Fly on the Wall (23 page)

The next morning, I had three missed calls on my cellular, one at 3:04
A.M.
, 7:36
A.M.
, and the last at 8:21
A.M.
I played my messages.

“Hey, this is T. It's about three o'clock and I haven't heard from you. I guess you're still at the club. I hope that you're having a good time. I'm here watching a few movies that I rented for Kevin and me.” He laughed. “You heard that good English? Ya boy got it going on. Anyway, give me a call when you're on your way home or when you get in so that I'll know that you made it all right.”

Then later on, “Yeah, it's me again. I woke up and saw that you still haven't called. Hit me back.”

The last message was a hang-up.

I smiled and looked at the clock. It was after eleven, and before I could save the messages, my doorbell was ringing. “Oh, Lord,” I grumbled as I grabbed my robe and hurried.

“Who is it?” I asked, expecting to tell off some Jehovah's Witnesses, but there wasn't a response. “Who is it?”

“Me.” I knew exactly who “me” was.

I opened the door looking like yesterday. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Theo said without making a move to come inside. “Thanks for returning my calls.”

“I'm sorry,” I said. “I just heard your messages.”

“I was just checking to see that you were all right.”

I blushed. “Yes, I'm okay.”

“How was your night?” He leaned against the doorsill.

I hated lying to him. “It was great.”

“What club did you go to?”

Think fast, think quick, quick, quick, and when in doubt, just say what sounds good.
“Club Quick.” There was probably a club with that name somewhere, but I had certainly never set foot in it. “Come in,” I beckoned.

“I can't.” He pointed to his still running car. “My mom is working that second job on Saturdays and I'm being a big brother. Kevin is in the car. We're going to the mall.”

“Oh,” I tried to step out of view of the car. “How sweet of you.”

“Yeah, right.” He smiled. “There are a few other things I'd like to be doing right now.”

“Like?”

“Like taking that robe off of you.”

I was flattered, but a bit weary of all of the sex talk he always came ready with. “Is that all you plan on ever doing with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sex,” I restated. “Is that all this is to you?”

He looked absolutely flustered. “Where did that come from?”

“Just answer me,” I said. “Is that all you want from me?”

“No.” He looked back at the car as though his brother had bionic ears. “But we can't go anywhere together to do anything right now . . .”

“So let's just have sex, huh?” I interrupted. “I guess I should've asked you this question months ago.”

“Sex is not all I want from you.” He continued.

“I could have sex with anyone. Do you think that I would be putting my basketball career on the line to just have sex with
you
when I could get it from any girl I want?”

“Then act like you want more from me.” I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away. “We don't have to always talk about it or spend every waking moment in my bed.”

“No,” he lightened the mood, “there is always the hood of my car.” I laughed when I remembered the incident, but was a little embarrassed. He asked, “What's wrong with you today?”

I was in kill or be killed mode. In relationship terms it meant that I was looking for something to go wrong so that I could or he could get frustrated with me, because life would be so simple without having to worry that Doran or Craig would decide to blow up my spot.

“I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind and wanted to feel like I could count on you for—”

“For whatever you want. You can count on me, baby.” He stepped inside the house and touched my face, and then pulled me into a quick embrace. “You only feel this way because there's not much we can do outside of this house together without paying for it with some form of our lives.” He looked down at me. “Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah.”

“Paige, after graduation I'll be your man in every aspect of the word.” He hugged me. “I can't wait to go out with you, take you places, and do things with you. At the same time, I enjoy the thought of us coming back here to make love after the world knows that I love you.”

“What?” Did he just finally say it?

“I love you, Paige.”

I nearly fainted. I never thought that he would own up to his feelings, and I most definitely wasn't going to until he did. So, now that it was out in the open, the words traveled upward in me like vomit, then it flew out.

“I, I love you.”

 

 

“We've drunk more than half the bottle.” Will returned the Cuervo Gold tequila bottle to his dad's bar in the den. “He is gonna fuckin' murder me.”

“Maybe he won't notice,” Theo said.

“Ya think?” Will looked at his best friend as though he was a mastermind, and then countered his expression by saying, “The bottle was new. It wasn't even opened, Boy Genius.”

“Shit.” Theo smiled. “Tell him I'll buy him a new one.”

They were both dressed in red and white, a requirement for the Valentine's Day dance. Theo was in a red shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers, and Will in white jeans and a red shirt.

“Let's go.” Will threw the car keys to Theo, who was standing in the living room, and then turned off the lights in the den.

The sun was setting, but there was still enough light for Theo to give Will's outfit a once-over while walking to the car. “What the—?” Theo's laughter took over the rest of the sentence.

“What?” Will somehow knew that he was the brunt of the joke.

“You, man.” Theo chuckled long and hard, with the side of the car bracing his body.

“What in the hell is so funny?” Will couldn't help giggling.

Theo looked at him again and was tickled beyond sanity. After two minutes of beating on the car and laughing, he managed to get out a sentence. “Yo, why are you wearing those gay-ass white-ass jeans, man?”

“What?”

Theo struggled to talk. “Dudes don't wear white jeans no more.”

Will looked down at himself and then over at Theo. “Fuck you.” He came back strong. “Look at you, you tall, red-white-and-blue, Fourth of July celebrating-looking muthafucka.” Will laughed as he opened the car door. “Man, let's go.”

As drunk as they were, neither one of them should've even been in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle. However, they cracked on one another and made it to West Dade safely.

 

 

 

 

“I think that you should wear pants, Toni.” Paige held the phone to her ear while peeking in on her chicken breasts basking in the heat of the oven.

Toni had six outfits sprawled out on her bed. She was excited about finally being with Derek and hoped that he was feeling a fraction of what she did.

“What difference does it make if I wear pants or a skirt?”

“If you were meeting him at a restaurant, I'd say wear whatever.” Paige wasn't sure if she made sense or just wanted to sound like she knew something about dating after all these years. “However, since you're going to his house, a skirt says
I want you to eat my pussy
.”

“Well, what's wrong with that?” Toni laughed. “I want him to know that in pants or a skirt.”

Paige chimed in with her logic. “He doesn't have to know that tonight. Pants say
We can't play footsies underneath the table, but afterward we'll sit on the couch, sip wine, talk, and laugh
.”

With makeup already perfectly applied, Toni ran around her house with her earpiece plugged in and her cell phone sticking out of her navy blue lace bra. She adjusted the thermostat and closed the curtains.

“So, what do I have to wear to at least get rubbed on?” she joked.

“A dress, but maybe next time.” Paige giggled. “So, what's exactly planned for the night?”

“A little studying as dinner is finishing, wine.” She paused. “He wants to, as he puts it,
spit
this new rap to me, too.” She smiled. “I think we'll have a nice evening as long as Psycho Freaky Jason doesn't come around.”

“Who in the hell is Jason?”

Toni laughed. “No, that's what he calls Giselle.”

“Who is that?” Paige asked.

“Didn't I tell you about Giselle?”

Paige tried to recall. “No, but who is she?”

“She's Derek's crazy, young-ass ex-girlfriend.” She giggled.

“Define the word
crazy
.”

“They broke up a few months ago.” Toni laughed. “She's stupid. She still calls him and comes over, but he changed the locks a few weeks ago.” She paused. “From what I've heard, she's a typical young girl, eighteen or something, that can't get over the fact that the relationship didn't work. He gets a lot of e-mails, hang-ups, little gifts and shit.”

“That chick does sound kinda psycho-ish,” Paige joked.

“I think she's just young.” Toni continued. “But damn, at any age if you find a man that hits that G-spot just right, you'll do some crazy shit.”

“Amen,” Paige joked. “Preach it, sistah.”

“She's just whooped, but Giselle is harmless.”

“All right now, don't get your ass kicked by that harmless bitch,” Paige said, checking the chicken again, truly famished. “You better be careful.”

“Paige, you know I can't fight worth a damn, so I'm not getting into anything that I can't get out of.” Then Toni added, “Derek changed the locks and she can't get in, so she doesn't bother him as much. She just e-mails the shit out of him.”

“She'll e-mail you next,” Paige taunted. “Or send your ass a serious computer virus. I won't be opening up anything from your infected ass.”

“Giselle is the least of my worries,” Toni said. “I'm just trying to get out of here before Marcus gets back.”

“Where is he?”

“Taking the boys to his mother's.”

“Where does he think you're going?”

“To dinner and a movie.” Toni added sharply, “With you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you, so please don't call my house and don't answer any calls from here,” she said. “I'll call you when I'm on my way home.”

Paige was curious. “What time should that be?”

“Whenever we're done . . .” Toni finished her statement mischievously, “studying.”

“You're nasty.” Paige smiled.

“Oh, look who's talking, Theo's English teacher.”

“Quiet, please.” Paige turned the conversation around. “Back to your outfit, wear pants. Trust me on this.”

Toni studied the black pants and burgundy top with a smile. “All right.” She carried all of the losing outfits back to the closet. “Thanks a lot.”

“Not a problem.”

“All right, I need to get dressed and out of the door before this man gets back here.”

“Have a good time,” Paige said.

“I will.” She sighed. “If you can't get good treatment at home, it's only a matter of time before you start to roam.”

“I'll never forget this, the day you blew me off for a man,” Paige said.

Toni was in a jovial mood. “You know I love you, Pages.” She hadn't called her that in a long time. “Thanks again for everything.” Toni blew a kiss into the phone. “I'll call you.”

“Bye.”

 

 

Everything was going as planned until Marcus returned two minutes before she was scheduled to walk out the door.

“So, where are you two having dinner?” Marcus asked as he studied her outfit and rested his keys on the dresser.

“A restaurant in the Grove.” She hadn't exchanged many words with him since the Tara and Jamal festivity.

“When will you be back?”

“Tonight,” she said.

“I know that.” He peeled off his shirt. “I meant what time?”

“We'll probably see a movie, too, so I don't know.” She rushed around the room for whatever she was taking.

“Have a good time.” Marcus wasn't happy with her curt answers. He suspected nothing, but was eager for things to get back to normal. “Which movie are you seeing?”

Toni threw a look at him that would've sliced his head clean off of his neck if he were any closer. “I don't know,” Toni snapped as she stepped into her shoes. “You don't have to wait up.”

“Of course I do.” He approached her from behind and wrapped his cold arms around her. “It's been a while since we've—”

“It's been nine days.” She pulled away from him. “Nine days and I can't even think of having sex with you after what you did to me. Whenever I see you, all I see is the top of your head between Tara's thighs,” she huffed. “All I see is the way your eyes rolled back into your fuckin' head when you were on top of her.” She grabbed her purse. “Don't wait up for me.”

Toni started down the stairs, but he followed and grabbed her by the arm. “So, is this the way things will be from now on?” He tightened his grip. “Huh?”

“This is the way it is right now,” Toni said. “I'm going out to try to get this shit off of my mind.”

He complained. “I could've taken you out to dinner if that's what it takes.”

“I don't want you to take me anywhere.” She paused. “I'm trying to be around people who can comfort me, not just fuck me, or let their friends do it for them.”

Marcus looked long and hard at her. He stared as though he felt her pain, like he finally realized what he had put her through. “So, when
will you
be ready to do it again?”

“I can't believe you. I cannot fuckin' believe you, Marcus.” Toni, extremely hurt, pulled herself from his grasp and ran down the remaining stairs. She made it to the door before speaking again. “Maybe I shouldn't even come back here tonight.”

“If that's how you feel then. Do you, Toni?” Marcus said. “Do you?”

“What does that mean?” she asked as she opened the door.

“Just do whatever the fuck you have to do,” Marcus said without looking her way. He slowly turned and walked toward the kitchen. “Whatever it is, just do it quickly so I can move on with
my
goddamn life.” He spoke in a whisper, but she heard every word.

Toni left the house with one thing on her mind, peace, and she was set on finding it, no matter the consequences.

 

 

 

 

After two hours of dancing, the alcohol was wearing thin. However, in a private meeting in the men's room, Will extracted from his pockets four miniature jelly jars filled to the brim with tequila. Theo downed two, and the party had started all over again. Back on the hardwood floor, he decided to lean against the wall until the DJ played a song he was feeling.

“Hey, stranger.” Trese walked up and posted herself in the space next to him.

“Hey! What's up?” As the disco light shined their way, he looked down into her blouse and remembered the times. “How you doing?”

“I'm fine,” she said. “How are you?”

“I'm good, I'm good.” The tequila took his mouth in its own direction. “You're looking good.”

“Thanks.” She blushed.

“Looking real good.” Theo pulled her away from the wall to check her out. “Damn.”

“Stop it, Theo.” She playfully smacked his hand.

For one drunken moment in time, he wished that Trese was still in his life, but only in one aspect. He was horny. “Wanna dance?”

“Sorry.” She looked around. “I'm here with someone.”

“Daaaaamn.” He was shocked. This was the first time she had ever turned him down. “It's like that?”

“You know I would,” she searched the crowd, “but I'm here with Jeffery Anderson.” She thought it necessary to call him by his first and last name so that Theo wouldn't mistake her man-of-the-hour for just any Jeffery. Jeffery Anderson was Theo's rival from Sunset Heights, a high school across town. With a foul move, straight from street B-ball, Jeff had almost cost Theo his knee last season. Trese knew how much Theo hated him.

“Do your thing then, li'l momma.” He pretended that it didn't bother him. “There he is, over there, if you're looking for him.” Theo pointed.

“Actually, we're about to leave.” She smiled. “His parents are out of town.”

“Did he bring you here?”

“No.” She looked away.

Theo stared past the innocent face she offered and into her wicked strategy. “So, what you're saying is that he's the first guy to show you attention tonight?” He added, “So, if I had peeped you first and had somewhere to take you, you'd be leaving with me, huh?”