by Tiece
“Nah, I’m gonna stop by the IHop first. I need something to put on my stomach. Just give me the address when we get outside and I’ll put it in my favorites on Gigs.”
“Gigs,” Mona said.
“Yeah, nickname for my GPS,” he responded with a grin.
Monty walked toward the door as Brendon got in his hugs with Mona, Catherine, and Dee who was anxiously waiting for him to wrap his arms around her. She wanted to ask for his number but she didn’t want to seem desperate, because he wasn’t making any moves on her yet.
Brendon slightly hugged Rico followed by a firm handshake. “Welcome home Bruh,” Rico said then he looked over at Monty. “A’ight Bruh,” he said. Monty nodded as if saying, I’ll holla. Rico knew that he was in for the night so whatever the boys had planned he wasn’t a part of it.
“Alright y’all I’ma outta here and Cuz we’ll meet up again I’m sure.” Brendon said.
“We will,” Mona responded.
Monty and Brendon exited the house. Monty locked Catherine’s address into Brendon’s GPS and saved it.
“A’ight when you’re ready to head to the crib just hit your favorites and head over to Auntie’s house. I’m headed there now.” Monty said.
“Okay Cuz,” Brendon responded. “I’ll see you in a lil bit.”
**********
Brendon walked inside the IHOP. All he wanted to do was order an omelet and pancakes to go. This visit was to be in and out. He began to place his order as the waiter wrote it down on her pad. He looked over to the right of him and at the back booth in the corner sat the chick he’d help up off the ground earlier at Rico’s house. He smiled and looked at the waiter.
“Do you know if the young lady in the back has paid for her meal?” He asked.
The waiter looked back at Candy who was still staring at her menu.
“No, she not too long ago walked in and sat down.” The waiter said.
“Good,” Brendon stated while reaching into the pocket on his navy blue Ralph Lauren Cargo Pants. He handed the waiter a fifty dollar bill. I’m paying for whatever she orders plus my meal.” The waiter looked at him and smiled. “Oh and keep the change.” He added.
He walked to the back of the restaurant and sat directly in front of Candy. She looked up with a funky stare on her face until she realized it was him.
What the hell, she thought. She was really feeling the vibe they had.
“I was about to get cussed out wasn’t I?” Brendan asked while smiling.
“Yeah you can say that. I was about to give it to you.” She reluctantly stared back.
“You don’t mind do you?” He asked.
“You’re already here aren’t you?” She smugly questioned. She looked back down at her menu while trying not to look at him. He was about as sexy as they came and she wanted to know more about him.
“Didn’t you just leave my people’s house with a plate?” He joked.
“Didn’t you just leave there too?” She sarcastically asked.
He grinned at her sassy attitude. “Geesh, can a brother catch a break tonight?” He asked trying to break the ice. She finally removed her eyes from the menu for longer than a minute, looking over at him. Brendon smiled. His amusing demeanor gave her butterflies.
“I’m here because I was in the mood for some breakfast,” she finally answered, with a smile on her face.
“You have some of the sexiest dimples I’ve ever saw.” He complimented her.
Candy blushed but tried her best to play it off. “Thanks,” she said getting a good look at his small hazel eyes. His fitted cap was still pulled down very low.
“You’re not bad looking yourself.” She said smiling then looking back down at her menu.
The waiter walked over. “Are you ready to order,” she asked Candy.
“Sure,” she said with hesitation as if she was still unsure. “Uh, let me get an order of your blueberry pancakes and a bacon, egg, and cheese omelet. Oh and while I wait may I get a to-go cup of ice water.”
“Yes, and I’ll be right back with your water,” she said walking off. Brendon smiled because she damn near ordered the same thing he did.
“So what brought you over to Rico’s house tonight? Who did you know there? Better yet, are you any kin to anyone that was in there?” Brendon asked knowing that it was only a handful of people there.
“To answer your first question; I was there because of the welcome home gathering, of course,” she answered. “I know everyone who was there and to answer your last question, the only person that I’m kin to that was there is Dee. She’s my cousin.”
“Oh so Dee is your cousin. She said that she was a friend of the family.”
“She is because Mona is like a sister to me. She’s my best friend and that’s why I refer to little Caylin as my niece.” She said.
It was her turn to ask some questions as she stared at him. “So how do you know Rico?” She questioned.
“Rico’s my peeps.” He said, but the way he said it made Candy think that it was him and Rico who were kin to each other. So she was good with that small explanation.
“Oh okay, I see,” she said. “Earlier when you were helping me up you said that you now live here. What did that mean?”
“Just meant that I’ve moved here to start a new beginning,” he responded. “I’m leaving the old behind and starting with the new.”
“Wow, your life sounds like mine. I’m starting over again too. This is the new me you’re getting a chance to meet so you should be a happy camper.” They laughed.
“Oh trust me, I am. I didn’t come here in hopes of meeting a chick my first night in town, but I did.”
“I’ve always believed that some things happen for a reason.” She responded.
“I’m with you on that one.” He said just as the waiter came back with Candy’s water and food.
“My food was ordered before hers,” Brendon teased.
“Your food is coming up next.” The waiter explained with a smile.
“Thanks, but I’m in no rush.” He said looking back at Candy as the waiter walked off.
“Well you got your food now so that means you can leave whenever you’re ready.” He said.
She smiled making him feel good inside. “Maybe I’m not ready.”
“Don’t get offended but I did pay for your food.” He said.
“My hero!” She called out through a light giggle.
He laughed pulling off his cap and scratching lightly in his head. “So you got jokes, huh?”
“Nah,” she responded. “Thanks, though I appreciate that.” She admired his Mohawk. It was what one would call very good hair.
“So what do you do for a living?” He asked putting his cap back on but backwards this time.
“I’m a stay at home mom to a six month old. He’ll be seven months next week.” She said with a smile.
“Oh okay. Are you and the father still together?” He asked.
“No, actually we’re not together and honestly I don’t care to talk about him or our relationship for that matter.”
“Okay, I didn’t mean to step on any toes.” He said.
“No, I’m sorry. It wasn’t like that. It’s just hard to talk about it at times. Our break up is very fresh, you know.”
“Yeah, I understand.” He said as the waiter came back holding his food. He took the food from the waiter and she walked off.
“I guess we should be leaving before our food gets cold.” Candy insisted and stood up from the table. Brendon admired her thick curvaceous figure. The green velour pants she was wearing were fitting her very nice.
Brendon didn’t wanna leave, but on her cue he would. “Well, can I call you sometimes?” He cautiously asked.
Candy thought about it for a second. She didn’t really want to get to know anybody better; especially if they were kin to Rico. That was just too close to the family. She stood there contemplating for a moment.
“Hey, don’t worry about it. I don’t
want you to do anything that you don’t wanna do. I just wanna make you smile; that’s all.” The way his smile spread across his face was the topping on the cake that changed her mind.
“Why not?” She said aloud then called out her number as he pressed the digits in his phone.
He smiled at her as he thought about not having a name to save with the number. “Since I have your number, may I have the pleasure of having your name?” He asked.
“Candy,” she responded with a soft smile then looked down at the caller ID on her cell phone to see that Monty was calling. “Excuse me,” she said lifting her phone up to her ear as she answered it.
“Hey, what’s up baby daddy?” She asked as Brendon smiled at her coy sense of humor.
“I’m in your driveway.” Monty responded.
Candy frowned. “Why are you there?”
“We need to talk and I’m not leaving until you get here and hear me out.”
“Why are you playing games like this? You know what the deal is?” Candy said feeling frustrated that Monty wouldn’t just let her be and get over his affair on her own.
Brendon could tell that she was in a serious conversation by the way she’d turned her back to him and was talking in the phone. He tapped her on the shoulder as she turned to look at him, still listening to Monty talk on the phone.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Brendon whispered.
Candy nodded her head agreeing that would be best then turned her focus back to Monty. “We’re not going to do this. I just want to come home and lay down. I don’t want a repeat of last night.”
“Come on,” he begged. “Just le’me see you.”
“No,” she said then headed toward the doors of the IHop. She’d been so caught up in the conversation till she didn’t realize that she was standing in the middle of the floor just yapping on her phone with on lookers watching.
Brendon was pulling off in his nice ride as Candy made her way outside. She threw up her hand as he threw up the deuces and pulled out of the parking lot. Candy made her way to her car, pressing the unlock pad on her keychain chain.
Damn, I didn’t even get his name. She thought still listening to Monty then she quickly cut him off. “Hey listen baby daddy, I’m on my way home and I don’t want you there when I make it. So please do me a favor and just leave. Le’me deal with this on my own.” She said then ended the call. Monty didn’t have anything to say to her, at least nothing that she really wanted to hear.
Chapter 8
Dee was up early. She had gotten a call from Maurice and he was on his way over to pick her up. Even though she missed him she had thoughts of Brendon on her mind. He had definitely caught her attention at the Welcome Home party and she wanted to get to know him a little better.
She walked down the hallway and tapped on Candy’s door. The door eased open since it wasn’t closed all the way. Candy was sleeping peacefully and Dee didn’t want to disturb her, but wanting to talk to her about Brendon was eating her up. She turned and walked out of the room as her phone rang.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Hey baby, I’m outside.” Maurice said.
“Okay I’m coming. Le’me just write Candy a quick note of my whereabouts because she is still sleeping.”
“Okay cool,” he said and they ended the call.
Dee wrote a quick note to Candy and stuck it on the refrigerator. “She’s gonna trip when she finds out that I’m interested in Monty’s first cousin.” She said walking out of the house and locking the door shut behind her.
Candy rolled over in her bed to lie on her back. She thought she heard the alarm sound off from the front door opening. She rubbed her eyes and the minute she opened them, her mystery man was on the brain. She smiled looking over at the clock on her nightstand. It was nine in the morning.
“Man, it’s still early.” She said. “Maybe I can get a little more sleep since Mrs. Cat has MJ.” She turned back over to catch a few more Z’s then her phone began to ring.
“I guess not,” she said fumbling for the phone that was somewhere in her bed.
She picked up the phone. The number wasn’t familiar but her Mystery Man could’ve been calling. She smiled but was reserved about answering it, because she had the “grandma voice syndrome” going on.
“Damn!” She said trying her best to clear her voice. “Hello,” she answered as lightly as she could.
“Did I wake you?” Her mystery man asked.
“Nah, I was just getting up.” She lied with a smile spread across her face. He sounded so good.
“Okay lil mama,” he grinned. His voice had her on cloud nine. “I’m up early because I have some business to tend too.”
“So you’re a business man?” She asked.
“Yeah, you can call it that.” He said.
I love a man who is about his business, she thought.
“I just wanted to be the first to tell you to have a nice day.” He said.
“Oh is that right?” She asked sitting up in her bed.
“Yeah that would be right.” He responded.
“Well thanks,” she said smiling from ear to ear.
“Anytime,” He said. “I’ll holla at ya later.”
“Cool,” she responded and they ended the call. Getting his name still didn’t cross her mind because the conversation was so brief, yet sweet.
**********
“Damn Cuz, you got you one already?” Monty asked as he walked into the enclosed patio room where Brendon was relaxing and smoking a blunt.
“Nah, she’s just someone I met last night. I ain’t puttin’ too much in it just this minute.” He responded. “You know sometimes things aren’t always as good as they may seem to be. So I’ma find out first before I even mention a chick or bring one around for that matter.” Monty walked over and opened up another one of the windows.
“My bad,” Brendon said. “I shoulda just let all of them up.”
“Nah you’re good. At least you let some of them up because Mama back here smoking them damn cigarettes with all of them down.” They laughed. “She talkin’ ‘bout it’s too cold to sit out here like that.”
Brendon sucked in the smoke from the blunt. “You wanna hit this, Cuz?”
Monty reached for the blunt. “Hell yeah,” he said sitting down next to Brendon. “I’m glad you made yourself at home, because mama knows what I do and she doesn’t care as long as I’m not inside the house with it. Plus, out here, even though we’re enclosed, it’s still like being out the door when the windows are up.”
“Yeah, I like this jant.” Brendon responded. “I’m glad to see y’all doing so good.”
“I know the feeling because it’s good to see how you’ve been doing. You know Auntie called mama and gave her a lil rundown of your situation. That’s why I called you. I didn’t want nothing to happen to you.”
“I know Cuz and I appreciate that. You know when you called me I was already feeling like I needed a new start. You just made it easier because it dawned on me that I had somewhere to go and I could feel comfortable living there.”
“I’m glad you’re here, but I gotta be honest. I didn’t know you were doing it like that in Texas.”
“Yeah, I’d been in the game ‘bout seven years. This last year I’d really been chilling. I was sitting on all this money and I had to think carefully about what I wanted to invest it in. You know make a legit living.”
“Trust me, I understand.” Monty responded.
“Plus, the game was fucked up. It was lil young niggas wantin’ to be me and scheming on ways of getting me out the game. Shit got crazy and the older cats that’d been in the game longer hated on me like bitches.” He reached for the blunt and inhaled. As he talked the smoke slowly came out of his mouth.
“I had a plan, Cuz. I was gonna do this shit and be as careful as I could to make it out alive and to make lots of money in the process.” He passed the blunt back to Monty.
“Don’t get me wrong now. I survived the g
ame because even though nigga’s hated behind my back my boys were loyal. They weren’t about to let shit happen to me.” He grinned. “I bashed in a few heads to prove a point myself so a nigga knew if he was gon’ come this way he’d better come correct.”
Monty grinned. “Oh yeah sometimes you have to lay your hands on a nigga to show him what time it is. You ain’t have no main chick down there?” Monty asked and inhaled the last of the blunt, putting it out.