I'll Be Down for You: A Bay Area Saga (16 page)

~*~*~*~

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

“This is so exciting, DJ! You
sure
you wanna do this?” Shay questioned with a smile.

“I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever been sure of…more than this.”

“Okay! Well, let’s make it happen. I’m ready too,” Shay gushed.

“Hello,” the consultant greeted. She chuckled lightly before taking a seat across from them in the showing room. “How are you both today?”

“We’re good!” Shay shrieked. “And yourself?”

“Oh, I’m wonderful. This is the best part of my job.”

Shay rubbed her hands together excitedly. The anticipation of the moment was getting to her and she was anxious. Derrick was quiet and in his thoughts about the huge plunge that he was about to take. But he wasn’t having second thoughts or anything like that. He just couldn’t believe that he had actually found the woman that he wanted to take such a huge step with. He had been with Eva for years, but there was a whole lot missing and for the past year they’d neared that place of the end. He knew it and she knew it. He didn’t have any regrets. It had been a good ride. She’d been there when he needed her and while he was raising Honey, his niece, but he’d been there for her just as much.

Derrick knew early on that his and Eva’s union would never lead to marriage because their interests and their paths were so different from each other’s. He also knew that it didn’t make sense to remain in a relationship with a woman that he didn’t see long term with. He had a feeling that when he met the right one, the urge to wife her would come immediately. And that’s exactly what had happened. He was ready.

“So, this one here that I’m holding is the Tiffany setting with a diamond band in platinum…”

“
Damn
. I have never seen anything this
fu
…excuse my language,” Shay said. “…this
beautiful
in my life! This is giving me life right now!”

“Shay, let her finish,” DJ insisted, chuckling slightly.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Please go on.”

The consultant smiled wide, knowing the effect their diamonds had on many of the guests that came through the door. “Okay,” she continued. “So, it’s a round brilliant diamond that’s delicately cradled in a tapered band with bead-set stones. It fits perfectly together with a matching band ring to make a harmonious couple.”

“How many carats is this one?” DJ asked, handling the startling diamond.

“That one is two carats.”

“That’s perfect!” Shay exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.

“You think…?” DJ asked.

“No.
I know
. My cousin is going to love this! I promise you she’s gonna love it!”

“That’s all I needed to know,” he said, turning to the consultant to finalize the transaction. “Can I get this one customized—
four
carats—in a size seven and with an inscription, please?”

“Of course,” the woman smiled. “What is your timeline?”

“I’m proposing on the fourth of July, so as long as I have everything by then, it’ll be perfect.”

“Oh, we’ve got plenty of time. The turnaround on this will be under two weeks.”

“
Wowww
, DJ. This is so beautiful. I’m so happy for Dani. She deserves this after all that we came from. And to think, I damn near had to threaten her to get her out here! Now look! She’s got a damn ring in under a year. Shit.”

“Well, what about you and Carl? You got my man on cloud nine out here,” DJ laughed. “You might be next.”

Shay blushed slightly. “I’m keeping that a secret for now. Haven’t even told Dani, and don’t
you
mention it to her. I wanna see how it all plays out because she might freak to know that I’m considering going to Miami when I told her to come out here.”

“She’ll be okay. She’s in good hands. And even though you’re one of my best hostesses and Vanity would hate losing you, Carl is good people. You gotta do what makes you happy.”

“Well, I know one thing, after looking at these big ass rocks today and seeing what love looks like up close, I’m closer to telling Carl ‘yeah’. That’s for damn sure. You know…I really appreciate you including me in this process. I was lightweight jealous at first, but that went away when I saw how good you treated my cousin.
Nowww
, I just gotta try to keep my mouth shut about all this!”

“Shay…!”

“I’m kidding! I’m keeping a whole a secret by even being here without her knowing; so you know I can keep secrets.” She animatedly ran pinched fingers across her lips, and then tossed away an invisible key. “My lips are sealed,” she laughed. “If…
if
…you get me that cute little Tiffany’s heart tag bracelet over there.”

“You got it. It’s the least I can do for helping me pick out the perfect ring.”

~*~*~

“Derrick! I saw you! Are you gonna keep denying that you’re fucking around?
I saw you!
” Eva screamed. “And you didn’t even have enough sense to upgrade; you go and fuck around with some whore that does escorting for you! A fuckin’ escort! You might as well be fucking a nasty ass stripper! What the fuck type of man are you?!”

“Eva, get the fuck out of my face with all of that bullshit.”

“I’m not going any damn where until you talk to me about this bitch!”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“The hell it ain’t! I saw you in San Francisco coming out of fuckin’ Tiffany’s with that bitch yesterday! With a fucking bag, smiling all big and shit!”

“Okay,” Derrick said, attempting to walk past her. He was in no mood to argue. She was off base, but he had no intentions on debunking any theories that she was throwing his way. Her time of getting under his skin had expired a long time ago.

“
Okay what?!
You’re not gonna address anything that I said?!”

“No, I’m not. For what? You need to be leaving. I already told you that. I’ll get you an apartment and even an allowance for a year while you get on your feet and that’s being nice, Eva. I think we both know why,” he said standing close to her face. He stood so close she could feel the heat from his breath.

She took a few steps back from him. “An apartment. After living in a place like this, you think I’m going to an apartment? Think again, Derrick. That’s not gonna happen.”

“Take it or leave it. I don’t owe you shit. You’re in here screaming like a damn fool about shit you don’t know with the same mouth that you wrap around that nigga Dominic’s dick three times a week when you go to Oakland to kick it wit’ ya girls.”

Derrick smiled when he saw the look of surprise creep across her smugness. The cockiness was gone and in its place was fear. He saw it.

“How do you…?”

“Know about that?
Huh, Eva?
Is that what you wanna know?”

“Yes…” she responded, softly. All the power behind her voice had left her body and confusion and panic engulfed her.

Derrick walked past her and took a seat on the living room sofa, sat back into the padding and comfortably crossed his leg. “You’re kinda sloppy with your shit, Eva. But aside from that, your car has a GPS tracker on it. I know when you fucked, where you fucked, and for how long you fucked. So, now, tell me again who’s nasty? Tell me again how I might as well be fuckin’ with a stripper? When the pole is exactly where I found yo’ ass. Back when you claimed to be one of those college students who was paying her way through school by stripping? Remember that? Where’s the degree from Stanford, Eva? You’ve been nothing but a muthafuckin’ fraud from day one. It just took a nigga a minute to figure it all out.”

“So are you in love with the bitch? Because not once have you taken me ring shopping. Not once has a ring even come up and I gave you years, Derrick!
Years
! Yes, I’ve been fucking around, but it’s only because I don’t get attention from you! That was the
only
reason! He’s nobody to me! I promise. I can leave him alone right now and never look back! He was just something to fill the time, Derrick. Baby! I promise!” she said, going over to the couch and kneeling before him. “He can be gone, baby! It’s only ever been you! I’m not worried about this girl. I’m really not. Just tell me that you’re not trying to marry her!”

He wasn’t about to tell her anything because it wasn’t her business. He wasn’t about to tell her that Shay was helping him to pick out a ring for the woman he had fallen in love with and who he planned to spend the rest of his life with. He didn’t owe her that shit. He didn’t owe her anything. And in fact, giving her an apartment and sponsorship for a year was more than enough time for her to find a new come-up. The only reason he was even doing that much was because he had a close relationship with her mother. It was only because of that respect that he wouldn’t throw the woman’s daughter out on the street. In addition to that, she was there to help when he gained custody of Honey.

“I’m not about to tell you anything, Eva. I don’t owe you that. Get off your knees. We don’t have anything else to talk about. Just plan for this week to be your last week here.” Derrick rose from the sofa and stepped around her. “You should be thanking me, Eva. Because if I was to put you out on your ass tonight, trust and believe that your friend Dom wouldn’t be extending an invitation for you to move in with him.”

With that, he walked off from her.

“You don’t know what he’d do!” she shot, behind his back; her anger resurfacing when she saw that she couldn’t get her way. “You don’t fuckin’ know what Dom would do for me, Derrick, but I can tell you it’s a lot more than what you do!”

Derrick looked back at her over his shoulder. “Good, then you don’t need a whole week then!” he called out. “That’s good news!”

Nah, I don’t need a week, Derrick. In fact, I don’t need a damn day because I ain’t going a muthafuckin’ place. If anybody’s leaving it’s you and your bitch
.

Eva smiled behind Derrick’s back and took a place on the sofa planning her next move.

You fucked with the wrong one, Derrick
.

To Be Continued…

(Click book’s image to be routed to Amazon)

(Click book’s image to be routed to Amazon)

Below enjoy a sample from Friends, Foes & Fam

1 |
Monique

October 8, 2001

I was over this preacher dude talking about we don’t know whether Stanley went to Heaven or Hell, and all his subliminal shots about living by the sword and dying by the sword. I was offended by that shit, and wondering how in the fuck a pastor that we didn’t even know was in charge of the eulogy.

It was taking everything in me to not go and slap the fuck out that man. He was talking bullshit.

“
He in Heaven, muthafucka! I’m the one in Hell
!” was what I wanted to say to his punk ass. Instead I just held onto my daughter with every ounce of strength I had left.

Stanley’s mama had her arm wrapped around me and even though I knew it was there, I couldn’t feel it. I couldn’t feel anything. I was numb. I didn’t know how I would go on. Waiting a whole week to bury him was like losing him all over again, only now I knew it was real. He was gone and I would never see him again.

Hate was alive and well in my heart.

The reality of everything was hitting me from every direction. My chest, my head, my heart…everywhere.
What am I gonna do without you, Stan? What the fuck am I gonna do? You were my lifeline
.

With my daughter in my arms, I headed to Stanley’s casket to get a final view of the man I had loved since I was fourteen. Nissa was asleep on my shoulder and had managed to sleep throughout the entire funeral. I was happy about that because I didn’t actually want her to see him like this. No telling how long that would’ve lived with her as she grew.

I leaned down to give my baby the last kiss that I would ever be able to give him. The hardness of his skin shook my whole core. It was hard, and it was cold.
He’s gone
. My flow of tears fell onto his face. I wished like hell that I was in a fantasy and my tears would somehow wake him up. That him feeling my lips and knowing I was there with him would make him open his eyes.  “I love you, baby,” I whispered. “I love you…forever.”

I was out of it, and could only really feel my daughter’s warmth against my body. She let me know that I needed to live—that I couldn’t lay down next to Stanley and die with him. “I love you, my King.” Those were my final words to him as I left the funeral with my daughter in tow. I had no plans on going to the burial site.  I had no plans to go to his mother’s for a repast gathering. I had no plans at all. My soul was lost, my heart ripped from me.

I walked as fast as I could. I felt eyes on me. I felt their curiosity. I didn’t care. I didn’t want anybody trying to stop me, catch up to me or anything. I just wanted to go somewhere and cuddle next to my baby while she slept.

I took a final look around at everybody who had gathered to say a farewell to the head of my small family and I took in faces. I took in expressions, and I took in glances in my direction. I paid close attention. While I took it all in what became so clear in that moment was that me and my daughter were on our own. Some broke ass, jealous ass niggas made sure of that.

Life is fucked up.

I kept hearing that pastor in my head and couldn’t wait until his voice faded all the way from my mind. The world might be a fucked up place, and yeah, heaven probably is better, but in the world
we
lived in, it was just as beautiful. Me, Stanley, and our daughter.

As I headed down the stairs to the front of the church, I had a single thought: I don’t give a fuck how big the crew is each of them muthafuckas
will
be taken down.

See, I ain’t never been the average bitch. Never. That was how Stanley fell as deep in love with me as he did. These niggas couldn’t get away with what they did. Not all. Niggas had it coming. And if I couldn’t do it personally, it would be done. I owed it to Stanley.