by Dynah Zale
Val and Olivia waited inside the school for Val’s father to pick them up. They stood not too far from the boys’ locker room where, indeed, a pack of girls had assembled, waiting for Julian. Val watched as Julian walked out of the locker room. The flirtatious and obviously excited females pushed and shoved to get closer to the handsome ball player.
Julian looked up and saw Val standing close by. He broke away from the crowd and stepped to her. “Hi, what’s your name?”
“Valencia,” she replied. “Valencia Benson.”
“That is such a beautiful name.” He batted his long eyelashes at her flirtatiously. “I saw you in the stands. Did you enjoy the game?”
“Yes, I did. You played very well.”
“Thanks.” He smiled boldly. “Would you like to get something to eat?”
Val shied away from the handsome young man and pulled Olivia closer to her. “I’m sorry. We’re waiting for my father to come pick us up.”
“I understand,” Julian replied. “Can I get your phone number? Maybe we can go out another time.”
“I’m sorry, but my father doesn’t allow guys he hasn’t met to call the house.”
Julian was disappointed. Soon the girls heard a car horn.
“I have to go,” Val announced. “It was nice speaking with you, Julian.” Val and Olivia rushed out to the car.
Julian watched them get in the car, but before she closed the passenger side door Julian yelled out, “Valencia!”
Val looked in his direction as he ran out to the car and over to her father.
“Hello, Mr. Benson, my name is Julian Pennington. I attend school with your daughter.” Julian held out his hand for a handshake. “I was just talking with your daughter and she told me that you don’t allow guys to call your home whom you haven’t met yet. So I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I hope that sometime in the near future you will give me permission to speak with your daughter on the telephone.”
Mr. Benson was impressed by Julian’s respectful manner, and was amused by how smitten he was with his daughter.
“Val is right. I don’t allow boys I haven’t met to call the house, but now that I’ve met you and I see that you are a nice young man, I don’t have a problem with Val giving you the house number.” He turned to Valencia. “Baby girl, give him the house number.”
Valencia was shocked. She could not believe her father had been charmed by Julian so quickly. Her father never gave out their phone numbers to boys without him first giving them a long lecture on responsibly dating his daughter. Val was impressed.
She knew anyone who could get past her father on the first meeting was someone special.
After being in the shower for nearly an hour, Val decided that it was time for her to get out.
She walked back into the bedroom and moved Carlos’s shirt that Pilar had placed on the bed. She lay across the bed in her towel.
Val heard a soft knock at her door. “Come in,” she said softly.
Pilar walked in carrying a hot cup of tea. She placed it on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Are you feeling better?” she asked.
“A little,” Val replied.
“Don’t blame yourself for what has happened. I already told you that I went through a similar incident and the entire time I blamed myself. I wondered what I had done wrong to make him want someone else. After a while I realized that I had to stop blaming myself. I couldn’t take responsibility for his actions. I made him dinner, took care of the kids, and gave him sex.” She snapped her fingers. “On demand.” They laughed together. “I knew I was the best wife I could be, but if our marriage was going to survive, he would have to realize that I was second to none, and that our family took precedence over everything. And eventually he did.”
“I do feel like this is my fault.” Val told Pilar. “If I didn’t insist we wait until after we were married to have sex, then this would have never happened.”
“Don’t think that way, because no matter what you had done, this could have still happened. You can’t live your life on the assumption that everything you do or don’t do will prevent Julian from stepping outside of your relationship. You have to live your life for yourself.”
Val absorbed Pilar’s words of wisdom.
“Now it’s up to you to decide whether or not you think your relationship is worth fighting for. Remember you said that you and Julian shared something special. If you really believe that, then the two of you can work through this together. You have to remember that just because you two are in love doesn’t mean that either of you won’t make mistakes. I stayed with Carlos because I knew that I could never love anyone the same way that I love him, but some women can’t get past infidelity.”
Pilar got up and grabbed Val’s clothes from the bathroom. “I’m going to take these downstairs and put them in the washer. If you need anything, just yell. My room is right down the hall.”
She was finally left alone. She closed her eyes and thought about Pilar’s advice. Should I forgive Julian? Or will I allow one mistake destroy what we have?
Chapter 9
“Ladies, I’m going to be completely honest with you,” Desmond Murray, the private detective, told Olivia and Danyelle. “You haven’t really given me a whole lot of information on Mr. Winters. I’m pretty sure that I can find him, but it may take me a while.”
“How long do you think it will take?” Olivia asked.
“I could find him next week, or it may not be until next year. It depends on how careful he’s been about leaving a paper trail. It looks like he’s done this before, because he left this apartment with no signs of him ever living here. But you did say he worked for Amtrak, correct?”
Olivia nodded her head. “They won’t give you any information. I tried,” she said. “I called them and all they kept saying was, ‘We cannot release any past or present employee information.’” Olivia mimicked the woman she spoke to on the phone.
“Let me try. I may be able to persuade them to help us out,” Murray replied. “Give me a call if you happen to find or remember anything that could help me find out his whereabouts, like an old phone bill or pay stub. I’ll start by going down to Amtrak. I’ll show his picture around to a few people. Hopefully someone will recognize him.”
“Mr. Murray, I just remembered something,” Danyelle said. “I’m not sure if this will be of any help to you, but Bryant took a trip over the summer to Chicago for a family emergency.”
“Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about that,” Olivia added.
“There’s not too much more we can tell you. He went to Chicago and returned a few days later,” Danyelle said.
“I don’t suppose he left a phone number where he could be reached?” Mr. Murray asked.
“He did leave me with a number to the Best Western. I think that’s where he was staying.”
“Great, let’s just pray that he used the phone there or maybe even rented a car. This is a great lead. Olivia, I’ll call you in a few weeks and let you know my progress.”
Val opened her eyes and was surprised to see Alec on the floor next to her bed playing with a handful of toy soldiers. She smiled at his cuteness. “Good morning, cutie.”
“Can you come play with me? My mommy said not to bother you while she was gone, and I was really quiet while you was sleeping.”
“Yes, you were very quiet.” She looked at the clock. It was past one o’clock in the afternoon. “Wow, I didn’t know it was so late.” She sat up and stretched her arms. Alec stood up next to her. “Alec, why don’t you go to your room and set up a game for us to play while I get dressed? I’ll be there in a bit.”
The boy gathered his toy soldiers and raced out of the room. Val grabbed her cell phone. It had been a week since she had confronted Julian about his infidelities, and she was surprised that he hadn’t once tried to call her to work things out. She knew that Carlos had told Julian she was staying with them, but she still wondered why he hadn’t
called her.
Sitting on the lounge chair next to her bed was another set of clothes from Pilar. Val had been borrowing clothes from Pilar all week long. She knew she was eventually going to have to go home and get her own clothes, but she was trying to put off facing Julian for as long as possible.
Forty-five minutes later Val walked down the hall and found Alec watching an episode of Sponge Bob Square Pants. Stacked high on his bed were Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Blue’s Clues Room Talking Game, and at least three more games. He noticed Val enter and he ran to greet her.
“You can sit right here,” he said, pointing to a small miniature chair.
“Alec, I don’t think I’m going to fit in this chair. Why don’t I sit on the floor?”
“All right,” he replied. He quickly turned his attention back to the television.
Val looked around Alec’s brightly colored room. The walls were painted lime green and orange. Stenciled on the walls were different characters from Nickelodeon. Against the far wall was a bookcase full of different books. Closer to the television was a miniature chair and desk set with lots of paper, crayons, markers, and paints. Val admired several drawings hanging from the wall, all done by Alec. She glanced at a few unfinished pictures on his desk when she came across a red paper heart. She opened up the heart and inside were the words “i like u” in a child’s handwriting. It brought back memories of her and Julian’s first Valentine’s Day together.
Julian and Val had attended their school’s annual Valentine’s Day dance. At the end of the night the DJ announced the last song and Julian asked her to dance. He held her close while Val listened to the beat of his heart. Balloons and miniature confetti hearts fell from the ceiling, covering them and making it a moment she would never forget. Julian made it even more memorable by kneeling down in front of her unexpectedly. She thought he was going to ask her to marry him, but they were only fourteen-years-old. He pulled a box out from his coat pocket and opened it. Inside was a heart locket. “Will you be my Valentine?” he asked her.
She knew that moment marked the beginning of a true love story.
“Alec, where’d you get this?” she asked the child.
He walked over to see what she was referring to. “Some stupid girl at school gave it to me.”
“Why you call her stupid?” she giggled.
“Because she bugs me. She is always messing with me and she tries to sit next to me on the bus.”
“Maybe she likes you.”
“I don’t like girls.”
“You like me, don’t you? And you like your mommy, and we’re both girls.”
“Yes, I like both of you, but I don’t like my sisters. They’re always telling me what to do and making fun of me. I don’t think they like me.” His face turned sad.
“They’re your sisters. I’m sure they love you.”
“Then why are they so mean?”
“Just because a person does something to hurt you doesn’t mean that person doesn’t love you.” Val was surprised by her choice of words. She paused for a moment. “Let me tell you what you should do. The next time either of them is mean to you, you should be nice to them. They will feel bad for mistreating you, and try to make it up to you by being nice. It’s hard being the youngest.” Val gave him a hug. “Why don’t we play a game?”
Alec walked over to his bed and pulled out Candy Land. They played two rounds and Alec beat her both times. After the second game, he set up the board again.
“Here you are,” Pilar said to Val as she walked into Alec’s room. “I should have known that Alec would have taken you hostage. How are you feeling today?”
“I’m doing much better. Alec has been keeping me company.”
“I hope he hasn’t been bothering you.”
“No, he’s been a good boy. I really enjoyed my time with him. He helped me realize a few important things that I need to apply to my own life.”
Pilar sensed that she was referring to her and Julian. “Would you like to use my car?” she offered.
“If you don’t mind, that would be great.”
“No, go ahead. My keys are downstairs on the kitchen counter,” Pilar told her.
Val walked toward the door when Alec called out her name. “Ms. Benson, you’re leaving?” he asked.
Val forgot all about Alec and the board game. Fortunately, Pilar intervened on her behalf. “Alec, Mommy will play with you. Ms. Benson has to run out. We will see her when she gets back.”
Val shot Pilar a thank you smile and dashed out the door.
Val pulled up in front of what used to be her home. It seemed like months had passed since the last time she was there. She felt like an intruder as she inserted her key into the door and entered. Val looked around at the familiar home furnishings. Nothing had changed. She walked into the family room, expecting to find Julian laid out on the couch. Instead, she found a spotless family room. The last time she was here the room was a total mess. Julian used this room as his dining room, bedroom and kitchen. He always left a trail of dirty dishes, newspapers, and clothes lying around. He must have cleaned up himself after he realized that I wasn’t coming home, Val thought to herself.
She walked toward the stairs, but stopped when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She could smell the aroma of tomatoes and cheese drifting from the kitchen.
“Julian?” she called out.
She strolled into the kitchen and was surprised to find a blonde-haired girl pulling out a pan of lasagna from the oven. The young woman was so preoccupied with the phone conversation she was having that she didn’t notice Val enter the room.
She turned around and jumped when she saw Val’s piercing stare. “Melissa, I’ll have to call you back.” She hung up the receiver. “Can I help you?”
Val recognized her immediately. She was the girl in the photo with Julian. She was the one he took to Aspen—his mistress. “I’m Valencia,” she replied. “Is Julian here?”
“No, he’s not here right now.” The woman’s crystal blue eyes stared right through Val. “He mentioned that you might stop by to pick up your things. He asked me to tell you that they’re upstairs.”
Val was unprepared for the way the woman addressed her. She treated Val like she was a guest in the house Val had shared with Julian less than a week ago. Unsure of how to react, Val decided it would be best if she gathered her things and waited to speak with Julian later.
Val walked up the stairs. “If you need any help, just yell,” Julian’s new friend called out. “My name is Caitlyn.” Val ignored her and continued up the stairs.
She walked into the bedroom that she used to share with Julian, and into the walk-in closet. She pulled her suitcase down from the top shelf and went toward her side of the closet. Lying in the trash she noticed a shirt she had bought a few years back with both her and Julian’s names airbrushed on it. Val kneeled down and lifted up the shirt. Maybe Julian never did love me.
Upset, she began pulling things off the hangers and throwing them into her bag. Once she was almost finished packing her things, she looked a little closer at the things she was throwing in her bag. None of these clothes looked familiar to her. “Where are all my clothes?” Val asked out loud.
“They were moved down the hall,” Val heard a voice say from behind her.
Leaning against the door was Caitlyn. She sashayed into the master bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.
“When I moved my things in here, Julian said it would be all right if I moved your things down the hall.”
Val’s mouth dropped open. “You live here?” Val questioned her.
Caitlyn shook her head yes. “I moved in a few days ago.”
Val looked toward the bed and images of Caitlyn and Julian making love flashed in her mind. She quickly turned her head to erase the images from her head. In an attempt to escape Caitlyn’s company, Val grabbed her bag and stormed down the hall to the guest bedroom. She quickly found her things and began to pack, slamming skirts and
blouses into her suitcase. Val felt a pair of eyes watching her and she didn’t have to turn around to know Caitlyn was eyeballing her again.
“Can I help you?” Val asked with her back turned toward Caitlyn.
“I just wanted to make sure you found everything. I wouldn’t want you to forget anything.”
“I think I can handle packing my things by myself,” Val said emphatically.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” Caitlyn asked.
Val quickened her pace to hurry up and get her things packed so she could leave. “No, I don’t. Should I remember?”
“I attended school in Kentucky with Julian. I ran into you a few times when you were visiting.”
“You knew Julian at the University?” Val stopped packing her things. She turned toward Caitlyn. If he was dating her while he was in school, I’m going to kill him.
“No, I tried to get to know him better, but he wasn’t interested.”
“So you decided to give it another try after he got drafted into the NBA. How convenient,” Val commented sarcastically.
“No, you don’t understand,” Caitlyn said, laughing. “My uncle is Theodore Haas, the owner of the Seattle SuperSonics.
Val suddenly remembered the party thrown by the owners of the team earlier in the year. Caitlyn was there. She was the one who was flirting with Julian.
Caitlyn continued. “When I found out Julian was leaving school to enter the draft I—”
“You don’t have to finish.” Val cut her off mid-sentence. “You wasted no time coming after my man.”
“It’s not like it was hard. From what I’ve been told you were too good to satisfy your man. So I satisfied him for you.”
Val stepped up in Caitlyn’s face. “Julian never complained to me.”
“What do you expect, Val? He would go out and play ball every night. He’d come home tired and needing to relax and relieve stress. You two shared a bed, but you never shared yourself. You never even touched him—no foreplay, no teasing, nothing. I just gave him what he needed. Trust me, it wasn’t hard.”