I’m not sure what’s all in the drink, but the cherries and pineapples sitting at the top, along with the pineapple and orange flavors bursting on my tongue, make knowing pointless. I will definitely be drinking multiple of these concoctions tonight.
“I bet you taste better,” Kelvin says, licking his lips seductively, causing my body temperature to rise as a tingle invades my core.
“I wo—” My words are cut off when someone enters our space.
“Oh my gosh. I was wondering why your location was pinging here. This place is beautiful and perfect for an anniversary staycation.” An unknown feminine voice behind me prevents me from responding to Kelvin when her arms wrap around him.
What the fuck?
“H-h-hey,” Kelvin stutters, his eyes bouncing from me to the woman beside him.
“Happy tenth wedding anniversary, Kelvie Pooh!” The announcement beside me is like a bucket of ice water, causing an instant frown.
This nigga is not only married but has been for a decade. Fuck my life!
I can’t breathe past the sudden ache in my body as I replay the newcomer’s words. My nerves feel like they’re shutting down, making me numb. My brain short-circuits, and every muscle in my body tenses as I fight to process what’s happening. My eyes burn because I refuse to release the moisture welling up within me as I sit here pretending that I’m not a recipient of a deceitful man. My shoulders tighten as pain radiates downmy back from the instant knots replacing the calmness from seconds ago.
I pick up my drink and drain its contents while Kelvin and his wife share a moment of marital joy over the accomplishment. Kelvin is no longer focusing on me, making this moment awkward and fueling my need to forget I ever knew him.
“You want another drink?” the bartender asks.
“Yeah, keep them coming,” I say, frowning when Kelvin kisses his wife before quickly escorting her from the bar. “Fuck nigga.” My face contorts, and my blood heats to volcanic proportions at being caught off guard by Kelvin.
Everything I had built in my mind about the potential for Kelvin and me growing into something lasting collapses with every passing minute. The continuous heaviness within my bones has me desperate for a time machine to transport me back to a moment when I didn’t accept Kelvin’s advances. Discovering his marital status in such a cliché way has my mood souring, and the urge to drink until I can no longer feel my face takes shape in my mind. Knowing that the last five months of my life have been wasted isn’t sitting right with me. My lip trembles, and my eyes burn from the water building that I fight to control in this public place.
I feel gutted, capable of setting something on fire, all while wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. My mind echoes my reality as my heart splinters, and intense pain radiates rapidly across my chest.
Married! Kelvin is married. Oh my God, I’m a fucking mistress.
My stomach tightens, and the urge to vomit enters my mind, pulling my eyes from Kelvin. I look around the area before connecting with an unknown man, whose compelling yet magnetic dark brown eyes cause a shiver to run down my spine. Instead of looking away, I stare at the man whosefeatures are so perfect and symmetrical that my body heats subconsciously. Between the deep oceanic waves of his low-cut fade, his pristinely cut beard, and suckable lips, I feel like I’m in a momentary trance.
“Daddy, juice.”Zakiyah’s sweet yet squeaky voice snaps me out of the memory my brain had somehow spiraled into.
Zakiyah Eternity Tillman is my reason for getting up every morning and my why for going hard each day. Zakiyah is two, and I often think about the day her mother selfishly dropped her on my doorstep. What’s wilder than that is that Danica’s selfish nature didn’t stop with that single act. Even though Danica left a birth certificate for Zakiyah with my last name, Danica’s words didn’t hold merit to me. After calling the police for them to meet me at Danica’s spot, it was discovered that Danica had taken her life.
Danica had taken the time to call and inform the police of her intention in advance. Upon their arrival, they found a suicideletter where Danica blamed me for her actions and said that her life wasn’t worth living anymore. Initially, Danica’s parents took Zakiyah, believing me to be a monster responsible for causing their child’s actions. I let them take the baby, but I also made an appointment at the hospital for a DNA test the next day. It was unbelievable how Danica and her parents could point the finger at me for something she did.
Hell, the reason I broke up with Danica was that her trifling ass had been spreading her pussy around Ribax like butter on toast. The shock and joke were on me when the paternity test confirmed that I was Zakiyah’s father, which had me instantly becoming a single father nearly two weeks after learning of her existence. To make matters worse, Danica’s parents have been refusing to deal with Zakiyah. Their initial willingness to raise Zakiyah vanished the moment the test results came back. It’s cool, though. My baby will always be straight and doesn’t need those fair-weather folks.
“Juice, Daddy,” Zakiyah whines, causing me to look at her holding her sippy cup out toward me.
Zakiyah makes being a single father at thirty-three worth the sleepless nights I have whenever she’s sick while erasing any lingering frustration I have with her mother. As a policy analyst, I make enough money to support myself and Zakiyah, but sometimes I still find myself feeling lonely at the end of the night. I also find myself wondering if I’m doing all that I can for my daughter while occasionally overcompensating her minimal requests due to her mother’s absence.
“I’m sorry, Kiki. I got you.” Standing, I pick Zakiyah up and take the cup before heading toward the food and drink station to refill her beverage.
Looking at Zakiyah, I already know that she’s fighting sleep. Her juice request is only going to push her over the edge, whichhappens within twenty minutes, before my dad comes to grab her from me.
“I’m not sure how I feel about my niece being in the middle of that melee,” my sister Asia says, bringing my attention from the dance floor where my parents are dancing.
Asia Tillman is six years my junior, but our bond has become stronger over the last two years, courtesy of my daughter. Asia ensures that Zakiyah doesn’t feel a lack of a mother figure. She has also helped me perfect my ponytail game so my daughter never leaves the house looking disheveled.
“She’s in good hands, or did you forget that those two raised the two of us?”
Zakiyah is being held by Dad, who’s smiling wide while my poor daughter obviously sleeps through it all. My parents are celebrating their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary with a party that Asia and I put together for them.
“So embarrassing. By the way, do you still need me to be your plus one for your work party?” Asia asks.
“If you can pull yourself away from reruns ofScandallong enough to pity your big brother.”
