you feel is necessary. You sitting here all proud and shit. Glowing and pussy probably ain’t even dry yet from giving up what belongs to me. I can’t believe you’d put somebody else before me, and whether I fucked around or not, I never put anyone before you. Never!”

  “That makes me feel so special, but I beg to differ. The day you decided to sleep with them, you put them before me. Now, would you please leave so I can have some peace?”

  I sucked my teeth and backed away from her. “Are you coming home?”

  “That’s your house, not mine. Remember, I don’t live there anymore.”

  “It’s our house, but if either of us decide to leave, it’ll be me. There’s no need for you to be sleeping at your other man’s house when you have one to go to.”

  “I agree. So, when you have all of your things packed, call me so I can come home.”

  “I’m on my way there to pack them now. Are you coming?”

  “I said call me when you’re on your way out.”

  “In about two hours, I’ll be packed and gone. I hope you haven’t forgotten your own address.”

  Cydney had had enough. She got up and sashayed out of her office. Little did she know, I wasn’t going any damn where. Starting tonight, we were going to work this shit out and somehow save o
ur marriage.

  CYDNEY

  What kind of fool did Isaac take me for? I suspected that when I got home, none of his things would be packed. What I didn’t suspect was for him to whip up dinner for us, pop the wine bottle, light some candles and truly believe that his actions could win me over. I told him to shove dinner where the sun didn’t shine and went downstairs to get some sleep. I was exhausted from my trip. My mind was consumed with the thoughts of Raymond, and as much as I tried to forget about what we shared, I couldn’t. More than anything, I didn’t have a phone number to call him nor did I have an address to write him a letter. I felt the need to hear his voice, and for him to hold me in his arms one last time. Before I’d left Maui, I’d planned on making love to him, but that was cut short by his abrupt departure. Maybe I was reading too much into this and he’d left because he’d gotten what he wanted. I couldn’t have had that much of an impact on him, and the more I thought about it, maybe I was fooling myself.

  As for Isaac, I was starting to pity him. After seeing again how trashy and low class Laquinta was, I lost even more respect for him. I never understood that when a man cheated, why did he have to find the worst kind of woman to cheat with? That’s what hurt the most, and for a woman like that to have my husband in her possession for so long, that was a no-no. As far as I was concerned, she could have him. He was getting out of control, and I was sure that she was getting the backlash of his frustrations. Soon, she’d regret that he ever came into her life.

  I’d been home from my trip for almost two weeks. Isaac was attempting to play the “reformed” husband’s role and had been coming home straight from work. When I mentioned him moving out, he claimed he’d been looking for a place to stay. He even removed a few pieces of clothing from our closet, but when I saw the clothes in the back seat of his truck, I knew he was full of it.

  Since he thought I was joking around with him, I stayed late nights at the office so I didn’t have to see him. He continuously called to see when I was coming home, but more than anything, he was trying to make sure I wasn’t out anywhere messing around.

  On Friday, it was getting late and I was more than tired from being at the office all day. Due to my long trip, my work was backed up. No matter how late I stayed, I still couldn’t get caught up. My Administrative Assistant, Carol, had been working overtime to help. She was an elderly white woman who came highly recommended by Darrell. I knew he was doing a friend a favor, but she wasn’t much help to me at all. Around seven o’clock, I told her she could go home.

  Before she left, she brought my mail to me and laid it on my desk.

  “Since you were in a meeting, I forgot to give the mail to you. I already looked through it, but there wasn’t anything too important. There was a package delivered for you, but it’s too heavy for me to lift.”

  I thumbed through the mail—nothing important. I then followed Carol out of my office and went to get the package she mentioned. She placed the straps to her purse on her shoulder then pointed to the wrapped item. I squinted and reached out to tear away the wrapping paper. Almost immediately, I noticed that the frame looked familiar. I tore off more paper, seeing that it was the picture of the Majestic.

  My heart raced. “What time was this delivered?”

  “About two…maybe three hours ago.”

  “Who delivered it?”

  “A guy from UPS.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “How did he look?”

  “He was a black, tall guy with…”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Cydney, I’m positive.”

  I looked at the picture again and could only smile. After I removed all of the paper, I saw a piece of folded paper taped to the picture. I reached for the paper and read it. Meet me for dinner tonight. I’ll be at Cardwell’s in Clayton at 8:00. I’m eager to see you, so don’t be late.

  I looked at my watch. It was already seven-thirty. I rushed into my office and grabbed my purse. Carol waited for me and we walked to the elevator together.

  “That was an awfully pretty picture, Cydney. Who sent it to you?”

  Carol was always being nosy, so I lied. “My father-in-law sent it to me. He knows how much I love yachts.”

  As soon as the elevator came open, I stepped on it. But, no sooner had it opened in the lobby, Isaac stood waiting for me to get off.

  “I was on my way up to keep you company,” he said. “Now that you’re leaving, you don’t mind if I take you to dinner and a movie tonight, do you?”

  I tried not to show how frustrated I was with him, since Carol was around. “Isaac, I really don’t have time. I have to meet a client for a late dinner, and after that, I’ll be home. It shouldn’t take long because I’m tired and I’ll be in a hurry to wrap things up.”

  I said goodbye to Carol, as Isaac and I walked to my car.

  “Don’t be long,” he said. “I’ll have a bubble bath awaiting you at home.”

  I shot him a fake smile. “Thanks,” I said and quickly shut my door.

  I drove off, glancing at him in my rearview mirror. How or why did I feel so guilty? After all the things he’d done to me, I had the nerve to feel sorry for him.

  By the time I made it to Cardwell’s, it was already 8:20 p.m. The valet parked my car and I went inside. I expected for Raymond to be waiting at the door, but he wasn’t. And when I looked around the dining room, I didn’t see him. Maybe I was too late? I went back over by the door and looked outside. Still, there was no sign of him. Giving it one last shot, I asked the Matre’D if reservations were made for Raymond Burg. He said yes and directed me to where Raymond was. I followed and the Matre’D opened the door to a private dining room. It was small and there were only two other couples dining in the area. The Matre’D pulled back the chair and informed me that Raymond would be joining me shortly. I took a seat, and soon, my heart melted. He came into the room awesomely dressed in a black tailored suit and white crisp shirt with buttons. No tie was needed and the suit fit every bit of his muscular frame. Feeling weak in the knees, I could barely get out of my seat to stand. He stood next to me and fumbled with the silverware. I guess he was a bit nervous too.

  “If my asking you to come here makes you uncomfortable, I’m sorry,” he said. “I had to see you again, Cydney. But I certainly didn’t mean to intrude in your life.”

  Intrude, I thought. Hell, he’d just saved the day and didn’t even know it. “I…it’s not a problem, Raymond. I’m glad you came.”

  “Did you get the picture?”

  “Yes. And, thank you.”

  I pulled my beige pin-stripped suit jacket together and reached out for a hug. Raymond wrapped one arm around my waist and whispered in my ear. “Can I make love to you tonight?”

  I backed away. “We…we’ll see,” I said, playing hard to get.

  The answer was really yes, got damn-it, yes! But I didn’t want to appear desperate. More than anything, I couldn’t let him know that the thoughts of him had been occupying my mind twenty-four-seven. I sat back in my chair and Raymond walked around the table to take a seat. He raked the sides of his curly hair back with his finger then picked up the menu. After looking at it for a few minutes, he looked at me. I pretended to be occupied with my menu.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said in a whisper. “Why couldn’t I stop thinking of you after you left?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because you left the room before saying goodbye to me.”

  “I hope you aren’t upset about that. I was being selfish. I wanted you to stay. After you left, I got your information from the front desk. I know it’s confidential, but the captain has access to many things on the island.”

  “Okay, captain. What do you really do for a living?”

  “Are you positive that you want to know?”

  “Yes. I’d like to know everything about you.”

  “Are you prepared to share everything about you?”

  I looked down to straighte
n the napkin on my lap. “Maybe.”

  “That’s not fair, but I didn’t expect for you to be. Anyhow, I’m in the family business of building luxury yachts. Since I love them so much, I often volunteer to navigate them from one island to another. I’m thirty-seven and I have homes in California, New York and Washington. My family’s beachfront properties are all over the world, but you’d be surprised that I have rental property right here in Lake St. Louis and at the Lake of the Ozarks.” He placed his hands behind his head. “Other than that, I’m divorced. I have a son, and this suit I have on is very uncomfortable. I only wore it to impress you, and the only time I like to dress this way is when I wear my captain’s uniform.”

  I smiled and shook my head. “I see you have a great sense of humor. The suit looks really nice, but you didn’t have to wear it to impress me. I’m already impressed, but I’m curious to know why your marriage didn’t work out.”

  He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table. He clinched his hands together and stared at me from across the table. “I assume you want the truth, right?”

  “It helps.”

  “I don’t want you to look at me any differently, but my wife divorced me for having extramarital affairs. She has our son, and I have never forgiven myself for being such a jerk. I was young and stupid, Cydney, but now I know better. If I ever have the opportunity to find love again, I’ll never repeat what I did in the past.”

  Raymond’s news didn’t sit right with me. I did not want to deal with a man who had cheated on his wife. Once a cheater always a cheater, I thought. But who was I to judge? As I sat quietly, the waiter was right on time when he came over and took our orders. I ordered prime rib and so did Raymond.

  “Cydney,” Raymond said. “You’re too quiet. Now that I’ve shared some things with you, you have to share some things with me.”

  “There’s really not much to share,” I said. “I…I don’t—”

  Just then, a voice interrupted. “Hey, baby,” Isaac said, bending down to kiss my cheek. He looked over at Raymond and held out his hand. “I’m Cydney’s husband, Isaac. And, you are?”