Schemes Page 16

  I had been so busy with the whole Caesar situation, I had forgotten that Mimi had accepted a date with Soulja. “Cool, we gon’ hit up the stores. You know I’m always down with shopping. And we gotta get you laced for your date. So I’ll hit you tomorrow.”

  “A’ight, bet.” She hung up, ending the call.

  The bright sun shining through the window woke me up. My eyes and body felt heavy. Turning over on my back, I realized Kevon was still in bed beside me, asleep. Lifting myself up on my left elbow, I grabbed my cell phone off the nightstand. One o’clock—I could not believe I had slept for so long. Scrolling through my contacts, I texted Mimi that I would pick her up in about two hours. Throwing the covers back and grabbing my robe, the bathroom became my destination. After a long, hot shower, I got dressed.

  As I was reaching in the top of the closet for my brown leather Coach bag, Kevon wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “So you decided to wake up?”

  “Yeah, my body said it was time to get up. Besides, once you get out of the bed, I can’t sleep. The warmth of your body gives me comfort.”

  “Really?” I beamed. “Well, kissing you on the lips gives me comfort.” Slowly turning to face him, I kissed him softly on the lips.

  “So how’d it go last night?”

  “I’m not telling you. If you had come home before I went to sleep, you would know,” I teased him.

  “Sorry, babe. I was busy as hell. Niggas was actin’ crazy last night. Lil Pete got hit—shit was just ridiculous,” he explained.

  “It’s cool. I was tired anyway. But everything went fine. We had dinner, watched a movie, and talked.”

  “What y’all talk about?”

  “Just random things. All in all, I think it went really well.” I hope this was enough for him. The last thing I wanted to do was go into full details.

  “A’ight.” He was content. “Sounds like everything’s on track.”

  “Yes, I would say so. He wants to see me tonight. He called last night when I made it home,” I informed him.

  “Damn, already? I can’t believe he’s calling this quick. But a’ight, cool, I want you to be ready. Pick up some lingerie while you’re out.”

  “Hmmm, you ready to see me in something different.” I grinned while rubbing each of his cheeks with my hands.

  The smile he was wearing on his face faded. “Not for me. Take it with you when you go to Caesar’s tonight.”

  “What?” I shook my head. “Why?” was my follow-up question while searching his eyes for answers. But instead all I found was a dumb look and a closed mouth. I backed up from him. “I can’t do that, Kevon. I don’t want to fuck him,” I yelled. “Is that what you think of me?” Again, I searched his eyes for answers but found none. Hot tears escaped my eyes, instantly covering my face. My vision became blurred so I couldn’t see him approaching me.

  I felt soft kisses on my lips. “Yazz, this is business. You have to follow through. I already know it won’t mean nothing to you.” He was crazy if he thought that would make me feel better.

  “So are you saying that you will turn me into a ho so that you can conquer the world?” My throat felt tight and dry, as if my airways were closing. Had I not been standing up, I would have thought an elephant was standing on my chest.

  “Absolutely not, but I will sacrifice to give you the world on a platter. You deserve that. And one day I’m going to make it official. I love you, Yazz.” Brushing his hands across my cheeks, he wiped the tears away.

  Taking a step back from his grasp, I reached for my Michael Kors bag instead of the Coach and left. The drive to Mimi’s house and Macy’s was a blur. I couldn’t even feel my heartbeat. I tried hard not to tip Mimi off that I was upset. The smile on my face was painted on.

  “Tonight, it is going to go down. I must look good. When Soulja sees me, I’m going to be the only thing on his mind.”

  “I know, right? ’Cause she bad,” I joked, referring to her in the third person. I really was happy for her. “So what you gon’ do about Devin?”

  “Girl, he better go somewhere. We been broke up and that’s it. I told him the next time he tries to break something that belongs to me, I’m gon’ fuck him up, then call the police.”

  “At least that’s all cleared up.” I laughed.

  “Shit, it better be. But tonight all I’m tryna see is Soulja wit his fine ass. He better not disappoint me neither. Or his ass will be ex’d.” And she was not playing. The one thing Mimi did not give in relationships were second chances. When she was done, she was done. “I think everything is going to be all good though. At least I’m keeping my fingers crossed anyway. Because, like I said before, I need me a man like Kevon.”

  “And what kind of man is that?” I was curious to know.

  “You know, a man that’s down for his chick. Girl, you are lucky.” She looked at me as if she wanted me to agree. “Yo, what’s up? There you go with that look again.”

  “Look? What look?” I played dumb. “There is nothin’ the matter with me.” I forced a smile.

  “No, try something different. Because that’s exactly what you said the last time.”

  I sighed because I knew I had to tell her something to stop her from prying. “It’s Ruthie.” I hunched my shoulders. Shit was what I felt like for continuing to lie to my best friend. It was the one thing I hated to do, but what other choice was there?

  “Ruthie? She still got you stressin’?” Mimi questioned.

  “Yeah, she’s been on my mind a lot lately. I’m not sure why, but I can’t seem to shake her.”

  “Yazz, you have to let this go. Everything between you and her is not on you. She is the one that has lost out on a great daughter. Hopefully, one day she comes around and realizes that. And if she doesn’t, just know that you have people who love you.”

  “That lady,” I jawed, referring to Ruthie. “No, she won’t be coming around. At least I won’t count on it or hold my fucking breath.” The memory of Ruthie as she’d shared her vow, that she could not see herself ever changing her feelings for me, filled my head. At that moment, I realized again that Kevon was my only home. The only real home that had doors and windows, and real love inside, that I had ever had in my life.

  CHAPTER 11

  Seven months had passed so fast that I had lost track, but things were going great. Happy was the new me. I had nothing to complain about. In my eyes, the sun shined every day, even when it rained. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen a grey sky. Hanging out with Caesar had turned out to be easy, fun, and prosperous. The guy gave me everything a girl could want. He made sure I didn’t want or wish for much of anything. And even though it was wrong, I loved it.

  Kevon, on the other hand, lately seemed to be getting a little jealous of Caesar and all the things he did for me. But, unfortunately, it was nothing that could be done about that. There was no way I could stop accepting Caesar’s gifts. The last thing we wanted to do was make him suspicious about anything. So Kevon had to get over it. Besides, I reminded him, this whole thing had been his idea. However, it was dragging on longer than I’d initially thought, but according to Kevon, these things took time. And either way I was happy.

  But lately Kevon had been saying it would be over soon and that I should prepare to be first lady of the city. Honestly, I didn’t understand what all that meant, but I guessed it would be a cool role. As for Caesar, we spent so much time together that I was used to him. I was becoming very familiar with his habits. He had actually turned out to be a good dude.

  “Some shit came up so I’ma be outta town for a few days on business,” Kevon informed me. We were at Red Lobster having lunch and drinks. “Plus I gotta put a few things in place so we can wrap all this shit up with Caesar. It’s been long enough.”

  “That’s cool.” I was more interested in the hot garlic biscuits the waitress had put on the table. This was the third basket the waitress had brought to the table, but between Kevon and me, they were going fast. />
  “Be ready to start looking for a bigger house.”

  That got my attention, “Really, babe?” I was excited.

  “Yep.”

  “My very own house? Where? I mean, how big and what’s the price range?” I wanted to know. I didn’t know much about buying a house, but I knew I would need a Realtor.

  “It’s whatever you want so just think about it.”

  “Thank you, thank you, thank you, baby,” I chanted. Between Caesar and his shopping sprees and Kevon, I was being treated like a queen, and I had outgrown the closet space Kevon had given me in his bedroom and spare room months ago. A huge walk-in closet that I could turn flips in was definitely on my house-shopping wish list. I could not wait.

  Mimi’s name lit up on my cell phone. “One second, I need to get this.” I held up a finger like we were in church so Kevon could excuse me. “What’s up, Mimi?”

  “Are you coming?”

  “Yeah, I’m on my way. I’m having lunch with Kevon. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

  “Hurry up.” She hung up before I could say another word.

  “Sounds like your girl ain’t happy.” He had heard her through the phone.

  “Nope, she’s not.” I grinned. “We were supposed to be meeting up to look at baby beds. And I swear, ever since she got pregnant, she’s been impatient, so I better hurry up.”

  “A’ight, well, I’ll see you later before I hit the highway.”

  “Okay. I’ll be done in a couple hours.” Leaning across the table, meeting each other halfway, we kissed.

  Walking inside the Babies “R” Us that was located on the top level of the mall, I found Mimi with her huge belly sitting down in a rocking chair in the section close to the baby cribs. “You need to get your big ass up,” I joked.

  “Whatever, bitch. My feet are swollen, and you got me waiting on your diva ass.”

  Looking at my friend, the only thing I could do was smile. I could not believe she was almost due to have her first baby. Being a godmother was going to be great. I had already purchased bags and bags of shit.

  “Come on, big momma.” I reached out to help Mimi stand up with her round basketball belly sticking out.

  “Look at this one over here. This is kind of what I’m looking for.” She led the way.

  “Yes, this is nice. You should get it.” The all-white Larkin fixed crib was beautiful. “Now you just need to pick the bedding.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. Yazz, I can’t believe Soulja and I are about to have a baby together.” She blushed.

  “Me neither, and she’s going to be beautiful.” Mimi’s ultrasound had revealed a huge baby girl weeks ago. “How is Sheila lately? Is she finally coming around?”

  “She’s okay with it, I guess, but she is still disappointed and I understand why. She wanted things to be different for me—not always having to struggle to get by the way she has to. But I assured her that she doesn’t need to worry about that though. Soulja loves me and this baby. He’s got my back.”

  “He does.” I agreed with her on that. “If he tries anything different, I’ll kick his ass.” I felt bad for Sheila. She was such a good mother to her kids, but with no real education, it was difficult for her to find a good-paying job. So, to make ends meet, she had to work two jobs, which meant she was hardly ever home. I hoped that seeing Soulja take care of Mimi and the baby might help to ease her mind. “Let’s go cash out on the bed, and I’m paying. It’s my treat.”

  “Nope, Soulja is paying for this bed. He gave me two thousand dollars just to do it.”

  “Well, you keep that in your stash because I’m paying for this bed. Like I said, it’s my treat. And don’t argue with me.”

  “Why you so damn stubborn?” Mimi smiled.

  “You got the nerve to be callin’ me stubborn? You gotta be kiddin’ me.” I grabbed the tag off the bed and headed toward the checkout counter.

  After leaving the store, we walked right past the food court. “I swear all that food smells so good.” Mimi rubbed her round belly. “If Soulja wasn’t waitin’ on me, I would sit down on my fat ass and stuff my face.”

  “Girl, you better feed that baby if you’re hungry. You could grab you some pretzel sticks, or something that you can take with you.”

  “Damn, Yazz, that’s a good idea, because pregnant people need to keep food on deck,” she agreed. I followed Mimi as she headed toward the Auntie Anne’s pretzel booth. A glimpse of Kevon’s ex caused me to do a double take.

  Mimi must have seen her at the same time because she glanced at me. “Ain’t that Misti?”

  “Either that or she has an identical twin,” was my reply.

  “Damn, where that bitch been at? I ain’t seen her in . . . well, I guess since you been talkin’ to Kevon.”

  “Me either. It’s like she dropped off the face of the earth.”

  “They asses used to be everywhere together, remember?” Mimi seemed to have forgotten all about the food for the moment.

  “Yep,” I agreed.

  “Shit, I thought the bitch had jumped off a building or something.” Mimi laughed.

  After Mimi ordered her pretzel sticks, we left the mall in our separate cars. Yeah, Mimi had her own car now. No more begging Sheila to drive her beat-up van. Soulja had wasted no time picking her up an Audi, and she loved it. On my drive home, Misti crossed my mind. Kevon and I had been dating for about nine months, and not once had I laid eyes on her. Strange.

  CHAPTER 12

  Two more months passed by, and our plan for Caesar was still building. But Kevon kept reassuring me that it would be soon. He also kept reassuring me that I would have my new home soon. Either way, I was good. I had more important things to be happy about. Mimi had given birth to a healthy seven-pound, two-ounce beautiful baby girl that she and Soulja named Alijah. And she was so precious; I spent almost all of my free time at Mimi and Soulja’s house, holding and spoiling her. Today was no different.

  “Look, give her back to me.” I reached for Alijah as Mimi sat rocking her to sleep. “You need to just sit back and relax. Trust, all new moms need help adjusting,” I fussed over Mimi. She was determined to be the perfect mom.

  “Adjust, my ass. You just want to keep holding Alijah and spoiling her. Tonight, when she wakes up, I’m gon’ jump in the car and drop her off at your house.” Mimi stood up and gently positioned Alijah in the crease of my waiting arms.

  “Aww, you go right ahead. I’ll snap right out of my sleep. She’s my love.” I snuggled Alijah up to me tighter. I couldn’t have been more in love with her if she had been my own. “Look, at this cute button nose. I just want to bite it off.” She was just the cutest. I couldn’t stop doting over her.

  “You bite my baby, I’ma bite you,” Mimi joked as she went through Alijah’s closet, moving things around. She just refused to sit still.

  “Mimi, get out of that closet. You need to sit down and rest. You have only been out of the hospital for a week. The doctor told you with a C-section that you need to take it easy,” I continued to fuss. Alijah had been a stubborn baby who refused to come out on her own so Mimi had had to have a Caesarean.

  “Damn, Yazz, I can’t sit down all day. Calm down.” She picked up a shoe box. “Would you look at all these Jordans Soulja done bought? In a minute, we gon’ need another closet for her.”

  “She deserves it. And while you in that closet you may as well make room for all those bags.” I pointed toward the four Macy’s bags sitting on the floor. Before coming over, I had gone on yet another baby Alijah shopping spree.

  “Yazz, come on, you have got to stop. There is no way she gonna be able to wear all this shit you guys are buying. She has too much already.”

  “Yes, she will. She’s a princess. That means she wears everything only once. Ain’t that right, Alijah?” I softly tickled her nose, careful not to wake her. She was sleeping like an angel.

  “I swear you never listen,” Mimi accused me.

  “I’m a go
dmother. I can’t have limits. And you know I’m leaving tonight on this trip with Kevon so I’ma come back with more. So be prepared,” I warned.

  “You better not. What time does your flight leave?”

  “In two hours, so I gotta get outta here.”

  “You better call me when you get there.”

  “I will, and I’ll only be gone for a couple of days. But you call me if you need anything?”

  “Don’t say that. I will bug your ass until you get back on the plane headed home.” Mimi laughed. As much as I hated letting go of baby Alijah, I had to get going. So, after kissing Alijah on the cheek and hugging Mimi, I was out.

  On my way to the airport, I called Kevon several times but got no answer. We hadn’t talked since earlier in the day. He had told me to call him before I got with Caesar to board the plane. Telling Mimi I was going with Kevon was a lie. Things had not changed; I still could not share my secret with her. Circling the packed airport parking lot, I finally found an empty space. As I turned off my engine, Kevon’s name lit up on my phone.

  “What’s up?” I said, annoyed. “Why can’t you answer your phone?”

  “My bad, babe, I was busy.”

  “Yeah, but I called you twice, Kevon. You said you wanted to talk before I leave for Vegas. Now, I’m here at the airport and there ain’t enough time to talk. I gotta get inside or I might miss my flight.”

  “I’m sorry about that, babe. Shit just crazy and I’m tryin’ to maintain. But I want you to go and don’t worry about anything. Just enjoy yourself. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  “A’ight, call me if you can. Bye.” Just like that, he hung up the phone. Looking at my phone, I was feeling some type of way. Here I was, flying off to Vegas with another man, and I got the feeling Kevon could not be the least bit concerned. Deciding not to dwell on it, I got out of the car, grabbed my bags, and headed inside. I was really looking forward to the trip with Caesar—somehow I knew he would show me a good time. Caesar always seemed to care about our time together; lately I felt more as if I were in a relationship with Caesar than with Kevon. Maybe I was tripping though. Kevon was working hard to make things happen—he just needed my support. Shaking it off, I headed inside the airport, where I found Caesar, wearing a grin.