Once inside of the lounge, we got ourselves a section so we could drink our cocktails in peace.
“So Sly, what made you go by your last name instead of your first name?”
He’d told me when we talked on the phone that his name was Markis Sly.
“I mean, I played football in high school and college, and in sports, they always call you by your last name, so the shit just stuck.”
“You played in both high school and college? You must have been good.”
“I was but I was stupid as fuck. When I got to college, I let the partying and all that shit distract me from school, and since my grades were shit, I couldn’t play. Instead of working to boost them back and get on the team, I just dropped out.”
“Wow. But at least you found something that’s making you great money from the looks of it.”
“Thank God.”
We grinned at one another, just as a figure appeared at the entrance of our section. When I looked, my heart dropped at the sight of Rafi. Why was he here? How did he even know I’d be here?
“This what we doing, Sly?” Rafi crossed his hands at his waist.
“Man, relax.”
“Relax for what? All the business I don’ brought yo’ ass, and the first thing you do is try to steal my girl?”
“I’m not your girl, Rafi.” I finally spoke up. He was not about to be around here treating me like his property, trying to be Five-Star number two.
“Shut yo’ ass up!” Rafi hissed, looking like if he wasn’t famous and if I weren’t a woman, he’d snatch a knot in me.
“Don’t be telling her to shut up. Like she said, she ain’t yo’ girl, and we ain’t friends, so if I wanna date her, I can do that,” Sly explained coolly. I was so happy he wasn’t getting rowdy with Rafi because nothing was worse than being in the midst of two big ass niggas fighting.
“Oh, you can do that, huh?” Rafi eased in, his flunkies behind him.
I set my drink on the table when Sly rose up, causing the men to be face to face. Before I could even intervene to talk some sense into one of them, Rafi shoved Sly who came back and punched him. The men began going at it, Rafi winning at some points and Sly at others.
“Oh my gosh! What the fuck! Break this up!” I hollered at Rafi’s flunkies, the ones who stayed up in my house, eating all my damn food a lot of nights.
Immediately, they did as I asked, pulling the two men apart finally. Security ran over right when that happened, and probably on purpose with their lazy asses.
“Priscilla, take yo’ ass home!” Rafi roared, snatching from his friends, who only regained hold of him.
“Fuck you!” I shouted, somewhat hiding behind Sly.
Rafi stared me down, and I knew he wanted to kill me. To make things worse, when Sly sat down, I did the same, cupping his face lovingly to inspect the small injuries he had. I knew Rafi was burning up inside, but that’s what his ass gets for cheating on me and giving me an STD.
“I got you! Shady ass bitch!” Rafi barked before bustling through and out of the lounge.
“I am so sorry about that, Markis. You probably don’t even like me anymore, huh?”
He looked to me with a serious expression and then chuckled.
“I do like you. I like you more now. If he’s willing to pull up on niggas, you must be worth it.”
I smiled, happy that Rafi hadn’t ruined what little Sly and I had built.
“Okay, good. I guess we should call it a night for now. We can see one another tomorrow?”
“Aight. We can go to lunch or something.” He stood up then reached his hand down to help me do the same.
We left the lounge, and the ride home wasn’t awkward at all. We talked normally, and at one point, I’d forgotten about Rafi’s little show.
“See you tomorrow.” I kissed Sly’s cheek once he helped me out of his car.
“Can’t wait.”
We gave one another smiles before I started toward my door to go inside. I closed it behind me and leaned up against it, smiling way too hard, but a loud knock jolted me.
Scared, I looked into the camera screen and was surprised to see Will right on my porch.
“Sure, come in,” I said to him since as soon as I opened the door, he slipped inside. He looked good in black jeans, a red long-sleeved Polo, and some Gucci sneakers with red and blue stripes. He smelled even better, and his Rolex watch was the perfect little touch.
Running his hand over his beautiful curly hair, he asked, “Who was that?”
“A friend.” I locked the door then waved for him to follow me to the kitchen. I didn’t want my aunt Vivian hearing us.
“He ain’t look like no friend to me. Looks like he’s trying to be yo’ nigga.” Will sat at the bar as I put my glass tea kettle on the stove to warm up.
“I mean, it could lead to that; it’s very possible. But right now, he and I are just friends.”
“No, it can’t lead to that, because me and you are gon’ be together.”
“Wil—”
“Don’t Will me. I’m working on myself like you fucking asked, and I expect you to be my woman when this shit is squared away.”
“You just have too much going on for me.”
“Not really. This addiction is getting kicked, and Nichole isn’t gon’ be a problem. She says it ain’t my baby, and I’m starting to believe her ass.”
“She told you it isn’t yours? I thought you said she told you it was yours or that it was possible.”
“She did, but she explained to me that it was a lie in order to use me for my coins. I ain’t believe her because I know she wants to walk down the aisle with old boy, and having my baby would dead that. But it seems like the nigga is barely there for her, and she’s still saying it ain’t mine.”
I admit, hearing he probably wasn’t the father made me feel good. I liked Sly a lot, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be with Will. I hated that I did.
“Dionne told me you two are back together.”
When he dropped his head to massage his eyes, before regaining eye contact, I shook my head and scoffed.
“Priscilla, she caught me at a bad time. I’d just found out about you still fucking with yo’ baby daddy, and she was comforting me. So when she suggested we rekindle, I agreed.”
“Oh my gosh.” I cut the stove off once my kettle began whistling.
“I thought we were done! You went back to that nigga! What was I supposed to do, sit home and pray that you changed your mind?”
“I don’t know! When we started this, you knew I had a family!”
“Yeah, and I respected that! It was you who pulled up on me, trying to fuck that night, remember?”
He was right, so it pissed me off.
“You need to go. I don’t appreciate you trying to make me sound like some slut.” I rounded the counter and snapped my fingers before pointing at the exit of the kitchen.
Will laughed, shaking his head at me.
“This argument does not mean you take yo’ ass and run off into the sunset with that nigga, Priscilla,” was the last thing he said before he left the kitchen and eventually my house as asked.
I was tired of men trying to boss me around, so he could kiss my ass. Sly and I would continue with our regularly scheduled program.
Will was a no-go.
8
Manny
I dried my face with a towel just as the bathroom door opened, and Nandy entered. Turning to her, I grabbed her face before slipping my tongue into her mouth. We stood there kissing for a little bit, before she removed my towel and then dropped down to take my dick into her mouth.
“Damn,” I moaned, palming the pack of her head as she deep throated me with no problem.
Her mouth was full of saliva as she sucked me up like her life depended on it. It didn’t take long for me to tense up and let loose right down her throat. As I caught my breath, she began to brush her teeth, before flossing and rinsing with Listerine.
“Goo
d morning.” She laughed, hugging me from behind since I was now outside of the bathroom and in my room, putting on some boxers.
“You mean great morning.”
I turned around to peck her lips. Although Nandy and I had still been kicking it, I’d been hitting Alivia up, trying to get back in her good graces. And recently, she’d been reciprocating the way I wanted, so I was feeling good about us for when she got back.
“I’ve already had my bath before you woke up, so once I put my dress on, we can head out to breakfast.”
“Aight, cool.”
Nandy and I quickly got ready since we were both starving, then headed to Salt’s Cure off Highland Avenue. It was pretty packed, but we only had to wait ten minutes since the old white man who managed the place recognized me as Belly’s corner and hype man. All I had to do was let him talk my ear off about how big of a fan he was of Cortez Khalil until they cleared a table for us.
“Be sure to come back with him anytime!” he called out to me as the hostess showed Nandy and I to our table.
“You got it.” I gave him a fake toothless smile.
“Your server will be with you soon. Enjoy.” The hostess placed our menus down and then floated off.
“Does that always happen?” Nandy laughed before looking down at the menu to scour it.
“Yeah, but I’m used to it, so I don’t mind. It actually makes me happy seeing that my brother has come so far. I remember when he was a nobody. And he worked for it, no handouts.”
“Yeah, I bet that is a good feeling.”
The menu was short, so by the time the waiter came to get our drinks, Nandy and I already knew we wanted the griddle cakes, then a biscuit, sausage, and eggs for the sides. My mouth salivated at the thought once the waiter left to put our order in.
“You look beautiful. I mean, you always do, but I think orange is your color.” I admired Nandy’s pretty face. She smirked, smoothing down the edges of her hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail.
“I’m light skinned, so I don’t like wearing bright colors, but I loved this dress, and it was the only shade it came in.”
“Well it works for you; this color specifically.”
“Thank you.” Nandy waited for the waitress to set our juices down then once she took a sip, she asked, “You still talk to Alivia?”
“Uh.” I cocked my head, surprised. “Yeah. I mean, here and there.”
“You’re trying to get back with her?”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but we’re trying to be cordial to one another, you know. I like you, so we should focus on that right now, don’t you think?”
Nodding, she sipped her juice again.
“Because it seems like you want to be back with her, from what I can tell. I think you should be honest so you don’t waste my time.”
I scratched my head, snickering a little bit because I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation at all.
“How can you say what it seems like? What have I done to make you think I’m trying to get back with her? Just because I told you to step into the house that day?”
“No.” She paused, smiling at the waiter since our food was already here.
That was quick as fuck, but I wasn’t gon’ complain. Not to mention, I felt someone staring and it was the manager, Jim, giving me the thumbs up. It surely paid to be known sometimes, like right now.
“That was fast.” I smiled after praying over my food, hoping to change the subject, and thanking God Nandy had gotten cut off.
“As I was saying, you telling me to go in the house that day while you talked, isn’t why I said what I said. I looked through your phone.” She ate some of her food, staring at me calmly as if what she’d just admitted was normal.
“You looked through my phone?” I repeated.
“Yes, I did. And while looking, I saw that you’d been calling and texting Alivia. In the texts, you were saying things I didn’t like. For example, you told her you loved her, that you wanted to talk when she got back, that you missed her, and that when you saw an engagement ring the other day, you thought of her.” Nandy ate some of her sausage, awaiting my reply. “This was on multiple occasions too, and you guys sounded in love.”
“Nandy, why the fuck you going through my phone? And how you get in it?”
“Because I wanted to know what you were up to. You’re always on it. I just watched you type in the code a few times, and I got it.”
“Yeah, but…” I chuckled angrily, “you realize that’s an invasion of privacy, right? Like you can’t do that shit.”
“You can look through my phone. I don’t mind.”
“I don’t want to look through yo’ damn phone, and I don’t want you looking through mine.”
“Well, I already did, and I don’t appreciate you being all up her ass then acting like you want to be with me.”
“Yeah, well right now, being with you don’t even sound like a good idea to me no more.”
“I see.” She ate more food. “I guess you can be with Alivia then, but after she breaks up with Yono. I must say, despite her texts to you, they looked pretty in love at the show last night.”
“What?” I scowled.
“Oh, you didn’t see?” Nandy wiped some of the greasy residue from the sausages off on the napkin and then dug into her purse for her phone. She tapped and swiped around a few times, then handed it to me. “See for yourself.”
I hit the video that one of them gossip pages had posted so I could hear the sound. I lowered it once I realized the volume was up pretty high.
“Aight, y’all, and for this last song, I want my beautiful deejay to come down onto the stage with me.” Yono grinned as his audience cheered. “As y’all know, she’s my ex, but I’m trying to get her back. She’s giving me a hard time though.”
A smiling Alivia came down from her booth to join him on the stage, and when he grabbed her hand to kiss it, the crowd went even wilder. I felt like I was experiencing a shortness of breath.
I watched as he sang to her, getting super close to her face and placing his hands on certain parts of her fucking body that would get his ass whooped. Alivia was right there, cheesing and blushing like a hoe.
“Some bullshit,” I mumbled, sliding Nandy’s phone back to her side. “I’ll be right back.” I shot up from the table and went outside, ignoring her calls to me.
Unlocking my iPhone, I went into my recent calls and tapped Alivia’s name.
“Hey, how are you?” she answered, sounding happy as fuck.
“What you so happy about?” I got in my car so these nosy niggas wouldn’t hear.
“I’m happy to hear from you. Why do you sound so hostile? Is everything okay?”
“Nah, it’s not. I saw you and your boyfriend on stage last night.”
“You came to the show?”
“Hell nah I ain’t come to that soft ass nigga’s show! Every fucking blog posted that shit, that stupid ass video of y’all looking like long-lost lovers!”
“Calm down. You know it’s not like that. Yono and I are business partners and nothing else.”
“Sure and the fuck didn’t look like it.”
“What was I supposed to do? Shove him off of me? It’s a performance, and I needed to act professionally. I talked to him backstage and told him that wasn’t okay.”
“I bet you did. Before or after you let him fuck you.”
“Wow, really, Manny? Why did you even call me if you feel like I’m out here doing all that?”
“To check yo’ ass. Here I am thinking we’re on the road to recovery, but you’re traveling across the country with yo’ side nigga.”
“We are not together, but yes, we were starting to work on that, despite me catching that bitch at your house. And speaking of that bitch, I am pretty sure you’re still fucking her, yet you have the nerve to call me because of a performance?”
“Alivia—”
“Manny, since you called to check me, consider me checked, and don’t ever call m
e again until you grow the fuck up. You’re still a little boy, and I don’t even know why I thought I could make you mature. You fuck who you want, and I will do the same.”
“Alivia—”
Click.
I balled my fist but stopped myself from punching this expensive ass steering wheel. I attempted to call her back, but of course, she didn’t answer me.
After fuming for a bit, I remembered I had Nandy inside, so I hopped out of my car to rush back to Salt’s Cure.
“Thought you left me.” Nandy threw her napkin into her plate. She looked surprised when I sat next to her instead of across.
“What you saw in my phone with Alivia and I was me trying to go back to something I felt was safe. I have real feelings for you, and I was scared, so I tried to use Alivia to help me stop feeling what I’ve been feeling,” I lied. I couldn’t lose two females in one day. And since Alivia was seemingly done, Nandy was the next best thing.
“That’s not okay.”
“Neither is you looking in my phone without my permission. But we can move forward from all that, right?”
“Yeah. So we’re officially together?”
“Um—”
“Because I can’t sit and waste my time any longer. I’ve been dealing with you for a while now.”
A while now? Had I slipped into a coma for some of that time? But fuck it.
“Yep, official.”
Excitedly, Nandy grabbed my face and kissed me.
Few days after that…
My son had been begging to see Belly fight, so I thought I’d bring him to one of his practice sessions. He was a kid, so he wouldn’t know the difference.
“Belly!” Jasiel shouted upon seeing him and rushed over.
“How you doing, man?” Belly squatted down to give him a hug. “You gon’ fight today?”
“No.” He shook his head. “My mommy says fighting is bad. I don’t get toys if I fight.”
Laughing, Belly replied, “Aight then, you can watch me fight.”
“Like on the TV?”
Nobody Can Love You Like Them Roughnecks Do 3 Page 26
