Around the Way Girls 9

by Moore, Ms. Michel

  “Well hello, James Theodore Schultz III.” Shawntay Jenkins stood on the other side of my door clutching a King James Bible. I thought I was seeing a ghost.

  “What in the hell is she doing at our house?” Beth went to smack me again but her arms were caught in mid-swing. “Have you been slumming again, James?”

  “Beth, calm down. I don’t know! Let me get to the bottom of this.” Marching toward the door, I thought for sure I was getting ready to catch my first case. “Shawntay, I’ve told you never to come here. There’s no reason for you to be on my doorstep, especially since Shannon is over eighteen. I have never owed you shit but definitely not now.”

  “Tell her ass to get on from here, James, or I’ll call the police on her for trespassing!” Yelling like a madwoman with the phone in her hand, I knew Beth was serious but the phone call wouldn’t harm me in no way. I’d paid my debt to Shawntay and Shannon, every cent of child support ordered.

  “Tell your wife if she calls the police I’ll be giving them a reason to come,” Shawntay threatened. “I may be a woman of God now but I came to raise hell about my daughter, something I should’ve done over twenty years ago!” Taking a brief moment to take Shawntay in, no longer was she dressed like the cheapest streetwalker Detroit employed. Her once droopy red eyes, alcoholic breath, and horrid weed smell had been replaced by bright, angry eyes, a God-speaking tongue, and the will not to back down. I guess you can teach a dog new tricks.

  “Your time has come and gone, Shawntay. The only leverage you had with me was Shannon and she’s grown now. Any responsibility I had to that girl died the day she turned eighteen. I’m going to ask you one final time: please leave and never bring your ass back around here.”

  “NaNa, PawPaw!” Josh and Jill were running up the walkway with Marie close behind.

  “Wow, PawPaw, really? You ain’t even play father to one of your kids but now you’re playing granddad to two others!”

  “What? He don’t owe you or that Oreo kid of yours nothing more!” Beth screamed at Shawntay. “Yes, police, can you please send a squad car to 21766 Hummingbird Lane? There’s a trespasser on the property refusing to leave.” By now Marie had a twin in each arm running into the living room to keep them from the unknown drama unfolding.

  “I don’t even know what I expected by coming here,” Shawntay mumbled under her breath. “Look, Shannon is tough as nails out in these streets but she’s gonna need someone to turn to once everything in her life comes tumbling down. And even though your racist, ugly, low self-esteem having–ass wife is against it, you’re Shannon’s father so it’s your duty to be that for the rest of her natural life. She told me how you stuck up for her as a little girl when Sally was picking on her, so I figured that somewhere in that ice-cold heart of yours had to be some love for our baby.”

  I knew Beth was steaming hearing that I’d even been around Shannon. But when she was a little girl I was intrigued by the definite features of mine she had. I could tell she was a lot like me from her timid personality, wandering eyes, and how shaken she would be from my mother’s voice. I was the same when I was a child; that’s why I made it my duty to protect her from what ruined me at her age. But our father-daughter relationship went no further. “I don’t think none of that will be happening, Shannon. You two have been dead to me. I am with my wife on this one; charges will be pressed if you don’t get off of our property!” Trying to slam the door, I wanted Shawntay to crawl back under whatever rock she’d just crawled from under.

  “Your wish will come true sooner than you think. The grave you’ve been digging for me since the nineties is almost six feet deep.” Shawntay dropped her head, seeming weaker than I’d ever seen or heard her. Over all the years of her cursing me out, I’d never heard her voice so low. “I was diagnosed with HIV-AIDS a few years ago. I only came here to ask you to help patch up my and Shannon’s relationship before I die.”

  Chapter Ten

  Jay

  “Hold on, Marie, slow down. What’s going on? Who is there?” Butter was showering, it was just past seven in the morning, and I’d just gotten done going over the itinerary for today’s schedule of meetings. I’d stroked her sleep then woke her up with my stiff pink penis in her mouth so of course until Marie’s call I was gliding on cloud nine. My plan had been to hit Bare Faxxx for another afternoon of Butter’s loving once the business part of my day had ended. But of course family drama was throwing daggers in all of my preconceived plans.

  “I’m at your parents’, they’re arguing, no one will tell me much of anything. I just know me, Josh, and Jill walked up on your dad fussing with a black woman. Can you come home? Please! And where have you been? Why haven’t you been answering any of my calls?”

  “Why are you at my parents’? Get the twins and go home. I told you I was staying at the hotel to get some work done, Marie. You know your father has a slew of meetings planned all day and tomorrow. I can’t come home just yet but stop worrying yourself over my parents’ drama.” In the back of my mind I knew the black woman Marie probably saw was a mistress of my father’s. He liked to act like his temptation and dirty desires were repressed but me being just like him, I knew better.

  “Please try to make time. I’ll get the kids and head home.”

  “Don’t worry, Marie; for you and those kids you know I’ll try.” Hanging up the phone I knew I’d just lied through my teeth. I didn’t have any true intentions of going home maybe the whole weekend. If Butter would give me my way, she’d be laid up in this room all night playing a sex slave to me.

  “Okay, Jay, don’t forget you promised to call me after your slew of meetings.” Butter appeared from the bathroom with the hotel’s white fluffy robe on.

  “Don’t worry; you’ll be seeing me after those meetings. Save a VIP room for me.”

  “Aren’t we the big spender.” She smiled, placing a kiss on my slender lips. “Even though you worked me over last night, my rates still stand.”

  Winning me over with her smile, I was falling hard for Butter in the worst way. I didn’t care about how Marie felt, my father’s disapproval, or my mother going bat-shit crazy because I was risking our family’s financial stability for a stripper; this one seemed special enough to go on the wild ride with.

  “So why are you rushing out of here?” I could’ve paid for any pussy I wanted to. I craved hers.

  “I promised a friend we could meet up for breakfast.” Grabbing the hotel lotion from my open suitcase, she started rubbing it all over her body, making my dick stand at attention.

  “A friend at seven in the morning? Must be some special friend.” I didn’t like to be turned down, plus the prize I’d been paying into wasn’t getting ready to be given to someone else. I’d paid enough cash into Butter to own her as far as I was concerned.

  “It’s not like that, sweetheart. He’s the DJ at the club. We’re just grabbing a bite to eat so he can fill me in on all the drama that went down at last night after I left. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “I can’t say that I’m not deflated to hear the news. I would’ve loved to come back to this room after those boring business meetings to find you stark naked ready for some wood. How much is he paying you to grab a bite to eat anyway?”

  “Huh? What do you mean?” No longer moisturizing her skin, she stopped to look up at me, confused like she didn’t charge me for my time. Money made the world go ’round as my father taught me, so Butter could be bought too.

  “Whatever he’s paying you for your time, I can pay you more. It’s nothing.” Money was of no object. Doing business with Marie’s father secured my financial security so I blew money whenever I felt the urge.

  Letting out a breath of air in exasperation, I could tell she was thinking twice on my proposition. “Wow, this is going to be harder than I thought.” She sighed. “My friend and I had a crazy night so this breakfast meeting is a must. I promise it’s nothing more than that, but I’ll call you right when we’re done, my word.”

&
nbsp; “Just make sure this pussy come back just how I left it.” Pushing her back onto the bed, I opened the robe and made love to her sexy body until sending my seed deep inside of her. I knew I should’ve been strapped up or at least pulled out to jack my nut off onto her stomach, but I couldn’t deny the love my dick had for her warmth. I was in sexual heaven.

  Butter

  I heard Jay up talking on the phone to his wife, girlfriend, significant other, whoever—I didn’t care. I had my hand deep in my pockets after really peeping what he was worth so ya better believe the chick on the phone’s role was compromised already. He hadn’t strapped up not one time of us fucking like rabbits so if my period came up late, I’d come up knocked up and keeping it. After getting sexed, paid, and sent out the door, I was climbing into my whip tipping the valet one of the tens I’d made last night.

  Keeping it real with ol’ boy, wasn’t nothing about my story fabricated. I tried adding a cherry on top by letting him work me out before having to leave, so hopefully that helped not to sour his mood; but I had to hook up with Dazz so we could discuss what went down last night. He’d been one of the many calls from early this morning I couldn’t answer but via text he let me know that we needed to hook up ASAP before I went into work.

  “Thank you, and have a good day, ma’am.” The attendant waved, happy that his day started off the right way.

  “Oh no doubt. And you do the same.” Pulling off toward Big Boy, I had to meet up with Dazz for breakfast. Jay was throwing major shade about me hooking up with another guy but he had some nerve having a girl with twins at home. Men weren’t shit but at least Jay paid me enough to overlook it.

  Riding down Jefferson, everything was much different than it was last night. All of the partiers were probably still knocked out as nothing but trash was left in the parking lots running over into the streets. Many business owners were out sweeping, cleaning up, and prepping for their Saturday morning patrons.

  The phone rang. Reaching for my phone thinking it was Dazz, I answered without checking. Big mistake! “Hello.”

  “Hi, Shannon,” a deep voice spoke back.

  Pulling the phone back, looking at the number, I didn’t know anyone from that area code prefix so it must’ve been a bill collector. “Yeah, who is this? I ain’t got no job, money, or nothing; plus it’s too early to be calling my phone about some bill shit.”

  “Your father.”

  I hadn’t heard from this man since he’d told me to have a nice life on my eighteenth birthday handing my mother the final child support payment. I didn’t know she faithfully received. He looked at me as his daughter then turned and walked away. Why in the hell was he calling me now? Absolutely speechless, I didn’t know what to say. “The only father I know of wouldn’t be calling me.” What else could I say to the stranger who’d chosen to stay away?

  “Your tongue is just as sharp as your mother’s.”

  “Yeah, well, and so? I was raised by her.” He’d woken me up with his criticism like I had any other choice but to be like the woman I hated to the core of my soul.

  Dazz pulled up, blowing the horn. “Ay, yo, Butter baby, c’mon, girl!” Waving for me to jump in his ride, I was glad Dazz was there because I needed more of a reason to end this call. I wasn’t interested in entertaining him or Shawntay. Why were they surfacing anyhow?

  “Look, James, my friend just pulled up. Can we rush this conversation along?”

  “I’ll be free again around lunchtime. Please call me by then or I’ll call you.”

  “How about you call me? We both know how it goes when it comes to me trying to reach out to you. I’m too old for that letdown shit.” I looked over at Dazz who was holding up our morning breakfast: a plump swisher sweet.

  “I’ll be calling you around noon. Talk to you then.”

  Staring down at my phone’s blinking call duration, a boatload of memories rushed into my mind. The whole life I’d steadily pushed down was starting to come back at me full force. I couldn’t understand why, ’cause the people I pushed away were the same people who isolated me in the first place. I felt like everything around me was spinning. My heart was racing, I couldn’t catch my breath, and for a moment I completely zoned out.

  Dazz blew the horn once more.

  “What up? You straight?” Dazz asked as I jumped in his Yukon still dazed from talking to my dad.

  “I’m good. That phone call just shook me up a bit.” Not wanting to get too deep into my personal business with Dazz, I kept my answer short and sweet hoping he got the point.

  “I can tell. G’on and light this up. It’ll get ya mind right. Let’s get this wake and bake session started.” Passing over the blunt I’d been eyeing since getting in, I grabbed the lighter from the cup holder, taking my orders with no reluctance.

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  “So what you get into last night? You and white boy you did a private with hookup?” Dazz wasted no time cutting into me as soon as I hopped into his Yukon Denali.

  “Damn, you must have a LoJack recording device hooked up to me somewhere,” I joked, buckling up as he pulled off.

  “Oh please believe I keep tabs on everything I have an interest in. And from the looks of it, you should be happy that I do. Them bitches were gunning for your head last night.” Looking over to make sure I was listening, I had a feeling Dazz really wanted to say more.

  “No doubt, no doubt! I’m more than appreciative. Frank wouldn’t have wasted a moment firing my ass had I pulled out my .380. You came out looking like a savior by keeping the peace between our wild asses. It was about to be a murder mayhem up in the club please believe me!” Taking a few puffs before passing the tightly wrapped packed cigarillo, I welcomed the calming buzz it brought over my overworked body. “So what’s the word? What all went down last night? I’m pretty sure I’ve gotta walk around watching over my shoulder.”

  “Well as long as I’m around, you ain’t never gotta worry.” Reaching over me popping the glove compartment, he pulled out a Ziploc half full of marijuana tossing it onto my lap. “Roll up so we can get this real right and kick it before hitting Big Boy.”

  Catching a whiff of the loud green before even fully opening the bag, the funk spread throughout the truck like a wildfire once I opened it to sneak a whiff. “Damn this is some hella loud right here!” Picking up one of the many fliers that were spread throughout his truck, I broke down a few of the corned popcorn buds, making sure this would be a fat one. “I’ve gotta buy a few grams of this fire up off ya. This would save me the trouble from having to make a stop.”

  “You know I ain’t about taking your money, Butter. A real nigga don’t have his hand out. Take you a handful on me then roll up another fat one. You straight.” Gripping the wheel turning the radio back up, I followed my commands not questioning his boss status.

  Riding across the bridge to the park, I was feeling hella high already but that didn’t stop me from pulling super hard. Between Kush and alcohol, that was the only time I had peace and comfort. I couldn’t wait to get a drink up in me. Rolling down the window to let the thick smoke seep out into the air, my long, wavy hair flowed in the wind as I stared off into the sky. Something just wasn’t sitting right in the pit of my stomach. With so much unraveling in my life at the same time, I couldn’t pinpoint where the uneasy feeling was coming from. So much had gone down the last twenty-four hours. Deciding to keep quiet not to kill the vibe, I bobbed my head to the Jeezy song trying to shake the irking feeling. Chill out, Shannon, you only tripping about your dad. Get it together so you can get faded the right way.

  Pulling into a parking space by the water, Dazz shut the ignition off then pulled a blanket from the back seat. “Bring that choke with you; we’re going to sit by the water.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Marie

  Having a cup of coffee, listening to my mother-in-law vent, I couldn’t believe J.T. had kept so many family secrets from me. I guessed had he told me the dark truths of the Schul
tz men I would’ve questioned his loyalty to me as his wife.

  “Would you like another cup, Beth?” I held the mug up after filling my mug to the brim. I hadn’t slept a wink and from the looks of it couldn’t plan to catch any rest for hours to come. Luckily the twins were asleep.

  “No, I’ll be needing something stronger. I can’t believe that home-wrecking whore showed up to my house! Pour me a glass of wine from that open bottle in the fridge.” Beth was on a rampage. Since being introduced to her as a child, I always met the mild, sweet, docile, mothering woman who always took me and J.T. on play dates. Now she was shivering mad pouring every problem out that she and the second man I called dad had since before my time.

  “I don’t know what to say, Ma.” Handing her the whole bottle, she poured her own sorrows as I sipped what I hoped would give me enough energy to deal with what she was about to lay on me.

  “I do! His ass better not come back to this house after crossing me. All those years of sneak visits . . . What did he call himself doing? Bonding? I warned him.”

  Mrs. Schultz was speaking babble. The more she drank the more she went on and on about family secrets I could’ve never fathomed. My father-in-law had a daughter out of wedlock with a black woman and Beth refused to acknowledge the little girl. As the hurt feelings spilled out more, I pieced together that me and my father were just ploys to ensure the Schultz financial bottom didn’t fall out. The woman who I thought was more passive than my mother uncovered her masked face of deception. She was the furthest thing from weak, resembling more of a mastermind than any of the money-hungry men I’d seen my father do business with.