You Needed Me III: A Love Story

by Shvonne Latrice

  “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes, Ms. Gillies. Mr. Smith informed me that you love barbecue ribs, so that’s what will be served tonight, along with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes,” she recited before leaving.

  “You remembered what I like?”

  “Hell yeah I did. I told yo’ ass I’m trying to get on your good side. I’m trying to be on all your sides.” He licked his perfect lips, causing me to take a nice gulp of my champagne.

  “Answer my question, I wanna know more about you, Rome.”

  “Well I was born in Philly, and I had a pretty poor childhood at first. My father was on drugs, but he still functioned… at first. He was a mailman during the week, and a crackhead on the weekends. Over time he couldn’t function so well, and he lost his job. It was like a domino effect after that because he became abusive to my mother, and my brother Romity and I. My mom divorced him immediately, and met a new man, my stepfather, who moved us to Boston when I was ten.”

  “Wow, where is your father now?”

  “He’s somewhere in Philly, probably roaming the streets for his next hit. I stopped caring once I got to be in my mid twenties. I tried to save him and shit, but I barely had means for myself. That’s when I enrolled in school to study the restaurant business. From there I worked in restaurants and networked a lot. I ended up getting a business loan for a food truck, and that did really, really well, so I opened Melon.”

  “Wow, that’s admirable to know that you worked hard for what you wanted. I like that in a man,” I nibbled on my lip. Hearing his story only attracted me more.

  “I know you said we talk about you a lot, but how did you end up with Rhys Quinton? That’s hood royalty,” he chuckled, flashing his gorgeous smile.

  “I knew him before all of that in a sense. We met in high school, and I swear only a couple weeks after dating he was my boyfriend. He was always a popular guy, he, his brother TQ, and his older sister Saya, but he wasn’t like he is now when I first met him. That didn’t happen until like two years after we got together.”

  “Crazy. You love him?”

  “I do. I will always love him, but I can’t be with him. I’m not strong enough to be with someone who has cheated on me. I had to come to terms with that.”

  “Makes sense, not everybody can do it.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t know that at first. I love the kid, but I can’t forget what he did no matter how hard I try. My mind does what it wants, and I can’t control it I guess.”

  “Well I can’t say that I’m not happy you’re single, because I am. Is Bryleigh your only child?”

  “She is. I want more though.” I looked to see his reaction.

  “Good, because I want kids. I almost had a child, but the mother miscarried.”

  “Who was she?”

  “Girl named Jasmine that I dated for a couple years. She was a bit uppity, which I didn’t like, but I felt that was who I was supposed to be with since I was getting money. I don’t mind a woman who likes nice things, and keeps herself together, but sometimes it’s fun to just go hiking and shit without her wearing make up and a Versace dress.”

  “I don’t wear much make up.”

  “And you don’t need it, you have beautiful skin. I see why your ex was a little off. I would be too if you were mine.”

  “Maybe I will be one day.”

  “Oh you will be, shorty, don’t play me. Once I have my mind and heart set on some shit, I get it by any means necessary. I wanted a food truck and I got it. I wanted a restaurant and I got it. Now I want you and I will have you.”

  “I like a determined man.” I polished off my champagne and straddled his lap. He had me feeling comfortable and I wasn’t even drunk.

  He slowly licked his lips as his hands and eyes wandered all over my frame. Gripping my torso, he pulled me into his strong chest, allowing our lips to meet.

  I could see this going very far. God willing…

  Chapter Ten: TQ

  A few days later…

  “Hey, shorty, I’m about to go out real quick.” I walked into my son’s room to see Kimberlyn sitting in the rocking chair with him. She was wearing some pajama shorts and a small strapless top like always at this time of night. Just looking at her had me ready to fuck, but I knew she wouldn’t be down for it.

  Ever since that shit at the mall, she wasn’t fucking with me. I didn’t feel like I should apologize and she felt like I should. I was a grown man and I could be friends with whomever the fuck I wanted to be friends with. I wasn’t about to limit myself just because she felt threatened by these women. I may have fucked them in the past, but so what. As long as I’m not now, that should be all that matters. But no, Kimberlyn has to have shit her way.

  “Did you hear me?” I questioned, walking further into the room.

  She just nodded, while keeping her eyes on our son. He was dozing off more and more as she kept on rocking in the rocking chair. I stood there staring at them both, wondering if I should say anything, but I didn’t know what to say. The only thing she wanted to hear was me saying I was gonna cut off all the bitches I’d smashed, and I wasn’t about to lie to her. I had no intentions of doing anything with them, so it was no harm in me keeping contact. Feeling slightly stupid for just watching them, I turned around and headed out of my condo to get in the car with Andrei.

  After picking up Rhys, and Pharaoh, we headed to this new nightclub that just opened to celebrate Pharaoh’s recovery. Everybody knew we would be in the house tonight, so security was loaded up, and all back exits had been cleared for us to enter and exit through. Andrei pulled up around back, and had one of my guys take the car to park it while we were being escorted through the back and up to VIP. As soon as we got up there, the bottles that we’d requested prior were being brought up and set down by some scantily clad hostesses.

  “Len and Britain coming?” Pharaoh asked, and I nodded just as they were being escorted up the stairs.

  We all dapped one another up and began making ourselves drinks. Like always, we allowed a couple of pretty ladies to come into our VIP and chill. See, it was nothing but company, and if Kimberlyn expected me to cut off women entirely, she was out of her fucking mind.

  As I bobbed my head to “Don’t Matter” by Iamsu!, I spotted Amikka coming up the stairs, just to get stopped by the security. She flashed her pretty smile and waved to me. I nodded my head up just as security looked at me so he’d know she was cool. He allowed her by, and she came straight over and sat between Rhys and I. I saw how he looked at me, but he should know better; I would never cheat on my wife.

  “What you doing here?” I looked at her as she put her chin on my shoulder.

  “I knew you would be here, duh,” she giggled. Her hand made its way into my lap, and she stopped when she felt the bulge in my pants.

  “Chill out,” I moved her hand.

  “Why, Tarenz? You know I don’t mind that you have a wife. I won’t say anything. I miss you and I can tell that you miss me, too.”

  “I don’t miss anything. You’re cool, so I’m trying to be nice, but you need to chill out Amikka.”

  “I swear I hate when you do this shit, TQ. One minute you’re all in my face and shit, then the next you wanna act like you don’t fuck with me. You used to do that shit before you met her, and you’re doing it again now.”

  “I never did that before, and I don’t do it now.”

  “So you’ve never fucked me and then dissed me in public before?” She looked into my face with tears sitting in her eyes and waiting to fall.

  “I don’t remember,” I lied.

  “Of course you don’t. And this time, you wanna act like you weren’t leading me on, but it’s cool.”

  “Aye I ain’t lead shit on. I have a wife and that’s all there is to it. Just cause I text yo’ ass back and hold a convo with you in public don’t mean I’m trying to fuck.”

  “Then why are you even talking to me? You honestly think we can be friends? You know I have feeling
s for you, yet you believe that we can be homies and nothing more?”

  “I thought we could,” I said more so to myself than her.

  “Well we can’t because I wanna be with you and you know that. I’ve sat back and watched you do the most. First it was Hayden, and now this bitch.”

  “Watch your fucking mouth for one, and secondly Hayden was never anything but a friend like you. I was still fucking you when I was fucking Hayden. Dramatic ass.” She was irritating me at this point, and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was playing the victim, or if it was because I was seeing that Kimberlyn was right.

  “A friend. You sleep with and make all of your friends fall in love with you just to play stupid when they see you after you’ve gotten what you wanted?”

  “Amikka, I’m trying to relax, drink, smoke, and listen to some music. If I wanted to argue, I would go home and spark some shit up with my wife, someone that I care about.” I looked into her eyes as I watched her silently process what I’d just said.

  I knew I’d hurt her by saying I didn’t care about her, but I didn’t. And I definitely didn’t want her going around thinking I cared for her when I had a fucking wife. Hell nah. These bitches weren’t about to be out here embarrassing my shorty, having her thinking that her husband was out here giving a fuck about these bitches. TQ didn’t give a damn about a hoe, and Amikka needed to see that.

  “Bye, Tarenz.” She stood to her feet and bumped Rhys’ knee as she walked out of the VIP.

  “Shorty, don’t get shot at being mad because you’re a hoe!” Rhys called after her, making all of us laugh. “I don’t see why you even converse with these bitches. All they want is some dick, money, and bragging rights.” Rhys lit the blunt.

  “Don’t I know it.”

  “Yeah, man, don’t let these hoes fuck you up like I did,” Lendsey added.

  “Nigga, never. I love Kimberlyn, I just don’t see the problem in having friends. Well I didn’t see it, but maybe now I do.”

  “You know they don’t wanna be friends, especially if you’ve dicked them down before. They may act like it in the beginning, but that’s only to get close,” Britain spoke the truth. When did my little brothers get so knowledgeable?

  “I know, fuck.” I ran my hands over my face. I hated to be wrong, but I would have to admit it if I wanted to be back on Kimberlyn’s good side.

  We continued to drink, smoke, and watch the girls in our VIP do the same. It was just what I needed after having such a stressful year so far. I’d gotten stabbed, beaten, married, became a father, and had to kill my own. Shit had changed drastically for me, and even though some of it almost killed me, I wouldn’t change a thing.

  Around 2am, we all left the club. Andrei dropped Rhys and Pharaoh off at their homes, and then he took me to mine. When I got there, the place was quiet so I knew Kimberlyn was asleep. I wished she were awake so that I could talk to her, but I guess it would have to wait. I didn’t want to wake her because she’d been working hard all week. She’d been designing websites for clients until 1 and 2am, all while making sure Baby Tarenz was good.

  I peeled my clothes off and hopped into the shower because I slept better when I was clean. After stepping out and changing into some boxers, I brushed my teeth and then went into the bedroom. I was surprised to see Kimberlyn in our bed, but happy nonetheless. Climbing in behind her, I hugged her body into mine, and closed my eyes to bask in the moment. We hadn’t embraced in a while, and I almost forgot how good her body felt against mine. In the middle of my enjoyment, I felt her small hand pry mine off of her body.

  “Baby, I’m sorry.” I kissed the nape of her neck.

  “I don’t want you to be sorry, I want you to change your outlook.” She kept her back to me.

  “I have. I understand where you’re coming from. I thought it was extra at first, but now I realize what you meant. I wouldn’t want you being friends with a man you slept with either. Shit, I didn’t even want you being cool with Gang, and you never fucked him.”

  “I don’t know if I should forgive you. It shouldn’t have taken you this long. I’m your wife, and you promised to keep me happy.” She was refusing to turn around and face me.

  “I know, shorty, and I will. I just... I guess I just needed some time to get it. You know women are smarter than men.” She didn’t say anything, so I turned her onto her back. After looking into her pretty face for a bit, I kissed her lips longingly. “Kimberlyn, when you met me I was a bachelor, and doing shit that I wanted to do. I had been living that way for as long as I can remember. I’d never been in a situation where there were rules. It was always on some fuck buddy shit. I’m not saying that to excuse my behavior, I’m saying it so that you will understand that with certain shit, I may need more time to understand versus other niggas. Not being able to reply to a text from a girl I hit is new for me. Having to set boundaries when women come around is new for me. Even being jealous of you talking to Gang was new for me. I haven’t been jealous since I was in grade school. But because I love you and want nothing more than to be with you, I will do what I need to do to adhere to the rules of being in a monogamous situation. Does that make sense?”

  “Yes.” She half smiled and nodded.

  “Good because I didn’t know how to explain it any other way.” We chuckled in unison. “So do you forgive me?”

  “I forgive you.”

  “I love you.” I grabbed her hand and kissed the palm of it.

  “I love you, too.”

  I pushed her shorts and panties down, before throwing them to the floor. She then helped me pull her top off, and I just ran my pointing finger down her sexy body for a bit. After I took my boxers off, she nudged me back before climbing on top of me. The moment I got inside of her, I swear I saw fireworks and shit. I could never get tired of the feeling of being between her legs, ever.

  “You feel so good,” I groaned, as I cupped her breasts in my hands.

  She rocked her hips back and forth, while gliding up and down on me. Her physique was so perfect to me, and it was mine. Knowing that no other man would ever experience this, only made me harder. I gripped her ass cheeks in my hands, and pushed myself further inside of her, making her cry out softly. I loved hearing her moans in that sweet voice of hers.

  “On your knees,” I instructed her once she released.

  Getting behind her, I eased my way inside, making a moan burst through both of our lips. This woman was my everything, and the fact that I even somewhat jeopardized what we had for some old fuck buddy, was crazy to even think about. No woman was more important than my shorty, and I would never let her think that shit again.

  “Mmm, uuuh, aaaah,” she whimpered every time I slammed into her with force, and pulled out slowly. I noticed that made her cum the hardest, and that was always my goal.

  I tightened my grip on her waist, and thrust into her from behind, letting my full length stay inside of her for a little bit before pulling out. Just sitting there with my dick inside, filling her up, made her cum so hard her body shook. Once she did, I slowly slid out, before doing the same thing again. I knew her pussy like the back of my fucking hand, and I could make her cum in two seconds, or two minutes if I wanted to. The pussy was mine, and not only did she know that, but her pussy knew it, too.

  “Tell me you love me,” I grunted, feeling myself on the verge of cumming.

  “I love you, Tarenz,” she sniveled. “You know I love you so much, ahhhh,” she cried lowly once I sped up, pounding her spot repeatedly. She was so fucking wet that it made me call out myself.

  As I humped her feverishly from the back, I took a handful of her hair to pull. Yanking it up roughly yet gently, I bent her head back and sucked her lips. I had never kissed anyone upside down, but it was the shit. She was calling out into my mouth as I sucked and bit her lips, while beating the pussy up doggy-style.

  “Fuck!” I groaned just before filling her up with everything inside of me.

  I immediately flipped her onto her b
ack, before lowering myself between her legs. She draped her arms around my neck, as we kissed passionately and hungrily. I have never felt like I needed another human being, but I definitely needed Kimberlyn Quinton.

  Matikah

  Kimberlyn and I were sitting in Tasty Burger, eating with Baby Tarenz. My old co-worker Annalise said she wanted to talk to me about something, but it had to be in person. Annalise was cool, but she was kind of weird so I asked my cousin to come with me. I could tell she just wanted a friend, but she was too eager which was a turn off.

  “So why didn’t anyone tell me auntie visited?” Kimberlyn frowned, referring to my mother.

  “She came and left so quickly. It’s like she touched down, we spent one day together, she disappeared, and then she called me from the airport. Grandma said she wasn’t supposed to leave for another week, but for some reason she cut her trip short.”

  “I’m sure it was because of a man.”

  “Oh you know it was. That’s what she lives for and I hate that about her.”

  All my mom cared about was getting a man and keeping a man. Anything that didn’t involve that, she didn’t care about. When we did go out to lunch, all she wanted to talk about was my relationship with Lendsey. Then knowing she came onto him at my grandmother’s house was just disgusting. I couldn’t even be as mad though because that was Janine; that was my mother. For me to expect her to behave around a handsome man like Lendsey would be foolish on my part.

  “Is this your friend?” Kimberlyn nodded towards the entrance of Tasty Burger. I looked up and saw it was Annalise scanning the room looking for me. Waving my arm, I smiled when she saw me and darted over.

  “Hi, I’m Annalise,” she stuck her hand out to Kimberlyn.

  Annalise had red hair, freckles, and fair skin, but she was black. She showed me a picture of her mother, and I was surprised to see that she was brown skinned. Annalise looked white because of her skin, but her facial features were of a black woman. She was a very pretty girl, in a nerdy way.