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Synopsis
There's a saying that if you're from my part of town, you're from around the way.
Following in the footsteps of its successful predecessors, Around the Way Girls 7 showcases three popular Urban Books authors and their versions of some very tough, street-smart girls.
Nina and Mouse are a couple just trying to survive the hater nation. Only problem is Nina's a little paranoid when it comes to other women, and Mouse is usually guilty as charged. Fed up with Mouse's cheating, Nina begins to creep a little herself, but will her revenge blow up in her face?
Diamond hates her messed-up life, her sorry-behind county recipient daddy, and his broke, crack-smoking girlfriend. Most of all, Diamond hates her mother, who didn't love her enough to stick around. But there are two sides to every story, and Diamond is about to hear the other side to hers.
Homegirls Whakelah, LaShawn, and Misha have big dreams to make it out of Webster Projects. There was a time their bond seemed unbreakable, but now that Misha has found love and a ticket to the big time, her friends want to go along for the ride. How far are they willing to go to chase that paper?
Release date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Urban Books
Print pages: 336
* BingeBooks earns revenue from qualifying purchases as an Amazon Associate as well as from other retail partners.
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9781538442258
December 19, 2017
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Around the Way Girls 7
Chunichi
Nina slid the extended clip into the Glock .45 with the intention of emptying all seventeen shots.
Click!
Click-click!
In one motion she cocked the gun, putting one in the head. Pausing only long enough to wipe the burning tears from her eyes, she then headed up the three flights of stairs to the master bedroom. Not making the slightest sound, she walked into the room to find a sleeping Mercedes and Mouse tightly cuddled in bed together. With gun in hand, Nina took a deep breath and pointed it directly at them, wondering what it was about Mercedes that had Mouse so into to her. All she had to offer was a long stripper history with a criminal background just as long, while Nina was a beautiful, intelligent, classy woman, a definite catch for any man.
Nina had to wonder why she even cared; after all, she was doing her thing on the side. But even with that relationship Mercedes seemed to be a small interference. Like with dandruff, no matter how many times Nina scratched, she just couldn’t get rid of Mercedes.
She directed the gun at Mouse’s head and prepared to fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Nina even realized what she was doing, the loud, deafening sounds of gun blasts rang out like cannons, sending her instantly into shock, causing everything to go blank.
When she finally came to, she found herself sitting in the corner of her bedroom, looking at Mouse’s and Mercedes’ lifeless bodies filled with bullet holes.
Nina almost had the urge to spit on Mercedes ass; she didn’t give a fuck about that bitch. In fact the sight of her dead body almost put a smile on Nina’s face.
Nina looked at her husband and found it very difficult to crack even the slightest smile. Her heart pounding, she couldn’t believe she’d pulled the trigger. She was filled with fear as she thought about what would happen if she got caught. Shaking her head, still halfway in a trance, it was almost as if she had just realized what just happened.
Nina quickly snapped out of her spell as she heard the sound of two car doors slamming shut followed by the sound of tires screeching and peeling off on the wet concrete outside. With her gun still in her hand, Nina slowly cracked open the window’s blinds and saw a black, tinted-out Range Rover and a BMW X5 speed off. It was obvious that the people behind those wheels were getting the fuck out of Dodge.
What a morning! Nina thought to herself as she sat down on the couch to relax a minute from straightening up her house.
She grabbed the cordless phone to see what calls she’d missed. Mariah, Rochelle, and my loving husband, Mouse. Then she flipped through her cell phone. Awww!Mynewboo, Jamal. Nina smiled and decided to start with him. After all he was the one that consumed her thoughts on a daily basis.
Jamal was an NBA star that stole Nina’s heart one night while she was working on a nursing assignment in Philadelphia. As a traveling registered nurse she often traveled to different states for assignments. That particular night she was graced with Jamal’s presence in the emergency room. Like a magnet they were instantly attracted to each other. Her vagina went off like a radar at the sight of his perfect smile and flawless chocolate frame.
That night in the ER ended up in a night of exotic sex in a secluded section of the hospital’s parking deck in the back of Nina’s Porsche Cayenne S truck. Nina knew her pussy was like crack, and just as she’d expected, after only one night, Jamal was hooked. She had to admit though; he had it going on, and not only on the court.
Since that day Jamal was constantly on Nina’s mind, and she was on his. They’d spoken on the phone every day since then but hadn’t seen each other. He was busy playing basketball but had promised to come to Virginia the first opportunity he got. Like a kid waiting for Christmas, Nina counted down the days until she would see her boo.
Jamal answered Nina’s call right away, “Hey, sexy.”
“Hi, baby. You miss me like I miss you?” Nina said, not interested in holding her feelings back, having already been through that stage of their relationship.
“Of course, I do,” Jamal answered sincerely.
“So when am I going to see you?” Nina asked, eager to see her man.
“Well, actually me and a few of the boys are planning to come through this weekend.”
Nina noticed the lack of enthusiasm in Jamal’s voice. “For real? So why didn’t you tell me? And why aren’t you excited?”
“Ma, it’s something I gotta tell you.”
“Oh my God. What is it, Jamal? You’re bringing a bitch with you or something?”
“Not exactly.”
“So what is it, baby?”
“A’ight. Let me just come with it.” Jamal exhaled. “Well, you know a nigga had a life before you, right? I mean, you ain’t the first chick I ever hollered at.”
“Okay, I know that. We’ve already had this conversation, Jamal. I’m fuckin’ married,” Nina said, now practically yelling. “And I’m not the only female in your life. So what? As long as we respect each other, it’s all good.”
“I know, ma. But it’s a little deeper than that. This chick lives in VA.”
“What? So you were planning to come to see that bitch?”
“I was trying to see both of y’all, on the real though.”
“Well, you’re definitely seeing me. You’ll just have to make time for that bitch after me.”
Jamal was relieved Nina took things so well. “You got it, baby. That’s why I fuck with you so hard. You know what you want, and as long as a nigga deliver, everybody’s happy.”
“Yeah, whatever. And while you at it, you better be delivering my matching Louis Vuitton heels and bag.”
“You know I got you, baby girl. How could a nigga ever tell you no?”
“So tell me, Jamal, who is this chick?” Nina said, wondering if it was someone she knew. As a Virginia native, and her husband being the owner of a popular local strip club, she practically knew everyone who was anyone in the mix.
“This chick from Portsmouth name Mercedes.”
“Mercedes?” Nina was hoping she’d heard incorrectly. There was no way he could be talking about the backstabbing bitch she knew in this area by that name.
“Yeah. You know her or something?” Jamal said nonchalantly.
“Of all fuckin’ people!” Nina sighed and shook her head.
Mercedes was like her fucking archenemy. She was a stripper chick that Nina had problems with in the past, with Nina’s husband. Nina was hoping her last encounter with Mercedes years ago was the end of her, but now she was back and the tables had turned. She was now getting at Mercedes’ man.
“Yeah, I know her. And I know she’s a nothing-ass stripper too.”
“You can’t knock her hustle, ma.”
“You know what? This is just too much. I’ll talk to you later.” Nina hung up without even giving Jamal a chance to respond.
Her initial reaction was to pick the phone right back up and call her girl Rochelle, but she knew that would be the wrong choice. Mercedes was Rochelle’s lover and wasn’t only love-blind, but Nina had learned from previous experience that any conversation about Mercedes to her would be falling on deaf ears.
It was times like this that bothered Nina the most. The times when she needed to talk and didn’t have anyone to talk to. She’d tried to be mature about the situation and not force Rochelle to choose, but that shit was getting harder and harder.
Nina and Rochelle had been friends since high school, and Mercedes was just some horny stripper that preyed on Rochelle at her most vulnerable time and stole her heart.
Nina couldn’t understand how it was the least bit feasible for Rochelle to be one hundred percent loyal to their friendship when she knew Nina and Mercedes were virtually enemies. She and Mercedes had been through so much, from Mercedes constantly making threatening phone calls and sending hate e-mails, to her even going as far as vandalizing Nina’s vehicle. Nina wasn’t the fighting type, but when Mercedes spray-painted obscenities all over her brand-new Escalade EXT a few years back, it took all she had to keep from driving over to the projects out Portsmouth and beating her nothing, stripper ass.
Her girl Mariah helped to bring her to her senses, her words still fresh in Nina’s head.
“Why would you go over there and jeopardize what you have? Hello? You’re a registered nurse with no criminal record, making six figures. You have everything to lose. She’s a project chick, stripper bitch with a book for a criminal record, fucked-up credit, no education, and no future. What does she have to lose? Besides, you’re pretty, and the older you get, the harder it is clearing up scars. And you know scars are a definite result of fighting.”
Mariah always had a way of connecting beauty and vanity into any conversation. With that conversation on her mind, Nina decided to give Mariah a call.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reach Mariah, Nina became even more frustrated. She looked at the time. It was already eleven o’clock in the morning, and her husband still had not made it home from the club the night before. She wasted no time calling him.
“What’s up, baaaby?” Mouse sang into the phone like he had no worries in the world.
“Can you explain to me why it’s almost noon and you’re still out?” Nina snapped.
“Baby, I’m at the club. We’re gambling. I’ll be home soon.”
“You spend more time at the club than you do at home. I think you better find out what’s more important, before you lose one. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re up there with one of those nasty stripper bitches!” Nina hung up the phone in Mouse’s ear.
Her intuition was right once before. Why couldn’t it be right this time too? Nina thought about what had transpired between Mouse and Mercedes years before. She had befriended Mercedes during her time of need, got her a job at Mouse’s club, and even opened her doors and allowed that trick to stay in her home, only to come in the club late one night and find Mercedes’ mouth full with Mouse’s dick. Well, the tip that is, because Mouse was packing, and a bitch needed a big-ass mouth to take that entire dick.
Ever since that encounter with Mercedes, Nina had never fully trusted Mouse. Yes, she did forgive him, but one thing for sure was, she never did forget. She vowed that she wouldn’t be one of those women who worried themselves to death every time their man left their sight, so she gave Mouse his freedom and a rope. Rope with just enough room for him to hang himself. Nina wasn’t stupid. She knew a man was going to do what a man wanted to do, regardless, and there was nothing a woman could do to stop him.
After hanging up the phone and getting lost in her thoughts, she grabbed her jacket and rushed to meet her girls at Logan’s Roadhouse to have their weekly girls’ dinner.
The second Nina walked through the door, she spotted Rochelle, Mariah, and some mystery woman.
“Hey, girls.” She greeted as she approached the table.
Rochelle introduced the mysterious woman as soon as Nina was up on them. She knew Nina didn’t like sharing her space with people she didn’t know. “Nina, this is Peaches.”
“Hi.”
Nina rolled her eyes as she positioned herself to take a seat at the table. She and Mariah looked at each other from the corner of their eyes then shot Rochelle a disapproving look.
Rochelle quickly got the picture and wrapped things up with her little friend. “All right, girl, well, I’ll see you at the club later.”
The second the girl left the table, Nina looked at Rochelle. “Oh my God. Can we please go out one time without having to be introduced to one of your stripper buddies?”
“Yeah! And no new friends, damn it! How many times do I have to say this?” Mariah chimed in. “Don’t you know that our circle consist of us three only?”
“Guys, I do work as a bartender at a strip club, so I’m gonna know lots of strippers. Besides, she doesn’t count. She’s not a friend—That’s potential pussy. We flirt every night at the club. It’s only a matter of time before she’s yamming on my meow mix.” Rochelle laughed.
“Rochelle, please.” Mariah waved her hand, disgusted by the thought.
Just like Rochelle, Mariah had been friends with Nina since high school. She had a few self-esteem issues that caused her to do some strange things at times, especially when it came to men. Always portraying who she would like to be instead of who she truly was, she was always attempting to be politically correct. Although she pretended to be perfect, deep inside, she didn’t truly love herself. She needed the validation of a man to feel good about herself, and it often showed.
“Whatever, Mariah. You kill me.” Rochelle knew Mariah was on that fronting shit once again. “You’re the biggest freak out of all of us, with your horny ass.”
“Well, at least I have standards.”
“Whatever,” Rochelle said, trying to dismiss the conversation, “I have standards too.”
“Yeah, right,” Nina said, thinking of Mercedes. “That’s not the way I see it, because to me, it looks like all you want is those nothing-ass chicks.”
“Dang! I feel a little aggression here. Do you really have to go there? I mean, I know you hate Mercedes and all, but do you have to constantly throw it up in my face? I don’t let her sit around and talk about your ass.”
“That’s because you and her know the deal. Plus, this ain’t really about her,” Nina lied. “I just wish you would raise your standard, that’s all.”
“Have you talked to her lately?”
“Nope, not since the argument I told you about. She’s out the door. I’m moving on to bigger and better things now.”
“Excuse me?” Nina realized she’d had been left out of the loop.
“I’m no longer dealing with Mercedes, but I didn’t tell you because I know you’d rather not discuss her.” Rochelle nonchalantly rose out of her seat.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re not going anywhere.” Nina placed her hand on Rochelle’s arm to keep her from leaving the table. She didn’t believe a word coming out of Rochelle’s mouth and wanted more information.
Nina had a right to doubt Rochelle because she’d said she was done with Mercedes a number of times, and after each declaration, she’d just end up right back with her. In Nina’s opinion, Rochelle just was too pussy-whipped and too weak to walk away. Whenever Nina voiced this to Rochelle, she couldn’t say a word, because deep down, she knew Nina was telling the truth. She would swing the door wide open as soon as Mercedes’ sorry ass came knocking.
On the real, Rochelle probably would go searching for her before she even had the chance to come knocking. Her love life had always been a rocky road, and she yearned for the companionship of a lover so bad, she virtually opened the doors to any stranger willing to give her that fulfillment.
“May I take your drink orders?” the waitress said, interrupting the ladies’ conversation right in the nick of time, because an argument was definitely brewing.
The girls paused their conversation long enough to place their drink and dinner orders.
Mariah then excused herself to the restroom.
“Aaaaaaahhhhhh shit!” Mariah yelled beneath her breath as the urine ran through her insides and out her vagina, burning a path on its way. She felt like was pissing hot coffee. Please, don’t let this be happening, she thought as her heart raced and her breathing pattern increased.
She could feel an itchy, tingling sensation beneath her armpits, indicating a sure sign of sweat. Was she having an anxiety attack? My pussy is on fire! Oh my goodness, not again!
Mariah took caution wiping herself clean. She noticed a small amount of blood on the tissue. She was sure she had a urinary tract infection, which, in her case, was a definite sign of pregnancy.
As Mariah stood looking at herself in the mirror, she knew exactly what to expect. This feeling was way too familiar. With pregnancy occurring at least twice a year, she had to wonder if she was the queen of fertility. But she already knew her next move—straight to the abortion clinic. Unlike most women, whose dilemma would be whether or not to keep the baby, her dilemma was determining which man she would tell of the mishap.
From which would I get the most attention? Who would beg me to have the baby? Who would be upset? Mariah washed her hands then touched up her hair. Her worst fear was her girls finding out, especially Nina.
She headed back to the table with a worried look on her face. Not even her strongest front game was able to hide her anxiety.
“Is everything okay?” Rochelle asked when Mariah returned.
“I think I’m getting a urinary tract infection.”
“Oh Lord. You know what that means,” Nina said.
Mariah had been pregnant so many times, her friends knew all the signs and could almost predict with certainty when she was pregnant.
“Nina, please. I don’t feel like hearing it right now.”
“I’m just saying, you always have something going on. You’ve had everything in the book, from a bacterial infection to a yeast infection to a UTI, STD, PID, PCOS, HBO, CNN, ESPN”—Nina began to laugh so hard, she couldn’t finish her sentence.
Feeling the need to protect her perfect image, Mariah quickly interjected, “I’ll have you know, when I went to the gynecologist for my annual exam, he said that my vagina was the cleanest vagina he has ever seen. Fuck you very much!”
“Well, you know what that means?” Nina asked.
“You need to get another gynecologist,” Rochelle chimed in.
“No, I’m serious. I thought he was joking, so I asked if he was serious, and he said yes. It made me feel really good.” Mariah gave a satisfied smiled as though she was giving herself a silent pat on the back.
“Well,” Nina said, “when it’s vacuumed out every other month, what would you expect?”
Nina and Rochelle laughed until tears came to their eyes.
Mariah gave them a disapproving look. “You know what? Y’all are some insensitive bitches!” She started to gather her things and leave but realized she had no one to blame but herself.
Mariah had had at least twenty abortions in the past ten years. It wasn’t a laughing matter, because she was using abortions as birth control. Nina and Rochelle had been dealing with it for so long, they’d learned to make light of the situation.
“Umph. Who is that?” Rochelle said, interrupting their laugh session. “He is sexy.”
“Where?” Nina said.
They all followed Rochelle’s eyes.
“Oh, that’s um, what’s his name, from out Tidewater Park.” Nina snapped her finger a few times as she wracked her brain, trying to remember the guy’s name.
“Li’l Man. He’s one of Jigga’s boys.” Mariah sipped her White Zinfandel.
“Yeah, that’s his name!”
“Oh, that’s Li’l Man? I heard of him. I didn’t know he was one of Jigga’s boys. All them niggas got money. But I thought he was supposed to be locked up. He must have just got out.” Rochelle always knew the latest with all the dopeboys on the streets.
“Yeah, I know. What is he doing with Young Boy? Wasn’t he fuckin’ Li’l Man’s baby momma while he was in jail?” Nina said, adding to the gossip.
“Baby momma? Who is his baby momma?” Mariah asked.
“Some young chick from the park name Tee-Tee,” Nina said. “And from what I know about her, she don’t play.”
“Well, it sounds like he has too much drama for me. I’m definitely not trying to have any problems with a project chick.” Mariah stated making it very clear in case of an emergency she had nobody’s back.
“Suit yourself,” Rochelle said. “I’m from the streets, so the bitch don’t scare me. I’ll take his ass. Y’all think he still got some money?”
“Well, I know he had it before he got locked up. He used to keep that chick Stacey, which he called his sister, laced. And he comes up to the club all the time gambling with Mouse. I’m surprised you’ve never seen him.”
“Well, I’m about to get to know him.” Rochelle looked over to the bar and gave Li’l Man the eye.
As they ate their food, Rochelle continuously sent flirtatious gestures over to Li’l Man, from seductively licking the cherries from her drink to sucking the meat off her chicken bones as though she was sucking the last drop of come out of the head of a penis.
Tired of the performance, Nina said, “Damn, girl! If he doesn’t come over here after all that, then he’s just not interested. And not only that—”
Before Nina could finish her statement, Li’l Man came walking over. “What’s up, ladies?” he said as he stood at their table.
Nina and Mariah both had to admit, he was indeed fine.
“Heeeey!” They all sang, giddy-headed.
“You got my attention. So what’s good, ma?” he said to Rochelle.
Rochelle gave him her most seductive look. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Me and my man are just finishing up a few drinks. I got a little running around to do. When I’m done, can I call you?” He pulled an iPhone out of his pocket.
Mariah noticed he had the same phone as she. iPhone? That’s an odd phone for a dopeboy.
“A’ight,” Rochelle answered with a huge grin, and quickly began rummaging through her red Marc Jacobs bag that Nina had given her for her cell phone for her birthday.
As Rochelle retrieved her phone so they could exchange numbers, Mariah stood up and began to brush crumbs off her clothes. Her way of showing off her newly purchased plump Brazilian booty and breastlift while giving Li’l Man a whiff of her Dolce & Gabbana Sicily perfume.
Knowing her friend all too well, Nina just shook her head at Mariah’s desperate attempt for attention.
“Well, you ladies have a good night,” Li’l Man said, after saving Rochelle’s number.
Before the girls could respond, they noticed a huge commotion at the front of the restaurant. They all tried to see who it was and noticed some chick wave her hands in the air, and push the waitress out the way. Then she and two other girls with her started making their way toward them.
The second she was up on them, Li’l Man said, “Tee-Tee, I ain’t got time for your shit.”
“Shut the fuck up!” she hissed.
Nina looked over at Mariah and Rochelle. I know this bitch better not say a word to me.
Rochelle looked like she was waiting for Tee-Tee to say the wrong word or make the wrong move.
“How the fuck did you even know I was here? You and your stupid-ass crew following me now? You need to be more worried about being a mother and taking care of my son.” Li’l Man attempted to walk away.
“So you fuckin’ other bitches now?” Tee-Tee grabbed Li’l Man’s arm, rolling her eyes at the girls.
“Bitch, who the fuck are you referring to as a bitch?” Rochelle responded without delay.
Tee-Tee diverted her attention back to Li’l Man. “We are going to be a family. What part of that don’t you get?” She turned toward Rochelle. “Look, I don’t know who you are and don’t care to know,” she yelled, her long, colorful, acrylic fingernail in Rochelle’s face, “but this here is my man.”
Rochelle aimed a punch at Tee-Tee’s face, barely grazing her as Nina and Mariah held her back. She then tried to take off her five-inch stiletto heel to beat Tee-Tee’s head in.
Nina reached behind her for her purse, sure not to take her eyes off the scene, and felt for the Mace bottle. She watched Tee-Tee’s friends closely to see what plans they had.
“Let it go,” Mariah begged at least eight or nine times in Rochelle’s ear.
By this time, everyone was looking at the ladies, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about.
Tee-Tee gathered her composure and headed out the restaurant with her friends. “This ain’t over, Li’l Man,” she announced while leaving.
Once she was out the door, Li’l Man turned around and said, “Ladies, sorry about all of this. Rochelle, can I still call you?”
“Yeah.”
Mariah shook her head. What woman would want a man after going through so much drama during the initial meeting?
When Li’l Man walked away, they all stood there and looked at one another.
Rochelle flopped down in her chair. “Order me a drink!” she yelled. “Matter of fact, order us all one,” she yelled out again. “Whew! Now that that’s over, I can finish my meal.”
“You know you’re a trip, right?” Nina said.
“No, I just want to eat. Hell, this dinner costs enough. One of y’all rich bitches got my check?”
Later that night when Nina arrived home, she was a little relieved to see Mouse’s Mercedes Benz CLS550 sitting in the garage. At least he’s not still at the strip club, she thought as she pulled in beside his car.
As she walked through the door, she yelled out, “Mouse!”
There was no response.
“Hellooooo! Mouse!”
Still there was no answer. Nina started walking in the direction of their bedroom. As she walked through the door, she heard the shower running. She stood outside the bathroom door, deciding whether she should walk up and snatch the door open or just leave him be.
She made her decision when she saw his jeans lying on the floor with some cash sticking out each of the pockets. She bent over and picked up the pants, making sure she grabbed the money first.
Nina laid the pants across the bed and proceeded to count. “Two, four, six . . .” She started with the smallest bills, twenties, then continued with the hundreds. She counted close to ten thousand dollars.
Nina found it odd that Mouse would have so much money o. . .
Click!
Click-click!
In one motion she cocked the gun, putting one in the head. Pausing only long enough to wipe the burning tears from her eyes, she then headed up the three flights of stairs to the master bedroom. Not making the slightest sound, she walked into the room to find a sleeping Mercedes and Mouse tightly cuddled in bed together. With gun in hand, Nina took a deep breath and pointed it directly at them, wondering what it was about Mercedes that had Mouse so into to her. All she had to offer was a long stripper history with a criminal background just as long, while Nina was a beautiful, intelligent, classy woman, a definite catch for any man.
Nina had to wonder why she even cared; after all, she was doing her thing on the side. But even with that relationship Mercedes seemed to be a small interference. Like with dandruff, no matter how many times Nina scratched, she just couldn’t get rid of Mercedes.
She directed the gun at Mouse’s head and prepared to fire.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before Nina even realized what she was doing, the loud, deafening sounds of gun blasts rang out like cannons, sending her instantly into shock, causing everything to go blank.
When she finally came to, she found herself sitting in the corner of her bedroom, looking at Mouse’s and Mercedes’ lifeless bodies filled with bullet holes.
Nina almost had the urge to spit on Mercedes ass; she didn’t give a fuck about that bitch. In fact the sight of her dead body almost put a smile on Nina’s face.
Nina looked at her husband and found it very difficult to crack even the slightest smile. Her heart pounding, she couldn’t believe she’d pulled the trigger. She was filled with fear as she thought about what would happen if she got caught. Shaking her head, still halfway in a trance, it was almost as if she had just realized what just happened.
Nina quickly snapped out of her spell as she heard the sound of two car doors slamming shut followed by the sound of tires screeching and peeling off on the wet concrete outside. With her gun still in her hand, Nina slowly cracked open the window’s blinds and saw a black, tinted-out Range Rover and a BMW X5 speed off. It was obvious that the people behind those wheels were getting the fuck out of Dodge.
What a morning! Nina thought to herself as she sat down on the couch to relax a minute from straightening up her house.
She grabbed the cordless phone to see what calls she’d missed. Mariah, Rochelle, and my loving husband, Mouse. Then she flipped through her cell phone. Awww!Mynewboo, Jamal. Nina smiled and decided to start with him. After all he was the one that consumed her thoughts on a daily basis.
Jamal was an NBA star that stole Nina’s heart one night while she was working on a nursing assignment in Philadelphia. As a traveling registered nurse she often traveled to different states for assignments. That particular night she was graced with Jamal’s presence in the emergency room. Like a magnet they were instantly attracted to each other. Her vagina went off like a radar at the sight of his perfect smile and flawless chocolate frame.
That night in the ER ended up in a night of exotic sex in a secluded section of the hospital’s parking deck in the back of Nina’s Porsche Cayenne S truck. Nina knew her pussy was like crack, and just as she’d expected, after only one night, Jamal was hooked. She had to admit though; he had it going on, and not only on the court.
Since that day Jamal was constantly on Nina’s mind, and she was on his. They’d spoken on the phone every day since then but hadn’t seen each other. He was busy playing basketball but had promised to come to Virginia the first opportunity he got. Like a kid waiting for Christmas, Nina counted down the days until she would see her boo.
Jamal answered Nina’s call right away, “Hey, sexy.”
“Hi, baby. You miss me like I miss you?” Nina said, not interested in holding her feelings back, having already been through that stage of their relationship.
“Of course, I do,” Jamal answered sincerely.
“So when am I going to see you?” Nina asked, eager to see her man.
“Well, actually me and a few of the boys are planning to come through this weekend.”
Nina noticed the lack of enthusiasm in Jamal’s voice. “For real? So why didn’t you tell me? And why aren’t you excited?”
“Ma, it’s something I gotta tell you.”
“Oh my God. What is it, Jamal? You’re bringing a bitch with you or something?”
“Not exactly.”
“So what is it, baby?”
“A’ight. Let me just come with it.” Jamal exhaled. “Well, you know a nigga had a life before you, right? I mean, you ain’t the first chick I ever hollered at.”
“Okay, I know that. We’ve already had this conversation, Jamal. I’m fuckin’ married,” Nina said, now practically yelling. “And I’m not the only female in your life. So what? As long as we respect each other, it’s all good.”
“I know, ma. But it’s a little deeper than that. This chick lives in VA.”
“What? So you were planning to come to see that bitch?”
“I was trying to see both of y’all, on the real though.”
“Well, you’re definitely seeing me. You’ll just have to make time for that bitch after me.”
Jamal was relieved Nina took things so well. “You got it, baby. That’s why I fuck with you so hard. You know what you want, and as long as a nigga deliver, everybody’s happy.”
“Yeah, whatever. And while you at it, you better be delivering my matching Louis Vuitton heels and bag.”
“You know I got you, baby girl. How could a nigga ever tell you no?”
“So tell me, Jamal, who is this chick?” Nina said, wondering if it was someone she knew. As a Virginia native, and her husband being the owner of a popular local strip club, she practically knew everyone who was anyone in the mix.
“This chick from Portsmouth name Mercedes.”
“Mercedes?” Nina was hoping she’d heard incorrectly. There was no way he could be talking about the backstabbing bitch she knew in this area by that name.
“Yeah. You know her or something?” Jamal said nonchalantly.
“Of all fuckin’ people!” Nina sighed and shook her head.
Mercedes was like her fucking archenemy. She was a stripper chick that Nina had problems with in the past, with Nina’s husband. Nina was hoping her last encounter with Mercedes years ago was the end of her, but now she was back and the tables had turned. She was now getting at Mercedes’ man.
“Yeah, I know her. And I know she’s a nothing-ass stripper too.”
“You can’t knock her hustle, ma.”
“You know what? This is just too much. I’ll talk to you later.” Nina hung up without even giving Jamal a chance to respond.
Her initial reaction was to pick the phone right back up and call her girl Rochelle, but she knew that would be the wrong choice. Mercedes was Rochelle’s lover and wasn’t only love-blind, but Nina had learned from previous experience that any conversation about Mercedes to her would be falling on deaf ears.
It was times like this that bothered Nina the most. The times when she needed to talk and didn’t have anyone to talk to. She’d tried to be mature about the situation and not force Rochelle to choose, but that shit was getting harder and harder.
Nina and Rochelle had been friends since high school, and Mercedes was just some horny stripper that preyed on Rochelle at her most vulnerable time and stole her heart.
Nina couldn’t understand how it was the least bit feasible for Rochelle to be one hundred percent loyal to their friendship when she knew Nina and Mercedes were virtually enemies. She and Mercedes had been through so much, from Mercedes constantly making threatening phone calls and sending hate e-mails, to her even going as far as vandalizing Nina’s vehicle. Nina wasn’t the fighting type, but when Mercedes spray-painted obscenities all over her brand-new Escalade EXT a few years back, it took all she had to keep from driving over to the projects out Portsmouth and beating her nothing, stripper ass.
Her girl Mariah helped to bring her to her senses, her words still fresh in Nina’s head.
“Why would you go over there and jeopardize what you have? Hello? You’re a registered nurse with no criminal record, making six figures. You have everything to lose. She’s a project chick, stripper bitch with a book for a criminal record, fucked-up credit, no education, and no future. What does she have to lose? Besides, you’re pretty, and the older you get, the harder it is clearing up scars. And you know scars are a definite result of fighting.”
Mariah always had a way of connecting beauty and vanity into any conversation. With that conversation on her mind, Nina decided to give Mariah a call.
After several unsuccessful attempts to reach Mariah, Nina became even more frustrated. She looked at the time. It was already eleven o’clock in the morning, and her husband still had not made it home from the club the night before. She wasted no time calling him.
“What’s up, baaaby?” Mouse sang into the phone like he had no worries in the world.
“Can you explain to me why it’s almost noon and you’re still out?” Nina snapped.
“Baby, I’m at the club. We’re gambling. I’ll be home soon.”
“You spend more time at the club than you do at home. I think you better find out what’s more important, before you lose one. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re up there with one of those nasty stripper bitches!” Nina hung up the phone in Mouse’s ear.
Her intuition was right once before. Why couldn’t it be right this time too? Nina thought about what had transpired between Mouse and Mercedes years before. She had befriended Mercedes during her time of need, got her a job at Mouse’s club, and even opened her doors and allowed that trick to stay in her home, only to come in the club late one night and find Mercedes’ mouth full with Mouse’s dick. Well, the tip that is, because Mouse was packing, and a bitch needed a big-ass mouth to take that entire dick.
Ever since that encounter with Mercedes, Nina had never fully trusted Mouse. Yes, she did forgive him, but one thing for sure was, she never did forget. She vowed that she wouldn’t be one of those women who worried themselves to death every time their man left their sight, so she gave Mouse his freedom and a rope. Rope with just enough room for him to hang himself. Nina wasn’t stupid. She knew a man was going to do what a man wanted to do, regardless, and there was nothing a woman could do to stop him.
After hanging up the phone and getting lost in her thoughts, she grabbed her jacket and rushed to meet her girls at Logan’s Roadhouse to have their weekly girls’ dinner.
The second Nina walked through the door, she spotted Rochelle, Mariah, and some mystery woman.
“Hey, girls.” She greeted as she approached the table.
Rochelle introduced the mysterious woman as soon as Nina was up on them. She knew Nina didn’t like sharing her space with people she didn’t know. “Nina, this is Peaches.”
“Hi.”
Nina rolled her eyes as she positioned herself to take a seat at the table. She and Mariah looked at each other from the corner of their eyes then shot Rochelle a disapproving look.
Rochelle quickly got the picture and wrapped things up with her little friend. “All right, girl, well, I’ll see you at the club later.”
The second the girl left the table, Nina looked at Rochelle. “Oh my God. Can we please go out one time without having to be introduced to one of your stripper buddies?”
“Yeah! And no new friends, damn it! How many times do I have to say this?” Mariah chimed in. “Don’t you know that our circle consist of us three only?”
“Guys, I do work as a bartender at a strip club, so I’m gonna know lots of strippers. Besides, she doesn’t count. She’s not a friend—That’s potential pussy. We flirt every night at the club. It’s only a matter of time before she’s yamming on my meow mix.” Rochelle laughed.
“Rochelle, please.” Mariah waved her hand, disgusted by the thought.
Just like Rochelle, Mariah had been friends with Nina since high school. She had a few self-esteem issues that caused her to do some strange things at times, especially when it came to men. Always portraying who she would like to be instead of who she truly was, she was always attempting to be politically correct. Although she pretended to be perfect, deep inside, she didn’t truly love herself. She needed the validation of a man to feel good about herself, and it often showed.
“Whatever, Mariah. You kill me.” Rochelle knew Mariah was on that fronting shit once again. “You’re the biggest freak out of all of us, with your horny ass.”
“Well, at least I have standards.”
“Whatever,” Rochelle said, trying to dismiss the conversation, “I have standards too.”
“Yeah, right,” Nina said, thinking of Mercedes. “That’s not the way I see it, because to me, it looks like all you want is those nothing-ass chicks.”
“Dang! I feel a little aggression here. Do you really have to go there? I mean, I know you hate Mercedes and all, but do you have to constantly throw it up in my face? I don’t let her sit around and talk about your ass.”
“That’s because you and her know the deal. Plus, this ain’t really about her,” Nina lied. “I just wish you would raise your standard, that’s all.”
“Have you talked to her lately?”
“Nope, not since the argument I told you about. She’s out the door. I’m moving on to bigger and better things now.”
“Excuse me?” Nina realized she’d had been left out of the loop.
“I’m no longer dealing with Mercedes, but I didn’t tell you because I know you’d rather not discuss her.” Rochelle nonchalantly rose out of her seat.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re not going anywhere.” Nina placed her hand on Rochelle’s arm to keep her from leaving the table. She didn’t believe a word coming out of Rochelle’s mouth and wanted more information.
Nina had a right to doubt Rochelle because she’d said she was done with Mercedes a number of times, and after each declaration, she’d just end up right back with her. In Nina’s opinion, Rochelle just was too pussy-whipped and too weak to walk away. Whenever Nina voiced this to Rochelle, she couldn’t say a word, because deep down, she knew Nina was telling the truth. She would swing the door wide open as soon as Mercedes’ sorry ass came knocking.
On the real, Rochelle probably would go searching for her before she even had the chance to come knocking. Her love life had always been a rocky road, and she yearned for the companionship of a lover so bad, she virtually opened the doors to any stranger willing to give her that fulfillment.
“May I take your drink orders?” the waitress said, interrupting the ladies’ conversation right in the nick of time, because an argument was definitely brewing.
The girls paused their conversation long enough to place their drink and dinner orders.
Mariah then excused herself to the restroom.
“Aaaaaaahhhhhh shit!” Mariah yelled beneath her breath as the urine ran through her insides and out her vagina, burning a path on its way. She felt like was pissing hot coffee. Please, don’t let this be happening, she thought as her heart raced and her breathing pattern increased.
She could feel an itchy, tingling sensation beneath her armpits, indicating a sure sign of sweat. Was she having an anxiety attack? My pussy is on fire! Oh my goodness, not again!
Mariah took caution wiping herself clean. She noticed a small amount of blood on the tissue. She was sure she had a urinary tract infection, which, in her case, was a definite sign of pregnancy.
As Mariah stood looking at herself in the mirror, she knew exactly what to expect. This feeling was way too familiar. With pregnancy occurring at least twice a year, she had to wonder if she was the queen of fertility. But she already knew her next move—straight to the abortion clinic. Unlike most women, whose dilemma would be whether or not to keep the baby, her dilemma was determining which man she would tell of the mishap.
From which would I get the most attention? Who would beg me to have the baby? Who would be upset? Mariah washed her hands then touched up her hair. Her worst fear was her girls finding out, especially Nina.
She headed back to the table with a worried look on her face. Not even her strongest front game was able to hide her anxiety.
“Is everything okay?” Rochelle asked when Mariah returned.
“I think I’m getting a urinary tract infection.”
“Oh Lord. You know what that means,” Nina said.
Mariah had been pregnant so many times, her friends knew all the signs and could almost predict with certainty when she was pregnant.
“Nina, please. I don’t feel like hearing it right now.”
“I’m just saying, you always have something going on. You’ve had everything in the book, from a bacterial infection to a yeast infection to a UTI, STD, PID, PCOS, HBO, CNN, ESPN”—Nina began to laugh so hard, she couldn’t finish her sentence.
Feeling the need to protect her perfect image, Mariah quickly interjected, “I’ll have you know, when I went to the gynecologist for my annual exam, he said that my vagina was the cleanest vagina he has ever seen. Fuck you very much!”
“Well, you know what that means?” Nina asked.
“You need to get another gynecologist,” Rochelle chimed in.
“No, I’m serious. I thought he was joking, so I asked if he was serious, and he said yes. It made me feel really good.” Mariah gave a satisfied smiled as though she was giving herself a silent pat on the back.
“Well,” Nina said, “when it’s vacuumed out every other month, what would you expect?”
Nina and Rochelle laughed until tears came to their eyes.
Mariah gave them a disapproving look. “You know what? Y’all are some insensitive bitches!” She started to gather her things and leave but realized she had no one to blame but herself.
Mariah had had at least twenty abortions in the past ten years. It wasn’t a laughing matter, because she was using abortions as birth control. Nina and Rochelle had been dealing with it for so long, they’d learned to make light of the situation.
“Umph. Who is that?” Rochelle said, interrupting their laugh session. “He is sexy.”
“Where?” Nina said.
They all followed Rochelle’s eyes.
“Oh, that’s um, what’s his name, from out Tidewater Park.” Nina snapped her finger a few times as she wracked her brain, trying to remember the guy’s name.
“Li’l Man. He’s one of Jigga’s boys.” Mariah sipped her White Zinfandel.
“Yeah, that’s his name!”
“Oh, that’s Li’l Man? I heard of him. I didn’t know he was one of Jigga’s boys. All them niggas got money. But I thought he was supposed to be locked up. He must have just got out.” Rochelle always knew the latest with all the dopeboys on the streets.
“Yeah, I know. What is he doing with Young Boy? Wasn’t he fuckin’ Li’l Man’s baby momma while he was in jail?” Nina said, adding to the gossip.
“Baby momma? Who is his baby momma?” Mariah asked.
“Some young chick from the park name Tee-Tee,” Nina said. “And from what I know about her, she don’t play.”
“Well, it sounds like he has too much drama for me. I’m definitely not trying to have any problems with a project chick.” Mariah stated making it very clear in case of an emergency she had nobody’s back.
“Suit yourself,” Rochelle said. “I’m from the streets, so the bitch don’t scare me. I’ll take his ass. Y’all think he still got some money?”
“Well, I know he had it before he got locked up. He used to keep that chick Stacey, which he called his sister, laced. And he comes up to the club all the time gambling with Mouse. I’m surprised you’ve never seen him.”
“Well, I’m about to get to know him.” Rochelle looked over to the bar and gave Li’l Man the eye.
As they ate their food, Rochelle continuously sent flirtatious gestures over to Li’l Man, from seductively licking the cherries from her drink to sucking the meat off her chicken bones as though she was sucking the last drop of come out of the head of a penis.
Tired of the performance, Nina said, “Damn, girl! If he doesn’t come over here after all that, then he’s just not interested. And not only that—”
Before Nina could finish her statement, Li’l Man came walking over. “What’s up, ladies?” he said as he stood at their table.
Nina and Mariah both had to admit, he was indeed fine.
“Heeeey!” They all sang, giddy-headed.
“You got my attention. So what’s good, ma?” he said to Rochelle.
Rochelle gave him her most seductive look. “That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Me and my man are just finishing up a few drinks. I got a little running around to do. When I’m done, can I call you?” He pulled an iPhone out of his pocket.
Mariah noticed he had the same phone as she. iPhone? That’s an odd phone for a dopeboy.
“A’ight,” Rochelle answered with a huge grin, and quickly began rummaging through her red Marc Jacobs bag that Nina had given her for her cell phone for her birthday.
As Rochelle retrieved her phone so they could exchange numbers, Mariah stood up and began to brush crumbs off her clothes. Her way of showing off her newly purchased plump Brazilian booty and breastlift while giving Li’l Man a whiff of her Dolce & Gabbana Sicily perfume.
Knowing her friend all too well, Nina just shook her head at Mariah’s desperate attempt for attention.
“Well, you ladies have a good night,” Li’l Man said, after saving Rochelle’s number.
Before the girls could respond, they noticed a huge commotion at the front of the restaurant. They all tried to see who it was and noticed some chick wave her hands in the air, and push the waitress out the way. Then she and two other girls with her started making their way toward them.
The second she was up on them, Li’l Man said, “Tee-Tee, I ain’t got time for your shit.”
“Shut the fuck up!” she hissed.
Nina looked over at Mariah and Rochelle. I know this bitch better not say a word to me.
Rochelle looked like she was waiting for Tee-Tee to say the wrong word or make the wrong move.
“How the fuck did you even know I was here? You and your stupid-ass crew following me now? You need to be more worried about being a mother and taking care of my son.” Li’l Man attempted to walk away.
“So you fuckin’ other bitches now?” Tee-Tee grabbed Li’l Man’s arm, rolling her eyes at the girls.
“Bitch, who the fuck are you referring to as a bitch?” Rochelle responded without delay.
Tee-Tee diverted her attention back to Li’l Man. “We are going to be a family. What part of that don’t you get?” She turned toward Rochelle. “Look, I don’t know who you are and don’t care to know,” she yelled, her long, colorful, acrylic fingernail in Rochelle’s face, “but this here is my man.”
Rochelle aimed a punch at Tee-Tee’s face, barely grazing her as Nina and Mariah held her back. She then tried to take off her five-inch stiletto heel to beat Tee-Tee’s head in.
Nina reached behind her for her purse, sure not to take her eyes off the scene, and felt for the Mace bottle. She watched Tee-Tee’s friends closely to see what plans they had.
“Let it go,” Mariah begged at least eight or nine times in Rochelle’s ear.
By this time, everyone was looking at the ladies, trying to figure out what all the commotion was about.
Tee-Tee gathered her composure and headed out the restaurant with her friends. “This ain’t over, Li’l Man,” she announced while leaving.
Once she was out the door, Li’l Man turned around and said, “Ladies, sorry about all of this. Rochelle, can I still call you?”
“Yeah.”
Mariah shook her head. What woman would want a man after going through so much drama during the initial meeting?
When Li’l Man walked away, they all stood there and looked at one another.
Rochelle flopped down in her chair. “Order me a drink!” she yelled. “Matter of fact, order us all one,” she yelled out again. “Whew! Now that that’s over, I can finish my meal.”
“You know you’re a trip, right?” Nina said.
“No, I just want to eat. Hell, this dinner costs enough. One of y’all rich bitches got my check?”
Later that night when Nina arrived home, she was a little relieved to see Mouse’s Mercedes Benz CLS550 sitting in the garage. At least he’s not still at the strip club, she thought as she pulled in beside his car.
As she walked through the door, she yelled out, “Mouse!”
There was no response.
“Hellooooo! Mouse!”
Still there was no answer. Nina started walking in the direction of their bedroom. As she walked through the door, she heard the shower running. She stood outside the bathroom door, deciding whether she should walk up and snatch the door open or just leave him be.
She made her decision when she saw his jeans lying on the floor with some cash sticking out each of the pockets. She bent over and picked up the pants, making sure she grabbed the money first.
Nina laid the pants across the bed and proceeded to count. “Two, four, six . . .” She started with the smallest bills, twenties, then continued with the hundreds. She counted close to ten thousand dollars.
Nina found it odd that Mouse would have so much money o. . .
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