New Title 1 (3 page)

Julez studied his wife’s perfect frame all lathered up in soap and he wanted nothing more than to jump inside with her, but instead he just stared.

‘
So I see you didn’t clean,” he stated sharply.

Noelle sighed, truly feeling bad.

“
I started.”

“
And I don’t smell no food cooking.” She could see the disappointment in his eyes. It wasn’t about what he had asked her to do; it was the fact that she hadn’t done it, not even on his birthday.

“
I’m sorry baby, just give me a minute. I was so tired I just passed out, and then I woke up and tried to hurry and get ready for you. I didn’t realize I had slept so late.”

Julez sighed deeply, knowing Noelle and knowing her excuses by now. He just thought it would be different on his birthday. A thought entered his head and he figured at least one request could be granted.

“
Well, how about I just come up in here wit’ you ma,” he suggested with a grin, stepping out of his Versace shoes and placing one leg in the shower while wrapping his arms around her waist.

Noelle’s natural reaction was to put her hands up and push him away slightly. She had just been dicked down, she couldn’t go at it again.

“
Papi, your suit... c’mon. You gonna ruin it.”

“
I don’t give a fuck,” he said slyly, still smiling and coming close to her, attempting to kiss her.

Her body became rigid and she pushed him away with more force.

“
Julez, please! That’s like a thousand dollar suit, don’t be stupid!”

She had instantly become irate and looking in Julez’s face, she could see the hurt. But he was a nigga, so he tried not to show it. She couldn’t kiss him, not with the taste of dick still on her lips.

“
Aight... fuck it.” He stepped back and his face turned serious as he began heading for the door, aggravated. Noelle sighed in relief and closed the curtain but Julez then doubled right back and snatched it open again, momentarily frightening her.

“
For the record Noe, I know how much my suits costs, ‘cause I buy these mothafuckas. And I got enough of ‘em, they’re replaceable. But you’re not…and neither am I.” She ran her hand through her short hair and felt like his words had a deeper meaning, or maybe that was her guilt talking. Either way, she couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“
Don’t worry about cooking,” he added. “I’m gonna go pick something up.”

Julez closed the shower curtain again and made his way out of the bathroom with his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. As he stepped out, he saw someone creeping down the hall.

“
Yo!” He shouted. The dude turned around and faced him.

“
Yo… Julez, what up?”

Julez walked toward him.

“
Shit…I aint know you was here, Slim. What time you get off?”

Slim rested the blunt in between his lips, patting his jeans for a lighter, even though he knew he didn’t have one. He had just thrown the pants on when Noelle had awakened him with her kick.

“
Like...’bout an hour ago, some shit.”

Julez nodded, keeping a neutral tone, not too friendly, but not angry.

“
Where’s Jordin?”

This time Slim looked Julez in the eyes, feeling like for a second, he may be a little suspicious and may be getting bold. But Slim was not intimidated the least, regardless of Julez’s reputation to get as hood as he was. He had been laying the pipe on Noelle for a while and this dude still hadn’t caught on.

Slim shrugged nonchalantly.

“
She should be in soon.”

Julez nodded again and as the two parted ways, Julez went back into the bathroom where Noelle was still bathing.

Here we go again,
Noelle thought when she heard the footsteps, her body tensing up in worry. He pulled the curtain back again, sending in another chilly breeze.

“
Yo, how long they gonna be staying here?” He barked, and she could tell he was peeved.

Noelle stuttered lightly, truly uncomfortable of even talking about Slim with Julez.

“
I…I don’t know Julez. I guess not long. Um… Slim just started working at the construction site so at least they getting some extra income. And I mean you know their house
did
get foreclosed while he was locked up. And she’s my best friend. She would do the same for me and you know it….we have the extra room.” She was rambling.

“
So what? That don’t mean shit. It’s
our
room, in
our
house. And that bullshit construction job aint gonna get them outta here, especially if they want another house. They better get a studio apartment and work they way up from there!”

Noelle turned to him defensively.

“
Look, it’s a start Julez! At least he’s working. At least he’s trying.”

“
Well, he aint trying hard enough! He need to go back to the block or something, ‘cause this shit getting too crowded, Noe. I was cool with a couple of weeks, but six months! Between you, me, them, and McKenzie-” Noelle cut him off.

“
Oh don’t even go there. ‘Cause if you got a problem with McKenzie being here I can send her back to live with her father in the hood. Matter of fact, I can go too, then you can have your big house all to yourself big man!” Noelle knew that was not what he meant, but she didn’t care. She knew that he loved McKenzie like his own, but she had to create a whole different argument to distract from the current one involving Slim.

“
Yo, you shot out for real ma. You know that aint what the fuck I meant. But let me get the fuck outta here before I say some real ignorant shit to your stupid ass,” he warned calmly.

“
Stupid? Stupid!” She yelled, shouting behind him like a madwoman as he turned to walk away. “Fuck you, Julez!” She shouted, throwing her Victoria’s Secret body gel. But he had already walked out and slammed the door.

Noelle closed her eyes to fight back the tears, she was hurting. She loved Julez with all of her heart. He was her husband, he had rescued her. He was the ghetto prince charming. He took her and her daughter from the streets to the suburbs, turned her from an average nigga's baby mama to a hood legend's wife, and even did the shit that you only read about in street novels: left the game and turned legal for her.

But Slim... From the moment he had stepped out of those gates and came home to her best friend Jordin, she couldn’t deny the growing attraction to him. They had always had a thing for each other, but it wasn’t until the present living situation that it became uncontrollable. And now it was scary because Noelle could feel her emotions becoming involved. She loved Julez, she was in love with Julez, but she was in lust with Slim. He did things to her.

It wasn’t a matter of one being more attractive, Julez’s 5’10” brown-skinned, stocky and muscular frame, and his head full of jet black waves and dark eyebrows were just as striking as Slim’s tall 6’2”, dark skin, and slender look. Julez was way more successful, but Slim seemed a little more attentive. They were both great guys though, having a street edge in common and an equal amount of swag. She loved having the two of them; caramel and chocolate... like a Milky Way.

Noelle put her head under the shower faucet and allowed the water to run over her completely, washing away her sins. She planned on staying in there until she turned into a prune, not wanting to come out and face her complicated reality.

***

“
Hey Julez, happy birthday.”

Julez took the last step and entered the downstairs foyer and then walked into the kitchen, only to be greeted by Jordin.

“
Thanks Jordin, I aint know you was here.”

He realized that it was the first time he’d heard his birthday mentioned since he’d been home.

“
What you doing?”

Jordin smiled and removed several potatoes from her cloth grocery bag.

“
Oh, I figured since you and Noe were going out, I’d make dinner for me and McKenzie. She told me on her way from school that she was sick of McDonald's,” Jordin added with a chuckle.

Julez grunted and then slid onto a bar stool at the kitchen island.

“
Yeah, well you can blame her mother for that.”

Jordin pressed her lips together and shrugged.

“
Go easy on Noe, she’s a good mother. We all have our strengths.”

Julez nodded because he knew she would say something like that. Soft spoken, sweet, and true-blue friend, Jordin wouldn’t say anything less than such.

“
Where is she…McKenzie?”

“
Outside playing with friends. I told her not to leave from in front of the house…that’s fine right?”

Jordin wanted to make sure she didn’t overstep her boundaries.

“
Yeah, that’s cool. Shit, when I was seven I was terrorizing the whole neighborhood.” Julez reflected on his crazy upbringing and his childhood in Trenton, NJ.

“
Yeah, well times have changed Julez. You can’t trust people the way you used to be able to.”

Julez nodded in agreement.

“
So where you guys going? I know Noelle was so excited,” Jordin added with a smile, remembering her friend picking out a killer dress to wear tonight, a dress Jordin could never and would never wear.

“
I don’t know, I think we may just stay in.” Julez felt bad when he heard Jordin say that Noelle had been excited about going out. Jordin looked at him solemnly.

“
Aw…well, I can make enough for four, for all of us.”

“
Don’t you mean five?” Julez asked with raised eyebrows, wondering why she had left out Slim. Jordin frowned and turned to rinse off the potatoes.

“
He won’t be here.”

Julez could tell by the way that she said it that it upset her. He figured he would change the subject.

“
Well, what you making?”

“
Just some fried chicken, homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, and garlic green beans. Oh and some biscuits from scratch.” She said it as if it were no big deal. “And before you say anything, shut up…I’m treating myself!”

Julez was taken aback by her pointed finger and defensive state.

“
What?” He questioned, clueless.

She giggled and began to peel a potato.

“
Oh, nothing.” She felt silly.

“
What?” He asked again, laughing.

“
No…I just thought… Well, I thought you were gonna do me like Slim do…tell me I don’t need to be eating all that stuff. But I swear, first thing Monday I’m starting that new diet that Noelle printed out for me.”

Julez rolled his eyes and then looked around, noticing that she had straightened up the kitchen.

“
Jordin, you’re not fat.”

She shook her head and continued her task.

“
I aint skinny.”

“
You shouldn’t wanna be.”

Jordin heard him but she was more than conscious of the twenty or thirty pounds that she could stand to lose. She wasn’t sloppy, but she was thick, balancing between a size 10 and sometimes a 12. She was gorgeous though, her light caramel skin, big brown eyes, and naturally long hair that hung down her back were all features that she knew compensated for not having the ideal body. Plus she had a smile that could light up a room and was sweet as pie. She looked up and saw Julez looking at her as she continued to peel.

“
You look good, Jordin.”

The way he said it caused her to look down, and she blushed lightly but kept a straight face, not even giving a second thought to it.

“
Thanks Julez.”