Trickery & Envy by D.C. Johnson Page B

and moved her head rapidly as if it wasn’t enough to shield her. Instead she grabbed her red satin robe and quickly slid her arms into it and tying the thin straps into a bow. “You have to leave Toni. I can’t do this,” throwing her hands up, refusing to hear anymore.
    What Toni hoped against was playing out, her rejection of him. He outstretched his palm to her again.
    “Don’t do this Vivian,” he pleaded and with rejection fast filling a place that housed love for her. “Please...don’t push me away,” he implored. “I was hoping for a more positive response.”
    Vivian couldn’t look at Toni anymore. She turned away putting her hand out as if it were a stop sign. Tears filled her eyes.
    “Toni, please , please leave...I need some time...you’re a woman. Please, just go.” Vivian kept her back to him as tears slid down her face.
    Toni on the verge of weeping himself rose from the bed . He began putting his clothes on sliding into his brief and pants and with a sunken heart glanced over at her. She still refused to look his way. God why did I know this was going to happen, he though shaking his head as he pulled his black spandex t-shirt over his head then his shirt. A dejected Toni looked at Vivian again with a tight smile. He then proceeded to comply with her request and departed without another word. Toni knew no matter what, he had to give her space. As he reached the living room he slowed his step contemplating another plea, but within seconds moved on.
    Toni got inside his black Ford Explorer and hurting couldn’t start his SUV. He placed the key into the ignition then helplessly leaned over the steering wheel and cried. He balled his hand and slammed it down on the steering wheel sounding the horn.
    “God, please don’t let me lose this woman,” he prayed.
    Vivian mov ed quickly to shower. It was as if Toni had lied and giving her a STD, and if she acted quickly enough she could decontaminate the infection before it spread. She stepped inside and turned both the hot and cold water on full blast. The only thing the water did was quickly flatten her hair that she had done yesterday by her assistant. Vivian threw her head back as the water streamed fast down the sadness in her face.
    “Why didn’t he tell me? Why didn’t he tell me? I can’t do this!” she cried out.
    ***
    The sound of Toni’s horn had Jennifer raising her head from her pillow. She had been asleep. She got up out the bed in her cotton pajamas and went over to the bedroom window. Charles was so deep into sleep he didn’t feel Jennifer rise out of the bed. He could sleep through a severe thunderstorm, which he actually did once. While shingles flew off roofs, including theirs, and while trees were being struck by lightning, Charles continued to sleep. It usually took a couple of nudges from Jennifer to wake him from a slumber.
    Jennifer was straining her neck spying on the car in Vivian’s driveway. She saw the back end of a black SUV. “Is that Toni’s car?” she quizzed and then glanced over at the digital clock on the nightstand. “What’s going on over there?” It was 2:30 A.M. Jennifer left her bedroom and headed to the living room to get a better look at her friend’s driveway. “First the police now car horns sounding,” she uttered. “It’s probably that damn brother of hers again,” she assumed then corrected her assumption after arriving at the dining room window. It gave her a broad view of Vivian’s driveway. “Wait, that is Toni’s car,” watching it back out of the driveway. “Why did he sound the horn? Maybe he hit it by mistake,” she concluded.
    Toni saw the woman who had called out to Vivian earlier watching him from her glass pane window. Jennifer didn’t attempt to hide she was looking. Though Toni had been to Vivian’s house a few times he had yet to meet Jennifer. He continued backing out of the driveway and then down the street.
    Jennifer wait ed a moment before leaving the window.