by Xyla Turner
Her perfectly arched eyebrows went up in a comical wiggle and I burst out laughing before lunging for her. She was quicker than me and had already escaped my vehicle.
Damn, it hurt to let her go.
The next two months went by in a blur as we settled into a routine of doing something every Friday whether that was dinner, movies, museum, art exhibit or Bethany cooking us something special. She slept over about three nights a week and every Friday, she stayed for the weekend.
Her daughter for the most part was handling this well, which I knew had bothered Bethany’s initially. She was a good mother but her load was large and she took those responsibilities seriously. Even though she received no credit for them.
One afternoon, Bethany and I met up for coffee but she seemed off.
“Angel, what’s wrong?” I asked when she settled into our booth we claimed at the local restaurant near her job.
“It’s a weird day,” she replied. “I don’t know. How was your day? Is the event coming along?”
Ignoring the change in subject I answered her, “It’s coming, but we had a donor back out. So that sucks. It was a significant partnership, which may impact the event but it will work out. I’ve no doubts.”
Pass & Through, a large grocery chain, backed out of providing lunches for the summer school campers at the last minute. That irked my damn nerves but put us on the hunt for another donor entirely too late in the process. Since it was a significant amount of food, which meant a lot of money, the foundation would have to take a loss or charge the campers. Either of those options weren’t really ideal, so I was on the hunt.
“Damn,” Bethany hissed. “Why would they do that?”
“Don’t know, but it’s bad business and I don’t plan to work with them again.”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure I do the same,” she said before taking a sip of ice water.
I met her gaze and smiled. She was seriously a work of perfection. Instant support and solidarity to my mini-boycott.
“I want us to go away for the weekend,” I blurted as if I had turrets.
She burst into giggles at my diarrhea of the mouth and asked, “Okay, what you’d have in mind?”
Just like that.
Okay.
I swear I was falling in love. The woman wasn’t high maintenance even if her daughter was. She was mature, level-headed, sexy, smart and simply perfect for me.
“I have a cabin in Colorado I frequently visit on various holidays. Since Christmas is coming up soon, I wanted to go and hopefully see some snow.” I explained.
Bethany’s face lit up and she clapped and exclaimed, “Ahhh, snow! Yes, when are we going?”
“Whenever you want,” I answered. “I wasn’t sure what your holiday looks like.”
Bethany pulled out her phone and said, “Thus far, I’m free. Oh, wait. We have a holiday party at work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Can you come? It’ll just be people from work and their wives or significant others, mostly.” Then those smoky brown eyes looked up, and she bit her lower lip, like she made a mistake. “You don’t have to if you—”
I held up a hand to stop her, “If I’m your significant other. Damn right, I’m going. Do I have to dress up?”
She laughed for a small moment and replied, “No honey. Please do not dress up. I’ll send you the calendar invite for the party. However, going into the New Year, I’m free. Plus, I have plenty of days off.”
Then it was settled. We were going to the holiday party and in December, to Colorado.
***
Prior to meeting Bethany, I rarely took time to groom myself. It was just me, myself and I. Now, I found myself getting haircuts, shaving and even the rare manicure. Well, the manicure was for the holiday party.
Unfortunately, Brittany was in the living room making a fuss because Bethany wouldn’t give her any money to have some people over. It was a full-blown argument with mostly Brittany yelling and crying to the max.
“Brittany, it would be in you, and the baby’s, best interest to calm down.” She nodded to her daughter’s stomach. “I know you’re not showing quite yet, but stress can transmit.”
“I don’t care,” she yelled. “I just want to have some friends over since you’re leaving with Cole, anyway. I’m not bothering anybody. You go to his house, so you’re not bothering me. What’s the difference?”
Bethany took a short breath and answered, “The difference is this is my house. I pay the mortgage on it, all by myself. Therefore, you are living under my roof. You are not spending my money like you have a job. We have a ton of food to cook in here, but you think you can order out every single night.” She leaned forward toward her daughter and hissed, “Well you can’t. Who do you think will take care of your child since you have no job?”
“I’ll get on welfare?” Brittany spat back. “Get my own stuff, my own money and food.”
“In my house?” Bethany raised her voice, then swung a glance at me as if looking for assistance.
“Brittany,” I interjected. “The waiting list for public housing is years long and you won’t be able to stay here and get on welfare in your mom’s house.”
“Then I’ll figure something out. Those halfway houses take battered women,” she snapped back.
I didn’t want to be the one to say it, but Bethany looked ready to combust.
“You’re not battered.” I nodded toward her. “You’re only hope would be to get a job, rent a room and apply that way.”
“Fine, then I’ll do that.” She shot a glaring eye to her mother and stomped upstairs after yelling. “Thanks, Cole.”
Bethany’s usually beautiful face was marred with frustration, and a tiny bit of homicidal insanity.
“I love my child. I love my child,” she chanted. “I love my child.”
I laughed and pulled her into my body, “Yes, sweetheart. You do love your child.”
When we finally arrived to the holiday party, we walked in hand-in-hand. Bethany took me around and introduced me to everyone. That was when and I was able to meet the infamous Curtis. On his arm, was a beautiful woman who seemed to adore him.
Thanks to Le One.
We were talking with a couple of partners about a new venture they were considering when Bethany shared about my donor backing out. This piqued their interest, which resulted in me exchanging numbers and expecting calls on Monday.
Pulling Bethany to the side, I whispered, “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” she said with a genuine smile. “I hope that was okay?” Her brows came together displaying concern.
“No, it’s fine, but you didn’t have to,” I reiterated.
“Yes, but the money should go to good use and not some crooner of theirs for a tax break.” She shrugged. “Not that yours isn’t a tax break, but it’s at least for a quality cause.”
My eyes remained on her as I thought of how selfless she was. How thoughtful and just what a great listener she was. It was perfect. She was perfect.
I leaned into her for a quick peck on the lips.
“You’re an angel,” I whispered.
The smile that stole over her face melted my beating heart. Damn, I needed to make her mine officially.
That night, on our way back to my place, her phone starts ringing off the hook. There were back-to-back calls. I figured it was Brittany, but when she finally pulled it out, she saw it was her ex-husband, Bryce.
“I’m sorry, Cole,” she whispered before answering the phone. “Yes?”
The man was yelling so loud, I could hear him clearly through the phone’s internal speakers.
“Bethany, what the fuck are you trying to do? Starve our pregnant child while you’re gallivanting your ass around town with your white boyfriend. What in—”
His next words weren’t heard because I snatched the phone out of her hand and lost my own shit.
“This is the white boyfriend, here and I swear to God, if you call Bethany again screaming at her like some un
hinged toddler, you and I will have a problem worse than we already have now. Clearly, she’s not starving the child-like adult who happens to be twenty fucking three years of age and has no respect for her mother or the value of a dollar. Bethany has food in her cabinet, on every shelf in her fridge with a full freezer. Had you cared to question why your twenty-three-year-old daughter is calling to complain that someone wasn’t feeding her, maybe you would have caught on to the absurdity of the notion. So, call your daughter, encourage her to get a job and not mooch off her mother, who’s about to be feeding three with no support from the other half of this equation.” I finally took a breath and continued, “Now, please do us both a favor and don’t have me getting on a plane to make my point clear.”
Then I hit the button.
The red one that read END.
Carefully putting her phone back in her bag, I turned into my housing complex and ignored Bethany’s gaping mouth. Once I parked, I asked, “You want to talk here or in the house?”
She closed her mouth, opened the door and climbed out of the car. I followed suit and let us inside the dark house. Moving toward the kitchen, I heard her footsteps follow me and all she said was, “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” I replied as I cracked open a beer. “But, Beth, swear to God, if that asshole calls you talking shit like that. I’m fucking catching a plane to New Jersey. Who the fuck does he think he is?”
My voice was elevated because I was pissed as shit. What kind of man does shit like that? He’s like a damn boy.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she repeated, reminding me of what I said earlier at the party.
Then, with two large steps, Bethany moved into me and hugged me. That was it, just a hug. Putting my beer on the counter; I embraced her back. Prior to that day, I wouldn’t have thought a hug was therapeutic. But, the pain, loneliness and even the issues in the world, seemed to fly away with the simple gesture.
We sat there and embraced each other without it turning sexual or naughty. Bethany’s arms were tight around my neck but her breathing was normal. It was safe to assume she was not crying but there was definitely something.
“You alright, Angel?” I murmured in her hair.
“Umm, hmm,” she nodded but continued to hold on tight.
When she finally pulled away, she looked at me with a huge, yet beautiful smile. That made my whole body warm with anticipation. The expectation she could light up my world with just her mere presence.
“Thank you,” she said with that melodic voice of hers.
“Let’s go to bed,” I said while nabbing her hand. “I’m beat. Today was emotionally exhausting.”
“You can just admit it Cole,” she chuckled. “We’re getting old quick.”
We laughed as we climbed the stairs, brushed our teeth and crawled into bed. Assuming the position with me spooning her. This would be completely disrupted in the morning because Bethany’s foot would probably be in my mouth but I’d take that shit any day of the week.
Hell, every day of the week.
In the middle of the night, my phone rang, jolting me awake. The call was just missed but my blood ran cold when I saw it was Nadia.
My ex-fiancée.
Hell.
Chapter 9: Deception
Bethany Wade
My retirement was three months away and the closer and closer the time came, the more I realized I needed a plan beyond the retirement party. My options were to travel the world like I wanted to after visiting Paris for three months or sit at home and help raise my grandchild. Both would be a difference of pace, which is something I needed desperately because I had been with the firm for twenty years. Retiring at the age of forty-eight was a dream. I have at least sixteen more working years left in me, according to the federal government. There was no way in hell, I planned to do that after the stress of being a corporate lawyer.
Curtis kept hinting I should consider partner, but he was a senior level lawyer like me and he was my friend. There was nothing down the pike for me to be a partner. I didn’t even know if I wanted that. It seemed like more hassle than I wanted to sign up for when I could literally leave there scot-free of all responsibility and live within my means.
The truth was, I was tired. Not of work but everything that came with it. The notion I’d lost my marriage because of it. I wasn’t able to raise a decent child because of it. The fact I chose the safety of the rules and regulations of work over the emotional turmoil of relationships. However, it wasn’t like that with Cole. He was easy going, caring, loyal, and that man had my back.
When he grabbed the phone and tore Bryce a new asshole, I wanted to get out of the vehicle and do a cartwheel. Hell, Cole was right. Why did I endure that type of shit from an asshole like Bryce? I had no more obligations to speak to him.
Ever.
Our daughter was grown as far as rearing her was concerned. We were no longer co-parenting and therefore I did not need to take the verbal abuse, his or hers for that matter.
It had bothered my soul, what she would think if I spent the night with Cole. When she tried to make me feel bad about it, I wasn’t even phased. Cole called it right out. It was years I just took it without complaint.
No more.
The crazy part was I had no doubts the man would get on a plane and meet Bryce at his house in New Jersey. Therefore, since I wanted him to stay in my life, there would be no more answering the phone in or out of his presence. I deserved better and I damn sure didn’t deserve that.
On Monday evening, I noticed the bottle of wine I had in the refrigerator was less than where I left it. I made myself clear to Brittany I did not want people in my house if I was not home. This had me marching up the stairs to her bedroom and swinging it wide open.
Brittany was half hanging out the window, blowing smoke out her mouth with a lit cigarette between her fingers.
“What in God’s name?” I exclaimed.
“Shit.” She dropped the cigarette and almost tumbled out of the window. Then she screamed, “Don’t you knock!”
“Knock! In my house,” I scoffed. “I think not young lady.”
“Well, this is my room and you don’t just barge in here like I don’t need my privacy.” She snapped back.
My entire chest grew tight as I thought of how ridiculous it was to argue with someone without good sense.
“Brittany,” I breathed. “You’re pregnant. Smoking and drinking is not good for the baby. Have you been attending your parenting classes? You told me you were.”
The only daughter I had, huffed as if my questions were a nuisance to her psyche. Then she slammed the window closed, flopped on the bed, like she was five years old and turned on the television.
“Really?” I snapped. “This is how you plan to go through your pregnancy? Do you need some help? I can call the therapist.”
“Mother, get out of my room,” she said in a bored tone. “I’m fine.”
Holy hell.
***
After I told Cole what had happened, once he came back from his shock, he said, “Maybe we need a restart. You guys haven’t been as close lately. How about we go out and do something? The carnival is in town. We can go tomorrow night. Brittany’s been cooped up in the house with nothing much to do. How about we go out? All three of us.”
His suggestion made sense. I asked Brittany about it and lo-and-behold, her interest was sparked.
“Yes, I love the carnival,” she exclaimed.
“Great, Cole and I are going tomorrow, so we’ll just go and have some fun for a change. How about that?” I asked.
“Sounds good.” She smiled. “Thanks, Mom and also, thank Cole too.”
Wow.
That went much better than I thought.
The next night, Cole picked us up in his truck to go to the carnival. It was a pleasant ride over and Brittany was in a good mood. She and Cole chatted for a bit, which was encouraging, so I remained silent. He paid for all of us, bought popcorn an
d tickets for the games.
“Which bears do you ladies want?” he asked with his hands on his hips, resembling the Super Man stance.
“You’re so confident,” I tease him.
“I want that one.” Brittany pointed to the biggest bear on the blue-painted wooden rack filled with teddy bears of all sizes.
“Then that is what you shall have.” Cole held his imaginary sword in the air and we both broke out in laughter.
He set about trying to win the bear by starting small and working his way up. The man had an arm on him still and was nearly flawless as he knocked down bottle after bottle. Brittany was shocked by his precision and I just basked in the fact he was with me.
“One down, one to go.” Cole held out the big bear for Brittany.
“Wow, thanks so much, Cole.” She hugged the thing that was a foot taller than her.
Cole went through the process again, winning me a big bear. By the time he delivered, he’d drawn quite a crowd. They cheered him on until he waved at them, gave me a kiss on the lips and we walked away.
At one point, Brittany said she’d meet up with us later and had us holding her bear. Almost an hour had passed, while we stuffed our faces with giant turkey legs, fried pickles and funnel cake. At one point, I thought I saw Brittany on a roller coaster, but she wouldn’t.
She couldn’t.
There were clear rules about pregnant women on rides. We kept walking. There was no way she would be on a roller coaster.
No way.
***
The day I came home early so I could prepare for Colorado, even though it was three days away. Tomorrow, I had a late client dinner that would hinder me from seeing Cole. The day after that, I needed to wrap up an outstanding case that might be assigned to another judge. I did not want to pack the night before, so Tuesday it was.
As I was going through the mail, one piece caught my eye. It was from my health insurance company. I had not been to the doctor’s in over a year, which reminded me, I needed to set up my annual appointment. What caught my eye was something that looked like a bill.
When I opened it, I saw it was in fact a bill for some weird name of birth control. I called them immediately because there had to be a mistake. I was not on any form of pregnancy prevention. Cole and I used condoms. And, I was still getting my period.