And when he was ready to leave, andhe kissed her goodbye, she told him. “Don’t get it twisted, Mick,” she said. “Keep treating me as if I’m some damn doormat strategically placed foryou to walk all over, and I’ll leave your ass. Real talk.”
Mick was pissed. Roz could tell by the way his jaw tightened. But she meant every word.
Mick knew it too. She was going to take his bullshit just sofar, and then he’d be over the line. Theproblem with Roz was that she was so strong, he didn’t know where her line was.
But as he stared into her sincere,expressive eyes, a part of him was gripped with fear. What if she wasn’t bullshitting? But another part of him was certain Roz wouldnever leave him. Their love ran toodeep. And besides, she knew he had tohandle his business.
He didn’t respond to her. He didn’t tell her he understood and wouldwatch himself. He just left. He never answered to anybody in his life, andhe wasn’t starting now.
Roz laid back on the bed after heleft. And she finally allowed the tearsthat had been holding back since last night, to flow and flow freely.
CHAPTER NINE
“Just water for me,” said JenaySinatra, the wife of Charles Sinatra.
“Not for me,” said Amelia Sinatra,the soon-to-be wife of Hammer Reese. “I’ll take champagne.”
“Yes, madam,” the waiter said. “And are you ladies ready to order?”
“Not yet,” Amelia said. “We’reexpecting one more. We’ll wait until shegets here.”
“Very good, madam,” the waiter said, bowed,and then left their table in the upscale restaurant.
Jenay smiled. “Champagne for lunch,” she said. “You’re one of a kind, Millie. At least you’re marrying a man who can affordyour expensive tastes.”
“Shit, I’m not relying on Hammer’smoney for a damn thing. I can afford itmyself! He starts acting like he used to act with all of that what I saygoes crap, I’m out of there.” Thenshe looked at Jenay. “Which brings me toRoz.”
“Don’t even go there, Millie,” Jenaysaid. “How Mick treats her or how shelets him treat her is none of our business. But I’ll tell you this: Roz is nobody’s patsy.”
“I know she’s not,” said Amelia. “That’s why it’s so strange! Why is she putting up with Mick’s shit likethat? Every time I call her to see howshe’s doing, Mick’s ass is out of town or out of the country or outsomewhere. Never home. I said damn Roz. He’s up to that shit again? After all those years they’ve been married, Ithought that was over.”
Jenay nodded her head. “Yeah, me too,” she said. “But you know how your brother is. If duty calls, he’s going.”
“But what about his duty to hiswife?” Amelia asked. “What about hisduty to those kids? He fucked up withTeddy and Glo and Joey. Is he going todo the same thing with the twins?”
“He’d better not,” Jenay said. “Roz won’t stand for it.”
“That’s the part I’m not havingeither,” said Amelia. “Because Hammer’sthe same way. But Always got to go. I already told him to not try that shit withme. We can cancel the wedding right nowif he’s going to try that shit on me.”
Jenay shook her head. “I still can’t believe in three weeks’ timeyou’ll be Mrs. Hamilton Reese. You’ll bemarrying the former Director of the C. I. fucking-A. Wow.”
“Considering me and Mick’s crookedasses,” Amelia said with a grin, “it isa wow.” They laughed.
“I’m shocked Mick’s going to let youmarry Hammer,” Jenay said.
Amelia frowned. “Let me? He doesn’t have to let me do squat. Now Big Daddy? Yes. I wanted Charles’s input, and got it. But Mick? Child please. What’s he gonnatell me? He can barely keep Roz. But Big Daddy knows how to treat his wife.”
“Speaking as his wife,” Jenay saidwith a smile, “yes, he does.”
Amelia laughed. Then her smile left. “But do you ever think about how blessed weare, Jenay? Not all that long ago youand I, and Roz too, were three black girls who were just trying to find a placein this world. And all three of us endup with our own, individual Prince Charming. We are blessed, girl.”
“Yes, we are,” Jenay said, and thennoticed, from the periphery, somebody coming toward their table. When she looked, she smiled. “Speaking of Roz,” she said to Amelia, “hereshe comes. Try not to bring up Mick’sname. I mean it, Millie.”
“He’s not with her?” Amelia asked.
“Doesn’t look like it. Did you expect any different?”
“Nope,” said Amelia, as Roz arrivedat their table. “Was hopefulthough. Hey, girl!” She and Jenay both stood up and hugged Roz.
“Sorry I’m late,” Roz said as she satacross from the two ladies.
“Where’s Mick’s ass?” Amelia asked,and then quickly realized what Jenay had said. Jenay gave Amelia her best really, bitch look.
“He couldn’t make it,” Roz said as ifit was no big deal, although all three of them knew it was. “You know how that goes.”
“I know,” said Amelia, “but Jenaydoesn’t. Big Daddy is an always therewhen you need him husband. I toldHammer he’d better plan to be that kind of husband too.”
“He will,” Roz said with asmile. “He truly loves you.”
“Mick truly loves you,” Amelia said.
“And that’s a fact,” said Jenay.
“Although, we must admit,” Ameliaadded, “he’s never been an always there husband.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Millie,”Roz said. “He wasn’t always there likeBig Daddy, no. But he made a concerted effortto be there for me through most of our marriage. And he was.”
But Jenay was staring at her. “Was?” she asked as the waiter arrived withher and Amelia’s drinks.
“Would you care for something todrink, madam?” the waiter asked Roz.
“Ah, a coke, please,” Roz said.
“Very good, madam. And do you
