“Hello,” Tasha said. “Hello,” she said again.
“Is Trae there? This is Monique.”
“Hold on.”
“Trae, telephone,” Tasha hollered.
“Who is it?”
“Monique.”
“Take a message.”
She pretended she didn’t hear him. “This is Tasha. He said he’ll be right here.” She wanted to see what was up.
“Trae telephone!” she hollered.
“I asked you to take a message Tash.”
“She said she needed to speak to you.”
“That’s bullshit Tash, and you know it.” He picked up the phone.
“What is it?” he snapped. He saw that Tasha was leaving the living room.
“Tash come here! You ain’t gotta leave out. She ain’t nobody. Come here.”
When she walked back over to him he pressed the speakerphone button. He grabbed her and pulled her close.
“It’s all about you. Well, I’m trying like hell to make it all about you if you’d let me,” he said, kissing her neck.
“Monique what is it you want?” he hollered at the speakerphone. He kissed Tasha again.
“You could at least return my pages Trae.” Then realizing the obvious she screeched, “I know you don’t have me on no damn speakerphone!”
“Monique you got thirty seconds to tell me why you calling my house.”
“I was calling to see if you was going to see Jill Scott and Musiq. I want to go,” she whined.
“Monique I ain’t fuckin’ you. You ain’t got it like that no more.”
He turned his attention back to Tash.
“Spend the night with me.”
“I don’t think so Trae.”
“Why not?”
“I need to go home.”
“Trae!” Monique hollered.
“Your thirty seconds are up.”
“Fuck you Trae!” she spat, slamming the phone down.
He turned the speakerphone off. “I know that was a setup, telling me to come to the phone.”
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb,” he said, caressing her butt.
“C’mon Tash. Spend the night,” he pleaded. He wanted to hit it in the worst way. She was extremely sexy to him.
“I think you’re moving a little too fast.”
“If you knew how long I’ve been waiting to get this close to you, you would understand.”
“Maybe another time Trae. I need to get home,” she pleaded.
“No, you don’t. Let’s go clubbin’. I’m taking the day off and I want to keep you with me.”
“What am I going to wear? I know you don’t expect me to wear this,” she said, pointing to her jeans.
“Come on ma. You know we can go buy something to wear.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” She was glad for an excuse to get out of his apartment before things got too heated too fast.
They went to Saks Fifth Avenue. She chose a short Chanel skirt, blouse, shoes, underwear and perfume. Trae bought himself a shirt that Tasha picked out. They then went back to Trae’s apartment to eat, shower and change. Tasha fried some chicken, baked a couple of potatoes and made a salad.
Later that evening they hit the reggae clubs on Jamaica Avenue in Queens. It wasn’t until 2:30 that they headed back to New Jersey.
Tasha reclined her seat all the way back and stretched out. “Trae I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed my day. I’m gonna sleep so good. You woke me up at 8:30. In another five hours we would have been up for twenty-four.”
“We did have fun, didn’t we?”
“Let me hear WBLS.”
Trae turned the radio to WBLS and reached for his cell phone and two-way pager to turn them on. Two minutes later, they were both going off. Tash sat up in her seat when she heard Snoop’s beat pumpin’. “Turn that up, Trae!” They both started bouncing and rapping like they had an audience. “For the haters who be talkin’ loud, runnin’ his lips, trying to dis. He better lay low! For the girl who was saying I just broke her off then left, now she pissed! She better lay low. For the buster who be claimin’ my hood but really ain’t from my gang, better lay low! I hope you don’t be thinking I be just talkin’, runnin’ my lips and won’t do a thang. Really hope so!” They both burst out laughing.
“Dayum, let me find out I got a gangsta broad,” Trae joked.
“You ain’t know?” she laughed. “I can’t help it when Snoop come on. All of his shit be bangin’ him and Nate Dogg.”
Trae just looked at her and smiled. “Looks like you’re gonna be full of surprises.”
“Listen who’s talking! You’re the one full of surprises. That stunt you pulled in my kitchen!”
“Did it surprise you?”
“Pretty much, yeah!”
“I got two extra tickets to the show. You know somebody who might want them?” Trae asked her.
Tasha thought about it. “Faheem and Jaz might want them.” She looked at the clock. “It’s Friday. Jaz is up, I’m sure. Let me call her.” She grabbed her Gucci bag and pulled out her cell.
“When you get her, let me holla at Faheem,” Trae told her.
Tasha’s mouth dropped open. “How do you know what Jaz I’m calling? And you know Faheem like that to want to talk to him?” She knew the hustlers all traveled in the same circles basically. But damn! This was a little too close to home.
“Ma, go ’head with that. You know who I am.” Just then Faheem came on the line. “Faheem? This is Roz.”
“You sayin’ my name as if some other nigga could be answering this phone. And I know your voice. Do you know what time it is?” Faheem scolded.
“Why you gotta get slick out the mouth? I’m just surprised you’re home. I thought Jaz would be the one answering the phone.”
“Girl, it is four in the morning and Ma is asleep, where you should be, where are you?”
“You’re being a little too nosy Faheem,” she teased.
“Girl you better stop playing and tell me why your ass in the street at four in the morning!”
“Okay daddy, calm down. I’m with Trae.”
She held her breath anticipating his response. She figured that she might as well tell him herself before someone else told him. He was quiet. Since he wasn’t responding she needed to feel him out. “Trae has two extra tickets to see Musiq and Jill Scott tomorrow night. You want them?”
“Put that nigga on the phone,” he commanded.
“Yeah he wants to speak to you.” She tried to play it off then handed Trae the phone.
“Heem, what up nigga?”
“Shit, I can’t call it.” Faheem humbly stated.
“Shit nigga! I can’t tell. You got the best hand. I’m trying to get where you at. As a matter of fact, I’m working overtime trying to be like you. Get the fuck out before it’s too late.”
“Yeah man, that’s what’s up. And that shit is real serious. So where you at?”
“Almost there. I can taste it.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Word on the streets is, you even turned in your playa’s card!”
“Let a nigga find out you hatin’!” Faheem joked.
“Nah. Never that. Because that shit do get old after a while.”
“Yeah. Especially if you got a baby on the way. From there it’s all about family.”
“A baby? Damn dawg if I had it like you I’d be home, chillin’ and making babies too. I plan on being not too far behind you.”
“Yo, so what’s up? I hear that you and Kay are the people to see. You sure you ready to give all that up?” Faheem quizzed.
“On my life.”
“What’s up with Nikayah?”
“That nigga said it look like he’s gonna win his appeal. But until then it’s business as usual.”
“I see. So what’s up with my lil sister?”
“It’s all love Faheem. I got her.”
“A’ight nigga. That’s family right there. How you trea
t her is how you treat me. Treat her right or don’t even fuck with her.”
“I hear you nigga. I got her.”
“A’ight then.”
Trae handed Tasha the phone. He listened as she let out a few laughs before hanging up.
“You want them to ride with us?” he asked.
“Do you?”
“Not really,” Trae said.
“They’ll probably go by limo anyway.”
“How do you want to go? Limo? Helicopter? What?”
Tasha started laughing. “Thanks Trae but I’d rather push the Nav. I’m ready to drive it. It’s making my Beamer feel like a Volkswagen.”
“You can drive it,” he said, staring at her.
“Why are you staring?”
“Tell me why you’ve been shutting me out for the last couple of months. I’ve been feeling you and I know you’ve been feeling me. So what’s up?”
“I knew this conversation was coming.”
“I’m sure you did. So what’s up?”
“It’s only been a few months since I’ve stopped fuckin’ your partna, remember? I’m having a big problem walking away from five years and then going straight to boning his partna the next day. That shit don’t seem right to me. I mean, damn, let the fucking sheets cool off. Plus, I can’t do any more jail visits, and I definitely don’t want to go to any funerals. Getting involved with a hustler, I’m staring all of that in the face. So that’s what really has me putting on my brakes with you. It’s not personal.”
“Sounds personal to me. But check it Tasha, it’s been, what, four months since you’ve been with Nikayah. Shit, the sheets got ice on them. Second of all, I ain’t gonna be out here much longer. I’m wrappin’ this shit up. And me and Nikayah, it’s just business. So now what?”
She sat in silence for a while before asking, “What do you mean ‘now what’? What do you want from me?”
“I want you all of you. I don’t want to just kick it. I don’t want just a piece of you. I don’t just want to fuck. I want all of you.”
Tasha sighed while pulling at her hair. Emotions a melting
pot. Fear. Skepticism. Lust. Desire. Finally she said “been there,
done that, and never again. I already gave up all of me.” “With the wrong nigga Tash.”
“How do I know you’re the right one?”
“Give me a chance Tash, and you’ll find out.”
“A chance? I don’t want to take a chance on you, Trae. What? You want me to roll the dice and maybe I’ll be happy or maybe I’ll get hurt? I don’t think so.”
“Oh, okay. Now we gettin’ somewhere. So let me make sure I’m hearin’ you right. It ain’t Nikayah. You can tolerate me hustling. But you’re worryin’ about me hurtin’ you?”
She turned her head and looked out the window in silence for the rest of the ride home. Trae threw on Marvin Gaye’s I Want You CD and lit a blunt with a smirk pinned to his face.
After an hour they pulled up in front of Tash’s three-family house. She lived on the 3rd floor. Trae got out and went around to the passenger’s side to help her out the car then hugged her. “Tash believe me. I would never hurt you or leave you. Don’t be scared of me. I just want to love you and make you happy. Give me a chance. You know this feels right. Why do I have to beg?” he whispered in her ear.
“You don’t have to beg Trae. For real. I’m scared. Real scared. I’ve vowed to myself to never put my heart in the position for another nigga to stomp on it.”
“Give me a chance and trust me a’ight? Tasha I swear to you, I got you.” He told her that before turning her loose and taking the bags upstairs.
“Where do you want me to set these?”
“Give me the dress. You can set everything else next to the sofa.” She grabbed the garment bag that held the dress. “Thank you. This dress is so me.”
“You make that dress look real good.” He pulled out a knot and peeled off five hundred dollars, placing the bills on the coffee table. “This is for your hair and whatever else you need to do to drive a nigga crazy. I’ll pick you up at 6:30.”
“I have money to do all of those things.”
“Keep the money Tash. Just be ready.” His phone rang. He flipped it open.
“I’m on my way, man,” he said, then flipped it shut.
“I’ll be ready. You just be on time,” she instructed.
“When do you sleep?”
“When I can. Oh and you don’t have to worry about me being on time,” he said, leaning up against the door. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress. I hope you don’t plan on wearing any make-up. You don’t need it. You’re fine as hell without it.”
“Are you leaving now?”
“Why are you rushing me out? I’m not gonna do anything to you.”
“Right. That’s what you said this morning when you had me sitting on your lap.”
“You were in my house, in my shower, and I didn’t bother you.”
“Yeah, I’ll give you that.”
“Can I have one kiss and one hug?”
“Goodbye Trae. It is 4:30 in the morning.”
“Come here, girl,” he said’ grabbing her and putting her back up against the door. He slid her arms around his neck and grabbed her skirt. Then he eased it up over her waist and held her close.
“Trae you said one kiss and one hug.”
“I’m just making it one good kiss and one good hug.”
She could feel him harden, so she kissed him on the lips. “There, you got your kiss and your hug.”
“That don’t count. You kissed me. I didn’t kiss you.” He was caressing her ass cheeks, pulling her even closer on his hard dick. “You drivin’ me crazy Tash. You know that, right?”
“I wish I could say the same about you. You scaring the shit outta me. Look at me. I’m standing here with my skirt above my waist, hugged up with my ex’s boy, who I’ve been kickin’ it with all night long. What’s wrong with this picture?”
“Business partna. And there is nothing wrong with this picture. Do you still have feelings for him?”
“No.”
“Well then, let that shit go,” he said, kissing her neck. “Time to move on ... with me.”
“How do you know it’s time to move on?”
“Because just like you said I got you standing here with your skirt above your waist, your nipples are hard, and your pussy is wet.” He lifted one of her legs and put it around his waist. “Damn, you feel good,” he moaned, moving her up and down on his dick. “I can’t wait to make you cum again.”
“That won’t be any time soon,” she told him.
“How much money you want to put on that?”
“You talk a lot of shit.”
“I can back it up. How much money you want to put on it?”
“What’s the time frame?” she asked.
“The next twenty-four hours.”
“Shit. You ain’t hittin’ this in the next twenty-four hours. How much we talking?”
“Oh, now you talkin’ shit! I said the bet is I’ll make you cum within the next twenty-four hours.”
“A’ight. We on! How much?”
“If I win, you give me a chance with you. Take a chance with me,” he said. “If you win, I’ll buy you a car.”
“It’s on! Now let me go.” She slid her leg down from around his waist, but he pulled it back up.
“Don’t get scared. I ain’t got my hands on your pussy. I still want my kiss.” He kissed her for about five minutes. “When you came, your legs was shakin’ like crazy. I can’t wait to feel that shit again. That shit sent electric currents all through my body.”
“Well, partna, you might as well order my Benz because you won’t be feeling that electricity no time soon.” He let her leg down, pulling her skirt back over her butt.
“I’ll catch you later. Lock the door.” He turned around, “Benz, huh?”
“You heard me. Benz. B-E-N-Z.”
“A’ight, we’ll see!” Then h
e pulled the door shut behind him.
Chapter 3
Roz’?s phone rang at 9 A.M. “Roz, I’m on my way over. You p” Jaz sounded alert and chipper. “No, I’m not up. Don’t you have your keys?”
“Uh huh.”
“Then wake me up when you come in.”
“Girl, it’s nine o’clock!”
“I didn’t get in until 4:30.”
“Oh, I gots to hear this. See you soon.”
Jaz let herself in. She sat her purse on the sofa and headed for the refrigerator. She sliced off a piece of cantaloupe, poured a glass of apple juice before going into Roz’s bedroom.
“Wake up, Tasha,” she teased. “It’s 9:30.” Roz rolled over to the other side of the bed and Jaz sat down.
“I’m awake,” Roz said, stretching. “I’m so tired.”
“Faheem mentioned that you was out with Trae at three in the morning. What’s up with that?”
“Jaz, it’s too early.”
“Come on. Tell me how that happened,” Jaz said, slapping her leg.
Roz sucked her teeth and finally opened her eyes. “He came over about 8:30 yesterday morning for me to braid his hair. We ended up kickin’ it all day and night. He took me shopping up top. We ate. I went to his house. We went clubbin’, and we’re going out tonight. That’s it. That’s all.”
“Damn. You let him hit it already?” Jaz asked, disappointment evident in her tone.
“Nope!”
“Then why are all those hickeys on your neck?”
“You don’t miss nothing, do you? FYI, he put them there. But, no, he didn’t hit it.”
“Faheem said he told Trae that he better treat his baby sis’ good or else leave you the fuck alone.”
“My big brotha said that?” She started laughing.
“Yup! He likes Trae. He said he’s wild, but he’s good peeps. FYI, Trae really blew up when Nikayah got locked up, taking shit to a whole other level. The nigga is paid and really is intending to retire. Faheem said he can’t believe he took over Nikayah’s business and his woman. How much did he spend on you?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
“About eight or nine G’s. Then he left me five hundred to get my hair and shit done.”
“Dayum! He ain’t cheap, is he?”
“Not at all.”
Every Thug Needs A Lady (Thugs) Page 4