Page 102 of Take Two

“To what do I owe this honor, Mr. High and Mighty?” she taunts. “You weren’t so righteous when you were waking up in a pile of your own vomit, were you?” She eyes me up and down then turns to the bags of prepared food. She pulls out a plate of brisket and mashed potatoes. She makes no effort to feed her child. She just sits down and starts to eat right out of the Styrofoam.

I ignore her comments. That was an entirely different lifetime. I might not be proud of that version of me, but I’m proud of this one. Since I know she won’t offer me a seat, I take one across from her.

“How did you know where to find me yesterday?” I ask as calmly as possible.

“You’ve shown me that house before. I went to your house first, and when I couldn’t find you, I took my chances and went there.” I have no memory of ever showing her that house, but I believe I did. I’ve always been proud of the home I grew up in. The house itself is not much, but I grew up in a house filled with the love of my family.

“Why?”

“For money,” she says. “Look around you.” She gestures at the house. “My brother’s not a millionaire. My brother’s in prison serving ten to twelve.” She sticks her nose in the air and looks away. “Thank God because he was useless on the outside anyway,” she mumbles.

“Who did you really talk to?” Instead of answering me, she puts a huge spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth and chews. I pull out the wad of cash I took out of the ATM, and her eyes bug out.

“I never talked to a Theresa,” she admits. While she talks, her eyes never leave the cash. “I talked to some guy. Spencer, I think. He was supposed to send me another two thousand last night, but he told me to go fuck myself. So, fuck him too.” She reaches for the money, but I pull it out of her reach.

“What did he say?” All along, I had a feeling it was him.

“He said he was sick of that black bitch.” I put the money back in my pocket. “That’s literally what he said, not me,” she says. “I don’t give a fuck what color she is. He said she thinks she’s so fucking superior. Now his wife was choosing her over him, and he wasn’t going to rest until he ruined their relationship. That’s all I know. He’s an angry son of a bitch. I’m glad to be done with him.” She puts her hand out and gestures for the money.

“Call him first,” I say. “I want to know how he knew you existed. Find that out, then this money is yours.”

“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Charlene says.

“You’ll have to wait a goddamn minute,” Holly snaps, and the little girl starts to cry. “Let me go find my phone.” She waddles to the other side of the room. In the meantime, I take out the other platter of food that has chicken fingers and mac and cheese. I find a stack of paper plates. There’s no highchair or kids’ table, so after fixing her plate, I set her up in front of the coffee table in the living room once I move the stack of old magazines away.

Holly comes back and doesn’t even look at the child. She holds her phone in her hand and says, “Bet he won’t answer.” She presses something on the phone and puts it on speaker.

It rings three times, and by the third ring, I assume it would go to voicemail, but he answers.

“What the fuck do you want?” I recognize the voice. It’s him.

“My money,” Holly says.

“I already paid you, you idiot. You should have gotten all the money up front,” he taunts.

“How did you know to come look for me?” Holly asks.

He sighs as if the question is a waste of his time. “What the fuck does it matter? How do you think, you dumb bitch? When you called him.”

“When?” Holly asks, clearly confused.

“Several weeks ago. Don’t call me anymore.” He hangs up on her. She calls right back, but it rings once and goes to voicemail.

“He blocked me,” Holly says.

“Did you call me?” I ask her.

She shakes her head but looks through her phone. “No, but a few weeks ago, Charlene got her chubby little hands on my phone and called a bunch of random contacts. I guess you were one of them.” She smiles and says, “I guess it was fate.”She puts a hand on her belly and moves closer to me. I take three steps back.

I reach inside my pocket and hold up the cash. “Give me your phone so I can delete my contact first.” I wave the money around. She gives me the phone, I delete my info, give her the few hundred dollars and leave. “Don’t ever contact or come near me again,” I warn. I look at the small child one more time and shake my head. Not my problem. I get to my car and drive faster than usual until I get to my restaurant. Once I park, I take out my phone and make an anonymous call to Child Protective Services.

Chapter 56

Violet

“Dammit, Charlie,” I say after hearing his message. My phone was dead when we got off the plane. Colt and Vickie had their driver bring me home, and by the time I charged the phone, it was hours after Charlie left thatmessage.

I dial his number again and it goes to voicemail, so I call Terri. The phone rings once and I get her voicemail, and that irritates the fuck out of me, so I call Mom.

---