Episode 2 Double Cross

“Kami! Kami!”
“What?”
“Did you hear what I said? I said we need to go have a drink. Clear our heads.” Shanece yelled in my ear as we sat on my back porch enjoying this beautiful Saturday morning. I was day dreaming about Keith’s and I break up that happened two months ago. I was still a mess. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep just wanted revenge; somehow.
He left that night with no words, only that he’d found someone else and our relationship was done. He couldn’t explain what I’d done or said, only that it was over. Before he walked out on me, I through my glass vase at the doors, barely missing his head. Dumb me to go breaking my own shit. I destroyed my dress, the food and the house. I had my hopes up for marriage but got dumped. Five years and just like that we were over.
“I’m telling you Kami, we need to stop soaking in our own mess and get the hell out of here.” Shanece, my other BFF was trying to convince me to go out with her and Michelle for drinks. I wasn’t in the mood. For the last few weeks I was setting up a plan to destroy Mr. Keith Forbes. There was no way in hell he was gonna come into my life, do as he pleased and then just dump me like that. There had to a reason or something. Maybe I just needed closure from the relationship. Maybe that’s where all the anger came from. I don’t know. All I knew was right now I needed some answers and if this plan was going to work, I had to keep my shit together. My phone ringing pulled me out of my thoughts.
“I’ll get it.” Shanece jumped up and walked into the kitchen to grab the phone. I could hear her saying hello. Shanece, Michelle and I were real close. They were my best friends, only friends in Atlanta since I’ve been here. I haven’t trusted anyone as much as them, even though Michelle do some shady shit, I still loved her. We all were around the same age, 27. Shanece was the oldest born in April, me in October and Michelle in December. Shanece was in a complicated relationship with Mark, her son’s father. Lil Mark was three going on 21 because every time I saw him he said he wanted to be gangsta like his daddy. A damn shame a three year old knows what gangsta is. Shanece, head of being ghetto queen, thought it was cute and didn’t care about her son not knowing his ABC’s or 123’s. He was cute at being three and gangsta. I hope he wasn’t dead at 21 thinking he knew everything. Shanece’s relationship with her baby daddy was complicated because she loved him, but didn’t really want him and if he wasn’t with her, no other woman could have him. That meant no other chic was allowed to be around her son. When Mark spent time with his son, he had to spend time with Shanece, get my drift. Shanece truly did not know the meaning of love neither did mark since he allowed her to play that game.
“Here. It’s your Mama.” Shanece said coming back outside giving me the phone.
“Hey Ma’”
“I been calling you!”
“I know Ma’ I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.” I lied.
“Don’t lie. I know you over there pouting about Keith. Get over him. Obviously he wasn’t no good for you. It’s too many good men out here to be worryin’ over one. Go find another one and you better not be over there doing anything stupid. You gonna go put yourself in jail for that man. Is he even worth it?” I wondered how she knew about Keith and what I was planning on doing. Then I remembered I talked to my sister last week and told her. I shoulda known Keana would tell Mama. She tells her everything.
“Mama I’m not doing anything stupid.”
“You need to put all that energy into your second book. I’m still waiting to find out what happens to Pam in part two.” I published my first book over two years ago called “Light My Fire” I ended the book with Pam my main character being pregnant and hadn’t went back to the drawing board. I had so much going on right now I wasn’t in the mood to write. But I did need to get crackin’ with my book. I’d been here seven years and only produced one book with a host of blogs on the internet. I’m sure my little fan club was wondering what was up.
“Yeah Mama, I’m gonna get started on that soon. Works been busy also.”
“Kamilya Janet Washington, don’t make me come out there. I love you too much to see you allowing other people to bring you down. You said you were going out there to push your career, now push it. I know you have a horrible temper in you, like me, when someone crosses you. But I been there done that. Please don’t go down the roads I’ve been down. You have something good going for you. You are a writer and a damn good one. Put all this built up energy into another book. You got people waiting on you.” Mama made me smile just a little. Writing always excited me and it was time to put another book out. Overdue. I planned to contact my publisher in the morning.
Later that night, Michelle came over to the house so we could get ready to go out together. Shanece had finally convinced me to get up and go out. On the ride to the club, I asked Michelle about Ray; hoping she’d finally did what she needed to do.
“Girl Ray is old news. I went on a business trip last week and met this fine brother name Carter. Last name Dix and oooohhhhh weeeeee is the “dix” good.” I was riding in the front seat with Shanece. I turned to look at Michelle as if she’d lost her mind.
Michelle is 5’6 light skinned red boned. The type of female dudes will melt over. Her natural long red hair was thrown into a ponytail. She had on Tan Capri’s with an orange top and orange stilettos. She sat up on her seat, no seat belt to give me the details while we rode in Shanece’s four year old Maxima; iphone in one hand while her other hand held her balance on Shanece’s seat.
“You are not still cheating on James. Girl please just divorce the man. What’s the reason for being married to him, yet you sleep around and now it’s two guys you’ve cheated on him with. Just leave him. Are you practicing safe sex?”
“Kami, of course. Look. James provides very well as you can see and I’m not giving that up. I have sexual needs that need to be met. I’m not about to sit around and train some grown man on how to make love to me when I can find it very easily in others. What’s the point?” She finished. I turned back around to look at the road. I folded my arms across my black and white tub top dress and shook my head.
“What you gonna judge me for what I do when you about to go have Keith set up.” She threw back.
“I can’t believe you just said that. You know what he did to me. He deserves everything coming to him.”
“Well look, we all go shit going on so I do me and you do you. Case closed.”
“And sealed.” I said back.

We arrived at “Forte” a few minutes later. It was a club that Shanece frequented a lot. I didn’t do clubs because I was in a deep relationship with Keith and respected him enough to keep my ass out the streets. But Shanece said we would go just to get some drinks and chill at the bar, no more no less, that was good for me. A few minutes after we got there, Michelle saw someone she knew and hopped up to go see them. I didn’t see who the person was so I turned back to Shanece and sipped my drink….

Meanwhile on the other side of the club….
“What are you doing here?” I asked
“Chillin’ with my boys. What you think I’m doing?”
“If she see’s you here she’s going to go off let alone have a fit that I’m talking to you like this.”
“Aww whatever. I ain’t sweatin’ her. We are over. You and I Miss Michelle, are what’s happenin’” He grabbed my hand but I pulled away.
“Keith, stop. If she finds out that I am the reason you dumped her, I’ll have hell to pay. Now get out of here.”
“It pays to be the boss…boss” I sucked my teeth and reached in my purse.
“Will $100 do?”
“Absolutely. See you at the spot…sexy.” Keith kissed my cheek and spanked my ass as he left the club. I prayed Kami wasn’t watching.