“You pregnant,” Sheila blurted.
“No. Jaquon proposed to me today,” Kea said happily, showing off the ring.
Sheila walked closer and took Kea’s hand into hers, looking at the one-carat diamond.
“Dag, Jaquon. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked.
“Not a playa like yourself. You sure you want to settle down with him, Kea?” she asked, and I wanted to push her over the balcony platform. “You know Jaquon has a reputation.”
Kea didn’t look pleased with Sheila’s comment, but said, “Well he’s a changed man now.”
“I hope so for your sake, because I don’t want to see you on Divorce Court talking about, ‘I left him because he’s been cheating on me again.’”
“That will not happen,” I concluded, putting my hand on Kea’s back to lead her down the stairs. When I looked back, Sheila was smirking at me. I grimaced and hoped she would leave us alone. To my dismay she followed.
“Well I wish you two the best,” she said with her heels slicking against the steps as we all made our way down. “It’s good seeing young love coming together. I wish I could find a man to settle down with.”
I wanted to say, “If you stopped spreading your legs for every man with a hard dick then you would have one.” But I thought better of it, knowing this woman could blow my spot up any second. So I played the nice, innocent neighbor and proceeded to keep my mouth shut.
“You two have fun,” she said, smiling at us as I opened the door to my car for Kea. Sheila just stood there like she was waiting for us to pull off.
I hurried up and got in the car to leave. Oh how I wished I could go back in time and erase ever sleeping with that woman. And to think I came so close the other day. I guessed I could thank that blue-eyed lunatic. I didn’t know who was the more evil of the two: Sheila or Trinity. Right now I couldn’t worry about either because tonight was all about being with my baby Kea.
I knew today had to be the beginning of being a changed man for good. I didn’t know what’s been going on lately but it seemed like every woman I came in contact with had some sort of psychological issue. That alone was enough to make me turn in my playa card. It was best to settle down with Kea because my luck lately had not been good. Besides, I had a good girl who made one mistake messing with Derrick but I had her now. She chose me. She said yes to being my wife regardless of Derrick asking for her hand in marriage. I was indeed the happiest man ever.
When we arrived at the restaurant, the waitress led us to a cozy table in the heart of the restaurant. I knew I looked good dressed in a black suit. And Kea was stunning in her knee-length, kimono-style, multicolored dress. The waitress took a drink order after handing us our menus and then left to get them.
“We haven’t done this in a long time,” Kea said, looking down at her menu.
“It has been awhile. But once you become my wife I will make sure to wine and dine you more often.”
Kea smiled, making my heart fill with joy. But that joy was soon cut short when I looked around to see Derrick and Trinity. I swore, in that moment, I felt like moving to another city. Was this area so small that every time I turned around I was bumping into people I didn’t want to see? What was next? Was some female from my cheating days going to come up to Kea in the midst of our dinner to further ruin my evening? I sighed with annoyance.
“What’s wrong?” Kea asked.
“Nothing,” I said, hoping she would leave it alone.
“Jaquon, I can tell something’s wrong. What is it?”
My eyes went to Derrick and Trinity’s table. Kea turned to the direction I was looking and saw what troubled me.
She nodded, saying, “I see.”
“Would you like to go somewhere else?” I asked, hoping she would agree.
“No, Jaquon. I’m not leaving. This is our night to celebrate. I’m here with you, the man I’m going to marry, and no one is going to ruin this evening for us,” she said, reaching out and taking my hand into hers.
I knew then that Kea was mine. I smiled with satisfaction and thought she was right. I gripped her hand in approval and asked, “So what are you ordering?”
Kea and I drank. We ate and talked like we hadn’t done since the first time we met. It felt good laughing with her and seeing how happy she was. Knowing I was the one bringing smiles to her face made this more special. I tried to see, if at any point, she wanted to turn and stare in the direction of Derrick and Trinity. But Kea never looked. All her attention was on me. She talked about the colors she wanted in our wedding and the month she thought we should have it in. If it was up to me, I would elope. I would fly her to Vegas to marry her, but I knew Kea wanted a traditional wedding with the church, flowers, bridesmaids, and the whole nine yards. And if that’s what she wanted, that was what I was going to give her.
During our dessert, Trinity thought it was appropriate to make herself present amid our happiness, without Derrick in tow. I guessed he didn’t want another fight to break out. The only difference with this one would be I wouldn’t let him get by sucker-punching me again.
“Well hello. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Same here,” Kea said, looking like she didn’t mean it. I wondered if she was upset because Trinity was with Derrick.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt. It seems I’m saying that to you a lot lately,” Trinity said to Kea.
“It’s quite all right,” Kea said, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.
“I mean here, and the other day at Derrick’s place.”
“Oh really,” I said, looking at Kea. I didn’t know what game Trinity was playing but she knew she told me this already. She probably also figured Kea didn’t tell me. So what was her deal? Was she purposely trying to make Kea uncomfortable?
“Derrick and I needed to talk about some things,” Kea said uneasily, taking a sip of her water as she looked to me.
“Baby, it’s okay. I trust you,” I told Kea, easing her mind.
Trinity looked at Kea’s finger as Kea set her glass back down on the table. Trinity then looked at me. I ignored her stare and turned my attention back to Kea. I took her hand into mine and asked, “Should we tell her?”
Kea smiled, but before we could say anything Trinity came to the conclusion herself. “Please. Don’t tell me you two are engaged,” Trinity said, looking at the ring she gave me sparkling on Kea’s finger.
Kea nodded and smiled as she tried to swallow down some more water.
“Congratulations,” Trinity said happily to Kea and then me.
This woman was good and conniving.
“Thank you,” Kea said.
“I can’t wait to tell Derrick the wonderful news.”
“I bet you can’t,” Kea mumbled.
“Excuse me?”
“I was going to tell Derrick myself.”
“Oh okay. Do you want to tell him now?” Trinity pushed.
“No. I’m in the middle of dinner with my fiancé. I can talk to Derrick another time. I think it will be better coming from me and Jaquon. I hope you understand.”
“I do,” Trinity said.
“So if you don’t mind, let us break the news to him. I really don’t think it’s a good idea him hearing this from a stranger,” Kea said blatantly.
Trinity shifted from one foot to the other. I could tell she didn’t like Kea’s comment but she let it ride. Instead she breathed in much air like she was trying to deal with Kea’s attitude and said, “Very well. I’ll let you break the news to him. I’ll leave you two to continue celebrating your evening.”
“We would appreciate it,” Kea said with a phony smile.
Trinity did the same and left our table.
“You are funny,” I said, laughing at Kea rolling her eyes as Trinity left.
“It’s something about that woman that isn’t right. I didn’t feel it about her the first time I met her but that could be due to your fight. But when I w
as leaving Derrick’s place, she was standing on the other side of the door like she just got there. She tried to play it off but I think she was listening to our conversation the entire time.”
“If your gut is telling you to feel that way about her then you should.”
“And, Jaquon, nothing happened like that with Derrick and me. We just needed to hash some things out.”
“Baby, I believe you. You don’t see me tripping.”
“It was like she was trying to cause some tension between us or something.”
“Baby, it doesn’t matter. She did not spoil our evening. We are going to continue to celebrate.” I poured us the last bit of champagne and held my glass up to Kea. “To us, baby,” I said. “May our future be as bright as it is now.”
“To us,” she agreed happily.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Jaquon.”
Our glasses clinked as a symbol of our love blossoming as we drank to our future. I hoped we had one, especially with secrets still floating around us.
I wanted to tell Kea how right she was. I wanted to tell her Trinity came to see me, but then I would have to explain why. Looking at Kea’s finger I knew that conversation would not go over well. She would believe I only proposed because Derrick asked her first. Then our engagement would be over. Hell our relationship probably would be over, too. It would be hard to explain I really did want to marry her after such a portrayal and I wouldn’t blame her.
So, I kept yet another secret to myself. I just hoped these secrets would stay buried for my sake.
Chapter 43
Derrick
After seeing Kea and Jaquon together, I didn’t want to stay and have dessert. I told the waitress we wanted it to go as I watched Trinity talk to Kea and Derrick. Why she wanted to go speak was beyond me. They weren’t her friends, so why did she have to leave our table to see what was going on with them?
It didn’t take her long before she was walking back to our table. She seemed a bit perturbed about something, but when she noticed I had our dessert brought out in boxes, this made her perturbed mood even worse.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“I’m ready to go,” I said flatly.
“Why?”
I looked over at Jaquon smiling at Kea and said, “I’m just ready to go.”
Trinity turned and looked at them and then back at me. “Don’t tell me you are leaving because of them,” she said.
“Are you coming with me, or are you going to sit here and enjoy your dessert alone?”
“Don’t let them affect us,” she said.
“Are you coming or staying?” I asked, getting up from my chair and grabbing my box, leaving hers in front of her just in case she decided to stay and enjoy it.
Trinity stood, angry that I didn’t relent to staying and having our dessert, but I didn’t care. I walked out with her following closely behind. We had to pass them and I wished we didn’t. When I walked by, Jaquon eyed me and neither of us spoke. Neither did Kea and I. Seeing them happy only angered me more and I needed to get away from them before I was pummeling Jaquon again.
When I got home, I put my food in the kitchen and went to my bedroom to get more comfortable. A long sleep would suffice to help me forget about my life and what was wrong with it. I was so caught up in my mood that I didn’t notice Trinity was in the room with me. I thought once she got out of my ride, she had gotten into hers and left.
“Talk to me, Derrick,” Trinity demanded.
“I’m tired,” I said, taking off my watch.
“You didn’t say anything to me all the way here.”
“I didn’t feel like talking and I damn sure don’t feel like talking now.”
“Why do you let Kea get to you like this? It’s evident she doesn’t want to be with you,” Trinity blurted. “If she wanted you then she wouldn’t have accepted Jaquon’s hand in marriage.”
I snappishly turned to her and asked, “What did you just say?”
“They are getting married.”
“Stop lying.”
“It’s true. I saw the ring on her finger tonight. She confirmed it. That’s why they were there in the first place, to celebrate their engagement.”
I took my shirt off and threw it across the room. “She can’t marry him. I want to marry her.”
“Well it’s true, Derrick, and you need to accept she’s made her choice. She told me I could tell you because whatever you two had was over.”
“Why didn’t you tell me when you got back to our table?” I asked.
“So you could possibly cause a scene? Look at you now, throwing your shirt and temples throbbing. You know you would have gone over to confront them.”
I took in what Trinity was saying and sat down on the edge of my bed. She came to sit beside me. “Maybe that’s why Kea wanted me to tell you.”
“She looked so happy,” I said, hurting because it was supposed to be me who made her happy.
“Hopefully, she wasn’t trying to make you jealous, or rub their love in your face.”
“She’s not like that.”
“If she cared about you, she would have told you herself,” Trinity said, making a valid point. “Kea could have walked over to the table with me and told you herself. Or better yet she could have called you to tell you so you wouldn’t have found out this way. Derrick, Kea doesn’t care about you. Not like you cared about her.”
I listened to Trinity and wondered if what she was telling me was true. It did seem that way. She had to know I was there and when I walked past, she could have stopped me to tell me. But she didn’t.
Trinity caressed the back of my neck, massaging it gently. Her touch was easing some of my pain and anger. I didn’t know if I could take anything else at this point. There was the drama with my ex, Zacariah, tension with my mother, Kea not accepting my proposal, my father who I didn’t know, and a life I didn’t even recognize anymore. I wanted the life I had months ago. I wanted to be happy.
Trinity’s soft hand moved from my neck to my exposed back. I closed my eyes because it really did feel good. The more she rubbed the more I began to relax.
“It’s okay. I’m here for you,” Trinity whispered.
“I just can’t understand why my life has spun out of control.”
“Then grab control of it, Derrick. Grab the happiness that’s right in front of you.”
I turned to look into her blue eyes and saw that tranquility again.
“I told you regardless of anything, I’m here for you. Have I lied to you yet?” she asked.
I shook my head. She got down on her knees and crawled between mine. She took my face into her hands. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to make it okay for you.”
“Why are you still here for me like this?” I asked.
“Like I told you before, Derrick, it’s because I love you.” Trinity leaned in and kissed me. Her lips soothed my aching heart. She crawled closer to me, her lips never leaving mine. She began to undo the buckle of my pants until she was reaching into them, pulling my now erect johnson free.
“You know I can make you forget about all your troubles,” she said softly.
That’s when she leaned down and lubricated my dick with her tongue and tried to suck all of my troubles out of me.
Chapter 44
Zacariah
Here I was recovering from a trunk ride from hell last night and the same officer who revealed to me that Essence was dead was standing here asking me the same damn questions over and over again like I was going to change my story.
“Look, for the fifteenth time already, I don’t know what happened. I was having drinks at the bar and the next thing I know I’m rolling down the road, trying not to get hit by a car as I managed to get away from whoever thought it fit to kidnap me.”
“Miss, I know you are upset.”
“Don’t you think I should have a right to be?” I said, looking down at my bandaged arm and knee.
�
��Yes, but—”
“But nothing. Look, please just file this report the way I told you and let me go home.”
I guessed he figured he wasn’t going to get anywhere else with me so he had a patrol officer drive me home. It was damn near four o’clock in the afternoon when I walked through the door. I should have been sleepy but I wasn’t. I guessed the drug whoever slipped in my drink had me sleep enough to not need any right now. Besides feeling sore from my near escape, I was okay. I knew one thing: I was hungry and felt like eating some breakfast food.
Scraping the egg I just scrambled from the pan onto my plate, which had two pieces of bacon and wheat toast, I set the pan in the sink. I poured myself a glass of orange juice and headed to the living room to watch some television. Just when I was about to take my first bite, there was a knock at the door.
“Damn it,” I said. “Who is it?” I screamed.
“It’s me, Susan.”
“Come back later. I’m eating,” I said, putting a forkful of eggs in my mouth.
The knocks persisted with Susan saying, “I’m not leaving, so open up the damn door before I kick it down.”
No, this trick isn’t getting ready to kick my door down. I put the plate down on the coffee table and made my way to the door.
“What?” I yelled when I opened it. Susan brushed past me like I told her to come in. “I didn’t tell you to walk up in here.”
“Guess who came to see me today?”
“Susan, I don’t have time for no guessing games. I’m hungry. I’m a little evil right now and would appreciate if you left me—”
“Derrick.”
That got my attention. I shut the door and walked deeper into the living room asking, “When?”
“I just told you, today. Dag, are you listening?” she said, finally noticing my bandages. “What in the hell happened to you?” she asked.
“It’s a long story I care not to share right now. Tell me why he came by to see you.”
“He came by to confront me.”
Susan paused like I was supposed to figure out what Derrick said. She just stood there, looking at me with her arms crossed.
I asked, “So, what did he say?”
My Man's Best Friend II Page 23
