by Tiece
Cash smoothly nodded his head confirming that they would. Tammy smiled and got inside her BMW while watching Cash back out of the driveway in his burnt orange 2011 Dodge Charger thumping B.O.B. Strange Clouds. She’d been secretly conversing with him since the day after the twin’s birthday party. It was amazing how quickly things jumped off and for her it felt good to be able to talk to a man that understood her needs and where she was coming from.
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Chloe stepped out of the bathroom to find Lance putting on his shoes. “Damn, I’ve been in the shower less than twenty minutes and I come out to spend time with my man, but he’s putting his shoes on to leave.” Lance stood up from the side of the bed.
“Baby, don’t be acting like that now. I told you that I was going to see Russ when he got back.”
“I know, but.” She tried to squeeze in.
“No buts babe, okay.” He said as a plea of not wanting to argue. “He’s back and I need to go handle my business with him.” Chloe stood in front of him wearing a white cotton robe tied in the front. She put her hand on her hip.
“For the past month you have been all over the place. You’re never home anymore.”
Lance quickly cut in. “That’s because I’m making money. You don’t want no broke ass nigga on your arm do you?”
“Are you fucking serious right now?” She asked. He knew that she was getting pissed because her Barbados accent could really be heard in her tone. “I’ve stood by you through the thick and thin. You didn’t have money like that when we lived in the projects and I stayed. You were on my arm then so what’s the difference now?”
“The difference now is that I like living like this. It feels good to be able to pay the bills in our house and one thing for damn sure is that we won’t be living in the projects ever again.”
Chloe smugly grinned at him like he was making no sense. “Are you listening to yourself? You act as if you have a legit J.O.B. This shit can be snatched away from you so quickly and lead your ass right back to jail, let alone the fucking projects.”
“I’m not going back to jail so quit saying that.” He stated just wanting to make his exit before things got really heated. “I don’t see what the problem is. It ain’t like I’m out fucking nobody. I just said that I was going to holla at my brother. You’re acting like I’m going to see another woman.”
“This is why I didn’t want you selling drugs in the first place. It was bad enough I dealt with you gambling till twelve at night but now you don’t come in till two in the morning, sometimes later than that.”
“I’m working babe. I have to build up my client base. I’m not gonna sit around the house and have nigga’s knocking on my door all day. Plus, you even had a fit last week when you walked in and caught me whipping it up.”
“Damn right I had a fit. You had the house smelling foul as hell in here. How the hell was I supposed to act? I’m not used to that shit.”
It was crazy how in just that little time he and Chloe had started having major problems in their relationship. He loved her and wanted nothing more than to show her but anything he did or didn’t do somehow pissed her off. He knew the risks of going back to jail but he was on a mission to be extra careful because that wasn’t an option for him. Chloe didn’t have a problem with him selling drugs when they first spoke about it but now that he was doing it she no longer wanted a dope boy. He just couldn’t understand it, but one thing for sure was that he wasn’t about to entertain it either.
“Listen babe,” he said as calmly as he possibly could. “I’m just going to holla at my brother and then I’ll be returning home. I don’t want us fussing over this. I never tell you what you can or can’t do because you’re a grown ass woman and I believe that you’ll make the right decisions. Why can’t you just back me in mine?” Chloe didn’t answer. She was just tired of the whole situation already. Lance attempted to kiss her lightly on the lips but she turned the other cheek not wanting anything from him at that point. “Alright,” he said then exited the house, leaving her even more pissed off that he walked out on her like that.
Chloe sat down on the edge of the bed and immediately picked up her phone to make a call. It was only one person at that point who she knew would console her. No sooner than the phone could get out a full ring a pleasantly sweet voice answered on the other end.
“Hey honey.”
“Hi mom,” Chloe responded then sighed in the phone like she was upset.
“What’s wrong honey? Is it Lance?” She immediately asked already knowing that they’d been having problems in their relationship from Chloe telling her everything.
“I just don’t know what to do. I’m trying to stick by my man but it’s difficult at this point.”
“Honey the man hasn’t been selling drugs but a few weeks and it’s already stressing you out. How do you think it’s going to be another month from now, let alone six months from now?”
“Mom I know where you’re coming from because this is nothing that I’ve not already thought about.” She said lying back on her pillow with her lips poked out. “I don’t want to leave him if that’s what you’re suggesting. I just want him to notice me again. It’s like he’s been so busy running the streets that he pays me no attention. The other night I put on some really sexy lingerie, cooked dinner, and ran his bath water but he didn’t come home until almost three in the morning.”
“Did he know that you were doing all of that for him?” Her mom asked.
“He knew that I had cooked him dinner, but I was going to surprise him with everything else.”
“Well, what happened?”
“All I know is that we’d spoke about spending quality time together and he was thrilled about it but he hadn’t showed by the time I was done cooking. So I called him and he said that something had come up and to put his food in the microwave,” she sadly reported. “He was very apologetic about it but nevertheless he didn’t come in till almost three in the morning.”
“Did he say what he was doing?” Her mom nosily asked.
“He had to cook a lil some some himself, if you know what I mean, and since he can’t do that here anymore then he had no choice but to do it somewhere else. He said that it was for his brother; something that he needed at the last minute.”
Her mother didn’t like where this was going and was getting fed up with her daughter being so naïve and madly in love with a man that was no good for her.
“You know this pisses me off right? I don’t understand why his brother couldn’t do it himself?”
“Mom, I don’t know and I don’t want to get into all of that. I just want things back the way they used to be.”
“I don’t see what was so good about things being the way they used to be.” She interjected. “The man will not get himself a decent job for the life of him. He thinks that making quick money is the way to live, but all that has ever done, since I’ve known him, is kept his ass in jail. I mean, I don’t know how you do it.”
“And I don’t know why I even called you.” She irritably stated. “I should’ve known that all you were going to do is bash what we have together.”
“Sweetie, I’m not bashing your relationship. I just want to see you do better. Get with a man who truly wants to be there with you. Not someone who can go right back to the chain gang at any given time,” she pleaded to her daughter.
“Mom, we’ll talk later.” Chloe said then immediately hung up the phone. She was done with trying to be nice even to her mom. It was time that she took her life in her own hands. Fuck feeling sorry for herself or letting her love for her man dictate her next move. She was now out for self and getting out of the house for the night was going to be her first way of proving it.
“If Lance can’t see that he’s destroying what we have by doing things his way then I’ll just start doing things my way. If I can’t beat him, I’ll join him.” She said walking into her closest and pulling out the sexiest mini dress that she could find. “Guess I’ll
be going out to party tonight.”
__________
Malcolm lay across his bed in total disbelief that he was going to have end things with Diamond. Amara had confirmed it the day before on his routine trip to her house that it had to be done in order to keep business running smoothly. Now what that had to do with his relationship with Diamond was completely baffling. He didn’t know if it was because she was now getting jealous that he had completely moved on or if it was more. The only thing he did know was that it was in his best interest to break away or things could take a turn for the worst if he didn’t comply with the rules.
He sighed only having a month to break things off and he didn’t have a clue as to what he would do to make that happen. He and Diamond had been friends first then lovers for three years. How could he be so cold hearted and turn her away? He was all she had and he’d taken the proper steps to insure that she and her daughter were taken care of. He’d even fallen in love with the feeling of having a daughter. It hurt him deeply to have to let go of what they shared but he didn’t see a way around it. From his understanding this decision was coming from higher up, at least that’s what Amara informed him.
“Hey baby,” Diamond spoke as she entered the bedroom.
“Hey love,” Malcolm spoke back. The sweet sound of her voice only made his decision even harder to leave her. “That trip was quick. I didn’t hear you come in.” He said.
“Yeah, I just dropped Amber off and came on back home.”
“How’s your mom?” He asked leaning up on the pillow to look at her.
“She’s good,” she said not really wanting to talk about her visit with her mom. She went inside her draw and pulled out a Victoria Secret’s satin lace, cream colored baby doll slip to wear to bed. It was only ten o’clock which was an early night for her, but all she wanted to do was cuddle up beside her man.
Malcolm could sense her frustrations as he watched her undress then put her satin nightwear on. When she realized that he was just laying there watching her she smiled at him. Just the thought of having him in her life made everything wrong, feel right. She crawled up in the big king sized bed next to him.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
“Yeah,” she softly said, but he could tell that she wasn’t.
“Are you still mad with your mom?”
Diamond sighed. “I just don’t wanna talk to her right now. If she refuses to tell me anything about my father then I refuse to speak with her. She’s lucky that you were the one that encouraged me to take Amber over there to spend the night. Otherwise, she’d be home with us tonight.” Malcolm knew that talking about the estranged relationship between Diamond and her mom was a touchy subject but he always tried his best to be her voice of reason.
“Look, your mom just wants to make amends. She’s been trying for quite some time to build a relationship with you. You have to quit being so stubborn and just let her in. See what she’s talking about,” he said.
“That’s easier said than done, babe. I first met you while working at Shake a Tail Feathers as Bella the exotic dancer.” She said thinking back at the four years she worked as a stripper to help keep a roof over her head. “Who encourages their daughter to work at a strip club at the age of fifteen to help her pay bills? I didn’t care if she was working there or not; that still wasn’t a place for her teenage daughter to work at.
“I know babe,” he said trying to console her.
“As usual all my mama saw was money being made while she worked the bar and since I was young and pretty what better way than to really bring in the cake. She knew that men would be all over me and therefore would also shower me with their money.” She shook her head as the thought of it all sickened her. “She basically informed me that I was grown at fifteen and grown people had to pay where they lay. Like who says that to their underage daughter? You guessed it, my mama,” she said as if Malcolm had responded to her question.
“Baby, don’t do this to yourself. You have come a long way since then.”
“I know and I’ve done all I can to get over that, but I can’t for wanting to know who my father is. My mama won’t tell me anything. I don’t know if he found out that she was pregnant and left her hanging or if he even knew that I existed. She won’t tell me anything, but I just wanna know.”
“What would it matter for you to find out who this man is? You’re grown now babe, maybe its better off that you don’t know him. For all you know he could even be dead by now.” He said hoping to ease her thoughts but that only intensified them.
“Or he’s probably some married man with a house full of children that were and still are being well taken care of. That would be a typical move for my mama.” She sadly spoke. “I just want to meet him whether he knew about me or not. I need to fill in some of the missing pieces of my life. For some reason a part of me feel lost and abandoned. I can’t put my finger on it but I just gotta know.”
“I understand where you’re coming from with this babe. My father wasn’t around either but my mother and my aunt did their part and took care of me the best they could. Honestly, I never cared to meet the man who didn’t want to be a part of my life and I just think that you should leave well enough alone. Sometimes people don’t want to be found.”
“You’re right,” she sighed. “Thanks.”
“Why are you thanking me?”
“For being there for me and Amber,” she said. “Amber’s father never cared to know her. He made that clear from the moment I told him that I was pregnant. I always thought that she would grow up without a father just like me, but you came along and accepted her with open arms. If anything ever happened to us would you promise me that no matter what you’ll always be here for her?”
Malcolm cleared his throat trying to cover the crackle in his voice. Just having this talk with her made him sick to his stomach because he knew what he had to do.
“I promise,” he said and he would. Even if he had to sneak her money by mail then he would always make sure that they were taken care of. “I want you to promise me something too.”
She turned to face him as they stared in each other’s eyes. “What’s that?”
“No matter what happens with us I want you to promise me that you’ll always hold your head high and keep pushing forward. Never let people make you feel bad about yourself. You are not the same woman I met at the strip club. You’ve grown and you’re a great mother. I respect you for that.” He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.
“You act like you’re leaving me,” she teased with a grin.
“I’m not saying that,” he mustered up a smile. “I just want you to know that no matter what, you’ll always be alright and I’ll always be here.”
“Thanks baby,” she said curling up next to him so he could wrap his arm around her waist. “I’m sleepy. I just want you to hold me.” Malcolm was more than happy to hold her because he didn’t know how many more nights they would have together like this. He softly kissed the back of her head and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about Amara and her demands or anything negative for once. All he wanted to do was make this night one that he would always remember.
Chapter 13
Amara woke up feeling lonely and sad. The life she’d made for herself wasn’t at all one that she had truly dreamed of. She wanted a husband and her son to be around full time, but that wasn’t happening. She’d made a deal with the devil and there was no turning back on that. There was no way around it. Thinking about Malcolm and their previous conversation of him having to end things with Diamond hurt her to the core, but she had to put on a straight face and stick to what she’d said. It wasn’t a choice of hers because she’d already hurt him enough, but one that came from Dom, her father.
She got out of bed determined to see if she could change her father’s mind. She couldn’t shake the thought of the way Malcolm looked at her before he left. He was very upset and promised that no matter how long they worked together he would never h
ave a kind thought about her again. What they shared would be strictly business, nothing more or less and she hated being the one that made him feel that way.
After she’d thrown on her light green silk robe she slid on the light green matching pair of Maribou feather kitten bedroom slippers. She headed out of her bedroom and down the long hallway then stopped at a door that had a security pad on the outside of it. She pressed in her code and the door unlocked then she walked down a short flight of stairs to another door where she knocked.
“Come in Amara,” a deep voice answered. Amara opened the door and stepped inside the brightly lit room. The vertical blinds were pushed back allowing the sun to beam in through the patio doors giving her even more clarity as to why she was there.
“Hey Dmitri,” she spoke walking over and giving the handsome Lance Gross look-a-like a peck on the cheek. He sat on the recliner chair looking at Temptation by Tyler Perry like he was a normal guy, but he was far from that.
“What’s up ladybug,” Dmitri spoke back with a smile on his face. It was always something about Amara that he admired, but he never did pursue her because of their circumstances.
“Where’s my father?”
“He’s inside his suite. The house maid just served him breakfast so he’s up.” He stated.
“Can you tell him that I’d like to speak to him?” Just because Dom was her father didn’t mean that she got any special treatments. She was in fact his only child, but he treated her like an employee and Dmitri more like a son. It was something she always despised but it wasn’t a day that went by that she wasn’t trying to live up to his standards and make him proud of her.
“Sure,” Dmitri said getting up from the recliner that he was so comfortably relaxed in. He walked over to a set of closed double doors that were inside the spacious room that they were in and knocked on it. “Amara wants to speak with you.” He called out then seconds later a heavy firm, but subtle voice responded.
“Let her in.”
Dmitri looked over at Amara as she stared at his mocha chocolate, muscular physic. He was a fine brother with a charming smile and always wore Versace this, Versace that. She was thinking to herself that if she wasn’t so caught up with Malcolm she wouldn’t mind giving Dmitri a chance. Even though Dom would never go for it, they could still possibly get around some of his rules. She was horny as hell and hadn’t had sex in years. Her toys just weren’t scratching the enormous itch she had for some real dick, but Dmitri could.