by Sasha Ravae
“What did you say?”
“Los is here.”
“Yeah, she just told me that ya’ll go way back. I didn’t even get to tell him that you were gonna be here. He went to go get a drink. He should be around somewhere though.”
Trina’s heart was beating almost out of her chest, and her palms began to get moist. “Ummm, I’ll be right back,” she said rushing back inside the club. She walked across the dance floor to where Omari, Ron, and the rest of the clique were sitting with empty bottles surrounding them.
“You out?” Ron asked looking up.
“Yeah, I’m not feeling too good. Omari, I’ll hit you tomorrow, so we can go over these numbers one more time before we meet with Franco,” she said grabbing her small clutch that was tucked underneath the black leather couch they were sitting on.
“Yep.”
“Text me when you get home,” Ron said standing up to give her a hug.
“I will. Goodnight. Love you guys.”
Trina didn’t bother trying to say goodbye to Yari. She didn’t want to chance running into Los. As she walked towards the front door, she bumped into a guy standing off to the side holding a double shot of Patron.
“Los?” she asked as he turned around. He looked the same except for all of the colorful tattoos that covered his neck and hands, and the word ‘Loyalty’ etched across his face. It had been six years since they had last seen each other, but he still gave her goose bumps.
“Yeah,” he said looking her up and down as he licked his full lips.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe I ran into you,” she said trying to save face, “I haven’t seen you in so long. How are you?”
“Do we know each other?” The tequila in his system had his vision blurred.
“It’s me, Trina,” she said sucking her teeth.
“I don’t think I know a Trina, ma. I would remember a bitch as bad as you. I think you got the wrong Los.”
She stood in the middle of the floor with her hands tightly gripped around her black, rectangular purse with stupid slapped across her face. “Los, are you serious?”
“Yo, I was looking for my potnah, but it was good to see you again I guess,” he said walking outside to the patio.
To avoid any more embarrassment, Trina hurried to leave the club.
“Ay, there he is,” Malachi said when he finally spotted Los.
“Los,” Yari screamed as he came closer, “How are you?”
“I’m good, so this is Yaricella, huh?”
“Please stay here. I know you don’t know me, but you know my friend Trina,” she said looking around.
“Trina who?”
“Mitchell. You guys went to school together…”
“Yeah, I know Trina. That used to be my bitch. I haven’t seen her in like six years or something crazy like that.”
“She’s bad as fuck, bruh. No offense, babe, but I don’t know how you fucked that up.”
“Long story.”
“She was just here. I knew I shouldn’t have let her leave.”
“That’s crazy. This one chick just came up to me and said her name was Trina,” Los slurred.
“What she look like?”
“A little taller than you, blonde hair, she had on this tight, white dress, but that wasn’t…”
“Oh my god, that was Trina. Where did she go?”
“I think she left.”
“I gotta go,” Yari said leaving Malachi behind hoping to catch up with her.
“Blood, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Malachi asked.
“What?”
“I’ve been tryna take that down for months.”
“Patience, my dude.”
“Fuck that. How did you not recognize that bitch?”
“Listen, Trina didn’t use to look like that. She used to be a square. I’m on, it’s dark, my bad.”
“So you don’t know who she is then?”
“We used to go together back in high school.”
“No, nigga, that’s Jonah Lee’s main or widow now I should say,” Malachi said laughing.
“Are you sure she’s the one?”
“More than sure, bruh, and as you and I both know, Jonah’s operations had to go to someone. These marks haven’t seemed to slow down since losing their fearless leader.”
“Well, I guess I have even more incentive to reconnect with my long lost love then, huh?”
“Get to work, my nigga. She’s more useful than I thought.”
. . .
The next day, Trina woke up on the couch with her dress half up and a face full of makeup still on. Tear stains traced her cheeks, and her head pounded with every blink. She wiped the drool that covered the pillow she was laying on before grabbing her phone hoping that the night before was just a terrible nightmare. She had a couple messages from Ron, but none from Yari. She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Los always had a way of making her feel like the lowest of the low, but she wanted to believe that she had transcended her fairytale dreams. Jonah was more than her prince charming, and no one would be able to compete with him not even Los.
“Leave the past in the past, Trina. Leave the past in the past,” she said getting up.
As she walked up to her room with her head still spinning, her phone beeped, but she didn’t recognize the 404 number that appeared across her screen.
Call me back ASAP. –Los
Trina stared down at the screen and couldn’t believe her eyes.
It’s a trap, she thought. She was tired of playing his games, and this time she was going to resist the urge of seeing his face. He always destroyed everything he touched, and she couldn’t risk him destroying her again.
“Leave the past in the past, Trina.”
A few hours later after showering and cleaning up around the house a little, Trina got dressed and ready to go to Omari’s. She was meeting up with Franco the next day and wanted to bring him good news. Making sure everything was locked up, she grabbed her phone and purse and headed into the garage. She placed her cobalt Celine` bag on the passenger seat before getting in, and when she opened the garage door, she was surprised to see Los standing behind her car. Unable to drive, she took a deep breath and got out.
“What are you doing here?” she asked crossing her arms.
“I came to apologize. I got your number from Yari last night, but when you didn’t answer my text, I asked her for your address. Here,” he said handing her a bouquet of pink and purple Amaryllises, “They’re still your favorite, right?”
Trina was hesitant to take the flowers, but they were beautiful. “Thank you,” she said taking them from his hand, “But I have to be somewhere. I’ll see you though.”
“I deserve that, Trina, but to my defense, I was on like shit last night, and you have definitely blossomed over the years. I didn’t recognize you. I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better, Los.”
“Let me make it up to you.”
“How?”
“You trust me?”
“Not really.”
“That’s good enough. Come on, I’ll drive,” he said holding out his hand.
Trina looked down at her watch. She had to meet up with Omari, but with Los standing right in front of her, she felt weak in the knees. She at least had to hear him out, so she reached for his hand as he led her to his black Camaro.
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said unable to take his eyes off her.
Twenty minutes later, Trina found herself in front of Nielsen Park.
“What are we doing here?”
“Do you remember this park?”
“Yeah,” she laughed, “Do you?”
“Of course,” he said opening her door, “I know I’m an asshole most of the time, but a nigga does have a heart.” Trina and Los walked through the deserted park to a dark green bench. He sat down first, but again, Trina was hesitant.
“Los, what’s all this about? First, you don
’t know me from the next bitch, and now you’re bringing me here?”
“If I recall correctly back in 2001, me and you sat on this very same bench, and I kissed you for the first time and told you that I loved you. I was only a kid, but I really did love you.”
“What do you want from me?” Trina asked interrupting his trip down memory lane.
“I want to chill.”
“You don’t get to do this.”
“Do what?”
“This,” she said motioning around the park, “I haven’t seen you in six years, and you think that you can just snap your fingers, and I’d come running back? You didn’t want me then, so don’t want me now.”
“So that’s it?”
“Yep, pretty much. As you can see, Los, I’ve changed, and what we had was back then. We were just kids. We’re grown now, so let’s not do this, okay?”
“You don’t miss me?”
“What?”
“You heard me, Trina.”
“Look,” she said staring down at the yellowing grass.
“You don’t miss me?” he asked lifting her chin up.
“No,” she lied. She refused to let him have the upper hand anymore.
“Damn, okay, I guess I gotta remind you then,” he said standing up and grabbing the back of her head. When their lips touched, all of the feelings that she had hidden deep down came rushing back.
“Take me home, Los,” Trina said snatching herself away from him.
“What?”
“You don’t get to do this to me again. You don’t get to be gone for almost ten years and think that we’re gonna just pick up where we fucking left off. I’m not that person anymore. Take me home.”
“I’m sorry, Trina. I just thought…”
“Well, you thought wrong.” She grabbed her purse and headed back to his car. Inside she melted with every step she took. Los was like a drug and already she felt the familiar feeling of addiction again, but she had to resist. She could taste him on her lips, and as much as she wanted to stop and show him in the middle of the park how much she missed him, she refused to be his fool. Los slowly walked behind her as he lit up a blunt that he had tucked behind his ear.
They remained quiet the entire way back to Trina’s house.
“So that’s it?” he asked pulling back up in her driveway.
“What do you want me to say?”
“You can’t even look at me, Trina,” he said noticing her ice cold demeanor, “Damn, do you really hate a nigga that much?”
“I could never hate you, Los,” she said turning to him.
“Then what?”
“I just feel like you’re still out of this world disrespectful. We haven’t talked in literal years, and you just feel like you can come back, and it’s just good like that?”
“I’m always gonna be, Los. That’s never gonna change. I go after what I want.”
“And what is it that you want?”
“You,” he said looking her in the eyes.
“Well, that’s dead,” she said getting out of the car, “Bye, Los.” She walked into the house and waited for him to leave.
“I’ma give you some time, Trina. I’ll be around though, baby,” he yelled out the window before he pulled out.
She rolled her eyes as she watched him back out of the driveway, but a small smile spread across her face at his efforts. For so long she had been the one chasing him, but now he finally saw what he missed out on. She just didn’t know how long his sudden attention would last. Finally able to leave, Trina walked back into the garage. She was already late meeting up with Omari, and as much as her heart fluttered, she couldn’t let the idea of her and Los being together get in the way of business. Twenty minutes later, Trina pulled up in front of Omari’s house. His dark blue Audi was parked sideways in the driveway, but a small silver Benz was parked even more crooked directly behind it.
“I know this bitch did not,” Trina said walking up to the door.
Ding. Dong.
She stepped back waiting for Omari to answer hoping to confirm her suspicions.
“I can explain,” Yari said opening the door in nothing but a tee shirt and mismatched socks.
“You don’t gotta explain nothing to me,” Trina said brushing her hands together, “Ya’ll are both grown, but just know you are foul.”
“I know, but it was so good. I couldn’t resist. Ain’t nothing like that jealousy dick,” she whispered.
“What’s up, Trina?” Omari asked coming down the stairs with a huge smile plastered across his face.
“Not much, Mar.”
“Babe, can you give me and Trina a few minutes?”
“Yeah, I need to get in the shower anyway.”
Yari led Trina into the guestroom on the first floor. She locked the door not willing to risk Omari overhearing their conversation.
“Bitch, when did this happen?” Trina asked sitting down on the small black love seat that sat against the wall.
“Last night,” Yari smiled, “A man never wants you when you want him. They only want you when it looks like you want another dick.”
“I don’t understand. What happened to Malachi?”
“Oh, no, that’s still bae, but last night when I finally met Los’ drunk-ass, he basically let me know that he curved you without even knowing it was you.”
“Girl.”
“So I instantly went to go look for you, but I ended up running into Omari outside. At first I acted like I didn’t see him, but he got out of his car and came up to me. We talked, and he apologized.”
“Yari, don’t you think he might have been just a little drunk?”
“Maybe, but when he asked me to come home, I couldn’t say no.”
“So how does Los play into all this?”
“Well, since a bitch has manners, I went to tell Malachi I was leaving. By this time, him, Los, and three other niggas they knew were in VIP, so Malachi wasn’t even tripping off me. Before I left, Los asked me for your number, and being that I know he’s your ‘one who got away,’ I slid it to him.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Bitch, I just told you.”
“This man shows up at my house…”
“Oh, yeah, he did text me earlier for your address.”
“Well, thank you, Yari,” Trina said cutting her eyes at her, “He shows up, and he’s like, ‘Do you trust me?’ Hell no, but I go with him anyway, and he takes me to Nielsen Park.”
“What’s up there?”
“When we were like 13 or 14, we went up there one night, and that’s where we had our first kiss among other things,” she said looking down.
“Other things like what? You fucked him in the park?” Yari gasped.
“No, and shut up. I’m a lady, but I kinda went down on him.”
“Oooohhh, your fast-ass was a hoe,” Yari said laughing.
“He was the only boy I did that to then. I didn’t even know how to do it.”
“Awwww, that is adorable.”
“No, it’s not, Yari. He’s so transparent. It’s like we’re teenagers all over again. He just wants to fuck me.”
“Isn’t that a good thing? If I remember correctly, you were devastated because he didn’t want you. Now you’re mad cause he does?”
“I guess it’s different now.”
“Well, my advice would be to take advantage of the situation and have fun with his sexy, tatted, light-bright ass.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?’
“Because of Jonah. How will it look if I’m out here fucking somebody else only a couple months after he died? I’m good. I don’t think I’m ready for all that anyway.”
“So you’re just celibate now? Jonah is not coming back, Trina.”
“I know.”
“You’re better than me. A bitch gotta have options. That’s why I have two boyfriends,” she said laughing.
“So you and Omari are back together?”
“No, but
we’ll see how things go. I really like Malachi, you know?”
“Well, count me out of your date nights and shit. I’m done with Los for good this time.”
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“What ya’ll got the door locked for?” Omari asked jiggling the door handle.
“Hold on,” Yari said getting off the bed before ashing the blunt she had in her hand.
An hour had passed, and Yari and Trina used the time as therapy. Trina was confused about her old feelings for Los resurfacing, but seeing all of Yari’s drama put everything into perspective. She was still in love with Jonah even though she knew he was gone, but she could never imagine disrespecting his memory. She was closer than ever to the Rich Gang, and she was afraid of how they would see her if she moved on so soon. Love was going to have to take a back seat for now.
“Cause I knew your nosey-ass would eventually come snooping around,” Yari said opening the door.
“This is my house,” he said walking into the room.
“Well, I know ya’ll had a business meeting or some shit like that, so let me get out of here.”
“You gon’ be back later, right?” Omari asked wrapping his arms around her waist before she could leave the room.
“I don’t know, Mar. I mean I wasn’t really trying to make this a habit again.”
“A habit? What the fuck that mean?”
“We’ll talk later,” she said kissing him on the cheek before she walked upstairs to change back into the clothes she had on the night before.
“What is wrong with you?” Trina asked shaking her head.
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me, Omari. You guys are really made for each other I swear. Just last night you were saying how you weren’t checking for her, and then I come over today, and you all ready to cook this bitch breakfast.”
“First off, I don’t cook bitches breakfast. Bitches cook me breakfast. Plus things are different now.”
“How?”
“Cause she got a nigga. I get to fuck with her without all the strings. Let that nigga deal with her bullshit.”
“You’re wrong.”
“That might be, but I personally like sidepiece Yari. I can’t stand girlfriend Yari.”
“Why am I even talking to you about this? What ya’ll do, don’t do is none of my business.”
“Your ass can’t help it. Being in a nigga’s business is in a female’s DNA or something.”