Authors: Carl Weber

Married Men (51 page)

BOOK: Married Men

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“No, Jay, I can’t say that.” She took her finger and scratched her chin. “Last night was actually pretty good. But I’ll tell you a secret.” She smiled, looking kinda distant. “I’ve had better, much better.” Her smile widened.

What the hell did she mean?
She’d had better.
I’d been the only one she’d been with in seven years. My eyes opened wide as I thought,
or was I?
Her words hit my ego like a ton of bricks and I got a knot in my stomach as I tried to comprehend what she was saying.

“You been fuckin’ somebody on the side, haven’t you?” I shouted angrily, throwing the clothes to the floor and taking a step off the bed. I expected her to take a step back, but she wasn’t even fazed.

“Actually I haven’t been fucking anyone on the side, Jay.” She smiled. “He’s been on top most of the time, but that’s not the issue. Considering how many women you’ve been with, it’s gonna take me twenty years to catch up.” I don’t know why I was upset. Especially since I was leaving her anyway, but a wave of jealousy took over me.

“Who is he, Kenya? Tell me who he is, ’cause I’m gonna kill the son of a bitch. I swear to God I’m gonna kill ’im.”

She laughed at me. Not just a regular old laugh, but a hearty laugh. Like she thought what I said was the best joke she’d ever heard.

“I guess that means I get to kick Tracy’s ass, huh?” She placed her hand on her hip, and her laugh transformed into an evil grin. I was so shocked I almost peed on myself. “Who is Tracy, Jay?” She hesitated for a second, waiting for an answer. Of course I didn’t give her one. “I asked you a question, Jay. Who is Tracy?”

I didn’t say anything. I just looked at her in stunned disbelief, trying my best to read her thoughts. The anger I had toward her was gone, and now I was standing in front of her trying to think of a lie. How the hell did she find out about Tracy? I watched her reach inside her pocket and pull out a yellow envelope. When she pulled a card out of the envelope, all my questions were answered. In my haste to get to the hospital Friday night, I left behind my cell phone, my overnight bag, and Tracy’s presents. Kenya must have seen the flowers and presents the second she walked through the door. My ass was caught. But for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why she was being so calm. Shit, I can’t believe she didn’t go off last night. Hell, I can’t believe she made love to me last night. But then again, she mighta been getting one for the road, just like me.

“Who is she, Jay? Who is Tracy?”

“She’s just a friend.”

“Oh, yeah.” It was obvious from her expression she saw right through my lie. She looked down at the card and read out loud the inscription I wrote on the back. I never realized how mushy and melodramatic I was until I heard Kenya read my words. I was embarrassed and proud at the same time. That note took me three hours to write, and it sounded good.

“That’s one hell of a friend you got there, Jay. I can’t remember the last time you wrote me a note like this.” She started to cry, and I felt like shit. “You expect me to believe this woman is just a friend?” She lifted her head and waited for an answer.

Like a fool, I nodded. She balled both her fists up and hit me on the side of the head repeatedly. “Don’t fuckin’ play with me, Jay! Don’t you fuckin’ play! Goddammit!” She wasn’t calm anymore. She was hysterical, and kept hitting me.

Finally I grabbed her by the wrists and screamed. “Okay, okay, you want the truth? She’s my lover! Is that what you wanna hear?” She stopped her attack and just stood, sobbing and staring. I felt like I was shrinking in front of her.

“Do you love her?” I looked away from her, trying my best not to make eye contact. But she was right in front of me. I couldn’t avoid her. “I asked you a question, Jay. Do you love her?” Our marriage was over, and it was confession time. I swallowed hard and answered her question.

“Yeah, Kenya, I love her.” I tightened my jaw, still trying to avoid eye contact.

She nodded her head slowly, like she’d already known my answer.

“H-how long?” Her voice was choked up. “How long has this been going on?”

“About six months.” I looked down, and she was wiping her tears away with her sleeve.

“Is she pretty?”

I nodded my head, answering her in a whisper. “I think so.”

“She’s young, isn’t she?” She stared at me as if the answer was of vital importance. “How old is she, Jay?” I thought about lying, but she’d find out the truth sooner or later.

“She just turned twenty.”

“My God, she’s just a kid. She’s the same age as my niece. What is wrong with you?” Kenya twisted her face up and stepped away. Tracy’s age must have just added insult to injury. I dressed as fast as I could and walked out of the room. It was obviously time for me to go. I didn’t wanna answer any more questions. I just wanted to get out of there. But by the time I got to the bottom of the stairs to walk out the door, she called my name. Like a fool, I turned around.

“I hate you, Jay. Do you understand me? I hate your child-molesting ass.”

“You don’t hate me, Kenya. You can’t hate me.” She threw a vase from the top of the stairs to convince me that she really did. I stumbled backward as the vase hit me.

“Something to remember me by,” she yelled. I wasn’t bleeding, but I was gonna have a hell of a knot on my head. I walked out the door and retrieved my belongings, which were packed up neatly in suitcases. It was finally over, and all of a sudden I wasn’t sure I was ready to let go.

Kyle

I’d never seen Allen A.M.E. Church so packed, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, including mine. It was Monday, three days after the tragic shooting of Ma Jackson, and the funeral service had been standing room only as the pastor and different members of the community made testimony after testimony about how great a woman Ma had been. I hated funerals, but I had to admit as funerals go, Ma Jackson’s had to be the best I’d ever attended. As much as I disliked Rose, she had done one hell of a job putting together all the arrangements. She’d really done right by her mother-in-law, and it’s a good thing too, ’cause Allen was in no shape to handle anything. Not that I blamed him. They’d have shipped me off to Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital in a straightjacket if my mom had been gunned down in front of her house.

“Yo, dawg, you ready to get up outta this place?” I looked up at Jay, who was standing over me with his coat over his arm. I don’t know why he was so eager to leave. We’d only been at Ma Jackson’s house about a half an hour and we hadn’t even eaten yet. Like the rest of Allen’s friends and family, we’d gathered over there after the funeral for the traditional potluck dinner and chance to pay our final condolences to the family. Jay had been bugging me ever since we left the church to leave because I’d promised to introduce him to my landlord, Mr. Sanford.

“Nah, not yet, Jay. I think we need to stick around here awhile ‘til the crowd thins out. We can help Allen and Rose with the cleanup.” I hadn’t talked to Allen since he stormed out of the hospital the other night, and I wanted to make sure he was all right. I looked up at Jay, who tried to hide a frown. He was standing next to his new woman, Tracy, and by the way she sucked her teeth, I’m sure she was ready to leave too. Not that I cared if they wanted to get into my building. She was gonna have to wait ’til I was ready.

“You sure you wanna stay?” Jay sounded a little desperate this time, and kept glancing over at Tracy.

“Yeah, I’m sure. But if you two wanna leave, go ’head. We’ll just have to meet with Mr. Sanford on another day.”

“Come on, Kyle.” He sounded like a baby.

“Sorry, Jay, I’m not leaving here until I see Allen and make sure he’s okay.” I watched him sigh. “You do wanna make sure he’s all right. Don’t you?”

“No, you’re right,” he agreed. “We gotta make sure he’s aw’ight first.” Jay reached out and wrapped his arm around Tracy kinda cautiously. “You don’t mind if we stay until I see Allen, do you, boo?” He smiled liked a little boy, but it didn’t work.

“I wanna go, Jay,” she pouted, pulling herself away from him.

“Come on, boo. You want this apartment don’t you?” I’d never seen him plead with a woman before, not even Kenya. It was pretty pathetic, especially for him to be cowering in front of this young girl who was sounding like such a selfish bitch right about now. She should’ve known Allen would need us at a time like this. She should’ve cut Jay some slack.

“Okay,” she sighed, “we can stay. But I swear to God if that bitch points at me one more time I’m gonna smack her.” Tracy glared evilly at two women standing in a corner, whispering back and forth. They were trying to be nonchalant, but they were nothing but obvious.

“Be cool, aw’ight? We’re at a funeral,” Jay pleaded.

I lowered my head and let out a chuckle. I don’t know why I hadn’t figured it out earlier. The reason the two of them were in such a rush to leave wasn’t because they wanted to see my landlord at all, but because of all the dirty looks they’d been getting. No offense to Ma Jackson, but Jay and Tracy were the main topic of conversation both at the church and here in the house. Not that Jay should’ve expected anything less. When you’re thirty-six years old and show up to a funeral with a woman damn near half your age and she’s wearing maternity clothes two days after you and your wife split, you gotta expect people to talk. Especially when half the women there are your wife’s friends and the other half are her enemies because you was fucking with them at one time or another.

“Hey, baby. Why don’t you go get us a couple of plates to take home? Hopefully by the time you’re done, Kyle and me will have found Allen and we can leave.” Tracy nodded and Jay kissed her lips before pointing to the dining room where the food was being served. “And ignore those dumb bitches. They’re just jealous ’cause you so damn fine.” Jay winked at her with a smile, then patted her on the ass.

“Okay, baby, but don’t you be talking to none of these old ass bitches while I’m gone. I don’t wanna have to turn this place out.” She smiled, and the two of us watched her disappear into the crowded dining room. When she was out of sight, I gave Jay a curious look.

“She’s a little jealous,” he said timidly. I could tell he was embarrassed. He wouldn’t make eye contact.

“I can see that,” I grinned.

“So what do you think, man? She’s
fine,
isn’t she?”

“Ohhh
yeah, she’s
fine
all right. As
fine
as you are
stupid! ”
My voice was so serious Jay did a double take.

“Huh? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“You tell me, Jay. What the hell were you thinking about bringing her to Ma Jackson’s funeral?”

“Please, Kyle. Ain’t nobody question you when you was hanging out with Val at the Roadhouse.”

“Duh!” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “Lisa’s friends don’t hang out at the Roadhouse Bar, Jay. But
everybody
here knows Kenya. I wouldn’t be surprised if she hasn’t gotten five calls by now, and by tomorrow she’ll get fifty.” I shook my head. “Besides, you didn’t see me taking Val to Allen’s wedding, did you?”

“No.”

“All right, then. Don’t let that good-ass pussy you been gettin’ get in the way of common sense.” I looked at him seriously, then softened my tone. “Besides, Tracy shouldn’t have to put up with this shit. Everybody in here’s whispering behind her back like she’s the hunchback or something. Isn’t that why you was about to leave?”

“Yeah, I guess so, but I had to bring her, Kyle. You don’t know what I went through last night. She had her shit packed up and was gonna leave when I got home. She’s sick of being left alone.”

“That’s still no excuse for bringing her here.” I was about to read him the riot act but I spotted Wil heading our way, and this was not a conversation he needed to be a part of. “Hey, let’s talk about this later. Here comes Wil.”

“Aw’ight,” Jay replied as Wil walked right up to him.

“Yo, Jay, I need to talk to you, man.” Wil looked agitated. I was praying he wasn’t gonna start with Jay about bringing Tracy to the funeral.

“What’s up?” Jay exhaled, and I’m sure he was thinking the same thing.

“I just got a call on my cell from Marcus Stetson. He’s the head of shipping at the job.” Wil wiped his face. It looked like he was trying to hold back tears. “He just told me Diane took the job at the Atlanta distribution center. She’s gonna take my kids to Atlanta.”

“What?
Awww
, shit.” I shook my head. “Wil, I’m so sorry, man.”

“So am I, but I’m not gonna let her get away with this.” Wil sighed. “Jay, I need your help to stop her.” You could hear the desperation in his voice.

“You need my help?” Jay raised an eyebrow and his tone revealed his amazement. Hell, I was pretty damn amazed myself. After all they’d been through in the last year, I never thought Wil would ask Jay for help with his marriage.

“Yeah,” Wil nodded. “I need your help. You said you could get me and Diane back together.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to get involved.”

BOOK: Married Men

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