Side Chick Turned Wife: A Hood Romance

by Tamicka Higgins

  Chapter Eight:

  Danessa

  It was finally my day off and I thought I was going to be in a better mood because I had no work to deal with, but man was I wrong. I honestly was in the worst of moods and I didn’t know how to handle myself. I found myself in a downward and depressed spiral, worrying about Tyrek and our future with one another. That is, if there even was a future with one another. Why can’t I bring myself to believe that I deserve more than just bein’ the side piece? Was it the sex and the thrill of going out with him that made me want to be by his side forever? Why is it so hard for me to see beyond his thug lifestyle? Why am I so damn entertained by a nigga who ain’t even fully mine?

  Tyrek and I met at the club. Just the place to meet someone, huh? Well yeah, I met him there while I was out with Mel and some of our employees just out on a girl’s night and havin’ ourselves a good ass time. I noticed him in the VIP section blowin’ some money on some drinks and he just looked so damn good. I didn’t even know his name and I knew I wanted all of him. As that night progressed, he made his way by the main bar where I was and I sparked up a conversation with him. Ugh, his whole demeanor screamed trouble but it was so attractive to me. He bought me a couple drinks and brought me over to the VIP section where I danced on him and we just had a good ass time. Mel noticed I was over there and saw me with Tyrek. She quickly told me that this nigga was up to no good and that I had no business with him even if it was only for that night. I thought the bitch was just tryna kill my vibe so I did what any female would do, I blew her the fuck off and continued to drink and have me a good time. It was getting late that night when he asked me if I wanted to head up to the telly with him. I thought I would have been stupid if I said nah to a dime piece like him, so I said yeah and he brought me up to the suite where we fucked and drank some more. Oooh, let me tell you. The thrill of bein’ with him that night had me hooked, so I was quick to offer this nigga my number to call me whenever he wanted. And he did. Whenever he called, he would take me out to parties and it almost always ended with us havin’ sex and I wasn’t mad about it. Mel kept on tellin’ me that he was trouble, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t until I saw him out with another girl that I started to care and started to be a little cautious about openin’ my mouth. As a female who is fuckin’ the nigga, I knew I had the right to know who this bitch was that he was constantly out shoppin’ with and caterin’ to. I asked him nicely, not to seem like I was some crazy ass bitch and he told me that it was his main bitch, which made me his nice little side piece. This nigga thought that I was gonna go after hearin’ that but nah, I stayed. Why? Shit, I don’t know. I really just loved the thrill of bein’ around him and the sex was beyond amazin’. For a while, I was so content with him callin’ me whenever he wanted to and just bein’ the other woman for whatever reason. When Mel found out that he had a girl, she showed her dislike for him even more. At that point she hated the nigga and constantly battled and begged me to not be involved with this mess because she didn’t want his lil girlfriend to find out about me and do something seriously dangerous to hurt or try to kill me. For whatever reason, I kept fighting her and defending the nigga who only called me whenever he wanted and didn’t give me his all. Why the fuck did I get myself into this?

  I laid in my bed with the covers tossed heavily over my head. It was so weird, I was actually weighing out the pros and cons seriously this time. I used to weigh between stayin’ with him and complainin’ when he didn’t call me, but I ain’t ever thought about really tryna see someone else. Is the grass really greener on the other side? As much as I hate to say this, I may actually be considering to try another nigga. I just can’t stand givin Mel the satisfaction of findin’ out that I was actually considering dating some of the niggas she kept suggesting. Speaking of Mel, I ain't talked to her in a whole day. That may sound like nothing to most people, but she is my best friend and they ain't been a time like this where we just didn't talk to one another. Maybe I need to call her to make it up to her and tell her that I’m sorry for acting the way I did. I love her so much and I can't stand our friendship being strained like this. I honestly can't afford to lose her.

  I unveiled myself from the covers and reached over to grab my phone off of my nightstand. I unlocked my screen and opened up my contacts to select Mel’s name. She was listed under Bestie and I wanted her name to forever be bestie. Changin it back to Mel would be sayin’ that she ain't my main girl no more and that ain't gone happen. So I took a deep breath and called her up.

  “Uh, hello?”

  “Mel! How are you doin’, girl?”

  She sounded confused as fuck to be hearin’ from me and I ain’t blame her; I ain’t talk to her in a day and she was probably wondering what the fuck I wanted.

  “I’m… Uh, good I guess. What do you need?”

  I took a deep breath and gathered all my thoughts together.

  “Mel, I wanted to apologize.”

  She was silent for a while and I was waitin’ for her to say somethin’. I guess she was just waitin’ on me to continue, so I did.

  “Well, I didn’t mean to get all defensive and shit like I did. I know you were just tryna help me out and tryna make me realize the type of guy I was dealin’ with. I’m… I’m really sorry for that. Mel, I couldn’t stand not talkin’ to you for a day because you are my best friend and we ain’t ever not talked to one another. I don’t want our friendship to end because of some nigga. Yeah, I will admit I still kind of hold on to hope that this nigga will turn around and start to love me for me, but until then, I gotta just do me. Mel, I don’t want us to be like this no more, I wanna be good with you and I knew that in order for that to happen, I had to say that I was sorry. So, I’m sorry, girl. I need my best friend.”

  Again, she was silent. I was startin’ to get anxious, thinkin’ that she was just so mad that she didn’t wanna deal with me anymore. I was about to say that I was sorry for bothering her and hang up until I heard her sniffling.

  “Mel, are you aight?”

  “Danessa, I love you so much, girl. I can’t lose you either and I accept your apology. Hey, wanna meet up for lunch or somethin’? I really do miss you...”

  “Yeah! I’ll meet you at the cafe.”

  Click.

  I tossed my phone back onto the nightstand and released a deep sigh of relief. I had my best friend back and that seriously helped lift my spirits. I wasn’t as depressed as I was earlier. Mel is a special part of me and I couldn’t bear to lose her over Tyrek. Now it is time for me to seriously swallow my pride and tell her that I just might be interested in talkin’ to another nigga that she has on the side for me.

  With a smile on my face, I quickly took a shower and then got dressed in some comfortable clothes. Leggings and a baggy sweater with some Free Runs were good enough for right now. I really didn’t feel like gettin' all dressed up. I’m only going to see Mel anyway, she doesn’t give a shit about how I look.

  *

  Mel and I met up at the local cafe that was infamous for their salad wraps. I ordered the chicken Caesar wrap and she got some wrap with shrimp and balsamic vinaigrette. We sat down at a table outside and soaked in the sun as we ate our lunch. It was good bein’ back around her with good vibes. I couldn’t stand havin’ that tension between us. As we were laughin’ and havin’ a good time, I decided it was time that I speak up and tell her what I was feelin’.

  “Hey Mel, there is somethin’ I wanna tell you…”

  She looked at me with her eyebrow raised as she finished a big bite of her wrap. She looked like she was preparin’ for me to say somethin’ bad that was gone cause her to choke on her food. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but there was a possibility that she could choke on her food after I tell her what Ima tell her.

  “Well, this is going to take every bit of me to admit this, but you’re right.”

  Mel looked at me all confused as she took a sip of her lemonade, placing her hand on her chest as she swallowed her drink. I was about to
get flustered because I thought she was playin’ stupid and that she was just makin’ me repeat myself with that look she was givin me. After I looked at her for real, I realized that she was being serious and that she really didn’t know what the hell I was talkin’ about.

  “What are you talkin’ about? What am I right about?”

  “About deserving better.”

  She pursed her lips at me, still not grasping what I was saying.

  “Danessa, stop being fuckin’ vague and tell me what the hell you are talkin’ about. You know damn well I don’t like the run around, sooo what is good, mami?”

  I took another deep breath and bit my lip. I was crawlin’ back into my shell and I just felt like I didn’t even wanna talk about it anymore. I had to get my shit together though and swallow my pride.

  “Okay, okay. You were right about me deservin’ better in a relationship. I know that you mentioned that you had some niggas lined up who were better for me, and I was actually goin’ to tell you that I wanted to try them out...”

  I lowered my head and bit my lip again. I don’t know why I was feelin’ hella shy about this shit like I was tellin’ some big ass secret. I couldn’t see her face, but I knew that Mel was beyond excited—I could just feel it off of her damn vibe. I looked up at her and saw her cheesin’ hard as fuck with her shit eatin’ smile. The bitch looked like she was about explode with all the excitement that she was keepin’ contained in her little body.

  “You ain’t lyin’ to me right now are you? This isn’t a joke? You’re for real?”

  I looked at her and just nodded my head slowly.

  “Well, ain’t this some shit! I know just the guys for you! I have a few to pick from! Oh my Godddd, I am so, so, so damn excited! I can finally hook you up with a real one and you will finally be happy, but that is only if you let yourself be happy and let these niggas treat you like the queen that you are.”

  Mel then took out her phone and sent a text to someone. I tried to peek over and see what she was doin’ or who she was talkin’ to but every time I peeked my head closer to her, she moved her phone away and gave me a death glare, basically tellin’ me to back up. So I did. I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms, waitin’ patiently for her to tell me what the hell that she was doing.

  Buzzzz, Buzzz.

  “Hello?” I said as I picked up my phone. I looked up at Mel who wasn’t lookin’ at me at all, but I could see her grinning at her phone.

  “This is Travis, I’m a good friend of Melissa. Is this Danessa that I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

  “This is. How can I help you?”

  “I would like to take you out for dinner, say tomorrow? I would love to meet with you and get to know you a little better. Melissa had talked to me about you and I was more than excited to hear that you were available for a date. What do you say? May I take you out for a lovely dinner?”

  I couldn’t help but smile, he sounded so sweet. With the way he was talkin’ to me, it was hard to say no to that.

  “You know what, Travis? I would love to go on a dinner date with you.”

  “Perfect, I willl pick you up tomorrow night then?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Click

  I stared over at Mel and held out my hand.

  “Alright, Mel. Show me a picture of this nigga or I ain’t goin.”

  Mel just started to burst out laughing. She held her phone close to her and shook her head.

  “Nah, bitch. Trust me, you gone like him! Well, I hope you do. He is a mixed-breed nigga with really nice hair and a killer smile. Just go tomorrow and let yourself have a good time, aight?”

  I rolled my eyes at her with a smile on my face. I was low-key really excited about this date and I was curious to see where this was goin’ to go. I still had Tyrek in the back of my mind though. I just hope this Travis nigga is enough to make me change my mind.

  Chapter Nine:

  Danessa

  “Alright, here we go.” I said as I did a little twirl before my mirror.

  I didn’t want to dress up too much so I just threw on a black maxi skirt and a black dressy-top thing. I left my hair down and naturally curly and I put on basic eyeliner, mascara, and a deep crimson lip stain. I didn’t want this nigga expectin’ too much so I decided not to get too dolled up and that I would just wear somethin’ normal yet nice enough to go to an upscale restaurant. I hope this nigga is somewhat attractive so I can get through the night lookin’ at somethin’ decent and not some ugly ass nigga who might be smart and has money. Nah, you gotta have all three if you want me to sit with you for a dinner date.

  Knock, Knock.

  The sound of this nigga knocking on my door scared the shit out of me. I wasn’t used to people knockin’ on my door; granted they either had a key to my place like Mel did or it was Tyrek or some coworkers just honkin’ they horns to let me know it was time to get the fuck out of my house. I just bent over and grabbed my heels and slipped them on as I went to grab my black clutch and house keys. I threw my phone and keys into the clutch and opened up the door to see this nigga standin’ before me. He was attractive. He was about 5’9” with a smooth peanut butter complexion, a well trimmed body, and a killer smile. His hair was nicely faded and it was evident that he was a mixed breed because it was so nice and curly. Aight, I was diggin it already.

  “Hello, beautiful.” He said as he gave me that academy award winning-smile and held out his hand.

  “Why hello there, Travis.” I said, smiling back at him as I took his hand and he led me to his Jaguar XF.

  I got into his car and we were mostly silent the way to the restaurant, exchanging only a few words before we got there. He pulled into the lot of a really expensive steakhouse and had someone valet park his car. We walked to our table and sat across one another, smilin’ like fools. Don’t get me wrong, he is incredibly attractive and I’m about to soon find out if he is a great guy, but he is lacking that bad boy, thug vibe that my soul so deeply craves. Then again, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt because he is a friend of Mel and Mel is a businesswoman. That means that I shouldn’t have expected to be sittin’ across from a thug-like nigga like Tyrek, because Mel dislikes niggas like Tyrek, and she works with rich and successful men.

  “So, tell me a little about yourself,” I said before he could even ask me that same question.

  “Well, I’m Travis, and I am the CEO of a major electrical company based in this very town. Uh, I like to go for long walks in random locations, and I want to travel the world with a woman who has the same ambitions and goals as me. I don’t ask for much, I just want a woman who is going to love and care for me as I am and not because of my success and money. I like to go to social outings and I like to make connections with others, it's good for my persona and it is good for my business. I own multiple condos and I enjoy golfing or playing a good game of football with some friends and family. Enough about me though, go ahead and tell me a little bit about yourself.”

  How the hell was I supposed to compare to that? I already knew this wasn’t goin’ to work in the long run because although I am smart and shit, this nigga was next level. Not that I couldn’t handle his success, it was just that I wasn’t really attracted to that. Ugh.

  “Well, uh. I’m Danessa and I work with Mel. We founded her hair salon together and that’s where I currently work. I don’t have an impressive resume like you, but I would love to travel the world some day. I am lookin’ to take it slow and not rush into anything too fast. The whole future thing is great and all, but I want to make sure the person I marry is my best friend. Oh, and I like going to social events as well.”

  I kind of chuckled to myself when I said I liked social events too. Little did he know that I was referring to going to clubs and big ass parties, not real social events and meetings and shit. But I mean, we did have that social thing goin’ for the both of us.

  After talkin’ a little more, our food came. I was so glad for that because f
or one, I was hungry and two, I needed a distraction from this nigga. I ordered a steak salad and he got himself some filet mignon. We both ate pretty quietly and he tried to slip in some small talk, but I just wasn’t feelin’ it. I toughed it out though and did my best to make the night last long and make it enjoyable for the both of us.

  It was time for us to head on home and man was I happy about that. We left the restaurant and got into his car. Again, we were silent on the way to the house, but the restaurant wasn’t too far from my place so we weren’t in misery for too long. I got out of the car and he walked me to the door. I opened up my arms, hugged him, and thanked him for the lovely night before I let myself inside of my house. I was so happy that was over. Although I know this nigga would have taken good care of me, and I had a feel that he was a really cool guy, I couldn’t bring myself to like the guy.

  I stripped off my dress and threw on a baggy shirt before I went to grab my phone out of my clutch. I unlocked the screen to see twenty text messages from Mel. I chuckled at the sight of them, seeing that she was tryna bother me and ask me how the date was goin’ as it was in progress. I rolled my eyes and laughed out loud as I dialed her number.