Every Woman Needs a Wife (8 page)

“Your daughter’s the one who needs a beating,” he shot back. Size-two Julie—the toy of the week—placed a hand on his upper arm. He shrugged her off, “Bringing this foolishness in my son’s house.”

“It’s my daughter’s house, too, you idiot!” Brandi’s mother shrieked back. “And she has every right to invite who she wants. At least she’s not sneaking around like your tired ass. I bet Bettye got the best of your tail on that one. Almost a quarter million per year. I bet you take hefty swigs of Pepto after writing those checks!”

William’s face turned from a bright red to an angry green. “What? You
and
your crazy-ass daughter need to get the hell out of here before I—”

“Pop a button?” she asked, with her hands folded across her small breasts. “Don’t see you trying to rein in that stud son of yours. Probably serving it up like Sunday brunch and can’t appreciate a good thing when he has it—just like you.”

Bettye choked trying to swallow her drink in one gulp. Without looking around, Avie patted the woman gently on the back, but didn’t bother to shut her own mouth, which had fallen open and stayed there as she watched the circus.

Brandi slid in between her mother and Vernon’s father. “Everyone, please. No need for alarm. Just treat Tanya with the respect and courtesy reserved for family.” Then Brandi paused, her lips forming a faint, bitter smile, adding, “Come to think of it, y’all don’t treat family too well. So, I’d better say it simply—be nice.”

Vernon’s father growled, “You’ve lost your damn mind.”

“Not at all,” she told him in her sweetest voice. “I think I’ve found it,” she said, noticing that the light in Vernon’s eyes had suddenly dimmed. She extended an arm to her wife. “Right this way, Tanya, you missed that wonderful dinner at your house. I’m sure you’re starving by now.”

Tanya looped her arm in Brandi’s and strolled to the buffet table, gingerly
picking up a plate before scanning the spread. She piled on the red beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, glazed turkey ham, corn bread and candied sweets, passed over the pasta salads, watercress sandwiches, beef Stroganoff, and scones, then scooped up a few spoonfuls of peach cobbler.

“You sure you’re not Black?” Brandi asked, chuckling deeply as she noticed all the food landing on the woman’s plate.

A wide grin lit up Tanya’s face. “Shake anyone’s family tree hard enough, there’ll be a few dark leaves that fall out. Same goes the other way around.”

Brandi watched her mother and William still going at it. “People are gonna trip. Are you gonna be okay with this?”

“Did you see the look on Vernon’s face?”

Brandi shook her head. “I was too busy watching Daddy Dearest have a conniption.”

“Yeah, he did seem overbearing when I met him last month.”

Brandi’s eyes narrowed at the man. “His father knew?”

Tanya nodded. “So did those two meatheads standing over there.” Brandi followed her gaze to Craig and Jeremy. “The only people who weren’t in on the full deal were me and you.”

“Wait until I tell Lissette and Alanna. They’re gonna kill them!”

Tanya took a hearty bite of corn bread. “If you had seen Vernon clamp down and bite his tongue, you’d realize that you’re getting more mileage out of this than simply shock value.” She held up her plate. “Hey, no turnips?”

Brandi shook her head absently, looking at the people gathered around a somewhat repentant Vernon, relishing her moment of victory. “I would never have expected to find you at my front door.”

“And I would never have expected you to take him down like you did earlier.” She grinned, making her even more beautiful. “A woman that can think on her feet like that is definitely the type of person I could learn from.”

Brandi paused a minute to take that in. “Well, gotta make the rounds,” she said with a weary sigh. “You hold up your end of the house and I’ll hold up mine.”

“Nice spread,” Tanya called after her.

Brandi whirled back, saying, “Not as nice as yours.”

“Touché,” she said, balancing her overflowing plate to reach into her pocket. “Here’s the key to my—his—um—your house.”

Brandi looked at the little cold silver key that Tanya dropped in the palm of her hand and smiled. “On second thought… Tanya, I need you to make a phone call.” Then she leaned over, whispering a set of instructions.

Tanya paused for a second or two, listening attentively, then laughed, plate still in hand, and headed to the phone to carry out the plan—given to her by her new “husband.”

“Honey, you’ve had too much to drink.”

Brandi turned, taking in the wonderfully warm and gentle face of her mother. “That’s not it, Mama. I’ve only had one. Two, counting the one I had at Tanya’s earlier. This is something that needed to be done.”

“Baby, I know you’re angry, but this isn’t the way.” In a warm flash, the normal expressive lines returned to Mama’s oval-shaped face. The mocha skin had only a few wrinkles to show her age, her pink-and-brown pantsuit gave her the appearance of being younger than her sixty-five years. Her wide, bright smile and warm eyes were the things that most pulled people to her. “Having that white woman in your house with your husband and your kids is not the way.”

Donny, with one headphone to his ear, eased the crowd into a moderate rhythm, but occasionally glanced over at his mother and sister.

“No, Mama, it’s a new day and I’m making sure that the rules suit me,” Brandi said, with a trace of a sad smile. “He didn’t consult me about bringing her into our marriage, but it affects my life, my children, and my money. So why not do it this way?” Dancers had made their way back to the center floor. “Now he can’t hide anymore and I get something out of the deal.”

Donny eased up beside Brandi, whispering, “You want me to beat his ass?” The short, medium-built man eyed Vernon warily. “You know I’ll beat his ass for ya.”

Mama reached around Brandi and popped him upside the head as Brandi laughed, knowing he would do just that. “No, don’t put your hands on him.”

Her brother’s face drooped with disappointment.

Brandi gave his hand a gentle pat, gracing him with a forced smile. “Maybe next time he screws up.”

“Better not be a next time,” he grumbled, squaring his shoulders as though preparing for a heavyweight bout.

Brandi reached out, pulling him into a warm hug. “I love you, big brother.”

“Still think you’re crazy,” he said over his shoulder, then watched Tanya, who had leaned over on the counter to make the call. The powder blue miniskirt had ridden a little higher on her thighs, exposing the beginning of her ivory cheeks. The men near Vernon couldn’t take their eyes off her. Even Vernon’s dad kept giving her a few glances and received a glare from Julie.

Avie sidled up to Brandi. “Why didn’t you talk to me before doing this?”

Brandi shrugged. “It just happened.”

“How can bringing the mistress here serve a purpose?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll get back to you on that.” She turned to her friend. “And for the record, I didn’t bring her here; she just showed up with his wallet and I had a bright idea and went with it.”

“What happened to make her think she could come here in the first place?”

Brandi thought about that a moment. “I walked in on her and Vernon and laid my cards on the table. Vernon folded and went home. Tanya picked up her hand and played the big joker.”

“No shit!”

Brandi laughed. “And that’s what I call playing the game.”

Craig and Jeremy gathered around Vernon like he was a wounded dog. Their wives glowered at them from across the room. Somehow, Brandi didn’t think Vernon’s friends would have a pleasant evening when they got home.

“And from the looks of things,” Brandi said softly, “I still have the best hand.”

Avie followed Brandi’s gaze across the room. “Looks like the testosterone crew’s rallying behind Chief Sperm-a-lot.”

“Yeah, well, he really needed them at
her
house.”

For some reason her friend didn’t crack a smile. “Brandi, you know you’re my girl and all,” Avie said, eyeing the mistress warily. “But what the hell have you been smoking?”

“Forget you!”

“She looks like an Amazon warrior. She could’ve tackled your ass right there in her living room.”

“She was too shocked to do anything.” Brandi raised a hand to her temple, trying to rub away the beginnings of a headache. “Vernon lied to her, too. He’d even taken the girls over to her place a few times. Ain’t that a bitch?”

The lawyer took a few seconds to absorb that piece of information, then turned back to watch the crowd. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to show up at her house?”

“For the same reason you’re shitting a kitten right now.”

Avie grimaced. “I would’ve talked some sense into your silly little head.”

“I didn’t need sense, I needed justice.”

The elder Spencer loomed over Vernon’s sulking form, arms flailing about like a choir director. “Look at the way my husband’s getting reamed. I got mine, baby.” Brandi gestured sharply to Tanya, who waved to Brandi from across the room. Brandi gave her a small Miss America wave. “Look at her, soaking it up like she came up with the idea. I couldn’t have done this better if I had planned it from the beginning.”

“So now what?” Avie’s tone was dry.

“What do you mean?”

Avie’s thinly arched eyebrows shot up. “She’s leaving when the party’s over, right?”

“No, dear, she stays,” Brandi said, shaking her head. “He had her all to himself for six months. I deserve
at least
that.” Brandi winked as Tanya twirled the phone in her thin fingers, carrying out her first duty as a wife. “No, Avie, the woman makes it up to me. She took time away from my children, she took time away from me. She’s going to redeem herself for those six months. ’Cause somewhere in the back of her mind she knew he was lying just like I did. For every time I had to settle for less than Vernon’s best, she owes me.”

Tanya gave her a thumbs-up as she hung up the phone.

Brandi smiled back, returning the gesture, saying, “So as Polaroid says, let’s see what develops.”

V
ernon dashed over the moment Avie vacated the spot next to Brandi. “Can I see you upstairs in the bedroom?”

Brandi turned, facing him. His shirt was unbuttoned, jacket ruffled, and his hair could use a comb. He looked annoyed, probably more with himself than anyone. “Why? Nothing’s been going on out here that can’t stay down here.”

Yanking her by the arm, he dragged her backward up the first six stairs, growling, “Woman, get your ass in this room.”

She shrugged him off, leveling a steely gaze on him. “Put your hands on me again and Donny locking you in the trunk will look like child’s play. He already asked to give you a half-order of butt whipping tonight, I’ll tell him you want a full one. He does deliver…” She followed him into the bedroom.

Vernon ignored her warning, growling, “What the hell are you doing, bringing that bitch in our house?”

Brandi pulled herself up to meet his gaze, snapping, “Oh, so
noooooow
she’s a bitch? She wasn’t a bitch three hours ago when you were lounging on her couch with a drink in your hand. She wasn’t a bitch when she was giving your dick a hallelujah handshake. She wasn’t a bitch when you paid her mortgage, her bills, and for that damn car.” Brandi glowered at him, poking a finger in his massive chest. “I don’t even drive a damn Lexus! So don’t ask me what I’m doing! I’m picking up where you left off—”

“My family’s out there,” he said, pointing to the door.
“Your
family’s out there. You bring this stranger into our home and—”

“You
brought her in,” she shot back, maneuvering toward the bed. “I’m just making sure she’s all the way in. Every time you slept with her, I slept with her. Every moment you spent away from your family to be with her, she was cutting into
my
time. Time I bought and paid for when I married your tired ass.” Brandi plopped down on the edge of the bed. “Now, I’m saving you the trouble of having to maintain two households. And I’m putting everything out in the open.” She stretched out languidly on the cream down comforter. “You’ve had a mistress and now I’ll have a wife. Hopefully, a better wife than you were a husband.”

“I won’t have her staying here—”

One eyebrow shot up.
“You
don’t have a choice.”

Vernon rocked on the balls of his feet. “So if I don’t go along with this asinine plan, what’s next?”

“That’s on you,” she said, shrugging. “If you’re not willing to share your mistress, we can split everything down the middle fifty-fifty.” She sat up, rubbing her sweaty palms across her thighs. “I’ll take my clients and you’ll keep yours. It’s what I’ve wanted since Simone was born.”

“I’m not giving up what I’ve busted my ass to build.”

“You should’ve thought about that before Mr. Slippery took a swim in Mistress Lake,” she replied. “Now I’m rowing the boat and it’s nothing but upstream for you,
Mister Spencer.”
Crossing the few feet between them, she planted a single hand on his chest, whispering, “There’s not a judge on this planet who won’t give me exactly what I deserve after listening to that tape. Avie’s ready to take a bite out of you so deep, she’ll hit bone before she lets go. Can you say…ouch!”

That thought alone was enough to make any man wet his pants. Avie had just been awarded the Black Legal Eagle plaque—only a lawyer who had won a certain number of county, civil, and appellate cases could achieve that honor. The woman had brought his father to his knees, a man who’d had a team of lawyers and she still won. So Vernon had to go another direction. “Think of the kids.”

“I am. They already know her as your—client? And somehow you’ve managed to keep them quiet about it.” Then her light brown eyes narrowed. “It must’ve cost you a pretty penny in DVDs and video games.”

Vernon grimaced. “iPods and laptops.”

“Ahhhh,” Brandi said, beaming and blinking, “I knew that was more than just fatherly love.”

“She’s not staying!” he roared.

Brandi relished the rippling vein near his temple. “Oh, yes she is, stud. She’s part of the family now. They love her out there. Didn’t you see your mother warm up to her?” Brandi winked, gushing as she gripped his shirt. “She’s a beauty and a keeper. You did us proud, honey!”