by Jahquel J.
We started trying to conceive a few months and it had been a battle. Chanel had constant ups and downs. Some months she didn’t want to talk if the pregnancy test was negative. I didn’t know how or what to say to make her feel better about the situation. I was busting those cheeks hard and busting back to back nuts. I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t having fun because I was. Still, the end result was to get her pregnant and I hated seeing her down when that test wasn’t what she wanted it to be.
“Yeah, that’s what babies do, right?”
“I’m not doing this with you right now.” she laughed. “I’m just nervous that this time it won’t happen. Like why is it taking forever for me to get pregnant. We fuck all the time.”
“You thinking too deep into this shit, Chanel. You gotta stop obsessing over this, when it happens it’s going to happen. Trust when you tell me you’re pregnant I’m moving you outta here.”
“Um, what’s wrong with my apartment? My apartment is nice.”
“Yeah, but your neighborhood not. The only reason I allow you to live here is because you’re hardheaded. When my baby come, you’re not living here.”
“Allow?”
“Nel, you already know I offered to get you a spot close to me.”
“And I told you that I didn’t want your money. What part don’t you understand? I don’t give a damn about your money, I can do for myself. Even with this baby, I want to be able to provide for my child too. It’s not all about your money.” She stood up from the bed and picked up the basket of laundry.
“Why you always gotta look at it like that? All I’m saying is that I want you and the baby safe. I know you can do for yourself and that’s what I love about you.”
“We don’t even know if I’m pregnant, so we don’t need to discuss this right now,” she sighed and left the room.
Shit broke my heart when it came to Chanel getting pregnant. I wanted to get her ass pregnant right now, if it was up to me. She wanted this baby so bad and the more she wanted it, it made me want it too. If anybody deserved to be a mother, it was her. I climbed out the bed and grabbed my robe out of her closet. I found her in the kitchen doing my laundry, like she always did when I stayed the night over. Chanel was wifey material for real. If and when I was ready, I told myself I would put a ring on her finger without a doubt. I was a nigga that wasn’t used to loving one woman and rather than hurt her, I would rather continue being friends until I was ready.
“Chanel, why you being like this? We could be chilling and watching Martin reruns. You’re worrying too damn much.”
“And you’re not worrying enough,” she shot back and dumped my clothes into the washer.
“I’m worried too, but I’m not trying to let that shit take over my life. You in here mad like I did some shit to you.”
Her shoulders relaxed and she turned toward me. “You right. I’m being crazy,” she admitted.
“I’m glad you know that shit.”
“Don’t get used to me saying you’re right all the time,” she giggled and continued to wash my clothes. “Hungry?”
“I could eat. You been making me fuck you like a damn maniac, it would be nice to get some food.”
“Stop acting like you’re not enjoying it.”
“Oh, I’m enjoying busting your cheeks every time you call and tell me you’re ovulating.” I winked and sat down at the kitchen table.
“It’s so weird that we’re in this place. I mean, I’m your best friend and we’re fucking like the shit is normal.”
“It’ll be normal when you have that baby in your arms. Stop looking at it the way you are. I’m looking at it like you’re my baby moms without the baby.”
“Of course, you would,” she laughed as she pulled eggs out the fridge and started making me breakfast. “How’s Ghost and the girls?”
“Yo, you shady as fuck,” I laughed.
“What I do?” she tried to act like she didn’t know what she just did.
“Why you didn’t ask about his fiancée?”
“Because I don’t like her. You already know I hate that woman and feel like she’s using him for his money.”
“Her family come from money, Chanel.”
“So? If you had a chance to get more money, wouldn’t you get it?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Exactly. It’s not even the money thing either. Your brother had his pick of women and that’s who he settled on? He’s tripping.”
“You know why he tripping. That nigga ain’t been the same since Freedom disappeared. Now that she’s back, I can see the old him emerging.”
“That’s who should be up in that big ass house, not her. Freedom was in the trap with that nigga. I’ve heard she was back, but haven’t run into her yet. Her sister works in the emergency room… She’s RN too.” she spoke on Liberty’s fine ass.
“I agree. Free doing good for herself though. She own her own business and shit. I’m proud of her.”
“I’m happy for her. You know one thing that I’ve always wondered, has he ever tried to look for her? With all the money he got, he should have been looking for her.”
“I don’t know. Knowing my brother, he probably didn’t. It probably would have been too painful. Especially if she had gotten married or some shit like that.”
“Wow. That was true love right there.”
“And what the fuck you call us?”
“Fuck buddies trying to have a baby.”
“Wow. You know what, me and my dick not feeling wanted anymore.”
“Cut it out. You know I love you. You’re my first love, after my father,” she winked at me.
Chanel always told me that I was her first love. She claimed that throughout the years she could always count on me to come through for her. Never did I switch up or change and she always came first when it came to my life. In the past shit never worked out with past relationships because of Chanel. Every chick I decided to get serious with always complained about Chanel and how I dropped everything to go be by her side. How the fuck was I supposed to act? Like she wasn’t my best friend just because I was in a relationship?
Truthfully, it was one of the reasons that I didn’t actively seek out relationships. As much as I acted like I didn’t give a damn about being cuffed, I wouldn’t mind it. I wouldn’t mind having someone cook me meals, watching Netflix and celebrating those sappy ass holidays that women lived for. I couldn’t do that shit because I knew women would always have an issue with Chanel. Chanel had always come first in my life and I couldn’t bring myself to put another woman before her.
“Yo, so I gotta take a trip back to Belize in a few days,” I broke our silence. Chanel knew all about the lifestyle that me and Ghost lived. I had to go to Belize to check on things for Ghost. Even though he had previously went, he wanted me to make sure everything was going smooth like he was promised.
“Oh yeah? How’s the bungalow doing there? I knew it was a storm there a few months back.”
“Yeah, it took a little damage, but everything is good now.”
“Good. I take it you’re not going back because of the property. Ghost need to check on his precious farm again?” she laughed.
“Yeah, you already know. If it was up to him, he would move Shakira and the kids out there and watch that plant grow all damn day.”
“I bet he would,” she replied as she put a plate a food down in front of me. My mouth watered at the cheese eggs, toast and bacon that graced my plate.
“I want you to come with me. We need a little getaway and shit,” I stuffed some eggs into my mouth and watched her expression.
“I have work and can’t just pick up and leave when you want to get away.” She sat down across me with her coffee inside her favorite mug.
“Stop fronting. You already told me that you been collecting your personal time off. When’s the last vacation you took?”
“Mexico with the girls six months ago.”
“Exactly.”
“As much as I w
ould like to go, I’m not. We spend enough time together as is, and going on vacation will complicate what we’re doing already.”
“We’re fucking. How much more can we complicate this?”
She jumped up from the chair and started pacing the small area. “Why? We were so stupid to just start having sex. You have more than enough money where we could have went to have me inseminated.”
“How much fun would that have been?”
“Seriously, Shaliq. I know with us having sex and trying to have a baby that shit is already complicated, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to do things with me because of it.”
“Shut up, Chanel. You already know if I don’t want to do something, I’m not gonna do it. I’m inviting you because you’ve been stressed. Plus, you’re my favorite person to be around. Chill with that other shit. Our situation is complicated, but it makes sense to us and that’s all that matters.”
“You’re right.” She sat back down and sipped her coffee. “Long as we have our baby, that’s all that matters. Once I’m pregnant, the sex stops?”
“Word? You gonna do me like that?”
“Yep!” She smirked.
“Bet.” I continued to eat my food.
My phone had already started buzzing, so I knew I had to head out to handle business. Ghost had been back from Jamaica for a couple days and had been consumed with Free and her family. Justice had got into an accident and shit was really bad. Shorty hadn’t even woke up. It was up to me to keep the business moving. Then to add more shit to the equation, Shakira decided she needed a mommy break and went to Thailand with her little home girls without telling Ghost. My phone pulled me from my thoughts, and I answered it.
“Yo.”
“That thing you wanted done, it’s done.”
“Bet.” I ended the call.
Ghost called me when he was on vacation and told me that he wanted something done to Zoe. He put his hands on Free and Ghost wanted to send a message that he put his hands on the wrong woman. I had one of my niggas catch his ass slipping at the gas station. I had heard about the shit way before he had called. Nigga was alone and got his ass pistol whipped and his whip robbed. Next time he’ll learn to stop putting his hands on women. Especially, Free. Nigga must have bumped his head.
“Nel, I’m bout to shower and get up with you later.”
“Which translates to a few days. Send me the info for Belize,” she reminded me.
“Got you.” I got up and went to shower so I could head out and get to this money. Priest had been by Justice’s side since he got the call. That nigga was broken the fuck up over this shit. It was up to me to keep shit moving while my brothers were dealing with shit.
I woke up and rolled over to find some chick I was smashing sitting up on the phone with her girl. A nigga thought he was dreaming, but she was on the phone bragging about how she put me to sleep and shit. She was in her early twenties and childish as fuck. Here I was trying to get some sleep and she was fucking yapping her trap with her friends about her sex life. Rolling over, I reached for her phone and tossed it across the room. Shorty gasped so loud that you would have thought she lost a damn limb. Climbing off the bed, she went to retrieve the phone and examined the phone.
“My screen is shattered… are you fucking serious, Staten?” she yelled and tossed it back onto the floor. “I don’t have time for this childish for real,” she mumbled and gathered her bag.
“I’m childish? You on the phone talking to your friends and bragging about my dick like it’s yours. Shorty, we just fucking, nothing more,” I reminded her.
I had met Zareena when I was coming out of one of the laundromats I worked in. She pulled up in an all-white Range Rover across the street and then hopped out the whip and went into the store. She had to be around 5’6”, chocolate and sexy as fuck. My ass ran across the street to bag her real quick and we been fucking ever since. Everybody knew I had a type and my type was women that could do for themselves. Yeah, I had money, but that should have been a bonus. I never wanted a bitch that only wanted me for my money. She had to come with more than fire brain and good pussy. When I was done fucking, I wanted to be able to hold a conversation with you, not fuck and dip. Zareena was a YouTuber and was a fashion blogger. Shorty was a big deal on the internet. She was from Brooklyn, but had just bought a condo by the Ferry. Shorty had good conversation and knew how to conduct business, but then that youngness in her showed. Like now, she was on the phone chatting about my dick to her friends instead of laying here and chilling with me.
“What I do or don’t discuss isn’t any of your business. Last I checked this was my home, not yours.” She held her hand on her hip and I laid my head back down.
“Yeah, keep chatting and I’m gonna drop this dick off in your mouth.”
She sighed. “You know what, Staten… This shit isn’t working out.”
I got out the bed and started to get dressed. “Shorty, there’s nothing for it not to be working out.” I pulled my shirt over my body.
Her doorbell stopped her from talking. “Why is he so early?” she sucked her teeth.
“Who?”
“My brother. We’re going to see my father today.” She sighed and left out the room. I grabbed my gun, cocked it back and was ready just in case. I didn’t know how her brother would feel about me just fucking her, but this cold steel would wake his ass up and help him realize that I wasn’t playing. I mean, in case he wanted to act stupid.
I walked out the bedroom and laid eyes on Zeek. He looked from Zareena and then me confused. “The fuck is this, Zee?”
“Staten. He’s my friend, don’t worry about it. You wouldn’t have seen him if you didn’t arrive an hour early.” Zareena sucked her teeth and walked over to the door. “We’ll continue our conversation another day, Staten.”
“What’s good?” I smirked knowing that I just fucked the shit out of his baby sister and had his brother fucked up at a gas station a few days.
“You good,” was all he said.
“Yeah, I know. I’ll holla at you, Zareena,” I hugged her and made sure to grip her ass when I hugged her. Zeek looked like he was about to have an aneurism with the way he was staring at me. I didn’t know if he knew that it was us behind his brother or not. The nigga seemed more pissed that I was fucking his sister.
“Behave yourself, Staten,” she smirked as I walked down the hall. That was thing when it came to me and Zareena. We would fight, bicker and then I would find myself knocking at her door in the middle of the night. It was what kept the shit between us so spicy. Imagine fucking after just arguing… that shit was a high.
I jumped in my whip and called Priest. It took a few rings before he answered the phone. “What’s good?”
“Nothing… just left my shorty’s crib.”
“Which one? Zareena?”
“Why you automatically assume it’s her?”
He chuckled. “Because you deaded the other ones soon as she came around. What you about to get into now?”
“I’m bout to stop by my mama’s crib. She been blowing my phone up all damn morning… I didn’t tell you the best part about Zareena.”
“That is?”
“She’s Zeek and Zoe’s sister.”
“Stop fucking lying.”
“Deadass.”
“Yo… they gonna flip,” he laughed.
“Zeek already knows… ran into him leaving. That nigga was pissed as fuck.”
“You wild as fuck. Be careful though. Those Brooklyn niggas are grimy as fuck.” he warned me, but I already knew.
“I got you. What you doing?”
“Kiss is taking her driver’s test today so I’m taking her to do that, then I’m gonna head up to the hospital to check on Justice.”
“She still hasn’t woke up?”
“Nah,” he sighed.
“Don’t worry, nigga. She gonna wake up,” I told him. I wasn’t just saying the shit either, I mean that shit.”
“Appreci
ate it, man.”
“No doubt. I’ll holla at you soon.”
“Bet,” he replied, and we ended the call.
I pulled out the gates of her condominium and headed to my mama’s crib. She had been calling me like crazy and I needed to make sure she was straight. With Ghost always at the hospital with Free, I knew the girls were with her and Mirror. Making sure my mom, sister and nieces were okay was top priority. I made it to my mama’s crib in fifteen minutes. Killing the engine, I walked inside the house where she was putting stuff into her purse. The girls were sitting at the kitchen island having a snack.
There you are,” she cut her eyes at me. “Boy, I’ve been calling your phone all damn morning,” she reminded me.
“Yeah, my bad. I had something to handle… what’s up?”
She put her purse on the foyer table and turned to face me. “You need to take the girls to their dance class. I’m trying to keep them on schedule with everything. I can’t take them today. Mirror had to go to the lawyer’s office to sign papers for her new place.” She rolled her eyes.
“You not happy she’s moving out?”
“No. She’s the last of my babies, do you think I’m happy?” she sighed. “Anyway, while she’s doing that, I need you to step in and play uncle today.”
“Mama, why you got me taking them to dance class?” I asked as I grabbed some fruit from the fridge. My mother knew I had shit to do and she was trying to get me to take the girls to dance class. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy spending time with my nieces, I did, but not sitting in a dance class.
“I’m going to the hospital to go pray with Free and her family. Justice still hasn’t woke up and she needs all the prayers she can get,” she told me. “Marisol took some personal time off and it’s up to us to be there while that bitch is in Thailand.”
“You right. Tell them that I’m praying for her. What am I supposed to do when they’re done?”
“Staten spend time with your nieces. When is the last time you took them out and spent time with them? You’re always ripping and running these streets. Family comes first, you remember that?” she pointed her finger in my face.