__________
Thirty minutes later, Olivia had made her way through her salon, stopping and talking with her employees. She was smiling like everything was just fine and making up the same story along the way. By the time she’d made it to her office door, all the staff members had been informed of the same thing.
Mark was taking a shower when one of the candles in the house caught fire to a curtain that had slipped off a broken rod. Leaving work for a few days to handle business was necessary for her and she was glad that her mother was able to step in while she was away upon such short notice. Once the story was told, she’d walked off continuing her charade of fake smiling and handing out lies.
She tapped on her office door while turning the door knob and walking inside it. Mrs. Jackson looked up from paperwork that she was revising to see her daughter standing there. A smile immediately spread across her face. She stood up from behind the desk, looking like a modern day Diahann Carroll, dressed in a form fitted, knee length, tan skirt and a white blouse neatly tucked inside it. A pair of white Louboutin pumps extended her nice legs as she pranced over to her daughter and immediately wrapped her arms around her. Her bouncy hair flowed in a beautiful black bob that they were very surprised that she’d gotten cut. As always, she looked sophisticated, about her business, and ready to interrogate.
“My God,” she said, kissing Olivia on the cheek. “It’s so good to see that you’re back.”
“Thanks Mom,” Olivia whispered. As bad as she hated to admit it, she wouldn’t rather be any other place than in her mother’s loving arms. “I’m glad to be back.”
Mrs. Jackson leaned back to get a good look at her. “You look like you need to eat something.”
Olivia shook her head. “I’m not hungry, mom.”
“Okay,” Mrs. Jackson said, knowing that she had to watch what she said or Olivia would shut down. She hugged her again with a sweet embrace for another minute. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes,” Olivia said. “I just needed to clear my mind.”
“Sit down,” Mrs. Jackson insisted. “I would like to talk to you.” She made her way back around the desk and sat down as Olivia sat in the empty seat across from her. “Everyone has been doing a great job since you left. They stepped up to the plate and I only was in here to make sure that no one slacked.”
“But Mom, you have your own practice. You didn’t have to. Brittany was going to handle that for me.” Mrs. Jackson didn’t seem satisfied with that so Olivia continued. “You do remember Brittany, right? She is one of my closest friends since high school. Not only is she the lead stylist here, but she’s also the manager.”
Mrs. Jackson softly rolled her eyes. “Don’t patronize me, O’. I hate when you and your sister do that.”
“Mom, I appreciate it. Really I do.” She said, but then paused as she thought about how good Mrs. Jackson really was to them. She may have been nosey, aggravating, stubborn, and strict but she loved the hell out of her family. There was no question whatsoever about that. “Never mind,” she said. “Thanks though.”
Mrs. Jackson smiled. Olivia’s retreat had definitely brought on a calmer change in her attitude. She studied her quickly, checking out her body language as she ran her nervous fingers through her natural shoulder length hair. Mrs. Jackson could see that something was troubling her and she knew exactly who and what was involved. Instead of going in on her daughter and causing her to shut down, she decided to approach the subject lightly and in a more sensitive way.
“I just want you to listen to me,” Mrs. Jackson said. “I don’t want you to answer me, because I’m not going to question you. I just want to give you some motherly advice. Don’t think I’m trying to run your life. I understand that I can’t, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t be here for you.” She said, letting her guard down and seeing her child as someone that was need of her help and not in need of a mental session.
“I don’t know what’s going on in your marriage or your home. I’m not asking nor do I want to know if you’re not ready to tell me. You don’t have to open up, but I know you and I know that something is heavy on your heart.”
“Mark cheated,” Olivia blurted out. “With Felisha.”
Mrs. Jackson’s eyes stretched like they wanted to pop out of her head. She was definitely stunned. For the first time she was almost speechless. “Mark slept with…”
“You heard me, mom. My husband slept with Felisha.”
“Well, that’s the first time in a long time that I’ve not been prepared to hear something.” In all the twenty-two years of her being a Psychiatrist she’d heard it all and was almost always ready for whatever, but this news had certainly took her by a complete surprise.
“You can imagine how I felt.” Olivia said as her eyes filled with water. It did hurt her, but she had to find a way to get past it.
“My main question would be, do you want to stay?” Mrs. Jackson asked.
“I do, but I don’t.” Olivia sadly responded with mixed feelings about the whole thing. One minute she felt she owed it to Mark to stay and then the next minute she felt that he could kiss the crack of her ass. She sadly looked over at her mom and shook her head. There was no other word to describe herself but torn.
Mrs. Jackson took in a deep breath. “What’s the relationship with him and Felisha? Was this a first time offense or was this something that’s been going on for a while?” I knew that he was too good to be true, she quickly thought. She was trying to keep a neutral, unchanging expression on her face, but her anger definitely wanted to show.
“He says that it only happened once.”
“And what does she say?”
“I haven’t spoken to her since the morning I caught him over there and it’s a good thing that I haven’t. You and dad would be bonding me out of jail.”
“Violence is no way to solve an issue,” Dr. Jackson cut in, because what “Kay” wanted to tell her was to go over to that bitch’s house and drag her ass.
“I know Mom. That’s why I had to leave the country. I couldn’t be anywhere around them or I would’ve lost it.”
“No wonder Mark hadn’t called us,” Mrs. Jackson said then she frowned with thoughts that surfaced of the house burning down. “O’,” she called out. “You did not—”
“We’re not talking about that,” Olivia cut in. She already knew what her mom was talking about, but she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“You really have an anger problem. We’ll have to work on that,” Mrs. Jackson said, but she definitely didn’t want to say anything else about it. “Listen,” she said changing the subject. “Sit down and have a talk with your husband. You’ll know if his heart is really in it and deep down you’ll know if you really want this marriage to work. The only thing that you owe him is to hear him out. Other than that, you don’t owe him shit.” She bluntly spoke. “And, if you decide to stay or go, I’m with you.”
“Thanks Mom,” Olivia softly said. She definitely had a few things to think about and figuring out if she should stay or leave was the only thing consuming her mind.
“Now, what are you going to do about Felisha? You have gone into business with her and you can’t just walk away from your obligations. There is a contract in place.”
“I know,” Olivia said, having already thought about that a few times.
“You’re going to have to find a way to talk with her without killing her. Now, you can want to kill her, but just know that you can’t act on your wishes.”
“How do I do that? She betrayed me to the max.”
“I can agree,” Mrs. Jackson said. “I don’t even know how all of that came about and I’m not going to speculate on this one.” She shook her head. “But, you’re in real deep with Felisha. You’re practically Lil Romeo’s second mother. I feel like he’s my blood grandchild, because he’s been around since he was first born. I’ve looked to Felisha like a daughter.” She shook her head, just thinking about it made her sick. Her mind was ca
rrying a thousand thoughts as to why and how that could’ve even taken place between the two.
“I’ll figure something out. I can’t say if we’ll ever be as close as we were, but for Lil Romeo’s sake and her nail salon, we’ll have to figure something out.”
“As long as that something doesn’t include your hands around her neck,” Mrs. Jackson cut in. “Ain’t nobody got time for that.” She cracked, causing Olivia to softly laugh. Her mother had a dull sense of humor and one had to be really paying attention to ever catch her joking.
Olivia shook her head from side to side with a smile on her face. “I hear you, Mom. I hear you.”
Chapter 12
Olivia got inside of her Cadillac CTS and waved over at her mother who had just gotten inside of her Range Rover. Mrs. Jackson smiled with a sweet wave back, putting her Range in reverse and exiting the parking lot. She felt bad for her daughter, but was glad that they’d had a moment to talk. It meant a lot that Olivia opened up the way she did and she felt that after their talk that she would get through this a stronger woman, regardless of what decision she made.
Olivia sat in the car, realizing that time was definitely winding down and that she still needed to confront two people. She hated it like a passion, but seeing Mark and Felisha was vital to every decision that she was planning on making. She picked up her phone, thinking of only one person that she could call. Someone who without a doubt had her best interest at heart; she dialed the number.
“What’s up, baby?” Zay’s sexy voice spoke from the other end of the line.
Olivia immediately got butterflies. “Hey,” she softly spoke.
“How are you? Have you made it back to the A.U.G.?”
“Yep, I’m back in Augusta.” Olivia reported. “How are you?” She asked, starting up the engine on her car. The sounds of On My Way Home by Tamar Braxton played in the background. Being one of her favorite songs and having one of her favorite men on the phone made her smile. Her heart was definitely conflicted, but the love she had for Zay was still there.
“I’m good. Glad to hear that you’re home.”
“Yeah, it’s good to be back for the most part.”
“Have you spoken to your family or your husband?” Zay straight up asked. He sensed the tension in her voice and figured that it was no need to beat around the bush if that’s what she was calling to talk about.
“I just left a session with my mom,” she teased. “It actually wasn’t too bad.”
“Well, that’s always a plus,” Zay stated with a smile.
“It is,” Olivia agreed. She’d told Zay about her upbringing and Mrs. Jackson’s relentless, controlling ways. “She suggested that I talk to Felisha.”
“And, how do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know, but I do know that it has to be done. We have a business together and her son is more than just a god-son to me.”
“I understand,” Zay said. “You definitely have to know when to put your pride aside and handle business accordingly. I know you want to hurt her.”
“Do I,” Olivia muttered.
“But, you won’t because you know that it’s not going to solve anything.” Olivia didn’t respond as she sat quietly thinking about what he’d said. “Right, babe?”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She said, feeling like that could be easier said than done, but she would try for Lil Romeo’s sake. “Mom also feels that I should sit down with Mark. She thinks the sooner the better, because we have a lot of things to work out whether we stay together or not.”
“I agree,” Zay said.
“I’m nervous, because I’d rather see him first and get those unresolved feelings out of the way.”
“I honestly think you should. That’s going to be the only way you can move forward in putting the pieces of your life back together. You’ll have to see him at some point anyway; why not now?” Zay questioned as he lay back in his favorite recliner chair. With his feet propped up, he turned on the TV. Listening to Olivia speak about her husband wasn’t his favorite subject, but if he played his cards right then it could be an easily won game.
“I’m just so confused.” She said. It seemed crazy to be talking to her lover about her feelings for her husband. What was even crazier was having Zay be there for her like he said he would, regardless of her feelings.
“This is a complicated situation which is why I chose to fall back.” He knew either one or two things were going to happen with that meeting. Mark was going to either falsify his way back between her legs or she was going to walk out and attempt to let it go for good. If she walked out, the attempt would be for no reason, because she’d come running back to him. However, that’s not what he wanted, knowing that a part of Mark would still be in her system. He wasn’t about to become the prey in a lion’s den he’d already saw coming. Without a doubt in his mind, Mark would creep his way back in and he’d become the one being cheated on.
On the other hand, Mark could possibly fill her head with lies and beg for forgiveness while trying to get back between Olivia’s legs. If he succeeded at this then Zay knew the battle would be longer. However, this would give Olivia a chance to get him out of her system and when she’d come running back, he wouldn’t be just a rebound guy and hopefully Mark would be outta her system for good.
“I think you should talk with Mark first, and then Felisha. You definitely need to simmer down from that one.”
“I agree,” Olivia said. “I’ll meet up with her one day this week. I guess,” she added not feeling enthused about it.
“Well hey,” Zay called out. “Someone is knocking at my door.” He said, getting up out of his seat and easing his way over to the door.
“Oh okay,” Olivia said like she still wanted to stay on the phone but figured this was his way of hanging up.
Zay opened the door and was shocked at his visitor. “Hey,” she softly spoke.
Olivia heard the woman’s voice in the background and wanted to be nosey, but before she could ask any questions, Zay cut in.
“Uh hey,” he said. “I’ll call you back or you call me back after you tend to your business.”
“O-oh okay,” Olivia hesitated with her response. She was not in the position to question him, but she definitely wanted to know who the hell was at his door. “We’ll talk later,” she said but held the phone instead of hanging up. The next thing she heard caused her heart to drop.
“What’s up, Angel? What brings—” Zay said, and then the phone call ended in mid-sentence.
What the fuck? She thought, now wanting to call back, but what right did she have? At that moment, she realized that she had to deal with her situation and her business. She was stressed enough. There was no time to add more to that tension than needed be.
__________
An hour later, Olivia found herself inside the Double Tree Hotel, pacing the hallway in front of Mark’s room door. She walked off not wanting to even see his face, but then turned to find herself standing back in front of the door. Her fist rose like she was going to knock, but she, for the umpteenth time, decided against it.
“Damn O’, get it together.” She coached herself, and then just like a conflicted woman lost in her feelings, she turned to walk off again. This time the door eased open as Mark called her name.
“Olivia,” he called out, stopping her in her tracks. “Please don’t go. We haven’t had a chance to talk.”
Olivia turned to face him. This was the first time she’d seen him since she left the country. Their eyes connected and Mark’s instantly filled with water. He met her out in the hallway and wrapped his arms around her.
“I’m so glad that you’re okay.” He said. “I’ve missed you like crazy.”
Olivia hugged him back. The truth was that she missed him just as much as he missed her. She just didn’t realize it until they’d come face to face.
“Please,” he pleaded while grabbing her by the hand. “Talk with me.” Olivia willingly allowed him to pull her ins
ide his room. The truth was that she still loved him and he deserved to be heard.
She stepped inside the room behind him, noticing that he had on a simple pair of gym shorts and a crispy new white tee. His hair was neatly taped with waves that flowed effortlessly and he just seemed to be in a diverse space. Something was definitely different about him, but right away she could tell that whatever it was, it was good.
Once inside the room, Mark closed the door behind him and stopped to take a good look at his wife. As always, she was beautiful standing there with her hair pulled up in a simple bun. She had on a knee length, fitted red skirt and a white blouse neatly tucked inside it. The red pumps accentuated her sexy legs and the lure of her slanted, seductive eyes did something to him as she cautiously smiled at him.
“I first want to say thanks for coming by. You didn’t have too, but I’m more than grateful that you did. Please, have a seat.” He said, pointing over to the stand alone brown leather chair that had the matching leather ottoman in front of it.
Olivia walked over to the chair and sat down. She sat her phone and her keys on the end table next to the chair she was sitting in. Mark sat in a matching leather chair right across from her and just stared at her for a moment.
“You just don’t know how happy I am to see you,” he said.
“I can’t lie. It’s good seeing you, too.” She responded with a shy smile on her face. Never had they gone this long in the eight years of being together without seeing or talking to each other. He was still just as handsome as the day they first met even though she could tell that he’d certainly lost a little weight. “Uh, I don’t even know where we begin. I have to be honest, though. I don’t know what I want to do at the moment. I’m just seriously confused about my feelings right now.”
Mark nodded his head, well aware that she was going through some hard times with his deception. “You don’t even have to talk. I asked you here, because I felt like I needed to get some things off of my chest. I don’t know how you’ll feel by the time you leave here, but please know that I’ll do whatever I have to. I would be less of a man to not fight for you.”
Drunk in Love 2: An Original Love Story Page 11