Chapter 4
Yosiah
“Isaw an article about your father-in-law. You see it?” Roman questioned as I threw a few more jabs at the punching bag he held from behind.
“What article?” I asked, never slowing down my hits.
I planned on going out to the mountains to get some biking in, but it began to rain once I left the office.
Instead, I came to Solace Health & Fitness, a twenty-four-hour health fitness club owned by the Monroe family.
Normally I would get my cardio in at my home gym when I couldn’t get on my bike, but I agreed to meet Roman here instead.
“About him being in a financial crisis. Rumor is the IRS is looking into him for tax evasion and embezzlement. They said there’s a whistleblower that’s been working against him and is now bringing everything to light.”
I paused for a second, giving him a glance before throwing another punch. “Good. Sounds like karma is finally catching up to the asshole.”
The news about Phillip didn’t move me one way or another.
Anyone looking at him from the outside could see he was crooked and it was about time his wrongdoings caught up with him.
For the past five years, I’d lived as if he didn’t exist. He never bothered to visit his daughter, and if they spoke, I knew nothing about it.
I had done more research on Phillip after I married Xylina, and his hands were dirty, it wasn’t hard to find if you knew where to look.
“I’ve never met the guy, but my dad said he’s built a shit ton of enemies over the years, and he was surprised it took this long for someone to start trying to take him down.”
My jaw clenched as I hit the bag with a quick three-piece combo. “He probably finally fucked over the right person.”
Roman was quiet for a second. “How you think wifey is gonna react once she learns Daddy’s money is drying up?”
I barely batted an eye. Roman made a good point, because of the prenup once the divorce happens we leave the marriage as we came in. I made sure to have all my assets protected so Xylina wouldn’t be entitled to anything once we separated.
“She’s got two trust funds waiting for her. She’ll be fine.”
I threw a few more jabs.
After a few seconds, Roman laughed and spoke again. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re tryna take me out instead of the bag.”
Ignoring him, I moved over a couple feet before throwing more jabs.
“The wife must be stressing you out again.”
Pausing from my jabs, I stared blankly at my long-term friend. “Why every time I get stressed out you think it’s because of my marriage?”
He laughed. “Because most of the time it is! Yo’ ass acts like you’re a hostage in a kidnapping situation with no way to escape.”
“Close, but it’s not that bad.”
I got in position to hit the bag again. “I don’t know what your problem is with her. Your wife is bad as fuck. She reminds me of one of those seen but not heard wives, I can get with that.”
Throwing my final punch, I rolled my neck between my shoulders before moving to the bench next to us to grab my towel and wipe the sweat from my forehead.
“That shit might be a turn on for you, but it’s irritating as fuck to me. Who wants a ditzy ass woman at his side.”
“Hell, that’ll mean less nagging. Why you think my last relationship didn’t work out?”
My eyes cut into slits. “I thought you said it was because she was too clingy.”
He waved me off. “That too, but it was mainly because she was too combative. Everything was a damn fight. We’d finishing fucking and she’ll want to have some deep conversation. Couldn’t even enjoy my nut in peace.”
My nose scrunched. “Something is wrong with you. I know Mama Chelle didn’t raise you like that.”
Roman walked over to me and grabbed his water bottle.
“I’m just saying, women nowadays always want more from you.
You spoil them, fuck ’em right, and it’s still not enough for them.
” He shook his head and squirted some water in his mouth.
“Shit don’t make sense to me. After being at the lab all day, I want to come home to a homecooked meal and my girl waiting for me butt naked preferably, is that too much to ask? ”
“Yeah, well, my wife wouldn’t know her way around the kitchen, even if you gave her a handwritten tutorial. If me or the chef didn’t cook, we’d starve.”
“One minor flaw.”
Again, I shook my head. “Having a woman at home that doesn’t take care of home might be cool with you, but that shit doesn’t cut it with me.
She doesn’t work and is too consumed with having this persona on social media rather than growing up and learning to be a proper wife.
It’s not hard to ask for a woman with more than just beauty.
It wouldn’t kill for her to have some ambition and goals. ”
“With the deep pockets she comes from, I’m not shocked. My sister mentioned she’s an influencer and has a large following too.”
“Yeah, I guess. Still doesn’t mean anything to me. You know I’m not into all that social media shit.”
This wasn’t the first time we’d had this debate. Roman didn’t mind dating a girl with little to no substance. We were the same age, but there were times I felt like he could still act like we were in our early twenties.
“Says the tech guy.” He chuckled. “All I’m saying is you should’ve molded her to be the perfect wife. That’s what I would’ve done. It’s kind of funny though, you’ve always been the one to want the wife and kids, and here you are with the wife and still not satisfied.”
“It would have been like talking to a brick wall. I’m good on that.
I only gotta deal with her for a couple more months.
” This time I laughed. “Wanting a wife to love and being in a loveless marriage are two completely different things. Speaking of marriage, Mama Chelle still on your case about settling down?”
He smirked. “You know my mama, she’s not the one to let anything go.
I keep trying to tell her when I find the right one I’ll settle down.
Until then, I’m fine with playing the field.
Last time I spoke with her she told me I needed to leave these floozies alone unless I wanted to end up with a bunch of gold diggers threatening to take me for all I had. Ryo proposing didn’t make it better.”
I snorted. “She isn’t lying. You are one of the must sought out bachelors in West Pier according to Visionary Focus.”
“Yeah whatever, that might as well put a sign on my back for gold diggers to attack.” He laughed then grew serious. “Maybe you’re trying to find Sierra in Xylina, and because of that, you refuse to make it work with her.”
I glared at him before collecting my things to head to the locker room. “Did I hit a nerve?”
“Me not wanting my marriage has nothing to do with Sierra. That chapter of my life has been closed for a while. I just have certain expectations for my partner and she doesn’t meet them.”
“That’s because yo’ ass is too picky. Loosen up some, man.”
Ignoring Roman, I walked to my locker and entered the PIN to open it. I grabbed my duffle bag and turned to the bench behind me.
“Having standards doesn’t make you picky. You should try having some and leave those bird brain ass girls you mess with alone.”
I dug into my bag to grab my phone. My brows pinched together seeing the multiple missed calls. Just as I was about to clear them, another from Xylina came through. Sighing, I reluctantly answered and brought it to my ear.
“Yeah?” I dug into my bag for my shirt and sweatpants.
“Is this Yosiah?” My mouth turned upside down and my frown grew deeper hearing the male voice on the other side of the phone. Straightening up, I pulled my phone from my ear and checked the screen, making sure it was Xylina’s name I had seen before I answered.
“Who’s this? Where’s Xylina?” Roman paused what he was doing and faced me. Curiosity covered his face.
“My name’s Bobby. I’m a server at Ember Blanc. Your wife told me to call you. She’s had one too many drinks and we can’t allow her to drive home. She refuses to give us her address to call a car to take her home and insists we call you to come pick her up.”
Clenching my jaw, I squeezed my eyes shut while pinching the bridge of my nose. This was the perfect example of the shit I was talking about when it came to Xylina.
“Where is she now?” My voice tight as I spoke.
“Currently at the bar. We have her drinking water and eating bread to try and sober her up.”
I sighed. This was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
“Yosiah?”
“I’ll be there shortly.” I hung the phone up before he could respond.
“Wassup? Why you suddenly look pissed?”
“Because my lovely wife is once again acting like a damn child.” With no urgency, I continued searching through my bag, grabbing everything I needed. I planned on showering and hitting the sauna since I was already here and my wife being irresponsible wasn’t going to change that.
“Something happened to her?” I turned toward the back of the locker room where the private showers were.
“Who fucking knows,” I grumbled, heading for the back of the locker room. Whenever I seemed to find some peace in my life, it was always short lived.
“Is her tab paid for?” I asked Bobby, the man who’d called me about Xylina.
When I got to the restaurant, about thirty minutes from Solace, the hostess led me right to her at the bar.
Her head hung over the bar as she scrolled on her phone.
Once she heard my voice, she perked up with a drunken smile on her lips.
“Yes sir, it’s handled.” I nodded, tightening my hold around Xylina’s waist. She was leaning into me, hugging my waist, smiling like she had no cares in the world.
“I told you my hubby would come and get me.” Xylina giggled. “Can you believe they wanted to call me a rideshare?” She twisted her face up as if she’d smelled something bad.
Ignoring her, I dug into my sweat pocket for my wallet and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “Still, here’s for all the trouble. Sorry about this and thanks for calling me.”