The Stripper Chronicles 2: Indiscretions (Excerpt )

Chapter 14

You know how your world is crumbling. My world was slowly coming down. He hates me.
But I couldn't do nothing about it.
Jason was determined to find out who robbed him and he was partnering up with the police looking at surveillance cameras all over this city.
And Angela got fired.  She stood in the office crying. My fucked up shit.
But I went on planning this wedding and trying to get a Satellite business in North Carolina.
I took the drive to get away from the mess that was about to unfold.
I made excuses to Jason and my parents. All I could think about the look on Relic's face.
How he just left me there. He did not communicate to me. No text. No call. I stayed away too.
I called all my bridesmaids up and told them we had rehearsal a week before the wedding. Jason was brushed me off as usual. He was obsessed with finding who were the 'two bitches' that robbed him.
"They are going away for a long time. The police agree with me. They saw her ass getting money from two ATMs around the area." he said.
At the job, the Ericsson's plan on pressing charges against Angela.
I tried to call Relic but he wouldn't answer me.
I end up at Janice house on my knees slobbering in her lap. I told her the everything. All the dirty.
She just sat there and listened.
"Oh what a tangled web....Connie." She interjected.
"You got to get yourself out of this. Maybe the truth is better. You gonna face the consequences but you have to...."
I turned to her. " I can't....." I cried.
"If Jason loved you... he wouldn't press charges against you."
"Maybe after the rehearsal....I can't do it now."
Janice shook her head. " And you need to apologize to two innocent people. You think marriage is one big day. Connie, it's all about you."
"Jay, what you mean?" I asked looking at her perplexed.
"You think marriage is tied up in one day. Marriage is a commitment. It's about love...Connie. And that's something you and Jason don't have."  Janice exclaimed.
"Me and Jason are good. He is a good man. I deserve him."
Janice scoffed. "You do? You covering up a pregnancy and let's just say you committing crimes.... I bet if he found out it was you that robbed him.." she continued. "He'd make sure you went to jail. He doesn't love you. He isn't really into this marriage. Why is his ex blackmailing you?"
I looked at my finger. Was this beautiful three thousand dollar ring worth it?
She looked at me. "All because of a ring. And the main question is why you were fucking a stripper if Jason was all that? Keyke right you know...y'all just trophies. The only two persons I feel sorry for is yeah the stripper and the baby."
Jay was right. I had to fess up. So I came to Johnathan.
"What if Angela didn't do it?" I asked. "And it was a mistake?"
Johnathan looked at me quizzically. "Do you know who did it?"
"No... but we all make mistakes. You said she kept a perfect record and all of us have access to petty cash..." I said convincingly.
"You right....it may not really effect somethings...we can write it off." he explained.
It wasn't an confession but it gave me time.
Johnathan said the Satellite company in North Carolina had to be put on hold.
I had time to seduce Jason. I made his favorite dinner. I put on one of my sexiest negligees.
" Hey, honey...." he greeted him. He dodged my embrace. I shook off the anger.
He looked at me and scoffed "Connie, you need to put some clothes on..."
I tried to come clean. My nerves were fraying. My body was changing. It was two weeks before the wedding.
On the night of rehearsal, I used The Holy Church of God, since it was my mother's church. Jason backed out of rehearsal, claiming he had to work late and it was his job just to show up. Janice said she didn't want to be a part of it so she dropped out of the wedding.
It was only Misha and Regina that showed up. Erica had to work that shift. And Jason's crew did not show up.
"Gurl, did he give up on finding us?" asked Misha.
"Yeah....he claims that it was his company's card. He doesn't say anything about it anymore." I replied.
"You think he knows?" asked Regina. I shrugged.
Lately, I been questioning things. Jason barely touched me. And was barely at home. And when he was home, he was cold as ice. We barely talked. Maybe he did know....
"Since it's us let's go.....girl's night out!" Misha exclaimed. We chose the wildest club. When we came in, Lil John and The Eastside Boys were screaming 'To the window...To the wall...
and if I knew what I known I wouldn't have gone. He was the DJ... He was doing his thing on his turntables. He had the crowd locked in his jam.
"Well...I think you need to talk to him..." said Regina. I refused. "There's a child's life involved and when was the last time you had a check up?"
It had been a while. And Erica was calling me jumping down my throat.
But why did Regina had to be fucking with Destiny? And why did Destiny had to tell Relic of my presence.
He came over to the table. He wore all black. A leather jacket and a silver Celtic crucifix around his neck. There was something in his eyes. Was it tenderness? Contempt?
Misha excused herself and she hit the dance floor with some short and bald white guy. Regina and Destiny were all over each other.
"Can I sit?" He asked. Was it nausea or butterflies? He made me feel this way and it made me nervous.
"Look, Connie, I have a right to be in this child's life..."
Scary feelings overtook me. "Look, I know the story with guys like you. I was in college. He wasn't like you but you remind me of him. He was sexy. He had the nicest body. The sex was so good. I was so in love....but I was naive. I gave him my heart but he got what he wanted. He didn't need any of these 'hoes' messing up his dreams to be in the NFL." I laughed through my tears. "I wasn't the only hoe and I was pregnant." He just sit and listen. "After my mom cursed me out she told me I had to get an abortion. She and my father didn't pay all that money for me to fuck up my future she said. I partied hard but I refused to get involved with another one. I just had my fun." There was silence. "I worked hard. Because I had to work hard to get where I am at. Jason made it easy. He did the guy thing, he just showed up. He was the man...the ideal man. Nice house, bad cars, money in the bank..." I sobbed. "My mother was starting to talk to me again when he came in the picture. She wanted us to marry he was a good man she said...settle down have kids...because at your age you better make the best of it..." I continued. "I made the best of it. I don't think I really love him I just went along with it...like I did with the abortion. I never told Daddy. Life was going good until I saw you at that that damn gas station..." I sobbed. He hand me a napkin he had stuffed in his pocket.
The club kinda slowed down. Destiny put on a slow jam.  "This is my chance to redeem myself that is why I want to keep the baby." I look down at my seltzer water and cranberry juice.
"Look, I am not here to judge or condemn you. When you told me that you was pregnant I thought that you were trying to trap me into a relationship."
Connie shook her head. "No, I am going through a lot of right now..." She wiped her eyes.
"So what are you gonna tell him?" He asked.
I shrugged.
He gave me an apprehensive look mixed with something. Then he put his hand on mine.
Electricity surge through me.
"I will think of something..." I replied.
"Maybe you should start with the truth." With that he got up and walked away.