An Unexpected Love (Women's Fiction/BWWM Romance) (14 page)

David peered at Corrine.

“Since when are you Val’s cheerleader?” He reached for
her. “Is this some act you’re playing so you won’t feel guilty in the morning?”

“Believe me…” She pushed his hand away. “I won’t have
anything to feel guilty about in the morning, but you will when you’re sober
and realize you made a pass at me.”

“I need someone tonight, Corrine.” He groaned. “You
said you’d be there for me whenever.”

“And I meant it at the time.”

“At the time?” He cocked his head to the side. “You
don’t even sound like yourself.”

“I’ve just realized that I gotta stop wanting men I
can’t have.”

“You can have me, Corrine.” He touched her cheek. “Believe
me you can.”

“What, for tonight?” She scoffed. “You’re telling me you
wanna start screwing your wife’s sister?”

“You Oates women drive me crazy!” He walked in a
circle. “None of you seem to know what you want. All these years, you acted
like you’d give it to me if I’d just take it. Now I come to take you up on your
offer, and you’re pulling away?”

“I’m tired of being sucked into doing things where I
end up getting hurt.” She raised her arm. “Look at this house, David! Look at
this fuckin’ house. It’s just me, and I’m sick of it just being me. I want a
man who I can trust and who loves me. I want a family. I want something for me and
me alone.”

 
“I’m stunned.”
He fell against the wall with his hands over his eyes. “I’m confused as hell.”

“When you’re sober, you’ll understand.”

“I’m not drunk.” He dropped his hands. “I’m just tired
of not being happy in my marriage.”

“Sleeping with me would only make it worse.”

“But it would feel good.” He sighed. “It would make me
forget about how Val’s breaking my heart…at least for one night.”

“That’s just temporary relief.” She shook her head.
“Believe me, I’ve succumbed to it many times. But when the pain comes back,
it’s ten times worse. If we slept together, it would tear this entire family
apart. It would kill Val, and I can’t do that. I’ve hurt her enough.”

“Why the change though? Can you just tell me that?”

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reevaluating my
life lately.” She swayed her hands back and forth. “I’ve been seeing all the
shit and craziness I’ve done in the past. I knew it was there, but I tried to
ignore it. I have to face it in order to get the life I really want.”

“You have a great life.”

“But it’s an empty life.
I’m
empty.” She crossed her arms. “I realize family is all we have
in this world. I can’t keep jeopardizing what Val and I have as sisters. I love
her, and I want us to be close.”

“But you and Val have never been close.”

“That’s why I want us to come to terms with the past
and move on. Hopefully she’ll be on board with that, and we can start a brand
new relationship.”

“She can’t even stand to be in the same room with
you.”

She shrugged. “If it’s in the plan, then we’ll work it
out. If not, then I’ll accept that. But one thing I’m not doing is stabbing her
in the back.” She pointed down the hall. “Please wait in the living room until
I call you a cab. You can come to get your car in the morning. I would take you
home, but the last thing I need is Val throwing a fit seeing us together.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Please, David. You shouldn’t be driving.”

“Fine, call a cab.” He wobbled. “But I’m going to a motel.
The last thing I need tonight is another fight with your pigheaded sister.”

****

“Excuse me.” Shanti made her way through the rowdy
partiers who were dancing to chopped and screwed rap.

“Okay, everyone make some noise!” The DJ threw his
arms up.

 
“Yeah!” The
partiers jumped up and down and hollered.

Scantily dressed women—of all shapes and sizes—twerked
and jiggled their butts.

Guys in sagging jeans and oversized T-shirts swarmed
the women like bees, grabbing and groping anything they could hold on to. The
way the women gyrated in response proved they didn’t mind. Shanti looked around
the crowded living room and didn’t see Aliyah anywhere.

“Hey, what’s up?” asked a tall dude as he passed her.

She got chills and went in the opposite direction.

Another guy passed her with a joint in his mouth. “What’s
up?”

She turned yet again. “Nothing.”

Just then, Khalil appeared behind her with that same
creepy stare.

“There you are.” He licked his lips. “Why did you go
off like that? I told you I was coming back.”

“I’m looking for my sister.”

She squeezed through twisting bodies until she made it
to the hall that was even more crowded than the front room.

“Shanti!
Yo
’ wait!” Once
again, Khalil followed in behind her. “What’s your problem, girl?”

“I don’t have a problem, okay?” She swatted at him. “I…I
just wanna go home.”

“No, you don’t.” He put his arm around her shoulder
and held up his beer bottle. “Drink some of this, and you won’t
ever
wanna go home.”

“Stop pawing me, all right?” She pushed him away.
“Your hands have been all over me since I got here.”

“Just trying to be friendly.” He swayed against her.
“Let’s dance.”

“What part of ‘no’ do you not understand?” She shoved
him off. “
Leave
me alone.”

He stood there, staring. Aliyah and A.C. came from
downstairs and headed for the front door.

“
Liyah
!” Shanti ran to her.

 
“Oh God.”
Aliyah rolled her eyes. “What now?”

“Where are you going?” Shanti asked.

“We just wanna be alone for a little bit.” She chewed
gum. “I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“An hour?” Shanti moved aside as some guys passed. Not
one missed the opportunity to check out her butt. “Are you crazy,
Liyah
? You can’t leave me here.”

“I said, I’ll be back,” Aliyah snapped. “Damn, just
chill all right?”

“No!” Shanti grabbed her arm. “You can’t leave me
here.”

“Girl, you are sixteen years old.” Aliyah pulled
Shanti’s hand from hers. “Stop acting like a damn baby. If you didn’t wanna be
here, your ass shouldn’t have come.”

“Why are you acting like this? Can’t you see I’m afraid?”

“Why are you afraid?” Aliyah put her hand on her hip.
“It’s a party, Shanti. That means you’re supposed to have fun.”

“This isn’t fun to me.”

“Then go home.”

“How am I supposed to go home with no ride?”
 
Shanti clutched her purse close to her chest.

Aliyah leaned into her. “I’m going to be with my man
for a little while. That’s the reason I came in the first damn place. Sit your
ass down somewhere and chill.”

“I told you, I got a bad feeling.” Shanti’s heart
pounded. “I think we need to just leave. We don’t even know these people.”

“See, this is why I don’t fool with your ass.” Aliyah
waved her finger in Shanti’s face. “You are such a damn baby. I got more
important things to think about than you.” She looked at A.C. “This is why I
wish I didn’t have a sister sometimes.”

“Fine.” Shanti swallowed the painful comment. “If
that’s how you feel.”

“Right now it is,” Aliyah said. “Now, I’ll be back in
a little while.”

“You can go upstairs to one of the bedrooms,” A.C.
said. “You can sit up there, close the door, and watch TV until we come back.
You can hang with Khalil. He’ll look out for you.”

Shanti glanced behind her. Khalil sipped from the
bottle.

“Go talk to some guys.” Aliyah pointed. “There are
some cute guys in here. Maybe if you had a man of your own, you wouldn’t be
worrying about what I’m doing all the time.”

Shanti trembled as another group of guys walked
through the front door. “What…what time will you be back?”

Aliyah took A.C.’s hand. “When I get back.”

“Ooh.” Layla sat at the booth of the karaoke bar with
her hands over her ears.

“Yeah!” People whistled and egged on the fat couple
who butchered “Endless Love” with each note.

“My God.” Cross grimaced from across the table. “I
come here all the time, and I gotta say they are the worst.” He pulled at his
ears. “It’s the first time I’ve ever wished I was deaf.”

Layla covered her grin. The couple pitifully sang the
last note and bowed, as if they’d brought the house down at the Grammys. The
audience clapped and whistled.

“Why in the world are they clapping?” Layla asked.

Cross snickered. “Probably because they finished.”

The host jumped on stage. “Give it up for the
Feldermans
, everybody!”

The audience clapped. Beaming, the couple waddled their
way back to their table.

“Okay, let’s get on with it, folks,” the host said
into the microphone. “We’re celebrating couples tonight. The night’s still
young, and we need some more singers. Who’s it gonna be?” He waved his arm
around. “Come on! Don’t be shy.”

Cross looked at Layla. “You want to?”

“What?” She almost threw up a lung. “Are you kidding
me? I’m not making myself look like a fool in front of these people.”

“Ah come on,” the host said. “Don’t make me walk out there
and start grabbing people.”

The audience laughed and groaned.

“Come on, Layla.” Cross reached for her hand.

“No.” She pulled her hand back. “You think the
Feldermans
were bad, you won’t believe how much
I
suck.”

“Okay, I warned you.” The host walked into the
audience.

 
“Uh-oh, here he
comes.” Cross sat up straight.

 
“He better not
bring his ass over here.” Layla sunk down in the booth. “I swear to God, Cross.
My singing is horrible. I sound like a goose being run over by a semi.”

He laughed. “You couldn’t be that bad.”

“Shit.” She poked out her lips. “I’m probably worse.”

“Shoot, he’s coming over here,” Cross said.

“Oh no.” Layla closed her eyes and prayed.

 
“Well!” The
host stopped at their booth. “Shine the spotlight on this lovely couple!”

The spotlight settled above Layla and Cross’ table.

Layla moaned, “
God
.”

“What a cute couple!” The host patted Cross’ shoulder.
“You guys been together long?”

“Uh…” Cross fidgeted. “This is our first date.”

“Woo!” The host whistled.

The audience howled.

“Think you’ll get lucky tonight?” The host nudged
Cross.

Someone yowled from the back. “Ow!”

Cross smirked. “Oh, I definitely hope so.” The
audience laughed.

“
Cross
,”
Layla said.

The host raised his arm. “We wanna see these two sing,
don’t we?”

 
“Yeah!” The
audience jumped up.

“Sit down,” Layla said to the man behind her booth.

The host put the microphone in Cross’ face. “Oh, the
people have spoken. What’s your name, sir?”

“Cross.”

“Nice to meet you, Cross. You come here a lot, don’t
you? I’ve seen you here quite a few times. And who’s your gorgeous friend?”

She put her hand over her face.

“Her name’s Layla,” Cross said into the microphone.

“Layla, ooh.” The host moaned. “That’s a sexy name
isn’t it, fellas?”

The men hooted and whistled.

“I think it’s a singer’s name too!” The host grabbed
Layla’s hand and pulled her up. “Get on up there!”

“No!” Layla struggled as he dragged her to the stage.

Cross followed, grinning.

“Cross,” Layla called as she got onstage.

 
“Huh?” He stood
beside her in stitches.

 
“I’m gonna kill
you,” she whispered. “I can’t do this. I sound ridiculous.”

“We’ll see.”

“Okay, we have Layla and Cross!” The host waved for
the audience to clap. “I think Layla’s a little shy. Grab the mics, pick a
song, and get started, folks!”

The host left the stage. Layla did her best not to
look at the audience. “I can’t believe you got me doing this.”

Cross handed her a mic and got his. “What you wanna
sing?” He scrolled through the songs on the screen.

 
“I’m telling you,
this is a big mistake.” She fixed the back of her blazer. “I’m probably the worst
singer on the planet.”

“If Bruce Springsteen can become a legend with his
voice, then I’m sure you’re fine.” Cross nudged her. “And he always sounds like
he’s on the toilet when he’s singing. You want fast or slow?”

“I want nothing.”

“Here we go.” He stopped the marker on “If This World
Were Mine” by Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn. “I love this song.”

“Are you
crazy
?”
she shrieked. “Of all songs. You gonna have me butchering Luther? He’ll
probably come from the dead just to tell me to shut the hell up.”

“You know the words right?”

“Course I know the words. I could sing this song in my
sleep.”

“Good.”

“Wait.” She scrolled through more songs. “Let’s pick
something else.”

He laughed. “Stop stalling.”

“Come on!” A man yelled.

“Yeah, we don’t have all night!” A woman shouted.

“Why are you rushing, people?” Cross scoffed. “When he
asked, not one of you volunteered.”

A man shouted. “Hurry up and pick something!”

“All right…this.” Layla stopped on “On My Own” by
Michael McDonald and Patti Labelle.

Cross nodded. “Yeah, I like that song.”

The song began to play. Layla faced the audience. “You
ready?”

“I’m good. Don’t worry.” Cross turned toward the
audience, looking all confident. “
You
ready?”

“I warned you.” She sighed as she brought the mic to
her lips.