Between Sisters (20 page)

“
Robert, are you using drugs?” I couldn’t resist asking.

“
Drugs?” He looked puzzled. “Where would you get a notion like that from? I’m just a man who knows what he wants and is willing to do anything to get it. Your ugly-ass friend should have been that clue for you,” he said.

I knew it! He only fucked with Renee to get to me, and when he got to me, he didn’t need Renee any longer. Wow!

Damn, he stroked my ego big time. Got my pussy throbbing. Stroking my ego in itself makes my pussy wet.

“
I’ll call you, but I have to get going now,” I said, this time more sincere.

“
Please do call me. I’ll give you anything you want. And I mean
anything
. I have plenty.” He threw that in to sweeten the pot, but still not one mention of our so-called baby.

Maybe he found out it was a sham. I’d expect him to be pissed with me, not offering up twenty thousand for another shot.

“
Bye, Robert,” I said as I held the door open for him to leave.

I grabbed my things and hopped into the car service. When I got in the car, I called Kelly. I had to tell somebody. I also had to cover my ass just in case it was a trick.

“
What’s up, girl?” Kelly answered.

“
Girl, you won’t believe who just left my boutique propositioning me?” I asked.

“
You’re right. I’ll never guess,” she responded.

“
Robert!” I answered.

“
No!” she said. “You’re kidding? How much did he offer?”

“
First, he offered twenty thousand, and then he said whatever I want because he has plenty,” I shared.

“
Hell, for twenty thousand dollars, I’d say to hell with Shawnee and take the money. Just don’t let her find out. Damn, what kind of pussy do you have, Elaine? Twenty thousand?” Kelly asked.

I couldn’t believe my ears. Kelly must have been trying to trap me into telling her that I was considering doing it.

“
You must be kidding?” I asked. “He’s a damn lunatic.”

“
He’s a lunatic offering twenty thousand dollars for sex that he’s already had. Hell, I say go for it. It’s not like you haven’t fucked him. I’m sure you can find many things to do with twenty thousand or more if you ask. I won’t tell if you do it,” Kelly suggested.

“
Kelly, why are you trying to pimp me out? I expected you of all people to be saying just the opposite,” I said, confused.

She burst out into laughter. “Girl, let me stop fucking with you. You know good and well what I think without asking. Run, Elaine! Run as fast as you can. Run!”

“
Well, is New York far enough? I’m on my way there now,” I told her.

“
I guess New York will have to do. Be safe,” she said.

“
I will,” I told her before hanging up.

Damn her! She almost had me going there. Some way I have to get Robert to meet me in Philly. That way, if he tells anyone, no one will believe him.

So, after calling in a reservation in Philly, I called Robert to tell him what time to meet me this evening. I figure I can skip down from New York and be back in no time without anyone being the wiser. I gave Robert the wrong hotel info. When I’m ready, I’ll call him back with the correct info. Call me paranoid, but I can’t have him there before I get there, and I need him to have my money.

That night, when he arrived at the hotel, he paid, we played, and he was on his way happier than a kid who just bought the whole candy store. That was just about ten thousand dollars per hour, because he was out in two hours.

Now it’s time for me to skip my happy pussy on back up to New York before I’m missed. Just as the first time, Robert did me well. Sure hope he doesn’t keep sniffing around. It’ll be harder to hide our indiscretions. Good thing I’m relocating. It’ll be easier to do my dirt without prying eyes.

27

Sandy

“
Eric, please tell me why you think my sister wants to be with you,” I asked over the deliciously prepared dinner at Eric’s loft. I went to confront his ass, but I wasn’t passing up a good meal in my condition. “She has made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with you. She’s even talking about pressing charges against you. Do you really think she’s worth going to jail for?”

He reached across the table, took my hand in his, and answered, “Sandy, I know this must be hard for you to accept. We didn’t intend to fall in love with each other, but it just happened.”

I raised an eyebrow.
Is this nut serious? He thinks Shawnee is in love with him? Maybe he’s just saying this to push me away.

“
Shawnee does not love you, Eric. She doesn’t even want to be on the same Doppler with you,” I said, snatching my hand from his.

“
I told you, I will still be there for the baby if it’s mine. I’ll always care for you, Sandy, but me and Shawnee belong together. And please don’t be mad at her, because she didn’t set out to fall in love either. It just happened,” he said believingly. “I know Shawnee loves me, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to hurt you with the truth.”

The truth?! Could Shawnee be trying to deceive us into thinking Eric’s a bother to her, while she’s telling him just the opposite.

“
No, Eric, I don’t want to believe that. When was the last time Shawnee was here? When was the last time you fucked her?” I demanded to know.

“
That’s information you don’t need to know. I will do whatever I can to protect my girl. If she wanted you to have that information, she’d tell you herself. Being that she has not told you, tells me that she doesn’t want you to know, and I’m going to respect that,” Eric answered.

I was flabbergasted.
His girl? How could Shawnee be so damn deceitful? She had us all going with the stalking bullshit.

“
So what about us, Eric? Where does that leave you and me?” I asked in anger. “Not so long ago, I was your fucking girl.”

“
Sandy, let’s not go there. There is no you and I anymore. Remember, you didn’t want to stand by me when I told you I was going to start dancing so I could open up my restaurant one day. Now you’re going to have to accept that I’m with your sister now. We will make sure the baby is taken care of, but there is no you and I, Sandy,” he answered.

I was totally speechless. What could I say after that?

“
Sandy, what we had back in the day was cool, but you know we never had a real relationship. If we did, you wouldn’t have ended up marrying a knucklehead. What I share with Shawnee is real.”

“
You do know Shawnee is married to someone else, don’t you?” I asked, because it seemed like he didn’t know.

“
That’s just a small technicality. She’ll be divorcing him soon, and then we can go on with our future,” he responded.

“
Eric, Shawnee is not going to leave her husband for you,” I said in frustration. “What you had was a fling, and at the end of the day, Shawnee goes home to her husband. They have been together for seven or eight years. They are not getting a divorce.”

“
Then I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, now won’t you?” he asked callously. “I can’t keep going back and forth with you on this. I already told you what it is, but if you don’t want to accept it, then that’s entirely on you. I let you come over for dinner because it just seemed like the right thing to do since you may be carrying my baby and all, but I’m not going to sit here and debate my relationship with Shawnee. Deal with it!”

I didn’t know whether to spit in his face or cry. How could this be happening to me again?

“
Well, if you were so in love with my sister, then how did I end up carrying your baby?” I asked with anger.

“
First, it’s
possibly
my baby, and second, that was in the early stages of our relationship when we didn’t know it was going to be so serious. And thirdly, I didn’t know she was your sister back then,” he retorted.

“
You know what? Fuck you, Eric. I don’t need this shit from your delusional ass.” I grabbed my coat to storm out.

“
Yeah, I’ll remember who the delusional one is the next time I’m making love to your sister,” he yelled before I could make it out the door.

Damn, that was a low blow. I was standing back on the cold street of D.C., fumbling, trying to get my coat on and wipe away tears at the same time. Some concerned woman walked up to me and asked if I was alright and if she could do anything to help me. I did an
Exorcist
move on the poor woman.

“
Get out my face and leave me the fuck alone!” I yelled as loud as I could.

I was so angry. I even foamed at the mouth. The woman took off running as the passersby giggled amongst themselves.

Why is this happening to me? The holidays are approaching, and I have neither Eric nor Lewis to share them with. I damn sure don’t seem to have any family anymore. And I’m pregnant and fat. I couldn’t buy a date if I wanted to. Something has to give. My men didn’t leave me for other women. They left me for my own sisters.

I can’t wait for Charise to get what she has coming to her. Not only am I going to beat her ass, but I’ll be glad when Lewis dropkicks her silly ass to the curb when he gets bored with her. He hasn’t stood by any of his other children, but she thinks she’s going to have him. I’ll drag out this divorce forever before I just hand him over to her.

I guess she was all too happy with herself by telling him about Eric. I couldn’t believe my ears when Lewis called me to profess his love to Charise and the upcoming arrival of their son. He said maybe I could find happiness such as theirs with the father of my baby, Eric. He had already done his disappearing act. I don’t know why he felt he needed to call me afterwards with that bullshit. Let him and Charise go fly off a roof together. I don’t need his ass. The only reason I won’t wish any ill thoughts on that baby is because I’d hate for it to come back on my baby.

When my anger started subsiding, I began to feel the cold whipping through my clothes. Then I was focused enough to make my way to Kelly’s house. I guess I should have given her a heads up that I was coming, but what the hell.

“
Kelly, I need some answers,” I said when I walked through her door.

She looked just as annoyed as Elaine did when I popped in on her.

“
Sandy, what a surprise,” Kelly said half-ass. “What answers do you think I have?”

“
I just left Eric’s place, and he told me that he and Shawnee are still together and that she was getting a divorce so they could be together,” I blabbed.

Kelly gasped in shock. “What?! What are you talking about?”

“
Eric just told me everything,” I said.

“
Sandy, Eric is lying to you. Why, I don’t know, but Shawnee has tried everything to get rid of Eric. That’s how she ended up telling him about you being pregnant. She wanted him to leave her alone and figured that would push him to you instead of her,” Kelly reasoned.

“
So she’s not getting a divorce?” I asked.

“
Well…that’s a whole different story,” she answered uneasily.

“
So how would Eric know Shawnee is getting a divorce if she didn’t tell him?” I quizzed.

“
That’s what stalkers do!” Kelly replied. “They stalk you shamelessly and know all the coming and goings in your life. I bet he didn’t tell you that he threatened Shawnee with the fact that he learned Robert’s name and job location? That motherfucker is sick I tell you.” Kelly motioned her hand to her head.

I made my way to Kelly’s all-white expensively decorated living room and found a seat on the uncomfortable furniture. Her living room clearly sent you the message that you better not think about bringing any children in there or think about hanging around too long. You’d think for all she spent that comfort would have been included.

“
You had to be there, Kelly. Eric was absolutely convincing. Even when I tried to tell him that Shawnee didn’t want him, he went off on me, telling me I need to just accept they’re going to be together,” I said, shaking my head, not knowing what to believe at this point.

“
Sandy, Shawnee is planning on leaving D.C. because of him,” Kelly shared.

“
What about her marriage?”

“
That’s done. Robert has a fetish for hookers. He was caught on tape,” she told me.

Whoa! Not Robert! That’s some heavy duty shit there,
I thought, trying to process everything.

“
How long has this been going on?”

“
I’m not sure, but he’s been neglectful and coming home all hours of the night for quite some time. I guess that’s how she ended up seeking the comforts of Eric a.k.a. Mandingo. That is before she knew of your involvement.”

“
I had no idea things were so bad. I just thought Shawnee was being a selfish, greedy bitch. Of course, you know I know all about being neglected at home. It could run you into the arms of the first thing waiting,” I said, pointing to my large belly.

“
I can honestly say Shawnee has been having a very rough time, and the last thing she needs is for you to be going over there to give her some grief behind that psycho,” Kelly said with her hands on her hips. “Speaking of psycho, you better pray he’s not your baby’s father. I would hate to think of his genes surviving another generation.”