Dubois took the offered hand and pulled it to his lips. I felt a tinge of greenness swimming in my blood as Stacy showed every one of her braces-perfect teeth in appreciation. “It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Stacy.”
“Oooh. Talks pretty, too.” She gave me a look of shared conspiracy that I didn’t return. “I think you and I will be getting much, much better acquainted, as you say.”
Dubois flashed her a megawatt smile. “I would think so.” Stacy gave me a look I’d seen many times before. “I’m Dubois. Dina’s new husband.”
I would have happily paid a month’s salary to have a photo of the changed look on Stacy’s face at that announcement. Priceless, indeed.
5
I changed into some shorts before heading toward the kitchen. Dubois had set out on his exploration after helping Stacy bring in her bags. While I defrosted chicken, I checked my messages. Two from my parents, one from my brother, and the last from Michael, a man whom I never hoped to see ever again. His message was typical of the men I’d dated: Hey, if you aren’t busy, let’s “hook up.” Well, I’m busy whenever you call from here on out, buster.
A giggle made me turn around. Stacy leaned against the door, a hand over her mouth.
“What’s so funny?”
“The fact that you suddenly have a husband nobody ever heard you mention, yet the man you have been dating and even brought to the family reunion is still leaving messages. That tells me a couple of things: one, you broke up with Michael but the breakup is so fresh, he still thinks he has a chance and has no idea you’ve really moved on.” I felt the redness creeping up my neck. “And two, Dubois must be hella good in bed since you married him so fast.”
I turned away from her, opened the microwave, and poked at the defrosting bird. “You are not as smart as you think you are,” I responded over my shoulder.
“Really?” A perfectly arched eyebrow rose. “What part did I get wrong? I mean, Mom keeps me up on everything, and not once has she mentioned this Adonis with a British accent and you. So I’m definitely thinking she has no clue…or rather, had no clue.”
I swung around then. “Tell me you didn’t tell Mom and Dad.” Stacy gave me a noncommittal shrug. Blood swooshed through my brain. I wasn’t ashamed at what I’d done, but like everything in life, it was about timing. My own timing to keep and reveal my secrets as I wanted. The fact that Stacy had possibly preempted me had me seeing red. I moved closer to her. Stacy moved backward, eyes looking at my hand. The skewer I’d poked at the chicken with pointed straight ahead. I dropped it and got into her face.
“I want you to hear me and hear me well. My business is my business. Despite what you believe, I will live my life like I want, whether it meets with your, the rest of the family, friends, or the world’s standards, understand?”
Stacy eyes were wide, but suddenly they narrowed and she burst out laughing. “Girl, that must have been some kind of sex to make your uptight ass get some backbone.”
Her statement infuriated me further. I grabbed her upper arm. “I don’t need hellified sex to give me courage. I just need you to understand that this is my life and I’ll live it however I want, regardless of your opinion.”
Stacy didn’t back down. “You’re just bluffing. Something’s up and I plan to find out why you would hide this dude away, no mention of him at all to your family, and suddenly, you’re married.” Her eyes drifted down to my belly. “Pregnant?”
The urge to slap her was great. “If I am, that’s none of your concern.”
“So I’m right! You are pregnant.” She moved until our noses almost touched. “How could you be so…old…and stupid?”
“You mean-spirited little heffa!” Stacy and I definitely have had our share of catfights. When I was still at home, she took great pleasure in parading around half naked, tempting my boyfriends. Truth be told, I suspect she actually did get with one or two of them because I’d found their numbers on her cell phone. I left them alone after that. But that was then. I wasn’t letting her get away with jack now! “I will—”
“Wow! I could hear the yelling out in the portico,” Dubois said as he strolled into the kitchen.
I released Stacy’s arm and she rolled her eyes before placing a smile on her face and turning. “We were just chitchatting about some…things. You know, like sisters do.”
“Yes. You were going at it like my sisters do all the time.” Dubois stared into my face, a face I’d not managed to remove the scowl from. He gave me a smile. I gave him a halfhearted, lopsided one in return. He nodded before looking back at Stacy. “So, Stacy, how long will you be staying?”
Stacy’s smile grew larger, feeling secure that whatever she wanted, she’d get. “Oh, I’m in the middle of a move and thought I’d spend a week”—she looked over her shoulder at me—“or two with Dina and my parents. Catch up and all.”
Dubois nodded again. “No husband waiting for you anywhere?” He walked over and stood behind me.
“None.” I could see Stacy’s lips curling at the edge as they always did whenever she was about to smirk.
“Your parents live nearby?”
“Yes. They live across the county.”
“Did you grow up in a large house?”
My parents were both schoolteachers and so we were definitely brought up firmly entrenched in the middle class—nice home, regular new cars, no hand-me-downs for their kids. Image, after all, was important. As my father always told us, we were a reflection of them, and they wanted the world to believe they could give us a pretty good life. Stacy was their princess child. Spoiled rotten.
“Yes, a four-bedroom, three-bath ranch. There was plenty of room for us.”
Dubois hugged me to his chest, placing a light kiss on my neck. “That’s good.” His eyes shifted back to Stacy. “Stacy, I think it would be a better idea if you stayed with your parents. Dina and I forgot you were to visit, but since we just got married, I would really appreciate if you would visit us another time—after the honeymoon. Then we would be able to give you excellent hospitality. Right now, we are focusing on…us.”
I would have lost a second paycheck if someone had a camera at that moment. Stacy’s eyes bucked, her face fell, and her mouth opened in astonishment. “You…you want me to leave?”
Dubois nodded. “I think it would be best, considering this is our honeymoon.”
“B—but—”
“I’ll be happy to help you get your bags back in the car.” Dubois’s tongue snaked out of his mouth and he licked my lips. “Sweetie, it won’t take me but just a moment. Perhaps while I’m helping Stacy, you can give your parents a call and let them know when we’ll visit them?”
I quickly jumped into my role. “Sure. Saturday or Sunday, you think?” Of course, I added a flashing smile for my gorgeous man—and to irritate Stacy.
“Either sounds splendid.” He then turned and said, “Let’s get those bags!” He placed his arm around Stacy’s shoulders and guided her out of the kitchen and toward the stairwell.
When they were out of sight, I clutched my stomach and sank into a chair. Stacy had her faults, but she was right on the money about this: Dubois was a hell of a man!
My parents didn’t answer, probably because it was during their favorite soap opera’s daily episode, so I left a message. I could hear Dubois carrying on a one-sided conversation as he rounded up Stacy’s things and knew the lack of chatter