“Hey, sorry I’m late,” she said, and dropped down on the bench across from me. “We’ve been busting our butts in the office all morning, trying to get ready for a big inspection that could shut down the clinic if we don’t pass.”
“Not a problem. As soon as I leave here I have to meet with the seamstress at the bridal shop so she can work on the hem in my dress.”
I noticed Candace frown. “Yeah, I, uh, need to go in and do my fitting as well.”
“Yes, you do. You forget my wedding is Saturday! I still have so many last-minute things I need to get done. Good thing I took the week off.”
She kept her eyes locked to mine like she was searching for the right words. “Uh, yeah, speaking of that . . . Tiffany, I need to talk to you about something.”
Whatever it was she needed to say looked like it was important. However, there was no way she was telling me her news before I told her mine. “Okay, in a minute, but first I need to tell you something.” I gave her a devilish grin.
“What is it?”
I waited until the waitress took our order and left. I ordered a diet drink and the fried green beans, and Candace ordered the spring rolls and iced tea.
“Tiffany, seriously, I really got something I need to tell you.”
Damn. Candace looked so sad I guess I could wait a few more minutes. “Okay, so what you want to tell me?”
“Well . . .” she hesitated, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know where to begin.”
I shifted on the seat. I was so excited I couldn’t sit still and was seconds from bursting. Candace was taking too damn long to say whatever it was on her mind. So you know what, her news can wait. “Candace, I did it!”
“You did what?” She was watching me like a hawk.
Leaning in close, I whispered, “I had sex with Kimbel.”
Her jaw dropped. “What!” She was far more stunned than I had ever expected.
“You heard me. I finally did it.”
“B-But why? I thought you were waiting until after you were married?”
I would have sworn she looked pissed off, and that completely threw me for a loop. I’m almost sorry I disappointed her.
“How could you?” she asked in a strained voice. “What would your mother think?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Who cares about my mother? I had to do what I had to do to keep my man happy.”
Here I was telling her the most exciting news of my entire life, and all my best friend did was just sit there for the longest time. I swear her eyes looked shiny, like she was about to cry.
“How was it?” she finally asked.
“Oh, my goodness! Candace, it was wonderful. I would never have imagined feeling that type of connection with a man. He was so gentle and compassionate and I ain’t gonna lie . . . he made me cry.” I blurted out in one breath.
Candace gave me a tight-lipped smile and was real quiet while I talked. The way she was acting you would think she was jealous. I would have thought Chauncey was handling his own in the bedroom, but maybe he wasn’t on his job. That’s too bad because my fiancé was.
She looked frustrated. “I guess you changed your mind about oral sex as well, huh?”
“Girl, I slobbered all over them nuts!” I fell over on the bench laughing, then glanced at her hoping to see a smile; instead, her expression made it look as if she felt sorry for me. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Tiffany, why didn’t you wait?” she wailed.
Why was she tripping? The way she was acting you would think I messed around with her man. “Candy, what difference does it make?”
“It makes a lot of difference. I just knew you hadn’t slept with him yet . . . that you were going to wait until after you were married.”
“Like I said, what difference does it make?” I loved Candace like a sister, but she was starting to get on my last nerve. She’s got some balls getting in my ass because I decided to give my fiancé some before our wedding. Hell, she has screwed dudes who hadn’t even treated her to a bucket of chicken.
“We’re getting married in a week. Quit tripping!” Why was she looking nervous? And then it dawned on me. “Oh shit! Candy . . . are you afraid Kimbel is going to change his mind now that he’s gotten the goodies?” I had thought the same thing, but after last night’s performance, I knew my man wasn’t going anywhere. He loved me and I was even crazier about my boo.
“Oh no,” Candace moaned, then balled up her fists and pressed them against her face. “This is such a mess. I should have said something to you as soon as I found out, but I just didn’t know how.”
“Say something to me about what?” I hadn’t seen her look this worried since Miasha had pneumonia.
“Tiffany, what I’m about to tell you, you can’t say anything, okay?” Candace leaned across the table.
“Have I ever told anybody anything you’ve ever told me?”
“Yes, you have,” she replied.
“When?” I shot back.
“That time I told you I saw Desiree cheating on our math final.”
“Girl, that’s high-school shit! We’re adults and nothing you say to me will go beyond this table.”
“I’m serious. If you do, I’ll lose my job.” She was practically pleading, which meant whatever it was, it was definitely serious.
“You got my word.”
Candace took a deep breath. “Okay . . . remember when I told you we’ve been working on boxing up old patient records for this big visit next week.”
“Yeah,” I said, wondering where the hell this conversation was going.
“Okay . . . well . . . I was purging files when I reached inside and . . . well . . . I found an old patient record of Kimbel’s.”
While trying to keep a straight face, I scrambled my brain trying to figure out why my man had gone to the clinic. “Ohkayyyy , he came in to be checked,” I shrugged. “So what? I’m sure there have been times when you thought you might have caught something from one of those thugs you’ve messed with.”
“You can act like a bitch if you want to. For your information, what your man’s got, penicillin can’t cure,” she informed me with a roll of her long neck.
“What he’s got?” I couldn’t miss the way she tightened her lips. “What are you talking about?”
“Tiffany, I hate to tell you this, but . . . Kimbel has herpes.”
20
Noelle
“I’ve got something to talk to you about.”
I put down the book I was reading and looked at my husband as he walked into our room. “What is it you want to talk about?”
As soon as Grant started clearing his throat, I should have known something was up. “I decided to go ahead and teach summer school.”
“Is that all?” I said with a sigh of relief. I thought he was about to say some shit that was going to make me want to cut his dick off. “I figured as much since you’re at the school practically every day even though school’s been out for almost two weeks.”
He started clearing his damn throat again.
“You need a cough drop?”
Grant gave me a strange look. “Why you ask me that?”
“Because you keep clearing your throat. Now quit stalling and tell me what you want to tell me.” Grant knew damn well I wasn’t one for games, and he’s been playing a lot of them lately. For the last week he’d been coming in at all hours of the night, smelling like liquor. I had done the laundry just yesterday and found lipstick on his shirt collar.
“Well, it’s about my summer job. You know how I am all about helping kids and trying to make a difference. Well . . . uh . . . the job I’m taking this summer is out of town.”
“Outta what?”
He shifted his eyes and I could tell he was stalling. “Out of town. I’m going to be teaching at a school out of town.”
“Out of town like what? In Missouri or Indianapolis?”
“No . . . farther than that.”
“Down south?”
“Uh . . . a lot farther than that.”
I sat up straight on the bed and crossed my arms against my chest. “Is the job in the United States?”
He coughed against his fist, then cleared his throat. “No . . . it’s in Korea.”
“Korea?” He had to be joking. However, the look on his face told me he wasn’t.
“Hold up. Before you go off, just give me a few minutes to explain. It’s a short-term teaching program. I’ll get paid to live in Korea for four weeks teaching English to students. They’ll pay me a salary, provide me temporary housing. I’ll make more those four weeks than I could working around here all summer. Also, the kids over there will appreciate me a lot more than these spoiled-ass, don’t-wanna-education kids we have here in the U.S., and you know it.”
“All I know is my husband walked in the house and told me he was planning to spend the next month in Korea.” My stomach clenched. Why did I feel like my husband was trying to get away from me? “Why so far away?”
“Noelle, it’s a wonderful opportunity. I want to do this.”
I wanted so badly to tell him hell no. He hardly spent any time with me anymore as it was. “I guess if that’s what you want to do,” I said, trying to be the supportive wife.
He breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled. “Thanks for understanding. I leave in two weeks.”
“Wait a minute . . . you’ve already taken the job? I just thought you were thinking about it at this point.”
“I thought about it and decided to go.”
“So I guess what I think doesn’t matter?” I asked pointedly and waited for an answer.
“It does matter. You’ve known for years I’ve wanted to teach overseas.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think it would be this year.” Okay, Grant was really starting to get on my nerves.
He heaved a heavy sigh. “It wasn’t like I had planned it that way. What I had wanted was to spend the summer on vacation with my wife, but we’re not doing that now, are we?”
I sucked my teeth all loud and ghetto. “Okay, so now I get it. This is your way of getting back at me for canceling our vacation.”
Grant took a seat at the end of the bed, then turned and faced me. “Teaching overseas is not me trying to get back at you. You freed up the summer, not me. All the summer school assignments are already taken. I figure if we’re not going on vacation, I might as well work. Why not get out the country at the same time?”
“Okay, then answer this . . . Are you no longer happy being married to me?” I was trying to act calm, but I was so scared of what he might say, or even worse, what he wouldn’t say.
“Why you ask me that?” he said, avoiding the question.
“Because it sounds to me like you’re trying to find any excuse to get away.” I shot back.
He gave a loud, forced laugh. “Now you’re being ridiculous.”
“No, you are. What happened to us, Grant? We used to be happy, but ever since you turned forty you’ve changed.”
He just shook his head, then replied, “Nothing’s happened. I haven’t changed. I’ve just realized that tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. I’m trying to enjoy life and you want us to sit around like a couple of old folks, playing with grandkids and sitting out on the porch in rocking chairs,” he said, and rose from the bed. “Well, you’re on your own. I’m getting ready to start enjoying life with or without you!”
I sat there staring at him trying not to start an argument, but as far as I was concerned, one had already started. My husband was leaving me and there was nothing I could do about it.
21
Tiffany
I was parked in front of Fantasy’s on Cicero. Inside, the music was loud and people were chatting and having a good time. Among the partygoers were Kimbel and his boys. They had reserved a room in the back for their bachelor party. Sneaky asshole.
It had been four days since Candace dropped the bomb and ruined my life. Afterward, I went home and it took everything I had to hold it together when Kimbel walked into the house. When he tried to make love to me, I informed him he wasn’t getting no more until we were married. He looked pissed, then shrugged and left it alone. I waited until he climbed under the covers before I tried to get to the problem at hand.
“Kimbel, in a couple of days we’re going to be taking a big step in our lives.”
“Yes, baby, we are.” He pulled me tightly in his arms.
“And this is our chance to put everything out onto the table. No secrets.”
“No secrets, baby,” he repeated.
“Is there anything that you would like to tell me or think I should know?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Anything.”
“Anything, huh?”
“Yes, anything. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.”
Okay. Uuhh . . . a’ight. Well, there is something that I think you should know before we get married. It might change your mind about us.”
“I doubt that. I love you for you, and it’s gonna take a lot to change the way I feel,” I said, even though I was nervous as hell what he was about to say.
“Okay, all right. Here goes. Listen closely.” I held my breath and waited. “Tiffany . . . baby . . . I’ve got bad gas.” He then released a long, loud fart. “Ha-ha!” Kimbel started laughing, then threw the covers over my head and pinned me to the bed. I screamed and thrashed around until he finally released me. His chuckles became kisses and the next thing I knew, we were making love until the wee hours of the night. That man knew how to manipulate me into doing anything he wanted, and I hated him for it.
The following night I couldn’t sleep and didn’t realize I was standing over Kimbel, watching him sleep until he sat upright on the bed.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I told him.
“Then why the hell you got that knife in your hand?”
I glanced down, and sure enough I was holding one big enough to carve a Thanksgiving turkey.
“Oh shit! I must be sleep walking or something,” I replied, then started laughing hysterically.
Kimbel packed my bag and decided that maybe we needed a few days away from each other until our wedding day. My leaving was actually a relief because there was no telling what I might have done if I’d stayed. Who knows, I might have tried to chop his dick off. Ever since, I’ve been staying with my mama. I lied and told her we wanted some time apart before our wedding. It was now the night before our big day and I needed Kimbel to tell me the truth.
My cell phone rang. I glanced down and saw it was Candace. I’d been avoiding her calls since I saw her on Monday. The only reason why I answered was because deep down I needed her to stop me from what I was about to do. I guess Candace was wondering why I wasn’t at my own bachelorette party.
“Tif, where you at? Everybody is here at the restaurant but you.” She was loud, and it was clear she was upset she had gone to all this trouble for me and I wasn’t even there.
“I’m not coming.”
It took her a second to find her voice. “What do you mean you’re not coming?”
Candace can act so dumb at times. She just threw something heavy on me the other day, telling me some news that she’d been holding for almost a week. Six fucking days. If she had told me when she first found out, then I wouldn’t have slobbered all over Kimbel’s dick a second or third time. Instead, she waited until five days before my wedding to tell me the fool had herpes.
“Where the hell are you?” Her tone had softened and I could hear concern.
I looked up at the large neon sign flashing. “I’m sitting in my car outside Fantasy.”
“Fantasy? Isn’t that where Kimbel is having his bachelor party tonight?”
“Yep.”
“So why are you there?”
Candace really doesn’t get it, does she? I guess she’s so into Chauncey she can no longer think straight. “I need to talk to him and find out why
he didn’t tell me.”
“What? I thought you promised me you wouldn’t say anything!” she screamed in my ear.
I snorted rudely in hers. “Are you kidding? You expect me to keep something like this to myself. I’ve got to ask him about it.”
“Tiffany, I could lose my job,” she pleaded.
“No, you won’t. I won’t even tell him how I found out, but I’ve got to ask him.” Candace grew quiet. I knew she was pissed, but deep down I knew she understood and didn’t blame me.
“Why haven’t you said anything before now? Dammit, Tiffany, why you wait until the night before your wedding?”
I shrugged even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “I guess I was trying to find the guts.”
“Okay, so why don’t you wait until in the morning to ask him.”
“I can’t do that. I need to know now.” Candace was screaming and saying something, but I wasn’t interested in hearing anymore and hung up. I couldn’t let another minute pass without knowing the truth.
I stepped into the club and frowned at the twenty-dollar cover charge, but it was a small price for what I needed to do. What happened in the next few minutes would dictate my future. Tomorrow afternoon the church would be decorated and over five hundred of our family and friends would be in attendance to celebrate my union to the only man I’ve ever loved. All I needed to hear was he was sorry for not telling me; that he was afraid if I had known, I would have changed my mind about marrying him. I needed him to ask for my forgiveness. Marriage was all about standing by your mate through sickness and in health. I planned to do just that as long as I knew Kimbel loved me.
The joint was packed with couples on the dance floor, bumping and grinding. I weaved my way through the dark, crowded club toward the back where I knew Kimbel and his boys were at. His friend PJ was standing in front of the door. If he saw me, there was no way he was letting me in. I waited until some chick with a wide ass and dressed in spandex walked by and caught his attention. PJ moved over to the bar and was busy spitting game when I made my way to the door and slipped inside.
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