Sen and Neicey- Life After Love

by Briann Danae

  Sen drew his head back, He wasn’t expecting his mama to be on his side, but he damn sure wasn’t expecting for her to just shut him down like that.

  “Like that? You just gon’ end our conversation like that?”

  She nodded her head. “I am. One, because this has nothing to do with me and I’ve given you my opinion. That’s as much as I can do. It’s your relationship and, for as long as ya’ll have been together, you should know by now that Neicey is going to do what she wants to do, as long as it doesn’t hinder you. She loves you enough to have stuck around with all the bullshit you put her through, so the least you could do is let her have this. I was once told that a nagging man in a relationship will soon be a single, nagging man in no relationship.”

  Sen sucked his teeth. “Who told you that dumb shit?”

  Shaliya chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. “No one. I just made it up, but you better believe it’s the truth.”

  With that, she kissed Sen on his cheek and walked out of the kitchen with a plate of food in her hand. There was only so much she could tell Sen for him to grasp what she was saying. To be honest, Shaliya thought her son was selfish and had even told him that a time or two. Sen wanted things how he wanted them and, if not, niggas were going to come up missing and folk were getting cursed out. What he needed to realize was that he didn’t run everything.

  Neicey was a woman; strong, black, independent, get-it-how-you-live, woman, who didn’t need anyone’s approval of her actions. That included Sen’s. She’d never do anything to place him in harm’s way, disrespect him, or hinder their relationship, and she never would. Once Sen realized that, he’d be better off. If not, he’d be that nagging single man Shaliya had mentioned.

  Chapter Two

  Freak hoes, freak hoes

  Bounce that ass, make ya knees touch ya elbows

  Freak hoes, freak hoes

  Bounce that ass, make ya knees touch ya elbows

  Standing in front of her ceiling to floor length mirrors throughout Sensations Pole Dancing Studio, Neicey was doing exactly as Future instructed. With a room full of eager students to learn the expertise that came along with working a pole, she couldn’t help but be her playful self as well.

  “You have to really get into the song. Now, some of you may not be a freak hoe, and that’s cool, but be that freak hoe when you’re performing for your man. Be sexy with it, twerk a little bit, but have fun. That’s the main thing to remember.” A few women chuckled but took what she said in stride.

  Stopping her twerking session, Neicey turned around and was now facing the ten women in front of her. No matter how many classes she held, women she talked to, and seminars she sold out, the feeling of accomplishment hadn’t wavered one bit. And, she didn’t think it ever would. For as long as she had been a stripper, Neicey never thought she’d see the day when she’d be hosting her own pole lessons and getting paid for them. The art was truly a gift, and she thanked God every day for blessing her with it.

  “I want to be classy for my man. Not shake my ass like a stripper.”

  Neicey’s eyes quickly scanned the room for the culprit with the slick mouth. When they landed on the same girl who had been struggling all night to keep up, she struggled not to laugh. Being from the hood and having met plenty of people through her profession, Neicey wasn’t a bit surprised by the girl’s remark. Her thirty-inch weave was a jumbled mess down her back. The shorts she was rocking should have been tossed long before she came to the class, and her eye lashes were a week past old as fuck. One more twirl and they were going to be flying off.

  Having been used to the rude comments from haters all her life, Neicey shrugged her shoulders. “No one said you had to be a stripper, boo. This is simply a pole dancing class. Whether you want to live out a stripping fantasy for your man or not is up to you.”

  “Right. And you barely got some ass anyway. Talking about you trying to be classy for your man. Girl, bye,” Anika, Neicey’s cousin, said, making a few women laugh.

  “Bitch, wasn’t nobody talking to you.”

  Anika looked up from her phone and smiled. “But, I was talking to you, ugly. And if you have a problem with the way Neicey is trying to teach you to keep your man, then you can leave.”

  Cocking her head to the side, Anika waited for the girl to jump stupid. She’d never want to disrespect her cousins’ studio and fuck up her reputation as a businesswoman, but she wasn’t about to let homegirl slide. Neicey would be the only one keeping it professional.

  Tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder, Neicey held up her hand. “She doesn’t have to leave. Her deposit went through just like everyone else’s did. But, if you don’t like my style of teaching, you are more than welcome to not come back.”

  Before Neicey could finish her sentence, the girl was gathering her belongings. Anika had a smirk on her face the entire time and had the right mind to trip her on the way out the door, but refrained from doing so. Knowing she’d most likely end up fighting the girl, she was not trying to hear Lano’s mouth.

  “Sorry about that ladies,” Neicey apologized, shooting Anika a glare, who in return threw her hands up in defense. She was only keeping it one hundred with the broad.

  “Girl, you are fine. I was waiting for you to go off on her ass,” one girl said.

  “You mean, her no ass?” another chimed, making the woman cackle.

  Neicey was their girl and didn’t appreciate the slick shade homegirl was trying to throw. She knew from jump that Neicey used to be a stripper – thanks to her disclaimer on the website – so a little bit of twerking should not have ruffled her feathers. Some women were haters from birth, and it was sad. Instead of congratulating her on her success, she faked like she wanted to support and tried to make her look bad. People like that never get far in life and, from the looks of it… she hadn’t.

  Once class was over and Neicey thanked everyone for coming out, she locked the door behind her and pulled the curtain over it. Though the studio was in a nice area, she never wanted to be caught slipping. The last thing she wanted to be was a headline for the nine o’clock breaking news. The town would become a blood bath if so.

  “I’ma ban your ass from coming up here,” she told Anika, as they stacked the fold-up chairs in the closet.

  Anika sucked her teeth. “Girl, whatever. That hoe knows she be somewhere twerking with her little musty friends at the club every weekend and got the nerve to try and throw shade. Ban me if you want to.”

  Neicey laughed. That’s all she could do. Anika was almost, if not, worse with her slick mouth than she was.

  “Did you have to call her ugly?”

  Face bunched up in confusion, Anika looked at her like she had a foul odor seeping from her pores. “Did we not see the same person? That bitch was gruesome looking, talking about she got a man. Sweetie, you are the man.”

  Tears filled Neicey’s eyes as she laughed loudly. Swiping her cheeks, she pushed Anika away from her before sitting on the tile floor to stretch. “Get your ass on somewhere, Nik.”

  “What! I’m serious. I really should have tripped her, but I’m on my mature shit now.”

  “Hmm. Thanks to Lano. How is he?”

  Anika licked her lips at the mention of her fine ass man. DeLano Trevino was in a league of his own. Though related to both Sen and Meechi, he was nothing like either of his blood relatives. Crazy like Sen and ready to go toe to toe for his, Lano also possessed qualities like Meechi. He was more calm and cool than anything, but never mistake his natural chill demeanor for being a pussy. He’d check your ass quicker than Nike themselves.

  “He’s fine. Physically and mentally. How the hell did we end up dating cousins?” Anika asked, with a chuckle.

  “The same way Erica, Solai, Tesh, and all of us are. Keep it in the family girl,” Neicey replied. Now that she thought about it, they really were keeping it in the family. Solai and Tesh were sisters, and they were dating brothers. Family get togethers had been lit for the last few years
with everyone together.

  “Speaking of family,” Anika said in a chipper tone that made goosebumps form on Neicey’s arms.

  The word family coming from Anika’s mouth made Neicey’s chest tighten and stomach drop. She hardly ever spoke about her family, even with Anika and Aunyae. Hell, even Sen. Since she could remember, the word wasn’t one thrown around or brought up in any many conversations. Stretching her leg out, Neicey lowered her head and extended her left arm toward her foot.

  “What about it?” This position caused her to not have to look Anika in the eyes. A trait that wasn’t like her and, thankfully, Anika didn’t catch on.

  Shrugging, Anika popped her knuckles. “How’s Nakita and Nolan?”

  “They’re good.”

  That was Neicey’s reply whenever someone asked about her mother and older brother, because they were. And, if they weren’t, she was sure she’d be the first to know.

  Anika wasn’t feeling her answer, so she asked another, just to be nosey; not realizing the questions were slowly and painfully giving Neicey anxiety.

  “We should go see them soon. Take a little trip or whatever.”

  Closing her eyes, Neicey snaked her body toward her other leg. Calm down. She doesn’t even know shit, girl. Coaching herself through difficult conversations like this was something she was used to. She had done it for so long, by time she released from the stretch, she had a smile on her face as if everything was kosher.

  “Who? You and me, or is Aunyae invited?” Neicey questioned.

  “She can be. You know Sharon and I are finally getting along now, so I don’t care about riding in a car with her for a few hours, either.”

  The relationship Anika had with her mama wasn’t quite like the one Neicey had with hers. Sharon had gone through a bad divorce with their dad and completely shut Anika and Aunyae out when they were younger, as with Nakita, Neicey’s mama, she felt nothing but resentment for her even though she was around and took care of home. One decision had changed the course of their relationship, and Neicey hated that it had to be that way, but it was.

  Standing to her feet, she shrugged, not really caring about the trip. “We’ll see. You know you change your mind like you change underwear. One minute you like Sharon, the next, you ready to curse her out.”

  Anika stood and rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I was perfect, but I’m working on being more respectful. What’s sad is that Lano adores her. Like, they have lunch dates twice a month. What kind of shit is that?”

  Neicey laughed, as she began to sanitize each pole area. “Sounds like she won him over. Doesn’t his mama like you?”

  “Yep. That’s my homegirl. We’re supposed to be taking a trip this summer to visit and I cannot wait. One of you hoes need to be single, so I can put ya’ll on some Westcoast niggas.”

  Cocking her head back, Neicey looked at her like she was crazy. “Nope. I’ve learned my lesson about fooling around with niggas from California. Never again.” She chuckled but was so serious.

  Erica had called herself fooling around with a friend from high school named Vance when she and Meechi were broken up, and Neicey just so happened to link up with his friend, Dino. Fresh off a breakup with Sen, Neicey found herself wanting to get revenge on him, and that’s exactly what she thought she had done… that was until Sen slid through and killed him in front of her. Neicey was sick for a week straight afterwards, but Sen didn’t give not one single fuck. At least she got some fire head out of the deal before he was sent to his maker.

  “That’s cause you were probably being fast. Trying to be sneaky,” Anika mused with a smirk.

  “Not sneaky at all, just getting revenge. But, honey. That shit was blown in my face. Like, literally. What you about to get into?” Neicey asked, packing up her belongings.

  “Go home and put a few moves on my man,” Anika said, doing a little twerk. “He’s been out of town for a few days, so I know he misses me.”

  Neicey playfully rolled her eyes. “I bet he does. Preciate’ you for sliding through. Don’t start no shit next time.”

  “Girl, whatever. Keep these ratchet hoes away from here, and I will.”

  Not wanting Anika to walk by herself to her car, Neicey quickly grabbed her bags, hit the lights, and locked the door behind her. Hugging her cousin, they planned to link up later in the month and went their separate ways. In the confinements of her car, Neicey sat in silence for a few minutes before backing out. Without the radio on, she looked forward to the twenty-minute drive home to clear her mind.

  To anyone on the outside looking in, Neicey had the perfect life. A man that loved her, her own business, a great paying side hustle job that she didn’t mind going to everyday, and friends who couldn’t stand but to love her. The thing about people who looked like they had everything together on the outside were really broken on the inside. Neicey was beyond broken, and she prayed that the pieces of her would be put back together again, before it was too late.

  ***

  “Daiya, no more barrettes. I think I’m good,” Sen told his six-year-old cousin.

  “No!” Daiya shouted adamantly. She had a few more pink barrettes that needed to be added to her creation and, then, Sen would be good.

  Meechi and Erica’s daughter was having the time of her life over her cousin’s house playing dress-up with Sen. Since Neicey was gone, someone had to play the role. With his hair in two lopsided ponytails, Daiya twisted the last strands of hair before placing the barrette at the end. Doing the same to the other, she grinned at her handy dandy work before handing Sen the mirror.

  “It’s pretty!” she beamed, clasping her hands together.

  Not being able to hold his grin back, not wanting to hurt his baby’s feelings, Sen nodded his head. “Yeah, you hooked me up Dai. How much I owe you?”

  “Two hundred dollars.”

  The grin fell from Sen’s face, right along with the mirror from his hand. “You said what?”

  “Two. Hundred. Dollars,” Daiya replied slowly, as if he hadn’t heard her. “You know, like one Benjamin Franklin. Two Benjamin Franklin.”

  Sen cocked his head back, with a surprised look in his face. “Man, who taught you that shit?”

  “That’s a bad word,” Daiya said, placing a hand on her hip.

  “Yeah, and so is asking for two hundred dollars like I was in your chair all day. This cost twenty dollars max, Dai. You trying to stick me for my paper.”

  Daiya shrugged her shoulders. She wasn’t trying to hear a thing Sen was saying. When Meechi let her twist his beard up, he’d easily throw her a fifty-dollar bill just because. Nine times out of ten, Erica would find it in one of her purses and just add it to her growing savings account, but still. Meechi made sure his baby got paid for her hard work, so if she wanted two hundred out of Sen, that’s what she was about to get.

  “I’ma tell my daddy that you’re playing with my money,” she pouted, mushing him in the head. “He told me to never let anyone play with my heart or my money, so…”

  Holding her hand out, Sen looked at her like she had lost her mind. This nigga raising a grown ass woman, he thought before digging in his pocket. Peeling two hundred dollars bills off the roll, he handed them to her with a smile.

  “We good now? You trying to snitch on me and sh- stuff,” he asked, catching himself.

  Daiya smiled and kissed his cheek. “Mhm. And snitches get stiches, remember? Or were you telling a fib?”

  Sen shook his head, hating the way those damn barrettes slapped him in the face. “Nah. I definitely wasn’t lying about that, baby girl. What you wanna do next? You done painted my nails, did my hair, and we watched a movie already. You take naps?”

  Sen didn’t know what hell he had gotten himself into when he agreed to watch Daiya while Meechi and Erica spent some alone time for the evening. He couldn’t wait until Neicey got home. At six years old, Daiya Kamille was witty, very independent, intelligent, and Sen was proud as fuck of his cousin for doing a great parenting job.


  After Kamille, Meechi’s mama was murdered; he was a nervous wreck when Erica told him she was pregnant. Not only was she their first child, but neither of them had mothers they could go to for advice. Granted, Erica had her grandmother and Meechi had his and his auntie, but it wasn’t the same. He thought he’d suck at being a father but, by the looks of it, he and Erica had done a stellar job thus far.

  “I don’t want to take a nap. Neicey isn’t even home yet,” Daiya whined, reminding Sen how old she really was. Not only was she intelligent, but sensitive as well. She’d cry at the drop of a dime if her feelings got hurt, and Meechi knew for a fact that she had gotten that trait from her mother. Erica cried damn near her entire pregnancy.

  Just as Sen was about to reply and say ‘fuck it then, stay up’, Neicey walked through the door. Shoving the money in her jean capri pocket, Daiya took off for the front door. Smiling as wide as she was, Neicey scooped Daiya up and gave her a hug.

  “Hey, boo! You look cute,” she said, kissing her cheek.

  Daiya beamed with pride. She looked up to Neicey, in a sense, and loved the fly hairstyles she always rocked. “Thank you! Did you miss me?”

  Nodding, Neicey placed her on the ground, and they walked back into the living room. “I did. What ya’ll been doing all day?” she asked but, by the looks of the living room and Sen’s pink décor, she knew who had been running who.

  “Senny, let me do his hair! I tried to get it like yours, but it’s too dark and I didn’t have my markers. Ooh! And, I did his nails like mine. See!”

  Grabbing Sen’s hand, Daiya stretched it out toward Neicey, so she could get a better look. Chuckling, she admired not only the pink polish, but the sparkles that added an extra pop to them as well.