Big Daddy Sinatra: There Was a Ruthless Man(75)

Abby, dressed in jeans and an oversized blouse, was in the kitchen, preparing a salad, and she immediately began to think. “The woman that’s with him?” she asked her maid. “Does she happen to be black?”

The maid nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

Abby frowned. So he wanted to play it that way, she thought. Then she immediately placed the top back on the salad dressing. “Invite them in,” she said to her maid, “and offer them drinks.” She began heading up the back stairs that led to the second floor. “Tell them I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the maid said, as Abby left. And then the maid she shook her head. “These women and their tricks,” she murmured, as she hurried to let Charles and the woman in.

But after she sat them down, and offered and then brought to them their drinks, it would be another ten minutes before Abby made her entrance. And an entrance it was.

“Charles!” she said gaily as she walked down the rounding staircase. Jenay and Charles both looked up as she stepped down in her sweeping nightgown/robe peignoir set that ballooned around her with every step she took. She was gorgeous. Even Jenay had to admit how beautiful a sight she was to behold. And now she was carrying Charles’s baby. In that outfit, her baby bump was showing. She had the trump card, and had to know it. She wasn’t dressed this provocatively, Jenay knew, for her health.

“I didn’t expect to see you again today!” Abby went on. “I was about to take my afternoon nap.”

Charles ignored her lies and cheeriness and didn’t stand as she entered the living room. He was still convinced she had stopped taking the pill and had set this up. He had no proof, and would never know unless she told him so, but he would always believe it. Besides, it was his fault too. He was no innocent bystander here. He should have never stopped wearing a condom. The question for him wasn’t if she planned this, but why did she plan this now? They’d been sleeping together for a dozen years. Why did she wait until this late date to pull a trick like this?

She sat down. “Hi,” she said. “I’m afraid I don’t know you.”

“This is Jenay Franklin,” Charles said. “Jenay, Abby Ridge.”

Abby smiled. “Nice to meet you, Jenay.”

“You came to my office today and told me you were pregnant with my child,” Charles said.

Abby already knew he was a crude man who wouldn’t know how to be diplomatic if his life depended on it, but she didn’t expect him to be this blunt. And especially not in front of his new piece on the side. But two could play that game.

“Yes,” she said. “I believe in getting things out in the open. I believe in telling the truth and nothing but the truth. I believe--”

“You believe in bullshitting people day and night,” Charles interrupted her. “Yeah, I know what you believe. I just want to make sure you know what I believe. I believe that if you try to turn this pregnancy into the talk of the town, and try to make a mockery out of this good woman right here, then I believe you’re going to have some difficulties. I believe you’ll get on my bad side. And you don’t want to get on my bad side.”

Abby hesitated. “What are you talking about?”

“Go around town talking. Try to make it appear as if you have some upper hand on her relationship with me. Try to make her look bad. And you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying. I told you about the pregnancy, and I expect you to show honor and respect and do what any man of honor would do.”

“I’ll take care of my responsibility. I told you that. But that will not include marrying you.”

Abby’s heart pounded, but she refused to let her anguish show. She didn’t get pregnant because she wanted a baby! The last thing on the face of this earth she wanted was a baby. She got pregnant to force his hand. His marriage hand! Now he was talking as if he wasn’t going to go along. He was talking as if he wasn’t about to agree.

And the fact that he would bring that woman with him. That should have said it all to her. She could put her beauty on display, and try to get him to see what he would be missing if he gave her up, but it wasn’t going to do a damn bit of good. People were already talking about how different Charles treated his new bed warmer. People were beginning to suggest he might actually love the woman. Abby doubted if Charles knew the meaning of love, but one thing was for certain: she was on her way out, and this one, this new one, was in.

She decided, for her own self-respect, to reverse it. “Did you mention marriage?” she asked, as if she couldn’t believe he would suggest such a thing. “Who says I would ever want to marry you? I liked our relationship just the way it was. Now a child is involved. You do what’s right by this child, and you’ll have no problems from me.”