“Hey, I got battered on the way up here. If I could help, I would. You know yo’ mama be trippin’ sometimes.”
I playfully cut my eyes at Roc, then at Latrel. “Clean this room and we’ll meet you in the auditorium. We still haven’t checked into our hotel.”
I kissed Latrel’s cheek, and before we left his room, he pulled me back inside, closing the door.
“It’s good to see you smiling again. You look nice and I love you,” he said.
I hugged Latrel, telling him I loved him too. I knew he hadn’t seen this side of me in a long time and I was starting to feel better about life in general.
We checked into the hotel, then rushed to make our way to the auditorium before the ceremony started. I took longer than expected to get dressed and I would be lying if I said seeing Reggie and his woman wasn’t on my mind. It was, and I did my best to look flawless. I wore a strapless silk peach dress with hand-beaded crystal detailing above my healthy breasts. The dress hugged my curvy hips and butt, and secured my tummy to make it flat as ever. T-strap silver leather sandals with a three-inch heel covered my feet and my pedicure was in full effect. Not one strand of my feathery long hair was out of place and my bangs swooped across my forehead. Roc was on point too. He wasn’t as dressed up as I was, but the black ribbed cashmere sweater he wore clung to his muscular frame. His dark denim jeans were highly starched and had a crease that could cut. His squared-toed black leather shoes looked expensive, but not as much as the diamond watch he wore or the ones he had in his ears. No doubt, we made a very attractive couple and Roc kept his arm around me as we made our way into the auditorium. Monica took a seat to my left and Roc sat to my right.
“Girllllll, he is cutting up,” she whispered low enough so Roc couldn’t hear her. “You . . . you look nice too and I can’t wait for Reggie to get here. That sucker’s face gon’ get cracked.”
I’d been thinking the same thing. I could always count on Monica to put things in perspective. I paid her a compliment as well, and my best friend always knew how to dress.
Right after I saw Latrel sit up front with some of the other students, I turned and saw Reggie walk in with his woman. It wasn’t the woman in the picture, because this woman was black. Honestly, the sight of them didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. The woman looked just okay to me. Her hair was short, she was a shade darker than me, and her body looked as if she worked out. She had on a simple black dress and a silver purse hung from her shoulder. Reggie was suited up in a gray pinstriped suit with a white shirt underneath. Admittedly, he looked nice too, but he had nothing on my Roc. I smiled about that, and when I turned back around, Roc was staring right at me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Did I tell you how much I’m diggin’ you in that dress?”
“Yes, you told me at the hotel, but you also told me you were digging my flowered dress I had on a while back too. I don’t know if I can trust your word because we both know that dress looked awful.”
“Shiiit,” he said. “That one was even better than this one. The only difference is this one got that plump ass sittin’ up just right. I can’t get my mind out the gutter sittin’ next to you.” He looked down at his lap and slumped down a bit. “Look at my shit. It’s tryin’ to jump out of my pants and get to you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh and so did Roc. “I swear, you are so nasty,” I whispered. “Why are we having this conversation right now? Sit up straight and I promise to take care of that when we get back to the hotel.”
Roc cleared his throat and sat up. He moved closer to me, whispering his words. “I’m not in the market for no mother, and I can’t sit up straight with a hard-on like this. If you keep that shit up, I’m gon’ spank that ass hard when we get back to the hotel.”
Again, my words just didn’t come out the right way, but I was learning how to enlighten the situation. “I guess I’m in trouble, huh?”
“Big, big trouble.”
I pecked his lips, which is something I hadn’t seen myself doing in public. “I love being in trouble. Just make sure you have what it takes to discipline me.”
Roc snickered and moved away from me. He slumped down even more, rubbing the trimmed hair on his chin.
The ceremony got started and I couldn’t keep my eyes off Latrel. I was so proud of him, and when they called his name to accept his award, I got emotional. He thanked his father and me, gave thanks to the organization that gave him the scholarship, and spoke so eloquently. I knew my son would grow up and make something out of himself, and knowing so had put me at ease. Monica touched my hand and squeezed it.
“You did good,” she whispered. “Keep up the good work.”
I nodded, and when Latrel was done speaking, we all stood and clapped our hands. At that moment, I didn’t give a care about Reggie or his woman, who sat a few rows behind us. I was thankful he’d given me a son that I could love, support, and appreciate for the rest of my life.
The ceremony lasted for at least three hours. A brief step show was included, as well as some young women praise dancing. It was beautiful, and when I looked at Roc, he seemed to be all into it. Especially with the steppers. I figured that being here was something new to him, but that was just a guess.
When the ceremony was over, we waited for Latrel in the lobby. Roc’s hand comforted the small of my back and he occasionally let his hand roll over my butt. I didn’t mind, especially since I could see Reggie from afar with his eyes glued to us. Monica warned me that he was coming our way, but I had already seen him.
Roc was next to me talking to a young man he knew from his neighborhood. And when Reggie got closer, Roc’s hand lowered to my butt again. This time, I moved it up to my back. Roc smiled, and with his hand remaining where it was, he continued his conversation with his friend.
“Hello, Monica,” Reggie said, ignoring me. “How are you doing?”
Monica was fake as ever, displaying a wide grin like she was so happy to see him. “I’m fine, Reggie. How are you?”
“Couldn’t be better.” He turned to the woman behind him. “This is my, uh, fiancée Yvette.”
Yvette reached out her hand to Monica and they shook hands. “Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” Monica said. I couldn’t help but turn away from the fakeness and when Roc squeezed my butt, I looked at him. His dimples were coming through for me and the compliment his friend had laid upon me was right on time.
“Yeah, this my baby right here,” Roc told the other guy. “I wouldn’t trade her for nothin’ in the world.”
“I wouldn’t either,” the guy responded while looking me over. He slapped hands with Roc and walked away. No sooner than he had, Reggie tapped my shoulder.
“Do—do you mind if I talk to you outside for a minute?” he asked.
Before I could say anything, Roc spoke up. “She might not mind, but I do. Whatever you got to say to her you can say it right here ’cause she ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
Monica cleared her throat and coughed. This was the wrong time and place, so I had to quickly speak up. “Reggie, I’m waiting for Latrel. You and I haven’t talked in quite some time now, and I’m not sure why you’re anxious to speak to me now.”
Reggie eyeballed Roc and folded his arms. “You are really starting to bug the hell out of me. Now, I was talking to my wife—ex-wife—and you just can’t keep that big mouth of yours shut. Why don’t you go somewhere and play, young buck. You got all these young girls in here sniffing after your ass and I’m sure your dope money—”
I placed my hand on Reggie’s chest and stood face to face with him. “Stop with the insults. We’re here for Latrel and I’m not about to let you do this.”
Roc pulled me away from Reggie. “Baby, don’t waste your breath. That muthafucka just jealous and I would be too if I had an ugly bitch like his by my side. Let’s go find Latrel so I can take Reggie’s advice . . . go home and play. I got a magnificent pussy to play with, and I ain’t got no beef with this nigga for re
wardin’ me with what used to be his,” he laughed while looking at Reggie. “You fucked up, playa, now get over it.”
Roc shook his head and walked away. Monica followed behind him and when I turned around, Reggie reached for my arm.
“Aside from the dumb shit he talking, I need to talk to you about some things. Once you get your bodyguard out of the way, call me.”
I didn’t say if I would or if I wouldn’t. I walked away to see what was taking Latrel so long from leaving the auditorium.
Latrel and six of his friends finally came out into the lobby. I walked up to give him a hug, and again, expressed how proud I was of him.
“I know,” he said, looking embarrassed as I rubbed his hair. Monica was teasing him too and Roc had jumped in to congratulate him as well. Latrel introduced us to his friends who he was going out with later that night.
“Y’all be careful,” I said. “And please don’t be drinking and driving.”
“Are you going out with us too?” one of his friends asked. “You can be my date, and my friends would envy me for bringing a woman into the pool hall who looks like Halle Berry.”
Latrel playfully grabbed his friend by the back of his neck and squeezed it. He looked at Roc. “Man, you want me to hurt him? I got your back if you want me to.”
Roc smiled and spoke with confidence. “Nah, I’m good. He ain’t got nothin’ comin’. Only in his imagination.”
The young man pointed to Roc, then to me. “That’s you, dog? Dang you lucky.”
Roc eased his arm around my waist. “I keep tellin’ myself the same thang every day.”
Latrel playfully boxed with his friend and when another one tried to push up on Monica, it was time to go and let them have fun.
“Honey, let me tell you something,” Monica said. “Y’all better be careful trying to mess around with older women. You gon’ get caught up and I’m warning you. We will get you into something you can’t get yourself out of.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” Latrel’s friend said. They all laughed and bumped fists together.
I wanted Latrel to go say hello to his father, as I could see Reggie getting antsy from a distance.
“Listen,” I said, giving him another hug. “Be careful and please don’t stay out all night. We’ll have breakfast in the morning, okay?”
He nodded, and after kissing Monica on her cheek, he gave Roc another handshake.
“Say, man, you wanna meet us at the pool hall tonight? All kinds of fellas be hanging out and the game coming on tonight.”
“Nah, I’m gon’ chill with my baby. Y’all have fun and don’t do nothin’ that I wouldn’t do.”
I turned to Roc, wanting to cool out with Monica for a while. I also wanted Latrel to get to know Roc a little better, so I made a suggestion. “Why don’t you get the address to where they’ll be and meet them there?”
“Yeah, man, come on,” Latrel said, encouraging Roc.
Roc took down the address, agreeing to meet up with them later. We then left and headed back to the hotel.
Later that evening, Monica and I sat in the hotel’s dining room eating a late dinner. Roc had several phone calls to return and he stayed in the room to make them. He was planning to meet up with Latrel and his friends, and when he entered the dining room, he told me he was getting ready to go.
“Okay, I’ll see you later,” I said. He leaned in for a kiss and a lengthy one at that.
“Wait up for me. Leave the clothes in the closet and make sure that pu—”
I covered Roc’s mouth. “I know, okay? You don’t have to tell all of my business to my friend, do you?”
“She already knows what’s up.” Roc looked at Monica and smiled. “Don’t you, Monica?”
Monica bit into a piece of bread, playing clueless. “Whuu—What?” she said.
Roc laughed and put a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “Y’all full of shit. I’m outta here and that should take care of dinner.”
I was just about ready to open my mouth, until Monica interrupted me. “Thank you,” she said, picking up the money and placing it inside of her bra.
Roc winked at me and walked away.
Monica shook her head. “I gotta be honest with you about something, Dez. Roc is a mess, but I love, love, love the way he handles you. I knew you were about to give that money back to him, weren’t you?”
“Yes, and you know why. And since you’re loving him so much, I guess you love how disrespectful he can be? Roc is too blunt and he don’t care where he is. He says whatever he wants, and to me, he should watch what he says around people.”
“Disrespectful? Reggie was the one who was disrespectful. Roc put a check mark on his butt and I was so glad he put that fool in his place.”
“How? By telling him that he was going home to play with my pussy? Now, you know that was too much.”
Monica disagreed and we went back and forth debating the issue. Personally, I didn’t like what neither of them said to each other. But Roc was with me and I didn’t approve of him going at Reggie like that.
Dinner was delicious. Monica and I sat for hours talking about Latrel’s accomplishments, her kids, Roc and Reggie. I had so much fun with my best friend and we definitely had to do this more often. We headed back to our rooms around midnight and I told her I’d see her at eight in the morning for breakfast. I headed to my room and just as I put the card in the door, I heard Reggie call my name. My head quickly turned.
“Wait a minute before you go inside,” he said.
I sighed and leaned my back against the door. “What is it, Reggie?”
“Look, I’m sorry about what happened earlier, but I’m not going to apologize for saying those things to your boyfriend. All I wanted to do was thank you for being such a great mother to Latrel and tell you how proud I was of him today. I know you’ve dealt with a lot lately and I’m so happy to see you up and lively again.”
“Thank you. And, I have to give you credit for being there for Latrel too. I applaud your relationship with him, even though, at times, I do be a little jealous of it.”
Reggie laughed and we stood silent for a moment. “Are—are you staying at this hotel too?” I asked.
“Yes. Yvette and I are on the second floor. I saw you and Monica having dinner so I waited around so I could talk to you.”
I bit my nail and looked down at the floor. I had never been uncomfortable when talking to Reggie, but for whatever reason, I was. “So, are you and Yvette really engaged? I heard you tell Monica—”
“No,” he said. “I said that to upset you. Yeah, it was stupid, but you know what, I couldn’t help it.” He took my hands, held them with his, and laughed. “I hate to tell you this, but I am so damn jealous of your relationship with this fool Roc. It’s like the shit is driving me crazy or something. Ever since that day I saw you in bed with him, I can’t get it off my mind. Something about the way he touches you just makes me cringe. And the sad thing is, I can tell how much you like him. Do you really like him as much as I think?”
After all that Reggie had put me through, I told him exactly what he needed to hear. “Yes, I do like him a lot. To me, age is just a number and being with Roc isn’t any different than being with you.”
His voice slightly rose. “How can you say that, Dee? He still wet behind the ears and what does he have to offer you? I know the sex couldn’t be all that great, and if it is, I know damn well he ain’t better than me.”
Reggie waited for a response. I hated to be the bearer of bad news, but why not? “Don’t let his age fool you, Reggie, and I’m not going to stand out here and discuss my daily sex life with you. Let’s just say that we were married for too long. There was another world out there waiting for me, and the new experiences have been more than I could have ever imaged.”
He shook his head. “That’s messed up. When we were married you would go weeks without making love to me. You never—”
I placed my finger on Reggie’s lips. “I guess it’s
obvious why we’re not married anymore. No need to look back, right?”
Reggie couldn’t say a word. He took a deep breath and attempted to lean in for a kiss. I quickly turned my head.
“No,” I said. “Never again. We’re done.”
“The thrill is gone,” I heard Roc sing. He was pimping down the hallway, and from a short distance, I could tell he was drunk. “It’s gone away.” He walked up to us, looking directly at Reggie. I could smell the alcohol and I knew he was high.
Reggie shrugged. “Go do you, baby. If this is what makes you happy, hey, what can I do?”
Reggie walked away. “You can’t do a damn thing,” Roc added. I hurried to go inside and Roc followed behind me. He started taking off his clothes, but I sat on the bed, leaning back on my hands. I wasn’t smiling so Roc knew something was up.
“Ahhh, shit,” he laughed, standing naked in front of me. “My ass in trouble, ain’t I?”
“Big trouble. Now, why would you go out with my son and get blasted like this? I thought you’d contain yourself, Roc. How could you embarrass me like that?”
“Ay, I did my best to contain myself, but yo’ son and them had some shit that was fire! What was I s’pose to do?”
“Stop your lying. Latrel might drink, but he does not smoke weed. I know that for a fact.”
“Okay, Mommy, if you say so.” Roc leaned me back on the bed and started kissing my neck. “Mmm,” he moaned. “Take your clothes off. Why you still got on yo’ clothes?”
“Because I don’t want to have sex and I don’t like it when you’re high like this. Why can’t you stop messing with that stuff?”
Roc held himself up over me. “Okay, so—you don’t like me when I’m high, you don’t like when I speak bluntly, you don’t like when my phone rings, you don’t like the way I wash cars, you don’t like me kickin’ game at the club with my peeps, you don’t like for me to slump in chairs. Damn, Dez, what do you like ’bout me? My dick? Is that all you like? I don’t hear you complaining ’bout that muthafucka. Let’s just stop hangin’ out with each other, and whenever you wanna wet that pussy, call me, a’ight?”
Full Figured Page 10