by Nique Luarks
“Whatever!” she yelled back and I laughed at them.
Morgan had given birth to Saint when she was fourteen. Instead of gossiping and giggling about boys like the rest of us, she took it up a notch and started having sex at thirteen. Thirteen… She was the only twenty-seven year old I knew with a teenager. Sometimes, she and Saint acted like brother and sister instead of mama and son. It didn’t help that she was one of those parents who had a hard time saying no.
“Chance?” Morgan called out as I dried my glass.
“I’m here.” I giggled.
“Girl, his ass gets on my nerves. I told him to stop answering my phone. He ain’t my damn man,” she huffed. “What’s up?”
After pouring me a glass of pink Moscato, I picked my phone up. “I’m having second thoughts about letting Relcome over.”
She stared at me for a second. “Your makeup is beat. Put on that matte red lipstick. It makes your eyes pop. Raise the camera up so I can make sure your lace front is still slayed.”
“Morgan…”
“Chance, let me see,” she said sternly. “You ‘bouta drive this nigga crazy.”
Taking a long gulp from my glass, I sat it down. “I’m just going to call you from my iPad.” Not giving her a chance to respond, I ended the call.
After lifting my wineglass from the counter, I left the kitchen and headed for my home office. Hearing my phone ringing from the kitchen, I rushed down the hallway to catch Morgan’s call. When I entered my office, my iPad was pinging, alerting me of a Facetime. After taking another sip of wine, I picked it up. Answering for Morgan, I waited on our conversation to connect.
“Let me see your hair, preferably your edges,” she demanded as soon as she came into clear view. When I’d taken Chasity to get her hair touched up at Morgan’s shop a few days ago, she had begged me to try out this new brand of hair for her.
Maneuvering the camera around my edges slowly, I drank from my glass again. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s not like we’ve never had sex.” I put the camera back on me.
“Your hair is perfect, of course. Does that hair shed? I see you wand curled it. How did it take to heat?”
“Morgan…” I frowned. “I didn’t call you to talk about my hair. The hair is fine. I’d recommend it.”
She chuckled. “I see you got your titties out. I like that red on you. That’s more of a reason for you put the lipstick on. Let me see the bottom.”
“Hold on. Let me sit the iPad up.” I put my glass down and placed the iPad up against the back of my iMac. Once I was sure it was leveled, I stepped back. “What you think?” I did a slow three-sixty.
Morgan whistled. “Yes, best friend. You better show the fuck out.”
I giggled. “Morg, really?”
“Chance, I’m serious. You got the titties sitting upright and your ass is pokin’ out the bottom of the lace boy shorts. You’re lookin’ all shiny and shit.” She laughed. “This is ‘bouta be the best birthday this nigga ever had.”
I self-consciously ran my hands down my stomach. “I feel bloated. Do I look bloated?” Turning sideways, I waited on her honest opinion. I knew Morgan would never let me make a fool out of myself. “My period should be coming soon. Can you tell?”
“Here you go with this shit. Chance, your body is fine. You look gorgeous.” She rolled her eyes. “Go put the lipstick on. You still got that red silk robe True got you for Valentine’s Day last year?”
I nodded.
“Go slip that on too.”
I grabbed the iPad and my glass before I started out of the room.
“Now, why are you nervous?”
“I just feel weird having sex with him after sleeping with True.” I sighed.
“You fucked True a month ago, so stop. I’m sure he’s been dipping dick in any random hoe who will let him. And we both know that list is extensive.”
Her words cut a little, but I quickly brushed them off and took yet another drink. “You’re right.” Morgan’s choice of words was harsh, but I knew she was just keeping it real. It was one of the things I loved about her personality.
“Fuck True.”
“Morgan…” I shook my head as I climbed the stairs.
“I’m just sayin’. Rel is a good man. He has a lucrative career as an accountant. He wines and dines you, and he’s tall, dark, and handsome.”
Again, she was right.
“I get that you love True, Chance. And I’m not saying he don’t love your little spoiled ass back. But we‘re not thinking about True Jones right now.”
I pouted.
“Fix your face, friend.” She laughed. “We’re focusing on the tall, bow-legged brother with the big dick.”
Mmm…
I licked my lips.
“Ugh, hold up. I forgot True’s ass was bow-legged. Let me rephrase that.”
We burst into a fit of laughter as I made my way into my en suite bathroom.
“No, but for real, you look beautiful. I’m sure you smell wonderful, and I know you cooked that lucky nigga a meal.”
I chuckled. Again, my best friend was right.
I sat the iPad on the sink counter and rested it against the backsplash. I went into the cabinet, and then I removed my makeup bag.
“Hips and ass to fuckin’ die for.” Morgan grinned.
“Let me see.” Saint laughed.
“Boy, if you don’t get your ass on.” Morgan cracked up. “Chance, you see how you got my baby acting?”
“I ain’t no baby.”
I giggled at his little mannish self. My other line started beeping and I saw Love was FaceTiming me just as I opened the lipstick she had suggested. “Morg, let me call you back.”
“Okay. Remember, ride it on your tippy toes.” Her laughter was the last thing I heard before I clicked over.
“Yes, My Love?” I answered, looking in the mirror as I applied the first coat.
“What you doin’?” Hearing True’s voice almost made me jump out of my skin. When I looked down at the screen, his signature mug was on full display.
Quickly picking the iPad up, I cleared my throat. “Getting ready for a date.”
He smacked his lips. “Put on a different bra.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“’Cause yo titties coming out the top of the one you got on.”
I looked down at my chest. “No, they’re not. This is a push up bra, and it won’t be on much long…” My voice drifted off. The wine had done its job. I’d quickly disregarded who I was talking to, not caring what came out of my mouth.
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” He leaned forward.
“True…” I sighed, taking a seat on my bed. “What is it?”
“Who you lookin’ all sexy for? That lame?”
True thinks I look sexy.
I smiled. “True, he isn’t a lame.”
His hard stare made me wish I’d never even said anything. When a few seconds passed, and I realized he wasn’t going to say anything, I rolled my eyes.
“True…”
“I was calling ‘cause Chase is being discharged in the morning.”
I smiled. “That’s great. Tell him I’ll stop by and see him once he gets settled at home.” Chase had been handling his injuries like a champ. I wasn’t surprised, though, because of who his father was.
“Yeah, a’ight.” True continued staring at me. “You gon’ fuck that nigga tonight?”
“True…”
“Answer the question.”
“Bye, True. Please tell Chase what I said.” I ended the call and tossed my iPad next to me. Then I stood up and went back in the bathroom to finish off my drink.
True
The fuck?
I stared down at Love’s phone.
“What was Chance doing? I told you to let me talk to her before you hung up,” Love popped off. “I swear you don’t listen.”
I tossed her phone in her direction and took one of mine out of my jacket pocket. Pulling up Chanc
e’s number, I got up and started out of the room. FaceTiming her, I waited on her to answer. When she did, she had a wineglass in hand.
“Yes, True.”
“So, we hangin’ up on each other now?” Leaning against the wall, I watched her take a sip and then sigh.
“True, I told you what I’m doing. I still have to warm dinner up.”
“So, you cookin’ for this nigga now?” Chance was gon’ make me pull up on her and regulate some shit.
“I’m doing something nice for Ren’s birthday.”
I don’t know what made me madder—seeing Chance’s pretty face all made up, the way her body looked in that red, lace bra and panty set, or her making a meal for another nigga. All of a sudden, a nigga was feeling real territorial. Chance dated, but she’d never went all out like this.
“I’m ‘bout to come over.”
She grimaced. “No, you’re not.”
I frowned. “So, I can’t come over now?”
“True, I just told you I have a date.”
“The fuck that gotta do with me?”
Chance shook her head and took another drink. “Why are you doing this? You don’t wanna be with me like that, so quit trying to stop another man from showing interest in me.”
“The fuck is you talkin’ ‘bout, man?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she mumbled. “That’s not fair and you know it.”
Turning my Black Pyramid dad hat backwards, I sucked my teeth.
“What do you want from me, True?” I could tell by the tone of her voice she was tipsy. My Jelly had that liquid courage in her. “We had sex and you act like it didn’t happen. But then as soon as I’m ready to have sex with someone else, it’s a problem.”
“’Cause he’s a lame.”
“Let me worry about, Ren, and you can go worry about whatever chick you’ve been sleeping with.”
I took my hat off and scratched the top of my head. Chance sat her phone down face up so all I could see was the ceiling. “I’m on my way.”
“True, I’m serious.”
“You think I ain’t?” If anybody was gon’ be fuckin’ Chance it was gon’ be me. All that shit about us acting like it had never happened and never taking it there again was dead.
The line went silent.
“Chance…” I couldn’t believe she had me in my feelings about another nigga.
“Yes, True?” She picked up the phone. When she took a sip from her glass again, I noticed the liquid in it was now brown.
“I’m on my way. Chase is about to go to sleep.”
She sighed.
“Tell that nigga you’ll see him later.” I put my hat back on.
“No, True. I already made plans with him. And I’m not going to change them just because you’re high and drunk and feeling jealous. If you really wanted to be with me tonight, it wouldn’t have taken knowing Rel was coming for you to express that to me.”
Sucking my teeth, I pulled my pants up and they dropped back down a little. “It’s like that?”
“You tell me?” She looked sexy and sultry as fuck when she asked that.
“Tell that nigga you gon’ see him some other day.”
“Now, why would I do that? I already told him I made him dinner and he’s anticipating seeing me.” She took a long drink.
I frowned.
“I’ll call you tomorrow before I go check on Chase. He’s going home with Jaliyah, right?”
I nodded.
“Okay, bye.” She banged on me.
The fuck?
I stared at the phone confused as fuck. Chance never played me to the side or denied me time or attention. When I called her back and she ignored me, I stepped back into Chase’s room.
“Is everything okay?” Love asked, lying in the bed next to Chase, watching something on his iPad.
“Yeah…” I sat down and pulled up me and Chance’s texts.
Me: Yo
“Chance is going on a date, huh?” She chuckled.
I shrugged. “I guess.”
Jelly: Yes True?
“I hope she don’t forget about furniture shopping on Sunday.”
Me: Since when you start hanging up on me?
Jelly: I told you I had to finish getting dinner ready.
Me: Have that nigga gone by the time I get there
“Dad, I can’t wait to go home.” I looked up just as Chase threw his head back against the pillow. “I hate it here.”
“By this time tomorrow, you gon’ be in yo own space, so don’t trip, son.”
He shook his head in annoyance. Chase was going through the motions. He couldn’t use his right arm or leg. The bruises on his face and body were healing, but he still complained about discomfort.
Jelly: No
Me: I’ll be there at midnight.
Jelly: Why True? You’re being selfish.
Me: So
I wasn’t trying to hear that selfish shit. That nigga had four hours to eat, chill, and dip.
Me: I’m not playin Chance.
Jelly: OK True.
When I got to Chance’s later that night, I parked my whip. Just as I was about to get out, the front door opened. The porch light beamed down on Chance as she stepped onto the porch wearing tights, a pair of turquoise Ugg boots, and an over-size hoodie. After locking her door, she spun around. Fixing her purse on her shoulder, she made her way down the walkway.
I watched as she made her way around the front of my car. Chance got to my side, and I opened the door. I killed the ignition and turned sideways in my seat.
“Wassup, Jelly?” I licked my lips and looked her over.
She rolled her eyes. “How much have you had to drink?”
I shrugged. “Where you goin’?” It wasn’t even twelve yet. It was going on ten-thirty. I just knew I was gon’ pop up and that lame was gon’ be here.
“I’m going to Morg’s for ice cream and gossip.” She sighed.
“What happened to your date?” I smirked before reaching into the car for my double Styrofoam cup.
“He ate and then left.” She crossed her arms and stepped closer. “True, you know what you did wasn’t okay, right?”
“What I do?”
She glared at me as I drank my lean. “You’re smart so I’m not going to even entertain that question.” Her head tilted to the side. “I really don’t like when you drink that and drive.”
“I’m straight.”
Her phone started ringing and she answered. “Hello?” Chance paused and then smiled. Her dimples sunk into her cheeks, and I pulled her closer to me by the front of her hoodie. “Morg, shut up. I’m on my way now.”
“Tell Morgan’s hoe ass to quit cock blockin’.”
Chance shot me a look. She hated when I dissed Morgan.
“Okay. No.” She laughed. “Waiting to Exhale.”
I wrapped my left arm around her waist.
“I’ll see you in a minute. True is going to drop me off.” She pulled away from me and took off around my truck.
I got inside my truck and shut my door. Chance hopped in, still on the phone, laughing.
“Bye, Morgan.” She hung up and laid her head against the headrest. “Can we stop at the liquor store? I need another drink after the night I had.”
After pulling away from the curb, I grabbed my cup. “Yeah. I’ma pick you up when I get done kickin’ shit wit’ Tone and them.” I didn’t give a fuck what Chance did before she got to Morgan’s house or after she got there. But she was sleeping in my bed.
“Whatever,” she pouted, looking out of her window.
I turned up the music to the max as my truck coasted through traffic.
14
Missing you…
Chance
After slipping my thigh-high Fendi boots on, I stood up straight and adjusted the waist band on my jeans. As I secured my Fendi hat, my phone started ringing. I grabbed my keys and wallet before I answered for Ava.
“Yes, Av?”
&
nbsp; “Where are you?” she slurred. “I know you coming, yo!” The loud music in her background made me put my phone on speaker.
“I’m leaving now. How much have you had to drink?” I giggled. “Where is Roman?”
She smacked her lips. “Girl, ain’t nobody worried about Roman.” If I knew Ava, she was looking around to make sure Ro hadn’t heard her.
“I’m riding with Morgan. She should be pulling up any minute.”
“Okay, hurry up!”
After hanging up the phone, I slipped it into my back pocket. I stopped at the built-in bar in my sitting area and poured a shot of Jose Cuervo. I threw it back quickly and put the bottle back. When my phone started ringing, I went to cut on the lamps on the end tables. Answering for Morgan, I flipped the switch and headed towards the door.
“Here I come.”
“I’m coming in real fast to pee.”
I opened the front door and she was already on the porch. I unlocked the screen door and stepped to the side and she rushed past me.
“I shouldn’t have worn this damn body suit,” she called over her shoulder.
As Morgan handled her business in the bathroom, I took a couple selfies and sent them to Ren.
“Okay, I’m good.” Morgan switched towards me fixing her breast placement. “I’m so lit right now.” She laughed.
“What did you drink?” I chuckled, grabbing my jacket off the banister.
“Girl, I drank some Patrón and I popped a perc.”
“Oh, so, you lit lit.” I giggled as I locked the door.
“Mmhm…” she hummed. “I got you one too.”
Frowning, I led the way down the walkway. “Morgan, no.”
“Chance, quit acting like you ain’t ever popped a pill.”
“I already took a shot.”
“Good cause we gon’ take a few more before we get there too.”
Rolling my eyes, I stood at the passenger’s side and waited for her to unlock the doors.
“I’m not unlocking the doors until you promise to take at least half a pill.” She snickered.
“Morg! Come on! It’s chilly.”
“Channy, half ain’t gon’ kill yo ass. I’m celebrating my singleness. Turn up wit’ me one time.” She laughed. “I’m on the brink of a nasty divorce,” she pouted. “I wanna do ratchet things wit’ my best friend tonight.”
