Her eyes narrow as she stares down at me. She reaches for my bag of chips and starts eating them like they’re hers.
I say, “I did tell you my folks would be here next Wednesday, right?”
“Yep.” She tosses another chip in her mouth, crunching intentionally loud while staring at me.
“I’m going to need you there the day before.”
Pausing from sliding more of my chips between her ample-sized lips, she frowns, darts her head back, and looks at me like she’s disgusted. “For what purpose?”
“Well, I can’t have you bringing in a suitcase while they’re here. That’ll look suspicious. Besides, we need to go over some things.”
She shakes her head. “Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds?” She resumes munching.
“It is what it is at this point, and you said you were in, right?”
She crosses her arms.
I say, “If you’re in, Cyn, I need you to be all the way in.”
“Okay, Jeez! I got it. I’ll be there on Tuesday.”
“What does your work schedule look like next week?”
“I work Monday and Tuesday–off for the rest of the week. So, I guess after I get off work on Tuesday, I’ll head over with my bag.”
“That works out.”
“Sure it does, for you,” she mumbles. “But then again, that’s all that matters, isn’t it? Anyway, I gotta go.”
“Tuesday. Don’t forget.”
She places the empty potato chip bag on my lap and says, “You know what would be messed up, Brix?”
“What’s that?”
“Me committing to this and when the time comes, I don’t show up. Wouldn’t that be something?” she asks, then walks back over to where Evie had just ended her call. They continue along the train, getting their steps.
I don’t take my eyes off Cynnamon until she’s out of sight. I’m the bane of her existence. That’s possibly due to the fact that I’m the one who pursued her. It was never the other way around. And as a man, I’ve come to realize that many times, we chase what we want and then when we finally get it, we become stagnant. It’s like, the chase is over. Now what? But that’s the reason why marriages fall apart. It’s the era when separations and divorces occur. Where two people who love each other can no longer see eye-to-eye. What’s interesting about my particular case is, as much as I still love Cyn, as much as I desire and admire her, I don’t think there’s a thing I can do to get her back.
chapter five.
cyn
Ishouldn’t haveagreed to this. I knew it the moment I turned into the High Grove Estates community where the ultra-wealthy of the city reside with their fancy brick homes safely tucked behind metal, coded gates and overpriced alarm systems. Just to think I used to live here with them, even though I never considered myself wealthy. My income makes me middle-class. My husband is the wealthy one. He fits right in here at Christenbury Hills. He works at Christenbury General – one of the top hospitals in North Carolina – and his colleagues love him. Who doesn’t love a handsome, intelligent, friendly doctor who you could kick it with, and get a diagnosis at the same time?
I doubt if he changed the code to the gate, so I punch in the six-digit code – his birth date, my birth date, our wedding date, and voilà, the gates to the kingdom open.
It’s surreal being back here. As I creep slowly down the driveway, I look out into the expanse of the yard – the lush green grass littered with leaves. Brixton loves leaves. He makes the landscaper wait a while before cleaning them up. I always thought it was a childhood nostalgia thing, but it’s a genuine love of nature. Of creation. Of the things in life that humans didn’t create, yet we still have the opportunity to touch and enjoy them. I like that about him. That he’s in touch with the environment.
The hedges are trimmed, sidewalk edged, and windows washed. The fountain in the center of the horseshoe driveway is operating – the sound of water trickling pleases my ears and calms me slightly. If there’s one thing Brixton knows how to do well, it’s keeping his home and property in tip-top shape.
I park and get out. Even the air smells fresher over this way - like the purification you get in the atmosphere after a heavy rainfall. Opening the back door, I get my medium-sized suitcase out and tote it toward the door. For a split second, I almost reached for the handle and went right in like nothing had changed, but I caught myself and rang the bell instead.
It doesn’t take long for Brix to make an appearance – shirtless. Not only am I greeted by his handsome face, but there are muscles. Abs. Nipples. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that milk-chocolate brown hue to his skin that glows with moisturization.
That– all of it – caught me off guard. I’m so off, I forgot all of that used to be mine, and still could be if I wanted it to be. But, been there, failed at that, so I keep my focus and do what I came here to do – be his happy, doting wife in front of my in-laws.
“You know you don’t have to ring the bell, Cyn.”
