New Title 1 (5 page)

And then he made his way to his meeting, ready for another long day.

***

Noelle went back and retrieved her Philosophy Cinnamon Bun bubble bath and added another capful to the water. She wanted to be extra fragrant today. She looked down at her ringing phone and saw that it was her baby’s father Freckles calling for the third time. She let it go to voice-mail; McKenzie did not want to see him.

Pinning up her hair, her thoughts danced between Julez and Slim.

How did I get here? I was such a good wife. What happened?

Noelle thought of how she had met Julez five years prior. How he was a street nigga with so much poise, so much charisma, and Noelle was a brand new mother of a two-year-old, with a baby’s father who wouldn’t commit. How he had bedazzled her and left her mesmerized while she was at the mall with Jordin one day and how since from that moment on, she hadn’t spent a day without him. Her mind played back to the scene like it was yesterday.

“
Oh my god, don’t look now, but do you see that guy over there in the tan jacket?” Jordin had asked meekly as they sat in the food court of Bridgewater Commons Mall.

Noelle let her eyes travel around in a clockwise motion until she saw a sexy brown-skinned man with waves spinning and swimming out of control, dressed in a tan Gucci trim jacket, matching boots, and diamonds on shine. He was sitting alone and had bit into a French fry, a few various bags by his feet.

“
Yeah,” she said nonchalantly but in reality her body was on cream.

“
Well, I met him once. Before Slim got locked up, we had went to his house one time for a fight party, and it was freakin’ huge. I mean, it was so big,” Jordin whispered passionately. “And he had two girls staying there with him, I mean
two
girls, who came out of the bedroom in their panties and shit. I think he’s like a major player or something.”

The news turned Noelle on. She had always read about those kinds of guys, heard stories about them, but in this day and age, the fly-ass, big dick hustlers were like urban legends, a thing of the past. Her baby’s father Freddy, who everyone called Freckles, was the closest thing she had known to a hustler, and he was low-budget, bottom of the totem pole. Noelle looked down at her shorts and flip flop get up, not the best way to run into someone like that, but she knew her body was on point and she was a pretty girl. Hopefully he could see her potential.

“
You never asked Slim about who he was?” Noelle asked, wanting to know more. Slim was Jordin’s man since high school, who unbeknownst to Jordin, had taken Noelle’s virginity in ninth grade on a dare at a basement party. He was a senior when they were freshmen and he was just one of those guys that all the girls either wanted, or had been with and bragged about. Noelle would never tell Jordin because Jordin was so in love with Slim. She was so in love, that despite Slim getting a 3-5 year sentence, Jordin was determined to ride it out with him. So far, she had done a good eight months without as much as looking at someone else. Slim had set her up lovely though, he was doing decent in the streets for a young age, so he had made sure that she had a house, nice car, and fly clothes. They had really balled out before he went in.

“
No, you know Slim don’t tell me much about that stuff. I don’t think he knows him well, more like an associate of an associate kind of thing. But he’s definitely something. And he’s so cute, I couldn’t stop looking at him that night,” Jordin admitted lowly with a giggle.

Noelle smirked and studied her good-girl, friend. She knew Jordin couldn’t be
that
perfect, she was happy to hear that she had lusted behind someone besides Slim. She didn’t know how Jordin was gonna go years without getting some.

“
You should go talk to him,” Noelle suggested, not seeing the harm. Really, she wanted to talk to him but was too proud to admit it. Shit, if either one of them did it would be a start, just to be in his proximity.

“
No, unh-unh. No way.” Jordin shut that down.

“
Why not? ‘Cause of Slim? Jordin,
years
…years J? What’s a little friendly conversation?”

Jordin stammered, looking back and forth between her friend and the mystery man.

“
What would I say?” She couldn’t believe that she was considering it. Noelle rolled her eyes.

“
You can say, um, don’t I know you? Didn’t I meet you before? Don’t you have a big ass house and had two bitches walking around naked?” The girls giggled and Jordin shook her head, not feeling confident enough. Although at this time, Jordin was only a size six and was just as beautiful as she was now, equally giving Noelle a run for her money. Her confidence was never on the same level however.

“
Whatever, I’m going over there,” Noelle concluded.

“
What?” Jordin hissed. “What are you gonna say? Don’t say anything about me!” Jordin was scolding in a whisper and turning red, it made Noelle laugh.

“
Well then I’ll talk about
me
.”

Jordin swallowed hard, knowing that at the moment either one or the other had to go, and she knew that she just couldn’t.

“
But what about Freckles? You know he’ll beat your ass.”

“
What about him? I’m just saying hi.”

Before Jordin could say another word, Noelle had stood and was making her way over to his table. As she got closer, her heart began to race.
What exactly am I doing? What am I gonna say? If he’s as major as Jordin says, he’s gonna think I’m a bird.

Just as Noelle was considering turning around, the cutie glanced up and they locked eyes, and Noelle’s heart dropped.
Fuck it.

She reached his table and stood there for a few seconds, no words making their way from her mouth. Julez stopped chewing, putting down his Popeyes chicken, wiping his hands with a napkin, and returning her gaze. After a few moments, Noelle finally managed a “hi.”

Julez motioned with his hand for her to take a seat and she obliged.

“
Hello,” he greeted in return.

Noelle looked around taking in everything, his look, the way he stared at her, his smell, the bags, even the food he was eating. Finally she reconnected eye contact.

“
You’re probably wondering why I came over here, right?” Her voice was appealing - sassy black girl mixed with sultry Latina. He shook his head no and leaned back in his seat.

“
Nah, I already know. You came over here to ask me to marry you, right?” He shot her a boyish grin.

A smile crept on Noelle’s face and she shook her head with a giggle.

“
Please, I’m not gonna ask you to marry me.”

“
You wouldn’t marry me?” He asked sincerely.

“
That depends,” she responded.

“
On what?”

“
On who you shopping for.”

Without hesitation Julez responded, “Me.”

“
That yours too?” Noelle pointed at a Victoria’s Secret bag with raised eyebrows and Julez laughed.

“
Oh
that
. That’s for…nobody important.”

She titled her head to the side.

“
Well how unimportant does someone have to be to get a man like you to go shopping for them?”

Julez gave her the once over.

“
What’s your size?”

Noelle chuckled, thrown off.

“
What? Don’t you know you’re not supposed to ask a lady a question like that?”

“
You’re like…a small right?” He glanced at her upper torso. “34 C maybe, up top?”

“
What?” Noelle pretended to be offended. He just stared waiting for her reply and she sucked her teeth.

“
B. For your information.” Noelle was not ashamed of any aspect of her body, so she looked at him like
‘and what’
.

“
That’ll work.” He slid the Victoria’s Secret bag over to her.

“
What’s this?” Noelle picked it up and looked through the bag at the pretty panties, bras, and teddies. Along with some Heavenly perfume and body lotion.

“
It’s yours.”

She sucked her teeth, full of her sass.

“
I don’t want no other bitch’s shit.” She closed the bag.

He shrugged.

“
Alright, give it back.” He reached for the bag.

“
No! Get the hell off. It’s mine.” Noelle smirked and he licked his lips. He liked her fire.

“
I’m just trying to show you…she can be replaced.”

“
Oh yeah? And how easily can I be replaced?” She asked matter of factly.

“
Well that’s up to you. Come with me to Vegas tonight and we’ll see.”

Noelle ran her tongue along her inner cheek. This dude was not slow. Everything about him was fast, too fast.

“
I got a…well, my baby’s father. I stay with him.”

“
He can be replaced too,” he stated, folding his hands on the table. He looked at her like ‘
what you gonna do?’

She rolled her eyes and smiled, she couldn’t believe it. Her insides screamed
jackpot
, even though the risk was so high. But she loved the excitement.

“
What time we leaving?”

After giving her a time, she told him where he could pick her up from. She gave him Jordin’s address. And as she got up, her heart was racing and she wore a wide smile, feeling like someone who just got hired for their dream job. She looked over at him. If she played her cards right, she could be his, and he could be hers. Noelle had to ask him.

“
What’s your name?”

He smiled.

“
I’m Julez.”

“
Noelle.”

“
That’s nice.”

She turned to walk away but then spun around with one more question.

“
What would you have said?”

“
To what?” He gathered up his bags and stood.

“
If I asked you to marry me?”

He smiled again.

“
I’ll let you know tonight.”

***

Noelle stepped into the Jacuzzi style bathtub and the heat from the water snapped her out of her flashback. Ever since that day, she and Julez had been inseparable. It was Vegas, then it was Cali, then it was sneaking out nights to spend at his home while Jordin babysat McKenzie, then finally when the sneaking was tired out, and Julez was ready for something serious, Noelle left Freckles and never looked back. Marriage came shortly after, and the next thing on the list, which Julez was still waiting on, was another child. Although he loved McKenzie dearly, Julez wanted one with his own blood. Noelle was still trying to avoid that stipulation.

As she lathered up and closed her eyes, her thoughts turned to Slim. She couldn’t wait to see him. The emotions that she was feeling for him had crept up on her like a little love bug and she couldn’t shake them. For Noelle, there was a very thin line between physical and emotional desire, and the sexual things that Slim did to her and the excitement that he brought to her life, seemed to be now playing on her heart. She often wondered if they didn’t have to sneak around, if she would still long for him the way that she did. But she was starting to think that she just may.

Running her loofah across her breasts and soaping them up, she smiled lightly thinking of christening the new construction site with Slim. Although her life was complicated and a growing total mess, she was in no rush to give it up. She was having too much fun.
I’m on my way papi….I’m on my way.