Inner Circle (8 page)

“You sound excited . . .” Eve said, confused.

Callie placed her purple Prada hobo in the nearby chair, then took her seat next to Eve. “I am excited about the possibility of another child, especially if it’s girl. I’m not excited about the circumstances with Drew and the state of my marriage right now, though.” Callie’s huge doe eyes sparkled as she draped her pashmina on the back of her chair. “I really do believe that children are a gift from God. If He allows me to conceive, I feel the least I can do is be grateful for the gift of life that He’s given me.”

“Girl, you’re good. If my man was cheating on me with some Pop-Tart hair model while I was at home raising his kids, the last thing he’d get from me is another baby. Hell, he wouldn’t be getting any pussy to begin with, and he damn sure wouldn’t have the opportunity to leave me stuck with four damn kids and an ironclad prenup. If I was pregnant, the only appointment I’d be making would be an anonymous appointment to the clinic . . .” Eve downed her shot of Ty Ku and poured herself another.

“I could never abort my child. My children are my life, and I love them with all my heart. I wish I could say that I don’t care about my husband, but I do. I love Drew. I just hate what he does sometimes.”

“I hear you, girl. I was just telling Eve that I hate what’s happening between me and Sean. He’s the one that did the dirt, but I’m the one that feels like I made the mess.”

“I don’t want to overstep here, ladies, but I don’t get how two beautiful, smart, and vibrant women can sit here and allow these assholes to make you second-guess yourselves. You two sound like some new, green bitches. Here you both are with kids you’re raising by these men, and you’re allowing them to make you feel powerless. I know you signed prenups, but damn, everything in life and love is negotiable,” Eve said.

“I’m sorry, Callie, I kind of told Eve about your situation with Drew.” Amber narrowed her eyes and frowned at Eve. “Unfortunately, Eve has very strong opinions about certain things, and sometimes she can be a bit abrasive in her comments.”

Eve answered, unfazed, “Hey, I call ’em like I see ’em!”

“Are you ladies ready to order?” the waiter asked, placing their appetizers down on the table. They quickly ordered their entrées before diving into the appetizers. After a few very drawn out minutes, Eve broke the silence.

“Hey, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. Honestly, that wasn’t my intention. I just don’t understand how you could know about a woman who’s screwing around with your man and you haven’t beat that ho down yet.”

“Believe me, if I felt like that would make a difference, I would,” Callie said, toying with her food. “You don’t know how bad I want to take these pictures and shove them down their throats. Then we’ll see who’s embarrassed!”

“Pictures? What pictures?” Eve’s curiosity was aroused.

“Wait! You have
pictures
of him and the model? Doing
what
?” Amber asked at the same time.

“Things he should only be doing with me, and some things that even as his wife I would never do!”

“Where did you get these pictures?” Eve took a bite of her salad, poured herself another drink, and then filled Callie’s glass. She didn’t give a damn about Callie’s 7
P.M
. rule; it was clear that she needed a drink—bad. She handed the bottle to Amber.

“I hired a private investigator.” Callie looked surprised, as if the answer should be obvious.

“Girlfriend, you have dirty pictures of your man and some Tresses model trick, and you’re putting up with this bullshit?” Eve couldn’t contain her disbelief.

“I know, and every time I try, I just can’t seem to confront him. I look at those pictures, and I see
her . . .”
Callie clinched her fists. “I get so angry I don’t know what to do. We have kids; I have my boys to think about. My family is everything to me.”

“Where are the pictures?” Eve asked.

Eve watched as Callie retrieved a thick manila envelope from her bag. “Right there. You see her?” She pointed to the picture on top of the stack.

“You can barely see her through all that damn hair,” Amber replied, pouring herself another drink.

Eve turned the photo around to another angle. “Oh, her? I think I just saw her on a late-night talk show.” Eve looked thoughtful as if trying to recall. “Isn’t her name Karla or something?”

“Her name is Carmen. Carmen Garza. She’s in the United States because she is the new face and spokesmodel for Tresses Hair Care,” Callie answered.

Eve snapped her fingers in recognition. “Okay, now I can place her. That’s the one!”

“Yeah, we all know what Tresses hair care is,” Amber added. “I’ve seen the commercials. She’s the one with the hair down to her ass, right? And I hear it’s real!”

“Yes, that’s her.” Callie’s shoulders rose as she sighed. She dabbed her eyes with her napkin in a futile attempt to fight back tears and resumed eating.

“So let me get this straight. You know this chick, you’ve seen her face-to-face, and you’ve done
nothing
?” Eve still couldn’t believe that someone could be so naïve and stupid.

“So what would
you
do?” Callie asked with a trace of defiance in her voice.

“Again, like I said earlier, that ho would’ve been beat down by
now. Then after I beat her ass, I’d have a heart-to-heart with Drew. Fuck that whole fear of being deported or losing your family bullshit. His ass would know that
I
know he’s cheating.” Eve had to catch her breath before continuing. “Now, I don’t want to tell you how to handle your business, but I’d jump that jump-off and dare her to
ever
see Drew again. Then I’d give her a copy of one of those pictures and tell her that if you even
think
she’s still fucking with your man again, the next time she sees that picture it’ll be on the desk of every executive at Tresses!”

Callie laughed, taking a deep breath. “I’ve gotta ask, what is a jump-off?”

“Jump-off, you know, ho, trick, chick on the side! And to jump a jump-off simply means, you jump her ass and beat the crap out of her! The catch is to do it subtly, though.”

“Drew would kill me if he found out that I did anything like that!”

“Boo, please, you beat that ass right and Drew will never know what the hell happened, and to be honest, she wouldn’t either. I guarantee you that after my visit with little Miss Thang, their fling would be over.” Eve laughed to herself. She picked up another one of the photos from the table and shook her head. “While you’re at it, I’d cut off the bitch’s hair. That would teach her to fuck around with your man.”

“Eve, you’re a mess!” Amber laughed. “Hell, while you’re plotting, you need to throw some of that evil advice my way. Fuck cutting off Sa’Myra hair. The bitch barely has any. Since she’s a chef maybe I can poison her or something.”

“No, you’d have to cut off her fingers. Or better yet, brand that bitch with a searing pan.” Eve laughed even harder. “Give her your own scarlet letter. An
A
for adulterer and Amber.”

“Could you imagine?” Amber slapped Eve’s hand.

The two giggled in unison.

“You’re kidding, right?” Callie stopped laughing. “I don’t know if I could confront her like that. I’m not exactly the fighting type.” She looked genuinely frightened.

“Boo-boo, she knows you’re married. She’s totaling disrespecting you, and if she’s the fucking-your-husband type, you need to be the beat-a-bitch-down type! All I’m saying is that you need to flip the script!” Eve waved her hand, signaling for the waiter to bring them another bottle. “And Amber, all jokes aside, Sa’Myra needs her ass kicked too.”

“Girl, I know. And trust me, I want to. But she’s pregnant, Eve. I can’t fight a pregnant woman. What if I hurt the baby?”

“I can’t . . .” Eve said, not bothering to look up. “These women are fucking your men, and you have the nerve to give a damn about anything concerning them? . . . Really!”

“Hey! There’s Angela Bassett!” Amber exclaimed, glad for an opportunity to change the subject. The conversation was getting way too deep.

They all watched as Angela disappeared into the restaurant.

“And look who just pulled in,” Amber continued. “Callie, isn’t that Jared?”

Jared Parker was a teammate of Drew’s on the Stallions. Amber and Sean had just met Jared and his wife at one of Callie and Drew’s dinner parties.

“Yes, that’s him.” Callie raised her hand ready to wave to him, but stiffened suddenly. A grave look crept over her face. “That’s him, but that’s
not
his wife!” She almost spat the words.

Callie was right, and Amber grimaced as she watched the valet hold the door and steady the leggy blonde as she exited Jared’s Porsche. She was gorgeous, clad only in a black catsuit, rhinestone belt, and red pumps. As they made their way to the entrance of the restaurant, Jared’s hand rested casually on her behind as if it was a customary gesture.

“That bastard!” Callie tossed her head and crossed her arms. “Why do these men bother to get married if all they are going to do is cheat? Hell, you’d think he’d be worried to be seen in public with her.” She took a long swig from her water, then slapped the table sharply.
“I have a good mind to go over there and, as you say, give him a piece of my mind.”

“No, boo-boo, you need to save the few pieces you have for your own situation. Besides, men like that always have an excuse or two up their asses justifying the bitch as something business-related,” Eve said, pouring herself a drink. She sipped her drink as she looked back and forth, waiting for a response from either Callie or Amber, but neither of them spoke. Getting the waiter’s attention, she gestured for the check.

“Listen, ladies, I’d love to stay for lunch, but frankly, I’ve lost my appetite,” she sighed, plucking her napkin from her lap and tossing it onto the table. “I want to be supportive, but all this cheating and whining and feeling-sorry-for-yourself shit isn’t sitting well with me. Amber, you know I love you. Anything you need, you know I’ve got you. If you choose to stay with Sean, I’ll rock with it. If you want to leave his ass, I’ll roll with that too.

“Callie, you have my advice. Take it or leave it. Either way, you’ll get no judgment from me. But this shit is exactly why I need to go ahead and establish our association’s bylaws so that you two will be protected no matter what you decide to do.” Eve laid three one-hundred-dollar bills on the table, reached for her scarf and purse, and rose from the booth.

“Eve, you don’t have to leave. Let’s just finish lunch,” Amber insisted.

Eve rolled her eyes and sighed. “I can’t.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a BlackBerry. “Here. It’s my spare phone. I call it my Bat line. Keep it until you get your phone back. I’ma call you on it a little later, okay?”

“Thanks for lunch,” Callie said.

“No problem. By the way, Callie, my leaving isn’t personal. We all have our own way of handling things, that’s all. Mine may be a bit intense; hell, even irrational, but that’s just me. I’m sure in time you’ll find your own way of dealing.” She extended her hand and Callie accepted.

“Thank you for your honesty.”

“I’m just trying to keep it one hundred.”

Callie laughed with a look of confusion.

“Trying to keep it real; be honest . . . one hundred!” Eve laughed.

“I’ll try to remember that one,” Callie smiled.

Eve headed for the exit, looking back toward her friends as she approached the door. She realized the only difference between her and them was that she was on the opposite side of the marriage coin. Heads was happy while tails took a turbulent turn. As the wife of an athlete, she knew at any given moment her own coin could take a turn for the worse and she could find herself on the tails side. Right now, her friends needed her support, so what she couldn’t offer in advice, she’d make sure she offered in actions.

Her newfound mission was to hammer out the association’s bylaws, providing protection for her friends for times like these.

For Eve, life and love were always about facts and factors. The fact of the matter was that the men her friends loved had destroyed their trust.

Eve smiled as she turned in the direction of her car. She wouldn’t rest until she was able to help Amber and Callie out. Perhaps it was her only-child syndrome or the fact that she had yet to have children of her own, but regardless of what it was, Eve felt the need to control someone other than herself. Her friends were the factors in her life, and since their husbands had made it a point to affect their lives, Sean and Drew had now become non-muthafuckin’ factors that would ultimately be dealt with.

6

Eve
chewed on her bottom lip in anxious anticipation for Andrew Rothberg to wrap up his current call. Although the two of them had missed each other repeatedly whenever she’d been in Miami, she knew that in order to make lunch with her mother in Coral Gables from Rothberg Enterprises’ downtown office, she’d need to leave soon.

Glancing at her watch she struggled to contain her expression. She’d learned a long time ago that if Andrew asked you to wait, you waited with little to no complaints. For almost a decade, Andrew had personally mentored Eve, grooming her in his own likeness as an agent. Despite the rumors of the two of them having slept together, thus awarding Eve the perks and advantages she’d received throughout the years, nothing could have been further from the truth. Andrew had always remained a true gentleman where Eve was concerned, with his only goal being one that benefitted his company. He’d often informed Eve of the scarcity of female sports agents and that if she were to take advantage of everything he was willing to teach her, then she’d find herself not only a very wealthy but a successful and rare commodity in sports and entertainment. Like a sponge, Eve absorbed everything Andrew offered and taught her. She shadowed his every move for years, imitating his actions to a T. If
he was the first one in and the last one to leave, so was she, prompting her to know exactly what he liked and how he liked it, a quality that made her invaluable quickly.