Unfaithful Ties (12 page)

“Baby I am starving”

“Ok I will but I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be the best chicken that you’ve tasted” He joked.

“You’re right. On second thought, don’t worry about it I’ll take care of it when I get home. Love you babe”

“Love you too Sweetness. Drive safe”

“I will.”

They both hung up.

****

Right after Jason hung up he walked into the screened back porch, kicked off his shoes, and walked into his home. He was exhausted because he’d been out back cutting hedges, trimming shrubs, raking and maintaining his garden all morning long. 

Their anniversary was exactly two months from today. What a wonderful gift. Vanessa was the only woman he’d been intimate with, the only woman he’d kissed, the only woman that’d captured is heart, and the only woman he’d ever imagined himself spending the rest of his life with and he was ecstatic that she was carrying his child.

As Jason traveled through the kitchen, the dining area, the living room, and then finally walked down the three steps that led to the basement he just couldn’t stop smiling. He shrugged his arms out of the ragged t-shirt that he was wearing and tossed it on the sofa. Jim Lampley’s voice blared through the television speakers, ESPN’s classic, Tyson Raw & Uncut was on. Even the recaps of his all-time favorite former heavy weight champion performing some of his best moves on the oversized television wasn’t enough to attract his attention. His mind was focused on parenthood.  Finally, he was going to be a father. He heard himself whistling, and then stopped, “I’m going to be a father” he said amongst himself, then collapsed into the recliner, leaned back as far as the strings could stretch with both hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling. “Thank you Jesus” he said. “I promise that I’m going to be the father to my child that my father wasn’t to me”

He and Vanessa had been trying to start a family ever since Jason had been promoted to a higher position at the fortune five hundred engineering firm, where he’d been employed for the last
eight years. He was the Project Manager over the civil engineering department. Vanessa was in her sixth year teaching English at NYNU. Financially, they were more than ready to begin their family.  But after doing everything under the sun, including taking fertility pills, and still not being able to conceive, Jason accepted the fact that maybe adoption was the way to go. So, when he received the news that his wife was carrying his first child it was probably the best news he’d heard in a long time.

I can’t wait to see my seed growing inside my wife,
Jason thought. He imagined how beautiful a little girl would be. Knowing that she’d probably resemble her mother. Vanessa was resplendent with a bright skin shade and chestnut eyes. Her hair was now short. Her smile was heavenly and warmed his heart every time it spread across her dimpled cheeks. He felt honored to have a woman so beautiful, so sexy, and so brilliant as his wife. Then he thought about all things that he could do with a son, like teach him how to ride a bike, and drive, and how to catch a football, and shoot a jump shot, and just do all the things that his dad didn’t do because he was in and out of his life. Out more than in. He thought about the argument that would arise once he informed Vanessa of his plans to have dreadlocks twisted into their son’s hair on his first birthday.  He could hear her voice cursing him in Spanish because that’s what she’d do when she was upset. The thought of the squabble tickled his stomach but it didn’t change his mind. His boy would also be a junior although Vanessa had said years ago that she believed everyone should have his or her own identity.  That was one of her beliefs that they still argued about, and Jason’s mind wasn’t ever going to change. His first son was going to be a Jr. and that was the bottom line. So, he was prepared to be called words that he’d have to look up in the dictionary once the argument was over.

This calls for a celebration
, Jason thought and pulled the handle on the recliner, then sat up straight. He jogged up the three steps from the basement to the kitchen, then jogged up the spiraled staircase that led to the third floor of his home he walked into the guestroom, rebooted the computer, and typed
horse and buggy services located in New York City
into the search engine, and dialed the first company that caught his eye.

“Thanks for calling Passionate Memorable Events, your number one solution
to making memories that you’ll always treasure” A woman said. “This is Terri speaking, how may I help you today?”

“Hello Terri, my name is Jason Duncan, and I’m wanting to get some pricing information on the cost of a horse and buggy ride through Central Park tomorrow.”

“Okay I’ll be happy to help you with that. We have a minimum time period of at least one hour, and it’s three hundred dollars per hour, is that within in your price range?”

“It definitely is. I was looking forward to spending a lot more than that. So how about we set it up for 2 o’clock tomorrow.”

“Okay I’ll schedule you in but first I need to get a little bit of information from you.”

“No problem”

“I believe you said that your name is Jason Duncan?”

“That’s correct”

“Jason I’m going to need two contact numbers?”

“My home phone number
is 212-542-3679 and my cell number is 212-654-3265.

“And your email address?”

“My email address is [email protected]”

“
If you don’t mind me asking, will you please tell me how you found out about us?”

“Google”

“Gotta’ love Google” Terri chuckled. “Okay to reserve services you have to pay at the time of your request”

“Okay let me go in the other room and grab my credit card. Do you mind if I place you on hold for a second?”

“Not at all”

“Okay I’ll be right back” Jason said and put the cordless phone on the desktop. He returned a few seconds later after he’d realized that he’d given the American Express credit card to Vanessa this morning. So he would have to use his
bankcard to pay for the purchase, and he knew that card number by hard. “The card number is 4752-5963-7771-8637”

“Okay what’s the expiration date?”

“November-2017”

“And what’s the security code?”

“743”

“Alright your receipt will be emailed to you. Do you have any request? Complimentary card…flowers…anything?” She asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I do. The card should read
To my wife, a beautiful, loving, warm hearted, and devoted woman whose about to be a first time mom. You’re going to make a wonderful mom. Yours truly, Jason”
He said.
“
If you guys could toss in a dozen Long Stemmed Pink Roses that would be perfect”

“This is by far the sweetest most romantic thing anyone has ever requested. I mean sure people rent the carriage all the time but no one has ever gone to this extreme.”

“Well it’s a special occasion my wife found out that she’s carrying our first child today”

“Congratulations”

“Thanks.”

“Alright well the chauffeur will meet you at Bow Bridge at exactly two o’clock P.M.”

“Okay we’ll be there.” Jason said and then hung up.

****

An hour later, Jason was on the bedroom floor doing ten sets of ten (stomach crunches).  He finished his last set, grabbed his phone and called Vanessa. His call was directed to the voicemail.  It was now three o’clock, an hour since Vanessa had said she was on her way home and Jason was beginning to cogitate what could be taking her so long.

Another hour had passed and Jason was standing at the center island in the kitchen, dashing a few sprinkles of curry powder on the chicken.  He’d decided to bake the chicken on his own after all. Once he seasoned the chicken he placed the dish in the pre-heated oven, turned on the faucet and poured detergent into the sink, washed the small amount of dishes, damped them dry and placed them into the cabinet. After scanning the wall clock he dialed Vanessa again.
She still didn’t answer.
She must’ve made a few stops before coming home
he convinced himself. Before long he’d dozed off on the sofa in the living room.

It was just after six PM when the smoke detector awakened Jason from a deep sleep. He leapt up from the sofa coughing, and waving his hand. While covering the bottom half of his face with his forearm he jetted into the kitchen. The cloudy atmosphere was burning his eyes severely. He’d fallen asleep with the chicken baking in the oven over three hours ago. He must’ve forgotten to set the timer. He turned off the oven, opened the oven door and a burst of unbearable fumes smacked him in the face. The chicken was blackened to a crisp by now and without thinking Jason pulled the scorching glass container out of the oven with his bare hands, “Shit” he yelled when he realized what he’d done. The glass dish hit the floor hard. The burned pieces of chicken was
scattered on the floor. He could barely breathe let alone clean. So he stepped outside for some fresh air.

Once he thought the fumes had cleared he walked back in
,  ran some cold water on both his hands for ten long minutes, cleaned up the broken glass and burnt chicken, then snatched the batteries out of the smoke detector because it was still hollering, getting on his nerves.

After all of that he was a little agitated and hungry which was not a good combination. So, he headed to get something to eat. And tonight it was going to be pizza and wings. He hoped his choice of dinner agreed with Vanessa and the baby.

“Baby where are you?” Jason asked Vanessa’s voicemail for the tenth time since he’d talked to her earlier that day. “Well anyway” he said. “I just wanted to let you know that I tried to surprise you by cooking dinner, and I failed in a big way” He chuckled. “I suck at cooking and the house is a little foggy with smoke right now and that’s not good for the baby. So if you’re going to be home within the next few minutes don’t go into the house just yet.” He suggested. “Oh yeah one more thing, I’m on my way to grab a few pepperoni pizzas, but if it’s something specific that you want give me a call, so that I can grab it while I’m out. Love you” He said and hung up.

****

Hours earlier, Vanessa was maneuvering through the congested traffic as fast as the hectic traffic allowed her to. She was on her way to end the two-year affair that she’d shared with her younger lover. On the drive there she thought about how sincere and honest the words that’d rolled off Deon’s tongue sounded when she called him and informed him that she was pregnant by Jason and it would be in his best interest to forget about her. She’d called him immediately after she hung up with Jason and he insisted that he see her one last time. She told him she’d be there shortly because she’d rather give him the letter herself, that way she didn’t have to worry about mailing it. He was making her decision to walk away from him more difficult than she intended for it to be. When she pulled up to his apartment building a discomforting feeling grew in the bottom of her abdomen. But she couldn’t let doubt change her mind. She had to go through with it. She had to end it. Vanessa emerged from the car, jogged up the steps and rang the doorbell. While she waited for him to open the door her heart pounded rapidly, she thought it was going to hurdle out of her chest. Still she’d decided to do what she came to do. Give Deon the goodbye letter and walk away from him.  It had to be over for good this time.

“Hey” Deon said flashing his smile, while stepping to the side, then shut the door. “I’m glad you decided to come”

Vanessa wanted to change her mind the moment that he’d opened the door dressed in a pair of black NYNU shorts. His chest was bare and his feet were covered with black ankle socks. He had to have gotten his tapeline edged up that day because his haircut was crisp. He was even sexier than the last time she’d visited him. Now she was speechless and desperately wanted to trace her tongue along the creases of his ripped pack of abs and allow him to do all the things to her that drove her wild. Only he could make her feel so good. The way her name sounded coming from his mouth, the warmth she felt each time that he embraced her with open arms, the things he did with his tongue and let’s not mention his dick made it so hard for her to resist him. It was him that could make her knees shake by doing things to her that she never knew could turn her on until she met him. “I’m not going to be here that long I’m serious this time, I have to stop seeing you” She said, and walked over to the sofa and sat down.

“That’s not what I want. Why do you insist on walking out of my life?”

“Because it’s not right” She stuttered. “I’ve said this a million times, but today, right this very moment has to be the end of us. You should date other women. I’m married and I’m never going to leave my husband”

Deon looked at her. Love beaming through his pupils. He was no longer lusting over Vanessa he’d fallen in love with her and the last thing he wanted was for her to end their relationship. Even if all he’d ever be was her secret. He pulled her from the sofa, covered her with his massive arms and just held her. “I don’t want anyone else
Vanessa I want you. I love you. You’re not in love with your husband and you know it. I know it. It’s not possible to be in love with two people at the same time. I’m the man that you’re in love with”