Chapter 7
Dionne sat at the table with Dwayne, while he ran through their business papers. She ran an unsteady hand through her hair, anytime she was this close to him she tended to get a little nervous. It was a wonder how he never noticed; but then why would he? She was like a fly on the wall to him, he barely if ever noticed her. Sighing, she nodded along as he explained how he wanted his money put into a trust fund for D.A. and Carla.
Stretching her arms out in front of her, she piled the papers up. "Ok, so when do you want this done?"
Dwayne leaned back in the chair, rubbing a hand over his tired face. "How bout yesterday?" he said smiling.
Dionne's heart fluttered at his smile, and studiosly avoided looking at him. "Okay, well then I'll get going now, lemme just say bye to Carla." Standing up she moved out of her chair, heading into the living room where she saw Carla sitting on the floor playing with her dolly.
Bending down in front of Carla, she stroked the little girls hair. "Hey baby, I'm going now ok."
Carla's smile faltered. "Auntie Dee, can't you stay and play??" She stood up on her two little feet and wrapped her arms around Dee. Turning to see her daddy over Dee's shoulder, she frowned.
"Daddy make her stay!"
Dwayne smirked at his daughter standing with her little hands on her hips, and shook his head. She was too much. "C'mere," he opened his arms as she ran to him, and lifted her up to rest on his hip. "Auntie Dee probably has things to do at home, and I just asked her to do something for me, so maybe she'll come by tomorrow and play with you." Looking up, he locked eyes with Dee.
Dionne smiled at Carla but closed herself off when she caught Dwayne loking at her. "Sounds like a good idea Carla," She picked herself up and went over and kissed Carla on the head. "I promise I'll come see you tomorrow." She said, careful not to look at Dwayne, her heart pounding a little at being this close to him.
Dwayne noted how she refused to look up at him, and frowned. He glanced down at her hands, "Those still sting??"
Dionne loked down at her now neatly bandaged hand. "Nah, I'll be alright, thanks anyways." She said, turning around at the sound of footsteps descending from upstairs. She smiled warmly at the person coming down the stairs.
Jordan jogged down the stairs lightly, in a completely good and renewed mood. At least, finally D.A. and him had worked a few things out, but somehow he knew it didn't really solve anything. He was still sleeping with Ice's cousin, who unfortunately was still only 16. Looking up, he prayed for guidance.
Glancing in the living room, he finally noticed the occupants of the room. What the fuck? When did they get here? "Sup Guys, when did ya'll get here, I didn't here you guys come in."
Dwayne put Carla down who ran over to Jordan, and jumped on his leg. " We done been here for a minute now too, what were you doing?" he asked leaned casually against the kicthen doorframe.
Jordan avoided Ice's eyes, "Oh I was just chillen upstairs." Picking Carla up and tickling her slightly, he set her back down on the floor. "You leavin already Dee??"
Carla ran over to her toys. "She's going home, but she promised she was coming back tomorrow." She answered, acting as if she was the only one who knew the answer.
Dionne smiled and nodded at Jordan, confirming Carla's answer. "Yeah, I'm ready to go."
Jordan walked over to the closet and slipped on his black leather jacket. "A'ight I'll give you a ride home than." Walking back over to Dee, he kissed her cheek in a late greeting. Grabbing her waist from behind, he began to push her outside. "But you got to promise, not to scream too loud. 'Cause last time I let you ride wit me on the bike, you nearly broke my eardrum."
Carla giggled, and looked over at her daddy, who was looking at Auntie Dee and Jordan strangely.
Dionne laughed out loud. " Uh uh, see yo ass was driving like a maniac on purpose. And I ain't going on no bike this time, I like to travel safe." She stopped just before he pushed her out the door, and playfully pushed his shoulder.
Jordan laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender. "A'ight, a'ight I won't drive like a maniac."
"Promise?" she asked as she was being pushed through the door again.
Jordan rolled his eyes and made an "x" over his heart. "Cross my heart hope to die." Leaning his head over her shoulder he kissed her cheek soundly, finally able to push her completely through the door.
Dwayne eyed the two as they closed the door behind them. He knew that Jordan and Dee had been friends since they were teens; that was how he'd met Jordan, through Dee, whom he'd met through Karyn. Rubbing his hands over his face, his tired eyes turned cold when he thought about Karyn. Sighing, he rid his head of thoughts of Carla's mother and went back into the kitchen to clean up the rest of the papers.
------------------------------------------------------------
Letty sat with Mia eating lunch at Pollo Tropical, a nice carribean take out restaurant. Sighing she leaned back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest.
Mia stared hard at Letty. She looked tired, not physically but emotionally. "You okay gurl?"
Letty half-smiled. Was she okay? What a loaded question. These past few weeks, even after the sex with Dom. It didn't change anything. It didn't make anything easier. She just couldn't trust him, and that was an easy thing to live with. She just had all this pent up anger, and fuck, she just didn't know how to deal with it.
"I'm a'ight Mi."
Mia continued to stare at her friend. Knowing she wasn't ok, but even though they were close. Letty wasn't the person to just spill her guts, she was private. The whole 'Don't Fuck With Me' attitude, as far as she could see, was a way of Letty stopping herself from ever being hurt. But she knew, that Dom had really hurt Let.
Deciding to change the subject. Mia remembered something Dom had mentioned. "So there's supposed to be this big ass party this weekend. I think we should go."
Letty briefly remembered Dom saying something about it. "Uh yeah, I don't know though. . . We don't know nobody out here gurl . . ."
" C'mon Letty You know your ass loves to dance, and plus Dwayne and them are all going, so they'll introduce us to some people." Leaning forward in her chair, Mia waited for Letty to answer.
Letty tapped the table briefly, thinking about it. Well at least she'd have something to do, and if Dwayne was going it wouldn't be so bad. "Ok Ok , But I hope Dwayne's cousin, D.A. ain't comin, that brat gets on my last nerve."
Mia pushed her chair back, flinging her hair outta her face. She laughed out loud at Letty's comment. "Oh shit, ya'll are too funny. The only reason ya'll don't get along is cause you guys are too much alike."
Letty followed Mia, getting out of her chair. Walking beside Mia she hiked her skirt up a little higher. "You are trippin' cause that bitch, is gonna see my fist in her fucking face if she doesn't quit fucking with me."
Mia shook her head and just laughed. "Uh huh, sure."
Dionne sat at the table with Dwayne, while he ran through their business papers. She ran an unsteady hand through her hair, anytime she was this close to him she tended to get a little nervous. It was a wonder how he never noticed; but then why would he? She was like a fly on the wall to him, he barely if ever noticed her. Sighing, she nodded along as he explained how he wanted his money put into a trust fund for D.A. and Carla.
Stretching her arms out in front of her, she piled the papers up. "Ok, so when do you want this done?"
Dwayne leaned back in the chair, rubbing a hand over his tired face. "How bout yesterday?" he said smiling.
Dionne's heart fluttered at his smile, and studiosly avoided looking at him. "Okay, well then I'll get going now, lemme just say bye to Carla." Standing up she moved out of her chair, heading into the living room where she saw Carla sitting on the floor playing with her dolly.
Bending down in front of Carla, she stroked the little girls hair. "Hey baby, I'm going now ok."
Carla's smile faltered. "Auntie Dee, can't you stay and play??" She stood up on her two little feet and wrapped her arms around Dee. Turning to see her daddy over Dee's shoulder, she frowned.
"Daddy make her stay!"
Dwayne smirked at his daughter standing with her little hands on her hips, and shook his head. She was too much. "C'mere," he opened his arms as she ran to him, and lifted her up to rest on his hip. "Auntie Dee probably has things to do at home, and I just asked her to do something for me, so maybe she'll come by tomorrow and play with you." Looking up, he locked eyes with Dee.
Dionne smiled at Carla but closed herself off when she caught Dwayne loking at her. "Sounds like a good idea Carla," She picked herself up and went over and kissed Carla on the head. "I promise I'll come see you tomorrow." She said, careful not to look at Dwayne, her heart pounding a little at being this close to him.
Dwayne noted how she refused to look up at him, and frowned. He glanced down at her hands, "Those still sting??"
Dionne loked down at her now neatly bandaged hand. "Nah, I'll be alright, thanks anyways." She said, turning around at the sound of footsteps descending from upstairs. She smiled warmly at the person coming down the stairs.
Jordan jogged down the stairs lightly, in a completely good and renewed mood. At least, finally D.A. and him had worked a few things out, but somehow he knew it didn't really solve anything. He was still sleeping with Ice's cousin, who unfortunately was still only 16. Looking up, he prayed for guidance.
Glancing in the living room, he finally noticed the occupants of the room. What the fuck? When did they get here? "Sup Guys, when did ya'll get here, I didn't here you guys come in."
Dwayne put Carla down who ran over to Jordan, and jumped on his leg. " We done been here for a minute now too, what were you doing?" he asked leaned casually against the kicthen doorframe.
Jordan avoided Ice's eyes, "Oh I was just chillen upstairs." Picking Carla up and tickling her slightly, he set her back down on the floor. "You leavin already Dee??"
Carla ran over to her toys. "She's going home, but she promised she was coming back tomorrow." She answered, acting as if she was the only one who knew the answer.
Dionne smiled and nodded at Jordan, confirming Carla's answer. "Yeah, I'm ready to go."
Jordan walked over to the closet and slipped on his black leather jacket. "A'ight I'll give you a ride home than." Walking back over to Dee, he kissed her cheek in a late greeting. Grabbing her waist from behind, he began to push her outside. "But you got to promise, not to scream too loud. 'Cause last time I let you ride wit me on the bike, you nearly broke my eardrum."
Carla giggled, and looked over at her daddy, who was looking at Auntie Dee and Jordan strangely.
Dionne laughed out loud. " Uh uh, see yo ass was driving like a maniac on purpose. And I ain't going on no bike this time, I like to travel safe." She stopped just before he pushed her out the door, and playfully pushed his shoulder.
Jordan laughed and held up his hands in mock surrender. "A'ight, a'ight I won't drive like a maniac."
"Promise?" she asked as she was being pushed through the door again.
Jordan rolled his eyes and made an "x" over his heart. "Cross my heart hope to die." Leaning his head over her shoulder he kissed her cheek soundly, finally able to push her completely through the door.
Dwayne eyed the two as they closed the door behind them. He knew that Jordan and Dee had been friends since they were teens; that was how he'd met Jordan, through Dee, whom he'd met through Karyn. Rubbing his hands over his face, his tired eyes turned cold when he thought about Karyn. Sighing, he rid his head of thoughts of Carla's mother and went back into the kitchen to clean up the rest of the papers.
------------------------------------------------------------
Letty sat with Mia eating lunch at Pollo Tropical, a nice carribean take out restaurant. Sighing she leaned back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest.
Mia stared hard at Letty. She looked tired, not physically but emotionally. "You okay gurl?"
Letty half-smiled. Was she okay? What a loaded question. These past few weeks, even after the sex with Dom. It didn't change anything. It didn't make anything easier. She just couldn't trust him, and that was an easy thing to live with. She just had all this pent up anger, and fuck, she just didn't know how to deal with it.
"I'm a'ight Mi."
Mia continued to stare at her friend. Knowing she wasn't ok, but even though they were close. Letty wasn't the person to just spill her guts, she was private. The whole 'Don't Fuck With Me' attitude, as far as she could see, was a way of Letty stopping herself from ever being hurt. But she knew, that Dom had really hurt Let.
Deciding to change the subject. Mia remembered something Dom had mentioned. "So there's supposed to be this big ass party this weekend. I think we should go."
Letty briefly remembered Dom saying something about it. "Uh yeah, I don't know though. . . We don't know nobody out here gurl . . ."
" C'mon Letty You know your ass loves to dance, and plus Dwayne and them are all going, so they'll introduce us to some people." Leaning forward in her chair, Mia waited for Letty to answer.
Letty tapped the table briefly, thinking about it. Well at least she'd have something to do, and if Dwayne was going it wouldn't be so bad. "Ok Ok , But I hope Dwayne's cousin, D.A. ain't comin, that brat gets on my last nerve."
Mia pushed her chair back, flinging her hair outta her face. She laughed out loud at Letty's comment. "Oh shit, ya'll are too funny. The only reason ya'll don't get along is cause you guys are too much alike."
Letty followed Mia, getting out of her chair. Walking beside Mia she hiked her skirt up a little higher. "You are trippin' cause that bitch, is gonna see my fist in her fucking face if she doesn't quit fucking with me."
Mia shook her head and just laughed. "Uh huh, sure."