Switch!
“The way she rock that, got the boy in love.”
âThe Dream, “I Love Your Girl”
Â
Â
E
rica's butt was hypnotizing. It had a mind of its own.
JZ stared at it, lost in the way it moved, first beckoning him with a slow wind, grinding against his groin in an intoxicating circle, then pulling away as it shook up and down in a vicious, painful-looking booty pop that forced him to keep his distance or risk injury.
Slow wind.
Booty pop.
Slow wind.
Booty pop.
He kept up with the rhythm, pressing his hands against her hips during the wind to get the full effect, then letting go during the pops, waiting anxiously for the storm to calm again.
He closed his eyes as Erica backed up, blessing him with another slow wind, this one huge swirls swiping deliciously from his naval to his thighs.
Shortie was gon' mess around and get fuâ
“Having fun?” Mina said, blasting him from his thoughts of a private after-party.
She and Jacinta stood beside him, grinning while they snuck disapproving glances Erica's way.
Mina's tone was mother-hen perfect. “Hey, Erica.” Her eyebrow went up a notch, just in case Erica missed the vibes sent by her “tsk, tsk” hello.
“Hey, y'all,” Erica said, undeterred.
JZ took a step back as the booty pop started its violent shake.
Mina and Jacinta gave each other a look. Mina turned her head and giggled.
Jacinta scowled. “Umph, girl, chicks get paid top dollar for moves like that at the Flaxson.You better get you some.” JZ couldn't help laughing along with Mina as Jacinta lectured on sarcastically about Erica's future career in pole dancing. “And you doing all this for free?” Her arms folded and she leveled JZ with a critical eye. “Jay, you wrong. Lace her with a few dollar bills. She working hard.”
“Jealous?” JZ asked, flashing a smile. He grabbed Mina and Jacinta by the arm, pulling them toward him. “Come on, y'all know you want make a JZ sandwich.”
Mina pulled back, swatting. “Okay, eww.”
“Oh, my bad, Mi. I know you do your dirt in the dark,” JZ said. “Don't hate on my girl working it.” JZ smacked playfully at Erica's bouncing butt and she responded with a special wiggle-pop that would have made the girls at the Flaxson proud.
Mina nodded toward Erica, “Uh-uh, I don't even do
that
in the dark.”
JZ laughed. “Then I feel bad for Brian.” He held on to Jacinta's elbow, trying to force her to rock along. “Come on, Cinny, show me what you got.You know you want to.”
Jacinta remained close enough to become an awkward still partner in the dance triangle. She snorted. “Yeah, cause I've
always
wanted to give you a lap dance in front of the whole world. Anyway. . .” She sucked her teeth and her gaze was intent for a full second, sending additional messages JZ didn't understand, before she said, “I just wanted you to know I brought Raheem.”
Erica smashed up against him, grinding double time to get his attention. JZ kept time with her as he pulled Jacinta to him by her arm, leaned toward her ear, and raised his voice over the music. “Did I say you could bring your man?”
He chuckled when Jacinta thrust her hand in his face.
“I'm not asking permission. I'm letting you know so there won't be drama,” Jacinta said. “And no, he didn't bring Angel. So don't ask.”
JZ scanned the room for Raheem. “Where is he?”
“Talking to Brian 'nem.” Jacinta pointed in the direction of the pool table. “You know Raheem and Stefan boys now since they both go to GU.”
“Weren't you trying get on with Stefan, one time?” JZ's brows furrowed in mock concentration. “Now they're boys. Ain't that a bitch? Messing up your creep-creep, for real.”
“Wrong,” Jacinta said, casually shaking his hand off her elbow. “I said Stefan was fine. That was it. Don't get it twisted, Mo.”
“You gon' stop with all that mo' shit,” JZ said, shoving her playfully.
He glanced over the dancing crowd at Raheem, immediately gleaning two things. One, Raheem had cut his braids off and was sporting a Caesar cut, and two, he looked more comfortable than JZ had ever seen him on this side of the DRB without a basketball in his hand.
He didn't mind Jacinta had brought Raheem tonight. Erica was a good distraction. Something was going to pop off between them tonight. If all the booty shaking and grinding wasn't message enough, Erica's flash of jealousy anytime any girl tried dancing with JZ was. He hoped she knew that if she wasn't willing to share him tonight, then she had best plan to be on the clock all night.
She was enough to keep his mind off Cinny. He just wished Raheem didn't seem so comfortable on JZ's turf.
At the very least, dude should have his guard up, stepping into Blue Devil's territory by his lonely. Instead, he blended in with Stefan, Brian, and Davidâlaughing, exchanging dap as if they were all old friends.
Jealousy tightened JZ's chest. This was his house, the side of Del Rio Bay where he reigned supreme.
Kid, better recognize,
he thought as a dance hall mix vibrated the ceiling.
Erica whooped, “That's my song.”
“I'll be back, Shortie,” JZ said, still eyeing Raheem, mind brimming with bravado. He wasn't going to be ignorant. He and Raheem had mostly been cool. But seeing Raheem so chill tonight juiced him up.
He nudged Mina and Jacinta. “Come on, let me go speak to your man.”
Erica pouted. “But this is my jam.”
“Just start dancing,” Jacinta said, the sarcasm in her voice quilted with sincerity. “Trust, you won't be by yourself for long.”
“Jason, don't
leave me
hanging,” Erica said, the warning hollow as he walked on without a second glance.
“Oh my God, Jay, you're corrupting that poor girl,” Mina said, when they'd cleared the dance floor. “I thought she was ready do you, right there.”
JZ laughed. “Shoot, if she down she down.”
“Down, dirty, desperate. She's all those,” Jacinta said. “Please get your shots before you run up in that.”
“She's not that bad, Cinny,” JZ said, amused that Jacinta was so judgmental. If he closed his eyes, he would swear it was Mina talking. His long stride led them through the thick crowd. He spoke over his shoulder, quickly closing the distance to Raheem. “Don't be mad 'cause she's eager to please the kid, unless you want take her place.”
He chuckled to himself as Jacinta started to say something, then cut herself off as they reached the pool table. JZ extended his fist for a pound a full foot before they reached Raheem, deep in conversation with Brian.
“What's up, son?” JZ said, laying the buddy-buddy on thick.
He and Raheem knocked fists softly.
“Ain't nothing, kid. I see you bringing in the new year proper-like.” Raheem nodded toward the DJ table. “Vic got it banging up in here.”
JZ's head shook up and down. “That's how I do.”
Jacinta stood guard between them, feigning disinterest in their conversation but with no one to talk to as Brian and Mina huddled up. JZ felt the unspoken warning her stance gave offâback straight, head cocked slightly toward JZ as if on the ready for him to pop some nonsense she'd have to smooth over.
“How y'all look this year?” JZ said, playing to the area he and Raheem shared a passion for. They'd battled on the hardwood for the last two years, Raheem's Trojans besting JZ's Blue Devils four times out of sixâa record JZ was determined to better when they met again in college, eventually.
Raheem ran his hands over his low cut, then leaned against the wall near the cue stick cupboard, legs splayed. “We looking good, son.You know I'm swinging for Final Four.”
“Right, that's how you gotta think,” JZ said. “It's all about going to the dance.”
He and Raheem's hands gripped, slid apart, then gripped again at the finger tips in a quick shake of agreement.
“I heard y'all whupped on Poly the other night,” Raheem said. “Sam-Well beat Northern Del Rio like ninety to forty-five, son.”
He nudged Jacinta's side, an intimate signal she understood. She rested flush against him, facing JZ, Raheem's hands wrapped around her waist in a light hug.
JZ's stomach twisted in a jealous clench. He cleared his throat, forcing his eyes away from Raheem stroking Jacinta's arm. “Yeah, I heard they tore it up.” He cracked his knuckles, anxious to get back to Erica and her hypnotic butt even as he kept up his end of the discussion. “Poly was light weight. It's gonna be us and Sam-Well at States this year. We banging for that championship.”
“Word. But Sam ...” Raheem paused, as Jacinta wriggled free.
JZ and Raheem stared at her, stamping her left foot on the floor.
“Sorry, my foot was going to sleep,” she said, stamping a few more times before coming to rest, arms folded, near Raheem but not against him.
“Anyway, son, just wanted to holler at you.” JZ put his hand out. As he and Raheem gripped hands again, he smirked at Jacinta over Raheem's shoulder. “Thanks for stopping through.”
“I was supposed to be in DC tonight.” Raheem tickled Jacinta's side. “But I ain't want hear wifey's mouth about leaving her hanging on New Year's Eve.”
“Yeah, I hear that,” JZ said, fake smile frozen at the corner of his mouth. “Trust, we don't want hear her mouth about it either.”
“Whatever, Jay,” Jacinta said, eyes rolling.
“Naw, we would have taken care of her,” JZ said. His eyes locked on Jacinta's. He fed off the caution flashing in them. “I always take care of
my
girls.” He hollered over to the pool table, “I got next,” as he walked away, grinning.
He laced Jacinta with the same impish smile when she stepped to him a few hours later, catching him in the back room, a large supply closet, where his parents kept the sodas, juices, and waters for the bar. He fought the laughter rising in his chest at the look on her face. She was hot and chomping at the bit to lay into him. It didn't take a mind reader to know it.
He threw his hands up in surrender as she steamrolled into the stockroom, closing the door halfway behind her, finger stabbing him in the chest.
“You not right, Jay.”
“What did I do?” He feigned offense. “See how you do me?”
Jacinta's lips pursed. “How I do
you
?”
“I went out of my way to dap Raheem up for stopping by and look at you bringing drama.”
“Oh my God, you are so foul,” Jacinta said, the fire already dying in her voice at his silly grin. “For real, why did you have to say that mess about taking care of your girls? All Raheem keep saying now is, what that mean, Cinny? Since when you his girl?”
“You want me explain to him what I meant?” JZ's shoulders shook in a silent chuckle as he worked to keep a straight face. “Mina's my girl too. And Kelly and Lizzie. It's all swazy.”
“You're not even slick.” Jacinta smacked his arm. “I just had to get through one night, one more night with him. We haven't argued once all break. Weâ”
“Woah.” JZ put his hands over his ears. “I don't want hear about what y'all did over break. My ears too pure for that.”
Jacinta's small hands pummeled him, playfully battering his arms and chest. He reached out, caught them, then twisted her around, pinning her up against him so her own arms were a straitjacket.
“I was just playing,” he said, resting his chin on her head. “For real, for real.”
“Uh-uh, playing nothing,” Jacinta grumbled.
“So, what, he mad at you?”
“No ... I mean, probably. He's playing like he not mad but he is.... He'll be all right till we leave, then he's gonna trip.” She swayed lightly in JZ's hold to the music surrounding the room, rocking against him, setting his mind racing to places he knew he couldn't go.
I'mma let go,
he thought to himself, but found himself moving with her to the midtempo mix thumping the walls of the stockroom.
“Just tell him nothing up between us,” JZ said, unsuccessfully willing his arms to release her.
Jacinta sighed. “Been there, done that, over it.”
Okay, now ... now I'mma let go,
he said to himself, but aloud asked, “So tell me again why you still with dude if all y'all do is fuss like a ol' married couple.”