Hot Girlz: Hot Boyz Sequel (28 page)

“Like what?”

“Cam is awful at picking women, to be
honest with you. He was with this girl who it turns out is the reason our house
got broken into.”

“Oh, damn. She cased you guys out or
something?”

“She did. And I mean, Cam’s been doing
nothing as far as getting ahead, so the more we tried to get him on track, the
more he resisted.” Venus looked back to make sure Skyy was still watching her
movie. “Mercedes, Cam met this forty eight year-old woman out in Laguna, and he
fell hard. Our neighbor. And he sent me an email last night that they got
married in Vegas.”

Mercedes’s voice jumped. “Oh, no he
didn’t. What the hell is that all about? Why so fast, and why so much older?”

“Your guess is as good as mine as far
as why so fast. But I do know he’s having problems coming to terms with Fatima,
and who his dad is.”

“He asked you who he was?”

Venus replied, “He did. But I didn’t
tell him, and since he’s not speaking to Claude, who knows when or how he’ll
find out.”

“He must be rebelling. Marrying
someone more than twice his age. What’s her problem, anyway?”

“Mercedes, this chick is an heir to
the Heinz ketchup fortune.”

“Oh, no wonder Cameron went for that.
First off, she’s obviously rich,” Mercedes said.

“She well off enough I guess. I think
it’s some mother image thing as far as the age. But he’d better watch out
because I checked online and from what I know, this woman married a fourth
generation Heinz. I think he’s the founder’s great-great grandson who was a few
years younger than her, but they only lasted less than a year, so I doubt she
has that much dough. She does have some kids from her first and second marriages.
This one to Cam makes it husband number four. And one of her husband’s was
black. Actually, as far as the money goes, I read that some Heinz family
granddaughter gets like ninety-percent of everything anyway.”

Mercedes reacted by saying, “Damn. That’s
who he met in the O.C., huh? You guys moved him out to get away and he ran
right into being a husband in no time flat.”

“Yep. Now my son and his nearly fifty
year-old wife live right down the street.”

“What did Claude say about it?”

“About them eloping? He doesn’t know.”

“Oh hell. There’s gonna be an
earthquake in Orange County when he finds out.”

“Ya think?” Venus was now on the 5
Freeway.

Mercedes gave a laugh. “Drama. Geez.
But what about you and Claude? What happened that had you ending up at your
dad’s house?”

“I didn’t tell you, but Owen, Fatima’s
murderer, has been writing me.”

“Out of the blue?”

“Yes. I got the first letter that day
you came over when Cam got in trouble at school. Some of the mess he wrote
Claude bought into and basically kicked me out of my own house, saying I was
getting with Owen all along, and that I told Owen where Fatima would be so I
could have Claude all to myself. Which is such bunk.”

“That is insane. Why would he believe
psycho Owen, anyway?”

“I think Claude just wants to believe
him. I think he’s not over Fatima, even now. I think he’s using it as a reason
for him to push me away.”

Mercedes gave pause. “That is
nonsense. You guys have been fine. Venus, I say you go back home. Like you
said, that’s your house. Don’t let him do that. He’ll come around. And for the
record, you two need to get Owen straightened out.”

“Claude said he will. I don’t know.”
Venus didn’t sound hopeful.

“Your husband is so headstrong and old
fashioned. It’s like he holds on to this notion that the woman has her place
and the man has his place, and he just doesn’t budge. It’s archaic.”

Venus sighed loudly. “Tell me about
it. Mercedes, you know as well as I do that I never told Owen that madness. I
never talked to him at all.”

“I believe you.”

“People get things stuck in their
heads and there’s no letting go.” Venus looked at the display after hearing a
beep, and then it stopped ringing. It was Claude. She continued to talk, but
wondered. “So, that’s what’s up in my weird little world.”

“Okay, but everyone’s world is weird.
We all have our own mess.”

Venus wanted to ask about Mercedes and
Mason, but didn’t. Her mind was on what Claude could have wanted. “True.”

Mercedes asked, “Where are you headed
anyway?”

“I’m going home. I’m headed there now.
Me and Skyy. She’s watching a movie.” Venus looked back at Skyy who was knocked
out. Her headphones were removed from her head. “Actually, Claude gave me the
keys to some house he rented for me and Skyy somewhere in Newport Beach. But I
don’t think so.” She heard a sound signaling a message.

“He what? Tell me you’re lying.”

“I’m not.” All Venus could think about
was the message.

“I’d throw those suckers away. He has
lost his ever-lovin’ mind?”

Venus ended up saying, “Mercedes,
girl, I’m gonna call you back. I’m about to get off the freeway.”

“Okay. Sorry all this is going on.
Call me later.”

“I will.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.” Venus hung up and pressed the
touch screen for voicemail.

Venus, umm, yeah. It’s me. I wanted
you to know, I didn’t go out there to see Owen after all. Just too much drama.
But, I did have Attorney Sampson contact the Department of Corrections and he
sent them the first letter Owen wrote you, not the second one. Turns out Owen’s
in a minimum to medium security facility in California. So, they’re
transferring him to a maximum facility in Nevada called the Ely State Prison
where they screen calls and mail. Stuff like that. So, that’s it. That’s all I
wanted to tell you. Let’s talk about when I can see Skyy. Not sure if you’re
settled into the house. Haven’t heard from you. I can schedule and pay for
movers. If I don’t pick up when you call, I’m probably in a late meeting. But,
let’s try and talk tomorrow.

Her mouth was wide open. Hearing him
have the nerve to mention movers and basically announce that he would be busy
made her fume. There were no sentences saying
come home
or
miss you
or let’s talk
.

She pressed delete and disconnected.

Venus got into the next lane over,
slowing down her ride home but not her thoughts. She wanted to call back and leave
nothing but curse words on his voicemail. She wanted to drive around and find
him and bust him in the act of being so tied up he couldn’t be available for
his wife’s call. She wanted to run him down with her Infiniti. She wanted to
call every client he had in the real estate business and tell them what a dirty
dog Claude Wilson was for trying to kick out his wife and child.

And then something escorted her
vengeful thoughts and reminded her of Mattie’s funeral. She remembered the
words Star said her grandmother would always say.
A lady always knows when
to leave
.

Immediately, Venus called back, and
without even one ring, voicemail stepped in. She prepared herself with a
cleansing breath. “Hi Claude. Got your message. I was going to come by and get
Skyy’s and my things. But, we’ll get them tomorrow.” She paused, about to say
that Cameron eloped, but she said instead, “Bye.”

Wearing her wedding ring on her left
hand and the emerald ring on her right, she took the exit off of the 5 Freeway.
But instead of steering her car toward Laguna Hills, she got right back on and
prepared herself to go north on the 5, to the 405 north, to the 55 south, ready
for the twenty-three mile drive to Newport Beach, her new home, once again
officially separated from her best friend’s man, Claude Joseph Wilson.

Then from the backseat she heard a
tiny tired voice, “Mommy. We don’t live with Daddy anymore?”

Venus’s heart sank.

31

Sequoia

“. . . with her trademark golden hair . . .”

Kyle had picked up Kyle Jr. once and
brought him back two days later. It was Friday, October 29
^th
and
though it was Torino’s weekend, he had agreed to give them some extra time by
bringing Kyle Jr. to Kyle’s house.

Torino still hadn’t told Kyle that the
son Torino had joint custody of, whose last name was legally changed to Wilson,
wasn’t his.

Kyle had moved into an ivory stucco
home that he had rented in the gated Northridge community of Porter Ranch after
he and Colette broke up, leaving her and Kyle Jr. in the two bedroom apartment
in Fox Hills.

His new place was a three bedroom, two
bath corner home with a ton of room, a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace and
several of fruit trees. The environment was much more conducive to family
living than where they had lived before.

When Torino and Sequoia pulled up and
parked in the long, four-car driveway, Kyle Jr. looked at the house before him
and said, “Man. Wow. Is this where my dad lives?”

“Yes, it is,” Torino said.

Kyle Jr. unbuckled himself and pulled
on the doorknob, pushing the door open and hopping out. He ran up the walkway
to the front door at the same time Kyle opened it. “Hey, little man.” Kyle
reached down and picked up Kyle Jr., hugging him and flashing a major smile.

Kyle Jr. pushed away and squirmed to
be let down. “Daddy, this is cool. Can I see it? Where’s Mommy?”

Kyle put him down and said, “She’s
inside. Go on in.”

Torino waved from the driver seat and
Kyle motioned for him to come in. “Come see the place. Say hi to Colette.”

“Oh Lord,” was all Sequoia said,
unbuckling her seatbelt.

TJ asked, “Can I see Kyle Jr.’s other
house, too?”

“Yes, you can.” Sequoia got out and
closed the door, adjusting her tight jeans and even tighter top.

TJ unstrapped himself. “Cool.” He got
out at the same time as Torino. TJ’s little legs walked faster than his mom and
dad did. Once he got to the door he ran right past Kyle, barely saying, “Hi.”

“Hey there, TJ.” Kyle laughed as TJ
made his own way in.

Sequoia walked behind Torino. “Nice
place.”

“Hey, it’s only on loan. Can’t buy
anything just yet, but I will soon. Maybe this place, maybe not.”

“I understand,” she said.

She and Torino proceeded inside behind
Kyle and stepped down into the enormity of the sunken living room.

The room was furnished with modern
sofas and chairs, tables and rugs, mainly in earth tones, and it had a large
walnut grandfather clock in the corner. Beyond the living room was a family
room that opened up to the newly remodeled kitchen.

And sitting before the fireplace in a
brown reclining chair, was Colette Berry, hugging her son for a brief moment.
He and TJ ran outside, pushing past the kitchen door, into the backyard, and
playing on the big slide like they’d been there before.

“Hi,” Colette said, sounding tired.
Her normally high-pitched voice had more base.

“Hi, Colette,” Torino said, walking
toward her and stopping just before he got to her chair.

Their eyes met and he turned back to
look around at anything else.

She asked, “Where’s Sequoia?

Sequoia stepped up next to Torino.
“Hello, Colette.”

Colette gave Sequoia a weak smile, aiming
her light eyes at her. “Hi. Have a seat.” Colette seemed to be even more
heavyset and her trademark golden hair seemed to have broken off some. It was
pulled back into a thin ponytail. The smell in the room was of Bergamot hair
dress.

Kyle still stood, and so did Torino
and Sequoia.

Torino was the one who said, “No
thanks. We can’t stay long. We’re just dropping off Kyle Jr.”

“Thank you for that,” Colette said.

“No problem,” Torino replied. “You did
good, Kyle. This house is big.”

Kyle said. “You know, it’s worth about
a half-a-million. I think I can definitely do better, though. Maybe something
around three or four. It’s okay for now but eventually, we’ll get something
like this so Kyle Jr. can have a yard. He never had that living in Fox Hills.”

Sequoia said, “It is nice.” She looked
around and then at Torino, hoping he would catch her eyes urging him to
announce their departure.

Colette said directly to Sequoia,
“Thank you for spending extra time with him. I appreciate that.”

Sequoia smiled. “No problem.”

Colette said to Torino, “And I got the
custody papers. I answered without contesting. I even sent my medical diagnosis
along with it. You having full custody is fine with me.”

Torino gave her a straight-on look as
though amazed that she was still perpetrating. “Really?”

Colette’s eyes were bloodshot. “Yes.”
She had a TV tray next to her with some medicine bottles, and a bottle of
Visine.