Chapter 6
CHAPTER
SIX
Tiomi
Guiding me through the crowd with his hand on my lower back, we were headed towards the section that Jawan’s friend was in up top.
It felt like all eyes were on us as we made our way through the crowd.
The deejay gave us this dramatic introduction when we got in here.
I wasn’t even aware that they knew who I was, but I was just going with the flow.
I'll admit, I was a little reserved at first because Jawan hadn’t really made anything official, but he made me feel secure in what we had.
Now is a completely different situation though, we’re official-official now.
Making it up the steps, he began to speak and dap his people up.
We were approached by this fine ass light skin nigga with dreads.
I mean he ain’t have shit on my nigga, but he was fine as hell.
While they talked, I texted Chy to let her know where we were, and that her name was on the list. Jawan grabbed me by my waist to make the introductions.
“Hell, yeah. Baby this my nigga, Shad, and Shad this my baby, Tiomi.”
I stuck my hand out for him to shake. “Pleased to meet you.”
He took my hand and kissed it. “The pleasure’s all mine, beautiful.” Jawan snatched my hand back and gave his signature mean mug.
“Aight nigga, don’t get yo’ ass beat.”
He mugged him and led me to the couch. Shortly after, we were joined by Chy.
After introducing her to Shad, we all started to drink and have a good time.
Cheyenne went down to the bathroom, I offered to go with her but of course Jawan wasn’t having it.
Rolling my eyes, I just asked one of their guards to escort her.
Megan The Stallion’s song Savage was playing, I was sipping my patron and Red Bull, and grinding into Jawan’s lap.
He buried his face into my neck and said, “I can’t wait to get your pretty ass to the house,” followed by a trail of kisses from my neck down my shoulder.
“Baby don’t start something you can't finish in here,” I said to him with a wide smile, which he returned.
“Shiddd, this my boy club, I will bend yo’ fine ass over his desk, don’t tempt me.” That caused me to laugh.
“You’re disgus—" I was cut off by this girl who was standing a little too close for my comfort. I pulled my head back to get a better look at her.
“This what you doing, Jawan?” she all but screamed.
I frowned my face up, who the fuck was this bitch and why the fuck was she calling him by his first name? He told me that he didn’t let these hoes get that personal with him.
“Uh back the fuck up bitch, the fuck is you so close to me for? And Jawan, who the fuck is she?” I asked, irritated as fuck. Bitch was carrying on like this was her nigga. He sucked his teeth and continued to ignore her.
“She ain’t nobody, Baby.” He continued to kiss on my neck and shoulder, like she wasn’t there and that set her off.
“Nobody? We been together since high school Jawan and you gone sit here and front on me for this basic ass bitch?” Now that made me laugh. Ain’t a damn thing basic about me.
“Basic? Girl if you don’t get your silly ass the fuck away from me and my nigga with that stiff ass wig I’mma show you how this basic bitch gets down.
Move the fuck around, Grim will deal with you later.
” I waved her off and told her with finality.
If she didn’t heed to my warning, I would mop this club floor with her thirsty ass.
“Yeah, he’ll handle me like he handled me in his office a few days ago. Bitch, stay in your lane while I talk to my nigga.”
She barely got her last word out before my fist connected to her face. I told this bitch to get the fuck on, now she was about to get this work. I must’ve blacked out while I was beating her ass because after what seemed like forever, I was being pulled off of her.
“That’s enough, Baby. You done damn near killed this bitch. Aye, Shad, tell security to get rid of her ass!” Jawan barked orders while he held me against his chest.
Snatching away from him, I looked for Chy, who was just making it back to the VIP section.
“What the fuck happened bitch? Security wouldn’t let me the fuck up here with all the commotion,” she said while examining me from head to toe.
I was hot as fish grease. I wanted to go back over there and fuck Jawan up now.
“Girl I gotta get the fuck outta here. This nigga and these hoes got me fucked up.”
She said okay and we made our way out. Part of me wanted Jawan to follow me out, but when I looked back, he wasn’t there. The thought of him maybe comforting her instead of me made me uneasy, but I decided to push the thought to the back of my mind and get the fuck from around here.
Pulling up to Ms. Cheryl’s house, I got out to go inside.
I decided that me and Rae could just stay ‘til tomorrow since it was so late.
As I made my way to the door, it opened and none other than Jawan Jones came waltzing out of the house with a sleeping Jarae in his arms. I rolled my eyes as I heard him thanking Ms. Cheryl by the time I got to the porch.
“Give me my baby, Grim, we’re staying here tonight,” I said as I tried to grab Rae.
He turned her body away from mine and kind of pushed me away.
“Man watch out. She going the fuck home to sleep in her own bed, under the same roof as her fuckin’ parents.
The fuck is you on ma? It’s in your best interest to bring your ass, so I don’t have to show the fuck out in front of Chy and her moms.”
I debated for a second and decided to cut my losses. He would indeed show his ass out here, and that’s the last thing I needed. I told Chy and Ma Cheryl goodnight and got in the back seat. If he was going to force me to ride with him, I’d be in the back with my child.
When we got to his house, he took Rae straight to her room and put her in her bed.
I sat right down in the living room, pulled out my phone and ordered an Uber.
As soon as he got in the shower, which I knew he would, I was getting my baby and getting the fuck out.
He had me fucked up. Here I am playing wifey to this nigga and he fucking this transgender looking bitch in his office.
Before I let another nigga play me, I would leave. My peace of mind is essential.
When we got to his house, I played shit cool.
I allowed him to take the baby in her room and get her settled, then retreat to his room to take care of himself.
I heard his bedroom door close as soon as the confirmation that my Uber was here came to my phone.
I slowly crept up the stairs to get Jarae and made a beeline for the door.
Imagine my surprise when I made it outside and there was the running car, but no driver was in there.
“What the fuck?” I said to myself and pulled my phone out to see what was going on.
“Looking for him?” I heard Jawan say from behind me.
I slowly turned around and saw a middle-aged white man lying on the ground with a bullet hole in his head. I let out a muffled scream because I had covered my mouth with my hand. How the hell did he know?
“JJ-Ja-Jawan w-w-wh-what a-are yy-you d-doing baby?” I struggled to get out. He still had his gun in his hand. He gave me a low chuckle.
“Naw, Baby. What are you doin’? You tryna take my baby from the comfort of her home? Why you tryna leave me, Tiomi?”
I was terrified. He was walking towards me and I was walking backwards. “N-n-no baby, I would never take her from you,” I said as the tears slid down my face.
I was finally backed into a wall; he had made his way into my personal space. He didn’t say another word. He just grabbed Rae in one hand, grabbed my hand with his other, then walked us back into the house.
After he put Rae back in her bed, we walked into his room, he put the gun in his safe, then called the clean-up crew to come to take care of the body and car outside.
As soon as he hung up the phone, I smacked the fuck outta him.
I didn’t stop there, I started to beat his ass. I hit him wherever my fist landed.
“How dare you pull a fuckin’ gun on me? With our fuckin’ daughter in my hands!” I screamed as I continued to hit him anywhere I could. After a few minutes he grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head against the wall.
“Don’t hit me no fuckin’ more, Tiomi. I would never hurt you or Jarae, you know that. I expect the same respect in return,” he said and walked towards the bathroom. Of course, that wasn’t gonna suffice for me, I followed his ass right into the bathroom.
“You could have fuckin’ fooled me. You killed a man, Jawan! Right in front of this house! Are you out of your fuckin’ mind?” He turned around so fast and got in my face.
“Yeah, I’m out of my fuckin’ mind when it come to you and my fuckin’ kid! You takin’ her the fuck outta here to get in the car with a complete fuckin’ stranger this late at night, for what?!” he yelled.
“If you wanna leave that bad then get the fuck out, Tio, but my daughter stays.” I was crying yet again, he managed to flip this shit on me.
“You’re mad at me for wanting to leave after this bitch stood in front of a club full of people and said you fucked her in your office?” He laughed.
“That’s why you tight? I let that hoe suck my dick in my shop way before I made you my bitch, Tio, I told you that hoe ain’t nobody.”
I felt like a fool, “You didn’t even try to defend yourself in the club though, Jawan,” I whined, and he laughed again.
“It ain’t like a nigga had a chance, you pounced on the bitch as soon as she said the shit.”
He was obviously done with the conversation because he walked away and got into the shower.
It was fine because I was done with this shit too.
I don’t have time to wonder about the what ifs.
I got a t-shirt out of his drawer, took a shower in the guest bathroom, then climbed into bed with my baby girl. Fuck tonight and fuck Jawan.
It was a Monday, and I was making my rounds at work. It was my day to care for Ms. Pattie, too. I was trying to avoid it for many reasons, today is her last day here, so it's bittersweet for me. The other reason I’ve been trying to avoid her is because I knew Jawan would be here.
It has been a month since I last spoke to him, and that was fine with me.
He could definitely go be with that hoe from Lust. Ms. Cheryl has been our medium as far as the baby goes, I’d drop her off there for him to pick up and it would be vice versa when it was time for her to go home.
Rae’s party is this weekend though, so I can't avoid seeing him then, that thought alone had me rolling my eyes.
“Ms. Pattie you about ready to get out of here?” I asked entering her room. She turned and looked at me with a wide smile. I swear I was going to miss her.
“Yes, Baby, I can’t wait to get back to my house. I wish you would consider coming to work at my house, you know I can't stand them lil’ hoes from that agency that they send,” she fussed. I couldn’t help but to laugh at her.
“Ms. Pattie you know why I can’t come and work in your home. I’ve already promised to bring Jarae as much as you want though.” She waved me off, I knew she didn’t like my alternative.
“I don’t think it’s fair that you’re making me suffer because you and JJ are into it. It is going to be a sight to see when he finds out you are seeing that lil’ boy that’s been following you around like a sick puppy, though,” she said to me with a chuckle. I wasn’t thinking about Grim.
“Well how would Jawan know, unless you’ve told him,” I said with raised brows. She gave me this sneaky smirk.
“You still don’t know who you fucking with,” she said before going into the bathroom and finishing her morning hygiene. I’ll admit that it kind of had me uneasy because the statement left a lot of gray area, but again ain’t nobody thinking about Jawan.
Since tonight was Jawan’s night to keep Jarae, I decided to go ahead and have dinner with Shawn.
He works for the delivery company that restocks the supplies we use at the facility.
Shawn wasn’t exactly the type of man I would usually go for, but I figure that I’m due for a change because my usual choice in men wasn't the best either.
Shawn and I were now seated at this upscale steakhouse in downtown Miami called Prime 112. Me and Chy have eaten here a few times so I already knew what I wanted to eat.
“I’m so glad you finally decided to give me a chance, Tio, I’ve only been waiting since forever,” he said with a smile. As for me, I sat there with a blank expression. Tio? I thought to myself.
“It’s Tiomi or Mimi, Shawn. Nobody calls me Tio,” I corrected him.
“Nonsense, I heard the guy in that lady’s room call you that. I figured it’s a nickname and I like it so...” he stated with a shrug.
“I don’t want to be called Tio, Shawn, period.”
I might not like him very much right now, but Jawan is the ONLY person that will call me that. Shawn and I had commenced having casual conversation over dinner.
“So how do you feel about meeting my parents Sunday?”
It choked me up a little bit. “Your parents? I barely know you Shawn, how are you already wanting me to meet your parents?”
“Isn’t that the point of dating, Babe?” Him calling me anything other than my name my made my flesh crawl.
“I’m just not ready for that right now.”
“You met that guy's family.” Sitting my fork down, I looked up from my meal at him with my eyes in slants.
“What guy?”
“That hoodlum that’s always in that ghetto old lady’s room.”
“You need to watch your fucking mouth. You know what? This was a mistake.” I stood to my feet and threw my napkin down on the table.
“Wait, Tiomi, my apologies. I didn’t mean to upset you. We can change the subject if it will make you more comfortable.”
I hesitated for a second, but eventually gave in.
The rest of our date went by smoothly. Although the majority of the conversation was about him and his endeavors, it was refreshing to finally be able to relax and enjoy male company without having to worry about a random woman approaching me.
Not quite ready to go home and cry myself to sleep, I agreed to go over to Shawn’s to Netflix and chill.