9. You Played
You Played
KYIRIS
“Give us an eight,” I said, scanning the fire hand in front of me.
I sorted my cards by books and knew we were about to fuck the table up. It didn’t matter that Mehki only confirmed one for sure book and a possible. We had already won two games and had four more tables to go before we got to the final one.
“An eight?” Mehki repeated like he wasn’t confident in my skills.
“Have I showed you nothing on the last two tables, partner?”
“Ion know. You did cut a nigga lil’ joker the last go round.”
I giggled. “The big joker was all I had left. You thought I was gon’ play my showstopper at the beginning of the game?”
“Nah, but my partner ain’t supposed to cut me.”
I looked across the table at him with a raised brow. “This don’t sound like solidarity.”
“I’m convinced the fake arguing is their strategy,” one of our opponents called out, making her partner laugh.
Ever since the tournament began, we’d become the entertainment.
Whether we were calling each other out for wrong steps or talking shit once we made a book, one would think me and Mehki had been playing together for years.
And that was the goal. Spades wasn’t just a card game, at least not when I played.
You had to have chemistry with your partner, and we had that.
“I think they’re on to us, partner,” I joked.
“I am,” the woman countered, smiling at me. “Put the eight down, bae,” she instructed the guy across from her who I assumed was her man. “I know we got five easy.”
We played the hand, grabbing the first three books easily. By the time we got to book seven, Mehki looked pleased.
“Bae, really?” the woman fussed. “You see me cutting hearts, and you gon’ throw one out?”
“Shiiid, you wanna make the books or not?” he reasoned, putting a red cup to his lips and taking a sip.
“No need to fight. You cutting hearts shouldn’t cut the love y’all truly have for each other,” I teased, hugging myself and making Mehki laugh.
“Alright, y’all. The winner of your current table gets to move to the next once you’re done.” Someone called out near the DJ booth where they had a whole scoreboard set up.
“Oh, that would be us,” I said, confidently slapping my big joker down on the table and standing. “Let’s go, partner. No need to check the score. I know we showed out.”
Mehki stood and walked around the table to me.
“That confident shit is a turn on,” he said.
“Nah, baby. It’s this winning shit that’s turning you on,” I said. “C’mon, there’s more money to collect.”
By the time we got to table five, the teams that we’d already whooped had stuck around to watch us.
It had gone from a spades tournament to the Mehki and Key show, with me being the perfect leading lady.
See, I was a shit talker and used that to my advantage to knock the players off their square, while Mehki studied his cards and fed off me. I was having a ball.
“Partner,” I called to him across the table.
“Wassup?” he replied, not looking up from his cards.
“You up for something sweet later?”
The question got his attention just like I knew it would. His eyes shifted in my direction, and he licked his lips.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I got a taste for it.”
Squeezing my legs closed under the table, I blushed. I couldn’t stop flashing back to the way he licked my pussy like I was his favorite piece of candy.
“Y’all gon’ keep flirting across the table, or we playin’?” a guy who had introduced himself as Deuce asked.
We were playing against him and his wife.
“We can do both, Deuce,” I said playfully, tossing an ace of spades down.
He and his wife followed up with clubs, while Mehki threw a low spade.
One of the older ladies in attendance walked over with a bottle of water and a Gatorade and set it beside me on the table. “Here you go, baby. When you spanking ass like this, you gotta stay hydrated.”
“Mind you, you my mama,” Deuce said to her, making everyone around us laugh.
“And I love you,” she assured, smiling and walking off.
We eventually finished the hand, coming out victorious once again.
“Damn, dog, I thought Mav would be the one to do it, but it was you who brought the ringer out this time, Khi,” he said, giving Mehki a pound as he stood.
Smiling, I hugged his wife.
“I like her, Mehki,” she told him. “Next time, I want her as my partner.” She laughed, while Deuce shook his head.
“Damn, Key, you already won the game and apparently, my wife now too.” He pulled her into a loving hug and kissed her neck.
“I meannn…” I blew her a kiss that she fake caught in the air.
“Mannn.” Deuce laughed, pulling her away.
“Lemme find out,” Mehki said as I stood from my seat, straightening my shorts.
“Find out what? That your people know greatness when they see it?”
Walking around the table and over to me, he stood behind me and put his lips to my ear. “Nah. Lemme find out you got a thing for females on the low.”
Turning so that I was facing him, I leaned into his chest. “I would hate for you to misinterpret my playful flirting. If I ever wanna play in something wet, I’d meet myself in the bedroom faster than Silk ever could. We up twenty-five. Let’s go win this last game, so I can be rewarded properly.”
I left him standing there and walked over to the last table at the same time as Amil.
“I see you headed to the winner’s table. You must’ve pulled out your good game.”
“Made Grandma Lettie and Pa real proud,” she confirmed with a smile, and we slapped fives.
“Well, now you gotta go against the big dawg.” I flexed my muscles.
She sucked her teeth. “Key, please.”
Laughing, I stood next to her to watch the crowd. The grill was going, the older crew had set up a table for dominoes, and a few people had got in formation in front of the DJ booth for line dances. It was a vibe that felt wholesome, much like the functions I threw for my family.
“So… what you think about the friend?” I asked, nudging Amil.
“Who? Maverick?”
“Hmm. Ion know him by Maverick. I only got the nickname,” I said slyly.
“You’re annoying. And I don’t think anything other than the man can really play spades. I was literally following his lead the whole time.”
“Hmph, and you ain’t never followed a nigga’s lead. That’s new.”
Amil was bullheaded and didn’t like to be told what to do. And maybe that was because she hadn’t found the right one that made her want to listen. She was still trying to figure that out.
“It’s just for the sake of winning the game. Don’t look too much into it. I just met this nigga a few hours ago.”
“I hear you,” I replied, knowing what my eyes had seen when they weren’t on my cards.
“Uh huh. Here they come. You need to back up a lil’. We’re opponents.”
“Oh, bitch, please. I’ma ‘bout to spank that ass with love. Then you gon’ have to hear about it the whole drive home.” I blew her a kiss and went to stand next to Mehki as he and Mav walked up.
“Aight, y’all,” he spoke to the crowd, “this the final round. Me and Amilly versus Mehki and Key. First team to 300 takes it all.”
I glanced over at Amil and mouthed, “Not you got a nickname.” She gave me the finger in response. We went to sit down, Mav next to Mehki and Amil next to me.
“Aye, you betta lock in no matter what,” I heard Mav tell Mehki.
“Nigga, I’m locked in. Don’t be tryna psych me out. Me and my partner ready.”
“I’m just putting it out there,” Mav replied and looked past me and Amil. “You got company walking in.”
Always on guard, I turned my head at the same time as Amil, following his line of sight.
Two women were headed our way, neither looking out of place as far as being familiar with the people in the park.
Attire… well, that was something different.
The taller, dark-skinned female was dressed in heels and a romper with a deep V-cut, like she was ripping the runway.
The fit was cute, something I’d wear, just not fitting for the setting we were in.
The lighter one moved with ease, smiling at people as she passed, in a pair of jorts, Prada sneakers, and a crop top.
The taller one reached us first, heading straight for Mehki. “Hey, baby,” she greeted as he stood.
They embraced one another, sharing a light peck on the lips. He did the same with the other woman who uttered similar sentiments.
“Ahh, shit,” Mav muttered under his breath, while Amil stared a whole in the side of my face.
All the while, I kept calm. It was obvious who the women were the moment they shared the intimate exchange. Besides, Mehki wasn’t my nigga, so I had no choice but to hold it down or leave. The ladder wasn’t an option. Not without my three.
“Y’all winning or cheating?” the dark-skinned female asked. “Bae, how you sitting next to your partner? I may not know how to play, but I know the basic spades rules,” she joked.
“I’m his partner, love,” I spoke up. “And yeah, we’re winning. We were just about to get into the last game.”
“Oh,” she said, clearly taken aback.
Her sister wife didn’t look the least bit surprised. In fact, I could’ve sworn I saw her flash a small grin.
“Karima, Ju, this is Key. Key, this is…”
“Baby and JuJu.”
The Karima chick frowned but quickly caught herself before Mehki could notice. JuJu was the first to extend her hand with a warm smile. I took her hand and shook it.
“I’ve heard about you. And he didn’t lie.”
I tilted my head to Mehki, who didn’t look nervous or like he was caught. Instead, a slight grin sat on his face as he watched the exchange, kind of like he’d planned it.
“I’m sure my partner spoke good things only.”
“Only the little that he knows.” Karima threw shade that I caught.
“I’m sure that little was interesting,” I countered.
“Aight,” Mav let out, tapping the deck of cards he held on the table. “Now that everybody knows everybody, let’s get to this game. Me and Amilly ready, ain’t that right, beautiful?”
“Deal the cards,” Amil said, and he smirked and nodded.
I tuned Mehki and his women out as he quietly exchanged a few words with them before settling back in the seat across from me.
When his eyes found mine, I didn’t shy away from his stare.
In fact, I held it quietly, not even reaching for my cards until the last one was dealt.
This time around, as the game got underway, the jokes disappeared, and strategies were conveyed in head nods and quick glances.
Judging by the smirk on his face each time I made us a book, I knew he was feeling good about the win on the way.
“Now they all quiet and shit,” Mav pointed out. “All that shit talkin’ y’all was doing on the other tables.”
“I’m telling you,” Amil chimed in, throwing out a card, “chemistry all over.”
I held back a laugh because I knew my cousin.
“Mehki can play with just about anybody,” Karima said, throwing her arms around his neck from behind and kissing his cheek. “He’s just skilled like that.”
“I agree. But the real test is, can he win with anybody?” I countered.
He leaned forward, making Karima release him, as he put his card down. “Just about.”
I nodded slowly. His answer told me everything I needed to know. The silence returned until everyone was down to their last card. Mav tossed out his card first. It was the deuce of spades.
“I just know Amilly got that big joker, so we can take this thang home,” he said, sitting up in his seat.
He was sadly mistaken when she tossed out her deuce of diamonds.
“Sorry, partner.” She shrugged.
Mehki glanced over at me with a wide grin. “You did it again, didn’t you?”
“If you mean waited to play my premiere card for the finale, yes. Yes, I did,” I bragged, slowly placing my big joker down on the table as he tossed his little joker. “That’s game!”
The people around us clapped, and I heard someone yell, “She did that shit!” from the crowd.
Mehki leaned back in his chair, laughing quietly, as I stood, pointing at the people in the crowd.
“Oh, okay. You see it. You see it.”
Amil laughed at my stunting.
“Here go what’s rightfully yours,” Mav said, handing a handful of blue faces to Mehki, who then redirected them to me.
“That’s all her.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” I accepted the bills, handing them to Amil, who slid them in her purse.
Mehki got up and whispered something in Karima’s ear that made her twist her lip up and nod. Giving me a once over, she grabbed her sister wife’s hand, and they walked off.
“Congrats, fine ass girl. We still on for dinner?”
I smiled. “Mmm… I think I’ma take a rain check.”
“You sure?” he questioned, staring at me like he was trying to figure me out, not really knowing that I was plotting.
“Yeah. Your ladies came here to see you win. That’s who you should celebrate with.” There wasn’t an ounce of bitterness in my voice. It was neutral yet friendly still.
“That wasn’t the plan.”
“I know, but things change. This was fun. Talk soon?” I nodded to Amil, who began walking.
Mehki chuckled, while Mav stood next to him, watching, like he couldn’t believe what was happening.
“You got it, Ma.”
“Always, Dada.”
Turning on my heels, I walked to the exit, waving bye to the people as we passed.
Behind me, I could still feel Mehki’s eyes following us, and that made me giggle inside because little did he know, whatever time I decided to give him after this, I was going to make sure he had to earn every bit of it.