by Brandie
“Money, you so crazy. You scared me.”
“Aye, Babe, you were just looking so good from the back, and your waist looked lonely.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but I will call you when we get those Christian Dior shoes in.” The lady kept smiling and told me, “This here is a sweet girl. I hope you keep her smiling and sweet all her days.”
I nodded to the lady and hugged Salone off her feet. She was petite, but had a fat ass and thighs. A little lacking in the chest area, but her juicy lips and sexy eyes made up for it.
Salone’s parents died two years ago and left her an inheritance. She took the money and invested it in Dollwear Clothing. She also had a shoe store on Jimmy Carter Boulevard called Toe to Toe. Twenty-three years old and her life seemed set. But if she thought her life was picture-perfect with me, she had another thing coming. I was eighteen years old and nowhere near ready for married life.
I knew she had to do inventory, but I wanted to make her feel special by asking her to go out. “What time you get off?”
“Money, I told you I had to do inventory. Kayeshia won’t be in until nine-thirty to help, and Paula has to go home because of baby-sitting problems. So I have to be here all night.”
“Well, I know you hungry. You wanna go get a bite to eat when you close up?”
“I don’t know. I have so much to do and I want to have everything put out by tomorrow. You know how black folks be spendin’ all their child support, alimony, and welfare checks on Saturdays.”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t know about those kinds of problems now, would you, Ms. Entrepreneur?”
She walked around the counter, which is up on a platform and met me eye to eye, all of my six feet, four inches. I reached for her hand and kissed the inside of her palm.
“Well, can I bring you something back up here? I don’t want you dehydrated or famished.”
She cracked a smile and licked her lips. “Yeah, please get me some Popeye’s. You know what I like, right?”
“Yes, darling. Two-piece dark meat, cajun rice and beans, one biscuit, and one large tea, no lemon.”
She smiled, leaned over, and gave me a kiss.
“See, your lips already need some water; they’re dry and peeling. Sweet, though.”
She slapped my head. “Shut up, boy. It’s just my lip gloss peeling.”
Aside from having the sweetest kisses, Salone was a sandy-colored redbone with a short cut that was always changing colors. Her long, healthy eyelashes along with the moles and freckles that some viewed as ugly, complimented her slanted, marble-black eyes. Sexy and ripe. She dressed to impress and had beautiful toes that are always perfectly painted, summer or winter. All that prissiness turned me on. And the free clothes and shoes don’t hurt either.
We’d been messing around for about two years, off and on. She knew about my female lovers, friends, and I never asked about hers.
“Well, sweetie, I’m gone. I gotta catch Chocolate. He done seen some broad and ran behind her.”
“This might be his lucky chance; don’t hate on him.”
“Naw, that’s my cat, but he oughta be tired of chasing the invisible delight of his life.”
“I’ll be waiting for my food. If you come back after nine-thirty, I’ll have the back entrance open.”
“A’ight, later.”
As I walked away, I thought about everything me and Salone had been through—nothing. No drama, no babies, and no ties. Just loving, loving, and more loving. She was a perfect mate for life. I knew she was attached to me because of all the things she’d done for me. I was attached to her also, but my heart wasn’t in it. I knew one day that I would make someone a perfect, faithful, loving man. But then again—maybe not.
Chapter Eight
Chocolate
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Her hair was so short, laid, but short. And she had a Barbie-doll face: lipstick, thick lashes, and eyeliner—all that fake shit.
Her eyes were glued to my face. And the nasty attitude she wore on her face would be forever glued to my heart. That was one nametag that I didn’t need to read. I knew that face well, that body, and that scent. I could smell her from behind the counter. She’d put on a few pounds, but it looked damn good on her.
Shit! If I was stupid I’d tell her that I wanted her back in my life, but I would only be dreaming for both of us.
“So, Mr. dog-ass Chinoe—naw, naw, I’m sorry. I don’t even want to be nasty. Things are good for me, and I’m on my way up . . . thanks to you.”
Like a slave, I wanted to run away. “Yeah, you look real good. Your weight fills your face out. I have to be honest though—”
“Whoa, honesty! I better listen and take it for what it’s worth.”
“The makeup—lose it.”
She got a look on her face of disbelief, my cue to get the hell on. Before I could get out of sight, Sandra, the other sales girl walked up. “Nikki, did you help this fine, young gentleman find his lady friend?”
Nikki looked like she wanted to spit venom. “Yeah, many months ago.”
“Thanks, Sandra, and have a nice day, Nikki.” I jetted as fast as I’d come, hoping to catch my mystery girl going down the escalator.
Soon as I got to the top of the escalator, Money was hanging up his cell phone. “Man, Taeko just called me talkin’ ’bout come scoop him up; his car broke down in Niggaville.”
“Greenbriar Mall,” we both said in unison.
“Man, Money, I just met my wife. Well, I didn’t meet her thanks to Kane and Able.”
“What, nigga?”
“Man, these kids wasted ice-cream on my shoes, and I lost my dream girl right before my eyes. She was bad, Dawg, a Clydesdale stepping, a stallion wild. Beautiful baby! Simply beautiful.”
“Nigga, I knew that’s why you shot off like you spotted gold.”
“Hell, yeah, Dawg. She is the pot of gold.”
“Man, that could be fool’s gold and you the fool chasin’ it.” We both cracked up. But in the back of my mind I knew she wasn’t any fool’s gold, but I wasn’t gon’ be chasin’. Let someone else be the fool.
Chapter Nine
The Session
Junior Mafia played in the Explorer as the boys sat in Gresham Park, inhaling, coughing, and getting high as kites.
“Y’all niggas gon’ die from too much weed smoke to the brain. And, Taeko, you know you don’t need no more dead brain cells,” Chocolate joked as he inhaled the second-hand smoke.
“Nigga, you jus’ jealous ’cause yo’ pretty ass can’t hang,” Taeko challenged as he inhaled a mouth full of smoke.
“Hell naw, dat nigga scared. Just like he scared of pussy.” Money agreed with Taeko, taking a long, hard pull. “Come on, Chocolate, man. Take one hit.” They both sat looking silly, staring into Chocolate’s face like two lost puppies.
“Naw, somebody got to have a level head out of the three of us.” Chocolate looked at them like a disgusted parent.
“Nigga, go ’head wit’ dat shit. You gon’ stay at the same level fo’ the rest of yo’ life—ON FULL!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” They both laughed hard about their same ol’ faithful subject.
“Y’all love holl’in’ that shit ’bout me not gettin’ no pussy yet. What y’all seem to keep forgettin’ is that I have to beat the pussy off with a baseball bat. I should be a professional baseball player. Y’all need to be practicin’ abstinence. Shid! That’s why you a daddy already. I ain’t gon’ even get on the fact that you got a damn abortion clinic named after you . . . and a health department.”
After a long pause, Money spoke up. “Man, you better tell me that the contact you gettin’ off this weed makin’ yo’ lips leak bullshit.”
“Nigga, you wanna buck?” Chocolate balled his fist up and swung at Money. Money waved him off, feeling too lazy from his high to wrestle. “Jus’ hit the damn blunt, Chocolate; it ain’t gon’ kill you.”
He stared at the blunt, weighing his options. “Man, give me the shit.”
>
AN HOUR LATER . . .
“Man, dis the first and last time I mess around wit’ y’all fools,” Chocolate said, pulling hard and deep on the blunt and giggling to himself. “But you know what? I can actually hear what Craig Mack is sayin’ in this re-mix.” Laughter filled the truck.
Chocolate raised up out of the seat slowly; looking dazed and pointing toward the woods. “Shhh, man. Y’all see dat shit?”
Both boys looked into the direction that Chocolate was pointing.
“I know I just saw somebody by dem trees.” Chocolate waved his hand in front of his face and burst out laughing.
“What, nigga?” Money asked, focusing to see if it was some haters or the Po-pos.”
Popping his lips because Chocolate was blowing his high, Money said with authority, “Nigga, you trippin’. Ain’t nobody out there. Control the weed; don’t let the weed control you.”
“Ahh, ha! Ha! Ha! Dis nigga is really feelin’ this shit, Money.”
Chocolate busted out laughing, “Man, I’m high as hell. I feel like Superman, like I got x-ray vision or some shit. Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha! Chocolate, you fucked up. Welcome to our world,” Taeko laughed.
Sitting up straight in his seat, Chocolate licked his dry lips. “Boy, I’m hungry and horny as hell. I need some pussy to poke or munch on.”
Knowing that he was a virgin, they both looked at him like he was stupid, but felt what he was saying.
A bright red and yellow 18-wheeler, going over the speed limit, lights bright, horn tooting loud, looked as though it was coming through the trees. “Oh, shit, oh shit, y’all let me the fuck outta here!” Chocolate jumped out the window and hunched down beside the door with the blunt still in hand.
“What is dis nigga doin’?” Money asked, reaching out of the window and snatching the blunt out of Chocolate’s hand. “Boy, don’t touch this shit no mo’.”
Grumbling stomachs, Chocolate’s laughter, and UGK’s “Pocket- full of Stones” occupied the truck.
“Man, I got to do sump’n ’bout dat got damn Salone. She been trippin’ lately,” Money said as if he was in deep thought.
Chocolate perked up and paid attention. Taeko, stretched out across the back seat, lighting up his second blunt.
“And what I can’t understand is we have a understanding of being friends . . . open to see who we wanna see. She askin’ me ’bout Luvly and shit. SHIT!” Money let the blunt burn too long and a big lump of ash sizzled through his Falcon’s jersey.
There it was, Luvly, the forbidden subject. But Chocolate was feelin’ himself, so he rode the subject. “What about Luvly?”
“I love ’er.”
“Dis weed must be the strongest shit around,” Tae said seriously.
“Naw, I’m for real. But what a nigga s’pose to do when she attached to Diamond’s nut sack. I ain’t gon’ give that nigga total credit for raising her. I’ll give that nigga some credit, he did take care of her financially, but I put in the time, shoulders, heart, and the dick. But what should I expect from women, when my own mama ain’t shit? Besides Seal and Grandma, it seem like every woman that has ever been in my life has fucked me—with no Vaseline.” He stepped out of the truck and slammed the door. “Fuck ’em all.”
Money’s weakness was finally front and center—Luvly and the absence of his mother.
“Damn, did I see tears in dat nigga eyes?”
“She do be hurtin’ dat nigga, doh,” Taeko answered with sympathy.
“Aye, Tae, I saw my wife today.”
“What she look like?”
“Ahhh, man, she was perfect. Thick and smooth. She had long, black hair with caramel skin. Ummm. Damn, I missed her just like that!” He snapped his fingers. Talking about his mystery star brought him back to his senses.
“Yo, you gon’ see ’er again. Atlanta ain’t that big, Dawg.”
“She might not be from Atlanta; she could be jus’ visitin’ or somethin’.” Chocolate thought to himself, Damn, finding this girl is gon’ be harder than taking candy from a baby.
“Money, bring yo’ ol’, heartbroken ass on.”
Chapter Ten
Luvly
Slap, Slap, Pop.
“Diamond, no!” I screamed, trying to crawl away from him. He ripped my shirt, and I felt a long, burning pain in my back. He kicked me in the stomach to slow me down. Snatching me up fast, he slapped me across my face, splitting my lip.
“Why you always believing them bitches in the street?” I cried.
I tried once again to run from him. “Bring yo’ ass here!” I held my head with both hands, trying to avoid direct contact with his huge, hard fist.
He caught me and shook me like a baby rattle. “Stop, muthafuckin’ lyin’. I know you was wit’ that muthafuckin’, nigga. You gon’ make me fuck you up. Keep playin’ with me, Luvly.” Grabbing me by the throat, he threw one last forceful blow to the side of my head. I screamed out in severe pain.
“When I get back from Cancún, yo’ punk ass gon’ get pregnant; ain’t gon’ be no more of this shit.” He snatched my birth control pills off the marble and iron end table, and threw them on the floor. “Then we’ll see if Money’s punk ass gon’ wan’ chu.” He dropped me out of his hands like a rag doll.
He picked up the pills off the floor, set them on fire with a lighter, and threw the ball of fire at me. As I tried to dodge the ball of fire, it singed the hairs on my leg.
Without looking back, he walked out the door to be with Jordan, one of his baby mamas. Little did he know I wasn’t using the pills as my method of control, termination and miscarry were becoming my best friends.
I layed in the same spot for about an hour with my aching, bruised face to the cold marble floor, wishing Money would come rescue me.
The phone rang constantly, but I wasn’t in the mood to speak with anyone. But maybe it’s important. Like, maybe Diamond fell overboard and got ate by a shark.
Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring.
“Hello,” I sniffed.
“Girl, what’s wrong with you? I guess I should know. I jus’ saw Diamond pick up Jordan with all her baggage.”
I didn’t know if my cousin Precious told me about Diamond cheating every minute because she wanted me to see him for what he was, or because she enjoyed seeing me miserable.
“You like that nigga dawgin’ you out, puttin’ his foot on your neck, almost cuttin’ off your air. If I had a fine-ass nigga like Money sniffin’ the seat of my drawers, I wouldn’t hesitate.” She shuffled the phone, but continued her preaching, “But I can understand why you hesitate on Money, ’cause he need to grow up and figure out what he wants in life,” she added.
I knew she was right. Money was whom I wanted. He had a stronghold over my heart, but Diamond had an even stronger hold over my soul.
“Why you cryin’? He beat yo’ ass again?” Precious asked, not surprised.
I wanted to hang up in her face, but Precious was the only person Diamond let me hang out with. Besides, she gave me reality checks.
“Yeah, ain’t that always the case over my way.” I looked at myself in the wall mirror, rubbing the knot that lay underneath my hair on my head. The only visible scar on my face this time was my lip, and ice would heal that in no time.
Normally, when he left to go out of town, he would leave his handprint, or some kind of visible scar on of my face so that I wouldn’t go out.
As I got up to wash my face, I felt the stinging sensation on my back again. The long, deep, raw, bleeding, gash looked horrible.
“You need to call that boy and tell him you wanna be with him. And tell him to talk to Chocolate’s fine ass for me.”
“Girl, you know you too wild for Chocolate. He likes clean, mature, wholesome girls.”
“Shit! I’ll be wholesome for his fine ass. I’ll wash off all the makeup and take out all the weave.”
“Yeah, and then he’ll probably shoot you, mistakin’ you for the boogie man.” We both busted out laughi
ng.
“Precious, I’m about to go to bed before I worry myself to death about these men.” Before she could say her piece, my phone beeped.
“Hold on, girl . . . Hello.” There was no answer. “Hell-o-o?”
“Hey, beautiful, how are you?”
I smiled from ear to ear because I knew that strong, rough voice, with muffled ears. “Hey to you, too.”
“Ya boy gone, ain’t he?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you busy?”
“No, I can talk. What’s up?” There was a pause. “Hello, Money?”
“You. I want and need you.”
“Money, let’s not start this again. You know you’re not ready for a real relationship, but we can at least give it a good start by being honest with each other. Salone is still in your life. She has practically been there since I have.”
“Why every time the conversation get serious about us, you start talkin’ shit about Salone? I don’t bring up that low-down-ass nigga you so hooked on. Man—fuck! I shouldn’a called. Bye, man.”
“Money, no! I’m sorry.” Before I knew it, I was telling him to come over. I knew that people were always watching, and that Diamond would kill me—literally. “Come over and let me see your eyes.”
We both hung up. The phone rang again and scared the shit out of me.
“Yeah.”
“Girl, you crazy or something? I ain’t a damn phone operator.” Precious was still holding on.
“I just told Money to come over here,” I said, covering my mouth in shock at my own actions.
“Get it, girl. Get yo’ groove on. Diamond is out of town screwin’ that old, nasty freak, anyway. He probably got her in one room and Pila in another. Look at it this way, you are going to make love to a man you love.”