Married Men (32 page)

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Authors: Carl Weber

BOOK: Married Men
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“I can’t believe I’m here.” She turned to look at me then turned away. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist as I watched a seagull fly by. “I promised myself I’d stay away from you.” She sounded so emotional.
“If you were going to stay away from me, what made you change your mind?” I kissed her neck, glad that she had changed it.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she replied in a soft voice.
“That’s funny,” I chuckled, hugging her tightly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you either.”
“Yeah, right.” She turned around and glared at me, which surprised me.
“You’re acting like you don’t believe me.”
“I don’t.” She struggled from my grasp and walked back over to the bed, sat at the edge, and stared at the floor.
“Why? Why don’t you believe me? I’ve been calling you every day for the last three months. Why do you think I called?” I wanted her to look at me so she could see how sincere I was.
“I don’t know why, Jay. But I know it’s not because you love me.” When she looked up at me, she had tears in her eyes. I walked over and knelt down in front of her.
“I do love you, Tracy. I swear to God I do. I need you to believe that.”
Tracy laughed as a tear fell from her eyes.
“You wanna know the real reason I wanted to see you, Jay?”
I nodded.
“ ’Cause I wanted to curse your ass out for leaving me in that damn house by myself. That’s why.”
I gulped hard. We hadn’t spoken about that incident since I picked her up this morning, mainly because our passion had taken over the second we saw each other. By the time we made it to the room, half our clothes were off and neither one of us was thinking about having any discussions.
“Look, Tracy, I’m sorry about that, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you.” I couldn’t have been more sincere if I was standing on a stack of Bibles, but apparently Tracy didn’t think that was enough. She asked me for more concrete proof.
“Okay, then, take me to your house and make me breakfast like you did last time.” She stared at me seriously and her words sounded like a command. I have to admit I was caught off guard.
“Wh-why? There’s a wonderful restaurant right downstairs.”
“You said you’d do whatever it takes. Well, that’s what it’ll take.” She folded her arms and waited for my answer. I hated knowing that she was backing me into a corner where my only escape was another lie.
“Like I told you before, I don’t wanna make a bad impression. My nephews are at the house.”
“What are you tryin’a say, that I’m gonna embarrass you? It’s not like I’m spending the night, Jay.” I had to think of something quick. I was trying my best to outthink her, but she was on her game.
“No, I don’t think you’ll embarrass me. It’s more like I’m afraid
they’ll
embarrass me.”
“Is that right?” She sounded suspicious, but I kept trying anyway.
“Yeah, those two boys are real monsters. If—” She cut me off.
“Take me home, Jay.” She reached for her clothes. “Take me home. Now!”
“You gotta be kiddin’. We just got here.” What the hell was it about going to my house that always set her off?
“I said take me home, and I mean now! I can’t stand you!” Her words were sharp and cut like a knife.
“Why are you actin’ this way?” I was stunned and my words were defensive. This couldn’t be happening after the beautiful love we had just made. It just couldn’t be happening. “You really wanna go home just because I won’t make you pancakes?”
She stood up with her clothes in her arms and walked over to the bathroom, her face streaked with tears.
“No, Jay, it’s not the pancakes.” She hesitated, trying to calm her voice before she dropped the bomb. “It’s the fact that you’re
married.”
My mind went blank and my eyes went wide. It took me a moment to get over the sudden shock of her words. I had no idea how she knew. I’d been in this situation before at least a dozen times with other women, so I knew the drill, but I couldn’t for the life of me think of my next move. There were only two sides to this coin: one was she knew I was married and had some type of proof; the other was she suspected I was married and was on a fishing expedition. With any other woman I might have just gambled and said, “Yeah, I’m married. You gotta problem with it, there’s the door,” but this was the woman I loved and wanted to be with the rest of my life. I had to tread lightly. I didn’t wanna give the wrong answer and lose her again. I searched her face for a clue, but none came up.
“Well, Mr. I-love-you, why didn’t you tell me you were married?” She’d stopped crying, but I was pretty sure anything coulda set the waterworks off again. This was definitely not how I had envisioned our reunion.
“What makes you think I’m married?” Might as well play dumb.
“Ohhhh!
” She threw her clothes at me and pointed a finger. “Don’t you lie to me, Jay! I’m in love with you, motherfucker. Don’t you lie to me!” Her teeth were clenched and the tears started again. If looks could kill, I’d be dead twice. But what mattered most was that I’d just heard her say she was in love with me.
At that point I was pretty sure she knew the truth. But rule number one in the players’ handbook is don’t say shit unless you get caught with your dick in the pussy, and then blame it on her lying eyes. So I kept quiet.
“You know, I was actually gonna sit in that house until you came home,” she admitted. “Yep, I was gonna sit there and wait ’til you came back home for me, but my curiosity got the best of me. My mama always told me never snoop around for something unless you’re ready to find it. I guess I gotta start listening to my mama.” She exhaled before dropping her next bomb on me. “You’ll never believe what I found when I looked in your living room closet that day.”
“Oh, shit,” I mumbled, wanting to kill myself for my stupidity. How could I call myself a player and make such a basic mistake?
“That’s right, I found your wedding pictures, your wedding album, and a whole bunch of family portraits. Your daughter is so cute. Can’t deny her, can you?” There weren’t any tears in her eyes now. Her voice was full of sarcasm. She was enjoying herself. “By the way, are you expecting a new addition? ’Cause that little nursery y’all got hooked up is the bomb.”
This was killing me. I wanted to say something but I couldn’t. I wanted to tell her yeah, I’m married and I got two kids but I’m willing to give it all up for you, but the words just wouldn’t leave my mouth.
“Get outta here, Jay!” she screamed out of nowhere. “I’m gonna take a cab home!”
“Tracy, I—”
“Get the fuck outta here, or I swear I’ll be on your doorstep tomorrow morning telling your wife everything from what color panties she wears to where she keeps her Kotex in the linen closet.”
I lowered my head and walked over to the other side of the bed. I put my clothes on without another word. When I finished dressing, I looked at Tracy, hoping she might change her mind, but she just pointed to the door. I reached into my pocket and dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the bed.
“For your cab,” I told her as a single tear fell from my eye and rolled down my cheek. “I love you, Tracy. More than anything in this world, I love you. You may not believe me, but I’m willing to leave my wife and kids for you. All you have to do is say the word.” I was crying now, like I never cried before. It must have been contagious ’cause she was crying again too. I walked out of that hotel room a broken man. By the time I reached my car, I had decided that life just wasn’t worth living without her. That’s when I heard her call my name.
When I turned, she was on the balcony.
“Jay, wait,” she yelled, then disappeared back in the room.
A minute later she ran out of the motel door into my arms, squeezing me tight. “Don’t go. I don’t think I could take it if you left me again. I hate you for lying to me and being married, but I love you too much to let you go.”
“You want me to leave my wife? ’Cause I will.” I stared into her eyes to let her know I meant every word. If she said so, Kenya was history.
“No, you’ve got kids,” she answered after she thought about it for a while. “She can have the title for now. You just remember who you’re in love with, and who’s really in charge.”
“I will,” I promised as we walked back to the room. “I will.”
26
 
Wil
 
I made it home from Shea Stadium in record time, and the truth is I’d been sweating all the way. Kyle, Allen, and I had been at the Mets-Yankees interleague baseball game when my neighbor, Mr. Brown, called me on my cell. Mr. Brown wasn’t the easiest man in the world to understand with his heavy Jamaican accent but he did make it clear that something was very wrong at my house and that I needed to get home before someone called the cops on my wife. Now that scared me, especially after I called home and I couldn’t get Diane. I was even more nervous when the answering machine didn’t pick up. Thank God both my kids were at my mom’s, or I probably would have had a heart attack from the anxiety.
When I pulled into the driveway, I immediately understood why Mr. Brown had been so alarmed. All I could do was stare in disbelief. Most of my belongings were strewn about my front lawn like something out of a bad horror movie, and when I looked up, the monster of this drama was my wife. She was throwing the rest of my clothes out my bedroom window. I got out of the car and picked up my Willie Mays rookie baseball card that had been ripped in half. Seven hundred bucks right down the damn drain, not to mention the fact that my grandfather gave me the card when I was six years old. My original concern for my wife had passed, and now I was heated. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but whatever it was, I thought, Di had better have a damn good reason for it.
“I told ya.” Mr. Brown ran up behind me. We both had to jump out of the way when a dresser drawer bounced off the porch roof and onto the lawn.
“Di, what the hell is wrong with you?” I screamed when she popped her head out the window.
“Ask your
whores,
you son of a bitch!” She threw another dresser drawer out the window and the small crowd that had gathered roared with laugher. I’d never been so embarrassed in my entire life.
I didn’t know what she was talking about but I chose not to air my dirty laundry in front of the neighborhood. I stormed up to the front door. I felt like a fool when my key wouldn’t work. “Dammit!” I slammed my hand against the oak door in a rage. She’d actually changed the fucking lock. I turned around and watched my underwear float down to the ground.
“I’ma kill this woman,” I mumbled to myself. That’s when I stepped out from under the porch and screamed.
“Diane! Open this fuckin’ door!” She answered me by throwing my computer monitor out the window. Pieces shattered all over the driveway. I ran around back and found the locks had been changed there too. I was so angry by then I decided to break one of the windows to get in, but when I went to get the hammer out of my trunk, two police officers were stepping out of their patrol car. One of them was a sister, and the other a white man.
“Can I help you, officers?” I tried to sound calm, though sweat was dripping down my face and my chest was heaving.
The male officer spoke first. “Yeah, you can start by telling us what’s going on.”
“My name’s Wil Duncan, Officer. This is my house.” I pointed to Diane, who was staring down from the window like a deranged animal. “That’s my wife, Diane.”
“Don’t point at me, you motherfucker! I wish I had that cop’s gun ’cause I’d shoot your sorry black ass!” she screamed, and of course, the crowd fell out laughing.
“Is she under the influence of any illegal substances, sir?” the female officer asked.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her, Officer. When I left this morning, she was fine. My neighbor called and told me there was an emergency and I came home to this.”
“What’s her name again?”
“Diane. Diane Duncan.”
“Mrs. Duncan, come on downstairs and open the door, please. Wed like to talk to you,” the male officer shouted. Diane’s head disappeared from the window and a minute later the front door opened.
“I don’t want him in my house.” She pointed at me.
“Di, what’s the matter, baby? What’d I do?” I’d never seen her act this way.
Ever.
The only thing I could imagine was that she was having some type of breakdown.
“I don’t want him in my house,” she yelled again.
“Mr. Duncan, why don’t you wait out here while we talk to your wife?” the female officer asked. It wasn’t a suggestion as much as a command.
Reluctantly I agreed and the two officers disappeared into the house. I’d be telling a big-ass lie if I didn’t admit I was scared. Not of Di being mad at me. Hell, I hadn’t done anything wrong. I’d been the perfect husband. No, I was scared that Di really might be having a nervous breakdown. Maybe the stress of taking care of two kids and going back to work was too much for her.

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