He nodded his head yes and I slowly headed over to his car to find out what the mystery man had to say. He smiled as I got closer. He had skin the color of a Hershey’s kiss and jet-black hair that was perfectly trimmed. His smile was accentuated with two dimples that made you smile just looking at him. Everything about his face looked perfect as if it were a painted picture. Not even a hair in his mustache was out of place. I wondered what the hell he wanted with a plain Jane like me.
“I won’t bite. Come closer,” he spoke in a deep tone that sent chills through my body.
I gave a little girlish giggle before moving closer. Was it that obvious that I was nervous? I smiled and waited for him to speak again.
“What’s your name?” he asked, still holding his position inside the car.
“Diamond,” I replied, trying to put on the sexiest voice that I could muster up.
“Diamond. I like that name. It fits. Where are you headed?”
“I’m going home; I don’t feel too good,” I replied.
“Well, why don’t you let me drop you off and once you’re feeling better we can hang out?”
“I don’t even know your name.”
“My name is Davey. I’m sorry, sweetie. That was rude of me.”
I didn’t want to agree, even though it was rather rude. I was hesitant about getting in his car but the sooner I got home the better. I agreed to get in, saying a silent prayer that I would make it home safely. The inside had the new-car scent, and you could tell by looking around that it was recently purchased. I was impressed; I had never been in a luxury car and it was definitely something I could get used to. My body was so comfortable in the plush leather seats that I almost forgot I was sick. Funny how a man can do that to you.
“So how old are you, Diamond?” he asked, trying to make small talk as we headed toward my neighborhood. I smiled as I noticed all of the neighborhood chicks trying to peer through the tinted windows to see who was inside. “I’m seventeen. I graduate high school next month,” I replied.
“That’s what’s up. I’m glad to hear that because I would have had to back away if you were any younger.” He laughed.
Within a few minutes we were pulling up to my house. I wanted to stay, but I knew I had to go. I didn’t want to seem desperate, so I thanked him for the ride and told him I would be seeing him around. I was surprised he went through the trouble to bring me home and allowed me to dismiss him without even giving him my phone number.
A few hours later I was still lying down, trying to rest, hoping that my run of sickness would go away by the end of the night. The doorbell rang and I hurried down the stairs, unsure of who it was. My grandmom and I were the only ones home, and I wasn’t expecting any visitors.
“Who is it?” I yelled, because in this neighborhood you could never be too sure.
“I have a delivery for a Ms. Diamond,” the voice responded.
I slowly opened the door to a huge bouquet of pink roses with a pink and white teddy bear tied to the vase. I signed for the delivery and quickly shut the door to see who the hell sent this to me. I was sure that there had to be some mistake because no one would send me flowers. Or would they?
The card read:
To my Diamond in the rough,
Get better so I can show the world my new girl.
Love, Davey
Okay, he has to be crazy, I thought. His new girl? I didn’t even know him. The gesture was definitely appreciated since no one had ever done something so nice for me, but who the hell did he think he was? King of the world? I put the flowers and teddy bear in my room and soon after that I fell asleep.
He wouldn’t give up, and it was that determination that turned me on. He managed to always keep me hanging on, hoping that the sweet guy I met that day would come back. I was fooled because the scene we were at right now had been repeated so many times. I guess love will do that to you.
I sat down on his sofa because I refused to leave the apartment until I knew who he was in here with. He came over and sat down beside me. I didn’t even want him to touch me. I felt disgusting and the pain I felt at this point was probably worse than any other time before.
“What are you doing?” he asked, probably wondering why I had sat down.
“I’m not leaving until I see who’s in here! I mean that shit, so you might as well bring the bitch out here,” I responded as I eased back and crossed my legs. I know that I had been a fool in the past, but I’d be damned it he was going to get away with this one.
“Babe, I told you there is nobody back there. You need to stop being so fucking suspicious!”
“Suspicious? I just told you I have an STD. If that’s not a reason to distrust you then I don’t know what the hell is. You need to stop being so fucking trifling and wrap your dick up!” I retorted. I still hadn’t budged from the sofa, though I wanted to jump up and hit his ass.
“Oh, so now I’m trifling? Well, why are you with me then, Diamond? Am I trifling when you’re out spending my money?”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with this, Davey. Don’t try and turn the heat on me. I haven’t done anything wrong,” I was well aware of his strategy to try and change the subject, but it wasn’t going to work this time.
“I’m tired of arguing with you, Diamond. If you’re gonna step, then step!” he yelled while motioning his hands at the door.
“What?” I yelled. I was furious. Here, he was the one who messed around and he was telling me to step. I looked around for something to throw. My eyes landed on a basketball trophy he had sitting on his end table. Without thinking twice, I picked it up off the table and threw it at him. He didn’t have enough time to duck so it hit him on the side of his head. Next thing I knew I was back on the couch with his hands around my throat.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? Don’t you ever throw something at me again! I will kill you, Diamond.” He released his grip when he noticed he was hurting me.
I rubbed my neck that was now sore from his strength. I knew I was wrong for hitting him, but I was hurt. I was embarrassed and then I was pissed that he told me to step. I cried and he went into the bathroom to look at his head in the mirror, which had a small gash on it. I thought this was my cue to see if I could get into the bedroom. I eased off the couch and headed to the door. I tried to turn the knob but it was locked. I kicked it and immediately began screaming obscenities.
“Open the door, bitch! I know you’re in there, you need to take your nasty ass to the clinic.”
“Diamond, get the hell out.” Davey came up behind me and pushed me from in front of the bedroom door. I could see the anger in his eyes. I had pissed him off, but he deserved it.
I decided not to fight anymore. I knew I would never see who was behind that door. I knew he would run to me later and tell me how sorry he was, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t sorry now or any other time he’d said it. He probably didn’t even know the meaning of the word. How could he? When you’re truly sorry, you don’t do it again. Am I finally tired of his shit? I asked myself. I didn’t know the answer to that question and I probably never would.
I looked at him with tears still flowing freely from my eyes. I wanted to believe that there wasn’t anyone in that room. I wanted to believe that today was just a nightmare and I would wake up in his arms. I wanted that old thing back. Instead we were here, fighting because he couldn’t love me the way that I wanted him to.
I turned my back on him and headed to the living room. Exhausted, I grabbed my purse off the floor and headed out the door. I didn’t even close it behind me. I got in the car and started it up. Looking up, I saw him standing there looking at me. How did we get here? I wondered. I’m sure he wondered the same thing. I backed out of the driveway and drove off. I wasn’t in the mood to go home so I decided to go over to my girl Kiki’s house.
Kiki had been my friend since the demise of my friendship with Mica. Kiki was older than me and had been through a lot. I could always go to her for a few word
s of wisdom. I sat in the car and tried to get myself together before going in. She hated to see me upset, so I didn’t want her to know that I had been crying. She opened the door and immediately knew something was wrong.
“What the hell happened to your neck?”
“You wouldn’t believe it, girl.” Damn, I had forgotten about that. I couldn’t even lie now if I wanted to. It was obvious I was choked since I had handprints around my neck. I stepped into her living room and headed for the sofa.
“Try me,” she replied.
“I’m too embarrassed to even tell you.” That was the honest truth. I didn’t want anyone to know that I had an STD. I felt disgusting.
“Girl, you’re like my baby sister. You can tell me anything.”
I reluctantly gave up the tapes. “I had a doctor’s appointment today and I found out that I have chlamydia.”
“What? That dirty motherfucker. I told you to leave his ass alone.”
“I went to his apartment and I know he had some bitch in there because he wouldn’t let me get to the room. I wasn’t leaving and then he had the nerve to tell me that if I wanted to step, then step. I lost it. I picked up one of his old basketball trophies and hit him right upside his damn head.”
“He deserved that shit. I can’t believe that he said that to you after all of the shit you’ve done for him.”
“Then he fucking choked me. That’s how I got these marks on my neck. He didn’t hold on long. I can’t even be mad that he choked me, though, because his head was bleeding on the side and shit.” I laughed a little, trying to hide my pain. Because deep inside I wanted to cry and run back to him telling him I was sorry. Sorry for not being the woman that he wanted me to be. Sorry for not keeping him from straying away. I mean, some of it had to be blamed on me, right? If I was doing everything possible to keep him satisfied, he wouldn’t be out fucking other people.
“I don’t care if you hit his ass or not, he shouldn’t have choked you. He’s the one in the wrong here. Sometimes you have to hit a nigga upside the head so they can understand.”
“Well, I don’t think it made him understand anything. Shit, he still told me to get out after I tried to kick that damn bedroom door in.”
“Fuck him, girl. You can’t sit around and stress about a nigga like that. Yeah, he has money and I know that he spoils you, but what is that shit really worth? There are too many men like Davey out here.”
“But I don’t want another man. I want him to get his shit together,” I said.
“Girl, you’ll learn. You can’t make a man be who you want them to be. If they aren’t ready to settle down then there isn’t anything you can do to change that. It’s not your fault that he’s a dog.”
“So what should I do, just leave him alone?”
“Do what your heart says, baby girl. I can’t tell you what to do but I will say this: Don’t sit around being sad about the shit. Come out to the club tonight, have a good time, and let him come begging you. Not the other way around. If he really cares, he’ll be back.”
I sat there and took in what she said. I decided to take her advice and not call, begging him. I agreed to hang out at the club with her that night and in a way, I was excited. I hadn’t been out in a while without Davey by my side. I wanted to try and have fun without worrying about chicks being all in his face. Though I had gotten used to it, it didn’t make it any easier to deal with.
“So are you coming or what?” she asked, waving her hands in front of my face to break my daydream.
“Yes, I’m coming.”
“Good, now take your ass to the store and get something for your neck. You can’t come out to the club looking like someone gave you the death grip.” She laughed.
I laughed, too though I didn’t really find it all that funny. My relationship was in ruins and my man was with someone else. I left her house feeling a little better than I had before I got there. I went to the nearest Rite Aid to grab some cocoa butter for my neck and headed home to try and relax for a few hours before it was time to get ready for the club.
I got dressed that night in my little black dress, the kind that makes a man’s mouth water. It hugged each of my God-given curves and was just tight enough at the butt to give me a Buffie the Body effect. My hair was down in a wrap with a Chinese bang. I had recently learned how to apply my makeup like a professional so I would definitely look like I was ready for a photo shoot. Davey was the last thing on my mind when I walked into the club called Solo, right on Columbus Boulevard—or if you’re from Philly, you would call it Delaware Avenue. Kiki was a barmaid at the club so she always asked me to come down. Most times I would be with Davey but today I was rolling alone and it didn’t bother me one bit.
As I headed inside I got tons of looks from both men and women. They probably wondered why the hell I was there alone. I could see the whispers and funny looks from the women. I tried my best to ignore them as I headed to the bar to find Kiki. Once I spotted her I headed over and waited until she got finished serving her customer.
“Hey girl, I’m glad you came out.” She reached over the bar to give me a hug.
“Me too. I feel a little weird now that I’m getting a bunch of stares.”
“Fuck them, girl. Enjoy yourself. What you drinking tonight?”
“Give me Hypnotiq and pineapple juice,” I replied as I took a seat on the bar stool. It was still early so the club wasn’t packed yet. After I got my drink I sat there and sipped it while scoping out the club. I was enjoying the music and feeling a buzz from the liquor. Soon, I was up out of my seat, dancing to the music. I didn’t care that I was alone and my confidence must have been showing because the men were all over me.
After a couple hours of dancing I headed up to the bathroom. I hadn’t even drunk that much, but I felt like my bladder was about to explode. As I was fixing my clothes, two girls walked in and as one went into a free stall, the other one stood on the outside and talked to her.
“Girl, I know you were cracking up inside that room,” the one inside the stall said.
“That bitch was determined to get in there. I only stayed in there because Davey told me to.”
Instantly I stood still. Was this the trifling bitch that gave him chlamydia? I became enraged.
“Davey is crazy. I’m glad he kicked her ass out of there. He knows you two belong together.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I finished fixing my clothing and without a second thought burst out of the bathroom stall. She stood back when the door flew open, shocked. I didn’t waste any time jumping on her. She fell to the floor from my weight and adrenaline combination. I began punching her, not giving her a chance to fight back. I grabbed hands full of her hair and began banging her head against the tile floor. Soon, there was blood coming from it. Her friend came from the stall, trying to jump on my back, but the bathroom attendant had already gotten security, who had come in just in time to pull her away. They grabbed me and as they pulled me away I gave her a couple of kicks. I continued to scream obscenities as they dragged me out of the club. Kiki noticed the commotion and ran from behind the bar.
“What the hell happened?”
“The bitch from the apartment was in there. I couldn’t let that shit slide, Kiki. I just couldn’t,” I admitted.
The security guards held on to me until the cops arrived and handcuffed me. What the hell did I get myself into now? Now I wasn’t using my head. The cops took me down to the 26th police district and put me in a holding cell. After all that I had been through that day the only person I could think to call was Davey. When I was allowed to make a call, I dialed his number. I was nervous as I waited for him to pick up.
“Hello,” his deep tone boomed through the receiver. “Davey?”
“Diamond?”
“Yeah, I’m locked up. I need you to come and get me.” “Locked up?”
“Yeah, I saw that girl, Davey, and I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t thinking.”
“That’s why she’s been blowi
ng my phone up. Diamond, I can’t believe you.”
“Could you just please come and get me? I don’t have anybody else to come.”
“All right, I’ll be there.”
I knew he would be upset about my actions, but I also knew he loved me and wouldn’t just hang me out to dry over a fling. Out of all the other incidents we’d had where another woman was involved, I never felt threatened until now. I always knew that they were just temporary and he’d drop them soon enough. This time was different, and it wasn’t until now that I realized what my feelings for him truly meant. If I’d lost him, I wouldn’t know what to do. I still felt bad about being there. I wasn’t a criminal; I didn’t belong there. I was simply a woman, crazy in love. Davey was mine and I wasn’t going down without a fight.
I sat in the cell determined to make things better between the two of us. I knew that there were just some things that I was going to have to deal with. Today was the first time that he’d ever told me to leave, and I wanted it to be the last. I didn’t want to lose him and whatever I had to do to keep him around, I planned on doing it.
Chapter Four
Mica: Role-Play
I lay stretched out across the bed trying to get some sleep. The day had been pretty long and I wanted to clear my head. I didn’t know where the hell Tyson was but I never knew where he was. His business was always kept separate from me and I actually liked it that way. I knew that there would be things that I didn’t like about it so I felt it was best that I knew nothing. We had been going strong for the past three months and I could admit that I never even wondered what he did when he wasn’t around. The bottom line was that he always took care of me; he even kept my mom’s bills paid, so I couldn’t complain.
The Black Diamond Trilogy Page 3
