7. Fiya
Fiya
Wednesday Evening
“ T ea, honey. Pour that tea!” Tamara demanded as she rushed into my condo with Christina hot on her heels.
“Don’t you heffas have work in the morning?” I asked.
I pulled my feet up onto the couch with me and sipped my tea. It was a specialty blend I had created of peppermint, ginger, matcha, and ginseng teas designed to eliminate my headache and improve my mood. I had been in a shitty mood with a headache since I left Smoke the night before.
“Sure, we do. You do too,” Christina stated.
“The difference between us is that I answer to no one. I have my shop, and I open when I choose and close when I choose.”
“That’s what has your ass in this situation now, ma’am. You need to buckle down and become more disciplined about your business,” Tamara commented.
“You don’t think that I’m serious about my business? If I weren’t serious, I wouldn’t have been able to start it from the jump.”
“I know that you’re serious, Kai. I just think that in the last year, you’ve slacked off a bit, and that’s what put you in this situation.”
“Chris, two years ago, you were on my ass about not taking any time for myself and enjoying the fruits of my labor. Now you’re on me because I’ve been taking time for myself.”
“No. I’m not saying that. It’s just that you have to plan for the time you take off when running a business. When you were working your fingers to the bone, you should have been stacking your money so when you do take time off, it’s not hitting your bottom line,” Christina explained.
“Even more than that, you need to consider hiring some help. You can’t afford not to,” Tamara remarked.
“I can’t afford the shit that I have going on already.”
“If you were to hire someone, Kai, even on a part-time basis, it would allow you to keep your shop open longer and possibly even open on Sundays. You work ten hours a day with the shop open for eight of them, and the demand is there. But if you were to hire someone part-time, then you could keep it open for twelve hours a day, and you could work one or two fewer hours per day. That still boosts your income because although you’re paying that part-time person, you can sell more with the extended hours, and you can refocus your attention beyond the candles to the essential oils you wanted to create and the ceramic candle holders you had started making.”
I sighed. “You’re right, Tam.”
“Sis, I know that it’s hard. I deal with people all the time who have the same concerns as you do. They listen to the advice that my company and my team offer, and they succeed. Or they don’t, and they go nowhere. I can’t push it on you. I can only offer you suggestions,” Tamara explained patiently.
“You’re right. I’ll make time to find an assistant,” I stated on a long exhalation.
“Good. Now that we’ve got that agreed upon, can we discuss what’s been going on with you lately?” Christina asked.
“Meaning?”
“You haven’t returned any of our calls. You’ve only texted to say that you’re busy. And you’ve been moving differently since you got hemmed up in the office the other night at The Smoke Hour.”
I waved my hand and replied, “I’m not moving differently.”
Tamara sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she stated.
“What?” I shrugged and widened my eyes at them.
“That man was damn near salivating over you that night. He kicked us out of his office without a second thought and barely bothered to look at us. You’re not gonna sit here and tell me nothing happened that night,” Tamara stated.
“And I saw how you were looking at him,” Christina stated.
“Fine. Something happened that night, Tuesday afternoon, and Tuesday night.”
“What the hell?” Tamara demanded and sat forward in her seat.
“Told you she was holding out,” Christina stated smugly.
“Well, are you going to tell us or not, heffa?” Tamara demanded.
I sighed and contemplated whether I should tell everything that happened or not. I wasn’t really a kiss-and-tell girl, but I was over my head when it came to dealing with Smoke’s ass. I didn’t know him, but I couldn’t stay away from him. All I wanted was to be around him and have him all inside of me. He felt like a potent drug that I was addicted to. An addiction I knew I needed to steer clear of, but I just couldn’t.
I sighed and stated, “Fine. I’ll tell y’all, but keep your damn big mouths shut.”
Christina clapped her hands like a little kid, and Tamara crossed her arms and legs and leaned back in the chair to listen.
I told them everything that happened, starting with the night we were kicked out of the club, all the way up until last night. Neither one of them had shit to say. They just listened in fascination.
When I finished, Tamara asked, “What part of you have a fiancé don’t you and this nigga get? You’re playing with fire, ho.”
“This marriage between Terry and me isn’t going to be traditional, so neither is the engagement.”
“But still. Have you two talked about being open to seeing other people? I think that man expects exclusivity from you,” Tamara replied.
“I don’t know what he expects, but we didn’t have that conversation. I can see him expecting it once we’re married, but that was never part of our discussion. He doesn’t get to make those demands on me or my time.”
“No. But he can take you to court and demand that you repay the loan because you failed to uphold your end of the contract.”
“There’s nothing in the contract about being exclusive during the engagement, only during the marriage,” I clarified.
“Still, it won’t stop him from dragging you through court. Terry is a nice guy, but I have a feeling he’d be vindictive and petty if things didn’t go his way,” Tamara stated.
“Yeah.” Christina agreed. “He doesn’t seem like the type to play fair. I just don’t want you to get hurt or create more problems for yourself down the line because you played games with that man.”
“But I want him sooo bad,” I whined.
“Who do you want so bad?” Noel, my roommate, ambled down the stairs and into our living room.
He and I had been best friends since middle school. With all the shenanigans lately, he had been out of town on business and out of the loop.
“Fill him in, girl,” Tamara stated.
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
“Wait a minute. Let me grab a beer because this sounds like some shit’s been going down while I’ve been gone,” Noel stated.
“There has been, and it all started with Mr. Terry Thompson,” Tamara replied.
Noel grabbed the beer from the refrigerator.
“Well, before you get too comfortable, you all might as well follow me to my room. I need to get an outfit for tomorrow night,” I stated.
“What’s happening tomorrow night?” Noel asked as we all jumped up and headed for the stairs.
“That’s what she’s about to tell you,” Christina explained.
When we arrived in my bedroom, I walked into my large walk-in closet and proceeded to tell Noel the same things I had already explained to the girls.
I stepped out of the closet with a short-sleeved sweater dress that stopped mid-thigh and held it up to my body.
“Girl, move. What are you hoping to accomplish?” Christina asked, shoving me aside to go into my walk-in closet.
“I want to exude confidence, but at the same time, I want to reinforce keeping it platonic.”
I watched as Christina riffled through my clothes on the left side before she shouted, “Ohh! This is perfect,” and shoved a black, sleeveless jumpsuit at me. There was an opening from the neckline down to my cleavage in a V shape. The back of the jumpsuit was backless.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to show him that I can keep it platonic despite the games we’re playing. I just want to repay him for giving my shoes back to me.”
“Why don’t you say to hell with his ass?” Tamara asked.
“I have a feeling he might show up someplace in my life when it’s most inconvenient and make his presence known to he-who-shall-remain-nameless.”
“Your ass thinks he’d really blackmail you and out you to Terry?” Tamara asked.
“Nah, that ain’t his type at all. That nigga’s more ruthless than that,” Noel stated confidently.
“You think it’s giving too much sexy?” I asked Christina and ignored Noel.
“Girl, if you’re talking about this little back out, no. If the backless part went down to the cleft in your ass, then I’d say yes, but it stops at your waist. You’re overthinking things,” Christina argued.
“Boo, you ran way past sexy with that whole strip domino sucking your toes thing y’all had going on. I don’t know how you two didn’t manage to just fuck it out of your system from jump. Why the hell y’all playing games is beyond me,” Tamara stated. “Shit. I say go naked, or at least with a raincoat and heels at this point.”
I sighed and took the jumpsuit. I turned it to the front and back and held it against me.
“Noel?”
“I’m with Christina. It says confidence and still gives off sexy but platonic vibes. You’re good.”
“See!” Christina stated. “Now, pair it with these black and gold mules and your matching bag, and you’re all set.”
“What should I do with my hair?”
“Put it up in a messy ponytail. It shows off part of your back without showing the entire thing,” Noel explained.
“You’d make a great gay bestie, Noel,” Tam stated with a big grin.
“Fuck outta here with that bullshit,” he replied.
Christina and I laughed, and then my mood instantly switched. I walked to my bed and plopped down on it with my legs dangling over the side.
“What the hell is wrong now?” Noel asked.
“Do you think I’m being a ho?”
“Why would you say that?” Christina asked.
“Because I’m engaged to one man, and I damn near had sex with a stranger. I mean, I want to hard down fuck that man.”
Christina dropped onto the bed on the other side of me. “It’s not giving ho; it’s giving you’re reconsidering your options, and you’re attracted to someone for the first time in a while.”
“Are you sure?”
“You don’t even love that man, Kai. Stop dragging yourself,” Tamara stated.
“I just feel guilty because there’s truly chemistry between a stranger and me, and I don’t even know him.”
“And yet, you can’t force chemistry where none exists,” Noel stated.
“You feel nothing when you’re with Terry?” Christina asked.
“No.”
“And this guy?” Tamara asked. “What’s he giving?”
“Vibes like he’s someone you’d better run and hide from.”
“Like toxic?” Tamara asked.
“No. More along the lines of dark and dangerous. Sexy and edgy.”
“Ooh, I like.” Christina clapped her hands happily.
“Men have plans to get in the panties whether that’s your plan or not, Kai,” Noel stated the obvious in a boring tone.
“Not all guys, Noel. You’re not that guy.”
“The hell I’m not,” Noel replied, folding his arm behind his head on the armchair.
He crossed his ankles and became even more comfortable in my chair.
“Noel, you’ve always been a gentleman,” Christina disputed.
“Gentleman, thug, friend, homie, or whatever, we all want the same thing: to bust a nut. We just have different ways of going about it. Whether we are charming and debonair, crash outs, chill, around the way, or what the fuck ever, we want them draws, baby girl.”
“Damn, Noel. When you put it like that…” Christina tapped her chin thoughtfully and looked up at the ceiling. I had no idea what was going through her mind, and truthfully, I didn’t want to know.
“Who is this guy?” Noel asked. “What titty bar does he own?”
“The Smoke Hour,” I replied.
Noel’s eyes widened. “Come again?”
“What?”
“The Smoke Hour isn’t just a titty bar. It’s a gentlemen’s lounge where a lot of things occur, not just stripping. And you’re meeting up with Smoke?”
“Yes.”
“Smoke Socco, right?” Noel asked.
“Yes,” I replied.
“That’s not a nigga you want to play games with.” Noel’s warning tone was grave.
“How do you know him?” I asked.
Noel laughed and shook his head. “I don’t personally know the man. Shit, I wouldn’t want to know the man. But I know who he is, what he’s into, and the fact that you should steer clear of him.”
“Why? What’s he into?”
Noel shook his head. “Aside from the lounge, I know that he sells used cars, and he owns some West African cafés.”
“Socco West African Cafés?” Christina asked.
“Yeah,” Noel replied.
“Their food is the shit!” Tamara declared.
“They do have good food.” Noel agreed.
“Okay, but what’s the problem again?” I asked.
“He’s an illegal arms dealer, and he owns some dry cleaners that are rumored to have illegal gambling in the back,” Noel stated.
“Rumors. Since when have you been the one to listen to rumors, Noel?” I asked.
“When they come from reputable sources. Even if gambling is a lie, that illegal arms trading is the shit that he’s known for in the underground world. And I have no clue how many bodies he’s caught.”
“Ooohh, underground world. Listen to you trying to sound all suspicious and spooky,” Christina stated, wiggling her fingers in the air.
“All right. Think that I’m playing if you want to. Don’t say your little ass wasn’t warned,” Noel stated.
“It’s not me saying that; it’s Chris. I’m listening,” I replied.
“But you’re not going to listen, are you? You’re still taking your ass back to that lounge, aren’t you?” Noel asked.
“Well, I mean…”
“Girl, get your ass out there. Them dangerous niggas be the best ones to have sex with. They have all the BDE. Rupture your uterus, snatch out your fallopian tubes, and cause you to give up your mama’s social security number,” Tamara stated dreamily, staring off into space.
The three of us stared at her.
“What the fuck have you been into?” Noel asked.
She looked at us. “What?”
I shook my head.
“That BDE is what gets you killed, in a toxic relationship, and all sorts of trouble. That’s that stalker dick,” Christina remarked.
“How the hell do you know?” Tamara and I asked at the same time.
“I’ve had a couple in my past,” Christina replied.
“Them niggas never stay in the past.” Noel’s comment was muttered, but he stared at me as he said it.