Nicole.
"I'm sorry for bursting in, but you need to see this." Layla bombarded her way into my Office. I was in the middle of a Zoom meeting with a Soon-To-Be Bride about herself and her Wedding Party.
"I'm so sorry, can you please give me a second? My Receptionist just came into my office with some important information."
"No worries" She smiled, waving her hand for me to take my time. "I have the entire day, I'm just so happy you were able to meet with me."
"It's my pleasure." I smiled into the camera. "Just give me five minutes." I muted my computer and turned the camera off so she couldn't see me.
"Sorry!" Layla immediately apologized knowing I hated to be interrupted during meetings with customers. I found outburst very disrespectful and unprofessional in my workspace.
"What is it Lay?" I slightly spun around in my chair, facing her.
"Look" She put her phone in my face.
"Ray's Instagram? What are you showing me this for?" I was confused and a tad bit irritated that that's what she found important.
She smacked her lips "Nicole, look! He's wearing an Ulta shirt, has makeup brushes in his hand— obviously he's working there!"
"And?" I raised my brows. "How are you even able to see his Instagram anyway?" He'd blocked all of us once everything went down. Every Coworker, friend, family member, and he even blocked Taejin and Troi's page.
"Off my third Finsta." She answered causing me to shake my head at her ridiculousness. "I've been keeping up with him but he's never shown his new job until now." She kept showing me his Instagram Story. "You should go to Ulta an-"
"Lay, I'm in the middle of a meeting."
"Afterwards then!" She begged. "Nicole, we talk about Rayvon everyday; we miss him." She stuck her bottom lip out, clasping her hands together in begging form. "Won't you pleaseeee go up there?" Going and begging for forgiveness at Rayvon's job was definitely not the plan I had in mind. I'd much rather us go out for a nice dinner or something.
"We don't even know if that's the one he works at." There was an Ulta about three or four blocks over from my Spa. Ray, Layla, and I had been in there a few times together and Ray knew the store like the back of his hand. I was sure he could get on with no problems.
"Ray wouldn't be caught dead in the Ulta off Hamilton Park." She was right about that. "It has to be that one— C'mon Nicole, pleaseeee?" She asked again. "You know you want to, you're just nervous."
"I'll think about it Layla." I spun back around to my Computer. "Bye, get back to work please." My five minutes had long passed and I didn't want to keep anybody waiting any longer.
"Okay, I'll leave you to it." She dismissed herself, shutting the door behind her.
I couldn't get Rayvon off my mind once I finished my Zoom meeting and it was all Layla's fault. "Ulta run?" She grinned from ear to ear as I stepped through the Foyer of my Spa with my Baby-Blue Chanel in my left hand.
"Shut up" I joked with her. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone and if I'm not back in an hour, call me."
"Okay, I hope you come back with good news!" She shouted behind me as I exited through the glass double doors. I was happy I drove my Coupe today because I was able to parallel park right in front of my Spa. Lord knows I hated trying to squeeze into parking spots in my G-Wagon.
It took me no time to get to Ulta and once I got there, Rayvon's Yellow Volkswagen Beetle definitely was parked front and center. Something pulled at me to get back in my car and head back to work but I knew it was just nerves so I tried my best to shake it off.
"Welcome to Ulta!" The cashier greeted me causing me to step to the register out of nervousness. "What can I help you with Ma'am?"
"Ummmm" I thought about it, looking at the different makeup displays they had by the windows. "I'd like to get my makeup done if possible." My face was already beat to perfection and judging by the look on her face, she realized it too.
"Yes ma'am" She grabbed a clipboard from behind her. "Just write down your name and phone number for me if you don't mind." She had a cute country accent that I'd never heard before. She definitely wasn't from Chicago which I liked.
"I'm actually here for a specific Artist." I leaned in closer, resting my chest on the wooden countertop. "Rayvon works here right?"
"Yes ma'am, you know Ray?"
I shook my head yes. "Is he available?"
She laughed at my question, covering her mouth with the tips of her nails. "Ray's chair is always empty, he don't be trying to do no makeup." That sounded exactly like Rayvon Cornelius Plato. He was really good at makeup but his personality required a much more creative setting, which is why he was perfect for my Spa.
"Will you walk me to the back?" I asked her politely, knowing she didn't have to.
"Sure"
"Thank you" I trailed behind her until we got to the back where the beauty vanities were set up. Ray's back was to us while he talked a mile a minute to one of his coworkers, making her laugh. His blonde cut was now a dark gray and he gained a little weight since the last time I seen him. I was proud of my Ray Ray Boo, he always said he wanted to gain at least twenty pounds and from the looks of things he'd successfully done it.
"Ray, you have a client."
"Who?" He spun around with so much attitude. His eyes landed on me and he couldn't believe I was standing directly in front of him. "Nicole?"
"Ohhhhh, this is Nicole?" The Cashier pointed at me. "You're the one with the Spa? Oh my Gosh, Ray!" She said his name but was smiling at me. "Ray showed us so many pictures of your Spa from when he worked there but he never showed us you— nice to meet you."
"Likewise" Ray told them to leave us be so we could talk.
"How did you know where I work?"
"Doesn't matter, I came to apologize for my part in breaking your heart." He looked down, rolling his neck for me to keep going. "It wasn't my place to say anything but that doesn't mean I should've kept quiet for as long as I did. I had you working for me and in my face, knowing your man was stepping out on you and that was wrong. I was fake-"
"SO fake" Ray cut me off, folding his arms across his chest as he kept his eyes on his shoes. "AND phony! I thought I was your friend too, but you showed me I wasn't nothing to you but an employee."
"You're right Ray." I agreed with him. He looked up at me with a scowl on his face. "I was very fake and it seems like I sided with Mila, but I swear I do consider you my friend." I clutched my chest. "I need you on my team, Ray."
We stood in silence for a couple of seconds. "Sit down so I can do your makeup." He pat his chair for me to take a seat. He took my purse from me without a word, sitting it down for me. "You're paying me for this by the way."
"How much are you making here?" I really wanted to know.
"Girl, we not cool. Don't ask me my personal business." He gently touched my face, positioning my head to where he could see clearly.
"I bet you still will answer."
"$11.50, why?"
"That's lunch money compared to what you were making at Parker Spa and Nails— I'm just saying." I threw the obvious out there.
"It was never really about the money at your Spa, Nicole." He sighed. "It was the freedom, the environment..." He paused, roughly swirling an eyeshadow brush into a brown NARS eyeshadow. "It was about you too."
"I missed you too, Ray Ray." We made eye contact and neither of us could take it anymore. I jumped into his arms and we damn near fell onto the floor hugging one another.
"I was just waiting for you to come and find me." He rocked us side to side. "When we get to work, you know I'm telling Layla I knew that was her stalking my socials the whole time."
"So you'll come back?" My face lit up.
"Girl my bags were packed when you walked in the door! PLEASE take me home!" He started frantically packing his makeup kit causing me to laugh loud as hell. "I'm still beating your friend up though." He referred to Mila.
I knew he obviously had it out for her. I would've too if I were him, but I didn't want them going at one another either. "Y'all will get a chance to sit down and talk."
"Whatever, I'm getting mad about it so let's change the subject." He put his black duffel bag on his shoulder. "You ready?"
"You just gone quit?" I laughed lightly, looking around the store.
"Duh! I got a Career, I don't need this job."
"What about my makeup?"
"Bosslady, you know you look beautiful as is." I was so happy to hear him call me Bosslady. "I guess I'll spice it up a little bit for you though, close your eyes." He told me to open them not even a minute later, but he did spice me up.
"Oh my God, Ray!" Layla got up from her desk and ran full force to him once she spotted us coming into my Spa. She attacked him with hugs and kisses. "I can't believe you're back! Nicole, you did it!"
"She didn't do nothing, I was ready to come home." Ray grinned as they continued to hug. He went around and talked to everybody else before we went upstairs to where Montana and Korea were shooting.
"Rayyyy!" Korea got up from her pose, giving him the biggest hug. "What a surprise! I was wondering where you disappeared to." She told me. "I'm so glad you're back. We been missing you."
"Missing you big time with your annoying ass." Montana dapped him up. "How you gone quit on the dream team like that? You know we the fantastic four, don't nobody do it like us."
"I know and I'm sorry I left y'all hanging the way I did."
"Yeah and you tried to sue me."
"Only to get your attention and because I knew it wouldn't work."
"You're so much like me." We gave each other a cheesy grin before we hugged again.
*************
Tae.
"Pull! You acting like you don't got no arm strength!" I fussed at Mel, out of breath.
"I'm trying Brody, this nigga heavy!" He yelled back as his voice echoed over the water. "Push his fat ass!"
"I'm pushing, you gotta pull at the same time!" We both were frustrated with one another which left a ton of open space for mistakes. Every time I did a job with Mel, he reminded me why I didn't do jobs with Mel.
What was suppose to have taken maximum of two hours was taking us four. "You killing me, Mel." I wiped sweat from my face with the back of my glove. "I see I could've done this shit by myself."
"Here you go"
"What you mean here I go? You acting weak as hell!"
"You act like this ain't a three hundred pound plus grown Man that we trying to throw over this bridge! Then you put cement blocks on top of this nigga! Hell yeah I'm struggling!"
"Lower your voice." I pushed the black bodybag as far back as I could until I was satisfied. "On three, alright?"
"Word"
"Mel!"
"Alright, Tae damn!" He closed his eyes trying to even out his breathing. "Count slow though"
"Nigga, on three! One...two... three" I took a deep breath using all the strength I had in my body to lift the bodybag over my head and toss it into the lake beneath us. Mel fell over onto the ground while I looked down over the bridge, making sure the body sank to the bottom.
"What you put in there to attract the alligators and shit?"
It was too much to list off. "Come on, let's go." We'd already been out for too long and although we were miles from the city, I wasn't taking any chances.
"We still going to Jerzee spot?" He took his time getting up, shaking dirt and pebbles from his clothing.
"I'll drop you off but I'm probably going to the Crib."
"To the Crib?" He repeated me, smacking his lips. "You said you was-"
"I know what I said but I changed my mind, Nigga."
"To go home and do what?"
I didn't answer him as I stomped on the grass that was up to my knees. "To go home and do what?" He asked again once me made it to my car.
I unlocked the doors to my Focus, looking at him over the hood. "Not shit, the same thing y'all gone be doing at Jerzee Lounge." I took my hoodie off and tossed it into the backseat, turning the air on full blast. "Nigga giving out that watered down ass alcohol." Mel laughed loudly knowing I was speaking the truth.
"Let's stop by Wendy's or something before we go over there." We went by my storage space first so I could change cars before we decided to go to Sonic instead.
"What's up Tae" I nodded, speaking to the couple niggas that were outside. I squinted, trying to adjust my eyes to the dark setting as I looked around for Julio. I spotted him with his arm around Duke, shocking me a little bit.
"Excuse me" I stepped through a group of ladies, ignoring their lustful remarks and comments. If they knew what I was thinking, they'd be embarrassed. Neither one of them should've been in a lounge full of niggas anyway.
"Taelorrrrr!" Duke whistled my name as I walked up on him and Julio. "I been asking about you all night man." He tried to give me a hug but I declined causing his face to drop.
"Where the fuck you be hiding at?" Duke would always be my boy regardless of how weird he could be, but he went MIA so much it was difficult to keep up the friendship.
"I told his ass I'ma need that address for when shit get hot." Julio told me.
"Right" I agreed as Duke shrugged his shoulders.
"What can I say?" He asked. "I'm like the wind, sometimes I'm here and sometimes I'm not."
"You need to chill on that." I dapped him up, pulling him in for a brotherly hug instead of that girly ass shit he was trying to give me.
"I was telling him Mi got a baby now." Julio smirked, taking a sip from his glass of what looked like Hennessy. "Nigga looked like his feelings was hurt." He hit as Duke's chest as I started to laugh. "Mothafucka went to the Bar and everything." I cracked up.
"Aye Man, I'm not ashamed to admit my feelings were a little bit hurt. Mila was my first real love and we shared some amazing times together that I'll never experience with anybody else." He explained. "The sex was always great since day one, we did some fantastic drugs." I started to tune him out as he listed the multiple reasons why he loved Mila. "It just sucks that she let somebody else get her pregnant."
"A gay nigga at that." Julio added.
"I heard about that." Duke pointed it out. "I heard she blasted his ass in front of his whole family." He laughed uncontrollably, clutching his stomach.
"Nigga, I just told you that like thirty minutes ago." Julio frowned his face in disgust. "Stay off them hard drugs. What you snorting now? Steroids? I see you tryna get your weight up nigga." Julio punched him hard as hell causing him to fold up. I busted out laughing.
"Nope, no steroids. I got this Asian chick in Cali that I been staying with for a few months now. She got a fire spot with a full gym inside so I been lifting weights and whatnot."
"What she look like?" Julio horny ass was all in his phone while I stood where I was, not interested.
"Y'all should come to Cali sometime."
"I been thinking about it." I actually had been thinking about venturing out as far as business was concerned. "I might come out there for a few weeks or so depending on what Nicole think about it."
"I was hoping y'all would've gotten married while I was gone." He'd been out of Chicago for over a year now. "What happened?"
"A whole lot of bullshit." I didn't feel like going into detail. It was always complicated trying to explain Nicole and I's relationship to other people. We weren't engaged anymore, and it wasn't clear what we were doing. I was certain I didn't want to get married anytime soon though. I bought her two rings and she'd given both of them back to me. She treated my proposal and our engagement like it wasn't shit once she got mad and I found that extremely disrespectful. Mentally, I wasn't into doing all that anymore.
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my grass being cut. Irritation immediately filled my body as I rolled over, annoyed that I'd hired a Lawn Keeping service in the first place. I had been dealing with the same company ever since I bought my first House in my early twenties, but I would never get used to lawnmowers waking me up out of my sleep.
I snatched the cover off my body, going into the Bathroom to relive myself and brush my teeth. My phone started to ring and I knew it was nobody but Nicole. It's like she could sense when I opened my eyes for the day.
I ignored her call and got in the shower instead wanting to feel the hot water on my body. My muscles were sore from dragging and pulling all that dead weight last night and I was paying for it today.
I put on some shorts and a t-shirt before grabbing my keys and heading into my garage where my car was parked. I waved my hand at Mr. Leroy, my lawn service guy as I backed out of the driveway.
"Why do you keep calling?" I stepped into Nicole's Penthouse. I picked Troi up, kissing her cheek as she hugged me.
"I needed you to stop by Walmart or Target before coming over here." She roughly took Troi from me, taking her into her room to finish getting her ready for Daycare. "Troi can't fit anything, it's like she grew overnight." I hadn't noticed the itty bitty pink shorts she had on until Nicole started taking them off of her.
"Oh shit, my bad." She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they'd get stuck. "I thought you were just calling to talk about nothing like you do every morning."
"Well you thought wrong. Can you grab a dress out her closet?" I did as she asked. "If it's 2T it's not going to fit."
"Everything in here is 2T." I looked through Troi's dress section in her closet, checking the tags on every dress I seen. "What about this?" I held up a T-shirt dress for Nicole to see. Both her and Troi looked at me with the same facial expression. "It looks like it'll fit oversized and the price tags still on it."
"That'll do" She held her hand out for me to hand it over. "You like this, Baby?" She turned the dress around for Troi to see. She shook her head no but Nicole started putting it on her anyway. "Well that's too bad because you're wearing it." She quickly got her dressed while I went to see what Taejin and Mia were doing.
What was suppose to be for only the rest of the week and the weekend had turned into a semi-permanent arrangement. Mia loved staying with Nicole and the kids so her, my mama, and I agreed Mia could stay for the Summer. I was giving my Mama until the end of August to get her shit together with her drinking. From what I could see, she was doing better than she had been but she had a long way to go.
"Knock knock" I pushed Mia's room door open. She was laying on her stomach with her legs kicked up and her controller in her hands. Taejin was laying right besides her, glued to the tv as he ate dry Cinnamon Toast Crunch out of a plastic ziplock bag.
"Hey Daddy" He grinned up at me, getting off the bed to greet me. "You just got here?" He asked after he dapped me up.
"Yeah man, you ready for school?" They both had their backpacks prompted up at the foot of the bed, waiting on Nicole to call them from downstairs when it was time to leave.
"Yes Sir, I'm happy today is Friday."
"Me too"
"Come on guys!" They heard Nicole causing them both to jump up and get their bags. "We're early today so we'll stop for Donuts!" She yelled up the stairs.
"Ouuu, yes!" Taejin cheered making me chuckle. "We coming, Mommy!"
"Coming, Nicole!" Mia ran over to her PlayStation, making sure she turned it off. She straightened up her games and put her controller on top of the TV.
"Ready?" I stepped to the side so she could walk out ahead of me. She was dressed in one of her Yellow Church Camp shirts and some Black Leggings with a pair of all Black Crocs.
"Yeah" She took the stairs two at a time while I took my time stepping down them.
"Are you driving?" Nicole asked once we were in the parking garage. Taejin and Mia ran ahead of us to my Wraith so I guess I was. I unlocked the doors for them and popped the trunk, taking out Troi's car seat.
"Who you had in here that you had to hid our daughter's seat?" Nicole of course thought the worse when I actually took it out when I took my car to get washed and detailed.
"Your Brother" I gave her a closed mouth smile.
"Don't play with me and don't mention him. You don't like him."
"Everybody buckled up?" I ignored her, looking in the backseat. Taejin was buckled up and so was Mia but Troi wouldn't let Mia touch her or her seat. "What's the problem?" I looked her in her eyes sternly.
"Daddy do it." She pointed at me. "No Mia!" She yelled in her face as loud as her little ass could. I popped her legs. "Sorry Mia" She apologized, rubbing where I popped her at. I leaned over my seat, buckling Troi like she wanted while tuning out Nicole's remarks.
"What donut shop?" I turned the music down, asking once we got close to the Church.
"The pink one, Daddy!" Taejin answered for Nicole. "I like that one, they have good donut holes." I thought so too.
"It's called Super Donut, Baby." Nicole corrected him. "You want donut holes and what else? It'll be too much for all of us to go in."
"Awwww" Taejin dragged sadly. "Can I go in with you Mommy?" He asked although she just said it'd be too much for everybody to go inside. If Taejin went inside then that meant Troi had to go inside too, because she'd blow all our eardrums if he got to do something that she didn't.
"You know Troi will cry." Nicole answered his question without having to tell him no.
"Just take him in, Bae. I'll handle her." I didn't want to have to hurt his feelings on behalf of his cry baby sister. We had to let him down all the time because Troi was so extra and I wanted that to change.
I backed into a parking spot so I could just pull out when we left. "What do you want Mia?" Nicole went to the Notes app on her phone.
"Jalapeño Kolache, Strawberry iced Donut, Donut Holes, and a Grape Juice." Mia put her earphones back in, making me wish I had some for Troi's crying.
"Ok" Nicole typed her order. "Come on, Baby." She looked back at Taejin for him to unbuckle himself and get out the car.
I smacked my lips gaining het attention. "What?" She acted like she didn't have a clue.
"What about me?"
"Ohhhh" She started laughing, touching my hand making me snatch away from her. "I forgot you were here, I'm sorry." She touched my face and I snatched away again.
"You ain't fucking forget." I mugged her. "How you forget and I'm driving? You were just talking to me."
"I really did" She went back to her notes as her laughing died down. "What would you like Baby Daddy?"
"Make sure you tell them to warm my donut holes up. I want two bags, one Jalapeño Kolache, one Sausage and Cheese, and a half dozen of those Blueberry Cake Donuts."
"Can I have one?"
"Get your own while you in there. I'm not sharing." I lifted up a little bit so I could grab my wallet from my pocket. I had hundreds falling everywhere, I had to make a deposit today after I dropped the kids off. I kept majority of my money stashed in different locations that I owned that nobody knew about. The rest I split between the bank and the safes I had.
I leaned forward, putting my hand on the steering wheel as I picked up my money from the floor. I started counting, making sure I picked up what I knew was in my wallet when I counted last night.
"What you need?" Nicole held her hand out, flicking her fingers back and forth for me to place some money into her hand.
"Our baby needs a whole new wardrobe."
"You going to your Spa?"
"I was until I looked in Troi's closet and dressers." She sighed. "I'm taking the day off to go shopping for her."
"Well we'll just do that after we drop them off." I gave her some money anyway. "That's like twenty-five hundred I just handed you."
"Thanks, what do you want to drink?"
"Get me two Orange juices and one Apple." She opened her door and Taejin did the same. I looked at Troi through the rear view mirror, seeing her picking up on what was going on.
"Mommy!" She yelled for Nicole, holding her arms out letting her know she wanted to go too.
"We'll be right back, Big Girl." Nicole hurried up and slammed the door, putting Taejin on her hip so he wouldn't slow her down.
"Stop it" I looked back at Troi as soon as I heard her start to whine. "They coming right back."
"Troi go" Tears welled up in her eyes as she poked her lip out, rubbing her eyes.
"No and you better not start all that crying." I reached into the backseat and wiped her tears away for her. "Here" I handed her my phone and she immediately perked up, unlocking it and going to YouTube all by herself. "Watch Elsa, Daddy!" She held my phone out for me to type in what she wanted to watch. "Thank you"
"You welcome Fat." I adored my daughter. "Wanna sit up here with Daddy until Mommy and Bruddy come back?"
"No, watch Elsa."
"You can watch Elsa up here with me."
"No Daddy" She got comfortable in her seat, turning sideways. "Take seatbelt off?" She asked me cutely. "Daddy take Troi seatbelt off?"
"Not right now, Mommy about to come back then we leaving."
"They didn't have Orange Juice so I got you Apple and Grape." Nicole opened the backseat door for Taejin watching him climb into his seat.
"You know I hate Grape Juice." I turned my face up, pulling down the visor to block the sun from my eyes.
"Well you can't be picky every day of your life. I got you what they had." She slammed the door. I watched her walk around the front of my car and get into the passenger side. She handed out everybody's food as I pulled out into the road. We were right down the street from the Church so I pulled into a parking spot right in the front so the kids could eat their breakfast before she took them inside.
"Mommy, I don't wanna go to school." Taejin licked chocolate icing from his mouth, looking down at his dirty fingers. "I'll go another day."
"No, you'll go today Taejin." Nicole handed him some napkins. "Mommy might come pick you up early though, ok?" She always gave them an alternative that correlated with what they wanted.
"For what?" I chewed my first Kolache. "Today a special day or something?"
"No I just wanna pick them up early."
"Daddy there go Uncle Ju!" Taejin sat up and looked back as far as his booster-seat buckles would allow.
I seen Julio's Porsche in the circle drive of the Daycare in my side mirror. He sat still for a little while before he pulled off and came to park beside me like I knew he would.
"Hey Uncle Tae!" I heard Cali shout from the front seat as I let my window down.
"What's up Cali-Bell? You ready for Camp?"
"Not really, is that Auntie?" She stuck her neck further out the window. "Hey Auntie!" She shouted making Nicole laugh.
"Hi my Cals" Nicole spoke back to her. "Thank you for helping me out with MiMi Karen's party, I really appreciated it. I haven't forgotten about you." Nicole raised her brow. "I'm going shopping today— what do you want?"
"Ouu Auntie, I want a new purse! One of those big ones with the checker print all over it like the ones you and Mommy got."
"A Louis Vuitton?" Nicole asked surprised. "What?"
"Same shit I said when she asked me!" Julio leaned over on his steering wheel so we could see him.
"I don't know about that one, Cals." Nicole turned her down. "What's your second choice?"
"Ummmm" Cali thought about it. "I like Chanel."
"Alright, it's time for you to go to Camp." Julio reversed on her ass while she protested and we all laughed.
"Why are you going the long way?" Nicole glanced at me as I drove in the direction opposite of the Mall. "You know you could've just hopped on I-"
"I'm going to check on my Mama right quick." I cut her off, switching into a different lane. "Mia told me she didn't call her this morning while we were at the Donut Shop."
"Hm, that's strange. She normally calls her every morning before we leave the House."
"Exactly why we going over there."
"I don't think she's drinking though, Tae." Nicole already was defending her knowing damn well she was somewhere in the House passed out drunk. "She probably just overslept or something."
"Yeah, because she drunk." I pressed the command button on my steering wheel, telling my car to call my Mama's phone. I let it ring until it went to voicemail, further proving my point. "I swear to God-" I cut myself off, sitting up in my seat.
"Don't think of the worst." Nicole mumbled.
"Mama!" I shouted through the House, looking for her everywhere I thought she'd be on the first floor.
"Ms. Karen!" Nicole yelled into the kitchen.
"She not in there, I already looked." I passed her, brushing her shoulder as I went upstairs. I busted into her bedroom and she was coming out the bathroom, holding her robe against her body with a frightened look on her face.
"Tae" She just looked at me.
"You didn't hear us calling your name?" The room was completely dark besides the little light coming from her tv and bedside lamp.
"Who is us?" She tied her gray robe, turning from me to grab her tv remote. She sat down on the bed while I looked at her crazy. "I just got out the shower." I observed her, realizing she wasn't lying once I seen the water droplets coming from the ends of her hair.
"Me and Nicole" I simply stared at her. "You been drinking?"
She waved me off. "Get out of here if that's why you barged in my room for, Taelor— and move!" She slightly raised her voice, frowning at me. "You in the way of the tv."
I stepped to the side as Nicole entered the room. "Hey Girl" Nicole walked past me, laying back on the bed beside my Mom. "You didn't hear us come in?"
"Nope" My Mama flipped though the tv channels.
"What's wrong with you?" Nicole asked concerned, picking up on the same energy I had.
"Nothing" She sighed. "Still haven't heard nothing back from the Police on that Ford, that's all." Nicole's eyes immediately landed on me and I knew her mind went to the conversation we had the other night.
I had no choice but to play shit cool so I didn't get in the way or try to stop my Mama from going to talk to the Police that next morning. My tracks were covered, they always were.
"I'm sorry to hear that but I'm sure they'll get back to you with something." Nicole tried to be positive about it while I just stood in the corner, really not caring to speak on the topic.
"I know they won't, Baby." Her face was blank and dull. "I'm starting to give up." She got choked up about it, beginning to cry. "I just want Emory to have justice. His soul deserves complete rest."
"You deserve peace as well, Ms. Karen." Nicole kept looking at me.
"I'll never have it."
"Don't think like that, Ms. Karen. You never know what can happen."
"You ready?" I cut their conversation short. "I left my car running."
"Oh yeah, you did." Nicole grabbed her purse. "You wanna come?" She extended the invite. "We're going shopping for Troi but of course I'm getting other things."
"No, that's ok Baby. Y'all go ahead."
"We'll see you later Mama." I walked out of the room and Nicole followed behind me.
When we got the Mall, she just had to get a snack first so we stopped by Aunt Annie's and sat down at a small table with two chairs in the food court.
I hit the bottom of my straw against the blue wooden table, ripping the paper from it. I bought myself a Pepperoni Pretzel as well as a Large Coke. "Tae" Nicole called my name, gaining my attention.
"What's up?" She sighed, biting at her lip letting me know what was on her mind. "I already told you I didn't do that shit, don't ask me about it."
"Nobody was after Deacon Emory." She whispered his name, glancing around making sure we weren't in ears reach or anybody. "I'm begging you Tae, please just come clean. I know you did it, I feel it in my bones."
I busted out laughing "Ok you feel it in your bones."
I wasn't trying to hurt her feelings by laughing at her but I didn't wanna talk about it in the first place. "I'm serious! Please just come clean." She repeated herself. "I'll do whatever to protect you."
"I don't need nobody protecting me, Nicole. I am the protection." I scoffed. "Just drop it-"
"So you just gone keep hurting your Mom the way you are?"
"How am I hurting her when I didn't do it?"
"Whatever Tae" She picked up her phone, unlocking it with an attitude.