by A'zayler
“Why you come by yourself Kia? Where your best friend at?” Demoto asked, trying to be funny, but he really did want to know where Taryn was.
“She had to leave for a minute with her friend, she said they’d be right back.” Kia was hoping Jacko and Demoto didn’t see through her lies. It had been easy to lie to Jacko because he didn’t care either way, but Demoto was different. He was paying attention because he actually cared. He looked at her for a long minute before nodding his head. Kia breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down in the corner. He texted on his phone for a few minutes before saying anything else.
“So you don’t know where they went?”
“They said to the store. Her friend needed some Tylenol or something,” Kia continued to lie as she pulled out her phone to text Taryn.
“Aye Jack, where that nigga Jarrett at? Cayman said I’m supposed to be picking my money up from him.”
“He upstairs. They having a private meeting,” Jacko said, oblivious to the fact Taryn was one of the strippers. He hadn’t officially started anything with Double O yet, so he hadn’t been invited. Demoto grabbed his keys and headed for the door. Kia wanted to do something to make him stay, but she didn’t want to give herself away. She just hoped like hell Taryn was getting her text messages. After speaking with a few employees, Demoto found out where everybody was and headed there. He didn’t know what kind of meeting they would be holding in the middle of a party, but he was glad they hadn’t called him. He’d had enough of Double O for one night. He needed a few hours to recuperate. Half way up the stairs, he heard loud music playing. As he got closer, the music got louder. The meeting must be over, he thought as he opened the door. When he went in, he saw a short light-skinned stripper. He wasn’t really into strippers, but she was moving. He watched for a few seconds before heading over to Cayman. He was sitting at the bar drinking, so Demoto took a seat next to him.
“Everything Good?” he asked.
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Your money is in your account.”
“I thought you wanted me to get it from Jarrett.”
“Change of plans,” Cayman smiled as downed the rest of his drink. Demoto shook his hand and got up to leave when he heard Usher’s Superstar come on. He would have continued out the door if his thoughts hadn’t hit him like a ton of bricks. Taryn better not have her ass up here, he thought. He thought about hiding amongst the other men, but quickly changed his mind. If she was in here, he was about to show his ass. The lights were off right now, so when they cut them on, she’d see him. He stood against the wall to the side of where she would be dancing. He had one foot on the wall with his hands in his pockets. His heart dropped when he saw her silhouette in the door. He could already tell it was her.
*****
“Last show,” she mumbled to herself as she stood at the door. She was waiting for the right part to come on before she walked out. She stood there a few more minutes looking at her feet until she heard it. Once the beat dropped, she walked out. She had instructed Nema to keep the lights off the first minute to build suspense. The darkness also helped her keep a cool head; she had gotten back nervous. She was twirling and grinding all over the floor as the men showered her in money. She had just climbed the pole when the lights came on. She kept her eyes closed as she circled around it a few times. As she slid to the floor, she bent over with her butt in the air again and wound it in a slow circle. She was making sure to give whoever was behind her a good show. When she stood up, a familiar scent hit her nostrils. It can’t be, Jesus please no! She turned her head to the side, and sure enough there he was. Demoto looked so angry that his skin had a red tint to it. His green eyes shined with hate and hurt mixed together. She looked away as quick as she could. She couldn’t bear the look that was in his eyes. As Demoto stood watching her, he realized he was more hurt than angry. He had asked her not to do this, and she disobeyed him. He hated to see her degrading herself like this, but she wouldn’t listen to him. He wanted to be angry, but by the look that was on her face the entire dance, he could tell she didn’t want to be there. The men in the room probably had no idea, but Demoto knew her inside and out; she was in serious discomfort. He tried to soften the look in his eyes, but she had turned her head. When she walked away, he noticed the words on her clothing. It read Forever Yours across her back and Youngblood written across the top of her butt. The words were made to look as if blood were dripping from them. For a long moment, he had mixed feelings because she was here dancing for other men, in something that was obviously made for him. Taryn had his mind all over the place. He didn’t know what to think. By the time he’d stopped daydreaming, her show was over and she was gone.
*****
“Taryn, was that your boyfriend you was looking at like that?” Nema asked once they got back into the room.
“Yes! Girl I’m so scared. I don’t know what he’s going to do.” Taryn paced around nervously. She was so busy trying to figure out whether Demoto was mad or not she hadn’t even changed yet. She tried calming her nerves a few more minutes before grabbing her bag to change. Nema had already put on a short form-fitting dress, some boots, and a jacket. She was sitting on the bed waiting for Taryn so they could go. She had packed their money in the duffle bags they’d brought along and was playing Candy Crush on her phone. Taryn snatched off her clothing, showered again, and pulled her hair into a smooth ponytail. She put lotion on her body and sprayed it with perfume. She dressed herself in a pair of maroon jeans and a gold, navy blue, and maroon crop top that stopped at the top of her pants. She put on her necklace, bracelets, and earrings before walking out. She slid her feet into her dark blue converse, and grabbed her backpack and duffle bag. Once they’d gotten into the room, the men had begun to disperse. Taryn was grateful for this because she didn’t want any of them trying to hit on her. There was only one face she wanted to see, but it was nowhere to be found. She looked around the whole room, turning down men along the way. When she couldn’t find him, she looked for Nema so they could go. Just when she’d found her, she felt a strong arm wrap around her neck from behind. Her back rested against his front with his arm resting around her neck. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, holding her tightly against his body. At that moment, Taryn thought all of the breath would leave her body. She felt so calm in his arms. His cologne mesmerized her as he spoke in her ear.
“What I told you about this shit?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know. Let’s go,” he said, finally releasing her. When she turned around, his face was void of anger; in its place was love. She was so happy that she could hardly contain it. Tears began to leak from her eyes.
“You’re such a crybaby,” he laughed as he pulled her in for another hug. He had already known she was sorry, but her tears reassured him. Demoto grabbed the duffle bag from her and threw it over his shoulder. They locked hands and headed for the door.
“Wait, I have to get Nema.” Taryn turned around and walked towards her. She was standing in the corner talking to one of the men. When Taryn got her attention, the man handed her his card and they left. They were almost down the stairs when the young boy from the party yelled to get Taryn’s attention. He raced to where she was standing. He gave Demoto a pound before speaking.
“I was wondering could we exchange numbers.” Taryn looked at Demoto before answering. She hated he’d done this right now.
“I already have a boyfriend, I’m sorry.”
“Well he sure is a lucky man,” he smiled before retreating up the stairs. Demoto looked at her and walked away.
*****
Demoto didn’t mean to get angry all over again, but that was one of the reasons he hated for her to strip. He knew men probably approached her all the time, but he was sure Jarrett had done it strictly based on her show. He practically gulped his bottle of water as he sat in the kitchen with Jacko. Kia had stayed behind to catch up with Taryn. Jacko had spent the last twenty minutes trying to explain to him how he wa
s wrong, and he still didn’t see it. Yeah he had a girlfriend and still wanted Taryn to himself, but so what! She’d made it very clear she loved him, so why should she be with anyone else? He had gotten angry with her for dancing, but it wasn’t like he gave her money on the regular. The more he thought about it, the more he understood what Jacko was saying. He was going to have to fix this, especially since he’d just found out Alicia was fucking with somebody else. That relationship was a wrap!
*****
The cool air from the ceiling fan felt good to her aching body. The heels she’d worn tonight had her ankles on fire. That was one of the cons to dancing; your body ached like crazy afterwards. She lay in the spacious bed in nothing but her t-shirt and panties on. Her hair was still in the ponytail from earlier with her scarf wrapped around it. The soft sounds of Jeremih played in the background. She had been home in bed for about two hours and still hadn’t fallen asleep yet. There was so much on her mind she couldn’t keep her eyes closed longer than five seconds.
Tomorrow she was going apartment hunting and she couldn’t wait. Demoto and Adisa were past welcoming, but she was ready for her own space. She’d been living off people her entire life, and she was tired of it. The seventeen thousand dollars she’d made tonight on top of what she already had in the bank was enough cushion for now. After Demoto walked away from her at the party, he hadn’t said another word all night, but it was fine. She loved him, but she was tired of the games. She’d decided tonight was her last night dancing; she would stick to Foot Locker for now. With the money Mr. Buck had stored away from her, and her checks and savings, she was sure she could maintain.
Taryn lay there trying to figure out what would become of her and Demoto once she moved out. They had been feeling each other all of this time and nothing had come of it. They’d had sex, expressed their feelings, and once again nothing happened. Taryn was sick of trying to figure it out. Maybe some space between them would be just what they needed. She let out a loud breath as she sat up in the bed. She reached to get some water from the bottle on the nightstand, but it was all gone. She hated to get up but the Patrón she’d drank earlier had her mouth dry. She unlocked the door to her room and walked into the kitchen.
Being that this was an apartment, she could see the living from where she was standing. Demoto was lying down on the sofa wrapped in a blanket. She knew it was him because his hair was hanging off the side. When he heard the fridge open, he looked up and made eye contact with her. Instead of either of them saying anything, they turned their heads. Taryn was tired of his little tantrum, so she got her water and went back to her room. She closed the door and got back into bed. She’d grown tired of listening to music, so she cut the TV on. As she flipped through the channels, she noticed her favorite movie Pretty Woman was on. Taryn was bent over looking under the bed when she heard someone fidgeting with the knob on her door. She knew without them saying anything it was Demoto. She slid on the floor and sat there for a moment debating, whether or not to let him in. She really didn’t feel like being bothered with him not one bit, but this was his house. She didn’t necessarily have the right to lock him out of anything in his house. That’s why she needed her own place. Pulling herself from the floor, she went against her better judgment and opened the door. To her surprise, he wasn’t there. Taryn rolled her eyes and continued down the hallway to his room. He was lying in the bed watching TV.
“You need something?”
“Nah.”
“If you don’t need anything why did you come to my door?”
“I didn’t.”
Demoto could tell she was irritated. She looked at him a little while longer before slamming his door shut and going back to her room. She hadn’t been in bed no longer than five minutes before he was at her door again. This time she hadn’t bothered to lock it, because she knew he was coming. He came in and got into bed with her without saying a word. Truth of the matter was, he couldn’t sleep knowing she was in the house with him and he couldn’t touch her.
Demoto had formed an attachment to her that he couldn’t deny. Her scent alone was intoxicating. Her hair, her eyes, her nose–everything about her drew him in. When it came to her, he was hopeless. He laid next to her in bed watching her movement. Every time she laughed her breasts would move, and it was turning him on big time. He didn’t care if he was being a pervert; Taryn’s body belonged to him. He lay there a little longer before reaching over to cut her television off. At first she looked like she wanted to protest, but changed her mind. She had just scooted down in the bed when he pulled at one of the butterfly nipple rings she had in.
“What are you doing?”
“I love you Taryn.”
“Whatever Demoto.”
“What you mean whatever?
“Exactly what I said! I’m tired of playing games with you. You know I love you. You go around here like you some kind of King or something. Alicia may let you string her along and do whatever you please, but that’s not happening with me. I’m grown. If you want to act like a child, then be my guest. Just believe me when I tell you, it won’t happen with me. I’ve had enough of your bipolar ass. If you want me then say so; if you do, but you don’t want to be with me, that’s fine too. Just please make up your mind; all this back and forth is giving me whiplash.”
Taryn had shut him up that fast. He couldn’t think of anything to say, because she was right. Once he’d gotten out of the bed and made it back to his room, his mind was made up. He walked into his closet and pulled a pair of sweatpants and a jacket out. He grabbed the Jordans next to the bed and went back into Taryn’s room. Upon entry, the look on her face told him she was confused.
“Put on some clothes real quick, take a ride with me.”
Taryn watched him leave the room with no further explanation. She snatched her scarf off and brushed her hair back into a neat ponytail. Dressed in her Adidas track suit and sneakers, she grabbed her phone and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Chapter 14
The blue lights flashed so brightly that Taryn had to squint her eyes to see. Cop cars lined the block for miles. There were news vans on three different areas of the street. People had gathered behind the police’s yellow caution tape. Some onlookers were crying while others were watching, exchanging stories amongst themselves. The further down they drove, the more she could see. They were closing in on the scene when the car in front of them was stopped by a young officer. Whatever he’d said had the car turning around. He made his way to Demoto’s car next.
“I’m sorry young man, this street is blocked off. You can turn around in this driveway right here,” he tipped his hat and walked away. It wasn’t until Demoto pulled into the neighbor’s driveway that Taryn saw the coroner’s car parked in the driveway of the house that was taped off.
“Oh my gosh! Somebody died Demoto!” Taryn couldn’t believe her eyes. She’d never been that close to a crime scene in her life. She looked over at Demoto and he showed no signs of concern, so she looked back out of the window. As they drove back past the news cameras, Taryn noticed the Mayor talking to one of the reporters. What’s he doing out here? She was quiet the rest of the ride. Unaware of what Demoto had planned, she chose not to ask any questions. There weren’t very many places they could be going at four thirty in the morning, so she figured she’d find out soon enough. They eventually came to a stop outside of the Waffle House on the north side of town. Demoto came around, opening the door for her. He didn’t speak until they were inside and seated at a table in the corner.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, are you?”
“Not really,” he slumped down in his seat a little more. After running his hand through his locs, he looked back at her. He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t want to pry so she waited for him to disclose more.
“That was the Mayor’s house we just went to. His daughter was killed tonight.” He could tell by the way Taryn’s eyes bulged that she hadn’t expected to hea
r something like that.
“How do you know?”
“I took you there because if we’re going to be together, we need trust. I don’t want any secrets. In a relationship, trust and loyalty is everything. If I can’t be real with anyone else, I need to be able to be real with you. Taryn, you are the one person who needs to have my back at all times. No matter what the situation may be, always trust me. If there ever comes a time you’re not sure what to believe, believe me. Believe in the love I have for you, the love we have for each other. I’m a man of my word, T; if it comes down to you and anybody else, it’s going to always be you. It has been since the first day we met. The things I’m involved in are tough. I need you.” Demoto looked at Taryn for some type of response, but she gave nothing. His nerves were starting to get the best of him.
“T, say something. Tell me how you feel about me or something. Anything!”
“What exactly are you involved in?”
“I’ve told you already once before.” Taryn bit her nails trying to figure out what he could have possibly told her. “Why did you take me to that house? What did that have to do with anything?”
Demoto looked at Taryn like she grown two heads. She couldn’t possibly be this naive. He had obviously given her more credit than she deserved. He was sure the look on his face mirrored the thoughts in his head. They were in a public place; it wasn’t like he could say it out loud.
“You remember the conversation we had in the kitchen that day when you asked where I work?” Her face frowned as realization set in. Her eyes got big as saucers, then returned to their normal size.
“That was you tonight?” she asked in disbelief. She had thought Demoto was joking when he’d told her that. That wasn’t a job people had in real life. It couldn’t be. She knew it was indeed true when she looked at him and he was nodding his head up and down.
“How? You were with me at the party,” her words trailed off as she realized it had taken him a while to get there. Wow! Taryn mumbled her thoughts to herself. She probably looked like a fool to him right now, although talking to herself had been something she’d done since childhood.