CHAPTER 29
When I got up the next morning at 6 a.m. and went to the bathroom I discovered that I had gotten my period. How strange. I immediately burst into tears. Trey knocked on the bathroom door having heard me.
"What?" I asked sobbing.
"Baby are you okay?" he asked.
"Can I come in?"
"Yes," I wailed between sobs.
When Trey came in he saw me sitting on the toilet.
"Tylar what happened?" he asked his face going pale.
"I got my period," I sobbed.
"Well honey," he said. "I mean isn't that a good thing? I know you didn't want a baby this soon after Preston so everything is good right?"
"Maybe I somehow caused it. I mean I was two weeks late on my period and then I bitched about it and the next day I started. Maybe God caused me to not be pregnant anymore."
"Sweetheart that is not how it works."
"How do you know Trey? Look at Tess and Nigel so much wanting to have a baby and they can't. Then here I am thinking I'm Fertile Myrtle and maybe I'm really not."
"Honey," he said smiling and capturing my face within his hands and kissing me softly.
"I personally guarantee you that you will carry all of the children that I can possibly give you. You were born to be a mother amongst other things."
He was smiling at me and I knew that Trey knew me better than myself at times.
"Oh Trey," I sobbed, "You totally get me. I love you!"
"I adore you baby. So let's not freak out about this okay? Just think about how happy going forward we are that Preston won't be over-shadowed on her 'firsts' okay?"
I almost felt guilty about the way that I had worried so much about our babies being born too close together that I would have been upset had I turned up pregnant.
I finished up in the bathroom so Trey could shower before work. He had been working out at the gym after work lately so he could sleep in with me.
He was dressed, shaved and looking impeccable in his newest Armani suit when he came out to the kitchen carrying Preston.
"Look who was standing up in her bed saying, 'Dadda' when I went into her room to check on her."
"No she didn't!" I said, putting a waffle on his plate.
Preston was grinning sporting her two emerging bottom teeth. I went over to her holding my hands out for her. She reached for me and I took her into my arms.
"Say 'ma-ma' for me Preston."
Trey chuckled and sat down to his breakfast; I took Preston into the living room continuing to repeat 'ma-ma' to her as I settled down on the sofa with her preparing to nurse.
Trey kissed us both before he left for work. He said he was going to work out and would be home around seven.
"I'll be at the club this evening, remember?"
"Oh that's right. Well maybe I'll stop by after the gym to see you before going home how's that?"
"I'd like that Trey; provided you don't assault any more patrons."
"Very funny Mrs. Sinclair," he said, leaning down to give me another kiss.
Preston and I got our baths and dressed for our day together. I dressed her in dark green leggings with a matching sweater and put the new 'One eye Monster' Ugg knit boots and hat set on her that I had bought for her at the airport in Baton Rouge. Trey had made a comment about the cost of the baby couture but then suggested a different color than the one I had selected for her.
I started a crock pot dinner so that Jean would have something to eat and wouldn't have to worry about making Trey's dinner. Since I was going out to the new house in the morning, Jean was staying overnight.
I had to meet with the decorator and select colors for the rooms and window treatments. The flooring in the downstairs was completed. I still had to make my selections for the second floor carpeting and light fixtures.
Trey and I had discussed a full-time arrangement with Jean. There was plenty of room if she was amenable to being a live-in. Once the horses arrived they would be my responsibility. Trey wanted me to finish college so I had to see about getting my credits transferred to a local university. I would only enroll part-time and hopefully could take a good portion of the remaining classes online.
I had suggested to Trey that I would like to give riding lessons since we had the horses and the land; possibly offer boarding as well since the stables would accommodate more horses than we intended to move from Bristol. He was amenable to that especially since it permitted me to spend a lot of time with Preston. I had every intention of getting her up on a horse's back just as soon as she was old enough.
The day seemed to fly by. Too soon I was putting on my tight little skirt and blouse and killer shoes to head down to the club. I only had to work until 11 p.m. tonight as Eddie would close for me.
Gina had scheduled me to work at the main bar with her downstairs. Eddie was training a new bartender upstairs since it wasn't quite as busy this time in the evening. The downstairs bars tended to get more of the 'Happy Hour' crowd until around seven. Then there was a lull until the band started at nine.
"So," I said to Gina as she was filling the ice machine, "What did Tristan want the other day when he called in and you had to cut our call short?"
Gina got a sly smile on her face at my question.
"Being kind of nosey there aren't you, girlfriend?"
"Not at all. I just wondered if he was still interested in investing. Trey seemed to think he might be backing out after reading the financials."
"No I don't think he will be backing out of anything. I think Tristan has some major interest," she said giggling.
"Hey as a matter of fact, Tristan will be back in town before Thanksgiving. He needs to talk to me about the particulars. I think you will be having one more for dinner."
"Really?"
I wondered if he had said anything to Trey about being here over Thanksgiving. "
Is he planning on staying at the apartment with us?"
Gina actually blushed for the first time ever in front of me. She stammered a bit with her answer.
"Well, actually I told him that he was more than welcome to crash at my place. I mean it's closer to the club and all. He wants to talk about making some changes at the club. I'm not sure of the extent he wants to change it but he's offered to put in an additional $100,000 after he buys you out. I'm kind of excited to hear his ideas."
I was thoroughly amused and thoroughly happy if things were indeed moving ahead with Gina and Tristan. I still believed that they were perfect for one another.
"Well you do have that spare bedroom at your condo Gina. It makes perfect sense to me that he would stay there."
"Very funny, Ty. I know what you're thinking. You have a dirty mind just like that husband of yours! By the way - please honor our BFF confidentiality here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Please don't tell the Hot Nazi where Tristan is staying, okay?"
"You know I won't if you don't want me to Gina, but what is the big deal?"
"It's just that I really like Tristan but at this point I think we are going to take the 'friendship' route. At least that is what I am hoping for."
"I don't understand. You seem to really like him to the point where I swear you are crushing on him. He seems to be charmed by you so what is the problem?"
"I don't want to be his 'bridge bitch,' that's all."
"What the hell is a 'bridge bitch'?"
"You know - it's the chick that gets the guy after his heart has been broken and helps him get through that and then prepares him to meet his next serious relationship which by the way, ain't her! She essentially bridges him from his past relationship to his next serious relationship."
The bar started filling up so we didn't get the opportunity to discuss Tristan any further. I did find it odd that Tristan hadn't mentioned anything to Trey about coming back to Atlanta the following week. I truly hoped that Tristan didn't resent Trey for being the bearer of bad news through that video he had sent on to him.
I was making a couple of skinny martinis for a table of young women clearly having 'happy hour' after work. I was reaching for the shaker when I heard Gina.
"Holy shit. This can't be good."
I followed her gaze and saw a very pissed-off Libby approaching the bar. We didn't have bouncers at the club this early as it was just a little after six.
Libby was dressed in dark purple leather. Leather pants, a leather jacket, and leather boots covered her tall, thin body. She was making fast, angry strides to where Gina was standing at the bar. I moved closer to Gina to let her know that I had her back.
"You bitch!" Libby shouted at Gina, causing the patrons at the bar to look over quickly.
"I know that you video recorded out conversation the other day and gave it to Tristan. What the hell were you hoping to accomplish?"
I stepped up to the bar before Gina even had a chance to respond.
"Hey, it was me Libby. I'm the one that told Gina to send the video to my phone so that I could show it to Trey. It was Trey's decision to share it with Tristan. They are brothers you know?"
"Oh and like you give a shit about Tristan's feelings?"
I wanted to slap her right then and there because Tristan was my brother-in-law and a very sweet one at that.
"You were just pissed Tylar. You wanted revenge because you were afraid that I would fuck your husband better than you ever could!"
(Oh hell no the bitch didn't just say that!)
"Hardly," I responded calmly to Libby.
"The truth is that Trey and I were privy to your nasty goings on in the bedroom next to ours in Bristol. I believe Trey's exact words were that you were a freak he wouldn't take home to his own mama!"
"Hah! I doubt that very much. It seems to me that maybe 'Ken" is getting just a little bored with his 'Housewife Barbie' these days. Perhaps all he really needed and wanted was to take a dive under my fig leaves at Tristan's birthday party last month."
I could hear Gina cuss under her breath, instructing me to bitch slap her. That's not how I rolled.
"Sweetie," I said, leaning over the bar and smiling at her.
"I can guarantee you that what you had under those fig leaves last month held no interest at all for my man. You see he actually prefers 'Housewife Barbie' to 'GI Jane' any day of the week. My only concern is that Tristan had the foresight to properly armor his manhood while he was in the clutches of a whore like you. I'd hate for my best friend Gina to catch any of your crotch rot!"
"Why you uppity little bitch!" she snarled. "Someone needs to put you in your place and maybe I'm just the person to do it!"
Libby drew her arm back to swing full force into me just as Gina pushed her way in front of me. Libby's hand never found its mark because at that point Trey had come up right behind her. He grabbed her arm on the upswing staying it motionless to reach its target.
She turned immediately to see who had stayed her hand.
"Libby," Trey said, "I think it’s time you left and found someone else to torture."
She squirmed out of his grip; her face was red with humiliation and anger. Some of the patrons at the bar were looking over at her and snickering. She looked pathetic.
Finally, Libby turned on her heel and stomped out mumbling about how much better she could do than Tristan and she hadn't wanted to keep his goddam ring anyway.
I looked over at Trey and saw a trace of amusement in his eyes.
"What did she mean about all that with the ring?"
Trey smiled.
"It would appear that Tristan had the foresight to get the ring from her bedside table where she had left it before she went to shower that evening. He packed it, along with the rest of his stuff and left her a note. He signed it 'Lucky Seven.' He wasn't about to let her add his ring to her collection."
Things calmed down once Libby had left. I wasn't sure that we had seen the end of her; she still harbored a lot of anger and ill will towards Gina and me in particular. I didn't quite get it. It wasn't like she had been with Tristan all that long. I probably shouldn't have made that statement alluding to Gina not catching any of her crotch rot from Tristan.
Trey was seated watching me.
"Yes sir, what can I get you?"
"Hmm, let's see. How about a "Kiss on the Lips?"
"Sure thing," I replied leaning in and kissing him.
"Uh, Tylar, I kind of meant that I would really like to try the drink?"
"Oh, okay," I laughed.
I fixed Trey his drink and then waited on a couple of other patrons before returning to him.
He had a serious look on his face and I knew that there was something he wanted to share with me.
"Tylar I had a call today from Judge Tylar."
I immediately stopped wiping the counter of the bar to look at him.
"Judge Tylar? Why was he calling you?"
"He had my contact information from the case file. It seems he wanted some information on you since he obviously saw that we were together."
'Trey," I breathed, my heart racing, "Does he think he's related to me?"
"Well honey, it's complicated. He saw the extreme resemblance that you apparently have with your mother. He noticed the antique pearl drop earrings and teardrop necklace that he had given to a girl named 'Marley' that he had known briefly years ago. He was wondering if your maiden name was 'Renaud,' though he hasn't quite drawn a direct connection to you and him. If I had to guess, I would say that if he is your father he had no idea that you even existed."
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him that your maiden name was 'Preston,' and that your heritage was sketchy at best."
"Trey it's time you took me to see Maggie. I will know the truth even if I have to beat it out of her."
"That might be difficult if she has had legal representation assigned or retained. I'm sure the guards would take issue with your beating her but maybe not."
He smiled and put his arm around me.
"I'll make some calls in the morning."