Pandora's Box

by Coffee

  Munch opened one eye at her to catch a glimpse of her face before closing it back. “Nah, not yet.”

  “I see. Well, do we have anything to be concerned about?”

  That question almost irritated him because she knew the answer to that. They had been together for two years and not one thing ever came to her doorstep.

  “Nothing I do will ever fall back on you.”

  “I’m only asking because I’m sure he got a pretty good look at you and Kamal’s faces and now he’s on the loose.”

  That angered Munch. He sat up abruptly, splashing water around as he did. His eyes shot open and he stared at her fixedly. “And what? I got a good fuckin’ look at his too. What the fuck you tryna say, Reds?”

  “Look, I know you’re the man in these streets and definitely in this home. But in here,” she pointed at the center of her chest, “you my baby and that means I will worry sometimes. I’m sorry but I can’t help that.”

  Munch looked at the delicate look on her face as she explained herself. He didn’t mean to snap on her but it was eating him up to know he got away. Then to make matters worse, it was going to be a challenge finding him. G’Corey was the pussy type and pussies run from hard dick.

  “I put too much heat on my words. My bad fa dat.” He placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her down to kiss her.

  She understood where that came from and didn’t sweat it at all. “I know better than that. Relax yourself. I’ll be in the other room when you get out.”

  Forty minutes later…

  Munch stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around his waist. He stood in front of the mirror. Looking at his reflection, he ran his hands over his goatee as he examined the unrest in his eyes.

  He finished up in the bathroom and then stepped out into the living room, planting his eyes on something that made the edges of his lips curve upward.

  Reds rose to her feet when she saw Munch. Placing one hand at the curve of her shapely hips, the other hand held a stress reliever rolled in the form of a cigarillo between her fingers.

  She stood there looking seductive and ready.

  The woman who opened the door earlier looked like his homie, but the sex kitten who was greeting him now looked like his lover.

  The red, lacey baby doll negligée she changed into hugged her plus sized body beyond perfectly.

  Reds was everything he physically found sexy in a woman. Her skin was the color of dark chocolate. Her soft DDD breasts were bountiful, no two hands could hold them. She was pluscious. Fat ass, thick thighs and all his.

  He walked toward her, allowing the towel to unravel and slide to the floor. She stirred with anticipation, eager to feel his touch.

  Munch was unbelievably sexy. His cinnamon skin was the perfect canvas for the tattoos that marked his toned chest and stomach.

  Across his abdomen read: Magnolia Munch with NO GUTS NO GLORY underneath. Across his left pectoral, right over his heart read: Baby Goon with a pulse line running through it. And the tattoo that made her heart leap out of her chest was the one across his rib that read: Reds Johnson.

  She enjoyed looking at that man.

  Reds lit the blunt in her hand. Although she didn’t choke with him, she puffed on it until the fire kept ablaze on its own. Tilting her head to the side, she exhaled the smoke before they engaged in a deep, passionate kiss. She then placed the blunt in his mouth and he took a pull.

  Expelling a fog of Purp into the air, he studied her eyes. “You my baby, yea. You know that?”

  She shook her head yes. “You show that.”

  He smacked her on her booty, leaving his hand on it to feel it jiggle. “Sit that ass right there.” He pointed to the sofa and she did as she was told.

  With hard dick in one hand and Purple Haze in the other, he walked over to the music station. Thumbing through his CD case, he pulled out a disc and slid it into the carousel. He wasn’t the romantic type but he was about his thug passion from time to time.

  Pressing play on the stereo, Jae Millz’ Tip of my Tongue started thumping through the surround sound.

  Soon as I’m done with this blunt/I’ma give ya what you want/And honestly baby you can keep on them pumps/I like to put ‘em in the air when I work from the front/But I love giving back shots that make your ass jump…

  He placed the blunt in the ashtray on the ottoman nearby, kneeled in front of her and then separated her legs, pulling them apart as he slid her to him in one quick motion.

  “Ha!” The sweep of her body drawing close to his caused a sharp sound to escape her mouth.

  He then kissed, suckled and nibbled along the walls of her inner thighs as he traveled to the paradise located at her center.

  The first lick between the slit of her lotus bomb placed an arch in her back and a wail imploded from her lips. “Oooohhh!”

  She trapped her fingers in his long locs and he went to work pleasing her.

  Hours later…

  Reds rolled over in bed and noticed Munch was sitting up in what appeared to be deep thought.

  She picked up her phone and looked at the time. “Bae, it’s 3 a.m. Why aren’t you asleep? Something’s on your mind?”

  He looked over at her, then clicked the lamp on the nightstand off as he pulled her to lay on his bare chest. “Nah, it’s all good.”

  He concealed his truest thoughts. There wasn’t a need to say everything that crossed his mental. Besides real men didn’t whine about shit.

  Truth of the matter, G’Corey was still on his top. He admonished himself for letting him get away. So, if his girl detected stress, that’s because he was.

  Any man who thought he could breathe easy with an enemy on the loose, may very well find himself not breathing at all.

  On that note, he needed to chapter G’Corey, ASAP!

  Chapter 15

  A few days later…

  Samiyah and Gerran

  If Thursday was anything like Tuesday and Wednesday, then Samiyah was expecting not to see or hear from Gerran. She accepted the news was devastating but the truth still remained she was his wife and the baby she was carrying was one hundred percent his child.

  Samiyah rolled out of bed and over to her dresser. It was 10 a.m. and she needed to head over to Children’s to spend time with Lil’ Acacia as she had every day since she had been hospitalized.

  She reached into her drawers and pulled out a pair of gray jogger capris, a simple white V-neck T-shirt and her under garments. Heading over to her walk-in closet, she stepped up the ladder that allowed her to reach the top of her shelves and pulled out the Adidas box attached with the photo of the gray and white tennis she was looking for to complete her casual assemble.

  As she was heading into the bathroom to start her shower, she had to make a slight detour to the toilet and allow her insides to turn out.

  Still in the kneel position, Samiyah looked down at her stomach once she was done praying to the porcelain god. “Be good to mommy, little bud. And no more sickness for the day, okay? We have to see your big sister.”

  Once the nausea subsided, she stood up, headed over to the sink to brush her teeth before showering.

  Forty-five minutes later, she was out of the door with a double peanut butter sandwich in hand, that was one of her favorite pregnancy go to foods.

  Thirty minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot. She was happy she was stationary because she was starting to feel queasy from the drive, which reminded her to schedule a visit with her GYN/OB.

  Let me do that now, she thought as she pulled out her phone and called her doctor’s office. After she confirmed her appointment for Monday morning at eleven, she got out of her car to head inside.

  Before she closed her car door, her phone rang. It was Elias, so she sat back down and took his call.

  “What’s up, E?” she spoke exhaustedly.

  “Checking on you. Yo, you got any rest ‘cause you sound tired as fuck.”

  “Not really. It’s hard to sleep when you
don’t know where your husband’s laying his head or where his mind at.”

  “I can tell you where his head at. It’s in his fuckin’ ass. You know you married a dick, right?”

  “He can be, but I need to believe this too shall pass. I mean we’ve weathered other storms.”

  “Storms not hurricanes,” Elias clarified. “But fuck talkin’ ‘bout him. What’s up with Peaches?”

  “I’m actually in the parking lot to see her now. But she’s doing great from yesterday’s report. Thanks for asking.”

  “Thanks for asking? Don’t hit me with that courtesy line, Yah. She’s my child, too.”

  “My bad. I just know you’re not thrilled about it and…”

  “And nothing, ya heard me. When we talked the other night, I made it clear that this ain’t what I want. I never wanted, but she here nah and my issues ain’t got shit to do with her. So don’t talk to me like I’m an associate inquiring about your business when she’s my business too.”

  “You’re right. You. Are. Her. Father.” Samiyah spoke the words slowly as the realization still needed to set in with her.

  “Sounds weird as hell, huh? Me? A daddy.” Elias shook his head at the word daddy like he was declining a plate of god awful liver. He had an easier time saying supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

  “It does. I swear you couldn’t have paid me to believe we would be parents, more less together.”

  “Who you telling?”

  “Anyway, what’s up with Blu? Is she still mad?” Samiyah was curious to see if he was able to make up with his lady.

  “Yes indeed, she on fire, but I knew this when she left my house Monday night. I told you if she would have peeled off any faster, she would have time traveled. But I’m ‘bout to pull up on her right now and see if these couple of days cooled her off some.”

  “I hope so. Well, let me go inside and check on my,” she caught herself, “our daughter. I’ll talk with you later.”

  “A’ight. Do that.”

  Samiyah hung up with him, walked into the building and greeted those who passed her like usual. When she made it to the nurse’s station, she reached for the clipboard to sign in but paused when she saw the last name on the sheet.

  “My husband, Gerran Babineaux, came earlier?”

  “Yes, ma’am, but he’s still here actually.”

  “Oh,” Samiyah’s cheeks went into her eyes to cover up her shock. She signed her name, dotting the I’s in two places before walking off.

  She then crept up on the room but didn’t enter. Instead, she watched what appeared to be a tender moment. Gerran was rubbing the backs of his knuckles over her pudgy cheeks as he smiled at her.

  Awww.

  Samiyah saw his mouth moving but was unable to hear what was being said but she gathered it was touching because shortly after his lips stopped moving, he dropped his head and then used his index finger to swipe away tears.

  Oh, God, my husband’s hurting, she thought as her heart shattered. I swear I didn’t mean for this to happen. You have to believe me. I pray to God you’ll believe me. She caressed the door as if it were his back, tenderly, soothingly.

  “Are you alright, Mrs. Babineaux?” One of the nurses asked while walking up when she saw her leaned up against the door, crying.

  “I am.” Samiyah smiled as she wiped her face with the base of her palms.

  “Okay.” The nurse rubbed her back, ending it with a double pat before walking off.

  When Samiyah turned her head to look back in on them, Gerran was preparing to leave.

  Oh shit!

  She quickly skedaddled and veiled herself behind a corner wall. Samiyah didn’t want her presence to publically trigger the floodgate of pain he was bridging back.

  He turned left, nodding at the receptionist as he headed out of the hospital.

  Samiyah waited for the coast to clear before she came out from hiding.

  Walking back to her baby’s room, she pushed the lever down, pressed her weight against the door for it open and walked inside.

  She could smell the scent of Gerran’s cologne lofting in the air. That made her feel his absence even more as nostalgic memories hit her like a cannon ball.

  Shaking off those melancholy thoughts, she looked upon her sleeping beauty and held a chat with her of her own.

  “I don’t know what he told you but before you’re old enough to know about this mess I made, mommy will fix our family. That’s my promise, angel. I will fix this.”

  Elias and Blu

  Whether it was the right or wrong thing to do, Elias gave Blu the few days she needed to clear her head. But now it was time to see if she was rolling with him on this or if he needed to roll without her because although he wasn’t ready for fatherhood, it was upon him.

  He pulled up to her house and she was home like he anticipated she would be. Shutting down The Bar at Aqua Blu and making it to the house at 4:30 each morning guaranteed she’d be too tired to makes moves before noon.

  Elias knocked a few times and then slid his hands into his pockets as he turned his back to the door and looked down the street, admiring the view of her well-to-do neighborhood.

  Eli looked over his shoulder when he heard the locks disengaging before he fully turned around. When he saw Blu, he smiled but she didn’t return his kindness.

  She stood in her doorway, leaning against the side of it. And because she didn’t roll out the welcome wagon like she usually would, he knew she was still bristling.

  “Good morning, Blu sky.” Eli greeted her the way he would every morning they brought in together with the hopes she’d warm up to him but she was unfazed by the name that usually made her bubble with adorable smiles, for today she was still as cold as ice.

  “Why did you come?” Her voice was sweet but her words were sour.

  “You said a few days and I gave you that. It’s time we talk for real, for real.” Blu didn’t budge or open her door any wider for him to come inside when he stepped forward, so he questioned. “You not gon’ let me in to talk?”

  “Say what you came to say. We can talk right here.”

  Eli looked the other way as he shifted his eyes off to the side. He didn’t want to be impatient with her but it was becoming hard not to.

  “Blu, this is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to you, so exactly what’s upsetting you most about this situation?”

  “Correction. It isn’t the same surprise to me as it is to you. The baby was your surprise but sleeping with her wasn’t. So, the fact that you didn’t tell me you sexed her before I became all buddy buddy with her is the reason this is blowing me. I feel like an idiot having sat between y’all and the little secret y’all kept. You played me.”

  “I didn’t play you because I didn’t lie to you.”

  “You might as well because your omission served the same purpose.”

  “I understand you’re hurt…”

  She waved her finger back and forth as she shook her head side to side. “Hurt? I’m not hurt. I’m pissed and the more I think about it I want to know the reason behind you not being as forthcoming about her as you were so many others. Is it because she wasn’t just a screw? Is it because you love her?” Her lips were in danger of trembling, so Blu balled them tightly.

  “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you becoming all melodramatic over something that only happened once!” He began talking with his hands as a way to exert some of the bottled frustration threatening to pour from his mouth.

  Her blue tinted hair was going to burst into tiny red flames if he mentioned how it only happened once, one more time.

  “Do you take me for a fool? What happened once has room to happen twice and who’s to say it hadn’t already, huh?”

  “Me is who.” He angrily pointed at his chest. “So what? My word ain’t bond no mo’?”

  “Maybe that’s why you weren’t concerned with my sex because you were busy dipping off into hers. We all know how you get down.”

&nb
sp; “What?” Eli attempted to walk off but turned back around, clutching his fists. “I’m not fucking her.”

  “I agree with you on that. You made love to her.” Blu could see she was pressing his buttons but she didn’t care. He already detonated her mind missile.

  “Let me get this right. You more upset at the fact that we did the damn thang over the fact that we have a baby together?”

  “To be honest, both have equally angered me.”

  Elias felt at a loss and could tell she was willing to go tit for tat as long as he went toe to toe. He didn’t like the pendulum effect their talk was taking and he wasn’t built to go back and forth. So in a very firm manner, Eli decided to nip things in the bud.

  “A’ight, then. Well, check this. For keeping the fact that I slept with Samiyah away from you, ya heard me, I’m fuckin’ sorry! But I can’t take the shit back, it happened. And there ain’t no returning Peaches back to sender, so either you gon’ take me as I am, right now,” he pointed his index finger to ground to emphasis his argument, “or I can leave you the hell alone because I’m not about to kiss yo ass to make you understand shit else.”

  Blu felt insulted by his ultimatum so she said the very first reactionary thing her mind conjured. “Go on, then. You’re still fuckin’ her anyway, so leave and don’t come back with yo hoe ass!” She slammed her door and locked it.

  Elias choked the air and then grimaced at her stunt. I got cho hoe ass, he thought. “Relationships are fuckin’ stupid any goddamn way. Fuck I look like tryna be in one?” He spoke on a low growl as he headed over to his truck to leave.

  Once inside, he started his engine. He stared at her door for a second to see if she would come out but when she didn’t, he placed his vehicle in reverse and pulled off. “It is what it fuckin’ is.”

  Blu and Kanari

  Blu folded her arms and leaned her back against the door. Tears streamed down her face because now she was hurting. She never saw the day come where something that felt so right would go so horribly wrong.