Page 14

FEW DAYS LATER…

It was rare as fuck, but all my brothers were here at the moment. And since we wouldn’t have a night like this for a little minute, we decided to take it back and play drinking games—mainly beer pong, but instead of beer, it was brown Don Julio in them red cups.

We used to do the shit years ago before these niggas turned in their player cards to become daddies, husbands, and sucker ass niggas.

I enjoyed calling them out on that simp ass behavior, but I didn’t wanna see the day them niggas found out I was on some simp shit of my own and not even with the women I was supposed to be doing the shit for.

Kabrina had a nigga open in an embarrassing ass way, to the point where I hadn’t had sex in two whole weeks. Shit was difficult to fuck while thinking about her ass every hour on the damn hour. I played it off like I was just tired as fuck, but Aurora and Daisy had been fucking with me long enough to call bullshit.

“You still married, nigga?” Lequay asked, laughing with the rest of my brothers like he’d said the joke of the year.

“Nope.” I caught their asses all off guard, smirking a bit as I eyed the cup I had to toss the ball into, because all six of them niggas stopped laughing immediately at my answer, staring me down like a muthafucka. “Thought y’all was about to have some fun talking ’bout a nigga, huh?”

“Man, you lying. When the fuck you get the annulment?” Bashar’s brilliant ass asked.

“For real. I ain’t going for it, because one, I think you wanna hold on to that woman, and two, you would’ve been said some shit.” Asif agreed with Bashar’s assessment.

“Fuck!” I growled, missing the cup and taking the red cup filled with liquor that Khari handed me to toss back. “You niggas is distracting me.”

“So now that we know yo’ ass is still married, when you gon’ tell the ladies you can’t get out of the shit?” Shakur asked, stepping up for his turn to toss the small, red ball.

Them muthafuckas had clearly told him everything.

“I don’t know, my nigga.” I shrugged, not really in the mood to discuss this. I wanted to rag on them niggas and get drunk, not discuss my personal life and the fact that I was married, neither of my girlfriends knew, and that I kind of wanted to stay married and let the lifestyle I’d fought so hard for go.

“You ever think yo’ unwillingness to be with one is out of immaturity, nigga?” Cemone questioned. Of all fucking people, this nigga. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even say much to him about the shit because he wasn’t on that no more.

“Nah, it just don’t feel right, like I said before. But having both Daisy and Aurora feels… right. What one don’t have, the other does, and vice versa.”

“Aight, then you need to work a little harder to let ya wife go, nigga, ’cause she don’t want no parts of that,” Asif said, taking his turn.

“She don’t want it ’cause she got an idea of what shit would be like, and that’s not the case. She could end up liking the arrangement. We like family.”

“Y’all ain’t like no fucking family, muthafucka.” Khari chuckled out of shock. “You can’t even keep them hos from arguing over every got damn thing. Last get-together, them hos was fighting about who was gon’ make yo’ damn plate.”

The rest of my brothers clamored in agreement.

“That’s a good problem to have.” I played it off, knowing full well I didn’t like the fact that I often had to play referee with the ladies.

Sometimes, I wanted to do shit with them both, but it was difficult as fuck, and I would always second guess the shit, knowing I didn’t wanna deal with the bickering over the smallest shit.

“Regardless, if you got respect for lil mama, then you don’t need to be trying to make her be a part of some shit she don’t want, nigga. Once she told yo’ ass no, that should’ve been it,” Asif said.

“Facts. ’Cause if she tried to make you one of her many niggas, you’d be hot—crashing the fuck out,” Lequay added.

“Nah, I’d just shoot ’em or have Sif do it.” I shrugged, stepping back up for my turn.

“Nigga, you ain’t gon’ have me do shit. Now you can ask a nigga nicely, and I’ll pencil you in on the murder calendar,” Asif replied, causing my brothers to crack up. “But you let me know when you wanna take out that bitch nigga she used to fuck with. I got an opening for that right now.”

That didn’t sound too bad, but AJ hadn’t made any noise since popping up on me. And as harmless as the nigga was, siccing Asif on him didn’t seem fair. It would be like robbing an old ass blind lady.

“Shit, I just might,” I jested. “Now can we focus on the game? Ain’t shit to see here in my life.” I nodded toward the cups lined on the table.

Thankfully, them niggas agreed.

* * *

Feeling fucked up for how I’d been doing Aurora and Daisy, I’d decided to make one last effort to try and get shit back to how it was pre-Kabrina.

I realized that since I’d married her, I’d only been thinking about her, trying to see her, calling her, and focusing solely on her. I thought for a moment that if I was doing the shit unintentionally, then being with her would be easy as fuck. But I didn’t know if shit would change once I actually had her. Could’ve been that I was so wrapped up in her because she was unattainable but also because I had two other women right here. I was struggling out in these fucking streets.

“This place is nice. And I am starving.” Daisy beamed, looking good as fuck in the tight ass dress she had on.

“Good. Get whatever you want tonight.” I kissed the side of her face, then went to help Aurora sit.

We all studied the menu, and for some reason, shit was awkward. We usually always had something to talk or joke about, but it was silent except for the clinking of silverware around us.

“Are we ready?” The waiter approached, and I could tell she was trying to understand the dynamic between us.

“I am.” Daisy shut her menu, starting off the ordering.

Once we finished and put in an order for some drinks and appetizers as well, the waitress switched off.

“So um… how is the YouTube shit going? I haven’t seen a video in a minute,” I said to Aurora.

“Yeah,” she sighed, eyeing her nails, “it’s just a hobby, so I kind of slowed up on it. It’s boring now.”

I nodded. “So what you gon’ get into now?”

“Keep my receptionist job, I guess, until something else hits me.” She shrugged and smiled just as the waitress delivered the drinks.

“What about you?” I looked to Daisy, seeing this conversation with Aurora wasn’t going anywhere. Again, I had to remember she wasn’t Kabrina, someone who enjoyed talking about their aspirations, goals, and shit. Not to mention, conversation between us just flowed.

“… and so I got that coming.” Daisy smiled at me, and I feigned one back, realizing a nigga had zoned out for the hundredth time today, thinking of Kabrina.

“That’s great,” I lied, not even knowing what the fuck she was talking about, and even worse, I didn’t care.

Daisy agreed before going into a long ass spiel about how we should go on vacation. Aurora joined, stating how she could vlog the trip for her channel if the mood hit her. That, of course, started an argument when Daisy made a smart-ass comment in front of the waitress dropping the food off. I had to break shit up.

By that point, I was over it, and my appetite was done for. So as soon as the ladies finished, I ordered the dessert they planned to get to-go and hurried their uncivil asses to the car.

The ride home was quiet, just like the start of the dinner had been with me in my head, knowing that this shit between the three of us wasn’t ever gon’ work whether Kabrina was around or not.

I went into this shit expecting less stress, but it was turning out to be the opposite. To make matters worse, a whole nother woman consumed my thoughts, and a whole nother woman was my fucking wife.

“I’ll be inside in a minute,” I said as I shut the engine down in my garage.

“Hurry up, because I got something for you.” Daisy leaned over to kiss my neck as Aurora damn near jumped out of the back seat and stomped to the front door.

“Can’t wait,” I responded dryly as fuck.

Once Daisy and Aurora were inside, I started the vehicle back up and took a drive. The plan was to clear my mind, but when I ended up at the building I owned, I knew it would be more than that.

Knowing Kabrina would be pissed about me popping up, I rode the elevator to her spot anyway. I rang the bell, and for a moment, I thought she was knocked out until I heard her unlocking the door.

“Unique?” Her brows kissed. She was wearing a light blue robe that was way too short to have on around a nigga like me, and her dark hair was clipped up.

“Yeah. You was sleep?”

“No. I was doing some research. Why? Is something wrong?”

“Only thing wrong is you won’t let me have you.”

“Unique.” She scoffed as I walked in without her permission. “I didn’t say you could come in.” She let the door shut, irritation laced through her voice as I plopped down onto her couch. Storming over to me fussing, she added, “And why would I let you have me when you have two other bitches. I don’t know how many times?—”

Her words halted when I brought her down onto my lap, making her straddle me. Our eyes latched onto one another’s like magnets as I listened to her breath hitch in surprise. She smelled good, like sweet cream and citrus.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, KK. I get it.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I just… damn. I don’t want you to hate me, love. I would rather anybody else in the world hate a nigga except you.”

The feeling Kabrina gave me hit a nigga as soon as I saw her fucking face. It was almost like magic, and it reminded me why I ain’t wanna let the shit go. The warm feeling in my chest, the sheer happiness a nigga felt, the goosebumps, all of it was new to a nigga. Her being had taken over my whole fucking life.

“Why would I hate you?” she asked softly.

“Because I want you, but I think you might deserve better. Only the best for KK, and if I can’t give it to you, I don’t even wanna try.” I sighed and said, “Took them out to dinner tonight and could barely have a fucking conversation. All I thought about was you and what it would be like if we stayed married for real. Or how I would much rather be chopping it up with you or doing anything with you, shit, even getting my fucking makeup done—if that’s what it takes.” I smirked slightly when she laughed, our foreheads still thrust together. “You different… special. You the type of girl my pops used to tell me about.”

“Not Aurora or Daisy?” She half smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and I shook my head subtly.

“Nah. Aurora is a sweet girl, but she vanilla. Daisy is fucking… Neapolitan, I guess, but she too much—feels purely sexual, which was fine until I met you.”

Being around Kabrina had me realizing the importance of having a best friend, a therapist, laughing partner, and romantic interest be one person who you also enjoyed fucking. Having that shit in multiple people, split up like that, didn’t hit the same. Kabrina and I could go from talking goals to family shit to joking. And the sexual tension was through the fucking roof.

It wasn’t like that with either of the ladies in my life.

“I don’t know what you want me to do with this information, Unique.” She tried to climb from my lap, but I hugged her small body tightly, burying my face into her warm, sweet smelling ass neck.

“Don’t shut a nigga out. Don’t give up on me. If or when I come correct, I want a chance.” I picked my head up to look her in her pretty ass eyes.

“Okay.” She huffed. “Can I get up now?”

“You gon’ kick me out?”

“Mm… I will let you stay for half an hour.”

“I’ll take it.” I let her go, not missing how odd it felt for her to be so far away, two couch cushions from me.

After a moment of silence, she asked, “You said every relationship you have with women is based on sex, but you didn’t look too happy about it. Why?”

I kept my eyes on her feet, toes painted pink like always, before I blew out air.

“Don’t get me wrong; I ain’t unhappy about the shit.” I shrugged one shoulder.

“But?”

“You know Tamira?” I looked to my right at her. Kabrina was facing me, back resting against the arm of her couch.

“That old bitch.” She scoffed, then laughed, but it ceased when she saw I had a straight face still.

“When I first auditioned for the show, the casting directors told me I was missing something and to work on it a bit more then come back. I was cool with that but slightly bothered because I wanted that role badly. They claimed if I tweaked a few things, it was mine, but I ain’t believe the shit. I felt like they told that to everybody.”

“They were telling the truth, though, because you got it, and you’re the best on the show.” She simpered.

When I chuckled slightly, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“I appreciate that, but I will never know if them niggas were keeping it a buck with me. I got the role because Tamira promised it to me if I fucked her.”

Kabrina’s mouth hung open in shock as her eyes roved over me like she was waiting for a fucking punchline.

She finally sat up, folding her legs Indian style before asking, “So you’re telling me she gave you the role of Denim because you dicked her down? Wasn’t she married then?”

I nodded. “She was. But if she ain’t care about that nigga, why should I? Plus, I wanted that role.” I looked off. “I needed that shit.” I captured her eyes with mine, hoping she understood.

Glancing off briefly, she curled her lip. “She is a predator, Unique. She’s more disgusting than I thought.”

“She ain’t no fucking predator. I was a grown ass man, and I consented to the shit.”

“It doesn’t matter. She knew you wanted that role, and she used her pull to get sex from you. If she was a man, she would be canceled for some shit like that.”

“Well, she not.” I sat back, not expecting Kabrina to see shit that way. I never saw Tamira as a predator, just an old freaky bitch.

“Yeah, this makes sense! AJ told me she got with her husband when he was young too. That bitch is a whole pedophile!”

“Wait, aye, chill out.” I put my hand on her soft ass leg. What a nigga wouldn’t give to have them muthafuckas wrapped around me. In fact, I would give it all up. I only realized the shit in that moment. “I need you to keep this shit between me and you, love. My family don’t even know this.”

I watched her physically calm down as she nodded.

“Why don’t they know? You shouldn’t be embarrassed. She should be.”

“I’m not embarrassed about that. I just don’t want muthafuckas to think I ain’t got talent.”

“That’s impossible if they watch the show. No matter what you did to get there, Tamira is not the one in front of that camera—you are. Someone can have all the connections in the world, but if they lack the talent, it will show, Unique.”

I nodded slowly, taking her in.

“I appreciate that, baby.” I brushed my thumb along her soft ass skin. “I could stay here with you and like this all night,” I admitted.

“You can’t though, because I won’t let you.” She moved from my touch, allowing the silence to engulf the room. “You didn’t tell your brothers about Tamira, but you felt comfortable telling me?”

Drinking her in like a thirsty ass dog for a moment, I finally replied, “Yep.”

“Why? You all seem so close.” Her brows dipped.

“We are. We are.” I nodded, pondering. “You just make me feel comfortable, baby. Not that they don’t but although we brothers, we still men. Naturally niggas are tough in front of each other. This ain’t no tough nigga story to be telling. Lowkey, I shouldn’t have even told you this shit…” I ran my hand down my face.

Grabbing my hand she said, “I still think you’re pretty tough. But there is more to being a man than being the tough guy. A real man can be vulnerable at times.”

The calm that had taken over me wasn’t new. Kabrina talking was like a soft lullaby or white noise for a nigga in the way it relaxed me. I could listen to her all fucking day and actually listen too.

Once that half an hour mark hit, Kabrina kicked my ass out. It didn’t matter that I told her I would be breaking shit off with both Aurora and Daisy. She explained until I did, she didn’t want me coming around or in her fucking space, and I had to respect it. Kind of like it. Sometimes you needed a woman who would check yo’ ass and that was KK.

The entire drive home, I tried to think of how I planned to do the shit. Did I want to break it off with them separately? Together? I wasn’t even fucking sure. I wanted to do it as soon as fucking possible, though, so I could focus solely on Kabrina. I shook my head at the thought with a titter—if Asif heard my fucking thoughts right now…

When I got home, I stepped out into the backyard to light one up since the ladies were asleep. I needed more thinking time, and it couldn’t have been more perfect that their asses weren’t awake.

But as I inhaled on the blunt for the third time, I heard the sliding door that led to the backyard open, causing me to shut my eyes in exhaustion. I prayed it wasn’t Daisy because she took a lot of my fucking energy.

After a while, I noticed no one had walked up, making me glance over my shoulder to see Aurora standing there just watching a nigga.

Before I could say a word, she asked, “You like her in the romantic way, don’t you?”

Clasping my hands carefully to avoid burning myself with the blunt, I simply nodded, then looked up from the ground to catch her eyes. Without saying a word, she ventured back inside of the house.

* * *

THE NEXT MORNING…

Walking into the conference room at the studio, I was a bit on edge. The last meeting we had was to inform everyone that I was being promoted, so I was confused as fuck as to what called for another meeting. Even worse, it was only the producers in the room this time and none of the other actors nor Tamira.

I started to run through my mind of all the things that could’ve gone wrong whilst reading their faces, but I got nothing.

“Unique, welcome.” The main producer, Stanton, stood and reached to shake my hand. The others followed suit before we all sat down.

“Everything aight?”

“Well, no.” Stanton huffed. “AJ has informed us, through his agent, of course, that he can no longer film with you.”

“He can’t film with me?” I chuckled humorlessly. “How the fuck is the show gon’ work if he can’t film with me? Especially with Ramonté out?” I felt my heart thundering in my fucking chest.

“Yeah, that’s the issue.” The co-producer, Nikki, folded her lips in, showing her distress.

This type of shit was how shows got canceled, and I still needed more from Dough Boyz before that shit could happen. If it got canceled now, I would have to work overtime to keep my name alive, and that would be difficult as fuck. The last thing I wanted to be was one of those up and comers who never quite got there.

“So for now, shooting is going to be pushed back until we can figure out how to shoot the season with you two being separate. Ramonté is gone, so the plan for season six was to have yours and AJ’s character kind of take over as a team. But don’t worry, Unique. Kiki and the writer’s room has already begun reworking things to make it work. It’s just we won’t resume filming when planned.”

“This shit won’t get canceled, right?” I quizzed.

“No, because we’ve already signed contracts with the network, but we can’t say we will be renewed for a seventh season if what we produce isn’t up to snuff.” Stanton shrugged.

This nigga shrugged. If Dough Boyz got canceled, he’d go on to produce some other shit and be just fine. That was why the muthafucka was shrugging.

“Aight.” I stood. “Keep me and Audrey posted,” I said, referencing my agent.

“Will do.”

Leaving the conference room, I unintentionally balled and un-balled my fists in anger. I wanted to put hands and muthafuckin’ feet on AJ’s bitch ass. It was always that one pussy nigga to ruin shit, and it was usually always over females.

And that wasn’t to say Kabrina wasn’t worth it, but I’d never been the type of nigga to let women derail my money or career. If she didn’t wanna be with me, cool. But Unique Compton wasn’t going broke over nobody, especially not a woman that didn’t want my ass. That was insanity—real shit.

And AJ was doing this shit because of Kabrina.

Hopping into my car, I started to head home so I could put a plan together for the next few years and put the shit in front of Audrey. However, I was too fucking furious to think straight enough to be strategic, so I ended up outside of AJ’s crib.

I called him, but, of course, he didn’t answer.

Me: Come outside. Gotta talk.

AJ: No we don’t. Should’ve thought about talking before you aborted my child.

I chuckled a bit, closing my eyes to try to calm the fuck down enough in order to text that nigga back. But I stopped myself. I didn’t beef through text or social media like these new aged niggas—I fought. And if it came down to it, I’d put a nigga down. Usually though, if it got that fucking far, I’d go to my brother for that shit because Asif could take a nigga out like it was nothing and with the quickness.

Dialing AJ, I wasn’t shocked in the least when the nigga didn’t pick up.

“Of course you ain’t answer, you bitch ass nigga.” I laughed. “Yo’ tender, Flamingo shaped ass just better pray this ain’t the last season of Dough Boyz , or I swear to God, I’m gon’ have something for you.” I hung up, and when I looked toward the mansion his wife clearly paid for, I saw somebody peek out the curtains.

I could only shake my head at how bitch made that nigga was as I sped off.