9. Givens
GIVENS
I pulled my front door open to see my ex standing there with a fucking attitude.
Her dark brown skin sparkled against the sun and her long hair blew in the wind.
I looked her up and down, hating that she was as fine as she was because I knew that niggas had no clue they were getting a fucking demon wrapped in a pretty package.
“The fuck you doin’ here, Shai?” I asked, not giving a fuck how it sounded.
“My child,” she demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her titties were about to bust out of the tight-ass top she was wearing.
“Faylin ain't here,” I said, shaking my head. She would know if she kept up with our child, but she was always trying to hop on a flight.
“Where is she?” she questioned and rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you let her go to that dyke camp.”
“It’s a skills camp, not a dyke camp; stop intentionally sounding stupid,” I said, shaking my head. “Plus, you know better than anybody that just because you play sports doesn’t automatically make you gay.”
“I don’t know shit,” she replied, and I wiped my hands over my mouth to keep myself from saying something. “You know what? I’m lying. I know I said she couldn’t go to that camp.”
“Did I not drop a few stacks in your account to change your mind?” I asked, and she kissed her teeth in annoyance. “Is that why you’re here? Your money is drying up, and you need more or you’ll make Faylin’s life a living hell?”
This was typical shit for Shai, so I wasn’t even surprised. Shai used Faylin as a guaranteed payday anytime she needed something.
“That was just a down payment.” She put her hand out like I was about to hand her some money, and I shook my head. “If you can’t pay, then she’s coming home.”
“You said you would be out of the country for a few weeks,” I said, and she shrugged. “The nigga you were with cut it short? You must be on your period and can’t fuck.”
“I have more than one hole, and each of them is nice and tight, so a period doesn't stop shit but a sentence.” She rolled her eyes. “You should know that better than anybody else.”
“Nah,” I denied. “I don’t know shit. Especially if it’s got to do with who you fucking and sucking on. Them holes ain’t been my problem for years.”
Shai smiled at me before dropping her arms from before her and stepping into my space. “We can change that. Just say the word, and you, me, and little Givens can be reacquainted.” She reached for my shorts, but I grabbed her wrist before she could.
“First off, ain't shit little about my dick, and you know it, which is why you are trying to get bent the fuck over and busted wide open.” I grilled her, annoyed as fuck at her behavior and words. “And two, I’m already locked down with someone, but even if I weren’t, I ain't trying to go there with you.”
“Locked down with who?” she lifted her perfectly arched eyebrows, but I could tell that Shai was up to something based on her tone.
She wasn’t surprised or even trying to pretend as if she were, so that meant she knew.
I wasn’t surprised; Shai kept her nose in all the sports business.
“Hmm, Givens. Who are you trying to play happy house with?”
“Not your business, baby mama, “ I chuckled, knowing she hated to be referred to that way. “As long as Faylin is taken care of, nothing else matters.”
“You think so?” she smirked. “Because the last time I checked, you don’t have serious relationships, and now the rumor mill is saying you’re dating Mercy DeCorte.”
“That’s my business, Shai,” I said, shaking my head.
Shai smiled sweetly at me, and I grunted. She wasn’t going to listen and more than likely planned to cause some problems because she could. She winked at me, patted my chest, and then turned to leave.
“See you later, Givens.”
“What time are you coming to get Faylin?” I yelled.
“I’m not. Just deposit the money in my account,” she replied when she got to her car. “Same amount as last time, okay?”
“Fuck you, Shai,” I said with a humorless laugh.
“Name the time and place,” she replied, then waved before opening her car door and getting inside. Even though I couldn’t stand her ass and I lived in a good neighborhood, I didn’t move from my spot until Shai pulled out of my driveway.
“This doesn’t look like your speed,” Mercy said as she entered my greenhouse. I looked up from the plant I was repotting and smirked. “I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”
“What do you mean?” I grabbed the towel from the table and wiped my hands.
“I saw the blueprints and thought it was a mistake.” She gently touched the petals of a lily and shrugged. “I mean, what does the thug of the league know about gardening?” she softly laughed, and I shook my head.
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the table behind me. “Is that what you think I am? The thug of the league?”
“No,” she answered. “I think you let them name you that and didn’t care enough to change their minds.” Mercy looked over her shoulder at me and smirked. “Am I wrong?”
“Nah,” I answered. “But I think you know that.”
“I do,” she said, nodding. “Which is why I keep coming around.”
“And I gave you some good dick,” I laughed and went back to working on my plants. I usually didn’t like people to be in my greenhouse, but this was another thing I did not care about when it came to Mercy. “So why you here, DeCorte?”
“To be nosy,” she answered with a laugh. “Plus, my cousin said that someone did a search on me.”
“Is that abnormal?” I inquired. “I mean, you are a celebrity, right? People look you up all the time.”
“My professional life, yes,” she said, nodding. “But this was for my personal life, as in someone from SportsCenter had someone investigate my personal life.”
“How did you know it was someone from SportsCenter?” I was trying hard as hell not to show how angry I was. Shai ass coming over here earlier and taunting me wasn’t just some show of hand shit. I would be handling that accordingly.
“My cousin traced the payment.” Mercy leaned against the table in front of her and smirked. “Now I’m going to ask you one time and one time only, can you control your baby mama, or will I have to?”
“What?” I laughed.
Mercy tilted her head and smiled. “You heard me,” she said with a slight laugh. “And I won’t repeat myself.”
“I got it under control,” I answered, and Mercy nodded.
I pushed off the table and rounded the one Mercy was leaning against. She looked over her shoulder at me as I stepped behind her.
I didn’t plan on doing anything, but I wanted to be beside her and touch her.
I reached around her, wrapped my hand around her throat, and bent down so that my mouth was next to her ear.
“You tryin’ to boss up on me again, DeCorte? ”
“No,” she answered and shook her head. “I’m just asking questions, is all.” She turned her head slightly to look at me and smile. “But understand, Givens, I am not going to let your baby mama fuck up my brand. No matter how much I like you or your child, I will always pick me and mine first.”
“Noted,” I said, then kissed her. “Now, what are you doing here, cuz I know you ain’t just show up to ask me a question. You could’ve called me for that.” I let her neck go and stepped back.
“I don’t have your number,” she said as she straightened and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You found out where I live, yet you never got my number?” I laughed, and she nodded. I kissed my teeth and put my hand out. “Give me your phone?”
“That’s not the proper way to ask a lady for her number,” she said playfully, and I shrugged.
“Your ass shouldn’t have broken in my house and taken advantage of me, then.” I took the phone she handed me and swiped through it to be nosy. I expected her to get an attitude, but instead, she walked around the greenhouse and looked around. “Who you be talking to?”
“You have the phone; look through it,” she answered.
“I am,” I laughed with no shame. The first set of text she had was a family group chat, then Legacy, Morning, and Javien’s bitch ass. “Ay, stop talking to that nigga.”
“Who?” she questioned. I held the phone up so she could see who I was talking about, and she shrugged. “He texts me; I hardly ever respond.”
“I don’t give a fuck,” I replied. “That nigga ain’t worth shit, block him.”
“I’ll think about it,” she said, and I grunted. She didn’t have to think about shit because I was already doing it. “Givens’?”
“Yeah, baby.”
“What got you into gardening?” she asked.
“Anger management,” I answered without looking up from the phone.
I’d moved from her boring ass text thread to her pictures.
I don’t know what I expected to see, but her just vibing in some, a few sexy ones, and a couple with her friends and family wasn’t it.
“When I got signed to the Kings, that was one of Pyrite’s rules.
Everybody had to go to anger management monthly.
I guess it was to keep us out of trouble.
I don’t know for real; you’d have to ask him his reason.
” I shrugged, thinking about twenty-two-year-old Givens Robbins and knowing that I needed that shit.
I was a first-time father, dealing with a baby mama who thought her shit didn’t stink and had just come into a lot of money.
I definitely needed anger management and therapy.
“So, they got you into gardening?” she nodded as if it made sense.
“The Kings were the new kids on the block. KC hadn’t had a team since what, eighty-five?
” she asked, and I nodded. “It was a lot of pressure for y’all.
Not only were you fresh out of college, but you were becoming the face of a team.
You were hot-headed; even then, getting you into anger management was a good thing.
Pyrite tried that with me, but I turned it down. ”
“Why?” I laughed. “Because you are a vet and know what you’re doing?”
“Hell no,” she answered and shook her head. “I’ve got court appointed anger management already; he didn’t think adding another session would do any good.”
“Man, what?” I looked up at her, slightly confused. “Why the hell do you have court appointed anger management?”
“Because the judge thought it would be best,” she answered as she continued to look around. “I didn’t agree, but whatever.”
“DeCorte?” I called out with a laugh, and she looked over at me with a smile. “You trying to get me to fall in love with you?”
“The exact opposite,” she answered and shook her head. “But you’re probably going to do it anyway.”
Her phone rang before I could say anything, so I swiped the screen.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Who the fuck is this?” a deep voice questioned. “Put my fuckin’ cousin on the phone.”
“Or what?” I questioned with a laugh as I watched Mercy continue to look around. She didn’t appear to care that I’d answered her phone or that one of her cousins was upset.
“My nigga, do you realize how fast I can find you?” her cousin asked as I walked around to the table I was initially working. I wanted to get the plants I’d bought earlier repotted and out on my back porch before it got dark. “Hello?”
“I’m still here,” I said as I worked. “What can I do for you?”
“My nigga, where is Hell Raiser?”
“Who the fuck is that?” My brow went up in surprise, but I didn’t stop working.
“Mercy, nigga!” he replied with a laugh. “Light skin thug, where is she at?”
“How did you know it was me?” I watched Mercy climb onto the worktable I was at and sit down. She picked up one of the plants and examined it before setting it down.
“Don’t worry about it,” he answered. “Hell raiser?”
“Yes, Krude,” she laughed. “What can I do for you?”
“What time are you planning on sliding through Fire and Lynx’s spot?” he asked.
“I didn’t plan on it.”
“Welp, I already RSVP’d you and the light skin thug,” Krude said, then hung up the phone.
“I guess we are going to Fire and Lynx’s house then,” I said, and Mercy rolled her eyes. “Is that a problem?”
“For me, no,” she said, shaking her head. “But you’re about to be in for a time.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s Fire and Polka Dot,” she answered with a laugh as if that explained everything. “Don’t worry, it’s okay; you’re safe with me.”