I stood there, swiping picture after picture of Lisa and me. From nights at each other’s homes to dates out in public to pictures of where I’d put my hands on her, I shuddered as the pictures of her and me didn’t end. Blossom had caught me red-handed, and there was no way I could get out of this shit.
“Baby, I don’t love her.” I sighed and handed her the phone back. “I’m a man with needs?—”
“The only thing youneedto do is get the hell outta my office,” she spoke with so much heat in her tone. I could see the hurt in her eyes, and that fucked me up. “There’s nothing to explain or justify, TJ. I don’t like liars, cheaters, or woman beaters. Rowan was right, you don’t give a fuck about me. Get out of my office and get the fuck out of my life.”
Blossom had always been a meek woman. She never wanted to show her hand or show you know what she was feeling. She had learned how to mask her emotions and use her words to convey her mood and thoughts. Having spent years as a politician’s daughter, she had mastered the skill. The woman before me now, though, was full of rage. She was emotionless and yet pissed the fuck off. I could feel the wrath rolling off her. Her silence is what scared me more than anything. If she hit meagain, or even cursed me out and cried, I would know where she and I stood. However, now, I wasn’t so sure.
“I know you’re upset, but baby, I love you.” I stepped toward her, causing her to take one back. It made me clench my fist, but I deserved her reaction. “You’re my heart, Blossom. You can’t leave me.”
“Leave you?” She shook her head, opening her office door. “I never had you to begin with. No man of mine would ever do the things you’ve done. If this were all about sex, I did right by keeping the most sacred part of me to myself. You’re a selfish man, Tyreek, and I hope karma tears your ass up. It’s bad enough that I don’t know the man that’s stalking me, but I don’t know you either.”
“Stalker?” I stared at her face, which was void of emotion. “Why is this my first time hearing about this?”
Crossing her arms, she said nothing. We engaged in a stare-off before I decided to leave. Blossom was stubborn, and if she didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t. Dropping my shoulders, I decided it was best to go.
“Here, these are for you.” I stopped before leaving her office, handing her the lilies. “I’m going to make this shit right. I know I fucked up, and for that, I’m sorry. I love you.”
Snatching the flowers, she jerked her head back and curved me as I moved in to kiss her cheek. I clenched my teeth in anger, but this shit was on me. Lisa was on my shit list, and I couldn’t wait to leave here and find her ass.
“To the left… To the left…” Stacy sang as I made my way through the lobby. “Good riddance.”
Ignoring her smiles, I tucked my tail and left the suite. This day was going to shit, and it was no one’s fault but my own. Looking down at my watch, I had the entire day ahead of me. Stress and anger caused me to roll my shoulders to relieve thepressure. This shit could not be happening. I could not lose my job or my girl.
Between wanting to kill the McKnights, Lisa going to the cops on me, and this shit with Blossom, I was going crazy. Nothing was going right for me. Blossom might’ve thought this shit was over, but she had no idea what lengths I was willing to go to keep her. I would give her time to cool off, but there was no ending with us. Somebody was going to pay for the day I was having, and since Lisa felt big enough to run her mouth, I hope she was ready for the attention she was about to receive. Too bad it wasn’t going to be the type of attention she wanted.
“Now,friend, if I had known we were going to be working out, I would have stayed my ass at home.”
Panting, I looked over my shoulder and giggled at Stacy. It had been a few days since I had officially broken up with Tyreek, and I wanted to get out of the house. I wasn’t about to mope about what was lost. I was a little sad that the relationship had come to an end because he and I had been together for almost three years, but I didn’t regret my decision. He had been calling me, but I didn’t have anything to say. When I was done, I was done.
“Stacy, please.” I turned back around, raising the axe above my head before letting it go. “A little axe-throwing never hurt anybody.”
A girl’s night out had been long overdue for Stacy and me, so I dragged her to a gaming bar that housed dartboards, arcade games, axe-throwing, and a four-lane bowling alley. We hadn’t been to this place before, and I was loving the array of activities available in addition to the large open bar, dance floor, and various seating styles throughout. The vibe was chill tonight, and the crowd was at a minimum. We had an endless amount of food and drinks, and I was having a good time.
“Whatever, hoe!” She waved me off as she sipped her drink. “Are you ready to go on vacation? I hope you find a big dick islander to knock the lining outta that coochie. If anyone deserves that shit, it’s you.” She smirked as she slid off her stool, grabbing the axe from me. “Move over and let big mama show you how it’s done.”
Lifting the axe over her head, she drew back as far as she could before throwing it toward the bullseye. I covered my mouth and stifled a laugh because Stacy had barely landed on the wood. She didn’t like to participate in anything remotely close to exercise, so I knew I was going to be good and cussed out before the night was over.
“This is so damn stupid,” she murmured as she walked back over to the table to grab her drink. “Let’s chill for a minute and catch our breaths.” She slid onto her stool, causing me to do the same. “Have you still been getting the phone calls and messages? What did the police say?”
After staying quiet about the harassment I’d been receiving, I decided to finally tell Stacy. Like I knew she would, she insisted that I file a police report. I was skeptical about going to the station where TJ worked, but I bit the bullet and spoke with the captain discreetly. He assured me he would get his best men on it and find out who was stalking me. The captain telling me to look after myself until they caught the creep had me anxious. TJ was barely around when we were together, but that feelingof security I had from having a man was now gone. I knew the cops would only be able to do so much, so I was thinking about getting some security at the office and a possible bodyguard to drive me around. Since becoming single, telling Stacy, and filing the report, things had been quiet for almost a week now, and I prayed it stayed that way.
“I’m hoping it was just someone playing a cruel trick, and now it’s over. For all I know, it could have been Lisa.” I threw a fry into my mouth as I rocked slightly in my seat. It was R&B night, and the DJ was on point. “I can’t believe Tyreek put his hands on that girl. Regardless of whether she knew about me or not, she didn’t deserve that.”
The morning Lisa came into my office, I thought she was going to ask me about a property. I was blown away when she sat before me and revealed she was in a relationship with TJ. When I thanked her for coming by and assured her that he was no longer a problem of mine, I meant it. What I wasn’t expecting was to get photos days later from her, showing the bruises from TJ assaulting her. How she got my number was beyond me, but I wasn’t mad because the photos were the final nail in the coffin with the dirt thrown on top. I had made up my mind about TJ, but putting his hands on Lisa was enough to let me know he was never the man for me.
“Cry me a fuckin’ river! That’s what happens when youknowinglymess with another woman’s man. She better be happy that nigga ain’t kill her ass.” Stacy rolled her eyes as she stood from her seat.
I watched her, admiring her gorgeous face. Stacy was stacked and had ass for days, making anyone who passed by look. I always wanted a coke-bottle shape, but my petite frame held just enough to show I was a woman. Looking over her wrap top, jeans, and wedges, I admired her style that was identical tomine. We both loved all things girly and knew how to show just enough without looking trashy.
“I have to go to the restroom,” she said as she scanned the room. I smiled, knowing she was making sure no one looked odd or suspicious. “Will you be okay until I come back?”
“Girl, go.” I waved her off and continued to pig out. “As you can see, I’m more than occupied.”
Sharing a small laugh, she went to handle her business as I continued to vibe to some Anthony Hamilton. Sweeping the bar with my eyes, I watched the few people who were here tonight were having a good time, throwing back shots. From the arcade area to the big screens playing the Reapers game, everyone was in their zone, whether with company or alone. I loved coming out during the week for this very reason. Crowds were always scarce, and all the kids were at home.
Reaching for my lemon drop, I could feel a dark presence before the shadow formed over me. As the drink lingered at my lips, my instincts screamed to be alarmed, yet my gut remained calm. Before I could shift my body around to look, I heardhisvoice.
“You know… If you wanted to work some steam off tonight, all you had to do was call me.”
