“You better tell him friend. He be acting like he don’t know,” Demi laughed.
Cam was always boosting up her self-esteem and she loved that about him. Kamari did the same thing, but it felt good hearing it from someone else. Kamari was her husband, so he probably felt obligated to compliment her.
“You think you’ll be able to get away in the morning? Maybe we can try that new place that you were telling me about,” Cam said as they both stood up from their table.
“Yeah, I usually go to church with my mama on Sundays, but I can meet you before then,” Demi agreed as she locked arms with Cam and walked outside.
“Nine o’clock, right?” Cam asked, referring to their normal meeting time.
“Nine o’clock,” Demi repeated.
She and Cam exchanged a quick hug before going to their separate cars. Cam was on his way to meet up with his boys, and Demi was going to get pampered. Asha was out with Nia and his cousins, and he prayed that she didn’t come home any time soon.
Chapter 12
Asha closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm water that her feet were soaking in. She was getting her bi-weekly pedicure and she had been looking forward to it.
“That’s a pretty color Lacey. I might have to copy,” Nia said when she saw the nail color that her friend was holding up.
“You should get it Nia. It’ll look good on you,” Lacey replied.
“Be original for once Nia. You always get the same color as somebody else,” Laila objected.
“Mind your business and let her do what she wants,” Lacey fussed at her sister.
Asha and Laila got on Lacey’s nerves with how they always tried to gang up on Nia. Laila was nothing more than a follower, doing whatever she saw Asha do. Nia was a sweetheart, but Lacey needed her to get a backbone. She clapped back every now and then, but it wasn’t enough in Lacey’s opinion. Asha was a spoiled lil bitch and Lacey didn’t know what Cam ever saw in her. She was selfish and her attitude was nasty.
“I wanna get my hair colored again, but Randy doesn’t want me to. He’s in love with this honey blonde, but I’m tired of looking at it,” Nia spoke up.
“You have to be spontaneous girl. Stop asking him and just do it. Get your hair colored and a sexy new outfit and surprise him. I switch shit up on Kobe every other month, so he never knows what to expect. Randy would love it. I bet his ass will be proposing before the end of the day.” Lacey smiled.
“You and Randy thinking about walking down the aisle?” Laila asked.
“We’ve been talking about it,” Nia blushed.
“Good luck with that. These niggas ain’t shit,” Asha spoke up, being negative like always.
“Girl, don’t listen to them. Randy ain’t no fool. He knows that you’re a good catch. He would be a fool to throw you back in the water and let another man reel you in,” Lacey noted.
“At least he ain’t broke,” Asha pouted.
“She has her own money, so it wouldn’t matter if he was. A real woman always makes sure that she’s straight, with or without a man,” Lacey replied, defending her cousin, who she knew that Asha was talking about.
“And a real man makes sure that his woman is well taken care of,” Asha countered.
“If the bills are paid, he’s doing his part. Maybe you need to get a job to take care of all the extras,” Lacey pointed out.
“I’m good boo. My brothers make sure that I’m straight, even when the nigga that I’m fucking doesn’t,” Asha replied.
“Well, maybe you need to be fucking your brothers and leave my cousin alone.” Lacey shrugged as she walked away from Asha and their conversation.
“Stupid ass bitch,” Asha mumbled, low enough so that no one could hear.
“I can’t believe that Cam’s father really didn’t leave him anything. It’s been months since he passed,” Laila acknowledged.
“If I never knew that he was a sad ass father before, I damn sure know it now. How can he let a bitch stop him from making sure that his only child is straight?” Asha questioned.
“I don’t understand that either. I would never do that to my boo. Quincy doesn’t bring his kids around, but it’s not like they’re not welcomed,” Laila said, making Asha roll her eyes.
She never had to worry about Quincy’s kids coming to her house because his fiancée wasn’t having it. Laila just didn’t know how badly she was being used by Asha and her brother. Her heart would be crushed if she found out some of the things that were said behind her back.
“I’m happy that Randy doesn’t have any kids. I can do without the baby mama drama,” Nia replied.
“Girl please, you barely sleep at his house, so it shouldn’t matter.” Laila frowned
“Y’all need something to spice up that boring ass relationship,” Asha said with an attitude. Nia’s sisters were as ratchet as they came, but she was boring as fuck.
“We’re happy and that’s all that matters,” Nia replied before she got up to join Lacey and get her eyebrows done.
“Why do we still fuck with them hoes? Your sister makes me sick and Nia is a fucking lame ass bookworm. Hoes like that make what I do worth it.” Asha frowned.
“You already know how Lacey is. She’s been with Kobe since she came out of our mama’s coochie. She believes in all that better or worse shit. Kobe lost his job once before and her ass paid all the bills by herself for months until he got another one,” Laila replied.
“I wish the fuck I would. Cam pays all the bills and I’m still ready to leave him. If the dick wasn’t so good, I probably would have been gone already.”
“The dick must be good with your boo too. That’s the only reason I can see you risking your life and his, just to get it,” Laila added.
“It’s alright, but he’s no Camden Davis. It just feels good to have a man do what I say when I say it. All I have to do is ask once and it’s done. That’s the one thing that he does better than Cam; he listens.”
“I just need y’all to be careful. Especially since y’all are hooking up at my house. Cam and Lacey would kill me if they knew,” Laila admitted.
“Girl, fuck them! That’s your damn house,” Asha snapped.
“I know Asha, but I still don’t need that kind of drama. My mama would get in my ass too and I don’t have time.”
“You don’t have nothing to worry about. If things go like I want them to, I’ll have my own place soon,” Asha informed her.
“Yeah, right. You ain’t leaving Cam and you know it. You’re gonna continue to cheat and complain, but you ain’t going nowhere,” Laila chuckled.
“Whatever,” Asha said as she got up from the pedicure chair and walked to the dryer.
She didn’t even respond to Laila’s statement because a part of her knew that she was right. She was still in love with Cam and it would have killed her to see him with another woman. It killed her when she found out that he was still dealing with Courtney while they were still together. She knew more than he thought, but she never let him know it. If it ever came down to her being busted, she had a few things to throw in his face as well.
***
“Damn, that shit came out nice as hell,” Kobe said, admiring the work that Cam had done on a customer’s car.
Kobe was good at what he did, but Cam was a pro. He didn’t even try to compare his skills to what his friend did because there was no comparison. Restoration was Kobe’s hobby, but it was Cam’s passion.
“Yeah, it looks better than I thought it would,” Cam replied modestly.
“Did Randy see it yet?” Kobe asked.
“Nah, he’s been buried under paperwork all day. Let me go call him,” Cam said as he watched Kobe snapping pictures of his handiwork.
He walked down the long hall to Randy’s office and burst through the door. Randy jumped when he saw him and dropped the small box that was in his hand.
“Damn bruh, you scared the shit out of me,” Randy said while bending down to retrieve what he’d temporarily lost.
&n
bsp; “The fuck is that?” Cam asked as he watched his friend cradling the black velvet box in his hand.
“You like it?” Randy questioned while showing his best friend the expensive piece of jewelry.
“That bitch is nice. I guess congratulations are in order. Or maybe I should wait until she says yes,” Cam laughed.
“Her ass better say yes. All the money I spent on this shit,” Randy chuckled nervously.
“Shit, just make sure you got your receipt,” Cam smirked.
“Don’t say that bruh. I’m already nervous,” Randy admitted.
“You shouldn’t be. We both know she’s gonna say yes, so I better get my best man’s speech ready. Congrats fam,” Cam said while giving him dap.
“Thanks man, I appreciate it,” Randy replied.
“When are you planning on asking?” Cam inquired.
“I don’t know. I just got the ring yesterday,” Randy answered, right as Cam’s phone started to ring.
“This is my moms, but I wanted you to come see the car that I just finished,” Cam said.
“Okay, I’m coming,” Randy said to his friend’s departing back.
“What’s up Ma?” Cam said when he answered the phone.
“You tell me!” Nora yelled.
“What’s the problem now Ma?” Cam sighed in aggravation.
He loved his mother to death, but Nora could be a true drama queen at times. He hated whenever she had to go to court with him because her sobbing could be heard throughout the entire building.
“My sister Nadine just called me and said that she saw your name in the newspaper,” Nora replied.
“In the paper for what?” Cam inquired.
“That’s what the hell I want to know. I just feel like you’re hiding something from me, Camden. Why would someone put an ad in the paper trying to locate you? This just makes no sense to me. Your father is gone and I can’t afford an attorney for you,” Nora rambled, angering her son.
“I don’t need an attorney and I keep telling you that I’m not doing shit! I’ve never lied to you about my wrongdoings and I’m not about to start,” Cam replied.
“First off, you better watch your damn mouth,” Nora fussed.
“I’m sorry, but you call me with the same thing every other day,” Cam replied
“That’s because you act like you don’t care, while I’m sitting over here losing my mind. You tell Randy that you’re gonna be late coming in on Monday. I’m going with you to straighten this mess out.”
“Going with me where Ma?” Cam chuckled.
“I don’t find anything funny Camden. There’s an address in the paper and we’re going there Monday morning. I’m losing sleep behind this mess.”
“I don’t know why. I told you that I’m straight,” Cam assured her.
“You’re my child, that’s why. You won’t understand how I feel until you have kids of your own. You need to pick me up at nine Monday morning and don’t be late,” Nora said before disconnecting their call.
Cam already knew how his mother was. Nora wouldn’t rest until she knew that he was straight. Truthfully, he was a little curious about everything himself. He wanted to purchase a newspaper to make sure what his auntie said was true. He also wanted to call Demi and ask her about it too. She had been in court a lot lately, expecting to hear a verdict on a case that she was working on. Demi had planned to spend the entire weekend with her husband, but she would always text him back. Cam knew that he hadn’t done anything wrong, but that didn’t stop him from wondering.
Chapter 13
“I’m so proud of you, baby,” Kamari said to his wife.
Demi had worked hard for the past two weeks as co-counsel on a big case that they’d won. She was trying hard to make a name for herself at the firm and she was doing good so far.
“I’m proud of you too, boo. I know that it wasn’t easy to enter the working world for the first time, but you did it,” Demi said as she pecked her husband’s lips.
Kamari was sexy as hell in his button-down dress shirt and slacks. His chocolate skin was smooth like butter and Demi wanted to rip his clothes off right there in the car.
“You know I’ll do anything for you.” Kamari smiled as he opened the car door for her.
He and Demi had gone out to dinner and a play to celebrate their accomplishments. Kamari wasn’t a big fan of all the singing that he’d just witnessed, but it made his wife happy. Their steak dinners at Ruth Chris ended their night perfectly. All he wanted to do now was go home and fall asleep inside of his wife. It was Sunday and he couldn’t take off the next day since he had just started working, but he was tempted to.
“Let’s stop and get something to drink,” Demi suggested.
“I’ll get you something, but I have work in the morning,” Kamari replied.
She didn’t drink very often, but she felt that she deserved to get wasted and lay up for the rest of the day and the next. She had met Cam for breakfast the Friday before, but he knew that she was spending the entire weekend with her husband. That would be the first two days that the friends didn’t spend together since they met. They tried out the new restaurant that she suggested and she and Cam were both satisfied. Demi had found a spiked ice coffee that she would have given her life for. Cam fell in love with the lobster and shrimp omelet and banana foster pancakes. IHOP was a thing of the past for them both since they had found something better.
“What do you feel like sippin’ on?” Kamari asked when he pulled up to the liquor store.
“Get a few different things and I’ll decide on one of two of them,” Demi replied.
She used the time that her husband was out of the car to respond to Cam’s message. He was telling her about what his mother told him and Demi offered her advice, just like always. She didn’t mind accompanying him to make sure that he was straight, but his mother had already beat her to it.
“I got enough shit to last us for the rest of the month,” Kamari laughed when he came back to the car with three bags and handed them to his wife.
Demi inspected the contents of the bags as her husband drove them home. She couldn’t wait to slip on her new lingerie and parade around the house for her man. She had a clear schedule for the next few days, courtesy of her boss for doing such a great job on the case that they’d won. If Kamari wouldn’t have just started working, she would have planned a romantic getaway, just like she always did.
“I’ll carry one,” Demi said when they pulled up in their driveway.
She grabbed one of the bags, along with her purse, and got out of the car. Kamari grabbed his gun from under the seat and put it in his waistband. He took the other two bags and followed his wife up the steps. Demi took the keys from her purse and opened the front door. Before they had a chance to walk inside on their own, they were being forcefully pushed into their house. Demi’s heart dropped when she eyed three masked men standing there with guns trained on her and Kamari. The bag of liquor that she carried fell to the floor and started leaking. She was too nervous to even hold on to it. The alarm was blaring because she never had a chance to turn it off.
“The fuck?” Kamari yelled as he looked on in horror.
He and Demi were both so anxious to get inside that they never even paid attention to their surroundings. Kamari had never been caught slipping like that and he was pissed that it happened when his wife was around. He had a gun, but it was of no use to him.
“Shut that fucking alarm off!” one of the men yelled while facing Demi.
She jumped at the sound of his booming voice, but he didn’t have to repeat himself. With shaky hands, Demi attempted to shut the alarm off, but she entered the wrong code. She had three attempts before the police showed up to their house, but she and Kamari would probably be dead by then. She was too nervous and her hands weren’t cooperating with her head.
“Enter that shit wrong one more time and that’ll be the last thing you do,” the man threatened while pressing the gun into Demi’s forehead.
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br /> “She’s nervous man. Let me do it,” Kamari offered.
Another one of the men walked him over and the alarm stopped almost instantly. Demi felt a little relief for that, but not very much.
“The fuck do y’all want?” Kamari asked, like he didn’t know.
“You already know what it is nigga, give it up!” one of the men yelled while all three of them pointed their guns at the couple.
“We don’t have anything. There’s nothing for us to give,” Demi said as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
“We can be in and out of this bitch in two minutes, but that’s up to y’all. You can give it up willingly or we can make you give it up. Just know that if I have to work hard for it, ain’t none of y’all leaving here alive,” one of them noted.
“Ain’t shit to give up. You trying to kill a nigga for nothing,” Kamari replied.
“That’s how you wanna play it?” one of the men asked.
“I guess he’s dumber than we thought he was. I’m good either way,” another one of the men replied before he slammed the gun across Demi’s forehead, causing her to scream out in agony.
“The fuck man! You don’t have to do her like that!” Kamari yelled as he tried to get to his wife.
A gun being smashed across the back of his head halted his movements and sent him and the bags in his hands crashing to the floor. Demi held her bloody forehead and used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away some of the blood. She had a throbbing headache and she felt a knot forming in a matter of seconds.
“Please, I swear, we don’t have anything in here. You can search the entire house and you won’t find anything. The only money that we have is on us right now. Aspirin is the only drugs that you’ll find and that’s the truth,” Demi swore.
“Fuck it. She ain’t the first and she won’t be the last. Shoot that bitch,” the man who appeared to be the mastermind behind everything ordered.
Demi closed her eyes and waited for the blast from the gun that would end her young life. No kids, only a grieving mother and sisters would be left behind. Cam had just come into her life, but she was sure that her death would devastate him all the same. She had never had a male best friend and she had grown to love their morning talks over breakfast.
I Heard It All Before Page 10