Carmen

by Nako

  Nia got up to walk her out.

  East stared at her leaders and they stared back at him.

  First Lady was holding on to her thoughts and he asked her, “Say what you gotta say.”

  She smiled at him, “In due time son, come on baby. It’s getting late.”

  They stood and Apostle dapped East up, “Would love to see you at service one day.”

  He nodded his head, “One day.”

  Nia returned and said, “Oh, y’all are leaving too?” she seemed disappointed.

  Not really feeling like a breakthrough was had tonight.

  “Yes, spend the rest of the night, together,” First Lady suggested.

  When they were alone. East tested her, “Wanna finish the game with me?”

  Nia had work to do but she told him, “Sure.”

  They ordered in and cozied up on the couch.

  “Babe, are you going to be okay? Are we going to be alright?”

  East bent down and kissed her lips. She was reclined against his chest, facing the television.

  “We always are.”

  Hours later, Nia was applying an overnight serum to her face, when her phone chirped.

  A notification from “Gang-Gang,” the group message that was created to keep everyone in the loop with the happenings of their tribe.

  Carmen was the sender of the text.

  Nia kept rubbing her face in circles, making sure the moisturizer seeped deeply into her pores.

  There were about seven more chirps before she finally decided to see what was going on.

  She unlocked her phone and saw that Carm suggested a vacation.

  ASAP.

  Surprisingly, everyone was in, all, claiming that they needed a break.

  She promised that it would only be for three days and then jokingly asked Porter and Mahogany could we use their plane.

  Nia texted back and told them that she would be there.

  She looked into the mirror and saw East smoking a blunt, laying on his back.

  “Babe…”

  He answered her two minutes later, knowing he’d heard her the first time.

  “Yeah?”

  “How about we go out of town in the morning, clear our minds and relax?”

  Nia could really use a vacation right about now.

  Hell, Eastland did too.

  “Let’s do it.”

  He kept on smoking and puffing.

  Nia wondered where his head was.

  The session must’ve went well since they kissed and promised to do better before bed.

  She could only hope that he never gave up on her, because she definitely wasn’t giving up on him.

  Seventeen

  She got wife written all on her – J. Cole

  Vacation. Vacation. Vacation.

  Life was so damn good, and it sometimes took a trip away from the happenings to realize that. They were living it the fuck up.

  Bottomless mimosas, hand-rolled Cubans and a priceless view of one of God’s greatest creations, were only a few things that made this last-minute trip perfect.

  Social media bloggers, paparazzi, Wendy Williams and even Entertainment Tonight were covering their trip.

  Everyone wanted to know what island had the WHO’S WHO escaped to.

  One thing for sure was that it was Instagram Worthy.

  It seemed as if the world was tuned into their trip.

  So far, everything was going great.

  It seemed as if everyone got off the plane with a new attitude.

  Carmen was the hostess with the mostess. Until, one of the staff members brought her a passionfruit mojito and it had the nerve to be topped with St. Germane’s.

  Any drink topped with St. Germane sent her over the edge.

  Hours later after they’d landed, she was in a bikini. Extra pounds and all, rapping loudly in the pool with a pair of oversized Versace shades on her face.

  “STILL GOING BAD ON EM’ ANYWAY,” she then flashed everyone a mean mug before laughing.

  Yeah, Carmen was drunk.

  Mahogany was rolling a blunt, nestled in between her husband’s legs.

  “Did she say how it went with Casey?”

  Carmen was turnt up, which was a good thing. However, she was still a lil’ worried. Casey died less than seventy-two hours ago.

  “She told me it was pleasant,” Porter shared with her. Mahogany sealed the blunt, licked it up and then she put it down so it could dry.

  She turned around and removed her husband’s shades.

  “And how are you doing?”

  He was always taking care of everyone else. She had to stay on him about his self-care.

  “I’m cool baby. I like being ducked off. All is well. Casey is in a better place.”

  She probed into his eyes, looking for any signs of grief.

  “You sure?”

  He nodded his head and then leaned forward, puckering his lips so she could kiss them.

  Mahogany had a few of those famous ass mojitos herself so she was all down his throat with her long pink tongue.

  “Hmmm,” he moaned when they pulled apart.

  Teka and Moses were at one edge of the pool, cuddled up.

  Carmen, Giselle, Jordyn, Genesis and Kasim were in the pool.

  Tia had been sleep since they landed.

  Nia and East were off somewhere.

  Juice, Ashton and Xavier were smoking on the beach and Neezy was…

  Porter sat up and looked for his lil’ brother and artist.

  “Carm, where your boy?”

  She told him, “Praying!”

  He didn’t play about his prayer life and she loved it.

  Carmen sung along with the next hit that blared through the speakers, “You been feenin' for me lately, going brazy crazy. I got what you need. I’ma give you what you craving.”

  She loved music and had a great ear for good tunes.

  This was exactly what their crew needed.

  Mahogany got up because this was her song too.

  She stood and began to twerk, resting all her body weight on one thigh while the other shook along with her booty cheeks.

  Everyone cheered her on, drunkenly.

  Half of them were zooted and the other half was lit off the drinks.

  This was what it was all about. Living your best fuckin’ life with the ones who supported you.

  Porter smirked as his fine ass wife dropped to her knees and made her ass cheeks move up and down.

  He clapped his hands, “Yeah, you need to do all that tonight.”

  He let her know.

  She looked over her shoulder, gazing in his direction.

  She then winked her eye and got up.

  Mahogany dived into the pool, splashing everyone.

  Porter was happy she was letting her hair down.

  All they did was work.

  The whole squad.

  Their crew was full of ambitious black people. What a blessing.

  They hung by the pool for hours, swimming, having sing alongs and even attempted to play Marco Polo before Teka slipped and called it a night.

  When the sun fell, Carmen announced that dinner would be at nine.

  Everyone dispersed to their rooms, mumbling, “Shit, I might be sleep.”

  Moses said, “Put me a plate up,” while yawning.

  Jet lag, heat, alcohol and weed were a combination for some good rest.

  Carmen ambled down the hallway after she stepped off the elevator.

  The house that she was lucky to get was huge.

  It was like…. Nia’s house times ten.

  Everyone had enough space to do their own thing.

  She tapped on the door lightly before entering, wanting to properly let Neezy know that she was coming in.

  He was in the shower rapping.

  She closed the door to their suite and slid out of her wet bathing suit.

  Carmen tip-toed to the bathroom and cut the lights.

  Neezy stopped rapping, “Bae?”<
br />
  He wanted to make sure it was her.

  When they were packing for their trip, she took his gun out of the suitcase telling him that he didn’t need protection on the beach.

  “We’re going to be eating and drinking all day. No gun needed baby.”

  He was hesitant about leaving his strap, but she’d asked him to trust her and he did, without second guessing.

  “It’s me.”

  She entered the stall and he greeted her with a smile.

  “Don’t stop because I’m in here…you know I love to hear your voice.”

  He hugged her.

  “You had fun?”

  She nodded her head, stepping on her tippy toes to kiss him passionately in the mouth.

  Neezy went back to freestyling but had changed the wave and made it about his Queen.

  “She wear weave, but I love when she take that shit out and let her hair swing.”

  Carmen laughed and ran her hands through her natural tresses.

  She couldn’t lie it felt good to not have all those tracks in her hair.

  Nehemiah was loving her hair more than she was. Mahogany was adamant about Carmen trying one of her wigs on. She swore she would never get another sew-in again. Wigs were more convenient.

  When she woke up on the private plane, his hands were wrapped in her hair and he whispered to her, “I love this shit.”

  She told him, “And I love you.”

  To be with someone that really loved the fuck out of you was an indescribable experience. She’d prayed that it never ended. Carmen had faked the funk before. She’d been unhappy. She’d been miserable and she vowed that if God kept her alive she would never settle again. She couldn’t.

  Nehemiah was a blessing.

  He treated her how she’d deserved to be treated. He was good to and for her.

  “My baby bad….”

  He kissed her again, pushing her to the granite wall.

  Carmen was going to give him what he wanted.

  This pussy.

  Her pussy had supernatural powers.

  He licked her neck, nose, lips and her forehead.

  He made sure that every single inch of her delicate skin was touched before he made his way inside of her.

  She held on to his arms for strength. Clenching his penis as he became comfortable inside of her.

  Swelling.

  She felt him harden as she released a moan that she’d been holding onto.

  “You not gon’ tell me that it feel good?”

  He grunted as he began to stroke her.

  Carmen’s head fell over his shoulder.

  When Nehemiah talked that shit while fucking her at the same time, she couldn’t think straight.

  “Bae, tell me this dick good.”

  He loved to have his ego stroked while he…stroked her.

  “TELL ME MOMMY,” he commanded.

  She couldn’t damn talk.

  Couldn’t breathe.

  Couldn’t blink.

  He had a hold on her mind.

  Her body and her spirit too.

  Carmen’s eyes fluttered and her lips trembled.

  Her legs quaked as she felt the first of many explosions that were bound to take place while they made love under the streaming water.

  “MYYYYY PUSSY IS CUMMINGGGG,” she informed him.

  He pulled his dick out, on some trifling shit.

  She looked at him with anger and confusion in her hazel orbs.

  “Whattt?”

  “Your pussy cumming?” he questioned.

  Wanting her to repeat that shit again…cus she knew better.

  He toyed with her clit while she answered, “No, baby it’s your pussy. Your pussy is cumming,” she recanted.

  That’s what he wanted to hear.

  He turned her around, arched her back and went back to his haven.

  Neezy stretched her insides from here to Bankhead.

  His dick hit her from an angle.

  Shower sex would never be the same.

  He had shorty pent up.

  Legs on the floor.

  Then he pulled her out of her and did some real nasty shit.

  Ass in his mouth. After she swore that she was cumming once again, he pulled out of her and released.

  He came all over her face.

  She used her fingers and licked it off, which caused him to harden all over again.

  “Go lay on the bed,” he panted.

  She obeyed and from there, they made love into the next morning.

  Everyone ate dinner without them.

  Carmen was full off her man’s release anyway.

  Her stomach didn’t grumble not once while they cuddled in bed.

  η

  East woke up in the middle of the night, hungry as hell. He had the munchies like crazy and hoped that it was some leftovers from dinner, a snack or something. He made a mental note to let the butler know in the morning that he needed a pack of ginger ale and m and m’s. Those were his go-to high snacks.

  They were on a private island and the only downfall to staying exclusively was that there wasn’t any twenty-four-hour room service or a way to get what you need immediately. East preferred it this way though only because whenever they did stay at a hotel, Nia was hounded the whole time and they didn’t have any privacy. His wife was famous. That was their reality.

  And hell, all her friends were too.

  East sometimes felt like the black sheep when he was around them.

  He slipped on a pair of basketball shorts and stuck his feet into his Ferragamo slides.

  East had half a blunt left, but he needed to eat some food before he even thought about puffing on anything else.

  When Nia suggested that they go out of town he assumed it would be the two of them.

  Her friends were cool, he supposed.

  With the exception of Jordyn. East couldn’t stand her ass for nothing in the world and constantly told Nia that she was not her friend.

  He had to admit that he never really gave her friends…or her “tribe” as she often referred to them as, a chance.

  The first night was wavy thus far.

  Smoking brought people together which was a good thing.

  With Dr. Mighty-Moore’s advice lingering in his head, he came on the trip open to new beginnings.

  East knew that it was the only way he would press forward in his life and overcome the battle of depression.

  “Yooooo,” East spoke to P, who seemed to be just as hungry as him.

  Porter spun around and closed the fridge, “What up homie?”

  “Starving. Is it any more fish leftover?” he hoped that it was.

  “Uh, yeah…I was looking for some fruit.”

  Porter open the fridge and pulled the pans out and sat them on the counter.

  East grabbed a plate and a fork so he could re-heat the food.

  “How y’all like the island so far?” P questioned.

  “We been here a few times with the kids, but we never stayed this far out. Nia likes the Ritz Carlton,” he told him.

  East personally could care less, to him, all the hotels were the same.

  “I needed this. We may stay an extra two days.”

  He would’ve considered that too.

  “You know I hate missing the games, I gotta get back. Yo, I feel like when I’m not there, they lose,” he admitted.

  P chuckled, “Oh, you the team’s good luck charm?”

  “No shit, I really believe I am.”

  His theory had been proven many times over the years.

  They shared a laugh.

  “We’ll probably end up leaving with the gang, so I can catch the game with you. Wood or the suites?”

  East considered the options, “Suites. Wood for the play-offs. Gotta stay on Ramone’s ass.”

  His nephew didn’t do well under pressure from the coaches or his teammates.

  East kept him level-headed.

  He put the plate in the microwave and leaned aga
inst the counter.

  “How did you and Nia meet? I don’t know if she ever told me the story,” he made conversation.

  It was many years ago.

  “Summer Jam, like 2001…then I saw her again in the club and I ain’t leave her alone till she gave me her number.”

  He remembered that night like it was yesterday. Harlem was hating not wanting to give him the details on who the brown-skinned shorty was.

  Eastland always respected her tough-girl personality.

  She didn’t give up the goods easily.

  “Wow.”

  “I hope me and my wife make it to twenty years,” he shared.

  “Y’all will. Communication is the key.”

  East felt like he could write a book on sustaining your marriage, through the good and bad times.

  They didn’t give up, and even when they were about to they always got their minds right.

  “Facts.”

  Porter found an orange and a banana.

  “About to go back to bed, see you in the morning.”

  East told him, “Cool.”

  He thought about adding goodnight, but that shit sounded gay.

  Eating in silence was another thing that proved to be therapy for him.

  Without his phone or any kind of distraction.

  It was a form of meditation if you asked him.

  He finished, washed the dish and his hands and made his way back to the room.

  Nia was up, scrolling on her phone.

  “Woke up to pee and you were gone,” she said once he opened the door.

  “I was starving.”

  Nia pointed to a bag on the dresser, “Babe, I packed your ginger ale and m & Ms.”

  He could have back flipped with joy.

  “For real?”

  She nodded her head, not thinking it was a big deal.

  Nia knew her husband and what he liked.

  “Yes.”

  She yawned as she put her phone on the nightstand and pulled the covers over her body.

  “ I’m going back to sleep. Love you, night.”

  East looked at her again and back at his snacks.

  It was the little things that made a nigga like him happy.

  The next morning, a Chef prepared breakfast and it was plenty of food. After everyone ate, they went on a tour guided by the locals.

  This trip wasn’t for shopping. They did things that they would never forget, such as a tequila wine tasting, rolling their own cigars and making waist beads.