Chapter 2
Alexis McNeil expertly decorated the oblong conference table by covering it with a classy purple and gold table cloth. She arranged the breakfast service of doughnuts, bagels, and fresh fruit. Then she set up the containers of chilled fruit juices and pots of hot coffee. It was Hump Day. Although it was only eight-forty-five, the only thing she could think about was lunch. Lunch was her favorite part of Wednesdays. But first she had to get through this freaking staff meeting that her boss insisted on having.
Soon a dozen or so coworkers congregated in the meeting room. They all began filling their plastic white plates with breakfast items and exchanging morning pleasantries.
Alexis knew nobody cared about how she was doing so she made a concentrated effort to focus her eyes on the table. She quietly ignored the animated way her coworkers greeted one another as if they hadn’t seen each other twenty-four hours earlier. She worked as the administrative assistant and one of her tasks was to make sure all the food was on par for their monthly meeting in the communications division of their academic department.
On that day Alexis wore a black jacket and matching pencil skirt with a gold silk blouse and massive ruffles that covered her neck. A double strand of white pearls rested on her blouse. And her twenty-two-inch Remi weave made her resemble a woman who could easily earn her money based on her looks.
Alexis had the type of beauty that alienated most women, yet her exotic features caused men of all races to admire her. She looked good from the front and the back.
Right then, Kiara Eason walked in and stood at the front of the room. She too wore a black dress suit and her hair was styled in a cute bob. An engaging smile, spirited personality, and commitment to excellence made Kiara a standout at TSWU.
She waited for her staff to finish drawing cups of coffee, or pouring ice water and juice. Gradually everyone quieted down and gathered in their seats around the table.
Alexis sat in a chair at the rear of the conference room and quietly observed Kiara as she commenced the meeting.
Womp, womp, womp.
Alexis immediately tuned out Kiara. She started daydreaming about other things she’d rather be doing. Then she picked up an ink pen and some paper and drew stick figures of people having sex on the beach. She laughed at her devious ways. She couldn’t stand the sound of her boss’s voice and she grew annoyed every time she was required to attend these dull staff meetings.
Twenty minutes later, Alexis heard the low chime of a mobile phone, a recognizable ring tone that caused her to smile. Every day she carried two cell phones: One was a BlackBerry that she used only for work. The other was an iPhone, the one her lover gave her three years ago when they first began seeing each other.
Alexis excused herself from the meeting. She scooped her tiny phone in her hand and rushed down the hallway to the women’s room. There were a total of four stalls. Even though she knew all her female coworkers were in the conference room, she quickly checked first to make sure she had complete privacy.
“Hey there,” she answered.
“What up, sexy? How is the meeting?”
“Same ole same ole. How is your day going? You gonna make it for lunch today?”
“You miss me, huh?”
She ignored him.
“Anyway, we still on. Can’t wait.”
Alexis returned to the meeting with a satisfied grin on her face. A couple hours later, she was on her way to her house to meet her lover for her weekly “nooner.” She lived only ten minutes from the job.
Alexis pulled onto the gravel driveway and quickly let herself inside the house. She and her mother, Mona Hooker, resided in a cozy one-and-a-half-story bungalow that was built in the fifties. Although there was plenty of living space in the charming home, her mother was usually tucked away in her first-floor bedroom at the rear of the house. Alexis quickly checked on her mother. Mona was spread out in bed, covered by a quilt, and peacefully sleeping while her television was tuned to the TV Land channel.
When Rashad Eason knocked on the door minutes later, Alexis opened it and pulled him right inside the doorway by his shirt. He laughed and winked. They smiled at each other. She watched him; he moved with a confident, bouncy walk as he quickly slipped past her into the house. She kicked the door shut with her foot, and turned around to give him kisses on his mouth, his cheeks and forehead.
“Whoa, whoa. So you do miss me.” He laughed as he kissed her back. “What up, Skillet?” That was the nickname Rashad gave Alexis. To him it meant she was “skilled at it,” as in her bedroom skills.
“Come on, baby.”
Alexis McNeil was every man’s dream; she was lean and willowy. Her long legs looked fabulous in high heels. She had dark, penetrating eyes, thick eyebrows, a gorgeous smile, and a calm exterior. She resembled a younger Paula Patton and drew stares wherever she went.
She and Rashad’s Hump Day scenario had been going on for two years. And no matter how many times they did it, she seldom got tired of seeing Rashad show up at her door. Alexis grabbed Rashad’s hand and led him up the stairs which creaked with every step. Since she paid a decent share of the household expenses, Mona allowed her to occupy the entire second floor for extra privacy.
Alexis immediately locked her bedroom door and pulled Rashad’s shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. His ripped chest felt good when she brushed her fingers across his skin.
She peppered his neck with sweet kisses.
“Tastes salty,” she joked. “Like nuts.”
“Ohh, baby,” he moaned. “That feels so good.”
Alexis carefully unzipped his pants and chuckled when she saw the bulge in his briefs. They caressed each other while standing up. She got hotter and hotter. Rashad unzipped her skirt and slid it over her hips. He unbuttoned her blouse and she didn’t care where he tossed it. She let him remove her panties and tried to keep from laughing when he attempted to twist her nipples between his fingers. Usually when he stopped by, he was dirty from having worked in dusty buildings. Alexis demanded that he be clean before they made love. So they took a quick shower and then sprawled out naked on a sheepskin rug.
When Rashad kissed Alexis on her thighs, toes, fingers, and lips, she quivered from the feeling he gave her. And all she could think about how she wished she could have this man . . . just like this . . . every day . . . except for the few times a week she got to see him. She wanted to cling to these moments, to her baby Rashad, and never let him go.
“You miss me?” he asked as he tenderly gazed down and inserted himself inside her.
His plump dick was erect and smoking hot. It felt good.
She squeezed his back and held him close, enjoying the warmth of his nakedness. “Why you keep asking me that?”
“’Cause you never answer me.”
“Jesus. Yes, Rashad. You already know. Stevie Wonder could see that I do.”
“Okay, cool. What you miss?”
“Stop playing.”
“How was work?”
“Boy, if you don’t quit.”
“Boy?” He threw back his head and chuckled again. “You’re so cute when you’re mad.”
“I’m glad you think that. Now go down on me.”
She closed her eyes and spread her legs. She raised her hips and thrust her pussy at him. He leaned down and started licking her, teasing her with his tongue. His tongue flicked across her clit. She gasped and squirmed and cupped her breasts. Rashad licked her toes, moved up her thigh, and sucked her nipples. She squirmed and moaned as he sucked. She enjoyed him in every way.
He hummed as he ate her. She thought she was going to die and loved every minute of him.
I’m much too in love with this man and that’s a dangerous thing. How would I survive if we couldn’t stay together?
Alexis McNeil knew she was a single woman dating a married man, but she felt she had the best of both worlds. She got to enjoy mind-blowing sex on a weekly basis. Her lover brought her nice gifts. And she never had to deal with the unpleasant stuff: washing his funky underwear, fussing at him for being a slob, dealing with his unbearable family members, or having to bury him if he passed away. That’s what wives had to deal with. Rashad was her good-looking, well-endowed sexual healer, and that’s what she preferred, or so she thought.
The minutes flew by. Alexis knew that their rendezvous would soon end. She held onto his neck, giving him tight hugs while he worked hard to get his orgasm. He thrust his penis inside her and she enjoyed how tight it felt. They created friction as they moved together. He stroked her with a nice rhythm. She gritted her teeth and cried out.
Rashad moaned then collapsed on top of her. She stroked the back of his head, believing that he loved her as much as she loved him.
Rashad handed Alexis a little cash, something he did once a month to help her out with any expenses she may have. Then he kissed her good-bye. He promised he’d be back and she knew he would. Alexis went to the bathroom, cleaned herself off with a hot wet cloth, and drove back to the office. She found a parking space in the staff lot and turned off the ignition. She ran her fingers through the long wavy strands of her sew-in and examined herself in the mirror before getting out of her car.
Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she headed inside her building and returned to her desk. Her workstation was centered in the hallway of the first floor so that she would be the first employee visitors saw once they entered the department.
Alexis was so busy having sex she didn’t have time to eat her lunch at her house. So she sat at her desk and removed a deluxe turkey sandwich and a fruit cup from her lunch bag. She nibbled on her meal and resumed processing scholarship applications. She had only been sitting in her seat for ten minutes when she heard loud shouts coming from the hallway a few yards down.
“Where is that thot? If I see her, I’m going to beat her nasty whorish ass.”
“What the hell?” Shyla Perry, the social network coordinator, came and stood by Alexis’s desk where she could safely view the action. Shyla was a tall, short-haired, opinionated woman who loved to know what was going on with everyone in the office.
“Oh my God. Who is that crazy woman?” Shyla asked Alexis.
“Hell if I know.”
The woman whooped and hollered at the top of her voice. “Show me that skank’s office. Right now.”
Beads of sweat formed on Shyla’s forehead. She craned her neck to see.
Alexis busily tapped her fingers across her keyboard, but she couldn’t help but hear the woman.
“I don’t give a rat’s ass that you think I should take this elsewhere. If a bitch got the nerve to fuck my husband, then I will come up to the job, beat her ass and shut this down. Shee-it. I don’t play that.” The woman kicked the wall with her heels and started going off again.
“Oh, my goodness,” Shyla said. “This is nuts. I hope she don’t have a gun. Call 911.” Shyla frantically waved her hands at Alexis. But Alexis continued typing away with her eyes steadfastly on her computer monitor.
“Alexis, you hear me? Girl, what’s wrong with you? Call the police.”
“What’s wrong with your fingers?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“No. And why you losing yours? That’s not your business. They grown.”
“Do you hear how loud that lady is screaming? She’s yelling at our graphic artist! This is a matter for security. Pick up that phone and call for help.”
“Just because I’m the admin doesn’t mean I have to do anything y’all tell me to do.”
“Oh, my God. This isn’t about you!”
“Then why put me in the middle of it?”
The wife yelled, “Heads are about to fucking roll around here like a bowling alley. Where is that shitty piece of ass?”
Shyla pleaded with Alexis. “See what I mean? She could be packing. Aren’t you scared?”
“Why should I be? I’m not fucking her husband.”
“Girl, something’s wrong with you. The hell with it. I’ll call the police from my office. You must be wearing a bulletproof vest or something.”
Shyla ran down the hall yelling, “Fix it, Jesus.”
Alexis rolled her eyes like she couldn’t be bothered. She waited for the drama to fizzle to nothing. She and Shyla had never clicked. Shyla was one of those messy, annoying, know-it-all women that Alexis could not stand.
After a while, the irate wife finally stopped shouting and calmed down when campus police showed up. Come to find out, the lady was in the wrong building. Neither her husband nor his lover worked in their facility.
“Woo, how much you wanna bet that wife feels like the town idiot?” Alexis was talking to the coworkers who had stood in front of her desk after the campus police escorted the woman outside. Shyla walked up and listened in on the conversation.
“Yeah, you see how crazy she looked? I felt sorry for her,” remarked one lady.
“Her no-good husband probably driving her so crazy she doesn’t know her left hand from her right foot. Poor thing,” Shyla commented. “Some men will do that to you.”
“And that’s what side pieces do to you,” replied the good-looking male custodian. “If the side didn’t open her legs, he couldn’t dip his stick in that big ole hole.”
“Shut the hell up,” Shyla snapped at the custodian. “That husband is a cheater. And that woman is one, too. I hope his wife finds the right building and beats the hell out of that woman.”
“Even if he is cheating, the main chick handled it all wrong,” Alexis replied. “If the man is messing around, why is she trying to run up on the other woman?”
“True that,” said Tony Fu; he was the department videographer, who liked to lurk around and join in on the office happenings. He also was one of Kiara’s favorite employees.
“He should have been the first person she was looking for.”
“In my opinion,” Alexis said, “a man that goes after the side is just pathetic.”
“Alexis,” Shyla responded, “are you actually saying that if you were married, and last time I checked you aren’t and never have been, you wouldn’t have any anger towards the side piece?”
“Like I said, he is the one who willingly shared his juices with someone else and did the wife dirty. The side never promised her a thing.”
“You act like her husband’s infidelity is all her fault.”
“It could be, we don’t know that, and we can’t assume that the man is always to blame,” Alexis responded. “But one thing I do know is that people cheat because there is a high interest in it or else so many men wouldn’t be doing it.”
Shyla heartily laughed. “Men do it ’cause some of them are damned fools that don’t appreciate what they got. Or they can’t keep that anaconda in its cage.”
“Nope, wrong,” Alexis said. “Think about it. Every market is determined by the law of supply and demand. When it comes to extramarital affairs, the demand for them drives the market. The demand comes from men. And the women handle the supply.”
“Oh, wow, she’s breaking it down like a math equation, huh?” Tony said.
“I’m just saying if men didn’t want to step out, and if there weren’t women that are willing to give these men what they want, there’d be no such thing as cheating. But that’s what some people do.” She shrugged. “And other times it’s not that he’s a no-good cheater. Sometimes he just fell in love. And that’s something he can’t help.”
“You really believe that?” Shyla asked.
“Sure do.”
“Girl, bye,” Shyla said. “Some people.” She walked away and glanced back at Alexis, giving her a curious stare.
That afternoon, Kiara passed through the hallway and stopped in front of Alexis’s workstation. “Hey there. Can you please come to my office when you have a moment?”
“Sure.”
Every time her boss asked her to come to her office, Alexis felt rolls of quivers in her belly.
Does she know about me and Rashad? Alexis would ask herself. The fact that she was sleeping with her boss’s husband made Alexis feel some kind of way. And she still hadn’t decided if she was ready to tell Kiara everything. Of course, Rashad begged her not to. And she was the type to play her position. But the way they ended up in an affair required both of them to be knowing participants.
The first time Alexis met Rashad was the day she arrived on the campus of Texas South West University. She was standing on a sidewalk peering down at a campus map kiosk.
“Hey, you look lost,” Rashad told her. “Can I help you find something?”
He had just dropped off a check at Kiara’s office, and had made a quick trip to the student union food court to grab some lunch when he noticed this pretty young thing. When a man meets a woman, he knows right away if he wants to smash; Rashad took one look at her body and wondered what she looked like naked. Up until that moment, he never seriously considered cheating on his wife.
“Oh, I think I know where this building is, but I’m not totally positive. But I’m sure it’s down that way.”
“What?” he said with a grin. Rashad doubted she knew what she was doing; her pretending ways captivated him.
“I said I know where I’m going.”
“You don’t look like it.”
She twirled around and started walking east. But she only took a couple steps before she whirled back around. “Okay, sir. I’m sorry to bother you. Can you please help me? I’ve been lost ever since I parked my car and I hope I can find it when I leave. I’ve never been on this side of campus a day in my life.”
Rashad burst out laughing. He was intrigued. She looked so sweet and vulnerable. She seemed like she needed protecting. He wanted to know her and not just have sex with her.
“I’d be glad to help. My line of work has me driving all over the city. So I know how it feels to be somewhere and not know where the hell I am. But don’t worry, you’re in good hands, young lady.”
Alexis’s cheeks flushed red.
“Don’t be ashamed. We all need help sometimes.” He winked at her, which made her blush even more.
Even though Alexis assumed Rashad thought she felt foolish, in reality she was attracted to his good looks. His eyes were mesmerizing and filled with excitement. He had the most amazing teeth. He was super friendly and made her feel at ease. And he looked sexy in his clothes. Deep inside she felt she was being rescued. To her, all the buildings on the huge campus looked the same and she’d already wasted twenty minutes. No one else reached out to assist her. So Alexis told Rashad where she needed to go and he personally walked her to MacGregor Hall, the location of the HR department.
“You look like a college student. Smart and stylish.”
She wore a belted coatdress and some black pumps. Rashad loved what he saw.
“Thanks for the compliment. I’m not a student. But my mama sure stays on me so I’ll make something out of my life. If I didn’t go to college, the next best thing is to get a job at a college.” She gave him a reserved smile, which endeared her to him.
They arrived at MacGregor Hall and he walked her inside the lobby.
“Hey, I hope you get the job.” He winked and reached out to shake her hand. Her skin felt smooth and warm. He wished he could hold her fingers a little longer; he resisted the crazy temptation to kiss them. But she eventually let go. He watched her board the elevator. Though he could have left right then, he decided to linger around on the first floor. He had to see her again. He stood and waited. And he was so happy when he watched Alexis get off the elevator after she was done with her appointment.
“Hey there,” she said. Alexis was glad to see him, too. She thought about him all the while she was upstairs filling out paperwork. She wondered who he was.
“It’s you again. I wanted to tell you thanks for helping me.”
“My name is Rashad. What’s yours?”
“I’m Alexis.”
“I stuck around to make sure you’re okay. And I just had to see if you can find the right parking lot.”
They laughed together.
“Plus you’re fine as hell and you also seem like a cool chick. Can we stay in touch?”
“You seem like a cool dude, and I don’t mind staying in touch, but aren’t you too old for me?”
“I’m thirty-one. That ain’t old,” he told her. “Watch this.” In a moment of spontaneity, Rashad ran up toward the side of a nearby wall, jumped off of it, and did a handstand. He balanced his weight and with great agility walked around on his hands, yelling, “I’m the king of the world.” Alexis was flabbergasted. This guy was something else. She giggled and shook her head.
“You sure are energetic . . . for an old man.”
He got back on his feet and dusted off his hands. “Hey, baby, I would love to show you what an old man can do!”
Alexis felt breathless.
“I’d love to see that. Here’s my number, cutie. Use it. Don’t lose it.”
Even though Alexis was nineteen, and she felt a little nervous about how she flirted back, she loved Rashad’s energetic and confident air. She could already tell that he liked her, and that they shared great chemistry.
They talked on the phone every day. He made her laugh and gave her all kinds of compliments. She soon started working in an office on campus. They saw each other once a week and she snuck him into her mother’s house to have sex. He continued to charm her and she loved the surprise gifts he brought to her. But a year later, when there was a reduction in force, Alexis got relocated to the communications division. That’s when she found herself working for Kiara Eason. Right away, Alexis realized that her boss shared a last name with the man she’d been sleeping with. That’s when she put two and two together. She asked Rashad if he was still married. He said yes, but “it isn’t a happy marriage so please don’t hold that against me.” She got angry at him but he begged for her forgiveness. By then Alexis was sprung. She couldn’t let him go.
Ever since then, working for Kiara kept Alexis on edge. She needed her job, but she loved and needed Rashad even more.
And now her boss wanted to meet with Alexis. She took her time and combed her hair, reapplied her hot pink lipstick, and curled her eyelashes. She grabbed her BlackBerry then walked into Mrs. Eason’s spacious corner office, which was well lit by the sparkling afternoon sun.
“Yes.”
“Close the door and have a seat.”
Alexis wrestled with the fear within her belly, but she calmly sat down and crossed her legs.
“Um, while I was gone from the office, I heard about a disturbing event that took place. From what I was told, you were a witness, as well as Shyla and some of the other staff.”
“Yes, that’s true. But what does the alleged ‘disturbing event’ have to do with me?”
Kiara was taken aback by her tone.
“I wasn’t finished yet.”
“Sorry.”
“Anyway, what it has to do with you, as well as the others, is that I think we should schedule a brief staff meeting to talk about it.”
This heifer loves meetings.
“That sounds like a personal issue that the campus police department has already handled. The lady’s husband didn’t even work here. The only disturbing thing that happened is a woman made a big fool of herself. Couldn’t be me.”
“Well, Alexis, you definitely have a lot to say for someone who thinks the incident has nothing whatsoever to do with you.”
“It’s just my opinion.”
“That’s fine, but my concern is for everyone here to feel safe,” Kiara continued. “In fact, it’s my duty to create a secure environment. And while it is somewhat true that what people do on their own time is their own business—”
“At least we agree on that.”
“Alexis, I beg your pardon. Is there something going on that you’re not telling me? You’ve been snapping at me ever since you came in my office.”
Alexis frowned and her eyes rested on an eight-by-ten silver picture frame that was prominently displayed by Kiara’s office telephone. She stared at the black-and-white photo of her lover, Rashad, snuggling cheek to cheek with Kiara. Their six-year-old son, Myles, was sitting on his mother’s lap. Kiara was grinning and her eyes sparkled with joy. Rashad’s lips curled into a proud grin. This must have been a new photo.
Alexis felt teary-eyed. The handsome boy greatly favored Rashad.
“This is some crap,” Alexis said out loud and rose to her feet.
“What did you say? Why are you getting up? The meeting isn’t done yet.”
Alexis clapped her hands over her mouth.
“I think I have food poisoning. Excuse me.”
Alexis stumbled out of Kiara’s office and hurried to the restroom. She burst into an empty stall and fell to her knees. She flung up the toilet seat and placed her face over the white porcelain commode. It was cold and sterile. And the thought of her face being so close to where people emptied their bowels made her more nauseated.
“Oh, God,” she said just before her stomach unloaded. Her mouth spread open wider and wider as she vomited. Her forehead beaded with sweat and she wished she could remove her jacket.
Once her stomach settled, she went back to her desk, opened a drawer with her key, and removed a clear plastic bag in which she stored toothpaste, a toothbrush, mouth rinse, and dental floss. She called it her “Freakum Bag” because she also kept two extra pairs of black thongs in it just in case.
Alexis returned to the restroom, thoroughly cleaned out her mouth, and got freshened up.
As much as she hated to do it, she walked back into Kiara’s office and closed the door.
“Sorry about that. I feel better now that I’ve gotten rid of something that wasn’t making me feel good.”
“Where’d you go for lunch?”
“Where’d I go for lunch?”
“Yes, you said you experienced food poisoning. Maybe you should call that restaurant and let them know.”
“Um, that won’t be necessary.”
Kiara gave Alexis a quizzical look. “Have you eaten there before?”
“Have I eaten there before? Look, don’t worry about it. It’s not even that serious.”
“Just say the word and I’ll call wherever you ate lunch today.”
Alexis gulped. “Please. Don’t.”
“I won’t. But if I were you, I would never go back to that place again. Now will you please send out an invite for a thirty-minute meeting? It can start at three.”
“If you say so; I don’t think this is needed. But you’re the boss.”
“I’m sure everyone is going to feel differently about this but, as a married woman, it’s a topic that’s close to the chest. It’s never good when couples put their business out on the street. And from what I hear, this situation was completely out of control. I especially hate when married women lower themselves to the level of a—”
“You want to say ‘whore’?”
“I did want to say it, and I will say it. The other woman is a ho!”
“You are entitled to your opinion, but why does that woman have to be called an ugly name only because she fell in love with the same man? Plus, you know nothing about the chick that the man is allegedly messing with.”
“I don’t have to know anything about her,” Kiara snapped. “If he’s married, he’s off limits point blank period. She should know that.”
“What she ‘should know’ always isn’t the case. Maybe he hasn’t admitted he’s married. You’d be surprised at how many men hide their status.”
“Now, see, that’s just something I don’t understand. How can a man be living with his wife and going around acting like he’s single and ready to mingle? I’d kill Rashad if he denied me. Then I’d kill the other woman, too.”
Alexis tried to place her shaking hands in her lap. “I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that with your man. You’re one of the lucky ones.” She forced herself to smile as she gazed at the family photo on Kiara’s desk. “Your family looks sooo nice. And I can tell you’ve got a special one right there.”
Kiara thought about it and nodded. “Overall, I probably am fortunate to have him. But he’s the lucky one because he has me.”
“Hmm. He’s lucky, all right.”
“Oops, so sorry. I’m not trying to brag or anything. And Alexis, don’t give up hope. I’m sure in due time, the right man will come along for you, too.”
“How do you know he hasn’t already come along?”
“Oh, is that right? Well, I’d love to meet your man one day.”
“Maybe you will.”
“Do you have a photo of him in your phone?”
Alexis stood up. This was her opportunity to tell Kiara that she was sleeping with Rashad. Her BlackBerry was tucked inside its Union Jack curve case; she opened the case, then snapped it shut. “I do have a photo, but I will show it to you some other time. I need to get going on that meeting request.”
Alexis was just fucking with her boss, for she knew that she did not have a single photo of Rashad on her work cell phone.
That afternoon, once the entire staff gathered again in the conference room, Kiara stood before all twelve employees appearing resolute and stern.
“Normally, we do not meet about these types of topics, but considering what happened a couple of hours ago I felt it was necessary to bring everyone up to speed. I’ve met with the campus chief of police and one of the lieutenants. A woman whose spouse does work at TSWU came unannounced to our building today around one-thirty. She was screaming and causing a disturbance. Thankfully, she was unarmed. She wasn’t arrested but was issued a warning. I’m not sure if she also entered any other buildings before she found herself over here, but the good news is no one was hurt.”
“Why was she here? I missed the action,” asked Ellie, the assistant manager of marketing.
“Her man ain’t right, that’s why she was here,” Shyla said and gave a smug look. “Me and my man Wesley are getting married the first weekend in November, and I let him know from the jump that I do not play when it comes to cheating. In fact, if we’re walking down the aisle towards the minister and if Wesley so much as looks at another woman, I will call off the wedding even before I say ‘I do.’ I will tell that minister, ‘Before you get started, I do not. It’s a wrap. And y’all don’t have to go home, but you gots to get the hell up outchea.’”
Everyone except Alexis broke into laughter. She was trying to figure out how someone as disgusting as Shyla could get engaged when she knew for a fact she was a much better catch than that silly bird.
Long neck–having, goose-lipped, squawking-mouthed, chicken-legged fool.
“Well, since I wasn’t here, I can’t say why the woman ended up in our building, but you can only imagine,” Kiara replied. “All I know is it sounded scary. People pop off over any and every thing these days. You know the state is debating if we all may carry concealed weapons on college campuses. So the tension is real, active shooters are in the headlines, and workplace violence is on the rise.”
“We don’t have to worry about anything like that happening here, though,” said Tony. “Just about everyone who works in this department is happily married.”
“True that,” said Shyla. She sneered at Alexis and cackled.
“But, Tony, how would you know how happy they are?” Alexis spoke up. “You really know everything about everybody’s relationship?”
Tony’s face turned a deep red.
“Leave him alone,” Kiara snapped.
“I’m sorry, Tony,” Alexis apologized. “I’m just saying some people try to act like they’re Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Outwardly that couple looks happy. But nobody knows what goes on behind closed elevators.”
“Womp, womp,” Tony said good-naturedly. “She’s right about that one.”
“Womp, womp. She’s always good for ruining a fun moment,” Shyla hissed in response. Alexis pretended like she didn’t hear and she didn’t care. But she definitely heard.
Later that evening, a couple hours after she’d gotten home from work, Alexis glanced at her watch for the twentieth time. The walls inside her house smelled like fresh pine. She toted around a bucket of hot water as she wiped kitchen counters that were already clean. When she was finished wiping, she got the broom and swept an immaculate floor. And several times she turned on the television in the living room just to turn it off every time a commercial came on that made a doorbell sound.
When she finally did hear a rapped knock on her door, Alexis took her time opening it. When she finally swung open the door, she stood and placed one hand on her hip.
Rashad beamed at her and opened his arms as he walked toward her, but she stopped him.
“I don’t know what type of bitch you think I am, but you’re about to find out.”
“Huh?”
“You’re late. Two hours late. Late Negroes get docked.” She twirled around, walked back through her doorway, then slammed the door in Rashad’s face.
Rashad buzzed her cell phone but she let it ring without answering. Alexis walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and grabbed a bottle of champagne and a container of orange juice. She calmly fixed herself a mimosa then fired up a cigarette.
She took her drink and went to open the patio door. She stretched out on the chaise longue, puffed on her cigarette, and waited.
She let the phone ring another ten times before she answered. “What?”
“Baby, I apologize. I’m wrong. I was late and I should have told you.”
“You damn right you should have told me. I don’t know what type of fool you take me for but you’re messing with the wrong chick. I could be doing a whole lot more important things besides sucking your dick.”
“Aww, sweetness, don’t say that. I told you I’m sorry.”
“Sorry won’t fix this. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you?”
“Calm down, beautiful. It’s gonna be all right because I’m here now.”
“I needed you earlier, though.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I had a rough day. I-I just thought you could help make it better.” She caught herself. “But the fact that you didn’t care about my feelings really has me fucked up.”
“I wasn’t late on purpose.”
“It’s not just the fact that you’re late, Rashad. I really had a moment.”
He paused.
“What type of moment?”
“I don’t know how much longer I can take this. I sense Kiara knows something. She makes odd comments sometimes. And I’m not in this situation by myself. But when I need to talk to you about things, you aren’t always available.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me. What can I do to make it up to you?”
“I’ll have to think about that one. And I’m not sure I can accept your apology.”
“Damn, baby, why you being so hard on a brother? C’mon, let me come in. We can talk.”
“We’re not just gonna talk. I know you.”
“We’re gonna do two of my favorite things: talk and make love. How about that, baby?”
“You heard me, Rashad. I’m not in the mood to let you feel on my booty, my twat, or any other part of this good stuff.”
“You playing, right?”
“The next time you see me will be Friday. You think you can remember to treat me right between now and then?”
He nursed his bruised ego with a silence that scared her. But then he said, “All right, sexy. I will see you in a few days.”