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  “But you wouldn’t answer your cell phone,” a woman said on the other end.

  “I never heard it ring,” he replied. “It probably needs charging.”

  “Oh,” the woman said. “Are you coming over tonight?”

  “Did you get your hair and nails done?”

  “No,” she said. “I couldn’t. It was too late to go after you brought me the money. I’ll go tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know if I can make it tonight,” Erik said. “Tina’s home.”

  “Sneak out like you did last night,” she said with a giggle. “She’ll never know.”

  “I’ll see,” Erik said. “But I can’t make any promises.”

  The young woman said something obscene about what she would do for Erik if he came, and he just chuckled.

  Tina looked down at the caller ID and memorized the phone number. She waited for Erik to end the call and hang up before she eased the receiver back down. Tina gathered some clothes and walked into the bathroom to shower. Fifteen minutes later, she sat across from Erik eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy. Everything went down into her stomach like a rock. She had indigestion before the meal ended. Tina said goodnight and went back up to the bedroom to find an antacid, leaving Erik to clean up the kitchen. About an hour later, she heard him tiptoe into the room when he thought she was asleep. He got some clothes and tiptoed back out of the room. A few minutes later, she heard the garage door open and close, and the sound of a car driving away from the house.

  Tina sighed. He was back to his old tricks again. The man couldn’t stay monogamous even if she paid him, which she did. Tina yawned, suddenly too tired to keep her eyes open. She went off to sleep. A noise woke her about three in the morning. Erik had returned, and for once, he had the decency not to try to climb up in her bed.

  ****

  Kevin’s eyes opened bright and early the next morning after another restless night. He stepped out of bed, pushed his feet into a pair of slippers, and then he walked to the bathroom to shower and get ready for his second day at the Design Factory. The first day hadn’t been too bad and it would take a lot more on his part to get comfortable working around so many people. He’d like being independent and working on his own, and the only reason he agreed to accept Tina’s offer of partnership was to get closer to her. A fool reason, he supposed, since she had no idea how he felt about her.

  Lately, his cock had a mind of its own, choosing to spring into life whenever he was near Tina or just by thinking about her. He knew he shouldn’t bother since she was in a committed relationship, but he couldn’t help it. She was just so beautiful and had a gentle nature. He foolishly dreamed of a future with her, in the house from his sketchbook, with two point five kids. Who was he kidding? She’d probably marry Erik and have a miserable life with his womanizing ways that everyone knew about, including Tina. Why she pretended she didn’t see him with that woman in the restaurant he didn’t know. It was just plain crazy and unhealthy to just keep it all bottled up inside and not discuss it with anyone.

  He finished with his shower and got dressed, and left his apartment with his briefcase in hand. Kevin stood on the stoop looking around the neighborhood. He didn’t know how much longer he could take the emptiness or the loneliness. He hadn’t felt this depressed since he’d left Taiwan. He walked to the parking lot and got into his car. Minutes later, he was on the highway driving toward work.

  A familiar-looking dark blue BMW headed toward him. Kevin gazed over out of his window toward the other driver. Erik. And he wasn’t alone. A female sat in the passenger seat, and it wasn’t Tina. It was, if memory served him right, the young woman from the Thai restaurant. He remembered her hair….a brassy blonde and not the correct color for her skin tone. He sighed. Part of him wanted to pick up the phone and call Tina, but the other part told him to cool it. No doubt she already knew he was gone by now, or the filthy cheating scoundrel waited until Tina left for work and then he high-tailed it in another direction.

  Why didn’t Tina say anything? She was like two or three different females. There was the intelligent one who designed and invented wonderful gadgets and ran successful companies, and then there was the one who always beat the shit out of him in Kung Fu. She was forceful and independent at those times. And lastly, there was the weak Tina with no sense of self-respect. He didn’t know which one was real, but he desperately hoped it was the second one who came to life in the dojo two or three times a week. He needed a woman who would walk beside him as an equal, one who was willing to go the whole nine yards to get something accomplished. Not one who looked like she would burst into tears any minute. And no doubt the man was going to be late for work this morning, if he showed up at all. After yesterday, one would think he’d be smart enough to be on time. He’d even left early yesterday and missed the meeting, and he bet anything that Tina paid him for a full day’s work. It was so unfair to the other employees who made it to work on time, who put in their eight hours, and didn’t leave until the job was done.

  Maybe Erik was a salaried employee instead of an hourly one. Maybe he should have a little talk with Alexis to find out how things worked around the office. He didn’t want to step on any toes, but as a full partner, he wasn’t going to stand for paying someone who didn’t work or couldn’t perform.

  Kevin was at the office building before he knew it. He drove into the executive parking spot assigned to him. Tina’s car sat in the spot next to his. He smirked. The woman wasn’t pretentious. She could have had a driver pick her up and drop her off every day with the kind of money she had. She drove a sensible economy car that probably got good miles to the gallon, while her leach of a boyfriend drove a very expensive foreign car.

  Kevin turned off the motor and slid out of the seat. The only reason he could see why Tina continued to put up with Erik was that he had to be good in bed. He rolled his eyes, embarrassed that he’d stooped so low as using the sex card. That had to be it. Why else would she keep him around doing what he did? And he didn’t think it was love. Maybe in the beginning it might have been, but not now. He’d known Tina for a couple of years now and not once had he heard the sentence, “I love Erik” come out of her luscious mouth. Nope, she didn’t love him and he bet she fretted over how to get out of the relationship with him without either of them getting hurt. But there was no way around it. Tina needed to ditch that loser and get on with her life.

  He didn’t remember walking to the administration office, but he stood there with Alexis’ eagle eyes glued on him and a know it all smile on her lips.

  “Good morning,” she told him.

  “Good morning,” Kevin said. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine,” Alexis replied. “How about you?”

  “Pissed,” he answered.

  “Anything I can help you with?”

  Tina took that very moment to come into the administration office.

  “Maybe later,” he said.

  “Good morning,” Tina said, bowing to him.

  “Good morning. What time is the staff meeting?” Kevin asked.

  “Ten,” Tina answered.

  That gave Erik three hours to make it to work.

  “I’ll be in my office,” Kevin said, bowing to the two women. He walked off.

  ****

  “Why are meetings so exhausting?” Alexis asked as she and Tina entered the beauty salon. There were a few women already there before them getting their hair and nails worked on, while others had their feet resting in water preparing for a pedicure.

  “That’s because people have a right to their opinion, which makes the meetings longer,” Tina explained.

  “Well, at least we get a break next week since you’ll be out of town.”

  “Yeah, I’m looking forward to a couple of days in San Francisco.” She was going there to talk with the toy crafter and manufacturers.

  The male owner of the salon waved them over. “What can I do for your ladies today?”

  “Hair, a
pedicure, and a full set of nails,” Alexis answered.

  “Same for me,” Tina told the man.

  He pointed to two empty seats for them to have their pedicures done first.

  “And you’ll have Kevin with you to keep you company.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Tina asked Alexis. She put her feet into the water. “I’ve been on plenty of business trips before by myself.”

  “And what do you do while you’re there?” Alexis asked. “You just stay in your room working and not going out on the town for a little sight-seeing.” She eased her feet into the water and lay back in the seat.

  “That’s because I’m on a business trip. If I planned to sight-see, it would be called a vacation. Anyway, I probably won’t be seeing much of Kevin. He has some friends in San Francisco that he might visit.”

  Alexis shook her head. She loved Tina like a sister, but sometimes she went through life with blinders on. She was going to be alone in San Francisco with a gorgeous man who liked her and all she thought about was work.

  “Maybe I’ll get in some sight-seeing,” Tina said, non-committal. “Or, Erik and I can go on vacation there after the holidays.”

  Alexis tried not to let her contempt for Erik show on her face. The man had come to work late again today, reeking of cheap cologne and pretending that nothing was wrong. Even Tina couldn’t be that blind.

  They moved over to the manicurists after their pedicures were done. Two young women entered and sat next to Alexis. One of them looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

  “I need a full set of nails,” the one with the blonde hair said to the manicurist.

  Why is her voice so familiar?

  Tina looked up at the sound of the woman’s voice, stared, and then looked back down at what the young Asian woman was doing to her nails.

  Was it her imagination or did Tina seem to know the young woman or recognize her voice? Alexis leaned to her right. “Do you know her?”

  “I don’t think so,” Tina replied. “But her voice is familiar.”

  Alexis nodded in agreement and then relaxed in her chair. She closed her eyes. The conversation to the left of her interrupted her train of thought.

  “I told you Erik was going to come through with the money, girl. His old lady is loaded. She’s some kind of rich bitch that owns the company he works for.”

  Alexis’ eyes opened and she sat up a bit straighter.

  “What kind of company does she own?” the other woman with her asked. “Maybe she can hook us up with some jobs.”

  The blonde laughed. “Don’t be crazy. I don’t want to work. I don’t need to as long as he pays all my bills and gives me spending money. And get this; he’s taking me on a vacation this weekend.”

  “Girl, where are you going this time?”

  “The Bahamas.”

  “You’re so lucky. He buys you jewelry, gets your hair and nails done, and takes you on vacation. Does he have a brother?”

  The blonde laughed.

  Tina looked up again. Her eyes narrowed in on the young woman, but she didn’t say a word.

  Alexis knew who the young woman was the moment she laughed. She had been at the restaurant with Erik. No wonder he wasn’t accompanying Tina to San Francisco. He’d be in the Bahamas with this little gold-digger.

  “No, he doesn’t have a brother, just a very stupid and naïve wife. He even snuck out of the house the last couple of nights to be with me.”

  Alexis wasn’t prone to jumping to conclusions, but this could not be a coincidence. Too many pieces fit.

  Tina’s nails got finished first so the manager escorted her over to the hairstylist, leaving Alexis alone to do more snooping.

  “And he said she’s buying him a new car. He already has a BMW.”

  Both women squealed.

  “Ooh, maybe he’ll give you the BMW.”

  Both women squealed again.

  “Girl, I’d look good behind the wheel of that thing.”

  It’s her. Alexis looked over at Tina, wondering how much of the conversation she heard. Tina was laid back in a chair getting her long brown hair washed. Hum, Erik will be in the Bahamas with the hoochie and then Tina will be in San Francisco with Kevin the following week. Sounds perfect. Maybe Tina will wake up and finally see Kevin as a man and not just her Sensei.

  ****

  “Are you cheating on me again?” Tina asked Erik later that evening after returning home from the beauty salon.

  Erik looked up from his meal abruptly. “No, where would you get a crazy idea like that?”

  “What would you have me think?” she asked, toying with the peas on her plate. “You’re sneaking out of the house during the night and then I hear some woman on your cell phone who sounds exactly like this chick in the beauty parlor with me this evening.”

  Erik stopped chewing. “You’re imagining things.” He cut into his steak.

  “Am I? Because a lot of the stuff I heard this afternoon out of her mouth sounds vaguely familiar. How many Eriks do I know that have an old lady who owns her own business and who drives around in a BMW?”

  Erik put the steak knife down. “Didn’t I swear to you the last time that I wouldn’t cheat on you again? I meant it. What do I have to do to prove that I’m innocent? I love you, Tina, and I want to get married and have some kids.”

  That last line was good, but far from believable. She sighed. She’d heard it all before and every time, it ended up with him cheating on her again. There was a scant possibility that he was telling her the truth, but she doubted it. Erik wasn’t having sex with her so he must be getting it somewhere else. She scooped the scalloped potatoes onto her fork and raised it to her mouth. And she liked sex. A woman could only take so much rejection.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something,” Erik said, changing the subject.

  Tina swallowed the potatoes. “Yes?”

  “I went to a car dealership today. That’s why I couldn’t attend the staff meeting.”

  “Is something wrong with your car?” She’d just had it serviced and detailed.

  “It’s old,” Kevin said.

  “It’s only two years old,” Tina said. “Has it been giving you problems?”

  “No,” Erik said. “I just think it’s outdated and I would like a new one.”

  The car she drove was five years old and not once had she entertained the idea of buying another one. “What kind of car?” Tina asked.

  “A Maybach fifty-seven. It has a V-twelve bi-turbo engine that can reach six-hundred and twelve HP and one-hundred and seventy miles per hour.”

  Tina gawked. Is he kidding? “A German sports car?”

  Erik nodded with a gleam in his eyes. “And it’s a steal at three-hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars.”

  Did she have ignorant written all over her face? The car note alone would be astronomical. Where did he expect to get that kind of money? “That’s the top of the line model.”

  “But it’s so clean,” Erik said. “I can just see us rolling down the highway in it.”

  Tina smirked. She’d never ridden inside of the BMW.

  “And clients would flip when I ride them around in it.”

  Yes, his clients would flip and probably not buy from him because they’d think he was embezzling money from the company on a salesman’s salary.

  “And I’d want it in candy apple red or silver.”

  Tina rose and emptied her plate. Erik only saw her as a meal ticket. Of course, this was mostly her fault for spoiling him.

  “Where are you going? We haven’t finished discussing it.”

  Tina leaned against the cabinet. “I thought you were finished. Is there something else?”

  “When can you take off and go look at it?”

  “What do you need me for?” Tina asked. “I can see it when you bring it home.”

  “Don’t joke with me, Tina. You know I can’t afford a car like that. You have to go to sign the papers.”r />
  Tina laughed. “Dream on, Romeo. Let the little blonde bimbo buy you that. You got her hair and nails done. That’s the least she can do for you.” She walked out of the kitchen, leaving him to stew.

  ****

  Erik looked toward the kitchen door expecting Tina to come back in and apologize to him. But after a few minutes, he figured it wasn’t going to happen. He frowned. He never expected her to turn him down or say no. She was always so accommodating. Now what was he going to do? Luckily, the car salesman hadn’t allowed him to sign any contracts or he would have been legally bound and in some serious debt. Why is she being like this? He guessed she was still mad at him. Stupid Shanna. What were the chances of the two of them being in the same beauty salon at the same time? And there was no doubt that’s what had happened. Tina wouldn’t just bring something like this up out of the blue.

  He continued to frown, betting that Shanna had her big mouth friend Linda with her, and Tina probably overheard the conversation. He’d have a talk with Shanna later. Why couldn’t women just keep their damn mouths shut? Now look what happened. It had cost him his dream car.

  Erik finished up his food and emptied his plate. Maybe he should go up and try to plead his case with Tina. No, that wouldn’t work. She would never fall for it. He snapped his fingers. Sex. That always worked with Tina. How long has it been since the two of them had made love? He asked himself as he headed out of the kitchen. Hell, he couldn’t remember. He chuckled. She would be all over him if he went upstairs and turned the charm on. Sex was never one of their problems. Tina was always warm and receptive in bed, but he was always afraid to try anything new with her. Maybe tonight he might try. Who knew? Maybe she’d be horny enough to be game for anything.

  Erik hurried through the house and climbed the stairs. He heard the droning of the television coming from their bedroom as he reached the top of the stairs. Erik turned the knob and walked into the bedroom. He found Tina fast asleep in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Oh well, her loss. He tiptoed over to the closet for a change of clothes. If he was quiet enough, he could sneak out of the house and go see Shanna and return before Tina woke up. He smirked. Maybe he’d withhold sex from Tina a little longer. Then she’d be begging to buy him that car. What else could she do? It wasn’t like there was another man around who wanted her. She’d see. By the time he returned from the Bahamas, Tina would be begging him to make love to her.