And this is Kat, at work Kat, not Kat at home, or under me Kat, but Kat, with a badass temper.
“That doesn’t mean shit though. I’m telling you, she’s gonna be trouble. Trouble for you, trouble for the guys, and trouble for me,” she points to herself.
“Bullshit Kat, you just don’t want another female-”
She leans in and scowls. “I. Don’t. Want. Her.”
“She was the best option.”
“Today,” her voice squeaks and I chuckle. “Fuck you.”
I lean in and narrow my eyes. “We’re at work Kat. No matter how much you beg I can’t do it here.”
Her mouth gapes open then snaps shut. Then typical Kat she leans in and looks at me. “Pussy.”
Before I can get around the table she is out the door.
***
It’s slow, so I sit in my room and listen to the messages. One was the preschool just down the road. From what Momma Joe told me, she heard it’s a good one.
They have an opening. I know damn well they didn’t last time I checked. Momma Joe probably pulled some strings, which was cool, but I’d never ask for that.
Natalia can start on Monday. She’d be going from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon, five days a week. They are open year round and do field trips and shit. I’m not too sure I want my kid traipsing off to the zoo with a bunch of strangers but they assured me it was optional.
It was expensive, but I no longer had the expense of Nat’s grandma’s place or the money I gave her weekly. Yes, I paid her rent, she had no one else and when someone is everything to your kid in way of family, you do whatever you need to do. Family is family.
At six o’clock I get my third text from Momma Joe, she has a bouncy house and shit set up. Nat was cheesing in every photo. I missed her but she is having a good time.
I walk out and grab Kat’s Trans Am keys. “I’m out, you need anything call, if not,” I lean down and whisper, “I’ll see you tonight.”
She shifts in her seat and I know she knows what she is in for.
Then she looks down at the Ink magazine and shrugs. “I’m going out. It’s Taco Tuesday and I have a date.”
“A date?” I ask and she looks up.
“Yes. A date.”
Shit doesn’t sit well with me but I nod. “Have fun.”
“You too.” She looks back down like nothing, like fucking nothing, and flips a page.
“I’ll see you after your date.”
“What?” she gasps.
I keep my shit in check, it’s what we agreed on. I turn on my heels and walk out.
***
“Thanks for getting it fixed,” I say to Runner as he hands me the keys to my truck.
“No problem man, I could have brought it to you.”
“No big deal.”
I get in my truck, new paint, new tires, and shut the door behind me. I start it up and throw it in drive.
Got a lot of shit done today. Nat’s in school next week, which is bittersweet. I got a fucking lawyer to file paperwork ending the fucking child support on two kids that aren’t mine. Contacted the landlord to let them know Lavinia was gone. He already knew, and now I didn’t have that expense. I would be putting another three grand in my pocket a month. Should be happy. I should be fucking tired after last night but I’m not.
I drive down my street and pull in my driveway.
Fucking hate this place. How the hell do my tires get slashed and my bike get dumped and beat to fuck when people are piled on top of each other and no one knows what the hell is going on. No one sees shit? It’s fucked up. So fucked up.
I throw the truck in park and get out. Walk up to the door and inside. I spend an hour cleaning, changing Nat’s bedding and doing some laundry.
When I’m done, I sit on the edge of her little bed and look around the room.
Homes are places where you can love and dream. It’s a place where you can wake up and be excited about your fucking day.
With Nat not here right now I don’t have to act like this is home sweet fucking home. Without her it’s not. It’s fucking walls. Walls around me reminding me of my mistakes.
This place, this fucking place was no home. It was a place I had existed knowing I had to keep Nat even closer than ever.
There were nights I would sit and watch her sleep knowing damn well if she grew up here she was gonna feel the same way I did, as if she was existing.
I fucked up.
Nat’s grandma used to tell me once in a while that I needed a break. Those nights I would go out, usually get fucked up, find some sort of entertainment, take them home, fuck them, then before sun came up I would head back to my girl. My life.
One fucking night of mistakes with two bitches who would take it anywhere. Two bitches who were looking for a man to take care of them. Two bitches who would do anything they could to get a man to take care of them.
A year ago I was packing up a house I had busted my ass to buy. A house in a neighborhood that was nice, had good schools, a police presence, neighbors who gave a fuck, and it was home.
I grab a bag and throw four of Kat’s dicks in it. She’s got a date? She’s got a date alright, and it is with me.
I drive to my house, the one I’m renting out, and throw it in park. I grab the eviction letter and jump out. I take a deep breath because I hate fucking disappointing people. But it is me, and it is Nat that need to come first.
I walk across the street and knock on the door.
Driving home from Jase and Carly’s place, after going to see my girl itching to give her the news that in thirty days we get to go home but decided against it, because who the hell knows what will come up. I don’t want to get her hopes up, hell I don’t even know if it’ll mean shit to her like it does me, I pull into Mario’s for Taco Tuesday.
A man’s gotta eat.
The place is packed and it’s nine o’clock at night. I order a draft and plate of soft tacos.
I message Zack to see how things are going and he messages back that they are locking up now.
Fucking perfect.
I sit back and wait for the inevitable as I eat fucking tacos.
“Hey, this seat taken?”
Without looking up, I shake my head no.
I hear a woman giggle and then I look up.
“I am awful at this,” she says setting her purse down on the bar and sitting in the stool next to me.
“At eating tacos?” I ask after wiping my mouth. She looks at me oddly. “It was a joke.”
She laughs and nods. “I’m awful at those too.”
I shrug. “We’re all different.”
“Right, men are from Mars, and women are from Venus. I read the book, it hasn’t helped.”
I look to my right when someone plops on the other side of me. “Hey Ricco.”
I nod. “Macey, Stephanie, how are you?”
“Good, great, just waiting for Kat.”
“Oh she’s on her way here?” I ask as if surprised.
“Yep, tacos then the bar,” Stephanie smiles.
“You on a date?” Macey asks nodding to the woman next to me.
I shake my head no and look at the woman. “Sorry about that.”
“No, gosh no don’t be sorry. I’m flattered.” She sets her bag on the bar.
I have no damn clue what she’s flattered for.
She smiles. “You are a very handsome man. I’m Callie by the way.” She sticks out her arm to give me a handshake and knocks her bag off of the bar.
Books spill out all over the floor and I push myself back to get them. Every one of the books has a cover with a shirtless man. She crouches down next to me and starts picking them up.
“Mommy porn, alpha males, sex sells they say,” she shrugs and laughs.
“Apparently you bought out the entire book store.”
“Not my typical read.” Her face turns bright red and I know damn well she’s full of shit. But hey, none of my business. “I’m doing some research.”
I help her put her books in the large canvas bag. “So you’re single. I’m single. You’re a strapping man. I’d like to take you on a date.”
I hear a familiar giggle and I know Kat has arrived.
“I’m not married, but I do have someone in my… life,” I tell her loud enough for Kat to hear.
“Fascinating, very fascinating,” she says as she climbs in her seat. “So this person, is she what they call a friend with benefits or a fuck buddy?”
She whispered ‘fuck’ and now looks around like someone may hear her.
“Hot damn, do tell Ricco,” Macey says.
I look over at Kat and I am being given the evil eye.
“Yes, I would love to hear about it. How does that work. I mean do women actually agree to being in just a sexual relationship with you?”
Talk about being on the hot seat, and normally I would nip it in the ass but Kat looks more uncomfortable by the minute and I kind of like it.
“Lots of women are busy and have careers and lives of their own, so yeah,” I say and take a drink.
“Fascinating, very fascinating,” she says completely to herself and then looks back at me. “You don’t consider these women easy?”
“She’s kidding right?” Macey snaps.
I’m sure I’m in for an argument and decide to choose my words carefully when Callie leans forward.
“No not at all, I’m curious,” Callie says leaning forward more and looking at Macey.
“Because it’s
fascinating, very fascinating
?” Macey air quotes the words Callie had just used.
Callie laughs and nods. “Indeed.”
“What are you some fucking-”
“Not everyone is like you,” Stephanie cuts her off, reaches across and holds out her hand. “Hi, I’m Stephanie.”
Callie shakes it vigorously and smiles a genuine from the heart smile. “Very nice to meet you.”
“Not everyone is like they are, some of us like good old fashion love and romance,” Stephanie says.
“Some people are delusional and that shit is nonsense,” Kat says as she grabs the beer Mario set in front of her.
“I don’t think all people are delusional who believe in love and romance. It all depends on what romance and love means to them. Men too, right,” she pauses, “Your name is Ricco right?”
I nod.
“What do you think a woman wants?” she asks.
“Depends on the woman,” I answer.
“Right, but how could one really tell unless they communicated it effectively?” She smiles.
“I want dick and an orgasm,” Macey says.
“I want someone to cherish me and what we have together,” Stephanie adds.
I look at Kat who is looking at Stephanie. She is hurting. She is hurting for Stephanie, and what does Kat do when she is hurting?
“I want a mindless fuck and for them to leave me alone. I have all the love I need with these two bitches. Romance to me is a bottle of wine, a long walk to my nightstand where my favorite plastic dick is waiting to get me off.”
Stephanie covers her eyes, and Macey gives Kat a fist bump.
“After I get off there is no need to clean out the cum dumpster or lay next to a panting sweaty man who doesn’t know enough to leave when you’re done with him.”
She’s in rare form.
“Fuck men, fuck them and fuck romance.”
“Hear, hear,” Macey raises her draft and the two clink glasses.
“You two have been hurt,” Callie says.
“That’s none of your damn business,” Kat snarls.
“Kat,” I say pushing back, “a minute please.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she grumbles but she does push herself back and gets up.
She even follows me out the door.
As soon as the door shuts she scowls, “What?”
“You okay?” I ask as I lean against the brick wall behind me.
She leans back. “I’m fine.”
“The night go okay?”
“I have two friends in there waiting for me.” She pushes off the wall.
“I know that,” I say grabbing her wrist and stopping her.
“Well you have that chick to entertain you so go, go do you.”
“If I wanted entertainment I could watch TV,” I say as she leans back and grabs the bottom of her tee shirt.
She doesn’t say shit but I know what’s going on.
“Your date tonight doesn’t happen to be Stephanie’s old man does it?”
She looks at me out of the corner of her eye.
“What time?”
“Ten,” she whispers.
“Where?”
“Steelettos,” she answers.
“A fucking kink club?”
She shrugs. “He picked the spot.”
“Good,” I push myself off the wall. “See you there.”
“Is that where you’re bringing Miss Love and Romance?” she bites out behind me and I turn.
“I’m not the one that needs a date. I’m just fine with getting sweaty. Kat,” I turn and look over my shoulder, “I clean up my messes.”
“Don’t come.”
I stop dead in my tracks and turn around. “If I don’t, you don’t.”
KAT
I was so pissed at him I couldn’t even walk in. The man summoned me like a dog and I followed, then he gave me shit and made me…. Frustrated.
“If I don’t, you don’t,” he said. What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
When Stephanie and Macey walked out they both looked at me like I was nuts, and maybe I was. Hell Macey wouldn’t even let me drive.
When the fuck did she become the ‘responsible one’?
I pull my shit together after we’re halfway there. I don’t see… Mt. Cock following us. Maybe he is going to fuck the nerd girl. Good. Good riddance.
When we pull into Steelettos, Stephanie looks at us. “What are we doing here? Isn’t this one of those,” she pauses and whispers, “naughty clubs?”
“Kat has a date, let’s roll.” Macey hops out of her little Mini and opens the trunk, tosses me a black trench coat and says, “Put this on.”
“Why?” I huff.
“That’s what you told him you were wearing, just a trench coat.” She shrugs.
“No, no I didn’t. Haven’t talked to him-”
“I messaged the fucker,” she snaps and walks over to Stephanie. “You and I will let her go in first so he doesn’t think she brought friends okay?”
“I can’t go in there Pete would flip,” she gasps.
“It’s none of his fucking business,” I hiss as I throw on the fucking trench coat. It covers my shorts but when I look down I realize I am wearing Chucks.
I hold up my foot. “Do you see a damn problem with this?”
“Just go. Go, you’re already late,” Macey shoos me away.