Snapped (Urban Renaissance)

by McKinney, Tina Brooks

  “Relax, babe, it went better than I thought it would go.”

  “What did she say?” She was trembling.

  “First I told her I forgave her for being such a shitty mother.”

  “You said that?” She tried to turn and face me, but I didn’t want her to, so I held her tighter.

  “Yeah, I told her that now that I’m about to be a father, I could understand how she took out her anger at my father on us, and I wanted to break the cycle and have her be a part of our lives.”

  “Umph. Well, I wish you good luck with that.”

  I could tell she didn’t mean it, but I let it go. “I also told her that if she was going to be a part of our lives, I would not tolerate any more disrespect to you. I said you were the love of my life and the mother of my child.” I felt her inhale sharply.

  “And?”

  “She said you were a good woman and she didn’t dislike you, but she was jealous because you had all the things that she wanted.” I thought about telling her about Gavin, but I refused to bring him into our lives. I was willing to forgive my mother, but Gavin was a whole other story.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. It was a touching moment. I think we have a chance, if you allow it.”

  When she tried to turn around this time, I let her.

  “Merlin, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” She gazed into my eyes.

  We shared a passionate kiss, and the next thing I knew, I was naked. If I didn’t know any better, I could have sworn the water started to boil.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  GAVIN MILLS

  “That bitch.” I was pissed. Not only was my bitch-ass father coming home, but Gina all but told me that I would not be welcome in their new house. This was going to put a serious monkey wrench in my plans. I was trying to stick around long enough for Merlin to go back to playing war games so I could get next to his hot wife. I still couldn’t get the image of her round ass out my mind as I banged her from behind.

  I started pacing back and forth, trying to come up with a way to buy more time.

  I needed to find a job quick, fast, and in a hurry. I hoped my dad would be more compassionate if he saw that I was at least trying to do something with my life. As much as I hated to do it, I was going to have to put in work. Living off of people was much easier. Problem was, I wasn’t trained to do anything. I was twenty-five years old and had never held down a job.

  After my shower I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a bowl of cereal. My stomach yearned for a hot meal, but I didn’t feel like fixing it myself. Since Gina had already left the house, I had to settle on what I could get. I started to leave the bowl in the sink just to piss her off, but I thought better of it since I was trying to buy myself some time.

  As I was preparing to leave, I saw the keys that Merlin had given my mother. Without even stopping to think about it, I grabbed them and put them in my pocket. I drove to AutoZone, which wasn’t far from her apartment. I needed to get some keys made.

  A slow smile spread across my face when the clerk handed me the keys. I paid my tab and doubled back to put the keys back where I found them. No one would be the wiser.

  “Bingo.” I was feeling pretty good as I walked out of Tiffany’s on Northside Drive. I had managed to snag a job as a bartender/bouncer. I would work from ten to two as a bartender and from two to four as a bouncer. It was the perfect job. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. Tiffany’s was a strip club that catered to both gay and straight patrons. I wasn’t too thrilled about the gay guys, but I’d take their money the same as I would take a chick’s.

  I was feeling pretty good. All in all it was a productive morning, and I would start work later on tonight. As I drove home, I was mentally searching my closet for something to wear that would have those faggots and bitches lining my pockets. Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of a thing that would really set me apart from the other bartenders. Then I remembered the keys that I had made earlier. Since Merlin and his wife were still out of town, I decided to stop by his place and go shopping.

  I walked with confidence into my brother’s home. I wasn’t afraid of anyone trying to stop me since we looked exactly alike. Merlin’s neighbor tried to stop me, but I told him that I was in a hurry and I’d talk to him later. After I closed the door, I flipped the double bolt.

  Memories of the last time that I was in their home flooded my brain. “Damn, this is me!” I could get comfortable in a place like this. It actually felt like a home, and I was eager to have one. Not just any home, but this one with the perfect wife beside me. I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and went into the master bedroom. It was immaculate, as was the rest of the house. Gone was the chaos from the fight that had ensued the last time I was here. In fact, everything that was broken had been replaced as if it had never happened.

  Their apartment was huge, unlike the one that I shared with my mother. In the master bedroom, they had his-and-her closets. I went into hers first. Her scent lingered in the air as if she had just left the room. I breathed deeply as a small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. My hand slipped down to my dick, and I gently tugged at it.

  Her closet was filled with bright colors and business suits hanging neatly on plastic hangers. “No wire hangers for her.” My baby had class. On the far left wall hung her dresses and pants; on the right, blouses and jeans. Her jeans had that dry-cleaners look with deep creases. I fingered the blouses and my dick got harder.

  The hamper was in the center of the closet. I flipped open the lid in search of a dirty pair of her underwear. It was almost empty, but I found a blue thong. I sniffed the tiny patch that covered her pussy, while lost in a fantasy world.

  “Ah.” A guttural sound coming from deep inside my throat escaped my lips. I unzipped my pants and grabbed my dick. I needed to get some relief. I went to the chest of drawers, found one of her sexy teddies, and wrapped it around my dick as I stroked myself. I sucked the lining of the tiny underwear, and it was as if she were sitting on my face all over again. I exploded in her teddy as I fell back on their bed.

  “Shit.” It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it was a close second. I lay there for a few minutes until the blood started going back to my head instead of my dick. I licked the lining one more time before I shoved both items into my back pocket.

  “I’m keeping these.” With a satisfied smile on my face, I stuck my dick back in my pants and went through my brother’s closet. His clothes were just as organized as hers. Envy threatened to rip a hole in my heart. All this shit should be mine, I thought. I grabbed three pairs of jeans off the bottom rack and a couple of shirts. I kept them on the hangers so it wouldn’t be noticeable that they were gone. I would have preferred a muscle shirt, but I didn’t see any of those. I was about to grab his Tims but decided against it.

  Nah, he might miss those. I spread his remaining jeans apart so that he wouldn’t readily realize that some were gone. Satisfied that I had enough to get me started, I turned to leave. I stopped in the kitchen to get a large garbage bag to throw my loot into. I drained my beer and tossed the empty bottle into the trash. It clanked against what I assumed was another bottle.

  I opened the door and was startled by the postman, who appeared to have been just about ready to ring the bell. I jumped back, and my heart began to pound harder. “C—can I help you?” I stuttered.

  “Certified letter for Merlin Mills,” the postman chimed.

  “Sure, that’s me.” I took the envelope from him and signed my brother’s name. I waited for the postman to get in his truck and leave the parking lot before I locked the door and went to my car.

  That was close. Next time I come over here, I will check the peephole before I open that bitch. It probably wasn’t such a good idea to sign for that letter, but I couldn’t very well decline since I was standing right in front of the man.

  “Oh, well.” I dismissed the thought and went home to take a nap.

  Gina still wasn’t the
re and that was just as well, because I didn’t want her to ask me about the bag.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  GINA MEADOWS

  “Tabatha, I’m so glad you answered the phone.”

  “Hey, girl, what’s up?”

  “I just need an ear. Are you going into work today?”

  “Actually, I was planning on working from home.”

  “Can I come by?” I was already in the car, headed to her house. I had so much on my mind, I just needed to talk to someone.

  “Sure, see you in a few.

  I knocked on her door ten minutes later.

  “Damn, that was quick,” Tabatha said, opening the door.

  “Yeah, I was already in the car when I called. I was hoping you would be at home instead of the office, but the way that I’m feeling I would have even driven down there.”

  “Wow, things must be deep ’cause you hate my office.”

  “I don’t hate your office; I just hate those fake-ass folks you work with.” I walked right into the living room and sat down on her sofa. I didn’t begin to speak right away because I was trying to figure out how much I was going to tell my longtime friend. She didn’t rush me, and I appreciated it.

  “Merlin came by today.”

  “Say what?” She paused. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah, I know. I still can’t believe it myself.”

  “So what brought that on?”

  “He came by to tell me what a lousy mother I was.”

  “Oh, shit. I think I need a drink, do you want one?”

  “Naw, I tied one on last night and my stomach still don’t feel too good.” My pussy didn’t either, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. I waited until she came back into the room before I continued talking.

  “Okay, go ahead.” She seemed too eager to hear the story, and I almost regretted even coming over here.

  “Actually, I’m glad he said it because he forced me to really look at myself. He also said he forgave me.”

  “I’m speechless. First of all, you didn’t slap him upside the head; and second, he forgave you.”

  “I was horrible, wasn’t I?” A tear slipped down my face.

  “Yeah, girl, you were, but now you can start over. Everyone doesn’t get a second chance, so be grateful.”

  “Trust me, I am.”

  “What about his wife? How are you going to handle that?”

  “I’m fine with that, too. She never was a bad girl, I just couldn’t see it. Hell, she’s about to have my son’s baby.”

  “That’s wonderful, congratulations. It’s about time you let all that anger go. What about Gavin?” She sipped her drink as she eyed me.

  “I’m not ready to let go with him yet. The jury is still out on him. I don’t trust him. Gavin’s so jealous of Merlin it scares me. He has so much anger pent up inside him.”

  “Hmm . . . sounds a lot like you.”

  If she had said that to me yesterday, I would’ve probably stormed out of her house and wrote her out of my life, but today I allowed the comment to slide.

  “No snappy retort?” She sat back in the chair, observing me.

  “Nope, you speak the truth, so I feel like I’m healing.”

  She rushed off the sofa and threw her arms around me. We rocked back and forth as tears flowed from our eyes.

  Tabatha looked at me. “So when are we going shopping for your new grandchild?”

  “As soon as I find out what it is. I’m going to love this one like it’s my own.” I had one more thing to get off my chest, but I decided to keep that information to myself. “Thanks for listening, girl. I’m going to get out of your hair so you can get some work done.”

  “Any time; you know you and me are down like two flat tires.”

  I chuckled as I grabbed my purse and went out the door.

  I knew I was less than honest with Tabatha when I didn’t disclose that Ronald was coming home, but she would have given me a lecture about letting him into my life again. I think she assumed that I’d let him go when I said I was healing, but that was furthest from the truth. I still loved that man, regardless of all the pain that he had caused in all of our lives.

  “I’m just going to have to wait and see.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  GAVIN MILLS

  I had only been working six days, and I was making mad money at the club. The sissies loved me, and the women kept begging me for dick. It was the perfect world; things were finally looking up for me. I used some of the money that I made and bought me a few muscle shirts and the shit was on and popping.

  Nobody in the club, including the dancers, could touch me. I was easily the most handsome man in the club, and I had bank in my pocket to prove it. Management was pleased because bar sales were up, because most of the sissies sat at the bar and stared me down rather than throwing dollars at the dancers. This kept more money in the club. The dancers weren’t feeling me, but that was their problem.

  I hadn’t seen Gina in a week because my work schedule was so completely different from hers, so I had no idea what was going on in her life. I had no idea if my father had even made it home, but that was her problem now. I had enough bank to get a small, furnished apartment. Fuck Gina. I didn’t need her anymore.

  I packed my meager possessions and carried them to the car. As I took one final look around the room, I noticed the letter that I’d taken from Merlin’s house. I ripped it open, surprised that I had forgotten all about it. “Well, now, looky here.” The letter said that Merlin was supposed to be redeployed to Iraq two days ago. This was the break that I had been waiting for. “Oh, well, fuck him.” I could not worry about his shit right now. He’d have to deal with that shit by his damn self. I tossed the letter into the trash. I had bigger fish to fry. I needed to get settled into my place and take a nap before my shift started tonight.

  My new job was so time consuming I hadn’t had time to think about my brother and his wife. Right now it was about stacking paper, fuck the bullshit. I hadn’t forgotten the scent of Cojo’s pussy, but I had to come up first before I could step to her.

  If things keep going like they were, I’d be ready for her in a few months. Hell, one bitch offered me $500 just to suck my dick. I almost took her up on the offer, but I figured if I made her sweat, she’d offer me more, and I planned on making her wait. Last week, I’d let a bitch suck my dick for free, so things were already looking better for a brother.

  The club was packed when I strolled in. I felt all eyes on me as I stuck out my chest, as if I needed to do anything extra to draw attention to myself. My bald head gleamed like a magnet, turning all male and female eyes on me.

  “Damn, when I think of all the years I wasted avoiding a job, I could kick myself,” I muttered under my breath. I waved my hand at a few of the regulars as I made my way to the back of the club to clock in. I was early, but management didn’t mind ’cause I was a moneymaker. I came early so I could sit on the other side of the bar and talk to the customers. It was a win-win situation for me and the house. At home I had a small box with numbers for pussy all over Atlanta. So far I hadn’t had time to call any of those numbers. Now that I was living by myself, I was sure that was going to change.

  I was wearing a black muscle shirt, black jeans, and a pair of black Tims that I had bought with some of the money that I’d been making. From the looks that I was getting, I knew I was looking good enough to eat. I took a seat at the end of the bar and studied the crowd. It was still early, but there was an equal mix of men and women.

  I noticed that the women came out early and were mostly gone by the time I started my shift. My guess was that they had to go home to their husbands. After midnight the club was dominated by men, but there were a few exceptions to that rule.

  “Can I buy you a drink?” a seductive-sounding female whispered in my ear.

  I smiled before I turned around to see who was macking on me. The face that greeted me was pretty enough, but she had an Adam’s apple bigger than mine.
But hell, a free drink was a free drink.

  “Sure, I’ll take a shot of Remy Black.” I turned away as if I wasn’t interested in conversation. I didn’t really like dealing with the shims. All they wanted was to be fucked and there was no way I was putting my dick in someone’s ass unless they were one-hundred-percent female.

  “Are you new around here?” she asked as she pushed my glass toward me.

  “Kind of, I’ve been working here for about a week.”

  “You work here?” She raised her eyebrows, which were nicely arched, at me.

  “Yeah, I’m one of the bartenders.”

  “Well, hell, you should be buying me a drink then.” She batted her false eyelashes at me.

  “Look, I’m flattered and all, but I’ve got a wife at home, and she doesn’t have to tape her dick to her ass.”

  “You son of a bitch,” she hissed at me as she grabbed her drink and vacated the chair.

  I threw my head back in laughter. I normally didn’t come off as rude because I was still about stackin’ paper, but I knew I wasn’t going to get any from that shim. So I used her for what she was worth and kept it moving.

  I turned my drink up and emptied my glass. I wanted it to be empty before someone else sat down next to me. I had no intention of drinking a lot because I still had to function when I went on duty in an hour, but I wanted to get my buzz on as well so I could deal with all the flaming fags that would be hitting on me for the next several hours.

  I didn’t have long to wait for someone to be bold enough to sit next to me. This time the voice was all female.

  “Hi, handsome, are you one of the dancers?”

  I turned slightly in my seat to see who was speaking to me. She was a good-looking woman, although she was a little short for my taste. I’d fuck her if I didn’t have anything else to do. She was about five feet two with deep chestnut-brown-colored skin, deep brown eyes, and a short and sassy haircut.