“JJ—" My words were cut short as I jumped from JJ’s embrace at the sound of TJ’s voice.
“Baby, are you okay?” Under the streetlight, I could see the anger already forming on his face. He sneered. “What the fuck are you doing, Blossom?”
“Say, my boy… Watch your fuckin’ words when you talking to her.” JJ pulled me behind him. “You can poke your chest out with all that huffin’ and puffin’, but we both know you ain’t gone do shit. Talk to her fuckin’ nice or don’t talk to her at all, bitch.”
Hearing JJ take up for me caused my knees to buckle. My middle followed my legs lead and was thumping in ways it never had before. This man’s brash personality had turned me on, but the way he was standing up for me in this moment turned me on even more.
“That’s my bitch!” TJ hissed, stepping to JJ. “You think that just because your bitch-ass father?—”
Wham!
JJ said nothing as he delivered a right hook that had TJ snoring on the pavement. With my mouth and eyes wide, I watched as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared down at TJ. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I needed to diffuse what was left of the situation.
“JJ…” I spoke his name softly, only to be ignored. Stepping in front of him, I placed my shaky hand on his cheek. “Jaseon!”
Snapping his eyes to mine, he stared for a moment before blinking, his facial expression softening. It was as if he were in a trance, and I had brought him out of it. His eyes remained fixed on me as his body began to relax too.
“I almost killed that nigga…” He shook his head as he laughed dryly. “You okay? You want me to take you home?”
“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” I nibbled my bottom lip and eyed a still sleeping TJ. “When he wakes up, he’s going to be pissed if I left him on the ground to let another man take me to my house.”
Even with everything that had happened and all the new information surfacing about TJ’s discrepancies, I was still being loyal to him. However, there was no doubt about it; he and I would be having a conversation tomorrow. This relationship was as good as over.
“That nigga can’t beat my ass and seeing what your pretty ass did back there to ole boy, I don’t think he can beat yours either.” I couldn’t help but groan and cover my face from embarrassment. “Nah, Ali… Don’t hide from me now.” He chuckled as he pulled my hands down. “Deadass, though, you good? How you getting home?”
“I’m going to call my best friend.” I removed my phone from my purse to call Stacy. “I promise.”
Taking my phone from me, I watched as he typed his number and saved it. After calling himself to get mine, he handed it back to me.
“Call me if that nigga wakes up and gets stupid. Or call me when you want me to scratch that itch that I know he can’t. Either way, call me. I’m saved under Daddy.” Stepping to me, he lifted my chin and placed two small kisses on my lips. “See you later, Bloss Baby.”
Stepping over TJ like he was a piece of shit on the sidewalk, he winked at me before he me alone, disappearing into the night.For a few minutes, all I could do was stare at where he’d gone and will myself not to call out for him to take me wherever the hell he wanted.
“B-Baby… What happened?” TJ moaned, holding his head as he lifted from the ground. “Blossom?”
Seeing that he was fine, I ignored him as I dialed Stacy to come get me. Tonight had been too much, and I was more than ready to go home. I had washed my hands of Rowan and TJ at once. It was best they both bow out, especially the latter, because something told me that JJ was not one to mess with and that he would actually hurt TJ. Worse, I believed every word JJ said about being the relief I needed for the fire burning inside of me. To say I was scared by how much I wanted him to put it out would’ve been an understatement.
“Baby, it’s me. I know you’re mad about the other night, but it’s not what you think. It’s been three fuckin’ days, Blossom! How do you expect us to fix this shit if you won’t answer the muthafuckin’ phone! Why the fuck—Baby, just call me back. I love you.”
“That nigga sounds like a bitch!” Stacy mumbled as she bit into her breakfast sandwich.
I was letting her listen to the third voicemail of the morning from TJ, and I was sure he’d send another before we finished our breakfast. The office was set to open in a few minutes, so we decided to grab a quick meal before we officially began our day.
“I’m still mad you didn’t let me put my feet on that nigga like I wanted. You think I picked you up with steel-toed shoes on for nothing?”
Coughing uncontrollably, I almost choked to death on my coffee. The night she picked me up from the gala, it almost took God himself to come down from Heaven to keep Stacy from showing her ass. I left TJ there, dazed and confused, and stayed the night with my best friend.
“There was no need, friend. JJ had done enough.” I couldn’t help the way I grinned when I spoke his name. “That man had no regard for TJ being an officer of the law. Is it sad to say that turned me on?”
The morning after that disaster of an event, I woke up to dozens of missed calls from people asking me if I was okay. I wasn’t too shocked that the local news didn’t report anything, but it was only a matter of time before a picture was leaked to the press. My father was pissed, and rightfully so. He was mad about Rowan embarrassing the family, but he was more upset with how he’d humiliated me. I assured him I was fine, and I was because Rowan’s behavior and TJ’s reaction confirmed everything I needed to act on the feelings I had about ending my relationship with TJ.
“Let me tell you something…” Stacy started, pausing to smack on her food, reaching over to grab a few of my hash rounds. “If you don’t want that fine-ass doctor, I’ll take him. You know I like them fine and crazy. Have you talked to him?”
I shrugged, trying to play off the butterflies JJ gave me. “We’ve spoken here and there. He called that next morning to make sure I was okay and to let me know the offer still stood if I wanted him to ‘handle him.’ Is it bad that I find him attractive? I mean, TJ and I are pretty much over, but I shouldn’t be thinking about another man, right?”
TJ could send all the voicemails and texts he wanted, but I knew I was done. All it took was one time to embarrass me and have me looking like a fool. I knew he and I weren’t having sex, but I still expected him to be committed to me since he knew allmy expectations beforehand. If he wanted to be sexual with the women Rowan spoke of, more power to him. He just wouldn’t be doing that with the title of being my man.
“You act as if you’re a married woman who’s planning on stepping out of your marriage.” Stacy rolled her eyes as she stood from her desk to discard our trash. Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was almost nine, so I needed to head to my office. “You’re single, Blossom, and I’ll be damned if it’s not time to mingle.”
