One Toe Out (A Complicated Love Story) Read online

  She pushed the door open then froze. J.T. and Christian were lying bare-chested on the bed. “May I talk to you?”

  “Sure.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Privately.”

  “I can leave.” Christian swiped back the blankets, and stood up, he was naked. Simone gasped and shifted her gaze to J.T. She saw J.T. run his eyes hungrily over Christian’s body. He picked up a pair of boxers and stepped into them, his jeans followed. He rounded the bed to J.T.’s side and kissed him. “I’ll be back.” J.T. stared lovingly after him.

  Simone watched him strut out of the bedroom, as though he owned it. She shook her head. “What’s that all about?” she asked as soon as Christian closed the door after him.

  “His apartment is being painted, so I invited him to stay here.”

  “But he’s your lover, what about your secret?”

  “Nobody will find out. Sometimes, it’s smarter to keep things right out in front of everybody, that way they won’t suspect a thing. Besides, if they haven’t found out about us by now, they won’t.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on or at the very least, tell me that you were bringing him here.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I guess I should’ve said something, about us. And I decided yesterday that he should stay with me, that had happened so fast that I really wasn’t thinking.”

  “Oh, okay.” She caressed the Ralph Lauren bedspread. “Do you think our arrangement was a good idea?” she asked, carefully.

  “Sure, it’s one of my better ideas. Why? Having second thoughts?”

  “I have something to tell you and I don’t want you to get mad.”

  J.T. sat up straighter. “I can’t promise you that. What’s going on?”

  Her mouth suddenly went dry. “I need some water,” she announced then raced to his bathroom, bypassing his mini-fridge, where she gulped down a cup full of tap water.

  “Ready?” J.T. asked and Simone nodded.

  She returned to her seat on the corner of his bed. She took a deep breath then licked her lips. “I’m pregnant,” she whispered.

  “You’re what?”

  “Pregnant.”

  “You’re pregnant,” J.T. repeated stunned and Simone nodded. J.T. suddenly smiled. “That’s great. Now we don’t have to do artificial insemination. How many months.”

  “Weeks. I’m only eight weeks.”

  “Perfect! I hope it’s a boy. I’d love a boy, I can teach him about football, basketball, we can go camping, we—”

  “I want a divorce,” Simone said abruptly and the smile dropped from J.T.’s mouth.

  “You want what?”

  “I appreciate everything that you did for me. And I’ll give you back the money if you want. But I want a divorce,” she said all in one breath. “I want to marry the father of my child.”

  “No. No. No. No.” J.T. jumped out of bed. So upset by his reaction Simone couldn’t appreciate his flawless body she had never seen him butt naked before. So she didn’t see the way his muscles rippled when he walked or the way his taut ass moved to its own personal symphony. “We’re not getting a divorce. Talk to me in five years then it’ll happen, but not now. Everything is so perfect. I have Christian, you have your lover, we’re having a baby, why mess it up.”

  “J.T. I can’t live a lie, I thought I could, but I can’t, especially with the baby. I want it to know its father.”

  “I’ll up your allowance to five million dollars a year. Tell you what, I’ll have Kirk deposit the five million in your account tomorrow,” he said desperately.

  Simone shook her head no. “You can’t buy me J.T.”

  “Shit, what do you think I’ve been doing for the last six months? I own your ass!” he shouted. He picked up a carafe of water and flung it. Simone nearly jumped out of her shoes when it shattered against the wall. “Get out of here I don’t want to see you!” he ordered.

  That was all Simone needed, she turned and sprinted towards the door. “Bye,” she muttered.

  “Simone!” J.T. called and she stopped in her tracks. “You’re not going anywhere. You belong to me!” he bellowed.

  Simone didn’t stop running until she got to her room, where she called Kirk. “He won’t let me leave,” she cried, then told him what transpired.

  “Oh, you’re leaving,” Kirk said confidently after hearing everything. “When is J.T. going out of town again?”

  “Soon, I think,” Simone whispered, suddenly feeling better, she knew Kirk would think of something.

  “Find out the exact day and make sure Christian won’t be there. I hate to do this to my boy, but he won’t know what hit him.”

  Chapter 19

  J.T. sat in the steam room, he ignored his teammates who were milling around. They were excited after their win over Miami, they had barely squeaked by. He had played shitty and he knew it. Simone’s request for a divorce had thrown him for a loop. That was three weeks ago and he still hadn’t changed his mind, even with her constant nagging to do so.

  He hadn’t spoken to Marcella about it yet. Christian thought it would be best to let it resolve itself. He had met Marcella and had told J.T. that she scared him.

  After half an hour when he felt like he had sweated out all his aches, he threw on a towel and lumbered into the locker room. Thankfully, it was almost empty, the few stragglers who were still hanging around, were getting dressed and enjoying the peace and quiet the same as he.

  After he dressed and a goodbye nod to his teammates, he strolled to the back of the stadium. He had Aleesha arrange a private car for him, he didn’t want to ride with the team on the bus back to the hotel. Normally he enjoyed the camaraderie and ribbing, especially after a win, but not today, he wasn’t in the mood.

  The Black Towne car was exactly where Aleesha said it would be. As soon as the driver saw him approaching, he jumped out, sprinted around the car and held the door open for him. J.T. slumped against the backseat. He barely acknowledged the sights of Miami on his way to his hotel.

  He wished Christian had come to Miami with him, but he had an assignment that he couldn’t turn down. He was handpicked to be one of many photographers on hand to photograph President Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner. It was a big deal and J.T. understood when he didn’t turn it down. Simone had left the game early and went back to the hotel. She had texted him that she was feeling horrible.

  His teammates had made plans to hook up later. A lot of them were already obligated to do appearances at several of the night clubs and wanted him to come along. He knew that they had ulterior motives and that they were using him, they would get a lot more attention by having the quarterback for the Jaguars at their table. He had told them that he’d think about it, but he already knew his answer. He wasn’t in the mood.

  He smiled to himself. Man, I sure am lovesick. Being in love was a new feeling for him and he luxuriated in it. Lying next to Christian, he wished that he could make an announcement about them and how much he loved him. J.T. pursed his lips. Not yet.

  Marcella wasn’t invited to the game, since he and Christian started dating, they hadn’t needed to go on their dick hunt so she had become useless in that regard. He was faithful to Christian and he was sure that Christian was just as loyal to him.

  Exhausted and not wanting to deal with any fans, he took the back elevator up to avoid everybody. He swiped his card and pushed the door open. Simone was reclining on the couch. A man was kneeling in front of her with his face nestled between her legs, Simone had her legs flung over his shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw J.T. standing at the door, his eyes wide open. Simone tapped her lover on his head, he used that as encouragement and delved his tongue even deeper in her mound. “Stop,” she hissed then pushed him away.

  Kirk fell to the floor.

  “Kirk?”

  He turned around to see his best friend at the door.

  “What the fuck!”

  Chapter 20


  Lillian sipped her Martini, she crossed her legs and unconsciously stuck her foot out a little ways so that everyone could see her Jimmy Choos. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  Simone was treating her mom to lunch at Atlantic Station, the trendy downtown neighborhood that was built on land that the city had ignored until a smart-thinking businessman had come along and transformed it into a community where residents and upscale retail shops co-existed. They wanted to pop into Dillard’s then IKEA after they ate.

  Simone nodded. “I do. You were right Mom. I should’ve listened to you.”

  Divorcing J.T. was on the top of her agenda, especially after he had found out about her and Kirk. She drifted off to a couple of weeks ago. J.T. had gone ballistic. He had slammed the door shut, pulled Kirk up by his neck then punched him so hard that Simone was afraid that he had broken his neck. They found out later at the hospital that J.T. had actually broken Kirk’s nose.

  She had learned from Aleesha that after they left, J.T. had trashed the hotel room. Lamps were smashed, the TV was cracked and the bathroom mirrors were shattered. Marcella had smoothed everything over by overpaying the hotel for repairs to the room.

  While he didn’t kick her out, he refused to acknowledge her presence whenever they come across each other’s path. But once in public, he turned on the switch and he’d be the loving doting husband, especially now that she was showing. He hadn’t fired Kirk yet, but now there is a chilliness where there used to be the warmth of decades long friendship.

  Lillian was silent while she sipped her drink. She nervously bit her lip. “Maybe you should stay with J.T. the situation isn’t that bad. You can stay married to J.T. and see Kirk whenever you want.”

  “Mom, you’re encouraging me to cheat!”

  “Come on,” Lillian scoffed. “It’s not like you two are really married.”

  She doesn’t want to lose this gravy train, the truth hit Simone so hard that she felt a headache coming on. But she couldn’t voice it to her mother…not someone who she loved and admired and who had sacrificed so much for her. She spoke softly, “But I don’t love him,” she said instead.

  Her mother picked up an éclair and bit into it. She slowly chewed her treat, as though chewing on her next words. “You knew that when you agreed to marry him,” she finally said.

  “I know that,” Simone said glumly, wishing for her old mom to reappear. “But I’m pregnant Mom, don’t you think Kirk should be the father to his son?”

  Lillian hesitated, then said, “But he will be taken care of. J.T. can give him the life that Kirk can’t. J.T. can expose him to a whole another world.”

  “Kirk isn’t poor Mom, he’s a multi-millionaire.”

  “But he’s not on tract to being a billionaire is he?”

  Aggravated, Simone wanted to shake her mother. “Let’s just pretend that J.T. and Kirk are just your average blue collar working brothers. I know that you wouldn’t have a problem with me divorcing J.T. and marrying Kirk. So why is it different now?”

  “You really have to ask me that? I told you already. The money. And don’t you forget about what J.T. did for your brother. That new lawyer that J.T. got for him is looking to get an appeal or maybe have Lawrence’s case thrown out. He said that the arresting officers didn’t do everything by the book. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  “Yep,” Simone muttered. “Yippee to J.T.”

  Chapter 21

  J.T. signed another autograph and Simone looked on in ill-disguised annoyance. She wanted to talk to J.T., in private, but he had wanted to go out and act like a proud Daddy and show off her baby bump.

  Simone picked at her food while J.T. hungrily ate his. “Not hungry?” J.T. asked.

  “Not really.”

  “Don’t you think you should eat…for the baby?”

  Simone patted her stomach. “It gets enough food, I pigged out earlier today.”

  “Okay,” he said.

  Simone sighed, ever since she had announced her desire for a divorce, their relationship had strained.

  “Have you changed your mind about the divorce?” she asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Come on J.T. that’s not fair, I’m trying to be nice about this. I want to end this as amicably as possible. I won’t talk about you or your lifestyle,” she said and J.T. jerked his head up and nervously looked around the restaurant.

  “Stop talking about that,” he hissed. “We can talk when we get home.”

  “I’ll stop as long as we talk like you promised.”

  “We will,” he promised and they spent the rest of their dinner in silence. The next day, a picture of them showed up on the Internet with the caption: Is there trouble in paradise or is the bread just stale? Marcella saw it and immediately called J.T.

  “What the hell is going on with you J.T.,” she yelled. She caught J.T. just as he had finished practice and was on his way into the shower. He had been expecting the call, Christian had seen the picture and had warned him.

  “Nothing, everything is cool. She’s just tired that’s all. Hey, I’m about to get into the shower, let me hit you back later,” he said then hung up before Marcella could reply. J.T. stepped into the shower and held his face up, letting the water wash over his face. This way, he reasoned with himself, if anybody peeked in, they couldn’t tell the difference between his tears and the water.

  J.T. was in his workout room when Simone and Kirk approached him. “What are you doing in my house? I told you I don’t want to see you and that if you should need anything from me, you can go through Aleesha.”

  “I’m here to support my lady. That’s it.”

  J.T. looked from Simone to Kirk. “What are you talking about?”

  “I want a divorce,” Simone said firmly. “Now we can do this the nice way or the fucked up way.”

  J.T. sat down on his bench. “Fuck y’all.” He ignored them and began lifting weights.

  “I have pictures,” Simone said quietly.

  J.T. froze. “What?”

  “While you were traveling, Kirk had a friend of his set up a camera in your bedroom. I have pictures of you and Christian, and they’re good quality.”

  J.T. looked as though he wanted to throw up. He thought about the things he and Christian had done in his bedroom, things that two men in love do, things that people do when they think they are free to express their love, things that people do when they don’t have to worry about cameras. He sat up then dropped his head in his hands. “You motherfuckers!” he roared, then he bum rushed Kirk, knocking him on the floor and began pummeling him. Kirk tried to fight back but he was no match for the angry quarterback. He screamed for J.T. to get off him.

  “Get off!” Simone shouted. When J.T. continued punching, Simone jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull him off her boyfriend. “Get off, or I’ll call the police!” she warned.

  The threat cut through J.T.’s anger and he stopped. Simone rolled off and looked at Kirk. His face looked like it had gone through a meat grinder. “Oh baby,” she murmured.

  J.T. jumped up. “I’m calling Marcella.”

  Simone was sitting in her bedroom when J.T. banged on her door. She had washed Kirk’s face and put ointment on. She had a feeling that J.T. had re-injured his already broken nose. “Come out here, Marcella wants to talk to you.”

  “Come on,” Simone said to Kirk. They had stayed instead of leaving because they wanted this solved, today.

  They walked down to the great room where Marcella and J.T. were waiting for them.

  “How are you two?” Marcella asked kindly.

  “We’re cool,” Kirk answered. Simone simply looked at her and didn’t respond.

  “I heard there was a disagreement.”

  “I want a divorce,” Simone said, she jutted her chin at J.T. “And he doesn’t.”

  “I see,” Marcella answered. “Can you wait for a couple of years?” she asked.

  “No. I told J.T. that I want to
marry the father of my child and the man that I love. I don’t want to wait.”

  “She got several pictures of me and Christian,” J.T. said angrily. “She won’t give them to me.”

  “Do these pictures really exist?” Marcella asked, still uncommonly calm.

  “Yeah,” Simone answered. “Go get them,” she instructed Kirk. He ran out to his car and returned five minutes later carry a brown envelope. He handed it to Marcella. She opened it and pulled out the eight by ten photos. She blanched when she thumbed through, she silently passed them to J.T. J.T. grayed.

  “I’ll give you all the copies and the video feed, everything as soon as you agree to a divorce and sign the divorce papers,” she said, sounding braver than she actually felt.

  Marcella inched towards her. “That’s not going to happen Simone. You and J.T. are going to remain married.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  Marcella reached into her Hermès Birkin bag and pulled out a small handgun. “Yes you are.”

  “Put that away Marcella,” J.T. shouted.

  “You’re not going to ruin J.T. You’re going to stay married to him.”

  “No, I’m not,” Simone argued.

  Marcella pointed the gun at Simone, and shot.

  Simone shouted and that was the last thing she remembered.

  Chapter 22

  Simone stared up at the white ceiling, the TV was on but she wasn’t watching it.

  “I’m sorry,” Lillian said. “I should’ve let you go.”

  Simone smiled weakly. “That’s okay, money is so addictive. I understand.”

  “But you told me so many times that you wanted to leave. But I wouldn’t let you go.”

  “I’m a big girl Mom. I could’ve left whenever I felt like it. I guess part of me really wanted J.T.’s blessing. He’s a good guy…and he’s another one being seduced by the money. He could easily quit football and become a coach.”