Enough Of The Drama (13 page)

   “None of your business,” China said with an attitude as she stepped outside, giving Nene her back so she could lock her door.

   Sensing China’s attitude, Nene just chalked it to be about the falling out they had at the club. “Are you still mad at me about that shit that went down at the club? If anybody should be mad it should be me.”

   China sighed. “Look I’m kind of in a rush, I will call you later,” China lied. Nene to her was now yesterday’s news, a simple afterthought, and she wasn’t in the mood to dig her foot in Nene’s ass today.

   “China,” Nene whined grabbing China’s arm. She missed China while she was away. Other than China she really didn’t have anybody that she could call a
true
friend.

   “China roughly jerked her arm out of Nene’s grasp. “Ne, just go ahead okay. You know what,” China said shaking her head. “You are a shady bitch. I knew how you got real grimey out in the streets on these other hoes, but I thought me and you were tight,” China said unable to keep her peace.

   “What the fuck are you talking about?” Nene asked, her expression turning sour.

   “I’m talking about
Dre
bitch.”

   “And what about Dre?” Nene asked feeling a little uneasy with the crazy look in China’s eyes.

   “How he know about the fuckin’ birth mark on your ass?”

   The question caught Nene off guard. She remembered showing Dre her birth mark on plenty of occasions, but that was a long time ago. She wondered why China was bringing it up now.

   “What?” Nene asked faking surprise. “I don’t know he probably heard us talking about it,” she said shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal. “How the fuck am I supposed to know.”

   “Yeah, Nee you would say some lame shit like that,” China said walking around her. She’d already spent too much of her time and energy on this conversation.

   Nene followed suit. “China, where the fuck is all of this coming from? You know you my girl and I would never do no shit like that. I knew how much Dre meant to you I would never do you grimey like that,” Nene protested but China was giving her
I’m not trying to hear it
look. “Oh, I know what it is now,” Nene said throwing her hands in the air. “It’s that nigga Clay. You got a man, now you don’t know a bitch.”

   “Ne as usual you talking sideways. Clay is just a friend, a real
friend
I might add.” China sighed and shook her head. “Nene just go ahead. I am seriously not in the mood to get in your ass today.

   “It’s happening again. You go find yourself a man and all of a sudden you don’t know a bitch no more.”

   ‘Whateva,” China said opening the door to the black Armada Clay bought her. She climbed in and slammed the door in Nene’s face and simply tuned Nene out. She put on her Gucci shades and backed out of the driveway, away from the
drama
.

   “That’s a’ight,” Nene yelled. “You still my bitch. I’ll still be here when that nigga up and leave yo’ ass.”

   Nene continued to stand in China’s driveway stuck on stupid. Once again she’d been abandoned and left alone, just like when she was a little girl. Her mother would go on drug binges and leave her alone for days to fend for herself. She would go days at a time without food, and heat. She shuddered at the memory as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She figured China’s little arrangement would only be temporary, she knew she would come back, she always did.

Chapter 22

   Ciara lay in bed with her hair spread out on the pillow like a fan. She was miserable and Marcus was M.I.A once again. The fairytale life she pictured for herself was slowly turning into a nightmare. She wanted to save face and push for a happy ending but things between her and Marcus had to change.

   First order of business is she and Marcus need to spend more time together. Getting Marcus to spend time with her was like pulling teeth. At a time like this when she is vulnerable and emotional she needed his support and kind words. She needed to be catered to every once in a while, she needed to feel that same love and affection he used to give her before they moved in together. Whenever she would question him about it he always claimed that he was consumed with work and didn’t have time.

   But Ciara wasn’t buying the bullshit he was selling. She could tell the chemistry between them had gone sour. Marcus looked at her differently. The smile that he used to wear in his eyes whenever he saw her was gone. Tears came to her eyes as she tried to figure out where they went wrong.

   Silent tears continued to flow from her eyes, as she rubbed her belly. This should have been a time of bliss and happiness. She was expecting her first child with the man she loved. She’s living in her dream home, but all of that couldn’t compensate for the loneliness she felt in her heart. She wondered if she made a mistake by tearing her family apart for choosing to love this man. She wiped her tears and shook her head, trying to shoo away her negative thoughts.

   She smiled and rubbed her stomach when she felt her baby girl kick. “I think I’m going to name you Heaven. Something good has to come of this.”

   Bored with nothing to do she sat up, picked up her phone and dialed Rayna’s number.

   “Hello.”

   “Hey girl, what you doin’?”

   “Sitting here watching Maury. Girl they be tripping me out. How you gon’ take your ass on national television crying and boo whooin about not knowing who your baby daddy is?”

   “I know right,” Ciara said half heartedly. She was a fan of the show and any other time would have shared in on the laugh, but she wasn’t in the mood.

   “What’s wrong?”

   “Notihing.”

   “Girl, quit playin’. I know something is wrong, I can hear it in your voice. Besides you usually be trippin’ off Maury right along with me.”

   Ciara sighed loudly. “I don’t know what to do Rayna,” she squeaked into the phone. “Marcus has done a complete one eighty on me. I can count on my hands how many time’s we’ve made love since moving in together.”

  
One eighty
, Rayna thought. “Ciara come on, you don’t need to be stressed out like this. You need to think about the baby.”

   “I know, your right,” she sniffled. “The baby might be the only good thing that comes out of this. I just wish my baby daddy would get some act right.”

   “Okay Ciara lets be real, did you really think he was going to whisk you off to neva neva land?”

   “Yeah.”

   Rayna loudly smacked her lips in annoyance. “You need to wake up and smell the damn coffee! It’s time to start milkin’ that nigga for all that he is worth. He is showing his true colors. I mean look at how he did Cassidy. That was his wife for what twenty years and he practically shitted on her. You might not be lucky enough to get a house.”

   Ciara listened with her head cocked to the side. It was easy for Rayna to say all that because she wasn’t Ciara’s situation. She wasn’t pregnant and in love. Despite how bad things were looking between her and Marcus, she still prayed they could still be one big happy family. She prayed Marcus was only going through a phase right now and would eventually come out of it. She tried to remain optimistic that things between them would get better once the baby is born.

   “Just remember what goes around comes around, just twice as hard,” Rayna said interrupting her thoughts.

   “Okay Rayna.”

   “What you up to today?”

   “Nothing really. It ain’t shit to do. Besides I’m all fat and I’m not trying to go anywhere looking like this.”

   “Girl please, that is all in your mind. You need to get out the house and spend that nigga’s dough, that’s what you need to do.”

   “Rayna it’s not even like that.”

   “Well, you need to make it like that, because he is definitely making it like that. It ain’t even been a year and his ass already trippin’.”

   “Please, I’m not in the mood to argue. I do enough of that with Marcus and he’s barely even here.”

   “You’re right, I’m sorry girl. I don’t mean to add more stress to your already stressful life. I just hate to see you down and out like this. Just relax and call me later okay.”

   “A’ight girl.”

   “Ciara.”

   “Yes, Rayna,” she said rolling her eyes at the ceiling, not in the mood to hear another smart remark about Marcus.

   “I know you don’t think so, but you are better than him and you can do better than him. I feel like right now your just settling. It seems like after you dropped out of college you changed a little you know. I just hope you realize that you are good enough, before it’s too late. I’ll talk to you later. Love you mama.”

   “I love you too, I will call you later.”

   “A’ight boo, bye.”

   “Bye.”

   She sighed as she ended the call and lay back on her bed. She contemplated Rayna’s words about her settling. Rayna was right, for most of her life she’s always settled. She settled for the cheater, for the free loader, and now the married man. Tears came to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She thought Marcus was different. He was everything she’d been looking for in a man and more. She was learning the hard way that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

*   *   *

   After cleaning the living room, dining room, the kitchen and all three bathrooms, Ciara was wiped out. She didn’t understand how Cassidy managed to keep the house spic and span. In Ciara’s eyes it was just too much work for one person. She had to sit down and rest her back, it was aching.

   It was well past one o’clock in the afternoon, and she still hasn’t heard anything from Marcus. Not even so much as a phone call or text message just to let her know he was still alive.  He just carried on about his normal everyday life as if she wasn’t apart of it. A few tears escaped her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She’d had enough of crying, it did nothing to help her situation.

  
Maybe Rayna is right. It really is time to start milking that nigga,
she thought to herself.

   She waddled upstairs and headed to the closet. She searched through a couple of Marcus’ dirty pants. “Jack pot,” she sang as she pulled out a wad of twenties from a pair of Marcus Docker’s khaki pants. She planned on opening herself up a nice little savings account, just in case this little phase Marcus was going through lasted longer than she expected. If he didn’t have his act together by the time the baby is born, she would simply have to move on.

   After searching a little more and coming up with nothing, she decided to call Rayna. She was ready to once again to do some heavy shopping on Marcus of course.

   “Hello.”

   “Hey mamasita, you want to do a little shopping?” Ciara sang into the phone.

   “
Hmmmm
, someone sounds happy.”

   “I decided to do what you said. Milk that nigga.”

   Both girls shared a laugh.

   “It’s about damn time.”

   “Yeah, you were right. Marcus is definitely making it like that between me and him. It’s time to start looking out for Heaven and me,” she said rubbing her stomach.”

   “Heaven! Who’s Heaven?”

   “That’s what I’m naming my baby girl.”

   “Awe, Heaven. I like that. You know I’m the God mom right?”

   “Yes indeed. Girl, you know I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

   “Thanks boo. So what time you tryin’ to dip out?”

   “Well, let me take a quick shower and I’ll be to your house around two-thirty.”

   “
Ewe
, you ain’t washed your ass yet?”

   “Shut-up,” Ciara laughed. “I’ve been busy trying to clean this house, girl.”

   “
What
! Not, you cleaning! It’s definitely going to rain today. Make sure you bring an umbrella,” Rayna joked.

   “Anyway is two-thirty good or not?”

   “Yeah, just call me when you are on your way.”

   “A’ight chick, bye,” Ciara laughed hanging up the phone.

*   *   *

   When Ciara got out of the shower Marcus was lying on the bed watching television. She simply rolled her eyes. Without saying a word, she walked around him as if he wasn’t even there. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her, since he didn’t have the decency to pick up a phone and call her. She thumbed through her closest and decided on something simple a pair of leggings, her ugg boots and a sweater. She shook her head and smiled as she looked at the ugg boots. She knew Rayna would clown her for wearing Ugg boots in April, but she couldn’t help it she loved her Uggs. They were so comfortable.

   Marcus looked on in silence eyeing Ciara’s naked body. As he watched her fiddle around in the closet his man hood immediately stood to attention. Ciara looked back at him, watching him stroke his erection, but to his surprise she simply rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth as she walked back into the bedroom placing her clothes on the bed, before taking a seat in front of her vanity mirror. He frowned a little shocked at her reaction. He was expecting her to throw one of her temper tantrums, questioning him about his whereabouts and why he didn’t call, but she didn’t. She calmly sat in front of the mirror and began to lotion her body. She chuckled as she rubbed her stomach.

   Marcus raised an eyebrow in amusement. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

   “Oh, nothing,” she said shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. “The baby moved,” she said as she stood up and put on her underwear.

   “Can I feel?”

   “She stopped,” Ciara replied shortly.

   “What’s wrong with you?” he asked wrinkles creasing his forehead, although he knew the answer to the question.

  “Nothing baby,” she sang sweetly as she looked over at him and put on a fake smile. “So, how was your day? Please forgive me, I forgot to ask,” she cooed.

   “You know, work as usual baby,” he said giving her a sideways glance.

   “Oh,” Ciara said, walking back to her closet and pulling out a pair of heels. She still planned on taking her Uggs, because there was no way she would be able to shop comfortably in these. Her only mission was to get a rise out of Marcus and from the look on his face she was doing just that. She walked back into the bedroom and finished dressing. “Aren’t these cute?” she asked extending her legs.

   “Where do you think you are going, with those on?”

   “Shopping, aren’t they cute though? I think they make my legs look longer,” she said standing up. “Okay baby I’m leaving, I should be home in a little while. Don’t wait up,” she said bending over and kissing him on the cheek.

   “Hey,” he said grabbing her by the arm. “Won’t you stay home with your man? I had a stressful day at the office.”

   Ciara wasn’t in the mood for his sob story. “Awe poor baby,” she cooed tenderly stroking the side of his face. “I would stay but I already promised Rayna that I would take her out shopping today. I will bring back something special just for you okay,” she purred sweetly kissing him on the forehead before waddling out of the bedroom.

   Marcus watched her back as she left with a hard frown on his face. He was left stuck on stupid. He couldn’t believe Ciara shot him down. He was usually the one doing all the shooting. He shook his head and ran his hand over his smooth waves. He was losing control and he didn’t like it.

   “What the hell has gotten into her?”