Chapter 6
SIX
Diamond.
It felt like I’d just closed my eyes when I heard the sound of someone banging on my door. I checked the time and saw that it was late as hell, for me anyways considering I was in bed by eight most nights, before tossing my covers from over my body and walking to the door.
I looked through the peephole, but I couldn’t really make out who it was, so I asked, “Who is it”
“Open the door to see, Diamond.”
My eyes stretched as realization of who the voice belonged to quickly set in. Leaving the chain on, I unlocked the door and pulled it open some. “What are you doing here? And how do you know where I live?”
His low eyes slowly made their way to mine, and he smiled. He was clearly high and out of his damn mind.
“I traveled all the fucking way over here, love. You ain’t gon’ let me in?”
“No, I’m not.” I frowned. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know. I had some moves to make in C.F. before I came out here, then I got caught up with some other shit before I got here.”
Closing my eyes briefly, I took a few seconds to get my thoughts together. On one hand I was a little flattered and elated to see him, but I was also a bit creeped out that he was in front of my door without me giving him my address or permission to be there.
When I opened my eyes again, I found his still trained on me.
“Makhai, I have a banging headache and I have to work in the morning. You need to go back to wherever you’re staying…”
“Man, open the door, Diamond,” he cut me off. “It ain’t that damn late and I ain’t ‘bout to be talking to you from outside the door.”
“Makhai…”
“If you don’t open it, I’m gon’ open the shit myself. Then you gon’ have to deal with ya leasing office and all that shit,” he warned.
“I’ll call the police,” I replied and he laughed, pissing me off.
“I look like I give a fuck about the mothafuckin’ police?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I slammed my door closed but slid the chain off before opening it all the way for him. Not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t want to possibly lose my place over his buffoonery.
Without permission, he swaggered his way inside, going to my living room, taking a seat on the couch then sitting his drink on my coffee table. His long legs were spread wide as he opened his bag of chips.
“You gon’ cut the light on?” he asked before he shoved some chips into his mouth.
I scoffed then stomped over to the end table and turned the lamp on then grabbed one of the coasters from the cute holder they were in. Lifting his drink, I slid the coaster under it then slammed it back down. I didn’t want the water to ruin my wooden tables.
“Damn, baby, you got some pent-up aggression. I can help you with that,” he said and smirked.
“Listen, nigga—”
“Naw, wait,” he cut me off. “My mama ain’t name me no mothafuckin’ nigga. She named me Makhai.” He put emphasis on his name. “If you ain’t calling me that, baby, daddy, or some other endearing shit, then don’t address me.”
“You’re in my house, negro.”
“I don’t give a fuck where we at,” he shrugged. “Run me my respect at all times.”
I chuckled humorlessly then began to laugh.
This shit cannot be real.
This man showed up to my house uninvited, making rude comments, and is now demanding respect?
This shit has to be a joke.
“Are you medically diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia?” I finally asked.
“Says the mothafucka laughing when ain’t shit funny.”
“Oh, you’re definitely funny.” I snickered, going over to knock down the foot he’d put on my coffee table. “You’re audacious as hell too. Do not put your feet on my furniture.”
“Aight, my bad,” he flashed that sexy ass smile. “Sit down and talk to me.”
“No, Makhai, I just told you I had to work in the morning.” I folded my arms in front of me. “You need to go.”
His eyes shamelessly cascaded down my body and back up, locking with mine. Suddenly I felt a little exposed. I was wearing a cute, silk pajama set that I’d bought on Cliqued. It had a lace like material right above the cleavage area, and the shorts were short as well as fitted.
“You always go to bed like that?”
“In pajamas? Yes.”
“Naw, fine as hell.” He chuckled. “Even with that bonnet on you look good as shit.”
I blushed against my own will and said, “Makhai…”
“It’s early, baby.”
“Maybe for you, but not me. I have a job that I have to be to by five thirty in the morning.”
“If you wanna quit that’s cool. I’ll take care of you.”
“I’ll pass,” I rolled my eyes and shifted my weight to my other leg.
His cologne had taken over and completely drowned out my wall flowers. I was mad about it because he smelled amazing, but it had things stirring inside of me that shouldn’t have been.
He got ready to say something back to me, but my phone started to ring in my hand. I immediately recognized the number as the hospital. My heart plummeted thinking that it was my sister. I hurried to answer, not caring if Makhai had started to speak or not.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Diamond Scott?”
“It is. Who’s this?”
“My name is Judy.” She answered lowly. It was almost like she was whispering. “I’m a nurse in the NICU here at Sinclair Regional.”
“The NICU?” my brows furrowed. I didn’t have kids, and damn sure not a newborn. Makhai’s eyes were on me hard, so I turned around, walking away a little as if that would prevent him from hearing my conversation. “Why would a nurse from the NICU be calling me? I don’t have a baby.”
“I know, but…” she paused then sighed heavily. “Can you come down here?”
“C-Come down?” I stammered. “For what? What’s going on?”
“Ms. Scott, I promise to explain everything to you when you get here. You just have to come and come quickly. We don’t have much time.”
“O-okay.” I nodded as if she could see me. “I’m on the way.”
I hung up with her then turned to face Makhai. “I have somewhere to go, so…”
“Naw, we going,” he countered, leaning up to grab his drink. “Go get dressed. I’ll wait on you.”
“Makhai…” I squeezed my eyes closed tightly for a second then looked at him again. “I don’t know what is going on, but I need to go so you do too. Please…”
“I know you do. That shit seemed a little serious, but you also look a little confused. What if you get there and it’s a setup or some shit?
” he frowned. “A mothafucka could be tryna traffic you or some shit. I can’t have that happening before I get my time in with you.
I need to be there to make sure there’s no fuck shit going on. ”
Unfortunately, he was right. There could have been some kind of BS going on because I didn’t have a baby and neither did anyone I knew, so a nurse from the NICU shouldn’t have been calling me.
“Somone may spot you.” I argued. “I don’t feel like dealing with all of that.”
“I can be incognito.” He grinned, pulling his hood over his head.
I didn’t even bother saying anything else to him. I just turned on the balls of my feet and went to get dressed. My mind raced the entire time as I wondered what the hell could be going on. I brushed my teeth and flossed once I was done, grabbed my purse, phone and keys then met Makhai at the door.
He got up to throw his trash away before he exited. I was right behind him locking up then following him down the steps. Makhai brought a Jaguar SUV to life using the key fob in his hand before going over to open the passenger door.
“I’ll drive my own car.” I gestured toward my Honda.
He sucked his teeth and pointed to the inside of his car. “Man, get yo’ ass in, Lord.”
I stomped my foot like a spoiled child before doing as I was told, sliding into the passenger’s seat. He grabbed the seatbelt, stretching it across me then buckling it before he shut the door then rounded the front of the car to get in himself.
He started the car and pulled out, messing with the radio for a few minutes finally settling on Breeze’s new album Show Me Love. It shocked me a little because I didn’t take him for the R&B type.
“Put the address in,” he pointed to the radio when we got to the exit of my complex. I was so focused on him that it completely slipped my mind that he probably didn’t know where he was going.
I quickly keyed in the address then sat back. He turned out and began following the navigation.
“You cold?” he quizzed, glancing my way.
I shook my head. “I’m fine, thank you.”
He didn’t say anything, just nodded and focused on the road. His phone was lying in his lap, so I couldn’t help but notice that it kept lighting up. Thankfully, it was connected to the car we were in so I could see who it was popping up on the dash.
“K keeps calling. You don’t want to answer that?”
“Naw,” he chuckled. “I don’t.”
“Why? Is it your woman?”
He briefly gave me his eyes and smiled. I was waiting for him to say something, but he never did. Instead, he answered the phone when K called back.
“Yo?”
“Nigga, what I tell yo’ ass?” the caller barked.
Makhai immediately looked at me and smirked. I was a little embarrassed that I’d jumped to the conclusion that a woman was calling him, and that I cared at all. He was a single man so he could have whoever calling him.
“I ain’t alone, Lord.”
“I don’t give a fuck, Loco. I gave yo’ ass strict instructions.”
“Man, what you wanted me to do? The niggas pushed up on me like a hoe.”
“You gon’ run me my bread for this shit, nigga. I swear to God.” K growled. “You’re a public figure.”
“I’m a man first and a Lord right after that. You know me, K. I ducks no smoke and go for nothin’ strange.”
He mumbled something inaudibly before someone else came to the phone.
“Ay, Lord, I told you to chill.”
“I was chillin.’ Them niggas pushed up on me,” he replied and I wondered what he did to have the first man so upset.
“Yeah, aight, Lord, but ay, you seen ol’ girl yet?”
Again, Makhai looked at me and smiled.
“Yeah, I did.”
“Hope you at least sniffed the pussy this time.”
“Ay, chill, Lord, she can hear you.” Makhai laughed, but I didn’t find anything funny. Him and everyone he was associated with were assholes.