Apartment For Three

Chapter 25

"I despise this idea." Marlon stood outside of our building with me. Black sunglasses covered his eyes. Under Marlon's trench coat, a form fitting t-shirt accentuated the muscular build of his body. Denim jeans clung to his waist. Below the cuffed hem of denim were white socks and converse sneakers. 

"Don't you think we owe it to Paul to hear him out?" I looked up to Marlon. I wore a blouse that was tucked into my pencil skirt. Ballet slippers were on my stocking covered feet.

"This is all a waste of our time." Marlon crossed his arms. "He's just using us for a ride."

"He is not." I spat at him. "Spending the next few days with Paul should be a breeze!"

"And what about you, Adele?" Marlon mentioned. "You're a black woman going across the country. What if something happens to you?"

"That's why I have two strong men accompanying me." I rose an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I feel safe?"

Marlon looked off toward the street corner. Then he lowered his glasses a bit to get a better look. "Here that knucklehead is."

I looked in that direction and smiled at the sight of Paul. It was a great feeling to see him coming toward us again, just like old times. But a bitterness took over as I spotted his wife. Marlon spotted her at about the same time.

Marlon blew a raspberry and shifted his weight on his feet. "So much for all of the crud you were talking about."

"Paul..." I angrily looked toward him as he walked up to me, suitcase in hand. In his eyes he seemed guilty, a somber demeanor to his expression.

When his wife caught up to him, she stood there with the most prestige. Her attitude couldn't be described as class, rather her perfect posture and disingenuous smile seemed more like arrogance.

"My wife, Jackie decided to tag along." Paul cleared his throat.

"Your wife, Jackie." I repeated while placing a hand on my hip. "How interesting."

Marlon was far too satisfied with being right about this whole thing. With a grin, he took Paul's suitcases as well as Jackie's and packed it into the trunk. "Well, we should get going. The sooner we head off the better."

I was far too busy giving Paul the deadliest of stares. Jackie, with her nose in the air, walked over to the car where Marlon opened the door of the backseat for her to get in.

"Paul... how could you?" I asked in a lowered voice.

"Listen, I hadn't planned on bringing her but she asked why I was packing. I told her a few friends and I were driving together to California but she wasn't buying that. Then she picked away at my story until finally she figured it out!" Paul quickly said to me.

"But why is she here? Why didn't she just keep you home instead of tagging along?" I asked him.

He stood up tall, a puzzled look on his face. "That I can't figure out."

"Oh, Paul!" Jackie shouted out as she cranked down Marlon's window achingly slow. "Come on in, honey. We should really be heading out. No need to socialize."

I squinted at Jackie, crossing my arms. She looked directly at me in the most evil look I'd ever seen. "We'll have all the time for socializing on the way."

Paul sniffed before joining his wife in the backseat of Marlon's car. Marlon was enough of a gentleman to open the door for me as I got into the passenger seat.

The only sound that could be heard in the car was the shuffling of us getting settled. Finally Marlon adjusted his rear view mirror. Once he did, I could see directly to the back. Paul and Jackie's reflections were directly in my view. They sat awkwardly in the back, Paul on one side and Jackie on the other.

Paul sat with his legs a bit open, he looked out the window. Jackie sat with her back straight and her shoulders back, perfect posture. You'd think she was on her way to meet the Queen.

Marlon still had his sunglasses on beside me. This car was the last place he wanted to be, but I'd pressured him into driving us. With Jackie coming along, I see now that was a mistake. But Marlon slightly seemed amused by this situation. As if it were proving he was right.

"So, Jackie." He spoke up as he put the car in drive. "Have you ever been to Hollywood?"

"No, I'd never go to a place like that. No morals. Everything is about either being a star, or a heathen, or both." Jackie nodded. Both Marlon and I were very confused by her answer. Paul exhaled and covered his face.

"But you married an actor." Marlon brought up.

"I married a man who had a college education and promised to be a hard worker. I did not marry an actor." Jackie said in a correcting tone. "The man I married just became one."

"Anyway, let's change the subject." Paul shouted out enthusiastically with a force smile. "How have you guys been hanging on since I last saw you?"

"Just fine." I said in a sly voice. Although I was allowing this trip, there was still a bitterness from all that happened between us. "Marlon and I have never been closer."

"Damned right." Marlon chuckled. "She's all mine all the time. Especially in the bed—"

I slapped Marlon to make him quiet. It seemed to be in bad taste to talk about that in front of Jackie.

"It's fine. You can talk about your... experiences." Jackie answered once observing my behavior toward Marlon. "Paul had a moment sharing you, Adele. But I'm all his all the time. Only his."

"I'm sure you're a ball to be around all day." Marlon mumbled under his breath. Once again I slapped his arm, refusing to disrespect Jackie. She had every right to be upset at me. I just hoped she'd understand I didn't know Paul was married.

"You know, I sure am, Marlon." Jackie nodded with a smile. She was unnaturally calm in all of this. Nothing seemed to get a rise out of her. That seemed abnormal given that she was a real hot head the last we'd seen her. "Paul gets everything he needs from me. I'm a very nurturing, loving wife to him."

"So your sex must suck." Marlon shouted out with a grin. Jackie sat there stunned. I was shocked as well, sometimes Marlon could be unpredictable. When I glimpsed in the rear view mirror, Paul had a smirk he was attempting to hide.

"Does this amuse you?" Jackie asked.

"Of course not, honey!" Paul shouted out, furrowing his eyebrows. "Marlon, shame on you!"