Breaking All My Rules (23 page)

Chapter 33

E
rica knitted her brow. “You think Ashley and Nelson are fooling around?”

“Hell, yeah,” Jerome said, looking at Erica as if she didn't have a clue. “Don't you?”

“Just because they were flirting doesn't mean there's anything going on.”

“Trust me on this one. I'm a man. I can tell. If they're not fuckin' now, they have in the past.”

“How can you say that, and how are you so sure?”

“Because of the kind of eye contact and body language they had goin' on. It went beyond just flirting. They were very familiar. Nelson looked at her like he's tapped that.”

Erica shook her head from side to side. “No. Ashley would've told me. We tell each other everything.”

“Uh, apparently not.”

Erica thought about what he'd said. “No, I'm sure she would have told me something this important. That's why I can't understand their behavior.”

“If it's bothering you this much, you should talk to Ashley and your parents so you can find out what's really going on.”

She nodded. “You're right. I'm going to do that this afternoon.” She didn't want her questions or confusion to linger, and that thought drew her back to her curiosity from last night. “What's up with you and the Butterfields, and specifically, Mrs. Butterfield?”

She could see Jerome averting his eyes as he shifted his body. “I did a roof repair job for them last weekend.”

“Okay. What else?”

Jerome let out a deep sigh. “Damn, pillow talk is dangerous.”

Erica's eyes widened. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“It means that some things shouldn't be discussed, not even after a night of good lovin', hell, especially not after a night of good lovin',” Jerome teased as he pulled Erica in closer to him.

“I'm serious,” she said. “We just talked about how important it is for us to be honest with each other. Please tell me, Jerome. I want to know.”

She could tell Jerome was thinking about what to say.

“Just say it.”

“Okay, but you have to promise me you won't run back and tell your girl.”

Erica thought about what Jerome was asking. He wanted her to withhold information that could possibly affect Ashley in a negative way, and in her mind, it had to be bad if he was making her take a vow of silence. “If it's something that's going to hurt Ashley, I don't know if I can keep it from her.”

Jerome rubbed his chin, and she could tell he was debating what to do. “All right, I'll tell you.”

By the time Jerome finished his story, Erica was startled, disturbed, and pissed all at once. “Jason's high-and-mighty mother won't approve of a black woman marrying her son, but she's fine with getting herself some black dick. That bitch!”

“Whoa, baby,” Jerome said with surprise. “I've never heard you talk like this.”

“When someone messes with the people I love, it's on. No wonder she could barely look you in the eyes. That old heifer should be ashamed of herself.”

Jerome laughed. “Damn. I'm gonna make sure I stay on your good side.”

Erica shook her head. “I just don't like that kind of fakeness. And you know what? Mrs. Butterfield was kind of obvious. I mean, she was all nervous around you, and she looked at me like she wanted to brawl. I bet you Ashley figured it out on her own.”

“You think her husband sensed it, too?”

“Unless he's a complete idiot, I don't see how he couldn't.”

Jerome sighed again. “Well, I can say bye-bye to any future referrals from him.”

“Maybe not. If Mr. Butterfield's been married to her this long, he probably knows the deal,” she said, thinking about the way her own parents operated their marriage.

“You're probably right. Just goes to show you, you never know what goes on when people close their doors.”

Erica stretched her arms and legs as she nestled farther into Jerome's body. “I want us to close our doors and walk into peace and comfort.” It had taken love a long time to come, but now that it had, Erica knew she was never going to let Jerome go. They shared a gentle embrace and a deep, warm kiss that led them back into paradise.

Chapter 34

E
rica pressed her back into the burgundy tapestry of the soft upholstered couch. She'd always loved the comfort of her parents' home. Although it was over six thousand square feet and was decorated luxuriously, her mother's classic, comfortable touch made it feel like a cozy cabin.

It was Sunday afternoon, and Erica and her mother were sitting on the couch in the family room, having tea. She loved the way her mother made an elegant production of everything. Tea wasn't just hot water over dried leaves inside a Lipton bag. Afternoon tea with Maureen Stanford was served on a tray made of hand-crafted jade, topped with a crisp linen napkin and an assortment of cookies, scones, and biscotti on the side.

Erica watched as her mother poured steaming water from the neck of the cream-colored ceramic teapot, filling her cup with hot liquid, which turned the bag of Earl Grey into a small black sea.

“Here you go, sweetie,” Maureen said, handing Erica the sugar dish from the tray. “Would you like a lemon cookie or a strawberry scone?”

“You know I can't resist lemon cookies.” Erica smiled as she scooped two heaping spoonfuls of natural brown sugar into her cup.

Maureen placed a cookie on Erica's dessert plate, then reached for a scone for her own. “Nelson's event last night was lovely, wasn't it?”

“Yes, it was.”

“His campaign manager did a fabulous job, and I think she's taken quite a liking to him.”

“Who?
Cynthia?
” Erica said with surprise. Cynthia Bowling was a thirtysomething Washington insider who hailed from a long line of politicians and public servants. She had worked on several congressional campaigns and was known as a consummate professional. Stoic and ultrathin, with a stylish haircut befitting a modern businesswoman, Cynthia was one tough cookie. Her whispered nickname was the Iron Lady.

“Yes.” Maureen smiled as she poured hot water over her bag of peppermint-flavored tea. “Cynthia is an impressive and very accomplished young woman from a fine family. She's smart and capable, and I can see that she's set her sights on Nelson.”

“She may have set her sights on him, but I don't think it's a two-way street. She's totally not his type.”

“She doesn't have to be. It's not about love, my dear. This is politics, and it's all about the image.”

Erica was completely nonplussed and didn't know what to say. Her mother had always been strategic, practical, and quick with her wits. But her pragmatism was also layered with a generous amount of compassion and care, no matter how bourgeois she appeared to be. Erica's forehead wrinkled with disbelief as she absorbed her mother's unfeeling words.

Maureen took a small sip of her tea, then rested her cup on its matching saucer. “And I'm praying with all my might that Nelson doesn't fall into that trap. In many ways he's just like your father when it comes to appearances. He knows that every politician looks better with a wife and children by his side. But Lord knows, I pray it won't be Cynthia who he chooses to fill that role,” she scoffed. “Just because something looks good doesn't mean it is good.”

This was the Maureen Stanford that Erica was used to, but at the same time, she was surprised her mother was talking openly about Nelson's personal business. Inserting herself into her children's love lives had never been her thing. “Mom, you're throwing out a lot of stuff. What's really going on?”

“What I'm trying to say is that life is too short to worry about keeping up appearances. All that time spent crafting the perfect image, and for what? In the end there's no happiness in that. You have to follow your heart, no matter where it takes you, or who you decide to take along on the journey with you.”

Erica sat her cup on the mahogany coffee table in front of her. “Mom, is there something wrong with you and Daddy?”

Maureen let out a light sigh, uncrossed her legs, and leaned back into the couch. “We won't announce it until after Nelson's campaign is over in the spring, but your father and I have decided to divorce.”

Erica's mouth gaped open. She had felt the vibe last night and knew that something was up, but she had no idea that her parents' marriage was about to dissolve. She had never known them to argue or even raise their voices at each other; even though her father's eyes had wandered in the past, it was something that Erica assumed her mother tolerated because she loved him, and he'd afforded her a life of no material want. She loved both her parents, and she didn't judge them for their decisions because she'd made questionable ones of her own.

“I know this comes as a shock,” Maureen continued, “but it's a relief for me, and for your father, too.”

“Mom, what happened to make you finally call it quits after thirty-nine years?”

Maureen's eyes looked upon Erica's with a mixture of knowledge and regret. “Life happened. Our fortieth anniversary is six months away, and I just couldn't see spending another day pretending.”

Erica nodded. “I know this wasn't an easy decision, and I'm a little in shock, but I'm also proud of you for making it.”

“It was time. Your father and I grew further apart from each other little by little, year after year. Once you drift too far, it's hard to find your way back to shore,” Maureen said, taking a deep breath.

Erica's voice was low. “Wow. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn't expecting this.”

“I'm sure you're not going to be alone in that feeling.”

Erica nodded. Her parents had been together for what seemed like a lifetime. She was sure that everyone they knew—family and friends alike—would be stunned once they heard the news. “Have you guys told Nelson?”

“No, not yet. He's got too much going on right now with his campaign, and we don't want this to be a distraction. We'll tell him in due time.” Maureen sighed as sadness mixed with relief washed over her face. “I finally woke up and realized that life is too short to live what little time I have left existing in something just because it's convenient.

“When I met Joseph, I thought I'd hit the jackpot. He was smart, handsome, and charismatic, just like your brother,” Maureen said with a smile. “I'd grown up middle class, but your father introduced me to a world I never knew existed. Generations of old money and affluence, and I fell into it hook, line, and sinker. We were the perfect couple, with the perfect house, perfect children, and a perfect life. But what I didn't know then was that everything comes at a cost. Don't get me wrong. Your father is a good man, and he has some wonderful qualities. For a time we had a pretty amazing life together. But that ended long ago.”

Maureen sat forward and recrossed her legs. “There are just certain things that I can't, and I won't, put up with or settle for anymore . . . not at this point in my life. I refuse to be anyone's afterthought. I deserve love and fulfillment.”

Erica understood what that kind of disappointment felt like. She loved her father, but she knew how powerful men could be. “Mom, I love you and Daddy, and I just want both of you to be happy. So if it means being happy apart, then I support you.”

“Thank you, sweetie. And I want you to know that I support you, too. Jerome seems like a fine young man. I like him.”

“You do?” Her mother was giving her more shock and awe than she could take.

“Yes, from the little that I observed. Let me tell you something. Sixty-four years of living has taught me that love is about what's here.” She reached out and placed her soft hand over Erica's heart. “This small organ beating inside your chest is the strongest part of your body, and the wisest. Your heart will lead you where your brain can't follow because your heart is connected to your gut, and your gut is God. And, sweetie, you know you can't go wrong with Him.

“I admire the way Jerome comported himself last night. Your father and I were hard on him, but he didn't back down, and he was more polite and tolerant than most people would've been in his position. That told me that he's a man of character. Then I watched how he looked at you, with love and respect. I could see in his eyes that that man will do anything for you, Erica. And even though you were nervous about us grilling him, I could see that you wanted him to be comfortable, and that you were concerned about how he felt. That tells me that you care deeply for him and you want to protect him.”

“I do, Mom,” Erica said with a smile. “Even though we've only known each other a short time, it seems like we've been together for years. I love him, and he loves me, too.”

Maureen reached for Erica's hand and held it tightly in her grip. “Then you're halfway there. It doesn't take long to spot what you want, if you know what you need,” she said with a wink. “Life is a journey, and like I said, you can't worry about what anyone thinks. I'm so happy that you're following where your heart is leading you. It's the only path to true happiness.”

Erica nodded with bittersweet emotion. As her new love was beginning, her mother and father's life together was coming to an end. But she knew if her mother had come to this decision, it had been reached after careful thought. “After being with Daddy for so long, it's going to be an adjustment, so if you need me, you just call and I'll be here for you.” Erica gave her mother's shoulder a comforting rub. “I know you'll be just fine.”

“Yes, I will be.” Maureen reached for her roomtemperature tea and took a sip. “Now, if we can just get Nelson to see the light.”