39. Baby
BABY
I’d been on the clock for three hours and I was ready to go home. My feet were on fire, and I had to keep walking outside due to the gas pumps constantly shutting down. Twice, I had to go help someone who didn’t know how to work the nozzle.
I mean, how hard was it to press a lever?
Now, I was on my break, sitting outside on a bench. I was minding my business when I heard a car pull up blasting loud music. Holding my hand over my eyes, I squinted towards the vehicle to see who was inside. I sucked my teeth when Tranae hopped out with two other girls with her.
I continued to eat my hot dog like I didn’t see her, ain’t nobody got time to deal with my messy ass cousin today.
“Well, well, well. Look who it is.” I rolled my eyes, as she walked over with her friends following behind.
“Sup, hoe!” she said, chewing her gum way too loud. Throwing her a fake smile, I cut my eyes to her friends, dusty and dustier, before looking back at her.
“Hey,” I replied with a dry tone.
“This my cousin y’all.” She waved her hand in introduction. I nodded, offering nothing more.
“So...” I could already tell I wasn’t gone like the next thing that came out her mouth. “We need gas.”
Popping out a bubble, she threw her hands on her hip. Her entourage thought it was the funniest shit ever when they laughed out loud.
“That was cute,” I muttered, unmoved.
“Y’all, she fresh out. This job was the best she can do,” she mocked me.
I chuckled humorlessly, cleaning up my garbage. “Nae, girl. Please find something to do and somebody else to play with. You already know how I get down.”
Her neck rolled too fucking hard. I thought her head was gonna disconnect from the rest of her body. “Girl, you won’t do shit. Jay told me you just got this job.”
“And I’ll just lose it, keep it up!” I promised. It took every bit of my strength to stay where I was. By the time I said that, she was furious. I decided to play along, since she came here with all intentions to shake me up. “Don’t make me knock you out in front of your friends.”
Her groupies tried not to laugh behind her back, should’ve known this bitch ain’t have no real friends. She stepped in my face.
“Try me!” she spat, and jumped like I was gone hit her, and she flinched back.
“Girl, you ain’t even worth me losing my coins. I’mma pray for you.”
I threw my food in the trash on the way back inside. I looked over my shoulder one more time as I walked. She had her arms folded across her chest, her eyes narrowed at me.
“Love you, cousin,” I shouted with a smirk.
I did love her stupid ass, just like I loved my sister. That didn’t mean I had to like them though.
Speaking of sisters, Leah called me twice after the hospital but, this time, I didn’t answer. Whatever trouble she got herself in, she was a big girl. I was sure she could handle it.
After that encounter, Tranae never did come in for that gas. Knowing her, she was probably embarrassed. If I was real nosey, I would’ve asked her what she was doing with T.K. I peeped the Michael Kors watch on her wrist, she doing something she ain’t got no business.
I finished the rest of my shift without incident.
You should’ve seen me skipping to the door after I clocked out, too excited to get the fuck on.
Jayda was in the parking lot waiting on me, with Tiffani in the front seat.
When she dropped me off, she told me her and Jay was gone pick me up to go get something to eat.
Thank God for that because I was starving.
Walking up to the car with a smile, I noticed Tiffani getting into the back.
“Girl, you ain’t have to do that.” She waved me off, opening the door.
“Hey hoes!” I shouted with a wide grin, once I got in.
They both spoke.
“Y’all don’t know how happy I am to be out of there,” I retorted, kicking off my sneakers.
“Girl, I can’t imagine. I don’t miss that clocking in shit,” Tiffani chimed in.
“Look at this siddity hoe!” Jayda added, her eyes cutting to Tiffani. We all shared a laugh.
“Fuck you,” she commented back, still smiling. “Haters never prosper.”
While they went back and forth, I pulled out my phone to send Love a text. I hadn’t spoken to him at all since this morning. I missed him so much.
Hey, just got off work. Going to lunch with Jay and my homegirl. Call me when you free.
I miss you.
I pressed send on both, and he replied immediately.
I missed you too, buns. When I finish up here, I’mma call you for a location. I need to see you.
Okay, I can’t wait, baby.
The smile on my face grew wider as I reread his text for the second time. This man gave me butterflies.
“Girl, who got you cheesing so hard?” Tiffani questioned. Jayda rolled her eyes, not waiting for me to reply.
“That ain’t nobody but Love, chile.” I narrowed my eyes at her. It could’ve been somebody else.
“Love Hamilton?” Tiffani scooted up in the middle, looking down at my screen.
I glanced at her with raised eyebrows. “You know him?”
I would die on the spot if she said they used to mess around. I couldn’t see him with anyone else but me.
She shook her head slowly, mouth gaped open. “Girl, yes. I used to date his brother.”
“Valentine!” Jayda and I shouted at the same time.
“Yup! Junior year,” she confirmed, moving back in her seat. “We were together for like ten months.”
This was a small fucking world man.
“We thought…” Jayda paused. I already knew what she was gonna say, because we were thinking the same thing. “Never mind.” She cut her eyes at me.
“Y’all thought I was a hoe?” Tiffani guessed.
I snickered, turning around to her.
“Kinda...” I whispered, not denying it at all.
She chuckled. “It’s cool. I dated a lot. Never had sex with them though. I was a Virgin until I met him. I just talked to other boys to make him jealous.”
I couldn’t picture somebody tryna make Valentine jealous, but that ain’t what we talking about right now.
“So, y’all were in love?” Jayda asked, looking into the rearview mirror at Tiffani.
Tiffani let out a breath, and her eyes lowered to her hands. “I don’t know if he loved me, but I loved him.”
Jay and I gave subtle glances to each other, wondering which one of us was gone tell her the bad news.
“You know he’s in jail for robbery, right?” I blurted out.
She averted her eyes out the window. “Yeah... one of my homegirls at the shop told me.”
I could sense she had more to say just by her body language. “What’s wrong?”
Swallowing deeply, she peeked at Jayda before her eyes moved to me. “Can I tell y’all something?”
“Girl, what’s up?” I spoke.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Jayda countered.
“I….” She tightened her lips together, then opened her mouth to try again. “I think his lawyer is my husband, Treyvon.”
“Bitchhhh!” I shouted, mouth wide open.