Chapter 10 #3
“Yes, sir.” The lady started fixing their food, and twenty minutes later we were back in the car, and they were tearing that shit up.
I’m just glad we were back on the road. An hour and half later we were pulling into the parking lot of the Luxe Hotel.
I jumped out before the car could come to a complete stop, and Zelly was right behind me.
Walking up to the check-in desk, I heard, “Welcome to the Luxe; are we checking-in?” The receptionist asked.
“No. Is the manager from VIP registration in, or the uhh... Um manager from housekeeping in?” I asked her.
“No, sir; both are off today. They normally work during the morning on the weekends, but they were both off today.”
“Hmmmm. Well, let me get three rooms,” I told her.
“Yes, sir, I’ll need your ID and method of payment.” She smiled.
“I need king beds.” I handed her what she asked for. She handed me my keys and we walked back outside.
“Fuckkk! I needed to talk to one of them because they could tell me who had access to my room.”
I saw some housekeepers smoking and talking in the parking lot. So, I walked over to where they were.
“Excuse me, ladies. I got a quick question. Do y’all know how I can get in touch with Ms. More?” I questioned.
“Ohhhhh, you came back. Damn, they gonna have to assign me your room this time. You fine as fuck! But who you say?” She asked, and I shook my head.
“Ms. More. Do you know how I can reach her?”
“Forever. Umm, she off today.” When she said that, I had to look at her ’cause what the fuck she talking ’bout?
“Nah, Ms More.” I blurted.
“I know who you said. Her name is Forever More,” she said, and my knees buckled a little.
“You got her address?” I asked.
“Ion know you. I can’t be giving out her address like that. People crazy these days, it’s stalkers out here. And we need our boss lady safe.” She looked over at me. I knew her type and what got her ass talking. I reached into my pocket and handed her five hundred.
“Can I get that address and her phone number? I promise you I’m not here to hurt her.”
“Okkkkkay then, Forever! She lives at 2578 Elmhurst in Harlem.” She placed the money in her bra, and after she gave me her number, I was out.
My mind was racing like a muthafukca. Forever!
Ms. More is Forever. That’s crazy because the entire time she was writing me, she was giving me her fuckin’ name.
I just assumed it was a term of endearment to end the letter.
Twenty minutes later, we were pulling up on her block.
I let out a breath and got out the truck.
Zelly and Rome stayed in the car. I rang the doorbell and some dude snatched the door open.
“Who the fuck is you?” He questioned with a mug on his face. All I knew was this nigga betta keep that shit respectful before I put his head through that fuckin’ window. I didn’t want to overstep if this was her nigga, but I needed answers.
“Is Forever home?” I questioned.
“The fuck you want with her?”
“Is she home?” I asked again.
“No, nigga. Get the fuck off my porch and don’t come back!” he snapped, slamming the door.
I stood there for a minute because I was ready to kick this bitch in and beat his ass.
I walked off the porch and headed back to the car.
I wasn’t leaving, I just wanted to talk to my folks for a minute because I was about to lose it.
If that was her man, I didn’t want to cause any problems for her, but fuck that nigga for real.
“This nigga disrespectful as fuck. If that’s her nigga, it’s about to be a problem. ’Cause I need to talk to her,” I told them.
“I just need you to calm down. We both know when you get to this level, it’s always a bloodbath.
Let me try,” Zelly said, and she got out and walked up the steps to the porch and rang the doorbell.
This girl talking about remain calm cause as soon as she rang that doorbell, both her Glocks were in her hand, and she had them crossed behind her back.
“Zelly ’bout to shoot him. I just know she is.” Rome shook his head.
Minutes later, dude snatched the door open.
“Damn you fine as fuck,” dude said.
“Is Forever here?” Zelly asked him.
“Yeah, but what you and that nigga want? I know you ain’t trying to get my baby mama for that nigga? You a pretty bitch, but I fuck bitches up too!” He gritted, and that was it. Zelly crashed one gun down on the side of his face, and the other was pressed under his chin.
“What the fuck you say, nigga! Say that shit again!” she gritted.
“Ohhh shit! Who are you?” Forever appeared at the door, looking from her punk ass baby daddy to Zelly. I walked back up the steps, and that’s when our eyes met. The nervousness was evident in her face; it looked as if the blood drained from her face.
“Is he a problem?” I asked her, looking down at her baby daddy.
“No, he’s not supposed to even be here. I went to the bathroom, so I didn’t hear the doorbell. Mr. Porter, I’m confused what are you doing here?” she asked as if she didn’t know why I was here. I nodded at the dude, and she sighed.
“Chauncey, get away from my house. I told you that I’m not letting you see her, and we don’t need shit from you.
Now leave before my daughter comes downstairs.
I’m sorry I thought he walked out before I went into the bathroom.
You must’ve came when he was supposed to be leaving,” she said.
It was almost as if she felt the need to explain, yet she was still nervous as hell.
“Get the fuck up, nigga, and leave before your ass is carried off this porch in a body bag. And don’t bring your ass back!” Zelly gritted, and Rome pulled the nigga off the porch.
“Can we put the guns up please? My child is inside.” She looked from me to Zelly.
“Zelly, y’all can go back to the hotel. I’ll call you when I’m ready. I need to speak with Ms. Forever More,” I said, as my eyes bore into her, and she quickly looked away. Her baby daddy got in his car, talking shit, but I wasn’t worried about that dude.
“You sure?” Zelly asked.
“I’m good.” She nodded and her and Rome walked off the porch and left. We stood there for a few minutes just staring at one another.
“How did you find me?” She asked nervously.
“You slipped up and said the affirmation again from the day you left it in my bag. I would say I’m kind of confused as to why you just didn’t talk to me. But after reading your letters, I guess I can understand it somewhat.”
“I’m so sorry. I invaded your privacy. I was wrong to do that. I’m truly not a stalker, but I just felt such a connection to you,” she said, and a single tear fell from her eye. I leaned in and wiped the tear.
“Nah, no apology is necessary. I’m not gonna lie, I thought it was some crazy shit at first. I thought I had a real live stalker on my hands.
But then came to realize I needed to receive those letters just as much as you needed to send them.
Real shit, the highlight of my day every week, for the past three months, has been going to the mailbox and knowing that there’s a letter from you.
I felt drawn to that first letter, and when I really sat down and read it again, I became more intrigued.
I just wish you were comfortable enough to shoot your shot, beautiful. You fine as fuck.”
“Honestly, this was a first for me. I’ve never been in a real relationship before and after Tahanii’s father dogged the shit out of me, I never thought that finding my person was in the cards for me.
I truly don’t know what it was about you, but I felt an immediate connection the moment I saw you.
Then when I would clean your room, I’d see little things that drew me even more into you.
I guess part of me was scared to put myself out there for real, so being anonymous allowed me to show a vulnerability that I’d never been able to do.
Maybe I sound crazy as hell, I don’t know.
.. but that’s what started it. Then day by day, writing you those letters became a part of my routine. It was my therapy.”
“Same here.” I chuckled. “Not gon’ even lie, you had me ready to come looking for you when you skipped my letter last week. Shit had me tight as fuck.”
She smiled. “Seriously?”
“Hell yeah. You had a nigga stalking the damn mail lady. Before your letters started coming, I didn’t know who the hell she was. I’ve never really checked my mail until now, my housekeeper normally gets my mail and bring it in. Now we’re on first name basis.” We both laughed.
“Sooooo, what now?”
“Well, I’d like to get to really sit down and get to know you face to face. That last letter I just got really fucked me up, and I need to hold you for a minute. I want to do things right. Date you out loud, and in the open. Are you cool with that?”
“It’s cool with her, ’cause she needs it.
I ain’t seen Mommy with a boyfriend,” a beautiful little girl said, peeping out from behind her.
I glanced at her before I turned my attention to someone who pulled into her driveway.
It was a pizza delivery guy. He walked up on the porch with a pizza box and bag.
“It’ll be $58.75,” he said.
“Ok, one second. I need to get my purse,” she said, and I stopped her.
“I got it. Here you go. Keep the change.” I handed him a hundred-dollar bill.
“Mommy, he’s a keeper. But we gotta get two pizza’s next time. He looks like he can eat, and if it’s three of us from now on, one ain’t enough,” the little beauty said, and that had me laughing hard as hell.
“Little girl!”
“Fine!” She pouted. “I always gotta stay in a child’s place.” When she said that I was bent over in laughter.
“Forgive her. She’s a little advanced for her age.”
“She’s eight, right?” I asked.
“Yesss, 8 going on 30.”
“I can see that.” I smiled.
“Forgive me, come on in.” I followed her inside and she led us to the kitchen. She had a decent crib. Lil mama was sitting at the island, and I took a seat next to her.
“Do you like ?” She asked me, and I barely ordered anything from there.
“Yes.”
“Do you have an account with them?” She asked, turning to me as she bit down on her pizza.
“I think so.”
“I have one, me and mommy. All you have to do is put your card in it, and it’s that easy.” She smiled, and I fell out again.
“Tahanii More! Stop that.” Forever chastised her.
“I’m sorry. We can talk when she’s not around,” Tahanii whispered.
“Ok,” I whispered back.
“Hanii. Eat your food,” Forever said to her.
“Are you hungry?” she asked me.
“I can eat, but you please sit down and eat with me. We have a lot to talk about when we have a private moment,” I told her.
There was so much I needed to know, and her illness was at the top of my list. Looking at her and her daughter, knowing what I knew about her.
.. That shit hurt my heart and pissed me off because they didn’t deserve what was happening to them. This little girl needed her mother.