Page 39 of Where Is the Love

Thank you, baby.

Nate was so sweet, but I felt bad about talking to him now. It seemed like I was only talking to him because I was pissed at Brix. I really wasn’t using him. I was just lonely. I was contemplating being with him when I first reconnected with Brix. That was why I hadn’t committed to him. So if anything, I should have been grateful that Nate was in the picture, or I would have made another dumb ass mistake to let another man make a fool of me.

* * *

“I knew yo’ass was gon’ wear something that pushed the line like a cow trying to eat grass on the other side of the fence.”

“Shut up, Jakari.”

I strutted my thick ass right by him in a strapless sequined dress that hugged my body and was as short as I could stand it. I wouldn’t be doing any bending over in this shit, or my whole ass would be out. When I sat, I had to keep my legs down and together. If I crossed them, I would give everybody a show. This wasn’t a free for all.

When we got to the entrance, the bouncer took one look at Tyeis and me and said, “Damn. Where the fuck y’all came from?”

“H-Tine, baby,” Tyeis said.

Her ass knew she didn’t talk like that. “Well, y’all the finest muthafuckas I done seen all night. Y’all come on in here.”

“We ain’t by ourselves. My cousins are with us,” I said as I glanced back at Nesha, Jakari, and Decaurey.

“It’s cool, baby. They can come through too. Where you from?”

“Big City Nome, Texas, nigga. What’chu know about it?”

“Not a muthafucking thang, other than y’all mo’ country than a sugar sammich ’round them parts. My cousin is from China, and he used to rodeo with a nigga from Nome.”

“What’s his name?”

“My cousin is Zayson.”

“Oh! He’s close to my uncles. Red and Legend are too. My aunt rodeos. She has her own relay team.”

“Don’t tell me your aunt is the hood famous Tiffany Henderson Semien.”

“Hell yeah. That’s my mama’s baby sister. She more like my big sister instead of my aunt.”

“That’s what’s up. You cool as fuck. I’ma come find yo’ pretty ass later.”

“Mm hmm. Do that,” I said as I walked past him and joined my crew inside the door.

Jakari gave me the side eye. “I knew you was gon’ be on that bullshit tonight, but I feel you. Let’s get to VIP so we can find a seat.”

We had a standing presence in VIP, although we hadn’t been here in a while. Whenever we came, we just had to show our IDs, and they’d let us past the rope to go upstairs. When we got to the staircase, Jakari and Nesha took out their IDs as my phone vibrated in my bra. I slightly rolled my eyes but changed my whole attitude when I saw it was Nate. I smiled as I opened his message.Half time. We up by ten. Just wanted to holla. You still my good luck charm although you ain’t here. I got fifteen points.

Congratulations! Good luck on the second half.

I responded quickly and got my ID from my bra as the guy at the staircase stared at me. I did that shit slowly too. I was a whole ass flirt. These muthafuckas couldn’t do shit for me. Men were the fucking devil, and I was sick of their asses. Right now, Nate was the only exception. However, I was more than sure with time, he would prove to be a fuck up too.

Brix wasn’t being fair to me at all. I didn’t say anything to anybody about his dilemma. They knew about it before I did. So he was angry that I knew they were planning to handle shit and didn’t tell him beforehand, and that him being interested in me gave them more incentive to do something about it. I knew he didn’t believe me when I said I didn’t say anything, but at this point, he could kiss my ass.

I refused to dwell on all the beautiful words he’d said to me over the past couple of weeks. I just hated I was so fucking vulnerable with him last night. Me being high had my lips loose as fuck. I should have stayed at Uncle Jasper’s house and chilled with my uncles and their friends. He was in the same boat with Decklan as far as I was concerned. They’d both said they loved me but turned their backs on me and hurt me.

The bouncer let me and Tyeis past the rope, and as soon as we found somewhere to sit, she sat right next to Decaurey. He licked his lips and glanced down at her cleavage, taking her bait. I was glad the funk I was in hadn’t rubbed off on her. She hadn’t been joking with me too much because of what she witnessed earlier. Although I wasn’t crying, she said she could tell that my soul was hurt by the way I was laying in bed.

Jakari sat next to me and said, “He’s always been proud. I didn’t think he would lash out at you, baby. I’m sorry, Jess. I knew you were really feeling him.”

“It’s okay. I thought I had found love, but he proved that he wasn’t shit. Fuck that nigga.”

He put his arm around me as Nesha sat in front of me on the ottoman. She grabbed my hand and said, “We need to dance to this shit. Come on.”