Bad Blood (4 page)

Chapter 6

Seth

I
T HAD BEEN ALMOST A MONTH SINCE
R
ACHEL AND
I
HAD RETURNED
from Alabama.

I waited until the second day in April to tell her we should not set a definite date for our wedding. Just as I had expected, she agreed with me. I had used “I want my fledgling ad agency business to be a little more secure first” as an excuse. It pleased me to know that I still had Rachel in the palm of my hand and that I was still very much in control.

“You have a point, honey. Starting a marriage and a business too close together could cause some problems,” she said. “Don't worry. We'll know when the time is right for us to get married.”

While everything appeared to be normal, that could not have been further from the truth. I had decided to end my relationship with Rachel, and I knew it was going to be hard. But I had convinced myself that one way to make things easier was for me to focus my attention on another woman. A brand-new relationship would ease my pain. It didn't take me long to find a replacement for Rachel. My new woman literally landed in my lap.

I rarely used public transportation, but on this particular day I had a breakfast date with an old friend from school who worked in downtown Frisco. I knew from experience that driving across the Bay Bridge during the commute hours, then having to find a decent place to park, was not a pleasant experience. Since my buddy worked in the financial district, one block from a rapid transit station, I decided to take the Bay Area Rapid Transit train, better known as BART, into the city. I boarded at the North Berkeley station.

At the very next stop, a petite young woman with skin the color of honey got on, and I noticed her right away. She wore a navy blue suit with a white silk blouse, and she had a briefcase in her hand. Her short auburn hair was in a cute pixie style, complete with bangs, which made her heart-shaped face look almost angelic. After a couple more station stops, the train got so crowded, people were pushing and shoving like nobody's business. When the train stopped suddenly, the lovely woman I had been admiring stumbled backward and landed in my lap!

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” she said, immediately rising. She was not the only thing “rising.” I got an immediate hard-on.

“I'm not,” I told her, smiling as I looked into her big brown eyes. “I'm getting off at the next stop, so you can stay right where you are.”

“I don't think so,” she said, giving me the kind of look my mother used to give me when I said something inappropriate.

“Then why don't you sit? I'll stand the rest of the way,” I said, already on my feet.

“Thank you.” She sat down and immediately began to read a newspaper, which was what almost every other person was doing. For the next few minutes, I was so engrossed in the sports section of the
San Francisco Chronicle
newspaper, I didn't realize that the train had reached my destination.

“Isn't this your stop?”

I turned to see that it was the beautiful young woman who was talking to me. “Oh! Thank you.” We both got off the train and began to walk toward the same escalator. “Um, I hope I didn't sound too forward back there.”

“You did, but that's all right.” She chuckled. “I'm Darla Woodson.”

“I'm Seth Garrett. Do you work nearby?”

She nodded. “The savings and loan a block from here.”

“Are you a bank teller?”

“I'm a loan manager. Well, it was nice talking to you.” I was surprised when she grabbed my hand and shook it. “Maybe I'll see you around again.”

“I'm having breakfast with a friend, but I sure would like to see you again. Maybe we could meet somewhere for coffee someday? Do you live in Berkeley?”

“I live on Alcatraz Avenue, and yes, I would like to meet for coffee someday.”

Darla and I exchanged phone numbers, and I called her the next day. One of the first things she told me was that she was not involved with anyone.

“I wish I could say that,” I began. “You see, there is someone, but I'm going to end the relationship very soon. She's . . . she's got some emotional problems, so I have to ease out of the relationship very slowly and very gently.”

“I see. The guy I just broke up with had some emotional issues, too, so I can relate. It took me a whole year to break it off with him. And it is one thing I hope I never have to go through again.”

“I feel you. My lady friend is so fragile, I'm afraid she might try something desperate if I don't handle things right. But life goes on.”

Life did go on for me. And in a way that I had never expected.

Within a month, I was madly in love with Darla. Unfortunately, the first time we made love it was a letdown, because I couldn't remain erect long enough to please her, or myself. I knew it was the guilt I was feeling. Each time Rachel said or did something I didn't like, I didn't feel as guilty. By the end of the third month, I was so into Darla, I knew that
she
was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I had told her about Rachel's nutty family and about how Rachel had kept that information from me for so long. Darla understood my concerns completely. Was it possible that she was just as docile and as willing to please me as Rachel? I wondered. If so, I had hit the jackpot twice.

It had been four months since the trip to Alabama, and not once had Rachel or I brought up the subject of her family's problems. She was so busy planning our future that she hadn't noticed how my demeanor had changed.

Other people had noticed that I had begun to act differently. Last night, when Rachel's uncle Albert came to the apartment, he'd made some disturbing comments.

“Seth, what's up, dude? You haven't cracked a smile since I came in that door two hours ago. With that long face and those bags under your eyes, you look like dog shit! Running a business must really be hard on you.”

“Yeah, running a business is not easy,” I'd replied, wishing he'd leave or mind his own business. “We're still smoothing out some rough edges.”

“He's just working too hard,” Rachel had said, caressing my neck. Albert was so brazen, he always made himself at home when he made one of his unexpected visits, which were too frequent and too long for me. He had just poured himself his third double shot of vodka and had flopped down on the love seat, facing Rachel and me on the couch. She'd refilled my wineglass. “But don't worry about my boo, Uncle Albert. I'm taking real good care of him.”

“Well, excuse me,” Albert said with a neck roll. This man went out of his way to let the world know he was gay. On this particular night he wore a black cape over a skintight red jumpsuit. With his big brown eyes, high cheekbones, and bow-shaped lips, he was just as “pretty” as Rachel. He smoothed back his wavy brown hair and took a long drink. After he let out a mild belch, he continued. “Dude, I have a friend who works for a real estate company on Shattuck. They have been listing some fantastic properties lately. One in particular has a two-car garage and a huge backyard for the future kiddies to roam around in!”

“We can wait,” Rachel said. “Things are really heating up at my job, so I'm not sure I want to start a family too soon. I just got a promotion, and it wouldn't do me much good if I had to take off on maternity leave too soon.” Rachel turned to me when she heard me gasp. “What's wrong, baby? You look like you just saw a ghost.”

“I'm fine. Just a little heartburn,” I lied, rubbing my chest for emphasis. I coughed to clear my throat, which was so dry and inflamed, it felt like I had just swallowed a ball of fire. “Thanks for the information, Albert. Rachel's right. There is no need for us to start our family too soon.”

“Well, y'all know what's best, but when you do get ready to look for a big enough place, just let me know,” Albert said. He stood up and let out another belch and glanced at his watch. “I hate to run, but I have to meet my baby at the country club, and y'all know how Kingston complains when I'm late.”

Two minutes after Albert rushed out the door, I raised my arms and yawned. Then, very casually, I said to Rachel, “Sweetheart, I'm glad you feel the way you do.”

“About what?”

“About us slowing things down a bit. Us having kids especially . . .”

She nodded. “We're both still very young. Even if we wait five more years after we get married to become parents, we'll still be fairly young by the time our kids are ready for college.”

“Uh, yeah. I don't have a problem with that. But I've been thinking about something else, too. Now that we both agree that waiting to have children is a smart thing to do, why not hold off a little while on the wedding, too?”

Maybe it was my imagination, but as soon as I said that, Rachel looked somewhat relieved.

She still gave me a surprised and glassy-eyed look, though. “How long?” she asked.

“Not too long. Now that you've been promoted to head bookkeeper, you'll probably have to spend more time at work, and that can put a lot of stress on you and our relationship. And you know how busy things are with me at work right now. I'm wooing some serious clients, and I need to be able to give them my undivided attention.”

Rachel stood up, positioned herself in front of me, and eased down into my lap. “Don't take this the wrong way, but you took a load off my mind by suggesting we delay the wedding.”

“Huh?”

“Honey, I didn't know how to bring up the subject of us delaying the wedding for a little while longer. But you're right. I am going to be very busy for a while and stressed out for sure. The girl they hired to do my old job and be my assistant is not too bright, so it's going to take some time for me to train her properly. Besides that, I'd like to lose a couple of dress sizes before the wedding.” After Rachel planted a quick kiss on my cheek, she added, “What if we wait until next year? Even a little longer, if we have to. You know I love you from the bottom of my heart and I'm not going anywhere. And I know you're not, either.”

I nodded. “Next year sounds wonderful, honey.” I wanted to kiss Rachel's feet, but I settled for her lips. I gave her the most passionate French kiss I could manage. She had no idea how easy she had made things for me!

Chapter 7

Rachel

T
HE MONTHS SLID BY, AND THINGS WERE LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER
for Seth and me. By the time 2001 rolled around, I had received two hefty salary increases since my promotion at the prestigious private middle school I worked for as a bookkeeper. Seth had twice as many clients as the year before, so the ad agency that he had started on a shoestring budget was doing very well. Even though we were more financially secure than ever, our marriage was still on hold. We didn't mention setting a date that often anymore, and there was really no need to. We had pretty much decided that we'd do it sometime toward the end of the year or early the next year, but no later.

In February, on a Thursday a few days after Valentine's Day, Uncle Albert called me up around 7:00 p.m. I had just come home from the market and still had the grocery bag in my hand. I smiled when I saw my uncle's name on the caller ID. That smile didn't stay on my face long. What he had to say made my heart skip several beats.

“Baby girl, I'm in trouble, and I need your help real bad,” he whimpered. The tone of his voice gave me enough reason to be concerned.

“I just got home. Let me put the groceries away and take off my sweater,” I said. “I'll call you back in a few minutes—”

“Please don't hang up on me, baby!” Uncle Albert interrupted. “I need your help!”

“Calm down, Unc. Hold on for a few seconds.” My heart was already leaping around in my tightening chest like a rabbit on crack. Uncle Albert had never asked me for help before. I set the grocery bag on the coffee table and removed my sweater with my other hand. Then I sat down hard on the couch and crossed my legs. “What kind of trouble are you in?” I was sorry that the telephone cord was not long enough for me to get up and walk across the room to the liquor cabinet so I could pour myself a drink. I had a feeling I was going to need one.

“Kingston found out I spent Valentine's Day night with somebody else, and he went off on me this evening. He accused me of cheating on him.”

“Were you?”

“Girl, you know me. I can't help myself when it comes to cute young things.”

“Excuse me for saying this, but if you were cheating and Kingston found out, why are
you
so upset? Since he's footing most of the bills, I think he should be the one who's upset.”

“Oh, he is upset, too! But that's beside the point! To make a long story short, he got all up in my face and sucker punched me. I sucker punched him back. Next thing I know, that wild-ass Jap comes at me with some of his kung fu moves. His foot felt like a sledgehammer when he slammed it against my face. I freaked out and ran out the door. Well, I tripped on the steps and fell and broke my leg in two places. Shit! I'm at the hospital, with my leg in a cast!” Uncle Albert started screaming like a banshee. “Aaarrggh! Aaarrggh!”

“Uncle Albert, please stop crying! I know you don't want me to come over there and give you something else to cry about. Everything is going to be all right.”

Uncle Albert sniffed and blew his nose. “I don't know what to do! This is the first time a man has ever hit me!”

“Where is Kingston now?”

“I don't know where that fool is! He rode to the hospital with me and hung around until they patched me up, but before he left, he told me he wanted my black ass out of his life. That yellow motherfucker got some nerve calling me out my name! So, once they release me, I don't have anyplace to go. And, with my leg in a cast, I'm going to have to take time off from work, so I can't go out and look for another place to move into for a while. I'm going to be on crutches, so can I please stay with you and Seth?”

As much as I wanted to hesitate and give this unexpected and intrusive request more consideration, I didn't. There was no way I was going to turn my back on my uncle. There were times, like this one, when he made me so angry I wanted to slap him around myself. But he was probably the last person in the world I'd ever get violent with, no matter what he did or said.

“You know you can stay with us. I'm sure Seth won't mind. What about your stuff?”

“That's another thing. I need for you and Seth to go get every bit of my shit out of Kingston's apartment and put it in storage for me. I know I'm asking for a lot, but I didn't have anybody else to turn to. Can you come right away and pick me up?”

“You can count on me and Seth. I'll call you back as soon as I catch my breath. What hospital are you in?”

After Uncle Albert gave me the name of the hospital, I hung up and called Seth at his office.

“We've got a little problem,” I told him as soon as he answered.

He hesitated for a few moments before he asked me, “What problem is that?”

“Uncle Albert and his boyfriend got into a serious confrontation. Kingston got violent with my uncle and kicked him out of the apartment.”

“And how is that a problem for us?”

“Uncle Albert fell during the fight and broke his leg.”

“Your uncle is over six feet tall and weighs close to two hundred pounds. He let that hundred-and-twenty-pound Japanese dude whup his ass?”

“That hundred-and-twenty-pound Japanese dude is into all kinds of martial arts. Anyway, Uncle Albert is going to need a place to recuperate until he can find another place to live. Is it okay if he stays with us?” One thing I had managed to do since I'd met Seth was to keep my volatile temper in check. I prayed that I would never show him, or anybody else, the side of myself that I had been hiding so well. If he disagreed with what I'd just said, I might lose it, and then he and I would have a serious confrontation of our own.

Seth responded immediately and favorably, even though it was with a heavy, worried tone of voice. “Well, if Albert needs a place to stay, we have to help him. You do know that a broken leg can take several weeks to heal, right? Maybe even a couple of months.”

“I know. And he wants us to go to the apartment and pack up his stuff and put it in storage. He gave away his furniture when he moved in with Kingston, so all he has is clothes, books, and his computer. We can put everything in our spare bedroom.”

“You mean the room we have set up as an office?”

“I can move my computer into our bedroom or into the kitchen, so I don't have a problem with that. But I know that with all your files and other things, you really need the space. So, uh, could you use your old bedroom in your mama's house as an office for a while?”

“I suppose I could,” Seth said dryly. “What about his expenses? He drinks like a fish, so his alcohol bill must be mighty high. He eats like a mule, and I know he'll be using a lot of utilities and whatnot.”

“I'll make sure he pays his way. I don't know how much he'll be getting from disability, but I'm sure he'll get enough to cover his food and other expenses.”

“What about his car note?”

“Oh. I forgot about that new SUV he just bought.”

“I'm sure he'll want to pay that and his insurance before he thinks about paying a light bill.”

“I'll take care of his car note and insurance myself if I have to,” I said. “He's family, Seth.”

“And another thing. Albert is a party animal. I'm sure he'll be having a lot of company running in and out.”

“I know. We'll set some rules, which he'll have to follow,” I said firmly. “I just don't want to let him down after all he did for me when I moved out here. And if it gets too crowded, or if his presence gets to be too much for you, well, I'll think of something else.”

“Let's finish this conversation when I get home. I'll be leaving in about half an hour.”

“I'm going to change clothes and go to the hospital where they took Uncle Albert and bring him here. I'll get one of my neighbors to drive me over to get his SUV and park it over here. Do you want me to wait until you get home so you can go with me?”

Seth didn't waste any time answering my question. “No!” he boomed. “Excuse me for hollering. . . .”

“To tell you the truth, I feel like doing some hollering myself. I know it's not going to be easy having Uncle Albert under the same roof, following our house rules and such, but I can't turn him away.”

“I know you can't, Rachel.”

“Is there anything you want me to tell him before I bring him here? I don't want the first day to be too awkward for him, or you.”

“Tell him we've got his back,” Seth said gently.

“Thanks, baby. I knew you'd understand. I promise you that this will be a very temporary arrangement, and I'll make sure it's as painless as possible.”