by T. Styles
He grabbed me into a one-arm hug. “Let’s not expect the worst just yet. All across town we be hearing how bitches be trying to take a stab at your man and each got the same story to report back to Hoe Central. And that is that he shoots each and every one of them the fuck DOOOWWWNN.” He paused. “Now I don’t know what’s going on with him lately but let’s wait until it reveals itself and you just stay prayed up.”
“I pray all the time. Don’t seem like prayers are getting answered though.” I sighed deeply and looked out the window. When I saw Bianca walking toward the car from the shop I took another deep breath. I was emotionally exhausted. “Aw, shit, fake like you in a heated conversation with me.”
“Say no more.” He cleared his throat and pointed at me with both index fingers. “BITCH, AND ANOTHER THING…”
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Bianca knocked on the window and I took a deep breath and rolled it down. “Now‘s not a good time, Bianca. Me and Wayne talking about something serious.”
She looked in the car and nodded. “Oh, yeah, um, I understand.” She paused. “I was just hoping when you’re done we’d be able to talk today like you said.” She smiled. “Remember? You postponed it until today?”
“Like I said, now is not a good time.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
When she walked away I rolled the window up and we busted out laughing. “I don’t know what that’s all about but that woman is stunning for the kids.”
I nodded. “She wants me to go in on some business with her on—”
“Parade,” Miss Wayne said, his eyes wide as he looked in front of him.
“What’s wrong?” I placed my hand on my heart.
“Where’s your fucking car?”
I looked at my reserved parking space and my jaw dropped. “Somebody stole my shit!”
CHAPTER TWO
MISS WAYNE
Pulling a single key out of my pocket, I let myself into Parade’s 10,000 square foot home in Ladera Heights, California, an upscale African-American neighborhood for the blacks with a coin.
I was holding a pan of five blend macaroni and cheese that my friends Dayshawn, Adrian and Chris forgot to remind me to bring when we were at home earlier tonight. That’s why if you wanted something done you really had to do it for yourself.
I made the dish, one of many, for Parade and Jay’s anniversary party that was going down now. And although my house was no slouch, half this size actually, I never got over how luxurious their home was when I pulled up and definitely when I walked inside.
The moment I pushed through the double doors I saw it was flooded with people holding champagne flutes in hand. Everyone seemed happy but I didn’t spot the couple of the hour anywhere.
Where were they?
After all we were there for them and it took me forever to get ready. I wanted all to go down as planned. My friends and me ran a very popular restaurant here in L.A. called Turned Out Cuisine, and so Parade hired us for the festivities. Trust me, baby, we didn’t let her down. The food was the best.
I smiled when I saw the gold and silver balloons and how they meshed perfectly with the white and grey color theme throughout their home decor. I decorated most of the rooms in the house but what I loved was that even though they have children, they didn’t darken out the place to cover for the messiness issues most kids bring. Instead the children hung out in their rooms or their area in the basement and behaved themselves accordingly while in the common areas. I know I made sure my daughter Shantay acted like she had some sense in our living room.
Which was a chore in and of itself.
When I walked into the kitchen I frowned when I saw Adrian and Chris kissing which must’ve meant Jay wasn’t home. Trust me when I say this. Jay loves me but he doesn’t love “us”. That means he would never stand for the gays kissing in his home. Not only were my friends out of line, Adrian had even resorted to tying up his white button down shirt and was also wearing the bob wig that I specifically forbade him to showcase.
Dayshawn, who we called Abercrombie Bitch because he had a nice thin build and could make a pair of black pants and white shirt look like a fashion statement, saw me and shook his head.
“I already told them,” Dayshawn said waving the air as he poured champagne into flutes that sat on a silver-serving tray. “But they didn’t wanna listen.”
“Girl, shut up,” Adrian said waving his fingertips at him. “You need to—”
I snatched off his wig, literally, which silenced him instantly. “You can’t be carrying on like this in this man’s house.” I tossed it to the floor and placed my hands on my hips. “What you trying to do? Get us all kicked out and not paid?”
“I thought we weren’t supposed to hide who we are anymore,” Chris said softly. Chris and Adrian had a very volatile relationship in the earlier days. The man beat her so much that she forgot she didn’t love him. Afterwards they just stayed together out of convenience I guess.
“We not but—”
“He’s still not here,” Parade said rushing into the kitchen interrupting our dialog about her husband. Her makeup was on point. Still, as she held champagne I wondered if this was the beginning of the breakdown of her life, especially since she’d given up alcohol years ago.
I pointed at it.
“It’s non-alcoholic,” Dayshawn interrupted. I turned around and looked at him. “I wouldn’t play with your straight wife like that, Wayne.”
I winked at him and ushered Parade out the kitchen. “Why you thinking the worst of me?” She asked as I removed the glass from her hand and placed it on a table in the hallway. “I’m done living on the wild side.”
“Not thinking the worst,” I said. “Just being me which means worrying about you.”
“Wayne, we talking about my husband here.” Her eyes were wide and I could tell she’d been crying. “Every time my phone rings I’m hoping it’s him and…” She ran her hands down her face. “Why would he do me like this on our anniversary?” She paused. “Huh? I didn’t even tell him that my car was probably stolen.”
I took a deep breath.
“We have a beautiful home.” She looked around. “A successful life and—”
“Love.” I interrupted. “No matter what, you have love.”
“I know we got love, Wayne.” She began walking when the music got louder in the party so I followed her to her bedroom where it was quieter. “Sometimes you treat me like a child and—”
“I’m just making sure you remember love is more important because all of this is beautiful and I’m happy for you. Especially after knowing where we come from, but love is where it’s at and—”
“I keep telling you that I feel like something bad is about to happen.” Her eyes widened with fright, almost like she saw a ghost. “I feel like all of this has been a dream and now it’s over.”
She looked so certain that she started scaring me. I was about to say something to make her feel better when…
“I think Jay’s here,” Adrian said running into her bedroom while wearing the wig again. I glared at him and he snatched it off and then rolled his eyes. “A girl’s got to look pretty doesn’t she?”
“How many times do I have to tell you that it’s not about you?” I shook my head and followed Parade out the door, stealing one last look at Adrian on the way out.
When we made it to the living room Jay was standing in the doorway. At 6’3 he was as fine as he was when we were kids back in Maryland. His black and Spanish heritage offered him thick black wavy hair and now he had grown a smooth black goatee, which he kept shaped up and on point always. With all that said he was obviously drunk. A large white Styrofoam cup sat in his hand and his body swayed as everybody, holding up champagne flutes, gathered around him.
Separating from the crowd Parade walked up to him…slowly. In all of the drama I didn’t see the beautiful red dress clearly until that moment. When I say Parade got a body…Baby, I don’t think you would understand u
nless you were in her presence. Standing only 5’5 her waist was tiny and she possessed an ass so fat it held spectator’s attention long after she was gone.
Besides all of that, she was simply beautiful. Her dark chocolate skin against any type of lighting always glowed. Her small nose, her plush lips and her beautiful white smile made her noticeable the moment she walked into the room. But still, after all these years I think living in L.A. caused her to hate herself even more.
“Jay,” Parade said looking him up and down. “What’s going on?”
“Hey…hey, baby.” He took a gulp from his cup as he swayed a little. “You fine as fuck you know that?”
“Jay!” She said firmer. “Answer me!”
He looked down, took a deep breath and looked back up at her. “I fucked up, Parade. I fucked up so bad and I tried to fix it but it didn’t...” He took a deep breath again. “Please forgive me but we lost everything. The house. The life. All of it.”
I walked closer, careful to still give them space.
“What does that mean, Jay?” Parade asked. “I…we pay our mortgage so…I’m not—”
“They putting us out our home,” he paused. “In two days.”
CHAPTER THREE
JAY
She was asleep, naked, as I stared down at her in our bed. I always loved the way her chocolate skin looked against the white sheets, ‘specially when she wasn’t wearing clothes. She was everything to me and I fucked up. Maybe even lost her for good.
Even though she was mad my dick was hard so I crawled up behind her hoping to, well…you know.
Her breath was steady so I figured if I could make it inside, just for a second, she would forget ‘bout our problems. Slowly I placed my hand on her butt cheek, pushed and then lifted it exposing her pink center. My tip was almost at it’s destination and then…
“What you doing?” She asked angrily.
We played this game before and normally she knew what I wanted and let me live but this time she was serious. I wouldn’t be getting no pussy tonight. She sat up against the headboard, yanked the covers and pulled them closer to her body, covering her breasts.
“You looked so sexy that—”
“I don’t want you touching me, Jay.” She looked down. “Not right now anyway.” I sat in front of her and placed my hand on her covered knee. She knocked it off.
“Babes, what can I do? Huh?” I asked. “Whatever it is, it’s done. Just please don’t, don’t look at me how you looking at me now.”
“And how is that?”
“Disappointed.”
She breathed deeply. “Well, keep your eyes off me then because I have nothing else for you.” She crawled out of bed, her meaty ass cheeks moving up and down.
I repositioned my dick because if she saw me hard she would flip, believing that I found her anger trivial. She stomped toward her purple robe hanging on our door and I ran behind her, gripped her around her waist and placed my cheek on the top of her head. “Please don’t leave me, Parade.” I walked in front of her. “I know I fucked up but I’m begging you not to leave. Not to leave us. We can work this out. Trust me.”
“And why shouldn’t I? We have three kids, Jay. Three! What were you thinking putting all of the money and everything we own in financial investments?” She paused. “I told you one time too many that a sure thing was never really sure!”
She walked away and flopped down at the foot of the bed. Her robe hung open revealing her chocolate breasts and all I wanted was to suck them, lay her down and make love.
“Listen, Landon, Logan and Ella gonna be good.” I assured her. “I’m their father and—”
She laughed.
I walked up to her. “What’s funny?”
“The twins are thirteen and Ella is nine.” She paused. “All three of them have heavy social lives, Jay. And Logan has a girlfriend. How can you say everything will be alright when they’ll be forced to leave everything they love? How can—”
“Ma, you cool?” Landon asked entering the doorway. He tucked his hands inside the front pockets of his red Polo pajama pants. Parade pulled her robe closed. “Logan said we have to leave. Is it true?”
“Son, I’m talking to your mother right now.” I said. “I’ll explain everything later.”
“But—”
“Landon, go back to your room!” I roared. “Now.”
He looked at her once and walked off.
I took a deep breath and focused back on Parade.
Despite this time, whenever I saw my boys I smiled with pride. With silky black hair and brown skin they were the best parts of my wife and me combined. Still, there were some things about Landon I was concerned with. One of the issues was his over protectiveness of his mother. The other issue was too much too talk about and I hoped I’d never have to face it.
“You love pushing him away,” she said to me. “I really wish you weren’t so hard on him.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s my blood, Parade. The last thing I want is to push him away.” I paused. “He just has to understand that you my wife and he’s my son. Sometimes because you baby him so much I think he forgets. Regardless, when I tell him to do something it must be done.”
“I’m not letting you do this.” She jumped up and tied her robe together while moving for the door.
“Do what?”
“Change things around on me. At the end of the day you invested all of our money in Bitcoin and when shit failed you put a mortgage on our home and a bill on my car without telling me. Now we don’t have anything and have to leave! You failed me as a husband and I will never forgive you.” She stormed out and slammed the door behind herself.
I was gut punched.
Devastated.
More than anything, she was right.
I flopped on the edge of the bed and placed my face in my palms before running them downward and clutching them in front of me. I don’t care what happened I had to get us put back on. They were my responsibility and at the end of the day I failed them as a man. She was accurate as fuck which is why it hurt more.
I was just about to make some phone calls when the door opened and Ella walked inside. Her hair was black, wild and curly and her skin tone was closer to mine than Parade’s. She was beautiful and loved me more than anything. It’s like she saw the best in me no matter what.
“Papi, are you okay?” She sat on the edge of the bed and hugged me.
“Everything will be fine, Ella.”
“But I had a dream.”
I frowned. “What about?”
“That you were going to die.” She gripped me again and started crying. “Please, papi don’t go. Don’t leave us.”
CHAPTER FOUR
PARADE
My head was throbbing. As I twisted my client’s locs, every time I looked up I saw my hairdressers staring at me. Although Silky Kinks had six hairdressers I was closest to Bianca and Sirena, and still I wanted them both to leave me alone. To give me just one ounce of privacy. But when my client left and the shop was empty I could tell by the look in their eyes it wouldn’t happen.
“Parade, you know I have the building we just bought,” Sirena said walking up to me. “You and Jay are more than welcome to stay in one of the apartments until you get on your feet. I really don’t mind. It would be my—”
I laughed loudly and shook my head, before grabbing the broom on the side of the wall and sweeping.
“What’s funny?” Sirena asked.
“You know me and my kids not moving into no apartment,” I assured her. “Besides, Jay gonna work it out. We talked about it already.”
“I have no doubt.” Sirena sighed. “I just wanted you to know that—”
“I’m not a fucking charity case!” I yelled looking at them both. “I don’t need saving. All I need is for the both of you to do your jobs and stay out of my business. Can you do that or not?”
“Parade,” Bianca said with wide eyes. “Look.” She was pointing outward.
W
hen I faced the door I saw a man in a black suit holding a white folded up piece of paper. Two police officers stood behind him. They all moved inside with the type of walk that made me feel small in my own establishment. “Which one of you is…” Black Suit unfolded the paper. “Parade Hernandez?”
I cleared my throat. “I…I mean…I am.”
He walked over to me and handed me the sheet. “We are seizing this shop and all of its possessions for the bank.”
I placed my hand over my heart. “W…why?”
“That would’ve gotten explained over a year ago if you showed up to court.” He paused. “Perhaps you should ask your husband though. However, at this point you have 90 days to come up with all of the money owed or…well…you know the rest.” He looked over my head at my stylists. “I need everyone out immediately. Only take your personal belongings. This business is now the property of Hill Creek National Bank.”
****
PARADE
When I woke up I was in the passenger’s seat of Wayne’s car. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and sat up. My lips were dry and my tongue parched from yelling and crying. “Where we going?” I looked out the window.
“How you feeling?” He asked as he continued to drive.
I sighed and remembered what happened at my shop. Jay even put my business up as collateral. This was crazy. “How do you have everything one moment and nothing the next?”
He took a deep breath.
“He lied to me, Wayne,” I said as tears flowed down my face. “More than anything he—”
