by Anna Black
“Are you comfortable?” she asked. And I burst into laughter. “What, baby? You don’t like my bed?”
“No ma, it’s not that. I mean this mattress feels nice, but this damn bed is too tiny for me. I feel like I’m going to hit the floor if I roll over, and my feet are hanging off this bitch,” I said, and she started laughing with me.
“I’m sorry, but I’m single, and this is all the bed that I need.”
“Your last man must have been short as fuck,” I commented, pulling her body close to mine.
“Well, I’ve never had a man in my bed before,” she said.
“Oh, so you used to sleepover at his crib. I mean, I had a queen-sized bed when I was twelve.”
“No, that isn’t it, either.”
“Then, I’m confused. Did y’all sleep on the damn floor or hook up at hotels? What exactly do you mean?”
“You are my first,” she said so damn softly, I could hardly hear her.
“What the fuck ever,” I said, not believing her ass. She turned onto her back and looked at me. The room was dark, but she had nightlights that gave a little glow to her room. I studied her face, and she didn’t crack a smile. “You’re not playing. You’re a damn virgin Grace?” I asked. She nodded, yes. “The fuck!” I blasted and wished I had had a different reaction.
12
Grace
He didn’t react the way I thought he would. It's like my words put him in a panic because he sat up and then sat on the side of the bed. He said the word fuck, like ten times and I, was scared to say anything.
“Oh, man. Oh wow,” he said and rubbed a hand over his beard.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered and then his tone changed.
He turned to me. “No, no, no baby,” he said and turned his body back toward the head of my bed. He scooted up and rested his back against my headboard. “Come here, Juicy,” he said and pulled me into his arms. I wanted to know why he reacted the way he did.
“Why are you upset, Malice? I thought that is what a man wanted,” I said.
“We do, but with that is a lot of responsibility, baby,” he said. I was confused.
“Like?” I questioned.
“Like I was about to come up in here and fuck the shit outta you, Gracie. I didn't think I was about to lay down with an inexperienced woman. I mean I know you shy as fuck, but I would have probably hurt you as excited as I was to dive inside of you. I am a big man, and I’m sure you felt my erection. I wouldn’t have known to take my time with you, and Gracie, we been together five minutes. I don’t want to have something so precious with you without love. I don’t know, I just would have handled you differently if I knew.”
“So, making love to me, if I had already had sex before, wouldn’t be something special between us. I mean we’re not in love, but you were willing to have sex with me. I mean, I’m trying to comprehend what you mean, Malice, because whether it’s my first time or my tenth, giving my body to you should be special,” I said.
“You know something, you are right beautiful. Being intimate with you would be special either way, and I just was thinking that if I was your first and we didn’t work out, it would hurt you more or give you more to regret if things fell apart.”
“I can see that but giving you my body was a decision I made on our very first encounter. I was instantly attracted to you from the moment we met, and I had no idea if we would hook up, get together, or whatever. When we danced, and you held me close like you did at Chas’s first-party, Malice, I wanted you, and I’ve been falling for you since that night.”
“Oddly, and as strange as it is, so have I. I mean we’ve wasted a lot of time since that night when we both should have gotten together way back then. I care about you so much Grace that I want our first time to be special, so tonight we get some sleep and let’s just hold off a bit on this part.”
“But that isn’t what I want. I know I want you, and I want to be with you all the way,” I said and kissed his chest. I had waited too long for that moment, and I wanted the dick. He pulled me in closer and kissed the top of my head.
“Okay, but I need to feel comfortable with this because the last thing I want is to hurt you, baby. Let’s just give ourselves thirty days from today, and if we are going strong, growing closer and on track for a healthy relationship, I will give you all the dick you want, when you want it and wherever you want it.”
Thirty days was a long time, but I had waited much longer, so I would give us that. “Okay, but can we still at least have sleepovers? I mean having you in my bed feels so nice,” I admitted.
“We can, only at my place or if we get a king-sized bed up in here, at least. You can’t have your man sleeping in this tiny ass little bed.”
I giggled. “Yeah well, I will love to stay over at your place as long as Bistro can come with me.”
“Of course. He gon’ think he my dog before long,” he joked.
“Whatever, Bistro knows who takes care of him.”
“You say that, but when I start grilling him steaks and chicken, he gon’ turn on you,” he joked, and I yawned.
He squeezed me tighter again and then kissed the top of my head. “You’re a beautiful woman Gracie, and I could fall in love with you,” he said.
I looked up at him. “Do you really mean that, Malice?”
“Yeah I do, baby,” he said and closed his eyes. I peeped at the clock, and it was close to five in the damn morning. I let him slide down into my little ass bed. Well, it was big enough for me, but not for us both. I rested on his chest, and he held me close until we both drifted off to sleep.
The next day he woke me with gentle kisses on my forehead. I looked up, and he was dressed entirely and in different clothes. My eyes fluttered, and when I finally laid them on my damn clock, it was two in the damn afternoon. My damn head popped up. “Please tell me that that clock is wrong.” I had never slept that late in my life.
“It's correct, and it is time to get up, Princess.”
I sat up, and I had to pee super bad, so I got out of my bed and hurried to the bathroom. When I stood in front of the vanity, I got a look at my wild hair, and I had dried up slobber on my damn face. “Damn, I must have passed the hell out,” I said and then remembered that I was still a virgin. “Shit,” I hissed as it was all coming back to me. I turned on the water and grabbed my toothbrush and paste. After brushing, I threw back some mouthwash to freshen my breath because, before that, it felt like I had been sucking on cotton balls. I cleaned my face and went for my brush to tame my hair. It hadn’t gotten wet, so it would be easy to fix with my curling wand and flat iron.
I looked to see my robe was back in its proper place and not still on the kitchen floor, so I put it on to keep from walking out in my lingerie. When I walked out, he was in the kitchen, and food wafted my nose. After giving my man a quick peck, I hopped onto a stool at my island, and then I thought about Bistro. “Oh shit, I have to take him out,” I said in a panic. I wouldn’t have been mad if he had a potty in the house, because I hadn’t taken him out since the night before and that was before we went to Desire.
“Relax baby. Bistro has been out twice, went with me to my loft while I showered and changed and stopped to get us pasta from Leona’s,” he said, and I looked down at my pup. “I fed him and gave him fresh water. He is all good.”
I exhaled. “Oh, thank you, Malice. How long have you been up?” I asked as I opened the container, he sat in front of me. I was starving and could not wait to dig in.
“No problem, babe. What else do you have going on today?”
“Well, I missed church, and regularly I’d go by my momma’s after, but since it’s damn near two-thirty, I don’t have any plans.”
“Well, you wanna roll with me? I just have a couple of errands to run, and I have to go by the hospital to visit Silky.”
I smiled. Having a day with him would be nice. “Yeah, I’d like that,” I said and dug into my pasta. By four, we were headed out the door.
13
Sylvester (Silky) Parker
I hit the button to an upright position when my wife and Malice walked into my room. I was feeling a lot better, but I would downplay how I felt because, like the fucking police, Malice had too many damn questions that I didn’t want to answer. I had gotten shot over some evil bastard that my street niggas called Chaos. That nigga and his cousin Nicco had joined forces with Skokie, and now they were the most notorious niggas in the game as a unit versus territorial enemies. Combined, turned the shit up a-hunnit notches, and my mistake was shortchanging. I was legit working security, but I sold plenty of product to the regulars at the spots that I worked security for, and I didn’t need Malice knowing that I was still doing hood shit because I needed to keep my job and not go back to prison.
Malice and I used to run shit back in our teens, so when I needed a job after I got out, he was the first nigga to put me on and give me and my wife benefits. It was job security for real, but that extra dough selling weed, crack, or heroin made it easy for me to live where I live and provide a better life for my family and me. Yes, a nigga got a little greedy and started stealing a little here and there, but I summed it up to the fact I was a thief, not a fucking drug dealer. Stealing was like my high, my hard-on, and that shit almost cost me my life. My addiction to stealing cost me my freedom for five fucking years, but if it wasn’t for a fat bitch named Grace Jackson, snitching like a bitch I would have walked away free like I had the hundreds of times before that.
“Bossman, what’s happening?” I asked in a whisper. I was faking like a bitch, but I didn’t want any questions.
“Hey, Silk, what up. How you feeling?”
“I’m good, boss, just these pain meds got me groggy, and I can’t wait to get to feeling like myself again.”
“I feel you. I won't stay too long. I got my lady with me, and since it’s only two at a time, she stayed outside. I just wanted to check up on ya. I need to know what happened. Do you know who did this shit to you?”
“You know what boss man, it was some random jealous nigga, over some bullshit. I don’t know him,” I said, closing my eyes. I pretended like the meds had me dazed just so he wouldn’t ask me any more questions.”
“Aw’ight man, I’ll let you rest. I will check on you in a couple of days.”
I didn’t speak, I just nodded my head.
“Aw’ight Terri, I’m out. Tell Silk, I’ll come by in a couple of days. If anything changes with his condition, you know my cell. Hit me up,” he said.
“I sure will, Malice,” my wife said. I kept my eyes shut for a few more moments, and then I heard, “Baby he’s gone.”
I opened my eyes and looked at my wife. “He needs to stop acting like the damn police, fuck.”
“Well, that is the least of our problems Silk.”
“What fuckin’ now?” I questioned. I just wanted to get the fuck better and get out of that damn hospital. Getting a bullet to the chest was a bitch, even if it hadn’t hit my heart or lungs. It was still a fucking healing process.
“Guess who his woman is?”
“Terri, the fuck. Do I look like I’m in the mood to guess shit?”
“That fat bitch that testified in court to get you five years.”
“No fuckin’ way. That bitch that drew ten fucking pictures of me and the fucking scene?”
“Yep, that bitch. I would never, ever forget that bitch. He introduced us, and I recognized her even before he said her name.”
“Did she recognize you?”
“I highly doubt it, because she shook my hand with a bright ass smile.”
“Oh, fuck. I have been dreaming about slicing that fat bitch throat, and if that is Malice’s bitch, she is for sure a dead bitch,” I declared. I’d just have to play nice, do a little research and get that bitch alone. I had been untouchable for years, but one photographic memory, artist of a bitch, drew my face as if she had taken a fuckin’ polaroid picture of me. When that sketch went on the local news, there was nowhere a nigga could hide, and in less than twenty hours, the cops had me in cuffs. The trial was cut and dry, and the judge gave my black ass the max for a felony three charge. I served all five years, and the first three were fucking hell. The entire time I dreamt of finding that bitch and roasting her fat ass like a pig.
14
Chas
We were at the bridal shop, shopping for my wedding gown and I was so excited. Rel and I were planning a Valentine’s Day wedding, and the theme was just simply “Love.” Red was my favorite color, to begin with, and my theme colors would be my go-to, red, black, and silver. Those were my colors for my first wedding too, but this wedding with Rel would be more special, and I didn’t even remember ever loving Chris as intensely as I loved Rel. He was heaven-sent, and I finally knew what true and real love was. I thought for a long time that I had it with Chris, but as time revealed, I didn’t.
My man was patient, gentle and kind, and even on our worst day, Rel never made me feel less than a queen. Even when we disagreed, he always considered my battered past and handled me delicately. I was so deep in love with that man, I had to pinch myself at times to believe that it all was real. At times I looked around my shop or our home, which he has allowed me to put my feminine stamp on, and I’d cry tears of joy. I’d thank God that He brought me out of the most painful situation with a man that no woman should ever experience. He allowed a man like Rel to enter into my life and show me what good love really is. I was happy, and I was glowing that day at the bridal shop, and I couldn’t wait to start trying on gowns.
I was with my girls Gabby, Tori, Grace, Gemma, and my cousin and sister Crystal. Crystal hung with us on occasion, but since she and my first cousin Stephanie were going to be a part of my wedding party, they were there, too. I had my hair and make-up done by one of my stylists before going to the bridal shop because I really wanted to see myself as a bride so I could choose an amazing dress. My bridal consultant came out and greeted us all and then offered my girls and me champagne and wine. Neither of us ever passed up an opportunity to drink, so, champagne it was. After we all had a glass in hand, my consultant sat and chatted with me for a few minutes to see what look I was going for and what I did not want to see. I knew I was busty, so I didn’t want anything strapless, because I didn’t want to be fidgeting with my dress during my entire ceremony and reception. I didn’t want a ball gown, either. I knew I wasn’t a virgin, but my dress had to be white, bright white. With that, she was off and told me she’d be back to get me after she pulled a few choices, leaving me alone with my girls.
“Oh my God Chasity, I am so excited for you. I mean, look at us best friends and sisters-in-law,” Gabby gushed.
“At the rate y’all going there will be another wedding soon after this,” Tori said.
“You have to be talking about Gracie, here, because the only one left is Royal, and they should call him Royal Pain in The Ass because he is so damn arrogant.”
We all laughed. “What did he do now, sis? Damn, y’all stay bumping heads.”
“Yeah, Gem, he cannot be that bad,” Grace added.
“Girl, please. He is all asshole for real, for real. So, the last time I was at Gabby’s to see my niece, Gabby took Gianna up to her nursery. My dear, sweet, sweet brother-in-law walked me out to my car with the bags that I would drop off to goodwill for Gab. Anywho, Gutta saw how dirty Reesy was and told me that Royal’s shop could detail her for free,” she said, explaining, but my sister interrupted.
“Who in the hell is Reesy?” she questioned.
“Her Audi,” we all said in unison. Gemma called it that because it was black on the outside with peanut butter brown leather seats on the inside.
“Okay so, Gutta text me the address. The next day I go by there, and when Royal realizes it’s me, he comes out flexing and shit and has the nerve to tell me that we can work out a deal to get my car detailed on a regular. And I was like, Gutta told me that my detail was on the house. He was like ‘does that fuckin’ sign say Gu
tta’s Detailing or Royal’s Detailing?’ licking his sexy ass lips while rubbing his hands together. I went into my purse with the quickness and pulled out my card and handed it to his ass, and do you know that muthafucka took my card?”
All of our mouths opened wide. “Nooooooo,” Gabby and I said in harmony.
“Yes, the fuck he did, and I was shaking my damn head as I watched his ass go behind the counter and swipe my damn card. I was so fucking outdone. Then he adds, ‘maybe if you’d adjust yo’ damn attitude you’d be my type,’ and I counter back, ‘yo’ ass ain’t my type either.’ I rolled my eyes and twisted my neck at his ass then snatched my card out of his damn hand. He looks at me like he wants to lick my damn clit and licks his damn lips again, before turning back and going back to wherever the fuck he came from,” she huffed and then took a swallow of her champagne.
“Royal is a damn fool. I am gonna tell Gutta his ass charged you too, Gem,” Gabby said.
“Wait, wait, wait, sis. He did charge me initially, but then he refunded it about two days later.”
“I didn’t realize Royal was such a little asshole,” I said.
“Yeah, I mean Malice is so damn sweet and so kind. I have no idea where Royal gets that from. His parents are even sweeter,” Grace said.
“Shiiiiidddddd, their momma sweet now, but she was a damn pill at the beginning,” Gabby added.
“There you go. That’s were his asshole gene comes from,” I said, and then my consultant interrupted. I stood and followed her to the back. I had on my good undergarments and my Wonderbra. I definitely wanted a dress with wide bands over the shoulders, or capped shoulders, because it was no way my girls could go strapless or braless. I tried on the first dress, and I liked it, but it didn’t wow me. I went out in it anyway. The girls agreed, and I wasted no time getting out of it. By the fourth dress, I was good because that one was the one. It was bright white, capped sleeves, and tight-fitting with a small mermaid bottom. Not too big, just enough, and it was elegant. When she put the red GOWN BELT around my waist, my eyes watered so much I fanned them to keep from ruining my make-up. I couldn’t wait to show my girls, and they had the exact reaction that I thought they would, and it was over. I was crying like I was at a got’damn funeral. I had found my dress, and I was so excited to tell Rel.
