Kismet (Beyond the Bedroom Series) (21 page)

“Your boo is a man, huh? You’re gay. I knew it! Well, I didn’t know it but your house gave a hint of it and I didn’t see any women’s belongings lying around, yet you had two different brands of deodorant on your bathroom sink and two toothbrushes.”

He confirmed my suspicion and made me vow not to tell anyone. No one knew but him and his boo, Alvin. I felt privileged being his secret holder and decided to make him mine . “The little girl in the video is my daughter. She is three years old and her name is Sade.”

I went through the same spill about no one knowing and how I’ve wanted to get it off my chest. I told him about Dre, the pizza and everything. Then he let me in on the biggest secret of the night.

Tyrone was in jail getting head from a nigga who went around saying he could predict the future and take a glimpse into people’s fate. Will said Tyrone doesn’t know that he knows, but he confirmed it was true.

He arranged for the dude to meet them at the courts one night and he said Tyrone looked like he was going to shit on himself. When his past lover walked his way, Tyrone grabbed his shit and left. I had stopped fucking with Tyrone way before this because he tried to blame me for the way his life turned out. He said he can’t get out the game because I introduced him to it and now I hide behind a badge. I tried to let him know he was talking stupid by saying he was a follower of somebody three years younger than him, but fuck him. Next time he goes to jail, I hope he gets his dick sucked by one of them AIDS having niggas in there unless his ex-man taught him how to predict the future, too.”

I hit the floor laughing. Will was now my new home girl, I mean homeboy, fuck it; he is my new bitch and my secret keeper.

On the flight back home to Los Angles, we held hands the whole way as we talked about everybody on the plane like only true bitches would.

Chapter 14: Sister to Sister

Monday morning, I was up and on the telephone with Stephanie before she dressed for work. I told her all about Dre’s delivery setup at the time-share.

“Why didn’t you call me, Savannah? You know I would have been on my way! Why is this nigga so attached to you? I could see if y’all would have been talking marriage or if you had his child, this stalking and following you shit is crazy. Did you tell the police?”

How do you tell the police that you have a stalker when you’re hiding the stalker’s child? “No, I didn’t tell the police. I booked a flight to Washington tomorrow and I’m gone. Fuck California. I got my revenge, the company is running fine and I have no ties here. I’ll still be close to my daddy and he can visit anytime. It’s time to settle down in a new place. When you’re done fighting fires with your man, I’ll be up north waiting on you.”

Stephanie said she would be right behind me in two weeks. She would start preparing herself for the move. Not being conceited, but I knew that would be her response. As far as family was concerned, I was all she had and she wasn’t going to let me move on without her.

We met up at Clifton’s in downtown LA for breakfast. My daddy used to take me and Memphis there every weekend as children. The restaurant wasn’t as well kept as it was back then, but the food was still good. I wrapped my toast in my napkin and headed out the door to sell my cars.

Fifteen thousand dollars was what I made from the Charger and another $10,000 was given for the 300. It was hard selling my babies.

Starting all over was going to be hard, too. There are 50 states in the United States and I have been banned from three of them.

The only thing that could bring me back to Georgia, California or Tennessee was my job and my daddy and I would try hard to make both things come to me.

I told my uncle, Johnny, I was leaving first. He was saddened by my news, but knew I had a career and my own life to live. Next, I called my daddy and told him.

“Daddy, in two weeks, I need you to go close that PO Box for me. If there is anything in it, don’t open it; just mail it to me in Washington. If Keisha or any of them start looking for me or start asking for me, tell them I’m back in the south and please, don’t tell Memphis where I am. Let him think I’m in the south, too.”

He cut me off. “It’s a lot of talk going around here with your name in it, Savannah. I think it’s time I move away from here. I’m getting too old to be in the middle of stuff. Don’t worry about what’s going on and what’s being said; just sell this house like you’re doing yours, yes, mine’s, too, and find me an apartment in Washington. Memphis has moved away with some girl in Moreno Valley until he can find him a place. I don’t know what the problem is between you and him, but you need to know your brother loves you.”

There wasn’t nothing I could say, but, “Yes, Daddy; I’ll get you out of there in three days.” He said he was headed to Johnny’s house and would get the PO Box transferred to Seattle.

The office was closed for the day, but I would make sure to call Stephanie after my flight landed tomorrow for a check up on things. I had stayed my last night as a Californian with Will and Alvin.

“Your baby daddy was released about a year ago, but was on six months’ probation which he completed in four months. He was a hard man to trace with Nashville detectives helping to clean up his footsteps, but I got him. His last known whereabouts were in Las Vegas. He rented a car there about five months ago and bet you were there with Ant that weekend, too. You’re wondering how he knew you were going, I bet. Well, that was easy when he has you and Stephanie’s office lines tapped. You ain’t messing with no fool, girl, so be careful in Washington. You’re the only best friend I got and I don’t want to lose my job hurting somebody over you, okay?”

I zoned out after Vegas. Dre was the purchaser of my flower at the club. He has been close enough to confront me on many occasions, so why hasn’t he? What is he waiting on?

I couldn’t sleep that night. I stayed up watching the news. There was a report of a small earthquake, which I didn’t feel, as usual. It was reported to have been 4.0 in magnitude, which meant if I was walking, I wouldn’t have felt it. Let me know when it’s larger than 6.0.

My Al Green ring tone was going off, so I knew it was my daddy calling me to see if I was safe. “I didn’t feel it, Daddy, and yes, I’m safe; go back to sleep.”

All I could hear coming from his end of the phone was loud sirens-both police and fire trucks. “Savannah, what did you do, baby? They have burnt down the house. Everything my mama worked hard for just burnt up in my face and I can’t stop it. The police want you to meet them at the station to question you.”

I was speechless and scared. I didn’t know what to say but, “What do they want to question me for, Daddy?” He was crying and I could hear it in his voice.

“Baby, whoever it was that did this to the house wants you. They spray painted your name all over the house and put come get your revenge, bitch on the ground in the driveway. I’m worried about you. Please meet these policemen for help.”

I agreed and told him to meet me down there. I woke up my new best friend and told him what went down. I told him to cancel my flight, even though it may have been best that I did leave California now. I wasn’t going to leave my daddy alone.

The police station was packed when I arrived. I had taken Alvin’s car since he was off of work today. I made it there at 4 AM and didn’t speak with a detective until 7 AM.

“Mrs. James, why do you think this group of women that you named would have burned down your father’s house?” My answer was embarrassing, but it was the truth.

“They did it because I fucked all three of their baby daddies over the last six months.” We talked for two hours and then she took me into a room where she had all three women in a lineup with three other women. I pointed out Keisha, Christina and Melinda and then I left. The detective asked me not to leave the state for at least 72 hours just in case I was needed to come back down.

I called Stephanie, told her what happened and had her meet me at Will’s house to take Alvin’s car back. We went straight to the office to make sure everything was fine, plus I kept an emergency business suit there just in case my partners showed up unannounced. I needed to change clothes badly.

Our office bathroom was large enough for me to wash up really well and fix my hair and face. Thank God for mini flatirons; I kept a pair in my desk drawer.

When I was done, Stephanie was in her office reading over a handwritten letter. When I asked what it was, she said she was sorry and handed it to me.

To Whom it May Concern:

This is my written resignation from my internship with Williams and Williamson’s. My reason for leaving is entirely personal. I am glad I was made aware of the drama and games that are played by the heads of this company and have decided I want no parts in it especially when the victim is my sister and her friends. I know this letter is being read by either Stephanie or Savannah trifling ass so I’m done with the professional half of it. You bitches better pray my sister and her Child’s father don’t get anything more than the flu or you will have to deal with me. I did make my sister aware that Savannah fucked Tyrone, Javier and Ant but I haven’t told her about the orgy you had at your house with all of your friends. Savannah you’re a nasty bitch and you better pray you have a clean bill of health.

Erika Soto,

Keisha Soto’s baby sister.

Before I could ask Stephanie, she answered. “The planner is gone and no, I didn’t put the ladies were prostitutes in the book nor that they had AIDS; we laughed about it in her face. We only said Javier’s name. I’m sorry, Savannah, I fucked up.”

Fucked up was putting it nicely. She had ruined everything with that Kill Bill notepad she kept. I could kick her ass for this. My family lost a house that had been in it for years, my daddy is now homeless and everybody wants a piece of me. No one cared about Stephanie’s involvement. I was the one who fucked up. They wanted me.

“Hey, Will, you got a minute? I need your help.” I told Will I needed him to get all six of their whereabouts.

Will suggested my father and I stay with him, which was in protective custody, until we left for Washington. I had no choice but to agree.

I had finally calmed myself down when I was hit with the next piece of news. I got a call from the Santa Monica Fire Department telling me that my timeshare had just gone up in smoke.

I should thank them because that became hard to sell. I would get insurance money instead, which was fine with me and with all the women in jail, it left the men as suspects.

As I was looking for the detective’s number I had spoken to this morning to tell her what happened to my unit, Will called back.

“Okay, boo, Keisha, Melinda and Christina are still locked up at the police subdivision and they all are on probation, so don’t worry about them moving anytime soon. Ant is back at school and has been there for about a month. That was confirmed by his basketball coach and Tyrone and Javier are riding around handling some business for their baby’s mamas. I played like I didn’t know shit and was told to be careful; you are a sick hoe on the loose and they are going to teach you a lesson.”

When I told Will my house was on fire, he told me to report it to the detective so I could have Tyrone and Javier picked up for questioning. I told him I would, thanked him for all his help and told him I’d see him later.

Uncle Johnny waited three days and then went by my house in Malibu. Surprisingly, it hadn’t been touched and that was because no one knew about it. That house was in Uncle Johnny’s name and right now, I was glad it was because I needed to bathe and change my clothes.

Everything in my bathroom, kitchen and linen closet had been packed in 45 minutes. The TVs and furniture I gave to my Uncle Steve as a shut the fuck up gift.

He had called talking shit yesterday about the house getting burned down and mentioned something about Memphis. I had yet to find out what Memphis had done to make him flee the way he did. Whatever it was, my daddy knew he couldn’t come back to LA.

I had given the detectives longer than 72 hours; I stayed there a whole week. My daddy still had to wait for his insurance check and wouldn’t be flying out for another week, which was perfect because it gave me time to find him a new house instead of apartment and deck it out.

Stephanie left with me. She found her a place not too far from mine in Seattle. Even with Tyrone, Javier, Keisha, Melinda and Christina in jail, she was still scared. Stephanie was worried about Erika and Ant. Ant was smart. He wouldn’t do anything stupid while his crew was in jail because he didn’t want to join them.

My concern was that bitch, Erika. I didn’t know her like I knew the others. To be honest, after this week, I realized I didn’t know them, either.

It was raining when we made it to Seattle and a lot colder than California. Stephanie rented a car and dropped me off at my new home in northern Seattle, which I was told was where the business class lived.

I was purchasing a three-bedroom two-bathroom house with an underground pool and Jacuzzi for $725,000. Since I was purchasing and not renting, Mr. Nguyen gave me a check for $100,000 toward the purchase of my home, which I was thankful for because technically, he didn’t have to. The new Seattle office is to service other clients since the California location was dedicated to Strax Industries. My move doesn’t benefit Mr. Nguyen in any form, but he felt the need to help since he had gotten me to leave Georgia.