Since their wedding day, Larry spared no expense to make his new wife and stepdaughter comfortable. He took her on a cruise to Jamaica for their honeymoon and then flew her to New York to see the stage play The Color Purple. When they finally returned from their honeymoon, Larry packed up his new family and moved them out to the West Coast.
Larry purchased a beautiful and spacious 5,000-square-foot home in the hills of Monterey, California. The house was equipped with a swimming pool, a whirlpool Jacuzzi, and a huge backyard.
Knowing Nina’s lust for the finer things in life, Larry made sure her dream car, a 2007 black Range Rover, with its tan leather interior, and chrome twenty-inch rims, sat at the edge of the driveway, waiting to greet his new bride.
“Larry, is that what I think it is?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s your dream car. I hope it has everything in it you want.”
Nina screamed as she jumped out of the limousine that transported them from the airport. She jumped inside of the Range Rover wearing a smile that was so huge it gave Larry chills.
“I love it!” she screamed.
Larry chuckled as he watched his new bride climb throughout the car and play with the buttons on the dashboard.
“Come on, sweetheart, the surprises don’t end here,” Larry said as he escorted Nina and their kids into the house. “Welcome to our home.”
Nina looked like a first-time visitor to Las Vegas as she stood at the base of the driveway staring up at the beautiful home. Her eyes grew wider as she walked through the doorway and stared in amazement at the ceilings and floors of her new MTV Cribs-style home.
“Well, do you like it?” Larry asked, as he searched for some type of feedback.
“Larry, it’s beautiful,” Nina replied as she grabbed his face and softly kissed his lips.
“Come on, baby; I want to show you around.”
Larry took his time taking Nina into every room. First, he showed her the huge kitchen with its granite countertops, huge center island, and stainless steel appliances. Nina was impressed, but she wasn’t ecstatic about the subtle suggestion that she would be expected to cook. Nina could barely boil water, and had no intention of learning to enhance her culinary skills. She told Larry this when they got engaged, but he secretly hoped she’d change her thinking. His first wife was an awesome cook, but he would soon find out that Nina could do wonders with a credit card, but spent very little time handling pots and pans.
Larry took Nina into the huge master bedroom on the first floor. The king-size sleigh bed looked like a twin bed in the massive room. A sofa and coffee table aligned one wall and a dining table with two chairs occupied the other wall. The room was almost the size of the one-bedroom apartment Nina had just moved out of in New Orleans.
Connected to the master bedroom was the master bath. The huge bathtub was larger than her old bed and the shower with multiple showerheads looked like something out of a magazine. The walk-in closet had enough space to accommodate every piece of clothing she’d ever owned in her life. Nina was at a loss for words.
Larry took Nina and the kids upstairs and showed them the huge media room with its 60-inch plasma television mounted on the wall, pool table, and theater seating.
“You know we’re going to have to host a few parties as I court prospective clients,” Larry said.
“I know, that should be fun,” Nina replied with excitement. She was eager to meet and mingle with Larry’s celebrity associates.
The tour continued as Larry showed her the numerous bathrooms and other nooks and crannies throughout the upper floor. The balcony that lined the hallway looked down into the massive first-floor family room.
“Okay, girls, now it’s time to check out your room,” Larry said.
Precious started cheering and jumping with excitement as she anxiously awaited her stepfather’s presentation.
Larry took them down the hall, opened the door, and smiled with pride. The shock on the faces of the women in his life was all he needed to see. Even Chrissy, who rarely showed any excitement, smiled with glee.
The room was adorned with a mural of both girls on the walls and toys galore. Positioned on each side of the room were two large queen-size beds. On one bed, there was a pillow with the name Chrissy embroidered on it and on the other bed the name Precious was embroidered on a pillow.
Precious immediately ran into the room and started playing with the life-size dollhouse. Chrissy gravitated toward the teddy bears that sat in the corner.
“The girls seem to like the room, baby; what about you?”
Nina mustered up a slight smile, but was visibly disturbed.
“Nothing’s wrong. This room is beautiful, but I just figured the girls would have their own bedrooms.”
“I thought about converting one of the guest rooms into Chrissy’s room, but I decided not to.”
“Why not?”
“I figured this would be a great opportunity for the girls to bond. They can play together and become closer. Besides, I don’t like the idea of Chrissy sleeping in one of the other rooms alone because those rooms are too far down the hall. I’m accustomed to having her near me. Since you and I will be on the first floor, putting Precious and Chrissy in the same room for a while seemed like a logical solution. After all, they’re only eight years old. By the looks of it, they couldn’t care less. I think they will enjoy being roommates, at least for now.”
Nina didn’t respond. She just stood there looking at the decorations and watched the girls play.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Larry asked again.
“I understand what you’re saying, Larry, but Precious and I shared a room in that small apartment for years. I’ve always wanted her to have her own room so that she could have her own space. I wish you would have discussed this with me before you decided to make them share a room.”
Larry was clearly surprised by Nina’s reaction. The issue seemed somewhat trivial to him, but he could see that it was a source of consternation for Nina.
“Okay, Nina, I hear you. I didn’t mean to violate; I just didn’t think it was that big of an issue. I’ll call the interior decorator and have her come over on Monday and convert one of the guest rooms into a child’s room.”
Larry was about to ask Nina what she thought about Precious moving into one of the smaller guest rooms, so that Chrissy could be closer to the staircase. That location would make it easier for him to reach her should he need to run up and check on her. Needless to say, the question instantly became irrelevant. Before he could part his lips, Nina had already made the decision for him.
“Precious, guess what?!”
“What, Mommy?”
“This is going to be your bedroom. Larry is going to move Chrissy into one of the other rooms and this is going to be your bedroom.”
“Why, Mommy? I want Chrissy to be in here with me so that we can play together,” Precious replied as she looked at her mom and then glanced at her new stepsister who sat in the corner cuddling a teddy bear, totally oblivious to what was transpiring.
“You can still play with Chrissy, but this is going to be your bedroom. Remember when I told you a few weeks ago you were going to have your own room?”
“Yes.”
“Well, sweetheart, now you do. This is your new bedroom in your new house. Do you like it?”
“I love it!” Precious replied, and then ran and sat next to Chrissy and started playing with the teddy bears.
Larry looked at the kids and then at his new wife. He didn’t like what he’d just witnessed, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Nina’s actions seemed somewhat self-centered and her lack of concern about how this change made him feel was bothersome. Still, he decided to chalk this up as an isolated incident. After all, she and Precious really had been living in rather cramped quarters; therefore, he could understand her desire to give Precious a room of her own.
Nina turned and looked at Larry and started talking as if the discussion about the bedroom had never happened.
“I want to go for a ride in my new car.”
“Okay, let’s all change clothes and we can go down to the beach. There’s a little city up the road called Seaside. We can go check out the beach over there and grab something to eat at one of the restaurants.”
The view of the ocean from Highway 1 was like something out of a movie. Waves splashed against the huge boulders that lined the California coastline. Sea otters could be seen floating on their backs, basking in the sun, as families watched, laughed, and played volleyball together.
Nina wasn’t accustomed to such picturesque scenery while living in the city of New Orleans. Her hometown was still trying to recover from the savage beating it took from Hurricane Katrina three years earlier. Now that she was living in California, life as she knew it had taken a permanent change for the better, and she was enjoying every moment of it.
After spending a few hours on the beach and then an hour or so at Fisherman’s Wharf and the aquarium in Monterey, they were all exhausted.
Larry drove the family home. After everyone washed the day’s activities off of them and put on their pajamas, it was time to tuck the girls into bed.
“It’s time to get in the bed, baby. You can finish playing with your new toys tomorrow,” Nina told Precious.
“Okay,” Precious replied. “Mommy, can Larry come in the room to tuck me in, too?”
“Okay,” Nina responded. She was a little surprised at her daughter’s suggestion, but happy that Precious felt that comfortable with Larry.
“Larry, honey, come in here for a second, please.”
A few moments later, Larry came into the bedroom holding Chrissy’s hand.
“What’s up? I was helping Chrissy brush her teeth so she can get ready for bed.”
“There’s a little girl here who wants you to help tuck her in,” Nina said as she glanced at Precious.
“Oh really,” Larry replied with a huge grin.
“Yep, so I guess you should do the honors this evening.”
“I’d be glad to,” Larry replied as he sat on the edge of Precious’ bed. “Little Ms. Precious, I’m so happy that you are now my stepdaughter and a part of my family. I want you to know that I love you and will do all I can to make you happy.”
“Thank you, Mr. Larry. I love you, too.”
“First, sweetheart, I want you to stop callin’ me Mr. Larry. I’m your stepfather now. You and I will be living together, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything. I want you to know I’m here for you.”
“What do you want me to call you?”
“I don’t know. What do you want to call me?”
“Can I call you Daddy?” Precious asked in the type of innocent voice that would bring even the strongest man to his knees.
Larry was caught off-guard by the question. He and Nina had never discussed the issue before. Precious had never known her real father because he had died before she could walk. A silence fell over the room. Larry looked up at Nina and noticed the apprehensive look on her face. There was a look of sadness in Nina’s eyes, a clear sign of the unresolved emotions loitering in her soul.
Larry was a pretty astute businessman, but his skills were limited when it came to handling the complexities of a woman’s emotions. Still, even Larry, with his minimum game, knew that there were certain unwritten rules that men were required to follow. As it pertains to this topic, he’d been in enough barbershops and pool halls to know that it’s never cool for a man to allow another man’s child to refer to him as daddy or father unless the child’s biological father is deceased; he’s had a heart-to-heart discussion with the biological father and the man has verbally acknowledged that he doesn’t mind; or the biological father hasn’t provided any emotional and/or financial support to the child.
Any barbershop psychologist, wino on the corner, or know-it-all uncle will tell you that a man who ignores this unwritten code deserves to get his ass whipped; and since receiving an ass whipping wasn’t high on Larry’s bucket list, Larry really would have preferred to change the topic at that moment. Unfortunately for him, the purity in Precious’ eyes was more powerful than a sedative, or his fear of catching a beat down.
Larry responded, “Yes, baby girl, you can call me Daddy if you want to. Now close your eyes and go to sleep. We’re going to tuck your sister in the bed now.”
The smile on Precious’ face was larger than the one she had displayed when her little eyes had first witnessed the room full of toys.
“Good night,” Precious said and then kissed Larry on the cheek.
“Now it’s your turn, Chrissy. We’re going to tuck you in,” Larry said as he pried a teddy bear out of Chrissy’s hand, walked her over to her bed, and helped her get underneath the covers.
“Baby, would you do the honors?” Larry asked as he turned to look at Nina.
Much to Larry’s surprise and chagrin, Nina wasn’t standing there. He assumed she’d stepped out for a moment to use the bathroom, so he waited and gently rubbed Chrissy’s forehead. After five minutes passed, he realized Nina wasn’t coming back, so he tucked his beautiful daughter in and wished her a good night’s sleep.
“You are my world, Chrissy,” Larry whispered into her ear. “Everything I do, I do for you. Daddy loves you and will always be here for you.”
Although her handicap prevented her from verbalizing her feelings, Chrissy and Larry had developed a bond, a sort of cerebral connection. Whenever they spoke to each other at night, Chrissy would take her index finger and touch Larry’s nose as a symbol of understanding.
She placed her index finger on his nose and started to smile. Larry’s eyes welled as he looked at his daughter and mumbled, “Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this child.”
Once Chrissy was settled in, Larry turned off the lights and headed downstairs. As he neared the bottom of the staircase, he could hear laughter coming from the kitchen. It didn’t take much deduction for Larry to conclude that Nina was on the phone talking to Val.
Larry gently crept down the stairs and positioned himself around the corner away from Nina’s sight, but close enough that he could hear every word she said.
“Girl, it is off the chain! I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as Monterey Bay.”
“Does Precious like living out there? How does she feel about the new house?”
“Precious is in love with the house, but we almost had a problem.”
“What’s her problem? Sounds like y’all livin’ ten times better than y’all lived when you were here in this raggedy-ass city.”
“I didn’t have a problem with Precious; I thought I was gonna have a problem with Larry. I had to give him the look. Val, this house is huge. We have five bedrooms in here, and he had the nerve to want to make those girls share a bedroom. Now I ask you, does that make sense?”
“No, not really. Why does he want them to share a room?”
“He said he felt more comfortable with the girls sharing a room together. He didn’t want Chrissy to sleep alone.”
“Girl, I know you didn’t like that. But, I can understand his concern. He probably wants them to sleep together so that Chrissy won’t be scared. Sometimes it makes kids with autism feel more comfortable when they share a room with someone else. What was your response?”
“What do you think I said? I told him that I didn’t agree. This house is too damn big to have those kids cramped into one room.”
“You have a point, but the last time I checked, it was his money that bought that big-ass house.”
“Val, have you forgotten who you’re talking to? I’m the one with the coochie. I’m gonna get what I want. Girl, I got his ass on the coochie point system.”
“Coochie what? What in the hell is the coochie point system?”
“You don’t know about the coochie point system?”
“Nah, what’s that?”
“It’s really very simple. Every time he does something that pleases me, he gets five coochie points. It takes thirty coochie points for him to earn some of this coochie. But every time he pisses me off, I subtract five coochie points.”
“So how many points does he get for buying you a new house?”
“He got about twenty points for that.”
“Nina, yo ass is crazy! If he only got twenty points for buying a damn house, he’s gonna have to buy you a damn palace to get fifty points!”
“Stop laughing, girl. I’m serious, that nigga is around here hustlin’ for coochie points.”
“Bitch, you think you slick. You doing that shit so you don’t have to have sex with that man. But, I ain’t gon’ lie, it sounds like that shit works. I might have to steal that and use it here on Tyrone’s lazy ass.”
“Damn right, it works! He’s gonna get the interior decorator to come out next week and convert one of those guest rooms into a bedroom for Chrissy. My baby’s a little diva; she needs her space. Girl, I’m tellin’ you, never underestimate the power of the coochie point system.”
At that point, Larry had heard enough. He deliberately made some noise to announce his presence before he walked into the kitchen. Nina heard him and quickly shifted the tone of her conversation.
“So, next month, you’re coming?”
“If you send me the ticket, I’ll be out there on the first thing smokin’. I need to get away from here for a little while.”
“All right, girl; I’m going to hold you to that. Don’t fake me out. Let your man know ahead of time. You can travel light because we’re gonna shop ’til we drop. I love you. Talk to you soon.”
Larry walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. He retrieved a can of Coke from the refrigerator and then opened the top cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s as Nina hung up the phone.
“Who was that?”
“That was Val. I was telling her how much we love it here. She’s going to come out and stay with me for a few days when you go on your business trip.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, really. Do you have a problem with her coming out here?”
“No, I don’t.”
“I’m sensing some tension, Larry. What’s wrong?”
Larry paused for a second before he answered. He was really trying to avoid an argument with his new bride, but he felt like he needed to set the record straight. “Actually, there is something bothering me. I feel like you disrespected me and my daughter, I mean our daughter, when you didn’t stick around to tuck her in.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that I tucked Precious into bed, and we were supposed to both sit there and tuck Chrissy in. You walked out of the room and left us hangin’. I have a problem with that.”
“Larry, my eyes were hurting, so I went into the bathroom to remove my contact lenses. When I was coming out of the bathroom, my cell phone was ringing, so I answered it. You know how Val starts talking and can’t be silenced. Before I realized it, you were walking in here. Why are you trippin’?”
“Why am I trippin’?” Larry asked in a slightly raised tone. “I just feel like . . . you know what, don’t even worry about it.”
“Larry, we just got married; let’s not start off on the wrong foot,” Nina commented in a snide tone as she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and walked out of the kitchen.
Larry stood there for a few seconds and then gulped down the rest of his drink. This is not starting out well, he thought to himself.
Larry spent the next hour in his office unpacking boxes, replying to emails, and returning phone messages left by some of his spoiled clients.
One message in particular caught him off-guard. It was left by Sharrard Hogan, the projected first-round draft pick he’d recently signed on to represent in the upcoming football draft.
Wuz up, Larry! Look, man, I know you just became my agent and everything, but I need you to hook me up. My birthday is in about three weeks, playa. I need you to put together a party for a brotha. I want my shit to be off the chain. I want actors, actresses, ballplayers, pimps, hoes, and anybody else you want to invite. All I know is, my man, Jerry, is expected to be a first-round pick just like me, and his agent hooked him up last weekend. As a matter of fact, that nigga is projected to go later in the draft than me, so his shit can’t be better than mine. I’ve been bragging to him about you, so you gotta get this shit “on and poppin,” pimp! Holla at me as soon as you get this message.
Larry sat at his desk and shook his head after listening to the message. His peers had warned him that Sharrard was going to be a problem child, but he’d ignored them. The money this kid was going to command was simply too much to pass on.
Larry hated this part of his job, but if he didn’t do it, some other agent would. One of the reasons he’d bought the new house and all of its accommodations was so it could serve his business purposes. It was the perfect place to throw a relatively inexpensive social gathering in a controlled environment for many of the brats he called clients.
With his business finished, he headed into his bedroom. He wasn’t as annoyed as he had been an hour earlier, so he figured it would be more productive if he tried to talk to Nina now . . . wrong answer.
“Hey, baby, are you asleep?”
Nina had her back turned toward the bedroom entrance. She didn’t answer Larry, so he assumed that she was either asleep or close to it. He couldn’t see that her eyes were wide open.
“Baby, can we talk?”
Still, there was no answer from the new Mrs. Dennison. Larry sat on the edge of the bed for a moment and then stood up and took off his clothes. Although everyone else had bathed, he still hadn’t. The dirt and smells from the activities of the day were still clinging to his skin. He ventured into the shower and enjoyed the drenching that ensued from the huge showerhead that hung nearly seven feet high.
With the fresh scent of Perry Ellis body lotion clinging to his body, Larry returned into the bedroom and slid his naked body under the covers. Larry’s hormones were raging. He and his lovely wife hadn’t had the type of sex that usually accompanies a romantic honeymoon. Nina purposely stayed drunk for most of the honeymoon to avoid intimacy. Larry was forced to settle for a hand job and three quick strokes before Nina pushed him away and passed out.
Larry never complained about the way Nina rationed the sex before they got married because his religious upbringing denounced premarital sex. However, they were married now, and he expected to be broken off on the regular.
As Larry’s four-inch rock-hard penis pressed against Nina’s back, he slid his hand along the side of her body. The lace under-garments she wore were enough to make a mannequin rise to the occasion. Nina’s eyes opened wider. She continued to lay there as stiff as a board, purposely ignoring his gentle touch and staring at the wall adjacent to their bed.
“Baby, I’m sorry,” Larry whispered. Nina said nothing. “Nina, I want to make love to you.”
“Not tonight. I have a headache,” Nina responded in a low dull tone.
She could feel Larry’s erect penis go limp as he slowly adjusted his body. They were now lying in the dreaded back-to-back position, staring at the walls in front of them. Larry looked depressed as he contemplated the evening’s events. Nina had a smirk on her face as she thought to herself: he’s going to learn that as long as I have the coochie, I run this show.
NINA GOT UP EARLY TO GET PREPARED to meet Val at the airport. She made her normal trek into the bathroom to freshen up. When she walked back into her bedroom, Larry greeted her, holding a breakfast tray.
“I’m sure you’re excited about seeing your girlfriend today, and the two of you are going to hang out, so I figured you’d need to start the day off with a nice breakfast. I fixed you some scrambled eggs and toast and some freshly squeezed orange juice.”
Larry was expecting a warm smile and a thank you from Nina, but what he got was a nonchalant glance at the tray and a fake smile.
“Thanks. Just sit it down. I’m not that hungry. Besides, I just brushed my teeth. I might drink the juice in a few minutes. Thanks anyway.”
Larry was taken aback by his wife’s attitude. He placed the tray on the dresser and attempted to make small talk.
“What do you have planned today?”
“Nothing much; I’m going to pick her up and show her some of the sights. She’ll probably be tired from traveling. We’re going to play it by ear. I’m just excited to see her again. I’m bored out of my mind. Val will bring some entertainment here and hype things up a bit.”
Nina’s disinterest was obvious and made Larry’s heart ache. If she opened her heart and gave him a chance, he could make her happy. He could be the kind of supportive husband that most women dreamed of having, but Nina would need to be willing to let him prove it. Unfortunately, her indifference toward him was proving to be a hurdle that even he, the master strategist, was having difficulty overcoming.
Nina walked down the steps looking like a million bucks. Her hair was perfect; her makeup was flawless; and her clothes were immaculate.
“Mommy, where are you going?” Precious asked.
“I’m going to the airport to pick up Aunt Val. I want you to behave yourself while I’m gone.”
“Yes ma’am,” Precious replied.
Nina scanned the room. She didn’t see Larry, but she did see Chrissy sitting at the table with milk splattered all around her. Pieces of cereal were on the table, in her hair, and on her chest. It was clear the child was having a difficult time eating.
“That’s disgusting,” Nina mumbled and then turned and walked out.
Larry stood silently on the second floor next to the banister as he watched his wife display her contempt for his daughter.
Nina drove to the airport bumping Mary J. Blige and bobbing her head. She was extremely homesick and the thought of seeing her best friend really excited her.
Val was excited, too. She’d only left the state of Louisiana once in her entire life. Even that venture across the state line was not voluntary. It was a forced journey that was strongly urged by a mean bitch named Katrina.
Like so many New Orleanians, Val couldn’t stay away from New Orleans too long. The moment she discovered that the city had been reopened after Hurricane Katrina, she was one of the first to return.
Nevertheless, Val had been waiting impatiently for this vacation and she was determined to enjoy it.
“Nina, is this your new car?” Val asked as she walked out of the airport terminal. She and Nina met at the curb and stood there hugging long enough to make pedestrians stop and stare.
“Yep, I told you Larry bought my dream car as a wedding gift.”
“That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!” Val said as she tossed her small travel bag onto the backseat.
“You sure travel light.”
“Hold up! You told me to travel light because we were going to shop ’til we dropped.”
“And you know this!” Nina replied as she held up Larry’s American Express Black Card.
“Oh shit! Is that the black card?”
“Yes it is, sweetie, and we’re going to put a dent in this sucker today.”
“Can I hold it, please?” Val asked as she took the card from Nina’s hand and then rubbed it along her breast, belly, and pretended like she was going to slide it between her legs.
“You are crazy!”
“Girl, I didn’t realize it was that thick. It doesn’t feel like a regular credit card.”
“That’s because it ain’t a regular credit card. This is a, I can get what the hell I want and there ain’t no limit credit card.”
“Hello! Let’s go and test that theory,” Val shouted.
“But, before we start spending money, we need to stop and get some gas. My gas tank is damn near empty.”
“Shiiiit, girl, my car stays on empty. I be puttin’ just enough gas in there to get from my house, to work, and then back home.”
“You’re gonna run out of gas one day.”
“I know. I just hope I’m looking sexy the day that happens.”
“Why?”
“Shiiiiit, I gotta look sexy because if I run outta gas, I may have to stick out my legs and hitch a ride.”
“It’s like that?”
“Girl, you just don’t know. I might have to start selling some coochie if these gas prices go up any higher.”
Nina laughed and immediately remembered why she enjoyed hanging out with Val; she was a comedian. They laughed together constantly.
“Val, your ass ain’t that hard up. How much would you charge them for a half tank of gas?”
“I don’t know, maybe twenty-five dollars. I’d probably hit ’em up for fifty and a Baby Ruth if I needed to fill up my tank.”
“I can see your ass hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Nope, I haven’t.”
THE NEXT FIFTEEN MINUTES were spent discussing the flight and the plans for the day. Suddenly, Val remembered to ask, “Wait a minute, where’s my baby girl, Precious?”
“She and Chrissy are with the live-in nanny.”
“You have a live-in nanny? You have really crossed over to the white side.”
“Val, I’ve spent the last eight years bustin’ my ass, tryin’ to take care of that child. I’m gonna enjoy being spoiled for the first time in my life.”
“I ain’t mad at cha, baby. How are you handlin’ your new role as stepmother?”
“It’s fine so far. I don’t really have to deal with Chrissy that much; the nanny has a strong background in dealin’ with children who have autism. Larry made sure of that. When she isn’t around, Larry’s usually there dealin’ with Chrissy.”
“So when are you going to dive in and ‘deal’ with her? You can’t be married to the man and not interact with his child. Besides, based on what you’ve told me, Chrissy sounds like a sweet child.”
“Come live with us and I’ll pay you to be her personal nanny. That way you can ‘deal’ with her anytime you want,” Nina suggested in a sarcastic tone.
“Don’t tempt me; I may take you up on the offer. Did I ever tell you about my little brother that had autism?”
“You never told me you had a brother with autism.”
“I don’t talk about him because he died when he was ten years old from pneumonia. My mother and I really took it hard. My mom worked two jobs so I used to be his babysitter most of the time. I probably spent more time with him than she did.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I never knew.”
“It’s okay; I can handle it. The question is, can you handle it?”
“I don’t know; it’s too early to tell. I don’t want to talk about that right now. Let’s talk about something more interesting. What’s goin’ on with you and Tyrone? The last time I called you, it sounded like he was tearin’ that ass up.”
“Girl, he was puttin’ it on me. He was givin’ me my punishment.”
“What?”
“He was punishin’ me because I’d made him mad.”
“So sex was your punishment?”
“Yeah, child; he gave me some punishment dick.”
“What did you do to earn ‘punishment dick?’” asked Nina with a chuckle.
“I was supposed to meet him for lunch, and I was thirty minutes late. That made him mad. But the thing that really pissed him off was the fact that it was the third time in one month I was late for lunch. Girl, he’d ordered my food because he thought I was on my way. He was sittin’ there lookin’ like a damn fool as he waited for me.”
“What did he do when you finally arrived?”
“You gotta understand Tyrone. He has an ego that’s as big as this damn car. He waited until I walked up and then told me he was leavin’. After he told me off, he got up and left.”
“He left you sitting there?”
“He damn sure did.”
“I was so embarrassed that I ate my cold food. Girl, I ain’t gonna lie, I waited to try to let him cool off some before I went home.”
“I gotta meet this Tyrone. He sounds like he has your ass in check.”
“Whatever! Anyway, I waited as long as I could and then I went home.”
“Was he yellin’ when you got home?”
“Girl, he was still yellin’. I tried to argue back, but he told me to shut up.”
“He told you to shut up?” Nina asked rhetorically. “What did you do?”
“What do you think I did? I shut the hell up.”
“I’ll be damned,” Nina said.
“I know. This shit is crazy. After he put me in check, he started givin’ me my punishment.”
“Oh really?”
“Yeah, girlfriend. Whenever I piss him off, he punishes me with that big dick. Girl, he walked over to me and said, ‘I’m gonna punish your ass.’ He grabbed me by the arm and threw me on the bed face first. The next thing I knew, he was pulling my jeans off.”
“That doesn’t sound like punishment; that sounds like rape.”
“When you called, did I sound like someone who was protestin’? Shiiiiit—it’s clear you ain’t never had no punishment dick.”
“I guess not,” Nina replied in a regretful tone.
“It’s clear you haven’t. I’m tellin’ you, the best time to have sex with your man is when he’s pissed off with you. When Tyrone’s mad, his stroke is a little faster and his dick seems to get a little longer and harder. He was even growling and shit while he was punishin’ me.”
“Growling?”
“Like a damn hungry wolf. He was going ‘grrrrr’ and telling me to apologize.”
“Did you apologize?”
“Hell no, I ain’t apologize! I ain’t stupid. If I would’ve apologized, he would’ve stopped strokin’.”
“You’re a damn nympho.”
“You can call me what you want; but I’m a satisfied nympho . . . at least in the bedroom. Nina, I can’t lie. A lot of times I intentionally do stuff to make him mad.”
“So you were late to lunch on purpose?”
“Girl, I was in the parking lot on the phone with my girlfriend the entire time.”
Nina laughed and drove toward the Del Monte Shopping Center. She drove slowly down Del Monte Drive so that Val could see the beautiful scenery. The pristine California coast was a much prettier sight than the shores of Lake Pontchartrain that aligned New Orleans.
“So what does Tyrone do for a living?”
“He doesn’t do enough; that’s probably my only complaint. But he’s a beast in the sheets. I can’t lie.”
“That’s all y’all have to go on, good sex?”
“Spoken like someone who ain’t gettin’ none. I realize your sex life is in the dumps; that’s why I decided to let you listen to us that day when you called. I try to let you live vicariously through me.”
“No, you’re just a little freak. You were probably turned on, knowing that I was listening.”
“I sure was and so were you. That’s why yo ass took so long to hang up. Don’t forget who you’re talkin’ to; I know about that little freak in you, Nina.”
“Vee, it’s been so long since that freak came out. I don’t know if she still lives in me.”
“That’s because you don’t have a thug like the one I got. Tyrone’s been wearin’ my ass out since he came home from prison.”
“You’d better hope no one was wearin’ his ass out while he was locked up.”
“No, baby, no one has touched my man! Don’t even go there,” Val shouted as she rolled her eyes and neck in true ghetto fashion. “Someone sounds a little jealous.”
“I am jealous; I can’t lie. If it wasn’t for my toy, I wouldn’t have had an orgasm since I started dealing with Larry.”
“That’s a damn shame. I feel for you, girlfriend, but I can’t say that I understand. Tyrone has been puttin’ that thug dick on me.”
“What do you call it?”
“You heard me. I call it that thug dick. Nina, he gives it to me rough, just the way I like it. You know what else he does?”
“What’s that?”
“Giiiiiirl, he likes to talk shit while we have sex.”
“What does he say?”
“Nina, he’ll be hittin’ it from the back and start askin’ me kinky stuff like, ‘You want me to give you three more inches of this dick?’ Girl, think about it. What would you do if your man was already pounding the coochie, and then he asks you if you wanted three more inches of dick . . . as if the first seven inches weren’t enough?”
“The first seven inches?” Nina asked in astonishment.
“That’s right, girlfriend. I said the first seven inches; you do the math. Anyway, Nina, I ain’t lying. I have an orgasm every time he does that. Another thing he does while we have sex that I love is the way he eats the coochie. While he’s eatin’ me, he’ll look up at me and say kinky stuff like, ‘Umm-hmmm, I’ma eat this pussy like it’s some watermelon.’”
“Watermelon?”
“Bitch, you heard me!” Val screamed and put her arms in the air like a boxer who’d just won the title belt. “He be callin’ my pussy wa-ta-me-lon! Doesn’t that turn you on?”
“I’m convinced, yo ass is sho nuff crazy!”
“Whatever! He’ll say sumthin’ like, ‘I’ma stay right here until you cum for big daddy.’ But my favorite thing he says while he’s eatin’ me is, ‘Give me my juice.’”
“What?” Nina asked.
“Check this out. He makes me get in the doggy style position and then he’ll start eatin’ me from behind and smackin’ my ass. Then he’ll start to say, ‘Give me my juice! Give me my juice!’ I’m tellin’ you, Nina; I’m sleepin’ with a damn porn star.”
“He sounds kinky.”
“Baby, he is extra kinky, and I love it! When he starts talkin’ kinky to me, I lose my damn mind. I’ll do anything he tells me to. There were a few times when I was out of coochie juice, and I considered puttin’ on a robe and drivin’ to the corner store to get him some orange juice, cranberry juice, pickle juice, pig feet juice, and any other kind of juice I could find.”
Nina nearly jumped the curb as she laughed at Val. Val may have been joking, but the truth of the matter was that Nina really was living vicariously through her friend. The entire time Val described her sexual encounters, Nina sat there trying to visualize the scene, to include the size and girth of Tyrone’s penis and tongue.
“So tell me, are you still rationing the coochie to Larry?”
“Unfortunately, I am. I’m so horny I had to buy a new toy.”
“What do you mean, unfortunately? You’re choosing to ration the coochie. If yo ass is horny, that’s yo fault.”
“I don’t want to ration it, but I can’t get in the mood with him. We’ve been married for nearly a month, and we’ve had sex twice. The second time we did it, I was so drunk, I barely remember what happened. I went to the sex shop last week and bought a vibrator to keep me company.”
“What do you call it?”
“Excuse me?”
“What do you call your vibrator? You gotta name it. I have a name for all three of my toys.”
“Val, you have three sex toys?”
“You’re damn right! I would’ve had four by now if I didn’t have to help Tyrone pay his probation officer. Child, I love my toys so much that I’m thinkin’ about puttin’ them in my will.”
“Stop it!” Nina shouted.
“I’m serious! I don’t have any kids, so I’m thinkin’ about leavin’ what few worldly possessions I have to my vibrators; they’ve earned it.”
“Val, please stop; you’re killin’ me!”
“I’m serious. I keep ’em locked in a case inside of a cabinet in my bedroom so they won’t get damaged or stolen. Nina, I’m gonna tell you somethin’ I haven’t told anybody.”
“What?”
“You can’t repeat this.”
“What?”
“Nina, you can’t tell anyone.”
“Val, you’re starting to scare me. What’s wrong?”
“Nina, I mean this with all of my heart. If someone should break into my house and steal everything, I wouldn’t care what they took as long as they didn’t touch my vibrators. I swear; if my vibrators came up missin’, I’d have to go on a manhunt.”
“Girl, you scared the hell out of me!” Nina shouted and slapped Val on the arm. “I thought you were about to say something serious, and you’re still talking about your damn vibrators. It’s not that serious.”
“Yes, it’s that serious. Have you ever seen people nailing photos of lost kids on poles and hanging photos on the walls in Wal-Mart when a child is abducted?”
“Yes.”
“If someone stole my vibrators, I’d start walkin’ up and down the streets of New Orleans passin’ out flyers and shit with pictures of my vibrators on them.”
“Stop it! You’re making my side hurt!” Nina screamed.
“I’m not playin’. Underneath the picture would be a caption that said, ‘Have you seen this vibrator?’ My phone number would be at the bottom of the page next to a picture of me cryin’.”
“What if that doesn’t work?”
“I don’t know what I’d do. I’d probably start a support group for women who’ve lost their vibrators.”
“I probably shouldn’t ask because you’re gonna say somethin’ silly, but I’ma ask anyway. What would you call the group?”
“I was thinkin’ ’bout that. I don’t know. I’d probably call the group somethin’ like—B.B.O.D.”
“What in the hell does that mean?”
“Bring Back Our Dicks! We’d even have a website called bringbackourdicks.com.”
“Your ass should’ve been a comedian. No, I take that back; you need to see a damn psychiatrist.”
“Nina, I think you’re right. I take this shit seriously.”
“I can see that. You said you had names for your toys.”
“You’re damn right! I call my little silver bullet vibrator Sneaky.”
“Why?”
“Giiiiiiirl, that little thing makes my orgasms sneak up on me. I have another vibrator that’s about six inches long. The tip of it kind of curves and moves around and around and the damn thing glows in the dark. When I cut off the lights, it looks like one of those swords they use to fight with in those Star Wars movies. I call that one Thumper because it makes me quiver.”
“What about the third one?”
“Ooooh, child! Now the third one is special. It doesn’t vibrate; it’s just a big ass dildo. I bought that one around two years ago after Tyrone went to jail. I keep it in a special case.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. When I open up that case, sparks and shit start flyin’: I swear, it’s like a bright light comes shinin’ out. It’s like somethin’ out of a movie.”
“If it’s that special, I’m sure it’s got a crazy name.”
“I call that one Meat.”
“What?” Nina asked as she tried to control her laughter.
“You heard me. I call it Meat! It’s about ten inches long and as thick as my wrist. Do you mind if I smoke? Girl, I need a cigarette, just thinkin’ about big Meat.”
“You are crazy!” Nina yelled as she wiped the tears that formed as a result of her laughter. “I can’t think of any clever names.”
“You have to be creative, Nina. All women name their toys. I gotta good name for yours.”
“What?”
“You should call it ‘Ya Boy.’”
“Ya Boy?”
“Yeah, ‘Ya Boy.’ Did I stutter?”
“Why?”
“You know how it is when you’re talkin’ to your girlfriend about your secret male friend or her secret male friend, but you don’t want to say the man’s name out loud. What do you usually refer to him as?”
“Ya Boy!”
“Exactly! You’re not givin’ poor Larry any sex. So whenever you hook up with your vibrator, it’s like sneakin’ around with your secret lover.”
“Okay, I’m feelin’ that.”
“Good! It’s official. From this day forward your vibrator is officially called Ya Boy!”
WHILE THE TWO OF THEM SPENT the entire day laughing, shopping, and sightseeing, Larry could be found at home in the kids’ playroom doing fingerpainting with the girls.
Laughter could be heard coming from the room as Larry showed Precious how to cover her hand with paint and then make an imprint of her hand on the paper. He used some of the other colors to turn the imprint of her hand into a turkey. Precious looked at Larry like he was some type of god. Never in her young life had she received such undivided attention from someone other than Nina.
Even while he gave Precious the positive attention all young girls need and long for from a man, Larry never lost sight of Chrissy. As he used his right hand to point and instruct Precious on the dos and don’ts of fingerpainting, he used his left hand to caress Chrissy’s chin and cheeks. Larry’s gentle touch was his affectionate way of letting her know that she was always in his thoughts, even when he wasn’t looking directly at her.
Larry glanced at his watch and realized that he was behind schedule. He helped Precious gather her paint and supplies and put them away. With the quickness of a superhero, he picked up both girls and ushered them into the bathroom so that they could get cleaned up. He prepared a bubble bath for Chrissy and gave her a quick bath. After washing Chrissy, he took her out of the tub and carried her into the bedroom. He instructed Precious to take off her clothes and get in the tub and then went into the bedroom and got Chrissy dressed in her new pair of pajamas.
Once both girls were cleaned and looking like two little baby dolls, Larry set them up downstairs in the family room in front of the huge flat-screen television with a bowl of popcorn and two ice-cold Capri Suns. He relinquished the babysitting duties to SpongeBob SquarePants as he moved around the kitchen grabbing pots and skillets like a world-class chef.
When Nina and Val returned to the house, Larry was sitting down with the children preparing to eat the Mexican feast he’d cooked.
“Well, well, well, look what the wind blew in,” he said as Nina and Val walked through the door.
“Aunt Val!” Precious screamed and leaped from her chair to run and give Val a hug.
“Hey, Precious! How are you doing?”
“Fine.”
“Hello, Larry.”
“Hello, Val. Welcome to California.”
“Oh my God! This house is off the chain!”
“Well, make yourself at home . . .mi casa, es su casa,” said Larry.
“Hello, Chrissy,” Val said, in an attempt to be polite. Chrissy started fidgeting in her seat and making a whining sound. “I’m sorry. Did I scare her?”
“No, you didn’t scare her; she always does that,” Nina replied with a twinge of annoyance in her voice.
“She’s just a little excited. She’s fine, Val,” Larry said in a defensive tone. “Would you like to eat? I made quesadillas and enchiladas. I figured the two of you might be a little hungry after tearing up the shopping malls.”
“No thank you. We ate while we were out. I’m gonna go to whatever room y’all are gonna let me sleep in while I’m here, and get ready to take a shower. I’m feelin’ a little sticky.”
“I understand. I had Maria, the girls’ nanny, set up the guest room at the end of the hall for you.”
“Thanks, Larry.”
Nina gave Val an abbreviated tour of the house and then escorted her to her room.
“Nina, this house is awesome. I gotta tell you, Larry may not be the best lookin’ guy I’ve seen, but he definitely cares about you and Precious. This man has spared no expense tryin’ to make you happy.”
“He has tried, I’ll give him that. But sometimes money just isn’t enough.”
“Wait a minute. I tried to warn you on your wedding day, but you weren’t tryin’ to hear me.”
“Yes, you did. But I can’t get into him. He’s just boring. I don’t like the way he chews his food, always wanting to talk about politics and stuff, and he’s always reading some kind of book. He’s kind of nerdy to me.”
“Now that you’re married to him and he has you livin’ large like this, you’d better learn to deal with it. I can’t believe you have a problem with a man that likes to read books.”
“I hear you, but I want a Tyrone to put it on me.”
“Whatever! Girl, Tyrone can sling that dick, but he’s broke. I’m talkin’, ‘Baby, give me five dollars so I can go get some cigarettes’ broke. Did I tell you what that nigga did last week?”
“No. What did he do?”
“Remember, I got that temp job as a receptionist during the daytime last month.”
“Yes. He didn’t come on your job and embarrass you, or anything like that, did he?”
“No, he didn’t, but he did somethin’ even more triflin’. While I was sittin’ at my desk, I got a text message from him that read, ‘Where is the peanut butter?’”
“No, he didn’t!”
“Yes, he did! That nigga sent me a text while I was on my job askin’ me about some damn peanut butter.”
“I know yo crazy ass sent a flip response.”
“You know I did. I sent him a text back that said, ‘Go to the store. They have a lot of peanut butter, and fill out an application while you’re there.’”
“What did he say?”
“He didn’t say shit. He hasn’t mentioned the words peanut butter since that day, and I refuse to buy some. To be honest, as much as I care about him and enjoy the sex, I’d rather have somebody who can upgrade me financially. I can be poor by myself. Nina, I’m tellin’ you, if good sex is all that’s missin’ in your relationship, I suggest you go get ‘Ya Boy’ to fill in the gaps. The world is full of dick-slingin’ niggas with no jobs. If your man does everything else right, I suggest you figure out a way to make that shit work.”
“I hear you. Look, get ready because tomorrow we have a big day ahead of us.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I told you a few weeks ago that we’re going having a party this Saturday.”
“Oh yeah, that’s tomorrow?”
“Ahhh, hello! Tomorrow is Saturday. Pick out one of those dresses we bought today because you need to look good. There are going to be some ballers in here.”
“Say no more. I already know what I’m going to wear.”
VAL WAS AWAKENED THE NEXT MORNING by the smell of eggs, bacon, and freshly brewed coffee. The expensive sheets and soft mattress on her bed caused her to sleep like a newborn baby. The only thing that caused her to move throughout the entire night was the few times she was awakened by the sound of her own snoring.
As she stretched and tried to force her eyes to stay open, she heard a knock at the door. The giggling on the other side let her know that the tap came from the hands of a child.
“Precious, is that you?”
“Yeah,” Precious replied as she let out an innocent giggle. “Mommy wants you to come eat breakfast.”
“Okay, baby. Tell your mama I will be down in a second.”
Val managed to shake off her sleep enough to get up and stumble to the bathroom. She quickly brushed her teeth and gargled before she grabbed her robe and trudged down the steps.
For the remainder of the day, Val acted like a teenager getting ready for her first prom. This was going to be the kind of evening she saw the celebrities have on television.
As she put on her clothes, she peeked out of the front window to get a look at the landscaping. The property was beautiful and so were the expensive cars that aligned the circular driveway. Val struggled to contain her excitement as she walked out of the room and down the stairs in search of Nina. Together they stood in the corner of the living room and checked out the sea of wealthy prospects that seem to rush into the party like the Pacific Ocean’s waves.
“Nina, this party is off the chain! Girl, I’ve never seen this many millionaires in one room in my life.”
“Val, what are you talkin’ about? You’ve never met one million-aire in your life.”
“Whatever! Your ass never knew any millionaires either before you hooked up with Mr. Money Bags, so don’t try to front like you all that!”
“Whatever! I’m rollin’ with them now and that’s all that matters.”
“Oh my God,” Val mumbled as she saw a handsome, well-built man walking toward them. “Girl, that nigga is fine. Who is he?”
“His name is Sharrard Hogan. He’s a football player who’ll soon be filthy rich when he gets drafted. He’s Larry’s newest and biggest client. Larry decided to host this party in his honor.”
As Sharrard walked toward Nina and Val, it was apparent that he had bad intentions. Maybe it was his exaggerated swagger or the way he licked his lips like L.L. Cool J that gave it away. One thing was for sure, he had one or maybe both of the ladies square in his sights.
“Hello, Mrs. Dennison. Who’s your lovely friend?”
“This is my friend . . .”
“My name is Val,” blurted the eager Val.
“Hello, Val, my name is . . .”
“You’re Sharrard Hogan, the football player.”
“So you know who I am?”
“Of course, I know who you are. This is a nice party.”
“Yeah, it is. I owe it all to this beautiful lady’s husband. My man hooked me up! By the way, Nina, where’s your husband? I want to thank him again.”
“I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him in an hour. He can’t be too far.”
“Well, if he has any sense, he won’t leave you standing here alone too long. Somebody might try to scoop you up,” Sharrard said in a flirtatious tone. His gaze was so piercing that it caused Nina to adjust her stance and look in the other direction.
As much as Nina tried to look away, she couldn’t avoid making eye contact with Sharrard. The two of them stood there for the next five seconds eye-fucking each other. It would’ve lasted longer if Val hadn’t put an end to it.
“Ooooh, that’s my song! Sharrard, would you like to dance with me?”
“Yeah, why not,” Sharrard responded, never taking his eyes off of Nina.
Val and Sharrard stood in the middle of the floor dancing closely to the latest Chris Brown tune. The sexual tension in the room was so thick it was suffocating. This was the stereotypical celebrity party, equipped with enough rated “R” behavior to fill a tabloid magazine.
White groupies were being groped in every corner as they giggled and grinned unrepentantly in the faces of the young, burly, black athletes their parents fought so hard to keep them away from. Sports agents with the persona of used car salesmen passed out business cards to anyone that would stand still long enough to listen to their sales pitches. Struggling has-been actors who could only be seen on reality television shows were talking loud and downing shots of Patron as they basked in the most attention they’d received in years.
Still, with all the dysfunctional behavior surrounding her, Nina’s eyes ignored the controlled hysteria and focused solely on Sharrard as he moved his hips from side to side. She silently marveled at his athletic physique that was on full display as his form-fitting, short-sleeved, crew neck shirt hugged his biceps. His tattooed covered forearms symbolized the defiant streak that made him insatiable to like-minded women and the guilty pleasure of even the most conservative women.
Sharrard was no dummy. He knew Nina was looking at his every move. As the song was ending, he whispered something in Val’s ear. Val smiled and nodded her head in agreement. A few seconds later, the two of them left the room and went upstairs.
Nina watched closely, secretly longing to be in Val’s place or maybe even join the two of them. What she didn’t realize was that while she watched them, her husband was standing in a dark corner on the second floor balcony watching her. He had been sipping on a glass of wine and watching her for the past twenty minutes.
A few minutes later, Nina could see Val and Sharrard vanish as they entered and closed the door of the guest room. She looked around for Larry, but realized that finding him amongst the sea of people was going to be impossible. As she stood there fidgeting like a junkie eager to take a hit on the crack pipe, Nina contemplated whether or not to follow her best friend.
Larry watched Val and Sharrard go into the bedroom and then focused his attention back on his peculiar-acting wife.
“Mrs. Dennison, how are you?”
“Hi. Jim, right?”
“Yes, I’m Jim; Larry’s coworker. This is my girlfriend, Susan.”
“I’m Nina. Welcome to the party.”
“Thanks for having us. Where’s Larry?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen him in a while. He can’t be too far. Please enjoy the party. Susan, give me your shawl, and I’ll put it in a safe place.”
“Thank you, Nina.”
Nina took Susan’s shawl so that she could take it to the empty guest room where the guests’ clothing was being kept. Her offer to take the shawl had less to do with a desire to be hospitable, and more to do with having an excuse to go upstairs near Val and Sharrard.
Nina walked up the stairs at a brisk pace. She avoided looking down at the partygoers and focused on the stairs so that she wouldn’t take a spill in her three-inch heels. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she turned left and started to go toward the guest room Val was in. Her momentum was stopped when someone grabbed her arm. It was Larry.
“Hey, baby, where have you been?” Larry asked.
“Oh, hey. I’ve been walking around mingling, tryin’ to make sure everything is going as planned,” Nina replied nervously.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to put this shawl up. It belongs to Susan, Jim’s girlfriend.”
“I know who she is. The guest room where the jackets are being kept is this way. Have you forgotten? You already put a few items in there,” Larry said as he pointed at the guest room located in the opposite direction.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Well, baby, you should probably go say hello to Jim. Try and have some fun. I’m gonna go and put this up.”
Larry took a long sip of his wine, never taking his eyes off of Nina. He walked downstairs and started mingling with Jim and some of his other coworkers. Nina threw the shawl on the bed in the guest room and then stood in the exact same spot that Larry had stood in when he watched her. Once she was sure he wouldn’t notice, she quickly walked across the hallway, which overlooked the living room, and headed toward Val’s room.
Nina placed her ear against the door and tried to turn the knob. The door was locked, but the little slender key that was used to unlock the door was sitting on the top of the doorframe. Looking like a burglar trying to break into a house, she peeked over her shoulder while she reached up and grabbed the key. Her heart started to beat faster as she used the key to unlock the door.
The only thing that illuminated the room was the lamp that sat on the nightstand. The dim light created an environment that proved to be a breeding ground for lust and salacious behavior. A marijuana-induced cloud lingered lazily in the air like low-hanging storm clouds. Trying to take a deep breath proved challenging as the strawberry-scented plug-in responsible for keeping the room fresh was being bullied and rendered useless by the scent of Mary Jane that dominated the air.
Once Nina was inside the room, all she could see was Sharrard sitting on the edge of the bed staring back at her with a devilish grin. Positioned between his legs on her knees was Val, stroking and caressing his penis as she prepared to wrap her thick, sultry lips around it. Located on the bed a few inches away from Sharrard was a mirror with two and a half lines of powder cocaine.
“Come on in, baby girl,” Sharrard said as he gestured for Nina to come over. “You wanna hit this weed?”
Nina stood there, speechless, with her back against the door. Val glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed glazed, the look on her face was distant, and her reaction was slow and zombie-like. The residue on the tip of her nose provided evidence of where that missing half-line of cocaine now resided.
Sharrard smiled at Nina and then patted the bed, trying to entice her to come over. Nina’s nipples were standing at full attention by this point. Sharrard tried to entice her once again as he winked and used his index finger to gesture for her to come over.
Nina appeared to be coming under some type of trance as she took a step toward the bed and stopped. Sharrard stood up as he witnessed his spell start to entrap another female victim. Even as he stood up, Val didn’t move. Her lips were latched onto his penis so hard that a vein started to protrude from her forehead.
Sharrard noticed how Nina ignored her opportunity to leave. He took that as a sign that she wanted in on the action. To make her feel welcome, he decided to give her the show she’d obviously come in there to see.
Sharrard turned sideways so that Nina could get a better view of what he was working with. He grabbed the back of Val’s head and started stroking her mouth like it was a vagina.
Nina was totally turned on by the size of Sharrard’s penis and the definition in his thighs and butt cheeks. At this point, she was standing close enough to Sharrard that he was able to reach out and grab her hand. Nina didn’t pull away. She didn’t move any closer, but she didn’t pull away. He took her index finger into his mouth and started sucking. He then took his right hand and started rubbing her breast while he sucked her finger and rammed his rock hard penis into Val’s mouth.
Nina’s eyes closed and opened slowly like a person on the verge of falling asleep. Her body’s desire for good sex was starting to supersede her need to be cautious. She placed her hand on top of Sharrard’s and guided it around her nipple. As a fire began to burn in her loins and her toes started to curl inside of her pumps, there was a knock at the door.
“Nina, are you in there?” asked the male voice.
Nina’s eyes opened, and she was suddenly aware of her surroundings and the predicament she was in.
“Nah, she ain’t in here,” Sharrard replied.
A few seconds later, the knob on the door started to turn. Nina saw it turning and quickly stepped back and hid in the corner behind the door. She stood in that corner and held her breath like a white lady hiding from a serial killer in a poorly directed, low-budget horror movie.
Larry opened the door and stood in the doorway.
“Wuz up, dog?” Sharrard asked as he helped Val to her feet. “You wreckin’ my flow.”
“My bad, man. I’m lookin’ for my wife.”
“Well, she ain’t in here, playa.”
“My bad,” Larry replied as he glanced at Val as she tried to look the other way, clearly embarrassed by the scene.
Larry stepped out of the doorway and closed the door. He walked back down the stairs and joined the party. Nina exhaled once the door closed. Cognizant that Larry could have been standing on the other side of the door listening, the three of them stood in the room for nearly ten seconds without making a sound.
“Well, since we’re all here, we might as well get this shit on and poppin! He’s gone now, baby girl; let’s do this.”
Nina looked at Sharrard and then at Val. Her hands started trembling and her knees started shaking. She adjusted her dress and left the room in a hurry.
No one saw Nina leave the room. Well, one person did. Maria had been standing in Precious’ bedroom with the door cracked, listening to everything. She’d watched Nina go into the guest room. She’d watched Larry knock on the door looking for her. She’d heard Sharrard tell him that Nina wasn’t in there and then she saw Nina run out.
Nina made it to the stairs and then looked back. Her eyes focused on Maria peeking out of the door like an eagle hovering fifty feet in the sky, zeroing in on his helpless prey. Maria slammed the bedroom door shut. Her heart fluttered as reality set in; she’d seen too much. Her days in the Dennison household were numbered and she knew it.
“COME ON, VAL; WE HAVE TO MAKE IT to San Francisco in less than two hours,” Nina screamed as she threw her makeup bag in the backseat of her truck.
“I’m comin’! I’m comin’; damn!”
“Girl, you don’t understand. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Precious. This is one of the reasons I was so excited about moving to California.”
“Nina, stop being so damn dramatic. This is California. If Precious doesn’t make it to this audition on time, there’ll be another one next weekend.”
“That may be true, but I want her to make it to this one. I love Old Navy clothing. Not only is this a nationwide campaign, but the children that are chosen get a year’s supply of clothes.”
Val didn’t bother to respond. She stared out of the window at the ocean as they rode north on Highway 1. The sight of the ocean waves and the hang gliders hovering over the Pacific Ocean had her awestruck.
As they skirted past Santa Cruz and onto Highway 17 where the road cuts through the mountainside, Val started to compare the beautiful landscaping to what she’d grown accustomed to in New Orleans. She pondered her life and the stagnation that awaited her upon her return.
With each passing second, Val’s mood started to reflect the growing resentment she was feeling toward Nina’s new standard of living. Nina had a millionaire husband, while she was stuck with Tyrone and his long dick, but short finances. Soon her thoughts drifted toward her sexual encounter with the new multi-millionaire Sharrard Hogan.
“Has Larry said anything about Sharrard?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know, anything.”
“He hasn’t said anything about him since Sharrard signed his contract last weekend. Girl, Larry got him a five-year contract worth thirty million dollars. He got ten million of that in a signing bonus.”
“Ummm . . . that’s nice.”
“It damn sure is, and I can see your eyes twinkling over there. Have you heard from Sharrard since the party? I know y’all didn’t talk much that night because you had your mouth full,” Nina said with a chuckle.
“Aww, bitch, stop frontin’. If your man had knocked on that door a few seconds later, he would’ve seen you pushing me off Sharrard’s dick so you could have a turn.”
“Val, watch your damn mouth! Precious can hear you.”
“No, she can’t. She’s asleep.”
The two of them sat quietly for the next five minutes. Val’s temperature was coming to a boil as she thought about the life she could have with Sharrard, and then compared it to her current life back in New Orleans with Tyrone. Eventually her curiosity got the best of her, so she asked once again about Sharrard’s contract.
“How much was Larry’s cut?” Val asked.
“Larry’s cut of what?”
“Sharrard’s contract!”
“He didn’t tell me, but I’ve been on the Internet doing some research. Larry’s fee was somewhere in the ballpark of one million dollars after the firm got its cut and after taxes.”
“Damn! I didn’t know Larry was ballin’ like that.”
“Yeah, child, we’re ballin’ like that. Sharrard is his biggest client, but he ain’t Larry’s only client. He’s been quiet about his exact net worth, but he’s worth a few million. He even invested in some of those new Vitamin Water drinks. I’ve been playin’ it cool, but I’m going start snooping harder in a few months. I’m tryin’ to wait until we’ve been married for a little while. What’s his is mine.”
“I ain’t tryin’ to get too far into your business, but did he make you sign a prenup?”
“Yes, you are tryin’ to get in my business, but that’s all right, you my girl. Yes, he did make me sign a prenup.”
“Why did you sign it? As much as that nigga was sweatin’ you, he would’ve married you with or without a prenup. I wouldn’t have signed it.”
“The prenup I signed doesn’t give me any child support; after all, Precious isn’t his biological daughter, and I didn’t feel right about stickin’ him up for money based on that. But it guarantees me a hundred thousand in cash if our marriage lasts at least one year and two hundred fifty thousand in cash if we last at least two years.”
“That ain’t shit if he’s worth as much money as you said! What if y’all last more than two years?”
Nina smiled and looked at Val. “If we last more than two years, he has to tear up the prenup, and I get half of everything he owns.”
“Bullshit!”
“I ain’t lying. He even put it in writing in the contract. Trust me, since he got all that money for Sharrard, his phone has been ringing off the hook. It seems like every free agent in the league is tryin’ to get Larry to be their agent. That means that in two years, his net worth is going to be double what it is now.”
“That nigga might have some book smarts, but he ain’t got an ounce of game,” Val concluded.
“Why do you say that? You just said that you wouldn’t sign a prenup, so apparently you don’t agree with them anyway.”
“Oh, don’t get it twisted; anyone with a lot to lose should have a prenup drawn up to protect their money. If I had a lot of money I would get one, but that doesn’t mean I would ever sign one if somebody gave it to me.”
“Now you understand why I have to play my cards right for the time being.”
Val rolled her eyes in disgust at Nina. She’d been hangin’ out with Nina in California for a little more than two weeks, and was beginning to grow tired of Nina’s constant bragging. Val knew that Nina was enjoying flaunting her good fortune.
Val and Nina were good friends, but there was always a competitive undercurrent between them. When they were both strippers Nina would get more aggressive on stage and during lap dances if she noticed that Val had earned more money. When local rappers asked Val to be in their videos, Nina deliberately showed up on the set looking sexier to steal the attention.
Trying to compete with Nina’s bank account was futile so Val conceded this round of sparring, but she was determined to win the next.
Val took a glance at Precious and Chrissy in the backseat and then smirked before she commented, “You mean, what’s his is yours and Chrissy’s.”
Nina sat there, silent. She tried to pretend she didn’t hear Val’s comments, but the frown lines that streaked across her forehead like lightning across the sky were a clear giveaway that Val had struck a nerve.
“Yep, you know Larry’s going to take care of baby girl back there in the backseat before he takes care of anyone,” Val replied and then looked over the headrest and waved at Chrissy.
Chrissy was totally oblivious to the innuendo that had spewed from Val’s mouth and bounced around the car like a rubber ball, occasionally popping Nina upside the head.
“By the way, why is Chrissy with us? Why didn’t you leave her with Maria? As a matter of fact, where is Maria? I haven’t seen her around the house in a few days.”
“You haven’t seen her because I sent her home for the weekend,” Nina barked.
“Why’d you send home?”
“I sent her home because I’m going to fire her ass next week.”
“I thought you liked Maria?”
“She’s starting to get sloppy. We pay her good money to take care of Chrissy and she isn’t doing enough to earn it.”
“What did Larry have to say?”
“He doesn’t know.”
“Ouch. Don’t you think you should tell him that you’re going to fire the woman he handpicked to watch his handicapped daughter?”
“Val, I don’t need you tell me how to run my household!”
“Excuse the hell out of me,” Val replied in a flippant tone. “I’m gonna make sure I got a lot of popcorn because I’m gonna get a kick out of watching you try to take care of that child until you hire a new nanny.”
Nina was silent for a few moments. She tried to focus as she crossed three lanes trying to get off Highway 17 and onto Highway 101 heading toward San Francisco. It didn’t take long for Nina to learn that aggression can be an asset on the fast-paced California highways.
The skies turned dark and storm clouds swooped in from over the ocean as the ladies sped toward their destination. It didn’t rain often in this part of California, but when it did rain, it usually came hard and swift.
“I haven’t started looking for a new nanny yet.”
“Why not? You need to look for one or get prepared to have some long days ahead.”
“Actually, I’m kind of glad you brought that up. Do you remember our discussion when I first picked you up from the airport?”
“What discussion?”
“You and I talked about you coming here to be a nanny for us. You said you had experience with autistic children.”
“Nina, stop trippin’!”
“I’m not trippin’. I know you are tired of dancing in that sleazy ass strip club.”
“Oh, now it’s sleazy? You weren’t sayin’ that shit when you were making your ass clap on that pole.”
“Whatever. All I’m saying is that you can live here with us for free, and we will pay you more money than you’re earning now.”
Val pondered the proposition. The more she thought about it, the more intriguing the offer sounded. Nina could see she had Val’s mental wheels turning so she decided to sweeten the pot to seal the deal.
“I doubt you’ll be working for us very long.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Girl, with your looks and that body, you’ll probably hook up with one of Larry’s millionaire friends within the first two or three months. The next thing you know, you’ll be giving parties and shit at your own mansion.”
The glossy look in Val’s eyes told Nina all she needed to know; the thought of wealth had Val hooked.
“What about Larry?”
“What about him! Girl, he’ll be home in two days; I’ll make sure I give him a little coochie before I tell him. Trust me, after I whip it on him, he’ll agree to do whatever I tell him to.”
“We’ll see,” Val replied in a dry tone.
“Is it a deal?”
“More money than you’re payin’ Maria?”
“Are you gonna help me land Mr. Sharrard Hogan?”
“I’ll arrange another dinner party to get the two of you together again.”
“Then we’ve got a deal.”
“My girl!” Nina said with a huge conquering smile.
THE AUDITIONS WERE BEING HELD in a slender three-story loft house nestled on the corner of Lombard and Van Ness in the heart of San Francisco. Nina had only been in that area of the city once so she was struggling to identify the landmarks.
The front of the loft looked like all of the other homes that seemed to fit together like Lego blocks along the steep San Francisco streets. If it weren’t for the line that snaked from the entrance, down the street, and then around the corner, there would have been no way of knowing where the auditions were being held.
“Are there any black people in San Francisco?” Val asked sarcastically.
“What? Of course there are black folk here.”
“I’m serious. I haven’t seen a black person yet. All I see around here are Asians and white folk walking these big-ass dogs.”
“Yeah, they do like their dogs out here in California. These people treat their dogs better than they treat other humans.”
“They all look dirty.”
“What?”
“These white folk, they all got this grunge look about ’em.”
“Girl, that’s their style out here. That’s one of the first things I noticed when we moved. Where we’re from, black folk get dressed up to go to the corner store. But these white folk out here don’t care about all that. All they do is walk their dogs, ride their bikes, jog all over the damn place, drink Starbucks coffee, and spend the trust funds their parents left for them.”
“Shit, I’m lookin’ in the wrong direction,” said Val. “I need to try to catch me one of these white boys with a trust fund. If he doesn’t have a trust fund, he may at least have a six-figure income.”
“What would you do with a man with a six-figure income?”
“I’d cook for him every day and let him get some of this sweet ass whenever he wanted it. Girl, I can’t even lie; at this point, I’ll just take a man with a five-figure income.”
“What would you do with a man who had a seven-figure income?” Nina asked, her subtle way of bragging about her husband’s income.
“Girl, please! If I had a man with a seven-figure income, I’d let him fuck me in the ear.”
“Yo ass is crazy!”
“Shiiiit! You can call me crazy all you want, but I’d keep a tube of KY Jelly next to my ear and be ready to use it if that nigga bringin’ home seven figures.”
“What the . . .” Nina blurted out as they pulled up to the audition site and she saw the long line outside.
“Girl, it is two o’clock and you’d be lucky if Precious gets to audition before five.”
“Bullshit!” Nina said with much attitude.
She parked the car, grabbed her makeup kit, and snatched Precious out of the seat. Val hopped out of the car and closed the door.
“Do you have to slam my damn door like that?!” Nina shouted.
“My bad, Nina, damn!” Val replied as she rolled her eyes at Nina. “Wait a second. I’m tryin’ to get Chrissy together.”
“Girl, I ain’t got time to wait on you and Chrissy’s slow asses. I gotta get my baby to the front of this long-ass line!”
Nina didn’t bother to look in Val’s direction as she spoke. She gripped Precious’ tiny hand and walked toward the front of the line with an angry expression plastered on her face. She looked as mad as a black woman who’d just found out her husband had left her for a white woman.
The looks she received from the other mothers were deadly, but they didn’t deter Nina from marching to the front of the line and approaching a thin-framed Hispanic male.
“My name is Nina Dennison. My husband is Larry Dennison, the sports agent. Jeremy told my husband to bring our little girl here at two o’clock today. Well, it’s two o’clock and I’m not about to stand out here for two or three hours. Where is Jeremy?”
“Actually, he has been waiting for you, Mrs. Dennison. Follow me.”
Nina smiled and gave a snooty look to the mother who stood at the front of the line. The woman was not shy about protesting Nina’s bully tactic.
“Right over here, Mrs. Dennison. Jeremy, this is Larry Dennison’s wife, Nina, and their daughter, Precious. They’re here to audition for the lead part.”
“Hi, Nina,” Jeremy said. “Larry and I know many of the same people. Please forgive me for rushing, but as you can see, we have a lot of people to see today.”
“I understand. I’m just happy that . . .”
“Yes, yes. Young lady, I’m going to need you to take that child and stand over there,” he instructed Val in a rude tone.
Val grabbed Chrissy by the hand and stood off to the side.
“Now, Nina, I need you to stand here out of the way. My assistant is going to spend a few seconds giving . . . what’s the child’s name?”
“Precious.”
“Yes, Precious, interesting ethnic name.”
“No, he didn’t!” Val shouted from across the room.
“Quiet on the set, please!” Jeremy shouted as he rolled his eyes at Val. “Now, Precious, I need you to stand over there next to the wall and look into the camera and say the lines. Do you know the lines?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Start saying your lines whenever you’re ready.”
“Okay,” Precious replied, clearly nervous. “My mommy took me to . . .”
Precious was interrupted by a whining sound; it was Chrissy.
“Excuse me. Lady, could you please quiet that child?” Jeremy said to Val.
Val rolled her eyes at the obnoxious director and started whispering into Chrissy’s ear. A few seconds later, Chrissy seemed to calm down.
“Thank you! Now, Precious, I want you to try again.”
“My mommy took me to Old . . .”
The whining sound started again. This time Nina marched over to Chrissy, grabbed her by the arm, and said, “Chrissy, calm down!”
“Nina, you ain’t helpin’ the situation by grabbing this child that way. You’re only goin’ to upset her.”
“Well, you’re supposed to be the expert on handling autistic kids. Do your damn job, Nanny!”
“You gonna make me curse your ass out in here,” Val said in a low tone.
“Can we please get started?!” shouted Jeremy.
“I’m sorry, Jeremy. This is my stepdaughter and she’s autistic. Sometimes she makes these sounds when she gets nervous.”
“Well, honey, I’m on a tight schedule, so I need you to figure out a way to keep her quiet, or I’m gonna move on to the next child.”
Nina turned to Val and mumbled, “Val, I don’t care what you have to do to keep her quiet, but you need to figure out a way. Take her little retarded ass outside if you have to.”
The excitement of the moment must have rattled Chrissy because she started screaming uncontrollably.
“That’s it!” Jeremy shouted. “Mrs. Dennison, I don’t have time for this.”
“Wait, Jeremy; my friend is gonna take her outside.”
“It’s too late, honey! Next child, please!”
Nina had mastered the wealthy, spoiled housewife routine. Although she’d only been married for a short time, she’d already grown accustomed to pouting and getting what she wanted. But she had no control of this situation. Jeremy had all of the control and to make matters worse, he was an even bigger diva than she was.
As Nina, Val, and the kids left the audition, the protesting mother whom she skipped earlier walked past with a smirk.
“Maybe next time,” the woman commented.
Nina gave the woman the one-finger salute and exited the building. As she walked briskly to her car with Precious struggling to keep up, she thought to herself, This is the last time I let Chrissy ruin something for my baby.