Trouble In Paradise (9 page)

“Well, I’m tired of you complaining.  Now are you on your way or what?” 

“Yes, didn’t I just say that?  I’m in Evansville, Indiana. I have about five hours, almost three hundred miles left to go; it’s a straight shot.  What’s been going on so far?”

“I attacked her,” she said bluntly.

“WHAT!” 

Leon felt a chill go up his spine; he had a bad feeling about this. 

“Yeah, I call myself trying to put some fear in her and smacked her down, but she was quicker and next thing I knew I was knocked out Leon. 

Leon gasped. 

“Oh shit girl are you ok?” 

“Yeah
,” she laughed.  

“What’s so funny?”  

“I was laughing at her before she knocked me out ‘cause it was really funny, she had like turned into Angelina Jolie on me.  I couldn’t help myself.  That lets me know she will fight.  Let’s see what she will do when this forty-five is in her face, she won’t fight then now will she?”

Leon tightened up. 

“Well then what happened?” 

“I woke up in a hospital, so I told them to call my fiancé.” 

“Who
is your fiancé?” he asked. 

“Joshua, duh.” 

“Girl do you have all of your bolts tightened ‘cause I ain’t coming up here to see you go crazy and I mean that for real.” 

Danielle cleared her throat,

“Yes Leon, I’m cool I just want to do this and get it over with.” 

“What exactly are you doing Danielle?” 

“You mean to tell me you’ve come all this way and you don’t know?” 

Danielle started to laugh. 

“Didn’t I come up here to get Joshua back she asked?” 

“Yeah but have you talked to him?  What did he say when he came to the hospital and saw it was you and not his fiancé?” 

“I AM!” she screamed. 

Danielle
paused and cleared her throat,

“I mean I will be.” 

Leon was taken aback by that outburst.  He pulled the phone back from his ear and looked at it.  The girl is crazy for real. 

“You know what Danielle I’m going home, this isn’t fun anymore, you have turned it into something scary and I don’t want to be the cause of som
eone getting seriously hurt because you don’t know how to let go and move on.” 

Danielle was so sick of people telling her what to do; all she wanted to do was get h
er hands on the gun, go over scare Victoria and get her man.  That’s it and then she could get back to work on her normal life. 

“Leon,” she said, “don’t be ridiculous you’re already halfway here and you know me don’t you?  Do you really think I’m going to physically hurt someone?” 

“I don’t know that’s what I’m worried about.” 

“Well don’t worry, it’s me Danielle Shumaker.  You know I’m not crazy, don’t act like you’ve never done anything drastic when it came to your lover and if you lie to my ear I’ll know it. Don’t forget w
e are best friends.” 

Well
he thought she had him on that one.  Leon was so pissed about a recent lover cheating on him; he got drunk drove over to his lover’s house and ran the car right into the living room.  To make matters worse he was so drunk that he didn’t realize the enormity of the situation once the car crashed into the living room, he continued to press the accelerator and the car continued to jerk forward moving inch by inch until he was in the center of the house.  His lover was upstairs at the time and when he came down and saw the commotion turmoil and chaos took over. 

Leon tried to clear his thoughts of that night when Da
nielle asked,

“So are you driving straight up without stopping again?”

Leon hesitated, “I guess once I check out in the morning I’ll drive straight up and meet you at The Drake Hotel. I won’t be paying for a room there ‘
because I don’t have that kind of money.” 

“How come?” she asked, “you work with me don’t you?” 

“Yeah but you are in a higher position so I’m sure you make more than me and can afford to get me a room or guess what I’ll be sleeping with youuu,” he sang. 

Danielle rolled her eyes. “Sure Leon. Around what time do you think you’ll make it?” 

“Well check out time is at eleven in the morning, five hours from that is four, so I’ll probably pull up around five thirty just to be on the safe side.” 

“Ok, I’m in room two forty-eight, just come right up when you get here.” 

“Ok,” Leon said and hung up. 

Danielle walked over to her window, pulled the curtain back and
looked out.  Payback was all she could think about and she would have hers.

Chapter 13

Kroger was so crowded.  There were people everywhere, Shay knew it was the first of the month but this was too much.  Was it a holiday, did she miss the memo?  Shay took in the scene at Kroger on Plaza Avenue: there were people with baskets, children, and workers moving up and down the aisle like they were running out of food. 

“Mama I want the monkey,” her three year old pointed to the George of the Jungle fruit snacks. 

“Hold on Chelsea Mama’s going to get some, let’s let these people in front of us by.” 

The couple walking past her had twins.  They were in a double basket seat taking up a large part of the aisle.  Shay moved to the side and bumped Chelsea,

“OUCH!”

She
fell into the George of the Jungle snacks. 

“I’m sorry baby,” Shay said turning back to Chelsea hel
ping her up and picking up the snacks.  “Some people are so rude and don’t think about other people,” she said raising her voice a notch so the couple could hear her. 

The girl looked back c
ocked her head to the side and said,

“
Whatever.” 

Shay put her hands on her hips but before she could respond Chelsea was tugging at her arm. 

“Mama I want to go home there is too many people in this store,”  

“Ok, baby lets go we’ll come back later.” 

Shay hadn’t even had time to get anything in her buggy.  She picked her purse up out of the cart and put it on her shoulder, grabbing Chelsea’s hand she started walking toward the exit when her phone rung.  She looked at it.  It was Leon.  She groaned. 

“Hello?” she said. 

“HOLA!” Leon yelled. 

Shay laughed. 

“You are so crazy.  What’s up?” 

“Girl, I have just got to tell you about these latest deve
lopments.” 

Shay groaned again, she didn’t know if she was up to listening to the latest drama with Danielle.  She had gotten in enough trouble talking to Leon and she knew he was relaying messages back to Da
nielle. 

“Hold on Leon before you start, have you been telling Danielle what I’ve been telling you and tell me the truth don’t lie?” 

“Well, I can’t remember everything I talk about. What is it I’m supposed to have told her?” 

“How did she know that Victoria was in Chicago?” 

“She said Joshua told her he was moving on.” 

“Un huh.  Well, why is she there if Joshua has already told her he’s moving on?  I really
don’t want this girl to lose her mind on my friend up there and I will go up there if I think she’s trying to act stupid.” 

“That’s why I’m calli
ng you now Shay I think the girl has lost her mind.  I called her when I got to Evansville and she was talking about she confronted her already.”

Shay stopped walking. 

“What are you saying Leon?  What are you doing in Evansville?”

“I’m saying she done already attacked Victoria!” 

“What’s this nonsense you’re talking about
!”  

Her line beeped, she looked at the phone.  It was Victoria.

“Leon Imma call you back.” 

“What, wait you have to hear this.” 

“Imma call you right back,” she clicked over. “Victoria?” 

“Yeah,” Victoria said. 

“What’s up girl?” 

“What’s up is it’s going down
.” 

“Hold on,
you gone run us over or what!”

Shay yelled to the guy in the Ford pickup that was inching closer and closer to her and Chelsea by the second.  She had been standing in the middle of the street ever since Leon said Victoria was attacked.  The driver moved closer and blew his horn.

“GET OUT OF THE ROAD!” he screamed.

She turned to the Ford and hit the top of the hood with her free hand,

“I’M WALKING HERE!!”

She grabbed Chelsea’s hand and hurried across the parking lot.  Once she got to the car she opened the back door and helped Chelsea in. 

“Give me another minute
,” she yelled in the phone and continued to fasten Chelsea in the car. 

She closed the door, ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in.  Once inside she turned the car on and put Victoria on speaker phone. 

“Ok I’m listening.”

“First of all,” Victoria said, “are you ok?  Shay who are you over there
screaming at girl what is really going on?” 

“Some dunce
about to run us over but we’re ok.”

“OH
Mama you said a bad word,” Chelsea said.

“Sorry baby, Mama had a moment.  What’s going on with you?”  

“You got me on speaker phone?” Victoria asked. 

“Yeah.” 

“You might want to take me off for this one.” 

Shay put on her seat belt and checked her rearview mi
rror.

  “Let me put my Bluetooth in.” 

She reached into the compartment under the
ashtray, grabbed her Bluetooth, slid it on to her ear and the blue light started to blink. 

“Ok,” she said “I’m all ears,” and chuckled to herself about that little joke. 

Victoria started to tell Shay what happened from the moment she put the change in the meter on Delaware Street.

“This girl came out of nowhere,” she exclaimed.  “I mean really like she was posted up, waiting for me to get there.  This girl was ready for me like she had been following me and knew my whereabouts.” 

“Oohh nooo,” Shay said. 

“Yes girl.” 

“She smacked the mess out of me, hit me so hard my feet came off the ground and my butt hit the pavement, I was bleeding from my nose and mouth and everything!” 

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?” Shay put her hand up to her chest and exhaled. 

“So what happened?  Shay asked.  “I cut her.”

Shay looked back at Chelsea. 

“I’m trying to keep up with this story of yours and it is getting crazier by the second.  I mean really.  You cut her Vickie?” 

“Do not call me Vickie Shayla you know I despise that.” 

“Oh girl please, I’m your home girl, I can call you whatever I want,” she said dismissing her. 

Victoria rolled her eyes. 

“Yeah I cut her and dropped her and then I was out, I could hear the sirens coming and when I was about to get in the car, guess who saw the whole thing?”  

“Who?”

“My boss, Caroline.”

“How
did that happen?” 

“She was doing her workout at a gym down the street and she just decided to take a walk, she saw the whole thing.” 

“Wow, what did she say?” 

“Actually she was cool about it, but moving right along I’ve been trying to contact Joshua all this time and still haven’t talk to him.  When I got home I saw a number in his phone that I know is the white girl who checked us in the room when we first moved down here.” 

“Wait a minute so he still getting numbers?  Why would he get someone’s number?  I don’t get it.  The whole purpose of y’all moving is to start anew why would he do that?”  

“Well my friend I was calling to see if you could tell me because I don’t know.”  

Shay shook her head again. 
Men,
she thought,
what was with them?
  Sometimes she thought they didn’t have a clue what they wanted.  “Where are you now?” 

“Girl I don’t know, I think I’m about to pull into this rib joint I see here on the corner.  I’m hungry and going through all this I have worked up an appetite.” 

“Well how will you be able to get in touch with Joshua if you’ve left the house and you have his phone?” 

“I don’t have his phone; I left it sitting on the counter where he could see it so he’ll know to call me.   I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.  Have you talked to Leon?”  

“As a matter of fact, he called right before you, he was getting ready to tell me something juicy too because he was saying he thinks Danielle has lost it.” 

“
That aint nothing new,” Victoria said banging the steering wheel. 

“He didn’t get to finish telling me.  You want me to call him with you on three-way?” 

“No, no I don’t want to hear it.  I’m tired of this already as it is; I don’t want to hear him talk about it like it’s the season finale of ‘I Love New York’ or something.”

“Aaayy you crazy girl.” 

“I’m for real.” 

Victoria slammed the car door,

“I’m about to go into this rib shack, I hope they got alcohol cause I need a drink,” she said. 

“Well I think I just might have to come up there.” 

“No, I’m a big girl, please believe I can handle it.” 

“I got your back though and we can shop.”  

“I know this and know if I need you I’ll let you know.  On that note what about Leon on his way up to Chicago.” 

Victoria got silent.  “Do you serve alcohol?” Shay could hear Victoria asking. 

“Yes ma’am,” the waitress said. 

“Let me have a Long Island Iced Tea please.” 

“Ok are you ordering food also?”

“Yes but give me a minute to look over the menu.” 

“I’ll go get your drink and be right back,” the waitress hurried off. 

“I never heard of rib joints selling alcoholic beverages.”
Shay said.

“Toto, were not in Kansas anymore.” Victoria said. “Why is Leon on his way to Chicago?”  

“I don’t know yet girl, you beeped in when he was about to tell me.” 

“Well call him back
find out what’s going on now.” 

“You sure you don’t want to be on three-way?” 

“No, I don’t want to hear him. I’m gone drink this drink and when you call back I’ll be ready to hear what you have to say.” 

“Ok.  Talk to you in a minute.” 

Victoria closed her phone, she needed a cigarette.  She hadn’t smoked one of those since college.  She could use one right now though. 

The waitress came back with the drink.  

“Are you ready to order?” she asked. 

“Sure, I’ll have the rib sandwich.  Does that come with coleslaw?”

“Yes coleslaw and mustard.” 

“Hold the mustard.”

“Ok, anything else?”

“That’s it for now.” 

She took a sip of her Long Island Iced Tea.  It was good.  She took another nice long sip,

“Ahhh, mmm that was even better.” 

She grabbed the straw and started to stir the drink as she scanned the restaurant.  It was a small time place you could tell, but the food smelled wonderful.  Her nose was tingling with all of the strong barbeque smells.  She took another sip.  She would probably go through about three of these, after that the barbeque sandwich would hit the spot and she would be ready for a nice nap.  She looked down at her phone Joshua still had not called her. 

“Where are you?” she said out loud. 

“Who me?” a voice said from behind her. 

She looked to the side,
Yee tee tee
, she thought, now this brother is fine.  She could not help but smile. 

“Actually I was thinking out loud,” she said. 

“Oh ok well is this seat taken?” he asked. 

“No it’s not.”

She gave him a sultry look; the Long Island was hitting the spot.  Stop it Victoria, she scolded herself, you are engaged. 
Yeah but that didn’t stop Joshua did it? Ugh!
She was so upset with him.  She really could not wait to hear what his excuse would be for having Rebecca’s number.  He could’ve called her from a pay phone or anything by now. 

The handsome guy sat down.  He extended his hand,

“Hi, I’m Greg.” 

“Mmm Greg, do you have a last name or is it top secret?” she said with a flirtatious smile. 

He smiled back and dropped his hand since it didn’t seem as if she was going to shake it. 

“Yes I do
actually—”

“I’m sorry
,” she cut him off “I didn’t mean to be rude I’m just having a bad day and you caught me at the middle of it.”

She sat
back getting comfortable in her seat.

He smiled, “I don’t
mind, as a matter of fact you look like you have the blues and I was wondering how and why a beautiful woman like you would be shadowed by sadness.” 

She looked at him for a long time just gazing at him. 
Tyson Beckford, move over,
she thought, his chocolate brown skin looked like it had been made in a milk chocolate factory, stirred and made rich for the candy that was about to be layered.  He had full lips and when he smiled he showed a set of white teeth that glowed brighter than a morning sunrise.  His face was so masculine, his nose was a little wide but it was cute.  Those strong brown eyes were mesmerizing and all that came down into that neck—nice, thick, and long.  Broad shoulders—look at the muscles in those arms she daydreamed.