by Candice Dow
I looked up and Akua slung her long braids back and went into the stall. Courtney mouthed. “Let’s go.”
We walked out of the bathroom and danced a few feet away from Devin’s party. He came over to me, “You hiding from me?”
I shook my head. We began to dance. When Akua came back out, she danced in front of Scooter. He rocked side to side, with his cigar in his hand. He stared at us and I stared at them. Our lovers stared at us.
We argued with our dance moves. Here, take that. Back and forth, we challenged each other and my dance partner didn’t even realize he was in a battle.
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Akua said, “It’s so unfair that Devin gets all of the deceptive women. He’s such a good guy.”
“I know baby, but I’m going to stay out of it.”
She cupped my face into her hand. “You just said the other day that as we get older, good friends are what’s most important. You stayed out of it the last time and he ended up marrying that crazy hooker.” She nodded in Jennifer’s direction. “Don’t let your boy go into something with someone who intentionally set out to play him.”
I bent down and kissed her cheek. “You’re right, Ku.”
A part of me wanted to tell because I couldn’t bear the love of my life fucking my boy. Then, I wanted to tell because I couldn’t believe that she could be so conniving. How could I even think about leaving this honest woman on my arm for her evil ass? I shook my head. We always love the wrong women more. There is no way in the world this highly educated woman could not play the African-American who-do-you-know game.
I asked Akua, “What should I say?”
“Call her ass out.”
I huffed. She was Taylor’s enemy and she wanted her busted at all cost. I, on the other hand, noticed how happy Devin looked. I hadn’t seen him that free since undergrad. I struggled with my decision. Out of obligation, I stopped dancing and told my man that we needed to talk.
Akua coaxed me with a head nod as Devin and I headed to one of the cigar rooms. I contemplated. This is his birthday. Devin looked agitated and I was compelled to say something. He chuckled. “What’s up, man?”
“Remember you gave me an obligation.”
He smirked. “Man, what the hell are you talking about?”
“After you broke up with Jennifer, you said that people see shit better from the outside looking in.”
He nodded.
“You told me to watch your back and you would watch mine.”
He smirked. “Man, why the hell are you all sensitive tonight?”
“A couple of months ago I told you I was faced with the opportunity to be with my ideal mate. Do you remember what you said?”
“Yeah, I told you I’d bang you in the mouth if you left Akua.”
I laughed. “You also told me that the other woman was no good if she could mess with me while I had a girl.” I took a deep breath and prepared for the blow. “The girl I was seeing was Taylor.”
He frowned. “Taylor? My Taylor.”
“Yeah, your Taylor.”
As it resonated, he stared into space. “She told me about her man who she’d taken from his girl.” He winced. “But she said he was in DC and . . .”
He stopped and shook his head. Before I could tell him the entire story, he asked, “Do you think she knew that we knew each other?”
“How could she not? I’m sure she knows we went to Hampton. What do you do when you find out someone went to a school?”
He hung his head. “You right, man. Come to think about it, she never said your name, ever. She always called you her boyfriend or old boyfriend.”
“Maybe she’s slicker than I thought.”
He looked like I had crushed his spirits. He dropped his head. “Women ain’t shit.” He stood up. “I got a party going on downstairs.”
I patted his back as we headed out of the cigar room. “Man, I just wanted to tell you before you got in too deep.”
He nodded. Did I really believe that she could be so spiteful? Or was I more concerned with my own happiness? Devin shook my hand. He chuckled. “I’m glad you didn’t wait until my wedding day this time.”
I laughed. “You ain’t lying.”
49
DEVIN
I stood at the top of the stairs watching her dance freely, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. How did I make a 360 degree turn right back to my starting point? Here I was comparing Taylor to Clark when I should have looked at her similarities to Jennifer instead. I swore I would never date another attorney. What would make me believe that she would be any different?
Since we had consummated the relationship less than four hours ago, I didn’t owe her an explanation. Jason walked beside me as we got close to Taylor. She turned around and rolled her eyes at Jason. I looked at the two of them. This wasn’t even about me. She wanted to hurt Jason and I ended up being the victim.
Jason went to join Akua in the corner. Taylor leaned her weight on to one leg. She ran her hand down my disgusted face. I smirked. She wasn’t prepared to confirm or deny what she wasn’t positive I knew.
She asked, “What’s wrong?”
I huffed, “Nothing, man,”
“Did Scooter, I mean Jason, tell you anything?”
I smirked. “Nah, was he supposed to?”
She sighed. “No, but you seem different.”
“You don’t know me like that.”
She frowned and attempted to speak. Then, she hung her head. “You’re right. I don’t know you like that.”
I walked away from her and continued partying with my friends. I envied my boys that had their girls on their arms, girls that were down for their men. For a second, I even looked at Jennifer and thought we could have worked it out. Who told me to be a hot head and run out of our marriage, chasing a feeling that may never occur again?
Taylor and Courtney hung out on the opposite side of the club. From my frequent observations, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. And they say a good man is hard to find. I shook my head and found myself sipping more Grey Goose than usual. Just to think when I made my wish, I wished to be in a serious relationship by my next birthday. Oh well, back to the drawing board.
When Jason was about to leave, Akua gave me a hug. Obviously translating the hopeless feelings inside of me, she whined, “Bye, honey.”
“Thanks for coming, baby.”
Jason and I shook hands. “Yeah, man, we’re about to drive back. We both have to work in the morning.”
“Thanks, man. Thanks for everything.”
He sighed. “Sorry about ol’ girl.”
I waved my hand. “Whatever, man. It ain’t heavy.”
He looked around at all the other young ladies that came to join my party. “I know you ain’t trippin.” He joked. “Ladies love the D.”
“You know it. Hit me up sometime next week.”
Jennifer and Aaron followed shortly after. Jennifer hugged me. I kidded. “You gone, wifey?”
She nudged me and whispered, “You know Aaron hates when you say that.”
“I’m just fucking with you. When you become his wife then I’ll stop saying it.”
“Well you have one month left.” She smiled and looked around. “I wanted to say bye to your new little friend. She seems really nice. Where’d she go?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know.”
Damn if I needed the two devils conspiring. They might set me on fire. I chuckled. “She may be gone.”
I shook Aaron’s hand. This corny white boy must love her ass. He stood around, looking out of place all night at her ex-husband’s party. As much flack as I give him, he is a cool dude. “A’ight, man. Y’all have a good one.”
I went over to the bar to find my houseguests. “Hey y’all, we’re going to leave in a few.”
On the ride home, one of my boys hopped in my car. It gave me another few minutes or so to decide how I should proceed with Taylor.
When we got in
to the apartment, she looked dumbfounded, as I asked, “Where you sleeping?”
My boy said, “Dawg, you know I’m sleeping on the couch.”
I walked to the linen closet to grab him a blanket and pillow. When I returned Taylor and Courtney were in the guestroom. I knocked on the door.
Courtney said, “Come in.”
When I walked in, they were both fully dressed sitting on the edge of the bed. Taylor smirked. Courtney began, “Devin, I know you don’t think Taylor was trying to play you for a fool.”
“Why would I think that?” I looked at Taylor. “We cool, right.”
Taylor huffed. “Devin, don’t bullshit me. I know Scooter told you that I intentionally tried to holler at you to upset him.”
“Did you?”
“Hell no. You tried to holler at me.”
“But you never told me you knew him. You told me the dude you were seeing left his girl. Scooter and Akua never broke up, at least not that I know of.”
Her face sagged. “Well, he told me he did. I wasn’t lying.”
I nodded. “Just hiding the truth.”
She curled her lips, and said, “Why am I even explaining? Fuck it. You’re going to believe what you want to believe.”
I put my hand on the doorknob. “Are you sleeping in here?”
The Grey Goose I’d sipped all night made me horny. When she nodded, I knew I had to lighten up. I wanted her in bed with me. Who gave a damn if she was a liar? I’m a man on my birthday with a fine-ass chick in my house. I planned to hit it again.
I said, “You know you have to get your stuff from my room.”
She smirked. “I’ll just sleep in my bra and panties.”
“C’mon and get your stuff. Stop acting like a poor sport.”
50
TAYLOR
My game was definitely done. It was time to retire. I dragged behind Devin. His boy, Byron, or B, as they referred to him, was knocked out on the couch. If men didn’t think they were so slick and used initials for names, I probably wouldn’t be in this predicament. Devin held my hand as he pulled me into his room. When we got into the room, I bent over to get my luggage. He walked up behind me. When I stood, he kissed me passionately. I pulled away.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’ve had a stank attitude since Scooter talked to you. Now, you want to kiss me.”
He kissed me again. “I’m not tripping about that. Shit happens.”
I curled my lips. He held my face up to his face. He stared into my eyes and kissed me. “You came all the way up here to hang out with me. I don’t even want to talk about you and Jason anymore.”
Trying to ignore the hormones raging in my jeans, I turned my head. “Good, because I’m sleeping with Courtney.”
“Can you at least help me change the sheets that you wet up?”
“Fuck you, Devin.”
He pulled my waist closer. “I like it when you talk like that.”
He flicked on the fireplace and turned on his Bose system with the remote. I squirmed away from him. “Stop Devin. I’m going to help you change your sheets and I’m going in there with Courtney.”
He pulled my arm and began unbuckling his jeans. I asked, “Where are your sheets?”
He pointed to the bathroom. I walked into the bathroom and opened the neatly organized linen closet. After grabbing the first sheets I saw, I closed the door and walked back into the room. Devin’s jeans were off. He lifted his RESPECT THE D T-shirt up far enough for me to see the D poking out nearly a foot from his body. He looked down. I gazed at it.
He smiled. “Are you going to leave the birthday boy like this?”
“Put the sheets down,” he said, laughing.
Reluctantly, I stepped closer to him and lay the sheets on the bed. He grabbed my hand and guided me to stroke him. His lips grazed my lips. “Devin, we shouldn’t.”
“We already did.”
He slipped his hands down my panties and my knees buckled. He said, “I got you, baby.”
To assist him in his effort, I pulled my jeans down farther. He helped me to the floor and turned over to his back on the fur rug in front of the fireplace. I pulled my blouse over my head and tossed it on the clothes pile beside us. He said, “Get on top.”
I climbed on him, letting his steeple sink deep into me. I shouted over the loud music. “Ooh, this D is good.”
My dirty talk motivated him. He rose on to his elbow and wrapped the other arm around to get a better angle. Raising one knee up, with his foot flat on the floor, he slightly tilted me and sank deeper. “You respect this D.”
I nodded. He thrust harder. “I can’t hear you.”
“Yeah.”
“Say it,” he demanded.
“I respect this D.”
He flipped me all the way over and started taking longer strokes. He retracted as far as possible. Then, he’d plunge down vigorously. Over and over again, until my body trembled uncontrollably. What the hell was he doing to me?
He collapsed on me. “Taylor, you made a mess again.”
I giggled. “You keep making me do it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
He kissed my cheek. “You like it. Don’t you?”
I nodded.
“C’mon. Let’s change the sheets, so we can get in the bed.”
When we stood up, he joked. “I’m going to have to put that rug in the cleaners now.”
I pouted. “It’s all your fault.”
Once we got settled and in the bed, he lay on his back. I snuggled close to him on my side. My hand traced his biceps as I wondered what he thought of me. How he perceived us now that Scooter opened his big mouth? I kept trying to shake the feeling. So what his sex is good? So what he’s fine? So what he’s paid? Finally, I rose up on my elbow. “Devin.”
When he didn’t answer, I looked at him. He peacefully slept. I lay on my back. Taylor, why are you tripping on this man?
Devin’s phone rang and I popped up. He stood at the nightstand fully dressed. I rubbed my eyes. He picked up the cordless phone. “Good morning, princess.”
His daughter’s voice came through the receiver, “Did you have fun at your party, Daddy?”
“Yes, baby. What are you doing?”
“Playing. Am I going to see you today?”
I chuckled, thinking how early we began to ask that question of the men in our lives.
“Ah, I dunno.”
She called his name several times. Even I looked at him to see if he was going to answer. “Yes, baby.”
“Are you coming to get me?”
“I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
“Bye, Daddy.”
When I sat up in the bed, he looked like he was ready for me to leave. He smirked. “What do you have planned for today?”
Okay, I’m in his town for his birthday weekend. Obviously, our plans did not coincide. I shrugged. “I guess Courtney and I are going to hit the road.”
“Yeah, I forgot that I told Nicole we’d hang out today.”
He didn’t realize I could hear her through the phone. “Yeah, I know how it is. Duty calls.”
He chuckled. “Basically.”
I put on my pajamas and went back to the guestroom. Courtney smirked. “I guess you changed your mind.”
“I shouldn’t have.”
“Why?”
“He got issues.”
“He just has to get over the shock. What did he say?”
I frowned. “That’s it. He didn’t say anything.”
She lifted her eyebrows and asked, “Well, how the hell did you end up sleeping in his room?”
“Our bodies did the talking.”
She burst into laughter. “Well at least you got some to hold you over. You never know when you’ll get a good piece again.”
I gave her five. “You ain’t lying.”
After we got dressed to leave, Devin walked us to the parking garage. We said our farewells and I knew t
hat both Devin and Scooter were history. As we parted, I felt like I was leaving a small piece of my soul behind.
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Unconsciously, whenever I spoke to my boy after his party, I was jealous. Had he talked to Taylor? Were they seeing each other and hiding it from me? I argued with myself. Why didn’t I tell Devin sooner about what was going on? Why didn’t I assume they would meet somehow? How stupid could I be?
A huge block of ice sat in between our conversations. I didn’t want to seem pressed. Knowing Devin, neither did he. Although the carefree look on his face that night warned me that my boy and I were in love with the same chick. When I rolled over, Akua handed me a birthday card with a certificate for eighteen holes and a cart at Yale’s Golf Course for me and one other person. The card said some mushy things, but all I was concerned about was when I was going to play golf. She interrupted my thoughts, “Baby, Devin’s coming up today to hang out for your birthday. I have to be to work at nine.”
Normally, that would have made me happy. A whole day drinking beer, riding around in a golf cart with my boy, and talking shit. For obvious reasons, I felt I’d rather golf with Akua. I huffed. She rubbed my arm. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Nothing. What time is he coming?”
“He said he’ll be here around eight. I think he reserved your time at the course already.”
I covered my face. I hate surprises. Tell me when you plan a whole day for me. That makes everyone’s life much easier. As I thought about what I’d rather do for the day, the phone rang.
“Hey, honey. Yes, he’s up. Yes. Yes. No. No. Yes.”
What’s up with all the questions? I sat up in the bed and reached for the phone. She shrugged her shoulder like the call was for her. I rested my elbow into the pillow and waited for the two of them to finish their conversation. Finally, she handed me the phone.
Devin chuckled in my ear. “Damn dawg. You gettin’ up there.”
“Whatever man. I’m still not as old as you.”
He laughed. “Yeah. Whatever. I’m on 95. I’ll be there in like twenty minutes.”
“All right dawg. I’m getting in the shower now.”
I hung up and I wrapped my arms around Akua’s waist, leaning into her lap. “Can we get breakfast baby?”
