Becoming Mrs. Right Read online

  Two

  “Hey, baby, how you doin’?” Phone conversations with Gary wasn’t easy. Shauntae had to try to sound proper and educated. And if she messed up, she couldn’t distract him by licking her big, juicy lips or leaning forward to give him a better view of her cleavage like she could in person.

  “I’m fine, love. How are you and my baby doing?” His deep voice made her stomach feel funny. Mama had taught her never to make the mistake of falling in love with a sponsor, but hearing Gary’s voice made her feel some kinda way.

  “We’re fine.”

  “How’s your mother? Good, I hope. I need her to hurry up and get better so you and my baby can come home.”

  “She’s better, but I’m not sure I can leave her yet.” Shauntae had gone straight to the Greyhound station when the police had come to her apartment to pick her up.

  She told Gary she had gotten a call in the middle of the night that her mother was sick and she had jumped on a plane to California. He was upset that she didn’t give him a quick call to let him know she was leaving. She’d said her mother was in critical condition and all she could think of was getting there as fast as she could so she could be there, holding her hand if she died. Some old Lifetime junk, but he had believed it.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come out there?”

  “No!” she almost yelled. “I mean . . .” Shauntae calmed herself down. “I don’t want you to have to leave work and come all the way out here for Mama. She’ll pull through this.”

  “Shauntae, I’m not trying to be selfish but I really want to see you and my baby. Business is good right now. I can take some time off if I need to.”

  Panic rose up in her chest. She didn’t need Gary to fly out to California and find her living in the hood in L.A. rather than in Orange County where she had told him she lived. He would see her ghettofabulous mother smoking cigarettes, talking trash on the front porch, and doing just fine . . . other than being evil.

  And then he wouldn’t marry her and take care of her and her baby. She couldn’t afford that. This might be her last chance. It had taken her a long time to get pregnant—longer than ever before. Maybe it was all the abortions. Or maybe it was payback for what she had done to Brianna.

  “They said they needed to do a couple more tests and then maybe Mama could come home. Let me see what happens tomorrow and then I’ll let you know.” Shauntae knew she wouldn’t be able to hold Gary off much longer. Ever since she told him she was pregnant, all he talked about was her coming home.

  She had met Gary pretty much the same way she met Devon. She was in desperate need of a new sponsor and so had gone to one of her favorite upscale restaurants in Buckhead.

  She had studied all the men in the place. There was the man twisting his wedding ring, probably wanting to have a night in bed with a woman he didn’t have to worry about keeping happy. He looked like a man who would go back to his wife quickly, so the payout would be small.

  There was the rich-looking player at the end of the bar, tossing back expensive drinks. Players were real tight with they money. Shauntae didn’t mind sleeping with somebody, but she had to know there would be some financial gain behind it.

  Then there was Gary. He had been nursing the same drink for more than an hour. Not because he was too broke to buy another drink. His suit, shoes, and watch said he wasn’t broke at all. He looked like he felt guilty to be drinking. Like drinking wasn’t his usual thing, but he was nursing some pain that needed more than a Coke. Which made him a good man with a problem—her specialty. All she had to do was figure out the problem and make him realize that a night in bed with her was the answer.

  “Okay, I’ll be waiting to hear from you. We have to get married soon, Shauntae. We have to make this thing right with God.”

  “I know. God knows our hearts. He forgives us.” That was the only thing she hated about this whole thing with Gary. Pretending like she gave a crap about what God thought. She had hated God since she was a child. He had never done nothing good for her. In fact, for most of her life, He had proved that even though she was supposed to be His child, He didn’t care nothing about what happened to her.

  “Let’s pray, honey.”

  Shauntae rolled her eyes. “Of course, baby.” She didn’t bother to bow her head or close her eyes while Gary droned on about her mother’s health and their baby and their future together. She inserted a few “yes, Lord’s” and a “thank you, Jesus” every once in a while. She knew Gary being a Christian was her best chance of her and her child being taken care of, but that didn’t mean she had to like God. She just had to make Gary think she did.

  “In Jesus’ name, amen,” Gary finally finished.

  “Amen, baby. I love it when you pray. Oh, I feel God.” Shauntae wished she could fake speaking in tongues to let him know she really felt God, but she didn’t want to push it too far. He might be able to tell she was faking.

  “Okay, sweetness. Call me tomorrow after you find out about the test results. I’m serious, if your mom isn’t out of the hospital in the next two days I’m getting on a plane.”

  “After your prayer, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

  “I love you, Shauntae.”

  “I love you, too, Gary.” She said those words easily now. At first it had been difficult for her to choke them out. She had practiced saying them in the mirror over and over until it was as easy as saying, “I want some chicken wings and a Coke.”

  Shauntae hung up the phone, sat up on the bed, and waited. She knew it wouldn’t even be a full minute.

  “So I’m sick, huh?” Her mother slid into the room again.

  “Yeah, you had a heart attack.” Shauntae couldn’t hide the evil smirk on her face.

  “Well, glad to hear I’m doing better.” Mama chuckled. “And you a church girl now?” She busted out laughing like it was too ridiculous to even think about.

  “Why you always gotta be jokin’ somebody? I’m trying to make this thing work.”

  “I heard you trying to talk all proper. So he’s smart and he’s a church man. Shauntae, do you really think you can—”

  “Mama, I don’t want to hear it. Go away and leave me alone.” Shauntae got up off the bed and pulled her suitcase out the closet. She started shoving her clothes into it. She didn’t have many. Only the few she’d been able to grab when she saw the police lights outside her patio door.

  Her mother stood there for a few minutes, watching her. “Where you going?”

  “’Bout to catch the bus back to Atlanta.”

  “You seriously think that man is gon’ marry you?”

  “All I can do is try, Mama. When I met him, the first thing out his mouth was how his ex-wife had full custody of they children. He said his children was the most important thing to him and he would die without seeing them. Kids and family are everything to him.” Shauntae rubbed her barely noticeable baby bump. “So I got a chance.”

  Her mother folded the jeans and shirts from Shauntae’s dresser and handed them to her to put in the suitcase. “Warrants ain’t actually that bad. As long as the cops don’t pull you over while you’re driving and you lay low and live easy, you shouldn’t have no problems. Still, you should see if you can get Devon to lift that warrant.” She picked up two pairs of shoes in the closet and put them in the suitcase.

  “How am I s’posed to do that?” Shauntae picked up another pair of shoes and put them in the suitcase. “Devon’s girlfriend is the problem. Before she came along, I used to could get Devon to do whatever I wanted.”

  If Shauntae could have figured out a way to get rid of that sassy heifer she would have. Even if she couldn’t get Devon back, he was easier to manage without a woman in his life.

  Shauntae knew she was in trouble the first time she met Cassandra. She was supposed to be all holy and stuff, but when Shauntae had said something smart to her in Brianna’s hospital room, Cassandra had given her a look that let her know she would’ve cussed her out if Devon’s parents
weren’t there. She was probably one of those Christian hypocrites who pretended to be all saved, but was as evil as Shauntae when she needed to be.

  “When I was talking to Devon on the phone, I could tell he thinks I want to come back to Atlanta to get in his pockets. Even though I told him Gary would be taking care of me, he’s still scared of what I might do to Brianna.”

  Mama gave her a look that let Shauntae know she agreed with Devon. “Well, don’t worry about it right now. Stay out of trouble and you should be all right. As for getting Gary to marry you, it’s gon’ take you some serious work to pull that off.”

  Shauntae started to say something nasty, but then she saw the look on her mama’s face. The one she got when she was putting a plan together.

  “If he’s a church man, he’s gon’ want to get married quick—maybe even before you really start showing. So getting him to marry you shouldn’t be too hard.”

  Shauntae’s face lit up with hope.

  Mama didn’t let the hope last long. “But you learned from Devon that just because you can catch a man doesn’t mean you can keep him, even if you have a baby by him. So you gotta become everything he wants and needs in a woman.”

  Her mother looked her up and down and then shook her head. “You so durn pretty and you got the perfect body, but . . . you just ain’t smart. You shoulda done like your sister and learned how to talk intelligent and have some culture. If you had, you mighta been able to keep somebody like she’s kept her husband all these years.”

  Shauntae didn’t mention that her younger sister hadn’t been thrown out of the house before she finished high school. Even though Mama had said it was because Shauntae disrespected her, Shauntae knew it was because her stepfather had been messin’ with her for years. Shauntae had finally gotten grown and brave enough to fight back, so he made Mama get rid of her.

  Mama handed her the last couple of pairs of shoes and looked under the bed for any more of Shauntae’s stuff. “Anyway, if you get married, even if you can’t keep him, you’ll be able to collect child support and alimony, so that should be worth something. Two checks are always better than one.”

  As nice as that sounded, Shauntae didn’t want two checks. She had learned from messin’ up with Brianna that it wasn’t secure. Something could happen and she could lose her checks and she’d be back in her upscale bars with her girls, Sherice and Candy, looking for a new sponsor.

  She was tired of all that. She had to do this right, so she could get married and live in Gary’s big, pretty house and drive a nice, new car he would buy her. He would dress her in the finest and she would be set for life. Shauntae got happy thinking about the life she was about to have.

  “See, that’s what’s wrong with you.” Mama’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I know that look on your face. Don’t be getting caught up in no romantic dream of some good man sweeping you off your feet. You ain’t that kinda girl. You ain’t smart, you ain’t got no class, and ain’t nobody gonna be falling in love with you ’cause you a beautiful person inside. Use your face and your butt and get what you need. Forget about that old Hollywood mess. Focus on the checks.”

  Shauntae resisted the urge to cuss her mama out. She zipped the suitcase, put it on the floor, and sat back down on the bed.

  Mama looked like she wasn’t sure what to do next. Shauntae wanted to tell her not to trouble herself with trying to be sweet or saying something special. She wasn’t exactly mother material either.

  Mama said, “Sounds likes he anxious for you to get back.”

  “He said if I’m not there in two days, he was getting on a plane to come out here.”

  “For real?” Mama laughed. “He coming to visit you in the projects?”

  “Stop playing, Mama. I get tired of you jokin’ me.”

  Mama shrugged and sat quiet for a minute. She finally stood up. “Seems like you need to be headed to the Greyhound station. Let’s see when the next bus is.”

  Three

  Shauntae squinted out the bus window. She had fallen asleep a few hours ago so she wasn’t quite sure where they were. Even though it was dark, it was looking like the desert, so she figured they must be in Arizona already. She hated long rides across the country, but she needed the three days of travel to get her mind right.

  Shauntae still couldn’t believe her luck. Pregnant on the first try. When she had met Gary, she had calculated that she’d be most likely to get pregnant about eleven days later. She’d have to be careful with him. He had mentioned God enough in that first conversation that he might think she was loose and trashy if she wanted to have sex with him that soon after meeting him.

  She’d played the evening just right—a damsel in distress trick that brought him to the rescue and then she’d ended up in his bed “by accident.” He was all guilty and kept apologizing and asking her and God for forgiveness.

  But the deed was done and miraculously she was pregnant. Maybe God had finally decided to give her some attention.

  Shauntae let out a deep breath and laid her head back against the headrest. She elbowed the guy sleeping in the next seat to get him up off her. When he had sat down, she saw that hungry dog look she had seen on men’s faces all her life. One quick look let her know he wasn’t worth nothing. First of all, he was riding the bus, so he had to be broke. Second of all, he had on a knockoff Tommy Hilfiger athletic suit, and had a gold tooth in his mouth. Not to mention his raggedy dreadlocks. Smelled like he hadn’t washed his hair in two years.

  Nigga, please. Don’t even sniff or drool in my direction.

  Shauntae didn’t write him off completely. Maybe if she smiled at him just right, he would buy her some lunch, so she could hold on to the little bit of money she had left.

  She elbowed Gold Toothy in the side harder this time and she shifted his heavy body away from her. She reached up and turned his chin away, too. Nasty breath smelling like he had ate a dead armadillo off the road.

  Shauntae pulled out her cell phone and called her girl, Sherice.

  Sherice answered the phone cussing. “Girl, you crazy? Do you know what time it is in Atlanta? You betta be glad I just laid down otherwise I’d have to cut you when I see you.”

  Shauntae laughed. “Whatever, girl. I know it’s five in the morning and I know you was in the club all night. You answered the phone, which means you’re alone. Must not have caught nobody.”

  “Shut up, Shauntae. Ain’t nobody thinking ’bout you. What you doing?”

  “I’m on the bus. I’m on my way back.”

  “Devon lifted the warrant?”

  “Naw, girl. But Gary said if me and his baby don’t come home, he coming out here. Couldn’t let that happen.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t be thinking you gon’ stay here with a warrant. I don’ need no trouble.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, Sherice. I know. I need you to pick me up at the bus station and then take me to the airport.”

  “What the what? Bus station to the airport?” Sherice laughed. “Aw, yeah. I got you. Text me what time your bus gets in and I’ll be there to get you. And, heffa, don’t ever call me at five in the morning no mo’.” She hung up.

  Shauntae put her phone in her purse and settled into her seat. She tried to remember whatever she could about Gary so she could get herself ready for the performance of her life.

  She remembered that he had been divorced not even a year when she met him. He had showed her a picture of his two daughters. One looked like she was a few years older than Brianna and the other was about the same age. Brianna had to be what, six or seven? Something like that.

  She scribbled a list of all she remembered about Gary: things he wore, things he liked, anything she could think of. It wasn’t a long list because she didn’t remember much.

  It was time to study. Shauntae pulled out a small bag of stuff she had took from her mother’s house to help turn her into Gary’s perfect wife. She opened the bag and pulled out a stack of movies and her mother’s portable DVD player. Mama would
n’t miss them. All she watched was soap operas during the day and reality TV shows at night. Shauntae looked through the movies to figure out which one to watch first.

  She had took Pretty Woman so she could get an idea of the kinds of clothes she should buy when she went shopping. And for real, that was about to be her story. She had met her rich prince and her life was about to change. Shauntae let herself think about Gary for a moment. Unlike many times when she had to deal with some ugly frog to get a few bills paid, Gary was fine. His face was one she would enjoy looking at for the rest of her life. And he was nice and sweet and made her feel good. She thought about his voice and how it sent shivers up her spine.

  She had took How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Jumping the Broom to study Angela Bassett. Shauntae hated that heifer because she was the perfect example of a high-society, stuck-up black woman who would look down her nose at her and judge her. But if she studied Angela Bassett’s ways and, most of all, how she talked, she could become the woman Gary wanted.

  Shauntae kicked herself for not learning how to talk proper like Sherice always told her to. Sherice could hold on to a smart, rich guy much longer because she could turn on this saddity heifer speech that always left Shauntae wondering if that was really her girl talking all that fancy talk. Of course, Sherice was nowhere near as fine as Shauntae was and probably nowhere near as good in bed. So Sherice spent a whole bunch of time learning how to talk good and Shauntae used her natural assets.

  But not this time. Gary’s ex-wife was a lawyer so Shauntae knew she had to be smart and classy like Angela Bassett.

  She thumbed through the stack of Tyler Perry movies she had took. Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Meet the Browns, Madea’s Family Reunion, all that applied to her situation in some way. There was a lot she could learn from Think Like A Lady, Act Like a Man. Shauntae knew she needed to learn some things about being all romantic and in love. Gary seemed like a sappy kind of a guy.