by Nicety
“Aye, aye. I didn’t do anything to you, yet. I’m just saying shorty wassup with me and you though?” Dickie changed her voice, lowering it, attempting to sound more masculine.
“Are you fucking shitting me right now? Not a damn thing is up. Read my lips you man looking bitch. I don’t swing that way,” I assured her angrily.
“Hey bitch, don’t knock it ‘til you try it right?”
Ugh. I couldn’t have hung up the phone fast enough. Everybody and their mommas were going to have my number and it was all because of Carter. It annoyed me that ever since I wired her money the other day, Salina had been calling to use me for her own personal fetch dog. It was like the torch had passed from Carter to me since lately he had been working a ton of crazy hours at the firehouse. Nearly three times a day I could guarantee a call from her and it had only been a few days. Nina needed a ride to practice and home or she needed some tights or whatever. There was always something that Salina, as a broke down bitch, couldn’t get for her own damn daughter.
My phone rang back almost immediately as if they were all on the phone together ready to gang up on me in case I declined. Carter wasn’t about to curse me out about the issue and rather than argue with him, I reluctantly took a deep breath and swallowed my issues. I turned the car around headed towards the west side to pick up the demon. It wasn’t so much as the fact that they asked me to do it, but rather the manner in which they asked. It was very last minute and without regard for if I had to work late at all.
Twenty minutes later I found myself shuffling out of the car quickly, due to my being ten minutes late picking her up. I entered the small field house looking for the room she would be in but only found the building dark and gloomy. There didn’t even appear to be an attendant at the front desk waiting to sign people in. My armpits grew moist as nervousness came over me wondering if they had picked her up already. I had no way of knowing since I refused to answer my phone for fear of an argument with Carter.
“Excuse me. Are you here to pick up Nina?” A tall lady wearing ballet attire asked as she and Nina whisked around the dark corner.
“Yes, yes I am. I’m so sorry for being late but I—“
“The next time she is picked up late, she will be kicked out of the program. I have a strict policy about parents and their children.”
“No, you see she’s not my kid…” as I tried to finish my words the woman turned her back on me with her nose in the air and ducked back into the darkness.
“What’s up her butt?” I joked as I wrapped my arm around Nina’s short shoulder and began escorting her out to the car.
“You’re late. That’s what’s up her butt and she hates that. You’re going to get me blacklisted and I don’t appreciate that. Why are you here anyway?” Nina jerked her neck and rolled her eyes as she hopped in the car slamming my door behind her. “Where is my mommy or daddy?”
“Your mommy obviously had other last minute plans and decided to call me at the last minute, mind you, to pick you up. Your daddy’s working long hours again,” I answered as I entered the driver’s side and pulled off.
“I’m sure he is. Daddy loves long hours.” The sarcasm in her snide comment almost made me want to crash her side of the car into a pole in hopes that I would be able to keep on rolling. I admit I daydreamed the scenario for the past couple of days. “I’m sure he’s working extremely hard right this minute.”
“What are you trying to say, Nina? Huh? Is there something you want to tell me, sweetie?” I put on my best fake niceness.
“Tell you? Why would I want to tell you anything? You’re the enemy.”
“Nina, honey, you’re so pretty and we can have tons of fun together. I don’t want to do anything in the world but make you happy. So why is that we can’t be friends?”
“Because you are not my mommy. I don’t even know what daddy sees in you. You’re just a dark girl with a big booty. My mommy is a supermodel,” her laughter pierced my soul. “She’s beautiful, something you’ll never be. Is that even your real hair?”
I wanted to reach towards the back seat and punch that little bitch square in the face. Who did she think she was? She had no right to speak to me that way. No right. I tuned her ridiculous question out and focused on the road. Had I not, we both would have died in a ten car pile up on the expressway that night. She was eating into my patience with her and I didn’t know how to reach her. All of the bribing in the world wouldn’t get Nina to be my friend and work with me with whatever knowledge she was holding inside. But apart of me wondered if I truly needed to hear her say the things that I was already thinking.
Chapter 13
The next day After Nina’s practice
“Why are we here?” Nina droned as we exited the car.
“Pipe down you little troll or I’ll give you something to whine about,” I was on my last nerve with her.
“Yeah, right. Like you’d ever touch me again,” Nina scoffed as we walked into the Red Lobster.
My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I huffed at her remark. The traffic right off 95th and Southwest Highway was perfect allowing us to make it there right on time. I was afraid that I would be late but was totally relieved that I wasn’t. Carter said he was getting off of work early to accommodate this dinner date especially since it was the last day of the Lobster Fest special that he loved so much.
Surprisingly it wasn’t crowded as we walked through the door. The hostess took us straight to a booth in the bar area, which suited me just fine. I didn’t care if it wasn’t appropriate enough for the brat I was toting around. She had more than enough filth in her mouth to fill the seats of ten sailors.
“Hey, I saw you guys walking in and followed you. I was sitting out in the car.” Key walked up and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, you. Happy Birthday!” I greeted him back, as I snatched a long black box out of my Dooney and Burke satchel then handed it to him.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do this. But I’m mighty glad you did though,” he chuckled in elation before taking a seat across from me next to Nina.
“Well aren’t you gonna open it?” I asked anxiously awaiting his facial expression once he saw the gift inside.
“Oh no. I think I’ll wait until my son makes his debut so that he doesn’t miss it,” he sighed before turning his attention to his granddaughter. “Well hello little lady.”
“Happy Birthday, Pop Pop.” Nina sounded as dry as synthetic hair weave, keeping her eyes focused on coloring the lobster coloring sheet the hostess had handed her earlier.
“Why thank you. I surely wasn’t expecting that little bit from you so I will definitely take it.” Key stamped her dry remark return to sender with kindness.
We sat and made small talk but there was this unspoken grief in the air as we waited for Carter to show. My fingers nursed the straw to my Amaretto Sour that sat in front of me, wishing that I were able to guzzle it and order another. Unfortunately, I had to drive home and couldn’t risk being too tipsy on the road. But I was becoming antsy. The anxiety was gnawing away at me. Key however, was on his third glass of vodka and cranberry juice. He never seemed to get buzzed and if he was he never showed it. He always played it calm, cool, and collected.
“Hell, he’s not coming and I’m hungry. Let’s eat.” Key picked up his menu, searching through it ravenously.
“Wait. No, he has to be coming. Maybe he’s trapped in traffic or something.” I picked up my phone ready to angrily put my finger on the trigger.
“Aye you guys. Happy Birthday Pop!” Carter seemed to appear out of thin air as if he read our fuming minds and decided to show up just in the nick of time.
The two men hugged amorously as it appeared that Key didn’t even want to let go. Nina happily bounced in her seat at the sight of her father, trying desperately to get his attention and pull him away from his dad. She was such an attention bloodsucker. It was pathetic that her mother raised her that way. I couldn’t have been happier that Car
ter finally showed up for his father though. It was one of those moments where I was proud to be on his arm and call him my man. He sat down beside me and kissed me on the cheek, wrapping his arm around me.
“Daddy come sit by me,” Nina begged seemingly throwing a fit.
“Calm down, Nina. Just be cool,” Carter scolded, shocking both Key and I as we eyed each other about the moment.
“Babe, did you give Pops his present?” Carter asked kissing me on the lips.
“Yes, I did but he didn’t want to open it until his son got here.” I smiled.
“Well, I’m here old man. Open it up.”
It looked as if tears would fall from Key’s eyes but I knew he was too much of a man to allow that to happen in front of his son. He opened up the box and tore back the thin white gift paper, feasting his eyes on the two long strips of paper inside. Carter and I looked at each other wondering what he was thinking as he looked down into the box. It was hard to read his facial expression since it was mostly blank. I was the one who suggested that type of gift to Carter so if he didn’t like it, it would definitely subtract some points away from the status I was so desperately trying to earn.
“Awe naw. This can’t be what I think it is. Is this two tickets to Jamaica?” Key asked as he looked up to us.
“It sure is. Actually it’s to Hedonism and at the dates you’re going to go it’s gonna be MILF’s Week. So you can take one of your best buddies and go down there to get your freak on.” Carter appeared more excited than Key was even though he wasn't going.
“Wow and so soon too. This is the first week of September.” Key’s gaze never left the tickets.
"Yeah, in five weeks. I figured there was no since in prolonging it. You needed to have some fun and you needed to do it now. Not now but right now. Well, what do you think?"
"I think..." Key slowly brought his eyes up from the tickets staring into mine. "I think I'm going to have a great time. Thanks y'all. I really mean it."
I smiled. Carter reached across the table to slap his shoulder and shake his head at all of the fun he figured his dad was about to have. From the look Key shot me, it didn't seem like he was really into the gift. I couldn't help but think that he only said he loved it because he knew I was apart of the gift too. Not only was I apart of it but also I paid for the entire expensive trip. I actually wanted to send him to the Cayman Islands, his favorite place to vacation, but Carter had his say. If I hadn’t spoiled that man so much maybe I would've gotten my way on more important things.
Chapter 14
No cake for you
“You all have outdone yourselves this evening and I would be lying if I said that I didn’t appreciate all of it. Thank You so much,” Key grinned as he slid through the door shutting it behind him.
“Awe it was nothin’ Pop.” Carter moved closer to me as I removed the large round strawberry filling buttercream vanilla cake from the fridge, placing his mouth near my ear. “Let’s hurry up and do the cake. I’m gonna go meet the fellas for a few hours. You send the old man home and when I get home I’m gonna tear that cake up. And, I’m not talking about the one on the plate neither.”
“Carter—“
“Shh. Keep your voice down.”
“Carter,” I began to whisper. “I think the guys will understand if you don’t kick it tonight. I’m saying, it is your dad’s birthday and he’s been looking forward to this. Shit, it’s the only time you haven’t disappointed him.”
“Okay but I came through this time and it’s late. If it weren’t for you forgetting the cake at home, he’d be on his way home by now.”
“No if it weren’t for your raggedy ass baby momma—“
“Not right now, Liv. Not right now.” Carter turned heading back into the living room. “So who wants cake?”
Nina bounced up and down on my sofa with her dirty little Nike’s screaming for the cake and Carter didn’t say a damn thing. Nonetheless, I choked up my feelings and issues once more to make this evening a great one for Key. He was a great man who deserved a great day and I was determined to make that happen for him with or without his son’s help.
I brought the cake out of the kitchen all lit up with big white numbers, a four and a six. Key had made it forty-six years, healthy and clean so it was only right that he celebrated and rejoiced in that. As I made it closer to the dining room table, Nina and Carter began singing as Carter recorded the whole show on his Samsung. I swear I was tired of covering for that man and pretending like nothing was wrong with us. That video would only depict a loving family who was happy and loved each other when in actuality that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Once the song was over, Key blew out the candles and inserted the knife for the first slice to be cut as I prepared to distribute the cake. Carter immediately went to the back room before emerging back with a different shirt and smelling like Cool Water cologne. No one had even taken his or her second bite of cake before he decided to send us into shock mode. Key’s mouth was literally hanging open. Unfortunately I was neither impressed by his sexy attire nor shocked by his sudden need to get away from the house.
“Where you on your way to son?” Key asked taking a small bite of his cake.
“Oh, um, I’ve gotta make a quick run real quick. If I don’t make it back to see you off, I just wanna say that I love you Pops and Happy Birthday my nig.” Carter extended his hand to his dad as he returned his handshake.
“Alright. I guess I’ll see you next weekend then right? You will quit blowing your old man off, won’t you? Bros before hoes, kiddo.” Key winked at me as he rose from the sofa to hug him, indicating that he surely wasn’t talking about me.
“Oh no doubt, Pop. No doubt.” Carter obliged his hug before kneeling to kiss Nina on the forehead.
“Bye daddy. Have fun.”
Carter spun around to toss her a quick wink before heading to the door. I looked all around the room then down at my body to see if I was wearing my invisible cloak or not. He had told everyone goodbye but me. It had taken some time but I was finally beginning to believe that his love for me had either dwindled or had already died. It was the first time, even after all the cheating, lying, and deceiving, that my heart had felt like breaking.
“So, I guess the party’s over.” Key hung his head down low, setting his half eaten birthday cake on the table before heading to the bathroom.
“Whatever. I’ll be in my room. Do not disturb.” Nina marched towards the back slamming her door as if she paid the bills in my house and had the right.
“Ugh,” I grimaced as I cleared the table of all the uneaten cake and pulled out the vodka.
I wasn’t about to let Key go home this evening. He was too depressed. The feeling of distress churning deep down in my stomach told me that had I let him go home, we might not have seen him ever again. The man was not only lonely but he sounded as if he was ready to end it all and say fuck it. Honestly, I didn’t blame him. I wasn’t far from feeling like that myself. I was in love with a man who was so obviously using me and in love with someone else. It was then, as I sipped my first glass of cooled vodka served straight up, that I finally realized how deep in denial I allowed myself to be.
“Hey, hey sweetie. I think I’m going to go on and push it home. But I want to thank you so much for your hospitality and—“
“No. The party isn’t over damn it. It’s your birthday and you came out to have a good time, so we’re gonna have a good time. That little witch in the back should be sleeping in a few hours. What say we order a stripper or something?” I poured him a drink, quickly handing it to him before he could turn it down. “I won’t take no for an answer, sir.”
“Olivia, I understand what you’re trying to do and while I appreciate it it’s not necessary. Thank you though.”
“No. We can still have fun now. We don’t need anyone to have fun. Let’s just get drunk and talk and party. You’re still very young and should be out there looking for a great woman to have on your arm
.” The vodka burned the back of my throat a little but that didn’t stop me from downing the entire glass.
“Olivia, I think you may have had a little too much to drink already.”
“Huh? Key, I’m fine. I just want to help you celebrate your birthday. No one should be alone on their birthday. No one. And, I’m determined to spark some fun in your life.” I pulled out my phone searching the Internet for strippers that he may like. “Now come help me pick out some hoes for you.”
“Olivia, please, really that’s not necessary hun.” Key jetted over to me snatching the phone from my hands. “Besides, that wouldn’t be appropriate with that girl being back there sleep no matter how much of a demon she is.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to do something wild, crazy, and fun for your birthday besides go home and wallow in loneliness for the rest of the night.” I felt bad as hell that I tried to get my fiancé’s father a lap dance in my living room, especially since he repeatedly said he wasn’t interested.
I stumbled backward an inch but caught myself feeling as though maybe my need to do something stupid didn’t have much to do with Key’s feelings at all. Perhaps it had everything to do with my own need to weed out the loneliness burning through my veins. It annoyed me that I had become an unwilling babysitter who felt like I was actually being played. I looked up into Key’s eyes preparing my apologies in hopes that he wouldn’t tell Carter that I had acted inappropriately in front of him. He stared down at me as if he was deeply disappointed in my behavior. And, then our lips connected in such a way that clouds did as he kissed me.
Chapter 15
So confused
Mmmmm. He was doing something delicious to my mouth. His kiss was demanding. He rocked his body against mine, his tongue reaching into my mouth like he just couldn’t get close enough to me. When he stopped it left me panting and gasping for air.
