Hoodwinked Read online

  I laid there for a moment. Guilt creeping in. Letting him clean himself up first before he grabbed my leg to lift up. Wiping me down in between. Always made him clean up after himself, and me. No exceptions.

  “You really should pay more attention to Jasmine.” I spoke softly as he snorted in laughter.

  “I call her, I take her out to eat. She’s not happy. I go places with her, she’s not happy. She acts like she’s too good to be around me most of the time. Posh princess can’t handle the fact that she’s going to marry someone like me. A gaming nerd who has money, and comes from money. She probably wished she was with an athlete----.”

  “That’s not true,” I laughed. “She’s just... I don’t know. She’s a pretty woman---.”

  “The popular girl that can get anyone, and she makes it painfully obvious that she’s stuck with me. At least fake it the way I am. We’ve known each other long enough to know this is how it goes. Marriage to me is nothing more than a business deal. A transaction. I give you children, they carry my name and our combined wealth. The benefits sometimes outweigh the relationship, and feelings itself. If she’s not happy, that’s her personal choice. Be discreet like I am, and handle it how you see fit,” shrugging. Giving his fiancé the option to step out on him. He couldn’t possibly mean that.

  “But you two can at least get to know one another if you’re spending the rest of y'all lives together. Like really get to know her.”

  He huffed in a laugh.

  “I’ve known her almost all my life. You want to know what she does every night before bed? I’ll tell you,” sitting down at his desk. “Reads a page or two from a book she’ll never finish. Watches the same thing on TV every night. Almost the exact same episode. She doesn’t own lingerie----. You know she likes to tell people I was her first sexual experience? Felt like entering a hallway when I was with her for the first time.”

  “Percy,” I laughed.

  “She’s not capable of being sexy if she tried despite her being by today’s standards, exotic looking.”

  “You don’t even think she’s pretty?” I gasped, pretending to be shocked. I knew his type. Percy like the opposite of him. Girls with attitude, with personality. Women that weren’t afraid to speak their mind.

  “She’s boring Nasia. You would know. You’re friends with her. Jasmine thinks being pretty is all she needs to hold someone’s attention. Doesn’t have to work as hard, and as a result? She’s boring, dull, uninspiring.”

  “She probably finds you boring,” I noted as he rolled his eyes.

  “That, I’m not. You of all people know my true nature,” he said in a low voice as I smiled. Feeling my cheeks blush unintentionally. “Sex with her is a waste of time. I just barely have enough patience to be in the same room with her let alone share a bed, but I’m going to do what I have to, to keep close to her family. I have no choice. Too much riding on it for me to marry into her family.”

  “Even if it means your happiness is----.”

  “My happiness falls in line with leaving my children’s children with a legacy. That’s what I want most. To have a family of my own to take care of. To carry my name. Not love from a woman, but in what we can do together. That’s all. If she does her duty as a wife, nothing to complain about. Children will take her attention away from me anyway.”

  I shook my head, wondering how the two could feel the same way about each other without speaking to one another.

  “She feels the same way about you,” I admitted. “Almost word for word. Rather watch paint dry on the wall than have lunch with you. That’s what she said.”

  I could see Percy blink. Unmoved before he stood up.

  “I’ll be sure to get her a can of paint with a brush while I enjoy my lunch next time,” he let out as I laughed. “Her mother’s family owns one of the largest oil companies out of the Caribbean. Think of what that means if I marry into that? What that means for our future children?”

  “It shouldn’t be like that Percy,” I said, looking him in the eyes, hands grabbing at his side before he leaned in and kissed me. Just on the side of the lips. Never right on top, but it was close enough to make me smile, and glow on the inside.

  “You getting engaged shouldn’t change anything right?” He asked, adjusting my dress. Changing the subject altogether. Never liked to talk about Jasmine, only about what her family could do for him.

  “Not that I know of, and I don’t think I’m getting proposed to so...”

  “You should. Beautiful, smart intelligent woman. A basic man would be a fool not to,” turning to walk off as he slipped into his private bathroom. I sat there for a second before stupidly blurting out.

  “So would that make you a fool?” I asked as he walked back into the office, having changed into a thin red sweater. Rolling up the sleeves against his arms before slipping his glasses, and shoes on.

  “A fool for what?” He asked.

  “For not being with a woman like me? Beautiful, smart, intelligent woman,” I mocked playfully, fixing my hair as I straightened out the dark bundles to come down my back. “That would make you a fool.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” he laughed. “I said a basic man. Nothing about me is basic sweetheart. Besides, I have you already, but I would never marry you. What could I possibly gain from it? Now go,” tapping my thigh playfully for me to get off of his desk. “I have a meeting in an hour that I need to prepare for.”

  The words stung more than they should as I grabbed my things, seeing my phone was silently ringing with Homer Skye’s name on top of a heart filling the screen. Clearing my throat, trying to find my voice, I answered.

  “Hey baby,” I greeted, taking the call as Percy waved me on. Thinking quick on my feet as if I was always thinking of Homer, and not having rough sex on a date with another man. “Care to join me on a movie date tonight Mr. Skye?”

  …

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I hissed sharply through my teeth before clamping my mouth shut as I stood on the gold elevator. Entire body trembling, keys in hand and face beaten red with tears draining.

  I fucked up in the worst way possible, and only have a few minutes at the most an hour, to cover this up. I reached to press the 5th button repeatedly. Manicured nail jamming the gold button as the light blinked on and off before I stood anxiously in place trying to calm myself down. My warped reflection in the gold walls showed a petite light skin girl with hair hanging down her face. Flushed face full of mistakes, and regrets.

  Homer has a daughter….He cheated on me. He cheated on me in the worst way possible. You fathered a child outside of our relationship. Way worse than what I’ve been doing. Much worse.

  I looked down at my phone, seeing he was calling as I inhaled deeply before answering.

  “What do you want Homer? What can you possibly fucking say----?”

  “Where are you?!” He yelled into the phone. “I’m here at your door and you won’t even let me in!? You won’t even hear me out?! I didn’t cheat on you! She was before you Nasia! She was the day before I even met you! You and I didn’t start dating until months after! You have to believe I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you or our relationship. I came down here to propose to you---.”

  I felt my head drop as the tears came down harder. Wishing I didn’t hear him say that.

  “You are supposed to be my wife baby. I swear on everything I love, I had my family coming down to celebrate. My moms is ready to call you her daughter...My cousins ready to welcome you...I was going to propose right in the middle of the movie. Ring still in my pocket. Nasia please listen to me...I don’t want that woman, don’t even know her----.”

  Ding!

  The elevator doors parted into the dimly lit hallway of the skyrise building just in the heart of downtown Atlanta. I had to get Homer off the phone. Push him away until I could figure out my next move.

  “Where are you Nasia? Come home so we can----.”

  “There isn’t shit I have to say to you right now,” pulling out the
spare keys to the apartment. “The moment you saw that girl, you lost all sense of our relationship----.”

  “My child!? You mean my fucking daughter?! I just found out, same time as you!”

  “No nigga! I mean yo baby mama!” I snapped angrily, wiping around my eyes as I walked up to a door on the end.

  Apartment 105.

  Gold numbers directly in front of me as I slipped the key inside.

  “I swear I don’t have no dealings with her Nasia, please...Just come home so we can talk about this. I still want to mar---.”

  “Get yo shit out of my apartment, and take it back with you Homer. Nothing else to say----.”

  “Yo apartment!? I pay every fucking month for that shit!”

  “My name is on the lease though so get your shit, and get out! I can find a million and three niggas to do what you do Homer. Same way you found another bitch to have a child with----.

  “YOU NOT HEARING ME WHEN I SAY I DIDN’T MESS WITH THAT BITCH WHEN I GOT WITH YOU! It was a one time thing! Drunk night, leaving the club! I left her ass in the hotel room, and never spoke to her again! The fuck you want me to say!? How else can I prove to you that I’m not with her?! Never been with her! You ready to throw away almost three years of being together for this!? For this!? Without even hearing me out!?”

  “When I’m ready to deal with you having a whole child, I’ll talk to you. Until then?! Get your shit, and go! Go deal with yo lying ass baby mama!”

  I hung up the phone before shoving the door open as I quickly went inside to disable the alarm.

  I had to move fast. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the secrets and bullshit begin to surface. Maybe Homer didn’t sleep with her while we were together, and deep down? I knew that. A part of me knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.

  He was the perfect man. Every example of what a black man to a black woman could be. Protective, smart with a steady job. Handsome to the point where women would double take to look at Homer. He was finer than fine, but he was loyal. Stayed true, and always told me he wanted to start a family with me.

  Just wasn’t enough...It wasn’t enough with Homer. Not for what I wanted.

  That’s where Percy came into play.

  I heard footsteps coming up behind me, knowing Percy wasn’t too far behind after the cops decided to let him, and his brother go without issue. Everything we did in public had to be separated. Either he would go in first, and I after or the way it is now.

  “This cannot be happening,” I sniffed, rushing to the back bedroom where we spent most of our time together. Hardly ever leaving this place at night. He would go a week, almost two weeks without seeing Jasmine, or being by her side because he was almost always with me here. Especially when Homer was back home in South Carolina.

  “Nasia?!” Percy yelled. “NASIA?!”

  That front door slammed shut with Percy, and I nearly bumping into each other in the walkway of the large apartment. Mouth was cut on the corner, and eye was bruised on one side but he survived. Glasses were off, nose and mouth were red with emotion, and chest was heaving just as tough.

  “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?!” He shouted.

  “We can’t do this anymore----.”

  “Hold on----,” grabbing my arm as I snatched it back.

  “You’re not hearing me Percy!” I snapped. “We can’t do this anymore----!”

  “So you knew?! You knew your boyfriend was my niece’s father?! This entire time!?”

  “I didn’t know shit! Clearly, he didn’t either! Hell, I’ve never seen your sister before! Never hear about her or the rest of your family because you never tell me about them!”

  “IT’S NOT YOUR PLACE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM!”

  “So why are you asking me do I know about your sister?! Make it make sense Percy!” I laughed. “I need to get out of here,” walking to the closet. “I want all my things out of here---.”

  “All the things I bought you----.”

  “Yeah nigga it's mine now!” I snapped, turning to face him. “It’s only a matter of time before Jasmine finds out! I’m taking everything that you gave to me, and I’m leaving! We can be done with this, never speak on it again, never speak to each other----.”

  “If she doesn’t know by now----.”

  “That’s not the point!” I cried out. “Percy!? My boyfriend is now attached to your family! He’s going to want to be in that girl’s life! Us sleeping together has to stop! We’ve been through so much,” I let out before looking at the floor. “Almost too much together...Too many secrets, and lies---.”

  “Like the abortion,” he muttered as we grew quiet. I dropped whatever was in my hand and began to sob, body trembling. Part of me stood there in the openness of his bedroom, waiting for him to console me. Wrap his arms around me, hug me and tell me it would be okay, but he sat tiredly on the bed like he was over the entire situation as a whole.

  “I don’t want to stop seeing you Nasia,” he said in a low voice. “I sometimes wish I was able to marry you instead of Jasmine.”

  I looked up, seeing he was taking off his sweater, and undershirt to reveal the caramel brown body with only a simple tattoo on the back of his neck reading in small faint cursive, Percy Hugo Milton with his birthday in roman numerals. Seeing him wince in pain as he turned his arm over to see the dark purple bruise forming, I sighed.

  “What happened with your sister? Is she...is she okay?”

  He didn’t say anything, just examined himself before getting up from the bed as he stood with his back to the night stand, looking for something in the drawer.

  “You would be a fool to go back to him you know,” he said in a low voice. “I think you should lay low, and stay here for a while until things die down. We can slow down on our end until we know what’s going to happen next.”

  “I have an apartment---.”

  “I’ll pay the rest of the lease, just move your things in here for now. Nobody will know you’re here but me,” he said, sitting back on the bed with a small thing of cream. “You, and I understand how a man and woman can be intimate without love, and affection. Makes you rare, and I would be stupid to let you go so easily.”

  My lips parted at the admission as he cut his dark eyes at me while rubbing the cream on his arm. Everything about Percy was accurate, sharp, attentive in his own nerdy way. One thing about him, he was always upfront, and truthful. Even when I wished there were days he would keep his mouth shut.

  “What do you want Nasia?” He asked, slowly standing up as I watched every muscle, dip, and curve of his chest, and abs flex with the simple move. “What can you get from staying with me?”

  “I want to go out,” I said, wiping my drying tears. Suddenly the relationship with Homer began to grow distant. “I want to be in society. I want to be the it girl in Atlanta. The one on your arm, the one you show off. Placed in parties with all the important people. I want the money and lifestyle. A seat at the table. It’s so much I need and want Percy. You----.”

  “And your boyfriend?”

  “He wants to settle down,” arm falling loosely at my side. “He wants the family life. For me to move to South Carolina, and just raise his kids...Our family. I’m not ready for that. Homer…” Thinking back as I let out a small smile. “He’s everything a girl could ever hope for. Love, and affection, truthful, and a man’s man. Loves me, but...it's not enough…”

  “It’s not what you want,” he nodded. “Now that he has a child, you would be a girlfriend and a stepmother of some sort. Would no longer be a priority. His daughter will come first in his life. You can’t compete with that even if you tried.”

  “I won’t be,” I stated in a low voice. Percy stared at me before nodding again as he walked over. Hand coming to my waist to pull me close as we stood inches apart. He suddenly leaned in against my ear while undoing my jeans. “I can’t get out of marrying Jasmine, unfortunately, but I can give you what you want if you continue to see me under my terms. We have a
n understanding with one another, but we need to have an agreement,” he whispered as my eyes grew wide. Chest rising against his as he gently backed me up into the wall. Facing a mirror on the opposite end, seeing my makeup was drained, eyes red with tears staining my cheeks. His back looked like hills of honey stretching wide with a peek of his black underwear showing, creasing in the center just at the tip of his cheeks. I felt my eyes close at his warmth as my hand slipped down his back, into his pants to pull them down. Guilty tears seeping through the lashes at the thought of what I was about to do once more. Only this time, it was different. I had to choose my path, right here at this very moment. Do I keep safe, knowing I will never be harmed or hurt with Homer. Creating this traditional beautiful family lifestyle with him or do I go after what I want… for myself.

  Percy wasted no time giving me the choices, just as I wasted no time giving him his answer.

  “I can’t give you what you want if you’re still with your boyfriend----.”

  “I’m done with him.”

  Jasmine

  “I’m coming! I’m coming!” I shouted irritably through the bathroom door. Hearing my phone go off for the last time. It was barely midnight, and it hasn’t stopped ringing since I’ve been in the bathroom.

  “The one time I need peace, and quiet and this,” I fussed to myself. Glancing at my reflection in the mirror darting past. Dark skin stood out in the white bathroom with my hair tied up in a soaked bun. Chocolate towel wrapped around my body as I rushed out towards the large bed seeing my phone lighting up in the center.