by Natavia
“So where is that hoe at now? Have you seen her?”
“Naw, I haven’t. The nigga she cheated on me wit’ got killed while I was locked up. He was a rat,” he said.
“My man had a soft side all this time?” I joked to lighten the mood. Mayor chuckled a little, but he winced in pain from the wound.
“Did you go to the hospital?”
“Naw, one of my homeboy’s girl is a nurse and she stitched me up this mornin’,” he said.
Mayor got up from the table and kissed my forehead. He stated he was tired and wanted to lay down. I was still sitting at the kitchen table, processing what Mayor told me; all I had to do was tell him about the pregnancy. My phone vibrated by my kitchen plate and it was Ian calling me.
Is this a sign? No, don’t answer it. But maybe you should. What if Mayor is goin’ to revert back to his old ways?
Instead of answering Ian’s call, I turned my phone off. After cleaning the kitchen, I headed to the bedroom. Mayor was lying on his back, watchin’ TV. I climbed into bed with him and rested my head on his chest.
“My mother is cookin’ dinner today. Tryin’ to slide through wit’ me?” he asked.
“Ohhhh, I’m ready to meet Mama? Awww shucks now.”
“She knows about you though. Plus, we weren’t in the right place for all of that,” he said.
“Do you want kids?”
“Yeah, eventually. Why? I know you don’t want any. You wild, shorty,” he said. I sat up and looked at him.
“Are you sayin’ I’m not mother material?”
“Are you? Shid, I don’t know,” he said and closed his eyes.
Tell him you’re pregnant. Just hurry and get it over wit’! But I should only tell him if I want to keep it, right?
I just couldn’t find the words to tell Mayor which wasn’t fair. I’d been wanting him to open up to me and not once have I given him the same in return. I laid on Mayor’s chest in deep thought. Truth be told, I wished Mayor had Ian’s personality. It would’ve made my decision so much easier.
**********
“How do I look?” I asked Mayor after I got dressed.
“Childish as fuck. Come on, shorty. Please just let the cats take a cat nap for a while,” he said. Mayor didn’t like the way I dressed even though I always matched.
“I match.”
“You have on three different types of animal prints. Cheetah and tiger with leopard heels? My mother will crack on you. I’m just bein’ honest,” he said.
“But I like cats.”
“You don’t like zebra prints? What about snakeskin?” he asked while going through my clothes in the closet. I sat on the bed and unfastened my ankle cut pants that I bought from Old Navy a while back. Mayor came out of the closet holding a pair of denim stretch pants and one of his white long-sleeve button-up collared shirts.
“Really?”
“Yeah, leave the first three buttons undone and wear a necklace wit’ it. What’s it called? A boyfriend top, right?” he asked, and I burst out laughing.
“Who told you how to style women?”
“My mother used to send me and Governor to the mall for her,” he said. I undressed and put on the clothes Mayor gave me.
“Grown woman shit, shorty,” he said.
This looks like sumthin Essa would wear.
“You ready?”
“I been ready,” he replied.
Twenty-nine minutes later…
“Wowww, this is beautiful. This is your mother’s house?” I asked when Mayor drove through a gate. The property was huge and there were two houses that sat on a hill, one being bigger than the other. My stomach was in knots and I began feeling nauseated because I was nervous. The only guy’s mother I met was Dade’s and that’s because she lived a few doors down. Mayor parked his car in front of the smaller house. He turned the car off and I sat for a while. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
“We don’t have to go in there. I can get a plate to-go and we can do sumthin else,” he said.
“You serious?”
“Hell nah. I’m not tryna hear your mouth. You bring up old shit a lot,” he said, and I rolled my eyes.
“And you don’t?”
“Naw,” he lied.
Someone knocked on the window and startled us. When I looked up, a dark-skinned woman was standing next to the car with her arms crossed.
“The food is gettin’ cold,” she said.
“You have a sister?”
“That’s Kendra, my mother,” he said.
Mayor got out of the car and hugged his mother. He opened the passenger’s side door for me. I couldn’t tell if it was because he was trying to change or impress his mother but either way, our relationship was starting to feel real.
“I finally get to meet Abreesha. This fool has been showin’ off, huh?” she asked.
“Naw, he’s gettin’ better,” I laughed.
“Ummm hmmm. Well, I’ll make sure I give you my number before you leave so you can call me. I’m gonna stick my foot up his ass,” Kendra said.
“Naw, y’all don’t need to exchange numbers. You might try to steal my girl,” Mayor replied, and she playfully mushed him. They had a father and son bond despite her being his mother. They joked and wrestled each other on our way inside the house. Mayor let his mother put him in a headlock and it was hilarious because Mayor could’ve easily gotten out of it.
“Aight, Ma, chill! I can’t fuckin’ breathe,” he lied. She pushed him into the door then smoothly walked away.
“I still got it!” Kendra said.
“She’ll get her ass beat in real life if she tried that on someone,” Mayor chuckled.
“You have a beautiful home,” I stated while crossing the foyer.
“Thank you,” she said.
Kendra’s home could’ve been in an interior design magazine. She must’ve paid a grip for the layout. The ceilings were high with wood panels. She had pretty rust wood-colored floors with brick walls. It reminded me of one of those pretty cabins they advertise for vacations. The candles she was burning smelled of roses and vanilla.
She gave me a tour of the house while Mayor went to use the bathroom. I was fascinated by her style. Mayor’s home was bigger, but his mother had more style and personality.
Maybe I should talk Mayor into decorating the house, so it can feel like a home.
After the tour, we headed towards her country cottage-style kitchen. Mayor was sitting at the table laughing and smiling with a woman who looked around our age. She was pretty, shapely and dressed sophisticated. The stranger was what Mayor wanted me to become.
“Yo, Malorie, this is my shorty, Abreesha,” Mayor said.
Ohhh, so this is the bitch that throws shade at Essa.
“So, Mrs. Kendra, what did you make for dinner? Do you need help wit’ anything?” I asked without acknowledging Malorie.
“We’re eating seafood lasagna and asparagus with a garden salad,” Kendra said.
My phone rang inside my purse and I went inside to see who was calling me; it was Ian. I don’t know how I forgot about the plans we made. Ian wanted to take me to the National Harbor for the weekend.
What in the hell was I thinking? Damn it, this is confusing. I don’t know what I want to do. Should I cut them both off and just focus on myself? But Mayor is comin’ around…
The hardest thing in my situation was figuring out was it all good enough? I started blaming myself because I never knew my worth until after Mayor dogged me out. A message came through from Ian after my phone stopped vibrating and it read…
Are you okay? What did I do wrong? I’m worried about you.
I placed the phone inside my purse. When I looked up, Mayor was eyeing me with a displeased look on his face.
“Who was that?” he finally asked.
“Tinka.”
“Is it an emergency? She never blows your phone up like that,” he said.
“Her and Cooley are beefin’ about sumthin.”
&nbs
p; Malorie was mumbling something underneath her breath. I wanted to knock the glass of wine out of her hand.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Malorie asked.
“She ain’t never had to shake her ass or turn lesbian just to have somewhere to live. What do you besides spend my mother’s money?” Mayor replied.
“Wow, really?” Malorie asked.
“MAYOR!” Kendra yelled at him.
“What? You keep lettin’ this broad butt into our business like y’all married or sumthin.”
“She will be your stepmother so get used to it,” Kendra said and Malorie winked her eye at me.
Kendra, you cool and all, but this woman is clearly usin’ you to get to one of your sons. Whew the tea is runnin’ over.
I don’t know if Kendra missed it or she ignored it but Malorie was practically flirting with Mayor when we walked into the kitchen. She wasn’t saying anything out of the ordinary, but it was her posture. Malorie leaned over the kitchen island with her cleavage showing and I didn’t trust her.
“I apologize to you ladies, but she didn’t come here to be interrogated. She was already nervous, and I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable,” Mayor said.
“I work for my father’s car wash for right now. It was just sumthin to get me on my feet.”
“I know you. I knew you looked familiar. You worked at the CVS on West Street. You had pink braids and long yellow nails. What happened to your cheek piercing? You clean up nice,” Malorie said.
“Leave her alone, Malorie,” Kendra said.
They don’t know how I throw these hands. Keep on, Malorie.
Once we finished setting the table, we sat down to eat dinner. The food was good, but it made my stomach feel queasy. I was never into food with white sauce; it was too rich for me. The pregnancy also made my stomach sensitive. I was feeling sick and my lower back started cramping along with my abdomen.
“You good?” Mayor asked.
“Not really. I just need to go to the bathroom really quick.”
I got up to use the bathroom and Mayor followed me.
“What’s goin’ on, Kitty? You have been actin’ funny lately. I thought you’d be happy to meet my mother, but you keep entertainin’ your stupid-ass phone. What, you didn’t like the food?” he asked.
“I forgot I’m allergic to seafood,” I lied.
“Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“No, I just want to go home. I’m sorry but I don’t feel good,” I replied.
“Aight, I’ll let my mother know,” he said. Mayor kissed me before walking away. As soon as I closed the bathroom door, the food came back up. I sat on the toilet seat and thought back to when me and Mayor started talking…
It was noon by the time my bus stopped at CVS. It wasn’t a dream job, but my father promised he’d help pay my rent as long as I worked. I hated working but I really needed the help before I ended up evicted since I was behind on my rent. While headed towards the store, a Mercedes pulled up next to me. The tinted window came down on the driver’s side and a strong scent of weed flowed out of the window.
“What’s good, shorty?” a guy asked.
I saw the guy around before, but we didn’t run in the same circle. The guys I’d talked to barely had a bicycle and most of them were broke. But here I was, standing in front of my job wearing a work uniform while a baller was trying to talk to me.
“Nothing, ready to go to work.”
“My name is Mayor. What’s your name?” he asked, smirking.
Damn, this nigga is fine as fuck!
“Kitty.”
“Can I get your number, Ms. Kitty?” he asked.
I rambled off my number and he texted my phone, so I could have his number.
“Aight, shorty, I’ll holla at you lata. I’m not tryna hold you up,” he said.
The work day was going by slow so me and Mayor texted for hours, getting to know each other. I was off the next day, so I invited him over. At eight o’clock, I got off from work. Tinka was around the way so she picked me up from work. I waited outside for her for ten minutes before she pulled up in an old ice cream truck. Her and Baby Head Poo were always coming up with a new hustle.
“You should quit your job and work wit’ us,” Tinka said when I climbed in.
“Hell no. My father would cut me off for good.”
“Girl, you need to get your own bank. Look at this,” Baby Head Poo said. She held up a roll of money. She had one twenty and the rest were one-dollar bills making it seem as if she had more.
“Call me Big Worm,” she said, fixing one of her rollers.
“You always have rollers in your hair but never wear curls or your real hair. You whack,” I joked.
“Let’s go to Joaney’s,” Baby Head Poo said.
“No, I have a date tonight and he paid, too. I’m fittin’ to take all of his money. A bitch is tired of workin’ and askin’ my father for money. I’m about to put this pussy on him.”
“What’s his name? Is it my nigga?” Baby Head Poo said.
“You don’t have a nigga and, besides, mind your business. I just want to use his ass and go about my business. Hell, niggas like him only want pussy anyway. Y’all know how these street niggas do who drive nice whips and wear iced-out chains.”
“You never know. He might be a different type of nigga. Shid, after you’re done wit’ him, give him to me if that’s the case,” Baby Head Poo said.
“Listen, I don’t have time to figure that out. All I know is I need a new car and my rent paid. Me and him can use each other…”
I went inside my back pocket to get my phone and let Mayor know I was almost home but in my call log it said I already called him…
Deep down I had a feeling he heard my conversation, but he showed up to my apartment that night. We got high, drank a little bit and we ended up having sex. For the first few months, he had respect for me then everything went downhill. I preyed on him, looking for a way out and it failed. Somehow, I ended up falling for him. Part of me believed he didn’t hear me because he stayed around. The other part didn’t want to accept the changes he made within our relationship because he was going to eventually hurt me. After finally rethinking everything, I figured out what I had to do.
The drive home was a silent one. Mayor was listening to rap music, but it was turned down low. Occasionally, he asked me how I was feeling. I wanted to ask him if he heard my conversation that night. Damn the cheap phone I had at the time where I couldn’t see how long the call was for.
What if he didn’t hear me? Wouldn’t that make me seem like his ex-girlfriend if I have to explain why I asked?
I was thinking so hard I didn’t realize we were home inside the garage.
“I’m goin’ out of town for a few days. Will you be okay?” he asked.
“Aren’t you wounded? Can’t you stay home and relax?”
“This stab wound ain’t nothin. I’ve been stabbed in jail a few times. I’m good right now but I gotta take care of business,” he said.
“Who are you goin’ wit?”
“A few niggas. You think I’m tryin to stick my dick in sumthin else wit’ all of what I got goin on?” he asked.
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you were thinkin’ it,” he replied.
He got out of the car and I followed him into the house. Mayor went straight to the liquor counter and poured himself a drink. He fixed me one, too. We took our drinks to the living room and Mayor turned on the TV.
“Let’s go to Dubai after I finish takin’ care of business. We need passports,” he said.
“A vacation? Just us?”
“Yeah, just us,” he said.
“I’ve never been outside of Maryland.”
“First time for everything,” he replied.
Mayor took his shirt off and the bandage on his side had a small amount of blood seeping through. He took it off and I saw the wound for the first time. It was about four inches long and it was puffy around t
he area. He told me to go into the kitchen to get a pain pill off the counter along with the Ziploc bag by the sink to nurse his wound. I took everything to him and he did it himself. He said my nails were too long and he didn’t want me to scrape him by mistake. The pain pill along with the liquor mellowed him out.