“But, what about your doctor visits? I’m going to miss them.” Monty said. He felt really hurt.
“Don’t worry about them. I will keep Mrs. Cat and Mona updated and I’ll send you sonograms of the baby. Trust me, Monty. I want this to work out, but I’m too young to be going through this bullshit already with a man that I love so much. I can’t make you stop sleeping around, but I can focus on me and do what’s in my best interest right now. Your behavior is not on the list of things I have to put up with. I love you and please don’t call me, because I will not answer. I’ll be alright. You’ll see.”
“Candy, baby, will you let me talk to you before we end things like this?”
“Are you willing to tell me whose house you were over and that you went there after you put me out?”
“Candy, I don’t wanna talk about that. I wanna talk about us.”
“It’s too late. You decided that one when you continued to go on with your ridiculous lie. Bye, Monty,” said Candy. She hung up the phone.
Monty quickly drove his car over to Candy’s house. Damn, I should have been honest with her. Why did I have to lie? I couldn’t tell her who I was with, though, because she would’ve had a fit. She knew what kind of feelings I had for Monica back in the days. I couldn’t be honest about that one. No way in the hell!
Monty pulled up in Candy’s neighborhood as a big body, sleek, black BMW 750 slowly drove by him. He looked in the car, but couldn’t see anything because the windows were darkly tinted. He wondered if it was Candy in Nancy’s car, but remembered it was another one just like that a few houses down from hers. He watched it in the rearview mirror as it halted at the stop sign, and then quickly drove off. Monty pulled up in Candy’s driveway and looked down the street as he watched a man and a little boy in the yard washing the same looking BMW 750 he’d just passed by. He quickly realized that the car was Nancy’s and Candy was driving it.
“Damn, she didn’t even stop for me. I know she knew I was going to her house!” Monty hit his steering wheel. “Damn!” He sat in her driveway, shocked. He immediately dialed her number but she didn’t answer. He text messaged her, hoping she’d turn around and come back home.
Candy… Please call me back. It’s not like that. We need to talk. Mo Money
He sat there and waited for a response, but he didn’t get one. He began to feel a little sick knowing he drove Candy away because he believed that she truly did love him. He felt bad for stressing her out while she was pregnant with his baby. He backed out of her driveway and headed home.
Monty drove down the long, narrow, dirt path which led the way to their new home. He pulled up to the two story, brick house and smiled a little from the progress he’d made while running in the streets. He looked around at their five acres of land surrounded by big trees. Not being able to see the neighbor’s house felt good. Catherine had given Mona her car to get back and forth to school, and Catherine bought herself a new white Acura TL. Monty got out of his Tahoe and walked up the steps leading up to the big, long front porch. He looked at the four wooden rocking chairs that rocked a little from the wind blowing and turned his head to check out the whips in his yard. Without his pawns, he’d still be living in the projects.
It felt good to have his mama and sister back living the way that his daddy would want them to be living. It felt even better to know that he was stepping up to make that happen. Maybe Candy is right. I can do my thing while she’s gone and enjoy saving up my money for when she returns. Then, just maybe, I can shake this career of mine and go into a more legal and honest way of making money. She’ll be happy about that, Monty thought as he walked into the house.
“You done did it now, with your big head self,” said Mona as soon as he entered.
“What are you talking about?” Monty asked as if he didn’t know.
“You finally pushed Candy away. Now, she’s gone to Atlanta for no telling how long. She came over here crying, searching for answers, looking for some kind of support, and feeling bad as hell about whatever the hell went down at IHOP after the party. But, the main person she wanted to see wasn’t even here for her. How do you think she was feeling?” Mona asked. She was very upset.
“It wasn’t like that!” Monty walked past her and upstairs to his bedroom.
“Oh yeah? Then, what was it like? I bet you were laid up with another woman while your baby’s mama worried about you. Weren’t you, Monty?” Mona followed Monty up the stairs.
“Get from behind me, Mona. I wasn’t with no woman!” he screamed. Monty already felt bad enough about Candy leaving.
“Put it on our daddy’s grave then,” said Mona. She knew Monty was not going to lie on their dad’s dead body.
“I ain’t gotta say all that! But, I wasn’t with no woman.” He slammed his room door shut in Mona’s face.
“I knew you were lying! You were with another woman!” Mona yelled. “You’re such a liar, Monty. Mama is going to be real upset when she finds out Candy has left here, all because of you. You better hope she feels sorry for your sorry ass and come back home to have your baby! You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Damn, it’s a New Year and you’re already starting that bullshit!”
Monty sat on his bed with his head buried in the palm of his big hands as he thought, How could I be so stupid and fall asleep over to Monica’s crib. I really fucked up with Candy this time. I have really got to get it together before I lose her for good, and I don’t want that to happen over some dumb shit. That girl has had a thang for me ever since I could remember. She’s always been down for me even before we started kicking it. Damn she got me feeling bad as hell.
Monty sat there while thinking. They had only been together five months, but it felt like he had known Candy forever. She practically lived with them every other weekend as she and Mona would take turns sleeping over at each other’s house. Plus, for many years they lived right across the street from each other. He lay back on his bed as he started thinking about the things that made them become so close with each other in the past few months. He smiled as he thought about the soft hugs she’d give him, the bubble baths they’d have, the sex games they’d play, and how the tasty lip gloss she wore stayed sweet on his lips for hours. She had a way of making him see that she was the one for him.
He enjoyed the way she’d get in the kitchen and whip him up something special that she got out of her mama’s cook book, probably to keep him from being with his pawns, but as usual, it always worked like a charm. They had movie dates every Sunday night whether they went out to a theater or watched a good movie at the crib. And, he made sure every week he’d spend at least three nights with her no matter what was offered from a pawn. He’d gotten extra close to her because he knew what the loss of a parent felt like and this made his feelings for her grow more. Even though she slapped the shit outta him after Paris called her with that bullshit, she calmed down and simply asked him to let it all go and she’d front him the money that he needed to start his business.
Monty had too much pride to take money from her, so he couldn’t avoid hurting her feelings by continuing his gig. He rolled over on his stomach and rested his head on the pillow as he thought about her getting pregnant the first time he made love to her. Still, that wowed him. He knew that them having this baby together was meant to be. Candy had always told him that she would be his lady whenever he decided to notice her like that and she wasn’t lying.
Maybe her going away for a few months is for the best, he thought. He hated how and why she left, but it was probably the best thing that she could do for her and the baby, because he could finally handle his business the way he needed to and as long as she was with Linda he knew she’d be alright. Plus, Mona and Catherine would always keep him filled in on how she and the baby were doing. His thoughts begin to cloud his mind. Maybe I should go see her. Surprise her or something. Naw, I don’t wanna make it worse. She doesn’t wanna see me right now, so I’ll just leave things as is. I gotta get focused here. What a Birthda
y, Monty considered just as he received a text message.
Can I c u before I leave 2morrow…? Symone
Let me get back with u later… Mo Money
He put his phone down and continued to think. Damn, she ain’t playing, either. I can’t believe she just left me like that. Monty called Rico quickly.
“Hey, what’s up, birthday boy? Did you and Miss Candy enjoy each other last night?”
“Naw, man, it’s a long story, so I need to talk to you ASAP. Are you at home, man?” Monty asked as he grabbed his keys.
“Yeah, I ain’t had the strength to leave here after fucking with Paris all night. I’ve been sleeping like a baby. I was just about to call you, though, because after I turned my phone back on, my people called and said you beat the shit out of a nigga last night. What happened?”
“We’ll talk about that when I get there. I’m on the way.” Monty ended the call and drove over to Rico’s place. He pulled up to Rico’s house and got out of his Tahoe, then walked on the porch just as Rico opened up the door.
“Come on in, man. What’s up?”
“I ain’t gonna even beat around the bush.” Monty sat down on the leather couch in Rico’s front room. He looked around. Rico’s house was nice with an old fashioned layout and a countryside look to it. His mother was an interior decorator and she did a good job on the place while making good money decorating other people’s houses, too. “You would not believe who I got with this morning after I put Candy out.”
“What you mean, after you put Candy out?” Rico asked.
“Candy and I ended up having a huge disagreement after we left the club. I watched some dude flirting with her, so when I saw him put his hand on her stomach, I went crazy. I beat his ass so bad that they called the police on me. I took her home afterwards.”
“Damn, man. What made her let another dude get up on her like that?”
“She got mad when she saw me and a pawn talking to each other outside at IHOP so she tried me. I bet that’ll be her last time trying that shit, though.”
“Damn, I bet so, too.”
“So, I took her home. But, then I went to get with a new pawn that one of my other pawns put me down with. Guess who she is?”
“Who, man? Do I know her?” Rico asked anxiously.
“Hell yeah. You know her.” Monty became serious.
“Who?”
“Monica Hunter,” said Monty. He shook his head from side to side.
“What? Did you say that the new pawn is Monica Hunter?” Rico questioned.
“Yeah, Monica Hunter. And, she was looking better than ever. I didn’t even know who she was until I got to her house. Hell, she was just as shocked to see me!”
“I can’t believe what you just told me. Man. Monica Hunter is back in town. Did you fuck her?” Rico quickly asked.
“Hell yeah! I couldn’t resist her, man. She was so sexy and fine. I tell ya, she favors Ashanti with her thick ass.”
“Damn, she ain’t looking like my baby, Ashanti, is she?”
“Yeah, man. I did the unthinkable, too.” Monty felt disappointed in himself.
“What did you do? Did you kiss her for old time’s sake, or did you eat that pussy out good to let her know who’s running thangs?”
“Hell naw. I fell asleep over there and I didn’t wake up until after two this afternoon.”
“What? You fell asleep? How in the hell did you manage to do that? Her pussy must be some kind of good.”
“I don’t know what happened, I can’t lie. She got some of the best pussy I done had. She took it like a professional, too. That shit was so good until the next thing I know, I’m waking up looking at her clock and it’s after two. Man, that ain’t the worse part. How about Candy left me.”
“What do you mean, Candy left you? She don’t know that Monica is back in town, do she?”
“Naw, but she left. She knew I’d gone to be with another woman. I didn’t even know she was calling me because my ass was knocked out and didn’t hear my phone, which had been on vibrate all night long.”
“Damn, man, whatcha gonna do now?” Rico asked as he was feeling bad for Monty.
“I don’t know, man, but I need some kind of advice. What do you think that I should do?”
“What do you wanna do?”
“I want Candy back here, but she doesn’t want to talk to me right now. She’s saying that she’ll see me when she returns to have our baby. But, she’ll text me to keep me informed about any doctor’s visits. She says I should basically take advantage of her being gone and handle my business. I believe she’s hoping I’ll go ahead and get it out of my system or something before she comes back home.”
“Well, do that. Go ahead, then. Here is your chance to make all the money you want without Candy interrupting you. When Candy returns, you can decide if you’ve done enough to let it go or is she really worth it?”
“She’s worth every bit of it. But, eventually I’ma have to explain things to Monica so she’ll know this thing between us isn’t going to last once Candy is back.”
“Are you sure that you wanna do that? Maybe you should enjoy your freedom first, then tell Monica once you’ve really decided what it is that you really wanna do or, for that matter, who you really want to be with?” Rico looked over at Monty. Monty looked back at Rico like what the fuck.
“I haven’t saw Monica since high school, man. I don’t know what or who she’s been fucking with. From what she tells me, hell, she ain’t even wifey material no more. Candy, on the other hand, is. I can mold her into the woman that I want and need her to be in my life.”
“So, how’s that working out for you so far?” Rico asked with sarcasm.
“Shut up, nigga. I didn’t say I wanted a pushover or someone that I could control. Hell, I like knowing that she speaks her mind and is stubborn sometimes. I hate that she left me, but it also shows me that she will stand up for herself if I fuck up. This type shit only makes me want her more. Damn, man. I miss her already. So, for the record, nigga, I know who I wanna be with. But, maybe you’re right, I’ll wait before I tell Monica anything.” He looked at Rico seriously. “I’m very serious about letting this shit go, man. You can take over where I left off if you want to.”
“How serious are you about that?”
“Very. You gotta know when it’s time to leave the game and it is time that I slow down a little bit. I’ve been wide open every chance I get. I’ve already saved up enough money, and by the time Candy comes back, I’ll really be on top of my game.”
“Well, let me know when I can take over the throne. I’ll be happy to assist you with that.” Rico smiled and rubbed his hands together as if he was warming them up.
“I’m going to get on outta here, man. Wanna shoot some pool later?” Monty asked, and then got up and walked over to the door.
“Yeah, that’s cool with me.”
“Call me around eight and we’ll holla then. I gotta go home and think a little bit about things, alright? But, thanks for listening, man. Now, I’ma have to listen to my mom’s big mouth trippin’ on me about Candy leaving.” Monty walked out the door and got inside of his SUV.
“Don’t worry partner. Everything is going to be alright, you’ll see.” Rico closed up Monty’s door. He cranked up his truck and left. Rico walked back inside of his house and noticed that Monty’s cell phone must have fell out of his pocket as he picked it up off of the sofa.
Damn, I’ll just have to wait until he gets home and call him and tell him that I have his cell phone here. He’ll be lost without this thing, and he’ll be really upset if he misses a call from Candy.
Monty pulled up to his house and still felt bad about Candy being gone. He got out and went inside.
“Hey, Rico just called and said you left your cell phone over his house,” Mona said while rolling her eyes at Monty.
Damn, I didn’t even know I didn’t have my phone. Let me call Rico right back. Monty walked up the stairs and into his bedroom to make the
call. “Hey, man, I’ll be back over there in about an hour to pick up my phone.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’m coming out, so I’ll stop by your crib and bring it to you. But, as soon as you left, you got a text message.”
“Who is it from?” Monty asked, hoping it was from Candy.
“I haven’t read it.”
“Well, check it and let me know.”
“It says,” Rico began to read. “If you want more, then you know how and where to get it. I had a lot of fun. Sunshine. Who the hell is Sunshine?”
“Sunshine is Monica.”
“Oh, she got it like that?” Rico smiled.
“Yeah, man. I must say, she got it like that. But, I ain’t leaving my family for her good pussy ass. However, I am going to enjoy myself and make all the money I can because she don’t play when it comes down to paying a brotha that bread. Plus, she’s into real estate. That’s really gonna benefit me because I’m gonna get all the tips and tricks I can from her about being a successful business man. She’s doing the same thing I’m interested in investing into real soon.”
“Damn, man, she is serious. I don’t even wanna hear no more. I’ll be over there shortly, alright?”
“That’s cool,” Monty said before he ended their call.
Chapter Nineteen
M
Monty got out of bed, walked into the bathroom, then freshened up. He yawned since he was a little tired from having a long night with Monica. He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Mona was already sitting on one of the bar stools eating pancakes.
CheckMate (Play At Your Own Risk) Page 21