Still thicker than water (26 page)

“
Fucking recession…and niggas still wanna get high,” E quipped.

Jayde tilted down her D&G frames.

“
Fucking recession and niggas will get twice as high…that’s what depression does to you. We’re feeding off the weak. Cashing in their unemployment checks and shit. Shit, we should tell our workers that they need to accept those shits! Bring your fucking unemployment check straight to us!”

Jayde laughed obnoxiously and E chuckled. He thought Jayde was alright, but something about her rubbed him the wrong way, well, except the way she looked.

“
Yeah, that’ll be some shit.”

Jayde took another sip of her drink and turned to E.

“
Did you handle that nigga from the bottom like I told you?”

E had to look around to make sure no one else was present.

“
Told who?”

“
Told
you,
fat mothafucka!” Jayde cracked. “You were sitting right in my office, and I told you to handle that nigga.”

“
Yeah well, I must’ve misunderstood, ‘cause I woulda gracefully declined... I don’t think we should do that anyway,” E stated.

Jayde snatched off her sunglasses and looked at him.

“
It wasn’t a
suggestion
…it was an order.”

E turned and looked at her incredulously.

“
Oh, well I
suggest
…you find out who I take orders from.”

Jayde sucked her teeth.

“
So you will take orders from Chauncey…but not me?”

E chuckled as Chauncey made his way through the sliding doors and out to the back area.

“
I take orders from nobody….but my dick!” E boasted, with arrogance.

Jayde eyed him bitterly and Chauncey approached them.

“
Play nice children,” he soothed, taking the lounge chair between them.

Jayde swung her long legs over the chair and got up, strutting away in her leopard print bikini. She was fuming and they knew it. When she was more than an earshot away, Chauncey turned to E.

“
What’s up yo, you got a problem working hand and hand wit’ a female?”

E shook his head.

“
Nah, I got a problem working hand and hand wit’ a bitch!” E sat up and leaned into Chauncey. “Yo, it's one thing, for her to handle certain things, because you know, this her hometown. But she aint gonna be running me around like a fucking flunky. The bitch aint working wit’ a full deck…Bleek said she just wanna dead that nigga from the bottom 'cause he wouldn’t hit her off wit’ some head!”

Chauncey threw his head back in laughter at the notion.

“
C’mon son, I doubt that’s the case. And what’s the difference, you drop niggas all the time…I know you always got my back when some shit go down.”

E shook his head.

“
She aint you, C. I aint dropping nobody for her personal shit.”

Chauncey nodded and sipped his Heineken.

“
Don’t worry about it…I’ll holla at her.”

Chauncey wondered how he was going to get them to see eye to eye. E would have to understand that between Chauncey and Jayde, many of the decisions would be made. But Jayde would have to understand that E was not like Bleek, he was no one’s soldier. He was a warrior. She would have to respect him.

“
The fucking toilet paper is rough as sand paper!” Jayde barked from inside the house.

“
That’s ‘cause this a man’s shit,” E mumbled. “And she could get out, and go find some Charmin.”

Chauncey laughed.

“
Maybe you should go in there and hit her off wit’ some head, then ya’ll can be friends.”

E looked at him and gave him the middle finger.

“
Fuck you, muhfucka.”

Chauncey laughed harder because he knew E well.

“
Aw man, yeah. You got a problem working with a female,” he concluded.

E twisted his mouth up and took a sip from his beer.

“
A bitch…,” he reiterated. “A bitch.”

“
See, that’s what you get, going jogging and shit like some white woman in Central Park,” Tatum joked, as Sasha cracked up laughing.

“
Shut up, Tay! I told you, I wanna lose like ten pounds. Shit, my ass is getting too big…it looks like yours,” Sasha cracked. Tatum sucked her teeth and laughed sarcastically.

“
Ha...Ha... Ha…whatever!”

Sasha sighed and smiled, glad that she was talking to her best friend. Tatum had returned her call and couldn’t believe the chain of events that Sasha had filled her in on.

“
But seriously Tay, can you believe that bitch had the nerve to show up at my house? Talking about she had something to tell me.”

There was a pause as Tatum pondered on what the reason could have been for Neli’s surprise visit.

“
Yeah, that’s crazy. I would have at least found out what she wanted though.” Tatum was beyond curious.

“
Please Tatum, she wanted to stir up more drama. Probably try to get inside my head or something. Or offer some punk ass apology. But she could save it!”

Tatum nodded, knowing Sasha was probably right, she had other bones to pick with Sasha though.

“
So, what are you gonna do about Chauncey? And I’d hate to say it, but I knew this was gonna happen.” Tatum was not shocked at all to learn that they were fucking.

Sasha bit the skin off of her lip in nervousness and laid down on her couch. She was so conflicted.

“
I don’t know, girl. Why did he have to come and fuck shit up?” Sasha thought aloud.

“
Sasha, it's not Chauncey’s fault. You should’ve never married Mike, knowing that he wasn’t what you wanted.”

Sasha became defensive.

“
Well, I
thought
he was what I wanted.”

“
No, you thought he was what you
needed
.”

Sasha remained quiet, knowing Tatum was right. She wanted to change the subject.

“
So, how’s paradise?” She sang happily. Tatum smiled and shook her head.
Same old Sasha
.

“
Listen Sash, you don’t have to tell me what you’re gonna do, but you
are
gonna have to make a decision, mama. You can’t keep stringing them both along. Chauncey loves you, but he aint the type of dude that’ll take the backseat to Mike for long.” Tatum knew by Sasha’s silence that she was not in the mood for her lectures so she eased up. “And paradise…is amazing. This man…damn.” That’s all Tatum could say.

Sasha smiled, truly happy for her.

“
Aw, Tay. I’m so happy for you. Have you spoken to the girls?”

Tatum broke out of her reflection on her Ree fantasy and thought of her nieces. She missed them dearly.

“
Yeah, they’re actually doing good. Tangee’s crazy about her mother now, and Chanel…she’s crazy about boys. She said she has two male friends now. She goes no, auntie, they’re not my boyfriends. They’re boys, who are friends.”

They both laughed and Sasha snickered.

“
See, I knew that was my secret child right there.”

The girls chit chatted for a few more minutes before Sasha had to leave. She was going to start applying to medical schools, against Mike’s wishes.

He kept reiterating to her that she could just be a housewife. But even in Sasha’s spoiled nature, independence was always a quality she loved to possess. He would just have to deal with it.

“
Knock ‘em dead girl, good luck,” Tatum encouraged.

“
Thanks girl, love you.”

“
Love you, too.” And then they hung up.

“
Miss Trinity, please…why are you doing this?”

“
Shut up, Rodney,” she whispered, pushing him against the wall, and locking the janitorial closet from the inside.

Trinity had Rodney the bell boy under hostage, and he was terrified. She had approached him on the elevator and told him that she needed to speak with him, and when she directed him to the closet and he questioned her in confusion, she pushed him inside. And now, here they were.

“
Please Miss Trinity, I do not want any trouble.”

“
For the last time Rodney, shut the hell up,” she hissed.

Trinity began unbuckling his pants as Rodney breathed hard in bewilderment. All he could think about was his job, his family, and not jeopardizing either.

When she pushed his pants down to his ankles, she could see that he was not erect. Probably from the surprise and fear that he was experiencing.

Shit!

She tried a different approach.

“
Okay Rodney, don’t worry,” she whispered sultrily. “I’m gonna make you feel good, okay? And I won’t tell anyone, it will be our secret.”

She was stroking his dick and whispering in his ear.

Rodney looked around the dark closet anxiously. He was so baffled.

“
Please…I do not want to feel good…I just want to do my job. Please.”

His self righteousness was really pissing her off.

“
Rodney!” She yelled. She realized how aggressive she was coming off and went softer.

“
Rodney, I will pay you… Five hundred dollars, Rodney.”

A million things ran through Rodney’s mind. His wife. His job. How bad he needed that money. But all he really could manage was…

“
Wh…wh…why?”

Trinity licked his ear seductively.

“
Because I want you,” She lied.

She dropped to her knees before he could protest further and took his ashy dick into her moist mouth fully.

“
Oh my,” Rodney gasped, surprised and still rigid and tense.

As she continued, he couldn’t help himself from enjoying it, and he really couldn’t stop his growing erection. Here Trinity was, his manager, his beautiful manager, sucking him off in the closet.

She could feel his dick jump, ready to ejaculate.

Damn, already,
she mused.

She stood up and hiked up her skirt and then leaned against the wall, pulling him in front of her and pushing all five inches of Rodney into her.

“
That’s right Rodney, fuck me. Fuck me baby,” she encouraged. Trinity was moaning sexily, trying to really put him into it. It didn’t take much, and before long Rodney was shouting.

“
Oh my gudness Miss Trinity, it's cumin, it's cumin…oh yes.”

He went to pull out of her but she grabbed him tight and held him close.

“
No!” She screamed. “Keep it in.”

“
Huh?” Rodney asked, still lost in pleasure and in his pre-ejaculatory phase. He pumped in and out of her, feeling himself on the verge.

“
I said keep it in,” she repeated still holding him tight. “Cum in me, Rodney…Cum in me.”

Sasha finger combed her hair as she approached the front door. She stopped at the wall mirror in the entrance hallway and admired her appearance. Her red, knit, HOD sweater dress really hugged her curves and made her caramel complexion and shiny jet black hair sparkle. She smiled in satisfaction and then pulled the door open.

“
Hey,” she greeted Chauncey, casually. She reached into him to take a sleeping Aubrey out of his arms. “How was she?”

“
She was fine…she was, Bri. She’s my daughter Sasha, I wasn’t babysitting,” Chauncey reminded her.

Sasha rolled her eyes.

“
I know that…I was just saying…”

Chauncey looked her up and down as she stood there. He couldn’t get her off of his mind, and he didn’t know how long he would be able to handle this situation with Mike.

“
You look good,” he complimented. She raised her eyebrows as if she wasn’t expecting it, although she was anticipating it.

“
Really… thanks.”

Chauncey nodded and placed his hands in his jeans.

“
Can I come in?”

“
For what?” Sasha shot back, defensively. She wanted to look good to him, she wanted him to want her, but she didn’t want to become weak and sleep with him.

Chauncey chuckled at her suspicion.