Can't Leave It Alone

by Nicole Jackson

  Pulling into the lot of her job she spotted Jacob’s Ashton Martin. She shook her head just thinking of how women had to be chasing him around. Working closely with him gave her a glimpse into how he handled other women. She knew for a fact that he had keys to two other women’s homes. Several other women constantly called the office for him, so she couldn’t fathom them ever seriously being together. She would never trust him, and besides she wasn’t interested in anything long term with him.

  She hopped out of her car and strutted in her four inch forest green stilettos. She wore a fitted green and white striped dress with a green tailored cropped jacket. Her hair was arranged in huge curls that hung on one side of her head. It was Friday and she was always a little extra at the end of the week.

  “Good morning.” She smiled at Ruby.

  “Good morning to you too.” Ruby replied with a plastic smile. She loathed Ryan. “You know, Mr. Brown is so sweet to his little girlfriends. He just got me to order some edible arrangements for some girl. I’m sure she’ll be blushing today.”

  “Oh, that’s cool.” Ryan shrugged not wanting to entertain Ruby’s messy ass.

  “Yep. He’s probably going to bring them to her on his lunch break, since he had me pencil in a business lunch.”

  “Well, good for him.” She sauntered to her desk, and took a seat.

  About thirty minutes later Jacob walked in with a smile. “Good morning.” He spoke.

  “Good morning, Mr. Brown. The edible arrangements should be here in a few minutes.” Ruby said loud enough for Ryan to hear.

  “Cool.” He headed to his office and stopped at Ryan’s desk. “What’s up, baby?” he whispered.

  Trying her best not to show any signs of an attitude she gave him a fake smile. “Hey.”

  He moved his face in closer, insuring that no one other than her could hear him. “I tried calling you last night and then I stopped by the spot. Where were you?”

  “I was probably with my cousin.” She shrugged, wondering why he was questioning her. She never asked him a damn thing when he was unavailable to her.

  “Damn, you and the twins were out that late? It was after nine when I stopped by.”

  “Well, I didn’t get home until after ten. Is that a problem?”

  He leaned his head back and glared at her. “You know what, let me get in my office before I say something that we both gon regret.”

  She sat back never bothering to say a word. They would usually have discussions like that in private. She knew that it must have been a burning question for him to approach her the moment he stepped foot into the office.

  Throughout the morning they didn’t say much to each other, until the delivery man walked in with the arrangements.

  “Mr. Brown where do you want me to put these?” Ruby asked as he took the fruit from the white guy who worked for the company.

  Jacob walked over and tipped the man and then grabbed the beautiful mouthwatering arrangement. With a blank expression he strolled over to Ryan’s desk. She cut her eyes up at him, as she went over paper work.

  He stood over her for a few seconds, before placing the fruit on her desk. “These are for you.” He winked and stepped back into his office.

  Ruby’s mouth dropped as she stared at Ryan’s desk. She and everybody else knew that they were fucking, but she took pleasure in the thought that he was too embarrassed to let anyone know that he was doing the paralegal.

  Ryan cut her eyes at Ruby before giving her a snide smirk. She then focused on the edible arrangements. She hated to admit it, but the gesture made her heart smile.

  She was about to step into his office and personally thank him, until she heard someone enter the office. The way her desk was positioned didn’t allow her to see who the person was. She could tell by Ruby’s voice that it was a man, and more than likely an attractive one.

  “Hello. Mr. Brown will be with you shortly.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” The dude said, and for some reason his voice sent a chill down her spine.

  Ruby phoned Jacob and he told her to send the guy back. “Sir, Mr. Brown wants you to come back to his office.”

  “Alright. Is it that way?” he asked as he pointed.

  “Yeah.” She smiled.

  “Okay.” He smiled back.

  Ryan could hear heavy footsteps as the guy walked her way. Once he came into clear view her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. He came to a halt and she was frozen stiff. They both locked eyes, and just stared at each other.

  He stroked his goatee, as he licked his lips. “How are you?”

  She finally breathed. “I’m fine, and you?”

  He nodded. “I’m straight.”

  Ryan checked him out and could tell that life had been good to him. He wore brown and beige Louis Vuitton from head to toe, and then he had the nerve to have on a platinum watch and pinky ring.

  “I see.” She gasped.

  “You seem alive and well. Appreciate you for just letting a nigga know that you were good.” He piped sarcastically. “I thought that we were better than that.”

  “De…”

  “Mr. Brando are you ready?” Jacob cut her off.

  Desmond cleared his throat. “Um, yeah.” He slowly followed him into his office, while blatantly eyeing Ryan, before he stepped into the room and they closed the door.

  Ryan tried to control her nerves as her hands trembled. She picked up the phone and dialed Dina’s cell. It rang until her voicemail picked up. “Fuck.” She mumbled to herself. She needed to talk to somebody.

  Desmond was in Jacob’s office for what seemed like forever. She was about to lose her mind when his door opened and they both walked out smiling.

  “I look forward to the meeting.” Jacob chuckled as he shook Desmond’s hand.

  “Likewise, man.” Desmond said.

  Jacob headed back into his office and realized that Desmond was still standing in the same spot. He decided to leave his door open.

  “So, what’s up, Ryan? How long you been working here?” he asked her calmly.

  It was something about the way he said her name that didn’t sit right with Jacob, as he eavesdropped.

  “Two years.” She spoke, meekly which seemed out of character for her, as far as Jacob was concerned. She was usually confident and vibrant when speaking to his clients.

  “Two years, huh? You still in school to become a lawyer?”

  She shook her head. “I had to take a little break.”

  He studied her, wondering why she would take a break from school. She looked like she was living good judging by her appearance, so what was so hard about her life that she had to take a break from school?

  “And why would you do that?”

  She shrugged as she stared blankly at her desk. “I rather not talk about it.”

  “So, it’s like that now? You can’t even talk to me?”

  “Desmond, what the hell are you talking about?” she snapped as she looked up at him.

  He stepped closer to her desk. “You know what the fuck I’m talking about. You acting like I’m a stranger and shit. What the fuck did I do for you to treat me like this?”

  Her eyes searched the room. “Look, I’m at work. This aint the time to be discussing this with you.” She whispered.

  “You think that I give a fuck about this being your fucking job? Huh?” he gritted.

  She pleaded with her eyes, because she knew how he was. He had this funny look when he was about tare some shit up; the same look her sons got when they were upset.

  “Okay.” He nodded. “Let me leave you alone. I aint trying to bring no drama to your perfect little world.” He backed off. “You be good, Ryan.”

  She watched as he swagged out of the office, and sighed heavily with relief.

  By the end of the day it was clear that she’d done something to piss Jacob off. Every time she looked up he was frowning at her and he kept referring to her as Ms. Reeves. When it was time for her to go home for the day, she l
aid a few files on his desk.

  “Do you have a problem with me?” she asked with her hands on her hips.

  He stared at her intently, before speaking. “Go close the door.”

  She strutted over and pushed his door closed, and then walked back over to his desk.

  “Okay, how do you know Mr. Brando?” he interrogated.

  “What?” she looked around confused, not expecting that question.

  “You heard me.” He pressed.

  She swallowed. “He’s an old friend from the past.”

  “An old friend, huh? Well, have you ever been intimate with this old friend?”

  “Wow.” She folded her arms. “That’s an awkward question, don’t you think?”

  “Just answer it.”

  “Yes.” She pursed her lips.

  “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, I’ve been intimate with him.” She twisted her neck.

  He blew out hot air. “So, was it just a one-time thing?”

  She huffed, as she stared at the window and rolled her eyes.

  “Was it?”

  She turned to look at him. “No, it wasn’t a one-time thing.”

  His heart skipped a beat. “It was deeper?”

  She sighed. “Look, why does this even matter?”

  “Cause I want to fucking know!” he slammed his fist on the desk. “He is now my client and I want to know if I should be watching you when you’re around him.”

  “What?” she asked in disbelief. “Watch me for what?”

  “To make sure that you aint trying to dip out.”

  She tilted her head sideways. “Are you serious? I didn’t know that we were exclusive, so why does it matter?”

  “Well, I didn’t know that you were going around fucking other niggas, either.” He countered, allowing his true demeanor to come out.

  “First of all, I aint going around fucking nothing.” She fumed with much attitude. “Desmond and I were together for five or six years. I haven’t fucked him in six years.”

  “So, he’s your ex? Then why did yall break up? I mean, he’s getting plenty of money.”

  She glared at him. “There was a conflict of interest, and besides what does him getting money have to do with anything? Do you think that that’s the only thing that I care about?”

  “I was just saying…”

  “You were just saying what? You know those three bullet wounds you see when I’m assed naked? Well, those bullet wounds were placed there because some niggas wanted to kill him, but they couldn’t find him. I lost my twin brother that very same day. So, after my brother’s funeral I told the nigga to choose me or the game. Needless to say, he chose the game, and I left his ass; pregnant and all.”

  Jacob’s eyes bulged out of his head. “That nigga is your baby daddy?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Jacob. Isn’t that obvious? You never bothered to ask the guy his first name, or did you forget my sons’ name?”

  “I mean, how was I supposed to connect shit together? So, why hasn’t he been taking care of his responsibility?”

  “He doesn’t know about the twins.”

  “What? How is that possible, Ryan?”

  “I didn’t find out that I was pregnant until I was lying in the hospital bed all shot up. I didn’t tell him, so he had no clue when I left him.”

  “Damn, this shit is crazy.” He rubbed his head. “You’re not going to tell him, are you?” he looked up at her.

  “I don’t know.” she shrugged. “My sons are beginning to ask about their daddy more and more.”

  “When they ask what do you tell them?”

  “Well, De-De knows that he’s a Junior and I have hundreds of pictures of me and their daddy. They know how he looks and everything. I just tell them that he’s in Louisiana and now they keep asking me if we can move there.”

  Jacob chuckled trying to conceal the jealousy that consumed his body. “Little dudes just want a daddy.”

  She nodded. “I know.” they locked eyes. Jacob could feel it. All wasn’t right and something was telling him that this was just the beginning of this Desmond thing.

  ******

  “Bye, girl.” Ryan waved at Angela as she walked to her car. Just as she was about to open the door she felt a hand grip her arm. Her heart dropped.

  “Ay, can we talk?” Desmond asked.

  She placed her hand on her chest. “Boy, you scared the shit out of me.”

  He moved his hand. “You must not be living right.”

  “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes.

  “That’s real talk. Everything Gucci in your life?”

  “Yeah, I’m Gucci.” She sighed.

  “Well, look I want to catch up with you. Can we go somewhere and talk?”

  “For what?”

  “Damn, it’s like that?” he stepped back and glared at her. “I can’t know what’s going on in your life?”

  She stared off in the distance as she thought about it. “Okay. Where you wanna go?”

  “Let’s go to Chacho’s over on 610. They got a full bar and shit.”

  “Okay. I’m following you or are you following me?”

  “I’ll follow you.” He said quickly. He wasn’t about to chance her getting away.

  They both hopped into their rides and he followed her. Ryan was a nervous wreck. She didn’t know if she should tell him about the twins or what. She knew that Desmond would probably choke the shit out of her for keeping him away from them. She definitely didn’t want him to embarrass her in a crowded restaurant, but she figured that she couldn’t hide two whole children forever.

  “So, what have you been up to for the past six years?” he questioned after they were seated in Chacho’s, at the bar area. They both had drinks. She sipped a margarita while he had Grey Goose on the rocks.

  “Just working.” She kept it short.

  “Oh, yeah? So, tell me why you dropped out of school.” He pressed.

  “I didn’t really drop out. I just became a paralegal to give myself a decent job, until I decide to go back to become a lawyer.”

  “But why, I mean it aint like you got kids or nothing. What was the hurry to get a job?”

  “Shit, I had bills and you know how hard school was. Studying law and trying to joggle a full time job wasn’t the easiest thing, besides I’m going back to school next semester. I’ll take a few night classes.”

  “That’s what’s up.” He nodded as his cell phone vibrated in his pocket for the third time.

  “Somebody must really want to talk to you.” She pointed out, becoming annoyed by his ringing cell. She tried her best not to care, but it was killing her to know what bitch was blowing him up. For as long as she’d known Desmond he’d been hers, and she couldn’t see him in any other light.

  “That aint nothing.” He waved her off as he picked up his drink, and took a sip. She found herself watching his hand. He’d gotten her name tatted a year before she was shot. She was surprised to see that it was still there. She had his name etched across her back and she often told her friends that she wasn’t going to cover it because it was her son’s name as well. Nobody believed her and she didn’t either as soon as the words left her mouth.

  “Why you looking at me like that?” he asked as he caught her staring.

  “Huh?” she looked up. “My mind had drifted off for a minute.” She nervously laughed.

  “Ryan, why are you so nervous? You aint never acted like this with me.”

  She hated how he seemed to still know her so well. “I’m not nervous.”

  “Yeah, right.” He smiled. “But you know what?”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t think that it was even possible, but you’ve become even more beautiful.”

  She blushed, feeling a little more relaxed.

  He pulled his cell phone and wallet from his pocket to grab a twenty. “Ay, can I get another drink?” he asked the bartender. “You want one more?” he asked her.

  “No.” she shook her head.
She was already buzzing and she had to still pick up the twins from Dina’s house.

  “You trying to take it easy, huh?” he asked as he playfully touched her thigh, causing a chill to ease up her spine.

  “Yeah. You know I can’t hold my liquor.” She giggled.

  The bartender handed him another glass of vodka. He took a sip. “You haven’t grown out of that yet?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Apparently not.” She was growing more comfortable by the second. She figured that the time was as good as any to break the news. “Desmond, I got something I need to tell you.”

  “What’s up?” he asked with a raised brow.

  “I have tw…”

  Once again his cell vibrated, cutting her off. Since it was on the counter she leaned over and read the screen and saw the name Jada. The wonders of technology provided a perfectly clear picture of the broad. Her body instantly went cold. “Nigga, what the fuck is my brother’s old bitch doing calling you?” she fumed as her face turned beet red.

  He almost choked on the alcohol he was drinking. He didn’t expect for her to be that damn nosy and steal a peek at his phone. He didn’t quite know what to say.

  “Answer me.” She gritted as her eyes became watery.

  “That’s my…she’s my…she’s my girlfriend.” He admitted.

  “Your girlfriend? You dirty muthafucka. You was fucking that bitch all along, huh?”

  “No.” he quipped.

  “Yeah, right.” She grabbed her purse and stood.

  “Wait, where you going?” he grabbed her hand.

  She yanked away and hastily picked up his glass and tossed the Grey Goose in his face. “Cool the fuck off.” She lashed, before storming off.

  “Fuck.” He spat as he blindly patted around the bar, feeling for some napkins. The bartender realized he had liquor in his eyes and quickly handed him a paper towel. By the time he cleaned his face and opened his eyes she was long gone.

  Chapter 8

  “Aw, yeah, baby. That’s it right there. Fuck, yeah!”

  “You like that?” Desmond slammed his hips into Jada’s ass.

  “Umm hmm.”

  “You gon cum for me?” he questioned as he smacked her plump ass cheek.