Worst Case Scenario

by Chenell Parker

  “Watch your mouth lil boy. And what do you mean you’re homeless? You can come stay right here with me. I don’t know why Jarvis didn’t let me have you and Kareem when Summer and your daddy first died. Y’all wouldn’t have gotten into half as much trouble if y’all were here with me,” Lucille argued.

  “He loved you, that’s why. You couldn’t handle us and everybody knew it. Jarvis did alright with us. Me and Remo just always had a mind of our own.” Nas shrugged.

  “Y’all had a mind for sin. That’s why y’all went out there and opened up that naked women’s club. And you went even further and married one of them lil nasty gals. Kareem got a good woman and he still won’t settle down. Jarvis ain’t did a damn thing right if you ask me,” Lucille fused.

  “I’m going get my stuff grandma,” Nas said as he walked away laughing.

  “You can come stay right here with me!” Lucille yelled after him.

  Nas loved his grandmother but living with her wasn’t happening. He also didn’t want to overstay his welcome at Gavin and Stori’s house. He was going to figure it out eventually but he had something else on his mind at the moment. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and called his twin.

  “What’s good bro? I was just about to call you. I’m stressing and Kalani is about to get fucked up for real. She’s all out of chances and I’m done waiting,” Remo fumed as soon as he answered the phone.

  “You know I got you bro, but I got some news that’ll make you feel better. It’s on now, my nigga. Mr. Herbert just offered us another stream of legal income that we can’t pass up. Where you at?” Nas asked.

  “I’m at home,” Remo said, referring to Kalani’s house.

  “Bet, I’m on my way. We got a few things to discuss,” Nas replied before he hung up.

  He took everything out of his truck and took it to one of his grandmother’s spare bedrooms. She continued to fuss about everything under the sun, but Nas just ignored her. Once he was done, he grabbed him and Remo something to drink before he headed over to his house to talk business.

  “ Kalani, bitch, shut the fuck up!” Stori yelled as she laughed hysterically.

  “Bitch, I’m serious. I don’t even know why I listened to you. I’m happy that I used my first mind and put an extra pair in my purse. Me wearing edible underwear is not what’s up,” Kalani fussed as she used the wipes from her purse to clean herself up.

  “That’s because you don’t listen. I told you to put them on no longer than thirty minutes before you handle business. It’s candy Kalani. The heat from your body will cause the sugar to melt,” Stori noted.

  “Yeah, and I had to learn the hard way. Shit looked like a big ass fruit roll up smeared across my cookie,” Kalani said, making Stori laugh again.

  She was in the bathroom at a fancy restaurant giving herself a hoe bath. She couldn’t believe that her edible underwear had melted and made a mess underneath her dress

  “Well, besides that little mishap, how is the date going?” Stori asked.

  “Everything is perfect. I wanted to have something for him to lick off of me, but I’ll just have to improvise. Maybe I can grab a can of whipped cream or something,” Kalani replied as she slipped on a fresh pair of underwear. She was happy that the restroom was single occupancy only because she damn near had to take a bath below her waist.

  “Okay boo, well call me when you make it home,” Stori said.

  “I will,” Kalani replied before she hung up.

  She checked her hair and makeup before going back out to join her date. Omar wasn’t someone that she would usually go for but maybe she needed a change. He was an investment banker and he had been asking Kalani out for a while. He used to always come to his brother’s dental office but she always turned him down when he asked. It wasn’t until a few months ago when she ran into him again that she decided to give him a chance. Omar would be considered a nerd to most people but he was a sweetheart. He was a gentleman and he treated Kalani with respect. He was nothing like Remo and that wasn’t a bad thing in her opinion. He was shy, but Kalani was going to make the first move when they got back to his house. She and Omar had only kissed once and she had to initiate that too.

  “Is everything okay?” Omar asked when Kalani came back to the table.

  “It is now.” Kalani smiled.

  “Do you want some dessert or another glass of wine?” Omar offered.

  “No thanks, I’m stuffed,” Kalani replied.

  “So am I. Let me call for the check so we can go,” Omar said as he raised his hand and called the waiter over.

  Once he paid the bill and left the tip, he and Kalani were on their way back to his place. They made small talk until they pulled up to his house and parked in the garage. Omar and his family weren’t wealthy but they all had good jobs. He came from a two-parent home and the street life was foreign to him. Remo was the first hood nigga that Kalani ever dated and she wanted him to be the last.

  “Do you wanna watch a movie?” Omar asked when they entered the house through a side door.

  “Sure.” Kalani smiled.

  “Give me your hand. It’s dark in here. I don’t want you to trip over anything and fall,” Omar said as he grabbed her hand in his. Kalani followed him into the living room and watched as he turned on the light.

  “Ahh!” Kalani screamed as she let go of Omar’s hand and held her chest. Her heart felt like it was beating way faster than it should have.

  “What’s up my love?” Remo asked as he sat on Omar’s leather chair like he belonged there.

  Kalani felt like she was about to lose her bladder right there on the hardwood floors. Her luck couldn’t have possibly been that bad but obviously it was. She didn’t know what she had done in life to deserve a man like Remo. He had a good heart but he wasn’t all together mentally. No one in their right mind would have done half the shit he did. Kalani was baffled as to how he even knew where she was. She had too many questions and not enough answers. Meeting Remo was her karma. That was the only way she could describe it.

  “Kareem! What the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to go to jail?” Kalani yelled.

  “I’m calling the police,” Omar said as he grabbed his phone from his front pocket.

  Kalani had already warned him about her crazy ex, but he didn’t know he was that kind of crazy. Omar really liked her, but not enough to lose his life. He had just unlocked his phone but he never got a chance to make the call. The barrel of a gun being placed to his head stopped him from moving altogether.

  “Is that how you treat company? I’m kind of offended. Go have a seat my man. My brother wants to rap with you for a minute,” Nas said as he motioned towards the sofa with his gun.

  Kalani wasn’t even surprised that he was there. Wherever one brother was, the other was never too far behind. She had to do a double take when she saw that Nas had a sandwich in his other hand that he took a huge bite out of. They were really nuts. Not only did they break into someone’s house, but they made themselves at home. Kalani felt so bad for Omar. He looked terrified as he took a seat on his leather sectional. He usually lived a normal, ordinary life and she felt like shit for bringing her drama to his front door.

  Omar looked over at the two men and had to take a second glance. Besides one of them having dreads, everything else about them was identical. They looked so much alike that it was almost eerie. Even their deep, raspy voices sounded the same.

  “Sit down baby. Let’s talk,” Remo said as he looked at Kalani.

  “No Remo. We can talk when we leave. This feels weird. Let’s go,” Kalani replied.

  “Calm down sweetheart. I’m not on no bullshit, I promise,” Remo swore while flashing his panty dropping smile.

  “Yeah right. Bullshit is all you’re ever on,” she fussed as she walked over to the sofa.

  “I wish the fuck you would sit next to that nigga,” Remo dared with a frown on his handsome face.

  Kalani hurriedly made her way over to him and he pulled her
down to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arm around her waist possessively as he looked over at Omar.

  “Why are you here Kareem?” Kalani asked him.

  “Nah, the question is, why the fuck are you here? Who is this nigga, Kalani?” Remo asked.

  “He’s just my friend,” Kalani replied.

  “Your friend, huh?” Remo repeated as he looked over at the other man.

  “Yes, we’re only friends and nothing more,” Kalani assured him.

  “What’s your name, friend?” Remo asked sarcastically.

  “Omar,” the other man replied in a shaky but proper voice.

  “Man, I should knock you the fuck out Kalani. Look at that nigga with them tight ass pants on. Nigga hairline is receding and everything,” Remo fumed as he pushed her off of his lap and stood up. Kalani sat back in the chair that he’d just gotten up from and shook her head.

  “Aye Omar, what kind of sandwich meat is this? That shit good as fuck. I’m going make me another one,” Nas said as he turned and headed back to the kitchen.

  “Did you know about me, Omar?” Remo asked as he looked over at him.

  “Yes,” Omar admitted truthfully.

  “I respect your honesty, but I need to know why you thought it was a good idea to touch something that belongs to me,” Remo gritted.

  “I’m not a piece of property Kareem. I don’t belong to you,” Kalani corrected.

  “Don’t fuck with me right now Kalani. I already feel some type of way about you being here!” Remo barked.

  “I’m so sorry Omar,” Kalani said as she turned to the other man. He didn’t deserve what was happening to him and it was all her fault.

  Hearing her apologize to the other man angered Remo. He pulled the gun from his waistband and pointed it at Omar’s head. Kalani gasped as Omar held his hands up like he was being robbed. His entire body trembled and he didn’t know if he was going to live or die. He tried to hold them in, but the tears cascaded down his cheeks rapidly. He was embarrassed but he was too scared to care at the moment. He didn’t have an alarm but his home was fairly secure. He was wondering how the men got into his house and how they knew where he lived.

  “You gon’ sit up in my muthafucking face and apologize to another nigga Kalani. You must want me to blow this nigga’s head off!” Remo barked angrily.

  “Baby, no, please don’t do this. I won’t talk to him anymore, I promise,” Kalani swore.

  “Don’t tell it to me. Let this nigga know what’s up,” Remo demanded.

  “Omar, please don’t call me anymore and I won’t call you either. We can no longer be friends and we can never see each other again,” Kalani said as she turned her body to face Omar.

  “Is this nigga crying? Come on sis. You could have done better than this,” Nas said when he walked into the room and looked at Omar.

  “Can we please not do this right now Remo? We need to leave. You and Nas are trespassing,” Kalani replied nervously.

  “As if I give a fuck. The worst case scenario is that we’ll get locked up and probably be home in a day or two. I’ll find Omar, because I know he’ll try to hide, and put a bullet in his head. Since the star witness will be maggot food, the case will be dropped and me and bro can go on with our lives. It’s simple.” Nas shrugged, making Omar cry even harder.

  “I… I swear I won’t call the police. I won’t even mention this to anybody. You got my word. This never happened,” Omar stuttered and sobbed.

  “Nigga, man the fuck up! Even if my bro wanted to kill you, crying wouldn’t have stopped him. At least go out with some dignity,” Nas fussed as he looked at Omar’s wet face.

  “Let’s go,” Remo said as he looked at Kalani. She jumped up and stood next to him.

  “No, we can’t leave out of the front door Remo,” Kalani panicked when she saw where he was headed.

  “Why not? We came in this bitch through the front door,” Remo replied while grabbing her hand.

  Omar sat there stoically as Nas followed them out. Remo led Kalani to the end of the block where his car and Nas’ bike was parked. Remo watched as Nas drove away before he and Kalani did the same. The car ride was quiet for a while until he turned and looked over at her.

  “Stop playing with me, Kalani. That’s your last warning,” Remo said sternly.

  “Exactly how am I playing with you, Kareem? I’m tired of doing this all the time. How is it fair that you can move on but I can’t?” Kalani asked.

  “Who the fuck did I move on with Kalani? I’m not even doing shit. I run the club with my brother and stack money for the both of us. You need to stop believing everything that these hoes tell you. Most of the bitches who bring the bullshit to you be begging for the dick behind your back,” Remo noted.

  “Why should they have to beg for something that you give so freely? I’m tired of doing this same old song and dance with you. Just leave me the fuck alone and be free to do what you want to do,” Kalani said as tears fell from her eyes.

  “If leaving you alone was that easy, I would have been done that shit. You think I like playing Inspector Gadget trying to find clues to see what the fuck you be doing? This shit is draining me too,” Remo argued.

  “Well, let me go!” Kalani cried.

  “I tried but I can’t,” Remo sighed as he ran his hand down his face in exhaustion.

  The street life was wearing him down and he was exhausted. It seemed that he was sleeping less and running the streets more. When he had to run behind Kalani, that only stressed him out more. Thanks to Nas, he didn’t have to chase her for long. His brother had his back just like always. Nas had followed Kalani a few times in Danni’s car and she didn’t even know it. Kalani always parked her car in the mall’s parking lot and Omar would pick her up. Remo had known where he lived for weeks but he had to put a plan in motion. Nas had a connect at the DMV who made bogus driver’s licenses and he and Remo had lots of them for different reasons. All Remo had to do was get one made with Omar’s address on it and it was smooth sailing from there.

  He called Pop-A-Lock and told them that he was locked out of his home. When they came out and saw that his identification had the correct address, they wasted no time letting him in. Remo was a criminal but he was the worst kind. He was smart with his moves and he was always two steps ahead of Kalani. She always wondered how he managed to get into her house when she changed the locks, but he would never tell.

  “That’s what I get though. Karma came back and got my ass real quick,” Kalani said, pulling him away from his thoughts.

  “I wish you stop saying that dumb shit.” Remo frowned.

  “It’s true though. I cheated on Jamar to be with you and look at what happened. I left a faithful nigga to lay up with some community dick,” Kalani said angrily.

  Kalani had been with her ex-boyfriend Jamar for almost three years before she met Remo. Jamar was in the military and he was always in and out of town. Kalani traveled with him sometimes but she wasn’t always able to. She told Remo that she had a man when they met, but he didn’t care. He pursued her relentlessly until she gave in. Kalani was lonely, so it wasn’t that hard for him to do. Remo was heaven sent in the beginning and it was easy for her to fall in love with him.

  By the time Jamar came home, Kalani had moved out of their apartment and into the house that Remo had purchased for them. Jamar was heartbroken and he tried his best to get her back. Remo wasn’t having it though and he made that very clear. He went to Jamar’s job to let him know what was up and he hadn’t called Kalani since then.

  “Man, fuck that nigga. I told you to stop bringing that old shit up. I’m not perfect but stop talking like a nigga is all bad. You can say what you want, but I guarantee you’ll never find another nigga that loves you as much as I do,” Remo noted.

  “That’s the whole problem,” Kalani said as she started crying again. Remo stopped at a red light and put the car in park. He reached over and pulled Kalani onto his lap. He knew that she was getting fed up with his actions and
he always promised to do better. Kalani deserved much more than he was giving her and he had to get it right. She was his weakness and he hated to see her cry.

  “Stop crying baby. That shit breaks my heart,” Remo said as he wiped her tears. He could be a menace in the streets but he was always putty in Kalani’s hands. She was the only female that he’d ever dealt with who saw the softer side of him.

  “Obviously not since you keep doing the same shit,” Kalani argued.

  “Just tell me what you want Kalani,” Remo begged.

  “You already know what I want Kareem. We’ve been having this same conversation for months,” Kalani replied.

  “I’m trying to do better but you don’t cut a nigga no slack. How the fuck you put me out of a house that I paid for? I pay all the bills in that bitch and I can’t even live there,” Remo fussed.

  “You already know why I put you out though. Put the game on two players nigga. If I have to share you, then you better be prepared to share me too,” Kalani noted.

  “You never had to share me and I’ll make a nigga bleed before I share you,” Remo swore.

  “Whatever,” Kalani said as she rolled her eyes.

  “You trying to let a nigga come back home or what?” Remo asked her.

  “Are you trying to keep your dick in your pants?” Kalani countered.

  “Always,” Remo said as he pulled her in for a kiss.

  “We’ll see,” Kalani said once they came up for air.

  She thought she loved Jamar when they were together but it was nothing compared to how she felt about Remo. He was a lot to deal with but he was kindhearted once you got past his rough exterior. Kalani remembered when everything was good between them and she wanted that again.

  “I love you, baby, but you gotta be more understanding. I don’t have a regular day job and my hours are mostly at night,” Remo said as she climbed back over to her seat.

  “Don’t even try to come at me like that Kareem. I know the kind of hours you work. Hell, I work there too. Time was never an issue and you know that. My only problem with you is your infidelity. If you were really good at what you were doing, I would have never found out about it. You just fuck with gutter rats who can’t seem to keep the shit to themselves. They want everybody to know that they fucked one of the bosses,” Kalani replied.