Justice For Juniper (Tatienne Richard) novel Chapter 8

Albatross

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such transactional sex in my life. I couldn’t download porn this bad.” Adil shook his head in awe of what was on the screen. “I’ve spied on men with hookers where actual cash is exchanged and there is more emotion than this. He literally is telling Denise she’s nothing more than a hole for him to use while his wife is unable to give him what he wants. I mean, I was kind of expecting him to be melancholy or regretful or guilty, based on what I’ve observed in public. This,” he waved at the screen, “is really freaking me the fuck out. I’m with Beni. This guy is a sociopath. We need to dig deeper into him because I’m genuinely concerned he’s dangerous. This is not normal behavior of any man, let alone a cheating man who from everyone I was able to get information from, adores his wife. One lady at a flower shop I followed him into last week said he comes in every week and personally picks out the flowers he brings her, and it’s all based on how she was feeling. If she’s happy, it’s sunflowers and wildflowers. When she’s sad, he brings her red roses to remind her of his love. The guy is slick but this,” Adil waved to the screen, “does not compute with anything anyone has said, including Juniper.”

“Do you think she is okay?” Benicio was looking to the door again. “She needs to be hurting.”

“If you’re worried, go check on her,” Adil said seriously. “She’s hurting for sure. They’ve been together since she was fifteen. He’s the only lover she’s ever been with. He swore to her they’d only ever be with one another. I showed you the clip from their wedding when they were twenty-one. I don’t doubt he loves her, but his dick is doing all the talking right now.”

“I don’t know if I’d trust Denise enough to be bareback,” Phineas moved to sit behind his desk as Adil muted the screen again. “I think we can use some of the stuff about her knowing he’s married to get her parents and my grandfather off my back. My mother hates her from the shit with the caterer, though she never liked her before. I always knew my mama was smart.”

“Considering your mother was a bartender when she met your father, I understand why.”

Phineas booted up his computer and sighed, “you know, I’m starting to be like Beni.”

“Why?” Adil asked with a worried look.

“I feel guilty.”

“You feel guilty?”

“I ruined that woman’s life,” he looked to the door. “She hadn’t even noticed what he was doing. If he was only doing it to get off, not that I’m condoning it because he’s so fucking wrong it’s blowing my mind, then when she can go back to having daily sex, she would never know. It would have gone back to normal, at least until the next time they try for a kid, or she has a medical issue or whatever. I just feel like a dick for being the one to burst her bubble.”

“Me too.” Benicio said quietly. “It’s a good thing she doesn’t need to go back there.”

Adil spoke up, “she smelled her on him yesterday.”

“What?”

“She was figuring it out, on her own. She smelled Denise on his shirt. They met for coffee yesterday, probably to set up for today and Juniper smelled it. When I got there, she asked me if they met and I confirmed it. She said she knew because she smelled Denise’s perfume.”

“I’m curious how he gets the scent out of the house. My entire house right now smells like Gucci by Gucci, and it doesn’t mix with her chemical balance. Whatever is in her DNA or on her skin or maybe it’s the mix of her bodywash and the perfume but it’s fucking vile. She wears it in layers like it’s an invisible cloak meant to keep people from stepping too close to her and yet she gets in your space and your eyes water, and your nose runs. How the hell his entire apartment doesn’t reek of it when the bitch leaves is beyond me. The minute she’s out, I’m fumigating the place.”

“Her weekly brunch with her mother is tomorrow morning. I’ll serve her and give her the eviction notice at the same time.” Benicio nodded decisively.

“Include a few still images and make sure her mother sees them.

I’ll meet with my grandfather at the same time.” Phineas sighed, “I think I need to check on her. I feel like a douche.”

“Do you know which clinic she went to?”

“It’s on Bloor. It’s all I know.”

“Okay. I’ll look into it. Thanks, Maxine.” He looked at the his chest squeezing, “we killed her baby.” He was having a heart attack. He was sure of it.

guys

“What?” Adil sat up in a panic. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about she was pregnant and clearly didn’t tell dumbass there,” he waved to the screen, “and we gave her this information, and she left and told Maxine she was having a miscarriage.”

“Fuck.”

“Get this all sorted. Adil, find out what doctor she’s gone to. I’ll go check on her. I feel like the world’s biggest piece of shit.”

From the looks on the faces of his two best friends, he wasn’t the only one with guilt hanging around his neck like an albatross.