This Could Be Us But You Playin' 2 (6 page)

“You know what? You are so full of shit, Kaleb!” she shouted, once she was standing beside the couch he was sitting on. Her French manicured finger pointed in his direction.

“Damn, what I do now?” he asked, looking at her confused. When she placed her hands on her hips and looked him up and down, he spoke again. “Oh, you still tripping because I wasn’t watching the damn show? Come on Te Tee, it ain’t even that serious. We can always rewind it,” Kaleb told her, as if it was no big deal.

Tiera’s face twisted into a look of pure annoyance because he didn’t get it. Kaleb had no idea why she was so upset, and that alone made her even more hurt. It had been weeks since he actually paid her any mind, but apparently whoever had his attention was much more important. As Kaleb sat on the couch looking up at her like she was the one with the problem, Tiera couldn’t do nothing but snort and shake her head. 

“The damn show ain’t the problem, Kaleb, you are!” Tiera snapped, “The sad thing is that you don’t even realize it. You’ve been ignoring me for weeks, and I’m tired of feeling like a fucking stranger when I’m around you.”

Kaleb sat back on the couch and ran his hand over his face. “I make you feel like a stranger? Don’t you think you’re exaggerating now?”

“Exaggerating?” she mocked him. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Kaleb! I’ve been ignored, put on the back burner, and made to feel like I was invisible for weeks! It doesn’t matter what I do, it doesn’t matter what I say, it’s like you don’t even see me anymore.” Tears filled Tiera’s eyelids, but she ran her hand over them to keep them from falling. It hurt her to know that there could possibly be someone else that Kaleb was dealing with behind her back. The fact that she was now pregnant with his child made it even worse. “I thought that maybe it was because business was stressing you for a minute and figured that once we got to the Virgin Islands, you’d go back to your old self. Boy, was I wrong.” Tiera sniffed before she threw her head back and laughed.

“You were normal for the first few days. We had so much fun that I thought that I’d finally had my man back. Then, out of the blue, you became distant once again. Everything I wanted to do, you shut down. What started with sex all day long, turned into you not touching me once during the last few days. Do you know how fucked up that made me feel?” she asked, but didn’t give him a chance to reply. “We barely talked… hell, I started to feel like I was on the damn vacation by myself.”

Although Kaleb wouldn’t admit it, he knew exactly what Tiera was talking about. Things were cool between the two of them the first three days of their vacation. They shopped, ate, had fun, and sexed until they both passed out. That is, until Dominique called him about NiChia going to jail. Once she found out that he was in the Virgin Islands with Tiera, she flipped out and told him not to call her again. While he felt she really didn’t have a reason to be mad, Kaleb still called her phone over and over again, only to never get an answer. From that moment, his attitude changed and he instantly felt down. No longer did he want to do anything with Tiera because all he could think about was Dominique and what she may have been doing back at home.

“I just had a lot on my mind, baby. Shit was crazy those last few days,” he explained. “I apologize.”

“Kaleb, please! You have been treating me like a damn stepchild since the day you came home from showing that house a few months ago.” When she said that, Kaleb’s eyes almost popped out of his head. He knew that he had been putting a lot of himself into Dominique, but not enough that he thought Tiera would notice. “So, I am on to something?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips. Kaleb couldn’t do anything but drop his head. “Just tell me if there’s someone else. I can deal with it,” Tiera told him, even though she knew that it would break her heart to hear. It was one thing to think it, but entirely different to actually know.

“There’s no one,” Kaleb lied.

“Well, you know what? I don’t believe you.”

With that, Tiera turned and walked away. As she passed the table in the foyer, she grabbed her keys out of the crystal bowl they sat in. Kaleb continued to sit on the couch. He figured she was going upstairs to his room and wanted to give her her space. When Kaleb heard the jingling sound of her keys, he knew she was on her way out the door. He jumped up and rushed over in that direction. By the time he got there, Tiera was removing her purse from the coat hook and slipping her feet into her shoes. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what to do next. Kaleb knew he was selfish to try to keep her, knowing that he was in love with someone else. A part of him wanted to just let her go, but he couldn’t because he really did care for her and didn’t want things to end between the two of them. Not only that, but Kaleb was afraid of letting Tiera go because he wasn’t even sure if Dominique was an option anymore. It was a fucked up way of thinking, but it was how he felt.

“What do you want me to say? What do you want me to do?” he asked, reaching out and grabbing her by her arm.

Tiera turned around and snatched away. She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. Tears were now streaming down her face. She was hurt, confused, and angry all at the same time. On one hand, Tiera really wanted to believe that maybe she was overreacting. Maybe Kaleb did have a lot on his mind, which would explain the way he had been acting towards her lately. She also wanted to believe that Kaleb would never cheat on her, but her gut instincts told her a different story. Tiera knew her boyfriend was a very handsome and successful man, who had women just waiting for an opportunity to get a take her place; a place that, up until then, she was sure she was secure in. Now, Tiera couldn’t be certain. She looked up at Kaleb with sadness in her eyes. This was a man that she loved so much. Other than her father, no other man had captured her heart the way Kaleb had; and that was a big deal to Tiera.

After her mother walked out on her and her father when she was ten, Tiera was lost. She didn’t know what to do, who to trust, and how to feel. Every day, she went to bed crying because she believed that her father, Ron, would up and leave her as well. Her mother had gotten tired of playing house, so why wouldn’t he, was what Tiera asked herself constantly. She couldn’t understand how a mother could just leave her child and never come back. It wasn’t like she was on drugs or anything; she just didn’t want to do the whole ‘family thing’ anymore. Ron was also crushed, but he wouldn’t dare let his daughter see him broken. Instead, he worked hard and make sure that Tiera had everything she wanted and needed. Tiera became a daddy’s girl, and, soon after, all her fears of her father leaving went away. She knew that if no one else loved her, her daddy did.

With Ron being named
The Accountant to the Stars,
he worked with everyone, from the top paid athletes, to the A-list movie stars. In fact, his connections were what gave Tiera her big break in modeling. Once she graduated school, Ron allowed her to travel with him. On one of his trips to Paris to do business with his client who played Rugby, Tiera caught the eye of his wife, who just so happened to be the owner of her own modeling agency. During that trip, Tiera took a few pictures for an ad for swimsuits, and before the month was out, she was getting calls from fashion lines all over the world. Seeing that his daughter was about to blow up, Ron hired her one of the best agents in the game, Blake Reeves. With Reeves now running things, Tiera’s face was everywhere, and in just six short months, she took the modeling industry by storm.

Tiera’s reign lasted for four years before she got tired of all of the traveling and long hours and decided to take a step back. Coincidently, that was also when she met and fell for Kaleb. Now, she poses strictly for the company that she works for and nothing more. Tiera had settled into the comfortable life with Kaleb because she thought that they both wanted the same things. Marriage, children, and a family were things that they’d talked about before. Now, it seemed Kaleb wanted something else, and no matter what he said, his actions showed it. Tiera was no fool and wasn’t going to play one. She was tired of chasing Kaleb down and made up her mind that, if he wanted her, he was going to have to prove it.

“I want you to tell me the damn truth!” She cried, “I know you, Kaleb. We’ve been together for over a year and never have you switched up on me. You’ve always been the same man that I’ve grown to love, but now something is different.” She looked him up and down with a frown on her face. “It’s like your body is here, but your mind isn’t. I’m not sure what or who has gotten into you.”

“I’m sorry for being distant, but I promise to you that there’s no one else. I love you, girl.” Kaleb hated to see her cry.

While Kaleb tried his hardest to make her believe what he was saying, she didn’t. Tiera saw right through to his façade, and knew that although she knew he did in fact love her, she wasn’t who captured his heart any longer. Just knowing that broke her heart into a million pieces and made it hard for her to breath. This was the man that she planned to someday marry. The father of her unborn child, and there he was standing before her lying through his teeth. Tiera knew that Kaleb was a good guy who didn’t really play games, and it was then that she realized that whoever it was that held his attention was someone that he truly loved, even more so than her.

“Trust me when I tell you that I love you too. Probably more than I should. It’s just that I just can’t do this any longer.” Tiera lifted her hand and wiped the tears away from her face. She forced a smile on her face, “Whoever it is, I hope she makes you happy, Kaleb. I really do. Apparently, she is the something really special, and I refuse to continue to compete because I obviously can’t.”

“But there’s no one to compete with,” Kaleb continued with his lie.

“You take care of yourself.” Tiera turned away, “Bye, Kaleb.”

“Tiera, come on man!” He called out, but his words fell on deaf ears as Tiera snatched his front door open and walked out.

Chapter 4

“Where the hell you about to go?” NiChia asked, “Yo’ stubborn ass done finally called Kaleb, huh?” She laughed, sticking her tongue out. “I knew yo’ freaky ass was gone call him.”

Dominique turned around and looked at her sister. “You so damn nosy.” She rolled her eyes before turning back around and facing the mirror. “No, I haven’t called him. For your information, I’m going to lunch with Nicy,” she paused and turned to look at her sister again, “and before you start acting up, just know that I don’t want to hear it.”

NiChia’s smile immediately dropped. “Ugh!” She plopped down on the bed. “That’s fine. Just when you see her, ask the bitch if she remember that ass kicking I gave her.”

“Now you know damn well I ain’t asking her that. You should be trying to leave that girl alone. Did you forget that you’re still going to court for that shit?”

“Hell nah, I ain’t forget. How the fuck could I?” NiChia asked with her face twisted up. “It pisses me off that that hoe can run her dick suckers all fucking day long, but when I finally get tired and pop her in her shit, I’m the one that’s wrong,” she groaned. “She better hope I don’t go to jail behind that bullshit because if I do, when I get out, I’m gone drag that bitch again! Next time she better hope she’s able to talk when the cops pull up, because I plan to murk her trifling ass.”

“Peanut!” Franny yelled, walking into the room. “What I tell you about that language?”

Dropping her eyes, NiChia replied, “I’m sorry grandma. I’m just upset.”

“That’s okay baby, just remember next time before I beat yo’ tail,” Franny said, causing both of her granddaughters to laugh. “Where you off to, Nikki?” She turned her attention to her eldest grandchild.

“To have lunch with that phony bit-” NiChia looked over at her grandmother with wide eyes, “that phony
heffa
that she calls her best friend.”

“Humph, you still dealing with that ole’ fast tail girl?” Franny asked, walking over to Dominique.

“Yep,” NiChia spoke, which made Franny look over at her.

“Girl, I wasn’t even talking to you,” she told her. “Don’t you got some business?”

NiChia smacked her lips loudly and rolled her eyes. “Well, excuse me. I guess I’ll go and check on my nephew, since this conversation doesn’t involve me. Maybe, while I’m there, I can find me some business.”

Franny watched as her younger granddaughter got up off the bed and stomped towards the door like a little kid. “You better watch that attitude, missy. You ain’t too grown to get popped in the goddamn mouth, you hear me?”

“Yes grandma,” NiChia mumbled, as she walked out of the bedroom door. She knew when Franny cursed, she was serious, and although she was a live wire, she never got out of pocket with her grandmother because she knew better.

“That girl gone make me beat her ass one day,” Franny said, once NiChia was out of ear shot.

“Yeah right. You ain’t gone whip nobody grandma.” Dominique laughed. “You already know how Peanut is.”

“That I do,” Franny agreed, “That girl has an attitude on her. Remind me of her mother back in the day. Boy, do I miss me some Nicole. That girl used have your daddy on his toes.” A grin appeared on her face as she reminisced. “I sometimes wonder how things would have turned out if he had married her, but then I remember that everything happens for a reason and God makes no mistakes.”

Dominique smiled. “Amen.”

“Anyways, how has my beautiful granddaughter been?”

Dominique picked up a bottle of oil, poured a few drops in her hands and started to unravel one of her Bantu knots. “I’m doing pretty good,” she replied, while moving on to the next one.

“Girl, who you think you fooling?” Franny asked, looking at her granddaughter though the mirror. “I may be old, but I ain’t stupid.”

Dominique snickered. “I know you ain’t stupid, grandma. You’re one of the smartest women I know.” When she saw Franny still staring at her, she smiled. “Seriously, I’m okay.”

“Who is he?”

“What?” Dominique asked, trying to keep the shocked expression off of her face. It didn’t work because her grandmother had already seen it.

“You heard me, who is he?”

“What makes you think it’s—”

“Stop,” Franny told her, lifting her hand up and cutting her off. She took a deep breath. “Now, you just told me that I already know how Peanut is, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So, doesn’t that mean that I know how you are too?”

“I guess so.”

“Okay, so tell me who he is,” Franny urged.

Dominique dropped her eyes to the floor. She could no longer look at her grandmother because she knew she was right. “I can’t because I don’t want you to look at me different.

“Listen to me.” Franny grabbed Dominique by the shoulders and turned her around to face at her. “Never would I look at you any differently. You’re my baby, Nikki, and I know you know that right?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, now get yo’ butt on over here and tell me all about the guy who has you head over heels in love,” Franny told her, guiding her over to the bed.

“Well, his name is Kaleb,” Dominique started, once they were both seated. “We were in a relationship before I moved here with you and Peanut, but we broke up and lost contact. That was up until a few months ago when Dre and I went to see the house I was telling you that were are buying. Turns out, Kaleb owns it with his best friend, Desmond, who just happens to be Peanut’s new boyfriend,” she explained. Franny nodded her head. “Afterwards, he called me up and asked me to meet him at the park. I went and we talked. It was then that I found out that we had broken up for nothing. From that day, we continued to talk and sometimes I’d go spend the night over his house when I was here with DJ,” Dominique admitted.

Franny smacked her hand on her leg and laughed. “I knew you were up to something.”

“You did?” Dominique asked, looking at her shocked.

“Girl yes! I knew you weren’t coming up here that much to see me, that’s for sure.” When Dominique looked over at her, she rephrased what she had just said. “I’m not saying it like that. I’m just saying that you weren’t even here that much, so I knew you had to be out with someone.  Not only that, but Peanut was gone all the time with her new man, so where the hell else would you be?”

“I guess I ain’t as slick as I thought I was.”

“You damn sure aren’t.” Franny laughed before she got serious again. “What I want to know is what do you plan to do with Dre?”

“What do you mean? I don’t plan to do anything with him.”

“So, you’re going to continue to sneak around behind his back?”

“No,” Dominique shook her head. “I don’t talk to Kaleb anymore. I broke it off.” She revealed. “It’s not worth it.”

“What’s not worth it?” Franny asked, looking at her granddaughter puzzled.

“Losing my family,” Dominique told her, as if she should have known.

“Listen, trust me when I tell you that I don’t approve of cheating. I never have, and I never will. The reason being is people get hurt. You can’t play with someone’s feelings like that, baby. No one deserves to be cheated on.” Franny placed her hand on Dominique’s thigh, “Now, what I will say is this. If you love Dre… I mean truly love him, then by all means, stick with him. On the other hand, if you love this guy Kaleb, why live your life settling for Dre when you can actually be happy?”

“What makes you think I love Kaleb?”

“Nikki, I watched you as you spoke about this man. You wore a smile on your face the entire time you talked about him, and I haven’t seen you do that with
anyone
besides your father. That lets me know that you are in love with that man.”

Franny was seeing right though her façade, so Dominique went on and told the truth. “I am,” she confessed, “but I’m also in love with Dre.”

“No you aren’t. You
love
Dre, and that is a big difference,” Franny went on to explain. “I’ve seen the two of you interact, and I’ve never seen that look in your eyes when you stare at him.”

Dominique sat on the bed confused. She didn’t know what her grandmother was talking about. Wanting to know what she meant, she asked, “What look is that, grandma?”

“The look of love and adoration. The guy, Kaleb, isn’t even here. You’ve only spoke of him for maybe a few minutes, and I’ve already saw the look. You love that man with every fiber of your being. So, I wonder why you’re torturing yourself.”

“Because it’s complicated,” Dominique admitted.

“It’s only complicated because you make it that way.”

*****

Dominique signaled her blinker and switched lanes. She was headed to
La Parrilla
, a Mexican restaurant, to meet with Shanice and have lunch. While she drove, she couldn’t help but reflect on the conversation that she had with her grandmother. While the chat was awkward at first, it didn’t end that way. Dominique was initially ashamed that her grandmother knew about the fact that she was cheating on Deondre. She had always been known as a ‘good girl’ to both Franny, as well as her father, and knew that something like that would be something that they frowned upon. Turns out, Franny wasn’t as disturbed about the fact that she was stepping out on her fiancé. She was more troubled to find out that her granddaughter was head over heels in love with someone else and wasn’t with that person only because she felt that she owed her baby’s father.

Although Dominique never said it out loud, what everyone else thought was somewhat true. She did feel like she owed Deondre for all of the things that he had done for her when she basically had nothing. Back then he not only allowed her to move into her apartment, but he wouldn’t accept the rent that she attempted to pay him on numerous occasions. While Dominique had a part-time job during that time, she wasn’t making a lot of money and Deondre knew this. Since his uncle was footing the bill for everything he had, he told Dominique that she could stay with him for as long as she needed rent free. This was something he’d done even before they became a couple. Deondre had done so much for her, and she appreciated him and loved him for everything. Did she love him as much as she loved Kaleb? The answer to that question was no. She and Deondre did have a bond that they shared, and that was DJ, their child, and while she wasn’t ‘in love’ like her grandmother predicted, she was going to make it work with her family. Not growing up in a two parent household was something that Dominique didn’t get a chance to have once her father was sent to prison and she was going to work hard to make sure that DJ did, even if it meant putting her needs on the back burner.

After pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant, Dominique found an available spot near the front and parked her car. She looked around and saw that the restaurant wasn’t as packed as it usually was on the weekend, and was glad that there wouldn’t be a bunch of loud folks while she and her best friend ate. Once her vehicle was in gear, she pulled down her visor and inspected her hair in the mirror. She loved how it had turned out. The Bantu knots that she had put in the night before were damn near perfect. There were large, full curls all over her head. The ones in the front framed her face, while the ones near the rear fell gracefully across her shoulders and down her back. The new oil that she had started using had her locks shiny, and the edge control had her baby hairs laid. Happy with her look, Dominique put on a coat of lip gloss, grabbed her bag, and climbed out of the car.

As soon as she entered the restaurant, she saw Shanice sitting at a table close to the bar. She was on the phone talking to someone, and from what Dominique could see, the conversation wasn’t a pleasant one. When she walked up, Shanice immediately ended the call with a look of annoyance on her face. Her expression quickly changed and she threw on a smile.

“Hey babes,” Shanice squealed, standing up to greet her.

“Hey boo. You look cute,” Dominique complimented.

Shanice beamed, placed her hands on her hips, and turned around to give her best friend a full look at what she had on. When she was back facing the table, she smiled and replied, “Thank you. You do too. Sit down and let’s chat. I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Taking a seat, Dominique thought for a second, “I know. It’s been at least a month,” she paused. “About the fight, I tried my best to break it—”

“Girl, don’t even trip about that,” Shanice interjected with a wave on her hand. “I ain’t even worried about that no more. That’s old news,” she lied. “Anyways, what’s been up with Miss Nikki?” Shanice asked, taking a sip from the glass of water in front of her.

“Umm, nothing much. I’ve just taking care of DJ and staying out the damn way,” she said as she looked over at her friend.

Dominique was amazed that there weren’t any marks on her. After the fight Shanice had with NiChia, her face was a bloody mess. So, to see that none of the scratches and scars was visible was shocking. Dominique noticed that Shanice had gotten her hair braided and wore it in a high ponytail. She wondered if it was because NiChia had pulled out a lot of her hair, or if the braids were just something she wanted at the time. While she wasn’t sure, Dominique figured that it was because of her hair being pulled out. Shanice was never the type to really rock braids. She usually opted for extremely long sew-ins.