Page 24 of War
Ten
“Let me get this straight…you whupped your husband’s former mistress’s ass and he still flies out to see her in Houston?” Kimberly asked. “Bitch, are you for real?”
Faith returned to MillionHair salon as if the drama over the past several weeks never occurred. She met with her stylists before they opened up shop for the day. “As long as Elena is in the picture, so will Simone,” Faith hoped the tension in her body didn’t come out in her voice, “there’s nothing I can do about that. I will have to deal with Simone for the rest of her life.”
“I thought Eli was getting a DNA test done?” Jocelyn asked. “Or is that off the table now?”
“No, it’s happening,” Faith nodded. Her body bristled with tension as she briefly remembered their earlier fight. She left home without saying another word to Eli. She checked her phone several times for an apology text from him. He still hadn’t sent it. “I just hope it’s soon because I just need answers. He doesn’t think Elena is his, nor does anyone else. But we just need solid proof before we can finally move on.”
“And then what?” Cameron asked. “Would this finally be put to rest between the two of you?”
Faith wanted to say yes. The coldness in Eli’s voice as he demanded a DNA test for not one, butall threeof their children proved otherwise. Just as she didn’t trust her husband, he didn’t trust her – and probably even worse. “Yes,” Faith nodded. “I’m very much committed to my husband.”
Cameron’s lips pursed and he briefly looked like he was about to say something before he changed his mind. “Okay.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Krista rolled her eyes, “just say it, you queen.”
“When’s the last time you had sex with Eli?” Cameron asked.
“Excuse you, Cam!” Kimberly interjected. “That’s none of your business.”
“Why do you care if Eli and Faith are having sex?” Jocelyn prodded. “Unless you want him.”
“He’s the wrong paint job for the car I want to ride,” Cameron bristled.
“He’s also the wrong the car,” Faith glared at her gay stylist.
“Every man claims he’s straight until he meets the right guy who knows how to blow his mind,” Cameron winked, “anyhoo, the reason I’m asking is Eli hasn’t been around here in ages and the last time Faith wasn’t having sex with her husband, he ended up getting it from someone else.”
“Eli and I were having plenty of sex when he left me for Simone,” Faith defended, “all we did was have sex during that time.”
“You and Eli started having sex because Simone was back in the picture. Had she been gone, Eli would still be on the drought you gave him.” Cameron replied.
“So, if I don’t give my husband any, I’m pretty much saying it’s okay he goes out and gets it from somewhere else?” Faith questioned.
“A man has needs. It’s one thing if you’re not physically able to have sex,” Cameron held his ground, “it’s another thing if you just don’t want to and want to punish him for whatever bullshit is going on between y’all.”
“My husband just had an outside child with his mistress!” Faith shot back. “Why would I have sex with him still?”
“I guess the same question can be said about you – why would Eli stay married to you if one of your children was proven not to be his?” Cameron asked.
“I know this asshole didn’t just go there!” Kimberly shook her head.
“Listen, I’m Team Me all day long, but I’m not going to sit here and act like Faith is innocent. Eli was an asshole for what he did; no one doubts that. Eli is a bigger asshole for wanting Faith to stay with him despite his possible outside child; no doubt about that. But why is it unreasonable to believe Eli shouldn’t stay?”
“Why does the woman have to accept an outside child but the man doesn’t?” Jocelyn asked. “How is that fair?”
“Life ain’t fair, hunty!” Cameron shrugged. “You have kids starving in a rundown apartment complex down the street from Disneyland where families spend thousands of dollars just so little Becky can take a picture with Goofy while she’s eating her Mickey Mouse pancakes. That’s just how life is.”
“Anyway,” Kimberly got up, “it’s time to open the shop. This conversation isn’t over.” She left the conference room.
“I gotta go. Those nails ain’t gon’ paint themselves.” Jocelyn followed her.
Cameron grabbed Faith’s hands. “Sis, you know I love you and I’ll do anything for you. But wrong is wrong here. Eli was wrong and so are you. Two wrongs don’t make a right. If you can’t accept Elena, Eli needs to know this so you both can move on.” He left the conference room.
Tension remained in the air between Faith and Krista. Neither woman spoke a word for a long moment. The tension between Faith and Eli began to spill over to Krista’s budding romance with Tony. “Your attitude isn’t just about Simone,” Krista finally spoke, “what else is going on?”
Faith sighed. “Eli wants to test our children. Like all three of them.”
