by Keisha Ervin
“What’s poppin’, baby girl?”
“Nothing much,” I said, walking up to his workstation and giving him a hug. “I just stopped by to see you, that’s all.”
“Well, it’s about damn time!” he yelled, obviously wanting to bring attention to himself. “Nigga thought you was on some kind of trippin’ game or somethin’.”
I pointed to myself and ignored his annoying behavior. “Tripping? Why would I be tripping with you?”
“You know how y’all women are. That PMS shit be having y’all buggin’.” He stared me down and sucked his teeth. One of the fellows gripped Dwayne’s hand, agreeing with his comment about women.
I crossed my arms and tooted my lips. “So, I guess you’re a comedian now, huh? If you think so, don’t quit your day job because being a comedian won’t pay your bills. This job probably doesn’t, either, especially since every time I come in here, you’re the only one without any customers. You ever think about going back to school?”
“Damn,” the brothas rang out and laughed. Dwayne looked insulted, but as usual, he had brought it on himself.
He reached for my arm and squeezed it. “Come on and bring your li’l feisty ass in the back with me. You need a whuppin’, girl, and it’s about high time you got one.”
“Spank me good,” I said, tugging my arm away from his grip. I knew he was all talk and no action, so I followed him to the backroom. Before I could say anything, he pushed me against the filthy white wall and placed his hand between my legs.
“What’s up with my pussy, ma? You been leaving a nigga high and dry, and I need to know what’s up with that. Somebody else been shaking you down or what? If so, holla at your boy and tell me what the fuck is up.”
Always displeased about Dwayne’s aggression and ghettofied ways, I shoved him backward and straightened my dress. I darted my finger in his direction and took charge of the situation. “Look, the only reason I stopped by was to say hello. We’re not about to shake up anything in this filthy room, so you can forget about that. When you make plans to step up your game with me, then maybe I’ll start coming around a bit more. As for me being with someone else, don’t fool yourself, Dwayne. What you do, I can do better.”
He stepped backward and placed his hands in the front pockets of his sagging jeans. His inquisitive hazel eyes searched over me, as he circled his tongue on his lips to wet them. My body felt a tingle, and it was hard for me not to appreciate the dark chocolate stallion that stood before me.
“I doubt that you got game like me, but it’s whatever you say. You be driving a hard fuckin’ bargain.” He paused and removed his hands from his pockets to crack his knuckles. “What the fuck up with you, ma? Why you always turning a nigga on and off? Sometimes, I can’t tell if yo’ ass feelin’ me or not.”
I moved forward and placed my hand on the one thing about Dwayne that had potential. I massaged his dick and placed my lips closely to his ear. “Don’t you ever think I’m not feeling you, boo, because I am. I feel every inch of you, but when you step to me, all I ask is that you come like you have some sense. Save all the tough talk and knuckle cracking for your other women. And, when you’re ready to put a belt on those pants, get a decent job, and find something other than a toothpick to dangle from your mouth, a real woman will be waiting right here for you. Until then, I need a loan; a big one that ranks in the thousands. Will you be able to handle it or not?”
Dwayne squeezed my wrist and tossed it away from his hardness.
“You good, Rochel, but you ain’t that good. Pussy don’t motivate or inspire me to up my money, and even though I’ve dished it out to you in the past, you ain’t got shit coming. I know when a bitch ain’t feelin’ me, and it would be wise for you to get the hell out of here before I find a motive to do something I may someday regret.”
Dwayne and I stared each other down. Our eyes were in a deadlock. When he leaned forward to kiss me, I held up my hand. “I love the way you come at women, Dwayne, and your disrespect obviously allows you to have a lot of them. Unfortunately, though, not this, as you put it, bitch. It was fun while it lasted, I don’t think it would be wise for us to see each other again. I don’t take threats lightly, and I know when my time in a relationship is up.”
He backed away from me and held out his hands in defeat. “Kiss my ass,” he offered. I rolled my eyes and made my way up front to exit. I heard him spew some other harsh words, but was thankful that our connection had only been about the money.
I spent the rest of my day at the mall buying shoes, shoes, and more shoes. I was a shoe fanatic and all of the new styles had me going crazy. By day’s end, I had forked out over seven hundred bucks for shoes, and purchased several purses that matched. Since I had plans to see Michael that night, I was sure he’d help me with my losses. And, since Christopher hadn’t called to inform me about the three hundred bucks I’d asked him for earlier, I certainly knew what time it was with him. I laughed at the thought during dinner. Michael asked what was so funny.
“Nothing,” I said, picking through my Cobb salad. “I was just thinking about something someone said to me at work, that’s all.”
“Well, tell me. I might want to laugh too.”
I looked at Michael, and even though he was still attractive to me, I was getting bored. I’d met him more than six months ago, and just like Christopher, things had started off cool. I bumped into Michael at a gas station, and had joked with him about resembling Brian McKnight. That night, we hooked up and we’d been kicking it ever since. His sex was nowhere near as satisfying as Christopher’s, but, just like the others, it served its purpose and just had to do. When I asked Michael to loan me money, he did. Afterward, he felt as if he owned me, even though I purposely took my time paying the money back. He’d done some nice things for me: dinners, plays, movies, other loans . . . but, unfortunately, he had a wife. He treated her like shit, so I treated him like shit. I dealt with him whenever I wanted to, and this relationship was always on my time, not his.
Michael tapped his knuckle on the table to get my attention. When I looked up at him, he sighed deeply. “Rochel, are you even listening to me tonight? If your mind is somewhere else, then maybe we should call it a night. Besides, you haven’t told me about your new boyfriend, and I was surprised to run into him the other night.”
I shrugged my shoulders and my pitch got higher. “I’m not sure why you were so surprised, Michael. You have a wife, and who I fuck is none of your business.”
He snapped right back. “It is my business, and thanks for letting me know that you’re fucking him. I guess I’m all played out, huh?”
I was happy to see him on the defensive. “I wouldn’t say all that, but this controlling thing with you has no place in our relationship. The fact is, you’re married and you have no say-so about what I do or who I see. You and I fuck each other, and every now and then we put sex aside to do other things. Unless you’re willing to divorce your wife, this kind of conversation between us shouldn’t exist. Personally, I don’t want to hear anymore of your gripes, and quite frankly, your gripes don’t mean a damn thing to me.”
Michael rubbed his goatee and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He stood up and leaned over me. “I don’t know what the hell has gotten into you, but I’m going home to spend some time with my wife. If or when you get an itch that needs to be scratched, give me a call. Until then, dinner is on you tonight. With your big mouth, you’ve embarrassed the both of us. The least you can do is pick up the tab.”
Michael walked off and nearly every eye in the restaurant was on me. I loved to upset Michael, and to me, married men were some of the weakest men to deal with. They always felt as if they were the big players, but in actuality, to keep a woman like me they were playing themselves. Didn’t he know that? I shook my head from the thought and dove into my salad to finish it.
As soon as I wrapped up dinner, I paid the thirty-six dollar bill and left. I headed to my car and called Michael. I needed him to repay me for
my shopping spree today, and leaving me at the restaurant definitely wasn’t cool. On the first ring, he answered.
“What?” he said angrily.
“Ah, baby, come on,” I softly coaxed him. “Don’t even be like that. You’re snapping at me like a vicious dog and you know how I get sometimes.”
“Yes, I know how you get. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to put up with your attitude, Rochel.”
He was playing the tough role, which always turned me on. “You’re right,” I said. “You shouldn’t have to put up with my attitude. I’m sorry for my actions, but I’m bothered by your controlling ways. A married man shouldn’t be that way, should he?”
“Married or not, I do have true feelings for you. I can’t do much about my situation right now, but you better believe that I’ll be doing something about it soon. As soon as my children get older, I’m walking away from my marriage.”
I tooted my lips and got into my car. I softened my voice even more, ignoring what he’d implied. “Baby, before you got all upset with me and left, I wanted to ask you for some money. I barely had enough to pay for dinner and my car payment is slightly behind. I know you’re angry with me, but can I get a loan? Like last time, I promise to give it back.”
He grunted, but managed not to raise his voice. “Like last time, you still owe me five hundred dollars. You know I’ll give it to you, but I do want my money back. I don’t want to hear that ‘then give my pussy back’ bull you women be talking, and I know that’s what you’re thinking.”
I laughed, as Michael was beginning to know me all too well. And even though getting my pussy back wasn’t going to do me any good, as long as I was dishing it out, Michael wasn’t getting a dime of his money back.
“You’re hilarious,” I said. “I’m leaving the parking lot, and that itch you mentioned is starting to take place. Are you nearby so you can scratch it?”
“I can’t wait. If you look in your rearview mirror, you’ll see that I’m on your trail right now.”
I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw Michael’s steel grey Jaguar behind me.
“I thought you were going home to your wife. Did you stay in the parking lot and wait for me?”
“Yes, and my wife doesn’t know how to take me into fantasy land like you do. And, if you thought I was going to allow that sweet piece of ass to get away from me tonight, you’re crazy. That mini-dress is hugging you in all the right places, and it’s either a hotel or your place. You make the call.”
Poor Wifey, I thought. Even if she did know how to take him to fantasy land, he’d still find an excuse for cheating on her. I had him on my good side, and if I wanted to keep him there, my attitude had to stop. I planted a smile on my face and swallowed hard. “Let’s go to a hotel. I don’t want any interruptions tonight, especially since I plan to show my appreciation for the eight hundred dollars you’re going to loan me. That won’t be a problem, will it?”
“Like I said, as long as I get it back. And just in case you got other plans, you might have to put in a little extra work tonight. I need to make sure I’m getting my money’s worth.”
My stomach turned in knots, but I was willing to do what I had to do. “You always do get your money’s worth, don’t you? Even when you don’t offer me a dime, I never leave you hanging, do I?”
Michael laughed loudly, then spoke with a serious tone. “Naw, baby. I know you’re good to me. And please don’t take my comment the wrong way. Just pay me back whenever you can.”
“You know I will,” I said, looking in my rearview mirror with a welcoming smile on my face.
Michael winked and blew me a kiss. “I know you don’t believe this, and since you tooted your lips when I mentioned my wife, I doubt that you will believe me. But, if I weren’t married, things would be different for us. I’m working on ending my marriage, and not solely because of you, but because I’m just not happy.”
“So, you saw me tooting my lips, huh?”
“Yeah, I stayed in the parking lot and watched you. You’re something else, Rochel, but I like that toughness about you. It turns me on and I love a woman who takes charge.”
“That’s good to know. Now, how about I turn into the Marriott down the road? You’re tying up my phone line, and someone is trying to reach me on the other end. See you soon.”
Michael hung up and I clicked over to answer the other call. It was Christopher.
“Hey,” he said. “I tried to reach you at home, but you weren’t there. I didn’t make it to the bank in time, so I’ll bring your package to you on Monday.”
“Thanks for calling, and I’ll see you Tuesday. I forgot that I’m working late on Monday, but as soon as I leave work on Tuesday, I’ll call you.”
“All right. Have a good weekend and be safe.”
“You too,” I said, and hung up.
“The bank was closed” my ass, and hadn’t he displayed a debit card at the post office? I guess the ATM was closed, too. I smelled a rat and he would soon get caught in a trap. I put my thoughts aside about Christopher and made my way to the hotel to entertain Michael.
Getting To Know Him
Tuesday was a very stressful day at work, and I couldn’t wait to get home and relax. I had invited Christopher over, and yesterday, he had called and suggested bringing dinner. I definitely hadn’t planned on going home to cook, and since he offered to bring Chinese, I was all for it. I rushed home, showered, and changed into my navy blue silk gown with slits on the sides. Even though it was very sexy, I had made up my mind that sex wasn’t on the agenda tonight. Christopher had been getting enough freebies, and now he had to show me that he was worth my time.
At about five minutes to six, he showed up with a huge brown paper bag that carried the aroma of scrumptious fried rice. I invited him into the kitchen, where I had already set the table with fine china, chilled wine, and two tall lit candles. He smiled, appreciating my efforts, and set the bag on the table.
“Come give me a hug,” he said, looking very delightful in his jeans and Bob Marley T-shirt. He kissed my forehead and held my chin before placing a soft kiss on my lips. “You’re so pretty. Has anybody ever told you that you look . . .”
I finished his sentence. “Like Nia Long? It’s only my haircut. And, that would be her back-in-the-day haircut.”
“Possibly,” he said. “Still, you know you got it going on, right?”
“I try. And for the record, I only involve myself with men who got something intriguing going on, too.”
Christopher didn’t comment and removed the boxes from the bag.
“Shrimp fried rice, no onion and extra egg. Half order of Pork Egg Foo Young, with extra gravy. Right?” he said.
“That’s right. And . . .”
“Oops, I almost forgot. Two egg rolls.”
“Correct.” I smiled and took a seat at the table as Christopher insisted on preparing our plates.
“Are you going to eat all of this?” he asked. “This is a lot of food.”
“You don’t have to pile everything on my plate. Just a little bit of this and that will do just fine.”
Christopher proportioned my food and fixed his plate as well. I poured two glasses of wine and we started to eat.
At first, things were quiet. I had intended to ask him about the money, but he brought it up before I did.
“Hey, listen. I haven’t forgotten about your money, but my son got sick and his mother didn’t have any money to get his prescription. When I took the money to her, she talked about him needing new shoes and his lunch money for school. I haven’t been current on my child support, so I had to kick her out more than expected. Can I give the three hundred dollars to you sometime next week?”
“You know what, I forgot to tell you that I borrowed the money from someone else. He gave it to me Saturday night . . . no, Sunday, and I made plans to pay him back when I get paid on Friday. Thanks, though, and . . . Where did you get this Chinese food from? This is really, really good.”
“From a Chinese restaurant close by my job. I can’t remember the name of it, but I’ve been hooked on this place for a long time. Getting back to the money, I’m sorry. If I had it to loan, no doubt, I would have given it to you.”
I glared at Christopher through the burning candles and cut my eyes. He couldn’t even look up at me. Before I could say another word, the doorbell rang. Christopher looked up.
“Are you expecting someone?”
“No, I’m not.”
I stood and headed for the door. I asked who it was, and couldn’t believe that Michael had the nerve to show up again. As soon as I pulled the door open, he frowned.
“I see that you have company, but we need to talk,” he snapped.
“Yes, I do have company, Michael, and if you want to talk, I’ll be able to in about an hour or so. You can come back then.”
He darted his finger at the ground. “No, we need to talk right now. My wife found out some shit about us, and she threatened to come over here. I don’t know how she knows where you live, but she does.”
Since Michael looked so pathetic, and Christopher couldn’t get his lies together, I invited Michael in. He followed me to the kitchen and looked surprised to see the cozy atmosphere. Christopher quickly stood up and looked irritated.
“Am I out of here or what? It seems as if every time I’m over here, this man shows up. Maybe you need to work this—”
I threw back my hand and silenced him. “Christopher, please have a seat. Michael is a friend of mine, and since his wife is having some concerns about our relationship, he wants to talk. In the meantime, I haven’t asked you to leave, but if you’re that eager, you can always find the door.”
Christopher looked at Michael and returned to his seat. I invited Michael to take a seat as well. He eased into a chair and I placed a plate in front of him.
“There’s plenty of food here; something told me to order extras,” I said, snapping my finger. “Would you like some Egg Foo Young, rice, or an egg roll? Everything is really good, trust me.” Before Christopher could gripe about purchasing the food, I looked over at him. “You don’t mind, do you? Besides, this is a great opportunity for us to get better acquainted with each other. Who knows what the night has in store for . . . us?”