Summer of '16 - Part 2: Summer's Over

Home > Other > Summer of '16 - Part 2: Summer's Over > Page 3
Summer of '16 - Part 2: Summer's Over Page 3

by Charae Lewis

Asia shook her head. “No, I'm not ready. Besides, you need to focus on your career and not have me as a distraction.”

  “You definitely wouldn’t be a distraction, but I hear you. I’ma wait for you, though.”

  Asia stood from the bed and gave him a sweet kiss. Trystan was a good guy and she actually had feelings for him. But Asia wasn’t ready to be tied down to someone. She liked the feeling of being free and just having fun. She didn’t want to lead Trystan on, so she decided to always be honest with him.

  “That’s sweet, babe, but shouldn’t you get going? Don’t you have a flight to catch?”

  “Yeah, I do. Let me go wash up,” he said and then walked into the bathroom.

  Asia laid back in the bed feeling sexually satisfied. She was finally starting to feel like her old self again and she refused to give that up. Trystan would just have to deal with her decision to remain single.

  Chapter Four

  “So, what do you think?” Laree asked.

  Dinero chewed on the piece of chicken and then instantly spit it out. Laree had expressed to him that she was a great cook, but Dinero found her chicken to be extremely dry.

  “Damn, you fried all of the juices out of it. This shit tastes like sand paper,” he complained.

  Laree rolled her eyes and smacked her lips. “Give it back. I try to cook for you, and you're never satisfied.”

  “I didn’t ask you to cook me shit. You're trying to kill me with that ashy-ass chicken. Shit, I’ma get a sore throat trying to swallow that shit.”

  “Whatever, Dinero. You're a jerk.”

  Dinero laughed and checked his messages with Laree intently watching him as his eyes scanned the phone.

  “Who’s Asia?” she asked, eyeing the tattoo on his hand.

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “I already know who she is. She’s your ex-wife who’s a photographer.”

  Dinero cut his eyes at her. “How do you know that?”

  “I went on her Instagram page and looked. She’s very pretty. Are you ever going to get her name covered up?”

  “Why the fuck were you on her Instagram page? Stay out of her shit! And don’t worry about if I'm getting her name covered or not. You’re a fucking nosey-ass girl,” he fussed.

  “I was just curious.”

  “Curious for what? She has nothing to do with you, so stay away from her. Don’t let me find out that you’re trying to get information on her either.”

  “I can tell by the way that you're snapping at me that you still have feelings for her.”

  “The only person you should be worried about me having feelings for is you. I don’t like that you're all on Asia’s Instagram page. That’s a red flag for me.”

  “I didn’t do it with ill intentions, Dinero. I was just a little interested in the girl you were married to,” she explained.

  “Well, you shouldn’t be. You need to be more concerned about the chicken your ass just over cooked and not my ex.”

  Laree huffed. “Why do you have to be so mean? All I did was ask you a question, and you bit my head off.”

  Dinero stood from the couch. “Are you done? I'm about to bounce.”

  “Why are you leaving?” she questioned.

  “Because I don’t want to be around you right now. I’ll call you when I feel like being bothered with your nosey ass.”

  Dinero walked to her front door and opened it. Laree hurried and grabbed her coat then followed Dinero outside. He looked back with an agitated look on his face.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I'm going with you.”

  “No, you’re not. Take your irritating ass back in the house.”

  “Come on, Dinero,” she whined. “I wanna hang with you.”

  “So you're not going to go back in the house?”

  “No. I'm spending time with you today.”

  Dinero nodded his head and then picked up some snow. He formed it into a ball and then smirked at her.

  “You wouldn’t,” she dared him.

  “You better take your ass back in the house or I'm smacking your ass with this snow.”

  “I told you that I'm going with you.”

  Without warning, Dinero threw the snowball at Laree’s face. The cold snow stung her skin as she tried so desperately to wipe it off. He then took the opportunity to get inside of his car while she was distracted. He laughed as he started the engine.

  “You punk! I should kick your ass!” she yelled.

  Dinero drove off, laughing hysterically. It felt good to throw that snowball in Laree’s face. She was too damn nosey, and he felt like she deserved it. He didn’t like that she was checking up on Asia through social media. Dinero needed her to stay in her place and not act like they were a couple. He would drop Laree in a heartbeat if he had to.

  ****

  “Asia, what are you doing tonight? I need to get out of the house,” Paris groaned on the other end of the phone.

  “Why? You had a long week?”

  “Yes, and then Keece’s ugly ass has an attitude with me because I took a picture with my friend, Tony.”

  Asia laughed. “Damn, he’s that jealous? And why are you calling your man ugly?”

  “’Cause he is ugly, especially when he gets mad. I called Cam, but she’s spending time with her aunt who’s in town. I called Aimee, and she said DJ had an ear infection. You know I don’t fuck with other people, so you gotta go with me to get a drink. I might even invite Kylie too.”

  “I’ll go if you come get me.”

  “Okay, Cool. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Asia hung up the phone and hopped in the shower. She had planned on having a boring night at home since Trystan was on the road. All day, he had been texting her and they’d even hooked up on FaceTime. He’d extended an invite for Asia to come to his show in Miami. She happily agreed since she was in need of some sun. The winters in Milwaukee were brutal, and she needed an escape. Asia decided to throw on her leather jacket, black BRASH tee, black jeans, and black high heel boots. She wore her hair wild and curly with a furry hat to match. After thirty minutes or so, Paris finally pulled up. Asia hopped in the car, waving her hands over the vents in the car.

  “Remind me why I live in Milwaukee again? It’s cold as shit,” Asia complained.

  Paris drove off. “Girl, I know. This cold makes you not wanna even come out of the house.”

  “So where are the girls?” Asia asked, referring to Paris’ two daughters.

  “They’re with my mom. I needed a damn break.”

  “So Keece is really mad about you taking a picture with your friend?”

  “He said that his hand was too low on my waist.” Paris gave Asia a side eye. “In actuality, we could’ve been feet apart, and Keece still would've had some shit to say.”

  Asia giggled. “Aimee did say that Keece was crazy over you. Let me find out that you have to sleep with one eye open.”

  “Nah, he’s crazy but not that bad. I honestly believe you used to be with the craziest brother.”

  Asia rolled her eyes. “Dinero wasn’t crazy. He was just misunderstood.”

  “Bitch!” Paris yelled. “He has a couple screws loose. Don’t try it, Asia. You know that man is not wrapped too tight.”

  “Okay, okay, he is a little off, but leave him alone.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  Paris and Asia made small talk on their way to the bar. It was quite packed when they first arrived. They walked in and spotted Kylie seated at the table by herself. They walked over and took a seat.

  “You weren’t waiting too long were you?” Paris asked Kylie.

  Kylie shook her head. “No, I got here five minutes before you guys did. What’s up, Asia? I haven’t seen you at the office this week. You must be booked to capacity.”

  “I was this week.” Asia smiled. “I've been shooting like crazy. How come you didn’t go on the road with Fabian?”

  “The kids and I are gonna fly out to be with
him tomorrow. You know he can’t go days without me,” she joked.

  “Don’t front on Fabian. You know you're whipped too,” Paris shot.

  “Mind your business, Paris.” Kylie laughed.

  “Y’all are crazy,” Asia said and then looked around the bar. It was a mixed crowd with old heads and young people. When Asia looked to her right, her heart rate sped up. Dinero was sitting next to Keith with a drink in his hand. She also spotted a woman next to him who was a little too close for her comfort. Asia turned her head with a flustered look on her face.

  “What's wrong with you?” Paris asked.

  “I just saw Dinero.”

  Kylie and Paris looked around excitedly until they saw him on the other side of the bar.

  “Aww, you see your ex-baby daddy,” Kylie teased.

  “You should go say hi to him,” Paris suggested.

  “Hell nah,” Asia gritted.

  “Why not? You have to show him that you're doing well without him,” Kylie stated.

  “Girl, fuck him. I'm going to the bathroom.”

  Asia shot from her seat and then walked to the bathroom. When she got inside, she took a couple deep breaths so she could regulate her heartbeat. She hadn't seen Dinero since their divorce was finalized. She hated to admit to herself that old feelings were starting to surface. Seeing his face tonight made Asia miss everything about Dinero. It also fumed her that he had another woman hanging all over him. Witnessing that only confirmed that she’d made the right decision to move on.

  After five more minutes of trying to get herself together, Asia finally walked out of the bathroom. Dinero stood by the door with his signature smirk on his face. He looked absolutely sexy with his dreads hanging loosely. The burgundy pea coat and white tee fit his athletic frame perfectly. To complete his look, he wore some G Star denim jeans and a pair of wheat Timbs. Asia couldn’t take her eyes off of him if she wanted to.

  “You weren’t gon’ say hi to me?”

  Asia put her game face on and said, “No, I wasn’t.”

  Dinero cocked his head back. “Damn, it’s like that? We can’t even be cordial to each other?”

  “I'm not in the mood to be cordial with you. Don’t act like we’re cool.”

  Dinero nodded and licked his lips. Asia had to suppress the urge to kiss him. It always drove her crazy whenever he licked those kissable lips of his.

  “I miss you,” he revealed.

  “I'm sure you do. You should’ve missed me enough to bring your ass home when you went missing for a month.”

  “Why are you bringing up old shit?”

  “No, that’s relevant shit. As a matter of fact, this conversation is over,” she snapped and began to walk away.

  Dinero caught her arm to stop her. She turned around with a bored look sketched on her face.

  “What, Dinero?”

  “I miss you, Asia. I'm sorry about everything. I just want things to go back to the way they were.”

  “I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. I have to go.”

  Asia walked away with her head held up high, but on the inside she felt weak. She wanted nothing more than to be with the love of her life. Why did he have to treat her so badly? Why couldn’t Dinero have proved everyone wrong and been the best husband to Asia? Why did he have to make her choose between him and her peace of mind? These were questions that ran through her mind quite often.

  Asia retook her seat at the table and released a deep breath. She was proud that she’d given Dinero her ass to kiss, but it didn’t feel good to do so.

  “Girl, what happened? I saw Dinero get up when you went to the bathroom,” Paris spoke.

  Asia shook her head. “Nothing much.”

  “You sure?” Kylie quizzed with a raised brow.

  “I'm positive. Now what are we drinking?”

  ****

  Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Dinero felt like shit. The disgusted look on Asia’s face ate him up inside. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and take her home. It also didn’t help that she looked breathtakingly beautiful. He hadn't seen her in months, which had actually helped him with the coping process. But now that he’d finally laid eyes on Asia, Dinero couldn’t let her go. She was the one he wanted to be with. It was Asia who he wanted to grow old with, but the reality of their situation prohibited him from doing so.

  Dinero was truly sorry for his actions, and he wished he could take them all back. It was foolish of him to believe another man over his wife. Asia had never given him a reason to think that she had been unfaithful to him. Ever since they’d broken up, Dinero was upset with himself. He’d acted a complete ass to her and he didn’t blame her for leaving him.

  “So what did she say?” Keith asked.

  “She didn’t say shit,” Dinero spat and then sipped on his drink.

  “Man fuck that broad. You don’t need to sweat her.”

  Dinero shot him a screw face. Keith quickly retracted his statement and said, “My bad, bro but you shouldn’t sweat her.”

  Dinero wasn’t in the mood to hear Keith’s shit. When it came to Asia, he didn’t want to hear anyone’s opinions. He just desperately wanted his baby back. He watched her across the room as she laughed with Paris and Kylie. How could she be in such a joyful mood while Dinero was dying inside?

  “Do you want to get a room?” The woman who had been flirting with him asked.

  Dinero looked at her and then shook his head. “Hell nah. I'm good.”

  He stood up and gave Keith a handshake. Dinero was ready to leave. He couldn’t sit in the same room as Asia and not be able to converse with her. Watching her carry on like he didn’t exist was agonizing to him.

  “I'm out, bro. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “A’ight, fam.”

  Dinero walked out of the bar and made his way home, so he could sulk privately.

  ****

  Laree sat on her computer looking at Asia’s photography website. Although Dinero had told her not to look Asia up, she couldn’t help it. She was deeply interested in the woman who once possessed his last name. Laree knew that if Dinero were to catch her, he would probably try to hurt her. She grabbed her cell and dialed her best friend, Moe.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, remember I told you how I was looking on Dinero’s ex-wife’s Instagram page?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “I'm thinking about booking a shoot with her.”

  Moe smacked her lips. “For what, Laree? You always go looking for trouble.”

  “I'm not trying to start any trouble. I'm just interested in her.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t be. From what you told me, you and Dinero aren’t even official. You need to mind your business.”

  “I am minding my business. I just want to have a photo shoot,” Laree argued.

  “For what?” Moe yelled. “Are you a model? Do you have a business that you're trying to promote? Don’t give me that photo shoot bullshit. You're just trying to get more information on that lady. Stop with the lies.”

  “Okay, well, maybe I am. It’s harmless. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  “Listen, I have to go. I'm done talking to you about the shit.” Moe hung up.

  Laree was stunned that Moe had actually hung up in her face. She didn’t think that she would react that way. Moe’s reaction had her second guessing her intentions. In Laree’s mind, she was only going to book a photo shoot with Asia just to have some updated pictures of herself. She wasn’t on any fatal attraction type of behavior.

  Since she felt like her tactics were innocent, Laree decided to shoot Asia an email. She didn’t know what her exact intentions were with booking a shoot with her. She just wanted to find out what Dinero had seen in Asia that had caused him to marry her. Maybe she could incorporate some things into her relationship with Dinero, so he could fall for her as well.

  Chapter Five

  Dinero laid on his back with his hands locked behind his head. He’d tried his b
est to get some sleep, but Asia kept invading his thoughts. He had never been this lovesick before in his life. Most mornings, Dinero would wake up with either a headache or a stomach ache. He didn’t know what to do to get rid of the feelings he was experiencing. All he wanted was for Asia to give him a second chance, but she seemed adamant about being separated. Dinero grabbed his cell and dialed his mother, Rochelle.

  “Hey, son.”

  “Mama, what you doin’?”

  “I’m about to clean up. Why? What do you need?”

  Dinero took a deep sigh. “I saw Asia last night, and she was not trying to fuck with me. She was acting like I'm the dude that killed her parents or some shit.”

  “Well, she’s probably still hurt Dinero. It’s only been a little over six months. Her wounds are still fresh,” she explained.

  “I get that, but damn, I'm over here suffering without her. She got me throwing up and shit.”

  Rochelle burst into a fit of laughter.

  “Come on, Rochelle, it’s not funny.”

  “Call me Rochelle again and see that I don’t slap your damn lips off.”

  Dinero chuckled. “I'm literally sick without my girl.”

  “Well, she was sick too when you were out doing God knows what. Now you see how Asia felt when you treated her like she was shit.”

  Hearing his mother say those words caused Dinero’s chest to ache. If the emotions he was currently feeling were what Asia had experienced, then he was truly sorry.

  “Ma, what should I do?”

  “I thought you were going to let her go? That’s what you told me.”

  “I can’t do that. I tried, but after seeing her last night, it only confirmed that I need to get her back.”

  “Oh boy,” Rochelle groaned. “I don’t know what to tell you, baby. You might have to figure that out on your own.”

  “I don’t even know where to start. I don’t want to buy my way back into her life.”

  “No, please don’t do that. If you want Asia to forgive you for your indiscretions, then you need to show her that you’ve changed. You need to let her see that you're a changed man, and that she can trust you with her heart. All that talking ain't gon’ help you.”

  “I hear you, but I need a favor.”

 

‹ Prev