Creepin': A New Orleans Love Story

by Chenell Parker

  “I didn’t know that y’all were coming over here London,” Rainey beamed. She was so happy to see her friend at the moment. At least she would have someone on her side for the time being.

  “We weren’t at first, but you know how my mama is. She was missing her man, so she decided to come over at the last minute. I didn’t know that you were going to be here either until I saw your car parked out front. And when did you get a car Mia?” London asked. She was shocked when she saw the personalized plates on the new model SUV out front.

  “Why?” Mia questioned with a frown. “I don’t fuck with you and I’m not a pretender.”

  “I just asked. I didn’t know your mama had it like that,” London laughed to cover up her embarrassment at Mia’s reply.

  “Bitch, you don’t know nothing about my mama. Mind your business before you get dealt with,” Mia yelled standing to her feet.

  London’s breath was caught in her throat when Mia walked towards her. She was always throwing shade Mia’s way, but obviously, she went too far this time. Tre stood to his feet and whispered in Mia’s ear trying to calm her down. Mia was small in stature, but he could almost guarantee that London couldn’t handle her in a fight. He saw her in action more times than he could count, and it was no match. London wasn’t feeling the exchange between the two of them, but she knew better than to say anything.

  “Calm down Mia, she was just joking,” Rainey said coming to London’s defense.

  “I’ve been trying my best not to go there with you, but you already know you can get it too Rainey. We’re not related by blood, so I don’t have a problem fucking over you either,” Mia warned. “Your stupid ass is always jumping in to rescue another bitch when you can’t even help yourself.”

  When Rainey saw the heated look on Tre’s face, she lowered her head and decided to shut up and stay out of it.

  “What’s going on?” Von asked when he re-entered the kitchen a few minutes later.

  Mia looked like she was ready for war and Tre seemed to be acting as a mediator. Nobody said anything and he didn’t bother asking again. He knew all of them well enough to know that they could keep a secret better than anyone else.

  “Let’s go London,” Cheryl said when she came from the back of the house.

  She looked like she’d been crying, but she kept her head down making it hard for anyone to really tell. London jumped up and almost ran to the door, and stood next to her mother like an obedient little girl. She was two seconds away from getting into her very first fight in all of her twenty years of living. She would rather die before she let Mia embarrass her in front of Tre.

  “I’ll call you later Rainey,” London promised her friend right before they left.

  “What’s wrong Mimi?” Von asked Mia. She was the only one standing there with a frown on her face, so he asked her first.

  “Nothing is wrong. I just had to put your stepdaughter in her place. I don’t know why she’s worrying about how I got my car,” Mia answered.

  “That’s what she asked you?” Von wanted to know.

  “Yep and that’s why I went off on her.”

  “I see she’s on that bullshit just like her mama,” Von fussed.

  “What happened with Cheryl?” Tre asked.

  “She came at me about some shit that she saw on Facebook. I don’t even do social media, so I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about. I never tried to hide the fact that Tanya came with me to Miami. She started all that crying and performing, so I told her ass that it was time to go. And why is London worried about what’s going on with you Mimi? I’m still shocked that Jabari bought you a car too, but that’s none of her damn business,” Von fussed as he turned and headed back to his bedroom.

  Mia and Tre locked eyes and smiled at each other, just like they always did. Rainey didn’t miss the connection and that confirmed what she suspected all along. Tre had bought Mia a brand new truck.

  ***

  “I need to talk to you about something,” Tre told Mia as they lay in bed talking later on that night. Von had gone out with Tanya and everyone else was in the living room watching TV.

  “What?” Mia asked as she turned her naked body around to face him.

  Whenever he said he needed to talk to her she knew that it wasn’t good. For his sake, he had better hope that he didn’t say anything to piss her off. She made it known that if she left him again it was for good and she meant it.

  “You remember when Ro was talking reckless when we had that fight not too long ago?” Tre asked.

  “Yeah I remember. And do you remember me giving you a chance to come clean to me about anything that you were hiding that very same day? Your chances with me have run out Tre. If you’re planning on telling me something that I won’t like, you better prepare yourself for the single life. I’m nobody’s fool and that includes you,” Mia spat seriously.

  “I know that baby, but listen to what I have to say before you talk about leaving me. You already know about it, but there’s more to the story.”

  “I’m listening,” Mia said giving him her undivided attention.

  “You remember when I was by Paige when I was supposed to be by Duke’s house? Well, you already know what went down with us, but Ro was there with me. When he was talking about me sharing you like I share the rest of them, he was talking about Paige,” Tre confessed. Mia had a confused look on her face until she caught on to what he was trying to tell her.

  “So, you and Ro had Paige at the same time?” Mia questioned.

  “Yeah, but please don’t get mad Mia. You asked me to be honest with you and that’s what I’m doing. I wanted to tell you when you asked, but I was too mad at the time.”

  “What about Rainey? Did you have sex with her too?” Mia asked. She held her breath and waited for him to answer. She prayed that he didn’t get down with Rainey because that was a deal breaker if he did.

  “What?” Tre yelled. “No I didn’t have sex with Rainey. I would never play you like that,” he swore.

  “Why did Ro say what he said then? He told you to do me like you do Rainey. What did he mean by that?” Mia wanted to know.

  “He got down with Rainey a few times too. When he told me about it, I told him that I didn’t give a fuck. He put all her business in the streets like she’s a hoe, and she still went back for more. I guess he felt like he could get with you too since he got the green light to go after her. You already know that I wasn’t having that shit. I don’t give a damn about what Rainey does, but he went too far when he touched you.”

  “Both of y’all are trifling,” Mia said speaking of him and Rainey. “She’s running around here talking about everybody like she got her shit together. Ro couldn’t pay me to let his ugly ass fuck me on my worst day. And you sharing pussy with your friends like it’s a blunt or some shit. Paige is too old and stupid to even let y’all play her like that.”

  “That shit was her idea. I was joking when I asked her to do it, but she made the shit happen for real. We talked about that a long time ago during one of my jail stays. I thought she forgot about it until she mentioned it to me again. I was talking about bringing another female in on it, but she’s the one who got Ro involved,” Tre replied.

  “Nigga, you better not ever play with me like that. It don’t even get that serious to keep a man.”

  “C’mon Mia, don’t even go there with me. I don’t want nobody to touch or even look at you for that matter. Why would I invite somebody else into the bed with us? I wasn’t trying to go there with her ass, but that was all on her. She ain’t my girl, so I don’t give a damn,” Tre shrugged.

  “Is that why you and Rainey haven’t been getting along lately?”

  “Yep,” he confirmed. “I tried to tell her stupid ass how Ro was throwing dirt on her name, but she wasn’t trying to hear me. Then she went back and told the nigga everything that I told her. She was trying to make it seem like I was a hater when I was only trying to look out for her. I was done with her after tha
t. I don’t give a damn what them niggas say about her now. You don’t know her like you think you do Mia. Rainey is an undercover hoe.”

  “Wow,” Mia said shaking her head. She would have never thought Rainey would even give Ro the time of day. He was always flirting with everybody, but she was the only one dumb enough to fall for his weak ass lines.

  “I need to tell you something else,” Tre said causing Mia to sit straight up in the bed.

  “Oh my God Tre!” Mia shrieked. “I can’t take hearing nothing else. I’m going home.”

  When Mia tried to get out of the bed, he pulled her back and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

  “It’s nothing like that Mia. I just wanted to tell you that I talked to Terri,” he hurriedly blurted out. She’d been on his back about calling his mama for weeks. He knew that she would be happy to know that he finally took her advice and made the call.

  “Really?” Mia smiled and relaxed into his tight embrace.

  “Yeah, we talked on the phone for a while. She wants me to go out to dinner with her soon.”

  “So, when are y’all going?” Mia asked excitedly.

  “I don’t know yet. I’m really trying to feel her out right now. It’s like, she just woke up one morning and decided that she wants her kids in her life and I’m trying to find out why. What makes her want to be a mother now when we’re all grown? Well, my brother and sister are still teenagers, but they’re not babies anymore. I just feel like she has a motive behind everything that she does.”

  “There’s only one way for you to find out,” Mia shrugged.

  Tre nodded his head and laid down with Mia resting comfortably on his chest. He was hoping that Von decided to stay the night with Tanya because he really didn’t feel like getting up. It felt good when he could be with Mia without having to look over his shoulder or wonder if they were being watched. That was the only thing that he would change about their situation if he were ever given the chance. He wanted the world to know that they were together and he hoped that it would happen soon.

  Chapter 15

  Paige posted up on the bike that her new boo drove to the park and watched all of the activities around her. Her brother and nieces were a part of the social and pleasure club that came out to do their thing, along with several others. It was their annual Super Sunday celebration on the Westbank and the park where the second line ended was overly crowed as usual. To most Americans, "Super Sunday" is the Sunday on which the NFL Super Bowl is played. However, in New Orleans, Super Sunday has a different, totally unrelated meaning. It’s a day for the city's Mardi Gras Indian tribes to put on their colorful suits, while marching in a procession through the streets of their neighborhoods.

  Half-naked women pranced up and down the sidewalk, vying for the attention of anyone who offered it to them. The kids jumped in spacewalks, while most of the men showed off their bikes and newly washed cars. There were grills going all over the place, and Von was occupying one not too far from where she stood. He always had a tent set up for all of his friends and family, and today was no different. Moonie had a tent set up right next to his and Dalvin was right there with all of them. He didn’t say two words to his own son, but he was out there throwing the football around with Moonie’s kids as if he helped to create them. Paige’s son didn’t care because he was busy playing with his own friends, but she was pissed. Tre was also in attendance on his lime green and navy bike, but Mia was nowhere around. Paige saw him talking to a few females, but he passed her right up without uttering a word. Since she was with her new man, she decided to give him and her baby daddy a pass for the day. She didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of everyone by causing a scene. She and Tre really didn’t deal with each other anymore, but that didn’t stop Paige from having feelings for her ex.

  When he came to her house a few months ago and got all of his work, she knew that he was serious about being done with her. He told her that he didn’t look at her the same after she was with him and Ro together, but she knew that was bullshit. He’d been acting distant with her long before that, but he used their threesome as his way out of her life. She regretted even acting upon one of his fantasies, but the damage was already done. It also didn’t help that Ro was going around telling everybody about what happened between the three of them. Paige forgot about how much he talked, especially when it came down to somebody that was dumb enough to have sex with him. Of course, she denied it, but it was still embarrassing.

  “I’m going take a walk and look for my brothers,” Paige’s new man, Dino said to her.

  She kissed his lips and blushed when he lightly tapped her ass before walking away. Dino was only twenty-three years old, but he was much more mature than Tre ever was when they were together. He actually wanted to settle down with her and he didn’t care about her past. She sunk her hooks in him the same way she did Tre, and it seemed to have worked. He even spent time with her kids and that was something that Tre never did.

  “You need to leave them young ass boys alone. And you wonder why you always out here fighting,” Paige’s brother, Peter said shaking his head.

  He was the oldest out of the three of them and he was always fussing at her about one thing or the other. She and her brother, Shad were closer and he was never as judgmental as Peter. Shad didn’t mind his daughters hanging out with Paige, but Peter kept his three kids far away from her if he wasn’t around. He and his wife always looked down on her and Shad. Even thought they were out there celebrating the festivities with them that day, they hadn’t seen them in months before that. Shad and her nieces lived in the same apartment complex as Paige, so she saw them just about every day.

  “He’s young, but he handles his business with me and my kids better than any man ever did. He takes care of them better than their own fathers. Dalvin is out here, but he hasn’t said one word to his son. He’s too busy playing daddy with the next bitch’s kids,” Paige snapped.

  “I thought he said that Damon wasn’t his?” Peter reminded her. “Did y’all take a blood test that I don’t know about?”

  “My son is his. He looks just like his no good dog ass,” Paige fumed.

  She was tired of Dalvin lying on her and denying their son. He begged Paige for a paternity test, but she refused. Her son was his, so there was no need for all of that. Damon was Dalvin’s twin and everybody said so. He swore up and down that Paige’s son wasn’t his, but that never stopped him from coming around. He never really did much for Damon, but he stayed in Paige’s bed more than she did. If he weren’t with Moonie, he would still be coming around to get some. Paige knew that it was Moonie that stopped him from coming around altogether. She was really hurt because she and Dalvin were actually in a relationship at one time. The way he was acting made it seem like they had a fling and that simply wasn’t true.

  “Don’t get mad with me. I’m just going by what he’s been telling me and everybody else,” Peter shrugged in and uncaring manner.

  He had a smirk on his face letting Paige know that he was enjoying his insults just a little too much. Arguing with him would only turn out bad, so she closed her mouth and let the conversation end with him having the last word. Paige posted up with her nieces and watched the action, trying hard not to let her brother’s words ruin her day. As much as she tried not to, her eyes kept wandering over to where Tre was. He looked so good in a simple white tee and blue jeans. He rode up and down the park with his friends like he didn’t have a care in the world. He passed by Paige and her family several times, but he never even looked her way. Knowing the history that they once shared, that hurt even more than Dalvin’s denial of her son.

  “Paige look,” her niece Shania, said pulling her away from her thoughts.

  Paige looked up right as Mia and Brandis exited a cute colored SUV. Her voice was caught in her throat when she saw the personalized plates that adorned the rear of the truck. There was no doubt in her mind that the vehicle belonged to Mia, but her mind was swimming with thoughts of
who purchased it for her. Her first thought was Von, but she didn’t rule Tre out either. Then the possibility of Moonie getting the money from Dalvin to buy it wasn’t impossible, seeing as how she had him wrapped around her finger.

  “I wonder how many dicks she has to suck every month to pay the note on that,” Paige joked making her nieces laugh.

  “Girl, check them out,” Shania instigated, as they all watched Mia and Brandis hop on the back of Duke and Tre’s bikes. “They can lie all they want to, but something is going on with them.”

  “I already know,” Paige agreed. And just like always, Peter had to put his two cents in.

  “So you’re out here with another man, but you’re still worrying about Tank?” he asked shaking his baldhead in disgust. “So what if he is messing with her? At least she’s in his age group.”

  That last comment did it for Paige. She was sick of her brother’s mouth and was ready for him and his entire family to go home.

  “Just in case you forgot I’m a grown ass woman. If you don’t like what I do or how I do it stay the fuck from around me. You always have something to say, as if your family is perfect. I like it better when you stay away,” Paige snapped right before she walked off with her nieces in tow.

  “I’m so happy you told his ass off,” Shania said as she followed behind her auntie.

  Her uncle Peter was always making her and her sister feel bad about one thing or another. He put his daughters and son on a pedestal, but they weren’t as perfect as he thought they were. His oldest daughter was a slut and the youngest one was following right in her footsteps.

  “He needs to get his ugly ass wife and his ugly ass children, and go home. I’m tired of him always minding my business,” Paige fumed.

  “He does the same thing to our daddy. He’s always telling him that he’s raising us wrong. His kids are no better, but he can’t see that,” Sariah chimed in.