by Charae Lewis
Jessica Watkins Presents
Summer Of ’16 – Part 2
Summer’s Over
by Charae Lewis
Copyright © 2016 by Charae Lewis
Published by Jessica Watkins Presents
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Without limiting the right under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
“If you really want it, I mean really, really want it, then you gon’ have to get it right.”
-Teedra Moses
Chapter One
Asia sat inside of her car feeling like she was starring in a Lifetime movie. Walking away from the love of her life had been the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. The painful look on Dinero’s face tore her into itty-bitty pieces. Asia wanted so desperately to forgive him and start their union all over again, but she couldn’t. He’d treated her like he hadn’t taken vows with her. Dinero had handled her as if she was nothing more than a one-night stand. There was no way Asia could go back to him knowing that he could walk away and leave her over something as trivial as a rumor. She slowly pulled out her phone and dialed her sister, Aimee.
“Hello?” Aimee answered.
Asia released a sigh. “I've never cried this much in my life. I swear Dinero is the worst.” She sniffled.
“I take it that things didn’t go so well.”
Asia had just met with her soon-to-be ex-husband, Dinero, to end their six month marriage. He didn’t take the news so well and even busted out her car window.
“No, they didn’t. Do you know this bitch busted out my car window? I could’ve killed him,” Asia fumed.
Aimee gasped. “Are you serious? He went that far? Let’s go jump his crazy ass.”
“Fuck him.” Asia paused. “I'm finished with him for good.”
“Do you mean that?”
“I do. I don’t want to, but he’s no good for me. He has taken me through so much heartbreak. I'm so stressed out that my hair is starting to break off.”
“It’ll get better for you, sis. I know you love Dinero, but he took you through so much unnecessary bullshit. I think it’s best that you guys go your separate ways.”
“Yeah, I know,” Asia replied somberly. “I'm about to go in the house. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, bye.”
Asia hung up the phone and got out of the car. Her life was in shambles, and the only person responsible for that was Dinero. She refused to be that weak woman who took her man back every time he cheated. She wasn’t going to allow him to get away with breaking her heart. Asia had to walk away with some kind of dignity even though she knew it would hurt.
****
Dinero sat inside of his ride, examining his swollen hand. He’d done a number on Asia’s window. He’d had no intentions of damaging her property, but her insistence that they get a divorce had caused him to become consumed with so much rage. Dinero had lost control of his life and he had no one to blame but himself. He never should’ve left Asia for a month and started dealing with his ex-girlfriend, Cadence. Regret had begun to fill his body with the thought of how he’d damaged his wife.
Dinero thought that Asia had cheated on him with a guy named Sheek. When the truth came out that she had never been with him intimately, he felt sick to his stomach. The most excruciating piece to this painful puzzle was that Asia was pregnant, but she’d miscarried. Dinero was hurt by the news, but he was more remorseful because he was absent. He’d let her down by not showing up for her. They hadn't discussed the miscarriage, and truthfully, he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to be reminded of how terrible of a husband he had been to her.
Dinero needed someone to talk to, so he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his father, Dom.
He picked up after the third ring. “What's up, Dinero?” he answered.
“Pops, I need to talk to you. Are you at home?”
“Nah, I'm at Jimmy’s bar. You can come down here.”
“A’ight. I'm on my way.”
Dinero hung up and started driving toward his father’s best friend’s bar. He made it to his destination within twenty minutes. When he walked in, he was greeted by blues music and old heads sippin’. Dinero spotted Dom sitting at the bar.
“What’s up, Pops?” he greeted him and then took a seat next to him.
Dom gave him a look and then shook his head. “I heard about your ass. I could slap the shit out of you.”
Dinero twisted his face. “What do you mean?”
“So you’ve really been fucking with that lil’ bitch, Cadence? Are you fucking crazy? Do you know who her mother is? That’s the shadiest bitch in America. She used to set niggas up until somebody ran her trifling ass out of Milwaukee.”
Dinero released a sigh. “I know, Pops. I fucked up.”
“Nah, you don’t know shit!” Dom gritted. “You don’t know if they were trying to set you up or what. Why the fuck did you get married to turn around and cheat? You should’ve just stayed single if that’s the case.”
“Listen, I was drunk when I married Asia. I only stayed married because I didn’t want to lose her.”
“You see how that turned out didn’t you,” Dom smartly quipped.
Dinero knew that everything his father was saying was true. He just hated that it had to hurt this badly.
“You know your mama called me and told me to check your ass. When she told me that you were fucking around with Cadence again, I wanted to beat your ass.”
“My mama called you?” Dinero asked surprised. His parents didn’t speak at all due to some deep-rooted family issues.
“Yeah, she called me. I don’t know why you're shocked. We share three sons and grandchildren. We have to speak at some point in time.”
“Yeah, I guess you're right.”
Dom turned his body so he could face Dinero. “What the fuck is up with you running away every time you have a problem? Did I raise you like that? Why are you acting like a spoiled fucking brat?”
“I'm not, Pops. I just—”
“You’re just nothing.” Dom cut him off. “I told you when you were younger that I was raising men and not no damn punks. Running away from your problems is a bitch move. I didn’t spoil y’all growing up. Yeah, I had money, but I made sure that y’all worked for everything. I didn’t give y’all shit.”
Dinero was furious inside because everything that Dom was saying was true.
“You know what happens when your brothers have problems? They handle that shit like men. They don’t run away and leave their wives for weeks at a time. Grow the fuck up, Dinero and be a man. Face your problems head-on like the rest of us. You will not carry my last name acting like a lil’ bitch.”
Dinero sat there nibbling on his bottom lip. He was trying his best to control his anger. He hated the way that Dom had spoken to him, but he knew that it was imperative that he hear what he was saying. He did often run away from his problems instead of facing them. Reality had set in and Dinero realized that he should’ve handled his wife with better care.
“Now if Asia wants a divorce, then give it to her. You can’t make her be with you.”
“To be honest, Pops, I don’t wanna be without her
. I don’t want a divorce.”
“That’s too fucking bad. Give her what she wants and move the fuck on. You caused all of this drama, so deal with it. And as far as Cadence is concerned, you stay away from that bitch. I don’t wanna have to pull out my khakis because she set you up. Do what I said, Dinero. I'm not playing with your ass,” Dom ordered.
Dinero released a deep breath and took in his father’s words. It was going to hurt him like hell to see Asia walk away from him, but Dom was right. He couldn’t make her stay with him. Deep down inside, Dinero did want Asia to be happy, but if she couldn’t with him, then so be it. He was going to have to live with the fact that he had caused all of the turmoil in his marriage. Dinero had no choice but to give Asia the divorce she wanted and move on.
Chapter Two
Six months later…
“Can I get a kiss?”
Asia smiled and then puckered her lips to meet Trystan’s. She had been dating him for the last two months and she couldn’t deny her attraction to him. He was one of the hottest rappers on Fabian’s label. Trystan had been chasing her ever since he got signed. Asia had finally given in and allowed him to take her on a date. While she had stressed that she wasn’t ready to be in a relationship yet, she still enjoyed his company.
“What is your fine ass about to get into?” he asked and licked his lips.
She grinned. “I'm about to edit some photos.”
Trystan wrapped his arms around Asia’s waist and kissed her cheek. She squirmed in delight from his touch.
“I'm supposed to do an appearance at The Eight on Friday. I would appreciate it if you came with me.”
Asia thought for a moment before she said, “I’ll think about it.”
“Word? I can’t get a yes?”
“Nope.” She laughed. “Nah, but for real, I’ll come.”
“A’ight. Bet. I’ll call you later.”
They shared a brief kiss before parting ways. Asia walked to her office while Trystan left out the door. Life for her had been one big adjustment. Living without Dinero had been hard, but more peaceful. When she first requested a divorce, he was devastated, but he eventually granted her wish. Usually, the divorce process would take a while, but because Dinero had money and connections, he was able to get the proceedings expedited. After their divorce was finalized, Asia and Dinero went their separate ways and never looked back. It saddened her that they couldn’t even share a friendship, but she knew she could never be friends with him. She held too much love in her heart for him. Even at the present time, Asia still loved Dinero a great deal. He was someone that had made a lasting impact on her life.
Sometimes at night, Asia would lay in bed and replay memories of when they were together. She missed the good ol’ days of laughing until her stomach hurt at his mean jokes. She missed his sense of humor as well as his touch. But then memories of how he had played her would surface and cause a lump to form in her throat. Kellan walked in, interrupting her thoughts.
“I saw you.”
“Saw me doing what?” Asia quizzed.
“I saw you kissing Santa Claus aka Trystan,” she joked.
Asia laughed. “That wasn’t me. That was Aimee.”
“Girl, bye because if that was Aimee, Big would've shot up the entire office.”
“Okay, okay, it was me. We’re trying to keep our friendship on the low.”
Kellan took a seat. “So you like him, huh?”
“I do. He’s a cool guy.”
“He is and his ass can rap,” Kellan agreed. “I'm glad to see that you're finally moving on from Dinero.”
“Yeah, me too. Are you ready for the shoot tomorrow?” Asia asked, changing the subject.
“Yes, but I'm leaving early, so I can get some rest. The baby kept me up all night.” Kellan had given birth to a baby boy named Brayden.
“Aw, how’s he doing with his handsome self?”
“He’s good. Braylon still hogs him from me. Other than that, he’s doing great.”
“That’s good. Well, I’ll be here editing the pictures from last week.”
“A’ight, chick. I’ll see you later.”
Kellan walked out of the office while Asia pulled out her laptop. She had been the label’s photographer for the last five months. At first, Asia was reluctant to come back since she’d had bad blood with the label’s old president, Sheek. But since he no longer worked there, Asia decided to come back full time. In fact, several months back, Sheek had been found dead in his backyard. The police had no leads on his murder, but Asia had her suspicions, but she wouldn’t dare speak on them. In her opinion, she felt like he deserved it since he was one of the reasons why she was divorced.
Asia was happy with her career life. Being a photographer had always been a dream of hers, and to actually do it full time put a smile on her face. Fabian and Braylon were great bosses, and working alongside Kellan and Kylie was a breeze. Asia was finally getting her life back on track, and it felt good.
****
Dinero stepped inside of his office and took a seat. He had just come to his car wash to ensure that things were being run properly. He had been busy getting a second location together. Dinero decided that he wanted to start a franchise of car washes. His business had been doing so well for the past few years that it only made sense to open another location.
Dinero pulled out his cell phone and looked at the picture of Asia. He still had her photo saved as his screensaver. He missed her immensely and wished that he could right his wrongs. After their divorce was finalized, Dinero felt like he’d experienced a death in his family. Asia had expressed to him that she didn’t want to keep in contact with him. He respected her wishes and let her go completely. But the pain that resided in his heart was still very present.
Dinero missed everything about Asia, from her laugh down to her scent. In fact, he slept with her pillow that she’d left at the house that they’d once shared. He would give one of his kidneys away to have her back in his life. He had tried being with multiple girls in hopes of getting over Asia, but it didn’t work. It only intensified his desire to have her back in his life. Dinero pulled out his phone and dialed Aimee’s number.
“What's up, Dinero?” she greeted.
“What is your soy sauce drinking ass doing?”
Aimee chuckled. “You're a fucking jerk. What the hell do you want? I'm feeding DJ right now.”
“What has Asia been up to?”
Every week, Dinero would call Aimee to check up on how Asia was doing. This was something that they kept between the two of them. Asia had no idea that Dinero was checking on her through her sister.
“She’s good. Nothing new with her.”
“Does she need some money?”
“I don’t think so. I believe she’s okay on money.”
“Well, I’ma drop some off anyway. I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Bye.”
Dinero hung up and then stood from his seat. He walked out of his office and was greeted by his latest fuck buddy, Laree. She and Dinero had been dealing with each other for a few months now. He wasn’t really into her like she was into him. He only kept her around because she was a sweet girl with good pussy. She was very petite, standing at five feet even with a cinnamon complexion. She wore her hair in faux locs. Laree’s eyes were small and catlike with a button nose and thin lips. Her body was average with very little curves. His trusty employees, Meesha and Terri, eyed Laree as she smiled at Dinero.
“What's up?” he asked her while standing behind the front desk.
“Nothing. I just wanted to see you. Can we talk in your office?” she asked.
Without saying a word, Dinero headed for his office with Laree on his heels. She sat in the seat in front of his desk while he sat on top.
“So, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies with me. That new Kevin Hart movie just came out.”
Dinero shook his head. “I don’t go to the movies.”
“Why not? It’ll be fun.”
“Listen, I'm not that dude to do that with. I don’t go on dates and shit. I suggest that you get someone that will go with you on that type of shit.”
“I don’t want to get anyone else. I'm rocking with you,” she spoke excitedly.
He rolled his eyes. “I'm not boyfriend material. Honestly, I'm not looking to be with you.”
“I think I can change your mind.” She smirked.
Dinero kissed his teeth. “You ain't changing shit. Don’t start no bullshit because you won’t win when it comes to me. Just play your fucking position.”
“And what might that be?”
“Keeping my dick wet.”
Laree rolled her eyes. “Well, that was rude.”
“So what? Deal with it. If you don’t like it, then move around.”
She stood to her feet and grabbed her purse. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Dinero watched her walk out of his office. He may have been harsh with her, but he had to be honest. He didn’t want to be in a relationship with anyone. He wasn’t going to get Laree’s hopes up, causing her to think that they had a shot at becoming a couple.
Minutes later, Meesha and Terri walked in.
“We don’t like her. You need to get Asia back,” Terri declared.
“And I don’t like that fucked up hair cut you got. So now we’re even,” he joked.
Meesha smacked her lips. “I see why Asia left your dusty ass. You ain't shit.”
“Your mama ain't either. I just saw her funky ass trying to sell some cans to the junkyard.”
Terri laughed but stopped when Meesha cut her eyes at her.
“You know what? You just hurt my feelings. I'ma take the rest of the day off,” Meesha stated.
“Get your ass outta here then. Terri can handle it. Don’t expect me to pay your ass either.”
“We don’t get paid for time off?” Meesha questioned.
“Hell nah. If you don’t work, then you don’t get paid,” Dinero fussed.
Meesha smacked her lips. “Never mind then. You're a horrible boss.”
