Page 26 of War
Shanita’s voice was normally light and bubbly. Eli had teased for putting on herwhite voicewhenever she had to handle business. She spoke with concern, and dare he thought, some anger. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t talk about this over the phone,” she replied, “handle your work but you need to meet me at Gino’s after you get off. Seven sharp.” She hung up.
Eli stared at his receiver for a short while after Shanita hung up on him. Her tone was unusually curt.
The last time Shanita demanded to meet with Eli, she had pictures of Faith and Darren out on their date. Eli’s stomach churned with the thought Shanita had more information.
He just hoped he would be able to handle it.
~~~~~~
“I’ve been wondering all afternoon what could be so important for you to talk to me about in person,” Eli slid into the awaiting booth with Shanita. She’d already ordered two drinks and appetizers for them. “What is going on, Shanny? I don’t like it when you do this.”
“Our office received a copy of a sex tape involving Darren Matthews,” Shanita slid over the jump drive to Eli, “Faith is in it.”
Eli stared down at the jump drive and let the emotions course through his body. Anger. Disgust. Embarrassment. And there was the curious one of jealousy.
Anger wrecked Eli’s body, hardening his jaw and curling his fists into tight balls. “Is it her?”
“Eli, I saw the footage,” Shanita began, “it’s Faith.”
Eli’s eyes slinted away and he blew out a soft breath. He focused his attention to the busy Manhattan street. In all of the therapy sessions and private conversations, Faith never mentioned any sex tape.
Faith wasn’t shy to a camera. Whenever the reality show had to record, she made sure her hair and nails were done, and the outfit she chose made her look good. During the intimate moments she had with Eli, they recorded themselves and played back the footage later.
She always made Eli delete their footage. He wondered why she didn’t apply that same rule to Darren. “When was it taken?” He quietly asked, his gaze still focused on the street.
“It might have been when you two were separated, but Eli, you need to listen to me,” Shanita leaned closer to him, “we don’t have the only copy. The person who sent this to us threatened to release it to the world if you didn’t pay him.”
Darren really wasn’t that smart. Eli didn’t know for sure it was him, but the robbery at his home, with a convenient sex tape starring him and Faith was just too obvious. “How much?”
“They’re asking for a million,” Shanita flinched at the words, “the price goes up with each day there’s not an answer. At the end of the week, if they still don’t have an offer, they’ll release it to the world.” She paused for a beat. “That’s not the worse of it.”
Shanita’s words struck Eli by surprise and he faced her. “Oh?”
“There are text messages between the two,” Shanita slid a manila folder to him, “it doesn’t make Faith look good at all in this.”
Eli stared at the manila folder for a long moment before he decided to open it. His eyes danced while a slow smirk appeared on the corner of his lips.
I miss you, D.
Thinking about the good times we’ve had.
I still think about our weekend from time to time. I masturbate thinking about you.
No, Eli, will never know about the tape. It’ll kill him. I made him get rid of the ones we did together.
He’s being good for now; I’m waiting for him to mess up so I can leave once and for good. When I do, I’ll clean him out. He’ll be making bouquets for the rest of his life.
Eli sat back into his chair and chuckled. “I’ll be making bouquets for the rest of my life, huh? That’s rich.” He looked out the window again. Tension seized his shoulders and Eli rubbed his beard. “Whatever that woman wanted, I made sure she had it. Even if I had to call in favors from all over. Even when the damn thing was discontinued. Why? Because even if it cost me a small fortune, and it always did, seeing the smile on my girl’s face was priceless.
“I did a bad thing four years ago and the one person who will not forgive me for it is my wife.” He tapped his fingers on the table. “If I sent Simone or any woman those same texts, Faith would be putting on her Nikes right now to file. It’s not like I had a sex addiction or entertained porn stars and hookers. One woman. Just one. I only talk to her now because I have to and I honestly prefer using attorneys instead.” He sighed and briefly looked up. “And I’m still being punished.”
Shanita grabbed Eli’s hand and held it. He gripped her hand back. “I don’t know if any other publication has the texts, Eli. It’ll be out of our hands. I have a few contacts at some IG gossip blogs so maybe I can ask them to not post anything. I don’t know if they will but it’s worth a shot.”
Eli wondered what he was thinking with his next request. Despite how angry he was towards her, he cared more about his reputation. “Don’t let them post anything.”
“And the tape?” Shanita asked. “What about that?”
Eli hoped Nick’s connect was going to come through. “I’ll take care of that.”
