Toy's Story

by Brenda Stokes Lee

  “Ah, that’s so sad. I’m sure they’re both still there.” I pretended to be sympathetic as I teased her.

  “Okay, it’s just a matter of fuckin time before you fuck up and that little strip turns blue and changes your damn whole world. Just wait, you’ll see.” She said as she threw a throw pillow at my head. “I can hardly stand this hoe. What do you have like a twenty four inch waist and a forty ass?” Queen joked.

  “Fuck you! My ass is not that damn big, bitch! Don’t hate me because I have the perfect ass to waist ratio.”

  Jade laughed as Queen sailed another pillow my way slapping me in the mouth with it. “You better stop taunting her. She’s as accurate as a laser guided missile with a throw pillow. Trust me I know. So what is up with that ring? Do I need to start dress shopping or what? I know that you’re going to ask me to be in the wedding.”

  “I know I’m going to be in the wedding. By that time, my ass to waist ratio will be right back where it should be. I saw these beautiful chocolate bridesmaids’ dresses in the Vogue the other day.”

  “Yeah, but she’d have to get married in the fall or even winter to pull that off. Look at her. She’s definitely a June Bride.”

  “Excuse me but… Who the hell is getting married? Logic and I are not engaged. We’re not even close to becoming engaged.”

  “Where did you get that ring then?” Queen asked confused.

  “Yeah?” Jade cosigned.

  “Logic gave it to me. But it’s a promise ring, not an engagement ring.”

  “Damn! That’s a whole lot of promises! What the fuck?” Jade laughed.

  “What the hell did he promise you? The fuckin moon? I don’t get it.”

  “If you hadn’t of fucked it up with him then maybe you would have gotten it!” Jade joked.

  “Oh no this bitch didn’t just go there!” Queen said as she cold slapped Jade with a pillow upside her head. “You’d better shut up before my husband hears you. You know he’s still fucked up behind that shit.” Queen giggled.

  “Oh I know he is and you know why.” Jade laughed. “No seriously Toy, what was the promise?”

  “It’s corny, so don’t laugh.”

  “Hell, I’m not promising anything. If the shit’s funny, I’m gonna laugh.” Queen responded as she shoved another pillow at the small of her back for comfort. “So, what’s the promise?”

  I hesitated; even I knew how corny it was going to sound. “It’s a promise that he’d never hurt me.”

  “Aw that’s so sweet and you’re so lucky.” Jade said as she patted her heart. “That’s usually what a man promises right before he blacks both of your eyes.”

  “Yeah or right before he sleeps with your twin sister and your mother, all in the same day.” Queen interjected.

  “I told you it was corny, but I believe him.”

  “All jokes aside. Toy you two were made for each other. That ring is just a down payment on the inevitable. Logic wants to marry you. He gave you that ring to hold his place in your heart while you figure out what you want to do.”

  “Actually he gave it to me the first night we met.”

  “I don’t care when he gave it to you. I know Logic. I’m just telling you what I see.”

  “Maybe but he didn’t even know me then.”

  “The way I understand it, he knew everything he needed to know about you by the end of that limo ride. I heard it got hotter than Satan’s ball sack in that bitch, that night. ” Jade giggled as she poured herself another martini.

  “Who told you that? OMG!”

  “A little birdie…” She teased as she took a big sip of her drink.

  “Girl, her husband. Logic told him and he told her. His mouth can’t keep a secret.”

  “I’m gonna kill Logic.”

  “Why? It really wasn’t a big secret. You two looked like you wanted to eat each other when you were at my house on Christmas Eve. Nobody’s judging you. I’m with Queen that ring is just a precursor to the real thing.”

  “Well thanks to people like Mye Queen and Ghetto Nakeisha it’ll be a long time before Logic asks another woman to marry him. Sorry Queen, but you know the deal.”

  “No apologies necessary. I realize the damage that I caused and I’ve apologized for it, but did you just say Nakeisha?”

  “Oh my God! Please don’t tell me that he asked that Ghetto stripper to marry him.” Jade burst into laughter.

  “You’ve met Nakeisha?” I asked shocked.

  “Oh I met her alright. I met her face with my fist. That Vegas hooker and her girlfriend came to Logic’s Dad’s funeral and tried to start some bullshit with me. I politely put those fake double D tits of hers in the fuckin dirt.” Queen grumbled as she struggled to put her feet up on the loveseat.

  “So back to what I asked. Logic asked her to marry him?” Jade interjected.

  “Actually, he bought this ring for Nakeisha, but he caught her screwing his friend Mookey before he could ask her.”

  “Mookey? Logic caught Nakeisha fucking Mookey?” Queen asked in shock. “Oh my God! Mookey’s my cousin.”

  “Well, it sucks to be you. Apparently Nakeisha’s going to be your cousin as well, because they’re getting married. They fell in love while Logic was chasing you and now they’re engaged.”

  “Oh My God! This is too damn funny! Wait till I tell Dorian this bullshit.”

  “No, no, no. Please don’t tell Dorian. If you tell Dorian then Logic will know that I told you.” I pleaded. “He’s still kind of sensitive about the whole Mookey and Nakeisha thing.”

  “She’s right Jade. If Dorian hasn’t already told you then Logic hasn’t shared it with him. Wait for Logic to tell him.”

  “So Mookey’s your cousin?”

  “Yeah he’s my first cousin. Logic and him have been friends since the fifth grade or something like that. I can’t believe that Logic was going to marry that hoe.”

  “Well, he was and that’s how I met him. He was running away from the two of them. He said that he was just asking her because she was down for him all those years. But I think he was just asking her to try to get over you.”

  “Look Toy, I can’t even begin to tell you about the crazy ass roller coaster ride that Logic and I have been on.”

  “They’ve been through some crazy ass shit.” Jade agreed.

  “But I can tell you that it’s finally over and we’ve both gotten off the ride. Logic is in love with you. You can believe that. Don’t give up on him, because you think that he might be damaged. He’s going to ask you to marry him, just be patient.”

  “Yeah she could do that or she could ask him to marry her. It is a leap year.”

  “Oh you are so right. That’s perfect! Ask Logic to marry you on Valentine’s Day.”

  “What? Oh hell no. I’m not going to ask him to marry me. He already thinks I’m a Looney Tune.”

  “Look it’s Leap Year. And a woman can ask a man to marry her, or date her or whatever during Leap Year, because of the Sadie Hawkins’ rule.”

  “What the hell? Are you talking about that country ass folklore Sadie Hawkins’ Day bullshit?”

  “Exactly! That’s your ticket.” Queen declared.

  “I’m not doing it.”

  “Oh yes you are if you want him to marry you.” Jade insisted

  “I’m not doing it. That’s crazy.”

  “Oh yes you are unless you want to wait and wait and wait for him to ask you.” Queen declared.

  “Whatever bitches! I’m not doing it!”

  Chapter 19

  “I can’t believe that I let those two silly bitches talk me into asking Logic Hart, Wide receiver for the Nevada Fuckin Kings to marry my broke, unemployed ass!” I thought as I set the dining room table for a romantic lunch I had prepared for Logic.

  Yes, you heard me right. And yes I can cook. Just because I’m a beautiful, intelligent, career oriented, professional black woman it does not mean that I don’t know my way around the kitchen. In fact that was the very first
thing Mama Hart asked me when she finally got me alone. The second thing she asked was if I was pregnant. Yeah, I know. But needless to say she was ecstatic with both my answers. She likes me and I love her. I think she’d make a great mother in-law. Now the only thing I have to do is convince her son that I’m the wife that’s he’s always been searching for.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. I thought you had left.” Logic said as he slipped behind me and gave me a big hug and a sweet kiss.

  “Well you found me just in time for some lunch. I hope you’re hungry.”

  “Are you kidding, I’m starving. Let me wash my hands. I’ll be right back.”

  While Logic was gone I put the food on the table and gave myself a mental pep talk. “Zatoya Waters, you are a young, vibrant sexy woman, any man would be happy to call you their wife. Just ask him. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

  Let me just pause right here and give all of you a good word of advice. Don’t ever, ever, ever ask that silly ass question. Because the devil will take it as a personal challenge to step in and kick you straight up your ass with his steel toe, cowboy boots on. Okay back to the story.

  Now Mama Hart had given me the recipes to all of Logic’s favorite foods and believe me when I tell you that I put my foot in that food. Everything was perfect! Hell, I even had a hot cherry pie cooling on a rack in the kitchen. Logic was like a kid in candy heaven as he devoured some of everything that I cooked.

  “Toy! I can’t believe that you can throw down like this. This potato salad tastes just like my mom makes it. You sure you’re not hiding my mom in that kitchen?” He joked. “Man this food is good.”

  “Your mom gave me all of your favorite recipes.”

  “I made reservations for us at this French restaurant tonight, but after all of this food I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another bite.”

  “That’s okay. I really just wanted to spend a quiet night at home with you.”

  “But it’s Valentine’s Day. I want to take you out and make you feel special.” He insisted.

  “Logic you make me feel like I’m special every day. You don’t have to take me out tonight to do that.”

  “Yeah, I know baby, but had some romantic stuff lined up for us.”

  “Oh my God, I can’t do this.” I mumbled as I became nervous.

  “Do what? Are you okay?” Logic asked as he watched the color completely drain from my face. “Toy, what’s wrong?”

  “Logic I…” I tried to get out the words but they wouldn’t come out fast enough.

  “Oh my God are you pregnant? Is that it?”

  “No! I’m not pregnant. Why does everybody keep asking me that?”

  “Then what’s wrong? What were you going to say?”

  “Have you ever her of Sadie Hawkins’ Day?”

  Logic looked puzzled, “Yeah like on TV and shit?” He asked confused.

  “Yeah. Do you know what it is?”

  “Yeah kind of… what does that have do with us?”

  “This year is a Leap Year, so I was wondering… I thought that maybe… Do you think that…?” I turned into a babbling ass baboon. What the hell was I thinking? That should have been my clue to just shut the fuck up. Unfortunately, I did not heed the pump your brakes and stay in your lane flashing warning signs.

  Logic who had never seen me stutter or become tongue tied tried to wait patiently for me to spit it out. “So it’s Leap Year, which makes this Sadie Hawkins Day, I’m assuming. So like what? Are you trying to ask me out to a dance or something? What I don’t get it?”

  Yeah I know. He’s just too damn cute! God I love him. Okay back to the story.

  “Marry me? I’m in love with you and I think that you’re in love with me. I know it maybe a little too soon but it feels right. So, I’m asking you, Logic Hart will you marry me and be my husband?”

  Logic looked like he had just been kicked in his favorite nut by a rampaging bull. Floored he fell back in his chair and just gawked at me. I could see his mind churning, just processing my request a mile a millisecond. After what seemed like forever he finally spoke. “Wow, I really wasn’t expecting that. You’re kidding right?”

  “What? No, I’m not kidding.”

  “You want to marry me?”

  “Yes…” I conceded. “I want to be your wife and the mother of your children.”

  “I don’t know what to say. Are you sure you’re not pregnant?”

  “Logic, I’m not pregnant and I’m dead serious, so stop playing. If you don’t want to marry me then just say no.” I said as I began to get emotional as I suddenly realized that this was a really bad idea.

  Watching the tears well up in my eyes, Logic came over and took me in his arms to comfort me. He held me close and squeezed me tight, before patting me on the back. Yes, girl the dreaded, “There, there silly ass little girl.” Yes, that patented pat on the back.

  I realized Logic’s answer from that very second. He didn’t have to say a word. The truth was written all over his face, even though he buried it in my neck in an attempt to hide it from me. Now, I knew that there was at least a fifty- fifty chance of rejection. I just didn’t realize that it would hurt so much. So I clung to him and cried like a baby smacked on their ass at birth as I considered the concept that this man may never want to marry me. And that I may be just another speed bump on his slow recovery from the endless stream of rejections in his life.

  They say that ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately I no longer had the luxury of pretending to be ignorant about my future with Logic. Still madly in love with him I resolved to ride the roller coaster ride to the end, with my hands up, just like Queen. Somehow it seemed to work out just fine for her. Maybe fate would be equally kind to me. Perhaps... Only time will tell.

  Chapter 20

  It’s the middle of March and Logic and I are back in Baltimore to visit his mom and our friends. Spring is in the air and Zatoya Water’s is madly in love. For the first time in an extremely long time I was sitting on top of the Pretty Boy Tree and enjoying the fruits of my successful climb. “Yea Me!” Logic Hart was my man and I was his Toy. Yes, I was two hundred percent sold out and turned out by this incredible specimen of manhood. I was so strung out in fact, that I completely forgot that I had left at least one too many loose ends back on the east coast.

  An extremely persistent, handsome, young DA had not failed to blow up my phone every single damn day since I left DC. What the hell? Some people just cannot or will not take a damn hint. Okay, you’re right. I should have just been up front with the man and told him that I had moved on. But William B. Tyson was not a man accustomed to live and let live. It would not be over in his mind until he declared that it was over. And he had let me know in no uncertain terms that we had barely begun and it was far from over. So it was no real surprise that he showed up at Logic’s front door with his dick in his hand.

  Relaxing reading a good book on my iPad 3 my phone rang, it was Tyson. Minutes later I get a text, it was Tyson. Seconds later I get a Tweet, damn it, it was Tyson. What the fuck I thought as I read the text. Which read, “Pick up your fucking phone! This is an emergency!”

  Not sure if it was just a ploy or some real life emergency, I ignored the text and continued to read my book. Then the phone ring again, it was Tyson. At this point I was done. This had better be an emergency or somebody was getting cussed out.

  “Somebody better be dead, dying or bleeding… Why are you blowing up my damn phone?” I snapped as I answered the phone.

  “Toy, I’ve been calling you all damn day. Would it kill you to just pick up the phone?”

  “What do you need Tyson?”

  “Well, for starters you can open the door so that we can talk.”

  “Open what door? I’m not at my apartment, so you might as well go home.”

  I heard a long sigh before he spoke. “Toy I know where you are, just come open the damn door.”

  “What? What are you talking about?”
I asked confused as I heard the doorbell ring. “Oh hell no! Please don’t tell me that you just rang my doorbell.”

  “Okay I won’t tell you that I just rang your doorbell. Just come and open the door we need to talk.” Tyson said before hanging up.

  Panic quickly consumed me as I ran to the front window to look outside. “Oh my God! This Fucka has tracked me down.”

  Moments later I heard Logic run up the steps. “Hey, you have a visitor downstairs. He said that he is a DA from DC. I think he said his name is William B. somebody or another. Are you in trouble?”

  “William B. Tyson… He’s the DA of Washington DC.”

  “Did you just say Tyson?” Logic asked stunned. “As in Tyson, your friend with the three damn guns, is that who that is?”

  “Logic, I’m sorry he must have had them track my phone via satellite. I had no idea it would go this far. I’ll get rid of him.”

  “What does he want?” Logic naively asked.

  I lowered my eyes and shook my head. I didn’t know what to say.

  “Seriously Zatoya! You have to be kidding me. Did you call him?”

  “No, I swear I didn’t call him.”

  “Well how would he even know that you were back in Maryland?”

  “He’s the DA, Logic. He has ways of locating people.”

  “DA or not… this is some bullshit! All I know is that you need to get that whigga out of my damn house before some shit kicks off.”

  “Okay, I’ll handle it. I’m sorry.”

  “Zatoya don’t play games and shit. Just be straight with me. Is something up between you two?”

  “No Logic! I said I’d handle it. Let’s not make this an issue. I’ve been with you every day since Christmas. Why would you even ask me some bullshit like that?” I took offence as I brushed by Logic on my way downstairs to deal with Tyson’s crazy ass.

  ~*~*~*~

  “Tyson what are you doing here?”

  “Hey Toy. Look I’m sorry to show up unannounced but I have some important matters that we need to discuss.”