by Yoshe
Since the weather broke, Asia Gordon, first-time mother and the wife of Rasheed, spent a lot of her free time outside of her home. On this particular day, she was sitting on the steps, taking occasional peeks inside the stroller of her daughter, Miyah. She couldn’t help but laugh at the baby, who was kicking her feet and gurgling at the excitement of seeing her mother’s smiling face. As she stared into the beautiful eyes of the adorable six-month-old, Asia felt so complete.
“Hi, baby,” Asia cooed. “Mommy loves you, do you know that? Mommy and Daddy love you so much!” Miyah made her baby noises. “Yes, we do, baby! Yes, we do!”
A look of contentment came over Asia’s face. Her life had definitely turned out for the better. She was finally married to Rasheed, who was the love of her life. And the highlights of their family were their children: her baby daughter Miyah and her stepson, Messiah. She couldn’t have asked for more.
Even with all of the positive things going on, there were still other issues that haunted Asia. She hadn’t spoken to her twin, India, in a few months. The last time she saw her sister was back in late November, during Kane’s wake. Asia felt badly for India. She knew that she was in a lot of emotional pain after Kane’s death, considering she had always had a serious crush on the man. She regretted not being there for India in her time of need. Now looking at her baby daughter Miyah had Asia ready to make amends with her younger twin. Kane’s untimely death was living proof that life was too short to not be speaking to her own sister.
While Asia bonded with her baby daughter, she hadn’t noticed someone walking up on her.
“Hi, Asia.”
Asia looked up and saw India standing there, staring at her. She was overcome with joy. She excitedly wrapped her arms around India and hugged her like there was no tomorrow.
“I was just thinking about you, India,” Asia said, through happy tears. “Oh, my God, girl! I’ve missed you so much. I don’t ever, ever want us to be apart again.”
India consoled her sister while trying to hold back her own tears. But after a while, she couldn’t help herself. She began crying too. “I missed you too, Asia. But I stayed away like you told me to.”
Asia let her go and stepped back to look at her. “And when the hell have you ever listened to me, hussy?” she said, as she wiped the tears from her face. They both had to laugh at the truth. “Don’t you ever stay away from me anymore! It’s been six long-ass months, India and that’s a long time to be away from your twin. We’re supposed to be glued at the hip, remember?”
India chuckled. “Yes, it is. Seemed like I was missing one of my ribs all of those months.” She looked inside of the stroller. India was instantly smitten, as she looked at her infant niece. “Oh, look at my niece,” she exclaimed. “Asia, she is so beautiful.”
Asia beamed with pride. “India meet Miyah Rashelle Gordon. Miyah, this is your auntie. Say hi, baby!”
Miyah began kicking her feet and making her happy baby noises. India put her hand to her heart.
“Hi, Miyah! Asia, she has your eyes and her daddy’s nose and mouth. And I see a little of Mommy in her too,” India said, while staring at her niece.
“Yes, she does.” Asia looked at her sister again. “I’m so sorry for pushing you away, India. I will never do that again.”
As India was about to reply to her, she caught a glimpse of her sister’s left ring finger. “Asia? Those rings are off the hook! Are you what I think you are?”
Asia nodded her head. “Yes, yes, I’m married! We got married in Bermuda this past April, just me and Rasheed. But we’re going to have a big reception, though, next month in July and I want you to be right there. Are you gonna come? You’re invited, you know.”
India didn’t know what to say. “I don’t know, Asia. How do you think Rasheed is gonna feel about me being there? I mean, shit, look at everything that’s happened over the last couple of months. With Kane getting killed after the car accident, Tuki’s suicide attempt, and with me and you not being on speaking terms for all of these months, he probably don’t even want me around.”
Asia hugged India again. “India, don’t worry about no Rasheed. You’re my sister. Trust me, the months that we weren’t speaking, he felt effed up about it because he wants me to be happy. So you better be at my reception, India. I would have invited you sooner but you changed all of your numbers.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I had to change my numbers. I heard that you were calling me at work but I just wasn’t in the mood to talk to anybody, especially after Kane died. I was really going through it, Asia.”
“I know you’ve been through it. But you’re fine now, right?” Asia asked, while rubbing India’s cheek.
India sighed and took a seat on the brownstone stoop. “So far, so good. I’ve been seeing a shrink for my issues.”
Asia sat beside India and held her hand. “It’s gonna be okay, India. You’re going to be okay and I’m going to be right there with you. I promise.”
India looked at her twin and broke down in tears again. “Thank you so much, Asia. I need all the support that I can get.”
“Well, you got it, girl,” Asia replied, kissing her sister’s hand. “And don’t you ever forget that.”
Sean puffed on his cigar and sat on the steps of his Bedford-Stuyvesant home. He laughed to himself, as he enjoyed the beautiful spring day and thought about some of precarious situations that he put himself in over the years. Women were the root of his problems but they always flocked to him, mostly because of his good lucks, nice physique, and, of course, his charming demeanor.
Sean’s biggest regret to date was what happened with Yadira. He felt like his actions were what sent her over the edge, causing the mentally unstable woman to take her own life. Her suicide was also a wakeup call for him. By marrying Milan, he thought that was proof that even a player like himself he could settle down with one woman. But that marriage had failed and now Sean was back to square one.
Before Milan came into the picture, there was Brandi. She was the perfect match for Sean. But like a fool, he let her slip right out of his grasp. After the traumatic incident with Yadira, Sean never once took it into consideration that Brandi had to deal with her own issues and guilt. He allowed his ego and selfishness to get in the way. His attitude was definitely the demise of their budding relationship and unfortunately, Brandi was never able to trust him again.
When they reconnected with each other, Sean could tell that Brandi’s feelings for him had changed. Sean found himself wanting her even more than the second time around but he was a married man and she was the forbidden fruit. Their whirlwind romance was very short-lived and he could tell there was a little animosity still lingering from their past dalliance. But Sean was convinced that Brandi truly loved him, which meant that she was going to come back to him someday. In his mind, she was going to always come back to him.
Chapter 32
Dollar exited the bedroom and walked into the living room of his two-bedroom condo. He smiled as he stood by and watched Brandi attempt to beat Greg, his fifteen-year-old son, at NBA 2K13.
“Ah, come on, Miss Brandi,” Greg said to his future stepmother. “Can’t you see that you’re losing this game? I’m too official at this!”
Brandi wanted to laugh at Greg’s bragging but she managed to keep a straight face and keep her eyes on the television screen. She wrestled with the controller, as she tried to get one of her players to shoot a three-pointer.
“Come on, you stupid game!” she yelled at the television. “These dudes are lucky I’m not their coach! They would be sitting on that damn bench!”
Dollar walked around the sofa and sat next to Brandi. He loved that she connected with his son, which only made him fall for her more. Brandi was the perfect partner who could do no wrong; she was what he always yearned for. And Dollar was ready to kill anyone who tried to harm her. She was his queen and no one was going to ever change that.
“Shamari is out of it,” Dollar said to Brandi. Her grandso
n was sound asleep in the spare bedroom. “When I went to check on him, he was hanging off the bed. He sleeps like a grown-ass man working a full-time job!”
Brandi took her eyes off the game for a moment and kissed Dollar on the lips. “Yes, he does! And thanks, baby, for checking on him for me. Such a good man.”
He rubbed her back. “What else am I?” he whispered in her ear.
“And you’re my baby,” Brandi whispered back then mouthed the words “I love you” to him.
“Come on, Miss Brandi,” Greg chided. “You and my dad can smooch later! Let’s do this!”
They all laughed. As Dollar watched them play the video game, he felt content. For the first time in his life, he knew what having a real family felt like. And it felt so good that he never wanted to let that go.
A few hours later, Brandi was in Brooklyn and dropping her grandson off to his father. When Shamari came downstairs to meet them, he was looking handsome as ever. Brandi smiled at her son. He was definitely a replica of his father, Maleek. They both had the same lean but muscular frame and flawless chocolate skin. And Brandi was so proud of Shamari. He had come a long way from being a rebellious teenager to becoming a hardworking, responsible dad.
“Hey, Ma!” Shamari said, kissing his mother on the cheek. “Thanks for holding down my baby boy for me today. I know it was last minute but I had some overtime that I wanted to do. Got these bills to pay, ya know?”
Brandi kissed Shamari on the cheek and wiped her nude lip gloss off his face with her thumb. “It was not a problem, baby,” she replied. “You really don’t have to take him today. He could stay with me tonight, you know. My sweet baby truly enjoyed himself with his Nana today,” she added, giving the younger Shamari a kiss on the cheek, too.
Shamari smiled. “Nah, that’s okay, Ma. His other grandmother wanted me to bring him to her anyway so that he could go to church with her in the morning. Where did y’all go today?”
Brandi took a deep breath. “Well, we went to Chuck E. Cheese’s earlier in the day, caught a movie with Dollar and his son, Greg, and then got something to eat. After all of that, I spent some of the evening trying to beat Dollar’s son at NBA 2K13!” Shamari laughed. “You know I can’t play those video games for nothing!”
“Ma, you never could play those games! But one thing I could say, you always tried to play with me anyway. And I understand why you tried to play with me.”
Brandi felt herself getting choked up. She always went out of her way to make her son feel loved and make him believe that he didn’t need a father in his life. But after Shamari went to jail, Brandi started thinking otherwise. Maybe the female substitution of a father figure was no good for him. Shamari was acting out and it was apparent that he needed male guidance. As a woman, she couldn’t give him that. But fortunately, life lessons and his son’s mother’s untimely death helped him to grow up. Even though her grandson didn’t have his biological mother, he had his father in his life. After all, who else can raise a man better than a real man?
Brandi hugged her son. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Ma,” Shamari replied, as he hugged his mother back. Little Shamari let go of his father’s hand. He went off to the other side of the lobby to play by with toy cars that Dollar purchased for him. Shamari looked at his mother.
“So what’s up with you and Dollar? Do I see marriage in your future?”
Brandi beamed with pride. “I think he’s the one,” she said. “Me and Dollar have history together and that history is what kind of connects us, you know?”
Shamari put his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “That’s what’s up, Ma. I’m happy for you. Dollar seems like he’s a cool cat and I like the fact that he got some legal money. That means he could hold my Mama Dukes down the right way!” Brandi laughed at that statement. “I don’t want you to be with no broke-ass Negro!”
Brandi happily agreed. “Yeah, you’re right, son. I don’t need that.”
“But, Ma, I do have one small issue with Dollar. I’m not too cool with some of things that he’s done in the past. I did my homework on him. A few of my dudes was up North with Dollar and they said that he was no joke with the hands, the banger, and the gun. And I don’t want you to get caught up in his bullshit, excuse my French, and you end up getting hurt. And the person who shot him last year was never found,” Shamari said, giving his mother a shrewd look. “If he find out who did that, you know that Dollar is not about to let that ride.”
Brandi nodded her head. “No, no, no, baby! It ain’t even like that. Aside from that incident, Dollar is on chill mode. He’s a businessman; he ain’t trying to lose no money by trying to kill somebody! That doesn’t make any sense.”
Shamari still had his reservations. “Okay, Ma, I’m just saying. I don’t want no problems and I don’t want to end up back in jail for killing this dude Dollar! And I want you to be careful too. He’s really into you, I could tell. I see the way he looks at you, caters to you. So all I’m saying is to be careful with your movements, Ma.” Brandi sighed. “And you have to leave Sean alone.”
Brandi frowned at him. “Ain’t nobody thinking about no Sean!” she said with a slight attitude.
Shamari grabbed his son’s hand and gave his mother the side eye. “Come on, Ma. You still have strong feelings for Sean. I may be your son but I ain’t no fool.”
After Brandi left Shamari and her grandson, she thought about what he had said to her. Leave Sean alone! It was great advice, coming from someone who was so close to her. And Shamari knew exactly how she felt about Sean.
Shamari’s comment had the adverse effect on Brandi. When she got upstairs to her apartment, she picked up the phone to call Sean a few seconds after she walked through the door.
“Hello?” Sean said. Hearing his voice had Brandi hesitant to respond.
“Hi, Sean, this is Brandi. How are you?” she said.
She listened as Sean laughed in the background. “Wow! What’s up, sweetness? You good?” he asked, sounding happy to hear from her.
Brandi couldn’t contain her giddiness. “Yes, yes, Sean, I’m fine. Just, um, checking on you to see how you were. You’ve been on my mind lately.”
“Is that right? I’m surprised that you even thought about me. I would’ve called you but I figured that you have a man by now.”
Brandi sucked her teeth at his wisecrack. “Anyway, how’s your wife doing, Sean?”
“I don’t have a wife anymore, sweetness. I’m happily divorced.”
Brandi got quiet. She had to get her thoughts together before she started talking again. “Are you serious? I can’t believe that you’re divorced, Sean! You seemed so happy with your wife. What happened?”
“Man, I don’t even want to talk about it. She lives in Atlanta now so I don’t ever have to see her again! But the question is what’s up with you and that Dollar cat? Heard you were kinda happy with homeboy,” Sean said.
“Um, yeah, I’m happy with homeboy,” Brandi said, mocking him. “Are you happy being single?”
“I would be happier if I can have you.”
Brandi cut him off. “Sean, please.”
“Why don’t you just come see me, Brandi?”
“Sean, I—”
It was Sean’s turn to cut her off. “Please, baby, I miss you.”
Brandi started to sound worried. “Sean, we can’t do this. I . . . I’m in a relationship now.”
“And? What the fuck does that mean?” Sean asked, in a sarcastic tone. “I ain’t thinking about Dollar. I asked you to come see me. Please, Brandi?”
It didn’t take much convincing to get Brandi out of the house and on her way to Sean. She knew that what she was doing was wrong but she craved the excitement.
Chapter 33
It was 9:00 p.m. at night when Brandi rang Sean’s bell. He came to the door with nothing but a robe on, not making things any easier for her. He had the robe slightly open to reveal his baby-oiled chest and abs. Brandi held her breath, as she sl
owly stepped into the foyer of his home. Before she could say one word to him, Sean began taking off her clothing. Brandi didn’t object to it one bit. She was ready for everything that he had in store for her.
“You had better brought this pussy to me,” Sean whispered in her ear. He removed her panties, got on his knees, and stuck his face in her crotch. Brandi almost fell backward while Sean used his expert mouth and tongue to suck, nibble, and lick on her pussy.
Brandi grabbed Sean’s head, as if she was trying to pull him deeper into her vagina. “Sean, I have a man,” she moaned. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”
Sean heard what Brandi said but didn’t reply to her. He just continued to make a full-course meal out of her clean-shaven vagina and she was loving every minute of it. Brandi peeled Sean’s robe off him. His body looked exquisite. This time, she got on her knees and blessed him with her fellatio skills. Now it was Sean’s turn to scream and moan. He was in heaven.
Unable to hold back any longer, they took off all of their clothing and had sex all over Sean’s house, from the kitchen counter to the bathroom sink. Brandi couldn’t get enough of Sean. She wrapped her legs around his waist, practically begging him to fuck her harder. He bent Brandi over the couch, long dicking her in the doggie-style position. She screamed and yelled his name, urging him to stop because the pain was so intense but she really didn’t mean that. Brandi loved rough sex and having her pussy pounded; even Dollar knew that about her. Sex with him was super but there was something else about Sean that she just couldn’t resist.
The two freaks ended their sexual romp in Sean’s bedroom. They lay in the bed, with Sean hold Brandi in his arms.
“I love you to death,” Sean said to her. He kissed her on the forehead. “It just doesn’t seem like we’re going to ever be together but you know what? That could be a good thing. Maybe it’s just best that we remain secret lovers.”
Brandi sighed. “I can’t agree with you more, Sean,” she replied. “It’s much better the way it is between us.”