Page 46 of For the Love of City

PORSHA

“WHY YOU LOOK like you want to cut a bitch?”

I glanced up from the back of my client’s head before I shook my own.

“Probably because I do.”

I was in a bad mood, and I wasn’t sure why. I felt as though something bad was about to happen. A feeling deep in my bones. I couldn’t shake that shit was about to shift and change. I was praying it was for the better but I couldn’t be sure.

“Ma’am, let’s elaborate on that. Y’all been leaving my ass out lately and I need to get back in the mix.”

I looked down into her face before popping her on the shoulder with my comb. “Rye, you had a whole baby. Who’s left you out of anything?”

“I’m saying! I feel like I gotta battle my way back into being with the cool kids. Just cause I got a lil rider doesn’t mean I’m not still me.” She sat back with her arms folded so I could finish doing her hair.

She had let her hair grow out while she was pregnant but was going back to her pixie cut.

I finished up the cut and tried to get back to filling her in on stuff with me.

She’d grilled me about City and unlike Lyric, she said we’d played the shit off so well she didn’t notice anything.

Lyric had grilled me at the wedding and I’d filled them in but surprisingly nobody was that upset.

I guess because Antwan and Rye had gotten down without us knowing for a minute.

I took the cape off of Rye and watched as she admired her hair in the mirror. She turned around as I was fanning myself and she started looking at me oddly. Her short hair complimented her face and the tennis dress and designer sneakers she wore to complete the look.

“What is it?” I collected the towels and grabbed the broom to sweep up the hair I’d cut off the marble-tiled floor.

“Porsha, I ain’t trying to come off funny but, you get work done?”

My mouth dropped open, and my fingers went to my nose. I hated that the one time I’d tried something different with my makeup I was getting surgery accusations. Listening to Candace’s ass has me out here looking like I don’t like my features.

“Bitch, what you trying to say? I contour my damn face one time and—”

Rye was laughing and I was staring at her, trying to understand what was so damn funny.

“Nah, face is tea as always but I’m talking about these titties.

I ain’t trying to be in your business or body shame or nothing, but these shits are getting out of hand.

You kept City a secret, you hiding titty surgery too?

” Rye took her finger and poked my boob and I moved my shoulder back cause that shit hurt.

“You heavy handed as fuck to be so damn little.” I rubbed the spot where her hand had poked me offended that she had my boob hurting.

Rye shrugged me off and picked up the quilted turquoise purse she’d worn in. “Comes from having parents that should’ve been committed to a psych ward instead of procreating. Had to be touched. But why your boobs tender, P?” With her hands on her hips she waited expectantly for me to respond to her.

“My period is probably finally coming on.”

Her mouth dropped open, and her face filled with excitement. “What you mean, finally?”

“Girl, my ass is firmly heading toward perimenopause. I got all the fucking symptoms.”

“Like what?” She looked scared like this was something she had to worry about soon even though she was years younger than me.

“Night sweats, mood swings, forgetting shit, cramps and I gotta pee all the time. My Gyn warned me that it was probably going to creep up when I saw her last.” I started to tick off all the different symptoms I had thinking about how age had really crept up on me fast as hell.

“Damn, those were all pregnancy symptoms for me. You mean to tell me I gotta go through all that shit to grow a kid and then again when my body decides it never wants to grow a kid again? Make that shit make real sense.”

Rye genuinely looked like she was ready to cuss out Mother Nature but I found it hilarious that she was concerned. She was going to be knocked up a few more times if her husband had anything to say about it.

“I said the same thing. But I think this is happy weight. With the way that I was eating out with City’s no gaining weight ass, I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m not getting bigger. If it’s going to my boobs, maybe I am God’s favorite.”

She stood on her tiptoes to hug me before sliding money into my cleavage like she was a John. As I laughed she kissed my cheek before looking at me with a serious face.

“You might be. And to tell you the truth, I’m glad you’re slowing down, Porsha.

Ripping and running is taxing on anybody.

You never complained once because I knew you were building your brand.

The best thing you can do now is enjoy this phase.

You’re a lot like me. You will balk at change, but let us all be a testament that sometimes change is the best thing you could ever pray to have. ”

“Thanks, Rye.”

“Does he make you happy?” Rye looked ready to go handle this nigga if my answer was anything other than yes.

I knew my face went all soft by how relaxed her posture got. “Yeah. I love him. And it’s crazy to even say it out loud but it’s true.”

She grinned at me like she understood my plight. “Good. Saves me having to have Antwan fuck him up.”

“P, why are you pacing?”

Corey walked into my condo and caught me mid-freakout.

We both lived downtown, but my place was closer to Lyrically Sound than his.

I told him where I was and that he needed to meet me here when he could.

I barely remembered what this place looked like because I felt like I was only home to get clothes.

It was either I was at Corey’s place or I was traveling.

It was paid off and I’d had thoughts of putting it up as a rental eventually if things progressed with Corey.

I stopped pacing and stared at him incredulously. I felt the irritation flare and couldn’t help the way I snapped at him. “Because I’m stressed out.”

“What’s good?” It was just so easy for him to come in and take charge of everything without being at all stressed. He looked so good in his gray slacks and button up despite the heat outside. He seemed even unstoppable against the weather, which further irritated me.

“I don’t even know.”

I felt the tears well up in my eyes, which immediately had him walking closer to pull me into his arms. We were standing in my white kitchen that only held some plates and silverware and the rudimentary pot set that I’d gotten just because.

The cabinets were white as were the countertops but the floors were a rich wood tone.

I usually ate at the island and had put three comfortable lavender velvet bar chairs there for when I did.

“You look real pissed off or something. I’m over here trying to do this CEO shit but City is always ready to come out and play.” I smiled into his chest and allowed the feeling of him squeezing my body to comfort me into saying what I needed to.

“I think I’m pregnant. Well, the tests say I am.

” I braced myself for his reaction as I felt him tense up at my confession.

I hadn’t bothered to change after work. Just grabbed some tests and came home to pee on them.

While I waited I had thrown my hair in a bun and texted him to come over and stress with me.

There had been no wait because those tests had lit up like a Christmas tree within the first thirty seconds.

Instead of yelling, Corey gave my body one last squeeze before he took a step back.

“Okay.”

His lack of a reaction only had me more on edge. “Okay?”

“I mean, shit, I’m fucking thrilled but I’m trying to keep shit even-keeled cause you look like you need to throw up.”

His observation had my stomach rolling sightly reminding me of my own reaction when I’d gotten here earlier.

“I did that already.”

“So tell me what’s on your mind.”

“Do you know how old I am?”

“Yeah, you thirty-five.” He looked me up and down like the witcho fine ass was silent and I needed him to focus.

“Yeah, thirty-five not twenty-five.”

He nodded still looking like he wanted to fuck instead of talk about the elephant in my womb. “We established that already, Pretty P.”

“Bruh, if you don’t let me have this meltdown so I can panic and then get my mind together.”

“Is that what I need to do? Bet. Fall apart and shit then, P.” Corey held his hands out like he was giving me the floor to scream and holler and now it felt pointless.

“Well, now I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Cause you’re over here giving me permission to do it.” I was snapping at him unremorsefully because he was getting on my nerves.

Instead of checking me, he just nodded with a broad grin on his face. “Oh, your ass pregnant for real to be tripping like this.”

“Sir, you do know them cliches ain’t gone do nothing but piss me off.”

“If you need someone to be the bad guy in this I’ll happily be that.

I put that baby in you and apparently I’m the one currently getting on your damn nerves.

So you can cuss me out or whatever you need to do to get yourself centered.

I’ll play my role and then we gone check on your uterus and shit.

” He was grinning as he motioned toward my crotch, like none of this was a big deal.

I stomped my foot angrily because the way that sounded was so bad. “My uterus, Corey? That’s how you saying it?”