by Tiece
“I said I had y’all,” Marlon spoke over the music as they made their way to the bar. Bianca sat down on one of the empty bar stools as Tessa backed her ass up on Marlon and ordered their drinks. She shook her ass like a stripper while Marlon palmed it. He leaned in toward Bianca as she danced while sitting down on the bar stool enjoying the loud music and scoping out the crowd for an easy target.
“What happened back there?” He questioned. “At your house, I mean.”
“Nothing that you need to be worried about,” she responded over the music then took a drink of her Gin and juice as soon as the bartender slid it to her.
Marlon shook his head. He’d known Bianca for a long time and one thing for sure was that she didn’t take too much shit, if any. He was surprised that she got inside the car as calmly as she did and left without putting up a fight with all the commotion that was going on.
“Aye sexy, what’s up?” A guy coolly asked as he walked over. Bianca seductively smiled as she swallowed some more of her Gin and juice.
“Ain’t nothing much,” she responded as she looked up to see who was trying to holler at her. She quickly noticed that it was the same handsome guy that she’d met at Olive Garden and the same one that put her inside of Lauren’s car that day at Wal-Mart. “Well damn,” she smiled. “What’s up with you?”
“I’m wondering what’s up with you. I’ve tried to give you my number twice, but you won’t take it.” He said. “But if we keep meeting up like this I think you’re gonna have to eventually give a brother a chance,” he teased showing his bright pearly whites that really had Bianca going.
“You think?” She asked still sipping.
“Your man isn’t in here, right?” he asked then scanned the club.
“Nope,” she responded.
“Well, in that case, I’m just tryna get to know you better.” He admitted.
Besides his great smelling cologne, Bianca admired the waves in his head looking like somebody else’s she knew. “How much better?” she questioned as she admired his demeanor and his laid back Versace gear. She figured that the brother had a lil paper unless he was shopping at Citi Trends, but even they didn’t carry Versace. Seeing his ride at Olive Garden already gave her the status on his money clip. He leaned in closer to her ear. The smell of his cologne was luring as she bobbed her head to the music.
“What are you drinking on?” He questioned.
“Gin and juice,” she nonchalantly responded.
“Ooooh weeee,” he said with a grin. “You drinking that crack head stuff,” he teased.
Bianca grinned at his joke. “Do I look like a crack head?”
“Nope,” he said admiring her laid back attire and flawless make-up that matched her cashmere sweater. Her hair was pulled back up in a ball and to him it looked good on her. It also matched the beautiful smile she had. Her smooth golden brown skin tone seemed to be of a caramel swirl and all he wanted was to taste a little bit and see how sweet she was.
Bianca batted her beady eyes at him as her long eyelashes captivated his thoughts and put him in a trance while he stared at her. “So are you buying me a drink?”
“I’ll buy you whatever you want.” He said still smiling at her then pulling out his wad of cash. In her mind she was wishing that she had hit the jackpot, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up too high. Just because a man had a wad of money didn’t mean that he could or would even want to take care of her and her five kids. Most times, once a man found out that she had that many kids by different baby daddy’s they’d run for the hill. That’s why at this point all she wanted to do was get what she could and keep it moving. Heartache was a road that she didn’t care to travel anymore.
Bianca leaned over the bar and called the bartender over. “Aye, can me and girl get some Gin and juice please?”
“Two Gin and juices?” the bartender questioned to make sure.
“Yes, please, two of them,” she repeated. It was something about that naughty head that got them crunk faster so anytime they partied in a club Gin and Juice was their drink. Just as she started to turn around and talk to the handsome man that was buying their drinks, a tap could be felt on her shoulder. She turned to look back then disappointedly shook her head.
“What do you want?” she quickly asked Todd, her five year old daughter’s father.
“I just saw you over here and wanted to holla.” He said scoping out her company as the man paid for their drinks. “Who is that?”
“Somebody you don’t know,” she responded then smiled at the good looking hunk as if to say that she didn’t give a flying fuck about the other man standing behind her trying to cock block. He noticed the tension in the air and nodded his head at her indicating that he’d be over at his table when she was done then he walked off.
Bianca immediately turned her bar stool around to face her daughter’s father. “You are such a dick, you know that?” She quickly asked. “How are you gonna come over here and block any chance of me gettn’ money knowing your sorry ass can’t even pay your child support on time?”
“I do pay my child support so quit tripping.” Todd said.
“You don’t do shit. You don’t even come visit your baby unless you want a piece of ass.” She said with a jerk of the neck while rolling her eyes. Todd looked good and once fooled her with a wad of cash, but it was tax season and she quickly learned the hard way that he wasn’t really pumped like that. He looked over at Tessa winding her ass up on Marlon.
“I see that you’re still keeping the same company,” he disapprovingly said.
“And I see that you still can’t mind your own business with your broke ass.”
“You know you’re trifling for that shit.”
“Call me what you want, but I got other things I need to be doing right now and you ain’t one of them.” She said hopping down off of the bar stool and leaving Todd hanging. She didn’t care about him as she made her way over to the one that was buying drinks.
Maybe this could be a good thing or maybe not, but I’m sho’ about to find out. She thought as she sat at his table directly across from him with a seductive smile planted on her face.
“I see you’ve left your company,” he said looking over his shoulder at Todd who was certainly dismissed and looking pitiful.
“I ain’t got time for that.” She said.
“Well, what do you have time for?” The man pondered.
“Anything worth having time for,” she said causing the man to grin.
“You’re a feisty lil something too. You know that?” He asked remembering how crazed she was at Wal-Mart.
“I’m usually a good girl, but when somebody fucks with my sisters then they’ve clearly crossed a line.”
“Well, I saw the whole thing and I couldn’t blame you,” he said but was definitely digging a woman that could hold her own. “So what’s your name since I can’t get anything else out you?” He asked with a contagious smile.
“That smile, though.” She blurted out.
“So, is that your full name?” he asked trying to be funny.
“It’s Bianca,” she said with an innocent chuckle. “And you’re a funny guy.” He laughed. “And what’s your name?”
Before he could answer her question a woman interrupted them. “Who is this?” She asked.
The guy irritably shook his head. “Ain’t gonna be no shit started tonight, because you already know what the deal is,” he said to her as Bianca just quietly watched.
“Well, you need to put this woman in her place because nobody sits at this table with you; especially if I can’t.”
At that time Justin was passing the table where Bianca was sitting at. She looked up just in time and stopped him right quick as she grabbed his hand.
Justin noticed who it was and spoke. “Aye, what’s up, B.” he said and out of nowhere Bianca stood up and tongue kissed him right there on the spot. Justin’s eyes widened from shock as he stood there speechless. Bianca looked over at the man t
hen at the woman that was talking shit to him.
“Listen bitch, I don’t want your man. I already got one.” She said lying through her teeth. “And don’t you ever come in my face trying to holla when you know you already got an ol’ lady,” she snapped then walked off holding Justin’s hand.
**********
Kerry leaned over to answer her cell phone as it rang. She didn’t know who it could’ve been calling that time of the morning.
“Hello,” she answered.
“Sis, what are you doing?” Lauren asked.
“Lying in bed watching Law & Order,” she responded. “What are you doing calling me two in the morning? Shouldn’t you be entertaining your new puppy?” she teased, because Lauren had brought a poodle from her neighbor in hopes of having a real dog around to take her mind off of the one that walked on two legs.”
“Girl, that damn barking is already about to drive me insane. I got it so your nephew wouldn’t miss that nasty ass daddy of his, but hell I’m ‘bout to take his barking ass back where he belongs.” Kerry laughed. “Well, I had to call and tell you what I just heard.”
Kerry sat up with her back pressed against the plush pillows. “Don’t tell me nothing crazy,” she said. “Bianca has already struck a nerve so bad till I don’t have any left to get on.”
“That’s the thing. It’s about Bianca.” Lauren informed her.
Kerry shook her head not even wanting to hear anything about Bianca at that point. “I just don’t even wanna know,” she responded.
“Well, I just received a call that she is at the club.”
“That ain’t nothing new; especially being with Tessa,” Kerry said.
“Yeah but somebody saw her there with Justin?” Lauren told her.
“Justin who? My Justin, I meant my kid’s father Justin?”
“Yep, and they said that they were kissing.” Lauren informed her.
“What do you mean kissing?”
“Well, from what I was told it was a hot kiss that they shared.” Lauren explained. “They said that she couldn’t even keep her hands off of him.”
“You have gotta be kidding me.” Kerry said instantly getting a headache. “You mean to tell me that your ratchet ass sister is in the club around my ex and is kissing him? What kinda sluttish shit is she playing? She must really want me to beat her ass.”
“I don’t know about that, but that’s what I’m telling you,” Lauren responded. She hated calling her sister with that shit, but she needed to know. “I don’t know what’s wrong with our sister. One minute she acts as if it’s all about family and the next she stabs us in the back.”
“Well, I’m telling Dad on her ass, because I’m tired of this shit and I’m tired of Justin’s shit! I’m so glad that we’re divorced or I would kill his scrawny Tip Harris looking ass!” She heatedly said. “And you wait till I talk to Tessa. I’m gonna cuss that bitch out, too! I have the right mind to call and cuss Bianca’s old trifling ass out right now!”
“Calm down Sis.” Lauren said. “Bianca will get hers in due time. It never fails. She always does something fucked up then needs us later.”
“Fuck her! I’m done being there for her. She doesn’t give a damn about me and my kids then why should I give a damn about her ratchet ass?” Kerry was beyond tired of Bianca and her ungrateful ways. Just because she was messed up in the head didn’t mean that she had to mess with everybody else’s head. She couldn’t wait to front her about this incident and tell her to kick rocks. She was so mad that she wanted to fight her again, but she knew it would never happen with her parent’s around. They wouldn’t have it, but she was surely going to cut her loose.
From that point on, she had nothing to say good about her sister nor did she want any dealings with her whatsoever.
Chapter13
Two weeks had passed and Bianca was mostly staying over Tessa’s house since the blow up on Thanksgiving. She’d once again left the children on her parent’s and only stopped in to speak then leave again. Her family was pretty much outdone with the way she had been handling things lately, feeling like she should’ve been treating life better since she’d almost lost hers.
What the family didn’t know was that Bianca had hit a low point and no one even saw it. She didn’t care to hang around her mom and dad’s place for the simple fact that Jewel was there. It was a shame that her five month old baby made her not want to visit. It wasn’t the baby’s fault and Bianca knew it, but it hurt like hell every time she saw Kory’s mini me with ribbons tied in her hair.
She missed him so much and knew that he was somewhere very pissed with her for not making the right decisions and not doing right by the kids. She just couldn’t help herself as she reached for the small bag of coke that Tessa had left behind when she went to the Laundry Mat. She hadn’t hit any since Thanksgiving night she’d showed her ass but she was sure as hell feigning for it now.
Once she’d taken two snorts of the addictive drug she sat back for a moment to relax, but couldn’t. She didn’t feel like chilling. She felt like getting out and doing something. For some reason she felt numb and the pain was gone again. She really didn’t care about anyone or anything. All she wanted to do was get a little bit more so the feeling would last forever.
Bianca walked in the bathroom and turned the cold water on in the sink. She cupped her hands together under the faucet then dashed water on her face. She reached over and opened the cabinet that had the wash cloths in it and dried her wet skin. As she stared in the mirror a part of her wanted to cry, but another part of her wanted to be free. Something was calling her. There was an annoying itch that she just couldn’t scratch.
Standing there feeling antsy as hell she reached for her cell phone.
“Damn, did I do too much?” She questioned herself feeling funny like she had no control over her body. She dialed Tessa’s number but didn’t get an answer. “Damn,” she said as she started panicking. “I should’ve just left it alone.”
She started pacing back and forth down the hallway not knowing what to do with herself. In her mind, she was thinking that this was Kory’s way of telling her that she had better get her shit together. She looked for the keys to Royce’s car being that he’d been kind enough to let her use it that morning if she promised to spend time with his younger siblings later that day, especially with Jewel. That was his way of trying to make her face whatever it was that she was running from.
She hurriedly walked out the front door of Tessa’s crib and went straight to the car. She unlocked the doors then got inside it as she sat behind the wheel for a moment trying to figure out where she was going. Without another thought she put the key in the ignition, started the engine and pulled off.
Ten minutes later, she’d found herself pulling up to the Circle K that she and Kory went to the night she lost him. She didn’t even know how she got there. It seemed as if she was driving in a blur. Upon coming back to her senses, there she was; pulling up in an empty parking spot in front of the store.
“What are you doing, Bianca?” She questioned herself then looked in the rear view mirror to take another look at her face. “My God,” she said looking around the parking then inside the store. She had passed that store a few times since his death, but was never able to actually go there. As she sat in the car staring off into blank space, the memories surfaced all of a sudden as vivid as they could be as she pictured herself in the store standing in between Kory and the ratchet one.
It made her smile to know that he’d calmed her down so much, because she would’ve caught a case that night. His smile always melted her heart. It was so sincere and genuine. When he smiled at a person, he meant it and that person could genuinely feel it. Her heart ached at just picturing his handsome face staring at her then kissing her.
As she sat with her eyes closed the tears started to run down her face. “Get it together,” she coached herself. “He’s gone and you gotta accept that.” But in her heart she couldn’t. What people didn’t know
was that Kory really did love her and she really did love him. She wiped her eyes, but the tears kept falling. “Come on, Bianca.” She said sitting there knowing that she couldn’t just sit in front of the store like that without someone thinking that she was crazy.
She closed her eyes then grabbed the steering with both of her hands and inside her mind, she spoke to Kory as if he was in the car with her.
How am I supposed to go on without you? You’ve made living here extremely hard without you. I miss you so much, but I don’t wanna feel this pain forever. I wanna be able to take care of the kids like I promised you and still clean myself up. It’s just hard baby and I wish that you could be here to hold my hand through this and tell me that it’s gonna be okay. Just hearing you say those four simple words always let me know that you had my back.