Bedroom Boom

Chapter 21

"Is this some type of joke?" Telay asked offensively when she looked at what was supposed to be her and Pepsi's salon. She had spent all morning getting dressed after Taste kept telling her he had a surprise for her, and she definitely was surprised.

"Telay, I think you taking this the wrong way." Taste said matter-of-factly.

Telay looked at him as if he had two heads. "You took my fucking name off the shop."

"Yea, but your name still on the deed. It's still your business, you just don't got to put no work in it."

"Why? You don't want me to run into no more of your little bitches?"

"Man, fuck them bitches. I just feel like you too good to work. A woman like you should just look cute and count money."

"You didn't have to take my name off the shop."

"Okay, well I'll put it back on there. I just ain't know how to tell you that I ain't want you working no more. I want us to have as much time together as possible."

"That's so sweet Taste. You could've just told me that."

"You should know that." He replied before kissing her. "I'm ready to take that step."

"What are you talking about?"

"I want you to be my wife."

"I am your wife."

"No, I want you to have my last name." He said seriously. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Don't get all mushy on me. You know how I feel about you. This ain't nothing new." He kissed her lips and wiped away a tear that had slid down her face. "I don't want you to cry. I told you the only thing I want you to do is stay gorgeous and count this money we 'bout to be making. That's it."

Six months later...

In a matter of months, Telay's life went from counting money and being gorgeous to keeping Taste happy and covering up the consequences of failing to do so. For lack of words, from better to worse. She was still in love with him and still wanted to make things work with him, but it seemed the more she tried the more she failed. They argued almost everyday, and no matter what, she always took the blame for their differences.

She followed his every demand, even the outrageous ones, like never being able to leave without one of his guards and wearing brown contacts to hide her true blue eyed beauty. She had four cars and couldn't even drive them because he always insisted that she be chauffeured. When she was away he demanded she call him every five minutes, and that still did not help. They fought every time she left because he believed she was sleeping with his guards. He accused her of cheating with every one alive, and when she found out about affairs that he had been having, he blamed it on his suspicions about her faithfulness. Despite all the stress, pain and tears she still held on to her dream of them being happy together.

She sang along to Beyonce's song Broken Hearted Girl and forced a smile as she applied makeup to the small bruises on her neck from him choking her a couple nights before. Her wedding dress had a low cut neckline and would perfectly expose her bruises and her secrets if she did not put the makeup on. She stood up to face the full length mirror in Sophia and Delmar's guest room, and looked at her self. I hope this works. She prayed silently hoping that marriage would prove to Taste that she was his and only his. But Taste already knew that. That was why he acted the way he did. He knew that no matter what he did to her, she would always stay as long as he covered it up with good sex and material things. He knew just the way to keep her hopes of them being happy together alive.