The Question (28 page)

“Why didn’t you say anything? I’m your best friend, or at least I thought I was. Rashid was your husband. You should have said something instead of just disappearing. Do you know how worried we were?”

“I was afraid if I told you how I was feeling, you wouldn’t let us have the babies. I didn’t want that to happen. I could see how much Rashid wanted them. Why did you say Rashid “was” my husband?”

Gail looked to Rashid, waiting for him to jump into the conversation and explain. He said nothing. He didn’t even move. It was like he’d turned to stone. She sighed and began explaining. “You were gone for so long. Nobody could find you. We had no idea where you were or if you were even alive. Rashid divorced you.”

“How? I haven’t been gone a year.”

Again, Gail glanced at Rashid, mentally willing him to say something. This time he was glaring at Crystal. Maybe his silence was a good thing. “He went to Guam and filed abandonment.”

“But I was coming back. I wouldn’t have left for good, not without saying anything.”

Rashid’s harshly muttered obscenities voiced his opinion of that statement as he turned back to the window.

“Crystal, how was he to know? You packed up everything, cleaned out your bank accounts, and left. What was he to think?”

“But I needed the money to pay the clinic. Insurance only covered so much.” She once again had tears in her eyes. Gail almost felt sorry for her. Almost, but not quite.

“Get out.”

Gail looked at Rashid in surprise.

“But…I want to see my babies,” Crystal protested.

“Get out!” Rashid never moved from the window but his voice was so cold that Gail shivered in response.

“But…”

“GET OUT!”

The expression on his face scared Gail and it wasn’t even directed to her. “Crystal, maybe you’d better leave. Give Rashid a chance to calm down.”

Crystal looked from Gail to Rashid, then back to Gail. “Maybe you’re right.”

Gail walked her to the door.

“I didn’t get to see the babies.”

“I realize that, but right now, it’s best that you go. Give it a couple of days then try again.”

Crystal looked uncertain but resigned. “If you say so. Wow, you and Rashid? I never thought you’d be his type.” With those words, she turned and walked out the door.

What the hell did that mean?

Gail wanted to hit something, preferably Crystal. First, she had an angry husband to soothe, if possible. Crystal would know how. The discouraging thought popped into her mind. Gail pushed it to the side. When she entered the den, Rashid was nowhere to find.

* * * *

The twins roused from their nap and she was busy for the rest of the day. Once they were tucked in for the night, she went into their newly remolded bedroom suite for a much deserved shower. She hadn’t seen Rashid since Crystal left. She was lying in bed, trying not to worry when Rashid came into the room. He went straight to the bathroom. Seconds later, she heard the shower cut on.

A short while later, he dropped his towel and climbed into bed beside her. They both lay there, staring at the ceiling, a tense silence between them. Somebody has to make the first move. Might as well be me, she thought, needing the reassurance of his body. She rolled to her side and laid a hand on his chest.

For a few tense moments, nothing happened. Gail wondered if she’d made a mistake. She went to withdraw her hand when Rashid exploded into motion. He grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. His kiss was frantic.

“I need you.” He rolled her under him and penetrated her with one swift move. The ride was hard and fast, with an underlying desperate quality to it.

She held on and let him take her. This time was for him. Her husband needed her and she willingly gave of herself. When he finished, he rolled to the side and dragged her with him. “I’m sorry. I promised to always see to your pleasure first. Did I hurt you?”

“Don’t worry about it. That was for you. This one’s for me.” She pushed him onto his back and went down on him, pleasuring him with her mouth until he was nice and hard again. Then she climbed on top and rode him.

“Touch me.”

“Where?”

“My breasts.”

He caressed her breasts and toyed with the nipples, just the way she liked. “Mmm, that feels good.”

“Lean down so I can suck them.”

She braced above him so that her breast hung in his face, keeping a steady rhythm with her hips. With Rashid, she could come just from having her breasts suckled. Having him buried inside her while he suckled? That was a pleasure explosion just waiting to happen.

She cried out as she came. She kept pumping her hips, trying to draw out every last drop of pleasure. Too weak to continue, she slumped on top of him. Rashid adroitly flipped her over onto her back.

“My turn again” He lifted her legs over his shoulders in her favorite position and rode her until she screamed. Only when she was totally satisfied did he allow himself to orgasm.

This time as they lay together, their natural harmony restored. “Good thing we moved back into the master suite. All that screaming would have awakened the twins.”

“Beast, you love it when I scream.” Her head lay pillowed on his chest. His heartbeat was steady and relaxed. Gail waited. Then waited some more. Finally, she realized it was up to her to broach the subject.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No.” His body stiffened beneath her.

“She’s not going to go away.”

“My lawyers will deal with her.”

“I’m not sure that’s the best approach to take in dealing with Crystal. I know you’re angry. So am I. I just don’t believe ending things on bad terms is in anyone’s best interest.”

“Things ended the minute she walked out the door. It’s incomprehensible to me that she or anyone else could believe otherwise.”

Gail wisely decided to let it go. There was no sense pushing the issue, especially since she couldn’t fault him for feeling the way he did. Did she even want Rashid and Crystal at peace with each other? No, and the truth shamed her. His anger towards Crystal made her feel more secure in her marriage.

She was so pathetic.

* * * *

Christmas morning…

Gail rushed to the kitchen. She was late. Breakfast should have been started an hour ago. At the door, she came to a screeching halt. Her mother stood at the stove and from the looks of things, had breakfast well underway.

“Mom! What are you doing? You’re a guest. You’re not supposed to cook.”

“I’m not a guest. I’m your mother. Folks would starve waiting for you and Rashid to come out of that love nest of yours.”

Gail flushed as her mind flashed back to the reason for her tardiness.

“
Wake up, sleepyhead. Santa has an extra special present for you this morning
.”

“Yay, Santa,” she groaned as Rashid’s wickedly talented tongue returned to its place between her legs.

“It’s not even nine yet. We like to sleep in whenever we get the chance.”

“Un-huh, I was young and newly married myself once. I know what sleeping in really means. Still like to sleep in with your father from time to time myself.”

Gail almost dropped the glass she just grabbed from the cabinet. “Mom, TMI!”

“Just because I’m getting up in age doesn’t mean the heat has gone out of my fire. It only gets better as you get older. Your father bought one of those Kama Sutra books. If you and Rashid don’t have one, you need to buy one. Lots of interesting positions.”

“Mom, please. I do not want to hear about you and daddy’s sex life.”

“I’m just saying…”

“Enough! Do you need help in here? If not, I’ll go help Rashid with the twins.”

“All right, I’ll change the subject. Don’t go running off. I want to talk to you. Start cutting those sausages. Now, have you heard any more from Crystal?”

“No and it’s bothering me. It’s not like Crystal to give up so easily.”

“Was she really in a crazy house?”

“A private clinic,” Gail corrected.

“A crazy house for people with money. Same difference. She said she’d been there getting treatment? Seems to me if she thought she could show up here and pick up where she left off, somebody let her out too soon.”

“She probably thought she could talk Rashid around to her way of thinking. She always has in the past.”

“You listen to me, missy. Don’t matter what happened in the past. Every man has his breaking point. What she did, leaving Rashid without a word and two babies on the way…that was his. Don’t matter what excuse she gives. He ain’t gonna be forgiving or forgetting anytime too soon.”

“That’s what he said.”

“You don’t sound too sure about that.”

“He and Crystal were married for almost ten years. You never saw them together. He really loved her. I don’t think a year is long enough for all of those feelings to go away.”

Her mother left the stove and came over to the center island where Gail stood. “You’re scared he’ll go back to her.”

“He only married me because of the twins. With Crystal back, he doesn’t need me.”

“I don’t know what cock and bull story Rashid fed you to get you to marry him, but that man loves you. Even a blind person can see it in the way he looks at you.”

“That’s just sex, but he and Crystal…”

Her mother leaned forward until her face was inches away. “Hush up and listen! You can’t judge a marriage by what you see. Only a husband and wife know what goes on behind closed doors. Their marriage wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. No one’s is…” Her mother broke off abruptly, looking past her to the doorway.

Gail turned to see what caught her attention. Rashid stood at the entrance with Jamal in his arms. Her father was right behind him with Jamilah.

“Merry Christmas. Breakfast will be ready in a minute. Sit those young’uns down to the table. Gail, these grits are done. Feed your children.”

“Merry Christmas, Daddy.”

“Same to you, baby girl. Something sure smells good.”

“Momma’s preparing a feast. Should be done shortly.”

“Somebody had to with folks staying in bed all morning,” her mother threw over her shoulder.

“Nothing wrong with sleepin’ in every now and again,” her father said.

Gail groaned. “Please, daddy. Don’t get her started.”

Rashid mouthed, “What did I miss?”

She murmured her response, “Don’t even go there.”

Just then, the doorbell rang. “That must be Rachel and Frank Jr. Rashid, get the door,” her mother ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned at Gail, amused at being ordered about by her mother in his own house.

Lord, give me strength. Her parents were staying the entire four-day weekend. They’d only arrived last night and already Gail had been reduced to praying. The next couple of days were going to be long.

For the next couple of hours, the place was a madhouse. Not only were Rachel and Frank at the door, but Deb and Tim surprised everyone by coming as well.

“We couldn’t let y’all have all this fun without us,” Deb answered when questioned.

Everyone ate then the women shooed the men and children from the kitchen while they cleaned and prepared dinner. The present exchange was scheduled for one. That gave the women two hours to get things done in the kitchen. With much laughter, they got busy.

“So, what’s up with Crystal? You heard anything else?” Rachel pierced Gail with a concerned look from where she sat peeling potatoes.

“No. I don’t like this silence.” Gail brushed her bangs out of her face for the third time and continued loading the dishwasher.

“What reason would she have to keep in contact? Rashid divorced her.”

“That means nothing to some women. I should know,” Deb reminded Rachel from the sink where she was cleaning sweet potatoes.

Gail spoke into the silence that followed. “The babies.”

“Humph, if she wanted them, she would have stuck around.”

Gail looked at her mother, then the rest of the women. “I know that’s what we all believe, but it’s just not that simple. Even though Rashid has custody, he can’t legally deny her access to the twins. Not in the state of Florida, he can’t.”

Deb asked, “How’d she take that whole divorce thing, anyway? You never did say.”

“She was really surprised. I don’t believe she thought he would divorce her, or act as fast as he did. She keep emphasizing that she hadn’t been gone a year yet.”

“Eleven months and one week. Big whooping deal. Any woman who abandons her family, especially right before Christmas, deserves to be divorced.” Deb obviously felt no sympathy for Crystal.

“I wonder how much money Rashid gave her in the divorce settlement.” An inquiring look at Gail accompanied the statement.

“Rachel, that’s plain nosiness. Don’t be prying into other people’s financial affairs. And Gail, don’t be telling your husband’s business, not unless you really want to talk about it. Then, of course, we’ll listen,” her mother offered.