Following day
It was a new start, the beginning of the rest of their lives.
They talked to their children about what happened, there were too many questions from the twins but they handled that perfectly.
Their chef, housekeeper, and nanny came back to work.
Fantasia watched her wife joking and talking to the housekeeper, Lolita. A 47-year-old Half Latin, Half British woman.
She was funny and made Taraji laugh, which made Fantasia a little Jealous because she couldn't get through to her wife after what happened.
She approached.
"Morning boss lady... Anything for you to drink?" Lolita asked. Fantasia shook her head no. "Baby I was thinking... Since we are both taking a day off maybe we should go on a date tonight..." She said.
"I honestly took the day off to relax, it's been one hell of a week. If you don't mind, I would like to stay in tonight." Taraji said. It seemed like she was just blowing her off.
"Mummy, can you take us out for ice cream?" The twins said walking in. "uh babies I can't, I--"
"I can take you guys, let me find my shoes" Taraji interjected before her wife could finish her sentence. She rushed upstairs.
"Lately I mind my own business, but what the hell was that?" Jack asked his mom. "I ---", Fantasia was speechless.
"want me to take them, so you can talk to your wife?" Jack asked. "she won't like that."
"too bad for her, kids, whoever gets to the car faster, gets to drive",
The kids ran outside. "what?" Fantasia snapped. "Just motivating them before mummy gets down", Jack said and rushed out.
Taraji got down
"Where are the kids?"
Fantasia shrugged. "oh Jack took them. They were impatient, so he took them" Lolita said. "bummer! I couldn't wait to fucking leave the house." Taraji said under her breath but they heard her. "uh, I will just go for a drive" She said leaving the house.
"is everything okay? She looked uninterested" Lolita asked Fantasia.
"what was your first clue... My wife blowing me off or was it the zeal of her leaving my sight?"
"Both, and how she looked at you. Like you piss her off or something"
"yeah well, I do. I will be in my study if anybody needs me", Fantasia said walking away.
Taraji went for a drive.
Two hours later she came home. The kids were still out, they came back an hour ago to pick up Josh and went to Lana's apartment.
"Where is everybody?" She asked Jane. "Loli is making lunch in the kitchen, the kids and Jack visited Lana, and your wife is in the study room," Jane said. Taraji went to the kitchen. "hungry?" Lolita asked. "I will just have a carrot"
"oh bunny moments" Lolita joked. Taraji just smiled washed a Carrot on the sink and walked out. She went to the study.
"busy?" she asked waking in and shutting the door. Fantasia took off her reading glasses and shut the screen. "nothing more important than you, what's up?"
"I've been thinking..."
"no baby no, I made a mistake, okay, you can't go to your house, or divorce me, or move out of our bedroom. I will make it up to you I promise"
"slow your roll there woman, nobody is leaving you. Is about the dinner date that I turned down this morning. I'm sorry. I wanna make it up to you. How about we take a shower dress up and go to our spot."
"our spot as in the warehouse we haven't been going in like a year?".
"yeah. I miss that place. It brings out the best in us and we can use that right now"
"I mean I'm not gonna dress up to go to a filthy, greasy, very oily place. But I will wear something different"
"Oh. I will meet you there then" Taraji said. "wait, how do I get there, my crazy wife took my fucking keys"
"Seriously, that's your question? You too fancy for a cab suddenly?"
"I never said that--"
"good!"
Fantasia gasped, it was like they were arguing. Taraji growled walking out.
Fantasia's jaw dropped like... How did that even happen?
A few hours later
Taraji left...
"uh, honey... Can I use your car?" Fantasia asked Jack. Jack pulled the car keys from his pocket and handed them to his mom without asking questions.
She got in his car and drove to the warehouse.
She was planning to park it secretly for her wife not to see. Unfortunately, Taraji saw her pulling over. "Damn it?!" she muttered.
Taraji got out of her car and went inside. They met inside.
Fantasia saw the dinner set up her wife designed or hired someone to do. Candlelights, two chairs around a round table, roses on the table, and pizza on the table. Warm pizza.
Fantasia felt guilty because she knew she already ruined dinner. She didn't dress up, and she drove here against her wife's wishes.
Fantasia took a chair. Taraji walked around the room. She found a spot and stood there next to the window.
"What are we doing Fantasia? Cause right now I don't know. I feel disrespected and like shit I say doesn't fucking matter, so if you don't respect me, you don't take anything I say seriously... What are you doing?"
"I didn't know you had this planned, I would have dressed up"
"Right!"
"and Jack offered the car, he heard me complaining about calling a cab he offered"
"Why the fuck are you lying?" Taraji snapped. Fantasia swallowed hard. "I felt bad for blowing you off this morning. I came here and did all this. I got here first to get the pizza. I went all out for us and you wearing black tights and flat boots with a joga top.. A cap? Really?"
"I thought it would be dirty and smelly... I just--"
"you just what baby? Just didn't trust your wife like you didn't trust me with a loaded gun?"
"that's not fair, we agreed not to talk about that ever again"
"too bad baby cause it is stuck in my head I can't get rid of it. I'm going home, trash all that" Taraji said and walked out. She got in her car and sped away.
Fantasia breathed hard and ended up just sitting there, eating her brains out.
Her phone rang.
It was the hospital.
Taraji had an accident. She went to the hospital.
Waited.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Nyla Stratford, I'm your wife's doctor"
"Is she okay?"
"yes, she just has a concussion. She's one lucky woman. I would like to keep her for the night, just to make sure no internal damages are done. If that's okay with you"
Fantasia nodded. "can I see her?"
"of course, this way",
They went inside.
Taraji had stitches on her forehead. The Doctor walked out and shut the door.
Fantasia was speechless. Her eyes were full of apologies she couldn't utter. She just teared up.
"Really you gonna cry yourself out of this? That's not working with me tonight."
"what would work?"
"for you to get the hell out of my face!"
"Taraji why are you mad at me? I know I did things wrong, but there is one specific thing you are mad about. What is it?"
Taraji pressed her panic button.
The nurse came. "please get my wife out of here. I need to rest. Visitations are over" Taraji said. The nurse escorted Fantasia out.
She went home.
"is it true Mommy is at the hospital?"
"Is mom okay?"
"Mom what happened?" the kids bombarded her with questions.
"yes is true Zach, yes she's gonna be okay Josh, she had an accident but it wasn't too serious, she just ran into traffic lights. Now if you don't mind guys I need to get in bed. Good night, mummy will be home tomorrow" She said and walked away.
She got upstairs and took a minute for her to change her clothes. She texted her wife.
*Baby I'm sorry about everything that went down this week, I understand that it is my fault and that it will take a while for me to make things right, but I want you to know I am willing. I'm willing to fix everything that's broken in our marriage. But Taraji you are wrong, I respect you and I listen to you baby, I just don't have an excuse for how I behaved tonight and I really apologize*
Meanwhile at the Hospital.
Doctor Stratford walked in to check on Taraji before clocking out.
"Everything okay? did you get your meds yet?"
"yeah. I just didn't have proper dinner, still mad at my wife I couldn't ask her to get me something that isn't hospital food"
."I can get you something. What do you feel like eating?"
"the pizza my wife made me trash before I ended up here..."
Nyla laughed. "what flavor was it... I can still get you a fresh version of what you lost"
"fresh, is fresh perfect?"
"it can be."
"Just surprise me," Taraji said. Nyla clicked on her phone.
After 45 minutes the pizza arrived.
Nyla handed Taraji a box of fresh, hot pizza.
"you are a lifesaver, want a slice?"
"I would love one, but I better get going, to be honest with you, I find you very attractive if I stay in here and share your dinner, I will cross so many lines, and I have a history of coming to work drunk, already have a rough sheet and on a short leash, I can't add more misconduct to my resume I could lose my job," Nyla said leaving.
"Hey, you do know I'm married right?"
"to possibly the country's very first female president? Yeah I know, I saw her, she's hot too. And you talk about her a lot you love her very much. But-"
"oh, there's a but..."
"But, I can tell you are not happy. Something is bothering you and it has everything to do with her. Look, from tomorrow, you won't be my patient if you feel like having a life outside the marriage that is already messing with your head, call me" Nyla said and walked out. She didn't give Taraji her contact details though.
The following day a new doctor discharged Taraji.
"uh hey, the doctor who was at my service last night, dark skin with Hazel eyes, long hair, about yay high... Dr Stratford or something... She in today?" Taraji asked. "Nyla. Yes she's in the OR"
"Oh, can you have her call me, this is my number", Taraji said. The doctor nodded and took the card. Fantasia walked in.
"Hey, ready?"
"Sure," Taraji said and took her stuff.
They walked out bumping into Nyla.
She was getting out of the OR and trashing her gloves. "Leaving me already?" Nyla joked. "your food sucks," Taraji went along with it. "ouch." they chuckled a little. "well call if you feel any type of way that isn't normal"
Taraji nodded. "see you around... Maybe"
Fantasia was on a call, she couldn't read too much into this conversation.
They walked out.
They got in a car. Jack drove.
Hours later, Taraji was sleeping. Her phone beeped.
She woke up and checked the message.
*It's Nyla, wanna grab a bite tomorrow night?*
Taraji curled her lips. She then replied.
. *Send me details*
The following night. They met at a bar.
"first date and you having me eat bar food?" Taraji asked. "They have the best buffalo wings, try one," Nyla said. Taraji narrowed her eyes at her before picking one wing and taking a teeny tiny bite. "hmm!" she moaned
"right?"
"oh my gosh, this is good. my wife would kill for... Damn it! I'm doing it again... Talking about her"
. "don't sweat it. I promise is okay, I know you love her, it's good"
"let's play a game. If I mention my wife ever again on this date, I will tip the barman a 20" Taraji said.. "or take a shot" Nyla said. "oh no, I can't afford to get drunk. I can't handle my liquor, I will be out here making out with everyone and go home to argue with my... Yeah!"
"Nice save," Nyla said laughing. They ate and drank. Talked and laughed. It turned out to be a great date. Something Taraji needed. Nyla took Taraji home and kept her car safe in the bar parking lot. They made out before Taraji got out of the car. She was pretty drunk. She went inside.
Fantasia turned her head. "where have you been?"
"guess!"
Fantasia didn't appreciate the sarcasm. She let it go because she was drunk.
A week later.
Taraji was officially cheating on her wife. Having sex with her in on-call rooms. The car, her apartment. Getting home late, sometimes drunk. Not touching her wife, responding to her with annoying sarcasm. Fantasia was slowly getting over it.
They went to a family dinner at a restaurant.
Nyla was there with her ex-husband. They were talking about custody of their son. Taraji and Nyla kept looking at each other across the room.
Nyla texted Taraji.
*I wish we were having dinner together.*
Taraji smiled at her phone, Fantasia narrowed her eyes at her.
They started texting back and forth. It annoyed Fantasia.
Taraji left the table to go to the bathroom. She met Nyla there, they kissed,
She left her phone on the table.
Fantasia grabbed the phone while her children were not looking. Taraji's phone was always hard-locked, even in the past. It was because of her job description. But Fantasia always knew how to unlock it. But today she couldn't. That fun fact, officially raised Fantasia's suspicion.
Taraji came back... "Let's get the check," Fantasia said, she was no longer in the mood for anything. "what about dessert Mom?" Zoe asked. Fantasia took a deep breath. "Fine, you can have dessert. I will be in the car, I have to make a Call" she lied, she just wanted to be alone in the car.
She waited in the Range Rover. She needed advice. So she called Brooks.
Brooks: Madame P.
Tasia: hey captain. Can I pick your brain a little bit?
Brooks: all ears. What's wrong?
Tasia: I think I'm being cheated on...
Brooks: what did you do?
Tasia gasped.
Brooks: hey, I don't mean it like that, I'm trying to understand why Taraji would cheat on you in the first place. She's not like that, you know it. So was She upset?
Tasia: yeah, she was and still is. I can't get to her. She's always on her phone smiling, laughing, she's never home, she doesn't give a shit about anything I say. She's just not there. Am I crazy?
Brooks: she could be doing something to help her heal. Maybe gun range. New friend... But cheating doesn't sound like Taraji.
Tasia: right. It's official, I'm crazy.
Brooks: maybe not. Anything is possible. She could be cheating out of spite. You need to find out before your spite turns into something serious.
They hung up.
Her family approached.
The kids got in the car. Zoe handed her a cheesecake and some dessert. "this is yours, mummy"
"Thanks, princess,"
"it was Mom who ordered for you," Josh said, somehow he felt like his mother needed to know that. He felt their offsetting mood so he felt like any positive detail was worth mentioning.
Fantasia lifted her eyes and looked at her wife. Their eyes met. It became awkward. Taraji realized she made a huge mistake. "Thank you," Fantasia said. Taraji nodded.
At that moment Nyla passed by. Taraji's look communicated something To Fantasia without meaning to.
Fantasia looked at her wife and then at Nyla.
"Let's go fam," Jack said. They all got inside
Jack drove.
Taraji couldn't look at her wife.
They got home. Nyla was texting and calling, but Taraji kept ignoring her.
"do you need to get that privately?" Fantasia asked. "no"
Fantasia went to take a shower. She was getting upset. But just groaned her anger out multiple times until she was done showering.
She took a 7-minute shower, she usually takes 15-30
Her wife knew that. So she was talking on her phone in their big closet. Fantasia eavesdropped.
"I can't see you again Nyla I'm sorry, it was a Mistake. I made a mistake. A sober, daylight mistake. I owe my wife an apology. But I owe you one too, I was unhappy and I used you for my selfish pleasure. I apologize., have a great life," she hung up.
Fantasia walked away from the door and back to the bathroom. Turned on the shower and breathed hard looking in the mirror.
So her wife was cheating...
After a while, she went to bed, she had nothing to say to her wife. Taraji wanted to talk, but she had been a giant ass she didn't know how to approach this. They both slept eyes wide open waiting for the next day.
Xxxxxxx
Part 6 loading...
(I think it's the last part of the book)