“How you holdin’ up?” Tim asked.
Mark groaned. “Man, I haven’t been this tired since I was trying to make partner.” He was silent. “It’s almost over.”
“What are you going to say?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet. How do I explain about this woman who…attacked me, stalked me, threatened my son and my wife—almost had my wife killed? Who still insists we are married?” Mark shook his head as he looked out the window at Chicago’s lights winking at him. “How do I make her understand?”
“She loves you, man. She’ll stand by you, no matter what. That’s what marriage is,” Tim said.
Mark let out a deep sigh. “I hope you’re right.”
The Day Kelly Killed Her Husband…
Mark rolled over and stared down at Kelly’s peaceful form. She was so beautiful, so amazing. He wasn’t sure how long he watched her sleep, the graceful rise and fall of her chest, the shiny lock of hair that slid across her cheek. Finally, he wrapped his arms around her. She moaned and snuggled into him. He began to nibble on her neck and ear, indicating he wanted her. She twisted around to look at him and smiled.
“Good morning,” she said, her voice still muddy with sleep.
“Good morning, beautiful.” He kissed her on the mouth, and they made love. When they were finished, they simply laid in bed holding onto each other before Kelly groaned.
“Baby, I need to get going. Gloria hates it when I’m late.”
He squeezed her tighter. “Mmmm…not yet. I just want to hold you a little bit longer.”
She grinned and kissed him. “Okay, but if I’m late, you get to tell Gloria why.”
He laughed and held up his thumb and pinky like he was talking on the phone. “Hey, Gloria, I was making love to my wife this morning, sorry she’s late for her fill—”
“And pedicure!” Kelly interjected.
“And pedicure. We can’t forget the toes, baby.”
“Never that,” she murmured as she leaned in for another kiss. Finally, they broke their embrace, and she rose out of the bed. Mark placed the back of his head in his hands as he leaned back to watch her.
“You could join me,” she shot over her shoulder as she walked to the bathroom.
“You think I’m not going to pull you back in here when you get out?”
Kelly giggled. “Oh, really?”
He bounded out of bed and pinned her against the wall.
“Oh yeah,” he said as he ran his hands over her taut, lean body.
“Yeah,” she whispered as she began to push him back toward the bed. They tumbled into the sheets and engaged in a fast and furious sex session.
“Okay, seriously, I have to get in the shower,” Kelly laughed when they finished. She kissed him.
He smiled and nodded. “Okay. I’m done. For the morning,” he said with a wink.
She gave him a knowing look as she strolled into the bathroom. Mark curled around her pillow, a content smile on his face. She emerged from the shower fifteen minutes later wrapped in her pink terrycloth bathrobe.
“How long do you think you’ll be at the office?” she asked as she pulled a pink tank top and pair of cropped black pants out of the closet.
“I should be back around five. What are you doing after the nail salon?”
She pulled on a pair of panties and rifled through the dresser drawer for a bra. “Shelia and I are going to Tavern on Rush for lunch, and then we’ll probably just mess around after that. I almost don’t know what to do with myself, having an entire Saturday off.”
“You deserve it, baby. You work hard. The boss should be able to take some time off every once in a while.”
Kelly smiled at Mark as she hooked her bra together and reached for her pants. “Yeah. It’ll be nice.”
She pulled the tank top over her head before she went back to the bathroom. Mark was still tangled up in the sheets but had dozed off slightly. The sweet, flowery scent of her perfume wafted over him, and he stirred a little.
“Sweetie,” Kelly said, nudging Mark. “Baby, wake up.”
He groaned and opened his eyes. He puckered up his lips for a kiss, and she leaned down to oblige him.
“Love you,” Kelly whispered as she caressed his cheek.
He smiled. “Love you too. Call me later.”
She rubbed the top of his head. “Yes, sir.” She smiled and stood up. “Oh. I’ll make the bed when I get back.”
He laughed. “‘Cause you know I won’t do it.”
“Do I!” she laughed as she slipped into a pair of flat black sandals. Mark could hear her pick up her keys and purse and shut the door. He let out a satisfied sigh and looked at the clock.
It was nine-fifteen.
The Dance They Do…
Geneva sat in her Lexus watching the front door of 1043 North Lake Shore Drive. She saw Kelly come out and take long strides down the street. She had sat out here enough Saturday mornings to know that every two weeks, like clockwork, Kelly got a fill and a pedicure at a salon a few blocks away. Geneva narrowed her eyes behind her oversized sunglasses as she watched Kelly disappear around the corner. God, she couldn’t stand that bitch. The way she pranced around like she owned every goddamned thing in the world.
She hadn’t heard from Mark all week, and he’d been ignoring her messages. For the past year, they’d been playing a delicate and dangerous game with each other, because they each had something the other wanted. Mark wanted his son and Geneva out of his life for good; Geneva wanted Mark and all the perks that came with being his woman. She hated that Kelly got to parade around while she was stuck out in Olympia Fields with that strange kid, having to act like she didn’t exist. She could blow him out of the water but, at the same time, was afraid he would kill her like he’d always threatened to.
So they had danced their little dance, but Geneva had decided it was time to change the music and take the lead. Even all these years later, she could still remember the night she saw him in New Orleans like it was yesterday.
Geneva and her girlfriend had been working on Bourbon Street that night when her girl got sick and went home early. It had been a slow night, so Geneva had decided to check out the action over in Uptown. She wandered into Cooter Brown’s, and when Mark and that white boy came in, Geneva felt herself go wet immediately.
He was the finest thing she had ever seen.
She’d been working the streets of New Orleans since she was fourteen. She wasn’t much to look at and was fat, but men loved big titties, and she made a lot of money off those puppies. As she rubbed up against him in the hallway in front of the bathroom, she realized he wasn’t turned on by her but afraid of her. Geneva didn’t care; she had to have him and would do whatever she had to so she could to get him.
She became obsessed with Mark, following him all over town, thinking about him while she was jacking off or with one of her tricks. She got rounded up in a raid one night and spent a few weeks in jail. As soon as she got out, she made a beeline for Mark, determined to have him. She’d seen him out that night, drinking himself stupid, and smiled, knowing he was hers.
She waited for him outside his apartment, and the rest was easy. She shoved those little pills her girl had brought back from Mexico in his mouth, and that was it. He was the best lover she’d ever had. She got arrested again, this time for possession, and was back in jail. She couldn’t help it if she liked to toke up once in a while. While serving her time, she found out she was pregnant and couldn’t wait to tell Mark, knowing this meant they would be together forever.
She was furious when he ignored her, and she had to pull out all the stops to get him to marry her. That only made things worse. He rarely took her calls at the office and stayed at motels instead of coming home. Geneva had morning sickness all the time and was too sick to track him down. Then she miscarried, and the next thing she knew, he had skipped town.
Falling back into old habits, Geneva turned a few tricks, scored a few deals, and given her priors, got
a ten-year sentence. She discovered she had been pregnant with twins, but that one had survived. Her sister took the baby, and Geneva served her sentence. As soon as she got out, she headed to the salon, picked up an old Jet magazine, and there was Mark, marrying that heifer. Geneva scooped up Mark, Jr. and got on a bus to Chicago.
Mark refused to play, so Geneva had decided she would wear him down. She figured if she kept pushing, he would have to break and tell the heifer. She would throw him out, and he would have no choice but to be with Geneva.
She drummed her long purple fingernails on the steering wheel. Today was the day she would push him over the edge. She smiled to herself as she looked at the box of condoms she had purchased yesterday peeking out from her purse. Geneva pulled her keys out of the ignition and opened the car door. She jogged across the street and managed to catch the door as someone was coming out. The doorman must have been on a break, because no one was sitting at the desk.
Geneva pressed the button for the elevator and waited for a car.
An Unfortunate Turn Of Events…
“Baby, were you too lazy to get out your key?” Mark called out before he opened the door. He stopped. Standing in the doorway cracking her Juicy Fruit and with that all-too-familiar lascivious smile on her face was Geneva. He almost choked on the water he was drinking.
“What are you doing here?”
“That’s how you greet me? I ain’t seen you all week. You gonna ask me in?”
With a furious glance down the hallway, Mark yanked Geneva inside and closed the door.
“What are you, crazy? Kelly just left.”
“I know. I waited downstairs until I saw her leave. I know she goes to the salon every two weeks.”
“You better not be following her again.”
Geneva walked past Mark, eyeing the condo. She let out a low whistle.
“Damn, baby, this is a nice place. You know I was thinking of moving into the city. Put M.J. in boarding school somewhere…whatchya think?”
Mark plunked his water glass down onto the occasional table next to the door and went to grab Geneva. “Get out.”
Geneva ducked out of his grasp and began to saunter in the direction of his bedroom. “So this where y’all sleep?” she asked as she sat down on the bed.
He crossed the room and pulled her up off the bed. “Don’t sit on that.”
She continued to smile. “We got some business to settle. How come I haven’t seen you all week?”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve been out of town. Now leave before someone sees you.”
“Where you been?“ None of your goddamned business, that’s where. I’m giving you two seconds to leave, or I swear, I will push your fat ass off the balcony.”
“Why you always saying that to me? Calling me fat?”
“Look in the mirror.”
“Baby, I’m a real woman, and don’t you forget it.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay, Geneva.”
She clenched her fists, a bead of sweat crawling down the side of her face. “You know, I am sick and tired of how you talk to me,” she said.
“You’re sick of how I treat you? Are you kidding me?”
“I ain’t ever done nothin’ but love you and—”
“Love me? You…you raped me, stalked me, forced me to marry you. Then you almost kill my wife, hide my son, threaten him…and you’re sick of me?” As Mark looked at Geneva, he felt all of his rage bubble to the surface, and his hand shot up and slapped her across the face. She let out a yelp and looked back up at him, her eyes watery.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again!” she screamed.
Unable to stand the sight of this woman anymore, Mark lunged for her and wrapped his hands around her neck and began to squeeze.
“Now, I’m not about to go to jail for killing you, although I would be doing the world a favor, and no one would miss you for one fucking minute,” Mark said, his voice quivering with quiet rage. “But I want you out of my house now, and don’t you ever, ever come back.” The phone rang, but he ignored it, tightening his grip around her thick, fleshy neck. Finally, he pushed Geneva against the wall as the phone continued to ring. She rubbed her neck, trying to catch her breath.
The only reason Mark decided to answer the phone was because he thought it might be Kelly, an associate, or even one of the partners. He went to answer it, but for some reason, the bedroom phone was off its base, so he had to go to the living room to answer it. He hesitated, not wanting to leave Geneva alone in the bedroom but afraid she would make some kind of noise so whoever was on the other end would hear.
“Stay here,” he said before he darted into the living room to grab the phone. It turned out to be their cleaning lady needing to change her schedule because she had to go out of town for a few days for her mother’s funeral.
Since Mark had left the room, he didn’t see Geneva pull a condom out of her purse, unwrap it, roll it between her fingers, and drop it into the bed sheets.
By the time Mark made it back to the bedroom, he had no idea Geneva had sealed his fate.
Grabbing Geneva by the wrist, he dragged her to the front door. He stopped and looked at her. “You’ll be hearing from me on Monday. And don’t fucking call me before then.”
“Take your hands off me.” Geneva winced. “That hurts.”
“I don’t really give a shit.” He opened the door and shoved Geneva through it. “You don’t call me before Monday,” he repeated as he slammed the door and locked it. He leaned back against the door, his breath coming in scared, angry gusts.
This was almost over. He was almost through with this nightmare.
Sickened at the thought that Geneva had even an inch of her body on the bed he shared with Kelly, Mark rushed into the bedroom and stripped the bed, not noticing the condom. He dropped the sheets next to the hamper and then went to the linen closet to pull out a fresh set. He hurried to make the bed, sweat seeping down his back and chest. He stood back, satisfied, and then jumped in the shower. He dressed, grabbed his keys and briefcase, and went down to his car.
Final Hours…
He thought about Kelly, how much he loved and needed her. Mark pulled into his office garage and turned off the ignition. He sat with his eyes closed for moment. He hoped Geneva would rot in hell for everything she’d done. No, he’d make sure she rotted in hell. Mark pursed his lips together, opened his eyes, then got out of the car. He made his way up to his office and sat down at his desk. He picked up his office phone and dialed.
“Hey, brother.”
“She came to the house this morning. I almost killed her.”
“Damn,” Tim paused. “But you didn’t, right?”
Mark let out a bitter laugh. “I said almost. Don’t think I didn’t want to, though.”
“What now?” Tim asked.
“I got her man. I got her. I got all the evidence I need to get rid of her forever. I got her to admit to trying to kill Kelly, threatening my son, extorting money from me all this time…I’ve got all that evidence, man. She only has one choice. Give me custody, take a huge paycheck, and disappear, or spend the rest of her life in jail.”
“What about Kelly?”
Mark let out a long sigh as he swiveled in his chair to look out his window at the Chicago skyline. “I just keep hoping she’ll understand once I tell her the whole story, that she won’t leave me, that’ll she’ll accept my son…” His voice trailed off. “You know all this time, I’ve been trying to keep her safe, keep M.J. safe…”
“I’m surprised you haven’t cracked up by now, the tightrope you’ve been walkin’,” Tim said.
Mark shook his head. “Yeah, well…I’m telling Kelly tomorrow. I’d give anything in the world not to have to tell her about Geneva, but I have to.”
“Like you said, it’ll be over soon. And man, I know Kelly loves you, she’ll understand. And maybe now I’ll finally get to meet her.”
“I couldn’t put you in the position of knowing
what you know and having to pretend in front of her.”
“I know, I know. And it’s alright. You’ve done what you had to for all this time, and like you said, you’re almost free.”
Mark sighed again and got lost in the view out his window. “Yeah. Yeah. Alright, man. I’ll let you know.”
“Hang in. I love you, man,” Tim said.
He smiled. “Yeah, brother. Me too.”
Mark replaced the receiver and tried to concentrate on getting in a few hours of work, not knowing they’d be his last.
Sealed Fate…
Mark pulled into his parking space at home. He just wanted to wrap himself around Kelly and hold on to her for dear life before everything changed. He just needed tonight with her.
He rode the elevator up and turned the key in the lock. His heart stopped when he opened the door and saw the pile of suitcases and garbage bags and a condom on top of everything.
What the hell had Geneva done?
He dropped his keys and ran to the kitchen where Kelly was standing, drinking a glass of wine, her hazel eyes rimmed in red, her beautiful face swollen from crying.
“Baby, it’s not what you think—”
“Don’t bother, Mark,” Kelly said calmly as she picked up her wine glass. “I already know. You’ve been fucking some skank behind my back.”
“It’s not like that, baby. Just let me explain.”
Kelly looked up at him. “Don’t. Don’t say one goddamned word. You can tell everything to my lawyer.” Her voice was ice cold.
“Kelly, please look at me.” Her response was to take a long swallow from her wine glass. She put the glass back down and looked at him.
“As you can see, I’ve already packed your things. I would appreciate it if you get out of my house. Now.”
He was getting desperate and felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “Baby, this is our house—”
“The minute you brought your dirty business into our bedroom, this stopped being our house. Now leave.”
He shook his head. “Not until you let me explain.”
Sweet Little Lies Page 21