Hell House Returns 4: Reality TV Drama

by Brenda Hampton

  EVELYN

  Being with Roc was too fun. He was real laid back, full of energy and one fine specimen period. I observed him the whole time we were in the game room. Actually, I’d had my eyes on him ever since I’d entered this house. I appreciated men who were a little rough around the edges, and he was that and then some. Too bad he was married though. He kept mentioning his wife, but I wasn’t sure if he was doing it to get a reaction from me or not. There was a time when having sex with a married man was no biggie for me. Hell, I’d screwed my best friend’s husband, Cedric, but I wound up killing his ass for getting too out of line. I did time in jail for my actions, and ever since I’d been out, things had been a little different for me. I gave more thought to my actions, and when it came to men, I tried my best to keep my distance from the married ones.

  Roc, however, shook up something inside of me. So did the president, but he was at a level that I didn’t dare want to touch. I’d been there and done that with Keith’s father. After what that man had done to me, I told myself I would never deal with another man who had authority the way he did. He did something with the CIA—something that allowed him to have too much power and control over me. I suspected the president had that kind of control as well, so I intended to stay in my lane this time and let Scorpio and Chase have at it.

  Pertaining to those two, I can honestly say that I didn’t have many feelings about them yet. I could sense they weren’t going to get along, and like most women who didn’t, it seemed to have something to do with a man. Scorpio seemed a bit more sensible than Chase, but she also seemed like one of those uppity chicks who thought they were so much better than other people. It was evident that she was wealthy. There was a rich, polished look about her, and when she mentioned her housemaid, that pretty much confirmed how she was living. Chase was the jealous type, but as attractive as she was, she really didn’t have to be. She seemed to be in competition more than any of us, and I guess we were, considering that we were all here to win some money. Jada was supposed to provide us with more details about the money. Thus far, she hadn’t. There were a few things about her that bothered me, but for now, I intended to keep my mouth shut and go with the flow.

  While Roc and I had taken a break from shooting pool and were sitting at the bar drinking, Keith had entered the room. He and Roc were now indulged in a competitive game while I watched. There was a time when I wanted a piece of Keith. I thought he wanted me too, but when I attempted to act on what I thought could’ve been possible, he made it clear that he was down with my best friend, Trina. That was then, though. Now, they had a lot of problems. I always felt as if Keith could do better than Trina, only because she had taken advantage of his love for her. She toyed with his emotions and had broken his heart. So many women would love to have a man like him, and from what I had always known about Keith, he was the real deal. He treated Trina good . . . real good. I guessed being faithful to her, paying the bills, keeping a roof over her head, giving her money to shop, supporting her career . . . none of that was good enough for her. Now, he was in a very vulnerable state. A state that had me thinking and feeling as if I needed to pursue him again. Yes, Trina was my BFF, but she was wrong. Wrong for doing him the way she had, and whenever we talked about it, it seemed as if she hadn’t regretted all that she’d done. I hated that about her. Her lack of regret made me eager to shake things up with Keith. Neither of my BFF’s trusted me around their men, and they had every reason not to, considering all that had happened. But if Keith and I got together, I honestly did not think Trina would care. It was as if she wanted him to leave her. I wondered how she would feel if he left her for me?

  My eyes shifted from Roc to Keith as they continued to shoot pool. I couldn’t go wrong with either of them. Roc seemed like he was capable of setting some shit off in the bedroom. He had that thug thing going on, and I could see his lips working wonders between my legs. He and Keith had numerous tattoos on their bodies—Keith’s were more decorative. His stallion-like frame towered over Roc’s only by a few inches, and I loved men who weren’t so serious all the time, particularly like Keith’s father was. That was another little problem for me. Keith had been upset with me for getting involved with his father. He also didn’t like me for interfering in his relationship with Trina, but over time, he came around. As my friendship with Trina mended, he opened up to me again. I was thankful to him for that, so I had to be real careful not to get on his bad side.

  I tossed back the remaining alcohol in my glass, and then I left the game room to go see what else was going on. As soon as I reached the door, Roc called after me.

  “Where you going?” he asked. “I thought you was gon’ let me spank that ass again.”

  “You can spank my ass any time you want to. Whenever you’re ready, so am I.”

  I winked and he laughed. I did, too, but my words were based on facts. Right when I left the game room, I saw Scorpio lying back on one of the lounging chairs with her arm resting across her forehead and a book in her hand. She seemed to be all into it, so I didn’t want to interrupt her. Instead, I went inside to see what was up with dinner. Jada was setting the table; I offered to help.

  “Nope,” she said, moving her head from side-to-side. “I don’t need nobody’s help with this. I’ll be done in about five minutes, so go let the others know if they want to eat, they’d better get in here.”

  I looked at the delicious smelling food on the table and had to give credit when it was due. The crispy fried chicken looked mouthwatering, as did the whipped potatoes with butter. A chocolate cake was in the center of the table, and a salad with all the good toppings was next to it. There were even dinner rolls on the table. I wasn’t sure if Jada had homemade them or not.

  “Everything looks and smells delicious. I’m not a bad cook, but it’s been a while since I cooked like this. You must have a whole lot of kids or a grandmother who taught you well.”

  Just that fast, Jada snapped at me. “Do I look like I got any kids to you? Just because I’m healthy, it don’t mean I got a gang of kids somewhere. I don’t have any children at all, and all my grandmother taught me was how not to be a crackhead. I taught myself everything I know, okay?”

  If I replied to her, an argument would ensue. I ignored her, and when I looked at Chase and the president, who appeared to be enjoying each other’s company, they had ignored her too. I walked outside, telling Scorpio dinner was ready and I also informed Keith and Roc. They all said they were coming, but Jada got upset when Keith and Roc had taken too long to come inside.

  “I hate ungrateful muthafuckas,” she said, pouting as the rest of us waited at the table. “This food gon’ get cold if we keep waiting, and after all of my hard work, the least they could do is be on time.”

  “Maybe they’re in the middle of a competitive game and can’t pull themselves away,” the president said. “I say let’s eat. I would love the opportunity to delve into dinner and conversation with four beautiful black women, all by myself.”

  We all smiled, and after a quick prayer, we started to eat and converse with each other. The president was more down to earth than I’d thought he was, and when we started talking about the state of our country, he was all in.

  “It’s terrifying and many people have lost hope. My administration hasn’t done enough to stop the bleeding, but we are making progress. A whole lot of damage has been done over the years, and the recovery will take a long time. Longer than I expected, so I want all of you to be real patient with me, alright?”

  “Of course we will, Stephen,” Chase said, gazing at him as if she was in love. “We all know how difficult things must be for you and we all have your back.”

  “Stephen,” Jada said, cocking her head back. “Girl, don’t disrespect that man like that. You need to call him Mr. President and nothing else.”

  “Just so you know,” Chase fired back. “He told me to call him Stephen, so there is no disrespect going on over here.”

  “Stephen is fine,�
� the president said. “Or whatever suits each of you.”

  “Well, I think it’s disrespectful to call you by your first name,” Jada said. “We don’t know you like that, and Chase acting like y’all been friends for years. I’ma keep calling you Mr. President, but if you make me mad, I may have to call you something else. I’m just warning you now, just in case.”

  Jada was a mess. She was also embarrassing—I felt lucky not to have a friend like her. At least the president had a good sense of humor. All he did was laugh. That was until Scorpio asked him a question that was a bit more personal.

  “I never thought we would ever see another black president in the Oval Office again, but what is going on with you and the first lady? Don’t you think that all of the drama with her overshadows all the good you’re trying to do?”

  He chewed his food while looking at Scorpio from across the table. His gaze was interesting. I couldn’t tell if he was about to go off on her or not.

  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked as he continued to stare at her.

  He cleared his throat and finally blinked his eyes.

  “I don’t like to discuss the first lady with anyone, and to be clear . . . everything you see and or hear on television isn’t always factual. In a short period of time, I’ve done more good for this country than my predecessor did in four years. If that’s overlooked or overshadowed by what some people deem as drama, those people can kiss my ass.”

  Scorpio swallowed and sat up straight. We all waited for her to respond and she did. “The first lady is a lucky woman, and I appreciate a man who is protective of his wife. I also appreciate all of the good that you’ve done for this country, and I am, and will always be, one of your biggest fans, supporters or whatever you prefer to call me.”

  She stuck the salad fork in her mouth, chewing while looking at him. I thought Chase was the one trying to make a move on the president, but it was apparent that Scorpio was too. Then again, she could have said that to irritate Chase. The way she rolled her eyes was an indication that she didn’t like what Scorpio had said, nor did she like that the president was still looking at Scorpio. Chase quickly opened her mouth to divert his attention back to her.

  “We’re all fans, and the women at my job love everything about you. They all voted for you, including many of the white people who are some of your biggest supporters. They did, however, take issue with the whole thing regarding that, uh, reporter. You admitted to having sex with her on live TV. We were all like . . . what? Really?”

  Jada slammed her hand on the table, causing it to shake. “Girl, I know!” she shouted. “I was watching TV and they were like breaking news, breaking news! The president came on and he, I mean you were like . . . yeaaaah, I fucked that bitch but so damn what! My mouth was wide open, and the two-liter soda I was drinking spilled all over me. I cracked the hell up when I saw the camera pan all of those white people’s faces in the room. They didn’t know what to say.”

  The looks on our faces were probably the same. I couldn’t believe Jada had spoken so bluntly—neither could the others.

  The president shrugged. “I didn’t exactly say it like that, but I refused to lie about something that was purposely put out there to embarrass me, or possibly, destroy me. I was surprised by the reaction of the American people. It didn’t seem to cause as much damage as my haters thought.”

  His response enabled me to release the deep breath I’d been holding since Jada’s comment. I believed in keeping it real and being yourself, but how could she think that using that kind of foul language around the president was appropriate?

  “People didn’t care because it ain’t like you invented cheating,” Jada said. “And from what I know, past presidents have had sex with multiple women. That, uh, Monica Lawooda chick waxed President Clinton real good underneath that desk, and I heard the last president was swinging with his wife. You don’t swing with yours, do you? Cause if you do, y’all need to swing in the hood where folks would line up to get a piece of you.”

  Even though the chicken was good, I’d heard enough. Jada was starting to work me, so I stood and tossed my napkin on the table.

  “I’m not that hungry anymore. Save me some cake for later and enjoy the rest of dinner.”

  I saw Jada pursing her lips and Scorpio chuckled. Chase had a smirk on her face, and I was too embarrassed for Jada to even look at the president’s expression. I walked away, heading to the bathroom to wash my hands. After I washed them, I looked in the mirror, teasing my bangs that needed to be bumped up with a curling iron. My skin was blemish free, but my lips were a little dry. I moistened them with my tongue, and when I turned to exit the bathroom, I saw Keith standing in the doorway.

  “Are you done?” he asked. “I need to wash my hands before I eat something.”

  “Yes, I’m done. Who won the game?”

  “Unfortunately, Roc did. But after we eat and chill for a bit, I’m sure we’ll get another game started. Are you down or not?”

  “I’m a little tired, but we’ll see. I’ll let you know later.”

  I stepped away from the sink to let Keith wash his hands. While at the door, I called his name and he looked up.

  “When you get a moment, I want to talk to you about something important. Just let me know when you have time.”

  He nodded while looking at me with curiosity in his eyes. I was sure he would inquire soon. At that time, I’d tell him about my desires to hook up with him.

  MR. PRESIDENT

  Hell House was exactly what I had expected. There were no surprises here, maybe because I had done my research on every single person in this house, prior to coming here. I had to. I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I was left guessing why this person did this or that, or why they reacted to others in the way they did. My research went back years and years. From Roc’s jail time, as well as to Evelyn’s, I knew all about it. I knew about Jada’s abandonment as a child, the death of her drug dealing boyfriend, to the bi-sexual woman Keith would possibly call his wife. His father was CIA, and unbeknownst to Keith, I knew his father well. Scorpio’s profession as a stripper was well known to me, in addition to her recent divorce that provided her with a lifestyle that many people dreamed of. There was no judgement from me whatsoever. It was called life, and whatever path had been chosen for the people here, who was I to look down on them because of my status.

  I had made some severe changes in my life, just so I could put myself in the position I was in. But the changes I’d made weren’t enough. I’d messed up and brought the wrong people into the White House with me. Trusted people who I had no business trusting. Had my eyes closed when they should have been wide open. The result of those mistakes led me to plotting the death of my V.P., killing one of my best friends, distancing myself from my only son and cheating on my wife who I wholeheartedly felt didn’t have my back. The last unfortunate incident at the White House caused me to pack up and leave for a few weeks. Maybe even longer than that, so that was why I was here. I couldn’t go to Camp David or any of the other vacation spots presidents normally went to. The media had been on me like flies on shit, and not to many people, with the exception of secret service, knew I was here. Here, having dinner with beautiful black women who had truly been through some shit. Many had made some bad choices . . . severely bad choices, but I was optimistic that everyone would make the necessary changes to better their situations. Even Jada who probably annoyed the hell out of others, but not me. I had a mother who could give her a run for her money, and for the people who had met my mother in person, they knew she was a force to be reckoned with. She didn’t know I was here either. I was so sure she was at the White House giving everyone hell about my whereabouts.

  After Evelyn left the table, Roc and Keith joined us. We had a good time, and I was delighted to be in the company of more down to earth people. Things got a bit stuffy at the White House at times. There were too many fake and racist people around. I could sense them a mile away. Chase
fit the classification of being fake, and she had been going hard all day, trying to say the right things that came off so wrong. I wouldn’t dare tell her to correct her approach, and all I did was observe. Everybody and everything. Some people I liked more than others, but I wasn’t prepared to say who they were and why. It really didn’t matter at this point, especially since Jada had left the table and came back with what she referred to as my ‘saving her life’ gift. It was a slice of carrot cake, one of my favorites.

  “I told you I had your back,” she said, smiling as she placed the cake in front me. “I remember somebody mentioning on TV that your favorite kind of cake was carrot cake. It’s not homemade, but when I saw the Duncan Hines mix in the cabinet, I couldn’t resist.”

  “I thank you for this, but I told you already about believing what the media tells you. Carrot cake is my least favorite cake. My favorite is pineapple upside down cake.”

  Jada sighed. Before she could say anything, I told her I was only kidding and that carrot cake was my favorite. “Sometimes,” I said, referring to the media. “They do get it right, but it is rare.”

  She was relieved. She released a deep breath and held her chest.

  “I’m glad about that because I was getting ready to say something I would have regretted. Eat your cake, please. I hope you enjoy it.”

  I picked up the fork to taste it. Tasted pretty good to me, so I thanked Jada again.

  “Uh, Jada,” Roc said. “Where in the hell is my cake at? My birthday was a couple of weeks ago. I didn’t get no cake.”

  Jada winked and licked across her lips. “Baby, I got more than a piece of cake for your fine ass. You and me been waiting a loooong time to make our dreams a reality and I am competent, I mean confident, that we will do the boogie-woogie soon. Until then, don’t be jealous of the president, Boo. He all good, even though he didn’t need your vote to put him in office.”