Insatiable (18 page)

A
nger and confusion had clouded Terelle’s reasoning. She hadn’t even considered what a breakup with Marquise would do to Markeeta. Now, feeling composed and having her wits about her, she realized it was out of the question for her to even think about becoming a struggling single parent while Marquise ran off, free as a bird with a slut like Danita.

Danita had a pack of rug rats—three or four, Terelle had heard, and there wasn’t a father in sight. A tramp like Danita would never have a man of her own.

As hard as it had been for Terelle to get Marquise’s life in order—to get him to work a regular job—to become a responsible family man, she’d be damned if she’d simply hand him over to some undeserving chicken head like Danita.

Marquise was innocent, Terelle convinced herself. He was a victim of a conniving skeezer, desperate to snag a man. But, Terelle wasn’t having it.

For the sake of their child, Terelle was prepared to hear Marquise’s side of the story, kiss and make up and move forward. She’d been through too much for too long to end up struggling to raise Markeeta alone.

These thoughts filled her mind as she replaced the engagement ring on her finger. Next, she carefully returned Marquise’s clothes to the bedroom closet.

She took a deep breath and sat on the side of the bed contemplating how she should respond when he came home to beg her forgiveness. Should she make him suffer? No, she decided. Why play games? Marquise had her wide open—she knew it and he damn sure knew it. A few moments later, she heard the sound of the turning lock. Her heart pumped in excitement.

Marquise plodded slowly to the bedroom. His sluggish movements suggested remorse and Terelle was prepared to forgive him.

“I’m sorry,” he said in an unsteady voice. “I wanna explain how that shit went down today.” Eager to hear him out, Terelle nodded. Marquise inhaled deeply. “I was on the second floor hiding out from Mr. Hicks,” he began. “That muthafucker act like he tryin’ to work me to death. He got me doin’ all kinds of dumb shit just ’cause I’m the new man on the job.”

“Get to the point, Quise,” Terelle said firmly, wielding her power while she still had it.

“Aiight. So, check it…I was takin’ a break, sittin’ on the bench—chillin’. Danita came up on the floor…she saw me sittin’ there and the next thing I know, she sittin’ there chillin’ wit me. That shit wasn’t ’bout nothin’. We was just sittin’ there bustin’ it up—havin’ a friendly conversation. But I fucked up by lettin’ her sit all up under me like that. I wasn’t even thinkin’ ’bout how that shit looked…I didn’t realize how close she was up on me ’til you popped up.” He shook his head regretfully. “I froze, man. I ain’t know what to do. I mean…I think it woulda looked more fucked up if I jumped up like I was doin’ somethin’ wrong. I didn’t budge ’cause I was innocent, babe.” His eyes were glazed and filled with remorse. “When you walked up on us—I felt like I was busted, like I was caught cheatin’ or something…” He nipped nervously at his bottom lip. “But I wasn’t. It just looked that way.” His pain-filled eyes beseeched Terelle to believe him.

“But Quise…you should have your guard up with those treacherous women we work with.” Terelle’s voice rose sharply. “Do you know how I felt—seeing you two sitting all close like that?”

“I never touched that girl. I swear.”

“Well, tell me this…why did you get so mad at me, Quise? Why did you act like you were ready to take my head off because I caught you sittin’ too close for comfort with another woman?”

“It’s the way you came at me, babe. You know I can’t stand nobody hollerin’ and cussin’ at me. I’m sorry.” Marquise looked at Terelle. “I just lost it; I’m sorry.”

“Under the same circumstances, how would you have acted if you walked up on me and some nigga?”

“Ain’t no tellin’, babe. I probably woulda turned into a madman. I’d be in jail right now for a double homicide,” he said with a sorrowful chuckle. “Look, the bottom line is this…I was really mad at myself. I played myself by lettin’ that jawn who don’t mean shit to me git my baby all upset.” He shook his head sorrowfully, and entwined his fingers. Clearly aggrieved, he looked down at the floor.

It saddened Terelle to see him looking so beaten and haggard. He’d been in the same work uniform for two days. She tugged at his shirt, inviting him to sit down on the bed beside her.

He sat down and enclosed her in his arms. He squeezed her so tight, she had to shift her position to breathe properly.

With her head pressed against his broad chest and buried securely in his strong embrace, Terelle felt loved and protected. She knew she’d made the right decision.

“I know whatchu talkin’ ’bout now.”

Terelle looked confused.

“I see how those jawns be playin’. They be prowlin’ around lookin’ for trouble. From now on I’m gonna play my part and make sure nobody disrespects my baby ever again.”

He took her hand in his, grasped her ring finger and bobbed his head up and down happily when he discovered she was wearing her engagement ring. “Now, that’s whassup,” he said, grinning. “When I peeped your hand today and saw you wasn’t wearin’ your ring…” Overcome with emotion, his voice broke. Too choked to speak, Marquise looked down at his shoes and shook his head. He looked up finally. “It felt like I was takin’ body blows.” He stood up and jabbed at the air demonstratively. “Body blows,” he repeated. “All of ’em was landin’ on my heart.” He touched his heart with the palm of his hand.

Warmed by his confession, Terelle stood up and gave him a lingering kiss, an apology for causing him such distress.

Breaking their embrace, Marquise’s eyes darted to the closet. A wide grin spread across his face. “I swear to God, if I had come home and found my side of the closet empty; probably woulda just passed the fuck out!” Marquise let his long legs wobble comically. Terelle burst out laughing.

Laughter felt good. It felt so much better than feeling angry and suspicious. She had her man back and that was all that mattered.

“I never cheated on you, babe,” he began, his eyes sincere. “Never,” he insisted, taking her hand, squeezing it. “And you ain’t gotta worry about no jawns gittin’ all up in my grille ever again. If one of ’em starts rappin’, I’m gonna say, ’scuse me, I ain’t tryin’ to be rude or nothin’, but I gotta go hollah at my fiancée real quick.”

Terelle beamed with pride.

“I feel stupid ’cause that shit them dumb-ass broads be rappin’ ’bout ain’t even about nothin’; it ain’t worth listenin’ to. I can’t believe I let that smut bring trouble to my household.” His eyes became dark and brooding. “I fucked up; I’m so sorry. I swear it won’t happen again.” There was gentleness in his tone; his eyes were moist. Terelle’s heart went out to him.

With her home life intact, and wanting it to remain that way, Terelle decided that the next person who came at her with one word of hearsay about Marquise was going to get cussed the fuck out. Especially that meddlesome, gossiping Melanie!

It had conveniently slipped her mind that she’d approached Melanie for the damning information involving Marquise.

“Oh shit, what time is it? I gotta go get Keeta.” Terelle shot a look at the bedside clock.

Marquise looked down at his bare wrist. “Damn!”

“What?”

“I think I left my watch at work—in my locker.”

“It’s locked up, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I love that watch because you gave it to me; I feel naked without it.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet, Marquise.” Terelle kissed him on the cheek.

“Speakin’ of naked, why don’t you get out of them clothes, relax, go take a hot shower? I’ll go pick up Keeta. And don’t worry about dinner. I’ll bring something home. You in the mood for seafood?” Marquise asked.

Terelle nodded enthusiastically.

“Call and order two Snow Crab platters from Bottom of the Sea. Oh yeah, and order me a side order of mussels. I’ll catch a cab and pick it up on the way home.”

“Bottom of the Sea! Oh, all right,” Terelle said grinning. “It ain’t even pay week and you’re gonna spend that kind of money on dinner and a cab ride?”

“That’s a small thing. To see my baby smiling again—man, that’s worth way more than two seafood platters.” He looked upon her with adoration, then added, “When you get out of the shower…put on something sexy for me—aiight?”

“All right,” Terelle said, blushing. “Should I put on the red lace or the black silk set?”

Marquise was silent for a moment, his silky brow furrowed as he considered the two options. “The red one,” he said huskily. “That jawn fucks me up.”

And with a wink, he was out the door.

A
t two in the afternoon, Kai breezed onto the fourth floor gaily swinging a brocade Prada shoulder bag. Inside the bag was a watch, purchased from Macy’s in the Cherry Hill Mall during her lunch break. While trying to select a watch, she’d decided against paying the exorbitant price for an authentic Gucci. Marquise didn’t deserve that—not yet.

Not knowing what to buy, Kai had picked up a Vibe magazine to find out what the young urban males were wearing and found a colorful full-page advertisement for Aqua Master watches.

Unwilling to spend a fortune on tentative dick, she selected the cheapest style in the store, an Aqua Master diamond-crusted men’s sport watch with a textured black-leather band on sale for a little under five-hundred dollars. Though, it was a bit gaudy for Kai’s taste, it was trendy and the price was right. Not too expensive, but it cost much more than the piece of junk he’d left in her apartment. She was certain Marquise would love it.

Kai had taken the watch, which was contained in an oddly shaped case to the gift-wrap department. Unimpressed by the displayed wrapping paper, she pulled out five crisp twenty-dollar bills and firmly requested the befuddled Macy’s associate to gift-wrap the watch with the currency. She further instructed the woman to top it off with a green bow.

Filled with the joyful expectation of presenting the cleverly packaged gift to Marquise, she smiled brightly at the crowd of peons converged at the nurses’ station.

They were all gushing over baby pictures—no doubt, photos of some unfortunate, illegitimate child.

“Hey, Kai. Wanna see some pictures of Sionnee’s baby?” exclaimed a woman wearing a blue uniform and pushing a cleaning cart. The cleaning woman excitedly waved a pack of photographs. Mistakenly, she had perceived Kai’s smile as an agreement to join the gathered staff members.

Kai slowed her stride. “No thank you. I detest looking at newborns; they’re all so ugly,” she explained with a grimace and an apologetic shrug.

The dizzying number of women who worked at the nursing home and who turned up pregnant unceasingly amazed Kai. These women waltzed around the facility proudly flaunting their swollen bellies without so much as a hint of the name of the man who had committed the crime of fathering the child. Often, early in the pregnancy, citing some made-up malady, the pregnant women would stop working, and get on public assistance. But instead of staying home convalescing, the young women made repeated visits to the nursing home throughout the entire pregnancy. Then, after giving birth, with child in arms, they’d strut proud as peacocks from floor to floor showing off the baby and waving around photographs of the poor little bastard expecting kudos and pats on the back for a job well done. It was oh so very ghetto!

“I know that bitch ain’t just called my baby ugly,” Sionnee blurted, pulling off her earrings. “I’ll snap that bitch’s head off.” She handed her baby to one of the nursing assistants and started after Kai.

The charge nurse grabbed Sionnee’s arm. “Let it go. I know you don’t want to lose your job before you come back from maternity leave.”

“Fuck this job; let me go,” Sionnee shouted, breaking free from the charge nurse’s grasp. “Don’t nobody call my daughter ugly. I should whoop that ass right now!” She started after Kai again.

The baby began to cry. The residents seated nearby in wheelchairs began to murmur discontentedly.

A female employee from the Dietary Department holding a tray filled with snacks for the residents slammed the metal tray down at the nurses’ station, and quickly grabbed Sionnee. “Don’t mess with her here,” the woman advised. “Handle your business after work. She gotta leave sometime. You can catch her in the parking lot.”

“Okay, everybody break it up; go back to work,” demanded the charge nurse. “Sionnee…you’re causing an uproar on my unit; if you don’t pull yourself together and calm down, I’m going to have to ask security to escort you off the premises.”

“Ain’t that some shit,” Sionnee exclaimed, gaping at her co-workers, astonished. “Ain’t nobody gotta escort me nowhere. Hand me my baby…I’m leaving. But that yella bitch better watch her back!” Sionnee threw a large diaper bag over her shoulder, took her fretting baby, rocked her and stormed away.

“Sionnee!” the charge nurse called sharply. “Why would you make a threat like that? If your words get back to the Director of Nursing or anyone in administration, you could lose your job. And I could lose
my job
for not reporting you. You know this place has zero tolerance for that kind of behavior. Don’t you know that social worker has some kind of clout with the board members? I think her father is on the board—so please don’t make any trouble on my unit. Just take your baby and go!”

Murmuring profanity, Sionnee stormed away.

Kai was at the far end of the corridor. Wondering what the commotion was about, she turned around curiously, shrugged and picked up her stride.

Inside her office, she picked up the phone and punched the extension to the Housekeeping Department.

“Good afternoon,” she said to the secretary. “This is Kai Montgomery. Where is Marquise Whitsett working today?”

“Is this business or personal?” the secretary wanted to know.

Kai wound a lock of hair around her finger. “What difference does it make? It’s actually none of your damn business.”

“Don’t use that language with me, Miss whatever you said your name is. You’re going to have to page his supervisor because I can’t give out that information.” The secretary gave a satisfied snort after putting Kai in her place.

“I’m not paging anyone.
You
page his supervisor. I believe you work in the Cleaning Department—that’s what you’re paid to do.”

“I beg your pardon; I’m the administrative assistant for Plant Operations,” the woman said with great pride.

“Whatever. Plant Operations…Cleaning Department…. They’re all the same to me. And while we’re on the subject of pay, I’m going to assume you look forward to receiving your meager paycheck. Am I right, Ms. Administrative Assistant?”

“My name’s Lynette Cleveland,” the secretary said, attempting to keep a touch of arrogance in her tone, though her confidence was fading.

“Ms. Cleveland, I have connections in this nursing home—you should know that. I prefer not to complain to my father about this ridiculous mistreatment.”

“Your father! Why on earth would a grown woman…”

“My father—Dr. Philip Montgomery—I’ll have you know, is on the board here. He donates large sums of money to the nursing home annually. He’s a wealthy man who has a soft heart for the disadvantaged. Now, I don’t believe your superiors would want me reporting unhappy news to my father.” Kai paused, allowing the meaning behind her words to sink in. “Therefore,” she continued, “I’m instructing you to page Marquise’s supervisor.”

Kai spoke in a taunting singsong voice. “Or…,” she said, switching to a gruff tone, “you can get a hold of him on that annoying walkie-talkie thing you cleaning people have attached to your hip. I don’t give a damn how you make it happen—just have Marquise Whitsett in my office ASAP!”