Courtin' Jayd Read online

  “Why thank you, Jayd. Do help yourself. We have more than enough to share.” Mrs. Weiner looks around her estate and beams with pride. I know she gets a kick out of making her neighbors envious: it’s written all over her face.

  “I am surprised you would come, Jayd, especially after all that’s happened,” Mrs. Bennett says, ready to gossip with Jeremy’s mom about me. What a trick. Doesn’t she have anyone her own age to talk shit about?

  “Oh, I hope there’s no trouble for you at school, Jayd,” Mrs. Weiner says, trying to feign shock and concern. I’m sure Mrs. Bennett’s already caught her up on everything she can about me. Like any other hater she just wants the scoop to make herself feel better about hating on me. I look at Jeremy who’s searching for an exit without being too impolite. He better hurry up and think of one before I say something. I can only exercise so much tact with these two broads to deal with at the same time.

  “Mrs. B, I don’t mean to be rude but I’ve got to greet my friends. You don’t mind mom, do you?” Jeremy says, not really asking as much as telling her. He takes my hand and escorts me to where Chance and Nellie are seated, directly across from the pond. Mickey and Nigel are having dinner at his house. I wonder how that’s going.

  “What’s up, man?” Chance says, rising to greet Jeremy and then bending down to hug me before we sit. I haven’t talked to Nellie since yesterday and don’t know if she’s changed her mind about telling Nigel but I’ve got her cornered tonight. I know Mickey was nasty to her the other day but she knows the girl better than I do. When Mickey gets her mind set on something there’s no turning back for her. She tends to lash out in the process but that’s just how she is. We all have our faults.

  “Jayd, I’ve never seen you dressed like that before,” Nellie says. From the look on her face, I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or an insult.

  “Yeah, you look all sophisticated Miss Jackson,” Chance says playfully, but Nellie looks as serious as a heart attack. She can’t hate on me and Mickey at the same time. I can’t wait to call her out on her hypocritical behavior.

  “Why thank you. I would say the same about you but I see you didn’t dress up for the occasion.” Chance has on a pair of worn Enyce sweats and a hoodie to match. He looks cute like always but nothing out of the ordinary. Nellie on the other hand has gone all out for the occasion, wearing a full-length red dress with a purse and Dolce & Gabbana stilettos to match. She even got some pieces added to her hair to complete the princess look.

  “You look nice Nellie.” I decide to make nice first since it’s going to take all the sweetness I’ve got to get through to my girl. “New shoes?” she looks down at the shiny heels and smiles. Cute shoes can do that to a girl.

  “Yes. I saw them on the Third Street Promenade and couldn’t resist,” she says, smiling at Chance.

  “I don’t care how much it costs to keep that smile on your face,” Chance says kissing her nose like she’s a baby. What the hell? Please tell me this fool didn’t just shell out at least four bills for her feet. He’s ballin’ but not rolling in dough like Jeremy’s family is. Those shoes probably set him back quite a bit and Nellie’s not even as into him as he is into her. Maybe he knows that and is hoping he can buy her love like Jeremy wanted to buy my forgiveness, but that never works.

  “Isn’t he the sweetest thing?” Nellie says, caressing Chance’s hand and smiling at me like a jealous girlfriend. She needs to be put in check, and now.

  “The sweetest,” I say, turning toward Jeremy and smiling big. “Jeremy, would you mind getting me a plate? These shoes are killing me.” I’m telling the truth about my mom’s taste in shoes. We wear the same size but her foot is narrow and mine is wide. I’m surprised she let me wear them at all but a good man will make you forget the small annoying things in life.

  “Sure thing, Lady J. You guys want something?” Jeremy says, picking up our plates before heading for the buffet. I look at Chance and he gets the signal that I want to be alone with Nellie. He probably thinks we want to talk more about our shoes but I could care less about her feet. It’s her mouth I’m concerned with.

  “I’ll get our plates, Nellie, if you’re ready to eat,” Chance says. Nellie looks at the empty china and rubs her stomach. The girl could use to gain some more weight even if she did put the weight back on she’d lost for Homecoming. Mickey used to be the smallest of us but that didn’t last for long. I’ve always been in between.

  “Thank you, sweetie. But no carbs for me please.” Nellie takes a sip of her iced tea and watches the guys walk over to the table where the food is piled high. I look at Nellie and we stare at each other for a while. Why do we have to have heat between us?

  “Nellie, what’s up with you?” I say, breaking the ice. She looks down at her shoes to avoid my eyes. “You’re hating on me and Mickey for no reason and it needs to stop now.”

  “No reason,” Nellie says with more anger in her voice than I expected. “You both take me for a joke, like I can’t possibly have a man of my own.” What the hell? What is this girl smoking?

  “What the hell are you talking about, Nellie? Who said you couldn’t have your own man?” Nellie rubs her hands across her lap as if to straighten her dress but I know she’s trying to avoid looking at me because she knows I’m right.

  “You did when you didn’t introduce me to Nigel properly, and Mickey flaunts it every time she takes the attention away from guys we meet. She already has a man. Why does she have to take the available ones too?” I see my girl’s been holding back on some issues she’s had for a while. I’m not the mind reader in the family and I need to make that clear to her.

  “Nellie, how is anyone supposed to know what you’re feeling if you don’t tell someone? I had no idea you felt this way, for real. You know you’re flyy, girl. You can have any man you want.” Nellie finally looks up at me and forces a thin smile across her face.

  “You sure you don’t swing both ways? You sound like you like me a little too much,” she says, lightening up. “But for real though, Jayd, this whole thing with Nigel is too much. Mickey can’t get away with this.”

  “Nellie, she’s not getting away with anything. Nigel’s not a fool. He knows what he’s getting into even if he doesn’t know Mickey’s full intentions.” My reasoning looks like it’s starting to seep into Nellie’s thick skull. I hope it does for her sake because having Mickey as her enemy is never fun.

  “I know he’s a big boy, Jayd, but this still isn’t fair.” Our eyes meet again and I can see the pain she’s feeling. But taking it out on her best friend isn’t the answer and it’s not going to make her dreams come true. If anything, Mickey will unleash a nightmare Nellie won’t soon forget.

  “Nellie, you sound like a two-year-old who didn’t get everything she wanted for Christmas. Life isn’t fair but it’s not about you or Nigel or even Mickey for that matter. It’s about the baby, and they as the parents will choose how to deal with the situation.” Speaking of children, Jeremy, Chance, Mike, and Gary walk back to our table with our plates and a basketball in Gary’s hands. Please tell me these fools aren’t about to ball, especially not the drunk ones.

  “But that’s just it, Jayd. If there’s a chance Nigel might not be the daddy he deserves to know. I feel like as his friend I should tell him the truth. I’m surprised you don’t feel the same way.” Oh no, she didn’t go there with me.

  “Maybe that’s because I’ve known him longer. You’ve known Nigel for all of what, two months, and you’re ready to swear your loyalty to him and not your girl you’ve known for two years. That sounds suspicious to me, Nellie.” I hate to call her out like that but that’s what real friends do. They don’t rat you out to other people the first chance they get.

  “So what are you saying, that I was waiting for the opportunity to turn Nigel against Mickey and get him all to myself?” I prop my head to one side and let her answer her own stupid question.

  “Well, if the stiletto fits,” I say as the dudes approach the tab
le. I hope she thinks very carefully about the conversation we just had. If she wants to be so honest she should start by being true to herself about why she does what she does, especially when it concerns her girls.

  “Hey ladies. Would you mind moving dinner to the basketball court by the garage? We want to get a quick game in,” Chance says, pulling out Nellie’s chair with his free hand. He passes her the near-empty plate while she puts her shawl around her shoulders. Nellie is a pretty girl, just way too high-maintenance for most of the brothas I know.

  “What is it, sobers against lushes?” I say, making everyone laugh. I’m glad they think it’s so funny because I was being serious. This is going to be the most ridiculous game of ball ever. I could see brothas in the hood getting their game on at a holiday function, like my uncles at Christmas. But they play first and drink later. We’re always serious about basketball.

  “This Jayd’s a keeper Jeremy. She’s a witty little one, isn’t she?” his dad says as he walks up to my chair and hugs me tightly. From the smell of his breath, if I had a match I could light his entire mouth on fire. I reluctantly allow the second or maybe third white person ever to hug me up.

  “Yes, she is.” Jeremy smiles down at me while he holds my plate over my head, laughing at the scene. He’s such a tease. Nellie looks from me to Jeremy and smiles big like something’s up between the two of us again. I have to make sure she understands I just came with him tonight as a friendly gesture, nothing more.

  “Alright, to the court. I want my five hundred dollars before the old man chickens out,” Michael says, snatching the ball away from their dad and leading the way back across the yard. The other guests are enjoying their evening engaged in good conversation and food. We’ve only been here a little while but it’s a cool vibe. Aside from his mom, Mrs. Bennett, and Nellie’s hater rays, I’m enjoying my evening. But I look away from Jeremy’s mesmerizing blues to see two of the most obnoxious people walk through the back gate—it seems I’ve spoken too soon.

  “There’s my beautiful wife now,” Reid says, holding his girlfriend’s hand and heading our way. Laura looks pissed to see me here and I feel the same way. I know she’s tired of seeing me daily in rehearsals, but not as tired as I am of her boyfriend calling me his wife.

  “What are Reid and Laura doing here? Don’t tell me Tania’s home for the holidays too,” I say as I follow Jeremy and the rest of the crew toward the garage.

  “It’s a neighborhood thing. I sure as hell didn’t invite him,” Jeremy says, looking down at me. He puts his free arm around my shoulder but I want the other one that’s holding my plate. I’ve waited long enough to get my grub on.

  “Happy cluck-cluck day,” Reid says to Nellie. He looks tipsy and Nellie looks highly amused. I’m glad she’s in a good mood. I need her pleasant if she’s going to hold up her end of the bargain and make nice with Mickey even if she hasn’t fully agreed to it yet. By the time we all get together on Saturday for the practice game at Venice Beach and the session later on that night at Rah’s house, I’m sure she’ll be completely convinced to see things my way.

  “Reid, where’s your father? We were supposed to shoot a game of pool. That cheapskate owes me his best bottle of whiskey from the last game he lost,” Mr. Weiner says. I see the stakes are high when playing at the Weiner household. The last thing he needs is more liquor at his disposal.

  “Are we going to play or what?” Michael says, shooting a perfect jump shot to get the energy flowing. I see ballin’ runs through their veins in more ways than one. Justin joins the game and Tammy sits down at the table across from Nellie and me to cheer our boys on.

  “I just hope they don’t try and kill each other like they did last time,” Tammy says, hugging herself tightly. It’s chilly out here and all she has on is a hoodie, some shorts, and a pair of worn Uggs, so I know this heat lamp isn’t doing her much good. I on the other hand am burning up in this sweater. But that’s not going to keep me from enjoying my food and watching the game. It’s not as exciting as my brothas playing, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.

  “Hey, ease up, man,” Chance says to Michael, who’s supposed to be on his team. He wants to block his father’s shot so badly he’ll do anything to get to him, including run over his own teammate. There’s some serious competition between the two of them. Before Chance can free himself from the mess, Michael pushes him out of the way to block Gary’s layup, sending Chance to the ground, where he lands on his right knee.

  “Foul,” Justin’s high-ass voice emotes. There are no referees at home even when we do need them. Chance curls up in pain, holding his right knee to his chest. This doesn’t look good, especially not for the big game on Sunday. KJ will talk shit forever if Rah, Nigel, and Chance are forced to forfeit because of an injury.

  “Are you okay, Chance?” Nellie says, running up to him. I would but I’ve got gravy all over my hands and I’m not a nurse. Besides, Chance has taken a lot more than a fall before. He’ll shake it off in a couple of minutes.

  “Yeah I’m good. I just need some rest. Don’t tell Rah and Nigel, okay? I can still play in the game on Sunday.”

  “You better, or Nigel and Rah will have your ass in a sling for real,” I say, taking another bite of the succulent turkey and gravy. This food is banging and was worth dealing with all the obstacles to get to it.

  “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me,” Nellie says as she escorts Chance to our table to sit out the rest of the game. Jeremy joins us and lets the other two go at each other since that was the plan in the first place. I hope Nellie’s still good at keeping secrets when it counts because if she’s not, we will all have a lot to lose when it comes down to what’s really important: whipping KJ’s ass.

  13

  Who’s Got Next?

  “Run for your life.”

  —JARVIS CHURCH

  “So did you have fun?” Jeremy says on our ride home. “I hope my family wasn’t too much for you like they usually are.” I was hesitant at first about hanging out at Jeremy’s house again but I’m glad I went. His mom and Mrs. Bennett disappeared, leaving me alone for the rest of the night. I almost forgot they were there, which made the evening much better.

  “They are a bit much but it was fun to see your brother win the game.” I laugh at the memory of Michael collecting five one hundred dollar bills from their dad. For a couple of drunks they put on a very entertaining game. Chance and Jeremy enjoyed stuffing their faces with Tammy and me while talking shit about the game at the same time. Nellie picked at her vegetables and pampered Chance’s knee for the remainder of the evening and he enjoyed the extra attention. I think we all had a pretty good time.

  “Yeah, they can get like that when there’s a crowd around. Sorry you had to witness that.” Jeremy turns the heat up to high as we slowly make our way down the winding path leading away from Palos Verdes and back to Pacific Coast Highway. The stars are shining brightly and the moon is full, making the ocean water seem silver from our vantage point. The waves crash against the shore, making me long for the simplicity at the beginning of our relationship when night beach visits were the regular.

  “Do you ever wish we could go back to our first date?” Jeremy says, almost taking the words right out of my mind.

  “Yes I do.” It’s too bad that in reality his dad’s not as cool as he was tonight. And his baby mama’s drama is just as bad as Rah’s in my opinion. “If things were only that simple.” If I knew a spell that could get us back to that moment in time and keep us suspended there, I would cast it in a minute.

  “There are no cupcakes you could make to go back in time, huh?” Jeremy says, making light of his newfound knowledge of my spiritual heritage. On top of him being the father of Tania’s baby, I don’t think I could ever truly share my total self with him and that’s the major problem. Rah understands me for who I am, even though I’m starting to see that his habit of taking me for granted isn’t going away anytime soon. Maybe there’s something I can make for tha
t, but that’s not going to help me deal with Jeremy.

  “No, I wish there were though. But time is one thing we can’t get back.” Jeremy takes his right hand off the steering wheel and places it on my left hand resting on my lap. I know I probably shouldn’t let it stay there but I don’t want him to move. Besides, I’m sure Rah’s holding Trish’s something right now since he seems to be rejecting the tea I gave him. And like my mom said, I don’t have any rings on my finger and I’m still feeling Jeremy.

  “I’m going to win you back Jayd. I miss being with you too much not to keep trying.” Why do dudes always want you when they can’t have you? Well, I’m going to enjoy the attention Jeremy chasing me will undoubtedly bring and maybe it’ll make Rah see that I won’t wait around forever for him to get his act together. I hope Rah also checks his ego at the door when it comes to the game on Sunday because I don’t think Chance will be able to play from the looks of his limp tonight.

  “Jeremy, we’ve already been down this road. Can’t we just enjoy where we are right now without the pressure?” Jeremy turns the corner and goes around the bend, following the road to a cliff overlooking the ocean. He stops the car and turns the already soft music even lower, giving me his undivided attention.

  “Jayd, I’ve never felt this strongly about any other girl I’ve ever met. I don’t mean to pressure you but I want you back and I don’t want to wait.” He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, kissing my knuckles gently and making me tingle all over. Damn, this isn’t good. He opens my palm and kisses that too before lifting my hand to his face, pulling me forward into our second first kiss.

  I stay in the moment of his soft lips for a while, enjoying fantasizing about us being together again. But I’m going to stick to my mom’s advice and not commit to being anyone’s girl right now. Honestly, I don’t think either Jeremy or Rah are ready to be in a serious relationship and neither am I. But I do think I’ve made my final decision about the situation.