Page 11 of Welcome to the Table

The elevator stopped, and her ass hopped back on.

She stood in front of me, not giving me any attention.

I tried to play it cool, but I couldn’t.

She had shed the dress and heels and had on a pair of fire-red jeans that hugged her hips and ass like a glove.

She had baby-making, cornbread-fed hips that swallowed her jeans.

On her feet were a pair of red and black Gucci sneakers with a matching shirt that she had tied in a knot at the back. Her hair was still the same.

She turned slightly and looked at me. She had red lipstick on her suckable lips, and I had to control myself.

I noticed she had a swarm of freckles on her face.

So, she must have had makeup on earlier.

I liked her this way, natural. She didn’t need all that shit on her face.

She turned back around, giving me her back, but her perfume was hypnotizing a nigga.

I had to get the fuck off this elevator before I grabbed her ass and had her climbing the walls back to my penthouse, but I knew she wasn’t the type.

I had to get to know her mentally and emotionally before I could even explore her physically.

She was one of those pretty and classy females.

She wasn’t from the hood. Elevator sex with a stranger wasn’t her thing.

“Whatever you are thinking back there, don’t be so sure about it because people wear many masks, but it’s up to the opposite to take them off,” she said and stepped closer to me.

Was she reading my fucking thoughts? I didn’t like that shit. Was I wearing my emotions on my sleeve? I didn’t even have a chance to give her a rebuttal. She went left, and I went right toward the parking garage.

I hit the locks to my Spider and hopped in with her sexy ass on my mind.

Something about her made me want to throw caution to the wind and let her inside my heart, but that other side said something different, and I couldn’t figure it out.

I was drawn to her at first sight. That never happens to me.

I had to shake her ass, though, because I didn’t fuck with females who had a nigga lying with them already.

It wouldn’t end well for them, and I wasn’t looking to settle down.

At twenty-five years old, I was living the life niggas wish they had.

Besides, she looked older than me, and that shit turned me on even more.

I knew I was bound to bare my soul to her, then she would know the real person I was and run for the hills.

I had to stay away from her before she fucked around and put that magical pussy on a nigga and have every nigga who looked her way’s throat sliced.

I pressed the button, and my Spider roared to life.

It had been a minute, and I was glad to bring it out today.

My shit was chromed out royal purple and black.

The rims were purple, and the interior was purple and black.

I turned the music on, connecting my phone via Bluetooth.

I was in a good mood and thought about Raven and the shit she had going on.

I was in my zone, so I decided to play King Von’s “Fuck Yo Man” because that’s how I was feeling.

I hated the fact that this nigga died at such a young age because his lyrics would put some of these young niggas in this generation to fucking shame.

I turned my shit up loud as I turned on St. Charles Street, where a crowd of people had formed.

Bitch, fuck your nigga (fuck your nigga)

Hoe, fuck his feelings (fuck his feelings)

You say you stayin’ (you stayin’)

See, hoe, you trippin’ (bitch, you trippin’)

See, I’m a killer (I’m a killer)

But I got feelings (I got what?)

I catch you with him (I catch you with him)

I just might kill him.

It feels like I’m doin’ the most (the most)

I like you, I’m lettin’ you know (you know)

They been runnin’ from me, they whole life (yeah)

But I ain’t into chasing no hoes (nah)

See, I cut this shit and just go (I’m gone)

If I like you, I’m fuckin’ you slow (yeah)

The nigga’s music still made his family money ’til this day.

That drill music shit made a nigga want to kill everything on the block.

That’s the type of mood it put me in. I checked my face in the mirror like I was a bitch, but I was that nigga, before turning and looking for my brother and Grove.

The crowd of people was so thick I couldn’t see shit.

People were walking up and down the middle of the street.

Bands and the Indians with the feather pieces marched in the parade on foot.

I was missing everything until I saw Grove standing in the seat of his Spider.

“Move the fuck out the way. The Guerrillas coming through.” This nigga had a foghorn.

I laughed because he must have known that I was coming. People started to look around, and the crowd grew quiet. They were probably looking for Calliope because most people from the hood thought he was a fucking ghost. Not me, though. They knew me very fucking well.

I noticed people started to part in the middle of the street and stand on the sidewalk.

I slowly drove up the street, looking for my brother.

Grove was already on my left side, but I knew my brother wasn’t far behind.

Bitches and niggas were waiting to see him, and I was surprised myself that the nigga came out.

That nigga didn’t like crowd or noise, so I was going to enjoy my brother while he was out.

Of course, he did the clubs with me and shit, but hood shit, he didn’t entertain.

He barely wanted to be a part of the family business, but he didn’t have a choice. Melph made sure of it.

I revved my engine, and the crowd went wild.

I looked ahead of me and saw my brother sitting in his Spider with his leg hanging out the side, but what I didn’t expect was the bitch who was riding shotgun.

Don’t get shit twisted; I ain’t have shit against the broad, but she rubbed a nigga the wrong way.

She couldn’t be trusted. I understood that they grew up together and got it right on some reunited shit, but I didn’t trust her.

This nigga’s nose was so far open that he couldn’t think past go with her, and I hated it.

I told this nigga not to bring sand to the fucking beach―he did.

I would keep my mouth closed, but I couldn’t wait until he brought her to the meeting.

Melph was gon’ skin that nigga like a fucking cat.

I rode through the street until I was on the side of Grove. I put my shit in park and looked at him.

“Nigga, was all that necessary?” I shook my head at him and laughed.

“You fucking right because these motherfuckers weren’t gon’ ever move. Calliope big chilling in the front. You know they glad that nigga came out of hiding,” he leaned over to tell me.

I sat in my seat as the sea of people surrounded us.

People we hadn’t talked to in a while, and others trying to figure out who the fuck we were.

The females flocked to us, but my eyes were on my brother.

He looked uncomfortable, and I didn’t like that shit.

I got out of my ride and walked to where he was.

I bombarded my way through the crowd to get to him and noticed he was chiefing a blunt.

His bitch sat in the passenger seat with a mug on her face.

“I thought I told you not to bring sand to the fucking beach, nigga.” I tossed my dreads to the back, giving Klarity the death stare.

She knew I didn’t care too much for her. That shit been going on since we were younger. She was the only girl around a group of hood niggas, and the shit didn’t sit right with me. I said the shit loud enough for her to hear me.

She turned in my direction and started her yapping. “If I am fucking sand, it’s made of gold, nigga.”

I laughed at her stupid ass because she didn’t know how I rolled. Just like we had men, I also had a few hood bitches who wouldn’t mind fucking her ass up with one phone call.

Calliope would never understand the depth of my hatred for Klarity.

I didn’t hate her enough to kill her, but she shouldn’t have come back to the city, and she and I both knew that.

Before she left after high school, her father was in debt out the ass and couldn’t pay up.

Back then, Melph didn’t kill females, so he paid for them to leave and killed her father.

Calliope didn’t know that shit, and she couldn’t have told him.

But from the look in his eyes, I knew he didn’t fully trust her.

If she told him what happened and why she had to leave years ago, their relationship would be over, and Melph would feel his wrath.

It wasn’t my mess to tell. I already didn’t like the bitch.

“Chill the fuck out, Klarity. We came out here for a good time, not a long time. You could go get a drink or something. I got my men all over here watching everything,” he said, nodding his head for her to get out of the car.

She gave him a look like she wanted to say something, but got out of the car.

“You always take Hellcat’s side like he always fucking right, and leave me to fend for myself. I’m tired of that shit.” She huffed and puffed getting out of the car.

I was surprised that he didn’t hop out to run around to her side to help her.

“If you tired, go to sleep,” I told her as she walked away.

Once she was out of hearing range, Calliope looked at me. “Why do you always start that shit and know I’ll always back yo’ ass up? What the fuck did she do to you for you to act like that?” He asked me questions that he wasn’t ready to know the answers to.

I stood and waited for him to get out. The nigga was way taller than me, standing at 6’4”, but I was 6’1”.