- Text Size +
CHAPTER 13
“Yes, I understand that’s hard. Yes, I’m willing to pay for it. Thanks. I’ll have all the information ready. Yes, it will be on a credit card. Thank you.” I hung up my phone and tossed it down on the bed. Son of bitch! I was beyond tired and beyond sore. My body was still wired from last night, waiting for that release. And here it was, currently 8:02 am, and I was still waiting to really sleep more than half an hour, after climbing into bed a little after two. I sat down on the edge of the bed, running my hands over my face. Great, just really flippin’ great! Why the hell didn’t I listen to anyone? They all told me not to do it! Did I listen? No, that would have been way too easy. Not nearly as much fun, but I wouldn’t be in this mess right now. All the fans already knew what had happened between me and D last night, or rather, what was about to happen. I lost all respect from them, and for what, not even a good night of sex! And not to mention what the Doroughs thought of me. Like any other whore, I’m thinking. I flopped back on the bed, ignoring my cell phone that started ringing. I just really didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now. All I wanted, was to get off this boat at the next stop and go home. And for that, it was costing me an arm and a leg, which, I had every intention of billing Howie for it. Just how did I let things go beyond my control is, or was, beyond my realm of thinking. I thought I could trust him, but that little stunt last night proved I couldn’t. But, it also proved that I had fallen too far in love with him. And that was the bad point that I knew from the start. I felt my cell phone vibrate once more. I grabbed it, shaking my head at the caller ID. And he had the flippin’ nerve to call. I shut if off and a few minutes later, heard the pounding on the other side of the connecting door. Thank goodness I had the smarts to lock it last night. I finally rolled off the bed, figuring I had better start to pack if I was leaving in a mere hour. I grabbed the black dress, and tried to stop the tears. I shook my head, threw the dress on the back of the chair and finished packing.
“Don’t you answer?” I glanced at my open doorway and stared at Amber. “Housekeeping opened up when they heard it was life or death.” She walked in, closing the door behind her.
“G, I just don’t want to talk to anyone right now.”
“I figured, but I’m not just anyone, I’m you’re best friend.”
“What’s up?”
“D tried calling you, even pounded on your door. He called me and said he was worried and if I would check up on you.”
“As you can see, I’m fine.”
“Than why are you packing?”
“Because I’m leaving at the next port.” Her eyes opened wide as she stared at me. “Oh, he didn’t tell you what happened and you haven’t heard. Last night, Howie and I were exposed, if you will. And D planned it.”
“He wouldn’t do that, Tre. Howie cares for you, he wouldn’t hurt you.” I slammed my suitcase shut and glared at her.
“Do me a favor and please don’t sing his praises to me. I was the one who was there, I was the one who got sucked it, and than I was the one left looking like the whore. Not you, and certainly not him. So, please, really just shut up.”
“You’re really blowing this up, Resa.”
“Amber, just get out. I’m going home so please cover. I’ll start working on the site.”
“The guys won’t be happy.” I rolled my eyes and shrugged.
“That’s not my problem. I’m sorry to leave you with all the work, but I can’t stay here with people wanting to throw me overboard.”
“Fine, I’ll believe it’s that bad. And I’ll let everyone know you had to go home.”
“Thank you. Oh, please deliver the dress to Howie. I’ll leave it in the box with a note.” She nodded her head as she walked out the door. I sat down at the desk and grabbed a piece of paper.

D,
Keep the dress, it won’t do my any good. I’m not sure why you did what you did.
Maybe you were bored and I was just the best thing to entertain you. I’m not sure,
and to be honest, I don’t want to know. I’m hurt, ashamed, and yes, pissed off, but
at me, for trusting you. You can take this letter as my two week notice. Good-bye.
Theresa

I folded it up and set it on top of the dress. D wouldn’t like the fact that I was quitting. But I couldn’t be around him. That would be way too much heartache.

“Amber, have you seen Resa? We need to start heading out.” Amber turned to look at D, and than at John. Oh, she heard what was flying around and she was pissed. She didn’t feel that D had any intention of causing pain, but something was certainly staged.
“Theresa is gone.” D quickly turned to face Amber.
“She’s what?”
“Gone. Left to go back home this morning.”
“Why?” Both Amber and D turned to look at John. “Why are you two looking at me?”
“What happened last night?” D turned to quickly glance at Amber.
“What did she tell you?”
“That you staged whatever happened last night that way you could get your fix.”
“Damn it, I can’t believe she would buy that.”
“If you go to your room, she left the dress there with a note.”
“That dress was a gift.”
“Look, there are some major rumors flying around about her. I need to know everything D, after all, she’s my best friend and I’m not going to let people talk about her like that.” He sighed and glanced over at John.
“I’ll explain what I know, but he has to fill in the rest. John, let mom and Angie know that I’ll be out on the next boat. I need to go back to my room.”
“Howie, they’re gonna be mad.”
“I paid for all of the people damn it, they can wait for me.” John rolled his eyes and headed off the boat. “Okay, last night was not a good night.” Amber crossed her arms over her chest and just stared at D. “Look, I don’t need the attitude from you. I have enough of it from the problem woman, so, if you want me to explain, shut it up.”
“Fine, but I don’t need the smart ass remarks either.” D slide his card into the reader, opened the door, and quickly walked over to the box, scanning the note. He sat down on the bed, running his hand over his face. “Is it that bad?”
“She’s quitting. She just stated that this letter was her two week notice.”
“Howie, Theresa loves you. She wouldn’t quit for no reason.”
“I know she does Amber. And beyond what everyone thinks, I love her too! Yesterday afternoon, we talked and I might have said something that was hurtful, I didn’t mean it, and I’m not sure why I said it. The last thing I want to do is cause her pain. But, with that comment, it lead to a night of serious jealousy on both ends.”
“Yeah, I recall the outfits and the man. And the hoe you were with. And I do recall her saying something about you.”
“Dance with a woman someone doesn’t like and she’s a hoe, huh?” Amber smiled but shrugged. “Anyways, I found her up on the deck last night, almost assaulted by that jackass bartender. Luckily, I came at the right time. But, we got to talking and just being around her, well, my head stopped thinking and all I wanted was her. To kiss her, to touch her, to make love to her, just her! I couldn’t get it out of mind, and I knew if I didn’t have her than, there, there would have been major problems. What I forgot before I went up to find her, was that John needed to talk to me about something and I told him when he was done flirting with whatever chick he was with, that I would be up on the deck, talking to Resa. I never should have told him, or at least that I was talking to her.”
“Does John not like her?”
“As a friend, she’s great. As a worker, she’s even better. As a potential girlfriend, no, I don’t think he does. I don’t know why. But I know that he talked to her yesterday, told her that we shouldn’t be doing in front of all the fans that it needed to wait until we got off the boat. But, it’s my life, ya know.”
“True, it is. And you deserve the right to find happiness, but you have to remember Howie, these girls paid to see you. They go to bed at night dreaming about the chance of getting you alone, having their way with you and than you falling in love with them. When you bring a female into the picture, girls become she cats and the claws don’t retract. They would have tore Resa up had she stayed and we both know it.” He sighed and looked over at Amber, knowing the truth for what it was.
“What do I do?” Amber shrugged, not knowing any words that she could utter to help him out in this case.

~*~ [Nas] The pussy or the mouth, that is the question/ Like Shakespeare but my erection is the case here/ I ain't got time to drive you all the way home/ But instead I can slide you to a club bathroom or a restaurant men's room/ Then I can zoom in your womb/ We both get what we want/ Then we can assume/ We doin what we want Smokin that bud and chillin' ~*~