My Best Friend and My Man (26 page)

—43—

V
ERON

I am so confused,
so angry. When
I think about everything that’s happened—things Demetria has said, things she’s done, and what she ended up with anyway—I can’t help but be frustrated. I’ve tried so hard to be like her: sexy, confident, and good with men, and I’ve still failed. She betrayed me, and still gets everything while I get nothing. So I decide to do something drastic, to take the last step in my metamorphosis.

The time is right after twilight, when the earth’s darkness has swallowed up the sun. I end up in the gated subdivision and park just a few houses away from Thaddeus’s pad. His home is still as big as I remember from when Demetria invited me over to have dinner with them almost nine months ago. She was so proud that night; her face was shining, and she looked as if she had hit the jackpot. She nailed a rich, soon-to-be-divorced man, and she wanted to show him off. Show me what I was missing, and what she was getting. I remember trying to be happy for her, but that familiar twinge of jealousy wrapped itself around my heart. Why her? What’s so great about her? I’ve watched her closely, tried to emulate her style, memorized
Why Men Love Bitches
…and I still don’t know if it’s done any good. But I’ll find out tonight.

I’ve decided to give her an engagement present she won’t forget. And now I am standing in front of Thad’s house, opening up the front door with the key that I stole from on top of her desk when she left her office to go to the ladies’ room. She left it there in plain view, and she’s the one who taught me that I should do what I have to do to get what I want.

Heart thumping wildly, I slip quietly through the front door. As I knew it would be, the house is empty. This afternoon she described to me in great detail what her evening was going to be. She was going to go to his place and soak in his Jacuzzi first, and then head out to go shopping at the Galleria Mall and get her nails and toes done, as a surprise for him. Once he got home from work the two of them were going to have a romantic dinner out. She twirled around in a circle of happiness so many times I got dizzy just watching her. “I’m back, Vee. The bitch is back,” she sang. And I laughed and clapped with her, even though I felt dark and miserable inside.

I timed my arrival here so that she would be gone, shopping or getting her manicure, and Thad would be coming home soon.

I go upstairs, all the way up those long, winding stairs, until I come to Thad’s bedroom. I get undressed and slip on the nightgown he brought her from Quebec. Once I’ve slid my body into the gown I slide onto the bed, underneath the covers, and I wait. I wait for my man to arrive.

He’ll come home from work and will be happy to see that his wife-to-be has used her key to let herself in. He’ll feel happy and confident. Glad to know she’s home with him, not out with some other guy. First thing he’ll do is come to bed. I know Thad has the goods, because my best friend has never left out any details about his sexual prowess. And I want Thad to do to me everything he’s done to her. Lick me, kiss me, suck me, and fuck me. Do me right, treat me like a queen. Because tonight, I am Demetria.

When I hear noise downstairs I hold my breath. I cannot wait until Thad comes upstairs and finds his lover lying on her stomach, with her ass facing him so he can quickly get hard, slide his dick in her, and start calling out Demetria’s name.

I hear footsteps storming up the stairs, and I brace myself and get on my hands and knees.

Then the bedroom door opens.

“Demetria?” he whispers. He flicks on the overhead light.

I quickly murmur my disapproval. The lights go back off and complete darkness surrounds us.

“I’m sorry I’m so late. Are you waiting for me?” he whispers again.

I giggle, then stop.

He laughs, too. I hear him unzip his pants.

“I want you,” he whispers. I feel his hands grab my butt and begin massaging its roundness. I hump up and down, moaning, savoring the feel of his hot hands.

“Eat me,” I whisper.

“Okay,” he whispers.

I feel his lips kissing my butt, planting sweet kisses all over my backside. Then he presses his face in me and starts eating me out from behind. I twist and turn and rock and hump against him; he licks me and tears me up like an animal. It feels so good to be Demetria I want to laugh and cry and moan and scream, but I bite my tongue.

He flips me over and starts rubbing his hands all over my breasts. And I let his foreign hands have his way with my body. Water springs in my eyes. Demetria is right; so far sex with Thad is incredible.

I whisper, “You got a condom?”

“Not this time.”

I tense up. As good is it feels, I can’t let this piece of revenge go this far. So I clamp my legs shut and roll to the side.

“That’s enough,” I say in a low, breathy voice. “I’m done.”

“What?” he whispers loudly. I detect confusion in his voice.

I’m starting to get very nervous. “You can take your shower now so we can get dressed and go to dinner,” I tell him.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, still whispering. Then he gets out of bed and turns on the overhead lights. And I squint and look up at him and say, “Mike?”

—44—

S
EAPHES

It’s been tough
all week. I don’t
know how much longer I can wait. I’ve been so stupid, done so many things wrong. I can’t mess this up. She told me not to call her, but I can’t handle not talking to her, not figuring things out, how to fit me into the rest of her life. She’s the one, I know it. So I’m going to find the courage and go see her, and if she tells me that we fucked it up and can’t get it back…I don’t know what I’ll do.

—45—

V
ERON

“Let’s get the hell
outta here,” Mike
says. “What are you doing in this man’s bed?”

“What are you doing coming here? How’d you get in?”

“Demetria! She’s crazy; you know that. She wanted one last exciting fling before she settles down with this guy. She wanted to fuck me in his Jacuzzi; she said she’d leave the back door open for me.”

“She has finally lost her mind.”

“Apparently you have, too, Veron. Were you trying to seduce Demetria’s man? I didn’t think you’d be the type. You gotta get yourself outta here. I won’t say a word, and I know you won’t, either. Damn, I never should have listened to her.”

“I shouldn’t have, either. I shouldn’t have listened to any of it. None of her advice is right for me. I’m not like this at all. I keep trying to be something I’m not, and thinking I wasn’t doing a good job. But Mike, I finally realized something tonight. I don’t
want
to be like Demetria.”

“I’m glad, baby girl. But let’s get the hell outta here before they both come back and catch us.”

“Okay,” I say, trembling. I’m not thinking quite clearly yet, but I know what I told Mike was true. I can’t believe Demetria would even take a chance on messing up her good thing. I thought she’d learned her lesson. But it looks like I’m the one who needs to learn something.

Mike and I get out of there without anyone seeing us. And after I get in my car, I call him on his cell phone so we can talk.

“Mike, I am sorry. I feel crazy, like I’m not myself.”

“Well, I feel bad, too.”

“Whatever happened to you and Francine?”

“We’re history. She got sick of me, found another guy, and left.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. I can’t say I’m surprised, when I think of how different those two were.

“Hey, Veron. I want you to know that I figured something out tonight, too. I’m through with the game playing. When Demetria set this up, something told me no, stay away from it. But sometimes men get caught up. That’s probably what happened to your boy, Seaphes, and it’s obviously what happened to you tonight. I mean, think about it. If Thad had come home and sexed you, would you really feel any better? Would you have told Demetria? Would you really want your friendship to end over this silly, juvenile payback stuff?”

“Well, Mike, I guess I won’t ever know. I’m definitely never doing anything like that again.”

We talk until I arrive home, vowing never to speak a word about what happened. But I sob and toss and turn in bed all night. I feel like I need help in the worst way. I don’t want to let anyone else define who I am as a person. I hate that I’ve listened to the bitch book, to Demetria, to Seaphes, to Ursula…and the fact was that I was tuned in to everyone except myself. I decide that from now on, I am only going to do what I believe in my heart is best for me.

Now I just have to figure out what that is. One thing I know for sure. Lying here in the dark, I’m only thinking about one man.

“As odd as it sounds, I am glad for Demetria,” I tell Ursula, who has come to my office to gossip and backstab coworkers.

“So the whore is finally getting married to a rich psychotic punk. But let me tell you, girl, an expensive wedding doesn’t mean she’s going to keep her legs closed. You watch out for that one and get her before she gets you.”

“I know what you’re trying to say, Ursula. But I have to learn to trust people. She’s made mistakes in the past, and I know she’s not perfect, but she loves me.”

Ursula looks at me with venom. “I’m disappointed in you, Veron,” she says. “Oh well, not my problem. But if I were you—”

“Right, Ursula, you aren’t me. And maybe you should be paying less attention to my life and more attention to the mess you’ve created with your own.”

“What did you say, trick?”

“My name’s not Trick. It’s Veron Darcey. And don’t you forget it.”

“Humph,” she spits. “I’m outta here. Your mind is twisting up something bad right now, and I don’t want to have any regrets in the event that you say the wrong thing…and cross my line.”

“For once you’ve given sound advice. I think you oughta leave, too. Good-bye, Ursula.”

The next morning, I find Seaphes waiting at my office door. He is holding a single white rose.

“Hey there,” I say warily, and invite him to join me in my office. As I close the door, he says, “I won’t take too much of your time.”

He comes in and sits down, and just stares at me for a minute. He hands me the rose. I shift uncomfortably. “Okay,” he says. “Thank you for listening to me. All I ask is that you just let me finish, you just hear me out and think about what I have to say, okay?”

I nod. Considering what I’ve done, I owe him that.

“Okay,” he starts. “Veron, I am so sorry for all the stupid mistakes I’ve made. There were misunderstandings and all kinds of weirdness, but I think that I know who the real you is, and I’m sorry I didn’t recognize it sooner. And I want you to know that you’re the one for me. I know you are. You possess all the qualities that I admire in a woman. You’re supportive and you don’t expect me to call every five minutes. You trust me when I do right, and you calmly question me when I mess up. You’re not blind to my faults, but you believe in me…but won’t let me get away with anything that’s disrespectful. You are the most truly beautiful woman I think I’ve ever met, and your whole personality has a sparkle, and an innocence, that I want to protect and love forever.”

I’m astounded, feeling a mixture of emotions. “That’s how you truly see me?”

“That and much more. Veron, I know that once you release yourself from the bullshit advice from coworkers, books, magazines, and best friends, you’re the most wonderful woman around. You don’t need all that. You are an angel just as you are, and one who doesn’t realize how wonderful she is until someone tells her. And I will tell you every day forever, if only you’d have me. I just want you to know that, Veron. I’ll go back—”

I think about what he says, and it confirms everything I feel inside.

“Of course I’d have you. Seaphes…you know I want you. I always have.”

His eyes are glistening, and mine are, too. We seal our new commitment with a tender kiss.

And I know that this time our shared feelings are lined up, our future together is more certain, more sincere, more solid.

Have you ever taken a first glance at someone and immediately decided you could never have anything in common with that person? That was me and Demetria. The Odd Couple of women, we were. It doesn’t make sense that we grew to be friends, but somehow we are complementary. It’s always just worked.

I am at home sitting at my desk, clicking through old text messages on my phone. Demetria’s texts are so funny and supportive. I’m also looking through some greeting cards she’s written me, thoughtful messages she jotted down for Christmas, my birthday, Valentine’s Day. For the life of me I can’t pretend to fully understand why she acts the way she does. I know I can’t change her, and I certainly can’t be her. But I can be myself. I can be a forgiving person and a loyal friend.

I pick up the phone and call her on her cell. “Hey there,” I say, making sure enthusiasm fills my voice. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, girl, I’m so glad you called.” she says energetically. “You won’t believe what’s happened. Funny how things change.”

“You got that right,” I say, debating if I should tell her about me and Seaphes. “What’s happening with you?”

“I got two proposals, Vee, two. And the man that proposed to me last gave me an ultimatum. Can you believe it?”

“Nooo,” I tell her. “Who was that?”

“My baby Darren Foster.”

“You’re joking.”

“No, girl. Darren is a good man, a good lover, and finally he has a good job,” she says excitedly and describes the management program he entered with the City of Houston Aviation Department.

“And so it’s strange, but when I took the time to think about it and weighed the two, I had no choice but to pick Darren. He’s the man who’s always been there for me no matter what. There’s something deeper with us, and he always makes sure my needs are met…not just financially, but emotionally. How can I reject a love like that? Plus, let’s face it, any man who threatens physical violence, who places eavesdropping devices in my home…that’s just not the man for me. So I broke up with Thad, actually gave the dude his ring back, and I haven’t heard from him since. Can you believe that?”

“Yep,” I reply. I’m smiling to myself and wanting to scream with happiness and relief for both myself and my friend. “When it comes to love and matters of the heart, I can believe just about anything…especially when it comes to bitches like you.”