Kismet (Beyond the Bedroom Series)

by Pittman, Raynesha; Randolph, Brandie

  I almost blew it by correcting him on that friend comment. Those bitches were not my friends, but I had to keep everybody thinking that they were until I got my revenge.

  “Hey, before I get back to work, do you remember that letter I wrote you?” I wanted to give him a heads up that this trip would not strictly be for gambling. I wanted to make sure he understood me before I wasted three days with him.

  “It ran across my mind once your secretary invited me. I’m going to make up for turning you down back then. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

  My plans were in motion and my last prey was Tyrone. It would take more than a smile to convince him, though. Tyrone knew I had been hanging around with Keisha because she was using his car to meet up with me. If I was going to start working on Tyrone’s ass, I needed to start now.

  I took the rest of the day off seeing that my senior accountants had everything under control and headed to my daddy’s house.

  Keisha told me she had to go to the Department of Human Services and recertify. She also said that would be an all-day process and she would have his car. Not risking the chance of getting caught talking to Tyrone, I called her to see what she was doing just to know her location.

  “Girl, I’m at this damn county building waiting to see my worker about my food stamps. This motherfucka is packed, too. I missed my 12 o’clock appointment, but she said she would squeeze me in around three so I’m just waiting on her with TJ bad ass. Why; what’s up?”

  I still had a lot of work to do so keeping things friendly became mandatory. “Soon as you leave there, call me so we can take TJ to Chuck E. Cheese. I got business to handle later, so call me soon as you see your worker.” She agreed and gave me a second meeting with Tyrone today.

  “Savannah, can you do me a favor? Can you take TJ to Tyrone after we leave Chuck E. Cheese, please? I met this cute ass security guard and we got plans to meet up about seven. I asked Tyrone to have his mama keep TJ because I know his sorry ass ain’t gone watch him. Savannah, I’m in love with a dog, girl”

  She was referencing Tyrone when she said dog, but what was she considered? She was about to go fuck and suck a security guard she had just met. I’m not pointing fingers, but she ain’t the one to talk like I’m not.

  “Yes, I will drop him off, that will give me time to see my daddy.” We ended the call and I approached Tyrone’s dope spot which was on a crate behind the liquor store.

  “Hey, Tyrone, have you seen Keisha?” I hadn’t thought out a plan yet, but it was too late to withdraw my question.

  “Naw, I ain’t seen her ass. She said she had to do something about her food stamps and TJ was going, too. I know I need my car.”

  I almost forgot she was in his car. She was going to go meet up with the security guard without even trying to bring Tyrone his car. What if he had to go somewhere? “Was there somewhere you needed to go? Or something you had to do?” What a perfect unplanned plan. I would chauffer him as long as it wasn’t drug related.

  “I ain’t ate since nine this morning and it’s almost two. I’m hungry. Why? Are you volunteering to let me ride with you to get me something to eat?”

  I walked closer to him so I wouldn’t announce the next words to anyone that may have been listening.

  “As long as you leave your work behind, I’ll take you wherever you need to go. I have two hours free.” Tyrone told me to meet him at his mama’s house in 10 minutes and then walked down the alley. As I was walking back to my car, Javier was coming out the store.

  “What are you doing back there?” I felt busted but before I could answer, he kept talking. “I’ve been texting you, are you not getting my messages?”

  That was a question I was prepared to answer. “No, I haven’t had time to pay my cell phone bill, I will do it tonight. Text me around eight.”

  I was using my Nextel phone because I had really forgotten to pay my T-Mobile bill and that was the number I had given everybody at the park except for Keisha. I gave her my business line. I needed her to be able to contact me at all times.

  “You got a T-Mobile, right?”

  I answered, “Yes.”

  He confirmed my number and then said, “I’m going to go pay it now. I can’t wait until eight. I’m trying to see you at eight, if you know what I mean.”

  I knew exactly what he meant and I agreed to the meeting because the last video tape I recorded of us fucking was so dark it was hard to recognize him except for his hair. I needed a clear shot which meant I needed to keep the lights on. My bill was $340.00 so if he paid that in full, he deserved another ride.

  Tyrone’s mother was on the porch when I pulled up. She waved at my car and then started screaming at Tyrone to come out. We had talked at the barbeque so there wasn’t a needed to go catch up with her now.

  Tyrone jumped in my car. “Take me to M&Ms by the mall- I got a taste for soul food.” He handed me $20 for gas. I told him I would give it to TJ tonight when I took him to Chuck E. Cheese.

  “So, what’s up with you and Keisha- all close and shit? I know y'all were buddies as kids, but she used to dog yo’ ass and now you came back balling with a good ass job and you treat her like she ain’t done shit to you. You went to the south and got saved or something, huh?”

  He was smarter than I thought. “No, silly I didn’t go get saved. We were kids then, now if she pulls that shit on me as an adult, it will be handled differently than I handled it back then. I just believe in karma and whatever she has done to me or anybody, she will get it back.”

  I turned my head as I got on the 110 freeway. Tyrone laid his chair back some and then continued talking

  “Well, I don’t believe in karma; I believe in fate. She has done a lot of people dirty and has suffered no consequence for it. So, karma is not coming her way. I think she will have to face fate on the shit she has done.”

  I urged him to elaborate as he had me interested. “So, you think she may be killed or something?” I tried to sound concerned and not excited.

  “It could be death; it could be AIDS; she could end up paralyzed from the waist down. What I’m saying is with karma, if you treat somebody bad, you will be treated badly back. You still have the chance to treat somebody good so you can be treated well. With fate, there isn’t a chance given to fix fate. Once you are sentenced by fate, it’s a life sentence. You feel me?”

  It seems to me Tyrone had put some real thought into karma and fate. He must have had time while he was in jail.

  “I like how you just broke that down to me. Guess you are more than a basketball player and drug dealer.” I licked my lips and cut my eyes at him.

  “Yeah, it’s a lot I can do and if you gave me a chance to show you, I’d make you a believer.” He unlocked the door and started getting out. “Savannah, don’t act like your country ass don’t want nothing; come in. I know it was all that cornbread you was eating down there that got your ass so fat.”

  I did want some greens and peach cobbler if they had some. I had lived in Georgia for the last 10 years and I missed the food. We sat in a booth in the back alone so we could continue our conversation, which he seemed eager to do.

  “So, how did your man feel when you told him you were moving back to California? Don’t start talking shit to me to me like you did Christina; I can tell by your hips and thighs you getting dick.”

  He took a bite into his smothered chicken. Something about Tyrone made me want to be real with him as much as I could without giving him insight on my plan of revenge.

  “I wouldn’t call him my man; we just did our thing time to time. To be real with you, he went to jail, so I didn’t have to tell him shit. He lived with his baby mama. That was her responsibility.” Tyrone looked as if he saw a ghost.

  “Damn, no more good girl, I see?” We both laughed a little.

  “No more good girl! The way I see it, if I want to sample someone’s goods, then I should be free to have them. I’m not the marriage type nor do I want kids. No offense, but I’m not a K
eisha, Christina or Melinda. I don’t fuck just because I can, when I’m bored or when I’m paid to. I do it when it’s a need or if it becomes a desire. Do you understand me?” Looking at his face, I could see he understood completely.

  “Keisha is my baby mama, that’s all. I knew she was a hoe before I fucked her. I didn’t try to get her pregnant! TJ was an accident, but DNA said he was my accident. She had five niggas from the ‘hood tested at the same time. All of them left with a smile on their faces but me. You don’t have to apologize for calling her a hoe, I do every day.”

  On the ride back, Keisha called me. I told Tyrone it was her calling and he said, “Don’t tell her we together.” She was done and was ready to meet me at my daddy’s house. I told her to go straight to Chuck E. Cheese and I would meet her there. I dropped Tyrone off and headed straight to Bell. I would get to see him when I dropped TJ off tonight.

  When I made it to Chuck E. Cheese, I wasn’t surprised when she had the security guard in the car with her. “Girl, we decided to go out to eat in Pasadena and see a movie; you don’t mind keeping him alone, do you? Just drop him off to his daddy when he is done. Oh, and he ran out of diapers, too. I’ll pay you back next time I see you. Thank you, Savannah!”

  Her flashlight cop was breaking his neck to check me out. What a loser. I told her I would take TJ to get diapers first and then to a different Chuck E. Cheese. She pulled off without even saying bye to her child. She was a sorry ass mother. I can point fingers on this one because I gave my child away when I knew I wasn’t going to be a good mother.

  She kept her child, yet put him off on everybody to get a steady income from the government while she continued living her life. That was wrong of her and TJ would grow up hating her for it.

  Keisha was helpful in more ways than one. I went to Sam’s Club, bought a box of bulk diapers and drove them to Tyrone, who was sitting outside on his mama’s porch. He was so damned sexy.

  “TJ, what are you doing, boy? You can’t be bringing your pretty women around me, man.” He grabbed the diapers and baby from me.

  “We are headed to Chuck E. Cheese, but he didn’t have any diapers so I bought some and decided to drop them off over here before we left.”

  Tyrone was pissed. “That bitch always sending my son off to somebody with no diapers. He soaking wet. Come in while I change his clothes.”

  Ms. Maple’s house looked the same. She still had everything wrapped in plastic. As a kid, I would get stuck to her couch or leave with a water stain on my back.

  Ms. Maple and my daddy played spades together at least twice a week. I spent many hours with Tyrone, Memphis and their friends; that’s how my crush on Big Ant started, over Ms. Maple’s house. I don’t care what time of day it was she was always cooking something.

  “I got a pot of greens on in there, Savannah. If you were missing some southern cooking, you should have told me to fix you some. You know I’m from Louisiana. It will be ready around seven o’clock, you come back, you hear? I’m going to make you some real peach cobbler.”

  There was no turning her down, either. “Yes, ma’am, I will be back with your grandson by then. I’m taking him to Chuck E. Cheese.”

  She smiled and then took him from his daddy. “Take his daddy with you, too. He needs to get away from here. All he does is walk the streets. Get him out of my face, please!”

  Thank you, Ms. Maple. "You heard your mama, Tyrone; let’s head out before it gets too late.”

  I honestly had a great time with Tyrone and TJ. Tyrone was a great father. Keisha didn’t see that because she was too busy living her own life.

  When I dropped them off, Tyrone ran in the house with TJ and came back with my plate of food and peach cobbler. It smelled so good. Once he handed me the plates, I heard the words I wanted to hear flow out of Tyrone’s mouth with ease.

  “Aye, Savannah, from our conversation earlier. If you ever need it, I got it for you.”

  I played dumb. "Need what, Tyrone?” He looked over his shoulder and then down the street. "If you ever need some dick, I got you covered.”

  How straightforward. No jive with it. "Tyrone, I don’t think you can handle my needs.” I turned my back to him and got back into my car, smiling ear to ear. He was a man with an ego of course, attached to his dick.

  "Give me a chance to prove it to you then.” I started my car and drove off.

  Chapter 10: Ghostly Visions

  The next few days that went by, I either gained a conscience or needed glasses. On my way to lunch with Stephanie, I could have sworn I saw Dre getting on the elevator as I was walking out. I took a double take, but the doors had closed before I could get a better look.

  Then yesterday, as I ran along Venice Beach at 5 AM, I thought I saw him sitting at one of the bus stops watching me. When I started walking that way, the bus pulled up and the look-alike got on. Sade's birthday was that weekend, so that is what I chalked the visuals of Dre to.

  I couldn’t wait to go to Vegas with Big Ant. I was going to celebrate my daughter’s birthday and get revenge at the same time.

  I realized I only saw red since I was back in contact with Keisha and her crew. I had to get them back and prove to these hoes that the tables had turned and I was the most desirable. I would avenge the way I was treated in the past, get to have sex with one of the men I was interested in back in the days, all the while celebrating my baby’s birthday. If I won anything, it would get placed on her prepaid card to go along with her gift.

  I knew I needed to check the PO Box next week because I was sure the Jeffersons would send pictures. They had sent a letter two months ago saying that they decided to tell Sade they were not her parents, but her godparents. They wanted her to know she had a mother and father out there who loved her and still took care of her; they were just too far away to see her.

  I woke up at 5 AM Friday morning to get prepared for my trip with Big Ant. I needed to pick him up without being seen, so I asked him to meet me behind our old elementary school, which was in walking distance from his house.

  As an extra precaution, I drove my Chrysler which I hadn’t driven to my old neighborhood so no one knew I owned one. It had been painted, too. It was now burnt orange and trimmed in silver with cream interior.

  I had packed two Louis travel bags, not knowing what I wanted to wear. Usually when I am in Las Vegas, I go to the outlets for a little shopping, but I wanted to party this trip.

  The crush I had on Ant was still there and he had gotten even more handsome. They didn’t call him Big Ant as a cliché like they called fat guys, Slim. He had earned his nickname. Big Ant was 7’ 1” and weighed about 250 pounds. Everything on him was huge, or at least I hoped.

  When we were younger, he would grip basketballs in each of his huge hands and pretend to throw them at us without ever letting one go. He was a lot of man, even back then. He was a gorgeous big man. Tight, slanted eyes like mine, but he really had Asian heritage. He was born from an Army brat of the Vietnam War. His mother was half Vietnamese and black.

  He wasn’t bright-skinned, yet he was far from being dark, more like a toffee color. He had his daddy’s big lips and ears that sat to the side of his face like mini satellites, but they didn’t affect him being handsome.

  This may sound weird, but Ant always had this fresh laundry scent, which made me want to smell him. I would push past people to sit next to him just to inhale his fragrance.

  When I made it to the school, he was sitting on the steps that lead to the gym. “Man, sitting up here brought back all kinds of memories. I remember the first day I sat and watched you really hoop. Savannah, you had a shot.”

  I smiled and thanked him. “Ant, we have four hours on this road. Can you roll up so we can stop in about an hour and eat?” He dug in his bag and pulled out two Tamales.

  “I already though about that. You know she came by screaming so I copped us one.”

  I wasn’t trying to be mean, but my mouth was my worst enemy. “I wouldn’t dare eat anothe
r bathtub Tamale. It can’t be safe. You enjoy tasting Marie and Poncho’s dirty asses and in an hour, I’ll stop and get me something to eat.”

  There was a look of disappointment on his face. “All right, I will taste Marie’s ass, but don’t act like you haven’t tasted her ass before. You used to get paper food stamps from your daddy and buy like eight of them with your fat ass. I see a lot has changed. Your ass is still fat, but now when I say that, I mean your butt and not your body.”

  I was two seconds away from snapping on his ass about bringing up me and food stamps or me being overweight as a child and then he pointed out my changes, smart man.

  We smoked and talked for two hours before my hunger caught up with me, so we pulled over in Barstow and ate at IHOP. Ant held the door open for me as I walked in. Once he was fully in, three little boys ran up to him and asked for his autograph.