SIDECHICK: CATCHING FEELINGS

by K NICOLE

  “This bitch,” I gritted. All my cards were there, but the knot of cash I had lying by my wallet that was about two bands was gone. It wasn’t nothing to me, but it was the principle. “She better be lucky her pussy was worth it.” I had to take that L because she drained the fuck out of me to be looking for her ass.

  ZEUS

  “Are you ready for your surprise? I’d been holding this shit for a while and I guess you deserve it. You’ve been actin’ out, but I forgive you,” I told Perri, rubbing her feet that were in my lap.

  “I hate surprises,” she groaned, unenthused.

  Thumping her big toe, I said, “Well you’re going to love this one.” We were lying on her sofa so I rose up a little to dig the white envelope out of my pocket and handed it to her to open.

  “What is this babe?” Perri asked, opening the envelope at the same time. Her beautiful face contorted as she pulled out the pieces of papers. When her face lit up, I knew I had made her damn day like I knew my ass could. I was that nigga if I do say so myself.

  “Wow,” Perri gushed, meeting my eyes. “Maldives! I heard that the island was beautiful. Even saw pictures of it pop up on my Facebook timeline. Thank you sooo much.” She glanced back down. “We leave tomorrow!” I watched her ass jump up. “Zeus! I don’t have time to prepare myself! How long have you been sitting on these flight tickets!”

  I sat up and leaned forward, placing my elbows on my thighs and clasping my hands together. “Since Miami, but you look fine. What else do you need to do and get? You gon’ be naked half the time there.”

  Perry side-eyed me but saw the seriousness in my facial expression.

  “No Zeus. This is South Asia nigga. I want to explooooore! Let me see what I have in my closet. I have shit that still has tags on them!” she shrieked, running out of the room. My shit was already in my trunk, packed. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and while Perri did her thing, I answered the phone for my T Lady. Stubborn on both ends, I hadn’t spoken with her since she disrespected Perri.

  “Hello?” I answered, laying back down on the sofa and closing my eyes.

  “Hmph, you forgot your mother was alive?” was how she answered.

  “Phone works both ways and I didn’t disrespect you, it was the other way around,” I advised, matter of factly.

  She was silent for a few seconds.

  “You really go hard for that girl, don’t you?” she spoke in a quiet tone.

  “I do. Nobody is going to disrespect and handle the mother of my child and get away with that shit. Not sorry. I love you though.”

  She let out a loud, exaggerated sigh which made me smile because I knew she was giving in.

  “Okaaay, I hear ya. She does seem like a pretty nice girl that definitely stands up for herself, I’ll give her that. Maybe me and her need to just sit down and have a re-do. It’s hard knowing she had relations with Diah too and fucked up his marriage, but…”

  “Ma… Roman fucked up his marriage. Not Perri,” I interrupted and reminded her ass.

  “Yeah whatever, I know that. She played a part knowing he was married, son, but it is what it is. Family functions are going to be awkward as fuck. Come over soon so I can apologize. I just hate that my son’s are against each other and not for each other,” she muttered.

  “I would always be for my brother. I am my brother’s keeper, but I love Perri despite how we met. I’ll set something up for us to come to your crib when we get back from a much needed vacation.”

  “Oh? Where are you two going?” my mama nosely questioned me.

  “South Asia.”

  “Well I’ll say. Have fun and bring me back some souvenirs,” she said and ended the call.

  Her ass couldn’t talk about nobody else being in my pockets because she stayed in them herself. Always wanting shit, but if I got it, my mama does too.

  __________

  We took the private jet and I made sure we had enough food and drinks for the flight that was going to take us a whole day. I fed the pilots as well because this was a long ass damn plane ride. Me and Perri slept, ate, talked, fucked, and laid up watching TV. We carried on like we would as if we were cooped up at the crib.

  Once we landed, we were both in awe at the beautiful view. We were going to be here for a whole week in tropical paradise. There were separated islands by a lagoon. When we were on the boat, headed to our exclusive villas, Perri gushed at everything. I grinned the whole time watching her excited about everything that came in view, my damn cheeks were hurting.

  The villas were perched over high water and that kind of made a nigga nervous. Y’all even seen that movie The Impossible? Maaan, I never wanted to experience a tsunami.

  The villas were nice. The one we were on was called an island villa. A hushed oasis between ivory sand and leafy gardens, it was an ideal retreat for the sake of privacy.

  Monumental doors subdivided the villa into three grand areas:a light-filled living room with a powder room, sumptuous bedroom with a double dressing room and a generous bathroom with an indoor and outdoor rain shower, dual-vanities, separate toilet and oversized bathtub.

  “I love this soooo much!” expressed Perri, going from room to room.

  Outside, I looked out at the jungle of palm trees and exotic plants that shaded the infinity pool and beach. There was a garden pavilion with plush armchairs that I took upon myself to sit in and smoke. This was about a 2,580 square foot villa. Perfect for a boss nigga and his queen.

  “I can’t believe you’re out here smoking instead of going from room to room with me. Have you been here before?” Perri stopped smiling, and grilled me. I laugh heartily.

  “Nah ma. This my first time here. I need to relax for a minute, but I’m just as excited as you are. I can’t wait to make love to you in every room...in the water...on the beach…” I voiced, letting my voice trail off as I eyed my woman in short white cotton shorts and a white tube top with her stomach showing. “I ain’t never taken a female on a trip like this. Shit not any trips. Ain’t bitch was ever that special in my life.”

  “Until you met me,” gloated Perri. I put my blunt out as she fell into my lap.

  “Yeah, but you're not a bitch. You are a queen. My queen, and don’t you ever forget that. Don’t let anyone knock you off your throne, and I ain’t talking about a bitch taking your place. I’m talking about my mama and anybody else. Handle yourself how need be.”

  Perri nodded her head, looking out into the water.

  “That was deep,” she whispered.

  “I mean that shit.”

  Perri jumped up and grabbed my hand, trying to pull my solid ass up.

  “Anyone here around us?” she asked, squinting.

  I shook my head and licked my lips, viewing her with low, heavy lids.

  “Nah.”

  Smiling hard, Perri began to undress causing my eyes to open as big as they could.

  “I’ve never skinny dipped, but there is a first time for everything,” she giggled.

  I was on with whatever she was on. Standing up, I started coming out of my clothes too.

  “It’s going to be the first of many babygirl,” I told her.”

  DIAH

  “This beautiful home is 7,460 square feet with six beds and um...let me see...Oh! It has seven baths,” Kimberly Hykins, a realtor that I had come to help me find the perfect home for me and the kids said. She was a young black girl who I could tell was nervous.

  “Oh wow, that might be a bit much for just me and my four, but maybe with family coming over....” I bit down on my lip. “It might just be perfect. How much is this on the market for and can we walk around and you tell me more about it?” I smiled at her. I wasn’t in the business of giving her a hard time. I loved seeing young African American women...even men, on their shit and in their bag.

  Kimberly nodded eagerly and she led the way around the house and explained the details. After I made her comfortable, she spoke to me with ease.

  “It’s on the market for $2,990
,000.”

  I figured.

  “Pricey, but it looks worth every dime. I love the huge manicured lawn my kids could play on. It’s stunning and impressive on all levels. Beautiful curb appeal from the manicured yard, stone facade and expansive covered front porch…”

  I stood contemplating on what I wanted to do.

  The rooms...were large. The ceilings were twelve feet all throughout the house. The granite and marble countertops in the bathrooms and kitchen. The rich hardwood floors. I could not do carpet anymore because of the kids. I fell in love with the oversized kitchen island. The backyard was paradise with a swimming pool and outdoor kitchen. This house was perfect and three blocks from their private school that the oldest two attended.

  My mind was made up. I dug in my Chanel bag and pulled out the bank card that was still attached to Roman’s name. He owed me this. I held the card out to Kimberly.

  “I want it. Charge it.”

  __________

  My phone had been blowing up once Kimberly had taken us back to the office and charged the card. Roman was calling me back to back. He wasn’t upset. He blew more money than that on vehicles and jewelry. He literally had millions. He was just calling to be nosey.

  Placing my phone on silent, I tossed it to the side as I sat in the huge closet of the house that I had called home for several years, and went through clothes and packed. It was bittersweet because I fell in love with this house, but the home that I had just purchased was perfect.

  My phone vibrated and I rolled my eyes, picking it up. It wasn’t Roman this time. It was his mama and she was only calling because I was pretty sure Roman called her.

  “Hello?” I answered sweetly.

  “Now Diah,” she said, chuckling. “What the hell did you spend all that money on. Roman is having a fit because he believes it is a house and he doesn’t want you and the kids moving from the home you’ve lived in all these years.”

  Fuck this house, I thought to myself.

  “It was definitely a house and I can’t wait until you see it. This is all I want from the divorce, is this house. I can’t stay in a house that didn’t have the love in it that I thought was there,” I told her, choking up a little bit.

  “Describe it to me.”

  And I did. I told her all about the house and she fell in love with just the thought of it. Wait until she sees the outdoor kitchen.

  “Keep your head up baby. He fucked up. It’s okay to move on but please don’t keep the kids away from us. I love them brats more than life itself,” she pleaded.

  “I would never,” I assured her before we disconnected.

  No matter what, I wouldn’t do that to my kids. Fuck Roman. My kids love their daddy and I would do anything to make them happy, except going back to that cheating ass dog!

  PERRI

  “We’ve been doing a lot of fucking,” I giggled, taking a bite of salmon.

  Me and Zeus were dining with our feet in the water at this restaurant called Zero Degree. His childish ass had nachos cause he said he wasn’t fucking with the other shit. I told him he had to try new shit, but Zeus wasn’t trying to have his “stomach tore up all night.”

  “We have. If you weren’t already pregnant, we would have made one right on this here island,” he smirked, wiggling those bushy eyebrows.

  “This here island is a beautiful ass place. Gorgeous,” I stated, looking around and mimicking the way he had just spoken. “I don’t want to go home - ever.”

  “You want me to buy one of these villas? Say less.” Zeus stuffed his face with his nachos.

  “You would do that?” I asked him.

  “Hell nah,” he laughed, and I mushed his damn head. I didn’t think he would, but I had a little hope. “But there is something that I would do.”

  I rolled my eyes playfully and questioned, “What’s that?”

  “We have to get back to the room first, and then I’ll tell you.”

  “Why can't you tell me now?” I pressed.

  Zeus took a sip of his drink while keeping his eyes on me. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and then tossed it on his plate, signaling he was done.

  “Because it’s a surprise,” he told me before leaning over and kissing my bare shoulder.

  Groaning, I replied, “And I told you I did not like surprises.”

  Standing up and drying his feet with the towels the restaurant provided us with, he then helped me up. My stomach felt heavy; I was so full.

  “You’re going to love this one,” Zeus whispered in my ear. He tossed some bills on the table that would cover the cost of the food and a lovely tip.

  The boat to take us back to the villa was waiting on us. The weather was so nice. Warm with a nice breeze as the boat moved. There was a lot of damn water surrounding us. It was so dark, but thanks to the light coming from the boat, it was a turquoise.

  I was nervous holding Zeus’ hand, and wondering what type of surprise he had waiting for me back at the villas. Never having my hand out for this man to bless me, he does it anyway. I needed to get on my shit so I could do nice things for him too. Show him that I’m grateful for everything he does and that I loved him. I really did.

  “What are you thinking about?” Zeus asked me, still looking out into the water.

  “How do you know I’m thinking?” I giggled. I brushed my hair out of my face and watched him. His jaw was flexing. Not in a bad way, but it was flexing as if some shit was weighing heavily on his mind. Like he was thinking hard.

  This time Zeus chuckled. “You’re thinking about what I have back at the villas for you, huh?”

  He caught me.

  “Yeah. We’re here by ourselves. How do you pull off a surprise for me?”

  “I’m Big Zeus. Remember that. Daddy.”

  A wide smile spread on my face. This was the type of love I had always yearned for and to know I finally got it, I was floating in the clouds right now.

  Zeus helped me step off the boat and we held hands as we trekked to our villa. My breathing was shallow, fast breaths. If it was just roses and candles all over the room, I was gon’ laugh at myself for being so nervous. The way Zeus was talkin’ tho… this might be some mo shit. He said Big Zeus. Daddy.

  “Relax,” Zeus cackled. He squeezed my sweaty palm. It was crazy how he could read me.

  When we entered the room, just like I figured, there were red rose petals everywhere with candles lit that had the room smelling good. I took a peek at one of the labels from the candle so I could mentally store it in my mind. Sensual Memories Candles Co.

  “This is so nice, babe,” I cooed. I pulled Zeus to me and stood on my toes to kiss his lips. His large hands cupped my ass roughly, but he knew I loved when he did it. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and then snaked his tongue in. “Mmmm,” I moaned. My hands instantly drew to his dick and he politely slapped my hand away.

  “Chill, I have something else for you before we do all that.”

  My brow rose. I wasn’t expecting anything else but this. What else did this sexy ass man have in store for me? I just wanted to lay on this bed with my legs spread from east to west while he fucked me to sleep.

  When Zeus pulled back from me and got down on one knee, my whole body froze. This was something I was not expecting. I wasn’t expecting a proposal!

  “Listen babe, I know we haven’t been with each other for a long ass time but there was something that drew me to you when I first laid eyes on you, not caring whose woman you were. I feel like I hadn’t properly loved a woman until I met you. I feel like you complete me and I want this forever. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

  Zeus hadn’t even finished his speech before I was crying like a baby. This was unreal. I’ve been in past relationships before. Even been proposed to a few times, but I wasn’t feeling the thought of marriage until now. I was about to be the mother of Zeus’ child. Now I was about to be his fiance soon to be wife. I was overwhelmed, but I just knew in my heart that this was right. That me a
nd Zeus were meant to be together.

  “Yes,” I whispered, nodding with my hands to my mouth as if I was saying a prayer. “Yes baby, I will marry you.”

  Zeus slid a huge rock on my finger and then stood, our mouths colliding. Tears were still falling from my eyes, but he gently kissed them away. They were falling so fast.

  “Why are you crying?” he asked me, and I wiped my face, not caring about my makeup being smudged because I knew I was already looking ugly right now. That’s why I hated surprises. I need to know when and when I didn’t need to wear makeup because surprises such as this had me bawling like a big ass baby. “These happy tears because if you don’t feel comfortable being my fiance right now, then we can hold off.” His bushy browns were dipped as he studied me.

  “They are happy tears and I can’t control them,” I laughed. I pushed my hair out of my face. “I would love to be your wife.” I pulled his face to mine and kissed him deeply and passionately.

  “Aight. Let’s go clean ya face because you kinda favor a racoon right now,” he chuckled. I mushed his head, but I knew he wasn’t lying.

  Zeus ran the shower as I stood in the mirror doing my nighttime face regime. I smiled at my reflection. I was about to be somebody’s wife.

  My face fell soon after. Here I was about to be a wife when Diah was divorcing the man she thought she would have her forever with. That instantly made me feel bad, but right now I had to push that to the back of my mind because this was my moment and we were away in another country. I wanted to be happy until we had to be forced back into reality.

  ROMAN

  Diah had asked me to meet her for lunch. I hoped she had come to her senses and realized she didn’t want to be without me. I made sure I wore her favorite cologne, Creed. Diah could never resist me when I wore it. It instantly turned her on. My hair was freshly cut and my line up was razor sharp. I wore a black v-neck with Tom Ford light blue jeans and my wheated Timbs. I even placed my Diamond grill in my mouth and my dark Gucci shades on my face.