Side Chick Turned Wife: A Hood Romance (6 page)

Danessa

It was another usual day at the salon meaning that it was busy as hell and I was getting more and more tired by the minute. This was good business and all, but shit, I wish these people would just not come in at all for one day. I just wanted some sleep, or a drink or somethin’.

I leaned my head on my desk in my office and closed my eyes for a moment. I was also depressed that I ain’t spoken to Tyrek in some time. Speaking of him, I reached over into my purse and fished for my phone. I unlocked the screen and tried to see if there were any missed calls or texts from him, but like I guessed, there was nothing. I mean, he did say that he had some shit that he had to handle and it wasn’t abnormal for him not to text or call me ‘cause I know that he has other shit to do. I ain’t even his main bitch anyway so I really can’t be all up on his nuts and make him talk to me.  Now that I think of it, he only calls or texts me when he wants or needs me. Again, I ain’t mad about that, I love it when he calls me to be with him and gives me his attention, it kind of just sucks that he only talks to me when he wants to. I signed myself up for this shit though so I really can’t complain. I can’t say shit to Mel about it either ‘cause she already don’t like the nigga, so me rantin’ about how I miss him and how he ain’t talked to me in some days ain’t gone help my case. If anythin’, it’ll make it worse and I really don’t need Mel all up in my business tellin’ me how I need to get me a better man because Tyrek ain’t givin me what a normal man should. I really
really
like Tyrek, I don’t wanna just give up on him.

I sat up and acknowledged Mel as she walked into my offfice. She gave me a look of confusion after she stared at me for a good minute.

“What, Mel? Why you lookin’ at me like that?” I asked as I locked my phone screen and looked up at her.

“Danessa, why you lookin’ like you got somethin’ on yo mind. You really look like you lost yo damn best friend but I’m right here so I don’t get it. Tell me what is goin’ on with you, lil momma.”

“How many times do I need to tell you that there ain’t nothin’ wrong with me? I’m just tired, really tired. It’s been a long and busy day and you already know that.”

“Danessa. I know you more than you know your fuckin’ self, girl. I know how you look when you really tired and I know how you look when you have somethin’ heavy on yo mind and yo ass just wanna be stubborn and not tell me!”

I just rolled my eyes at her and did my best to ignore her. I flipped my phone screen back on and scrolled through Tyrek’s messages. Mel shook her head and closed the office door before she sat down in a chair by my desk.

“Danessa. Stop playin’ with me! I see you lookin’ at yo phone. You waitin’ on yo little boyfriend to text you back?”

I cut my eyes at her and clenched my jaw. I was so damn pissed off at her.

“Mel, leave me the fuck alone, aight? Yeah, maybe I am waiting for him to text or call me back but what does that shit have to do with you? Absolutely nothing. Now leave my office and leave me alone while I wait for my
little boyfriend
to text me back ‘cause I know he will.”

Mel looked at me like she had just seen a ghost. That wasn’t a good look from her; that meant she was beyond pissed off and she was going to say somthin’. Shit, I must have actually really pushed her…

“Danessa, are you fuckin’ kidding me? This has nothing to do with me? Let me give it to you straight like I have been for the past forever. This has everything to do with me because you are my best friend and you are technically an extension of myself. It affects me because you work with me. Your whole demeanor affects how you treat our customers and you get hella snippy with me just like you are right now. Do you not see that? That man has taken over your life. You depend on him to call you and make you feel whole when you can find a man who will love you for who you are and give you that attention you so badly crave. You deserve better and I am so damn tired of tellin’ you that all the fuckin’ time. You are so beautiful and you are so fuckin’ smart, but what you’re doin’ to yo self is the most stupidest thing you could ever do to yourself. You are limiting your possibilities to a man who calls you when it is convenient for him. Don’t you feel so fuckin’ worthless to have to wait for him?”

Mel stared at me and waited for my response, but I just didn’t give her one. Honestly, I was just tryin’ to hold back my tears and what I really wanted to say, knowin’ it would only add fuel to the fire. She was my best friend and I never realized that she felt so strongly against him. I knew she hated the nigga, but shit, she had some major points. The only thing is though, I’m stubborn and I believe so much in Tyrek, but I can’t fuckin’ tell her that.

She got tired of sittin’ in silence and bolted out of her chair and from my office, slamming the door behind her. I watched as she walked back to the main floor and I noticed her wiping away her tears. Damn, she really did care for me, but she was just so against Tyrek! Ugh, I needed a drink or somethin’, my head was beyond killin’ me. Whatever though, my shift was damn near over and I just need to worry about that right now.

I tossed my phone back into my bag and took a deep breath. I flipped my computer back on and checked the logs and did some financial managing. This definitely kept me busy up until it was almost time for me to go home. I would periodically look up out the window and observe Mel doin’ her job. I could tell she was bothered but the customers and the employees were not able to see what I was seeing. I could see she was agitated and hurting and it kind of bothered me, yet deep inside I couldn’t bring myself to go up to her and apologize for the shit I said and did.

I completed the logs that I needed to touch up on and shut down the computer before I grabbed my purse. I fished inside the bag and tried to locate my phone. When I got a hold of it, I looked to see if Tyrek texted me but again, there was nothing at all. I took a deep sigh and headed out of my office. I was still pretty agitated and didn’t really wanna speak to Mel so I just brushed past her and headed out the door, not saying goodbye or anything. I hopped into my car and cranked the ignition to peel the fuck out of there really fast. I just wanted to go home and lay down. Better yet, I wanted to fuckin’ drink, yeah that sounded really good.

I weaved my way in and out of traffic, speeding so I could get home fast. Thanks to my speedin’ and expertise of weavin’ in and out of traffic safely, I made it home just as fast as I wanted. I cut the engine and grabbed my purse before gettin' out of the car and headin’ inside the crib. I tossed my purse onto the counter and headed right into the wine cooler where I pulled out a nice bottle of Jack. I was about to grab myself a bottle of nicely aged wine, but I was feelin’ the whiskey and thought that would do the trick. I just popped the bottle of Jack open and headed into the bathroom. I started up a nice hot bath and stripped off my clothes. I ran some aromatherapy soap thing in the water so the water would be bubbly and release a fragrance for stress relief. Apparently this shit was supposed to relieve my stress and I was hopin’ that it would do just that. By the end of this bath though, I prolly won’t be able to distinguish if it was the Jack that relieved my stress and tension headache or if it was this aromatherapy nonsense. Either way, this shit did smell really relaxing so it was worth a try.

When the water was high enough, I slipped myself into the tub and leaned up against the side where I had a little pillow for my head to lean back onto. I took a couple deep breaths before I reached over for the bottle of Jack and drank it straight out of the bottle. I surprised myself and managed to chug down half of the bottle in just that one sitting. I guess I was beyond stressed to the point where it was so damn easy to drink that much liquor. That is so damn pathetic but shit, I needed this. I placed the bottle back down onto the floor right by the tub and decided that I had drank enough for the rest of my life. I chuckled quietly to myself with that thought in mind. I knew I wasn’t done drinkin’ for the rest of my life but with the way that I was drinkin’, I might as well have been. Oh well. I slipped back into the water and rested my head on the pillow. While laying there, I let the alcohol get the best of me and let it completely inhabit my body and my mind. This shit was so relaxing. My headache went away but my mind started to wander. I suddenly wanted my phone to see if Tyrek had texted me, but I knew better than to get up out of this pool of comfort just to see if that nigga decided to call or text me. I found myself gettin' all hyped up and upset at that thought. He really did only call me at his convenience and maybe Mel was right. Maybe I needed a new man. I don’t want one though! I want Tyrek! Ugh, why am I even going back and forth about this shit? I meant to take this hot and relaxing bath to get my mind off of this bullshit. I really thought throwin’ alcohol in the mix would help the cause too. Man, I just need to get my life together, and I need to figure out what I wanna do. Do I still hang on to the hope that he might make shit real with me or do I start exploring different avenues. Shit, I wish I knew.

Danessa

It was finally my day off and I thought I was going to be in a better mood because I had no work to deal with, but man was I wrong. I honestly was in the worst of moods and I didn’t know how to handle myself. I found myself in a downward and depressed spiral, worrying about Tyrek and our future with one another. That is, if there even was a future with one another. Why can’t I bring myself to believe that I deserve more than just bein’ the side piece? Was it the sex and the thrill of going out with him that made me want to be by his side forever? Why is it so hard for me to see beyond his thug lifestyle? Why am I so damn entertained by a nigga who ain’t even fully mine?

Tyrek and I met at the club. Just the place to meet someone, huh? Well yeah, I met him there while I was out with Mel and some of our employees just out on a girl’s night and havin’ ourselves a good ass time. I noticed him in the VIP section blowin’ some money on some drinks and he just looked so damn good. I didn’t even know his name and I knew I wanted all of him. As that night progressed, he made his way by the main bar where I was and I sparked up a conversation with him. Ugh, his whole demeanor screamed trouble but it was so attractive to me. He bought me a couple drinks and brought me over to the VIP section where I danced on him and we just had a good ass time. Mel noticed I was over there and saw me with Tyrek. She quickly told me that this nigga was up to no good and that I had no business with him even if it was only for that night. I thought the bitch was just tryna kill my vibe so I did what any female would do, I blew her the fuck off and continued to drink and have me a good time. It was getting late that night when he asked me if I wanted to head up to the telly with him. I thought I would have been stupid if I said nah to a dime piece like him, so I said yeah and he brought me up to the suite where we fucked and drank some more. Oooh, let me tell you. The thrill of bein’ with him that night had me hooked, so I was quick to offer this nigga my number to call me whenever he wanted. And he did. Whenever he called, he would take me out to parties and it almost always ended with us havin’ sex and I wasn’t mad about it. Mel kept on tellin’ me that he was trouble, but I didn’t care. It wasn’t until I saw him out with another girl that I started to care and started to be a little cautious about openin’ my mouth. As a female who is fuckin’ the nigga, I knew I had the right to know who this bitch was that he was constantly out shoppin’ with and caterin’ to. I asked him nicely, not to seem like I was some crazy ass bitch and he told me that it was his main bitch, which made me his nice little side piece. This nigga thought that I was gonna go after hearin’ that but nah, I stayed. Why? Shit, I don’t know. I really just loved the thrill of bein’ around him and the sex was beyond amazin’. For a while, I was so content with him callin’ me whenever he wanted to and just bein’ the other woman for whatever reason. When Mel found out that he had a girl, she showed her dislike for him even more. At that point she hated the nigga and constantly battled and begged me to not be involved with this  mess because she didn’t want his lil girlfriend to find out about me and do something seriously dangerous to hurt or try to kill me. For whatever reason, I kept fighting her and  defending the nigga who only called me whenever he wanted and didn’t give me his all. Why the fuck did I get myself into this?

I laid in my bed with the covers tossed heavily over my head. It was so weird, I was actually weighing out the pros and cons seriously this time. I used to weigh between stayin’ with him and complainin’ when he didn’t call me, but I ain’t ever thought about really tryna see someone else. Is the grass really greener on the other side? As much as I hate to say this, I may actually be considering to try another nigga. I just can’t stand givin Mel the satisfaction of findin’ out that I was actually considering dating some of the niggas she kept suggesting. Speaking of Mel, I ain't talked to her in a whole day. That may sound like nothing to most people, but she is my best friend and they ain't been a time like this where we just didn't talk to one another. Maybe I need to call her to make it up to her and tell her that I’m sorry for acting the way I did. I love her so much and I can't stand our friendship being strained like this. I honestly can't afford to lose her.

I unveiled myself from the covers and reached over to grab my phone off of my nightstand. I unlocked my screen and opened up my contacts to select Mel’s name. She was listed under
Bestie
and I wanted her name to forever be bestie. Changin it back to Mel would be sayin’ that she ain't my main girl no more and that ain't gone happen. So I took a deep breath and called her up.

“Uh, hello?”

“Mel! How are you doin’, girl?”

She sounded confused as fuck to be hearin’ from me and I ain’t blame her; I ain’t talk to her in a day and she was probably wondering what the fuck I wanted.

“I’m… Uh, good I guess. What do you need?”

I took a deep breath and gathered all my thoughts together.

“Mel, I wanted to apologize.”

She was silent for a while and I was waitin’ for her to say somethin’. I guess she was just waitin’ on me to continue, so I did.

“Well, I didn’t mean to get all defensive and shit like I did. I know you were just tryna help me out and tryna make me realize the type of guy I was dealin’ with. I’m… I’m really sorry for that. Mel, I couldn’t stand not talkin’ to you for a day because you are my best friend and we ain’t ever not talked to one another. I don’t want our friendship to end because of some nigga. Yeah, I will admit I still kind of hold on to hope that this nigga will turn around and start to love me for me, but until then, I gotta just do me. Mel, I don’t want us to be like this no more, I wanna be good with you and I knew that in order for that to happen, I had to say that I was sorry. So, I’m sorry, girl. I need my best friend.”

Again, she was silent. I was startin’ to get anxious, thinkin’ that she was just so mad that she didn’t wanna deal with me anymore. I was about to say that I was sorry for bothering her and hang up until I heard her sniffling.

“Mel, are you aight?”

“Danessa, I love you so much, girl. I can’t lose you either and I accept your apology. Hey, wanna meet up for lunch or somethin’? I really do miss you...”

“Yeah! I’ll meet you at the cafe.”

Click.

I tossed my phone back onto the nightstand and released a deep sigh of relief. I had my best friend back and that seriously helped lift my spirits. I wasn’t as depressed as I was earlier. Mel is a special part of me and I couldn’t bear to lose her over Tyrek. Now it is time for me to seriously swallow my pride and tell her that I just might be interested in talkin’ to another nigga that she has on the side for me.

With a smile on my face, I quickly took a shower and then got dressed in some comfortable clothes. Leggings and a baggy sweater with some Free Runs were good enough for right now. I really didn’t feel like gettin' all dressed up. I’m only going to see Mel anyway, she doesn’t give a shit about how I look.

*

Mel and I met up at the local cafe that was infamous for their salad wraps. I ordered the chicken Caesar wrap and she got some wrap with shrimp and balsamic vinaigrette. We sat down at a table outside and soaked in the sun as we ate our lunch. It was good bein’ back around her with good vibes. I couldn’t stand havin’ that tension between us. As we were laughin’ and havin’ a good time, I decided it was time that I speak up and tell her what I was feelin’.

“Hey Mel, there is somethin’ I wanna tell you…”

She looked at me with her eyebrow raised as she finished a big bite of her wrap. She looked like she was preparin’ for me to say somethin’ bad that was gone cause her to choke on her food. I mean, it wasn’t bad, but there was a possibility that she could choke on her food after I tell her what Ima tell her.

“Well, this is going to take every bit of me to admit this, but you’re right.”

Mel looked at me all confused as she took a sip of her lemonade, placing her hand on her chest as she swallowed her drink. I was about to get flustered because I thought she was playin’ stupid and that she was just makin’ me repeat myself with that look she was givin me. After I looked at her for real, I realized that she was being serious and that she really didn’t know what the hell I was talkin’ about.

“What are you talkin’ about? What am I right about?”

“About deserving better.”

She pursed her lips at me, still not grasping what I was saying.

“Danessa, stop being fuckin’ vague and tell me what the hell you are talkin’ about. You know damn well I don’t like the run around, sooo what is good, mami?”

I took another deep breath and bit my lip. I was crawlin’ back into my shell and I just felt like I didn’t even wanna talk about it anymore. I had to get my shit together though and swallow my pride.

“Okay, okay. You were right about me deservin’ better in a relationship. I know that you mentioned that you had some niggas lined up who were better for me, and I was actually goin’ to tell you that I wanted to try them out...”

I lowered my head and bit my lip again. I don’t know why I was feelin’ hella shy about this shit like I was tellin’ some big ass secret. I couldn’t see her face, but I knew that Mel was beyond excited—I could just feel it off of her damn vibe. I looked up at her and saw her cheesin’ hard as fuck with her shit eatin’ smile. The bitch looked like she was about explode with all the excitement that she was keepin’ contained in her little body.

“You ain’t lyin’ to me right now are you? This isn’t a joke? You’re for real?”

I looked at her and just nodded my head slowly.

“Well, ain’t this some shit! I know just the guys for you! I have a few to pick from! Oh my Godddd, I am so, so, so damn excited! I can finally hook you up with a real one and you will finally be happy, but that is only if you let yourself be happy and let these niggas treat you like the queen that you are.”

Mel then took out her phone and sent a text to someone. I tried to peek over and see what she was doin’ or who she was talkin’ to but every time I peeked my head closer to her, she moved her phone away and gave me a death glare, basically tellin’ me to back up. So I did. I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms, waitin’ patiently for her to tell me what the hell that she was doing.

Buzzzz, Buzzz.

“Hello?” I said as I picked up my phone. I looked up at Mel who wasn’t lookin’ at me at all, but I could see her grinning at her phone.

“This is Travis, I’m a good friend of Melissa. Is this Danessa that I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

“This is. How can I help you?”

“I would like to take you out for dinner, say tomorrow? I would love to meet with you and get to know you a little better. Melissa had talked to me about you and I was more than excited to hear that you were available for a date. What do you say? May I take you out for a lovely dinner?”

I couldn’t help but smile, he sounded so sweet. With the way he was talkin’ to me, it was hard to say no to that.

“You know what, Travis? I would love to go on a dinner date with you.”

“Perfect, I willl pick you up tomorrow night then?”

“Sounds good to me.”

Click

I stared over at Mel and held out my hand.

“Alright, Mel. Show me a picture of this nigga or I ain’t goin.”

Mel  just started to burst out laughing. She held her phone close to her and shook her head.

“Nah, bitch. Trust me, you gone like him! Well, I hope you do. He is a mixed-breed nigga with really nice hair and a killer smile. Just go tomorrow and let yourself have a good time, aight?”

I rolled my eyes at her with a smile on my face. I was low-key really excited about this date and I was curious to see where this was goin’ to go. I still had Tyrek in the back of my mind though. I just hope this Travis nigga is enough to make me change my mind.