Bonded in Truth
Chapter 2: Blurred Lines
Zaiere
“Ay yo Z, who’s the fine ass chick that you be chilling wit? You know ol’ girl with the pretty smile?” Donte asked as he got in the passenger side of my car.
“You must be talking bout’ my homegirl Jade. She’s a friend from way back. Why you ask?” I replied.
“I was asking cause she fine as hell and you need to stop being stingy and introduce ya boy.”
I laughed out loud. I could hear Jade’s smart ass mouth now, “Who is this nigga thinking he worth my time?”
“Nah bruh, I’ma save you the trouble now. She ain’t your type and you damn sure ain’t hers.” I told him laughingly but being dead ass serious.
“Aw ok man it’s like that? You probably just tryin to keep her to yourself. It’s cool bro. That’s all you had to say.” Donte stated with a slight attitude.
“Chill fam, it’s nothing like that. Jade and I go way back. I know her like the back of my hand and I’m telling you, she wouldn’t be interested so you might as well stick with the chick you already smashin.” I told him trying to change the subject.
Jade and I were best friends but that was all there was to it. I can’t even lie, I loved the girl but she could be intimidating to most guys cause she was a no nonsense type of person. I didn’t know if she would ever settle down again after what happened between her and Nick. I tried to warn her about the nigga being shady but she was too far gone. She didn’t see the guy for who he really was until all that shit hit the fan. I grimaced a bit recalling how hurt she’d been. I felt like an ass for not protecting her more, but at the same time, it wasn’t my place to insert myself into her relationship. I gave her the best advice I could. Hell, I was going through my own drama. We were both going through some rough times, but one thing I can say, she was always there when I needed her.
“Yeah whatever man.” Donte said, snapping me out of my thoughts. “So what’s the move for tonight?”
“Shit I don’t know, you tell me. You the one that stay out in these streets.” I said being straight forward with him.
Over the past few years I’d changed my outlook on life tremendously. When I was younger, I was doing too much too soon and that shit caught up to me real quick. After I almost got kicked out of college, I decided then it was time to sit my ass down and get my shit right. In the midst of all the bullshit, Jade was right there encouraging me and letting me know everything would be ok.
I shook my head at the thought of all the drama that can come along with relationships. I was just glad that I knew how to be single and be ok with that. I didn’t need a million different hoes running in and out my house to prove that I was that nigga. Shit my presence alone speaks volumes. Besides, my own relationship in college was rough just like Jade’s, so I was cool on the shit myself.
My ex, Taniyah, was a sweet girl. Real pretty and smart with a bright future ahead of her. She’d been kind of sheltered growing up so when she came to college and met me, I exposed her to a whole new world she didn’t need to be a part of. For the most part, she maintained her naivety to a lot of the things I did, but the girl had a jealous streak like no other.
She couldn’t stand Jade. And the fact that I considered Jade such an important part of my life made her insecure.
To Taniyah, I was everything. A friend, lover, confidant, provider, protector, and a teacher. She’d said on plenty of occasions how she happy she was to have fallen in love with me and that she couldn’t picture her life without me. She didn’t want for nothing. I made sure of that.
In the beginning, I was happy to make her happy, but things changed after a year of us being together. She started acting like I owed her something and asking for more out of me than she was willing to put into the relationship. She knew I was hustlin’ and I felt like that lowered my worth in her eyes. She started treating me like I was one of those simple minded niggas on campus that wished they could have a piece of her. Not to mention her ratchet ass homegirls stayed boosting her head up over some dumb shit. Our relationship became more about what I could do for her, and her solidifying place in my life as my wife cause she knew I’d have money once I made it through school. I couldn’t see who she was turning into at first because I had a lot on my plate. Since I was paying for school and working full time, Jade tried to put me up on game about her and I didn’t listen.
Taniyah got so cocky, she was always bragging about how I took care of her to her little ratchet friends but let a nigga get in her face then it was a different story. She loved to play the victim when she felt like it would benefit her. She had a whole lot of people convinced that I was a selfish, uncaring person when all along the bitch was just trifling. The money I gave her that was supposed to be going towards school was really funding her growing coke problem that I didn’t know about until it had gone too far. Turns out, one of the chicks she was hanging with had been lacing their blunts with the shit whenever she came over to chill. When Taniyah finally caught her in the act of putting coke in the blunt, the girl convinced her to try it without the weed. From that point on it was a wrap. I tried to get her to go to a summer rehab where no one would know about her habit and I even offered to pay for it but she wouldn’t stay. And no matter how much I tried to let her work through it, she ultimately chose the drugs over me. So I left. It was nothing for me to crash at my homeboy Kentrell spot while I distanced myself from Taniyah. He had an extra room that I was able to rent until I got my shit separated from hers. When she saw I wasn’t coming back, she got to begging and making a scene but none of that phased me. As long as she was on that shit, I didn’t know who she was and I wasn’t about to get caught up.
That whole situation sat with me for a while. Drugs change people. Addiction of any kind changes people and that wasn’t something I wanted to encourage or be a part of. Somewhere along the line, she forgot her purpose, but I wasn’t going to let her bring me down. So I made sure to focus on my grades and making money.
I wasn’t a dumb nigga by a long shot, but I didn’t like to brag about my academic achievements. I was too laid back for that. I’d always been great with computers so it was only right for me to major in something technology related. I ended up taking on a double major in Computer Science and Graphic Design, which opened up plenty of doors for me around campus. That’s how I ended up hustling. And no I wasn’t out there slangin dope. I was smarter than that. I was a hacker. And the white boys on campus paid me very well to hack into their professors’ computers to change their grades or to tap into their trustfund without daddy finding out. Word got out quick to all the wrong people about my hacking and coding skills which led to a lot of money and a lot of danger. When I think about all I put at risk by doing that, I was grateful to have not been caught thanks to Jade.
I had been in trouble once before when I was younger and that jail shit just wasn’t for me. I called myself being a thug and hanging with the wrong niggas for all the wrong reasons. At 16, I ended up doing ten months in a juvenile detention center for assault. What really fucked me up was witnessing my close friend Shamir get stabbed and killed over some bullshit that didn’t have anything to do with him. Niggas thought they were gonna hit a lick off us cause the word was that Shamir kept a hefty stash near our hangout spot. Our so called friends set us up on some robbing shit and when things got physical, I saw how easy it was to lose your life and never come back from that. I vowed right then that that thug shit wasn’t for me. Can’t nothing in the world bring my friend back and that’s a pain I never wanted to experience again.
I straightened up and focused on school so I could go to college and leave that fuck shit behind me.
When I originally started at the university, I was paying for everything out of pocket and that shit weighed heavy on me. I met Jade in our freshman college algebra class and became her tutor. She’d throw me a little change if she had it or she offered to cook me a meal or whatever she could do to help me out. Our friendship had been tight from that point on. She never cared for Taniyah, but there wasn’t too much she could say to me cause I didn’t like her boyfriend Nick either. As much as I valued Jade’s opinion, she really wasn’t the type to overstep her boundaries and I appreciated that. She helped me stay focused.
After doing well my freshman year, I was offered a few scholarships that covered a majority of my tuition but I still had bills to pay for and my textbooks weren’t cheap either. I didn’t live on campus since I wasn’t offered anything for room and board, so I had a lot of responsibility to maintain that didn’t revolve around being under Taniyah 24/7.
For a while she tried to throw that in my face, saying getting high while she was alone made her feel better. She complained about how I didn’t spend enough time with her, but on the flip side I felt as though she didn’t understand how much pressure was on me to do well. I spoiled her as she rightfully deserved and I don’t regret doing so. But one thing I’d never allow was for a woman to go out of her way to use me. My parents had taught me well and although they didn’t last, they showed me there were right ways to love a person, even through the hard times...
“Nigga are you listening to me?”
Donte asked, once again pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the conversation at hand.
“My bad. My mind went to a whole different place.”
“Mmhhmmm, you was probably over there thinkin’ bout Jade fine ass” He laughed.
“You might as well gone head hit her up and invite her out with us tonight. Fuck what you talking bout, I’ma try my luck with her. The woman is straight up beautiful and she got her own. That shit is mad attractive.”
I laughed at him again, “Alright, since you insist, I’ll hit her up in a little bit. I know she had a few things to do today and I’m not about to call and interrupt her vibe right now.”
I knew she was off today but Jade is the type that doesn’t like her time being planned out for her. Especially if she’s already on the move. She was the epitome of doing what she wanted when she felt like it and wouldn’t think twice about turning down an invite somewhere if that wasn’t on her agenda for the day.
“Yeah whatever nigga, you just stalling me out. It’s cool. Keep ya precious Jade to yourself” Donte laughed.
“Nigga you buggin’. You got plenty of women running up behind you. You better stay in ya lane cause Jade will fuck ya world up” I semi-joked with him and turned the music up, letting Future’s March Madness fill the car as we headed to the gym.
“Just be ready to have a spot in mind for us to hit up tonight. BLVK Orchid would be a good move. They always have good drinks and plenty of fine women to chill with” I told him.
“And it’ll be a spot Jade would like since she a little boogie but still liked to turn up from time to time. She would enjoy the atmosphere there.”
“Alright bet” Donte said. And we cruised through the Cali streets without saying another word.
I dropped Donte off and went to visit my office real quick after getting an email confirmation over an account I’d been waiting to snag. I heard a light knock on the door and it was just the person I expected to see. Amanda worked in the corporate building next to mine and would always peep when I was in the office. We’d been sleeping together off and on for while until I found out she was married. Apparently her and her nigga was on some swinging type shit and I was down for a threesome, just not a bisexual one. My ego wasn’t that fragile to be scared to fuck a bitch while she suckin a nigga dick. But I wasn’t tryin to let that nigga suck or fuck on me so I didn’t even go down that road with either of them.
He was a pretty decent dude and actually didn’t mind her coming to suck me off from time to time cause that’s just what they like. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Meanwhile, the only stroke I was trying to give to her right now in my office was the one down her throat. The entire top floor of my company was my own personal office with a full living space as well. Privacy was never an issue and I was in full control of my domain. Those years of hacking for the white boys set me up pretty nicely so I had every right to be as comfortable as I liked in the company I built.
“Hey boo, I didn’t expect to see you today.” Amanda said as she walked casually to my desk.
“I know, I just had a few things to take care of before getting my weekend started. How you been?” I asked, watching her slowly undress for me as I got comfortable on my couch.
I enjoyed the fact that she liked to put on a little show for me. The woman had the body of a video vixen and I didn’t mind the view one bit. She showed off a burgundy set that was lovely against her caramel complexion. I figured I might as well give her what she really wanted, which was a lot more than giving me head.
My ten inches had her weak and she would take this offer as the perfect sign of my appreciation. She got to doing her thang and before I knew it, I was getting ready to cum. She pulled me out her mouth about to lick the tip, when I swooped her up in one motion and told her cum for me too. She kissed me with a moan of glee and I put on a condom, so I could get to work. I loved how wet she was and how her pussy gripped my dick as she rode me on the couch. My deep strokes had her ready to bust within minutes and I was trying to hold back for as long as I could. As soon as I felt her thighs begin to shake, I knew she was close. I wanted to go over the brink with her so I held her close as our bodies meshed as one. She let out a low, deep moan and bit the side of my neck as her orgasm rushed through her. I came shortly after her, breathing heavy and ready for another round but I knew that wasn’t going to happen today.
When we were done, she cleaned herself up in my bathroom and headed right back to work like she never left. I finished up my emails and shot Donte a text letting him know that I was still down to kick it tonight if he was. That quickie gave me a burst of energy and a chill night at the bar was just what I wanted to top my night off right. Things had going smoothly at work and in my personal life so it was time I enjoyed myself. Besides what’s life if you don’t get a chance to live it the way you want?
Jade
“Dats my best friend, dats my best friend …that’s my bestie, my best friend, go best friend…” Zaiere’s ringtone sounded out from the other room as I started to unpack my items from this afternoon’s shopping trip.
“Hey, what’s up” I asked. He usually didn’t call on my off days cause he knew how I was about my time. He’d always send a text, so I knew something was up.
“Nothing much. I got a question”
Oh goodness, I thought.
“What is it, Ra?”
Everybody called Zaiere by his nickname Z, but I called him Ra because I loved his middle name.
Zaiere Rasheed Thornton was the man to know back in the day. Hell, he’s still the man to know now. His intelligence wasn’t limited to street smarts, and I liked that about him. When we were younger, he made a lot of moves that weren’t always the best, but he knew how to hustle and not just with niggas, so I couldn’t knock him for that.
“Chill, it ain’t even nothing like that. I was just wondering if you’d be up to going out tonight.”
I relaxed and kicked off my shoes.
“Oh ok. Um, yeah I guess. I haven’t been out in a while anyway. Where you wanna go and what time?”
“Cool. I was thinking BLVK Orchid would be a good move for tonight. It’ll be one of my homeboys and me. We were thinking about heading out around ten o’clock. You know the line gets crazy out there once eleven o’clock hits. They havin’ a live band before then, and I know shit like that is right up your alley.” He laughed.
“Whatever, nigga, you like it too, so don’t even front,” I said as I laughed along with him. “But, ok, I’ll kick it with y’all as long as ya little friends ain’t on no fuck boy shit. I am not trying to go out with any of them. They are not my type.”
“Girl, hush with all that nonsense. Ain’t nobody tryin’ to set yo crazy ass up, and you already know you don’t even have a type.” He laughed harder.
“Yeah, whatever, you say that now, but as soon as one of them tries something, they are going to get embarrassed,” I stated with a blank face.
“Ok, Jade, dang. You need to lighten up a bit. We just trying to have a good time, so save the attitude for another night, ok?”
“I hear you,” I said to him as I simmered down.
My thoughts had already shifted to what I could wear. I hadn’t been dancing in a while, and after today’s workout, I was feeling a little feisty. I needed to burn off some energy on the dance floor and have some fun.
“Ok, well, I’ll hit you up later when we get ready to leave from my place,” he said.
“Cool I’ma start getting ready now cause you know how I can get.” I laughed.
He laughed back, “Yeah, I know. You about to try on everything in your closet knowing damn well you’d look good in anything you put on.”
“Whatever! That’s all you mister fly guy. You stay pulling chicks every time you step out,” I said jokingly, but it was true.
Zaiere was one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. He looked exactly like a tall Lorenzo Tate, but darker and more muscle. Plus he had the prettiest smile that would make any woman’s heart melt. The man was gorgeous, and I’m not saying that just because he’s my best friend. It was the truth. Let him tell it, he just an average guy that knows how to dress well, but I saw otherwise.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just be ready by ten. I’ll see you later,” he stated, and we hung up the phone.
He was right about one thing. I was definitely about to destroy my room getting dressed. I was getting excited at the thought of getting extra sexy and showing off a bit tonight. I didn’t typically like being the center of attention, but I did have my moments where I stepped out prepared to have all eyes on me. I am far from conceited, but I also enjoyed the fuck out of myself. I loved how my body looked with and without clothes on. Hell, I put in enough work in the gym to show it off and that’s exactly what I was going to do tonight. I most definitely planned on showing off my perfect ass and full breasts.
I contemplated calling my homegirl Madison to see if she would be down to go with me, but I changed my mind. She’s been putting in extra hours at her own company and probably needed the break, but who knew when she would actually take one. I never knew dentistry was such a complex industry, but my girl was holding her own for sure. Her dental office was one of the best in the city, and she was making damn good money running it. I made a mental note to schedule some girl time for us at my favorite spa. We needed to catch up in a major way.
I didn’t fool with too many and Madison was one of three women I trusted with my life. I met Madison and Keisha while we were in college, but Shayla has been my bestie since we were nine years old. Outside of Ra, they were the only people I shared everything with. My girls were my confidants, I loved them, and I always felt the love returned.
“Six-inch heels, she walked in the club like nobody’s business. Got damn, she murdered everybody and I was her witness. She stackin’ money, money everywhere she go, pesos outta Mexico... She stack her money, money everywhere she go…”
Beyoncé’s sultry voice floated through my apartment making me feel like the baddest thing walking as I browsed my selection of clubwear. I finally decided on a long black high waist skirt with slits on both sides that showed off my toned brown thighs and a bright yellow cropped shirt that accentuated my deliciously perky breasts, exposing a few of the tattoos I often kept hidden underneath my professional clothes. Satisfied with tonight’s choice, I picked out the perfect platform heels and accessories to complete my outfit and headed to my bathroom to shower.
I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, happy that Ra had called. Even though we lived in the same city, our schedules were hectic, and we didn’t hang out as much as we did before, so I was looking forward to chilling with him.
He calmed me down in a way nobody has ever been able to do and that’s one of the main reasons why we were friends. He has a great personality, and we clicked instantly after meeting each other at school. He made me feel so comfortable around him. He was the true definition of a friend. He never made me feel bad for my mistakes, nor did he judge me when I fucked up. I loved him even more for that. I can be a hard ass to deal with, even more so when I’m in one of my moods, but he’s never been fazed by my emotional breakdowns or outbursts. If anything, he encouraged me to get it all out so that I didn’t let the feelings tear me up inside. We’d been through a lot together, and it was great to see how far we’d both come after going through so many hard times. He was definitely a lifetime friend of mine, and I doubted anything could come between us.
“Ok, girl, wash ya ass cause you need to have this face on ten tonight,” I said aloud to myself while thinking about how I wanted to do my makeup.
I turned the shower on, letting the hot water ease the tension of my somewhat sore muscles and clearing my mind with nothing but positive thoughts. Tonight was going to be the night something amazing happens. I could feel it. I didn’t know what it was, but my body was vibrating on a different frequency at the thought of going out. Something good is coming my way. I can feel it. The thought ran across my mind, and I was content with my decision. I’d never been to BLVK Orchid, but it had to be nice if Zaiere hung out there. He liked hood shit from time to time, but for the most part, he liked to chill in a laid back environment.
He knew how to have fun, that’s for sure, and the man could drink like a fish. I, on the other hand, wasn’t about that drinking life. After one too many drunk nights in college, I stuck to smoking weed and sipping slow. Alcohol brought out a side of me that I didn’t particularly like, so I learned my limit and stuck with getting high. Even when it came to smoking, I’d learned not to overindulge. Everything in moderation was my motto. However, with me being in such a good mood, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to step out of my comfort zone a bit. I knew I would be straight with Ra with me, so I could let go a little more than I usually would. Shoot, I’d even let the first round of drinks be on me. I was just ready to get out of the house and have some fun. There was no telling what the night was going to bring, but I could feel it in my soul that I wouldn’t be disappointed.
I was in such a good mood I didn’t even care that one of his guy friends would be tagging along with us. I planned on showing up early anyway to check out the live band Ra mentioned. He knew I was a sucker for good music, and I wanted to keep up my good vibes before they got there and wanted to make conversation. I was good at enjoying my own company and interacting with others became too much of a task for me at times. Although I never felt like that with Ra, I was sure it would be a little different from our normal interaction because his friend would be there too. Either way, I wanted to keep my spirits high.
I rolled up a nice blunt and got lifted while doing my makeup. I had plenty of time to get myself together, and with the mood I was in, I didn’t plan to spend the night alone. I was long overdue for some affection, and I needed a nice fat dick to end my night with a bang. I was going out with one thing in mind, and that was me being completely and utterly satisfied in every way possible.
Zaiere
Donte and I arrived at BLVK Orchid precisely at ten o’clock, grateful to avoid the rush of latecomers that would soon be taking over the parking lot. I spotted Jade’s 2017 Nissan Altima Coupe and knew she’d be inside waiting with a good table. As soon as we walked in, I spotted her immediately. She stood out everywhere she went, and tonight she was looking extra godly like the beautiful black queen she is. Her outfit showed off every single curve she had, and I couldn’t help but stare like a groupie waiting to get noticed. She took her eyes off the stage as if she could sense that I’d walked in and immediately came over to us, greeting me with the biggest smile and an even bigger hug. Damn, this woman is breathtaking. I thought to myself, still kind of awestruck by how good she looked, and she smelled so damn good that I wanted to taste every inch of her right there on the club floor.
“Hey, Ra! It’s been too long since I saw your big head ass,” she said, laughing. “Where you been hiding out?” she asked.
“You know I’ve been up to business as usual, but I know you ain’t talking about me, miss don’t interrupt my me time.” I laughed with her.
“You’re the one that got ya company started and don’t have time for us little people anymore,” I responded, and she scoffed.
“Whatever, boy, you know I’m about my money. I ain’t got a man or kids, so I might as well get money. You know how I do,” she stated.
Yeah, I know.” I grinned at her, happy to be in her presence.
“Oh, Jade, this is my friend, Donte Harris.”
She held out her hand all business-like and spoke to him with much less enthusiasm as she’d just shared with me.
“Hello, Donte. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you as well, Jade. I just have to say you look absolutely amazing tonight,” Donte said while looking at her as if he’d never seen a woman before.
She smirked, knowing that he more than likely ask for her number before the night was over, and she’d politely turn him down because he wasn’t her type.
I looked at them both and chuckled. The woman had a way with men, and she knew it. That made her even more appealing. She wasn’t a prude by a long shot, but that didn’t mean she was easily accessible.
“Ok, so I was thinking, the first round of drinks are on me,” she said casually with a twinkle in her eye, and I knew she was going to be on her level tonight.
Her eyes were already a tad bit low, so I knew she’d gotten acquainted with Mary Jane before leaving her house, and she probably had more with her right now since she planned on drinking. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but if she smoked beforehand, she could handle herself better than most men can when they were drunk.
“Bet. The next round is on me,” I said.
“I see you came to show out tonight.” I grinned at her knowingly.
“You already know I did. I’m feeling good, Ra. Besides, it’s been a minute since we kicked it, so we might as well live it up!” she exclaimed, and I couldn’t have agreed more.
We both worked really hard, so a night out having fun was long overdue.
She gave me a quick wink, and I felt so at ease that I almost forgot about Donte was sitting there with us. Jade’s restaurant, The Rook Café was really blossoming, and I was proud of what she was achieving. Hell, even my own company was on a steady move up, and I was happy we could celebrate our growth together.
“So, what you wanna drink, bro?” I asked casually, diverting the attention from Jade, who was looking too damn good for my sake.
“Shit, nigga, you know my usual. Let me get some D’Ussé straight and a glass of Coke on the side,” he replied.
“Damn, it’s like that?” I laughed. “Well bet, I’ma start with the same thing. Looks like we all gone be on our level tonight.”
The band on stage was a local crew that went by Smooth Waters. They were pretty good. They gave old school jazz vibes, and their vocalist was crazy talented as she sang her own rendition of Jill Scott’s “The Way” that led into “Crown Royal”. Two songs Jade loved, so I knew she was pleased with coming out early. Now once the DJ took over at eleven, the calmness of the club was going to change and quickly. Don’t get me wrong, he was great at playing all the latest hits, but that also meant a younger crowd would be in the mix, and they could sometimes get rowdy. None of us was up for that shit tonight. Nevertheless, I had to give it to the bouncer. He was pretty efficient at shutting any types of altercations down without hesitation.
Our first and second rounds of drinks went by fast and Jade excused herself from the table to take a smoke break, which was perfect timing. It had just turned 10:45, which was plenty of time for her to light up and get back inside before getting caught in the crowd. Tae watched her as she sauntered out of the club, turning heads along the way.
“Damn, nigga, you ain’t tell me she was that fine!” he said, still hype over how good Jade looked.
“I mean, what more could I have said, nigga? She’s the type you gotta take in, in person. No amount of words can describe her beauty,” I replied.
It was the truth, though. Even I was surprised at times of how beautiful Jade continued to grow as we got older. It was her spirit that radiated more than anything. You could feel her presence. She was a force to be reckoned with, and I admired her for that.
“Yeah, I feel you on that one cause a nigga wasn’t ready to see all that.” He laughed.
“Shit, you and me both,” I said, laughing with him.
Like clockwork, Jade walked back in, grinning at me as if I was her favorite person in the world, and I couldn’t do anything but smile back at her. I really did miss her company. Pull yourself together, Zaire. I thought to myself as I stared at the beautiful woman my friend had grown into. Although we’d never taken our friendship past the friend zone, I was curious about what it would be like for us to be together. We’ve always gotten along, and she was the only person in the world I completely trusted. Of course, we’d had our share of falling out over the years, but what friends don’t argue? If anything, we were just trying to help each other do better. And like always, nothing could keep us from each other for long.
“What are y’all staring at?” she asked with her eyes sitting low.
“Nothing” Donte and I replied in unison and laughed.
“Mmhhmm.” She laughed and took her seat beside me at our booth.
We all scanned the incoming crowd as Smooth Waters began to exit the stage. DJ Blue Dream began to set up, and we ordered two more rounds of shots making sure to get a good buzz going before the bar became overrun with people.
“I ain’t got a nigga, I’m throwed off dis liquor, I’m bout to hit the cluuuubbb and dance like a strippa. Dance like a strippa, dance, dance like a strippa. I’m bout to hit the cluuuubbb and dance like a strippa…” blared over the speakers, and the next thing we knew, Jade was up on the floor twerkin’ like she’d been a stripper all her life.
“Got damn, that girl can move!” Donte said excitedly, and I chuckled, knowing that she was just getting warmed up.
I couldn’t even lie. Jade knew how to move her body and very well at that. The way she twisted and whined her body, even a gay man would do a double take. Her brown skin glowed under the flashing lights, and she was slowly starting to get a crowd surrounding her. I peeped the men watching her intently, waiting for the perfect opportunity to make a move. I was pretty sure they were wondering if she and I were together since we’d been sitting at the table for a while, but since I didn’t join her out on the dance floor, in their mind, she was fair game. I knew she could hold her own, so I wasn’t worried. I turned my attention to a pretty light-skinned redhead that was smiling my way.
“Aye bro, I’m about to ask redhead over there for a dance. You good?”
“Yeah, man, I’m good. I see a chick I can push up on right now,” Donte said, and we went our separate ways for the time being.
I took one last look at Jade, making sure she was ok, but she was clearly in her zone, and I didn’t want to slow down her fun.
Not even 20 minutes later, I see Jade going off on a guy, and I politely step away from Jessica, the redhead I’d been dancing with to see what the commotion was about. I stepped up to her asking if she was ok and the guy yanked her forcefully away from me as if he was her nigga. That shit had us both livid. She pushed him off her, and he started to rush towards her as if he was about to hit her, and I wasn’t having that. I jacked his ass up so quick that he didn’t do anything but cower away, asking me to let him go. I was just about to smack the shit out of him when the bouncer came over and said he would take care of it from there.
I was heated. Who in the fuck was this nigga to brazenly put his hands on a woman when she’s clearly not interested? I don’t know if it was the liquor or seeing him pull her in the manner that he did, but I wasn’t satisfied with him just getting thrown out. That nigga needed to be taught a lesson. I headed towards the door knowing he would still be out there, and Jade already knew what was up by my expression.
“Hell nah, Ra. Go to the bar right now!” Jade said.
“Jade, I…”
“Go to the fucking bar, dude!” she yelled before I could even finish my sentence.
“Six shots of Patrón, salt around the rim and a lime, please,” she told the bartender, and he gave them to us on the house cause he’d witnessed what went down.
We downed the shots back to back, and I felt the anger begin to subside as my buzz picked back up.
“Don’t trip, dude. We still have the rest of the night to enjoy,” she said and pulled me back out towards the floor.
“We ain’t kids anymore, and both of us got too much to lose to get caught in a dumb ass fight at the club.”
“Let’s dance” she ordered.
“Huh” I said.
“Nigga, you heard me. I said, let’s dance”
We made it on the floor right as the DJ slowed the music down, and Jamie Foxx’s “Slow” came out on the speakers.
“There’s so much shit I wanna do to you, you, you, you. First, you gotta step into this room. Look into my eyes, I’ma look right into yours. Cut the lights off, but don’t you close the door. Tonight I’m gonna make my hallways echo you…”
Jade had slowly begun to grind her fat ass on my dick, and I wasn’t ready. The liquor had fully kicked in at that point, and I was seeing her in a way I’d never seen before. The girl was in her element for real. I began to go along with her, and we moved in unison with the beat. It was as if the crowd had disappeared, and it was just us two feeling ourselves and getting lost in the moment.
“Baby I’ma do it to you lose yo mind. Hey. Baby you so ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooooo, muthafuckin’ fine. Ay. Ima do ya little body like a rollercoaster. So hold on tight, lay on my shoulder, and slowly but surely I’ma bake that body like a cake.”
Jade stepped away from me just a little and stared in my eyes as she continued to dance seductively for me along with the song.
Fuck!
The girl had me in a trance, and Jade was making me want to take her home right now and fuck her like she’d never been fucked before. The DJ must’ve thought it was a good time to keep the slow jams playing cause next thing I know, “Fuckin’ With Me” by Tank came on, and I pulled Jade back in close to me.
I began to sing the words of the song to her as we continued to slow dance, still in a world of our own. She looked at me with those pretty brown eyes, and I couldn’t help myself. I kissed her. To my surprise, she went along with it. We stayed in that embrace, kissing and for a minute, I forgot where I was at.
I slowly backed out of our kiss and Jade shyly looked away. She cleared her throat and said she was gonna head to the bar.
I made it over to our table, and Donte was waiting for me with the biggest I told you so ass smile on his face. I just shook my head.
“Z, what the fuck was that?” he asked, thoroughly amused. “I thought you said y’all were just friends. Shhiiiiitttt, by the way you had her ass in your hands and your mouth on hers, y’all looked ready to fuck right then and there!”
“Shut up, nigga! I was just feeling my liquor. That wasn’t supposed to happen like that,” I said defensively.
My mind was racing, and internally I was asking myself what the fuck just happened too.
“Well, it looks like she enjoyed it too. You better make your move, dawg,” he said seriously.
“She’s obviously feeling you too, or she would’ve backed away from you. Friends or not, it’s something there between y’all. Shoot your shot, my guy.”
“Nah, I’m good, dude. Like I said it was just the liquor” I said.
“Nigga, you stupid” He laughed and said he was going to get another drink.
Meanwhile, I sat there trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I’d kissed my best friend and that shit felt like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Despite us both taking shots before heading to the floor, she tasted sweet, and I could only imagine what the rest of her tasted like.
Fuck this.
I need another drink, I thought to myself, and the next thing I know, Jade was walking up to our table with two drinks in her hand.
“Well, we just put on quite the show,” she casually said as if she’d been unaffected by the moment we just shared.
“I know right,” Was all I could say in return, and we sat in silence for a moment.
“Listen, Cece. I hope you didn’t take that kiss the wrong way. I really don’t know where that came from”
I tried to cover my ass and save face before she could bring it up. I called Jade ‘Cece’ from time to time as a little nickname from her middle name, just like she calls me Ra.
“It’s ok, Ra. I enjoyed it…” and she looked off blushing, which made me curious. But you know what they say, curiosity kills the cat and Jade was worth dying over.
Fuck!
This gotta be the liquor making me feel out of pocket.
“Oh ok… So um, what time you thinking about heading out? It’s starting to get late, and I think this is going to be my last drink for the night”
As soon as I finished my question, I got a text from Donte saying he was leaving with the chick he’d been booed up with all night. I told him ok and said be safe.
“I’m ready to go whenever you are,” she said, and I let her know we could dip right then cause Donte had already left for the night.
We made our way out of the club and headed to our own cars.
“Hey, I’m going to follow you home just make sure you good, ok?”
“Ok,” she said and made her way out the parking lot.
It was crazy how the night switched up that quick. Seeing Jade and mixing liquor had me in a mood that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, and I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I, however, didn’t know if I was ready for the answer, but something in my heart told me tonight would be the night I found out.