The Lies We Tell for Love (The Love, Lies & Lust Series)

by Mz. Robinson

  “Your mother was kind enough to make a donation to a nonprofit organization I’m attempting to start,” Nadia said nervously.

  I laughed at the thought. My mother would rather piss on Nadia then give her a drink of water, and there was no way she would be “kind enough” to donate so much as a penny to anything involving Nadia. I knew in my heart that something was wrong. “Tell me the truth, Nadia!” I yelled. “What are you doing here?” I demanded.

  Nadia’s face was turning red as tears began rolling over the rims of her eyes. “I am telling you the truth!” she cried. “Ask her!” Grabbing my wrist with her hands, she gasped lightly.

  I could feel the pressure leaving my body, flowing through to my hand, grabbing the air from Nadia’s body. I wanted to choke the life out of her the way her antics were doing to me.

  “I caann’t breeeathe!” she gasped.

  In that moment, it was as if I blacked out and all my restraint and awareness of my surroundings left my body. I continued to squeeze Nadia’s neck until a voice deep within me told me to let her go. It wasn’t until I felt my mother’s hand on my shoulder that I realized the voice belonged to her.

  “Let her go, DJ!” she commanded.

  Regaining my awareness of what I was doing and where I was, I slowly loosened my grip.

  “Let go,” Mama repeated.

  Obeying my mother’s request, I released my grip on Nadia’s neck. Sliding down the side of the car, Nadia cried while clutching her neck. I bent down and grabbed her by the arm to pull her back up. Nadia leaned against my body, breathing in and out quickly. I could feel her heart beating rapidly as she struggled to catch her breath. I stepped away from her, then looked at my mother. Her expression was un-readable.

  “What is this?” I asked, holding out the check.

  My mother took the check from my hand and then looked at Nadia, then me, then back at Nadia again. “It’s our family donation to Nadia’s organization,” Mama said. I watched as she extended her hand to Nadia; the whole time, she never took her eyes off her. “Our first,” Mama continued, “and our last.”

  Nadia quickly snatched the check from my mother’s hand, then opened the car door. She eased down into the driver seat, then looked up at me. The expression on her face was one of fear and anger.

  Looking at her neck, I could see the imprint of my own fingers. I had lost control and done the one thing I thought I would never do—I had put my hands on a woman. “Nadia, I—”

  “I’m fine,” she said quickly. “Thank you, Ilene.” Nadia shut the car door with fury, and I stepped back to watch her as she started the car engine and quickly pulled off, burning rubber.

  I was still trying to process the events that had taken place with Nadia when I rejoined my mother on the balcony. She sat with her legs crossed and a glass of wine in her hand. Standing next to her, I remained quiet for a moment, then asked, “Since when did you start supporting Nadia?”

  “I don’t support her,” Mama said, staring straight ahead. “That check is for a very good cause.”

  “Is that the only reason?” I asked. “Is there something you’re not sharing with me?”

  “That and the fact that I want her to stay as far away from you as possible,” Mama finally confessed.

  “So you’re paying her to do so?” I sighed.

  Nodding her head, Mama looked up at me. “I love you, Damon,” she said, “and I would do anything for you—anything to protect you from hurt or harm.”

  Squeezing her shoulder gently, I said, “I love you too, and I know I would do the same for you.” I wanted to tell my mother that I loved and appreciated her for what she thought she was doing for me, but the truth was that it was now impossible for Nadia to stay out of my life. The two of us had a child together, and no matter how my mother or I felt, we were all connected and would be for the rest of our lives.

  ***

  After my father returned from his day on the boat, the two of us sat out on the patio, playing catch-up. “How is marriage?” he asked.

  “It’s good.” I smiled. “How is it for you?’

  “Same thang, different day,” he said, “but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

  “Not even a younger, prettier woman?” I teased.

  “Hell no!” Dad laughed. “At least with your mother, I know what to expect. It’d be hit and miss with anybody else. And let’s face it…I don’t have that much time on my hands.”

  “How have the two of you made it this long and managed to stay happy?”

  “Man to man?” he said.

  I nodded and watched my father as he scratched his head.

  “It hasn’t always been easy. There are some things that come naturally, like loving your mother, and there are other things like being understanding and keeping the fires going. You gotta practice those things daily.”

  “I don’t think Octavia and I will ever have a problem with the heat,” I said, smiling. “Our attraction to each other is mutual, and we have very healthy appetites.”

  “That’s good, son, but in every marriage or long-term relationship, there are going to be times when things just seem to fizzle out,” he said. “It’s easy to promise faithfulness, but the test comes with practice.”

  I heard every word my father was speaking, but I had my mind set. There was no way I could ever see myself being unfaithful to Octavia.

  Chapter 20

  Octavia

  I enjoyed being around Kelly and thought he was a great guy, but the truth is, I didn’t need any unnecessary distractions in my life. Nevertheless, Kelly was going to be around, at least until his work at my home was finished. After our inappropriate moment in the kitchen the night before and my personal acknowledgement that I was attracted to him, I decided to let him know how I felt and where I stood. I took a deep breath then exhaled while knocking on the door of the guesthouse.

  Kelly opened the door wearing nothing but jeans that hung low on his hips, allowing a slight peek at his goody trail. His eyes traveled from mine down over my physique then back up. I was wearing a sleeveless fitted wrap dress that showed just a hint of cleavage in the front. Although the dress went down to my ankles, the way Kelly was looking at me made me feel like I was almost naked. I cleared my throat, a habit I have whenever things made me uncomfortable.

  “May I come in?” I asked.

  “Of course you may,” he said, stepping back to let me in.

  I stepped inside the guesthouse and observed how neat Kelly had kept the place. That made me very happy, because one thing I can’t stand is a man keeping his place dirty, particularly when that place belongs to me. Kelly shut the door behind me then looked at me carefully.

  “Pink is your color,” he said, staring at me.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “I love your hair down,” he said, “but you look extremely beautiful with it up as well.”

  I touched my hair nervously and then smiled. I had chosen to pull my hair up into a bun, leaving a single curl out to frame my face. “Okay” was the only word I could manage to get out. The two of us stared at each other for a brief moment until I remembered why I had come to see him. “I, uh, I have something for you,” I stammered, handing him the envelope from my hand.

  “It’s not a pink slip, is it?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Um, no,” I said, folding my hands together. I observed his expressions as he read over the papers I had given him and waited patiently until he was done.

  Once he was done, he folded the paperwork and slid it back in the envelope. “A lease?” he asked, smiling at me. He seemed happy about the gift I had given him, and I was relieved.

  Kelly put out so many different signals that I had no clue as to how he would react. I assumed he was ready to transition out on his own, and the Lord knows I was ready for him to go. That morning after calling my husband to tell him I love him and calling my parents to check on Jasmine, I had called my former landlord, Jayson, and asked for a f
avor. “Yes,” I said, “I figured you were ready to get out on your own and have your own space.”

  “Oh you did, did you?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I said, smiling slightly. “It’s a beautiful community located off Jeff Road.”

  Kelly nodded his head as he slowly walked toward me.

  “They have a pool and a nice clubhouse, as well as a fitness center,” I continued. “The apartment has a huge walk-in closet, a garden tub, and all stainless steel appliances.” I went on giving him the details of the property, sounding like a realtor attempting to sell a listing. “It’s a fairly new community, but the manager is an old friend of mine,” I advised him, “and he agreed to put you on the lease, in spite of your credit issues—as long as you didn’t have a criminal history.”

  Kelly smiled.

  “I paid the deposit and the first six months of your rent.”

  Standing in front of me, Kelly held up his hand. “Why don’t we talk about what this is really about,” he said.

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning you and I both know what’s going on here,” he said softly. “Octavia, I—”

  “What’s going on is that we had an agreement,” I said, cutting him off, “and you have been doing a great job with your side of our bargain. Now it’s time for me to live up to my end.”

  “I know you feel the same attraction for me,” he said with confidence, “as I feel for you. That’s what this is really about,” he continued, “isn’t it?”

  “Kelly, this is about business and nothing more,” I lied.

  “Bullshit, Octavia,” he said. “You’re just as attracted to me as I am to you. Last night, I know you felt what I was feeling,” he continued, “and I know you wanted what I wanted.”

  “Last night we had too much to drink,” I attempted to reason with him, “and we both crossed the line.”

  “Crossed the line?” He laughed lightly. “This is crossing the line.” He reached out, grabbed me by the arm, and pulled me into his body. In one swift-smooth movement, he wrapped his arms around me and silenced me with his lips before I could take another breath or mumble another word.

  His lips were warm and soft as his tongue parted my lips and found mine. I felt his hand as it moved up my neck to my hair. I felt the bun I had tightly secured crumble as my hair fell over my shoulders. I felt his heart pounding inside his warm chocolate chest as his lips devoured mine, causing the warm place between my legs to throb almost unbearably. In the pit of my stomach, I felt a tingling as I let go, allowing our lips and tongues to satisfy each other. The lust burning inside of me begged me to wrap my arms around him and go further, to allow my hands to follow the trail of fine, dark hairs that disappeared below the waist of his jeans. The burning within me encouraged me to touch the hardness in between his legs that I could now feel pressing against me, through our clothes. The lust I felt was egging me on, daring me to go further. But still, the desire in my heart to remain true to Damon pulled me back, dragged me back from the hell that would have been created if I’d succumbed to that lust; it commanded me to walk away. I pulled away quickly, pushing Kelly away from me. My heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute as I tried to gather my thoughts. I took deep, quick breaths, attempting to slow my heart rate.

  “Every time I’m near you,” Kelly said, breathing heavily, “I want to do that.”

  I stepped around him and stood with my back to him, not wanting him to see the effect that our kiss had on me. “You can pick up your keys Monday morning,” I said, still struggling to catch my breath. “When I come home from work, I expect you to be gone.”

  Chapter 21

  Octavia

  My hubby returned home bearing gifts and promises that he had no plans of traveling out of town for business anytime soon. Although the ring Damon gave me—a two-carat genuine heart-shaped sapphire stone surrounded by diamonds on a platinum band—made me very happy, knowing my man was going to be home to hold me made me ten times happier. When I announced that Kelly was no longer living in our guesthouse, Damon didn’t ask questions; he just kissed me and said, “Good.”

  Kelly managed to avoid me at all costs. He didn’t arrive at the house until after I left for work and made sure he was gone before I returned home. I was more than content with that. It was hard enough facing Damon, knowing what had transpired between Kelly and me, and I did not need the added stress of looking at the man with whom I had disrespected my marriage and love.

  Since I now had two establishments to run, I promoted one of my employees, Amel, to act as the general manager of The Ambiance. Amel had been my employee for nearly four years and had proven herself trustworthy and loyal. Don’t get me wrong…there was a time when I thought Amel was on a one-way path of destruction.

  After I cut Beau off, he had begun to date her. The two of them met one day at the restaurant while Beau was having lunch with Damon. Beau met Damon when he approached him, pretending to be an investor. When I say that Beau was obsessed with me, I’m not bullshitting or stroking my own ego. The man was determined to have me, by any and all means necessary. As part of his plan, he forged a business relationship with Damon, and the two of them began spending time together. The day the two of them were having lunch, Amel saw Beau for the first time and instantly developed a crush. From the outside, I couldn’t blame her. Beau had flawless dark skin and a nicely toned body. He had that bad-boy swag, coupled with a certain element of charm that caught everyone’s attention. However, on the inside the brother was straight crazy. At first Beau acted like Amel didn’t exist, but it didn’t take long for him to change his mind and begin spending time with Amel, with the hope that it would bother me. It did bother me but not because I was jealous. It bothered me because I knew he was playing with Amel’s emotions and using her to try and get back at me. The thought of sweet, innocent Amel being played because of me made me feel like crap inside. In Amel’s eyes, however, Beau loved her, and she was sure all the extravagant gifts he bestowed upon her were expressions of that love. At the time, Amel was a nursing student who only worked part time for me. One day I noticed that not only was she wearing $200 weaves and carrying Gucci handbags, but she was also pushing a brand new Cadillac Escalade. I knew I was paying her above average for her line of work, but I wasn’t paying her that damn well. When I questioned her about it, she happily informed me that her new man, Beau, gave the items to her. As it turned out, the gifts weren’t the only thing Beau was giving her. He also introduced her to heroine.

  Amel’s performance at work began to go to Hell in a Gucci handbag, and her attitude with the other employees became downright nasty. I confronted her about it, and she politely told me to kiss her ass and that her man would take care of her even if I fired her. Those weren’t her exact words, but that’s what I took from our conversation.

  If it hadn’t been for Amel’s mother contacting me in regard to Amel’s whereabouts, I never would have taken it upon myself to go to her home, and I never would have found out she was on drugs, though I had my suspicions that something was going on with her. I convinced Amel to get help, and she checked herself into rehab and got the treatment she needed before it was too late. During Amel’s time in rehab, the police were tipped off (with the help of my father) on Beau’s illegal dealings, and his home was raided. Amel still stood by her man until she read in the Huntsville Times that when Beau’s home was raided, he was in the company of a female by the name of Nicole Hathaway. Nicole, a.k.a. “Nikki,” who just so happened to be Amel’s best friend.

  Amel finished her treatment, and when she came home, I had a job waiting for her.

  I was sitting in my office going over the profit and loss statements when Amel knocked on my office door. “It’s open,” I said, looking up briefly.

  “Hey, boss lady.” Amel smiled , poking her head into the room.

  “Hello, Amel,” I said, smiling. “Come in.” I watched her as she sat down in the leather chair directly across from me. Looking at her, I smiled,
thinking about how far she had come from that terrible day when she’d confessed to using drugs. Her almond-colored skin was smooth and glowed lightly. Her hair, which she now wore in a natural fro, was thick and full. She had even gained a few pounds over the years. Standing at five-six and weighing somewhere around 135 pounds, she carried her weight well in her cream dress pants and mint-green silk button-down shirt. She had even stepped up her shoe game and was wearing a pair of four-inch gold open-toed signature Coach heels.

  Flashing her pretty eyes at me, Amel smiled innocently.

  I was all too familiar with the smile. “What’s up?” I asked, knowing that her schoolgirl grin meant she had either done something she shouldn’t have without my approval or she had some juicy gossip she couldn’t wait to share.

  “I sorta kinda booked The Ambiance for a wedding reception,” she said softly.

  My first thought was, Hell no! The first and last wedding I had catered had turned out to be a life-changing event for me, and I wasn’t even the bride! The dresses and decorations the bride had selected were hideous and are forever implanted in my memory, and also, it was at that wedding that I unfortunately met Beau. “You know how I feel about catering receptions,” I said calmly.

  “I know you vowed you would never, ever do another one again.” Amel sighed.

  “Never,” I repeated.

  “Right,” Amel agreed, nodding her head, “but I think this one is different.”

  “Does it involve a daddy’s girl who has to have everything perfect for her special day?” I asked sarcastically. “The day she’s dreamt about since she was a little girl and can’t believe it is finally happening, so she must have everything perfect?”