Chapter 10 #2
His head jerked back, looking at her as if she had said something appalling.
“Do what?”
“Give me the twenty-one questions. I never do that to you. When you got with your guy, I asked you about the things that brought a smile to your face. I never asked you to confirm my place in your life. You do that all the time and quite frankly, I don't like it.”
There were times when Irish had gotten involved with other men and she hid it from Jovanis. There was something about another man being in her life that made him insecure. Even after she would assure his position in her life, he still felt vulnerable.
“A’ight my bad.” He exhaled. “I don't mean to do that to you. I just want to make sure that our situation is covered.”
“It is, Jovanis,” she retorted with some attitude. “This isn’t my first rodeo. He knows what’s up and he knows how important you are to me. End of story.”
His features softened. “A’ight so, where you meet him and how he look?”
The beam returned to Irish’s lips. Any thoughts about Noble always incited joy to surface on her face.
“Well, we met around the way. You know how you always see a person out a few times? Well, yeah, that’s how we got acquainted and his looks...” She fanned herself. “He look good. He’s definitely our type.”
His brows hiked. “Word? Dark skinned, tall and rugged?”
“Yes, all of those.”
“Damn.” Jovanis grinned. “I ain't mad at that but what’s up with y’all though? Is it new or can you see yourself fucking with this man for real?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess only time will tell.”
Irish couldn’t convey how her mind was filled with thoughts and images of Noble.
Or how being in his presence boosted her mood tremendously.
And how his conversation was so intriguing that she could stay up and talk to him for hours.
Downplaying her feelings for Noble was necessary at this time because Jovanis would feel some type of way.
He licked his lips, then grabbed one of the strawberries. “You know what this means, right?”
“What?” She blushed.
“You gave him some pussy.”
Irish chortled loudly, making Jovanis chuckle.
“Look, when a nigga get to sending shit, that means he done got a sample of that pussy. I ain’t green, Irish.”
“I never said you were.”
“So, what’s up? How was it?”
“Ugh” She dramatically rolled her eyes. “So, fucking good. Like dreamy. Everything about him is just perfect.”
Jovanis smirked. “I’m happy for you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, you know I want you to be happy with someone.”
“I appreciate that. How’s it been with you and your guy?”
He sighed, leaning over the island. “He’s getting impatient. You know, he wants to live this life out loud, and I get it…” He paused. “But he don’t understand my stance. Even when I told him in the beginning that I couldn’t be out like that, he still doesn’t care.”
“Aww, he just wants all of you, Van.”
“I understand it, but I can’t live like that.” His frustration was obvious by his rumpled forehead. “Shit ain’t that simple for me.”
“Can I ask you something?”
He bobbed his head.
“Can you truly say that you know who you are? Meaning, are you living the life you truly want or are you living to fulfill someone else’s expectations?
” Irish leaned forward, drawing closer to him.
“Think about it. You were thrown into this life to prove a point. What if this isn’t you?
What if you were meant to live your life out loud without judgment from others? ”
A dumbfounded expression covered his visage. “Without judgement from others? Be for real, Irish. You know I would be judged like a mothafucka.”
“Not if you’re being true to yourself.”
Jovanis flicked his hand dismissively. “Get your head out the clouds. You know our life, and you know what I went through. Shit ain’t gon’ be as simple as you making it seem.”
For a brief moment, Irish’s reverie traveled back to their upbringing.
It was the chapters in their book that she wished she could rip out and throw into the ocean.
Life had been hard for her and Jovanis, which was why they bonded so well.
They shared a love, but also a struggle, and trauma that was woven deeply in their past.
“Maybe you’re right. I just want you to be happy.”
A semblance of a smile settled on his lips. “I’m always happy as long as I got you.” He kissed her cheek, prompting a smile to surface on her face. “I’m ‘bout to get in the shower.”
Irish nodded as he walked down the hallway. She waited a few minutes before she stepped out on the back deck and dialed Noble’s number.
“You know I don’t do this phone call shit,” he answered.
“This won’t take long. I have to say you are a very messy man, Noble.” She grinned, glancing over her shoulder to ensure Jovanis wasn’t near.
“Messy? Nah, a man like me ain’t never been that.”
She could tell he was smiling through his words.
“Oh, so sending me a beautiful arrangement of chocolate-covered strawberries to my house knowing Jovanis is here isn’t messy?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then, what do you call it?”
“I call it a man who wants to show someone how special she is. You know, make sure she knows she’s on a nigga’s mind. That type of shit.”
Irish clutched the collar of her silk robe, swooning from his words.
“How the hell did you get my address?”
“That’s light work, Irish. I can find out anything about you.”
“I doubt it.”
“You wanna try me?”
She pondered for a moment then replied, “Never mind.”
He snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. What you got going on today?”
“I’m getting my hair done then will probably stop at my storage to pick up inventory. I’m sure I need to ship some orders.
“Oh, yeah? How you getting your hair?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can I make a request?”
Irish’s mouth was stretched so wide that her cheeks ached.
“Sure?”
“Get a ponytail so I can see that beautiful face.”
“A high ponytail or a low ponytail?”
“Low.”
Blushing, she confirmed, “I’ll see what I can do. So, if you’re requesting hairstyles, that means I’ll be seeing you tonight?”
“Definitely. I’ll hit you later.”
“Bye.”
“Yep.”
Irish looked at the phone, trying her best to catch herself from falling but it was too late. Noble had her and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it.
Irish was in her favorite seat—Rozalin’s chair, getting pampered for the week. Since Ivory had gone back to Miami, it was just her making the visit.
“You said you want a ponytail?” Rozalin asked.
“Yes, a low one. Do you have any hair that matches mine?”
“Hmm,” Rozalin hummed. “I might but you rarely want a ponytail. What you trying to do, Irish?”
She chuckled. “What do you mean? What’s wrong with me switching it up?”
“Ain’t nothing wrong with you switching it up,” Clarice dipped into their conversation. “But you don’t get low ponytails that often.”
Irish pursed her lips. “How would you know? You don’t do my hair.”
“Uh because I’m here every time your red-headed ass comes here, duh.” She smacked her lips.
Shay tittered, applying dye to her client’s hair. “I think a low ponytail is going to look good on you, girl.”
“Thank you, Shay.” Irish playfully rolled her eyes at Clarice.
“Anyways, y’all I have to tell you what I recently did,” Clarice teased.
“Got arrested again?” Rozalin guessed.
“Called your baby daddy’s new girlfriend and told her that y’all still fucking,” Shay added.
“Slashed his tires,” Quisha, the nail technician, supposed.
Clarice’s jaw dropped as everyone burst into a chorused laugh.
“Well, damn, it’s nice to know that y’all think I’m this ghetto bitch who gets into all this trouble.”
Rozalin smacked her lips. “You’ve done all of what we named. Please don’t try to act like you’re above all of this.”
“Anyways.” Clarice cut her eyes at her. “Like I was saying. So, you know those stoplight booths that’s around the city?”
“Yeah, I’ve been seeing those things and wondering what they were for,” Shay said.
“Well, I went inside of one.” Clarice grinned.
Quisha gasped. “Shut up! Really?”
“Yeah, and it was quite interesting.”
“So, what is it?” Irish inquired.
Clarice turned her client’s chair so that she could face them. “Alright, so I go inside and there’s a small bench with a telephone on the wall. The instructions say pick up the receiver, so I did.”
“And?” Shay asked impatiently.
“Girl, calm down. I’m getting there.” Clarice rolled her eyes.
“So, I pick up and there’s this woman on the line that says, ‘Hello.’ I repeat it, and she ask me what I need help with.
I ask what it is, and she explained that this is a booth to help people who are in need of counseling.
Ever since that one lady drowned in the ocean, they’ve been trying to make sure people who are in distress or having suicidal thoughts have an outlet. ”
“Wow, I think that’s really cool,” Irish noted. “I hate it took a woman’s death for them to do this but I’m happy it exists.”
“Right, me too. So, I proceeded to ask if I should get back with my baby daddy—”
“Girl,” Rozalin interrupted. “I know you ain’t waste that lady’s time asking that bullshit.”
Shay cackled as her head fell back. “Roz, why would you expect her to ask anything other than that? You know she’s obsessed with that no-good nigga.”
“Oh, bitch please. Like you wouldn’t jump at the chance to get back with yours,” Clarice rebutted.
“I wouldn’t.” Shay stuck her tongue out.
“Back to what I was saying before I was rudely cut off. So, I asked her if she thinks I should get back with him, and she then asked why I was leaning toward it. I told her that I still love him, and she asked why. Y’all the only thing I could come up with is that we share a child and have history.
I felt kind of stupid ‘cause there need to be more to it, right? Well, she then asked about my family history and y’all.
” She paused. “This lady told me that I like familiarity and that’s the only reason I wanted to get back with my baby daddy. ”
Irish pursed her lips in doubt. “So, she said all that in one session? That’s hard to believe.”
“Why?” Clarice questioned.
“Because it usually takes counselors multiple sessions to break someone down like that.”
“Not always,” Quisha added. “By the second session with my therapist, she had already figured out my issues.”
“Plus, I talked to her ass for over two hours. You act like I was this complicated case. I got daddy issues. Hell, the diagnosis is pretty universal if I do say so myself.” Clarice popped her lips.
“Two hours?” Rozalin quipped. “Bitch, you need a friend.”
“Fuck you!” Clarice laughed.
“So, you trust it?” Shay asked skeptically. “What if it’s AI?”
“Shay, please,” Rozalin cut in. “You be talking to ChatGTP like it’s your home girl.”
“It’s ChatGPT, you old heffa,” Shay corrected.
Irish chuckled as Rozalin flipped her a middle finger.
“I don’t care if the bitch real or not. She made me realize some shit and now I’m about to be more aware of how I deal with my BD.”
Irish and Rozalin shared a look through the mirror before snickering.
“And y’all can laugh all y’all want because I know y’all got some shit too. Rozalin, you ain’t had a man since Obama was in office and Irish, yo’ husband ain’t all that faithful.”
“And I’m happy being single, hoe!” Rozalin fired back.
“Excuse me?” Irish turned around at her remark. “Whose husband ain’t faithful?”
“Yeah, I seen yo’ nigga out in another bitch face the other night. He was showing all those teeth in his mouth, including the wisdom teeth.” Clarice smirked.
Irish chuckled, knowing Jovanis flirting with a woman would always be a front. They had no idea that the thought of a woman in Jovanis’ eyes would never be sexual.
Flicking her hand, Irish retorted, “Girl, I don’t care about a lil’ flirting. He can do what he wants.”
Shay narrowed her eyes at Irish. “Oh, so y’all have an open marriage?”
“No, we don’t but I don’t get bent out of shape when Jovanis is talking to another woman. I’m not insecure at all.”
“That’s what her mouth says. As soon as she leave, she gon’ hit that man up and read his ass for filth,” Clarice instigated.
Irish rolled her eyes. “You wish.”
“So, yeah, back to what I was saying.” Clarice popped her lips. “Ol’ girl helped me see the light.”
“So, you don't want to get back with your baby daddy?” Rozalin questioned with doubt in her tone.
“Not right now. I need him to prove his love for me before I take him back.”
The shop erupted into laughter at Clarice’s weird logic. She’d lost all of her common sense when it came to her baby daddy, so this was no surprise. After more conversation, Irish’s hair was finally done. She examined it in the mirror, checking all the angles, hoping Noble would appreciate it.
“You like it?” Rozalin asked.
“Of course. You never miss.” Irish dug inside her Alyak purse and grabbed her phone.
“Hey, I really need a favor from you. Can you please make a house call for me? Cali needs her hair done but she hasn’t been able to really get away like that.
Do you think you can go to the hospital and hook her up if I paid you? ”
Rozalin nodded while wiping down her chair. “Yeah, I got you. Just send the money along with yours.”
“Okay.”
Irish sent money through Zelle app and thanked Rozalin again before making her exit. As soon as she got in the car, she noticed she had a text.
Jovanis: You feel like hittin’ up the club with me? It’s Wilde’s birthday.
Irish would’ve rather hung out with Noble, but she hadn’t heard from him since earlier.
Irish: Sure.
Jovanis. A’ight, I’ll meet you at home, and we can ride together.
Irish: Ok.
She started her car and drove toward the hospital so she could spend some time with Cali before shipping orders.