Chapter 20
20
Mona
“ D amn, sis. We don’t talk to you for a few days, and you have a whole new address. What’s going on?” Lariah questioned.
I wasn’t sure if Clinton felt comfortable with my friends being in his space, even though he’d told me repeatedly it was our space, so Lariah, Karla, and I met at a restaurant for brunch.
“Honestly, it happened so fast I barely had time to think.”
“Last time we discussed, you didn’t want to move in with Clinton, right? Wasn’t that why you alternated weeks at each other’s places?” Karla asked.
“Yes, but Winston showed up at my apartment, enraged.”
“What?”
“No lie?”
My friends were shocked, speaking at the same time.
“I wish I was lying, but maybe it was what needed to happen for me to face my fears about moving forward with Clinton.”
“Possibly, but Winston showing up at your apartment is wild. How the hell did he get your address?” asked Lariah.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. Even if he’d been following me, he wouldn’t know my apartment number. He was banging on my apartment door when I got off the elevator.”
I shared the experience with them, becoming angry and a bit shaken as I recanted what happened. Karla was noticeably quiet and didn’t ask any questions or have any comments.
“It’s a good thing Anton was with you. I’m sure Clinton was pissed,” Lariah said.
“Honestly, he was fairly calm, but I think it was because he wanted me to stay calm.”
“Niggas that can remain calm in situations like that are the ones that lowkey be crazy,” she surmised.
“You good, Karla? You haven’t said much.” When she looked at me, I noticed tears in her eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“It was my fault. I can’t believe I gave him access to you and put you in danger,” she confessed through tears.
“What are you talking about?” I pressed.
“Yeah, sis. You sound crazy right now.”
“Did you get any flowers from Cairo?” Karla asked me.
“No, why would he send me flowers?”
“He asked me for your address, saying he wanted to send you flowers to apologize for what happened on game night. I thought it was a sweet gesture and gave it to him without thinking.”
“Oh shit. Do you think he would give Winston her address?” Lariah asked exactly what I was thinking.
I took a minute to process her words because I didn’t want to assume the worst. I’d known Cairo for too long and thought of him as my brother, so there was no way he’d put me in harm’s way.
“I didn’t get any flowers from your husband. Do you think he might’ve sent them after I’d left?”
“Anything is possible, but I don’t think that’s what happened.”
She retrieved her phone from her purse and tapped on the screen a few times before placing it on the table. Seconds later, Cairo picked up.
“Wassup, baby?” he greeted.
“Nothing. I just left the restaurant, and I’m walking to my car. Umm, did you ever send Mona the flowers? She didn’t mention them.”
“Nah, it slipped my mind when I got to work, and I didn’t think about it again.”
“Okay. I was just wondering and thought I’d ask. I have a few errands to run, but I’ll see you soon.”
She ended the call and shook her head with a disgusted expression. “That bastard gave him your address.”
“That’s not definitive proof,” I told her, although I was 99 percent sure it was him.
“It’s all the proof I need. Mona, I’m so sorry. Please know that I’d never—”
“You don’t have to apologize. Yes, he’s your husband, but you’re not responsible for his actions. I’m not sure why he would jeopardize my safety like that, though.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of it, sis. Don’t you worry.”
“What are you doing here?” Clinton asked when the elevator doors opened, and I stepped into his open arms.
After brunch with my girls, I had a strong desire to see my man. Since I had plans, he decided to go into the office for a few hours.
“I wanted to see you.”
“Oh, really? You could’ve just told me to come home.”
Home . I actually got chills hearing him refer to his place as our home.
“I’ve never been here and wanted to see where you and Evander make all the magic happen.”
“I forgot you’ve never been here. Let me show you around.”
He gave me a tour, and honestly, there wasn’t much to see. There were a few offices, cubicles, bathrooms, a breakroom, and other unmemorable spaces.
“Well, it looks like an office,” I said.
He laughed. “I take it you’re not impressed.”
“I’m impressed by what you accomplish in this space, but not the space itself.”
“That’s fair. Let’s go to my office.”
We held hands, and he led me back to his office, closing the door behind us. He sat in the nice, plush office chair behind his desk and pulled me onto his lap.
“It’s so quiet. You don’t listen to the radio or anything while you work?’
“Nah, it’s too distracting.”
“Isn’t it creepy being here alone?”
“No, and this is when I can get the most work done.”
“You haven’t come here often on Sundays since we’ve been together. Are you saying I’m stopping you from being productive?”
“Umm, I’m not sure where that came from, but no, that’s not what I’m saying.”
“Am I stopping you from being productive now?”
“You’re a welcomed distraction, baby.” He grabbed the front of my neck and pulled me into a kiss.
It was the end of June, and the weather in Chicago had finally started to feel like summer. I wore a flowy skirt with an oversized graphic T-shirt. When I felt his hand traveling up my thigh, I knew what type of time he was on.
“Let’s get to the real reason why I’m here,” I whispered against his lips.
“Tell me.”
“How about I show you?”
I stood and lifted my skirt above my waist, showing him that I wasn’t wearing panties.
“Oh shit. You came prepared.”
“I was horny and figured you wouldn’t mind taking care of that for me. My panties are in my car.”
“You should’ve brought them to me so I can suck the juice from the crotch.”
“Why, when you can suck it directly from the source?”
I sat my bare ass on his desk, leaned back onto my elbows, and slipped off my shoes, ready to be devoured.
“You have a point.” He lifted my legs onto his shoulders and took me to heaven.
The way I screamed bloody murder upon my climax could’ve summoned my ancestors. It was truly otherworldly. When he came up for air, he carefully helped me down from his desk, turned me around, and sat me on his dick. I held onto his desk, pushed my ass against him, and rotated my hips until he began to pulsate inside me.
“I forgot to ask you about brunch. Did you enjoy the restaurant Alyssa recommended?”
“Yes, the food was amazing, but everything else was… interesting.”
“Is that good or bad?”
After the lovemaking session in his office, he decided he’d worked enough today. We came home and watched a movie, and now he was keeping me company while I made dinner.
“I’m pretty sure Cairo is the culprit who gave my address to my ex.”
“Baby, that ain’t some shit you should play about.”
“I’m not playing. Karla was damn near in tears when I told them about the incident. She said Cairo asked for my address because he wanted to send me flowers to apologize for game night. Of course, she didn’t think anything of it because why would she?”
“Are y’all cool? Did some shit happen between y’all that you don’t want to tell me?”
“No. Me and Karla—”
“Not her, her bitch ass husband. Does he have a problem with you?”
“Not that I know of, but I was wondering the same thing.”
He didn’t say anything for a long time while I moved around the kitchen. I knew he was fuming, so I gave him time to cool off.
“Birds of a feather,” he mumbled.
“What?”
“Birds of a feather flock together. Has Karla ever complained about her husband having extracurricular activities?”
“Extracur—oh, shit. You think he’s cheating?”
“I do, and I think your ex knows and is using it against him. I can’t think of any other reason he would do what he’s doing.”
Karla had never shared any concerns about Cairo’s fidelity, but she was also very private about their relationship. When he did things to upset her, she never went into detail about what he’d done, and Lariah and I didn’t press.
“You might be on to something.”