by Brandie
Chapter Seventy-One
Chocolate
“Christmas is two weeks away. Are you ready Sap?”
“Yes. I wrote Santa a letter, a long time ago.”
“Have you been a good girl?”
“Yes, Grandma, I have.”
“No, she hasn’t, Ma. She didn’t eat all her vegetables yesterday.”
She poked her lips out. “Uncle Chocolate.” She jumped on me and we start wrestling.
“Don’t hurt her little bitty self, Chocolate,” my mother said, still looking bright and beautiful. She still won’t let me move her into a bigger house. She said comfort is better than size.
“Where is Brandie? She loves my collards.”
I didn’t want to worry her with all of the particulars of our arrangement. “She’s at home. Her house.” We were back together, but on a trial basis, and she wouldn’t live with me until we had counseling and were married.
“When you get a chance call her, tell her to come get some dinner.” Putting her hands on her hips, “So what’s up with my lights?”
I didn’t put up a fight. I headed straight out to hang the lights. My mind was going in five different directions. Am I making the right choice by staying with Brandie? My last photo shoot sucked. I have no chemistry with this new photographer. Worrying about Money and if he’d broken it off with Salone, if not, he’s in for some serious hell. I know Luvly still messing with Diamond, and that’s already hell. I often think about what would have come of me and Caymin if I would have given us a fair chance.
But Brandie was my baby, though. No one compared. She made me whole, complete. It had been going good lately, but she gets timid when we get into an argument. I didn’t want her scared of me. I needed to show her that I wasn’t a stranger and that I could be the man she first met. I’m just hurt about the whole situation. What man wouldn’t be, especially a man like me that has everything to offer.
Whose car was this pulling in my mother’s driveway? The tint was too dark to see behind the glass.
Chaise got out of the car looking as good as the last time I saw her. I continued to hang the Christmas lights.
“Hey, Chinoe. How have you been?” she asked, sounding sincere.
“All right and you?”
“Disappointed. Why did you change photographers? Just because we stop being bed partners doesn’t mean we had to cut out the business relationship.”
“It wouldn’t have worked.”
“My job is my job. Pleasure is just pleasure. If you don’t know that then we never had anything, because you didn’t know me.”
“You don’t even believe that. You were too attached.”
“Not too attached, I fell in love and forgot to invite you. And I apologize for that.”
I dropped a line of lights, “Would you like me to help you?”
I looked into her eyes, and knew if I gave her an inch she would take a mile. “Naw, I got it.”
Getting antsy, putting a hand on her hip she said, “Give us another chance to have a love affair, with the camera. We were good together.”
And this was the truth. We were good together. The camera loved the touch of her hands and loved my body and face, “I don’t know Chaise. I’ll have to think about it.”
“Well, I have a shoot lined up for Tuesday. It’s for three days and you can be back home Christmas Eve.”
“Where?”
“New York.”
“Yeah. All right.” I needed a break.
My mother came to the door, “Oh, hi, Chaise. It’s been too long,” She hugged Chaise and cut her eyes at me. My mother agreed that I should have broken off the business relationship with Chaise. She said it would have been conflicting, especially when Brandie came along on trips. “So what brings you around?”
“I have a shoot that’s paying major dollars. But I need the perfect face.”
“My handsome son?” My mother laughed and shot some soul back into my body. My mother put her hands on my shoulder to show Chaise that she wasn’t leaving my side until she did.
“Chaise, what time do I need to be ready?”
“Tuesday at eleven-thirty a.m.” The smile on her face was what I’d been missing in Brandie. Chaise’s fresh essence sent shock waves through my body. If Brandie wanted space, space she shall get!
* * *
Tuesday morning seemed long and dreary with all the rain and fog.
“Chinoe, why do you look so down?” Chaise asked.
“Problems. A whole lotta problems.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” The only thing she could do those three days was work and fuck me to sleep.
“No. I just don’t understand my girl. Why does she feel like she needs so much space?”
She looked out the airplane window. “The same reason you needed it.”
Shit, I needed it because I needed to know where I stood with my life. “Brandie knows what she wants, she’s not unsure about her life.”
“Are you sure, maybe you forced her into love. Maybe you didn’t give her any choices or a chance to venture out.”
Maybe so, but hell, Chaise would say anything to get her position back.
We finally got to our hotel room. We had to share one because there was a convention going on and all the rooms were booked. “You sure they’re all full?”
“Yes, Chinoe. Check for yourself. Believe me, I’m not trying to lure you away from your problems.”
When we got to the room I went straight to the phone, “Could you please be quiet? I don’t want her to think anything.”
“Ooohhh, déjà vu.”
Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring.
“Hello.”
“Hey, baby”
“Hey, Chinoe, you made it safely.”
“Yes. Finish wrapping presents?”
“Yes. Sap has the whole house mostly.”
“You sound happy.”
“No. I’m missing you, baby. Just sitting here talking to Caymin and Luvly.”
“Where Luvly?”
“In the bathroom.”
“So are you really happy? Happy with yourself, us, me?”
“Yes, baby, I am. I love you, Chinoe.”
“Love you, too.”
“Hurry home to me.”
“I will sexy. Keep it hot. Talk to you later.”
“Bye.”
As I hung up the phone, I felt I had to hurry up and ask her to marry me. If she said yes, I knew she would be in my life, but what if she said no? I can’t blame her, especially the way I treated her a month ago.
“Chinoe, do you mind if I take a shower?”
I was confused and strung out on a fantasy. What the fuck was wrong with me? Maybe I needed to test myself, see if I was doing the right thing. “If I can take it with you.”
She smiled as if she had won an award, “That’s exactly what I wanted.”
She dropped her clothes and sexily motioned me to come with her. I let her lead me into a world of pleasure, and guilt.
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chocolate
Christmas morning started at 6:20 a.m. Everyone decided to have it at my house.
My dad, mother, Grandma Loane, Luvly and her parents, Money, Brandie and her parents, Tae and his family and, of course, Sapphire.
Trinket and Sapphire had a toy store in my living room, while Trey rode his scooter outside.
Everyone exchanged gifts. Brandie looked content, but I couldn’t tell if it was because she had her family there, and that it was Christmas or me.
“Brandie, are you happy?”
“Yes.” Her facial expression was fake and her answer forced.
Brandie was playing happy homemaker. Sashaying like she was queen of the castle. The phone rang and she dashed to the kitchen. Her attention was diverted from me so she didn’t pay attention to me leaving the living room. I went upstairs to the guest bedroom and picked up the phone.
“No, no. I told you I couldn’t come see you. He knows Cart
el. What am I suppose to do.”
“Tell that nigga that we are not finished and I’m not going to just let you go.”
“Cartel, I’m in love with Chinoe. I don’t want to leave him.”
“But you wanna keep fucking me? This shit ain’t right Brandie. Did you tell him about the other day, while you trying to be so truthful.”
She hung up the phone.
“Cartel!”
“Who—”
“Muthafucka you know who this is. I don’t blame you for fucking her, she fine as hell, but she is mine.”
“I don’t give a fuck about ya’ll. Brandie is grown and is going to make her own decision. When I met her she was single, so in my eyes she’s still single. Fuck what you wanna think.”
“Fuck you! She off limits! Nigga, I will kill you!” I hung up the phone. There was no more to say. Brandie was mine and that was the bottom line.
“Chocolate what’s up? The women making breakfast,” Taeko said with a smile.
“Why you looking like that nigga?” Money asked.
“Cartel just called my muthafuckin’ house.”
Luvly walked in and flopped down on the bed, “What cha’ll doing up here?”
Tae had a furious look on his face. “Man, I can take care of Cartel.”
“What’s going on?”
“Cartel just called my damn house. This nigga got some real balls to call my muthafuckin’ house and on Christmas morning at that.”
“You have to let her go, Chocolate. Let that bitch walk.” Tae was going ten steps ahead of me.
“Joi didn’t make your whorish ass walk,” Luvly said, still mad at Tae.
“Chocolate, look at me. Have you talked to Brandie about this situation, calmly?” Luvly asked in a loving voice.
“Yeah, she told me that she was done with that shit. But when I picked up the phone, he asked her did she tell me about the other day when I was gone to New York.”
“Man, I feel like killing that girl myself, but I’ve been here before Chocolate, and you know no one could tell me right from left. I had to make my own decisions. And you’re going to have to do the same.”
Brandie walked into the room. “Why ya’ll all up here?”
“Discussing whether to bust your ass and leave you stanking. Brandie, why are you still fucking Cartel? Don’t you know that nigga don’t care about you. He just see this as a challenge towards Chinoe.”
She looked over at me, then back to Luvly. “I—I—” She stood in the doorway holding her stomach.
Money walked up on her so that they were exchanging breath, “Stop this shit. That boy loves you. I’ve never seen him like this. That nigga has had all kind of beautiful women falling at his feet, but he stays true to you. Why is it so hard for you to do the same? I’ve never seen Chinoe want for shit. You need to make amends now or walk out of that do’.” Money sounded like my father.
Brandie stood in the same spot with tears running down her face, not saying I’m sorry, or that she was wrong.
Looking at her stand there with no remorse, just the guilt of getting caught finally gave me the strength to make a decision for my sanity, “Brandie, get your stuff and leave.”
She rushed over to me. “But, I don’t want to go, Chinoe.”
She kneeled down in front of me, “I love you, Chinoe. I know I’ve made mistakes, but it’s over. Cartel heard you pick up the phone. He made that stuff up to upset you and break us up.” Kissing my hand, she said, “Please, don’t make me go, baby. I’m in love with you.”
My pitiful eyes gazed into her sad eyes. I love this girl till it hurts. Love was not suppose to hurt. But I knew if she walked out the door I’d hurt even worse.
“What do you think I should do, Brandie? Let you keep screwing other men and turn my head? Being embarrassed to shake hands with niggas I’ve known for years because you might be sleeping with them?”
“I’m on my knees begging you, Babe. No more! No more, just me and you.”
My extended family looked on with held breath and hoping hearts. She layed her head on my hand and put my other hand to her heart.
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chocolate
It was two days before New Year’s Eve and Money’d been driving me crazy about a ring for Luvly.
He had to have it platinum and it had to be ten karats. What the hell was she going to do with ten karats on her damn finger, get hit over the head, and robbed?
Brandie was layed across the bed asleep. She had been running around with Luvly trying to do something for Money’s birthday party on New Years Day.
I layed down beside her, rubbing her silky hair. I wanted to ask her to marry me yesterday, but I knew she wasn’t ready. These last several months felt like seven years. I want this woman to have my children, get fat and grow old with me.
I kissed her on the back of her neck. She squirmed but didn’t wake up. I didn’t want to wake her, just look at that angelic face.
Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring.
“Hello.”
Click.
I knew that was either Chaise or Cartel. Chaise had been threatening to tell Brandie about those three days in New York. I couldn’t justify fucking Chaise, but Brandie was cheating on me and I felt like my world was crumbling.
Chaise even wrote a letter to my mother, but I recognized the handwriting and threw it away. She knew my mother’s opinion meant everything to me, so telling her that Brandie was cheating and I screwed her in New York would make her hate Brandie.
Ring. Ring. Ring. I held the phone for a few seconds in hope of hearing a voice . . . “Hello.”
Click.
“Got damn it.” I knew it was Chaise. A nigga wasn’t gone keep doing this type of shit. She was waiting for Brandie to answer the phone.
I should have just told Brandie about the photo shoot. I knew what her plan was, but I wanted to get even with Brandie.
Ring. Ring. Ring. I ran into the guest room. Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring. “Chaise stop playing on my goddamn phone.”
“Put your wifey on then.”
“Why? She ain’t got nothing to do with this.”
“She’s in it all right. I was screwing her dick, raw.”
“She don’t have anything to do with what we did. Damn Chaise, leave it alone. She ain’t going nowhere. I love her and want her for the rest of my life.”
“Fuck you, Chinoe! Your luck is about to run out. You told me you were leaving her, that we could have another chance. What, you were just running game on me? Fuck that shit! Put her on the goddamn phone!” she screamed like a crazy woman.
“No, so stop calling here. Aren’t you in Italy?” I whispered between clenched teeth.
“Yep, see how determined I am. So I will find her and tell her about your promises to me and our fuck fest.”
She hung up the phone. “Damn!” Why did I do that shit? What was I thinking?
Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring.
“Stop calling my muthafuckin’ house!”
“Why? I love you, boo.”
“Oh, Luvly, my bad.”
“Who keep calling your house?”
“Chaise.”
“Boy, ya’ll keep more drama going in that house than I’ve had in my whole life.”
“You believe that if it makes you feel better.”
She popped her lips, “Kiss my ass. Did you get the stuff I asked you for?”
“Yeah, I ordered the big ass football cake. And hired the decorators.”
“Good, how much was the cake?”
“Why? You not paying for it.”
“I just wanna know.”
“Five hundred.”
“Umm. Glad you’re paying for it. So how is everything going with you and Brandie?”
“Good. She’s not dancing at the club. Cartel was coming down to the club every night harassing her. So in order for me not to catch a case, she quit.”
“Ya’ll need a vacation.”
“It’s on the way.”
“What did Diamond do now?”
“He came in the shop yesterday and started going off. He smashed two of my glass tables and most of my finger nail polish that was on the front counter.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No, I didn’t want to make a big scene. He had Pila with him. She was standing on the curb, waiting for him to pull me out of the shop.”
“Luvly, you haven’t told Diamond about Sap have you?” She got quiet. “Luvly!”
“No! Ok, no! I’m not in love with him any more, but, Chinoe, I don’t know how to tell him. He’s going to try to kill me.”
“You been letting him see her haven’t you?” She didn’t answer.
“And if he seen her then he’s seen you.” Punching my hand, “You know damn well I would never let him hurt you. But you have to let us do dat nigga and not get involved.”
She started crying, “Yes. I’m falling right back into the same shit I just cleaned up.”
“Money is going to find out about yesterday. You know Pila gone make sure of that.”
Sniffling, “He won’t be back in town until five o’clock New Years Eve. Listen, the reason Diamond did all that is because of an interview in VIBE magazine. He said Money said he loved spending time with his family and especially his girlfriend and their daughter.”
“You have the power to stop this.”
She whined, “I know, I know.”
“Where is Sap?”
“Sleep. She’s running a fever and hurting.”
“What the doctors at Emory say?”
“The doctor at Emory is contacting a specialist in L.A. They are looking at her blood work.”
“Well, ya’ll need to let me know what’s going on with her.”
“Like I wouldn’t.”
“And, Luvly.”
“Yes?”
“I’m always here for you. I’ll never let anything or anyone hurt you, not even Money. You just have to let me in.”
Chapter Seventy-Four
Brandie
I wonder who keep calling this house and hanging up. I’m going to call the phone company and get those hang-ups traced.