How to Lose a Husband Page 5

  Her mom was not too proud to remind her that she’d taken a trip down Heart Break Lane before. It was almost like every time a guy sparked her interest, she could hear her mother’s warnings in her head.

  Being an actress, she traveled a lot for work and play. She always flew First Class or private. She had never known anything else. This particular day, she was on an early flight. One of her friends had a movie premier and Sade just had to be there. She took her seat, just minutes before the doors closed, her seat mate was already there. She nodded her head to be polite, but he was on the phone.

  “Ma, I have a 24-hour shift, one day off, then four 12-hour shifts, back to back. I can’t find anyone to cover all of those shifts at this late notice…I know, I know…the stewardess is giving me the eye…love you, too.” He closed his phone.

  “Liar,” Sade teased. People were still boarding the plane. The stewardess wasn’t giving him anything.

  “You know how moms can be.”

  “I do. Just being nosey, I heard your work schedule. That’s pretty rough.”

  “It is. I love it, though.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I work in the E.R. harvesting organs. You know, right when someone dies…”

  “STOP!”

  “Listen,” he turned to her, “it’s really cool to cut someone open. Sometimes you have to get a saw and…”

  “NOPE! Not interested.”

  “I’m a trauma surgeon.” He laughed, she looked at him again with fresh eyes. She didn’t want to seem like now she was interested in him because he was a doctor, but it was certainly a deviation from her norm. She was more intrigued than anything else. He didn’t come from a flashy background, and as far as she knew, the blogs and paparazzi didn’t know who he was. He was smart, funny and educated. She was almost positive he didn’t have a criminal background; it would be hard to finish med school running the streets getting into trouble.

  “Who, I mean, what were you doing out here in L.A.?” she asked.

  “My brother lives here. He just had a baby, so all of us came out. I have three siblings and my parents came out, as well.”

  “There’s four of us, too!” She beamed.

  “My mom was crying about how hard it is to get all of her kids under one roof. She didn’t want me to leave.”

  “Mama’s boy,” Sade joked.

  “No ma’am. That’s my brother. Now, he’s the token for real. He has the only grandchild.”

  “Ooh!”

  “Laying it on thick! What about you? What were you doing out here?”

  “A friend’s birthday. My parents live here as well. Now, I’m on my way to a movie premier in Chicago.”

  “The one with ahhh…ahhh,” he snapped his fingers. “Dennis…”

  “McCagle?”

  “Yeah! Dennis McCagle!”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Nice. My friends call me Doc.” Doc extended his hand for a shake. For the better part of the next four hours, they chopped it up. Even when Doc tried to get a nap, Sade kept talking. She had not talked to anybody like that in a long time. It was just like in the movies when the couple meets and can’t get enough of each other. By the time they landed, they knew each other’s whole life stories. Homeboy still hadn’t asked Sade for her digits.

  “Since you’re in my city. Here’s my card. My 24 doesn’t start until tomorrow morning. So, if you want to grab breakfast, that’ll be nice.”

  “Breakfast?”

  “Yeah, I know your crew. Y’all will be out all night for sure!” They walked and talked a little while longer until they got down to baggage claim where a man in a suit was holding a sign with Sade’s name on it.

  Even if she had to sit up all night with toothpicks holding her lids up to make it to breakfast, she would have. Sade couldn’t wait to see him again. They met at a small diner by his job. She got to see him in scrubs instead of street clothes. She told him he was cute. They conversed over scrambled eggs, cheese grits, sausage and buttered jelly toast. Before he hailed her a cab, he told her not to be a stranger.

  He was surprised to get a text from her before the end of his shift that said to hit her up when he woke up after working his 24. She was going to be in town for a few days. Doc and Sade went to dinner, had drinks and then a movie. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Then she was off.

  Over the next year, she made periodic trips to see him. It was easier that way. Her schedule was unpredictable, but very flexible versus his E.R. routine as a surgeon. He was a few years older than her, more settled and always tired and busy. He didn’t have time to keep tabs on her, he got his time in whenever she made it available. They made good use of that time too.

  “Dr. Rivers! Paging, Dr. Rivers!” Sade called out from the shower. He walked in the bathroom and stood there, watching her shower through the clear glass. She loved putting on a show for him in the shower.

  Sade would turn all the way around facing him. Using a fluffy loofah, she rubbed herself in circles slowly. The left breast first, rinsed it off by flicking herself with water only using her hands, then she would get the right breast good and soapy. Doc was ready to do the damn thang, but she’d shake her head no. Then she’d take the loofah across her mid-drift and rinse it off slowly. Doc was butt naked by that point, walking to the shower.

  He’d open the door and she would push him down on the bench inside. Sade would hand him the loofah and squat down with her legs wide open and her back facing him so he could wash her back. Then she’d stand up and bend over so he had a perfect view of her hoo-ha. Sade would snatch the loofah away from him, get his hands good and soapy, then bend all the way over, legs spread wide, so he could use his hand to wash her.

  He’d be washing the coota-cat and playing with it at the same time, driving himself crazy! He always made grunting noises and bit his bottom lip. If he tried to stick a finger in, she’d slap his hand away, then bring it back. If he grabbed her ass, she’d slap his hand away, then bring it back. Oh, my girl teased him so good. Then she’d open his legs, slide him inside of her and get to work. The feeling of the water beating on her while he was deep inside her was more of a turn on. She always came quickly. Then he would stand her up and take control. He’d pick her up, put her back against the marble walls of the shower and give it to her hard. Being an actress, she was into voyeur type shit.

  It was no secret that they were both sweet on each other. Doc was becoming a priority to Sade. Between gigs, she spent time with him. When he had weekends off, she spent time with him. When he worked normal shifts, she spent time with him.

  By the time they hit the two year mark, she had keys to his place. She took him to meet her parents, it was evident they were getting serious. Doc was confident in the life he created for himself, having very little interest in merging their worlds or using her name for his gain. Her parents could see that, too. When she showed up with a modest four carat diamond on her left hand, her mother had a heart to heart with her.

  “Are you sure you’re ready, Baby?” Ms. Connie asked. The two women were sitting on a swing outside on the porch at the family home. Her mother had a pitcher of her world famous homemade lemonade and two glasses sitting on the table next to them.

  “I do love him, Ma.”

  “I hear reservation in your voice.”

  “He’s just so…regular.”

  “What are you looking for, Sade?” Ms. Connie turned to her.

  “A little excitement. You know, Ma? A little more,” she shrugged her shoulders. The day was a nice, beautiful cool day in L.A. Where they lived, there wasn’t a lot of traffic and noise. The yard was wonderfully manicured. Gorgeous blooms of white roses, vibrant pink and red gladiolas and rows of sunflowers. Her mother loved sunflowers.

  “Are you looking for someone who will keep you on your toes or someone to build a life with?”

  “I want what you and Daddy have.” Sade looked over at his powder blue Cadillac. Playa shit.

  “Have you
forgotten about Moya…and Reign?” Her mother said cautiously looking off in the distance.

  “Moya was a separation baby and Reign was never confirmed as his.”

  “Oh, Sade.” Ms. Connie laughed with a tone that almost sounded like pity. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  “What’s there to get? All couples go through tough times.”

  “Moya was not a separation baby. We weren’t taking a break from each other or broken up. Your father was cheating on me. What do you think happened when he was out making his money? Your father was out performing concerts, city after city, state after state. He lived on the tour buses for months at a time. That man was fucking anything that moved!”

  “Mama!”

  “What? You need to hear this! You want a guy in the industry. You want the glitter and the glam and the money and the fans…this comes with the territory. Why do you think he never got Reign tested? He already knows! He just didn’t want to prove it, because then everybody else would know too.”

  “You knew the whole time?”

  “NO! Not at first. I was naïve. I was, we were, in love. When I looked at him the sky opened, birds chirped and angels sang. I traveled with him and saw the mobs of women throwing panties on the stage, trying to get into the hotel. I was traveling on the bus with him until I had Lonnie, Jr. After that, I was stuck home with babies. Who was keeping him company while I was here with my children? It sure wasn’t me.”

  “I saw the way Moya’s mom looked at him. I knew a man would be a man. I just expected him to be more,” she cleared her throat, “discreet. That one didn’t surprise me as much as Reign did. I went into a fit of depression over that one. One child wasn’t enough to scare him straight.”

  “I thought…”

  “You thought what I wanted you to think. I didn’t want you growing up watching your mom thinking I was weak or it’s ok for a man to run around on you and you stay. If you had known that growing up, you would have looked down on me, not him.”

  “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  “It was hard, very hard. But I don’t want it to happen to you! Doc is a good guy. If you love him, it’s worth a shot. Dealing with these popular guys means that many more women have their eyes, hearts and bank accounts tuned up for the possibilities. He keeps his nose clean, that’s what I like about him.”

  Sade and Doc’s wedding was quite a show. Lonnie held no punches, not to mention that due to Sade’s acting and her own popularity, companies were willing to help pay for the wedding. Anything to attach their brand with fresh, rising talent. It was one of the most beautiful weddings anyone had ever seen.

  After it was over, Doc scurried back into obscurity. They continued to do the long distance thing for a year. Even though they were married, things were still the same. She was still moving all over the country, doing auditions and small roles. She did them well, but just could not seem to break through the barrier into better roles. She was only cast to play supporting characters.

  As Atlanta offered to host more and more film sets, Sade found herself spending more time there. The couple decided to move to Atlanta. Work was picking up where she began catching small roles in movies and making cameo appearances on reality shows. She quickly moved from a D-lister to a C-lister. Her popularity on social media kept money coming in from decent endorsements. Doc was easily able to get a job.

  They were settling into life finally living together. Doc was ready to get the kid bandwagon going; Sade wanted more time to get her career to where she wanted it. She took a trip to the Big Apple to support another actress in what reviews were saying was her break out role. Since Doc had to work, he reluctantly sat that one out.

  Sade ended up sitting next to a gorgeous football player. Sade felt like the gods were testing her will. He touched her gently when they spoke, effortlessly flashing his dimples. Sade thought she was going to fuck him right there in the auditorium. He kept grazing her arm and her thigh. Sade was boiling in the seat next to him.

  She was good, though. She withstood the temptation. At the hotel that night, she got on the elevator and stared at herself in the mirrored walls as the door closed. A hand reached inside to catch the door. It was him, Titus McCree. When he looked up at her, he just smiled, walked over to her and grabbed her face.

  They started kissing right there in the elevator. She was still brewing from earlier and her panties got soaked in 0.2 seconds. Ding! Titus walked backwards off of the elevator, pulling Sade with him. She fumbled for her room key, never taking her mouth from his. His shirt was unbuttoned before she got the door open. He easily slid her out of her dress and carried her to the bed.

  She woke up the next morning and found his head between her legs. Titus hungrily lapped his tongue in and around all of her crevices. They went for two rounds before collapsing back to sleep.

  Sade knew she didn’t have any business there. With him. She felt like she just couldn’t help herself. The thought that she had cheated on Doc crushed her. In her mind, it was quick, it was over and nobody knew. She also knew better than to give Titus her number, then she justified it in her mind that if she didn’t, a mutual friend would have. The industry was too small. There was only two degrees of separation between celebrities and personalities. Contacting each other was way too easy.

  As you can imagine, British had to be the one to bust Sade’s chops. She saw a picture of Sade sitting next to Titus at the premier.

  Doc saw it too.

  “It looks like you went to see Titus McCree,” Doc started matter-of-factly when she finally called him.

  “No, Babe! What are you talking about?”

  “I saw a picture of you two together from last night.” Sade had to think fast. This was something she didn’t think she would have to think through. The truth was obvious, she didn’t go with him, they just shoved him in the seat next to her. Thoughts from the night before flashed through her head and she felt a rush of heat.

  “Yeah…well…you know, I kinda showed up at the last minute. I was able to get a seat, but not with her. I just had to take what I could get.” Silence. He needed more convincing. “Doc, c’mon. When did I tell you I was coming? Just three days ago, right? It was all last minute. When I get home, I’ll show you how much I missed sleeping with you.”

  Sade didn’t have the heart to sleep with her husband after just being with Titus. That didn’t stop her from giving him a world class, slow head session. Her hubs was ok, so she was ok.

  Kennedi’s husband, Ty called Sade and told her to get on the next thing smoking back to New York. He had a reading and wanted her to get first dibs on it. Doc was hesitant, being that Titus played and lived in New York, but he couldn’t keep her hostage. Sade did just as she was told and hopped on the next flight. She knew this was going to be the break she needed. It was going to move her up the ranks.

  “How can you come back to my city and not call me?” Titus asked as soon as Sade answered her cell. She pulled the phone away from her face and looked at it.

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “I run this bitch. This is my city. Did your man come?”

  “No, but listen Titus. I can’t do this with you. Ok? This is not who I’m trying to be.”

  “You already are. When and where do you want me to scoop ya?”

  “No, Titus.”

  “Sade. Me sitting next to you was no accident. When I saw you there, the other night, I asked to be moved by you. Do you know I’ve been dreaming about eating you out since I saw you in Another Monday? I wanted you to kiss me and ride me like you did the dude in the movie.” Sade got warm. “I wondered what you tasted like. Now I know. And I want more.”

  “Titus.” She was losing her will. Just that quick. He could hear her voice get weaker.

  “It’s just you and me, Baby. You and me.”

  “I’m good.”

  “Sade, can you still feel me inside of you?”

  That was it, the deal was sealed. She carried
on with Titus for almost a year. It was good when they could get around to each other. He was hot for her. It made her feel nice to know somebody really lusted after her. The whole time they had sex, Titus would tell her what he was thinking when she wasn’t around and how he waited for that moment. He boasted about savoring her sweet taste on his tongue. It drove her insane. It was much different than when she had sex with Doc.

  Yet, the whole time Titus was talking, all she could think about was Drew, her first love. Why didn’t Drew feel that way about her? What was he doing? Was she ever even on his mind? As sexy as Titus was, he could move her body, but not her heart. As smart and loving as Doc was, he could move her mind and her heart, but her body hungered for more.

  Sade knew deep down that she did right to listen to her mother and marry him, but being with Titus was exciting. He made her feel like he could just devour her. Doc didn’t give her that energy, which didn’t take away from the fresh flowers he always bought her or the treat baskets he sent to movie sets when she was gone for more than a week. When Doc asked how her day was, he genuinely wanted to know. And if all else failed, he had a career that would lend to a very good living over time.

  Titus gave British tickets for the Atlanta versus New York game. Really, he was giving them to Sade, but he couldn’t. Doc was not about to let Sade go to a New York game with one of her girls. He went to the game with her. Sade was pissed, but she couldn’t show it. Interestingly enough, the tickets were for the owner’s booth. He knew somebody, who knew somebody and called in a favor.

  Doc and Sade watched the game. As you would think, Doc was more into the game than she was. At some point during the second quarter, Hamp Rivers, III walked in. She instantly knew who he was. Hampton Rivers was a flamboyant trust fund baby. His great-grandfather was a huge steel magnate back when the country was expanding. Buildings were going up left and right, so were Rivers’ pockets. Four generations later, Hamp was still living and thriving on that money.