Trife Life To Lavish (A King Production Presents...) (6 page)

"Not yet, but I'm sure it's coming."

"You sounding awfully confident over there.
What makes you think that?" Tierra wanted to know.

"Because last night, Carmelo said he wanted
us to move in together."

"A-a-a-a-nd? a lot of niggas un told me the
same shit, but as you can see, I'm still living alone.
And some of them sorry motherfuckers be trying to
move up in any shit, and don't wanna pay no bills.
Please!" Tierra said, shaking her head.

"Well, he gave me a set of keys," Nichelle
said, pulling them out of her purse, "To our new
condo in Hunter View. He's showing it to me today
so we can start picking out furniture to decorate."
Both of the girls' mouths dropped.

"You talking about the same Hunter View
in Long Island City?" Simone asked, completely
stunned.

Yep.

"Them shits is off the chain! They're those
brand new glass and steel buildings. I knew Carmelo
was making paper, but not like that!" Tierra said,
unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I guess all those trips out of town have really
paid off," Nichelle smiled.

"I guess so," Tierra mumbled.

As the waitress put their extra large cheese
pizza on the table, Tierra continued to be perplexed.
She didn't understand how Nichelle had managed
to make such a come-up without even trying, and
she was barely holding on to her shit while she
was putting in work every damn day.

Tierra had a lot of love for Nichelle, but she
didn't think she was ready to be wifed by any baller
out in the streets. To her, Nichelle was a very pretty
girl, but in a young, naive looking way. She didn't
have that "in your face" sex appeal that Tierra
proudly flaunted. It was annoying her that she was
supposed to be the "Head Bitch In Charge", but
somehow, Nichelle had managed to one-up her.

"I'm happy for you, Nichelle," Tierra managed
to say, trying to play off her discontent.

Simone frowned up her lip and rolled her
eyes at Tierra's blatant lie.

"I knew you would be. So now you understand
why I can't go with you on that date. Carmelo is
the real deal. I can't ruin that."

"I feel you. I guess that leaves you, Simone."

"I told you I'm done wasting time wit' dude."

"Just do it this one last night. I really need
some money, and every time we all go on a date
together, Radric hits me off wit' some paper."

"You getting hit off wit' some paper, and I
can't even get no dick. That's some lopsided shit
right there."

"Simone, you know begging ain't my thing,
but I will. A bitch is broke, and I need your
assistance. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"You better! But I don't understand why you
can't go on the date by yourself."

"Because, right now Radric is like a little kid
who is so happy to be at the playground with his
best friend. He wants to include Renny in every
fuckin' thing he do. Hopefully, his excitement will
die down soon, and we can do our own thing
without Renny tagging along."

"Yeah, you better hope it happens real soon,
because just like you need to make some money,
so do I."

"Hey Ma," Nichelle called, opening the door
to her mother's bedroom.

"Hi, baby. I wasn't expecting you to be home so
early. I just knew you would be out with Carmelo."

"Yeah, he had some business to take care
of. Plus, I wanted to talk to you about something
anyway." Nichelle sat down next to her mother on
the bed.

"Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, you can get that worried look off
of your face."

"Good. Now, tell me what's going on. You
know I have to get ready to go to my night job in
a little while."

"Then I better not beat around the bush.
Carmelo wants us to move in together."

Sheila continued getting her cleaning service
uniform out of the closet, not giving any reaction
to what Nichelle just said.

"Ma, did you hear me?"

"I heard you, but I don't know what you want
me to say. You can't possibly expect me to give my
approval. You're only seventeen, Nichelle."

"I know, but I'll be eighteen before you know
it. I'm always with Carmelo anyway, and you're
hardly ever home."

"Still, that ain't no reason for you to be
shacking up with no man."

"But I thought you liked Carmelo."

"Liking Carmelo ain't got nothing to do with
this."

"Then what is it?"

"I was your age when I left my mother's house and moved in with a man. It was the worst mistake
of my life. The only good thing that came out of that
was you, and..." Sheila's voice trailed off.

"Me, and what?"

"Nothing," Sheila said, not wanting to relive
such a painful time in her life.

"Are you talking about my dad?"

"It doesn't matter, Nichelle. The point is,
when you're young, you think with your heart and
not your head. My mother never stopped me from
doing what I wanted to do, and I'm not going to
stop you."

"Are you saying I can move in with Carmelo?"

"What I'm saying is, you gon' do what you
wanna do anyway. Because when you start laying
down with a man, you become one with that man.
So at this point, it don't even matter what I want,
because you're going to do what he wants. I work
three jobs, and I'm too tired to be chasing you
around trying to tell you what to do."

"Ma, you know I care about what you want."

"That's probably true, but I guarantee you care
about what he wants more. I know this, because
I've been where you're at right now. Just remember,
you better think twice about the decision you're
making. Because when you start acting grown, you
get yourself caught up in grown people shit."

Nichelle sat there for a minute, digesting
what her mother had said. She knew there could be some consequences moving in with Carmelo,
but she was willing to take her chances. Carmelo
represented the stability she desperately wanted
since losing the man she considered to be her father
at such a young age. She yearned to feel wanted
and loved. That is what Carmelo gave her, and she
wouldn't let anything or anyone keep them apart.

For many who get a taste of being on top, they
develop a compulsion that only money and material
gain can soothe. When it seems to be slipping
through their fingers, only then can you see how
low they will go to hold on to it.

"Baby, I can't believe we're living together.
You're the best thing that has ever happened to
me." Nichelle turned over and kissed Carmelo as
they lay in bed.

"I feel the same way about you."

"Really?"

"No doubt."

"Why do you love me?"

"Huh?" Carmelo asked, taken off guard by
the question.

"Why do you love me? I mean, you can have any
girl in Queens, or any other borough, so why me?"

"Why not you? Who wouldn't want to wake
up to you every day, and go to sleep with you
every night. Especially since you got those braces
taken off," he teased.

"Shut up!" Nichelle said, hitting him with her
pillow. "I'm being serious right now."

"Okay, I'll be serious too." Carmelo sat up and
pulled Nichelle close to his chest, staring deeply in
her eyes. I love your loyalty to Tierra, even though
I don't feel she deserves it. But I know if you're
that loyal to her, there is no limit with how far
you would ride for me. I love how you care about
how other people feel, and you put their needs
first. I love how you don't even realize how special
you truly are. But most of all, I love how you feel
when I'm inside of you." Carmelo smiled, and
began gently kissing Nichelle's lips. He then lifted
her hair up, and showered her neck with soft but
sturdy kisses. As his fingers caressed her hardened
nipples, Nichelle laid back and her legs instantly
opened, begging for the dick her body had begun
to depend on.

"Baby, I hope you'll always love me," Nichelle
whispered, between inviting moans.

"I will, until the day I die," Carmelo said, in a
low voice as he entered her, hypnotizing Nichelle
with his words and his manhood.

Tierra sat on the bed watching Radric smoke
a blunt while he and Renny cursed out the Knicks
for getting their asses kicked-again. She was
tired of sitting in the hotel room, bored as shit, but
leaving wasn't an option. She needed money, and
she wasn't leaving until she got it.

"Baby, you wanna take a hit?" Radric extended
his arm in her direction, holding the blunt.

"You go `head, I'm good." Tierra didn't want
anything fucking up her focus. She knew Radric
had that powerful shit. She didn't want to take a
chance of her brain becoming so mellow and lazy
that she would forget to ask for that dough she
needed.

"You looking all bored over there. Why don't
you call one of your homegirls and have them come
over to keep you company?" Radric suggested.

"I thought you were supposed to be doing that."

"I have to keep my man, Renny company.
If you would've had Simone come with you, you
wouldn't be complaining right now."

"I told you Simone was busy, and you know
Nichelle's living with her man now, so she's on lock."

"Then I guess you better start looking for some
new friends, or entertain yourself," Radric joked.

"Funny!" Tierra folded her arms and side eyed Radric.

"Nichelle; that's the girl who came over a few
weeks back to baby-sit for Simone," Renny casually
inquired.

"Yep, that's her."

"Ain't she a little young to be moving in with
a man?"

"I guess her mama and man don't think so,
because they are for sure shacking up in a fly ass
condo in Long Island City, playing house. I'm just
waiting for her to tell me she's knocked up."

"What condo building is it?" Radric was
competitive when it came to what another baller
had. He liked to try and figure out if the next man
was racking in more cheddar than he was.

"Those new joints, Hunter View," Tierra
informed him.