Wicked Games (Denver Rebels) (19 page)

Nadia frowned. “That’s not necess—”

“Why are you whispering?” Reid sounded amused.

She blushed. “Because I’m out in public. When did you sneak your card into my purse?”

“Before I drove you home yesterday morning.” She heard male voices in the background, laughing and joking. “Listen, I gotta run, baby. Use the card. And get anything else you want.”

Nadia frowned. “But—”

“No buts, Nadia. You’re not paying for our tickets.”

“Reid—”

“Don’t argue with me before a game, woman. It’s bad luck.”

She couldn’t help smiling. “Is that one of your superstitions?”

“It is now.” She could hear the answering smile in his voice. “I’ll call you after the game.”

“Okay.” She bit her lower lip. “Kick ass tonight.”

“Always.”

When Nadia returned to the checkout line, everyone was gawking at her. She pretended not to notice.

Jess nudged her teasingly. “So are we going on a shopping spree or what?”

Nadia chuckled. “Of course not. I’m not spending that man’s money.”

Caitlyn snorted. “I would. Might as well get something out of the deal before he dumps you for the next piece of ass.”

Nadia bristled. “Gee, thanks.”

“Pay her no mind, Nadia,” Jess said. “She’s just jealous because Reid’s with you and not her.”

“Oh, please,” Caitlyn scoffed with a dismissive toss of her head. “I was married to two rich white men. Worst mistakes of my life. They’re no prize either, believe me.”

Jess smirked. “I’m sure they say the same thing about you.”

“Bitch, whatever.” Caitlyn cut her eyes away from Jess to focus on Nadia, her expression suddenly serious. “Look, I’m sure getting attention from a famous hockey player is a huge ego boost, and I can see that you really like him. But just because you’re young doesn’t mean you have to be naive. Everyone knows that Reid Holden is a notorious manwhore. Guys like him don’t change overnight—
if
they ever do. So if you’re going to date him, be smart about it. Fuck him whenever and wherever he wants. Call him ‘master’ and tell him he has the biggest dick you’ve ever had. Show up to his games while you’re spending all his money. Let him wine and dine you and sweep you off your feet. Do whatever it takes to keep him interested. But for God’s sake, Nadia, don’t fall in love with him. And
don’t
let him break your heart.”

After they left
Forever 21, Caitlyn insisted on treating everyone to lunch before they called it a day. Scarlett suggested the chic sushi restaurant outside the mall.

As they dined on delicious sushi and sashimi, Nadia found herself mulling over Caitlyn’s warning about Reid. It was as if she’d tapped into all Nadia’s fears and insecurities, exposing each and every one of them. She was a cold-blooded bitch who took pleasure in hurting and humiliating others. So Nadia had no reason to believe she had her best interests at heart. But there had been some truth in her words.

Even a broken cuckoo clock was right twice a day.

“Oh, God, not again,” Caitlyn groaned, looking down at her phone.

Nadia, Jess and Scarlett stared at her. “What?”

Caitlyn shook her head, putting her phone aside in disgust. “I just got a text from a friend of mine—”

“Wait,” Jess interrupted. “
You
have friends?”

Caitlyn glared at her. “Ha ha ha. Very funny, skank. Anyway,” she continued pointedly, “my friend just texted to tell me that she caught her boyfriend sending dick pics to another woman.”

“Damn,” Scarlett lamented. “That’s messed up.”

“I know. This is the umpteenth time she’s caught him cheating on her. And she keeps forgiving him like a dumbass.” Caitlyn took a sip of her sake martini and sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know when some of these sistas will wake up and get a damn clue.”

Nadia sensed another one of Caitlyn’s cringe-worthy diatribes coming on. But she couldn’t resist asking, “Get a clue about what?”

“About the fact that ‘black love’ has left the building and it’s not coming back.”

“Oh, God,” Jess groaned loudly. “Please don’t start.”

Caitlyn ignored her. “I mean, just think about it. Statistically, black men have the lowest marriage rates among all races of men. For those of them that
do
marry, twenty-five percent marry nonblack women. Then you have to take into account the huge percentage of them that are either gay or incarcerated. That leaves pretty slim pickings for black women.”

Caitlyn sighed, shaking her head at Nadia and Scarlett. “Don’t take this the wrong way, girls, because I think you’re both very pretty. But if
I
were a black woman who happened to be darker than a paper bag, I wouldn’t even be checking for black guys. Why? Because far too many of them prefer biracial, white, Latina and now even Asian women.
Those
are the females they celebrate in their rap songs and music videos.
Those
are the women they marry when they become rich and successful. Seriously. I live in Atlanta, and I can’t beat black guys off with a stick. You should see the way they practically throw themselves at my feet, rhapsodizing about my good hair and light skin and hazel eyes. They make it well known that they only want redbones and exoticals and white girls. But this doesn’t seem to deter most of these black women from pining after them.

“‘I don’t care if the brothas only use me for sex,’” Caitlyn pretended to whine. “‘I don’t care if they cheat on me with ten other side chicks.’ ‘I don’t care if they make tons of YouTube videos telling the world how dark and ugly and ghetto we supposedly are.’ ‘I don’t care if they knock me up and then abandon me and our child.’ ‘I don’t care if I’m pushing fifty with no husband in sight.’ ‘No matter how long it takes, girlfriend, I’m holding out for my black king—and the darker he is, the better!’” She snorted derisively. “How fucking pathetic.”

Nadia and Scarlett shared a grimly amused glance.

Jess chuckled softly, shaking her head. “That was quite a summation, Counselor,” she drawled, her fingers sliding across the screen of her phone. “Your delivery was entertaining, and you raised some interesting points that I can’t ignore.”

Caitlyn lifted a haughty chin. “I know I did.”

“Ah, but your childhood crush obviously didn’t get the memo.” Jess slid her phone across the table to Caitlyn and pointedly tapped the screen. “Unless this picture has been Photoshopped, Manning Wolf’s wife is very much black—with dark brown skin and natural hair to boot.”

Caitlyn glared down at the photo on the screen. Nadia could practically see the steam pouring out of her ears.

“Manning’s obviously an exception,” she said through tight lips.

“Huh.” Jess struck a thoughtful pose. “That’s funny. Unless I’m mistaken, Manning’s father, uncles and two of his cousins are also married to darker-toned sisters. So that’s six black men in the same family who actually chose—
gasp
—black wives.”

“Don’t forget President Obama,” Scarlett drawled humorously. “He obviously didn’t get the memo either.”

“Oh, please,” Caitlyn scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. “None of those examples invalidate a word I said and you know it. Don’t get mad at me for simply sharing an uncomfortable truth.”

Jess smirked. “The ‘truth’ according to a bitter divorcée who can’t keep a man—of
any
race.”

Bristling at the insult, Caitlyn looked pointedly at Jess’s left hand. “I don’t see any rings on
your
finger, bitch. So you’re in no position to talk.”

“Maybe not, but I’d rather be single and sane than a jaded, batshit-crazy shrew who got dumped by not one, but
two
cheating husbands.” Jess leaned forward across the table, her hazel eyes gleaming with contempt. “See, we may not be close, Caitlyn, but I know you very well. And I don’t believe for one second that you said all those things out of sisterly concern for your friend or other black women. You said those things because it makes you feel better to think of black men collectively rejecting black women. Deep down inside, you hate brown-skinned sistas because one of them took the
only
black man you have ever loved. It kills you that Manning chose Taylor over you. It kills you that while your daughter is being raised by her doting father and stepmother, you’re stuck in Atlanta watching Taylor Wolf live out your fairy tale with the perfect husband, the perfect kids and the perfect house.”

Caitlyn’s face reddened, pain sharpening her features.

Jess smirked, twisting the knife deeper. “I overheard your mother telling mine that you used to stalk Manning and Taylor. You followed them around town, spying on them when they went out on dates and took their adorable kids to the park. You even drove by their house one time and hung around peeking through the gate like some deranged stalkerazzo.” Jess gave a scornful snort. “Now
that’s
fucking pathetic.”

Caitlyn’s nostrils flared and the skin around her mouth tightened with fury. She didn’t even bother to deny the accusations.

Jess leaned back in her chair with a cold, triumphant smile. “Karma’s a real bitch, ain’t it, cuz?”

Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed. “Karma?”

“That’s right,” Jess jeered. “All the bad karma you’ve suffered is payback for being such a despicable, backstabbing whore.”

Caitlyn stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly threw back her head and let out a peal of laughter.

Several heads turned.

Nadia raised an eyebrow at Jess, who scowled and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

“Oh, dear,” Caitlyn gasped, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin she had snatched off the table. “You are a riot, little girl. Such righteous fury. Such a flair for the dramatic.”

“Fuck you,” Jess grumbled.

“Aww,” Caitlyn cooed mockingly. “Poor little Jessilyn. Are you still nursing a grudge because I fucked your high school sweetheart? Do you still hate me because he came to the house that day, saw me sunbathing by the pool and fell in lust? I mean, I know I’ve always had a nicer body than you, but can you really blame the poor boy for being extra horny and frustrated after you wouldn’t give it up on prom night?”

Jess’s eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring in anger. The taunt had hit a nerve.

Smug satisfaction curled Caitlyn’s lips. “I don’t even remember his name, that’s how utterly insignificant he was. But he obviously meant a great deal to you, since you’re still blaming me for what happened after all these years.” She tsk-tsked, shaking her head. “The sooner you get over his betrayal, the sooner you can let go of your childish resentment and move on with your life.”

“Oh, I’ve moved on,” Jess drawled with a malicious gleam in her eyes. “Riding your husband’s dick was just the cure I needed.”

Caitlyn gasped, recoiling in shock. “
WHAT!
”

“Oops.” Jess put her hand over her mouth and widened her eyes in mock dismay. “That was supposed to be our little secret. But now that you and Chandler are splitsville, I guess it doesn’t really matter if you know.”

Oh, shit,
Nadia thought, trading alarmed glances with Scarlett.

Before anyone could react, Caitlyn threw her drink in Jess’s face and screamed, “
YOU FILTHY LITTLE CUNT!
”

Jess lunged across the table and viciously seized Caitlyn by the hair. They wrestled to their feet, slapping and punching each other as every head in the restaurant swiveled in their direction.

“Hey, hey! Cut it out!” Nadia shouted, jumping up from the table. When she tried to intervene, she got a sharp elbow to the ribs for her trouble.

The brawling cousins tore at each other, a furious blur of flying hair and fists. Jess was younger and stronger, so she quickly gained the upper hand.

“You fucking bitch!” Caitlyn screeched as Jess shoved her into the table and then dove on top of her, knocking over drinks and scattering chopsticks. She whaled on Caitlyn, punching her again and again as Caitlyn kicked and clawed at her.

As the other patrons looked on in scandalized disbelief, Nadia prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She’d never been more embarrassed in her life. But as mortified as she felt, she was even more concerned for Jess. The way she was beating the brakes off Caitlyn, Nadia seriously feared her friend would end up in prison for manslaughter.

“Goddammit!” She lurched forward to pull Jess off Caitlyn, then had to duck to avoid getting her face smashed by a swinging fist. Scarlett grabbed her arm and pulled her out of harm’s way, uttering something Nadia couldn’t hear above the roar of blood in her ears.

It seemed an eternity before a manager and two waiters rushed over to break up the fight, shouting and threatening to call the police. Caitlyn and Jess were forcibly pulled apart, chests heaving, hair in wild disarray as they hurled insults at each other.

“Bitch!”

“Slut!”

“
Enough!
” Nadia barked. She turned to their waitress, who hovered nearby looking aghast. “Please bring us the check.”