Loose Ends (20 page)
Authors: Electa Rome Parks
“The two of you can be unhappy for the rest of your lives or learn to get along. At least be civil to each other. Can you do that?”
Kree and I both looked down at our hands.
“Kree, you are the worst. Mia doesn’t want your man. Remember, she divorced my son, not the other way around. Mia, do you want Brice?”
“Hell . . . I mean, no, ma’am.”
“That’s what I thought. Don’t you see the way she dotes on Christian and that adorable little girl asleep upstairs?
“Kree, you are young. I know you don’t have family here, and I love you, baby, like a daughter. I feel like I can talk to you like this. Besides, at this point in life, I’m too old to care.”
“Mama Vivica, I—”
“Hush, child, I know. Both of you, try to get along. Why please your husbands and be unhappy in the process?
“And Kree, start standing up to that man more. Don’t get me wrong—I love my son dearly—but don’t let him walk all over you, baby. Quit letting him tell you what to do and what not to do. Stand up to him sometimes.”
Kree opened her mouth to say something, but then I guess she changed her mind, because nothing came out. She just continued to chew on that one pitiful-looking nail.
“You need to talk to Mia. There are two sides to every story.”
Kree and I both looked at each other as Vivica walked out the kitchen.
The last thing she said was, “Talk.”
Later that day, after dinner, we did just that.
Christian
“I ’m sorry, baby. Yeah, I know it’s the second time this week. Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you and Lyric. I promise.” I had as much disappointment in my voice as I heard in Mia’s on the phone.
“You got that right, Boo. You will make it up too, so don’t work too hard. You’ll need all your strength. I’ll wait up for you,” Mia said in a naughty voice.
“No, baby, as much as I’d love to see your beautiful, smiling face when I walk in the door, go to sleep. I don’t know what time I’ll make it in tonight.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. Love you.”
“Love you more. Talk to you later.” I slowly hung up the phone and put my head in my hands.
I was working a double shift once again. Summertime was always a hectic time at my job, but I was also two men short. I had terminated one fellow who wasn’t working out, and another associate was taking a paternity leave because his wife had just had their first child. Tonight Mia and I had plans to go out to dinner. However, those plans were out the door now. Duty called.
I was feeling really bad because Mia and I hadn’t done a lot of family-togetherness things since the summer had begun. My mother-in-law had agreed to keep Lyric for the night while Mia and I went to a quiet, romantic dinner at a new restaurant in Midtown I had wanted to check out; some of the men at work couldn’t stop talking about it. After a few drinks, I was going to go home and make love to my beautiful wife until the sun rose.
Sex was usually a three- to four-time-a-week event at my house. Lately our lovemaking sessions were down to
nada
because I was usually exhausted when I walked through the door. After a quick shower and dinner, no matter how much desire and passion was there, I was out for the count.
nada
because I was usually exhausted when I walked through the door. After a quick shower and dinner, no matter how much desire and passion was there, I was out for the count.
Tonight was going to be special. I missed the feel of my wife’s sexy body beneath mine. A perfect fit. I missed looking down and seeing her stare silently into my eyes with a deep, yearning desire for me. I missed the heat and passion of our kisses, the swell of her breasts as I kissed her neck, and her sweet moans when I first entered her wetness. Mia makes me feel wanted, desired and needed. Mia makes me feel like a man.
I couldn’t get her off my mind, so I picked up the phone to call her back. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hello?”
“Listen, baby. I’m sorry about tonight. I hate disappointing you and I miss you already.”
“Boo, it’s not a problem. We’ll have many more evenings to go to dinner. You are so sweet! My li’l sweetie pie. Listen, I have Sharon holding on the other line.”
“Oh, I won’t hold you then. Tell her I said hello and y’all don’t gossip for too long.”
“Ha ha ha, so funny, Boo. We don’t gossip. She just got back in town from visiting her parents, so we have a lot of catching up to do. She’s going to pick up a large pepperoni pizza and come over.”
“Well, good. Have fun. I feel better now because I know you’ll be entertained for a while. Bye, baby—I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye. Love ya, Boo.” She hung up the phone, still laughing.
Yeah, I did feel better now! I could focus on the tasks at hand. I successfully completed some paperwork without too many distractions and even managed to finalize the schedule for the following week. I posted it on the bulletin board along with other informational documents. As I did a quick scan of the monitors, my mind replayed last Sunday evening.
I’m not sure what Vivica said to Mia and Kree, but it worked wonders. Miracles actually. No, they are not the best of friends and, due to the circumstances, will probably never be, but at least they were civil to each other afterward and Kree wasn’t directing the majority of her conversations in my direction, excluding Mia.
Mia and Kree actually carried on full-length conversations and ogled and goggled over Denzel Washington’s looks, acting skills, his walk and then back to his looks. Personally, I don’t see the attraction. And no, I’m not hatin’ on my man.
Before we left Vivica’s that evening, our ladies informed us that we were taking them to this Denzel Washington—or Denzie, as they referred to him—marathon. Brice and I had no choice but to agree. We were still stunned that Mia and Kree were communicating with each other and tried to determine what had happened to change things between them.
Vivica volunteered to keep Lyric for a couple of hours, since she and the baby had taken a liking to each other. Mia and I rushed home to change into something more casual and planned to meet back up with Brice and Kree at their condo before heading over to the show.
Everything was cool and flowed smoothly! Our ladies were sexy-cool in their jeans, halter tops and open-toe sandals, both of them with painted toenails and anklets. Not knowing any better, anyone would think they were sisters. We all chatted casually on the ride over, which was about a twenty-minute drive. Brice drove, so Mia and I were sitting in the backseat of his Volvo. Kree was all over Brice as usual; you couldn’t tell where he began and she ended.
When we arrived at the movie theater, we bought popcorn with extra butter, sodas, Raisinets, Gummi Bears, the works. Mia has a habit of scattering Raisinets in her popcorn. At first, I thought it was weird, but now I like it that way myself. Mia’s like that; she has a way of rubbing off on you. Before you know it, you’ve adopted her ways.
A few minutes before the show started, we were seated with the ladies in the middle.
Mia and Kree were like two teenage girls the way they carried on over Denzel. It was almost disgusting. In fact, the way most of the women were carrying on was pitiful. I, for one, was not impressed. Overall, we had a really good time. After the movies were over, we played the arcade games in the lobby, like school-age kids. Brice and Mia were even getting along with each other.
At one point we spotted a Pac-Man game in the far corner by the wall near the exit door.
“Oh, my God, Brice, look at that. Pac-Man.” Mia pointed and quickly walked in that direction.
We all kinda did a double take, because this was the first time since our reunion that I had heard Mia direct any comments in Brice’s direction.
We followed behind Mia and were all standing around the game.
“Remember when we used to go to that arcade in Fayetteville on the weekends and I’d
destroy
you in Pac-Man?” Mia said with obvious glee in her voice as she glanced back at Brice.
destroy
you in Pac-Man?” Mia said with obvious glee in her voice as she glanced back at Brice.
“Yeah, I do remember that arcade. It was called All-American or something like that,” Brice said.
“Yeah, that was it. And they sold some of the best hot dogs and cheese pizza.”
“However, I don’t recall you destroying me in Pac-Man, Mrs. Pope.” Brice came up behind Mia.
“Kree, girl, you’d better come over here and feel your husband’s forehead, because I think he has a fever and is delirious or something.” Mia glanced over at Kree and me, now seated on a bench near the game watching their antics.
“Oh, it’s like that?” Brice questioned.
“Yeah, buddy. You know I used to kick butt, namely yours. You couldn’t touch me and you hated it. You hated to lose!”
“That sounds like Brice—always a sore loser,” Kree kidded back.
“Okay, prove it then. Show me. Show Kree and Christian that you can back up your words. Put up or shut up.”
Mia turned around with her hands on her hips, hand held out, and looked at me. “Baby, give me fifty cents so I can show Brice who’s the man.”
I dug into my pocket and handed Mia four quarters. As spectators, Kree and I soon lost interest. This was obviously between Mia and Brice. We started chatting about her working at Brice’s company and how she was enjoying that.
The more I talked to her, I realized there was something very feminine and sexy about Kree. I’d be looking at her when she talked and she’d blush, push a strand of her hair out of her face, place it behind her ear and lick her full lips. The air-conditioning in the place was cranked up to freezing. Kree’s nipples were standing at full alert when I glanced down at them a couple of times. I couldn’t help but notice, because she had the prettiest pair of breasts. Kree was actually kinda shy, and I guess my being so close to her made her nervous.
My initial impressions of her were wrong too; baby girl did have a mind of her own that came out when she wasn’t around Brice. She was also very intelligent. Kree told me about some of the musicals that were coming to the Fox Theater in the fall. If Brice didn’t take her, she planned to go by herself. For some reason, I believed her. She had a passion for dance.
When I glanced up again, Mia and Brice were still playing the game with much laughter. I did my second double take of the day. Brice was standing behind Mia, bending down, with his arms on both sides of her and his hands on the Pac-Man machine maneuvering the gears. With Mia standing in between his arms, they looked intimate, like a couple. Mia laughed at something Brice said and leaned back, for a brief second, into him.
She glanced in my direction with this look on her face—this gleeful, nostalgic look. I smiled. She smiled back.
Kree remained silent by my side. Brice didn’t look at her. Kree managed to give me a strained smile.
Finally Mia turned around. “Kree, come over here and help your man lose with some dignity. Like I said, he’s no match for me.” Brice laughed his hearty laugh and threw up his hands in defeat.
“Yeah, come here, baby. Let me touch that sexy ass of yours and maybe it’ll bring me some good luck.”
Kree walked over and they exchanged places. How symbolic.
Brice
I’ve grown in my admiration of Mia. Really, I can’t get her off my mind. For the longest time, I grieved over the termination of our marriage. I felt like someone close to me had died. I loved that woman to death and a part of me will probably always love her. Even though I treated her wrong, dead wrong, I still felt that Mia had betrayed me by divorcing me and not giving our marriage, our love, another chance. I went from loving her to hating her. I wanted to do some serious bodily harm to her at one point. Then I met Kree, and Mia was moved to another part of my heart. To the back, in the corner. At least, that’s what I thought.
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