Divine Intervention (25 page)
Read Divine Intervention Online
Authors: Lutishia Lovely
51
Fistful of Tears
T
ai opened the door but kept her mouth closed. Rather than look at King, she looked just beyond his right shoulder, and tried to see a future without him. The image was hazy at best.
ai opened the door but kept her mouth closed. Rather than look at King, she looked just beyond his right shoulder, and tried to see a future without him. The image was hazy at best.
“I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” King said by way of greeting, jumping right into the heart of the matter. “I don’t deserve your love. I’ve messed up, and gone back on the promise I made years ago. I didn’t mean to, didn’t want to, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did it. All I ask is that you hear me out and maybe then you’ll at least understand how it happened.”
“Daughter,” Obadiah intoned in his firm, rich voice, “I have no right or desire to meddle in your and my son’s affairs. People living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. But if there’s one thing I know for sure it’s this: King loves you with every fiber of his being and from the depths of his soul. If he could change what happened to set y’all apart, he’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“Please, baby. Just let me in and hear me out.”
It was the tears in King’s voice that caused Tai to finally shift her eyes and look at him. That it hadn’t been a good night was written all over his face. Dark circles surrounded his bloodshot eyes and there was an ashen tone to his usually velvety chocolate skin. His eyes bore into hers—pleading, searching, wanting. She turned away before her heart could turn back to flesh from stone and, leaving the door open, walked into the living room. Once her resolve was firmly back in place, she again turned around.
“It’s Saturday, King. Why aren’t you at the church?”
“I had more important places where I needed to be.”
Tai looked behind King and, when she didn’t see Obadiah, asked, “Where’s your father?”
“He’s going to run over to Mama’s house, and then come back and pick me up.”
“Why’d you bring him here?”
“He asked to come, believes that in a way he’s partly to blame for what’s happening with us. I never thought I’d hear him admit that in some areas of life he hadn’t been the best example . . . but he did.”
Tai said nothing as she walked over to one of two chairs that framed the large picture window. She sat, back rigid, eyes looking outside.
“He’s determined to win back Mama . . . no matter how long it takes.” King looked at his forlorn wife, could actually feel the pain emanating from her body. It tore his soul. He’d been heartless and selfish to envision a life without Tai in it, a life with someone new. “I am
so
sorry.”
so
sorry.”
“You said that already.”
“I know, but I can’t think of any better words to use.” King took a step and saw Tai’s straight back get even straighter. He stopped, placed his hands in his pockets. For King, being unsure, unsteady, and not in control was unfamiliar territory. “I got caught up in a fantasy, one that had been orchestrated to snare me and reel me in. I hate that I took the bait.”
Tai gave King a sideways look, her brow raised in mock incredulity. “Oh, so this is somebody else’s fault?”
“Not at all. I blame nobody else for what happened but me. I was seduced, but I should have been strong enough to resist the temptation.”
“Who was it?” Tai asked, crossing her arms as she again looked out the window.
A deep breath and then, “Charmaine Freeman.”
Tai’s head whipped around. “Bishop Freeman’s daughter?” King nodded. “My God, King. She’s got to be young enough to be your daughter.”
“She’s twenty-eight.”
“Just when I thought you couldn’t sink any lower,” Tai murmured, sadly shaking her head. “And you expect me to believe that
she
seduced
you
?”
she
seduced
you
?”
King met Tai’s stare without blinking. “Yes. I’m sure you don’t want to hear the details—”
“No, I don’t.”
“But trust me, it was a seduction. Her father was even in on it.”
“The bishop was okay with you sexing his child?”
“Yes.” King wanted to tell Tai everything: about their switching him from the hotel to their private beachfront villa, the planned encounters involving Charmaine, her late night visits to his guesthouse, her naked sunbathing just outside his bedroom window, the offer from Wesley and, yes, even the fact that Charmaine had offered up her virginity on a thousand-thread count Egyptian cotton platter. But he dared not say more.
The air fairly crackled between them. Finally Tai spoke into the silence. “Why did you tell me?”
King walked over to the chair opposite where Tai was sitting. This time, he noted, she did not flinch. “I had to, Tai. As much as I knew it would hurt you and maybe even cause you to leave me, I didn’t want to do like I have in the past and lie to you. I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us, didn’t want to carry the guilt around in my heart. I got caught up in a moment, in a highly charged, horribly wrong block of time. But even as it happened I knew that it meant nothing. That I’d leave the island and that it would never happen again.”
Tai banged the chair arm with her fist. “And that made it okay?”
King’s voice was just above a whisper. “No.”
Tai was silent a long moment. When she turned to face him her demeanor was calm, her eyes bright and clear. “I have loved you since I was fifteen years old. You are the only man I’ve ever known, and the only one I’ve ever given my whole heart.”
“I know and—”
“No, King. Let me finish.” King sat back heavily in the chair, his eyes boring into Tai’s as she continued. “My whole world has been you, our children, and the ministry. I gave up everything to help you live your dream, and I did it gladly, willingly, never doubting that by your side was where I wanted to be. Like I said last night, after your last affair you promised me that it would never happen again. And I promised you that if it did, I would end the marriage.” Tai turned from the window and looked him straight in the eye. “I meant it.”
With that, Tai walked out of the room and up the stairs to their bedroom, head high, back straight, countenance one of strong determination. It wasn’t until she reached the master suite and had turned and locked the door that she wept for all of what had been . . . and all of what now would never be.
52
My Princess and Me
K
elvin and Princess sat out on Lavon and Carla’s spacious patio, enjoying the nighttime view and summer breeze. Since last week and the Fourth of July party fiasco starring Fawn, Kiki, Rafael, and the nameless brunette, the Petersen’s had visited with the Chapman’s almost nightly, not only getting marital counseling but also working on Lavon’s idea of a reality show starring Kelvin and Princess. Carla had been especially excited when Kelvin and Princess shared their vision for the show’s direction—showing a young, married couple determined to remain faithful to each other and to make commitment not only look attractive, but look like something to be envied if not achieved.
elvin and Princess sat out on Lavon and Carla’s spacious patio, enjoying the nighttime view and summer breeze. Since last week and the Fourth of July party fiasco starring Fawn, Kiki, Rafael, and the nameless brunette, the Petersen’s had visited with the Chapman’s almost nightly, not only getting marital counseling but also working on Lavon’s idea of a reality show starring Kelvin and Princess. Carla had been especially excited when Kelvin and Princess shared their vision for the show’s direction—showing a young, married couple determined to remain faithful to each other and to make commitment not only look attractive, but look like something to be envied if not achieved.
“Okay, so check this out.” Kelvin lifted his six-foot-five-inch frame off the chaise lounge and came to a sitting position. His eyes twinkled with excitement, and the barely there dimple on his right cheek deepened with his smile. “I’ve been thinking of an idea for the show intro. Like a theme song or whatever.”
“Who’s going to sing it?” Carla’s question was accompanied by a devilish grin. “Because as much as I love Princess, she can’t carry a tune in a bucket and, Kelvin, I doubt your crooning skills equal those displayed on the basketball court.”
“I got skills, Carla. You didn’t know?”
Carla’s look clearly showed that not only did she not know, she didn’t believe it.
“I thought maybe Princess and I could do something,” Kelvin said, not at all shaken by Carla’s lack of confidence. He shared a couple of the ideas he’d run by Princess over the past weekend.
“I like this!” Lavon said, once Kelvin had finished. Production was his passion and the creative process was his favorite part. “Maybe we could get Darius to write something. Either him or I know a couple hip-hop artists who might work for what we want.”
“Well, uh, actually I came up with a little sumpin’, sumpin’.” Having both Lavon and Carla’s attention, Kelvin reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “Y’all want to hear it?”
“Are you sure you want to sing it?” Carla retorted with a smile.
“Show us what you’ve got, man,” Lavon said.
Kelvin winked at Princess, who was smiling broadly, and made a big show of clearing his throat. “Okay, now understand that I’m not a rapper and this is a work in progress, so it might be a little rough around the edges right now. I mean it’s not like we—”
“Baby!” Princess cried. “Just do it!”
Kelvin actually looked a little uncomfortable as he shifted from one foot to the other. “Okay, here we go. Unh, unh . . . here we go, here we go, yeah. Bob your head.” Princess was already grooving and snapping her fingers to Kelvin’s beat. Lavon and Carla joined in.
“You’re ’bout to see a story about me and my girl,
About the prince who found his princess when she rocked his world.
She flipped the script and sent the digits when I asked to call her,
Said she was down and would stick around with an NBA baller.”
About the prince who found his princess when she rocked his world.
She flipped the script and sent the digits when I asked to call her,
Said she was down and would stick around with an NBA baller.”
To Lavon and Carla’s surprise and delight, Princess stood and took over the rap without missing a beat.
“Hang with me and the man who is my one and only,
And watch us navigate this thing called matrimony.
Share the ins and outs and ups and downs with me and
KP....”
And watch us navigate this thing called matrimony.
Share the ins and outs and ups and downs with me and
KP....”
Kelvin put his arm around Princess as he finished. “And spend a day in the life of my princess and me.”
“Uh-huh, me and KP.”
“My princess and me.”
“It’s just me and KP.”
“It’s just my princess and me.”
“Yeah, baby!” Princess gave Kelvin a high five before molding herself to his broad chest. They’d worked on this ditty all weekend and had rehearsed it over and over. It sounded even better than they’d hoped it would, and regardless of what Lavon and Carla thought about it, would call it a success.
“That was great!” Lavon exclaimed. Too excited to stay seated, he stood and walked over to where Kelvin and Princess embraced. “Did y’all write that?”
Kelvin released Princess and turned to Lavon. “Yeah, me and baby girl wrote it together.”
Lavon and Kelvin shared a brother-man handshake. “I love that, man; can see doing some cross-marketing with that joint, maybe even releasing it as a single with a companion video.”
As Kelvin and Lavon continued putting their business heads together, Princess walked over to the custom-made bamboo bar where Carla sat perched on a bar chair. “What did you think, Carla?” She pulled out a chair and sat next to her, then reached for the pitcher of fresh-squeezed orange juice on the bar and poured a glass.
“You and Kelvin are so cute,” Carla admitted, “and work so well together.”
Princess looked up, the glass from which she was about to take a drink suspended between her mouth and the table. “Why do I feel that there’s a
but
coming?”
but
coming?”
“But . . .” Carla began with a laugh, “I want y’all to be careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“This business is hard, Princess, and marriage is harder. Viewers like nothing better than to build you up, way up, just so that they can see you come crashing down. Remember Jessica Simpson and, oh, what was her husband’s name?”
“Nick Lachey.”
“Right. Remember what a nice couple they made, and what a fairy-tale life they seemed to live? I don’t think their reality show lasted two seasons before the rumors started, the tabloids did their thing, and the next place we saw them was divorce court. And then there was that family whose daughter’s highly hyped on-screen marriage lasted less than three months.”
Princess’s facial expression showed her concern. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this,” she finally said. All excitement had left her now subdued voice as she thought about a high-profile breakup.
“No, baby, I’m not saying don’t do it. I’m just saying be careful. Go into this with your heads on tight and your eyes wide open. Stay humble, stay grateful . . . and stay in counseling.”
“What do you two ladies have your heads together about?” Lavon asked as he walked to where Carla and Princess sat, and then noticed the serious countenance on both of their faces. “What’s wrong?”
Kelvin walked up behind Princess and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Carla smiled at Lavon. “We were just discussing the pros and cons of life in the spotlight. I love this whole concept of their show revolving around their marriage, with the added components of Kelvin’s basketball career and Princess’s work on my show. But you know how we like to build people up and then tear them down. I was just telling Princess to be careful.”
“Ah, don’t sweat it, Miss C,” Kelvin said, kissing Princess on the temple. “I ain’t going nowhere and Princess can’t leave me so—”
“Oh, really?” Princess said, turning to see Kelvin’s face.
“You know that without me you can’t breathe, girl. Don’t play.”
“Whatever,” Princess said, with a laugh. Though she’d be damned if what he’d said hadn’t sounded true.
“Look, most people go into marriage head over heels in love with each other and believing it will last a lifetime. But things change.” Carla looked at Princess and in that instant realized that she didn’t know yet—that this beautiful young woman so sure of her marriage had no idea that her own mother and father were headed for divorce. As she continued, Carla wasn’t thinking about what was happening in Tai’s marriage. She was focused on what had happened in her own. “People grow in different directions, desires and affections can change . . . affairs can happen.”
“No, Carla,” Princess said with a vehemence that surprised even herself. “I’ve already told Kelvin that when it comes to cheating, I have a zero tolerance rule in full effect.”
So did your mother,
is what Carla thought. “And I’m sure you mean it,” is what she said. “Listen, guys, I’m not telling you what I’ve heard. I’m telling you what I know. When I married Stanley I swore that I would never, ever, cheat on him, that I would be a loving, dutiful, and faithful wife. I said those words and I meant them with every fiber of my being. But fifteen years later, the situation looked very different, had changed in ways that I could not have imagined. And now, here I sit. Happier than I ever could have dreamed, granted, but having gone through the fire and been dragged through the mud. I’m just trying to help y’all not get dirty.”
is what Carla thought. “And I’m sure you mean it,” is what she said. “Listen, guys, I’m not telling you what I’ve heard. I’m telling you what I know. When I married Stanley I swore that I would never, ever, cheat on him, that I would be a loving, dutiful, and faithful wife. I said those words and I meant them with every fiber of my being. But fifteen years later, the situation looked very different, had changed in ways that I could not have imagined. And now, here I sit. Happier than I ever could have dreamed, granted, but having gone through the fire and been dragged through the mud. I’m just trying to help y’all not get dirty.”
“So, Kelvin,” Lavon asked, “given how women throw themselves at you, what safeguards or measures do you have in place to protect yourself from yourself, and from the temptations that are sure to come?”
Kelvin came from in back of Princess and joined Lavon on the other side of the bar. His brow furrowed in thought as he took a seat. “One day not long ago,” he began, “I asked my dad how he did it. How he and Mom Vee maintained a successful marriage, and how he’d been able to stay faithful to her all these years. I’ll never forget his answer—that any type of man can have all kinds of women, but the man who chooses to be with just one woman is one of a kind. He said that there were levels of love, and the deepest one was the exclusive bond between two people. He talked of the bond that happens when your wife is also your confidant, your lover, your counselor and best friend.” He looked at Princess with love in his eyes. “I want to experience the type of love that he and Mom Vee have, that forever kind.”
Carla walked over to Kelvin and gave him a big hug. “If you want it you can have it, darlin’.” She reached over to include Princess in the embrace. “Both of you. And Lavon and I will be cheering you on, every step of the way.”
“Speak for yourself, baby,” Lavon said. Three sets of eyes looked at him. “Let’s face it. Drama sells. Your lovey-dovey is good and all, but this is about ratings! I say we let y’all have a honeymoon for, oh, two-three months or so, and then we’ll hit ’em with a little bit of scandal and...”
Carla’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. She adopted a strong stance with legs apart and placed her hands on her ample hips.
“What?”
“You keep talking like that,” she warned, “and we’ll have some drama all right. . . . And no one to yell ‘cut’ either!”
“I’m just kidding, baby.”
“I know.”
“I love you, Carla Chapman.”
Carla sidled up to the love of her life. “I know that, too.”
They talked well into the evening and by the time Princess and Kelvin said their good-byes, the four friends were excited and more than ready to rock and roll with television’s next hot reality show:
KP and His Princess
.
KP and His Princess
.
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