Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
McKay
“Heffa, do you want to tell me why it feels like I haven’t seen you or my Peanut all gotdamn week?
” Hollis asked while Johnni snaked her neck around to add emphasis on her words.
I wasn’t surprised that they were tag-teaming me right now.
I knew it would be coming sooner or later.
After Burkeley’s visit, I busied myself outside with shopping for the baby, especially now that I had the lump sum from Harlan’s bitch ass.
I’d been trying to find natural remedies for Mackie to take now that I was officially out of business for the moment.
“Been shopping mostly and experimenting with some new herbs, since you know I can’t make my herbal remedies the way I used to for Mackie, I’ve been brushing up on other herbs that won’t be harmful for me and Peanut right now and finding a solid distributor for CBD oil since I can’t make my own.
Mackie told me not to worry, but you already know when it comes to that man, I don’t listen to anything that doesn’t make sense,” I said while I sipped on my water.
The sound of the timer going off had her heading for the kitchen.
We were currently at Hollis’s condo. It was our monthly presentation night.
Yes, presentation night. It started off with us all putting together slides to make a case for which activity we should do next as a trio when we were back in school.
But over the years, we kept it going with random ass facts and information we learned over the month.
We always made a night of it, matching pajamas and all.
“Oh yeah, I was thinking about your herbal remedies the other day, especially since my butter just ran out. Damn, so the shop is shut down. I was hoping you had a stash put up,” Johnni said while she made her way over to the TV to set up her presentation first. I was sure it was about something to do with weddings since that was always her topic even though she and Quincey were already married.
“No stash because this whole thing caught me off guard. But I might have found something.”
“Ooh, is that your presentation tonight? I can’t believe you’re finally putting that good degree to use beyond making edibles,” Hollis remarked, coming back into the room with two charcuterie boards filled with meats, cheeses, fruit, and a snack board.
“No. I’m still doing my homework on the topic since it’s only been a week. Plus, I have to test my theory out. And ma’am, I beg your pardon, it’s been used since before I walked across the stage, don’t play with me.” We took this way too seriously. If experiments needed to take place, we did them.
“Oh okay, well I can’t wait. Meanwhile, come on, Johnni, damn. I swear your ass is the slowest person but always wants to go first,” Hollis snapped at Johnni who was taking her time. She always had to find her playlist to sync with it.
“Heffa, you already know you can’t rush perfection. And besides, you weren’t in here. If y’all are ready, then so am I,” she squealed as she hit the remote that kicked off her topic of bridesmaid dresses.
I laughed while Hollis groaned. Even with Johnni already married, she loved everything about weddings and planned all these extra ones each month.
“Oh my fucking gosh. Johnni, baby I swear I love your whole world, but next month it better be a new topic and I’m not playing.
I’m over this wedding talk. You’re not even a wedding planner for real.
Heffa, you compete in beauty pageants. Talk about that shit next time,” Hollis said, then proceeded to take a long drink of her wine.
She never mentioned her ex-husband Deacon or their short-lived marriage at all.
By the time I’d met her, it was over and left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Johnni waved her off while she continued. I zoned out, agreeing with Hollis lowkey. It wasn’t that I had hardened to love or the concept of marriage. But knowing I had just gotten out of a relationship with a married man, I wasn’t in the mood to discuss future marriage plans.
I wiped a falling tear which had Hollis jumping up and cutting Johnni off.
“Yeah, not today. Johnni. You gotta read the room. Your baby mama just got ghosted by her ex-boyfriend. Ain’t nobody thinking about locking shit down with a muthafucka.
Next month, come with a fresh topic. Come on, baby mama, you’re next while I go check the food.
” Johnni grunted before she looked at me with a saddened expression.
“Oh shit, my bad, Mickey. I wasn’t even thinking. Fuck those dresses. Ooh, I hope this presentation is all things baby. I felt like I missed a month’s worth of information in a week’s time,” she said, trading places on the couch.
“Alright, now y’all dragging it. But no, we have time to talk about Peanut. I’ve got something else.” I cleared my throat while I got ready to tell them about Burkeley’s findings.
My first slide was a picture of a ghost with a bunch of question marks underneath it.
“Aw, shit. This must mean we’re finally getting some tea on this mystery man. Ooh, did the P.I. find something?” I ignored Hollis who was making her way back into the living room as I continued.
“I give you Harlan muthafucking Triplett, aka the baby daddy. Well, not anymore. As you know, I hired a private investigator this past month, and well, ladies, the man finally got back to me. Not only did he get all new information on Harlan.” I hit the slide displaying the address and phone number, blanking out a few numbers and letters because Hollis would for sure make her way down there.
“Okay, so we got his location. What time are we pulling up?” Johnni asked while Hollis was already in motion heading for the door.
“I already went. And to my surprise, Harlan had a bunch of secrets.” I hit the next slide, displaying the video of the kids getting on the bus that Burkeley had captured.
“What the fuck is this shit, Mickey? And whose gotdamn kids are those?” Hollis now sounded confused and angry.
“For the sake of the presentation and to protect the babies, let’s call them mini one and mini two. Harlan not only had kids I never knew about but the Mrs. to go along with the full family.” I hit the next button with the rest of the video of Harlan and his wife kissing.
“Oh hell fucking no! Johnni, go hit my closet and get my gun. Mickey put on your jacket, mama. We’re going for a ride.” I let out an annoyed sigh.
“Can you sit down and let me finish?”
“Finish? Oh Mickey baby, you’ve said enough. What are you waiting for? Why the hell are you still sitting down, Johnni? We have to go kick his ass.”
“He gave up his rights, Hollis. It came with a lump sum of money and a nice threat. One that, at this point, I’m not trying to risk and see if he’s bluffing.
All this!” I pointed to the screen as I hit the last slide with the picture of him and wife together as I continued.
“…is evidence that I don’t…didn’t know him.
I’m only telling you so we can move on accordingly.
That means drop all baby daddy talk; he no longer exists. ”
While Hollis plopped back down, crossing her arms and mumbling something slick under her breath, Johnni sat there stuck with her mouth hung open for a second before she spoke.
“Wait, doesn’t exist? So what does this mean when you tell your parents? I don’t see your dad taking to this at all. Do you have a plan to tell them?”
I shook my head then Burkeley’s idea popped in my head and I regretted that it did because now it sounded like a good ass option.
Mickey, let’s be for real, your only solid option.
“This is why I don’t let you speak first sometimes, wrong question. What do you mean he threatened you and we’re not doing anything about it?”
“I swear you only hear what you want. Did you not just hear Mickey? She doesn’t want to risk it, and in her current state, I’m not going to force her.
If she wants to revisit this later, then we can.
For right now, let’s focus on producing a new announcement for your parents.
” I smiled at Johnni hopping right into mother hen mode.
I fidgeted with my hands while my eyes bounced around the room and my lips started moving again.
“Now, before y’all jump to conclusions… I already turned down the offer, but I might have found someone who offered to be the baby’s father to meet my parents.” I had no idea why I even said anything, especially since I told Burkeley he was crazy for even presenting the idea.
Yet, here you are, tossing it out as if you would seriously consider doing it. I mean, it could work.
“Wait, what? Who? You’re not talking fast enough for me,” Hollis said, going for a piece of cheese with her eyes wide, now full of excitement.
“And if you turned whoever down, then why the hell are you telling us about it?” Johnni asked, squinting as she pressed her lips together.
I shrugged. “Because honestly…” I groaned, more annoyed with myself for even bringing Burkeley and his insane offer up. “Ugh, it’s too much to explain and to make it make sense.”
“Uh uhn, no fucking ma’am. If you have someone willing to step up and be your baby daddy and meet your parents, I need the who, the how, and the why you turned it down,” Johnni said. Of course, Hollis added her two cents.
“Right, right. I’ma say it again, you’re not talking fast enough for me. So, heffa speak now or get fucked up for withholding information.” I let out a nervous laugh as I prepared to tell them all about Burkeley and his plan.
“Okay, well, y’all know the private investigator I hired?” They nodded.
“It’s him. Burkeley came over the other night.
I forgot to pay him and I got to talking to him, doing way too much, but I felt like it was a safe space since he knew all my shit anyway.
So when I got ready to hand him the money, he spit out that he would meet my parents, but it came with a favor in return. ”