He chuckled.
“Aight ladies…y’all be easy.” They all smiled and waved, even the eighty year old woman standing behind him in her church clothes. With that he turned, and bopped his smooth self through the aisles and out of sight.
“Chauncey, wait!” He heard the voice calling as he made his way to his midnight blue drop-top Aston Martin in the parking lot.
“Hold up, damn. You got a bitch running a marathon,” Lizette joked as she trotted up to him in her heels. Chauncey threw his bags in the backseat and slid in the front.
“What’s up, ma? What you want from me?” Chauncey kept it blunt. Always. He slid on his Versace shades as Rick Ross’ latest began to blast from the custom speakers at the start of his car.
“You in a rush?” She asked, leaning over giving ample view of the cleavage. Chauncey played it cool but wondered who had paid for those, they weren’t there in Newark. Sucka ass ball player, he thought.
“I always got somewhere I need to be,” he told her.
“Good, well then I’ll keep it brief.” Lizette smiled wide and her eyes slanted. She was a cute girl, more sexy than anything. “I wanna fuck you, Chauncey. Always wanted to. Never got the chance but didn’t wanna pass up on it twice.”
Chauncey laughed.
“What makes you think you ever had a chance, ma? …what makes you think you got one now?”
She shrugged.
“Wishful thinking, I guess. And for the simple fact…a leopard don’t usually change his spots.” She used her index finger to trace his jawline with a wicked laugh knowing Chauncey’s dog reputation. “I heard you was a sucker for good pussy.”
“I ain’t a sucker for shit.”
“Well then let me be the sucker for you,” she shot back. “And I’m a good sucker.”
Chauncey sighed. And this was the shit that happened to him.
“Nah…I’m good ma.” He was really trying to be, too. Good.
“Well you call me if you change your mind.”
She pulled out a receipt with her number already scribbled on it and tossed it in his lap. “And I’m sure you heard about me…the more the merrier.”
She threw him another smile and strolled away.
The real reason Lizette hated Sasha was because she could never have her and she always wanted her. She was a chick that liked to go both ways. Maybe now, she could have her chance. Or maybe she could have them both…or maybe she could just have Chauncey. But either way, she was gonna have something.
“It’s funny we meet again under these circumstances. You look good.”
“And when exactly is the hearing?”
Johnny smirked at the way Tatum diverted his compliment. She was a stickler at ignoring his advances. The same way she had ignored them when he invited her to lunch after he defended her in her custody battle with Nikki.
Now with him being the most prominent, well known, high paid, black lawyer on the East Coast, it was no surprise that he was the one Jayde had reached out to for Ree’s case. He was the best after all.
“The hearing is in the morning. 9 am.,” Johnny revealed as he took a sip from his coffee. He was seated on the couch of Tatum and Ree’s Atlanta based condo in his designer suit, legs crossed revealing his Ferragamo leather shoes. “Like I said, they will deny him bail. It’s standard for a flight risk. If they don’t do it, it will all look suspicious. At that time I will push for a separate arraignment with the requested judge. One week from now, he’ll be home.”
Tatum stared at him and her heart raced in anxiety. She prayed he was right.
“Just that simple, huh?”
Johnny smiled his handsome smile and his eyes twinkled as they took in Tatum’s simple beauty in her velour sweat suit. Her body was amazing and she was gorgeous to him. He’d always thought so.
“Just that simple. Look Tatum, that’s why we went this route. They have no witnesses, drugs were never found at his home, and he can’t be connected to any murders. Respect will be free to move when and how he chooses after this. Without your brother…they have nothing.”
Tatum narrowed her eyes at him. She hated the revelation that the death of her brother was the savior to Ree’s freedom. She couldn’t be happy about that even if she wanted to and she wanted to let him know the comment was tasteless. Before she could get a word out, Jayde stepped into the room and played referee.
“Don’t worry, Tatum. We have them all in the pocket. Money talks for these people…even for our friend Johnny here. We’ll have the right judge for this. It’ll be over before you know it.”
Tatum let out a sigh as she nodded slowly. Picking up her vanilla chai tea, she took a light sip. She placed the cup back down on the coffee table and before she knew it, Johnny had placed his hands gently on top of hers and whispered to her smoothly.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head with all of this. Let me do my job, baby. Respect is lucky to have a woman so devoted in his corner.”
Tatum looked up and stared at him in astonishment as her chest heaved. This man was flirting with her blatantly.
Johnny was very attractive, Tatum had even briefly entertained the lunch with him before her and Ree were officially back together. He had that debonair, young Billy Dee Williams thing going on. But he couldn’t touch Ree.
“Excuse me,” Tatum said taking her hands away. “He knows that.” She subtly waved her left hand so he could catch the blinding glimpse of her ring. Johnny smirked. Jayde looked on.
Just over the brim of her coffee cup filled with Bailey’s she witnessed the small yet visible exchange. It delighted her and she wondered what she could do with it.
“Johnny’s right, Tatum. You should trust him,” Jayde spoke up. “Everything will go as smooth as Respect promised you…just like he wanted.”
Tatum shot her eyes up to Jayde with a raised eyebrow and a heavy promise in her glare. This was her man they were talking about here.
“Yeah, well for your sake, Jayde…you better hope so.”
Sasha played with the phone in her hand but still hadn’t made a decision if she was actually going to do anything with it. She had rushed out of the hospital, ready to meet Chauncey and not caring too much about the nurse or anything she had to tell her pertaining to Jayde. Her mind was already on a million other things.
She felt like she wanted to burst. She needed to talk to someone about her feelings with the Tatum and Chauncey situation. She still hadn’t decided if she would, or how she would approach Chauncey with the information. She already wanted to talk to him about her other worries, about her feeling neglected, about how he had embarrassed her at the wedding and called her out her name, but the kiss with Bleek put her on the defense in her conscious.
Another thing that was eating at Sasha was that she genuinely missed her friend. In her heart she knew Tatum loved her and didn’t have feelings for Chauncey, it was more of the secret that crushed her. She didn’t know if they could ever be the same and that scared her.
Could she trust Tatum?
However, she felt kind of messed up carrying on a regular day to day norm with Chauncey, but basically cutting Tatum off. They hadn’t spoken in weeks, not since the wedding. Her girl was pregnant, newly married, and from what she had heard from Chauncey, dealing with Ree turning himself in. Yet, Sasha still was sitting here debating reaching out. But on the contrary, she lay down night after night with Chauncey as if he had done nothing wrong. Wasn’t he just as foul for keeping the secret?
Last, but certainly not least. Sasha couldn’t get the whole situation with her mother, Mickel, and Jayde out of her mind. When did life become so complicated? Where did all of these secrets come from, and were they all better off when the secrets were buried?
“People always say they want the truth…but the truth is shot to shit! Give me a damn lie and my old life back,” Sasha mumbled as she heard the keys jingle in the door.
“Ah, check you out…let me find out you just hung up wit’ some nigga when you hear
d me coming,” Chauncey joked as he stepped inside with a grocery bag and a bouquet of pink roses. Sasha knew he was trying to get in her good graces.
“Yup…told my sidepiece I’d have to call him back,” she replied blasé, nestling the cordless back on the charger. Guess she wouldn’t be calling Tatum this evening either.
“Ah, you a slick one, huh?”
“Learned from the best,” Sasha quipped.
Chauncey ignored the comment and placed the bag down, then handed her the flowers.
“C’mon…truce, princess. I love you. I’m sorry…”
Sasha narrowed her eyes at him.
“Sorry for what?”
The question threw Chauncey off. He had to think. He was always used to being sorry but never remembering too much why.
“What…What you mean? For everything.”
Sasha laughed and took the flowers.
“You don’t even know.” She started to walk away but he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Damn he felt so good and smelled so good, she wanted to stay mad at him but he made it hard.
“Hold on, hold on, hold on, baby…Of course, I know…” He brought his lips to her ear and spoke in his deep baritone. “I’m sorry for not being around more. I’m sorry for these nights I’ve been out in the streets…not being here with my family.” He turned her around and looked at her sincerely, cupping her sweet face in his hands. “I’m sorry for forgetting the anniversary and the broken promises. And I’m sorry for the way I treated you at the wedding. I was dead wrong for that shit. I’m sorry for all that... I love you, kid.”
Sasha looked into his eyes and saw all of that love too. She knew Chauncey had the fuck up gene in him. But she knew he loved the shit out of her. She thought about Bleek and she instantly felt guilty.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
A slow smile crept on Chauncey’s face as he hugged her tight and kissed her on the forehead.
“Let me grab the rest of these bags. I’m cooking up a lil’ sumthin’ for my baby tonight,” he winked. “Chef Boy R’ C…”
Sasha rolled her eyes playfully as she followed him out to the car. The sweet smell of the grass and the peacefulness of the neighborhood made Sasha smile slightly.
“What you making…chicken?”
“No, not chicken,” Chauncey laughed, mimicking Sasha’s southern accent.
He opened up the doors and leaned down to get one of the bags off of the floor that had toppled over.
“Damn…Sash, get those cans over on that side.” She walked around and bent over to grab the canned vegetables.
“You know…heating up cans ain’t cooking, Chaunc,” she joked. “Everything better not be in a ca…”
Her words trailed off as Chauncey gathered the things and began to make his way in the house. He turned as a result of the silence.
“Yo, Sash…you com-” The sight of Sasha standing there, holding the receipt with Lizette’s number scribbled in pink marker halted his words. “Yo, that ain’t even…”
“That ain’t even what, Chauncey? What is it then? ‘Cause it looks like a bitch’s number on a fucking grocery receipt! What the fuck do you have it for?”
Chauncey blew out air in annoyance.
“I tossed that shit on the floor, Sash. I ain’t care about that shit.”
“Then what the fuck do you have it for? That don’t answer nothing! How did you get it?”
“She came up to the car bumping her gums and gave it to me! That bitch Lizette from Jersey down here…I saw her at Whole Foods and she followed me out-”
“Oh! How convenient! Lizette from Jersey just happened to bump into you? The same Lizette that always wanted to fuck you and can’t stand my ass. Don’t you get it Chauncey? You be giving them bitches what they want! Why the fuck did you take her number if you don’t want it!”
“I didn’t take the shit, Sasha!” He screamed, getting angry. A few neighbors had started peeking their heads out. “She tossed the shit in the car.”
“Then you should’ve tossed it back at her trifling ass!”
“Sasha…I’m not arguing out here about this. I didn’t take that girl fucking number. Now bring yo’ ass in the house.”
“Fuck you Chauncey!”
“Daddy! Mommy!” Aubrey cried, standing at the doorway. She had obviously awakened from her nap and was now distraught at the sight of her parents fighting.
“Don’t worry, baby. Daddy and Mommy coming. Go back inside,” Chauncey tried to coax.
“No! Daddy’s coming,” Sasha spoke up. “Mommy’s taking a little ride, and she’ll be back!”
Chauncey had made the mistake of leaving the key to the car in the seat and that was all the opportunity Sasha needed. With everything that was already on her mind, this was the last straw…she needed to get away!
“Sasha,” Chauncey half chuckled, about to call her bluff. “C’mon yo, you got on slippers and shit. Bring yo’ ass in here.”
Sasha didn’t care if she was barefoot. She hopped in the driver’s seat of the Aston Martin and started the car quickly.
Chauncey dropped the bags and started toward her, forcing Sasha to throw the car in reverse out of the driveway. Slamming on the gas she powered the car in full gear, smashing into the garbage cans hard.
“What the…yo, chill!” Chauncey yelled, throwing his hands on his head in despair. The Aston was his baby.
“Don’t worry about where I’m going either!” Sasha shouted, making a sharp left and knocking over the mailbox on the curb. That was sure to leave a dent or at least scrape the paint.
“Sasha! What the fuck! Stop, yo! Please!”
Sasha laughed like a madwoman.
“Stop yo! Please! Look at you, crying like a little bitch. Why Chauncey? ‘Cause I’m hurting your car? Abusing it? Treating it like shit? Now you know how it feels!” Sasha pedaled the gas hard just as Chauncey was reaching her at top speed. Angry she was, but stupid she was not. She knew he was pissed.
“Don’t wait up, princess!” She shouted as she sped down the street, waving her ring-less left hand. As hurt as she was, it felt damn good.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
“What the…”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bleek placed the weight bar on the bench and sat up. Someone was banging on his door like the fucking feds.
He tried to think…quickly. He had nothing there, no weed, no nothing in case it was the police.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bleek slipped to the door quietly more than curious about his visitor. Few knew about this apartment, not even his baby mother. Just Ree, Jayde, Chauncey, and …
“…Wow.” He pulled the door open after looking through the peephole.
“Can I come in?” Sasha’s nose was red, her face was wet and she looked like a fine ass Bambi, even if she had on fluffy pink slippers with her blue sundress.
“Uh…yeah.” Bleek stepped aside and let her pass. The space was small so the motion had them close, which built the already palpable tension. Sasha tried not to focus on his exposed abs and his slim yet muscular frame. He was shirtless, with basketball shorts that hung loose just under his deep V. A doo-rag adorned his usual low cut.
“Working out?” Sasha asked casually.
“Trying to…til’ you started banging on the door like the damn boys. What’s good wit cha doe, shawty? You straight?”
Bleek knew she wasn’t, but in a way he was glad. It was what had gotten her here. He closed the door and motioned for her to have a seat on the couch.
Sasha took a deep breath and walked over to the sofa. For a bachelor’s pad, the apartment was pretty neat. It wasn’t huge, but it had all of the necessary amenities – flat screen TV, stereo, weights, couch, and big ass bed. She took a seat.
“Yeah…I’m fine. I just needed…I needed to get away for a minute. And I remember you let me come here before,” she smiled lightly. “Plus…we needed to talk anyway.”
Bleek remembered the time a few months ago when her and Chauncey had an argument. He told her she could chill at his extra spot and relax until she was cool to go back. He had no hidden intention then, but he figured that it was still obvious he had cared about her feelings in some way.
TTW 3 ( Thicker Than Water 3 ) Page 16
