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  Two Wrongs

  Don’t Make a Right

  Brenda Hampton

  Copyright © 2014 Brenda Hampton

  All rights reserved.

  Voices Books & Publishing

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Without limiting the rights under copyrights reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photo copying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of the book.

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  ISAAC

  Simply put, I was tremendously discouraged with my wife. She felt the same way as me. We’d been married for fifteen years and the last five years had been like living in hell. It wasn’t as if we disrespected each other, but I could tell there wasn’t much love left between us. Basically, Cydney had gone her way; I’d gone mine. She was doing her thing with whoever she chose to do it with, and I for surely was doing mine.

  To this day, I don’t know where we went wrong, but I didn’t have the guts to ask her for a divorce. I guess, neither did she. Neither one of us wanted to let down the people in our lives who had so much faith that we’d someday celebrate our silver and gold anniversaries. My parents were still together and so were hers. Yes, they were the perfect examples for us to live by, but it was more than obvious that we weren’t willing to do what it took to make things work.

  At first, marriage was a breeze. We got married right after college, had several good years thereafter, and then, it was downhill from there. Cydney got a job as a senior executive for a major health insurance company and her head swelled. Shortly thereafter, she picked up about ten pounds, and months later, ten more was added to that. She was still a beautiful woman, but since I’m a man who keeps himself in shape, I expect my wife to do the same. Being a police officer, I have to stay fit and trim. Whenever I’d ask Cyd to go to the gym with me, she always made excuses. But when I talked about going to get something to eat, she’d be geared to go. It was little shit like that, that pissed me off. Surely, I could overlook her weight, but it didn’t make much sense to be as thick as she was, especially since we didn’t have any kids. For her, kids were out of the question. Not now, not never. After marriage, her whole damn tune changed, but before then, I could have anything I wanted. How many kids, was the question. Her decision didn’t matter to me anyway. My life was fulfilled in so many other ways. As a matter of fact, I had a two-year-old kid that Cyd didn’t even know about. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if she was mine—I had serious doubts about her. My side piece of ass, for the time being, name was Laquinta. She was what many would call a ghetto queen, but at times, that’s what I desired to have. A sweet chocolate woman with an I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude. Attitude that went well with mine. I couldn’t go one week without seeing her, and she very well knew it. She also knew that making my wife aware of our relationship would cause much havoc between us. I told Laquinta that as long as she kept her mouth shut, she could basically have anything she wanted. And for a chick that was sucking up the welfare system, my proposal didn’t sound too bad. At times, she said that she couldn’t handle our “on my time” relationship, and if she ever decided to end it, frankly, I couldn’t blame her. I liked her a lot, but not enough to give up my wife. Every time I’d ask Laquinta for a blood test, she’d get all bent out of shape. Aside from screwing me, I’d caught her with another motherfucker before. I walked right in on the two of them, and she had the nerve to try and throw up my wife in my face. The first day we met, she very well knew what she was getting herself into. After she got busted, I straightened her up a bit and kicked her companion right out the door. I told him if he ever came back again, I’d kill him. Laquinta got a kick out of the shit. Through her eyes, a li’l ass kicking from me showed that I must have cared. Realistically, she was a piece of good ass for me. It was no more than that. Of course, she continued to use my wife against me, but I never, ever lied about having a wife to any woman I’d met. I always gave them the choice of continuing the relationship or not. Maybe, surprising to some people, but for surely not me, it didn’t matter if I was married or not. Most women didn’t give a fuck, and it was a thrill to be with a man in uniform who knew how to use his stick.

  As I got ready to hit the busy streets of St. Louis, I stood in the bathroom’s doorway with my white T-shirt and blue uniform pants on. I looked at Cyd in bed loudly snoring then cleared my throat. The alarm clock went off over an hour ago, but I guess she was too tired to get out of bed. She’d been out all night long. I’d gotten to the point of not asking where she was or who she was with. Especially, since I already knew she was seeing someone else. I didn’t know his name and I really didn’t care to know.

  “Cyd,” I yelled. “Wake up! You gon’ be late for work.”

  She slowly turned around and rubbed her fingers around her closed eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Almost seven.”

  I went back into the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I turned on the water, Cyd walked up to the other sink and widened her eyes. She looked in the mirror.

  “I don’t think I can do this,” she said, slowly brushing her long hair back into a ponytail. “I am so, so tired, and I don’t feel like putting up with this uncoordinated staff today.”

  I looked over at her in the mirror, while scrubbing my teeth. I wanted to tell her she basically had no choice because we had bills to pay, but she already knew that. Money for damn sure wasn’t growing on trees around here. It took both of us working to make ends meet. Since she was the one who wanted to live in such a lavish home, then it was up to her to make sure we kept it.

  After getting no response from me, Cyd cut her eyes and went back into the bedroom. By looking through the mirror, I saw her get back in bed. She wore a flower print, long robe with a pink negligee underneath it. The flower print made her appear bigger than what she really was, and it frustrated me a bit that she’d let herself gain the extra weight. As for the pink negligee underneath—it was okay, but it wasn’t like her to wear anything sexy to turn me on.

  Once I finished brushing my teeth, I washed my face and patted it down with aftershave. I brushed my waves with a wave brush and adjusted my police hat on my head. I tucked my T-shirt inside of my pants and reached for my shirt that hung on the doorknob. Cyd was on her way back to sleep, so I went over to the bed and stood in front of her.

  “Are you going to stay in bed and do nothing all day?”

  Her eyes popped open. “Didn’t I tell you I was tired?” she griped. “I had a long night. I don’t feel like going to work today.”

  The tone of my voice went up a notch. “Look, we got bills to pay. You need to tell that Negro you messing with not to keep you out so late.”

  She cocked her head back and quickly sat up in bed. “Please don’t tell me what I need to do. If anything, you need to get your tricks in order. Yesterday was Lea’s birthday, and I wasn’t in no rush to get home to a husband who turns his back on me every single night. Just in case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t had a day off in almost six months. One darn day without work isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

  I ignored her sassiness and sat on the edge
of the bed to put on my socks. “One day is fine, Cydney. Just don’t make it two days. We can’t afford to…”

  “Isaac, if we can’t afford for me to take off one day, then I suggest you start looking for another job. Besides, the police department ain’t paying much these days anyway. I’m the one who’s been swinging all of the weight around here.”

  “You got that right, my dear. You are swinging extra weight around here, but you still look good, though. I…”

  Before I could say another word, Cydney took her foot and kicked me hard in my back. When she pulled back to kick me again, I quickly stood and grabbed her foot.

  “You need to watch what you say to me,” she hissed. “You act as if I’m some type of whale or something.”

  “I only said that because you insulted me first. I’m well aware of what my job pays. I don’t need you to keep throwing it up in my face.”

  I dropped her leg, but not before looking between them. And as much as I complained about her weight, I only did so to make her angry. Through my eyes, she was still a sexy woman who could easily turn me on, only if she wanted to. She quickly closed her legs and got out of bed.

  “Don’t be looking at me like you want something,” she said.

  “Why shouldn’t I? You’re my wife, aren’t you?”

  “What a joke?” she said, going back into the bathroom.

  She turned on the shower, pulled the rubber-band from her hair and removed her clothes. When she stepped into the shower, I stood in the doorway and watched her. Knowing that I didn’t have a damn thing coming, I pulled my shirt together and buttoned it.

  “I’ll be home late,” I said. “Miguel and I got some paperwork we need to get caught up on at the office.”

  Cydney turned and looked over her shoulder at me. She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, saying not one word. My eyes scanned down at her soapy and wet juicy ass, causing me to think dirty things to myself. Her coco-chocolate, naked body was enough to stiffen me. And when she bent over to tease me, I walked away from the door. I reached for my holster and placed it around my waist. I then removed my shades from the dresser to shield my eyes. I stood for a moment to see what was happening on the news, but before leaving, I went back into the bathroom and told Cyd I’d see her later. She turned off the water, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her curves.

  “”I’m not sure if I’ll be here later. I have plans too, and it’s a shame that I have to spend my wedding anniversary with my only true friend, my boss.”

  A frown washed across my face, as I’d seriously forgotten that today was our anniversary. “Are you serious?” I asked, and then paused. “Today…it’s not.”

  She cut her eyes and walked past me. I followed.

  “Hey, look, I forgot. Would you like to have dinner later, or wait until the weekend?”

  Cydney ignored me and dried herself with the towel. She then reached for some lotion and sat on the bed.

  “Would you like for me to help you with that?” I asked.

  She released a deep sigh and cut her eyes at me again. “No I would not. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have just a little bit of peace today. I won’t be able to get it if you’re standing around thinking of an excuse as to why you forgot about our anniversary.”

  “I didn’t really forget, Cydney. I just had other things on my mind this morning and it kind of slipped. Besides, what’s the big deal? You act like you’re not happy, and you haven’t made love to me in God knows when. But, you want me to be excited about our anniversary? What sense does that make?”

  “None,” she said, giving me a wink. “Now, have a wonderful day, Honey. I’ll see you whenever you make it home tonight.”

  “Same here,” I said, turning to leave. I could hear her mumbling something, but I didn’t have time to encourage her thoughts. Bottom line, Cydney was crazy. She expected for me to be hyped about an anniversary that obviously didn’t mean shit to either one of us. If it did, she never would’ve been out all night long. Or the weekend before, or the Tuesday before last. I wasn’t trying to keep up with her late nights, but it was kind of hard for me not to, especially, when she had no shame in her game. Last night, she walked in, made much noise so I could hear her and moved around in bed to make sure I knew what time it was. I could tell she’d been drinking, and the masculine cologne I inhaled didn’t help much either. I guess, if she didn’t care, then why should I?

  I started my police car then placed a piece of Juicy Fruit gum in my mouth. Geared up to start my day, I backed out of the driveway and headed to work. As I drove down Grand Ave., I stopped at Martin Luther King Ave., and waited for the light to turn green. Suddenly, a red corvette pulled up beside me. The driver was the prettiest, chocolate delight I’d seen in a long time. Her layered hair was cut short and it swerved to the side. Her buttered-brown lips were thick and full and were laced with shiny lip gloss. When she turned to look at me, she batted her long lashes and smiled. I eased down my shades, got a better glimpse and smiled back. The light turned green and she winked at me, before speeding off. This, of course, was one of the best parts of my job. I turned on my flashing lights and drove up behind her. She directed her vehicle over to the curb.

  I got out of my vehicle and slowly walked up to the driver’s side of her car. I bent down and looked inside.

  “I guess you already know why I pulled you over,” I said.

  “No, I really don’t,” she said with a smile. “Unless you liked what you saw at the light back there.”

  “Oh, I loved what I saw at the light, but that didn’t prompt me to stop you. Are you aware that you were speeding?”

  She shrugged as if she didn’t care. “A little. But to be honest, I did it purposely. I was hoping that you’d pull me over.”

  “You got your wish,” I said, and then asked for her license and registration. She handed the items over to me and I looked at them. “Avena J. Richardson, huh? Twenty-nine years old and don’t know any better.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she said with an attitude.

  “It means, that even though I like what I see, I still have a job to do. Stay here and I’ll be right back.”

  I headed back to my car, confident that Avena’s eyes were all over me. While I was in my car, she kept looking in her rearview mirror. I pretended to be occupied with the information she’d given me, but I wasn’t going to write her a ticket for going eight miles over the limit. Instead, I wrote my cell phone number on a piece of paper and placed it on top of a blank ticket. I then got out of the car and went up to hers.

  “Here you go,” I said, handing her the ticket. “I need for you to sign on the bottom line.”

  She snatched the ticket and then looked at it. She flipped it over and saw that both sides were blank.

  “I’m not signing anything that doesn’t…”

  “That’s your right,” I said, bending down further. “Actually, I changed my mind about giving you a ticket. You seem like a nice young lady, and there’s a time and a place for you to ride…drive fast. Not on Grand Ave., though. So, slow it down, because the next time I see you, I may not be so nice.”

  “What makes you think you’ll see me again? I don’t live around here.”

  I reached my hand out and gave her my number, along with her license and registration. “Oh, trust me, I’ll see you again. I’m predicting that I’ll see you real soon.”

  She looked at my number and the name I’d written on the paper. “Isaac Feelgood? Is that really your last name?”

  “Call me later and you’ll see.”

  She grinned and started her car. After taking one last look at me, she put the car in drive and sped off. I watched her drive away, smiling as my day had already started to look up.

  I arrived at the station a little after eight o’clock. Before I could even check in, Miguel had his hand out with the phone in it.

  “Man, she’s been calling you like crazy,” he whispered. “I’ve been here since five o’cloc
k and she’s already called three damn times.”

  “Who is it?” I asked. “Laquinta?”

  Miguel shot me a crazy look because he already knew what time it was. I snatched the phone, placing it on my ear.

  “What is it?” I said in a sharp tone.

  “Well, good morning to you too, handsome. I called you all day yesterday, and this morning too. You didn’t answer your phone. Is that how a sista get played?”

  “Laquinta, I got work to do. Some people have jobs, unlike you. I can’t sit around and chit-chat all day, so what is it that you want with me?”

  “First, I was wondering if I could borrow a hundred dollars. My food stamps ain’t coming until next week, and we don’t have shit here to eat.”

  “Whatever I give you, I want it back. Now, I assume you may have second and third requests too.”

  She laughed. “I would say you’re right. I’m requesting that you come over here and give me some pleasure soon. It’s been almost a week, Boo, and you’ve been depriving me. You know how anxious I get for you, don’t you?”

  After seeing Cydney’s naked body this morning, I was kind of horny. Also, I thought about Laquinta’s awesome blowjobs and couldn’t turn her down. “It’ll be late, but I’ll get there, alright?”

  “Since you didn’t ask, your baby girl is with her grandmother all week. You can stay for as long as you’d like.”

  “Laquinta, don’t go getting any ideas. I have a bed at home, and once our business is finished, I plan to make my way there. Now, I gotta go. I’ll see ya later.”

  After I hung up, I could see Miguel eyeing me while sitting with his feet propped on the desk and his hands behind his head.

  “You need to dismiss that trick,” he said. “She is a pain in the ass, and I don’t see how or why you keep fucking with her.”

  I took off my shades and laid them on my desk. “Miguel, stay out of my business. I don’t interfere with yours, so don’t interfere with mines.”