A Sneak Preview: "What Am I Gonna Do?"

[Sweet Meat aka CC]

[glow=red,2,300]"I never knew why I told you all the lies/And everytime you cry/It made me realize/I'd be lying to myself if I told you I can do it without you babe"--Tyrese: Bring You Back My Way[/glow]

“Gran’ma! We’re gettin’ ready to take Cujo for a walk!”, I yelled from the kitchen as my 7-year-old daughter, Chastity, and I were heading over to the backdoor.

“Okay, baby! Yall be careful!”, Gran’ma yelled back from her bedroom.

“Yes ma’am! C’mon, boo.”, I smiled at Chastity while helping her down the steps which led out into the fenced-in backyard. After making sure the door was locked behind us, I walked over to my grandmother’s large, gray and white, 4-year-old Siberian Husky that Gran’pa had bought for them when he was still a puppy.

Speaking of Gran’pa, he died a little over two months ago from prostate cancer which is why I moved back home to be with Gran’ma so she wouldn’t be alone. After all, she and Gran’pa were responsible for raising me since my mother was fifteen when I was born. However, when I was about three years old, she met some big time club owner and moved to NY with him and that’s when my grandparents stepped in to take care of me from then on.

Even though my momma left me at a young age, she has always kept in touch with me to this very day. And she’s forever sending Chastity all sorts of toys, clothes, and games the same way she used to do with me when I was growing up.

Now for a lil’ background history on my baby’s father. He’s what I now like to call a “pretty n!gga” named Boris. We were from two different worlds from the jump. I’m ghettofabulous and proud of it while he was and still is Mr. Spoiled Rich Kid who’s employed as a Sr. Analyst for a well-known engineering firm. However, the first night we met while I was a part-time evening waitress at Starbucks, it’s like we had been friends for years. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I moved out of Gran’ma and Gran’pa’s place to move in with him in a suburb of LA while continuing to work and go to school in the day time to become a hairstylist…BIG MISTAKE!

It wasn’t long before I found out I was pregnant with Chastity when Boris started tripping like crazy. He began to stay out every night until late and he always had the “I had to work late” excuse ready for me when I questioned him about his whereabouts.

I must admit that I held on to every last ounce of hope for our relationship until I called in sick to work one night so that I could drive out to his job with my cousin's car that he let me borrow so I wouldn't be noticed. I had had enough of Boris' excuses and needed to find out for myself what was going on. But now I know what the phrase means that Gran’ma used to always tell me when I was growing up: “Don’t go lookin’ for somethin’ that you know nothin’ about because you may not like what you find out”. That was the case for this particular night.

I parked across the street from his job and waited for him to come out to his ride which he did around 6:45. From there, I followed him to a plush hotel out in Burbank.

While I sat in my parked car across the busy street with my 5 ½ month pregnant belly literally jammed up under the steering wheel, I watched Boris as he climbed out of his SUV and gave the valet his key to park it. For several minutes, I watched as mostly couples walked in and out of the hotel. However, I noticed when a sleek silver-colored Porsche pulled up in front of the hotel close to twenty minutes later. A cocoa-complexioned, fake titty having, model-type looking female with a jet-black quick weave stepped out of the car dressed in a clingy red pantsuit. That’s when my nosiness got the best of me. I shimmied my way out of the car and quickly waddled across the street and into the hotel lobby.

When one of the hotel employees asked if he could help me, I snapped “no” at him while standing off to the side as I watched the female I was following walk into the lounge. Close to maybe two or three minutes later, she and Boris came out arm-in-arm while heading over to the elevator.

Now I know you may be wondering if I put my ghettofabulous ways to good use. Well I didn’t because I couldn’t risk going to jail while pregnant as well as break my mother and grandparents’ hearts. besides, just because I can be hood with mine didn’t mean that I was one to fight over ANY man.

But I did make my presence known. I walked over to Boris, cussed him out in a calm manner without bringing any attention to ourselves and told the ho he was with that she could have him. Afterwards, I went back to his place, packed up what I could and drove back down to Watts to live with Gran’ma and Gran’pa until after Chastity was born.

[Sweet Meat aka CC]

From there, I moved into my own place with my baby across town. However, I didn’t keep her away from Boris. I didn't want her to experience life without her biological father like I had. Anyway, Boris came to see her during the first three years of her life on a weekly basis and we even watched her take her first step together along with Gran’ma.

Once Chastity was enrolled in school, Boris and I set up a schedule on when he would keep her. We decided on letting him keep her on the first and last weekend of each month and he would keep her for the first month of each summer when school was out.

But getting back to my now defunct relationship with him. All I can say is that we all learn from our mistakes; not saying that Chastity was the mistake because my baby has been such a blessing to me. However, sometimes choices we make in our lives are what really open our eyes to the reality of things. Anyway...

“Hey, Cujo! Hey, boy! Good doggy!”, Chastity laughed as he playfully ran around her while I looked for his leash.

“C’mon here ya mutt!”, I joked as I placed his leash on his collar. As soon as I was done, he took off running while literally pulling me around the yard as I repeatedly yelled for him to stop. After he ran us through Gran’ma’s clean sheets that were on her clothesline, I noticed myself going for one of the many pine trees as he and I began to go in separate directions. I quickly let go of his leash and the next thing I knew, I was facedown in the grass that was damp from the evening dew. In the meantime, Chastity was laughing her little butt off.

“And just what are YOU laughing at?!”, I giggled as I quickly stood up and began to chase her around the yard along with Cujo while she giggled and screamed. In no time flat, I had scooped her up into my arms and began to spin her around. Afterwards, I placed her back on the ground and gave her a playful swat on the behind. “Now c’mon you two!”

Chastity skipped over to the gate and opened it while I grabbed up to Cujo’s leash to lead him over to it after calming him down. It’s crazy how the older he becomes, the more playful he gets.

As soon as I locked the gate, the three of us headed down the driveway for our evening walk.

We were halfway down the block when Chastity spotted the ice cream truck heading our way. In no time at all, kids of all ages came running out of their houses and yards like roaches at the sight of light the minute the truck’s bell began to ring.

“Mommy! Can you get me some ice cream?!”, Chastity pleaded while pulling on my arm.

“Well, you know that means no snack when we get back to Granny’s.”, I warned her.

“I know! So can I? Please, please, please!!!”, she giggled while jumping up and down.

“Here, girl! And hurry up!”, I laughed as I handed her a dollar. I proceeded to watch my baby running over to join the other children at the ice cream truck while struggling to hold onto Cujo’s leash. He loved children and was about to have a fit to break away from me.

Several seconds later, the sound of a horn honking extra loud made me jump as it pulled up to the curb. When I turned around, I saw that it was my childhood friend and neighbor’s man, Michael that was better known as Steel because of his bluish-gray colored eyes in his rundown Trans-Am that he was in the processing of fixing up. I also noticed some guy who was quite good-looking that I had never seen before leaning his arm and head out of the window from the passenger seat.

“W’sup, ma!”, he shouted above his Westside Connection CD that he was blasting.

“Hey!”, I had to shout above his music as well as Cujo’s barking and growling.

“Shondra was just tryna call you! Your gran’ma told her that you were out right now though!”, he smiled.

“Yeah, but I’ll prolly drop by there on my way back!”

“Aight…! Huh?”, he asked as his eyes suddenly looked at his boy that was nudging him with his elbow while slightly nodding his head in my direction.

“Oh…this is my boy, Tyrese!”, Steel suddenly grinned.

“Hey, how ya doin’?”, I faintly smiled.

“I’m coo’. It’s nice to meet ya, ma!”, he grinned while continuing to look at me.

“Yeah, uh…same here! Well I gotta be goin’…see ya Steel!”, I stated with a quick wave goodbye as I headed in Chastity’s direction after she had bought her popsicle.

“Aight, girl! Lata!”, he shouted before zooming back onto the street as his hooptie backfired causing all of the kids to scream and then laugh while pointing at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Sweet Meat aka CC]

The next morning was Friday which meant the hair salon where I had been working for almost a year was packed.

While giving Shondra a quick touch-up, she and I were talking about going out for the night since Steel was going to a Lakers game with some of his boys from work. In the middle of our talk, Tyrese walked inside dressed in a Federal Express uniform while toting a large brown box.

“Oooh, girl! Speak of the devil...last night Steel told me that ol’ boy was askin’ about you!”, Shondra mumbled under her breath before turning around to give me a quick wink.

“Girl, please! But how come I’m juss seein’ him now? He’s neva had this route before.”, I replied while watching him place the box on the desk. As soon as our eyes met, he began to smile.

“He just started workin’ with Steel this week. W’sup, Rese!”, Shondra shouted over the radio while waving at him. I gave her a quick nudge in the back with my hand before continuing to relax her hair.

“W’sup, girl!”, he grinned.

“Dayuuuuuuuum…baby boy is foiiiiine!”, Stanley mumbled while standing next to me as he worked on one of his regular customer’s head.

Now Stanley was my dawg from the first day I began to work at the shop even if he was a lil’ TOO flamboyant at times. But the crazy part is no one would ever guess that if he didn’t open his mouth and give away his lifestyle. And I ain’t even gonna lie…I wanted to holla at him myself when we first met. He sorta resembles my future baby daddy, that fine-ass LL Cool J, and he wears nothing but the best. However, as soon as he introduced himself to me, I was like “movin’ right along”!

“You need to hush up!”, I giggled while cutting my eyes at him.

“Girllllllllllll, that chocolate drop gotta be good ‘n tasty to the last drop!”, he grinned while giving me a wink. Everyone within earshot of our conversation began to laugh.

“Oooooooooohhh, girl, here he comes! How do I look?”, Stanley asked me while quickly grabbing his black silk scarf from the top of his booth's mirror which he proceeded to wrap around his neck.

“Stanley…!”, I warned.

He gave me a sly grin and a wink while popping on his gum. He then proceeded to continue to work on his customer’s head although she couldn’t keep it still since she was laughing so hard.

“Miss Thing, you are gonna have to be still for Stanley!”, he huffed while placing his hands on his hips.

“Then quit cuttin’ the foo’ and do your job!”, she giggled as he went back to work once more.

[Sweet Meat aka CC]

“W’sup, girl! I see you gettin’ ready to look good for yo’ man!”, Tyrese grinned while standing in front of me and Shondra.

“You know how I do!”, she grinned. “Have you met my friend, Ginger?”

“Yeah, we met yesterday.”, he smiled while looking at me.

“Trout!”, Stanley quietly huffed into my ear after leaning over.

I quickly shot my finger up at him while smiling back at Tyrese.

“Maybe I’ll be seein’ more of you since this will be one of my regular stops now.”, he faintly smiled while watching me work on Shondra.

“Maybe.”, I blushed as I purposely turned around to pretend to grab something from my booth. When I quickly glanced over at Stanley, he was giving me the evil eye while gritting his teeth. I had to stifle my laughter before turning back around.

“Well, I’ma be on out to make some more deliveries. I’ll holla at’chall lata.”, Tyrese stated while giving me and Shondra a quick head nod.

“Aight, bye.”, Shondra smiled.

I noticed how all of the females in the shop watched him as he walked out of the door.

“Whewwwwwwww…does my baby have some fine-ass friends or what?!”, Shondra laughed as she turned around to look at me.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”, I chuckled with a shake of my head.

“Ooooh…and speakin’ of fine asses! Gimme room, yall!”, Stanley announced as he stopped working once again to turn the stereo up when Petey Pablo’s “Freek-A-Leek” began to play. He strutted out into the middle of the floor and began to drop it like it was hot. “Ain’t this a fine ass I’m workin’ with?!”, he grinned while breaking into his own rendition of the booty-pop! Everyone fell out at the same time while watching him.

“Shoo’! That Beyonce broad ain’t got nothin’ on this here!”, he grinned while smacking himself on the behind.

We all began to laugh even harder while chanting, “Go, Stanley! Go, Stanley!” which made him dance even harder. That is until one of my other co-workers that we called Cookie told us to be quiet when she saw what she said was a fine-ass piece of eye candy stepping out of a red Mercedes convertible from the window that her booth was next to. That’s all Stanley needed to hear because he immediately turned around and faced the door.

My eyes widened when I saw Boris walking inside. He had changed his look since the last time I saw him almost two weeks ago when he came to pick up Chastity. His head was shaven and he was sporting a moustache and goatee, and looking fine as ever in a white polo shirt, some khaki slacks, and some black Stacy Adam loafers. But I was way beyond him now.

Anyway, besides Petey Pablo growling from the stereo, you could have heard a feather drop to the floor. For several seconds Boris stood at the entrance while looking around the shop and faintly smiling at all of the females looking at him like they were ravenous dogss and he was a fresh piece of meat. As soon as he spotted me looking at him, a smile slowly spread across his face. He proceeded to head in my direction.

“Mmmm, mmmmph!”, Stanley mumbled while quickly chewing on his gum and placing one hand on his hip and the other on his chest as Boris walked past him. This made Boris stop in his tracks for a moment and turn around to look at him before looking back at me with a puzzled look on his face. Some of my co-workers and our customers, including myself, couldn't help from chuckling.

"Hey, Ginger. How you doin'?", he smiled once he had reached me.

"I'm aight, but why are you here? You're a day early to pick up Chastity.", I huffed as I busied myself while giving the impression that I wasn't the least bit moved by his presence.

"I know, but I thought I'd drive down here to surprise you and take you out to lunch.", he smiled while watching me.

"I already have plans to go out with Stanley to lunch.", I replied as I gathered the shampoo and conditioner I would need to rinse out Shondra's relaxer.

"You do?!", Stanley asked in disbelief while watching us.

"Yeah, rememba?!!", I snapped at him while giving him a look that said loud and clear to shut up.

"Oh, well...could you at least step outside with me for a minute. I have a surprise in the car for you.", Boris quietly stated as he walked up next to me. When I looked up, I noticed how all eyes were on us.

"Aight.", I sighed. I then proceeded to ask one of my of co-workers to rinse Shondra's relaxer out before walking outside with Boris.

"Whewwww...what I wouldn't do to take a swing from THAT ding-a-ling!", Stanley mumbled with a wide grin after we had walked by him. I don't know if Boris heard him, but I did which is why I quickly turned around and threw the handtowel that was across my shoulder at Stanley.

[glow=yellow,2,300]***More comin' soon***[/glow]

[*~*Lady K*~*~]

Gurlllll..i'm luvin this already.lol That Stanley is a fool! lmao! I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

[Tanee78]

It's very interesting. It's like looking at a movie while reading.