Love Don't Live Here

by Charmanie Saquea

  “Nah, I’m good. Thanks anyway.” He smiled.

  “No problem, you can take these up to the counter whenever you’re ready,” she said before turning to help someone else.

  “Nadia,” Mario called out. She stopped and turned around. “What’s up with that number?”

  She just smiled at him before walking away. Mario was stuck because he had never been turned down before. All he had to do was smile and bitches were dropping their panties. He just look at Nadia and knew that she would be a challenge, and there was nothing he loved more than a challenge.

  ___

  Nadia was standing in the mirror checking out her outfit for the night. Marisa’s cousin was having a party and, of course, Marisa was dragging her along, so she had to make sure her outfit was right. She was rocking a black crop top shirt, dark blue jeans that looked like they were painted on, black leather thigh high boots, and a black mid-length leather jacket. Her hair was in a cute donut bun on the top of her head, and since she had natural beauty, she didn’t need any makeup.

  “My bitch bad looking like a bag of money,” Marisa sang as she entered her room.

  Nadia laughed and shook her head. “Girl stop. I look plain as hell.”

  “No, you look emo as hell with all that damn black on, but I won’t deny the fact that you’re looking good. Now let’s go!” Marisa laughed.

  ___

  Mario and Jax were chilling in the club, popping bottles of Rosé when Jax tapped Mario’s shoulder. “Ain’t that shorty from the mall?” He asked nodding towards the dance floor.

  Mario followed his eyes and saw Nadia and some other girl that was just as bad as her on the dance floor. “Yeahh, that’s her lil ass.” He nodded. “Come on,” he said getting up and walking in her direction.

  Nadia was dancing with Marisa to a throwback Destiny’s Child song Soldier when she noticed Jax walk up behind her. She smiled and backed up to give them some room when she accidentally bumped into someone. “I’m sorry,” she said turning around.

  “You can make it up to me by dancing with me,” Mario smiled.

  She threw her arms around his neck while he grabbed her hips and pulled her in closer. She started singing in his ear while she rocked to the music.

  We like them boys up top from the BK

  Know how to flip that money three ways

  Always riding big on the freeway

  Mario smiled at her while shaking his head. “Is that right?” He asked.

  “Yup,” she smiled. “If his status ain’t hood, I ain’t checking for ‘em. Better be street if he looking at me,” she laughed.

  “Check you out,” he laughed with her.

  Mario knew he was bugging because he wasn’t a dancing nigga, but he didn’t want anybody else dancing with her. His hands slowly traveled down to her ass and surprisingly, she didn’t slap his hands away or anything. “I see you tryna match my fly.”

  “How?” Nadia asked.

  “You dressed in all black like me,” he answered.

  She looked at his clothes, and sure enough he was dressed in all black like the other two times she had seen him. “Why you always dressed in black?” She asked.

  Mario shrugged, he was so used to wearing black when he robbed people. Black was the color he felt comfortable more wearing, but he wasn’t going to tell her that. “It’s my favorite color.”

  Nadia was about to say something when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and was face to face with her ex-boyfriend’s brother. “Hey Jason, What’s up?” She hugged him.

  “Not shit lil mama, what you been up to?” He asked looking from her to Mario.

  “Work and school, you know me,” she smiled. “Jason this is Mario, Mario this is Jason.” She introduced them because she could tell there was some type of tension between the two, especially with the way they were looking at each other.

  Neither one of the men spoke, but Jason continued his conversation with Nadia.

  “You know I went to go see Jaron the other day and he asked about you. He said he wrote you, but you ain’t wrote him back yet.”

  “I been so busy I haven’t had a chance to write him back, but I’ll do it when I write my brother,” she said.

  “Busy huh?” He glared at Mario again. He couldn’t wait to tell his brother that he’d seen another nigga all hugged up on Nadia. Even if they weren’t together right now, he still considered Nadia to be his brother’s girl. “Well alright lil sis, I’ma holla at you later,” Jason said before walking away.

  The rest of the night, Nadia spent getting to know Mario better. He was real cool and down to earth which she liked a lot. Mario felt like Nadia was easy to talk to even though he didn’t spend too much time talking to females. He found himself wanting to be around her and keep her close.

  -3-

  Nadia was chilling on Flatbush Ave in Canarsie at Marisa’s house sitting outside enjoying the breeze. She was watching Nyzir play basketball with some of the other kids in the neighborhood down the street when she noticed Marisa come out of the house looking too cute just to be sitting around the house plus she was extra smiley.

  “What you smiling for bitch? And why you all dressed up?” Nadia asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “What you mean?” Marisa asked playing dumb.

  “Okay, keep playing dumb if you want to,” Nadia said as she watched an all-black impala come to a stop near where Nyzir and the boys were playing ball. Nyzir walked over to the car and was talking to someone. She knew it had to be someone he knew because he didn’t talk to people he’s never met before. “Who is that?”

  Nadia looked down the street and started smiling hard. She got up and walked down the street to see who her brother was talking too and, of course, Marisa was right on her heels. The closer she got, she realized who it was, Mario was driving, and Jax was riding shotgun.

  “I hope you weren’t trying to kidnap my brother,” Nadia joked as she walked up to the car.

  “Actually, we came to kidnap all y’all,” Jax smiled while he eyed Marisa.

  “Is that right?”

  “Damn right,” Mario said. “Hop in, you too Nyzir.”

  Everyone hopped in, but Nadia, she stood there with her hands on her hips like she had an attitude.

  “Come on Nadi,” Nyzir said.

  “Yeahh, come on Nadi,” Mario said as he looked at her from head to toe licking his lips in the process.

  “Uh no, I don’t know where you tryna take us. Plus, I was told never to hop in the car with strangers,” she sassed.

  Jax laughed and looked over at his cousin, “She’s a feisty one.”

  Mario got out of the car and picked Nadia up by her waist before opening the back door and placing her in the car. He smirked at her shocked expression as he closed the door and hopped back in the driver’s seat. He turned and looked at her, “We’re going to have to work on that smart ass mouth of yours.”

  “Whatever,” Nadia playfully rolled her eyes.

  “What‘s up Nyzir? You looking like the man back there, sitting in between two beautiful women,” Mario said.

  “Hell Yeahh,” Jax agreed.“I‘m a little jealous.”

  Nadia and Marisa looked at each other and smiled.“So, where y‘alltaking us?” Marisa asked.

  “Y‘all just need to sit back and enjoy the ride,” Jax threw over his shoulder.

  “Well,excuse the hell out of us.” They laughed.

  “You like Dave and Buster‘s Nyzir?”

  “Why youasking him? He‘s not the only one you kidnaped,” Nadia said with a smirk.

  “Oh Yeahh, I’ma really have to work on that mouth sooner than I thought.” Mario shook his head.

  Minutes later they were pulling up to Dave and Buster’sin Manhattan. Mario opened the door on Nadia‘s side while Jax opened the door on Marisa‘s side.“Y‘all wanna play first or eat first?” Asked Jax.

  “Eat,” both Marisa and Nadia answered at the same time.

  “No Nadi,” Nyzir said.


  “C‘mon Zir, please don‘t start. I let you get away with it this morning,but you‘re going to eat,” Nadia said letting him know that she wasn‘t playing.

  Nyzir crossed his arms over his chest like he had an attitude. Nadia just shook her head before walking towards the front door. Mario threw his arm around Nyzir‘s shoulders.

  “ListenNyzir, you want your sister to be happy don‘t you?” He asked,and Nyzir nodded his head.“Then you gotta eat so she can be happy, you don‘t have to get anything big if you don‘t want to just eat something for your sister.”

  Nyzir sighed.“Okay, I‘ll do it for Nadi.”

  Mario smiled,“Good job, now let‘s go have some fun.”

  Everyone was laughing and having a good time. Nyzir and Jax were playing against each other in basketball so Mario pulled Nadia to the side so they could talk.

  “Why you be playing?” He asked as he wrapped his hands around her waist.

  “What I do?” Nadia asked confused.

  “You still ain‘t giveme that number yet.”

  “Let me see your phone,” Nadia said with her hand out. Mario reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, then handed it to Nadia. She dialed her number and let it ring twice before hanging up and saving her number in his phone.

  “Happy now?” She smiled.

  “A little,” he joked.

  Marisa walked over towards them and smiled.“You two are cute together, turn around Nadi and let me take a picture.”

  Mario turned Nadia around so that her back was towards him and wrapped his arms around her waist so that Marisa could take the picture. Jax and Nyzir walked back over to them, and Jax had a funny look on his face.

  “What‘s wrong?” Marisa asked.

  “This nigga is a beast with the ball. We wasn‘t even playing real ball, and he was killing me,” Jax laughed.

  “Good job baby boy,” Nadia laughed, giving her brother a hi-five.

  “You whooped that nigga ass,huh?” Mario laughed.

  “Yeahh, I whooped his ass,” Nyzir laughed.

  Nadia gasped while everyone was cracking up. She had never heard her brother cuss before, so he caught her off guard.

  “Don‘t be cussing boy,” Nadia said trying not to laugh.

  “Nyzir grown girl,” Mario laughed.“Ain‘t that right Zir?”

  “Yup,” he smiled.

  “Oh my gosh,he just turned my brother against me.” Nadia laughed.

  “I hate to break up this good time that we‘re having, but Mario look at the time,” Jax said. Mario checked the time and caught on to what Jax was trying to say.

  “I got you,bro, let‘s drop the kiddies off so they can get ready for school tomorrow,” Mario joked.

  After dropping the girls and Nyzir off, they headed to Jax‘s house to get ready to put in work. Of course, they were dressed in all black like always. Mario was checking his gun when his phone indicated that he had a text message.

  Nadi: Thank you for showing my brother and I a good time today, we really appreciate it. Maybe we can do it again soon.

  Mario smiled before turning his phone off and putting it back in his pocket. He wasn‘t blowing her off,but he needed a clear mind for what he was he was about to do.“It‘s game time baby boy,” Mario said to Jax as they headed out the door.

  ___

  Nadia was lying across the foot of her bed on her laptop while talking to Marisa on speakerphone.“Bitch,I think I‘m in love,” Marisa sighed.

  “Uhn uhn, with who?” Nadia chuckled.

  “Jax, who else?” Marisa smacked her lips.

  “He seems cool, when did y‘allget so close?”

  “The same time you and Mario did,” Marisa said letting the ‘r’ roll off her tongue like she was speaking Spanish.“At the party.”

  “Marisa!” Nadia yelled as she scrolled through her newsfeed on Facebook.

  “Damn, what I do?” Marisa said trying not to laugh. She knew exactly why Nadia was tripping.

  “You know what you did hoe, why did you upload that damn picture and then you had the nerve to tag me init.”

  “I don‘t know what you‘re talking about Nadi,” Marisa laughed.

  “That‘s not funny bitch, now everybody and they mama about to be all up in my business. You know I hate that. They gonna be assuming stuff,” Nadia sighed.

  “Girl bye, let them assume. Who cares what people think Nadia? I know you don‘t and I damn sure don‘t, so why youtripping?” Asked Marisa.

  “Because Reese Cup,” Nadia said calling Marisa by the nickname she used as a child.“I don‘t want people thinking me and Mario talk or go together.”

  “What the hell is wrong with that?” Marisa asked confused.

  “The fact that we don‘t!” Nadia expressed.

  “Well,that picture says differently, what‘s wrong with him?”

  “Nothing, nothing at all. I just have too much going on with Mommy and Zir,so I really don‘t have any room in my life for a boyfriend right now,” explained Nadia.

  Marisa sighed, she knew her best friend had a lot going on, but she was still young,and she wanted her to still have fun and live life.“I understand Nadi, I really do,but you can‘t let that stop you from going out and living life.”

  “I agree with her,” Nicole said as she walked intoNadia‘s room.“I‘ve been telling her that for the longest Reese Cup, she don‘tlisten.”

  “Hey mama, how youfeeling?” Marisa asked.

  “I‘m good baby, thanks for asking,” Nicole said before leaving the room.

  “So what you gon do Ms. Nadia Raelynn?” Marisa asked.

  “Nothing Marisa Nicole.”

  Marisa smacked her lips. “There‘s no helping you, go to sleep child. We‘ll talk about this tomorrow.”

  “Alright, love ya!” Nadia said as she blew a kiss into the phone.

  “Whatever heffa,” Marisa laughed.

  Nadia laid back in her bed as her mind drifted back to the picture of her and Mario. She did have to admit they looked cute together, but at this time in her life, she wasn’t looking for a boyfriend.

  -4-

  When Nadia and Nyzir walked through the doors of the school, it seemed like everyone was staring them down, and she knew exactly why. Everyone had either seen or heard about the picture of her and Mario, so it was going to officially be the talk of the school today.

  She just rolled her eyes at everyone and kept it moving like she always did. She never talked to anyone at school anyways, so there really was no reason for her to stop and chit chat with anyone. She did her daily routine of walking her brother to class before heading to her own and, of course, Marisa was waiting for her.

  “I hope the sleep you got helped you get your mind right,” Marisa said.

  “My mind been right and I feel the same way right now as I did last night.” Nadia rolled her eyes.

  “You know what...” Marisa started to say but stopped when she noticed a group of girls walking their way. Marisa could smell trouble ten miles away,so she automatically went into fight mode.“Get ready,” Marisa warned Nadia.

  “I’m already on it boo,” Nadia said.

  “I hope you don’t think you’re the shit or anything…taking pictures with other people’s man and stuff,” the ringleader, Nisha, said.

  “Hold up,” Marisa said standing in front of Nadia. She knew her friend wouldn’t fight unless she had to, but she wasn’t about to let nobody step to her on no bullshit. “Whatever problem you have with her, you need to settle it by yourself. Your little flunkies are not needed.”

  Nadia stepped back in front of Marisa. She was far from a scary chick, and she was used to females trying her. They thought just because she stayed to herself and didn’t get in any drama that she couldn’t hold her own, but they were wrong.

  “I’m just saying though, she all on Facebook hugged up with my sister’s man, so I hope she didn’t think I was going to let that ride,” Nisha said rolling her neck.

  “You need
to take that up with you sister’s man and don’t ever step to me like you’re going to do something,” Nadia said as she turned and headed to class. She wasn’t in the mood to be fighting with anyone today. “Now you see why I’m not in a hurry to go there with him?” She said to Marisa as she rolled her eyes. She figured that this was just a confirmation that she didn’t need to be messing with Mario.

  ___

  Marquise had heard about Nisha and her girls trying to step to Nadia, so he knew he had to text his brother and give him the heads up. He knew his big brother was feeling Nadia because he was always asking questions about her. He didn’t want Nisha and her crazy ass sister to mess up anything before it even got a chance to start.

  Just giving you the heads up, Nisha stepped to Nadia on some bullshit in the hallway today trying to start stuff. Marquise sent the text, acting like he was paying attention to his teacher.

  Mario had told his brother about texting while he was in class. I’ma beat his ass, he thought before he opened the message. As she read the message,he shook his head. He had forgot that his ex-girlfriend’s, Natasha, little sister went to the same school as Nadia and Marquise. He knew she had done some messy shit because that’s just how she and her sister rolled. Marquise had showed him the picture on Facebook before he left for school, and he didn’t see what the big problem was. He actually thought they looked cute together, but he also knew it would cause some shit with his on again off again ex-girlfriend that he had pushed to the back of his mind.

  Right on cue, Natasha called him. He knew that she was calling to talk shit, but he answered anyway. “Yeahh?”

  “So you like little young high school bitches now?” Natasha yelled.

  “Girl,what you talking about?” He asked playing dumb.

  “I’m talking about you all over Facebook hugged up with a bitch that goes to school with my damn little sister? Is that how we’re doing it now?”

  Mario laughed. “It sounds like you’re mad.”

  “Duh, nigga! I wouldn’t be so mad if you had upgraded, but now you wanna robthe cradle.”