The Bad Twin (18 page)

Someone knocked on the door.  Rose yelled out, “Give us a few more minutes.”

Violet ran her hands through her hair. “Oh I’m through here. There is one last thing I need to say before I leave though. Don’t call me for anything. If you’re sick, I don’t want to hear about it.”

Rose teary eyed said, “What about Mama? What are you going to tell Mama?”

Violet stood in disbelief. “Oh. What do you want me to tell her? You want me to tell her how my dear loving sister tried to take my man once again? Do you want me to tell her how the months of rebuilding a relationship with you was in vain, because you are still the same egotistical, selfish, conniving wench that you’ve always been, and that after all of these years I’m still putting up with your mess?”

“Violet. Please don’t.  Let’s talk to her together.”

“I don’t owe you anything. Right now I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just need to get away.”

“Let me pay for you a trip somewhere. You just name it and I’ll have my assistant set it up,” Rose said.

Violet yelled, “You are something else. You always think your money is the answer to everything.  Well it’s not. Your money can’t erase the pain of betrayal in my heart. The pain of not having the kind of sister I can depend on; the pain I feel because I have to break mama’s heart, because I can not and will not allow you into my personal circle anymore.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Just think about what I said. I’m telling you the truth.”

“Rose you have been acting so long, you wouldn’t know the truth if it jumped up and bit you. If we run into each other, whether it is at Mama’s or out in public, please stay out of my way.  Don’t send any reporters near me, or else, they will get another exclusive.  I am no longer your punching bag. I will no longer let you walk over me and use me the way that you have. I thought we had reached an understanding, but it’s clear we hadn’t or else you wouldn’t have done what you did.”

Rose reached out to Violet, but she continued to walk out the door. Violet turned around with a sad defeated look on her face. “One more thing.”

“Yes,” Rose said, barely above a whisper.

“Happy Birthday. Thank you for making it a birthday I will never forget.” Violet slammed the door, walked down the stairs and continued out the front door, where Janice and Terrence stood waiting for her.

Janice wrapped her arm around her and walked her toward the limousine. “Are you going to be okay?”

Violet closed her eyes and reopened them as if she was trying to clear her vision. “I will be.”

ROSE

Rose ran after her and stood at her front door, as she watched them pull off in the limousine.  She closed the door and headed straight to the alcohol.  She was walking through her dining room towards the kitchen, when she spotted Lance sitting at the table. “What are you still doing here?”

“Janice told me what happened and I figured you could use some TLC.”

Rose felt completely drained. “Look Lance. This has been a long difficult night for me. I don’t have the energy to fight with you right now.”

Lance went to her and held his arms out for her to embrace. “I’m not here for you to fight with. Let me love you for this one night. I know we have a past, but I want to be there for you. Let me help erase the pain even if it’s just for a brief moment.”

Rose needed to feel loved, so she allowed him to embrace her. “I’ll probably regret this in the morning, but oh well.”

Lance found a bottle of champagne, two glasses and walked with her to her bedroom. He ran her some bath water and he proceeded to wash her body with a soft blue sponge. She leaned back and lost herself with each touch. He dried her off, picked her up and placed her on the bed. He took the bottle of champagne and poured some in each glass.  When she looked up, she saw the desire in his eyes. He poured the rest of the champagne over her body. He kissed and licked every drop of champagne from her body.  He took his right hand and used his fingers to play with her center.

As she moaned, he licked between her breasts, and continued until he got to her belly button. “Lance.”

He teased her navel with his tongue. “You like that baby?”

“Ooh Lance.”

He planted circular kisses between her thighs and she released all of the frustration from the previous hours.  His mouth was drowned with her moistness. He placed a condom on his erect manhood, and entered her slowly. Her body responded by arching and she matched each thrust with her own. They both reached a climatic peak as he yelled out, “Roseeeeee.”

Rose watched Lance as he slept. She picked up the two half full glasses on her nightstand and drank them. The sexual release was great; however, it only compounded the emptiness she now felt in her soul.  She laid back down and attempted to sleep.  She replayed everything in her head, ending with the confrontation that occurred. She fell asleep, but had nightmare after nightmare.

***

Rose dreamed she was relaxing on her patio, when the phone rang. She picked up the phone, but no one was there. In her dream, she continued to relax in the patio chair and the next thing she knew, she felt something slimy on her. She tried to look, but her sunglasses were so dark, she couldn’t see who was touching her. Who ever it was had slimy hands.  As her dream progressed, she was able to take the sunglasses off and she could see it was Marcus caressing her body. 

She yelled for him to stop touching her. Out of nowhere, Violet walked out of the house and saw them in a compromising position. Violet screamed at them both and Rose tried to explain to her about Marcus and his slimy sweaty hands. Violet didn’t want to hear it and raised a gun and she tried to shoot, but the gun jammed; Violet aimed again and placed her index finger on the trigger.

***

Rose woke up frightened and to Lance’s roaming hands.

VIOLET

If anyone would have told me I would be dealing with this type of betrayal not just once, but twice in my lifetime, I would have told them they were out of their mind.  I’ve heard of backstabbing friends, but sisters? This is like some of the stuff you would see on those late-night talk shows.

I’m sick and tired of the phone.  I need to change the answering machine tape, because I don’t feel like being bothered with anyone right now.  It’s been a little over a week since I found out about Rose and Marcus. I know I can’t believe everything I read in the tabloid, but I have to look at my sister’s track record and she has proven to be untrustworthy.

Marcus is a different story.  It goes to show you. You can’t judge a book by its cover.  He seemed sincere and I really thought he cared. To top it off, he knew about what happened between David and me, and he still went there. I guess it must be true about men and their fascinations with twins.

If he calls me one more time or sends me one more bouquet of flowers, I’m going to scream. I’ve been redirecting the flowers to the nursing home and the hospital near Crenshaw.  The flowers haven’t brightened up my day, but maybe they can brighten up someone else’s. He’s another one that thinks money can buy anything.  He and Rose make a good couple. Now they can do their dirt in the open. I guess I should listen to the messages. In case Mama or Janice call, they will have room to leave a message. Bad news travels fast, since it seems everyone is calling me to see if I’m okay.

***

Violet listened to her messages.  Although she knew who left most of the messages, she found some paper and pen to write with just in case a message was from someone she deemed important.

“Violet, it’s me. Please baby. You can’t avoid me forever. I know I made a mistake about not telling you about my trip to Mexico.  That picture was innocent. Come on baby. You know I wouldn’t have an affair with your sister.”

“Lies, lies, and more lies.  You were supposed to be spending time with your parents, but you couldn’t even remember the lie you told me. You could have at least said, I decided to take my parents on a trip to Mexico for the weekend.”  She continued to listen to her messages.

“This is your mama. Baby, I know you’re hurting. Call me, so we can talk. I’ve talked to Rose and she’s reassured me that she didn’t do it this time. Listen to her baby. She sounds like she’s telling the truth.”

“You keep falling for it. Can’t you see she’s such a good actress, that she can make you believe the sky is green when she puts her heart into it?”

The next message played. “I wanted to let you know I’m here for you when you’re ready to talk and the center is missing you girl. Hang on in there. The investigation is over. Mr. Carlton Larson has been arrested; you should be getting an official word soon. You need to make them give you a public apology.”  Violet laughed at how animated Janice’s voice came across.

She received several more messages from Marcus. The last one was from Rose. “Sweetie. I know you’re hurting, but I’m here for you. I know by now you’ve thought about it and realized what I told you is factual.  You don’t need him, and he’s not worth your tears.”

“You right about that. He is not worth my tears and neither are you. I could get over losing him, but after all we’ve done to get our lives together, you betrayed me again.  I feel like a dagger is stuck in my heart.”

She erased the messages on the answering machine. She decided to go pull weeds out of her garden.  Normally, working in her garden would relax her, but nothing she had done this week, could release the strain she felt on her shoulders and neck.  Her head was pounding from an intense migraine and she knew she couldn’t go on feeling like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders for much longer. She needed to figure out some way for her to get past the pain and move on. 

After she worked in the garden, she cleaned up, ate a light dinner, and tried to relax by watching a couple of classic comedy movies.

***

Maybe I need a change of scenery. I could always move, but where would I go? I don’t think I should stay here, because this whole town is full of Rose and I need to keep my distance from her for a while.   I don’t want to go back down south to Louisiana. I know Mama’s there, but it’s probably best I start over new somewhere where I don’t know anyone. Rose might not have slept with Marcus, but she knew of his indiscretion, so she is as guilty as he is.

***

That night before retiring for bed, with her heart and mind heavily laden, she knelt down and prayed.  “Our Father, I know I’m supposed to forgive, so I can also be forgiven, but how can I? Right now I can’t, so what should I do? Lord please give me a forgiving spirit. Have mercy on me.  I know I can’t understand why those I care about choose to hurt me. I humble myself before you.  Please direct me in the path you would like for me to go.  Work through me, so I can forgive others, as you have forgiven me so many times. Amen.”

She turned off the lamp on the nightstand near her bed and fell asleep.  She was able to sleep peacefully for the first time since the night of her birthday.

ROSE

“Carmen, I don’t care what you have to do or who you have to threaten, but I need to know who and how that photo got in the tabloids.”

“Calm down. I told you I was working on it. I tried to warn you a few weeks before.”

Rose paced back and forth in front of her bedroom window. “You mentioned something about some pictures, but you didn’t tell me it was a picture of Marcus and me arguing. If I would have known that, I could have told Violet everything and all of this could have been avoided.”

Carmen tried to sound comforting. “I know dear. You’re quite innocent in all of this and once again the tabloids have blown things out of proportion.”

“I hate it when you try to talk to me in your grandmother voice,” Rose yelled.

“Dear. You better be glad you are in distress, or else our conversation would be terminated. I told you I would find out what I can. In the meantime, you need to take a chill pill and work on Rose.”

“Now you are trying to judge me. Where did that come from?”

Carmen cleared her throat and said, “All I am saying is, although you didn’t commit this crime, you need to examine yourself and see why your sister would believe a tabloid story over her own flesh and blood.”

“I thought we were past all of this, but apparently not. Look, I need to go take care of some things. Just do your job and call me back when you have some news for me.”

“I’m not that far from you; so don’t go anywhere.  Hold on. Cindy’s on the other line. .”

“Call me back. Better yet. I’ll hold.”

While she waited on Carmen to return to the line, she placed the phone on speaker and got dressed.  There were some things she needed to take care of before going to rehearsal. With all of the things going on with her sister, she had neglected rehearsing for her first concert.  She called Violet every day, but she wouldn’t answer her phone, nor had she returned any of her many messages.