Three Is A Crowd

by Chenell Parker

  Her mother loved to have game nights and they always had fun. Blake wanted to catch a movie but that all depended on what Dena wanted to do.

  “That’s the plan if everyone wants to play,” Dena replied.

  “Okay. Let me go now, so I can come right back. Is it okay if Ariel comes over for a little while?” Jersi asked.

  “You know you don’t even have to ask me that. Ariel is always welcome here. And tell Toni that I said hello,” Dena replied.

  “I will. I should be back in less than an hour,” Jersi said as she went to go get Blake.

  He was all into the football game but he got up as soon as Jersi called his name. Just like her, he was ready to get the visit to Tabby’s house over with.

  “One hour Jersi, just like you promised,” Blake said as they pulled up to Tabby’s house.

  “Hopefully it won’t even be that long,” Jersi replied.

  She smiled when she saw that Ariel’s car was amongst the others that were parked near Tabby’s house. She and Blake got out of the car and slowly made their way up the stairs. They both had the same look on their faces and they dreaded going inside. They heard the loud music playing before they were even close. Jersi sighed audibly as she rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open up. As soon as the door swung open, the cigarette smoke greeted them before anyone else did.

  “Hey pretty black. I was just about to call you. I thought you forgot about me,” Tabby said as she grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. Jersi grabbed Blake’s hand and pulled him right along with her.

  “I told you that I was coming,” Jersi replied as they walked further into the home.

  They had people littering the house playing cards, smoking and drinking. Jersi let Tabby pull her along as she turned down the music so that she could be heard.

  “Y’all say hello to my baby, Jersi. She’s in college and she came to see her mama on her Thanksgiving break. Ain’t she pretty? Looking like a chocolate Barbie,” Tabby said as she beamed proudly.

  Tabitha or Tabby, as she was called by everyone, was Jersi’s biological mother. Jersi had only started to go around her when she was about ten years old and that was only because her auntie Toni took her over there. Tabby was married but Jersi was the result of an affair that she’d had on her boyfriend, Marvin, who was now her husband. Jacob was married to Dena at the time and the entire situation was complicated.

  “Happy Thanksgiving everybody,” Jersi waved and smiled awkwardly.

  Tabby’s husband, Marvin, scowled at her while everyone else returned the greeting. Marvin hated Jersi and everything about her. He and Tabby both had a daughter from previous relationships when they hooked up and Jersi was supposed to be the child that made their blended family complete. Marvin was already separated but he divorced his wife and married Tabby while she was pregnant. He was crushed when the baby came out with dark skin and hazel eyes. Marvin had a light tan complexion and so did his daughter. He just knew that the baby wasn’t his but Tabby swore that she was. When the paternity test confirmed what he already knew, he gave his wife two options. She could either keep the baby and find her another place to stay or she could give the baby up and come home with him.

  It was a no brainer for Tabby, especially since she no longer had a job or a place to stay at the time. Marvin left his wife for her but she was almost sure that Jacob wouldn’t even entertain the idea. Jacob knew that Tabby was pregnant but she swore to him that the baby belonged to her husband. She was too embarrassed to call him and tell him that she had lied. Her sister, Toni, wanted to keep the baby and raise her but she already had a small baby to care for. Besides, Jacob had a right to know about the baby they’d conceived. She gave Toni all of Jacob’s information and asked her to contact him on her behalf. The moment he laid eyes on Jersi, he didn’t even care what the results of the test said. He knew without a doubt that she was his and he loved her already. He was honest with his wife and told her about the month long affair that he’d had. Tabby was a waitress at the diner that was close to the hospital where he worked. They would talk all the time when he went there until, one day, they took things a step further.

  Being that she’d always wanted a daughter, Dena opened her door and her heart and welcomed Jersi in. She was the one who chose her name since Tabby didn’t bother trying to name her. In only a weeks’ time, Jersi had a nursery filled with more than any infant would probably ever need. Dena stopped working to take care of her and eventually moved her business to her home. Jersi’s auntie Toni kept up with her and that was how she got so close with her cousin Ariel. Tabby got pregnant after she had Jersi but the baby was stillborn. She had to have a hysterectomy after that, making Jersi the youngest of her two girls. That didn’t sit too well with Marvin and he despised Jersi and her father because of it.

  “You look like you’re losing weight pretty black,” Jersi’s sister, Talena said when she walked over to her.

  Jersi hated when they called her that and she’d told them that a million times before. Talena was Tabby’s oldest daughter and her only sister. They weren’t close and they didn’t talk unless Jersi went to their house. Since that wasn’t very often, the sisters barely knew each other.

  “Yeah, I’ve been working out,” Jersi replied.

  “Do you want something to eat baby? We have lots of food and liquor,” Tabby offered.

  “No, I’m good. I ate at home,” Jersi smiled.

  “What about you light bright?” Tabby asked referring to Blake, who was even lighter in complexion than her husband.

  “I’m fine, thanks,” Blake replied as he looked around in disgust.

  “Why y’all standing there looking all scared and shit? Sit down and relax,” Tabby instructed as she took a sip from her cup.

  “I just wanted to come see you for a minute. My mama is waiting for me to come back over there,” Jersi said, making the other woman roll her eyes up to the sky.

  “You mean your daddy’s wife,” Tabby corrected as she rolled her eyes again.

  Jersi was about to reply until someone rang the bell and interrupted her. That was probably a good thing because her words wouldn’t have been nice. Tabby rushed to the front of the house to answer the door and Jersi was ready to follow her and walk out of it. She could tell that Blake was ready to get going too.

  “What’s been up with you Jersi? I barely get to see you anymore,” Talena said as she looked at her little sister.

  Jersi was beautiful but the two of them looked nothing alike. Jersi was a female carbon copy of her father, while Talena looked more like Tabby. Their looks weren’t the only thing that set them apart. They were raised totally different as well. While Jersi was raised by her millionaire father, Talena was stuck in the house with Tabby and her husband trying to help them keep the lights and water on. Neither one of them could keep a job and she often had to pay her portion of the bills and theirs too. She hated that she had to move back home with her mother but she didn’t have a choice. When she and her boyfriend broke up, that was the only place that she had to go.

  “Nothing much, just school,” Jersi shrugged while pulling Talena out of her thoughts.

  “It must be nice to only have school and not money to worry about,” Talena said right as Marvin’s daughter, Mariah, walked into the room.

  The entire atmosphere changed and the tension was thick. Talena looked like she was ready for war as she looked over at the man who Mariah had walked into the room with. Damien had the nerve to be smiling as he walked around the room and greeted everybody. He was no fool and he knew not to even come Talena’s way.

  “Don’t even trip Lena. She just came to see her daddy and she’s leaving,” Tabby whispered to her daughter.

  Mariah was an evil bitch but she did no wrong in her father’s eyes. If it were up to Tabby, she wouldn’t even be allowed in her house at all. Since she was Marvin’s one and only daughter, that would have been impossible to accomplish.

  “Are you okay Talena?” Jersi asked.
r />   “Yeah, I’m good. Fuck that pill poppin’ bitch and fuck him too,” she fumed as her eyes filled with tears.

  Jersi shifted uncomfortably as she took in the scene around her. Ariel looked just as uncomfortable as she did and she understood why. Just a little over a year ago, Damien was Talena’s boyfriend and the father of the child that she was carrying. When she learned of his affair with Mariah, the stress caused her to miscarry and he broke up with her while she was still in the hospital recovering. Talena ended up moving back home with her mother and Mariah and her ex were still together. She thought it was fucked up how Marvin was okay with it and even welcomed Damien into their home. They flaunted their relationship in front of Talena like it was nothing and that drove her crazy. Mariah was a beautiful girl and she used that to her advantage.

  “What’s up Ebony and Ivory?” Damien chuckled as he walked over and spoke to Blake and Jersi.

  “Their names are Jersi and Blake,” Tabby corrected with a scowl, even though she had just called Blake something other than his name too.

  “I was just playing but my fault. What’s up Jersi? How you been beautiful?” Damien asked her as Blake grabbed her hand possessively.

  “Hi Damien. I’ve been fine. How about you?” Jersi asked.

  “He couldn’t be better,” Mariah answered for him as she walked over and planted a kiss on his lips.

  She was high as a kite but that didn’t stop her from being petty. The smirk on her face had Talena ready to pounce but she didn’t want to cause any drama. Truthfully, she needed a place to stay and she didn’t want to be into it with her mother’s husband behind his daughter.

  “Hey Mariah,” Jersi spoke, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “Hey cutie. I’m surprised to see you over here. You don’t visit these parts too often,” Mariah pointed out.

  “My baby is always welcomed here,” Tabby snapped.

  “I never said that she wasn’t. She usually just doesn’t bother to come around,” Mariah snickered as she looked over at Blake.

  She was sizing him up from head to toe like she had never seen him before. Something about him was different but she couldn’t figure out what is was. Maybe seeing him dressed so casually is what threw her off. Her and Blake were around the same age but she still looked at him as more of a boy than a man. He followed Jersi around like she was his mother and Mariah could tell that he really loved her. She never realized how cute Blake was with his warm vanilla complexion and smooth skin. He looked like the actor Jesse Williams with darker eyes. His and Jersi’s skin tones were like night and day but they complimented each other well.

  “We better get going Tabby. I promised my mama that I wouldn’t be too long,” Jersi said as she prepared to make her exit.

  “Your mama, huh. Damn Tabby, that has to hurt,” Mariah instigated as her father tried to stifle a laugh.

  Mariah was a pretty girl but she was a product of the hood. She wore a grill at the bottom of her mouth and her long blonde weave touched the crack of her ass. Her and Damien wore the same striped shirt and boots but she wore leggings instead of jeans. Her nails were extremely long and loud in color. She was ghetto fabulous and threw shade like it was a hobby. Poppin’ pills was her and Damien’s thing and they did it often.

  “Come on sis. I’ll walk y’all out,” Talena said as she rushed towards the front door.

  She needed some fresh air because it felt like she was suffocating. More than that, she needed to get away from Mariah and Damien before she snapped and committed a double homicide. Jersi put her hand up to her ear signaling for Ariel to call her before she and Blake left.

  “That bitch is about to work my last nerve. Marvin better do something with that evil hoe,” Tabby fumed as she walked outside with them.

  Talena was pacing the sidewalk with tears streaming down her face and Jersi felt sorry for her. She let go of Blake’s hand and went to give her big sister a hug.

  “It’ll be okay Talena. She’s only doing that because she knows that it gets under your skin,” Jersi said as she rubbed her back.

  “I already know. And he’s too damn stupid to realize that he’s being used in her games. I don’t even know why I’m surprised. We’re talking about the same bitch who fucked her best friend’s husband the night before their wedding and she was a bridesmaid,” Talena said, telling the same story that she always told.

  “That bitch can’t get her own man. That’s why she’s always going after somebody else’s. Damien better hope his drug money never runs out,” Tabby fumed.

  “No good will come from what she’s doing. Don’t even let it get to you,” Jersi said.

  “Thanks for stopping by baby. I can’t wait until you finish school so I can see you more often,” Tabby said as she gave Jersi a hug.

  “Yeah, I’m halfway through so it won’t be much longer,” Jersi replied.

  “I know you’re coming back home for Christmas. Make sure you come see me. I’ll have a few gifts here for you,” Tabby said, even though Jersi knew it was a lie.

  The only thing that Tabby had ever done for her was bring her into the world. Dena took over from there and that was the only mother that Jersi knew and acknowledged.

  “Okay, I will. See y’all later,” Jersi replied as she waved and walked away to the car.

  “Thank God,” Blake sighed once they drove away.

  “I know right,” Jersi laughed.

  “That’s so messed up what your stepsister is doing to Talena,” Blake commented.

  “That bitch ain’t my stepsister and Marvin is not my daddy. I don’t even consider him to be a stepdaddy because I don’t look at Tabby like a mother. I’m good with Dena and Jacob,” Jersi noted.

  “I’m happy that we got that over with,” Blake said as he grabbed her hand.

  “That makes two of us,” Jersi replied as she looked down at her name that was tattooed on his finger.

  It looked like a promise ring and he got in before they had even made their relationship official. He claimed that he knew that Jersi would be his one day so he didn’t think twice before he got it done. He didn’t want to do the traditional thing and give her the ring, so he got it tattooed on him instead. Jersi was scared of needles so he knew not to even ask to her to get one.

  “Another Thanksgiving down and a lifetime to go,” Blake said as he leaned over and planted a kiss on her soft lips.

  “Yes,” Jersi smiled, agreeing with what he’d just said.

  Neither of them had any way of knowing that it would be their last Thanksgiving as a couple.

  “ Ugh, shit,” Jersi moaned as her face was forcefully shoved into the pillow.

  Carter was behind her putting in work as the sweat from his body dripped onto hers. Jersi’s phone was ringing off the hook but she didn’t even attempt to answer it. Carter had the stamina of three men and his sex game was official. Over thirty minutes later and he was still going strong. She attempted to get up on all fours again, and again, Carter pushed her head back into the mattress. He placed a pillow underneath her stomach and gripped her hips firmly. When he started drilling into her harder and faster, Jersi came again for the third time. Carter said that she was his stress reliever and he seemed to always be stressed.

  “Damn girl. I think this shit gets better every time,” Carter said as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back into him.

  A few more strokes and he released into the condom before collapsing on top of her. It only took a minute before he regulated his breathing and got up from the bed. Jersi heard the shower water running a minute later as she got up and put on her robe. She ripped the sheets from the bed and threw them on the floor. After checking to see who had been blowing her phone up, she grabbed a fresh set of sheets right as Carter walked out of the bathroom. He got dressed while Jersi started to make the bed.

  “You need help?” Carter asked when he saw Jersi going from one side of her California king size bed to the other with the sheet. He didn’t even wait for her to answ
er before he walked over and gave her a hand.

  “Thanks Carter. See you at work Monday,” Jersi said when he walked over and gave her a peck on the lips.

  “See you later. Come lock up,” Carter said before he walked out the front door and closed it behind him.

  Once she locked up, Jersi grabbed her phone and called Talena back to see why she had called her so many times.

  “Hey sis,” Talena said when she answered for her.

  “Girl, this better be important. The hell you called me five times back to back for?” Jersi questioned as she lit her blunt.

  “Giiiirl,” Talena drawled as she popped her lips dramatically.

  “What bitch?” Jersi asked.

  “That nigga Blake is still in love. I just saw him at the grocery store and he talked about you the entire time,” Talena replied.