Trickin', page 9
Davinette brought a half glass of water and slammed it down on the table before walking away.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” Ra’Keeyah answered once her airways were cleared. “My food went down the wrong pipe.”
“Well, slow down. You over there eatin’ like the food gon’ jump off the table and run away,” he laughed.
Ra’Keeyah laughed too. “Shut up, nigga.”
“Now back to what I was sayin’,” Brick said. “What do you do for a livin’?”
Damn, he’s persistent, Ra’Keeyah thought. “I’m in between jobs,” she responded quickly, hoping that would answer his question.
“Okay, I see you avoidin’ my question,” Brick said, finishing off his meal.
“I answered you, dang. I told you I’m between jobs,” Ra’Keeyah said smartly. “What more do you want me to say?”
“Calm down, li’l mama. I didn’t mean to offend you,” Brick smiled. “I don’t care what you do for a livin’, as long as you ain’t no stripper.”
“And what if I was?” she asked, needing to know.
“Just know, Brick don’t fuck wit’ no strippers.”
“And why not?”
“’Cuz I don’t want my woman havin’ no job that consist of men rubbin’ all over her body. If anybody gon’ be touchin’ all on her, its gon’ be me!” he stated adamantly.
“You must be one of them jealous typa’ niggas.”
“I ain’t jealous. I can get any woman I want,” Brick said. “I’m just not gon’ stand for my woman bein’ no damn stripper, point-blank period!”
Ra’Keeyah could tell by the way Brick spoke that he was very adamant about not having a stripper as his woman. She knew if things went any further between her and Brick, eventually she would have to tell him the truth. But right now, all she wanted to do was bask in the ambiance.
After laughing and talking for another hour, and Brick receiving numerous text messages, he decided it was time to go. Ra’Keeyah really did not want to leave; she would have stayed at the diner all night if Brick wanted to, but she knew he had business to tend to.
“Bye, Brick,” Davinette sang as he and Ra’Keeyah made their way to the exit.
Brick smiled. “Bye, Davinette.”
“Silly, bitch,” Ra’Keeyah said, before walking out the door.
Brick came outside as Ra’Keeyah put the helmet on. He could tell by her body language that she had a slight attitude.
“What you mad about, li’l mama?” Brick asked.
“I ain’t mad,” she said snottily.
Brick walked over to her and lifted her chin up with his finger. “Don’t let that broad get up under your skin,” he smiled, put his glasses on, and climbed on the bike. Ra’Keeyah was touched by his remark. It kind of gave her a sense of peace, as if he was saying to her that no one can come between them. With that being said, Ra’Keeyah climbed on the back of the motorcycle, wrapped her arms around Brick’s waist, and held on for the ride.
Chapter Twelve
Brick woke up to the smell of bacon cooking. He had to be dreaming because Piper definitely couldn’t cook. He looked over at the light blue paint on the walls and smiled, realizing he was in Pauline’s guest bedroom. Brick rolled out of bed and noticed he was still fully dressed, shoes and all. He shook his head in disbelief. “I need to quit drinkin’,” he said as he made his way out of the bedroom and across the hall to the bathroom.
“I see you finally got up,” Pauline yelled out from the kitchen.
“I know,” he said, closing the door behind him, rushing to get his pants unzipped to release the urine that he’d been holding all night.
“Breakfast is ready.”
“Ahhhhh, okay,” Brick moaned as he stood at the toilet pissing for what seemed like ten minutes. After washing his hands, he grabbed a new toothbrush and washcloth out of the linen closet.
“Your food’s gettin’ cold,” Pauline called out.
“I’m comin’, Ma,” Brick said after he rinsed his mouth out with warm water. He looked at his teeth in the mirror to make sure they were sparkling before walking out of the bathroom.
“Good mornin’, son,” Pauline said when Brick walked into the kitchen.
“Good mornin’,” he replied as he sat down at the kitchen table. He waited patiently as Pauline fixed his plate and set it down in front of him. Then he bowed his head in prayer before he started eating. Seeing Brick still prayed over his food made Pauline proud. She was always glad to see some of the lessons she’d tried to instill in Brick still stuck with him.
Pauline stared at her son for a brief moment before speaking. “So, what brought you over here last night?” she asked.
Brick swallowed the food he had in his mouth before replying. “Me and Piper got into it last night,” he said and continued eating.
Pauline waited for Brick to go into detail, but he didn’t. “About what?” she finally asked before sipping on her morning cup of coffee.
“About the same shit we always arguin’ about,” he said, getting angry all over again. “Me bein’ in the streets. I told her she don’t be complainin’ about me bein’ in the streets when I’m lacin’ her ass with Coogie, Ed Hardy, and all that other expensive shit she be rockin’!” he ranted.
Pauline nodded her head in agreement. “True. But you still have to look at it from her point of view too, son.” Pauline didn’t just look at it through her son’s eyes; she also felt where Piper was coming from as well. “You do run the streets a lot more now, and you ain’t only out there makin’ money. So how do you expect her to feel?”
“Whose side are you on?” Brick grimaced. “I thought you didn’t like Piper.”
“I’m not on anyone’s side, Brice. I’m just tellin’ it like I see it,” Pauline replied. “And I don’t care for her. It’s just that everyone deserves a fightin’ chance.”
“Ma, I try to spend time with Piper. But I got so much money wrapped up in several different places, and I need to stay on top of it or niggas will try to play me,” Brick explained. “And if one of these niggas fuck over me, I’m goin’ to the pen for the rest of my life for killin’ one of these lame-ass niggas.”
“I thought that’s what you had Bob T, Ricco, and the rest of them dudes for,” Pauline said.
“Ma, them my boys and all, but you know I don’t trust no one when it comes to my money or my broad,” Brick responded, feeling like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to his money and his relationship with Piper.
“Do you love her?” Pauline asked out of nowhere. “’Cuz if you do, you can make it work, but if not, then let her go so she can find someone who does.”
Brick thought a quick second before answering. “I don’t know, Ma. I thought I was in love with her at one time. I mean, don’t get me wrong; she a good girl and all, but here lately, I been wishin’ she would just gon’ and move back to Syracuse wit’ her parents,” Brick stated, confused. “I mean, she got a lot of good qualities. She’s down for me, I can trust her with my money, and she put up with all the bullshit I put her through with all these other bitches I be fuckin’ wit’, ’cuz she know at the end of the day that I’m comin’ home to her.” Pauline listened as her son poured out his feelings.
“So you want her to go home so you can be laid up wit’ all these gold-diggin’ hoes that only see dollar signs instead of the color brown when they look into your eyes?” Pauline spat.
“It ain’t even like that, Ma. I can do that wit’ her here,” Brick argued. “It just seems like me and Piper’s lives are headin’ in two totally different directions. She wants to live in a house wit’ a white picket fence, have kids and a dog. And I don’t want that.”
“Why not, Brice? You’re nineteen years old. You not gettin’ any younger, you know?”
“I know that, Ma. And I probably will feel like that too one day, but right now, I don’t. The lifestyle I live ain’t tailored for no babies,” Brick explained. “Hopefully, Piper will find someone to give her that fairy-tale lifestyle she’s lookin’ for, and trust me, I will be more than happy for her when she does.”
Pauline stood up from the table and gathered the empty plates. “Well, what about that Ra’Keeyah chick? You seem to be spendin’ a lot of time wit’ her.”
Brick smiled widely. “I ain’t gon’ lie, Ma. I like Ra’Keeyah a lot. She keeps a smile on my face, and she makes me laugh,” he said. “I feel so stress free when I’m around her, and she’s feisty, just like I like ’em. We’re just friends, though. I never even tried to fuck her. Not sayin’ that I wouldn’t; I just haven’t.”
Pauline had never heard her son express his feelings about a woman like he had just done about Ra’Keeyah. “Well, maybe you should make it official wit’ her,” she suggested.
“I don’t know, Ma. She the kind of girl that ain’t gon’ stand for no shit,” Brick said, smiling.
“Well, maybe that’s the kind of chick that you need in yo’ life. One that’s gon’ keep you grounded and out them streets. And jus’ maybe, I can get a grandbaby or two,” Pauline said, sliding that in.
Brick shook his head. “I don’t know what I want for real.”
“Well, I think it’s time for you to find that special someone,” she said, placing the dishes inside of the dishwasher.
“Ma, I don’t just want a woman that I can live with,” he said. “I want one that I can’t live without! And when I find her, I will know she’s the one.”
Pauline placed her hands on her hips and asked, “How you gon’ know she’s the one, boy?”
Brick smiled. “Trust me, I’ll know.”
“Well, when you find her, will you let me know too?” Pauline smiled back.
“I got chu’.” Brick stood up from the table and kissed Pauline on the cheek. “I’m about to go home and talk to Piper.”
“Yea, you do that, and let me know how everything turns out, okay?” Pauline shook her head, wishing she had the solution to her son’s problem.
“I will, Ma.”
“I love you,” Pauline said as Brick turned to walk out of the kitchen.
Brick turned around to face his mother. “I love you too,” he smiled and made his way out the door.
Pauline closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for her son and thanked God in advance for whatever was about to happen.
Brick walked through the front door and called out Piper’s name.
“I’m up here,” she yelled from the bedroom.
Brick picked up the mail and sorted through it before making his way up the stairs. “What you doin’?” he walked into the master bedroom and asked.
“Packin’,” Piper said, as she filled her Louis Vuitton suitcases with as much of her belongings as she could.
“Where you goin’?” he asked, shocked.
“I’m movin’ back to Syracuse wit’ my parents,” she said and continued packing.
Brick had just told Pauline he wished Piper would move back to Syracuse, but now that it was actually happening, he had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he wanted her to stay, knowing things still weren’t going to change, and on the other, he wanted her to go back to New York because he was fed up with all her nagging and accusing him of cheating, even though he was.
“For what?” Brick asked, as his heart beat quickly.
Piper stopped packing her bags and looked over at him. “Because I’m tired of your shit, that’s why,” she shouted. “How long did you think I was gon’ continue to put up with you fuckin’ all these tired-ass broads around here?” Brick didn’t answer. He just stared at Piper. “Answer me, dammit!” she screamed as tears formed in the lids of her eyes. “I was a fool to believe things would be any different here.” She shook her head as the tears began to steadily flow down her cheeks.
Brick hated to see Piper cry. In fact, he hated to see any woman shed a tear, especially when he was the cause of it. It stemmed from watching all the tears his biological mother had shed for whatever reasons.
“Come on, Piper, don’t cry,” Brick begged, feeling sorry for all the pain he’d caused her. “Don’t do this to me, baby,” he said, sympathetically.
“Do what to you, Brick?” Piper questioned as the tears flowed. “I haven’t done anything to you but loved your black ass like you deserved to be! And what did you give in return?” she asked, rhetorically. “Not a mutha’fuckin’ thing!”
Brick walked over to Piper and grabbed her wrists. “Come on, baby, let’s sit down and talk.”
Piper snatched away from Brick. “What’s to talk about, Brick? You wanna talk about how you lied to me and told me how things would be different if I moved to Ohio with you? Or how you promised me that you’d never cheat on me again?” Piper was fed up. “There’s nothin’ to talk about, Brick; I’m done!” she snapped.
Brick sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Piper toted all of her things downstairs and out to her car. He wanted to beg her to stay, but his pride and his need to be with other women just wouldn’t let him.
Once Piper had her brand-new Acadia that her parents bought packed to capacity, she entered the bedroom one last time and looked around to make sure she had all her stuff. “If I forgot anything, just throw it away or give it to one of your bitches,” she said.
“Come on, Piper. I don’t have no bitches,” Brick lied.
“Whatever you say,” Piper replied with an uncaring attitude, even though the thought of Brick being with anyone else tore her up on the inside.
“So this is it, huh?” he asked.
Piper avoided making eye contact with Brick, because she knew if she did, he would sucker her right back in with his long, beautiful eyelashes. “This is it,” she said, looking over at a picture of a black Jesus hanging on the bedroom wall.
“Well, what you gon’ do when you get back home, moneywise?”
“Did you forget I have my pharmaceutical degree?” she asked. Brick shook his head no. “And if that don’t pan out, did you forget that both of my parents are doctors?” Brick shook his head no again. “I had money before I started fuckin’ wit’ you, Brick.”
“I know,” he stated. “I just wanted to make sure you was gon’ be cool, that’s all.”
“Well, if you really must know, my father already has a job lined up for me. So I’ll be okay, and if not, I’ll manage.”
“This is crazy, Piper, and you know it,” Brick said.
Piper threw her hands up in the air because there was nothing else left for her to say. “You right; it is crazy, Brick. Tell me how long did you want me to sit around and be a dummy? I did it for too long, and now I’m tired and fed up.”
“You ain’t right, Piper. I took good care of you,” he said, hoping to make her feel guilty.
“Brick, me and you want two totally different things out of life. I wanna go back to the life I was livin’ before I met you. I had an honest-payin’ job. I wanna get married and have children, you don’t. I want all the things that you are afraid of achieving in life.”
Piper struck a nerve when she used the word “honest.”
“Get the fuck outta here,” Brick spat! “Did you forget how I met yo’ ass?” Brick asked, fed up with the Ms. Goody Two-shoe persona Piper was putting on. “Did you forget that when you worked as a pharmaceutical rep before, that you was the one supplyin’ me with all the Oxys I needed? And if it wasn’t for me keepin’ you on your toes, yo’ knuckle-head ass woulda’ got caught and been doin’ a bid in the pen! So don’t throw that honest shit my way!” Brick was heated and decided he was glad she was leaving because he would have to be bothered with all the bitching and the arguing otherwise.
“Whatever, Brick,” Piper said waving him off. “What you want, a thank-you? Thank you, Brick, for havin’ my back, like I’ve always had yours since day one!”
“You always gotta be sarcastic,” he said angrily. His cell phone began to vibrate. He took it out and checked the number.
“Which one of yo’ bitches is that?” she said with an attitude.
Brick didn’t answer her. He just put his phone back in the holder.
It was no use. They weren’t getting anywhere by talking so Piper decided it was time for her to leave. “Okay, well, it’s gettin’ late, and I need to get on the road.”
Just knowing Piper was really getting ready to leave for good did something to Brick all over again. It was like his feelings were flip-flopping. “You sure you wanna leave?” Brick asked one last time, just to make sure.
Piper nodded her head yes. “Even if I didn’t want to, I need to,” she said, turning to walk away.
“Why?” he asked, not knowing if he really wanted to know the answer or not.
Piper turned around, walked back over to Brick, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Call me when you grow up. You know how to reach me.” With that being said, Piper winked before walking out of Brick’s life.
Brick walked over and looked out the bedroom window, watching as Piper pulled off. A feeling of loneliness swept over him as he walked over and lay across his comfortable bed. He couldn’t believe she was finally gone. He didn’t know whether to shed a couple of tears or do a couple of backflips. Whatever he decided, it would have to wait until after he woke up from his nap.
Chapter Thirteen
Shayna and Ra’Keeyah were at the mall getting their hands and feet done. They hadn’t been spending nearly as much time with each other since Shayna had become so heavily involved with Calvin.
“So fill me in on what’s been goin’ on with you and Calvin,” Ra’Keeyah looked over at Shayna who was sitting in a nice big comfortable chair next to her.
Shayna smiled. “Girl, he is so romantic. He been takin’ me to Columbus and Cincinnati to these nice, expensive-ass restaurants,” Shayna said. “He even be lettin’ me drive his Benz and everything.”
“Wow, that’s what’s up,” Ra’Keeyah smiled, happy for her friend. “Why he gotta take you so far just to eat?”
