Now, here was Laura, intent on cashing in on a debt owed. She was certainly not going to make it easy for him to wriggle out of his promise this time and especially after having been stood up for another woman. In retrospect, their first affair had been nothing short of extraordinary as long as they were not in the prone position. They were the best of friends and she was certainly worth the effort but with Sill in walking distance, there were just too many complications at this point.
“Be a sweetheart, Laura and let an old man get some rest. I’ll meet you at Dante’s tomorrow at eight. We’ll grab a bite, take in the show, you know, make a night of it.”
Laura sighed. Her disappointment showed but she agreed. What could she do? “Eight o’clock it is then. Don’t be late. You know Jazzy’s starting to get better looking each time I see him.”
In no mood for her teasing, he was tempted to tell her to go for it but knew that at any other time he would have been glad to see her. But tonight he was truly exhausted. First the move and then all the extra-curricular activities had worn him out, but it was more than that. Closing the door behind her, he let the stopper out of the now cold bath water and sprawled out across his bed. His thoughts returned to Sylvia.
A strange bird, he couldn’t exactly put his finger on it but there was something amiss. Again he thought about Jazzy’s warning. He’d known quite a few women but there was something unnerving and unsettling about Sylvia though he couldn’t nail it down. Like when she was on top of him, making love and had a faraway look in her eyes or the piercing laugh each time she orgasmed. Then there was the fighting and screaming that seemed to be a part of the act that let him know that she wasn’t all there. At least that’s how it appeared and as beautiful as she was it did little to enhance the lovemaking. Instead, it frightened him and made him wonder what was truly going on. There had been that one girl several years ago when everything came down to the sex partner of the week when it just seemed like he was collecting notches on his belt or trophies as far as how many women he could sleep with. It had been a stage and he had to admit looking back on it now that it had been fun at the time—or at least-up until he met that one girl who was everything he could have imagined in and out of the bedroom, except for one serious flaw. Each time she would near orgasm she would start singing the Star Spangled Banner. He’d waited months for the opportunity for them to have sex and the only thing he could remember was being at her place when it finally occurred and her singing or screaming that god awful version as she climaxed. He’d dressed quickly and gotten the hell out of there as it didn’t take a rocket scientist to know that something was wrong. And for months after he made sure to check the caller I.D. and he’d been right to. She started showing up at his job and everywhere else as well. She eventually told him that he was in love with her and she’d kill him if he thought about seeing anybody else. For awhile he couldn’t bring anyone home because she’d follow them and threaten them when she caught up with them. The whole affair had lasted months and been nerve wracking and yet he’d felt that same uneasy feeling when he was with Sylvia although he wasn’t exactly sure why.
Turning over on the bed, he reached for the remote to turn the television on took a swig from the bottle of Seagram’s, thought of how good Laura looked with and without the fur before eventually dozing off. He didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping when he heard the phone ring. It couldn’t have been long though since he found himself still clutching the bottle of Seagram’s. He was tempted not to answer the phone before tiptoeing to the front door to check the peephole. Laura definitely had him spooked. Rushing back to the phone and picking up the receiver Terrance was surprised to hear Sill who he’d left sound asleep only a few minutes ago. She was hardly asleep now and sounded as chipper as he’d ever heard her.
“Hey baby, it’s me, Sill. I just called to let you know that you left your cell here.”
There was more on her mind than his leaving the cell but he wasn’t inclined to engage her in conversation at this hour.
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll pick it up on my way to work in the morning, babe,” Terrance replied, hoping to end the conversation at this point.
“Well, it’s been ringing off the hook. I tried to ignore it the first couple of times but whoever it is keeps calling. I figured it must be important. Want me to run it over to you?”
Terrance wanted to tell her to just turn the damn thing off but remained polite. “I don’t know why they just don’t call me here,” he muttered. Then he remembered that he’d turned the ringer off at home when Laura left so he could get some sleep. “Oh hell, I turned the ringer off. Whoever it is probably tried to reach me here and couldn’t.”
“It must be important, Terrance. They had to have called at least five or six times. I would have answered it but I wasn’t sure you wanted me to.”
Terrance ignored her remark. She was fishing to see how far they’d come and how much leeway she had. It was obvious she wanted to know just how much progress she had made in a night. She was moving entirely too fast now and again it frightened him. He’d always liked the hunt, the intrigue of the pursuit. Once he snared his prey however, he always found himself wanting. If he did commit to pursuing a relationship with Sill he wanted it to be his decision. One thing was for sure. He’d be damned if he would just let her come in and run roughshod over the peaceful little existence he had fought so hard to establish.
“Would you like for me to check your caller I.D. to see who it is?” Sill asked being a bit more than helpful than was required. In actuality, what she was being was too damn nosy and Terrance didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.
“Don’t worry about the phone, Sill. Whoever called can call back tomorrow. I’m sure that whatever it is, it can wait.” And without another word he placed the receiver back on the hook.
Sill was shocked. “No, he didn’t! No he didn’t just hang up on me. That mother—.”
What he didn’t realize was that Sill had already checked the caller I.D. The first time it rang and when only a number appeared and no name she felt a twinge of guilt and did her best to reassure herself that after all Terrance had done for her that day he must have some type of feeling for her. And she was content knowing this. When they called, a second and third time she ignored it. But when they called a fourth time had to know who could possibly be that persistent and had answered it. She recognized Laura’s voice right away and was at once sorry she’d answered it. She knew she was stirring up a can of worms but it was too late to do anything about it now.
When she called Terrance she was merely looking for an opening so she could tell him of her blunder but he had not allowed her to. Now she’d lied and Laura was certainly going to ask Terrance why he’d hung up on her.
Damn!
She hadn’t been involved in such pettiness since she was in college and wondered why she was allowing herself to be caught up in the drama now. Was he worth it? Was any man really worth the trials and tribulations they made women go through? Sill smiled.
Hell, yeah!
Putting her hand between her legs she felt the moistness along with soreness.
Damn,
that man was good. Fuck Laura Harrington!
Baby girl,
she thought,
you’re in for the fight of your life.
Though exhausted, his conscious got the best of him. He considered walking back to Sill’s then decided against the idea. The phone rang again. Recognizing his own cell number he picked it up. He felt guilty for having walked out on her and then ending the conversation so abruptly.
“You know, I didn’t get a chance to pay you or to even tell you thanks. How much was the rental and the deposit for the townhouse? Did I tell you how much I love it? It’s absolutely gorgeous. I especially love the skylight and the fireplace.”
“The stairs and the patio aren’t bad either,” Terrance chuckled, muttering to himself.
“I heard that, Terrance. Don’t be fresh. Seriously speaking though, will two hundred cover it?”
“It should,” Terrance replied.
“Shall I bring it with breakfast or would you like for me to bring it by now?”
“The money can wait, Sylvia. Ya know, I’ve been waiting for this night for an eternity and I must admit that you made it better than I could ever have imagined in my wildest dreams.” Sylvia knew there was more to come. She cringed at the thought of his impending thoughts. Was this the brush-off?
Terrance continued. “There are just too many unanswered questions. Until I get some answers, I don’t think our seeing each other is such a good idea. You’ve got to communicate more than you’re doing. You’ve got to talk. Talk to me, baby. You’ve got to help me understand. I mean, just think about it, Sill. You’re a beautiful, intelligent sister. More importantly, however, you’re a married woman. And the truth of the matter is that some man is coming home to an empty house. His wife’s gone and who knows what other pieces are missing from the puzzle.”
Terrance could hear Sylvia sobbing softly in the background despite attempts to muffle her crying. There was an uncomfortable silence before she gathered herself
“Goddamn, Terrance! He
beat
me. I gave him six of the best years of my life. For six years I put up with his ignorance. For six years, I was little more than a hood ornament, a showpiece, and his goddamn whore. I begged him to grow, to realize his potential to become his own man. I waited and waited. I supported him in every way I could until I finally realized that he didn’t have the capacity to grow. And when I couldn’t support his quest for fame and fortune, he beat me.
HE BEAT ME, TERRANCE. Beat me to the ground.”
There were no longer any attempts to muffle her sobs. She was crying openly now. Terrance only wished he’d let sleeping dogs lie. The situation was becoming even more complex and certainly more than he’d bargained for. At first, the thought of a jealous husband and a not so stable woman were his concern. Now, the husband had taken on another quality that made him fear not only for this woman but also for his own safety. She made it seem like the cat was an impulsive gorilla.
“Meet me halfway, Sill,” he heard himself say, before he could manage to stop the flow of words.
Her crying ceased almost immediately. “I’m on my way, Terrance.”
Terrance hated his student’s use of profanity and abhorred hip-hop music because of the derogatory references made to women but he had to admit:
‘This bitch was crazy.’
And somehow, someway, he was being lured into her madness. She was like quicksand, the more he tried to wriggle free, the deeper he sank. Never, not in a month of Sundays, would he have imagined that someone so seemingly unassuming could carry so much baggage. Of course, it was her choice to carry this load silently and he had certainly not volunteered to be her personal valet. He had always promised himself that he would never let anyone bring drama into his life. Never would he allow anyone to live rent free in his head for more than five minutes. Yet, here he was at eleven-thirty at night sitting, arm draped around Mrs. Sylvia Stanton, on a park bench by the very, vacant tennis courts of the Lake Spring Village apartment complex.
“My living room sofa is so much more comfortable. We could finish where we left off. I know a virile young man like you couldn’t have possibly been finished.” Sill’s mood was suddenly upbeat. Terrance wondered if the sobbing on the phone was just a ploy to get him over to her place. Now, he was sure it was just that, a ploy. Here he was coming out to supposedly console her and she was just as chipper as could be. Ignoring his somber mood, Sill continued, “Tell the truth, Terrance. Did you leave because you were upset with me passing out on you? I should have told you. I’m not really a drinker and I guess the combination of alcohol, the moving and you, darling, proved just a bit much for me,” nibbling his earlobe, Sill crooned. “Can we go back to my place and christen the stairs again, lover?”
Terrance ignored the remark. “What are your plans, Sylvia?”
“Whatever do you mean, lover?”
Tired of the games, his agitation growing, Terrance snapped: “What the hell are you doing, Sylvia? I don’t know if you’re risking your life but you’re certainly putting mine in jeopardy.”
Sylvia saw a side of Terrance she had never seen before. Sensing the gravity of the situation, all sense of frivolity was quickly erased. It was obvious that, despite her attempts at denial, the repercussions of her actions weighed heavily on her mind. Sill became fixated, resolute in thought. It was apparent when she did reply that she had given the matter considerable thought before acting. This made Terrance feel a little more at ease but there was still a plethora of unanswered questions.
“What am I going to do? That’s the million-dollar question. I wish I knew. I really don’t know, Terrance. I consolidated our accounts, today, and, as you know, I resigned. Mr. Langdon was very understanding. And I’m seriously considering putting the house on the market but I don’t want any repercussions. William’s a schemer and pretty methodical. I doubt that he’ll do anything rash. But what do I know? I never thought he’d raise his hand to me because we had a difference of opinion. He was always the one telling me that it’s OK to disagree. I just don’t want to be around a man that’s going to put his hands on me, or any woman for that matter. I refuse to be beaten. My father never laid a hand on me and no other man will either. I won’t allow for it. I thought about pressing charges but I have faith in the Lord. If there is to be vengeance, it will be His. Right now, I’m just tired. I figure I’ll take a leave of absence, maybe a sabbatical, go back to school, finish up work on my masters and then begin on my doctorate and learn to love Sylvia Stanton again. It’s the first bit of freedom I’ve had in I can’t remember how long and it feels good. Still, I’m not really used to it and, to tell you the truth, it’s a little bit frightening. Such a hodgepodge of emotions all trying to find their only little niche. Perhaps, that’s why I wasn’t as attentive to your needs as I should have been earlier. I do so apologize. Can you forgive me?