B00BNB54RE EBOK (11 page)

The visibly shaken man failed to recognize his frequent least favorite customer because of the hoodie. He knew who he was, but he also remembered how much he hated him. At the end of it all he didn’t want any trouble.

“I didn’t recognize you. It’s ok. That’ll be eleven seventy three.” The man adjusted his thick glasses.

Roman slammed twelve dollars on the counter, grabbed his two beers and cigarettes and scowled at the attendant before he turned to leave. He made his way to his brand new black on black Mustang convertible, but stopped short at the door when he heard muffled laughter behind him. When he turned around he saw two dudes with their hands covering their mouths. The taller of the two was giggling the loudest.

“What the
fuck you niggas laughing at?!”

He jammed his cigarettes i
n the front pocket of his sweat shirt and then sat both his cans on the ground. The taller guy pointed a long finger at Roman.

“Ain
’t you Roman cuz?”

“Yeah
, that’s that nigga who got his ass whooped in the barber shop the other day. My lil’ cousin Cleo told me how Tyce hit you in the fuckin’ throat with a key! He said that shit was pure comedy!” The short dude stomped his Timberland boot on the asphalt.

             
Roman felt the anger surge up his chest. It was the third time that week he had some random ass person bag on him about the barber shop incident. First it was his baby mama Latrece. She called to cuss him out for shorting her two hundred dollars on her weekly child support money and ended the verbal assault by saying, “That’s why you got your ass beat at the barber shop cuz you always bullshittin’!” Then somebody threw some keys at him from out of nowhere while he was at a club one night. He never saw who it was, but he knew it was a deliberate taunt aimed at him. Now these two clowns stood in front of him in broad daylight laughing like he was Kevin Hart or somebody. Roman was at the end of a very short rope.

             
As the comedic duo walked away Roman spat on the parking lot and then grabbed his gun, which was tucked in the front of his baggy jeans. Although there were few people around him, he still pointed his loaded pistol at the white T-shirt of the smaller man. He squeezed off two shots. The first hit his target in the back of his right shoulder and the second sailed pass his left ear breaking the window of a car across the street.

Roman heard a piercing scream of agony and both men took off
running away from the gun fire.

“Laugh now nigga!” He shouted at their backs.

The owner of the store poked his round head out of the door way to get a closer look outside. He pushed his bifocals further up his nose and stared at his least favorite customer with fear in his slanted eyes.

The two made eye contact before Rom
an took a few steps toward him.

“I wasn’t here today you hear me! You don’t know me a
’ight!” He waived the gun at him.

“Sure, sure, sure…it’s ok, it’s ok. No ID, no ID.” The business
man bowed his head repeatedly.

Within seconds Roman was speeding from the parking lot pushing the V 8 engine to its max. He was fuming with rage as he
cursed Tyce all the way home.

             
Angelique and I pretty much had our home routine down to a science. She worked nights, I kept Khari, she came home in the morning and I left for the day. Carmela came to the house in the morning to help Ms. Cheater look after the baby Monday through Friday. She cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner depending on whether Angelique was hungry or not.

             
Angelique thought I was a fool. Despite the fact that I never graduated from high school; I had a master’s degree in game and I could see her coming like a nigga dressed in red at an all white party. I knew something was off the minute she started complaining about my life. She might not have been cheating right off, but that pot was definitely on the stove. All she needed was something to put in it.

             
She forgot Carmela worked for me. I was the reason she had a job and I was the reason her son’s health was better than ever. Her loyalty was to me and that was why she told me how Angelique was sleeping all day like a fucking vampire.
My
house keeper informed me that Angelique was running through boxes of tissue because she had a constant runny nose. Carmela thought she was sick, but I knew what the hell was really going on.

             
Not only was Angelique fucking another nigga, but she was a barely functioning coke head on top of that. I couldn’t believe that shit. As if I didn’t have enough to deal with in my life and my baby mama was best friends with cocaine.

             
I decided to clean house over the next week, so I needed a place for my daughter to go. Between Gloria and Pamela, one of my moms would be more than happy to spend the week with their granddaughter. The problem was keeping it fair, so one wouldn’t feel slighted. The last person to watch Khari was Gloria, so I decided to ask Pamela first and if she couldn’t do it I would call Gloria.

             
I pulled out my phone as I strolled into Foot Action to pick up the shoes I had ordered last week. I wasn’t like those sob ass niggas who let themselves go when they found out that their woman was a fraud. They let that depressing shit get the best of them. Those fools walked around a dark ass house in a damn bath robe playing old Freddie Jackson albums.

             
I stayed looking fresh no matter what. I smelled like cologne, my hair was well groomed, shoes immaculate, pockets set to explode, ear rings shining like headlights and confidence dripping off my body like sweat. As far as I was concerned Angelique was crazy to cheat on me. Shit, it was her loss, not mine.

Pamela’s line rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey son, how are you?” Her voice was always light with love.

“I’m good mom
. How are you doin’?” I paused to talk by a rack of Adidas T-shirts.

“I can’t complain. L
ife is good because I’m above ground. How’s my precious little angel? When do I get to see her? Gloria made sure to tell me all the details of their little slumber party last month, so now I want my turn.” She smacked her lips.

I smiled at the phone. “Now see
, that’s why I love you. You are always right on time when I need you. I was jus’ about to ask you to keep her for a few days while I handle a lil’ business. Is that cool?”

“Sure! When are you going to bring her
, or should I come pick her up?”

“Naw, I’ll bring her by later this evening.”

“Okay dear, I’ll see you later,” Pamela sang into the phone.

I was all set to hang up and pick up my shoes when she started talking again.

Her voice got an octave lower. “Tyce, what’s wrong?”

Damn, she always knew when something was bothering me. I thought I camouflaged it well
, but she saw right through me…even over the phone. I decided to not beat around the bush and gave it to her straight. Besides, Pamela wasn’t the type of woman you could lie to. After all, she was a former cop.

“Angelique is cheating on me with a singer named Th
ad and she’s doin’ coke.” I closed my mouth and waited for her response.

I waited a little longer than I expected to hear what she thought about my dysfunctional situation. After several long seconds she finally let her opinion run free.

“Hmmm, I knew there was something about that bitch I didn’t like. You should have stayed with Dallas. I’ll see you later son.”

“You obviously aren’t happy with Tyce, so
why don’t you jus’ leave him and be with me.” Thaddeus touched my cheek with the back of his hand.

             
We were lounging in his California king size bed. The candle light from the night stands gave my bare breasts a soft glow. I held a chilled glass of Kahlua in one hand, a cigarette in the other and watched the smoke waft lazily in the air only to get whisked away by the ceiling fan. Thad laid naked right beside me with his thick dick resting on his slightly hairy thigh.

“He’s a little boy Angie. You need and deserve a
man in your life. I want a wife. I want a new life with you in it. I have money, but what I don’t have is a woman to share it with. We can have it all together.”

He kissed my shoulder tenderly to punctuate his sincere words. Then, to my surprise he started to sing to me in a low
, sexy tone.

“
Let me take awaaay your pain, let me kiss awaaay your shame. My heart is yourrrs to claim. He was just practice, I’mmm the game. Through it all I’ll stayyyyy the same. Let’s start overrrrr baby. Let’s start overrrrr and change your last naaaaammme.
” When he finished he kissed my lips.

             
Fuck, why did he have to fucking sing to me? He had the most beautiful voice. I was in a trance. That nigga had me hypnotized for a moment. If the ashes from my damn cigarette hadn’t fallen on my stomach and burned the shit out of me, I probably would’ve still been staring into his dreamy eyes. I started to brush them away, but his breath beat me to it. He quickly blew the ashes from around my belly button and rubbed my abs gently. Damn that nigga was good. Why did I stop fucking with him before? For the life of me I couldn’t remember at that moment, I was too busy feeling special.

“That was beautiful baby. I love your voice and you make it sound so easy
, but the truth is it’s not. I do love him and we have a baby together. I can’t jus’ leave. Despite what you may think, he was there for me when I needed him.” I sipped my drink.

He sat up. “The key word is
was.
He
was
there for you, but where is he now, huh? Let me answer that for you. He’s with his homeboys planning to rob an armored truck. He’s not planning a romantic getaway for you and him. He’s not out shopping for an engagement ring. He’s jeopardizing his so-called life with you over money.” He stared into my misty eyes. “No amount of money would make me take a chance of losing you.”

That
was too heavy for me to process with a sober mind.

“I hear you and you’re making perfect sense. I ahhhh jus’ ne
ed some time to think things through. Right now I jus’ wanna lay here with you and enjoy the night. Okay?”

Thad reluctantly agreed to end all the confusing relationshit talk and we switched topics. I continued to smoke while
he told me about his experience in Japan. That conversation led to his upcoming performance that weekend.

“Is that song you sang to me one of the songs you’re gonna sing Thursday night?”

He smiled. “Naw baby, that was for your ears only.”

“Good
, cuz I don’t want a bunch of thirsty bitches thinkin’ you wanna marry them. I’ll be standing in the front row cuz I like to watch you do your thing. I’ll be lookin’ extra fine, but I will snatch a bitch bald if she asks for it,” I teased.

He pushed my leg lightly. “You crazy girl.”

I sucked my teeth. “Yeah, I’m crazy and don’t forget rich. I got bail money.”

             
Thad threw his head back and started laughing at my joke. Over the course of the night we shared stories of our child hood, nibbled on strawberries and Cool Whip, dripped hot candle wax on each other and of course…we did tons of coke. I needed the drug to take me away from all the perplexing thoughts of Tyce that ran through my mind at random times. However, the more rails I snorted, the less frequently he popped up in my head.

             
Thaddeus looked over at the empty pillow next to his head. It had been four hours since Angelique left, but he could still smell her perfume on the sheets. Even her sweat smelled sweet. Ever since he first saw her again his powerful attraction to her was reignited. She was even lovelier than he remembered her being. She was the perfect balance of good and bad. She was like a guilty pleasure that you couldn’t live without.

             
He hated when she had to leave to return home to her so-called man. It was starting to really irritate him. He hated Tyce even though he’d never even met the man. Thad disliked Angelique’s real nigga because he was with her when she wasn’t in his arms.

What did he have to do to convince her to leave him?

What would it take to make her his woman?

             
He played second fiddle to Biz for years and now he was in competition with that Tyce ass hole. He wasn’t used to being a backup boyfriend. He was used to being center stage, especially with women. Yet, when it came to Angelique his ego, along with his personal relationship do’s and don’ts, went right out the window.

             
Thad let out a deep grunt as he rolled out of bed. With his dick swaying back and forth, he made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was a good day for him. Despite his case of love sickness, he felt good because it was pay day. His weekly five thousand dollar cash deposit should be in his bank account. He needed that money and as he checked his account using the app on his Samsung Galaxy phone…he smiled to himself. Sure enough, five stacks were in his account just like the last two weeks. If it wasn’t for this monetary donation he would probably be homeless, or worse, cokeless.