In the Middle of Love's Crime *BWWM Mystery Romance Thriller (6 page)

“Whoa! Three minutes! Are you serious?” asked Jamika, putting her glass down as she sucked her teeth. “Girl, now he should know better. At least it means he was holding back while he was deployed. He’ll get back to normal once his body is used to it.”

“I sure hope so. It gets annoying because whenever I am about to climax he beats me to it. It’s always like a game and whoever climaxes first is the winner. I’ll completely tell him to hold back but he’ll say ‘baby, I can’t! I’m so close! God, I’m so close!’ and the next thing I know, the son of a bitch has already collapsed on top of me. Joe weighs a ton and I have to push him off me so I can breathe. It takes all of his energy now.”

Jamika and Simona laughed loudly over the club music. Simona gave Kristen a high five across the table. She always referred to Kristen as
one cool ass white chic.

Kristen, who was originally from Houston, Texas, was a wild spirit. She always acknowledged her southern pride. Kristen grew up fishing, hunting and occasionally she’ll go golfing and white water rafting. The woman sold more houses than most male realtors and it was intimidating. Her realtor business was in every newspaper and on almost billboard in Columbia.

They were having a great time, getting over their loneliness and letting out their steam. Being with a military man was hard work, but they enjoyed having men who stood strong and made them feel feminine.

“So who is going to the military ball this year?” ask Jamika, taking a cigarette and placing it between her full lips. The fire from the lighter glowed on her caramel face.

“Well, Ben asked me to go along with him, but he’s been working so much lately. He’s never worked this much.” Simona said with a sigh as she looked around the crowded bar. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

“No offense, but my Leon is a drill sergeant and he works a lot, but he always makes sure he contacts me.” Jamika exclaimed, pursing her lips.

For a moment, Simona felt that Jamika was bragging and a slight bit of jealousy formed over her. “Well, lucky you.” She replied as she took another swig from her drink.

“I’m just saying, Mona. Don’t you think it’s a little odd that he suddenly goes away and doesn’t contact you until after a few days?” asked Jamika.

Realizing that the alcohol was the reason for Jamika’s abruptness, Simona tried to remain content. “Well, he’s a lieutenant in the army. You know how they are always at the top of the food chain. A lot of people depend on him. He has a major responsibility.”

“Okay. I’m just trying to face facts, Mona.” Jamika raised both hands and rolled her eyes again. She wasn’t going to cause an argument trying to convince Simona that Benjamin seemed to be doing something other than work.

Jamika quickly changed the subject as she felt Simona’s heat rising. “Hey, bartender, I’d like another Long Island ice tea.”

Jamika sashayed over to the bar, she signaled to the girls that she’d be back over in a little while. They nodded their heads as they continued their own drinks.

Kristen could see the tears begin to form in Simona’s eyes. She squeezed Simona’s hand and gave her a concerned smile. Simona returned the gesture.

“It’s just that Ben always has to work. I never really questioned him about it because I didn’t want to come off as insecure and needy, you know? I’ve made a few mistakes in the past of running men away.” Simona wiped her tears quickly and laughed slightly.

“Sometimes he’ll go to the field to train without letting me know. He’ll say that they aren’t allowed to have cell phones during training. If I call him after not hearing from him for days, it will take a week for me to hear back from him. I know you and Jamika have never had this problem.” Simona said sadly, her glass was now empty.

Kristen shook her head as she folded her arms. She felt the pain for her dear friend, but she didn’t know what words to say. Kristen had missed her husband at times too, but it was important for him to keep in touch with her whenever he was busy.

Lunch breaks and days off did happen to exist. Simona knew that Ben shouldn’t have an excuse to keep up with her.

Jamika had made her way back to the table carrying two drinks. She gave one to Simona, noticing that her glass was already empty.

“Thanks, girl. You’re a lifesaver.” Simona said, stirring the straw around the drink before taking a sip.

Jamika pushed her shoulders back and pursed her lips. “I figured you needed another drink, with all the whining you’ve been doing tonight.”

Simona laughed. “Girl, you know me so well. This is what you call a true friend. Both of you are. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

Kristen eyes grew wide. “No problem, we understand. But you’re not the only one that’s under stress. Can you imagine how that girl’s family must feel? The one that was just murdered? That’s so sad.”

“Oh, you’re talking about Natalia Karpova? That’s a damn shame. The other woman was murdered before her too, Amanda Stone.” Jamika said, taking a short sip from her drink.

“Well, they shouldn’t have been sideline hoes.” Simona said non-emotionally. 

Kristen and Jamika both gave Simona a blank stare, they couldn’t believe her blunt remark.

Chapter 12

Simona caught herself thinking out of her mind. “Sorry, girls. I watch too much of those damn soap operas.” She cleared her throat. “It’s just dangerous if you’re going to date someone else’s man. I’d be scared to do that, especially with a military man that has PTSD.”

“Wait…how do you know if the guy she was dating was already involved with someone?” asked Kristen. She was drunk, but she wasn’t that drunk.

“And how would you know if he had PTSD?” Jamika slurred.

Simona’s face was stinging, she scratched her head. “Because…it was written in the documents of the news story. My producer gets all the juicy details.”

Jamika folded her arms. “That’s true. Yes, news reporters get all the information.” She said and chugged down her drink. “But, how do you know if the guy had PTSD? I thought they were still trying to find out who she was dating. So are you saying that you think the murderer is the boyfriend?”

Simona shrugged her shoulders. “Could be…. who knows? It could be anyone.”

Realizing that they were all quiet for a few seconds, Kristen jumped up from her seat with hopes of livening up their girl’s night out.

              “Okay, let’s not turn this party into a pity party! Let’s say we go dance on that dance floor and party like underage drinkers!” Kristen shouted.

              “Hey, I’m down for that” Jamika got up and placed her glass down on to the table. “That scoop of chocolate pudding has been eyeing me for the longest over there in the corner. Mmm. He looks scrumptious too.”

              Simona laughed at her friend while pointing a finger. “You know damn well that you’re not supposed to be checking out any other men. Girl, stay out of trouble. You’re about to be married.”

Sometimes Jamika didn’t give a damn what people thought of her; she enjoyed life.

              Jamika shot Simona the ‘so what’ kind of look.

“
Hint! Hint
! I am
ABOUT-TO-BE-MARRIED
, but I ain’t legally married YET! Girl, what my man doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

              The three ladies all laughed as they made their way to the dance floor, elevating into the groove of the music. Simona allowed the music to take her away. She escaped her worried thoughts about Ben and his whereabouts. It felt good to escape from the prison of love in her mind.

     ****

When Simona made it back to her apartment that night, she woke up the next morning with the sunlight gleaming on her thighs. She reached across the bed for her cell phone with a frown. No missed calls. No texts. The drunken high had disappeared and the feeling of loneliness made its round again. Simona stared up at the ceiling with a tearful sigh.
Why does love has to be this hard? It shouldn’t be.

Chapter 13

“Your pregnancy test confirms that you’re pregnant, Ms. Cox. Are you excited?” asked Dr. Truluck as he flipped through the papers in the folders.

This was all a sudden shock to Simona. She wasn’t sure if she should be overjoyed or disappointed. She felt the nerves racing up and down her body. Her palms were now sweaty as she gripped the sides of the exam bed.

Simona nervously licked her lips as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Pregnant? Are you sure?” she gave Dr. Truluck a look of confusion. “We were both careful. I don’t understand.”

Dr. Truluck took a deep breath as he chewed his gum. The light was shining on his salt and pepper hair, revealing his receding hairline. “Ms. Cox, sometimes these things just happen unexpectedly. At times condoms aren’t secure and even if you skip one day of taking birth control, it can take you off track.”

Looking up at the ceiling with an opened mouth and shaking her head, Simona wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or laugh. “Well, we took serious precautions. It’s probably just my hormones giving a positive result. I’ve also been stressed lately due to the reason of my missed period.”

“Ms. Cox, how it occurred isn’t the case to be concerned about now. Stop trying to fish for an excuse. If it makes you feel any better, how about we give you a blood test. Blood tests are highly accurate.” Dr. Truluck walked over to the counter as he scribbled in his notebook.

“You know what, I can manage. There is no need for that. If I’m pregnant then I’m pregnant. I haven’t had any morning sickness yet.” Simona sat with folded arms. Her body language proved that she was nervous.

Dr. Truluck laughed. “Not everyone gets morning sickness. You’re six weeks pregnant. If you don’t have it now then it will come around.”

He walked over to her and gave her a prescription. “The best thing you can do is get plenty of rest and think of a way to surprise the father. Here is a prescription for the prenatal vitamins you should begin taking immediately. This should make sure the baby’s condition healthy and strong. I don’t want to see you back here until next month on the thirteenth, okay?”

Simona took the prescription as she nodded her head. She hesitated for a moment. “Okay, doc. Will do.”

Upon walking out the doctor’s office, she left feeling like a totally different person. The nurses all smiled at her and the receptionist looked her up and down. She really wanted to ask them what the hell they looking at, but she returned the smile and continued towards the exit. She could tell that they were itching to gossip or snoop through her files. They would soon discover that she was pregnant. What if the news floated around town too soon? Sooner or later everyone would have to find out. It’s the price she paid for being well-known.

Simona walked in the parking lot towards her car, her heels were clicking and she jumped from the sound of an airplane over her head.

The shocking news of her pregnancy left her feeling tense and paranoid. She sat in the car for a few minutes and placed her head on the steering wheel before cranking. How was she going to explain this to Ben? Of course she wanted to be pregnant, but she wasn’t hoping to become pregnant so soon. They would be newlyweds and it would feel totally rushed.

Simona ran both hands through her hair and tied it back into a ponytail. She massaged her temples and thought of picking up the phone to give Ben a call. She wanted to see if he would answer this time.

The phone rung once, twice and went straight to voicemail. The usual.

Please leave a message after the tone.
(beep.)

Simona sucked her teeth before she thought of how to begin the message.

“Hi baby. I know you’re probably out in the fields training or whatever. But could you please give me a call? I haven’t heard from you in a few days and I’m starting to worry. I have some very important news to tell you. Please call me or let me know when you’ll be back.”

She ended the call, feeling like it was a worthless attempt. Simona drove off and treated herself to some ice cream at the Dairy Queen. She was pregnant and stressed, ice cream was a must-have for her situation.

Chapter 14

Drew’s palms were sweaty as he watched from his car at Ben and Emily entering Gino’s Italian Restaurant. Ben was looking over his shoulder nervously, he appeared suspicious as he held the door for Emily.

Emily happily tugged on to her faux coat. The way she looked at Ben you could notice that she was crazy in love with him.
The nerve of this guy, dating a new girl on the side after he murdered one earlier
Drew thought.

Drew wanted to nail Ben right then and there on the spot and in front of the crowd of people, but he wanted to wait until a better time, he wanted to arrest him in front of Simona. Simona needed to see Drew as a hero and he wanted to be there to comfort her for what she’d have to witness. He wanted her to witness that her fiancé was a killer and a cheater.