Jefferson going into this very hotel that I did lose it.”
“What do you mean, lose it? Wait a minute, back up-when you saw Jefferson and me? You mean the other day when Jefferson was going over Hamilton’s papers? Edward was there, too. Didn’t you see him? Honey, Jefferson and I were conducting business.
“Margo, I’m ready to settle down again, but I want a real and honest relationship with a man who loves me, who’s single, and would like to be with me until the sunset of our lives. That’s Ari, my friend in New York. He’s a beautiful person. And it doesn’t hurt that he can work a girl over, if you know what I mean.”
“You haven’t changed, Angelica.”
“I have, Margo. Long gone is the woman who used a man to get what she wanted. If I have to be all by myself, so be it, as long as life is kind to me and I can smile when I wake up, thanking the Lord for all of His goodness. It’s kind of like the pursuit of happiness.”
“Boy, what a new-sounding Angelica. I like it, and I pray that God grants you your dreams. Everyone deserves some happiness in their lives.”
“I’m glad we’ve had this moment to reflect, Margo. I’ve missed you so much. When I was in prison, I thought about you all the time, hoping you would come to see me…that you would truly forgive me.”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t come,” Margo whispered.
“Not to worry, girl. I didn’t deserve your love, and now I’m better for it. So, finish telling me about Malik. That man is still fine.”
“He told me you tried to push up on him and you exposed your breasts.”
“What? Not me! How could Malik say such vicious things about me?” Angelica chided. “But girl, you should have seen his face. Now, any other man would have jumped at the bit to squeeze my melons. Don’t fool yourself, my fine brother was tempted, but he pushed the urge to get a free sample to the back of his mind because he had a Jones for someone named Margo.”
They laughed.
“How do you know that?”
“Margo, he was so nasty to me. He was mad that you recommended that I volunteer with him. He was so nasty that the pretty melted off his face. I’ll say the brother is fine, but he wasn’t going to treat me, Angelica Barnes, like that. I didn’t need him, even if I didn’t have two nickels to rub together at that moment-arrogant S.O.B. But it’s all right because I got me a real man.”
“Is he as fine as Malik?”
“Baby, he’s finer. Now, you and the handsome Malik didn’t get busy, did you? Did you…? Oh my God, you did.”
“What are you going on about, Angelica? No one said I did anything with Malik.”
“But, my sister Margo, you didn’t say you didn’t. O-M-G. Now I get it. You thought Jefferson was with me so you ran over to the fine brother’s house and gave him some. Shut up!!”
“Angelica, control yourself. Look, I can’t let on to Jefferson that this happened. It’s getting the best of me because Malik believes that I want to be with him.”
“Did you give him any reason to believe that?”
“Well, no…maybe. But I told him tonight that I love my husband and that we are going to be together for life.”
“Do you really believe that or are you psyching yourself into believing it?”
“I love my husband, Angelica. I love him with all my heart, soul, and…you know.”
Angelica let out a guttural laugh. “You should have seen your eyes. I believe you. But you know what you’ve done; you’ve messed Malik up. He’s not going to give up easily, even going as far as telling Jefferson what he had done to make Jefferson angry.”
“I’ve got to do something to make it right. I do love Jefferson, and I’m going to make it all up to him.”
“Do your breasts seem full? Have you felt your womb preparing itself?”
“Preparing itself for what?”
“A tax deduction? Like waaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaa.”
“Truthfully, I’m scared, Angelica. I can’t believe I allowed this to happen The thought of having a baby at my age frightens me to death.”
“Well, you know it only takes one time and one sperm. I sure hope it was good. So were you going to make your husband wear protection?”
“Now, you’re talking like the crazy Angelica who used to be my friend. What I do or don’t do with Jefferson is off limits to you.” The reality, however, was that Margo hadn’t thought about it at all, and that wasn’t like her.
Angelica smiled. “I’m your friend, Margo. I’m only pointing out the reality of what you’ve done to spite Jefferson who loves only his wife and wouldn’t have come to the meeting if Edward hadn’t insisted. I know I’ve made my bed many times, but Margo, you’re much better than me.”
Margo let Angelica’s words sink in. She was going to have to find a way to tell Jefferson what she had done. Their marriage was on the brink of disaster, but she wanted it to be healthy again. She would have to find a way.
“You know, Margo, I miss Hamilton, in a funny kind of way. When he wasn’t doing his dirt, he was the most loving and kind husband. In fact, he was much more handsome than Malik-that’s what happened to his womanizing self. Thought he was fine…”
“He knew he was fine, Angelica. You couldn’t tell that man he didn’t look good. Shucks, I had to give him a couple of quick glances myself.” They laughed.
“Wow, those were the days. I can’t believe I buried him today, Margo.” The tears began to stream down Angelica’s face. “I loved him, and he still loved me. We just couldn’t live in the same house. I can’t believe he’s gone. Oh God, help me. Why did You take my husband from me?”
A box of Kleenex sat on the table. Margo pulled a handful out of the dispenser and dabbed Angelica’s tears. “It’s all right to mourn for Hamilton. He was your husband.”
“Excuse me, but I’ve got to make a phone call.”
Angelica stood up, retrieved her purse from the nightstand, and reached in it and took out her cell phone. She retrieved a number and dialed, and in an instant her face lit up. “Hey, Ari, this is Angelica. Santiago is dead, the police killed him. When I’m finished here, I’m coming back to New York. I hope you’ll be waiting for me…I love you, too.”
56
Quiet peace lay in the room. Sporadic snoring invaded the silence but did not disturb the peacefulness around it. Then a short grunt and a shifting of the covers dared to spoil the tranquility. And in the next instant, Jefferson pushed off the covers, sat up, rubbed his eyes, and then eaned over and looked at the clock on the nightstand. He sighed and reached over and patted the other lump in the bed.
“Baby, we better get up if we’re going to church.”
“Can we stay in this morning?” said the muffled voice.
“Don’t you think we need to let the Lord know how grateful we are for delivering us from the hands of the enemy? Margo, I feel freer than I’ve ever felt.”
“When did you become so holier than thou? And why are you talking so loud?”
“So, are you trying to be a bedside Baptist this morning? Rise and shine. This doesn’t sound like you.”
Margo sat up. “Baby, I don’t think the Lord would be upset with us if we praised Him from our hotel room. I would have to go home and get something to wear, and I can’t go there right now. The memories are too fresh in my head.”
“The memories are fresh for me too, but to know that it’s all over is a blessing.”
“How do we know that there aren’t more people in this organization waiting out there somewhere to hurt us? Can you be sure that it’s all over, Jefferson…that no one else will come after us?”
Jefferson looked at Margo and pondered the question. “No, we don’t know, Margo, but my spirit tells me different.”
