Mari

When I arrived at Splyt-N-Half Jeffrey had already gotten a table while waiting for me. He waved me over when he saw me enter the establishment.

"Hey," I said as I approached the table. "It smells so good in here."

"I know right? I found this place a few days ago, I had a taste for some down home cooking and this place right here? They know exactly what they are doing." He nodded his head as he spoke.

"I see, they have a nice crowd in here too." I turned to see that almost every table was occupied.

"I placed my order already so you can go and do yours first before we talk." He motioned me to go order.

The service was impeccable and the food was hot when we received it. Jeffrey ordered fried, smothered pork chops with a side of macaroni and cheese, candied yams and corn on the cob; whereas I ordered fried chicken smothered in gravy with grilled onions, homemade mashed potatoes and collard and kale greens with turkey.

Jeffrey and I looked at each other and all the dishes we had and went to town on the food. We were half way through the meal before we started discussing the reason we were there.

"Ok so, I have some information to tell you but I'm not sure if you will receive it well." He started.

"Ok, why do you think I won't take it well?"

"Well, you may not know the information about the person I'm talking about." I stopped eating altogether so I could focus on what he was about to tell me. By the way he acted with secrecy, it seemed as if he had some juicy information.

"Well, you let me be the judge of that." I said smartly. Jeffrey rolled his eyes and waved himself.

"Ok, well. It's about Randall."

"What about him?"

"How well do you know your brother?" he asked me, looking as if I really didn't know myself.

"By the way you are looking at me, apparently not well enough." I folded my arms in front of me and sat back in the chair.

"Well, it seems some shit is about to hit the fan because of this." Jeffrey slides his phone to me across the table.

It's a picture of Father and the mysterious woman! My eyes grew large as I stared at his phone.

"Why do YOU have this picture?" I asked.

"So, that answers the first question I had for you," he stated. "This was sent to me, anonymously."

"As well as mine." Jeffrey proceeded to scroll a series of pictures that I did not receive. "Wait, there were more?"

"I take it, you only got one picture?"

"Yes. So did Father and Randall as well, or so I thought."

"To my understanding, they were more involved than you." I looked at Jeffrey; he had information that I definitely needed to hear.

"Who's the woman?" I asked.

"Madeline Rutherford."

"How do I know that name?" I said out loud, turning and looking out the window. I started racking my brain trying to put the name with a face.

"She's the owner and creator of Glory Hair Care Products."

"That's right. But how does she fit into all of this?"

"Well your brother, Randall, seems to be in some trouble to which I may have a hand in doing."

"What?" He had lost me totally.

"But, this picture of your Father with her will open another can of worms thereafter. I just wanted to let you know because I don't think you or your family has any idea about the secrets Randall has been keeping."

"What secrets Jeffrey?" He scooted closer to the table, crossed his legs and folded his arms on the table.

"Your brother's marriage is about to hit a huge wall. Which is the reason I have to leave a lot sooner than we planned."

"How soon?"

"I would say I have about a week, I'll be pushing it if I said two."

"What is going on?" I was so damn confused I just needed him to spill the fucking information. "Just tell me, Jeffrey." I huffed.

"I met a beautiful, young woman at a club," he started. "She asked me about Randall."

"About Randall? Who was she?"

"I had to do some research but she just so happens to be your sister-in-law's sister." I was floored.

"Marianna's sister?!" I needed confirmation. This took a left turn quick.

"Yes."

"Did you two know each other before you found out she was Marianna's sister?"

"No, I did not."

"How did she find you?"

"I don't know. I was hoping you would have some information."

"Wait, but why would she know to ask you about Randall? Just because y'all went to school together?"

"You clueless child," He snickered. "Randall and I did more together than just go to school." Jeffrey said, looking at me with a sly smile.

At first, I must admit - it took me a while to put two and two together, but then it fell into place why Randall was so upset about me marrying Jeffrey, even though he didn't know Jeffrey and I had our own plan in the works. I looked at Jeffrey as I wasn't sure if I was on the same track but I decided to tread the waters to see if I was wading properly.

"Wait, you and Randall were....." I hesitated as he picked up his drink and took a sip smiling impishly. "You were a couple?"

"Yes, we were." Jeffrey admitted. I unfolded my arms and covered my mouth. Randall and Jeffrey were a couple. That would explain why they were the best of friends.

"How long?" I asked. I guess Jeffrey was correct in thinking I didn't know my brother as well as I thought I did. He was absolutely right.

"I believe, a little over 4 or 5 years." My eyes bulged and my mouth dropped.

"Wow and Father didn't know a thing."

"He couldn't tell your Father, or so he says. It was more like he refused to tell your Father."

"That's because Father would have disowned him." I said abruptly.

"He could have stayed with me. I was out very early to my parents and they have always been accepting." he quipped. Jeffrey must have loved Randall. I could still tell he had a yearning for him.

"Do you still have feelings for my brother?" I asked. He smiled and looked away. His actions confirmed he did, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to admit to it. He was my brother's love interest.

"I can honestly say that I will probably always love your brother, but I can't allow my heart to wait for someone who hasn't come to terms with himself." He uttered his heartbreak.

"Understood," I said feeling sorry for Jeffrey. "Which is why he married Marianna."

"Exactly." I shook my head; my ears were ringing with such amazing information, a lot of which, Father has no idea. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks - Jeffrey spoke with Marianna's sister.

"Hold up, did you tell Marianna's sister about Randall?" I asked, covering my mouth.

Jeffrey tightened his lips and inhaled. "I did, unfortunately. She caught me at a low point and I was at the club and I had just seen him prior to seeing you."

"Aaaggggghhhh" I winced in slow motion with the sheer thought about how all of this shit is going to hit the fucking fan. I could only imagine Father trying to pin this one on me. I didn't have shit to do with this one at all.

"And I had been drinking as well girl, you already know." Jeffrey readjusted in his seat.

"So you let her have the bizniz?"

"Yes honey, I did. All of it."

"So I can only imagine that Marianna is aware." I stated.

"Yeah but," he sang and hesitated. I waited for him to finish but he just stopped.

"What? But what!?" Jeffrey had given me enough ammunition to write a fucking series on this family and yet he was just willing to provide more.

"I was upset when I spoke with her and I may have told another secret."

"You are gonna have to just come clean. I see why your ass is leaving early." he cut his eyes at me and I just smiled.

"It's Randall's fault."

"I'm not saying it wasn't his fault, but you are the one out here spilling the beans." He knew I was right. He sucked his teeth in defeat.

"I told her about his current boo thang."

"Wait, what?!"

"Randall and I, no matter how much we hung out, we may have messed around with each other, but we never," he hesitated again.

"You never what?"

"Had sex." Jeffrey never deflowered my brother. "But when we broke up, he conveniently found someone he wanted to be intimate with." There was the kicker - jealousy.

"Mr. Boo Thang, I take it?" I questioned.

"Yes." His lips were tight mentioning him. He despised this person because he took away his true love.

"So who is this person?"

"The son of Madeline Rutherford."

The son of Madeline Rutherford. I had to let that sink in for a minute.

Father was caught flouncing around Paris with Madeline Rutherford.

Meanwhile, Randall was fucking her son.

"How did you find out about, what's his name?"

"His name is Dion Riviera. I ran into him and Randall at a club we all regularly go to." He mentioned.

"So Randall has been seen in public with him?" Jeffrey made a face at me when I realized what I said. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying, he's being rather bold. Father could get wind of it."

"I know. That's what pisses me off so much because we could have been doing that long ago. Yet he does it in places your Father wouldn't show his face in because he's a fucking homophobe." He said angrily. He had every right to be upset, I couldn't disagree.

Jeffrey had a point, Randall should have just come clean a long time ago. Because with all the people involved in all of this, it is absolutely ridiculous and could have been avoided. Now there are kids involved, my niece and nephews - whom I adore, they didn't deserve this. But to be honest, had Randall been open with Jeffrey back in the day, they probably wouldn't even exist. The more I listen, the more I know this family is so fucked up, it's amazing - this is shit that I couldn't make up.

"Yes, Father is exactly that unfortunately. But you already know my Father is proud of my brother, especially since he has followed in his footsteps in the same career. It's like Father only has one kid."

"I'm sorry Mari."

"It's okay, everything happens for a reason." I quipped. "So why are you leaving?"

"I'm sure Randall will come after me once the shit hits the fan. I don't want him to find any part of me anywhere near Chicago."

"I feel you on that because I'm sure Randall will be on a warpath with a lot of shit to explain."

"Exactly."

§

Randall

I didn't understand why everyone received the picture and I didn't want to discuss it with Father. I jumped back in the car and headed off the property. I needed to handle something immediately. I didn't know the fact that Father even knew who Madeline Rutherford was, let alone go out of town with her while I cleared a case for a family member of hers. He got the payment and I got the work; to me I feel I may have been short changed.

I truly hoped Dion hadn't seen the picture of his Mother with my Father. He knew exactly how Father was with women - he was about the same as me and my encounters. On my way over to his house, Dion called me.

"Hello?"

"You're in the car?" Dion asked. I couldn't tell if he was upset or not.

"Yes, wassup?"

"Am I going to get to see you anytime soon?"

"When do you want to see me?" I asked, smiling that he wanted to be with me.

"Now," he stated. I smiled and pulled into the parking lot of the building.

"Unlock the door, I'm on my way up."