Drunk In Love 4: An Original Love Story

by Tiece

  Zay smiled. “Me,” he responded.

  “Damn,” she said as she shot him an interested look. “She must be a lucky a woman.”

  “Nah, you can say that I’m the lucky one.” He responded.

  “Yep, she’s got a winner.” Karla cut in. “I guess you’re the best man?” She questioned Dillon.

  “You guessed right. I gotta make sure that he does this big.”

  “There is nothing wrong with that.” Karla chimed in. “So, when is the big day?”

  “It’s two months from today.” Dillon told her.

  “Oh that’s right around the corner.” Karla said. “It’s a good thing that you’re making your reservations now, because the openings go so fast.” She said pulling out her IPhone and marking the date of the reservation on her calendar.

  “I’ve heard,” Dillon mumbled being that Kitty’s was one of the most exclusive gentleman’s clubs around.

  “Well, let me tell you about the back area in which you’re reserving. It seats up to eighty people. Six of our 1.75 liter bottles of Ciroc will be provided. Your choice on the flavors. We also allow the party that’s in your VIP section to drink free from the bar all night. Your guests will also have appetizers coming out throughout the night. The area will be decorated to your taste in which we’ll discuss a month prior to the event unless it’s something really extravagant that you’re planning. I’ll need to know that in advance.”

  “Extravagant, like what?” Dillon pondered while sipping from his drink.

  “I don’t know. People have all kinds of wild parties.” She responded. “Like this one man that had a birthday bash here. He wanted exotic animals in cages throughout the club. We had lions, tigers, and monkeys.” She said with light laughter.

  “Oh nah, we ain’t going that far.” Zay laughed.

  “I know that’s right. I ain’t fooling with no damn exotic animals.” Dillon laughed with a shake of the head. “I might get drunk and lean back on one of them cages. How the hell would I ever explain scratches like that on my back?”

  Zay and Karla laughed. “Yeah that would be kind of hard to explain.” Karla said.

  “Well, you see my brother is a Sports Agent. He has big time clients that he represents from football to basketball. I’m sure that they’ll be here to help celebrate his last night of freedom.” Dillon joked.

  “That’s great.” Karla said while thinking that the women that worked for her loved athlete money. “By the way, on that night there will be four of our top dancers putting on a show for you and your guests. And, trust me. These ladies put on a mean show and can work a pole like no other.”

  Dillon rubbed his hands together. “Hell, that’s all I’ve been sitting here waiting to hear.” He laughed. “What’s the damages?”

  “For the four hour slot that you’re requesting is going to be twelve-hundred for the night.”

  “Cool,” Dillon said. “I can pay you now for that.”

  “Okay,” Karla said as she stood up. “Let me show you the VIP section where y’all will be partying at.” She said as she led the way.

  Chapter 8

  The next day, Olivia was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital talking with Mrs. Tolver. She’d met her there to pick up Lil Romeo since he was going to be staying a few days with her. Felisha’s condition hadn’t changed which left them a bit confused as they sat there baffled by her peaceful, sleep-like state.

  “I woke up praying so hard for my baby this morning,” Mrs. Tolver said. “I miss her. The kids miss her; especially Lil Romeo.”

  “I know he does.” Olivia said. “I’m surprised he actually wants to come with me. I thought he’d want to stick close by her, but even at that age maybe this is a bit too much for him.”

  Mrs. Tolver sadly shook her head. “I don’t think he needs to be sitting around this hospital all day anyway. I know that Patrice and my Sister has been trying to keep him, but he doesn’t want to stay with no one but me or you. The only problem with that is me wanting to stay close by Felisha’s bedside so when she awakes I’ll be here.”

  “I understand,” Olivia said. She hated seeing Mrs. Tolver in this light. Even though Felisha had ruined her marriage and betrayed her trust, Mrs. Tolver had nothing to do with that. She didn’t care for the decisions that Felisha had made. However, it didn’t change the love that she felt for her only child.

  “Are you ready, boo?” Olivia questioned Lil Romeo as he sat there sucking on a cherry Blow Pop.

  “Yes ma’am.” He responded, and then glanced over at his grandmother. “Nana tell my mama that I love her when she wakes up. Oh, and tell her to call me, too. I miss her.” He added.

  “I will. Come give me some sugar.” Mrs. Tolver said.

  Lil Romeo stood up and walked over to give his grandmother a kiss on the lips. “Give my brother and sister some sugar too, Nana.”

  “I will. I’ll be staying over to y’all’s house with her and the twins tonight.” She said.

  “So, Patrice is staying at Felisha’s house for now?” Olivia pondered.

  “Yeah, like I said; she’s been a huge help. Felisha would be happy to see how Patrice has taken charge in making sure that the twins and Lil Romeo are good. I decided to let her stay there instead of taking the babies out of their familiar environment.”

  “I think that’s sweet.” Olivia said as she stood up to leave. She hugged Mrs. Tolver around the neck. “Okay, let’s go squirt.” Lil Romeo grabbed her by the hand, but just as Olivia pushed the waiting room doors open, Mark scrolled in with a guy following him.

  “Maaaaaaark,” Lil Romeo called out. Something about seeing Mark’s presence always made him giddy even though he’d been somewhat salty that Mark had just walked out of his life.

  “Heyyyyyy my lil man.” Mark said with a big smile on his face. He picked him up like it was only the two of them in the room and hugged him tightly. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” Lil Romeo responded.

  Mrs. Tolver had a frown on her face the whole time, and without being able to hold it in any longer she questioned. “What are you doing here, Mark?”

  “Well, hi to you, too.” Mark said as he glanced over at Olivia. “Hey Olivia.”

  “Hey,” Olivia dryly spoke as she stood there waiting to see why he was there as well.

  “I’m here, because Felisha is in ICU and unresponsive. I feel for her well-being and pray that she gets well. However, this gives me the rights to be able to keep my kids while she’s in this condition.”

  “Mark!” Mrs. Tolver called out. “How dare you come in here and say that right now at a time like this.” Her eyes quickly wandered over at Lil Romeo as he stared in Mark’s face. “Don’t do this in front of him. Now is not the time.”

  “Now is a perfect time.” Mark said like he had a point to prove. “Lil Romeo,” he said looking into his son’s bright eyes. “The reason why I’m here is, because I’m your father.”

  Lil Romeo frowned. “My father, like my daddy?” he questioned with a perplexed expression on his face.

  “Yes son. I’m sorry that you have to find out this way, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer.” Mark said, but he didn’t get the reaction from Lil Romeo that he was expecting.

  “Tee Tee,” Lil Romeo called out as he wiggled to get down out of Mark’s arms. He didn’t know what was going on, but something just wasn’t right. He wasn’t old enough to understand the history of how Mark had all of a sudden become a man that he’d asked about for as long as he could remember.

  “I can’t believe you’d waltz in here and just blurt out such a thing. Have you lost your freaking mind?” Mrs. Tolver quickly questioned.

  “Come on, Lil Romeo.” Olivia said as she grabbed him by the hand. She was outdone with how Mark had handled such a sensitive matter.

  “Where is he going?” Mark questioned Olivia.

  “He’s going with me to my house.” She shot his way.

  “Well, you won’t be able
to take him anywhere right now until we’re swabbed for the paternity test that I already have scheduled this evening.” Mark told them.

  “What do you mean by a blood test? Are you kidding me right now?” Olivia questioned just as a nurse walked into the waiting room with a smile on her face.

  “Hey Mark,” she spoke like she’d known him all of her life.

  “Hey, Lisa. This is Lil Romeo. He’s one of the kids that I’d like to have tested.”

  “No the hell you won’t, either.” Mrs. Tolver spat. “You will not be having my grandson tested for shit!” She then faced the nurse to sincerely address her. “His mom is in ICU and not responding. She has to have some kind of rights in this, doesn’t she?” she questioned.

  “Actually, with their mom being unresponsive then we have to do what’s right for the kids. If Mark is indeed their father then the kids would legally go to him until your daughter is well and back on her feet to get them.”

  “Wow,” Olivia mumbled. Even though she didn’t care for Felisha, she hated the fact that Mark was doing some underhanded shit to get the kids.

  Mrs. Tolver was beyond upset at how things were playing out. “So you mean that I don’t have a say so in what happens with my grandchildren? I’ve been the one that’s been here for them since day one. He has been nowhere to be found.”

  Finally, the guy that walked in with Mark stepped up and began talking. “Excuse me. I’m Joel Bane, Mark’s attorney. I know you may be caught off guard with what’s happening, but either we can do the paternity now or you’ll be forced by the courts to do so.”

  “What do you mean through the courts? My daughter has been in ICU for four days. This deadbeat just found out about on yesterday and now today he’s here staking claims? This is some straight bullshit.” Mrs. Tolver fussed.

  Olivia gently grabbed Mrs. Tolver by the arm. She pulled her to the side so that they could have a little privacy. “Mrs. Tolver, I hate this just as much as you do, but maybe it’s best if you go ahead and allow the paternity tests.”

  “Are you crazy?” Mrs. Tolver questioned with a confused look on her face. “Nobody is touching my grandbabies. Let ‘em go through the courts. I don’t give a damn. They’re acting like my daughter is dead and gone. She’s not dead. She’s still very much alive and can awake at any given time.” She said through tear stained eyes.

  Olivia had started getting emotional as she stood there only trying to calm the situation as much as possible. “I know that this is hard for you, but he’s going to have those tests done one way or the other.” She whispered. “I just think that it would be best to get it over with than to keep dragging the children through this lie that they’re unknowingly living. Unfortunately for Lil Romeo, he has had to learn of this in the worse possible way. Now, we’re gonna have to be the ones that cleans this mess up for him so that he understands without resentment.”

  Mrs. Tolver stood there in her feelings. She wasn’t the least bit thrilled about her grandchildren being swabbed for a hasty paternity test, but Olivia was right. She didn’t want this to be dragged out any longer since it had now come to this. She turned to face the nurse, and then somberly said. “Go ahead and take him.”

  “Nana, I don’t wanna go.” Lil Romeo said.

  “Don’t worry, son. You’re gonna be okay.” Mark said.

  Olivia stood there now boiling inside from Mark’s uncaring attitude towards the whole matter.

  Mrs. Tolver gently grabbed Lil Romeo by the hand. “I’m gonna go with you, baby.”

  “And, I’ll be here waiting for you when you return.” Olivia added.

  Everyone exited the waiting room while leaving Olivia and Mark alone. Olivia just shook her head at the disgusting human being that he’d become.

  Mark knew that a part of what he’d done was wrong, but he felt that he didn’t have a choice in the matter. “I’m sorry about all of this.” He said.

  Olivia frowned. “Sorry? Are you really sorry, Mark?”

  “You wouldn’t understand,” he responded. “I wanna be a part of their lives. I don’t see what’s so wrong about me being there for them.” He explained.

  “There is nothing wrong with it. However, you couldn’t have chosen a worse time to come forward with this rather disturbing news. How do you think Lil Romeo is gonna handle this? No, it won’t matter because we’ll have to explain this to him and in the end you’re hoping to come out of this as the good guy. Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m going to be about as blunt with your son and you were with him. Let’s see how you feel once he knows the whole truth about the way that he was conceived.”

  “You wouldn’t do that.”

  “The hell you preach!” Olivia spat. “I don’t owe you shit and for that matter, Lil Romeo doesn’t either. He will know what happened.”

  “You know what your problem is? You’re always the nice one, the peacemaker, the one that stays caught up in her feelings.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes like she could Mark with them. “Your point is?” she pondered.

  “Had you just walked away when you found out about Lil Romeo being my son you wouldn’t be standing here now in the middle of this shit.” He said. His words shocked Olivia as her eyes widened from disbelief.

  “Are you fucking serious?” she angrily questioned. “That little boy did nothing to me, but show me respect and genuine love. Why would I walk out of his life just because his mother and his father were some selfish assholes that fucked around behind my back? My love is real. I can’t help that your love is only there when it’s convenient or in your favor. You are the most selfish man that I’ve ever met. I’m so surprised that I had not seen this side of you before now. I could just kick myself for ever even being with you.”

  “Maybe you should.” Mark responded with sarcasm, but before he could continue…

  POW!!

  Olivia had abruptly stung him across the face with the palm of her right hand. It sounded off so loud that it echoed inside the empty waiting room. Mark quickly grabbed his jaw as he stood there speechless by what had just happened.

  “You need to get your shit together.” Olivia bluntly told him as she pointed her index finger in his face. “I don’t see how a man that’s not right with himself can do right by someone else; let alone his kids. You think you’re winning right now, but there will be a price to pay for being a deceitful bastard. You just wait and see.” She said, and with that she stormed out of the waiting room leaving Mark to dwell in his self-centered thoughts.

  ***

  A week had quickly passed since the incident with Mark and Felisha was still in the same unbelievable, unconscious state. Everyone was concerned about her condition, including Logan. However, he just couldn’t bring himself to see her like that. Since Patrice was the one that told him of what had happened, he just called her to keep a check on Felisha’s progress. Even though they’d just met he saw the good in her. Plus, his past wasn’t so squeaky clean. He sat there thinking about the first time that they’d met each other. It was something about the brief encounter that still had him caught up.

  “Man,” he whispered at just the thought of knowing that Felisha was going through something eerily similar that he’d already experienced. He wanted so bad to go see her, but it brought back too many unresolved feelings and those were feelings that he still wasn’t ready to face.

  He rested his head back on the sofa as Felisha’s beautiful face popped in his mind. If only he had met her under different circumstances it would’ve been all good. Unfortunately for Felisha she’d been set up by someone that wanted her a bit distracted and vulnerable to change. The only problem was that he’d been asked to make sure that it happened if it was any way possible. There wasn’t a doubt in the world that he could charm her, but what he wasn’t expecting was for her to be the one that charmed him.

  “Damn,” he whispered just as his doorbell rang. Already he knew it was as he heavily sighed while making his way to the door. Once at the door he cautio
usly opened it and stood there with a fake smile on his face. “Well hey you,” he spoke.

  “Hey,” Angel spoke back. “How’s it going?”

  “Oh, it’s going.” Logan said. “So, what brings you on this side of town?”

  “I just had to come over and touch basis with you. How have you been feeling? I know the last time we spoke you were kind of in your feelings over what had happened with Felisha.” Angel said as she walked straight passed him while heading towards his living room.

  Logan closed his door shut, and then followed her. Angel quickly made herself at home while comfortably sitting down on the dark brown, leather sofa sectional as she looked over at her childhood best friend. Logan plopped down next to her. “Yeah, I feel bad that happened to her.” He finally responded.

  “I do, too.” Angel said. “But, maybe things like this happen for a reason.”

  Logan frowned. “Why do you say that?”

  “I know it’s been over a week since we talked, but I have some good news.” She excitedly said.

  “I’m listening,” Logan said as he cut his eyes over at her.

  “Where do I start?” she began with a smile. “Mark is getting temporary custody of the kids.”

  Logan’s eyes widened. “Huh? What now?” He said feeling like he’d missed out on a lot in such little time.

  “See, Mark got his lawyer involved after hearing about the accident. Long story short, the lawyer explained to him that if it was proven that he was the father of Felisha’s baby’s that he could get custody of them. You know, while she’s still in that state.”

  “Wow,” Logan said. “So, what happened?”

  “Even though Felisha’s mom put up a fuss about it, Mark still was able to get the paternity tests done.”

  “On her lil boy and the twins?” Logan pondered.

  “Yeah, all three of them.” Angel said with a bright smile on her face.

  “Well, let me guess. The kids are his.” Logan said with a for sure look in his eyes. With Angel acting all giddy and shit that could only be the reason.