Good Men Still Exist (5 page)

Chapter 9

What They Don’t Know

“I didn’t mean to leave you like that earlier. I feel terrible. Can I come in so we can talk?” Reggie said as he stood on the other side of the door.

“Um, I’m kinda busy right now, Reggie. Can you come back tomorrow? I’ve had a really long day and I need to unwind.”

“Well, let me come in and help you unwind. You know I’m good for that at least,” Reggie said as he licked his lips and winked. He knew that made Brandy weak. He started to walk in the house, but Brandy stopped him in his tracks.

“Wait a second, Reggie. You can’t come in right now. I’m busy.”

“What do you have to hide, Brandy? You got somebody here or somethin’?” he said, not expecting her response. Only she wasn’t the one to respond.

“Baby, who’s this?” Chris said, creeping out from the kitchen.

“Ain’t no askin’ who I am. Who the fuck are YOU?” Reggie screamed as he stormed in the house, slamming the door behind him.

Brandy knew automatically that she was in deep shit. She thought she’d be spending the night alone, but she was wrong. Not only was the man of her dreams in her home, but so was the man from her past. And she was forced to choose at some point. First, she had some explaining to do.

“Reggie, Chris. Chris, Reggie,” Brandy introduced the two men, her head hanging low.

“What up, bruh?” Reggie said, dapping Chris up. ‘What chu doin’ with my girl, patna?”

“YOUR girl? Sorry, homie, but I been with Brandy for the last few months, and if you ask me, I’d say we’re pretty happy.”

“I’d rather ask her,” Reggie snapped. “Well, Brandy? You happy?”

“Reggie, I wanted to tell you earlier that I was seeing someone else, but you left so quickly until I didn’t have a chance to.”

“Left? You had someone up in here after I left?” Chris said angrily.

“Yes, Chris. He came after you left.”

“Y’all fuck?”

“WHAT?” Brandy shouted.

“Did . . . y’all . . . FUCK?” Chris was beyond pissed, balling up his fist and breathing heavily.

“As a matter of fact, bruh, we did. She still tastes the same, too. Just like I remember,” Reggie taunted. Chris’s eyes reddened and his breathing got a little heavier. Sent over the edge by Reggie’s response, Chris charged at Reggie, slamming him against the wall and punching him in the stomach.

“STOP IT RIGHT NOW, YOU TWO!” Brandy shouted, hoping the two would break free from each other, but to no avail. The two smacked each other around, trading punches, kicks, and slaps. Both shirts ripped open, there was blood dripping onto the floor. It was hard to tell whose blood it was because the two were still fighting.

It looked like the two were doing the tango around the room because they were attached for about ten minutes fighting. Pushing and shoving, the furniture seemed to become a hindrance as the two knocked over tables, lamps, and crashing into the television, breaking the screen. Brandy’s home had become tornado struck-like. It looked as if someone had picked up everything in sight and just threw it all on the ground, tearing it all up.

“Who the fuck are you comin’ up in my girl’s house all of a sudden questioning me about who the fuck I am?” Chris screamed, pulling himself apart from Reggie’s grasp.

“Chris, this is Mila’s father!” Brandy exclaimed, tears streaming down her face, crying hysterically.

“So, this is who was givin’ you shit earlier?” Chris asked.

“Givin’ you shit? What was I givin’ you shit about?” Reggie retorted.

“Reggie, relax. I was just a little stressed out from our conversation earlier. Look, I can’t deal with this right now. I need you both to leave. Please!” Brandy plead with the two men fighting over her.

“I’ll leave. But remember what we did earlier. And remember what I asked you,” Reggie said softly in her ear, his fingers grazing her pussy as he walked by her, trying to refresh her memory about what happened earlier that day. Chris peeped the gesture and started to charge again towards Reggie as he walked out, but Brandy stopped him in his tracks.

“Aight, I see you, lil’ homie. Don’t come around my girl no more. We gon’ have some problems,” Chris warned Reggie as he made his way to his car, bruised and battered.

“Damn, Brandy. How come you didn’t tell me? And how am I gonna go see my mama lookin’ like this?” Chris said, wiping the blood from his bottom lip and tugging at his torn clothes.

“Baby, he just came today. Decided to surprise me,” Brandy explained. “He had been locked up for the past six years for shooting me in the shoulder when Mila was just a baby. He just got out yesterday. He sent me an email this morning and said he wanted to come by talk to me. He said he wanted me back but that was pretty much the extent of the conversation. Next thing I knew, I looked into his eyes, and it just . . . happened. I really do like you, Chris, As a matter of fact, I think I’m falling in love with you. But when Reggie came by, all the old feelings just resurfaced, and . . . well, that was the result. Please don’t be mad at me, Chris. We can work this out.”

“I guess you got some thinkin’ to do then, huh?” Chris said disappointedly. He grabbed the shrapnel that used to be his clothes off the ground and left Brandy crying.

“Lord, what have I done?” she cried, burying her face in her hands and sobbing.

Chapter 10

Decisions, Decisions

Brandy waltzed into work Monday morning zombie-like. Her shirt was not tucked in and her khakis were wrinkled, which went against every rule as cashier at Target. Tasha automatically noticed how rough Brandy was looking and walked over to attempt to engage in conversation.

“Brandy . . . are you okay? You look like hell,” Tasha
alleged.

“Bitch, I feel like hell!” Brandy shouted, unaware that she now had an audience staring right at her. Once she came back to life, she noticed the look on her friend’s face and instantly felt horrible and tried to console her.

“Tasha, I’m sorry for snapping at you and calling you out of your name. I just had a very bad weekend, that’s all. I’m restless and confused. Just give me a little while. I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Is it Reggie? What happened? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” Tasha asked concerned.

“No, Tasha. We’ll talk on break. I promise,” Brandy responded, trying to collect her thoughts to focus on work.

After four and a half hours, Tasha and Brandy were ready to go on break and Tasha couldn’t wait to hear all of the juicy details of Brandy’s whirlwind of a weekend. The two ladies went next door to McDonald’s. Both ordered a 6-piece chicken nugget meal with Sprite, picked a table, and sat across from each other. Staring at Brandy, giving her the evil eye, Tasha broke the brief silence. 

“Okay, chick. Spill it. What happened this weekend with you and Reggie?”

“Girl, the drama didn’t even start with Reggie. Fast-forward to Saturday when my auntie Pam brought these two dudes over and tricked me off. I ain’t gon’ act like I didn’t like it, but all I could think about afterwards was Chris,” Brandy confessed.

“Damn, hoochie mama! I’m jealous!” Tasha teased. “How was it?”

“I just said I liked it, didn’t I?” Brandy shook her head. “Anyway, then yesterday, I had to make up an excuse to get Chris out my house so Reggie could come over so I could see what the fuck he wanted. Girl, tell me why this fool wants to get back with me? Swears to God he changed. I wanted to believe him, and I was close it. So close that I let him hit. When it was over, he asked me again, but I couldn’t give him an answer and he got pissed and left.”

“Why couldn’t you give him an answer, Brandy? How can you think about takin’ him back when you got your king already in Chris . . . unless jesters are your type,” Tasha questioned.

“I do love Chris. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. But when Reggie and I had sex, all those feelings came back, and now I’m all fucked up in the head. I don’t know what the fuck to do,” Brandy confessed, holding back tears. “Chris came back over not too long after that on his way to his mother’s house. He was just checkin’ up on me, and noticed I wasn’t myself. I didn’t go into detail, but I just told him I was dealin’ with some shit with Reggie and left it at that. And low and behold, no sooner than I spoke his name, here comes Reggie again. Said he felt bad about the way he left earlier. Once he saw Chris and Chris saw Reggie, it was on. Like World War 3 up in there. Clothes flyin’ every damn where, blood all over the place . . . straight WWE-type shit. So yeah, I’m caught. I had to explain who one was to the other and that I fucked ‘em both. It was just ridiculous. Tasha, what do I do to get outta this shit?” Brandy said between sobs.

“You gotta choose. And you gotta think about Mila. Whoever you choose has to be good for both of you. She needs a man in her life, too,” Tasha preached. Brandy nodded in agreement with her friend as they continued eating their lunch.

“Oh shit. Break’s over. We gotta get back,” Tasha said, looking at her watch. “Remember what I said, Brandy. I’m here if you need me.”

“Thanks, Tasha,” Brandy said, wiping her tears and hugging Tasha as they headed back to work.

Chapter 11

What Say You?

“And they all lived happily ever after,” Brandy read as Mila drifted off the sleep. She made Brandy read “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to her every night before going to bed. As much as she read it, Brandy was amazed that she didn’t know it by heart, but she never complained. Anything she could do to make Mila happy, she did it. She wanted to make sure Mila received the kind of love from a mother that she never received herself from hers. She kissed her angel on the forehead, pulled the covers over her, and turned out her nightlight. Brandy left the door cracked so there wasn’t complete darkness in Mila’s room. That always made Mila feel safe, especially knowing her mommy’s room was right next door.

Exhausted once more, Brandy went directly to her bathroom to draw herself a bath. She poured her Calgon in the water, preparing to be taken away from all the drama and confusion that was currently her life. She put on some Maxwell and lit some candles that were surrounding the pink tub. She disrobed, dimmed the lights, stepped into the tub, and lay back. Almost instantly, tears rolled down Brandy’s face.

“Why is this so hard for me?” she spoke softly into the universe. “I love Chris and I wanna be with him, but Reggie . . .” Just as she was about to try to convince herself that Reggie could have very well changed, she picked up her cell phone and began dialing.

“Hello?” Chris answered in a salty tone.

“Hey Chris. Listen, can you come over tomorrow? I need to talk to you face-to-face.”

“Yeah, I can do that. What time?” Chris obliged. Before she could answer his question, her other lined beep. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Reggie.

“Hold on a second, Chris . . . Hello, Reggie. What can I do for you?” she clicked over, answering in a cold manner.

“Well damn. I missed you too, boo,” Reggie joked.

“Nigga, what do you want? I’m busy.”

“I wanna to be with you. I need to see you and my baby girl. I want us to be a family again. C’mon, Brandy. Give a brotha another chance,” Reggie pleaded.

“Listen, I’m actually glad you called. Come over tomorrow morning. Around 9:30. I need to talk to you about us.”

“Aight, I’ll be there. 9:30 sharp,” Reggie agreed. “Peace.”

Brandy clicked back over to her conversation with Chris. “Chris, you still there?” she asked.

“I’m here. So what time did you say?” he asked.

“9:30.”

Chapter 12

Who Do You Love?

“I’ll be here at 2:30 to pick you up, Mila. Mommy loves you,” Brandy said as she gave her daughter a big hug and kiss as she dropped her off at school. Brandy loved her little angel with all her heart, but she was thankful for this time Mila could spend at school. Brandy had serious business to take care of and she didn’t need any distractions.

Once she got back home, Brandy went in her house and put on some music to settle herself down. She gave herself a once over in the mirror, making sure every strand of hair was in place and every piece of clothing was on point. She didn’t want to give either of the men who were about to show up at her house, unbeknownst to them, the impression that she was flustered or nervous at all.

“Okay, B. You got this. Just tell them how you really feel,” she said to herself. “Don’t panic. Don’t raise your voice. Don’t get outta pocket. Stay cool.” She took a deep breath in, and no sooner than she exhaled did the doorbell ring. She glanced at her watch as she walked towards the door. “Right on time,” she said. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see both Chris and Reggie standing there, seemingly on their best behavior.

“Hey, fellas. Come right on in and have a seat,” she ordered and extended her hand out to show them to the couch.

“Brandy, what is this about?” Chris asked curiously. “Why do have both of us here?”

“Yeah, B. What’s really goin’ on right now?” Reggie followed Chris’s sentiments.

“Well, fellas,” she began, taking another deep breath. “The reason I asked both of you to come over this morning is because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my future and how I want it to include one of you.”

Reggie instantly starting smelling himself, getting cocky. “Go ‘head, girl. Tell this lil’ Bryant Gumbel ass nigga you want me back,” he said confidently. Almost instantly, Chris rose from his side of the couch and was about to pounce until Brandy stopped him.

“Sit down, Chris! Reggie, shut the hell up, okay? Truth is, I thought I was over you. It’s been six whole years. But once you came back and we, well . . . you know what we did. It brought back old feelings again. I had a weak moment, and for that, I want to apologize to both of you.”

“Apologize? Apologize for what?” Reggie asked irritated.

“Because it was a mistake. Yes, I liked it. And yes I still love you, Reggie,” Brandy continued. “But I’m in love with Chris. Reggie, we both know you’re not right for me. You’re not right for Mila, either. I know you love her and she’s your daughter just as much as she is mine, but let’s face it. You just got outta jail, you ain’t got a job, and you livin’ wit’ yo’ mama. Mila needs stability in her life. And right now, you ain’t got it. And who knows? Maybe one day, if Chris and I don’t work out, you and I can get back together and try it again. I’m sorry, Reggie. I hope you can understand.”

“I can’t believe this shit,” Reggie shouted. “You call me over here for this shit? I thought you loved me. We fucked where the man you claim you’re in love with is sittin’, and you gon’ tell me ‘no’? This is some bullshit!” Reggie jumped up and marched towards the front door and opened it.

“I do love you, Reggie. I’ll always love you. I just don’t want you. I’m sorry.”

Reggie looked back at Brandy, who had one tear trickling down her cheek. He just shook his head in disbelief. “Tell Mila I love her,” Reggie said angrily as he slammed the door behind him, leaving Brandy alone with Chris.

“Chris, this whole weekend, all I’ve thought about is you and how much I love you. Good men are hard to find these days. They do still exist, and I’m convinced that I’ve found that good man in you. I love you, Chris. And I’m not lettin’ you get away.” Brandy sat beside Chris on the couch and extended her arms for an embrace, but Chris quickly jumped up.

“Wait a second, Brandy,” Chris interjected. “How you just gon’ say ‘
if
we don’t work out’? Like you just know some shit is gon’ go down and we won’t last. Is that what you expect? And you want that jackass as a backup plan?”

“No, Chris. That’s not true at all. Chris, what’s the problem? I said I wanna be with you.” Brandy couldn’t understand why Chris was behaving that way.

“Brandy, look. I love you, too. You said when you met me that you didn’t think good men still existed and that you wanted a good man. But right now, it just doesn’t seem like you know what you really want. Maybe you need some time to think about. Call me when you figure it out.” Chris grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

“What is going ON?” Brandy shouted to herself. “I don’t understand what is happening right now.” She said dumbfounded on the couch and recollections of relations with both men on that very couch ran through her mind.
Straight away, Brandy began to cry again. She’d never been so puzzled in her life. Chris was right, though. She didn’t know what she really wanted. She thought she did until Reggie came back. Still crying, Brandy looked at her watch. Acknowledging that it was still early, she reached for her cell phone and dialed a number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Tasha,” Brandy said between sniffs. “Can you meet me at the coffee shop on 43rd? I really need a friend right now.”

             
“I’m on my way.”