A Hood Dilemma is Still Bittersweet: A Naptown Triangle (A Bittersweet Hood Dilemma Book 3)

by Natavia

  I waited until I heard the music playing before I made my move. I pulled the curtain back then walked in. The room was spacious and the lights were dimmed. The stripper laid across the table with her legs up. I couldn’t make out their faces just their silhouettes. Zas was eating the stripper out. They were so caught up they didn’t see me. I pulled out my gun with my silencer on it, aimed it in the back of Zas’s head then squeezed the trigger. His head dropped and the stripper gripped his head then started humping his face. If only she knew the nigga was dead.

  When I walked into the house, Tassana was waiting up for me. “Don’t you have to go to work tomorrow morning? Don’t you need to be asleep?” I asked her.

  “No, I don’t have to get up early since O.J. doesn’t go to daycare. I figured since we live together, we can save the money,” she said.

  “Yo, every time you talk about saving money, I have to just look at you. Last year you didn’t know what that meant,” I laughed.

  “Don’t be fooled. I saw this bag at the mall earlier and I wanted to know if you can buy it for me,” she said pouting.

  “Just hit a nigga with the okey-doke?” I asked her.

  “I’m good for it,” she said.

  “When you was working at the strip club—”

  She cut me off. “Let it go, Osari,” she said.

  “I’m not tripping about it, I wanted to know what kind of tricks you did. Can I get a show or something? Twerk for a nigga,” I said pulling money out of my pocket. I handed it to her.

  “Come upstairs in fifteen minutes,” she said getting up. Tassana might not be perfect to anybody else but she was perfect for me. I loved every bit of her. I had some issues myself and she was still rocking with me. I looked at the clock on the wall, fifteen minutes seemed forever.

  Ivanka

  I instructed the movers on what I was taking with me. I was going back to Virginia. There wasn’t a place for me here. Lee and my relationship had ran its course. I sat down on the box rubbing my stomach. I was now six months pregnant and I couldn’t wait until my daughter came into this world. While the movers grabbed my boxes taking them out of the house, Lee walked in. He looked just as good as he did the first day I met him. I was going to school and he was just leaving from seeing his P.O. We stood at the bus stop waiting for the bus, just the two of us. I always thought it would be just us two together forever but I guess we grew apart.

  He walked over to me then hugged me. I inhaled his scent. I wanted to cry but I held myself together. I was honestly tired of crying.

  “This is it, huh?” Lee asked sitting down next to me on a box.

  “Yeah, this is it,” I replied. He grabbed my hand then kissed it.

  “I don’t want us to hate each other because we will be bonded for the next eighteen years,” he said.

  “I don’t hate you, I’m just mad how we ended up. I’m hurt you got me out here just to do me the way you did,” I said to him. He let out a deep breath.

  “I tried to stop you from coming but I couldn’t come out and tell you. Our problems started when you begged me to marry you. After you stuck by me when I was locked up, I felt like I had to propose to you. You never just let our relationship flow,” he said.

  “Why couldn’t you just tell me you wasn’t ready?” I asked him.

  “I just couldn’t. You told your family and mine. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed,” he replied. A tear fell down my face.

  “This hurts so much,” I cried. He pulled me to him, hugging me.

  “It hurts me too but I couldn’t tell you,” he said.

  “Five years,” I said shaking my head, standing up.

  “We got a bundle of joy coming from it. We made her from love,” Lee said kissing my stomach.

  “Are you seeing someone?” I asked him.

  “Nope, I am cool with this one shorty though. She and I just be kicking it. I’m honestly not looking for a relationship, Ivanka. I need the time to myself and I think you need it too. You deserve a good nigga that went to Harvard or some shit. A man that you won’t have to pressure because whatever he does for you he wants to do without you telling him.” I kissed his lips.

  “That man has some serious Timbs to fill.” I laughed wiping my eyes. After Lee and I parted ways I got into my car then headed to Kyree’s house.

  When I pulled up to her house, she was walking out. I got out of my car. “I’m coming to say goodbye,” I said to her.

  “I’m going to miss you,” she cried then hugged me.

  “Stop it, you know my pregnant ass is emotional,” I said.

  “I know all about it, I’ve been emotional for a whole week now,” she said.

  “What are you talking about, Kyree?” I asked her smiling.

  “Well, I took a pregnancy test yesterday and it was positive! Pernell and I are officially having a baby!” she screamed excitedly.

  “Get the hell out of here,” I said rubbing her flat stomach.

  “Later on I find out how far I am,” Kyree stated.

  “I’m so happy for you two. I guess some of us just don’t get happy endings,” I said sadly.

  “Don’t start that shit, Ivanka, this is just the beginning for you. Lee will come around eventually, look at Pernell and I. Pernell ran me through the mud and took everything from me and now I’m back with him. I cut him off completely for a few months to let him know that I was serious. That nigga got his act together. Sometimes a little space is needed for a while,” she said.

  “I’m going to hold on to that,” I said hugging her.

  “You’d better not get down to Virginia and start stressing yourself with that baby,” she warned me. After I said goodbye to Kyree I got ready to hit the road. I stopped at a Chinese carry-out to eat something before I took the four-and-a-half hour drive. When I pulled up in the parking lot, I spotted Lee’s Infiniti truck. I sat in my car and waited. My face dropped when the girl Shannon that hung out with Shimmy walked out the restaurant with him. Shannon liked girls to my understanding and I couldn’t figure out what she was doing with Lee. She said something then Lee burst out into laughter. I had never seen him that happy. What did I do wrong? I thought to myself.

  Shannon was pretty in a natural way. She didn’t wear make-up and was just all the way natural. She was thicker than me, she had more breasts, ass, and hips. Her hair was in dreadlocks. She styled her dreads in a Mohawk. Shannon’s skin was flawless and smooth, she had pretty dark skin. I couldn’t understand why Lee was with her, Shannon is almost as ratchet as Shimmy. Shannon took her food from Lee, he said something to her then she started to blush.

  “That gay bitch!” I screamed. Lee walked Shannon to her Camry. I couldn’t make out what they were discussing but she stood on her tippy-toes to kiss him. It wasn’t a deep kiss, it was just a peck on the lips. After a few more words, Shannon left. I wanted to call Lee but I couldn’t. Instead, I just left and I was never looking back.

  Shimmy

  I sat on the steps watching Rayshawn playing around in the yard. Kiwanna has not reached out to Dez yet, she hasn’t even called to check up on Rayshawn. I honestly was glad because Rayshawn didn’t need her. Shannon pulled up in front of the house. “What up, bitch!” I called out to her.

  “Ain’t shit popping, hoe,” Shannon said opening up the fence. Rayshawn ran to her and she picked him up then kissed him on the cheek.

  “What brings you by?” I asked her. I think Shannon and Lee got something going on and she isn’t trying to tell anybody. I always thought Shannon was low-key crushing on Osari.

  “I’m just getting off from work, you know I have to ride past here on my way home,” she said.

  “Cut the bullshit, Shannon, what’s up with you and Lee?” I asked her.

  “Lee and I are just friends,” she said.

  “Lee is a damn man-whore and he only wants one thing,” I said to her.

  “Okay, first off, I’m grown. Second of all, ain’t shit going on between Lee and me like that,” she said. />
  “I know when you are lying to me but it’s cool. I’m rocking with you no matter what, but if that nigga get out of hand, let me know,” I said to her. She laughed.

  “I’m used to women, you know that. I’ve never said I didn’t like men at all. I just haven’t found one yet that piqued my interest until I ran into Lee. I’m just chilling with him, that’s all,” she said. A police cruiser stopped in front of the house. I prayed that Dez was alright. I started panicking, my palms started sweating. “I’m looking for a David Jones,” the black male officer said to me. David Jones is Speedy’s real name.

  “He isn’t here,” I replied.

  The officer gave me his card telling me to contact him when Speedy comes home. After the officer left I tossed the card. “What the hell Speedy get into now?” Shannon asked laughing.

  “Girl, who knows with him,” I said laughing. Speedy rolled up the street singing loudly. When he saw me and Shannon sitting on the step he grilled us.

  “The police just left. They came looking for you,” I said to him.

  “They are going to keep looking for me until Keosha gives me what I want. I paid that bitch for the pussy and she only gave it to me one time. She still owes me,” Speedy fussed.

  “That’s just trifling. So, what you do to her?” I asked him.

  “I rolled into her job and demanded she give me what she owes me. Her manager called the police on me. I ran her manager’s feet over with my wheelchair and I wasn’t going to stop until I heard the cops coming,” he said. Shannon and I had tears in our eyes from laughing. Dez pulled up then got out of his car. My heart still skips a beat when I see him. He graduated from high school a few weeks ago. I was proud of him.

  “What ya’ll bitches doing?” Dez joked, picking up Rayshawn.

  “Don’t play with me, Dez, before I turn your girl out. You know I just got finished eating her out,” Shannon joked.

  “Just when I was starting to like you, but if you ate her out then you are my nigga. I don’t eat nothing bleeding,” Dez spat.

  “Y’all young niggas don’t know how to get down with it. Speedy speeds through all the red lights,” Speedy told Dez.

  “Nigga, I’m only nineteen and have gotten more pussy than you. I stayed in some pussy, nigga, therefore I never had to be that desperate to eat some bloody pussy,” Dez spat.

  “Whatever, nigga,” Speedy said. He was mad that Dez called him out.

  “Where is Nana?” Dez asked me.

  “She went to the salon to get her hair done,” I told him.

  “She’s probably at the church bending over for that new preacher. Y’all know Nana been getting her groove on, that’s why she is always getting her hair done and stuff,” Speedy said.

  “Nana knows better. My mama can fuck who she wants, but when it comes to Nana, that’s a whole different story,” Dez said. Kyree called my phone and I answered.

  “What’s the latest hood gossip?” I asked Kyree.

  “Shut up Shimmy, I’m not that bad but guess what?” she said excitedly.

  “What?” I asked her.

  “Kauzie just proposed to Tokyo!” she screamed into the phone. I was so excited I start screaming myself.

  “That’s what I’m talking about. Tokyo’s ass is about to get married. He was about to be next on my shit list. He can’t be knocking up Tokyo twenty-four-seven and not put a ring on it.” I laughed.

  “Pernell and I are house hunting. We need something spacious for when our baby comes,” she said. Kyree was two months pregnant. I never thought I would be saying this, but I’m glad she is happy with the person she wanted to be happy with. No Hands came a long way and I had a lot of respect for him because of that.

  “Good luck with that and don’t give him a hard time, Kyree, I know your simple ass,” I said to her.

  “Bitch, I’m not that bad. I just want to find the perfect house for us.” She laughed. After I got off the phone with Kyree, we kicked it in front of the house, cracking jokes. Keosha’s car pulled up and so did a police car.

  “There his ass go! Get him!” Keosha screamed at the officers. Two officers ran towards Speedy but he was too fast. Speedy took off down the street. One of the officers was fat and out of shape, and the other cop was an older man. They weren’t going to catch Speedy.

  “Y’all muthafucka’s ain’t going to ever catch Speedy!” Speedy hollered, speeding down the sidewalk in his wheelchair and, just like that, he disappeared. Dez was almost on the ground in tears from laughing at Speedy, Shannon and I couldn’t catch our breath. There was always drama in the hood even when you think everything has ended. Although our dilemmas had ended, other people’s dilemmas in the hood were just beginning…

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