She Gave Her All to the Hood’s Finest 2

by Shvonne Latrice

  “Why you say that? That damn baby?” Tony inquired on my previous statement.

  “Something like that.” I didn’t wanna bring up Al.

  Al was crazy as hell I’d learned, and Tony was even crazier than that. Shit was a recipe for disaster, and something I needed to handle on my own anyway.

  “I know when we get there that hoe gon’ pay me some gas money.”

  “Nigga, how? She ain’t got no damn money. She’s getting out of jail.” I let my brows dip.

  “You her nigga, you can give me the money.”

  “Fuck out of here, bro.” I shook my head as he died laughing. Stupid ass nigga.

  “I bet yo’ bitch ass ain’t tell Rubie this hoe coming out today, carrying yo’ baby.”

  “Man, we don’t even know if it’s mine.”

  “She ’bout to ruin yo’ life until then, muthafucka.” His comment made my damn skin crawl. “Never raw dog them crazy hoes, nigga, I told you that. See I thought Camarih’s ass was quiet and nice. By the time I found out her ass was insane, I’d already busted in her too many fucking times,” he spoke seriously. “Pussy was too good though, so shit…” He shrugged.

  “That wasn’t helpful at all, but thanks.”

  “Anytime, muthafucka. Better appreciate my fucking wisdom.”

  Tony and I chopped it up during the whole ride, just about business and shit. As soon as he parked to wait, my hands started sweating hard. I hadn’t seen Holli since she dropped that bomb on me, and then attacked my ass like a wild animal. I halfway didn’t believe her ass. Holli was that type of female to lie about some shit like that.

  Granted I had let a few off in her, but I felt like that was a long ass time ago. She couldn’t be pregnant off them ancient nuts.

  “Shit,” Tony and I said at the same time, seeing Holli come out.

  She had on the same outfit from the day she got arrested; a tight, short, black dress with no sleeves. The obvious bulge in her stomach was what caught my attention, and I’m sure Tony’s too.

  “Nah, man, she just been eating. Everybody get fat in jail.”

  “She been eating yo’ nut, muthafucka.”

  Holli finally got to the car, but she stopped, staring inside of the vehicle.

  “Fuck is she doing?” I frowned.

  “Get in the fucking car ’fore I leave yo’ ass!” Tony rolled my window down to bark.

  Sucking her teeth, she replied, “Damn, y’all couldn’t open the door for a lady?”

  “Aye, hold the fuck up.” Tony pulled some newspaper from behind my seat and opened a few sheets to lie across the back seat. “Don’t put that funky ass prison pussy on these seats. This ain’t my shit and it gotta go back.”

  “I am not funky.” Holli sat on the newspaper.

  “You wash yo’ pussy this morning?” He pulled off.

  “I cou—”

  “Then that shit is funky. Leak on them seats and I got a bullet for you. And I need my gas money or you gotta get the fuck out.”

  “I don’t have any money.”

  “Bitch, they give you money when they let yo’ ass out.” Tony pulled over and hit the locks.

  “Come on, man.” I tried to stifle my laughter.

  “What you laughing at, nigga!” Holli slapped the back of my head. “Here.” She handed twenty dollars to Tony, and after he held it up to the light, he pulled off.

  “Keep yo’ damn hands off me.” I looked to Holli in the back seat.

  “Or what?” She raised a brow, making me shake my head as I turned back around.

  Holli started talking again, so Tony turned the music up on her ass, thankfully.

  The drive seemed longer going back, and when this nigga Tony pulled up in front of my new crib, I was puzzled as fuck.

  “What we doing at my shit?”

  “You and yo’ bitch gotta get out. I got shit to handle, and I wanna see my girl before I do all that, so hurry the fuck up.”

  Pausing to take a deep breath, I climbed out of the car and tried to quickly get inside so Holli wouldn’t catch up to me on the elevator. She did though because Tony rushed her ass and sped off before she was even out of the car good.

  “Ooh, this is niiiicce!” Holli walked in my apartment, dropping her plastic bag of shit onto the floor. “Where is my room?”

  “Yo’ room? Nah, you can go back to yo’ place.”

  “I don’t have my own place. I’ve always lived with my mama and brother.”

  “I didn’t know that. Hence why I said we needed to get to know each other back then.”

  “Yeah, well now you know.” She entered the kitchen. “Damn, you’ve been getting paid paid.”

  “Something like that.” I watched her look in my fridge. “Holli, you can’t stay here.”

  “Why? I’m your baby mama. Plus, Tony let me know I was still gonna be working so that I’d have some songs for when I go on a small break to give birth. It’s best if we can ride to the studio together and stuff.”

  “I got a girl, and she spends the night a lot.”

  “Oh.” Holli finished making her sandwich. “So what does that mean for me and your baby?” She took a big ass bite before setting it back down on the tiny plate.

  “You don’t even know if I’m the father.”

  “Yes, I do.” She walked up on me, placing my hand on her hard stomach.

  “Man, stop.” I snatched away.

  “We can be a family, E. Me, you, and a mini Eitan.” She chuckled. “Or you can leave us for your girlfriend.”

  I said nothing as I thought about how to get out of this predicament, so Holli took that opportunity to unbuckle my jeans.

  “Holli, nah, man.”

  “This was something they didn’t have in jail.” She got down on her knees, and for some stupid ass reason, I didn’t stop her.

  She was my baby mama, so I got a pass, right?

  9

  Shanece

  “I love this spot.” I smiled at Camarih as we sat on the couch.

  “Thank you, me too. It was pricier than I expected but Tony said it was way under the budget.” She drank some juice. “Okay, let’s hug.”

  “Why?”

  “Shanece, come on.”

  Rolling my eyes to pretend I didn’t want or need the hug, I scooted closer to her, falling into the embrace she’d offered. She began rubbing my back, and all of a sudden, the tears came.

  “I’m fine,” I whimpered.

  “No, you’re not and it’s okay. Remember I know the feeling,” she reminded me.

  It sounded bad but that thought brought me comfort. Everyone else from my co-workers to my mama didn’t really get how I felt. They just kept mentioning how sad they were when their grandmothers and cousins died. I was sure that was sad, especially if the relationship was a close one, but no one could quite understand losing your soul mate.

  I didn’t feel like the same person, and every day I hoped that this would somehow be a cruel joke. I’d be upset, but happy, nonetheless.

  All I could think about were the good times Paul and I had, especially early on. His smile was embedded in my head, his laughter, his jokes, and the way he would always tell me how great of a wife I was. Even when he became an asshole, he still had his moments.

  “I don’t get why this happened to him. He was a good man.” I sniffled.

  “Bad things happen to good people sometimes. But maybe God wanted him back. And trust me when I say, heaven is way better than this shit we’re living in and cherishing.”

  “You think so.” I stared off as I lied on her shoulder. Her sweet scent was comforting.

  “I know so, that’s why they call great things heaven. I’d bet you good money that if God offered him the chance to come back, he’d say no.”

  When I sat up, we laughed as she wiped my tears with a tissue from the box on the coffee table.

  “I guess it’s selfish to want him back on this Earth suffering, just to make me happy.”

  “Yeah, but it’s the good
selfishness.”

  Paul dying was one of the worst things to ever happen to me, but what made it worse was that I was with Rahim when it happened.

  “Can I tell you something, and you promise not to be upset?” I fidgeted. Camarih was a great friend, and never judgmental, but she was a good person. And good people often frowned upon certain things. Shit I frowned upon it.

  “As long as you didn’t sleep with my man, I will be calm.”

  “Girl, please, so he can call me a bitch and a hoe in the midst? I’m good.” I threw my hand up, making her cackle.

  She was wearing a white dress that hung off the shoulders, but hugged the upper portion of her body, while getting loose around her bottom half. Her golden, coiled hair was just as luminous as her skin, as she stared me down, that one dimple heavily imprinted in her cheek.

  “Okay, then go.” She moved my hair from being in front of my face.

  “When I got the call about Paul, I was in a hotel with Rahim. He’d taken me out to get my mind off of things, and we ended up having sex at the SLS.”

  “Why?” Camarih frowned.

  “What do you mean? It just happened.”

  “Yeah, but you’re not that type of person, Shanece. You’ve been with Paul for a long time, and this is the first infidelity, right?”

  “Of course! I loved Paul! I still do!”

  “Exactly.” She grabbed my hands. “You need to find out why you’re so into Rahim.”

  “I’m not into him,” I lied with a titter. “He’s cute, and I was upset and—”

  “So any man that walked up to you with his dick out, you would’ve had sex with him, as long as he was cute and you were upset?”

  “No.”

  “Point proven.”

  “Okay, yeah maybe I like him, but I’m married… well was, and not interested in jumping from one thing to the next. He’s just so chill, and he’s a great listener; a very comforting person. And I like how honest he is; there is no hidden shit.”

  “That’s always good. Well maybe when you’re feeling better you guys can rekindle. Then again, he may always be a reminder.” Camarih got up. “Okay, what snacks for the binge watch?”

  “Anything.” I fake smiled until she walked off.

  I did like Rahim, and hoped we could be cool, just not now. However, I was sure he would always be a reminder of my past transgressions, and where I was the night my husband perished.

  “I got a little bit of everything.” Camarih returned with chips, popcorn, and a bunch of other snacks to go with our juices and water.

  We watched four seasons of Shameless back to back somehow, and by that time it was 11 p.m., so I headed home. Those past few hours had really lightened my mood, so I was thankful for Camarih because of that.

  Once I parked at my apartment building, I headed up but stopped dead in my tracks seeing Rahim standing by my door.

  “What?” Was all I could ask as he waited for me to come down closer to him.

  “Shanece, come here. Where you been? And why haven’t you said anything to me since the other night?” He got up off of the wall.

  “Look Rahim, a lot is going on and I don’t have time for this okay.” I hurried closer and jammed my key into the door socket to open it.

  I walked in, and he was right behind me.

  “A lot going on like what? I’m trying to help you, Sha—”

  “He died!” I hollered at him once inside. Rahim stood there in my doorway with his mouth open, slowly closing the door behind him. “He died while I was in that damn hotel with you! Somewhere I had no business being.”

  “Shanece, it ain’t like you could’ve saved him.” He frowned.

  “Really? That’s your response to this?” I chuckled. “I am disgusted with myself for fucking you. The least I could’ve done was fuck someone who was about something.”

  “Shanece, that came out wrong. I meant to say you shouldn’t feel bad and that—”

  “Remember when I said not to lie to make me feel better? That’s not what I need.” I sat down on the couch.

  Rahim paused before walking over and taking a seat next to me.

  “You right, I forgot. I just hate seeing you all sad and shit.” He made me lean on him while he caressed my bicep. “Shit was kind of fucked up for you to be with somebody else while he died, but you were there with him 24/7 damn near, right up until.”

  “Yeah.” I whimpered.

  “He could’ve died while you were home taking a shower.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  “No, he didn’t, but that’s just gonna have to be something you gotta deal with. He knew you loved him, especially if I knew.” Rahim relaxed as I continued lying on him.

  “I did.”

  “And I tried not to be jealous of it because I could see it.”

  “Really?” I lifted my head off his chest to see his face.

  “Yeah. In yo’ eyes, and the faces you made when talking about him; the good shit.” He ran the backside of his finger down my face while looking into my eyes. He pecked me. “But I just put it into the back of my mind so I could enjoy my time with you.”

  “This may not be what you want to hear, but it makes me feel good knowing you could see that I loved him even while I was doing dirt with you.”

  “Dirt?” He chuckled.

  “You know what I mean. I was married so…”

  “But you not now.”

  “Rahim, he just died, and I am not—”

  “I know, but I’m hoping that now we can just spend more time together. I don’t have to be your boyfriend right away.”

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Nah.” He shook his head, moving my braids out of the way.

  I kissed him gently, and then returned to lying on his chest. For the next hour, he updated me on his music-producing career, until I fell fast asleep.

  I hated to say it, but I could definitely see things going even further with Rahim. His persistence was attractive.

  The next morning…

  I heard someone beating on my door, so I rolled out of bed to go see who the hell it was. I was tired as I don’t know what and ready to curse their asses out.

  “Keira? What the fuck do you want?” I sassed.

  “I wanted to talk. Can I come in?”

  “Absolutely not.” I started to close the door, but she blocked it with her hand. “Do you want a round two?”

  “Shanece, I think now that Paul is gone, we should work on our relationship.”

  “Actually, it’s the opposite. We have nothing to talk about and no longer need to see one another. And stop talking about my husband like you’re related to him or have just as much right to be as sad as I do.” I tried to close the door again.

  “Shanece, I am pregnant with his child!”

  “If you don’t get your crazy ass away from my place, I will call the fucking police, you bunny boiler!” I slammed the door in her face, pressing my back into it as if I’d expected her to burst through.

  A few short moments passed, and I began to have a panic attack… I just knew she was lying… she had to be.

  Camarih

  “Thank you so much, Camarih, my skin feels like butter.” My client Ashley touched her cheek with a simper.

  “You’re welcome, but remember to not touch your face so much; hands are dirty. And try to talk on speakerphone or with headphones as much as possible; phones are filthy.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, getting up. “Hey, so why didn’t you mention your website to me?”

  “Huh?”

  “Huh?” She mocked me with a laugh. “You make your own products. I found you on YouTube, and after reading the comments, I placed an order. You didn’t notice?”

  “No, I’ve been getting so many lately that I don’t even look at the names when I’m prepping packages. I’m looking into hiring an assistant.”

  “I see. So why don’t you sell that to us?”

  “I do sometimes, if the person is rea
lly having trouble with their skin, but only on the low because obviously I’m supposed to promote Angel Skin products.”

  For the past couple months, I’d been bringing a few of my stock to work, and hiding it in my room that I worked in. My trusted clients always bought it from me, and it was a good way to make some extra money. I got the idea because I had a teenaged girl come in with really bad scarring and acne. I felt like too horrible of a person for recommending these hard ass scrubs and fragranced shit from Angel Skin, so I sold her some of my stuff.

  “True, so you got anything?” She started putting her bra and shirt back on, which was weird for me.

  “I have one cleansing oil left. I sell out of everything I bring every time.” I reached down for the oil.

  “Yes, I heard about this one. I did want the face butter, but you’ll let me know when you get more, right? I got everything I could online.” Ashley eyed the face oil with a grin as she handed me fifty-dollar bill. “That should cover it.”

  “Oh, it’s only twenty-three dollars.”

  “That’s for when you get more stock. Save me another bottle.”

  “Got it.” I cheesed. “I’ll send out an email when everything is back up and ready.”

  Ashley hugged me and left out, so I took that time to go pee. When done, I went back to my facial room to see my new boss, Emani, standing in there, holding the baggie I brought my products in.

  “Hi, is something wrong?” I wasn’t about to tell on myself.

  “I got word that you’ve been selling products, Camarih.”

  “What? That’s a lie! Who told you that?”

  “Cut the shit, I was listening outside of your door.”

  “You spy on me? What the hell?”

  “No, I was coming to see why Ashley was still in here ten minutes after her appointment was over and heard her inquiring about your little business.”

  “I only do it to help people, Emani, I promise. It’s not because I’m trying to be sneaky.”

  “Okay, then give me fifty percent of what you’ve made so far.”