My Baby Is a West Coast King

by Shvonne Latrice

  “How would you know if I never told you?”

  “I thought I would see it on you somewhere or some shit. Don’t y’all get like stretch marks or something?”

  Laughing at his ass I said, “I guess, yeah, but I was only eighteen. My body snapped back quickly. I was wearing crop tops after two weeks.” I rubbed Melody’s hair.

  “You are so fucking fine to me, Cass.”

  “Here I am trying to have a conversation with you and you get to talking about how fine I am.”

  “No, I mean because of that. I think it’s low-key sexy that you’ve had a baby before. And you look good as hell even afterwards.”

  “Thank you,” I blushed, pushing my hair behind my ears. “No, Melody.” I stopped her from trying to eat a piece of banana off the dirty ass park table.

  “But I want iiiiittt, Mommy,” she whined.

  “What did I say?”

  She twisted her little face up, and then continued eating the rest of her ice cream.

  “I feel like we should go on another date or some shit. I know it’s weird, because I’m thinking the same thing.”

  “I don’t know, Kordell. I’m not really—”

  “Okay, I tried to be nice and ask you, but since you’re bullshitting I see I’m just gonna have to make you go. I will let you know when to be ready and what to wear.”

  “And what if I don’t go?”

  “You will.” He nodded so surely as if he was responding to someone asking if his name was Kordell. He stood up and came around to my side of the bench. “We’re gonna eat, and then go to the crib,” he bit his lip, eyeing my face lustfully before kissing me gently. I hated when he got this close to me because my insides would literally be boiling, with hawks flying around in my stomach. “And when I get you to the crib, it’s a wrap.”

  “I go play now?” Melody looked to me with ice cream all around her mouth.

  “Hold on.” I wiped her face with a napkin. Before I could even ball it up, she darted off to the jungle gym. “Melody!” We were sitting right next to it, but I didn’t want her going without me.

  “Relax,” Kordell said as he followed behind her. She was running and he was only walking, yet he still caught up to her tiny butt.

  He scooped her up to place on her at the top of the slide, and she screeched in excitement. That made me smile, but it unfortunately made me like him even more seeing my daughter play with and take a liking to him. I really didn’t need crazy ignorant Kordell in my life, and especially not my daughter’s.

  However, right now I was gonna enjoy the fact that I could watch Melody go crazy on the jungle gym from afar instead of having to chase her down.

  Mischief

  This evening, I was working with that same girl group from a while back. I didn’t care for their personalities, but they were going places and they had the money to pay me. And at the end of the day, they were talented as fuck. I didn’t just work with anybody, and people knew that. Having the money to pay me was cool, but I wasn’t putting my name on or wasting my beats on people that were trash.

  I cleaned up the studio a little bit, airing it out since a couple days ago, my peoples and I were in here getting high as fuck. By the time I was done, I heard a knock at the door and I knew it was them.

  “Afternoon,” I said, pulling the door back. Cyn rolled her eyes at me as she slid in. I didn’t care about her rolling her eyes. As long as she came out that mouth correctly, we’d be gravy.

  “Hey, sexy,” Ashley bit her lip when she came in. The last chick, Heidi, just gave me a shy smile; I preferred her greeting out of everyone else’s.

  “Would y’all like some water or anything while I set up, and we can talk a little bit about what we’re gonna do today and shit? Cool?”

  “Yeah, that’s fine, and we’d all like some water,” Ashley replied.

  I went into my cooler that I brought to the studio every day, and pulled out three bottled waters for them. When I handed Ashley hers, she made sure to touch my hand when taking it.

  Shaking my head, I pulled up my swivel chair in front of them with my notepad. These days, I had so many musicians that I had to keep notes about their goals and so forth. In the past I didn’t need to, but because my clientele had boosted over the years from me making a name for myself, and recently because my artists were getting radio play, shit got jumbled up in my brain sometimes.

  “Aight, so how many songs are you guys looking to do for the project?”

  This felt like déjà vu.

  “We want to do just eight. We don’t want too many songs right now, but we want to have a nice solid amount.”

  “I get it. So with my schedule, I think we’d be able to do two songs a day, maybe three if y’all hit each song on the mark and don’t need many takes.”

  “That works, because we’ve only written to two of the beats you sent so far,” Heidi replied and I nodded.

  “Alright, well whenever y’all are ready we can start. First, I’m gonna play the beat and I just want to hear what y’all have, and then we can start with whomever is first going into the booth.”

  “Alright,” they all replied except Cyn.

  “Okay, what are the names of the first two beats and corresponding songs y’all wrote for it?”

  “The Ride and Exist beats with the songs ‘Tonight’ and ‘Stay’ respectively,” Ashley responded.

  I scooted back to my soundboard and started the first beat. I listened and watched as the three of them sang and their voices were like butter. Once they finished doing both songs for me live, it was time to start recording, and since Ashley was the lead on this one, she went in first.

  Recording Ashley’s verse went pretty smoothly, as well as Cyn’s. Heidi had some trouble with the bridge of the song, and the three girls couldn’t quite get the hook right together, so we were only able to hit on two songs instead of three. And the second song was only partially finished.

  “So you can text me to schedule the next session.”

  “Just check your calendar now,” Cyn finally spoke up. Her attitude was gone though, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she was flirting again.

  I usually didn’t check my calendar in front of artists because I felt like it forced them to book more time. I liked to let them go and hit me later.

  “How is Wednesday at the same time?”

  “That’s fine,” Ashley replied. “So what are you about to do right now?”

  “I have another session.”

  “Right now, right now?” Cyn questioned.

  “Uh, nah, in like an hour, but I’m gonna get something to eat.”

  “Why don’t we eat together then, the three of us. Heidi is gonna go home,” Ashley said when I glanced at Heidi.

  I pulled my phone out and went into my texts.

  Me: Help me bro.

  Chaz: With what nigga? Whatever it is quit acting like a bitch.

  Me: I’m serious. Come to the studio right now.

  Chaz: Aight.

  “Bye, Mischief,” Heidi waved as she left out of the studio room.

  “Why don’t you stay put, and we will go get the food. What do you have a taste for?” Cyn moved closer until she was standing right in front of me. She had on some little ass shorts and a top that had no straps with her stomach out.

  “Back up a little bit,” I put my hand up, as I rose to my feet to tower over her. “I’ma tell you like I told yo’ homegirl over there. I’m about my business, I got a bitch, and I’m not interested nor will I ever be interested in fucking you. If you don’t wanna rock with me because of it, there’s the door, but if you come up in here trying to spread ya legs for me again, we gon’ have some tall problems, baby girl.”

  I wanted to go way harder on their asses but this was business, and I was working on my temper with my clients.

  “I just wanted to know if you were hungry, damn. We’re going to Wingstop, and we will be back,” Cyn switched off and met Ashley at the door.

  It was so hard for me n
ot to smack the shit out of them both, but I was raised not to hit women. No, actually I wasn’t because I don’ seen my dad whack bitches across the face since I could talk. And seeing him do that made me never want to hit a woman. But damn did hoes make it hard sometimes. I was sure one good slap like the one in John Legend’s “Ordinary People” video would do the trick for Ashley and Cyn.

  My phone buzzed and I thought it was Chaz, but it was that stripper Liberty.

  Liberty: I heard your brothers on the radio today! I swear when I heard the tag from your beats I almost screamed!

  Me: Hilarious.

  Liberty: Congrats again on more radio play.

  Me: Thanks.

  Keeping that shit short as fuck.

  As I was backing out of the conversation with Liberty, I got an email. I went into it, and saw there was a message from someone at Static Records. I hadn’t heard from them and I’d been waiting to since Cardio told me about them being interested in working with me. When I read the email of them basically saying they’d been calling me for the past week and getting no answer, I realized that Cardio had played me by giving them the wrong information. Thank God this work email was on my social media. I let them know they had the wrong number, and then we went back and forth for a bit to set up a meeting time.

  “Bitch ass nigga,” I mumbled. Cardio was gonna see me, and it wouldn’t be nice for his hoe ass either. Fat bitch.

  By the time the girls came back with some food, Chaz was here. They were both smiling like we were about to get shit poppin’ but after about an hour and a half, they realized it wasn’t that type of party and left.

  “At least they left this food,” Chaz said, tearing a piece of meat off the wing with his teeth.

  “Right.”

  After recording with my second artist for a couple hours, Chaz and I left the studio. I went by Laine’s crib to pick her up for the night, and headed to my spot because I was dead tired. Not too tired to get some pussy though.

  It was harder than I thought to not think about how I’d fucked Liberty behind Laine’s back, but I’m sure it just took time for me to forget.

  “I missed you so much today, Shai. I hate when we’re both busy all day,” Laine straddled my lap after removing her dress. We were now in my bedroom, chilling.

  I said nothing for a moment, admiring her beautiful face as my hands groped and caressed her body gently.

  “I missed you more,” I said softly, before kissing her neck and reaching behind her to unhook her bra.

  Lying her on her back, I tugged her panties down her smooth caramel thighs, and tossed them to the side. I gazed down at her body as I removed my clothes, wishing I could go back in time to the night I fucked that bitch… and not fuck that bitch.

  Climbing in between Laine’s legs, my hands groped her thighs as I sucked on her nipples hungrily. She let out soft moans as I switched back and forth between her breasts while feeling her sexy ass up.

  As I started trailing kisses down her flat stomach, biting her in certain areas before licking, she cooed, “You make me so happy, Shai.”

  Grasping her thighs, I placed them onto my shoulders and dug in, burying my face in her pussy and sucking the life out of her clit. The further I pushed my face into her, the more her legs spread and the higher her moans became. Palming her ass, I pushed her pussy more into my mouth and continued to devour her until she was damn near crying. Feeling her juices spill down my lips, I lapped it up until she was clean.

  I licked, sucked, and bit all the way up her stomach and titties until I was face to face with her. She licked her full lips just before I crushed mine against hers. I positioned my dick at her opening, and barged inside of her tight wet hole.

  “Mmm,” she whimpered with her lips tucked in as I started to pump in and out of her.

  I watched her sex faces which seemed to only make my dick get harder and harder by the minute. Picking her left leg up, I started to thrust into her a little faster, listening to my dick constantly penetrate her wet walls.

  My mind began to drift, wondering how she and I would be able to move forward if I kept a secret from her. I wasn’t used to shit like this. I was a pretty honest muthafucka, and had no problem telling anybody the real. But I knew Laine wouldn’t wanna hear shit else I had to say if I told her I fucked around. Not to mention I already knew what her ex boyfriend did, and I was supposed to be different.

  “Shai!” Laine shouted my name, pulling me from my thoughts. When I looked down at her, tears were welling up in her eyes. “You’re hurting me! What is wrong with you?” she cried as I pulled out of her.

  “Fuck, baby, I’m sorry. I wasn’t… come here.” I sat on the bed, and pulled her into my lap so that she was straddling me. Her body was tense, so I knew she was still afraid. “Calm down for me, aight? I apologize.”

  Her body slowly relaxed as she let out a shaky breath. I gripped her face and kissed where the tears had fallen before swiping them from her cheeks. She was so small compared to me, and I didn’t realize how hard I was fucking her because I was out of it for a second.

  “Are you okay?” she sniffled.

  “Yeah I… my mind drifted but I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  She hesitantly wrapped her arms around my neck, and we just sat there naked and kissing with her straddling me.

  I was losing my fucking mind behind this relationship. Maybe it was best that I let her go, but that didn’t mean I wanted to.

  Chapter Eight: Laine

  Few days later…

  I’d just finished shooting a video for this new active wear line. They basically had me pretending to jog around the beach, do yoga, and lift weights while wearing their gear. It was really fun, and on top of that, I was getting paid to do the shoot, plus the money from whenever it was aired. I never thought I’d be doing things like this already, but I had my persistence and Jude to thank for that.

  After chatting with the owner and some of her staff like the make-up artist, hairstylist, and photographer, I grabbed the free suits they gave me and left. When I walked outside, I saw Mischief leaning up against his car with a bouquet of roses. I smiled as I neared him, thinking about how he told me he would do things like this for me on occasions only. He was right about one thing; I did appreciate it more since it was rare.

  “What’s the occasion?” I inquired, taking the roses from him and inhaling.

  “Just because. I told you days like this would come, just not all the damn time like them gay niggas like to do,” he joked, leaning down to kiss me.

  “Well I appreciate it, baby, and thank you for dropping me off and picking me up today.”

  “Always.”

  He opened the passenger side for me, and once he closed my door, he jogged around to his side. Before cranking up, he went into his pocket and pulled out a long gray box. Handing it to me, he smiled and bit his sexy lip. Why was he so gorgeous?

  “Baby, what is this?” I beamed, setting the roses down in my lap and taking the gray box. Lifting it, I saw it was a pretty gold chain with L&M hanging from it. It was so pretty, that I just ran my fingers across it for a moment. “This looks expensive, Mischief.”

  “Nah, not when you get it for $150 at the Slauson swap meet.”

  We both laughed.

  “Is it real then?”

  “Yeah, it is. Swap meets got real shit. They got fake shit too though.”

  “Well I don’t care, I love it.” I pulled it from the box, and he helped me put it on before cupping my chin and kissing me.

  “Nah, but it’s real so don’t ever take it off, not even when you shower.” He backed out of his parking space, and then drove out onto the street.

  “I won’t.” I pressed my chin into my chest to look down at the necklace as I rubbed it. “This is real too.” I grabbed his hand.

  He looked at me strangely like he had been doing for the past few weeks. It was like he wanted to say something but he was conflicted on whether or not he should. He probably wanted to talk
to me about his mother, but didn’t feel like it was right yet.

  “It is, baby, and don’t forget that, aight?” he finally replied, lifting my hand to his lips to kiss.

  We made it to his apartment in Compton, and after he put my flowers in a vase for me, I ordered some pizza for us on my phone. While he was in the kitchen, I texted a funny meme I saw to his phone. It lit up on the couch, and this nigga had me stored as ‘Sexy Laine’ like I was some stripper.

  “What?” he frowned when he came back into the living room and sat down.

  “Sexy Laine?” I held his phone up. “That’s what you store your girlfriend as?”

  Laughing, he said, “I stored you as that when I first met you and I just never changed it.” He took his phone from me and started doing something, before flashing me the screen. I saw he’d changed it to ‘Wifey’ which made me smile. “I guess you like that better.” He set his phone on the coffee table.

  “Yes, thank you.” I continued to scroll Instagram and stopped on a picture I saw of him. When I clicked it, I realized the picture was posted by Ace of Diamonds strip club. “Look at my baby gettin’ even more popular.” I showed it to him.

  His smile faded upon seeing it.

  “That’s old as fuck.”

  “I know, but the caption says ‘Producer Mischief’… they know you. And the comments, these hoes love you. But they better love you from afar though.”

  “They know better, baby.”

  “Was it fun? I’ve always wanted to go to Ace of Diamonds.”

  “It’s aight, typical strip club.” He stared straight ahead, hand massaging my thigh very slowly.

  As I was about to speak someone knocked on the door, so Mischief got up to answer it. When he saw it was the Domino’s guy, he asked me to get his wallet, which he’d placed on the coffee table. Grabbing it, I opened it up to grab the money, and couldn’t help but notice the condom he always kept there was gone. My heart started to beat erratically as all types of things ran through my mind.

  “Laine,” Mischief snapped me from my trance, so I handed him the cash to give to the pizza man.