4. Demands
Demands
“You know you gotta be prepared to damn near punch somebody to get a good spot,” she sighed.
“Anyways, where's Ang?”“He said he had to shit,” I shrugged as I plopped down next to her sister, Cierra.
“You know he got a baked bean addiction.” In reality he was busy fixing the door knob he had broken, but for obvious reasons, I couldn't say that.
“Girl, I feel bad for you when you ride back with him later,” Cierra winced.
“Nah don't be,” I said as I smiled to myself.
“I know how to handle Angie.” I could handle his ass real well, actually.
“Lesandra,” Mama called from her spot between my Aunt Deidre and my cousin Chris.
“Mary said the apartment isn't available anymore.
Have you decided what to do about the job offer?
We can't keep sending you rent money.”Sometimes.
My mother was a true Southern jewel. She was beautiful with her long loose curls, her big hazel eyes, wide hips, and the ginger snap complexion we both shared.
However, she was the first person to teach me that beauty could be an outer coating that hid something insidious.
“I haven't asked you for rent money in over a year,” I snapped.
“And I paid you back.”See it was fine if Bonnie embarrassed me, but if I had the audacity to match energy?
Oh, baby. I might as well swing at her. I'd get the same reaction either way.
Take now for example. She was staring at me like I called her everything but a child of God, and I had every intention of staring back until I realized she'd blown up my spot.
“Wait, Karma. You got a job offer here?” Angie interjected.
“No,” I sighed. “It's in Charlotte. Markie’s wants to hire me to design new checkout software.” I tried to tie back the excitement in voice and act like it wasn't my dream offer from my dream company, but I guess my ability to lie was drying up for the night.
“Karma, what the fuck? Take the job!” “Angie, I'd have to start within six weeks and you heard Bonnie.
I don't have anywhere to stay.”“So you'd rather rent that roach infested closet from Mary than stay with me?” he tutted.
Honestly?Yes. Angie knew my heart too well.
Even without the very complicated dynamic we'd recently fallen into, I had a bad habit of choosing him over everything.
Then to make matters worse, he did the same.
I came first, no matter what. We were problematic long before he decided to play in my pussy.
“Lesandra, why can't you stay with Ang? It's not like he's ever really home,” Char shrugged.She had a point there.
Angie was guaranteed to be flying somewhere at least three days a week.
“Exactlyyyyyy,” Angie nodded ditzly with his co-conspirator.
“I agree,” Auntie Deidre shrugged. “Plus you make him eat a respectable amount of vegetables. Take the job, Karma.”What the hell was this?
An intervention? I was getting jumped right now!
“Ok, I will seriously think about it,” I said, silencing the rest of the conversation with open palms. “Can we please talk about something else?”“Yes, actually,” Cierra nodded.
“I wanna talk about what you did to Rob for him to try to hook you up with Shrek.” “BAWAHAHA!” Angie hollered. “No, but for real! Karma-”
Angie
Every mile down 85 was lulling Karma further into a well-deserved rest. She was tired.
After the day she had, that was understandable.
Cleaning, cooking, dealing with Bonnie, and that man.
Handling my attitude. It was all a lot on her.
Coming home always was. Yet every time I sang along to our favorite songs, she found the strength to smile at me and sway to the rhythm. Really, what more could I ask for?
“Karma, I want you to take the job and move in with me,” I said firmly.
I could ask for a lot, apparently.Here I was asking her to give up her comfortable distance and further complicate things by filling my living room with her perfume every morning.
Yet I could tell she was considering it.
Curiosity, excitement, fear, and longing.
Her eyes flashed with ten different emotions before she opened her mouth.
“Angie, you know why that's a bad idea,” she finally whispered.
“It's not, Karma. I promise.” “Angie, you actually fractured that man's arm earlier and I smell like your sex. What exactly are you promising me?”“I- First off, it was only a hairline fracture.”
Ok, so that wasn't necessarily the best segue into this conversation, but a nigga never claimed to be perfect.
“I know how to behave, Karma,” I scoffed.After all, I'd been behaving myself for thirty-one years prior.
“Plus you heard Char. It's not like I'll be in your face constantly.” “I'm not worried about you being in my face, Angie.
I'm worried about you being in my pussy.” “So you don't want me to lick it tonight?”“Whoa, I never said that,” she said, backtracking quickly.
“I'm talking about a hypothetical future.”
Would a future where I had constant access to Karma feed the temptation?
Of fucking course. I wasn't going to sit up here and lie.
However, I wanted my girl to finally catch a break.
So if I had to chain myself to a tree so she could accept her job without our incestous relationship getting in her way, I would.
“Karma, you've worked really fucking hard and you've had an unfortunate last couple of years professionally.
I want you to see success, so if this is what you need then nothing else matters.
I always want what's best for you. We can do this, I promise.” Silence wedged itself in the space between us like a pallet of bricks.
Usually quiet wasn't an issue with us, but lately it had been heavy.
I always felt like I was on the verge of ruining everything between us.
“You know I'm still going to be selling content, right?” she sighed after a while.
“Get your money, babe. I don't care.”Mostly because half the niggas subscribed to her channel couldn't even sniff it.
I was still gonna be the only one sucking on her pretty titties.
Until she officially moved in, that was.
“Ok, fine!” she conceded, throwing her hand up.
“But only until my one year anniversary passes.
Then I'm going to get my own place and you'll be free to go back to your produce devoid diet.”“Alright,” I nodded while withholding my smile.
“Are you going to email Market West Back?”“I'm sending it now.”“Need help packing?”“No.
I don't want you anywhere near my panties.”“You weren't saying that earlier.”“Angie!”“Ok, my bad.
I'm on my best behavior from here on out. Promise.”“At least wait until midnight,” she scoffed while rubbing my knee.
“You promised me some head and I need that.” “Girl, I-”She was just nasty.
I didn't regret opening my home to Karma for a second, but this year was going to be… . Interesting.