What Bae Won't Do Saga

by Genesis Woods

  Mya: FYI, I don’t need your help anymore with Operation Jerome. I’m handling that myself ... However, I may need your assistance later on down the line. I’ll keep in touch and so will you if you want your little secret to stay hidden . . . for right now!

  Not even dignifying that nonsense with a response, I threw my phone back into my purse and finished off my grilled catfish, coleslaw, and fries.

  I don’t see how Niecey put up with her or any of her shit for all these years. This bitch was crazy and was always trying to come up off the next person. I couldn’t wait for the day that Jay found out about her fucking Jerome. All hell was going to break loose and fists would definitely be flying.

  I tried to ask Tangie and JaNair what they were about to get into, but by the looks on their faces, I could see that they were in the middle of a very deep discussion. Neither one of them acknowledged my question with an answer, so I took that as my cue to go since I was done eating anyway.

  “All right, I’ll see you guys later,” I said as I walked around to each of them and gave them kisses on their cheeks. They both mumbled what seemed like good-bye and gave little waves, while still talking about whatever they were discussing.

  I hopped in my car and was about to head home but decided that I didn’t want to be there. With JaNair still eating with Tangie and Niecey somewhere with Jason Priestley, I really didn’t have any or no one to kick it with.

  Somehow, after ten minutes, I found myself parked and sitting in front of Li’l Ray’s house. We had a falling out a couple of days ago and haven’t talked since, so I was hoping he’d let me in.

  “What’s up, LaLa?” Semaj greeted as he opened up the door.

  “Nothing much. Is Li’l Ray here?” He nodded his head and pointed to the back.

  I couldn’t help but to notice how fine Semaj really was once I looked up into his face. Being that I was fucking with Li’l Ray, I never really looked at him like that. But now with him standing here with his dreads pulled up into a high bun, the grey jogger pants with weed plants all over them hanging low off his waist, and the black wife beater displaying the outline of his toned stomach and the definition in his muscled arms, I stood there gawking at his ass.

  “You OK, LaLa?” he asked, a small smirk settling on his face. JaNair’s butt would be dumb as hell if she lets his fine ass pass her by for Jerome.

  “I’m good. But, Semaj, let me ask you something.” He leaned his back against the now-closed door and crossed his arms over his chest. “You really feeling my girl, huh?”

  It seemed like he had to think for a minute, but then he finally answered. “I’m feeling her more than I should, especially with her having a man. Hopefully, she comes to her senses before I leave, though. If not, I guess we’ll always just be friends.”

  “Before you leave?” I was confused. Where could he possibly be going? Li’l Ray never mentioned him moving away or leaving, so this was all news to me.

  He smiled. “Yeah, I’m going to Texas for a few months to work on this new up-and-coming artist that was just signed to Rap-A-Lot Records. A few people that he’s connected to heard some of the joints I did for Nipsey Hussle, Bad Lucc, and Glasses Malone, so they want me to come out and produce his whole album.”

  “That’s what’s up. Congratulations, man,” I excitedly said as I gave him a hug. Li’l Ray told me a few times about Semaj and how good he was at producing music. I guess the right people finally took notice.

  I stepped out of our embrace and was just about to turn around and walk down the hall, but something dawned on me.

  “Does JaNair know you’re leaving?”

  He shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve been trying to call her since I got the news, but she won’t answer my calls.”

  I knew I shouldn’t be telling him this, but since I was going to be responsible for breaking up her current relationship, I might as well try to help her with the next.

  “Semaj, don’t give up on her, OK?” He looked at me with those sexy-lidded eyes, and I could tell he wanted me to further explain. “Look, JaNair would probably kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but I don’t care.” I blew out a breath. “She likes you, Semaj . . . a lot. And I know this much because I know my best friend. The only thing is, she’s so blinded by this fake facade Jerome is putting on that she can’t see a real nigga when she has one staring her right in the face. I can’t tell you what’s about to go down, but just know that within the next month or so, that little relationship she and Jerome have is going to be a distant memory, and she’s going to need someone in her corner since I know it won’t be me.”

  “Why won’t it be you? You’re her best friend, right?”

  I wanted to tell him so badly why, but I couldn’t do that without it getting back to Li’l Ray the second I did. I know that I was being a bit selfish, but honestly, out of all three of these niggas, Li’l Ray is the only one who’s really been there for me.

  “All that will come out in due time; just don’t give up on her.”

  He nodded his head, then walked into the kitchen.

  When I finally made it to Li’l Ray’s room, he was lying across his bed snoring loud as hell. I smiled at his noisy ass, took off my shoes and jacket, then climbed into the bed with him. That grilled catfish, fries, and coleslaw had both me and my baby full and ready for a nap.

  As if he sensed me in his sleep, Li’l Ray pulled me into his arms and laid his hand on my big belly. I fell right into a soothing slumber as soon as I closed my eyes.

  JaNair

  “Why are you asking me all of these questions, Tangie?”

  “Listen, JaNair, I don’t like to beat around the bush or sugarcoat shit. Especially when it comes to someone I consider a friend.”

  I looked at Tangie and didn’t know what to think. This line of questioning she was doing took me totally by surprise.

  A little bit before LaLa left she pulled my ear to the side and started to ask me a lot of personal questions. A few of them were about my relationship with Jerome.

  “I can most definitely agree with you about not beating around the bush or sugarcoating things, Tangie, because that’s what I try not to do. I’m just having a hard time with why you’re asking me these questions all of a sudden.”

  She chuckled, more so to herself than to me.

  “This is some crazy shit! I don’t know how we never figured any of this out.”

  “What are you talking about?” She was really starting to get on my nerves with these riddles and shit.

  “JaNair, what’s your boyfriend’s name?”

  “Why?”

  “Can you just answer the question, please?” Her voice softened as she stared at me intently.

  I sighed. “His name is Jerome. And now that you know that little bit of information, why is this information so important to you?”

  She grabbed her phone out of her pocket, unlocked it, and started to scroll through it.

  I could tell she was going through the phone’s photo gallery, but she was swiping so fast, I couldn’t really see anything.

  “Is this him?”

  When she lifted her phone screen to my face, my mouth almost hit the floor. There on the screen in my face was a picture of her and Jerome all hugged up. I could tell it wasn’t a recent picture because Tangie’s hair was cut into one of those cute Halle Berry pixie cuts, whereas her hair right now was a little bit above her shoulders in a fly-ass bob style. It looked like they were in some dimly lit club with a lot of shiny silver stuff in the background.

  “Wait! How . . . How do you know Jerome?”

  She scrolled past a few more pictures, then held her phone up to my face again.

  “Because he’s my son’s father.”

  On the screen this time was a picture of Jerome and one of the cutest little boys I’ve ever seen. From the top of his head to the bottom of his chin, his face mirrored every part of Jerome’s. That nigga couldn’t deny him if he wanted to.

  Sensing that she neede
d to further explain, Tangie went on and told me how she and Jerome met some years ago while she was dancing at some strip club. They hit it off that night and became inseparable. She said that after they had been dating for a few years, she ended up getting pregnant and having their son, JJ.

  My hands started to shake uncontrollably, and my head started to pound. I was mad as hell. Although it was quite clear that he had his son before we got together, he still lied. When Jerome and I first started talking, I distinctly remember asking him if he had kids.

  “I want a little girl one day,” was his response, so I just took it as if he didn’t have any.

  “JaNair, are you OK?” I heard Tangie ask, a bit of concern in her tone.

  I turned my attention toward her. All I could think about was the look on her and Jerome’s faces in that picture. They looked so happy. And if they were so happy then, I wondered how their relationship was now. Were they at each other’s throat like most baby mamas and daddies, or were they still messing around?

  I know I was being a little insecure at the moment, but if you could see the way Tangie looked, you’d probably feel the same way. I mean, I know I’m not an ugly girl and all, but there was always someone out there that made you second-guess yourself, if only for a minute. And although Tangie and I were becoming friends, she was that girl for me. Her cashew-colored skin was smooth and flawless, not a blemish in sight. Those greenish grey eyes would have the strongest man falling to his knees. The way all of her facial features blended together was crazy. It was like her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were the perfect size and shape. In a way, she kind of reminded you of Alicia Keys . . . body, booty, and all.

  I knew I shouldn’t have been mad at her, but I couldn’t help it. I started to wonder if she knew who I was from the very beginning. Jerome came to the hospital that night and left way after visiting hours. They had to have run into each other at some point in time. Did she only become my friend so that she could try to ruin our relationship?

  All of the things that I told her about Semaj and I started to replay in my head at that moment. She even knew about the three times we kissed.

  My anger started to boil over at this point. This bitch was really trying to play me. I snatched my arm from her grasp and was about to go in on her ass, but she held her hand up and cut me off.

  “Before you even start, JaNair, let me just tell you a few more things. I didn’t know that your boyfriend and my child’s father were one and the same. You’ve always referred to him as your man, boyfriend, or boo. And I’ve always called him what he is, the father of my child. Second, the only reason why I asked you what his name was today was because while you were in the restroom, your phone was going off like crazy. After like the twentieth time, I finally turned your phone over so I could at least tell you who was blowing you up when you got back. Imagine my surprise when I turned it over and my son’s father’s face was flashing across the screen. Don’t get me wrong, Jerome and I are not together, and I knew he’d end up with someone else. I was just a little caught off guard that that someone is actually you.”

  I understood everything she was saying, and by the look in her eyes, I could tell she was being sincere, but I still needed answers about a few things, and I’d be damn if I didn’t ask them.

  “I hear everything you’re saying, Tangie, but I’m still trying to understand some things too, like the night I got into that accident. Jerome was there that night, and I find it kind of weird that you two didn’t run into each other.”

  “Honestly, JaNair, we didn’t run into each other. I didn’t see him at all. I did text him though and asked him where he was and if he was all right. One of the times that I left your room, I ran into Toby which I thought was kind of weird, but I didn’t think anything of it. When I asked him what he was doing there, he said something about one of their waitresses falling and he was just there to make sure she wasn’t going to sue. After that, I went to make my other rounds. When I came back to your room, there was nobody there, and you were sound asleep.”

  My senses were telling me that she was telling the truth, but some shit just wasn’t adding up.

  The anger that was building toward her was slowly starting to dissipate. I didn’t have a problem with Tangie at this point, but I still wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. I needed to find Jerome’s ass and hear what he had to say about this.

  “OK, Tangie, I believe you, and I’m sorry for coming at you the way I did. Thanks for lunch and everything, but I’m about to head out.”

  “Look, JaNair, my intentions for telling you that was not out of malicious intent. Jerome and I have been over for minute, and I’ve told you that a few times.”

  She was telling the truth there, so I nodded my head. But if I recall correctly, she cut him off because he started tripping about paying more child support. Who’s to say that wouldn’t change if he started to give her the amount of money she wanted.

  She continued. “I know we haven’t been friends that long, but I really do value our friendship and what we’re trying to build. Now, as far as Jerome and I being around each other in regards to our child, there’s nothing I can do about that. But as far as trying to get back with him or sleep with him again, you have nothing to worry about on my end.”

  “Thanks, Tangie,” I said standing up. “I really do appreciate everything you said and coming at me on some grown-woman shit. I do have one question, though.” She looked at me, waiting for me to continue. “I bet you made a lot of money with that big-ass booty you got, huh?”

  She laughed. “You can say that. A lot of the girls couldn’t make their asses clap like I could, so, yeah, I made enough. That was one of the reasons why I was given the stage name ‘Unique.’ To them men, this ass was unlike anything else.”

  We shared another laugh, then stood up. “OK, girlie, I’ll talk to you later. Call me when you get home, all right?” I said as we hugged for a brief moment, then parted ways.

  I jumped in my car and was headed right to Jerome’s house. That nigga had some major explaining to do, and I prayed to God that he wouldn’t lie to me again.

  ShaNiece

  Joe was really doing something to me as I looked out at all the lights that illuminated the sky in the City of Angels. The view was so breathtaking.

  Toby and I were at his loft in downtown L.A. When he told me that he lived down here, I was kind of skeptical to come. Yeah, there was the Staples Center and that big monstrosity known as L.A. Live, but there was also a lot, and I mean a lot, of crazy homeless people down here.

  I remember when Mya and I came down this way to go to the fabric district one time. Somehow, we ended up getting lost with all of the one-way streets and ended up on Sixth and San Julian. When I say that both sides of the street were covered with tents, carts, cardboard huts, and dirty sleeping bags, I mean it.

  The street had litter everywhere, and if you looked hard enough, you could see the rats rummaging through all of that trash.

  While Mya and I were at a red light, this big black dude walked up to the car and asked if we had any change. After we both shook our heads no, we thought he’d turn around and walk away. Instead of doing that, he walked to the back door on the driver’s side and opened that muthafucka up.

  I didn’t realize that both of our purses were back there until he stuck his stanking ass halfway into the car and tried to grab them. Mya’s dumb ass finally registered in her mind what he was trying to do and took off, not even caring about running the red light. The shit happened so fast, all I remember seeing is the homeless dude falling out of the car with my new Michael Kors Peacoat still clenched in his dirty fist.

  “What are you over there thinking about?” I heard Toby ask as he walked into the room.

  When I turned around and saw what was standing before me, my voice got caught in my throat, and my eyes opened as wide as saucers.

  I knew Toby would have a nice body by the way he filled out his clothes, but to see it up close and pers
onal, I was freaking speechless.

  He licked his lips and gave me that crooked signature smile of his. Cocky bastard. He continued to dry off with one towel while another was wrapped around his waist.

  Embarrassed by how hard I was staring and practically salivating at the mouth, I turned my head. If I was anywhere near as light as my mama, I knew he’d of seen how red my cheeks were.

  “What’s up, ShaNiece? You good?” His voice vibrated through my body.

  “Yes . . . I mean no . . . I mean yes!”

  What the fuck! Why was I stammering like that?

  “Look at me, ShaNiece.”

  It took me a minute, but I finally turned around. My eyes started at his feet which were quite nice for a man, then went up to the slight bulge that was slowly starting to form underneath that lucky towel. When my eyes took in that tight six-pack and sexy V-cut, I licked my lips. All of the tattoos that were covering his chest and both arms is what caught my attention next.

  “Your tattoos are beautiful,” I said once I finally spoke.

  “Thanks! I think I wanna get my whole back done next.”

  I bit my bottom lip. “What did you have in mind?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, then walked over to his dresser. “I haven’t figured that out yet. Whatever it is, it’ll go with all the other art I have on my body.”

  I nodded and watched as he pulled a pair of boxer briefs out of the drawer. Expecting him to go into the bathroom to slip those on, I gasped loudly when he let his towel that was around his waist drop to the floor, giving me the perfect view of his tanned white ass.

  “I can feel you staring at my dunk, ShaNiece.”

  I started to laugh. “Boy, if you got a dunk, then I must have a super-duper dunk.”

  “Turn around and let me see so I can tell you if you’re right.”

  “Boy, please! Now hurry up and get dressed so we can go. Didn’t you say our reservations are at eight?”

  He nodded his head again, then went on to finish getting dressed. While he was in the bathroom grooming, I started going through the iPod he had docked on the huge speaker.