Now You Wanna Come Back, page 16
The ringing of her cell phone woke her up, and she got up to get it from the love seat where it landed when she tossed it. She looked at the caller ID, and her heart raced.
It was Ray.
Chapter Twenty-seven
“You have to go,” Ray told Katrina after he let his last client out.
“Excuse me?” she asked, frowning.
“‘Excuse me’? What’s ‘excuse me?’ You’ve been here all damn day. I’ve been so busy, but I told you hours ago to bounce. You gotta roll.”
She took a sip of her drink. “Why? Are you expecting someone and don’t want me to be here?”
“No, you just have to leave. We are not tight, close, or cool, so you have to go.”
“So, you’re putting me out?”
“If that’s what you want to call it. You have chilled here all day. You showered, ate, lounged around, and now you’re drinking mixed drinks. You’re not about to be too drunk to drive, so finish your little drink and go.” He was not going to let her spend another night. “I have a woman, and she would not like you hanging out over here like we’re roomies.”
“Oh yeah. She came by this morning,” Katrina said casually. She took another sip of her drink.
“Who came by where?” Ray asked, his brow arched and head tilted.
“Leila. Her,” she said, pointing to Leila’s photo.
“When?” he yelled. He moved close to her. He had never hit a woman, but it looked like Katrina was going to be the first one he ever slapped.
“About seven thirtyish this morning.” She took another sip of her cocktail and looked at him.
Seven-thirty this morning? That was during Angela’s session, around the time he’d had words with Kat for using his shower after Patricia left.
His jaw tightened. “Tell me you didn’t go to my fucking door in a motherfucking bath towel.” Please, he prayed silently.
“Well, Ray, I heard the door, and I answered it. I didn’t know it would be her.”
“In a towel? In a towel, Katrina? Why didn’t you come and get me? Why didn’t you let her in?” he yelled. He stood over her, restraining himself from yanking her ass.
“You were upstairs with your client, and when she saw me, she just left. She didn’t ask to come in. I only recognized her from her pictures,” she said and took another sip.
“Oh shit. What in the hell is wrong with you?” he yelled.
“What? And why are you yelling? I didn’t do anything.”
He wanted to knock the innocent look right off her face, but he knew he couldn’t. His momma didn’t raise him like that. Instead, he said, “You know what? Get up.” He took the drink out of her hand and grabbed her arm. “Get your things and get the hell out of my house,” he ordered, giving her a slight push.
She stood looking at him.
He set the glass on the table. “I’m not fucking around. Get yo’ shit and get the hell out!” he yelled. He went around the living room, collecting her personal items she had left lying around.
“Ray, come on now. Don’t just throw me out. I didn’t do anything. And I need to stay just one more night. Please.”
“You leaving is not optional. You are crazy, and if you did anything to mess things up with my lady and me, I promise you . . .” he said, getting in her face.
“Fine, fine. I’ll leave. Just let me get the rest of my things.”
He sat on the sofa and put his hands on the top of his head. How had he managed to allow Katrina to screw with him again? He was so done with her. He vowed that if she ever came knocking at his door again, he would never let her in again.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally came out with her bag. “I’m gone,” she said, standing near the door.
“Bye,” he said and didn’t look up. As soon as she was on the other side of the door, he called Leila.
“What?” she said when she picked up the phone.
“Leila, baby, please tell me that you don’t believe whatever Katrina told you this morning,” he said.
“Tell me how I’m supposed to think anything other than what that tramp said? She came to the door in a fucking towel, Rayshon, with wet hair. She had a smirk on her face, and she was guarding the entryway like she was the mistress of the house. And you come calling me damn near eleven hours later,” Leila spat.
“I promise you that nothing happened between Katrina and me. Whatever she told you, I promise, were lies. I’m just now calling you because I didn’t know you came here, and I had back-to-back appointments all day. I would have called you at lunch, but I didn’t get one today because Royce, one of my Thursday clients, needed to get in because he’s going out of town or some shit. Nothing happened,” he said.
“Whatever. Why was the trick there in the first place if nothing is going on? Why was she in a damn towel? Why wouldn’t she let me in, even after I told her who I was? Why would she lie and say that you guys were working on getting back together? Why would she do that?”
“She said that? That is not what happened.”
“Why was she there?”
He heard her start crying. “A few months back, when I told you I had a friend in trouble, it was Katrina. She had lost her mom and had some issues and didn’t have a place to go. I helped her out, and she came by last night just to say thanks.”
“Last night? You let her spend the fucking night? That tramp slept over last night?”
“It wasn’t like you think. She slept on the sofa. I didn’t touch that woman. When you came, I was upstairs with Angela. I guess that’s when she used the shower. I didn’t know she was showering, for one, and she didn’t tell me you came by until about twenty minutes ago.”
“So, not only did she spend the night, but she’s been chilling at your house all day? That’s why she answered the phone when I called.”
“She answered my phone?” he asked, shocked.
“Yeah, she did.” Leila’s voice had gone cold. “Now that I have heard your story, leave me alone.” She hung up.
* * *
Leila sat sobbing. Her phone rang, and she picked it up to hit the button to ignore the call again. Ray had been calling back-to-back since she’d hung up on him. She looked at the caller ID. This time it was Devon.
“Hello,” she answered. She heard her voice crack.
“Lei, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“I’m sick, okay? I really don’t feel well. Can you manage DJ one more night, please?”
“What is it, baby? You sound horrible.”
“I know. Can you please, please keep Deja?” she cried.
“Yeah, sure, sure. Are you going to be all right? Are you sure you don’t want me to come over?”
“No, I’m not sure. I do need you,” she cried. “I need you to come home.”
“I’m on my way,” Devon said.
It didn’t take him long to get there. He led her to the couch and sat holding her. She told him she had a headache and didn’t feel well. He didn’t say anything for a while, then asked, “What did he do to you, sweetheart?”
Leila didn’t answer. She just closed her eyes and cried in his arms.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Ray couldn’t fall asleep. He was upset about what went down with him and Leila and was pissed at himself for letting Katrina in. He knew if he saw her again, he’d kill her ass for sure. How had she managed to hurt him again? She was breaking his heart by sabotaging his relationship with the woman he loved. He had prayed and called Leila for thirty minutes straight with no answer. If he lost her over that bullshit, he’d go insane. He lay on the sofa and flipped through TV channels, looking for something to watch.
The next morning, a knock at the door woke him up. He was still on the sofa. He realized he hadn’t heard his alarm from the bedroom and had overslept. He got up, went to the door, and opened it for Sonja, his first appointment for the day. He told her to go up and get started on the treadmill, and he’d be with her shortly. He hurried and brushed his teeth and washed his face, then threw on his workout gear and ran upstairs.
Before he knew it, it was time for Leila’s session. They didn’t work out the traditional way. They worked out in other ways. He spent the hour making her feel good. Since her appointment was at eleven and his lunch was at noon, they had two hours to take a bath together, massage each other, or just sit around. He figured she wouldn’t show up.
He was in the kitchen when he heard the knock at the door. When he opened it, he was pleasantly surprised to see her. “Come on in,” he said, moving aside.
“I’m not staying. I just came to get my things for the store,” she said, walking past him. “I’ll get the rest of my stuff later.”
“Please wait,” he said, following her. She kept moving. “Stop, Lei,” he yelled.
She stopped and looked down at the floor. “I just need my things for my store.”
“Nothing happened.”
She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Save it, okay? Just save it,” she said.
He grabbed her arms. “Please listen to me. I would never do that to you. I love you, Leila. Nothing happened. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“No, I thought you would never do anything to hurt me, but you did. I know what I saw.” The tears she’d been holding in fell, and seeing them ate him up.
“She slept on the fucking sofa. I made a mistake, baby, but the only mistake was trying to be nice to that bitch and letting her into my home. I swear that I didn’t touch that woman.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You know me, baby. You know me. There are women in and out of here every day, so why would I go back to Katrina? Please think. She is an evil, lying—” He stopped himself. He didn’t want to think about Katrina. He just wanted to get through to Leila.
“Look at me,” he said, lifting her head. “I only want you. I love you, and no woman can come up in here and replace you. I would never lie to you. She was here, and yes, she spent the night, but not with me. I love you, Leila. I only want you,” he said and kissed her on the forehead.
“I want to believe you, I do. But why would she stand there and make that shit up?”
“Leila, that woman is twisted. She sat here and examined your picture, and I told her how you were so much better for me and how much better my relationship is with you than what I had with her. She knew about you. I guess she was just jealous. I don’t know. What I do know is that I love you more than anything.” He pulled her to him and kissed her, using his mouth to emphasize his words.
They ended up in his bed. Ray pulled her clothes off, desperate to please her, to show her how much he loved her. When he slid inside her warmth, it felt like home. Their lovemaking was frantic and satisfying. Before he knew it, their time was up.
He kissed Leila one more time and left her to relax while he got up to shower and get ready for his next client.
She rolled over and grabbed a pillow. Something red caught her eye. She reached over and pulled it. It was a lace thong. She dropped it and sat up. Another flash of color caught her eye. There was smeared lipstick on the pillow she was holding. She leaped out of bed.
“Ray, you are a fucking liar!” she yelled. She heard the shower turn off.
“What?” he yelled from the bathroom.
“You are a fucking liar,” she yelled again. She started crying. “I hate you. You stood I my face and lied to me.”
Ray came out of the bathroom, naked and dripping wet. “What’s wrong? What are you talking about?”
“This.” She threw the thong at him. It hit him in the chest and fell to the floor.
“What is this?” he asked as he bent over and picked it up. “Where did this come from? I’ve never seen this a day in my life, honey.”
She shook her head. “I can’t fucking believe you!” She looked around for her clothes and saw something shiny on the floor by the nightstand. She picked it up. It was an earring.
“Lei, please,” Ray said. “Where did you get this? Kat must have dropped it. I don’t know.”
“Oh yeah? She dropped it between your headboard and the mattress? Did she drop this too?” she asked, throwing the earring on the bed. “Oh yeah, and is this the pillow she had her face in when you were hitting it from the back?”
“Katrina must have done all of this garbage yesterday. I didn’t even sleep here last night. I slept on the sofa. Do you think I’d get up and fix my bed and not notice a pair of underwear, a soiled pillowcase, and an earring?”
Leila didn’t want to hear it. She dressed quickly, stuffed her panties and bra in her purse, and went into the living room. Ray followed her, still naked.
“Leila,” he said as she grabbed her bags of things for the store. “Lei, baby,” he said. She kept moving. “Leila,” he said, blocking her path.
“Move. I will come by this weekend for the rest of my things. It’s over. You are a liar.” She went around him and snatched the door open. Mia, his one o’clock appointment, stood with her hand raised to knock.
“Hi, Mia,” Leila said. “He’s all yours.”
She walked away, leaving Mia staring open-mouthed at Ray in all his naked glory.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Leila got into her truck, heated and heartbroken. She drove in circles, then headed toward home, confused and hurt. Rayshon Johnson was a two-timing, lying-ass dog who had played her. She had let him play her. He could have been lying to her from the very beginning, she thought as she pulled into her driveway.
She was a mess, and the scent of their lovemaking on her body pissed her off more. She undressed and got into the shower to wash Ray off her. She cursed him, yelled, and cried as she scrubbed herself. By the time she was done with her shower, she had an excruciating headache. She had to talk to someone, so she called Renee after she alerted Devon that she was home early. Renee was with a customer, so she couldn’t talk.
Leila busied herself doing little things around the house, and before long, she heard a car pull into her driveway. It was Devon bringing Deja home. She ran to the bathroom and washed her face, but she couldn’t hide her swollen, red eyes.
She let them in, picked up her baby, and held her tight. She kissed her ten times before putting her down.
“I brought your favorite Chinese food,” Devon said. “Are you feeling better today?” he asked as he followed her into the kitchen
“I’m fine,” she said, not wanting to talk to him. She hated him being so nice to her and acting so concerned.
“You don’t look fine,” he said, washing his hands at the sink. “Sit down, and I’ll fix you and DJ a plate.”
“I can do it,” she said.
“Lei, sit down, okay?” he said.
Leila didn’t argue. She put Deja in her high chair and sat down. Devon put a plate in front of her. She picked over her food and tried not to cry in front of him.
“Look, I’m not too hungry. I’m going upstairs,” she said.
She went to her room, got into bed, and just let the tears drop. About an hour later, Devon came up.
“Are you sleeping?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
“What did he do to you?” Devon asked again.
“I don’t want to talk right now.”
To her surprise, he didn’t push. He pulled the door closed and left her alone. A few moments later, Renee called her back.
“Hey, girl, what’s going on?” she asked.
“Oh, Renee, my life is so fucked up,” Leila cried.
“What happened? What’s wrong?”
“Everything,” Leila said. “Ray cheated on me with his ex.”
“No,” Renee said. “No way.”
“Yes, ma’am. I caught her over there yesterday. This morning, I went by there, and I let him convince me that what I saw yesterday wasn’t true. After we made love, I found that ho’s panties in the sheets.”
“Damn, what did he say?”
“Said some shit about her putting them there on purpose like I’m a damn fool.”
“Well, that is something to consider. I mean, Ray is a good guy.”
“Come on. If your husband told you that, would you believe him?”
“I guess not. It’s just hard to believe. I mean, Ray is romantic, kind, and he is so good to you. For him to just up and cheat . . . I don’t know.”
“That’s why I don’t think it’s his first time. Hell, who knows how many of them hoes he’s been with?”
“I don’t believe that. As big as them tricks’ mouths are, one of them would have been put him on Front Street.”
Leila thought about it. It made sense. Rayshon had never hesitated to make it known to any of his female clients that he was with her. “Yeah, maybe so,” she said. “But I don’t know what to do now.”
“Just please tell me you’re not considering going back to Devon.”
“Are you crazy? I’m hurt, but I’m not stupid.”
“I’m just saying. When you are emotional and going through it, that’s when you are weak when it comes to Devon.”
“Devon and I are history,” Leila said. “We are done, and I wouldn’t take him back if a million Rays cheated on me,” she said with a little laugh.
Devon had done her in and made too many fake-ass promises. Going back to him would be going back to hell. He had lied and let her down too many times, and she wasn’t going to allow him another opportunity to hurt her, no matter how much he thought he had changed. Devon was not an option.
When they got off the phone, Leila pulled the covers up to her chin and lay in the darkness. Ray called and called, and she finally powered off her cell phone and unplugged her house phone. Every time she had been tempted to answer, the image of Katrina in a towel entered her mind. She felt like a fool for giving in to him earlier.
She got up, turned the light on, and looked at herself in the mirror. Why had he felt it necessary to mess around with his ex? Was it the way she looked? Because she wasn’t as sexy and beautiful as Katrina was? She was a Freddie Jackson, while Katrina was a Janet Jackson. She felt tears begin to form again. She hated her body, and Ray hadn’t made her feel any better by cheating on her with Miss America. Maybe he’d want me if I didn’t have these rolls here or if my thighs were slimmer or my breasts were perky, she thought as she pulled, stretched, and poked her skin.
