What About Us: A Crazy Love Story

What About Us

Lock Down Publications

Presents

What About Us

A Novel by
Kim Kaye

Lock Down Publications

P.O. Box 1482

Pine Lake, Ga 30072-1482

Copyright 2015 What About Us Kim Kaye

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in review.

First Edition September 2015

Printed in the United States of America

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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Cover design and layout by:
Dynasty’s Cover Me

Book interior design by
: Shawn Walker

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I want to give thanks to The Most High for his continued blessings in my life. Although times have been trying the last couple of months, I know things happen for a reason. Thanks for guiding me through all of life’s trials and tribulations.

To The LDP family: Thank you for welcoming me with open arms. Although I have only been signed for a short while, the unity this team shares is amazing. I wish I could thank you all individually but I hate doing that in case I forget someone. Just know that I can’t wait until I can work with each of you.

To Ca$h: Thank you for helping me out of my last situation. I am glad to be a part of LDP! I can’t wait to learn from you as you guide me to new heights in my writing career. You are extremely good at what you do. I am glad you welcomed me with open arms. Thanks, homie!

To Dynasty: I swear you always do the damn thing when designing my covers. I can’t wait to see what the cover for Part 2 will look like. But I already know it will be nothing but the best. Thanks so much for all you do to help each of my books get to the top!

To my former crew at Gutta: I will truly miss working with you guys, especially Authoress Redd. Thanks for helping me get my writing career off of the ground. I will forever be indebted to you for taking a chance on an unknown writer from Cleveland. I wish you, Shawn and Kenya nothing but the best and continued success!

To my friends and family: Thanks to all of you who have supported me on my journey.

To all of my readers, bloggers, radio shows and other supporters, thank you! Without your support there would be no me. I am glad you all took a chance on an up and coming writer.

As always, keep rocking with your girl and I will continue to keep bringing you this fiyah!

Love Always,

Kim Kaye

Chapter One

Ja’nelle

Every picture tells a story, but sometimes it’s hard to know what story is actually being told.

-Anastasia Hollings

I am so fed up with this damn job! I’ve been working here for the last year and I am sick of how the welfare recipients come in here, loading up my damn belt with all this damn food and shit! I fucking hate working at Wal-Mart! If it wasn’t for my baby girl, I would say fuck this place!

I plaster on my fake customer service smile, as I continue with this ghetto bird’s transaction.

I mean really? Who comes out in public with a rag wrapped around their head, in some Betty Boop pajama pants?

“Your food stamps total is $375.89 and your cash total is $15.07,” I politely say to her.

“What do you mean my cash total? I didn’t buy anything that couldn’t be bought with stamps!”

Here we go again. This is that bullshit that makes me want to quit! I have got to find me a better job.

“You purchased toilet paper, as well as a case of beer. Those are not items that can be purchased with food stamps. Would you like to remove those two items from your order, ma’am?”

I always offer a solution, before I call a manager.

“At the corner store by my house, you can buy whatever you want with stamps.”

I can tell now, that this is going to get out of hand, so I flip my light. It’s now blinking to get the attention of a manager.

“That is against the law and I am not permitted to override the purchases. Would you like for me to remove the items or are you going to pay for them with cash, credit, or debit?”

At this point, I’m done with this situation.

Where is a damn manager when you need one?

I applied two weeks ago for the general manager position, but they haven’t promoted me yet. This is why we need to have two managers up here at all times, during the first of the month. It’s always hectic during this time, and I would think that they would know that by now.

“I didn’t bring any cash with me, but I still want my beer and tissue,” I hear her say.

I have already turned my back on her, so I that I can wave someone over who has keys. I’m supposed to be on break any damn way!

“I’ll pay for her things, if that’ll help speed things up,” I hear a male voice say.

When I turn back around, I immediately replace my frown with a smile.

This man is fine!

He is about 6’2” and the color of honey. He also has a nice smile, which includes two platinum fangs. Yes, he was a little rough around the edges, but I like it.

“Thank you so much. My name is Angel, but my friends call me Peaches,” the ghetto bird says, giving him a big hug.

I can tell that she is just trying to rub all up on him. I don’t blame her one bit either. He reminds me of the rapper, Nelly.

“You can swipe your EBT card and then I can continue to ring your order sir, if that is how you want it done?” I say, completely ignoring the female.

“We can ring it all together if that makes things easier for you, Ma?” He gave me a sexy half smile that gets my panties all in a bunch.

What is wrong with me? I have a husband and a child at home for Christ sakes!

“Like I was saying; thanks so much. I didn’t catch your name?”

I give ghetto bird props. She is very persistent in her quest to find out his name.

“My bad, my name is Jabari. I don’t mind helping out a sister in need.”

He smiled that sexy smile again. I’m so far gone; that I forgot to turn off my light and the manager finally arrives.

“What’s the problem Ja’nelle?” She asks, popping her damn gum in my ear.

“I forgot to turn off my light. Everything has been handled.”

“Okay, hit your light. John wants to see you before you go on lunch. Finish ringing these two out and I’ll move everyone else over to register one.”

I waste no time turning my light completely off. I am so hungry, that I can actually feel my stomach doing summersaults.

“Thanks for shopping at Wal-Mart have a nice day!” I say, trying to rush the ghetto bird out of my line. I am now ready to go to lunch.

“Thanks again, Jabari!” She says, while switching way too hard in those damn pajama pants. I bet that she wishes she had worn a better outfit now.

“Can you believe her? She was actually trying to get beer and toilet tissue on food stamps,” Jabari said laughing, as I continue to scan his items on the belt.

“You would be surprised at the things that happen, here at Wally World. Your total is $124.82. Will that be cash, check, credit or debit?”

“That’ll be cash.”

He keeps on giving me that half smile. He knows that it’s sexy.

Maybe I’m just imagining things...

He gives me $125.00 and I return his change of 18¢.

“Thanks for shopping at Wal-Mart. Have a nice day.”

“It would be a nicer day if you give me your number, so that I can call you later.”

“I’m gonna have to pass. I’m a married woman. Thanks anyway though.”

I turn to walk away fast, because it’s no telling what I’ll do if I stay near this fine ass man.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Ja’nelle!” Jabari calls out from behind me.

I turn and then I smile at him. Afterwards, I continue to the restroom before I head to John’s office.

John is the general manager of the store. He will be retiring next month and is looking for his replacement. During high school and college, I was the assistant manager at Rainbow clothing store. Therefore, I am more than qualified for the position.

When I walk into his office, he is on the phone. He motions for me to take a seat. I can tell from his conversation, that he is on the phone with his wife.

“Sorry about that, Ja’nelle. That was the wife; I had to take that call.”

“Not a problem, sir.”

I am a little nervous. I don’t know why he called me in the office. I hope that it’s not to tell me that I’m not getting the job.

“As you know, I’m retiring soon. I want to give the position to someone who knows the ins and outs of the store and who is also good at handling stressful situations. A person who can relate to each of the workers and who will also be able to make executive decisions when the time calls for it....”

Will he get to the fucking point already!? Either I got the job or I didn’t!

“Excuse me, Ja’nelle; did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes, sir I did.”

I didn’t hear shit that he just said.

“I would think that you would be a little more excited about becoming general manager, Ja’nelle.”

Did he just say I was the General Manager?!

“I’m very excited sir, just taking it all in.”

“Very well, you will be shadowing my every move until my last day. You can take the rest of the day off, with pay of course. I plan to see you here bright and early tomorrow morning; No later than 7:30.”

“Thank you so much for the opportunity, sir. I promise; I won’t let you down.”

“I’m sure that you won’t. Now I have to inform the others of why they didn’t get the position. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

“I certainly will. See you tomorrow!”

I jump from my seat and then I rush towards the exit. I am so happy to be free of the cash register and all those miserable heifers on the front end, I don’t even know what to do with myself.

I am walking with my head down, searching for my phone in my purse. Suddenly I bump so hard into someone that I fall flat on my ass.

“I’m so sorry. I was looking in my purse and walking at the same time,” I say, taking the hand of the person that I bumped into. I am so embarrassed.

“The pleasure is all mines, Ja’nelle.”

It’s Jabari; the cute guy from my line earlier.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were stalking me.” I said as I began wiping my butt off.

“I ain’t ever had to stalk a woman before, Ma. I just wanted to get that number before I leave, so I decided to wait around for you.”

“I already told you that I was a married woman. What makes you think that I will be giving you my number?” I say, walking away from him.

All I need is for one of these hating ass bitches to see me talking to Jabari. They wouldn’t hesitate to tell Hasaan, my husband; especially since he works here on the weekends.

“Because, I can tell that you’re feeling a nigga. We can just be friends. No one said that we had to get physical. Although I would be lying if I said that I’m not imagining you bending over in my bed, and me hitting that fat ass you got from the back.”

He is so bad....but I like it! Hell, he is turning me on!

“Listen here, Jabari; I’m not sure what you are expecting from me. But I’m a married woman, so I don’t just go around giving my number to strange men that I just meet. Have a nice day!”

I’m not going to lie; I had to make myself walk away. It is something so sexy and alluring about Jabari, that it makes me want to know more.

“You may be married but you ain’t happy, Ma. If you were, then you wouldn’t be switching that ass hard so that I will notice. So stop playing around and let me get them digits. A nigga really ain’t beat for all this back and forth.”

“Like I said, I’m married. And I was not shaking my ass harder. You are a real cocky muthafucka and I don’t like that shit one bit.”

I hit the locks on my car. I was about to grab the handle, when Jabari suddenly grabs my shoulder from behind.

“My bad, for the way that I just came at you; I’m just really feeling your style, Ma. Why don’t you take my number and give me a call, whenever married life gets too hectic for you.”

I don’t know why I took his number that day....

Now here I am three years later, standing in front of friends and family watching him about to marry my little sister.

I can’t believe this shit . . . .

I’ve been giving Jabari all of me, yet he still is about to marry my little sister. Everyone thinks that I’m pregnant by Hasaan, but this is Jabari’s baby. I haven’t had sex with Hasaan without protection in years.

He just thinks that it happened the night the condom broke, a while back. But if my calculations are correct, I was already a month pregnant by that time. I always make sure to poke holes in the condoms that me and Jabari use.

He leaves the getting protection up to me, because he doesn’t want to risk Jazzy finding them. Well that is his fault, not mine. And if everything goes my way, he won’t be with Jazzy for long.

I hope this doesn’t take too long. Reverend Stokes can be a bit long winded.

“A woman’s place is with a man. A man cannot fully be considered a man, without his wife by his side. Love is a beautiful thing. Black love is the most beautiful form of love that there is. Does anyone here today object to this union? Speak now, or forever hold your peace.”

I look at my mother out in the crowd and I shake my head. She is crying hard as hell. She is so full of shit. Im sure that she doesn’t want them married, any more than me. I was pleading with her to say something....anything to stop this marriage from happening.

All eyes are focused on the back of the church, when the doors suddenly swing open wide. A ghetto bird walks in with a baby on her hip. She is also dragging another snotty nose child behind her.

“I object! Jabari, how in the hell did you think that you were gonna get married without me finding out?”

All eyes zoom to my sister. She is in Jabari’s face, yelling and screaming. Next thing I know, her simple ass hits the floor.

Oh my fucking goodness! W
hat the fuck is going on here and who in the fuck is this bitch?