by Kia
“Fuck that. I wonder how it feels to have a nigga with all that money. I wish I had a penthouse to come home to after a long day of shopping.”
The elevator stopped and let us off in the parking garage.
“Davinchi be too busy to even hold me that long.”
“Yeah, I know. He just fuck you, drop off a few groceries, and leave.”
“But I want more.”
“More what? Money? Because if I was fucking with Davinchi, I most definitely wouldn’t be working. He be shortchanging the fuck outta you.”
“But you’re not with him.”
“Don’t wanna be.”
“I just wanna be loved before I ascend into the heavens. Damn.”
“Rena loves you.”
“She sure does,” I said as I smiled.
Thinking about my little sister made me feel like I had purpose. After getting rejected and judged by most of the agencies here in NYC, she was always there to show me that I was way better than them size negative zero ass bitches. The nerve of them to tell me that I was too fat. Hell, I was only a size five. But Rena’s smile wiped all the hatred out of my heart.
Sooner or later, I will have to accept the fact that I will be nothing more than a common New Yorker; grinding hard for the rest of my life. Missing buses. Not being able to catch a taxi. Missing the train. Having car trouble in the winter. Cursing at the bus driver for driving so slow. That would surely be me.
Though Davinchi had money, he didn’t have enough to completely take my sister and I out of Brooklyn. He did what he could. Hell, he had just scraped up enough to cop a new Lexus, which was the dumbest shit he could have ever done.
I was fine with the food and paying for Rena’s day care. That’s all I needed for right now, but I would also love for us to have a more personal relationship. I was definitely working on that. I just didn’t want to ask for too much too early, and he leave me. If he left, I would be struggling for damn sure. And I couldn’t take my sister back to Texas.
The ride home from Park Avenue to where I stayed was a little under two hours, but that was because of traffic. New York always had traffic, and I had learned to deal with that. For the past six months, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a day with zero traffic. This city was way too fucking crowded. It felt like the center of the universe.
Chapter Eight
Davinchi
“Word? Damn, son, you just got the whip, and niggas already pocket watching,” my homie Ron said as we sat on his stoop and smoked a blunt. Night had just fallen and it had started to get a bit cooler.
“Man, they say it was that stick up kid from East Harlem.”
“Whoever it was, you gotta get that. Them niggas tried it,” Ron said as he took forever to pass the blunt back to me.
“I’m the one with the problems,” I said, snatching the blunt.
He laughed. “Nigga, you ’posed to be Dada from Next Friday?”
“Fuck you.”
“Yo, I saw ya shorty yesterday.”
“Which one?”
He laughed, but I wasn’t trying to be funny. “Diamond. The new girl.”
“She been here six months already. She ain’t new.”
“Well, she barely home, so she new to me.”
“How you know she barely home? You watching my woman?” I asked.
He laughed. “Nigga, she stay in the next building over. Ain’t too many fine bitches that go unnoticed.”
“So where you see her?”
“The store. She had her daughter with her.”
“That’s her sister.”
“Well, you know what I mean. Who is that fat booty bitch that be with her?” he asked.
“Red nosey ass. Please dick her down so she can stay outta my mix.”
“You wild.”
“She need a man. I ain’t lying.”
“She probably wouldn’t like me,” he said.
He was right. Ron looked like that one monkey that escaped the zoo, and that’s not in a joking way. His bottom lip was bigger than his whole body, and was always greasy for some reason. But that was my nigga. He was cool as a fan.
“Ain’t that them pulling up right there?” he asked.
I looked to my right and saw their car.
“Yeah, that’s her. I’ma holla back,” I said, clapping hands with him.
“Ay, and I’ma tell the whole hood you almost got robbed with a BB gun, nigga. You ain’t getting off that easy.
I pulled up my sagging pants and laughed. “And while you at it, tell them I got a big dick and they can suck it.”
Chucking up the duce, I slowly jogged away. Knowing my woman had a rough day, I decided to pick up Rena for her so she wouldn’t have to. She was with Ms. Livingston on the second floor.
I went ahead and called to let her know. “Hello?” she answered.
“Say, don’t get Rena. I’m about to get her,” I said as I entered the busted down building.
“You’re the best, babe,” she said before hanging up.
Three months ago when I met Diamond, I knew I had to have her. She was just different. I could be myself with her. It’s like… everyone expected so much out of me, but she understood what I didn’t have to explain. For example, everyone thought I was rich as fuck, and that was so far from the truth. I was hustling, true, but I wasn’t balling like a kingpin. I was a work in progress. I just knew how to make shit look good. All Diamond wanted out of me was for me to spend more time with her, and I loved that about her. My other hoes were mad because I actually made Diamond my girl, and she hadn’t been here long. I didn’t do all the way right by her, but I tried. I just needed time.
I knocked on the door and waited for Ms. Livingston to answer. Her big rolly polly looking ass always had something to say. Of course she had an attitude. She always did.
“That lil’ girl still messing with you?” she asked as she walked away and got Rena. She couldn’t just yell her name like she did the other kids because Rena was deaf. So, she picked her up and gave her to me.
“Thank you, Ms. Livingston,” was all I said as I walked away while Rena played with my ears.
It was something she always did when anyone picked her up. I have no clue why. It’s like she had to do it. I walked up the stairs to the third floor and saw Patricia standing right at Diamonds door, about to knock.
“Yo, what the fuck?” I asked, looking to make sure nobody had seen her.
“And you picking up her damn kid from daycare? Hell nah!” she yelled as I snatched her by the hair with my right hand. Couldn’t use both hands because Rena was in my left arm.
“Yo, what’s up, B? What you doing here?” I asked as I pulled her around the corner and down the hall.
She folded her arms and smacked her lips.
“So, who am I to you? I’m so tired of you fucking me and leaving to be with this maid ass bitch!”
“You better thank God Rena is deaf. I would’ve had my foot all up your funky ass. Didn’t I say I would be by later?” I asked.
“How late? Because we need to get to the bottom of this.”
“I’m trying to spare you because you and Skata came through for a nigga today, but damn, Pat! Just let me come by later and talk, B.”
Rena must have felt the base in my voice because she frowned and wrapped both arms around my neck. I kissed her on the cheek. Not to be affectionate, but to let her know that everything was fine. It was something that Ms. Livingston taught us; another form of communication.
“Well, give me some money to catch the bus.” Pat stuck her hand out and rolled her eyes at Rena. She was jealous for no reason. This wasn’t even Diamond’s daughter.
“Here, B.” I reached down in my pocket and gave her fifty dollars. She smiled and kissed me. “Dawg, don’t do that shit in front of her.” I was referring to Rena.
“Thought you said she was deaf?”
“Deaf! Not blind, retarded ass,” I hissed as I turned and walked back down the hall to Diamond’s place.
&
nbsp; “Be there or be square,” Pat said, walking past me and chucking the deuce. How the fuck does she keep finding out where my bitches stay?
When we got to the door, I leaned forward to let Rena knock.
“Heeeeeyyy, pookie-wookie,” Diamond said.
When Rena saw Diamond, her face always lit up. Mine too. I loved seeing her beautiful face. Rena jumped into Diamond’s arms.
“Hey, you,” I said as Diamond landed a wet kiss on my lips.
“I got something for you. Let me put Rena to sleep,” she said.
***
It took her about an hour to get Rena fed, bathed, and to sleep. It never took Rena long to fall asleep after eating and a warm bath. She and Diamond shared a room, but Rena had her own toddler bed that was across from Diamond’s bed. The apartment was already small, so that made Diamond’s room crowded.
“What you got for me?” I asked Diamond as I crept behind her.
She was on the stove whipping up some food, and was almost done.
“I have the salmon in the oven now. All I’m waiting on is this fettuccini and garlic bread.” She had on nothing but a bra and panties.
My dick began to rise, but I had to tell him to chill. Nah, fuck that.
“Bend over,” I said as I grabbed the back of her neck and slid my hands down her moist pussy. She was already wet, so I could skip the foreplay. I loved diving in Diamond’s pussy.
I slid her panties to the side and pushed my dick into her as far as I could go. I had so much pressure built up from niggas tryna rob me, and Pat all on my ass every damn day.
“Ahhh.” She let out a soft cry as her box braids threatened to catch the flames on the stove.
I used my hand to guide her away from the stove. The way I was knocking that pussy out the frame, her head was about to be burnt right along with that fettuccini. As I was beating the pussy up, she reached over and turned the fettuccini off.
“Excuse me,” Red said as she walked around us and got some juice out of the fridge. She was on the phone, gossiping with her friends back in Texas, probably. That’s what she always did. “Nah, ain’t nobody crying, that’s Diamond in the kitchen getting some dick,” she said to someone on the phone and walked back to her room.
It’s safe to say that this was nothing new to her. Diamond did that to me. I just couldn’t help myself when it came to her. She was so soft on the inside and out. She was my peace.
“You like that?” I asked as I leaned forward and bit the back of her neck.
“Yeah,” she moaned. “Shit! I don’t wanna cum.”
“Cum, baby. I’ma give you some more later,” I lied.
That’s one of the only reasons we argued. I would come in, chill, fuck, and leave all the time. I didn’t mean to, but I had to get this paper. I was tryna ball. Besides, without me, Diamond wouldn’t be able to make it in NYC, so she wasn’t going nowhere anyway. I liked her a lot, but trust… I knew the power I had over her. I just tried not to be too disrespectful.
“No… you not,” she moaned between breaths.
“I promise, baby.” I grabbed a handful of ass and spread her cheeks apart so that I could go deeper. Then I slipped my thumb into her butt.
“Ohhh. You promise?”
She turned her head back to me and gave me a passionate kiss that forced us to cum seconds apart. I came first, and she came immediately after.
“So now can we talk about these welts on your face?”
Shit. I hadn’t even thought of a lie for these welts yet.
Chapter Nine
Diamond
“Wake up,” I said to Red as I turned all the lights on in our apartment.
This was the only way to make sure neither of us went back to sleep, including Rena. God, I was so ready to find something better for us to do. I needed a better job where I didn’t have to leave her with Ms. Livingston all day. That didn’t sit well with me at all. She barely knew anyone here, and I know it was uncomfortable for her.
Times were getting so trying. Sooner or later she would start school, and she was deaf, so she would have to attend a special school. They weren’t going to watch her all day, and she was too young to stay home alone and catch the bus.
“It’s five a.m., bitch, we need to hurry up,” Red said, rushing to brush her teeth. We were usually out on the road at 5:30 a.m. to beat the stupid traffic.
“Remember, we go straight to the penthouse today. It’s our last day,” I said, getting Rena ready. I still had to comb her long, curly hair into a ponytail.
“Thank God. That place is huge,” Red said, turning on the shower. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“What?” I asked, peeking my head out my room door into the bathroom. Rena did too.
“The hot water isn’t working again,” she said.
“I’m getting so tired of this shit.” I shook my head. I know we lived in the hood, but damn. We weren’t on housing like everyone else. We paid our full bills. Didn’t that count?
As I continued to get myself and Rena dressed, I thought about how Davinchi had lied once again. He fucked me and left. I was growing real tired of it. I hated the fact that I needed him. As I slipped on Rena’s last shoe, there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” I yelled from my room.
“Davinchi,” he said, sounding sleepy.
I put Rena on my hip and walked to the door so I could swing it open.
“What?” I asked.
“Let me in.” He pushed past me with some trash bags in his hand.
“You got some fucking nerve,” I said as we went into my room and shut the door. Rena was still on my hip. I was too young for this shit.
“Chill, ma. I had to get this money. I need a favor, though.”
“What?”
“Let me keep my weed here.”
“Hell no.”
“Come on, baby. I almost got robbed, man. You the only bitch I trust.”
“Excuse me?”
“Man, you gonna let me keep it here or nah?” He rubbed his hair and put the bags in my closet.
“After you left, Ms. Livingston told me about that bitch that’s been around here asking about me.” I was now standing behind him as he threw some old clothes over the bags.
“What bitch?”
“I don’t know. Some bitch named Patricia.”
“That old hoe need to mind her business, B. She don’t even know what she talking about.”
“Yeah? So you still ain’t told me where them marks came from.”
“Man, look…” He took a deep breath and shook his head.
“She ain’t got no reason on lie on you,” I said as Rena pulled on my ears.
“Let me get her and take her downstairs. We got about five minutes too,” Red said, grabbing Rena and shutting my room door behind her. Red knew how much I hated arguing in front of Rena.
“You want the truth?” he asked.
“Yep.”
“I’ght. So look… I fucks with Pat. Pat be looking out for a nigga. Feel me? I almost got robbed,and I didn’t because she pulled up on them niggas. But you my main bitch. I come home to—”
“Get the fuck out!” I yelled without thinking. The way he was sitting there talking to me like everything was okay, like I was one of his hoes, was not sitting well with me. Hell, I probably was and didn’t know. “Got me around this bitch looking stupid.” I grabbed his weed bags and snatched them out of my closet.
He stood there in laughter. “Yo, chill, B. You asked for the truth.” He grabbed me and kissed me softly.
“Yeah, but I don’t have to deal with your shit.” I snatched away from him.
He scratched his face and laughed like I was some sort of a joke.
“So, what? We over?” he asked.
“Yeah, nigga. We over! I opened up to you and tried to build something with you, and this how you do me?” I said.
He stepped back. “And what the fuck have you done for me, Diamond? Other than burn some food and suck my dick?”
“I’m not around here fucking the whole block! I listen to you! I care for you! I’m trying to build some form of love between us!” Tears threatened to fall as I pointed my index finger in his face.
“And a nigga appreciates that. Real talk. But you tryna leave me because of one bitch? Man, fuck that hoe.”
“You think I don’t be hearing about your hoes, huh?” I asked as my voice cracked a bit. People talked around there, and all these hood rats loved them some Davinchi, so of course I heard the rumors as I walked by.
“So, tell me this,” he gently grabbed my chin, “why you ain’t left yet?”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” I said. The tension was steadily rising.
“What’s that? Because you can’t, huh?” He shook his head and laughed.
“Fuck you.”
“Don’t do this, bae. A nigga cut for you deep. I like you enough to be honest, help you with Rena and groceries. I appreciate that peace you give me. But right now, you starting to act like that hoe, Patricia.”
I reached my hand back and slapped him so damn hard it felt like my hand started to vibrate. He grabbed his face and frowned at me. I got scared for a quick second. I didn’t know what he was thinking. Looked like he was about to beat my ass.
“I’ma let you make it. Your emotions are high. It’s early in the morning. You’re mad. I get it. But the next time you touch me, Diamond… I’ma show you how good you got it. I’ma beat your ass and treat you like I do them other hoes, and make you wonder where the old Davinchi went.”
“Whatever,” I said, walking away.
He jerked me back by my braids. “Do you understand me?”
“Yeah.”
“Now put that weed back and go back to being my good little girl. I’m about to pick up some more shit from Pat’s house, and I’ll be back later,” he said, rubbing the back of my neck. I jerked away. He pulled me back. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I said, just ready for him to leave.
When he finally left, I shut my door and broke down crying on the edge of my bed. Red came into my room, sat on the edge of the bed, and cried with me.
“You just wanna go back to Texas?” she asked.
“Nah, man. We can’t just give up like that. It’s gonna get better,” I said, not even believing my own words. She wrapped her arms around me tighter. It was times like this that reminded me why I loved her so much.
