The Cocktail Club

I thank God for the endless blessings bestowed upon me. All of the love I can muster up to my patient and wonderful mother, and lifelong cheerleader, Deborah Tucker Bodden; and the very best sister a woman could have, Denise Braxton; my gorgeous, patient, and loving husband, Coach Wilson, thanks for your love and support.

My handsome younger brother, Irvin Kelvin Seguro, and Amber; the two best uncles in the world, Robert and Vaughn Belzonie; aunts, Regina, and Shelia; my loving and supportive family in Belize, Aunt Flo, Aunt Elaine, Therese, my cousins, Patrick, Marsha, and Cassandra, and the rest of my cousins, nephews, nieces, and my entire supportive family, including my awesome older brother, Carlton Anthony Tucker.

We don't share the same blood, but I love them like sisters: Monica Hodge, Miranda Moore, Nikki Brock, Karen Williams, Jeness Sherell, Gloria Shannon, Keywanne Hawkins, Desiree Clement, Yolanda Jones, and the rest of those exquisite ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and especially all of my sisters of Gamma Phi Sigma here in Houston, TX.

I'm blessed to be surrounded by friends who accept me just the way I am. ReShonda Tate Billingsley, thanks for your constant support, listening ear, and unwavering faith in my work. Victoria Christopher Murray, your kindness, giving heart, and willingness to help others are the truth!

Alisha Yvonne, I appreciate your help with this story! Many, many thanks to Yolanda L. Gore, for helping to keep me on track, Markisha Sampson, LTC Logan, Ron Reynolds, my KPFT Family, Marlo Blue.

Special thanks to my agent, Sara, and a world of gratitude to my Strebor family, the dynamic duo Zane and Charmaine, for having faith in my work. Special thanks to the publicity Queens led by Yona Deshommes at Atria/Simon & Schuster who help spread the word about my work. JeCaryous Johnson, I look forward to our new adventure!

But as always, I've saved the very highest praise for last, ______________ (your name goes there!) Yes, you, the reader! I know you are overwhelmed by choices, and that's what makes your selection of my work such a humbling experience. I will never take your support for granted. I'm so honored to have your support. There were so many book clubs that picked up
Daddy by Default, Football Widows
(which is being made into a movie),
Party Girl, Daddy's Maybe,
and
A Social Affair,
I wanted to honor some of you with a special shout-out: The bible of AFAM Lit: Black Expressions book club! Johnnie Mosely and the rest of the wonderful men who make up Memphis' Renaissance Men's book club, Sisters are Reading Too (They have been with me from day 1!!) Special thanks to Divas Read2, Happy Hour, Cush City, Girlfriends, Inc., Drama Queens, Mugna Suma, First Wives, Brand Nu Day, Go On Girl, TX 1, As the Page Turns, APOO, Urban Reviews, OOSA, Mahogany Expressions, Black Diamonds, BragAbout Books, Spirit of Sisterhood, and so many more. I appreciate you all!

Also Huge thanks to all of the media outlets that welcomed me on the airwaves to discuss my work: “Inside her Story” with Jacque Reed, on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” Yahoo Shine, Hello Beautiful,
Essence.com
, the
Huffington Post-Houston Chronicle
—Guest
Blog, Author Tuesday's presents,
Northparan.com
,
The Book Depository.com
,
Black Pearls
magazine, S&S
Tipsonlifeandlove.com
,
nextreads.com
,
The Dallas Morning News
.com
, Interview—KFDM-CBS Beaumont, TX, 3 Chicks on Lit, Clear Channel Radio News & Comm. Affairs, KIX 96 FM, KARK TV Little Rock, AR, KPRC NBC, Houston Beyond Headlines, Artist First Radio show, The Mother Love Radio Show, It's Well Blog Talk Radio March.

If I forgot anyone, and I'm sure I have, always, charge it to my head and not my heart. Please drop me a line at
[email protected]
. I'd love to hear from you, and I answer all emails.

Connect with me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter
@authorpattucker
—I follow back!

Warmly,

Pat

PETA

M
y life would be much better if I wasn't screwing two men at the same damn time. I've known the root of my problem from day one, but why I couldn't do right was beyond me. At times, I said to hell with it all, and allowed the chips to fall where they may.

Lover Number One, Gordon Smith, was worse than a ticking time bomb. Despite this major character flaw, he did it for me. My attraction to him made no sense, but it was what I had to work with. So I handled him with extra care. His crazy behind might have gone postal at any moment. I kept that in mind while we talked on my cell phone.

“I'm finally about to get in the tub,” I said. The drinks I'd had with dinner earlier helped to relax me a little, but the bath would finish the job. Between work and everything else, my day had been incredibly busy.

“Oooh, maybe I should come right over,” Gordon responded.

His copper-colored skin was soft to the touch despite its hard, muscular appearance. He had the dreamiest, light-brown eyes, and a sexy smile with the cutest, little gap between his two front teeth.

Gordon was real cool, but we weren't
that
cool. We were more than friends with benefits, but we were far from serious on my part. I ignored his comment about coming over, and dipped my free hand into the water to gauge the temperature.

The water felt good, nearly the perfect amount of heat, but not too hot. I could still sit in the tub comfortably.

After the stressful day I'd had with my mobile boutique customers, I craved relaxation like I needed the air I breathed. I had worked hard to create the perfect setting to unwind in at home. My bathroom walls were painted maroon, so when I dimmed the soft, yellow lights, there was the right hint of darkness.

A soothing fragrance floated through the air from two massive lavender and vanilla-scented candles that flickered in the corners near the French double doors. Sensuous sounds from some of my favorite slow songs were programmed to repeat on my iPod. The setting was ideal for a quiet night of relaxation.

“Peta, you still there?”

“Oh, yeah, uh-huh.”

“How come you didn't say nothing when I offered to come through? I could help wash your back.” He chuckled.

His offer made me a little uncomfortable. Gordon realized I wasn't alone, and he should've known better. When I couldn't stand the silence that hung between us, I spoke up.

“Look, Gee, you know we're good and all, but my daughter is here. I don't allow strange men to run in and out of my house when she's home.”

Gordon sucked his teeth. I predicted that would set him off a little, but I didn't care. He shouldn't have gone there.

“Oh, so now I'm some
strange
man?” he huffed.

“You know what I'm saying.”

Our conversation had gone in a direction that I didn't need. I rolled my eyes, and braced myself for the fallout.

“Nah, I don't, Peta. All I know is, anytime I talk about us hooking up or gettin' closer, you find some excuse why we can't. At least not
until you feel like blessing me with some of your precious time. That ain't even cool.”

I tried to ignore his complaint, but I should've known he was gonna press the issue. He should've taken my explanation and left it alone. But no, he couldn't do that.

“What do you want me to do? I'm not one of those women who introduces her kid to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.” I dropped my robe from my shoulders.

“Oh, snap! Now I'm some Tom, Dick, and Harry? Damn, that's real cold, Peta. Real cold. But, I feel ya, though,” he said.

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. A fight was the very last thing I needed. It was best to hold my tongue, and let him have his say. My bathwater was almost ready. I had half a bottle of wine, and a good book on standby. Drama was definitely not on the menu for me tonight.

“Gordon, all I'm saying—”

“Oh, I hear what you sayin', ma. Don't trip!” he yelled before I could explain myself. “You ain't gotta clean nothin' up for me. I'm a man, baby! But on the real, though. We been at this for what, nearly a year now? And I'm still not good enough to meet your shorty? Hell, that's telling me exactly what I need to know.”

By “been at this for nearly a year,” he meant an occasional dinner here or there, and of course, the booty call that came in really handy for me. I felt that our arrangement worked. “Gordon, we don't have to make this into a big thing.”

He ranted on like he hadn't heard a word I'd said. He was on autopilot, and there was no way to stop him.

“Peep this, Peta, I'm real clear now. It's me, but I'm good now. All this damn time, this body's been on reserve, and you basically ain't had no plans for no damn future with me. That's
my
bad, though, ma.”

When Gordon got worked up, he slid back into his street lingo, and I couldn't reason with him. Once he took that turn, nothing good would come from the conversation. I didn't get a chance to respond to his claims. Suddenly, something else had grabbed my attention. I was no longer alone. I stooped down, and grabbed my robe.

“I know you ain't got no fool up in this house with my daughter up in here.”

My eyes nearly popped from their sockets at the sound of the intrusion from Lover Number Two.

“Whoa! Hold up a sec. Is that your baby daddy?” Gordon yelled in my ear. “Oh, now I see what's really going on!”

I hated when people called Kyle my “baby daddy.” I didn't get knocked up after we hooked up or anything like that. Kyle Nixon was my ex-husband. I was married to him for more than five years, so there was a difference. Much to my astonishment, he was in my bathroom, in the flesh. Shock numbed me from head to toe. I felt my spine tighten, as recognition slowly etched into Kyle's features.

His mouth hung wide open, and his eyes danced frantically around my empty bathroom. His stare settled on me, as I used the robe to cover my nakedness.