“I already know that, Roc. When I get back home, I’m gon’ join a gym. I may even get a personal trainer, but for now, I need to start somewhere.”
He got up from the table. I followed him to the workout room. Since I was already dressed in a pink T-shirt and black stretch pants, I didn’t have to change clothes. It was a little after six o’clock, and I still had a couple more hours before Scandal came on. I missed it last week because Jaylin’s ol’ picky self wanted to watch something else.
Roc told me before we got started that he wanted me to stretch. He showed me how, so I followed by doing everything that he did.
“You don’t have to do this for long,” he said as we stood side by side on the rubber mats. “Just stretch as many muscles as you can before workin’ out.”
I stretched my arms in the air and did lunges to stretch my legs. Roc also told me to do a few squats, so I knocked out ten of those. I didn’t want to let him know that my calves were already burning, but by the time Wheel of Fortune came on, he told me to get on the treadmill next to him.
“Start off slow and walk for at least twenty minutes. And whatever you do…” He had a smirk on his face. “Don’t fall off.”
“You act like I tried to fall on my ass before. I didn’t. That thing was goin’ too fast and that’s why I fell.”
“That’s because you made it speed up. Raise your incline settin’ to about two or three. Then hit quick start and set your speed at a slow pace.”
I did as he told me to. He put his treadmill on the same pace as mine so we could walk side by side together.
“So, what we gon’ do after this?” I asked while keeping my eyes on Wheel of Fortune. I was trying to figure out the puzzle. So was Roc.
“After this, we gon’ do twenty minutes on the elliptical machine and then twenty minutes on the bikes.”
“Are we gon’ work the weights? Jaylin said not to mix this kind of exercisin’ with weight liftin’. He said do cardio one day and weight liftin’ on another day.”
“That’s what a lot of people do, but I think people need to figure out what works for them and stay on that path.”
“So, tomorrow, you think we should do the weights or what?”
Roc didn’t respond right away. He looked at the TV and shouted out the word puzzle. Unfortunately, his answer was wrong. I cracked up and almost fell again. My laughter, however, halted when he answered my question about us lifting weights tomorrow.
“I can’t predict tomorrow. There is a possibility that we may not even be here.”
Did he know something that I didn’t? Roc was too sure of himself, but he didn’t know that his wake-up call was coming.
“I don’t want to predict tomorrow either, but I will predict tonight. After I get done with all of this, I’mma take me a hot shower, pour some white wine, and chill on the couch to watch Scandal.”
“What’s Scandal?”
I almost fell off the treadmill again when I snapped my head in his direction. This time, I caught my balance by holding the rail. “Are you serious? You mean you don’t be checking out Scandal? You watched it with me the week before last, didn’t you?”
“I probably paid it no attention, but I think I remember somethin’ y’all were watchin’.”
“Well, it’s a TV drama series that got me hooked. On one episode I watched, Kerry Washington, she plays a lawyer named Olivia, she checked the shit out of her boyfriend. She was like…five, nigga get some balls; four, you don’t gotta trust me ’cause I damn sho don’t trust you; three, I’m cheatin’ with the Prez ’cause you can’t put it down like he do; two, kiss my ass; and one, get yo crusty-lipped tail out of here. Her lips be twisted, and the way she be workin’ her mouth and switchin’ be havin’ me like daaaamn, this chick is bad!”
Roc didn’t seem impressed. All he did was shrug. “Sounds interestin’, but I don’t think they doin’ it like that on TV.”
“She didn’t exactly say it like that, but that’s what she meant.”
We conversed back and forth, and before I knew it, twenty minutes had gone by. Surprisingly, I wasn’t that tired, but my crack sure did feel greasy. My whole body was sweating, but for some reason, more sweat was in the area of my privates. I dabbed my forehead with a fluffy towel and then tossed it on one of the weight benches. Roc waited for me to get on the elliptical machine next to him, so I did. Five minutes in, my legs were burning and sweat spots were all over my clothes, particularly in the crotch area. When I glanced at the mirror in front of us, it looked like I had peed on myself.
“Hang in there,” Roc coached as he looked over at me. “Don’t slump down and straighten yo back.”
I straightened my back and forced myself to continue. Roc cheered me on the whole time, and once the twenty minutes were up, my legs were numb. My arms were sore and my sweaty clothes stuck to my body. I bent over and put my hands on my knees. While taking deep breaths in and out, I eyed Roc. He went over to the bikes. He wasn’t breathing hard or nothing. There was barely any sweat on him and he looked ready to go.
“Come on, ma. We’re almost done. You’re doin’ good. Real good.”
I straightened my back and stretched it. While holding my waistline, I dragged my feet across the floor, making my way over to the bikes.
“You said I may not be here tomorrow because you tryin’ to kill me, right?” I said.
“Exercisin’ will not kill you, so stop complainin’ and let’s get done with this. Start off slow and then work your way up to level nine or ten on the bike.”
I got on the bike; level one was already enough. If Roc thought I was cranking this thing up to level nine or ten, he was crazy. Maybe to level two or three, but that was all he was getting out of me.
“Faster,” he shouted while turning his legs so fast that his bike shook. I tried to go fast like him, but after awhile, I started to feel like a heart attack was upon me. My ass was so wet that it was sliding off the seat. My wet palms could barely stay gripped on the handles and sweat was dripping from my forehead onto the floor. I had never been worked this hard in my life. It felt good, though, until my stomach started rumbling and cramping up. Gas was trying to find an escape route. I tightened my butt cheeks and took several deep breaths to calm my stomach. A few minutes later, the cramps went away. I was thankful. I didn’t want to embarrass myself anymore than I already had.
“Five,” Roc shouted. “Five more minutes, and you, Miss Jada Mahoney, are done. Pat yourself on the back. I may have a few glasses of wine to help you celebrate.”
After helping me like this, Roc was now back on my team. I was upset with him earlier, but I liked how he inspired me. Without him around, I never would’ve been able to pull this off. I watched the timer go from one minute left, to one second. Exhausted, I removed my feet from the pedals and dropped my head back.
“Lord, have mercy,” I said, sighing from relief. “I am so glad that this is over.”
“Almost.” Roc sat on the floor mats in the middle of the room. “Now all you have to do is a few sit-ups. You need to work your stomach area like this.”
Roc pulled the wife beater over his head and used it to wipe across the minimal sweat on his forehead. He put the wife beater next to him and then started to do sit ups. While switching his elbows to touch his knees, he kept lifting his feet off the floor. By the time I got off the bike, he was already up to one hundred sit-ups.
“You’ll be lucky to get ten of those out of me,” I said.
I staggered over to where he was and plopped down on the mat in front of him. I lay on my back and took a few more minutes to rest. Roc was now up to two hundred and fifty sit-ups, so I watched and waited until he was done.
“Your turn,” he said, kneeling in front of me to hold down my feet. I knew he was going to push me to do more, so after five sit-ups, I pretended that I couldn’t do any more.
“You can give me more that that, Jada. Up and down, ma, up and down.”
“Dang, you gotta make it sou
nd so sexual?”
“I don’t care how it sounds. Just do it.”
I strained to do more, and by the time I got to fifteen, my stomach cramps were back again. I squeezed my stomach, but I could feel a fart wanting to slip out. I tightened my ass and grunted as I forced myself to do another sit up.
“More,” Roc shouted. “Come on, Jada, ten more!”
“I can’t!” I shouted back.
“Yes, you can. Give me more.”
I strained, tightened, and squeezed as I did five more sit-ups.
“Five more!” Roc hollered.
“No. One!”
“Come on, ma. Give it here!”
On my way up to do one more sit-up, I exhaled and several pops of loud air flew out. I looked around and tried to play it off, like I didn’t know what had happened. Roc ducked and backed away from me, thinking it was gunfire. At that point, all I could do was cover my mouth.
“Damn, girl,” Roc said with a twisted face. “What the fuck was that?”
I removed my hand from my mouth and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
He fanned his hand in front of his face. “You really and truly need to go handle that. You got it stankin’ in this mutha, for real.”
I couldn’t argue with him on that. I tried not to go there, but he kept pushing and asking for me to give him more. I stood and pinched my nose, so I didn’t have to inhale what I had put into the air.
“Can I go now?” I asked, hoping we were finished.
Roc walked away, looking disgusted. “It’s a wrap. We’re done.”
I walked like a penguin as I made my way to the door. I then hiked up my leg to give him one more silent poot for memories. Afterward, I took his advice and left to go handle my business in the kitchen with some ice cream. My body was hurting so bad; Lord knows I needed a cane to walk.
I hurried to get out of the workout room and moved into some fresh air that had done my nostrils some good. Jada had gone to shower. I hoped like hell that she got herself together. While I didn’t approve of how she got down sometimes, I did like the realness about her. She surely wasn’t no phony, with the exception of what- ever it was she was doing behind my back.
I’d been thinking about it all day, but before I brought anything to her attention, I needed some privacy. The only place I could get it was in the bathroom, but Jada was in there. The only other place that I suspected didn’t have cameras was in the closet. Therefore, I made my way to it and closed the door. I sat on the floor and removed the phone from my pocket. I dialed out to call Desa Rae’s home phone. After three rings, my call went to voicemail so I left a message.
“Ay. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be home soon. Meanwhile, I had to see what you were up to. I see you ain’t home. On a Thursday night, where could you be?”
I ended the call with all kinds of thoughts in my head. Bad thoughts that made me want to get the fuck out of there to go see what was up. Dez being with Reggie was on my mind, and I also thought about Chase doing something conniving too. Hearing Desa Rae’s voice would make me feel so much better, but when I tried her cell phone, I got voicemail again.
“Say, ma, where are you? Wanted to holla at you for a second. I’ll try to hit you back later.”
I held the phone in my hand. When I heard Jada enter the bedroom, I slipped the phone into my pocket. I hurried to grab some clothes and then threw them over my shoulder. When I opened the door, Jada stood in her white silk bra and panties. She was rubbing lotion on her legs. Surprised to see me come out of the closet, she hurried to cover herself with the towel.
“Where did you come from? I didn’t know you were in there,” she said.
“I was gettin’ my clothes together to shower and change. The closet door closed on me.”
“Aw,” she said still trying to cover up.
Seeing how uncomfortable she was, I went to the door and then turned around. “I don’t know why you actin’ all shy and everything. From what I can see, you hooked up nicely. A few more workouts like today and you’ll be tight.”
She blushed and thanked me. I left the bedroom, thinking that she really did have a shapely full figure. Too bad she thought otherwise.
By the time I washed up and changed into some comfortable clothes, Jada was in the kitchen cooking what she called a special, late dinner for the two of us. She pulled back my chair and invited me to have a seat.
“There ain’t a Chinese woman out there who can cook chicken fried rice like me. I made some Egg Foo Young patties too, and wait until you taste my gravy. I bet you won’t ever go to the Fried Rice Kitchen again.”
I sat in the chair and laughed. “If you got Chinese food on lock, my hat will go off to you tonight. Ain’t too many people can do Chinese food the right way. When Desa Rae tried to do it, it was jacked up.”
She released a deep sigh. “Don’t you get tired of talkin’ about yo woman? I mean, if you really want to talk about her, then let’s do it. My question to you is, how does she feel about your sharp, thick toenails slicin’ her ankles underneath the covers at night? You straight up got it going on, Roc, but once I get a glance at those big, crusty feet of yours, it’s all over with for me. I would like to know how she handles all those cat scratches you be givin’ her.”
Jada was tripping. I looked down at my feet and then looked at hers. “My feet are not that bad. They may need some work, but trust me, ma, when I say you have no room to talk.”
“Yes, I do. I’m not the one clawin’ sheets in the middle of the night and shreddin’ them with my sharp toenails. You are. The Chinese lady by my house can hook you up for twenty dollars. If you ain’t got it, I’mma buy you a gift card when I leave here.”
“Keep it and use it for yourself. With all that crust droppin’ from the heels of your feet when you walk, you need to back away from this conversation. Quick.”
“I will. Only because your feet are Desa Rae’s problem, not mine. The truth is I don’t like to be compared to other women. You keep goin’ there with this Desa Rae thing, but no matter what, you need to get ready to give me props for my Egg Foo Young. After eatin’ this, you will see me as a blessin’ in the skies.”
Roc cocked his head back. “As a what? You mean a blessin’ in disguise, don’t you?”
“Uh, no. I meant exactly what I said. Blessings come from the sky, not from a disguise. That sounds real stupid.”
“Whatever you say, ma, I’m good.”
She walked away, seeming real upbeat. I didn’t know what had her so hyped tonight. She fixed my plate and placed it on the table in front of me.
“Don’t eat yet. I’mma dim the lights, light some candles, and get us some wine. I’ll be right back.”
“What’s so special about tonight? You goin’ all out, ain’t you?”
“Excuse me, but this is how I treat men. I love to cater to y’all, especially when y’all are so deservin’.”
“What did I do that was so deservin’?”
“My list is so long that I would be here all night tryin’ to tell you. Just hursh and enjoy, okay?”
Jada lit the candles, poured the wine, and joined me at the table. She reached out and held my hands with hers.
“Before we eat, close your eyes and let us pray,” she said.
I followed suit and closed my eyes.
“Dear Lord, thank you for bringin’ us together in Hell House. I’ve truly enjoyed myself, and I haven’t had this much fun since Kiley and me departed. Bless Roc and his family too. I pray that him and Disser Rae have a happy life together. I pray that he likes the food I prepared for him this evenin’, and I’m grateful for the cookin’ skills you gave me to throw down like this. I ask that you watch over my family, especially my kitten who is at Portia’s house with her. I don’t know why her house is so nasty, but do what you can to help her work out that situation. Lord, you know I’m not a greedy person, but I ask that you soon send a whole lot of money my way. I want to donate the money and give to some of the people who are
way needier than me. I want to pay my bills and buy a—”
I opened my eyes and removed my hands from Jada’s. “Amen. You movin’ that prayer in another direction, so cut it. It’s time to eat.”
Jada laughed and slapped my arm. “I know, right. I wasn’t gettin’ ready to get all up in it.”
“Yeah, you were. But you lost me after you went there with the Disser Rae thing. It’s Desa Rae.”
Jada started to eat and so did I. Unfortunately, the chicken fried rice was not on point. Neither was the Egg Foo Young, and the gravy was too thick. It was so bad that I didn’t want to eat it. I didn’t want to hurt Jada’s feelings, but when she asked if I liked it, I had to be truthful.
“It’s all right. I’ve definitely had better and yo gravy is too lumpy.”
“What?” Jada shouted. “Where? Where can you get Chinese food better than that?”
“Several places like The Fried Rice Kitchen. I guess I like the way Chinese people do it. This here ain’t doin’ nothin’ for me.”
She dropped her fork and appeared stunned. “You just tryin’ to make me mad. I’m not goin’ there with you, Roc, ’cause you know doggone well that food is good.”
I hated for somebody to tell me how I felt about something, especially when I had my own opinion. “If it’s good, you eat it. I’mma opt for a TV dinner and call it a night.”
I got up from the table, but before I could pick up my plate, Jada snatched it. She stormed over to the trashcan and dumped my plate.
“I hate picky-ass, ungrateful men. I’m done cookin’ for you, and anything else you eat in this house will have to be made with yo own hands.”
I didn’t bother to argue with Jada. It was all good when I was praising her food, but now I was being ungrateful. She was so upset with me that she didn’t even eat. She turned the lights back on, blew out the candles, and went over to the couch with a glass of wine in her hand.
“Are you gon’ watch anything on TV tonight? If not, I’m watchin’ Scandal.”
The Reunion Show Page 7
