“Daddy, father, poppy, or whoever the hell you wanna be, don’t try to play daddy now. Now ain’t the time because I’m busy! So, go back upstairs and continue to plow my mother like the rest of her boyfriends, au-ight?”
I sucked my teeth. “I plan to. And in the meantime, you go back over there and continue to plow Gabrielle, and the young lady who was here the night before, and the one who had your jersey on at the game, along with the ones who can’t stop calling this damn house.”
Gabrielle coughed, “Desmon, I’m ready to go.”
“In a minute,” he replied.
“I’m ready to go now!”
He glared at me. “You don’t want me to make you my enemy.”
I laughed. “What’s the difference? I thought I already was. Look, the young lady said she’s ready to go, so take her home.”
“Please,” Gabrielle added with attitude.
“See, she’s begging.” I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “It’s obvious she’s in control of things. It would be a shame if she started to cuss you out in front of me. Don’t embarrass yourself. Just take the young lady home like she asked.”
As I turned and walked away, I could already see Gabrielle putting her clothes on. Surprisingly, Desmon had more damn respect for her than he did for Ginger and me. I listened at the top of the stairs, as he tried to explain my accusations and begged her to stay. She started to cry and refused to listen to him. After I heard a smack, I just knew things would get heated, but they didn’t. I listened, as they walked upstairs together, and I hurried to take a seat at the kitchen table. I pretended to be occupied with the newspaper in front of me.
Gabrielle opened the door, wiping the tears from her eyes. She walked by without saying a word. Desmon gave me a hard stare and continued to follow her to the door. Giving me one last dirty look, he slammed the door on his way out.
Ginger slept until almost noon. I’d already taken my morning jog, and had done my sit-ups for the day. I was on the couch cleaning my gun.
“You keep that thing like it’s your bible or something.”
“It doesn’t compare, but I appreciate you keeping it in a safe place for me while I was gone.”
She yawned. “You know I gotta work at the club tonight, don’t you?”
“No, I didn’t know. I thought partying was on Saturday nights, not Sunday.”
“Please, these folks around here party seven days a week. Sunday’s be off the chain. That’s when I make the most money.”
“What time you leaving?”
“Around nine. Would you like to come with me?”
I shrugged. “I guess. I don’t have much to wear, but hopefully I’ll find something.”
Ginger got her purse and reached inside. She pulled out two one hundred dollar bills and gave them to me. “Here, go find you something to wear. I remember when all you did was give, give and give to me, so don’t let your pride stand in the way of you taking this money.”
“Thanks,” I said, reaching for it. I’d always had my own and it didn’t feel right taking the money from Ginger. Even though I used to kick her out tough, for some reason, I felt less than a man.
Ginger gave me the keys to her car, and before I left, I called Rufus on his cell phone. He didn’t answer, but I left a message, telling him to get back with me as soon as possible.
Not knowing the latest fashions, I hurried to the mall to find something to wear. I found a pair of black linen pants and a short sleeve linen shirt to match. Having a little cash left over, I purchased the cheapest bottle of good smelling cologne I could find.
I got back to Ginger’s place around a quarter to six. We ate dinner, fucked, and then prepared ourselves to be gone by nine. I got out of the shower, and Ginger got in. While she was doing her thing, the phone rang. I recognized the voice on the other end, pleased that it was Rufus.
“What’s going on, my nigga?” he shouted.
“What ain’t going on, Killer?”
“How does it feel to be a free man?”
I smiled from the thought. “I can’t complain.”
Rufus laughed. “Not one bit. But, uh, I thought you were going to holla at me as soon as you got out.”
“As soon as I got out, calling you was the last thing on my mind. Man, I was anxious to dive into some pussy and see about my son.”
“I hear ya on that. I hope you’re heading this way soon. I told the ladies to expect you and shit down here has been off the chain.”
“I’m not trying to go that route. Actually, I called to see if you’d do me a favor.”
“You good for it. Shoot.”
“I’m broke as hell!” I laughed. “I need some jack. I don’t want to work, nor do I intend to, but a nigga gotta have some money—soon.”
“Then come back to L.A., Kiley. We setting this shit off. You’d be proud of me and I’d be happy to hook a brotha up. It’s just like when Papa Abrams ran the show. The only thing missing is you. Think about it, au-ight?”
“I will, but in the meantime, help a nigga out.”
“Say the word. Tell me how much and it’s on the way. I got a few fellas shaking and moving through the Lou in a few days. I’d be happy to have them make a special delivery for me.”
“I need two hundred g’s. I don’t have transportation, I don’t have—
“Done deal. No need to explain. I’ll call you in a couple of days and tell you where to meet them.”
“Thanks, Killer. You know I owe you one for taking care of the family while I was away too.”
“That was chump change. Besides, I didn’t always send what you asked because I really didn’t trust Ginger. Something with her didn’t sit right with me.”
“Yeah, I know. And again, thanks. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Adios Amigo. In a few days, baby, you’ll be set.”
I hung up, and soon after, the phone rang again. I thought it was Rufus calling back, but instead, it was a man asking for Ginger.
“She’s in the shower. Who is this?” I asked.
“Craig. Is this Desmon?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then, tell yo Mama to call me back. I was gonna stop by but I wanna make sure it’s cool.”
“It’s cool.”
“Then, tell her I’m on my way.”
“Sure.”
I hung up and went to the bedroom to trim my goatee. My head was already cleanly shaven, so I hurried to put on my clothes. Finally, Ginger came out of the bathroom and walked into the bedroom to find me. When she didn’t find me there, she came into the living room where I sat on the couch.
She quickly blinked her eyes. “Damn, baby, you look nice,” she said, standing in front of me. She leaned down to give me a kiss.
I gave her a quick peck, then backed away. “Gon ahead and get dressed so we can go.”
Instead of following my order, she dropped the towel from around her and squatted between my legs. “Can I taste you before we go? I told you how much seeing you at your best turns me on.”
I leaned back on the couch and reached for the button on my pants. After I unzipped them, Ginger pulled my dick out. She held a tight grip on it, while watching it grow. It was where it needed to be, and that’s when her mouth went into action. I closed my eyes and tilted my head to the side. Definitely to my satisfaction, I moaned and let it be known loudly that the feeling was too good to me.
“Right there, baby. I lovvve how you treat my dick like royalty.”
As she was in action, there was a knock at the door. Since I’d already unlocked it for Craig to come in, I yelled for him to do just that. Ginger didn’t even have time enough to rise up. And when she did, all she could so was looked over at him with my dick in her hand.
Craig slowly walked in, closing the door behind him. Ginger shot up like a rocket and I reached down to zip my pants.
“What the fuck up with you?” he spat with spit flying from his mouth.
Ginger reached for the towel, covering hers
elf with it. “I told you to call before you came over here, didn’t I?”
“I did call! But, what the fuck up with you sucking this nigga’s dick!”
“Hey, look, leave me out of it,” I said, holding up my hands. “I thought Ginger told you what was going down between us.”
“She ain’t told me shit!” Craig cocked his neck from side to side, eyeing Ginger. “So, that’s how it is? You gon play me like that?”
Ginger didn’t have much to say and she kept fidgeting. “I…I told you to call, Craig.”
“Bitch, I did call! Just answer the fuckin’ question!”
She walked to the door and stood by it. “Craig, please leave. Don’t be coming over here calling me out of my motherfucking name!”
“I’ll call you what the fuck I wanna call you!” He opened the door. “And tell your bitch ass son don’t be playing games with me! He knew damn well you had company!”
His words sparked a nerve. I hopped up, grabbing his shirt to pull him back inside. While tightly holding the back of his neck, I pressed his face hard against the door.
“That’s my fucking son you talking about, nigga! She ain’t gotta tell him shit! If you ever bring your ass around here again, disrespecting him or his mama, you gon have to answer to me!”
After I slammed his face into the back of the door a few times, I opened it and pushed his ass outside. He staggered while mouthing a bunch of bullshit to me.
“You punk ass fool! Don’t you ever put your goddamn hands on me again!”
I was about to reach for my gun, but I saw Desmon pulling up in his car with another companion. They got out and walked towards the door. He looked at Craig, then brushed up against me as he walked inside. Ginger pulled me away from the door and closed it.
“Looks like Daddy done got himself into some more trouble. Geesh, man, I may eventually learn a lot from you. Keep it up,” Desmon chuckled. I was too upset to entertain him, so I ignored him.
Ginger turned me around to face her. “You need to calm down,” she said. “Craig is only a friend of mine who…”
“I don’t give a fuck who he is! Ju...just go put your damn clothes on so we can go!”
She rolled her eyes at me, said hello to Samantha and left the room. Still fucking with me, Desmon held the smirk on his face. He sat on the couch and proceeded to roll up a joint. I watched as he sniffed it, lit it up and placed it between his lips. He took a few hits and passed it to Samantha. She shook her head, so he took the initiative to reach out and pass it to me. I walked up to him, smacking the joint out of his hand.
“This place ain’t big enough for the two of us. Something’s got to give, or somebody’s got to go,” I said calmly.
He picked the joint up off the floor, putting it back into his mouth and lighting it again. He sucked in the smoke, then swallowed. “You’re right,” he said, nodding. “For the first time, we agree. You really should go, especially since you and Mom’s boyfriends can’t seem to get along. Now that you’ve messed up her money, she’s bound to kick you out. And from what I hear, sex doesn’t keep a woman in this day and age. Ten years ago, maybe. But, time moved on without you. And as soon as you realize that, I think you’ll be okay.”
“Maybe time has moved on without me, but it’s never too late to make things right. If you give me a chance, I promise you won’t regret it.”
Desmon looked at Samantha, “Let’s go downstairs for some privacy.” She stood up, and all he did was snicker as they both headed downstairs.
I felt as if I was fighting a battle that couldn’t be won. As I replayed the previous last three days in my mind, Desmon had been raised in chaos. It was obvious Ginger and her men kept up drama. She didn’t support him in anything he’d attempted to do, and as long as we smoked weed and had sex in front of him, what else could he know? My irate behavior wasn’t helping either. I’d damn near killed two people in the three days I’d been out. Three long days that made me feel as if I were better off in prison. Maybe leaving wasn’t a bad idea. Maybe I was better off in L.A. with Rufus and his boys. I didn’t see any light at the end of this tunnel, but I knew I had to make some serious plans and make them soon.
I waited and waited for Ginger to get ready. When she came out, she was dressed in a short black skirt that hugged her hips and a white silk shirt. The buttons were undone and her cleavage was enough to invite any man to her. She looked nice, and the longs braids that flowed down her back really set her off.
We didn’t have much conversation in the car, and it was a short ride from her place to the club. While inside, Ginger introduced me to a few people and seated me at a table near the dance floor.
“So, what can I get you to drink,” she said, placing a napkin on the table.
I shrugged. “Shit, I haven’t had nothing hard to drink in a long time. Just give me a beer for now.”
She walked away and I noticed her getting real chummy with the bartender. The club wasn’t very crowded yet and it was somewhat small. The walls were painted a loud red and the floor was covered with dirty black and white checkered tile. Numerous four-seat tables were scattered throughout, but I couldn’t complain about the music. The DJ was kicking up Hip Hop, along with R&B. Ginger came back with two ice-cold beers. She placed them on the table. “I’ll see you later about my tip, okay?”
I nodded and picked up the bottle to take a sip. Ginger walked away, serving another table close by.
At first, the place wasn’t packed at all. But by eleven o’clock, everybody started making their way in. Two of Ginger’s friends sat at the table with me, bugging the shit out of me with questions they had about our relationship. I said very little to anyone because after what had happened to me in the past, I learned to keep my mouth shut. They were cool company, though, and cracked me up with how much they talked about people and dissed the brothas who asked them to dance.
Several women, however, caught my attention. I didn’t know if being locked up for so long had me checking out everything that walked by, or if there were simply some badass gals in the room. Either way, I had my eyes on plenty, they had their eyes on me, and so did Ginger. When one came over to ask me to dance, I saw Ginger from a distance shake her head from side to side. When I stood up, she headed my way.
“Uh, no, no, no,” she said, twitching her finger from side to side, and looking at the chick who asked me to dance. “He’s busy right now.”
The chick awaited my response.
“Ginger, it’s just a dance. It ain’t like she came over here to ask for some sex.”
“Tell me about it,” the chick said, rolling her eyes.
Ginger placed her hand on her hip and smiled. “Go ahead and have your fun, Kiley. And watch yourself because I have my eyes on you.”
We made our way to the dance floor, and the chick mumbled, “some women” while shaking her head. The whole time we danced, I could see Ginger and her girlfriends watching us. I wanted to get close to the chick, but in order to keep down confusion, I didn’t. And when the DJ kicked down a slow song, Ginger stood close by, clearing her throat.
The chick I danced with was annoyed. “I’m going to let you get back to her because she is working my damn nerves.”
“Mine too. Sorry about that.” I leaned forward, giving the chick a hug and thanking her for the dance.
“What was the hug for?” Ginger asked as she followed me back to my seat.
“Do you want me to have fun tonight or not? I thought I was here to enjoy myself. So, cool out, au-ight?”
She pouted. “Jus…just have fun and don’t disrespect me up in here tonight. My girls are here and it’ll be embarrassing if you…”
“I wouldn’t diss you like that. Now, get back to work so you can make that paper.”
For most of the night, I sat at the table in disbelief that the tiny club had people crammed in it like sardines. I barely even saw Ginger. The last time I’d seen her, she had racked up on the dollars from some niggas who seemed to want more than he
r to take their order.
Sitting near the dance floor was the best place to be. And when I looked up and saw Anna again, I had to take a double look. Her curly long hair was midway down her back and a few strands dangled in her face. Her outfit was simple: a white mini-dress with silver buttons down the front. A thick black belt was tied neatly around her waist and she wore black heels that made her appear taller. From where I sat, I had a clear view of her silky smooth legs, and a good view of what was between them. No doubt, she had my attention, but when somebody tapped my shoulder, it startled me. I turned to see who it was. It was the chick from the football game.
“I thought you were going to call me,” she asked.
“And I am. I just hadn’t gotten around to it.”
She looked me up and down. “You look even better dressed up.”
“And, I’ll pay you the same compliment. You look nice as well”
She blushed. “Would you like to dance?”
“Not right now. A little later, okay?”
She nodded and told me she’d see me later. She wasn’t bad looking, but she reminded me too much of Jada. Big boned and a fat ass to go with it. I’d planned to call her, but after what happened at the game, I kind of forgot.
Ginger made her way back over to me and brought me another drink. I’d stepped up to Cognac and felt a bit woozy. I closed my eyes to ease the headache that was coming, and when I opened them, Anna stood on the dance floor in front of me. She motioned with her hand for me to come dance with her. No hesitation, I got up and went to the dance floor. I wrapped one arm around her waist and held my other hand with hers. Barely meeting up with my chin, she laid her head against my chest, slowly moving from side to side with me. Something about her being this close to me felt right. I wondered if she could feel the hump in my pants growing.
At first, we didn’t say much at all, but our body movement said we enjoyed being in each other’s arms. Anna moved her head back, and looked up at me. She stared into my eyes that soon dropped to her glossed lips. Having the same thought as I did, she reached for the back of my head to pull me to her. I softly whispered. “Not now.”
No Justice No Peace Page 4
