by Charae Lewis
“You still don’t like me?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“No, I don’t.”
“Why, Asia? I already gotta live without you. I can’t take you being mad at me too.”
She turned to face him. “Why do you expect me to be happy with you? I took a lot of bullshit from you. You committed the ultimate disrespect, and you really expect me to be sitting here smiling in your face?”
“So you never accepted my apology?”
“What is there to accept? You fucked up to the point where I left you and moved on. End of story.”
“Asia, every day I gotta live with the fact that I fucked up with you. I would give anything to go back and do shit differently. I just hate that we’re at the point where we don’t even fuck with each other.”
“You’re really acting like I'm tripping for not wanting to be in contact with you.”
“I'm not saying that you're trippin’. I just hate that you're mad at me. I miss you. Why can’t we be friends?”
“You don’t get the benefit of having my friendship when you broke my heart.”
Dinero rubbed his hands down his face. “You know you gon’ always be my Soo Yung.”
Asia smirked at the nickname that he used to call her. “Ain't no more Soo Yung, bih.”
“Yeah, a’ight. You know what's up.”
Asia looked down at his hand and noticed the tattoo of her name. She grabbed it and took a closer look. “When did you get this?”
“Before we broke up.”
“You’ve had this tattoo that long and haven’t gotten it covered up yet? What are you waiting on?”
“I ain't waiting on shit. I'm not gon’ get it covered up.”
“Why not? We’re not together anymore, Dinero.”
“So what? Does that mean I can’t have your name tattooed on me?”
“I mean, yeah, but I just don’t understand why you would leave it.”
“Because when I got it, I wanted to show you how much I loved you. Nothing has changed, Asia. I still love you the same if not more.”
Hearing Dinero say those words caused Asia’s heart to ache. It was evident by the length he’d taken to see her that he was still very much in love. This was the man that she desperately missed. The man that loved her and wasn’t afraid to show her, despite his mean demeanor. Asia wasn’t aware that Dinero had gone and branded his skin with her name. A part of her was shocked that he’d actually gone that far to express his love for her. Then the other part of Asia was extremely warmed by the gesture.
“Guess what? I'm opening up another car wash,” he informed her.
“Really?” she exclaimed. “That’s great, Dinero. I'm happy for you.”
“Thanks. You gon’ come see it when it’s up and running.”
“Only if I can get a free car wash,” she joked.
He smacked his lips. “Ain't shit free, Asia. You gon’ have to come up off that cash.”
“Whatever.”
“On a serious note.” He scooted closer to her. “I need you to stay away from a bitch named, Laree. She may contact you about a photo shoot, but don’t fall for that shit.”
“Dinero, I already did a shoot with her. What’s the problem?”
“I was messing with her, and she started telling me how she would go on your Instagram page and shit. I don’t trust her ass, so give her those fucking pictures and then drop that bitch.”
“Are you saying that she’s after me or something?”
“No. But like I said, I don’t trust her ass. Stay away from her.”
Asia shook her head and then inhaled deeply. “You’re always fucking with those crazy hoes. I see you still haven’t learned shit.”
“Don’t start, Asia,” he warned. “How was I supposed to know that she was on that bullshit? You lucky I put you up on her game.”
“Nah, you’re lucky. Shit, now what am I supposed to do when her pictures are ready? Should I have someone else meet her and give them to her?”
“Yeah, do that. She’s soft, but I'm not taking any chances with her ass. Leave her ass alone,” he ordered.
Asia closed her eyes briefly. She had no idea that Laree had been connected to Dinero. If she’d known that beforehand, she would've never booked her.
“You’re always pulling me into your bullshit,” she quipped.
“I'm sorry. Damn. I didn’t know she was looking you up.”
“Are we done? I could be doing something more productive than talking with your ass.”
“Can I call you sometimes?”
“No.”
“Why not? Sometimes, I need to hear your deep-ass voice.”
Asia laughed and then hit his arm. “You're always talking shit. My voice is not deep either.”
“Shiitt, yes it is, especially in the mornings. One time I thought I was laying next to a dude. I almost knocked your ass out.”
Asia couldn’t help but laugh at his silliness. She hated that he still had that kind of effect on her. She slowly stood and then looked down at him. “Walk me to my car.”
He stood and then followed Asia back to her ride. Dinero opened the door for her and watched her slide in.
“So can I call you or what?”
“I said no.”
Dinero closed her door. “I’ll talk to you later on,” he said, disregarding what she’d just said.
Asia huffed as she watched him get into his car. Although she hadn't been happy to see him, it was nice to catch up with Dinero. She could see a little maturity in him while they were chatting. She hoped that he was making a change for the better. Dinero had a lot of fucked up ways that would turn any woman away. Asia often prayed for him and hoped that he would be a better man for the next woman he encountered. She just couldn’t see herself making the same mistake twice. She was adamant about not being with him anymore.
****
Days later, Asia pulled up in the recording studio’s parking lot. Trystan had invited her to his session since they hadn't seen each other since the Miami trip. She always enjoyed watching him during his creative process. Trystan was super talented, and she was glad that he was getting the recognition he deserved. Asia backed into a parking space, and then put the car in park. She pulled out her phone, so she could text Trystan. Instead, she stopped when she saw him come out of the studio with Danica. The duo casually strolled out of the building where they stopped and faced each other.
Asia watched the scene before her intensely. Trystan gave Danica a hug and then kissed her on her forehead. The smile on her face could be seen miles away. Asia knew there was more to their story. It was obvious that Trystan and Danica shared some sort of feelings for each other. Danica wouldn’t have acted the way that she did in Miami if they were truly just friends.
Danica finally got in her car, and Trystan watched her drive out of the parking lot. Asia finally got out of the car and walked over to where he stood. His face lit up as she approached him. He stretched his arms wide for a hug. Asia gave him a friendly hug and then stepped back.
“You haven’t been honest with me,” she expressed to him.
Trystan gave her a curious look. “What do you mean?”
“You told me that you and Danica were best friends, but I feel there’s more to the story.”
He diverted his eyes away from Asia’s face briefly before saying, “She has feelings for me.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And you have feelings for her, right?”
“I have a special bond with her,” he corrected her.
Asia gave him a knowing look. “Trystan, please stop. Either you're in denial or you don’t want me to know. Listen, I know that we’re not a couple, but I always wanted you to be honest with me. That hug you guys just shared was too intimate, and we don’t need to explain the forehead kiss.”
Trystan chuckled and then nodded his head. “A’ight, I’ll keep it real. I have a lot of love for Danica, and she has a lot of love for me. She’s tol
d me that she would love it if we could try being in a relationship. I was apprehensive because Danica doesn’t like my lifestyle. She don’t like clubs, she doesn’t like a lot of people, and she hates being in the limelight. So, I told her that we should remain friends. I do care about her, Asia, and I also care about you. I didn’t expect to fall for you, but I don’t apologize for it. I meant it when I said that I would wait for you. You get my lifestyle, and I appreciate that. I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you because I don’t owe you an explanation. I just didn’t want to tell you about Danica and me because it’s a complicated situation.”
Asia took a deep breath. She appreciated his explanation, but it kind of left her in a pickle. She didn’t mind dating someone without a title. She just didn’t want to date someone who had an emotional connection with someone else. It was already awkward for Asia that the other woman in Trystan’s life was Danica. She was conflicted on if she wanted to continue seeing him.
“I'm going to be honest with you. I don’t know if I want to continue dating you. You're emotionally involved with another woman, and I don’t want to compete.”
“You're not competing with anyone, Asia. Danica is cool with being my friend. I'm trying to focus on what we’re building right now.”
“You can’t do that if you're still friends with Danica. I believe that your friendship with her is way more important than what we have. I'm willing to step back.”
“Man, fuck that.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I'm not letting you walk away from me that easy. Just chill out with all that shit. All you need to do is focus on us right now. Stop trying to run away from me.”
Asia didn’t respond. Instead, she looked the other way. She hated being in a complicated situation. That was the reason why she had insisted on not being in an exclusive relationship.
“So you gone leave me?” He playfully pouted.
Asia smiled and then rolled her eyes. “I'm not sure. I’ll let you know if you get me something to eat.”
“I can do that. What do you want? And you better not say you don’t know.”
Asia giggled. “You pick. I can eat anything right now.”
“A’ight, I have a long session tonight, so I’ll order us a pizza.”
Trystan grabbed her hand and they walked into the studio. Asia wasn’t sold on the notion to maintain their relationship. She didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes and she also didn’t want to be in a competition for Trystan. Asia would die before she competed for another man. She figured she would just let things flow and pull back when she felt it was necessary.
Chapter Seven
Laree browsed through the mall trying to spend some money from the check her father had sent. She didn’t have a day job since she didn’t need one. Her father was a surgeon who sent her a hefty sum every two weeks. Laree’s mother had passed away years ago, which prompted her severe depression. She was very much a mama’s girl, and when her mother died, so did Laree’s spirit. She’d tried everything to get over her misery, but nothing helped. Once her father saw how despondent she’d become, he decided to put her on medication.
Laree responded well with the medication. She would become that happy girl she once was. When her doctor saw how well she’d progressed, he decided to cut back on her dosage. It angered Laree when Dinero called her crazy. There was nothing crazy about being depressed. In fact, it was very common. She only took the pills when she needed to, which wasn’t often.
Another reason she found herself at the mall was because she was bothered. When Asia texted her to inform her that her pictures were ready, Laree became excited. She thought that when she saw Asia that she would invite her out for lunch and spend some time with her. She was immediately disappointed when some unidentified male handed Laree her photos. When she called Asia, she didn’t answer, so she decided to send her a text. Laree had yet to get a response from her.
She was a lonely soul and barely had anyone to hang out with. Her best friend, Moe, rarely made time for her. Most times, she wouldn’t even answer the phone for Laree. All she wanted was some friends to hang with. That’s why she clung to the possibility of Asia becoming her new friend.
Laree decided to walk down to Macy’s so she could glance at the MAC counter. She stopped at the counter and looked at the lipsticks. When she looked up, she was pleasantly surprised to see Asia. She walked over to where she stood.
“Hey, I just texted you not too long ago,” Laree informed her.
“Do I know you?”
“Yeah it’s me, Laree. You just did my pictures.”
“Oh, I'm not Asia. I'm her sister.”
Laree gave her a perplexed expression. “You're not Asia?”
“No, I'm not. Sorry,” Aimee offered.
“Well, what's your name? Are you guy’s twins?”
“Yes, we’re twins and why do you need to know my name?”
“I was just asking.” Laree looked down at the baby that was in the stroller. “Aww, he’s so cute. How old is he?”
“He’s seven months.” Aimee smiled.
“Can I hold him?”
Aimee twisted her face. “Girl, nah. I don’t know you like that.”
Laree nodded, completely understanding Aimee’s stance. “I'm sorry I didn’t mean to offend you. Do you think you can call Asia for me? I've been trying to reach out to her all morning, and she hasn’t returned my calls. I need to ask her something.”
“I'm sure she’ll call you soon. I don’t want to call and bother her. Just be patient.”
“Aye, babe, do you think Zaria would like these?” Big asked, walking over to Aimee.
“Yeah, those are cute.”
“Who is this?” he questioned, looking at Laree.
“Somebody that Asia knows.”
“Hi. I'm Laree,” she offered her hand.
Big quickly shook her hand and then pulled back. “You ready to go?” he asked, looking at Aimee.
“Yeah. It was nice meeting you, Laree. I have to go.”
“Wait, can you tell Asia to call me please.”
Aimee offered her a weird look before saying, “Yeah. Okay.”
Laree watched Big and Aimee walk away. She hoped that Aimee would deliver her message to Asia. She thought it was so cool that Asia had a twin. She hoped that they could all be friends and hang out one day.
****
Asia sat at her desk editing photos. She was super tired and could barely keep her eyes open. She’d had a long day at the office. Working a twelve hour shift was no joke for Asia. Her lower back ached tremendously from standing for most of the day. As soon as her shoot was over, she hurried home to eat, and then got right back to work. Her dog, Nero, hopped in her lap so she could pet him. She was spending so much time away from home that she didn’t get much time with him.
“Nero, do you miss your mama?” she cooed.
Her phone rang, breaking her from her intimate moment with Nero. She noticed that it was from a private caller so she ignored it. Ten minutes later, her phone rang again. She rolled her eyes when she saw the number of the person who was trying to FaceTime her. Asia accepted the call and Dinero’s mug came on the screen. He was laid back shirtless with one hand behind his head.
“Ayyyyeee!” he yelled, getting the dog’s attention.
Nero immediately began to bark when he saw Dinero. Asia smiled because she could tell by the dog’s energy that he missed Dinero.
“Nero, what it do?”
“Why did you call yelling with your ignorant ass?” she scoffed.
“Because I didn’t think you were going to answer. My bad, I got geeked.” He smiled.
“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”
“I wanna see that pretty face. Why are you acting like you don’t love me anymore?”
“Dinero, change the subject,” she warned.
“A’ight. I miss you. When you gon’ let me start all over again?”
“I just told you to change the subject, and y
ou ask this? What's your problem?”
“I miss my wife. I'm sick without your lil’ ass. You got me over here throwing up and shit.”
Asia laughed. “Why are you throwing up, Dinero?”
“’Cause you're not here with me. Why is your big-head ass asking questions that you know the answers to?”
“See.” She pointed to the screen. “That’s why I don’t feel sorry for your ass because you're always throwing insults at me.”
He shrugged. “It’s in my blood.”
“Bullshit. Your brothers don’t act that way.”
“That’s because they are squares.”
“Oooh, I’m going to tell them that you said that too.”
“I don’t care. Aye, I hear that you got a new boyfriend. Is that true?” he asked.
“No. I don’t know where you got that information from. Besides, it’s none of your business.”
“That’s how you feel? So you ain't messing with nobody?”
“I'm dating someone, Dinero,” Asia huffed impatiently.
“How long have y’all been dating?”
“Not long.”
“You fucked him?”
“I'm not talking to you about that. It’s none of your business.”
Dinero’s face turned serious. “Did you fuck him?”
“Don’t worry about it,” she spat, becoming agitated by his questions.
Asia could see his jaw muscles clench, which indicated he was upset. She wasn’t about to tell him about her sexual trysts with Trystan.
“So you’re really out here fucking another man? I can’t believe you.” He grimaced.
Appalled by his words, Asia responded saying, “You can’t believe what? That I moved on with my life and didn’t wait around for your disappointing ass? You got life all the way fucked up.”
“So you let that rapping-ass nigga hit? What the fuck?”
“You got a lot of fucking nerve, Dinero. You have the audacity to become upset when you caused all of this bullshit. If you would've been a man, then I would be there next to you. Instead, I'm here trying to pick up the pieces of my life. If I decided to give my body to someone else, then so be it. You have no right to become upset.”
