Chapter Ten #2
She turns in my arms to face me. “I find it very interesting that you chose to ask me about Cortez instead of Troy.”
“Why would I be concerned about Troy? I know my girl is faithful to me.”
“You are not referring to my pussy as your girl again.”
“We go together forreal. I told you to ask her and she’ll tell you. I’m not worried about Troy, but if someone is making you uncomfortable, that’s when I have a problem.”
She loops her arms behind my shoulders. “So that Caveman act is good for something, huh? Cortez isn’t a problem. He’s obnoxious but nothing I can’t handle.”
“And you’ll tell me if that changes?”
“Of course.”
With that, she gives me a quick kiss then peeks her head out of my room before making a mad dash for her own.
About thirty minutes later, I meet Jalen out front so we can head into town. Our concierge, Javier, told us about a cigar bar that features live music at night but is open during the day as well, so we’re headed there.
When we get there, we pay extra to have a private section. A few people recognize Jalen, but no one approaches him so he relaxes a bit more.
“You checked in with Killa Kam today?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Dad had him watching Annabelle last night. He said when he woke up, he was convinced one of his Funko Pop figures moved so he threw it out. Then his ass gonna have the nerve to ask me if I can replace it because he really liked that one. I told him, go ask Pops.”
“Ayo, that’s wild. Where was Mom at?”
He gives me a look that says to be serious. “Sleep.”
“For someone who says she be shutting shit down on all her girls’ trips, she can’t ever stay up past nine at home.”
“I’m saying.”
We share a laugh, both of us taking a puff of our cigars. “What else is going on? How’s Tiff?”
Last I checked, things were running smoothly with his ex-wife, but things can change at the drop of a hat with her.
Jalen runs his hand down his face, sighing deeply. “She’s working the few nerves I have, bruh.”
“What’s up now? Everything was fine two weeks ago.”
“And then she found out I was coming to this wedding, and she started bugging. I almost didn’t make it because she kept saying if she couldn’t come to the wedding, she didn’t understand why she couldn’t keep Kam for the week. Alone.”
Tiffany and Jalen’s custody agreement is that Jalen has Kam full-time while Tiffany is allowed supervised visitation. She has yet to prove she can handle keeping him by herself, so I understand why he freaked out.
“I know Mom wasn’t having that, though.”
“Sure wasn’t. She told Tiff if she tried to pull up to their house to get Kam, she was gonna get introduced to Claudette.”
Claudette is the taser our mom keeps in the house.
She replaces it every two years, but she always names it Claudette for some reason.
I met Claudette once in high school when I was sneaking back into the house late and our mom thought I had broken in.
She’s not to be fucked with; the taser nor my mom.
“Damn, I know she ran scared after that.”
“Haven’t heard from her since.”
A different waitress comes in with the drinks we ordered.
She looks a bit too young to be working here but she looks a little stunned to see Jalen.
To her credit, she tries her best to keep her composure when asking if we need anything else, but she can’t stop staring at him.
Finally, she caves and asks him for a picture, which he happily obliges.
We pass the time with cigars and drinks. He tells me that Kam is interested in playing basketball at school next year and I fill him in on my latest work deal.
“So, what’s up with you and Miss Janelle? Things didn’t look great at dinner last night, you in trouble?”
“Why you assume I’m the problem?”
“Why not?”
“Damn. It be your own people.”
“What you do?”
I tell him about the past week with Janelle and how it’s supposed to be a vacation fling but that I want more once we leave.
“Right, because she’s sis-in-law.”
“Bruh, stop saying that. No one is getting married besides Arnold and Amerie.”
“Yet.”
“Man. Enough outta you.”
“Okay, bet. But this little conversation is going in my best man toast at your wedding.”
“Can we focus on the now?”
“Have you told her that you’re tryna date her once we get home?”
“Of course not. I just got her to stop running from me for the rest of the vacation. Can’t do too much too soon.”
“I mean, if you pussy just say that.”
I chuckle around my cigar. “That’s nuts.”
“Or lack thereof.”
“Jalen, stop playin ’ with me.”
He snorts, taking another pull from his cigar. “Aight, I’m done. I will reserve any further commentary for my toast.”
“Fuck outta here.”
Later that day, ziplining goes by without too many issues.
Arnold switched up the group that was supposed to go, claiming to have needed a break from Amerie and her nagging.
The two of them were supposed to do some sort of dance lesson with his parents, her parents, and Arnold’s aunt and uncle, but he convinced her to take a few of the girls to the spa instead.
He and his dad joined us for ziplining along with Christian and a few others.
Cortez was on his bullshit, hyper-focusing on Janelle the whole day, but Marquise distracted him enough times and I stayed close by.
Luckily, we have the rest of the night to ourselves. I plan to shower and find Janelle, but when I round the corner of the hotel, I hear Janelle getting into it with her mom.
“Ma, what is the problem? I don’t understand.”
“I just don’t see why you didn’t go to the spa with us today. Your sister was visibly upset and she could’ve used some moral support from you. Do you think it was appropriate for you to spend your afternoon with Arnold? Sometimes I wonder if you purposefully make things harder for yourself.”
I’m shocked by the sharpness in her mother’s voice. She and Amerie seem determined to bring Janelle down, and it’s working. Janelle’s shoulders deflate. She struggles to find her words.
“Why are you acting like I went out on a date with the man? It was a group activity with him and fourteen other people. He’s about to be my brother-in-law and you’re acting like it’s taboo for me to be in the same room with him.
That’s just weird. And as far as Ri being upset, she didn’t want me to come to the spa day so what was I supposed to do? Beg her?”
Her mom sighs disappointedly. “I did not raise you to be selfish, Janelle.”
“Excuse me?”
“And Amie tells me she tried to set you up with a nice gentleman here and you rebuffed her offer.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Dead serious. You can’t spend your entire life pretending you don’t need people, Janelle.”
I’ve heard enough. I continue rounding the corner, heading straight for Janelle and her mom. “Hi, Janelle, Mrs. Cross. Apologies, Deb.”
She smiles brightly at me. “Well, hello, Rome. Were you part of the ziplining group today?” Her tone drips with disdain at the mention of ziplining.
“I sure was. We had a good time. It was so nice of Amerie to insist Janelle do it, because she’s been working so hard on the wedding. I’m sure she needed a break.”
Her mom looks utterly confused at my statement. “Ah, yes, well, the engagement party was wonderful.”
I barely contain my disgust. It figures Amerie told her mom everything but the good things.
“Oh, no. I mean this past week. There’s been a lot of last-minute adjustments and Janelle’s been handling them like a champ.”
She looks back at Janelle with raised brows. “Really?”
“Yep. She ran around searching for that pink ribbon for Wheezie.” I rattle off a few other errands Janelle has been charged with since being here. “Amerie even lost her ring the other day and Janelle was instrumental in finding it.”
She gasps with her hand on her chest. “She lost her ring?!”
“Yes, ma’am. She had us all worried sick, but it all worked out.”
“I can’t believe that girl, so irresponsible. I gotta go see her. Okay, thank you, sweetie. Have a great night. Janelle, I will see you later.” She hurries off before either of us can respond.
Janelle nudges me with her elbow. “You did not have to snitch on her for the ring,” she snickers.
“I absolutely did. You okay?”
“How much did you hear?”
“Enough.”
“Then no. But I will be. I’m used to this by now.”
“Doesn’t make it okay, J. Come on.”
“Where we going?”
“Where do you wanna go?”
“My room.”
“Then that’s where we’re going.”
I follow her to her room without pretense. There’s no checking over our shoulders to see if anyone’s watching. There’s no waiting fifteen minutes before heading to her room. We’re just two people enjoying each other’s company, not giving a fuck what anyone has to say about it.