Candice was happy for her ex, happier for herself. Thankful that over the years she’d respected her body by exercising, eating healthy foods, sleeping six to eight hours a day. She’d aged gracefully. Single, available, with no intentions of remarrying, she knew she was sexy and thanks to her girlfriend’s never-a-boring-moment life, she had an eight-figure bank account and the waterfall house to cushion her divorce. Nice landing.
Tap, tap.
The finger mouse centered on the dash. Click. The screen faded to black. Candice minimized her document, closed the laptop, picked up The Guide to Becoming a Sensuous Black Woman by Miss T, then answered, “Come, in.”
Peeping her head through the door, Jada asked, “What are you doing?”
“Just reading this book on how to seduce a man. Nothing you’d be interested in,” Candice said, parting the pages.
Smiling, Jada moved closer. Slyly Candice propped her elbow on her laptop.
Glancing at the book, Jada said, “You right. I need one on how to unseduce your husband. Do you mind going to the store? Wellington wants some more snacks.”
Candice stood. “Sit down for a while.”
Massaging Jada’s neck and shoulders, Candice said, “You are tense.”
Jada rotated her head, neck, and shoulders. “Um, that feels so good. Thanks, girl.”
“How’s he doing?” Candice asked, not giving a damn because Wellington’s sorry ass didn’t want Jada to leave his side for more than five minutes at a time.
Candice gave up on investing her energy into finding a faithful man who was honest, considerate, loving, good-looking, and wealthy. If a man had three good qualities, she’d take him for what he was worth. How long he stayed with her depended upon when or if he became useless. Candice pressed her thumbs into Jada’s muscles.
Jada sighed. “Not good. He’s in a lot of pain. I’m glad he’s checking into the hospital soon, because he’s wearing me out and not the way I’d like. All he wants to do is watch television, kiss me to death, and rub on my titties like he’s doing something.”
“Like this,” Candice said, groping her hands on Jada’s shoulders.
Laughing, Jada said, “Exactly. He works me all up for nothing because he doesn’t want to lick my pussy, and I’m tired of playing with her to entertain him. Girlfriend, I’m too young for this sexual frustration. There’s nothing wrong with my pussy.”
Candice thought, First it was beer, now snacks. Couldn’t he make a list? replying, “You know how I feel. Get some dick lined up on the side. You’ll be well within your right, and ain’t shit he can do from a hospital bed.”
Standing, Jada said, “I can’t be like him. I can’t cheat on my husband for the sake of having sex. I have to love the man I’m with.”
“You’re delirious. That’s why I’m here. For you.” To write all this shit down so next time Jada got a man, probably Darryl, she wouldn’t forget.
Jada lived a fairy-tale kind of life, suppressing reality to suit her beliefs. Jada could watch her screwed-up life on the big screen and think it was somebody else’s, claiming, “I could never do…”
Candice continued, “Whatever you need me to do, just tell me. And I want you to know, being here has helped me get over Terrell,” she lied, then told the truth, “and I am going to help you get over Wellington.” Candice had emotionally divorced Terrell years before he’d left.
Shaking her head, Jada said, “I shouldn’t complain. I’m not trying to get over Wellington.”
Damnit, Jada, stop lying to yourself! Whenever Candice tried to get Jada to leave Wellington, Jada defended Wellington every single time. “I should stop off at Darius’s house and see if any wedding gifts arrived. They may be sitting outside.”
“Huh, what? Oh yeah. Good idea. The keys are on the key rack in the kitchen.”
“If Wellington thinks of anything else, call me, girl.” Candice supported Jada, not Wellington, and no matter how many errands Wellington sent her on, she’d go, and she’d return. At least he couldn’t accuse her of cock-blocking.
Waiting for Jada to leave, then watching her walk away in Betty Boop pj’s with red eyes that were half closed, Candice wondered, why had her girlfriend stayed with Wellington after his affair? Closing the bedroom door, Candice input the information Jada had given her.
“Oh,” Jada said, reentering the room, “I almost forgot. Darius is on his way home so you don’t have to go to his house.”
Shit, she didn’t knock. Next time Candice had to lock the door.
The hell I don’t, Candice thought. Darius’s life was ten times more exciting than Jada’s, and this might be her only opportunity to have access to his dirt. Quickly saving the new chapter before removing her memory stick, Candice powered off her laptop, slipped into a pink sweatsuit, laced her tennis shoes, then skipped out the front door jiggling Darius’s keys.
One press of a button on her remote and the engine of her red-hot convertible Benz roared. Candice sped to the neighborhood grocery store, tossed chips, pretzels, peanuts, cashews, beef jerky, Snickers bars, and red vines in the handbasket. “That’ll do.” Waiting in the “ten items or less” checkout line, Candice tapped her foot, sighed; as she shifted the basket to the opposite hip her toes froze in midair. A KEYS MADE sign was near the entrance. Leaving the junk food on the conveyor, she darted to the counter, extended Darius’s keys to the tall, bald-headed man, and said, “One set please. Make that two.”
Spiraling her copies on her chain, Candice said, “Keep the change.”
Speeding to a nearby shopping center, she stood outside the electronics store and dialed Jada’s number.
Jada answered, “You still at the store?”
“What does he want now?”
“Ice cream. Strawberry.”
Along with the junk food she’d forgotten to pay for. “Girl, if I didn’t love you…I’ll pick it up later.”
“I’m sorry, you called me,” Jada said, yawning.
“I have to make a stop, but I’ll get back ASAP,” Candice said, hanging up.
Entering the crowded store, she approached the first blue-vested khaki-pants-wearing employee she saw. “Yes, I need ten, make that twenty, of those hidden clock cameras. And twenty one-gig memory cards.”
“Twenty? Twenty? Why so many?” he questioned.
“Is that part of your duties? To get personal with me, young man?”
“Sorry, ma’am. I’ll bring ’em to the register for you.”
“Now we’re communicating. And bring me two sets of binoculars.”
Standing in line, Candice tapped her foot. Placing her items at the register, the employee said, “Have a nice day.”
The cashier said, “I know you’d like to protect your devices. I recommend purchasing our additional warranty—”
“Stop wasting my time,” Candice replied, signing, then handing the white paper to the cashier. Candice snatched the bags, running like a linebacker to her car, then broke every residential speed limit for a five block radius to Darius’s house. Retrieving her keys, Candice entered Darius’s home, then secured the inside latch.
Quickly she raced upstairs, hiding a camera in Darius’s closet, aiming the motion detector toward his bed. “This