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I put my mirror back in my cosmetic bag and took out my cell phone to check for text messages. There were none. Not even one raggedy ass text from Shayla. I silently hoped that she had not found out about Titus and me. After all that had happened, Titus may have broken down and decided to come clean. I doubted it, but then maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Then, he would be able to stop living his lie and be with me for good.
When the nurse finally came out and said, “Ms. Jackson, you are up next. I’ll come and call you on back so that Dr. Swanman can see you in less than five minutes,” I decided to make a quick call to Gladys, who was back at work. I wanted to see how her trip to Miami had been. Eager to get my mind off of my own dilemma, I was happy to hear her bubbly voice when she answered on the first ring.
She beamed brightly with a big ole, “Hello! It is a great day at Naytek Corporation, Gladys speaking. How may I assist you in your consulting needs?”
“Dang, girl. Work it then,” I said, laughing as I spoke. I tried to sound full of energy and optimism and not like the two-bit, jealous, home-wrecking friend I was beginning to feel like – thanks to the Essence of Color article, of course. I put as much pep in my voice as Gladys had. “Hey G, how was your trip? I know you were turning some heads down there with that sexy two-piece we picked up at the mall last week.”
“Girl, I had so much fun. How about I didn’t turn many heads, but I did turn one particular head. Wait until Shayla gets back, and I’ll tell you who I ran into at the hotel looking finer than three Morris Chestnuts in speedos!”
“Aw snap, now you’ve got me curious. Who?”
“I said, I will tell you when Shayla gets back from California.”
“I can’t wait. Tell me G!”
“Ah, well take one guess. It’s the last person you would ever expect.” She must have known that I was drawing a blank, so she added, “From back in my college days at Albany.”
No way, I thought. I knew that if she had run into the man I thought she was talking about, she was in trouble. Good trouble. “No way, you ran into Maverick Douglas?”
“Hell yes, that’s exactly who a sister brushed up with this weekend,” she said, with more life than I was used to hearing from her. I could imagine her pearly whites spread across her face through the phone. She was smiling, showing her full set, and from the sound of things, she had a good reason to be smiling.
When she was attending Albany State, Maverick Douglas had been the alpha and omega for Gladys. She was so in love with him that when she did come home on break, he was all that she talked about. She even picked out names for all of their unborn children. That’s how gone my girl was back then. He brought out the best in her, and when they broke up, she got so low on herself that she ended up settling for her trifling ass abusive and cheating husband, James. Because she’d broken up with Maverick without giving him a chance, she gave James all the chances in the world to prove himself to be a jerk. I had always wished she would give the man that really cared about her those chances, though. Her running into that man this weekend was major.
“Oh my God! Tell me what happened. Did he say anything to you?”
“Did he? An earful. But you know the weirdest thing was that his touch, feel, smell, sound, and taste had the same stronghold over me as when we were together. And did I tell you he is so damn fine with his muscles! Ai, Dios mio… Lawdhamercy.”
“Did you just say his taste, or was I hearing things? Girl, don’t even answer that. I hope you got in a lot of trouble this weekend. The whole weekend. Every waking minute!”
“It was good seeing him again,” she said losing some of the pep in her voice and quickly changing the subject. “How did Shayla’s big surprise shebang she planned for Titus turn out? Or has he turned her loose yet?” Gladys chuckled, as if she had told a fabulous joke.
“Titus didn’t come home Friday night. Shayla’s upset. The usual,” I said, uninterested in going over the details of the past weekend again.
“Damn,” Gladys said concerned. “I know my girl is hurt about that. She was really excited about spending that time with her husband.” I could have sworn she put emphasis on ‘her,’ but maybe I was hearing things. After all, creeping will give you a temporary case of paranoia at times. When I didn’t say anything, Gladys continued, “She called me Friday morning all happy, bubbly and everything. Ready for their time together. He just never seems to do right, so we gotta keep praying for our sister that she find the happiness and peace she deserves.”
“Yeah, always.”
“I tried to call her when I got back, but all I got was the message on her voicemail about being out of town. Hopefully Titus is showing her a good time. Maybe he’s making things up to her. She deserves it.” Gladys sure was laying the Shayla love on thick today. Frankly, it was starting to bring back my stomach pains. She had always been all up Shayla’s booty since we were kids.
“Well, I’m going to let you get back to your work. Love you.” I tried to cut her off.
“Love you, too.”
I hung up the phone feeling a little bit better knowing I was at least able to be a good friend to Gladys. There was nothing wrong with me or my capability of being a friend, so the Essence of Color article I was reading had to have gotten it wrong. I’d be happy for Gladys if she got back together with Maverick and finally dumped James. The pictures she had shown us back in the day of Maverick were incred
ible. I couldn’t believe how handsome he was, and I always thought they would make a good couple. Unfortunately, I had never met him in person, but I may get my chance after all.
I was a good friend. I never dished out anymore than I could take. I glanced at my watch and wondered what was taking the nurse so long to call me to the back. Five minutes had come and gone.
Chapter 17
Shayla
The morning after we got back from California, I woke up and started my morning stretches. I was pleasantly surprised that the last night’s sleep had been so restful. I felt refreshed and ready to face my day head on. Thanks to my husband having other things on his mind than sleeping, I had only gotten four hours of rest the night that we got home. With my morning routine complete, I sauntered into the bathroom to wash my face.
The bags from my shop ‘til I dropped spree were scattered about my dressing room. The sight of all of the bags that we had to pay extra to fly on the plane ride home made me decide that today, instead of complaining about the things that I did not have, I would celebrate the luxuries that were mine. In my wildest dreams, I would not have imagined living large to this magnitude. I was truly blessed. With a huge smile spread across my face, I declared, “Today, I’m going to pamper myself some more, so that I’ll be looking hot and sweet when I see my boo-boo tonight.”
Yeah, after all of the quality time we’d spent together lately, I was ready to upgrade his cheating behind back to the status of my boo. Maybe all we needed was more time to bond and get him out of the clutches of my so-called best friend. Within an hour, I had dressed to impress and was leaving the beauty shop with this cute little crinkly number that Titus loved to see on me. After leaving the salon, I went to the Chinese nail shop and got a quick pedicure, manicure, and a replenishing facial. The only stop left is to Victoria’s Secret to pick up a sexy teddy for tonight, I thought. When I arrived back home Titus was sitting in the den watching TV. I couldn’t even describe the joy I felt having him at home waiting on me for a change!
