His Work Wife

by James, Sapphire

  Ty made it to the Galleria in ten minutes flat after Marshanna called him to tell him what happened to me. Luckily for me, she saw the whole thing from the window. She was so worried about me. It felt nice to have someone concerned about me for a change.

  “Presley! Baby, what happened?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I was walking down the corridor when this chick bumped me. It’s almost like she did it purposely because she was mean mugging me and she didn’t apologize or anything. And when I say she tried to knock me off my pivot that is exactly what I mean.”

  For once, Tyrone looked concerned. Actually, he looked terrified. I could see the fear in his eyes. It’s been a long time since he had shown any kind of compassion for me. It was actually nice to see. Maybe he did still care about me a little bit. He kept asking me about the baby. Maybe he was happy that I was pregnant. Only time would tell.

  Ty stayed home with me and boys for the rest of the day. He catered to me all day and it was nice, but it made me suspicious. There had been days I was sick as a dog with morning sickness and he still went to work. For me, morning sickness lasted all damn day! He would just kiss me on the forehead and say goodbye. But this was something different. Why was he so nice to me all of sudden? I mean, I wasn’t hurt and the baby was fine. Something was off about him. I wonder if he knew who did this to me. It could not have possibly been Kadeema. Could it?

  For the next three days, Ty would not leave my side. I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere alone. He was genuinely afraid for my safety. This shit was beginning to get weird. He even called my sister and asked her stay with me when he couldn’t be there.

  “Bitch, what the hell happened?” Jani barked.

  “To be honest with you, I’m not really sure,” I admitted. “One minute I’m walking down the corridor by Visible Changes and the next minute people were asking me if I was okay. It just all happened so fast.”

  “I mean, why the hell were people asking you if you were okay? Tell me what happened, sis!”

  “There was this chick in black sweat pants and a hoodie. She looked as if she was just going to pass right by me, but then she bumped into me so damn hard I almost fell. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I turned on my heels and grabbed that bitch by her hoodie and drug her ass to the ground. That’s when I started stomping her ass.”

  “Who the hell was she? Did you recognize her? Why would someone just purposely knock down a pregnant woman?!” Jani sounded off.

  “I don’t who she was or why she did what she did, but she got up outta there real quick!”

  Jani sat there looking perplexed. I knew she had something she wanted to say, and I was sure I knew what it was. She thought just like I did. I knew what was coming next.

  “Presley, do you think it was her?” she questioned.

  “I don’t know Sis. I thought about it. But how would she know where I get my hair, what day and the time? She couldn’t possibly know all of that.”

  Jani twisted her lips. “Oh yes, she can know all of that! She can know that and much more! You don’t know what Tyrone done told that girl during their pillow talk!”

  Jani had a point. Although I would hate to think that Ty would tell this bitch everything about me when I didn’t know shit about her. That could have very well been her. Now, when I thought about it, the way she looked at me was weird. She looked like she wanted me to know she was about to hurt me. Yeah, I bet it was that bitch.

  “You’re right, Jani, it could have very well been her. But what do I do about it? I have no proof it was her.”

  “It’s cool. We just won’t let you be alone. But after you have this baby, we gon’ be ready for that hoe!”

  A couple of days passed and since Ty knew my sister was with me, he decided he would go out on New Year’s Eve. Well, at least that’s what he thought. There was no way in hell he was going to leave me and the boys at home alone on New Year’s Eve. He had me completely fucked up. And if I had to, I’d stomp his ass like I did that hooded bitch a few days ago. Whatever the case, he wasn’t going anywhere!

  “Hey, babe, I was invited to a New Year’s Eve party by one of my customers. I’m just going to go show my face and then come home if that’s alright with you?” he asked.

  “Okay, what time do I need to be ready? My mom can watch Darren and Tyler.”

  “Oh, naw, you probably wouldn’t want to come because my customer’s wife isn’t going to be there. This is just something he’s throwing for his boys.”

  Lord have mercy! Sometimes I really couldn’t believe the stupid shit this dude comes up with I thought. This idiot really wanted me to believe that on New Year’s Eve of all nights, his customer was having a party and his WIFE wouldn’t be there! Now that was the biggest load of shit I’d smelled in a long time.

  “Umm, I know damn well you didn’t think that shit was going to fly with me, right? How the fuck you going to a damn New Year’s Eve party and his fucking wife ain’t gonna be there? So it’s just finna be a bunch of men bringing in the New Year together with no women? Muthafucka, please! Not unless you have something else you want to tell me!” I countered.

  “The fuck you mean not unless I have something else I want to tell you! Don’t do that shit, Presley! I just want to go and hang out with my customer and his friends. Why does everything have to be a fight with you?”

  Tyrone knew me better than this. I already knew who this was about. And there is no damn way I was going to allow him to bring in the New Year with his sideline hoe. He had me so fucked up! I will push this damn stomach out of the way and beat the shit out of him if he tries to walk out of this door tonight I thought.

  “Ty, listen to me and listen well! There is no fucking way you are going to a party with just men on New Year’s Eve. I’ll give you credit for trying, but you might as well call that bitch and tell her you can’t come out to play tonight because if you leave, it’s going to be some shit over here. I know you don’t want that!”

  Ty walked back and forth with a pissed off look on his face while trying to come up with another excuse as to why he wanted to go. So far nothing made sense and I shut him down every time he said something.

  “Fuck that!” he snarled. “I’m a grown ass man and I don’t have to ask you shit! If I want to go, I’ll just go! I ain’t gotta be around here scared to go out because of you. And I damn sure don’t need your permission!”

  “That’s right! You are a grown ass man, but I don’t give a fuck what you say, if we are not going to this party together, then you aren’t going solo!”

  Ty finally gave up. He didn’t go to the party, but he didn’t bring in the year with the boys and me either. He was truly an asshole about it. Instead, he took a shower and got in bed at ten o’clock. He didn’t even wake up to say Happy New Year to me. It was fine, he was mad as hell, but his ass was at home and not out with that bitch. So I won this round. He may go spend other days with her, but the holidays are reserved for us!

  Hell, he had already spent some time with her for Christmas. He thought I didn’t know, but I peeped everything he did. Why else would he come home with Versace Cologne, new business decals for his truck, and a brand new DVD player? When I asked where he got all of those items from, he told me he bought them on his way home. Then, when I asked him where the receipt was for the DVD player, he said it must have fallen out of the bag. He was full of shit! I knew my husband better than anybody. First of all, he never threw receipts away to anything especially electronic purchases, which could only mean one thing, Kadeema bought that shit and kept the receipt!

  “So ya bitch bought you come cologne and shit? Well, I tell you what; tell her thank you because that DVD player will go in Darren and Tyler’s room since they need one. And I had better not EVER catch you wearing that funky ass cologne around me! I’ll be damned if you wear some shit around me that another bitch purchased for you. And if you think I’m playing, try me. I’ll light a match to your ass if I smell it!” I threatened as I
sauntered away from him.

  Once again, Ty stood there with a baffled look upon his face. He was confused as to how I knew these things. He didn’t respond to my accusations; as some things were better left unsaid. So as he was told, he put the DVD player in the boys’ room and put the cologne in his truck….away from me!

  Chapter Fourteen: Tyrone

  “Hey, Ty,” Keisha greeted. “How was your time off?”

  “It was alright I guess. And yours? What did you and your girl get into?”

  If I wanted to find out what Kadeema had been up to all I had to do was ask mouth all mighty! Keisha was always willing to tell me what was going on. She low-key liked me, but she didn’t think I knew it. I could always tell when a chick was feeling me.

  “Oh, we didn’t get into too much. I was supposed to hit up The Galleria with Kadeema, but she had so much shit to do. I would have been away from my kids all day. Ain't nobody got time for that!” she gripped. “Did y’all hook up for New Year’s Eve?”

  Oh, so Kadeema was at The Galleria Saturday when Presley was attacked. That shit could not have been a coincidence. That would explain why I couldn’t get in touch with her when I called. Her phone kept going to voicemail. Maybe because her ass was out doing dirt!

  “Nah, Presley wasn’t having that shit. Her ass always seems to know when I’m up to something. She has some kind of sixth sense or something. She can see right through my ass and that pisses me off!” I pointed out. “I dunno, maybe she just wanted me home since she was attacked at the Galleria on Saturday. The person bumped her really hard, trying to knock her down. But wifey taxed that ass before she could get away unscathed.”

  Bingo! Keisha’s face told it all. Her face turned green as if she was about to toss her cookies. That was all I needed to confirm my suspicions.

  “Umm, what? Presley was attacked?” she asked as she averted her gaze to her shoes and shifted her body. “Is she okay? Does she know who did it?”

  “Nah it all happened so fast. I don’t think she saw the person’s face. I’m just glad she’s okay, ya know? It’s no big deal. It was probably just some crazy left over from the holidays,” I answered as I swiped my timecard.

  “Oh okay, well I’ll see you later,” she stated.

  Keisha hurried away as if she had seen a ghost. Shit had just gotten real. Kadeema was cool with me and the gushy was nice, but if she tried to pull a stunt like this, I’d have to let her go. Hell, what if Presley lost the baby? I would have to deal with that guilt for the rest of my life. I was going to address this shit as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

  Later that night I received a text from Kadeema saying, “Meet in the back of the warehouse, daddy. I gotta itch that only you can scratch!” This would be my chance to confront her about my suspicions.

  Kadeema’s eyes gleamed with joy as soon I stepped around the corner.

  “Hey, bae! Muah.” She kissed me. “I missed you! I haven’t seen you since Christmas Eve. C’mon, let’s start this New Year off right!”

  Damn! I had my little speech all prepared, but my hardness clouded my judgment. My head was in the clouds as Kadeema massaged my manhood. Dropping to her knees, she unbuckled my belt, releasing all of me for her eyes to see. The curve in my dick was hitting up against her nose and she savored me as she licked the length of the magic stick. Next, she cupped my balls before engulfing me with her mouth. Her mouth accommodated my girth well as she spat on it and jacked me off. I knew it was a mistake to allow this to happen before confronting her, but I was weak. Kadeema damn near sucked the skin off my shaft, and I enjoyed every minute of it. She smiled and winked at me as my hot nut filled her mouth.

  “Mmm, that was good.” She wiped. “My turn!”

  Kadeema slid her left pant leg down as she assumed her normal position against the wall. Normally, I would tear that ass up while she rested on my shoulders, but it wouldn’t happen like that tonight. I needed to go ahead and get this out of the way.

  “What’s wrong with you?” She frowned. “I know you not just finna leave me hanging like this!”

  “Kadeema, there’s no easy way for me to ask you this. So I’m just going to come out with it. Did you attack Presley at The Galleria Saturday when you went?”

  “What?! I just gave you some hellified head and now you’re asking me if I attacked your damn wife?! What kind of shit is this? And why didn’t you ask me this before I sucked you off?”

  Yeah, I’ll admit that was low of me to get my rocks off before handling my business, but that was her fault. She awakened the beast when she started rubbing and touching shit. What could I say? Once the beast was released, he wouldn’t rest until he was taken care of.

  “Kadeema, I’m sorry, bae, but you started doing your thing before I could ask you about the attack.”

  “Oh, but yo ass could have stopped me!” she yelled. “So that’s how it is? You get yours and I’m just ass out because now you wanna fucking talk! That is really fucked up, Ty!”

  “You’re evading the question. Answer me damn it!” I snapped.

  “No,” she answered, popping her lips. “I didn’t have shit to do with what happened to your damn wife!”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes!” she snapped. “Why the hell do you keep asking me that?”

  “Because I was talking to Keisha and she mentioned you went to the Galleria on Saturday. And you know that is the day LeeLee gets her hair done. So I need to make sure you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  Kadeema was adamant about not having anything to do with Presley’s mishap, so I decided to leave her alone for now. However, I’d be paying attention to her ass moving forward. Maybe she really didn’t have anything to do with it.

  “So Keisha told you I was at the Galleria? And since when you start calling that bitch by her nickname?!”

  “First of all, she’s not a bitch; she’s my wife! Secondly, Keisha and I were just talking when she mentioned she was supposed to ride out with you. But you know what? Don’t worry about it. I’m just overreacting. I knew there was no way you could do something so sinister,” I smiled.

  “Oh okay. I thought she may have been trying to insinuate something.”

  I thought it was strange Kadeema was worried about what Keisha may have indirectly insinuated. But since I had no real proof and there was no real harm done, I let it go.

  “Nah, it was just a casual conversation between co-workers, that’s all. But I tell you what. We better get back to our departments before people notice we are both MIA.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  Chapter Fifteen: Presley

  February had arrived and being seven months pregnant, I was the size of a damn elephant! The good news was my doctor suggested I be induced next month because my blood pressure had been elevated. Probably due to all of the bullshit I was going through with Ty. Whatever the case was, it wasn’t safe for me and the baby. And since it was the first of the month, March couldn’t get here quick enough.

  Valentine’s Day was two weeks away and I couldn’t help but be a tad excited about whatever it was Ty may have had planned for me. He was great with his gifts. For Christmas, I received a diamond tennis bracelet. Maybe this time he would bless me with matching diamond earrings.

  Unfortunately, nothing much had changed between Ty and myself since the New Year’s Eve fiasco. We didn’t talk much. He still came home late from being with her, and I drowned my sorrows with Oreos and milk since I couldn’t drink right now. However, it became increasingly difficult to ignore Ty’s comings and goings. I spent the majority of my days wondering what he was doing with her and it drove me insane. The saying was true, “An idle mind is the Devil’s playground.” With so much time on my hands, I made him pay for my newly acquired typing classes. I’ve always regretted not learning to type in high school. This way, I could learn something new while getting out of the house at the same damn time. Besides, learning to type would benefit me later.

&
nbsp; Tyrone and I had learned to merely co-exist with one another. We tried desperately not to argue because of the boys. The one thing we could agree on lately was not letting Darren and Tyler see us argue. It was important to us both that the boys knew we both loved them unconditionally no matter what was going on between us.

  One rainy Saturday afternoon I was sitting at my computer practicing my typing when Ty came home from work on time for a change. To my surprise, he actually greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and his beautiful smile. It had been ages since I saw that smile. I was sure Kadeema saw it consistently since she made him so damn happy.

  “Hey, Leelee, whatchu doin’ up so late? Don’t you and my baby need to be getting some rest?”

  Wow! He called me by my nickname. Ty hadn’t called me by the nickname since all of this shit started. My heart smiled for a brief moment but was interrupted by reality. Uhn uh, his ass was up to something. I just needed to wait for it.

  “The baby and I are always up this time of night. This is when he decides he wants to have his own little dance party,” I grinned. “But you are normally at work until three AM,” I said with air quotes.

  “Oh well, I just wanted to come home early and snuggle with my baby-mama.” He rubbed my stomach.

  I smiled as I waited for him to drop the bomb he was holding onto. My arms were folded on top of my baby bump. He continued to ramble on and proceeded to stare.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I’m trying to figure out what you want because you are a little too pleasant. So wassup?”

  “What, is it a crime that I be nice to my wife? I am never mean to you and you know it.”

  “Okay, if you say so,” I dismissed.

  Ty fixed him a plate of ribs and macaroni, proceeded by a shower. As he dried himself off, I could tell he had something he wanted to say.