The Ex-Wife (11 page)

I hopped off him and opened the shower door. I covered my face with my towel, partially because I was embarrassed, but the
other part I couldn’t quite figure out. From whom was I hiding? Cameron quickly noticed that I was acting strange.

“What happened?”

“We had sex with no protection. I should be more responsible, Cam,” I said, frowning.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Yeah, I feel stupid and irresponsible.”

“Well, I can tell you now, I just took out a large life insurance policy and they do a full screening. I’m straight.”

“Have you been screened for everything?” I asked with doubt.

“Yeah, baby, you’re good, right?”

I nodded.

“It definitely ain’t cool to be sleeping around with no protection but we made a mistake. I think we can forgive ourselves.
What do you think?”

He hugged me and I nodded on his chest. I wanted to see that life insurance policy, but I figured I might as well have a good
night’s sleep and not worry about it. I’d already interrupted our enjoyment.

We lay in his king-size bed and he held me close. “It’s OK, Ayana. I’m good.”

Seconds passed and Cameron was snoring in my ear.
Ugh! I guess he’s not perfect, but he is damn sure close
, I thought with a smile on my face.

The sun had barely peeked through the window when Cameron hopped up. He told me that he had several listings to show and that
he was trying to make a move on some land. Basically, it was time for me to go. I thought that was a pleasant way to explain
it, but I understood. It’s good to have someone as busy as I am. Most men can’t understand my schedule or give me space so
this was a breath of fresh air. I smiled. “Cool. I’m going to need you to take me to my sister’s house. She has my extra house
key and I can get her single-chick car.”

He laughed. “Single-chick car, huh?”

“Yeah, she and her husband said they weren’t having kids for five years after they got married. Baby number one came nine
months later. Her BMW coupé sits in the garage because she won’t let it go.”

“That’s funny.”

“It’s going to come in handy today.”

“Just let me know. You can borrow the Audi if you need to.”

“It’s no problem. My sister’s car is in the garage dying to be driven.”

Cameron put on a pair of khaki dress pants and a white tailored dress shirt. He left the top buttons open. His cologne smelled
edible. I looked at him proudly as we walked out of his bedroom and down the right side of the double stairway that led to
the empty foyer. I joked, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was just a house you were showing and you decided to
sneak me in.”

“That’s a good idea, but luckily, I’m not that guy.”

“OK, I trust you.”

“I’m glad you do.”

We headed back to town. Close to eight in the morning, I received a call from the detective telling me that my car had been
taken to the pound and I could pick it up on Monday morning. Cam asked, “Where did they find it?”

The detective said, “In Sage Hill Shopping Center on Briarcliff Road.”

Cam squinted and looked at me strangely. “Really?”

I shrugged. “That’s what he said.”

I asked the detective a few other questions, and based on what he had been told it didn’t sound as if the car had been damaged.
The keys were in the armrest. There hadn’t been any crimes committed in it. Everything was one big mystery, but I was happy
the police had found it. It appeared that someone had swiped the keys from the valet cabinet and gone joyriding for the evening.

“Your keys are with the car. I really apologize for any inconvenience.”

“Thanks for calling.”

When I hung up, I said, “This just makes no sense.”

Cameron agreed. He just kept saying, “Wow.”

After a while I said, “Cam, say something else.”

He laughed. “A’ight, baby, when we hanging out again?”

“You know I have a book due that I haven’t really started writing.”

“So you’re working later?”

“It depends on what my options are.”

He pulled up to my sister’s house and I stepped out of his car.

“I’ll call you later, a’ight?”

I waved goodbye as I headed to the door and he was still there. He said, “Have a productive day.”

“OK.”

“Hopefully I’ll see you later.”

“Maybe.”

I had no intention of seeing him later. That was too much face time in a little over twenty-four hours. It was time to reel
it back in on Mr. Small. I waved one last time and finally he drove off.

E
veryone in the salon gasped in shock as the grille of Cameron’s Bentley nearly came through the window of the salon when he
sped into the handicapped spot directly in front. He hopped out of the car dressed like a
GQ
model. He yanked the door of the salon open. “Yasmin!”

My neck snapped back. He was obviously angry, but I didn’t know why. I hadn’t left any evidence that I had been in his house.
Shit.
It just dawned on me that he had mentioned twenty-four-hour surveillance. Maybe he saw me rummaging through his things. I
got a little nervous, but I planned to defend myself. I headed to the door, because I wanted to take this outside.

“What’s up, Cam? Why are you here acting like a lunatic?”

“When are you going to just let this go?”

I shouted, “It’s not easy letting someone go that you love.”

“Cut the bullshit, Yasmin. I’m tired of this crazy-chick shit.”

“I haven’t done anything. What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You stole Ayana’s car? What type of shit is that? What the fuck? Do you have a goddamn LoJack on me?”

I laughed. “That’s a good idea, but no. You know how I can get one?”

“Yasmin!”

He screamed my name so loud that it felt as if the earth shook.

“I’m not fucking playing with you. I’m telling you now, I’m in a relationship and I dare you to keep fucking with us. I will
have custody of Caron so fast your fucking head will spin. I will have your ass psycho-evaluated because I’m convinced you’re
crazy.”

“So you’re in a relationship? You come here to yell and scream at me because you’re in a relationship? You want to take my
son from me. Fuck you, Cam. No other bitch is raising my son!”

“Keep acting like you’re crazy and see what happens. I’ve done nothing but respect you and this is my payback? It’s over,
Yasmin. Leave me the fuck alone.”

I started crying. “After everything we’ve been through, you meet this bitch and in two weeks you’re telling me you’re in a
relationship and you want me to leave you alone.”

“Damn right.”

“What about your son?”

“I’m going to keep doing what I been doing, but get me and you being together out of your twisted mind.”

I looked him in the eyes. He didn’t mean what he was saying. Cam came across strong but he hated to upset the people he loves.
I said, “Cam, it’s too hard. It hurts that we are divorced.”

His anger subsided. “Look, Yasmin, I know it doesn’t feel good, but we have to move on so we both can be happy.”

“The only way I’m going to be happy is if we get back together.”

“You need professional help. I’m serious.”

He turned around and I grabbed his arm. He yanked it away. I hated that he pretended not to love me anymore. I had no intention
of letting him go and allowing him to move on without me. Everything that Cam had was because of my hard work. I’d be damned
if he was going to take that and give it to some already-privileged bitch. I hadn’t taken her car, but I had some other shit
up my sleeve, especially now that he wanted to grandstand and come to my shop to proclaim his love for this freak.

I tried to shake the anger raging inside me when I walked back into the shop, but I couldn’t. The client sitting at my station
just looked at me. I’m sure she, like everyone else in the salon, had witnessed the shouting match, even if they hadn’t been
able to hear exactly what he was saying to me. Tayshawn looked at me with his lips curled. “Girl, that Cam is fine.”

“Tayshawn, stop. I’m not in the mood.”

I had a lump stuck in my throat. I wanted to cry. I wanted to tell Tayshawn and Casey what he’d just said, but I couldn’t.
Since I met Cameron, he has never claimed another woman. A little part of me believed that he wanted to be with that chick,
but the other side of me knew that he didn’t know her and that their relationship was only temporary.
Why would he come here and claim her like that?
I was so confused and hurt that I couldn’t find the words to share the event with my friends. I wanted to make Cameron’s
life miserable. I didn’t deserve this type of treatment, especially not over a chick he’d just met.

After I rushed through several of my clients, Tayshawn looked at me and said, “Lunch, mama?”

I nodded, and we headed to the break area. “What’s Cam mad at you about now?”

“He said something about me taking Ayana’s car. Tayshawn, I didn’t do anything to her car, but I wish I had. I actually broke
into his house yesterday, but I swear I didn’t do anything to her car. I swear.”

He laughed. “Yasmin, stop.”

“No, I’m serious. Cam just told me they are in a relationship. I hate him.”

“Yasmin, are you serious?”

I nodded.

“I’ve been telling you to whip it on him before someone else did.”

“Tay, he hasn’t touched me with a ten-foot pole since he walked out of that house.”

“Boo-boo, I hate to say, you really fucked up. A man always want some nookie.”

I took a deep breath. “You think I need to give up?”

“Hell no!”

He pulled out his iPhone and connected it to the Bose system. Beyoncé’s “Ring the Alarm” blasted through the speakers. He
swung his arms in a psychotic fashion and shouted, “I been through this too long but I’ll be damned if I see another chick
on your arm.”

The look in Cam’s eyes when he said he was in a relationship almost made me want to throw in the towel, but Tayshawn had me
fired up as he ad-libbed lyrics. “Hell no, Ayana Blue, you ain’t gon’ be rockin’ chinchilla coats. ’Cause Yasmin ain’t letting
go.”

I gave him a high five. Damn right. I wasn’t just letting him go. I was a part of Cameron’s success. Why should I let her
reap all the benefits?

I sent him a text:
CAM SORRY ABT WHAT U THINK I DID TO AYANA’S CAR. PLEASE BELIEVE ME.

He responded,
LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE.

I sent back,
WHY DON’T YOU BELIEVE ME?

He replied,
HER CAR WAS IN THE SALON’S PARKING LOT. WHO ELSE PUT IT THERE?

I stood up, slightly baffled. Who else could have put it there? I questioned myself for those brief moments. Had I put the
car there? I was letting his accusations make me crazy. How would I know how to find her car? And why would I park it in front
of my salon? My head was spinning, and Tayshawn was still shouting out reasons why I should fight for my man.

I said, “Tayshawn, did you take Ayana’s car?”

“OK, Yazzy, I’m all down for you fighting for your man, but I’m not trying to go to jail for you.”

I laughed. “I hate you, Tayshawn.”

“Don’t hate me, baby. I’m too much to hate.”

A
lthough I’d thought that I wouldn’t see Cameron if he called, I couldn’t resist. When I answered the phone, he said, “You
got a nice cocktail dress you can put on?”

“I do, but I’m sitting here typing up some notes for my book and—”

“You’ll have all day tomorrow. I promise I won’t bother you. I have a real important meeting this evening and I’d like to
have you with me.”

He seemed so transparent, but I just didn’t understand. A man with so much to lose is usually a little more reserved when
it comes to courting someone. I just didn’t understand his motives.

Around seven thirty, Cameron called to let me know that he was outside. I wore a plain strapless black dress that fit my size-ten
hourglass figure perfectly. I’d pulled my hair into a bun on the side. I walked down the stairs and toward the car. As I got
closer, Cameron stumbled out of the driver’s side and came around to open the door. I said, “Did you trip?”

“Nah, I was just caught up in how beautiful you look tonight that I almost forgot to open the door.”

I sat in the car and he walked back around to hop in. He smiled at me before pulling off. “You look so good.”

“So do you.”

He had on a black European-cut suit with a black button-down shirt. As always, he smelled even better than he did when I left
him that morning.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m meeting with a group of investors about a property that I’m trying to buy in midtown. It was going to be just the guys,
but they decided to bring their spouses. And I figured I’d ask if you wanted to come along.”

“So they bring their wives and you bring one of your clients.”

He laughed really hard. “That was cute, Ayana.”

“No, I’m serious.”

He reached over and touched the top of my hand. “I bring a beautiful woman that I’m attracted to. Doctor of psychology. Author.
Radio talk show host. I’m batting one thousand. I mean, do I need to continue?”

“I understand where you’re coming from.”

“I’m glad you do.”

When we arrived at the Ritz-Carlton restaurant, we were ushered into a private room and seated at a long table. Cameron introduced
me to two older white men with German accents. He proudly ran down my list of accomplishments, making me feel slightly self-conscious.
I smiled. He said, “I stole her from the computer tonight. She’s working on her next book.”

Everyone seemed impressed. “Wow, how did you get started?”

I didn’t mind answering questions about my career, but I’d thought I was just supposed to be the arm piece, not the center
of attention. Finally another couple arrived and the attention was shifted from me to the business at hand.

Cameron pulled ten small black spiral-bound books out of his Prada backpack. He passed one to each person at the table, including
me. Then he put his Apple MacBook Pro on the table while everyone flipped through the investment plan. It was titled
Blake’s Overlook
. I scanned the detailed plan of how Cam intended to use his realty connections to purchase a piece of land in midtown Atlanta
and erect a condominium high-rise. The community would have a resort look and feel. The target buyer would be young, successful,
business-minded, and possibly living and doing business in other cities as well. The condominium association would also provide
property management services for owners needing to lease. His prospectus was detailed and he made comparisons to other midtown
projects that had had astronomical returns.

After we all flipped through the pages, Cam started a movie on his laptop. It was a simulation showing the land as it existed.
Construction began and a lovely building appeared. We saw a lavish lobby. Cam clicked on six different floor plans; for each
he could click to add or remove options. It was so easy to visualize the project after looking at the presentation. I could
see in the other investors’ eyes that they wanted to throw millions of dollars into the project. Based on what I’d seen, I
would have given him all the money he needed, if I could have. He was so well organized that it made me horny. I stared at
him in absolute amazement, as did the others—so much so that when he finished they clapped.

Cam and I both were sure he’d nailed it. He reached under the table and held my hand after he put his laptop away. I could
feel the moistness, so I took the napkin on my lap and wiped his palm. He looked at me and smiled. There was that extra-special
something in his eyes. It might have been relief, but it made me smile too. He was swiftly sweeping me off my feet, and I
was actually enjoying it.

When we left the restaurant, we sat in the parking lot quietly for a second. He took a deep breath. “Thanks for coming, Ayana.”

“No problem.”

“Those guys are realty tycoons. If they’re in on this project, that means I’m really onto something. And if it goes as planned,
I will be able to fly around the world and invest in other people’s dreams.”

“I’m happy for you.”

He looked at me. “I’m glad you were able to come tonight. They like to see stability. You know?”

“I see where you’re coming from.”

“My place tonight?” he asked, almost as if there were really no question that we were going to be together.

I had him stop at my place so I could grab some clothes. While I was there I got two flute glasses and a bottle of champagne.
We headed back to his empty six-bedroom house. During the ride, he asked, “What’s going on in your mind?”

I smiled. “It’s funny. I’m usually the one asking that question.”

“I’m sure, but honestly though. Be straight up with me. What do you think about what’s going on?”

“I think it seems like a lot in a little bit of time. It feels like we’ve been together every day for a week, yet it’s only
been two days. I’m not sure where it’s going, but I’m enjoying the time we’ve been together.”

“You think we’re moving too fast?”

“Yeah, kinda.”

“I agree.”

My heart skipped a beat. I wondered if this was where he was going to say maybe we should slow down. Instead he said, “You
have no idea what it’s like to be a man like me, looking for a woman like you out here.”

“Make me understand.”

“I’ve known Quentin practically all of my life and we’ve had a lot of conversations about the next woman I would settle down
with and he’d always say, ‘When you get ready, I’m going to introduce you to Ayana.’ When I met you that day, I wasn’t planning
on saying anything, but the attraction was there for both of us.”

“Yeah, I think so. Quentin never said anything to me about you until I said something about the house.”

“He wanted the divorce drama to settle down some and ideally I would have liked that too. But I just want you to know that
right now, I’m not seeing anyone but you.”

“Thank you.”

I wanted to retract my words because they sounded silly, but I guess in reality I was thankful that he had been straight up
with me. I was thankful that he was capable of expressing himself and that we were getting the opportunity to know each other.
There was an awkward silence. Finally, Cam said, “You seeing anyone else?”

“No, but I do have some dates lined up,” I said, wanting to see what his reaction would be.

His eyes quickly shifted. Then he noticed that I was smiling and he said, “Well, you need to cancel.”

“Already taken care of,” I said with a chuckle.

I liked that he didn’t try to play cool and pretend that I should do what I felt. I loved the transparency. This was probably
the first time in thirty years that a man had come straight out and asked me to mark yes or no. The windows were half down
and the night air blew through the car. The music played, and I felt as if I and this man I’d known for only a few weeks were
Bonnie and Clyde.

I asked him to stop at the grocery store because he had nothing but beer in the refrigerator. He’d told me Sunday was his
day to relax and I didn’t want to chance waking up to beer. I grabbed a few necessities, and we headed to his house. We sat
down at the card table and opened the champagne. He poured, and I said, “So we’re exclusive?”

The side of his mouth curled. “Ayana, we had that long talk and you still got questions?”

“Just confirmation, Cameron, that’s all.”

“That’s cool.”

We sat and chatted about how well the meeting had gone as we polished off the entire bottle. We went upstairs to his bedroom
and lay across the bed in our clothes. He said, “Let’s do our devotions.”

I agreed. I’d never had a man suggest this before we romp in the hay. He pulled out a large book of Christian devotions. He
began to read and my eyes got heavy. Before I knew it his words had faded and I was asleep.

When his alarm clock went off at seven in the morning, he quickly started looking for his phone. I looked at myself, still
in my dress, and him in his slacks. We must have been tired, and I wasn’t ready to wake up. I said, “Do you have somewhere
to go this morning?”

“Nah, I usually go to church. I try not to schedule anything on Sunday unless I have to.”

I took a breath. “Can we go back to sleep?”

“Yeah. You may want to get a little more comfortable.”

I peeled off my dress and put on a T-shirt he’d given me and tried to drift off to sleep. Cam lay beside me and rubbed my
back. We started talking and before I knew it, it was after nine in the morning. I sat up. “Cam, I have to go home and start
working on this book.”

“OK. I promised I wouldn’t bother you. I may as well go to church now.”

“It’s interesting. You didn’t strike me as a faithful churchgoer.”

“Look. There was a time, when I first started in realty, when I didn’t know how I was going to pay my rent, and God has blessed
me with all this. I have to go thank him as often as I can. Plus church is me and Mom Dukes’s quality time. Then I take her
to the grocery store.”

“You’re a good son.”

“Yeah, you’ll have to meet my moms. She’s the bomb.”

That made me blush. Men who have healthy relationships with their mothers are typically good guys. Then there were the mom-son
relationships that could be detrimental. From what I could tell Cameron and his mother didn’t have that type.

“You know my mother is eighty. Right?”

My mind was calculating as I said, “Yeah, you told me.”

“My sister is fifteen years older than me and my mother didn’t think she could have any more kids. She was forty-five when
she had me and I came out perfect.”

“Now I wouldn’t go that far,” I kidded.

“Seriously though, she was pretty old and back then there wasn’t all this technology.”

“That’s true. I guess you were meant to be.”

“Don’t get Moms on that. She says I’m her golden child.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Yeah, at the risk of my sister’s self-esteem. She’s fifty and still carries baggage from when we were kids. She thinks my
mother loves me more.”

“What do you think?”

He shrugged. “I think she loved the miracle and I just happened to be a product of that miracle.”

“Yeah, but parents really scar their kids when they favor one child over the other. And those issues don’t disappear with
age. They actually worsen.”

“Yeah, my sister is still pretty bitter. She loves my son though. We manage. You know?”

“Yeah, it’s still sad.”

By the time I got home it was a little after eleven, and instead of sitting down at my computer, I started straightening up
and talking on the phone with my friends. It had been a few days and no one had been brought up to date on my weekend love
affair. I had several friends linked in on the call as I gave them the 411 on Cameron Small. They all agreed that he seemed
well worth the risks. Cori said, “Everybody has a past, and at our age they all have crazy baby mamas. I’m almost afraid to
date a man with no kids and never married. I think they have a whole different issue.”

“You’re right. My gaydar goes crazy when I see that. No kids. No ex-wife. No serious old girl. No Mandy,” said Mandy.

“Yeah, that’s true. I guess in theory everyone has drama, but when it comes knocking at your door, you’re like, I can’t deal
with that,” I said.

“But when I look around at all my girls with good men, they all had a cross to bear. Whether it was finances, stepkids, ex-wives,
ex-girlfriends. In the beginning it’s always something,” Cori said.

I needed their encouragement, because as much as I believed Cameron was a good guy, that phone call from his ex-wife kept
playing in my head. I got off the phone with my friends and reminded them to be at the station on time. I had a segment called
Martini Mondays, where my friends stopped by to talk about weekend relationship highlights—either our own or those we’d heard
about. Cori laughed. “Can we discuss whirlwind love affairs tomorrow?”

I said, “We certainly can.”

I hung up with my girls and went to the computer. The Internet was distracting so I tried to keep my browser window down when
I worked, but as soon as I opened it, a bunch of pornographic videos popped up. Every time I closed one, another one would
pop up in its place. I was sure that I hadn’t gone to any porno sites. Why was this happening? My computer was moving like
a snail and these pictures and videos were invading it.