COMPLICATED

by Chenell Parker

  She hated when Mekhi referred to Brent as her boyfriend. Brent had been her best friend since they were in elementary school. Their fathers were best friends, so they had no choice, but to be around each other. They never dated each other, but Mekhi swore that they were in love at some point. When she and Mekhi first started dating he assumed that Brent was her man, no matter how many times she told him otherwise. She regretted telling her husband that Brent was her first, but she didn’t think it was a big deal. They were actually each other’s first, but it was more about exploring sex than anything else. Brent and Rylee had tried a little bit of everything with each other, and he was the reason that she was so in tune with her sexual needs. She and Brent would sit around for hours watching porn. Once they were done, they would act out every scene of the movie they watched. Or at least, they tried to. They were very comfortable with each other, but it never went beyond their sexual needs. They were still good friends, and that would probably never change. Mekhi always said that Brent was the one who turned her into a freak. He was intimidated by Brent, but that was nothing new. Mekhi had to always be on top. It bruised his ego when another man had one up on him. He hated to feel like the underdog, so bragging was how he made himself feel better. That, amongst other things, was what Rylee was starting to despise the most. She had never seen that side of Mekhi while they were dating, but it was hard to miss now. Rylee made up her mind to have a talk with her husband the following day. They needed to get some things understood before things got you bad. She would hate for her husband’s insecurities to ruin their marriage, so she had to put a stop to it before it was too late.

  Chapter 5

  Zyrian sat on the upper level at MJ’s enjoying the drinks and music at his twenty-seventh birthday party. He really didn’t need a party to celebrate his special day, but Zyra wasn’t trying to hear it. She was happy to have him celebrate at home since he’d spent his last five birthdays behind a wall. The party had just gotten started, but lots of people were already there, with more people on the way. Zyrian looked around the club in admiration, thinking that he could see himself owning something like it one day. He loved how the party area was separated from the rest of the bar, but the enclosed glass area upstairs allowed him to see the happenings downstairs. He knew that Mekhi and Rylee were making a killing. He didn’t really care for Mekhi, but he couldn’t even hate on him. His bar was the shit inside and out. It was tastefully decorated, and the atmosphere was relaxing.

  “What’s up with your bitch?” Grim asked Zyrian as he went to stand next to him.

  “Man fuck her! That ain’t my bitch. I don’t know why I let Buck hook me up with her aggravating ass,” Zyrian fumed.

  “You needed some pussy that’s why,” Grim laughed.

  “That shit wasn’t even all that good. She fine and everything, but I’m not ready for what she wants. She trying to cuff a nigga and I ain’t the one. After five years of being locked down, I’m not even trying to be with one broad right now.”

  “I hear that cuz,” Grim replied. “And you know Dedy gon’ come running back when she finds out that you’re home. She must not know yet, or she would have been trying to find you.”

  “Fuck that bitch too! Ain’t no way in hell I’m going back to that. Five years and not one letter or visit. Then the bitch got a whole football team full of kids now. I ain’t playing daddy to nothing that didn’t come from my nuts,” Zyrian said making Grim weak with laughter.

  “Nigga you stupid,” Grim said as he continued to chuckle.

  He and Zyrian continued to make small talk until they spotted Mekhi and Rylee walk through the front door a few minutes later. Zyrian’s mouth flew open as his eyes traveled the length of Rylee’s body. The low rise hip hugger jeans that she wore showed off her flat toned stomach and belly piercing. Her cropped top displayed the colorful flowers that she had tattooed on both of her sides, giving her an edgy bad girl look. It was no surprise that Mekhi had his arm wrapped around her waist making sure everybody knew that she was with him.

  “Now that’s wife material right there,” Zyrian said pointing at Rylee.

  “Yeah, and that’s why she’s already married. Don’t even try to go there with that man’s wife Zyrian,” Buck said walking up at the end of the conversation.

  “Nigga, first of all, I don’t do married women. They got too many other bitches walking around here for me to settle for somebody else’s wife. And secondly, and let’s get this shit straight right now, that nigga Mekhi is your boy, not mine. I told you from day one that I didn’t like the nigga and ain’t shit changed since then,” Zyrian clarified.

  At first, Zyrian flirted with Rylee to get under Mekhi’s skin, but he was really starting to like her. At first glance, a person would think that Rylee was stuck up, but she was far from that. She was down to earth and very easy to talk to. She had a sense of humor, and that’s what Zyrian liked about her the most. But still, she was a married woman, and that was a deal breaker for him.

  “And you already know that me and Snake never could stand his punk ass. If it wasn’t for you and Rylee, he would have been came up missing,” Grim interrupted.

  “I know how y’all feel about the nigga, but that’s still my boy. I know he do some fucked up shit, but he’s cool in his own way,” Buck said coming to his friend’s defense.

  “And like I just said, it’s only because of you and Rylee that he’s still breathing. Snake been wanted to put him out of his misery. Ole fake ass nigga make me sick,” Grim replied.

  “And Zyrian how you checking for somebody else when my girl’s cousin came here for you,” Buck said jumping to another subject.

  “What that mean to me? Y’all invited her ass, so y’all need to entertain her. I can’t stand a nagging woman. I just met her ass a week ago, and she’s complaining already.”

  “Renata is good people, though. She just been through a lot with her last boyfriend. Zyra like her, so she must be a keeper,” Buck replied.

  “Zyra?” Zyrian yelled. “She can’t even pick a keeper for herself. You think I trust her ass to pick somebody for me?”

  “At least, acknowledge the girl bruh,” Buck pleaded.

  “I did acknowledge her. Didn’t I speak to her when y’all walked in?”

  “I’m not talking about just speaking to her. Go chill with her for a minute,” Buck pleaded.

  “Hell no! I’m trying to smash something new tonight,” Zyrian replied.

  “I see that nasty bitch, Brandy, been trying to get in where she fit in,” Grim interjected.

  “Brandy is a straight up hoe, but she got me curious, though. I’m trying to see what that mouth do,” Zyrian replied right as Rylee and Mekhi walked up.

  Mekhi looked around at all of the unfamiliar faces before his eyes finally landed on Zyrian. And just like every other time, Zyrian’s eyes were roaming his wife’s body, being disrespectful as usual.

  “Happy birthday big head,” Rylee smiled while handing Zyrian a gift bag and giving him a friendly one armed hug.

  “Thanks, lil girl,” Zyrian replied calling Rylee by the name that he’d been calling her since they first officially met. Rylee was twenty-five, but she could have easily passed for an eighteen-year-old with her pretty childlike face.

  Mekhi had his hand placed at the small of Rylee’s back, but he pulled her closer to him when he saw how hard she was being watched. When Rylee spotted Zyra and some of her family at a table on the other side of the room, she excused herself and moved away from her husband. Zyrian watched her the entire time that she walked away and made her way over to where they were. Mekhi really didn’t care where she went, just as long as she was away from the lustful stares that she was oblivious to receiving. He headed over to Buck and spoke to everyone right before taking a seat next to his friend. Needing to let everyone know that he was in charge, Mekhi called over the device in his ear and summoned a waitress up to the private party area to bring him a drink. Rylee’s cousin Nicole worked as a waitress at his ba
r, but she was busy fixing drinks on the bottom level with the other bartenders. She usually kept him, and Rylee’s glasses filled, but he was cool with whoever came to assist him at the moment.

  “You act like a nigga who ain’t never had nothing,” Zyrian said looking right at Mekhi as he spoke.

  “What?” Mekhi asked even thought he’d heard him loud and clear.

  “Nigga you heard what I said. Everybody know this your shit. You don’t have to put on a show for us.”

  “You sound like you mad or something,” Mekhi said with a cocky smirk on his face.

  “Nah nigga, dogs get mad. I’m just stating the obvious. They got a waitress up here already, but you hop on your lil earpiece to call another one. We know you own the spot. Ain’t no need for all that extra shit,” Zyrian said putting him on blast.

  “What you drinking bruh? We got a few bottles floating around up here,” Buck said trying to stop whatever drama that his cousin was determined to start. He knew that his brothers and cousin weren’t feeling Mekhi, but they took things too far sometimes.

  “I’m good, I just told them to send me something up,” Mekhi replied while mean mugging Zyrian.

  Although he would never admit it, Zyrian was right on point with what he had just said. Mekhi wasn’t privileged to grow up in a home with two loving parents like his wife did. His father left when he was younger, and he hadn’t seen him in years. His mother, Carolyn, raised him and his brother and sisters in the projects with the help of welfare and food stamps. His sisters started having babies in their teens, and that only made things at home harder for everyone. His brother Kendrick stayed in and out of jail and never kept a job long enough to help out. Mekhi was never a bad child, and he quickly became his mother’s favorite. He excelled in school and was the only one of the four of them to graduate high school. Thanks to his skills on the basketball court, Mekhi was awarded a full scholarship to college with room and board included. Of course his mother couldn’t do anything to help him, so he got a part time job off campus to make sure that all of his needs were met. He didn’t get a car until he graduated from college and that was only because Rylee’s parents had gotten it for him as a gift. He didn’t know where he would be without his wife and her family at the time. He would be forever grateful to them, even in death. As much as he’d been through when he was younger, Mekhi felt that he had the right to brag on all that he and his wife had acquired at their young age. He literally started from the bottom and worked his way up. Needless to say that Rylee was the brains behind all of his success, but he’d done his part as well. Zyrian and nobody else was going to make him feel bad about his accomplishments.

  “Here you go boss,” Angel, one of his waitresses, said handing him a drink.

  “Thanks, Angel. Do me a favor and see if my wife needs anything,” Mekhi said making her frown slightly.

  Angel wanted to protest, but she turned around and walked away without opening her mouth. When she got to the other side of the party area, she heard Rylee’s mouth before she actually saw her. She was laughing loud at something that probably wasn’t even all that funny.

  “Do you need anything Rylee?” Angel asked with an obvious attitude.

  “Who is this rude bitch?” Zyra yelled while pointing in Angel’s direction.

  “Don’t you start Zyra,” her mother, Glenda, said looking over at her. She and her husband Zachery came to hang out with their son for his birthday, but she didn’t need her daughter to ruin their night with her drama.

  “I’m not starting nothing, but she got an attitude with my friend, and I’m trying to see why,” Zyra replied.

  “Rylee can handle herself. She don’t need you to speak up for her,” Zachery told his daughter.

  Brandy and Zyra’s cousin China thought that the whole scene was hilarious. Both of them hated Rylee, and they were happy to see that Angel was handling her the way that she was. Brandy and China had gotten closer over the years since Zyra and Rylee had become best friends and they lived for mess.

  “Do you have a problem Angel?” Rylee asked looking over at the half naked women who stood before her.

  “No, I don’t have a problem. Your husband asked me to see if you needed anything and that’s what I was doing,” Angel replied.

  “I’m good, but I suggest you check your attitude at the door before you step to me again. If working here is too much for you, you know where the door is,” Rylee said right before she turned her back on her.

  “Now run along and bring us another bottle of this Crown apple,” Zyra said with a snap of her fingers.

  Angel felt played, but she walked away without replying. She needed her job, and Mekhi would fire her on the spot if she pissed off his beloved Rylee. That bitch wasn’t nobody special, but you couldn’t tell that to her husband. Angel didn’t know who Zyra was, but she would be damned if she got a bottle of anything if she had to bring it to her. She had no choice where Rylee was concerned, but Zyra could kiss her ass.

  Rylee watched Angel as she walked away with a scowl on her face and wondered what her problem was. This was the second time that Angel seemed to catch an attitude with her, but she was determined to make it her last. She excused herself from the group and made her way over to Mekhi.

  “Let me talk to you for a minute,” Rylee yelled to her husband over the loud music.

  Mekhi stood up and followed his wife over to a corner to see what had her looking so upset.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked.

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Angel got one more time to catch an attitude with me, and she gon’ be looking for another job. I don’t know what her problem is, but you better check that bitch before I do. She really got me hot right about now,” Rylee snapped.

  “I told her to come and see if you were straight.”

  “Yeah, but she came over there on some other shit. I’m trying to remain professional, but you already know that I ain’t the one. I’ll drag that bitch out of here by that matted ass wig on her head,” Rylee fumed.

  “Don’t even trip baby, you already know I’m on it. Go enjoy your friends. I’m going to look for her stupid ass right now,” Mekhi promised.

  Rylee walked away while Mekhi headed down the spiraled staircase in search of one of his employees. He also took the time to make sure that everything was running smoothly. Nicole and some of the other workers were busy fulfilling drink orders while a few waitresses took food orders and cleaned up some of the unoccupied tables. The kitchen area wasn’t huge, but it was big enough for them to cook and serve the wings, fries and other small appetizers that they offered. Mekhi looked around for Angel, but he didn’t see her anywhere. Just when he was about to give up and go back upstairs, he saw her coming from the employees break area in the back. They briefly made eye contact right before he walked up to her. He made sure that Nicole was occupied before he grabbed Angel’s arm and pulled her away.

  “What are you pulling on me for?” Angel asked as she yanked her arm from his grasp.

  “I need to talk to you for a minute,” Mekhi demanded as he headed towards his office with her following close behind him.

  “What’s up?” Angel asked as soon as they were alone.

  “You got a muthafucking problem?” Mekhi asked with his face contorted into a mean scowl.

  “What do you mean?” Angel asked feigning ignorance.

  “Don’t try to play dumb with me girl. You better not ever come at my wife sideways again. Whatever problem you have you better get over that shit and quick. You better be lucky that your ass still got a job. She was most definitely talking about firing you. And don’t look for me to help you cause ain’t nothing I can do if she wants you gone.”

  “Why would you even send me at your wife knowing how I feel about the situation?” Angel said shaking her head in disgust. She refused to shed any more tears over Mekhi. She’d done enough of that in the year that they’d been messing around, and she was tired.

  “I don’t give a
fuck how you feel. You knew what it was when we started this shit. Half of this bar belongs to her whether you like it or not. Whatever the fuck she says is the law up in this bitch. If you don’t like it then you need to be looking for yourself another job,” Mekhi argued.

  “So it’s like that Mekhi?” Angel asked trying to mask the hurt in her voice.

  “It’s just like that. Take it or leave it,” Mekhi stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Cool, maybe I do need to find another job because this one ain’t working out like I thought it would.”

  “That’s what’s up. Just let one of the managers know when your last day will be so we can be looking for somebody else to replace you,” Mekhi said as he opened the door for her to walk out.

  He walked away, but Angel retreated to the bathroom to get herself together. She promised herself that she wouldn’t cry, but she couldn’t help it. She was the dummy who fell in love with a married man, so it was her own fault. She didn’t have a reason to dislike Rylee, and she was wrong for how she treated her. After all, it wasn’t Rylee’s fault that she loved a man who clearly didn’t love her. Mekhi had shown her time and time again that Rylee was his top priority, but she still ran after him like a fool. Even when she ended up pregnant by him a few months ago, he made no attempts to be with her. He threw her a few hundred dollars to get rid of it and gave her a job at his bar just to shut her up. That was his way of keeping money in her pockets without actually giving it to her. That also gave him full access to her whenever he wanted her without them getting caught. Rylee’s cousin Nicole was the only one who they had to worry about, but Mekhi made sure that she and Angel never really worked the same shift.

  After about fifteen minutes, Angel walked out of the bathroom with a smile on her face as if nothing had ever happened. She was pissed, but she also needed her job. She was living with her sister, but she still had to pay her way. She refused to let Mekhi ruin her night while he continued to enjoy his. She grabbed a bottle of Crown apple and put it in a bucket of ice, right before she walked back upstairs.