Secret Society by Miasha Page B

him—all of them, you know?”
    As much as I hated to admit it, Tina was right. Derrek was her best bet. I was just jealous and lonely at that time. I was feeling left out. I mean, Tina introduced to me this game of dressing up and having dudes thinking I’m a chick, taking care of me. And now it would be like I was out here alone playing by myself.
    “Well?” Tina asked, interrupting my thoughts.
    “Well, what?”
    “Are you still mad?”
    I thought about her question and I realized that if the shoe was on the other foot, if somebody who knew all about me, who could take care of me, and who I was attracted to offered to take me away from all the stress and bullshit of going from man to man, I would take him up on it.
    “No, girl, I’m not still mad,” I said sincerely. “I just can’t believe it. Tina getting married?” I pondered aloud.
    “I know, right. It sounds crazy, but it’s the best thing to do. I would be a damn fool to say no.”
    “You’re right and I’m happy for you, for real,” I said with tears in my eyes.
     
    The clock said eight twenty-five. I turned over in my bed and reached for my ringing phone, wondering who could be calling me this early on a Monday.
    “Hello,” I said, sounding like I had swallowed a mouthful of sand.
    “Hello, may I speak with Celess?”
    I sat up, trying to figure out who the voice on the other end of the phone belonged to.
    “Who’s calling?” I asked, praying it wasn’t any bill collectors.
    “This is Rachel Greene, Darrell’s wife,” she answered.
    I took a breath. “What can I do for you?”
    “I am so sorry to wake you. Darrell just left for work. Listen, I want you to come over to the house this evening so when he comes in from work, you’ll be here and we can get to the bottom of this,” she began.
    “Rachel, listen, my part is done. I don’t think I want to get any more involved in you and your husband’s personal problems than I already have.”
    Rachel cut in quick. “I understand that completely, but when I confront him about you, he’ll just deny it, and if I don’t have solid proof, he’ll just wind up getting away with cheating on me like he always does. You know how men are.”
    “I don’t know…” I said.
    “I need your help. I mean, us women have to stick together. You didn’t know he was married. It’s not your fault.”
    “I know, but…”
    “He was obviously going to try to play you too,” Rachel said.
    She sold me with that one.
    “What’s your address?”
    I promised to be at Rachel’s house by four-thirty. I figured, fuck it, I didn’t have anything to lose. Plus, I couldn’t wait to see what Darrell was going to do when he walked in from work and saw me in his house with his wife.
    I made sure I looked sexy. I put on some Dolce & Gabbana jean booty shorts, a white wife beater, and a pair of gold BCBG stilettos. I wore my gold Chanel jewelry and my white and gold Chanel bag. I pulled my hair back in a slick ponytail held together with a gold Chanel clip. I threw on my gold Chanel belt, put on my gold Chanel glasses, and left. I was fly.
    It was four-thirty when I arrived at Rachel’s. I parked the Range Rover on the corner of the block as planned, then walked down the street, passing three single homes to reach Rachel’s. It was a brick single two-story home with vinyl sides. The grass was freshly cut and a small garden was maintained along the walkway. I rang the doorbell.
    “Hiii,” Rachel sang as she let me in her house.
    I gave a slight smile and said hello.
    “Celess, it is nice to meet you,” she said, looking me over. “Have a seat.”
    I sat down on a red fabric sofa neatly decorated with multicolored pillows. In front of me was a wooden coffee table with a glass top. There were issues of Essence and Sports Illustrated spread across it.
    “Can I get you anything to drink—a glass of water, perhaps?”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    I looked around the house. The walls were covered with family