Chapter 24
Shadows, Strides and Sundresses
I was laying in the bed while June and Tam kept talking about amateur night.
I really wanted to go with them, but I didn't feel like hearing my man's mouth.
It had been a month since I'd seen a pole, and I needed to make my own money.
Me and Silk had agreed I would retire and he would take care of home, but Silk was barely ever home—he was always in the trap.
I wanted to do something and make my own cash.
I was laying down, bored out of my mind, when my phone started to ring. I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, my Nubian chocolate goddess, how have you been?" Rodrick asked.
"I'm great, how have you been?" I asked.
"Other than Shelly stressing me out, I was cool. I just want to see my chocolate goddess."
I teased him, knowing I couldn't go anywhere. "I got $6,000. I want to see you do that hip-rock thing and smell your big, beautiful ass. Please tell me you can do it for me."
"Seven thousand, and I can meet you now," I said, needing my own money. I was only going to be gone an hour; Silk wouldn't even miss my ass.
"Fine. Bring oil, I want to see that black, fat-ass shining."
I put on a lingerie set, a trench coat, and some Michael Kors heels, then headed out the door and jumped into my Honda Civic. I called Rodrick back.
"Hello?"
"Hey, gorgeous."
"I'm 30 minutes away. What's the room number? I'm leaving my phone at home."
"903."
Before I went to the hotel, I stopped at a gas station and turned my location off. When I got to the hotel, I went straight to the room. I was on a mission to dance and get the fuck out before my man started tripping.
When I first got there, he had already wired me the $7,000.
I took my jacket off and started to do the rocking boat—what everyone assumes is the crybaby.
The crybaby is when you look like you're beating the floor while twerking.
I bent over and let him smell my ass while he jerked his little-ass white dick, which would never touch me no matter how much money he offered.
I started twerking on his nose, and he busted damn near instantly.
I got up and was about to head out.
"I thought you was going to stay for at least an hour."
"I'm sorry, my goal was to get you off and I did. I'm getting married and I retired from dancing; I just wanted to help a friend," I said.
I left, jumped in my car, and checked my phone—I had 15 missed calls from Silk. My heart was beating fast. I dialed him back.
"Hello?"
"Don't motherfucking 'Hello' me, Mercedes, where the fuck you at?"
"I left the house, I needed some fresh air, so I stopped to get a bite to eat."
"From where?"
I looked around and saw an Applebee's in front of me. "Applebee's."
"Why the fuck can't I see your location, Mercedes? Are you lying to me? You know I hate liars."
I drove to the Applebee's and turned my location on so fast. "What, you want me to FaceTime you? You're so insecure because you deal with hoes all day."
"First off, I ain't even been pimping, I been helping my brother in his trap."
I FaceTimed him and flipped the camera. "Here, damn, my phone died, Silk."
"Flip the camera, let me see you," he said.
I flipped the camera and showed my face.
"It's 90 degrees and you got on a trench coat?"
My heart was beating so motherfucking fast. "Baby, you know I got anemia."
"Yeah, ight, I'm waiting on you."
I ended the call and went to Rainbow to get me a sundress. While I waited for them to cook the order I placed for me and Silk, I pulled myself together.
I arrived back at Applebee's, checked the order to make sure everything was right, and then headed home. When I got there, Silk looked like he'd lost his best friend.
"Them heels don't even go with that cheap-ass sundress," he yelled.
I walked into the kitchen, took my food out, and left his food on the counter. I headed to my room because I didn't want to argue with Silk. I put on a crazy movie and started eating. Silk came into the room with his food and sat by me.
"Baby, you don't love me no more," he asked, looking genuinely like I'd hurt him. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I held them back.
"I love you with everything in me," I said, continuing to eat.
"Open your phone, Mercedes."
"You just moving weird as fuck—open your phone."
I opened the phone. He scrolled through it.
"Rodrick, huh? You went to meet Rodrick."
"Baby, listen, I..."
My words were cut off when he threw his food across the room.
"You can do this forever, but if I'm going to be in this game forever, I'm going to keep a new hoe, not the same one."
Silk packed his things and left me.