by Mary Monroe
“We did. We sorted out everything last night. And everything’s fine. I won’t mention that heifer you performed that little comedy with, and you won’t mention that punk that I was stupid enough to check into the Marriott with. That’s what we agreed on.”
“Oh? We did? Baby, I was so drunk last night I don’t remember much of anything. And I’m paying for it now,” he said with a groan, rubbing the back and side of his head. “Shit! I have to be in Frisco for a meeting with my boss this afternoon!” Paul jumped off the bed like a flea. The flap of his shorts flew open and his dick looked as limp as a piece of raw bacon. “Did I take you to dinner for your birthday?” He frowned as he rubbed the back of his head. Then he laughed. “I can’t remember much of anything!”
“Uh, yeah. Don’t you remember? We went to Alioto’s after that little ruckus we had. I enjoyed it. You did, too. You were feeling so good, you gave the waiter a 50 percent tip.”
“Shit!” He guffawed. “That’s the last time I want to feel that good!”
I nodded. “I won’t argue with that. Now get showered, and dressed so I can put you on that plane.” I looked at my watch. “Uh, remember I have to be on the ship myself by four P.M.”
“Honey, that’s what I’ve been meaning to ask you about. What name do you go by at work?”
I froze. “Why?”
“I wanted to send you some flowers, but when I called, that dumb-ass bitch on the switchboard said she didn’t know anybody by the name of Dolores Dunne.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Because that’s not the name I go by. Everybody there knows me as LoReese. But please don’t try to send anything to me at work, or call me. Always call me on my cell phone.”
“I know that much, but why can’t I send you flowers?”
“It’s a security thing. The terrorists are coming up with all kinds of ways to wreak havoc. Somebody sent a mysterious box of candy to the ship’s doctor, and inside was a threatening note. And last week we got a bomb threat.”
“Shit!”
“Uh, I’ll fix you some coffee, but you’ll have to drink it lickety-split. We don’t have much time.” I glanced at my watch again.
While Paul was in the shower, I called up Valerie. “It’s me. I’m all right now.”
“What was it you didn’t want to talk about last night?”
“Oh, it was nothing important. What time do you want me and Floyd to be at Paw Paw’s for my surprise birthday party this Friday?”
“I want things to be in full swing by the time you guys get there. I’ve got two of the most rocking DJs in L.A.—one also happens to be my honey—and a birthday cake that will be so potent with rum, you won’t be able to drink anything else.” Valerie let out a soft sigh. “Then after you’ve had your moment, Russell and I will make our announcement. This will be a night for us all to remember. I promise.”
Right after I dropped Paul off at the airport, I went back to the condo on Manchester where I remained until the day before my party at Paw Paw’s. When I returned to the condo in Beverly Hills, Floyd was so glad to see me he picked me up at the door and swung me around the room until I got dizzy. “Baby, you look so well rested. But how did you manage not to soak up some of that Mexican sun?” he said, comparing his arm to mine.
“I always wear the strongest sunblock,” I told him, standing up straight as soon as he released me.
“I know you’re tired, baby, so I won’t bother you. Not yet,” he said with a wink. “But tomorrow night after the party, I plan to bring your fine ass back here and fuck you inside out.” I ducked when Floyd attempted to nibble on my ear. “Is something wrong?”
“Uh, I’m just tired. Do you mind if I take a long, hot bath?”
“You do whatever you have to do, baby. Pamper yourself for a change. You deserve it. I’ll have a drink ready for you when you get out.”
I stayed in the bathtub so long that when I got out, Floyd was in bed asleep. I drank the glass of wine he had left for me on the living room coffee table. It helped me relax, but I still couldn’t get to sleep. I knew that if I wanted to hold on to Paul, I was going to have to work on my marriage. I just didn’t know how I was going to find the time. One thing I had decided to do was break off the relationship with Marvin. I promised myself that no matter what, I would never see him again. It was time for me to do something right for a change.
The next morning Floyd took me to Rodeo Drive again so he could pick out what I was going to wear to my party. We settled on a yellow silk dress with a low neckline and a high hem. He had decided to wear a white linen suit, a white hat, and white gloves, even though I told him he would look like a pimp.
As the evening wore on, I realized that a party was the last place I wanted to be. Even though I was the guest of honor. But it meant so much to Valerie and Floyd that there was no way I was going to back out now.
It did me no good to argue with Floyd about us rolling up to Paw Paw’s in a white stretch limo. And if that wasn’t pretentious enough, there was a poster on the wall by the front entrance with a blown-up picture of me on it. As soon as I stepped into the dimly lit place, a man blew out the happy birthday tune on a trumpet. There was only one candle on the elaborate cake sitting on a table that had been placed in the middle of the dance floor. One candle was all I had the strength to blow out. I was pleasantly surprised to see so many people.
Valerie was all over the place in a pale green hostess gown, floating around like a butterfly trying to make sure that everything was running smoothly. She was frantic because one of the two DJs she had hired was running late. But the other DJ made up for it. He kept the music going nonstop. One tune came on the tail end of another. Men of all sizes, shapes, and colors pulled me out on the dance floor so I was totally occupied for the first hour.
I was on my way to the ladies’ room when I bumped into a tall man who had his back to me. Then he turned around. Marvin was the last man in the universe that I wanted, or expected, to see at my birthday party. Before I knew what was happening, he hauled off and kissed me. All I could do was scream and take off running.
CHAPTER 57
“Dolores, what in the world is the matter with you? Are you all right?” Valerie was beside me, looking puzzled. As soon as I’d screamed, she had run behind me into the ladies’ room. I stood in front of the counter on legs that felt like jelly. Valerie handed me a wet paper towel to wipe sweat off my face.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, pushing her away. With each second that passed, the puzzled look on her face intensified.
“Lo, you are scaring the shit out of me. You need to tell me what the hell is going on, and you need to tell me now,” she hollered, hands on her hips and a serious look on her face now. “I put a lot of time and effort in setting things up for tonight, and I don’t want any other drama to fuck things up. I know that this party is for you, but the man I plan to marry is here, and I want to make a really good impression on him.”
“Valerie, remember that guy I spent some time with at the Marriott?” I said, wiping my face and neck some more. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d sweated so hard. Marvin had just smeared my lipstick so I had to apply some more. He had kissed me so hard my lips were still throbbing. “Remember when I called you up and said I needed to get away for a minute?” I held my breath for a few seconds and pressed my lips together to even out the fresh coat of lipstick.
Valerie nodded and dabbed at a smudge of lipstick in the corner of my mouth. I loved this woman. Had she been a blood relative, I could not have loved her more. It pleased me to see that she was genuinely concerned about me. “What about him? Are you still seeing him?” She paused, and then gave me a critical look. “He’d better not be mistreating you or he’ll have to deal with me,” she assured me. “And you can count on that.”
I nodded. “I know, I know.” I cleared my throat and started talking in a low, controlled voice. “I spent some time with him at his place the other night after I put Paul to bed. I couldn’t help m
yself. I needed to talk to somebody, and he was the only person I could think to call.”
Valerie looked hurt for a brief moment. “You could have called me . . .” she said with a pout.
“I know that, but I didn’t want to burden you that night. You had enough going on at the time. Well, anyway—he’s here!”
An amused and excited look appeared on Valerie’s face. “What? Well, did you talk to him? Does he know you’re with your husband? How did he know about your party? Does he know that I own Paw Paw’s?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you!” I swallowed hard and stared at myself in the mirror. I was glad to see that my makeup still looked okay, despite all the sweating I’d just done. “He must be one of your regulars, or maybe he came as the guest of one of your regulars. Shit. As long as he keeps his distance, nobody will be embarrassed here tonight.”
Valerie nodded. “I hope not. I hope he’s not one of those thug-ass niggers that’ll tear my place up. I can’t have the cops coming up in here. If you think he’s going to cause trouble, you point him out and I’ll politely ask him to leave. If he even acts like he wants to get belligerent I will make my bouncers, Tiny and Bobo, physically remove his ass. What’s his name? What does he look like?”
“His name is Marvin. He’s a tall young dude in a yellow nylon jacket and black jeans. He’s standing by the DJ booth. He must be the other DJ.”
Valerie gave me a look that made her look three times as confused as before. When she started talking again, it sounded like her voice was coming from beyond the grave. “A . . . yellow jacket and black jeans? Are you sure that’s what he’s wearing?”
Now it was my turn to look confused. “Of course I’m sure,” I said, adding a lot of emphasis to my words.
“There’s only . . . can you peep out the door and show him to me?” Valerie suggested. I couldn’t figure out why she was acting so odd. I was the one with the problem!
Just as I cracked open the ladies’ room door, he was there. His face was just inches away from mine. Before I knew what was happening, he snatched open the door and pulled me into his arms and kissed me again. This time it was so long and hard, my jaws felt like they were going to lock up on me. I pulled away, gasping for air. I used my tongue to feel around inside my mouth to make sure all my fillings were still in place. I couldn’t believe the nerve of this man! It must have occurred to him that my husband might be with me, and here he was slobbering on me like I was his main squeeze!
“Happy birthday! I didn’t know you were going to be here tonight, and that you were the Lo or LoReese—or whatever name you want to be called—that this party was for, baby,” Marvin said. Then he looked behind me and froze. “Valerie!” The word shot out of his mouth like a torpedo.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SHIT?” Valerie screamed. The words were coming from her mouth, but they didn’t sound human. She sounded downright beastly. She snorted and then shoved me to the side with both hands. “What the fuck is all this?!” Her face was scrunched up so tight, it looked like she had only one eyebrow.
“This . . . this is Marvin,” I stammered in a low voice, looking out into the crowd to make sure Floyd was not too close by. Valerie looked from me to Marvin. By now he was looking like he’d seen Caesar’s ghost.
“This is the man you’ve been fucking? This is Marvin ?” Valerie asked, looking at me with so much contempt in her eyes, I almost lost my breath. “This is the bastard I was going to marry!” She whipped her neck around to look at Marvin. “So you told her your name was Marvin, huh?”
“It is! My middle name is Russell,” he said, holding up both hands. By now a small crowd had gathered and Floyd was in the front of the crowd, taking all this in. He looked like he didn’t know if he was coming or going. He stood there with his mouth open so wide, I could see almost every tooth in his mouth. “Listen, let’s go somewhere and talk. I don’t want to make a scene!”
“Look, Russell or Marvin, or whatever the hell your name is, you’ve already made a scene!” Valerie then turned to me. “Two husbands weren’t enough for you! You had to have my man, too? You no-good slut! I never want to see you again! Don’t you ever call me, don’t you ever set foot in my house or my bar again! If you do, I will kill you! Now you get the hell up out of my place!”
I held up both hands in protest, but also as a means of defense. I had to protect my face, in case she decided to bitch-slap me. “Valerie—sister-girl, I didn’t know! I didn’t know he was the one!” I yelled. Floyd finally walked over to me. There was a look on his face now that words could not describe. I couldn’t tell if he was going to laugh, faint, scream, or cry.
“Will somebody tell me what is going on around here? Is this some kind of hidden camera shit for TV?” He looked at Valerie, then around, then up at the ceiling, and then at me. “What was that about two husbands? I’m Dolores’s husband. Will somebody let me in on this joke?” He glanced around some more, still looking for a candid camera.
“Floyd, why don’t you ask your bitch? Ask her about Paul Dunne and the condo she shares with him over on Manchester. Ask her about the place up near Frisco where she goes to visit him when you think she’s working on that cruise ship—a job she quit a long time ago.” Valerie looked at me again. I was glad that looks couldn’t kill, because if they could I would have dropped dead on the spot. I knew it was just my imagination, but her eyes looked like they were on fire. “I can’t wait to hear what Paul’s going to say when I tell him everything. You—you no-good, backstabbing, cocksucking slut!” Valerie was shaking so hard her body was vibrating. “Get out of my place now while you are still able! Get the fuck out before I throw you out with my own hands!”
CHAPTER 58
By now everybody in the bar had witnessed my downfall. The party people, most of them too drunk to know any better, formed a perfect circle around me, Valerie, Floyd, and Marvin. Valerie lunged at me and swung at my head. If I hadn’t ducked, she probably would have knocked my brains out. The only other time I’d ever seen her this mad was the night she killed her stepfather. . . .
I had to plow through the crowd like a linebacker to make it to the door. Valerie was nipping at my heels, calling me names I had never heard before. Floyd was right behind her, cussing and yelling at me that he wanted to know everything. Every other person in the bar must have wanted to know everything, too, because they were all stumbling along behind Floyd. Most of them were even cussing at me, accusing me of trying to scam them out of birthday gifts I didn’t deserve. The only person I didn’t see in the nosy, agitated crowd following me was Marvin/Russell.
I ran out of Paw Paw’s and sprinted down the street. I broke the heels on both of my stilettos, but that didn’t slow me down. I didn’t stop until I saw an empty taxi sitting at a corner. I went straight to the Beverly Hills address that I shared with Floyd, and I immediately started throwing clothes into my suitcases. I was just about to haul my luggage out to my Honda when Floyd stormed in. He looked like a monster. His eyes were stretched open wide, and spit was foaming out both sides of his mouth. In spite of the fact that he had not killed the girl who he’d spent so many years in prison for, I had every reason to believe that he was going to kill me.
“I want to know what the fuck is going on, and I want to know now, Dolores!” he boomed, spraying spit all over my face.
“It’s over, Floyd,” I told him, surprised at how calm my voice was now. “I can’t keep this shit up. I can’t go on like this. I had no right to marry you and drag you into this mess.” I set my suitcases down. “The keys to the BMW are on the dresser in the bedroom. So is the checkbook to our joint account.” He stood in front of me with his hands on his hips, blocking my way. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to leave now,” I said, still speaking in a calm voice.
“Do you think I’m going to stand by and let you walk out of here without telling me what the fuck is going on?” He lunged at me, and I jumped back, but not in time. He grabbed me by my arms and gripped so hard it hurt
. I squirmed, trying to free myself. But he held me in place. It felt like I’d been cemented to the spot. “Who is this motherfucking Paul? And don’t lie to me because I’ll get the truth one way or the other. Even if I have to stomp it out of you!”
“Motherfucker, if you hit me you better kill me, or you will regret it for the rest of your life,” I warned.
“Look, lady, I don’t have time for any more games, lies, or tricks. I asked you a simple question, and I am not letting you out of here until I get some answers. Now, who is this motherfucker Paul?”
“He’s my first husband,” I replied in a meek voice, twisting and turning until he released me. “I married him years ago. I didn’t think you’d ever get out of prison, and I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life alone.” I was dog tired, and it showed in my voice. Now all I wanted to do was go someplace where I could decide my next move. And it had to be a safe location where I could find some temporary peace. But the way everybody had ganged up on me, I wasn’t even sure that the moon would be far enough away for me.
Floyd looked profoundly hurt. It broke my heart to see him that way. “Why did you marry me? Why didn’t you tell me you were already married? Do you know what a fool I feel like now?” he asked, his voice trembling, his hands back on his hips.
“I tried to get out of marrying you, but you were so . . . I . . . I felt so sorry for you . . .” I stammered. “I still feel sorry for you.”
He gasped. “Why you uppity black bitch! You married me because you felt sorry for me? Sister, I don’t need your pity now, and I didn’t need it then. You could have at least been woman enough to tell me you were already married. I would have got over you eventually. And what’s up with that youngster back at the club? Exactly where does he fit into this mess?”
“You mean Marvin? Uh . . . I . . . I had a little fling with him, that’s all that was! He didn’t mean a damn thing to me! I didn’t know he was the man that Valerie’s been bragging about and planning to marry. With him, it was just . . . sex.” Just the mention of the word made Floyd cringe. He dipped his head and squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments.