THE GREAT PRETENDER (23 page)

“You mean you know him?” Reggie’s movement stilled. “You know this Sean?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen him over at the house a couple times. But Olivia told me how she felt about him. She was enamored, said he treated her really well and all that stuff. So I’m a little shocked that she would agree to an abortion…”

Reginald fell silent. Had Franklin been looking, he would have seen the sting that filled his eyes.

They lifted in silence for several minutes until finally Frank spoke. “So, I bet Tracy’s the one who’s pushing for the abortion, huh?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that she was pushing it. I just think she’s encouraging the best decision for Olivia under the circumstances. Besides, from what she tells me, this guy is no match for Olivia.”

“Well, I must admit he does have that dime-store-hood look about him. So how did Trace get Olivia to agree to this abortion?”

“Apparently, Sean is involved with someone else…an ex-girlfriend. Lord, Frank, if you only knew how badly I want to talk to her about all this! I’d love for her to come to me, let me help her…be included, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. But don’t worry. You just have to give her some time. She’ll come around.”

“I know, I know. Time.”

After they
showered
and changed, they had breakfast in the dining room. Frank decided to explore another area of Reggie’s eventful life. “How’s everything with your sister and that Valerie-Debbie team-up?” He watched Reggie carefully.

“Thelma’s need for drama far exceeds her capacity for good reasoning. She loves to cook up trouble where there is none—you know that. When I first got back, she and I had a long talk about that whole fiasco, and I think she got the picture. I won’t stand for her being some sort of catalyst to threaten my marriage. You know they never really got along, and all Thelma needs is Valerie’s insinuations to set her off.”

“Regg, have you ever…” Franklin hesitated and took a sip of his black coffee before continuing quietly. “You ever consider the possibility that it might’ve been true?”

Silence.

Frank looked across the table; a flicker of anger had crossed Reginald’s face. Frank could not understand.
The son of a bitch was incredible. For years he’d left his wife and kids, choosing to go play man of the house in Orlando, and now he had the nerve to be outraged that Tracy could be fucking someone else
.

Just then, Lila, a veteran waitress at
The Ivory
served their breakfast of cheese omelets, bacon, and muffins.

“Why would I think that it was true?” asked Reggie when Lila stepped away. “Do
you
suspect Tracy was seeing another man?”

Frank’s eyes went cold. For full effect, he said, “Well, you know what they say, Regg, about asking questions you don’t want the answers to.” He proceeded to spread apple jelly over a fluffy English muffin.

Reginald watched Frank’s movements as he bit into the bread. Could it be possible that Franklin knew who Tracy had been seeing? Reggie cleared his throat before saying, “Are you trying to tell me that you knew about this and never mentioned it to me?” He held his breath unconsciously.

“No, no…I’m not saying that. All I mean is that you
were
gone a lot, Reggie, and I don’t think it should surprise you or anyone to learn that Tracy may have been…you know. If she did indeed do it, I think it would be understandable.”

For the very first time, it occurred to Reginald that the time Frank had spent with Tracy and the girls over the years had given him an advantage, more insight into their lives—an advantage that he, Reginald, had given up. After all, hadn’t he always asked Frank to look out for them while he was away?

Suddenly, without warning, Reginald experienced a shard of envy so strong it threatened to pierce his chest.

He sipped apple juice and attempted to remain composed. Frank was right, and so words escaped Reggie. To avoid saying anything that would come out sounding egotistical, he said nothing more.

The two men ate in loaded silence. Dozens of patrons joined them in the dining room, many visiting their table to offer greetings. Within minutes, the room’s atmosphere was filled with animated chatter. The early morning crowd began to annoy Reggie, who just wanted to be alone, to mull over his conflicting emotions.

“So, I take it that all has not gone as expected on the home front.” Frank used a napkin to wipe his mouth, finishing the last of his omelet.

“I don’t know what I expected…to come home and turn into the goddamn Brady Bunch, I guess. You know, where every problem could be solved in half an hour.”

“Well, forget about the past, and focus on the future, Regg. I mean, face it. If Tracy was seeing someone, there’s nothing you can do about it now, is there?”

Reggie thoughtfully sipped the last of his coffee. “You’re right. I know Trace loves me—that’s essentially all that matters—and we’ll be fine, especially now that Orlando is pretty much over. But I’m not quite as confident about Olivia. I just don’t understand this…this extreme resentment. I mean, it’s like she truly doesn’t see me. She’s even planning to move out, and I’m sure it’s all because of my being home now.”

Lila appeared and refilled their cups with steaming coffee. “Can I get you gentlemen anything else? Some fruits, maybe?”

“No, we’re fine, Lila. Thanks,” replied Frank. Once the waitress moved away, Frank continued. “Like I said before, Olivia will come around. Give her some time and space. Even if she moves out, so what? Maybe that’s what she needs.”

What used to be welcome advice and support now bounced off Reginald’s envy like springs. Embarrassed by his jealousy, Reggie kept his feelings under control.

This wasn’t Franklin’s fault—it was his own.

After playing several
sets of tennis on
The Ivory’s
vast, lime green tennis courts, Tracy and Justine had showered and changed, and were now seated for lunch in the dining room. Incidentally, they’d been placed at the same table Frank and Reginald had occupied a few hours earlier. Lila mentioned the coincidence prior to taking their orders.

At hearing Frank’s name, Tracy cringed. She wondered how much longer it would be before the mentioning of his name had
absolutely
no
effect on her.
A year? Maybe two?

Justine noticed the change in Tracy’s mood. She wondered if she knew about Reginald’s woman and kid in Orlando. She’d wanted to tell her for years, but Roger had sworn her to secrecy, threatening her very life if she ever breathed a word of it to anyone.

The women chatted lightly about inconsequential matters as they awaited their turkey sandwiches—which couples were to be married; who was robbing the cradle; whose mistress was pregnant or trying to become pregnant; who’d just bought new cars, houses, yachts, and so forth. Finally, Tracy broke the blasé dialogue. “Justine, I can trust you, can’t I? I mean, if I needed advice on a delicate matter, I could rely on you?”

Justine frowned. “Tracy Brooks, I can’t believe that you have to ask me such a thing! Of course you can trust me! Really, now!”

Glancing around, Tracy reassured her, “Please don’t take offense, Justine, it’s just that this is a very sensitive issue for us and I’d really like to get a trustworthy, objective opinion.”

Suppressing a knowing smile, Justine said seriously, “Spill it. I’m as objective as you can get—I promise.”

Tracy began in a low voice, face full of concern, despite the boisterous chatter that surrounded them. “Well, it’s about Olivia…She’s pregnant, and my first instinct was that she should have an abortion, and Reginald agrees. However, my mother said some things that actually have me second-guessing myself…” Tracy went on to explain that Olivia, too, wished to have the abortion, and that everything pointed to it as a logical option.

Justine listened to Tracy’s reservations, and after careful thought she replied, “Hon, I think it would be for the best, too. If she were my daughter, I’d want the same thing. If this Sean is as useless as you say, then what’s the point of weighing herself down with his baby? I agree with you and Reginald. Your mother’s heart is in the right place, but I think she’s still stuck in that old-fashioned mentality. And from what you’ve said, the pros outweigh the cons.” When she discussed it later with Roger, he would be in agreement. Olivia was a young, beautiful, and bright girl. There was just no sense in stifling her potential with a baby.

“Well, I must say that I do feel a whole lot better about it now. I mean, I felt it was the right choice, but I suppose I just needed some reinforcement. A thing like this would be a lot to regret later on down the road.”

Justine reached over and patted her hand. “Ahh, don’t fret about it another second. You’re making the right decision. You’ll see—it’s for the best.”

Throughout the remainder of their lunch, Justine found herself studying Tracy. She wondered about her life with Reginald. She wondered about the renewed happiness that she and Reginald seemed to have found.

But Justine also found herself wondering how long it could last.

Valerie and Lydia
were at the Miami Pines Mall, shopping for lingerie on Saturday afternoon. The minute she had gotten out of the bathtub the night before, Valerie called Lydia with all the awesome details of her first sexual experience. Naturally, Lydia had drowned her with all sorts of questions; some of them even embarrassed her a bit. “Was he big or small?” she had asked. “Did it hurt? Where did you guys do it? How long did it take him to come? Did he act like he had done it before? Did he go ‘downtown’?” Embarrassment notwithstanding, she had excitedly answered each question. When they’d finally gotten off the telephone, a gritty-eyed Valerie looked at the clock—it was after four in the morning, hours after she’d heard her parents come home.

Now, as they perused the merchandise of Victoria’s Secret, Lydia was
still
at it. “But, Val, I still can’t believe you spread on the first date!” Lydia chuckled while holding up a red lace thong. “You think Ron’s gonna like this? He loves red—it’s his favorite color.”

Valerie lowered her shades. “Forget Ron. What about Joe? Think he’ll like these?” She held up a shocking pink pair of the same style. “I don’t know what his favorite color is yet, but I like the pink ones.”

Lydia laughed. “Since when do you wear thongs, milady?”

“Since last night!” Valerie replied, raising her hand for a high five.

The girls left Victoria’s Secret and headed for the food court. Once they had their meals and managed to find an empty table among the crowd, Lydia said, “You didn’t answer my question. How come you did it with him on the first date?”

Smiling from ear to ear, Valerie said, “Girl, I don’t know what happened! All I know is that I probably would’ve done anything he told me to do. Joe is so incredibly sweet! He’s just…he’s just so different from those other guys, I guess. It just felt right, you know? Besides, don’t you think I’ve been a virgin long enough? I was getting tired of you and Ron having all the fun!”

“Yeah, I guess it
was
about time. But Ron and I didn’t do it the first time we went out. We didn’t start having sex until, like, a month later…”

“Well, I couldn’t wait a month! Say no to Joe Ellison for an entire month? No way! I’d die.” Valerie wiped her mouth and sipped Coke.

“So I guess it’s safe to say you’re gonna do it again tonight, right?”

Smiling, Valerie said, “But of course! Whatever Joe wants, Joe gets, my dear.” She had to laugh at herself. She sounded so silly…but in a good way.

“Listen to you!” said Lydia, chewing an onion ring. She cocked her head to the side. “Well, have your fun, girl, but just don’t get pregnant, okay? Or worse. Okay? Did you make him use a rubber?”

“What? Of course he used a rubber! And I didn’t even have to mention it. Joe had it all under control. Isn’t that great? He’s like a real man—he takes care of his business,” Valerie bragged.

Though Lydia had no cause for suspicion, had she observed her friend closely, she would have seen the truth. Joe hadn’t used any protection.

Condoms had never even crossed Valerie’s mind—until now.

T
he two-bedroom town house was brand new. After viewing the
Tilula
model late Saturday afternoon, the real estate agent, Jenny Parker, had agreed to meet Olivia the following day to show the actual home that was on the market. Having spent most of the morning and afternoon with Olivia viewing homes from North Miami to Ft. Lauderdale, Jenny had explained that she had other appointments later in the day.