***
“Good morning Lyric. I was calling to tell you that I don’t feel good and won’t be in today,” Sabrina said when Lyric answered the phone.
It was now Wednesday and Sabrina had called off that Monday too. She only had ten more hours of sick time and taking off again would only leave her with two. Her work ethic was horrible and she was never at her desk when she was supposed to be. Add Lyric’s already foul mood to that equation and it was a recipe for disaster.
“That’s fine Sabrina but we need to have a talk when you return to work,” Lyric countered.
“Um, okay,” Sabrina replied, for lack of anything better to say.
Truthfully, Lyric needed to have a talk with all the receptionists. Ever since Mr. Malone announced that she was in charge, they were starting to take her kindness for weakness. Several of the attorneys were complaining about the meeting booklets having double copies or missing pages inside. They took longer than permitted lunches and they basically did whatever they wanted to do. They were setting a bad example for the new receptionist and it was only a matter of time before she started doing what she saw them do. If Lyric had to be honest with herself, Jena was really the only one who did what she was supposed to do. She seemed kind of distant and quiet lately, but she still performed her job duties to perfection.
As soon as Lyric got off the phone with Sabrina, the phone rang again. It was the security guard Tremaine that time and Lyric already recognized the play. He was trying to call off too but he had the entire game fucked up. Unlike Sabrina, who had a few hours of sick time left, Tremaine didn’t have any. When she told him that, he obviously got well because he was there for his shift five minutes before it was scheduled to start. She knew that it was no coincidence when Sabrina showed up about ten minutes after him claiming to be feeling better.
As soon as she got there, Lyric got all the receptionists in her office and laid down some rules. They looked shocked that she was being so firm with them, but she was tired of not being taken seriously. She was fair and she thought that it was only right that she gave Jena a pat on the back for a job well done. They didn’t have the best relationship outside of work, but Lyric was still about her business. Once the meeting was concluded, she asked Sabrina to stay in her office for a one on one discussion.
“Is something wrong Lyric?” Sabrina asked her.
“Yes, there is,” Lyric replied as she handed her some papers.
“What is this?” Sabrina questioned.
“You’ve barely been here for six months and this is a printout of all the times that you’ve called off, come in late, or left early. You were on probation for ninety days and you called off five times during that period,” Lyric pointed out.
“Oh, well, I wasn’t aware that I couldn’t,” Sabrina flippantly replied.
“Let’s just keep it real Sabrina. There is no other job in the world that you can go to and do half of what you do here. Either Mr. Malone didn’t pay attention or he just didn’t care, but he’s not your supervisor anymore. Effective immediately, you’re on ninety days probation. I’m trying to give you a chance to get it right. If I go by the rules that human resources put in place, you would have been fired a long time ago,” Lyric noted.
She handed Sabrina a paper to sign showing that she was back on active probation. Sabrina was pissed but she was no fool. She needed her job, so she signed the paper and took a copy for herself. It took everything in her not to slam Lyric’s door when she left but that would have been a stupid move. As soon as she walked out of the office, she went up to Jena’s desk to vent.
“I need to hurry up and find me another job. I can just seeing me beating the brakes off that bitch,” Sabrina fumed angrily.
“What happened?” Jena questioned.
She could clearly see that Sabrina was upset but she needed to pump her brakes. Fighting with Lyric, verbally or physically, was not what she wanted. Sabrina only saw what was presented to her, but Jena knew the real Lyric.
“Can you believe that bitch put me back on ninety days probation? I hope the state hurry up and calls me for a job. And what was up with her singing your praises like that? I thought you two hated each other. Now she’s team Jena all of a sudden,” Sabrina replied.
“I do the job that I’m being paid to do. Trust and believe that if she had an issue with me, she would have had no problem saying so,” Jena replied.
“You’re not even showing yet and I’m ready for you to have that baby. I don’t know if I like this new calmer Jena. You’re changing on me.” Sabrina frowned.
“I haven’t changed but I’m over this entire place. I hate that Lyric is my boss, I hate that I have to look in Spencer’s face every day, and I hate this damn morning sickness most of all,” Jena complained.
“Well, hopefully you’ll get a state job too. You did even better than me on your test,” Sabrina noted.
“I sure do hope so. I need whatever kind of miracle I can get,” Jena replied, right as Lyric’s office door opened and she walked out.
Sabrina talked all that shit but she damn near ran to her desk when she saw her. Lyric wasn’t even in the mood to entertain anyone. She went to the break room for a cup of coffee before she got her day started. She had a lot on her mind and was deep in thought as her coffee brewed. Lyric hadn’t seen Bronx since he left her house Sunday night and she hadn’t talked to him since Monday. He sent her multiple text messages, but he didn’t call or answer when she tried to call him. After fucking him like a porn star the entire weekend, Lyric was feeling played. She didn’t understand what she was doing so wrong but she gave up. Maybe it wasn’t meant for her to be in a relationship and she was good with that. She didn’t like it but she had to accept it. When her phone rang, Lyric snapped out of her daze and looked to see who it was. Her face contorted into an angry scowl when she saw Bronx’s name pop up.
“Nigga, fuck you and lose my number!” Lyric barked when she answered the phone.
She didn’t even give Bronx a chance to explain before she hung up on him. She added his number to the block list and started the process of getting over their brief fling. The sex was like crack to an addict but she would just have to go through withdrawals.
“I guess I’m not the only one who’s in the dog house,” Javier said when he entered the break room.
He heard Lyric snap on somebody and that was music to his ears. It had been over a month since she broke things off with him and he was miserable without her. Javier drove by her house every day and he didn’t like what he saw. The same truck was parked in her driveway just about every night and, sometimes, it would still be there in the morning. Obviously, things wasn’t working out with the new man in her life and he was happy if that was the case.
“You have to be in the house at all before you can be in the dog house,” Lyric said, replying to his comment.
“I miss you, baby. How long are you gonna make me suffer?” Javier asked her.
“If you’re suffering, it’s your own damn fault. I’m done with you, Javier, and this is not a temporary decision. The only relationship that we will ever have will be a working one,” Lyric assured him as she grabbed her coffee and walked away.
Once she got into her office, she dropped down into her seat and held her head back, trying not to let the tears fall. Lyric wished that Mr. Malone was there because she would have gone home and cried herself to sleep. She was tired of having her feelings hurt but that seemed to be all that happened lately. She felt stupid for sleeping with Bronx and catching feelings for him so soon. Lyric usually had more restraint than that but she let him break down her walls. That was something that she swore that she would never do again.
When her phone rang again, she was ready to go off on somebody until she saw Raymond’s name pop up on her screen. Lyric hadn’t talked to him in a while. She was so busy spending time with Bronx that she neglected everybody else. Since that relationship was a wrap, Lyric cleared her throat and answered before he hung up.
>
“What’s up stranger?” Raymond asked as soon as she picked up.
“Nothing much. Working hard as usual,” Lyric replied.
“Don’t even try it Lyric. I know you and I know that it’s more than work that’s been keeping you busy. Some nigga has been cutting into my time,” Raymond said.
“You know me so well,” Lyric laughed.
He’d been knowing Lyric for over a year and she always kept it real with him. She never tried to hide the fact that she dealt with other people. Raymond wanted more with her, but she wasn’t ready for that. He settled for a few dates every now and then but he would jump at the chance to be her man.
“What do you have planned for tomorrow? I have a few days off. How about poetry night?” Raymond asked.
Lyric almost said no too soon. She wasn’t in the mood to do anything but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Thursday poetry nights were always nice, so she didn’t mind going with him. Besides, it might help her to get out of the funk that she was in.
“It’s a date,” Lyric replied.
“Okay, I’ll pick you up at six,” Raymond replied.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Lyric said before she hung up with him.
It was a new day and she had to put the past behind her. She knew that it was easier said than done but she was going to try. It was back to dating once again and Raymond was going to be the first of many.
Chapter 21
“I’m coming out now,” Lyric said before she hung up the phone.
She looked at her reflection in the mirror just to make sure she was on point. She had on a coral colored halter dress with nude peep toe booties and the matching clutch. Her hair was moisturized and curly just like she liked it. She bypassed the makeup, only wearing eyeliner and blush lip gloss. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, she grabbed her keys and walked out of the house, locking the door behind her.
“Damn,” Raymond said when she walked over to him.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Lyric said as they embraced each other.
“Please do because that’s exactly what it was,” he replied as he opened the door for her to get in.
He and Lyric had light conversation as he drove them to one of their favorite spots. They were both happy to see that it wasn’t crowded yet and they would be able to pick a decent seat. Lyric hated sitting close to the stage because everything was so much louder in that area. She preferred the back near the bar and so did Raymond.
“Yes, we got our favorite seats,” Lyric said when they sat down at the empty table.
“That’s why I wanted to come early. It’ll be crazy in here in another hour or two,” Raymond replied.
He wasn’t lying and, around eight o’clock, the spot was just about standing room only. A few tables had an empty chair or two but that didn’t work for a large group of people. Lyric was enjoying herself and the entertainment was on point. They had a few new locals to come out and they were all good. She and Raymond shared a huge seafood plate and he ordered a bottle of wine for them to enjoy with it.
“She was good as hell. She damn sure doesn’t sound like an amateur,” Lyric said as she joined in with everybody else and snapped her fingers as a way of applauding the lady who had just left the stage.
“Yeah, I can definitely see her becoming a regular here,” Raymond agreed.
“You like to write poetry. Have you ever thought about getting up there for amateur night?” Lyric asked him.
“Hell no. I’m not good in front of a crowd,” Raymond replied.
“But, your poetry is so good. I think you should give it a shot,” Lyric encouraged.
“And I think you should give me a shot,” he replied as he moved his chair closer to hers.
Lyric saw him leaning in to her for a kiss and it took everything in her not to turn her head. She wasn’t attracted to Raymond like that and he would always remain in the friend zone. They had a good time when they went out together and she liked him more as a friend. Still, she didn’t want to seem like a bitch, so she let him give her a peck on the lips. She was happy that he didn’t try to slip her some tongue because she would have had to draw the line.
“Excuse me. Am I interrupting something?” someone asked as they stood in front of their table.
Lyric almost pissed on herself when she looked up and saw Bronx. He grabbed a chair from the table that was right next to theirs and sat in it backwards.
“Can we help you with something?” Raymond asked him politely.
“Nah, you can’t, but she can,” Bronx said as he pointed to Lyric.
His eyes never left hers and Lyric felt like she was under a microscope. In all her twenty-four years of living, nothing like that had ever happened to her before.
“Who is this Lyric?” Raymond asked.
Lyric felt like the food and wine was about to come back up as both men stared at her, awaiting a response. Her mouth felt like cotton and she didn’t know what to say.
“Introduce me to your friend Lyric,” Bronx said calmly.
“Don’t come in here trying to cause a scene. I’m on a date and you need to leave,” Lyric whispered through clenched teeth.
“I’m trying to see how you’re on a date when you got a man. I’m confused as fuck right now,” Bronx fumed.
“He’s your boyfriend?” Raymond quizzed as he pointed to Bronx.
“Do I look like a boy to you, nigga?” Bronx snapped.
“Maybe I should go,” Raymond said as he stood to his feet.
“No Raymond, you don’t have to leave,” Lyric replied.
“Raymond? So, you didn’t tell that nigga to lose your number like I told you to?” Bronx questioned with raised brows.
“No worries, I’ll lose it after tonight,” Raymond replied as he walked away.
“Get your ass up and let’s go,” Bronx fumed as he scowled at her.
“Fuck you! I haven’t seen or talked to you in days and you come in here on some demanding shit like I’m supposed to jump when you say so.”
“You want me to drag you up out this bitch Lyric? Huh? You already know I don’t give a fuck!” Bronx yelled as everyone looked over at them in shock.
Lyric knew that her face had to be red as a beet. She was embarrassed and she would probably never step foot in the jazz club again. She grabbed her clutch from the table and rushed out of there with Bronx and a bunch of curious eyes following her.
“I’m not going nowhere with you. I’ll call an Uber to take me home,” Lyric snapped as soon as they were outside.
Bronx didn’t even entertain her and her drama. He grabbed her clutch and walked away, as Lyric ran behind him to get it back. When he got to his truck and opened the door, Lyric just stood there with her arms folded. She looked good as hell and it pissed him off that she was looking like that for another nigga. He was even more pissed when he learned that she blocked his number. Lyric was always telling him about her nosey old neighbor and she wasn’t lying. When he went to her house to confront her, the same neighbor came outside to let him know that Lyric wasn’t home. A man in a red Mustang picked her up and that was all that Bronx needed to hear. It was Thursday night and there was only one place that Lyric loved to go. When he pulled up to the jazz club and saw the same red car parked outside, he was livid and ready for whatever.
“I swear I’m not in the mood for your bullshit tonight. I’m really trying to talk myself out of setting your dress on fire while you still got that bitch on. Get in the truck and don’t say shit. And unblock my damn number,” Bronx ordered sternly.
Lyric knew that something had to be seriously wrong with her because hearing him talk like that was turning her on. She was used to men like Javier bending over backwards and letting her have her way. She had never dated a hood nigga before but she was loving it. Without uttering a word, she got into his truck and unblocked his number just like he told her to. The ride to her house was silent and Lyric was scared to speak. The look on Bronx’s face was mur
derous and she knew that she was the reason for it. When he pulled up to her house, he took her keys from her purse and opened her door. Lyric rushed to shut off the alarm as he walked to her bedroom. She followed behind him and kicked off her shoes. She heard water running in the sink in her bathroom, but she didn’t know what Bronx was doing in there. When he did come out, he had a towel in his hand and walked right over to her.
“What are you doing?” Lyric yelled as he took the towel and started wiping her mouth. He didn’t even try to be gentle as he roughly glided the towel over her lips.
“I saw you kiss that lil funny looking muthafucker. I should pop you in your shit instead of wiping it,” Bronx fussed.
“Now you got me fucked up! How you stay away all these days and come back like shit is all good?” Lyric asked.
“I told you that I had a lot of shit going on Lyric. I called or texted you every day to let you know what was up. So, you go entertain another nigga just because you don’t see me for a few days. That shit is childish as fuck man,” Bronx fumed.
“You could never call yourself being my man doing some shit like that. Fuck that! I’ll play with my own pussy to get a nut before I play these kinds of games with you, nigga!” Lyric yelled angrily.
“What games? I told you what it was. The fuck else do you want from me?” Bronx snapped.
“I don’t want anything from you, including a relationship,” Lyric replied.
“That’s how you feel Lyric?” he questioned as he stared at her.
“Yep. There’s obviously another bitch in the picture, so you need to leave me alone and go be with her,” Lyric snapped angrily.
Instead of answering her, Bronx put the towel back in her bathroom and walked out of the room. When she heard the front door open and close, Lyric wanted to cry. She didn’t really want him to leave, but he obviously wanted to go. He didn’t even try to apologize for his actions and that pissed her off even more. Lyric refused to cry again. She hadn’t even known that nigga long enough to keep shedding tears over him. She walked out of her room preparing to go lock the door when Bronx walked back in carrying a duffel bag.
Heartbreak And Past Mistakes Page 22