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It had been over two hours since I left Lennox in my quarter of the house to “settle in.” I made sure food was sent over to her when putting in the order for our dinner. Krista hadn’t brought up the money for the house with her man, and I was grateful. Since they’d arrived, my mind had been on cloud nine. I wasn’t prepared for that conversation.
The house was shaped similar to a four-leaf clover. Dale had his wing, management had theirs, I had mine, and the auxiliary staff and crew had theirs. Charlie, of course, was traveling with me, but I arranged for him to stay in the quarter with Dale’s staff, who likely shared his favorite pastime. Having a wraparound deck, each wing could be accessed in and outside. I wanted a bottle of brandy, so I made a detour to the cellar on my way to my quarters.
Once theMauvewas secured, I passed a few people before arriving at a private hallway. The moment I closed the door behind me, I heard cackling. It was an argumentative tone, stopping me in my tracks. I listened for a few seconds longer before realizing it was coming from the deck. The closer I walked, the clearer it became.
“You’re a dirty, dirty bitch, Len. You know that! A nasty, gutter bitch!” I knew the only man crazy enough to use those words and tone with Lennox had to be Richardson. And the only reason he did was because he knew Lennox wouldn’t whisper a word of it to her father or me. “Pussy? You eat pussy, but you’re married to me? You see why I never wanted to fuck your ugly, whore ass. You don’t even like dick! How am I supposed to be a better man and take care of myself when my wife’s sucking on a woman’s pussy?” He chuckled, but still revealed the emotion from his accusations. “You basically take away my home, ma’s home, and Scott’s home, just so you can go down toMacen Beachand suck on pussy while eating other seafoods?” His hard guffaw was filled with derisory.
“That’s not true, Kelv—”
“Yes, the fuck it is! I’m still the fucking man, Lennox. I’ve got eyes and ears on you right now! I hear the beach in the background!”
“I’m not inMacen Beach, Kelvin,” her cadence even.
“Fuck you! When I’m done with this program, I’m gonna get a lawyer and sue you for cheating! I’ve got witnesses. You destroyed our marriage by cheating on me all these years with a dyke? You stupidbitc—” The call was cut.
“I guess that was the end of your twice-a-week, seventy-five cent call allowance,” she murmured into the air.
I leaned into the doorway, eyes cast out to the roiling water. “You munching on carpets and ain’t put me on?” It was a joke delivered dryly.
Facing the water, Lennox didn’t stir. She sat back against the railing, propping one bare foot on the same step as her ass. “You heard that, huhn?”
“I did.”
“They say when you need to catch a snake, field the sources.”
“How?”
“Two weeks ago, I was sure to speak with Lisa, Nisha, and Mya over the phone. I told all three I was finally divorcing Kelvin. But I gave three different happily-ever-afters to each woman. They had to be unique to find the leak.”
“Did you find it?”
“Yup.”
“Mind if I ask who?”
“You already know.”
Mya…
“What made you do that?”
That morning of Thanksgiving. When I was at Kelvin’s family’s house, his aunt, Rachel, told me to watch my friends. When Kelly-Ann came in, vomiting her grievances, she and Marcia mentioned my friends. They don’t know my friends—not even work acquaintances. That didn’t sit well with me.” She shrugged.
“So,Macen Beach? I can afford a spot out there. She a stud or a femme?”
Lennox snorted at my corny joke. That’s when I knew she was bruised. “You know the worst thing about this?” she asked the water. “It’s dredging up this gnawing feeling I get every time a woman never shows compassion or empathy. My grandmother pushed me off onto a man. Kelly-Ann blames me for not being in love with her son through his addiction. Apparently, her sister, too. And now, Mya. She’s somehow been communicating with my husband, for god only knows how long, and I never knew. If women don’t stand for women, who will?”
I chewed on that for a beat as I watched the dark waves off the coastal line until they broke off into white hues. This was the shit she’d been going through down there by herself. She braved all the shit Richardson’s weak ass hurled her way. No one was there to defend her or kick his ass. Never again. No more.
“What do you need?”
Still gazing at the nighttime water, she asked lazily. “What do you mean?”
“When you get this way at home? How do you cope?”
She scoffed then finally looked my way. “A fat ass spliff.”
I pivoted to head inside the house. Less than ten minutes later, I was back, tapping her shoulder. Lennox turned around with big eyes, clearly not having heard me walk up on her. She glanced down and saw the blunt and lighter I was handing her. At first, she stalled. She exhaled deeply, shoulders caving. Eventually, she emptied my palm.
