by Zi'ere
Broderick takes charge of the situation.
70
I see my husband in a totally different light at this moment. Gavin isn’t the man in charge anymore like he had once been. Broderick walks off and I hear the door to the basement open. I have no desire to be in the same space as Gavin alone, so I begin to load my truck. I hear his feet shuffle on the hardwood floors behind me.
“Kam can you please stop for a minute to talk to me? I can’t be chasing you around this big ass house.”
“Yup, you have a minute and if I were you I’d get to it.”
I don’t slow down just because I know that he can’t keep up with me.
“I fucked up. I know that. You have no idea how hard that it’s been without you. I messed our shit up and I know that I need to fix it. Please give me a chance to make things right.”
“Where have you been staying Gavin?”
If the man says Emma’s house, then he might have a chance. Broderick appears behind him in the garage.
“Aye yo my man, Tip is out in front of the house.”
“She’s out in front of whose house?”
I know that my ears have got to be deceiving me.
“Mufu don’t even play like that!”
No sooner than Gavin can get his words out, the doorbell rings.
I bow guard my way from between the both of them, to get to the door and back into the house. My anger is at an all-time high. Not only does she deserve an ass whipping for being so nasty and spreading her tainted juices, but she has the nerve to show up at my door. I swing the door open so hard, that I hit Gavin’s bad arm.
“OOUUCCHH! DAMN!” He shouts out in pain.
“What in the hell are you on my property for?”
“I told you not to come here! Why is it that you can’t listen to what I have to say, unless it has something to do with money benefiting you?” Pain is pissed.
There is no way in hell that he is angrier than I am though.
“I’m not trying to hear that! What are you doing here is what I would like to know?” Tiffani has her hands on her hips, with her eyes focused on her baby daddy.
“Fuck you mean, what am I doing here? I live here!”
“I DON’T MEAN TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOVER’S QUARREL, BUT I NEED MY DIVORCE PAPERS SIGNED…MAYBE YOU CAN GET YOUR MAN TO FINALLY CUT THE STRINGS AND LET ME GO.
BUT I’M GONNA NEED BOTH OF YA’LL TO DO THAT ON THE STREET . . . NEXT TO THAT FIRE HYDRANT IS A GOOD SPOT AS ANY. BUT I’M TELLING BOTH OF YA’LL RIGHT NOW, YOU NEED TO GET OFF OF MY DOORSTEP!”
“PAIN YOU HAVEN’T SIGNED THOSE FUCKIN DIVORCE PAPERS YET?” Tiffani’s neck starts to roll.
I politely turn around on her ass and then I produce a copy of the decree from the table in the foyer. I hand her the papers and a pen before I step back to allow Pain to walk out. It is a shame that I have several copies spread out all over the place, in anticipation of an opportunity presenting itself like this one.
Had I seen him in my car, I have a copy in the glove compartment. Had he come to the office, I have a copy in my desk. I am tired of paying the city to attempt to serve him.
“Tip, now is not the time for this shit!”
“FUCK THAT! YOU SAID THAT SHE WAS THE ONE HOLDING UP YOUR DIVORCE!”
“Regardless to what I said, I really am still married to Kamille! In a marriage, there is two- that would be me and her. You don’t have anything to do with this situation, so you need to leave.”
“Oh, you on some other shit today! But since a marriage is two; then why can’t you stay from in between my thighs, drinking my juice, and sleeping in my bed, since you’re so married?”
“Oh, I forgot- your warrant notification for missed court on a request for paternity child support for your baby with Neka was served here. I’m glad she decided to let me know that you have your sixth and maybe seventh child with her!”
“NEKA? BABY?”
I hand him another packet of papers. He looks knee high to a grasshopper.
“All of this time, you had that hoe in my face and you’ve been fuckin her? She was at my damn birthday party, Pain!”
“Look, this type of shit gets addressed on Maury, not on my fuckin door step. You and this trashcan and roll on down the road!”
“TRASHCAN?”
Her children are not here and I have nothing to give her in the way of chances, so for her to be at my door is another kind of violation. Gavin shuffles to get out of the door. Broderick hold me by the waist. Staring into my eyes, he asks me a hard question to answer.
“What are you trying to fight for?”
He’s got me on that one. He has called me out on my shit.
71
“Get in your car. I will get them off of your property and I will bring your house key to the airport before your flight.”
He then hands me the information for my flight, which I’d left on the bar in the kitchen.
I then give him the spare key and am out of the hostile environment within two minutes. When I drive around the front of the house to get out of my neighborhood, I see that he is true to his word. He has managed to have them all on the sidewalk, while he is locking up with a book bag over one of his shoulders.
The man isn’t remotely interested in Pain’s business at that moment. Tiffani can beat Pain’s ass by her car because Stymy isn’t even looking in their direction. He is now making his way to his own truck, which is parked on the other side of the house. I want to stop to get my key but Gavin has a mess on his hands and I’m not interested in the hold up.
By the time that I am turning out of the subdivision, Broderick’s truck is now behind me. I travel down the road a bit to get to a gas station, hoping that he will pull over and we can do an exchange, so he that he won’t have to come to the airport. Instead, he zooms right on past me. The people that are now involved in my life are really getting on my last nerve.
“Now you are going where for how long and this is the first time that I’m hearing about it?” Jai is upset.
I purposely wait until it is damn near boarding time, before I call her and NaNa to let them know that I am leaving town.
“It’s obvious that Ms.-Hot-In-The-Ass doesn’t want to hear our opinion or give us the opportunity to join her.”
It is NaNa’s turn.
“OMG, I think she is a genius!”
“Don’t get cute with me, Kamille!” Jai scolds.
“I’m going on vacation. You know . . . Taking some time off work to relax, no school work, no stress- relax. Like a real vacation…You know people do this sort of thing all the time in the states.”
“I don’t know anyone that goes on vacation by themselves.”
I look up to see Broderick strolling through the airport terminal in my direction, with what looks like just as much luggage as I have.
“I’m sorry ladies, the plan was to go solo-dolo, but I don’t think that I’m going to be all alone on this trip.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I hang up on the both of them as the gentle giant, who is currently in love with me sits in the chair beside me. He sits down but doesn’t say a mumbling word.
What in the fuck is going on here?
During an eight hour flight, Broderick doesn’t say one word. He peacefully naps, without snoring. He is extremely comfortable in his seat, with a warm neck pillow around half of his huge neck. He stretches out and enjoys a few flutes of champagne in our first class cocoon that he has obviously reserved for us.
This big as mufu sitting here like ain’t shit wrong with this scenario! Just straight lounging and shit, WHAT THE FUCK?
I thought that I would be in first class on my own but this strong willed man has taken the time, effort, and money to tweak my arrangements in order to accommodate us both. He plays Tetris and Scrabble on his iPad, while giving out orders to the crew via text.
One hour in and I can’t figure out what my feelings are about his behavior on today. As much as
I don’t want to, it only takes a matter of time before I am eyeing the man. I am evaluating whether or not he is worth the aggravation that is sure to come, by me getting involved with him.
Above any of my concerns, I have one about what he said to me earlier. I have no idea how he has been able to get out of Sanye’s grasp, in order to travel to Hawaii.
72
I am positive that she is somewhere on the ground below us, burning gas and putting miles on her Benz in order to search for her payday. Broderick Adams is a big man. He puts me in the mind of Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock. Only difference is that Broderick is a caramel specimen with hazel eyes. The Rock is biracial like me but Broderick has two African American parents.
Just as clean as Gavin can get without notice, Broderick is on the same level. Maybe I can give him some extra points though, because I am more than positive that he doesn’t shop off of the racks. For instance, he is sitting beside me with a baby blue linen suit on.
It isn’t a linen set that you will see your uncle Teddy in at the family 4th of July BBQ either, this man is in a tailored suit. The matching loafers on his large feet set the whole fit off. He looks good and he smells even better. A low fade, fresh to death and smooth as a baby’s bottom cleaned shaven face and his lips look, oh so kissable.
Not that I am paying his ass attention like that though.
Instead of being a lady, I take the route to fly on hard liquor, which is way more befitting for the situation that I am in. Hennessy and Sprite are my friends, until I’d loosen up enough to take a nap.
In the terminal, Broderick takes the initiative to claim my luggage before that he can grab his own. It is no problem for him to lead the way to the entrance for the valet drivers. I am several steps behind him but I do see him step to the guy that holds a sign with my name on it.
By the time that I catch up, he- not the driver is holding the door open for me. I get in with straight up attitude. I feel that it is a fine time to let Mr. Adams know that I’m not thrilled to have a chaperone.
“Can you please tell me why you are monitoring my steps, as if I am an underage kid? That shit is fine in Arizona but no one here knows who the hell I am!”
“They know me here and I’m not here for business with Kamille. I’m here because I meant what I said. It’s time for you to know what it feels like to have a man’s undivided attention. I don’t have any kids for a female to use as a pawn to control my life. You don’t deserve that.”
“Oh, but I deserve to be on vacation with Sanye’s man? Get the fuck outta my face with that shit!”
“Sanye and I haven’t been together since you put Pain out. We broke up the same day.”
“What do you mean broke up? She just called my phone, checking up on you.”
“I told you that Tip and Sanye are two peas in a pod. Sanye is just better at disguising herself. She isn’t as sloppy as Tiffani. She always puts a bow on her shit.”
“I don’t want to hear that shit! Ya’ll got with these women and stayed with them for years, so something must have been twerking right!”
“It is all about the image, I told you that.”
“What would make you fall for your homeboy’s girl, though? Please explain that shit to me?”
“Aye, don’t take this the wrong way, but I like sweet Kamille much better. You know . . . The one who doesn’t cuss like a sailor on a leave pass?”
“After all of the shit that ya’ll have been putting me through, you are worried about my language? You are really a piece of work! I wonder how not hearing my voice at all is going to work for you?”
I settle back in my seat, with my arms folded across my chest.
Broderick saves the best surprise for last. When the car pulls up to the doors of the St. Regis Hotel, he is the one confirming a reservation for a penthouse suite for two adults- Mr. and Mrs. Adams, no children. The check in date is June 7th and the departure date is June 30th.
As upset as I am, I’m not going to cause a scene in the lobby of a five star resort. We will have plenty of space and opportunity to move about inside of the suite, for me to dig into his ass. I have no idea what kind of stunt he is trying to pull but I’m not a whore for the team type of girl.
One man is enough for me and even though Gavin and I are on the brink of a divorce, I have to be honest- he still isn’t completely out of my system. I blame the dick game more than anything else. Tiffani on my front porch makes me quickly forget about the benefit of having the man around.
As I hang back in one corner of the elevator, I catch a smirk on Broderick’s face in the mirror above our heads. Only a thin bellhop and an overloaded luggage cart separates us. As soon as the door to the suite is closed, I start on my rampage.
73
“What in the hell do you think that you are doing? How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t need a got damn baby sitter?”
“Kamille, don’t let this life change you. It is okay and perfectly fine for you to be the classy woman that you were before you had to deal with all of them hood chicks. You’ve been friends with Surround Sound for years, that doesn’t change you. You are so much more beautiful when you are walking the walk and talking the talk, as an educated sistah with class.”
“What…no ‘Ma’ at the end of your sentences on today?”
I don’t appreciate him setting me straight.
After I am told, I need to be able to throw something back.
“I know that you are a grown woman. But I’m here for a reason too and it damn sholl ain’t to baby sit you- not like you think.”
Broderick is calm, even though I am in a storm.
“Look . . . I can’t change how you feel about me but I have to be honest with you. There can never be an us. I’m definitely not that type of woman, no matter how I form a sentence.” “If I thought you that you were, then I wouldn’t be interested in you, Kam.”
“Stop being so damn rational! You need to catch the first thing smoking back to the states and let me experience my vacation alone, the way that I intended.”
I watch him take a seat on the couch.
“Damn, I guess that nobody listens anymore!”
“The only reason that you are fighting this is because you still think that there is a life with Pain. I promise you that if you knew what I know, you would change your mind about that in a matter of seconds.”
“I’m not interested in a confessional session! You are with him every damn day, I know there are a ton of things you’ve seen, heard, or drove him to. Fine! This- me and you- still can’t happen!”
“That may be true but I’m still not leaving you. I’m still not gonna let some random snake his way into your life. You are a woman of a certain position now. If it’s someone with pure intentions- like me…I will think about it. Bottom line, if you’re here- you might as well get used to seeing me because I’m not leaving you here by yourself.”
Tears start to fall from my eyes. I have avoided the male species for years because I don’t need the distraction. Now I have the dream job, dream house, and money in the bank- what in the world is so complicated about the people surrounding me.
“Kamille I’m not here to stress you. I’m here to make sure that you are okay.”
“Yeah, you keep saying that but I must admit that I feel hella stressed right now!”
“We might as well get everything out in the open on the first day so that we, I mean you can relax and move forward starting tomorrow.”
“Everything out in the open, like what?”
“I told you that Sanye and I broke up. You don’t know the reason why, though.”
“What does your relationship have to do with me?”
“It’s all right here. You don’t have to believe a word that I have to say.”
He shuffles around in his book bag.
The result is a slim laptop, which he doesn’t hesitate to que up. He sits it on the coffee table in front of him and then stands to his feet.
“The suite has two different bedrooms. Two master suites. I will be in there, should you need me.”
He walks up to me, as he talks.
After a small kiss on the cheek, he then gathers up his luggage and heads in the opposite direction. My heart is now tap dancing on my stomach. I can’t see the screen from where I am standing but I already know that it is something that I don’t want to see.
Thoughts of Pain, knowing that I was going out of town cross my mind. He’d come to the house with another driver. Stymy takes him everywhere but they’d both shown up separately, saying damn near the same things. Tiffani at my door . . . Even though I have no idea on how she knows where I live, not to my knowledge. Broderick and Sanye’s breakup . . .
He is basically sleeping across the hall from me, supposedly for the next three weeks. I have to give the man his dues, he is certainly not a bad looking distraction. Not to mention, that he is now missing from Arizona just like I am.
There is nothing good going to come from this entire situation. I hope that there is a fly honey on her way or already in another room in the hotel that will serve as his real company. Only my intuition is telling me, that he meant everything that he has said about me.
I finally take the seat that Broderick has just given up. There is a video stuck on pause. The frozen frame is of my front door. It only takes one finger tip to start the video and I am eager to be in the know, just like everyone else.
On the video, I see Tiffani hop out of her suburban in my driveway. By the time that she makes it to the front door, Sanye is pulling up in her Mercedes. Both women embrace each other in a hug, while they wait for the front door to open. The frame now switches to the inside of the house. Each woman sits down her purse on the table in the foyer. In the next second, the both of them are rushing up to Pain.
Kisses on the mouth, neck, and hand are given. I want to throw up. There they are in full color: Pain, Tiffani, and Sanye in my house and disrespecting me in the worst way.
