BFF's 2 (14 page)

“Okay, I will. If I see a piece of art that you may like, I'll purchase it for you.”

I laughed. “Don't waste your money. You know I prefer the cash over a painted picture any day.”

“Right. Bye, girl. Holler later.”

Much later,
I thought.

I laid the phone on the table and tried to contain my enthusiasm for going to see Keith. I suspected that it wasn't going to be as simple as he'd made it, and I figured I'd had to put up a fuss to get him to give me what I wanted. I could tell so by the way he hesitated, but there was no question that by the time the night was over, Keith would be like putty in my hands.

If the man wanted sexy, I was going to give him sexy and then some. That consisted of me wearing nothing but my silky skin, underneath a coat. I changed into just that and left my place in a hurry.

 

 

As planned, when I arrived at Keith's house, the door was unlocked. I didn't even need the key I'd gotten from Bryson's office, but I still kept it. The downstairs was pretty dark. Upstairs was too, but I could see light from a television coming from his room. I sauntered up the stairs and heard soothing jazz music as well. He was apparently trying to set the mood, so I made my way to his doorway. I peeked inside and saw him sitting up in bed with a sheet covering him from the waist down. I knocked on the door and then walked inside. Keith picked up a watch from his nightstand.

“You're almost ten minutes late. I didn't think you were coming. I was about to fall asleep, because these shows on the television are boring.”

“Then Evelyn to the rescue, right?”

I didn't want to waste any time with this. Keith appeared to be on board, and that was a good thing. His eyes locked on me as I removed the belt from my coat. When I peeled it away from my shoulders, I saw him suck in a deep breath. I stood before him, with no clothes on and ready to handle my business. Keith patted the spot next to him then cocked his head back.

“Come here,” he said softly. “My brother said you were sexy as hell. I guess now I believe him.”

I crawled on the bed like a courageous tiger. Moved face to face with him then leaned in for a kiss. This time, he didn't back away. He didn't reject me, and his mouth opened wide. I couldn't believe what a great kisser he was. No wonder Trina was hooked.

“Sweet lips,” he said, holding the sides of my face. He lightly bit my lips a few times, and then backed away when the phone rang.

“Sweet pussy too,” I replied. “Wait until you taste it.”

The ringing phone interrupted us again.

“You may want to go answer that,” I said. “Just in case it's you-know-who. The last thing you may want is her showing up here tonight.”

Keith shrugged, but he took my advice. He snatched the sheet away from him. Lord have mercy on that body of his.

“I'll go get my phone, and why don't you run to the kitchen to get us some wine out the fridge?”

I really didn't want any wine, but since Keith was cooperating, what the hell? I went to the kitchen to get the wine, and then stopped by the bathroom to pee. I could hear Keith going off on somebody over the phone, but then his voice went silent. It was probably Trina. Then again, she was on a plane to L.A. Keith's ex-girlfriend came to mind, so I hurried out of the bathroom to eavesdrop on the conversation.

I returned to the bedroom with the wine bottle and two glasses in my hand. Keith was back in bed, lying on his side with the sheet covering him. The television had been turned off, and his cell phone was on the nightstand, ringing again. This time, he ignored it and didn't say a word. I set the wine and glasses down then crawled on the bed next to him again. When I pulled the sheet away from him, that was when I got the shock of my life. I eased away from the gun that was aimed right at the center of my forehead, which was starting to build up a sheen of sweat. The look in Trina's eyes was deadly.

“Bitch,” she said through gritted teeth. “You got five motherfucking seconds to get your coat back on and get the hell out of my man's house! And if you ever, I mean ever, come back here again, I swear to God that I will blow your damn brains out!”

Trina didn't look like she was bullshitting, so I didn't bother to respond. I kept my eyes on the gun that trembled in her hand and carefully eased back on the bed. I bent down to pick up my coat, but didn't bother to put it back on. I waved at her, and jetted down the stairs so fast that I almost fell and broke my neck. Keith awaited me at the door. His face looked like stone, as he held the door wide open. I was too embarrassed to say one word. After I ran outside, he slammed the door so hard that it shook the house. Apparently, he wasn't down with my plans after all.

Trina called to tell me about her and Keith's plan for Evelyn. She had me laughing my tail off. I couldn't believe how desperate Evelyn had gotten. Since Cedric was no longer around, I should've expected something like that from her.

“I always knew she was scantless, but when Keith told me about her trying to hook up with him before, I couldn't believe it. This last thing was his idea. He wanted to show me what was really going on behind my back. When she called to speak to him about coming over, I was right there listening.”

“Girl, I'm convinced that Evelyn is crazy. She needs some serious help. No woman in her right mind could be foolish enough to go into her best friend's man's house with nothing on and try to seduce him. Does she really think she's got it going on like that? And what about Bryson? Did Keith tell him?”

“Nope. He said he wasn't going to say a word, because Evelyn was going to get her feelings hurt, again, messing around with him. She's always running after men, but she'd better be careful what she wishes for.”

“I know that's right. Right away I could tell Bryson was no good. He started talking all that mess at the club that night, but all I did was smile and listen. I had fun, but the truth is, I need to take time out and see about me. I'm not pursuing any relationship, until I get my stuff over here in order and make sure Jacoby is on the right track. Something seems to be troubling him, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it has to do with the divorce, but I explained to him that it was something I truly had to do for myself.”

“I totally get that. He'll understand one day why you did what you had to do. And before I forget, thank you for interfering in my relationship. I'm glad you called Keith to come to the club. We needed to settle things down and talk through our differences.”

“I figured the two of you would. I only interfere when I feel as though I have to. I didn't want you to make the mistake of losing him. Have you moved in yet?”

“Yep. Moved in a few days ago. I'm feeling good about this, too. Now, what about you? Have you heard from Cedric, and when are you going to start looking for another place to stay? Staying in that hotel must be driving you nuts.”

“It is, and I'm getting tired of the ongoing noise, too. I think I found a place near Chesterfield. The rent is ridiculous, but I love how the apartment is made.”

“Apartment? You're moving into an apartment?”

“Yes. It's a three bedroom, but it's humongous. It's perfect for me and Jacoby. We really don't need anything bigger than that.”

“What about the house? Did Cedric put it up for sale yet?”

“He said he was going to next week. We've talked here and there, but more so about Jacoby and our finances. Cedric set me out. I must say that I'm very appreciative of the money we agreed upon in our divorce settlement.”

“That's good. Seems like everything is working out for everybody, with the exception of Evelyn. Maybe she'll come to her senses and start doing the right thing. If she does, I'll never know about it because she would be too embarrassed to ever contact me again.”

“Tuh, don't believe that for one minute. Sooner or later, you'll get a call. She'll be begging and pleading for you to forgive her. And I know you, Trina. You probably will.”

Trina denied it, but among the three of us, she was the one with the forgiving heart. To a certain extent, I was too. But it would be very, very difficult for me to ever forgive Evelyn.

We talked for a little while longer, but since I was supposed to meet Jacoby at the apartment complex so he could see it, I had to let Trina go. I then called Jacoby, but he didn't answer his phone. I drove to Adrianne's house to see if he was there. He was, and I found the two of them outside arguing. I didn't like how heated the conversation between them seemed, so I got out of the car to go break it up. Jacoby was way too aggressive. I yelled for him to back away from Adrianne.

“Jacoby,” I shouted again. “Didn't you hear me?”

He backed away with a mean mug on his face. Adrianne had been crying. This whole scene was kind of shocking to me because I thought things had been going well for them.

“Anybody want to tell me what's going on here?” I said.

“Tell her,” Adrianne shouted. “Now is the time to tell her!”

Jacoby narrowed his eyes at her and shot daggers. “Shut up! Stay out of this, Adrianne, it's none of your business!”

I couldn't express how shocked I was. I put my hand on my hip and frowned. “Tell me what? Would somebody please tell me so that we can talk about whatever it is in a sensible way?”

“It's nothing, Mama. If you want to go see this apartment, let's go.”

“If this is about the apartment, please let me know. I'll accept if you don't want to live with me, and you prefer to live with Cedric. We will always be a family, and you are welcome—”

“Tell her now,” Adrianne shouted again. “She needs to know the truth!”

This was driving me nuts. I turned to Jacoby and let him have it. “The truth about what,” I yelled. “What secret are you keeping from me?”

Jacoby had the look of fire in his eyes. He turned to walk away, but I ran after him. “Is she pregnant? Is that what you want to tell me? I told you about having all this sex, Jacoby, and the least you could've done was protect yourself. You haven't even graduated from high school yet and—”

“No,” Adrianne said. “I'm not pregnant. And if you don't tell her what you did, I'm going to tell her myself.”

I was floored when Jacoby reached out and grabbed Adrianne's face. He squeezed it tight and held his hand over her mouth. This time, I yanked him away from her and pushed him back. I pointed my finger near his face and gritted my teeth.

“No son of mine will ever put his hands on a woman like that! What in the hell is wrong with you? Who are you, Jacoby, and what in the hell are you keeping from me?”

Adrianne stepped back and blurted out the secret. “He paid Paula Daniels to kill Cedric. I begged him not to do it, but Jacoby wouldn't listen. We don't know why she hasn't said anything about it, but he's been so afraid that she's going to tell someone.”

I stood as if cement had been poured over me. I couldn't believe what Adrianne had said. Things were just starting to look up for us, but now this.

“You did what?” I said to Jacoby. “Why . . . How . . . What made you do something so stupid? You didn't have to involve yourself in this mess, Jacoby. Why did you want your father dead?”

Jacoby stood with a frightened look on his face. Finally, he started to speak up. “I didn't want him dead. Well, at first I did, but then I changed my mind. I knew how much Paula despised him, and all she needed was a little push. I offered her the money and she said she would do it. But then things kinds of settled down at our house, and when I went back to see her, she said the plan was already in motion and that I couldn't renege.” Jacoby paused to take a deep breath. He placed his hands behind his head then turned around to face the other direction. Shame was written all over his face.

“I had already given her the money. She wouldn't give it back and she told me to get out. Then, Cedric was shot. I knew she did it, but I don't know if she's planning to tell the police about my involvement. If she does, they're not going to believe that I tried to stop her. Nobody will believe me. That was why I didn't want to say anything. I wanted to tell you the truth, as well as Cedric. But I couldn't. I just couldn't do it.” Jacoby broke down in tears. He leaned against his car and cried like a baby.

I was numb about the whole thing, but this was still my son. I regretted not taking action sooner, regarding my marriage. Jacoby felt as if he had to step in and handle things for me. Thus far, Paula hadn't said anything. She pleaded guilty to the attempted murder charge and so be it. If she ever came back and tried to tell on Jacoby, we'd deny it. Even if she had evidence, we'd get one of the best lawyers in St. Louis to fight the case. But the person I was worried about was Cedric. What if he ever found out the real deal? Was it in my best interest to tell him, or should I leave well enough alone? I suspected what Jacoby's answer would be, when I suggested that we go see Cedric.

“We need to talk to him about this,” I said while rocking Jacoby in my arms.

“Noooo,” he cried out. “Please don't tell him, Mama. I beg you not to tell him. I know Cedric. He will turn me in. He will make me pay for this, and I don't want to go to jail.”

Just the thought of Jacoby doing any time in jail pained me. Jail wasn't for my son. I couldn't let that happen, and as a matter of fact, I wouldn't let it happen. This was yet another secret that I'd have to keep to myself. Meanwhile, I had to hope and pray that this never got back to Cedric.

 

 

Later that day, I went to the new apartment complex to pay my first month's rent and security deposit. The quicker I got Jacoby away from Cedric the better. Jacoby had been through so much. When Adrianne told me that he'd contemplated suicide over this situation, I cried my heart out. Not my son. My focus was now on him. I didn't have time for anything else. He had two more years left of school, was a very bright student, and had always done well. For the past several months, he'd been consumed with my mess. Consumed with trying to keep this family together. I wanted to tell Cedric just that, but unlike me, he wouldn't understand. He would turn things around and make Jacoby seem like a murderer. He would disown him. Say that he was no good because Arnez's blood was the blood running through Jacoby's body, not his. Cedric would make our lives a living hell, and that was without a shadow of doubt.

After I left the rental office, I went to Cedric's house. Jacoby was supposed to meet me there, so we could start gathering his things and putting them in boxes. He wasn't there yet, so I called his cell phone. He told me that he was en route. I used my key to unlock the door, and the second I walked inside, Cedric was right there. He looked even better than he did before, and this time he was dressed in one of his tailored business suits.

“Why didn't you tell me?” he rushed to say.

My heart raced, and I moved my head from side to side. “I . . . Didn't tell you what?”

“You could have told me, and shame on you for not saying one word.”

Seriousness was in his eyes. Then all of a sudden he laughed. He patted my shoulder and walked over to the door to close it. “Why didn't you say anything about our anniversary? Did you forget that it was today or what? You should be ashamed of yourself, if you forgot. Then again, I won't hold it against you. I forgot too, right until the second you walked through that door.”

I sucked in a deep, long breath and sighed from relief. “Uh, yeah, sorry but I forgot too. And are you sure that today is our anniversary? I thought it was a week from today.”

Cedric shook his head and strutted toward his office. I followed. He sat in his chair and looked at the calendar on his desk.

“Sorry, baby. It's today. You got it wrong, and like always, I'm right.”

“Okay then, Mr. Right. Where have you been? You dressed all nice, and I must say that you look awfully handsome.”

Cedric smiled and leaned back in his chair. He propped his feet on the desk and placed his hands behind his head. His scruffy beard had been shaved and his skin glowed.

“I had a meeting with my business partners today, and I also met with my attorney. You did good with keeping up the payments on things, and I appreciate your efforts. All I can say is I'm glad to be back. Feeling good and ready to make some big moves. The house goes on the market tomorrow, but just so you know, when it sells, every dime goes in my pocket. Now, if you need any of this furniture, let me know. That way, I won't sell it.”

“I'm good. I kind of want all new stuff.”

“Well, you damn sure have enough money to buy all new stuff. And then some, Miss Husband-made Millionaire.”

“Ooo, look at you. You sound bitter. Are you?”

“Not at all. There's more where that came from, and if things go accordingly, there will be way more. So, uh, getting back to our anniversary. Since you're here, would you like to throw some pussy my way and see if I'll catch it?”

Just then, we heard the front door open. I figured it was Jacoby, and it was confirmed when he came into Cedric's office. Jacoby barely wanted to look at him. His head hung low and he spoke in a soft voice to both of us.

“What's up with you, man?” Cedric said. “Looks like you got girl problems.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Jacoby said with a fake smile. “You know how it is.”

“Hell, yeah, I know how it is. But don't sweat the small stuff, and always focus on bigger things. I got a lot to teach you, son, especially when it comes to women. Never let them get you down, and always stay up. You hear me?”

Jacoby nodded.

“Go ahead to your room and start getting some of your things,” I said. “I have the key to the apartment, so we can move some of your stuff in tonight.”

Jacoby left the room and did what he was told.

“Tell me again,” Cedric said, sitting up straight. “Where is this apartment again?”

“It's in Chesterfield. Close by the Missouri River, got three bedrooms, two and a half baths, two fireplaces, a loft area, and a chef's kitchen. The clubhouse is off the chain, too. I can't wait for you to see it.”

“To hell with seeing it. Do I get a key?”

“I'm afraid not, Cedric. How many times am I going to have to tell you that I'm your ex-wife? We don't get down like that anymore.”