Chapter 22
“Mom! Daddy!”
I was filled with excitement as my parents stepped out of the airport. It had been a long couple of months since I’d seen them, and a visit was long overdue. When my mother told me they were coming, I took a three-day weekend to spend some time with them.
They told me to keep it a secret from Nayelli because they wanted to surprise her. She was at school, but they were coming with me to pick her up later.
“Baby girl!” my dad said, scooping me up in a big hug.
I loved Evan Malone something serious. He’d never treated me like anything less than his biological child, even though I didn’t have an ounce of his blood. He came into our lives and taught me what a real father was, . . . what a real man was.
“I missed you, sugar plum.”
“I missed you too, Daddy. Mommy!”
I fell into her arms, tears streaming down my cheeks. Sarah Malone was my heart and soul. She meant the absolute world to me, and being away from her took a toll sometimes. It was the reason I spoke to her damn near every day.
“I missed you so much, Mama.” I sobbed.
“I missed you too, baby. It’s been too long. Let me get a look at you.”
She held me away from her so she could examine me.
“Still as beautiful as ever. I can’t wait to see my grandbaby! Wait, where’s my girl?”
“Dinah had a meeting, but she’s anxiously awaiting your arrival.”
“I missed her crazy self.”
“Trust me, she’s still the same,” I assured them, grabbing her suitcase. “Come on. Let’s get outta here before I get a ticket.”
We made our way to the car and hopped in. As I maneuvered airport traffic and through the city, they told me about their flight and caught me up on all things back home. As soon as Nayelli got a break from school, we had to make a visit.
Thirty minutes later, we were pulling up in front of my house. We’d barely gotten out of the car before the front door swung open, and Dinah came running out screaming.
“Mommy! Daddy!”
She ran full force into their arms, hugging them tightly as they kissed her cheeks.
“I’ve missed you guys!” Dinah exclaimed. “How was your flight?”
“It was good,” Mom said. “Pretty quick. You look good, girl.”
Dinah did a twirl. “You know I try. But let’s talk about you! Mommy, I feel like you got a lil’ thick on me, girl. That booty wasn’t poking out like that before we left.”
My mama swatted at her. “Girl, stop! Honestly, me and Evan have been getting out a little more. We’ve been dancing, trying new things, . . . new food.” She cupped both of our chins. “We had to do something to distract us from missing our girls.”
I smiled. “Well, we’ve got you the whole weekend. We’re gonna have some fun.”
“We will,” she agreed. “Now, I do want y’all to take some time for yourselves this weekend. Let us handle our grandbaby. You two deserve some fun. I’m sure you haven’t had a night out in a long time.”
“You ain’t said nothing but a word, Mommy,” Dinah said. “It’s a couple of places I wanna check out downtown. Oooo, Neha! We should hit up Silk. They have a grown and sexy night tonight. It’s been a while since you had those thighs out, boo.”
“Not too much thigh,” my dad said.
I giggled. “I guess I’d be down for a night out. Grown and sexy sounds relaxing.”
“So it’s settled.” Dinah clasped her hands together. “Now! Y’all come inside. I made lunch, and I’m sure you two are hungry.”
“Starving,” Daddy said. “That airplane didn’t even have the good snacks.”
We shared a laugh as we headed inside.
It felt just like old times as we ate and laughed. Before I knew it, it was time to pick Nayelli up. My parents and I loaded into the car and headed for the school.
“So, . . .” Mom sang, “I was trying hard not to be nosy, but I have to know. How are things with you and Kerrion?”
I’d told her about our conversation, excluding the fact that he and his family were a bunch of hood vigilantes. I’d been keeping them up-to-date on his growing relationship with Nayelli as well. The only thing I hadn’t told them was the fact that we had reconciled . . . Well, sort of.
“Things are great right now.”
“I know that’s a weight lifted from your shoulders.”
“It is.”
I smiled to myself, thinking about that man.
A few days had passed since he had me climbing that damn shower wall, and I could still feel him inside me.
He hadn’t spent the night since, but he’d come to my job yesterday on my lunch break to bring me food.
We’d parked in a secluded area, and it was a fuck the food, eat me type of lunch.
That man folded me up in that back seat and drilled me until I was crying tears of joy.
We pulled up in the pickup line ten minutes later. I could see Nayelli and Jaiden standing around talking. When she saw my car, she waved goodbye to him and made her way over. My dad waited until she was about to reach for the front door before he opened it.
“Hey, peanut.”
Nayelli screamed. “Grandpa!”
She jumped into his arms and immediately began to cry. Dad had to get out with her, so I could park, and let her have her moment. He carried her across the parking lot to meet us. When she saw my mother, she scrambled out of his arms and ran to hug her.
“Granny!” She wailed. “I missed you so much!”
“Awww! We missed you too, baby. You’re growing so fast!”
“Mommy. Why didn’t you tell me that they were coming?”
“They wanted to surprise you,” I said, stroking her hair. “They’re here for the whole weekend.”
That started another round of tears. Nayelli loved her grandparents. They were her best friends next to Dinah. Those two spoiled her rotten, and there wasn’t shit I could do about it.
My mother wiped Nayelli’s tears away.
“Let’s get you home. We have a surprise for you.”
I playfully rolled my eyes.
Bring on the spoiling.
Club Silk
It was nice to finally let my hair down.
Nayelli was content with her grandparents. They’d just settled in to watch a movie when Dinah and I came downstairs. After a playful lecture from my dad, we left the house and headed downtown. I’d spent months alternating between professional clothing and sweats, so tonight, I was feeling sexy.
I’d decided on an outfit of a black bodysuit, paired with a sequin miniskirt, black tights, and black booties.
Silver jewelry accented my look. Since I hadn’t been out in a while, I decided to pull out my good wig.
It was a thirty-inch blonde bust down that I’d laid and curled to perfection.
My face held a light, natural beat of makeup, and I felt good as hell.
“You look the fuck good, sissy,” Dinah said as we walked up to the entrance.
“Thank you, boo. You look flawless as always.”
She flipped her hair. “I know.”
The bouncer checked our IDs and ensured we didn’t have any weapons.
“You can search me, sir,” Dinah said flirtatiously as she raised her hands and did a little shimmy. “My weapons are all natural.”
He grinned and shook his head as he waved the wand over her. “Have a good night, ladies.”
“You are a mess,” I told her.
“He was fine, girl. If I don’t meet a man tonight, I might slide him my number. It’s been too damn long.”
“How long, because you been out for drinks every night this week with this mystery person?”
“You’re in my business.”
“You are my business. Isn’t that what you tell me?”
“Do as I say, not as I do. Come on!”
We ventured further into the club. The place was already packed.
Music was going. People were vibing on the dance floor.
It looked like a good time. Dinah and I immediately made our way to the floor to dance.
The DJ was spinning “La Pearla” by Eric Bellinger, and that was my shit.
I ran that song into the fucking ground.
I was in my zone, rolling and twisting my hips, and Dinah danced on me.
When the song ended it immediately switched to “Typa” by GloRilla.
That was Dinah’s song. She started rapping along with half the women on the dance floor, including me.
This took me back to our club days. We used to be the life of the party in the middle of the dance floor, getting the crowd hype with our shenanigans.
Every time the song switched, we were lit.
After dancing to about four songs, we headed to the bar for a drink. As we stood, waiting for our order, I felt a familiar presence behind me. It was the same feeling I used to get anytime that man came near me. Turning around, I peered up at Kerrion, who was looking down at me with a smile.
Damn, he was fine.
Tonight, he was dressed in a short-sleeved black button-up, with the top three buttons undone, showing off a colorful tattoo.
A gold chain with a “D” pendant rested on his chest. The way the shirt hugged his body and showed off his muscles made my mouth water.
The black-gray slacks he wore were perfectly tailored.
His hair and beard were neatly cut and trimmed, and he smelled so damn good.
“Well, well, well,” he said, stepping closer to me. His eyes passed over me, and he licked his lips. “Don’t you look good.”
I smirked. “I know.”
He grinned as he leaned in to kiss me. “Hey, Dinah.”
“Hey, Kerrion. You creeping up on us must mean you wanna buy our drinks.”
He chuckled. “I got you. My man,” he said to the bartender, “you can put them on my tab tonight.”
Dinah’s eyes widened. “Ooop! You done fucked up because I’m about to be lit as hell. Aye, let me get two tequila shots to go with those drinks.”
Kerrion shook his head. “How you doing, love?”
“I’m good.”
“I’m surprised to see you here. Where’s my baby?”
“My parents came into town and gave us a break.”
“That’s what’s up. Y’all wanna join us? Me and my people have a section.”
He nodded to a VIP section up top.
“You think they would mind?”
“They might talk a lil’ shit, but they will be cool.”
“She’s got back up,” Dinah said, handing me my drink.
Kerrion chuckled. “I like you.”
Dinah smiled. “I’m very likeable, but don’t get it twisted. I can always be a bitch. I match energy, baby. You decide how we are gonna conduct ourselves.”
He shook his head, then looked to me. “You coming? I promise I got you.”
I looked at Dinah. “Whatever you wanna do, girl.”
I sighed and took my shot. If I was going to be around his people, not knowing what to expect, I needed it.
“Let’s go.”
He grabbed my hand, and we followed him through the crowd up to VIP. I could see his people laughing, talking, smoking, and having a good time.
“You can smoke in here?” Dinah asked.
“My brother owns the place,” Kerrion said. “We can do whatever we want.”
“Okay, big baller.”
As we got closer to the group, Deuce noticed us and got the attention of the rest of them. All of a sudden, several sets of eyes were on us, dropping from our faces to our linked fingers.
“Don’t start y’all shit,” Kerrion said.
Several responses went up around the room, but he waved them off.
“Neha, Dinah. I don’t think you met these three the other Sunday. This is my cousin Jakobi and his girl Renay, Romi’s sister. And this is my cousin Kaylynn.”
Kaylynn winked at Dinah, who stood there blushing. Quiet as it was kept, Dinah dabbled in the lady pond here and there. Kaylynn was her type, . . . a beautiful tomboy.
“We’ve been introduced,” Kaylynn said, standing.
She walked over and slid an arm around Dinah, before pulling her into a kiss.
Kerrion looked at me with wide eyes. “Is she . . .?”
“She dabbles,” I explained.
“Nah, she’s finna get turned out. You’re going home alone. Mark my words.”
He looked back at my sister and his cousin in an intense lip lock.
“Well damn!” Shar exclaimed. “Excuse the fuck outta us. I see you, cousin!”
Maceo grinned as he picked up his drink. “Forget them two. Look at these niggas.” He pointed at me and Kerrion. “Pay me my money. I told y’all this nigga was gonna be in love again.”
Deuce waved him off. “I ain’t paying you shit, because I called it too.”
Smoke laughed. “We all knew it was coming when he said he talked to her. Sucker ass nigga.”
Romi pinched him before turning to us.
“You two look happy, and that’s all we want,” she said.
“Don’t just stand there,” Shar said, smiling. “Take a shot and have a seat.”
He took a seat and pulled me into the space beside him. His family all looked at me with smirks, like they knew something I didn’t. This was going to be an interesting night.