Fortunate

by nikki blaire

  “No, I don’t wanna go there right now. I bet Tremaine’s there. I know he’s gonna go there, but I do not wanna talk to him.”

  The liquor had taken hold of Ayda and she was, admittedly, tipsy, but she was no fool. She had fought with Aaron before and it always ended in her having bruises. She did not expect that of Tremaine, but she also would not allow herself to be alone with him while they were angry.

  “Okay, then we’ll go to my house.” She gave another address to the cab driver.

  “You don’t need to eat anything? You want some water? You look a little gone.”

  Renee tried to care for her, but she was too embarrassed. She and Tremaine had never fought before, but now their first blow up was in public.

  “Do you think somebody put us on Worldstar?” Ayda flopped back onto the seat.

  “I don’t even think people do Worldstar anymore, love, but don’t think about that. Focus on calming down, so you can talk to him and apologize.”

  “Apologize? For what? I didn’t do anything wrong?”

  Renee sat quietly for a moment, contemplating her words.

  “Okay. Well, we’ll just get you to my house so you can sleep those shots off.”

  A few minutes later, they were pulling up to Renee’s apartment building. Ayda pushed herself out of the cab then looked around at the tall building.

  “Hey, watch yourself.” Renee grabbed her right before she toppled over. “Alright, now don’t embarrass me in front of my doorman. Get yourself together.” She scolded, while they walked into the lobby. She dragged Ayda to the elevator, and then they rode up to Renee’s floor. Once inside of her apartment, Ayda glanced around at the decor. She had never been in Renee’s space before, but it was exactly as she pictured it would be. Warm, fall colors accented cream-colored furniture. Abstract and colorful canvas painting on the walls, intricate sculptures, and large standing vases played up the color scheme. It was bright and inviting, just like Renee.

  “Your place is beautiful, Renee. I love it.”

  “Thanks, dear, and the bathroom’s that way. I know you need it.” She pointed and Ayda quickly followed. She used the restroom, but felt herself heave soon after she stood up to wash her hands.

  “Ayda, are you okay?” Renee knocked on the door.

  “I’m fine. Just a little throwing up. No biggie.” She flushed the toilet again then splashed water on her face. Renee barged in anyways with a towel, a washcloth, and some clothes that she left on the counter.

  “What is this for?”

  “A shower. You’ll feel better.”

  “But, I can’t wear your clothes Renee. You’re smaller than me.”

  “They’re leggings and a T-shirt. You’ll fit. Now, stop giving me excuses and shower.”

  The pounding in Ayda’s head and the queasiness in her stomach made it hard for her to argue. So, she stripped then climbed into a hot shower. Renee had been right, she came out feeling refreshed, but incredibly tired.

  “How much did I drink?” She stalked into the living room where Renee already sat. She passed Ayda a cup of hot tea then motioned for her to join her on the sofa. She eagerly obliged then relaxed into the plush seating.

  “You drank enough.” Renee laughed.

  “And Dwele called. You were right. Tremaine went to your house, but you weren’t there obviously. They tried calling you, but when they couldn’t reach you, Dwele called me. I told him you were here, so Tremaine finally went home.”

  “Good, screw him.” She took a deep sip of her tea then reveled in the warm feeling that seeped through her body.

  “You don’t mean that. Just take the night to blow off some steam then go talk to him.”

  “Talk to him? For what? He already said what he wanted to say. I’m a hoe. So again, as I already stated, screw him.”

  “Ayda, c’mon. You just got into an argument. I know y’all have been on a love high this past month or so, but arguments happen. This isn’t anything that can’t be talked out, especially when it’s all just a misunderstanding.”

  “A misunderstanding? So, I guess you became the president of the Tremaine Henley fan club without telling me. Good to know.”

  Renee rolled her eyes and exhaled in annoyance.

  “I’m just an unbiased observer. You yelled at him for doing something that any man in that situation would do. Michael was out of line and you know that. He was asking for Tremaine to get angry.”

  “And we just haul off and hit people when we get angry?”

  Ayda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Renee was her friend and should have been on her side. She knew that Tremaine’s anger was justified, but she could not let him think that he could handle issues in that manner. She was a Forde, which meant that fights in clubs and bars were not allowed.

  “Of course not, but you also have to remember that Tremaine is not you. In his world, that’s how you handle a man telling you how your girl’s pussy tastes. Now, you can definitely talk to him about it to help him understand your perspective, but you have to talk to him. Not attack him, which is what you did earlier.”

  “President and vice president. Wow.”

  But Ayda understood where Renee was coming from. She just couldn’t admit that she was right just yet.

  “Okay. Don’t listen, but I know you’re not giving that man up just like that. So, take the day off tomorrow and clear your head, then go talk to him.”

  “You know nothing.” Ayda pouted.

  “And why do I have to go talk to him?”

  “Because he already went to your house to talk to you. Ball’s in your court.”

  “Take the day off and go out of my way to talk to him? Girl, you’ve got to be kidding me. I just proposed a project. There’s no way I’m taking a day off, especially not because of some man.”

  Renee let out a snort of laughter.

  “Try that to some man crap with someone who hasn't watched you transform because of Tremaine. He’s not just some man, Ayda. You care about him and this whole...whatever it is y’all are doing. Plus, Mr. Whitman isn’t even in the office. No one will care if you’re not there. And you’re gonna be hung over in the morning.”

  “Fine.” Ayda sighed.

  “I’ll take the damn day off. And since when did you become such a relationship expert?”

  “I’m not an expert.” Renee grinned.

  “Like I told you, I’m just an unbiased observer.”

  She stood up then trekked to the kitchen. A timer dinged as soon as she walked over to the oven.

  “Now, eat this pizza so you’re not sick as hell in the morning.”

  ****

  Tremaine tried to get ready for work the next morning, but he just couldn’t focus. He stood in the bathroom mirror trying to fix his tie. This was his third attempt to tie it this morning.

  “Daddy! I don’t gots nothing to wear!” Sasha called from her bedroom. Tremaine sighed as he left his tie undone to go see what Sasha was fussing about. She had inherited his trait of taking forever to get dressed, so he was used to the commotion over her outfit. He just wasn’t in the mood for it today.

  “What do you mean, Sasha? You have a closet full of clothes.”

  He found her sitting on the edge of her bed still in her pajamas. Her bottom lip was poked out and her tiny legs were swinging. He was so frustrated that he didn’t even correct her grammar.

  “Just put something on.”

  He pulled out an outfit then placed it on the bed next to her. Sasha barely glanced at the clothes then looked at Tremaine as if he had lost his mind. He wanted to be angry because she was making them late, but all he could do was laugh. She was truly his child.

  “What’s wrong with that, Sasha? You’ve worn this outfit before?’

  Sasha hopped down to the floor then went over to her closet.

  “We’re sposed to wear orange today ‘cause it’s orange day, but my orange is dirty and I wanted to wear yellow anyways.”

  Tremaine side eyed her in
confusion. Her statement hadn’t made any sense, but she was clearly upset about whatever was bothering her. He took a moment to decipher her ramblings then came up with a solution.

  “Sasha. This dress is orange. It’s got yellow and pink flowers on it, so you can wear it with your yellow sandals. That’s yellow and orange.”

  She carefully examined the dress that he held up for her, then pulled her yellow sandals off of her shoe rack.

  “Daddy! Yay! You fixed it!” She shrieked with glee then wrapped her arms around him before going off to get dressed.

  At least somebody appreciates me.

  He thought back to his fight with Ayda. He had said things that he shouldn’t have, but she had made him so angry. He still did not understand how she was upset with him for defending her. Maybe he should not have swung at the guy, but he had done so because the man had crossed the line. Tremaine hadn’t even hit him, so he felt Ayda had no reason to care so much.

  “I’m ready, Daddy.” Sasha reappeared in her room, dressed and carrying her backpack, but suddenly Tremaine didn’t feel like going anywhere.

  “Hey, ladybug, what if you and me stayed home today?” He kneeled down so that he was eye level with her. Sasha reached out and placed her hand on his forehead.

  “Are you sick, Daddy?”

  Funny of her to ask because he felt sick after the night he had. He had gone to Ayda’s house to apologize, but she hadn’t gone home after their fight. At first, he assumed the worst and thought she had gone off with Michael, but Dwele promised him that she was at Renee’s. He was sure Renee would lie for Ayda, so he wanted to go to her house to ensure that Ayda was there. But, Dwele wouldn’t give him her address and made him go home. That night, he called her over and over, but she had refused to answer. He had no idea where she was, which made him think the worst. Finally, after waiting up for hours, he went to bed just before the sun came up.

  “Naw, I’m not sick. I just want to hang out today.” He kissed her forehead. Sasha was the only thing that could take his mind off of Ayda.

  “Okay, Daddy.” She kissed his nose. “Let’s play!” She threw up her hands. “But I need breffis.”

  “Alright, let’s go get breakfast. You want anything special?”

  “Let’s get our breffis friend, Ms. Ayda! She’s fun!”

  Hearing her name made Tremaine’s chest tighten.

  “Maybe we can see her another time. It’s just you and me today, okay?” Sasha nodded her understanding. “Aight. Let’s see where we can have breakfast together. Then we can go to the movies or the park to play. Sound good?”

  Sasha smiled as he picked her up. The lack of movement in his clothing reminded him that he was wearing a suit.

  “Let Daddy change and then we can go.”

  “Oh man, that’s gonna take forever.” She groaned once he put her back on the ground.

  “It’s not. I promise.” He laughed then jogged to his room to change. In the middle of pulling off his shirt, the doorbell rang. He wasn’t expecting anyone, but figured that it was his sister stopping by. He made his way to the door, then pulled it open, but wanted to close it again as soon as his gaze fell on Trinity.

  “I was hoping to catch you before you went to work.” She stood meekly in the doorway. His head fell at the sight of her. She was the incarnation of all of his worst feelings, and now, she was standing at his doorstep.

  “It’s cool. Apparently, leasing apartments isn’t that busy, so I’ve got time.”

  She looked at the floor then back up to him. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again.

  “What do you want?” He spoke since she couldn’t seem to find the words. “Oh wait, lemme guess...you thought showing up here would back me in a corner and I’d have to let you stay here.”

  He ran his hand down his face in frustration. This was why he had to get this woman out of his life. She rarely considered how her actions affected others.

  “You’re just going to leave me standing out here?” She finally spoke. She looked so different from the woman he drove to New York two years ago, but her appearance was all that had changed. She was still manipulative and loved to play the victim.

  “You show up at my house out of nowhere after you threw a tantrum because I didn’t come pick you up from the airport...because I was at work and had no idea you were flying in. But somehow I’m wrong for having you stand outside. Y’all women kill me.”

  “I just wanted to see Sasha. I came to see if I could get her for a little while instead of her going to school. That’s all.” Trinity tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She had lost weight and her cafe au lait skin was bronzed, just like her hair. He let out a deep breath then moved out of the way for her to come in.

  “Mommy!” Sasha spotted her immediately. She ran up to her then flung herself into Trinity’s arms.

  “Sasha, sweetie. I’m so happy to see you.” She held the little girl then rocked her back and forth. Tremaine walked by them to finish changing his clothes. When he re-emerged, Sasha was leading her mother to her bedroom.

  “Hol’ up, where you going, ladybug?” He stopped them. “We’re supposed to be getting breakfast.”

  “Yes! I forgotted, Daddy.” She turned to Trinity. “Can Mommy come for breffis? She can meet our breffis friend, Ms. Ayda.”

  Tremaine flinched like he had been slapped at hearing Ayda’s name.

  A smart ass comment from Trinity in 5….4….3...2…

  “Ms. Ayda, your breakfast friend? Isn’t that interesting. Has she been coming over here for breakfast, Sash?”

  “No, Mommy. We have breffis at the breffis place.”

  Tremaine thought he was saved, but of course Sasha had to share everything.

  “And we have dinners and she’s Daddy’s friend. He needs friends ‘cause he don’t have none. Just Uncle Que and Auntie Ju. I’m gonna get my purse for breffis.”

  Sasha scurried off to her room leaving them by themselves. Tremaine hated to be alone with Trinity and silently prayed that Sasha would find her purse quickly and come back. But, of course, she took her time.

  “No friends? That’s new for you, huh, Tremaine? When I was here, I had to compete with nights out with the fellas, hanging out with the frat…” He knew that she was just revving up. These little side comments were nothing compared to what Trinity could really do.

  “Just Uncle Que, Auntie Ju...and Ms. Ayda.” She sneered at him. “So, that’s why I can’t see my daughter, why you’re not answering calls, and why I can’t get a ride from the airport?”

  “You were the factor in you not getting a ride from the airport.” He snorted.

  “Is she the reason why I can’t stay here?” She was standing in front of him with both hands on her hips. Tremaine rolled his eyes because he knew this was coming.

  “You can’t stay with me because I don’t want you here. Ayda has nothing to do with it.”

  “But she’s the reason for everything else.” She had to get the last word just as Sasha came out of her room with her purse.

  “I’m ready.” Sasha grabbed her mother’s hand.

  I don’t even want to eat anymore.

  Tremaine shook his head, while he followed them out of the house. He loaded Sasha into the backseat then helped Trinity into the passenger seat before getting in the car himself.

  They rode in relative silence, while Sasha told her mother about her recital.

  “I hope Daddy recorded it.” Trinity turned to him, but he refused to look in her eyes. They had tricked him before and he refused to fall again.

  “I didn’t. My bad.” His tone was flat. “I’ll see if the school did though.” They pulled into the parking lot of a local diner then got out of the car. Tremaine sent a quick email to his office letting them know he would be out for the day. He didn’t even offer to work from home. Dealing with Trinity would be work enough. They walked in and were seated with Sasha and Trinity across from him. He blinked to make sure the vision in front of him
was real. Trinity and Sasha were laughing, while she helped their daughter read the menu. This sight was something he had longed to see for a while, but now that it was in front of him, it felt out of place. Trinity felt out of place. She wasn’t the woman who was supposed to be here. Ayda was supposed to be, and he was going to tell her that last night before everything went to hell.

  The waiter came to take their orders then eventually brought their food. Trinity continuously tried to engage him in small talk, but he wasn’t able to force it.

  ‘That’s Daddy’s thinking face.” Sasha giggled before stuffing waffles in her mouth.

  “What do you think Daddy’s thinking about?” Trinity rolled her eyes at him.

  “Me.” Sasha answered casually, which made Tremaine laugh. That was often the response he gave her when she called him out for having his “thinking face” on. They finished breakfast, then, at Sasha’s insistence, went to a nearby park for her to play. She and Trinity chased each other around, while Tremaine watched from a bench. It was nice to not have to be the one chasing Sasha for a change.

  “Trinity! Trinity Cosgrove! It’s Trinity!” Someone called out. He turned his head towards the voice to find a young woman approaching Trinity with her phone out. “Can I get a picture?”

  Trinity smiled and obliged, while the woman chattered away about how she loved Trinity in some random B movie she had starred in. Tremaine just shook his head then stood up to get Sasha. He didn’t want her on camera, so he kept her busy until the woman walked away.

  “Sorry about that sweetie.” She turned back to Sasha who was happily swinging on the monkey bars.

  “It’s okay, Mommy. Why’d that lady want a picture with you? Is she your friend?” The concept of fame was foreign to Sasha’s four-year-old brain.

  “No, she’s not my friend. She’s my fan. She likes Mommy’s movies and TV shows.”

  “Oh. Fans blow air.” She crumpled her face in confusion. Trinity explained further until Sasha understood as much as she could.

  “Oh okay. I’m gonna slide.” She jumped down then raced away, which left Tremaine and Trinity alone again. He knew she would take advantage of the moment to passively aggressively address him about Ayda.