Trouble In Paradise (23 page)

“Whoo,
this baby can fly.” 

“Sure can,” Shay said still holding on to her seat belt.

“You faster than the plane.” 

They both laughed. 

Before Victoria could pull her phone out to call Joshua they walked out the front door.

“I’ll sit in the back with Dantae,” Shay said opening up the door and jumping out. 

“I bet you will.”

Joshua got in the car and closed the door.  He turned to Victoria and pulled her to
him; he put his arms around her and held her tight.  Dantae got in the back seat and closed the door.  He looked at Joshua and Victoria; he made a hand gesture of wiping the sweat off his forehead and winking at Shay.  She smiled and shook her head. 

“Ok love birds I’d hate to break up the party but we’re cutting it a little close.” 

“Well, what took y’all so long?” Dantae said. 

“We were at the mall.
”

Shay spoke
as if they sentence summed it up in a nut shell. 

“I know that,” he said sarcastically, “and we should’ve been there, maybe we could have gotten you guys to leave a little earlier.” 

“Maybe,” Shay said humping her shoulders, “but now we’ll never know right, now let’s go.” 

Joshua kissed Victoria on the lips and sat back.  He looked over at her she pulled out and drove toward the highway.  Joshua continued to watch he
r.  Victoria could feel his eyes. 

Shay said, “Turn that up.” 

Victoria reached for the radio dial and turned it up, the DJ was saying Lil’ Kim wanted Nicki Manaj to pay homage and Nicki basically dissed Lil’ Kim in a song called “Romans Revenge.”  So Lil’ Kim released a song called “Black Friday” and the DJ played the record.

“Dang, they let the curse words out on this station?” Shay asked. 

“Its satellite radio,” Victoria said. 

“Oooh ok.” 

Then Lil Kim summed it up with:

Tricks is for kids silly rabbit you’re my offspring, Kim more antic
ipated than a Lebron ring.

“Oooo,” the DJ said. 

“Kimmy Blanco is definitely going hard on that one right there she is not taking any prisoners.  I don’t doubt Nicki Manaj will respond to this but she will have to come all the way hard or get Wayne to write a verse for her.” 

The DJs and radio personalities were laughing in the studio talking about the Lil Kim and Nicki Manaj beef. 

Everyone in the car was listening except for Joshua, he was still looking at Victoria and he couldn’t imagine his life without her.  He had to make it right.  Victoria’s phone beeped.  She got off the exit and made a left; she picked her phone up and looked at it.  It was a text from Greg.  She put it back down in her lap.  She noticed the eyebrow go up on Joshua.  She cleared her throat and pulled into the airport. 

Her phone beeped again she looked down at it and saw it was a second message from Greg.  She put the car in park and popped the trunk, she opened her door and so did everyone else.  They made it in enough time.  She looked at the text messages, the first said:

H
ey baby I miss your beautiful smile can’t wait to see you for our dinner date tonight
. 

She had
forgotten they were supposed to go out tonight.  Dantae and Joshua pulled Shay bags out of Victoria’s trunk.  Victoria hit the reply button and texted;

I’m going to have to cancel tonight sweetie sorry something’s come up.

When she looked up, Joshua was staring at her.  She put the phone in her pocket and put on her hazard lights. 

At the curb Shay squeezed her tight,

“I love you girl, have a safe flight and please call me when you get home, ok?” 

“Ok girl, I love you and can’t wait to come back.  If you need me sooner just let me know I’ll arrange something honey and be on the first thing smoking,” she said.

They kissed each other on the cheek. 

“Nice seeing you Shay, have a safe flight,” Joshua said. 

“You too Joshua and take care of my girl over here, don’t make me have to come back and hurt you ok?” 

“I’ll walk you to your gate baby,” Dantae said.  “Victoria you’ll circle around for me.” 

“Yeah,” she said. 

“Come on baby you gone have to help me get some of these bags since you decided to go buy the mall out right before your plane leaves.  Now you know you might have to pay an extra baggage fee,” Dantae said. 

“
I’m not worried about it at all.”

Shay
winked back at Victoria and Joshua. 

“Bye!”

“Bye girl.”

Victoria blew
kisses at her friend. 

A man walked over to them,

“You guys will have to move your car,” he said. 

“Oh, I’m so
rry.”

Victoria’s
phone beeped.  It was Greg, she looked over at Joshua and he was looking at her.  She let out a sigh and walked over to the driver’s seat and got in. 

Am I tripping
, Joshua thought. 

He shook off the thought but he couldn’t help but think som
ething wasn’t right.  Victoria blew her horn, he jumped in.  The man was still standing there waiting for them to move.  They had cars behind them that needed to pull up and let out passengers.  He got in the car and they circled the airport until they spotted Dantae.  

“She ok?” Victoria asked.  

“Yep, she on her way back to Memphis Ten A Key.”

“Boy you are always live,” Victoria said. 

“It’s the only way to be,” Dantae said. 

Victoria’s phone beeped Victoria didn’t look at it this time.  Joshua looked at her then at the blinking light on her hip. 

“You gonna get that baby,” he said looking at her. 

She pulled out into traffic. 

“It’s a text,” she said, “I don’t text and drive.”

Chapter 27

The living room looked the same as it looked the day she first walked through the doors.  It was spotless.  Victoria could see the hardwood floors gleam from the sunlight coming through the windows.  She walked over to the window and looked out at her neighborhood.  It was a nice day, the sun was out, and the neighborhood looked friendly and safe.  There were two kids playing Hopscotch three doors down.  They looked like they were having too much fun.  She smiled watching them and absent-mindedly crossed her arms over herself and began to rub up and down. 

Joshua watched her from across the room.  It looked like she was trying to get a feel for the place.  He wondered how long it would be before she w
ent upstairs.  She was so beautiful, he loved her unconditionally.  He wished there was a way to explain to her how any other woman couldn’t compare to her by a long shot.  It was a part of his DNA to give chase but it meant nothing. 
It was a curse
, he thought.  Anytime he would see a sexy woman he would lust after her, thinking about what all he could see himself doing and at the last minute snap out of it.  Sometimes he didn’t until after he had gotten a number.  It was like once the deed was done it was over—like a job.  You clock in and work a full shift then clock out at the end of the day and go home to wifey and the kids. 

It was the weirdest analogy he could come up with but somehow it fit perfectly.  He started to slowly shake his head.  It’s a sad shame he would never be able to just look her in the eye and honestly tell her this. 

Victoria unlocked the window and lifted it.  A breeze flowed through and the Febreze air scent on the wall sprayed twice letting out a Hawaiian tropical scent that made Victoria want to light up a joint.  Before she could turn around she felt a strong hand engulfing her and she tensed.  Joshua felt her resistance and he tightened his embrace.  The familiar feeling felt like home and she sunk right into him.  She turned her face slightly towards him and placed her nose on the bottom of his jaw into the crook of his neck.  He turned his face and kissed her on her cheek.  He smelled like Ralph Lauren and she realized he was wearing the cologne she bought him for his birthday last year. 
He’s sucking up,
she thought.  He had only worn it twice since she bought it and now he had decided to wear it again.
I’m on to you
, she thought. 

She was irritated because she wanted to stay mad at him but looking at his face, his arm still in a soft
cast; she felt sorry for him but was glad he was ok.  She was in love with him and her heart fell into beat with his.  She closed her eyes.  What had she done?  She had been with another man and to make matters worse she was starting to fall for him too.  How could this happen?  How could you possibly love more than one person at a time? 
How is the universe designed this way
, she thought,
it shouldn’t be allowed. 

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you too,” she said. 

“I’m sorry.  You have to b
elieve me when I say I never saw any of this coming.  I mean . . .” he hesitated. 

She listened while he took his time trying to figure out how to speak and what to say. 

“I messed up,” he said. 

She opened her eyes. 

“I messed up bad,” he said.

“We established that.”

  He tightened his grip on her. 

“I should have never put our relationship on the line like I have and I’m a fool for doing it.  I didn’t realize it would have such big repercussions and I am so sorry Victoria.” 

He turned her around to face him.  Her hands fell to her side. 

“Sometimes I don’t realize a disaster when I see it coming on a train down a fast track until it slams right into me.  This whole episode has been a big eye opener and a life changing experience I will never forget.  Victoria, I need you to forgive me.  Will you?” he asked with a pleading look. 

She stared at him.  Of course she forgave him, she had to she was a Christian, a backsliding Christian but a Christian nonetheless.  She didn’t want him to know that she had forgiven him just yet.  She had been wondering around avoiding him for the last couple of days, not only because she was mad at him, but because she wanted to get her thoughts together before she faced him again.  Now she was here face to face with him and he was asking her for forgiveness, she knew once she gave it to him she would have to let bygones be bygones and she wasn’t ready for that just yet. 

“I love you Joshua,” she started, “but I can’t forgive you just yet.”

The look on his face crumbled just a little but he waited and listened patiently to what she had to say. 

“Now I have some questions.  Do you think you can answer th
em straight without any lies or hesitance?”

He hesitated. 

“You’re already hesitating,” she said. 

He was terrified when women got to asking questions, they usually asked questions they knew they couldn’t handle if the answer didn’t turn out like they hoped.  Joshua didn’t understand women this way because it’s like they just hoped for the best.  They’d rather know the truth, full details and all, even if it would crush their spirits but they always had hope and that made them push through it.  Men on the other hand could care less about the details we definitely didn’t want to know. 

“Yes lay it on me,” he said. 

“Ok.” 

“How long have you been sleeping with her?”

He closed his eyes and dropped his head. 

“You were not supposed to hesitate,” she said, “forget it.”

She started to walk past him, he reached out and grabbed her and she jerked away from him.

He tugged at her,

“Baby what do you expect to me say to that?” he asked. 

“I ex
pect for you to tell me the truth!” 

“Just this year,” he said lying through his teeth, he had planned to be honest but how could he really.  Was he supposed to stand there and say the past six years on and off and make their relationship worse, he wouldn’t dare. 

She looked at him skeptically. 

“Ok.
”

She gave him the benefit of the doubt.
 

“Why?” she asked. 

“Listen Victoria, I will admit we did have a special bond between us, I mean we were high school sweethearts so it was easy to continue to be with her I was used to her already, it had nothing to do with me being in love with you less or anything.  If I could’ve had you both I would’ve.” 

She narrowed her eyes.  He put his hands up in surrender and said,

“I’m just saying.” 

“Ahh how about don’t just say,” she said with sarcasm dripping off her tone. 

“Sorry,” he whispered. 

She huffed.  He stared into her eyes. 

“Are you still in love with her?” 

“No.
”  

“Do you love her?” 

“Well of course I love her, but no I’m not in love with her, there are differences.” 

“This she knew.
”

Victoria was s
tudying him hard trying to read him and test any deceitfulness and falsehood in his answers, so far she had detected none. 

“Danielle is used to getting what she wants and now she is acting out of character because she isn’t getting that anymore. She really isn’t that crazy I don’t know what has gotten into her I know her better
than this, this is so far out.”

He shook
his head leaning on the back of the couch.

Victoria stiffened.  Was this negro trying to justify her actions because she wa
s about to rip him a new backside if he was. 

“Well she said sane people sometimes go insane when there pushed to the limit b
ut the witch can rot in jail for all I care because to me she is one of those little girls who gives us all a bad name.” 

“I can see how you would think that but you never got to see her good side.” 

She frowned. 

“Joshua
,”

Victoria rubbed
her temples with one hand and put the other one on her hip,” she sighed,

“
Are you making excuses for her?” 

“Of course not baby, I’m just saying when you know someone like me
for instance, you know my good and bad side right or so you think you know but if something happens that I can’t control or handle I might act out of character.” 

“
See, that’s the thing because stuff happens, you have to find a way to move on and get over it.  It gives you no reason to go around terrorizing people; for God’s sake she has killed someone.” 

Joshua was shaking his head up and down in agreement but he had a skeptical look on his face. 

“What’s that look?” she asked. 

“I understand that but we both
know she didn’t really try and kill
Leon right?”  

Oh no he
didn’t,
she thought. 

She took in a deep breath and
walked over to her purse.  Reaching in Victoria pulled out her gold case, took out a joint and lit it hurriedly.  She took a deep pull on it and let out smoke through her nose and mouth. 

“I’m just saying,” he continued, “maybe we should drop the charges against her, they’re really not needed, she has a murder charge now.” 

Victoria couldn’t believe she was hearing this.  Was this man insane?  To her the idea of dropping charges against Danielle was like a slap in the face.  He might as well spit on her as she did.  She inhaled on the joint.  Her phone beeped, it was a text message.  So far she hadn’t responded to ten of them.  Greg was blowing her up and she didn’t understand why.  She texted him and told him something came up so why is he constantly texting her. 

She heard Joshua say,

“So what do you think?”

H
e crossed his arms and waited for her to reply. 

She inhaled
the joint again.  Was this serious?  She turned around and looked at him.  He stood there; leaning back supporting his weight on the back of the couch, arms folded looking at her like he was expecting an answer.  She turned back around and inhaled then walked over to the end table and put the joint out in the ashtray. 

“Well . . .,” he said still waiting for her response.

She let the last inhale seep out of her nose slowly as she turned to look at him. 

“You must be out of your mind if you think for one minute I wo
uld drop charges against a woman that has harassed me, stalked me, attacked me, and held me for hostage IN MY OWN HOME!” 

He stood straight up. 

“Are you completely insane, what in this world would make you suggest such a thing?  Oh let me guess, it’s because she was your high school sweetheart, you feel so bad for her and she’s out of character,” Victoria said in a mocking tone.

“Well
you can suck a duck Joshua Eubanks, I’m not dropping anything and she better not drop the soap!  You can drop yours but I’m not dropping mine.  I will be in that courtroom to make sure the charges stick to her so hard it’ll be like she tattooed em.” 

She threw her middle finger up. 

“Now I don’t feel like arguing with you, so I’m going to take a shower because you sure do know how to get a girl’s blood boiling.” 

She grabbed her pursed and ran by him quickly.  He started after her. 

“Victoria, hold on a minute.” 

She continued onto the landing and up the stairs,

“Victoria,” he said, “Victoria!”

She ignored him, once upstairs she walked toward the master bedroom and the closer she got t
he slower her steps became. 

The realization that
the room where it all happened stood between her and the bathroom gave her pause right outside the door.  Joshua stopped a few feet behind her and watched, he tried to stop her but she was so stubborn.  Victoria gathered her courage reached out for the knob and turned it, the lock clicked back and she pushed it opened.  The door creaked slowly and came to a slow stop as in daring her to proceed.  All of a sudden her mouth felt dry. 

Get it together girl snap out of it.  It’s over and done with just go in the room, take a shower, put on some fresh clothes and go to the guest room or something.  Just get it over with
.

“Victoria,” Joshua said. 

She held a hand up to stop his advances.  She would be alright she told herself, she could do this she was a grown woman; she was just having a moment.  She put one foot in front of the other and stepped into the room.  She turned her attention to the bathroom door where nothing bad had taken place.  Luckily her eyes caught sight
of it right away and she strode over to it. There was a sudden heat on her back and Victoria noticed Joshua was on her heels.

“You ok?” he asked. 

“Yeah, now if you don’t mind I would just love to take a shower.”