Instead of responding, he sat there frozen like a deer in headlights. I knew I had caught him in some shit. It took everything in me not to beat his ass in that car.
When shit is going too good, be prepared for something to go wrong. I had been so occupied with trying to convince Jakari’s baby moms that I was interested in her that I had started slacking at home. Harmoni was starting to get annoyed with my behavior, and she was starting to think I was cheating. I played Diamond like a fiddle, but I never even kissed the bitch on the lips. I had mind control over this girl, and I didn’t even do shit, but sweet talk her. She didn’t know me from a can of paint, but after showing her a little attention, she wanted to fall in love with a nigga.
I could tell she was someone who lacked love and attention as a kid. I gave her some of my time and even pretended to like her son, but it was all a plot to get what I wanted. Where I was from, no one was off limits. Women, children, and old folks could getsmoked too. I wasn’t the regular street nigga, though. I did have a heart.
I took Harmoni to the mall with me because I had been slacking on my job as a man. She required a lot of attention, but this street shit and pretending to like a bitch had me distracted. After I picked up my shoes, I let Harmoni get what she wanted out of Apple. I dropped a bag on her without blinking; I was just happy to see her smiling. As we left out of Apple, I looked up and saw Diamond walking with her son and her sister. The mall was crowded, and I hoped she didn’t see me. I told Diamond that I was single, and she thought we were dating. I told her she was the only woman I was entertaining, and I knew if she saw me with my girl, it would ruin my plans.
I grabbed Harmoni and damn near dragged her out of the mall for fear of my cover being blown. There was no way I could explain to my girl why another bitch thought I was her nigga. The shit was complicated. Harmoni didn’t know, nor would she understand that I was at war with a nigga and was using his baby momma to get back at him. If Diamond knew I had a woman, it would fuck up everything as well. I was in a lose-lose situation, and I had to make sure I kept my street life separate from my reality because what I wasn’t willing to do was lose my woman.
As I was leaving the mall with my girl, my phone started vibrating, and I already knew it was Diamond calling. I cursed under my breath because I knew she had seen me, and I needed to have my lie together. I could really tell her that the sky was pink, and she would believe it, so it wouldn’t take much convincing.
“Why did you rush us out of that mall so fast? I spent too much of your money?” Harmoni jokingly asked.
“There’s no such thing. My anxiety had started acting up. It was just too crowded, baby,” I lied.
I could tell she knew something was wrong, but she didn’t want to ask. As soon as we got in the car, I powered my phone off. Diamond had called several times and was going to continue to blow me up until I answered. This hoe really thought I was her nigga, and that shit was sad. I moved fast with Harmoni, but the feeling was mutual. Diamond couldn’t tell that I didn’t want her at all. She thought cheap gifts and conversation meant I wanted her for real. She was just a hood bitch who wasn’t used to shit.
Once we left the mall, I took Moni to my jeweler to pick up some things I had custom made for her. Money wasn’t an object when it came to my woman. After Abdul gave me the finished product, Harmoni was happy with what I had gotten her. Our day was going good as hell, minus almost getting caught up in the mall. Well, until we got in the car.
“So, what low-class bitch you buying Coach for? You went all out, didn’t you? You spent almost seven hundred on the bitch,” she said with the Coach receipt in her hand.
Harmoni had opened my middle console, and I forgot that I had stuffed that receipt in there. We stared at each other without speaking for a while. I was frozen while trying to think of a lie.
“You better say something before I get to beating yo’ ass Tina Turner style in this car. It’s a Coach receipt in your car, and I don’t wear no fuckin’ coach. All this shit says women’s beside it, so who the fuck did you buy it for?” Harmoni screamed.
“Are you serious? I bought that for Dimeo as a gift for her going on her first tour. Look, it’s a duffel bag, purse, and wallet on that receipt. I got it ’cause she’s gonna be traveling a lot. I can’t believe yo’ ass,” I lied and faked being upset.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I just been losing my mind since you’ve been spending so much time away from home. I trust you, and I know you wouldn’t cheat on me. I’m just paranoid from my past. You gotta understand that, and please forgive me!” Harmoni cried.
Instead of responding, I turned my music up and drove home. I had to keep my act up. I wanted her to feel bad for not trusting me, but I also needed to get out of the house for a little while. When we pulled up to the crib, I carried the bags inside and told her I would be home later.
“I’m not mad at you, but you should really trust me more. I haven’t given you any reason to trip on me. I love you and only you. I’m not your past nigga, and the sooner you realize that, the better. I’ll be back.”
I left the house without letting her respond. I knew I was wrong, but this was strictly business. She would never approve of me leading a bitch on just to possibly kill her. I wasn’t even going to let Harmoni get close to my operation. She knew I was a street nigga, but she didn’t know what I did exactly, and I wanted shit to stay like that. I wanted to shelter her from the world and uphold my image in her eyes.
Once I pulled out of the driveway, I powered my phone on and called Dimeo. I told her if Harmoni asked her about the Coach stuff to say exactly what I had just said. While I was talking to Dimeo, she placed me on hold because Harmoni called her just like I suspected she would. When Dimeo came back, she told me that she told Harmoni I had bought her the Coach bags as a gift for her tour. I breathed a sigh of relief because I had called my cousin right on time.
As I drove to meet up with Trell, I called Diamond back.
“What’s up, beautiful? I was handling business. Sorry, I missed your call,” I said once Diamond answered.
“Were you at the Galleria mall with a female today? I thought I saw you, but it was so crowded. When I looked back up, you were gone.”
“Yes, I was with my family,” I lied.
“When I ask a question, I already know the answer. I just asked to see if you would tell the truth. I know that’s not your family,” Diamond said.
I was getting fed up with her. She was trying to check me like I owed her something. Pretending to like her annoying ass was tiring. I had to come up with a for sure plan and execute it sooner than later. I was about to pull up on Trell and see what he thought we should do with the hoe.
“I don’t know what you think you know, but I don’t feel like getting into an argument with you. Take my word, or you’re free to move on if that’s what you want to do,” I said and waited on her tune to change.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I saw you with a chick and got really upset. You didn’t tell me you were spending time with family, so I assumed you were being sneaky.”
This hoe had lost her mind, talking about me being sneaky. She thought she was really my woman. I couldn’t do anything but thank God she didn’t walk up on my girl and me at the mall with her delusional ass. She would have gotten me killed. Harmoni already wanted to beat my ass today.
I told Diamond that I would call her later after I handled some business. Lying and entertaining two women was exhausting. I didn’t understand how niggas could do that shit full time. I pulled up on Trell, and he told me he had the perfect plan. I sat down and ran it with him for a few hours, and we decided that the weekend would be the perfect time to get everything in motion. This nigga Jakari would be taught a tough lesson.
From what I had gathered from Diamond, she and Jakari were never together. She told me that her baby’s father recently tried to take her to court so he could take her child. I pretended to know nothing about either of them, and I was always a listening ear that encouraged her. She told me how he hadhidden their son for years, and all I could think was how everyone had some kind of drama going on. Finding out that he wanted his son full time was like music to my ears because that meant he would do anything for that little nigga. Maybe even lay down and die.
