Chapter 28. Hooker.
"Thank you." I tell the cashier as I carry my bags. Walking out of target, I bump into someone.
"Sorry." I say, adjusting my hoodie.
"Valarie?" The person says and I look up.
Shit.
Trevor Johnson and I dated in my senior year of college. We were endgame, or so I thought until this stupid boy who will not be named, drugged me and took pictures of me and sent them to Trevor. Claiming that I had sex with him and he took those pictures the night after. Trevor actually believed him and broke up with me.
Weeks later he found out that I was innocent and begged me to come back to him. I couldn't, for obvious reasons. But sometimes I wonder what would have become of our relationship if that horrible incident didn't happen. Maybe we'd be married and have three kids by now. Living in a farmhouse somewhere in Oklahoma.
"Hi." Trevor says, smiling at me.
"Hey." I reply, feeling awkward.
"You're...pregnant." He says as he looks at my belly in shock.
"Yeah." I say with a shaky breath, avoiding his eyes. "How's basketball going? I heard you got drafted after college." I ask him.
"Yeah, I did. But I'm working in the administrative field of basketball now." He says, smiling. "Would you like to have dinner sometime?" He asks me.
"Look Trevor, I'm in a relationship." I tell him about to decline his offer.
"I am too. I just want to catch up. You can bring your boyfriend along. Let's make it a double date kinda thing." He says and I stare at him, weighing the pros and cons in my head.
"Okay fine. Take my number, so you can remind me." I tell him.
He hands me his phone and I type my number in.
"Looking forward to having dinner with you. He says, hugging me.
I get on my tippy toes to reach him, but I still can't. He's really tall.
"See you then." I tell him, before I start walking towards my car.
***
"It's just dinner babe." I tell Zachary as I am curling my hair. Feeling little kicks in my stomach, I pause for a while and breathe.
"I don't know this man, so I'm not going. Doesn't that sound reasonable?" He asks me.
"I went to college with him. He's an old friend of mine. And he just wants to catch up." I tell him.
"I'm not going. Have fun though." He tells me laying on the bed and plugging his airpods in his ears.
I suck my teeth as I stare at him before I continue curling my hair.
Minutes later, I am in my car driving to the restaurant. It's in Manhattan, so it's gonna be a long drive.
When I get there, I give my keys to the valet and then I walk inside. I see Trevor immediately and I walk to the table he is seated at.
"Hi." I say as I take my seat.
"You look beautiful. That dress is really something." He says, smirking.
"Thank you. Zachary couldn't make it. Where's your girlfriend?" I ask him, looking around.
"She couldn't make it either." He says, looking disappointed.
"Well, looks like you knew dinner would just be two of us because there are only two chairs at this table." I tell him.
"I just had a gut feeling that Zachary wouldn't show up, so I asked them to take the other chairs away.
"Okay." I reply. "Let's order." I tell him, changing the subject.
"They have this seafood boil here, it's fantastic. You should try it." He tells me.
"But I'll get all messy. This dress can't take stains." I say, touching my dress.
"I know how much you love seafood." He says and I fold.
"Alright. I'll order it." I tell him.
I call the waiter and he comes over. We place our orders and shortly after, our food is ready.
"Thank you." I tell the waiter as he places the plate in front of me.
"Enjoy your meal." He says before he walks away.
"You too." I tell him and then touch my forehead.
Stupid.
He's not eating a meal.
The waiter chuckles as he walks away.
I just start eating my food in silence and after a while Trevor starts talking to me.
"So, how far along are you?" He asks me.
"I'm five months and two weeks pregnant." I tell him, smiling.
"Wow, that's great. Do you know what you're having?" He asks me and I nod.
"A boy." I reveal.
"That's amazing, Val." He says, smiling at her.
"Thanks." I say, giggling.
"You look really beautiful when you smile like that." He compliments.
"Thank you." I tell him and my phone starts ringing. I take it out of my purse and I stare at the screen.
It's Zachary.
I put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode and place it in my purse.
"Sorry. Where were we?" I ask Trevor.
***
Opening the front door, I walk inside Zachary's apartment. I hear laughter coming from the living room and immediately my blood starts to boil. Zachary has company over. He couldn't just wait to get me out of the house, huh?
"I know right." The girl says, touching Zachary's arm.
She's wearing this cut out dress that leaves little to the imagination. Her long and slender legs are crossed as she sits beside Zachary with a wine glass in her hand.
"Ahem." I say, coughing.
"Hello." The girl says, smiling at me.
"Babe, you're back." Zachary slurs.
"I am." I say, staring at the girl.
"Hi, I'm Vanessa." The girl says and I scoff.
"Get out of my house." I tell her, glaring at her.
"She's not going anywhere. Valarie, don't be rude." Zachary tells me.
"Rude? Rude?!! What's rude is you bringing a hooker to our home." I yell, placing my purse on the sofa.
"I'm not a hooker." She says with her snotty voice.
"Well, you look like one." I tell her and she gasps.
"Valarie, stop." Zachary tells me, standing up as he walks to where I'm standing. "Calm down." He says, touching my arm. His breath smells like scotch.
"Get away from me." I say, shoving him.
"Is she always like this?" Vanessa says and I stare at her.
"Oh, I'll show you crazy. You cunt." I say, charging towards her. She gets up from the couch and runs and hides behind Zachary.
"Okay." I say, laughing. "Screw the both of you." I retort before I grab my purse and head to the bedroom.
When I get there I take my shoes off and my gown. Grabbing the bottle of facial cleanser and some cotton balls from the top drawer, I start wiping the makeup from my face. Zachary walks into the room with a frown on his face.
"You scared Vanessa to death." He tells me and I stare at him, confused.
"Are you kidding me right now? I found you drunk with another woman in our living room and this is all you have to say." I scoff, shaking my head.
"We didn't do anything. She's just a friend." He tells me and I laugh.
"Sure." I say, rolling my eyes.
"At least I didn't spend the last three hours having dinner with my ex from college." He says, staring at me.
"Trevor is also a friend." I tell him with a smile on my face.
"That you used to fuck." He quips.
"I'm not arguing with you anymore." I say, throwing the used cotton ball in the trash can.
"Of course, you know I'm right." He says and I get more annoyed.
"Grow up, you'll be a father soon." I tell him before I walk into the bathroom.
***
"It's everywhere, Vee." Zachary says yelling at me.
"What do you want me to do? The paparazzi follow me everywhere." I tell him, shrugging.
"Why does it look like the two of you are kissing in this picture?" He asks, showing me a picture of me and Trevor.
"That is so edited." I say, chuckling as I pour the batter in the waffle maker.
"Would you just drop it? Nothing happened yesterday."
"How am I supposed to believe that?" He says, rubbing his forehead.
"Then don't." I tell him, licking the residue of the waffle mix off my hands.
"How are you so calm about this? Everyone thinks you're cheating on me." He says and I shrug.
"I really don't care right now. Your baby is resting on my bladder and I really have to pee." I tell him, walking past him as I leave the kitchen.