{Last time on Suds, Sylus found Shantel having dinner with 'the Target' and almost blew his cover to warn her. But she might already be in too deep because her rock hard will power crumbled to the lips of man she hated to love. Should she forgive him? Would she? We all know Sylus' track record and there ain't nothing pretty about it.

Let's watch the bubbles burst. Ready, Set... Suds!!}

~

SHANTEL rolled her eyes and answered his call.
"I'm on my way home now."

"Call your security people," Terrance insisted. "Tell them to let me into your condo. It's been hours and Lique still ain't picking up her phone."

"No." Shantel gasped. "You'll just have to wait until she's ready to take your call. Like a normal person."

"Tel, you don't understand what's going on."

"And I don't care," she said, climbing into the waiting car. "I'm hanging up." She ended the call, took a deep breath, and confirmed her address with the driver.

Shantel rubbed small circles in her temple as she dialed Lique. The call went straight to voice mail. "Her phone must be dead," she reasoned. "I'm sure she's fine."

She closed her eyes and the lingering taste of his lips made her look back.

Sylus stood outside the restaurant, watching her car leave. Their gazes met. A somber swirl of regret lined his once happy eyes, prompting the words of a weak woman to form on her tongue.

She swallowed them, refusing to fall for the lies his eyes told again. Shantel rolled her lips together and faced forward, yanking her heart out of the mesmerizing trance. She'd rather die than live in his confusion.

~

LIQUE squeezed the pillow, burying her face as laughter bubbled from her soul. She rolled onto her back, grinning at the vaulted ceiling.

"Why do you love me?" she asked.

Then she hopped out of bed and disappeared inside her prayer closet.

~

TERRANCE leaned on the doorbell, ringing nonstop.

Jeanette opened the door. "Sweet T," she beamed. "Why didn't you use your key? Oh, that's right," she said, untying her silk robe. "I still have it."

Jeanette fished a key from deep inside her cleavage, twirling it between her fingers. Then she hid the key between her bosom, hugged inside a lace bralette. "Come and get it."

Terrance shook his head, standing firm in the doorway. "What did you send to Lique?"

"Muffin, you know it's rude to talk in the hallway." She walked toward the kitchen of their condo and called over her shoulder. "Close the door behind you."

"I'm not coming in," he yelled from the hallway. "Just tell me what you did."

The blender churned grinding over his words.

"Jeanette," he yelled.

A neighbor opened her door and an elderly lady poked her head out. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. We're good," he said.

Jeanette stopped blending and called from the kitchen. "Sweet T, I can't hear you. Come inside."

Terrance offered the neighbor a weak smile and stepped into the condo, leaving the door slightly ajar.

~

SHANTEL rushed into her high-rise building, past the security desk, and up the elevator.

"Please, let her be okay," she prayed, twisting her keys as she pushed open the door.

"You're back," Lique called from the kitchen. "How was your meeting?"

"Awful," Shantel said, sliding off her shoes. She padded into the kitchen and found Lique standing at the island, surrounded by baggies of candy. "What's all this?"

"Candy Cells." Lique grinned. "The class has to build a candy model of a cell and label the eleven organelles we studied last week." She stuffed another baggie with an assortment of candies. "All Friday, the kids have been saying, 'I can't wait to go to Science class on Monday.'" Lique flicked her hair. "I am officially the coolest teacher at school."

Shantel chuckled. "I see, but I don't remember you doing this much last year."

"Couldn't, so I issued permission slips last month. All parents signed off. The principal green-lighted and now I have an island full of paper plates, icing, cereal, gummy worms, lifesavers, Mike and Ike's, licorice. Basically, any candy that looks remotely like an organelle."

Then she frowned. "I wanted to use large sugar cookies or mini cakes instead of paper plates for the cell, but the principal shut that down." Her face lit up again. "But no worries. I'll convince her and next year will be even better."

Lique sorted through candies and stuffed another bag. "By the end of tomorrow, I am going to have the most well-versed middle schoolers on the anatomy of a cell."

Shantel nodded. "Although, I'm not sure how knowing the anatomy of a cell translates to the real world."

"Hey," Lique protested. "They could become the future doctors and surgeons the world needs."

Shantel picked through candies and poked a sore subject. "So could you."

Lique quieted.

Shantel bit her tongue but the words pushed their way out. "I still think you should take the test and apply to med school."

Lique busied herself, prepping model kits. "I already did."

Shantel raised a precise brow. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Says the chick overflowing with nada." Lique pointed at Shantel. "You leave it all for me to guess. I never know until something is done and then you act like nothing major happened."

Shantel cracked a smile. "Touche."

"Besides, it's a long shot."

"It could happen. You've been having those unbelievable dreams. Maybe it's time to revisit the many doors you've closed. Like becoming a surgeon."

"Maybe," Lique said.

Shantel nibbled on a gummy worm, giving Lique room to consider the possibility. Then she tip-toed on another tender topic. "Terrance called. A few times. Said he was worried about something."

Lique quieted.

"I didn't get any details." Shantel pressed. "I just told him you were a big girl and you'd call when you were ready."

Lique grabbed a blue crate and neatly lined up the candy kits. "Do you know you're the only person who doesn't handle me with white satin gloves? Like I'll break any minute."

Shantel shrugged. "Character flaw. I've been told I lack empathy."

"You do."

"Ouch." Shantel grabbed a candy bag.

Lique snatched it away. "These are for the kids." She tossed a different package to her. "You can have those."

Shantel opened the chocolates. "Why did you bring this kryptonite home? I'll be in the gym for hours to work one of these off." She unwrapped a chocolate and popped it into her mouth.

Lique bit her lip. "Speaking of kryptonite. There's something I need to do. And you won't like it."

"What?" Shantel asked through a mouthful.

"I'm babysitting Symonte tomorrow after school."

Shantel shrugged. "What does that have to do with me?"

Lique placed the last bag inside the crate and sat on a bar chair. "Given the circumstances, I have to bring him here."

Shantel froze.

Sensing the tension, Lique blurted through her rationale. "But you don't have to do anything. You can stay in your room the whole time. I'll take him downstairs when his dad gets here and you'll never have to see either of them." She clasped her hands with a new thought. "And I'll tell Sylus that you're not home if he asks. Because sometimes he asks. But I never tell him anything because I know you don't want him to know."

Shantel considered and rubbed her temples. The kiss popped into her mind. She shook it away and the lie rolled off her tongue. "Not a problem. I'll be working late tomorrow." She rearranged the schedule in her mind to make it true.

Lique smiled. "Thanks, ice q."

"But what are these circumstances that are forcing you to bring the child of my enemy to my home?"

"He's just a child. It's not his fault."

She shrugged. "Never said it was. But what about those circumstances?"

Lique dropped her head into her hands. "Just something stupid."

Shantel waited for Lique to fill the quiet.

Lique pointed at the phone with her chin. "Look at my text messages." She dusted her hands. "The last five videos. I'll be back. I gotta tinkle."

Shantel watched her disappear inside her room and played the first video.

The video stunned her and a string of curse words lurched out. Shantel slapped a hand over her mouth and checked the sender.

Fuming, she watched the next video. Then the third.

She paused, taking a moment to compose herself. And looked at Liques's empty doorway in dismay. "I can't believe--" She pressed her lips together and her finger hovered over the play button of the fourth video. Shantel took a deep breath and pressed play.

Her vision reddened at the audacity. She didn't bother to watch the last video. Instead, she pulled out her phone and recorded the videos playing on Lique's phone, making sure to open each text message on camera and show the first few seconds of each video. Then she forwarded all five videos to her phone. Shantel dropped her phone into her bag and massaged her temples, searching her mind for the next move.

Lique waltzed back into the room with a smile. "Disturbing, right?"

Shantel nodded, simmering from the blaze of emotions firing through her.

"Did you watch these?" Shantel managed.
"Mmhm"
"All of them?"
"A few times, but I can't anymore. It messes with my brain."

Shantel tapped Lique's phone. "Can I delete them?"

Lique paused. Then pushed the crate of science kits to the center of the island.

"This isn't good for you." Shantel tapped her nail on Lique's phone case. "If they were gone, you wouldn't be tempted to watch them again."

Lique smirked. "It's not like I can unsee  them."

"You should try," Shantel said. "This was a mean-spirited attack and it was intended to make you feel inadequate."

Lique sighed. "It worked," she admitted. Then she brightened. "Yes. Please delete them."

Shantel nodded. In the same breath, she deleted all five messages and blocked the sender. Then she stood. "And you're okay?"

Lique nodded. "I'm better than okay."

"Good." Shantel said, "I'm going to bed."

"Without your wine?"
"Don't judge me."
Lique shrugged. "Just an observation."

Shantel grabbed a bottle of wine from the wine fridge. "Good night,"

"A whole bottle, huh?"

Shantel padded toward her room. "Judging," she called over her shoulder.

"Observing," Lalique corrected.

Shantel stopped in her doorway, then declined an incoming call. "Call Terrance. I'm sick of him blowing up my phone."

Lique carried the crate to the front door, put it down next to the coat closet, and took her phone to her room. She stared at the screen where the videos used to be.

Then she bit her nails and called Terrance.

Jeanette answered the call. "Hey, sis. Did you get the videos I sent you?"

{Stay tuned: It's super duper slippery.}

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