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In rare form, I stepped out of the sandals I was wearing. I was a millisecond away from going to work on Rhonda’s scurvy ass when I grabbed a patch of her hair and said, “You really don’t know me like you think you do!” She squirmed around trying to get out of my grasp, begging me to stop. She tried to assure me that I was the one who had it all wrong.
“There is nothing going on here, Shayla. You are making a mistake. Let me go. It’s me, Shayla, your girl.” She lied through her man-sucking teeth.
With all of his strength, Titus maneuvered my fingers out of her hair and said, “Calm down, Shayla! Now.”
“Fuck you, Titus,” I screamed, outdone with the whole situation. These bitches had me twisted.
“Shayla, babe, don’t talk like that. That’s not you. Plus, you need to slow your roll, and get back in place, babe. Quick. You do remember who you’re talking to, right?” He took my hand firmly, coaxing me back to the reality that I didn’t want the situation to get too far out of control where the police were called, and we were all arrested. “Now, if you will take a few minutes to listen, I will tell you why I am here.”
When I was quiet for more than two seconds, Titus took the opportunity to offer up his explanation. “Rhonda has been helping me plan a surprise birthday party for you. This morning, I was on my way home and swung by here to give her this money for the entertainment. I’m getting Joe to come out to sing to you.” He held up an envelope with money in it and looked at me like I was supposed to get excited about the news. My temples were throbbing, and I was still ready to bust a
cap in both of their narrow asses.
When I didn’t show any emotion, he continued, “I can’t have nothing but the best for my baby, and Rhonda is helping me with the plans. Now you’ve gone and spoiled my surprise party.” Titus licked his lips and intertwined his fingers in mine, nonchalant like he didn’t have a care in the world. I knew he and Rhonda thought I was the biggest ass in town, but this little act of his beat all. A surprise birthday party? Yeah right! What was this, some 1980’s television sitcom?
I was so exhausted from fussing with the two of them that I decided to play along with it, for now. At least they knew I was on to them and had my game face on, which was the purpose of my visit. I didn’t go over to Rhonda’s house to lose my husband. Much to the contrary, I went over there to take him home. I collected myself and decided to play the game until I figured out just how to get these two back proper.
“You came by to give her money for entertainment, huh? Are you sure you didn’t give her money for her entertaining you. I mean she was dressed in her hooker clothes.” I looked at Rhonda and added, “Just like hookers do.”
“Now you wait a damn minute. Don’t come in here throwing accusations around in my home. I ain’t sleeping with your husband or even trying to get down with him like that. I can hardly stand him as it is, and you know it! He came over here to give me the money and begged me to help plan a party for you, so there is no reason for you to take whatever insecurities you have out on me. This is your husband and something he’s trying to get together for you, so you handle your business with him at your house.” Pretty darned convincing. If I didn’t know any better I would have believed every word coming out of her mouth. My best friend was a pro. I could smell the essence of the truth in the air. If I didn’t have a video tape proving they were sleeping together, I would have jumped in and cosigned with the both of them and swore down what they were saying was the truf – not the truth, but the truf.
Prying a little more, I told Titus, “It sounds a little shady, considering that you usually handle your own business, Titus. Tell me what is going on, for real. Make me feel better about this.” Despite the evidence I already had, I was open to accept one more of his explanations. I desperately wanted things to go back to the way they were before the money went to everybody’s heads. I wanted to reach the man in him that knew the true meaning of love. I wanted my friend that knew the meaning of friendship to show up in the room. If either of the two were to appear, God would have truly been working on my team at that very moment. I needed Titus to say something that would give me the strength to destroy the tape, start over fresh, and wipe the slate clean. All of that hoping and wishing that he could form the perfect words to say was diminished when Rhonda let out an exasperated sigh.
She said, “What are you trying to say, Shayla? Don’t beat around the bush. For once in your life, come on with it.” Was she ready to lay all of the cards on the table? Five minutes ago, I was ready, but her invitation to a battle of the words might reveal more than I could handle. The look on Rhonda’s face told me she was tired of the cat and mouse games, as well.
“You heard my wife,” Titus said, stepping up in an attempt to nip the exchange in the bud. He put an extra emphasis on ’wife’ as if he was clearly making the point for her sake to fall back. “My baby wanted to know what’s going on, so she gets to know what’s going on. Whatever wifey wants, wifey gets. It’s just too bad I had to spoil the surprise party, but it’s all good.” Titus glared at Rhonda silently daring her to say another word. I knew that look, so their exchange was irritating to watch. Actions definitely spoke louder than words.
Then he took me by the hand and said, “I have been missing you this entire weekend, and then you come up in here acting up. I see we have a lot to talk about when we get home.”
Fed up to my neck, I slid back into my sandals and took my husband’s hand that he offered without uttering a word. The two people that were supposed to have my back in the world were still performing surgery on my spine with their double-headed dagger. Titus’ little façade of acting like he missed me was something to watch. As far as I was concerned, Titus and Rhonda crossed the line from friends to enemies over a month ago. It was sad that sometimes we still love our enemies.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and walked out of Rhonda’s apartment hand-in-hand with Titus. He was my husband, and as sad as the situation was, I still loved him. The fact that I was successful in coming there to retrieve him from Rhonda’s claws, even though I knew that they were still scheming, was enough for me at the moment. Knowing that she would be pissed that he was going home with me, yet again, gave me a sense of satisfaction. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my husband yet. I wasn’t ready to show my hand. When I was good and ready to let them know that I wasn’t half the fool they took me for, I would, and not a moment before.
Chapter 19
Gladys
I didn’t even run into Brenda the entire weekend I was in Florida. Ironically, every time I dialed her cell, it went straight to voicemail. Nevertheless, I could not help but think about how my experiences there really had revived a sister back to vibrancy. I felt alive, free, and energized like a woman born again. I had been happy and free to be me for a change. Finally, I was able to track Brenda down and thank her for the party invitation and free hotel that she had provided during my trip to Miami. I had dialed her cell phone, and for the first time, she picked up on the first ring.
“Hi, Brenda! It’s Gladys. Girl, I must tell you that your setup in MIA was off the hook! The party was fabulous, and it’s a shame I didn’t run into you the whole weekend. I tried calling you while I was there, so we could meet up! Thank you for inviting me, the hotel set up and everything.”
“Excuse me. Girl, what are you talking about? I wish I could take the credit for throwing what sounds like a bomb ass party in Florida, but I haven’t been to Miami in years.”
“Huh? You just threw a party down there two weeks ago for our college classmates. Remember, the masquerade party at the Fontainebleau Resort? Heelllooo?” I dropped the pencil I had been holding onto my desk and stared intently at the phone as if it had some explaining to do. I remembered running into several of my African American studies classmates while in Florida, so I knew Brenda must have been pulling my leg. There was no way she was senile enough to forget her own party.
“No, Gladys. Chica, you got it wrong this time. As much as I’m dying to travel, I haven’t been outside of New York City in three years. They have me down here working like a Hebrew slave getting things in order to get my new study program off the ground. It has been all work and no play for Brenda J.”
Rubbing my temples to relieve the stress pains growing there, I asked once more to be sure, “So, you didn’t send me an invite to Miami?”
“Um, that would be a negative.”
My voice began to tremble as the weirdness of the situation sank in. “Okay, well, thanks for clearing that up. I guess I have myself a little mystery to figure out. I have an idea of which direction to aim my investigation, though.”
“Good luck with that. In the mean time, help me spread the word by letting all of your friends know about the African American Leaders of the World study program that will be going global soon. I will send you an email with further details to share with the other execs at your company. This is an exciting progressive movement that I know your company will want to cosign on as it will undoubtedly bring more exposure to Naytek.”
“As soon as I get the info in my hands, it’s a done deal, girl. I will get the information to the CEO. She is very progressive and always looking to help other black businesswomen. I will get back with you on the details when I’ve talked to her.” With that said, we said our goodbyes. I was so dazed and confused with the information she had just laid on me that I let the phone slide back onto the console on its own. As I was known to do when I had a dilemma on my mind, I decided to call Shayla. She answered on the second ring.
“Hello,” she answered, sounding much less than chipper. I could hear water running and dishes moving around as if she was doing some cleaning.
