The Streets Keep Calling

by Chunichi

  “Is this the first time? Did he do it in front of my kids?” I asked, more concerned about my kids’ safety than Maria’s bruises.

  “No, he didn’t do it in front of them. Yes, it was his first time. He’s frustrated about the business. Money is barely coming in. From what I hear, he thinks you’re trying to take over his empire. Breeze, watch your back. Biggs, Li’l D, Mannie, and their little goons may be paying you a visit,” she added before getting up and almost slipping on some soda the kids had spilt earlier. I reached out and caught her in my arms just in time.

  “You okay?” I asked, smirking. Call me messed up, but it took everything in me not to laugh at the way she almost busted her ass.

  “Yeah, I’m okay, thanks,” she said as she looked up at me.

  “Good, ’cause that shit would’ve been real funny if you woulda fallen!” I said. I couldn’t hold it back anymore and fell out laughing.

  “Breeze! You never change!” she said in between laughs. “Boy, you so stupid!” she said, doing her best Gina impersonation from Martin.

  “Oh, wow! You taking it real back with that one, Maria. I forgot all about that,” I said to her. Back when we were dating, we used to watch Martin every night it came on. She and I had this thing where I would be her Martin and she would be my Gina. Seeing her do that reminded me of the Maria I’d fallen in love with so many years back. When we finally calmed down from laughing, there was an awkward silence between us. I let go of her and was about to walk away, when she grabbed my arm to stop me.

  “Breeze, I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you,” Maria confessed, “I know it probably doesn’t make that much of a difference, but I really mean it. I was wrong for a lot of things.”

  “Maria, you will never know how bad you hurt me,” was all I could respond at that moment. I didn’t know what to make of her apology. I never expected that to come out of her mouth. As long as I’d known her, she had always been too proud to admit to anybody if she was ever wrong about something.

  Our eyes met and we started kissing. The more we kissed, the more my feelings took me back to when we were married. Now, I had her pinned up against the wall. Not wanting to hurt her back any more than it already was, I spun her around and pushed her breasts up against the wall. I kissed her neck while I rubbed my hands along her waist and thighs. I hadn’t been this physically close to her in years and she felt so unbelievably good. I lifted her summer dress up and moved her panties to the side. I had been waiting five long years for this moment. I slid two fingers in her slit and started rotating my fingers.

  “Breeze,” she moaned in between breaths. “Oh, Breezy. Give it to me,” she whispered and moaned.

  “Remember this?” I asked as I eased my dick into her pussy. I almost lost my breath when I pushed every inch of myself all the way in one swift motion. I grabbed her by the hips and wasted no time getting in some deep, long strokes. No one could ever take my strokes like that except for Maria. Nigga felt like he was finally home while being up in there.

  “Yes.” She shuddered in ecstasy. I began caressing her nipples just the way she’d always liked it. Some things about Maria I could just never forget. She began to tighten her pussy around my dick. As she pushed her head back, Maria closed her eyes, enjoying this pleasure I was giving to her. I came without a moment’s notice and so did she.

  As soon as I came, I felt guilty about what I had just done. She pulled her dress back down and asked where the bathroom was so she could freshen up. As I stood there getting myself together, my mind was everywhere. I was used to fucking with different women all the time, but tonight was different. I had just fucked my wife hours within having made love to wifey. But what fucked me up right now was that I felt like I’d just cheated Tanisha and not Maria. Maria was my wife and my kids’ mother, but she wasn’t about shit. Yeah, she’d said she was sorry, but I wasn’t fazed or moved by her comments. The way I saw it, she saw me on the come up again, and realized that her man was going down, so she wanted to make sure she stayed on the winner’s side. I knew deep inside she didn’t give a damn about anyone but herself and money. She probably figured I would just open my arms and take her back like it was all water under the bridge, but she had another think coming. Even with that said, I let Maria and the kids stay at my place for the night.

  The next morning, I got Maria and the kids up early. I had some business to take care of and I wanted them out of the house. Before sending them off, I gave Maria a cell phone so that I could reach her and the kids at all times.

  As soon as they left, I started making some phone calls. Before noon hit, I had my soldiers gathered up and ready to go. We paid Mannie a little visit, announcing our arrival by blasting his door wide open. I had to let these niggas know we meant business. Borne and one of his boys took to the left while me and two of my other niggas went right. Motherfuckers didn’t know what hit them. There were a couple of hoes in there sucking dick, so we got to see some titties bouncing while we handled our business. After we made sure we had left our mark, we casually walked out of the house like nothing had happened.

  “Good shit,” I said to Borne as we sat at a diner having lunch. “I’m glad I got to them before they got to me,” I added.

  “Yeah nigga. These motherfuckers need to recognize shit is about to change, ’cause we taking back over!” he said as he reached over to give me a pound.

  “Yeah!” I chuckled. “I’m just mad that nigga Mannie had been there for the party,” I said. We finished our plates and I went back to the bachelor pad. I knew once the word spread about what had happened, Biggs was really gonna have it out for me, so I had to lay low for a while. I rounded up a few important things and set off to a hotel in Williamsburg. My next step was to get another spot no one would know about.

  “Ah, man,” I sighed while lying across the bed. I looked at the phone to see I’d just missed Tanisha’s call. I didn’t call her back because I really wasn’t in the mood for talking. Besides, I couldn’t dare tell her what happened. My baby was a worry-wart, and I didn’t want to add more to her daily stress.

  Seconds later the phone rang again. This time it was Maria. All fucking day Maria had been blowing me up from the cell phone I gave her when she came over. I assumed Mr. Biggs still didn’t know about it. Otherwise, the phone would have definitely been cut off. I was hoping she wasn’t about to start off on some baby momma drama level. You know how it usually goes: you give your baby mother a little bit of leeway and she goes psycho on you. When I gave her the phone I specifically told her the phone was so I could get in contact with my kids, but the way she was calling, it was more like the other way around. She finally texted me, saying that the kids wanted to talk to me. The first thing that came to mind was that she hadn’t been letting me talk to my kids since I came out, but now, all of a sudden, I was that important. I was definitely not in the mood for playing any of her dumbass games, but I called anyway.

  “Hello?” I asked.

  “Do have any idea how long I have been calling trying to reach you?” Maria shouted so loud it hurt my ear.

  “Yeah. Where are the kids?” I said nonchalantly.

  “So that’s the only reason you called back? I’ve been blowing you up all day, Breeze,” Maria continued to shout.

  “Maria, if you have been calling me all day to argue, then I’m out. I’ve had a long, hard fucking day and I’m not in the mood for this shit,” I explained to her.

  “No, I didn’t call to argue. I have to tell you something.”

  “Go ahead,” I said.

  “I lied.”

  “You lied about what, Maria?” I said, sounding a little annoyed.

  “I lied about the house. The truth is I never sold it. I just relayed that tidbit of information to your mother because I couldn’t stand her and I wanted to hurt you. Now that that’s out the way, let me get to the point. I know a little bit about what’s going on and I want to help you.”

  “What did you hear?” I curiously asked
.

  “You’re in danger. Biggs has a fifty thousand dollar hit on you.”

  “Hmm,” I replied, trying my best to show no emotion.

  “The house is yours. It’s still fully furnished. No one would expect you to be there because everybody thinks I sold it. I put the key in the old post office box we set up by Indian River Road. All you have to do is pull it open gently because the door is unlocked,” she added.

  “A’ight. I will take care of that. Now, let me talk to my kids,” I ordered.

  “One last thing I have to say,” she insisted.

  “What?” Now she was really starting to aggravate me.

  “I never stopped thinking about you. Breeze, you left me and I just didn’t know how to deal with it. You will always have my heart,” she said, sounding sincere. I wanted to believe Maria but I couldn’t help but feel as if she had an ulterior motive. There was too much stuff that wasn’t adding up, and history had already proved she was not to be trusted.

  “Okay. Thanks, Maria,” was all I replied.

  “That’s all you have to say back, Breeze? Really?” she asked with confusion, surprise, and a little bit of hurt combined in her tone of voice.

  “Are the kids coming to the phone?” I replied, ignoring her questions.

  “Hold on,” was all she said, but not before sucking her teeth loud enough for me to hear.

  Chapter 17

  Baby Momma Drama Tanisha

  Wow, Breeze’s house should be classified as a castle, I thought as he showed me around. It had a spacious kitchen with a full breakfast bar and an island with a customized stove top. The cabinets were made from dark cherry wood with frosted glass and silver knobs, which complemented to perfection the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. All together, there were six bedrooms and four full bathrooms. The master bedroom had a beautiful fireplace and private balcony that overlooked an eight-foot deep pool with Jacuzzi. The house also included an attached three-car garage, with a gym, and, as if that were not enough, it also had a family room and separate playroom for the kids. Not to mention, each room had customized crown molding.

  I couldn’t believe Breeze had purchased that house with drug money. Call me naive, but I’d never seen drug money on such a level. Breeze was definitely reaping the fruits of his labor. I couldn’t help but pray that being back in his old house wouldn’t encourage him to want to stay in the game longer than planned. Breeze assured me that his house was paid for, so I figured we would be fine with my income and him establishing his own business to have on the side. I just had to sit down with him and discuss exactly what kind of business he wanted to look into. Honestly, I couldn’t see Breeze working for someone else for the rest of his life. He just didn’t take well to authority.

  “So how do you like the house?” he asked, eagerly waiting for my answer.

  “Like? Honey, I adore the house. It’s exquisite,” I replied with a peck on his lips. Then we headed toward the playroom, where we found the kids busy playing a Nintendo Wii game.

  “Kids, I fixed up your rooms,” Breeze called out to them. I smiled when I heard them giggling and laughing as they made their way toward us.

  “Great,” they replied in unison, giving him a hug. Then, to my pleasant surprise, they turned to hug me as well. I must admit it felt a little weird to be around them. Up until today, the only time I had ever seen them was when they came in with Maria at the bank. Having them around more often was definitely something I was looking forward to.

  “Um, Dad, is Ms. Tanisha going to be our new mommy like we have a new daddy?” Jaden asked Breeze.

  “Actually, that’s one of the things I wanted to talk about with you and your sister. Ms. Tanisha is going to be your stepmother after she and I get married. There are some things I need to explain to you two first. Now, let’s start by talking about this whole daddy thing.” Breeze stooped down so that he was at eye level with the children. Then he grabbed their hands as he spoke. “Kids, I need you to understand that you only have one daddy,” Breeze began to say, but was interrupted by a strange noise. “What’s that noise coming from outside?” he said to no one in particular, then quickly clicked on the surveillance camera that showed views from every angle on the outside of the house as well as inside. Breeze seemed a little on edge to me, but I didn’t bother saying anything.

  “Dad, it’s the ice cream truck! Can we have some please, Daddy,” Kaylyn replied excitedly.

  After zooming in on the front gate camera and confirming she was right, Breeze gave the kids the okay to get some ice cream. “Here’s some money,” he said, handing Jaden a twenty-dollar bill.

  “Thanks.” Kaylyn giggled and the kids ran off.

  “Did you want anything?” Breeze asked me.

  “No, I’m fine. Aren’t you going to get something?” I asked in return.

  “You know the only sweet I’m into is your pussy,” he whispered into my ear.

  “I second that notion and the one where I’ll be the proud stepmother; however, first, you need to get a divorce. According to my book of law, you can only have one wife,” I explained.

  “I’m taking care of that.” Breeze assured me with a kiss.

  “All right.” I nodded.

  “Since the kids are outside, I have one more room to show you,” he mentioned, leading the way.

  We walked through the master bedroom and he led me to the walk-in closet. Breeze hit a button on the wall and the shelves spread apart, showing a door. We opened the door and headed down some stairs. As we inched closer to this special room, I was hoping it would be a romantic room that only we would know about. To my disappointment, it looked more liked a fixed-up energy-efficient apartment equipped with a bedroom, bathroom, phone, mini kitchen, and two flat-screen televisions.

  “What is this?” I asked, confused.

  “It’s a panic room. If any of us are ever in danger, we can come down here. It’s resistant to bullets. The door is made of steel and has a lock release. Unless someone blows it up, they’re not getting it open,” Breeze explained.

  “Let’s hope we never have to use this room,” I said, a little concerned Breeze would have need for such a room. Instantly, thoughts of Jose came into my head, causing my stomach to turn.

  “I’ll hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. All that matters to me is you and the kids and y’all’s safety. Matter of fact, pack your bags. You’re off for a few days, so I figured we could go to Atlanta to do a little shopping, and maybe while we’re there we can take the kids to the zoo and the aquarium. I already spoke to Maria about taking the kids on vacation for a couple of days with me, so everything is all set to go,” Breeze directed.

  We had a wonderful weekend, and Monday came around before I knew it. My days off flew by so fast, and I was back to my normal routine at work. I was grateful that I had scheduled myself to work the late shift that day, because I did not have the energy to go in early in the morning. Unfortunately, it had completely slipped my mind that the late shift would require me to have to deal with Maria’s weekly Monday visit. I opened my office door and noticed that only Maria and the kids were here today. I found it a little unusual that Mr. Biggs wasn’t with them. The kids ran up to me, and gave me hugs with sticky lollipop juice dripping all over their hands. I wondered if the kids had told Maria about me being their stepmother, or that I had been with them the entire time they were with their father over the weekend. As I looked up at her, I couldn’t tell if she was upset from the expression on her face, because she always looked at me nasty.

  “I’ve been waiting for you. Kids, go sit at the coloring table,” she ordered them.

  “Hello. What can I help you with this afternoon?” I asked in my most professional voice.

  “Bitch, I always knew you wanted Biggs but you went as far as fucking my husband, Breeze? Let me make something clear to you, sweetie. Both of those men belong to me. They both are mine. Breeze is just passing the time with you.” She spat at me, “Did he te
ll you that house you’ve been in all weekend is the house that we shared together? Damn, Tanisha, I didn’t take you for the type to take another woman’s leftovers,” she growled at me.

  I could not believe this woman had the nerve to come to my job to bring personal drama. I knew this moment would happen eventually, but I would have thought she would have had the decency to at least do it somewhere else. Nonetheless, I refused to stoop to this woman’s level. “Let’s get one thing straight. I do not nor have I ever wanted anything to do with Mr. Biggs, and I do not intend on stealing anyone’s husband. If these men ‘belong to you’ as you stated earlier, then I suggest you speak with them about all of that because I refuse to stand here discussing my personal life with you. Moving on, one thing I do need to speak with you about is the fact that all of your accounts are overdrawn at this time. Now, as the bank manager I must inform you that we will be adding overdraft fees to any additional charges added to these accounts until they are brought back to a positive status. Now, if these accounts are not restored within twenty-four to fourty-eight hours, I will be forced to freeze them. Do you have any questions, Mrs. Biggs?” I asked with a smug look on my face. It felt so good to have the opportunity to say all this to such a snooty, high-and-mighty woman like herself.

  “Bitch, I will not have you speak to me like that. Do you have any idea how much money we have invested in this bank in the past?” Maria yelled, and slapped me across the face.

  The devil in me wanted to grab Maria by the hair and throw her across the room, but the Southern beauty in me stayed calm. Instead, I quickly called security. Thankfully, the kids hadn’t seen the commotion. Within seconds, security kindly walked Maria out of the bank. I was so pissed that I left for the rest of the day. I didn’t need this type of crap in my place of employment. Banks don’t like drama. They have too much of an image to uphold.

  I couldn’t dial Breeze’s number fast enough as I walked to my car.