Nadalia laughed. “Mom. No one says that anymore.”
“Well, I still do!”
“Okay. I’ll see you next week for the monthly meetings. I still think you and Aunt Sona should come to Long Island more often. That big ole house is just sitting there and Manhattan life can be brutal. When I come out there, I can’t wait to get back to the Island.”
“We love it here. It’s convenient, close to the business and we have everything we need right around us. Don’t worry about us, honey. You should be the one to get a place out here. You’re all alone in that big house with no kids. With the long hours Sage works, it has to be lonely. You really should come to the city more.”
“Okay. Okay! I need to call the office.” Nadalia didn’t want to hear anymore. She had to get off the phone before she revealed her true feelings. “Talk to you later, Mom.”
Nadalia loved her big house. It was one of her trophies for the wealth and accomplishments she and Sage had garnered. One day she’d add a kid or two—maybe. Right now she needed to worry only about lighting a fire under her marriage.
Since she wasn’t going into the office, she decided to take the time to come up with more ideas to usher the romance back into her bedroom.
Nadalia thought about Mike and Vonnie and how into each other they always appeared to be. Mike looked at Vonnie as if his heart would cease to beat if he took his eyes off her. Vonnie sucked in every bit of the lavish love he doused on her. They held hands, pecked for no reason and openly doted on each other. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought they were newlyweds, yet, they had been married the longest out of the four couples. Nadalia had to find out their secret.
Nadalia didn’t doubt that she was still desirable. As the product of an interracial union, her mixed ancestry blessed her with a full head of long, beautiful, jet black hair, supple olive skin and a slim, yet curvaceous body. Men confirmed that every day by the way they poured themselves all over her. The one man she desired most seemed oblivious to her beauty and charm. She wondered what it would take and questioned if children had anything to do with it. Did Mike appreciate Vonnie more because she was the mother of their child? Though she wasn’t ready to have children, she needed answers.
Nadalia dialed Vonnie’s number and was grateful that she picked up after a few short rings.
“Hey.” That’s all Vonnie said when she picked up.
Nadalia understood since she didn’t usually call Vonnie. They never had casual conversations outside of the times they hung together with their husbands.
“Hi, Vonnie. Are you available for lunch today? I’d like to chat with you about something.”
“Uh…sure!” Vonnie paused. “I’m sorry. Actually, I’m not free for lunch. I’m looking at my calendar now. What about this evening? I see my last patient at four-thirty.”
“Okay!” Nadalia had been taken aback at first when Vonnie said yes and then no, but now she brightened up a little. “We can meet at the Beck around six?” Nadalia thought about her suggestion. “Better yet, do you mind coming here? I have wine!” she coaxed.
The Beck was her husband’s thing. Besides, she knew that Sage wouldn’t be home anytime soon and she preferred a more private setting for their discussion.
“Wine!” Vonnie joked. “You said the magic word. I’ll be there at seven!”
Both ladies laughed.
“Perfect! See you then.” Nadalia hung up feeling renewed. After speaking to Vonnie, she’d get her other efforts in motion.
There was only so much she would reveal to Vonnie. She certainly didn’t want to leave her with the impression that there was serious trouble in her marriage. A little light girl talk and advice would do. One way or other, she’d get her marriage back on track—no matter what tactics she had to resort to.
Chapter 11
Vonnie
Vonnie couldn’t shake the curiosity that rose in her after Nadalia’s call. First Ryan, now Nadalia. Two people she had never received random calls from before.
As she finished with her last patient for the day, a little rosy cheek girl with a head full of blond curls that reminded her of Shirley Temple, Vonnie thought about whether she should go straight over to Nadalia’s or stop at home to freshen up. Vonnie often felt like she was under the microscope in Nadalia’s presence, so she decided to go home and at least change.
Vonnie checked her messages one last time and shut down her computer. Mike sent a new text asking if she had a boyfriend. She laughed and dialed him instead of texting him back.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he teased.
Vonnie shook her head. “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.” She went along. “But I am happily married to a crazy man and I don’t think he’ll take kindly to you texting me.”
“Yeah, well wait until he sees what I send to you next time.”
“Mike!”
Mike laughed that infectious laugh that always stole Vonnie’s heart.
“You are such a fool. Listen, I was calling to see what you had planned for the evening. Nadalia asked if I could stop by to chat and have a drink.”
“What?”
“That’s what I said. She didn’t say what she wanted, but I can only assume it must be important. I’m still wondering why she called me.”
“Well, she wouldn’t call Pearson, and Ryan doesn’t seem like she makes for interesting conversation.”
Vonnie snickered, then asked, “Are you going to be home?”
“Actually, I need to run to Queens,” Mike said and Vonnie creased her brows. “I need to take care of something for Aunt Kat,” he continued as if he could sense her pondering.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll see you later tonight. I should’t be long.” Vonnie wondered what his trip to Queens was about since he rarely dealt with his family there. When they reached out to him, it was usually for money.
“Cool.”
“Love you, babe.”
“Love you more.”
“She must have asked for money,” Vonnie said aloud, after she hung up. “Good ole Mike to the rescue.” She grabbed her keys and purse, and headed home.
As she drove, Vonnie focused her attention back on the matter at hand, finding something nice to wear to Nadalia’s. Effortlessly cute was the look she was going for.
She pulled into their circular driveway and hit a remote, simultaneously disarming the house alarm and turning on lights. She smiled as she made her way up the walkway, leading to the opulent double wood doors, feeling like she had to pinch herself even though it had been years. As ambitious as she was, she never imagined herself living in a home like this. Their life together and the wealth they acquired far exceeded her most imaginative expectations. She knew they would be successful, but never anticipated Mike’s company taking off the way that it had. A few years in, larger companies came knocking on his door with lucrative offers to buy him out and Mike refused them all.
They would have never been able to afford the lifestyle they enjoyed on her pediatrician’s salary. She didn’t need all these luxuries to be happy, but she sure did enjoy having them.
Once inside, Vonnie shuffled through the mail, and then wound her way through the halls to the master bedroom. Stepping into her walk-in closet, she sifted through the section with all of her shirts and pulled out a sheer violet one with bishop sleeves, then, she searched the drawers for black leggings before grabbing a pair of tall lace-up boots with comfortable cat heels.
Vonnie tossed the selection across the king-sized poster bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Within minutes, she was standing before the mirror fully dressed, applying a light coat of lip gloss. On the way out, she grabbed a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the wine fridge. Even after stopping by the bakery for her favorite pecan pie, she managed to get to Nadalia’s right on time.
“Welcome!” Nadalia sang and ushered Vonnie in with a wave of her hand. She closed the door and sauntered toward the back of the house into the family room where she had a quaint set
-up of wine, cheese and a few other finger foods.
Vonnie took notice of the red dress hugging Nadalia’s curves and wondered who dressed that sexy at home. She could only imagine what the outfit cost.
Vonnie still shopped the outlets and stores like Marshalls, Century 21, and TJ Maxx, making only occasional visits to places like Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. Great bargains sent adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Vonnie followed Nadalia and offered up the wine. She suddenly felt a little self-conscious about her choice as she handed it over to Nadalia, who glanced over the bottle and then forced a smile. It was a brand she and Mike enjoyed for around twenty bucks, not the three-hundred dollar bottles that Sage or Anderson often ordered at dinners. She shook off her discomfort, deciding she didn’t care what Nadalia thought.
“I bought pie!” she said, holding it up sheepishly. “It’s pecan. My favorite.”
“Yummy! Sage’s grandmother used to make a pecan pie that was sinfully divine.”
“Well, I don’t know if it will beat granny’s pie, but it’s damn good.”
Nadalia lifted the box and sniffed the pie, then closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. “Let me get a knife for this baby. I’ll be right back.”
When Nadalia left the room, Vonnie placed her purse down, but remained standing. Rubbing her hands together, she looked around, admiring the ornate décor, specifically the large flat-screen TV hanging over the fireplace, which was surrounded by a wall of windows.
“Don’t be a stranger, girl. Sit down!” Nadalia said when she returned with two slices of pie on saucers. She handed Vonnie one of the saucers, then poured two glasses of wine.
Vonnie noticed that the wine Nadalia poured wasn’t the one she brought with her.
“Sage home?” Vonnie tried to make small talk before the discomfort she felt made the moment more awkward.
“He’s working late! As usual…well, football season is really busy for him. I never expect him before nine. He comes home and practically passes out.”
“Oh yeah? Just like Mike! If I don’t make him slow down, he’d work himself to death.”
“I know, right. I mean, I run a company too, and I know what it’s like to have to put in some hours, but the way these men work themselves, it’s a wonder they haven’t aged beyond their years.”
“Tell me about it.” Vonnie sipped her wine. The awkwardness was waning and she was sure the wine would also help chase away the edge.
“Speaking of which, that’s one of the reasons I asked you over. We never really get to chat and also I want to do something special for Sage. You know…since he’s been working so hard.” Nadalia’s noticeable pause put Vonnie on notice. “And I…uh…love the way you and Mike are together.” Nadalia cleared her throat. “I figured you could help me come up with some ideas to get him to, uh, loosen up. So tell me, what’s your secret?”
“Well…” So Nadalia and Sage were having trouble at home. Vonnie wasn’t sure what to say. “People ask us that all the time and I’m never sure how to respond.” Vonnie thought some more. “Personally, I love the way he treats me. It may sound selfish, but it encourages me to be the best wife and friend I can be to him. We talk a lot, hang out together, have date nights. He’s…” Vonnie thought for a moment. “He’s just my best friend.”
“Well that sounds pretty simple. I—”
“Oh and we have a lot of sex!” Vonnie interjected. She punctuated her statement by holding up her wine glass to toast her declaration. She glanced at Nadalia, who looked as though she didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
Nadalia released the snicker she held behind her pursed red lips with a slight snort and both of them fell out laughing.
“I guess that will do the trick,” Nadalia said, holding one hand over her heart. They laughed some more before Nadalia continued, “I guess we could do more dating, too.”
Silence cushioned between them as they ate and sipped. Vonnie swore she saw a sadness settle in Nadalia’s eyes. She wanted to ask, but didn’t want to pry.
Placing her unfinished pie on the ottoman, she repositioned herself on the sofa and faced Nadalia. “I don’t know if I helped much.”
“Well…you did, but I’m still thinking that I need to figure out a way to just spark things up a little.”
“How long have you been married?”
“We were engaged forever, but we’re coming up on five years of marriage next summer. You and Mike have been married much longer, right?”
“Yeah. We were high school sweethearts. Separated during our college years, but we got married right after we graduated. We were still babies, but we made it. It’s been twelve years.”
“Wow!” Nadalia took a sip of her wine. “That’s like a freaking eternity. And you still have a lot of sex? Geesh!”
Vonnie shook her head at Nadalia’s reaction.
“I can only hope that Sage and I last that long.” She stopped talking and appeared to be in deep thought. “He’ll probably want some babies by that time. How will I get out of that?”
Vonnie reared her head back, shocked by Nadalia’s statement. “Don’t you want children?”
“Not particularly.”
“Oh…okay.”
“It sounds a little harsh I know, but right now I’m not ready and I’m not sure when I will be. It’s so much responsibility. And poop and snotty noses have never been appealing to me.”
Vonnie chuckled and shook her head.
“At the rate we’ve been going, I won’t have to worry about babies. He’s been working so many hours, my Sally hasn’t even seen his Peter in weeks.” Then she paused with an inquisitive grimace planted on her face. “You know what?”
“What?” Vonnie said.
“Well, I’ll be damned. I haven’t had sex with my husband in a month.”
Vonnie raised her brows and then gulped the remainder of her wine. That was her cue to wrap up their conversation because she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear much more. Nadalia had become more comfortable and she already knew Nadalia was one for blurting out interesting statements in the presence of the entire group. Vonnie could imagine the things she was capable of saying behind closed doors.
Vonnie placed the glass down on the coffee table. “Maybe it’s time for a spontaneous excursion.”
“What kind of spontaneous excursion?” Nadalia asked.
“Mike and I sometimes sneak off to different places just to get away for a night or two. It’s a great way to reignite the spark every now and then. Maybe both of you can get some much needed R and R—or not!” Vonnie hooted and Nadalia’s eyes widened like she’d just gotten a bright idea. “It might be good to help rekindle your fire and get Sally and Peter reacquainted.”
Nadalia looked at her sideways before laughing herself.
Vonnie enjoyed Nadalia’s company and after a while, they were talking like old friends. Vonnie looked at her watch and couldn’t believe that two hours had past.
“Well, it’s been nice, but tomorrow’s my early day at the office so I really need to get going.”
She gathered her purse and coat and Nadalia walked her out.
“Thanks for coming,” Nadalia said as they reached the door, “and thanks for the advice. I think a little excursion is just what we need.”
They exchanged a quick hug and as Vonnie started out of the door, Nadalia called out to her.
“Uh…Vonnie.”
“Yes.” She turned back.
“Do you mind keeping our little conversation to yourself?”
“Sure,” Vonnie said slowly. “Take care.” She exited knowing that Nadalia’s request had more to do with keeping up appearances than confidentiality.
Chapter 12
Pearson
Pearson hated the holidays. Everyone walked around all happy and full of glee and the whole scene made her sick. As much as she loved Niles’ family, even they annoyed her with all of their cheer. She felt like she was stuck in a bad version of one of those happy-go-lucky
Christmas movies, wishing she could bust through the screen and be the Grinch. She could relate more to “A Christmas Carol,” but with a more painful past.
As she sat in her home office handling business for her foundation’s benefit gala this coming spring, she did her best to at least match the upbeat tone of the photographer that worked the event for the past five years. As always, he was excited to get the contract signed because it gave him exclusive access to the Who’s Who across New York City and Long Island.
“I’ll be sure to get a couple of great shots of you and Niles to add to your collection of family photos.”
“Sure…I gotta run, Kenny. I’ll have my assistant drop the contract and deposit in the mail first thing Monday morning.”
“Wonderful! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Mrs. Day.”
“Yeah…thanks.” She stopped herself from saying, ‘Bah humbug.’
It was still early in the day, but she had a lengthy list of tasks she had to complete. Handling business for the foundation, which meant the world to her, topped that list.
Pearson started G-Day to support organizations with serious missions to influence the lives of young girls, especially those who’d suffered the loss of a parent—or at least felt like they did. The $500-ticketed gala was the marquee event, where the foundation received the majority of their funds, presented awards and scholarships and announced the names of young women who were selected to participate in the G-Day Summer Camp and the coveted G-Day Abroad Experience.
Pearson wanted to make sure girls felt valued and worthy, unlike she did growing up as a teen under her mother’s detached thumb. She also wanted to be a part of giving them an experience beyond their wildest imaginations.
After that, she needed to get ready for the gathering at Nadalia’s house later that evening. There were lots more crappy merry-happy greetings to push through before the holidays were over. All this time did for her was conjure unhappy memories to the forefront, along with emotions that she had to wrestle with. It was during this season that her life took a devastating turn all those years ago.
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