Bad Blood (27 page)

Chapter 52

Rachel

I
HAD ENJOYED EATING
C
HRISTMAS DINNER WITH MY MOTHER AND
my siblings. Ernest had not paid much attention to me until we had gathered at the table to eat. Right after Mama had carved the huge turkey and dropped two large slices of dark meat onto his plate, he'd thanked her in the sweetest voice, and then he'd turned to me.

“Rachel, I wish you could stay with us forever,” he'd told me. “You'd be happy here.”

Mama had gasped. This was the first time my brother had spoken since I'd arrived. I was more surprised by what he'd just said than the fact that he was talking again.

“Thank you for saying that, Ernest.” I had to blink hard to hold back my tears. “But I am happy in California.”

“No, you ain't,” Janet piped in. “Not after what that Seth done to you. Want me to go out there and kill him for you? I could throw some battery acid in his face or beat him over the head with something until he's dead. That's what you should have done in the first place.”

“Now, Janet, you behave yourself. We are not a violent family, so ain't nobody going to touch a hair on that man's head,” Mama said, turning to me as if she expected me to confirm her statement.

“You're right, Mama. I wouldn't hurt a hair on Seth's head,” I said, crossing my legs at the ankles.

“Jesus spoke to me that night I heard him on the telephone. The Lord told me I should have struck him down dead right then and there,” Janet said.

“I did not tell you no such thing!” Ernest yelled, waving his fist in the air. “Don't you be lying on
me!
”

Mama looked at me and shook her head. I waited until my siblings calmed down, finished their dinner, and left the room before I spoke again.

“Mama, I thought you told me things were about the same.”

“I did. Why?”

“Since when did Ernest start thinking he was Jesus Christ?”

“Oh, that wasn't nothing. One time when he was a teenager he told me he was the Devil. It was that new medication they had him on back then.”

“Maybe I should move back home, after all.”

“Hush up! You talking nonsense. I know you don't want to move back here no more than I want you to!”

Mama's last statement surprised me and made me feel sad. “You don't want me down here to help out?”

“All I want is for you to be happy. And I know you wouldn't be happy living down here again. Now, you go on back to California and live your life.”

I went home that first Sunday into the New Year, but I didn't return to work until the following Wednesday.

Before I could even sit down at my desk, Lucy popped into my office. “Guess who I ran into while you were in Alabama?” she began, shutting the door with her foot.

“Who?” I sat down and crossed my legs.

“Your ex.”

I shrugged. “Skirt? Hmmm. I hope he's behaving himself. I just might give him a call. . . .”

“Girl, don't you play stupid with me. You know I'm talking about Seth.”

“Oh.” I knew it was going to be a long day for me. I could tell from the tight look on Lucy's face that she was about to tell me something I didn't want to hear.

“I ran into him as I was leaving the baby store in Emeryville. That fool was loaded down with enough toys for
three
babies. By the time that little girl starts preschool, she'll be spoiled rotten to the bone! And you should have seen how smug he looked! I wanted to slap him when he started bragging about his new baby girl. Gayle Marie is her name, and according to him, she's just as beautiful as his wife.”

“Was he alone?”

“Uh-huh. I told him how well you're doing. But it didn't even faze him. He looked like he couldn't have cared less. I don't know how you can stand to live in the same town with that man. The way he dogged you was a crying shame! Then for him to up and marry another woman and go on his merry way, like he didn't have a care in the world, added insult to injury. Honey, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about him. God don't like ugly, and sooner or later Seth will get what's coming to him.”

“He sure will. . . .” And it was going to be sooner rather than later.

 

After I had gone through my in-box, my e-mail, and my phone messages, which took most of the morning, I decided to take my lunch early and go get a manicure. The shop I went to was a few blocks from Seth's office building, so when I drove down that street and saw him strutting out of the building in a navy blue suit, my heart skipped a beat. I had to pull off to the side for a few minutes and compose myself. Just as I was about to leave, I saw him barrel out of the parking garage and turn at the corner. Knowing him, he was probably rushing to get to a bar.

I followed him to Miguel's, a popular Mexican restaurant near an industrial area that he used to take me to. After he parked and went inside, I waited in my car across the street for about ten minutes before I went in. Once I got inside, what I saw made me want to throw up. There he was, sitting at the bar, with a huge Cadillac margarita and a bowl of chips and salsa on the counter in front of him. He was showing pictures of his new baby to the bartender when I approached and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hello, Seth,” I said casually. He almost tumbled off his stool when I sat down next to him. “I hope you and your family had a nice Christmas and a happy New Year.”

“Uh . . . uh, we did.” He closed his wallet and shifted in his seat.

“May I have a margarita, please? And make sure mine is a Cadillac, too,” I told the bartender.

Seth and I remained silent for a few seconds. Then I turned to face him and looked directly into his eyes, which looked like they were about to explode. “Seth, you could have been man enough to tell me the real reason you didn't want to marry me.”

“Look, Rachel. Why are you even going there after all this time? You and I are over, and it doesn't matter what the reason was,” he snarled.

The bartender placed my drink on the counter and gave Seth a puzzled look. “Put that on my tab,” Seth told him.

“That's mighty generous of you, Seth,” I said with a dry laugh. “So, tell me, how is married life treating you?”

“Better than you are.” He gave me a hot look and added, “I never thought you'd be the
Fatal Attraction
type.”

“Ha! Don't flatter yourself, black boy. I'm not fatally attracted to you.”

“Then why are you stalking me?”

I took a sip of my drink first. “I'm not stalking you,” I said, purposely not stifling the loud belch that popped out of my mouth.

“Well, what do you call what you're doing to me, Rachel?”

“I call it letting you know you hurt me. I didn't deserve to be treated so badly, Seth.”

“What . . . ever,” he growled. “It is what it is.” Then he rolled his eyes, and for some reason, that made me flinch. I was surprised that I did not jump up and start beating him over the head with the first thing I could get my hands on, like I had done with my ex back in Alabama. I was glad that I was able to remain calm. The last thing I wanted him to do was run out of the place before I had a chance to say everything I wanted to say.

“Do you think you made the right decision by dumping me for that other woman?” I asked.

“For your information, ‘that other woman' is the woman I love, and I'm very happy to be with her. Thank you for asking.”

“Seth, if you had told me the reason you didn't want to marry me, I would have understood. At least we could have still been friends.”

“Rachel, what do you want from me?”

“You don't have anything I want now. Look, it wasn't what you did to me. It was
how
you did it. You were not even man enough to tell me the real reason you dumped me. I had to hear it from my so-called ‘crazy sister,' who overheard you telling it to somebody on the telephone when we were in Alabama. Then I heard it from Sister Beulah after you fired her. From what she told me, everybody else already knew.”

“So what do you want me to do about it?”

I looked directly into Seth's eyes. For the first time since I'd met him, I realized how unattractive his eyes were. They seemed empty and false, as if they belonged on a dead man. “Then it is true? You broke up with me because you didn't want to take a chance on having children with mental problems, but you stayed with me until I helped you finish paying off some of your bills.”

My accusation caught him off guard. He almost tumbled off his seat. “If you already believe that, why do you need to hear it again?”

“Because I want to hear it from your mouth.” I couldn't believe how calmly I was still talking, because I wanted to scream. My long-suffering heart was breaking in two, and I was getting more pissed off by the second.

“All right. If you want to hear it from me, you will. I did not want to have children with you!”

“Because they may have been born with mental problems?”

“Because they may have been born with mental problems!” he confirmed, speaking through clenched teeth, with both of his jaws twitching. “Now that I've said what you wanted to hear, will you leave me the hell alone?”

I finished my drink and set the glass on the counter. Then I slid off the stool and looked at Seth one last time. “Thank you for being honest.”

His eyes looked like they belonged on the Devil. Had he given me a more evil gaze, I probably would have melted. “Now, is there anything else you want to know, Rachel?”

I shook my head. “Not at the moment.”

When I turned to leave, Seth grabbed my arm. “I don't want anything else to do with your crazy ass,” he told me with his teeth clenched and his face covered in sweat. “If you see me on the street or anywhere else, please ignore me, because that's what I'll do if and when I see you again. Get on with your life and leave me the hell alone, woman!”

“I already have, Seth.” Then something happened to me that I couldn't explain. My head began to spin, and I felt hot all over. “But there's one more thing I need to say to you.
One
word.”

“
What?
” he roared. He slammed his fist down on the counter and glared at me like he wanted to gouge my eyes out.

I spoke the word as slowly and as clearly as I could.
“Karma.”

“What the fuck—”

I nodded. I cocked my head to the side and finished what I had to say. “Karma is a bitch named Rachel.”

Seth's jaw dropped, and his eyes got big. “Is that a threat?”

“That's a
promise.
” I took a deep breath and strolled back out to my car.

Chapter 53

Seth

I
FINISHED MY DRINK AND LEFT
M
IGUEL'S TO GO MEET WITH ANOTHER
potential client. She had invited me to have lunch with her at a restaurant she'd chosen.

I was early, so I took my time driving to Grace's Cove, a place near the marina that the college crowd had made popular over the years. They served only organic items, which I had no use for, and no alcohol. I would never have chosen to have lunch at such a place on my own. None of the items on their menu appealed to me, so I knew it would be a light lunch for me, most likely a cup of soup and a sandwich. I had planned to order a couple of tacos at the Mexican restaurant, until Rachel showed up. I was still shaken because of that encounter, but I was not about to let that damn woman ruin my day.

My business was still doing well, with a few ups and downs along the way. If I managed to land this new account, a string of clothing stores for tall and big-boned women, I'd be on easy street for a very long time.

My lunch date had already arrived at the restaurant when I got there. I joined her in a booth in the back. Less than a minute later, Rachel came through the door! That bitch! I could not believe she had followed me from Miguel's. She sat down in the booth directly across from ours, staring at me like she wanted to kill me. Because of that karma foolishness she had said to me, I had a feeling she did. But I was not going to be intimidated by a woman, especially not this one. The strange thing was, women in general had begun to get on my nerves lately. I loved Darla and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, but I was slowly seeing another side of her. She was not the docile, well-groomed, sweet-talking woman she had been before we got married. She didn't cater to me the way she used to. She argued with me a lot, and she was hard to please.

Last night, when I'd handed her the glass of water she had asked me to get, she'd said, “I didn't want a full glass.” When I'd drunk some of the water and handed the glass back to her, she'd said, “You drank too much.” There was no pleasing her, and I had stopped trying so hard, because I had come to realize that with her I couldn't win. It was easier to keep the peace when I allowed her to have her way.

Darla had hired a nanny, so she usually didn't get out of bed until noon. Some days when I got home in the evening, she'd still be in her bathrobe, and her hair would still be in those loathsome sponge rollers she wore all the time. One of the main things that bothered me about Darla was that she and my son, Darnell, didn't get along. When he'd called and asked to come spend his last Christmas vacation with me, Darla had bitched and moaned about it so much, I'd had to tell him at the last minute not to come. Rachel had welcomed my son with open arms, and she had gone out of her way to make him feel loved and appreciated. Of all the lovers in my life whom my son had met, the only one he had ever asked about after the fact was Rachel. I recalled how happy he had been those two weeks he spent with us. She had introduced some serious structure into Darnell's life, the one thing that his mother and I had failed to do. I didn't want to forget the positive influences that she had brought into my son's life, but I told myself I had to. Especially now that I knew what a hothead she had turned into.

“You're looking as lovely as ever,” I said to my lunch date across the table as I looked at Rachel out of the corner of my eye.

Sadie West was old enough to be my grandmother, and she looked it. Her mulish light brown face contained more lines than a steno pad. She had been married twice, had two sons and a daughter, and owned a mansion. It was hard to believe that a woman who always wore drab dark outfits, like the one she had on now, owned and operated four high-end women's clothing stores. But I assumed that once a woman got to a certain age and size, she didn't really pay that much attention to her appearance. Sadie's short natural hair was as white as snow and reminded me of a ball of cotton.

“I was really looking forward to today. It's nice to see you again, Mr. . . . May I call you Seth?”

“Please do,” I gushed. My heart was beating about a mile a minute. I silently prayed that Rachel would not make a scene. I cringed when I thought of how she could do or say something offensive in front of Mrs. West. This woman was not one I wanted to upset in any way. Next to Mother, she was one of the most straitlaced and proper women I knew.

“And please call me Sadie. There's no need for us to be so formal at this point.”

The waiter took our orders, and he couldn't bring me a glass of mineral water fast enough. My throat was so dry, I could barely move my tongue. I ignored Rachel, but I suspected she was still looking at me. Each time I glanced in her direction, she was. I had never seen such contempt in a woman's eyes before in my life. Even at her worst, my son's mother had never exhibited this level of animosity toward me.

“I'm so glad you were able to fit me into your schedule today, Sadie,” I said after I'd gulped down half of the water in my glass.

“You were very persistent and persuasive, Seth. I like that. It's a sign of discipline and control. Now, tell me again why you think I should do business with your company. We've been doing quite well on our own,” Sadie said. “We're one of the oldest minority-owned businesses in Northern California, and some of our customers have been with us from day one. We're in a good place.”

“Yes, you are in a good place. My mother and most of her friends have been shopping in your stores as far back as I can remember. But I want to put you in a better place. There are a lot of younger women, even teenagers, who fit into the big and tall category.”

“Tell me about it. My granddaughter Marie is only fourteen, and she wears a size twenty-eight. The sad thing about it is, the girl refuses to go on a diet, and most of her girlfriends are just as big as she is. They don't even come into my stores. They would rather spend their allowances in stores that have to order certain items for them because they carry only smaller sizes.”

“Well, I'm sure your granddaughter and her friends would like to give you some business. However, almost every young girl I know would rather shop at the malls and those dollar stores.”

“Our prices are comparable.”

“But a lot of young females don't know that. I am sure your granddaughter does not share that information with her friends. You know how kids are. When I was a kid, I assumed only women with money could afford your prices. I never saw any information regarding sales or anything else—not that I went around looking for it.” I chuckled. I cleared my throat, which still felt parched, and continued. “At the same time, everywhere I looked, there were ads, flyers, and in some cases, radio and TV commercials promoting the cheaper stores. My staff and I, we are a hands-on company when it comes to advertising.”

“Exactly what does that mean?”

Just as I was about to answer, Rachel pranced over and stopped in front of me. As much as I didn't want to admit it, she was absolutely stunning. As a matter of fact, she was even more beautiful than she was when I first met her. One thing I knew for sure was that she would never walk around the house in a bathrobe, with her hair in curlers, in the middle of the day, the way Darla did.

“Hello, Seth,” Rachel said, looking from me to Sadie.

“Uh . . . uh, Sadie, this is an old friend,” I stuttered. “Rachel, this is Sadie West. I hope to do business with her.” I didn't know what else to say or think. After all this time I hadn't seen Rachel, and now I was seeing her twice in the same day—and
she had followed me.
This was not a good sign.

“Hello, Rachel.” Sadie offered a faint smile and a quick nod. “It's nice to meet one of Seth's friends.”

“Oh, I don't know about me being one of Seth's friends, ma'am.” Rachel snickered. “But it's nice to meet you, too.” Then she turned to me and looked at me like she was about to bite my head off. “Seth, I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like to know when you're going to pay me back some of the money you owe me.”

Sadie gasped. My jaw dropped.

“I beg your pardon?” I said. “What money would that be?”

“All the money you used to pay your bills with when we were together.” Rachel sniffed and looked directly into Sadie's horrified eyes. “He was going to marry me until he found out there are a bunch of crazy folks in my family. But he didn't dump me until I had helped him pay off his bills and get his business off the ground.” She narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. “If he's trying to do business with you, lady, I advise you to run like hell. Not only is he a lying, cheating con man, but he's also an asshole who cares only about himself. You wouldn't believe some of the mean and nasty things he's said about large women like you. He knows more fat jokes than anybody I know.”

I stood up immediately and grabbed Rachel by her arm. “What the hell do you think you're doing?” I snapped. I had never been provoked enough to hit a woman before in my life. I didn't even realize that I had balled my fist and was about to lunge at her. I would have if I had not looked around the restaurant and seen all the people staring at us.

As cool as a winter breeze, Rachel turned to Sadie and said, “Ma'am, I hope you don't have any mentally challenged family members like I do. That's the only reason Seth and I are no longer together. He can't cope with mentally challenged people. If you don't take my advice, you are
crazy
if you do business with him now! Especially now that you know he hates great big fat people like you.”

Two waiters rushed over. “Is there a problem, sir?” one asked, glaring at me, then at Rachel. “Is this woman bothering you?”

“No, there's no problem!” I insisted, pulling Rachel toward the exit. “Sadie, excuse me for a few moments, please,” I said before I escorted Rachel out the door.

When we made it to the sidewalk, I led her down the block, cussing under my breath all the way. She was laughing and walking along with me, not even trying to pry my hand from around her arm. We stopped a few doors down from the restaurant. I released her and began to stab at her chest with my finger. “Bitch, if you ever come near me again, you are going to regret the day you ever laid eyes on me!” I warned.

“I already regret ever laying eyes on you, Seth,” she shot back.

“What the fuck do you want from me? Tell me how much money I owe you, and I will pay you if it'll get you off my back!”

“I'll tell you what. You keep the money you owe me. You're going to need it.” She turned away and casually walked in the opposite direction. I stood in the same spot, watching until she turned the corner.

When I returned to the restaurant, Sadie West was gone. I called her office several times that afternoon, and each time her secretary told me she was not available.

Two days later, I finally received a call from Sadie. Unlike the other times we had talked by telephone, there was no warm greeting today. Her voice was very hard and abrupt. “Mr. Garrett, I've decided to decline your proposal. Thank you for your time. Good-bye and have a blessed day,” was all she said. She didn't even give me a chance to explain things to her, but I had a feeling it would not have made any difference, anyway. I stared at the telephone in my hand for several minutes before I placed it back in its cradle.

Rachel had cost me the biggest account of my career, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“Rachel, you are a bitch from hell,” I said, trying to imagine what I'd do to her if I could get close enough. “You better hope I never see you again.”