“Ca-can I use your phone?” My voice is low and hoarse thanks to my emotional display.
I don’t want to intercept Zakai’s reply or any other messages, so using Jandra’s phone is imperative, which will allow me to retreat into myself as I need.
“Of course.” Jandra stands and walks to the couch before she retrieves her phone.
With the years of friendship between Jandra and me, it’s easy for me to scroll through her contacts in search of a name that’s tied to me. Once I reach the desired person, I click the phone icon and put the phone to my ear.
“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise. How are you, suga?”
“It’s me, Auntie,” I say on a broken cry that Aunt Emmy instantly responds to.
“What’s wrong, Bunny, and why are you calling from Jandra’s phone instead of yours?”
My breath hitches, and my lip trembles as I wipe my moist face while I take a couple of seconds to gather myself to answer. I take a breath and nod despite Aunt Emmy’s inability to see me.
“Um, I got a call from Rosetta not too long ago, and uh—I don’t know how to handle the things she continues to say. It’s like she purposely sets out to destroy me. I’m so tired, Auntie.” My words become stuck in my mind when Rosetta’s words resurface and sting harder than the initial spew allowed.
“Lord, have mercy. Father in the name—now God, I’ve been trying to show mercy, grace, and patience. But if this hussy continues to hurt my baby, I’m gonna forget that vengeance is yours. I know that you can repay better than I can. But God, this loose neck, soulless trollop doesn’t know when to stop tapdancing on my nerves.” Aunt Emmy might be speaking into the receiver, but from her words, I know she’s not talking to me directly.
I also know from the loud clanging in the background that Aunt Emmy’s patience might be on its last thread. For the first time since the call with Rosetta ended, the tightness in my chest lets up a smidge. It helps me to know that Aunt Emmy has been my advocate my entire life. She’s the holy hood Auntie that will pray while putting her hands on a person. She’s the rescue I’m grateful for having for thirty years.
Now,ordinarily, I’m not the type of man to pull up on folks, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I could also blame it on love or the constant pulse in my neck from Caziya not responding to my last message. Either way, I need to look Caziya in the eyes when she tells me the lie about her sudden sickness. Caziya and I talk daily, even if we don’t see each other, so I’m not sure why she fixed her pretty ass lips to tell me a bald-faced lie. Something is up, and I’m not leaving her spot until I find out what the hell is going on.
I lace up my tennis shoes and walk out of my room after fifteen minutes of inactivity from the text thread between Caziya and me. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I take the steps to the first level of my house two at a time. Thankfully, Kiki is withAsia for the weekend, so I don’t have to worry about bringing her along for this covert mission I’m about to undertake. My mind spins with a thousand and one thoughts as I grab my keys and walk out the front door. It hasn’t been long since I came home from cleaning my car in preparation for tonight’s date.
Tonight’s date was something I was looking forward to because it would allow me to see Caziya in a formal dress. A gala where I would be able to show off my woman in a room full of movers and shakers in the city. It was set to be a night of dancing, mingling, eating, and enjoying the woman who makes me want to please her in subtle ways. Now here I am, with my mind everywhere but on the night ahead, while I drive to Caziya’s apartment. Either the light traffic or my determination to arrive quick has me pulling into a parking spot fourteen minutes later. The drive to Caziya’s place from my house is a good twenty to twenty-five minutes on a good day, but I digress.
I exit my vehicle and jog up to Caziya’s, before banging on the front door as if it owes me money or I’m a rookie officer with the RPD. Voices on the other side have me ready to put my ear to the metal frame to determine who is in my woman’s place of residence.
“Sick my ass,” I grumble before I ball both hands and treat the door like I’m on a drumline with a competition-ready beat.
When the sound of the locks disengaging penetrates my ears, I step back with my hands crossed in front of me. The door opens, and my eyes instantly tighten when an unfamiliar woman comes into view.
“Is there a reason you’re fucking knocking on this door like that?” The dark-skinned woman snarls with her hand on her waist like a mother about to whup their bad ass kid.
“My bad, but I need to see Ziya.”
Before this woman can answer, a second one, who’s about an inch or two shorter, steps beside her. “Who is this, Paula?”
“He hasn’t told me yet.” The woman rolls her eyes, and my blood pressure skyrockets.
“Again, my bad. I’m her man, and I just want to lay eyes on her to make sure that she’s good,” I say.
Both women’s eyes stretch before they look at each other and high-five one another before turning back toward me. The shorter of the two speaks first, which grates my nerves more since they’re still blocking the entrance.
“Oh, so you’re bestie’s new honey dip. Alright now.”
“Zakai, right?” The one I now know is Paula asks.
Momentarily caught off guard by these women knowing my name, I simply nod to confirm that I am who they believe I am. A wide and pleasant smile forms on the second woman’s lips as the two step outside after pulling the door closed.
“I’m Jandra. This is Paula. We’re Caziya’s best friends.”
“It’s nice to meet you both. Is it okay if we get acquainted later? I really need to see Caziya,” I plead.
Heat surges up my neck with every second that passes without me laying eyes on Caziya.
“Okay, so Caziya is finally asleep and we um—we’re trying not to disturb her at this moment.” Jandra stops and turns to look at Paula, and they communicate nonverbally.
