Page 7 of Wifey
“Sweet dreams, angel. I’ll see you soon.” He paused for a beat. “Angel?”
“Yes, Page?”
“I always get what I want.”
Cameron generalized what he said but we both knew he was talking about me specifically. “You’re the devil, Page.”
“I’m the temptation you want.” The line went dead.
As I laid in my dark bedroom, staring at Cameron’s dick pic longer than I should’ve, I already know he’s right.
Three
I can’t believe it took me this long to realize everything.
Once my eyes flew open at 6 A.M., I don’t have to wonder how Cameron figured out about what was going on with my life.
I quickly showered and got ready for another day at Fresh Espresso. I contemplated how I wanted to approach the subject and what tone of voice I should use. Jovial? Concerned? Angry? A combination of the above?
I walked into the garage and still saw the Beemer parked with all of the gifts loaded in the back. It was parked right next to my Daddy’s old low-rider. A part of me wanted to open them up and see what Cam had gifted me. Another part wanted me to throw it all way and deal with his wrath later.
I decided to drive my modest Camry instead.
Once I opened up the shop and got everything turned on, I simply waited for her arrival. And the moment she walked in, I pounced. “You told Cam all of my business, didn’t you?”
Hayley dropped her Ugg backpack on the counter and blew out a piece of bubblegum. She’s dressed in the best luxury runway showcase she can find. Her sneakers are Gucci. Her jeans are Balenciaga and her shirt is Chanel. Her makeup is equally expensive.
Hayley’s blonde, curly locks frame her face and she nails the sweet Girl Next Door with a touch of hood every man seems to love. “Good Morning to you, too, bitch.”
“Fuck the semantics,” I roll my eyes as they follow Hayley going into our shared office and coming back out. “You told Cam everything. That’s why he gave me the money.”
Hayley nodded to the cameras behind me. “Let’s talk outside.”
~~~~~~
“I still don’t see what the problem is.”
We’re on the back patio, sipping on our respective Michelle Obama coffees, and eating the biscuits with jam. Hayley has known about my money issues for a while and kept offering to help. I couldn’t accept her money, knowing it came from Que and his connection to Cameron.
I’m not surprised Cameron kept tabs on me via Que and Hayley but I am surprised on how involved he is. The money wasn’t just a generous donation because of our history; there’s a lot more to it. “It’s blood money, Hay.”
“All money is blood money, Taylor.” Hayley presses. “Even those who do it legitimately, there’s someone whipping them on the field.”
“Spare me the slavery analogies for this, okay?” I correct her and Hayley rolls her eyes. “We both know there’s a difference between what Cameron is doing and what someone working at Target is doing.”
“What do you want me to say, Tay?” She asks me as she takes a pinch of a biscuit. “No, Cameron shouldn’t have helped? Yes, it would’ve been okay you had to close a shop and put people out of work?”
I was closer to making that decision than most people knew. Not even Gabe knew and he’s been at the shop for years. His wife just had a baby and Gabe lamented on how expensive diapers were. I can’t imagine what Gabe would’ve had to tell his homemaker wife about losing a job with insurance and benefits.
“I was going to figure something out,” I explained, “I was looking at all of my options.”
“And all of them were exhausting your savings, exhausting your inheritance, potentially putting your Daddy’s home on the market, and laying off employees.” Hayley sipped her coffee. “You’re lucky Alicia was giving you the hookup when it came to those legal bills.”
“What’s happening now still isn’t right.” I contemplated on whether I should tell Hayley about my convo with Cameron but I know she would be hella pissed if I didn’t say anything at all. “Cameron wants me to move in with him.”
Hayley takes another piece of biscuit and shrugs. “So do it.”
“Excuse you?” I balk at her suggestion. “I haven’t seen that man in well over a year. Now he wants me to move in with him like nothing happened between us? Like he has no clue why I left?”
