“Oh, ok. Well that happened before me, so we just gotta roll with the punches. We could just take the baby and raise it ourselves. Take her out of the equation all together.”
The sparkle came back to his eyes. He looked up and smiled.
“For real? Baby, that’s why I love you. You love me, huh?”
“Yes! I am so lucky to have you,” I said.
“Yeah, she and I broke up because she was too ghetto and I couldn’t do nothing with her. She was stressing me out,” he said happily with relief.
“She’s not the only one.” I said.
“What?” Jules asked. “See, there you go. I know you gonna leave me. Huh, you gonna leave me.”
“No I’m not!” I shouted.
“Yes you are. You’re thinking this dude got way too much going on. I’m gonna miss you Nee. I’m gonna miss your tits and your smile and them big breakfasts you be cooking.”
“Will you be quiet Jules? I ain’t leaving yet. You just paid for a cruise.”
We both laughed.
“Yeah, why am I paying for my own birthday cruise?”
“Man, come on, I got you. I’m paying for all your meals.”
“Okay.” He thought about it. “Wait, that’s included. Girl, you ain’t slick.”
We both laughed again.
“Yeah, I need to get on that cruise.” He started fucking up Cruisin’ by Smokey Robinson.
“No Jules, please stop,” I demanded.
Chapter 26
YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE I NEED
I left Jules’ house after he left for work. I woke him up to some head and made breakfast. I was headed to Chelsea’s house.
We were gonna watch the debate between Obama and McCain. This was exciting to see a black man actually running for president. Jules was excited to be registered and voting for the first time in his life. I liked to play house but I had to come back to reality.
Next week was the wedding. I had to meet Kalena at the bridal shop to see her in her dress before she took it home. I also had to pick up Kalena’s wedding shoes.
I saw the baddest off-white pair of Valentino suede pumps with a chiffon flower appliqué. Chelsea was picking up her dress by herself.
My seamstress added more material to the back of her dress, and it seemed like it worked out. Kalena was giving us our shoes and accessories at Chelsea’s. We all had hair appointments with Jordyn and her assistant on the morning of the wedding. Jordyn was also doing our makeup. The rehearsal dinner was the day before the wedding.
I remembered I needed to call Jason, and Drew’s parents back. I got in the car and Eric Benet was singing You’re The Only One I Need. I turned the volume up. Thoughts of Jason entered my mind. I felt as though it should be us, but I was having a good time and this was way more than I dreamed of. Jules had some stuff to iron out and he was doing a good job. He was fighting for our relationship.
This cruise was what we needed. He had a baby on the way.
Man, I didn’t think my story would be this way, but I already said we would roll with the punches. Oh, I blamed Jason. I wanted him to feel at fault. This was his bad. My story was meant to end with him. Ugh! That was what I wanted. I got mad again, so mad that I could scream.
I pulled the SUV over. I was on Mission Boulevard by Taco Bell.
I was close to entering onto the freeway, but pulled over because I didn’t want to cause any car accidents. I screamed loud. I caught my breath and screamed again.
Then the waterworks started. I hit the steering wheel and screamed to God to fix my heart and change my feelings. I didn’t want to be in love with two men. I wanted to be real true to Jules. He had the love I want to experience.
“God!”
I took a deep breath, looked in the mirror and laughed at myself. I patted my eyes and wiped my cheeks. I felt a lot better.
Then my phone rang. It was Jason.
My heart dropped.
“Hello?”
“Hey baby,” he said cheerfully. “You know I’m coming to town and I want to see you. We really need to talk. I owe you that much.”
“Jason I don’t know, now it’s kinda too late.”
“No it’s not.”
“I’m in something right now and it’s going cool. You keep stabbing me in the back and I’m finally coming to the conclusion that I need to move on. Time is ticking and you know I want a baby.”
“And, I told you I would give you one,” he interrupted.
Silence.
“Look, I don’t wanna play games, okay Jason? This is my life we’re talking about!” I shouted. “How are we gonna raise a baby together?”
“I told you that I would come out every three weeks.”
“But you’re living with your chick! Did you forget that minor detail? How does she feel about your decision to have a baby with someone else? And at first, you said you would come out every two months. Please, you don’t even come out here enough to practice getting pregnant.”
“Man, I’ll get it right the first time,” he said proudly.
“Please.” I responded.
“Well, we’ve tried before and it didn’t work none of those times. Yeah and believe me, I tried too,” he added.
“I can’t believe this dude,” I thought to myself.
“I’ll be there next weekend. I fly in on Friday.”
“Kalena’s wedding is Saturday, Jason.”
“Ask Kalena where’s my invitation.”
“Shut up, Jason.”
“When can we talk for real? I wanna take you to dinner. I know you like Kincaid’s, so let’s go there.”
“When?”
“On Friday. Is it cool?” he asked.
“What are you coming here for,’ cause it ain’t because of me,” I said.
“My goddaughter is getting baptized on Sunday.”
“Oh,” I replied.
“I’ll get my rental car and come pick you up.”
I wasn’t feeling this, but informed him I’d be at a church for the rehearsal and dinner.
“When you finish with all that, I’ll come get you from your church, and we can go on over to Jack London Square. Sound like a plan, Nee?”
I told him yes as I got on the freeway headed to Chelsea’s house.
“Girl, thank you again for helping me get my dress altered,” Chelsea said. I’m really sorry guys for not telling y’all the deal. I wasn’t sure y’all would understand what Greg means to me.”
“Greg?” Kalena and I asked in unison.
“I told y’all,” Najah reminded us.
Chelsea rolled her eyes at Najah.
“You think you know everything,” Chelsea said.
Najah replied. “I can’t help it that the God I serve tells me everything I need to know.”
“Yes, Greg,” Chelsea said smiling. “I was gonna try and wait till after the wedding because I didn’t want to take any shine away from your wedding, Kalena.”
“Girl, I ain’t tripping. I am so in love with Todd and ready for this union to form til I don’t know what to do.”
We laughed.
“There’s enough to go ‘round Chelsea. Believe that, girl.”
“Yeah, I hear ya. I want these things for all of you. I want us all to get married and have kids.”
“Well, not me. But just maybe, since Todd doesn’t have any,” Kalena said.
Najah was anxious.
“Tell us how did y’all get back together and what happened to Sherry?”
“Yeah yeah,” I said.
We were sitting at Chelsea’s kitchen table eating grilled chicken salad and sipping on raspberry smoothies.
“He sent me an email pouring his heart out to me, saying how much
he missed me and how I showed him a lot about life and how much fun he had with me. He missed the pillow talks we would have. He said he never had that much fun with a lady before. He felt he could trust me and he missed my body. He used to call me a stallion.”
We laughed.
“So how did Sherry come into the picture?”
“She wrote him a letter and put it on his car telling him how much she missed being with him and all this bull, and pretty much, he bit.”
“But what about all those good times he had with you?”
“He said he figured that it would come to end like every relationship he’d been in, and he wanted to hurt me before I hurt him. I told him that didn’t make any sense and to go away and lose my email address. Then he sent flowers to my job, he delivered pizza and I noticed that Sherry wasn’t coming to church anymore, and before I knew it, I was back in his embrace and falling in love again. I’m sorry for not telling y’all, but I can’t believe I went back to him ’cause y’all know I don’t play that. But honestly, I wanted to try again and wasn’t over him. So now I’m almost three months pregnant with his baby and I’m due sometime next summer.”
“Are y’all together?” Kalena asked.
“Yes, we are,” Chelsea answered.
“And what happened to ole girl?” Kalena asked.
“She tried satisfying him, but he was in love with me still. He said when he saw anyone of us, it just made him think of me all day. They actually broke up when he called her me in the sheets,” Chelsea said.
“OMG,” Najah said smiling. “That has got to be the most embarrassing thing to do.”
We all chuckled. I would beat a nicca down if he ever called me another chick’s name.
“Oh, so she kicked him in the dick and he said that was it for him. He was hurting for days. She told him it was gonna be her way or the highway and he told her he was taking 880 out this bitch and left. She was throwing stuff at him as he left and he never looked back.”
“Wow,” Najah said. “That’s some story.”
“I’m happy for you,” Kalena said.
“I liked when you were with Greg. You smiled a lot and had a glow,” I said.
Najah and Kalena agreed.
“I’m glad y’all are my friends,” Kalena said. “And I know it’s been all about the wedding when you hear from me, so I’m glad we are taking this time together to catch up ’cause I’ve been out the loop. Najah, you still swearing off men?”
“Yes, for the time being,” Najah confirmed.
“How long you gone go without getting some?” I asked curiously.
“I have my bullet and he is so satisfying.”
“But bullet can’t hold you at night and take you to the movies,” Chelsea said.
“Well, he don’t cheat, choke me or ask me where I’m going either. I’m cool for right now; taking time to get to know me,” Najah said.
“Well, what have you learned?” I said, being sarcastic.
Chelsea laughed.
“I don’t know how to pick the right guys for me,” Najah said. “So I’m gonna let the Lord bring him into my life without my help. I’m praying that he comes soon, because this recession is kicking my butt.”
We all agreed.
I got a text from Derrick, which read, “leave him alone. He is not cool. You deserve way better than this. He is up here fighting with this ghetto broad and it ain’t pretty.”
“OMG,” I said.
“What?” Kalena said.
“Oh you guys. I’m in a mess.”
I went over to Chelsea’s couch and laid down as I held the waterworks back from falling.
“This is the text from Derrick,” I said, repeating it out loud.
“Now what’s going on with Jules?” Najah said.
“He is in some crazy mess girl,” Kalena said.
“I was rooting for him, ole sucka,” Chelsea added.
I scratched my scalp and pulled my locs in a ponytail. I stood up and looked at them. “Jules is at the comedy club fighting with an ex-girlfriend who is pregnant with his child.”
I couldn’t keep up with the “oh no’s” and the “f-bombs”, so I laid back down on the couch.
“I told him that I was gonna ride with him,” I said. “But I really hope she has an abortion. Who wants to deal with that if he’s gonna be cheating on me with her when he gotta go pick the baby up? I’m gonna be going to Fairyland and Cheese E. Cheese on the regular with some other chick’s kid. I saved all my love for my child.”
“Who wants to be buying stuff for your stepbaby?” Chelsea added.
I sighed.
Najah asked, “Not meaning to change the subject, but to change the subject, have you talked to Drew yet?”
“No.” I admitted to my friends, “but I do miss him. More than I thought I would.”
“Oh, just asking.”
Chelsea and Kalena were silent, and I was glad. I didn’t want to hear what they had to say about it. I was gonna pray this thang on out and let God guide me.
“Hey, we’ll be praying with you because I like Jules. He’s a hoot!” Kalena said.
Chelsea added, “It’ll work out either way, honey. God has His hands on you.”
“Thanks, but guess what else?” I said.
“Else?” Chelsea asked. There’s more?”
“Yep, it can only get better, girl.” I said.
“You need your own reality show.” Chelsea added.
“Guess who called me wanting to talk in person next week?”
“Next week? You don’t have time for that, my wedding is next week,” Kalena reminded me.
“Yeah, I remember, it’s on Saturday and I’m in it,” I said sarcastically.
“Who?” Najah said.
“None other than Jason Smith,” Chelsea said.
“Ha!” Najah said.
Kalena said, “I can’t even keep up no more.”
“He really wants to talk. I really want to listen and hear what he has to say.”
“He owes it to you,” Kalena said.
“That funky black dog, I don’t get him. Why can’t he leave well enough alone? He moved so he needs to move on,” Najah said.
“But if he wants to give you some closure, take it, ’cause niccas don’t hardly even own up to their bull anymore,” Chelsea said.
Najah was rooting for Drew. She wasn’t fooling nobody. That’s her boy and that’s that.
I understood, but he was wrong for verbally abusing me. If he was in my presence that day, I really feel that there would have been some physical altercation, followed by all that trash talking.
Drew was mad that day, and I don’t know what else was going on with him. But he didn’t approach it well at all. Just like his brother would say, “you get a F for that.”
“Well, I need one of y’all to mail in our marriage license, since we are leaving on our honeymoon the next day.”
“I can take it to the courthouse myself on Monday,” Chelsea said.
“Ok, cool,” Kalena said.
“Yeah, ’cause I’m taking the day off. Where are y’all going on your honeymoon?” I asked.
“We are going on the Mexican Riviera cruise. It goes to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo and Mazatlan. It’s a seven-day cruise and I am excited.”
“Jules and I are taking that same cruise next month.”
“What?” Kalena asked.
“Are you serious? Y’all moving too fast,” Najah said.
“No, they are not,” Chelsea said. “Jules know what he wants and it’s Journee. Common says, “It don’t take all day to recognize sunshine”, and you are his sunshine. They’re happy Najah, leave her be.”
“Well Drew is the homie and he loves you—” was a
ll Najah could say when Kalena gave her a look that screamed “FIGURE IT OUT NAJAH!” Najah got the point and rolled her eyes and kept eating her salad.
Right Before My Eyes Page 18