Thug Lovin'

by Wahida Clark

  “I don’t know.” She was shaking her head.

  “You don’t know what?”

  “By no means am I insecure, but a club? I don’t know about these West Coast hoes having access to my husband,” Tasha said, clearly not feeling this nightclub thing.

  “Oh, so now we’re getting to what this is really about.”

  “Trae, be for real. I’m looking at the future. You know you will be swimming in bitches. Bitches mean drama. We both know this.”

  “Tasha, this is business.”

  “Nigga, you must have forgot who you talkin’ to. Y’all niggas say that same shit when y’all out there hustlin’. This is business. It’s always business, but business and bitches don’t mix. Look, I’m done talking about it because obviously your mind is already made up.”

  “So, you don’t want me to invest in the club?”

  “Baby, I’ve said all that I’m going to say. You’ve already made up your mind. I’m with you. Just don’t let me have to act a fool out here in Hollywood.”

  “Uh-oh. This just in: Tasha threatens to get ghetto,” Trae joked.

  “Ha, ha, ha, nigga. I got your joke, Chris Tucker.” Tasha rolled her eyes at him. “For real, keep playing if you want to. You can mark my words, it’s gonna be some shit. Just be sure to remember what I’m telling you. A club guarantees drama. And Trae, I promise you, I am not the one to be putting up with the bullshit. Watch what I tell you.”

  Trae was out taking the Navigator for a ride on the LA streets. He had several cars: the Benz, the BMW, the ole skool and the Denali. But the Nav was by far his favorite. He had just gotten it detailed and wanted to show it off. Riding in the Nav brought back lots of memories. This was his hustle ride. Trae opened up the sunroof, allowing the noonday sun to warm his bald head. He turned the CD player on and lit a blunt. Jadakiss came on telling everybody to “fuck the frail shit.” Trae smiled but the moment was instantly lost as the flashing lights were right behind him. Shit. Trae put the blunt out and pulled over.

  The dark blue Chrysler with the tinted windows pulled up behind him. Trae called Tasha and told her he had just been pulled over and the Nav smelled like weed. He then told her to call Benny, his attorney, if she didn’t hear from him in thirty minutes. Trae watched as the driver-side door of the Chrysler came open. A brown-skinned brother with long dreads stepped out wearing plain clothes and talking animatedly on his cell phone. What the fuck? Trae thought as he rolled his window down.

  As the officer continued to talk he was admiring the Navigator. He finally hung up and said, “I had a silver Nav just like this. Same year and everything. Muthafuckas stole it and chopped it up. You know your left brake light is out?”

  “Naw, man. I didn’t. It’s been sitting in the garage for over a month. I had to take it out today,” Trae told him, wondering if he was going to say anything about the weed.

  “How she running?”

  Trae smiled. “Like she been sittin’ for months.”

  The detective started laughing. “Aiight, man. Get your light fixed.” He turned and headed back for his car leaving Trae wondering, What the fuck was that really about?

  CHAPTER TEN

  It was a little after three in the morning. Trae and Tasha were just getting into the house. They had been out with Stephon, Marvin and Kyra scouting out the hottest clubs, those they would be competing against.

  As Trae fumbled with the lock, Tasha was standing behind him, kissing him on his neck and squeezing his dick. As soon as he opened the door she began to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants.

  “You know you were the finest thing out there tonight, right?” he said as he looked at her over his shoulder.

  “You told me that already. You gonna give me some dick or continue to tell me what I already know?”

  “I’ma do both, smartass,” he told her as he yanked her dress up over her ass and lifted her up. He slammed her back up against the wall as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “Ohhhhh, I like it rough, big daddy,” she teased him as she slid down onto his dick. They both released subtle and seductive moans.

  Her pussy was hot and juicy. “Oh, you ready for Daddy, huh?”

  “Mmmmmm,” she moaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist tighter. “All night long I was ready to fuck,” she whispered into his ear. “You were the finest nigga out there tonight. And this big fat dick is all mine.”

  “Is it?” He pounded deeper into her pussy.

  “Yes, oh sssss, right there, baby. Oh… my… right there, baby. Fuck this pussy,” she moaned.

  “Whose pussy is this, Tasha?”

  “You know it’s yours.” She clenched her teeth together and threw her head back as he pounded away.

  “Is it?”

  “Baby, yes… oh God, my spot. My spot, nigga,” she gritted.

  Trae felt her legs trembling. “Whose pussy is this?” He began pounding harder into her G-spot. Every time he hit it, he wanted to smash it. “Whose pussy is this?” He smacked her ass.

  “Yours, babeee. Ohhhh, I love you so much,” she squealed as her orgasm erupted. Her body was still trembling and her legs were weak as he slowly eased her down. “Turn around.” Trae guided her around and bent her over. She was still spent and was moving in slow motion. He spread her legs and began hitting it from the back. He wanted to watch his dick slide in and out of her pussy but it was feeling too good. All he could do was close his eyes, grab on to her hips and get in as deep as he could. After four more strokes of being in that gushy gushy, his knees buckled and Tasha was makin’ the pussy do what it do, clamping the muscles down and around his dick and he was no longer in control as he shot a heavy load up into her. Now it was his turn to be spent as he rested all his weight on her.

  “Nigga, you better get your heavy ass off of me,” she giggled. He leaned harder onto her back. “Trae, stop playing. What? You trying to tell me that you want me to give you a piggyback ride? That’s too freaky for me.” He pulled her up slowly, smashing her into the wall, and began sloppily kissing her cheek. “I love you too. Now let’s go and check on our babies and quit slobbing on my cheek.”

  Trae slid her dress down over her ass and she bent down and pulled his pants up. They shared several more passionate kisses before they headed upstairs to the twins’ bedroom.

  Aunt Marva startled them both as she met them at the top of the stairwell.

  “Yo, Auntie, I was about to pull out my piece and start blasting,” Trae teased.

  She ignored his comment. “Those little boogers have been up all night. They just went to sleep and Concita left, right before y’all came in. Don’t go in there messing with them babies and wake them up,” she warned. “I don’t know why y’all had to hire a nanny. That’s what I’m here for. I’m going to bed, so don’t call me, I’ll call you and good night.” Then she stopped and turned around. “Why won’t y’all use your bedroom? The last time I checked, that’s what it’s for. Y’all making all that damn noise in the hallway. Voices do carry around here,” she snapped. “And I hope you wrapped that thang up because at the rate you going, her body will never get a rest. Baby after baby. It don’t make no damn sense.”

  “Yeah, that’s how I like her, pregnant and barefoot. I told y’all I need my own team.” Trae laughed.

  Tasha yanked on Trae’s arm. “C’mon on, Coach.” She was ready to fuck some more.

  “Good night, Auntie.” It was Trae’s turn to ignore her. He grabbed Tasha and pulled her along with him.

  “Are you sure there is only one of her?” said Tasha. “She is all over this house. Remember I told you she was spooky? What’s up with the praying over the boys? And blessing the house every damn fifteen minutes?”

  “Tasha, stop trippin’. Everybody is spooky to you. Auntie is spooky, the last nanny was spooky. Concita, the new one, is spooky.”

  “Now you’re exaggerating. I didn’t say that.”

  “Yes you did.”

  “I did not. I like Concita.
We can’t have any ole body up in our house, watching our children.”

  Trae turned on the hall light and went into the boys’ huge bedroom. Caliph had a crib that turned into a bed and a playpen. There were three toy chests, three dressers for each of them and two closets. Tasha had outdone herself creating a serene suite for her babies, who were growing faster than she liked. Every detail she had overseen with the help of one of LA’s most famous interior decorators, A. J. Deville. The sea-blue color scheme drew you in to the stars and open sky that were painted on their walls with the boys’ names detailed throughout the sky. With every baby gadget and toy spread throughout the room you would have thought it was a small day care.

  All three of them were sound asleep. Trae watched proudly as Tasha felt Caliph’s diaper, kissed them all and adjusted their blankets.

  Breaking the silence, Trae said, “C’mon, let’s take a shower together.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Trae and Tasha had established a routine. The week was for the children. Saturday was Tasha’s day, when Trae catered to her and she decided what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go. As the head of the household, Trae made sure everybody got attention and everyone stayed happy.

  But Sunday? That was the king’s day. It was all about Trae. He would hang out with his boys and do him. Most of the time it would be about business. If he felt like it, he would just kick back with the remote in his hand and just chill out and of course enjoy his favorite pastime of getting his knob slobbed. He loved Sundays. Tasha loved them too. She would cater to him and be at his beck and call. She would feed him breakfast in bed, lunch and dinner if he wanted it.

  This particular Sunday the twins were having fun in their play area. Trae was puffing on a blunt while channel surfing and Tasha had just finished up his pedicure and was giving him a foot massage.

  “Baby, I’m thinking about getting ready,” Tasha told him.

  “Ready for what?” He looked down at his queen, the love of his life. She definitely completed him and was everything he wanted in a wife and soul mate. She confirmed all the time that merking Nikayah had been necessary and well worth the risk it had posed at the time.

  “To open my physical therapy office.”

  Okay, Trae thought. He definitely hadn’t seen this coming. He was sure the twins had taken her mind completely off opening her own practice. Why the fuck is she trying to work? He knew plenty of professionals who had private practices who wished they could stay home and do whatever they wanted.

  “Trae, I know you heard me.”

  “What brought this on? Aren’t you busy enough?”

  “What do you mean what brought this on? You talking like this is something new. Did you forget I graduated with that as my major? Did you forget how you told me, ‘We got enough money, we can hire someone for the kids. Kids don’t stop anything. You can still do your thang. Just have my babies,’ ” she mocked. “Do you remember that, Trae? Do you remember that you made me that promise when I got pregnant the first time?”

  “Yeah, I remember. But damn, why you gotta spaz out? All I’m saying is that the baby is only one year old, Tasha. You don’t think it’s too soon?”

  “No, I don’t. By the time I put my business plan together, find a suitable office, staff, equipment and furniture, the boys—”

  “Baby, hold up. Hold that thought,” he interrupted.

  She leaned back and watched as Trae took another toke off his blunt. This was her baby. The love of her life. Shit, he was her life. Both of her parents were in federal prison serving lengthy sentences. You name it, they done it. Her sister and brother were on the East Coast doing their own thing. And she was more in love with Trae now than she had ever been. And she believed in everything he told her. So far, every promise he had made to her he had kept.

  He put the blunt out and came up to the edge of the chair. “Come here, baby.” He grabbed her by her hair, leaned down, and began to kiss her. “You know I love you more than anything, right?” She nodded. “You know I only want to keep you happy, right?” She nodded again. “I can’t lie, and call me selfish if you want to, but I want you to stay home. I don’t think I’m going to like you being gone all the time running a business. That’s my job, to provide for this family. I want you here with me and our babies. At least until I see what’s going to happen with the club.”

  “Trae, you know as well as I do, it’s never going to be the right time. Let me at least get started on it. Hell, I don’t even have my business plan done. This is a dream of mine, Trae. Don’t make me put it on hold. I got the itch now and I want to do it now. I need you to support me now.”

  “Baby, give me six months. All right? Let me see what’s up with this club and I got you. All right?” He could tell that she wasn’t happy about waiting. “C’mon, Tasha. Trust me. I just need you to hold up for a few months. Okay, work on your business plan.”

  “That’s all I was saying. I just don’t want you to forget about what I want to do.”

  “I’m not going to forget. I gotta go and meet Stephon and Marvin.” He leaned forward, gave her a kiss and went to get ready.

  “Yo, dawg, I’m telling you. This is the move. Look at the market research. A nightclub in this spot?” He tapped the blueprints for emphasis. “We gonna laugh all the way to the bank. Marvin, Cali is your old stomping ground. You was raised out here, so tell him,” Stephon prodded.

  “You already told us about five times,” Marvin said. “And I’m sure I speak for the both of us. We have to run the numbers and go over everything one more time.”

  Trae nodded in agreement as he was focused on the market research report.

  “But I’ll tell you now,” Marvin continued. “If everything looks like money, then I’m in like Flynn.”

  “Aiight then. But make up your mind. I got some other investors lined up and the construction crew is ready,” Stephon said.

  “Bullshit,” Marvin teased. “You know we the only niggas you came to.”

  “Shit, we the only niggas who got a couple mil to put up,” Trae added.

  “Fuck the both of y’all.” Stephon couldn’t help but laugh. Trae, Marvin and Stephon were seated at a table inside the famous Beverly Hills restaurant Mr. Chow.

  “Man, I always wanted to come to this joint.” Trae was looking around and acting like a tourist. There were a few celebrities, like Lil Mama, Charlize Theron, Xzibit, Tobey Maguire and Mike Epps, getting their grub on, but he wasn’t sweatin’ them. Shit, as far as he was concerned he was the supastar.

  Stephon on the other hand was ecstatic. He didn’t have enough capital to pull it off by himself, but he did have the blueprints to a nightclub. He just needed to find the right people, and he had been searching high and low for the past two and a half years. Since his cousin Tasha had moved to Cali it looked as if he was getting ready to fulfill his dream of opening one up. “Look, here is a copy of the business plan. Y’all got copies of the blueprints and market research report. I did all the legwork for y’all. So again, make a decision soon. Now, for our next order of business.” Stephon was anxious to get down to the business at hand. He waved the waitress off. “The cable channel, Trae, all you gotta do is be ready to flip it. This is designed especially for you. Don’t you agree? You looked over their offer and you’re in, right?”

  “I’m in, man. I told you that. Plus Tasha didn’t even give me no beef over flippin’ the cable channel. It’s the club that she bitchin’ about.”

  “Man, handle that, because the club is going to be crazy. Now, the attorney who is handling the financing of the club and who wants to take the cable channel off your hands has an office about twenty minutes from here. Her name is Charli Li. She wants to meet you. It’s actually one of her father’s businesses.”

  “So is there a problem?” Marvin decided to jump into the conversation.

  “There are other bidders. I went into this thinking it was going to be a slam dunk since I’ve dealt with her a few times. But the last wo
rd I got was her pops was ready to play, so that’s why we gotta go to her office. They seem to be leaning toward our offer. The focus has been all on you.”

  “On me?” Trae wanted to know.

  “Man, I tried to tell y’all. You are playin’ with the big dawgs now. Where the name of the game is the almighty dollar and you have to be in it to win it,” Stephon said. “These people get what they want.” Stephon lowered his voice. “They checked you out and know your background. I think they like what they found.”

  “Fuck his background. What do you mean, get what they want? That shit sounds suspect to me,” Marvin said.

  “Marv, chill. That’s why I got my own lawyer, nigga,” Trae told him. “The shit sounded suspect to me at first too,” Trae admitted.

  “Look y’all, I got this,” Stephon the dealmaker explained. “But after I checked with a few contacts, if you need to clean up large amounts of loot this here is the move, these are the people to see. They got reps to protect and Charli is always bringing me something. Between the club and the hotel, I’m straight. I’d figure Trae could use the club and the cable channels. I’m trying to find something for Kaylin, but as of yet, nothing has piqued my interest.”

  “Well, he’ll be up here next week to talk. From what he told me, he’s expecting you to present him with something. He also is looking for something for his brother Kyron,” Trae said.

  “I’m working on a few things,” Stephon assured him. “Trust me. I’ll have something for him.”

  Marvin waved the waitress over. “I don’t know about y’all niggas, but I’m ready to order.”

  As they enjoyed their meal their discussion was all about the club and its renovations, which were scheduled to start the next day. It had once been a rubber warehouse. They had named it Club New York. They were looking forward to bringing their New York flavor to the people of Cali.