Married Men (35 page)

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Authors: Carl Weber

BOOK: Married Men
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“Hey, don’t worry. This is gonna be a piece of cake.” I gave him a light jab on the shoulder and headed into the apartment to tell Val I was leaving.
28
 
Kyle
 
When we pulled into Wil and Diane’s driveway, I couldn’t believe the pile of stuff sitting at the curb. Diane had everything from Wil’s stereo to his prize golf clubs at the side of the road waiting for the morning trash pickup. It was amazing that the neighbors hadn’t carted off half of Wil’s things, ’cause laid out there was a gold mine of neat shit. I guess it’s true what they say about a woman scorned, ’cause the wrath Diane was trying to rain down on poor Wil was no joke. I turned toward Allen, who was shaking his head in disbelief as he stared at Wil’s worldly possessions.
“Did we do this? Did we cause her to do this?” he asked, gesturing to the pile.
“Yeah, I guess we did, Al.” I frowned. “I guess we did.”
“Kyle, man, she’s throwin’ all Wil’s shit away.” Allen turned to me looking so sad you would’ve thought it was his stuff sitting on that curb. “Do you have any idea how much those golf clubs cost him?”
“Five hundred and eighty-eight dollars. I was there when he bought ’em.” I laughed pathetically, remembering how proud he was the day he got them. Damn, I wished I had a cigarette. I was trying to quit, but with all this drama I needed one bad.
“This shit ain’t funny, Kyle. It was funny at the time but it ain’t funny no more.”
“You ain’t said nothin’ but the truth, Al. I just hope Diane’s willing to talk to us, ’cause by the looks of things she pretty much lost her mind.” I sighed, reaching over to the glove box to see if I could find a stray cigarette. There were none.
“Hell, yeah. She done lost her mind. Throwing away six-hundred-dollar golf clubs and a brand new stereo. Shit, the least she coulda did was try an’ sell ’em.”
“Look, why don’t you put this stuff in the back of the truck? I’ll go talk to Diane alone. Ain’t no reason for us both ta get cussed out.” Allen didn’t object at all. He just opened his door and walked around to open the hatch. It was probably best this way, ’cause Allen usually folded up like a tent whenever the drama got started, and I had a strong suspicion there was about to be a whole lot of drama.
I walked up to the door and rang the bell, still craving a cigarette to calm my nerves. A few seconds later Diane opened the door, looking like a heavier version of the guy from Beetlejuice. Her hair was all over her head, her mascara was smudged, and her eyes were totally bloodshot from crying. She was holding a cigarette, and I wanted to snatch it out of her hand and take a drag. Especially since I knew she didn’t smoke.
“Hey, Diane. What’s up?” I wanted it to sound like a greeting, but it came out more like an accusation.
“Wil’s not here,” she said flatly, taking a long drag from the cigarette. This was followed by a cough. “That son of a bitch don’t live here no more. He’s probably out somewhere with his whores.”
“Come on, Di. You know he don’t have no woman other than you. This whole thing with the pictures is just one big misunderstanding. You see, he was ...” She raised her hand and raised her voice.
“Ya know what? I ain’t got time for this. And I damn sure ain’t got time for you, Kyle.” She sucked her teeth as she took another drag of her cigarette, then coughed again. “You’re just as bad as Wil. You and Jay probably put him up to this. So I don’t wanna hear it, okay.” She looked like she was about to cry as she continued. “I woulda done anything in the world for that son of a bitch and he does this shit to me? You motherfucking men ain’t shit!”
“Look Di, Wil didn’t have anything to do with them pictures. He was drunk and passed out at Allen’s bachelor party. He didn’t even know the pictures were taken.”
“And I’m supposed to believe that?” Diane smirked as she took another drag of the cigarette, then flicked it toward Wil’s treasured flowerbeds. “I gotta give y’all credit. You four really stick together, don’t you?”
Before I could even reply, she was talking again, shaking her head.
“I can’t believe Wil would send you over here with some weak-ass story like that. He must really think I’m stupid. Did he tell you it was his camera I found the film in?” Diane’s eyes never left me. “Well, did he?”
I bit my lip and glanced toward the half-smoked cigarette she’d thrown away. For a second I actually thought about picking it up. I sure as hell needed it. Especially since Diane was right. We had been known to cover for one another, and this was definitely one hard-to-believe story. Shit, if I weren’t involved, I probably wouldn’t have believed it myself.
“Wil didn’t have to tell me whose camera they came from, Di. I took the pictures.” I think it took a few seconds for what I said to sink in, ’cause it took a while before she replied. But when she did, she was furious.
“Wait a minute. Wait one damn minute! You mean to tell me
you
took those pictures?” I nodded, but couldn’t make eye contact. “I don’t believe you, Kyle. How the hell could you sit there and watch my husband eat some stinkin’ ass whore out and not stop him?” By now tears were rolling down her face. I was already feeling like shit, and the way she looked at me with those tears coming down made me feel even worse.
“I’m not proud of it, Di, but yeah, I took the pictures. I’m tellin’ you Wil didn’t know it.” Diane’s eyes got real small and I could see her entire body tense up. I stood back and waited for her to explode.
“You motherfucker! Get the fuck off my property! I‘ma make you pay for this shit, Kyle Richmond. I swear to God I’ma make you pay big time!”
“Hold up, Di. Let me explain.” I raised both my hands defensively.
“I ain’t lettin’ you explain shit. Get the fuck outta here and don’t come back! And tell that motherfucker Wil I don’t ever wanna see his black ass again.” She tried to slam the door in my face but I stuck my foot out and stopped her.
“Diane, don’t do this. Wil didn’t do anything.”
“Don’t do this! Don’t do this? I didn’t do shit, Kyle. It was you and Wil who was wrong when you fucked them girls. And don’t give me this shit about he passed out, ’cause I don’t believe a word you’re sayin’. I’ve seen the pictures. Pictures don’t lie.” She started crying again.
“Diane, I swear to you Wil didn’t have nothing to do with this.”
“Yeah, right.” She tried to shut the door again, but I wasn’t moving my foot until she listened to me. I gritted my teeth as she leaned on the door. It felt like she was crushing every one of my toes, but I couldn’t let her shut me out. It was the only chance Wil had at this point. “If you don’t get your foot out this door, Kyle, so help me ...”
“I’m not gonna let you close this door until you let me fully explain. Wil ain’t had nothin’ to do with this!” Diane stopped pressing on the door and looked past me.
“Is that Allen out there?” I didn’t answer, so she took another look. “That is Allen. Does he know you was fucking Rose the night before his wedding, Kyle?” Her voice was like ice and she threw daggers at me with her eyes. I’d completely blocked that night out of my mind until now, mainly ’cause I’d seen Di quite a few times since the incident and she acted as if everything was cool. Now that I think about it, Wil musta made her promise to keep her mouth shut. But this time was different. She was on the warpath, and I was sure she wouldn’t hesitate to blow my cool.
“Look, Diane, you’re making a big mistake here. We don’t need to bring that up.”
“No, Kyle, you’re the one making a big mistake if you don’t get your foot out my damn door.” She started yelling, “Hey, Allen!” Then she smirked at me.
“Diane don’t do this, Wil loves you and the kids.”
“Kyle, I’m not gonna say this again. Get your foot out my door.”
“Di—”
“Allen,” she called out even louder. Fortunately he was too engrossed in his recovery mission, loading Wil’s belongings into the car. But it was still enough to make my heart start pounding. In the midst of all of this drama, all I needed was for her to give Allen some false information about my night in Rose’s room.
“Okay, okay,” I said as I pulled my aching foot out of the door.
“You ain’t shit, Kyle Richmond.” She gave me the finger as she closed the door.
 
Val gently grabbed my waist and pulled me into the bedroom, kissing me tenderly after Jay and Allen walked out the door. I think she felt sorry for me after Wil cussed me then stormed out of the apartment like he was a madman. I really wasn’t in the mood to make love but I went through the motions with her hoping she’d find a way to change my mind. I guess my lack of enthusiasm was apparent because in the middle of our lovemaking she stopped.
“You love her, don’t you?” she whispered.
I stopped moving my hips and lifted my head so that we made eye contact. I gave her a confused look, then went back to what I was doing until the comment sank in. That’s when I stiffened my body, jerking my head away from her breast.
“What did you say?” I gave her that confused look again.
“I said you still love her, don’t you?” This time she didn’t whisper and I heard every word clearly. It was exactly what I thought I heard the first time.
“Love who?” I was still looking confused. She rolled her eyes.
“Your wife, that’s who. You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?” She gave me a look that demanded an answer, but I wasn’t about to give her one until I knew why she had this sudden interest in my feelings for Lisa. Up until now everything had been “Let’s take one day at a time.”
“Why, did she call or something?” I searched her face for an answer, but all I could see was hurt. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Shit, had Val answered my phone while I was gone and her and Lisa gotten into it? I hope not, ’cause it had taken a lot of effort to keep the two of them from bumping into each other the past few months. Plus Val and I had this unwritten rule that we wouldn’t answer each other’s phones. Not that we didn’t trust each other, but her ex, Terrance, still called, trying get back together and he was one psycho brother. And Val knew Lisa called me whenever something came up with the girls. It just seemed like the best way to avoid stress that we keep off each other’s phones.
“No, she didn’t call. But I heard you scream at Wil that if it wasn’t for him you’d both still be with your wives now.” I’d forgotten that she was in the apartment and probably heard every word of the fight Wil and I had when I got back from Diane’s. At the time I really didn’t appreciate the way Wil was disrespecting me, so I lashed out at him to put him in his place. I wasn’t ashamed of what I said because it was the truth, but I damn sure hadn’t meant for Val to hear it. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her. Hell, sometimes I thought I’m falling in love with her.
“Val, I said that because of something that happened a long time ago. It has nothing to do with me and you.”
“Oh, yeah? How long ago?” she asked, sitting up and smirking at me like she expected a lie.
“Before you, okay?” I tried to kiss her, but she turned her head.
“You never answered my question, Kyle.”
“What question?”
“Do you still love her?” What did she expect me to do, tell her the truth? Of course I still loved Lisa, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
“No, Val, I don’t love her,” I lied. I think that satisfied her. At least I hoped it did.
“I’m sorry if I sound like I’m tripping, but I care about you and I don’t wanna get hurt.” Her voice was soft now, almost apologetic.
“Val, the last thing in the world I wanna do is hurt you.”
“I hope not, Kyle, ’cause you do not wanna see the bitch in me come out.”
29
 
Wil
 
My routine hadn’t changed since Diane had kicked me out. I’d leave work, go to Carmichael’s Diner on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard for dinner, then ride over to the Roadhouse Bar to drown away my sorrows before carrying my sorry ass over to the Jet Motel to sleep. Not that I was getting much sleep these days. Without fail I’d wake up around 2 A.M. and wouldn’t be able to fall back to sleep. For the most part I’d just stare at the ceiling and feel sorry for myself until the clock radio went off around seven-thirty. That’s when I’d drag myself into the bathroom to wash up. That ritual was always followed by a call to what used to be my home. A few rings later Diane would answer the phone with a nasty attitude.
“What the fuck do you want, Wil?” she’d ask without hesitation. She wouldn’t even bother to ask if it was me first.
“I wanna come home, Di.” My plea was the same each morning.
She’d laugh and say something like, “Hell no, motherfucker! What’s wrong, your whores ain’t washing your dirty drawers?”
So I would plead some more before she’d finally say, “Look, I’m busy,” and put my son Teddy on the phone. I’d talk to my little man for a few minutes until he’d start asking when I was coming home. For me there was nothing more painful than not being able to give him a straight answer, so most of the time I’d just say goodbye. My life was so depressing that I’d even go into work on Saturday and Sunday just to keep myself from thinking about Diane. Half the time I didn’t even remember to sign the time sheet, so I wasn’t getting paid for the extra work.

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