by Tiana Laveen
“I find that you knew all of that from just listening impressive and at the same time, disturbing.” She smiled at him and he smiled back, then shrugged.
“When you’re like me, paying attention is really important.”
“Like you? What are you like, Viper?” She bit her lower lip and crossed her arms, feeling flirty and not liking that at all.
“You’d have to go out with me to find out. I’m not an open book. What do I look like telling you anything about me when you’ve given me nothing in return?” She shook her head and averted her gaze. “And I’m not talking about pussy.”
“Sure you are.”
“No, I’m not. If sex is my main motivation, regardless of who the woman is, then I make that clear.”
“Do you want sex?”
“That’s not the point. I told you it’s not my main motivation. You can’t handle sex with me right now anyway. It would be too intense for you. We need to talk for a bit, so you can be more comfortable. That requires spending some quality time together.” At this, she burst out laughing. When she stopped, she realized he was serious. “I’m for real. You’re not ready for that. This dick and tongue of mine will ruin your fucking life.”
“Boy, your ego is hilarious! I give you credit for confidence though. You’re a different breed, huh?”
“I am. I don’t need to tell you that though. My actions and how I carry myself should speak for themselves.”
He had a point there. The man owned his own house. She’d already looked it up online. He wasn’t renting. From what she could tell, he had a lot of friends, and of course dogs came and went, but she never saw any signs that he was dealing drugs out of his house. She’d recognize the tell-tale signs and knew she couldn’t go down that road again. She flat out refused. Yet, she was interested in the man. The problem was, she had a history of being attracted to treacherous males. Was history repeating itself?
“You’ve been to prison, right?”
He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”
“I told myself I would never go out with another man who’d been to prison. You guys are stuck in a damaging mentality, and it causes you to go right back there sooner or later.”
“I’m not like your exes, other men you’ve dated, screwed, whatever. It’s none of my business what you told yourself you wouldn’t do. I don’t care. I only care about what you will do, with me. You know I’m interested in you. I’ve put it out there multiple times. I tried to be nice to you by turnin’ my music down that first time you came over, respecting you, trying to help you with your car, being nice to you, trying to be… what’s the word… chivalrous… all to prove to you that you can trust me enough to go out with me, but you want more and more. I can’t give you more information, my time or my energy unless you give me something, too.”
See? All of these mothafuckas are the same.
“What?”
“Time.”
That’s not what she expected to hear at all. He was standing firm on that, and something about the way he spoke and looked at her made it sound truthful.
“I have things to do and I’m not going to keep standing here repeating myself. You gave me the money you wanted to give me, I told you what I want, so now it’s time for you to go.” This rude ass son of a bitch. “Think it over if you want, but I’m not going to beg you, especially when I know you want to spend some time with me, too. This is becoming pointless. I don’t play silly games.” Her eyes grew wide when he suddenly took her by the wrist and started to lead her back to the front door. He opened it. “Adios, Majesty.” His deep voice made her insides vibrate.
There was a chill in the air, and the sounds of a song she’d recognized: Rusherking’s, ‘Ademas De Mi.’
“Viper, why do I feel like I need to go on a date with you to quell my own curiosity, if nothing else?” she blurted.
He leaned against the door frame and crossed his legs, shrugging. He looked slightly irritated. She found his expression, the scent of his cologne, and his attitude sexy. “You’re like candy, Viper. I know you are nothin’ but sugar. You’re going to rot my teeth out. Give me diabetes. Make me hyper so I’ll crash. But your flavor… your freshness… the promise of sampling you make me want to do it anyway.” She winked.
“I’m not sweet, but whatever. I get the point you’re tryna make just the same. What time am I picking you up this upcoming Saturday night?” The man was no-frills. For some reason, that gave her some comfort. As if he wasn’t in the mood to bullshit or pour it on thick just in case she changed her mind.
“I work Saturday.”
“I can’t do any other day, so what time do you get off?”
It depends on what you do to get me off… I can’t believe I just said that in my head.
“Seven.”
“The place I want to take you is open late. Get a babysitter. I’ll be coming over at nine, and I’ll be on time.”
And then, he closed the door…
CHAPTER NINE
Good Fences Make Good neighbors
Her mind has been played with; her body used as a toy.
Her arms reached for heaven; God gave her a little boy.
Her daddy left her home, her mother sought comfort in men,
She was told she was pretty, and that would be her greatest sin…
Majesty adjusted her purse along her shoulder as she pushed her grocery store cart, otherwise known as a buggy, down the aisle, humming to the sounds of ‘Love is Blue,’ by Johnny Gibbs drifting from the speakers. A strange White woman with honey blond hair curled tight at the ends glared at her from behind black and pink rimmed cat-eyeglasses, filling her with anxiety. This went on while Majesty studied the oatmeal brands selection. She hadn’t had oatmeal since high school but felt like trying something different. She picked up the Quaker Oats, peaches and cream flavor, and read the nutritional information on the back of the box. The woman in the glasses was now shamelessly gawking.
“What do you want?” Majesty barked before tossing the box and Troy’s favorite cereal, Fruit Loops, into her cart. The woman’s pale pink lips twitched. The sparkle in her light blue eyes dulled and she lifted her pointy chin, sporting an unnerving grin.
“I’m so sorry for staring. You just look familiar is all. Do you live over on 10th Street?”
Majesty looked deep into the woman’s eyes. She had a dead face, the kind that knew nothing of love and life, desire, passion, blessings, and gratitude. They were about ten feet apart from one another, but the space felt small, the world shrinking around them, the air stifling. Her throat developed a sudden tickle, as if she were about to come down with a cold.
“Who are you?” Majesty crossed her arms, cocked her head, and waited.
“I live not too far from you… I think. You have a little boy, right?”
“Your name? Again, who are you?” Why is this weird ass woman all in my business? She’s ducking my questions like this is a game of dodgeball. I don’t know her. She seems to know a lot about me, though.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how can you afford to live there? In that house?” The woman’s smile morphed into a pretentious smirk. “I know it’s one of the more moderately appraised ones on the street, but it’s still pricey. You’re a single mother, right? Where do you work?”
Majesty’s body flushed with heat. One thing about her, contrary to her mother’s concerns regarding discernment, she could feel people’s bad energy a mile away. She knew when someone was a devil in the flesh, or an angel in disguise. This intuition had gotten her far in life, and this bitch right here was Lilith. Lucifer’s wife had come to pay her a visit… in the cereal aisle of all places. The woman tilted her head to the side. Majesty envisioned it rolling about on a silver platter. She noted the lady’s attire, putting her in mind of a 1950s housewife in her mid-30s, give or take a year or two.
“Did you hear me? Where do you work, sweetheart?”
“Where do I work?” The woman nodded. “Oh, I w
ork down yonder on that there plantation that your ugly White daddy run, pickin’ cotton all day for you and yo’ family, ma’am.” Majesty stated in a phony Black Southern drawl as she pointed ahead at nothing in particular. “And I like to be out in that heat from sunup to sundown, singin’ songs ’bout Dixie, all day long!” The woman bristled, her expression twisting as she muttered something unintelligible under her breath. But the look of mortification on her face was satisfying enough. “I don’t even know you, and don’t wanna know you. You have the damn nerve to stand there and question me, riddle off a survey, like you’re entitled to an answer about me and mine, my personal life. Who the hell do you think you are?”
“There’s no reason to become belligerent and angry. I’m just trying to be neighborly.”
“No, you’re trying to be nosey and disguise your racism as concern. If you don’t get yo’ dumb, racist, Stepford wife lookin’ ass the hell outta my face, you won’t be worried about how I make my money anymore because you’ll be too busy paying your emergency room bill with your own coins after I’m finished with you!”
People around them paused to observe the scene. Majesty stood taller, her blood boiling to the point she was certainly about to detonate. She’d had it up to here with her snooty neighbors, the moms on the PTA and their snide, judgmental remarks, the White people at her job asking if her hair was real and then trying to touch and play in it. Everything had come to a head. BOOM! Explosion now in session…
The woman looked suddenly flustered and afraid. Her cheeks turned beet red as she undoubtedly slipped into victim mode. Clutching her necklace, she pushed her cart quickly a great distance away, as if she needed to get to safety, her white heels clicking. She looked like some terrified little white rat in a swing skirt. The woman glanced back a time or two before she turned the corner, as if afraid Majesty would jump on her back like some enraged, sharp-toothed animal and bite her clutched-pearl neck.
Her heart thumped and danced as though in the middle of a performance for a sold-out arena. Heat consumed her. Racism came in all shades of ignorance, such as those who did not understand how a Black person could live in such a neighborhood without tearing up their credit or doing something illegal. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Like some police officers who abused their power by stashing drugs and weapons on an unsuspecting someone they’d pulled over and profiled, framing them in an elaborate setup and trumped-up scheme. This had happened to her own cousin, Xavier. The man was serving a twenty-year sentence for something he hadn’t done.
Gathering her composure, she finished her shopping.
During the drive home, her mind was on a million and one things, not the road. Troy was with his paternal grandmother. It was in actuality Kevin’s foster parent, Ms. Deidra, who’d been a great mother to him when he was growing up. She’d also run a successful daycare center many years ago, and had always been there for her and Troy, regularly checking in to see how she and her child were doing. Mrs. Deidra hadn’t been able to save Kevin from his demons, but she’d tried. The older woman considered Troy her grandson and was one of the sweetest ladies to walk the planet. In fact, one of the few people that Majesty felt safe leaving her kid with. He’d be with her for a couple of days while she caught up on some work and went out on her date with Viper.
A date… A damn date with that man.
She’d been second guessing her decision the entire week. She’d usually see him coming and going every now and again. He’d take off on his motorcycle, or in his truck, or that incredible car of his. She despised how she felt when one day she saw an incredibly beautiful woman with long black hair all the way to her ass standing in front of his house, talking to him. Flirting with him.
At last, she made it home. She started to put the groceries away quickly, wanting to get on with things so she could get cleaned up and dressed after a long day at work. As soon as she got into a groove, her phone rang. She no longer fooled with separate ringers for different people who called. Either she answered, or she didn’t. Stretching to loosen up her tired limbs, she looked down at the phone lying on the island and smiled.
“Hey, Destiny.” She put her friend on speakerphone.
“Hey, girl! It’s been a minute. I’m used to talking to you practically every day.”
“I know. It’s been crazy. I barely have time to sleep some days it seems. It’ll calm down. I’m almost finished with school. That’ll make a big difference.”
“I suppose I’m spoiled. Used to having you close.” She chuckled, though she knew her friend didn’t find her absence funny. It was hard on them both, honestly. “You didn’t call me back last week, girl. I should put you in time out.”
“I know, I am so sorry, Destiny. It’s been so hectic, like I said. I have a plan, and then I’ll have more wiggle room and we can get back to the way things were. Actually better. Thanks for coming down last month and helping me with the house. You have no idea how much I cherished that.”
“Would you stop thanking me? That’s what friends are for! Hey, it’s too quiet over there. Where’s my husband?” she joked, referring to Troy.
“With his grandma.” Majesty smiled as she washed down a Vitamin D capsule with some room-temperature water.
“Your mother is watching him? I thought she was too cute for that? Still tellin’ people she’s forty-five.”
Majesty shook her head and snorted. “She is too cute for it. Nothin’ has changed. You know my mama is a trip. She gives Troy presents, calls him and talks to him, and she came for a visit, too, but she is not tryna do that whole grandma thing like baking cookies, reading stories, and all of that stuff. Not even with Michael’s daughter. No, I’m talking about Kevin’s foster mother, though. You remember Ms. Deidra?”
“Oh, yes! I remember her. So he’s spendin’ the weekend with her then?”
“Yes. I dropped him off this morning before work.” She opened one of the cabinet doors and placed a couple cans of boiled peanuts inside. Her guilty pleasure.
“So, when are we going out? Your friends miss you. I just think you’re aiight.” They both burst out laughing. “Seriously, real talk. You’ve got the weekend to yourself, and I can get a babysitter for Kia – my sister will watch her. Let’s go! Time for you to get back to Miami, baby, and live it up! It’s all lame, sterile, boring, and White where you’re at. Did I mention White?” Destiny chuckled.
A flicker of the incident at the grocery store flashed inside her mind. Majesty quickly shook it away.
“Yeah, well, you and Joy act like I moved a hundred miles away. It takes me less than forty-five minutes to get to y’all. Forty if I’m speeding.”
“I know, I know… but it’s not the same without you here all the time, Majesty.” She could hear the sadness in her best friend’s voice.
“I miss you too, Destiny. I miss all of y’all. I had to do what was best for Troy though. Plus, change is good. I have to be honest; I really like it here.”
“You do?”
“Stop sounding all surprised! Yes, I do.” She placed the new box of oatmeal in a different cupboard.
“Well, if you’re happy, I can’t ask for much else. I’m proud of you; I think you need to know that. I don’t want to seem selfish or anything, and I know you’re less than an hour away. Girl, I just want to grow up and be like you.”
Majesty retrieved a carton of brown eggs from a bag and placed them inside of the refrigerator. After a bit more small talk, Destiny brought up turning the weekend into a getaway once more. The topic that refused to die.
“So, you comin’ down? Yay or nay?”
Majesty placed some dishes in the dishwasher after taking note of the time from her watch.
“I can’t.”
“Working again? School? Well, you’re always working, but I mean… damn. Come on out tonight, Maj! I’ll have you back by Sunday morning. Well, late mornin’.”
“I can’t go because I have a date.” She sank her teeth into her lower lip and squelched a c
huckle.
“A date? With who? ‘Ms. Cicely Celibate’ going out with someone belonging to the male species? Say it ain’t so! You belong to the streets now, huh?”
“Girl, stop!”
“You told me when I was there at your house to stop trying to hook you up and stop asking when you were going to settle down again. You told me you weren’t interested in that sort of thing. I believed you. The big question is, do you even know what a man looks like anymore?”
“Well, damn. You don’t have to make it sound like I’m some recluse! I never said I didn’t want a guy ever again. I just didn’t want ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them.” They both burst out laughing.
“All I know is that I’ve tried to get you out to meet men and you always snubbed them, got your drink from them and dashed off, or went out with them like twice, then stopped returning their calls. You’re the queen of ghosting these negroes.”
“Now that’s not true. I dated Pierre for like… a month. And remember Jason? They just weren’t a good fit for me.” She shrugged. “If I don’t feel the vibe, I just don’t feel it, Destiny. I’m not forcing anything. Not my size nine foot in a seven shoe, and not a relationship just for the sake of having one.” She slipped out of her sneakers, then stuffed her socks in them.
“Oh, girl, let me tell you. Joy’s sister, Hope, you know, the one we don’t like…” Majesty rolled her eyes, knowing Destiny was about to tell her some shit she didn’t want to hear. Hope was the biggest hater, always bitching about people she couldn’t hold a candle to. “She said you only want to date ballers, but you’re broke. Girl! Joy shouldn’t’ve told me that, ’cause sister or no damn sister, I called Hope’s ass on her phone and set her straight!”
Majesty rocked her hips to some music playing from across the street as she arranged a few lemons and limes in a bowl just so. She was certain it was Viper being the neighborhood DJ, once again. He was probably getting ready for their night out, too, or maybe he’d wait until the last second to do so, like most men. “What’d you say back to her?”
