Shaky People

By Michelle A. Jackson

Shaky People, with its intricate multilayered happenings, turns pages as a suspenseful, drama-based novel about betrayal, deception, corruption, revenge, power, and deep, dark family secrets that revolve primarily around four friends. Nothing could have prepared them for the avalanche of treachery and deceit that unfolds as they maneuver through life. Jackie Bardona, an aspiring musician/vocalist and trusted confidant to three of her closest friends, finally gets the break she needs and is propelled to stardom with the help of her philandering boyfriend. However, a twist of life-changing events begin to unfold for each of her friends. David Howard (Dave), Jackie’s childhood friend, who’s leading a double life, decides to come clean with his wife, Vanessa, a high-profile criminal attorney in one of Chicago’s most prestigious law firms. What Dave reveals to his wife backfires and he must deal with the consequences of a scorned wife and her fury. Deola Hudson (Dee) had a very unstable childhood. What happens to her is every mother’s nightmare. It all began the night her mother left home and never returned. Now, as an adult, Dee has to deal with the demons of her past through therapy and hypnosis in order to cope with the present. If that’s not enough, her mother’s past comes back to haunt her. One of the city’s most powerful and corrupt leaders of organized crime is in hot pursuit and will stop at nothing to erase his past mistakes. Loretta McGraw, an up-and-coming fashion designer, becomes intertwined in a series of unfortunate events, which lead to revenge and the unraveling of dark family secrets. The McGraws, a powerful and wealthy family, hold capital all over the world, but their family secrets, which go way back to her deceased grandfather, could cost Loretta her life, as well as the loss of some of her family’s public holdings and social status. And then there’s Wayne Maxwell, a college professor, who wreaks havoc on the McGraw family’s dynasty when he unleashes startling revelations about the family’s hidden secrets.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781635689655

Book preview

1

Jackie

When I heard his car turning into the driveway, I pulled the covers down and held my head up, looking at the alarm clock for the last time. It was a little past midnight when I heard him put his key in the door. I knew this because I couldn’t sleep; I kept waking up looking at the clock on my nightstand. I listened as he walked, nonstop, past the family room. He came straight upstairs to the bedroom and started stripping off his clothes. As he entered, the smell of alcohol and his cologne trailed behind him until it filled the room. I laid there pretending to be asleep. He went into the bathroom. I heard the toilet flush and the water running. When he came out, he tried to slip quietly into bed. As he did, I felt his hand searching for my buttocks and gently rubbing the inner sides of my thighs. As mad as I wanted to be, I couldn’t help but think how good it felt right then. His strong warm arms encircled me from behind as he slid his hands up over my breasts. It seemed within moments I was wet for him and he knew it. His searching fingers spread my sex lips apart and he probed that vulnerable area with his voice groaning at the feel of my arousal.

Oh, Derrick, I moaned in a sensuous voice as I became fully aroused. He bit softly on my neck and pinched my nipple while his other fingers played between my legs. He was grinding harder and harder on me from behind, and I felt the smooth tip of his cock pressing against my buttocks. He gently turned me over and slid quickly inside me, easily filling me with pleasure and desire. I thought I would never get enough of him that night, that was…until someone started blowing up his cell phone.

Dee

Dee rolled over in bed. Her head was pounding profusely. She wondered to herself, What the hell was I drinking last night to give me such a bad headache? She turned over and went right back to sleep. The phone was ringing so loud until she thought she was dreaming. She began to pull the covers over her head when she realized this was not a dream. Damn, she thought, as she reached for the receiver while trying not to open her eyes. Hello, she said, with her eyes still closed.

Dee girl, wake up, I have to talk to you. Guess who had the nerve to call me asking for forgiveness?

Jackie, do you have any idea what the hell time it is? Dee asked, cutting her off.

Girl, what do you want me to do? I have to talk to someone. Who do you expect me to call? After all, you know you want to know what happened…This is good stuff I’m about to tell you.

By now, Dee was sitting straight up in her bed, with her eyes wide open, wiping the sleep from around her crusty eyes.

Okay, let me guess who this mysterious person is that called you, Dee said, as if to play the guessing game with her. Jackie was just about to tell her when Dee beat her to the punch and blurted out, Jackie, you know damn well I know you’ve been talking to Derrick again.

Jackie paused for a moment…

Oh, I guess that was rather obvious, huh. But anyway, girl, he sure thinks he’s slick. He had the nerve to tell me he misses me and would like to take me out and talk about things. Now mind you, I just put him out a week ago. What the hell does he think we have to talk about? I don’t get it. Do you? Tell me if I’m missing something here, please.

Girl, you know how men are…they think if they leave for a minute that you will cool your jets, your emotions will kick in, and you’ll start missing their asses. You will be okay, girl, just hang in there. I’m here for you if you need me. Remember, this is not the first time you ventured down that road with his strange-acting ass, Dee quipped, thinking to herself what a jerk Derrick could be.

Jackie was in deep thought, and while Dee was still talking, she snapped out of it, cutting Dee off.

I really wanted the relationship with me and Derrick to work, but deep down inside, I knew it wouldn’t. He’s just not ready for a serious relationship. Derrick and I have lived together on and off so much that I never thought this time it would be for good. Just the other night, we made mad, passionate love. We were deep into each other—I mean blood, sweat, and tears, and out of nowhere his cell phone starts ringing and vibrating at the same time, but we kept right on getting down. We couldn’t stop, but the caller kept calling, back to back, blowing up his damn phone. I lost my groove, and so did he. I knew it was a woman because only a woman does mess like that.

Dee interrupted, You mean a bitch…only a bitch does shit like that.

Whatever, Jackie said. Anyway, he jumped up, grabbed his pants, and turned the phone off without even looking at it. He turned around, looked at me, and said sorry. But for me, that was the last straw. I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted him gone. I didn’t even want to hear his sorry-ass plea. I told him, ‘Derrick, just take your clothes and the car and go.’ I was even willing to give him the car, which I’m still paying for. That’s how bad I wanted him out.

Girl, you did what you had to do, and now it’s over, and life goes on, Dee told her, trying to break her out of the moment.

So, now that we got that out of the way, on a better note, guess what? I won two tickets for the Jazz Explosion Concert that’s coming this weekend. It’s going to be live! Are you with me? Dee asked excitedly, trying to change the subject. She knew if she didn’t come up with something fast, this conversation could go on forever and eventually Jackie would end up getting too emotional and start the crying shit.

I’m there, girl, Jackie exclaimed, half excited. That’ll be something for me to look forward to. You know how much I love jazz.

Dee knew this, which is why she had tried to win the tickets. She knew Jackie would be thrilled about the concert. She wanted to surprise her, and this was definitely the perfect time to tell her. They began to talk about the concert and plans for their fun-filled weekend.

Jackie had to get up in a rush after they got off the phone. She couldn’t sleep anyway, and thinking about Derrick had only made it worse, which is why she had called Dee, her best friend, who she knew would listen and make her feel like she wasn’t tripping.

Jackie was still a little wet from her shower, but after all that time on the phone, she had practically dried off. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee, which she had begun brewing before hopping in the shower and proceeded to the living room. She was sipping on her coffee and in deep thought when her mind started flashing back to when she first met Derrick.

He was so suave and smooth. He had a mind that never stopped, always thinking of fun things for us to do. He would never let me spend a dime. We would take long walks by the lake, holding hands, and making plans for the future. He always seemed so serious about the things he would say to me, so I never questioned him about them, but there was always something in the back of my mind that puzzled me about him. It’s like I needed to protect my heart when it came to him.

Suddenly, Jackie snapped out of her daydream, looked at the time, and said out loud to herself, Wow, let me get dressed or I’ll be late for my appointment.

Derrick

Jennifer, one of Derrick’s exes, was getting her hair done at Stacey’s Hair Studio when he walked in looking for her. Derrick had walked up to the reception desk when he spotted her under the hair dryer. He nodded his head to the girl at the desk and walked on over to Jennifer. When she saw him coming, she raised her head from under the dryer and said, Well, I don’t believe what I’m seeing. When did you get back on earth? she asked, looking directly into his eyes.

Derrick knew what she was implying. He had told her he was leaving town for a while; that’s when he was planning to move in with Jackie. He and Jackie had been living together, on and off, for about three years. She stared at him, thinking to herself, I wonder if he’s still as good in bed as he used to be…She knew deep down inside that she still wanted him. She would love to check him out again even though she knew she wouldn’t give him the pleasure. Then she thought to herself, Or would the pleasure be mine?

Derrick started to say something and she stopped him.

Don’t. I would rather not hear the premeditated lies you’re about to tell, she insisted, holding her hand up in the air as if to have him put on the brakes right there.

Derrick stopped and smiled then bent down to kiss her. She didn’t want to create a major scene in the shop, so she turned her head in acceptance when he bent down.

I know what you’re thinking, but I really did have some business out of town that I had to take care of. Come on, baby, don’t be mad. I really missed you.

Derrick was the type of guy that you just couldn’t resist. He was about 5’10’’, nice caramel-colored complexion. His hair was black and wavy, and he sported a thin mustache that he kept trimmed, which highlighted his perfectly curved lips. He had a smile that could turn any woman on, and what made him so sexy was the fact that, as fine as he was, he was not stuck on himself, and he had a beautiful personality. He loved life, and it showed. He enjoyed making people laugh, and always had something nice to say when he greeted someone, especially the ladies. Deep down inside, Derrick was a beautiful person.

Jennifer was the previous girl that he dated before getting with Jackie. Jackie found out through a mutual friend of theirs that he had told Jennifer he was going to Dallas to put together a business deal. He was always working on some type of business scheme.

So how did your business go? Did you take care of what you had to do? Jennifer asked nonchalantly.

I had a couple of productive meetings. It went well. I did what I had to do, he responded in a very subtle tone.

I hope so. It only took you a few years to get it right, if you did get it right, she responded, not taking her eyes off him.

Derrick did a fake cough, as if to clear his throat. He felt people staring at him. He turned around in slow, cool motion; and sure enough, all eyes were on him. One lady had come from under the hair dryer, with her mouth hung open, as if she were watching a soap opera. Dorothy, the hair stylist, had stopped in the middle of her client’s perm, with her hands frozen in place. As she stood there in a fixed gaze, the comb dropped to the floor. She didn’t bother to pick it up right away, afraid she might miss something. After a quick surveillance of the eyeballs of the patrons in the shop, and slightly annoyed from their stares, Derrick turned back around facing Jennifer with a subtle smirk on his face and said, Damn, I feel like E. F. Hutton…When I speak, people fucking listen, he said sarcastically.

Yeah, that’s because everybody knows you’re full of shit, she said softly, so only he could hear.

2

Dave

Dave sat on the train thinking about what he was going to tell his wife, Vanessa. He had been out all night at a gay club across town. Dave was a closet homosexual…or was he bisexual? Although he was married to Vanessa, he lived a double life and hung out with his gay crowd most of the time.

As he sat there collecting his thoughts, he knew his story had to be good this time because he had been gone the entire weekend. He really hated doing this to Vanessa. He knew how much she loved him, yet he did what he had to do because this was also who he was. He was living two separate lives. He knew there would come a time when he would have to make a decision, but right now was not the time, he thought, I could never hurt her. I love her too much.

When he first married Vanessa, he wasn’t in love with her, although he had very strong feelings for her and cared about her very much. He was still in denial about his sexuality, but as time went on, his feelings changed and he began to fall in love with her, or so he thought.

Damn, he thought to himself, I hate doing this but it is the only way. I’ve got to talk to Jackie.

Jackie was the only one who knew about his double life, and she had always been there for him. If anything were to happen to him, Jackie held the key to all the pieces of his life. He promised himself that he was going to call her as soon as he took care of his business. But first, he was going to make sure he secured his relationship with Todd.

Loretta

Loretta was sitting on the sofa, nervously patting her feet, rocking back and forth while saying to herself, I can do it. I can do it.

Loretta had been in and out of drug and alcohol rehab for the past year. All of Loretta’s problems started when she lost her baby. She was eight months pregnant when the doctor had to perform a cesarean section. She had not felt well that entire week but would not go to see her doctor. She was afraid he would put her on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy, and by no means was she going to let that happen. When she couldn’t take the pain anymore, she told Tim, her boyfriend and baby’s daddy, and he convinced her that she needed to go to the emergency room that night. When they arrived, the doctor determined the baby was in distress and immediately performed a C-section. They tried to save the baby, but unfortunately, the umbilical cord had twisted around his tiny body, and they were unable to save him. That’s when Loretta’s real nightmares started, and she was never the same after his death.

She and Tim had been living together and had planned to get married after the baby was born. Loretta cried all day and night on the afternoon that he brought her home from the hospital, but she never spoke a word about the baby or what she was feeling. Her mother had tried calling numerous times to see how she was doing, even though they despised the fact that she had gotten pregnant before getting married, not to mention dating a boy who didn’t come from good stock. Her mother was not a happy camper because she had envisioned, one day, planning a royal wedding for her only child.

Tim had tried to get her to talk to her parents about losing the baby as a way to begin healing, but she had nothing to say to anyone. Loretta walked around stoic and dazed, for months, barely talking to Tim or anyone else for that matter. Then, one day, Tim’s frustrations got the best of him. He was tired of seeing her in a stupor and finally gave her an ultimatum…either pull herself together or he would be out of there.

Now you would have to know what Loretta was like before she got pregnant. She was one sharp fashionista from the top of her head to the bottom of her toes; this is what attracted Tim to her along with the money she flaunted. He had never seen a woman with such beauty…and loaded. Usually, you got one or the other. He would have done just about anything to have one night with her. He wanted to put Loretta on a pedestal and admire her.

Her hair was naturally jet-black, long and beautiful, with not an ounce of weave. She wore only designer threads, and her favorite designers were Donna Karan New York, Jimmy Choo, and Armani Collezioni. Tim knew this because he was into fashion, as well, and he worked at Designers’ Warehouse while going to school at night to become an actor. Many times she would call the store before she went shopping to make sure they had the latest in her favorite designer pieces.

When Loretta walked, both men and women’s heads would turn. Women would say: That is one classy lady.

Loretta knew how to walk with class. After all, her mother had sent her to the best private schools for young women. She was an only child, born with a platinum spoon in her mouth. Her parents owned several family businesses. Her father was Frank McGraw and his father, which was her grandfather, had built a multimillion dollar international corporation, and both parents, as well as her only uncle, worked hard maintaining various divisions of this multimillion dollar conglomerate. Her parents privately owned several big beautiful homes across the country, staffed with maids and butlers at all times.

The one thing that was missing in Loretta’s life while growing up was siblings. She had no siblings, and no one to play with or talk to. Her only friends were the hired help, and they only spent time with her because they were paid a generous salary to do so, and they felt sorry for her.

Loretta and Jackie initially met in college and were roommates. Jackie was the one who always came to Loretta’s rescue and would bail her out of trouble, not that Jackie understood her, but she genuinely felt sorry for her. Jackie would say to her time and time again: How can someone so beautiful and rich be such an airhead?

Loretta stayed in trouble in college. There was the one time when she almost got kicked out of school for playing a nasty trick on one of the professors. But, as usual, her dad made a call and it was swept under the rug. If any other student had pulled a stunt like the one Loretta pulled on the professor, they would have been ousted for good, and it would have taken hell and high water to get them admitted to another college in this country. And from that day forward, the professor would not look their way anytime he passed her and her friend in the hallway; he always seemed a little peculiar anyway. They both felt like he wanted to get Loretta back, one way or the other.

After the devious stunt that Loretta pulled, it changed him and his status forever. He was no longer regarded as the professor that everyone knew and loved and, eventually, after so much humiliation, he resigned. Jackie used to say to Loretta, Watch your back with him. He desperately wants to get even with you. But she blew it off. It meant nothing to her. She always referred to him as an insignificant little wimp.

Months had gone by and Tim had just about enough of Loretta. He came home one day and, after seeing her on the sofa, sloppy drunk and still putting cocaine up her nose, he said to her, Damn, Loretta. Girl, you need to get a fucking grip. I can’t take this shit anymore. I’m out of here. He was leaving her for good.

She was so stoned she didn’t hear a word he said. She continued snorting lines of cocaine up her nose. Tim went into the bedroom and started packing his clothes. Since he had been with Loretta, she’d bought him more clothes than he ever could have dreamed of. Loretta meant the world to him, but he could not stand by and watch her self-destruct and not be able to help her, but Lord knows he tried.

Nothing he said meant anything to her. She would always apologize after she sobered up, but as soon as she was alone and started thinking about the baby, she would make a call and her dealer would show up with a package for her.

Tim found out about the drugs one night when he came home a little early. He put his key in the door and was about to walk into the house when, out of nowhere, this strange-looking guy, wearing a black oversized hoodie, plaid circus-like sweatpants, and combat books appeared. Tim thought he was about to be robbed, but the guy spoke quickly as he walked up behind him.

Hey, man, why y’all got all these bright lights on?

Tim looked straight into his squinted eyes, with a question mark on his face and responded, Excuse me, what the hell are you talking about and why are you on my porch anyway?

That’s when he found out the truth about Loretta’s addiction and how often she had been having the drugs delivered.

3

Dee

Jackie and Dee were in the car laughing hysterically about their night out. They had gone to the Jazz Explosion Concert with the tickets Dee had won and afterwards had hit the nightclub scene. It was about 4:00 a.m. when they pulled into Dee’s driveway from the club. They were laughing so hard when they got out of the car that they had to hold each other up all the way into the house. The plan was that Jackie would spend the night at Dee’s house since neither was in any shape to drive, and it was closer.

Girl, did you see that fine ass brother that I was talking to? He had it going on in a major way, until I looked down at his shoes, Dee said, trying to tell the story without laughing.

Jackie was already on the floor, in tears, cracking up. Dee went on laughing so hard she could barely speak.

"I swear the hole in the tip of his shoe was so big I thought it was part of the design. I had to do a double take to make sure what I saw was real. I thought I was going to die right there. I had to make myself get past this by thinking, It’s just a night of fun, so I looked at him and smiled. Then he asked me if I was driving. I was about to leave him standing right there, but I answered, Yes, with raised eyebrows and a shocked look on my face, instead, not knowing if that was the right answer or not. Then he asked if I would drop him off at the crib when we got ready to leave. Girl, I just looked at him in awe. I didn’t know if I should go off on him or quietly walk away, but before I could make a decision, he was telling me where he lived."

Jackie was laughing so hard at Dee that she almost peed on herself trying to get up off the floor and run to the restroom. Seeing her friend laughing uncontrollably at her stories made Dee laugh even harder at herself. They were on a roll reminiscing about the fun-filled evening they’d had.

Jackie, still laughing, said to Dee, Girl, you ain’t heard nothing funny until you hear what this one brother I was slow dancing with asked me. He asked me if I would go home with him after we leave the club, and I said to him, ‘And why should I go home with you?’ He said he wanted to make wild and passionate love to me all through the night. I looked up at him with my head cocked to one side, and said to myself, ‘No this fool didn’t.’

The thought of him kissing on me was disgusting me, and I know it showed on my face, but I tried to play it off and act normal even though I felt like I was going to throw up. He started licking his wet lips and went on to say, Girl, I will sneak you in my room and no one will ever know you are there unless, of course, you’re a screamer. That’s when I stopped dancing and said, Hold up…What the hell are you talking about? Where the hell do you live, and who the hell do you live with? I said all of that in one quick sentence.

He went on to say, Aww, baby, things got a little tight for me back in the days and I still haven’t recouped, but I’m working on it. I’m staying at a halfway house until I make my move. He had hardly gotten the last two words out of his mouth when I was already off the dance floor. I went straight to the bar and ordered me another drink to help me regroup.

Dee was now laughing hysterically at Jackie until she cried dewdrop tears.

Damn, girl, we both had losers, Jackie said to Dee as she regained her composure. It’s times like this when I miss Derrick and the fact that I have to put myself back out there on the market and run into guys like that. I really don’t know what a girl has to do in order to meet a good, honest, intelligent, hard-working man…that’s all I want. Is that asking too much? At one time, I thought that was what I had…boy was I wrong.

Girl, you’ve got to make things happen. You can’t sit around feeling sorry for yourself. You have to get right back out there, and what’s meant for you will be, Dee said with a more serious approach.

Jackie went in on her, Dee, is that why you’re so successful with men and get what you want, yet, you’re not in a committed relationship with any of them? I just don’t understand how or why you do what you do.

Please, Jackie, let’s not go there, Dee shot back.

Jackie saw something in Dee’s eyes that let her know there was something more mysterious and deeply embedded in her soul that she could not talk about. She also knew her friend well enough to know she would have to wait until she was ready to talk about it. She switched her focus to Derrick, trying to change the subject gracefully. "Anyway, Dee, what am I going to do