by Ivory B.
“Would you like to start off with a wine?” “Yes we’ll take a bottle of Pinot Grigio,” Ty spoke up, she intended to keep it light tonight, she didn’t want Nice hitting her off with no whiskey dick later on. Even though, he always held it down in the bedroom whether he was slightly faded or not. Nice looked up at the waiter and ordered a glass of Hennessey Black anyways, Pinot Grigio wasn’t his thing it was too fruity and light in his opinion. Ty shook her head in disapproval slightly as the waiter walked away to get their drinks. “Kamar I hope you can handle that liquor and me too.” Nice bit his bottom lip trying desperately to hold back a smile as he reached under the table and caressed Ty’s thick thighs that were covered by thin silky stockings. “Don’t I always?” he asked staring her dead in her eyes. Ty didn’t answer verbally instead she smirked before bringing her menu to her face to block the intense stare that had her Vicki Secrets on soak at this point. Nice laughed knowing exactly why Ty was hiding behind her menu.
“Have you decided what you wanted?” Ty asked trying desperately to get sex off Nice’s brain. “Nah not yet,” he answered while looking down at his own menu. After their drinks were served the couple continued to flirt and make goo goo love eyes at one another until the waiter returned to take their orders. Ty listened to Nice place his order after she’d placed hers; before the waiter could even take two steps away from their table she halted him mid-stride.
“Excuse me just one second, how exactly is that salmon dish prepared?” She asked. The waiter gave her a blank stare, Ty decided to rephrase the question knowing language could be causing the barrier of communication. “Is the salmon made with peanut oil?” Ty asked getting right to the point and her main concern. “Oh no! Seared in canola oil, with a sprinkle of olive oil when done, no peanut oil,” the waiter assured with a vigorous head nod. “Okay great” Ty said. “Place order?” The waiter asked in a thick French accent. “Yes,” Ty answered with a smile feeling bad that she had made him slightly flustered. Ty went about sipping on her wine but froze when she noticed Nice was staring at her intently. “What baby?” She asked not sure why he was giving her that longing stare with those eyes that had her the very first night they met.
If there was ever an example that showed exactly why he chose Ty this was it. Ty had stopped the waiter after Nice ordered his meal and made sure she double checked that his food wasn’t cooked in peanut oil being mindful of his food allergies; and the simple fact it came so natural to her that she hadn’t even noticed what she did spoke volumes to Nice. “Nah its nothing,” he said reaching over and tapping her lightly on the tip of her cute nose before sipping on his drink. Dinner was great and just what they both needed, some one on one time with no interruptions or worries. Ky was in good hands while Mommy and Daddy enjoyed a night intended for adults only. Unbeknownst to Nice Ty had pulled out all the stops to make this night memorable she’d even took a half day at work to run errands to ensure their night was special.
After Nice settled the check he stood up and walked behind Ty’s chair to pull it out and lend her a hand in getting up. “Oh my god baby that was good, I’m so full,” Ty complained placing a hand on her stomach. “Cut that shit out; don’t start making excuses complaining about stomachaches and headaches,” He bent down and whispered in her ear. “Cause you know I’ma beat that pussy to the mattress when we get home.” Ty burst out laughing then turned and punched him playfully in the arm before slipping on her matching suit jacket to her skirt completing her power suit. She snatched her clutch from the table and hooked her arm around Nice’s as they walked out of the restaurant together.
It was the beginning of Fall and the early night air felt and smelt crisp with a hint of chill to it. The summer had been a long scorching one in Philly that year, so the fact that it was finally Fall and cooler seemed to bring people out in droves. The sidewalks were crowded as both Ty and Nice walked down busy Walnut Street taking in the usual Friday night in the city scene. Ty pulled her body up to Nice’s to steal a little of his body heat as she walked beside him with her arm hooked under his and their fingers intertwined. She leaned in a little too much and felt something hard hit her on the hip, Ty moved slightly while cutting her eyes up towards him. She didn’t have to ask what that was; it was like his Visa Black Card he never left home without it.
“The night still young ma you wanna stroll through the city and walk off some of this food?” “Yeah,” Ty beamed with a smile on her face. Nice suddenly stopped and looked down at the pointed toe red bottom fuck me pumps she was wearing. “You sure?” he asked. “Yes, Baby why not?” “I’m sayin them heels look dangerous, you sure you gonna be able to walk in those?” Ty rolled her neck and turned sideways to pin Nice with an incredulous look. “Daddy I’ma Diva I do this shit for fun,” she said with sass. Nice smiled “A’ight when ya joints looking like hammer time don’t expect a nigga to be suckin and kissing all over them. Heeelll nah.” Ty laughed so hard she nearly got hiccups. “Boy whateva, you gon kiss all over them stop frontin” Ty shot back. “The lies you tell ma,” Nice said casually with a smile on his face making Ty laugh even more as they walked down the street.
The love birds walked a good two blocks taking in the city. Blaring horns, car stereos and snippets of stranger’s conversations saturated their senses as they strolled down the street. They walked by high end, to mid end, boutiques and retail chain stores alike, their eyes scanning store window displays without a hitch until Ty spotted a dress with the matching purse in a window of a children’s boutique. Her eyes lit up and she squealed, “Ooh baby I love that dress! That would look so adorable on my lil Diva. We gotta go in.” Before Nice could protest or utter a word Ty pulled him towards the store with the strength of a grown man. Once inside the store she went bonkers picking up Ky all sorts of things she didn’t need. “Oh my god baby they even have the outfit in baby sizes, I’m gettin Keema’s baby and Ky the same outfit. Nooo they don’t have the matching little shoes! I gotta take a picture and text it to Keem,” Ty said excitedly. Nice only grinned in response. Luckily for him the store had cushioned chairs available where he decided to take a seat until it was time for him to pay. He was wondering how a romantic night out on the town turned into a shopping spree for Ky?
Meanwhile, Mia was feeling some type of way after Nice hadn’t reacted to the gossip the way she expected him to. She was hoping he’d be upset with Ty, finally get rid of the bitch or at the very least sound hurt. But instead he cussed her out and defended Ty. That one thing hurt Mia more than anything because when he claimed to have started hearing things about her in the streets he ended things immediately despite her being pregnant at the time. She couldn’t understand for the life of her what was so special about Ty. The more she thought about the whole Ty and Nice situation the angrier she got. Mia was hot she hadn’t gotten the chance to cuss his ass out and tell him what a hypocrite he was being before he hung up on her. Mia snorted a few lines off of her dresser, paced the floor for a few minutes then snatched up her cell phone. Without thinking things through clearly she dialed Cathy’s phone number, Mia needed to get a few things off her chest.
“Hello Cathy answered the phone in a flat tone already knowing who was on the other end from the caller ID. “Mrs. Cathy!” Mia said unnecessarily loud. Cathy pulled the phone from her ear and looked at it. “Yes Mia how are you? You know Ky is right here. Kyyy! Your mother’s on the phone,” Cathy called trying to avoid a conversation with Mia. “I…” She heard Mia began to say before she took the phone away from her ear to call Kynah again. Kynah ran into Cathy’s bedroom smiling from ear to ear. “Hi Mommy!” Ky said breathlessly then continued rambling on not giving Mia a chance to say anything. “Is my Daddy dere with you at the restaurant now? How come I couldn’t go? I woulda ate all my vegetables,” Ky pouted.
Cathy’s eyes bulged in shock as she saw Ky’s forehead crinkle in slight discomfort and confusion. She had absent mindedly forgotten to tell Ky that it was Mia on the phone and not Ty. Cathy snatched the pho
ne from Kynah’s ear trying to save her grandbaby from the verbal tongue lashing Mia was most likely giving her. “What the fuck I tell you about that shit Ky!” Mia fumed. “Mia that was my fault, I didn’t tell her it was you on the phone,” Cathy tried to explain away. Mia sucked her teeth, “Well that’s the exact reason I was calling you.” Cathy rolled her eyes to the ceiling, the drama that was brewing in this conversation she could do without. She had been lying here comfortable and relaxed reading a good book and now this. “You need to talk to ya son, he got my baby confused and calling some random mommy, That’s some real disrespectful shit. How would he feel if I had Kynah calling some other man Daddy! He ain’t even been wit that bitch for long, well at least I ain’t neva heard of her until recently. Nice switch up women like he do drawers, so he don’t need to be gettin my daughter confused like this.” Umm no Honey contrary to what you may believe they been messing around for a long while. Cathy thought to herself.
Cathy took a deep breath and told herself she was going to give Mia the benefit of the doubt and try to engage in a civilized adult conversation with her. In Cathy’s opinion Mia acted the way she did because she didn’t know any better, if she knew better she would do better. Mia’s own mother hadn’t raised her or her siblings because of substance abuse issues. And the aunt who took Mia and her sisters in only did so for monetary benefits, leaving Mia and her sisters to run the streets and raise themselves. It was a sad situation but the cycle stopped here; because Cathy would be damned if her grandbaby had the same fate as her mama and maternal grandmother. If it was Ty who could stand in as that positive mother figure for Ky then so be it, Cathy ain’t have a problem with it.
“Mia, Mia” Cathy called out interrupting the coke induced rant Mia was enthralled in. “Listen Ky is a smart child and she’s aware of who her mother is. She knows you’re her mother,” Cathy said with reassurance in her tone. “Exactly! Cause when me and ya son fucked and made Kynah Ty wasn’t a muthafuckin factor in that equation. And he got the nerve to be co-signing our daughter calling this chick Mommy, where they do dat at?” Mia asked smacking her lips loudly. Cathy crinkled her forehead in confusion Mia had just said a mouthful but unfortunately Cathy didn’t understand a damn thing really. “You see the real problem is he ain’t been raised right,” Mia continued on talking a mile a minute. Cathy furrowed her brows and jerked her neck back. “Come again?” Cathy said with a tinge of attitude in her voice. Mia went on as if she hadn’t heard that forewarning in Cathy’s tone, Mia was higher than Denzel in the movie Flight and she could care less who ain’t like what she had to say.
“I said he wasn’t raised right. He wasn’t raised to be no man, cause a real man wouldn’t do the shit he doing right now. If anything you shoulda told him he needed to man up and do the right thing when it came to me and mine.” Cathy took a deep breath and tried to be patient with Mia. “Well what exactly should he have manned up about? I’m confused.” And she truly was; the conversation had gone left. One minute Mia was complaining about Ky calling Ty Mommy and the next minute she was complaining about Nice not being a man and being raised right. Mia smacked her lips loudly before she continued on. “As his mother you shoulda told him he needed to make it work with the person he started a family wit. It’s too many black women out here who can say they mothers but can’t say that they wives.” And what pamphlet did your remedial ass read that from? Cathy thought to herself. “Well Mia honey there’s plenty of people who have children together but are not together. We aren’t living in the day and age when you had to stay with the person you had children with anymore. I mean… all I can really hope for is that you and my son find a common ground to co-parent without all the drama. I know you guys can do it.” Mia scoffed as if Cathy’s answer was offensive. “See that’s the shit I be talkin bout, co-parent?! You need to be telling ya son he need to do the right thing.” “Well what do you propose the right thing is? Because I’m baffled, my son pays child support and takes good care of his,” Cathy snapped. “The right thing would’ve been you telling him to put a ring on it. I was good enough to lay up and have a baby wit but not good enough to be his wife?” there was a few moments of silence on the line between both women before Cathy said “Wife! Bitch over my dead body!” Click.
Mia gasped and looked at the phone. She couldn’t believe Cathy who was usually calm and tolerant had just gone HAM.com on her. With her common sense impaired from the coke and feeling as if she needed to get the last word Mia dialed Cathy’s number back to give Cathy a piece of her mind. Fuck this stuck up bitch and her son Mia thought to herself as she listened to the phone ring becoming more frustrated with each ring. Finally the answering machine kicked in and Cathy’s voice prompted the caller to leave a message, so a message is exactly what Mia left. “You know what? No wonder why ya son ain’t shit I see exactly where he get it from! Both of y’all can kiss my ass!” Cathy jumped up from the pile of plush pillows she was laid up against on her upholstered headboard and looked at the base of the cordless phone as if she heard the words coming from the answering machine wrong. Her first instinct was to pick up mid message and cuss Mia’s disrespectful ass out. Then her second thought was to call Nice and let him know what Mia pulled, but she quickly came to her senses. For one she wasn’t going to stoop to Mia’s level and engage in a screaming match over the phone. Secondly, she wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt of what her son would do to Mia if she called him and played that message. So for now she deleted the message and went right back to having a peaceful night and only hoped Ty and her son were doing the same. Cathy wouldn’t ruin their evening together with this drama but she swore to herself that if Mia ever disrespected her again all bets were off.
The night was going exactly how Ty had planned. After they did a little shopping Ty suggested they stay at her place in the city instead of going back out to the burbs where they usually stayed. Nice had agreed and Ty couldn’t have been happier with her plans falling into place so perfectly. As Nice pulled in front of her row house on a quiet side street in the city Ty had a weird feeling come over her. This place felt like home but at the same time it didn’t. It had been a while since she stayed here and the cobwebs she swept off the corners of her ceilings earlier that day when she came to tidy up for tonight was a clear confirmation of how long it had been. As she walked through her row house that afternoon, changing sheets on the bed, setting the massage oils and her lingerie out, she couldn’t help but feel like she lived a totally different life nearly a year ago. It was the life of a young single chick in the city, where now she lived the life of a hustla’s wifey tucked away out in the burbs with a child. Who would’ve thought? If someone would’ve told her a year ago that she’d be running out of work every day tearing across Jersey to pick her baby up from the afterschool program instead of staying at work until she saw the cleaning people walk her office floor she would’ve laughed at the absurdity but this was indeed her reality now. She was turning down out of state business conventions that in the past she would’ve loved to go to for the sole purpose of career networking and being able to travel on the companies dime to stay at home and care for Ky while Nice was out of state making moves. Ty shook her head and whispered “Unbelievable.” “What was that Baby girl?” “Oh nothing,” Ty answered not realizing she had uttered that aloud. Ty kept her thoughts to herself because she never wanted Nice to think she regretted anything she’d sacrificed because she didn’t. Her life was different but not in a bad way. Yes, she had a ready-made family but at the end of the day it was her family and she loved both Nice and Ky. Plus who the fuck was she kidding the perks of being with Nice was awesome; good dick, money, and the fact he kept a smile on her face by making her laugh to the point she had hiccups was everything.
Ty ran upstairs as soon as they got in to freshen up and slip into her surprise for Nice. While Nice plopped down on the plush leather sectional and grabbed the remote from the matching leather ottoman. His eyes scanned the living room as the light from the
television illuminated the room. The place was tastefully decorated in different hues of natural browns and light blues. The chocolate brown leather sectional stood stark against the light blue walls and the bright white crown molding throughout the living room added contrast and a pop of color. When you added in the drapes and contemporary multi-colored throw pillows on the couch that tied in the browns, blues and whites the end result was a modern, chic city pad. All the updated features like the recessed lighting throughout the house and the granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms showed the signs of this older row house being completely gutted and renovated. Nice did a mental calculation of what it must’ve cost and whistled. Tina loved her girls, so when she said she was setting them up she really did. Although, this place was nice it didn’t seem like Ty. There was nothing in her cool, laid back, nurturing demeanor expressed in this place. It looked more like a model home for one of those furniture magazines and there was definitely nothing kid friendly about the place either. Just as he was thinking about how they seemed more like a family at his home his cell vibrated on his hip. He grabbed the phone off its clip and looked at the screen noticing it was Jah. The first thing that greeted Nice’s eardrums was a screaming Baby Jah.