by Jahquel J.
“That was Reshawn, he wanted to talk to Madison and see if I got the money he sent for her.” Mezzie dropped her fork.
“Reshawn called you?”
“That’s what I just said.”
“He can call you but can’t pick up the phone and call his sons. I haven’t heard from him since he left a week ago,” she sighed and continued to eat.
“That’s not my business. He called to speak to his daughter and that’s all that matters,” she replied nonchalantly.
“Damn, Tiffany. You could care more. It wasn’t that too long ago you were fleeing to Miami. Reshawn was doing the same damn thing he and Mezzie are going through now. Show some compassion 'cause you can end up right back there,” I schooled her.
She was acting a bit too much for me and the cheap shot she took at Mezzie was messed up. Especially since she was in the same spot a couple years ago. It didn’t make sense that she acted this way when all this could be taken from her in an instant. I knew first hand, life wasn’t promised.
“Bitch, you’re the last one that should be talking!” She yelled. All the patrons of the restaurant turned and looked at us like we were crazy.
“Umm, Tiffany. I’m not the one. I came to talk to you but, it’s obvious that we can’t,” I replied and got up. I kissed Mezzie on the cheek and promised to call her later.
I walked out the restaurant and got into my car. The bitch had some nerve with the way she acted. Last time I checked she ran my business and styled my clients. I wasn’t bitching about it or making her feel like shit because of it. I let her have that business because Moses was helping me do another business venture. I pulled off and returned home to my babies. I had enough of the women drama. I just wanted to lay up, have good sex, and spend time with my boys.
*
MJ slept in his bedroom and Moses was still downstairs wrapping up a few things on the phone. I took it upon myself to decorate the room real sexy and change into a crouch less lingerie set. My hair curled down my back and I smelled of Japanese cherry blossom. The room was dimly lit and the surround sound played slow jams. I felt extra sexy and after a day like today, I needed some grown up sexy time. Moses had been busy working extra hard moving his father’s supply that he barely had time to wash his ass. Unlike last time, I made sure to hold down our household and take care of our son. I knew he appreciated that and I wanted to make sure he knew I loved him and wanted to make this work.
I heard him enter the bedroom as I put the finishing touches of my mascara. I closed the makeup kit and sexily walked out the bathroom. He laid on the bed with his hands behind his head as he watched the basketball game. I cleared my throat and he looked over at me. I had my hand rested on the door. He sat up and licked his lips. I smiled and walked over to him. My kitten heels tapping the marble floor with every step I took. He welcomed me in his arms and caressed my arms. He sniffed the crook of my neck and licked my ear lobes, my favorite part. I giggled at the tickling sensation. He rubbed my thighs and hips as I threw my head back. He kissed my neck as he slipped his fingers into my warm cave.
My favorite jam played ‘Naked’ by Marques Houston played through the surround sound. I started moving my ass on his stiff member and feeling the music through my body. I licked his lips and lip sang the words into his ears. I got up and put my ass in his face and he took a big bite out of it. I gasped and giggled.
DIIIIIINNG!
We both jumped up and I ran to look at the cameras. I changed the TV channel irritated that someone interrupted my sexy time with my husband. I saw Tiffany standing at the door with Madison on her hip with a concerned look on her face. I grabbed my robe, ran down the spiral staircase, and opened the glass and metal doors.
“Is everything okay?” I asked out of breath.
“I have some bleeding and cramps, I need to go to the hospital and Marquise isn’t answering his phone. I need someone to watch Madison, Mezzie isn’t answering her phone,” she said through clenched teeth. I could tell she was in pain.
“Come in, come in.” I ushered her in and grabbed Madison. She had gotten so big and gorgeous.
“Can you watch her, please? I’ll have someone come get her soon as I am able.”
“Baby, you coming back to bed?” Moses stood at the top of the steps. When he realized, Tiffany was here he came down the stairs. “What happened, Tiff?” He touched her shoulder.
“I have some pain and Marquise isn’t home. I just need you guys to watch Maddie,” she explained.
“Babe, watch Madison and I’ll come with you, Tiff. Let me go throw something on, I’ll drive,” I directed and ran up the stairs.
I rummaged through my closet, found a sweat suit and sneakers, and grabbed my keys and purse. Tiffany was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water while Moses fed Madison food from dinner.
“Alright, baby I’ll keep you posted. I checked on MJ on the way down and he's still sleeping. His monitor is in the bedroom,” I instructed him and kissed him a few times on the lips.
We left and got into my car my jam started playing, hot sugar by Tamar Braxton. I started swinging my weave as I pulled out my garage. Tiffany cracked a smile as I jammed to my favorite song. She turned the music down and started laughing.
“You like the woman’s music ‘cause you act just like her ass?” she giggled.
“Yeah baby.” We both broke out into a laugh.
“Thank you for taking me, Tee. Fo real’ I was an asshole this afternoon and I wouldn’t be mad if you slammed the door in me and Madison’s faces.”
“I would never. I understand where you are coming from and I fucked up. I had to forgive myself. I’m happy now and I’m trying to be better mother and wife. Let’s see what’s going on with this baby,” I said.
She looked down. “Tee, the baby is gone. I could feel it.”
I pressed my foot on the gas a little harder and we arrived at the hospital a short time later. We said a quick prayer and entered the hospital hand and hand.
Chapter Seventeen
Tiffany
My son, Martin didn’t make it home. I was seven months pregnant and he didn’t survive. He lived for four days and died in my arms. He took his last breaths and looked so much like Madison it killed me. I wasn’t sad; I knew it was from stressing my entire pregnancy. I couldn’t fake like my back yard was perfect when it wasn’t. Marquise and I had been arguing non-stop since I found out I was pregnant. When it was time to fake, we would throw our faces on and act like we were perfect. Yet, behind closed doors, we would fight like cats and dogs. He wanted to move to California to open another shop and he wanted us to move out there permanent. We constantly fought because I didn’t want to move Madison away from her father.
He accused me of still wanting to make it work with Reshawn, which could be the furthest from the truth. I just didn’t want to uproot my daughter to another state away from her family. I already moved to Miami and I was grateful her father didn’t live too far away. She would miss her brothers too much. He had packed and left weeks ago to California and told me to call when I was in labor. I stressed constantly about him and the fate of our relationship that I couldn’t concentrate on the well-being of my child I was carrying. I regretted wasting my time thinking about Marquise when it was obvious he didn’t care about me.
I twisted my engagement ring off my finger and sat it on my coffee table. He had proposed and we couldn’t celebrate that. We lost our son and he hadn’t made it home yet. All he could text me was damn. I flopped back on the couch and watched the news with tears down my cheeks. It had officially been three weeks since I lost our son. Thank God for Tyrisha. She had stepped in and took care of Madison for me. I felt like such a dick head for being pig-headed toward her. Mezzie checked in and out. She had Chanel, Reshawn and Moses’s mother staying with her. She watched the children at night while she went out.
I was in such a messed up place that I couldn’t be worried about what she had going on. I knew Reshawn being in New York drove her crazy
and she acted out. I heard my crazy daughter running through the house and had forgotten that Tyrisha was bringing her over for a little while. I sat up and finger-combed my hair into a big bun and smiled. I didn’t want my baby to see me sad and miserable. Tyrisha came into the living room with a bag of food and some shopping bags. I wondered what she had up her sleeves.
“Hey, Tiff. Maddie wanted to see her ugly mama,” She laughed and I threw a pillow at her.
“Come here Maddie Waddie.” I kissed her face when she ran into my arms. I missed her so much. I sniffed her freshly washed curls that smelled of Johnson and Johnson
“Mama, can I go in my playroom?” She asked and ran off before I could answer her.
I got up and walked into the kitchen. I took a seat on a stool and opened a soda. Tyrisha followed and started unpacking the food. She bought chicken, ribs, and macaroni and cheese. My mouth was watering because I hadn’t had a decent meal in a while. I actually hadn’t been eating at all.
“Girl, she wanted to visit her toy room, not her mama.”
She laughed and handed me my food. “That little sneaky munchkin. So check this, Mezzie is back stripping.” I dropped my fork and looked at her with a side eye.
“How you know?”
“Moses had a meeting at KOD and she was up there shaking her money maker. He said she didn’t see him, but he was pissed off,” she spilled the tea.
“Reshawn will fucking kill her if he finds out.” I brushed my hands through my hair.
“My point exactly, so that’s why we are going to save the damn hoe.”
I looked at her like she lost her mind. My ass wasn’t going into a club and dragging Mezzie out. She was a grown woman just like I was. She had to learn how to handle her situations better. Her first priority should have been her kids, not stripping.
“I’m not about to be in someone’s strip club. Hmph.”
“Bitch, you’re going. I learned to like that man-stealing heifer and I want to save her from an ass whopping. I made Moses promise not to tell. We got to help the bitch.”
“Why do I let you drag me into shit? Ugh, alright.” I agreed and started to eat my food again.
*
We strutted into KOD like we owned the place. I let Tyrisha talk me into dressing in something other than sweats. She did my hair and makeup and put a new outfit on me. I couldn’t lie I looked pretty good. My stomach felt a little swollen, but the loose blouse hid it well. Tyrisha bobbed her head to the music and got her dollars ready for the strippers. She had tricked my ass to come out. We settled in the front and waited for the stripper to come out.
French Montano’s ‘pop that’ came blaring through the speakers and Mezzie came strutted on the stage. She twerked with a pair of silver glitter thongs on. She moved around the pole twerking her ass and feeling herself. I could tell her confidence was on a hundred. Tyrisha threw money on the stage and encouraged her. When she saw Tyrisha, she looked shocked but that didn’t stop her from going up to the top of the pole. She flipped around and started popping her ass while holding on with just her feet. She had me all the way impressed, before I knew I threw money on the stage and cheered her on. She came down the pole and fell into a full split while bouncing up and down.
Niggas were yelling ‘Damn’ loud as hell and throwing money on the stage. Her confidence was on fire because she started shaking her ass to the beat, making her ass jump. ‘Lotus flower bomb’ came on and Tyrisha shoved money into her G-string. She twirled and swung all around the pole like an acrobat. She is gifted, and I could appreciate her skill. She looked amazing. I understood why niggas called her Mezzie. She kept my ass Mesmerized the entire song. Before I knew it, the song ended and Tyrisha pulled me to the back. We passed strippers until we made it to a little room to the left out the common dressing room.
“First off, why are you stripping? Second, bitch you damn sure can dance,” Tyrisha squealed. I moved passed her and grabbed Mezzie’s hand.
“You’re a mother now. You don’t need to be doing this.”
“I know. I just miss Reshawn,” she sighed.
“Go get your damn man. Who knows what the fuck he doing?” Tyrisha interrupted.
“Easier said than done.”
“No, it ain’t our men have money. Nannies bitch, we fly up there to see what’s up and come back before the kids even miss us,” Tyrisha suggested.
“You back in New York, I don’t know,” I said with an eyebrow raised.
“I ain’t about to do anything crazy. We can go for a little girl’s weekend and don’t tell Reshawn. Once he sees you chillin’ having a good time, he will be coming home. We could all use a little weekend off.”
It didn’t sound like a bad idea and I needed to get out my house. Looking at the interior of my house made me think of Marquise. Maybe a weekend of New York fun was what I needed. Shopping, partying, and drinking sounded like a plan to me.
“I’m down,” I smiled.
“Yes. We about to be turnt up.”
“Indeed.” Mezzie laughed.
Chapter Eighteen
Dalia
When Mezzie hit me up about spending a couple days in New York, I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to entertain these snob bitches for the life of me. However, I didn’t have anybody else to hang with. Keyshia’s ass was in Dubai with her family and didn’t know I was back in New York. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try to bond with these ladies. After all, our men all got along so why couldn’t I at least try. I rubbed my thighs down with coconut oil and slipped my feet into my Versace pumps. Tonight, was the first night me and the girls would go hit the clubs. They had arrived this afternoon and slept the entire day. They made my ass promise not to say anything to Nard or Reshawn.
“You look fuckin’ sexy. Where you going?” Nard admired spinning me around.
“To hang out with some friends, I need a night out.” I got out his grasp and went to apply some lipstick to my pouty lips.
“Friends? Keyshia isn’t in America.” I rolled my eyes and sighed. I didn’t want to spill the beans, but I knew there was no way he would let me out without knowing.
“Keyshia isn’t my only friend, Nardarian.”
I walked to our bathroom and looked on the counter for my contact lens. Once I located them, I popped each one in my eyes and left out the bathroom ignoring Nard’s stares. That man had a stare that could scare Jesus. If I wanted to make it out this house, my best bet was not to look at him and ignore his little snide comments.
“Dalia, where the fuck you going?” He mean mugged me and I wanted to scream.
“None of your business,” I snapped and grabbed my clutch.
I walked out the house and searched my clutch for my keys. I didn’t have much in there and I knew I had put them there before.
“Looking for these?” His ass swung my keys around his ring finger.
I huffed and tapped my heel on the cobblestone walkway. “Don’t start tonight, Nard. I’m already late and I need to get going.” He walked close enough where I could smell his favorite drink on his breath.
“Where the fuck you going?” He questioned again.
“I don’t have to tell you anything!” I yelled and snatched the keys quickly. Before he could limp and chase me, I hopped in the car and locked the doors. He beat on the window of the car and I laughed trying to put the keys in the ignition. I couldn’t stop laughing.
“See you later, baby. I’m not meeting no nigga if that’s what you’re thinking.” I blew a kiss and opened the top to the car. I pulled off the street and hurried to my destination.
*
It had been an hour since we got to the club and to be completely honest, I wanted to go. I was tired of sitting here being innocent with these bitches. Neither of them wanted to act out and I was tired of ordering bottle service and sipping it slow. There was no doubt we were bad bitches. If I ran my hand through my hair and turned down one more dance, I was sure to lose my cool. Tyrisha’s ass had the nerve to try to Face Time
with her son to say good night. These bitches like grandmas.
“Alright, put the fucking phones away, please,” I jumped up and demanded. Mezzie was the first to put her phone in her bag and stand up with me.
“This is too much and I am trying to avoid getting a foot put in my ass when I get home. Tiffany isn’t feeling too good, so we’ll just leave and catch up with y’all tomorrow for shopping,” Tyrisha explained.
“Whatever, bye bitches,” Mezzie giggled and kissed both of them goodbye.
Soon as Tiffany and Tyrisha left, we abandoned the VIP area and made our way down the stairs. The club jumped and all I spotted were fine ass men gawking at us. Mezzie was grabbed by some light skin dude who resembled the rapper Piles. He wasn’t my kind of taste, but Mezzie smiled ear to ear, so I wasn’t tripping.
“Can I have a dance?” A man’s voice came from behind me. I turned around to see the dark skin man with a low fade and goatee. He was sexy as fuck and he made my pussy jump just staring at him.
“Sure,” I smiled.
He grabbed my hand and we walked over to the jam-packed dance floor. Once I heard Beyoncé’s ‘Standing on the sun,’ I started whining my hips to the music and rubbed my ass on him. He kept up and held my waist and I could feel his hardness coming through his pants. I ignored it and continued shaking my ass on him. I felt the music, this was one my favorite songs. I waved my hands in the air and sweating up a storm. I started making my ass jump and pushing back on him harder and harder.
“Damn lil’ mama,” he moaned and continued dancing with me.
I smiled as everyone stopped and observed me doing a number on the floor. I felt myself way too much, but it was only because I hadn’t been out in a while. I was finally in a better place in my life. I wasn’t broke and begging for hours at the home care agency. Nard was back walking and making money. Our son was healthy and we were back in my city, New York. I smiled just at the blessing. I felt the nigga wrap his hands around my hair and yank it hard.
