If You Don't Know Me (5 page)

“Bye, Tisha.”

I was glad my girlfriend had left. I needed to speak with my dad in private. “Papa, he's not stealing our company. He's putting it under new management pending our divorce being final. He can't sell without my consent.”

“But he doesn't need your permission to fire me.”

Zach spit on Papa's suit jacket. My dad stared at me, then said, “Women. If Tisha hadn't moved him he would've puked on himself. You know how much this suit cost.”

“He's a baby. Have your suit cleaned.”

“That's not the point. Now I have to go home and change clothes.”

Heaven forbid he went home and missed an appointment at the office to get his dick sucked by his personal assistant. When I found out Papa was cheating on my mama, I lost respect for him.

Papa kept the blanket, handed Zach to me, pulled a tissue from the box on the table, then dabbed the throw-up. “Damn. If I lose my job, what am I supposed to do? Sit around the house all day with your mother?” He stopped trying to clean his jacket and took it off. “If I'm forced to be with Rosalee all the time, we'll be next to get a divorce.”

“Obviously you don't love Mommy anymore but I do. Are you worried about not having a
PA?
Or are you seriously concerned about the company?”

Regardless of how Papa felt about Mama, he wasn't going anywhere. After I walked in on my father at his office having sex with a young girl he'd put on payroll with our company, I was in favor of his replacement. What if one of those girls got pregnant? I was not raising my son with my father's kid.

Papa paced the full length of my oriental area rug. Back and forth he marched as though whatever he came up with would work. “You can stop him.”

I could, and I would, but not for my dad. “Papa, would you agree that women are more intelligent than men?”

He stopped pacing. Frowned. Nodded. “Most, not all.”

“Do you believe I can outthink you?”

I wasn't challenging my dad. He didn't come from money. He grew up in Port Arthur. His parents were poor. But I can proudly say when my papa was a young boy he had a field full of dreams and a heart filled with love.

The harder Papa tried to get one of those “good jobs” at one of the three refineries in town, the more they gave him the runaround. “Come back tomorrow” or “We're not hiring right now.” They lied to his face and hired workers from Houston, Lake Charles, even New Orleans, the same day. Nonresidents were given a golden opportunity to earn a decent salary while some of the locals continued to pay twenty dollars for a loaf of bread off the back of a truck.

Papa had told me when he was little there were no restaurants or grocery stores on the black side of town in Port Arthur. Today, not much had changed. There still weren't any restaurants.

When I turned five, Papa decided to move Mama and me to Houston and start his own company. That was thirty-one years ago.

“Sweetheart, my ego says men are smarter. My head knows better.”

“You think you owe me an apology for leveraging my house, selling my car, and pawning my engagement rings? You act as though those things never happened.”

I only had one papa. No amount of money could make me disown him no matter how ruthless he was at times. That didn't mean I agreed with what he'd done. If it weren't for Roosevelt, our baby and I would be living at home with my parents.

Papa sat on the sofa beside me and patted Zach on the back. My dad shook his head, stared at the floor. “I'm sorry, sweetheart. But—”

“No buts.”

“Let me finish—,” he said.

“It's not necessary. I'm going to speak with my attorney. I've got a plan to change Roosevelt's mind about divorcing me.”

My divorce hearing was next month. There was time for me to come up with something.

“But—”

Interrupting him again, I picked up the papers, then said, “I signed this under duress. He was stupid to come to the hospital and force his wife to sign over her company and grant him a divorce. I—you're really going to like this—”

My thoughts transitioned into silence. I wasn't sure how far my husband would go but I knew how many days I had to change his mind before our hearing next month.

Papa smiled. “Love what?”

I kissed my son's stomach. “It doesn't matter. Zach means the world to my husband and we're a package deal.”

“Sweetheart, there's something I've been meaning to tell you.”

“C
all me later if you have time, baby,” she whispered.

Sindy wrapped her arms around me and held me close. Her choice for simple words like “if” instead of “when” was alluring. She'd given me the option to contact her, at the same time I knew she wouldn't call me. In time, that would change.

Women started acquaintances adhering to their standards and principles. Gradually, one standard at a time, the pendulum would swing more in my direction. I admired a self-assured lady. If Sindy had pursued me, I wouldn't have fallen for her. Sexing an aggressive woman was easy. For a man, often the two, liking and sexing a female, had little in common. What was there not to lust for when it came to Sindy?

The way she spoke made me want to dial her number before she walked away. The way she swayed her hips as she stepped to me made me want to ease her dress over her head, and take my time trailing kisses from one set of lips to her other.

Inhaling her perfume, I fingered the edges of her long cinnamon hair that dangled right above her ass. “I'll give you a ring soon as I . . .” Not wanting to say, “Leave Madison's,” I paused then continued. “Soon as I'm headed home. I miss you already.”

Sindy whispered in my ear, “Take your time, Roosevelt. You're worth waiting for.” She caressed the nape of my neck. Slowly she let me go.

Men were visual creatures. Women were audio lovers. I loved every sense of Sindy's sexiness. Holding her hand, I touched her ring finger, then asked, “What's your size?”

“One size smaller than my shoes, a six. Congrats again on your W,” she said. Then she showed me the most captivating smile I'd seen in quite some time. That shit made my dick hard. She knew exactly what the fuck she was doing and I loved all of it and her.

Sindy opened her purse, removed then opened a case. “These are for you.” She slid a pair of dark designer sunglasses over my eyes. “Not that you have anything to hide. People shouldn't always see where you're looking.”

By the time my fifty-three days were up, I was putting a ring on it on fifty-four. It took all I had not to pull her back in. Her head high, shoulders straight, back arched, I watched her curvaceous hips move side to side until she exited my suite. Quietly, I exhaled. When she wasn't around, I wanted her with me.

“Somebody's got it bad,” my brother Chaz said patting me on the back.

“Yes, Lord.” God had definitely smiled on me. I needed to show Him some love and make it back to the tabernacle soon.

“Those frames make you stand out. I'm going to have to invest in a pair of those.”

“Anyone who can distract him from that horrible Madison,” my mother commented as she entered my suite from the private restroom, “is good. Don't forget to come by for dinner tomorrow. Bring that new one with you,” she said.

Kissing my mother on the cheek, I said, “Her name is Sindy.”

“Bring her too, but I meant that baby.”

I shook my head. “Mother, my son's name is Zach.”

Chaz sang in my ear. “That baby don't look like you.”

My mother said, “I love you too, Chaz. Bring that sex machine woman you're dating. Your father could use a boost.”

Chaz and I laughed. My brother said, “She a sexologist, Mother. And yes, she can help Dad with his stamina but let me talk to Dad first.”

I never imagined our father not being able to perform. Men measured their longevity by that of their dad. Those deep-breathing techniques and PC contractions Madison taught me made my dick stronger. My concern was when would I share my improved manhood with Sindy. If I simply wanted to get my stroke count up, there were countless volunteers. I'd wait.

“I like those sunglasses on you. Guess I shouldn't keep your father waiting in the car.” Mom fanned a good-bye as she left.

“Was that a farewell or did Mom just flip us the bird?” I asked.

Chaz shook his head and smiled. “You're tripping. Does it matter? Thanks to your marrying Madison, Mom isn't a real fan of Sindy or Numbiya. She's not slick. Mom is not going to let another woman touch Dad. She wants to find out more about our women. I'm going to prep Numbiya. You should do the same with Sindy.”

The older Mom got, the bolder she'd become. That was why if Madison's dad Johnny was going to have any dignity after clearing out his office at Tyler Construction, I had to handle every aspect of his termination.

I glanced up at the flat-screen television mounted on the wall inside my suite. My head coach and star quarterback were giving post-game interviews. Thankfully, I didn't have to engage in that part.

“I admit. I like Sindy a lot. And it's all your fault for introducing her to me.”

I sat in a chair overlooking an empty stadium. Chaz sat beside me. “How does it feel being single?”

“Seems like time is going by slow as hell. It's not final yet. We still have five weeks before the preliminary hearing. Seven before it's all over.”

“Knowing how treacherous Madison is, get ready for a curveball. She's not going to settle out of court.”

Confidently, I told Chaz, “She can't stop the proceedings.”

At least I'd be free to legally remarry before Christmas. I'd dreamt about the joy that would come from not being a family with Madison and Zach. I didn't want to be one of those public pretenders putting on a show to satisfy others. “Aw, they're such a sweet family.” A lot of the married people who pass judgment on others weren't happy in their own relationship. The simple thought of Sindy's fingernails traveling down my spine made me smile.

Looking up, Chaz exhaled, then said, “This is Texas, dude. The wait period is a formality. You are technically a single man, big brother. But keep Madison close so no matter what she throws, it won't stick.”

The fans who loved me might boycott the games if I publically abandoned my wife right after she'd given birth and had a double mastectomy. My time shared with Sindy probably should be more private. With her in the suite, the cameras couldn't detect the depth of our feelings during a game. Our hugs came when only those in the room stood witness but viewers weren't stupid. The media hadn't exposed any allegations of an affair. They, like me, were happy I'd survived.

Had I done all that I could for Madison? Would it be selfish of me to put my desires ahead of hers? I'd been married, soon to be divorced, and I had a son by the age of thirty-two. I felt my timing was right. Clearly, the woman I'd proposed to was the wrong one.

“I don't want to be single but I guess I am. I don't want to be in love with Sindy but I know I am. And I want to stop loving my wife but no matter how hard I try, I can't.”

Chaz snapped his head toward me. “Try harder. You gon' mess around and lose a good woman holding on to a tramp.”

A what?
I shook my head. Madison wasn't a tramp. A loose woman is one who's never satisfied. She freely opens her legs repeatedly for men even when she has a man. Loretta influenced Madison to sex Granville. Although Madison shouldn't have shared her body with anyone except me, it was hers to do with as she pleased. Might be time I start thinking the same way about my dick. Temptation was real. Even if I were happily married to Madison, I'd still want to fuck Sindy.

“That tramp, as you call her, just had my firstborn son.”

“Zach is cool. He's family. She's not. I love being his uncle and all but if you love Madison so much, why'd you serve her divorce papers? I told you, you can be a great father without being her husband.” Chaz was leading the conversation in a bad direction. I felt it.

I patted my brother on the shoulder. Attempting to change the flow, I told him, “You're right. What difference does getting divorced make now that the baby is mine?”

“What difference does it make that Granville tried to kill you? Don't change your mind about letting Madison go, Chicago.”

My brother's comment about Granville pulling the trigger always concluded our conversation. “I promised her I was coming by to see Zach. I'll catch up to you later.”

“Make sure you serve her those custody papers you got so we can see Zach too. And whatever you do, don't fuck her.”

I was glad Chaz was my assistant general manager but I didn't need his advice outside of work. Leaving my brother sitting in my suite, I exited the stadium, then got into my car. My cell phone vibrated reminding me I still had it on
SILENCE
. I started to press
IGNORE
, then decided to answer, “Yes, Mom?”

“Roosevelt, you're taking too long. I'm going to lock Johnny out of the office today.”

Quietly, I chuckled wondering why my mother disliked Madison's dad more than she hated Madison.

I heard my father say, “Helen, no you're not. Leave Chicago alone. He's a man. He can handle it.”

“Like he's handling giving that Madison those custody papers for that baby. Looks like I'm going to have to do that too.”

The next voice I heard on Mom's phone was Dad. “Son, deal with your business like a man. I'll take care of your mother.”

“If you were taking care of me, Martin, we wouldn't need Chaz's sex machi—”

I ended the call, wishing I'd never answered. Wait until Chaz finds out Mom was serious about Numbiya helping Dad. Shaking my head, I smiled.

Clicking on the
MESSAGE
icon, I selected Madison's name, then pressed the microphone. I waited a few seconds for the beep then clearly spoke into my iPhone, “I'll see you in thirty minutes (period)”

Reading the text, I saw that Siri had gotten it right. I touched
SEND
.