Close Quarters: A Novel (Zane Presents) (17 page)

• • •

More laughter snapped me out of my reverie. Lex was running his mouth about making a Kai and Melina sandwich—they could be the bread and he’d provide the meat.

“Chill out, man,” I said.

Terrence put his hand on Lex’s shoulder before he could respond.
“I think the pre-show is about to start. Turn up the volume on the TV.”

We crowded around the little television, but we weren’t listening. We conducted our own pre-show commentary on the teams and players. I kept an eye on the game once it started, but I mostly drank beer and talked shit with my boys. The Jets went into the fourth quarter with a twenty-point lead and on to win the game, as expected.

I drove home thinking about how I’d never had a problem popping shit about women with my boys, but today was different. I didn’t want Kai or Melina disrespected. These women were off limits. No tasteless jokes. As far as I was concerned, they deserved better than that.

M
alik wandered into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of orange juice. I hadn’t seen him all week, not even a glimpse of him since returning from Maryland. I diced apples for apple cinnamon pancakes.

Malik snatched an apple wedge from the cutting board. “Pancakes. Sausage. Grits. Eggs. What, are you cooking for an army?”

“Charlee and Giselle are coming over for brunch.”

“Seems like a lot of food for your girls. I’m willing to stick around and help you eat all of this, so you don’t waste it.”

“I bet you are. Where are you off to anyway?”

“Kai needs me to go with her to get her car serviced.”

“Oh, then you better not keep her waiting.” I chopped into an apple and sent half of it flying off the cutting board.

Malik bent down to retrieve the apple from the floor. He tossed it in the garbage and then lingered in the doorway for a moment. “I’ll see you later, Mel.”

“All right,” I said without looking up from what I was doing.

The apartment door closed behind Malik and I immediately started mumbling to myself. “All of a sudden he’s all wrapped up in Kai. Meanwhile, I’m taking messages all week from his chicks that couldn’t reach him on his cell phone because he’s wrapped up somewhere with Kai. Please. I’m not his damn secretary.”

“I know you’re not my secretary.”

I shrieked, dropping the knife onto the counter. “Oh, my God, I thought you left,” I said, with my hand on my chest, trying to calm my frantically beating heart.

“You heard me close the closet door. So what’s the problem?”

“What’s the problem?” I repeated. “I’m . . .I’m just tired of taking messages for you, that’s all.”

Malik grimaced at me. “I barely get calls on this phone. But let’s skip the debate and pretend you won. You want me to get my own phone?”

“It would be nice.”

“Done. Anything else?”

“No, that’s it.”

“Cool.”

The buzzer rang and Malik pressed the button to open the front door. “I’ll leave the door open for your girls.”

He turned and left the kitchen. I rinsed my hands at the sink. Charlee and Giselle called out to me as they came in the door. I went to greet them in the living room.

“Malik damn near knocked us over on his way out,” Charlee said.

“You know Malik is a trip.”

“What was he so upset about?” Giselle asked, rubbing her stomach.

I touched her round belly and smiled. “Who cares. Let’s talk about you and how cute you look pregnant.”

Giselle had on a fitted crochet sweater with a pair of faded jeans and some bad high-heel suede boots.

“Do I also look like my back is aching? Because it is.”

Charlee rolled her eyes. “Stop complaining and enjoy the ride.”

I laughed. “I wouldn’t have phrased it that way, but I agree. You’re four months pregnant and you’re beautiful. You haven’t
gained an ounce anywhere other than your stomach. What more could you ask for?”

Giselle’s smile dimmed. “A lot, but I won’t go there. What’s to eat? You know you have to keep me and my baby well-fed.”

I led them into the kitchen and they sat at the table. I placed fruit salads in front of each of them.

Charlee frowned. “I ain’t pregnant. Give lil mama the fruit salad. I’ll wait for the real food.” She pushed her bowl in front of Giselle.

“Everything will be done in a minute.”

“Good because I’m starving. Last night, the finest man I have ever met, sexed me down something proper.”

“Aren’t you getting a little old for one-night stands?” I asked.

Charlee looked at Giselle and Giselle looked at me. “You’re never too old,” Giselle said.

They laughed a laugh that said they were in total agreement. I shook my head and continued to pour perfect circles of pancake batter onto the griddle.

“You are such a Pollyanna,” Charlee said with a dismissive wave. She turned to her partner in crime and continued her story. “I was at Club Fiasco last night for an album release party for one of my groups and I peeped this dude the minute I walked into the club. He was a dead ringer for Boris Kodjoe. You know I couldn’t resist giving him one of my sexy smiles when I strolled by him. I didn’t turn around to see if he was scoping me because I knew he had to be. About a half an hour later I was chilling in the lounge area and a waitress brings over a bottle of champagne, a bottle of Patron and a bottle of Remy VSOP. She points to homeboy sitting at the bar and says he wants to buy me a drink and if his selections don’t entice me, let her know, and she’ll bring me my drink of choice. I told her the champagne was fine and she could take the Patrón and Remy back with her. She tells me he instructed that
after I made my selection, the other two bottles were for my friends. I told her to invite him over to have a taste with me.”

I flipped the pancakes over and they were a tad past golden. “Girl, I got so caught up in your story I’m over here burning breakfast.”

Giselle shushed me like we were in a movie theater. “Go ahead, Charlee.”

“So he joined me on the sofa and introduced himself as Torrey Biggs. He’s a sports agent. I was relieved he wasn’t in the music industry. Y’all know how I hate dealing with men in the industry—always wanting to talk business and always trying to see what I can do for them. Anyway, Torrey and I got acquainted over a bottle of champagne and a couple of dances, then made our way to the W Hotel.” Charlee fanned herself with her napkin. “What happened in that hotel room is too raunchy to divulge.”

“You better spill it,” Giselle said.

“If you insist,” Charlee said, giggling. I put a platter of pancakes on the table and sat down to listen. “Torrey had my panties around my ankles, and his face buried in my pussy, before the door closed behind us. I tore his shirt trying to undo his buttons. We were sprawled across the bed in the sixty-nine position, his tongue all in my pussy and my mouth wrapped around his big dick—and I mean
big
. His last name ain’t no lie. Girls, he flipped me over and fucked me from the back so hard I was wailing like a banshee. The entire floor had to hear me. And that was only the first session. We fucked two more times.”

“I hope you used a condom,” I said.

“Shut up, Pollyanna. You can ruin a wet dream. Yes, we used a condom and I’m on the pill. Now what do you have to say?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

Giselle laughed. “I wish it was me getting done by a Boris look-alike. Keep the stories coming, Charlee. I’ll live vicariously through
you while this little load has me out of commission. Lord knows Melina doesn’t have any exciting tales.”

“I’m sure nothing I do would sound exciting to you tramps.” Their snickering filled the kitchen while I set the rest of the food on the table. “Do you think you can stop laughing long enough to bless the food?”

We bowed our heads and gave thanks. Giselle was sliding pancakes onto her plate before the word “amen” left our lips. “Smells good, Melina.”

“Eat up. I want my god baby to be nice and healthy.”

“You must want me to turn into a blimp. If I keep eating like this I won’t be able to fit anything.”

“Speaking of fitting, what are you guys doing next weekend?”

“I don’t have any plans,” Charlee said.

“I may be on call at the hospital, but I’m not sure, why?”

“I want you to come dress shopping with me.”

“Have you picked a wedding date already?” Giselle asked.

“I wouldn’t quite say that, but the wedding will be in April.”

“April? I’m due the first week of May. I’ll be as big as a house.”

“You’ll be beautiful,” I said.

Charlee narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s less than six months away. What’s the rush?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Give us the short version,” Charlee demanded.

“The Harlows don’t like long engagements.”

“And you’re okay with this?”

“I’ll have a wedding planner doing the majority of the work.”

“I meant are you okay with the Harlows calling the shots?”

“No, I’m not, but I don’t feel as if I have a choice.”

“So, what, you’re their puppet now? The Harlows are pulling your strings and you have no control?”

Giselle stopped eating and looked at Charlee with wide eyes.

“I’m not anyone’s puppet.”

“But you’re letting the Harlows dictate what you should do.”

“Bebe is a little difficult to deal with and sometimes it’s just easier to go along with her.”

Charlee sucked her teeth. “You can let them run you if you want, but I know one thing, it wouldn’t be me.”

“You need to discuss this with Ellis. Address the problem before you marry him or it will only get worse,” Giselle said.

“It can’t get any worse than it already is.”

K
ai wheeled her car out of the service station. I sat in the passenger seat, keeping an eye the road. Her driving wasn’t too bad, but she got easily distracted while talking. The driver in the car next to us blew his horn as Kai strayed into his lane. I just shook my head. She went on and on about how much she loved the holidays and couldn’t wait until Christmas. I was only half-listening when I caught the end of her question.

“So will you?” she asked.

“Will I what?” I said, diverting my attention to her.

“Come with me to pick out a Christmas tree.”

“When?”

Kai looked annoyed. “Were you listening to anything I said, Malik?”

“Of course, I was, but I was also concentrating on your driving, since you didn’t seem too preoccupied with it.”

Kai took a playful swipe at my arm. “I said that I wanted to get my tree today and wondered if you wouldn’t mind going with me. I’ll need help getting it up to my apartment.”

She had me just where she wanted me. My car was parked at her apartment and if I wanted to go my own way, I couldn’t. What choice did that leave me? I relented. “I don’t mind.”

Kai flashed a cryptic smile that I was apprehensive to interpret.
It probably resembled how a spider must look at a fly caught in its web. Was Kai intricately spinning a web from which she didn’t want me to escape? I immediately unraveled that thought. I was not one to get entangled in anyone’s traps. Never have. Never will. Kai was on another level, but she was still a woman, and I knew women. Kai was used to men doing what she said, when she said it. She knew how to use her assets to get what she wanted. And, yeah, at that moment I was indulging her. But Kai shouldn’t have underestimated Malik Denton.

We turned into the parking lot where the Christmas trees were being sold. Kai and I stepped out of the car and joined the people milling around the aisles, checking out the various trees.

“What size tree do you want?” I asked.

Kai touched the branches on a spruce tree in front of her. “I don’t know but not too big or too small. Maybe a six-foot. Don’t worry; you’ll be able to carry it,” she teased.

“Me, worried? I think you know by now that I can lift, flip and carry when necessary. I handle my business.”

Kai laughed. “You always manage to make everything about sex.”

“Who mentioned sex? I was just letting you know that I won’t have a problem getting your tree into your apartment. I guess we know where your mind is.”

“Nice try, Malik, but I got your message loud and clear. I’m starting to think you have a one-track mind.”

“I thought that’s what you liked about me,” I said, smiling.

“Oh, I do. But sometimes it’s good to know that there’s more to it than that.”

I kept walking down the aisle, inspecting the trees. So she was going to take it there. I guessed the topic of conversation came along with the activity. We were shopping for Christmas trees together. A very couple-like thing to do. It was obvious that Kai
would start hinting at what she wanted from me. She wanted more. Until she decided to broach the subject head-on, I wouldn’t either. Kai was an intelligent, articulate woman. If she wanted to talk about what was going on with us, then she would. I could tell that she was only feeling me out at the moment. She wanted to gauge my reactions, wanted to see if I would take her bait and delve into a serious relationship discussion. Kai didn’t know that I wasn’t fond of fishing and unless she asked a direct question, then she shouldn’t expect a direct answer.

• • •

The attendants secured the tree to the roof of Kai’s car. We drove back to her place in relative silence, with the exception of the radio. She didn’t have much to say after her comment about my one-track mind.

I moved to change the station. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head to signify she didn’t. It was apparent she wasn’t talking to me and I decided that I would cut our day short. I would get her tree upstairs, then take my leave. Hopefully it wasn’t too late to catch up with the fellas.

When we arrived at her place, I told her to head upstairs; I would untie the tree and bring it up. She mumbled something and then briskly walked into the building. I took my time removing the tree from the car. The doorman met me out front, guided me inside the building and directed me to the service elevator. The service elevator crept slowly to the eighth floor. The doors opened, letting me out on the opposite end of the hallway from the main elevator. I was few a few doors down from Kai’s apartment. She left the door ajar for me.