Brothers and Wives (8 page)

“It’s colder than a subzero freezer.”

“Humph, he’s not answering my knock, but his car is here. I wonder where he is.”

“Girl, he’s a grown-ass man and, face it, he’s not exactly keeping you in his loop.”

“Yes he is. We talked on the phone a week ago. I called
him. He told me what he was up to. Promised he’d get back with me. I’m just helping him out a little bit.”

“Ugh, there you go. How do I let myself get involved in this?” Karetha groans, looking frustrated. “If a man is truly interested, he’ll call a chick on a regular basis, and even if he’s busy, he’ll make time for the woman he wants to see.”

“And if a woman is going to have a man, she has to step up her game and show him that she’s down for him, no matter how long it takes. Cookie waited for Magic Johnson umpteen years. I’ve only been waiting on Scottie for a year.”

“Girl, you are such a fool. Scottie is no Magic Johnson,” Karetha responds.

“Shoot, we need to get back on the freeway before traffic builds up. I can drop you off at HCC so you can register. And I want to stop by Popeye’s drive-through and get me the Tuesday special. C’mon, Necia, later for Scottie.”

“Anya will take me to register.”

“Then what you need me for?”

“’Cause I want you here, plus you’re my girl.”

“I’m your fool.”

“Shhh, I hear a car coming.”

Karetha suddenly gets shoved to the side as LaNecia rushes past her. She runs to the other side of the lot and hides behind some bushes so she can peek through the branches. Karetha scurries after LaNecia and crouches beside her.

The second LaNecia spots Scottie with Dani in “Ugmo’s” truck, she seethes inside. Ugmo, short for “ugly mofo,” is the nickname LaNecia gave to Dani the minute she sensed that Scottie was attracted to the chick he met at the family reunion. Even from a short distance, she can see Scottie wearing a broad smile on his face as he pulls into the parking lot.

“Oh, hell no. There’s Ugmo’s pickup. You see Scottie
getting out of the driver’s seat? Did that bitch let him drive her old beat-up hooptie?”

“Her car isn’t that old, Ne …”

“Shut up. You talk too loud. What if he hears us?”

“Huh? If your original plans stay the same, Scottie’s gonna hear us eventually since you’re coming by unannounced.”

“We haven’t crossed that bridge yet, Ka. We haven’t crossed that bridge. Now hush.”

Before Karetha clamps her mouth shut, she whispers to LaNecia, “Remind me to curse you out as soon as we leave the premises.”

LaNecia quietly watches Scottie as he takes a few slow steps toward the front of Dani’s truck. But it takes every ounce of strength to remain still when she observes her cousin stride over to the passenger door and open it. Dani hops out wearing a pair of four-inch heels, some tight jeans, and a yellow tube top. She’s struggling to hold a couple of huge sacks from Luby’s restaurant, plus a plastic Kroger bag. Scottie offers to hold the bags for her. Dani smiles and hands all the packages to him.

“What?” LaNecia hisses underneath her breath. “That is not gangster right there at all. He better be glad he doesn’t know I’m spying on his ass.”

“Wow, it looks like they’re about to have a nice romantic lunch alone in the trailer. I hope they bought enough to feed us, too. I love me some Luby’s….”

LaNecia gives Karetha the evil eye and resumes watching the action.

Scottie and Dani continue quietly chatting as they slowly walk up the stairs that lead to the construction trailer door. They stare into each other’s eyes and slip inside.

“I can’t believe this! What should I do, Ka, tell me!”

“Get. Out. Now.”

“Who asked your advice, anyway? Damn, I need something to drink.”

“We still have bottled water in the cooler in my car.”

“I’m not talking about that kind of drink. Damn, Ka, you’re not being any real help at all today.”

“Um, can we please stop bending over and hiding in the bushes? My back is starting to hurt.”

LaNecia can’t help but grin and shake her head. Seeing Karetha bent over is the only funny thing that’s happened today. But LaNecia’s smile lasts for a brief moment. If she had known that her plans of dropping by on Scottie and asking him to commit to a date night would result in her seeing him and Ugmo together, she would have come up with a plan B.

“Damn, damn, damn. I can’t believe he’s spending time with her … again.”

Unable to help herself, last night LaNecia snuck and parked her car near Dani’s apartment and almost vomited when she saw Scottie drive up around ten. “That’s too damned late to be going over to someone’s house,” she said at the time. Although she was dying to wait and see how long Scottie stayed, her eyelids began to drop from sleepiness, and she was forced to go home.

“Okay, Miss Fatal Attraction. Now what?” Karetha asks.

“I dunno.” LaNecia sighs.

“Well, I do. Give Scottie a chance to do things his way. And until then, you should take your life in your own hands. Call Ms. Anya and do the college thing since she’s so willing to help you out. She sounds like she truly cares about you, girl. Not too many other folks running after you to help you like she is.”

“Yeah, I just wish I could take Ms. Anya’s heart and place it inside Scottie. That would make me feel so good.”

“You need mental help, LaNecia.”

“What I need is inside that trailer. What on Earth are they doing in there all alone? Where are the rest of the workers? What kind of foreman lets his employees goof off and not be at work?”

“The same kind of supervisor that may fire us if we miss work. And I’m telling you, you shouldn’t have called in sick today at Pappadeaux’s just to follow behind Scottie’s ass. You can at least take the rest of your day and do something productive. Try and get a good night’s sleep, and tomorrow you can return to work and bag those to-go orders.” Ka giggles.

LaNecia ignores Karetha’s comment. She stares down at the ground and paces in a small circle. “It’s all Ugmo’s fault. Scottie wouldn’t be acting this way if it weren’t for her. What does he see in her? Why did I ever have to get pregnant? I know he’s acting out because we lost our baby. Little Scottie.”

“Girl, please. You don’t know the gender.”

“I do too know. It was a boy. Our son. He’d be about seven months by now. And I love when kids are that age. They play with their toes and talk baby talk and …”

LaNecia’s longing for her dead son is interrupted. The door of the trailer swings open and Dani emerges first, followed by Scottie.

“Thanks for hanging out with me at lunch. Gotta get back to work, though. The rest of the crew should be back here any minute,” Scottie says to Dani while walking her to her truck.

“I enjoyed the food.”

“Is that all?”

“And you, of course. You always make me laugh, Scottie. Now I better head on back. Gallery Furniture is scheduled to deliver the new bed this afternoon and I don’t want to miss them.”

“Hmm, I can’t wait to see your new bed.”

“Oh, Scottie, try and be good.”

“Why you say that? It’s not like anyone can hear or see us.”

He leans over and plants a solid kiss on Dani’s lips. She waves good-bye, gets in her pickup, and drives off.

Scottie watches her until she turns the corner, then heads back inside the trailer.

“Damn, I just can’t believe this.”

“Maybe you should try,” Karetha says.

“I think I’ll have a little talk with him. Do you know we haven’t seen each other in weeks, since I showed up at Ugmo’s? I know once he sees me in a good setting, he’ll realize he hasn’t treated me all that well. I just gotta get my face time, Ka. Wait for me in the car.”

LaNecia boldly walks up the little stairs and taps lightly on the trailer door. When Scottie doesn’t answer, she turns the knob and steps inside. The room is deserted. She notices several construction drawings spread across the surface of some portable tables. The walls are filled with colorful renderings of the upcoming elementary school.

“Damn, this doesn’t look like a school for little kids,” she says to herself. “It looks like a fucking college campus.”

LaNecia hears the sounds of a toilet flushing. Then the door of the tiny bathroom opens.

“LaNecia?”

“Hey there, Scottie,” she says reminding herself not to
refer to him as cousin anymore. She wants him to see her as a woman, not as his flesh and blood.

“How’d you get in?”

“The door was unlocked. I knocked, but you didn’t answer, and I knew you were here because your car is.”

“Cousin, my staff will be here any minute. They all went out to lunch together. You got three minutes.”

“Okay, okay, okay.” LaNecia, who only minutes ago had mentally rehearsed what she would say, is now just staring at Scottie as if she’s stumped.
What in the fuck is my problem? If he starts to think I’m losing it, can I blame him? Get it together, girl
.

“What time do you get off today, Scottie?”

“Three-thirty.”

“Good. How about we catch an early movie? That way you feel no pressure. We can just chill tonight.”

“What is the purpose of this?”

“Remember you said you’d do one more date with me and then that would be it? Once you get it out of the way, you won’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“For some reason I find that hard to believe.”

“You won’t know unless you give it a try. So let’s meet up. I can drive myself. We can go to Alamo Drafthouse. That movie
Wanted
is still showing, and I love movies about assassins.”

She notices the lines softening in Scottie’s forehead. “Damn, I keep hearing how good
Wanted
is and I haven’t had time to go check it out. You know what? Let’s roll. Now go on and get back in that car of yours. I can see some of the guys pulling up now. They’re late!”

“Okay, boss man.” She laughs. “I’m so glad that you got the job, Scottie. It seems like your life is going to turn out okay. I just want the same things for my own life.”

He ignores her comment and watches six members of his construction crew file past LaNecia, up the steps, and into the trailer.

“So, how’d it go?” Karetha asks the second LaNecia returns to the car. “You had me waiting in here so long I started to drive off.”

“Girl, don’t worry about what those folks at work think. Just tell ’em you got sick during your lunch hour. It does happen, ya know.”

“Hmm, in a way it’s true because I’m so sick of you and Scottie I could scream.”

“Well, start screaming, Ka. Go on and scream.”

Later that evening, LaNecia paces outside the Alamo Drafthouse. She decided to wear an eye-popping hot pink halter top and her favorite pair of skinny jeans. Karetha volunteered to style her hair, and LaNecia feels that the bangs that partially cover her right eye makes her feel sexy and mysterious.

Damn, I hope he’s not playing me. But I know how much he loves movies, and it’s been so long since we’ve watched a flick together, I don’t see why he’d be tripping out over this tiny little so-called date. I’m driving myself. I’m paying my own way. Maybe he can spring for the food
.

From the corner of her eye, LaNecia notices an image that perfectly fits Scottie. But she continues pacing back and forth like she isn’t desperately waiting on his arrival. When she feels a hand tap her shoulder, she swings around and purposely enlarges her eyes.

“You scared me.”

“Sorry ’bout that, cousin.”

“LaNecia will do.”

“Okay, LaNecia.”

“You look nice as usual.” She checks him out from head to toe and admires his fresh pair of jeans and partially opened button-down shirt. “That’s sexy. Is it new?” she asks, blushing. Scottie has a way of making her feel girlish and special. And the fact that he finally made good on his promise makes her feel like he is starting to miss what they used to share.

“Matter of fact, it
is
new. New shirt, new shoes. Hell, I’m wearing new boxers, too.”

“Mmm, I heard that. Well, how do I look?” She twirls around in a circle.

“Nice
. Okay. You get your ticket yet?”

“No,” she says mildly hurt. “I waited for you.” She wishes he could have gone into more detail about her appearance.
I spent a lot of time making sure I look good and he barely notices
.

“That’s just as well. Go ahead and get your ticket. I’m right behind you.”

Jaw rigid, LaNecia goes to the box office and buys a single ticket, then glances at Scottie. “Go on,” he calls to her. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Well, fuck, I might as well come to the movies by my damn self
. Disappointed, yet happy that Scottie showed up, LaNecia reasons,
If things go my way, by the time the movie is over, I can put it on him the way I know he likes it. Seduction is one of my strong points, if only he’d let me seduce him
.

LaNecia forgets about Scottie and rushes to go sit inside the last theater, located at the end of a long, dim hallway. The auditorium is one-quarter full, and the previews haven’t begun. LaNecia takes a seat in the first chair on the row closest to the back of the theater.
That way he can’t help but see me when he finally gets his ass on in here
.

On each row throughout the theater, several eight-foot-long wooden tables are mounted in front of the theater chairs, giving all the moviegoers space to write down their order, plus eat and drink. LaNecia picks up her menu and squints as she browses the selection of finger foods, salads, sandwiches, and beverages.

“Hey there. Sorry,” Scottie says. He squeezes past her knees and sits in the empty chair on her left. “You order for me yet, kiddo?”

“Yeah, right. In case you forgot, we’re going dutch tonight. But next time, guess who’s paying for my ticket and food?”

Instead of answering, Scottie quickly scans the menu and picks up a pencil to scribble his selection. He slides the tiny sheet of paper between a thin metal bar so the waiter can see that he’s ready to order.

Curious, LaNecia snatches the paper from the metal slot and reads his writing: