Put A Ring On It (26 page)

He appeared anguished, but Vangie stood over him, her arms folded across her chest, unrelenting.

He finally looked up, his expression pained. “I come straight home to you after a twelve-, thirteen-hour-day at the shop. I would be putting in even more hours if it weren’t for the fact that I want to put in quality time with you and my son. I’ve been balancing my time here and at work as best I can.”

“I know, Shawn, but—”

“But nothing! Hear me out before you start running your mouth about marriage.”

Vangie sighed.

“I give you most of the money I make. Not because I have to. I do it because I want to. It makes me feel good. It feels good to know that my family is straight.”

“Shawn, where is this conversation going?”

He sighed. “If I have to sign a contract in order to be with you, everything is going to change.”

“It doesn’t have to. You’ve convinced yourself that marriage will change our relationship.”

“I thought I was making you happy.”

“You treat me like a sex object. Always wanting pussy on demand. Like tonight. I planned on making love to you, but you started stroking your dick, expecting me to jump on it and get you off real quick.”

“Don’t I satisfy you?”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

He reared back in shock. “You guess! Whatchu saying? You’ve been faking orgasms?”

“Sometimes,” she said guiltily.

“Why?”

“To get it over with.”

Shawn winced. “Damn, it’s like that?”

“It’s hard to enjoy sex when I’m always so angry and frustrated with you. I feel so betrayed.”

Shawn stood up. “This is the kind of bullshit that I was trying to avoid. Look at us; we’re at each other’s throats like we’re enemies.”

“Well, I feel like you expect me to act like a wife without the benefit of a marriage license. I feel like you only want sex from me because you don’t think I’m good enough to marry.”

“If it was only about sex, I’d be smashing everything that walked past the shop. For real, though. Women are constantly throwing pussy at me, but I know how to turn shit down.”

“Bitches be coming in the shop, and giving you their numbers?” Vangie shouted, enraged.

“Every day,” he said with a firm head nod. “But I just keep on clipping; I don’t pay them chicks any mind. In my opinion, that’s what love is about. Keeping my priorities in order. Not letting random pussy distract me.”

“Shawn, if your feelings for me are that strong, can’t you give in this one time? Please.”

“I don’t believe in it. Marriage is a messed-up institution. I can’t change my beliefs, and I guess it’s not fair for me to expect you to change yours.”

“In the eyes of God, we’re living in sin,” she said, grasping at straws.

“Man, get off of that living in sin crap. You don’t even go to church.”

“So what! I still believe in obeying the Word of God!”

“If you’re going to obey God’s laws, then start obeying all of them. Don’t pick one that happens to suit your taste.”

“I’ve made mistakes, but I’m not going to willingly choose to live in sin.”

“You shouldn’t even be bringing God into this discussion. You only want to get married so you can brag about it to your friends.” Shawn started making steps toward the bedroom closet.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting ready to pack my shit.”

“Why?”

“I never intended to hurt you, but that’s what I’m doing. I can hear the pain in your voice.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Don’t leave, Shawn. Let’s discuss this like two responsible adults.”

“I’m getting a headache. I have to be to work early in the morning. I don’t need this kind of aggravation. I don’t want to be arguing about this every night.” Shawn disengaged her hands.

“Well, what am I supposed to tell Yuri?”

“I’ll talk to him. Nothing can change the bond between me and my son.”

“But he expects you to be here when he wakes up tomorrow. What am I going to tell him?” Panicked, Vangie wanted to go back in time, start back to when she walked into her peaceful living room.

“I’ll give Yuri a call tomorrow night. And I’ll see if I can make some time to pick him up this weekend.”

“Shawn, don’t leave. Can’t we work this out? We don’t have to talk about marriage right now.”

He looked at her with sorrow in his eyes, and then shook his head. “There’s nothing to work out. You’re faking orgasms to get sex over with, like I’m a pervert or a sex fiend. I was happy, and didn’t know that you were miserable. I feel like everything we were building was based on a lie. Nah, we don’t have anything to work out, except a visitation schedule for me and my son.”

“You can’t leave!” she yelled as she watched Shawn filling a
duffle bag with his clothes. “We can’t give up.” She paused. “For Yuri’s sake.”

“You want me to fake it like we’re happy for Yuri’s sake?” He shook his head. “I’m not going to do that.”

“I love you, Shawn. My feelings are real.”

“We don’t have the same definition of what’s fake and what’s real.”

Vangie’s mind was flooded with desperate thoughts as she watched Shawn snatching up his personal possessions. No amount of begging and pleading stopped him. Finally, he tossed his keys on the dresser, and exited the bedroom.

I
n the privacy of her suite, Harlow was once again consumed with suspicion. She couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that Drake wasn’t as innocent as he pretended to be.

She gazed at her ring, and became momentarily entranced by its brilliant shine, but the thought that this glowing symbol of love might be tainted with someone’s blood snapped her back to reality. Frowning in repugnance, she twisted the ring off her finger and firmly set it on the nightstand.

What would she do if she discovered that Drake had lied to her? Would she call off the wedding? Refuse to ever see him again? She shook her head, trying to coax her mind away from the disturbing thoughts that plagued her.

She clicked on the TV, searching for mindless entertainment, but couldn’t concentrate; her thoughts kept returning to Drake. Despite her troublesome doubts, her love for him remained. Being away from him for so long had her shaky and anxious, like she was detoxing from a potent drug.

The doorbell chimed, startling Harlow. Assuming that room service was at the door with more complimentary sweets, she sighed deeply as she crossed the room. It would take more than an attractively arranged tray of gourmet goodies to lift her spirits.

She looked through the peephole and shrieked with joy. There was a large and delicious-looking mocha treat right outside her door.

Hastily, she unchained the lock. “Drake!”

Drake came inside the room, dropped his overnight bag on the floor. Harlow fell into his arms. “I missed you so much,” he whispered.

“Don’t talk,” she said breathlessly, and then covered his mouth with hers. Below, her hands struggled with his belt.

There was a trail of clothes that went from the door to the bedroom. Later, lying in Drake’s arms, feeling his arms wrapped tightly around her, Harlow wished that the moment could last forever. But it couldn’t.

“I’ve been so scared,” she said, her hand smoothing the hair on his chest. “I’ve braced myself to expect the worst.”

“What do you mean?” He sat up and turned his head to glance at her. At that moment, he noticed the ring on the nightstand. Drake looked confusedly at her bare hand. “What’s going on, Harlow?”

She sat up. “We have to talk, Drake. There’s so much going on in my head. I feel so uncertain—”

Frowning, he gazed at her. “Do you doubt my love?”

“No.” She paused and took in a deep breath. “But I have doubt about the story you gave me…about the stones I discovered.”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, Harlow. I told you the truth.” Drake got out of the bed, walked naked over to the table and poured himself a drink. He picked his boxers off the floor, stepped into them and sat in a chair across from the bed.

“Did Talib confront the security guy—did he fire him? What happened?”

Drake inhaled a deep breath. “What I have to tell you is going to sound crazy—”

“Drake, please. No fantastic stories; I need the simple truth. I need to know why a total stranger would give you those diamonds. Was he trying to strike some kind of deal with you? Did he want you to help him smuggle them?”

“No. I’m not corrupt. I earn an honest living. You should know that.”

Harlow anxiously searched Drake’s face. “I want to trust you, Drake. You don’t know how badly I want to believe you. It’s breaking my heart that I’m filled with so much mistrust and confusion.”

“Do you really think I’m that callous?” his voice came out harshly, his handsome features contorting. “Do you think that I’d risk everything that I’ve built to be a part of a smuggling ring?” He shook his head. “The situation that I unwittingly became involved in was not that elaborate. There were no clandestine meetings, no great master plan. There was only one individual involved in this…” His voice trailed off. He closed his eyes as though forcing away a horrible image.

“Talk to me,” Harlow whispered, scooting over to the edge of the bed.

Drake released a breath. “The guard who slipped Alphonso those stones…his name is Jimoh. He comes from an impoverished, war-torn country in Africa. Most of his family members either work or have worked in the diamond mines—”

“And you know the guard’s back story because?”Harlow prodded.

Drake lowered his head. “Because I was responsible for getting that man beaten unmercifully,” he said, sounding pained.

Open-mouthed, Harlow gawked at Drake. “What?” “I took the stones to Talib, accusing him of using his man to get me involved in the corrupt diamond trade. The surprised look on Talib’s face told me that he didn’t know what I was talking about. I showed him the stones.” Drake paused and with closed eyes, he lowered his head as if shamefully reliving a horror.

“Go on, Drake,” Harlow prompted.

“Talib wanted to know which man had given Alphonso the
stones. Alphonso pointed the man out.” Drake sighed. “The beating that man took…it went on for several days. It was barbaric.”

Feeling sickened, she grimaced. “Why didn’t you step in and tell Talib that we’re civilized people?”

“Are we civilized?”

Harlow’s upbringing had been anything but civilized, but she nodded her head. “I’d like to believe that we are,” she said softly.

“A lot of heinous crimes are committed by so-called civilized people, but when you’re face-to-face with the ugly side of human nature, and listening to the sounds of a man being tortured—”

“Talib
tortured
his guard…and you just stood by and watched!”

“Hear me out.”

Harlow made a strangled noise. “Oh, my God, this is appalling. I can’t believe that you—”

“I need you to listen!” Drake’s voice boomed with hurt and irritation.

It was rare for Drake to be upset with her. Responding to the pain in his voice, Harlow went from snippy to contrite. “Sorry,” she murmured. She looked up at Drake, giving him her undivided attention.

“In Africa, diamonds can be the difference between life and death,” Drake continued, now speaking in a soft, measured tone. “There’s wicked corruption in the diamond trade. Those poor miners are exploited—it’s practically slave labor. And here’s the worst of it…if a guard suspects a worker of swallowing a stone—”

Harlow flinched.
The miners swallow diamonds?
Without speaking, she held up a hand, gesturing for Drake to explain.

Drake nodded grimly. “Some very desperate workers actually swallow diamonds to sneak them out of the mine. But many are falsely accused, and an accusation alone can cost a man his life. Being accused can get a man eviscerated.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t understand.”

“I mean that a miner that is merely suspected of swallowing even the tiniest rock, is often slaughtered right there on the spot. Jimoh was a miner before being hired to work for Talib. Many of his family members still work in the diamond mines. One of his cousins had been swallowing diamonds and collecting the stones in hopes of making enough money to escape the brutality of his country.”

Harlow groaned, and shook her head.

“It took months for Jimoh’s cousin to accumulate the stones, but he soon discovered that exchanging them for currency wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped.”

Still shaking her head, Harlow frowned. “Are you referring to those filthy stones that ended up in our bathroom in St. Croix?”

Drake nodded.

Those nasty stones travelled from someone’s bowels and into the palm of my hand. Ugh!
She covered her mouth, cringing at the memory. But an instant later, she felt guilty for being petty and shallow.

“The cousin realized that once Jimoh began working for Talib, he’d be mingling with people who had money and means, and so he gave Jimoh the rocks. Jimoh turned to Alphonso, asking for a fair price.”

“And what’s a fair price for those disgusting-looking stones?” She couldn’t keep the grimace off her face as she imagined their grimy appearance.

“That’s the shame of it all. What’s a diamond anyway? It’s just a damn rock like any other rock, right? Crude-looking stones that don’t look like shit until they are polished and cut into facets. So for all intents and purposes, a diamond’s value should be no more than an ordinary pebble. But our society…our culture has made the diamond a symbol of status and wealth.”

“I don’t understand why Talib tortured the guard.”

“Being associated with diamond smuggling could have brought danger to Talib and his family. His methods were brutal, but eventually he arrived at the truth.”

“How bad off is Jimoh?” Though she’d never met the man, Harlow felt enormous sympathy for him.

“Badly bruised, but he’ll survive. No broken bones. No missing fingers or limbs.”

“Thank God,” she murmured. “What happened to the stones?”

“As far as I know, they were thrown in the ocean.”

As relief washed over Harlow, she became pensive. This was the perfect opportunity to tell Drake the truth about her past—the whole story—not just the parts that she was comfortable divulging. She looked at him. “I have something to tell you,” she said, nervously rubbing the skin around her bare ring finger.