Fallin' For a Boss

by Lucinda John

  “Where did you go the other day when you left and didn’t come home until 11?” he asked sitting on the edge of the bed. I could smell the weed and liquor on his breath.

  “Out to eat with Lisa,” I lied to him. I went out to eat, but it wasn’t with Lisa. James begged me to hear him out and I did. We reminisced and had a great time. Laying on the bed as he ate me out, made me realize that I was finally over him. When my body didn’t react to him the way it usually did, I knew it was a wrap for us.

  I was falling in love with Stacks and he was who I decided I was going to be with. But the question was why was Stacks questioning me about shit that happened days ago?

  “I’m going to ask you this one more time and Lala it will be in your best interest not to lie to me. Where were you that day!?” He rose off the bed and looked at me. My heart rate started to speed up. Did he know? No. He couldn’t have known. If he did then why didn’t he bring it up that day? So I stuck with my story.

  “I was with Lisa,” I answered him.

  “Where did you and Lisa go?” he asked, his back was still towards me so I was not able to read his facial expression.

  “We went to Applebee’s then back to her house to have a little girl talk.” I was surprised how fast that lie rolled off my tongue. Stacks started to laugh, which confused the hell out of me.

  “What you’re not about to do is lie to me,” Stacks said getting off the bed and walking to the closet. I sat up in the bed and watched him pack his clothes.

  My heart felt so heavy. I couldn’t believe this shit. I wanted to cry, but I didn’t want to look guilty, even though I was.

  “It’s funny how you was with Lisa, when Lisa was with Bear that day,” he said. My heart sank down to the pit of my stomach. I was at lost for words. He packed more of his things while mumbling in Spanish. “After all that nigga did to you, you decided to go back!! I showed you how it felt to be treated like a queen. I shared with you personal details of my life that I never talk about. I told you once you allowed me between your legs that you were mine and you go back to the nigga that broke you after it took me so long to rebuild you. That same nigga that had you second guessing yourself. That has a bitch carrying his baby, but that’s what you want. You like to be treated like shit. I’m sorry I was too much of a man for you, Lala,” he said while stuffing more of his things into his luggage.

  “It’s not even like that,” I cried.

  “Then what is it like? Please tell me because I am lost.” He finally turned towards me and looked at me. I wish he hadn’t because the look he was giving me broke my heart. “It was just dinner, he needed closure,” I said praying for God to save me from this dilemma I was in.

  “Closure Lala? Why did you lie? Why couldn’t you keep it real with me? Most importantly, how the fuck did you end up at the nigga’s house?” He came closer to me and grabbed me by the neck. “Did you fuck him!?” he yelled in my face. I’d never seen him so angry in my life. I shook my head no and he let me go.

  “I don’t have nothing else to say to you since you want to lie,” he said, picking up his bags and walking out the room.

  “I’m not lying,” I said running after him. “I’m sorry for lying, I’m sorry for having dinner with him without telling you, but we did not have sex,” I pleaded with him.

  “So what did y’all do?” he asked turning around facing me. I chewed on my bottom lip contemplating on whether I should be honest or not.

  “We went to his house to talk, one thing led to another, and we ummm well he uhhh,” I stuttered on my words not sure on how I was going to complete my sentence.

  “He did what, Lala?!” Stacks said raising his voice.

  “H-h-he umm he kinda of sorta gave me oral sex.”

  WHAM!

  Stacks backhanded me. I could feel my lip swell up. I wasn’t mad that he hit me, I was more mad at myself for fucking up something good.

  “You can stay here as long as you want to, I’m out. I really did love you, Lala, but you played me real good.” He picked up his luggage and walked out the door. I ran behind him not wanting something so good end. For the first time in forever, I was happy. I had a man that loved and cared about me. I had everything that I couldn’t get from James in Stacks, but I messed it all up.

  “Please baby, don’t go. I love you Anthony, please don’t leave me. I am so sorry, it will never happen again. I swear. Please don’t leave me please?” I threw my arms over him and cried. The fact that he didn’t hug me back or try to console me let me know it was a lost cause.

  “Go in the house Lala, you’re half naked.” The fact that I was standing outside in my bra and panties didn’t bother me. My main concern was making sure he did not get in that car and leave.

  He picked me up and carried me inside and over to the couch. He gently put me down and left. All I could do was sit there and cry. It was all my fault I was so stupid. I cried so much I ended up throwing up everything I’d eaten for dinner. Instead of getting up, I cried myself to sleep right there on the bathroom floor.

  * * *

  I thought I was going to wake up to breakfast, flowers, or even some sweet kisses. Boy was I wrong. The only thing I woke up to was a horrible headache. I got up and walked over to the sink to brush my teeth. I looked in the mirror and noticed my red, swollen puffy eyes and my oversized lip.

  I called off from work and got in bed. I laid on Stacks’ side of the bed remembering all the great memories we had in this bed. He is such a sweetheart; I thought as I picked up the phone and called the only person that I knew that would come to my rescue.

  “Hello,” Lisa answered, sounding half asleep.

  “He left me,” I cried into the phone letting it all out.

  “Text me the address. I’m on my way,” she said sounding like she was ready to put on her cape and fly over here. Stacks didn’t really like people knowing where he lived, but since he moved out I didn’t see the issue. I sent Lisa a text with Stacks’ address.

  After a while, I went to unlock the door for her and laid back in bed. I cried until I had no more tears left to cry then I just laid there looking at the wall.

  “What happened?” Lisa asked, getting in bed with me.

  “He found out. How could I be so stupid?” I responded, giving her a somber look.

  “Lala, I told you this was a bad idea. You should have just left James alone in the past,” she scolded me.

  “I know and it’s too late now because he’s gone,” I cried. All I wanted to do was to wake up in the arms of my man, but the chances of that happening were slim to none. I got up out of bed and ran to the bathroom again throwing up everything.

  “Lala, are you pregnant?” Lisa asked, handing me a washcloth.

  “Don’t be silly, Lisa.” First Stacks now her. What was up with people thinking I was pregnant? “I’m on the… oh, my God! No!!” I couldn’t believe I was so careless. After I left James, I never refilled my birth control pills now there was a chance of me being pregnant by a guy that didn’t want anything to do with me.

  “You want to go grab breakfast and then pick up a test?” Lisa asked rubbing my back.

  “No I just want to lay down, can you get one for me please?” I got up and picked up my calendar to see if in fact I was late. The tears started to pour down my face as I read Stacks’ note. He knew all along. I got back in bed and tried my best to go to sleep.

  An hour later, Lisa came into the room with a plate of food and a Walgreen’s bag. I wasn’t really hungry, so I grabbed the Walgreen’s bag from her and went into the bathroom. I peed on the stick and put it on the counter. I decided to take a shower to kill time.

  Before I could even fully lather my body, Lisa burst through the bathroom door and announced that she was going to be a Godmother. Well I’ll be damned! Great, I was going to be a mother, and I was not married, hell I wasn’t even in a relationship with my child’s father. I finished my shower and got dressed.

 
“What are you going to do?” Lisa asked me while chumping on a piece of bacon.

  “I’m keeping it,” I said getting back in bed a pulling the covers over my head.

  Lisa stayed over for majority of the day. After cleaning and ordering me some takeout, she left to go on her date with Bear. I was so happy that my bestie was finally settling down. At least if I wasn’t going to have any happiness, she could. I considered calling Stacks, but decided to text him the news.

  Me: I know I’m the last person you want to talk to right now, but I have something really important to tell you.

  I sent it and held my breath waiting for a response

  Bae: what is it?

  Me: I rather tell you face to face.

  Bae: Bye Lala I don’t have time for the games right now.

  Me: I’m pregnant. While waiting on his response, I drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  I woke up to someone rubbing my stomach and I thought I was dreaming until I heard Stacks’ voice.

  “Is it mine?” he asked, looking me in the eyes.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  “You sure?” he rose his eyebrow at me like I was some fucking slut.

  “Yes! But if you don’t want to be in my child’s life I understand.” I played with my nails. I really needed a fill in, but that wasn’t important at the moment.

  “I’ll take your word, that’s my child and I’ll always be there for him or her.” I was relieved when he said that. Even if we weren’t together, at least we could co-parent.

  “How far along are you?” he asked.

  “The test estimated 2-3 weeks.”

  “The test told you that?” he asked with a look of confusion on his face.

  “Yes, I took one of those new Clear Blue Easy that estimates how far along you are,” I told him.

  “Well, when are you going to the doctor?” he asked while still rubbing on my stomach.

  “I haven’t set an appointment yet.”

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” he asked, pulling me in his arms. It felt so good to be in his arms again.

  “When I feel better,” I cried as he held me.

  “Shhh, stop crying, you’re going to stress my baby out. It’s going to be ok,” he tried to reassure me.

  “Are you coming back home?” I asked hoping he would forgive me.

  “No,” he answered.

  “Why?”

  “Are you hungry?” he asked trying to change the subject.

  “No, just leave,” I said, giving up. I expected him to get up and walk out the door, but all he did was hold me tighter as I silently cried.

  “I’m sorry, Anthony, I just want us to be a real family. Please forgive me,” I begged.

  “Go to sleep ma, we’ll talk about this later.”

  Chapter 21

  Bear

  I finally got the information I needed by following Lisa. Lala called her early this morning telling her that Stacks left her. When she told me, she had to go over to Stacks’ house to check up on her, I wanted to jump up and start doing the 2-step.

  Instead, I acted disappointed that she was going to be leaving. I followed behind her keeping a safe distance between us and viola; I found where that nigga had been hiding. I never felt so happy in my life. To finally be able to take down the enemy was a great feeling.

  Now that the ball was in my court, I decided to call a quick time out and plan this out. Stacks had become a hard a hard target to hit, so I had to plan this one out real good.

  “Yo’ nigga what’s good?” I said giving Ted dap as soon as I pulled up to the spot.

  “This nigga is starting to be a real big problem,” he answered with a scowl on his face.

  “What nigga?”

  “Man Stacks’ brother!” he yelled throwing his hands up.

  “Who that nigga Paco?” I asked.

  “Yeah man that nigga walking around here enforcing shit like he the damn law or some shit. He had the audacity to tell me how to run my blocks. The fuck this nigga got going on!?!” Ted yelled fuming.

  “Oh, yeah? Well looks like we just have to handle that nigga then. No pressure,” I said and sat down to roll a fattie.

  “Was you able to get some information out of ol’ girl?” Ted said putting more weed in a grinder to roll another blunt.

  “You won’t believe this shit nigga,” I said, firing up the blunt.

  “What?” he asked rolling up another blunt.

  “She brought me to his house!” I passed the weed.

  “Man, stop fucking with me?” He inhaled weed before passing it back to me.

  “G-shit! I guess he left Lala or some shit like that. Well, Lisa went over there to console her, and brought me right in front of his front door!” I said unable to contain my excitement.

  “Well, if that is the case, why we not over there busting a cap in that nigga’s ass,” Ted said, pulling out his gun and sitting it on his lap, ready for war. My nigga.

  “I still don’t know where he keeping the drugs and money.”

  “Serpientes merece morir. (Snakes deserve to die),” a voice behind us said scaring the fuck out of me. I jumped up and pulled out my gun pointing it at Paco.

  “That’s how you treat my brother after he has been nothing but good to you, pedazo de mierda (piece of shit)?” Paco said with one gun pointing in my direction and another on Ted.

  “If you know what’s good for you, you’d back down son, you out numbered,” I said ready to pull the trigger.

  “I will die for my blood if I have to, but just know if I die, I will not be dying alone,” he said through gritted teeth. His voice bounced off the walls with power just like Stacks. The last part of his sentence ‘I will not be dying alone’ made me feel uneasy.

  POW! POW! Paco shot Ted in the arm twice causing him to drop the gun. CLICK.

  I fired my gun and the shit was not even loaded FML! He had his gun pointed at Ted’s head.

  “I’m taking you disloyal ass niggas out if that’s the last thing I do,” he said looking Ted in the eyes. I used Paco taking his eyes off me to my advantage and pulled the gun out that I had under the couch.

  “You shoot me then your friend dies,” Paco said to me feeling the heat from the gun that I had pointed at him.

  “You think I give a fuck?” I said pointing my gun at Ted.

  “Yo’ fam, what you doing?” Ted asked with a shocked look on his face. “It’s nothing personal, but business,” I said before ending his life. Paco shot me in the thigh and I fired two shots hitting him in the chest. I limped over to him and shot him two more times before making my way out the house. I jumped in my with car leg hurting like a motherfucker and drove to my house.

  * * *

  “Yo, Tasha?!” I yelled, struggling to get to the couch. I was feeling weaker by the minute. I laid on the couch feeling real dizzy.

  “What the fuck? What happened?” I heard her panicking.

  “I got shot,” I weakly answered her.

  “Hello. I need an ambulance quick, he’s been shot!!” I heard her yell into the phone before everything went black.

  Chapter 22

  Lala

  I was on my break chatting with one of the nurses that worked in the emergency room when I seen a gurney with Stacks’ friend rush by. My heart immediately started beating real fast and after calling Stacks ten times and getting no answer, I started thinking the worst.

  “Jennifer, what’s going on with that patient that was just rushed in?” I asked the ER’s charge nurse.

  “Who Kenneth Bell?” she asked, looking through a folder.

  “The heavyset dude that resembles Rick Ross a little bit,” I said not knowing Bear’s real name.

  “Yes, Kenneth. He suffered a gunshot wound to the femur. He lost a lot of blood and is unconscious at the moment. Is that a friend of yours?” she asked, writing notes in the chart she was looking in.

  “A frie
nd of my boyfriend, keep me posted ok?” I said quickly remembering that this was the same guy Lisa was dating. The dude from the party, that’s where I remembered him from. OMG, Lisa; I thought as I picked up the phone to call her.

  “Hey bestie!” she answered in a happy tone.

  “Lisa I need you to come down to the hospital quick,” I said not wanting to be the bearer of bad news.

  “Why what happened? Is everything ok with the baby?” she asked me all in one breath.

  “N-n-no, it’s not the baby, it’s, it’s, it’s Bear,” I stuttered.

  “What did you say? Bear? My Bear? What’s wrong with him, Lala?” she asked on the verge of crying. I could tell that she really liked him. She even admitted to me that she loved him. She even planned on quitting her job at the club and going back to school. I loved how he changed her and made her see her worth. I wasn’t ready for that to change.

  “LALA!!!” she yelled diverting my attention back to the phone call. “CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!?” she barked in the phone.

  “Lisa, just come down to the hospital please and I’ll better explain to you ok?” I said, trying to calm her down a little.

  “Ok,” she sadly said before she hung up.

  An hour later, Lisa and I were both sitting in the waiting room holding hands. Jennifer came towards us and we both stood up.

  “Ok we were able to remove the bullet and stabilize him. He’s in ICU now. We had to sedate him so that he can rest, but he should be up in a few hours,” she said patting Lisa on the back.

  “Thanks Jen,” I said hugging her. While Lisa went to go sit by Bear’s bedside, I stayed in the hallway and called Stacks for the 15th time. I was really starting to worry until I saw his name flash across my screen.

  “Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” I snapped.

  “Relax ma, this is not a good time for me.” I could hear the stress in his voice.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting down in one of the lobby chairs.

  “My brother was just shot, one of my workers was found dead, and I cannot get a hold of Bear,” he sighed. I thought of how I was going to break the news to him about his friend.