by La Jill Hunt
“Hey, you wanna go to Jasper’s tonight? They got a new band I wanna check out.”
“You mean the infamous DJ Terror doesn’t have to work?”
“Nope, not tonight, and I know you’re not complaining about me working, Miss I-want-the-wedding-of-the-century.”
“Baby, believe me. I ain’t complaining about the work. I’m just surprised we can go out on a real date for a change,” she said, hugging him from behind.
Toby understood that being engaged to a man who worked almost every night of the week might be a little difficult for Veronica Black. He knew that she was a diva in her own right and liked to be treated as such. Roni enjoyed being wined and dined and shown off by whoever was lucky enough to have her by his side, but between working at the club, radio station, and private parties, Toby really didn’t have the quality time that he wanted to spend with his fiancée. He had decided that he better start making time and gotten one of his boys to work his Thursday nights, starting tonight.
“So, does that mean you wanna go?” He flipped the eggs and sausage onto a plate and she grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You know how you and your crew make plans. I thought you may have had to call Kayla, Tia, Yvonne, Susie, Cheryl, Margaret . . .” He began counting on his fingers.
“Shut up, Toby. You know that’s not true,” she giggled. They sat across from each other and bowed their heads as he prayed over the food. They quickly began eating.
“It is true. How many times have I heard ‘Me and the girls’ or ‘Well, the Lonely Hearts Club . . .’”
“They kicked me out of the Lonely Hearts Club, thank you very much.” She sighed, batting her eyes at him.
He faked a look of shock. “No. Whatever for?”
“I’m not lonely anymore, I guess.”
“You don’t sound like that’s a good thing.” His eyes fell on her empty ring finger and he thought about the black velvet box sitting on the shelf in his closet.
“Tobias Sims, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Don’t ever forget that. Now, I gotta go before I’m late. I love you and I’ll call you during lunch.” Roni jumped up and kissed him.
He walked her to the front door and helped her put on her blazer. She turned and he looked into her eyes. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever known, and she was perfect for him. He wanted nothing more than to make her happy.
“I love you, Roni Black.”
“I love you too, DJ Terror.”
She pulled him closer and kissed him full on the mouth. Her tongue teased his bottom lip and he opened wider and savored her taste. He ran his hands along the small of her back and he felt himself becoming aroused as a small moan escaped her throat.
“I gotta go,” she said, pulling away.
“I know.” He laid his chin on her forehead. “I’ll pick you up at six thirty. Be ready.”
Roni waved as she backed out of the driveway. His eyes fell on a skateboard lying in the neighbor’s yard and he smiled at himself. Yeah, no doubt I love the hell outta that girl.
Toby had finished cleaning the kitchen and was about to jump in the shower when the phone rang.
“Yo.”
“He wants me to kill our baby,” a loud voice wailed in his ear. He knew that Terrell was going to tell her to have an abortion. He also knew that she wouldn’t take it very well. Darla wasn’t the most mentally stable girl in the club. That was why he always dealt with her in a special manner.
Toby had only slept with Darla twice. The first time, he was in a drunken stupor and she actually had to drive him from a party they both happened to be at. The second was when he had bronchitis and was so doped up on antibiotics and amphetamines he didn’t even remember it happening. Funny thing was that both times, Darla swore she was in love with him, like there was a chance in hell he would consider being with her permanently. She was a nice enough girl; she would often come by with groceries for his crib and would clean up if she saw a need, but she definitely wasn’t his type. She was his STD—something to do. If he needed something done, he would call her, and she always came through. There were times his utilities would have been turned off if she wouldn’t have been on hand to drop off a payment. For that, he was grateful.
His brother, on the other hand, should have known better. Toby couldn’t even understand how Terry got himself in this situation. Darla was not the kind of girl you sleep with unprotected. He didn’t even want to think about the fact that Terry didn’t even care that his own brother had already slept with this girl. He pushed that thought completely out of his mind for fear that it would show that Terry had a lack of loyalty to him. But she wasn’t that important, so he wasn’t that worried.
He didn’t know what to say to her at this point, though. Not that he supported abortion, but this time, one would make sense.
“So, you talked to him?”
“He just left. He made the appointment and everything. He says he’s taking me in the morning.” She sniffed.
“Damn,” was all he could say. He began making up the king-sized bed that he and Roni had just gotten out of.
“What am I gonna do? I don’t want to kill our baby.”
“But Darla, he doesn’t want the baby.”
“I want it, though. I love him, Toby. This baby is a gift from God. Are you telling me you don’t believe that?”
That question made Toby uncomfortable and he decided that maybe he shouldn’t be talking to her about this. “Look, this is a decision between you and my brother. I don’t have anything to do with it.”
“Talk to him, Toby. This is your blood he’s about to get rid of, your niece or nephew.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t have anything to do with it, Darla.”
“The night I told you I was pregnant, you swore you would support me and I was your friend. You lied!” she screamed at him.
“Hold up. I am supporting you. I’m listening to what you got to say. For real, yo, this really ain’t even my business. This shit is for you and Terry to figure out. He’s a grown man and whatever he wants to do is on him.”
“So that’s it? That’s all you got to say, Toby?”
“That’s all I got to say. I wish you the best.”
“Thanks for nothing. You ain’t shit and neither is your brother. I’m glad I’m getting rid of it. I wouldn’t want to be bothered with anything with your blood running through it, you bastard.”
Instead of responding, Toby hung the phone up. He knew she was hurt and was speaking out of anger. There really was nothing he could do; the decision wasn’t his. One thing he did know was that Terry did have a cursing out coming to him. He called his brother’s cell.
“What up, dawg?”
“Man, I don’t even wanna know why the hell you slept with her, man. That don’t matter. But you ain’t use a rubber? I thought I taught you better than that.”
“I know, I know. But I got it under control. It’ll be taken care of tomorrow.”
“Now she blowing up my spot, crying and yelling at me like I’m the one that knocked her up.”
“She called you? What she say? She’s still going tomorrow, right? Man, tell me you told her to do this.”
“I can’t tell her what to do, Terry. You think I’ma tell a woman to get rid of a baby I ain’t have nothing to do with creating?” Toby thought his brother truly was crazy. He began looking in his closet for something to wear.
“Well, what did you tell her?”
“I told her it was between you and her and I ain’t have nothing to do with it.”
“And?”
“And what?” Toby was wondering where Terry was going with this line of questioning.
“Did she say she was gonna go tomorrow?”
I should play with his head and make him sweat. “She said she ain’t going nowhere except her doctor to get some prenatal vitamins.”
“What? Yo, you gotta call her. I can’t have no kid
with that chick. Man, I’m thinking about asking Nicole to marry me. Look, I gotta tell you something.”
“What?”
“Nicole’s pregnant.”
“Man, do you ever wear a rubber?” He was shocked. He knew that Terry could be out there sometimes, but two girls knocked up at the same time was ridiculous. “You better pray that this Darla thing gets taken care of with the quickness. So, what are you gonna do about Nicole? Same thing?”
“Hell no. You know Nicole ain’t trying to have no abortion. And I don’t want her to, to be honest. I love her, man. I think I wanna marry her.”
“You sure about that, Terry? I don’t think you know what you want to do. Marriage ain’t nothing to play wit’. You know that. Before you go doing something you know you ain’t ready for, you better think and make sure.”
“I know I want to take care of this thing with Darla and I wanna marry Nicole and get on with my life. Simple as that.”
“Handle your business then. Just be sure. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I will, Toby. And believe me, this is the last time I’ma get caught up in some drama like this.”
“I hope so, Ter. I hope so.
“Man, don’t act like you ain’t have no drama of your own a little while back.”
“It wasn’t like this, though.” Toby snapped.
“A’ight, bro, I gotta take these calls. Unlike you, some of us have to work a regular gig. We all can’t be living the glamorous life, DJ Terror.” Terrell said.
“Whateva. Don’t forget what I told you. Handle your business.”
“See you tonight.”
With that being said, Toby showered and dressed quickly. He had a lot to do and only a few hours to get it done.
40
Terrell called Nicole on his first break. She had left a message telling him she had to work a double shift at the hospital and wouldn’t be getting off until late. He appreciated the fact that she was such a hard worker. Nicole was a nurse on the labor and delivery floor, and she was also studying to be a certified midwife. He loved an ambitious woman.
“Hi, baby. I got your message,” he told her when she answered her phone.
“Hey, I tried to catch you before you got to work.” He could hear the hustle and bustle of the nurses’ station in the background. “You guys busy?”
“Not really. We got four patients in active labor and three already delivered. It’s a regular day, I guess.”
“How you feeling?”
“Okay, a little queasy, but that’s to be expected. I’m just praying it doesn’t get worse.”
“I told Toby this morning,” he told her.
“What did he say?” she asked after a pause.
“Nothing. He congratulated me,” he lied. “So, what time you getting off?”
“I’m trying to leave by seven. Is that gonna be too late?”
“Naw, you should still be good. I’m not gonna be able to pick you up, though, because I gotta get there by eight. You good to drive?”
“Yes, Terry, I can drive.” She laughed.
“I’m just making sure. I don’t want you having to pull over on the side of the road, throwing up and stuff.”
She laughed and told him she was being paged by a patient. “I’ll see you later, Terry.”
“I love you,” he told her.
“Love you too.”
He grabbed a drink for himself and Kayla on the way back to his desk.
“Aw, man, what’s up with this tea stuff? Can’t I get a Pepsi? I’m not pregnant anymore,” she whined when he put the can in front of her.
“Did you pay for it?”
“What? You want your fifty-five cents? Now that I think about it, maybe I do need to pay you back. You might need to break off one of your baby mamas.” She reached into her desk drawer and plopped three quarters on his desk. “Keep the change.”
He rolled her eyes at her, picking up the quarters and putting them in his pocket. “I know you ain’t joking, are you? Shall we start naming the issues you got going on right about now? Let’s see, should we start with your married baby daddy or the psychotic ex-fiancée of your boyfriend?”
“Oh, so it’s like that?” Kayla’s eyes widened as she looked around to see if anyone overheard them. “I was just playing with your sensitive ass.”
He had unintentionally hit a nerve and he regretted it. Kayla had been through a lot. She was always there for him as a friend. She was the sister he never had.
“I’m sorry, dawg. That was uncalled for. I just got a lot on my mind right now. I got this thing tonight and then Darla is still tripping.”
“Does she know about Nicole?”
“Hell no,” he shook his head.
His cell began vibrating and he didn’t recognize the number. Making sure no supervisors were around, he flipped the phone open and whispered into the receiver. “Hello.”
“Hey, big sexy, I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful night.”
“Uh, that’s cool, man. You good,” he answered.
“So, what’s up?” Anjelica whispered.
“Chilling at work.” He swiveled his chair, turning his back to Kayla, who he knew was eavesdropping. “Yo, look, I’ma hit you back later. Is that cool?”
“Yeah, that’s cool. It’s no big deal, really. I know you really can’t talk. My sister the drama queen is probably right there in your ear anyway. Call me when you get the chance.”
“A’ight. Peace.”
“Who was that?” Kayla asked, startling him. He turned back around to face her and it was like deja vu from this morning. It was amazing how much the two girls really did look alike. “I hope it wasn’t one of your little tricks. You need to start telling them to stop calling. Cut them loose now, Terrell. I’m telling you.”
“Can I help it if I’m a pimp?” he joked.
“I thought it was godpimp.”
He laughed at Kayla. She was his confidante and he could tell her anything. He even considered telling her about last night, but knowing the hatred the two sisters held for each other, he decided that it definitely wasn’t a story to be shared with Kayla. Not right now, anyway, he thought. Soon, but not right now.
“You and Geno coming tonight?”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Roni already called and told me that she was going on a ‘real date’ for a change, just her and Toby. She has no idea that we’re all invited too? How is that gonna work?”
“Toby says he has some kind of master plan. All I know is that everyone is supposed to be there by seven thirty and wait in the lobby.” Terrell had been working with his brother to concoct this event for a minute now. Everyone showing up in time seemed to be the only problem they could come up with. That was one of the reasons they told everyone 7:30. The moment wasn’t scheduled to take place until after 8:00.
“Is he nervous?”
“About what? He loves that girl. Is she nervous?”
“Please, Roni’s ready. You better hope Toby is. You know how his reputation precedes him.” Kayla laughed.
“Don’t front. Roni ain’t nowhere near being Virgin Mary herself.”
The two friends spent the remainder of the day going back and forth as they always did. Five thirty came sooner than either one expected, and they headed to the parking lot.
“I’ll see you tonight, Kay. I’m praying that y’all be on time.”
“We’ll be on time, Terrell. You need to be praying that she says yes.” Kayla jumped into her car and honked the horn as she pulled out of the parking lot.
41
Toby arrived at Roni’s at 6:30 on the dot. He was surprised he hadn’t thrown up because his stomach was a ball of knots and he thought he could pass out at any moment. Everything was going perfectly—a little too perfectly.
After leaving the house that morning, he dropped his car off to be detailed then walked two blocks up to get a haircut and a shave. He didn’t have to wait to get into a chair and by the time he was finished,
his truck was ready. He went to the radio station and mixed his tracks for the morning show, finishing in enough time to run his last minute errands. He accomplished all this without fainting. Now, hopefully the woman he was doing all of this for was ready and waiting like he told her to be.
“I’m almost ready, baby. I promise.” She kissed him as she opened the door. “Damn, you look good. Maybe I should change.”
“No!” he yelled. Toby knew that if Roni decided to change clothes, it would be a thirty minute wait, at least. “You look perfect.”
“You just don’t want me to look as GQ as you. That’s okay. You look so nice. I love to see you dressed up.” Roni ran her hands along the lapel of the dark suit he was wearing. Instead of a tie, he wore a wide-collar shirt with the top buttons undone. He put his hand in his pocket to make sure the ring was still secure.
“Oh, so I don’t dress up?”
“You never wear a suit. I don’t consider jeans, Timbs and a Sean John shirt dressed up, Toby. I gotta finish touching up my face and then I’ll be ready.” She disappeared down the hallway, leaving an anxious Toby standing in the living room.
“Are you sure you got permission from your girls to go out tonight?” he called, looking at a picture of Roni and her best friends sitting on the mantle. They were a tight bunch and he knew that tonight was just as important to them as it was her.
“Ha-ha, very funny. I don’t need anyone’s permission to go out. They were surprised that you didn’t have to work tonight, though. Who’s deejaying at the club tonight anyway?”
“Um, they’re having Oldies but Goodies night on Thursdays now.”
“Does that mean you’re gonna be off every Thursday?”
He knew she would like that idea. He was going to wait and tell her later, but the present seemed as good a time as any. “For a little while, at least.”
“And we can go on more dates, like regular people?” Before Toby could answer, her phone rang. “Hello. Hey. Good. Yeah, yeah, uh-huh. Um, sorry. I have plans. Yeah, nice talking to you too. Take care.”