by Mary Monroe
“Uh-huh. I’m sure I’ll be a new woman when I get back.”
“Not too ‘new,’ I hope. I just want the Joan I married back.”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “That’s what I meant.”
“What do you want me to tell Mother and Father if they come by or call and ask where you are?” Reed removed his arms from around me, but he was still close enough for me to smell his breath. I was glad he had stopped slobbering on my ear.
I hunched my shoulders. “You can tell them the truth if you want. If any of my relatives get nosy, tell them the same thing. But I’ll be gone only three days, so you may not even hear from any of our folks before I get back.” I turned around and embraced Reed. I even gave him a quick kiss on his lips.
“Make sure you take one of the credit cards with a high limit. I don’t want you to spare any expense.”
“Sure, baby.”
Since John had booked the hotel room in his name and paid for my airfare, I wasn’t going to use one of our credit cards for those expenses. It would leave a paper trail for Reed to follow if he decided to do some snooping when our credit card statement came. I didn’t want him to know I had a connection to Phoenix at all—in case I did disappear one day and move there to be with John, which was probably never going to happen. But with the way things were going in my life I was not going to rule out anything.
Lola let me borrow one of her credit cards to use in case I wanted to make a purchase in the airport, or do some shopping in Phoenix on my own. I didn’t expect John to spend every minute of my visit with me. And I didn’t ask him if I could go shopping with one of his credit cards, even though he had already told me he was paying for my airfare and the hotel with a company card so his wife would never see it. I had already decided that if Reed ever asked how I’d financed my mini-vacation, I’d tell him I paid for everything with cash.
He almost fainted yesterday morning when I told him that I was going away by bus. Traveling by Greyhound was at the top of his shit list of disgusting things. “Baby, make sure you carry a can of pepper spray in your purse and take a seat near the front of the bus. Don’t sit too close to anybody who doesn’t speak English, keep your cell phone on, hold on tight to your purse, and take some toilet seat protectors in case you have to use the bathroom,” he had told me with his face screwed up like a coin purse. “And whatever you do, don’t ever tell Mother you rode on a Greyhound bus. It would traumatize her, and we’d never hear the end of it.”
An hour after Reed left for his office yesterday, I drove to the bus station and purchased a round-trip ticket to Santa Rosa. When I got back home, I planted the receipt for the purchase on top of our bedroom dresser so he would see it right away when he got home.
Thursday morning, when it was time for me to be on my way, I took a cab to the Greyhound bus station. From there I took another cab to the airport. I didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until I was actually on the plane.
My plan was to take a cab from the Phoenix airport to the hotel and meet up with John there. But when I reached the baggage area, I immediately saw a stone-faced chauffeur holding up a sign with my name on it.
When the town car arrived at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Phoenix’s financial district, I piled out and skittered into the lobby. I had John’s room number, so I didn’t have to stop at the front desk to get that information.
When I knocked on John’s suite he opened the door immediately. He snatched my suitcase out of my hand and set it on the floor by the door.
“Darling, I am so happy to see you again!” he boomed. He pulled me into his arms and squeezed me so hard he almost cut off my circulation.
“I’m happy to see you too,” I wheezed as I pried his arms from around me. I was happy to see John. Even though I was not willing to be his mistress, I was willing to continue seeing him as long as we enjoyed each other’s company. Or until I got rid of Reed and found another man like John who was free to marry me.
He kissed me long and hard. Then we made love, long and hard.
An hour later he took a quick shower and left. He had to rush home to take his wife out because it was her birthday.
I took my time dismembering the lobster I ordered from room service for dinner. I ate less than half of it because I didn’t like eating alone. I didn’t like lying in that king-size bed watching TV by myself either. I had not brought a book or any magazines to read, so I had plenty of time on my hands and I didn’t know what to do with it.
Unpleasant thoughts started dancing around in my head. With John gone, I felt lonely and confused. I had no idea where my life was going. I couldn’t imagine still doing the same things I was doing now ten years down the road. Some of my thoughts were downright frightening. It had occurred to me, more than once, that Reed might put a private detective on my tail and find out all my business. Another thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about was: What if he decided to kill himself no matter what I did, and take me with him? Or what if he just decided to kill me? But one thought concerned me more than the others: What if I got so depressed and fed up because of Reed that I committed suicide? I told myself that whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I had not even discussed these disturbing thoughts with Lola, and I didn’t plan to. She was paranoid enough, so I was going to leave well enough alone. In the meantime I was going to continue having fun with John and other club members. Other than my son, my family, and Lola, my crazy sex life was one of the few joys I had these days.
My phone rang just before ten p.m. and I grabbed it on the first ring. “I just wanted to say good night, m’lady,” John whispered.
“Good night,” I whispered back. “What time will I see you tomorrow?”
“I’ll be with a client most of the morning and then I have to attend my son’s basketball game, so it won’t be until later in the day. Hopefully I’ll see you in time for dinner.”
Even though John and I didn’t have a traditional married man/mistress relationship (at least not yet . . . ), I still experienced some of the same emotions as a real mistress. I got sad when I couldn’t see him when I wanted to. Every time we got together, it had to be when it was most convenient for him. I got jealous when I thought of his wife and children. He was so devoted to them; a mistress would never be anything to him but that. And he admitted that he’d had several since he got married.
“Oh,” I said, sounding disappointed on purpose. One of the reasons I really liked John was because he read me like a book.
“Now, now, luv. I can tell you’re disappointed. But I’ll make it up to you. My wife is having dinner with some of her bridge club friends tomorrow evening, and after that she’s going to Scottsdale to spend a couple of days with her sister. I’ll be free for the rest of your visit.”
“Oh!” I said again. This time there was no disappointment in my voice. “I’ll be ready for you when you get back.”
“And you’d better be naked,” John said firmly.
If Reed was half the man John was, I would be the happiest woman on the planet.
I was tempted to call Lola and brag about all the fun I was having, but the last thing I wanted to do was make her jealous. I loved my girl, but I knew she envied the fact that I had a husband (even though it was only Reed) and that I was John’s club favorite.
I hoped that things worked out the way Lola wanted between her and Calvin. Her ultimate goal was marriage. If she got that far with Calvin, at least she would have a husband who earned a decent living, and maybe she could stop working. If he decided he didn’t even want to take the relationship to the next level, I hoped he would be man enough to let her down gently so she wouldn’t take it too hard. If he didn’t she would come undone, and I would have to help her pick up the pieces.
On the other hand, if Lola decided Calvin was not the man she’d been fantasizing about and didn’t want to see him after their big date, she’d come undone anyway. And I’d still have to help her pick up the pieces.
Chapter 44
Lo
la
LAST NIGHT, CALVIN ESCORTED ME ALL THE WAY FROM THE HOTEL to the corner of my street. And before he left, he got into the passenger seat of my car and spent fifteen minutes kissing and fondling me. “Lola, this has been one of the most amazing days of my life,” he told me.
“I feel the same way,” I panted as I nibbled on his ear.
“I have never met a woman like you,” he added.
I didn’t say the same thing about him, because I didn’t want to sound too corny. But bells were ringing in my head. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No man had ever been so open and passionate with me! I didn’t care if he knew where I lived, but I was glad he didn’t want to know, at least not yet. I didn’t want to invite him to the house while Libby and her crew were still living with us. “I can’t wait for Saturday to get here,” I whispered in his ear. He kissed me one more time before he got out of my car.
I checked my cell phone before I continued on my way and saw that Bertha had left five messages. I dreaded going home. Libby and her family were at the bowling alley—their weekly pastime—and Bertha was sitting on the living-room couch when I shuffled into the house. “Where have you been all this time?” she asked with a worried look on her face.
“Um, I went out for drinks with my coworker to celebrate her birthday. Then we went to a movie,” I lied.
“Oh. Well, the next time you’re going to be a few hours late, I wish you’d call and let me know.” Bertha wobbled off the couch and marched up to me. She surprised me with a hug, because she rarely showed me any affection. “I thought maybe some maniac had got his hands on you.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. If one ever grabs me he’ll curse the day he picked me, because I will give him a hell of a run for his money.”
I hurried up to my room so I could savor the good feeling I had because of Calvin. I was anxious to tell Joan what a fantastic lover he was, and that I was going to see him again on Saturday. But I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when I told her about his invitation to spend a weekend in Frisco with him on his birthday in July.
She told me last night that she would call me as soon as she checked into her hotel. But I really didn’t expect to hear from her at all until she returned to California. I certainly didn’t expect to hear from Reed at a quarter to nine Thursday morning, the same day she left. When I saw his name on my caller ID, my heart started pounding like a drum and my stomach turned. I hated having a conversation with Reed unless it was in Joan’s presence. I had a hard time keeping up with all the lies I told him to cover her butt.
“Hello, Reed. It’s so nice to hear from you,” I said, struggling to keep the bile from rising in my throat.
“Hello, Lola. Have you heard from Joan? I know that you’re the only person who knows exactly where she decided to go. She told me that before she left.”
“No, I haven’t heard from her yet. But I’m sure she made it to, uh, her destination all right.”
“Hmmm. Now I’m a little worried. All I know is that she went to Santa Rosa on a Greyhound bus this morning, because I found a receipt for the round-trip ticket she purchased. It doesn’t take that long to get there, so she should have arrived already. I don’t know the name of her hotel. That little devil has probably already lined up a few winery tours between her mud bath appointments.” I was glad when Reed chuckled. I chuckled too. Mine was so forced, it sounded hollow and fake, even to me.
“I know she’s going to have a good time. I think her getting away by herself for a few days will make a big difference in her morale. She’s been down in the dumps lately.”
“Yeeaaaah.” He stretched the word out so long it sounded like he’d suddenly developed a Southern accent. Reed was one peculiar man. I felt sorry for my girl for getting stuck with an oddball like him, but I was glad it was her and not me. “Lola, I don’t know what all Joan told you about our recent spats, but I want you to know that I love her from the bottom of my heart. I get a little goofy from time to time, but all I care about is keeping Joan happy.”
“I know that, Reed,” I said meekly.
“I know you have no frame of reference, so you don’t know how rewarding marriage is—especially when it’s with the right person.”
“I hope I find out soon.” I was so anxious to end this call, my mouth was watering.
“By the way, I’m not in the habit of playing matchmaker that often, but I have a couple of single friends I can introduce you to.”
“You don’t have to do that. I know a lot of single men. I had a date Thursday with a real nice guy and I’m seeing him again this Saturday. But thanks for the offer. If I change my mind and want to take you up on it, I’ll let you know.”
“Well, Lola. Whoever this ‘real nice guy’ is, I hope he’s worthy of your time.”
“Thanks, Reed. Now if you don’t mind, I have to go. I’m running late and I have to be at work by nine. If I hear from Joan I’ll let you know. She was probably too tired after her flight.”
“Her flight?”
“Huh? Oh! I meant her bus ride,” I said as fast as I could form the words. “Traveling on a Greyhound bus can wear a person out. When my mother took me to Disneyland on one before she died, we were so tired when we got there we went straight to bed. Don’t worry about Joan. Greyhound buses aren’t that reliable so it could be that it was behind schedule. . . .”
“Well, just make sure you let me know when you hear from her. Bye now.”
“Bye, Reed. It was nice talking to you.”
Thursday was a long, rough day. I had to deal with one difficult customer after another. Despite my bad day, I was so excited about my upcoming date with Calvin, love juice was flowing out of me like somebody had stuck a faucet up into my vagina. I had gotten so wet at one point during the day, I had to run to the restroom and plug myself up with a tampon.
And, of course, there was Libby. I didn’t even want to go home. There was so much tension between us now, I avoided her as much as I could. She did the same thing. I didn’t want Bertha or Jeffrey to get suspicious and start asking questions, so in front of them I forced myself to converse with Libby. No matter what I said to her, she replied with one- or two-word responses. When I got home, I was pleased to hear that Libby and her crew had gone out for the evening. On the days that Bertha served chitlins they bolted to one of their favorite restaurants. This time they had gone to Red Lobster. Just having Libby out of the house for a few hours eased some of my discomfort. But I was not going to eat any chitlins for dinner myself. Nothing gave me long-term gas quicker than those things, so I no longer ate any within two or three days of a date I had scheduled. I ate a ham sandwich instead. Afterward, I gave Bertha a back rub and then I went to my room and turned on my laptop.
There was a message in my club in-box from a rancher in Waco, Texas, who wanted to chat with me by Skype, with both of us in the nude. I deleted his message without responding. I was not interested in chatting with another man—especially a naked cowboy on Skype—until after I knew how things were going to work out with Calvin.
* * *
“Good morning, everybody. Libby, that new eye shadow looks good on you,” I said when we all gathered at the kitchen table for breakfast around eight Friday morning.
“Ummm,” was all she said. Why she followed that peculiar response with a smile baffled me. I think it was more for Bertha and Jeffrey’s benefit. Bertha gave me a curious look. Jeffrey gave me a mild shrug.
Awkward silence followed and hung in the air like a black curtain. If Bertha hadn’t spoken again half a minute later, I would have. “Kevin, sit up straight and say grace for us,” she ordered.
“Aw, come on, Grandma. Do I have to? We ain’t in church so why I got to be praying?” Kevin complained, still slouched in his seat. He had already started scarfing down his food.
“Say the blessing, son,” Jeffrey ordered.
We all bowed our heads. With an exaggerated sigh of impatience and a chunk of bread in the back of hi
s jaw, Kevin blurted out a hasty blessing. “Good bread, good meat. Lord, let us eat.” I laughed along with everybody else, but I was still apprehensive. I couldn’t wait to leave the house.
Just knowing that I was going to see Calvin again—twice in the same week—had kept me from going off the deep end the past couple days. He had sent me a text during the night, but I didn’t see it until nine a.m., just before I opened my cash register. I read it twice.
Hello, BrownSugar. I can’t wait to spend more time with you! Until I see you tomorrow, stay beautiful. Yours truly, RamRod.
I was so overjoyed I wanted to dance a jig and text him back. But I couldn’t because I was at my workstation and there were customers already in the store. As usual, the other cashier who worked the same shift was late. I had to wait for Tyrone, the Cottrights’ grandson, to come in before I could take my morning break and text Calvin back.
Twenty minutes before noon, Mrs. Cottright shuffled up to the check-out area. There was an exasperated look on her jowly face. She glanced at her watch and then at me. “Lola, Tyrone just called to say he won’t be in today.”
“Again,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
“I know running the show by yourself is stressful, and I don’t want you to wear yourself out. Ann Beasley, that girl who works on weekends, is on her way. Starting Monday, she’ll be working weekdays, full-time. And she’ll be working the same shift you work. Tyrone don’t know it, but whenever he drags his tail back up in here, I’m going to hand him his walking papers. I guarantee you he’ll show up at the unemployment office on time if he wants to get paid. I don’t care if he is my daughter’s son, that boy is useless!”
I was so excited about my upcoming date, I didn’t care who covered the other register that day or any other day, or that Tyrone was going to be out of a job.