Brown Eyes, Blue Smile Ch. 05

It was nearing the hour of six when Eric left his office for the day and began hurrying to get home. Along the way he stopped first at a gift shop to pick a bottle of red wine, along with a dozen white roses. Then he stopped at a movie shop and bought the movie Australia, as Shanice had opened up to him of her love for Huge Jackman's movies. He thought of calling her along the way but then decided not to; might as well surprise her with what I've got in hand. He was totally burning with excitement of seeing her, even though it was less than twenty hours since that happened, it felt almost as if an entire day had gone past since early in the morning when he last held her in his hands. How reluctant he'd almost being leaving her place to come to work today. What had he been thinking? It's not like there'd been anything special waiting for him when he came to work; he might as well should have called in sick today and spend the entire morning with her. Though he would have begged her too to skip work for the day, and no doubt she would have agreed to that. They would have stayed in bed all through the morning, make love and then take a shower together ... and probably make love again and again. Just thinking of the warm texture of her body was enough to entice him to step down on the gas so as to get home to her quick.

The sun was gradually going away from the sky to make way for a new moon when he approached his building and then parked his car in an empty space. As he opened his door and began taking out the items he'd bought, he failed to notice the young black man standing across the street watching him. There was an animal look in the young man's eye, one that spoke more of the way in which a predator would view a prey it was soon intending to come after.

Chris had paid a visit to Shanice's work place more than an hour ago, wanting to try and talk some more sense into her fish brain, but one of the ladies had told him she'd already left. He'd gone by her place and hadn't found her there either. A good thing she had taped a note to that bitchy friend of hers, Michelle, to her door, saying that she would be spending the rest of the day at Eric's place. Chris wasn't any certified genius, but it didn't take him much solving to know that Eric was the name of the white boy whom he'd seen her rolling around with the other night. He'd used the remainder of the hour trying to locate the white boy's place, and he'd arrived there a good ten minutes before Eric arrived in his car. Chris still remembered the look of his car from that other night and when he'd arrived here and hadn't seen his vehicle parked anywhere close to his building, he'd decided then to prudently hover around just to make sure he got the right address. And now wouldn't you know it—the white boy has finally arrived.

Chris was of two minds, whether to walk over right there and then to confront him, or to wait till after the fool had gone up. Though he figured from what he'd read on Shanice's note that she would probably be up in his apartment right now, waiting for his white boy ass to show. And it wouldn't be any good him confronting the guy out here in the street for all eyes to see him do it. Though it wasn't like he had any intention of fighting the guy, he merely wanted to tell him to lay his hands off his woman. Seeing that he had nothing better to do, he decided to hang back and sat at a park bench across the street and watched as Eric locked his car door, and then with his items in his hand, walked into his building.

Eric was smiling and feeling very happy as he took the stairs one landing at a time till he got to the floor where his apartment was at. He transferred the wine bottle, DVD cassette, and the bouquet of flowers to one arm while his other reached for the door handle. It came open in his hand, and his smile turned into a grin as he took a step into his living room.

"Babe, I'm back home!" he called out, as is feet kicked the door closed behind him.

"Ohh Eric, I'm so glad you're home! I've missed you terribly."

Eric got the shock of his life and the grin on his face instantly melted away as his eyes quickly recognized the owner of the voice he'd just heard. He stood there unable to move as the blond-haired woman wearing a purple blouse ran towards him smiling, and then hugged him. He didn't hug her back, although the look on his face was at that moment the opposite of what it was prior to when he walked into his apartment.

Tara pressed her face against Eric's chest, still hugging him. When she realized he wasn't returning her hug back, she pulled her face from his chest and looked up at him. "Oh come on, darling. Aren't you going to hug me back?"

Eric instead pushed her off him and dropped the things he was carrying on a couch before turning to face her with his arms akimbo, looking like someone who was ready for trouble, which he knew he was facing right now. "What're you doing here, Tara?" his voice was as cold as an ice cube.

"Why? Aren't you any glad to see me?" she continued smiling at him, though Eric didn't return the favor.

"The hell I am."

"It's been a while, Eric. Almost a year now, I think. You never called and you never wrote to me, not even send me a text message. Really, that's no way for you to treat your own wife, you know."

"Ex, Tara," he corrected her. "You're my ex-wife, and don't you forget it. Our partnership ended a long time ago, if ever we had one to begin with." "I was always good to you, Eric."

"Please. You were a slut and a tramp, and for you I'll wager that none of that has changed."

"Never the less, it doesn't make us enemies," she pouted indifferently. "I always wished we'd remain in touch. But I don't know why in heaven's name you just kept avoiding me for no reason at all."

"And since when did you become the caring type?"

"Inconsequentially, I've always been caring, Eric. I've always cared about you. Why else would I be here in the first place?"

"I wouldn't know. Maybe you drove around the city and suddenly lost you way, or you're in town searching for a new boy toy to hold your handbag for you. I know that's what you're into."

She gave him a sad look. "That hits below the belt, Eric. Really I've been wanting to see you, and that I haven't heard from you in a long while has got me upset."

He looked at her with feigned incredibility. "Have you lost your marbles, Tara? You forget that it was you who took out a restraining order on me, remember? Nothing less than a hundred feet was what the judge stated, if I remember correctly. All that bullshit you and your fancy big-shot lawyer did to keep me away from Gloria. And now you dare come all this to ask why I haven't kept in touch with you so that your lawyer can see fit to get my ass thrown in jail, ain't that right, you stuck-up bitch?"

"Do you need to call me foul name's now? Yes, I did take out the restraining order on you, but it was for you own good. For my peace of mind, at least, and for Gloria, too."

"Is that why you're here?" he spoke harshly. "You came all the way here to find me just to come throw Gloria at my face? You took her away from me, remember? You and your high-life type of living."

"Don't go blaming me for the way things went, Eric. You want to fight me over that then you take it up with the court system. That's not the reason why I'm here anyway."

Eric shook his head like someone faced with an un-winnable predicament. "Alright, Tara. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Tell me then, why are you here?"

She approached him. She wanted to rest her hands on his shoulders but Eric drew himself backwards as if she carried with her a contagious disease he didn't wish to have a part of. Tara sighed. She looked at him with longing, as one would look to a former lover who'd once brought light to her light and then suddenly left.

"Isn't it obvious why I'm here?"

He shook his head.

"My reason for being here is simple, Eric. I want you back in my life."

Eric looked at her dumbly. "Pardon me?"

"You heard me. Eric, look, I know things weren't anywhere close to being good between us. I still think about those final months we were together, when we fought over just about everything ... about Gloria. And I know we caused each other a whole lot of pain during those court times. I'm willing to forgive you for all of that—"

"What'd you just say?" Eric interrupted her.

"I said that I'm willing to forgive you for all the hurt you brought to me and Gloria and, as difficult as this may sound coming from me, I also wanted to say that I want you back."

"I don't believe a word of what you just said."

"I figured you wouldn't, but it's the truth. Look, I'm trying to turn a new leave here, Eric, and I'd like you along for it."

He felt like laughing, though he knew if he opened his mouth, nothing of such would come out. "You really are impossible, Tara. Really you are, and I'm not going start now to deign you the patience of putting that through your head. If you don't mind now, I've other important things to take care of besides being here wasting time with you."

He went to pick up the bottle of wine and bouquet of flowers and was about walking past her when he stopped. "I don't know how you found your way in here, but I'm changing the locks once you leave. And I hope you can do that right about now. I'm expecting company, and I'd hate for you to be around."

Tara followed him behind as he went into the kitchen. She stood by the doorway and watched him lay the roses on the table then put the wine bottle into the fridge.

"Who's the lucky lady, Eric?"

"I'd love to tell you that, Tara, but it's none of your damn business. You don't see me asking you how many men you've screwed since we broke up, do you?"

She gave him a kinky smile. "You know you could always ask. I won't bite."

"I'm not in the mood to play any one of your games, Tara." He closed back the fridge and came towards the doorway, about to walk past her. "See yourself out my apartment before I come out, and consider yourself not welcome here."

"There's no need getting hostile on me—I've already met your so-called darling girl."

Eric was heading towards the direction of his bedroom, about to free his arms from his jacket, when Tara's words stopped him in his tracks. He turned around and looked at her suspiciously; Tara smiled inward as she saw that she'd gotten through to him.

"What're you talking about?" he asked her.

"I was already here in your apartment, waiting for you when your new lover came by. Pretty girl she is, black and tall. Funny, I never knew you were into black women before, Eric. Is that a new thing you're trying on—wanting to get yourself a taste of that black skin?"

"Is this your way of wanting me to get back at you?" he replied her snidely.

"Nope, just curious that's all. I've dated one or two black men, and I can tell you, it's really worth it, so kudos to you." She laughed, though Eric didn't share it.

"How did you even get into my apartment in the first place?"

"Simple. I met the caretaker and told him I was your wife, and that I was pregnant. It didn't take him long to let me in. I would have called you, except I don't have your new number. I just sat here waiting for you to show, except it was your woman, Shanice, who showed up."

Eric was struggling hard not to come and grab her by the shoulders. Instead he continued to keep his calm. "What did you say to her?"

She turned away from him and went to sit down on his couch. Eric sat across from her, watching her as one would watch a hawk.

"Oh nothing serious really, just this and that ... though we did talk about you. We talked and talked, and talked ..."

**********

"Why don't you have a seat, Shanice. Would you care for something to drink?"

Tara left her and went into the kitchen to look inside the fridge, making as if she were familiar with the apartment, when actually she'd stepped into it less than a half hour ago. She remembered correctly that Eric was always a wine person, and she wasn't surprised to find a Johnny Walker lying between two ice packs. She took out the bottle along with two glasses and returned to the living room, happy to find her ex-husband's visitor still seated there waiting for her. Shanice accepted the glass of wine she gave to her; she was still stunned with what the lady had said to her a few minutes ago when she walked in through the door.

I'm Tara. I'm Eric's wife.

Wife!

"Does it surprise you?"

She looked up from her glass, startled by Tara's question as if she'd just read her mind.

"Actually, no ... but, yes, I guess I am," she said. "Eric never mentioned anything about ... about being married."

Tara pretended to seem vexed by this, though inwardly she was. To think that all this time Eric hadn't bothered trying to get in touch with her, he'd been wasting his hours with this hood chick from the Bronx.

"I'm not surprised by that. We haven't been what you'd call 'a healthy couple'. Basically we've been fighting a lot, so we kind of opted to give each other some space," She lied. "So how long have you both been friends?"

"Being a while now."

Actually what she wanted to say—what she ought to have said—was none of your damn business. Except somehow Shanice figured that would have been wrong. No, not wrong. That would have felt unnecessary. Except being in such a situation she was hardly what she had expected. Eric, you bastard! How couldn't you tell me you're married? And what a sucker I've been to think you were different.

The woman was saying something to her though at that moment she barely heard anything else aside from her inner self. She as well noticed the mocking look in the woman's eyes and even before then, she knew she wasn't the friendly type.

"Excuse me?" she turned to look at her.

"I said I'm not any bit surprised Eric would fall for someone like yourself," said Tara with a condescending tone. "You're really up his alley."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh no, nothing at all. Just making a compliment."

Shanice pulled herself to her feet. "Forgive me for saying this, but that's as lousy a compliment I've ever heard. And it seems I've overstayed my welcome. I'll see myself out, if you don't mind."

Tara got up as well, positioning her glass of wine before her lips. "Suit yourself, though I really was enjoying your company."

Shanice picked up her knapsack bag, not bothering to give her a reply; Tara felt bitten by this. Her intention was to cause some measure of hurt in the young girl's mind before she decided to leave, though that didn't seem to be working as she'd expected. She followed behind as Shanice made her way out the door.

"Is there anything you'd like me to tell him when he gets back?" Tara asked while pressing her face at the doorway.

"You've been more than helpful, thank you." Shanice said this over her shoulder, not bothering to glance back at her. She took quick steps and in no time she was racing down the stairs, fighting inward to hold back her tears.

**********

"...and so she left," Tara said in mock conclusion.

Eric stood there in dismay, listening to all what she'd said. She wasn't lying, that was pretty obvious, and just speculating how Shanice would be regarding him right now was far more unsettling to his thoughts than listening to his ex narrate about how she'd welcomed her.

"How long ago was this?" he finally asked her.

"Not long enough. If you'd been here twenty, twenty-five minutes ago, you probably would have caught her going downstairs. It's a pity about the way she left; she never even bothered leaving a forwarding address to keep for you."

She was rubbing it in, wanting to dig deep into the core of his apparent wound. Eric knew this just as much as she did. In the past, he would have conceded to her, would have allowed himself to play humble to her manipulative persona. How often she had used that side of her to win him over time after time, making him look ridiculous in his attempts of formerly getting rid of her from his life.

But not anymore, as he came forward and grabbed her arm and without warning propelled her towards the door.

"The fuck are you doing, Eric? Take your hand off me!" she spat and tried to take her arm back, but Eric held on. "Don't you even dare hit me, Eric. Or my lawyer's going to be onto you like flies on an animal."

Eric laughed at her face. "Bitch, you think I'm going to waste my time running your make-up. That's your business. I want you out of my home and out of my life, and STAY OUT!"

He shoved her out his door, took her handbag and threw it out at her as well and then slammed his door close and turned the lock. Tara was banging at the other side, spouting curse words at him, but Eric pretended not to hear. By the time she'd cracked her nails, then she'd probably leave him in peace, he said to himself as he went towards his bedroom to wash up. Now he had to think about how to repair the damages with Shanice.

**********

There was nothing left for him to do, no other options to take into consideration, at least for now. But then why was his black ass still seated out here, on this bus stop bench, across from the building where the white boy lived, and doing nothing but wait? His stomach was gnawing at him. He ought to be stepping by now—long gone—back to his crib. He figured he could always handle meeting the white boy afterwards when he felt like it. Except that just didn't seem right to him. Nah, it wouldn't feel like him at all to leave something half undone and then come back later. Who know, later could always be too late. So he sat there, lowered his hood jacket over his head and kept on with his vigil while around him evening commuters and old folks went on their way and city buses kept on stopping to deliver and take in more people before stepping on the gas and moving along.

Still Chris continued to wait.

His waiting soon paid off when he looked up and saw the pretty-looking white woman storm out of the building. He had no idea whom she'd come to see, but just a quick assessment of what she had on and the way she looked, and he could tell she didn't belong in this part of the city. She certainly looked pissed the way she was fuming. He watched as she got into her ride—a low-top Mercedes—and then screeched out of the parking spot. Chris watched her drive away, still wondering who she was, and then his eyes fell to his wristwatch. He figured now would be a better time to pay the white boy a visit. Nothing serious, just a chat man-to-man, and a warning, and then he'd be out.

He pushed his hood off his head and hurried across the street.

Eric had just finished taking his bath and was putting on a fresh pair of jeans with his towel still hanging over his neck when he heard his apartment door bell ring. He chose to ignore it, figuring it could only be Tara, coming back for another episode. But when the ringing got to persistent, he groaned and decided to give her another fighting round just to drive his point home.

His hands turned back the key and pushed the door open. "What do you want, Ta—" he drew to a stop when he saw it wasn't his ex standing there observing him, but a young black hoodie. A moment's silence passed through them as the hoodie gave him a scowling look that could probably have melted butter.

"Excuse me, who're you?" Eric opted to break the ice.

The hoodie looked at him, surprised. "What? You don't know who I am, white boy?"

Eric had an instant disliking to who the fellow is, and were it not for that he was fighting to calm his nerves, what he really wanted to do the moment the hoodie uttered those words was slam the door back close and return to what he was earlier doing. Instead he opted to play the fool, at least for the time being.