Open Door Marriage (30 page)

“
So you never tried to see anyone else?
”

Paul gave him a low, throaty chuckle.
“
Now, I didn
’
t say that. Women are plentiful. Good women? Now that
’
s another story.
”

Dallas looked down at the image of Alicia.
“
What do
you
think?
”

Paul followed his gaze and said,
“
My honest opinion?
”

Dallas nodded.

He held up the picture of Alicia, stroking a thumb across the image.
“
It
’
s obvious that your heart is with Alicia.
”
Then he pointed to the image of Tori walking out of the medical school, her brow furrowed with worry.
“
You
’
re stringing Tori along, when you should end things. I think you like the idea of having both women, no matter that it
’
s hurting both of them.
”

Dallas grimaced at the reproach he heard in his father
’
s voice, but he was already beginning to respect the man on so many levels.
“
I thought by now Tori would
’
ve kicked up her heels and hit the pavement, but …
”
he shook his head,
“
she
’
s hanging on better than Spider Man.
”

Paul nodded, keeping his focus on the woman he still loved.
“
Women do that when they feel that they
’
ve invested a lot of time in a man. They
’
ll stay in abusive relationships. They
’
ll stay in marriages that fizzle long before the fire even started …
”
He tore his gaze away from Anna
’
s picture and leaned against the only open space on the wall.
“
Tori feels you already belong to her, and Alicia
’
s just a nuisance. Evidently she doesn
’
t understand what passion is all about.
”

“
She
’
s a virgin,
”
Dallas said.

“
Makes sense, but even before sex, there has to be something there.
”
Paul examined the photographs on his right.
“
On the outside looking in, Tori doesn
’
t feel anywhere near what she should for a man she
’
s going to be hitched to for the rest of her life.
”
Paul looked at Dallas.
“
And if I can see it, then that
’
s something you really need to think about.
”
He put Tori
’
s photo back in place and retrieved another.
“
With this one,
”
he added, a spark of admiration in his eyes,
“
this Alicia feels something, but she
’
s afraid. Probably because of the age thing. But from my opinion, what she feels is genuine. And that
’
s something you need to think about, too.
”

Dallas nodded, extracting the picture from his father
’
s hand.

“
I could thank John for raising my only son,
”
Paul said slowly.
“
But if I was ever close enough, I
’
d put my fist in his face. He married Anna out of spite, and that
’
s never a reason to do something that important.
”
Paul clasped a hand to Dallas
’
back and ushered him toward the door.
“
Enough about the past. Come on, let
’
s put something in your stomach. Don
’
t think I don
’
t hear it growling.
”

Dallas snorted, and that caused Paul to chuckle.

“
Your mother told me that you have one hell of an appetite.
”

“
Mom exaggerates,
”
Dallas said, following his father from the vault and into the dimly lit study.

“
Anna says she had to have a cow in the backyard just to keep a few gallons of milk in the house.
”

“
See, she ain
’
t right for telling you that,
”
Dallas grumbled. Then he admitted,
“
It was the neighbor
’
s cow.
”

Paul roared with laughter, and Dallas couldn
’
t help but join him.

Chapter 31

New Year
’
s Eve

5:02 p.m.

Alicia walked back into the kitchen, angered to find that all of her dinner preparations were missing. Dallas had specifically asked her to make him a simple dinner of his favorites. Tori was putting together a meal of her own, seemingly unaware that Dallas was not a fan of shrimp or half the ingredients she had spread out on the counter.

Tori glared at Alicia, practically daring her to say something. The Rap music blasting from the Bose system was a high indicator of Tori
’
s current mood. Alicia could feel the storm brewing. She turned to walk out.

“
Have you thought about what I said?
”
Tori asked in a deceptively sweet voice that held Alicia in place. She lowered the music so she could be heard.
“
One of the men I
’
m talking about setting you up on a date with is totally interested in you, and he
’
s your age. Why can
’
t you at least go out with him?
”

“
Because I don
’
t need to,
”
Alicia replied, giving her a fake smile.
“
I already have someone in my life.
”

Tori paused mid-slice, her tense posture looking like she was ready to pounce.
“
Let
’
s be real, you have
my
man in your life,
”
she snapped.
“
I did all the hard work, and you came along and reaped the benefits.
”
She dropped the knife, snatched a paper towel from the holder and dried her hands.
“
Didn
’
t you tell Dallas that you need a break from all this last week? Well, show him you
’
re serious. See some other people!
”

“
That was a private conversation
—
in
my
bedroom.
”

“
In
my
house,
”
Tori countered.

“
His
house.
His
name is on the deed,
”
Alicia shot back.
“
Let
’
s talk about the real reason you
’
re so pissed off. Your plan for bringing me here backfired.
”

“
I don
’
t know what you
’
re talking about,
”
Tori said, turning her attention back to her preparation.

“
Why
’
re you hanging on to him?
”
Alicia asked in a sad tone.
“
Dallas has clearly made a choice. It
’
s not fair, but at some point reality has to rent out some of your brain space since it
’
s obvious you
’
ve evicted common sense.
”

“
If he didn
’
t want me, I wouldn
’
t still be in his life,
”
Tori snarled.

Alicia stared at Tori, wondering how her niece could be so clueless.

“
I
’
m not giving up on Dallas,
”
Tori said, going back to the sink.
“
The old me is stepping in and taking over from now on. He wants me to cook. I
’
ll cook. He wants me to fuck
…
then I
’
ll spread it wide and let him go deep.
”
She looked up, as though mulling over a bright idea.
“
Isn
’
t it normally the other way around? Men trade in for a
younger
model of the woman they married. Something must be truly mixed up in his head.
”

Alicia sighed, settling in to humor Tori for another round of bitching and moaning.

Tori snatched up the dish towel and dried off an area of counter space.
“
You really want to know why I
’
m sticking it out?
”

Alicia didn
’
t bother to answer
—
she knew how this would go. She could walk from room to room, but Tori was like a stalker. Even with the door closed it was hard to tune her out if she was trying to make a point.

“
Do you know what it felt like when those people came to pull me out of class? They told me the tuition check bounced. Bounced! Like we were some low-life ghetto people! Who does that?
”
she yelled, then took a few seconds to rein in her emotions.
“
We had lost everything. Ev-er-y-thing! But Daddy didn
’
t tell me because he didn
’
t want me to worry.
”
Tori let go of a bitter laugh and began cutting up more vegetables.
“
What did he think was going to happen when they didn
’
t get their damn money? That my good looks were going to cover the balance?
”
Tori
’
s eyes teared up to the point that Alicia feared she would chop off her fingers as she whacked away at the celery.

“
All of a sudden we were poor. No house, no cars, nothing! I had to skip a semester because it was too late to get a grant or apply for student loans. Daddy had saved for years so that I wouldn
’
t start my life out in debt,
”
she said in a low tone.
“
I was so embarrassed.
”

Alicia yawned softly, but it seemed that Tori took no notice. Instead she put a low fire under the skillet to sauté the onions.

“
Then, Dallas,
”
Tori said, her voice breaking with the effort it took not to cry.
“
I didn
’
t even tell him what had happened. One of my classmates was spreading my money problems around school.
”
She looked up at Alicia.
“
I had no one. No one to talk to. And somehow, Dallas came in, and he made everything all right.
”
The tears came and for a moment, Alicia
’
s heart went out to her niece.

“
You left me!
”
Tori screamed, pointing the knife at Alicia.
“
You left me for a whole damn year!
”

Finally! The real source of the issue between them.

“
What happened to family first?
”
The pain in Tori
’
s voice was enough to make Alicia
’
s heart constrict.
“
You didn
’
t call. You didn
’
t write,
”
she sobbed.
“
While you were off cavorting in Africa and Spain and Tibet and wherever the hell else you went …You left me … you selfish bitch!
”
Alicia moved forward reaching out to touch Tori, but froze when her niece
’
s expression hardened.
“
And when you finally come back, you take the one thing that matters to me. Because you needed some dick more than you loved me.
”

Tori turned her attention to meal prep and began hacking a knife into the Andouille sausage. Evidently, she forgot that Dallas had said he was removing pork from his diet, too.
“
Everything will be fine as long as you keep your word.
”

“
Keep my word?
”
Alicia asked.

“
You
’
ll leave during the wedding ceremony,
”
Tori replied, looking up from her latest victim.
“
You do remember that you promised to do that.
”

Alicia wanted to tell her that she never said that, but what would be the point? It was clear that Tori was never going away. So, she would have to do it.
Since Dallas didn
’
t want to make the decision, and Tori wouldn
’
t make the decision, she would.
This was a wrap!

“
You know what, I
’
ll oblige you,
”
Alicia said.
“
Dallas won
’
t be home for another few hours.
I
’
ll pack my things and be gone by the time he gets back.
”

Tori gave Alicia the first real smile of the evening.
“
Finally, you see things my way.
”

* * *

Dallas walked into the corridor leading to the living room, the sound of DMX
’
s
“
Y
’
all Gon
’
Make Me Lose My Mind Up In Here
”
hit him the moment he had stepped over the threshold. That was never a good sign. He felt the strange vibes emanating in the house, and kept moving until he reached the kitchen. Dallas was shocked to see Tori at the stove putting the finishing touches on what looked to be shrimp Creole—a dish he couldn
’
t eat since he wasn
’
t into scavengers. He had asked Alicia to prepare a steak, her garlic mashed potatoes, and whatever vegetable she
’
d like to throw in. Her bread pudding and Jack Daniels sauce was going to be the perfect end to the meal. So why was Tori in the kitchen instead of Alicia? And why was she slashing through a bell pepper as if it had done her wrong?

“
Where
’
s Alicia?
”
he asked.

Tori flinched, her eyes widened in shock, then she frowned.
“
In her room. She wanted to be alone.
”

Dallas placed the two packages he carried onto the counter, then whirled around and aimed in the direction of the guest bedroom.

“
Damn it, Dallas! Give her some space!
”
Tori screamed, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

He turned around and walked back to Tori.
“
What
’
s wrong with you?
”

“
Nothing,
”
she said in a softer tone. She slid the pieces of tomato into a pot.
“
I just want us to have a nice, quiet dinner. Alone. That
’
s all.
”
She cornered the counter and was in front of him in a matter of seconds.
“
I
’
ve been thinking; it
’
s New Year
’
s Eve, time for new beginnings.
Let
’
s forget about the wedding.
Let
’
s
hit Vegas and get married,
”
she whispered, gripping the edge of his Polo shirt.
“
Or we can have a private ceremony right here and just do the damn thing.
”

It hurt his heart that Tori was still thinking about marriage when he
’
d promised Alicia that he was going to end this.

“
That
’
s not a good idea,
”
he said.

“
Why not?
”

Dallas didn
’
t feel the need to go into all of it again.
The bottom line
—
he loved Alicia, not Tori.
No other explanations were necessary.

“
I need to go to Alicia.
”
He pivoted to get out of the kitchen.

“
Wait!
”
she yelled and he froze at the threshold.
“
Now might not be the best time to talk with her.
”

Dallas bore down on Tori.
“
What the hell did you do?
”

“
I didn
’
t do anything,
”
she protested, but her ears had reddened and she shrank back.

He shook his head. Something was definitely wrong and he hurried toward Alicia
’
s bedroom to repair whatever damage Tori had caused.