Page 38

The waitress walked up, and we ordered enough food for at least four people. Wings, crab dip, fried green tomatoes, and some loaded fries. That was just starters. Then we ordered a few lemon drops to top it off. When the drinks came, Jaharee held her glass up.

“To healing and getting yo’ life back.”

“To healing,” I said and tried to tap her glass.

“Bitch and getting yo’ life back.”

“And getting my life back,” I said with an attitude.

I knew exactly what Jaharee meant. She had no idea how much she had pushed me an inch closer to feeling a little better about trying to move on. Not from grief, but from staying in the same place for too long. My mind was still on the scene where I found my husband. That is where I had been for the last two months. Being with Jaharee today made me happy. I had laughed and smiled until my cheeks were hurting. She had renewed my energy without even really trying. I forgot how much fun we used to have when we linked up. Every woman needed another woman that understood that life had a way of knocking the fuck out of us, and they never judged you. Jaharee had been a beacon of light that I desperately needed.

CHAPTER 11

SHAMEEK

Irolled over and caressed Nikki’s back as she slept. After all the shit that went down the other day, I had some making up to do and I think I had done a good job. After a few stacks of money, some gifts, and good dick, Nikki had taken me out of the doghouse for leaving her hanging. For the last two days, she had been at my house. I eased the cover off me and went to the bathroom to shower. Since my operation had been infiltrated, I was in the process of changing a few things up. I wasn’t taking another chance after a muthafucka, I put on decided to steal from me. Thankfully, financially I didn’t take a loss. That wasn’t what bothered me. It was how easy the shit had been for him to pull off. The only reason he got caught was because of the trackers.

By the time I got out of the shower, Nikki was just waking up. I was trying to head out before she woke up so I wouldn’t have to go into the whole explaining myself and how long I was going to be gone. I had laid up long enough with her, and it was time to get things moving again.

“Where you going?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“I need to go and handle some business for the day. You can stay here if you want.”

“And how long is that going to take?”

Here we fucking go. It was always the questions.

“I don’t know how long this shit is gonna take. It can be a few hours or the whole day.”

Nikki threw the cover off and got up.

“I’m going to head home.”

What did she want me to do? Beg her to stay when all I was doing was being honest.

“Can I ask you somethin’?” I asked as I started getting dressed.

“Yes.”

“What’s wit’ yo’ attitude when I can’t sit up under you all day?”

“I took time off, Shameek. To be with you for a few days. Now you’re leaving me here to go and handle your business when I could be doing the same.”

I chuckled. “I’ve literally laid up with you for two days, bruh. I did that in the process of shuttin’ my operation down until I came up wit’ a plan. Now that I have a plan, I need to put it into action.”

“Okay.”

“Nikki, if you’re unhappy wit’ a nigga, you don’t have to fuck wit’ me. Go be happy somewhere else. I can’t sit under yo’ ass twenty-four seven. Not if you plan on continuing to receive the gifts that I give you.”

“Fuck the gifts, Shameek. I want a man.”

“Yeah, take yo’ ass on. Not once have I not been a man.”

“Oh, you putting me out now.”

“No, I’m tellin’ you to take yo’ ass on before we get into it. When we first started fuckin’ ‘round, you knew what I did for a livin’. You said it was cool. As the years have gone by and the more money rolls in, the more attitude you got.”

“Because by now, I thought I would’ve been a wife like Kyenna.”