Cheaper to Keep Her (part 1) Page 9

  I pul ed my car out of the parking lot.

  “A man that wants to act like a damn real man. I can definitely dig that,” I mumbled out loud with

  my new car smel wafting in my nostrils.

  Duke and I went our separate ways in separate cars. It wasn’t until I returned to the empty condo

  that I remembered something . . . I had forgotten to ask Duke what the hel he was doing up in the strip

  club himself.

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 13—Mo’ Problems

  Six Months Earlier.

  Once again, I woke up to an empty bed.

  I rol ed over and looked at Duke’s side of the bed, stil neatly made up, not even an indentation in

  his pil ow. I sighed loudly and looked over at the clock. I closed my eyes in disgust. I couldn’t even get

  used to sleeping late anymore. It was six in the morning and I was up with no place to go and nothing

  to do except wait on Duke to come hit me off with some money or another guilt gift. That’s what our

  relationship had become. He was becoming more and more scarce around the condo, so I had

  come to expect those sorry I fucked up gifts every time I saw him now. His routine was so predictable

  now. He’d disappear for days, one time even an entire week, then he would come to the condo with

  some expensive gift, a long story and his dick and I’d be his again.

  It was so bad I gave Diamond some of the make up gifts. Sometimes he would buy the same gift

  in a different color because he couldn’t remember what he had purchased last. That was a damn

  shame. If I had two or three of the same item I would give Diamond one. So far she had acquired two

  David Yurman ring and bracelet sets, a fur stole, numerous bags from various premier designers and

  a bunch of diamond jewelry.

  I picked up my cel and there was not even one missed cal from Duke. He had come two nights

  prior and he seemed to be in a crazy rush. He had disappeared into the den and locked the door,

  which was strange. Initial y when he put the fucking door on the den I had become suspicious, but I

  never ventured in that room. The last night he was here, I was so glad to see him I didn’t even

  question his apparent urgency to get in and out.

  But laying in the bed with nothing to do, lonely and bored, I started to think about how frantic Duke

  seemed to be. Even his sex was different that night. That fact alone made me very curious about

  what the fuck he had going on. I got up and pul ed myself together, brushed my teeth and got the

  sleep cobwebs out of my head. Then I wrapped a silk robe around my body and shuffled my feet to

  the den door. I jiggled with the knob and the door popped open. I didn’t have shit else to do so I

  decided to snoop. It was something I had never had the urge to do until now. Duke hadn’t given me

  any real reason to suspect him of anything other than maybe his shady business with Dr. Gavin. I

  mean, shit had been great between us for a while.

  After Duke made me quit the job at the club, he was very attentive to me for a good long minute.

  We spent our nights going to dinner at exclusive places and having wild uninhibited sex, and I spent

  my days spending Duke’s money at various mal s and boutiques. I had taken several trips to New

  York to shop at some of the swanky, one-of-a-kind boutiques in SoHo. I can’t front, I was living the

  good life. Duke had even sent me on an al expense paid trip to Turks and Caicos Islands. I had

  offered to take Diamond but she wouldn’t dare leave Virginia Beach without that piece of shit man

  she was stil carrying.

  I lived each day as if shit was al good and I didn’t have time to complain. So snooping into Duke’s

  business wasn’t high on my list of priorities. I had long since put what I had learned about him to the

  far ends of my mind. I just wanted to enjoy the shit he was providing. I wanted to work my way to

  being his wife, so I kept my mouth shut and my legs wide open. But six months after I had given up

  everything for Duke, I found myself alone and wondering what the fuck was keeping him away from

  me al the time. I told myself that my burning desire to know was human nature. Curiosity kil ed the cat,

  but is also a natural part of life. Anybody would’ve gotten nosey by now, especial y a woman bored

  as hel .

  I walked into the den and looked around. Nothing looked amiss. Wel , it wouldn’t have since Duke

  paid a cleaning lady to come into the condo every other week. I didn’t even have to clean, that’s how

  deep this shit was. I walked over to Duke’s desk. Of course, al of the drawers were locked. “Shit!” I

  cursed, disappointed. I flopped down in his leather swivel chair and turned it towards the big window.

  Looking out towards the beach, the view from the condo was simply breathtaking. But it caused me to

  shake my head. I didn’t have my man there to enjoy the beach with me.

  “Fuck this bul shit,” I grumbled. I was mad, somewhat pissed off. This wasn’t what I envisioned. I

  jumped out of the chair and raced into the kitchen. I opened al of the counter drawers looking for a

  knife. It was a damn shame I didn’t even know where the knives were, because I had never had to

  cook a meal in the condo.

  “Final y!” I gasped as I located a steak knife. With my heart racing, I rushed back to the den. I

  immediately started jimmying the locks. My hands were shaking which was making it nearly

  impossible for me to get the damn locks popped. “Dammit!” I cursed, pushing my hair out of my face.

  I was exasperated. I stood up and looked around.

  “Where would somebody with a bil ion places to live leave the keys?” I verbal y asked myself. I

  stopped and tried to focus, get my thoughts together. And that’s when it hit me, I was thinking like me

  and not like Duke. That’s what I needed to do, think like Duke Carrington.

  I knew the keys were there in the house. Then it came to me as if it was a vision from God. Every

  time Duke came to the condo he went straight into our closet and then he would go into the den, put

  away whatever he had to put up and then come to me.

  “So fucking predictable,” I growled as I rushed back to the bedroom. First, I opened the nightstand

  drawers on his side of the bed. Duke had opened the drawers several times during his visits to the

  condo. The drawers were empty. I went into our closet and rifled through the pockets of the three

  pairs of pants he left at the condo. Another dead end . . . I didn’t find anything.

  My shoulders slumped in disappointment. Then I spotted the black Armani blazer hanging al by its

  lonesome a few feet away from the pants. My heart skipped a beat because I knew I was on point

  with the blazer. I raced over to the blazer and dug in the outside pockets. Shit, nothing. Then, I

  reached into the inside, breast pocket.

  “A-fuckin’-ha! Bingo!” I screamed, as my hands shook uncontrol ably. There was a set of keys in

  the blazer’s inside pocket. My mouth was as dry as the scorching desert as I gulped a lump of fear. I

  don’t know why I was so scared, because I was alone and the alarm was on so if Duke tried to come

  in I would definitely hear him. I gripped the keys tightly for a minute. I was hesitating.

  This sucked. I had racked my brain looking for these fucking keys and now that I had found them, I

  was hesitant to use them. “Lynise put the keys back,” I whispered to myself. No! I was going to open

  that damn desk. I had to open those d
esk drawers. I ran through the condo as if someone was

  chasing me. When I reached the den, I fumbled with the keys. The first key didnThe t work. Then the

  second key didn’t work. It was the fourth key that final y opened the drawers on the desk. I bent down

  and pul ed open the first drawer. Inside was just a little composition notebook. I opened it and read

  some of the pages. I placed my hand over my lips.

  There were names of clients . . . damn, there were definitely names. Names of the rich ones who

  wanted to buy babies on the black market. There were also money amounts next to the names.

  “What the fuck,” I gasped when I saw an amount as high as two mil ion dol ars scribbled in Duke’s

  handwriting next to the name Barkers. I dropped the book back into the drawer like it was a

  poisonous snake ready to fil me up with venom. Then I opened the big drawer on the bottom. I found

  a black lock box. The kind storeowners used to transport their cash to banks after a profitable night. I

  quickly found out the box was locked as wel . I picked the keys up and immediately noticed the round

  safe key. I slowly and deliberately inserted the key into the lock box.

  My eyes grew wide when I looked inside. There were about ten stacks of money bonded together

  with thick black rubber bands. Underneath the money were T-Bil s—some as large as five thousand

  dol ars. I couldn’t understand why Duke had money in that box. Then I noticed a folded up piece of

  paper. I unfolded it and read it.

  Wine and Dine Cash. Lynise. Dana. Audrey. Amber. Lisette.

  I threw the paper down, back into the box. My head was spinning. I immediately felt sick to my

  stomach. What the fuck he means wine and dine cash? Why the fuck are there so many bitches’

  names on this fucking list! I was ready to explode. My mind was in overdrive. I didn’t know what the

  fuck to do. In a blind rage, I reached down into the box and grabbed two stacks of money. I took a

  stack of bil s right out of the middle and set the money on the desk. They were al one hundred dol ar

  bil s.

  “Muthafucka!” I managed through my newly formed tears. I quickly locked the box back up and put

  it back into the drawer. I went through the drawers on the other side of the desk. In those I found

  paperwork related to Duke’s businesses, utility bil s and his other homes. I took a bunch of stuff with

  me. I was going to keep everything, including the money. I had to find a safe place to keep everything.

  My investigative thinking cap was on now. I was starting to have a good fucking idea of why my so-

  cal ed perfect man was disappearing so much. I understood the disappearing acts now. It was on.

  I dried my tears. Got my composure—refocused.

  Then I went and made myself of copy of al those fucking keys too.

  Duke didn’t know who he was fucking with!

  Cheaper to Keep Her Unique

  Chapter 14-Faking Jacks

  It was three days after my discovery of the money and list of chicks when Duke final ly made an

  appearance at the condo.

  It was the middle of the night when I heard him punching in the alarm code. I bit into my bottom lip

  and tried my best to put on the I love you so much act. I could hear Duke shuffling around inside the

  closet. Then he went to the den. That shit made me squeeze the pil ow, I was so angry. Al I could think

  of was that he was adding more bitches’ names to his list.

  Duke undressed and slid into bed. He cuddled behind me and started kissing my ears. I just

  moved a little bit. Usual y, I just rol ed over and welcomed him. Not tonight. Duke started licking my

  neck and letting his hands roam al over my body. I stiffened because my mind started wondering if

  he had been with another woman . . . any of those bitches I saw on his list. Duke touched my breasts

  and pinched my nipples. That shit made me feel kind of dirty. Then he pul ed me onto my back.

  “Wassup with you, baby? You ain’t happy to see your man?” he said in a supposedly low sexy

  tone. His breath was hot and smel ed of alcohol. A pang of jealousy shot through me. I wanted to ask

  him who the fuck he was out wining and dining with tonight. But I remained silent.

  Duke proceeded to take what he wanted. Eventual y he was able to get between my rigid, stiff

  legs. I pumped up and down, and didn’t even bother to fuck him back like I usual y did. I know he

  noticed too, because he kept stopping and looking at me strangely. Whenever he did that I cal ed out,

  “yeah baby, oh baby,” in my most fake voice. Duke wasn’t stupid, I’m sure he knew something was

  up. He started fucking me real hard and I was having minor sharp pains in my abdomen. I also noticed

  my breasts were super sore and sensitive when he sucked them. I was glad as hel when he final y

  came.

  He rol ed off of me and I turned my back. Again, not my usual self. I would usual y rub and caress

  him after sex. Cuddle up, lay my head and upper body on his chest and talk to him. Tonight I wasn’t

  up for that shit.

  Duke didn’t sweat it either. He just turned over and went to sleep. I couldn’t get back to sleep, not

  with al the shit I had on my mind. And to top it al off, this nigga had actual y showed up this time

  without even bothering to buy me a guilt gift. He was real y slacking now. It was al good because I

  knew he had put more money in that fucking box and I was intending to take my share. I had final y

  heeded Diamond’s words . . . I was stashing little by little just in case some shit ever jumped off. I

  wasn’t going to be like those rich men’s wives that sat around thinking their shit didn’t stink and never

  having a Plan B. I had already started putting my Plan B in place . . . just in case.

  Duke got up the next morning and he didn’t say much to me at first. I stayed in bed while he

  showered and got ready to leave, once again. I was feeling sick to my stomach. I didn’t know if it was

  the anxiety of him leaving me again, coupled with the fact that I didn’t know when he’d be coming

  back, or if I was coming down with something. I felt like throwing up and I had the worst headache.

  “Baby, something wrong?” Duke asked when he emerged from the bathroom and started putting

  on his clothes.

  “I’m just lonely and I miss you when you stay away so long. Why don’t you want to spend time

  with me anymore?” I said somberly.

  Duke had a stoic look on his face. “What . . . al this I’m giving you ain’t enough?” he asked evil y. I

  was shocked by his nasty reaction to my question. He was definitely not the same man I met and

  thought was the shit. Now his shit was stinking up the place.

  “I’m not saying that but—” I started to say but was rudely interrupted.

  “But nothing! I’m saying if you ain’t happy here you can leave,” Duke blasted back.

  “Why are you being so mean!?” I screamed. Unable to control my emotions, I suddenly burst out

  crying.

  Duke chuckled. “You young girls gotta get it together. You knew I was busy when I picked your ass

  up out the gutter,” Duke said maliciously. Then he walked out of the bedroom. He left me crying

  hysterical y.

  “Ahhhhh!” I screamed out of frustration when I heard the condo door slam. I was beside myself. I

  laid back down and cried until my chest hurt.

  When I final y pul ed myself together, I noticed that Duke had left me a stack of cash on the dining

  room table. I picked it up and flip
ped through it. It was his usual $3,000.

  “I wil just go shopping and make myself feel better,” I mumbled. I knew damn wel buying even

  more clothes than I had already acquired over the past six months wasn’t going to do shit for my

  aching heart. But I stil got dressed and went to the mal . It was the first place Duke and I had gone

  shopping together. Walking into Saks made me feel kind of sad about how things were going with us. I

  spotted Caroline, the saleswoman who had helped Duke and me the day he’d brought me here. She

  noticed me, but acted like she didn’t recognize me. I walked up to her. Surely, she must’ve

  remembered me.

  “Hel o, Caroline,” I said sweetly.

  The old bitch crinkled her eyebrows at me. “Have we met?” she asked me.

  “Yes, yes. I came in with Mr. Carrington, my boyfriend. You helped me pick out dresses and

  shoes,” I reminded her.

  She snorted a bit. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you. Mr. Carrington is accompanied by so many

  different women, I just can’t keep it straight,” the old bitty said sarcastical y.

  A hot feeling came over me. I didn’t consider myself a violent person but I wanted to reach out

  and slap the shit out of this pompous, white bitch. I didn’t fucking ask her who Duke came here to

  shop with. I was speechless. I couldn’t move. It was as if I had been crazy glued to that spot in the

  store.

  “Now would you like to open up your own personal shopper account? Because, I usual y only

  help the women that are escorted by Mr. Carrington,” the evil bitch said mockingly.

  I could feel my face getting flush. The entire store began to spin around me. I gripped the counter

  for support and took a deep breath. I had to throw up. Composure was the word I was looking for . . .

  composure I didn’t have at the moment.

  I was final y able to move. I ran out of the store. My heels clacked against the mal tiles as I tried to

  get to my car before I lost my lunch al over the place. I was crying. I could feel a waterfal of tears

  streaming down my face. My body temperature soared. I felt faint. As soon as I made it to my car, I

  bent over and threw up. My face was a mess, a mixture of tears, snot and vomit. I was so weak and