Waking up to a bed full of women, Dave shook his head causing powder and glitter to fly around. Climbing out the bed, pushing some girls off the bed, he went to his bathroom only to find some people passed out and ashes all over the damn place.
Fed up, he smashed his hand together sending thunder rolling throughout the rooms.
"EVERYBODY GET THE FUCK UP AND GET THE FUCK OUT!" Dave yelled startling people.
Some began running while others staggered out the door.
He followed them to make sure no one took shit and simply left. He knew he would have to call his maid to clean up later on.
Going back to the bathroom, he took his piss and hopped in the shower.
After showering he got a new toothbrush from under the sink, not trusting the one he previously used since it was on the counter.
He went to his closet that had few clothes and shoes, being that this was his party house. Slipping into some grey Nike sweats and a white undershirt and his matching grey hoodie, he snatched his phone off the charger and headed out after locking up.
Once he got into his Camero, he called up his maid, Molly.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Molly, I had some party last night and shit got wild. I need you to handle the house for me right quick."
Molly sighed, "Okay Dave but, this has to stop."
"What do you mean? I just asked you to clean my damn house, after all you are on my damn payroll."
"I have to drop you as a client, it's ruining my reputation. You know I'm independent out here."
"Man whatever. Expect this to be your last damn check then, bitch."
"Dont be bitter."
"I ain't bitter but yo stank pussy is." He hung up.
He and Molly had previous sexual encounters but she cut it off since she fell in love with her boyfriend of three years and they had a child together.
*Ding, Ding*
Dave's phone went off and a text popped up on his touchscreen radio.
He tapped for the car to read it.
'Text Message from Jazmine -rolling eye emoji, puke emoji, food emoji-.. Hey, we can meet up at the Soup and Diner off of Martin Luther King Blvd @ noon, are you available?"
Dave rolled his eyes. He wanted to spend time with his daughter today. Looking at the time, the clock read 10:45. Maybe he had time.
He pressed reply and spoke to the car system.
"Sure. Be there."
"Sending Message. Message sent."
Dave turned up his radio, blasting Kendrick Lamar 'Money Trees'.
Pulling up to Aaliyah's house, he hopped out and used his key to get in.
He heard talking coming from the livingroom so he walked towards the area.
"When are you gonna tell him? You can't just take his child from him, Aaliyah."
"I can do whatever I want, plus Red wants us to be a family. He can always visit her in Baltimore."
"So you gonna take her from her surroundings. You have a backyard here what the fuck you have in Baltimore? A damn stoop?" The person on the phone argued.
Aaliyah stopped taping the boxes and slammed her hand on her exposed thigh.
"Look of you're going to talk shit then lose my number."
"Bet, but fucking think Aaliyah, that nigga turning you out. You barely know him and you're moving across country with your daughter to shack up with this nigga. The fuck! Think, I swear you just fucking dumb, I hope Dave catches and beats your ass. Bye ho, I'd hate to be poor Jaliyah." The person hung up and Aaliyah sighed heavily.
"So you were just gonna take my daughter without telling me? All the way to fucking Baltimore for some nigga?! This what we doing now Aaliyah?!" Dave shouted scaring Aaliyah.
"Look, I'm doing what's best for me. I can't stay and tend to your every fucking need! I have a life too, that I want to live." Aaliyah stood up placing her hand on her hip.
"Do you know how fucking stupid you sound right now! You're taking my fucking daughter! I don't give a fuck about you but, that's my seed. Stop being
So fucking selfish! Where the fuck is my daughter anyways!" Dave growled trying his best not to put his hands on her.
"Don't worry about where she-"
Dave's hands latched on her neck and he slammed her into the wall, holding her up off the ground.
"Where. The. Fuck. Is. My. Fucking. Daughter?" He spat through clenched teeth, his hands getting tighter by word.
Aaliyah scratched and pulled at his hands as she became light headed. She began seeing circles and white dots and Galaxy-like stars.
"D-Dave." She coughed up.
Dave loosened his grip to allow her to talk.
"Your sister's." Aaliyah began to cough up blood and Dave simply handed her a napkin and left out to go get his daughter.
Pulling out his phone, he called his sister- Destiny.
"Dave-"
"Is my daughter with you?" Dave immediately questioned.
"Yeah, Aaliyah dropped her off so she could get ready for their trip."
"So you knew about this shit and didn't tell me?!" Dave punched the wheel.
"Yes, they're going on a road trip. Aaliyah said she told you."
"She's trying to take my daughter, Destiny. For some nigga! She trying to shack up with a nigga with my damn seed, man." Dave shook his head, exiting the highway.
"I- I didn't know, she won't be getting Jaliyah back though. I got her until you can come get her."
"I'm down the street, open your door." Dave swooped into Destiny's community. He swiftly went though the Alley's until he reached her house and pulled into the garage next to her car and she let the garage down.
Dave hopped out and walked inside, plopping down on her couch putting his face in his hands.
"Man she trying to take my kid."
"You gotta go to court with her, you know her type." Destiny shook her head.
She has never liked Aaliyah and she knew the type she was.
"Man, you think they gonna give me custody of my daughter with my reputation? They'd talk her into getting a restraining order." Dave slammed his open palm into his forhead.
"Well show them that you're working on your anger and reputation, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but I need my daughter right now. I can point out all of Aaliyah's flaws but mines is public!"
"Well, start now. Maybe I can talk her into letting J stay with me until she gets settled. Her dumb ass would proud fall-"
"DADDY!" Jaliyah ran bowleggedly over to Dave before falling into his lap and climbing up his stomach to hug him around the neck.
Dave tightly hugged her back, kissing her forehead.
"Hey babygirl, what you been up to?" He eyed her as she had glitter all over her clothes.
She smiled and giggled before jumping out of his lap and running back to her play room.
Dave and Destiny followed her. Getting to the room, they saw she had made a glitter angel.
"Oh Jaliyah!" Destiny laughed shaking her head.
"Glad I told you to get then wood floors installed." Dave grabbed the broom out of the corner behind the door.
"J, you can't pour things on the floor like that, okay." Destiny picked her up.
Jaliyah's smile faded and she began to tear up.
"Bad!" She bawled.
"Awwwww." Destiny rocked and rubbed her back as she cried her eyes out.
"Give me Daddy's Baby." Dave took Jaliyah.
"I-I Sowwy!" She cried harder.
"It's okay babygirl, we're not mad, just don't do that anymore." Dave rubbed her back, calming her down.
"You're okay?" Dave looked into her eyes and she nodded.
"You ready to spend the day with daddy?" He threw her up into the air and carefully caught her.
She nodded her head, wiping her tears.
"Alright, let's go." He put her down and she ran to get her purple and green toy dinosaur.
"Alright, we out Destiny." Dave hugged Destiny.
"Okay, TeeTee don't get no love?" Destiny pouted in Jaliyah's face.
Jaliyah dramatically sighed and grabbed Destiny's face giving her a slobber-full kiss. Destiny and Dave couldn't help but to laugh.
He buckled her into her car seat and put her diaper bag on the floor and carefully backed out the garage before letting it down.
His phone vibrated and he realized that it was nearing noon-thirty.
"Shit!" He mumbled slapping the wheel.
He called Jazmine back.
"Dave, what happened? I thought we were set?" Jazmine spoke into the phone as she sat at the Soup and Diner looking stupid all alone in the back at a table for two.
"Look things came up, I might not-"
"Look Dave, this is your last shot. Whatever you have going on probably isn't as important as your career and reputation being on the line."
"You don't know me bitch." Dave growled.
"Meet me at the Diner or I drop you as a client and nobody will want to work with you. It's not a threat Mr. East, it's a promise. I'm putting my neck on the line for you here. Be here in 30 or youre done with." Jazmine hung up.
Dave looked back at Jaliyah. The public didn't know about her and he wanted to keep it that way.
He called Jazmine back and she answered.
"Meet me at the address imma send.". He spoke before hanging up. While at a red light, he quickly sent Jazmine his address.
Pulling into his garage, he let it down and got a sleeping Jaliyah out her car seat.
He placed her in his room where one of her cribs were before heading to the kitchen to whip something up to eat.
He put on some baked spaghetti and Italian bread. He made himself some koolaid and simple sat at the large black marble island to eat. Halfway through his food, the doorbell rang and he went to answer, knowing it was Jazmine.
There she stood in some jeans and a tucked shirt.
"Hey, sorry about that." Dave let her in.
"Mhm, this your house?"
"Ye-"
Jaliyah's cried sounded off, alerting Dave.
He immediately went to go see what was wrong because she usually doesn't cry unless she woke up and didn't see Dave which she probably did.
He picked her up and immediately smelled why she was crying.
"Oh you stink, stink." He tapped her nose before going to his bed to change her.
He put her old diaper in a plastic bag and threw it out the window into he trash. He put her into a new outfit and took her out.
"Awwweee, this is your daughter? She has to be, she looks just like you." Jazmine cooed causing Jaliyah to go crazy with her wiggling and laughter.
"Umm, yeah, I keep her out the media. Look, don't go running your mouth about her, I'm hiding them crumbsnatchers from her for a reason."
"I'm not out to tear you down Mr.East." Jazmine stood up straight before walking over to her purse that was by the door.
"Where would you like to sit down? Did I interrupt your dinner?"
"Umm, we can go to the kitchen and yeah, I was finishing up though."
Jazzmen nodded.
She tried to keep her stomach from growling so she didn't seem fat but it went against the grain and growled so loud, Jaliyah looked at her.
Dave chuckled.
"You hungry?"
"Umm, na-"
"I heard your stomach growl. All of California heard that, I made spaghetti and koolaid." Dave grabbed a Dixie paper plate.
He fixed Jazmine a plate and sat it down at the table along with a glass cup of iced koolaid.
"Thanks."
"I didn't mean to stand you up, I had family business to handle." Dave smiled down at Jaliyah who was playing in his beard.
Jazmine covered her chest, "I apologize for what I said. I didn't know I shouldn't have judged without knowing the situation. If I may, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, you're here for business so let's get to it."
"I may can help you with something. I'm not trying to get all into your business but I already am, and after all I'm in your home which is highly unprofessional on my behalf." Jazmine pushed her plate of food away.
"Look-.... I need to get sole custody of my daughter. Her momma trying to take her to Baltimore to shack up with some unknown nigga." Dave sighed.
Jazmine swallowed her koolaid and sat up.
"It's going to be hard but it's not impossible. I'll make some calls and I can at least get it to where she cannot take your daughter out of the state." Jazmine pulled her iPhone 6s out her purse.
Dave's eyes lit up, "You got those kinds of connects?"
"I didn't just study media and reporting." She made some calls and got some information from Dave about Aaliyah and they finally settled down.
"I don't know what to say. How much will all this cost me?" Dave took his wallet out.
"I don't want your money. If your daughter brings out this side of you, that's all I'll ever need as pay. Umm, it's pretty late so I'll contact you tomorrow and see when you're available." Jazmine stood up looking at her Cuban Link gold watch that read 10:50pm.
"Alright. Thanks for helping me." Dave hugged her, taking them both by surprise.
"No problem." Jazmine nodded before getting her things together and leaving. Before she left, she ran her hand on the back of Jaliyah causing her to cuddle her bear even more. She walked out the door and Dave locked it.
He laid on the couch and became lost in his own thoughts.
Sliding into her new 2015 black Dodge Derango, she headed to her grandmother's house.
Coming in through the side door, she saw her brother- MaCartier on the couch watching football.
"Where granny big head?"
"She in the bathroom blowing shit up." He laughed.
Jazmine pushed the back of his head before going to the kitchen to get a bottle of water.
"Is that my favorite grandchild?" Ms.Cheryl came into the kitchen smiling. She wore her silk gown and robe and her pink bonnet on her head. She hugged Jazmine before going to the living room.
"Hey granny."
"So what is it you want to talk about?" Ms.Cheryl turned the television off causing MaCartier to smack his lips but Ms.Cheryl glared at him.
"Well, I've moved into my house and I wanted you all to do the same. I could take over MaCartier so you won't be so stressed because I know he stresses me out, I can only imagine what he is doing to you. And you can move in too because I love you and I don't want you to be alone." Jazmine drunk some of her water.
"Baby as good as that sounds, you're in no position to care for this knuckleheaded boy and I love my home." Ms. Cheryl sighed.
"Granny, please. I am. I have a steady job and I can make my own hours and I make good money. I can help him with homework, keep him out of trouble and stay on him. I mean, he is a mini me." Jazmine bit her lip.
"I don't know Jazmine."
"I'll be good Granny, I promise. Plus we can bond." MaCartier smiled.
"And it's a house, not an apartment, I'm setting my foundation down granny." Jazmine smiled.
"Pleeeeaaaaasssseeee." MaCartier leaned on Ms.Cheryl's shoulder.
She pushed him off of her and laughed.
"I'll be over there every Friday and Sunday."
"Thanks granny." Jazmine hugged her and so did MaCartier.
"Don't be having that man over here being nasty either Mother Dear!" MaCartier warned.
"Boy hush, I'm grown."
"I love y'all, I'm going to bed. We can move his big headed self out this weekend." Ms.Cheryl headed to her bedroom.
MaCartier hugged Jazmine, "Thansk sissy!"
"Mhm, don't make me regret it. You think granny was on you, imma be on you too."
"Okay mother." MaCartier lazily said as he yawned.
"Gone to bed and let me lock up. " Jazmine nodded. He waved bye and she began locking up the house and headed to her room to go to sleep atee stripping out of her clothes.
**********
Y'all I didn't forget about you all, I just have A LOT going on and I'm trying to balance everything.
How did you all enjoy the chapter?
Don't forget to like and comment so I know how you all like the book❤️❤️❤️✨