I smirked, thinking, you have no idea, Gladys. I thought about using this time that we had alone to tell Gladys about the drama that was unfolding in my home, but this was neither the time nor the place. Gladys had amazing news to tell me, and the issues with Rhonda would only ruin this day for everyone. No, the time would come, and when it did, Lord help Rhonda Grezille.
For the next ten minutes while we waited on the always fashionably late Rhonda to arrive, Gladys filled me in on the details of her time in Miami. She told me about her dilemma of deciding between a life of stability for her kids with James or happiness for herself with Maverick. She was torn between the two. Gladys said that she felt like she had let not only James down by cheating, but would also be letting her kids down if she decided to leave James and move them in with Maverick, the man that she truly loved.
“My goodness, Gladys! I didn’t know that you had all of this on your plate. It will take some time, but we will get you through this. Trust me.” I touched her hand and assured her that she was not alone. Just about the time she finished telling me about her time in Florida, Rhonda sashayed her conniving tail into the restaurant wearing a Louis Vuitton cat suit, expensive sunglasses, and a matching Louis Vuitton purse.
It was the same outfit that I’d purchased for myself last Friday when I was planning the special evening for Titus. She told when we were in the store shopping that she didn’t like the outfit and that ‘it would make me look pudgy.’ And now she had the expensive ensemble wrapped around her small frame. I’d always wondered who her financer was for all of the pricey things she owned, and now my answer was loud and clear. I tensed up for a second, but then glanced in the opposite direction to prepare myself to face her.
I could not believe she had the nerve to step off into Mama Rosas wearing that same damn outfit! I couldn’t wait to bury her ass alive with her trifling ways on top of her. Had I not caught her cheating with my husband, I’d still be sleeping on the way that she hated on me. Her day was
definitely coming, though. She was on my radar, and as a matter of fact, Titus was on my radar, as well.
“Hello, Sisters from Another Mama!” Rhonda beamed with artificial joy when she looked at me, as if she was actually glad to see me. I forced the most convincing smile I’d ever smiled upon my face, but she really had me messed up in the head standing there acting like it was business as usual.
“Hi, girl,” Gladys stood up and gave Rhonda a quick hug with a back pat greeting. I watched the exchange and my stomach turned at how phony Rhonda could be. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rhonda hadn’t thought about dipping with James before, either – if he was more her type, she wouldn’t have thought twice about being one of James’ whores. Rhonda slid into the booth in front of me, and said, “Hey, Shayla. What – are you not speaking?”
I just continued smiling and looked her dead in the eye without a word. Obviously recognizing that I hadn’t acknowledged her with anything other than that forced smile, she asked, “Okay… So, how did you and Titus enjoy your trip to California?”
“Well, honey, I’m glad you asked. It was lovely, every minute of it. Titus took me to just about every landmark in Hollywood and shopping on Rodeo Drive was to die for. After my shopping spree came the fun part. We rode a trolley ride, which took us on a tour of some of the most influential stars homes. But that’s not even what really took the cake. What took the cake was when hubby surprised me with tickets to P. Diddy’s All White Affair. Oh, honey, our entire time there was one beautiful experience after another, if you know what I mean.”
I took the opportunity to rub my time with my husband in Cali all the way in her face. Once I rubbed it in good, I scattered, smothered, and covered her face with it. I gave Gladys a high five for added effect while adding all kinds of ‘honey chiles’ and ‘that man, that man.’ Truth be told, there wasn’t that much great about that man except the fact that he was mine, but I would not let Rhonda know that I felt that way. I made sure I put emphasis on the beautiful experience I had with my husband, and tried to look as starry eyed as I could. I wanted her to know that everything she thought she could do for Titus was for naught. “He kept telling me how much he loved me, and how he’s never had so much fun with someone in all of his life. I don’t know why, but he kept repeating that. Like, ‘Shay, you don’t even know how good it is to be with you. No one makes me feel like my wife does.’ It got embarrassing after awhile, you know?”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Rhonda said quick and conveniently changed the subject. “Well, we’re here to help our girl solve her issues, so I’m assuming you told Shayla everything?”
“Yes, I just told her about it before you came in,” Gladys said, looking back and forth between Rhonda and me. I was hoping she wouldn’t mention the snide remarks that I was sure she noticed Rhonda and I shooting off towards each other. A blind person could see that there was tension that could be cut with a knife between us.
“So, what are you going to do about meat head James?” Rhonda asked, moving the conversation along. “He is such a dog!”
“And what would you know about a man being a dog? Is it that you know a dog when you see one?” I couldn’t help but ask her trifling ass. I know I was supposed to be keeping the fact that I was through with Rhonda on the low-low, but her sitting here in my face like she wasn’t in my den sucking my man off less than week ago was boiling my skin.
“Huh?” Rhonda and Gladys asked at the same time, but Gladys decided to answer Rhonda’s question to avoid the tension, “I-I don’t know, Rhonda. My heart says leave him and don’t look back, but my conscience tells me that I will regret it.” Gladys spoke to Rhonda, but kept her gaze fixed on me questioningly.
“Well, here are some things for you to think about. One, you’ve only spent one weekend with Maverick. While you may have known him well in college, fast forward to eight years later, and you don’t know him from a can of paint. Sure, you had a beautiful and magical weekend with him, and all of that is nice, but that doesn’t mean he is man enough to take care of you and your kids. That also does not mean that he is sane and not some crazy stalker dude that will end up worse than James in the long run.” I had to give Gladys some news that Rhonda’s airheaded ass would be too naïve to tell h
er. Of course, she was on Cloud Nine after a weekend with Maverick, but eight years can really change a brother.
“Shay has a point,” Rhonda agreed, and actually looked for a moment like she cared about our sisterhood. I noticed that she was avoiding my eyes, concentrating solely on Gladys.
“I know that he could have changed, but Shayla, you didn’t experience what I did. You didn’t see the genuine sincerity flow from his soul to mine. When he kissed me, when he said my name, and when he whispered Spanish love messages into my ear until I went to sleep, it was all real. He is the same man I was in love with then, if not better. The feelings are still there and are super strong, just as strong as they were back at Albany. I know I’m mature enough to know the difference, but for the sake of my children, I will take it slow. Hell, if it were just me and no children, I would be calling you guys from Florida right now.”
I turned to her intently, hoping to get through to her, and said, “Well, if the feelings are there and have never left after eight years of being separated, they will be there next year and the following year. Those feelings are not going anywhere anytime soon, especially after what you shared last weekend. Therefore, you can stand to hold out a little while longer before you up and divorce James, uproot the children, and move to Miami because of one great encounter. Come on, Gladys, you are a smart girl. Put your thinking cap on. ”
With that cheesy grin that was starting to irritate the fuck out of me on her face, Rhonda opened her mouth to speak, and I knew she was about to come out with some bullshit. She said, “Yeah, you ain’t got to be trying to run down there and marry his ass. Why not just creep with him? You know, get your groove on in Miami once a month or something like that, and keep James back at home. Maverick could even come and meet you up here sometimes. There are ways to handle your business on the down low, ya know?” Rhonda raised her eyebrows as if she was giving a hint, and that was it. I was about to snatch her a new asshole right across the table talking that shit about creeping. The nerve of her to be giving advice on how to creep when she didn’t have the sense enough to take her creeping with my husband outside of my home. On the
inside, I was boiling like an overcooked weiner, but I kept a cool head and didn’t say a word.
“I guess I could get my creep on,” Gladys mumbled, ambivalently searching herself for a better answer, so I gave her a better answer than creeping.
“You could do that, or you could just finally divorce James and enter into a slow and calculated relationship with Maverick. Get to know him all over again. Date him on the up and up, and get a feel for the full grown man that he is now. Let your kids get to know him, and let him grow on them. Then you can make your next move. Don’t end up being some sideline ass, because you didn’t do things the right way. You’re not some low class skeezer jumpoff that has to take that route, Gladys.” I shot Rhonda a look as I said the last line, because it was for her to comprehend.
Seeming to direct her response more so at me than Gladys, Rhonda said, “Whatever you decide to do, make your next move your best, because when you find something good like what you have with Maverick, you will have to take the bull by the horns and just go for what you want – no matter what or who the obstacle is.”
That sideline ho was speaking directly to me instead of Gladys, talking about taking what you want by any means necessary. That was it; I was done with ever looking at her like a sister of mine. She had crossed every imaginary line in the sand that I’d drawn. She was officially on the enemy line, I would have to keep her under close watch until I figured out how exactly I was going to proceed in my marriage. We talked back and forth for another hour or so, coaching Gladys on her situation.
I was glad that she had found someone who did not treat her with the level of abrasiveness that James had, but in situations like hers a woman had to be careful. She didn’t know enough about Maverick to know if he was still a good choice to gravitate towards. She didn’t know if James would turn into a ticking time bomb when he found out she was leaving him for another man, either. All of her options had to be carefully considered. I took a good look at my two friends’ situations. Gladys was creeping around on her husband, who was constantly creeping around on her. Rhonda was sleeping with my husband, who was creeping around with my best friend. Was I the only one in my inner circle without a secret?
Chapter 18
Shayla