18. Mercy
MERCY
I opened my front door to see Givens standing on the other side with an unreadable expression.
I wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him, but it’d been a week since he’d been back in town, and the only time I’d seen him was at the girls’ games.
The first day, I sent texts and called, but he never responded, so I took that as a sign to step back.
“Can I help you?”
“We need to talk,” he said, stepping into my space.
The scent of his cologne filled my lungs, and immediately, my panties got wet, but I wasn’t going to give in because he was back.
We had shit to discuss, and he had some explaining to do.
He may have played the back-and-forth games with women in the past, but I wasn’t one of them.
The disappearing act wasn’t going to fly.
“About?”
“Where are you going?” he pulled at the bottom of my jacket and smirked. I dressed to have dinner with Xoey, Breeze, and Tzena.
“Out,” I answered and crossed my arms over my chest.
“With?” the smirk on his face dropped, and his scowl returned.
He licked his lips and let his eyes slowly take me in.
My outfit choice for the night was a short black leather skirt, a fitted black shirt, a red tailored jacket, and a pair of black stilettos.
The best I could do with my make-up was a soft beat and curl my hair. I looked good as hell.
“What do you want, Givens?” I sighed and shook my head. “Better yet, why are you here?”
“To talk,” he answered with a nod.
Over his shoulder, I watched Xoey’s car make its way up my driveway. We’d agreed on a driver because we didn’t know how long we would be out, and they’d planned to drink. The car stopped next to where Givens had parked, and the driver got out.
Xoey rolled down the back window and stuck her head out. “Let’s go, Superstar!” Her eyes went from me to Givens, and her brow lifted in surprise. “Or do you need a minute?”
“Nope,” I denied and shook my head. I stepped back into the house, grabbed my keys, purse, and phone from the table near the door, and then stepped back out, closing the door behind me.
Givens was still on the porch, hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face.
“Have a good night, Givens.” I lifted on my tiptoes, kissed his cheek, and then stepped past him to make my way to the waiting car.
“That was cute,” Xoey said after the car door was closed behind me. She stretched her short legs out in front of her and smiled at me. Xoey and Breeze shared a look before giving me their full attention. “I thought you said you hadn’t heard from him in a week.”
“I haven’t heard from him since he got back in town, nothing has changed on that,” I said, and her face twisted in confusion.
“And he just showed up today?” she asked, and I nodded. “Saying what?”
“We needed to talk,” I replied.
“Talk like words or talk like fucking?” Xoey asked, and I shrugged. “Which one did you want to do?”
“I vote fucking,” Breeze said with a laugh, and I playfully rolled my eyes. If anyone would vote for a quick fuck and go, it would be Breeze Carlson. She was not one who thought twice about dropping a man if he didn’t fit into her agenda. “Get that nut and send him home.”
“Please don’t listen to her,” Tzena Jennis was the voice of reason for Breeze on most days. She and Breeze had been friends for years; their bond was solid, and they never minced their words because of it. “She’s still in her feelings about something else.”
“Oh?” Xoey perked up at the thought of getting some new information. “Is it about Tyme and that woman he’s dating?”
“Leave it alone, Xoey,” Breeze sighed. “Tonight is about Mercy and Givens.”
“But,” she playfully whined, throwing her hands in the air. “I just want to know what’s going on with them and their denial of their love.”
“I am not in love with Tyme,” Breeze said, rolling her eyes. “He has a girlfriend.”
“Girl, please, that’s like saying my cousin Mirror isn’t in love with Zimri,” Xoey said, waving her off. “I don’t like seeing people in denial about love. It’s a waste of time. Plus, I like seeing black love stories unfold in front of me.”
“I swear you’re worse than Krude,” I said, shaking my head.
“Don’t try and compliment me,” Xoey laughed. “Now, back to you and Givens. You gonna hump on him tonight after we leave here or not?”
“No,” I denied, shaking my head. “Tonight is about us hanging out.”
During the rest of the car ride, we caught up with each other and enjoyed the ride to the other side of town.
Xoey occasionally glanced at me and smiled while she was on her phone, so I knew she was up to something.
When we pulled up to the building, all our eyes went to Xoey, who was in her own little world, and her attention was on her phone.
“Xoey, you said a small building,” I sighed as we exited the car.
“No,” she denied as she shook her head. “I said, a small get-together. The size of the building was never discussed.” She checked her reflection in the car window before turning to us and smiling. “Plus, I’m here to work.”
“Oh hell,” Breeze sighed as we followed behind Xoey.
Xoey gave the security guard at the door a small wave as they opened the doors so we could go inside.
We didn’t have to wait in the long line wrapped around the building; I was grateful for that.
The club was packed, but there was enough space that we didn’t feel like we were jammed against each other.
“What personality is coming out to play?” I stepped next to Xoey and asked as we took the stairs up to the VIP suite. “And why?”
“Just Xoey,” she said with a shrug. “Your cousin said my name came up in an investigation, so I need to show my face.”
“So this is just a place and time type of thing?” I asked. “Xoey, you know how I am about my privacy.”
Xoey stopped walking and turned to face me with a serious expression. “This is just me watching something move. I have no intention of dragging your name into anything. As much as I laugh and play, trust that I would never jeopardize what you’ve built.”
“Thank you,” I said. There was no reason to pretend that I wasn’t thinking that Xoey was slipping, dragging me into something I didn’t need to be involved in.
“Now, let’s have some fun.” She took my hand in hers and pulled me to the VIP suite.
We pushed the door open, and immediately, I was ready to have a good time.
The room was decorated in teal and gold.
A plush couch with fluffy pillows and a glass table sat in the middle of the room, an overview of the club as the main attraction with a bar in the corner.
“I thought we were having dinner,” Breeze said as we sat. “Because I am hungry.”
“They have a full menu here,” Xoey said as she picked up the menu from the table and handed it to us. “I mean, y’all act like I don’t know how to take y'all on a date or something.” She playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m not a cheap nigga; I know how to treat the hoes.”
“Well excuse us,” Tzena said with a laugh as she looked down at the menu. “And since you are treating and you got it like that, I’m ordering top-shelf liquor and the most expensive thing on the menu.”
“And just know you are dropping them panties later,” Xoey said, and we all laughed.
“If I were wearing them, they would be staying on,” Tzena replied.
“Then find the dollar menu, and your bill better not exceed three seventy-five.”
Tzena and Xoey continued to go back and forth, and all I could was laugh.
I needed this night out with my girls to be able to relax.
My mind was still stuck on how Givens tried to ghost me, only to pop back up tonight wanting to talk.
As soon as I got home, I would call Legacy to discuss it in depth.
“And just like that, we got some celebs in the house!” A voice said, and I turned to look at the speaker on the table.
The volume in the suite was low, so we could talk to each other without having to yell, but we could still hear the music and the announcements.
“The Queen of WNBA and KC basketball is here! Mercy, come show the town some love!”
Xoey and I shared a look before I stood, adjusting my skirt and then walking to the window. I pressed the button to the left that would remove the privacy frost from the glass and waved.
“There she goes! Mercy DeCorte!” The DJ yelled as a spotlight was directed towards me. “You look good as fuck, girl! You coming down to show out?” I nodded, and he smiled. “That’s what's up! Tell me your favorite song when you come down here, baby! I’ll play it for you as many times as you want!”
I stepped away from the window, and the crowd went wild and turned to face my girls.
“We going to shake our asses?” Xoey asked as she stood from the table. “And before you say no, just know that man was flirting with you. Talkin’ about, he’ll play your favorite song as many times as you want.”
“I am not worried about him or what he is talking about,” I said, waving her off.
I hadn’t even gotten a good look at the DJ, and the thought of flirting with him hadn’t even crossed my mind.
I just wanted to have a good time and dance.
I removed my jacket and hung it over the back of the chair before leaving the suite.
I made my way down, not caring if my girls followed because I knew they would keep an eye on me, even from the suite.
A few men tried to get my attention, but I focused on getting to the DJ booth.
“So, you said you’d play my favorite song, right?
” I asked the DJ when I was close enough.
He was tall and cute, with his square jaw, full lips, thick short beard, dark eyes, and low cut fade with deep waves.
He wore a Nike tracksuit with a pair of Jordans, and he smelled like heaven.
If I were looking for someone, I knew he would’ve had a chance at being it.
“Damn, you fine as fuck,” he said as his gaze swept over me from head to toe. “I mean, I knew you were, but seeing you in person, up close, just made my fucking night.” He licked his lips and smirked.
“Thank you,” I said, not knowing what else to say. I smiled as I looked over his laptop, hoping to see the name of a song or artist I knew. “Now, what are you about to play?”
“Shit, what you want to hear?” he asked as he threw his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. “I got whatever you want to hear; you wanna go old school or new school?” He put his mouth to my ear and chuckled lowly. “I told you I got you. Name it, and it's yours.”
“Give me a mix of old and new school,” I said, stepping back. His arm fell from my shoulder, and he nodded. “Show me your skills.”
He looked me up and down before he nodded and smiled. “I got you. Now, put on a show.” He stepped into my space, kissed my forehead, and then stepped back, putting on his headphones. “Alright, KC, let's see how the Queen moves!”
I stepped out of the DJ booth and headed to the dance floor.
I didn’t even get a chance to start dancing before a man stepped up to me and pulled me to him.
We started dancing to I LUV HER by GloRilla and T-Pain.
One song turned into two and two turned into, I don’t know how many, but I was having the time of my life, and my dance partner wasn’t too bad, either.
The music slowed down, and I took a step back, not wanting to assume that my partner wanted to slow dance, but to my surprise, the DJ came down from the booth and pulled me to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I wrapped mine around his neck.
“You ain’t slowed down yet, huh?” he whispered in my ear, and I shook my head. “Would it be too forward to ask you for your number?”
Before I could answer, someone tapped me on my shoulder, and I turned around to see an annoyed Legacy standing there with Breeze, Xoey, and Tzena.
“I really wish you would find a square nigga that likes to play bingo,” Legacy said as she looked around. “It would be better for your health and mine.”
“What?” I laughed. “And what are you doing here?”
“Normal niggas, Mercy,” she said as she grabbed my arm and started pulling me away. She looked at the DJ and shook her head. “Hey baby, if you like your life, you’d walk the fuck away and hope that nigga doesn’t find you later.”
“Ay, mama, I ain’t even down for all that.” He threw his hands in the air and stepped back.
“I swear on everything I know, I’m not dealing with this shit again,” Legacy said as she shook her head and continued walking.
“Friend, I love you for life but what are you doing here?” I asked as we headed towards the entrance.
“Saving your damn life!” she yelled. We reached the front entrance only for Legacy to stop and sigh deeply. “Boring! Nine to five kind of job niggas, Mercy! That’s what we need! Not this shit!”
“What shit, Legacy?” I asked as I laughed. Something or someone had Legacy spooked and pissed at the same time.
“Get in the damn car!” She pointed to the black Bentley waiting at the curb.
To my surprise, Givens sat on the hood with a gun in one hand and a phone in the other.
He flashed the phone at Legacy, and I saw a timer counting down.
“I don’t want to hear shit, Mercy! Not one fucking word!
” She adjusted her ball shorts and shook her head before pushing me towards Givens.
“Whatever the fuck y’all need to discuss needs to happen tonight! ”