22
Six o’clock on the dot. Victor touched the remote and watched as the garage door climbed to the ceiling, giving him access to the garage. His mood was sour—unhappy because of the unwelcomed visitor who had the audacity to step to him and hand him some crazy ultimatum.
Victor sauntered into the house, loosened his tie, took off his jacket and neatly hung it on the coat rack that sat off to one side of the foyer. Without making any noise, he moved easily from room to room until he found Brenda in the family room watching television, perched on the end of the white leather couch with Beyonce curled up beside her.
The atmosphere was cool when Brenda turned around and made eye contact with Victor. Even Beyonce sensed tension in the air and plopped up from her resting place, leapt to the floor, and sauntered off out of sight.
“What’s for dinner?” Victor asked, a slight chill in his voice.
“It’s a free for all tonight,” Brenda said, turning back to watch World News.
“Ummph,” Victor grumbled. “I noticed that a rental car is in the garage. At least you could have run out and got something to eat if you didn’t want to cook. It appears you’ve healed from your injuries.”
Brenda swiveled around in her seat so that she faced Victor. “You could’ve easily brought something home. You walk in here without so much as a how are you feeling, Brenda…is there anything I can do for you, Brenda…and you expect me to be at your beck and call. It would’ve been nice if during the ten hours you were away from home today that you would’ve thought to make at least one phone call to show you care about my well-being.”
“I do care, Brenda. Today was an exhausting day. I…I had to tackle one problem after another.”
“Ten minutes was all I needed from you. You give your concubines more than that.”
“Please don’t start tonight, Brenda. You’re the only one I love and I’ll always be here for you and the kids.”
“You have a funny way of showing it. But I know you, Victor. Something has got you preoccupied. And I don’t understand your obsession with me not seeing Mimi.”
“Mimi. So we’re back to Mimi again. Wasn’t your accident a sign that you should stay away from her?”
“What are you talking about, Victor? Did you have something to do with my accident?” Brenda rose from her seat and moved in front of Victor. “I could’ve been killed!” she screamed.
“Come on, Brenda. I had nothing to do with your accident. Why would I want to hurt you?”
“Why? Because you didn’t want me to meet Mimi? Now you tell me why,” she hissed. Brenda folded her arms across her bosom and waited for a reply.
“My God, Brenda, you don’t really think that I’m capable of what you’re suggesting? You’re my wife and the mother of my children. Please give me credit for trying to be the best husband to you for the last nineteen years. You just stuck a knife in my soul to so blatantly suggest that I could ever hurt you or anyone.”
Brenda let her arms drop to her sides and sat down on the couch. “Cut the theatrics, Victor. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got this vibe that you’re up to something…and I believe it has to do with Mimi.” There was no way she was going to tell Victor that Mimi had stood her up again.
Victor moved to the couch and sat next to Brenda. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been supportive where you and Mimi are concerned. I remember how much her leaving hurt you, and I don’t want you to set yourself up for disappointment again; that’s all. Mimi wasn’t dependable nineteen years ago. What makes you think she’s going to be any different?”
“It’s not your concern that bothers me but the fact that you told me point blank not to meet her. Seems like that would be a decision I should’ve made for myself. Maybe I needed answers to why she disappeared.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea. You went behind my back and tried to see her after you told me you were going to cancel that luncheon.”
Brenda slid off the seat, folded her hands across her chest, and faced Victor. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but I don’t need your permission to meet my best friend for lunch.” She let her hands drop and pointed a finger at him. “Puzzled as I am about your interest in my not seeing Mimi, it will not stop me from seeing her. But don’t you dare tell me whom I can and cannot see. I’ve put up with a lot of mess from you over the years, so now is not the time for you to forget that. You do get my meaning.”
“You’re still my wife, and I’m still head of this household. Don’t you forget that!”
Brenda sneered at Victor. He was hiding something, and whatever it was would eventually come to the light. Oh, his grandstanding meant nothing to her. All it did was prompt her to make every attempt to see Mimi, and she would. Victor didn’t scare her. She should have left his sorry behind a long time ago but thought better of it because she didn’t want her children to be part of the growing statistics of children living with a single parent. But now curiosity was coursing through her thoughts, and a little research and surveillance was now on the menu.
Exploring other possibilities had also crossed Brenda’s mind, and maybe, just maybe after Trevor was in college, she might entertain that desire. Marriage to Victor wasn’t a match made in Heaven as people seemed to think, but she had sucked it up because she had fought and won the hand of the handsome prince. Although being a pregnant teenaged girl wasn’t on Brenda’s list of priorities all those years ago, having the fetus in the womb was the one thing that had secured her place by Victor’s side. She was sure it was the reason she doted on Asia like she did.
But times had changed. Her life had changed. Brenda’s resilience had made her one of the leading psychologists in the state and probably the country. She was the real force in the Christianson household and could easily sustain life without Victor. Priorities had been rearranged in Brenda’s world. And as she glanced back at Victor who was now exiting the kitchen, she mentally dropped his priority number to last place.
Beyonce suddenly bounced into the room. The music on the television set made her bounce from one foot to the other, her tail wagging. A video clip featuring Beyoncé Knowles and a couple of dancers played on television and Beyonce the cat was moving with the girls as they sang, all the single ladies, all the single ladies… the reason Beyonce the cat got her name.