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Rayne checked her composure in the bathroom mirror then walked to the main section of the restaurant.
Jake stared at her as she approached his table.
“Hello, Jake.”
“Where’s Lisa?” He squeezed his fork. “What did you do?”
“Nothing.” She patted her bosom. “My god, you think I’d hurt her?”
“Yes, I do.” He swiveled to see around her.
“She’s using the restroom.” She held her purse to her side. “Everything’s fine. We aired out our differences.”
His eyes narrowed. “You think I’m stupid?”
She lightened her voice to sound sweet. “It’s the truth.” She sat at the table. “Lisa told me you know I’m bipolar. It makes me do unpredictable things. That’s why I tried to kiss you.”
“Is that also why you lied?”
“You have every right to be angry, but I wanna make amends.”
“Then be honest for once.” He cocked his head. “What is it you have against me?”
“I don’t have anything against you, Jake.” She touched his warm hand. “It was a problem with my meds. That’s why I was acting the way I was.”
“Where have you been, Rayne?”
“Trying to get myself together.” She sobbed fake tears. “Every time I try to be happy my disorder takes over.” She grabbed the napkin and laid it to her face. “Please forgive me. That’s all I want.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Please, Jake.” Under the table, she took the syringe from her purse.
“Okay,” he whispered. “I forgive you, but I don’t wanna see you anymore.”
“Thank you.” She jumped up and hugged him. “This means so much.” She kissed his cheek, plunging the needle into his side.
“Ow.” He jerked as she held him in place.
“Sh.” She pumped the rest of the solution into him.
The Midazolam took instant effect.
“I...” Jake went limp in her arms. “What are you doing?” he muttered.
“Come on.” Rayne laid her purse in his lap and rolled him out the restaurant.
Jake moaned and whimpered. “Rayne?”
“Shut up.” She flew through the parking lot in her stilettos. “You are dumb aren’t you?”
“Lisa?” He groaned. “What did you do to Lisa?”
“You need to be worrying about what I’m gonna do to you.” She got to her car and opened the backdoor.
A man in a red pickup truck sped up beside her.
“Damn it,” she whispered. “Of all parking places?” She hooked her arms in between Jake’s and got him halfway into the car, almost dropping him.
“Hey, Pretty Lady,” the man said. “You need help?”
“No.” She shoved Jake into the car.
“You sure?” The man came closer. “That’s a big guy.”
She winked at him over her shoulder. “I’ve handled bigger.”
He sucked his lip. “Is that right?”
Jake moaned.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Rayne closed the door and folded up Jake’s wheelchair. “He had too much to drink.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
Rayne threw the wheelchair in her trunk. “What’s it to you?”
He snickered. “Because if he’s not I wanna be.”
“Get the fuck away from me.” She slammed the trunk closed. “Now.”
“Hard to get, huh?” He blocked her. “He can’t do nothing for you tonight so let me try.”
“Get away from me.”
“Relax.” He put his arm around her waist. “Let me show you what you’re missing.”
She screamed as loud as she could.
“Hey.” He jumped back, covering his ears. “Stop that.” He looked around. “People are gonna think I’m killing you or something.”
She smiled, holding her waist. “That’s the point.”
“You’re crazy.” His lips curled.
“Oh, honey you have no idea.”
He walked away, shaking his head.
Rayne got in the car.
“Stop this.” Jake wiggled in the backseat.
“But, the fun hasn’t even started yet.” Rayne started the car. “This is just the beginning, Jake.” She backed out the parking space and headed toward the exit.
“What are you doing?” He grunted. “Where are you taking me?”
“Go to sleep.” Rayne sped out the parking lot. “You’ll know what’s happening real soon.”
****
“Get out, Winston.” Grayson stormed down his stairs. “I want you out of my house.”
“Forget, Winston.” Dee stood between them. “Who is Karleen Rivera?”
“Karleen?” Grayson’s face went powder-white just as Karleen’s had when she first saw Dee.
“You had an affair with her, didn’t you?” Dee raised her hand to slap him. “Admit it, asshole.”
“Dee.” He grabbed her, tearing up. “I never had an affair with her.”
“You’re a liar!” She broke free. “That’s all you do, lie.”
“I love you, Dee.”
“If you love me at you’ll admit you were with Karleen.” She stared him in the eyes. “That’s all I want.”
“How did you even find out about Karleen?”
She closed her eyes, rocking.
“Yes,” Grayson muttered. “I had an affair with her.”
“You...” Dee went to slap him but Winston held her back.
“Hear him out,” Winston said. “Don’t forget why we’re here.”
“I can’t believe this, Grayson.” Dee sobbed, shaking. “How could you cheat on me? What would be the reason?”
“I’m sorry.” His gaze lowered. “I love you more than anything. I was only with Karleen for about a month. It meant nothing.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” She shoved him. “Well, it doesn’t.”
“You were so distant.” He walked further into the living room. “I didn’t always know how to relate to you or how to give you what you wanted.”
“So you slept with another woman instead of trying to figure it out?” She approached him. “Instead of asking?”
“You’re so guarded.” A tear dampened his lip. “You only let people in so far then recoil.”
Dee glanced at Winston whose expression suggested he understood Grayson’s point.
Grayson wiped the tear from his chin. “You’d grown so cold toward me.”
“That’s because you pushed and pushed, and I told you it was too much.”
“I pushed because I love you, Dee.” He looked at Winston. “But you wanted another man.”
Winston dropped his head.
“Sounds like you’re blaming me again,” Dee said. “Yes, I had feelings for Winston when we got together, but I never cheated on you.”
“Karleen gave me the affection I wasn’t getting from you.”
She turned her back to him, hiding her tears.
“That’s what I mean, Dee,” Grayson said. “You don’t want people to see your tears. You’re afraid to be vulnerable.”
“Stop trying to make this my fault. You cheated, and it was a choice you made.”
“I’m not blaming you, but you need to understand.”
She turned around. “I’ll never understand why you did this.”
“How did you meet Karleen?” Winston asked, his voice cracking.
“We met at a book signing I did at the mall.” Grayson avoided looking Dee in the eyes. “She was a fan.”
“You fuck all your fans?” Dee asked.
“Karleen was a breath of fresh air. She was all bubbly and giving me these compliments. She’d read all my books and her face lit up when she talked about them.” He touched Dee’s arm. “Like yours used to.”
She pushed his hand away.
“She invited me out for coffee.” He walked toward his desk. “I spent days contemplating going. I kept telling myself it was innocent, but I knew it wasn’t.”