Beautiful Liar (3 page)

The only reason he was using it now was
because he was six hours late for dinner that he knew she had put
forth her best efforts in preparing.

Out of habit, he cut his cellular off as he
walked up the stairs. He didn’t want to receive any unexpected
calls. At least, not right now.

The scent of strawberry candles hit him as he
entered the room. From examining them, he estimated that they had
been burning for at least a couple of hours.

Tracey sensed his presence and turned over in
the bed. “Where have you been, Cairo?”

“It’s a long story,” he said, as he
undressed.

She glanced at the clock. “I’ve waited this
long to hear it, so you might as well tell me.”

He didn’t respond immediately; he waited
until he was tucked in the bed. “Remember when you told me that
Ray’s mouth was going to get him into trouble?”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, he got into an argument with some dude
at work and ended up going to jail.”

“What happened?” she asked, sitting up.

“He got booked on assault charges, and I had
to bail him out.”

“I guess that was inevitable. Was he
hurt?”

“Nah. That jarhead sucker don’t have a
scratch on him. I should’ve left him in there overnight to teach
him a lesson.”

“And came and ate the dinner that took me all
day to make.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “I’m sorry. I
promise to make it up to you.”

“That’s okay, I’m used to eating by
myself.”

“Please don’t act like that, it’s not like I
spitefully stood you up.”

“I know. It’s just I want us to be close like
you and Ray.”

“We are close. And for the record, I like you
better than I like Ray.” He pulled her to him for emphasis.

“Then why do you always put him before
me?”

“It’s not that I put him first, Ray is just
always getting himself in a bind. And by him being my partner, I
feel obligated to help him.”

“Even if that means putting your duties on
the back burner?”

He shrugged. “I never claimed to be
perfect.”

Her whole demeanor suddenly turned grave. “I
heard something and I need to know if it’s true.”

“Uhh, okay.”

“I’m not saying who told me, but I heard you
are seeing my aunt. Are you?”

Cairo immediately let her go and threw the
covers back. “I can’t believe you asked me no shit like that; I’m
gone!”

“So you’re just going to leave because I
asked you a simple question?”

“Don’t say nothing else to me no more.
Especially since you think I’m so trifling.”

“I don’t think anything. I only heard
something that I felt needed to be addressed.” She explained,
calmly.

He pulled his pants on and buckled his belt.
“Out of all the females in Atlanta, and you think I’ll do something
that detrimental? Don’t you know me by now?”

Tracey saw the tears forming in his eyes, and
her heart went out to him. “I didn’t say I believed it, Cairo. But
at the same time, I just couldn’t act like I didn’t hear it. I feel
we should be able to communicate without sparks flying.”

“Listen to me, Tracey,” he said, putting on
his shoes and then grabbing her by the face gently, “this is the
reason why I’m hesitant to committing to you. It never fails. Every
time that the ‘commitment factor’ kicks in, things get complicated.
But when couples don’t put a label on what they have, it remains
perfect.”

“What we have is perfect.”

“Is it? I’ve never shown you one malicious
bone in my body, and now all of a sudden, I’m having an affair with
your aunt.”

“I didn’t say that you were. I was just
simply asking if you were. That’s all.”

He stared at her with piercing green eyes.
“No, Tracey. I’m not. I don’t know your aunt. I’ve only seen her
once, and that was the night I met you.”

“Okay, I believe you. Now can you please take
off your clothes and come back to bed?”

He shook his head. “I think it’s best that I
go home tonight.”

“Why?”

“’Cause.”

“Please stay,” she begged, getting on her
knees and grabbing him by the belt. “I really need you here
tonight. Don’t make me beg.”

He stared into her face and couldn’t help but
to smile. He had a full day, and her intentions were to give him a
full night. “I love when you beg.”

“Please stay, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

“Anything. Just name it.”

“Well, I am uncomfortable in these
pants.”

She immediately unbuckled his belt allowing
his pants to fall around his ankles. He stepped out of them
watching his girl’s intense stare on the print of his crotch. She
ran her fingernail over it giving him an instant erection. “Oww!
Looks like something is trying to get out.”

“Oblige him, then,” he uttered.

She pulled his briefs down, and his penis
jumped in her mouth. She began to expertly please him like he had
taught her, while he grabbed the back of her head and thrust at her
face. His aggression was new to her, but she went with the
flow.

He felt himself about to climax and began to
thrust deeper, causing her to gag in the process. She swallowed his
seed, and he collapsed on the bed.

“That was great, baby. You’re getting
better.”

Tracey watched him as he tucked himself back
in. “That’s it?”

“I’m tired, I had a full day. I…” Cairo
retired in silence.

Tracey awoke the next morning in the comfort of
Cairo’s arms. The rumors of his infidelities were the farthest
thing from her mind. She wanted to straddle him, so she could
experience some ecstasy, but changed her mind due to their work
schedule. She leaned over and gave him a kiss instead.

“Cairo. Wake up, baby.”

“Huh?”

“Time to get up.”

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
“What time is it?”

“Six-thirty. You got just enough time to take
a shower and eat something.”

Cairo willed himself to get up, while Tracey
ironed their work clothes. Once that task was complete, she got in
the shower with him. She loved the act of taking a shower with her
man. It gave her a sense of security and stability, like everything
was perfect, and nothing could harm her.

They ate a light breakfast of bagels and
orange juice, while Cairo made future plans. “Have you ever been to
Italy?”

“No. Never.”

“What do you say we over there for a week or
two?”

“Really?” she asked, smiling.

“Yeah. It’s beautiful over there. You’ll love
it.”

“When can we go?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but it’ll be before
the summer is over.”

“Oww, I can’t wait! I gotta buy me something
to wear.”

He dismissed her comment by waving his hand.
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll shop for clothes when we get
there.”

“But they might be too expensive for me.”

“You love insulting me. I invited you, so
quite naturally I’ll be fronting all the bills.”

“Okay.”

He got up. “Time to get out of here.”

As they exited her townhouse, Cairo’s heart
skipped a beat when he saw Tracey’s aunt, Vicky, sitting on the
hood of his car. “Damn!”

“You can’t keep living a lie, Cairo. Go ahead
and tell my niece why you missed dinner last night.”

“Come on with that bullshit, Vicky.”

“Come on, hell. It’s all over. You’re not
going to keep getting your cake and eating it, too.”

Tracey turned to Cairo. “What is she talking
about?”

“I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “Why
don’t you ask her? She’s right there.”

Tracey then turned to her aunt, “What the
fuck is going on, Vicky?”

“I tried to tell you he wasn’t shit.”

“Please don’t tell me you fucked my man.” Her
eyes began to tear up. “Please, Vicky.”

Vicky slid off the hood of Cairo’s BMW to
approach her niece. “This may hurt to see, but you need to know
what kind of man you’re dealing with.”

“Don’t come with no bullsh-“

“Just listen to me,” she said, cutting her
off. “Since the first time you met that boy, he has been trying to
get with me. I kept trying to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen. So
I decided to deal with him, just to prove to you that he ain’t
shit.”

“I don’t believe that. You’re lying on
him!”

Vicky held up her camcorder phone so Tracey
could see the screen. “This is him eating my pussy just last night.
That’s why he was late coming over here.”

Tracey watched the thirty seconds of the
explicit footage before turning to Cairo. “Why! Please explain that
to me.”

He saw pure pain in her face. But being true
to his nature, he pleaded the fifth and left without a guilty
feeling in his body.

“
I told you that you
were going to get
caught up,” Ray said, riding in the passenger side of the
convertible Bentley.

Cairo shrugged nonchalantly. “It doesn’t
matter. I had my fun with them.”

“For a man whose game is supposed to be so
tight, I’m surprised you broke your own rule.”

Cairo stopped at the light and looked at Ray.
“Which one?”

“You used the key she gave you. You
specifically told me women get comfortable with actions like that.
That they would think they had us locked in and would quit working
to win us over.”

Cairo patiently allowed him to finish before
he enlightened him.

“You’re right, I did say that. But it’s
justifiable in this situation.”

“How?”

“Cause I was six hours late to a dinner…I
don’t even know why I’m entertaining this. It doesn’t matter. I got
them before they got me, and that’s all there is to it.”

Ray nodded in agreement. “You did that. But
you have to realize that every gorgeous woman ain’t a gold
digger.”

“Bullshit!”

“It’s true. And I don’t see why you care. You
present yourself like you’re larger than life, so most of them only
see your dad’s millions. Know what I’m talking about?”

“You kill me saying that shit all of the
time,” he said, hating how Ray exposed his game.

“Well, it’s true.”

“It’s not the money that reels them in, it’s
my looks and swagger.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Come on, Ray. I pull half of the bitches I
fuck in my work clothes. They don’t be having a clue of what I’m
worth ‘til I pull up in that big thing.”

“Believe me, they know. Especially with them
big-ass VV’s in your ears not to mention all those commercials your
dad got you in. There’s not a soul in Georgia that don’t know who
you are.”

“Are you saying that if I was broke I
wouldn’t have the selection of females that I have?’

“No. I’m saying if you was broke, you
wouldn’t be able to persuade them as easily as you do. Know what
I’m talking about?”

“What do you mean by persuade them?”

“Come on, Cairo. You be promising them broads
everything in existence to get what you want. And you’re so good at
it; even when they realize it’s all lies, they still humiliate
themselves further by trying to win you over.”

“Tracey wasn’t going for nothing.”

“We both know you can’t get her back with
just one call.”

“I doubt it,” he said, just trying to prove
Ray wrong in some kind of way. “She ain’t the type to succumb to
any abuse like that.”

He turned into the parking lot of his
father’s concrete business ten seconds later and saw Tracey’s
car.

Ray couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Eat
those words.”

“Fuck you.”

“I hope I can make it in the building before
she gets to shooting.”

The comment spooked Cairo, but he didn’t show
it. “Maa-ann! I swear I don’t feel like hearing this shit. This
bitch needs to get the fuck on.”

“You reap what you sow.”

He looked at his friend. “Goddamn, Ray. You
act like you’re glad she’s taking me through this shit.”

“Why would I be glad about any part of this
situation?”

“I don’t know, but it feels like you’re
mocking me.”

“Listen, brother. As much as I disapprove of
the way you conduct yourself with these females, I would never wish
anything bad on you. But, you have to be insane to think that
you’re the innocent one here. Females are very sensitive, and some
of them ain’t going to be dandy and fine with how you do them.”

“Shit. They ain’t got no choice. I do the
hiring and firing around this bitch.”

Ray sighed. “Okay, let me go clock in. See
you when you get inside.”

Tracey was staring at the device in her hand
when Cairo’s Bentley pulled in the parking lot. She put it in her
pocket and got out of the car. Ray seemed to purposely avoid eye
contact with her as he walked to the building, so she knew that he
knew what was going on.

“Why haven’t you been answering your phone,
Cairo? I know your father is tired of me calling the office.”

“You can’t keep coming to my job like this;
it’s not a good look.”

“I apologize, but I need to talk to you. I
haven’t been able to eat or anything else. I need some answers,
Cairo.”

“To what? Our situation is clear cut.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It was good while it lasted.”

She cut him off when he attempted to walk
away. “But how could you deal with my aunt while claiming you loved
me?”

“Tracey. Ain’t it computing what I’m saying?
Go on with your life; I have.”

“Already?”

A slight smirk appeared on his face. “Life
comes at you fast.”

“Please!” she urged. “Don’t do me like this!
Not now.”

“Bye, Tracey.”

She pulled out the pregnancy test from her
pocket and held it up. “I’m pregnant with your child, Cairo.”

He laughed coldly and walked into his
father’s building.

Victoria Stewarts was a forty-three year-old
woman with the looks and body of a thirty-year-old. Born in
Jamaica, New York, she knew all of the elite rappers in N.Y.C. Her
dresser was full of photos that she had taken with them at various
events.