Three Is A Crowd

by Chenell Parker

  “Yes bitch. I told you that he had a girl,” Dray replied.

  “You said a girl, not a damn fiancé,” Jersi argued.

  “Oh, well it’s the same thing. The nigga invited me but I wasn’t with it. I don’t know why I thought it was next month. I’ll have to congratulate him when I see him next week,” Dray said.

  “I can’t even get into this with you right now but I’m calling you as soon as I get home,” Jersi replied right before she hung up.

  She checked her reflection in the mirror and made sure that she was still on point. Since she was good she opened the bathroom door and prepared to go back into the room.

  “My personal life is just that. I would prefer it if Memphis doesn’t know any of my business,” Max said, startling Jersi as soon as she walked out of the bathroom.

  Memphis talked about his new girlfriend all the time but Max would have never guessed that it was Dray’s sister. He never remembered if Memphis said her name or not. Jersi wasn’t a very common name so it would have rang a bell if he did.

  “Whatever you and Dray do is none of my business,” Jersi replied as she raised her hands.

  This was the second nigga who her brother had been with who confronted her about keeping their secret. Jersi didn’t know what was up with men these days. The reason she respected her brother so much was because he was honest about who he really was. He didn’t pretend to be one way around certain groups of people. Dray was unapologetically bisexual and very proud of it. These other niggas were trying to lead a double life.

  “I’m a loan officer at Regions Bank. That’s where you know me from if anybody ask,” Max sneered as he turned and walked away.

  Jersi wanted to curse his ass out but she just let it go. He wanted to act like he was big and bad now but he was just tonguing her brother down in his living room a few months ago.

  “Ready?” Memphis asked when she walked back over to him.

  “Yeah,” Jersi nodded as she took his outstretched hand and walked away.

  Memphis used the hotel’s valet service, so they waited out front for them to bring his car around. Jersi was unusually quiet and that wasn’t like her. She always had something to say.

  “You good baby?” Memphis asked as he squeezed her hand.

  She nodded and smiled but still didn’t speak. Memphis wanted to pry but he was learning more about Jersi every day. She would tell him what was wrong but only when she was ready. He had no problem being patient, so he just let it go. When his car came around, he tipped the valet worker and opened the door for Jersi.

  “My house or yours?” Memphis asked her.

  “I have to tell you something?” Jersi blurted out as she looked over at him.

  She knew that Memphis was looking at her sideways, wondering how she knew his friend. Jersi didn’t want him to think she was on no bullshit, so she decided to tell him what was up.

  “I’m listening,” Memphis said.

  “I’ve met your friend Max before today,” Jersi replied.

  “I figured as much. Did y’all mess around before or something?” Memphis asked, hoping that she said no. It wouldn’t change how he felt about her but he still didn’t want it to be true.

  “No, but he’s been messing with somebody in my family,” Jersi said.

  “Who?” Memphis questioned.

  “Dray,” Jersi disclosed.

  “Your brother!” Memphis boomed.

  “Yes. I know it’s probably hard to believe but I saw it with my own eyes,” Jersi noted as she ran the entire story down to him.

  “I believe you,” Memphis noted.

  Unknowingly, Jersi had just put the final piece of the puzzle together for him. The day Dray got shot, Memphis was bored out of his mind. He wandered around the hospital trying to pass the time away and he ran into Max. He claimed to be there for one of his people but Memphis never thought anything of it at the time. That was really nothing to raise suspicion. It was a day or so after when Max showed up to get his car hand washed at his spot that did it. One of the workers told JJ that there was blood on the leather seats but Max didn’t appear to be hurt. He was with Dray when he got shot and he was the one who drove him to the hospital. It all made sense now after hearing what Jersi had just said. Max had never gave off the impression that he was bisexual but that was his business. He obviously didn’t want anybody to know which is why he wasn’t out in the open with it. Memphis wondered if his new bride knew what was up. If not, Max was wrong as fuck for doing her like that.

  “Please don’t tell anybody Memphis,” Jersi begged.

  “That’s his business Jersi. That don’t have shit to do with me. I saw how y’all looked at each other, so I knew that something was up,” he replied.

  “Do you think his wife knows?” Jersi asked.

  “I don’t know. Hell, I didn’t even know and we graduated from high school and college together. I don’t look at him no differently though. That’s his life and his business,” Memphis shrugged.

  “The way Dray was talking made it seem like they were still gonna be together,” Jersi noted.

  “Stay out of it baby. They’re two grown ass men. Let them figure it out,” Memphis replied as he pulled up to his house.

  “Who told you that I wanted to come to your house?” She smirked.

  “You never said anything when I asked so I made the decision for you. I need you to come up out of that dress but leave the heels on,” Memphis winked.

  “I just hope your mama and her sidekick at least let me cum before they come busting up in here,” Jersi said making him laugh.

  Memphis kept saying that he wanted to change the locks but he had been too busy to get it done. Valerie hadn’t been back to his house since then. As a matter of fact, she was barely speaking to him. Memphis hadn’t done anything wrong, so he was okay with that too.

  “ Don’t try to drive back if you have too many drinks Memphis. Baton Rouge is not that far. I’ll come get you if I have to,” Jersi said as she kissed him.

  “I’m not trying to have you driving that late by yourself,” Memphis replied.

  “Well, just stay the night if you have to. That’s better than getting on the road and killing yourself or somebody else,” Jersi reasoned.

  “Alright baby. I’ll call you as soon as I get there,” Memphis promised.

  He gave Jersi a tight hug and kissed her again before he left. He was going to Baton Rouge with his brothers to one of their cousin’s bachelor party. His cousin was only going to the court house to get married but they all got together to do something for him before then. Jersi didn’t have any plans, so she went back inside when he left and laid on the sofa. Dray went with Sassy to Atlanta to do a show and Ariel was at work. Jersi had gone to Cat’s graduation a few days before and Cat had just moved into her new apartment. She served BJ with divorce papers just like she said and he wasn’t taking the news too well. All the dirt that he’d done to her over the years and he had the nerve to get mad because she wanted out of the marriage. He was threatening to take their son from her and everything but Cat was unfazed. She had a good lawyer who wasn’t going to let that happen. She had saved up a nice amount of money and had paid her rent up for six months. Her place was nicely furnished and she still had more than enough in the bank to keep her head above water. She was Jersi’s girl, so she would help her out if ever she needed it. As if on cue, Jersi’s phone rang and Cat’s picture popped up. She was bored out of her mind and she was happy that she called.

  “Hey boo. How’s the moving going?” Jersi asked her.

  “We finally finished and got everything in place. I need a damn drink,” Cat huffed.

  “Is BJ still being a stalker?” Jersi asked.

  “I just dropped Tre off by Eva and he was already there waiting. I don’t understand how a man who cheated for his entire marriage could behave the way he does. All that begging and crying for nothing. You should have put that same energy into being faithful,” Cat replied.

 
“How is Tre handling it?” Jersi questioned.

  “He told me that he’s happy we moved. My baby was miserable too with all that arguing and shit we were doing. Me leaving BJ was best for us both. He loves his room and he’s happy that there is a playground out front. It’ll be a while before I let him meet Phil though. It’s way too soon for all that. I told him that he can only come over when Tre is with his father.”

  “I definitely understand boo,” Jersi said.

  “And the nerve of Blake’s bitch ass to try to give me some advice. Talking about we should have fought harder to save our marriage. I looked at him like he was stupid,” Cat fussed.

  “He better tell his bitch to stop playing on my phone. I lost count of how many numbers I’ve blocked,” Jersi fumed.

  “That bitch is crazy. Who still even plays on people’s phone these days?” Cat questioned.

  Mariah was really losing it. She sent Jersi pictures every single day without fail. She sent pictures of her and Blake’s wedding day as well as ultrasound pictures of the twins. She sent pictures of Blake when he was sleeping and she even sent one showing him wearing his wedding ring. She sent one every day and sometimes more than once a day. She had to be using some kind of app because the numbers were never the same.

  “She’s a nut,” Jersi laughed.

  “What you got going on today?” Cat asked her.

  “Not a damn thing. Memphis went to Baton Rouge to his cousin’s bachelor party and Dray is in Atlanta,” Jersi replied.

  “Let’s go get some drinks, my treat. I feel like I have a lot to celebrate,” Cat said excitedly.

  “I’m down for that. Where do you wanna go?” Jersi asked.

  “Well, since I’m balling on a budget, let’s go to The Velvet Cactus,” Cat suggested.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Jersi replied.

  “Okay, I need to freshen up but I’ll pick you up in about an hour,” Cat said.

  “I’ll be ready,” Jersi replied before she hung up.

  She got up and took a shower before looking for something cute and comfortable to wear. Since it was warm outside, she decided to throw on a sundress and some slides. The restaurant was usually cool, so she grabbed her jean jacket and slipped that on over her dress. She washed her hair in the shower, so she decided to let it air dry and curl up on it’s own. Jersi looked at herself in the mirror and was satisfied with the end result. She sat around, watching tv and waiting for Cat to pick her up. Memphis had finally made it to his destination so she talked to him for a little while too. He gave her the same advice that she’d given him before he left. He told her not to let Cat drive if she’d had too much to drink. When Jersi’s phone rang, she saw that it was the front gate calling. She buzzed Cat in and grabbed her purse and keys before leaving the house.

  “Hey boo,” Cat said when Jersi got into her car.

  “Hey girl. My man said to tell you not to drink too much and try to drive me home,” Jersi joked.

  “Tell him that I was born to do this. I’m the best designated drunk driver ever,” Cat replied as they both laughed.

  The restaurant was crowded when they got there but they were seated immediately. Their first round of drinks came out soon after and they placed their food order. Cat posted a picture of them on Instagram with their drinks in their hands. She was sorry that she did because thirty minutes later, BJ was walking through the door. Even worse was the fact that Blake had walked in right with him. Jersi had her back to the door so she didn’t see anything.

  “Fuck! That nigga must have seen my Instagram post. How the fuck did I forget to block his ass?” Cat frowned.

  “Who?” Jersi asked as she looked around. She groaned inwardly when she saw Blake and BJ headed their way.

  “I’m sorry Jersi. I did not know that they were going to show up here,” Cat apologized.

  “It’s not your fault Cat. I can handle myself,” Jersi assured her right as they stopped in front of her table.

  “Why do I have to look on social media to find out where my wife is at?” BJ asked while looking at Cat.

  “Soon to be ex-wife nigga. And no worries, I just unfollowed and blocked you,” Cat replied.

  “Cut the bullshit Cat. You don’t want a divorce and you know it. How did we go from having a perfect marriage to you filing for divorce?” BJ asked.

  “Nigga, are you delusional? The only perfect thing to come from our marriage was my son. You cheated the entire time and I let you think that you were getting away with it. I was there for convenience and tuition money,” Cat noted.

  “Okay, so, I wasn’t the best husband, but I took care of you. All your needs were met and you never wanted for anything. Going through with this divorce means that you’re walking away with nothing,” BJ said as he took a seat right next to her. Blake didn’t wait to be invited. He sat down in the booth next to Jersi, making her slide over to put some space in between them. Cat and his brother were in a heated discussion, so he took that time to talk to her.

  “You running from me now Jersi?” he asked while licking his lips.

  He hadn’t seen her since the fight that she and Mariah had at his mother’s house. When BJ called and told him that she was at the restaurant with Cat, Blake agreed to meet him over there. He was in so much of a hurry that he took Mariah’s car instead of his own. His car was parked in the garage and he didn’t have time to move it. He wanted to catch Jersi before she left and he was happy that he did.

  “If that’s what I need to do to get away,” Jersi shrugged.

  “Girl, let’s go,” Cat said in disgust. Her night was ruined and she did not want to be in BJ’s company a minute longer. Her food was half eaten but she was full enough to be satisfied.

  “Can we talk Jersi? I’ll bring you back home,” Blake said desperately.

  “Nigga please. You know damn well I’m not letting you bring me home,” Jersi frowned.

  When Cat got up, Jersi pushed Blake out of her way. Once the bill was paid, they walked out of the restaurant with Blake and BJ following right behind them. Cat got into the car and ignored whatever BJ was saying. She waited while Blake stood there salivating over Jersi.

  “Why you been acting bad with me lately? I been missing you,” Blake whispered in Jersi’s ear as he pushed up on her from behind.

  “I have a man Blake and you have a wife. And tell that bitch to stop playing on my damn phone. She’s too old for that,” Jersi argued right as his phone rang. When Mariah’s face popped up on the screen, Jersi rolled her eyes and frowned.

  “There she is, you tell her,” he challenged with a smirk. Calling her bluff was the wrong think for him to do. BJ laughed when Jersi grabbed his phone and answered it.

  “Hey Mariah,” Jersi sang into the phone.

  “Who the fuck is this!” Mariah yelled angrily.

  “You know exactly who this is. Stop playing on my fucking phone with your childish ass. That baby saved you before but you won’t be pregnant forever,” Jersi ranted.

  “Fuck you bitch! Black, ugly ass hoe!” Mariah spat angrily.

  “I can’t be too black and ugly. I can’t keep your husband out of my face,” Jersi said.

  “You doing all that and the nigga still comes home to me every night,” Mariah raged.

  “Only because I let him. Where is he now though?” Jersi asked her.

  “Bitch, just put my husband on the phone,” Mariah yelled.

  “Nah bitch, he can’t talk right now,” Jersi laughed.

  “Put my fucking husband on the phone now!” Mariah yelled, making Jersi move the phone away from her ear.

  “You’re cutting into our time but let me see if he wants to talk,” Jersi said.

  “Jersi is wild as hell,” BJ laughed like it was really funny.

  “Do you wanna talk to your wife Blake?” Jersi asked him.

  “Man,” he drawled while rubbing the back of his neck.

  “See, he don’t wanna talk right now. I can’t sleep out no more so he’ll be home
tonight. I’m sure you’ll be up waiting for him,” Jersi said.

  “Enjoy your side chick roll because that’s you’ll ever be. Nigga used to tell you he was studying and be right in the hotel room with me. I stepped on the scene and he forgot all about you. Bitch, it was me who stopped him from coming to visit you on the weekends. It was me who declined your calls to his phone. That nigga was laid up with me while you cried yourself to sleep at night. It was my finger that he put a ring on,” Mariah yelled, making Jersi’s blood boil.

  Granted, she was over everything that happened between her and Blake. She was just pissed that Mariah was on the phone bragging about the shit. Jersi went through hell during that time in her life and that bitch was making a joke out of it. Jersi opened the door to Cat’s car and told her that she could leave. Mariah was still on the phone going off while Jersi took a seat in the passenger’s side of her car. Blake didn’t have a known destination in mind, so he drove them straight to the penthouse. He parked in the underground garage as his wife continued to curse and rant on the phone. He didn’t care about what she was saying. He was more focused on Jersi, who had just removed her underwear. She spread her legs wide and pulled his face in between her legs. Blake was like a starved animal the way he dove in and started feasting on her. When she heard Jersi moaning, Mariah started going crazy. She was screaming to the top of her lungs like that was supposed to change something. Jersi pushed Blake’s face in deeper and grinded her hips. He sounded like he was being smothered but he loved every minute of it. He tried to put his whole face in it and Jersi encouraged it. He didn’t care that she had a man. She was his first love and always would be. When her legs started shaking, Blake braced himself for what was to come. Jersi squealed as the juices flowed from her body into his awaiting mouth. Mariah was on the phone screaming and crying like a damn fool. Jersi almost forgot all about her until she started cursing her out again,