2. Khalif
The two half cups of alcohol I’d consumed had my ass a little past tipsy and it was for that reason, I had to keep reminding myself to stop staring at Tahli’s pretty ass.
I didn’t want her thinking I was a creep.
We had been playing Spades for the past hour.
She was my partner, and we were playing against Sheniah and Nook.
Sheniah had some cute friends and cousins.
There were about fifteen females present at the cookout, but none of them had caught my attention like Tahli.
It was so bad that Sheniah’s cousin, Lisha was flirting with me, and I kept hoping that Tahli wouldn’t notice. Even though I wasn’t flirting back.
I threw down a King of Spades, and Tahli swiftly swooped all four cards up. “Thang ya.” She was collecting our books. We’d lost the first round, but we’d won the last two.
“I knew I should have kept my partner,” Sheniah kissed her teeth.
“Fuck you trying to say?” Nook frowned at her comment.
“That yo’ drunk ass got us loosing. You been drinking since noon, and it’s almost six. You know when you’re drunk you be slow as hell,” she fussed. “And not slow as in movement. Slow as in dumb as fuck.”
“Fuck you,” Nook spat as I chuckled. I threw down an Ace of Spades because it was the only spade I had left, and Sheniah slammed her palm on the table.
“Fuck, I give up.” Everyone threw their last card down simultaneously, and Nook stood up.
“Fuck this game.” He stormed away from the table, and Tahli laughed.
“You did not have to do bro like that.”
“He’ll be aight,” Sheniah shrugged passively. “I’m in the comfort of my own home. I don’t have to drive anywhere, and I’m paying my niece to clean up when the cookout is over. I’m about to get another drink,” Sheniah stood.
Looking after her, Tahli shook her head. “You think they gonna end up arguing?” I asked. Ever since Nook hinted at us linking, my interest had been piqued, and I found myself wondering if I should ask for her number. Tahli was bad as fuck, and she seemed cool as hell.
“With them there’s no telling, but I hope not.”
“So, you’re single huh?” Tahli shifted in her seat.
“I am,” she replied slowly. “I’ve actually been single for five years.”
“Damn why so long?”
“Because the dating pool has piss in it,” she frowned slightly making me simper.
“That it does.”
“How long have you been single?” Tahli picked her cup up and eyed me over the rim.
“Almost two years.”
Tahli swallowed and licked the remnants from her lips. “That’s not too bad. I don’t think people should leave a relationship and jump right into another. But that’s just my opinion.”
“I agree. I was in a relationship for five years, so when it ended, I wasn’t thinking about another one. After about eight months, I did start dating, but well you already know.”
Tahli took another sip of her drink. “You know I’m kind of biased, right? I think there are way more good women than good men. It’s easier for you to find a woman than it is for me to find a man that’s worth something.”
“You think so?” I checked my watch because I wanted another drink, but I couldn’t risk getting a DUI. Another hour and a half would be enough time for me to have one more drink and be able to drive home.
“I know so.”
“A good woman doesn’t necessarily mean a compatible woman.
At my age, I kind of want to start dating with intention.
A woman that has three kids is cool, but I have one.
That makes four. So, we’d need at least four bedrooms. Her kids’ father doesn’t pay child support, but she wants to stay at home.
So, I’m supposed to be the sole provider for six people? ”
“Oh, hell no,” Tahli’s nose scrunched.
“See? That was a chick I dated for about three months. She brought up marriage at least once a week. One of her kids is special needs, so it’s easier if she doesn’t work, but I wasn’t trying to be Captain Save a Single Mother.”
“I feel you on that. I can’t imagine it’s easy having a special needs child, other kids, and having to work, but that’s a hell of a burden to put on a man that you just met.”
“I’m not saying any woman should want a broke man, but there are a lot of women that just want someone to take care of them. I don’t mind being a provider, but I’m not a lame. As soon as I feel like that’s the motive, I’m out.”
“Wh”
A loud noise from inside the house made my head whip in that direction. I could hear a man yelling, but I couldn’t make out what was being said. “Oh hell,” I grumbled standing up.
Tahli shook her head and sighed. It was probably safe to assume that we were thinking the same thing. I had seen Nook and Sheniah get into it more than once. To be fair, I knew they loved one another and while the fights didn’t get physical, it could still be draining to watch.
Opening the door, I found Nook’s uncle trying to break him and Fred up while Sheniah stood watching with baked beans at her feet. The pan had been knocked off the counter.
“Chill the fuck out!” Marvin barked. “This is yo’ house, and if you want to tear the shit up that’s on y’all. But y’all are brothers, and you need to quit this dumb shit.”
Nook and Fred finally separated. Nook pulled his sagging jeans up. “This hoe ass nigga always want to check me about my bitch. Nigga, you want to fuck her?” Nook took a step toward his brother.
Tahli walked over to where Sheniah was standing and began cleaning the beans up off the floor.
“Bitch?!” Sheniah screeched. “You become lame as hell when you start drinking.”
“Nah, that’s your hoe ass,” Nook spat.
Sheniah stepped around the wasted food and tried to run up on Nook, but Marvin stopped her.
“I’m about to leave,” Nook chuckled. “Khalif, can you give me a ride to my mom’s house?”
“Yeah man.”
“You probably going to a bitch’s house, and if you do you better not let me find out!” Sheniah yelled.
“I’m not thinking about what yo’ goofy ass talking about,” Nook waved her off and walked over to the stove. He snatched a piece of chicken out of the pan and took a large bite. Nook walked outside, and Marvin followed him. Fred left, and Sheniah stormed toward the living room.
I watched as Tahli finished cleaning the mess.
“I’m going to go ahead and get Nook out of here.
It was nice meeting you. Can I have your number?
” Contrary to Tahli’s biased opinion, I hadn’t had much luck with dating.
Finding a pretty woman was easy. Finding one that wasn’t a superficial, shallow, lazy, gold digger was the hard part.
“Sure.” Tahli rattled off her number, and I stored it in my phone.
After promising to call, I tucked my phone back in my pocket and went outside to get Nook. In the car, he started going in as soon as he closed the door.
“I’m sick of this shit, man. I swear to God, I want to be single.”
I didn’t respond because the statement wasn’t one that I hadn’t heard before. In fact, he said it at least once a month. I grew up with Nook. Our mothers were best friends. I had been around for the ups and downs of his relationship with Sheniah.
“You think I’m playing. Watch,” Nook nodded his head. “Clint is about to sign the lease on a place, and he’s looking for a roommate. I told him I want in.”
Drawing back just a bit from shock, I glanced over at him. “What you mean you told him you want in? When?”
“I told him yesterday. I’m telling you, I been feeling this shit coming. All we do lately is argue. I’m tired of this shit. I’ve spent almost all my twenties in a relationship. I want to be free.”
“Man,” I shook my head. “This life isn’t what you want.”
“Yes it is,” he stated with conviction. “The only people that say that shit is people that have been single for a long time and they’re trying to settle down.
I don’t want to leave Sheniah and find another woman.
I’m just tired of the arguing. I’m not ready for marriage.
I’m not ready for a lot of shit. She’s talking about us buying a house and shit. I’m not ready for all that.”
“It took you ten years to figure that out?”
“Yes, because I’m not trying to be stuck for another ten years. I love Sheniah. We just moved too soon too fast. We moved in together at nineteen.”
I sighed. I had never been with a woman for ten years, so I didn’t know how he felt. Nook had a right to feel however he wanted to feel, but I just felt it was sudden and messed up. But maybe it wasn’t sudden. If he really didn’t want to be with Sheniah anymore, what could I say?
“What were you and Sheniah arguing about?”
“Her DM’s constantly going off with thirsty ass niggas shooting their shot, and she lets them do that bullshit. Let it be females in my DM’s, and she’ll have a damn fit. Maybe she wants to be single too, and she damn sure can be.”
Thankfully, I arrived at Nook’s mother’s house.
I wasn’t trying to be in the middle of anyone’s relationship problems. My last one had gone to shit, so I didn’t have advice to give.
Shit, if Nook and Sheniah did part ways, at least they didn’t have kids.
My relationship ended when my daughter was two.
I spent a year trying to make it work for her, and I just couldn’t do it anymore.
It killed me knowing that I had brought a child into this world that was the product of a broken home, but I couldn’t do that shit anymore.
If Nook felt anywhere near close to how I felt when I left Gina, then leaving Sheniah was the best thing for him to do.
“Moses,” my colleague, Tony nodded his head as I walked by. It had been a long day, and I was tired and ready to go home.
“What’s up, man?” I bumped his fist and kept walking, ignoring the person that he was talking to.
“Fucking asshole,” Davis muttered under his breath making me stop in my tracks.
“What was that?” I asked as I back pedaled. “Repeat that,” I crossed my hands in front of my crotch and waited for the pale bastard in front of me to call me out of my name to my face.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” he chuckled briefly pinching his nose. “I suggest you keep it moving.”