Page 17 of ‘Til I Say When

Nina gave me a small smile. “I’m getting a new car next month for my birthday.

I’m still undecided on a Ranger Rover or an Audi but before we talk about that, I need to ask you something.

” Her mood was very serious, and I knew that more than likely she was about to say something that I didn’t want to hear.

“Did you hook your friend up with Pierre?”

I drew back and frowned. “What? No. She doesn’t talk to Pierre. One day, Wilde suggested that I invite her on the strip and honest to God, I told him no. If you see all of us together, I promise she’s with me and not him.”

Nina stared at me for a moment. More than likely, she was trying to see if she called bullshit. After a few seconds, she chuckled and clicked her tongue. “I believe that you didn’t know.”

“I’m confused. Know what? They don’t talk.”

“Yes they do. I saw the text messages. She even said she didn’t want you to know.

I just wasn’t sure if maybe you turned her on to him then changed your mind or something.

I don’t know, I guess I just wanted confirmation.

You were so cool at the club, and I’m tired of running into fake bitches,” Nina shook her head, and I felt sorry for her.

I was pissed at KoKo, but I would never down my girl to a practical stranger.

“Nina, I’m sorry. Me and Wilde are just…” my voice trailed off. “We’re cool, but we’re not like that. I’ve been around them a few times, but I don’t really know Pierre. It’s not even in my character to do anything like that after I was smiling in your face at the club.”

“That’s crazy,” Nina shook her head. “You have more loyalty to me than Pierre.”

“Are you two together?” I asked. “I mean I assumed you were.”

“No. I actually broke up with him three months ago, but he won’t let me move on.

Of course, he says he’s coming to the house to see the kids, but he ends up in the bed.

He does just enough to keep me hooked. He pays all the bills and because of that, he swears I better not have another man around his kids.

I never wanted another man around my kids.

I want their father, but he won’t do right.

” Nina sucked her teeth as she swiped a tear off her cheek.

“I’m so tired of crying over that disrespectful ass nigga. ”

Nina was a very pretty woman. It amazed me how so many times people thought that pretty women had it all together and had the world falling at their feet, but we had men problems like anybody else.

Nina stood 5’7 with pecan colored skin, light brown eyes, and dimples just like Pierre had.

On the outside looking in, they made a beautiful couple, but looks were deceiving.

“Baby, been there, done that. The guy I broke up with a few months ago, I was pregnant by him three times. I had three miscarriages. He cheated on me and got the girl pregnant. He looked me right in the face and said since I can’t carry a baby right he got someone else to do it.”

Nina’s jaw slacked. “I know you fucking lying. Wonder, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I shrugged it off. “He needed to be super hurtful and disrespectful or else my dumb ass never would have left. I want a child but at the end of the day, the fact that I didn’t have a child by him was a blessing.”

“Amen. I’m still sorry you went through that.

It’s really sad that we have to go through the most. That struggle love shit isn’t cute, and it isn’t normal.

I’m a nurse, and I’m about to enroll in aesthetician school.

I want to do lip fillers and Botox. While I’m handling my business, I’m letting Pierre pay all the bills, and I’m stacking his bread.

My credit is great and when I’m done with school, I’m going to take out a loan to open my own business.

I damn sure don’t plan to be dealing with him for that long, but I’m getting this car next month, and I’m stacking a few more racks before I send him on his way.

I already make good money, so I really don’t need him. ”

“I know that’s right.”

“How much would you charge to wrap a Range Rover?”

“Depending on the wrap that you want, the make and model and things like that, it can vary, but it shouldn’t be more than $3,500. I can tell Pierre it’s $4,500, and you can keep the extra band,” I winked, and she smiled.

“My nigga.”

Wilde walked into the garage while we were laughing, and Nina rolled her eyes. The smile was instantly wiped off her face. “I’ll hit you up when I get my new car, Wonder.”

“Damn it’s like that,” Wilde called out as she walked away. “What I do? I told you about putting me in the mix when you’re mad at Pierre. I don’t have anything to do with that.”

Nina ignored him, and I narrowed my eyes at him, despite how good he looked in army fatigue print cargo pants, an olive-green tee, and black sneakers. “Got damn, what did I do?” he asked, perplexed.

“You not shit, and Pierre damn sure isn’t shit,” I hissed. “Didn’t I say KoKo was off limits?”

Wilde’s eyes widened. “Does KoKo know she’s off limits ‘cus last time I checked, I didn’t control her pussy nor Pierre’s dick. That don’t have shit to do with me.”

“This shit makes me look so grimy.” I was mad, but I was taking it out on the wrong person. KoKo was going to get an earful.

“Bro, I stay out of people’s shit. If I wanted drama and headaches, I’d get in my own relationship. I got what you wanted in the car.”

“I’ll get your money.”

Wilde walked up on me, and my heart rate increased as he stared down at me. “You can keep your money and give me some pussy.”

I frowned because that was the same thing Mazi used to say, and it made my skin crawl. But Wilde damn sure wasn’t Mazi. “I’m supposed to have sex with you for cough syrup?”

It was Wilde’s turn to frown. “You’ve already had sex with me twice. Idiot.”

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and slapped his arm. Wilde looked at me like I had sprouted another head. “Hoe, is you cool?”

That time, I punched him in the chest. “I can do this all-night, fuck nigga.”

“G, keep your hands off me ‘cus if I hit you back, I’ll be wrong. Come get this shit, so I can go,” he fussed.

Wilde was still uncouth and border line ignorant, but he wasn’t that bad once you got to know him.

He was a little rough around the edges. The right woman could more than likely tame him, but I wouldn’t dare try.

Drew had depleted me of my energy. Never again could I or would I pour into a toxic man.

I wanted the D a few more times, however.

And I needed to convince him to at least wipe my prints off that gun if he wasn’t going to get rid of it.

I could never be fully at ease knowing he had a murder weapon with my fingerprints all over it.

Wilde got in the car, and I stood beside the car. He passed the bottle through the window. “Thanks.”

“Aye,” he called out as I started to walk off. “Where’s my money?”

“Why would I pay you when I fucked you?” I asked and headed back inside.

When I heard his car pulling off, I smiled. Wilde was something else, and I couldn’t believe I was starting to like his ignorant behind.

Two nights later, I eased into a booth at a popular seafood restaurant. KoKo was already seated. She’d been hired to do make-up for a wedding party an hour and a half away and since she’d been working, I hadn’t bothered her. I was ready, however, to tell her how I felt.

“Hey, boo. I already ordered my drink. I started to get you a strawberry Hennessy, but I didn’t know if you were drinking.”

I hadn’t had any lean in two days. I was proud of myself.

The bottle that I got from Wilde was still in my closet.

I had been thinking about it, but I hadn’t opened it.

I didn’t care how frequently I visited Mazi.

There wasn’t any part of me that cared about how he felt about me but for some reason, I didn’t want Wilde thinking I couldn’t control my lean habit.

I shouldn’t care what he thought either, but I did. At least when it came to that.

“Yeah, a strawberry henny sounds good.” I looked over the menu, even though I knew what I wanted. The waitress came over, and I ordered my drink, and we added appetizers. When the waitress walked away, I clasped my hands together and looked over at KoKo.

“What’s been up?”

“Working. I was booked last week and this week like crazy but next week, I can come to the shop Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.” KoKo was glad to have a way to make money on the days that she didn’t have makeup jobs, and I was glad for the help at the shop, so it worked out.

“Nothing else been up?” I asked as the waitress set our drinks in front of us.

KoKo watched me as she sipped her drink. “Why you asking me that like you’re waiting for me to tell you something?”

It was my turn to sip my drink. “Nina came by the garage the other day. She asked me if I knew about you and Pierre. Ko, I asked you not to deal with that man. That shit made me so uncomfortable.”

KoKo sighed and shook her head. “For a nigga that swears they aren’t together and he can control his shit, she found out mighty quick.

Wonder, I know you met her once and you liked her, but he told me they weren’t together.

It was just a lil’ quick one two that’s not supposed to go far.

You can be cool with her. That doesn’t have anything to do with me. ”

“You know that’s not how that works. But cool, I’m not saying anything else about it. I don’t want to hear about Pierre.”

“You really feel some type of way? You don’t know that hoe, Wonder, but I’ll keep you out of it.

I told you it wasn’t even that serious anyway.

Pierre has two kids under the age of five, and he has baby mama drama.

I’m not taking that shit serious. I’m just having fun.

Remember, we were supposed to be finding tricks for the summer? ”