Playing With Fire: Loyalty Demolished

by Charlee Renea

  She put her sandals back on and thought about leaving the past in the past. The sun was melting her beautiful skin from lying in it for an hour. She put her cover-up back on, covering her thick frame. She had nice-size D-cup breasts that went well with her little pudge stomach and nice, round bottom. Her medium-length hair was pulled up into a ball to keep the wind from blowing it. She could be sweet as candy, but evil as a pit bull if someone rubbed her the wrong way. She gathered her belongings together and headed to her car. It was time for her to get ready to make a surprise visit.

  ~ ~

  “You’re looking good, sis,” Jade said, complimenting the black sundress with the pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings to mix. The black open-toe wedges fit Nicole’s feet perfectly and showed off her freshly-painted toes. Nicole looked herself over in the full-length mirror mounted on the closet door. She was satisfied with the outcome. Her curly hair was straight and cut into a bob. She was ready to visit her man in prison.

  “Thanks, sis. Trying to stay looking my best, especially for him.”

  “Well, you did it. He’s going to be drooling.”

  She applied lipstick and grabbed her black clutch out of her closet. “I’m ready now!” she announced.

  She was feeling real good. She was making money, had moved her sisters into a good neighborhood, and her mother was doing well in treatment. She was able to help Sean with his lawyer fees, and most importantly, she hadn’t bumped into any of Brian’s family. The counterfeit money was a minor setback for her; now she had no worries.

  She left the house and headed to the lawyer’s office to drop off the five hundred dollars she had made at work the night before. The traffic was heavy on the highway and it wasn’t even rush hour. “FUCK!” she shouted and hit the steering wheel. She was hoping she wouldn’t be late and miss the visit. She’d been true to her word, visiting Sean like she’d promised him.

  ~ ~

  “What’s good, bro?”

  “Shit, surviving! Making sure we’re eating!”

  “That’s what’s up, bro. The love’s feeling good!”

  “Yeah; we haven’t forgotten about you.”

  Ray sat on the metal stool across from his younger brother Sean in the prison. Ray didn’t visit too often because he was staying in Kansas City. They’d always had a great relationship and didn’t let anything come between them. When Sean had been sentenced to prison, especially behind a senseless female, Ray was in the dumps and had had angst towards her—Nicole. He didn’t feel bad about giving her the counterfeit money! He knew women weren’t loyal! Ashley is a prime example. If he ever came across her while visiting his brother or any public place, he was ready to hear whatever she had to say. He knew he could control her by saying he knew who her ex-fiancé’s family was if she got out of control! He didn’t, but she didn’t truly know him.

  “I’ve been offered a new job and I’ll be MIA for a while,” Ray said. “The fam’s going on a vacation, too. Shit is heating up!”

  “Damn! Well Nicole is still going to be visiting.” He knew today was usually her visiting day, but Ray had showed up unexpectedly. “She’s supposed to be visiting today!” He hadn’t had a chance to call her that morning, so he wasn't sure if she was coming.

  “Damn! She’s still around? I thought she would have disappeared by now.”

  “Naw. She’s keeping a nigga fed and putting up money!”

  “Yeah; the lawyer said that.”

  The other day when dropping money off at the lawyer’s office, they’d had a brief conversation and the lawyer had told him about Nicole.

  “She told the lawyer, when she was working at the shop, a client paid her with counterfeit money!” Ray started laughing. “She’s pissed, bro, and looking!”

  “Shit! I didn’t believe shit she said until I had proof!”

  Ray and Nicole had hit a lick in Miami, profiting sixty thousand dollars, but Ray had given Nicole twenty thousand in counterfeit money. Nicole confessed to setting up her ex-fiancé Brian and using Sean to kill him. She told Ray she felt bad and wanted to help him, but Ray didn’t believe her. Instead of her staying in New Jersey, she’d moved to Kansas City to get away from Brian’s family. Sean assumed she’d set him up and had plotted for Ray to use her. Now Nicole was visiting every week to prove her loyalty.

  “I don’t know where she’s getting the money from, but she’s putting up at least five hundred at a time!”

  “That’s what’s up! We need all we can get at the moment!” Ray decided to come clean with him.

  “Man, I know it’s going be hard trying to get a job!”

  “Yeah, but you’re an uncle, bro!”

  “You got a little one on the way?”

  “Yeah, a little girl and a three-year-old son by Chyna.”

  “Damn, nigga, a son? Do Pops and Ma know?" He knew how his parents were when it came to family.

  “Yeah. I just told them and they’re going to visit.”

  “Why are you just now saying something?”

  “Because of Chyna’s and my lifestyle. We’re moving all day, plus I wanted to keep it on a hush until Bella was out.”

  “She doesn’t know?”

  “Fuck naw. Once this deal is complete, I’m done with her and focusing on my family. I’m trying to hold on until you’re out.”

  “You have a lot on your plate, so I’ll make sure I keep Nicole stacking!

  “Yeah; we need all we can get!”

  The correctional officer announced time was up.

  “A’ight, bro, be safe out there!”

  “You, too. I love you, bro.”

  “I love you, too.”

  They stood up, giving each other dap, and Ray left the room. He headed to the elevators. When exiting off, he heard a female talking loudly. It was Nicole, going off on the guard. He laughed at her silly-acting ways and hurried out the door before being noticed.

  ~ ~

  “Ma’am, if you continue to behave in such way, we will have to take action!” the officer announced formally to Nicole.

  “What? She said something to me first! I was coming to visit my man!”

  Nicole snaked her neck and placed her hand on her hip. She was already upset about being five minutes late and missing her visit, but now she was furious about the fact of another woman being present. ‘Who the fuck is she?’ she thought.

  The woman mean-mugged her after she said his name and said something slick under her breath that caught Nicole’s attention.

  Nicole looked back at the short, cocoa-toned woman wearing her medium-length hair down. She was standing up by the vending machine with her arms across her chest and an attitude. ‘Who the fuck is she to be asking for my man?’ she thought. She’d been there for Sean since his first day in prison, so she wasn’t about to let another woman get close to him.

  ~ ~

  “Excuse me, but do you have a problem?” Nicole asked her loudly so she could hear. She wasn’t thinking about the fact she was in a prison.

  “In fact, I do! Who are you to come looking for my man?”

  “Your man? Who the fuck is your man?” Nicole started to walk toward her.

  “Bitch, don’t get cute! You know who I’m talking about!”

  The officer stepped between the women before the situation got out of hand. “I’m going have to ask you two to leave! This behavior is not acceptable!”

  “Bitch, fuck you! You don’t know who the fuck I am! I’ll get cute all I want!” Nicole snapped her fingers.

  Another officer escorted the other woman out the prison before any physical action happened. They kept Nicole inside the prison until the woman left.

  Once the woman was gone, they gave Nicole permission to leave, but she wanted to argue to get her point across. She felt she’d been attacked because of how the woman had approached her. She felt she had come to visit her man and this woman had started being disrespectful.

  ~ ~

  “Please! Just leave! C
ome back another day. The woman is gone and you’re free to leave now.”

  “So y’all just going let her disrespect me like that?”

  “One more word and we’re going to have to arrest you!”

  That got her attention!

  ~ ~

  Olivia walked a fast pace to her car, upset at the situation. ‘Who the fuck was Sean creeping with now?’ she thought. She and Sean had been together off and on since they were in high school. He was her first in everything. She was deeply in love with him and there was nothing she wouldn’t do. She thought he’d changed and was all about them when he’d gone to prison. She thought she’d made it very clear to him that she wasn’t going to stay by his side if he was messing with other women. I tear fell from her eyes; she felt like a fool.

  Ray saw Olivia walking fast so he rolled the window down and yelled her name. She looked around to see who was calling her and saw Ray hollering out the window. She walked over to him and got in the car.

  “Wassup, girl?” He reached over to hug her. He was surprised to see her here considering Sean never mentioned she was visiting.

  “Wassup, bro? Ugh!” She let it be known she was upset.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “What have I done to him to make him treat me like this? I just don’t get it!”

  “Talk to me!”

  “I came up here to visit and a bitch was waiting on him! Plus, another bitch was already visiting him!”

  “Wow, chill, sis! I just finished visiting him, but who’s the bitch?”

  Nicole walked out the door and Olivia pointed to her. She told him everything that had happened. He explained to her who Nicole was, how she was responsible for Sean being in prison, and how she was just around to put money on his books and help with the legal fees. Olivia started to feel more secure, but she still didn’t understand why Sean had kept it a secret. She’d thought their bond was deeper than that.

  “Thank you for breaking it down, but I wish he would have kept it real with me! Who knows, I may have messed up the game!”

  “Yeah, he could have, but don’t trip off that bitch! She isn’t about that life!”

  Olivia’s phone started ringing; it was Sean.

  “Answer it and let him know what went down.”

  She answered and Ray told her to follow him to the store.

  ~ ~

  Sean called Nicole and she talked to him for a brief moment until he told her he had to get off the phone. She told him why she was late and how she’d met his woman in the lobby. He denied being in a relationship with Olivia, said she was a crazy chick who wouldn’t leave him alone. They chatted briefly then hung up. Nicole wasn’t sure what to believe. She saw Olivia get out of a car then walk to hers. She decided to follow her.

  When she pulled up to the gas station, Nicole thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she saw Ray. “That pussy!” she mouthed. She’d been ready for the day she’d run into him. After that foul move he’d made by giving her the counterfeit money, she’d been waiting to confront him! Today was the day, and she already had a boiling-hot attitude! She jumped out the car and ran towards him as he was about to pump his gas. He heard her approaching and got into defense mode, letting the handle to the pump go.

  “You pussy! You muthafuckin pussy!”

  “Aye, don’t run up! What’s your problem?”

  “Really? You’re going play stupid, like you don’t know what the fuck you did?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Pussy, please! You know you’re scandalous for that shit! Now where’s my money?”

  All eyes were on them including Olivia’s.

  “Why I got to be all that, baby? Chill with the attitude.” He started laughing, putting more fuel on the fire.

  “This shit ain’t funny! You know what you did and I want my money!”

  Ray grabbed her and pulled her into his car.

  “Let me the fuck go!”

  She wriggled to get out of his hold, but it was too strong. She started smelling his cologne, going back to old memories of being in his arms. She hadn’t thought about how she’d missed him until now.

  “Chill with the attitude and stop giving these people a show!” She calmed down. “I didn’t know it was counterfeit. The nigga played us!” he easily lied.

  “Okay, so what now? You have money for me?”

  “I’m going to Miami to give that nigga a visit! We’re going get our money, baby, but chill!”

  Nicole thought about whether she should believe him or not. What other choice did she have? Maybe he hadn’t known. “Okay, but don’t play me!”

  “I’m not, baby. I’ve got you. I’m about to go handle some business now. Put your number in my new phone.” He reached in his pocket and handed it to her. She did just that. He kissed her and rub her leg.

  “Take care of yourself, okay?” His phone started ringing and it was his new friend.

  “Okay, Ray; see you later.”

  She got out of his car and headed back to hers, forgetting about why she’d pulled into the store. It didn’t come back to mind until she was down the block. She had to head home to get ready for work.

  ~ ~

  Next morning, back in Kansas . . .

  The key being inserted in the front door caught Ashley’s attention as she was sitting on the couch folding up Chris’ draws and T‑shirts. Chris was lying in the bed sleep, so she was curious. She wasn’t aware of any of his family members or friends having a spare key. She didn’t even have a key! Ashley got up, headed toward the door, and in walked a yellow-bone woman wearing high-waisted white shorts, a lime-green crop-top with pink-and-lime green wedges to match. Her jet-black hair was in big loose curls with a middle part. Ashley stared into her green eyes and she stared right back.

  “Wassup, chick?” she greeted Ashley.

  “Who are—”

  “Bitch, don’t question me! Where’s my man?”

  Ashley had a dumbfounded look; she wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. She wanted to run up and punch her, but she thought about Chris and what he might do.

  “You don’t have shit to say?”

  “He’s in the room sleep.”

  “Umm, keep folding his clothes, trick!” She walked past Ashley with her silver Furla purse in hand, headed to his bedroom.

  Chris was laid out on the bed with his shirt off, snoring. She bent down and kissed him on the lips. He didn’t move, so she kissed him again. He frowned and she instantly got mad.

  “What the fuck you frowning for?” she said and slapped him. He opened his eyes, realizing it was Nikki.

  “Aw, wassup, baby? I didn’t know who you were.”

  “What? That bitch be kissing you?”

  “What?”

  “That bald-head bitch out there folding your clothes?” she said, pointing at the door. “Y’all fucking?”

  “Chill, Nikki! You know you’re all I need.”

  He got up out the bed and pulled her into a hug. He grabbed her small booty, caressing her butt cheeks that were hanging out. She was looking good, a cover up of who she was.

  Nikki was an undercover agent who investigated fraud, arson, and robbery cases. She’d been working for the force for a long time, starting off in Kansas City then moving to Los Angeles. She wanted to work back in Kansas City where she was originally from, so she’d gotten in contact with Chris since he was good at moving up in position and she’d always wanted to move up in her position. She and Chris had met at work about ten years ago, but they’d never dated until about five months prior. Once Chris started dating her, he thought he should have picked her to begin with. She was fun, sexy, outgoing, and smart, and always wanting to expand in the job field like him.

  “I need you, too, baby!” She grabbed his face and kissed him.

  “You’d better stop tripping!” He bit her bottom lip.

  “I will. What are we doing today?”

  “Dinner, I gues
s.”

  “Umm, I am a little hungry. Get fly for me, baby.” She sat on the bed while he went into the bathroom to freshen up.

  Brittany ran into the living room and sat by Ashley. She was confused by the situation and wanted to go back home. She was missing Ray and too scared to ask her mother when they were leaving. Chris made her call him Daddy and she didn't like it. To keep from getting in trouble, she obeyed his commands.

  Chris and Nikki walked into the living room, and Nikki stared at Brittany. She acted like she didn’t like the fact that Ashley and Brittany stayed there, but she really couldn’t care less; she was only there to complete her tasked mission. Chris had told her the only reason Ashley was there was to get the insurance money from the shop burning down because he was part owner of the shop. She didn’t know Brittany was his daughter.

  “Well, I guess we’ll let you continue being the maid.”

  “Watch your mouth!” Chris said. “Here, I’ll be out in a minute.” he said, handing Nikki his car keys. She grabbed them out his hand and headed outside. He walked over to Brittany.