Chapter 2

Over the course of the following week, every time Vaughn had an opportunity, he engaged Janet in some kind of light-hearted yet flirtatious conversation. He conned her by seeming to predict what she was going to say about her relationship with her husband before she finished. He poured the charm on like a pimp talking to a runaway at a bus terminal! He now knew from the conversation he had overheard that her husband was a dope fiend. He often wondered how the fuck her fine, delicate ass ended up marrying an older man with a substance abuse problem?! It must have been a 'trying to save a motherfucka' type of relationship. Nonetheless, dude's woman was getting weak and Vaughn could sense it.

Janet was overwhelmed with the attention that Vaughn had bestowed on her over the course of the last week. Melinda and Erica also took quick notice of the events that were unfolding in front of their envious eyes. On yet, another visit to the break room, they interrogated Janet like seasoned detectives.

"What's going on between you two?" Melinda asked first.

"What two?" Janet said, mockingly.

"Come on with the details, Janet!" Erica said while smiling at her friend. She was happy that someone was showing her friend the attention she needed.

"Look, you guys, there are no details to tell. There is absolutely nothing going on between Vaughn and myself. Honest! He's just being friendly, that's all. He's a nice guy. He's not like that and you guys know it," said Janet.

"Yeah, but why all of a sudden has he started burning your ear?" asked Melinda, suspiciously.

"It has not been all of a sudden, Melinda. Vaughn, at one time or another, has had conversations with all of three of us. Alone or together. Plus, he has a girlfriend!" Janet replied.

"And? They're not married. In my book, he's free to do what he wants," Melinda said.

"And what book would that be? The Kama Sutra?!" Janet shot back while laughing.

"Well, maybe things aren't going as good as we think with him and his girlfriend," Erica chimed in.

"Girls! Stop it! Get those thoughts out of your head! Him and I are not that way, okay?! He's a very nice man who happens to be a therapist. He's been offering me some advice on a couple of things. There! That's what we've been talking about," Janet said while sighing heavily.

"Ahhhh... we're sorry, Janet! If I had a problem, Vaughn would be someone who could offer really good advice. I've seen him in action. He knows what he's talking about," Erica said.

"Me too," Melinda added kindheartedly.

"Would you like to go out for some drinks, Janet? It is Friday and we haven't been out together in ages?" asked Erica.

"I wish I could. But I have to work tomorrow, remember?" Janet replied.

"Oh shit, I totally forgot. I hate working on the weekend, girl. Gets in the way of my party time," Erica said.

"What therapist is working this weekend?" Melinda asked.

"I think Gloria is," Janet answered.

"That's too bad. That bitch thinks she runs the building on the weekend. Good luck," Melinda said wryly.

On the other side of the wall, kneeling down toward the heating vent, Vaughn smiled to himself.

That evening, after she got off of work, Janet went home. Upon entering her rundown apartment, which she was mostly footing the bill for, she saw that her husband had not cleaned the living room like he had promised to do. As she walked around the small living room picking up dirty laundry, she began to call out her husband's name.

"Steve! Steve! Where are you?!" Janet began to holler.

Janet walked towards the back of the apartment to their bedroom. She walked into the bedroom to find that it was also a mess. Clothing was everywhere. She began angrily picking up clothing and slamming them into their beat-up chest drawer.

"I'm tired of this shit! I pay all the fucking bills and he can't even bother to clean up after himself! The least he could do is help me out a little around here!" Janet screamed as she plopped down on the bed. Janet had been footing most of the bills for the couple since they had gotten hitched in Atlantic City, five months ago. Her entire family had been against the union and none of them attended the beachside ceremony. She hadn't spoke to her father since the wedding.

Steve claimed he couldn't work because of his various maladies. It had been a constant stream of excuses since they had married. The couple was one month behind in the rent and about ready to lose their car because of missed payments. And STILL, Steve did nothing to assist her! She felt like the world's biggest dummy at that moment.

Janet got undressed in front of the long mirror lying against the wall. As she disrobed, she looked at her body. Her body was very attractive and she knew it. She had very full B-cup breasts and hips that women died for. Her stomach was flat and supple in all the right places. She trimmed her pubic hair, regularly. She purposely wore unattractive clothing because Steve did not like her dressing in form fitting clothing. Like a dumb ass, she had listened to him and allowed herself to become like her mother before her. Letting a man control her because she thought that that was what one did when you committed your life to someone.

Janet decided to take a hot shower to soothe her tired muscles and the headache that was starting to throb at the sides of her head. She grabbed a towel off the bed and wrapped it around herself and walked out of the bedroom. She reached for the doorknob on the bathroom door and turned it, while pushing. It opened a few inches and stopped. Something was blocking the path of the door into the bathroom. Janet continued to push until she could slide her body between the door jam and the door.

As she squeezed herself through the door, she noticed her prone husband on the floor. He had a needle, spoon, lighter and rubber tubing lying next to him. He was groaning and half conscious. He apparently had overdosed! Janet shrieked more in anger than in fear. Steve had promised, just this morning, that he was never going to return to his old ways and that things were going to get better for them. She had believed him despite the obvious cues she got from him. Love had won out over common sense, once again.

Janet sighed heavily before going back to the bedroom and quickly putting her clothes back on. She had been through this with him a few times so she gathered Steve by his arms and pulled his lightweight ass out of the bathroom, through the apartment and out to their car. She quickly drove him to the hospital emergency room. He was seen by a doctor. The doctor came back out and asked her questions she had heard numerous times before. Did she know the drug he was on? How long had he been using this drug? Etc...

After the doctor returned to Steve, Janet sat back down in the waiting room, put her hands up to her face, and began to cry. She wondered why she was here at all. Her new husband was turning out to be a dud! And it looked like he was not going to change. She suddenly remembered something Vaughn had said to her a few days ago. He had told her that she was too young to be wasting her life away as a geriatric nurse for her husband. Get out and live your life, he had said. As she continued to sit in the waiting room, she began to get very angry with herself, her husband and their fucked up life together. She had not signed on for all of this bullshit!

Janet got up and walked over to the registration desk. She asked a few questions and then told the clerk that if they needed her, she would be at home. Steve was going to be kept for observation. She needed to get out of there before she exploded. She left without saying good-bye to Steve. She did not feel guilty about it either. He didn't feel guilty when he lied to her gullible ass this morning. As she drove home, she decided that she really needed to make some changes in her life or she was going to go crazy. It was time to take the blinders off!