Living Separate Lives (5 page)

Chapter 7

The day that Jordan discovered the text message, she slid on a jogging suit and a white, long-sleeve shirt, and hurried out the house in an effort to escape the pain she had experienced.  She called Tiffany to let her know she was on her way over. She got into her car and gripped the steering wheel as tightly as she could. She pulled out of the garage and headed towards Tiffany’s house to relieve some stress. Driving down the road, she could only pray that God would give her the strength to face Eric and make the necessary decisions that needed her attention.

Her eyes filled with tears as the honks of other cars managed to interrupt her thoughts of the trauma she was now in. She weaved in and out of the traffic, not knowing what direction her car was taking her. The whispers in her ears kept speaking louder and louder the more she drove. She steered her car until the weeping became so bad that she could not drive anymore. She pulled her car into the nearest lot and parked in the first available stall. Her body was shaking. She prayed that she would make it to Tiffany’s house in one piece.

She reached into the glove compartment and found some tissue to clean herself. Who was this woman Eric was seeing behind her back? She couldn’t imagine being married all this time and not knowing the double life her husband was living. She felt like a complete fool.

How did we get here
? The question echoed through her head. As far as she was concerned, her life was going well. She had a great job and a great husband, so she thought. She had a good church, wonderful friends and two beautiful kids. Now, with a snap of a finger, in a moment’s time, her life had changed.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to explode. Her cheeks were flushed as the blood inside her began to boil. Thoughts of revenge bombarded her mind. Maybe one of those stories on
Lifetime
could give her an idea of how to get even. She wished she could poison his food or hit him with a bat and get away with it, but she knew she couldn’t, because her convictions would not let her. Her brain was telling her one thing and her heart the complete opposite. A vision of the movie,
Waiting to Exhale,
flashed in her mind, especially the scene when Angela Bassett sets her husband’s clothes on fire. That seemed like a great way to release some of her anger. She wanted to show Eric just how she really felt. But in her heart of hearts, she knew she couldn’t do that either.

“Why can’t I get even, Lord?” she yelled. Although she asked this question, within herself she knew the answer.

A still small voice replied, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.”

“Okay, Lord; but I still want to know who she is.” How could she find out who his mistress was? What would she do when, or if, she found out? Would she have the guts to confront her? “I must be totally crazy. I am not in high school anymore. Confronting someone in these times is a sure way to get killed,” she said to herself.

Jordan sat engrossed in these thoughts and recounted the events of the day. She believed that it was God who led her to read the text message. She needed to know the truth, no matter how painful the discovery was. Now that she knew that her husband was having an affair, she was determined to find out who this other woman was. Jordan needed help because all she had was a phone number.

She took a deep breath, started up the engine and continued her journey to Tiffany’s house. When she finally arrived, she pulled into the driveway and parked her car. She couldn’t remember how she got there as safely as she did, because her mind was definitely not on the road.
Had to be my angels
, she thought.

Jordan unfastened her seat belt, grabbed her purse from the passenger seat, and headed towards Tiffany’s house. Midway to the door, her cell phone began to ring. She grabbed her phone from out of her purse and saw Eric’s face on the screen. Instead of answering his call, Jordan hit the Ignore button and placed her phone back in her purse.

Jordan rang the doorbell three times before Tiffany answered. When her friend finally opened the door, Jordan looked a complete wreck. Her makeup was smeared, her eyes were bloodshot red, and her hair looked as though she had been in a fight.

“Girl, what is wrong with you? You all right?” Tiffany asked in a high-pitched voice. Jordan rushed into Tiffany’s house and plopped herself on the tan, leather sofa in the living room. She threw her purse on the coffee table located in front of the sofa. Tiffany hurried into the kitchen and grabbed Jordan a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Tiffany rushed back into the living room, unscrewed the top, and placed the water on the table.

Jordan didn’t think she could possibly have any more tears left, but when Tiffany questioned her again, she let out an uncontrollable cry. Jordan’s head collapsed into her hands. Tiffany immediately ran over to her friend and offered her some tissue that was located on the coffee table. Jordan laid her head on Tiffany’s shoulder when Tiffany offered a hug to console her.

“What happened?” Tiffany asked again in a gentle tone. Jordan took a sip of the water before she spoke.

“Eric is having an affair.” She clutched more tissue and blew her nose. “Can you believe that?” Jordan shook her head. “I just can’t believe he would do this to me.”

“What do you mean Eric is having an affair?” Tiffany released her grip on Jordan, looking her square in the eyes in disbelief. “What are you talking about, Jordan? Eric adores you,” her friend said as she tried to reassure her.

“No!” Jordan yelled. “Eric is sleeping around.” She reached for her cell phone, and hit the message button on the screen. Jordan had forwarded the text message that Eric received from the other woman to her phone before she left her house just to show her friend. “Here, see for yourself.” She handed Tiffany her cell phone. Tiffany took it and read the message out loud.

“What? You have got to be kidding me,” Tiffany said.

“No, and that’s not all. Eric asked me for a divorce. He came home today and gave me some lame excuse about getting a divorce. He was talking about how I preached too much to him. And after he left the house, he forgot his phone. That’s when I saw that he had a text message, so I read it. Yes, I did. I knew he wasn’t telling me the truth. He’s a liar and a cheat!” exclaimed Jordan.

Tiffany let her friend vent before responding. “I’m speechless. I just can’t believe he would do this to you.” Tiffany stared at her friend, and saw the anguish in her eyes. “Who is the woman?” Tiffany, for a moment, forgot her religion, calling his mistress and Eric every foul name in the book.

Tiffany cocked her head to the side. “Girl, what are you going to do about this? Did you confront Eric yet?”

Jordan shook her head. “I haven’t confronted him yet, but I am. He doesn’t know I read the message.” She hesitated. “Well, he might. Eric called me right before I walked in your house.” She took a deep breath. “And I have no idea who this woman is, either. All I have is her phone number.”

“Give me her phone number,” Tiffany insisted. “You want me to call her? I sure will, and tell her a few things.”

Jordan shook her head. “Naw. This is something I need to do.” Jordan stared at the phone and struggled with the idea of calling the other woman. But she had been through so much. Was she emotionally ready to face the woman who stole her husband’s heart? Did she have enough fight in her to have the heart-to-heart talk with his mistress?

After talking more with Tiffany about the situation, Jordan finally decided that she would talk to his mistress to find out what was going on. So she pressed the Talk button, dialed the woman’s number, and held her stomach. This was the hardest thing she would ever confront in her life, or so she thought. She had no idea of the storm that was raging her way.

Chapter 8

“It’s finally here. Today is the big day,” Kaylan shouted. She arose to a bright and sunny April day. She was so excited that she could barely sleep the night before. She tossed and turned the entire night, only because she wanted this weekend to be perfect. She didn’t want anything to go wrong. Today, the sisterhood would be reunited, and today would be the beginning of what she hoped would be more gatherings with her girlfriends.

Weeks of planning and preparation had gone into this retreat. Instead of having her friend come to do the massages, she decided to have the limo pick them up and take them to European Day Spa. The caterer had set up a beautiful display of trays full of fruits, vegetables, and imported cheeses. The bottles of cider were chilled and the meals were fit for a queen. The house was decorated with red roses, carnations, and lilies. The house smelled heavenly. She made a schedule of activities just like a genuine retreat would offer. She knew they would think she’d gone too far with the schedule since it was only the four of them, but Kaylan wanted it to be special. She had purposed to give her girlfriends a treat they’d remember their entire lives.

The weather was perfect. It was projected to be in the 80’s the entire weekend. She could not have asked for more.
God is in this,
were her thoughts. Why she hadn’t thought to do this earlier, she didn’t know. This could turn into an annual event. The more she thought about it, the more thrilled she became.

She hoped and prayed that each one of the ladies would come willing and ready to be healed and made whole. Kaylan was expecting a spiritual breakthrough, not only for herself, but her girlfriends, as well. They were coming together for fun, food, and a spiritual renewal.

Bryan was taking care of Aisha, giving her a weekend full of shopping, movies, and a night of roller skating with five of her friends. Aisha had the entire weekend to get spoiled by her daddy, and she was going to show him exactly how to do it, with her friends included. Aisha had her daddy wrapped around several fingers. He knew it, but didn’t mind at all. Aisha was a “daddy’s girl”.

Kaylan walked into the kitchen and set the table with a white tablecloth, fine China, flatware, crystal goblets, cloth napkins, and tapered, blue candles. For the centerpiece, she picked a square, glass vase and filled it with a beautiful bouquet of roses.

She looked at the clock located on the wall; it read 12:00 pm. The limo would be arriving shortly from picking up the ladies. The caterers were doing the last minute touches on the lunch, which consisted of shrimp with linguine, garlic bread, cider, and salad.

The doorbell sounded just as Kaylan was putting the finishing touches on the tablescape. “They are here
,
” she muttered. She trotted to the door and opened it with a breathless sigh. Standing before her were all three of her friends, Tiffany, Jordan, and Candace. The friends stood, giggling; their bright smiles greeted her. But for some reason, Candace’s smile didn’t seem too genuine.
Something isn’t right.
Kaylan felt it in her spirit, but she just didn’t know what
it
was.

She fixed her eyes on the limo driver and directed him to put the luggage in the guest house. Kaylan brought her attention back to her friends.
It is going to be an interesting
weekend, to say the least,
she thought. “Hello, ladies, welcome to the Vineyards.”

“Hi, Kaylan,” they said in unison. Tiffany, Jordan, and Candace stood behind each other as Kaylan extended her arms and hugged each one’s neck. Kaylan stepped aside to allow room for them to enter. When they walked into the foyer, they placed their purses on the chaise lounge.

Candace’s large, brown eyes grew saucer-sized as she surveyed the foyer and the framed African American art that hung on the walls. “Wow. Kaylan, I love those pictures, and this house…it’s gorgeous.”

Jordan’s head went from left to right as she looked from the foyer into the living room. “This is beautiful. I love your house, Kaylan.”

“This is breathtaking. Did this house come out of a
Better Homes and Garden
magazine?” Tiffany jokingly asked.

“Thank you,” Kaylan said. “Follow me. We will be gathering in the kitchen first and move our way to the guest house after lunch; I will give everyone a guided tour of the house and vineyard. But that’s if y’all want one.”

“Guest house. Guided tour,” Tiffany muttered. They all chuckled. They followed Kaylan into the kitchen. “It smells good in here,” Tiffany praised as the aroma of herbs, garlic, and spices filled the air.

The ladies let out a big sigh once they entered the spacious, colonial kitchen. They slowly scanned the kitchen table and admired how beautifully it was decorated. The kitchen had dark, rich-tone cabinetry in a quarter-sawn cherry and pepper-corn finish. The kitchen island and countertops were in pure white. The crystal vase with red roses made a beautiful centerpiece on the kitchen island.

“I’m so happy y’all are here.” Kaylan’s joy was palpable. “Lunch is ready. Go ahead and take a seat.” The ladies pulled out their chairs and sat themselves across from one another. They placed the napkins in their laps and helped themselves to the vegetable, fruit, and cheese trays. After they got their appetizers, the table fell silent. They bowed their heads while Kaylan asked God’s blessing over the food and the weekend.

“Kaylan, you did a fantastic job with everything,” Jordan said in between bites. One of the caterers came and filled their goblets with chilled, apple-raspberry cider.           

“Yes, I agree; it is truly a blessing to be here,” Candace said. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Tiffany cocked her head to the side. “I can’t wait to see what else you and God have in store for us. I’ve been excited about coming here all week. We have so much to catch up on. So much has happened in our lives.”

“Yeah, good and bad,” Candace whispered. She turned and faced Kaylan. “Where is your bathroom?”

“Sorry, I guess I should have showed y’all where the bathroom was when you first came in. Does anyone else need to go?” Both Jordan and Tiffany shook their heads. Kaylan jumped up and ushered Candace to the foyer and gave her directions to the bathroom. “Down the hall, first door on your right.”

Kaylan reclaimed her seat and told the caterers to bring the hot dish of linguini and the basket of warm, garlic bread to the table. The caterer returned, placing the dishes in the middle of the table and refilled their goblets of cider.

Ten minutes later, Candace reclaimed her seat and leaned back in her chair. She smiled, placed her napkin on her lap, and took a sip of her cider. “That dish looks yummy. Are we supposed to eat all this food?”

“Perfect timing, Candace. I thought you got swallowed up in there,” Kaylan said. They all laughed.

“No, I’m good. All is well,” she responded. Candace surveyed the kitchen. “Is there dessert, too?”

“Yes. But we can eat dessert outside next to the pool after we relax,” Kaylan replied. After they let out a laugh, they resumed eating their lunch. In the meanwhile, Kaylan handed each one a program on blue linen paper, which listed the entire weekend of events. Reactions of excitement filled the room when they saw that a spa treatment was on the agenda.

“O.M.G.!” Jordan said. “This is wonderful, Kaylan. You sure know how to plan a retreat. I need this more than you know,” she said as her voice raised an octave.

Tiffany’s eyes glowed. “We all could use this. After the week I’ve had, this is very timely.” She took a swig of cider.

Candace raised her head up from looking over the agenda. “I must admit, this whole experience is totally new for me. In all of my years, I’ve never had a mud bath, mineral bath, or a body wrap. Shoot, I don’t even know what half of that stuff is.” All the fuss Kaylan was making for the ladies made Candace feel a little uneasy and guilty.
I
wish I could have changed the last years of my life
, she thought.

Kaylan, speaking in a bubbly tone, said, “I’m just happy I can share this experience with all of you.”

One hour later, and still completely stuffed, they eased out of the kitchen to begin their activities. Kaylan took the ladies on a tour of the main house, the vineyard, and eventually her parents’ home.

The first stop on the tour was the main house and vineyard. It was a magnificent spring mountain villa. Grandeur, serenity, and timeless Mediterranean elegance characterized this palatial estate with panoramic views of Napa Valley. Grand-scale rooms, five fireplaces, a library, an office, wine cellar, and the grounds inspired the kind of serenity found in the world's most secluded villas. While ranking as one of the largest private residences in Napa Valley, it was also an intimate and family-friendly home with a floor plan that maintained privacy for all.

After visiting the vineyard, they were ready for the next item on the agenda: the spa treatment. One hour later and one pound lighter, the ladies were picked up by the limo, which drove them to the spa in Napa County. European Day Spa was the finest and most complete Napa Valley day spa resort in the city. It offered a plethora of luxury spa services, including body scrub, mud bath, mineral bath, and body wrap.

Once they got settled in the limo, they sipped on non-alcoholic beverages, including sprinkling water, cider, and an array of juices.  Kaylan wanted to do a toast to the event. So, they lifted up their glasses while Kaylan made a one-minute speech for the occasion.

“While we live separate lives, we are still good friends. Let’s make this weekend enjoyable and memorable and unforgettable.” With that, each one lightly tapped one another’s glass and said, “Cheers.”

The limo pulled into the parking lot thirty minutes later. The chauffeur opened the passenger door and helped each one of the ladies get out the car. For the next few hours, they were going to forget about life—at least all the problems—and concentrate totally on relaxing and enjoying the moment.

Right in the heart of Napa County, the view was breathtaking. The engaging landscapes, the Mayacamas Mountains, and small-town charm captured their attention. Together, they walked inside the spa to relish the type of treatment that only a woman could really appreciate.

Once inside, the staff greeted them and led them to a changing area where they were provided a comfortable, woven robe, and then escorted to the mud bath. After fifteen minutes, the attendant guided them to the shower, then into a bubbling, aromatic, mineral tub to relax and further unwind. A blanket wrap followed, swaddling them in all-natural, fresh, cotton blankets. The mud treatment was followed by an excellent, sixty-minute, hot stone massage.

On their ride back to Kaylan’s house, they reminisced about the entire day. Each one shared what part of the spa experience they enjoyed the most. Jordan loved the honey body scrub, although the feel of the mud bath was also something to be desired. Candace had to admit that the mud bath was her favorite. Tiffany leaned more toward the hot, stone massage; and Kaylan’s favorite was the mud wrap.

When they arrived back at Kaylan’s house, she led them to the guest house to slip into something more comfortable, unpack their luggage, and have dessert by the pool. This weekend had started off on a great note.