“Favorite, huh? Whatever.” Ke’yoko laughed. “Is this friend your girlfriend?”
“No.” Kailo laughed. “Didn’t you hear me say he didn’t want to go home?”
“Oh, well, where do you know this nigga from? He don’t be stealin’, do he?” Ke’yoko asked.
Kailo couldn’t help but laugh. “No, sis, he doesn’t steal. He has more money than I can ever imagine having, and I know him from school, and he’s not a nigga.”
“Oh, well, what is he then?”
“He’s white,” Kailo answered.
“White?” Ke’yoko asked, surprised. “What you doin’ hangin’ wit’ a white boy? They’re weird as fuck!”
“Yeah, most of them are, but not Chad. He’s pretty cool.”
“Chad? That’s a straight white boy name,” Ke’yoko said.
Kailo busted out laughing. “Sorry his parents didn’t name him Tyrone, Jaleel, Jawaun, or Cephus.”
“Shut up, smart-ass.” Ke’yoko laughed too. “I hope he eats soul food. Just know I ain’t gon’ be makin’ no green bean casserole or no shit like that, you hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you,” Kailo said, shaking his head.
“Okay, well, I’ll get the other guest room together as well. I love you and will see you Tuesday.”
“Okay, sis, I love you too,” Kailo replied before hanging up.
Ke’yoko shook her head. She instantly became dizzy. This was the second spell she’d had this week. She had been meaning to make an appointment with her nurse practitioner, David, but never got around to it. If she kept feeling like this she would definitely have to get in to see him, but right now all she wanted to do was finish her sandwiches and quick; she was starving.
Chapter Eleven
Ke’yoko pulled up in front of Nadia’s hair shop, turned the engine off, and sat for a brief second. The thought of the pictures that she kept tucked away in the garage invaded her mind. She shook her head, reaching over and grabbing a saltine cracker out of the pack and putting it in her mouth. She then grabbed her oversized Alexander McQueen purse and got out of the car. She looked around before heading into the shop.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” she said to Nadia and made her way toward her office before Nadia could reply.
“Sure. I’ll be right back,” Nadia said to her impatient client who had already spent the past three hours in the shop. Nadia made her way to her office as well. She unlocked the door, walked in, and waited for Ke’yoko to come in behind her, locking the door behind them.
“See, I told you that bitch acts like she run shit when she comes up in here,” Connie said, twisting up her lips. The other stylists couldn’t do anything but shake their heads in agreement as the chick whose hair Nadia had been working on cut her eyes.
“What’s good?” Nadia asked.
“This.” Ke’yoko pulled two bricks of pure powder blue cocaine out of her purse, laying them on Nadia’s desk.
Nadia picked a rattail comb up off her desk and poked a small hole in one of the packages. She then put her pinky finger on top of the hole, sweeping a small amount of product on her finger, and stuck it in her mouth. Ke’yoko waited impatiently for the verdict.
“This is some good shit,” Nadia said, smiling and shaking her head in approval as she stuck her finger into the hole a second time. “Here, taste it.”
Ke’yoko shook her head no. “I’m cool.”
Nadia shrugged her shoulders and stuck the product into her own mouth. “So what’s the plan?”
“I got Harvey comin’ to get a quarter kilo,” Ke’yoko said.
“Why you gotta get all technical and shit? All you had to say was nine ounces.” Nadia laughed.
Ke’yoko laughed too. “Anyways, I got two sells for two big eighths or, in layman terms, 250 grams.”
“Cool. I need like four Os and we gon’ cook the rest and slow roll the rest,” Nadia said.
“I’m down wit’ it,” Ke’yoko said. “I wanna take Ja’Rel’s custos so bad, but I know they’ll run their mouths and I can’t take that chance.”
“I know, man. Damn, we would make a straight killin’. But it’s all good; we got our own custos. We makin’ money, too. We can’t go gettin’ greedy. That’s when muthafuckas start gettin’ caught up and shit,” Nadia said.
“You right.” Ke’yoko shook her head in agreement. “What I really wish is we could get Mitch on our team. That nigga be makin’ major moves.”
“We good. We don’t need Mitch. Harvey be makin’ major moves too.”
“True, true.”
Nadia looked over at Ke’yoko. “How long we gon’ stay in this dope game?”
“You tired of it?” Ke’yoko questioned.
Nadia looked around her plushed-out office before answering. “Hell naw. I was just askin’ a general question.”
“We gon’ stay in this shit as long as we can or at least until we get caught up.”
“The way we stick and move it’s gon’ be a long-ass time before we get caught up,” Nadia said. “We just gon’ have to continue to move the same way we’ve been doin’ for the past four years.”
“You right. We got this shit under control.”
“A’iiight, sis, I’ll holla at’chu later on. I gotta go in there and finish my client’s nappy-ass head. She already been here all day. I don’t wanna have to check her ass for having no attitude. I’ll meet back up wit’ you later on,” Nadia said.
“I gotta go too. I got a doctor’s appointment,” Ke’yoko said.
“You still havin’ them dizzy spells?” Nadia asked, concerned.
“Yes, girl, and they gettin’ worse.”
“Well, let me know what the doctor says and I’ll meet you and Harvey around ten o’clock.”
“Say no more,” Ke’yoko said, exiting the office and the shop. Ke’yoko opened her car door, tossed her purse in and climbed in, then pulled off.
Chapter Twelve
Ke’yoko walked out of the doctor’s office with tears in her eyes. She looked over the paperwork that her doctor had given her and shook her head in disbelief. Of all the things that could have been wrong with her, being pregnant again was the last thing she expected. Under any other circumstance, she would have been ecstatic about expecting another child. But this baby couldn’t have come at a worse time, at a time when she had enough nerve and planned to leave Ja’Rel for real this time. Ke’yoko thought about having an abortion but quickly brushed that idea out of her mind. If anything, she was definitely gon’ let nature take its course, and as crass as it may sound, hopefully she’d end up having another miscarriage.
Ke’yoko started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot. All she could think about was the baby and what she was going to do. She knew she was financially stable enough to raise a child, but being pregnant would definitely complicate her plans right now.
Ke’yoko pulled up in the driveway and parked next to Ka’yah. “What the fuck this bitch doin’ here while I ain’t at home?” Ke’yoko fussed as she gathered her things and got out of the car. She pushed the proof of pregnancy papers to the bottom of her purse. She had to find the right time to tell Ja’Rel the news or, better yet, decide if she was even gon’ tell his ass. Right now just wasn’t the time. The only thing she wanted to talk about was what the hell Ka’yah was there for.
Ke’yoko walked in the house looking and breathing like a deranged pit bull. She heard laughing from the kitchen and went straight into attack mode.
“Stop it. Ke’yoko ain’t gon’ like this.” Ka’yah laughed, slapping Ja’Rel on the arm.
“Like what?” Ke’yoko asked with a straight attitude, mugging Ka’yah first and then Ja’Rel. She watched as Ka’yah quickly rolled up a sheet of paper and placed it in her purse.
Ka’yah and Ja’Rel both looked like they’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
“What’s up, baby?” Ja’Rel asked.
“What’s up, sis?” Ka’yah asked with a smile.
“What’s goin’ on up in here?” Ke’yoko asked, not beating around the bush. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She needed to know what was going on between her twin and her husband and she was going to find out today.
“What you mean?” Ka’yah asked, confused.
“What the fuck you mean, what I mean? What the fuck is goin’ on here between you and Ja’Rel?” Ke’yoko snapped.
“You trippin’,” Ja’Rel cut in.
“Am I?” Ke’yoko asked.
“Hell yeah, you are,” Ka’yah asked.
“It’s quite obvious y’all fuckin’ around! Y’all must think I’m a fuckin’ fool! Everybody sayin’ it!”
“Are you fuckin’ serious?” Ka’yah asked, appalled.
“Man, Ke’yoko, I don’t know what the fuck is wrong wit’ you but you really been trippin’ around here a lot lately! You need to go to the doctor and get whatever’s wrong wit’ you handled!” Ja’Rel snapped.
Ke’yoko had been trippin’ lately and didn’t know why. But finding out she was pregnant explained why her hormones were all out of whack and why she stayed in her feelings so much lately, other than Ja’Rel being a ho. Hell, that wasn’t anything new.
“Ain’t shit wrong wit’ me. Y’all the ones fucked up! But it’s cool; y’all can have each other. Both y’all bitches deserve each other,” Ke’yoko said.
“I can’t believe you,” Ka’yah said, shaking her head in disbelief.
“You can’t believe me? You fuckin’ my husband! I ain’t fuckin’ yours,” Ke’yoko yelled.
“So you honestly think I would stoop that low and fuck your husband?” Ka’yah asked, hurt.
“Yep. I sure do. Ever since we were kids you’ve been jealous of me. So, yes, I think you would stoop that low. Shit, you always callin’ him all times of the night. Your number in his call log more than mines and I’m the one married to his no-good ass. Always whisperin’ all up in his ear and shit. Y’all meetin’ up behind my back thinkin’ I don’t know! You foul, Ka’yah!” Ke’yoko couldn’t help her words or her rage as tears filled her eyes.
Ja’Rel shook his head in disbelief.
“I don’t know why you shakin’ yo’ head, nigga! You just as foul,” Ke’yoko shouted.
Ka’yah looked at her sister as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t find any words to address Ke’yoko right now. Ke’yoko had always had it easy, always had the good things. Ke’yoko was just spoiled and Ka’yah was sick of it and her.
Ke’yoko didn’t feel an ounce of remorse about her sister’s fake tears.
“If you really must know, I’ve been callin’ Ja’Rel and meetin’ up with him behind ya back tryin’ to get your surprise birthday party together along wit’ helpin’ him design the layout of the new house he bought you for your birthday,” Ka’yah said, digging the blueprint out of her purse and throwing it at Ke’yoko.
Ke’yoko was speechless, watching the paper fall to her feet. Should she believe this shit? She wasn’t ready to admit there was a chance she was wrong. How in the world could she have let her mind get the best of her? Was her mind playing tricks on her? She knew what Nadia thought and she knew what she’d been seeing herself. Could her instincts be this damn wrong? Ke’yoko looked over at Ja’Rel and then at Ka’yah. Had she really messed up this time? She bent over and picked the paper up, looking at it. She didn’t know if her relationship would be repairable with her sister this time. She’d said and done a lot of mean things to Ka’yah growing up, but this she knew she may have taken way too far.
“I’m sorry, y’all,” Ke’yoko said, embarrassed.
“You should be,” Ka’yah said before turning to walk out of the kitchen.
“Ka’yah, wait!” Ke’yoko called out.
Ka’yah didn’t respond. She continued to her car.
Ke’yoko looked over at Ja’Rel hoping he’d console her and maybe understand her outburst, but instead he just looked at her as if she was scum before walking out of the kitchen and out the door, slamming it behind him.
“Damn!” Ke’yoko screamed before sitting down at the kitchen table and crying her eyes out.
Chapter Thirteen
For the next few days all Ke’yoko did was mope around the house. She still felt stupid about how she’d accused Ka’yah and Ja’Rel of messing around. She had tried calling her sister several times since the incident, but kept getting sent straight to voice mail. She wasn’t going to give up. Ke’yoko had never meant to hurt Ka’yah. If Ja’Rel, on the other hand, was hurt behind it, he deserved to be because of all the hurt he’d put her through for the past seven years. He acted like he hadn’t ever done anything to her for her to think he would cheat on her. He had to have been feeling some type of way too because he was barely speaking to her.
Ke’yoko woke up and quickly jumped out of bed, dashing into the bathroom to throw up. This morning sickness was really taking its toll on her. She rinsed her mouth out with water, walked back into her bedroom, and noticed Ja’Rel was gone. She shook her head and headed out of the bedroom and downstairs to get herself something to eat. She walked into the kitchen and saw a huge bouquet of 250 fresh red roses sitting on the kitchen table. Ke’yoko smiled as she walked over and smelled the flowers. The smell of the flowers was so strong it almost made her throw up. She picked up the card, took a step back from the smell, and read it:
Happy birthday, baby. These roses are a symbol of my love. This is just the beginning. Wait until later on. I have so much more to give. I had a few last-minute party preparations. I’ve already paid Nadia to do your hair. Your outfit is hanging in the bedroom closet. Be ready at seven o’clock.
Love always, Ja’Rel
Ke’yoko couldn’t help but smile. Her day couldn’t get any better, she thought, as she headed out the kitchen to go upstairs to see what Ja’Rel had bought her to wear. Her only thought was she hoped she could fit into it. The doorbell rang as she headed up the steps.
“Damn! Who could be at the door this damn early in the mornin’,” Ke’yoko said as she turned around and headed back down the stairs. “Who is it?”
“Me,” the deep voice responded.
“Me who?” Ke’yoko asked, not in the mood to be playing no games. She had a party to get ready for.
“Open up the door and see.”
Ke’yoko quickly unlocked the door so she could give this smart-mouth muthafucka a piece of her mind. “Who the fuck—” she started.
“Happy birthday!” Kailo yelled with a huge smile.
“Oh, my goodness!” Ke’yoko squealed as she looked her brother in the face for the first time in almost seven years. Tears of joy rolled down Ke’yoko’s face as she wrapped her arms around her brother’s waist. He had grown so much since the last time she’d seen him.
Kailo embraced his sister as well, not wanting to let her go. All the memories of her playing army with him, reading him bedtime stories, teaching him how to ride a bike, and helping him with his homework came rushing back to him as he hugged her.
“Look at’chu.” Ke’yoko smiled, taking a step back. “Boy, you gotta be at least six foot.”
“Six foot one,” Kailo corrected her.
“Damn, boy! I thought you wasn’t comin’ until Tuesday,” Ke’yoko said as she continued to smile.
“I wanted to surprise you on your birthday so I came early! Sis, this is Chad. Chad, this is my big sister, Ke’yoko,” Kailo introduced them.
Ke’yoko looked at Chad. He was handsome for a white boy. He had those dreamy blue eyes just like Paul Walker. If he weren’t so young, Ke’yoko would have tried to shoot her shot.
“Nice to meet you,” Chad said, sticking his hand out.
“We give hugs around here; we don’t shake hands,” Ke’yoko said, wrapping her arms around Chad, pulling him into her. The smell of his cologne had her not wanting to let him go.
“Okay, sis, you can let him go now.” Kailo laughed.
“Oh, sorry.” Ke’yoko laughed. “Your cologne smells so good.”
&
nbsp; “Thanks.” Chad smiled.
“So are you gon’ invite us in or do we gotta stand on the porch?” Kailo asked sarcastically.
“Shut up, boy, and come on in.” Ke’yoko laughed before moving out of the way so her brother and his friend could enter the house.
“This is a nice-ass house,” Kailo said, looking around as he followed his sister into the living room.
“Thanks.” Ke’yoko smiled, taking a seat on the loveseat. Kailo and Chad both sat on the sofa. Ke’yoko looked at her brother and all she could do was keep smiling.
“What?” Kailo asked.
“Nothin’, I’m just so happy to see you. This is the best birthday present ever.”
“What you doin’ for it?”
“Oh, Ka’yah and Ja’Rel is throwin’ me a surprise birthday party,” Ke’yoko responded.
“Well, if it’s a surprise how do you know about it?” Kailo asked, laughing.
“It’s a long story. One that I don’t feel like gettin’ into right now. We’ll talk about it, though,” Ke’yoko said, trying to stay in a positive mood. “Have you spoken to Ka’yah?”
“Nope, not yet.”
“Well, good, don’t call her. We’re goin’ to surprise her at the party tonight,” Ke’yoko said, hoping that all three of them being together again would help Ka’yah get over her anger.
“Okay, cool. So what should we wear?” Kailo asked.
“Dress to impress,” Ke’yoko said.
“That’s not hard to do,” Kailo replied.
“Okay, well, I have to go get my hair done in a few. Would y’all like for me to fix y’all some breakfast or somethin’ before I go?” Ke’yoko asked.
“No, we stopped at McDonald’s before we got here. We had a long flight. All we wanna do is get some rest before the party, so can you show us to our rooms?” Kailo asked.
“Oh, okay, yeah, follow me,” Ke’yoko said, standing up from the loveseat and leading Kailo and Chad up to the guest rooms. “Make yourselves at home. I’m about to get dressed and head over to the shop.”
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