Arm Candy

by T. C. Littles

  “I think you should just stay focused on getting that random-ass case closed. Let me handle the rest. Ain’t no son of mine about to get raised by the State, so don’t even worry on that tip,” I tried to reassure her. “Just trust me.”

  “I’ll trust you, King. I know you want the best for our son.” Rayna’s mouth was saying one thing, but I could tell her mind was processing another.

  “Come here, girl. My word is bond when it comes to this. I can tell you’re still tripping, but I’ve got you and K.J. ’til the day I fall off.”

  I pulled her close to me, and she collapsed against my chest like I’d relieved the weight of the world from her shoulders. I couldn’t help but squeeze her tighter. Rayna cried a lot to get her way, but I knew this potential problem about K.J. was a lot for her to bear.

  “I’m not any less of a man or gonna be a piece-of-shit-ass father just because I can’t keep my dick in my pants, Rayna. I told you at the hospital he’d always be straight. Believe it.”

  I coddled her for as long as she needed me to. Like I said before, her being A1 meant Junior would be gravy as well.

  After the contracts were signed with Fresh and Lyric, in addition to Samira getting paid out from the insurance company, I’d divvy up a portion for Rayna and my li’l man. Intentionally holding my plans in to get her a one-bedroom apartment, lace it up with toys for K.J., and pay up her rent for a few months so she’d have time to get a job, there were a few things that I needed to fall in place first. I was gonna financially help Rayna get off craps.

  “A’ight, come on, girl. Get ya’self together so we can go grab some breakfast at that Coney by your spot before I drop you off.”

  Rayna backed up from my grip and got dressed even though I could tell she didn’t want to. She always acted sad when it was time to part ways.

  “Are you gonna try going by the hospital today? I have a case, but you don’t. You should be able to see K.J. without a problem.”

  “Yeah, I’ma swing by to see my li’l fella plus check out the vibe of folks down there. Did they suspend your visitations until the case is over?”

  “The social worker didn’t tell me I couldn’t visit him. I would say we should go together, but maybe it’ll be best for us to go separately so you can see what’s up on your own.”

  “We’ll see. It might be best for them to see us being parents to K.J. together. I’ll let you know what move to make after I’m done taking care of some business. Are you cool with that?”

  She seemed a little more relieved. Probably because I’d given her hope that we’d stand hand in hand with our son.

  “Yeah, that’s not a problem. I’m cool with that. Now let’s go grab that Coney. My stomach is grumbling like a kidnapped hostage.”

  “Damn, slow ya roll! You ain’t pregnant no more with ya greedy ass,” I joked with her. “Give me about twenty minutes. I gotta make sure my dick and balls are squeaky clean, especially after that nasty shit I did last night.”

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Samira

  When I first woke up at 1:00 a.m. with the lights on and my to-do list still in front of me, I realized I’d fallen asleep from pure exhaustion. Everything in the room was the way I left it, which meant K.P. hadn’t been back and probably wasn’t coming in at all. Just to say I did, I called his phone twice. Then I powered my cell off altogether. I had to play the game smarter than before, so I stopped myself from overreacting.

  Hours later, now 8:00 a.m. and broad daylight, I was up and dressed, waiting for the cab I’d called. I barely got a wink of sleep with my mind wandering about King’s whereabouts. Apparently, he had somewhere to stay, but I didn’t. The game was over with regard to our living situation. I wasn’t about to spend another night without options, alone or not. If today went well, I’d be signing a lease.

  After making sure my makeup concealed the bruises Rayna and her crew left on me, I grabbed the biggest purse I’d gotten yesterday for all the things needed for my day of errands. My first planned stop was my job to get copies of my ID, social security card, and birth certificate. Then I’d order originals of all three. Those were the essential things I needed to get things back on track.

  Walking into the hospital where I’d been a registered nurse for the last couple of years, I welcomed the early morning rush. Wallowing in my own pity was starting to drive me crazy. Had I not needed time to bounce back, I would’ve come off vacation early for a taste of normalcy. Just to be out amid the hustle and bustle of people was therapeutic. I swiped myself into the emergency department then made my way toward my manager’s office.

  “Hey, Mira! I thought you were off for the next week.” My coworker Gabi greeted me with a wide smile. Gabi and I worked many shifts together. She was a cool girl, but I didn’t consider her a friend. I kept all my relationships on the job friendly yet professional. Things had the potential to get messy when you mixed the two.

  “I am. I just had to come up here for a few things. Trust and believe, I’ll be right back out of that revolving door in no time. That waiting room is on bump today,” I lied, still feeling the urge to punch in.

  “Tell me about it. I’ve already had a wannabe sick-ass chick clown on me ’cause she felt she waited too long in the waiting room. I told her ass she wasn’t gonna get no better if she didn’t be quiet. I’m probably gonna get written up for snapping on her,” she giggled. “But I don’t care. I’m tired of these messy, Medicaid-having-ass motherfuckas.”

  “I know you didn’t! Girl, you are a fool. Let me get what I came for and bounce before something else pops off,” I joked with her then moved on about my way.

  “Yeah, I don’t blame you. It must be a full moon because no one is safe today. I’m dreading even calling another peon back here to piss me off.”

  I giggled. Whenever we were on shift together, Gabi always made me laugh and kept the moods of the entire staff lightened. The comradery was good within my department, at least between the nurses.

  “Don’t laugh. You know I’m serious. I’ma need a whole bottle of liquor after this shift. Speaking of that, my brother is in town from Vegas because he just purchased a bar here. We’re gonna hit it up either tonight or tomorrow. Are you down to club?”

  I wanted to jump at the offer. With all the stress I’d been under, I needed a night on the town along with a few drinks. But I knew the way I was living was bold, and I needed to focus on getting right. Depending on how everything played out today, I wanted a reason to get out of the hotel room and up from under King’s thumb. He didn’t need to know where I was at or what I was up to at all times. I’d tried giving him a dose of his own medicine, yet it was clear he needed another.

  “I’d like to say yeah, but I won’t know for sure until I finish running a few time-sensitive errands. I might be on vacation, but I ain’t been catching a break.”

  “I feel you on that not catching a break tip. You know how that old adage goes, ‘If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.’”

  “You ain’t never lied.” I sucked my teeth and shook my head. “I’m gonna need a vacation just to recuperate from this vacation.”

  “Girl, don’t let stress bog you down like that. I wasn’t gonna say anything because it’s not really my place, but you look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Let whatever it is go for tonight so me and my brother can show you a great time. To sweeten the deal for you, don’t even worry about having to buy drinks. Since my brother owns the club, we’ll be getting the celebrity treatment, and all drinks will be free.”

  “Wow, now that sounds live,” I admitted. “You’re right, that did sweeten the deal. Make sure you hit me up with the details.”

  Going to the club with Gabi and her brother was looking more promising knowing that I wouldn’t have to be responsible for a cover charge or a drinking allowance. As long as everything went smoothly with the tasks on my to-do list, I wouldn’t stand her up.

  “I’ll be calling you for sure. Just ma
ke sure you answer.”

  Gabi and I had never hung out one-on-one at a club before. The only time we’ve seen each other outside these hospital walls, besides walking to our cars, was hitting the mall on lunch for the quick sixty minutes we were allotted. Gabi was a firecracker while on the clock, so I could only imagine how she’d be in a free environment. I was sure it was gonna be an interesting night.

  I couldn’t help but laugh thinking about Gabi’s crazy behind as I made my way to my manager’s office. She was always going head up with patients, never practicing a good bedside manner. The hospital gave her several verbal warnings, write-ups, and even sensitivity training. Nothing worked. Gabi remained Gabi.

  The one thing nobody could take from her was that she did her job damn near perfectly and could float throughout the whole hospital assisting short-staffed departments with ease. She could be a surgeon behind all the surgeries she’s assisted with and sat in on. Gabi never stopped going to school, researching, and working. Despite her attitude, she was an asset to the hospital, and they knew it. Gabi used that to her advantage to give even less than a fuck about being pleasant.

  My manager had copies of everything I needed and didn’t have a problem with approving additional hours, so it was a quick in-and-out visit. With my personal documents in hand, I headed downstairs to the credit union that was reserved for hospital staff and their families only. Hopefully, they’d let me withdraw some cash and handle my business with just a copy of my ID. They knew me, so I wasn’t planning for a problem, and I was right. I got all the information I needed about the loan and a few stacks from my account, and I took King’s name off everything I’d given him access to. It was easy taking back my independence. I should’ve done this a long time ago.

  My funds were limited, so I didn’t waste money catching another cab who’d gyp me by stopping at every yellow light and yield sign. I caught the bus to Acorn Motors to put a down payment on a car. Money talked and bullshit walked at this franchise. Things like a job, a license, and a credit score meant nothing when it came to leasing a like-new vehicle from them. Since I had stubs, proof of a license, and two grand in hundred-dollar bills, I knew they’d let me sign and drive without a hassle.

  The lot was full of trucks, cars, and vans ranging from 2005-2014 models. I wasn’t trying to do it big by getting the most expensive vehicle on the lot. I just needed a dependable means of transportation that was worth paying a car note on. I test drove three different cars, finally picking a 2013 silver Malibu. It was close to the car I’d just had, just not as new. When the insurance money for my car kicked in, I’d take the difference for my savings account.

  I might’ve arrived on the bus with a transfer ticket in hand just in case, but I drove back up W 8 Mile Road toward the insurance company in my certified-used whip after just ninety minutes. It felt good to be back on the road. If Rayna tried tearing this car up, I’d be renting one to ride and roll all over her ass.

  Thinking of Rayna, of course, made me think of K.P.’s trifling ass. He still hadn’t called, texted, or sent so much as the Bat-Signal to check in with me. He didn’t care if I was okay, and he damn sure didn’t care how I perceived his behavior. Fighting the urge to call, I tossed my phone on the floor of the passenger seat then turned the radio of my new car up on blast.

  The agent at the insurance company was extra friendly because I’d just helped him make a few dollars of commission with the car insurance sale. He made sure the paperwork was submitted for expedited processing and even gave me a few tips about filing my personal claim so I’d get the maximum payout back. I was thankful for him looking out because I sure as hell needed the hookup. As sour as things had been, finally they were looking up.

  Rayna

  “I see you’re back to sleeping with the enemy.” Tiana smacked her lips at me as soon as I walked through the door.

  “Don’t start, T. Me and King have problems just like you and Deon. We can’t help who we love,” I said, trying to brush her off.

  Arguing with Tiana about my late-night rendezvous wasn’t high on my must-do list. Making a beeline for the kitchen, I was ready to smash my Coney Island breakfast special ’til every drop was gone.

  On my heels like my shadow, she was resilient about being in my business. “Well did you even talk to him about what happened at the hospital and how his stank-ass wife probably got the bullshit started?”

  I wanted to tell Tiana to give me fifty feet, that she wasn’t my keeper, and to quit coming at me with a million questions. But it was my fault she felt so comfortable doing so. I’d put her in the position to know too much. Therefore, she felt like her opinion mattered more than it did.

  She was my personal “Captain Save a Ho,” making me feel better whenever K.P. and I got in a tough spot, and she was my personal cheerleader whenever I needed an ego boost to demand more from his ass. However, when things got better with me and K.P., I wanted her to back away and keep her opinion to herself. Clearly, I couldn’t have it both ways.

  Successfully ignoring her while I added condiments to my breakfast, I sat down at the table then broke down my and King’s conversation about K.J. and the social worker. Tiana kept rolling her eyes, slouching, and twisting her lips up like she couldn’t believe King was being supportive. I did my best not to be irked by her disposition, but once again she was making my skin crawl. For some reason, Tiana was only a friend to me when I was down in the dumps.

  The rest of my breakfast was uneventful. Tiana got tired of me taking up for King and excused herself outside. Then I locked myself back inside my bedroom to go through all the baby stuff Samira purchased. It was taking everything in me not to be resentful and toss it all in the trash, but I needed the majority of it so Miss Janice could see I was prepared. King would be proud of me for taking the high road given the situation. Getting a family out of all this had always been my motivation.

  I cleared out two drawers of my dresser just for K.J.’s stuff. One was for his onesie undershirts and pajamas, and the other one was for all his bibs, burping cloths, receiving blankets, and socks. Since I didn’t have any baby hangers, I used mine to drape the few outfits he had across them, and I hung them in the closet. I was on a mission to transform my space the best way I could.

  There wasn’t a lot of room for his bassinet, yet I managed to cram it in a corner after rearranging my room twice. I even put some sports stickers up by where’d he sleep to make the tiny area more baby friendly and personal for him.

  For extra show, I stacked the few gift boxes and body-care sets on the dresser, replacing my Victoria’s Secret smell-good collection. If Miss Janice wanted to see I was ready for K.J’s arrival, she would. Anything I didn’t have, I’d ask King to get later. Let him tell it, he had us. I was about to put his ass to the test super quick. Satisfaction of how things were coming along helped ease my nerves. I didn’t have a lot, but you could tell King Jr. was cared for.

  My next two hours were spent cleaning the entire townhouse from top to bottom. I scrubbed the bathroom until it sparkled, washed the walls down of all the built-up smoke, and scrubbed the refrigerator out after tossing all the old, spoiled food we’d been too trifling to throw away. There was much more to be done, but I’d gotten off to a good start.

  “Hey, bring ya ass over here, girl,” Cameron shouted from across the parking lot. She was sitting on the porch with two of her kids while they colored. I’d just come outside to get a breath of fresh air from all the cleaning solution I’d been using. I walked over to join them. Just as I expected, she wanted to give me her two cents about how I acted yesterday.

  “Sup? I guess you wanna read me about how I acted yesterday, huh?” Taking a seat across from the kids, I picked up a crayon of my own and started helping her youngest daughter color a picture of Minnie Mouse.

  “Yeah, that’s first on my list,” she replied sarcastically. “I don’t care what you and your roommate have going on, I risked a lot plus put my family in your drama. If nothing else, you
could’ve been a little more grateful for us riding hard for you. I mean damn, Rayna Ray, do you know what would’ve happened if we’d gotten caught? Low-key, there’s still a possibility of that as quiet as it’s kept. The next time I have your back, you better have mine all the way to the end. That means the only way we split up is ’cause we have to. Got it?”

  Cameron wasn’t holding back how she felt, but I wasn’t salty about anything she was saying. Unlike Tiana being emotional over how I acted with King, Cameron was more concerned with getting me to realize how I’d played her and her cousins shady by jumping out.

  “No doubt, Cam. You ain’t making nothing but sense, and I respect you for keeping it real with me. My bad about yesterday. That shit will never happen again.”

  I wasn’t above admitting when I was wrong. We dapped it out as a truce.

  Cameron was initially Tiana’s friend, but she’d grown to be one of my best friends too. No, I didn’t tell her all my personal business, cry on her shoulder, or gossip about how I got down as a groupie with King. However, we did chitchat often about fake bitches, drama in the projects, and ironically our dreams that stretched further than the hood.

  Not many people thought red-cup-carrying Cameron wanted to be anything but barefoot and pregnant, but she was secretly writing books trying to weigh in as an author. Even I thought it was a joke until I read the first story she submitted to some e-book publisher. Everyone has hidden talents, and writing was hers. The story was bomb as hell!

  Me, on the other hand, I was trying to enroll at a community college to get some credits underneath my belt on how to run a business. I didn’t think I had the attention span to finish a whole two years to be awarded an associate’s degree, yet I did think I could stomach a few semesters so I’d know a few key things successful owners practice. I hadn’t shared my plans with K.P., but I wanted to own a little boutique that sold sexy women’s clothes and shoes. Women in the D liked to dress to impress, and that’s exactly what I wanted to call it.