Unfaithful Ties (18 page)

For the next few days she cried and had just lain around feeling sorry herself. She hadn’t talked to any of her girlfriends and decided not to let anyone know what was going on.  And for some reason she was praying that this was all a dream and that Trae would be walking back through that door soon. Maybe then that funny feeling would ease out of her heart
.

chapter 8

Kenneth & Lena...Atlanta Georgia

There was an AAA tow truck parked beside Kenneth’s Acura, and a short chubby man was jotting down his vehicle identification number when he walked out of the Barbershop. “Hey man, this is my vehicle what’s going on?”

“Just doing my job”

“What in the hell do you mean you’re just doing your job?”

“We’ve been looking for this car for the last three months.”

“Looking for it for what? My car is paid for”

“Let me look at the work order” The guy said and walked over to his tow truck.

When he came back he was scanning through a portable handheld device. “The work order was requested by Title Finance.” He told Kenneth.

“Title Finance” Kenneth puzzled.

“Maybe you can call them and pay the balance over the phone.” The man suggested.

“I don’t owe them anything. I haven’t pawned my title.”

“Well someone did”

Kenneth pulled his phone out of his pocket “Do you have the number?”

The man scanned through the electronic device again. “The number is (404) 835-6289”

“Thanks man”

Kenneth dialed the number and the consultant told him that he’d she’d fax him over the contract. She explained that he’d signed it right along with a woman name Lena Gibson. He hung up with the consultant and immediately dialed his wife.

“Lena what in the hell is going on? There is a guy here claiming that the title to my car has been pawned and he’s about to tow it for nonpayment. He says that the work order is from Time Finance. Why did you forge my damn signature? We have plenty of savings so you need to call me as soon as possible and let me know what’s going on” He said trying his best not to let his frustration show.

“Look
man this is not the only stop I have for today. I gotta’ get going.” The driver told him, and quickly started hooking the tow equipment up to Kenneth’s vehicle.

“I can give you a lift if you want”

“Thanks, but that’s okay I’m going to catch a cab”

While waiting for the Taxi to arrive Kenneth felt frustration and ire rip through him. Why in the hell had Lena pawned his title? He tried calling her again and just as the phone started to ring the taxi pulled into the parking lot. When she didn’t answer he slid his cellular back into his pocket and hopped into the taxi.

“Where are you headed?” The driver asked.

“3215
Northside Park Way”

Once
Kenneth buckled his seatbelt the driver drove forward. “Hot out here today for October, isn’t it?”

“What you talking about! Hot is an understatement. This Georgia weather is no joke
” Kenneth agreed.

“You look sharp, clean as a Calvin Klein model but I bet you feel like you’re on fire in those clothes. You must have one of them office jobs?”

What Kenneth really wanted to say was that he was on fire but his attire wasn’t the reason, but instead “I’m an investigator” He said.

“I knew it was a reason that you had on those type of clothes in this heat
” He laughed. “You must be just now getting off?”

Kenneth wanted to say
fool didn’t you just pick me up from a barbershop
, but instead “Nah, I go in a little later”

“Well you damn
sho’ dressed the part. Look like one of them detectives on CSI.”

A slight grin tugged at Kenneth’s lips although he was in no mood for laughing. “I’m definitely ready to get out of these clothes.” He rolled up the sleeves of his
Stefano Ricci long sleeved shirt then leaned back against the leather interior.

Silence stayed with the two of them during most of the trip to Lena’s office, broken by the radio and the sound of the congested traffic as they traveled. The radio was tuned in to Kiss 104 and Luther Vandross
Here and Now
was playing.

Here and Now
was Kenneth’s favorite song of all time because it was the first song that he and Lena danced to as a married couple. In silent deep thought he was remembering how things were, when everything between them was perfect. Now all these years later his wife was a stranger to him and he was contemplating leaving her. The secrets, the distance, and the disrespect had nearly driven him away.

“Good afternoon Atlanta, thank you for listening to Kiss 104! That was Here and Now by the great Luther Vandross. That song was for the lovers.
Yeh a lot of babies were made off of that song” She joked. “Coming up next we have a request for Bobby Womack, If you think you’re lonely now and I guess you can say that this song is for the people that has someone good in their life and they’ve kind of taken advantage of that person. All I have to say is, you better get it right before they leave for good. So ladies and gentlemen there it is if you have someone good in your life you better start appreciating them before it’s too late and you end up at home cold and lonely. I’m just giving you some food for thought” She laughed.

The deejay was joking but it was exactly the way that Kenneth was feeling about his wife. Lena had been taking his kindness for weakness for far too long. He was definitely way to easy going. Lena did what she wanted whenever she wanted to do it, without ever going over anything with him and today was going to be the day that he put his foot down because he’d had enough.

****

Chris had insisted on seeing Lena since their unexpected rumble between the sheets happened. After avoiding her for damn near three weeks Lena
finally agreed that she could stop by her office, but only for a few minutes because she had a business meeting that she needed to prepare for.  When Chris walked through the door looking like an astounding statuesque Lena’s heart skipped a few beats and she tried her best not to look uptight. At first the two of them just stood there for several awkward minutes. Then Lena finally broke the silence.

“So what’s the reason you insisted on seeing me?” She asked, then headed for the filing cabinet and filed away a few folders.

Chris swallowed hard, and walked over to a substantial window that offered her an incredible view. With her back to Lena she watched the vehicles breezing through the busy traffic. “Since the day I met you” She finally said. “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head.”

Lena strode back over to her desk and sat down on the corner of it. “Chris look, what happened between us was a mistake. I’m a happily married woman”

“Oh, you’re not happy” Chris said confidently, and headed in Lena’s direction, where she stood directly in front of her then reached down with both hands and slid her fingers through Lena’s hair, staring deeply into her eyes. “The woman that I met crying alone in a bar on her birthday isn’t a happily married woman”

Lena didn’t hesitate to back away and distance herself. “Whew it’s hot in here” She sighed, fanning herself with her hand.  Her hormones were on fire. The closeness of Chris was causing every fiber in her body to burn and ache for her. Crazy how this woman’s mere presence did something to Lena’s insides, twisting her stomach into knots of sexual yearning. Causing
passion to spill and emotions that she never knew existed, to erupt. A realm of stimulating sensuality damn near exploded through her pores right there. If only she could spend just one more night in Chris’s arms. But she knew that having these feelings were wrong so she ignored them.

“Stop running from us. I know that I’m not the only one that felt the connection. And I know that the reason you’ve been avoiding me is because you’re scared of what might happen again.”

“I’m not running from anything.” She forced herself to say. “Chris you don’t know me like you think that you do, okay. You only met me what....a few weeks ago?”

“Exactly, see that’s what amazes me and I must admit, it throws me for a loop too. I know that we just met but what happened between us was inevitable. You can deny it all you want. But I’m going to be
honest; I connected with you in ways that I haven’t connected with anyone else. I want more and I know that deep down you want the same thing. You’re just scared.”

Lena hesitated, before walking over to the door, then peeped her head out to make sure that no one could hear them. She closed the door and walked over to the
minifridge at the opposite corner of the room. “Look” She said, then handed Chris a bottled water and took a sip of her own. “I’m not trying to pretend that what happened between us didn’t happen because it did. But the truth is I was fucked up” She stuttered because she was lying. “My husband and I were just going through a rough patch and I made a mistake”

“You don’t just make a mistake and land into bed with another woman. You wanted it to happen just as bad as I did”

“Okay, it happened. What do you suppose I do? Leave my family?” Lena uttered sarcastically.

“You know that’s not what I mean”

“Well what exactly do you think is going to happen between us?”

“I don’t know…it’s like, I know that you’re married and you have a family but yet and still a very selfish part of me wants you to be with me to, even if it’s part time. I don’t know what it is about you but I haven’t felt this way about someone in a very long time”

“What happened between us was wrong, and I can’t risk losing my husband. And what kind of message will I be giving my son if he were to find out that his mother is confused and doesn’t know if she’s interested in men or women? I just think that we need to keep our distance” She was walking back to her desk.

Chris grabbed her by the waist “Wait” she said desperately. “Will you quit lying to yourself, and just admit that something magical happened between us?”

Forcing herself to escape the sensations traveling through her body,  Lena broke away “It’s not ethical for me to that”

She then sat down in the executive chair at her desk, a stack of bills stealing her attention. She could feel Chris staring a hole through her.
Interest-strong, nearly obsessive but also sexy and longing. Lena’s hands are now trembling: nerves-disordered and unmanageable.

“
Why?” Chris asked. “Are you afraid that you might actually want something more?”

“Of course not” Lena said, strongly.

“Prove it then, have lunch with me.”

“I have a very busy day, so I’m just going to grab a burger or something. 
Business... business…business. I’m sure you know all about that”

Chris was definitely not going to give up. “How about dinner? I’m not going to give up. I’ll stay here all night until your answer is yes”

“Have dinner with you where?”

“At the Sun Dial in the Westin hotel.”

“Okay, if it will make you get out of here so that I can prepare for this meeting, I’ll go… but you better not have anything else in that mind of yours” She smirked. “Only conversation.”

“Thanks” Chris expressed graciously, and before she knew it she’d walked around the desk and kissed Lena lips, gently.

Thrown aback and unable to compose her hormones any longer Lena kissed Chris back, a sensual deep French kiss, then pulled away. “I don’t know what I’m getting myself into and I hate it but the more I try to avoid these feelings the more they become more visible.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “You know what, dinner might not be such a good idea”

“I promise nothing is going to happen that you don’t want to happen” Chris said while easing her buttocks down on the desk
,  then crossed her legs at the ankles and closed her hands together. 

“That’s what scares me. I think that I’m the one that want’s something more. I’ve dreamed about you since the day we met and I’m not sure how much longer I can hide these feelings.”

“Then don’t hide them. No one else has to know a damn thing.” Chris responded looking down at her watch “I’ve got to get going.” She stood up. “I see that you need to prepare for your business meeting so let me get out of your hair.”

“We’ll have to do a early dinner.” Lena said softly. “Is five o’clock okay? I have to pick up my son.”

“Anytime that’s good for you is good for me” Chris smiled. 

After Chris left Lena buried her face in the stack of loose papers on her desk and let out
a sigh of relief, a long moan.  She was relieved that nothing happened, at least not in her office.  What on God’s green earth had she gotten herself into now?

Seconds later after gathering all the loose papers scattered on top of her desk and getting to her feet, she peeped her head out of the office door and told her assistant to bring her a cup of tea, although what she really could’ve of used was a shot of
Quevo, then  she flopped back down into the chair. “Lord help me” she prayed while squeezing the nape of her neck. Confusing thoughts of her sexuality whirled around in her head like a spinning whirlpool.

Am I a lesbian?
She questioned herself, partly because she couldn’t believe how the lust to have sex with another woman had captivated her mind and every part of her body, particularly her vagina that happened to be burning with desire. She was so hot for Chris that even ice cold water couldn’t put out the fire burning between her legs. Of course, she knew that it was forbidden. That it wasn’t right. A sin. But she had to admit that what she’d explored only weeks ago felt damn good, and it was haunting her.