The Cheating Curve (21 page)

“Shakespeare?”

“No, another William. William Congreve, from his play
The Mourning Bride
. So many people misappropriate and misquote. Well, I guess people paraphrase and then attribute ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ to Billy Shakes.” Lang chuckled at the memory.

Billy Shakes was Lang’s and Sean’s nickname for William Shakespeare. They both loved his work, admired his words.

“Do you have any regrets?” Aminah asked, carefully sliding out her new Centurion American Express, also known as the Black Card. Fame had received an invitation for the exclusive piece of plastic a few days after Thanksgiving. He was all too excited until he’d heard that Diddy carried the even more elite Beyond Black Card.

“Impressive,” Lang said, pointing to the Black Card before answering. “Christmas present from Fame?”

Aminah giggled. “Sort of,” she said, remembering how she’d jumped up and down like a Mega Million lottery winner when Fame had presented it to her in front of the Christmas tree. He’d recorded her uproarious reaction and took much pleasure replaying it over and over again for everyone who stopped by.

“Well, I don’t do regrets,” Lang said. “You know that. Guilt either. But I’m remorseful. I wish I hadn’t hurt Sean. I wish he’d never found out. I wish there was a way for me to be me and enjoy what I enjoy and still have a committed relationship, still be married. Men seem to do it with no problem.”

Aminah paid for their Sessions and four coconut pineapple Er’go candles. She thought they’d be a nice complement to the scrumptious coconut and papaya bath set Amir had given her for Christmas.

“You can be you and enjoy what you enjoy and be single, Lang,” Aminah said, starting up her Range. “Why do you even want to be married?”

Lang stared out the window. Usher was singing something about it drivin’ him crazy that he was missin’ his baby.

“For the same reasons you do, Aminah,” Lang answered, turning toward her best friend.

Aminah raised her eyebrow, doubtful.

“Seriously. I want to spend the rest of my life with Sean. I want to have children with Sean.” Lang paused. “Someday. I want us to be a family.”

“No, you don’t, Lang, because you could’ve had all that. He was waiting on you.”

Lang had no response. She sank down in the passenger seat, comparing Usher’s confessions to her own.

Aminah drove over to Night of the Cookers. It was sure to be crowded for Sunday brunch, but neither of them minded. Aminah had a thing for their pan-fried catfish, and Lang for their blackened salmon.

“Hey, you ever see that episode of
Sex and the City
where they’re disagreeing on the reasons men and women cheat?” Aminah asked, lucking up on a parking spot directly across the street from NOC.

“I’m pretty sure I have,” Lang said. “Wait. Is that when Charlotte said the guy should have at least been faithful until the end of the date?”

“Yeah.” Aminah laughed. “And Carrie said something like there’s this cheating curve and she thought that how accepting someone was of cheating was in direct proportion to their own desire to cheat.”

“Ah, the legendary Carrie Bradshaw. She may have been on to something,” Lang said, holding the restaurant door open for Aminah.

“So you agree?” Aminah asked.

The hostess seated the two of them in the back of the eatery before Lang could answer. They both declined their menus, knowing exactly what they’d order off the prix-fixe menu.

“I guess I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t agree with Miss Bradswaw,” Lang admitted, shrugging her shoulders. “So, yeah, I agree. I take it you don’t?”

“Not one hundred percent. I mean, I think there’s a whole lot more to it than that.”

“Continue.”

“Well, I think men of certain stature get an automatic pass, and I think women of a certain age more readily look the other way.”

“Yeah, but I’ve witnessed broke men with no stature whatsoever get a pass and plenty of young girls who look the other way.”

“I’m sure, but when there’s a definite benefit, like money, fame, lifestyle, status, what have you, there’s way more tolerance. Or if you’re anything like me, you have this unrestricted, unconditional love.”

Lang nodded in agreement at Aminah’s point before taking a sip of her mimosa.

“Like when Chris Rock said, ‘A man is only as faithful as his options’?” Lang asked, doing her toothy, squinty-eyed Chris Rock imitation.

Aminah laughed. “Yeah, there’s definitely truth in jest.”

“So I mean, if that’s truly the case, I think women married to professional athletes, celebrities—hell, politicians—have to know that infidelity is par for the course, no? You don’t marry men like that if monogamy is important to you.”

“I think you’re right,” Aminah admitted. “I mean, I definitely think people are more forgiving of it privately than we may be publicly. And I do think that there is in fact a cheating curve, rules of fidelity that we bend depending on the caliber of the man, how much we have vested, and, quite frankly, exactly how much bullshit we’re willing to put up with, amongst other things. I have to admit I was very accepting of it.”

“
Was
accepting?” Lang questioned. “You mean you’re not anymore?”

“No,” Aminah stated firmly before blessing her food. “I’m not.”

“Well, all right now,” Lang said, raising her flute.

The happy pair leisurely enjoyed their meal and the live jazz band, tapping their feet to the music and laughing unabashedly. They reminisced on the highs and lows of the past year and made plans and predictions for the upcoming one.

“You think Fame will ever cheat again?” Lang asked.

Aminah didn’t answer right away. The truth was she didn’t know. How could she?

“I hope not,” she said after sipping her lemon water. “He
better
not.”

Lang squeezed her best friend’s hand. “If you
choose
to stay, that’s fine by me. But if you
have
to stay—I mean, if you feel obligated to stay—there’s just something awful about that,” Lang explained. “That’s just not living to me.”

Aminah smiled and kissed Lang’s forehead.

“How about you, Lang?” Aminah asked. “Do you think you could ever be faithful to one man? Or are you still determined to have it all?”

Lang knew what Aminah wanted to hear. She knew the politically correct—no, the morally acceptable thing to say, but she couldn’t lie. Hell, the year had just started. Lang saw no point in starting it by making false declarations.

“If I could have orchestrated this whole thing better or ideally, I guess…” She paused to gather her thoughts and finish off her mimosa. “I mean, if such a thing were even possible, I just never would’ve gotten caught,” Lang admitted. “I never would’ve hurt Sean. I would’ve ended things with Dante smoothly. Got in and got out nobody hurt, nobody the wiser. But I cannot say I never would have had the affair. I mean, to keep it all the way real, I really enjoyed it. It was exciting, exhilarating….”

“How, Lang?” Aminah questioned. “After all the pain you’ve caused yourself and him. How do you see not getting caught as the solution?”

“I didn’t say it was the solution. Listen, Aminah, men aren’t the only ones who get bored with the same ole, same ole, and it has nothing to do with my commitment to my marriage. And only part of it is the thrill of new dick. The other part is never wanting to feel like I’m settling or compromising my personal fulfillment for conventional standards of happiness, you know?”

“No, I don’t know.”

Lang shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m committed to my commitment,” Aminah stated, making direct eye contact with Lang. “To my marriage, to my family.”

“And I respect that,” Lang responded, never batting an eyelash, nor breaking her stare. “I just don’t see monogamy and commitment as one and the same. Okay, so maybe I can’t have Sean back. Maybe I’m being selfish. ’Cause I know he’s like you and most people in their conventional views of commitment. And maybe being with me isn’t in his best interest,” Lang reluctantly admitted. “But maybe my having it all means being in a marriage that can be open when it needs to be and exclusive when it wants to be—as long as the sex is mind-blowing, turn-me-out sex. I know I’m not alone in this. You know Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis did that for a while?”

“No, I didn’t,” Aminah admitted, surprised. They were her relationship idols. She trusted her best friend’s knowledge, but she’d need to do her own research on that one.

“I know I can’t say I won’t ever find another man desirable besides my husband, whoever he may be. But, see, now, I’m the type of woman who if my husband’s interested in a
ménage,
then let’s go find that next chick together. Let’s pick out someone we’re both attracted to and enjoy ourselves together.”

Aminah shuddered at the thought.

Lang laughed. “I know, I know, the idea alone grosses you out. I’m saying, though, you’ve never thought of a threesome with you, Fame, and someone new?”

“No!”

“You should come visit me in my head, Aminah. I’ve imagined a threesome with me, another chick, and Sean. Me, Sean and Dante—”

“Okay, Langston, damn. I’m still eating….”

Lang winked at her best friend. They’d agree to disagree. It had worked for their friendship for almost thirty years. They worked around their differences and treasured their similarities. And while both were discovering new things about themselves, about each other, it was the familiar, the predictable, and, most importantly, their unconditional love for each other that kept them bonded.

Lang’s gut told her Fame would probably cheat again. However, she just couldn’t fathom Aminah ever really leaving him. Lang saw no point in sharing that thought with her girl though. And Aminah took comfort knowing Lang was finally starting to let the idea of Sean go. It would take Lang some time—not much though. Besides, Aminah also knew Sean could never trust Lang again. In fact he’d already started dating. But she spared her best friend that bit of info…for now.

“Can I get you ladies something else?” the waiter asked cheerfully. “Coffee? Dessert? More champagne?”

Tossing their heads back, laughing and raising their empty flutes simultaneously, they both opted for another glass of champagne.

A READING GROUP GUIDE

THE CHEATING CURVE

Paula T. Renfroe

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The questions and discussion topics that follow
are intended to enhance your group’s
reading of this book.

1. Lang supported Aminah and her marriage even though she didn’t agree with her acceptance of Fame’s infidelity. Was she being a true friend?
   
2. Lang states that she can separate sex from love, though women aren’t socialized to do so. Is that possible?
   
3. Because Fame never lies to Aminah when she questions his behavior outside their marriage, is he therefore honest?
   
4. Is Aminah’s acceptance of Fame’s infidelity indicative of her insecurity, weakness, or love for her family?
   
5. Lang truly loves Sean, yet she finds Dante more sexually compatible. Does that diminish her love for Sean? How important is sexual compatibility in a relationship?
   
6. When does Lang first cheat on Sean?
   
7. Lang thinks monogamy and commitment are two different things. Do you agree or disagree?
   
8. What did you think of Sean’s initial reaction to hearing his wife have phone sex? Was he weak for running away? Should he have immediately confronted Lang?
   
9. When Lang and Dante finally have sex, how did you feel for Sean?
   
10. Aminah cites Coretta Scott King, Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, and Camille Cosby as examples of beautiful, intelligent women who stayed with straying husbands. Is she wrong to use them as role models? Are there valid reasons to forgive and stay with a cheating spouse? Is it indicative of personal strength or weakness?
    
11. Ultimately, Sean does not forgive Lang. Why does it seem that men are less willing to forgive than women? How much does ego and pride play a part in that?
    
12. Do you think Fame will cheat again? If he does, do you think he’ll “insulate” Aminah from it? Do you think Aminah will leave Fame if he cheats again?
    
13. Did Sean cheat on Lang when he kissed Aminah? Was he justified?
    
14. Did you feel any sympathy for Fame at the Thanksgiving dinner?
    
15. Do you agree or disagree with Miss Lenora’s statement that there is no such thing as a powerful monogamous man?
    
16. Aminah asserts that cheating is simply a choice, not an uncontrollable urge; is she oversimplifying it?