Facing the Truth

Tameka checked her messages for the third time within the last hour. She never dreamed that things would become this complicated. Why on earth had she taken that bribe from William Hendricks? It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and now her life was in a shambles.

She hadn't decided how long she would hide the truth about what happened to her. Who could she trust? She could tell Val or Matheson, but then William Hendricks would just deny it, and there was no telling what he would do to her. No, she'd have to remain quiet.

The hospital had released her several days earlier, and while she felt fine, she couldn't help looking over her shoulder wherever she went. Now she pulled out the phone and checked her messages again. She had thought that perhaps she could stay with her grandmother for a few days, until she could get herself back together, but her grandmother hadn't bothered to return her calls.

Tameka sighed, walked over to the window in her apartment, and looked out onto the parking lot. She couldn't help thinking about all that had happened to her. Now she was facing another problem. Val's wedding was less than two days away, and she knew that her cousin expected her to be there. The thought of being in the same vicinity as William Hendricks scared her to death, but she couldn't think of any rational excuse to give Val that wouldn't hurt her feelings. She didn't know what she was going to do.

The scars from the attack had faded, but the ones that she was dealing with on the inside were far worse. She had returned to work, and she wore her fake smile as people came up to her and asked how she was doing. How could she tell them that she felt dead inside? Her libido had died, and she felt that the counseling wasn't really helping her as it should. No, she had to get through this on her own.

After leaving work, she and promptly headed to the beauty shop and had them cut her hair. She needed a change. She then had it dyed a brassy auburn. She knew her grandmother would be furious, and the thought of that made her smile. She liked the short pixie hairstyle much better than she'd thought she would. After having her brows done, a manicure and a pedicure, she felt somewhat better.

The phone suddenly began to vibrate, and she quickly opened it.

"Hey Val," she said, sitting in a nearby chair.

"Meka! Are you alright? I saw that you had called, earlier." Val said, sounding worried.

"I'm fine," Tameka lied. "I was just checking in. I wondered if you were ready to call this thing off, being the nervous bride and all."

"Of course not!" Val laughed. "I'm eager to be Mrs. Hendricks." Her voice again became concerned. "What about you, Meka? Are you alright? I'm worried about you."

"Me?" Tameka replied, trying to sound calm. "I'm fine."

"Oh." Val said, sounding unconvinced. "How was your first day back to work?"

"Stressful," Tameka replied, sighing. "However, I made it through."

"Why don't you come on and go out to dinner with me and Matheson?" Val said.

"I don't know…" Tameka replied slowly. She didn't want to be the odd man out.

"Why not? What are you doing?" Val pressed.

"Nothing. I don't want to be a third wheel. "Tameka sighed. "I'm fine really. You two go on. I might just do a little shopping."

"We're going by the Crescent Mall. Matheson has to check on the store, and I was going to do some shopping while he's there. I was going to shop on my own, but it would be great if you'd come along." Val pleaded. "You know you're not doing anything. Come on, Meka!"

"Alright then," Tameka replied. "So…you sure that you're all ready for the big day?"

"Of course." Val replied. "It's just a small private wedding. Emily wanted a big wedding for Matheson, but we just wanted something small and intimate. There wasn't that much planning to do."

"So…there's just going to be the immediate family, right?" Tameka asked hopefully.

"Well if you're talking about Nana, no I'm not expecting her. Matheson's family will be there, of course. But you and Grandma and her brother, Langston, will be there. "

"I can't believe you have a white uncle!" Tameka said, laughing.

"Why is that so surprising? You probably got some in your family too, with your yellow self," Val teased.

"You're probably right. Well, if you ever hear who my father might be, let me know." Tameka replied, her voice slightly harsh.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Val asked, sounding worried. She knew that Tameka was sensitive about not knowing who her father was. "I don't understand why your mother wouldn't tell you who he is."

"That's because she probably doesn't know, herself," Tameka grumbled.

"It's got to be hard not knowing." Val said sympathetically.

"Yeah. No use crying over spilled milk," Tameka snapped. "What time do you want to meet?"

"We'll pick you up in about an hour." Val replied, still sounding concerned. Before she could question Tameka further, her cousin gave Val a quick goodbye and hung up the phone.

                                                      ((***))

William Hendricks couldn't believe that the wedding was still going to happen. He had less than forty eight hours to do something! There was no sense in talking to his grandson; he had his mind made up. He decided to visit his son at the office. Maybe there was still a way to stop this madness.

William smiled to himself. He had always been able to handle Gregory; he would listen to reason. His sources had informed him that it appeared that the Chamberlayne girl didn't remember anything! Good! She had returned to work that day, and everything appeared to be normal. At least something worked out in his favor!

He walked into the offices of Hannah's; the receptionist looked up at him and smiled.

"May I help you?" she asked.

Who was this Oriental girl? What had happened to Margaret, who had been the receptionist for years?

"Do you have an appointment with someone , Sir?" the girl asked, looking at him curiously.

William Hendricks leaned on his cane and glared at her. "Do you know who I am, young lady?" He asked.

"No sir," she replied, looking confused. "Should I?"

"I'm the founder of this company! I want to see my son!" he snapped at her.

The receptionist stared at him a moment before replying. "Your son? Do you mean Mr. Hendricks?"

"What's your name, girl?" William snapped. "What happened to Margaret?"

"Gloria," she replied, surprised. "I'm Margaret's replacement. She retired last year."

"Well Gloria, I am William Hendricks, Sr. Does that ring any bells with you?" William asked.

"Yes sir." She replied. "I'll let Mr. Hendricks know that you are here."

William sat in a nearby seat and looked around. Gregory was spending way too much money on decorations and furniture. He would have to talk to him about that, also. He watched as Gloria quickly dialed the phone and then hung up.

"Mr. Hendricks will be up in a moment."

He looked up and saw Gregory coming from around the corner.

"Pop! What are you doing here? Have you and Ma arrived already for the wedding?" Gregory asked, surprised. "I thought Mom said you two were coming in on a plane, tomorrow."

"I had some business to attend to." William replied. "We need to talk."

Gregory looked surprised, and led his father back to his office, shutting the door.

"As I said, I came early so that we can have a talk," William replied, sitting in a chair across from Gregory's desk. "I want to know what you're doing to stop this madness. You cannot let Matheson marry that woman."

Gregory laughed. "The last time I checked, Matheson was thirty years old, Pop. I don't have any say-so in the matter."

"You're just going to accept it, then?" William hissed. "I can't believe you, son. This is your only child. I've been working diligently from my end; what have you been doing?"

"What do you mean by that?" Gregory asked, surprised. "What work have you been doing?"

"Don't you mind that." William replied. "Let's just say I've been trying to help bring their relationship to a swift end. That girl cheated on him, and he still wants to marry her! It doesn't make sense!"

"What do you know about that?" Gregory gasped.

"I have my sources," William replied crisply. "I'm only revealing this to you because you are my son, and I know that you will take my side over hers. You would never betray my trust!"

"Pop, Matheson is my only son! Do you expect me to just sit idly by and let you destroy his relationship with Val? He'd be devastated!"

"He'd get over her, in time," William replied. "I'm doing what's best for all of us."

"No, you're not," Gregory snapped. He then stood up and came around the desk. "Did you have anything to do with what happened at that club with Val and her cousin?"

"If you must know, I only set the scene." William replied. "I can't take credit or blame for what happened."

"God, Pop! I can't believe you. A girl was raped! Val was drugged! How could you do this?" Gregory leaned against the desk for balance, clearly stunned by his father's actions.

"Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures!" William snapped. "You and I both know that this girl is not the right one for Matheson!"

"Did you hear what I said, Pop? Val's cousin was raped and Val was drugged!"

"That girl is a tart…a whore! I doubt if it was rape. Besides, that girl of Matheson's would never have been drugged if she hadn't been in that club looking for some action."

"I can't believe this," Gregory snapped angrily. "my own father plotting the ruin of my son's life!"

"I think you've got that backwards," William replied calmly. "I'm trying to save his life."

"I don't know what's happened to you to make you so racist. I don't remember you teaching me to hate black people. I didn't want Matheson to marry her, at first, but he's happy and that supersedes that girl's skin color. I want my boy to be happy, and now he is. I won't interfere with that, and you shouldn't, either!"

"You talk like a fool," William replied, clearly irritated. "He is the last male in our family. Our heritage is running through him. Billy only has girls, who will take their husbands' names. Don't you see what I'm trying to do?"

Gregory came around the desk. "Yes…I see that you are trying to impose your prejudices onto my son. It didn't work when I tried it, and it certainly won't work if you try it, so give it a rest, Pop."

William shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe that you are just going to accept this!"

Gregory pointed a finger at his father. "And you will too, because this is what Matheson wants."

"You're not going to tell him that I was the one behind that incident at the club, are you?" William growled. "Remember family loyalty. If you do, it will be your fault that I end up in court -or worse, in jail! You wouldn't betray your father, would you? What about your mother? If I end up in jail, who'll take care of her? I'll most likely die from a heart attack in that place. You'd better think about whose side you're on before you act."

Gregory shook his head. He knew that his father was being a bit dramatic, but still, he had to admit that he didn't want to see his father in jail. It would kill his mother. Why had his father told him what he'd done? Gregory wished that he had just kept his mouth shut!

"Pop, I can't carry this thing around with me, knowing that you are still trying to hurt Matheson. I have to warn him. I love you, but I love my son too. It wasn't right for you to put me in the middle of your mess!"

William jumped up. "I'll deny everything, anyway, and there is no proof! You'd better think carefully before you act, son. All I tried to do was to preserve our family."

"Preserve our family? What are you talking about? Our family is intact! Your actions are the ones that could tear our family apart!"

"Marrying that girl will be the end of the line for us. Their children will be all mixed up. I won't accept them as my kin; I'm telling you this right now!'

Gregory stared at him a moment in total disbelief. "Look, I don't want you in jail and I'll be quiet about this for now, but you must stop this madness. They are getting married tomorrow, and it's a done deal. If I get any inkling of anything suspicious, I'm going straight to the police, myself! The only reason I'm agreeing to be quiet is because I want Matheson to have a nice, quiet wedding with no problems."

"He's marrying the problem." William snapped.

"I mean it, Pop. You will not do or say anything further, or I'll tell everyone in the family what you did, and then I'll go to the police."

"Fine." William growled back at his son. He got up and walked out of the office, slamming the door.

Gregory couldn't believe what his father had admitted to him. He knew that he should tell Matheson, but perhaps it would be best to wait until after the wedding. Still, he didn't trust his father to just play nice. If he had gone through so much trouble to end the wedding before, he wondered what he could possibly plan to do next.

Gregory decided that it would take a crazy person to understand another crazy person, and therefore he decided to call Emily.

                                              ((***))

Emily was surprised when Gregory called and asked her to meet him for dinner that evening. It was unlike him to be spontaneous, and she wondered what was up.

He had asked her to make a reservation at The Waterford, which was a very nice restaurant. She hadn't been there in over a year. She glanced at her watch and decided to catch a cab there, instead of driving, so that the two of them could ride back home together. Perhaps he knew that she had been running around helping Mavis with the last minute wedding preparations, and didn't want her to be worried about dinner.

Her baby was getting married in just a couple of days. She couldn't believe it. She had convinced Mavis and Val that she wanted to decorate the church and Mavis had rented the ballroom at the Omni for the reception. Val had insisted on a small wedding, but Emily and Mavis had planned a grand reception. By the time she was done, she had sent invitations to the reception to over three hundred people. She smiled to herself. She always got her way, one way or another. Besides, Val was somewhat preoccupied after that horrible incident with her cousin! She quickly checked herself one last time, before running out of the door when she heard the cab blow it's horn.

She arrived at the Waterford in record time, and was led to a table after giving them her reservation information. Gregory was late, of course! She quickly texted him on her phone, asking him how much longer he would be. He responded that he would be there in fifteen minutes, so she knew that it would most likely be thirty.

She looked around and sipped her water. Her eyes locked onto a couple across the room. The woman looked a lot like Hannah, but it couldn't be Hannah…could it? She was with a man with dark hair, and they were talking. The man reached across the table and took the woman's hand. Emily watched, fascinated, as he brought the woman's fingers to his lips and kissed them. Emily continued to watch the couple for several more minutes, and then the woman stood up, apparently to go to the ladies room.

Emily quickly jumped up to follow her. By the time she reached the bathroom herself, the woman had already gone in, and the lounging area of the bathroom was clear. She decided to sit and wait.

After a few minutes, she watched as Hannah came out and went to the sink to wash her hands. She did not seem to notice Emily sitting in the corner.

"So that was you I saw with that man!" Emily said, walking over to Hannah, startling her.

"What?" Hannah asked, looking surprised. "What are you doing here, Emily?"

"I'm meeting my husband for dinner," Emily replied, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. "What are you doing here, and who is that man that was kissing your hand?"

She watched as Hannah turned beet red and drew herself up.

"I don't see what business it is of yours," she snapped. "After all, I am an adult."

"I'm sure your brother would be interested in this turn of events." Emily replied.

"I don't answer to Gregory, and I certainly don't answer to you!" Hannah snapped walking by her, reaching for the door.

"Are you going to introduce us?" Emily asked, following her out of the restroom. "You're not experienced with men. Perhaps Gregory can talk to him and check out his background."

"I'm not a child, Emily." Hannah whispered angrily, as she headed back to her table. "I know what I'm doing. Mind your own business!"

Emily looked over at her table and saw that Gregory had arrived. "Your brother's here," she warned, before heading back to her own table. "I'm sure he'll want to meet this fellow."

Hannah did not reply, but headed back to her table. Emily decided not to pursue Hannah, but just tell Gregory about her discovery.

"Emily, I figured you were in the restroom," Gregory said, looking up from the menu at his wife as she approached the table.

"I was talking to Hannah." She replied, sitting down. "She's here with a date! Can you believe it, Gregory? Your sister has a date."

Gregory looked around until he spotted his sister, who appeared to be scanning the room, also. Their eyes locked.

"We should go over and introduce ourselves." Emily insisted.

"Maybe it's just a casual date," Gregory replied. "We don't need to do that."

"Don't you want to know what's going on?" Emily fumed. "Your sister is dating!"

Gregory picked up the menu and began to scan it for the second time. "Yes, and if she wants us to know anything, she'll tell us."

Emily stared at her husband in total disbelief. "I can't believe you two! You're both just alike in so many ways!" she snapped.

"Ah, well she is my sister, you know," Gregory replied, grinning. " Now, what would you like to order?"

"Aren't you the least bit concerned? Hannah doesn't have experience with men! He might be someone trying to take advantage of her! Where did they meet? What if she's slept with him already? Don't you wonder if she's protecting herself?"

Gregory looked up from the menu. "Your concern for my sister is touching, Emily. I like your concern for her a lot better than the past battles that have been waged between you two. Stop jumping to conclusions. Maybe they're just friends. Maybe it's a first date. If it is serious, she'll let us know. Now look at the menu and tell me what you want to eat!"

Emily stared at the menu, unable to concentrate, and resisted the urge to glance back over at Hannah's table. "I don't know what I want," She admitted. "Maybe you should just order for the both of us."

Before Gregory could comment, she saw that the man at Hannah's table had stood up, and was now walking their way. Hannah quickly got up to follow him.

Emily immediately noticed that he was a full head shorter than Hannah. He was a stocky man, but he seemed to be all muscle. He had a thick mane of black hair with a few flecks of gray. Emily had to admit to herself that he was quite handsome, and wondered if he sounded as good as he looked.

"Good evening," he said, extending his hand to Gregory. "I am Emilio Juarez. I am a friend of Hannah's."

Emily's mouth dropped open and glanced at Hannah. This Emilio had a deep baritone voice, with a heavy Hispanic accent. She could tell he was a charmer.

Hannah walked up behind him, and Emily knew immediately that she was not happy with this turn of events.

"Hannah told me that her brother and sister-in-law were dining here, also, and I insisted on us coming over to greet you. I am not interrupting, I hope? If so, please forgive me."

Emily thought that his voice was low and sexy. She glanced at Hannah, who would not meet her gaze.

"It's nice to meet you, Emilio," Gregory replied standing, grinning as he shook Emilio's hand. "This is my wife Emily" Emilio nodded. Gregory then looked at his sister and knew immediately that she wasn't happy that Emilio had come over to their table. He wondered what the big deal was. "Hannah, we didn't realize you were in town. I was expecting you to come with Pop and Ma tomorrow, for the wedding." he stated watching for her reaction.

"Wedding?" Emilio asked, surprised.

"Yes, my son is getting married." Emily said looking from Emilio to Hannah. "I can't imagine why Hannah didn't ask you to be her escort. Who wouldn't want a handsome hunk like you on their arm?"

Emilio took Emily's hand and grinned at her. "You are most kind, Emily." He then looked at Hannah while still holding Emily's hand. "Ah, perhaps it slipped her mind. Is that what happened, Hannah?" he asked slyly.

Hannah glared at him, and then back at Emily, who was pointedly ignoring her gaze.

"Perhaps she thought that, since you two are just casual friends, you might not want to accompany her and have people draw incorrect conclusions." Emily baited, while smiling at him sweetly.

"I can assure you that Hannah and I are more than just casual friends." He replied deliberately taking the bait.

"Is that so?" Emily responded surprised, looking at Hannah and then back at Gregory. "Shame on you, Hannah, for not bringing Emilio around before," Emily snickered, enjoying Hannah's obvious discomfort. "You shouldn't hide such a handsome suitor."

"Yes, shame on you, mi querida, " Emilio replied, grinning at Emily. "We should not keep secrets."

"It wasn't a secret, it just never came up." Hannah replied. She looked at Gregory. "Well we'll get back to our table and let you enjoy your dinner."

"Nonsense!" Gregory replied. "Why don't the two of you join us? After all, I think as your brother, I should get to know your suitor a little better, don't you think, Sis?"

"What are you talking about, Gregory?" she asked, as the waiter walked over to their table.

"We will be all having dinner together," Gregory said to the waiter, who was taking in the scene. "Do you have another table that can seat all of us?"

"Of course, Sir," the waiter replied. "Just follow me this way."

Gregory stood up and grabbed his sister's arm, pulling her close. "You forget that I took Spanish in school, Hannah. Or should I call you 'my darling?'

Hannah glared at her brother, and then at Emilio, who was now talking to Emily as they were led to another table.

                                                 ((***))

Val was shocked when she arrived at Tameka's and saw that she had cut off and dyed her hair. She had to admit ,though, that the look was becoming. She had expected Tameka to show up in her usual tight, form-fitting clothes, and so was surprised to see that she had on a loose-fitting tank top, with a blazer and a pair of slacks. She didn't have on her usual makeup, either. This was not like Tameka.

"Are you alright, Meka?" she asked, worried.

"I wish you would enhance your vocabulary!" Tameka replied, laughing. "I'm fine."

"You look so different." Val said as they walked down to the car, where Matheson was waiting. She tried to choose her words carefully.

"It's the new me," Tameka replied tartly.

"I see," Val replied, even though she really didn't.

"Hi, Tameka," Matheson said, grinning as he opened the door for her.

"Hi." She replied, not meeting his gaze. Matheson glanced at Val, and then back at Tameka.

"You cut your hair." He said, pulling out of the parking lot.

"You're very observant," Tameka replied caustically.

"Tameka, I'm worried about you." Val said, glancing at her in the back seat. "You're not yourself."

"Who am I, then, Val?" she asked.

"I mean…you're different." Val replied defensively. "I feel like something's wrong."

"Oh, I suppose you feel like I should be over what happened to me, right?" Tameka snapped.

"I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant!" Tameka interrupted, looking out the window. "No, I'm not the same. I was raped and I was drugged. That's not normal even for me, Miss Perfect!"

Val gasped. "Meka, I'm only concerned. Why are you so angry with me?" Her voice cracked with hurt.

"I'm not angry with you!" Tameka replied. "You keep asking me if I'm alright; well I'm not. You make it sound like I'm supposed to be fine. Would you be fine, in my position?"

"Tameka, Val is just concerned about you." Matheson said, jumping to Val's defense.

Tameka glanced at him. "Yeah, right."

"Meka, are you still seeing the doctor?" Val whispered. "You need to talk to somebody."

"Talking hasn't helped." Tameka retorted. "I've accepted the fact that I'm damaged goods. I'm a basket case! I'm not even interested in dating or sex or relationships anymore. I just want to work and come home and sleep. I don't want to go out anywhere, and I don't want to keep talking to a shrink, when it does me no good!"

"Meka!" Val exclaimed at her outburst. "If the doctor you're seeing isn't doing you any good, you need to find another one."

Tameka stared out the window and didn't reply. Val looked at Matheson helplessly as he pulled into the mall's parking lot. He pulled into the first available space, and came around the car to open both of the passenger doors.

"I brought this on myself," Val heard Tameka mumble as she got out of the car.

"This is not your fault," Matheson snapped before Val could say anything. He quickly grabbed Tameka by the shoulders, startling her.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of all this," he vowed angrily. "Whoever's behind this mess is going to pay. I guarantee that."

Val was surprised at his response. His rage was barely controlled, and his eyes flashed with a wildness she had seen his mother possess. It was that part of him that scared her. She had only seen it a couple of times, and while she knew that Matheson loved her, she still never wanted to be the one to get on his bad side.

"Alright, Matheson," Tameka replied, pulling away. "I believe you will."

She turned to Val and gave her a weak smile, trying to hide the nervousness she felt. "Alright Cuz, c'mon. Let's spend some money!"