Thicker Than Water (16 page)

The bouncer just looked at them with no expression and then asked somebody to cover for him. Tatum turned around and started walking away.

“Where are you going? Get over here!” Sasha screamed at her.

“Oh my god I cannot believe this. I should just get back in the car and go the fuck home,” Tatum laughed, but didn’t find it funny, just unbelievable that Kim said that.

“Well you might as well stay your butt right there because I am not driving you back to Jersey,” Sasha said, kind of happy that Kim said that, Tatum deserved to be his girl.

“So wait, you told him Tatum was out here and he won’t let me in?” Tatum asked, not believing Ree could be that rude. She stood there in shock, hurt and confused all together.

“Get in line Ms. Before I don’t let any of yall in. Period.” Tatum, Sasha, and Kim stood there in a small circle in disbelief, just ready to go back to Jersey. Kim and Sasha were pissed off but Tatum was hurt. People in the crowd began giving little snickers and giggles, but quieted down when Kim turned around with a
‘who want beef?’
look.

“Let’s just go home,” Tatum said sulkily.

Ree was inside sitting at a table with a couple of his men wondering what silly bitch was trying to lie and say that she was his girl. He had really hoped that Tatum would show up tonight but it was midnight, and the odds of her coming were slowing up by the minute.

He didn’t even consider it was her when the bouncer came to him, he hadn’t spoken to Tatum in days and the last thing she would refer herself as was his girlfriend.

Ree poured himself another shot of Remy XO and put his foot up on an empty seat wondering what Tatum was doing. He felt a tickle on his ear and turned quickly to see who it was. Vanessa.

She was a video chick from Queens that Ree used to fuck with. She was nothing more than a jump off, a chick that was used up by the rappers and sports figures, so she moved on to drug dealers and gangsters. Now don’t get me wrong she was bad, but Ree was clearly unphased by her, and that’s what continued to draw her to him.

“Hey boo,” she sang to him, sitting up on the table and crossing her legs in front of his face.

“What up,” he replied, sipping his drink and looking at her coolly. He knew mad niggas in there would love to fuck Vanessa and he knew he could, she may even end up being an option for the night, but he just wasn’t ready to give up on Tatum. Vanessa may have shined a little, but Tatum radiated, naturally.

“Yo, it was these chicks outside talking about one of ‘em was your girlfriend. That shit was funny as hell,” she laughed, taking a sip of his drink. Ree chuckled.

“Yeah I heard about that. You aint recognize them though? They must’ve been some beat up birds trying to get in the party,” Ree figured.

“Nah, I don’t know them. They were kinda cute though, I mean not like me of course,” she cooed. “But they were decent. I know her friend said that the one that was supposedly your girl, her name was Tatum or something.”

Ree looked at her hard and then jumped up, pushing past people heading for the entrance, leaving Vanessa standing there astounded. She needed to know what was going on.

Chapter 11 - Hunger

By the time Ree reached the door, they were nowhere in sight. He asked the bouncer where they went and the bouncer replied by pointing his finger toward the parking lot. Ree squinted looking in the direction and then he saw three girls walking toward the parking lot.

“Tatum!” He yelled out as everyone on line looked at him. Some dudes tried to say their
‘what’s ups’
while females tried to grab his attention with smiles and sexy glances.

Tatum thought she heard her name but kept walking; she was just ready to go back to Jersey. Then she heard it again. They all did.

They turned around simultaneously to see who was calling Tatum’s name, and Tatum hoped in her gut it was him. Ree stood across the street with his hands in the air as Tatum smiled widely just at the sight of him. They began walking back, Sasha and Tatum with smiles and Kim with an attitude.

“Hold up Ree how you gonna dis us like that? You got this punk ass dude over here telling us that we need to get in the line and you don’t know us and shit!” Kim snapped, while waving her index finger all up and through the bouncer’s face. Ree stepped between Kim and the bouncer putting his hands out and backing Kim up.

“Whoa! Whoa! Shorty calm down,” he laughed. “He didn’t know no better. All he knew is that it was three chicks out here trying to get in. My apologies, had I known it was ya’ll, you know you would’ve been in there. Don’t be like that.”

He held out his hand for Kim to shake to call a truce. Kim broke a smile as she thought about how lucky her bitch Tatum was, her man was fine with the gift of gab. Ree looked at Tatum and grabbed her hand leading her off to the side. He kissed her on the cheek and held both of her hands in his.

“I’m really glad you made it Tatum. I’m sorry for the whole door situation,” he said while looking in her eyes, wanting to say so much more.

“It’s fine, I mean how were you supposed to know it was me, anyway? Like your friend over there said, Ree don’t have a girl,” she said, mocking the bouncer.

“And whose choice is that?” He shot back seriously. She just looked at him and bit on her bottom lip.

When he realized she wasn’t prepared for the question, he began leading her back toward the door, brushing past a group of people that were just about to enter.

“Let’s just go inside Ms. Lady.”

Everyone on line just looked stupidly as he lead the three girls inside. They all felt small as hell for laughing, thinking the girls were lying, including the bouncer.

Once they got inside Ree led them to the corner booth where his whole squad was posted up. Vanessa was sitting in the same spot waiting for Ree to return and she put on the gas face when she saw Ree approaching holding Tatum’s hand. Ree allowed Tatum to slide into the booth as he slid in next to her, never letting go of her hand.

Chauncey looked at Tatum and laughed as he kept dancing with a bottle of Grey Goose in his hand. She just shook her head at him knowing he was feeling saucy. He was quickly interrupted from his good time when he noticed some nigga coming up behind Sash trying to dance up on her ass. He grabbed her up leaving the dude standing there and he began dancing with his girl as she laughed at his playful jealousy.

Everyone began getting comfortable and started having a good time. Kim danced sexily on a young boy from Ree’s squad as he held onto her hips and thanked god for this opportunity. She noticed E looking at her with a smirk but gave him the same smirk along with her middle finger. She did not want to even think about that night at the strip club with him and Lizette. Ree and Tatum were cozy in there booth, slouched down and in there own little world when Vanessa came and sat across from them.

“Damn Ree daddy, you just left me high and dry. I mean not dry of course, because you know it’s far from that,” Vanessa quipped, trying to be as sexy as possible. Tatum raised her eyebrows and looked back and forth between Ree and Vanessa. This bitch was definitely trying to test her, and though she did not appreciate it, and she wanted to rip that bitch’s head off, she kept her cool. After all, Ree was not her man and it’s not like he was a virgin or anything when she met him, she knew he had probably had mad females. But Tatum was still not feeling anybody getting a taste of what she was getting hit off with on the daily.

Ree looked at the girl like he was going to knock her fucking teeth in. Tatum was scared for a minute that it was going to be a round two to the other night in front of her house.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He asked nonchalantly. He then addressed the question to Tatum. “What’s she talking about, huh? You know what she talking about?” They both shared a private laugh at her expense, infuriating Vanessa even more.

“Whatever daddy. I’ll see you later.” She got up slowly allowing her dress to rise up a little and tried to walk away coolly but her pride was hurt. Tatum was way prettier up close than when she had seen her outside and she didn’t even seem to be bothered to Vanessa’s references to them having sex before.

“Or do you
still
fuck her?” She asked, persistent, but calm, not interrogatingly, just curious. Ree chuckled and looked at Tatum as he smiled. He looked in her eyes and brushed away hair from her face.

“Ree! Answer me. You used to fuck her?” She asked laughing at his obvious disposal of the situation.

“Tatum. You don’t wanna know what I used to do to that girl. For real.” She looked at him seriously and turned to face him, folding her arms across her chest and pursing her lips.

“Yes. I. Do.” She pronounced her words clearly.

He sighed and then paused before answering.

“I used to, a long time ago, fuck with her… You wanna know what I did Tay? I did that girl real dirty. Not that it’s right, and not that it’s wrong, but that’s what it was.”

Tatum rolled her eyes as if to say
‘yeah right’
. He continued.

“I’m just telling you this to let you know how little she meant. It was nothing, for real. Now you, you’re something. Something that’s right now, and that’s all that really matters, ya feel me? You gotta respect that.”

Tatum looked at him long and hard and then nodded her head. For now, that was good enough.

“I respect that. Now get me some Ace of Spades."

The evening was going real good and everyone was having a good time, Tatum had even gotten Ree to dance with her to a song that she really liked.  Finally everyone was seated in a large booth, conversating and drinking champagne, it was going on two in the morning.

Just when things couldn’t get any better, Tatum’s brother Chris walked in escorted by Neli. Everyone had on the shock faces, and Ree felt a little crazy that not only was Chris Tatum’s brother, he was his employee. Tatum furrowed her eyebrows, confused for a minute, not even knowing that Neli and Chris spoke outside of hi and bye. Sasha looked up from her glass of champagne and raised her eyebrows as if to say ‘this should be interesting’. 

Kim’s drunk ass instantly started laughing, thinking of the night at the club.  She already had a feeling Neli and Chris were fucking.

“What’s up Neli!” Kim screamed out, still laughing. “Where you been girl? Don’t tell me it took you this long to walk from the club?”

Neli laughed trying to play it off, she had bigger fish to fry.

“I’ve been a little sick, but I’m better now.” She turned to Sasha. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” She noticed Sasha wasn’t moving, just looking at her. “Alone Sash, please.” Sasha got up and made her way out of the booth as Chauncey just looked at her with sad eyes. It was as if it was the last time he would see her.  Deep down he was nervous as hell that Neli was about to tell her.

“I’ll be right back baby,” she whispered. He didn’t respond. Neli took Sasha to a corner of the club and began her rehearsed speech.

“Listen Sasha, I am so, so sorry about what happened that night at dinner. I have been under so much pressure and it has just been so hard.” Neli broke down crying. Sasha grabbed her and hugged her. She knew something was bothering Neli, and although they had their differences, she had a lot of love for her. Neli lifted her head and continued.

“Sasha, I went yesterday to get an abortion. It was so horrible.” Sasha opened her mouth in shock and felt really bad for her friend.

“Oh my god Neli, why didn’t you tell any of us to go with you? I am so sorry that you had to go through that, where was the father?”

Neli just stared at Sasha thinking of how stupid she was to be falling for all of this bullshit.

“He didn’t know. I didn’t tell him.”

Sasha thought of asking who the father was but didn’t want to make Neli feel bad. She left it alone. Plus with her coming with Chris, she assumed that it was his and not Ray’s.

After Sasha and Neli disappeared into the bathroom to clean her face up, they made their way back to the table where a nervous Chauncey awaited. He had watched the whole scenario, he saw Neli tell Sasha something and then began crying hysterically. Then he saw them disappear to the restroom. The girls returned to the table and sat back down and Chauncey was relieved when Sasha grabbed his hand and nuzzled up beside him.