C.A.K.E

The instant his feet hit the cold lobby floor, he wishes he could get his hands on a DeLorean and a flux capacitor.

He'd tell his past self to run for the hills when the red-headed step-daughter of his father's golf buddy comes strolling into his parents' house.

The one time he was depending on her to be herself, she chooses to play the role of a concerned mother and show up here.

"Elliott Finley Stone." Melinda stops fighting Edward and saunters over to his side. "How are you, Fin?"

Everyone calls him either Elliott or Eli. She's the one person who uses his middle name, and she insists upon addressing him as Finley or Fin. Melinda says Finley is a much more distinguished name than Elliott. Truth is, she loves calling him that because she knows he detests it.

He gulps down air and runs his hands over his hair. Eli blinks as his eyes adjust to her. Just looking at her takes everything out of him.

The first Mrs. Stone is the captain and head coach of Team Too Much.

Almost two in the morning, and she's wearing a lace Gucci dress with a side slit that hits about mid-thigh, with a pair of sheer black stockings, topped off with a pair of nosebleed heels. Her bleached mane has been coaxed into soft ringlets that frame her face. A blood-red lipstick tints her lips.

Melinda couldn't have been too worried about the twins, since she took the time to get dolled up like a high-priced call girl.

She looks good. He won't lie. But she still can't hold a candle to Arden.

Stripped down to her birthday suit, and not a touch of makeup, Ardi's still beautiful. More attractive in fact. She's not trying to impress anyone, and that's what makes her so stunning. Somehow because she's not asking for the attention, it makes her more worthy of it.

Melinda on the other hand, needs the layers of makeup, the designer clothes, and the constant reassurance. So much so that she'll bring up her appearance just so people can comment on it.

After about six months of dating, Elliott ran out of genuine compliments and would volunteer a half-hearted, 'yeah, that's nice,' whenever she went fishing for flattery.

Nowadays, he keeps words with Mel to a minimum, and what she's wearing tonight garners nothing more than an aggravated smirk from him.

Elliott keeps checking the door for Melinda's usual entourage. She never travels without her latest male conquest and personal assistant.

With a nationally ranked television show under her belt, she is somewhat of a big deal. Dressed to the 9s with Melinda Carven-Stone airs every Thursday night at nine eastern on the Style network. The show has won several primetime television awards since its premiere three years ago.

You have to give a simple girl from the backwoods of Alabama credit. It's an amazing feat to be recognized for your talent in such a public manner. And Melinda is great at what she does, maybe even the best.

But her goddamned attitude overshadows every positive thing about her.

He's never seen a stylist who's more high maintenance than any of her clients, and she works with the best of young Hollywood.

A whiny, entitled twenty-something would be a more welcome sight for Eli than his ex-wife at this hour.

"Melinda."

"Three years of marriage, two kids and all I get is a dry, Melinda? I think I deserve more than that."

She inches closer and runs her fingers through his curls. Then she lets her hand trail down the side of his face to his chest, heading further south.

Eli catches her hand and throws it back at her. "Let's not get into what you deserve."

"Elliott, all these years and you're still bitter. Let it go. I have ..." She strokes his cheek. "You got your little whore, didn't you?"

He corrects her. "I got my wife, Melinda. My wife."

"Splitting hairs, Eli." Melinda shrugs. "Were you not still a married man when you met her?"

Always the same shit, different day with her. They have some variation of this argument every time they speak.

"I'm not getting into this with you. You know damn well what the situation was."

"You weren't single."

"I wasn't in a relationship either. There's a certain give and take to those kinds of things. But what would a parasite know about a partnership?"

Her eyes become dark slits of Maybelline smoky liner and Very Black mascara.

"Blame me, if that helps you sleep next to your little black girl. Enjoy the jungle fever while it lasts. I'll be around when it burns out of you."

She touches him again. And again he removes her offending appendage from his person.

"Arden and I will be celebrating our thirteenth wedding anniversary this year. Whatever she's doing is working. So you might want to ask my gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful wife, who happens to be African-American, what her secret is."

Elliott hears a minute crackling. Melinda must be grinding her capped teeth into powder. He just lit a match in an oil tanker.

She creeps closer to him until he can see the touch of gray at her crown, defiant and ready to show her true age. The perfume she all but bathes in hits him in the face like a thorn-ridden bouquet of roses.

"Has she given you any little swirly babies yet?" Melinda smiles at him, baring her fangs.

Now it's Elliott's turn to grind his enamel into dust. His face strains to maintain an even expression.

a tiny person with Elliott's thick sandy

Elliott separated six months after the twins were born. She was still trying to establish her career, and two screaming

his doctoral thesis. So the twins ended up with his parents during the day and reading over anthropological theories with

be bothered to make a bottle of formula. If Eli left Melinda alone with the children, there was no guarantee she wouldn't leave them in the

him and

more concerned with the way all of this made her look,

them a quick peck on the cheek, then deposit the children into the arms of Eli's mother. She'd dash out the door as quickly as she'd

Eli, Ro, and Tea would wait around until she was ready to

twins' first birthday, and the four of them have been inseparable

the one woman who was meant for him. All he had to do was rid himself of Melinda.

he was with Arden, and realized he was a different person when the other woman was around him. He was a

caressed her cheek, complimented

was in

political figure. She already had it all and now she

filed for divorce one week after

Arden to his parents. And they too were smitten with her.

wanted to make it work with Melinda for the twins' sake. But there was no reason to be miserable when he could have everything he ever wanted with Arden.

told Arden that he was still married in the eyes of the law. To her knowledge, Melinda was his ex-wife, not his estranged wife. And for this reason, Eli's head earned

everything with Melinda, she wasn't going to make the divorce nice and easy for

and nail on everything—alimony, their house, investments. Melinda made a fuss over the littlest shit. Like who was going to get the crystal figurines

all, even the clothes off his back. Eli would

him where it hurt.

threatened to sue for full custody of the twins unless Elliott agreed to

She threatened to go abroad with the kids, get lost in

crazy enough to do it. It was either never see his twins again, or

his children that were already here. He couldn't worry about hypothetical babies with Arden that might never have

Melinda regained some of the control she

Elliott she was going to be getting damaged goods. She wanted the young woman to experience the inferiority and anguish that she felt when Eli decided to leave. In her mind, she had found a way to take

Arden the real reason he chose to have the vasectomy. He claimed it was because he discovered he was a carrier for a genetic disorder. He didn't want to risk having any more kids who might develop the disease, or pass on the

discussing it with her first. Then other problems took the place of that issue, and they separated before he got a chance to bring up the subject. After the divorce, he decided that telling her

in the face of Melinda's frequent put-downs about her supposed infertility, she has never mentioned a word about the vasectomy to Mel. She wouldn't dream of breaking Elliott's

hated lying to Arden. But telling her the truth didn't seem right

tidbit of information might break that incredible self-control, and Mel is not worth a

he couldn't live without Arden. So

had let his vicious and vindictive ex dictate the direction of their life together. Besides, revealing that truth would also mean uncovering yet another lie—that he made Ardi the unwitting mistress. He didn't want to take the chance that she'd leave if he told her the

Not then, and damn sure not now. Not after waking up

a distinct possibility. Eli can only

to glare at Melinda, as his mind races down memory lane. The anger from so many years ago is coming back, singeing his skin beet red. The rage is new every time

collects himself, then answers

no kids yet. But maybe that's because she's

flush her cheeks a bright crimson. He's hit another nerve

And she'd do

the only one who needs reminding of

can pounce on Elliott, another nut adds

away from his face

You can't smoke in

Edward, takes another pull, then glances down at the glass receptacle. Keeping his eyes on

smooths his hand over his slicked-back hair, lights another cigarette, and walks over

you get the little fuckers

without a new piece of meat to dangle in front of him. But even this swarthy Latino isn't enough to make Eli feel anything

were going to

pale green eyes dilate to twice their size.

being a little dramatic,

out this country ass state doesn't even have a decent vegan restaurant. We need to catch the

Eli over her shoulder. "As soon as,

the hell this is." Eli nods to Armando, who smirks and blows a puff of smoke his

is Armando Christian.

"The model," Armando adds.

her body around the thin reed of

is he, like

"I'm thirty-four, asshole."

one who can rob the cradle." She smirks at Eli.

four years older than I am. So that means you're over a decade older than the

at him. "Where are my

their

every pore. "That homewrecker will never be

possible to make sure of that. But it

placeholder for me," Melinda

Ro and Tea inside a car for an hour in the middle of July." He scoffs and runs