by Honey
“What?”
“Have you been faithful to me, JoJo?”
“Mink, I—”
“Wait. I have to say this to you. We were separated for a while back home, and I’ve been here a month. You’re a young, good-looking man with a healthy, sexual appetite. I bet women throw their panties at you all the time. Be honest with me. I can handle it. Have you been with another woman?”
Josiah shook his head. “No, Mink, I have not had sex of any kind with another woman. I’ve never cheated on you. I swear.”
Images of that steamy night at the bottom of the staircase with Gypsie invaded his mind while Mink continued talking softly. Hot damn! His body was craving her like a starving man in search of bread that particular night. If his mother hadn’t called, Josiah would’ve . . .
“JoJo!”
“Um . . . yeah, Mink?”
“I said if you’ve slept with another woman, I don’t have a right to be upset.” Mink lowered her eyes. “When I was out there, I did some things I’m not proud of. But it was all a part of the disease, you know. The insanity of my addiction caused me to lose control.”
“That’s all in the past, baby. Forget about all of that. I’ve already forgiven you for everything you did when you were using. Hey, you’re in recovery now, though, right?”
Mink sniffled and wiped her tears away with her fingertips. “Right.”
“So, things are going to be different when you come home. I promise to do whatever it’ll take to make you happy and comfortable. You can even go back to work if you want to. I don’t care as long as you’re content.”
“I can’t wait.” Mink smiled through more tears.
Josiah extended his hand to her. “Come on, baby. It’s time for you to eat.”
“Okay. After I finish, I want to take you and the girls for a walk on the nature trail. The scenery is so beautiful and relaxing. Treasure is going to go crazy over the ducks in the lake.”
“Yeah, she’ll like them.”
Mink’s face grew somber, and she began to cry again. “Nothing seems to excite Gem anymore whenever I’m around. I think I’ve lost her, JoJo. She stares at me like she hates me.”
“Gem is so much like you.” Josiah laughed lightly. “Hell, she’s the spitting image of you, Mink. She didn’t inherit a single physical trait from me. Her face, hair, complexion, and stature are exactly like yours. Even her stubbornness and smart mouth came from you. That’s why you two have always butted heads.”
“And my drug use only made it worse, huh?”
“Unfortunately, it did. But I don’t want you to think about that right now. Let’s get our day started and have some family fun.”
* * *
Soulful music from the Bose system filled the small kitchen. The sound of the edge of a butcher knife hitting the chopping board as it sliced through celery stalks seemed to be keeping time. Gypsie, in her private world, threw her head back and belted out the song’s lyrics and shimmied her hips.
“I can cast a spell of secrets you can’t tell! Mix a special brew, put fire inside of you! But anytime you feel—”
The phone rang, interrupting Gypsie’s loud and off-key crooning as she sang “I’m Every Woman” along with the legendary Chaka Khan. She frowned and stared at her cell phone, wondering who the hell was disturbing her Saturday afternoon solitude. She had already spoken to her parents, Tianji, and even her cousin, Clark. They all made up her regular gossip gang. No one else was supposed to be chiming in on her downtime away from city hall and nanny duty.
Gypsie dropped the knife and wiped her hands on the skirt of her apron before she reached for the phone. “Hello?”
“What’s up, Miss Robinson?”
“What do you want, Jeremiah?” Gypsie giggled like a silly kid. “Don’t you have something better to do on the weekend than harass me?”
“Yeah, I do, but my weekend life doesn’t start until midnight. So, I figured I’d check up on you since JoJo and the girls are away. What’s on your agenda today?”
“I’m keeping busy doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that.”
“Yeah, right.”
Gypsie took immediate offense. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You don’t think I have a life outside of work? Well, I do.”
“So, I guess you’re still kicking it with that buster from the accounting department.”
“No, I’m not. I ended that last night.” Gypsie pulled out a chair and sat down at the dinette. “Preston is a real cool dude, but I just couldn’t connect with him romantically. Anyway, what’re you up to this afternoon, Mr. Midnight?”
“Walk to your front door.”
“Huh? What are you talking about, Jeremiah?”
“Just do it and stop lip hustling, girl.”
Gypsie padded to the front door in her favorite red and white striped socks. Out of curiosity, she looked through the peephole and got the shock of her life. She disengaged the locks and snatched the door open.
“So, you thought it was a good idea to show up at my apartment unannounced on a Saturday afternoon? You think too highly of yourself, Mr. Bishop.”
Jeremiah grinned and held up a bottle of Emmolo Merlot. “Now, how’re you going to be salty at a brotha with a fine bottle of wine?”
“Bring your cocky behind on in here. I’m cooking stuffed chicken breasts in a curry roux and a vegetable-pasta casserole. That wine will go just right with my gourmet masterpiece. Plus, I’ll get to kick your ass in Madden 15 while the food is cooking.”
“I knew the wine would be my ticket in.”
“Oh, shut up.”
* * *
“Look at the ducks, Gem!”
“Wait a—”
Treasure took off running at full speed with her sister chasing behind her before their mother could object. Mink became a bundle of bad nerves as her daughters ran closer to the lake. Of all the people who could be outside enjoying the spectacular sights along the facility’s nature trail, why the hell were Norm M. and Greg chilling around the campus today? A sudden, unsettling feeling in the pit of Mink’s stomach caused her body to stiffen.
Josiah squeezed her hand. “Relax, baby. They’ll be fine,” he assured her, looking at the girls. “You said Treasure would be fascinated with the ducks. I think Gem is too. Look at her feeding them. It was nice of that guy to give her a handful of whatever she’s tossing on the water.”
Mink didn’t respond because her words were lodged painfully in her throat. She wanted to scream for the girls to get away from Greg. They knew better than to talk to strangers. She and Josiah had taught them that rule very early on when they were barely able to speak. They obviously had no worries because their overprotective father was close by, and they had all the confidence in the world in him. The girls knew Josiah would never allow harm to come to them.
“I’m 6 and Treasure is 4. We live in Atlanta with our daddy and Miss Gypsie. Our mommy lives here.”
“Is that right?” Greg asked, grinning like an evil villain from a horror movie.
“Yes.”
“My wife tried to stop my daughters from bothering you, sir, but they ran off.”
Greg eyed Mink and then Josiah. “These pretty little girls ain’t doing me no harm, sir. They’re just helping me feed the ducks.”
“I’m Josiah.” He extended his hand for a friendly shake. “You’ve already met my daughters, Gem and Treasure. We’re here visiting my wife.”
Greg released Josiah’s hand and eyeballed Mink from head to toe. “Hello, Miss Mink. You look happier today than I’ve ever seen you. I can tell you’re enjoying the visit with your husband and girls.”
“I sure am,” Mink responded bitterly.
She looked over at Norm M. who was sitting on a bench near the water’s edge reading a book. Thank God he’s a gentleman and not an asshole like Greg. He knows how to separate what goes on in here from real life. With that thought in mind, Mink decided to speak with Norm M. later on about her situation wi
th Greg. She had a feeling he was going to make her life a living hell after Norm M. left the rehab center.
“Daddy, come and feed the ducks with us!” Gem shouted before running off.
“Excuse us.” Josiah walked away from Greg, pulling Mink along with him.
On impulse, she looked over her shoulder and found Greg smirking at her. She felt like vomiting when he grabbed his crotch and rolled his eyes to the sky in a lewd gesture. Mink turned her head quickly and squeezed Josiah’s hand as they followed their daughters to the other side of the lake.
Chapter Thirty-eight
“You’re cheating, J!” Gypsie yelled over the ringing telephone. “Gnac is not a word, and you know it.”
“Yeah, it is. Where I come from gnac is a strong and delicious dark liquor, baby girl. I’m the Scrabble King. Three points!”
“Whatever, Negro.”
Gypsie reached for Jeremiah’s cell phone on the end table and handed it to him, but not before she sneaked a peek at the ID screen. It was Josiah calling him. Gypsie stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen with her heart pounding madly inside her chest. She wanted to give Jeremiah some privacy while he talked to his brother.
All the dishes had been washed, dried, and put away. And Jeremiah had spooned all the leftovers that he wasn’t taking home with him into bowls and placed them inside the refrigerator. Therefore, there was nothing for Gypsie to do in her small kitchen except kill time. She just didn’t want to be in the room with Jeremiah while he spoke to Josiah. All thoughts of him had escaped her since he and the girls had been gone, and for that, Gypsie was grateful. Keeping busy had been the perfect way to avoid thinking about him. Having seen his picture pop up on Jeremiah’s phone was threatening to unravel her emotions, and she couldn’t have that.
No matter how much Gypsie cared about Josiah, she had accepted the fact that they would never be together. His love for his wife was strong, and his commitment to their marriage was indestructible. Gypsie prayed that one day God would bless her with a man who would dedicate his life and heart to her the same way.
“He asked about you.”
The sound of Jeremiah’s voice startled Gypsie as he entered the kitchen without warning. She spun around to face him with a smile on her face. “I’m sure he and my little divas are enjoying their visit with Mrs. Bishop.”
“I told him you were fine. He was glad to hear it.”
“I hope the clothes I packed for the girls are warm enough. Gem is always cold when everyone else is fine.”
“He asked when had I’d spoken to you last, and I told him we were hanging out now.”
“I bet Treasure is talking nonstop about her BFFs and school. She loves those little girls in her clique.”
“Damn it, Gypsie! Are you really going to ignore me and dance around my words? I’m trying to have a conversation with you! Tell me how you truly feel.”
“I am fine, J! I’m not some emotionally fragile damsel in distress who’s about to fall apart because your brother went to visit his wife! Please stop trying to make something out of nothing, okay?”
“You love him, Gypsie. I know you do.”
“So what?” She folded her arms across her chest defensively. “Love has nothing to do with this situation. Your brother is married, and he and his wife are working toward rebuilding their family. Once Mrs. Bishop completes substance abuse treatment and comes home to Atlanta, everything will return to normal. And I, for one, will wish them well. End of story.”
Jeremiah laughed and shook his head. “Is that really how you believe the situation between JoJo and Mink is going to play out?”
Gypsie nodded. “He loves her.”
“Maybe he does love her, but Mink loves heroin.”
* * *
“Nooo! I want my baby! Please don’t make me! Don’t make me do it! Nooo!”
Josiah sat up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. He pulled Mink into his arms and rocked her. “It’s okay, baby. It was just a bad dream. I’m here with you. I’m here.”
Josiah replayed Mink’s words in his head as he held her close, rocking her in his arms. Her body was trembling, and she was whimpering pitifully. Why is she dreaming about a baby? And who is she pleading with?
“I have to use the bathroom, JoJo.”
Mink pulled away from him and left the bed. His senses were on high alert. Her dream about a baby was weird. Maybe she’d had a nightmare about someone trying to kidnap Gem or Treasure. But what was someone trying to make her do? And who was the person? Josiah’s curiosity was off the chart. He relaxed on the pillow and stared at the ceiling while he waited for Mink to return.
“I’m sorry I woke you up, JoJo. I must’ve had a nightmare.”
Josiah studied Mink for a moment. She seemed nervous and frightened. “You were screaming and begging somebody not to take your baby. Come back to bed and tell me about your bad dream, Mink.” He patted the space next to him.
“I-I . . . can’t. I don’t remember what w-what . . . what it was about. Are you sure I said something about a baby?” Mink laughed and fidgeted with her fingers. “That’s crazy as hell. Why would I be dreaming about a baby?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I want you to try to remember the dream, baby. Maybe you need to talk to your therapist. You may be recalling something from your past that you’ve suppressed. Can you remember anything from your childhood about a baby doll or an actual baby that traumatized you?”
Mink sat down on the bed next to Josiah and rubbed his chest. “The only babies I remember are those two little angels in the other bedroom. From the moment they came into the world, they brought me joy. My dream was just a dream, JoJo. It has nothing to do with my real life. That’s why I can’t even remember what it was about.”
Josiah searched Mink’s eyes for some sign that she was being honest with him. Something in his gut told him she wasn’t telling him the truth. He had a feeling she was hiding something. He had felt her body shivering, and her pleas for the baby had come from her soul. How could she not remember a dream that had brought her to tears?
Mink kissed Josiah’s lips. “This is our last night together, and I don’t want to waste it worrying about a dream that has already vanished from my memory. Make love to me, JoJo.”
Josiah’s body wanted to grant Mink’s request, but his mind was on an entirely different page. He relaxed and tried to rein in his thoughts to enjoy one last night of passion with the woman he loved, although he believed she was withholding something important from him.
* * *
Through a crack in the blinds, Greg watched Mink kiss her daughters goodbye and hug them tight. She covered her face with both hands when the little girls got inside the car. Then the dam broke when she turned and faced her husband. With tears streaming fast and heavily down her cheeks, she fell into his arms, and he lifted her off her feet. They passionately kissed as if they would never see each other again. Most people’s hearts would’ve melted watching the emotional scene, but Greg saw it all as one big show.
Mink had outdone herself over the weekend by pretending to be the perfect wife and mother on the road to recovery. Bullshit! She was nowhere near becoming clean and sober. Greg had seen thousands of addicts in his eleven years at Serenity Springs, and he knew the different levels of recovery. It was easy to spot the residents who were really trying to beat their addictions and even easier to point out the ones who had no desire to let go of the drugs they worshipped. Mink, in his opinion, was one of the worst addicts he had ever come across. Her soul was deeply sinking in the sea of chronic addiction. She was the most dishonest and fundamentally deceptive junkie in the history of the facility.
Her beauty and innocent-like aura worked in her favor, though. And she could talk her way out of or into any situation. No one had better communication skills than Mink Bishop. It was hard to deny her anything. Her soft-spoken voice and bright coppery eyes could charm a hungry, great white shark. But if her words, exotic good looks, and bubbly p
ersonality couldn’t earn her whatever she wanted, she’d whip out her most irresistible trick of all—sex. An addict like Mink had no shame when it came to exchanging her body for a fix. No one knew that better than Greg.
He turned away from the window when the car transporting Mink’s family pulled off. She wrapped her arms around her body and walked slowly toward the building with her head hanging low. It was obvious that she was sad that her weekend with her husband and daughters had come to an end. Greg expected her to return to her regular room and cry herself to sleep. But tomorrow morning she would arise and resume her normal routine. The real Mink Bishop would return.
* * *
Gypsie heard Josiah and the girls enter the house. She was excited because she had missed them like crazy, but she decided to stay in her room. Gem and Treasure liked whenever their father helped them prepare for bed, so she would allow them some daddy-daughter time tonight.
“Is Miss Gypsie asleep, Daddy?” Gem asked.
“I think she is. Her door is closed.”
“Let’s wake her up,” Treasure suggested.
Gypsie softly giggled when she heard the child running down the hall toward the guest bedroom.
“No, Treasure. Let Gypsie rest tonight, sweetheart, because she has to deal with you and your sister all day tomorrow. You two are going to stay home from school again while I go there to meet with the headmistress and your teachers.”
Gem frowned and lowered her eyes to the floor. “I don’t like our school anymore, Daddy. Ryland and the other kids were mean to me. They teased me because Mommy is sick.”
“That’s why I’m going to visit your school in the morning. Daddy will try to fix the situation, if he can. If I can’t, I’ll find you and Treasure a new school.”
“But I don’t want to go to a new school,” Treasure whined with tears in her eyes. “I’ll miss Leilani, Karrington, Zion, and Tamalia. We’re best friends.” The child went into a full pitiful sob.
Gypsie jumped up, yanked her bedroom door open, and ran into the hallway. She lifted a crying Treasure into her arms. “Hush now, my most valuable Treasure. Don’t cry. Your daddy will straighten out everything at your school tomorrow.”