Chapter 18
Bless looked at Sharif’s innocent eyes. “Boy, I could be your baby auntie.”
He smiled. “Man, age ain’t shit Bless. I could treat you better than any other nigga, young or old.”
“Boy, you still live at home with your mama. And I bet you got a curfew. You still get whoopings too, don’t you?”
“You play too much. So, is that all it take to be your man? I need my own place?”
Bebe asked, “Sharif, how old are you exactly?” Bebe was at his sister’s house which had become one of the most popular spots due to her adjacent neighbors. Bless lived next door to a middle-aged woman with two sons and a daughter that kept a lot of company. Every time Bebe came over it was something going on. Sharif was the younger son. The older brother was Malik, and their sister was Anandi.
“I just turned twenty,” he answered.
“Bless is thirty-three,” Bebe pointed out. “You know Lil Marvin only eight years younger than you.”
Sharif shrugged.
Trina laughed. “How come you don’t go after someone young like Free?”
Sharif shot Trina a look because Sharif knew she was being facetious. Free was the neighborhood menace. She wreaked havoc everywhere she went. Sharif said, “Nah. I like who I like.”
Bebe asked as an insult to Trina, “You don’t like bald headed bitches with flat asses?” They had a love/hate relationship. Brandi was Bless’ friend.
Trina cut her eyes at Bebe as Bless snickered. She looked up and out into the street. “Uh-oh y’all. Here come Leonard.”
Leonard’s long and lanky frame approached Bless’ porch with all of them sitting around. “How y’all doing this evening night?”
“We good baby. What about your fine sexy self,” Trina said stroking Leonard’s ego and making him blush.
“Aw, you know I’m straight,” Leonard said. “Whatchall folks getting into?”
“Nothing,” Bless said.
Leonard looked at Sharif. “Ay, lemme get a dime.”
“I gotcha,” Durt, Sharif’s friend said. He was about to reach in his pocket, but Sharif stopped him.
“Take that nigga to the store or something. Don’t be serving right from her porch. What’s wrong with you?” Sharif said in a firm tone. He was protective of Bless and didn’t want to risk her wellbeing. Bebe was glad Sharif said something because he was about to kick Leonard’s and Durt’s ass.
“A’ight,” Durt said. “Come on Leonard. Let’s go to the store. Y’all want anything back?”
Trina asked, “Can I just go with you?”
“C’mon,” Durt mumbled.
Bebe watched them walk off. He told the others, “Check and make sure all your shit is on you. Y’all know Leonard slick with that stealing.”
A red Pontiac G6 drove up recklessly, barely missing the young boys in the circle playing a game of basketball. From the driver’s side a female’s voice barked, “Move out the goddamn way!”
One of the boys hollered back, “Shut’cho crazy ass up and slow the fuck down!”
The boys weren’t resuming their game until the car was no longer moving. The car parked behind Bless’ car. Free got out of the driver side and mugged all of the boys and sneered, “What the fuck y’all looking at?”
“You hoe,” one of them said with a snicker.
“I’ma whoop your lil ass!” Free threatened. She turned to the others and walked her pretty ass up to the porch. “What’s up y’all?”
“What’s up Free,” Bebe said eyeing her seductively. Everybody said Free was crazy but to Bebe crazy was looking good. Free wasn’t what he usually went for, but her sexiness was undeniable. She was petite with delicate curves and smooth milky chocolate skin. She had chinky eyes that were sexy to Bebe. He still wasn’t sure if all the shiny black hair was hers on her head. They said she had a few screws loose but Bebe thought she was a trip.
Free eyed Bebe returning the same obvious lust and seduction. “Hey.”
Monique finally exited the car on the passenger’s side and twitched her slender hips up the driveway to the next-door porch. “Hey y’all. Hey Bebe.”
“Uhm, I’ma need you to move your car,” Bebe said pointing to it for emphasis. “You can’t be blocking me in.”
“You ain’t about to leave anyway,” Monique said with a smile. “So, relax and chill. Enjoy this crazy December weather while you can.”
Free added, “As a matter of fact, come holler at me before you leave Bebe.”
Bebe smiled knowingly. If he didn’t know any better Free was starting to notice him. He watched the two ladies disappear inside their duplex on the other side of Bless.
Bless laughed, “Bebe, don’t be getting any ideas.”
“Naw but she smiling and shit. Usually she be mean mugging,” Bebe said.
Sharif quipped, “That’s because she been taking her medicine.”
“Where your girlfriend?” Bless asked Bebe.
“I ain’t got no muhfuckin girlfriend,” Bebe replied.
“I thought she was the jealous type and didn’t want you out of her sight,” Bless teased.
Bebe knew Bless was talking about Cyn because Deja loved running her mouth.
“I’ma stop messing with you,” Bless said. “Have you talked to Miki?”
“Naw. I try to avoid seeing her at the school,” Bebe said. No matter how much he tried to occupy his time in the company of Stefani or Cyn he still couldn’t get Miki off his brain. He had seen her a few times over the past couple of weeks. He told Bless he tried avoiding running into Miki, but he always hoped that he would bump into her. The few times he had seen her Redd had been with her. Bebe was wondering what that was about. And she was looking sadder every time he saw her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to make love to her again. Furthermore, he wanted to remove her from Redd’s grasp.
____________
Miki hated that she had to let Redd know she was pregnant. He suspected it especially after her stomach had started to get a significant curvature to it. He said he always pull out. Miki had to remind him that he didn’t always pull out even though she knew for a fact around the time of conception he did. Redd didn’t seem happy. He complained that that was seven kids for him.
It was almost Christmas and Miki was fifteen weeks along. She was still trying to work up enough nerve to leave. She was trying to devise a plan. Since it was the winter months Redd was home more often. He wanted her to be right under him. He was even riding with her to take Téa to school. A few times she had seen Bebe watching from his truck. She pretended as if he wasn’t right there, but she noticed.
Miki placed more of Téa’s clothes in a garbage bag. She was very careful in her selections. She had to make it look like they were clothes she was getting rid of.
“Why you giving away so much?” Redd asked. He was standing in Téa’s bedroom doorway.
He actually scared Miki because she didn’t know he was standing there. “You just scared the crap out of me.”
Redd sneered, “Yo scary ass.”
You got me that way, Miki thought.
“Who you giving this stuff to any damn way?”
“To the church,” she lied. She didn’t understand why he was still angry at her. She had merely pointed out the obvious when she told him he was about to go out of town with another bitch. Miki didn’t even care. The sooner he was gone, the better.
“Well I’m about to go,” he said.
“Bye,” she mumbled.
“Why the fuck you got an attitude Miki?”
“I don’t have one.” Miki sat down on Téa’s bed. A wave of nausea hit her. She was in her second trimester and thought the nausea was supposed to subside at some point.
Redd walked over. Miki cowered thinking he was going to hit her. Instead he grabbed her by her face and squeezed in her cheeks real hard. “I done told you about you and your little pissy ass attitudes.”
Miki tried to pry his hand away but it seemed as if he got tighter. He spat, “Just cause you pregnant won’t keep you from getting yo ass beat.” He pushed her by her face.
She bucked up to him like she was going to hit him. His reaction was to strike her in her face. “Bitch! I don’t know who the fuck you think you is but yo ass ain’t’ mothafuckin crazy. Act like you gon hit me again!”
Miki held her face. She was too angry to cry. She was so tired of this treatment. Why did she stay with him? She couldn’t blame nobody but herself.
“Let me take my ass on before I hurt your pregnant ass,” he said.
Angry tears fell silently from her lids. She sat there until she heard him leave. She got up and started loading her truck with the bags of clothes she was supposedly getting rid of. She went back in the house. She went to her bathroom to prepare for a shower, but her reflection caught her attention. Her face was already turning red.
Miki hated herself and her life. Ever since Bebe called things off she felt her life had taken a dip. She didn’t find much of anything enjoyable anymore. But she chose Redd over Bebe. Why? She wanted to believe in Redd. She wanted him to do right by her because he loved her. She wanted to be there for him during his journey to change. The truth was Redd wasn’t trying to change. He would always be Redd and do as much as she allowed him.
Miki knew her family was tired of her declaring she was tired and making it seem as if she was going to do something about it only to renege. She was tired of wanting something more only to find herself feeling hopeless and helpless. She was tired of being scared. She remembered Bebe saying something about her freedom. As long as Redd was free she would never be.
Bebe. She sure did miss his silly butt. Miki called Maddie.
“Hello?”
“Hey Maddie. What are you doing?”
“If you’re calling to see what Téa is doing, for the fiftieth-time woman she’s doing fine!”
Miki chuckled, “I wasn’t calling for her. I was tryna see what you were doing so I can drop these clothes off at your house. Redd is gone. He just left.”
“Oh. Yeah. You talking about your getaway clothes?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah. Girl, come on.”
Miki gathered her purse and keys and headed out. Why was it necessary for Redd to go out of town at night? Miki wouldn’t wreck her brain trying to figure out his lies. That was his life. A life she wished she could be very far away from.
Maddie met her at the door to take the two garbage bags of clothes. Maddie asked, “Did he see you with these bags?”
“Yeah, but he so stupid. I told him I was giving them to the church.”
“Well you be careful going home. You pregnant by yourself and it’s night out.”
“I wonder if Bebe’s home?” Miki mentioned.
Maddie smiled. “What you wondering about him for?”
“I miss him,” she said.
“Go by there. I’m about to get out of this cold though. You go on home,” Maddie said running back to her front door.
Miki went in the direction of Bebe’s house when she left. His truck was there but his front porch light was out. The whole house seemed dark like no one was there. Maybe he was gone with somebody. It was Friday, so he was probably at somebody’s club or party. Or possibly at a girl’s house.
Miki parked behind his truck anyway. She got out and went to his door. She rang the doorbell. No answer. She got back in her vehicle. As she was backing out two sets of headlights approached. She almost felt embarrassed being caught in his driveway as the first little white car pulled in beside Bebe’s truck. The SUV pulled along the front yard.
Miki watched as Bebe got out of the passenger seat of the white car. The driver was Cyn. The back door opened, and it was Deja. Out of the SUV hopped out Dinky and another guy Miki wasn’t familiar with. Bebe handed everything in his hands to Deja and gave her the keys to his house so they could go in. He made his way over to her driver side window. Miki let the window down.
“What’s up?” he asked.
Miki didn’t know what to say. “I…uh…was in the neighborhood and thought I would ride by. I saw your truck in the driveway and thought you were here.”
“Well I’m here now.”
“And you have company,” she said. “I didn’t mean to intrude.”
“What did you come by for?”
Miki half shrugged. She looked towards his house that was now coming to life. “It doesn’t even matter. You got your friends to tend to.”
“A’ight then,” he said. “It was nice of you to stop by though.”
Miki stared at him and wished he wouldn’t be so stubborn. He knew what she was there for. He could see the anguish on her face. He knew she was hurt by what she saw.
Bebe began to walk away. Miki continued to back out of the driveway. Damn, did he not want to see her? This was his chance to see her without Redd around. She had to remind herself that he was the one that called their love affair off so why would he be the one wanting to see her.
About five minutes of driving Miki’s phone rang. She answered, “Hello?”
“Come back,” said Bebe on the other end.
“You have company,” Miki said.
“They’re gone. They were going out, and I decided not to. So please come back.”
The desperation was back in his voice that Miki had grown accustomed to. A desperation that was entwined with passion and love but masked with indifference. Miki turned back around and headed back to Bebe’s house.
As soon as Miki walked through the door Bebe attacked her with passionate kisses. Miki returned the same passion and hunger. They tore at each other’s clothes. Bebe fucked her right there against the front door. It was the most sensual intense ardent lovemaking Miki had ever experienced. Bebe whispered to her over and over, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Miki managed to say. She moaned louder as her body moved up and down against the door. Bebe kissed and sucked on her neck with a hunger that drove Miki to the edge.
After Bebe was done he picked her up and carried her all the way to his bedroom. He laid her on his bed where he proceeded to remove the rest of her clothing. Admiring her body, he planted kisses everywhere until he came to her belly. Miki noticed he hesitated but didn’t say anything. He continued to caress her body with his kisses.
He knelt down in front of her. He lifted one of her legs over his shoulder and buried his face in her pussy. Miki let out a long wailing moan as he showed her clit tongue loving. She rested her hands on his head. She whispered softly, “Feels so good...”
He grabbed her by her ass firmly and lifted her in the air. Miki gasped. She giggled quickly throwing her other leg over his shoulder to stabilize her balance. Bebe had her on his strong shoulders eating the fuck out of her pussy. He didn’t let up until she locked up and was grasping at his head lost in an overwhelming orgasmic explosion.
Bebe eased her down onto his bed. With her juices still on his face he kissed her passionately and aggressively. “I miss you so much Miki.”
“I miss you too,” Miki whispered.
“I don’t want to talk about the obvious right now,” he said. “I just wanna hold you for now. Okay?”
Miki nodded. She let him wrap his arms around her. In that moment she didn’t care about a Redd. She was back in the arms of her love.