Once Travis got on the phone, my heart began to slowly beat back to its normal rhythm.
"Yo, what's up, Sundy? Something going on?" He asked, trying to sound more like a concerned friend than my ex-lover.
I dismissed his foolish ass and got right to it. "Travis, something has come up. We need to meet up later. Maybe at Long Horn. I have something important to discuss with you." I told him.
There was a bit of a pause and I could hear Valerie laughing and giggling in the background. I could also hear Travis whisper something but I couldn't make out what he said. It took me calling his name three times for him to focus his attention on what I just said. I could feel myself growing agitated at the nerve this Negro had. He was really acting like he was so in love with this girl.
"Something important? Like what?" he finally asked.
"I don't want to discuss it over the phone, Travis. Just know it cannot wait and I need you to meet me tonight at 7 p.m. Ok?"
"Yeah, aight, Cool." He hung up without even saying goodbye.
I could tell he was feeling himself a little too much. If this had been months ago, I would've threw a fit about him hanging up on me without a goodbye but since I knew I didn't wanna be with him and that my marriage to Taylor was everything, I didn't care about it . I just needed to get this off my chest to him, first.
****
I walked into the semi dark restaurant. I wasn't exactly dressed the way I would've been had this been under different circumstances. Now, I was in no mood to look too good. I was casually dressed in a simple pair of pink sweatpants with a pink shirt and some white thong sandals. I brushed my hair in a neat ponytail and brushed my baby hairs so that they lay down perfectly against my face.
This was the first time in years I've felt so underdressed. Usually, I wouldn't be caught dead in sweat pants. Taylor made sure he acknowledged my appearance before I left the house. I told him I was going over to Cynthia's for a little bit. When I left, Taylor and Tayla were playing around with a puzzle. Since Taylor found out I was pregnant, he was true to his word that he gave me on the vacation cruise. He took off from work more often and had been around the house a lot more.
When I entered the restaurant, I headed in the direction Travis told me he had gotten a table at. It was considered to be in the back of the building against a brick wall. It was still kinda dark, but I could see well. As I was approaching the table, Travis was looking at my belly intensely. It had grown a little bit more since the doctor visit. Anyone could tell that I was pregnant. My belly button was even poking out with my belly. He did not take his eyes off my stomach even when I took my seat.
"Helloooo? Earth to Travis," I sung, waving my hands in his face.
He finally blinked and looked at me in my eyes.
"What's up? What's going on? Whose baby are you carrying?" he questioned, staring me down.
I chuckled. "Sheesh. Give me time to answer one question first," I joked.
Travis didn't find it funny.
Before I could respond, our waiter approached our table and took our drink orders. I ordered ice lemonade and Travis ordered water. He was such a square sometimes.
"I'm not joking, Sundy," he blurted out after the waiter took off to fetch the drinks. "Is that why you called me here? Is it my baby?" he asked, serious as ever.
I huffed, taking my time with my response. I could just lie and say no, it not yours. I could just go through this entire pregnancy and not say anything. Just leave Taylor to believe it's his baby but, I wasn't that kind of woman. My child deserved to know their true father, and that was Travis.
I curled up my lips and stared him back in the eyes.
"Yes. Travis. It's your baby." I said in my coolest tone. There was no turning back now.
"How do you know?"
I blinked. "Because I'm three months pregnant and about to be four. You and I both know me and Taylor were not sleeping with each other at that particular time. We just recently began being intimate."
"How do I really know that?" he snapped. "How I know you're just not trying to put this baby on me to break up me and Valerie?" he barked, sounding ridiculous.
I couldn't believe my ears. The nerve of this Negro. He really thought that I was that jealous, that I would go beyond means to pin a child on him to ruin his engagement. Brotha had officially gone crazy. Before I flipped out, I took a deep breath.
"No. Travis. I don't want to break up you and Valerie's relationship. I don't care about that anymore because I realized that I love my husband and you're not worth losing him over. I'm telling you this because it's the truth. I'm carrying your baby and end of story."
Travis blew out a breath and leaned back against the soft pillow like cushion on the back of the booth. He crossed his arms over his chest and just stared at me as if he were trying to read me. The waiter came back and took our orders. Travis was still leaning backwards.
"So, did you tell Taylor yet? Does he know you're pregnant?" Travis asked finally.
"Yes, he knows I'm pregnant. He went to the doctor with me. He wasn't able to go into the sonogram room with me though because he had an important call, so he wasn't able to hear how far along I was. I told him I was a little over a month."
Travis slightly chuckled and shook his head. "A little over a month, you wouldn't be showing like that. Fuck is wrong with Taylor?! He should know that." Travis spat, noticeably irritated.
He finally lifted himself up and rested his elbows on the table while rubbing his eyes. I could hear him mumbling stuff but I couldn't make out what he was saying. He appeared to be in deep thought. I didn't want to interrupt him, but I knew I had more to tell him.
"I actually asked you to come here because I not only wanted to tell you that, but I wanted to ask you to not claim the baby. It would be better if Taylor stay thinking the baby is his. I don't want any drama and if Taylor finds out drama is what this entire things going to be. And not to mention how Valerie'd gonna feel. She-"
Before I could finish, Travis slammed his hand down on the table hard as ever. A few people turned their head to see what was going on. I sat frozen and wasn't sure what to think;. Travis was clearly angry.
"Fuck how Valerie feels! You think I'ma give a fuck about how she feel?! And what the hell you mean not claim my baby? You out of your fucking mind!" Travis screamed at me.
It was the first time Travis had ever raised his voice to me and quite frankly, I hope it was the last.
I was scared shitless.
By this time, the entire restaurant was focused on our table. I had to tell Travis to keep it down before he got us kicked out. He just laughed and shook his head. I had never seen Travis in such a state and I prayed that after today, I would never see it again.
"Travis, please calm down," I said, after things went back to normal and everyone was focused back on their food. "Just think about it. Do you want to lose Valerie and you and Taylor's friendship? It's for the best … Just let it go … Please..." I pleaded.
Travis was shaking his head back and forth as if he wasn't even going to consider what I'd just said.
"You're seriously out of your damn mind, Sundy. If you think I'm going to not be in my child's life because of Valerie and Taylor, then you seriously don't have em' all Ma. When it comes to my child, fuck Valerie and fuck Taylor! I'm going to be in my baby's life and you or nobody else better try not to stop me! So I suggest you get to telling Taylor about this baby not being his. And you better do it fast or else I'm going to be forced to do it."
"Taylor you have no right to do that without my permission. You just can't-"
Before I could finish what I was going to say, Travis got up from his seat and bent down over the table so that we were literally face to face.
"You better tell him soon."
And with that, he exited the restaurant and left me to sit there thinking.
ELEVEN
After that episode with Travis the other day, mannnnn my mind was all over the place. He seriously blew up on me in a way that I didn't know he was capable of. Like I said before, Travis had never raised his voice at me. He had me scared beyond belief. What was I thinking? Of course he wouldn't consider such a thing. Travis always told me that if he had a child by a woman who wasn't his wife, that he would still take care of his baby.
Travis wasn't that dead beat type of man, so I couldn't believe I actually thought he was going to accept my foolishness. Despite him not accepting backing down from claiming the baby, I still wasn't sure if or when I was going to break the news to Taylor. I figured I could lead them both on this entire journey. Maybe I could tell Travis that I told Taylor and that he was upset at first but eventually decided to just deal with it. I quickly knocked that thought out of my head. Travis would never believe such a thing. The two knew each other long before Taylor even knew I exist.