Page 9

CHANIYA

Germayne: Alright, Ms. Chaniya. Will you be mine?

“ C an I play my game, Mommy?” Caleb asks, distracting me from the incoming text from Germayne.

Pulling my gaze from the phone, I look at my baby standing in front of me with unkempt hair and his play clothes. Kenyatta hasn’t taken him to the barber shop, so my baby is starting to look like one of those kids whose mothers spend the child support on themselves instead of the kids.

“Maybe later. Have you taken your shower today?”

“Yes, ma’am. I brushed my teeth too.”

“Good. Go put on something from your going out clothes. I’m gonna take you to get a haircut. Then we’ll run by my job before I take you to get something to eat.”

When Caleb goes to do what I’ve said, I return to the open message from Germayne and send my answer.

Me: Depends. *thinking emoji*

Germayne: On what? You’ve laid out what it takes for me to win your heart, so don’t throw another roadblock now that I’ve accepted your challenge.

Me: Touche. Alright, I’ll agree to be yours, but remember, this is only a trial run.

Germayne: All I heard was… you understand I’m playing for keeps. Let the marathon begin, Chaniya.

Me: *winking emoji*

“Caleb! How long does it take you to change clothes?”

“I couldn’t find my other shoe, Mommy. I’m ready now,” Caleb says, running toward me, and my heart stretches upon seeing the wide smile on his face.

I have today off because our schedule is light enough so that the other assistant can handle whatever appointments we have without me.

With Caleb about to start kindergarten soon, I relish the opportunity to spend time with him.

I also need to resume taking Caleb to get his haircuts because I can’t afford to rely on Kenyatta for him to disappear on me.

Keeping Caleb’s hair neat and cut is something I will never take lightly or allow someone else to do.

If I had to guess, I would say that Kenyatta is sniffing behind a new woman because it’s the only time he can’t be counted on.

I’m good with him being absent because it’s what I needed to see, to take control of Caleb’s maintenance routine myself.

“Can you take me to a new barber shop, Mommy? I don’t like the lady who cuts my hair anymore.”

My hand hovers over the gear shift when Caleb asks his question because I wasn’t aware that a woman has been cutting his hair. I always assumed that Kenyatta was taking him to another guy. Yet, I never asked either, so this is news to me, causing me to probe a little further.

“Why don’t you like the lady anymore?”

“When cousin Kenyatta is around, she’s really nice, but then she stops talking to me when he leaves the room. I also want a boy to cut my hair because I don’t want to be called baby during the cut.”

Shaking my head, I put the gear in drive and head out of the driveway, even more satisfied with my decision.

“I hear you, big boy. Mommy got it from here.”

“You’re the bestest Mommy ever.” Caleb gushes when we’re leaving the barber shop he’ll now be coming to on a weekly basis.

Ricardo Majors is Caleb’s new barber, and after seeing his detailing and precision cut of Caleb’s hair, I’m happy to let him be the person responsible for keeping Caleb together.

Ricardo has a small shop inside one of the salon lofts, and I stumbled on him after talking to one of the clients at work.

“I want some ice cream,” Caleb demands.

“First off, bestest isn’t a word. Second, that’s not how we ask for things we want, is it?”

“Sorry. Can I please have some ice cream? I was good for Mr. Ricardo, like you told me.”

Kid logic will never be something adults can question or comment on because they often have no rhyme or reason for the things they say.

“I guess. However, you have to eat all your lunch first. Where do you want to go?”

*zzt, zzt*

Tapping my earpiece, I answer the incoming call without checking to see who's calling. “Hello.”

“This is me making sure you know how invaluable your position in my life is.” Germayne’s voice flows through the gadget, instantly making me smile.

“Seeing how we just confirmed your upgraded status, your effort is duly noted, Mr. Malone. Thank you,” I say, giggling, before remembering that Caleb is with me and getting myself together.

“I’m on the early shift today, so I’m on break and thinking about you. What you got going on?”

“Oh. I just finished getting my son’s haircut. Now, we’re headed to get some lunch.”

“How old is your son? I assumed you had a baby.”

No wonder Germayne had gone silent on me after telling him about Caleb. I understand how complicated it could be to learn the woman you’re interested in has a baby. I also understand how sticky and complex of a situation Germayne might assume me to have.

“He’s five, and although he’s out of the infant stage, he’s still my baby.”

“Mommy!” Caleb interjects before Germayne has a chance to react.

“What? You are my baby,” I tell Caleb.

Smiling, I hit the unlock button on my car before waiting for Caleb to get in and sit in his booster seat before securing his safety belt.

“I can respect little man for not wanting you to keep him in that phase. Don’t be stunting his growth.” Germayne’s humorous delivery has me rolling my eyes while smiling wider. “I’ll let you get to mommy mode. Enjoy your time with little man. Call me if you’re able to this evening.”

“My mommy was talking to some man, Nana. She was smiling and everything,” Caleb tells Nana, who’s eating up the information while sipping from whatever is in her coffee mug.

Edna O’Neal doesn’t drink coffee, so I know it has to be tea or something she doesn’t want Caleb to see. After running around with Caleb earlier, we stopped by Nana’s house to spend some time with her. All was going well until Caleb decided to share my business with his great-grandmother.

“Oh, you don’t say. What’s his name?”’ Nana probes.

“I don’t know, but she was talking fast, and I couldn’t hear everything.” Caleb shrugs before eating the grapes Nana gave him.

“Next time, pay closer attention. Nana wants to know everything. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Caleb confirms before I interject to prevent this conversation from spiraling any further.

“It’s not Caleb’s job to spy on me, Nana. I’m sitting right here, so why not just ask me whatever you want to know?” I ask.

“Hm. You’re Vernise’s child, so I know you’re sneaky ass ain’t about to be forthcoming. My baby will tell me everything while cutting through the weeds of the roundabout information you’ll share.”

“Hey, Nana. Oh, hey, Niya. Hey, munchkin,” Gina says, entering the room and effectively ending the useless conversation Nana is attempting to have with me.

Since Gina is here to shift the focus from me, I open Facebook to do some mindless scrolling. I’m only a minute into my observations when I see that Germayne has been tagged in a post causing me to pause my scrolling to read it.

Sherita Malone-Albert

I can’t wait for next week so we can get back to us.

#weddingseason #foreverus #forevermine

Wrinkles stretch across my forehead, matching my frown and eyebrows that are hiking after reading this generic post about the man who’s seemingly supposed to be mine. Before I can catch myself or climb down from petty mountain, I type a post of my own, also tagging Germayne.

C. K. O’Neal

Since he wants to play Chess, let me move around some pieces. I got the first move…

#Iwarnedyou

Once I upload my post, I exit Facebook with new energy coursing through my veins because I told Germayne about his trial run before this thing started. Now, it's time to show him better than I can tell him.

“Can you keep Caleb for a couple of hours, Nana?”

“Mhm. I’ll feed him and get him ready for bed so you don’t have to worry about doing anything but taking him home and tucking him in.”

Single mother or not, my family has always held me down where Caleb is concerned, and for that, I’m forever grateful. I never have time to need a break because either Mom or Nana regularly steps in to keep Caleb.

“Thank you, Nana. Gina, you should come with me to Club Stew for a little bit. I want to get a couple drinks.”

“Let’s go.” Gina co-signs without hesitation.

*ding*

G. Malone tagged you in a post on Facebook

“Hold on,” I say to the man grinding against my ass on the dance floor at Club Stew.

My petty ass went live not too long ago with this man behind me, begging me to let him take me home. Opening the social media app, my heart rate elevates rapidly as I go to my page to see what Germayne tagged me in.

“Oh shit!” I shout, cupping my free hand over my mouth when I read Germayne’s post.

G. Malone

Why the hell would you get on Marvin Sapp’s internet talking like you ain’t got a man who ain’t afraid to set some shit off behind you?

Oh wait, you don’t know that side of me yet.

I keep telling your hard-headed ass that my profession won’t prevent me from crashing out.

Tell that fake-ass Keith Sweat that the only way you’re gonna need a side nigga is if my body is stinking in a grave.

“Uh, cousin. I don’t think this one is like the other niggas you date. Playing with him might be hazardous for this man’s health. Aye, playboy, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Gina walks up saying after looking at her phone.

I’m speechless and trying to quiet the pussy popping in my lower region at Germayne’s reckless mouth that is turning me on something fierce.

Maybe I’m the one who needed to understand something by agreeing to a trial run with Germayne.

It’s clear that while I’m playing chess, Germayne is clearly playing checkers, and I just lost. Here I was, throwing my age around with Germayne not long ago, and he just told me that age doesn’t make a person mature.

My petty antics contradict the woman I am, and I shouldn’t have let some random woman get me out of character.

Going to Germayne’s page, I no longer see the woman’s post telling me that although he’s seen it, it wasn’t worth his response.

Germayne: Agreeing to be mine means you activated the dormant crash out. Now, are we forging through this phase of our relationship the easy or hard way, Ms. Malone? I personally can move either way.

My panties are done for when I read Germayne’s text because my gullible and self-destructive ass can’t hide how much I love his aggression. Maybe I need my head examined or something because I should be ending this thing before it gets too deep and running in the opposite direction.

Germayne: *gif attached* Judge Judy tapping her watch.

Say less, Germayne.

“Sorry, but I gotta go. Thanks for the dance,” I say to the man hovering despite Gina’s warning. “Come on, cousin. Pushing this man any further isn’t wise.” Grabbing Gina’s hand, I lead us toward the club’s exit.

“You almost had me worried that you were about to become one of those irritating women who can’t see the forest for the trees, cousin. If you have a man at home, why the hell are you in this club acting single?” Gina asks once we’re in my ride less than ten minutes later.

“My dumb ass had a momentary lapse in judgment, but I’m burying the idiot who foolishly walks into situations reminiscent of this one. Hopefully, it won’t cause a setback in this budding relationship. I really like this one, cousin.”

“Then act like it, because this isn’t even the kind of woman you are.”

The music playing from the radio becomes background noise, allowing me to exit the spot I’m in and head back to Nana’s to grab Caleb to take my ass home.