Prohibited: an erotic novel (32 page)

Michael

The sound of breaking glass knocked me from my dream-like stupor and brought me violently into reality. Lorenzo, Michael Jr. and I were at one of the houses that our company was flipping. It was six o’clock on a rainy Saturday morning and normally at this time of the day everyone was a little on edge.

This morning was no exception.

Leaning against Lorenzo’s truck, I was stuck in my thoughts about Maxine, Maria, and what a mess I had made of things.

I looked to see Antonio’s crew scrambling around trying to clean up the glass from the new window they were supposed to have installed yesterday. On any other day or any other time I would have been livid.

However, today I’m in a different mood.

There have been so many things on my mind lately. It was hard to deal. Although I love my wife, Maxine was still on my mind. I truly have feelings for her. I spent so much money sending her flowers hoping to get a response from her. She refused to respond. I needed her to know that I never meant to hurt her.

I felt guilty. I was supposed to be working it out with Maria, yet I am sending Maxine flowers and thinking about her every second of the day.

Getting over her was a lot more difficult than I originally thought.

It’s been hard on the home front as well.

Though Maria said she loved me. I’m not feeling it. It has been slowly drifting back to status quo. Though we make love more often, it’s like she is distant afterwards. There is no cuddling or spooning.

It’s frustrating.

All this was weighing down on me heavily.  Sleep is something that I wish I had now. I was so tired. This property could burn right before my eyes and I would not notice. I watched as Lorenzo came storming out the house tearing everyone on the crew a new one.

He was angry not only at the fact that they broke the window, but they were also painting the house with interior paint.

I stood at attention when I saw him heading my way. There has been some tension between Lorenzo and me lately as well. I was in no mood for an argument. He stopped right in front of me.

Too close for comfort.

“So you’re just going to stand there and let them just throw our profit down the toilet?”

I sighed and looked up at him. I was in the mood for this today.

“I guess I need to focus.” I said nonchalantly.

He stared at me eyes narrowing.

“Mike, what the hell is your problem? You focusing are the least of our troubles. Our business is going to tank if you don’t get it together.”

My frame of mind was not stable enough to withstand a lecture.

“Look, there are issues I am trying to deal with. Okay, maybe I have been off a few weeks lately, but there are things I need to focus on that are much more important than this project right now.”

“It’s more important than our livelihood?” He asked stepping closer to me.

I stepped back putting some space between us. I didn’t want this argument to come to blows. I was pretty sure if he got in my face again, that is where we were headed.

“Yes. My family and their future do take precedence over this project.”

He shook his head.

“That’s bullshit Michael and you know it. You are not thinking about your family. You are only thinking about yourself. If you were thinking about your family you would not be in this mess to begin with.”

He was angry with me and I knew it. The feeling was starting to get very mutual.

I looked over Lorenzo’s shoulder to see Michael Jr. heading our way. I guess our voices were carrying over all the construction noise.

“Bullshit Enzo?

I was getting angrier by the second.

“Paint and one broken window is not going to bankrupt this business. I can’t believe you are riding me. When Olivia passed away, I couldn’t get you to a job site. You wouldn’t do the budget. I didn’t complain. I was there for you and would have run this business by myself for however long you needed me to.” I reminded him.

“This is not the same, Mike. My wife died and that almost destroyed me. I had no power over what happened then. How dare you compare your situation to Olivia?” He said getting in my face again.

I shoved him backwards.

He stumbled and almost slipped in the mud. He kept his balance, but I knew he was ready for a fight. I am not sure why we had not come to blows before today. Tension has built up between us these past few weeks.

It’s all the stress.

Before he could approach me, Michael Jr. intervened.

“Hey, guys calm down! I don’t need you two old men breaking a hip or something.” He joked.

“Good thing I have you here to help me Junior because right now your father is pretty fucking useless.”

“Kiss my ass you fucking loser!”

Junior stood between us.

“Alright guys knock it off,” he said grabbing me by the shoulder and turning me around.

“Go home dad, I’ll take care of it.”

I didn’t argue with him. I was tired, upset and in no mood to work.

“Just go home and cool off.”

“Alright, you don’t have to say it more than once.”

He laughed.

It was good being able to talk to my son again. When he found out I was sleeping with Maxine, he kept his distance. My relationship with my son is one that I do not want to lose and it played a part in my decision to stay with his mother.

A decision I do not regret.

“How long do you plan to stay around here?”

We stopped at my car and he leaned against it.

“Another hour or two to get our second resident hot head a chance to cool down and then going over to Maxine’s.”

At hearing her name I felt a strange yearning.

“How is she?”

He smiled.

“I don’t know. That is why I am going over to see her.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Why do you care how she is doing?”

I could tell that through his sense of humor he was still angry about our affair.

“I still would like to know if she is alright.”

He shook his head.

“She would be better if you had never messed with her in the first place.”

I didn’t bother to respond.

I just walked around to the driver side of the car and climbed in slamming the door behind me. I didn’t want to get into a fight with my son.

Arguing with my best friend was one thing but arguing with Junior was another. Our relationship was already on thin ice and I detected all it would take was one more thing and we may never be close again.

On my way home, I resisted the urge to make a detour to Maxine’s apartment.

I was depressed and exhausted. I just wanted to go to bed and get some sleep.

I walked into my house and headed upstairs. I walked to the door of our bedroom and heard some commotion.

The door was cracked. I noticed some activity inside. I pushed it open and saw the bed was piled with clothing. Maria walked out of the closet carrying more clothes and some luggage.

“Can I inquire about,” I waved my arms across the clothing and the bed. “This mess?”

She looked startled and surprised that I was home.

“You’re home—early.” She said dropping the clothes onto the bed.

I looked at the clothes and the suitcases and did not like what I was seeing.

“What’s with the suitcases? Are you going somewhere?”

“I’m packing,” she said averting her eyes.

I pushed a pile of clothes out of the way and sat down on the bed. I tried very hard to stay calm. I had a feeling I was not going to like what she said next.

“Packing?”

“Yes,” she said folding some clothes.

“I’m flying to London.” She said nonchalantly as if this was not big news.

“London? What the fuck are you talking about?” I said snatching the shirt that she was in the process of folding.

She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh.

“We both know that this isn’t going to work.” She turned to me. “I’m sorry.”

I could not believe what I was hearing.

Then it dawned on me.

“So who are you escaping to London with?” I asked.

I sat down on the bed and gently folded my arms across my chest. I could feel the anger filling up inside of me waiting to erupt.

“I’m leaving with Selena.” She said trying not to meet my eyes.

I stood and walked to her. I was so close I could tell she was getting uncomfortable.

“Are you fucking Selena now?” I asked letting the anger I had been holding in seep out.

“Why must you be so vulgar?”

“Answer my question. Are you two fucking?”

She turned toward me with a look of annoyance on her face.

“Yes. You’re not the only one around here who can have a lover.”

“So you’re a lesbian now? So you have been wasting my time all these years?”

“You don’t understand how hard it was for me. I know this is the right choice now.”

“Now it is the right choice? And I was the wrong choice?

She cocked her head to one side.

“Michael not everything around here is about you?”

“This is about my marriage!” I held.

“Yes, a marriage that you care so much about that you slept with lots of women. Come off it Michael. This was not a marriage!” She alleged going back to folding her clothes.

“So you were going to just skip town on me?” I said smacking some of her clothes onto the floor.”

She bent down to pick them up.

“I was going to call you later.”

“You selfish bitch!”

She stood hand on her hip and glared at me.

“Me selfish? You were the one fulfilling your own needs with random women and not once did you think about this family.”

“I gave you an out. All you had to do was tell me the truth and say you don’t love me and you never have.”

“I tried…”

“The hell you did. All you did was pull me back in just like you have for the past ten years of this marriage.”

“So this is all my fault? I find you are sleeping with one of my best friends and this is entirely my fault?”

I could not believe my ears.

“What the hell are you talking about? Sleeping with one of your friends?”

“Yes, I was told that you have been sleeping with Shannon.”

“Shannon? Seriously? Who in the hell told you that? I have not slept with one of your friends. I would never do that. Who told you that Maria?”

“Selena.”

I started to chuckle.