“Talena calm down. This bitch ain’t worth going to jail over,” Felicia reasoned as she continued to hold her girl back.
“You should be thanking me. I knew you weren’t up to it, so I was the one who packed your shit up and dropped it off by Tabby. Stop being so ungrateful,” Mariah smirked as she walked away.
Talena was still going off but she was unfazed. She got the last of her items and left the store with a clear conscience. If Talena was mad at anyone, it should have been her mother. Tabby was the reason why Mariah was in her life. If her hoe ass mama wouldn’t have been fucking a married man, their paths might have never even crossed. She had no remorse for anything that she did or said.
Once she got home, Mariah got right to work on the laundry. As soon as she had the first load in, she got started on Blake’s dinner. Her friend, Karma, called her as she cooked and before long, it was time to put another load in the washer. She carried the dry ones to her bedroom, ready to fold them.
“The fuck,” Mariah hissed when she went to hang up a pair of Blake’s pants.
Something fell out of the pocket and rolled under the bed. She assumed it was a coin but she got down on the floor to get it, just in case it wasn’t. Her heart dropped when she saw that it was his wedding ring that was supposed to remain on his finger. She thought back to the conversation that she had with Jersi in the ice cream parlor. Jersi said that he barely wore his ring but Mariah didn’t think anything of it. She just assumed that the other woman was trying to get under her skin. After all, she had never seen him without it.
Mariah sat on the bed feeling defeated. She felt like she was losing her husband to his ex and she was losing her mind in the process. She didn’t believe in karma and she never did. Some people would say that she was getting back what she dished out but she wasn’t trying to hear that. People controlled their own destiny and she had to take better control of hers. She was tired of crying but that didn’t stop the tears from falling. When she heard the front door open and close, she was too numb to get up and greet her husband. She was happy that her girls weren’t home because she hated to always be down and depressed while in their presence.
“Hey baby,” Blake said when he walked into the room and saw her sitting on the bed. He leaned over and kissed her but she didn’t return the greeting or gesture.
“What am I doing wrong Blake?” Mariah asked as she looked up at him with tears pouring from her eyes.
“What’s the problem now Mariah?” Blake sighed in disgust.
“This is the problem?” Mariah yelled as she jumped in his face and produced his wedding ring.
“It’s my wedding ring. And?” Blake asked nonchalantly.
“What do you mean and? Why is it not on your finger where it belongs? The bitch already knows that your married,” Mariah fumed.
“What bitch?” Blake asked.
“The bitch that you’ve been fucking when you don’t come home at night!” Mariah yelled.
“Go drink some wine and relax Mariah. After doing fourteen hours at the hospital, your bitching is the last thing that I want to come home to,” Blake replied.
“What the hell is happening to us Blake? You’ve never disrespected me and our marriage like this before. I told you that I made dinner reservations for us on Valentine’s Day and you didn’t even care enough to come home that night. You think flowers and jewelry made up for that shit. You’re treating that bitch Jersi like she’s the wife. Oh, I forgot, you do wear her ring permanently,” Mariah ranted angrily.
“I’m tired Mariah. I’m not in the mood for this shit right now. I just want to get some rest before I have to get up and have to do it all over again,” Blake sighed.
“I don’t give a fuck! I’m sick of this shit. I feel like I’m losing my mind,” Mariah yelled as she shoved him and made his stumble a little.
“To keep from putting my hands on you, I’m about to go. I don’t know what your problem is and I’m too tired to find out,” Blake replied. He would go to his and Jersi’s penthouse to get some rest before he stayed there and argued with her crazy ass.
Mariah started panicking when she saw him gathering some clothes, preparing to leave. Losing Blake meant losing it all. It would be nothing for him to get custody of their girls and send her back to the projects. The thought alone was enough to make her start hyperventilating. Besides all that, Mariah loved and was in love with her husband. That was something that she could never say about any other man that she’d ever been with. She thought sure her place in his life was secure but she was doubting that now.
“I’m sorry baby but I need us to get back to how we used to be,” Mariah cried.
Blake’s attitude softened a little when Mariah came and hugged him from behind. He was wrong in so many ways but he couldn’t fix what was broken in his marriage. Doing so meant leaving Jersi alone and that would never happen. Not when he had fallen in love with her deeper than he was before. If it came down to Jersi or Mariah, he would walk away from his marriage before he walked away from his affair.
“Just let me get some rest Mariah. We’ll do something together my next off day, I promise,” Blake replied as he turned around and wiped her tears. It was the least he could do since he was the cause of them.
Once he whispered a few sweet nothings in her ear, Mariah calmed down and seemed to be okay. Blake took a shower while Mariah fixed his food. When he got out, Mariah had everything set up and ready for him to eat.
“Let me take care of you baby,” Mariah said once Blake sat down at the dining room table to eat.
He watched as she dropped down to her knees in front of him. Since he was only wearing his boxers, she didn’t have to undress him. She removed his erection from the opening in the front. Blake ate the steak, potatoes and shrimp that was in front of him while Mariah gave him head. He felt like a king and he was being treated like one. Too bad it wasn’t his queen who was giving him the royal treatment though.
J ersi was fuming as she tuned out the conversation that was going on at the table around her. She had gone out to eat with Dray and Ariel and she was ready to go as soon as they got there. She wanted to show her ass when they walked into the restaurant and saw Memphis already sitting in there with another woman. Jersi had to keep reminding herself that he wasn’t her man. Still, that bit of information didn’t help her feel any better. He had the nerve to wave at her when he saw her but she rolled her eyes at his ass.
“I can’t believe that. Damien just always acted like a thug to me,” Ariel said.
“That don’t mean a damn thing. That nigga is a professional ass eater. His stroke game is on point and he’s very generous,” Dray replied. Damien was always throwing stacks of money at him that he happily accepted. He was undercover with it but that was his business. Dray knew how to play the game very well.
“I’m just in shock,” Ariel admitted.
“And bitch, you better keep your big mouth shut. Fuck around and get a bitch shot up from talking so much. Niggas don’t play behind shit like that,” Dray said as he pointed his fork at Ariel.
Jersi had just told him how she knew Damien and he was baffled. He would have never guessed that Damien was Talena and Mariah’s ex because the nigga was super gay now. Dray really didn’t know if he was gay or bi and he really didn’t care. Damien sucked dick just as much as he did and he was just as good at it. Him trying to convince Jersi that he wasn’t gay wasn’t even necessary. He had a girlfriend but that didn’t mean a thing.
“Does Talena know?” Ariel asked while looking at Jersi.
She had tuned them out a long time ago, so Ariel’s question never got answered. Memphis and his female companion were about to leave and Jersi’s eyes were glued to their table. They seemed mighty familiar with the way they talked and laughed with each other.
“Bitch, stop watching that nigga before he sees you. The objective is to seem unbothered even if you’re not,” Dray said while slapping her hand.
“Fuck him and her. Dog ass nigga probably eat
ing her pussy til she pass out too,” Jersi spat angrily.
“Bitch what?” Dray inquired with raised brows.
“That hoe ain’t even all that cute,” Jersi said with envy dripping from her tone.
“No bitch, who got their shit ate up until they passed out? I heard what you said,” Dray noted.
“Don’t even worry about it. Are y’all done?” Jersi asked them.
She’d barely touched her food and she really didn’t want to. Memphis had her in her feelings and it was hard for her to hide it. He had called her earlier but he failed to mention that he had a date. When she saw them getting up, Jersi pretended to be engrossed in her phone. She didn’t expect Memphis to stop by their table but that’s exactly what he did.
“Here, the food is on me,” Memphis said as he dropped some money on the table.
“We can pay for our own food,” Jersi snapped as she looked up at him.
“I know you can, but I want to,” Memphis replied.
“No, we’re good,” Jersi said as she tried to reach for the money. Dray beat her to it and grabbed the bills before she could.
“Thank you. I’m Jersi’s brother, Dray,” he said while extending his hand.
“Memphis, it’s nice to meet you,” he replied.
“Same here and thanks again for dinner,” Dray smiled.
“Yeah, thanks Memphis,” Ariel smiled.
“No problem,” he said as he continued to stare at Jersi. When she didn’t say anything, he shook his head and walked away. He didn’t know what was up with her attitude but he didn’t have time for it.
“You can be mad all you want, but you better not ever let me see you turn down no money. The fuck is wrong with you,” Dray hissed.
“Fuck him. I got my own money,” Jersi frowned.
Once the bill was paid, they all left and piled into Dray’s Jaguar. Jersi’s car was parked by their parents, so they dropped Ariel off and headed that way.
“What’s up with you Jersi? If you like the nigga just tell him. It’s childish to get mad over something so stupid. He ain’t your nigga, so you have no reason to,” Dray pointed out.
“Fuck him,” Jersi mumbled, repeating what she’d been saying all night.
Dray shook his head as they pulled up to the gate at their parents’ house.
“Okay sis. You know where to find me when you want to talk. I need to get home and get ready for my date. That bitch is too fine for me to keep her waiting,” Dray said.
“See you later Dray,” Jersi replied as she got out of the car.
Instead of getting in her car to leave, she went inside to find her mother. She needed to talk and only her mother could get her mind right when she was feeling down.
“Hey baby. What’s up?” Dena asked when Jersi walked into her bedroom. Her mother was sitting up in the bed on her laptop and her father was in his recliner right next to her.
“I’m sad mommy,” Jersi pouted as she kicked off her shoes and snuggled up under her.
“What’s wrong Jersi?” Dena asked, looking concerned.
“I really like somebody and I don’t know if he likes me. Well, I know that he likes me but it’s complicated,” Jersi replied.
“This sounds like girl talk,” her father said as he got up and walked out of the room.
“I don’t understand Jersi. What’s complicated about it?” Dena asked.
“Everything,” Jersi replied. She took a few minutes and ran everything down to her mother. She told her how she and Memphis met and how they had been unofficially dating for a little while. When she finished talking, her mother didn’t respond right away and she didn’t expect her to. Jersi knew her mother vey well. Dena was a thinker and she never said anything of importance until she thought it over first.
“First all of, if you like him, his looks shouldn’t matter. Feelings are not visual. They’re meant to be felt and not seen. It’s done with your heart, not your eyes. That’s a shallow way of thinking and I know we raised you better than that. If you like him, tell him. If not, you can’t get upset about him continuing to live his life the way he wants to live it. Hell, I like him already. It’s been a while since you were interested in somebody and he sounds like a nice young man. I’d like to meet him,” Dena said.
“You kind of met him already,” Jersi replied.
“Really? When?” Dena asked in shock.
“You remember a while back when we went shopping and then to the grocery store afterwards?” Jersi asked.
“Yeah,” Dena nodded.
“You remember the guy who put the bags in the trunk for you?” Jersi questioned.
Dena sat there deep in thought as she tried to remember all the events of that day. Her eyes bulged as she recalled the exact moment that her daughter was talking about.
“Jersi no!” Dena gasped as she put her hands up to her mouth. “That was him?”
“Yeah,” Jersi replied as she lowered her head in shame.
“Oh no. I can’t believe you did that. I feel so horrible,” Dena rambled.
“I know but I apologized to him already,” Jersi noted.
“As you should have. I want to meet him. See when he’s available to come over. I’ll cook and we can play games and stuff,” Dena offered.
“Okay. I’ll ask. That’s if he’s still speaking to me after the way I behaved at the restaurant,” Jersi sighed while standing up.
“Don’t push him away before y’all can even get together Jersi. Be honest about how you feel and let everything else fall into place from there,” Dena said as she walked her out to her car.
Jersi wanted to call Memphis but she really didn’t know what to say. She was always doing something stupid and she was sure that he was getting sick of her. Hell, she was getting sick of her damn self. She battled with herself for a while until she decided to do what she knew was right. She was almost home but she picked up her phone to call him. She was scrolling to find him name when she pulled up to her gate. She paused when she saw that he was already parked out front waiting on her. He couldn’t get in without the code but he was parked on the side standing outside of his truck. Once he saw her, he got back inside and followed her in. They were both quiet as they got out of their cars and walked into her house.
“Have you been waiting long?” Jersi asked him.
“Nah, I just got here a few minutes ago. The security guard told me that you weren’t home,” Memphis replied.
“Do you want something to drink?” Jersi asked.
“Nah, I’m good but what’s up with the attitude? I only offered to pay for your food. It wasn’t even that deep,” Memphis said.
“I didn’t have an attitude, but I apologize if that’s how it seemed,” Jersi replied.
“Stop playing games Jersi. If you wanted to know something about the female that I was with, all you had to do was ask,” Memphis pointed out.
“Who is she?” Jersi asked.
“Her name is Monica. She’s a friend, the same as you are. I want you to be more but that’s up to you,” Memphis answered as he walked up closer to her.
“Are you having sex with her?” Jersi asked him.
“Not anymore, but I want to have sex with you. Tell me that you want to,” he hissed as he pinned her body against the wall with his own.
“Tell you that I want to what?” Jersi asked as her breathing became short and labored.
That nigga was wrong as fuck for being so fine. He smelled so good and he had a fresh cut. Jersi tried to rub his chiseled chest but he slapped her hands away.
“No touching. Tell me what I want to hear first,” he said as he nipped at her ear with his teeth.
“Yes,” Jersi gasped.
“Yes what Jersi? Use your words. What are you saying yes to?” he asked.
“I want you to fuck me,” Jersi whispered, making him smile.
She gave the word and that was all that he needed to hear. Memphis pulled her in for a kiss that she didn’t have time to prepare for. He was aggressive
and Jersi loved that shit. She moaned as he sucked on her tongue and bit her bottom lip. He backed away from her long enough to remove his shirt but his lips captured hers once again. Jersi tried to touch him again, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. Even when he let her go, she kept her arms raised.
When he pulled away, he picked Jersi up and carried her to the sofa. He removed her shoes and jeans and she pulled her shirt over her head. She shrieked when he ripped her underwear off in one swift motion and threw them to the floor. She reached behind her and unhooked her bra, making herself completely naked. She stilled when Memphis starting kissing down her body. Jersi didn’t want it to be a repeat of last time and get embarrassed again. Memphis sensed her hesitation and he had a solution for that. He picked Jersi up and laid on his back.
Three Is A Crowd Page 15
