Worse. Maybe he knew Pumpkin was here. Time to ’fess up after all that had occurred.
On wobbly legs, I fetched my robe and strode in search of what had Tanner so distressed.
“Bianca!” he shouted again. I peered over the banister, observing him pacing recklessly over the Persian rug he rarely stepped on. “Get your ass down here! I know you’re home!”
I scurried down the stairs as fast as I could, not looking forward to the storm brewing below. “Tanner, why are you screaming at me?” I asked.
His eyes rolled. Indignation at my having the gall to ask such a thing. And a brief respite for me before he unloaded.
“Where the hell did you go?”
“I honestly don’t know. I just woke up in my bed.”
“Bullshit! You need to quit with the amnesia act and be straight with me!” He charged me as if to strike before backing away into his frenetic pacing again. After a deep breath, he erupted once more. “The guard at Saint Aloysius said you diverted his attention, then disappeared. I’ve been combing the city for fear that you were lying dead in some alley or something. Then . . . then while I’m in the limo, I get a call from the hospital where Rory’s staying. They claim you left a harsh message for her that has her climbing the walls. By this point, I’m losing my mind. Then I get here and that doorman Ruben says something about seeing your sister, but not you. I fired the stupid retard on the spot! You don’t have a fucking sister, Bianca! Now what the hell’s going on?”
“It . . . it’s Pumpkin,” I stammered as I tried to catch my breath. “Pumpkin’s responsible for a lot of this. I should’ve told you.”
“Pumpkin? What the fuck is a ‘Pumpkin’? That’s the second time I’ve heard that name. Henry called you that. I’ve been more than patient, but I demand some answers. How long have you been fucking Henry? This is some shit to get revenge on me. I knew it!”
“Tanner, this has nothing to do with revenge on you. And I’m definitely not fucking that . . . that man! How dare you! It’s me . . . your wife! I’ve been raped . . . and . . . and all you can talk about is yourself?” I threw my arms up in frustration. “I should’ve confronted your issues when we first married. But I was just happy to have you paying attention to me. Now I guess it’s too late. Your ego and indiscretions have been out of control. And don’t think I’m still in the dark about you and Rory either.”
“What . . . did you say?”
Pumpkin’s bombshell was true. I knew as soon as his tone changed. “I know all about you and my
best friend
,” I spat, the taste unappealing. “And your baby!”
Then he did something I’d never seen. He slapped me.
Already battered and besieged, I almost lost consciousness when I met the floor. I think the shock and stinging on my cheek kept me there. Tanner stood over me as I tried to right myself and crawl away. He peppered the top of my head with slaps, less forceful and more taunting this time.
“Did you do that to Rory? Did you throw that stuff in her face? Answer me, bitch, or so help me . . . !”
I balled up on the floor, cowering before his self-righteousness. I was his wife, yet he was defending the tramp who I thought was my friend. Pumpkin was right about me. I wished she were here now.
“No,” he answered his own inquiry calmly. “You didn’t. You don’t have the balls to do that. Too soft, my little princess. Yeah. Way too soft. Probably would’ve dropped the bottle and run off. Did you pay someone? Uh-huh. Bet you did. With my money too. Probably got that bum that you’re fucking to do it.”
The accusations were the final straw. I lowered my hands from my face. Further assault be damned. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.
“I . . . I’m not sleeping with anyone, Tanner! You’re the only one who can’t go a minute without fucking or sucking something, you sick bastard.”
He smirked.
“Not sleeping with anyone? Yeah. You’re certainly not sleeping. Rape, my ass,” he taunted. “Ha! I can’t believe I married a whore. I thought I’d scouted way better than that. But you fooled me, Bianca. Brava.” Two claps over the ringing in my head. Both of them false in their approval. “No wonder you’re always too tired to see about me or my needs. You’re too busy fucking the whole town behind my back.”
I was about to stand up when he hauled off and punched me in the nose.
I slammed into the end table from the force, enveloped mercifully by oblivion, where clarity dwelled.
35
PUMPKIN
T
he door to my parents’ bedroom opens all the way.
I hide behind Molly Wonder, holding her in front of me like a shield. If my dad sees her first, he might not be mad at me.
Molly Wonder protects me as my dad walks by. I knew she was magic.
He doesn’t see us.
He looks drowsy, walks like the mummy from those scary movies.
I hate scary movies. They give me bad dreams if I watch them.
The cigarette he’s smoking stinks. Like the time lightning hit the grass and it burned.
I would choke putting that near my mouth, but he doesn’t.
I guess that’s why my dad is super.
He goes in the bathroom to potty.
Mom must be awake.
Me and Molly Wonder run in the bedroom to say hi. She’ll be so surprised.
I’m surprised instead.
The nice lady from the place with pancakes and pie is here. The one with the pretty yellow hair. She’s walking around slowly like my dad, but she’s smiling. Looks sleepy and happy.
What is she doing in their bedroom? Were they talking about me? Did I do something wrong and she came by to tell on me?
Does Mom know?
Yes.
She does.
She’s in there too. Quiet and sitting on the edge of their bed. The sheets are all over the floor. I would get a spanking if my bed looked like that.
Why are they both naked? Are they about to take their baths?
And why is my mom crying?
“Bianca, what are you doing up?” my dad screams.
The noise frightens me. I drop Molly Wonder.
The commotion outside woke me up. I guess a sister can’t get a rest these days. Tanner’s voice can be so annoying. The punch he landed on my nose was worse.
Messing up my looks was a no-no. I heard him referring to Bianca as a ho.
Whore
was actually what he said.
The blood flowed from one nostril into my mouth. I tasted some and smeared the rest, laughing at him all the while. Yep. Bianca was in over her head . . . again.
“Now you want to laugh? After all I’ve done for you?” he crowed. “A know-nothing, do-nothing from Seattle? You were slaving away in a fucking shoe store when I met you!”
“Taking over your grandparents’ chicken business doesn’t make you any better, you pompous goof. What did Rory call you? Oh, yeah.
Mr. Clucker
.” I chuckled. “Did you know she used to call you that behind your back to Bianca? Or was that part of her ‘act’ for Bianca too? Cluck. Cluck.”
“What’s with the third-person references, Bianca? I didn’t hit you that hard.”
“I’m not Bianca, you dumb-ass.” I rose, staring him down even though he was the larger figure. No matter. It was as if the longer I looked, the smaller he became.
For probably the first time, Tanner Coleman backed down, however briefly, from a confrontation. He raised his hands defensively, as if trying to cool off.
“Okay. Okay. Stop with the games. Now is not the time. You’re scaring me.”
“Is that what made you go off and hit my girl? Your precious Rory? Why it’s always got to be the white girls?” I joked. In a baby voice, I continued, “What was it, Tanner? She told you that you had the biggest dick she’d ever seen?”
I cackled while he snarled, reaching for me. I evaded him, not up for another punch in the face. As I dashed around him, careful not to turn my back, I offered some advice.
“I’ve been on a tear tonight. You may want to keep those hands to yourself, lover boy. Did she tell you? That she knows about you and Rory? And that bastard son you have with her?”
“Stop it! I mean it, Bianca! You’re about to get seriously hurt, and it’s not going to be my fault.” He undid his necktie, wrenching it free until it dangled across his crisp white shirt.
“It’s
all
your fault, even if you don’t realize it. This is your world, Tanner. Remember? You should. You do everything to remind Bianca of it.”
“So . . . let’s see how this works. I’m supposed to be talking to someone other than my wife? You’re supposed to be this ‘Pumpkin’ I’ve heard too much about today? I’ll play along. Is that what you want me to call you?
Pumpkin
?”
“Yeah. Sure. Call me Pumpkin. Nice one, huh? Maybe one day I’ll tell you how I came up with it. We’ll have tea or something. Didn’t really have a name . . . or the freedom to do what I do until last week. Thanks.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry your overworked peanut head. I’m just making up for lost time.”
“By ruining my life? Is that what you’re here to do?”
“Maybe.” I smirked. “Or maybe I’m just here to look out for Bianca. There’s so much shit she’s incapable of handling.”
“I see,” he spat, hating my dual reference. We now played a game of ring-around-the-rosy with the furniture, neither one looking to gain a seat. When he moved, I countered, every action an opposite reaction on my part—survival for a moment longer. “So, you’re the person I should be asking if my wife has been fucking around?”
“Yes . . . that you should be asking me. But I have a question first.”
“What?” he snapped impatiently.
“Why fuck Bianca’s best friend? I . . . we have our limits.”
“Rory never was your best friend. I’m the one who had her go by your boutique that day!”
“Why?” The revelation surprised me. I couldn’t hide it.
“Good business. Because if I’m going to be fucked over, I like to see it coming. You needed a friend, and Rory was my eyes and ears. That you were from the same city just fit even better. It all worked out.”
“Until I found out.”
“Yes. How did you?”
My turn to surprise him; I relished it. “The sex club.”
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb. Leaving your poor wife home that night while you ran out to indulge yourself with Rory. Yeah. I saw you.”
“Wha . . . How?”
“Up close and personal. Lorenda’s gone. I hear you need a new maid in your life. Maybe a masked French one would fit the bill.”
“That was you.”
“Mmm-hmm,” I purred. “Shared the room, hell . . . the very bed with you. Oh. And so did Henry. That same poor fool you’d fired. Isn’t the irony delicious? But to answer your earlier question—it was me who fucked him. Not Bianca. Fucked him well, don’t you think? And now you’re fucked. Guess Rory didn’t help you see it coming after all. Cluck. Cluck.”
“Oh, my God. You are insane.” He fished his cell phone from his pocket and began dialing. He was so nervous, he dialed a wrong digit. I watched him clear it and start again.
“Go ahead. Make your call, Tanner. And before you cast judgment, who do you think you were with when you made Bianca play dress-up all those times and took her to the sex club? Who do you think has been giving it to you like that, daddy? Surely not Bianca. You scare the hell out of her. And if I didn’t like to fuck, you wouldn’t have gotten half that much.”