One Man's Trash

by Yolanda Allen

  JT would probably let her too. He damn sure was acting like Mr. Single right now. Diamond this is Stephanie, Stephanie this is Diamond.

  And the song wasn’t even all that. Stephanie wasn’t a great singer. Diamond could’ve definitely pulled off this track had JT asked her to. But no, her voice wasn’t pop enough. And Stephanie’s was? Boy, please. Stephanie was generic. Forgettable.

  Stephanie gave her a weird look again. She could stare all she wanted, Diamond was going nowhere. Stephanie turned her head as if she read Diamond’s thoughts.

  “JT, I hate to cut this short but I have to go home. My mom is babysitting my son but she has a dinner date tonight. I can always come back if you need me to.” She smiled like a boy crazed little school girl.

  It was obvious Stephanie had a crush on JT and considering that she didn’t think Diamond was his girlfriend, she didn’t try to hide her flirtation.

  “That’s cool. I’ll go over what we did today and if I need more then we can hook up again. I’ll walk you out.”

  Stephanie gave her a fake nice-to-meet-you and walked with JT outside. Diamond’s disappointment slowly escalated to anger the longer he was out there with Miss Booty Shorts. It didn’t take that long to tell a stranger goodbye. If there was more conversation to be had, it could’ve…should’ve been done inside the apartment.

  Just then JT walked back indoors. “That was a long goodbye.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “What did Miss Booty shorts have to say?”

  JT flopped onto the cushion beside her. “Nothing really. She just said that she was a little nervous singing in front of you. She asked if you were my girlfriend and I said yes. She said that you better be careful or someone might take me from you.” His mouth curved into an arrogant smile.

  “Oh really? I better be careful? You find that funny, JT?”

  “You don’t?”

  “No, JT, I don’t. I don’t find anything that happened in the last hour and a half, funny. First, you go behind my back and get another chick to sing on your track, then you stare at her ass in front of me. You don’t even introduce me as your girlfriend, and then you entertain her flirtations as if you don’t even have a girlfriend. And I’m right here! You’re doing all this in my face! Who does that?”

  “Diamond, come on girl. I told her you were my girlfriend.”

  “Yeah, after she asked you. We’ve been dating for a month now. I’m not just Diamond.” She rose from the couch.

  JT grabbed her arm. “Diamond, sit back down. You’re blowing this out of proportion.”

  She snatched her arm away. “Enjoy the rest of your day.” She swung her bag over her shoulder and stomped off. He didn’t even try to stop her. Jerk.

  FIVE

  Diamond checked her cell phone for the fifth time since she’d entered the restaurant. Still no apology from JT. She placed her cell into the side pocket of her bag.

  “Checking in, huh?” asked Kimmy.

  “Kimmy, don’t start.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I’m not starting anything. I just asked you a question.”

  “It’s the way you asked the question.” Diamond sipped her lemon water. “And no I’m not checking in. I’m waiting for an apology from JT.”

  “Oh gosh, what did the King of Fuckups do now?”

  “Kimmy.”

  She held up her hands. “Sorry. What happened?”

  “I was over there last night and he had a recording session with this young girl. Long story short, he pretty much disrespected me to my face. First, he didn’t introduce me as his girlfriend and second, when the chick asked if I was his girlfriend he told her yes but then she said, oh I better be careful before someone steals him. This fool just laughed. I didn’t find that shit funny so I left.”

  Kimmy shook her head. “I’m not going to try to hide my disapproval of your relationship with JT. I wish you would just leave him alone. You can do better, Diamond.”

  “He said I was blowing things out of proportion and maybe I did but I would still think that he would apologize if he sees that I got upset. I just don’t get men sometimes. A simple I’m sorry would fix this.”

  “He’s always saying he’s sorry because he’s always fucking up. In my opinion, you have just wasted a month of your life dating this loser.”

  “I wouldn’t call him a loser, Kimmy, just inconsiderate.” Diamond defended him as always.

  “Oh really? Shall I count the ways?”

  Diamond folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window. Kimmy didn’t need her permission, she was going to tell her what she thought whether she wanted her to or not.

  “When you met him he didn’t even have a cell phone, and what did you do? You got him a phone…in your name. Loser!” She held up an L sign against her forehead. “I’m sorry but any twenty-five year old man nowadays that can’t get a cell phone in his own name should not be dating anyone. I’m just sayin’.” She stuffed a forkful of cheesecake into her mouth.

  “I know you’re just saying.”

  “But,” she held up a finger, “I’m not finished. Not only did he ask you to get him a cell phone in your name but he manipulated you into doing it. What kind of man tells his girl or the person he’s trying to make his girl, that, oh, if you won’t do it, I’ll just get some other girl that will. Who does that? I’ll tell you who does that…losers! Losers do that, Diamond. Losers!”

  “Are you finished?”

  “Nope. I think he’s just using you to fund his music career to be honest. He knows your family has money and he’s trying to use your connection at the record label to get a record deal.”

  “He’s not using me, Kimmy.”

  “Diamond, how many times have you come to this guy’s rescue in the short period that you’ve known him? How many times have you had to give him money to get on the train? You’ve done it so often that he expects it now. You remember he got mad at you that time when he asked you to give him money for some music related stuff, that he probably made up, because he’d spent the money he had saved for it on a trip to Atlantic City with his boys instead? And you finally said no.”

  She did remember that. That was the first time she had said no to JT. She had to admit, saying no to him that day felt good as hell. It wasn’t often that she told anyone no, but it’s something she had promised herself to work on this year.

  “Kimmy, he’s my boyfriend, we’re a team. He’s trying to build his career so money is a little tight right now. He’s not getting a lot of clients at the gym like he used to, so I’m helping out. It’s not using when you are giving willingly to help someone that you love.”

  “See. You see that right there.” She pointed a finger at her. “It’s not using when you’re giving willingly to help someone that you love. Are you sure it’s love, Diamond? I think you are being played because you are too giving. He is your boyfriend, not your husband. You don’t have to take care of a grown ass man. If he has enough money to put into his career he has enough money to take care of his bills. That’s a sign right there that his priorities are all wrong and you shouldn’t be in a relationship with someone that can’t manage their money. I’m just sayin’.”

  Diamond rolled her eyes again. She hated when Kimmy went on her “bash JT” rampage.

  “Look Diamond, I wouldn’t be your best-friend if I didn’t point out things that you may be too blind to see. I understand that this is your first relationship but I think you’re selling yourself short. You’re not the same overweight, glasses wearing geek that got bullied every day in high school. You are a beautiful, twenty-two year old, intelligent woman with a great future ahead of you. All JT is giving you is a headache and drama. You bring so much to the table and you deserve much more than what he has to offer right now. I really feel like you’re settling and I’m not just saying that based on no materialistic type thing. I’m saying that based on the type of person JT is.”

  Kimmy made a great argument. But she would never tell her that. “Well you know
me Kimmy, once I get fed up, I’ll leave.”

  “Well I hope you get fed up soon girl, I just don’t like JT for you. He’s manipulative, insecure, and very comfortable with using people for his gain. Not good.” She shook her head and waved to the waiter to bring their check.

  # # # #

  Diamond sat on her plush couch watching videos of Ryder’s old band, the Stone Ryders, on YouTube when the front door closed. She looked toward the entryway. JT rounded the corner. Sometimes she regretted giving him a key to her apartment. Tonight she wasn’t in the mood for company. Not JT’s company that is. Especially since it took him two days to finally apologize for his behavior at his apartment the other night.

  He walked over to the couch. Music blasted from his cell phone. For whatever reason, he refused to use any headphones.

  “Hey.” Diamond paused the YouTube video.

  “Hey.” He pecked her lips.

  “What song is that?” she asked. “Sounds hot.”

  JT paused the song on his phone. “Oh, it’s a song by Chris Brown.”

  “I like that. What’s the name of it?”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because I’m going to search for the video on YouTube.”

  “Why? What do you want to see Chris Brown for?”

  “What?” Here we go again. Mr. Insecure.

  “You weren’t even thinking about Chris Brown, and now you want to watch his videos?”

  “Are you serious right now? Do you even hear yourself? You were playing the song, I said it was hot and now I want to see the video for it. You act like I know Chris Brown personally.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” He walked into the bedroom.

  This was ridiculous. How the hell could he be jealous over some guy she didn’t even know? She could hear Kimmy now, “Diamond, you need to break up with JT right now for that lame ass shit.”

  Diamond huffed and rose from the couch. She walked into her bedroom. JT was ironing his jeans. “What’s up? You’re going somewhere?”

  “We’re going somewhere,” he said without looking up.

  “Going where?”

  “We’re going to Trey’s house.” He threw his jeans over the back of her desk chair.

  “Babe, why didn’t you ask me earlier? I’m not really in the mood to go to Harlem tonight. I just really want to chill.”

  “I already told them that we’re coming over, so get dressed.”

  “But you didn’t ask me? How do you know I don’t have plans?”

  “Do you have plans?”

  Diamond sucked her teeth. “No.”

  “Case closed, get dressed.” He brushed past her into the bathroom and slammed the door.

  “Stop slamming doors in my damn apartment!” She stood in front of her walk-in closet and massaged her temples. “Jerk,” she mumbled. One thing JT was very good at was giving her a headache. Nothing a glass of wine couldn’t fix.

  She slipped into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a sequin tank top, and matching silver sandals. By the time she applied her lip gloss, perfume, and accessories, JT was waiting for her by the front door. Diamond grabbed the chilled bottle of chardonnay from the fridge, tossed it into a plastic bag, and followed him out the door.

  They arrived at Trey’s apartment on the east side of Harlem about an hour later. Trey greeted JT with a handshake and Diamond with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Every time they hung out with Trey it was always a couples’ thing. Diamond followed behind JT and Trey into the living room where his girlfriend, Nina, Nathan and Nathan’s girlfriend, Angie were seated on the floor around the coffee table.

  Trey took the bag from Diamond’s hand. “I’ll pour you a glass of wine.” He smiled.

  “Please fill it to the top. I need it.” They both laughed.

  “I feel you,” he said as he stepped around the corner into the kitchen.

  Diamond greeted everyone with a hug hello and took a seat in the chair beside the couch. JT sat on the couch behind Angie. The gang was in the middle of a card game.

  “How are you, Diamond?” Nina asked. “Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

  “I’m doing well. Just been working.” Diamond looked over at JT to find him rolling his eyes. What the hell was his problem? Before she could comment Trey entered with her glass of wine, filled to the brim.

  “I see you guys got the cards out.” JT said, obviously wanting the attention on him as usual.

  Diamond smiled, thanked Trey and leaned back into her chair. She held JT’s gaze as she drained half the contents of her wine glass.

  “Yeah, do you two want to join in?” Angie asked.

  “I’m down,” JT said. He got down onto the floor.

  “I’m not really a card person. I normally just watch and take score.” Diamond laughed.

  “Come on babe, play. Everybody is playing.”

  “I’m good, JT. I’ll just watch you guys play.”

  “Why are you acting like that?”

  “Acting like what? You know I don’t really play cards like that.”

  “Nah, you’re just trying to act funny.”

  “It’s okay man, she doesn’t have to play if she doesn’t want to. Just chill. It’s not that big of a deal,” Trey said.

  “Thanks Trey, you know how JT tries to make a big deal whenever things don’t go his way.”

  JT stared at Diamond, biting down on his bottom lip. She knew that look very well. That look meant an argument was coming later. She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen to refill her glass.

  SIX

  The next morning Diamond and JT waited inside Philip’s office. She decided before they arrived to let bygones be bygones and not hold a grudge for his misbehavior last night. She was there to be a supportive girlfriend. She placed her hand on JT’s bouncing knee.

  “Don’t be nervous.” She gave him an encouraging smile.

  Philip walked in. They both stood. “Sorry to keep you waiting. My meeting went a little longer than I expected. JT, nice to meet you.” They exchanged a handshake and Philip sat at his desk. “So JT, Diamond has been raving about you. Glad you were able to come in to meet with me.”

  “Thank you Mr. James, for the opportunity.”

  Philip smiled. “So, let’s hear what you got.”

  JT handed him the CD with the two tracks he produced. The first track that Philip played was the one Diamond wrote. “I like this. Very single worthy.” He bobbed his head to the beat. “Loving that hook. Is that you, Diamond?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Philip gave her a thumbs up. She looked over at JT and he winked.

  “Track one, is off the chain. I love that. So you wrote the lyrics?” He addressed Diamond.

  “We co-wrote it.” JT interjected.

  She nodded.

  They listened to the second track. The one that Stephanie and JT worked on together.

  “I wrote this one,” JT boasted.

  Philip nodded. He listened intently to the words. He didn’t respond the same as he did with the first song. “Who’s singing on the track?” Philip asked JT.

  “Oh, a girl named Stephanie.”

  “I see.” Philip stopped the CD before the song finished playing. “Well, JT you are talented. I give you that. The first song, a smash hit. The second song, not so much. I loved the beat, the lady’s voice needs a little fine tuning, but the part that didn’t sit well with me was the lyrics. They were too….elementary. However, I think with the right guidance we could really work with you. I’m going to set up a meeting with the board and present your demo.”

  JT literally jumped out of his seat with excitement.

  “But”, Philip continued, “I’m going to need you to produce two more songs. Preferably as good as the first track.”

  “Not a problem, Mr. James, not a problem.” JT assured him.

  “If the Board likes you, then you will get signed to the label and we will debut you at our new artist listening party that’s coming up shortly.”

  �
�Awesome, thank you so much, Mr. James.”

  Philip rose and shook JT’s hand. “I’ll speak with you soon then. Nice meeting you. And thank you, Diamond for introducing us.”

  “Yes, thank you, Diamond.” JT kissed her cheek.

  “Oh,” she said, surprised by his display of affection in front of her boss. “You’re both welcome.”

  She escorted JT downstairs to the lobby. “So how are you feeling?” she asked.