Thicker Than Water (4 page)

Word around town was that this New York nigga was out here taking over everything. He was supposedly some gangsta type nigga who had just relocated, and he just so happened to be childhood friends with Tatum's brother. He just so happened to also be fine. He was 6'2", over 200 pounds, chocolate, intimidating, and sexy. Everybody wanted to be near him, niggas and females, but he wanted to be near Sasha.
Neli quickly dressed and left the key at the front desk of the hotel. She called a cab and stepped out into the sunlight. The morning sun hit her pretty freckled face. Her perky B cup breasts and small waist fit her tiny frame perfectly. She was like a doll, innocent looking and almost plastic. 

I gotta find me a man to take care of me, only me.
 

She hopped in the cab and checked her cell phone one last time for a call from Chauncey. Nothing. 
I gotta get it together
.

Kim and Blair lay in the bed holding each other. They had hardly gotten any sleep. Kim was still pondering on telling Sasha that she had seen Chauncey at the motel that her and Blair was now nestled in. Kim didn't get a good look at the girl he was with because the girl had waited in the car while Chauncey checked in. She finally decided against it, figuring the chick was just Tasha from Eastwick anyway. She had no clue that it was her and Sasha's very own friend.

She nibbled on Blair's chest while he cupped her ass. He loved it; it was something that his wife lacked. He loved grabbing it.

"You know Kim, I really missed you," he said, looking down at her. He was horny again.

"Really, you missed me huh? Do you love me?" Kim asked, almost childlike. She never had a man say they loved her before, only something about her, her body or something, but never her. It would be nice.

"Maybe," he responded, looking into her hazel eyes and wondering if what he had just said may be true. She was beautiful in the morning, except for that damn head scarf.

"Why don't you take that scarf off?" He asked, twisting up his face.

"Cause I gotta keep my doobie wrapped. Sorry I aint got silky white girl hair flowing down my back, getting lice and shit." He had to laugh at that, he loved her attitude.

"Just shut up, and roll up the weed Kim," he demanded with a chuckle. He loved that he could smoke with her and call her a bitch during their sex escapades, and he loved that she knew how to ride, and roll a blunt.

"Why didn't you marry me?” She asked, becoming very serious all of a sudden. He laughed at her. When he realized that she was serious and was expecting an answer, he chuckled again before responding.

"Aw, c'mon baby girl, you know you're not the marrying kind. But listen, I still take care of you, right?" He lit the blunt she had rolled and grabbed her ass again, not knowing that he had crushed her with his answer.

They passed the weed back and forth with no words being spoken for a couple of minutes.

"You ready?” He asked placing the blunt in the beer bottle next to him. Kim's feelings were hurt and she wanted to leave. But she knew the moment that she left she'd wish she had stayed. Knowing that, she looked him in the eyes seductively while holding back her tears, and whispered, "I'm ready daddy."

After a long slow kiss she got on all fours and she began dripping because she was so hot for Blair. He took his hands and placed them on the cheeks of her ample behind.

"Damn," he whispered. She cracked a smile. He always said that about her ass. Blair could feel himself getting hard as he caressed Kim. He licked her from head to toe, every part of her body, giving special attention to her backyard area. Kim closed her eyes and enjoyed getting her salad tossed. This was as close to love as it got.

 Tatum lay in her bed thinking about Respect, she couldn't get the man out of her head. She had only met him eight hours ago and couldn't stop thinking about him.
Whatever.
She pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on the more serious ones. She had a paper due on Monday and today was her only day off.
This shit is kicking my ass.

Tatum hadn't had it easy since her parents died in a car crash four years ago. She was 18 when it happened, but the memory made her feel like a little girl all over again. It had hit her so hard when it happened that she postponed college for a couple of years. But in that time she worked full time at Sapphire's Beauty Salon. She started out washing hair and sweeping floors but then became licensed and now she was nice with the clippers and combs, hooking up weaves and waves all through Newark. A few months ago she started taking classes for Journalism and prayed that she'd write a book one day.

She heard her brother downstairs talking loud with one of his friends. He had recently moved in with Tatum after his BM (baby's mother) left him with their two daughters, she had an addiction and soon it overcame her desire to be a mother. Tatum soon stepped in as that female figure for them and had grown to become the most important person in their lives. Tatum loved her nieces to death but she couldn't help but wonder when her brother would move out and find his own place. The extra money he gave her for rent didn't hurt though. Thoughts of Ree began to cross her mind again.

I won’t call him until tomorrow. I can't call him the very next day. God, why did I take his number? I should have given him mine, trying to be difficult. I just made it harder on myself. Whatever.

"I don't know, he stupid,” Sasha said, trying to mask her pain. “Anyway, what was up with your girl last night, she was tripping!" Sasha was trying to change the subject, quick.

"Neli right? I know, she was bugging," Tatum added, really not knowing what was up with Neli lately.

"For real Tay, you know I never said anything, but she really starting to let that hate seep through. She was all talking about how pretty Tasha is and how Chauncey dissed me for her, how he aint no good for me. What was that all about?"

"I know Sash, but on the flip side, maybe she's just looking out for you. You do get a little blinded by emotion," Tatum stated, while taking out some clothes to wear.

"Yeah I know," Sasha whispered softly. She hated when Tatum preached to her.

Tatum could feel Sasha's discomfort. She hated to have to preach to her. She went a little softer.

"Listen, I know Chauncey loves you, and I know you love him, but maybe he did you a favor Sash. Maybe he's not ready for the shit that you are, you know how serious the man is about his money."

Tatum tried to console her friend, but they had been through this conversation before. And the truth of the matter was that Tatum didn't even understand why Chauncey had left her, and he was like her big brother. He and Tatum's brother, Chris, were tight since childhood. The only difference was that Chauncey had moved out to New York when he was younger, did a major come up, and then came back and put Chris on. Before Chaunc came back, Chris was nickel and diming, stealing cars, and sticking dudes up all around the way.

Now he was doing his thing, but he still wasn't taking care of his responsibilities. And it wasn't even like her brother couldn't afford his own place, he just couldn't afford to be at home with his kids and lose a second on the streets, that's why he liked having Tatum around.

"Yo, Sash," Tatum said, changing the subject. "Let's go shopping."

Sasha loved that idea. She needed to go shopping, well at least in her eyes. In anyone else's eyes she had everything, Kors, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, everything.

"Shopping? Tatum, oh yeah, I love that story girl. I'll be over as soon as E gets her."

"Nah, I'll come get you. I gotta bring Chanel and Tangee though cause they were stuck in the house all yesterday with their stupid ass father, they need to get out," Tatum exclaimed loud enough, hoping Chris could hear her.

Tatum and Sasha were definitely closer out of the four girls. They just got along the best. Truthfully, each of the girls thought they and Tatum were the closest, but in actuality Kim and Neli were very much alike. They were both out for self; Neli was just sneakier about it.

Tatum finished selecting her attire for the day as she laid out her pink and green Juicy Couture short sweat suit and her Lacoste sneakers. She showered, dressed, and left her hair long and curly to air dry.

Tatum loved that sometimes she didn't have to style her wavy/curly hair courtesy of her Trinidadian father. She stuffed all of her contents into her oversized Coach bag-baby wipes for the girls and herself, lip-gloss, phone, keys, hairspray, bottled water, and snacks for the girls. She dressed the girls in their matching polo dresses and waited for Sasha's call.

Knock. Knock.

E was a big guy, tall and stocky, like a Suge Knight type. He was hard as steel but soft and warm when speaking to Sasha. He knew the respect Chauncey had for her.

"I'm good," she answered.

Sasha noticed that E was grabbing the two garbage bags she had ready and proceeding to leave. She couldn't let him do that yet, she had to milk him for information.

"E wait, sit down for a minute. Let me get you something to drink. It's hot out there."

"Thanks Sash," E said, walking in and taking a seat at the dining room table. He wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. It was hot as hell outside but cool in Sasha's apartment. She kept her apartment neat, clean, and immaculately decorated. It reminded E of his mother, he liked Sasha. He always told Chauncey he should cut the bullshit and marry her. You don't find too many drop dead gorgeous women that are about something.

Sasha handed E a glass of southern made iced tea and took a seat next to him.

"E did I do something wrong, does he love me?" She found herself blurting out. E knew this was coming. He knew all about Chauncey. He knew about Neli, he knew about the fact that Chauncey may have to relocate soon, probably south, because things were getting hot for him. He knew Chauncey genuinely loved Sasha and didn't want her caught up in his crazy world. She was in school, she came from a good middle class family, and she deserved the very best in Chauncey's eyes.

"Sash, yo the man loves you. You know the man loves you. I don't know anything else," E lied.

"Well does he talk about me?"

Sasha worried that talking to E was a lost cause. E stared into her hurt eyes and her beautiful face. Damn, she was beautiful. To E, twice more beautiful than Neli. E wished he had a girl that loved him like that.

"I know. Here, take this," E said, peeling off 20 crisp 100-dollar bills and standing up. "Buy yourself something."

He had taken Chauncey's instructions to give her a little something, but not to say that it was from Chauncey.

"Thanks E… take care."

Sasha let him out and called Tatum. After telling her everything, she showered and dressed in some Seven Jeans, Louis Vuitton flip flops and a Miss Sixty tank top. She threw on her Louis Vuitton shades and grabbed the matching bag. Perfection. She went outside to wait for Tatum.

As Tatum pulled up she saw Sasha standing and waiting, looking fly, and the neighborhood hoodrats Lizette and Marie standing there hating. They were even more pissed when they saw Tatum and her truck as they rolled their eyes and sucked their teeth. Sasha hopped in the car.

The girls tore down Short Hills Mall copping everything from Gucci to Pucci, and now they were walking around downtown Newark. Newark was always live on a Saturday afternoon and every group of dudes that they passed were practically breaking their necks to look at them.

Even niggas with their girls, were straight disrespecting their shorties just to get a look at the two dimes.

"Oh my god, these dudes are out here trippin," Sasha squealed, looking at the black Benz double parked in the street. "Look Tatum, aint that ol' boy from the other night?"

Sasha noticed that her friend, for the first time ever, was nervous. Tatum was always so cool.

Tatum looked up and felt butterflies all in her stomach. Her hands felt clammy and her head felt light. She suddenly wondered how she looked as he walked over to the girls.

"Auntie Tay, who's that?" Chanel questioned.