Sweetest Revenge

chp.6

"How can I do that if I already have a child by him?"

"I don't think it matters. You just have to make sure you don't consummate your marriage."

"What the hell consummate your marriage mean?" Shante asked Keturah who exhaled in a long drawn out breath.

"It means to have sex."

"Wait!" Shante held up her hand. "So you think she can live with that fine a$$ brotha over there and not consummate her marriage?" she held up air quotes.

"Yes I do. She's a strong independent black woman and don't need a man to make her happy." Shante and I stared at her blinking. Ummmm....

"What am I, a lesbian?" I couldn't help but ask. Shante held her head back and laughed as loud as ever.

"Gurl please..." she said to Keturah. "You can go somewhere with that feminist I think I'd rather be with a woman mess. I got a hundred dolla's say she consummate her marriage if not tonight, definitely within the next two weeks." Now it was Keturah and I that stood blinking at Shante. Ummm...

"What am I, a hochie?" Both of them were tripping. I ain't no feminist. I would love to be able to depend on my man but I ain't no hochie either. Kaleb said we only had to stay married for two years. I had enough control over myself to remain untouched till then.

"Naw baby," Shante's voice cut into my thoughts as if she heard them.

"Being a hochie ain't got nothing to do with it. However, what you are is married to a six foot plus, strongly muscled, dripping fine, Alpha Male that has been looking at you all night like you are one of Mama Rita's steaks and he a hungry man that ain't eat in months." She looked at me out the side of her eyes. Pursing her lips in a way that told me she was getting ready to say something scandalous.

"Or shall I say, two years...If you know what I mean!" She did a little roll with her body that was so Shante like, but she had a good point.

Oh, my goodness!

My gaze went back to Kaleb and sure enough he was watching me. The look in his eyes was that of a hungry wolf; there was no doubt about it. His gaze slowly went from my mouth, to my neck and lower. Then he licked his lips. I had been so caught up in everything that was going on that I didn't even pay attention to how he had been watching me, all night. Even when we were in the court house, vowing to live as man and wife, he had that predatory look in his eyes.

"And darling, when he gets a hold of what has put that..." She paused for just a moment. "Look, in his eyes. He ain't gone let it go until it has been good and thoroughly loved." She spoke those words softly as if she was the voice in my head, narrating my thoughts.

"And ummm, yea, my girl strong, but even Mother Theresa ain't got the kind of strength to resist a man like that. Especially, if it's been two long years since he tasted the honey. So like I said, I give it two weeks, tops."

"You think you know Monica so well but you don't, I'll take that bet. When my girl put her mind to do something, she follows through. If she says she want out of that marriage that has been so ruthlessly forced on her, then that's what she's going to make happen. A hundred dolla's says she stay firm and not give into her oppressor." With a frown on her face Shante shook her head at Keturah.

"Oppressor? He ain't her oppressor! He her man. And you got...if after two weeks, Miss Monica here, that you claim you know, have not let the boss man over there, dip his hand in the cookie jar, then I'll give you a hundred dolla's. But if she does, you pay me and shut the hell up about Africa." And as they shook hands making a bet on my life, my eyes as if they had a will of their own, strayed back across the room to Kaleb. He nodded at something Shelomoh said before he turned to look at me. And it was as if he could read my mind because the grin that came across his face said loud and clear that he wasn't going to play fair and that he most definitely had a taste for honey.