Angel folded her letter up, sealed it inside an envelope, and went upstairs. She eased open the bedroom door to find Tasha still under the covers. She opened the blinds and flopped on the bed next to her. Tasha poked her head out from under the covers and took one look at her, then covered her head back up.
“You don’t look like you got fucked. What happened? You chickened out?”
“No, he refused my visit.”
Tasha pushed the covers off her head. “No shit! You’re lying?”
“I wish I was. He wants me to know who’s runnin’ shit, so I’m
not mad at him. What about you? When are you getting up?” “After you fix me something to eat.”
“What do you want, with your pregnant ass?”
“Girl, please. I can’t even believe this shit. Either I’m one of them women that all you have to do is look at and she gets pregnant, or Trae got some real potent sperm. I think we only did it three or four times before I started popping them sorry-ass birth control pills. I should sue.”
“When are you gonna tell Trae?”
“I already did. You know he called.”
“So what did he say? I know he’s ecstatic.”
“He was trying to act all cool about it. I think he was trying to see what frame of mind I was in.”
“Well, what’s on your mind?”
“What can I say? If he’s happy, I might as well be happy.”
When Tasha went to the doctor, he told her she was six weeks pregnant. He also told her that the birth control would have worked if she had waited a little longer before having sex.
And, yes, Trae was very glad that they were trying it again.
Chapter 28
Another month passed by without Kay calling Angel or allowing her to visit. She had just walked in the front door
when the phone started ringing. She kicked off her shoes and tossed her briefcase on the Italian leather sofa.
“Hello.”
“This is the New York operator. I have a collect call from Kaylin. Will you accept?”
“Yes I will.” Angel was trying to be cool.
Kay’s voice came on the line, “Is everything a’ight?”
“Kay it’s been over a month since I’ve spoken to you or seen you. You haven’t even written me. Don’t you think it’s kind of late to be asking me if everything’s alright?”
He acted like he didn’t hear her. “We go to court in the morning. In case I get released I need you to pack me a pair of jeans, a jersey, boxers, socks, and one of my leather jackets. Take it to work with you, and Tasha will swing by to pick everything up in the morning. I need a set of house keys and a cell phone. Don’t I have one there?”
“Yeah.”
“Is it activated?”
“Yes it is.”
“Send that too.”
“How come you’re not asking me to come pick you up?” she asked, trying to hold back the tears. “Don’t you think I would want to pick up my man especially since that he has been away for almost nine months?”
“Baby listen. If they let us out, I got a few errands to run. Now, are you gonna make sure Tasha get my shit or what?”
She was now wiping tears off her cheeks. “Is that all you need? What about money?”
“Yeah, send me a G. I gotta run.”
Angel slammed the phone down and began pacing back and forth. She called Tasha on her cell phone, but it rolled over to voice mail. Then she dialed her home number.
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” Angel said, sniffling.
“What’s the matter with you?” Tasha asked.
“What time are you coming to pick up Kay’s things?”
“I’ll be there between 9:00 and 9:30.”
“If he gets out and when you see him, tell him I said I’m catchin’ a cab to work. I get off at 5:00. If he’s not here to pick me up by then, don’t bring his ass home because I’m burnin’ this shit to the ground.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll pass on the message,” Tasha laughed.
That next morning the limo pulled up in front of Tasha’s house at 6:45 a.m. Akbar, the driver, helped her carry the bags out and load them into the trunk. She went over the second and third floor apartments one final time to make sure everything was straight and locked. If Trae got out today, they’d be going back to the bungalow in Jamaica for a couple of months. Tasha had ripped and ran nonstop for the past twenty-four hours, making sure everything was in place. Then she did a little packing. She could hardly contain herself.
Once in the limo her first stop was at Angel’s job. She hugged Angel goodbye, took Kay’s duffel bag and leather jacket, and headed for the jail. En route, she called Trae’s attorney and found out from the secretary that if they got released, it would be from the courthouse, not the jail, and that it was going to be a closed hearing.
When they pulled up in front of the courthouse, Tasha couldn’t believe the amount of press that was waiting on the courtroom steps. Now her heart was beginning to race. She called Angel and said they must be getting out because it’s a whole bunch of people, press, and police all around. After another hour went by she called the lawyer’s office back and asked if they had heard anything. The secretary told her no and said for her to just sit tight.
After another hour, Tasha noticed the hustle and bustle, cameras flashing, and people running up and down the stairs. Shortly afterwards she spotted Kay.
“Kay!” she yelled, as if he could hear her inside the car. She saw him fighting his way down the stairs and opened up the sunroof, stuck her upper body outside the car, and waved her arms. “Where is Trae?” She waved her arms again, trying to get Kay’s attention. “Kay!” she yelled.
They finally made eye contact. She watched him as he turned around. Then she saw both of them sprinting down the stairs, trying to get away from the crowd. Tash ducked down and closed the sunroof. Akbar jumped out, ran around, and opened the car door. First, Kay dove in, with Trae close behind, almost falling on top of him. Then there was the crowd in hot pursuit. Akbar slammed the door shut, and Tasha locked it and broke down in tears.
“Goddamn!” they both yelled, trying to get situated. Kay was on the wrong side, and Trae had to climb over him to get to Tasha.
“Hey, baby!” he said, kissing her on the lips and flashing that big smile. She hugged him, yet looked at him like he were an alien. As if he could read her mind he smiled at her and said, “Nah, you ain’t dreamin’. Your husband is home.”
“What up Tasha?” Kay yelled, pulling his clothes out of his duffel bag. “Why y’all always gotta cry?” he teased.
“Shut up Kay.”
“Oh, she does speak,” he joked.
“This shit is foul, dawg!” Kay said, undressing. They had on the same clothes that they got busted in.
“Hell, yeah. I’m tossin’ this shit right in the trash,” Trae said. “Did you bring me some boxers and some socks, ma? Why you so quiet?”
She reached over and pulled them out of the bag, then said, “I’m just checking y’all out and glad to see y’all, that’s all.” “Awww! How sweet,” Trae teased.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” Kaylin said. “It means I’m the fuck outta that cage,” he was adjusting the strings in his Timbs. “Did Red send me a leather jacket?”
“It’s hanging right behind you,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Good,” he said, balling up his dirty clothes and stuffing them in the duffel bag.
“She also made you a lunch. I stuck it in that little refrigerator.”
“See, that’s why I’m gonna make her my wife. She’s jealous as hell, but see how she look out for a nigga? Look how she packed my shit up and didn’t act all stupid. She even sent this.” He held up a nice, long blunt. “It’s the little shit that impresses me.”
Trae was now dressed and balling up his clothes. “Tell the driver to pull over.”
“What’s his name?” Kay asked.
“Akbar.”
Kay knocked on
the glass. “Yo Akbar! Pull over right here then drop me off on 125th Street.” When Akbar pulled over, Trae got out and handed the clothes to a homeless brotha. “Here,” Kay said, throwing him everything except his shirt. “I gotta keep this shirt. Red bought this for me.”
“Isn’t that cute,” Tasha teased.
Trae jumped back inside and pulled Tasha onto his lap. Tasha looked at Kay and said, “Angel told me to tell you she took a taxi to work and she gets off at five o’clock. She said if you’re not
there by five to pick her up, don’t even think about bringing your ass home tonight because she’s going to burn it down to the ground.”
Trae and Kaylin both burst out laughing. “She said that?” Kay asked, still laughing. Tasha shook her head yes. “Last time I checked I could have sworn that I was the one paying all the bills in that house. How could a sista that fine and so innocent looking be so off the chain? Fuck the chain. She’s off the meter.” Kay and Trae started laughing again. “What’s up with these women, dawg?”
“Man, I threw up my hands a long time ago.”
“Red, Red, Red,” Kay sighed. “That’s my heart. She know it, too. That’s why she think she can get away with saying shit like that.” He was now dialing his cell phone and puffing on the blunt.
“Puff, puff, pass, nigga,” Trae said. Tasha reached over into the bag and pulled out another blunt. “Oh, shit. Never mind. I should have known my baby hooked me up.” He leaned over and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
Tasha overheard Kay talking about a ring as she rubbed and kissed Trae’s bald head. “What you got on under this leather trench?” Trae whispered in her ear.
“I’ll show you when your boy leaves,” she whispered back. When Kay hung up, Tasha couldn’t help asking him, “What kind of ring are you so in a hurry to get?”
“Dawg, get your wife all out of my business!” Kay joked. Tasha started laughing. “C’mon Kaylin. Why are you being so secretive?”
“Yeah, dawg, let me know what’s up. I’m curious myself,” Trae added.
“I won’t say anything Kaylin,” Tasha pleaded.
“Oh, now I’m Kaylin?” He shook his head and dialed another number. He looked over at the both of them and said, “It’s a big, fat engagement rock. I’m hoping to pick it up today.”
“Oh, how sweet and romantic,” Tasha teased. “Congratulations!”
The limo then pulled over. Kay leaned over and kissed Tasha on the cheek. “Have a nice trip and make sure you give me a little nephew.”
“You make sure you take care of my roadie. Where are y’all going?”
“Rio de Janeiro, Puerto Rico to see my grandparents and my brother, then St. Thomas. But I gotta pay a visit to my brother Kyron on lock first.”
“Wow! Angel doesn’t even know about this, does she?”
“Nope.”
“Dayum! Well, y’all have a safe trip as well.” She gave him a hug, and he got out.
“Be right back, baby.” Trae got out and shut the door. She watched them hug and then started walking.
“Well, dawg,” Kay said, “We did it. We out. We free. Am I dreamin’?” They both just stood there reminiscing.
“I know, man. It’s hard to believe. We beat the fuckin’ odds,” Trae reflected. “When are y’all leaving?”
“I got a few things to go over. Make sure everything is straight. That should only take three or four days, then we out. But tonight, I’ll be sittin’ on the floor at the Lakers-Sixers game.” He faked shooting a basket. “Tonight’s game four.”
“I hear you. My money is on the Sixers.”
“Well, you gettin’ ready to lose, dawg. It’s Lakers all the way!” He turned serious. “I heard you had to make an example out of that punk-ass Jaden.”
“He’s a pussy or was. I kind of wish it was somebody else. I never had no beef with him. But how that nigga gonna disrespect me like that? I made an example hoping to send a message to everybody. Don’t fuck with nothing that belongs to Trae: My woman, my business, my paper.”
“I hear you. Red mentioned the situation. She said his boy Saleem wasn’t even trying to go out like that.”
“Well, I know he’s glad that he didn’t. A’ight, dawg. Nice doing business with you,” Trae said. They hugged again and Kay disappeared into the crowd. Trae got back into the limo.
“A’ight, mami, what did you bring me?” he asked, unbuttoning her leather trench and sliding it off.
“Dayum!” He was drooling over her nipples peeking through her sheer blouse. She had on the leather mini wraparound that she never wore to the visit. And she opened her legs to show him the designer garter belt, silk stockings and her wet pussy. “How much time do we have before our flight?” he asked, pulling off his shirt.
“Three hours,” she said, smiling.
Chapter 29
Kay’s first stop was to see his barber. Then he went to see Jacob the jeweler to inspect Angel’s ring. It was tightjust
the way he wanted it, if not better a few more carats than Tasha’s. He jumped in the taxi and went home, where he showered and changed before getting back in his SUV with the cash for the ring.
When he walked into Angel’s office she was spinning around in her big, leather swivel chair talking to a client. When she looked up at him, the tears started rolling down her cheeks. He winked at her, mouthed, “Hey, beautiful,” and set two dozen roses down on her desk. He went over and kissed the tears off her face and then whispered into her ear, “Crybaby.” She punched his arm, then scribbled down some notes on her client. Kay went over to look out the window while she was handling her business.
As soon as she hung up the phone she jumped up, ran over to him, and hugged him. “You came for me!” She sobbed while holding him tight. “You look so good!” she said. “I miss you so much.”
“I don’t know why you’d think I wouldn’t come. Sounds like you’re still in love with me,” he said, looking into her teary eyes.
“Yes, even though you’ve been treating me like dirt these last couple of months.”
“I wasn’t treating you like dirt. You know what time it is.”
“Whatever, Kay. You treated me like dirt.” She laughed, hug
ging him and giving him a kiss. “So are you a free man?”
“It hasn’t hit me yet, but I’m free in every sense of the word.” Angel breathed a sigh of relief. They were quiet. “It’s gonna
be weird,” she said.
“Tell me about it. I’ve been slingin’ ever since I was fifteen.” “So what now?”
“Other than doing anything we want, we might as well get married.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah.”
“You got my ring?” she asked, laughing.
“Yup.”
“No you don’t. You liar. This is nothing to joke about Kaylin.” “Why do I have to be joking?”
“What did you do stop at a jeweler on your way over here?” She was being sarcastic as she went and pulled a gift box out of her purse.
“Basically, yeah.” He took a box out of the inside of his jacket and gave it to her while she went to hand him the box she was holding.
“Damn baby, I thought you were joking.” She held the box. “Are you going to open it, or what?”
“Open yours first,” she said, jumping from one foot to the other. He smiled at her. “Open it, baby,” she begged. He lifted the top and a beautiful stone stared him in the face. She lifted it out of the box and said, “Kaylin I love you more than anything. Will you be my husband?”
“Girl, how are you gonna flip the script?” He leaned over and tongued her down. “Whose money paid for this?” he teased. “Now open yours.”
She slowly unwrapped the box and then opened it. “Oh my God, baby!” She started crying. “This is beautiful.”
“So are you, crybaby,” Kay said, taking the box and putting
the ring on her finger. He kissed her forehead and gave her a bear hug. “I assume this
means that you’ll be my wife.”
“And I assume this means that you’ll be my husband.” They kissed.
“A’ight, then we straight. C’mon, we gotta go.” Kay slapped her on the butt.
“Where are we going?”
“The limo will be at the house at 6:00 to take us to Philly for game four of the playoffs. You want to change, right?”
“Yeah, I need to change. I also need to see Iverson whip some ass. That’s my nigga.”
“You dreamin’, ma. Shaq gonna do the ass-whippin’. Philly ain’t got shit comin’.”
“You mean LA ain’t got shit comin’.” They argued as she cleaned off her desk and turned her computer off.
EPILOGUE
A yearand half later we find Marvin and Kyra moved to
California. Kyra is attending UCLA full-time, determined to become a psychologist. They got married when Aisha turned one. They had a small but elegant wedding. Marvin flew every-one out to Cali. He had a grip stashed while locked down and still has a couple of partners handling business matters, investing in real estate and stocks. They are happy with their little family.
Faheem and Jaz got married the month after Faheem’s dad was released from prison. Faheem sold all four of his businesses, and they are now living in Georgia, in a house in the same neighborhood in Fayette County as Evander Holyfield. Faheem is now a silent partner in a black-owned Atlanta bank.
Jaz beat her case. It was thrown out. She is now enrolled at Morehouse School of Medicine and one of the few women attending. They have a live-in nanny to watch the baby while she goes to school. Faheem was on the sneak tip, trying to get in an-other baby, but without success, Jaz being extra careful.
Faheem also starts a clothing line: Jazheem Wear. Lots of rap-pers and sports players are rocking his label. Jaz finally buys her parents that house down South, moving them out of New Jersey. She is still working on building and setting up a home for children who roam the streets. Faheem sets up a non-profit organization to assist her in the venture.
Trae and Tasha move to Cali before the twins Kareem and Shaheem are born, buying a home in Brentwood, OJ’s old neighborhood. Trae starts a black entertainment magazine called Black Interview. It is on newsstands next to Vibe, XXL, and The Source and doing well. He is a silent partner with a celebrity; they owned a restaurant. And he, Marvin, and Stephon, Tasha’s cousin, open up a club in LA.
Every Thug Needs A Lady (Thugs) Page 26
