“What happened?” Duke questioned once Tre hung up the phone.
“I’m going to pick her stupid ass up from The Court. Brandis is with her, so I know you’re coming.”
“Hell yeah,” Duke smiled while walking back to Tre’s silver Dodge Challenger.
It only took about fifteen minutes to get to Lamia’s apartment and her and Brandis were already standing outside waiting on them. She and Tre argued all the way back to Von’s house, while Duke tried his best to get with Brandis. When they got there, Rainey was just pulling up as well.
“I could have picked you up Mia. You act like it would have killed you to wait a few more minutes,” she said when everybody got out of the car. She immediately noticed Duke talking to Brandis and that scene didn’t sit too well with her.
“I told her to tell you not to worry about it. You were taking too long,” Tre replied with an aggravated look on his face. He was hoping that Cheryl and London would be gone, but he wasn’t so lucky. He really hoped that Von took them out somewhere just so that he and Mia could have some alone time. He was tempted to get a room for the weekend, but he needed to run the idea by Lamia first. It was times like these that he wished for a place of his own. At least then, they wouldn’t have to worry about being bothered.
“I just asked Von to call you. Are you ready for our double date to the movies?” London asked Tre as soon they walked into Von’s house. Mia stopped in her tracks to see just how he was going to respond. Brandis stopped, too, because she wanted to make sure that her friend didn’t snap on anybody. Tre felt like all eyes were on him, but the only person’s he could feel were Mia’s. He didn’t know what the hell London was talking about, but he was about to find out. He had to get it straight before Mia flipped out on him.
“What double date?” Tre asked looking around the room. Von was trying hard not to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. He and Cheryl had already planned to go to the movies and London invited herself along. She begged him to ask Tre to come, but he refused to get involved. When she started saying that they were going on a double date, Von knew that his son wouldn’t like that too much.
“My mama and Von are going to the movies, so I figured that you and I could tag along with them. If Rainey and Duke come then we can make it a triple date,” London joked.
“That’s cool with me,” Rainey said making Mia’s pressure rise. Duke was looking to Tre for some help and he quickly got the hint.
“Nah, I think I’ll pass, but y’all have fun,” Tre said right as Mia was walking away. She dropped her bags in the hallway and went straight outside to the backyard. She was ready to snap and fresh air was all that she could think of.
“Don’t say shit to me,” Mia snapped through clenched teeth as soon as Tre walked up on her.
“Mia, I swear I don’t what the hell she’s talking about. I never made plans to go nowhere with her ass. You heard what she just said. She took it upon herself to do that shit. Why would I beg you to come over here if I already had plans to go somewhere with her?” Tre whispered.
“That man didn’t make any plans with her crazy ass Mia. I’ve been here all day and they barely said two words to each other. That bitch is on some fatal attraction stalker type shit,” Duke said defending his friend.
“And Rainey is a no good bitch with her thirsty ass,” Brandis pointed out.
“Baby, please say something,” Tre begged Mia. Her silence was making him nervous because he didn’t know what she was thinking.
“Let’s go,” Mia said after a few more minutes of being quiet.
“Go where?” Tre asked her.
“They wanna go to the movies so let’s go to the movies. Fuck I look like letting you go anywhere with that hoe by yourself. Just know that you and that bitch are playing with the right one,” Mia informed him.
“I’m not trying to play with you at all. I got put up in some bullshit that I didn’t know anything about,” Tre replied.
“Are you sure about this Mia? I’m broke as hell right now, so maybe we should just stay here,” Brandis replied feeling slightly embarrassed. Mia had already given her something to wear for the weekend and she didn’t feel right asking her for anything else.
“I got y’all, let’s just go before I get blamed for something else,” Tre replied right as Rainey walked over to them.
“Y’all are making yourselves look real suspect right now. You claim you don’t want anybody to know what’s going on, but you almost went off on London for wanting Tank to go to the movies with her,” Rainey said to Mia.
“You really got me fucked up too Rainey. What makes you think that I would be okay with Tre going anywhere with London? You know off top that I’m not the one for you to play with,” Mia barked. Tre looked at her going off and shook his head. Mia was truly Moonie’s child and she didn’t have a problem saying what was on her mind. Moonie was known for putting bitches in their place and Mia was no different.
“What did I do? I only agreed so that it wouldn’t look suspicious. Everybody was just standing there looking at each other crazy. Y’all got Von wondering what the hell is going on. You should know that I would never try to play you like that Lamia,” Rainey vowed.
“Baby let’s just go,” Tre pleaded. “We’ll finish talking about this later.” If Mia knew that Rainey was in his ear about getting with London, she would drag her all over that yard and he couldn’t have that. Mia’s hands were nice and he knew that neither Rainey nor London could come close to winning in a fight with her.
They all walked back into the house with somber expressions on their faces, but nobody said anything.
“Y’all good?” Von asked with his eyes trained on his son.
“Yeah, but we all decided to go with y’all to the movies. We don’t have anything else to do, so why not,” Tre shrugged.
“Well, I guess our double date is out of the question now. Is it cool if I ride with you Tank?” London asked.
“Uh, I got a car full already, so you might have to ride with Von,” he replied while unconsciously looking at Lamia. Mia slightly nodded her head letting him know that she was satisfied with his answer.
“Oh, okay, but save me a seat if you get there before us,” London requested. He didn’t respond to her last comment as he, Mia, Brandis and Duke walked outside to his car.
“I wish the hell you would,” Mia said to Tre when they got into the car. He knew better than to reply, so he remained silent and pulled off.
About twenty minutes later, a group of them was purchasing their tickets for the movie. Mia and Brandis wanted candy, so Tre and Duke stood in line to get some snacks for them. London and Rainey walked in right when they were paying for their items, followed by Von and Cheryl.
“I didn’t want anything Tank, but thanks for offering,” Rainey spat sarcastically.
“Girl, stop overdoing it all the time. If you wanted something all you had to do was ask, just like Mia and Brandis did.”
“Closed mouths don’t get fed,” Von butted in. “What do y’all want?” he asked Rainey, London and Cheryl. Once everybody got their snacks, they all walked into the theater and tried to find some seats. It wasn’t crowded, so they didn’t have to look hard. Mia didn’t say anything, but she was waiting to see if London would try to sit next to Tre. She was also waiting to see if he would let it happen. He was no fool though. He went to an empty row and made sure that he sat in the last seat by the aisle. He pulled Mia to the seat next to him, followed by Brandis and Duke. Since both of the girls hand handbags, Brandis moved over one and let her and Mia’s items sit in the empty chair. London and Rainey sat next to Duke, but Cheryl and Von went a few rows down closer to the screen. It was a little after nine that night, but the theater was fairly empty for a weekend. They had a few people scattered throughout the room, but they were in a section all by themselves.
“Are you still mad at me?” Tre asked Mia for the second time since they got there. “I promise you that I didn’t do nothing wrong.” As soo
n as the lights went off, he grabbed her hand and held it in his.
“I told you that I’m not mad. I can see that I’ll probably have to deal with London sooner or later, but she gets a pass today,” Mia replied.
“Let that shit go Lamia. I’m not even trying to go there with her.”
“Yeah, so you say. The truth always has a way of being revealed. All I have to do is sit back and wait for it.”
“You know I love you right?” Tre asked her. He could barely see her because of the darkness, but he turned his head in her direction anyway.
“Yeah I know and I love you too,” Mia replied.
“Okay, well show me,” Tre said with a sneaky grin.
“Please don’t start up with that again,” Mia begged.
“No, I’m not talking about us telling Von.”
“What are you talking about then?” She asked.
Instead of answering, he reached over to the empty seat and grabbed his jacket. When he had it over his lap, he unbuckled his pants and pulled his erection out. He grabbed Mia’s hand and guided it to where he wanted it to be. He laughed as he watched her eyes light up in the darkness like it was her first time feeling it. She looked around to see if they were being watched, but everybody seemed to be in a world of their own.
“Handle that,” Tre smiled while letting his head fall back against the cushioned leather seat. He didn’t have to tell Mia twice. She knew just what he liked and she aimed to please, even in the movie theater.
Chapter 4
“Mama, I’m not crazy and I’m telling you what I saw. You had to really pay attention to see it, but she was giving him a hand job right there in the movie theater,” London swore to her mother while they sat outside on their patio. Cheryl was at her own house today, but she was pissed because Von was in another one of his moods. He was claiming that he wanted some time alone, but she knew that was code words for he wanted to chill with one of his other bitches. She tried for years to get Von to see that she was worthy of his commitment, but he still wanted to play the field. The other women really didn’t bother her that much, but Tanya was the exception. She was the only one that intimidated Cheryl even though she would never admit it. Tanya had known Von longer than she had and they shared a bond because of that. They were both Godparents to Lamia and their sons were best friends. All of those reasons alone kept Tanya around more than she would have liked her to be. Cheryl hated how Von looked at her, but there was nothing that she could do about it. At the end of the day, Von was a single man who hadn’t agreed to be in a relationship with her or anybody else. No matter how much time they spent together he made it known that he was still up for grabs.
“I don’t know London. Tre and Mia are like family and I can’t see them doing that, especially in a movie theater,” Cheryl replied.
“I keep hearing you say that, but that doesn’t change what I know I saw. I think they like each other. I can’t believe that you and Von never noticed it before. I really saw it the other day when we went to the movies. Every time I talk to him, he has to look at her before he answers me. And why doesn’t he have a girlfriend? As good as he looks, he should have a few bitches hanging around. Something is just not right with that situation,” London babbled.
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but from the way Von talks he does have a lot of female friends. He’s not serious with anybody though. That’s why I’ve been telling you to get with his ass. That nigga looks just as good as his daddy and uncles. That lil boy is too fine for words,” Cheryl yelled while fanning her face. Von had three brothers, but he was the best looking of them all in Cheryl’s opinion.
“Hell yeah he’s fine with all those tattoos covering his chest and arms. Everybody says that he looks just like Nelly, but he doesn’t think so. It’s not like I haven’t been trying to get with his ass. I would love to be the one that he comes home to every night, but I feel like he’s holding back for some reason. I know you don’t think so, but I really think Lamia is the reason,” London replied while filing her nails.
“That lil bitch makes me sick,” Cheryl frowned. “Von got her thinking that she runs shit over there, but she better not ever play with me. I don’t know why he feels like he has to play captain save-a-hoe when it comes to her ass. It’s not his fault that her mama is a hoe and her daddy is a crackhead.”
“I guess he feels like that because he’s her Godfather. I like Rainey, but I don’t like Mia’s ass either. She’s too flip by the mouth.”
“I like Rainey too, but I hate how Von treats Lamia better than her. He’s always saying how Mia has it so hard, but I can’t tell. She wears better clothes than me and I work every day,” Cheryl replied.
She hated how Von catered to Lamia’s every need, but she knew not to say that in front of him. He was always saying that Rainey had her mother and stepfather, but Mia didn’t have anyone. Cheryl really couldn’t stand her because she was always throwing Tanya up in her face. She knew that she was doing it on purpose, but Von didn’t see anything wrong with it. Then Tank being best friends with Tanya’s son didn’t help the situation much either.
“I guess we won’t be going over there for a while, huh?” London asked.
“Girl, you know how Von is when he wants some different pussy. He probably has Tanya’s ugly ass over there or he’s probably at her house. That’s why Tank can’t commit to one woman. He’s following right in his father’s footsteps.”
“I don’t understand why Von just won’t make things official with y’all. You’re always over there and y’all spend a lot of time together. I don’t see what the big deal is,” London wondered.
“Just like you’re trying to make Tank yours, I’m trying to do the same with his daddy. I’m confident that he’ll come around soon. I just have to be patient,” Cheryl reasoned. She’d helped Von out significantly with growing his and Tre’s businesses and she felt like he owed her for that and so much more. She would never say that to his face, but she was hoping that he would see it for himself, sooner rather than later. He was always saying how much he appreciated her, but she wanted him to show her and stop telling her.
“I’m wearing Tank down, I can just feel it. One of us has to get our foot in the door. That way we can help to pull the other one in,” London smiled.
“That sounds like a plan to me girlfriend,” Cheryl agreed while giving her daughter a high five.
After being Von’s insignificant other for the past five years, Cheryl was nowhere near ready to give up on him. Unlike London’s father, Von was everything that she could ever want in a man. Not only was he very pleasing to the eyes, but he had more money than any man that she’s ever been with. It wasn’t that Cheryl needed it because she had her own. She’d been a small business consultant who worked from home for almost twenty years. She was her own boss and she set her own schedule. Still, it was always nice to go out with a man and not have to worry about spending your own money. Von knew how to wine and dine her as if she was the only woman in the world. He had no problem rolling out the red carpet for the women in his life, but she was tired of sharing the spotlight with all of the others. She tried her best not to nag him about it, but she made sure to let him know how she felt whenever the subject came up. Cheryl wasn’t used to losing and she didn’t plan on losing Von to Tanya or anybody else.
***
“Moonie c’mon, I have less than an hour to make it to my appointment on time,” Mia yelled to her mother. She had an appointment with her gynecologists and she needed a refill on her birth control pills. She’d been trying to wake Moonie up for thirty minutes straight, but she had yet to get up. She’d gone to the club the night before, so she was probably just now going to sleep.
“Damn Mia, can’t you reschedule until tomorrow or something?” Moonie groaned. “I’m tired.”
“This is my rescheduled appointment. Did you forget that you cancelled last week too? I took my last pill this morning and he won’t give me a refill without a checkup.”
; “Well take my truck and go by yourself. I just got in the bed and I’m not getting up any time soon,” Moonie replied as she threw the covers over her head.
“I can’t go by myself Moonie. I have to have an adult with me in order to be seen,” Mia said on the verge of tears. She had to go through this every time her mother had to take her somewhere. She used to beg Moonie not to go out the night before her appointments for this very same reason. Most times, she gave herself a two-hour head start just to make sure she got her up on time.
“Well I don’t know what to tell you. Call Von and see if he can take you. You need to reschedule like I told you. Dr. Irvin won’t mind. I used to do the shit all the time,” Moonie muttered.
“Don’t even worry about it. Where are your keys? I’ll find somebody to go with me,” Mia sniffled as she wiped a few tears from her eyes. She didn’t even wait for Moonie to answer before she spotted the keys on the dresser and snatched them up. She walked out of her mother’s room and slammed the door as hard as she could. Aside from her brother’s girlfriend, Tiara, Mia really didn’t have anyone else to call on. It was a little after nine, so she knew that Tiara was probably still sleeping. Besides, her brothers and sisters were at Tiara and Jabari’s house and she didn’t want to take her away from them just to go with her to the clinic. She could have called Tre or Von, but she didn’t feel comfortable with a man going to the clinic with her. All of her friends were the same age as her and she was too embarrassed to ask one of their mothers to do what Moonie should have been doing. She thought about Tanya, but again she was too embarrassed to make the call. It was last minute anyway, so her Godmother probably already had something else to do. When Mia’s phone rang, she was almost tempted not to answer it until she saw who it was calling. She was desperate right now and he would just have to do for now.
“Hey daddy,” Mia said when she answered the phone for Lamar.
Creepin': A New Orleans Love Story Page 4