Don't Hate the Player

by Brandie

  I ran to the bathroom and took a shower. With me being in Stone Mountain and Money in College Park, it would take him at least twenty-five minutes to get here.

  The hot water felt good hitting my body—except for the deep cut on my back. I cried one last time and let the water wash away my tears.

  After my shower, I rubbed on some Bath and Body Works’ Pearberry and put on a white, ribbed tank top. He thought it was sexy for women to wear white Tees.

  I put fresh sheets on the bed, lit Pearberry candles, and turned off all the lights. 104.7 set the mood with slow jams pouring through the speakers. I ran downstairs to clean up the glass from the mirror that Diamond threw me into and looked around to make sure everything was set.

  The doorbell startled me. I ran to the door, but not before I looked back once more to make sure everything was straight—it almost scared the shit out of me. Diamond was staring at me through the silver frame. I ran over to the table and slammed them face down, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

  Money’s cologne pulled me straight into his arms. The wet rain on his skin, mixed with the fresh Nautica cologne smelled so good. His full lips swallowed me up. I couldn’t wait to feel those lips between my thighs.

  Taking a good look at me, he asked, “What the fuck hap—”

  I placed my finger over his luscious lips. “Please, Money, jus’ make it go away,” I pleaded with tears, hunger, and passion in my eyes.

  Money picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He knew my body like he’d molded it from clay. We had been in this position so many times before, but this night felt stronger—special. He knew exactly what I needed. He walked us up to the bedroom with me still hugged tight to his waist. “Damn, girl, you smell good.” With a big smile on his face, we both said, “Pearberry.”

  I hugged him even tighter. “Choosey Lovers” filtered through the speakers as he layed me down and sung to my body and heart as The Isley Brothers sung the shit out of that song.

  He layed me on my stomach and told me relax. He began to lick the lower part of my back, to the dip of my ass. “What the fu . . .” Money let out a long sigh as he rubbed his fingers over the gash on my back.

  “Sssss.” I jumped, turning to face him.

  “How long you gon’ let this shit keep going on, Luvly?”

  I hugged him tight around the neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Make love to me, Money. Let’s not let Diamond ruin this for us.”

  After kissing my wound, he gently guided me back to my stomach, pushing me up on my knees. He held both my ass cheeks in his hands, spreading them apart. I knew what I was in for and I was ready.

  He rubbed his face against both my butt cheeks, preparing me for ecstasy. His tongue lightly circled around the entrance of my ass hole. “Ahhhhhhh.”

  I fell to the bed unable to control my laughter. “It tickles.”

  “If you don’t like it—” He said unsure of what he’d just done.

  “I do, I do. Okay, come on, let’s try it again.”

  He held on tight to my hips, returning to his original position. This time he applied more pressure with his tongue, replacing the tickles with pure sensations of pleasure.

  “Oooh, hmmmm, yes. Money, keep it right there.” Once he knew that he had me in his zone he dug his tongue deeper into my hole. “Hell, yeah. That’s it, baby,” I yelled, getting excited.

  As I started to move back and forth on his tongue, he shook his head from side to side bouncing my cheeks from left to right on his face. “Ooohhh, shit! God . . . ummm . . . yessssss.”

  My pussy must have been calling his name because he answered it with sweet tongue kisses. Pressing his full, flat tongue up and down my pussy sent me into a frenzy. “Ahhhhhhh, Money. Ooohhhh . . . Babe. Hmmmm, it feels so good. Suck it, baby! Eat it!” Dripping wet, I grabbed his head and pushed him deeper into my love.

  He turned me over for me to sit on top of him. I licked him from his lips to his ears, driving him crazy. Trailing down his neck to his stomach, I French- kissed his navel. “Ssssss. Mmmm.” He knew the direction I was headed, so he stretched his body out.

  I began sucking his dick, keeping my strokes steady and firm.

  “You gon’ make me cum. Come up here and ride it out of me.” He grabbed my hair and pulled me up. I rubbed my pussy against his stomach, moving around in circular motions giving him a preview of how good it was going to be.

  He pulled me back into his stomach. “I love you, Luvly. I’m sorry for everything I’ve ever done to you. I want to be with you, Babe, take you away from this bad life. When I go pro, Babe, I swear, I will come for you.”

  * * *

  I believed Money, but I couldn’t just up and leave my security.

  Shit! He had been going between me and Salone for so long that I was used to the unspoken arrangement.

  Even though Diamond was a dirty muthafucka’, he took care of me in more ways than one. I had become accustomed to wearing Marquis, Baguettes, Louis Vuitton, Via Spiegel, Prada, Chanel; I was spoiled with endless ends. And his sex, ummm, it was off the chain. It made me forget any slap, punch or calling me out my name.

  He also sent me to school for nursing, but I refused to go to school everyday with black eyes, busted lips, and, worst of all, a fucked-up mentality. When your heart is messed up, the mind shuts down and can’t function.

  So, I decided to go to nail school instead. After I got my certification, he had me a shop built on Old National. He named it Diamond Nails, of course. Women were flocking to the shop just because they had either slept with Diamond or wanted to.

  I was living a life only dreams were made of. I didn’t have to lift a finger; I had my own personal maid. The big-ass house I lived in with him was laid to my liking, and I was driving a Jaguar. What else could a young woman want? A loving husband, maybe.

  * * *

  Before I knew it, Money was inside me—full and hard. I rode him like I was born to be his personal cowgirl. He held my ass and hips with a full grasp.

  With just a few strokes, “I’m about to cum, Money. Mmmm I’m getting . . . so weak.” He grabbed me so tight that he put nail marks in my hips; scars I didn’t mind one bit! I came. We came. He came inside of me, and I accepted all of him.

  Chapter Eleven

  Chocolate

  Tap, tap, tap, tap.

  “Hmm.”

  Tap, tap, tap, tap. It sounded like fingernails tapping on my window. It stopped, so I lay back down. A few minutes later, tap, tap. Looking over at the clock I could see it was three o’clock in the morning.

  My bed was next to the window, so I pulled up the blinds, “Oh shit, it’s my lady!” She was standing in a white, see-through negligee that lay on her skin like satin, and some white bikini-cut panties sitting low on her hips. Her hair was pulled up into a sleek ponytail, the end twisted into a curly Q. Her glossy lips were pouty—ready for a kiss.

  “What are you doing out there? You need to be in here where I am.”

  Damn, she sexy as hell! I rubbed my eyes to make sure it was truly her. When I opened my eyes she was standing beside the bed. That perfect, white smile was driving me wild. Her baby-doll-pink toes, I wanted to suck ’em clear.

  “Chinoe, I’m sorry you’ve waited on me for so long.”

  “Yes, Babe, I’ve been making deals with heaven and hell to get with you.”

  “Well, I’m here, Chinoe. What would you like me to do?”

  “Come and let me taste you.”

  She blushed. “Chinoe, I’m so in love with you.”

  “I love you, too—wait a minute. I don’t know your name. I tried to get to you in the mall, but these—”

  “Shhh, don’t say another word.”

  She bent down and kissed me so soft and passionate; I could feel her soft lips melt into mine. They felt like cotton.

  She sat on top of me. I was rock hard, scared to enter her; I might bust a hole in her womb. She moved her pussy lips on the top of my head in a circular.r />
  “You about to make me—”

  Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, the alarm sounded, “Damn, I was having a phat-ass dream.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Chocolate

  My mama was in the kitchen, throwin’ down. The smell of homemade biscuits, bacon, eggs, and pancakes replaced the oxygen flowing through my nose.

  “Well, sleepyhead, you’re finally up?”

  “Yeah, unfortunately.”

  “What’s that suppose to mean? Boy, you should wake up praising God that you were able to wake up.”

  “Yeah, Ma, I know, but I was havin’ a dream that a man wouldn’t wanna wake from.”

  “Um, um. What time did Caymin leave?”

  “She left about forty-five minutes after you did.”

  Mama was tryin’ to make conversation, beating around the bush. Something was on her mind. “What’s up, Ma? Whatcha need? Whatcha want? What can I do for ya?” I asked, kissing her cheek.

  She took a serious tone. “The only thing I need is a place in heaven. Everything I want I have: a great job, wonderful friends, and a very comfortable lifestyle. And for your last question, a good-looking young man to cut my grass.”

  “You got it.” I smiled like a Cheshire cat. I’d been promisin’ to cut it for weeks now.

  “Now for the lighter side of things, I would like a vacation in Cancún, a Mercedes Benz, and a house in the hills.”

  “Ma, you trippin’. When I make it big, your list will be the first one filled.”

  “And what you could do for me is—” She came closer to me and leaned on the opposite side of the breakfast bar, grabbing my face like she used to when I was little and she meant business. “. . . From you, I want a success story. For you to live out your dreams, not to be a failure to yourself. To have one strong BLACK woman by your side that’ll kick your stubborn butt when you get out of line.”

  I looked into my mom’s strong, worried, proud, black eyes and truly knew she wanted me to be successful at everything I did. My mother never let me be a wimp. Shit! She used to rough me up more than my dad. She used to tell me, “If I love you and can rough you up, then you can get roughed up by this world and not feel disappointed when it lets you down.”

  “I understand what you sayin’ Mama. I understand.”

  After I ate, I jumped in the shower. The hot, steamy water felt good running down my tense shoulders. It reminded me of when I used to play football and felt sore after practice. Lathering the soap up in my washcloth made me think about how good my dream was the night before.

  I couldn’t get over that dream. It was so real. I mean I could feel her body against mine, and her soft lips on mine. Squeezing the sudsy washcloth, my dick became hard. I just needed to see her again. Shit! I would definitely ask that girl to be my life-long partner.

  I was expecting Money to swing by at about 11 a.m., so I could go check out my pop’s surprise.

  Thinking about my life was starting to consume my thoughts. Like, what type of man was I going to become? Or what type of woman would I marry? What would my kids be like? Would my son act like Money or me? That was a scary thought. What I really wanted was three girls: a basketball player, a ballerina, and a lawyer or doctor, three well-rounded, strong women.

  Just as I got out of the shower the telephone rang.

  Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring.

  “Talk to me.”

  “Hi, Mr. Chinoe. Chocolate Starr.”

  Excited to hear this sweet lady’s voice, I asked, “What’s up, Babe? How you been doin’? Two weeks is the longest you’ve ever stayed away from me. This time it’s been over two months. So is it another man or what?”

  “Naw, you know y’all are the only men a woman needs for survival,” she laughed.

  “You know it, Babe. We yo’ ghetto supermen,” I said in a cartoon voice.

  “Where is Money, anyway? He act like he can’t sit still long enough to keep in touch wit’ me.”

  “You know how dat pimp do.” She hesitated like something was on her mind.

  “Luvly, what’s up? Who broke your heart this time?”

  “Nobody. My heart has yet to heal from Diamond. . . and is still open to Money.”

  Luvly had always been like a homeboy to me. She was always there for me to talk to about females, and I was always there for her to talk to about Money and Diamond. She was definitely sweet, sometimes a little naïve, but always loving. Mixed with a black mother and an Italian father, she was simply gorgeous. Five-seven petite and well-packaged, she was very shapely.

  Luvly used to have high spirits, smiling all the time, going to all the parties, and just enjoying life—until she fell in love with her two weaknesses.

  Money and Diamond competed to be with Luvly, but back then Diamond was the man with the plan. We were a year younger than Luvly, and Diamond was many years wiser than all of us. His big plan all along was to beat her into submission.

  Luvly had been living in her own apartment since her junior year of high school—with Diamond. This kept us from knowing what was going on with her. The way she kept in touch with me was through my mother. She told Diamond that my mother was her tutor, helping her to get her GED.

  * * *

  Two years ago, by the grace God, it took all me and Money had, to keep her alive.

  As we approached the hospital, Money spotted a green 600 series Benz with a CUBMAF license plate, backed into a parking spot.

  “That muthafucka’ got the nerve to fuck ’er up and then be at the hospital.” Diamond was grabbing a young nurse, for information on Luvly.

  Soon as he whipped into the parking lot, barely letting the car stop, Money took off running, with Diamond unaware that he was under attack. Just as the nurse stuffed a wad of cash into her overcoat, turned and walked back into the hospital, Money punched Diamond in the side of the head.

  “What the fu—?” Money opened the door to the car and pulled Diamond out before he knew what was going on.

  “Nigga, you gon’ pray about this ass-whuppin’ you about to get!” Money grunted as he yanked Diamond out of the car.

  As soon as Diamond hit the ground, our feet were on his head and neck. Diamond fought to get to his feet by pulling up on the car door. He kicked back, hitting Money in the knee, bringing him to the ground with Money still throwing blows to Diamond’s head.

  Money punched Diamond until his own skin broke and began to bleed.

  Diamond kept trying to get back to his car. But we knew that if he got to his car, bullets would fly.

  We stomped him damn near unconscious. It looked like “Ole Dawg” and “Kane” from Menace to Society when they stomped dude when he tried to confront Kane about getting his cousin pregnant.

  Mrs. Mancini, Luvly’s mother, ran out the hospital with the same nurse Diamond paid, and a male orderly.

  “STOP! Stop!” Mrs. Mancini yelled, only touching my shoulder for fear that she would have been trampled if she tried any harder. I backed off, but not before giving him one last kick to the chin.

  “This is not going to help Luvly. She needs you here by her bedside. Savoy, Savoy!” she yelled for Mr. Mancini.

  Unaware of what was happening, he was already hurrying out of the hospital doors behind his frantic wife. But when he caught sight of us fighting, he understood that we had to be stopped or somebody was going to die.

  “Hey, hey, come on, Money.” He wrestled between Money and Diamond, taking a blow here and there until they were on either side of him.

  Diamond, breathing heavily and full of blood, panted, “Muthafucka . . . you . . . gone.” He grabbed his chest, trying to catch his breath. “This shit . . . ain’t over, nigga.”

  Security finally got to the scene asking questions, and the nurse that Diamond paid earlier was crying and begging him to please leave, for the sake of her job.

  “G’on! Get outta here!” Mr. Mancini waved his hand at Diamond. “You oughta be glad I ain’t shoot you between the eyes.”

  “Come on, boys.
Come on.” Mrs. Mancini was hugging me like I was the one on the floor bleeding and begging for my life.

  Mr. Mancini was holding Money around the waist.

  “Nigga, this ain’t finished. It ain’t finished by a long shot!” I meant that to the heart. He was going to be made to pay.

  When we walked into Room 704, it was like a scary fairy tale. She was lying in the bed with perfect hair, hands very still by her side and the white sheet pulled neatly above her breast. Her face was swollen-purple, and her hands had abrasions on both of them, where it looked like he held her down or scratched the shit out of her.

  Me and Money kneeled down on opposite sides of the bed. Money had tears in his eyes. “Luv, I love you, girl. You got to get up.” He let out a loud sigh and layed on her chest. “Please, baby, get up, and open your eyes.”

  My eyes started to tear up, but I cleared my throat and choked it back. I loved Luvly like a sister, but Money had a deeper relationship with her. Whenever Diamond was fuckin’ up, Money would be fuckin’ and lovin’ her.

  Her parents were exhausted and needed a change of clothes. She had been there for two days. We didn’t know about it because we were out of town playing a football game. We told them that we would stay and that my mother would be there in about thirty minutes. They agreed and left with long miserable faces, but not before they both kissed their helpless daughter and gave their two extended-family sons a hug.

  Money got on the phone and began putting some things in motion. “Taeko, Luvly in the hospital. That nigga, Diamond, beat the shit out of her.”

  “What the fuck! Man, I’m on it. You know you ain’t got to say a word.”

  I grabbed the phone and took a deep breath for what I couldn’t believe I was about to say. “A, Taeko, man, don’t kill that nigga. You know she love ’im and would hate us even more for killin’ ’im.”

  “Fuck that! These niggas got records and don’t give a shit about that nigga! I can’t believe you pleadin’ for that pussy-ass nigga’s life.”

  “Look, Taeko, you know how she is now. Don’t fuck her no more than she already is.”