“How can you just move on like that, Nicholas?”
“Cindy, don’t do that. It’s been three years.”
“That don’t mean I gave up on you.”
“What’s to give up on, Cindy? All I gave you was dick and money for the past three years. The dick stopped a year ago. You know I’m not cutting you off financially, but I want you to move on.”
“Fuck you, Nicholas!”
“Come on,” I said, motioning with my head for her to follow me.
“For what?” she asked.
“Have a drink with me.”
I didn’t bother to wait for her to follow me before I crossed the living room and walked out onto my back deck. I loved it back there because there was a grill, a bar, and a cabana with a huge TV that I never watched, next to a pool I swam in every few days for cardio. I walked over to the bar and made myself busy making Cindy a lemon drop. It was her signature drink.
“Lucinda, I understand your apprehension about me having someone new around Amira. I can’t say I wouldn’t feel the same way, but since when have you had to question my judgment?”
“When you started bringing your jump-offs around my baby.”
“She’s my baby too, Cindy. You know there is no one and nothing in the world more important to me than Amira. I brought her around because I wanted to see how they wouldinteract and, more importantly, how Amira would respond to her.”
“So, you really like this bitch like that?”
“I asked you to watch your mouth. I don’t call you out of your name, so show my friends the same respect.”
“Is she your friend or your girlfriend, Nicky? I’m confused.”
“Does it matter?”
“Actually, it does.”
“Look, if Amira didn’t like her, we might be having a different conversation. Apparently, she did, though, because she went home bragging to you about her.”
“You should have at least spoken to me before you even introduced her to my daughter, Nicholas, and you know that.”
“I don’t disagree with that. That’s why she’s on the way here to meet you.”
“What? I don’t want to meet no chick you been fuckin’.”
“You not meeting her is not gon’ stop me from seeing her. I just thought I would diffuse the tension early on because she’s not going anywhere.”
“Oh wow, that bitch must not have no gag reflex to have you talking like that. She gotta have a diamond-studded pussy because I can already tell she got your nose wide open. I thought I had your ass gone.”
Obviously, she knew me pretty well because I knew from the first night that Jameela had brought out the animal in me. Just the thought of her making another man feel the way she made me feel had me livid. I didn’t even want to think about it.
Instead of confirming Cindy’s statement, I shook my head and took her drink to the head. Although sex wasn’t the only reason that I liked Jameela, Cindy was spot-on. I couldn’t wait to be alone with her, and she wasn’t even here yet.
“She’s different, Cindy. Plus, Amira likes her. That’s all that matters. As long as she doesn’t mistreat our child, you don’thave anything to worry about. She has a daughter too. She had a problem letting me meet her daughter too. It’s a mother’s job to be protective of her child. I understand that. I want to be in her life, so that includes her daughter and mine.”
“If she was so concerned about her daughter, she would be somewhere trying to raise her instead of coming over here to try to fuck you.”
“Oh, that’s what this is really about?”
“What the hell do you think, Nicholas? Since when did you take anyone seriously? Be for real right now. You gon’ fuck on this girl for the next ninety days, as usual, and discard her when the new car smell wears off.”
“I tried to take you serious, or have you forgot about that?”
