Bad as in Good (12 page)

She leaned back and whispered, “You gotta take me home tonight.”

She bent over and rested her booty on my belt buckle. The way she backed it up on me, I had to catch my balance before I fell over.

“Shit!” I yelled out as she slid up her dress to show off her thong. I felt like I was in a “Tip Drill” video. When I looked up, I saw Simoné. I tried to look away and focus on the woman dancing and winding in front of me, but I couldn't help but notice her. She was grippin' the bar with one hand while the other hand wagged in some man's face. I watched the spectacle go on as the man she cursed out stared her down but kept his hands in his pockets. I was about to look away, but he backhanded her across her face and pushed her to the ground.

I stopped moving. Simoné held her face and yelped. I saw a look in her eyes that I wasn't used to seeing. She was scared. At that moment, I didn't notice the fat-assed Asian woman bouncing on my dick. I pushed my way out of VIP and rushed to her aid. The punk-ass dude stood over her berating her like she was his child while she sat on the floor afraid of gettin' back up.

When I met face-to-face with the tall, scrawny nigga wit' the receding hairline and lazy eye, I puffed my chest out, forcin' him to back down. He couldn't weigh more than a buck thirty, and there he stood like he was six feet seven weighing 200 pounds.

He got in my face. “What the fuck you want?”

I didn't see or hear anything else but my mind tellin' me to fuck this nigga up. Next thing I knew, my fist was ramming its way into his walnut-shaped head. I punched twice before he hit the ground. After knocking him to the ground, I pounded my Timberland
boot into his birdcage chest as he heaved forward and blocked his face for protection.

“Aye, man! Chill!” he cried out as he crawled away in panic. The music stopped as two muscle-bound security guards rushed over and held me back. By that time, the damage was done. The nigga's pride was gone as he limped his way out of my face.

Damien ran up behind me and got the security guards to let me go. “Calm down, man. Let him go. He's good. Let him go.”

The guards reluctantly let me go as they signaled the DJ to get the music back on. “He tries this shit again, and he's out on the streets,” one guard said as they walked off. Damien nodded and held me back.

I knelt down and helped Simoné up. When she noticed the guy was gone, she snatched away from me and ran out of the club. I thanked Damien for an interesting night before I ran after her.

When I got outside, I saw Simoné stumbling down the road toward the parking lot. Once I caught up with her, I said, “You all right?”

She rubbed her bruised face. “Do I look all right?”

“Who the fuck was that?”

“Some fool who doesn't like being turned down for a dance. Why the fuck do you care? What happened to the
half-Asian
chick?”

I completely forgot about her. At one point, I was actually looking forward to takin' her home. But, as Simoné stood there needing me, my plans had changed.

I licked my lips and pulled Simoné closer to me so I could inspect her face. I muttered, “If I wanted her, I'd be with her and not fighting random niggas in the club for you.”

“I didn't ask you to.”

“What type of man would I be if I didn't?” She stood there rubbing
her face and holding back the tears that welled up in her eyes. “Where'd you park?”

“My girls drove.”

“Then how were you gettin' home?”

“I was gonna wait in the parkin' lot 'til they got out.”

I held her hand and pointed at my car. “Lemme take you home. Where your girls at anyway? They weren't goin' help o' say somethin'?”

“So they can get beat down like me?”

We walked toward my car and I sat her down in the passenger side. When I got in and closed the door, she rubbed my thigh and stared out the window. “I don't wanna be alone tonight, Riq.”

I started the ignition and drove to my townhouse. We didn't say anything else; we drove in silence as I played back the night's events repeatedly in my head. When we pulled up to my place, I led her in. She kicked off her shoes and walked into my bathroom. When I heard the shower runnin', I sat on the edge of my bed and rubbed my fists. As soft as that dude from the club looked, I ain't expect his jaw to feel that hard. I sat there listening to the running water while I took off my shoes and pulled off my shirt. When the shower stopped runnin', I unbuckled my pants and reclined back. The door opened and five seconds later, a moist Simoné climbed on top of me and leaned forward. She pressed her soft, unglossed lips on top of mine and curled her tongue around mine. While she kissed me, she slid her bare pussy back and forth on my stomach while I squeezed her thighs. She then slid off my pants and rested her face between my upper thighs.

When she grabbed my dick, I tried to pull it away; I didn't want Simoné suckin' on the same sweaty dick that half the club grinded on. “Lemme take a shower first.”

Simoné moved my hand away and glided it between her wet
lips. She stuffed it into her mouth while working her tongue like a snake. She sucked it up and down and gently grazed her teeth around my skin while flappin' her tongue around it, sucking it clean of any indiscretions from before. I moaned as she held it firmly and sucked the head. I almost forgot how good she sucked. My toes curled as she swallowed my penis and let it nudge the back of her throat. She moaned and let her esophagus vibrate around my dick, allowing her tongue to tease the shaft. On the brink of coming, I pulled away and sat up. She climbed back on top and licked my neck.

“I gotta get in the shower.”

I could feel her getting wet and I almost caved. I didn't want to be with her sweaty and sticky, but she tugged on my body, making it hard for me to get away.

“I love you, Riq.”

I stared at her silently. She stared back at me with vulnerability.

“I'm not expecting you to say it back; I want you to know how I feel. I missed you and…thank you…for tonight.”

“It's cool. I missed you, too.”

“You don't have to tell me you love me, but I do need you to respect me. If you goin' be in this, then you can't be fuckin' around wit' other women. I can't find out about you an' half-Asian girls fuckin' when I'm not around. Don't disrespect me, Riq.”

I smiled. “You think you can handle me all by yourself?”

She giggled. “I'm serious, Riq. Tell me that. When I call, don't ignore me, and I won't ignore you. I'm through playin'. I wanna be wit' you, Riq. I'm being real.”

“All right. It's you and me.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed a sigh of relief. “Good. Now let's go take a shower together.”

I
haven't spoken to Loraine in two weeks. Time apart like that was unheard of with us. However, I didn't appreciate my close friend withholding the essential detail of us sharing one of the most intimate experiences I assumed I kept to myself. Although she called and texted, to avoid me cursing her out, I made sure she only heard my voicemail.

After receiving another call from Tariq, I decided it was time to see him tonight. Aside from the fact that it gave me the opportunity to watch him fawn all over me, it also gave me the chance to find out more about his fling with Loraine. I made no effort to pretty myself up as I answered the door in boxers and a T-shirt with my hair pulled up. When I opened the door, his eyes scrolled down to my bare feet, then back up to my high ponytail.

He smiled and stepped inside. “I'm glad you finally called me back.”

I pursed my lips and closed the door behind him. As we strolled toward the couch, I couldn't help but twist my hips and give him a glimpse of what he'd been missing. “What did you wanna discuss?”

We sat on the couch as he gazed at me—watching my movements, studying my mannerisms. He slowly licked his lips and moved closer to me. “How much I missed you.”

I moved back and sighed. “Please, Tariq. Talk to me. Where's your wife in all this?”

His eyes dropped to his shoes as he took a deep breath and pressed his hands together. “You always jump straight to that.”

“I have to. I don't like being a home-wrecker, Tariq.”

“There ain't no home to wreck.”

“What about the child you neglected to mention? You keep me out there like I'm some groupie or somethin'. I've never been one to chase any man, dang sho' not a married man at that. If you don't want to give me what I want, then you don't have to be here.”

He moved away from me and shook his head. “You comin' at me wit' all this. I ain't tryna be…” He clamped his jawbone and sighed heavily. “I dunno whatchu want me to say.”

“Tell me what your intentions were when you decided to take me out, get in my pants, and tell me mess like
you miss me?
Were you tryna play with me?”

“I do miss you. I dunno. I thought…” Tariq dropped his shoulder and then stood up. Rubbin' the back of his head, he pulled in his lips and shook his head. “You looked good, and I wanted to see what was up wit' you.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I dunno. You tryna make this out to be more than what it is.”

I stood up. “And what is it? An overrated booty call?”

He chuckled. I didn't appreciate his rude amusement at my frustration. I was more than some married man's booty call, and I'd be damned if I let him stand there and laugh at me.

I turned on my heel and headed for the front door. He chased after me and grabbed my arm. “Wait! I never said that's what you were.”

I snatched my arm away and opened the door. “You didn't have to.”

With the invitation back into the world outside my front door, Tariq asked, “You kickin' me out again?”

“You talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, you can't give me what I want.”

“And what's that?”

“A relationship. A real relationship where I call and you answer. One where I don't fear if your wife's around.”

We stared at each other. I contemplated how soon I could get him out of my space before the neighbors noticed me kicking the fine, light-skinned dude out of my apartment in the middle of the night again. I hoped he contemplated givin' me what I wanted because he knew that I was worth it—but hopes never went far with Tariq.

He put his hand on my door and sighed. “I can't give you all that right now, but if every time shit get tough you ready to put me out, how am I supposed to trust in your ability to hold me down? I'm here, right? Obviously, I'm tryna be wit' you even after you keep puttin' my ass out on the street. I'm married, but trust me when I say that my marriage don't mean shit. I dunno why I keep fuckin' wit' you. If you want me out, then cool. I ain't goin' beg you to stay, but don't come askin' fo' somethin' you can't handle.”

“Can't handle? You're married! If yo' marriage don't mean shit, then get a divorce. Why stay in it? Why have me climb down the damn fire escape if you don't care about it?”

“Shit ain't that easy when you got a kid. If I get a divorce, I might never see my son again. She sees you and then next thing you know, I'm in court while she beggin' the judge to raise my child support payments, even though I take care of my son. If you want a relationship o' whatever, you gotta be able to deal wit' this 'til I figure shit out.”

“I dunno if I even want to.”

He stood there staring at me as if he wanted to say something. I watched him turn his head and wipe his face. “Whatchu want me to do, Erin? You got me blowin' up yo' phone like
I'm
a fuckin' scrub. I keep comin' back. I'm here now. Let's work this shit out now. But if I leave, I'm gone.”

I let my doorknob go and folded my arms. I wanted to be with Riq although all the reasons to justify my desire made no sense. He made my mind go crazy, but I liked hearing him say that he wanted me, too. Nevertheless, I wasn't naive. I could recognize game when I heard it. When Tariq spoke, however, my emotions were blind to the bullshit. I happily accepted his games and lambasted him when he tried to win. Tariq was somehow becoming my kryptonite, and I knowingly injected his poison into my bloodstream while allowing him to be the pain my heart could barely endure. I took a deep breath and gave in. “Fine.” I nodded my head and closed the door. “You
are
here,—right now.” I turned around, walked back to my couch, and sat down.

Tariq stood at the door for a moment and followed me chortling. “It's hard to get a good read on you, Erin.” I smiled. He sat down next to me, and as if his dick never missed a step, he rested his hand on my inner thigh. His touch sent shivers up my body. When he looked into my eyes, I held my breath. “Erin, my situation at home ain't ideal. She's my wife and I have a son. I…I ain't happy. I can't be with her.”

“Then why did you marry her?”

He dropped his head again to stare at his feet. He then sat back and shrugged his shoulders. “Why is it always so damn hot in here?”

“Answer the question, Tariq. No one put a gun to your head. Why marry a woman you can't stand to be with? Do you even know what you want?”

He paused and looked back up at me. “Yeah…you.”

Of course, I blushed. I didn't want to, but his compliment, however shallow, made my face red. I wanted to smile and marinate in our gushy moment, but I had more questions. We were on a path, maybe not the right one, but a path nonetheless. Either way, we were far from anything concrete. “What about Loraine?”

He cocked his head and scrunched his brow. “What about her?”

“You tell me.”

“There's nothing to tell.”

“Not even anything about you two having sex?”