All Up In My Business (22 page)

“I want to share some things with you, Adam. I want to tell you everything. But I think this part of the conversation needs to happen just between us.”

“Yeah, and if you’d been thinking about things that just
needed to happen between a man and his wife while ‘working out,’ “Adam said using air quotes, “we wouldn’t be here, now, would we?

Silence filled the room, punctuated only by the ticking of the grandfather clock. Adam stared at Candace; she looked at the floor. The brothers looked at each other.

Toussaint spoke. “Dad, Mama’s right. Malcolm and I don’t need to be a part of this entire conversation. The only reason we’re here is to speak our minds when it comes to this family, this marriage, remaining intact. Being the only single one here, I’m probably the last one to give advice on the matter. But when two people love each other, I don’t think there’s anything too hard to overcome, anything broken that can’t be fixed. I love both of you, and more than anything else, want to see you happy. I just hope you continue finding that happiness together.”

Adam looked at his son, his face a mask. He took a sip of his drink and remained silent.

“Marriage isn’t easy,” Malcolm said after a pause. “And unlike Toussaint, I am speaking from experience, present experience,” he emphasized. “But we’re Livingstons. We work things out.” At this moment, an image of Joyce Witherspoon flashed through his mind. How sexy she’d looked the other night when they’d gone back to his office to work on the promotion outline and how the smokers would be incorporated into her catering events. How after unbuttoning her pink silk blouse, he’d buried his head in the valley of her breasts before nudging aside her lacy black bra and tonguing an already pert nipple. How she’d encouraged his actions by wrapping her arms around him and opening her mouth for a deep, wet kiss. Had it not been for a late-night cleaning person, Malcolm would have taken her right there, on his office floor. “We work things out,” he finished softly, wondering if this could be true when you no longer loved your wife.

“Y’all can go,” Adam said. He broke his gaze away from Candace long enough to look at his sons.

“Does that mean you and Mama will be all right, that she can come back here?” Malcolm asked.

Three sets of eyes stared at Adam and awaited his answer. He nodded.

“And everything will be fine? I mean, you were pretty angry, Daddy. You’re cool and all?” Toussaint had never known his father to be a violent man, but anybody could strike if pushed far enough.

“I’ve never hit a woman,” Adam said, draining his glass and resisting the urge to pour another drink. His stomach was telling him that he’d imbibed more than enough, and he decided to listen. “Your mother and I will be fine.”

42

A
fter hugging each of their parents, Malcolm and Toussaint left. The ensuing silence was deafening as Candace nervously twirled her wedding ring, searching her mind for the right words to say, the words that would allow her back into the master suite and into Adam’s heart. “Thank you for letting me come back, baby,” she began. “I’ve missed you …” Adam snorted.

“Truly, baby, I’ve missed us. That other situation, it just happened. It never meant anything.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Stupid, and like you said, selfish.” Candace stood and began pacing the room. “Adam, you know how wild I was when we met, how I was the life of the party, liked to smoke, drink. All of that changed when we got married, and I wanted it to change. I wanted to be upstanding and respected, like your mother, and to fit into the Livingston legacy. But even then that felt monumental to a woman like me. I gladly gave those things up, baby, and honestly, thought it was all in my past.

“Then I met … Then I started going to the gym and suddenly that part of me was reawakened, the part that lived life
dangerously and only for the moment. I guess it was a midlife crisis of sorts, trying to recapture my youth.

“But it wasn’t worth it,” she continued, coming to Adam and kneeling in front of him. Her eyes again shone with unshed tears. “If I had it to do over again, I’d do things much differently. Is there any way you can forgive me, baby?” Candace’s voice broke as she asked the question. “Is there any way we can put this marriage back together? I’ll do anything.”

“I had a woman chase me for two years,” Adam said, looking down at Candace kneeling in front of him. “Well, I have had a lot of women give me rhythm, but this one was more aggressive than the rest.”

Candace’s eyes widened. “Who?” She got ready to sit next to Adam, but upon seeing him stiffen, returned to the wingback chair.

“Joyce Witherspoon.”

Candace nodded. She didn’t doubt that Joyce had gone after her husband, and thinking back to the meeting where Malcolm introduced his smoker, she wondered if Joyce was now pursuing her son. “But you didn’t sleep with her, because of the legacy.”

“I didn’t sleep with her because of my marriage vows,” Adam retorted. “Because of my love for you!” When Candace’s head dropped in shame, Adam’s voice softened. “And the legacy may have helped a little bit. I ain’t gonna lie. When you’ve had something drummed in your head from the time you were ten, how decades of faithfulness are now resting on you, it’s a pretty strong deterrent. Who wants to be the man to break a tradition borne by a slave? But it wasn’t only that. It was you. You’ve always been the only woman for me, Can. Since the day I saw you walking across the campus, looking like Angela Davis’s sister, or a seventies Erykah Badu.

“I’m going to forgive you, but I don’t know how easily I’ll forget. I can’t tell you what it does to me, knowing you’ve
been with another man. That another man has put his hands on what’s mine.” A surge of anger passed across Adam’s face, and his hands clenched. “I guess we’ll just take it one day at a time.”

Adam and Candace talked for another hour. Then she made lunch, and they ate together, before Adam dressed to go to the office.

“Will you be home for dinner?” she asked as he prepared to leave.

“I’ve been out of the office for a couple days, so I imagine it will be ten or so when I get back. Oh, and, Candace?”

“Yes, Adam?”

“I’ve put your things in one of the guest bedrooms. See you in the morning.”

Candace stared after her husband as he walked to the Mercedes in their circular drive and drove off. She was still standing there moments later, absorbing Adam’s words and the reality that life was still not back to normal.
He’s let me back into his heart, but not into his bed
. Turning away from the window, Candace climbed the steps to arrange her new sleeping quarters.
You gave him gonorrhea, Candace. What did you expect?
She was back in the house, and considering the circumstances, that was a big step. For now, Candace determined, it was enough.

43

“You did the right thing.” Ace slapped his brother on the back before walking around to the swivel chair behind his desk and plopping into it. Not only was it TGIF, but it was also thank-God-that-last-night-Candace-had-gone-back-home. “I know it was hard, brother, but it was right.”

“Yeah, I know.” Adam loosened his tie and leaned back in the comfortable leather chair, one of two placed directly in front of Ace’s massive cherry oak workplace. It was ten-thirty at night, and the Livingston Group executive offices were quiet—he and Ace the only employees still there. Adam had relished being back in the workplace, had found it therapeutic to focus his mind on something other than Candace’s betrayal. He’d also enjoyed receiving the news that the Livingston Group had experienced a six percent increase in profit during the last quarter and that another large U.S. chain had agreed to carry all three flavors of Taste of Soul barbeque sauce—original, tangy, and extra spicy. He’d also enjoyed reading Malcolm’s detailed report regarding operations and had agreed to accompany his son on his next site visits. The day had reminded him that the situation at home notwithstanding, Adam Samuel Livingston had a lot to be thankful for.

“Diane is sure happy to see y’all back together,” Ace said.
“She loves her sister-in-law but was glad to get her house back. I don’t know what it is with women, but they seem to like to be the only queen bee in the hive.”

“Yeah, Candace was glad to be home.”

“What about you? Glad to have her back?”

Adam shrugged. “I guess so.” He became quiet then, his brow furrowing as he stared into the distance.

“Talk to me, twin. What’s on your mind?”

Adam shook his head, remaining silent.

“Uh-huh. Well, then, let me tell you what’s on your mind. The man who had your woman.” Ace waited for Adam’s response. “Am I right?” he prodded.

Adam nodded slowly, anger showing in the way he ground his teeth.

“Man, I can feel where you’re coming from, but I hope you’re not thinking of doing anything crazy. You know our circle is like a fishbowl. Anything happens and everybody will know about it.”

“And then again, maybe nobody will.” Adam finally looked up, fixing his brother with a determined stare. “Because I’m telling you right now, Ace. Quintin Bright is getting ready to learn a lesson. Nobody fucks with a Livingston and gets away with it. Nobody.”

44

Z
oe tried to contain her excitement, but the truth was she was beside herself. Her first time traveling on business and her first trip to LA.
Can life get any better?
It could, she decided, if somewhere between Georgia and California she ended up in Toussaint’s bed. That she would get a chance to work with him more intimately was already a plus, she decided. And without Shyla sticking to him like white on rice. Yes, Zoe decided, life was looking pretty good indeed.

“Well, don’t you look adorable,” Shyla said in mock friendliness as she stopped in front of Zoe’s desk. She looked across the hall, into Ace’s office, and saw that he’d heard her. That was her intent, for him to think she was fine with her new role of mentor. For what she had in mind to work, everyone had to think that. She turned back to Zoe and lowered her voice. “Is that a new pantsuit to celebrate your first plane ride, dear?”

Forget you, wench!
Zoe smiled but remained silent. She knew Shyla was as fake as snow in Disneyland, but she also knew that now was not the time to start a fight. “This is my first trip to California,” she replied cheerily. “I’ve been to Vegas, Denver, even the Grand Canyon, but never to LA. And to get the invaluable experience of working in the field with seasoned pros like Ace and Toussaint,” Zoe continued, her
voice now raised slightly so that Ace could hear her words. “I can’t wait to contribute to this company’s success!” She watched as Shyla rolled her eyes and knew she’d hit her mark.

“Well, don’t worry that it has taken you longer than usual to understand the reports I gave you,” Shyla continued, turning back to the side so her words would carry across the hall. “These charts and graphs will start to make more sense once you take a few classes, continue your education. As it is, you’re doing amazing for someone who only finished high school.” She again turned her back to Ace and lowered her voice to a whisper. “You did finish, correct?”

What I’m going to finish is putting a foot up your ass
, Zoe thought. “You’re so funny, Shyla,” she said. “I’d love to chat, but we leave in two hours, and I want to make sure I have everything. Not that I can miss my flight, since we’re taking a chartered plane. But you probably already know that. I’m sure you’ve done it
many
times.”

Shyla shot daggers at Zoe with her eyes before spinning and flouncing off angrily, her strides brisk and purposeful.
I can’t believe it! A chartered plane?
Shyly knew that the corporation had an arrangement with a charter company and traveled this way when necessary. Unfortunately for Shyla, her trips had never occurred during one of those times. Granted, the few times she’d traveled with Toussaint had been in first-class, but chartered? Shyla hadn’t thought she could get any angrier about the fact that the would-be junior marketing manager, and not the soon-to-be marketing director, was making this trip to LA. But she’d thought wrong. Shyla was livid.
I’ve worked too hard for this company, and for you, Toussaint, and if Zoe thinks she’s going to step over me to get to you, she’s got another think coming!
As soon as Shyla reached her office, she told her secretary not to disturb her and then closed her door. Without breaking stride, she walked to her desk, pulled up her address book, and reached for the phone.

“Executive Travels, Linda speaking”

“Hey, Linda. Shyla Martin. I need to book a trip to LA. No, no, not on the company account.” Shyla swiveled around and narrowed her eyes. “This is personal.”

“Do you know how happy you’ve just made me?” Toussaint stood looking out the window of his corner office. He could have sworn that the sun just got brighter, and the leaves looked greener.

“I’m pretty excited too,” Alexis answered. And she meant it. She’d been working tirelessly, almost nonstop, building up her business and her bank account. “I haven’t taken a real vacation in almost three years.” But time off from work wasn’t the only reason she was excited. She was excited to spend time with Toussaint and was ready to tell him that she was in love.

“I’ve decided to take a few personal days myself. After business wraps, we’re staying on the coast a few extra days—just the two of us.”

“Sounds … romantic.” Alexis’s heart skipped a beat, remembering her and Toussaint’s conversation the previous weekend when they’d met for dinner. First they’d talked about his parents and how relieved he was that they were working things out. Then the conversation turned more personal.

“Sounds like everything is looking good for them.”

“Yes,” Toussaint answered, his eyes turning sultry. “Almost as good as you’re looking to me.”

“Thanks,” Alexis responded, suddenly shy.

“You look good enough to eat, baby, better than this steak.”

“Toussaint, I don’t know if I’m ready….”

“Lexy …”