Master of Deception: Things aren't always what they seem

Master of Deception

Things aren’t always what they seem

By; Karolyn Kato Huddleston

Chapter 1

Alexis (Tristan’s Wife)

I loved him from the moment I saw him. Tall, dark and handsome, may sound cliché buts it's the truth. I met Tristan at a mall in Detroit and we caught one another’s attention immediately.

He walked right over to me and introduced himself and the look in his eyes said he was over interested. I smiled and introduced myself, we chatted for a few minutes getting to know each other a little bit. When he finally offered to take me to lunch. So we chose a little place that made great subs and basically ate and just hung out.

At first it felt like he was trying too hard and I wanted him to know that he didn't have to, because I was truly interested. So I told him a little about me, my daughter and my plans to run my own business, which he was totally impressed with. I shared with him how I enjoyed the simple things in life like chilling in front of the TV watching a good scary movie with lots of snacks and pillows. Or relaxing under my big oak tree outside of my home while reading a great book.

My idea of happiness is being best friends with my significant other, loving, being loved, and enjoying the person I'm with. He looked at me as I spoke and listened attentively, and I loved that. It’s not often I meet a fine ass man that listens, and responds with interesting points of his own. As he and I sat there conversing I was definitely turned on by his intellect...and it didn't make it any easier that he smelled so good. He was the one for me and I knew it then without any doubt and I've loved him ever since that day five years ago. However I will admit that though our relationship isn't perfect. I am very happy and comfortable with my husband.

Yes ladies, he married me and made me an honest woman. And I appreciate him for being different from most men that I’ve dated. He values our union and works very hard to take care of us. I love him with everything inside of me and I know he loves me to. Though there are times when I wonder if he has ever wondered into the arms of another woman. I just wondered because, first of all no one’s perfect, he’s fine and very successful. He’s the CEO of his own clothing line called T- Ware Inc., which has definitely taken off these last few years. And just lately he’s been producing some really great musical groups that have taken off. So his name and reputation is good and known.

I trust my lover, my friend, my husband. He is the king of our castle and he is the king of me, and did I mention he got some of the best sex I've ever had. He can take me to the moon and back. But lately he’s busy all the time, and yes it does affect me. But I try to be calm because I love him with all that's in me and nothing will ever change that.

My home girl Kandi thinks I’m too over the top about my love for him. But I try to let her know that I didn’t choose him, my heart did. And he did the rest. Just the fact that he listens to me and will move heaven and earth to make me smile speaks volumes to my soul. I can take care of myself and always have. But Tristan just wants me to be happy, we even have a date night. Every week we do something special and it keeps the spark alive between us. The fire is definitely still in our hearts and minds.

We also have one daughter, from my previous yet stormy relationship that ended abruptly. And he loves her like she’s his blood daughter and always has from the very start. He adopted her as soon as we were married and they’ve been tight ever since. Her name is Ronisha, but we call her Ronnie for short. I named her after her biological father Ron but he left us long before Ronnie was born. Last I heard he was locked up, so my baby never knew what fatherly love was like until Tristan. And that means the world to me and her.

I’ve dedicated all my love and heart to this man. He has a smile that brightens my day and a personality that makes me want to be in his presence. Yet in all honesty I must admit that the sun isn’t always shining we have our issues to. But I try my best not to let a night go by that I’m angry at my husband or him with me.

Chapter 2

Tristan

I've always had a way with the ladies. Always! Even when I was a youngster. They simply want me to be a part of their lives. I've had plenty of women, but as I got older I felt like it was time to settle down and make my life like my parents. My dad and mom have been together since high school. They have their ups and downs but at the end of the day they adore one another and there is nothing my dad won't do for my mom. I grew up with both of my parents loving me and one another, but I do recall times of abuse, mental and physical. It wasn’t all the time but the few times it happened was fucked up. I'd never hit or belittle my wife, plus I have a daughter what would she think of me hitting on her mom? Our daughter Ronnie is the love of my life, I've never had any children of my own, am I’m not really sure why… maybe because my schooling and career came first. But once I met Alexis and she brought her daughter into my life she became my number one star. She's a very special young lady and I want to give her the world seeing as how she never had a father. Ronisha or Ronnie for short is my daughter, I adopted her after her mom and I married, and she's been calling me dad every since. I want to be… all that I can be to my family. I always want to provide for them, even though my wife works and has her own successful business. I still want to be the main supporter in the household.

I want both of my ladies to feel special and have a great life. I can't say that I'm a perfect husband because I'm not, I have issues just like everyone else. I have things that I'm dealing with in my life, and sometimes I will talk to my wife about certain things that go on in my head. But there are some things that I don't share with her because I don't think she can handle them. My wife is a very strong, beautiful, woman. But at the same time she lives in a fantasy world, she wears her heart on her sleeve. And even though she's a strong black woman, she's easily hurt. Especially when it comes to love, and I don't want that for her, not one bit. But I realize that we all have demons, we all have those thoughts that we'd rather keep to ourselves. Those thoughts that make you wonder where did this come from and why do I feel this way. Believe me when I tell you, I have these thoughts and more. Yet I just want to be the best man that I can be. I fight temptation daily there isn't a day that goes by that women aren’t flirtatious or basically throwing themselves at me. I am the CEO of a company called T-Ware. I have a great clothing line and I do some producing as well. I find local talent that’s hot and bring them into the lime light. I have several fantastic groups out right now, so life is great for me. I have all that most people only dream of and yet I have nothing. I love what I do but the higher up you are the more you seem to appeal to women.

They seem to want me more when they discover that I'm married... I’ve never understood that about women, they always talking about men being dogs but if I tell them I'm married they want me more? And if I reject them they pursue me with a vengeance. But I just keep it moving, what else can I do? My interest are not there, my life points in another direction and I want to keep it that way.

Chapter 3

Jay (Tristan’s Best Friend)

Tristan and I have been friends for years. His wife Alexis is beautiful as well as intelligent. They have a great daughter, but I always thought that Tristan should have never married Alexis. I personally don't feel like he was ready. Tristan is a very good man but he's got a lot of things inside that he's terrified to reveal. Demons that he only shares with me, he and I have been friends since we were kids and he's a great guy. He does everything he can to keep his house in order. However until he begins to live the truth he will never truly be happy. Alexis appears to be very happy within their relationship but that's only because she lives in the dark. She doesn't truly know who her husband is. I’ve talked to him about this a million times over drinks, blunts, sober whatever. Yet he refuses to step up and be honest about who he truly is and the life that he'd rather be living. Sometimes I just want to drop an anonymous letter to Alexis and tell her everything, but it’s not my place. When I met him he was playing basketball at the park, he was pretty good to. I asked could I play and he said sure, and he’s been my ace from that day forward. We got really tight right away, I remember him confiding in me that his dad had given his mom a black eye. Tristan wanted to kill his dad for hurting his mom. And he couldn't understand why she stayed with him. I listened and understood completely my father had left me and my mom a long time ago. But I remember him beating her and me, I always hated him for hurting my mom more than me. I remember Tristan always trying to remain strong but a few times tears still came and he'd wipe them just as quick as they'd fall. I told him to come to my house and spend the night anytime he wanted to, our house wasn’t as nice as his but my mom always cooked and made dessert we both laughed. We've been inseparable ever since.

I care for him more than anything and I would never go against him but it is time for him to man up and tell the truth about his life and stop living in denial.

Chapter 4

Kandi (Alexis best friend)

The life of a woman is one that is never completely comfortable or safe. A lot of times we as women believe what we want to believe instead of what's right in front of our faces. Which is the case of my home girl Alexis. Alexis and I have been friends for the last ten or more years. We met at a factory temp job that we both worked at before we advanced. I went on to buy and run my very own nightclub and she decided to go into business for herself writing a variety of novels. And no matter how busy we were, she and I continue to be friends. I love Alexis with all my heart but I can see right through Tristan, he's just as no good as they come. Now don’t get me wrong he's a good provider and he sounds very convincing when he speaks of his family. But there's way more to him that meets the eye. And sometimes when you're in love you can't see past your own heart and that's exactly where Alexis is. I myself am single, I have no children and I love my life just the way it is. I've been in good relationships and I've been in horrible relationships. But one thing I have learned is how to read a man and know when his ass is telling a bald-faced lie. And honestly he and his friends are the most lying conniving group I have ever met in my life! But being a good friend to Alexis… sometimes I have to tone it down a little bit. She gets upset when I dog his ass out! She tells me these things about him and I can see that he's causing her pain. She pretends to be happy all the time, when she's really not.

Sadly she won't even consider leaving him or maybe counseling. I don't know what to do there's no real evidence against him but all the other signs of him doing extra curriculum outside of the house is very clear. Yeah he’s a good provider, but he is never there. And when he is.. he’s secretly on the phone or so mentally withdrawn that he isn’t there anyway.

  I'm no fool… I see him for just the dog he is. The only thing that I will give him credit for is he's a very good father to Ronisha. She loves him to death, and he provides her with everything she needs and more. Even moral support, he has been an important part of her life since he and Alexis became a couple. Never leaving Ronnie out, she needed a male figure in her life. Sometimes I keep my mouth shut and I don't say exactly what I'm thinking about him. Because of the simple fact… I don't know what Alexis would do without him in her life and how Ronnie would be if anything happened to separate them from one another. I do listen and understand when she talks about Tristan and how she feels about him, however I feel like she lives in a fantasy. She has to see that all the late nights, missed dinners and stories that just don't sound quite right are hiding something bigger and must be addressed. But as long as she needs me I will always be here for her, she is my best friend and I don't want to her to suffer thru anything alone. So if he’s what makes her happy right now? Then, so be it. But when it all falls to hell… I'll be right there for my best friend.

Chapter 5

Alexis & Tristan

I came home a little early the other day and Alexis was crying. This is not rare, she always portrays like everything is ok, but when her emotions finally come to surface? Everything is wrong. Sometimes I’d rather her just be honest from the gate.

I gently asked her what was wrong she looked at me and cried harder. I figured it had something to do with the fact that I didn't come home the other night, I told her I was working late. I got caught up in a really hectic day and a bunch of paperwork that had to be done for my client before that morning. I thought she would’ve understood, I even told her she could ask Jay he was there too we were swamped in paperwork. So in my heart I was a bit angry because I'm figuring this has got to be what she's mad about.