Tanya and Sharon peeked through the window at Eric and Didi. They could not hear what was said but they could tell by the gestures that Eric was angry.
"Well it's about time he stood up to that bitch," Sharon said.
Tanya looked at Sharon. "What does that mean?"
"She is always up to her little games, like pretending to be drunk so Eric or one of the guys could take her home; I wont let Eli near her." Sharon said.
Eric was beyond pissed to find Didi at the house.
"Don't try to distract me from what you did here. I know Tanya did not invite you here today; I was there last night and heard what she said to you, remember?"
"I just wanted to show her the collection, I swear Eric that is all it is. She did not mind me stopping by."
"You think you know me Didi? You think you know my wife? You have no fucking clue who you are dealing with here."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I am saying that coming here and forcing your way into my house and on my family is a fucking red line."
"Is that a threat Eric? Are you threatening me?"
"I tell you this, don't fucking pull this again or you will wish you never knew me."
"I am sorry."
"Fucking leave now and don't fucking look back or you might just turn into a pillar of salt."
Didi hissed her teeth and got into her car. Eric bent over at the car window. "Don't fuck with me Didi; when it comes to my wife and daughter, I don't take prisoner."
Eric walked back to the house and Tanya and Sharon ran and took a seat, pretending that they were not just peeking at him outside and trying to eavesdrop on his conversation. Eric looked from Tanya to Sharon, knowing exactly what they were up to.
"Sharon? Don't you have some place you need to be? Eric asked still pumped up from his conversation with Didi.
"No, I don't." Sharon answered looking at her nails.
Eric picked up her bag and shoved it at her. "This yours? Take you your shit and go; I need to talk to my wife ALONE," he said with much emphasis.
Sharon got up and gave him a dirty look. "Remember Eric, If you sleep with dogs, then you wake up with fleas."
"Get the fuck out of here and don't give me any of your parables. I am not in the mood for your shit."
<><><><><><>
Once Sharon left he turned on Tanya. "What were you thinking letting that woman in the house?"
"Didi is your friend Eric," Tanya shouted.
"Didi is not my friend; she is a client for heaven sake. I told you that. When was the last time I brought home a client? I have a place of business Tanya and that is where business is conducted or at a public place, not at home."
"What if she had a gun? Well why am I worried about that? You have your own gun."
"You don't have to bring up the shooting incident every time you open your mouth; I said that I was sorry that I shoot you."
Eric looked at her. "Are you?"
"Yes I am," She cried.
"Look, you should not let anyone in the house that you don't know or didn't invite. I thought you knew that."
Lloyd walked into the room. He looked from Eric to Tanya. "What is going on?'
Eric looked at him. "Office now," was all he said.
Lloyd followed him into his office. Eric paced the room back and forth.
"Would you stop for a minute? You are giving me crick in my fucking neck." Lloyd said.
"Did you know that Didi was here?" Eric asked.
"Yes, she had no weapon on her if that is what you are asking."
"A woman like her can use any fucking thing as weapon. She was not here to show any jewelry collection. She was here to find out about my relationship with Tanya."
"You need to be more vigilant. No one comes through that door that is not invited, no more stopping by from anyone." Eric said.
"You need to tell Tanya that. We can't protect her if she does not cooperate." Lloyd made clear.
"Are you telling me everything? Is there something about Didi that I should know?"
"She does not like to be told no and a trait like that could be problematic."
Lloyd looked at Eric suspiciously. "What happened last night after I left the gala with Tanya?"
"Nothing, Didi claimed that she was wasted and couldn't drive herself home. She wanted me to take her home. I refused and I asked Jimmy to give her a ride home. She got pissed jumped in her car after telling me that if anything happen to her it's on me."
"I hate to tell you this but that woman doesn't get drunk; she is using that as a ploy to get you into her house." Lloyd said.
"I figure that much. She reminds me of my mother. Put a tail on her ass and dont remove it until I tell you to." Eric said.
"Consider it done Aya. Your mother, how is Sahita?" Lloyd asked.
Eric smiled. "Better now, after I told her that I would have the doctors perform a lobotomy on her."
"That is wicked Aya."
Eric became deadly serious. "Not nearly as wicked as what she did to me."
"Do you think you and her will ever have a normal relationship again." Lloyd asked.
"Normal? What is that?"
The two brothers paused the conversation a bit, as each travel back in his mind. Eric was thinking how women always fucked him over, including his mother. He could not think of why they were all out to get him. Lloyd thought that him playing substitute husband to Tanya would only spell trouble for him and his brother and he wanted nothing to come between them.
Lloyd was the first to speak. "I think it's time."
Eric looked at his brother. "Time? Time for what?"
"Time you come home Aya. And maybe I should move to the little cottage."
"I need you here with me. Why would want to leave now? Doesn't the west wing give you enough space between us?"
"Yes, it does and it is more than enough, but I just thought...
"Stop thinking Aya. I need you with me. I don't want to hear anything more about leaving."
Lloyd nodded. And Eric pulled him into a tight embrace. "I love you man."
"I love you too Aya," Lloyd responded.
<><><><><><>
Eric headed up the stairs to talk to Tanya. She was standing on the balcony looking off into space. She didn't even hear him walk in. He stood behind her hovering but not touching her.
"You not thinking of jumping, are you?" Eric asked.
Tanya almost jumped out of her skin. "I thought you left."
"I am sorry that I was cross with you before but what made you let a complete stranger into the house? You know nothing about her," Eric said.
"Then again I don't think she would try anything with that bear Sharon around."
"You were right, I shouldn't have. I only met her last night,"
"What did you argue with her about?"
"I told her not to fucking come back here to talk business. We don't conduct business at the house."
Tanya nodded. "Is there anything you need to tell me? Maybe about you and her?"
"No, there is nothing between me and her."
They looked at each other. Eric held her gaze never looking away. He looked at her lips. He desired her and wanted to kiss her so badly but he told himself that he was not going there again until they sort out all the shit that happened between them.
"My cousin is getting married, a destination wedding. How about we consider that another date?" he asked.
Tanya smiled. "A destination wedding? Eric I am almost eight months pregnant , I cant travel anywhere now."
"We are not traveling anywhere far. It's right here on the island. They live in the states so the island for them is a destination." Eric explained.
Tanya's face lit up. "Ok then it's a date."
It felt awkward making small talk with the girl he had known all his life, his wife, the mother of his children. "So how are you feeling?" Eric asked.
"Better now." She wanted to ask him if he was ever moving back in, but couldn't get up the courage to do so.
"So what do you want to do on our next date?"
"Eric, the dating was just an idea, you don't have to feel obligated to go on dates with me; I will understand if you don't want to do it."
"Did I tell you how much I enjoyed our "first" date this morning?"
Tanya smiled shyly. "Yes you did. I did too,"
'But you never even try to kiss me'
"Tanya, it is a brilliant idea; life happened and we never really got to do any of the things a regular couple would do. We never even had a real honeymoon."
"Eric I was at a bad point in my life ... I almost killed you over some stupid phone call." She cried
Eric paused. He did not want to talk about the shooting. "Tanya, I don't want to dwell on that and I don't want you to either. I need you to focus on this baby, yea?"
"I can't help it ... would you be open to couples counseling?" She was hesitant to ask this knowing how private Eric was.
Eric looked at her. He noticed earlier that she was still protective of that ankle.
"Let's sit, that ankle still bothering you?" he asked.
"Sometimes like when I am on it for a long time, like last night."
They both sat down and Eric took her foot in his lap and gently massaged her sore ankle
"Back to your question about counseling, to be honest I don't know if I would be open to that. There is no one here on the island I would feel comfortable to open up to about our private life. Confidentiality is important to me and I don't believe I would get that from anyone here on the island."
"Not even your aunt Sunday?"
"Especially not my aunt Sunday. Look, I love my aunt. I have the fondest memories of her as a child, but I don't believe I could open up to her about intimate and private stuff. She is just too close to your aunt. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, I know that you are very private but..."
"Look, let's try this dating thing and see how that goes. I was thinking a walk on the beach later but if your ankle is acting up maybe not tonight."
"It's almost dinner time, how about you stay and have dinner with me and Ericka?"
<><><><><>
Eric stayed and had dinner with Tanya, Ericka and Lloyd. It was hilarious as Ericka tried to feed her father from her plate.
"So you up for a moonlight stroll?" Eric asked with a wink as he reached for her hand.
Tanya was happy he suggested that. "Moonlight? It is still light out."
Lloyd looked from Eric to Tanya. "You two are really taking this dating thing serious."
"We just going for a short walk." Eric said.
"Ericka looked from one parent to the other."
"Ewicka walk too," she said.
Eric looked at Lloyd and Lloyd knew what he had to do
"How about you and Uncle Lloyd go for ride pumpkin?" Lloyd asked.
"To Aunt Sharon?!" Ericka asked.
"She is not your aunt Princess." Eric hated the island custom of the kids calling every adult family friend aunt and uncle. He did it as a kid but hell he wanted to break that tradition especially when it came to Sharon. He did not want his kids calling that beast Sharon aunty, regardless that she was Tanya's best friend.
"Yea we will stop by Sharon's place and you can have one of those shakes that you love." Lloyd told Ericka.
Ericka jumped and clapped. Lloyd was like a second dad to her. Ericka learnt very quickly that she could get away with just about anything when it came to her uncle, Unky Yoyd as she fondly called him.
"Lloyd it's school night; make it a quick ride and back." Tanya said
"Of course," Lloyd called back to them as he took Ericka's hand.
Ericka was so excited. Lloyd opened the back door to his Camaro to let Ericka in. She stepped back and pointed to the red Corvette that seated two.
"I like that car," She told him.
Lloyd shook his head. "We need to take this car where you can sit in the back."
"No Unky Yoyd, Ewicka sit in font with you." She adamantly told her uncle.
"Ericka, kids sit in the back seat, you know that," Lloyd told her.
Ericka folded her tiny arms. "No, I wanna sit with you in font."
Lloyd looked back at the house. He hoped Tanya was not watching. She would have his head if she saw him put Ericka in the front seat.
"Why you always do this to your uncle? Get in the front and don't you tell Mommy."
Ericka crawled up into the front and Lloyd quickly closed the door, and took off. Ericka clapped and sang as they drove along. Lloyd shook his head. He could not help but think what kind of a woman she would grow up to be. At three years old, she already knew how to manipulate her way to get what she wanted.
<><><><><>
Eric and Tanya held hands as they walked along their private beach. Eric told her to take off her slipper and walk on the sand.
"You might not know this but walking bare feet on the sand is therapeutic for your feet and ankle," he told her.
Tanya smiled. "Really? Then I need to do this more often."
They both took their shoes off. "Then we will," Eric winked.
"So Eric since we are dating and getting to "know" each other all over again, do you mind if I ask you some questions?" Tanya asked.
Eric looked at her. Things were going great. He did not want to answer her questions and turn things off.
"What do you want to know about me that you don't already know?" he asked.
Tanya smiled mischievously. "Well I know that you had sex with other people before me but what I don't know is who was your first?"
Eric was not expecting that. "My first?"
"Yes your first sexual encounter; your memory is back correct? So tell me. I never wanted to know before but now I want to know."
He could lie about remembering but he did not want to. He remembered Millie, how could he not?
"My first time was with a girl name Mille. She was our housekeeper's daughter. I think I was about thirteen or there about and she often stopped by to see or help her mother with the housework. This was right after I moved away from here and started boarding school. I was lonely and rebellious. I was missing all my friends from the old community, you most of all. Millie was nineteen or twenty, I am not sure, but I know that she was a lot older than me." Eric cautiously told Tanya his story with Millie.
"Are you saying that this woman abused you?" Tanya asked in disbelief.
"No, Tanya I am not saying anything like that. It's not like she forced me." Eric explained.
"Then what would you call a twenty year old woman having sex with an innocent twelve or thirteen year old boy?"
"Innocent? Tanya I was a lot of things but innocent was not one of them."
Tanya was clearly upset. "You ask questions that you clearly don't want answers to." Eric said.
"You don't think that was wrong?!"
"I am not saying it was right or wrong. You asked me a question and I truthfully answer."
"Maybe we should turn the question around. Whenever we fought, you kept saying that I was not the father of this baby. Well since we are asking questions how about you tell me if you have ever had sex with another man...?"
Talking about disturbing a wasp nest or poking the bear. She was not expecting that question.
*********************