Unfaithful Ties (29 page)

chapter 21

Malik...Jacksonville Florida

Malik was tired. Mackenzie hadn’t kept her mouth closed for more than twenty minutes during their entire drive back to Jacksonville and his ears could really use a break. If she wasn’t talking she was singing and she’d just about driven him insane. He’d never been so glad to see his house in his life.

He shut the door, popped the trunk and unloaded his luggage.

Mackenzie had followed behind him “So dad, how do you feel about Stacy? I like her a lot”. “I think that you should make her your girlfriend,  ya’ know? Since you and mom are divorced and everything. I think she’s kind of cool”

“Mackenzie Stacy and I are just friends”

“Well” She said. “I’m becoming a woman now. Most my friends have already started their periods. I’ll probably be starting mines soon. I’m going to need someone to talk to dad. A woman. You don’t know anything about cramps and whether I should use pads over tampons. So I’m hoping you’ll think about it.”

Malik cringed at the thought of his baby girl and the word period in the same sentence. She was growing up way too fast. “Mackenzie you’re only eleven” He said, stalking up the porch steps.

She was probably the happiest little kid in the world as she skipped up the steps behind him. “Actually I’m eleven in a half and technically my period could pop up any day now.”

“Well let’s just hope it’s not on when you wake up tomorrow
” He said sarcastically. He was fumbling with his keys, searching for the house key.

“This is only the beginning dad. We haven’t even gotten to the fun part yet.
Like bra shopping. I can’t wait! Are you up for all that girly stuff dad?”

“I guess I don’t have a choice” Malik sighed.
              “Feels great to be home dad” Mackenzie smiled, wrapping her arms around his stomach and squeezing him. “The diva is back”

“God help me” Malik yawned. “When you left you
were Queen Mackenzie. Now you’re this mini-grown diva” He said pushing the door open. “Go on in” He told her then trailed behind her.

“Holy crap” Mackenzie shouted.

Malik stopped dead in his tracks, dropping the luggage to the floor. His home had been burglarized. Broken wine bottles, wine stains, and pieces of polyester that had been pulled out of the sliced leather cushions, covered his living room. “Mackenzie, stay right here I need to check out the rest of the house first.”

He smelled the bleach as soon as he reached the hallway. It was loud. A few of his designer
shoes, that had been painted with white spray paint led a trail towards the bathroom.

The words I HATE YOU had been written on the bathroom wall repeatedly with red ink. The sheetrock resembled one of those walls full of graffiti that you’d probably seen on TV. Bleached stained athletic gear and expensive suits were bunched into a big pile in a pool of water inside the garden tub.

Shreds of ripped T-shirts and under garments welcomed him into his bedroom. Each pair of running shoes he owned had been destroyed. The pillow-top mattress had a burn stain right down the middle. A fire extinguisher set on top of it. It had also been used to burst a hole into the flat screen that hung on his bedroom wall.

He couldn’t believe it and he was so mad he could’ve killed someone. Tiresomely he headed to the kitchen where he immediately noticed that the back door had been kicked in, the refrigerator door was open, food was spoiled, and shattered dishes filled the sink.

Disgusted, he went back into the living room and sank down into the ripped recliner and dropped his head back against the interior.

“Hey dad come and check this out” Mackenzie insisted. She was pointing to the words carved into the coffee table.
I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET. 
“Who’s not done with you yet?” She wanted to know and when Malik didn’t answer she said, “You must’ve really made someone mad dad?”

If Malik didn’t know that Regina was crazy, he knew it now.

He dialed the police station.

When the police arrived the first question that they asked Malik was did he have any idea who could have broken into his home. He knew deep down in his heart that it was
Regina, she was the only person that would terrorize his home. It had to be her. How could he prove it? He couldn’t.

Without any proof the officers informed Malik that they couldn’t arrest Regina but they assured him that they’d have a detective question her. The officers dusted for fingerprints and before they left they advised Malik to invest in an alarm system.

Not long after Malik had settled he was sleeping peacefully on the sofa. He was awakened when his vibrating mobile tickled his thigh. With a loud sigh, Malik pulled his mobile out of his pocket and watched it vibrate. PRIVATE CALLER. He couldn’t believe Regina had the nerve to be calling him. “She’s a goddamn Devil” He mumbled. She was the only one who’d been calling him nonstop from a private number.  He’d never met a woman so vindictive in his entire life. Anger streaked his face as disgust washed over him, giving him the chills. He slung the phone on top of the coffee table. Since he was up he might as well tackle the mess she’d caused.

****

Daylight had faded into darkness and the woman that’d just pulled into Malik’s driveway was wearing a red lacey corset, a red ruffled mini-skirt that barely covered her plumped derriere, red net stockings, matching six inch platform stilettos,  and clip on devil horns.  She pulled down the sun visor and took one last look at her straight black hair that draped just below her shoulders then confidently stepped out of her Audi. The woman was resplendent, absolutely breathtaking with dark chocolate skin, mesmerizing eyes, and scrumptious lips. Seductively she strutted to the front door, rung the door bell and waited.

“I got it daddy” Mackenzie shouted headed to answer the door.

When she opened the door her eyes widened largely.  “Why are you dressed like that?” She hissed, rolling her neck “Halloween was last month”

“I’m sorry I didn’t know that you were here
” The woman said hugging herself embarrassingly. “Is your dad home?”

“Umm...hum!” Mackenzie smacked. “I bet you didn’t. Daddy there is a half-naked woman at the door for you” She yelled. “I’m assuming you don’t want to keep standing out there dressed like that. So come on in”

“Thank you” The woman said stepping inside.

“I so like your shoes. Where did you get those from?”

“I bought these online”

“Dad” Mackenzie yelled, and popped open a strawberry soda. “He’s cleaning up the mess some mad woman created. What’s your name?”

“Veronica”

“What site did you buy those shoes from?”

“I really don’t remember. I guess I could find out though”

“What’s all the yelling for Mackenzie?” Malik said loudly walking from the back of the house. He was
tired, he’d just finished cleaning the entire house. “V.E.R.O.N.I.C.A” He said, stretching every syllable in her name. “Mackenzie why don’t you go find your school clothes?”

Mackenzie was standing with her arms folded across her chest and her lips perched, watching the two of them like a hawk. “Tomorrow’s Sunday and I don’t have school”

“Well go find them anyway” Malik declared.

“I don’t have any clothes, remember? You promised that we’d go shopping tomorrow”

“And we will. Just go to your room.”

Mackenzie rolled her eyes. “When you think of the site, let my dad know. I need to put those shoes on my shopping list”

“I think not” Malik said. “Now go to your room and get ready for bed.”

“And sleep on what?” She asked with her hand propped on her hip.

“Mackenzie” He said agitatedly. “Just sleep in my bed”

“And where are you going to sleep?”

“The sofa...now go”

“This is not going to work. You need to get me a blow up mattress or something tomorrow. I need my own space. I told you that I’m a woman now.” She said,
then headed towards the back of the house.

“She’s a handful” The woman chuckled.

“Tell me about it.”

“I’m guessing you forgot about me
” She said with a pout. “I’ve been craving this night for days”

“I’m sorry, a lot has happened since we last talked.  And on top of that when I got home today my place was a complete disaster. Some crazy woman I met not that long ago, decided that she wanted to slice my couches, bleach my clothing and
pretty much destroy everything I own.”

“When are you going to learn that most women can’t handle sex without a title?” She joked. “I’m one of a kind because the only thing that I need you for is sex. My husband takes care of everything else.” Seductively she moved closer to him, pulling at his shirt. “Well that’s too bad for her
because now she’ll never get any more of your good dick” Slowly she squeezed her hand down his pants and stroked his scrotum. “I know that I’m a little late but I was hoping you’d want to go trick or treating in my candyland”

“You little devil you” Malik growled, moving her hand from his crouch area. “Too bad my baby girl is down the hall. How about you come by tomorrow night after nine? I need to go and buy her and air mattress to sleep on until I get the check from the renters insurance claim that I’m going to file”

“I believe I could arrange that. My husband won’t be back until sometime next week” She touched his lips with hers and slid her tongue in his mouth. Pulling away she grabbed his hand, led them to the door and twisted it open. “Call me if your dick is available sooner than nine”

“I’ll definitely do that” He smiled, and watched her walk to her car.

“Oooohh we-ee-e” He uttered biting down on his knuckles. “I’ve got to change my lifestyle, I can’t have this kind of stuff around my daughter”

Pussy. Pussy. Pussy. Pussy. Pussy. Pussy. Pussy, he thought. The power
of  Pussy. That tight muscle. Pussy was the reason he’d lost Stacy back in college. Pussy was the reason his home was destroyed. Pussy was the reason he’d always find himself in unbelievable situations. Needless to say that over the years Pussy had caused Malik to step in a lot of shit. Shit that he couldn’t get off of his shoe if he tried. He loved women. And what weapon did women possess? Pussy! Pussy had always been his weakness. But now Pussy was about to become his downfall and he knew it.
I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET
slid through his mind like scrolling text. His mind warred with one question. What was Regina going to do next? And when was she going to do it? He’d made a mental note to take out a restraining order on her that following Monday.

****

The following day, “What about these dad?” Mackenzie asked, holding up a pair of shorts that Malik didn’t agree with. “You’ve got to buy these they’re on clearance.”

“Those are inappropriate for an eleven year old and I wouldn’t let you wear those if they were free”

The two of them were in Macy’s. They’d been shopping for nearly two hours. It was four o’clock and since it was Sunday the stores would be closing by six.

“Dad” She whined.

“You don’t have much time so quit whining and find something else. I’m not buying those shorts”

She hung the shorts back on the clothing rack and snatched down another pair. “What about these?”

“Those are a little better but I think they need to be a little longer.”

“Da-a-add!  Do you want me to go to school looking like a grandma? I’m almost a teenager and I’m not going to be the most popular girl in school dressing like a grandma”

“Keywords, you’re almost a teenager, and for the record even if you were a teenager I still wouldn’t allow you to wear those shorts.”

“Mom would.”

“I’m not your mother”

“This is not fair
” She pouted and stomped to another clothing rack that was filled with denim capris.

“Now I like those” Malik smiled, “I’m going to
be  sitting down over by the shoes.” He told Mackenzie and headed in that direction.

Malik had fallen asleep but awakened when he felt a vibration coming from inside his pant pocket.

New Message.
Your daughter IS VERY PRETTY! Shame on YOU to leave her all ALONE. Miserably he did three things, panicked, panicked, then leapt from the single chair and panicked more. Apparently he was caught up in a real life fatal attraction. Nervously he scanned the room in search of Mackenzie.

“Mac” He called out, walking busily, his arms brazing shirts, denims, and dresses as he breezed by. Without picking the few pieces of clothing that had sprinkled to the floor, he hurried towards the fitting section like a crazy man. Apparently he wasn’t thinking clearly because he
barged  into the  junior girls dressing room yelling Mackenzie’s name. A few teenage girls looked at him like he was a lunatic, only he didn’t notice it. “Mackenzie, are you in here?” He continued shouting.

“Dad” Mackenzie snapped embarrassingly from behind the stall. “This is so embarrassing.” She barked while tossing a few of the shirts over her forearm then shoved the stall door open. “What are you doing in here? That sign does read GIRLS.” She sassed.
              “Are you done?” He asked weirdly.