Chapter 29
Sleep failed to come for Sheba as she tossed and turned, thinking about the predicament she found herself in. The phone ringing was a welcomed distraction from her restlessness.
David’s voice rang out from the other end. “I sent one of our corporate jets to pick up Uriah.”
“So my husband’s coming home? Thank you.” Sheba sat up in the bed.
“He’s going to be here for only two weeks, so I need you to make sure you perform your wifely duties. That way he will never suspect the child you’re carrying is not his.”
“Oh, just get him here. I don’t need instructions from you on how to take care of my husband,” Sheba responded quickly.
“A part of me wishes Uriah knew you were carrying my child. I don’t want my child growing up not knowing his father,” David said.
“Uriah will make a great father. The child will not go unloved.”
“He’s a good man, and he doesn’t deserve this. That’s the only reason why I’m trying to make things right.”
“Uriah is a good man, and it’s your fault we’re in this predicament,” Sheba said.
“It’s nobody’s fault. We shouldn’t have been so careless.”
“There is no we. If you had just left me alone, but no. You had to have me. Now look at us.” Sheba was wide awake. Talking to David troubled her.
David attempted to calm her down. “Sheba, I know things don’t look good right now, but trust me. Just get Uriah to sleep with you while he’s here, and he’ll think the baby is his.”
“When the baby comes early, what am I supposed to do then?”
“Babies come early all the time. No big deal,” David responded.
Sheba was a nurse, and she could pull it off. David was right. If she could get Uriah to sleep with her, then her entire dilemma would be solved. Since she knew her husband found her irresistible, and she didn’t want her marriage to end over the mistake that she’d made, she would do whatever it was she had to do to get him to sleep with her.
“When is he supposed to be here?”
“It’ll be tomorrow sometime.”
“Thank you, David. Thank you for bringing my husband home.”
“Anything for you,” he replied before disconnecting the call.
Late the following morning, Sheba was awaken by Uriah shouting, “Honey, I’m home.” She rubbed her eyes a few times, because she thought she was dreaming. David had told her Uriah would be coming home, but could she trust him? The man standing in front of the bed was her husband. David hadn’t lied.
“Uriah, don’t wake me up if I’m dreaming,” Sheba said sleepily.
Uriah rushed to the bed and swept her up in his arms. “It’s me. In the flesh.”
“Baby, I’ve missed you,” Sheba said as they kissed each other and embraced each other. Tears ran down Sheba’s face. She was thrilled to see Uriah. She loved him more than life itself. If only she hadn’t slipped and slept with David, her world would be perfect.
“I missed you, too. Look what Papa brought you.” Uriah got up, picked up one of many bags, placed it on the bed, and opened it.
Sheba removed the pretty silk cloth. “This is beautiful, but what am I supposed to do with it?”
“Find a seamstress and get a blouse or something made with it.”
“Thanks. I think,” Sheba said.
Uriah picked up some more bags and placed them on the bed. “Well, I wasn’t sure how you would react to the cloth, so I bought you a few more items.”
Sheba’s eyes lit up even more. She removed custom-made jewelry and a few designer purses from the bags. “Baby, I love them. I love them all.”
She hugged him again, and Uriah welcomed her hugs and kisses. “I knew you would.”
Sheba, still snuggled up to him, said, “Believe me when I say this. I love the fact that you bought me all these things, but what happened to my husband?”
He pulled back and looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“I’m just surprised you bought me all this stuff.”
“You’re my queen, and you deserve it. You’ve put up with me being gone all these months. Besides, you’re right. I’m making good money, so why shouldn’t I splurge a little?”
“Thank you, baby. I love it all. Now I feel bad about the purchases I made last week.”
“Don’t worry about it. There’s enough money in the checking account to cover whatever you spent.”
Sheba couldn’t believe what she was hearing. This was not Mr. Thrifty, not coupon-cutting, don’t-spend-any-more-money Uriah. Did a spaceship come and kidnap her cheap husband and replace him?
Sheba pushed the bags out of the way and positioned herself on Uriah’s lap. She kissed him passionately, hoping they could get reacquainted with one another’s body. “I’ve missed you in more ways than one,” Sheba said.
Uriah pulled away. “Baby, I need to take a long hot bath. Can you run me some bathwater?”
Sheba didn’t want to stop. “That can wait. I want you now.”
“I haven’t bathed since yesterday. I’ll just feel better if I take a bath.”
Sheba got up. “Fine. I’ll run you some bathwater, but when you get out, be prepared to put in some overtime.”
Sheba went into the master bathroom, ran some hot water in the tub, and added a men’s bath product, Twilight Woods, which she’d purchased at Bath & Body Works. He always liked to soak in it. Once the water was just right, she yelled out to Uriah to come in.
She admired his body as he removed his clothes. She couldn’t wait to feel her husband again. “Baby, if you don’t hurry up, you will have to skip the bath,” she said.
“Give me thirty minutes, and I’ll be good,” Uriah assured her.
Sheba left Uriah alone in the bathroom.
While he was bathing, her phone rang. “Delilah, this is not a good time. Uriah just got home, and I’m waiting on him to come out of the bathroom now.”
“I didn’t know he was coming home. I thought he was supposed to be over there a few more months.”
“It was a surprise. So, sis, I got to go.” Sheba hung up the phone.
Uriah walked out of the bathroom, drying off. “Who was that?”
“Delilah,” she responded.
“Oh. Well, I’m tired. I’ve been on a long plane ride. Wake me up before you go to work.” He got in the bed, turned his back to Sheba, and pulled the covers over his head.
Sheba couldn’t believe he had been gone for months and hadn’t touched her yet. It was absurd. She didn’t know if she should be sad or angry. She felt conflicting emotions. She wanted her husband, and he had just turned his back on her. Did he find out about David? No, he couldn’t know. Sheba cried herself to sleep because she couldn’t bear the thought of losing her husband due to her mistake of sleeping with David.