“Martellus isn’t the father either,” Kandi interrupted.
Jurnee slid to the edge of the chair. She stared at Kandi, wondering how bad off things had turned for Kandi. “Who’s the father?” Jurnee asked.
A sheet of silence covered the balcony for a moment before Kandi spoke. When she told the truth, it sent Jurnee into the treatment room with tears slipping down her face.
CHAPTER
Twenty-Five
Swagga Like Us
What in the hell is wrong with you, Marcus? You don’t make no surprise visits to my job!” Kendra said as Swagga sat down across from her desk.
“I just got back in town. Just wanted to see what you up to,” he said with five different colored diamond chains around his neck.
“And somewhere in that head of yours you figured my place of work would be a good spot? Who are you trying to impress by barging up here with your clique?”
“Ain’t nobody wit’ me but Rick,” he said, taking his black 4119 Burberry sunglasses off. “Do I look high?” He grinned with red eyes.
“What do you want? If you want that car back you—”
“Ain’t worried ‘bout that car, okay?”
“Alright. Speak what’s on your mind.” She leaned back, crossing her arms.
“Yo, that bread I wired you last year. Why you give it back to me?”
“Marcus, I told you why already. I was not with you for your fame or money. I gave it back because I assumed you would need it for your legal fees.”
“That was some real shit you did. I thought I was gonna be broke until I got my bread back from D-Hot. Yeah, he did some grimy shit, but I hated what happened to ‘im,” he said in a sullen tone.
“Speaking of which, why didn’t you tell me about what happened last month?”
He frowned. “A lot happened last month, so—”
“The issue you had on the road. The shooting where somebody tried—”
“It ain’t shit to stress ova’. Just some hatin’ ass niggas. And I couldn’t tell you because you ran out on me, remember?”
“I know we’re not on the best of terms, but I want you to be careful out there, Marcus. And when are you coming to see your daughter?”
“This weekend if you’ll let me.”
“I’ll never stop you from seeing your daughter and you know that, so stop trippin’.”
Swagga glanced at his new $22,000 Jacob white diamond watch. “What time do you get off? It’s uh, ten minutes to one.”
“Later, around ten. Why?”
“Maybe we could go out to—”
“No, Marcus. We are not going back down that road again, okay?”
He shifted on the chair, realizing Kendra was one in a million. She was special. “It’s about the videos you saw, huh?”
“Listen, Marcus. I don’t trust you no more. Even if it was a onetime thang or whatever. It happened, okay? The fact is that you didn’t tell me you had sex with that she-male. You weren’t supposed to keep things like that from me. How could you put me at risk?”
Swagga had no words to explain his actions. He was about to tell her about his doctor’s appointment set for next week when the phone on her desk rang. He stayed quiet, watching a woman that he knew had love for him. With Kendra he knew the true meaning of making love, which was different from sex and fucking. In truth, he couldn’t explain his spontaneous urge to see her. Maybe he could fix things if his HIV test was what he hoped it would be. Negative. Nashlly crossed his mind for a second. If his test was positive she would be given a rude awakening for her gold digging ambitions. His daze of thoughts were broken when Kendra stood up, smoothing her shirt in place. His eyes roamed over her soft plump figure.
“I need to run down the hall right quick. Can you wait here for a minute or two or what?”
“I’ll wait.” He settled back in the chair.
Kendra nodded and then made her way around the desk. Once the door was shut, Swagga slid his fingers through his long dreads. If he could be with one woman, it would be Kendra. Glancing back on her desk, he saw her iPhone beside her coffee mug. I wonder if she still got the same code? Knowing he was in the wrong, he leaned up and picked up the pink iPhone.
When the five digit code unlocked the iPhone, he immediately touched the video icon. There were only five videos.
My baby’s B-day party
YMCMB @ Club Liv
Untitled
Untitled
My fantasy cum true
Swagga touched the icon to view the first untitled video. He only needed to view five seconds before his stomach tightened at the sight of him and Chyna. The second untitled video was his second time he was caught on film with Chyna. I wonder how the fuck she got this shit. Moving fast, he pulled out his new cell phone and quickly downloaded the two videos. And just for the hell of it, he also downloaded the fantasy video, just to be nosey. He downloaded the two untitled videos of him and Chyna to find out who sent them to Kendra. Placing the iPhone back how he found it, he tried to relax so Kendra wouldn’t be suspicious of anything.
When she returned minutes later, he made a comment on her lemon scented perfume. She ignored him, keeping a wall up around her emotions.
“Marcus, for future reference. Please don’t visit me at my job again, okay?”
He slid his shades back on. “Fine. I won’t. Shit, why you slavin’ at this bullshit job anyway? Ain’t like you need any gwop.”
“I was working when you met me and—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re an independent woman.” He rose, adjusting his palm-sized Gucci belt buckle. “Here.” He dug inside his front pocket and pulled out a band of cash. “Put this unda’ my princess’ pillow.” He dropped four one hundred dollar bills on the desk. He knew she would never turn down any money for their daughter. As he turned to leave, he paused at the door. “Um, yo.” He looked back at her. “For all it’s worth. I’m sorry fo’ all the bullshit I put you through.”
Kendra wasn’t moving backward anymore. What she had with Swagga based on her emotions was a done deal. All she could do was maintain her position to ensure he had a relationship with his daughter. That was the best she could do. When he left, she thought of his secret. Like she told Trevon last week after she confronted Swagga, exposing him was pointless. Damn near every month or so, a rapper or some celebrity was coming out of the closet. Hell, even President Obama was for gay marriage. Being politically correct, she took a lax view on gay relations, but it was not okay for her private life. She had no need or want to be with a bisexual man. And it didn’t matter if he was out of the closet.
***
Swagga’s exit from the downtown building was a coordinated movement that guided him out the back door. Rick ran the security team hard as they placed Swagga in the back of a custom stretch Cadillac Escalade ESV. The ivory ESV limo was brand new to Swagga’s fleet. It sat on chrome 28’s and could seat four in the back, side by side seating. Swagga slid back into the black leather six-way adjustable reclining chair as Rick sat across from him.
“What Kendra talking about?” Rick asked as the limo pulled out of the parking lot.
“Same old shit,” Swagga replied, staring pensively through the tinted window.
Rick could see the troubles weighing down on Swagga. “I know you’re not worried about that D-Hot problem. We clean on that. We got nothing to worry about, trust me.”
“Fuck that snitchin’ ass bama!” Swagga mumbled.
“Your mind right to hit the studio?”
“Yeah, let’s go. I’m good.”
Swagga’s mind was glued to the bullshit about Kendra holding the Chyna issue over his head. They were cruising along I-95 North when Swagga pulled out his cell phone. He pulled up the sender’s information on the first video of him and Chyna. A 305 number showed up. He also learned that Kendra had gotten the video on the 24th of January, last month. His stomach was twisting in knots at the thought of someone else other than Kendra knowing about his secret. Pulling
up the second video, the sender’s information was the same. Swagga came up with an idea. He could block his number out and then call the sender’s number to find out who the third party was. Taking a deep breath, he made the call. Instead of a ring, the sound of Lost Boyz’ “Me and My Crazy World” filled his ear. A short loop of the late ‘90s hit played twice before the voicemail kicked in. Swagga became tense.
Yo, whut up? Yes, you’ve reached Trevon Harrison, but I’m kinda busy at the moment. Ain’t nothin’ changed, so leave your name and number, and I’ll get back atcha. Peace.
Swagga was stunned, hiding his emotions from Rick. Ending the call, he laid his head back on the headrest closing his eyes. His grip tightened on his cell phone. He could deal with Kendra having the videos, but with Trevon back in the picture it was a different story. So that bitch Kandi had the fuckin’ videos all along! Knew I shoulda killed that ‘ho when I had the chance to! Swagga thought, with his anger boiling to the moon. Okay, so she fuckin’ wit’ Trevon. He gave her the two videos, which he got from Kandi. They must have a reason to be keeping ’em. Swagga’s mind raced. In the end he knew their reasons for keeping the two videos would only turn to drama for him. He could explain the first night when he took Chyna to his crib. Swagga had believed that Chyna was just a bad ass Asian jump-off. It was the second, third, and fourth times that ate at him. Swagga lowered the volume and then viewed the video.
The scene started with a clear shot of Trevon sitting on a bed wearing a pair of boxers.
“Dis nigga again!” Swagga said under his breath. Okay, so this bitch gotta fuck flick of dis nigga on her iPhone. Ain’t no big deal. He’s a porn star, Swagga reasoned as the video continued. Wait a minute. That’s Kandi’s bedroom! Swagga noticed when Trevon stood.
He averted his gaze from the scene as Trevon slid his boxers off. For a few moments the scene was unchanged until a second person ambled up to Trevon.
Swagga jerked upright in the seat, his eyes bugging out.
“Yo, dawg. You okay?” Rick asked.
Swagga was stunned at the image he saw. A sour pill turned his stomach at the sight of Kendra deep throating Trevon like a true bitch in heat.
CHAPTER
Twenty-Six
The Truth
Jurnee had finally pulled her emotions in check. She was seated on the bed next to Kandi in the treatment room. Why, why, why! was bouncing off the walls in Jurnee’s head. “Of all the men, why him?” Jurnee asked with a wad of tear-soaked tissues in her grip.
“He was convenient at the time, and it was just a spur of the moment thing,” Kandi told her with the intentions to come clean about everything. She was tired of trudging alone with her burdens. By telling the truth, she was trusting Jurnee would understand.
“How did it happen?” Jurnee pressed with the need to know.
“I drove over to confront Swagga at the studio, but he wasn’t there. I was just so mad at him for cheating on me. Anyway, D-Hot was there, and I was on some bullshit.”
“How?” Jurnee asked impatiently.
Kandi didn’t reply right back. The memory of what she did still put knots in her stomach. “I knew how tight Swagga and D-Hot were. Both business and friendship. I just wanted Swagga to feel my pain. I knew by me just fucking D-Hot wouldn’t hurt Swagga. So I gave D-Hot something that Swagga never had the chance to do.”
Jurnee shook her head. “And that was to let D-Hot do it without a condom?”
Kandi nodded weakly. “I was gonna throw it all up in Swagga’s face, but I changed my mind. Plus, D-Hot wanted it to remain just between us. He didn’t want any beef with Swagga.”
“How many times did y’all do it?”
“Just once. He was the one that tipped the police off. He told me everything when Swagga was arrested.”
“He did it for the baby?”
Kandi nodded. “It’s all a mess.”
“So nobody knows—”
“We kept it a secret.”
“And now you got Trevon thinking the baby is his. But in truth it’s D-Hot’s and he’s no longer with us.”
“I didn’t want this to happen, Jurnee. I didn’t expect to fall in love with Trevon and not know I was already pregnant. I wanted Trevon to be happy with me, but I screwed it all up.”
“It ain’t what I thought,” Jurnee admitted. “I thought you were just on some bullshit. I mean, I can’t even imagine having to deal with your problems. Kandi, I know what I’m about to say is, well . . . easier said than done. But you should’ve told Trevon the truth when you first learned the baby wasn’t his.”
“I couldn’t, Jurnee. That man was beyond happy. I just couldn’t break his world like—”
“You crushed him when you left. . . . Face it. You took the easy way out by running and not dealing with it. It was my shoulder that he cried on because of you,” Jurnee stated, unconcerned if Kandi’s feelings were hurt.
“You’re right,” Kandi said. “I can’t face him.”
“That ain’t an option. You have to woman up and tell him the truth, okay?”
“And what about the fact that I’m still in love with him?”
Jurnee stood and paced the floor in front of Kandi.
“I did all the wrong things for all the wrong reasons,” Kandi said with tears building in her eyes again. “I didn’t know what to do, okay? I never had a real mother to teach me this . . . shit! All I wanted. All I needed was Trevon, and I messed it all up.” She broke down crying into her hands.
Jurnee wanted to run to comfort Kandi, but she couldn’t. Knowing the truth had filled Jurnee with a small plate of compassion. Kandi had just made some dumb ass life-changing decisions that she didn’t think all the way through. Jurnee felt pity for Kandi.
“Where are you staying?” Jurnee asked, forming an idea in her mind.
“At the Mondrian,” Kandi said, wiping her watery eyes.
“So it’s really over with you and Martellus?”
“Hell yeah,” Kandi murmured. “Go ahead and say ‘I told you so’.”
“About what?”
“I caught Martellus fucking his housekeeper. I just needed a reason to leave his ass, and he gave me one.”
“And what if you hadn’t caught him. Would you still be with him?”
Kandi looked down at her feet. “I never stopped loving Trevon. I just want to make things right.”
“You have to face Trevon. He needs to know the truth, okay?”
“Will you help me?”
Jurnee had to set aside her own emotions and deal with the truth. Kandi hadn’t meant to hurt Trevon. It was just a fact of life that stood true through any type of issue. Life is only what you make it. “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”
Kandi stood. “I don’t wanna be alone, Jurnee. Please help me.”
Jurnee left Kandi behind with a promise that she would call her later. It was Jurnee who cried silently when she got inside her Benz. Again, she fought to pull herself together and she did. Driving away from the Turnberry Isle Spa, Jurnee tried to picture how Trevon would react to the heart-crushing truth of the baby. Realizing that assuming, wondering, nor hoping would give her the answer, she knew what had to be done. If Kandi didn’t like it she would have to deal with it.
***
Trevon stepped out the front door on his way to Hooters when Tahkiyah pulled up behind his XJL. She waved at him with the top down on her 650i coupe. Trevon was caught off guard by her sudden appearance. When he reached back to lock the door, she stepped out of the Beemer.
They met at the rear of Trevon’s Jag. They both eyed each other from head to toe under the bright Dade County sun.
Tahkiyah had her hair down, giving her an added pinch of sex appeal. A pair of gold wishbone earrings adorned her ears. Gold trimmed aviator sunglasses hid her eyes. She was killing it with a black embroidered silk-chiffon top and a flesh-clinging blue, white, and black silk pencil skirt. Her award winning legs and calves were enhanced by a pair of Gucci patent leather black pumps.
Trevon was thugging today wearing a fresh pair of wheat colored Timberland boots, slightly baggy True Religion jeans, and he topped it off with a white tee and a Gucci bucket hat.
“Uhhhhh, Tahkiyah, right?” he asked, checking her over. Damn, ain’t no way she fifty something! She fly as hell. Hair done, nails done . . . er’thang did.
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Ah, what brings you around today?” he asked.
“I was just in the area, so I thought I’d drop by.”
“Where you coming from?” he asked.
“I have a suite at the Mondrian.”
“Oh. You and your husband?”
“Actually, I’m not married.” She watched his reaction closely. When he crossed his big arms, she read the doubt he expressed.
“Is there anything else you lied to me about?”
Tahkiyah took the sunglasses off. She didn’t feel comfortable being untruthful. “I was never moving in across the street.”
“And?”
“I only have one child—”
“Lemme see some I.D.”
“Really! You’re going to card me?”
“Damn right. You may be fine and all that, but it ain’t good to lie.”
Tahkiyah turned and breezed back to her car to grab a quilted white leather Versace shoulder bag. “Let’s make a deal,” she said as her fingers brushed against the chrome 9-millimeter in her bag.
“What kinda deal?” he asked as she removed her driver’s license from the small bag.
“If my driver’s license proves something you think I lied about, I owe you one wish.”
He thought it over for a second. “And if I’m wrong?”
She smiled. “Then you owe me a sensual full body massage at my suite. Today.”
Trevon viewed the bet with this woman as a win-win chance. “Ai’ight. You said you were fifty something. Prove it.”
“Mmm.” She grinned, giving him the license. “I hope you’re good with your hands.”
Trevon saw it in print on the D.C. driver’s license.
Nude Awakening II Page 20