know. And he’s been working the case and offering his help and protection. Because Carla won’t just come clean and tell us who—”
Terrill cut her off, full of glee. “So have you talked with him about what happened in the past? Is that why he’s offering his help? I knew he’d under—”
She sighed and cut him right back off. “I haven’t told him anything. I don’t plan on telling him any—” She stopped midsentence and cleared her throat. “I’ve gotta go, Terrill. Jason’s here. I’ll call you later.”
She just smooth hung up on me and she’s going to leave me hanging like that? I can’t believe her. He waited and waited, and when she didn’t call him back in an hour, he called her back.
“Yes?” Penny answered her phone in her business voice and he knew that she knew it was him calling.
Jason must still be around.
“Girl, you know you can’t just leave a brother hanging like that.” Terrill tried not to laugh but did it anyway.
“Right, you’ll have to deal with my partner on this. I’m out of town due to a death in the family. Please call the office during business hours and someone will be able to respond to your inquiry.”
Terrill really busted a gut then. “Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow and by then I want full disclosure.”
“Right. Call during business hours. Goodbye.” Penny hung up very quickly and all he could do was laugh. Yes, he had to find out what was going on with those two. And he might not be able to wait until the next day.
He decided to ring up Maritza instead.
“So I’m working your nerves, babe?”
She laughed that cute sexy laugh of hers. “You know I had to keep up appearances, especially with our Penny. She would sniff us out right away if we changed up in the slightest way. And then there is the fact that after meeting with your A&R people I really wanted to strangle you—and them.”
He laughed even though he still wasn’t sure why they had to be such a big secret.
Second Interlude
Ready, Willing and Able…
“D a—mn! I knew we were about to hear a story. But this is beyond crazy! How in the world did you get Terrill to agree to keep you all’s relationship a secret for so long? I can’t believe none of us even knew it. I just knew I was going to have to fight you for Lawrence when we first met, and it turns out you weren’t even checking for Lawrence at all.” Minerva Hightower was sitting next to Carla, snacking on popcorn as if they were watching a movie or something instead of listening to the story of how Maritza found the man of her dreams and lost him.
“Girl, Terrill is good for keeping secrets, just ask Brat, oops…I mean Penny. He kept her secret for years and that was some old craziness right there if I ever saw it. I would have dimed her out years ago if I knew and I’m her mother.” Carla chomped on the popcorn.
“That’s right, he lied for Penny to Jason about cheating on Jason. Penny wanted Jason to believe she had cheated with Terrill and that the baby she miscarried was Terrill’s and not Jason’s.” Samantha Hightower plopped down on the sofa and grabbed some popcorn.
“Umm…hello…I’m right here and I certainly don’t appreciate y’all recounting my business like it’s some soap opera.” Penny rolled her eyes at her in-laws and glared at her mother.
“ Your business? What about all of y’all in my house giving me the third degree and trying to get all into what happened between Terrill and me?” Maritza shook her head at the lot of them and almost laughed at the Hightower women and Carla until she remembered her own family was there listening to the tale as well.
Her mother, father and brothers were seated in the other chairs and love seat in the room. She glanced at each one and each one was giving her their unique personalized versions of the I’m-so-disappointed-in-you-Maritza stare.
Just what she needed…
Not!
“Do you love him, niña bonita? ” Her father was never
Terrill cut her off, full of glee. “So have you talked with him about what happened in the past? Is that why he’s offering his help? I knew he’d under—”
She sighed and cut him right back off. “I haven’t told him anything. I don’t plan on telling him any—” She stopped midsentence and cleared her throat. “I’ve gotta go, Terrill. Jason’s here. I’ll call you later.”
She just smooth hung up on me and she’s going to leave me hanging like that? I can’t believe her. He waited and waited, and when she didn’t call him back in an hour, he called her back.
“Yes?” Penny answered her phone in her business voice and he knew that she knew it was him calling.
Jason must still be around.
“Girl, you know you can’t just leave a brother hanging like that.” Terrill tried not to laugh but did it anyway.
“Right, you’ll have to deal with my partner on this. I’m out of town due to a death in the family. Please call the office during business hours and someone will be able to respond to your inquiry.”
Terrill really busted a gut then. “Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow and by then I want full disclosure.”
“Right. Call during business hours. Goodbye.” Penny hung up very quickly and all he could do was laugh. Yes, he had to find out what was going on with those two. And he might not be able to wait until the next day.
He decided to ring up Maritza instead.
“So I’m working your nerves, babe?”
She laughed that cute sexy laugh of hers. “You know I had to keep up appearances, especially with our Penny. She would sniff us out right away if we changed up in the slightest way. And then there is the fact that after meeting with your A&R people I really wanted to strangle you—and them.”
He laughed even though he still wasn’t sure why they had to be such a big secret.
Second Interlude
Ready, Willing and Able…
“D a—mn! I knew we were about to hear a story. But this is beyond crazy! How in the world did you get Terrill to agree to keep you all’s relationship a secret for so long? I can’t believe none of us even knew it. I just knew I was going to have to fight you for Lawrence when we first met, and it turns out you weren’t even checking for Lawrence at all.” Minerva Hightower was sitting next to Carla, snacking on popcorn as if they were watching a movie or something instead of listening to the story of how Maritza found the man of her dreams and lost him.
“Girl, Terrill is good for keeping secrets, just ask Brat, oops…I mean Penny. He kept her secret for years and that was some old craziness right there if I ever saw it. I would have dimed her out years ago if I knew and I’m her mother.” Carla chomped on the popcorn.
“That’s right, he lied for Penny to Jason about cheating on Jason. Penny wanted Jason to believe she had cheated with Terrill and that the baby she miscarried was Terrill’s and not Jason’s.” Samantha Hightower plopped down on the sofa and grabbed some popcorn.
“Umm…hello…I’m right here and I certainly don’t appreciate y’all recounting my business like it’s some soap opera.” Penny rolled her eyes at her in-laws and glared at her mother.
“ Your business? What about all of y’all in my house giving me the third degree and trying to get all into what happened between Terrill and me?” Maritza shook her head at the lot of them and almost laughed at the Hightower women and Carla until she remembered her own family was there listening to the tale as well.
Her mother, father and brothers were seated in the other chairs and love seat in the room. She glanced at each one and each one was giving her their unique personalized versions of the I’m-so-disappointed-in-you-Maritza stare.
Just what she needed…
Not!
“Do you love him, niña bonita? ” Her father was never
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