More Lies and Alibis (Using Lies as Alibis #2) Page 6

  Maybe I didn’t catch him in the act, but that girl was telling the truth. I know she was. Just because her baby happened to belong to her little college boyfriend doesn’t mean that she wasn’t also sleeping with Bryan. Plus, Bryan is broke. It’s not like she was trying to come up by accusing him of being the father of her child.

  “I’m not holding you to anything. That’s the point. I’d like the same courtesy.”

  “I will give you that. But I need you to go along with this financial plan for a while, until we get our money in order.”

  I decide not to fight about it right now, because I don’t think I will be successful. But God is going to have to open heaven Himself and whisper in my ear that He wants us to sell this house.

  Because if I don’t hear from the Lord, it’s not happening.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sydney

  I stand in front of the surgical schedule board and look at the time I’ve selected for Stephanie’s silicone removal. I still don’t know if I think this surgery is the best for my patient, but since Fatima is the one who made the suggestion, I’m scared that my hesitation has something to do with the fact that I can’t stand her.

  Jillian the intern walks up and stands next to me. “Am I scrubbing in?” she asks.

  “You want to?”

  “Um…yeah. How many times will I get to remove booty shots from a stripper’s behind?”

  I laugh out loud. “I know, right? I mean how much booty does one girl need?”

  “Apparently, the bigger the better at that club where they work. Stephanie said her tips tripled the night after she got the shots.”

  “Wow.”

  “And guess what. That new doctor, Fatima, she said that she stripped her way through medical school. Did you know that?”

  I narrow my eyes in disbelief. “No she didn’t! Fatima is a trust fund brat. Why would she tell you that?”

  Jillian shrugs. “Maybe she was just trying to make Stephanie feel comfortable about the surgery. She was explaining to her how it would work.”

  I close my eyes and inhale a sharp breath. Why is this chic determined to muscle in on my surgery? She’s not scrubbing in, no matter what she thinks.

  “I will explain the surgery to my patient.”

  “Oh, of course. I just…maybe I shouldn’t have told you that. Are you mad?” Jillian looks worried.

  I shake my head and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I am not mad, and I promise I won’t let Dr. Graham know that you told me.”

  “Oh, good! Did you know Dr. Graham in college? How do you know about her trust fund?”

  “I knew her.”

  “That’s all? Were you friends?”

  I don’t really want the intern crew all up in my business and gossiping about any suspected love triangles.

  “We were in the same circles, but I can’t say that we were friends.”

  “Oh, because, you didn’t hear it from me, but I heard she said that she and Lucas used to date. She says he’s the one who got away.”

  “That was so long ago. I really don’t remember who dated whom,” I say. I bite my bottom lip to keep from screaming at the top of my lungs.

  Jillian says, “It would be kind of awkward if you did remember that, huh? Since you and Lucas are kind of a thing now, right?”

  “We are dating.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me saying anything Dr. Baker! You’re seem so tense about this conversation.”

  Okay, did I say that Jillian was my favorite intern? I may have to revise that opinion. I’m almost one hundred percent sure that the contents of this conversation are going to be shared at the intern lunch table in a few hours.

  “So, why don’t you read up on the procedure we’re about to perform, instead of trying to unravel gossip? I really need you to be on you’re A-game, because this is my first time performing this particular surgery.”

  “Really? You should have Dr. Graham scrub in then. She’s done it before.”

  Is everyone in this entire hospital Team Fatima? They don’t know anything about how shady she is, but they all seem to be enchanted by her. I wonder if they’d feel the same way if they knew how big of a snake she is!

  “I feel confident that we will do a great job and save Stephanie from any additional complications,” I reply. “I will ask you what you’ve learned about this procedure at scrub in.”

  “Sir, yes sir!” Jillian says as she salutes me.

  I guess I do sound kind of official. I don’t want her to think I’m angry or anything like that, because that will just fuel the rumors.

  “We’re saving lives, remember?” I say this in a softer, friendlier tone.

  Jillian seems to relax. “You’re right. I’m going to study up on it.”

  Lucas leans on the nurse station grinning at me, and Jillian scurries away as if she’s interrupting something.

  “I didn’t see you walk up, babe. What’s up?” I say.

  “I got a text from you that I need an all-white outfit. What’s that about?”

  “My sister’s baby shower is on New Year’s Eve. We have to wear all white.”

  “So, we’re going to a baby shower for New Year’s?”

  How do I describe one of Dionne’s parties to Lucas? “It’ll be like the club. Better than the club. They will have a hot DJ, celebrities, and a dance floor.”

  “Oh, because I heard baby shower, and I thought about games, veggie trays, cupcakes and diapers,” Lucas says with a chuckle.

  I giggle. “You sound like you’ve been to a lot of baby showers.”

  “I’ve been to a few, and I never went willingly.”

  “Well, I want you to want to go to this one! It will be fun.”

  “I don’t know. I just envisioned us having a wonderful dinner, and toasting the New Year in our beautiful hotel suite with a single glass of champagne.”

  “Sounds so romantic, babe! But, my sister will kill me if we don’t show up at her baby shower!”

  Lucas steps closer to me and kisses me on the cheek. “If I go, you’re going to owe me. I get to decide how I want to cash it in.”

  “Um no!” I squirm away from him and giggle.

  Lucas’s pager goes off and he reads it and frowns. “Jewel is running a fever. I was afraid of her developing an infection. Her injection sites were red and inflamed before the emergency surgery, so we had to start her on broad spectrum antibiotics.”

  “So, did you and Fatima take the silicone out yet?”

  “No. I was waiting to see if she’d be okay after the brain surgery. It looks like your surgery will be first.”

  “Oh, okay. Did you know that Fatima is telling the interns that the two of you used to date?”

  “She is? We never dated. We only…uh…”

  “I know what you did. Why would she want them to think that you guys dated? That’s just weird.”

  “Maybe they heard her wrong. Maybe she didn’t say that at all.”

  “I don’t Jillian made that up. Are you taking up for her, Lucas?”

  He shakes his head. “Absolutely not. I just don’t want you confronting her over a rumor.”

  “Why do you think I would confront her? I don’t have to do that. I’m not that kind of girl.”

  “Okay. I’m glad, because I wasn’t lying when I said it was all about you.”

  “I know, babe. So your all white outfit?”

  “I will pull something together. Anything for Dionne and Rod.”

  I shake my head and laugh. “You sound so enthusiastic about this.”

  “I am!”

  Fatima walks past us and waves. When neither one of us waves back, she stops. “Y’all can’t speak?”

  Lucas clears his throat and chuckles. “Have you been telling people that we dated back in the day?”

  Fatima’s head jerks back as if Lucas slapped her.

  “I may have mentioned briefly that we used to see each other. Some of the interns have a big crush on you.” />
  “If my memory serves me correctly,” Lucas says, “we didn’t date. We just hooked up.”

  “Multiple times,” Fatima says.

  “But you weren’t my girlfriend. I guess if you want to consider getting some Taco Bell after having sex as dating, then maybe.”

  I turn my back to Fatima and pretend to read the surgical board, because I feel laughter coming on real soon.

  “So you’re trying to show off in front of your girlfriend? Trying to make her feel better about what happened back at Emory?”

  “Nope. I’ve already apologized for that, and she’s forgiven me,” Lucas says. “I just didn’t want you to be confused.”

  “I’m not confused at all. We both know what went down back in the day. It was just small talk, nothing serious,” Fatima says.

  “Well, I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t talk about that too much. It’s a little unprofessional.”

  Fatima laughs. “Look at you, the perfect boyfriend. Apparently, you’ve changed.”

  I spin on one heel, ready to give her a piece of my mind, but she’s already walking down the hallway.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Lucas says.

  As much as I’m excited that Lucas did all of the talking and totally shut Fatima down, I can’t help but be concerned. I do believe that Lucas is a different man than he was in college, but if he isn’t…if he hasn’t changed for the better, I won’t find out until my heart is on the line again. And Fatima being here still checking for Lucas, is sure to put our rekindled love to the test.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dionne

  Why is someone ringing our doorbell like crazy at one o’clock in the morning? This baby just let me get to sleep a few minutes ago, and now I’m awake again. Ugh! Rod is already climbing out of the bed. I flashback to him getting shot, and I get nervous. They never did find out who was responsible for that.

  “Rod, be careful. Who do you think it is?”

  “It’s Peach. She’s been blowing up my phone for the past hour.”

  Oh, of course it’s Peach. Rodeisha is still here and worn out from our shopping trip, photo shoot and playing in the princess bedroom that Rod has furnished for her. It’s the first night she ever spent in the room since Peach wouldn’t let her stay over before.

  Rod pulls on his robe, and goes into the lockbox for his gun. This makes me sit up in the bed.

  “Rod…”

  “Lie down, Dee. Don’t worry.”

  Outside, Peach starts screaming at the top of her lungs. “Rod! Brang my baby out here! Didn’t nobody say she could spend the night with you! I’m fixin’ ta call the police if you don’t brang her out here!”

  Seriously, she’s talking about calling the police? That baby has told us enough to have her removed from Peach’s home, and she’s threatening to bring the law into this mess?

  When Rod opens the bedroom door, Rodeisha is standing outside crying. He scoops her up into his arms.

  “Daddy, is mommy mad at you?”

  “No, honey. She’s just tired because it’s so late. Why don’t you climb into bed with Ms. Dionne, and try to go back to sleep.”

  Rod puts Rodeisha in our bed and she scampers up next to me and snuggles under our comforter. I’m sure Peach wouldn’t like this. Hell, I wouldn’t like it if the roles were reversed. But she’s downstairs clowning and scaring this baby half to death, so it’s her fault.

  Rod goes downstairs, but leaves our bedroom door open. I slide out of the bed and hold a finger to my lips for Rodeisha to be quiet. I want to be able to hear this entire conversation. As soon as Rod opens the front door, Peach’s voice rings through the house.

  She screams. “Get my baby’s stuff, and bring her downstairs now, Rod. You know I’m the custodial parent.”

  “You smell like alcohol,” Rod says. “You’re not taking my child anywhere in your condition.”

  “I’m not leaving without my baby! You better bring her to me, Rod!”

  “Or what? You’ll tell the police your nanny dropped her off because you were out shaking your behind for a bunch of NFL players?”

  “How I make my money is none of your business,” Peach says, bringing the volume of her voice down a notch.

  “I’m giving you enough money that you don’t have to do it, Peach. Why don’t you stay home with my daughter and raise her like you got some sense?” Rod says.

  “You don’t get to control me with your money! You said you were leaving her and that we were going to be a family.”

  A long pause from Rod. Too long.

  “Peach, all of that is different now,” Rod says. “I don’t remember our time together. I told you that.”

  “There is a lot you claim you don’t remember Rod. I think you need a little bit of help with that.”

  This makes me perk up. I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I think that was a threat.

  “Why don’t you go home and sleep off that alcohol? Come and get Rodeisha in the morning. She’s fine, and you’re upsetting her,” Rod says.

  “I’m upsetting her? You’re upsetting her, Rod! Before you had your little accident you were in her life way more than you are now.” Peach says between sobs.

  Nothing about her tears make me feel sympathetic. This is what happens when you open your legs to a married man. It’s a shame that Rodeisha has to suffer in all of this. I have to say that little girl is growing on me. Probably because she looks nothing like her trifling mother.

  “What is this?” Peach’s voice now has a shrill and hysterical tone that makes me wonder what she’s talking about.

  “What does it look like? It’s our family portrait.”

  My lips form a small ‘o’. The photographer was able to get us a poster size proof before printing the final portrait for our baby shower. He has to retouch and photoshop a few things, but even untouched the poster looks incredible.

  “So you think you’re going to just erase me, huh?” Peach asks.

  Rod is silent. I need him to speak up and say, “Yeah, trick. You’re erased.”

  “I swear if you don’t bring my baby down here now, as God is my witness, I’m gonna bring all my family over here and y’all really don’t want that.”

  “You just make sure my child doesn’t witness any of your activities with your new sponsors. My daughter shouldn’t know what goes on in an adult’s bedroom. With what I know right now, you could lose custody of Rodeisha. Think on that while you’re making all your threats.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Peach asks. “Rodeisha! Rodeisha! Come on out baby. Daddy time is over. It’s time to go home.”

  “Come back when you’re sober. No police officer in the state of Georgia is going to do anything to me for preventing a drunk driving incident. I will call you a cab.” Rod says.

  “My friends are in the car, Rod! We have a designated driver.”

  “I need to see her and make sure she’s not as drunk as you are.”

  Grandmere Batiste appears at my bedroom door and ushers me out of the way. “Don’t go downstairs, Dionne. You don’t have to give her the satisfaction of seeing your face.”

  Grandmere holds her hand out to Rodeisha and she scrambles out of the bed.

  “Come on honey,” my grandmother says. “We’re going to pack up your things really quickly so that your mother can stop making a commotion.”

  Right before they leave the room, Rodeisha hugs me. “I had fun Ms. Dionne.”

  “I had fun with you too.”

  I hug her back and kiss the top of her head. Although I don’t pray much, I also say a little prayer that Rodeisha is okay.

  “I know you are listening Dionne!” Peach says. “You think you can take my baby? She ain’t yours, ain’t neva gonna be yours.”

  I follow my grandmother’s advice and I don’t let her see my face, nor do I respond. I don’t have anything to say to her anyway. I remember how confident she was when I first confronted her about sleeping with my husband. She laughed in
my face. If I wanted to, I could do the laughing now, but I pity her instead.

  Finally Rodeisha is downstairs with Peach. Peach says, “Ooh, baby, I was so afraid when I didn’t know where you were.”

  “I was with Daddy and Ms. Dionne. You didn’t have to worry.”

  “Yeah, I see. And you been taking pictures too,” Peach says.

  “Yes, Mommy! Next time we can all take pictures together, so Mommy and Daddy can be in it.”

  Peach is silent for so long that I think they’re gone.

  “That’s not gonna happen, baby,” Peach finally says.

  I hear another voice downstairs. It must be Peach’s “designated driver”.

  “Rod,” the female voice says, “I haven’t had any drinks tonight. I’m the one driving.”

  There is a very long pause. “I guess you’re okay,” Rod finally replies. “I swear if something happens to my daughter…”

  “Ain’t nothing gonna happen Rod! This is my baby!” Peach says.

  It takes a long time for Rod to come back upstairs, and I’m already in bed when he comes back into the bedroom. He has a pained expression on his face which makes me wonder what’s bothering him.

  “Why did you let her take Rodeisha after everything she told us?” I ask as Rod gets in on his side of the bed.

  “Because she’s her mother. She has primary custody.”

  “But Rodeisha is yours too! You let her go back into that dangerous environment.”

  Rod’s left hand becomes a fist that he pounds into the mattress. “You think I don’t know that? What do you think would’ve happened if we called the police on Peach?”

  “They would’ve given you temporary custody.”

  “No, Dionne. Once the police run a check on me, they would call a social worker out here and put her in foster care at least for the night. I’d rather she be with Peach than in some stranger’s home.”

  “Rod…what do you mean? What would they find?”

  Rod closes his eyes tightly and blows air out of his mouth. “Dionne, there are some things you don’t know about me. I’ve kept you in the dark on purpose in case it all went bad.”

  “In case all what went bad?”