Project Queen II

by Teresa D. Patterson

  “He’s packing to move out. It seems he’s been living a double life, and double dipping his dick into some white tramp,” she said.

  “Hell to the nah!” He paused for a second. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. I hired a private investigator and he tailed him, took pictures and everything. When I confronted him at the restaurant with his little Jessica Simpson, he was caught red-handed. He didn’t have a damn thing to say for himself.”

  “Damn. That’s fucked up.” He headed to the kitchen and sat at the bar. “You sure y’all can’t work it out? I mean, Larry’s a decent guy. Maybe y’all can go to some counseling or some shit like that.”

  “I don’t know. I’m just pissed off right now. I’ll think about it.”

  “You sure you don’t want none of these crabs?” he asked again.

  “No. I’m too upset to eat. I’m going to go pick up Imani from Vivian’s. Hopefully, that sneaky ass nigga will be long gone when I get back.”

  “I hope so. You look like you might put him in a body bag.” Toby chuckled slightly.

  “Death would be too good for him right now,” she said.

  “Speaking of death-” Toby stared at Della’s black ensemble distastefully as she came downstairs. “When is the fucking funeral?” he asked, taking in her black fingernail polish.

  She glanced at him with a blank expression, joining him at the bar. He just shook his head and pushed a tray of garlic crabs her way. Saying nothing, she dug into them.

  Shae rolled her eyes. Her sister would have to deal with her problems. She had too much on her own plate to help Della with her mess. She headed for the door.

  “I’ll be back.”

  “Tell Vivian I said hello. She and Richard back together?” Toby asked.

  “No. I think they’re seeing a marriage counselor though.”

  “See, they’re working it out. That proves there’s still hope for you and Larry,” he said. Shae just sucked air through her teeth, stuck her lips out and left.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Della asked when the door slammed behind Shae.

  “Marriage problems. Ya boy Larry is a sly dog after all. He’s been beating the brakes off some white ho.”

  “What? I knew that motherfucker was too good to be true. These men are sorry. All they want is some sneaky pussy.”

  “What the fuck is sneaky pussy?” Toby ventured to ask.

  “When they sneak around with another woman and fuck her behind their main woman’s back.”

  “I don’t know nothing about it and don’t want to know. I’m staying a virgin until I get married, or at least until I fall in love.”

  Della stared at him with a look of total disbelief. “You mean to tell me that you’re seventeen and never fucked a girl? Are you gay?”

  “Hell motherfucking no I’m not gay,” he said, offended. “I get plenty of offers of pussy. I just don’t want to go there. Them trifling ass, dirty maggots might give me something deadly.”

  “That’s why you wear condoms and all the more reason to get with a real woman instead of these scally wags and hood bitches,” she said.

  “Where you see a real woman at, Della? Show me a real woman in “Da Burg” and I’ll give you a thousand bones right now,” he said, confident that he wouldn’t lose the bet.

  “Maybe you need to branch out, Toby, expand your horizons. Otherwise, you gonna have major blue balls for a long time not having any sexual activity.”

  “I didn’t say all that. I got bitches that are willing to slob me down anytime I let ‘em,” he bragged.

  “Good for you. At least you ain’t completely square.” She shook her head. “What kind of a drug dealer doesn’t sleep around?”

  “A smart one,” Toby answered. “Messing around with tricks can get a nigga hemmed up. I’m not about the bullshit and aggravation that comes with fighting over a piece of pussy.” He finished the blue crab that he’d been eating and grabbed a napkin to wipe his hands. “Hey, I caught up with ya boy, Lester,” he said, changing the subject.

  “You did?” Her dull eyes suddenly lit up. “What did you do to him?” She was hoping she would read his obituary soon.

  “Let’s just say, he’s going to be wearing shades and soaking in Epsom salts for a few weeks. I got all the copies he had left of the video, too. Everything should be straight. It’s over.”

  Let’s R. Kelly this bitch! The words exploded inside her head causing Della to frown. It was far from over.

  “It will be when I pay them back,” she mumbled. She seemed to go back inside herself and that blank expression settled over her face again.

  Larry came through carrying a suitcase and a duffle bag. He glanced awkwardly at Toby and Della as he set the suitcase down in the middle of the living room floor.

  “I guess y’all heard, huh?” he said.

  Toby shrugged. “Only God can judge ya, brotha. You still cool with me.”

  He nodded and threw a quick glance at Della. She was in a world of her own, rocking back and forth. “Is she okay?” “I don’t know,” Toby answered. “I think she might be bipolar or something. Who knows?”

  “Well, I’m out. Can you tell Shae I’ll be back for the rest of my things later in the week?”

  “I’ll tell her,” he said. “Wait a minute. What about Imani?” he asked. “Are you just gonna walk away from ya daughter? That’s cold.”

  “I’ll never leave my daughter,” Larry said passionately. “This is only temporary. Right now, I don’t even know what I want. I just need a cooling off period.”

  “Cool off, but don’t get too cold. I heard once you go white you ain’t never again right,” he attempted to joke. Larry frowned. “Does she smell like chicken when she gets wet?” Toby chuckled.

  “That’s a stereotype. Of course she doesn’t smell like chicken.”

  “Ol’ white girl’s head game must be tight, if you leaving Shae for her. I mean, that’s your first love. You and my sister have been tight since the second grade.” He gave Larry a sad smile. “I thought y’all would be together forever, especially after what went down with Dana.”

  Larry swallowed the thick lump in his throat. “I thought so, too. Sometimes, people change and grow apart. They fall out of love.”

  “Are you in love with the white chick, or in lust? Think about all the reasons you want to be with her. Can she be your backbone, man? I know Shae is a ride or die chick. She’ll always have your back, no matter what.”

  “I know that,” he admitted. “I just can’t put up with the constant attitude every day. I know I fucked up, but can a nigga catch a break? It’s wearing me out. Maybe this time apart will be for the best. It’ll give us both the chance to figure out if we still want to be together.” He picked up his suitcase. “Let me bounce before Shae gets back. Otherwise, we’ll get into it again.”

  “Peace,” Toby said.

  “Later, man.”

  “Good riddance,” Della muttered as the door slammed behind him. If she had to listen to his whining and lame excuses for another second, she might be tempted to slit his throat with her blade.

  Chapter Ten

  Shae was still upset when she arrived at Vivian’s house. She sat in the car for a while, trying to compose herself. Finally, she got out, walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.

  When Vivian answered, she could immediately sense that something bothered her sister; it was written all over her face no matter how she tried to hide it. She ushered her inside.

  “I came to pick up Imani,” Shae said dryly. “Sorry I’m late. I kind of had a crisis.”

  “What’s going on?” Vivian asked, concerned.

  “Girl, I have to talk to somebody before I explode,” Shae said.

  “Well, let’s go into the family room. The kids are in the playroom with Zelda.” Zelda was the live-in nanny they’d hired. She was also Imani’s babysitter.

  “Okay. I don’t normally drink, but I think I need something strong to cal
m my nerves.”

  “This must be bad,” Vivian said and hurried to the bar to pour Shae a drink.

  “Cognac on the rocks,” Shae called.

  “Are you sure?” Shae threw her a dark look. “Never mind. Coming right up.” Once she fixed the drink, she brought it to Shae. Shae immediately took a huge gulp. “Let’s go talk about it.”

  Shae followed her sister into the family room where they sat across from each other. Shae placed her nearly empty drink on the coffee table and burst into tears.

  “What’s wrong? Oh, Shae, talk to me,” Vivian said. She got up and went over to rub her sister on the back. “What is it, sis?”

  “It’s Larry. I just found out that he’s seeing another woman. I told him to get out,” she said between gulps.

  “How do you know he’s seeing another woman?”

  “I saw them together.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s cheating. Did you give him a chance to explain?” Vivian asked, locating a box of Kleenex and pulling a few out to hand to Shae.

  “I suspected something was going down when I read his text messages from the bitch. I asked him if he was seeing someone else and he denied it. But, he started coming home later every night and sleeping on the couch. My gut instinct told me he was creeping, so I hired a private investigator. Today, the detective gave me an envelope filled with pictures. They were all of Larry and some white bitch getting all lovey dovey and cozy. In a few of them, she was even sucking his dick.”

  “What?” Vivian’s mouth dropped open. “She’s white?” She pretended she didn’t hear the part about the oral sex.

  “Yes, she’s white. After I got the pictures, I found out where they went out for lunch. They were in a restaurant together. I confronted them and he told me he wanted to be with her.” She began crying again. “I was so mad, Vivian. When we got home, I slapped him and told him to get out.”

  “I’m so sorry, Shae. Maybe after you cool off, the two of you can talk things out.”

  “I don’t want to hear anything he has to say.” She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. “And to think I thought he’d been messing around with Della.”

  “Della, what does she have to do with it?” Vivian asked, frowning.

  “For a while, I thought Larry was sleeping with her. I was wrong, but she was always flaunting around him in her booty shorts and mini-skirts. I accused him of cheating with her.”

  “Larry? No way. I wouldn’t put it past Della, though,” Vivian said bitterly.

  “Why would you say that?” Shae asked, sniffling. Vivian shifted her gaze. “Vivian, what are you keeping from me?”

  “I guess I’ll just let the cat out the bag. It’s a burden that I’ve been carrying around for too long anyway.”

  “Vivian, stop talking about burdens and things. Are you planning on pulling out the Bible next? Just tell me what’s up,” Shae said, impatient.

  Vivian exhaled. “Della is the real reason Richard and I separated. I caught them sleeping together. That’s why I threw her out.”

  “That little skank,” Shae exclaimed. “How could she stoop so low?”

  “I made Richard tell me everything. They’d been doing it for almost an entire year, right under my nose and I knew nothing about it.”

  “That’s fucked up,” Shae said. “What is wrong with our sister? Is she a nymphomaniac or something?”

  “Maybe she’s addicted to sex,” Vivian said, shrugging. “I just know she’s not to be trusted around anybody’s husband.”

  “I don’t know what her problem is. Rumor has it that she’s on some sex tape that’s floating around the city,” Shae said. “She’s getting a hell of a reputation for herself.”

  “A sex tape? Have you seen it?” Vivian asked.

  “No. Toby told me a little about it, but he didn’t go into detail. He said he refused to watch it once he realized that his sister was playing the starring role. Now, she’s mad and talking about getting even with the guys who filmed her. They were selling copies of the tape without her consent.”

  “Even though she infuriates me, I can’t imagine her agreeing to be videotaped unless there was something in it for her. Maybe there’s more to the story. Did you talk to her about it?”

  “No,” she said. “I’ve been too wrapped up in my problems with Larry. She has been acting strange, dressing in all black and zoning out lately.”

  “Zoning out? Maybe you should talk to Jimmy,” Vivian suggested. “He’s about he only one who can get through to her. It sounds like she’s about to snap.”

  “I’ll think about it.” She exhaled and blew her nose loudly. All of the crying had given her a headache. She massaged her temples. “Did Jimmy ask you about donating blood?”

  “Yes, he did. I agreed and I’m going to see if I’m a match tomorrow. You want to go with me?”

  “I guess I can. I’ll tell Toby and maybe we can all just go and get it over with at the same time.” She finished her drink then stood up to leave. “Let me get Imani home.”

  Vivian stood up too and gave her a hug. “Anytime you need to talk, I’m here. Okay?”

  “Thanks, Viv. I appreciate it.” She smiled sadly. She was glad that she and her oldest sister had reconnected after being apart for so many years. She blamed their mother for the separation, but she didn’t want to think about the past. At least she had someone to confide in now.

  Shae found herself thinking of her mother as she headed home. Jimmy left Bertha, just like Larry was leaving her. Like mother, like daughter. History was repeating itself. She was determined not to turn bitter like her coldhearted mother. No matter what happened, she would never abuse or neglect her child. She wouldn’t try to poison her either.

  Not wanting to go home, she drove to her father’s house. She wanted to ask him some questions about Della, plus she could visit with her twin brothers, Chris and Charles. It had been a while since she’d seen them.

  Jimmy was happy that Shae stopped by to visit. He was especially thrilled to see Imani. He held her on his lap as he and Shae talked.

  “Where are the twins?” she asked.

  “They went to the movies with my neighbor and her kids. She’s a single parent with a ten year old son and an eight year old daughter.”

  “Is she someone you’re romantically interested in?” Shae asked, being nosey.

  “No. She’s a young spring chicken and entirely too pretty to date an old man like me,” Jimmy said, blushing a bit.

  “Are you sure she doesn’t like you? You look like an older version of Mario Lopez,” she teased. “And you are not that old.”

  “I’m certain. She probably thinks of me as a father.”

  Shae suddenly grew serious. She sighed before speaking. “Jimmy, I think my marriage may be over,” she told him honestly.

  “What happened, darling?” he asked gently. Shae thought she was all cried out, but the tears came again.

  “Larry is seeing someone else. We had a big argument and I told him to leave.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, sweetheart. Let me get you some tissue. And do you want something to drink?”

  “Do you have ice tea, the Publix brand?”

  “Yes. Charles and Chris drink it all the time so I keep the refrigerator stocked. I’ll get you some. Sit tight. I’ll be right back,” he said gently.

  Jimmy returned shortly with a box of tissues and the iced tea. He also had two Oreo cookies for Imani, who happily devoured them.

  “Thank you.” Shae cleaned her face then took a few swallows of the tea.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Not really.” She remembered that she wasn’t close to her father. She didn’t feel comfortable sharing intimate details of her life with him, at least not yet. “Actually, I came to talk about Della.”

  “Della? What does she have to do with your marriage breaking up? Please tell me she isn’t responsible for it.” He gave her a worried look.

  “No. She’s not. But, it wasn’t like
she didn’t try to seduce Larry. I just came from Vivian’s and she told me what happened. She caught Della and Richard together.”

  “Oh no,” he groaned in disappointment. “I really hate to hear that. I had my suspicions that something happened, but Vivian wouldn’t tell me anything.” He shook his head in disappointment.

  “What’s the deal with Della? I’m sure you realize she has a problem.”

  Jimmy sighed deeply. “She’s a very troubled young lady. I got full custody of her when she was eight years old. Her mother, Lorain, was strung out on cocaine, heroin and who knows what else. She moved from one drug-infested hotel to another. She worked the streets and took Della with her when she tricked.”

  “That’s a shame,” Shae said.

  “Lorain lost custody when one of her live-in boyfriends was convicted of molesting Della. She was a ward of the state until they contacted me. As soon as I found out, I took her in. She was real messed up in the head when I first got her.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He frowned. “She just didn’t know that sex and love wasn’t the same thing. She’d touch me inappropriately; try to kiss me in an adult-like fashion. One time at school, she showed a group of little boys her private. She was also caught in the closet performing oral sex on a classmate. At the school’s recommendation, I got her into counseling. She attended sessions for quite a few years.” He let out a deep breath and rubbed his hands down his face. “I thought it helped her. I see that it just wasn’t enough.”

  “I pray that she isn’t headed down a path of selfdestruction. I know all too well where that can lead you.” Shae remembered her past involvement with Dana. She’d thought he was her way out of the projects. Because of him, she did leave. Only, she’d almost ended up leaving in a body bag.

  “Your sister has a lot of demons racing inside of her. So many horrible things happened before she came to live with me. She hasn’t told me everything, but what she shared was gruesome. She kept it all locked inside and now she’s like a ticking time bomb.”