Full Court Press (15 page)

“It’s not the number
of apologies; it’s whether or not you mean it.”

“Do you want me to move out?”

“Is running away your answer to everything?”

“Is talking
about the same thing over and over your answer to everything?”

“Sometimes I can’t talk to you.”

“Sometimes there’s nothing to talk about. Sometimes silence is golden. Sometimes we should let sleeping dogs lie dead and buried in the grave.”

I had to listen to an hour of Tess going on and on about the dire state of our marriage. I apologized profusely for the hundredth time. I had to give separate apologies for the affair, my drinking, my attitude and my behavior after the death of my mother. I wanted to escape to the quiet comfort of the couch in the living room. Instead of sleeping downstairs I stayed put. I held Tess in my arms until she fell asleep. I didn’t sleep well. I had Kari on my mind.

*****

The next morning I woke with the memory of last night. I was mad as hell. Why do I have so much anger inside me? I was Grumpy Smurf. I was blue and grumpy. I felt like somebody had robbed me of my Smurfette. Why the fuck am I comp
aring myself to a fucking Smurf? I wanted to kick something or somebody. Was I mad because of Jack’s taunting or was seeing Kari with him what enraged me? Is my Kari happy with Malibu Ken?

I tried and succeeded in not giving Tess any eye contact all morning. I knew that if she said anything to me that I perceived as wrong I would take her head
off. I listened to enough bitching and complaining last night.

I give my kids some
Apple Jacks
and tried to act as if I was okay. Hannah knew something was wrong with me. She gave me an excessive amount of hugs and kisses before Tess dropped her off at school.

I might go crazy with
out Hannah. Sure she was eight years old but she was an old soul. Ladybug was like my best friend. She has a lot of the same qualities my father had. I miss my father and the death of my mother brought up so many things from the past that I had never addressed. My daughter was wise beyond her years. If something ever happened to Hannah I don’t think I could make it. Why do I have such horrible thoughts?

Tess returned in fifteen minutes. The school was very close and I stayed home with Matt and Tim. As soon as she entered I exited. I went to work and hoped I could get through the day without blowing up at any one of my employees.

I drove my new black Range Rover to work. I bought it with my share of my mother’s life insurance policy. The truck made me think of my mother so I rarely drove it. I bought it on a whim. I thought it would make me feel better but I felt exactly the same.

I turned the radio on and connected my iPhone.
Maroon 5
blasted through the speakers. I had
One More Night
on repeat. I decided to sing along. This song was my new anthem.

I pulled
into my designated spot in front of the office. I had my cell and my walkie. That was all I needed.

As soon as I stepped foot in the office I saw Mike sitting behind the front desk. RJ had pulled a chair up beside him. I could see they were fucking around on the iPad.

“I hope you guys are not playing poker on my time.” I huffed. I was already perturbed.

“No way DeNiro
. We’re looking at porn.” RJ bragged.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Uncle, I’m just kidding. Marcus uploaded the pictures of the house on Cottonwood. Uncle Mike just sent them to your email.”

I exha
led. “What is taking so long? I thought you only had to put the roof up.”

“I
t’s happening as we speak. Marcus said it would be finished by today or tomorrow the latest.”

I nodded and started going to the backroom. I had lumber orders to give to Mike.

“Uncle Mason, are you okay?”

“What?’ I growled. Mike didn’t bother to look at me.

“You seem a little on edge.” RJ detected. Was I really on edge? Hell yeah! I was pissed. RJ knew why.

“Mind your own fucking business. Get your ass over to Cottonwood.”

“Uncle, why you gotta be such a friggin’
stronzo
to me. I’m your favorite nephew.”

“Fuck you. Do your job.” I turned and went to my backro
om. I needed some time alone.

I paced the floor a few times and even though I wanted to be cool. I couldn’t control myself. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed her number.

It rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey.” She answered.

“I want to talk to you.”

“Talk.”

What the fuck? “Where are you?”

“On my way to work.”

“Call in. Come here.”

“No, I’m almost at work, maybe tomorrow.”

Did she just tell me no?
“Did I stutter? Come here! Now!” My emotions sent me into a rage. I hated repeating myself.

“Kari
Lynn, fucking Fenderson, I swear to fucking Christ you better get your ass over here right now!” I ended the call and realized I actually was yelling into my cell phone. The door was wide open because I had never closed it. It wouldn’t have mattered. I was pissed and Mike and RJ heard it.

I peeked out the back room into the office reception area.
I could hear Mike and RJ. I’m not sure why I started eavesdropping on their conversation. I guess I was trying to calm myself down after talking to Kari.

“I couldn’t believe my friggin’ eyes when we rolled up on her and her boyfriend.” RJ told Mike. “I’m thinking we’re gonna cruise on by but her friggin’ boyfriend stops us and starts yapping. I thought Uncle was gonna clock him but he played it real cool. He was like friggin’
DeNiro. He was cold stone chilling when that motherfucker was talkin’ shit.”

“That’s great RJ. I’m glad you got a kick out of Mason’s soap opera life. I for one am tired of it.”

“You think Kari is going to come here after Uncle yelled at her?”

“A normal woman wouldn’t but Kari and Mason are not normal. She calls, he comes. He calls, she comes.”

“I heard her come.” RJ chuckled. “She’s a screamer.”

“Stay away from Kari. I don’t want you to end up in Lake Michigan
swimming with the fishes.”

RJ was first to notice me. “Uncle Mason, you okay?
You were kind of loud in there.”

My nostrils flared
involuntarily. I could see RJ thought this was funny. He was a witness to the little verbal altercation I had with Jack Unger last night at Bar Louie.

I disappeared into the back room and started working.

It took twenty minutes for Kari to arrive at the office. I didn’t hear her come in the front door but I heard the door slam shut when she entered the back room.

She was mad. Good. Now she knows how I’ve been feeling since last night.

Kari was here in the flesh giving me her distinctive evil eye. She must have drove like a bat at of hell to get here this quick. I was glad she came. If she didn’t show I was going to wild out. My heart was on fire. I want her to explain herself.

How c
ould she just sit there and let Malibu Ken talk shit to me? I wanted to end his pretty ass but I was cool. Kari didn’t even try to speak up.

“You think you can just snap your
fingers and I magically appear!”

Fuck! She’s yelling.
“Huh! You’re here aren’t you?”

She w
as glaring at me like she had red devil contact lenses on her eyes. “I’m here to check you.”

“
Sweetheart, I would love to see that?” I chuckled, I had amused myself.

“If you can’t back the fuck down, I’m going to stop fucking with you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not going to be the referee in thi
s stupid bullshit. Jack threw an air punch in your direction. Take that shit like a man. Let that shit slide. If you can’t do it I’m going to leave your ass. I’m not playing. I will stop fucking with you.”

What the fuck? “What i
f I don’t take it like a man?” I threw my hands up and shrugged.

“No more pussy for you. This is my pussy. I don’t have to give you any.”

“That’s rich. You’re going to blackmail me with your black pussy.”

“You got one more time to black me. I don’t like that shit.”

“I don’t like you trying to be the man. I wear the pants in this relationship. You must have forgot, you told me to tell you to jump. Now get your ass on the fucking trampoline.” I balled my fists at my sides.

“Fuck you!” She roared. 

“Sticks and stones sweetheart.”

“Listen you don’t get to dictate how this goes.
You cannot control me. You may run this construction shit but you don’t run me.”

“Listen sweetheart. I will go to Jack and tell him everything.
I will tell him how you suck my cock and swallow all my cum.”

Kari put her hand over her mouth. I guess she was appalled. “You wouldn’t.”

“Oh yes I would. Then you will end up without him or me. The blackmail can go both ways. Hold your tongue before I jam you up.”

“You can’t jam up shit.”
She put her hands on her hips.

“You think so?”

“I know so. You going to try to run me and you can’t even run that mental case you laid up with at the crib.”

I grinned. She wants to get cute, extra black when my tolerance level is on zero. I stalked over to her and wrenched her p
urse from her shoulder. She was too stunned to move. I turned my back on her and flipped the contents of her purse onto the top of the bed.

“What the fuck are
you doing?” She asked for clarity and I was the man to give it to her.

“What’s it look like?”

Kari had moved next to me. I scanned the contents of her purse, wallet, makeup bag, pen, compact, gum, Aleve, hand sanitizer, sunglasses, Kindle, iPhone. Bingo! iPhone! I snatched up her cell.

“Give me my phone. What are you going to do?”

I turned to face her. “I’m going to jam you up. Blow up your spot. Fuck your shit up! Blow your cover. Peep your card. Put you on blast. Trick and treat your ass. Did I forget any of your urban slang phrases?”

“Mason give me my phone!” Kari yelled through the tears that were filling her eyes.

“I run this shit! I’m in charge! You are mine! Say it now! Or I will call Jack!” I looked down at her cell phone. I was livid. This was not a bluff. I would do it. She knew I would. Our eyes were in an intense lock. I was holding the cell so tight I feared it might crumble to pieces in the palm of my hand.

Kari was frightened and defea
ted. “You run this. You’re in charge. I’m yours.”

“
I’m Mason Rizza, you fuck with me. You fuckin’ with the best!” I was quoting Tony Montana from
Scarface
. I’m not sure why. It just came out. This woman can really get under my skin. She should know that she should never threaten to leave me. 

“Mason, could you please give me back my phone. I’m sorry. I should have never tried to blackmail you.”

“We are not all sex. I love you. You can’t dump me.”

“I hate you!”

I stumbled backwards until I found myself at a safe distance from her. This was for Kari’s own safety. I would never hurt her but she sure just hurt me. This fight was starting to wear me down. Hate? That’s one of the harshest things she’s said to me. All I could do is hang my head and wonder how I got to this place in my life.

“Mason.” She called out to me but I didn’t bother to look up at her. “Mason,
I’m so sorry. I don’t hate you.” Kari slowly walked the steps it took to reach me. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned her body into mine.

“I don’t care if you hate me. You are in this shit for life.”
I meant that. She was doing a life sentence at the Mason Correctional Facility. No parole, she’s going to die in this prison.

“I love you. I don’t know why I said that.
”

All the tension left me. It left Kari too. I handed over her cell phone and waited to see if she was going to run. I took a seat on the bed. She gathered her stuff off the bed and placed it back in her purse. She put the purse on the table.

Kari sat next to me. “I called into work for the whole day. Can I stay here?”

I frowned. “Of course you can stay here as long as you want.”

Kari kicked off her shoes. “I hate fighting with you.”

She read my mine. I hated fighting with her. I loved her too much. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to take a nap. I’m tired.”

“Yeah you are. I can see it in your eyes. I didn’t get any sleep. Let’s lay down.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll take your clothes off.”

Kari sat still while I undressed her. I thought about leaving her underwear on but that went against my nature. Once she was nude she climbed under the covers.