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Authors: Brenda Hampton

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #African American, #Urban

Naughty by Nature (21 page)

BOOK: Naughty by Nature
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“Hey, baby,” I said, “While you were here yesterday, did you do anything to keep yourself busy?”
“No . . . I mean, I watched TV. Why'd you ask?”
“The television must have gotten awfully boring.”
“It was cool.”
“But, I bet it wasn't cooler than my journal, was it?”
“Huh?”
“Shane, don't ‘huh' me. You know what I'm talking about. You read my journal, didn't you?”
“What journal? I didn't see—”
“I can't believe you would lie to me about something so tedious.”
“Look, I don't know what you're talking about. You might want to ask somebody else if they read it. It wasn't me.”
I was silent and we both held the phone without saying anything. He was the first to open his mouth.
“Okay . . . I confess, but I kind of found it by accident.”
“By accident? So, you just accidentally opened my drawer, pulled out my journal, and forced yours eyes to read it?”
“I didn't read
all
of it. I only read some of it.”
“But, baby, those are my thoughts. My personal thoughts. I didn't want to share any of that with you. Let alone, make you aware of all my business.”
“I'm sorry. I was wrong and I apologize. Why you making a big deal about it and you even said yourself that it wasn't that serious.”
I got mad and hung up the phone. When he called back, I didn't even answer. And after reading through my entries that I hadn't read since I'd written them, I was embarrassed. I dropped my head on my desk and laid it on my arm. Shane knew a whole lot of things about me and I wasn't too thrilled to be with a man who knew that much.
After I read the entry about my desires to have a threesome with him and Jaylin, I tossed my journal to the floor. And Maxwell . . . Shane knew about the wild and freaky things I'd allowed him to do to me and vice versa. I could have cried. How dare him come into my office and invade my privacy like that. Then, lie about it? Disgusted, I got my journal off the floor. It was no longer for my eyes only, so I ripped out the pages and searched for my shredder. I sat at my desk, shredding the pages one by one. My phone interrupted me, and of course, it was Shane.
“What?” I spoke in a dull voice.
“Are you really that upset with me?”
“Hell, yes, Shane! I can't believe you would read my stuff like that.”
“Damn, what's the big deal!” he yelled. “It ain't like it was a surprise or nothing. Besides, I didn't get all bent out of shape when you listened to my phone call the other day.”
“This is totally different. I picked up your phone by accident. You deliberately went through my drawers and read my journal. I hope like hell that you found what you were looking for.”
“Hey, I'm gon' say this one more time. I was wrong and I'm sorry. I can't take back what I did, but I really didn't expect for you to trip like this.”
“What makes you say that? If that were the case, when I asked if you read it, you wouldn't have lied. And then, you have the nerve to ask me to trust you? How am I supposed to trust you and you over here going through my shit and lying to me when I ask you about it?”
“Look, stop acting like a drama queen. It's really not a big deal.”
“So . . . you know about every intimate detail that I've experienced in the past two years and you're telling me it's not a big deal?”
“Hey, all I know is you're a freak.” He laughed.
I sat up straight. “What did you just say?”
“I said . . . some of the shit in there was kind of freaky. Which makes you a freak. I'm a freak, too, and I for damn sure won't deny it. So there—we both some freaks.”
“Okay, Mr. Freak Ass Motherfucka, don't call me no damn more. Since I am such a freak and a drama queen, why don't you pretend that I never came back into your life?”
“If you continue to talk to me like that, I will have no problem ending this,” he spoke casually. “I told you before that I'm not up for a bunch of—”
“Kiss my ass,” I said and hung up.
I nearly broke the phone into pieces by slamming it so hard. I couldn't believe all this was happening over a journal that was none of his business.
I got back to shredding my pages. I cleaned up and took my trash bag to the dumpster behind Jay's. As I made my way back inside, I noticed a white Maxima parked close by with tinted windows. I squinted to get a look at the license plate, and as soon as I did, the Maxima quickly sped off. I tried to catch up with it, but whoever was inside didn't want me to see them. I didn't see a face, but I for damn sure knew what kind of vehicle the person who was after me drove.
I hurried back inside and asked everybody in the shop if they knew of anyone who drove a white Maxima with tinted windows.
Jamaica pressed her finger against her temple and closed her eyes like she was in deep thought. “Uh, uh, damn! What's his name . . . he played in
Boyz in the Hood
with Morris Chestnut.”
“Ice T?” Bernie said.
“Bitch, it was Ice Cube and he wasn't driving no white Maxima in that movie either,” I said.
“Ice T, Ice Cube, whatever,” Jamaica said. “Bringing up their names done made me kind of thirsty. I'm gon' have to go to the kitchen and get me some Ice Water.”
Everybody cracked up.
“Y'all I'm serious,” I said, unable to contain my laughter. “I want to know if anybody personally knows somebody who drives that kind of car?”
“A white Maxima?” Deidra asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “With tinted windows.”
Everybody shook their heads, except Jamaica. She, of course, had another vague memory.
“Now I remember,” she said, holding her forehead. “Damn, how could I forget? It was Nettie in
The Color Purple
. When she went back to that house at the end and reunited with Celie, she drove a white Maxima with tinted windows.”
The whole place just burst into laughter, and Jamaica kept at it, rocking herself back and forth. “All my life I had to fight,” she said, sounding just like Oprah.
“Girl, stop,” I laughed. “You need to bring Tyler Perry up in here so you can audition for one of his movies.”
She cleared her throat and laughed. “You know darn well that if I brought Tyler Perry up in here, I wouldn't even have time to audition because you'd be in here trying to screw him.”
“Ooooooo's, and daaaang's,” echoed throughout Jay's.
“Ha, ha, ho,” I said. “I ain't mad at you for speaking the truth and don't hate on me cause I got it like that.”
I broke out the high-fives with everybody in Jay's.
“I'm sorry, but I have to back up Scorpio on that one,” Bernie said. “She has certainly had herself some fine men.”
“As much as I hate to admit it,” Jamaica said. “I must back her up, too, anytime she can bring Hollywood #1 and #2 up in here. And, I'll be damn, here comes Hollywood #3.”
All heads turned to the door as it opened. In walked a tall, dark, thicker than thick brotha with a dirty white T-shirt on and some greasy looking jeans. Sweat dripped from his forehead and he wiped his oily hands across his lips.
“Anybody got a Coke soda?” Jamaica said. “We must be in that commercial.” I gave her a shove.
“May I help you?” I asked in my professional mode.
“I've been working construction out front. I cut my hand on some glass and wondered if I could get a band-aid or something.”
“Somebody get her out of here right now,” Jamaica said, pointing to me. She looked at the brotha still standing by the door. “Baby, just hang on a second. I'm gon' get you a band-aid, some ice, some water, and possibly some of these chicken wings I fried for my lunch today. I'll fix you up real good, okay?”
He couldn't help but laugh and planted a wide smile on his face that showed his pearly whites.
Jamaica rushed off to the back. When she came back, I was standing next to the brotha while observing the cut on his hand. She pushed me out of the way.
“Let me see how bad it is, sweetie,” she said, taking his hand.
I folded my arms and let her show continue. She wiped his cut with a towel and placed the bandage over it. She then gave him bottled water and offered him some chicken wings she had in a greasy brown paper bag.
“No, no thank you. I appreciate your kindness.”
“Anytime,” she said.
He reached for the doorknob. Before opening the door, he turned to his side and looked directly at me. “What did you say your name was?”
Jamaica and I introduced ourselves to him at the same time. She looked over at me. “He wasn't talking to you. He was talking to me.”
I kept quiet.
“Nice to meet you both,” he said and walked out.
“See,” Jamaica said. “You done scared that man away wit yo ugly self.”
“Girl, I'm not going to argue with your silly butt. You just mad because he couldn't keep his eyes off me. Everybody up in here knows that while you were back there playing the little housewife, he was up here flirting with me. He asked what my name was and I told him Miss Valentino. He couldn't remember it, so that's why he asked again.”
“Jamaica, I think you'd better try and try again,” Bernie said. “Hollywood #3 will soon be giving Scorpio a key.”
Jamaica rolled her eyes at me. “I can't stand yo ole light skinned gorgeous hoochiefied self. Next time, just stay yo butt in the back.”
“If or when, Miss Hater, he comes back in here. I'll be sure to let him know that you're interested. As for me, I'm not. I already got enough served out on my plate that I can't handle.”
I lifted my hand in Jamaica's face and walked off. I chuckled on my way to my office and had forgotten about my disagreement with Shane. Just that fast—I was feeling bad, so I picked up the phone to call him. The first time, he didn't answer, but when I called back again, he picked up.
“Yeah,” he said. I assumed he knew it was me by his dry tone.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“I'm busy right now.”
“So, I guess you're going to stay mad, huh?”
“You know what? You play too many damn games for me. Did you or did you not just cuss my ass out and hang up on me?”
“Yes, I did. And, you deserved it for calling me a freak and a drama queen.”
“I got a feeling that you've been called a whole lot more than that. But, when it comes to me, you want to constantly play your damn games. I'm not the one, Scorpio, so you told me not to call you no more and I won't.”
His stubborn ass hung up on me. Fine, I thought. If he wanted to call this off, that was dandy with me. We'd see how long this lasted.
SHANE
22
I
was all packed and ready to go to Florida. I needed a break because I had so much on my mind. Mr. Mayor had me busy all week, so I really didn't have time to do much else. I'd even gotten another call from one of my previous clients who needed some ideas thrown out to him pertaining to building a new restaurant. I worked minimal time on his design and promised myself I would get to it as soon as I could.
I was so indulged with my work that I hadn't had much time to think about Scorpio not calling me or me not calling her. It really didn't hit me until I sat in my office on late Thursday evening and doodled around with my new design. I kept pausing and thinking, thinking and pausing until I got up enough nerve to call her. I dialed the first few numbers and put the phone back down. As I held the phone in my hand it rang. Not even looking at the caller ID, I quickly answered.
“Hello,” I said.
“Hi,” a voice said.
I didn't recognize it. “Who is this?”
“How soon do we forget? It's Sam.”
“Aw, hey, what's up?”
“Nothing much. I haven't heard from you in awhile and I wondered what you were up to.”
“I've been busy. Busy trying to sort things out with my new business.”
“So, that's why you haven't called?”
“No, I haven't called because the last time we were together, things didn't work out too well. Now, how soon do we forget?”
“You sound bitter about something. Would you like for me to call you back?”
“How about I call you?”
“If you had thought about calling me, then you'd know that my number has been disconnected. Several weeks ago, I moved to New York. If you'd like my new number, I'll be happy to give it to you.”
“What is it?” She gave it to me. I told her I wrote it down, even though I hadn't. “I'll call you back later.”
“Don't forget.”
I didn't respond and hung up. This on and off shit with women was driving me crazy. One minute, everything was cool, and the next it's like . . . “nigga, don't call me no more.” Then when they call, all is to be forgotten. Fuck that, I've said it before and I'll say it again, games are only for people who wish to play them.
Knowing that I had to get up early to catch my flight, I finally shut down about midnight. I poured myself a shot of Rémy and carried it to the bedroom with me. I sat on the edge of my bed and placed the glass close to my bottom lip. After I shot the Rémy down my throat, I put the glass on the dresser in front of me and fell back on the bed. My eyelids drooped, and within seconds, I was out.
I could always count on the phone to wake me. I jumped up and reached over to answer it. It fell to the floor, so I had to search the dark room to feel for it.
“Yeah,” I said, squeezing my tired eyes together.
“Shane it's me, Amber. Did I wake you?”
No doubt, I was disappointed that it wasn't Scorpio. “Yeah, I'm really tired, though. Can I call you back tomorrow ?”
“I wanted to know if I can come over. A few of my friends and I went out tonight and I'm not in the mood to go back home.”
I yawned. “Listen, I'm a bit tired. I have to catch a plane early tomorrow morning so I need all the rest I can get.”
“You can rest on the plane. As many times as you've called me in the middle of the night and I'd gotten up for you, I'm sure you can get up for me.”
“Amber, you want to fuck and my dick is too tired to wake-up. If you come over here, you will be disappointed.”
“And the next time you call my house in the middle of the night, you'll be disappointed, too.”
I wanted to say, “I doubt it” but I kept my mouth shut. Amber told me to have a safe trip and said she'll be in touch soon.
After her call woke me up, I couldn't go back to sleep for nothing. I tossed and turned. Turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. I even went for a jog and lifted some weights. It was obvious that I was trying to keep my mind off Scorpio, but I wasn't doing too much of a good job of it.
I was delighted to see the sun come up. I showered, ate breakfast and headed for the airport. By 7:45
A.M.
, my plane was on the way to Florida.
BOOK: Naughty by Nature
7.71Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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