The next Saturday, the house smelled of cilantro and Mexican spices.
Mercedes walked from the kitchen to the living room and passed by the tall, exquisite vase of colorful tulips that Mason had sent the day before. She sniffed them and then proceeded to take a seat on the sofa.
Mercedes and Star watched Mason’s last shot at the twenty-seventh hole at Torrey Pines. The previous day he’d shot a sixty-seven and was ahead by one stroke, leading into the final round.
Star was seated on the floor, leaning back in between her mother’s legs. Usually they’d watch highlights or check in for the latest updates from time to time. But today, they sat and watched in silence, almost as if they were watching a tournament with players who were complete strangers. They did not react any more to Mason’s play than they did to the play of other golfers. They just watched quietly, enjoying the game itself, almost as if Mason’s achievements had suddenly become routine.
As usual, Mason was now ahead by a few strokes. The last hole was a close one. The runner up came within one stroke, but their husband and father pulled it off and won. The Fox interviewer chased Mason down for an interview.
Mason looked relieved, yet cool. He spoke, sounding a little winded and very rushed. “I had to master my mind, just as my father taught me so many years ago. You can’t allow yourself to be distracted. You have to stay in control.”
“You seemed to get every break, I mean you escaped the sand and nailed the fairway woods like you were on a mission.”
“That’s exactly how I felt,” Mason replied. “I could not allow myself to slip up. I had to stay focused.”
“Looks like your win has qualified you for a spot in the five-million-dollar World Golf Championship event in Ireland this month. Are you prepared for that?”
“I can’t think that far ahead right now. I’m not even sure if I’ll enter that one. I really want to spend more time with my family for a while. I’ve got to go, thanks.” Mason rushed up the hill with a peppy Winton at his side.
The reporter pulled aside one of Mason’s representatives from the Tideist company. Mercedes’s eyes bugged.
“Natalie Glenn, what is the Tideist company’s stance as Mason Wilson just mentioned that he’s probably going to spend more time with his family and might not go to Ireland. What do you have to say about that?”
Natalie seemed elated, yet her voice was very soft and calm. “I think our stance is and has always been evident. Mr. Wilson is and has been a very important individual to us. He has represented our company and our products with class and we are very proud of him. He is a stellar athlete and a warm human being.”
“Miss Glenn, what will happen if Mason Wilson decides to take time off, or better yet retire?” Mercedes sat up, leaning in toward the fifty-five-inch flat screen.
“We don’t know anything about that. I don’t think he said retire. If and when Mace, I mean Mason decides to do that, we will discuss our options. We’ll support him in whatever he does.”
Star reacted. “Mace?” she commented, giving every ounce of her attention to the interview.
Natalie continued, “For now I think it’s a little premature to speculate.”
“Okay, Miss Glenn. Thanks for taking a moment to speak with us.”
Natalie smiled and hurried up the hill in her tight-fitting, knee-length skirt. Her long, candy-apple red hair was blowing and bouncing as she took each fast-paced step. But to Mercedes, it was as if she was walking at a snails pace. Natalie met up with Mason and shifted her long mane to the left side just as she stood to pose for a couple of pictures while Mason made his acceptance speech. She then continued to stand directly behind him in the winner’s circle as he was presented with the trophy and given his check.
Almost like a zombie, Mercedes moved her leg from around Star’s body and simply stood up. She went into the kitchen to check on the pan of enchiladas she’d made for the kids.
Star still sat watching the closing moments of the event. Then she changed the channel to BET, sitting in her usual yoga position on the floor with her back against the sofa.
“Mom, when is Dad coming home?” asked Rashaad, draped by a towel at his waist, running inside from his afternoon swim.
“He’ll be back in a couple days, son.”
He grabbed a drink from the fridge. “I have a golf tournament that the school entered me in. It’ll be on Saturday morning. Do you think he’ll be able to catch it?”
“I assure you he wouldn’t miss it, baby.” Her mind was divided.
“Cool.”
“Now get washed up for lunch,” she said, sounding as though she was speaking in monotone.
“I will, Mom. It sure smells good.” Rashaad gave his mother a look of approval, savoring the aroma.
“I’m very proud of you,” Mercedes said to her son as he was halfway down the hall.
Mercedes picked up the kitchen phorie and dialed. “Sequoia, where are you? Are you in the back house?” Mercedes sounded frantic. She grabbed a snack from the top of the refrigerator.
“No, I’m just running errands. Why? Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not. My intuition told me something was up. I just figured out who Mason has been seeing.”
“Who?” Sequoia asked.
Mercedes unwrapped the snack package, taking a seat at the kitchen table. “A girl he travels with on tour. A white girl who reps the company he promotes.”
“A white girl. Oh, Mercedes, how do you know that?”
“I just know. I just saw her on TV. I know it’s her.”
“You’ve gone on tour with him recently. You never saw her there?”
“No. I’ve never seen her before in my life. He’s usually only with his caddy.”
“Is this about that red hair in his car you were trippin’ about at the pool party?”
“It’s her hair. Just as bright red and it is long.”
“That’s not enough proof, Mercedes. Does Mason know that you still suspect him?”
“Not yet.”
“Are you going to let him have it?”
“Would he really admit it anyway?”
“Why don’t you call her and tell her you know? Or better yet, set him up next time.”
“No, that’s not my style.”
“Well, it needs to be.” Sequoia could be heard disarming the alarm to her car. “Maybe you should just tell him you already know, just like you told me; he’ll probably think you know more than you really do.”
“I already confronted him at our party and I was wrong.”
“So? Confront him again.”
Mercedes looked at the oatmeal cake and decided she did not want it. She stood up and threw it in the trash. “Anyway, I’ve been bringing people into our bed for a long time now, with my fantasies and wild imagination. I guess all of that imagery in my head turned out to be true.”
Sequoia started her engine and immediately spoke over the volume of the radio. “Mercedes, if he is banging this white chick, he’s doing it in reality. There’s a big difference.”
“Damn, girl. This makes me so freakin’ mad. And I’m always the one claiming how much I trust him.”
Sequoia replied, “Sounds like it’s time for you to take back that trust and get him to come clean for real.”
At the session with Dr. Little the following week, Mercedes spoke first.
“Baby, I know.”
“What do you mean? You know what?”
“Okay, here’s a hint. What’s red, white, and all over black?”
Mason looked at Mercedes like she’d lost her mind. “What’s what?”
“Mace, may I call you Mace?”
Mason looked lost.
“Mace, I know. I know you’re an admired, desired, wealthy, popular stud and it’s difficult with all of your options, right?”
“Cedes,” he said, scooting forward without looking at her, glancing at Dr. Little’s face for help.
“I knew the rule, I just thought you’d be the exce
ption. But, I guess we wives of famous men need to go ahead and resolve ourselves to the fact that we need to put up with the womanizing and appreciate what we have. We need to just get over it, huh? The bottom line is if you and I are ever going to stay together, I need to come to terms with the fact that I’m going to have to share you, right?”
“Share me? Where is this coming from?”
“Your redhead.”
“Are you trippin’ off of Heidi again?”
“Your white, redheaded business companion whose been assigned as your Titieist representative for the past year. I’m sharing my husband with her. Actually she is a little sexy but I thought I knew your type better than that.”
“Mercedes.”
Dr. Little took off his reading glasses. He decided to play referee. “Okay, now let’s slow down and get to the truth here.”
Mercedes kept her focus on Mason, noticing him fidgeting with his own fingers. “I am right at the truth and there’s no better place for Mason to admit his goings-on, next to the church or divorce court, than here and now.”
“Mason, are you prepared to get to the heart of this now?” the doctor asked.
There was a long pause and no reply.
Mercedes repeated herself. “Like I said, there’s no better time.”
Mason sat back. His gut panged with guilt. He spoke. “Natalie was just sex to me. She was convenient and available. She was no drama, no expectations, no requirements, and no emotions. She was just sex.” His own voice echoed in his head. He took a deep breath.
Mercedes voice remained the same, but her jaw grew tense. “She’s your out-of-town sex partner. My replacement?”
“No.”
Her voice grew louder. “So, I fuck the hell out of you in California, and she fucks you in the other forty-nine states, and abroad, right?”
“Cedes. It was only maybe every other month. It stopped before you started traveling with me last month. I told her it was over and that this past week’s tournament was her last with me.” Mason could not believe he was even agreeing to admit that. He looked around at the walls of the office as if the place was known for promoting the truth in people.
Mercedes grew more and more annoyed. “Oh, so that comes out to, let’s see, Mason, about a half-a-dozen times? How dare you use the word only. Once is still too much to use the word only. That’s my husband pleasing another woman.”
“Cedes. Please.” Mason realized that his confession did not feel cleansing in the least.
Mercedes’s brows arched with disdain. “Please, my ass. If pussy was all you wanted, I could have met you in every city when you were lonely, or sent you a. Hustler magazine. I wouldn’t have hesitated if it meant saving my family. But here’s how it works, see—my husband is never supposed to have sex without me. After all, I never have it without you.” She looked to Dr. Little, sounding very fired up. “Doctor, did you know that? I have never fucked any man but my husband? I am a virgin to anyone but Mason Wilson, who took my virginity and put a ring on my finger when he promised to honor and cherish me until death do us part… or until he gets fucking horny.”
“I realize that I’m the only one, Cedes.”
“How about if I go and fuck Dr. Green? He wanted to, you know. Or how about your own brother, Torino, or his friend Kyle, or Dr. Little here?” Mercedes pointed to the doctor who stared back in complete silence.
“Okay, Cedes, that’s enough,” Mason said, feeling dejected yet defensive.
“That’s for me to decide if it’s enough or not. Not you. Maybe you can buy me a six-carat ring this time, huh? Do you think that will fix it? I was feeling lonely many times and I didn’t let some strange penis enter my body.”
Dr. Little found the strength to clear his throat. “Mrs. Wilson. This is a very critical crossroad in your relationship and I do think this is just the place to release this energy. I understand your anger and hurt. It is natural and expected. But revenge solves nothing and I know you don’t mean that.”
Mercedes gritted her teeth before she spoke and squinted her eyes. “I want him to know what it feels like to be betrayed. I go around proclaiming my husband’s fidelity—that I trust him no matter what. It feels like I’ve been stabbed in the heart.”
“What’s happening is that the two of you have come to terms with an issue that most couples deal with way before now. You’ve been married this long and now you find that infidelities have occurred.”
“Who knows when the first time was.”
“There was never a time before this.”
“Dr. Little. Maybe you can tell me. Why do men cheat?” she asked sarcastically.
“Well, usually for men it’s about sex and empowerment.”
Mason looked at him as though he was a traitor.
“Sex and empowerment, huh? After all this time he decided to look for sex and empowerment. Like he doesn’t have enough of both in his life.”
Dr. Little worked to bring clarity to the couple. “Sometimes it’s even harder when so many years have gone by. But, one thing is for sure; it’s not a reason to go your separate ways. Not when your family is making major breakthroughs toward improving relationships. Mason, do you realize it was a smart thing for her to wait until she got here? It must have been hell for her to keep this inside. I’ll be very honest with you, Mason. You screwed up and you’ve got to fix it.”
“I agree and I have fixed it.”
“What do you mean?” the doctor asked.
“I told you I already talked to her and told her that it can never happen again. Also, because I’m seriously thinking about retiring and severing ties with Tideist altogether.”
Mercedes looked sickened by his words. “Oh, please, spare me.”
“Cedes, she means nothing to me.”
She pointed her finger directly at his nose. He turned away. “Wrong. She meant about as much as our marriage did, and I would think that was a hell of a lot to risk. Besides, Mason, she’s only seven numbers away. What happens next time you catch a case of the hornies or some beautiful woman starts chasing you down? It’s just too easy for you to trip up again. You have way too many opportunities to pass up a cheap screw. You’re an adulterer.”
“I understand how you feel and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Dr. Little continued to run it down. “Mason, you mentioned that you’ve already fixed it. I want you to know that your work has just begun. You need to fix it with your wife; not just by telling her that the other woman is out of the way. You need to clear the clutter you’ve accumulated. You need to be accountable, loving, and understanding of her insecurities, even when it drives you nuts, and you need to be patient when she’s feeling jealous. You have a long road ahead of you. Both of you. The big question is, does Mercedes want to stay?”
“You mean can I live with the fact that a rich, powerful man can never be faithful to one woman? Because that’s the real question. It will never stop. Doctor, should I settle for a broke ass faithful man, or live with a rich ass player?”
Dr. Little corrected her. “No, should you live up to the vows you made to your spouse before God?”
“Ask him that,” she said, pointing to her husband.
“Mason, can you?” asked Dr, Little.
Words tumbled through Mason’s mind. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing, yet knew exactly what he was feeling. “Yes, I can. I got married to grow with you, not grow our separate ways. Mercedes, I’m sorry.”
Mercedes looked betrayed. “You should have told me at the pool party instead of denying Heidi so tough. That’s some sorry ass shit.”
Dr. Little asked, “After all of this, Mercedes, can you live up to your vows?”
“I don’t know, maybe after some serious revenge fucking. Dr. Little, let’s go for a drink and talk about it.”
Mason looked stunned and discomfited. “Cedes.”
She continued painting a vivid scene for Mason to imagine. “I just don’t know. I’ll think about it. Picture
some dick inside of me while you work though your own guilt. You put my health in jeopardy, you asshole. I hope you at least wore a condom. I feel no pity for you whatsoever.” Mercedes looked at an open-mouthed Dr. Little and said, “I’ll see you next week, Doc.” She stood and switched past them both. She headed to the door with weighted, yet quick-paced steps. “I hope she’s worth half of your money,” Mercedes yelled while entering the hallway.
Mason got up, shaking the doctor’s hand, and strode quickly to the elevator to catch his wife.
Later that day at home, Mercedes felt compelled to call Dr. Little for a one-on-one, just to hopefully hear him give her that glimmer of a lecture that she might need to deal with the new little awakening in her life. Dr. Little answered his office phone.
“Dr. Little here.”
“Hello. It’s Mercedes Wilson. I feel like I’m about to lose my mind.” She sat on the sofa in her home office with her bare feet propped up to the side.
“Mercedes, I’m glad you called. I was just thinking about your situation. You know, you’re going to have to decide one thing. Do you want to stand by your man or not?”
“I’m not sure. I just don’t think I can ever trust him again. Doctor, these are feelings I never thought I’d have.”
He tried to sound calming. “Mercedes, you need to be careful in your case because it is very common for some wives to normalize stressful situations by virtue of being married to successful men. It’s not normal to cheat on your spouse, no matter what.”
Mercedes placed her hand behind her head. “I agree, but those women have to take responsibility for allowing these men that luxury. I have to be able to trust my husband. And you say ‘successful men’ as if because they have money they have a different set of allowances in life. Mason’s fortune is his wife and family, not his bank account. His incentive should be to make sure he doesn’t ruin what we’ve built together. I’m not okay with his career coming first and his wife second.”
“I understand, and all of your feelings are normal. There’s a process of trying to cope with being the primary parent in the family, handling finances, the possibility of having to relocate at the drop of a hat, and coming to terms with the possibility of one being unfaithful. It is true that most wives of celebrities reconcile with their husbands when they’re famous athletes.”
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