Married on Mondays (24 page)

Interrupting Victoria’s thoughts, DéJà texted, “So how are things between you and Rain?”

She texted back, “I’ll answer that in a minute.”

Exiting the kitchen, Victoria entered their office. Since she was the only one there, she left the office door open, picked
up her cell phone, and dialed Rain. She hadn’t heard from him and DéJà’s inquiry was confirmation that it was time for Victoria
to make a call. His unannounced drop-ins had driven her mad. His silence scared her more.

Things with Naomi were better but not perfect. Once Victoria totally purged her thoughts of Rain, she was confident her marriage
would thrive.

He answered, “Took you long enough.”

“So is no news from you good or bad?” she asked. “We cool?”

“Hell, no, we ain’t gon’ be that until it’s a done deal. And if you try that shit again I’ma beat your ass for real. You know
you owe me. I didn’t call you. You called me. You know you want this dick. I’ve got the real thing, baby, and you know it.
You know what you owe me or you wouldn’t have called. Right?”

How could she help him? Convince him to get professional help? “Wrong. You’re a sick man. I don’t owe you anything. But I
know someone who can counsel you. I think if you deal with your childhood issues, you won’t be so bitter.”

“Fine, then there’s no need for me to delay what I have to do. The women in prison are going to love—”

“Stop it, dammit! Just stop it,” Victoria cried. Rain acted as though he hadn’t heard her offer to help him. He probably thought
counseling was for weak or crazy men. That wasn’t true.

With the emotions of a lion going in for the kill of a deer, Rain said, “If I were you, I’d save those tears for later. You’ll
need them.”

“Go to hell! Dirty bastard!”

“I’ve been called worse. Since you called me, meet me at one o’clock. My place,” he firmly said.

“I have a client at one,” Victoria explained.

“Cancel.”

“For you? Never,” she said.

“If I don’t see you at one, you’ll see me.”

Victoria exhaled. “I’m so damn sorry I ever met you.”

“No, you’re not. You’re sorry you didn’t marry me.” He repeated, “One o’clock.”

“I can do three after my appointment, but promise me all I’m going to do is talk. I’ll do whatever necessary to protect myself.”
Victoria was desperate to make him stop harassing her. She turned her back to the glass window.

“See you at one. Don’t be late,” Rain said, then ended the call.

Victoria placed her cell phone back on the desk and entered the kitchen. Quietly she resumed tending to the pastries, only
this time she slammed the pastries onto the baking pan.

“Throw those away,” DéJà said.

“Oh! Shit. You scared me,” Victoria said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Kind of difficult to hear when you’re talking stupid. I called Dad. This time I gave him details so he’s coming for sure,”
DéJà said. “He’ll be here at one. I made the decision. You left me no other choice. You know whatever problems we have with
men Dad takes care of it, and it’s time for him to step in.”

Victoria gripped the sides of her pan, banged it on the stainless steel table. The raspberry strudels popped up. Some landed
on top of one another, others smashed on the floor. Victoria cried, “You had no right to call Dad! I don’t want to talk about
this. Is that so bad? I stay the hell out of your business, and I haven’t mentioned anything lately about Foxy’s fucking Dallas.
Why me, DéJà? Why?”

DéJà hugged Victoria. She pressed her sister’s head on her shoulder. “Because I love you. And sometimes family have to step
in. I’d rather step in than stand by and let Rain keep hurting you.”

“Then why haven’t you said something to Foxy lately?”

“Because Foxy can handle Dallas. And Dallas isn’t homicidal. Rain is. You, my sister, are not in control of your situation.
If you don’t want me involved, then you need to tell Dad about Rain.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t tell Dad. If I do, he might kill Rain. You called Dad, you talk to him. I’m leaving,” Victoria
said, walking into the office. She picked up her purse and her cell phone.

Slam!
Victoria turned around.

DéJà rolled a metal pastry stand with eight shelves in front the office door. Locked all four wheels. “It’s for your own good.
You’re not leaving until Dad gets here.”

Victoria opened the door but couldn’t get out. Her narrow body was too wide to slide between the bars. One at the time, Victoria
shoved the pans off the rack. Each time a pan fell, DéJà picked it up and put it back before Victoria could maneuver her legs
between the bars.

“Satisfied? You’ve ruined all the pastries. We can do this for the next four hours if you want, but you’re not leaving until
Dad gets here.”

“Fine! Forget it! You still can’t make me talk to him,” Victoria yelled. Plopping on the ivory desk with her back to DéJà,
Victoria dialed her dad.

Clank, clank, clank.

Victoria looked over her shoulder and exhaled. DéJà had placed another pastry rack in front of the pastry rack that blocked
the door.

“Hey, sweetheart. How are you?” he asked, sounding chipper as usual.

Had DéJà really called their dad this time or had DéJà overheard she’d planned on seeing Rain today? “Hi, Daddy. You coming
to see me today?”

“Yes, my angel. Be there at one o’clock sharp just like DéJà insisted. What are my girls up to? Are you planning another surprise
party for me?”

Victoria’s cell phone beeped. She glanced at the caller ID. “Daddy, hold on a minute,” she said, then answered the other call.
“I can’t make it for one. Is three okay?”

“Hell, no. I’ve already made arrangements.”

Victoria’s eyes widened. “Arrangements?”

“You’re not going to fool me twice. You try that shit again, and I’ve seriously got something for you. Today is going to be
special for me,” Rain said, then laughed.

“You’re sick! You need a woman of your own.”

“Had one of my own. She turned out to be a pussy licker. I’d rather beat my shit than deal with confused women like you.”

Victoria was furious. Naomi had refused to penetrate her. Victoria would rather fuck herself than give her virginity to Rain.
“What if I told you I’m not a virgin?”

“You don’t want the answer to that. One o’clock,” he said, then ended the call.

DéJà was in the kitchen talking to Foxy. Foxy was not properly attired for work. She really had taken the day off. DéJà never
knew when to quit.
Whatever.
Victoria spread a sheet on the leather sofa and lay down. Her cell phone rang. Exhaling, she walked to the desk. It was her
dad.

“Hey, angel, you forget about your old man?”

“No, Daddy. Can you come now?”

“I’m on my way.”

A
n hour later DéJà and Foxy greeted their father in the lobby of Crème. DéJà hurried to hug him first. Foxy wrapped her arms
around Mason and wouldn’t let go.

“It feels good to hug you too, princess.” Their father embraced Foxy as long as she held him.

This was a rare moment when DéJà could not interfere or overrule Foxy. Mason did not allow any of his girls to interrupt the
others’ hugs. And he’d taught them a man never let go of a woman first.

“Daddy, it’s so good to see you,” Foxy said.

DéJà stood behind their father’s back, mouthed to Foxy, “Let go,” then pointed toward the back.

“I love you, Daddy,” Foxy said, releasing her embrace.

“Follow me, Dad,” DéJà said, leading the way into the kitchen.

Mason laughed at the racks in front the office as DéJà unlocked the wheels. She rolled the carts to the side.

Their dad chuckled. “Is my angel a prisoner in her own office? What in the world is going on?” he asked, standing in the center
of the office.

Victoria awakened to the sound of rolling baking racks and her dad’s voice. “Daddy?” she said. Her eyes widened. “Daddy!”
Victoria sprang from the sofa, dashed to her dad, held him tight.

Mason hugged Victoria.

“Daddy, it’s a long and short story,” Victoria said, squinting at DéJà and Foxy.

“Well, I’ve got more time than money when it comes to my queen, princess, and angel.” He waited for Victoria to release her
embrace, then said, “Let’s all sit on the sofa, and angel, you start from the beginning.”

DéJà hurried to sit on the opposite side of their father. Foxy sat next to her. Victoria sat on the edge next to Mason.

DéJà noticed their dad hadn’t asked Victoria to summarize her story or give him the shortest version and he hadn’t told her
to start at the end and explain the story backward as he’d done numerous times when they were teenagers. Start from the beginning
meant her dad had as much time as it would take to listen to Victoria’s problem.

“Y’all already know but do not interrupt me,” Victoria said, staring at DéJà.

“Wait,” Foxy said. “Don’t start without me. I need to lock the front door.”

“We have customers,” DéJà said.

Foxy whispered, “I’ll give them a twenty-dollar coupon and politely ask them to leave.” Foxy was back in the office in less
than five minutes.

Victoria exhaled. Her dad held her hand. Mason placed his burly arm around her shoulder. Tears streamed down Victoria’s cheeks
as she began to explain. “Rain is upset with me.”

“This is about him?” Her daddy laughed, then asked, “He’s still soaking about your marrying Naomi?”

“It’s more than that, Daddy,” Victoria said, watching her sisters cling to every word coming out of her mouth.

“I’m sorry, angel. I never really knew him, but each time I saw him on television, he seemed a little off. Like something
was always troubling him. Tell Daddy what’s bothering my angel.”

Victoria swallowed air, took a deep breath, then said, “Rain told me my virginity is his and—”

Mason Montgomery stood. His nostrils flared, eyes watered, lips twisted to one side. He balled his fingers into fists, rubbed
his knuckles together, then interlocked his fingers and cracked all his knuckles at the same time. “Keep going.”

Victoria closed her eyes, then said, “If I rape you, Victoria, what are you going to do, call the police?”

“That’s it!” DéJà yelled. “Rape you? You’ve been keeping something like this from us? You’ve been passively acting like all
he wanted to do was have sex with you, and that fool threatened to rape you?”

Tears of anger flowed down Mason’s face. “DéJà, get your gun. I need to pay this Rain man a visit.”

DéJà hurried to their safe, unlocked it, retrieved her .45 caliber, then handed it to her dad.

Mason commanded, “Victoria, let’s go.”

“This was what I was afraid of.” Victoria looked at DéJà and said, “Satisfied?”

DéJà said, “You thought you could handle something like this on your own? Sis, what’s wrong with you? Don’t worry. I got your
back. Remember that. I’m going with you guys.”

“Me too,” Foxy said.

Victoria couldn’t say no to their dad so she got her purse and followed Mason out the door with her sisters trailing. The
ride to Rain’s house was quiet. They all knew when their dad was outraged, it was best for them not to talk while Mason was
thinking.

Victoria sat in the front with her dad, wondering what Naomi would say when she found out about this episode. Maybe Victoria
could swear her sisters to secrecy. What was she thinking? Depending on the outcome, Naomi might hear the news before Victoria
got home.

Mason parked in Rain’s driveway. “Angel, come with me.”

It was as though they were all nicknamed Angel, because Foxy and DéJà followed Victoria and Mason to the door. Mason stood
at the front door beside Victoria. Victoria stood in front of the peephole, rang the doorbell.

Rain opened the door, opened his mouth.

Bam!
Mason’s fist landed in the center of Rain’s face. Rain tried to slam the door.
Bam!
The second punch caused Rain to stumble, then fall in the doorway.

“Get your punk ass up, or my foot is coming down there to get you,” Mason yelled.

Victoria stared at her father’s cowboy boots. Her sisters remained quiet. Victoria did not derive pleasure from seeing her
dad beat Rain. Honestly, she was afraid of what would happen after the fight was over.

Rain scrambled toward the coffee table.

“His gun!” Victoria screamed.

DéJà beat him to the table, kicked the table over on Rain, then kicked his gun under the sofa. Rain stared at Victoria. If
looks could kill, she’d be the one on the floor fighting for her life.

Mason stomped Rain in the chest, left his foot there, applied so much pressure that Rain tried weaseling his way out of the
fight but couldn’t.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Montgomery. I wasn’t serious. Victoria, tell your dad I’d never hurt you.”

Mason looked at his daughter. Victoria remained quiet.

Mason placed his other foot on Rain’s chest. He pushed his heels into Rain’s chest.

Rain wheezed. Tried to speak but couldn’t.

“You come see Mason Montgomery when you want to be a man. Do not man the fuck up against any of my girls. If you go near any
of them again, I will kill you. That’s a promise. And when Mason Montgomery makes a promise, he keeps it. And when your sorry
punk ass is dead, who you gon’ call motherfucker? Who you gon’ call? Dirty ass cop. I see why your parents disown you.”