Once it was over, they lay still, side by side in the double bed. Larry took Shae’s hand in his and kissed the palm of it. Then he kissed each of her fingers.
“You okay?” he asked, after a while.
“Yes,” she whispered. Her head still reeled from the mind-blowing experience.
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” His soft eyes were questioning and filled with love.
“I’m fine,” she assured.
“Look,” he said. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I-”
“Forget it, Larry. It’s okay.” She squeezed his hand.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m glad you were my first. You’re special,” she said. She gave him a hug then smiled.
“You mean that?” He’d been waiting to hear those words for ten years. It warmed his heart.
“Yes, I mean it. Now, get dressed. My mama could come home any minute,” she warned.
“Oh shit.” Larry scrambled off the bed and began searching for his clothes. He pulled them on in record time.
Shae laughed. “You broke the world record getting dressed,” she giggled.
“Hurry up, Shae. I don’t want ya moms catching us. How would I explain?”
“Chill out, Larry. I was just joking. My mom is out drinking somewhere.”
“Oh.” He relaxed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “What about ya grandma?” he asked.
“She can’t walk up the stairs because of arthritis and her bad hip,” she told him.
“Oh? In that case.” He reached for her again.
“Stop. We can’t do it anymore. I don’t want to get pregnant,” she reminded. “Wait until I get on the pill. I know you don’t have a condom.”
“It’s a little too late for that, you think?” He glanced down at himself. “I mean, we did just do it with no protection.”
“I know. But, we’ll be careful the next time.”
“You mean you’ll let me do it again?” His eyes widened. “For real?”
“I’ll think about it.” She got up, went over to her dresser, and pulled some clothes out of the drawer. “Were you really a virgin?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he answered, averting his eyes. “Of all questions, why you had to ask that one?” he stated dryly.
“I just find it hard to believe,” she told him.
“Why?”
“You seemed to know what you were doing to me,” she said.
“Oh, I learned that from watching porn flicks,” he admitted and smiled self-consciously. “Let’s keep that between me and you, though. You know, the part about me being a virgin. My dawgs would have a field day with that info.”
“You have nothing to worry about. I won’t tell a soul,” she promised.
He stared at her with a doubtful expression. “Not even your cousin, Tashae?”
“She’d be the last person I’d tell. She talks too much.”
“I know,” he said dryly.
“Get off my cousin, now.”
Heart swelling with pride, he watched as Shae brushed her hair. She was so beautiful and out of his league. He felt like he was floating on cloud nine.
“I can’t believe we actually did it,” Larry said after a while. “And you let me be the first guy. Man, I must be one lucky motherfucker.”
“Must be,” Shae replied. “I’ll be back.” She put the brush down and went to take a shower. Larry fell back on the bed, chuckling in glee.
“As my aunt would say—God is good all the time.”
After Shae showered and dressed, she and Larry sat around listening to CD’s and talking. They kept giving each other meaningful glances, but didn’t mention what happened earlier.
“Shae? Shae, you up there?” Ma Violet’s voice rang out, but the music drowned out her words.
“Can you that down? I think Ma Violet is calling me.” Larry lowered the stereo’s volume.
“Shae. Gal, is you up there or not?” They heard.
“I thought I heard her.” Shae jumped up and went to the door, opening it. “Yes, I’m here. What is it, Ma Violet?” she asked.
“Some guy here for you.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know. I ain’t never seen him befo’. He mighty handsome,” she added.
“I wonder who that can be,” she said. She didn’t notice Larry’s face tighten.
“Well, why don’t you just run down there and find out?” he said. She glanced his way.
“What’s your problem?” She didn’t wait for an answer. She didn’t have time for Larry’s show of jealousy. After all, he wasn’t her man. Just because he’d popped her cherry didn’t give him the right to control her. Ignoring him, she walked out the door and hurried down the stairs.
Larry lingered behind. He wondered how Shae could even think about anyone else after what they’d just shared. He’d been looking forward to spending some quality time with her. He’d been working up the nerve to ask her if she’d be his lady.
Obviously, he’d misread the signals. Shae didn’t feel the same way about him that he felt for her. Having sex with him hadn’t meant anything to her. He was just another scheme in her games, and he felt played. The last thing he wanted was to pave the way for the next man. If Shae hooked up with that drug dealer, he’d be so disappointed. Hell, he’d be pissed off.
owHHis jaw clenched and unclenched. Before following Shae, he took a few quick breaths and counted to ten. Once he’d regained control, he went downstairs.
“You still here?” Ma Violet asked when he stepped into the living room. “I thought you was gone.” She struggled to balance the walker and lower her body into the rocker at the same time. Larry hurried over to assist her. “Thank you, baby.”
“Yeah, I’m still here,” he said. He pushed the walker to the side. He watched as she made herself as comfortable as possible. “Not that anybody noticed,” he added, adjusting the pillow behind her back. Ma Violet smiled in gratitude.
“That hot tail girl of yourin out there talking to some hoodlum,” Ma Violet said. She spread a colorful throw over her lap. “Look like a drug dealer to me with all that gold ‘round his neck. He even got it in his mouth. Lord, have mercy.” When she said those words, Larry immediately went to the window and peered out. He groaned aloud when he saw Dana. “Pretty tough competition, huh?” Ma Violet was never one to bite her tongue.
“Not really,” Larry denied. “Once Shae wakes up, she’ll realize that I’m the only man for her.”
“Humph.” Ma Violet began rocking. “She might sleep longer than Rip Van Winkle. You think you can wait that long?” She fixed him with a keen stare.
“She’ll be mine,” he said with determination. “I’ll wait until eternity if I have to.”
Another “humph” came from Ma Violet, but she said nothing further. Larry walked out of the apartment with a set look on his face. He didn’t bother to speak to Dana.
“See you around,” he growled.
“You don’t have to le-” Shae began, but Larry’s glare silenced her.
“Yes, I do. See you,” he said again, and walked off.
“That’s ya man?” Dana asked as his eyes bore into Larry’s back.
“No. He’s just a friend,” she replied.
“Is he a friend with benefits? He didn’t look too happy.”
His eyes narrowed in distrust. That nigga hadn’t shown him an ounce of respect, not even a nod. Something had to be up between them and he’d get to the bottom of it. Besides, he knew that most women lied with straight faces. Conniving ass bitches.
His eyes narrowed as he stared at Shae. If he were dealing with a trifling ass ho, it wouldn’t be too long before he found out.
“You sure y’all just friends?
“Yeah,” Shae told him. “We grew up together. He’s like a brother to me,” she lied. She smiled her most winning smile at Dana and could immediately see his reaction. He forgot all about Larry as he gazed at her.
“Do you want to
go for a ride?” he asked. He wanted to feel her out and get inside her head. It really wasn’t hard to figure most hood bitches out after spending some time conversing with them. He’d know just what category Shae fit in soon enough.
“Yeah. Let me get my keys, and I’ll be right back.”
Shae went inside and asked her grandmother if she would cook supper. It surprised her when Ma Violet agreed without argument. Shae hurried back outside, not wanting to keep Dana waiting too long.
“Where we headed?” she asked.
“Wherever you want to go.” He flashed a gold plated grin. “You’re pretty,” he told her. She glowed from the compliment. It wasn’t as if she didn’t already know, but hearing it from him made it special.
They walked through the projects in order to reach his car. Curious eyes followed them. If they didn’t know Dana, they could easily figure out what he was about by looking at his flashy ride. Most of them knew of him though. None of them would voice their opinions aloud out of fear. Diamond Dog was crazier than a rabid rooster and known to be trigger-happy.
“Why did you park so far away?” Shae asked.
“I didn’t know which apartment you lived in. I just parked and knocked on a few doors until I found out.” He unlocked the door and held it open for her. “The last time I saw you, you said I’d find you if I really wanted to.”
“I guess you really wanted to.” Shae smiled as she got into the car.
“That’s right.” He walked around and got in on the driver’s side then turned to face her. “You don’t mind if I run a lil errand, do you?”
“No,” she replied. She had noted the expensive, spinning rims on his car and the paint job. “What’s all this for? Make you feel like a king or something?” He started the car and smiled.
“Yep. This is my baby.” He patted the steering wheel affectionately. “Wanna hear some music?” She nodded so he popped a CD into the disc player. Some song by the rapper TI blasted in her ears. “Are you hungry?” he asked. Shae started to declined but realized that she actually did feel hungry.
“Yeah.”
“What you want? Chicken?” She turned up her nose. “Taco’s? Hamburgers? Lobster? Skrimp?
“Skrimp?” She laughed.
“That’s ghetto for shrimp,” he explained. “We can get some skrimp and some Colt 45,” he joked.
“Nah, that’s okay. I think I’ll settle for Chinese food,” she replied.
“All right. But I don’t eat that stuff. I’ll stop by Reds Snak Shak and get a Big Red’s burger or something,” he told her.
“I don’t have an appetite for grease at the moment,” she said. She actually liked eating food from Reds Snak Shak, especially their gizzards and fried okra.
“I might swing by Church’s Chicken.”
“The last time I got some chicken there it tasted like they re-used some old grease. But, I like them better than KFC.”
“Their extra crispy taste more like burnt,” Dana said.
“I don’t go to KFC anymore ‘cause one of the cashiers who work there don’t like me. I wouldn’t put it past that heifer to spit in my food.”
“That’s nasty. Bitches be trippin’.”
Dana took a sharp turn around a corner causing her to fall against him.
“Can you drive?” she asked sarcastically, moving back over to her side. He chuckled.
“Can you?” he asked. She’d mistakenly thought he was trying to be a smart aleck, but he looked at her in all seriousness. “Well? Can you drive?” he repeated.
“Yes. I just don’t have a car, yet.” A guy named Wayne taught her to drive in the Wal-Mart parking lot. He was another paymaster who tried to buy his way into her panties.
“I might let you drive my baby one day, but we need to go car shopping for you real soon.” He said the words as though no explanation was necessary. He would be buying. Shae didn’t know what to say so she said nothing.
Dana pulled into the driveway of a huge, two-story house. “I’ll be right back.” Before he could get out of the car, a guy wearing no shirt opened the front door and peered out.
“Diamond, what the fuck I done told you ‘bout bringing people ‘round here?” he scolded, glaring at Shae.
“Man, chill. That’s my new lady. She’s okay.” The guy looked at Shae with suspicion written all over his face.
“Man, you make sure she is. We got too much to lose. We don’t need the heat on us.” He went back inside.
“Don’t pay no attention to that nigga, Wade,” Dana said. “He’s schizophrenic. Paranoid. I’ll be back.” He disappeared into the house. After a few minutes, he returned. “One mo’ stop and then I’ll get ya food.”
“Fine,” she replied, her mind elsewhere. She couldn’t stop thinking about what had transpired between her and Larry. She’d always dreamed that her first time would be a memorable experience. Now it would be because she and Larry had lost their virginity to each other.
Dana noticed that Shae seemed to be miles away. He didn’t appreciate the fact that she wasn’t giving him all of her attention. She was in his world, after all.
“You got ya mind on that nigga?” he questioned, dragging her back to the present.
“What?” she asked.
“I want you to know that you with me now. So, get ya mind off other niggas,” he commanded.
Shae stared at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind. He glared back at her. There seemed to be a deep, smothering anger in his eyes and something else. She turned away and gazed out the window.
“Look at me.” He grabbed her chin, snatching her face around.
“What’s ya damn problem?” she asked, slapping his hand away.
“You should know from the jump that I don’t like to share,” he said, pointing into her face. “If I ever hear of you fucking up on me, you’ll find out why they call me Dog.”
“It ain’t like I’m your lady,” Shae snapped. “You don’t own me. And get your finger out my face.”
Dana’s eyes darkened, but he complied even though he really wanted to shake her. The silly bitch didn’t know who she was fucking with. In her world, she might be allowed to get slick at the mouth, but in his world, she was close to getting pimp slapped. His hand itched to do just that. But, he held off. He didn’t want to run her away just yet. He had to get them drawers first. If he smacked her, she might not stick around to open her legs. And he had to have that. The talk of the projects was that she hadn’t given it up to nobody. She was holding onto it like it was a prize or something.
“Think whatever you want, Shae,” he said. “After today, ain’t no other nigga gonna step to you. The word is out. You are mine.” He ended the conversation when he turned up the music. “So, what you wanna do after you finish eating?” He changed the subject, behaving as though he hadn’t recently threatened her.
Shae couldn’t believe his audacity. He really did think he was a king and that he could just rule whomever he wanted to. Well, he wasn’t going to rule her.
“Let me out of this damn car,” she said.
“Why? I thought you wanted Chinese food.”
“I lost my appetite. Let me out or just take me home,” she insisted, crossing her arms.
“Why you tripping? Did I scare you?” He pulled the car over to the side of the road, put it in park then stared at her. “Look. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just believe in being straight and keeping it real. If you gonna be my lady, I don’t want you with nobody else.”
“Who said that I wanted to be your lady? We just met.”
“I know what I want, and I want you. I think you want me, too, or you wouldn’t be sitting there.” He leaned in and kissed her, catching her off guard. When she realized what was going on, she resisted. She pushed at his chest, but couldn’t get him to stop. His lips weren’t loving or affectionate like Larry’s. In fact, his touch felt rough and demanding.
Dana straightened, put the car in gear and continued driving. Her getting stiff and
acting all prudish didn’t bother him. She’d loosen up in time. Just the way a good ho should. They always did. Especially once he started spending money on her. That’s all hoes wanted anyway. They wanted a nigga to spend his cash and lay down the dick. Money and dick; those were the only two things that made tricks happy.
He couldn’t wait to test Shae out. He could tell that she was green. She was a pretty bitch, though, real damn pretty. She was what they called a dime. He’d be happy to have her on his arm, showing her off, making the other niggas hate. He’d teach her young, naïve ass a thing or two. She’d either learn to play the game or get played.
He chuckled to himself. He was determined to be the first man to hit that. She probably didn’t even know how to suck a dick, yet. But, in time, that would change. When he got finished with her, she’d be better than the ones who swung around a pole or turned tricks on a regular basis. Plus, she’d know how to suck the skin off a dick. He only got down with the bad bitches and a bad ass bitch is exactly what he’d turn her into. She’d be a ride or die bitch before long, courtesy of Diamond Dog Dana.
After the brief moment in which he’d snapped at her, Shae noticed that Dana behaved like another person. He gave her his undivided attention and became witty and playful. By the time he walked her to the door once the evening ended, she’d decided that he wasn’t half bad. She’d give him another chance.
“So, when will I see you again?” he asked.
“That’s up to you,” she said.
“Ok. When I come by I don’t wanna see that nigga I saw here earlier,” he warned, reverting back to his other personality. “I’ll be by tomorrow.”
He got in his car, and she watched as he drove away. For some reason, she wasn’t disappointed that he’d left. Maybe hooking up with him wasn’t such a great idea after all. He could prove to be trouble, which was the last thing she needed. But, he could also be her way out of the projects.
Tia and half of her family members sat outside eating garlic crabs. They craned their necks to check out Dana and his ride. Shae thought about cussing them out but ignored them instead. She wasn’t in the mood to get into a fight and knew that would happen if she said anything.
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