Page 14

juice

. . .

Swiping my thumb across the screen I answered it and cradled it between my cheek and shoulder. “What’s up?”

“Nigga where the fuck you at?”

Pulling the phone down I stared at the screen. “I’m around the way.”

“Nariah looking for you. She said she called y’all and nobody answered for her.”

“Shit.” Checking the time on my watch I chuckled under my breath. “I’m ‘bout to call her.”

“Do that.” He ordered before banging on my ass.

When Nariah got back from the spa, we were supposed to hit the streets. Her ass wanted to take a nap after we fucked. I was laid up in bed with her when Tamia hit me up asking if I could come see her real quick.

Anybody that knew Nariah knew anytime she said she was going to take a nap it really meant she was ‘bout to get a good four to five hours’ worth of sleep.

Tamia was right down the street from us at the Fountain Bleu so I figured I could dip out and kick with her and be back by the time Nariah woke up.

What I wasn’t expecting was for Tamia to jump my ass as soon as I got to her room.

I ain’t fuck ‘cause I had put Nari to bed before I slid through, so I let Tamia top me off. I knew I shouldn’t have brought my ass over here, but the pussy pic Tamia sent had my ass doing some shit I’d never done before.

Nobody and I meant fucking nobody came before Nariah. I was cooked for sure.

Dialing Nari number I prayed she picked up. When the phone went to voice mail I dropped my head. “Fuck!” I hissed.

“What’s wrong Juice?” Tamia quizzed and stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a robe. Low key her ass had been snappy ever since I told her I wasn’t gone fuck her.

Getting up from the bed I hiked my jeans up and reached for my shirt. “I’m ‘bout to slide.”

“Oh.” She giggled lowly. “Yo girl must be up?”

“What I done told you ‘bout mentioning Nariah?”

Rolling her eyes Tamia stomped over to the bed and sat down. “I just asked if she was up.”

“Don’t ask me shit ‘bout her. That’s my last time telling yo ass that.”

“What the fuck ever Juice.” She spat.

“And don’t think I ain’t peep the way you were eyeballing her last night.

Don’t do that shit again Tamia. I fucks with you but I’ll cut you off behind that one.

” I ‘bout choked on my tongue last night when Nari asked if I knew who Tamia was. When she first mentioned somebody looking at her funny, I wasn’t thinking that’s who she was talking ‘bout.

Especially since Tamia knew Nariah was first lady.

I expected her homegirls to be on some slick shit but never expected it to be her ass.

When she walked up with Sahdiah my fucking eyes almost popped out of my head.

I tried to play that shit cool by chopping it up with Sahdiah, but I felt Tamia’s eyes on me the whole time.

I meant to check her ‘bout it when I first got here but shit slipped my mind when she hit that head.

“Juice, really I’m starting to not even give a fuck.”

“Glad you don’t.” Ambling out of the room I dialed Byron up.

“You leaving?”

“Yeah man.” I hit the button for the elevator and once it opened I stepped in. Scrubbing my hand down my face I sighed. “Nari done called our ass.”

“Fuck. Aye Luke we gotta ride out. Aye Juice we gone catch an Uber.”

“Bet. Meet me at the hotel. I’mma wait for you niggas to pull up before I get out.”

“We on the way.”

When I hit Lucas up earlier and told him I was ‘bout to pull up on Tamia him and Byron decided they was gone go fishing at the beach. And by fishing, I mean for some girls. Tamia’s hotel sat on the beach, so they weren’t too far away from me.

“Aight.” Hanging up the phone I slid it in my pocket. As soon as the elevator dinged and the doors opened, I rushed out the front with my head down. God forbid if paparazzi caught my ass coming out of the hotel.

Once I was in the back seat of my black truck, I used the driver’s phone to dial Nariah. She must’ve turned it off ‘cause it was going straight to voicemail. “This girl dog.” I groaned.

The whole six-minute drive I prayed that Nariah wasn’t too upset.

There was a studio around the way I could lie and say I was there.

She knew anytime I hit the studio up I zoned out cause I needed to focus.

I didn’t turn my phone off, but I never answered it.

If it was an emergency and anybody needed to get in contact with me, they would hit one of my niggas up.

I spotted Lucas and Byron standing on the curb as soon as we pulled up. Thanking the driver I hopped out. “Man. Nari ‘bout to nut the fuck up on my ass.”

“I told yo ass to think twice bruh. Now you ‘bout to have her at all our necks.” Lucas fussed.

I wasn’t trying to hear that shit. My only focus was getting to Nariah so I could smooth this shit over and fast. Hopping on the elevator I counted down the seconds until we reached the penthouse suite. As soon as the doors opened my heart started thumping in my muthafucking chest.

I had played some games in the past but the shit I pulled today was downright disrespectful.

I knew I should’ve stayed my ass home. If God got me out of this one, I promise I wouldn’t pull no shit like this again.

In fact, Tamia was getting cut off. We were too fucking comfortable with the shit we had going on.

“Say Nariah.” I called out once I stepped into the suite.

I ain’t hear no response prompting me to check shit out.

When I strolled into the bedroom I chuckled under my breath.

This girl really got low on my ass. All of Nari’s shit was missing.

If I knew my girl like I thought I did, then her ass was on her way back to the crib.

The only thing I could do was damage control. Slipping my phone out of my back pocket I shot off a text message.

Me: My bad Nari I ain’t know you was looking for me. I been at Criteria laying down a verse.

Me: I brought you back some of them chocolate chip cookies you like from there.

Me: I was gone wake you up when I got back.

Me: Wya

Me: Why you not hitting me back?

Me: Nariah??

Me: Aight bet

“Aye Nari say where she was going?” I asked after Tito picked up the phone.

“Nawl, I tried to call her again. She ain’t pick up.”

“Yeah, she went home.” I snorted and ran my hand over the back of my neck. “So, listen, if she ask, I was at Criteria.”

“Nigga I done already told her I ain’t know where the fuck you was.”

“I’m saying all you gotta do is tell her that’s where you found me at. She gone believe you before she believe me.”

“No, what the fuck she gone do is leave yo stupid ass.” Tito paused for a beat before adding. “Juice, y’all almost ten years in. You already know Nariah the one you wanna marry. Why you still playing games?”

“Nigga I’on know.” Tossing my body down in the chair I put the phone on speaker and propped my elbows on my knees. “On God I’m done fucking ‘round with Tamia.”

“I’m not tryna tell you what the fuck to do but Julius you in too deep. Ain’t no bitch out there bad enough for you to be leaving Nari up in the hotel to go fuck off. Fuck was yo head at?”

“Don’t know.” I mumbled somberly. “Clearly wasn’t thinking ‘cause had I, my ass would’ve ignored the fuck out of Tamia.”

“But you didn’t. And now Nari pissed and all them lies yo ass done told to cover up yo shit gone resurface.”

“I’m already knowing.” Closing my eyes I tossed my head back and groaned.

If Nariah let my ass off the hook for this shit it was a wrap for me and Tamia.

I fucked with her the long way but the only female I had feelings for was Nari.

Like I said Tamia was convenient that’s why I fucked off with her but now at the point where I started slipping, I knew I needed to get my shit together.

“I’mma see if I can get you some time at the studio. If you gone use that as a lie might as well make the shit happen.”

“Yeah man. Just let me know.”

“Will do.”

After Tito banged on my ass, I shed my clothes and hopped in the shower.

If he was able to get me in the studio I needed to be up on my game.

Since Nari had already dipped out on my ass, I was gon’ hit the mall up before we left tomorrow so I wouldn’t show back up to the crib empty handed.

Hopefully her ass read my messages and hit me back when she landed.

Sitting in the back of the truck I rehearsed what I was gone say when Nariah got to the crib.

Nariah never did respond to my messages, but I got confirmation that she had made it back to the crib when Juju Facetimed me from his room telling me that him and his mama was getting ready to go to Great Wolfe Lodge.

It had been four days since I laid eyes on my girl and my ass was on some Keith Sweat begging type of shit.

You can pretty much say that I had spent some serious money on Nariah over the past few days, not only had I dropped a few racks in Brickell shit—when I made it back to the A, I also hit our personal shopper up and had her pulling all kinds of shit for Nari.

While my family had been gone my ass had been held up in the house looking stupid. I only left today so that I could run by the label headquarters to sign off on some documents. I calculated the time and made sure I would be back before they pulled up.

My ass even hired this lil decorator to come over and do some shit at the crib.

I had rose petals and shit trailing from the front door to the formal dining room where we would have dinner at.

That lady and her team had big silver balloons hanging up that spelled out I love you.

All of her gifts were strategically spread out in the living room.

I wanted that to be the first thing she saw when she walked in.

To beat her to the punch I had reached out to Nari’s mom, Ms. Sariah. I knew she had gone with them to LaGrange, so I hit her up saying I wanted her to keep Juju ‘cause I was tryna surprise Nari with something. After she confirmed that she would keep him I set all of this shit in motion.