Mr. Right.com (2 page)

During college, the sex was amazing, or at least that’s what she thought. He would come over, bang her back out, get his release, and leave her in a pool of sweat. Olivia had never had an orgasm so she didn’t know the difference either way. It was good to her.

Fast forward ten years later. When they had sex, she waited for him to start snoring so she could finish herself off. It was a skill she’d learned years prior after never feeling satisfied. She’d stayed up late one night, while Travis was out of town and caught a sex talk show. The lady was old as dirt, but she kept Olivia interested. She figured, if the old crow knew how to find the g-spot, then what the heck was wrong with her? Olivia followed the instructions the lady gave, and oh the freaking goodness, she came! It was the most glorious thing in the world. She never knew that was how it was supposed to be.
Yes, baby. Go to sleep so I can get mine.

Olivia held back tears as she snatched the covers away from Travis and rolled herself up like a burrito. She didn’t want his body touching hers.

Chapter Two

Olivia’s ringing cell phone jarred her out her slumber.

Who the heck is calling me this early? And, where in the heck is Travis?
“Hello?”

“You up, girl?”

“Angela? What time is it?” Olivia fumbled around to find her glasses. She hadn’t the faintest clue why, but it seemed like she couldn’t hear right unless her glasses are on.

“Never mind the time. What the heck went on last night? You called and asked if I had the kids. Then it dawned on me. You must be in town. If Travis would have gone to see you, then you would have already known that. So like I said, what the heck is going on?” Angela was a little too excited for eight am, and on Olivia’s day off, too.

“If you must know, nosey, I came back to surprise Travis.” She slid out the bed and put on her house shoes.

“And? I know there was something crazy behind this. He didn’t dump these boys on me for no reason. I love my nephews, but they’re eating me out of house and home.” She paused, waiting for an answer. “Olivia?”

“Huh, oh yeah. I found some thongs on the floor.” She’d gotten side tracked walking around the house in search of Travis.

“Some thongs? As in some lady’s thongs? Is Travis still alive? I know you let him have it.”

“He said they were his mom’s. She came in town for the weekend—”

“I don’t look like Boo Boo the Fool, and I know you don’t. His mom? Don’t make me slap you through this phone! I know you don’t believe that mess.”

Olivia had no doubt she was standing with her hand on one hip and her head cocked to the side.

“No, not really,” she said.

“Not really? Girl, call me back when you have found my sister. What has happened to you? When we were younger, you never fell for crap like this. I can’t take this. I am gone.”

No, she didn’t! The heifa hung up on me. Got the nerve to call me early as heck and then hang up on me. What happened to me is, I got married and had two boys. I have an obligation…hold on. Doesn’t he have an obligation to the boys and me as well?

Travis wasn’t anywhere inside the house. He normally didn’t leave the house until eight-thirty.

Her cell phone rang, playing his ringtone.

“Hey, baby. You awake yet?”

“I am now.”
And I ain’t your baby.

“I been thinking and I know I should’ve told you about my mom coming up to stay with us. That underwear thing looks rather crazy. How about I take you out tonight and make it up to you?”

She rolled her eyes.
How about you eat rat poison so you can quit feeding me this bull.

“Sure,
baby
,” she said. “When should I be ready?”

“I won’t be off until about six but I have a change of clothes here. I’ll be ready when I come get you.”

Great, now you have several hours to bang some whore, while I do what? Unpack?

“That’s fine. I may go by Angela’s, see the boys, and let her know we’ll be going out. She can keep them a little longer.”

“Okay, it’s a date.” He said it just like when he used to really take her out on dates. Not the ones to McDonald’s like in college, but the real ones they went on right before they got married.

She missed those days. They were long behind her. Her life had turned into her doing everything she could to please Travis and taking care of the boys.

Olivia hung up the phone and went to take a shower. She twisted the dial head to massage and let the water have its way with her muscles. She was stiff and sore from sleeping uncomfortably in her effort to avoid making contact with Travis.

The water beating against Olivia’s skin relaxed her, melting away the tension. She was lucky. Travis listened and had the water softener installed. In the past, the water felt like it was about to rip her skin off. It was so hard she had to cover up her nipples to protect them from the punches that the faucet spit out.

Stepping out the shower, she caught her reflection in the mirror. There she was, all five foot six inches of her. Thanks to her power-lifting classes at the gym, she was in great shape. Olivia worked her abs back into a flat tummy after having the twins. It was hard work, but she did it. In the beginning, she was reminded of the C-section with each abdominal exercise she did. Her stomach felt like it was going to literally tear in half. Now, the only reminder was her five-inch bikini cut incision and a few stretch marks masked by her caramel skin tone.

Olivia was pretty enough. She wouldn’t say sexy, because when she thought of sexy, visions of video vixens and movie stars came to mind. That wasn’t her. She was more the girl next door.

She cut off her long locks a few months back and loved it. No more long and flowing for her. Bye-bye two hours under the dryer. Hello in and out of the beauty shop in an hour and a half. The transformation was amazing. She looked like she was still in high school, instead of thirty-one, with all that hair, especially when it was time to get it styled again. Olivia would whip it up in a ponytail and call it a day.

Now her hair was low in the back and the rest curled. She kept her long bangs. Most days, she swooped them behind her ear, with her glasses holding them in place.

The temperature had been in the nineties all week, and today wouldn’t be any different. Olivia dug through her closet in search of a nice summer dress to wear. She needed something that would be nice for the evening, just in case her sister turned into a chatterbox and she didn’t make it back in time to change. The outfit she bought on a trip to Atlanta caught her eye. It was a white, gold, and blue dress with a high waist belt, for more of a classy and sophisticated look. She matched it up with a pair of wedged sandals and headed out.

“Took you long enough,” Angela said an hour later
. She stood at the door with her arms crossed.

“Like you knew I was coming.” Olivia hadn’t bothered to call first.

They hugged and walked into the kitchen.

“I thought you would have been on your way after our conversation this morning. Did you find the real you?”

She held up her hand. “Stop. You act like this is easy.”

Angela raised an eyebrow. “I know it’s not, but you need to put him out. Now.”

Olivia’s little men came running into the living room.

“Hey, mommy!” they sang in unison, giving her the reception she deserved.

“Hey, Double J!”

They were her hearts. Their names were Jaylen and Jayden. Although fraternal twins, they looked almost identical. Jaylen was an inch taller, and each boy had a mole, but the on opposite chin.

“You’re back early? Did Daddy come back early too?” Jaylen asked. He was the inquisitive one. Jayden could care less. As long as it did not affect him, Jayden remained silent.

“Yeah, he’s here too.” She ignored Angela rolling her eyes behind her baby’s head.

“Can we stay the night again?” Jayden spoke up. Angela looked as if she was a bobble head with head shaking and “hell no’s” she was mouthing. “We really went want to spend the night next door. Chris’s mom asked if we could.”

Angela smiled.

“Well, that’s fine with me. I mean, as long as your auntie is okay with it. I know how she loves spending time with you,” Olivia said with a straight face.

“Thanks, Mom!” They took off out the room.

“Whatever! You’re wrong for that. I’ll think twice before I say yes to a week ever again. They have way too much energy. Now back to that husband of yours,” she said.

“What the heck are you watching on TV?” Olivia walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. She was desperate to give her sister something else to focus on.

Angela followed suit, taking a seat next to her. “
The First 48
. I love this show. It goes over how they try to catch murderers within the first forty-eight hours. They say if it goes past that time frame, there is a less chance in solving the crime.”

Angela watched all the CSI shows—Miami, New York, Las Vegas—and NCIS. She had her Bachelor’s in Criminology and was focusing on Forensic Science for her Master’s. Olivia called her a career student, because it seems like she’d been in school forever. Angela completed two years of college and got pregnant, so she sat out a year. Then she went back, taking a couple classes here and there. Thank goodness for online classes. She could speed up her Master’s with accelerated programs.

A commercial came on. Angela picked up the remote and lowered the volume.

“So, when you gonna put him out?” She jumped back onto Olivia’s case.

“Look.” Olivia sighed. “We’re going to dinner tonight and are going to talk over a few things.”

“You mean, he is going to lie, and you are going to be the good wife and play nice.”

I won’t be so good if I knocked you out your chair, now will I?

“Give me a break. I’m not that gullible. You’re starting to actually hurt my feelings, you know.” She was trying to hold back the tears, but they came rushing over her eyelids.

“Dang. I’m sorry, sis. I wasn’t trying to hurt you. You’re right. You have been through enough. I’ll leave it alone.” She hugged her.

Olivia knew that only meant she would leave her alone for the moment.

Chapter Three

Olivia saw Travis’s mouth moving but couldn’t comprehend exactly what he meant. It sounded something like he wanted them to have a fresh start and come clean on a few things.

He had picked her up from the house a little after six, like he said. Travis opened up the car door for her instead of walking to his side first. He even held his arm out for her as they walked. Then he drove to the Eagle’s Nest, her favorite restaurant. Olivia enjoyed looking down on the city as they ate. Their meal was delicious, and now they sat, waiting on dessert.

“Look, baby, I know I was wrong, and I can admit that.”

“Wrong about what?” There
’d been too much. She needed specifics.

Ignoring her question, he continued, “Now, if you had of listened to me about going to all these different conferences, then this would not have happened.”

“Like I had a choice.” She pointed at her chest. “I’m the Human Resources Manager for People’s Insurance. How could I not go to our conferences? Yes, so Atlanta and Los Angeles are far, but come on now, you really can’t count Indianapolis. It’s only three hours away and I asked you to meet me up there.”

He leaned back in his chair and glared at her. “I own my business so you know I couldn’t go. Who’d be left to run the place? I make enough for the both of us. I told you years ago that you can quit at any time.”

“And any time has not happened for me yet. I love my job. Plus, I had at least a week in between each conference, during which I was home.” She let out a deep breath. There was no way in the world Olivia was going to quit her job. Her degree was in HR. What was she supposed to do, let it collect dust? How could she encourage her kids to go out and do something for themselves if she didn’t follow her own dreams?

“See, that’s what I was saying. If you had not of gone, none of this would’ve happened.”

“Travis, what exactly are you trying to tell me?

“I cheated. There, I said it. If you were home, this wouldn’t have happened.” He tossed his dinner napkin onto the table.

No shit. I know you cheated. I wasn’t buying the BS you were selling. Wait a second…

“If I would have stayed home, you would not have cheated?” she asked slowly, in an effort to comprehend the madness.

“A man needs his woman by his side. I can’t guarantee what will happen when I get lonely with you running around the country.”

Where the hell is this waiter with our check?

“Are you kidding me? We have a black man in the White House with a powerful black woman who can hold her own, and you want me to quit my job and do what? Stay at home and twiddle my thumbs? Our kids are not babies!”

“You could pick up a hobby or something.” He smirked.

“A hobby? I know what this is about. It’s about how much I make. You have been on this kick ever sense I was promoted to upper management. I wanted to start my own temp agency, but you convinced me that it would be hard enough with you owning your own company. So what did I do? I backed down. But two years ago, a chance for a promotion came open, and I took it. You’re dang right I took it! It should have been mine after the first three years with them. I was doing the job already anyway.” She opened and closed her hands, trying to relieve the tension she felt creeping up her spine.