CheckMate 4: Winner Takes All (3 page)

Mona took in a deep breath as she sat there almost in disbelief. She’d been so caught up in her own world of issues that she didn’t even realize what had been going on with her best friend.

“I like him,” Candy also admitted.

“Woooow,” Mona softly dragged. “I knew that y’all were cool, but not this cool. When did this happen?” She curiously pondered.

“Weeeeell,” Candy dragged as she took in a deep breath then let it out. “I first met him the night of you and Caylin’s homecoming party.  It was outside at y’all’s crib as I was going to my car. He didn’t say how he knew anybody, but he mentioned Rico. He said that it was his Homey’s house or something like that. So, I didn’t think much of it. Then, later that night we met up again. It wasn’t intentional though. We had small talk, nothing major, and then I left.”

“What a strange and crazy coincidence,” Mona said. 

“It was and honestly, he looked so familiar, but in a different light. Like when I look at Monty now, all I see is the devil. However, looking at Brendon was the total opposite. Yeah, now he looks just like Monty in a lot of ways, but just from us meeting the way we did, he didn’t. If that makes sense,” she said with an uneasy shake of the head. “He could’ve easily passed for some of Rico’s kin or a homeboy whom I hadn’t met. I’m sure that he has other friends besides your brother. Am I making sense here?” She asked since Mona was still just looking with a blank expression on her face of trying to catch up.

“Weeeeell, it’s making better sense to me,” Mona finally said.

“Honestly, we didn’t talk much after that initial meeting, but later, I go to your mom’s house to pick up MJ and your cousin answers the door. Shock immediately set in and the resemblance then hit me like a bolt of lightening as we stood there face to face. I felt like a fool and so did he. I mean, I’d finally started thinking of someone else and had positive thoughts that maybe I would someday find love, to only find out that the guy I’m daydreaming about is your cousin. What an awkward situation.” She said shaking her head like it truly was unbelievable.  “We just did a little harmless flirting.”

“Damn, that is shit is crazy.” Mona said still not able to fully grasp what was being said.

“It is crazy.” Candy agreed. “. I mean, can you believe that we never exchanged names upon meeting. That would’ve saved us both, but all we wanted to do was some minor flirting and that was it.”

“Can’t say it was nothing wrong with that,” Mona said.

“Well, that was short lived because after finding out Monty’s connection to both of us, we attempted to back off. Mo, you know I wouldn’t lie to you. But, I started to miss Brendon without Monty being around. He got the most genuine smile and we have some really open conversations. I mean, we just get along. I can’t help that these are the things that makes me attracted to him. Plus, your brother has seemed to move on. What am I supposed to do? You can’t expect me to just sit here and not enjoy my life too.”

“Noooo, you’re right.” Mona sincerely said. She was definitely feeling where her best friend was coming from. “Don’t beat yourself up for living your life. Had Monty paid attention to what was going on around him, he would’ve been trying to save y’all’s relationship. I guess you can’t help who you’re attracted to.” Mona stood up; it was time for her to go. She’d left Rico home with the babies to bail Monty out of jail, but she had some unfinished business to tend to herself.

“Are you leaving me now?” Candy asked with a playful pout.

Mona softly chuckled at the pitiful look on her face. “Dee will be up soon. With all this crazy madness going on between her and Maurice, I know she can’t be sleeping too well.”

“Well, I’m glad that she is finally resting. She was about to drive me crazy trying to watch her ass. I was hoping that she didn’t leave here and go kill Maurice.”

“Hell, can you blame her?” She asked thinking that it was one thing for a nigga to be having an affair with a woman but something totally foreign for him to be cheating with a man. “I just don’t see why he couldn’t just tell her that shit from the start. She ain’t hard up for no fucking man.” Mona said feeling pissed about the situation.

“You ain’t neva lied.” Candy chimed in as she stood up to give Mona a, see you later, hug.

“Well, just so you don’t hear it from anyone else, I’ll be moving my things out of Rico’s house tonight?”

Candy’s neck jerked. “Whaaaaaat?!” she pondered.

Mona shrugged her shoulders, and then said, “Long story, Candy gurl.” She had an unbothered smile on her face. “That’s just the way it is sometimes. We’ll talk about it later. Get your mind together. You’ve had a long evening yourself.”

“Damn, you sure you don’t want to fill me in?” Candy worriedly questioned.

“Trust me, we’ll talk about it.” Mona promised. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okaaaay,” Candy said, and then she lightly kissed Mona on the cheek. “We’ll talk then.”

Chapter 2

Mona drove home with thoughts of what had transpired a couple of hours earlier with her and Rico. He’d honestly hurt her to the core, even though he acted like it was nothing. She was no fool and knew much better than what he gave her credit for.  

Going to rescue Monty out of jail definitely calmed her down a little, because had Catherine not called her back to back, Rico would’ve been calling 911 to get her off of him. As she drove towards Rico’s house to gather her things the moments that led up to her making this devastating decision replayed in her mind….

***

A couple of hours earlier…

Mona turned over on her back only to be awakened by Rico’s vibrating phone that he’d left behind. She sat up and looked over at it.

What the hell,
she thought. “Babe, your phone is going off.” She called out, but Rico didn’t answer. She didn’t want to holler to loud because the babies were asleep. She got up and peeked out of the window. Rico’s car was gone. Without hesitation she picked up his phone and read the message.

I guess you don’t want no mo’ of this good pussy??? We miss you. Thick’ums

Mona sat there in shock as the jittery shaking from her hand caused her to drop the phone back down on the bed. The thought of Rico fucking another woman hit her like a bolt of lightning. She stood there in disbelief while broken and speechless.

Realizing that he’d left his cell phone, Rico quickly made a u-turn. He pulled into the driveway and got out of his car. He walked into the house as Mona was standing there with one hand on her hip and his cell phone in the other. The look on his face was stunned when she slapped the shit out of him. He quickly grabbed at her hands, but was caught with three more quick licks upside his head.

“Damn, what’s wrong with you?” He questioned, trying to block her quick blows that stung like a bee.

“Whose number is 0110?” She quickly asked.

“What?” Rico was confused. Things were happening so fast it took him a second to register what she was asking.

“Le’me break this down for you.” She slowly spoke as if he were not up to speed. “Whose muthafuckin’ number is 706.555.0110?” She slapped him again as hard as she could. It felt like she had dislocated her arm for a moment she hit him so hard.

Rico had never seen that side of Mona. “Damn baby! Calm the fuck down!” He said overbearing her swings and stopping the licks she was giving him upside his head. Mona may have been a woman but her licks felt like that of a man.

Mona cried feeling very betrayed. “This bitch got the nerve to text you asking you if you miss her pussy!”

“What?” Rico was shocked thinking that Karen would know better than to text him saying shit like that.

“How could you do me like this?” Rico felt bad as hell because he was seriously trying to prevent this. “Whose number is it or do I have to call and ask myself?” He knew the number was Karen’s but he couldn’t tell her that. She would kill him before the night was over.

“Give me the phone.” He said looking directly into Mona’s teary eyes. “Hittin’ on me like I don’ did sum,” he murmured as if he was pissed about the whole encounter. “I don’t know that number.”

“NO! Le’me dial it!” Mona demanded, because she was not about to give him that phone. She dialed the number quickly and put the phone on speaker.

Damn, here she go with this speaker shit
, he thought looking crazy and almost guilty as fuck. There would be no way that he could lie his way out of this one.

“Hey Boo,” the sexy voice answered. “When are you coming back over?” Rico stood with a blank expression on his face, because Mona was positioned to kick off in his ass if he was lying. This was do or die time and he knew that any moves made or thought out at this moment would determine his future. He loved his family beyond a doubt and hated knowing that he could lose it all over a chick that he’d just fucked but was done with her.

He looked at his phone as Mona waved it in his face thinking that he’d better say something quickly or she would. He cleared his throat, taking in a deep breath. Even though his nerves were shot through the roof, he was a soldier and he definitely wasn’t going out without a fight. 

***

“Who is this?” Rico asked with a befuddled look on his face.

“Huh?” the sweet voice responded.

“WHO is this?” He firmly asked again as the wrinkles in his forehead indicated a guilty conscience along with the beads of sweat that had began to show.

“Ric-,” the woman attempted to call out, but before she could fully call his name, Rico cut in.

“Look, I don’t know who you are text messaging my phone and getting my woman upset, but make sure you have the right number the next time.”

Silence was on the other end of the phone for a few seconds then the sweet voice decided to say something else. “This ain’t Ricardo’s phone?”

“Nah,” Rico said with a sigh of relief.

“Ricardo, quit playing,” Karen said trying to play it off.

“Look, you have the wrong number.” Rico said in a louder tone not once taking his eyes off of Mona. If he could’ve read her mind it would’ve made it easier than trying to read her perplexed looking facial expression.  

“Hold up,” Karen said looking at the face of her cell phone while thinking to herself.
This dumb ass nigga done got caught up.
She cleared her throat then said, “My bad, I thought this was by boo, Ricardo.” And with that, she quickly ended the call.

Rico looked at Mona as the tears were building up in her eyes as he started. “Babe, see that was the wrong number.” He said hoping that the situation had calmed some.

“Fuck you and that bogus ass phone call!” Mona yelled at him. “You were fucking that bitch, whoever she was.” She told him with a disappointed look on her face.

“How the fuck am I fucking somebody I don’t even know?” He questioned in his defense.

“How the fuck you don’t know her?” Mona asked just ready to slap the shit out of him again. “The woman was about to call your name, but you hurriedly stopped that didn’t you?”

Rico knew that Mona was no dummy, but he was going to keep it up for as long as he could. There was no way in hell that he was telling on himself.  “I only wanted to put an end to the madness, that’s the only reason why I said something. You’d already slapped the shit outta me a few times.”

Mona rolled her eyes. “And, I’m ‘bout to slap the shit outta yo ass again. I can’t stand when a muthafucka tries to play on my intelligence, but that’s okay. I’m packing me and Caylin’s things and we’re outta here. If you wanna fuck around then do it. I’ma show you who can do it better.” She said, and then swiftly made her way down the hallway with Rico on her heels.

“What’s that supposed mean?” He asked not at all enjoying how easily the tables had been turned.

“You’ll find out,” Mona said and just as she’d gone in the closet and come out with her suitcase to pack, her phone rang. Rico was lucky that it was her mom calling to ask that she meet her down at the city jail. That was the only thing that delayed her from moving her things out of his house right away.

***

A couple of hours later, she was now back to Rico’s house and pulling up in the driveway. Her evening had gone horribly wrong. All she wanted was to get a little sleep and be the sweet, loving fiancé to her family, but once again Rico and Monty ruined it. She was tired of having to deal with them and their selfish ways. She’d already made her mind up that she was leaving Rico. After the incident earlier, there was no way that she was staying. Rico had definitely pulled the wool over her eyes and she wasn’t raised to be a fool and put up with that shit.