You're All I Need. Karen White-Owens

a message on Darnell’s cell phone before dialing his office. All the while, Nia watched and listened with an unblinking stare. His administrative assistant answered on the second ring. Sorry, but Darnell was out of the office. She expected him back around four. Yes, she’d have him give her a call. After a moment, Tia added that if he was too busy, he could just drop by her place on his way home.

      Tia hung up, turned to Nia, and asked, “Satisfied?”

      “Not really but it’ll do.”

      Chris rounded the corner and strolled toward the sisters. “Hello.”

      Nia turned to face Chris, giving him one of her most engaging smiles. “Hi.”

      For a reason Tia didn’t want to consider, she didn’t like the expression on her sister’s face. Nia was way too enthusiastic with Chris.

      Smiling, Chris focused on Tia. The smile vanished. He rounded the workstation and sat opposite Nia. He touched Tia’s hand. “You all right?”

      “Yeah. I’m fine. There are a couple of things I have to resolve.”

      Watching her closely, he added, “If you need me, I’ll do anything I can for you.”

      Almost in tears, Tia muttered, “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

      “I’ll take care of her,” Nia volunteered.

      “Okay.” He rose from the desk and strolled to his office.

      “What now?” Tia asked, although she really didn’t want to know the answer.

      “I’m leaving. Going home.”

      “Good.”

      Nia stood and snatched up her purse, giving her twin a hard, intense glare. “Tia, don’t let him off the hook. Darnell is a rat. You’ve got too much on the ball to let that lowlife stay in your life. Plus, if he’s messing around with other women, there’s a chance he can pass diseases to you that could end your life. I don’t want that to happen. Besides, I’d be in jail because I’d kill him.”

      That’s not a problem, Tia thought. They hadn’t been intimate in six months or more. There always seemed to be a reason why he needed to leave or had something more important to do.

      Tia watched her sister sashay out of the office. With a sense of relief, she sank into her chair. Finally, some peace. Nia meant well. She had made some good points, and in the very near future, Tia would consider them. But right now, she needed time to think, evaluate the situation, and come up with a plan.

      For an hour, Tia sat on the sofa in her living room as the images from the six o’clock news flashed before her. Nia’s words were embedded in her brain, rolling around in her head like a song she couldn’t forget or ignore.

      He was with a woman. They were all over each other.

      Nia’s words continued to echo.

      It’s not the first time I’ve seen him out and about. Darnell is never alone.

      Never alone, another woman…How many women were there? Her head pounded as questions swirled inside. Darnell was and had been cheating on her for some time. He lied Saturday night when he said that he planned to meet a client on Sunday.

      Tia shut her eyes, searching for the strength to handle this situation with dignity while keeping it from digressing into an accusatory shouting match. She needed to hear the truth from Darnell’s lips. No more lies.

      Darnell’s knock on the door came sooner than Tia expected. Like a zombie, she moved down the short-carpeted hallway to the front door. At the entrance, she paused, drawing in a deep, calming breath.

      There was a moment when she thought about pretending she wasn’t home and avoiding the whole sorry mess. Courage, her mind cautioned. Take care of this and then you can move on.

      I can do this, she thought. Darnell stood on the opposite side of the iron security storm door. She opened it with a shaky hand.

      Entering the house, Darnell leaned close to kiss Tia on the mouth. “Hey.”

      “Hi.” Tia drew back, avoiding his lips, then led the way back to her living room and offered him a seat with the wave of her hand. She sat as far from Darnell as possible, choosing the chair near the patio windows instead of the sofa.

      “I got your message.” He reached for the remote on the coffee table and began to channel-surf. “What’s up?”

      “There’s something we need to talk about.”

      Grinning like an idiot, he said, “Everything all right? You look all serious and stuff. Unload. Tell your daddy.”

      Tia cringed. “I had lunch with my sister today,” she responded in a dead-calm tone.

      Unconcerned, he said, “Yeah. How’s my girl doing?”

      “She’s fine.”

      He must have noticed the lack of emotion in her voice. Frowning, Darnell asked, “Is the family okay?”

      Tia nodded. “Nia was at Sips in Farmington Hills last night.”

      Darnell’s grin slipped a tiny bit. He ran his hand across his face. “Mmm. Really? I was there last night. What time did she show up?”

      “I think she was there most of the evening.”

      “Oh.” They sat quietly together for several minutes. Deep in thought, Darnell tapped out a toneless tune on his knee.

      Tia stared straight at him. “Nia told me that she saw you.”

      His head snapped up. A suspicious spark glared back at her, but he kept his tone light. “Did she, now?”

      “Yes. And you weren’t alone.”

      Instantly, Darnell swung into persuasive salesman mode. He smiled innocently and said, “Oh, yeah. Sunday. There was a couple I met at the club. Old couple. It cracked me up when they suggested we meet there.”

      “Do they have a daughter?”

      “What? Daughter?” He shook his head. “No.”

      “That’s what I thought. Nia didn’t mention an older couple. Just a young woman.”

      “What are you trying to say?” he demanded.

      “It’s pretty clear. You’ve been cheating on me.”

      Darnell jumped to his feet and approached her. “Oh, babe, come on. Nia must have gotten everything wrong.”

      Tia waved him away. “I don’t think so. My sister finally admitted that last night wasn’t the first time she’s seen you with other women.”

      “I’m telling you this is all a mistake. Nia has got me mixed up with someone else.”

      “So you haven’t been at the Motor City Casino on Grand River or the Dirty Dog Jazz Café in Grosse Pointe?”

      “If she saw me at all of those places, why didn’t she say something before now?” He sat down, crossed his leg over his knee, and smirked back at her. “That doesn’t sound quite right.”

      “Nia kept her mouth shut because she didn’t want to see me hurt.”

      He sat up straight on the sofa and shot back, “And making accusations like this is hurting you?”

      “Yes, it is. But she had a better reason for telling me.”

      Grunting, he asked, “What?”

      “My health.”

      Frowning, he stared back at her. “Health?”

      “By messing around with other women, did you ever stop to think about the diseases and germs those encounters bring to me?”

      Darnell opened his mouth to speak and shut it without saying a word. Tia could tell that