Color of Deception

by Khara Campbell

  “Yeah but she fine as hell!” Will chimed in. He wiped his greasy hands on a rag that he pulled from his dark blue overalls.

  “You can have her if you want, just promise me I never have to see or hear from her again.”

  “Damn, she’s that bad?” Will stood with his back against the door.

  “The devil don’t want her.” Roger tossed his empty soda can in a plastic waste basket near the door where Will stood. “I wonder if she saw my car parked around back. I should sneak out now.”

  Will walked over to the water cooler in the left corner of the small room, grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with water. “Yeah, but won’t you still have to face her at home?” He threw back his head and drank the water.

  Roger stood up. “Don’t remind me.” He wrapped up his half eaten sandwich with the napkin and placed it in the small white fridge near the water cooler. “I might as well face the music now.”

  Will turned and open the door. “Damn bruh, it can’t be that bad.”

  “Trust me, it’s worse!” Roger walked out of the room and headed toward the entrance of the garage.

  “There you are,” Porsha shouted when she spotted Roger walking toward her. “I knew you would have your trifling friends lie and say you weren’t here,” she pointed her finger in his face when he got closer.

  “What do you want Porsha?” he asked calmly, which was in contrast to what he was really feeling – rage. He was so tired of her ghetto fabulous self. The sooner he figured out what she wanted and she left, the better. Work and hanging with his boys were his only peace away from her.

  “Why haven’t you paid my car note? They called about the payments being three months late.” She shoved her manicured finger in his chest.

  “Keep your voice down. If you haven’t realized we’re at my damn job. For once stop acting all ghetto and sh –”

  Porsha cut him off shoving her manicured finger in his chest. “Excuse me I don’t give a fu–”

  Roger pulled her by the waist, moving her away from the garage. Away from his coworkers and customers watching their exchange. He pulled her to the side of the building.

  “When I was talking all proper you had a problem with it, now I’m too ghetto?” she continued, pulling herself out of his grip.

  “I’ll pay the car note when I can. But if you haven’t noticed all my money goes to taking care of the other crap you insist on having. Why don’t you get one of your Johns to pay the damn bill? Better yet have them pay the note off.” He had every reason imaginable to leave her and run like hell. But he knew that was easier said than done. Everything with Porsha was easier said than done. “What happened Porsha, you losing your skills? Can’t get the big bucks out of them like you used to,” he taunted. Before the words left his mouth he knew he was going to pay for them.

  Porsha drew back her hand and smacked him across the face, he thought he was seeing stars. If she was a dude he would’ve hit her back. Instead he placed a hand on his stinging face.

  “You better find the money to pay my car note, by any…means…necessary.” She poked him in the chest between each word to emphasize her point. “Because I swear to you that you won’t want to deal with me if it’s repossessed. You think I’m hell now, let that happen. You will not embarrass me and make these heifers out here think I can’t take care of mine.” She spun and strutted off like she was on a fashion runway.

  Roger ran his hand over his close shaved head in frustration as he watched her walk of. And I thought my life couldn’t get any worse!

  Roger pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and punched in a few numbers. He placed it to his ear and waited while it rung. He looked around making sure nobody was in earshot.

  “Frank, I see you’re dodging my calls now,” Roger said leaving a message. “It’s been two weeks since I fixed your car, man; and my hand is still empty from the money you haven’t paid yet. If you don’t cough up my two g’s by the end of this week you and me will have some serious problems.” He ended the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket.

  **KC**

  “Hey Roger,” Will said, entering the small room where Roger was finishing up his sandwich for lunch after his encounter with Porsha ten minutes ago. “You got another visitor. A white dude calling you by your guvment name,” he said in slang.

  Roger wondered who it could be. Are my under the table side jobs catching up with me? He threw the napkin from his sandwich in the trash after standing to his feet.

  “Dawg this dude looked serious. I hope you ain’t in no problems.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” Roger drawled, walking out of the room. That psycho had better not have called the cops on me. He walked to the front of the garage. I’ll be in some serious mess if my boss finds out I’ve been stealing auto parts for my side gigs.

  Roger recognized Pete as soon as he saw him pacing back in forth in front of the garage with his hands shoved in his jeans pockets. He was semi relieved that he wasn’t a cop. Roger had vaguely remembered the drunken scene he created at Pete’s house a few days ago. After he’d sobered up he wondered what the heck he was thinking when he went over there. No way had he wanted to claim Carlisha’s son as his own. And bringing the baby home to Porsha for visits sure as heck wouldn’t go over well. If anything he would create another major war called Operation Porsha!

  “How did you find where I work?” Roger stood beside Pete squinting his eyes a bit from the blazing hot sun in his eyes.

  “The same way you found out where I lived,” Pete snapped, breaking his silence. “I’m here about you showing up at my house unannounced a few days ago.” Pete was stern, not hiding his displeasure about Roger’s recent presence and behavior at his house.

  “Let’s talk over there,” Roger pointed to the side of the building away from eavesdroppers.

  After moving away from the garage Pete continued, “Don’t you ever show up at my house unannounced again!” He kept his clenched fists in his pockets reminding himself that the man before him could possibly be Carl’s biological father. He didn’t want to physically hurt Roger – although he sure as heck felt like it for him barging into his home drunk and attacking Debra. But he kept his cool. Besides, Roger looked like he could beat the daylights out of him if he tried to raise a finger at him.

  “Look man, it was a mistake. That shi… I mean that won’t happen again.” Roger swallowed humble pie. If being apologetic got Pete away from there quickly then so be it as far as he was concerned. He didn’t want his boss to think he was bringing trouble on the job. Plus he didn’t want to talk any kind of baby mess because the crap he had going on with Porsha and her kids was more than enough drama in his life.

  Pete was surprised by his apology which made him momentarily lose his train of thought, he was prepared for a verbal battle. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and let them hang at his sides. “Also, if you are in fact Carl’s father, I think we could work out arrangements for you to have visits.” Pete figured if Roger was in fact the father, he wanted to cooperate with him now and not chance losing Carl altogether. Didn’t the courts give precedence to biological parents? Despite his legal guardianship, he didn’t think he would be able to handle losing the best thing that had happened to him since marrying his late wife years ago.

  Roger stepped back, shocked by Pete’s words. What the hell did I say when I was over there? He thought, trying to remember the incident that brought Pete here, to recall if he had mentioned being the father of Carlisha’s son. Although people were speculating, he’d never admitted it to anyone – or had I? “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was drunk that day and I must have been saying a whole lot of crap that didn’t make any sense.” He looked around making sure no one was listening on their conversation. He prayed Pete ate the garbage he was feeding him about not being the father. Though he wasn’t one hundred percent sure, he felt Carlisha’s word was pristine to Porsha’s.

  Pete studied Roger for a moment, considering
the out he was giving him. But should he take it? He didn’t want any more surprise visits from Roger or a government agency representative taking Carl away to be handed over to his biological father. Could I trust him? He basically threatened me telling me my days of playing daddy was over. “Look, if you don’t want anything to do with him that’s fine. But would you at least consider doing a paternity test to prove if you are his biological father?” Pete needed to know. Maybe Roger didn’t want anything to do with his son. But if he was plotting behind his back to take Carl away he wanted to be prepared for a fight just in case.

  Roger seriously doubted that he wasn’t the father. He knew Carlisha didn’t sleep around and as far as he knew it was only him she slept with while they were together, unlike his wife who had her Johns on speed dial. Plus, it would be good to know that he was actually capable of having a child. Porsha pretty much told him none of their kids were his – which he pretty much knew from the get go, but she just recently admitted it. God I hate that woman! He shook his head in disgust at the thought of her.

  “Yeah sure,” Roger heard himself say. He rubbed his chin wondering what the heck he agreed to a paternity test for. He sure as heck couldn’t let Porsha find out. But it would be good to prove her wrong – prove that he was capable of fathering a child.

  Pete was relieved, at least with finding out the truth he would know what he was up against. “Good, here’s a card of where you can go for the testing.” Pete pulled a business card out of his front pocket and handed it to Roger. “If you go in today or tomorrow we can get the results back in about a day or two.”

  “Okay. I’ll probably swing by there later today.” Roger took the card and placed it in the front breast pocket of his overalls.

  “Like I said, if you don’t want anything to do with Carl that’s fine. I just want to know if you’re really his father.” Pete owed it to Carlisha and Moriah to do right by Carl and raise him as his own – like he’d been doing so already.

  “Yeah, cool.”

  Pete turned and walked away praying to God that his time with Carl wouldn’t be short lived.

  Do I want a white man raising my son? Am I even fit to be his father? Roger mused as he watched Pete walk away toward his car. It sure as heck would be better than having a jezebel as a stepmother. He moved away from the side of the building and back to work.

  Chapter 37

  Debra walked into the print shop bright and early at eight in the morning. It was her first day there after putting in her two weeks’ notice at the grocery store. She took extra care in dressing this morning in black slacks, a red button down blouse and black flats. She kept her jewelry minimal with cubic zirconia studs, a silver necklace and a watch. She also kept her face natural with just a splash of lip gloss on her lips. She didn’t want to dress too conservative for her position at Minute Print nor did she want to be underdressed. But it definitely was steps up from wearing the boring uniform she had to wear as a cashier at the grocery store.

  Pete had shown her around the place a couple days before, he also gave her brief training on what she would be doing when she took over the position Carlisha once filled. She walked over behind the counter and placed her purse in a drawer that was designated for her then locked it with a key Pete had also given her. She moved away from behind the counter and went about starting up the machines and making coffee as that was part of her new position.

  “Good morning!” Pete greeted with a wide smile standing in the doorframe of the break room. Debra had her back to him making coffee. “You’re early,” he looked down at his wrist watch then back up at her as she turned to look at him.

  “Of course, I have to make a good first impression then slack off after a month or so,” she tried to hold a straight face, but a smile was tugging at the corners of her mouth.

  “Right” Pete laughed walking into the room. She joined in his laughter as she continued to fill the coffee maker with water. He wanted to kiss her so badly he ached. He was happy to see her laugh though, especially after the way Rachel had spoken to her a few days ago. He’d apologized profusely for Rachel’s behavior, but Debra just kept brushing him off. He really hoped that she was alright. Seeing her run out of his house that day broke his heart and he still had an earful for Rachel when she came into work this morning. “Well, I won’t tell the boss if you don’t,” he said standing just inches behind her. He was so close he could smell her jasmine fragranced perfume. She hadn’t spent the night over to care for Carl in days. Rachel and Leah had been doing so for a week while he worked long hours at the shop. He knew it had more to do with her avoiding him – them, and what they could have.

  Debra stiffened at the nearness of Pete behind her. She’d been trying like crazy to get the images of them kissing on his couch out of her head, but the more she tried to store them in the deepest part of her mind, they always resurfaced to the forefront. She wanted him like she’d never wanted a man before – not even her ex-husband. But Rachel’s words that day cut her like a knife – which made her wonder if she was in fact unconsciously trying to move in on Pete and have that readymade family like Rachel had insinuated. She knew she wasn’t, but Rachel made her feel like some backstabbing gold-digger only interested in her own agenda. She had to stay clear from Pete, no matter how strong her feelings were for him. Were her feelings toward him just lust? She didn’t know and she sure as heck didn’t want to find out. That is why she hadn’t taken on duties of caring for Carl for a few days. She missed seeing his adorable chubby face, but being there meant being near Pete and she just wasn’t ready for dealing with the feelings she was developing for him.

  “Yeah?” she said at almost a whisper. Her heart was beating so fast from his nearness she swear it would bust out of her chest.

  “I’ve missed you,” he admitted, hesitantly placing his hands on her shoulders. She closed her eyes at his touch, at his words. He wanted to pull her full natural red hair away from the left side of her shoulder and place kisses along her neck, but he restrained himself. “Would you go out with me?” He stepped closer, closing the small gap between them. He groaned inwardly taking pleasure with the feel of her butt to his groin. Pete ran his hands up and down the side of her arms. She held the coffee pot nervously in her hand, trembling because of the warmth of his hands on her body.

  Without thinking she muttered, “Yes.”

  “What was that?” his voice was husky with desire. He swooped her hair from off her shoulder and placed kisses along her neck. He was already being bold just by asking her out, he figured he could take it all the way.

  “Yes!” she said in a soft shout, losing self-control with each kiss he placed along her neck. Her eyes closed shut at the pleasure his lips ignited in her body.

  Pete placed his hand on her chin and turned her face upward taking her breath away when he captured her mouth with an open mouth kiss. He thrust his tongue inside with her willingness and kissed her like his life depended on it. His free hand swung to the front of her resting on her stomach drawing her nearer to him which only intensified his hunger. His erection piercing her back. Debra felt her knees buckle. She’d never been kissed so passionately before in her life and she didn’t want it to end.

  “Ehh, hmmm.”

  Pete and Debra froze at the sound of someone in the room, the coffee pot fell from her wobbly hand, crashing to the floor. Pete caught her from slipping as well when she lost her balance looking toward their intruder at the door. They both struggled to catch their breath.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Damian said with a smile. “But you’ve got a call on line one,” he told to Pete.

  Pete whispered into Debra’s ear, “Are you all right?” She nodded. “Don’t worry about the coffee pot, everyone will have Starbucks on me today,” he said with a smile.

  Debra blushed as she steadied herself by holding on to the counter. She was still drunk from his kiss, she knew she would be riding on cloud nine all day, despite her fear of agreeing to go o
ut with him on a date.

  “Thanks Damian,” Pete said, walking toward the door. “I’ll get it in my office.” He didn’t care that he’d been caught, kissing Debra again. Nothing could ruin the high he was on from kissing her and her agreeing to go out on a date with him. He wondered though what Damian thought about the scene he just walked in on. The employees were loyal to Moriah, she treated them all like family. Also, since he repented to God for the growing hatred he’d developed towards blacks, his attitude toward his employees, black and white, since Moriah’s death, had done a complete shift. He realized the error of his ways and had developed a better relationship with all of his employees. After Pete apologized to them for cutting off all friendly ties he had with them the work environment was now more relaxed.

  Damian followed Pete out of the room leaving a stunned Debra retrieving a broom to clean up the broken glass from the floor.

  **KC**

  “Okay, thanks for calling me with the results, bye.” Pete hung up the phone and placed it back in the cradle on his desk. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed loudly.

  Rachel walked into the office and mumbled, “Good morning.” She dragged herself over to her desk, placing her purse in one of the empty drawers in the desk and loudly slamming it shut. “I can’t believe he has her working here,” she muttered under her breath. “Aunt Moriah must be rolling over in her grave.” Rachel knew Pete had hired Debra to work at the company, but she still was shocked to see her sitting behind the counter when she walked in this morning. She had gotten used to seeing Carlisha’s beautiful dark mocha face each day when she walked in, then there was a void, now Debra was sitting there. Trying to move in on Carlisha’s territory too, I see.

  Pete looked up when she entered. “Was that a good morning greeting?” he asked sarcastically leaning back in his chair still thinking about the paternity test results he just received.