She Gave Her All to the Hood's Finest 5

by Shvonne Latrice

  I got out of my car and rang Ahmad’s doorbell. His house manager let me in, offered me something to drink, which I took, and then I went to Ahmad’s dressing room that we always worked in. While I waited for him, the house manager brought me some juice, and I went over what I was going to say to Ahmad in my head.

  “Hey, my favorite girl!” Ahmad walked in to come hug me.

  How didn’t I know that he was gay? He had so many gay tendencies, but then again, he wasn’t completely flamboyant. In fact, Ahmad was quite masculine, and you’d really have to pay attention, like I was now, to see any cracks in the mold. I guess that explained my blindness.

  “Hey!”

  Pulling back from the hug, he asked, “Where are the clothes for me to try on?”

  “Ahmad, can you sit down for a second so we can talk?” I patted the couch cushion next to me.

  “Sure. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, but there are some things I have to say. First of all, I want you to know that I really love working with you. You’re one of my favorite clients, even over some of the ones signed to my brother. When I see you on my schedule, I literally look forward to it.” That was another sign I guess I missed. I’d never felt this close to a straight man, outside of Vernon, once upon a time, and Nehemiah. But Ahmad, for real, brightened my workdays.

  “But…?”

  “But I can’t pretend to date you. It would humiliate my fiancé, and it would make a mockery of our relationship. Our relationship, Nehemiah’s and mine, is very important to me. Then to add to it, I’m pregnant, so that wouldn’t really go well with the media, seeing me knocked up by Nehemiah whilst being your girlfriend. So I understand if you no longer want to work with me because of this.”

  “Wow, you’re pregnant? Congratulations, Jilly.”

  “Thank you.”

  “However, I am going to have to let you go. I need somebody that can do whatever I tell them to and when I tell them to do it.”

  “Right, okay.” I got ready to stand up, but he stopped me.

  “I’m fucking with you, Jilly. I only asked you because I felt like you’re the only woman in my life, other than my sister, who wouldn’t want to make me kill myself while playing my beard. But if you can’t do it, that’s fine; I’m not going to fire you. You’re reasoning is very understandable, especially the pregnant part. It’d be hard to spin that narrative without making you look bad, and I wouldn’t want your reputation ruined just to hide my sexuality.”

  “So I’m still your stylist?”

  “Yeah, of course. But you didn’t bring any clothes.”

  “I did, but I left them in the car because I didn’t know if you’d want to still work with me.”

  “Well I do, so go get them. I have some things to do later.”

  “Okay, sure thing!” I hopped up happily and went out to my car to get the clothes.

  Just like all Ahmad’s other fittings, it went nicely, and time flew by because we always had good conversation. It seemed like my sessions with him were only ten minutes instead of two hours, and then my sessions with others seemed to feel like ten hours instead of two.

  It was noon by the time I left Ahmad’s, and I was in a way better mood than before. I was feeling so good that I decided I was going to make fried pork chops tonight, which Nehemiah and Timothy loved. He said he’d be home from his video shoot around 9 p.m., and I was supposed to pick up Timothy at two thirty, so I had just enough time to grocery shop before I got the baby.

  I mapped the closest store to our house, checking to see which one would have the majority of what I needed, and I decided on Gelson’s.

  By the time I was done shopping, I had thirty minutes to get to Timothy, who was with Star. I didn’t want to go get him, but Nehemiah assured me that Star and Dre were no longer in a relationship, so I was cool. Star was all bark and no bite, so I didn’t mind her ass too much, especially after I fucked her up sometime ago.

  I put all my groceries into the trunk of my Range, and as I rounded the car, I noticed my rear left tire was somewhat flat. Getting into the truck, I started it, trying to drive like I’d done in the past when the air got low, but the loud sound of my tire tearing jolted me.

  “What the hell!” I shouted when I got out, seeing it was completely flat now, and messed up to where adding air to it definitely wouldn’t be enough. “Damnit.”

  I quickly dialed up AAA to get someone to come out, and they let me know it’d be about half an hour before someone got there. I didn’t have that kind of time, because I needed to pick Timothy up.

  While I waited, I called Nehemiah countless times, but he didn’t answer, which wasn’t a surprise to me. He was always hard to reach when shooting because he kept his phone on silent so that it wouldn’t ring or vibrate during a scene. I bit the bullet and dialed Star to let her know I’d probably be late, but I realized I was blocked when it rang once and went to voicemail.

  “Hey, you called AAA, right?” The tow truck finally arrived at 2:25 p.m.

  “Yes, and can you please hurry? I have to be somewhere in five minutes.”

  “You can’t even drive this, so you’re not going to make it. I can tow it to a tire shop, and you can call a ride service to get where you need to go.”

  “Fuck, you’re right.”

  I looked up the shop that Nehemiah always used, which was close by our condo, and then showed the truck driver. Once he confirmed the shop was AAA approved, he had me sign some papers, get my stuff from the trunk, and then he hooked my baby up to his truck.

  I ordered an Uber, and by the time it got to me, it was 3 p.m. En route to Star’s, I saw Nehemiah calling me, so I answered.

  “Baby, where are you? You were supposed to get Timothy half an hour ago, and now Star is tripping.”

  Crying for some reason that I wasn’t aware of, I replied, “I know. My tire ripped, and I had to call for help. That took some time, and now I’m in an Uber to her house to get him. I tried calling Star, but she has me blocked, with her immature ass.”

  “Damn, okay. But baby, she’s probably not gon’ let me have him. You know how she acts when I’m late getting him. You can just turn around.” He sounded defeated.

  “No, I’m going to get Timothy,” I assured him. This bitch wasn’t about to keep his son.

  We exchanged I love yous then hung up.

  When the Uber driver got to Star’s place, I asked if he could wait since I had all my damn groceries in his car, and he nicely agreed.

  Rushing up the hill of her driveway, I rang the doorbell repeatedly until the bitch came.

  “Oh, you finally remembered to get my baby? I hope you don’t think I’m letting you take him.” Her brow went up.

  “Star, it is literally only three twenty p.m, and even if it was later than that, why are you keeping that boy from his father over such a small reason? Nehemiah is a great dad, and during this whole co-parenting thing, he’s been late like three damn times. Stop acting like he’s purposely putting these pick-ups on the back burner.”

  When I was done, Star gave me a slow clap, being the bitch that she was.

  “Yeah, Nehemiah means no harm, but you, I don’t trust you. You were probably out with your boo Ahmad and lost track of time.”

  “Ahmad is not my boo. And I know you were the one who snitched on me to Nehemiah.”

  “I told you I was going to snitch unless you broke up with him or got an abortion.”

  “Okay, well your tattle telling didn’t work, bitch. Now give me Timothy before I take him.” If I had to knock this whore out, I would, but my man was getting his son.

  “Bitch? Who the fuck are you calling a bitch!” She came fully from behind her door.

  “Who the fuck am I looking at? You’re nothing but a jealous ass, hating ass, built like a bulldog ass bitch!” I took the last line from Tony, who always called her a pitbull in a skirt because of her muscular body.

  “I’m glad I slit your fucking tire, you skank, because now you’re goin
g to be the reason Nehemiah doesn’t get his son.” She sneered.

  WHAM!

  I wasn’t sure what came over me, but knowing she herself sabotaged this pickup, caused my fist to have a mind of its own. Maybe it was genetics, because Tony swore that his reflexes caused him to slap the shit out of people; it was in his blood.

  Star stumbled back, cupping her nose and hitting her head on the other side of her door, which made her trip and stumble down her three porch steps. While she was incapacitated, I rushed into the house and found Timothy in the kitchen, eating a jell-o cup.

  “Hey, baby. Come on.” I picked him up and started running out of the house. He was so heavy, but that didn’t stop me.

  “Come back with my baby, you bitch!” Star tried getting up from the ground, nose busted beyond belief.

  “Get in!” I told Timothy since I had to put him down to open the Uber car’s door.

  Laughing, since he thought this was fun, he hopped into the car, and I did right after him, yelling for the Uber driver to take off. I was so happy that he did, and I would be sure to tip him nicely for waiting for me and being a great getaway driver.

  I directed him to my condo, and by the time I got there, Nehemiah was calling me. I didn’t answer right away because I wanted to get Timothy and the groceries inside of the house. He blew me up the entire time, so once Timothy, the food, and I were safely inside, I answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, what the fuck happened?” I could hear wind in the background, so I knew he was driving.

  “Star told me I couldn’t take Timothy, and she also admitted to slicing my tire so I’d be late picking him up. When she said that, I don’t know what happened, baby. I blacked out,” I lied, whining for extra sympathy. “I’m pregnant. I cannot take all this stress,” I added.

  “I know. I know. Shit. But I’m glad you got him. Thank you.”

  “Welcome. Are you on your way home?”

  “I was, but I need to meet up with someone real quick. I will be there earlier than expected though.”

  “Okay, see you soon.”

  “Aight. I love you.”

  I wondered where he had to be, but I decided I would ask once he got here.

  “Ready to help make pork chops, T?”

  “Yes!” Timothy threw his tiny arms in the air, making me kiss his cheek.

  “Okay, let’s wash our hands.”

  I didn’t know how the three of us—Star, Nehemiah, and I—would move on from where we’d plunged, but I knew our current situation was just not working. And when I had this baby, it would only be worse.

  Today, Nehemiah and I were going to court with Star. After her latest stint, Nehemiah was fed up and went straight to his lawyer’s office.

  I was so proud of him for always doing what he needed to do for his son. When he took her to court the first time, knowing he would have to pay plenty of money to her for child support, I commended him for that. It showed me how good of a father he was and how he would do anything to make sure he saw and spent time with his son, even if it caused for him to have to pay Star thousands of dollars she didn’t need.

  This time was much different though, because Nehemiah and his lawyer were filing to have a professional mediator exchange Timothy. That way Star wouldn’t be able to get away with her little games, not unless she wanted to be penalized by the courts. Most importantly, having that mediator there for the exchange would ensure that Nehemiah got his time with his baby.

  I was seated with Timothy, behind Nehemiah and his lawyer, watching everything go down, including the way Star’s lawyer tried to paint him as a bad father and me as some psycho girlfriend. Thankfully though, he and I kept all evidence, showing the mess that Star had made. We even went so far as to source the camera footage from Gelson’s on the day she slashed my tire. When Nehemiah’s lawyer played that, it was pretty much the nail in the coffin.

  “I’ve seen enough today, and I first want to say that, Miss Chasen, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. I expect way more from a woman of your caliber who clearly has a lot going for herself. This man does not owe you a relationship simply because it’s what you expected. And him moving on does not give you the right to act foolishly. If he does not want to be with you, you pick yourself up and go on about your business so you can meet someone who does feel like you’re worthy of a relationship.” The judge read Star’s ugly ass.

  “Yes, Your Honor,” she replied sheepishly.

  “As for you, Mr. Van Buren, when it comes to your son, I’m going to need you to make moves a little bit quicker than you have. From the evidence you’ve shown me, Miss Chasen has been harassing your significant other and playing around with your visitation for over six months. Your loyalty needs to lie with your son and that woman you chose to have a life with, not with your past.” She turned to Nehemiah to let him have it too.

  “Yes, I understand and agree with you, Your Honor.” Nehemiah nodded studiously.

  “Good. I hereby make judgement in favor of the plaintiff. A mediator will be assigned to monitor the exchange of Timothy Van Buren until further notice. I will also be granting the restraining order against Miss Chasen, so she is not allowed to contact nor be within one hundred yards of the plaintiff or his significant other, Miss Jilly Terranova, for a minimum of seven years, or she will be arrested. This restraining order is effective immediately. If the defendant needs to contact the plaintiff regarding the child, Timothy Van Buren, she can inform the assigned mediator who will then deliver the information to the plaintiff.

  As for the damages the defendant is suing for, I am denying that. Miss Chasen, you provoked the plaintiff’s significant other, and therefore suffered the consequences. Have a good day.” The judge banged her gavel, and I couldn’t help but to jump in excitement.

  Star snatched her shit up and hurried toward the exit of the courtroom, I guess embarrassed.

  But before she left, she yelled, “I hate you!” at Nehemiah, like a dummy, and was immediately apprehended.

  I was so happy we had a restraining order against that bitch. I smiled, thinking about it, as I exited the courtroom with Timothy to wait for my man.

  “Damn. I feel like I’m about to start a whole new life.” Nehemiah smiled at Timothy and I as he met us outside the courtroom.

  “That’s because you are. Me, you, Timothy, and this new one.”

  “Sounds perfect.” He kissed my lips a couple times, just as the security guard walked Star by us in handcuffs. It was perfect timing. Timothy didn’t seem to be fazed by seeing his mother in distress either.

  I finally felt like I could breathe, because now that bitch was out of our fucking lives and way before my baby got here.

  Life was good.

  35

  Tony Wacko

  One week later…

  It was a little after 4 p.m., and since a nigga ain’t have shit to do today, I decided I was gon’ roll through to see my wife and Baby Cuz at her spa. I’d been there a few times, but the shit was girly as fuck and had me feeling some type of way just chilling in that muthafucka. Plus, if I stayed around too long, Camarih’s ass would be trying to give me a muthafuckin facial, and I wasn’t with that shit in public.

  I allowed her to do that shit occasionally in the privacy of our home, but I made her turn her fucking phone off beforehand so she couldn’t take any damn photos of the shit. And you muthafuckas reading this shit bet not relay this top-secret information to any fucking body. No one would believe Tony Wacko sat up and got no damn facial anyway.

  I had to admit my girl was good at that shit, because my muthafuckin ass almost fell asleep, and that wasn’t even the type of nigga I was. I stayed alert, even at the crib, so the fact that she had me dozing off like a bitch just proved how amazing her beautiful ass was. Couldn’t say I was surprised though. I would always support my girl, even if it involved some bullshit like that.

  Parking my whip outside of her spa, I pulled my phone out to call her ass up. I needed some info
rmation before I came in.

  “Hi, baby,” she answered excitedly, stroking a nigga’s ego and shit. I smirked, knowing she was grinning hard, showing off that one dimple she had. Camarih could get my dick hard, even over the fucking phone.

  “Aye, who inside yo’ shit?”

  “Why?”

  “Because, Camarih, just tell me.” I kept my eyes on the people walking up and down the sidewalks and driving by.

  West Hollywood had some weird muthafuckas, but it was upscale as shit over here and where all the rich folk hung out, which was why I bought her the shop in this location.

  “It’s me, Dana, and my intern, Kai. Of course Avery is here, but I let him go on break until my next client.”

  “Aight, and don’t be giving that nigga no fucking breaks. I pay his big ass a lot of money to watch yo’ shit.”

  Giggling, she replied, “I know, but he just looked so tired.”

  How I ended up with such a nice ass compassionate wife, I would never know. She was the complete fucking opposite of a nigga, but in the same breath, perfect for me. I always thought if I lost my damn mind and decided to be monogamous, it would be with some hood bitch that was just as mean as my ass.

  I guess God knew I needed something better, and that was Buttascotch; nice as hell but would knock a hoe out if needed. Shit was crazy to me how just seeing her face or smelling her scent would have me relaxed as fuck, no matter how bad my damn day was. Once she came around, I would legit forget why I was so pissed and have to remind myself of it.

  I reached into my back seat to grab the rose I’d gotten from this florist nigga I always hit up, to get some arrangements for Camarih, and the small Cartier bag. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I canvassed the outside of her shop again, just to be sure I didn’t see any funny shit, then walked up to the door. I made sure you had to be buzzed in, in order to get into her spa, because muthafuckas were crazy. And even though Camarih was adamant that she was a regular ass person, the truth was that she wasn’t.