Chapter 10
If she could’ve stayed in California, Kwinn would have.
She’d been back in town for less than a week, and there was already some bullshit going on.
First, an order of custom fabric from one of her suppliers was delayed, and now she and Jabari’s relationship, or lack thereof, was all over social media.
Granted, Kwinn knew word would spread about their breakup, but she didn’t think it would be this messy, especially since she found out that he’d been cheating on her for who knows how long.
“Tell Melo we need the jet so we can fly to New York and beat Jabari’s lying ass,” Saiko spat through the phone.
She was madder than Kwinn was. A lowdown, no-good, inattentive, light-bright ass nigga could never play in her friend’s face, and she was pissed Jabari had even been given the chance to.
Kwinn smirked. She wasn’t as upset but disappointed more than anything. “If it were for any other reason, he probably would.”
“But this is definitely jet-worthy,” Saiko insisted. “I don’t give a damn what nobody says. He’s been out here creeping while you were defending his weak leg, lollipop head ass.”
Snickering, Kwinn turned down another aisle in Home Goods. Some days were hit or miss with the items she was searching for, and based on how full her car was, it was a hit. At least something was going right today.
“It’s fine, Saiko. For real. I’m just grateful I went with my gut and didn’t move with him. Do you know how even more embarrassing that would be?”
“Yeah, but it’s truly his loss. I just don’t understand why he couldn’t keep it real with you. He really had the nerve to be cheating and be mad about you not wanting to uproot your entire life. Niggas are delusional.”
“Very,” Kwinn agreed.
Jabari had the nerve to act like he was upset about getting traded to New York, when it was clear that’s where his ass wanted to be.
Between social media, her phone blowing up, and clients checking in about projects, Kwinn hadn’t had much time to process anything.
Once the news of their breakup started circulating, people had opinions about everything from when they’d actually called it quits to who was at fault.
Then the cheating rumors started, followed by women suddenly feeling comfortable enough to confirm what Kwinn had already learned the hard way.
Her man had been cheating. For how long, she didn't know. At this point, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. The truth was, Kwinn didn’t care. If this had been weeks ago, when she was trying to make things work, it would’ve been different.
His absence hadn’t made her heart grow fonder; it made her pussy wetter for the next nigga.
“Have any of them tried coming to you as a woman?” Saiko asked.
Kwinn laughed. “No, and I wish one of them bitches would. They gon’ get ignored just how he is.”
“The fact that it’s multiple is sick. I’m sorry, sis, for real. You’re too good of a person to have been blindsided by his mediocre ass.”
Saiko’s words made her chest tighten, and her eyes prick with wetness.
The women who claimed to have dealt with Jabari were messing around with him far before the trade.
They were goofily sharing receipts as if anyone had asked for them.
At this point, another woman could claim she’d been involved with Jabari, and it wouldn’t shock her.
It was the sheer number of them that had started to piss her off.
“Everything happens for a reason. We just weren’t meant to be.”
“True. But where does his snaggily-tooth mama stay? I know she’s been knowing. Her son got all this money, and she can’t get her mouth fixed. Ugh. The whole family is a bunch of goof troops.”
Kwinn burst out laughing. “Saiko!”
“What? I’m mad! You better keep laughing ‘cause if I sit here and think about it for too long, I’m liable to track that address down. You know I can.”
Kwinn shook her head, placing a throw pillow inside her basket.
She wasn’t happy about any of it, but there was something oddly freeing about knowing she hadn’t been crazy all those months.
The distance she’d felt hadn’t been something she’d imagined.
The attitude, the lack of interest, the way he’d started making her feel like she and her business were somehow an inconvenience…
it had all been for a reason. Unfortunately, that reason included a bunch of women who weren’t her.
“I know you can. I guess I’m just disappointed and a lil’ upset with myself,” Kwinn quietly admitted. “I really thought we were better than that.”
“And it’s okay to be disappointed but don’t be upset about something God was protecting you from. You couldn’t see the foul stuff he was on, but He did. That’s Jabari’s loss, not yours.”
Those were just the words Kwinn needed to hear.
She could’ve handled him not being the man she needed anymore, realizing they’d grown apart.
She could’ve even handled him being upset about the trade and acting like an asshole for a while.
But for the nigga to cheat and obsessively at that? Kwinn was utterly disgusted.
“You’re right. I just hate that I wasted so much time,” Kwinn admitted.
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Don’t look at it as wasted time. You learned something from the relationship, gained a few associates, and realized that not even your cheating-ass boyfriend can stop you from having a blast with the next man.”
“The best man, actually.” Kwinn smiled.
“Okay! I heard that.” Saiko laughed. “You went out there and popped that pussy for a real nigga and don’t have a care in the world. I love your life.”
Kwinn smiled and didn’t deny her words as she headed to the checkout line.
She wasn’t ready to place a label on whatever she and Melo had going on.
Though it was established that they were only seeing each other, and he made her feel good in ways she hadn’t realized she'd been missing, Kwinn wasn’t about to jump from one relationship into another.
It didn’t matter that he made her heart beat a little faster, and pussy thump at the thought, sight, and sound of him.
“I do too. Is it crazy to say that I’m falling for him?” Kwinn whispered, unsure if she should be admitting it aloud.
“Now, you’re asking the wrong person. I be in love in two days, so what you and Melo have going on is very fitting if you ask me,” Saiko said, laughing.
Kwinn giggled. “Right. I don’t know why I asked you, but I feel like I am. It’s just something about him.”
“And that should be enough. I know folks be saying there’s greater later, but your later is now. Don’t try to sabotage it because it’s not what you’re used to. Let that rich, rapping-ass man make you happy.”
Kwinn smiled. “I will. What’s going on with you, though? I haven’t heard much about ol’ boy. What’s his name again?”
Saiko groaned. “Joey, girl. That man has too many damn kids for me.”
“How many?”
“Ten.”
Kwinn’s eyes bulged, and her mouth fell open. “No,” she whispered in a hiss. “You’re lying. He doesn’t need any more kids. That’s crazy.”
“No, bitch. He doesn’t need any more pussy. The fuck,” Saiko griped.
Kwinn burst out laughing, startling the lady in front of her, but she couldn’t help it. A man with a few kids was fine, but ten was absolutely ridiculous in her mind, especially if he had multiple different baby mamas.
“I can’t stand you,” Kwinn wheezed, wiping her eyes.
Register Number 2, please, the intercom announced, and Kwinn pushed her basket towards it.
“That’s okay, ‘cause I love you,” Saiko let her know.
“I love you more. I’m ‘bout to check out though, so I’ll text you when I get home.”
Saiko told her okay, and Kwinn slid her phone into her purse and smiled at the cashier.
“Hi, did you find everything okay?” the older Black woman asked.
“Hi. Yes, I did. I love your blouse,” Kwinn gushed, complimenting her blush pink top.
The color looked so good against her warm brown complexion. Seeing the woman’s face light up made Kwinn’s heart smile. She knew firsthand how a compliment from a woman hit way differently. Despite her day, it cost nothing to be kind and make someone else’s day better.
Kwinn made it home after picking up her to-go order from Jack Stacks.
She’d been craving their fire-kissed wings and had no plans of cooking.
Leaving a few bags in the trunk, she slipped her shoes off in her mudroom and entered her kitchen.
As she unloaded her bags and was carefully peeling a sticker off her new tortoise glass bowl, her phone chimed.
She was going to ignore it, but when it dinged again, she went to grab it.
It was a text from Lauryn. Kwinn had been a bit MIA over the last few weeks, so she was sure it was just her sister checking in. To her surprise, when she opened their thread, it was a link to a video with an attached text message.
Okay then, Ms. Taylor. That man is in love, sis!
Confused, Kwinn tapped the link, and it took her to Instagram. The BLAKC, Kansas City’s number one radio station for hip-hop and R&B, page popped up with Melo on the screen. Kwinn smiled as she turned the volume up.
“We have to know about the woman in your recent video, Choose You. Who is she?” Kapri, the duo’s female personality, asked.
Smirking, Melo licked his lips. He wasn’t expecting that question but didn’t shy away from answering it either. It was expected. The video already had over a million views, and mothafuckas were nosy.
“Y’all getting technical ‘round here, huh?” Melo joked.
“Aye, man. You know how it is,” Kent, the male personality, said.
Indeed, he did. Melo had done more interviews than he could count over the years.
He’d come on BLAKC to discuss his album, the new song, and whatever else they could get him to talk about.
Folks liked to know shit that wasn’t their business and stay in the know about their favorite celebrities’ lives for no real reason.
It came with the territory, and Melo had always only given just enough to keep folks entertained without jeopardizing his boundaries.