Chapter 12
“Hey, boo. I was just about to call you.” Nyelle sang cheerfully as she held her phone to her ear with her shoulder. “Hang on, Joi.”
She wiped her hands on her shirt then placed the call on speaker and the phone on the counter right after.
“Okay, I’m back.”
“You’re such a liar.” Joi’s tone was playful.
“I was about to call you. I haven’t talked to you all week. You get you a little boyfriend and don’t know how to act.”
“Don’t do me, Ny. I could say the same for you. How’s Vega?”
Nyelle’s cheeks hiked at the mention of his name. They warmed right after and her stomach tightened at the memory of his head between her legs a few nights ago.
“I don’t know, boo, you might need to ask him.”
“Ohhh so that’s the game we’re playing. Okay cool, cool.”
Nyelle giggled like a child before carefully lifting the stainless steel pan holding the Ziti she had just boiled for dinner for her and Nick. After she dumped it into the strainer in the sink, she placed the pan on the counter.
“I’m just fucking with you. He’s good. I haven’t seen him since Nick’s been home but let me tell you about your boy.”
“Oh God, what did Reese do now?”
“See, just the fact that you knew exactly who I was talking about says it all.” Nyelle sucked her teeth and looked across the living room where Nick was stretched out on his stomach and focused on his iPad.
His lip was pulled between his teeth because he was concentrating and it made him look every bit like the spawn of Satan.
Reese. Nick was all Reese through and through, but Nyelle wouldn’t punish him for that. She loved her baby.
“Okay, so what did he do?”
“He walked his happy ass up in here after two months talking about let's fix this.”
“Girl bye and you said fuck you, right?”
“Pretty much. He was all up in here looking like sex and talking smooth, smelling good for his new hoe and trying to get me back in his good graces.”
“Ny, did you have sex with him?”
“Hell no. I literally cussed him out, then he took Nick out for a few hours. I haven’t heard from him since.”
“Good. Don’t fold, Ny. He doesn’t deserve you after that fuck boy shit. A whole baby. Don’t forget.” Joi loved her girl and wanted her happy. She just wanted her happy with the right person, and that wasn’t Reese.
“I’m not, hoe. But what’s good with you? Did you do it?”
“Yeah, I did, and he acted like he didn’t know why I was tripping.”
“He took the money though, didn’t he?”
“Hell yeah he did, oh and before I forget, Ria came to see me too. I’m hanging with her tonight.”
“You cheating on me, Joi?” Nyelle pouted, feeling a little territorial over her friend.
She was well aware that Ria knew Joi first, but the past year while she was off doing her sugar daddy thing, Joi and Nyelle had gotten closer than ever, and she wasn’t prepared to let anyone into their little bubble. It was selfish of Nyelle, and she knew it, but didn’t care.
“Lord, what is with the two of you? I know I’m a bomb ass friend but y’all are not gonna be fighting over me. You have to share.”
That immediately put Nyelle on the defensive. “Did she say something about me?”
“No man, chill. She was just saying that she felt like you took her place but that you were cool and she had no beef with you. She just wanted all of us to be able to hang out and I told her we could.”
“We can, as long as she’s not on any shit. And what about her old man? I thought he didn’t want her slumming it.”
“They’re not together anymore.”
“Ohh, so that’s what it’s about.” Nyelle rolled her eyes.
“Stop, Ria admitted that she was wrong. She apologized and she’s back. I’ll give her a chance to be a real friend, and if not, then it’s whatever. I just need you to play nice.”
“I’m always nice, boo.”
“Mommy, is it ready yet? I’m starving.” Nick’s little voice and balled up face had Nyelle smiling. She loved her son more than anything in the world and nothing could challenge her love for him.
“Small Fry, you’re not going to starve. I bet you had ten snacks already,” Joi teased at the sound of Nick's voice.
“Nun uhh, Auntie Joi. Mommy only let me have one.”
“She’s so mean. But don’t tell her I said that.”
Nick grinned and looked up at his mother. “She can hear you, Auntie Joi.”
“Oh, dang, that’s right.”
“Go wash your hands. I should be done in a minute, then we can eat.”
Nick was already moving before she finished, so Nyelle focused on her girl.
“Let me feed this child. Have fun and no new friends, Joi. I’m not playing.” Nyelle slightly pouted but Joi only laughed.
“No new friends, boo, but she’s not new. I’ma come see you tomorrow. We need to talk.”
“Talk or talk talk?”
“Both.” Joi groaned thinking about her night with East. She hadn’t talked to Nyelle because she was all over the place with how she felt.
She kept trying to write it off like it was just sex, but she knew better.
Joi didn’t want to be another Nae or Malaysia.
She wanted to be with East. Joi needed her girl to help her figure out what she needed to do, but she had to be ready to talk about it first, and she wasn’t.
“Ohh, that sounds juicy. Tell me now.”
“No, I have to get ready, and you have to feed my baby.”
“Don’t you tell Ria before you tell me or I’m disowning your ass, Joi. I mean it. No new friends,” she threatened, causing Joi to laugh.
“I’m not, dang. Stop sweating me, hoe. We’re not fucking.”
“Close enough. Bye.”
Nyelle hung up the phone and Joi laughed.
She would have called back to reassure her friend there was room in her life for both Nyelle and Ria, but she would have the conversation face to face instead.
Right now Joi had to shower and dress to be ready when Ria arrived to pick her up since she refused to drive.
Two hours later Joi was on the South Side, a place she didn’t frequent much, parked in Ria’s car in front of an old, rundown, brick building that looked as if it should be condemned and not occupied. Okay, maybe that’s a bit extra, but still. “Where the hell do you have me, Ria?”
“It’s where Dix asked me to meet him. I’ve never been here.”
“Uh boo, we might need to rethink this. You’re about to leave this nice ass car out here for someone to steal while we go in there and get murdered by a man named Dick.”
The look on Joi’s face caused Ria to burst out laughing. “Shut your dumb ass up. His name is Dix, not Dicks.”
“That’s not any better. Why do they call him Dicks, Ria? He on the DL? You might need to have a little chat with your man, boo.”
“You’re so damn extra. Dix with an X. His name is Dixon, now come on. If I’m going to get murdered, you are too.”
Joi whipped her head around to her girl quickly and Ria sucked her teeth. “I’m just playing. He’s cool and wouldn’t have me anywhere I didn’t need to be. Come on. I just texted him and he said come on inside. He’ll be waiting.”
“Yeah with a machete, duck tape, and a cleanup crew,” Joi mumbled but still got out of the car nonetheless.
As soon as they stepped inside, Joi relaxed a little.
The place was actually nice on the inside, in contrast to the rundown exterior.
She also noticed a handful of people—some playing pool, a few at the bar, and some cozy in the booths, but one person in particular stood out.
Joi grinned the second she laid eyes on him.
He was at the pool table about to make a shot, so he hadn’t noticed her.
However, Joi’s expression quickly changed when she noticed a woman walk up to him and thrust her body into his.
She waited to see what he would do and when Vega pushed her away and delivered a few words with a scowl on his face, ol’ girl sucked her teeth and walked away.
“Joi, this is Dix. Dix, this is my girl Joi.” She pulled her attention away from Vega to greet whoever Dix was and instantly saw the reason Ria had the two of them in the middle of the hood risking a murder. Damn, I see you Ria.
Dix was nice looking. His Dove chocolate skin was littered with tattoos everywhere but his face.
He had small, thin eyes, full lips, and thick bushy brows.
His face was clean, no beard or facial hair, which exposed his square jaw and smooth skin.
Nice. He was definitely a cutie and the man had a nice body too, toned, cut arms, lean frame, and solid chest. He was dressed down in retro threes, black sweats, and a red Jordan T-shirt.
“Pleasure to meet you, Dix.” Joi extended a hand, and he chuckled through a smile, exposing a dimple in his right cheek.
“We don’t talk like that around here, baby girl. That shit is too formal. I might have to check you for wires.” Vega spoke before Dix did. Joi hadn’t noticed him approaching.
“You know her?” Dix asked.
“Something like that. We’re associated by an associate.”
Joi narrowed her eyes at him. “An associate? So that’s all my girl is to you?”
“Oh shit, Vega. You set that up all wrong. I’ma let y’all handle that. Come on, Ri. Let them work this out while I teach you how to play pool.”
Ria followed right behind Dix while Vega smirked at Joi.
“Well, what the hell you grinning for? Explain or maybe you can’t while your other hoes are present.”
Vega’s smile stretched wider as Joi looked around. That’s when she noticed another familiar face staring right back at her with a deep scowl. She rolled her eyes at Nae and focused on Vega.
“I don’t have hoes. I have one woman I’m focused on and I’m sure you know who that is. We, as in you and I, are associated by her. That’s all I meant, baby girl. It’s not like you and I are cool, but we will be when I lock down your girl because apparently y’all are tight.”
“Very tight, so fuck with her and you deal with me.” Joi narrowed her eyes at Vega and he shook his head, taking a step closer, leaning toward her ear to speak privately.