Juice

by Nako

  “I think that’s a good idea for more reasons than me being sick.”

  She was thankful for the love and support, but the meet and greets were tiring.

  After a show, she was ready to lay down and before the show she wanted to rest or play with her kids.

  “I’ll handle it,” Juice let her know.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” She really wanted to be there for him as he was always there for her and P, but he never allowed her to be.

  “Yep, go home and get some rest. Meet back at ten?”

  Although, she was famous now…they were never too good for a late-night session in the studio.

  “Sounds like a plan.” She hugged him, but he didn’t get too close for two reasons. Respect for P and secondly, he couldn’t risk getting sick.

  “Going to the circus tomorrow, don’t wanna be sneezing.” He backed away.

  “The circus for what?”

  Juice knew he had said too much… No one other than his mother, lawyer and Tia knew of the two children he had with two different women.

  He cleared it up as quickly as he could, “Community service.”

  C H A P T E R 2

  Hop in yo’ Benz, the money be calling again and again – NBA Young Boy

  He was transforming into the man that his mama envisioned him becoming when she pushed him out of her womb almost twenty-seven or so odd years ago. He experienced an identity crisis during his teenage years due to his father converting to the Islamic faith and deciding that his way of living no longer satisfied him. Juice dealt with a lot… But now, he was doing well for himself. He had reached millionaire status a few times over. He’d traveled the world, was a proud HBCU grad and had been contemplating on getting his master’s for the fuck of it. A conversation with the intelligent Swizz Beatz the other day prompted him to continue with the application process that he’d started almost four times in the past few years.

  Juice was a good man. There were a few fuck-ups here and there, but he never said he was perfect. Never tried to be either. Meeting Tia was the highlight of his 20s. He met her when he had just moved to New York, so the whole “started from the bottom” was their motto when he copped his first crib and cashed out on matching his and her whips.

  They were happy…and then the fame came. Juice started feeling himself a tad. Women were at his disposal, but he always knew he had a dime at home.

  He was the nigga that made you stop and stare, and he was completely oblivious about it which made the girls want him even more. Raised by a hardworking Christian mama and a Muslim father who fought his own battles from time to time, Juice was brought up with certain values being damn near drilled into him on both ends. His mama didn’t play, and his father didn’t either. He had no choice but to be great, the sacrifices that they made could never go overlooked or underappreciated. It felt good to buy his mama a house and tell her that she never had to work another day in her life. His mom was disappointed in his actions and how he could be so careless on the road. Fucking bitches was one thing but fucking them and fucking them raw was downright disgusting. He had an amazing woman and clearly, she wasn’t on his mind when he was nutting in these chicks. He was rich, and they were aware of his status even if he did play the background. Juice was humble, far from flashy. He was a good time though, big, charming smile, contagious laugh, tall as shit. He lived in the gym, loved his mother and could dress his ass off. He loved good food, enjoyed traveling, was open to learning new things and you could take him anywhere. From the boardroom to the strip clubs, he was completely versatile and was romantic as hell. He talked Tia right out of her virgin panties and had locked her down within a week of them meeting. She was looking for love and didn’t hide that from him. All he needed at the time was a warm body to cuddle with in the wintertime, but then the seasons changed and before he knew it, they were in love.

  Tia made him feel like the man he wanted to be. She believed in his dreams, she propelled his purpose and helped him find his passion. She encouraged him to never give up and was always his number one cheerleader. There was nothing that she wouldn’t do for him and he knew that he had taken that for granted.

  Juice checked his fresh cut in the mirror as he bobbed his head to J. Cole’s latest single, Middle Child. He would love to get him on a track with Mahogany. He needed to holler at P about making that happen. “Yeah, this shirt fye,” he spoke to himself about today’s purchase for his first outing with his daughter.

  He noticed that his lips were dry, he had some Carmex in the car.

  He’d been told quite often that his soup coolers were his best feature, although Tia would say it was his beady eyes.

  “I love your eyes. I see the world in ‘em,” she used to tell him that all the time. She was mushy and corny, not knowing that he missed that lame ass shit that he often clowned her about. She was such an introvert and he was the one to bring her out of her shell. Juice took a deep breath; this damn breakup was taking his ass through it. He peered at himself through the mirror, wondering what else she loved about him, or used to love…

  He closely resembled the actor Michael B. Jordan with his full lips, wide jaws, broad shoulders, long legs and lean nose. His confidence had always been high. Juice was quite the guy in high school, he had a certain aura about him that couldn’t be duplicated. In college, he received his clout by throwing the hottest parties and hosting all the step shows. He was a proud member of the greatest fraternity on this side of Heaven. He loved himself a lot, maybe too much…especially since he thought his boo would never leave him. Wasn’t her life good? Hadn’t he treated her well? For Tia, it wasn’t enough.

  Juice popped his collar and then took one long look at himself. He wore a Gucci polo-styled t-shirt, fitted jeans and Gucci sneakers. The simple plain Jane Patek watch cost half a ticket, but it appeared to be a regular ole watch because he hadn’t iced it out yet. The plan was to take his and Tia’s at the same time, but he’d been too busy to make it happen. Which seemed to be his excuse for a lot of things that he needed to do, especially when it came to her.

  η

  It was only her second day of class and honey, she planned on smoking half a zip when she made it home. This wasn’t going to be easy, she knew that, but geesh, the load was a heavy one. Tia stifled a yawn as her professor went over the syllabus and her expectations. Basically, missing one day of class was the worst thing you could do. Certainly, she prayed in advance that the normal first day blues that came with her cramps happened on the weekends and not during the week. Tia hadn’t worked in a while and her schedule was pretty much open to do whatever she wanted to do. She had a photography hobby that sort of took over her life once Juice became busier. He was good at handing her toys…as if she was a child that needed a distraction. Thankfully, for him, it worked for years. Tia brought her mind back to the white board and focused in on what the man was saying. She had a goal and it would be accomplished in half the time most studies claimed that it took. Tia was excited about law school. Last night after tossing and turning for what seemed like forever, she got up and did a vision board. It wasn’t fancy or full of glitter and cool magazine cut outs. She had a picture of herself in the middle and her goals going in a circle. She taped the wrinkled poster board to an empty wall in the closet of her new apartment. All the “I’m sorry” money that Juice had given to her over the years surely came in handy when it was time for her to move. Tia had always lived a minimal life, so she normally stashed the money. When it was time for her to move, she didn’t have to think twice about how she’d make it happen. Rent in New York was steep, so her place wasn’t as large as what she had with her ex, but it was hers. She decided to splurge on the couch and the bed due to her being such a homebody, but everything else was done on a budget.

  She was taking things one day at a time constantly telling herself that time healed all wounds and eventually, she would be okay. She had no other choice. Tia was done with Juice. There was no room for reconciliation. She knew
what she wanted, expected and deserved from him simply because she had it before. He decided to rearrange his priorities and the result of that was losing her, the one he claimed to love more than any of the things he’d obtained over the years. Juice’s actions showed her otherwise and that was perfectly fine.

  Life was all about lessons and he was without a doubt, her greatest one to date.

  The professor asked them to state their name and desired path of law. He shared with them that it was okay if they changed their mind as they matriculated.

  When it was her time to talk she stood, straightening out her skirt, “Greetings class, I am Tia DiCaille and right now I’m interested in family law.”

  “Why family?”

  “Uhhh…. personal reasons,” her voice croaked. She didn’t expect the teacher to ask that especially when he hadn’t asked anyone else.

  “Good deal, next.” He didn’t press her for more and she was thankful.

  It took her a minute to focus on what she wanted to hone in on. Juice suggested entertainment law so that they could start their own firm one day, management and legal affairs. She liked the idea of them building an empire together. She then considered real estate law because it’s so much money in that area, but she had a burning desire to see kids where they should be. In safe environment with parents that loved them. Her childhood was far from perfect and she was thankful for a praying grandfather that did the best that he could, but it wasn’t enough. Tia needed her mama.

  “Your mom is coming to see you today. What are you going to wear?” her grandfather asked her as he laid a plate with a fried egg sandwich with ketchup in front of her.

  Little Tia shrugged her shoulders. “Papa, is she coming for real?”

  Her mother stood her up so much, she stopped getting her hopes up ages ago.

  “Yes, she said she has gifts and she’s taking you to the movies!” He kissed her head before grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting in front of her.

  “Why doesn’t she live with us?”

  What Tia really wanted to ask was, “Why don’t I have normal life like my friends?”

  “Your mom is a busy woman, but she loves you very much, Tia. Never forget that.”

  She’d heard those same choice words every day until her Papa passed. Her mother showed up to the funeral in a shiny red convertible, cried her tears out and then had the nerve to ask Tia about his life insurance policy that she assumed would go to her.

  It took everything in her not to hawk up every glob of spit she had and plop it on her. That was the last time she’d seen her mother.

  That was many years ago, and if she never saw her again, she wouldn’t shed a tear. She made peace with the way their relationship went, which was no fucking where. People did what they wanted to do, that was the ONLY thing her mother ever taught her.

  Tia moved to New York and never looked back. Unfortunately, her mother didn’t either.

  The day moved by swiftly and after two more ninety-minute classes, she was finally walking out of the dimly lit building and to her car.

  Her mind was set on a soup and half sandwich from a spot near her new place. Their food was divine, and she’d been thinking about it since she started watching the clock, impatiently waiting to be dismissed.

  Juice was leaning against her car and instead of her heart leaping for joy, as it used too. It stopped beating. Her pussy betrayed her and thumped against her panties. It was lust though, not love.

  “Listen, I’m tired and I really don’t feel like talking.”

  “Would’ve texted you, but you blocked me.”

  She ignored him.

  “How is it going so far? Did you get the teacher you wanted for your Intro to Law class?”

  He just wanted to be around her. He cared about her so much, he wished that she saw that.

  “It’s only the third day. I’m tired though, so can you move?” She didn’t want to talk to him. He lost that privilege when he kept taking her for granted.

  “No,” he told her in a defiant tone. He had to get his girl back.

  “I’ll Uber then. I gotta be here tomorrow, so I’ll just leave my car here.”

  “You ain’t leaving this hundred-thousand-dollar car no damn where!”

  Tia took a deep breath, loud enough for him to hear that he was irritating her.

  “Why can’t we chop it up real quick? I just want to make sure you’re good.”

  “You see me?” She spun around in the business casual that she wore. She was a beautiful girl, he knew it and she did too. Tia wasn’t prim or proper, she was your home girl that you fucked with the long way. Juice fell in love with her because she was a whole vibe. The perfect mixture of homie, lover and friend.

  The naivety that surrounded her made him want her more. She could’ve modeled. He tried to press her to hit the runway once his network expanded, but she told him, hell the fuck no.

  Tia never delved deep into her issue with acknowledging how beautiful she was.

  “You look good baby,” he praised her.

  She didn’t blush. In fact, she barely seemed affected by his compliment.

  “Man, please move,” she asked again and this time her tone held ounces of attitude. He reached for her arm, but she was quicker than him and backed up almost into the street.

  “You trying to get hit?”

  “Is that what it’ll take for you to realize what you lost?”

  Juice caught the look on her face and he told her, “You crazy as hell if you don’t think I’m not feeling that shit.”

  Tia wasn’t getting back with him.

  “Well good. You gotta live with that for the rest of your life. Now, can you please let me get in my car and go home?”

  He knew he had to get going. He needed to get to his baby mother’s house to pick up them up, so they could go to the circus. He thought about telling Tia but didn’t know what her response would be.

  “I’m not giving up on us,” he let her know as he moved out of her way.

  Tia unlocked the door and Juice opened it up for her.

  “You should. You really should…” she implored.

  She stared at him hard before opening her mouth to let him know that her decision was a solid one, “Our season is over.”

  η

  Surprisingly, the circus and hanging with his daughter and her mama was…fun. It was a welcomed distraction from his “breakup” with the love of his life. He had never been to the circus before, so he was as excited as she was. Juice knew everybody, so they were in VIP section in the front, which gave his daughter dibs on touching the animals and seeing the action up close. Since they had front row seats, she gave her tickets to a small family who was in the will-call line. His baby mama took tons of pictures. Juice didn’t mind playing photographer for the two of them with the elephants and clowns. He couldn’t deny how pretty she was and how much she looked like him. His heart skipped a beat when she reached for him once it was over. He picked her up and kissed her face, not caring that it was sticky from pigging out on cotton candy. Her stomach was going to be aching in the morning.

  “I never knew the circus had boxed seats,” she tried to make conversation as they headed back to her house.

  “It’s normally reserved if an artist performs. Well, that’s what I was told by the promoter,” he shared with her.

  “Do you like what you do?”

  “Yeah, it’s cool.”

  “Do you want to manage artists other than Mahogany?”

  He joked, “Damn, is this an interview?”

  Juice wasn’t comfortable with discussing that with her or hell, anything for that matter. He didn’t know her, nor did he trust her.

  “Just asking.”

  She pulled her phone out and scanned Instagram, which was his cue to turn the music up. They didn’t say anything else to each other and he was thankful. When he pulled up to her crib, he parked the car and moved to get out so that he could help her take the car seat in the house.


  Crystal snapped, “I’m good. I do it by myself every morning and every night.”

  “You got an attitude cus I didn’t let you ask me twenty-one questions?”

  She ignored him as she flung her YSL purse over her shoulder.

  That bag was a cool twenty-six hundred and that was before taxes.

  “I hope you didn’t get that with the child support because I’m pretty sure that’s not included in taking care of a baby.”

  His body heated as he thought about how he had been trapped, and just like that, the nice night they had no longer meant nothing to him.

  She shook her head as she slid the bag off her shoulder and dumped the contents out of her purse onto his seat.

  “What are you doing?”

  He saw the tears in her eyes but didn’t feel any remorse.

  “I don’t need a motherfucking thing from you.”

  Crystal left the bag on the floor and went to the back seat to grab their child.

  “You ain’t gotta send another check,” she told him before slamming the door.

  Juice felt like shit. Today wasn’t a good day for him overall.

  He was taking his own problems out on her and all she did was ask him to go to the stupid circus. His mind was all over the place. The YSL purse reminded him of Tia, he had copped her the same one a while back.

  Juice started his truck after he saw that they had made it in the house safely. He would apologize tomorrow. He needed a breath of fresh air. In all honesty, he needed to his mother.

  He went home and crashed. The next morning, he made sure Mahogany was locked in the studio and he headed towards his peace of mind.

  Juice landed in record time and caught an Uber to the crib he copped his mom as a “thank you for doing your part” gift a few years ago.

  She was home. Most likely outside, enjoying this sunny ass weather.

  He used his key to enter the place and dropped his book bag on the floor.