He walked inside, bringing the smell of Clive Christian cologne with him. His tailored suit was always on point, and as usual, his waves were flowing.
“I came to see what Jacoby was getting into this weekend. He’s been dodging me, and we’ve never gone this long without spending some father-and-son time together. Every time I suggest that we go somewhere, he comes up with excuses. Haven’t you noticed?”
I closed the door, then made my way toward the kitchen. Cedric followed.
“No, I haven’t noticed. But he’s a teenager, Cedric. I’m sure he doesn’t want to be doing things with you all the time. Besides, Adrianne keeps him quite busy. He spends a lot of his free time with her.”
“I get that, but I also know that he’s been avoiding me. And it’s not like I’m trying to just hang out with him anywhere. What teenager wouldn’t want to go to an NBA championship game? Who would turn down going to Dubai or taking a trip to Hawaii? I even suggested that he bring Adrianne along, and he still made excuses. I know that finding out I wasn’t his real father upset him, but at the end of the day, I’m the one who raised him.”
Cedric was making this more difficult than it needed to be. He needed to back off and give Jacoby some space.
“You can’t force him to do what he doesn’t want to do. And to be honest with you, I think that he’s been struggling with this whole father thing. You and I did a lot of damage to him. I’m not sure if he’s completely over it.”
Cedric opened the fridge, then removed a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap, then looked at me. “Correction. You did a lot of damage by not telling either of us the truth. Don’t put me in that mess, and please take responsibility for your actions.”
I rolled my eyes. He didn’t have to go there, did he? Yes, I had messed up by not telling Jacoby the truth about his real father, Arnez, but I wasn’t going to beat myself up about it.
“I have taken responsibility for my actions, and I’m going to encourage you to do the same. As a matter of fact, I don’t even want to talk about this right now. Jacoby is gone, and he won’t be back until later.”
Cedric guzzled down most of the water, then placed the bottle on the island. He licked across his lips to moisten them.
“I guess I’ll call him later to see what’s up, but I’m sure I’m going to get the same ole song and dance. As for you, what’s been up? It smells like a brewery when I walk in here. And just so you know, I am paying attention. The liquid in those bottles over there is getting lower and lower by the day.”
I turned my head to look at the numerous bottles on the bar. I didn’t know that Cedric had been paying attention. Was the smell of alcohol really that prominent in here?
“I’m doing fine. I was vacuuming the other day, and I hit the liquor cabinet over there with the vacuum cleaner by accident. Some of the bottles hit the floor, and the liquids spilled on my carpet. I need to call a carpet cleaning company to come clean the carpet.”
“You do that,” he said, finishing off the water. “And while you’re at it, you may want to attend a few AA meetings too. I can’t believe you would try to feed me that bullshit you just said, but I can say that it doesn’t surprise me. The one thing I can say is, you do always do your best to cover up a lie.”
I wasn’t sure what Cedric was referring to, but I tried not to make much of his comment. Either way, his words upset me. He was always coming over here, trying to run my and Jacoby’s lives. He seemed to make my alcohol problem a bigger issue than it was, but I didn’t know why I was surprised by that. Anything to belittle me was the name of his game.
I tried to change the subject. “Whether you want to believe it or not, I have things under control over here. What you need to worry about is your new home and the woman you now have living with you, Joy. When are the two of you getting married? She couldn’t wait for us to get divorced, so I know she has already gone out and picked out her dress.”
“Breaking news, baby. Marriage is not in my future again. In my eyes, women are only good for one thing and one thing only. No offense to you.”
His eyes traveled to my tiny breasts, which were visible underneath my tank. I snatched the bottle of water from his hand, then tossed it in the trash can.
“I am highly offended, and I can’t believe you would say something like that. If that’s how you truly feel—”
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Saved by the bell, I thought when I heard the doorbell. This time it had to be Evelyn. It had been a long time since we were all in the same room. I wondered how the two of them would react upon seeing each other. The last thing Trina had told me was that Cedric had knocked out Evelyn’s teeth. I didn’t want any chaos to go down today, so I warned him that that was probably her at the door.
He shrugged, then followed behind me as I made my way to the door. “I’m surprised that you’re still friends with that bitch, but that’s your choice. I’m getting ready to go. Tell Jacoby I’ll holla later.”
The second I opened the door, Evelyn’s bright smile vanished. Cedric walked around me to make his way outside. He didn’t say one word to Evelyn. She stood with her mouth wide open. Several bags were in her hands, and it looked as if she’d just gotten her hair done. Long curls hung past her shoulders, and the short dress and high heels she wore made her look as if she was ready to go party.
“Ugggh,” she said, looking at Cedric as he walked off to his car. “What’s his problem? Or should I be asking, what is he doing here? Are the two of you getting back together?”
Honestly, I didn’t feel comfortable discussing Cedric with Evelyn. She didn’t need to know the purpose of his visit, and if we were getting back together, she would be the last person I would tell.
“Come on in here and stop asking me questions about Cedric. I don’t want to talk about that man. I’d rather talk about how you’ve been doing.”
With a smile back on her face, Evelyn trotted into the living room with her bags. She placed them on the floor and then sat on the sofa, crossing her long legs.
“I’ve been doing great, but come sit by me so the two of us can talk.”
I walked into the room, watching closely as Evelyn checked me out from head to toe.
“You’ve lost more weight,” she said. “Girl, what are you trying to do? Model again?”
“No, not at all.” I sat beside her. “Just been eating healthy, exercising a lot, and trying to raise my son to the best of my ability.”
“Well,” she said, patting my leg, “you’ve done a great job with Jacoby. If I had a son, I would want him to be just like him.”
I smiled, but her comment made me think about her being pregnant by Cedric. I truly needed to let go of the past, but a tiny part of me couldn’t.
“Okay,” Evelyn said, rubbing her hands together. “I bought you some thank-you gifts, and before I give them to you, I have a few things that I want to say. First, thank you so much for being there for me when I needed you. You and Trina are truly the best, and I don’t know what I would have done in that hospital without your support. I know that forgiving me wasn’t easy, and if the shoe were on the other foot, I don’t know if I could have done it. But you’ve always been a better person than me, Kayla. I’m working on myself, and I must say that I’m embracing the new me and loving all the goodness that has come my way.”
This certainly seemed like a new and reformed Evelyn in front of me, but as always, it was wise not to trust everything she said. While I did believe that the whole situation between her and Bryson had changed her, it was yet to be seen if it was for the good or the bad. Either way, I reached out to give her a hug.
“Apology accepted. Now, stop trying to make me cry and tell me what’s in those bags for me. I see Jimmy Choo bags on down to Michael Kors. What did I do to deserve all of this?”
We laughed, and when all was said and done, Evelyn had outdone herself. She certainly knew my taste. From the purses to the fabulous shoes to the watch, I loved it all.
&n
bsp; “Thank you, my dear friend, but you really didn’t have to do all of this. You know I’m about to ask where you got the money from, but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t think it’s any of my business.”
“Look, my business is your business. While I can’t tell you how much they gave me, I will say that Bryson’s parents hooked me up! They knew he was at fault, and they were willing to do whatever to make sure I didn’t put their son’s business out there. I’m pleased by how everything turned out, and as long as I don’t ever have to ever see him again, I’m good.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you all were able to settle everything without going to court. Put the money they gave you to good use, and please keep much of it in a savings account. Shopping is nice, but if you don’t budget your money correctly, you’ll find yourself in the hole again.”
“I am making smarter choices, but I had to go splurge a little on some of the things I’ve always wanted. I also wanted to do something nice for my BFF’s, especially you. I borrowed from you until I couldn’t borrow anymore. I want to pay back some of the money you gave me, and since you and Cedric aren’t together anymore, I suspect that things may be a little tight around here.”
I wasted no time setting the record straight. While Evelyn might have gotten a substantial amount of cash from Bryson’s parents, I doubted that the money would last a lifetime. It would surprise me if she still had any money six months from now. I wasn’t hating. Just being honest.
“Girl, with or without Cedric, I will be just fine. You know I wasn’t about to walk away broke after our divorce, and I’m happy to say that he was willing, and able, to give me everything I asked for.”
Evelyn clapped her hands. “That’s wonderful. And now we must celebrate. Not only on Sunday, when I’m planning to take my BFF’s to dinner, but right here and right now too.”
She removed a champagne bottle from one of the bags. I went to the kitchen to get wineglasses, and within the hour, we found ourselves drunk, giggling, and delving into a conversation that I didn’t want to have with her.
“I needed this,” I said. “Lord knows, I needed to let go and feel free again.”
I raised my arms in the air, then waved my hands like a bird.
“Fr-free?” Evelyn slurred. “Free from who or what?”
“From my past. I feel so much better, but there is one little thing that is still bugging the heck out of me.” I fell back on the sofa after I took another sip of the vodka I had put on ice.
Evelyn crawled on the floor, then maneuvered her way into one of my wingback chairs. “If it has anything to do with me,” she said, woozy and pointing at me, “let it all out. Don’t hold back, ’cause I totally understand if you still got some problems with me.”
I sat up, then waved my finger in front of me. “Noooo. Not with you, but with my ex and my son. What am I going to do about them?”
Evelyn sipped from her wineglass, then slammed it on the table in front of her. “What? Exactly what do you mean? Stop talking in riddles and spill it!”
I placed my finger over my lips, then whispered, “Shhh. If I tell you, you can’t say one word about this to anyone. Not even Trinaaaaa.”
“Yo . . . your secret is safe with me. Maybe not with the old Evelyn . . .” She laughed. “But definitely with the new Evelyn.”
I laughed too. I smacked my leg, then laughed even louder. “Right. That old Evelyn was something else. But the new Evelyn, I’m kind of liking this bitch.”
“Ooh, girl, stop. Shut yo’ mouth and keep on talking. I’m listening too, bitch.”
I pointed my finger at her. “Tyler Perry gon’ get you for biting his stuff. But, anyway, as I was saying, Cedric and me . . . we still been screwing around from time to time.”
“What?” Evelyn shouted, then sat up in the chair. “Are you telling me that you still been giving that man all your precious goodies?”
I held up one finger. “Ju-just one time, but he keeps coming over here, trying to get into my panties. I don’t know if I should let him in again or not, but when I tell you that man knows how to make my juices flow, I mean he really knows how to make my juices flow. I don’t know who I’m gon’ find to replace him.”
“Hey, you ain’t talking to a woman who don’t already know how skillful he is, but trust me when I say there are other men out there who know how to make the pussy pop too. In my opinion, Cedric is good, but I know a man who delivers nothing but greatness.”
“Well, you’ve definitely had more sex partners than me, so I can’t argue with you on that. And if whomever you’re speaking of is that great, maybe you should send him my way.”
Evelyn sucked her teeth, then moved her head from side to side. “No way, sweetheart. We will not share another man, and it’s a damn shame that we shared Cedric. But it is what it is, and at least you know now what kind of man you were really married to.”
“I do know, thanks to you.” I paused to take another swig of the vodka. “But like you said, it is what it is, and the past is the past. The future is yet to be seen, but I got a feeling that I’ma need another one of those toe-curling orgasms he provides real soon. You gotta admit that the man definitely knows how to chomp down on the cooda.”
Evelyn jumped from her seat to give me a high five. “Bam!” she exclaimed as she slapped her hand against mine. “I’ll give him that for sure. That tongue of his be all up in there, and, girl, don’t let that mutha slither near yo’ ass or take a swipe at it! Boom!”
I giggled, then fell back on the sofa while kicking my feet in the air. “Yes! Yes! Yes! That tongue is fierce! I’m getting all hot and bothered just thinking about it, and I can’t help but think that he’s only a phone call away. Do you think I should call him?”
Evelyn moved her head like a bobblehead doll. “Yep. ’Cause he’s just a phone call away. You should call him to come over tonight. Let him bend you over like this, and call you bitches and hoes while slapping yo’ ass.” Evelyn bent over the chair and slapped her butt. “He be smacking hard, and . . . and he’ll bite that ass too.”
I laughed my butt off. He’d never cursed at me, nor had he taken a bite out of my ass. But I was so sure that Cedric had explored many interesting things with the tricks he had cheated on me with, including Evelyn. In no way was I offended by this conversation. Cedric’s dick was always on point, but after our last sex session, I never wanted him to touch me again. I was strictly talking smack because I was drunk, and I had always wanted Evelyn to discuss freely what had happened between them. I had to let her know that it didn’t anger me one bit.
“Girl, you are a mess,” I said, throwing my hand back at her. “I can’t believe we’re talking about ole Ceddy like this, but you’d better believe that if it were two men, they’d surely be talking about the woman.”
“Right. And I don’t know how we ventured here, because you were about to tell me something about Jacoby, weren’t you?”
I scratched my head, thinking about Jacoby. It was getting late, and I hadn’t heard from him. It wasn’t like he often called to check in, but there were times when I worried too much about him.
“It wasn’t important,” I said. “But I do need to call and check on him. Where in the heck is my cell phone at?”
Evelyn stood to look around the room. She staggered a bit, then let out a loud belch. She slapped her hand over her mouth, and when her cheeks blew up like a balloon, she rushed off toward the bathroom. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it. Puke sprayed on my plush carpet, and some splattered on my table. She slowly turned while holding her stomach.
“Sorry,” she said in a whisper. “I’ll clean it up.”
“Yes, you will,” I said, then shook my head as she ran the rest of the way to the bathroom.
While she was in there, I attempted to gather myself so that I could look for my phone. It was in the kitchen, and when I called Jacoby, he didn’t answer. I left a message for him to call me back, and after ending the call, I dialed Cedric’s number to
see if he’d had any luck with reaching him. I guessed he heard the slurring of my voice.
“Yes, I talked to him, but like always, he said he would let me know. On another note, you really need to get some help. I’m concerned about you.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be fine.”
I hung up on Cedric, hoping that I would be fine, as I’d professed.
4
Evelyn
Being with my BFF’s on Sunday was fun. First, we went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse, and then we went to a little hole-in-the-wall nightclub to have some drinks and to dance. Trina didn’t drink as much as Kayla and me, only because one of us had to drive. Kayla was sloppy drunk, and we had to hold her up as we carried her through the door of her condo. When we entered, we found Jacoby and his girlfriend in the living room area, watching TV. They looked like they were up to no good, causing Kayla to straighten her back and wave her hands around.
“Up, up. Hands in the air,” she ordered, slurring. “I need to make sure y’all are not over there doing any of that freaky stuff.”
Jacoby’s girlfriend laughed, but he sat there with an embarrassed look on his face. Kayla blew him a kiss before we carried her off to her bedroom and laid her back on the bed.
“Stop making such a big fuss over me,” she said, trying to push us away. “I’m fine. Get out and go home so I can get some sleep.”
Sleep was exactly what she needed. Trina pulled back the sheets, and after tucking Kayla in bed and turning off the lights, we left her bedroom. As I closed the door behind us, I listened to Kayla sing Mary J.’s “No More Drama,” which played on the intercom.
“She’s a mess,” Trina said, turning to me. “Y’all had too much to drink, and I’m surprised you’re still standing.”
“I’m good. I knew when to stop, even though my head is banging.”
As we made our way toward the front door, we stopped to say good-bye to Jacoby and his girlfriend. She was kind of on the thick side. I was surprised to see Jacoby with a chick who had so much weave too. As tall and as handsome as he was, I expected better from him.
BFF'S 3 Page 4
