You're My Little Secret 3

by Chenell Parker

  “I’m about to whip your bad ass,” I yelled at DJ over my iPod music.

  “Girl, you better not hit my baby,” Dominic said walking into the kitchen. I didn’t hear him come in, but I was so happy to see him.

  “You better get your son before I hurt him. Look at the mess he made,” I said as I gestured to the cookies and juice that was all over the kitchen floor.

  “I got him,” Dominic said taking him from his high chair. He washed DJ’s face and hands before cleaning up the mess he made.

  “Are you ready to eat?” I asked Dominic.

  “Yeah, but damn, you didn’t give me a kiss or nothing. DJ made you mad, and you’re taking it out on me. We’re supposed to be celebrating, and you got a frown on your face,” he laughed.

  “I’m sorry, but he drove me crazy today. He didn’t want to take a nap or nothing,” I complained as I stepped up and gave him a kiss. Of course, I had to kiss my baby too since he wants to do everything that his daddy does.

  “So how did your meeting go?”

  “It went better than I thought. After we pay our employees and take care of the other expenses, David and I should walk away with at least two hundred thousand for ourselves. And I’m talking about two hundred thousand each for a year’s worth of work. The contract we signed is for one million. They have a lot of work coming up, and they need a lot of help transporting their materials. I don’t understand how a company that big wouldn’t have trucks of their own, but I’m not complaining.”

  “Damn, that’s a lot of money for a year of work. Especially since y’all really don’t have to do anything,” I replied.

  “Right, but that’s not even including what we’ll be making on our own. That’s just with them. We’ll probably have to hire about four more drivers within the next month. We’re going to need the help.”

  “But you can help sometimes too right?” I asked.

  “I can, but I’m not. I’m not leaving you and my kids at home alone while I’m driving trucks all night. That’s the reason why I opened my own business. The point was for me to hire other people to do the work, so I don’t have to,” he replied.

  I fixed him and my baby a plate and sat down at the table with them while they ate.

  “So what are we going to do about the baby’s room?” I asked changing the subject. “We have to get rid of that bedroom set and put some baby furniture in there.” I still don’t know what I’m having, and nobody is giving me any clues. We haven’t even started shopping for our new addition as of yet.

  “I really want us to start looking for a house Brooklyn. It’s gon’ be too cramped in here with us and two small kids. Then I have to think about when the other baby starts to visit. This apartment is not going to work.”

  “I have two more months to go before this baby gets here. Plus, you’re trying to throw DJ another party on top of all of that. Then you want us to get married right away. That’s a lot to make happen in the short time that we have,” I admitted.

  “It’s really not though. The only thing that would hold us back is money. We have plenty of that, so I don’t understand what the problem is,” he shrugged.

  “I don’t know the first thing about looking for a house,” I whined as I washed the dishes that they had just eaten out of. “Maybe I can get my mama and daddy to help us out.”

  “Baby, I love you to death, but you really have to grow up. Your mama and daddy are not going to be living in the house we are. We have our own family now. We need to go look for us a house together,” he said pointing back and forth between the two of us.

  “You’re right, but where do we look Dominic?”

  “I don’t know. We can get a real estate agent to help us out. Just tell me where you want live, and I’ll take it from there.”

  “I like the westbank, but where do you want to go?” I asked. Both of our parents live in the westbank, and I want our kids to be close to their grandparents.

  “As long as you’re happy I’ll go wherever,” he replied causing me to smile. The moment was short lived because his phone started ringing soon after. When I saw the frown on Dominic’s face, I already knew who it was.

  “That’s Kennedi calling again?” I asked even though I knew. Kennedi has been on some bullshit lately. She would call Dominic all times of the day and night telling him that she needed money to start buying stuff for their baby. When Dominic asked her what she was having she told him that it was none of his business. He was done talking to her after that.

  “Yeah, that’s her bipolar ass,” he replied sounding disgusted.

  “That bitch is really nuts. She doesn’t want you to be a part of the baby’s life, but she wants you to finance everything. She won’t even tell you what she’s having,” I fumed.

  “I know, but I’m not about to play these games with her,” he replied.

  “Maybe you should just buy whatever she’s asking for so she can stop calling you all throughout the day.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m not doing. She doesn’t call the shots around here. If I do that, she’ll just find something else to call about. I’m not putting any money in her hands, and I’m not letting her mama pick out my baby’s shit.”

  I nodded my head in understanding, but I didn’t reply. Even though Dominic and I are together, I still try to stay out of him and Kennedi’s business. Legally, she’s still his wife and the soon to be mother of his child. She’s always throwing my name in the mix, but I ignore her most of the time. Dominic always puts her in her place, so I don’t have to.

  “Don’t let her stress you out. Go take your shower so we can watch a movie,” I suggested. Once he and DJ were gone, I put the food away and cleaned up the kitchen.

  ****

  “That’s just why your ass gets pregnant every year,” Co-Co said loudly calling attention to Dominic and me as we exited the bathroom. It’s Sunday, and all of us were chilling at David’s house while he barbecued. Aside from me and Dominic, Co-Co and his boo, along with Candace, Tiana, Taylor, and Bryce were all in attendance as well. Co-Co was always noticing things that other people don’t really pay attention to. I got up to go to the bathroom a little while ago, and Dominic had to follow me in there. After being gone for almost thirty minutes, it didn’t take long for anybody to figure out what we were doing. Nobody really cared except for my big mouth cousin.

  “You are too nosey and I do not get pregnant every year,” I snapped at him.

  “Oh yeah, I meant to say every other year,” he said making everybody laugh. “What is it with y’all and the bathroom?”

  I flipped him my middle finger just as David came in with a pan of whatever he and Bryce were grilling.

  “Y’all can come eat,” David yelled right before he went back outside. Co-Co and Candace jumped up, but Dominic was much faster than the both of them.

  “I hope y’all don’t think y’all are eating before my girl gets hers,” he yelled. DJ is with Dominic’s parent, so we didn’t have to worry about feeding him.

  “Look at you. Brooklyn took you in the bathroom for a few minutes, and now you acting like a little trained puppy. I know they better have enough food in here for my boo to eat,” Co-Co fussed. Co-Co has recently been spending a lot of time with a man named Dwight. He’s very nice, and we all took to him immediately. He’s unattached to a man or a woman, and that just makes us like him more. Co-Co usually falls for men that are unavailable so this is a good thing for him as well. This is Dwight’s second time really hanging out with us and Co-Co always keeps him laughing. When David and Bryce came back inside we all sat around in the living room eating and talking.

  “I’m still hungry,” I complained while rubbing my huge belly.

  “Damn Brooklyn, you just had a big ass plate of food,” Tiana yelled.

  “Don’t worry about her. As long as she’s feeding my baby she can eat as much as she wants,” Dominic said as he got up to get me some more food.

  “That’s right hater,” I said sticking my to
ngue out at Tiana. Dominic came back and handed me another plate of food just as his phone started ringing for the third time in the last ten minutes. He kept sending Kennedi to voicemail, but she was still calling him back to back.

  “That’s that crazy girl again?” Taylor asked.

  “Yep,” Dominic replied as he declined her call. Not even a minute later the phone started ringing again.

  “Let me answer it. She’s getting on my damn nerves,” I yelled as I held my hand out for Dominic to hand me his phone.

  “Put her on speakerphone,” Co-Co demanded.

  “Hello,” I answered putting the call on speaker like I was asked to.

  “I need to speak with Dominic,” Kennedi said sounding upset. Dominic shook his head saying no while Co-Co stood next to me waiting for something to pop off.

  “He’s busy right now. Is there something that you want me to tell him for you,” I said as nicely as I could.

  “Lil girl put my husband on the phone and know your place. Whatever I have to say to him does not concern you,” she hollered. Co-Co snatched the phone out of my hands and started going off on her.

  “Bitch, you must have eaten your Wheaties for breakfast, huh? Maybe you need to be reminded about that beat down that was delivered to you a few months ago,” he yelled.

  “Fuck you and everybody that’s in there listening. I called to speak to my husband so put him on the phone,” she screamed putting emphasis on the word husband.

  “Kennedi what the hell do you want?” Dominic finally spoke up.

  “I should have known that you were sitting there listening while your bitch answered the phone for you,” she said angrily.

  “I got your bitch,” I yelled.

  “This is my last time telling you about disrespecting my girl and this is my last time asking you what the fuck you want,” Dominic yelled.

  “You already know what I want. I need to furnish and decorate our baby’s room, and you need to pay for it. That’s the least you can do. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”

  “I don’t even know what you’re having Kennedi. How can I start buying anything?” He asked with a frown.

  “Why does that even matter? What does the sex of the baby have to do with you providing for it?”

  “You got me fucked up. I keep telling you that I’m not playing these games with you. Since you don’t want me to be a part of anything then do all that shit by yourself,” Dominic said.

  “And since you wanted a blood test for my cousin’s baby we need one for yours too hoe,” Co-Co yelled before he hung up.

  “Co-Co sit down and stop being so damn messy. You have company, and you’re minding everybody else’s business,” Candace told her brother.

  “He already knows how I am, don’t you boo? I was about to fight his whole family the first time I met them,” he said seriously.

  “I know you’re joking right?” Taylor asked with raised brows.

  “Oh, no I’m not. You better tell them Dwight,” Co-Co yelled excitedly.

  “Yeah, his first meeting with my family didn’t go too well,” Dwight shrugged.

  “That’s a damn shame. Can’t even bring your ghetto ass nowhere without you wanting to fight somebody,” Bryce commented.

  “They tried to come for me cousin, but I shut the whole family picnic down. I had them bitches putting the fire out on the grills and everything,” he laughed while Bryce just shook his head.

  “It’s always some drama with you,” Taylor said.

  “You got some ice cream in here David?” I asked moving on to another subject.

  “Girl, you greedy as fuck,” David laughed.

  “Nigga ain’t nobody ask you all that. Do you have some ice cream or not?” Dominic said taking up for me.

  “That baby really got you eating a lot,” Taylor said.

  “I know, I never ate this much with DJ so it can’t be another boy,” I said fishing for clues. I really wanted to know what I was having, but I wanted somebody to tell me without me having to ask.

  “Stop trying to be slick. Nobody is telling you nothing,” Tiana said catching on to the little game that I was playing.

  “I don’t want anybody to tell me nothing. I’m just saying that it can’t be another boy because this pregnancy is so different,” I replied with a shrug.

  “See, y’all can keep playing this game with this dizzy hoe if y’all want to, but I’m tired of it. Bitch you’re having a girl. Your man already picked out a name for her and everything,” Co-Co blurted out.

  “Co-Co you make me sick. You talk too damn much. Just learn to shut the fuck up sometimes,” Candace yelled angrily.

  “I keep telling y’all to stop telling me shit, but nobody seems to be listening.I don’t give a damn if you’re mad. That’s y’all fault,” he replied like he didn’t care.

  “Yes! I’m having a girl,” I yelled excitedly as I danced in my seat. “But we need to talk about what name you came up with.”

  “I want her name to be Dominique after me and her brother,” Dominic replied while rubbing my belly.

  “Dominique? That’s too common. What about Diamond?” I suggested.

  “That’s common too. I like Dominique better.”

  “Okay, but you can’t decide on that without including me. We need to get this together before she gets here.”

  “Let’s vote on it at your baby shower,” Taylor suggested.

  “What baby shower?” I asked looking around at everybody. I made them promise not to give me another baby shower, but it looks like they weren’t listening.

  “I swear you bitches got diarrhea of the mouth today. Y’all can’t keep a secret for nothing,” Candace fussed.

  “We know you said you didn’t want another one, but it’s going to be something small. It’s really just your family and Dominic’s family. When Mrs. Liz found out that you were having a girl, her and your mama started planning the same day. You can’t use any of DJ’s things because it’s all boy stuff,” Tiana spoke up.

  “I guess,” I said nonchalantly. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the gesture. I just don’t want them making a fuss over me like they did the first time. Nobody is obligated to buy me a gift, and I don’t want them to feel like they are.

  “That’s why I told you that we needed to move before she gets here,” Dominic said trying to further prove his point about purchasing a house. I nodded my head, agreeing with what he said.

  “You want me to answer that David?” Tiana asked referring to the ringing of David’s doorbell.

  “Yeah, you can get it,” he replied.

  “Can I help you?” Tiana asked the person once she cracked the door open. I didn’t hear what they said, but the look on her face spoke volumes. She looked kind of nervous, so Candace got up to see who it was. Things went from zero to one hundred quickly after that.

  “Um David, you need to come handle this shit right here,” Candace yelled with a frown on her face. All of us jumped up and peeped out of the window when she said that. David started going off as soon as he saw who his uninvited guest was.

  “Man, I told you that whatever we had is over. I have a girl now,” David said as he wrapped his arm around Candace’s waist. Dominic and I glanced at each other with a knowing look. This is the same woman that showed up wearing a trench coat and heels in the middle of the summer a while ago. That was also the same day that Dominic found out I was a virgin. All of that was long before David and Candace got together though.

  “You never told me that you had a girl,” the woman replied with her arms folded across her chest.

  “That’s a damn lie!” David shouted. “I can show you the text message where you were begging me to come over here. I told you no because I have a girl.”

  “Okay, so now you know. It don’t matter if he told you before he’s telling you now,” Candace said.

  “I don’t believe I was talking to you,” she said as she raised her hand to stop Candace from talking. Candace didn’t get a c
hance to respond before Co-Co flew out the door to confront the girl for her.

  “Bitch you must have gone to Wiz and got you some courage. I promise you that this is not want you want,” Co-Co yelled.

  “And you are?” She asked while staring Co-Co down.

  “I’m the bitch that’s about to drag you back to that raggedy ass car that you just pulled up in,” he replied taking a step towards her. Dwight had grabbed him by his arm before he got too close.

  “You need to bounce and make this your last time coming here,” David said.

  “No problem. Nigga, you ain’t all that anyway,” she replied seemingly embarrassed.

  “Girl, you don’t even have edges and trying to talk about somebody ain’t all that. You petty hoes kill me,” Co-Co said as she walked away.

  “Let me go get my stuff and take my ass home,” Candace said angrily as she pulled away from David’s hold.

  “I know you’re not mad at me behind that shit,” he said following her into the house.