Nude Awakening II (13 page)

“Ai'ight.” He nodded.

“So you're really serious about this, huh?”

“My choices are limited right now.”

“Well, the ones you have in front of you are good ones. Trust me.” She smiled. “Everything will work out for you.”

Trevon had mad love for Janelle. She was one of the rare females he could count on without the topic of sex being in the mix. Staying true to her always-on-the-grind mission, she had to bring her meeting with Trevon to a close. Grabbing her iPad, iPhone, and car keys, she explained about an out of state business meeting with Wahida Clark.

“What do y'all two have going?” Trevon asked as he followed Janelle out of her office.

“A movie deal,” Janelle told him. “If I can reach a deal with WCP, AEF will turn a WCP sex-driven novel into a movie.”

Trevon raised his left eyebrow. “Be sure to keep me in mind for a part.”

CHAPTER

Fourteen

Having the Last Words

Trevon steered his XJL behind Janelle's Lamborghini Aventador until she turned off Biscayne. The sun was still holding claim overhead, making the scene fit for a postcard. Trevon's attention was focused. D-Hot was back on his mind, and Trevon was set on keeping his word. Instead of heading home, he made a left off Biscayne Boulevard when he reached 62nd Street. Inching all four windows to his eye-level, he turned the system on with “Everyday Struggle” by BIG ringing his ears. He was in his element behind the wheel, in control. He drove by the same bus stops along 62nd Street that he used to sit and wait for the bus with his mom and sis. Those days were over, but truth be told, he missed them. Nearing Liberty City, he saw it was still the same. Black people were living the very song he was blasting. Only their everyday struggle was life, not a verse in a rap.

Reaching his old stomping grounds of the Pork and Beans projects, he whipped his sedan to a known trap house that sat on a corner. Trevon's XJL stuck out like oil in water amongst the fleet of Donks and candy-painted four-door Chevy's parked up and down the block. A tall hustler with a mouth full of gold teeth slid off the hood of a pea-green '74 Caprice Vert sitting on 28's. Squinting hard at the XJL, he broke out into a crooked grin.

“If it ain't my muthafuckin' ace boon coon, Trev!” Twank shouted.

Trevon was all smiles at seeing his old schoolmate from Brownsville Junior High.

“Damn, bruh. You look old as fuck!” Trevon joked, giving Twank a thug hug.

“Shit. You just look young ‘cause the pen kept yo' ass on ice. But damn, it's good to see you. I heard you was out, and I see you eatin' good, my nig.” Twank nodded at the Jag parked under a mango tree.

“I got a little gig going,” Trevon replied without saying much else.

Twank rubbed his hands together. “You know we go way back. So if you want some weight I—”

“Naw, bruh.” Trevon shook his head. “I need something else if you can help me?”

“Holla.”

“I need a burner.”

Spending $100 cash, he now owned a chrome and matte black finished Smith and Wesson fifteen shot .40. Twank assured him it was clean and fresh out of the box.

Trevon was taking a major risk with his freedom. Pushing his XJL at the posted speed limit, he now felt weary about being pulled over by the police for some bullshit. Driving with the system off, he suddenly had an idea. LaToria was back on his mind. Knowing his iPhone number was blocked from LaToria's cell phone, he wondered if she did the same for the second number he used for the Bluetooth system. Steering with his left hand, leaning slightly to the right, he switched lanes to pass a city bus.

“Call LaToria,” he said, turning the hands-free system on. A second later, a small picture of LaToria's smiling face appeared on the central display screen along with her phone number. Willing the call to go through, he was startled when it started to ring. Gripping the steering wheel, his heart began to race after the third ring that sounded from the small hidden speakers inside the cabin. Slowing for a red light behind a white late model Honda Accord, he swerved a bit when she answered unexpectedly.

“Hey, Trevon,” LaToria's voice rang into his ears. “I know it's you because you're real funny acting about letting people drive your car.”

Trevon had a million things to ask and a millions things to say, but the moment was too awkward to compose himself. “What's up with you? You gonna explain to me what's going on with us?”

She sighed. “It just wasn't working out for us.”

“And you came up with that feeling overnight? What about the baby? Is it true you're going to have an abortion?”

“No.”

“Oh, so it's just fuck me and on to the next nigga, huh?”

“It's a lot of shit you don't understand, okay?”

“Yeah, I bet it is. But guess what? It don't even matter to me no more. All I care about is the baby.”

“It's not like that, Trevon.”

“You told me that before.”

“Do you hate me?”

He frowned, staring at the picture of her face. “Are you serious? You act like what we had wasn't shit. You dip out on me for another nigga wit' bread and now—”

“Jurnee tell you that?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Is she with you now?”

“No.”

“Maybe y'all need to stop assuming shit ‘bout me and—”

“Ain't nobody assuming shit ‘bout you! We speaking off the bullshit you doing.”

“And you can't say much since you didn't waste a damn second to fuck Jurnee.”

“Well, least you
know
who I'm fucking!”

“Fuck you!”

Trevon's grip tightened on the steering wheel. “You know, I don't even know why I'm wasting my time talking to you.”

“That makes two of us then!”

Silence. Any second now he was waiting for her to end the call. Fuming, he stayed silent as the line remained connected. He couldn't find the resolve to end the call himself.

“Shit is crazy,” he heard her mutter.

“I guess you're just doing what makes you happy.”

“You ain't answer my question. Do you hate me?”

Trevon rubbed his forehead with the light still red.

“You gonna answer me, Trevon?”

“Why does it matter how the fuck I feel? Your ass didn't have that in mind when you left with Martin!”

“Martellus.”

“Martin, Martellus. Fuck him!” Trevon shouted.

Silence.

“I can't make you understand.”

“Ain't shit to understand, okay? You been cheating on me, so fuck it. It is what the fuck it is, and trust me. You don't need to make me understand.”

“It's not really like that,” she tried to explain. “Please don't judge me.”

“Whatever, yo,” he said, glancing at the rearview mirror. His heart skipped a beat at the site of a Metro-Dade police cruiser two cars back.

“Trevon, I know what I did was wrong. But I—”

“It don't matter to me no more, ai'ight.”

“I have to go, okay? But you can't call me at this number no more.”

“Like that's a surprise.”

“I'll call you later on in the week with a new number, okay?”

Trevon, with all the hurt he held inside matched it against the love he still carried for her. Frowning, he refused to be boyfriend number two.

“Nah, I'm good. Wouldn't want to make your
man
mad, so keep that new number to yourself. Or give it to somebody that wanna hear that bullshit you talking. I'm done.” Pressing a button on the steering wheel, he ended the call. Six seconds later, the light turned green.

***

Jurnee was chatting with her new friend Tahkiyah when she heard Trevon coming through the front door. Excusing herself, she asked Tahkiyah to relax a second while she got up to speak to Trevon.

“How did things work out with Janelle?” she asked Trevon as he entered the code to turn the alarm system back on.

“Good and bad,” he replied.

“What happened?”

“Just some crazy shit with D-Hot,” he said, turning to face her.

“D-Hot?”

“Yeah. But it didn't have nothing to do with me talking to Janelle. It's all good on that subject, and she's down with you being my manager.”

“Cool!”

“You ummm, got company. I see that BMW out front. Do I know 'im?”

“Yes, I got company.” She smiled. “But you don't know her.”

“Oh, my bad.” He grinned.

“Hell, I just met her today.” She glanced over her shoulder.

“Who is she?”

Jurnee quickly explained that Tahkiyah was in the neighborhood to view the house across the street that was up for sale. Wanting to know how the neighborhood was, Tahkiyah was just being friendly.

“She seems cool. C'mon and meet her. She said she'll be moving in next month.”

“Ai'ight. Just gimme a second. I need to go post an update on my Facebook right quick.”

“Hurry up.”

“Okay gimme a second.”

Going to his bedroom, he figured it wasn't a good time to ask Jurnee about her talking to LaToria. In truth, it was really starting not to matter. After stashing the .40 under the bed in a shoe box, he kept his word by joining Jurnee and his soon to be new neighbor in the living room.

“And here's the man of the house,” Jurnee said when Trevon made his entrance.

Trevon was thankful that he couldn't speak his mind. His first sight and impression of Tahkiyah came quickly.
Damn, she fine as hell!

“Tahkiyah, this is Trevon,” Jurnee said, making the introductions.

Tahkiyah held out her hand as she stood to greet Trevon. “This is a nice home you have,” she said, playing her lie out.
Whew! He is handsome!

“Thanks,” he said, wondering what Jurnee had shared with Tahkiyah.

“Tahkiyah's from up North,” Jurnee said when they were all seated.

“What state?” he asked.

“Actually, I'm from D.C.,” Tahkiyah replied.

“Too cold up there for me.” Jurnee shivered.

“True, but it's something I'm used to,” Tahkiyah said truthfully.

“She wants to know how the yard care is done,” Jurnee told Trevon.

“Um, every other Thursday they have a crew to come out, but it's optional. Some homeowners like to do their own work, or just don't want any strangers on their property.”

“Which option did you pick if you don't mind telling me?” Tahkiyah asked.

“I do it myself. But mainly it's because of bad ass over there.” He pointed at the glass back door where Rex sat panting and fogging up the glass.

“He's just a puppy,” Jurnee added.

“Yeah, and he don't listen.” Trevon shifted on the sofa, lowering his eyes down the length of Tahkiyah's sexy legs. “So you're gonna make Florida your new home?”

Tahkiyah nodded. “I think it's time for a new change of pace.”

“You have any family?” Trevon asked after noticing the big platinum ring on Tahkiyah's finger.

“Just two kids, and both are grown and my husband, of course. If you see two energetic little ones in my yard, they're my grandkids.”

“Grandkids!” Trevon noted how young Tahkiyah looked.

“Guess her age,” Jurnee teased.

“Now you're being rude.” Trevon shot a look at Jurnee.

“Boy, I felt the same when she told me she's a grandmother. I know one thing. I hope I can look that good when I reach her age.”

“I'm fifty-four,” Tahkiyah told Trevon to prove she wasn't uncomfortable about her age.

“Hey, y'all excuse me for a second.” Jurnee slid off the sofa and then sauntered to her bedroom. Without a forced effort, Trevon's gaze followed Jurnee's heart-shaped ass out of the living room. By sight alone, he knew she wasn't wearing a lick of panties under her pants. Being left alone with Tahkiyah had Trevon searching for a topic. Her beauty was just too stunning to let it go unnoticed.

“You got any more questions about the neighborhood?” he asked as she crossed her legs, forcing the pencil skirt to tighten around her thighs.

“Not much. I see it's an upper class area. And quiet.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Jurnee told me you live alone now. She spoke briefly on your former roommate moving out just a few days ago.”

Trevon's expression didn't change. “Yeah, and I'll be solo whenever Jurnee gets back in her own place.”

“She told me that as well.”

“What? Are y'all best friends now?” He laughed. “What all did you two talk about?”

“Just women things—clothes, shoes, and men.”

“So what do you do for a living?”

“I own a public relations company up in D.C. And what about you?”

“I'm an actor.”

Tahkiyah assumed he was teasing. “An actor? What movies have you been in?”

Trevon wasn't sure if Tahkiyah would respect his line of work. In his view she was a woman of highbred taste. Just as he started to explain, his iPhone chimed. Seeing an unfamiliar number, he was about to ignore the call until he realized it was Brooke Vee.

“Yeah, what's up?” he said after gesturing to Tahkiyah that he need to take the call.

“. . . Hello? May I speak to Trevon?”