Vows of Deception: Something old, new, borrowed, and BLUE... (4 page)

“Good afternoon. How may I help you?” A large breasted, brunette greeted full of cheer. Danni had never encountered her before so she must have been new.

“Yes. Is Mr. Graves available?”

“May I ask what this is regarding?” The once cheerful smile on the broads face had been replaced with a forced one. No doubt in her mind that he could possibly be sleeping with this woman as well.

“It’s a personal matter, if you don’t mind. Could you buzz him please?”

“First I need your name?”

“Mrs. Graves.” Danni introduced herself adding extra emphasis on the prefix of her name. “As in his wife. I didn’t catch your name by the way.”

“Oh, I must apologize Mrs. Graves. The name is Sheri. He is currently in a meeting. May I take a message to give to him when he returns to the office? I am not for certain how long he will be.”

“No thank you Sheri. I will wait.”

“It could be quite a while.”

“That’s fine. Thank you.” Danni took a seat in his quaint waiting area not too far from Miss Sheri’s desk. The aura bouncing off of the lady sitting behind the desk cutting her delicate eyes at her when she isn’t looking was comical. “How long have you worked for my husband?”

“Almost six months.”

“Really? Do you like working for Lamont?”

“Yes, thank you.” She said stiffly.

“Benefits pretty good?” Danni was being petty with her questioning but she couldn’t help the way she was feeling.

“Actually they are. The best I have received in the business.” There was plenty of hidden meanings inside the pop tarts answer. Danni bit the inside of her mouth to keep from cursing the bimbo out.

“Well that’s just peachy.”

Thirty minutes had passed with neither one of the women saying anything else. Danni was so lost in her thoughts that the time gave her pause on whether she wanted to confront him today or not. After all this really wasn’t the place for what could turn out to be an all-out brawl. The video blatantly shows him screwing another woman at their anniversary party and it was obvious that he has some dealings with Sheri on a personal level. What else was he involved in that she had no clue about? Just as she considered leaving, Lamont walked in with his cocky swag on deck. His entire demeanor spoke volumes. He was successful, sure of himself, and lastly a professional stick in the mud.

How was she oh so lucky to end up with him? The man she once loved looked like a major prick now that she’s had time to sit back and take a second look. What really threw her for a loop is the person who came in with him. The main reason she came to confront him was with him at that very moment. As if she was a small insignificant being, he didn’t even notice she was there watching his every move. Finally in the midst of him ushering his female associate towards his office door, the secretary alerted him of his visitor. All the while the two women didn’t look too friendly towards one another and that alone was a tell-tell sign of Lamont’s dealings.

“Danielle, what are you doing here?” Lamont asked sternly.

“I figured we needed to talk.”

“Talk? I’m pretty sure whatever you have to talk about could have waited until after business hours.” He reprimanded.

“It’s nice to see you again… I’m sorry, what was your name again?” Danni ignored her husband and greeted the woman next to him.

“Yes, it is nice to see you again…” Lamont cut the blonde off before she could finish her statement.

“I will come around to your office after I deal with my wife.” He shooed her away with ease and snow white gladly bolted out of the office. “Sheri hold all of my calls and visitors until further notice.” He spoke sternly to her.

“Yes sir.”

Storming into his office with a bang, Danni noticed right away that he didn’t usher her with any care unlike the way he handled his female counterpart. Slowly she made her way to his door and closing it behind her. Lamont had slung off his suit jacket and even loosened his tie. From the looks of him he was ready for war, like he was stressed out. He had no right to act as if he was going through so many changes when he is the one that is in the wrong. She is the one that has been losing sleep over her marriage, not him. It’s very evident that he could careless that she was in her feelings about something.

“We discussed this before Danielle. It was decided that you would not continue with these random visits to my place of employment.”

“Actually you decided. I thought it was dumb.”

“Excuse me? What has gotten into you?”

“You heard me Lamont. The real question is why did you want me to stop coming? Unless you are ashamed of me. What is it Lamont? What difference does it really make that I come by every once in a while? I am your wife. Spouses visit one another all of the time.”

“What is this about? Why are you suddenly nagging me about visiting me at my office? Do we not see one another at home every day? I sleep with you every night.”

“No you sleep beside me every night. There is a big difference. Choose your words wisely.”

“You sound like your ghetto sister the way you are running off at the mouth. Has she been filling your head with nonsense?”

“When did you get a new secretary?” Danni chose to ignore his ignorant comment. They have always gone back and forth with their banter. Lamont calls her and most of her family ghetto.

“Danielle, I hardly see that as any of your business.”

“It is when she looks at you the way she does. Is there something I should know about Lamont? You seem awfully chummy with your female counterparts.”

“You are so insecure. That is very unattractive.”

“I wouldn’t be insecure if I didn’t suspect my husband of creeping around on me. You make me feel like property, a burden at times, and I am sick of it.”

“You are my wife but you can be a pest as well.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me loud and clear, sweetheart. I’m a man and as a man I am not built for this girly tit for tat. When I tell you to watch your tone, I don’t expect to repeat myself more than once. Repeating myself is what one would do to a child and you claim to want one. You are not capable enough to follow simple directions given by the head of the household. How do you plan on being an active, stern parent? I have caught myself several times reevaluating the reason I chose you.” Lamont scolded Danni with brute force. He didn’t take any soft punches with his devastating blows.

“Well if that’s the way you feel, maybe you should have chosen the blonde bimbo you are screwing. Perhaps the broad that should only take your phone calls and check your emails would be a better Stepford wife than little ole ghetto me.”

“Perhaps you are right Danielle. It has crossed my mind on several occasions such as these irrational blow-ups of yours.” At Danielle’s sharp intake of air, Lamont smirked. It was evident he was getting enjoyment out of her uncomfortableness. “What’s the matter dear, didn’t expect me to be so blunt? Ask and you shall receive. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

“I can’t believe you.”

“My sentiments exactly.”

“I haven’t done anything that warrants the way you are treating me.”

“Exactly! You haven’t done much of anything. YOU haven’t excited me. YOU don’t excite me. YOU have let yourself go and not attempted at trying to get the toned curves back. YOU nag too damn much. Is any of this hitting a nerve with YOU? Do you understand what I am getting at?” Danni was astounded at the disrespect she was being dealt by the one she once loved. All of the love she tried to hang on to for these last couple of years was threatening to make her violently ill. “Now if there is nothing else, you can see yourself out. If you desire to continue this foolish conversation, although I would reconsider that notion, later would be the opportune time.”

“This isn’t over by a long shot.” Danni stood up abruptly watching him walk to his office door with a chuckle.

“In that case, I will see you at home dear.” Lamont said laced with sarcasm while holding the door wide as it was her cue to leave.

“…” Instead of replying she just kept walking out of the office.

“Have a good day Mrs. Graves.”

“You as well Jezebel.”

“Danielle, that was uncalled for.” Lamont reprimanded.

“Kiss my ass.” She said lowly. Lamont had officially lost his mind if he thought he could defend one of his whores against his very own wife. He had better think again because this was far from over as she stated. One thing was for sure if he thought she was just going to roll over and take this new abusive Lamont, he had better start from scratch. The rate he was going, he was on the fast track to divorce city whether he knew it or not.

Danni was completely outdone at his confession to cheating on her with other women. Whether it was just the two of them she mentioned or others that she had no clue about, Danni was appalled. The fact that he didn’t even care enough to deny her speculations was heartbreaking. He didn’t even know about the proof she held about his infidelity and he admitted to it. That alone was enough to make her want to burn the house down just to make all of his belongings disappear for good. Then the thought of his body not being inside to go as well it seemed frivolous.

As violent as that seemed, Danni was at that point. All sorts of murderous thoughts were roaming her mind and she had no way of getting them out. Before she could stop herself she walked a clear path in the plush carpet in their sitting room. ‘How extremely pompous of him to want a sitting room filled with all white furniture?’ She was going over all the things she hated about her husband as she waited for him to come through the door. The conversation was burning a hole in her skull like money in a shopaholic’s pocket. When the grandfather clock struck seven, realization sunk in that the bastard was probably laid up at that very moment.

The irrational Danielle was in full affect tearing his precious room to shreds. Feathers, wood, glass, and porcelain pieces were scattered all through the room. Everything was in disarray. Moving from room to room effortlessly, Danni started to put her angry hands on anything that he cherished in their home. ‘Their home?’ ‘Their union.’ ‘The marital bed.’ Their happily ever after has been interrupted. As it seems probably not briefly, this interruption seems more permanent. His unconcealed disrespect was more than she could handle. The text book would insist she seek therapy for this issue, the woman in her is saying to hell with therapy. Divorce!

Danni was now sitting in the bedroom that she shared with the bastard that stomped on her devotion to their vows. It only took her thirty minutes to destroy what took five years to perfect with him. His office, their living quarters, and his man cave was in shambles. The best thing that could happen at that point was if nature sent a tornado to come through and level the place. As sad as she felt, it wasn’t such a bad idea to just lay down and let the funnel suck her up as well. Her chest ached, her head hurt, and the tears left hot streaks down her face. The crazy part is she didn’t know if she was hurt, embarrassed, or just plain ole angry.

“What the hell is this?” She heard Lamont yell from downstairs. The anger and confusion coming from him almost made her crack a smile in triumph. “DANIELLE?” She ignored his demanding calls. He insisted on shouting her name instead of searching for her.

“Didn’t you hear me calling your name?”

“The neighbors heard you’re shouting Lamont.” Danni said sarcastically with a smirk.

“Why didn’t you answer me? Were we robbed? Did they take any valuables? Did you notify the police?” Danni laughed void of all humor at his questioning. The irony was comical. “What’s funny? Are you hurt?”

“You. That’s what I find funny.” She spat. “You ran around frantic. Worrying about any materialistic things being missing. Asking did I call the police? Only if what you’ve stolen from me was a crime in the court of law. Of course I’m hurt. Why wouldn’t I be? After all I just found out my husband is some other sadistic asshole that I don’t even know.”

“Tell me…”

“SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!” She shouted. “I am sick of your overbearing ass always trying to tell me how you feel. I have something to say without your pompous ass interrupting me.”

“YES, I was robbed. HELL YES, I’m hurt. YOU took something very valuable. TIME, you prick. The time I could have been spending on someone who would cherish me not try and change me.”

“Did you do all of this?”

“After everything I just said to you, that is all you got from that?”

“HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND WOMAN?!”

“I am pretty close to it.”

“Destruction of property is against the law even if it is to be considered as jointly ours.”

“So is domestic abuse.”

“I haven’t laid a hand on you.”

“News flash honey, no matter how many white women you stick your boring dick in your still black. Sorry to break your heart. So if I call with a complaint such as that, who do you think they will believe?”

“Typical black woman behavior.”

“You don’t even care that you hurt me, do you? Did you ever love me? What was I to you? I really need to understand your reasoning.”

“You’re kidding right? You’re seriously trying to treat me like one of your patients.”

“Would you just answer the questions?”

“You are my wife. Point. Blank. Period. All you need to know is that.”

“How long have you been cheating on me?”

“It doesn’t really matter, now does it?”

“Yes it does matter. Why can’t you answer my questions straight-forward?”

“You are too sensitive to handle the truth.”

“How long have you been boning Snow White?”

“It has nothing to do with you who I am seeing and how long I have been seeing them. You couldn’t handle all of my truths so just give it a rest.”

“Are you seriously going to sit here in my face, in our home, and tell me that it’s none of my concern if you catch AIDS? So if you bring Mono home, I am just supposed to go to the doctor for my antibiotics quietly. You got life real…”

“Watch it Danielle you are skating on thin ice. Don’t say something you will regret later. Now if you don’t mind I am going to shower and prepare for my day tomorrow. I would really appreciate it if you cleaned up the mess you made during your little temper tantrum.”

“Temper tantrum? How the hell can you walk away so nonchalant like it’s no big deal that you are in a committed relationship but step out regularly?” As an extra thought, Danni decided to ask the million dollar question. “What if the roles were reversed? Would you be so understanding?”

“Easy, I look at you as a child. A dependent. Your little stunt tearing up things in our home further proved my point. I will continue to treat you as such. Rule number one is children are to be seen and not heard. You would never consider stepping out on me. Please! Who would want an immature, loud mouth, and not to mention chubby woman such as yourself?” He annunciated as if she were dumb. “Face it sweetie, you should thank your lucky stars I chose you. Oh and I already had dinner so no need to fix anything.”

Danni was so outdone at the things he chose to say to her. Her heart hurt tremendously. There was nothing she could do besides shed those stupid unwanted tears. If her self-esteem didn’t suffer before, it has taken a nose dive into no man’s land now. After the verbal abuse from Lamont, the man she swore to love forever had destroyed any light she had in her life. It would probably be better to just end things but she had enough common sense to know that wasn’t the answer. That would only cause those who truly loved her to suffer and she didn’t want that for them.

Murder wasn’t an option either for she couldn’t see herself serving a life sentence for his stupidity. What man in their right mind pokes the bear when they have already stolen something important from them? An insane man is what. Why, was the question that was nagging her the way he claims she nags him? Why would he throw away years together for flings? How many had there been? Does she know any of them? Does he have feelings for any of them? Why did he even stay with her this long if he didn’t really want to be there? Her mind was made up if he didn’t want her she wouldn’t make him stay.

Danni drove until she was downtown, far away from home. Honestly she hadn’t even realized she had walked out of the house until she was exiting the freeway. The only thing she had with her was her purse. It was evident Lamont could give two shits that she wasn’t there when he came out of the bathroom so she didn’t bother leaving a note. Plus she had been gone for at least twenty minutes and he had yet to call. Pulling into one of the new hotels in the area, she had the valet park her car. Asking for directions to the bar area, she had a seat in the booth furthest in the corner.

The waitress approached with a gentle, chirpy demeanor until she noticed Danni wasn’t in an accepting mood. Danni tried her best to not be a bitch and just ordered the strongest drink she could muster up. Whiskey sour. One of her favorites when she was in college until Lamont told her it wasn’t lady-like to drink such manly drinks. That was her first mistake as she started to reflect over their time together. She let him make so many decisions in her life. How she dressed. How she spoke. What name she went by. Where she worked. Where they stayed. What she ate and how she ate it. Drank what he said was appropriate. Lamont was a raging control freak and she let her love for him mask the obvious.

By the fifth whiskey sour, she started to loosen up quite a bit. It had been so long since she had real alcohol. Knowing full well that an alcoholic beverage was the last thing to solve her problems she kept downing them. Several men in the area tried to pick her up but she wasn’t that desperate. Even though it would serve her no good husband right but for her to let some random man bang her guts out would be stooping to an all-time low. She was not so drunk she would stoop to his level. Danni was sexually frustrated but not to that point just yet. Or was she?

“Sweetheart, you’re too beautiful to be sitting all alone.” A man spoke with a face full of acne. Danni mentally rolled her eyes at the cheap pick up line. What about her was beautiful?

“Oh really?” She chuckled to herself looking in the other direction.

“Hope you don’t mind if I join you.” He took a seat without her official acceptance. Danni thought for sure he had to be clueless or had a death wish. Even if she was on the outside looking in, she would automatically know to run away. “The name is Henry.”

“Look, Henry. I’m not in the mood honestly. I don’t want to be rude but…”

“Hold up beautiful. Calm down. I just wanted to brighten your night.”

“That would happen so much quicker if you went back to where you came from.”

“OUCH.” He pretended to be hurt with his hand over his heart. “Look-a-here, let me just get you another drink.”

“No thank you. I can buy my own.”

“Come on now. It would be my pleasure to treat a pretty little thing such as yourself.” He smiled signaling for the waitress to come to the table.

“Yes sir?” The waitress asked when she arrived.

“It would be more pleasurable if I could continue my pity-party alone.” Danni was beginning to lose patience with the ugly duckling sitting across from her. She faintly heard the waitress giggle at her response.

“Ah now, don’t be like that. Can I get another beer and the pretty lady will have another…”

“Booth. Table. Hotel. Room. Anywhere there is solitary confinement with a wet bar.”

“Just bring her another whatever she is drinking.”

“Right away.” Danni didn’t miss the humor that was rolling off of the young lady. She hated being rude but he was testing her patience. He didn’t seem to take a hint very well. She feared she would rip him a new one if he didn’t catch a clue.

“Now back to the reason such a beautiful woman is sitting all alone with such a bitter look on her face.”

“What about me is beautiful right now? My eyes are red and swollen. I’m flushed from all the whiskey sours I’ve drank. My hair is a mess from destroying the house filled with broken dreams. I’m pissed and might I add, I AM bitter. Well within my rights to feel that way if you must know.”

“How about I help you forget about your troubles for now?”

“I feel like pure shit. So excuse me if I don’t feel beautiful nor do I feel like being bothered. How about this Harry, find you some business that doesn’t involve making yourself seem so desperate. No offense.”

“Henry.”

“What?”

“My name is Henry.”

“Okay whatever. Please leave.”

“I was just trying to make your night. No need to be a stuck-up bitch about it.”

“I will own that one. I tried to be nice but you couldn’t catch a hint with a baseball mitt.”

“Is there a problem here?” A tall drink of water interrupted whatever the smugly man was going to say next. Danni was officially feeling the effects of the drinks she had consumed. The actual count was escaping her memory.

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Danni slurred after throwing a double shot of whiskey down her throat. Followed by the whiskey sour that had miraculously appeared. Did she order that one? Her memory was failing her.

“She is just being a bitch that’s all.”

“Hey brother, that’s no way to speak to a lady.”

“Lady? This drunken broad ain’t no damn lady. Tried to make her day.” He stomped away to his entourage who laughed at his failed attempt.

“It will continue down its shitty path. Thanks and have a nice day.” Danni staggered to her feet, straightened out her clothes, and attempted to walk towards the exit. She didn’t know how she would get home but she had to leave here. Yuck mouth was threatening to spoil her buzz.

“Excuse me but can I…” She heard the kind gentleman from before try and get her attention.

“Please just leave me be. I am not beautiful. I am not interested. NO, I’m not an easy lay. I would not like a drink. Please fuck off.”