Trouble Loves Company

by Angie Daniels

  I hung up and sat with her while we waited for Danielle. Kayla started crying again and I hoped and prayed that Danny would get here quickly. I can’t stand to see another woman cry. The more she cried, the madder I got. How dare that pencil-dick mothafucka put his hand on my girl?

  While she continued to cry, I couldn’t help wondering if it was finally over. Kayla had been messing with Leroy for over four years, regardless of how many times we’ve told her to leave his no-good ass alone. But he has her brainwashed. It’s like some Jim Jones shit. Leroy’s this pastor with all this power and so many people have put him up on this pedestal, flooding his church on Sunday, and given him all their hard-earned money. Whatever he says, whatever he wants, they give him. Now he rides around in this phat-ass Benz, living in this bad-ass house on the hill like he’s God, looking down on everyone from heaven.

  Leroy has a reputation of being a ladies’ man, which I can’t understand because I’ve seen the pictures and he ain’t got no dick, yet the women want him anyway. He preys on vulnerable women like Kayla with low self-esteem. He makes her meet him at sleazy hotels on the outskirts of town. He has never helped her financially. She even passed up an opportunity with a professional football player to be with him. (I still ain’t figured that shit out.) She’s not his wife, yet he doesn’t want her fucking anyone but him. Leroy’s a manipulator and he doesn’t deserve a woman like Kayla. By the time Danny came through the door, tears were running down my face again.

  “What all happened?” she asked, looking from me to her.

  Before Kayla could answer, I jumped in. “That bastard raped and beat the crap out of her. Look at that shit!”

  Danielle looked from me to her, then placed a comforting hand against Kayla’s arm. “Have you called the police yet?”

  I intervened. “The police? What’s the po-po gon’ do but get all in her business. Don’t worry, at this point, we don’t need no police, I’m gonna handle this shit”

  Danielle rolled her eyes. “Ho, whateva. You always tryin’ to get some shit started. I guess you haven’t learned anything after that psycho tried to slice and dice yo’ ass.”

  See, now why did she even go there? They’re always trying to bring up old shit. A couple of years ago, I played with this cat’s emotions and he tried to kill a sistah, but what’s that got to do with anything? “I’m not going to sit around and let that fucker hit my girl and get away with it. I’m going to call my boy and get this handled.”

  Kayla panicked. “No, please, let’s just leave it alone.”

  I jumped back and stared down at her. “Have you' lost your mind? Why you always trying to defend that no-good mothafucka?”

  “I know that’s right,” Danielle chimed in. “Although I don’t believe in an eye for an eye, I think we should at least get the police involved.”

  “Please, no police.” A sob blocked her windpipe, causing her to cough. “I don’t want to get Leroy in trouble.” I could tell by the look on her face she didn’t mean to blurt that out. I was too through.

  “Leroy beat yo’ ass like you’re a runaway slave and you’re worried about getting him in trouble? He don’t care about you. You were just some more pussy to him, and the sooner you realize that, the better off you’ll be.” I told you her ass was stuck on stupid, and stupid is Leroy Brown. What gets me is the man ain’t even cute. Now mind you, he’s tall and has large bedroom eyes, but he has that Grizzly Adams beard thing going on that he needs to either cut or take an Afro pick to. And the worst thing is, he has a little-ass dick. See, why you even have to go there? No, I never fucked his ass. However, I have a friend that took a picture of him naked while he slept. So, like I said, he ain’t got shit. So, you tell me what the hell does Kayla and all the other women he’s fucking see in him? It ain’t like he’s giving up any money. Everyone knows he’s a ho, even his wife, and she doesn’t care what the hell he does as long as he keeps her round, apple-shaped head in Gucci and diamonds.

  Danielle was sitting on the couch, patting Kayla’s back and speaking in a low, soothing tone. I rolled my eyes. I was through babying Kayla. It was time for her to stand up for herself for once. I’m a strong believer that the Lord helps those who help themselves. And that is something my girl has yet to figure out. “Okay, so since you don’t want to call the police, what are we going to do?” I asked with straight attitude. I believe in reacting.

  Choking and sobbing, Kayla struggled to find her voice. When she could not, she reached for Danielle and cradled her face against the crook of her neck and cried some more.

  “Hey, girl, it’s gonna be all right,” Danielle replied soothingly. “Just tell us what you want to do.”

  “I-I don’t want t-to do anything,” she stuttered.

  I tossed my hands in the air and headed for the door. “You know what? I’m too through! It’s obvious I’m gonna have to handle this myself.”

  “Nae-Nae, shut the hell up.” Danielle gave me a look of warning. “Kayla, how do you want to handle this? If you love that bastard and you plan to get back with him tomorrow, then there’s no point in us getting involved.”

  She looked over at me as she spoke. What the hell is she looking at? I rolled my eyes.

  Kayla sniffed and slowly eased out of Danielle’s arms. For the longest time she sat there with her hands folded in her lap, looking pitiful as shit. Finally, in a tearful voice, she spoke. “You can do whatever you want Right now I just want to go to sleep.”

  “Do you have a headache? Want some ibuprofen?” She nodded and Danielle raced up to the bathroom to raid her medicine cabinet.

  “Don’t worry, Kayla. We’re gonna take care of this for you,” I said softly.

  She sniffled and I handed her another Kleenex. “Renee, you can do whatever you want,” she began and paused long enough to blow her nose. “For real this time—it’s over between us.” She lifted her chin. “I will never forgive him for what he did to me.”

  “That’s whassup!" I cheered, then reached for my cell phone and dialed. “You ain’t said nothin’ but the word.”

  “Who you calling?” Danielle asked suspiciously as she came back into the room carrying a cup of water and a bottle of pills that she handed to Kayla.

  I put the phone to my ear and headed toward the door. “Don’t worry about it.”

  Just as I heard someone say “Hello,” that trick snatched the phone from my ear. “Damn, Danny! Quit playing!” I tried to get my phone back, but she held it out of my reach.

  “Renee, what’s going through your head?”

  Danny knows me like the back of her hand. “Don’t worry about it,” I retorted. “Just help your girl get herself together so we can go get somethin’ to eat. I’m starved.”

  “Who were you calling?”

  “Tommy,” I confessed reluctantly.

  “Tommy? For what?” She dropped her arm and I snatched my phone back.

  “Why you think?”

  Danny popped me upside my head.

  “Ow!" I rolled my eyes at her. “What the hell you do that for?”

  Her frown hardened into stone. “Don’t get yourself in some shit you can’t get yourself out of.”

  “Danny, I know what I’m doing. I promise no one will be hurt.”

  She looked at me for the longest time like she didn’t believe me before she finally dropped her hand from her hip and returned to Kayla’s aid.

  I moved outside and hit Talk again. Tommy answered on the second ring.

  “Damn, Nae-Nae, whadda ya doin’ hangin’ up on a nigga?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “My bad. How you been?”

  “Shit, I can’t complain. Pockets fat. I got pussy comin’ at me left and right. Shit, a brotha is livin’ large.”

  “That’s whassup.” Enough of the small talk, it was time to get down to business. “Listen, you seen Peaches?”

  “Nah, not for a minute.”

  “Well, I need her, so find her and get back with me quick.”

  “
Why, whassup?”

  I quickly told him about Leroy beating my girl down.

  “Sounds like Reverend Brown needs a come to Jesus meeting.”

  “That’s my plan.” I told him I was heading to Mama B’s to eat and to find Peaches and have her meet us there. I had just returned my phone to my waist when Danielle came out of the house alone.

  “Kayla said she don’t feel like eating.”

  “Whatever. I ain’t got time to be waiting on her ass.”

  Danielle gave me a long, hard look. “Nae-Nae, there is no point in us getting involved. You know her as well as I do, and she’s gon’ take that fake-ass preacher back tomorrow.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Regardless of how stupid she is, he shouldn’t have put his hands on her. If we don’t do anything, then he’s gonna think he can keep getting away with that shit.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, you sho’ right. Let me try talkin’ to her again. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

  I hopped in my rental car and took off to the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that had some of the best pancakes in town. The only bright spot in my morning was that I was going to see Tommy.

  The two of us go way back. He’s a hustler that will slit a nigga’s throat in a heartbeat. We’ve been friends for years. I’ll admit we used to fuck at one time, but after that fizzled and we both moved on to the next, we stayed close friends. One thing for sure—he’s got my back.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was sipping my coffee thinking about how some men just don’t have any respect for women. That was one positive thing I could say about my husband. John would never put his hands on me regardless of how much I pissed him off. And believe me, I’ve given him more than enough reasons.

  Shortly after the waitress took my order, Danielle came strolling into the building. As soon as she spotted me, she came over to my table and lowered into the seat.

  “How’s Kayla?” I asked between sips.

  “How do you think she is? Depressed, blaming herself for what happened.”

  I just shook my head. There wasn’t really anything to say at this point. I had already decided to handle it myself.

  “So, what are you planning to do?”

  “Get back at his ass. He’s been treating her like shit for years.”

  “True, but she lets him.” She reached for her water and took a sip. “You gonna let Tommy and his boys whoop his ass?”

  “Nah. That ain’t good enough. Those bruises will heal. I need to hurt him where it hurts.”

  A slick smile curled her lips. “You know I’m down for whateva.”

  “Good.” I knew Danielle would have my back. As soon as our waitress came and took her order, Tommy arrived with Peaches.

  I smiled when I saw him—oops—I mean her, sashaying her hips as she moved toward our table. I don’t understand all that gay stuff, but if Peaches says he’s a she, then so be it. She was wearing tight jeans and a loud orange ruffled blouse. I must admit, she has fooled so many people. Shit, she looks better than me on a bad day and that ain’t easy to do. Part Mexican, Peaches has long, raven-black curls and a smooth nutmeg complexion. She doesn’t need makeup, although most of the time she wears it and usually it’s so much she looks like a damn clown with rosy red cheeks and all that doggone eyeshadow. Today she was wearing dark shades with a polka-dotted orange-and-black scarf tied around the neck like she was somebody important.

  “What’s up, chicas?” Peaches said as she dropped her butt into a seat beside Danielle.

  Tommy dropped a kiss to my cheek and took the seat next to me. We all exchanged greetings as our waitress arrived with our food.

  Peaches pressed a hand to her chest and gasped. “Uh-uh! No, you didn’t order food and forget ’bout me,” she said in that high-pitched, flamboyant way of hers.

  “Would you like to order?” the waitress asked.

  “Of course. Don’t you hear my stomach growling?” Peaches smacked her lips and gave an exaggerated pout.

  Tommy shook his head and butted in. “Just give us the same thing they’re having.” He rolled his eyes at me. His cousin got on his last nerve. She’d been embarrassing him for years; her behavior was the main reason why.

  “So, what’s up?” he said.

  I got right to the point. “Reverend Brown beat my girl up.”

  “Oh, my goodness!” Peaches gasped. “He’s a trip.”

  Danielle sucked her teeth, then asked, “You still messing with him?”

  Peaches rolled her neck with straight attitude. “Why you all in my business?”

  I pointed an accusatory finger and said, “Ho, don’t try and act all innocent. I know you’re fucking him.”

  Peaches smiled. She loves it when you call her a ho. “How you know that?”

  “’Cause I do.”

  Tommy started laughing. “Peaches, you really fuckin’ that old cat?”

  “Cuz, puhleeze. He ain’t the only leader of that church I’m fucking. Them freaks like it down and dirty.”

  Danielle held up an open palm. “Peaches, the last thing I want to do is hear about you and them freaks. Now, you gonna help or what?”

  “I’d love to. Leroy’s been into some sick BDSM shit lately and had the nerve to try and choke me,” Peaches said as she snaked her neck.

  Danielle didn’t have a clue what that meant. “What’s BDSM?”

  “Bondage, domination, sodomy. Crazy shit, but he’s paying, so I’m down for whatever it is he wants to do.”

  I shook my head. He’ll pay a fag, but he won’t give Kayla shit. I don’t understand it.

  “So, chicas. What do I get out of this? Leroy is my moneymaker.”

  “How about two tickets to Cardi B’s concert?” It had been on the radio all week. She was going to be in St. Louis next month.

  “Oh, my goodness! I love her.”

  “Bet. I’ll have them to you by Friday.”

  Peaches’ eyes danced with excitement. I knew she would be easy to please.

  “Everybody in on this?” I glanced around the table as they all nodded their heads. “Good.” I leaned forward. “This is how it’s going down.” Reverend Brown was going to regret ever putting his hands on my girl.

  Chapter 15

  Kayla

  She lowered her body into the hot bubble bath and closed her eyes.

  Leroy beating her up was definitely an eye-opener. She had wasted four years of her life loving that man and trying to be everything she could possibly be for him. She brushed a tear from her eye and thought of all the times she had put her kids second to cater to his needs and it made her sick. All she had ever wanted was to be loved because she never got it as a child.

  Kayla had been raised by Delores Sparks, an overweight woman with low self-esteem who was a dummy when it came to men. For years, her three girls watched her jump into one relationship after another that lowered her feelings of self-worth even more. After years of repeating the cycle, her kids never understood why she just didn’t have a clue.

  Delores had a knack for attracting losers. Convicts, drug dealers, men without jobs, all of them wanted one thing, her money and a chance to lay between her jiggly thighs. As a registered nurse, one would have thought she had common sense. Instead, she allowed one after the other to move in. She’d come home to find her television missing, and still didn’t have a clue. It was no wonder her daughters had no idea how they should be treated by men. The countless men she had seen in and out of her mother’s life were no better than her alcoholic father. He showed up at their house whenever he needed money, banged their mother, then robbed her wallet. To this day, Kayla didn’t even think he knew her real name because all he had ever called her was Ms. Piggy.

  She met Anthony, Kenya’s father, at nineteen, and their relationship moved no further than the bedroom. He never took her anywhere and refused to be seen with her “big ass” in public. When she found out she was pregnant with Kenya, he questioned if he was the father, even though she had been a virgin wh
en they met. Asia’s father was no better. Eric was a law student she had supported thinking he would marry her as soon as he passed the bar exam. Instead, a month after passing the exam, he joined a law firm in San Francisco and left Kayla behind because she wouldn’t look good on his arm. After that there were countless others who treated her like crap, and she had come to believe love just wasn’t meant for her. Then Reverend Leroy Brown came to lead their church and she fell in love. She tried to fight her feelings. Even got down on her knees and prayed to God, but it was no use, she loved him regardless of how wrong she knew it was. And then he admitted his feelings to her, and they tried to deny the attraction but eventually lost the battle. They started meeting at hotels outside of town for a few stolen moments together. She knew it was wrong and she would potentially burn in hell, but Leroy told her he wasn’t happy and that he was leaving his wife and she believed him. No matter how many years passed, and even when his wife “accidentally” got pregnant, she believed in her man and took his word. She still didn’t understand why. Her friends told her she was stupid and even a little voice in her head agreed, but she just couldn’t bring herself to accept that she had wasted all those years for nothing, because as far as she was concerned, what difference did it make that she was waiting? It wasn’t like she had any other prospects. But now things were different After seeing Leroy with Tracy, she knew it was over between them, their relationship had run its course, and it was time for her to move on. And that was what she thought she had done with Jermaine. She was ready to make a new beginning that didn’t include Leroy, or his stuck-up wife. She had even thought that being the Christian he claimed to be, Leroy would just accept she was through waiting around for him. But that was before he had come to her house and acted a fool.

  Kayla took a deep breath. Maybe she should have gone to the police and reported the incident She had never been a fighter. That was one thing she admired about her friends. They stood up for what they believed in and didn’t let anything, or anyone stand in their way. But not her. She had always been afraid of confrontation or of bringing unwanted attention to herself. And an incident like this would definitely bring a lot of attention. What she worried about most were her girls.