6. Khalif
Pulling up in my parents’ driveway like a bat out of hell, I opened the door before I’d even put my car in park.
Pissed was an understatement, but I wanted to calm myself down before I went in the house around my baby.
I entered the house and found Sierra on the couch asleep.
I could tell by the aroma that was permeating the air that my mother was cooking.
I took notice of the one Hello Kitty duffel bag by the chair.
Storming into the kitchen, I was ready for answers.
“That’s all she gave her?” I asked with nostrils expanding.
“Yeah. You know she knows that baby has stuff here and at your house. That hoe really dropped Sierra off at school and basically told the teacher to let her father know full custody was now his.”
“I’m not even really mad at getting my daughter. I’m mad at her being an ignorant ass drug addict.”
“You think she’s on drugs?” my mother asked. “I mean, yes, she does some questionable things, but I was just thinking it’s because she parties, drinks, and runs the streets. Gina tries to keep up with her friends that don’t have kids. She was doing that when you and she were together.”
“Yeap. She parties, runs in behind her friends that were smart enough not to have kids they didn’t want, and she screws any man with money that might come along and save her.
Drugs fit more into that puzzle than my daughter does.
Even if it’s only weed, she’s on something.
It’s all good though. I’m getting something drawn up in writing.
She won’t come back in three or four months and think she’s just going to take Sierra. ”
“You know I’ll help you in any way that I can. Gina should be ashamed of herself. I don’t know how she raised her, but Joy is a good grandmother. Her parenting skills sure didn’t rub off on her daughter.”
Sierra was a daddy’s girl. She loved when she came to my place, and she rarely ever cried for or even asked about her mother.
For those reasons, I didn’t think it would be a difficult decision for her to live with me full-time, but I didn’t want her to end up feeling abandoned by her mother.
I sat down at the kitchen table and sighed.
Sierra was better off with me but having full custody thrown in my lap with no warning was going to be stressful.
Such was life when you had a kid with a dumb bitch.
“I’ll wake Sierra up, so she can eat. When you get her home, all she’ll have to do is take a bath, and she’ll be good for the night. I’ll braid her hair tomorrow in a style that will last her for a few days if she’ll keep that scarf on while she sleeps.”
My mother went to wake Sierra up, and I wished I could have a drink or three.
I didn’t mind changing my life around to accommodate my daughter, but having Tahli over for sexual trysts was going to have to only occur when Sierra was in school or with a grandparent.
Of course, having sex wasn’t more important than making sure my daughter was good.
It was way too soon to introduce Tahli to her, so until I felt the time was right, that’s what it would be.
Tahli wasn’t the clingy type, so I didn’t think she’d mind. Sierra entered the kitchen rubbing sleep from her eyes. “Hi daddy.” She walked into my arms.
“Hey, baby. How was your nap?” Hugging her tight, I placed a kiss on her forehead. “You ready to eat?”
She nodded, and I let her go, so she could climb into a chair.
The lasagna and garlic bread my mother made smelled amazing, but Gina’s antics damn near made me lose my appetite.
I would regret not eating later, so I just got my mom to fix me some to go.
My father was asleep and would eat when he woke up.
The only thing that could bring a smile to my face was the way Sierra was demolishing her food.
“Slow down, girl. It’s not going anywhere,” I chuckled.
“Grandma this is good!” she declared.
“I’m glad you like it, baby.” My mother beamed with pride as she sat down with her plate.
I could make it work with Sierra. I didn’t have any other choice. I didn’t care what type of time Gina was on. I refused to let my daughter down.
Five days later, I walked out of the dealership and to Tahli’s car. It was my first time seeing her since we met up for lunch. Getting in her car, I took in her pretty face and her ever changing hair. “You sure you’re not sick of me?” I asked pulling the seatbelt across my body.
“No. Why would I be sick of you?” she giggled.
“Because I haven’t seen you in damn near a week, and the first time we see one another is when I need a ride because I’m getting an oil change.”
Tahli waved my comment off. “I know you’ve been working, and you have your daughter now.
I have to get in where I fit in, and that’s okay.
I’ve been doing videos like crazy. I never thought I’d be saying that I’m sick of changing my hair.
But I looked at all the money I made from promo this month, and it’s around $2,600. ”
“Damn. That’s what’s up. Some people don’t make $2,600 from their full-time job. Maybe you can make that a thing. Just keep working at the bank part-time.”
“I don’t know,” Tahli nibbled on her bottom lip. “I don’t want to get used to it and then it dies down. Social media is so unpredictable. On top of that, there’s a new popular or viral person every six months.”
“I feel you on that. But for the moment, you have a good thing going. Ride that thing until the wheels fall off.”
“I’m with you when you’re right.”
“My daughter is in school, and they’ll probably have my car for at least an hour, but I can go back and get it anytime. You want to come to my place and chill for a bit?” it wasn’t until I was looking at Tahli’s pretty ass wearing that long ginger wig that I realized how horny I was.
“Ouuuu you inviting me over for some wanker?” she placed her tongue in the corner of her mouth.
“I don’t know about wanker. I’m inviting you to this dick. And this weekend when Sierra goes with Gina’s mom, we’re going on a date. Anywhere you want to go.”
“It’s a date.”
“How is your job search coming along?”
“Still haven’t heard anything back, but Sheniah refuses to take any money from me.
From now on, I’m saving all the money I get from social media and wig promo jobs.
I’m going to be looking for leasing offices that will accept my social media pay as income.
I’m not sure yet what I get next month, but this month I got a little over $1,000. ”
“That’s what’s up. I’m telling you. Keep going hard with the content, and you might not need a full-time job. I understand what you’re saying but honestly, no job is guaranteed. People get laid off every day.”
“That’s true.”
Tahli didn’t act like a person that just committed fraud to get what she wanted.
With everything in me, I was hoping what Nook said about her was old news.
Tahli arrived at my house, and we went at it like two people that had just been released from prison.
She felt so damn good, and I was so backed up that I came almost embarrassingly fast. But it was the middle of the day, and we both had shit to do. I assumed.
“You want me to stick around until your car is ready? I don’t have anything to do. I’m keeping this wig in for two more days. Even though I don’t use glue for most of them, the preparation to make it look natural is a lot. I need a little break.”
“Bet. Thank you. Before you take me to the dealership, stop by a gas station, and I’ll fill your car up.”
“Thank you,” Tahli batted her lashes at me, and I was tempted to try and get another round in, but my phone vibrated.
“This the dealership right here.”
They told me my car was ready and once Tahli and I were ready to go, I followed her to the door. I couldn’t resist smacking her ass as she walked ahead of me. “I for sure have to take you out this weekend. I need some more of that.”
“You better hope my period doesn’t come,” she sang making me groan.
Of course, I would still take her out even if her period came on, but not ending the night with an orgasm would be torture.
In the car, I noticed what looked like a driver’s license on the floor.
Leaning forward, I picked it up. “I think you dropped your license over here,” I stated.
As my eyes fell on the information, I could see clear as day it was Tahli’s picture, but the name on the license said Brisa Milton.
I looked over at Tahli and she had a deer caught in headlights type look on her face. Nook had been telling the truth. “I can explain that.”
I already knew what she did, so I didn’t even know why I was so angry. “Oh, you don’t have to explain. I know what you do. You crack cards, right? Nook already told me.”
That revelation caused Tahli to draw back. “Nook?! What the fuck does Nook know about my business to be gossiping to you about?” Clearly, she was pissed, but I didn’t care.
“He knows that I’m a police officer, and he was trying to warn me because he knows the shit isn’t a good look.”
“Nook can keep my name out of his mouth, and you can take some of that bass out of your voice. You’re the cop not me. I haven’t done anything illegal in your presence, and that’s all you need to worry about. I don’t even crack cards anymore.”
“I could arrest you just for having this.”
“Okay, Khalif, if you want to arrest me do that,” she snapped. Her voice was laced with attitude, but I was upset too.
Tahli was cool as fuck. I liked her, and I was hoping we’d remain on good terms, so I could introduce her to Sierra.
I wasn’t perfect, but I wasn’t trying to be connected to a criminal.
I worked too hard to become a police officer.
It wasn’t the highest paying job, but until I was ready to find something else, it would do.
I didn’t even respond to Tahli’s comments with words.
I sat back and stared out of the window as she drove to the dealership.
A lot of people might feel I was overreacting if I asked their opinion, but I was the one on the force.
If Tahli was known as my girlfriend or someone that I was close to and she got arrested, there would be talk.
People would wonder if I knew about it and turned a blind eye to it.
Plus, she worked at a damn bank. If her ass got caught being involved with identify theft and financial fraud, she could kiss that job goodbye.
I wanted to tell her that, but something told me she already knew, and she obviously didn’t care.
The tension in the car was thick enough to be cut with a knife.
When both of us were pissed, the drive seemed to take way longer than it did the first time.
When she arrived at the dealership, I got out of the car without saying anything, Maybe I needed to go to therapy and get evaluated.
My attraction to women with questionable characters seemed to be a pattern.
The door wasn’t even closed good before Tahli was speeding off. Where the fuck were the nice, wholesome women at that didn’t commit crimes?