I Got Your Back- Teflon & Tatiana’s Love Story

by Shvonne Latrice

  I watched his face twist into confusion as he explained his feelings. His hand had stopped rubbing up and down my back, signaling that he was in deep thought and couldn’t do it and another thing at once. It was obvious that he’d truly never felt what he was currently feeling because he didn’t understand it. I didn’t understand what we had either. It couldn’t be love because I didn’t know him. Then again, it wasn’t a simple crush or adoration, because the feelings we shared were too powerful.

  “So what should we do?”

  “I don’t even know. I just know I want you in any way that you’ll have me. From the first time I saw you, I just wanted to be close to you. I didn’t know in what way yet, but I had to be near you.”

  My heart literally turned to mush when those words left his mouth. The fact that he was willing to take anything I gave him, anything that would keep him close to me caused goose bumps to arise on my arms.

  “I know what you mean, that’s why you caught me staring into your room.” I giggled shyly.

  “Yeah, I knew I had you.”

  “No you didn’t!” I smacked his chest lightly as we laughed in unison.

  “Nah, but I’m feeling like I need you or something.” His tone was low, raspy, raw, and honest as he brushed his thumb across my cheek, while looking into my eyes. I let my arm rest across his chiseled abs, not losing eye contact with him once.

  “Me too,” I said in a low tone before our lips met and our tongues began to dance.

  25

  Teflon

  The next morning…

  I woke up pretty early this morning to shower, brush my teeth, and run to the grocery store really quickly. By the time I got back, I heard the shower running so I knew Tatiana was in there. I shook my head as I thought about last night, while taking out what I needed to make French toast.

  The night before was intense as fuck, but I didn’t feel like she was on her bullshit, which was a plus. I still didn’t like the fact that she had such a hold on me, because if she did go back to that nigga yet again, I may be worse off. At least before, she didn’t really know my thought process but after spilling my fucking guts, her going back would be like a fucking dagger to the chest.

  If Kayla were here to witness this shit right now, she would be floored for sure, because I wasn’t this type of nigga at all. A bitch was lucky if I even replied to her text after we fucked, so the fact that Tatiana had me ready to show up at Brevin’s crib and demand to see her was some crazy shit. But my mama always told me I would meet a girl that would have me wrapped around her finger. I always thought that it would be Kayla, just down the line. I had no idea it would be some little shorty from Cleveland who stopped at my abs.

  Speaking of the devil, as I buttered the pan I saw that Kayla was calling me. This wasn’t really the best time to talk, so I was gonna let that shit go to voicemail. I didn’t wanna give her my number when I changed it, but I felt like not giving it to her was foul.

  The ringing ceased and my phone dinged to let me know I had a voicemail, then again to say it was a text.

  I finished preparing the only breakfast dish I knew how to cook and right when I was placing the fruit on, Tatiana walked in wrapped in a towel.

  Despite her lacking in certain areas physically, she was the sexiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on. I watched her sexy legs as she made her way over to me and licked my lips at the thought of them sitting on my shoulders while I sucked on her pussy.

  “Good morning. I was looking for you.” She walked right up to me and we kissed. Our bodies both reacted, so after we pulled away we went right back in for another.

  “I didn’t have what I needed to make you breakfast.”

  “Thank you.” She chuckled, flashing her big beautiful smile. I kissed the side of her face as she picked the plate up.

  We sat down at my bar to eat. At first, it was quiet as we dug in. Every time I cooked this shit, it got better.

  “I don’t have any clothes here.” She broke the silence.

  “I can take you to the mall and we can get whatever you need.”

  “Teflon, I have to go home at some point or Brevin will come looking for me.”

  I stabbed a couple pieces of French toast as I thought about what she was saying. I didn’t want her around that nigga if I wasn’t present, but I knew she was right. If she just disappeared the nigga would go crazy looking for her and right now, I wasn’t prepared to protect her. I mean I could against Brevin himself, easily, I’ve done it before when I whooped his ass the night she lost her baby. But what I couldn’t do was go against his team, by myself, or even if I had Merce with me. My main goal wasn’t to make sure I was good, it was to make sure she was. This was all about her. She’d consumed me in such a short matter of time and I didn’t know if that was good or bad.

  “Aight, but you’re not spending the night. Go, get some shit that will last you at least a couple weeks and then come back. I will buy you anything else.

  “What will I say to him then?” Her face was knotted.

  “Tell him it’s a work trip. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know you’re gonna be traveling and shit for some time.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing Tati. Eat your food and when you’re done put your number in my phone. If anything happens before you get out, hit me.”

  “What did you mean by what you said, Teflon?”

  I sighed before saying, “Tatiana you know he wasn’t faithful to you. That’s what I mean, if you must know.” She just turned from me and continued eating her food. “I didn’t mean to throw it in your face. It was a thought in my head that just came out.” I kissed the corner of her mouth.

  “Are you any different?” She looked to me.

  “I wasn’t, no.”

  “You mean with Kayla.”

  “Yeah, but you already know that I feel differently about you.”

  “How do you know this will be different, Teflon? What if you start acting like Brevin? Or how you acted while with Kayla?”

  “Because I haven’t thought about another woman or wanted to be with another woman since I met you, baby. And especially after we made love the first time.”

  “Then what was Rebecca?”

  “Just something to help keep my mind off of you.”

  I pecked her lips a few times, before our kisses became hungrier and more passionate. I took her towel off and we got to it right on the floor.

  Afterwards we cleaned ourselves up and she left to go get some clothes and shit, but not before putting her number in my phone and calling herself. Once she was gone, I cleaned up a little bit and almost like clockwork Kayla was calling me again. Since Tatiana wasn’t here, I decided to go ahead and answer.

  “Damn, are you that busy?” she spat as soon as I accepted the call.

  “Kind of, you know I just got here a couple months ago, Kay. I’m still getting shit together, so there are gonna be times where I’m tied up.” I was kind of irritated by her actions. She was on the same tip she was on when I was her man and I wasn’t anymore.

  “Whatever nigga, that’s just code for you were with another bitch.”

  See.

  “And what if I was, Kayla?”

  “Then that would be shady as fuck and we would have a problem nigga! You went to Cleveland to get work remember? Not to get with other bitches, even if it’s just to bust a nut!”

  I couldn’t help myself so I burst into laughter.

  “Kayla man—“

  “Did I say something funny, nigga? Let me find out that you’re out in Ohio living the player life, Tre’Wayne!”

  “Okay.” I chuckled lightly because she didn’t realize how stupid she sounded. I was gonna do what the fuck I wanted to regardless. If she couldn’t control me when we were in the same state, what made her think she could while we were miles apart? But most importantly, I wasn’t her fucking nigga.

  “Okay what?” she pulled me from my thoughts.

  “Just okay,
I don’t have a response to that. I really don’t get why you’re acting like this when you broke up with me.”

  “But you promised me that you would work on yourself, meaning that you weren’t gonna be focused on whores. I got the impression that you were gonna find some discipline somewhere and then come back to me with some damn sense!”

  “Okay,” I sighed, rubbing my hand down my face.

  “Stop saying that shit!” she hollered so loudly that it immediately changed my mood.

  “Aye, calm yo’ silly ass down, Kayla! Don’t call me on this bullshit no muthafucking more! I’m not yo’ nigga and you damn sure ain’t my bitch so the next time you wanna call me trying to put me in my place you need to remember that you broke up with me!”

  As soon as I was done yelling, I heard sniffling.

  “So I can’t change my mind?”

  “Change your mind?”

  “Yeah. I talked to my mom and she was telling me that I should work with you and that you probably just had a problem.”

  “I don’t have a problem, Kayla. But look I gotta handle some shit. Talk to you later.”

  “Tef—“

  I hung up the phone before she could even finish. I wasn’t trying to hear shit she was saying. Not because I was off her, but because I didn’t want to hear her tell me she wanted to be back together. Technically she did nothing wrong in our relationship, and I would feel fucked up if I told her I didn’t want to be with her anymore. I knew she wouldn’t understand how I could have moved on already and shit I didn’t really get it either, so it would be difficult as hell to explain.

  It was best that I just ignore her ass for right now, until I could get my thoughts together and actually let her know the real. I’d let her know the real in a way that she would at least be able to process. I didn’t know how I would be able to do that, but one thing I did know was that I wanted Tatiana Drew and nobody else.

  * * *

  “Hey Ma, what are you cooking?” I walked into my mother’s home located in Corlett. It was an okay neighborhood, but once I got my funds up I would be moving her out of here.

  “Some soup, would you like some?” She smiled.

  “Nah Ma, you need to cook for my black side,” I joked, making her burst into laughter.

  “You sound just like your father. I had no idea how to make heavy foods like that until we got together you know?”

  “I know. But you make the best fried chicken now.”

  “The best?” She smiled.

  “Nah, but I fuck with it. I mean I like it,” I clenched my teeth together. I hadn’t been around my mom this much in a long time, since I was living in another state, so I would have to get used to not cursing around her anymore.

  “Want some green iced tea?”

  “Okay.” I nodded as I sat down on the couch. “Now you’re speaking to my Asian side,” I taunted and we laughed.

  “How is Kayla?” she brought me the iced tea and sat down on the couch a little ways down from me.

  “Ma, I told you the last time I came over here that she and I don’t talk like that anymore.”

  “You need to try to get her back, Tre’Wayne. She loves you, even though you’ve done some bad things to her. You need to propose.”

  “Absolutely not.” I shook my head ‘no’ as I drank the tea.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m not ready to get married Ma. I can barely be a good boyfriend, let alone husband.”

  “You need to grow up, Tre’Wayne. You’re gonna be thirty in just two short years and you’re still living like you’re twenty-one. I don’t want you being like Torrey. Baby I’m happy you came back to Ohio, but you need to get Kayla back or move her out here.”

  I knew I shouldn’t have let Kayla meet my mom.

  “I’m never gonna be like Torrey and you know that.”

  “Look at Thomas, he’s your little brother and he knows the value of a good woman when he sees one. He’s in Paris studying, yet stills find time for Cameron,” she boasted about my little brother and his little girlfriend. “Even Ryan does right by that Cecily girl,” she spoke, referring to my cousin Groove and his baby mama.

  “Ma, what if I met somebody else?” I set my glass on the coaster and looked over to see her perplexed expression. It was slightly comical.

  “How? Where? Here in Cleveland?”

  “Possibly.”

  “It’s a yes or no question baby.”

  “Yeah I met a girl out here and that shi— mess is complicated as… heck. She has a fiancé, well she did, but she wants to be with me and I wanna be with her. We kind of have to keep it a secret though until further notice.”

  “Why would you subject yourself to such a stressful situation with some new girl when you could have a sweet, caring girl like Kayla?”

  “Because I don’t want Kayla Ma, I want her.”

  She paused for a moment and her face and body language softened.

  “What’s her name?”

  “Tatiana,” I sighed, scratching my head before pulling my hood back over it.

  “Could you see yourself marrying her?”

  “Yes and that’s what I don’t get. I’ve been with Kayla for years and I’ve always told myself I would marry her but I just couldn’t bring myself to ask. When I thought about being her husband it made me cringe. Not because of her but because I didn’t want to be tied to her like that, or any other woman. But with Tatiana, just thinking about putting a ring on her finger and her having my baby makes me feel some type of way, in a good way though. How is that shit possible?”

  “It happens, Tre’Wayne. Love can happen in one week or in one year.” I was happy she said nothing about me cursing. “But if Tatiana is so special then I must meet her.”

  “We’ll see.” I half smiled before looking off.

  Tatiana had me all out of whack.

  26

  Tatiana

  An hour earlier…

  I slipped my key into the knob and entered the house slowly. I’d text Brevin earlier to let him know that I left early this morning to get a head start on work. He went to bed around 10pm last night, so he had no idea that I slipped out around 11:30pm. He thought I was gonna be working until late tonight. I only told him that because I didn’t know how long I was gonna be with Teflon. Time seemed to fly by whenever I was with him. It would be midnight and then I would look up to see it was 6am. We would just be conversing or having sex as if it was nothing.

  Just thinking about him brought a smile to my face, but the thought that he and I were just in a phase did bother me a bit. I wasn’t one to develop false feelings so I wasn’t worried about me, but men loved a chase and once the chase ended, so did their admiration. I didn’t want to fall head over heels for a man who was living in the moment. However, at the end of the day I needed to leave Brevin no matter what.

  I made my way up the stairs, silently praying that Brevin would go for this work trip thing. I planned to tell him that Jadynn and I were working a party out in Cincinnati, so we needed to spend the night in a hotel out there. If he was in a good mood he would go for it, but if not I may have a problem.

  Nearing the bedroom door, I took a deep breath before slowly turning the knob. I slowly opened the door and the sight before me almost made me throw up. There Gloria was, getting fucked by my man in my bed, doggy style. This was wrong in so many ways, not only because Brevin and I were engaged, but because this was his best friend’s girlfriend.

  I was frozen as I watched them fuck like they’d done this millions of times. How long had this been going on? And did Mack know about it? The shit made me sick; especially with the way she would be smiling in my face and trying to bond with me like she wasn’t one of the many hoes sucking my man’s dick.

  I was going to burst in there, cause a scene, and use that as reason to leave Brevin, but that would never work. He would hunt me down and profess his love constantly in hopes of me taking him back. I needed him to believe that I wasn’t in town s
o that he wouldn’t bother me.

  The two lovebirds finally finished and Gloria laid back onto the bed, head pressed onto my fucking pillow.

  “Aye, you gotta go.” Brevin shook her lightly.

  “What? You said Tatiana would be back late,” she frowned, running her fingers through her cheap ass weave.

  “Yeah but I have shit to do and since I’m gonna be handling business I don’t need you hanging around here. Plus Mack is coming through.”

  “He knows we fuck.”

  My eyes almost fell out of my head when she said that.

  “He knows but that doesn’t mean I like throwing the shit up in his face. Now hurry the fuck up while I shower.”

  She sucked her teeth and climbed out of the bed. I darted away and went into the bedroom down the hall, then waited until I heard Brevin’s and my bedroom door close. When I peeked out, I saw Gloria heading down the stairs, so I went back into the room and waited about ten minutes. I then came out and entered my bedroom to see Brevin smoking a blunt, ass naked.

  “Tati!” he almost jumped out of his skin as he scoured the room for something to cover himself with.

  “Why are you naked?” I played dumb.

  “I was about to shower, but wanted to smoke first. Wanna join me baby?” He smirked, scratching his shiny curly hair.

  “No, honey, sit down so we can talk.” I smiled even though I wanted to pounce on him and punch his face in. Brevin was three times my size though, so there was no way I would come out on top.

  “Is everything good?” He walked over to me and leaned down to kiss me. I turned my head just in time for his lips to land on my cheek.

  “Yeah, sit.” I nudged him. “This big project came up and it’s a great opportunity. The only thing is, Jadynn and I have to stay in Cincinnati where the event will be held.”

  “Damn, for how long? And what’s the event for?”

  “We’re not sure yet, but for now it’ll be just three weeks. And it’s the same stuff as always, except we’re umm, planning multiple high end events for this new venue to get them off the ground.”