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“Yes, she told me about it, but it doesn’t sound like the same story she related,” I lie.
“She likes to embellish to make it seem like she was the victim. You should get out while you can. I’m sure a man as handsome as you could find someone much more suited.”
“And would that person be you?”
“Well, it could be. You would be getting the better version of the Collins sisters. I’m sure she told you that I don’t need to work. I have a trust fund.”
Alicia had gotten my anger up. This woman had the gall to bad mouth her sister. It’s time I put her in her place.
“Whatever you have going on with your sister, I don’t appreciate you talking shit. I think it’s you that’s the jealous one. Why would I believe anything you have to say about Lana anyway?”
“Because I speak the truth. You’re a fool if you think she wants anything but to be taken care of by someone. You’ll see. She’ll drain you dry, and when she can’t get any more, or you cut her off, she’ll dump you or freeze you out in bed,” she says through gritted teeth.
“Thank you for the information, but I’ll take my chances,” I rise from my chair and leave her sitting there staring after me. I seek the refuge of my bedroom and kick off my boat shoes so I can lie down in bed. Not even one day here, and I’m already thinking of ways to get out. Maybe I can say that I have a situation in the city I need to handle.
The sun fades down to the horizon and then disappears. I wonder where Lana is and if she’s come in from the beach. I don’t want her to be upset with me, and I feel like a piece of shit. I made the wrong call by doing what I did. I needed her, and instead of catering to her needs first, I took from her, making her come as an afterthought.
I think I should just go to sleep and hope that things will work themselves out by morning. I get up and brush my teeth, splash some cold water on my face and get undressed, slipping under the covers in my boxers. It’s barely ten, but I feel worn down and mentally exhausted.
I’m not sure how long I slept, but I’m half asleep when the scent of suntan lotion fills my nose. I feel the bed dip and Lana’s soft cheek is against the skin of my chest, her arm around my stomach. She kisses my neck, and I feel wetness, which causes me to wake fully.
“Baby, are you crying?” I whisper.
I hear her sniffle, and she nuzzles my chest.
“Lana, talk to me.”
“I heard what you said to my sister. I was coming back from the beach.”
“I don’t understand why she said those things. Maybe you can enlighten me. I wasn’t going to let her talk that way about you.”
“Turn on the light; we should talk.”
She rolls to her side, and I sit up to turn on the light. Her face is streaked with tears, but her makeup is scrubbed clean from her face. She’s naturally beautiful, and I love her this way. I reach over to wipe the moisture from her face. I don’t want her to be upset.
“Don and I have known each other for years because our fathers were friends since they were teenagers. We attended Columbia together and started dating in the middle of freshman year. He liked having me on his arm, and I was young, he was my first serious boyfriend. He must have grown tired of me by sophomore year, and he became distant. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to make him happy. I found out he was cheating on me when I came to his apartment one night and found him passed out in bed with a girl, and they were both naked.”
“Oh shit, what a dick.”
“I forgave him and said we could work it out. I loved him. He said we would give it another try, and he apologized. We dated for a few more months, and the whole time he was cheating on me. Rumors went around, and I begged him to stop, but he told me I was pathetic. I told him I thought we were going to get engaged. I wasn’t being silly; we talked about it before.”
She sniffles a few more times before she continues.
“He broke up with me and to save face; he told Alicia he had to dump me because I wanted him to buy me things all the time. He barely bought me flowers. I never asked for anything from him, only his love.”
During her story, I was clenching my fists so hard that my fingers hurt. I flexed my hand before I reached over to pull her into my lap, kissing the top of her head.
“He’s a fool. But you seemed to get along with him okay at dinner. How did you manage?”
“Because he made sure that my parents and his knew that our breakup was my fault. I tried to explain, but Alicia didn’t make it easy for them to believe me. So I just keep my mouth shut, smile, and pretend to enjoy the company. Lucinda has been nasty to me telling me that I better know my place, Don is hers. Like I would ever want him again. It’s why I needed you to be here. If you leave, they’re going to think that it’s me chasing away another man. Please don’t go.”
“Lana, I’m not leaving. Now I have more of a reason to stay. We’re going to show them how wonderful you are and what a great girlfriend you make. Now about this afternoon, I was an ass. I should never have treated you that way.”
“It wasn’t that bad. I overreacted.”
“You didn’t. You’re precious to me. I need to treat you better.”
“I want to sleep here tonight.”
