by Falicia Love
“I’m going to take Larry to court and get what I’m due. If he wants to play, then I’m game,” Farrah said as she walked back into the front room. She opened the front door so that she could see when Larry pulled up. Travis was ready to go spend the day with Larry. That’s the one thing Farrah couldn’t take from Larry: he was a damn good father. But Farrah wanted the check and would go to any length to get it. Travis ran into the living room and hopped on his mother’s lap.
“When is Daddy coming?” he said, smiling.
“He should be here shortly, T-man,” Farrah said, calling him by his nickname.
“Aye, let’s hit the club tonight and party,” Dana proposed.
“I’m all for it!” Stephanie said.
“Shit, I am too, but I don’t have the money,” Farrah whined.
“I got you, girl. So are we going or what?” Dana asked.
“Hell yeah!” Stephanie and Farrah answered in unison.
Larry pulled up a few minutes later and blew his horn. Farrah looked at Dana and Stephanie, then at the door.
“I know damn well this nigga didn’t just blow the horn. If he wants Travis, he is going to come and get him,” she said angrily. After a few seconds, he blew his horn again. Realizing Larry wasn’t coming in, Farrah sighed. “Come give Mommy a hug, T-man.”
Travis ran and grabbed his mother tightly around the neck. “I love you, Mommy!”
Farrah stood up and walked Travis down the front porch steps, and as she got closer to the car, she saw that Larry wasn’t alone. There was another bitch in the car, which caused her to snap instantly.
“Motherfucker, I know you ain’t pulled up in front of my house with a fucking THOT in your car!” she screamed.
As she ran up to the car, she snatched the passenger door open, grabbed the woman by the hair, and dragged her out to the ground. Larry jumped out of the car immediately to pull Farrah off of his companion. Farrah had reacted exactly how he expected her to. He just hated that Angela had to endure that beat down. Farrah is whooping her ass pretty good, he thought to himself.
“Farrah, get off of her!” he yelled.
Hearing the commotion, Stephanie and Dana ran outside. When they got out there, they saw Farrah pounding on a woman and Larry attempting to pull her off. Stephanie ran down quickly to help. Dana grabbed Travis up, who was crying, and took him back into the house.
“Bitch, why the fuck would you do that in front of our son? You a foolish-ass motherfucker, and you don’t deserve to be a mother, trick!” he yelled as he pulled Angela up off the ground. As Angela got to her feet, Stephanie started laughing.
“Bitch, next time you want to do a ride along, make sure your ass is informed on where you’re going and who you’re riding to go see, and you won’t end up fucked up like you are now! Damn, look at your face!”
“Bring my fucking son back out here! You fucked up, Farrah. You think I’m going to have my son with you and you showing me you can’t control your temper? Shit, watch what happens next,” Larry said, walking to the steps to get Travis.
Farrah completely lost it at that point and rushed Larry, fists blazing. She struck him repeatedly on his back, head, and arms. Dana ran out, tripping as she hit the bottom step. As her ass bounced off the ground, she jumped up and ran over to pull Farrah off of Larry. Travis was crying and screaming for his mother to stop hitting his daddy. Once Dana finally gained control over Farrah, Larry grabbed a sobbing Travis up in his arms, put him in the backseat, got in the driver’s seat, and pulled off with his tires squealing, leaving his son’s mother behind, crying and broken, slumped on the ground as her friends held and consoled her.
As he turned the corner riding down Williams Court, he couldn’t help but to feel saddened by the orchestrated scene that had just taken place; it really bothered him to see his son crying and being subjected to that violent display.
“It had to happen,” he said out loud to himself as he adjusted the rearview. “She would’ve taken all I got, and without my son, nothing else matters!”
Angela looked over at him curiously from the corners of her blackened, swollen eyes and shook her head slightly. She never imagined that a ride to the store would lead her to receiving an ass-beating like she had just gotten. I’ll take the bus next time! she thought to herself, rubbing the knot that was now present on her forehead.
Chapter Four
“Girl, you got a fat ass!” Dana said as Farrah walked past her with some tight Cavalli jeans on. Larry had spent close to $1000 on them on their second date, which was the clincher for Farrah. As she danced around the room modeling her jeans, Stephanie rolled up a blunt.
“That California Kush smells loud. Damn, bitch, light that motherfucker up and pass it!” Farrah sang. They were drinking Coronas and sipping on a glass of purple Patrón. After Stephanie lit the blunt, she passed it to Dana.
“Girl, you know I’m not smoking that. You two enjoy it. I’ll pass.”
“Should’ve known your bougie ass would say no. What do you do for fun other than hang with us? You are from the ghetto, sweetie. Stop acting like you’re from Park Slope, bitch!” Stephanie joked.
“Pass the blunt this way, Steph. I’ll hit that bitch, unlike Ms. Crisp,” Farrah said, using Dana’s last name mockingly.
Dana smiled along with them, but she was angry on the inside. She couldn’t stand it when they made fun of her. She wanted to lash out at them and tell them how their comments made her feel, but she always ended up swallowing her outburst and sucking it up.
“Shut the fuck up and let’s take a shot of Patrón and get going!” Dana said, smiling.
They took their shots, and Stephanie and Farrah smoked their blunt, teasing and joshing Dana. They were listening to Adina Howard’s “Nasty Grind,” and Farrah started rolling her hips and slow winding down to the floor with the blunt in her mouth.
“Aye, I’m ready to go. I’m going to get my nasty grind on tonight, guaranteed. My son gone, and my ass need some dick!”
Dana laughed. “Uh oh. Caution: THOT in heat!” Stephanie spit her beer out as she fell down on the couch laughing.
“Fuck you, bitch. But you right, a bitch got needs tonight. Hell, I’m horny and broke, so a nigga got to have cash and a big dick. I’m fucking me a boss player. Nothing less than that matters,” Farrah said, still dancing.
“Shit, let’s go, y’all. I’m ready,” Dana said.
As they walked out of the house, Stephanie checked her appearance in the mirror in the hall. “Looking good!” she muttered.
Once they pulled up and parked at Temptations, a local nightclub on Church Avenue, Farrah noticed there were a lot of ballers, but none of them appeared to be wealthy. She suddenly started wondering about Jeryca. She was worried, but Larry said he had seen her and she was good, and if she was good, then it was fucked up how Jeryca was ignoring them. She started to get angry, because ever since Jeryca had been missing, Chris and Larry had both been acting different. Had Jeryca been telling them shit in an effort to get closer to Thad? It was a question that plagued her, but for tonight, she would keep her suspicions to herself and try to enjoy her night.
“Let’s go in, y’all!” she yelled as she got out of the car. All three ladies were looking good, and they each knew it. Farrah was turnt up, and after the day she had experienced, she was determined to have fun. She couldn’t help but remember the embarrassment and trouble Larry had started. She would show him, though.
As they walked up to the door, the men were checking them out. Some of the guys shouted vulgar comments at them, and Farrah returned them. She was good at talking shit, and so was Stephanie, who was now standing in line, dancing to the music that spilled out of the club.
“Damn, the DJ doing his thang tonight!” Stephanie shouted.
Once they were inside, they spotted a table toward the back of the club and quickly made their way to it. The waitress walked over and took each of their orders.
“Girl, I’m feeling the vibe in here,” Ste
phanie yelled. The music was banging and weed was in the air.
“Damn, I don’t know what kind of weed they smoking, but it smells good!” Farrah shouted, looking around and noticing guys in all parts of the club smoking.
“I’m going to see if I can get in on one of these smoke outs,” Farrah said, standing up. As she walked off, she checked out several potential ballers. One guy stood out among the rest. He was about six foot three, dark-skinned, and muscular. He was dressed in dark jeans and a regular T-shirt, but what caught her eye was the glow from his watch. She knew how real diamonds shone, and he had several encrusted inside and around the watch.
“Bingo,” she said aloud as she sashayed over to him. “Hello, how are you?” she said once she was in hearing range.
“Hey, I’m great. And you?” he replied.
“I’m great also. I’m Farrah. And you are?” Farrah asked, flipping her hair.
“I’m Bobby! So what brings you out this Saturday night?” he asked.
“I just came with my friends. Our day’s been sort of jacked up, so this is our stress reliever,” Farrah explained.
“Oh, well, I’m here with my boyfriend Kevin,” Bobby announced.
Farrah couldn’t believe what she had just been told. Was he telling the truth, or lying because he wasn’t interested? Either way, it embarrassed her extremely. Her face grew hot and her fingers tingled. After about three minutes, her question was answered as a tall, slim man walked up and planted a kiss square on Bobby’s lips. She turned around quickly and caught Stephanie and Dana looking at her with a shocked, yet humorous expression. She rolled her eyes and excused herself. As she started walking back to her group, she noticed that there was a new body present at their table. Who in the world is that bitch? she thought to herself.
Once Farrah reached the table, Dana immediately introduced Farrah to her good friend, Brittany Howell. She had met Brittany a little over a year ago when she first started working at the law firm. Brittany was a partner at Holmes, Howell, and Fuller law firm. She and Brittany hit it off quickly her first day on the job, and their friendship grew. Brittany was known for being a hard-core attorney who won her cases at any cost. She was very good at what she did, but she also was known for dirty strategizing. She was a ruthless player in a dress. She knew the ins and outs of the law so well that she felt invisible in the courtroom. Brittany was 32, and Dana looked up to her like a big sister. She accepted Dana for who and what she was and never made her feel stupid, unlike her childhood friends.
“Hey, nice to meet you,” Brittany said.
“Same here,” Farrah replied nonchalantly, rolling her eyes and bopping to the music as if she was brushing Brittany off. Brittany gave Dana a side-glance with her mouth set and jaw clenching, which told Dana that Brittany wasn’t feeling Farrah.
Dana whispered her apologies as she reached for her hand. Stephanie could feel the tension in the air. She didn’t understand why Farrah seemed to have a problem with Brittany because she had just met her and she hadn’t said or done anything disrespectful, but she decided to follow Farrah’s lead.
Stephanie had seen the looks exchanged between Dana and Brittany, and decided to speak on it. “Why are y’all looking like that?”
Dana looked at Stephanie and quickly spoke up with a frown that couldn’t have been mistaken. “What the hell are you talking about, Stephanie?”
“I mean that bitch looking at you like she got an issue with Farrah. Is there a problem or what?” Stephanie asked.
“Hold on. Why are you calling her a bitch and what’s with the attitude? Did I miss something?” Dana asked.
“Dana, I’m going to get up with you another time, because I can’t afford to go to jail behind irrelevant-ass bullshit with females I don’t even know. When you can get out without your ‘girls,’ call me,” Brittany said as she stood to leave.
“No, you don’t have to go. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding,” Dana whispered to Brittany.
Farrah started laughing, grabbed Stephanie by the arm, and headed to the dance floor. The two ladies danced together, laughing and singing “Nothing’s Free” by Lil Jon, and Farrah made sure it was understood by any man listening that they had to pay to play. Two guys approached them and asked each of them to dance. The two couples danced through four songs straight. When the DJ played “Tonight” by Trick Daddy, the two couples decided to find a table to get to know one another. As they made their way through the crowd, Farrah caught a glimpse of Dana still sitting with Brittany.
“Maybe the ho like pussy!” Farrah whispered to Stephanie, who was walking behind her. Stephanie started laughing at the comment and stumbled backward, bumping into another female and causing her to spill her drink.
“You white bitch! Watch where the fuck you’re going!”
“Who the fuck is this tramp talking to?” Stephanie asked loudly. Hearing the commotion, Farrah stopped in her tracks instantly and turned to see what was going on.
“Man, what’s up?” the female asked after hearing what Stephanie said.
“Bitch, it’s whatever! Don’t let the skin color fool you. I’ll beat your ass and leave you wishing you’d never fucked with me,” Stephanie said, stepping closer to the girl.
As the girl moved forward, Stephanie swung, punching the chick in her face. Farrah ran up to help as the crowd formed a circle around the women. Dana, who was engrossed in conversation with Brittany, looked up when she heard the loud noise of yelling and glass breaking and realized that her friends were nowhere in sight. Dana jumped up and ran to crowd, and just as she thought, Farrah and Stephanie were fighting. Stephanie had one chick’s head, banging it into the floor, while Farrah had another chick in a chokehold. Both girls began to throw punches, and after three minutes, Brittany and Dana pulled Farrah and Stephanie away, leaving the girls that they were fighting laid out on the floor.
“What the hell is going on?” Dana asked as she pulled Stephanie out of the club.
“I accidentally bumped into that ho, and they decided that they wanted to fight, so I gave them what they wanted!” Stephanie yelled.
“Dana, they did what they had to do. Got to respect that,” Brittany said as she held on to Farrah, laughing.
Farrah couldn’t even flex; Brittany was strong as shit. She hadn’t broken a sweat grabbing her up and toting her out the club.
“Brittany, I’m going to drop my girls off, and I will talk to you Monday at work,” Dana said.
“Okay, sweetie. Call me tomorrow, though, and let’s finish our conversation,” Brittany replied.
“Okay, I will,” Dana said as she walked toward her car with Farrah and Stephanie in tow.
Once they were in the car, Farrah looked at Stephanie.
“Damn, I didn’t even get that nigga name!”
“What nigga?” Stephanie asked.
“The dude I was dancing with. Damn. You can’t be that slow. I thought you were on the same level I was, but it seems like you on the level with Dana, slow as fuck.” Farrah laughed.
Dana wanted to put her ass out at that point. She had realized that she was going to have to separate herself from the group, and the quicker she did that, the better she would be.
* * *
“Has anyone seen Jeryca?” Thad asked as he walked through the house.
“I haven’t seen her since yesterday, Thad,” Brenda replied.
“I told y’all not to let her out of your sight. Go find her now. Look everywhere, damn it,” Thad ordered everyone.
“Thad, I told you this may be a bad move for you,” Toby said, shaking his head.
“Man, I don’t want to hear that. I just need to find her before she does something crazy!” Thad yelled.
“You should’ve known that this could happen. I told you from day one to leave that bitch alone, but no, you wouldn’t listen to me. Then, to make matters worse, you turn around and make her your—” Before Toby could finish, Thad cut him off.
“Damn, man, I don’t need to hear
this shit right now,” Thad shouted sarcastically. “What the fuck you want me to say, that you were right? That’s not going to solve shit, but hey, if it soothes your soul, you were right, Toby!”
Toby looked at his brother for a second, shaking his head. He couldn’t believe that his brother was this gone over a THOT that wasn’t ’bout shit. Toby walked away after muttering, “Man, you need to get yourself together. You put this game together; now fix it.”
Thad picked up his glass of Paul Masson, took a sip, and then threw the glass against a mirror, causing the glass and mirror to shatter.
Chris, Toby, and Keith ran into the room after hearing the loud sound of the glass breaking, and once in the room, they saw Thad seething and about to explode. Each one of the guys knew that when Thad got to that point, there was no calming him, so they all turned around immediately and walked away, not wanting to be a target of Thad’s rage.
* * *
“Girl, I can’t believe how shit played out last night. I know those are your friends, but Dana, you have to use your head. You can’t put yourself in worthless situations like that. I understand that they were defending themselves, but the way they came at me foul for no reason says a lot about their characters,” Brittany said.
“We’ve been friends for a long time, but like I told you last night, they always make fun of me for not being money-thirsty like they are. I mean, I like money, but I don’t need a man to give it to me,” Dana replied.
“Well, shit, Dana, you know what you got to do. Get your money how you need to. I’m behind you and will help you any way I can,” Brittany stated.
“Thank you, sis. I appreciate it so much, but a sister hungry as hell,” Dana said, rubbing her stomach.
“I know a nice Chinese spot. It’s in the hood, but the food there is great, and their establishment is clean and cozy,” Brittany informed Dana.
“Any place is good for me,” Dana responded.
“Golden Dragon it is,” Brittany stated, merging into the left lane to exit off the expressway. This was the fourth time Dana had hung out with Brittany, and she really enjoyed it. She wasn’t belittled for being who she was, and it felt great.